The kids (and the parents) had a nice time playing and running (the parents talked and ran after little ones.) in the grassy fields during a sunny outing after our breakfast of french toast sticks and sausage.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Guat Easter Bunny Breakfast
Getting together with our Guat adoption playgroup is one of my favorite things to do. Yesterday some of us gathered to celebrate Easter with the Big Bunny himself at a private breakfast and Easter egg hunt at Quail Hollow State Park in Hartville.
The kids (and the parents) had a nice time playing and running (the parents talked and ran after little ones.) in the grassy fields during a sunny outing after our breakfast of french toast sticks and sausage.
The kids (and the parents) had a nice time playing and running (the parents talked and ran after little ones.) in the grassy fields during a sunny outing after our breakfast of french toast sticks and sausage.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Forever Family Day - 3 years ago...
The emotions I feel today are just as strong as those just three years ago when I first got to hold my Isabella. The emotions are different. Three years ago I was anxious, nervous and excited. Today, as I remember that day (like it was yesterday), I am full of love.
Isabella has changed our lives in every way - for the better. She's filled my heart that so longed to be her mother. She makes me proud each and every day whether it's by saying "Sure, mommy" or by peddling her bike the right way.
We have a special day planned today. We will visit the zoo, Isabella's favorite thing to do, with Aunt Julie. We will have a special dinner with all the grandparents at "Bob Heavens," Isabella's favorite restaurant. We will read special books about adoption and Guatemala. And we will hug her extra hard today as we celebrate our third Forever Family Day!
Congrats to the Millers, too, who we will think about today as they, too, celebrate three years with their Jakob! We may have met in line at the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala City, but you will be our special friends forever!
Isabella has changed our lives in every way - for the better. She's filled my heart that so longed to be her mother. She makes me proud each and every day whether it's by saying "Sure, mommy" or by peddling her bike the right way.
We have a special day planned today. We will visit the zoo, Isabella's favorite thing to do, with Aunt Julie. We will have a special dinner with all the grandparents at "Bob Heavens," Isabella's favorite restaurant. We will read special books about adoption and Guatemala. And we will hug her extra hard today as we celebrate our third Forever Family Day!
Congrats to the Millers, too, who we will think about today as they, too, celebrate three years with their Jakob! We may have met in line at the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala City, but you will be our special friends forever!
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Hodgepodge
I still have pics from before Christmas to post. So this post is dedicated to all those people who have waited so patiently for these. This will catch us up to Dec. 23.
Preschool Christmas Party
Christmas Celebration with the Cantwell Clan
Preschool Christmas Party
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Do I need to post?
Wow! I have been a bad blogger! We've been laying pretty low because we have continued to pass around this nasty cold. We did visit with Aunt Melissa, Uncle Tim and Cousin Matthew last weekend, though. (Yes, I have pics, but they're not downloaded yet.)
This time change is kicking my butt this year. Not sure why but I can not adjust. I'm SO tired.
So enough of my whining. Wishing my readers well and hoping you will visit again soon - I promise pics and a new post!
This time change is kicking my butt this year. Not sure why but I can not adjust. I'm SO tired.
So enough of my whining. Wishing my readers well and hoping you will visit again soon - I promise pics and a new post!
Monday, March 02, 2009
Go Kent State
Now that I'm back to work, most of our life deals with Kent State. Last weekend, I hosted an event for the Friends of JMC (School of Journalism and Mass Communication) in the MAC Center's President's Loge for the men's basketball bracket buster game. This picture tells the story of how the event went (and we won!).
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
New Family Pictures
Julie and I treated my parents to family pictures for Christmas. It's the first time we've had famiy pictures taken in more than 15 years. I'll share some of the best with you soon, but take a look at the Kramer family as a teaser!
Friday, February 06, 2009
Pluggin' Along
Things are somewhat back to normal at the Kramer house. I went back to work this week after two weeks off. I'm still fighting a nasty UTI but doing better.
Isabella is doing really well. I had my first teacher's conference with Miss Anna. We discussed Isabella's progress, her strengths and weaknesses. Overall, she's listening in class, learning the skills and having fun with her friends. She was approved to move to the next pre-school level in the fall.
Kevin is busy with work and helping with Isabella. I'm taking a class this semester to sit for my accreditation test so he's watching Isabella those nights.
We are adjusting to a one dog house, giving Molly a lot of extra attention. Isabella is determined to convince us to get her a "real dalmatian puppy" but that is not going to happen.
Thanks for checking in. I hope to post pics soon!
Isabella is doing really well. I had my first teacher's conference with Miss Anna. We discussed Isabella's progress, her strengths and weaknesses. Overall, she's listening in class, learning the skills and having fun with her friends. She was approved to move to the next pre-school level in the fall.
Kevin is busy with work and helping with Isabella. I'm taking a class this semester to sit for my accreditation test so he's watching Isabella those nights.
We are adjusting to a one dog house, giving Molly a lot of extra attention. Isabella is determined to convince us to get her a "real dalmatian puppy" but that is not going to happen.
Thanks for checking in. I hope to post pics soon!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Hangin' in
Well I'm out of the hospital, thank goodness! This is the third January in a row that I ended up in the hospital (2007 - back surgery, 2008-pneumonia/influenza, 2009-stomach virus/UTI/kidney infection). Maybe I can skip January 2010...
I'm still not released to go back to work. I think maybe Monday I can venture back in. The doctors are being overly cautious with me because I'm so prone to extended illnesses. Smart move. Plus, I can work from home a lot so I'm not so far behind at the office. Win-win for everyone.
Stay healthy and stay warm! (It's snowing like crazy here!)
I'm still not released to go back to work. I think maybe Monday I can venture back in. The doctors are being overly cautious with me because I'm so prone to extended illnesses. Smart move. Plus, I can work from home a lot so I'm not so far behind at the office. Win-win for everyone.
Stay healthy and stay warm! (It's snowing like crazy here!)
Friday, January 23, 2009
Sickness all around
No one wants to stop by the Kramer house! Isabella and I have been really sick this week.
Isabella was really lethargic Monday, sleeping on and off most of the day, not eating anything. She attempted mac 'n cheese for dinner and it came right back up. This was the first time she's ever thrown up so she was pretty scared. It made for a long night of high fevers and not so fun baths to clean her up. I slept in her room with her and stayed with her Tuesday. By Wednesday morning she was well enough to go to grandma's even though she still had no appetite.
By late Tuesday, I was starting to feel it, but I went to work the next day. Not smart. By 1 p.m. I was running to the bathroom. I even had to pull over on the expressway to throw up. Not fun!
I couldn't keep anything down, not even sips of water. Kevin took me to the ER around 9:30 p.m. after my doctor said to go. Fluids, Catscan, pain and nausea meds. Diagnosis - Really bad viral bug and UTI. Not fun. So it's back to the doctor's today.
Hope you all stay clear of this nasty bug!
Isabella was really lethargic Monday, sleeping on and off most of the day, not eating anything. She attempted mac 'n cheese for dinner and it came right back up. This was the first time she's ever thrown up so she was pretty scared. It made for a long night of high fevers and not so fun baths to clean her up. I slept in her room with her and stayed with her Tuesday. By Wednesday morning she was well enough to go to grandma's even though she still had no appetite.
By late Tuesday, I was starting to feel it, but I went to work the next day. Not smart. By 1 p.m. I was running to the bathroom. I even had to pull over on the expressway to throw up. Not fun!
I couldn't keep anything down, not even sips of water. Kevin took me to the ER around 9:30 p.m. after my doctor said to go. Fluids, Catscan, pain and nausea meds. Diagnosis - Really bad viral bug and UTI. Not fun. So it's back to the doctor's today.
Hope you all stay clear of this nasty bug!
Friday, January 16, 2009
What happened to Kalli?
I finally can right about it, I think. It's still so hard knowing she's gone. I have an especially hard time each night when I climb into bed. Kalli and Molly were my bed-warmers and now Kalli is missing. I know the feeling of loss will lessen as time goes by, but it's difficult just the same.
So what happened is the question I get at least once each day. Here's the story:
The last week of November Kalli had a bad smell in her mouth. I brushed it off because dog's smell sometimes. I thought she may had eaten something or had a virus; nothing else was wrong so I dismissed the smell.
Over the next for weeks, the smell didn't subside. She started to drool a lot more. She ate and played and was...normal except she seemed to have lost weight.
Finally, 10 days before Christmas her drool became really thick and had a pinkish tint. I took her to the vet the next morning.
She had lost 12 pounds in about eight weeks. She had thick drool which I found out had blood mixed in it. Her glands were really swollen and she had developed lumps throughout her body. Kalli wouldn't open her mouth for the vet, but she suspected Malignant Melanoma. To confirm the diagnosis the vet requested anesthetic.
The next day Kalli was put under and the vet called to inform me that she removed a racquetball sized tumor from the back of Kalli's throat. The tumor was most likely Malignant Melanoma, and the x-rays showed that Kalli had growths in her lungs. The vet suspected the cancer had metastasized. To confirm the diagnosis, lab work was completed.
A few days before Christmas, the vet confirmed her worst case scenario. Kalli had a very aggressive form of Malignant Melanoma that had metastasized to her lungs. The vet told us that Kalli had two to six weeks to live.
Malignant Melanoma is a tumor arising from melanocytes, which are the cells that produce pigment. Although there is no known cause of malignant melanoma, the predisposition of many breeds makes many researches believe there is a genetic predisposition for this disease.
Malignant melanoma can originate from different areas in the body, most often the oral cavity, skin, and digits. The aggressiveness of the tumore and the likelihood of the metastasis vary with the tumor location. Any organ may be affected by a metastatic melanoma (tumor that has spread from a primary site).
Melanoma is more commonly in dogs than cats and primarily affects middle-aged to older pets (often 9 to 12 years). Black dogs may be predisposed. Kalli was 10 years old.
I was shocked and heart-broken but determined to spend our last Christmas and New Year's celebrating with Kalli and the family. The holidays were wonderful.
The following week at Kalli's check-up, the vet was surprised at Kalli's fast healing and weight gain. The vet said Kalli may fight longer than she expected. I was thrilled but stand-offish because I knew the end was near regardless.
Kalli did well until Jan. 4 when she her health spiraled downward overnight. She whined and paced all night long and made multiple trips outside. Since she seemed fine the next morning, I went to work. When I got home, I found blood and diarrhea all over the house.
Kevin and I took Kalli to the vet. They immediately gave her shots and medicine to get the bleeding stopped. They kept her overnight to observe her and get her to eat. I called many times throughout the next day to check on her. She was eating but wasn't having any bowel movements. The vet wanted to see a bowel movement before releasing her.
At 4:30 p.m. Jan. 6, the vet called me to tell me to come to the office. Kalli was bleeding badly and they couldn't stop it. It was time.
Kevin and I rushed to see Kalli. (Thankfully my parents' were able to keep Isabella.) The vet came in the room without Kalli to prepare us. The vet said they had to clean Kalli up before letting us see her because of the blood. I didn't know what to expect - Was she weak and lethargic?. The vet brought Kalli in who was excited to see us. She jumped and licked and wagged her tail, all while blood dripped to the floor. The vet explained that Kalli would bleed to death. The cancer had spread to her intestines. There was nothing left for them to do.
Kevin and I held Kalli in our arms as she went to sleep. She fought it until the very end. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to see.
Now we have a dog angel in heaven watching from above.
Our Kalli
So what happened is the question I get at least once each day. Here's the story:
The last week of November Kalli had a bad smell in her mouth. I brushed it off because dog's smell sometimes. I thought she may had eaten something or had a virus; nothing else was wrong so I dismissed the smell.
Over the next for weeks, the smell didn't subside. She started to drool a lot more. She ate and played and was...normal except she seemed to have lost weight.
Finally, 10 days before Christmas her drool became really thick and had a pinkish tint. I took her to the vet the next morning.
She had lost 12 pounds in about eight weeks. She had thick drool which I found out had blood mixed in it. Her glands were really swollen and she had developed lumps throughout her body. Kalli wouldn't open her mouth for the vet, but she suspected Malignant Melanoma. To confirm the diagnosis the vet requested anesthetic.
The next day Kalli was put under and the vet called to inform me that she removed a racquetball sized tumor from the back of Kalli's throat. The tumor was most likely Malignant Melanoma, and the x-rays showed that Kalli had growths in her lungs. The vet suspected the cancer had metastasized. To confirm the diagnosis, lab work was completed.
A few days before Christmas, the vet confirmed her worst case scenario. Kalli had a very aggressive form of Malignant Melanoma that had metastasized to her lungs. The vet told us that Kalli had two to six weeks to live.
Malignant Melanoma is a tumor arising from melanocytes, which are the cells that produce pigment. Although there is no known cause of malignant melanoma, the predisposition of many breeds makes many researches believe there is a genetic predisposition for this disease.
Malignant melanoma can originate from different areas in the body, most often the oral cavity, skin, and digits. The aggressiveness of the tumore and the likelihood of the metastasis vary with the tumor location. Any organ may be affected by a metastatic melanoma (tumor that has spread from a primary site).
Melanoma is more commonly in dogs than cats and primarily affects middle-aged to older pets (often 9 to 12 years). Black dogs may be predisposed. Kalli was 10 years old.
I was shocked and heart-broken but determined to spend our last Christmas and New Year's celebrating with Kalli and the family. The holidays were wonderful.
The following week at Kalli's check-up, the vet was surprised at Kalli's fast healing and weight gain. The vet said Kalli may fight longer than she expected. I was thrilled but stand-offish because I knew the end was near regardless.
Kalli did well until Jan. 4 when she her health spiraled downward overnight. She whined and paced all night long and made multiple trips outside. Since she seemed fine the next morning, I went to work. When I got home, I found blood and diarrhea all over the house.
Kevin and I took Kalli to the vet. They immediately gave her shots and medicine to get the bleeding stopped. They kept her overnight to observe her and get her to eat. I called many times throughout the next day to check on her. She was eating but wasn't having any bowel movements. The vet wanted to see a bowel movement before releasing her.
At 4:30 p.m. Jan. 6, the vet called me to tell me to come to the office. Kalli was bleeding badly and they couldn't stop it. It was time.
Kevin and I rushed to see Kalli. (Thankfully my parents' were able to keep Isabella.) The vet came in the room without Kalli to prepare us. The vet said they had to clean Kalli up before letting us see her because of the blood. I didn't know what to expect - Was she weak and lethargic?. The vet brought Kalli in who was excited to see us. She jumped and licked and wagged her tail, all while blood dripped to the floor. The vet explained that Kalli would bleed to death. The cancer had spread to her intestines. There was nothing left for them to do.
Kevin and I held Kalli in our arms as she went to sleep. She fought it until the very end. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to see.
Now we have a dog angel in heaven watching from above.
Our Kalli
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Dear Kalli,
I didn't tell you enough how much I love you. I didn't tell you enough how sitting with you calmed me. I didn't tell you how you were my first baby and I loved you like you were my very own. I'm sorry I didn't tell you these things but I hope you knew them.
Petting your head and back. Sloppy kisses. Those deep, dark brown eyes. Cuddling on the couch. Laying in bed. I'll miss you. We'll all miss you.
You lived a full life in your 10 years with us. You went on vacations, had doggy sleep-overs, woodsy walks and snacks galore. You were loved by many and missed by more.
We will always cherish our time with you, Buddha. We'll never forget!
Our Kalli
Please share your favorite memories and photos of Kalli with us.
Petting your head and back. Sloppy kisses. Those deep, dark brown eyes. Cuddling on the couch. Laying in bed. I'll miss you. We'll all miss you.
You lived a full life in your 10 years with us. You went on vacations, had doggy sleep-overs, woodsy walks and snacks galore. You were loved by many and missed by more.
We will always cherish our time with you, Buddha. We'll never forget!
Our Kalli
Please share your favorite memories and photos of Kalli with us.
Monday, January 05, 2009
Computer problems
I'm sad to report that my computer died. It has all my photos on it which I haven't burned to CD since Halloween. I'm hoping Kevin is able to repair the system so I can recover the images, but I may lose everything. I'll keep you posted.
Please say a prayer for friends Laura and Josh. Laura is a stay-at-home mom to two kids and Josh just lost his job. Pray that Josh finds something soon!
Please say a prayer for friends Laura and Josh. Laura is a stay-at-home mom to two kids and Josh just lost his job. Pray that Josh finds something soon!
Saturday, January 03, 2009
2nd Annual Kraynak's Trip
With neighbors Todd, Candice and Jordan, we made the trek to Hermitage, PA to see the annual Kraynak's Christmas display. We also visited a VERY muddy reindeer farm (Bella's Nikes were covered so Kevin had to clean them immediately, of course, in the restroom of a knick-knack shop.) And what trip to western PA is complete without shopping at Grove City? We finished up the rest of the Christmas shopping at the outlets.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
STI Family Party
Kevin's office throws a family party each year. This year, STI rented out the toboggan shoots in Strongsville. Even though it was cold and windy and Isabella was too small to ride, we had a nice visit with the families, yummy donuts and warm hot chocolate. Even Santa made a visit, but Isabella wasn't fooled: "It's Daddy," she said right away. Even after much convincing she continued with: "I'm aggravated! It's Daddy. Those are his glasses." We finally convinced her that Daddy was asked by Santa to fill in since Santa was really busy at the North Pole. Santa gave Daddy special glitter and his suit. That way the kids wouldn't be disappointed and Santa would still get their lists. She was fine then!
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Our Holiday Season - Part 1
Wow! We've had a lot of Christmas fun this year. Like always, I'm behind in posting pictures of our events and parties. Sorry! But at least I know I have lots of pics to post over the next few days so visit often.
These pics are from the annual NEO Guatemalan Adoptive Families Christmas Party. A group of families with children from Guatemala get together several times a year to talk, play and raise money for families living in Guatemala. We all had a great time!
These pics are from the annual NEO Guatemalan Adoptive Families Christmas Party. A group of families with children from Guatemala get together several times a year to talk, play and raise money for families living in Guatemala. We all had a great time!
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