awww...my poor baby....

my little boy matthew had AN ALLERGIC REACTION to his currently MEDICATION!! yesterday, the nurse noticed he had a rash on him....when i went to check it out, OMG, IT WAS ALL OVER!! he was BRIGHT RED!! I immediately called the dr and we went in and he asked me all the questions and when i told him i had JUST refilled his AMOXOCIL on sunday and gave him his dose on sunday, the dr said, THAT WAS IT!! i was confused cause how could he get a reaction to something he had been on BEFORE and also had JUST finished a 14 day dose of it?!?!?!?!?! he said it was actually quite common! so, now, his dr said that he will not be able to use that antibiotic anymore....i know that there are MANY antibiotics out there but still, that is ONE off the market....do i need to get him a bracelet or something?! i need to ask that of him...poor baby looks BRIGHT RED!! and i am SOOOOO NOT KIDDING about that!! i took pictures of his rash...poor baby....i hope that it clears up soon so he can be comfy again!!!

also, matthew little buddy is in the hospital....he had his CLEFT PALATE worked on and had a ROUGH time of it on monday....i just PRAY that he will start to get better and come home soon....he actually CODED on the mom because he had such a BIG blood clot in his mouth and stopped breathing....mom did WONDERFUL!!! i can only imagine how scary it must have all been....

VIDEO ON CNN ON CAMP BUCCA...

hey there everyone!! just wanted to let everyone know that there is video of camp bucca on CNN TODAY!!! here is the LINK to the site:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/04/28/btsc.iraqprison/index.html

it is very interesting to see where james has been these last almost 9 months!! there are 2 videos there and the first one shows james compound!! #30 james had told me that they had been there and i had been anxiously been looking for the feed every day!!....anyway, i hope ya'll will check it out!!! my beautiful HERO IS ALMOST HOME!!! THANK YOU GOD!!

BIKE RODEO YESTERDAY!!

awww....i sure wish daddy was home for this...i know that he wished he had not missed it either..he was so excited to hear that he was going to participate in it..he just wished he would be here too...

well, he did GREAT!! but there was a funny moment on sunday...alex was soooo excited that he was going to the park to the BIKE RODEO...WELL, the nurse was telling him what the bike rodeo was...you know, that there was going to be OBSTACLE COURSE and that he would have to do...well, he runs into my room with tears in his eyes and tells me, "mommy, i don't want an obstacle!" and i was like, "what do you mean?" he told me that the nurse had told him that there will be OBSTACLE COURSE at the rodeo...i said, "alex, do you know what an OBSTACLE COURSE IS?" he said, "NO!!" it was too cute! and once i told him and showed him what it was he was HAPPY! but he was soooo cute cause he was just DEVESTATED that there was going to be an OBSTACLE COURSE at the BIKE RODEO!!

anyway, he had soooo much fun and he did GREAT!!! he also got a NEW HELMET for FREE from the group there!! so nice! i LOVE this homeschoolers playgroup that we are a part of! they do something new every week!!

here are some pictures from that day!!

SPURS WIN IN DOUBLE OVERTIME!!!

YYYIIPPPPEEEE!!!! wow, what a GAME!! i sure missed james being here to celebrate! it was DEFINETLY A NAIL BITER!! it was so hard to watch at times....we were behind the WHOLE GAME until the last period!! wowowowow....TIM DUNCAN (MY MAN) made his FIRST 3 of the SEASON to put it into overtime....wowowowow...great game....it was fun to watch it with my boys....just wish james was home so we could watch it all together!!! onto GAME 2 on TUES!!! :) GO SPURS GO!!!

FIESTA TIME!!!

one of our AWESOME time of the year here in SAN ANTONIO is starting TODAY! it is FIESTA TIME!!! yep, check out this website so you can get an INSIGHT as to WHY i love my city soooo much!! http://www.fiesta-sa.org/ this time of the year, EVERY YEAR, is a time that san antonio just has a PARTY ALL WEEK LONG!! there is so much to do!! there is tons of stuff for family and for the PARTIERs out there!! we usually do at least a couple of events every year. this year, i will have to look around and see if there is anything we can go to! we usually do the FIESTA ESPECIAL which is a fiesta especially tailored for SPECIAL NEEDS FAMILIES but i don't think we will be able to do it this year...won't be the same without james there!! we also always end up at FORT SAM for their fiesta event....and then we uually do the carnival too and maybe a parade!! i still don't know what we will go to this year but SOMETHING! my SIL will be dancing with her group BOMBA at the Piñatas in the Barrio
so if we get a chance, we might go stop by to see her!! so much to DO here during this time of the year!! it is such a WONDERFUL time for exploring san antonio and all the history that makes us such a SPECIAL CITY!! i hope ya'll will go check out everything there is to do!! just amazing and some of the BEST EVENTS IN THE WORLD!! and the GREAT thing about san antonio, is that we know HOW TO THROW A PARTY!!

SOMEDAY, i hope that ya'll will come and enjoy our beautiful city!!! HAPPY FIESTA EVERYONE!

where has the time gone??

yep, it feels like FOREVER since i posted on here!! life has been FLYING BY with just james coming home and just ready for that!!! we have been having FUN going out to SEA WORLD!!! yep, we got season passes and i GIVE BIG KUDOS to them because they offer season passes that ALLOW A PERSON WITH A NURSE TO BRING THEIR NURSE IN FREE!! YES, that is right, on MATTHEW pass, he has his name plus escort!!!!!! what a BIG HELP!!! FIESTA TEXAS DOES NOT HAVE THAT!!! and that is why i chose sea world and i am so happy i did!!! it has been so much fun and it is so close by our home!! we just zip on over during the week for a couple of hours and have a BLAST!! we also meet up with a couple of other mommies and their kids and have a BLAST!!! SOOOO MUCH FUN! we enjoy ourselves soooo much!! today, we headed out there and who would have THOUGHT there was going to be that many people on THURSDAY during the school year??! but there WAS!! i always wonder if these kids are also homeschooled or on vacation or WHAT?! anyway, today, matthew nurse took him onto the PLAY YARD with all the ladder/net tunnels and such and he did such a GREAT JOB!! matthew had a blast!! i also took him on the SHAMU EXPRESS roller coaster and he LOVED IT!! i think we got on it a couple of times and he kept signing MORE! alex, who had NOT wanted to get on it, at the VERY LAST MINUTE decided he wanted to get on with his buddy and then we couldn't get him OFF OF IT!! loved it!! i of course loved just TALKING to my 2 great friends and just enjoying our mommy time!! SO MUCH FUN!! i can't wait to go again!!!

we also celebrated my MIL birthday yesterday!! woooo-hoooo!!! we went to eat at GOLDEN CORAL, one of our fav place and the kids had a BLAST!!! alex always eats so well there because he has such a VARIETY to eat and matthew LOVES to go there too because he loves to CHOW DOWN on what they have to offer!!! i just love the variety (but i always end up getting the SAME THING each time!!! go figure!) we ended up getting a DIGITAL CAMERA for my MIL and i got such a GREAT DEAL on a camera/printer bundle pack plus a SD card...really happy with it!! and she LOVED IT!! she had still been using DISPOSABLE camera's so it was definetly a step up!! i got a REALLY EASY one so she wouldn't be over whelmed....i know she will come to enjoy it!! SLOWLY!!! this is such a SMALL THING because she has just done sooooo much for our family while james has been away!!! i TRULY APPRECIATE HER!!

well, NEXT MONTH, GOD WILLING, james will be HOME, I PRAY!!! i don't know WHEN but just that SOOOOOOOOOONNNNNN!!!! i am getting more ANXIOUS by the minute and so is he!! is starting to sound a bit sad...like it is hurting him more now to be away! i know that it is just hurting him so that he is so close to coming home!!! but SOON! i am so happy and excited! OVER 10 MONTHS!!! wowowowow.....

i am starting to plan matthew birthday party.....FOUR YEARS OLD, OUR LITTLE MIRACLE!! GOD WILLING he will NOT give us another BIRTHDAY SCARE like last year....

FLAT STANLEY has made it to IRAQ!

just wanted to share with you some pics.....a dear friend of mine son was doing a FLAT STANLEY project with his 1st grade class and he sent it to JAMES in IRAQ!! yep, it was sent to him and james was able to show FLAT STANLEY around CAMP and he had a BLAST!! here is the letter he sent and here are the pictures of FLAT STANLEY!

Flat Stanley’s Adventure at
Camp Bucca, Iraq
OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM 2007-2008

Hello,
First of all I would like to thank you for sending Flat Stanley over here in Iraq to visit. This letter is to let you know how Flat Stanley’s adventure was here in Iraq. Our day together was a wonderful Sunday on April 6, 2008. The first place that we went to was to the chow hall to get a good breakfast. I had an omelet, ham, and some hash browns. Flat Stanley was not to hungry because he was excited about the day’s schedule. All that Flat Stanley had was a biscuit with butter and jelly. We sat there and had some coffee and talked for a bit. After breakfast I took Flat Stanley over to see how it is to be inside the bunkers here. He thought that was cool. After that we went to Church. After church we sat on the swing just right in front of the chapel. We had a nice relaxing time just sitting there swinging along. I told Flat Stanley about this cool defense system that the Iraqi’s had prior to the United States Armed Forces being here at this Camp, so he wanted to go and see it.
After seeing that defense weapon system we decided to go back to the Pod (little house) where I live at and watch a movie. After the movie we just sat outside on the patio and talked about some of his other trips. Well, that about closes out Flat Stanley’s trip here at Camp Bucca. Thanks for sending Flat Stanley over for the visit, we had a blast.

Love from your friend in Iraq,
James

JAMES and FLAT STANLEY having breakfast!


FLAT STANLEY at the MILE MARKER in CAMP!


JAMES and FLAT STANLEY watching a movie!! (G RATED of course!!:)


at the swing in front of the CHURCH...


FLAT STANLEY on the chair outside the POD!!

ok, here are some pictures of cuteness!

MATTHEW getting ready to EAT!! YUMMY....


ALEX and his cuz at SEA WORLD riding the rides....


MATTHEW and his nurse at SEA WORLD enjoying the ride! check out his smile!!


awww....the brothers together waking up!!


JOSHUA enjoying mommies "thingies!" (if you have ever nursed, you know what they are!) silly boy!

 

look at ME! i am a BIG BOY and can do this all by myself!!!

 

awww..just my BIG BOY looking so big!! :)

 

HERE IT IS!! the video of joshua going to TOWN on watermellon!! :) don't you want to go out and get some after THIS?!

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

and i just had to throw this one in...here is MATTHEW getting his groove on! he is dancing SOOOO CUTE now.....he goes from side to side instead of just nodding his head!! i LOVE when he does this!!! enjoy

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

i hope everyone enjoyed the show!! GOD BLESS...

just got some news from james...

well, i just got off the phone with james and he JUST recieved an emailed that we both felt had MIXED FEELINGS.....that email said that he will be GOING TO BNOC SCHOOL!! while that is EXCITING NEWS...what is NOT exciting is that it will be in LOUISIANA and will start on JUNE 7TH!!! yes, you saw right, probably within a WEEK of him coming home, he will AGAIN leave for another 2 weeks!!!!! how to explain that to the kids?!?!?!?!?!?! i am so sad for all of us because we had been looking FORWARD to him coming home and spending some quality family time with him....an now, he will be coming home to just turn around and leave again...i don't know how alex will feel about that....alex says to me that when daddy comes home, he will only be home for a little bit before he has to go back to IRAQ!! i don't know where he got that from but i have been trying to reassure him that when daddy comes home, he will be home with us for a long time...and now i am going to have to let him know that he will have to leave SOON after he gets home!!! AWWWWWGGGRRRHHHH!!! i am HAPPY for james because it will help him for advancement which we want but so sad for him and the boys....i know that we will have to CHERISH those days that he comes home....man...

FAMILY UPDATE!!

Hello everyone!!

we hope that everyone is doing GREAT!!! as for all of us, well, we are just doing fine...trucking right along over 10 months into the deployment!! hard to believe, huh?? i know that it seems soooo much more!! i can't believe that almost YEAR has gone by!!! wowowowow....

well, we are doing well....we are all just anxious for james to COME HOME!! we are sooo hapy and just so excited that in less than 2 months, GOD WILLING he will be home!! i am pretty sure that ya'll remembered that email i sent out about a year ago letting ya'll know that he was about to be deployed and here we are, almost a year later...wowow....just hard to believe...

well, the boy are all doing well....alex is just about finished with his kinderbooks....i am now looking around for hi 1st grade curriculum!! and there are MANY TO CHOSE FROM!!! i am just so happy there are so many options, now i have to find the right one!!! i am excited especially finding out what everyone thinks of every type of curriculum out there....anyway, he is doing really well...reading WONDERFUL and just a little sponge that is taking everything in....i can't wait to really get into the HOMESCHOOL area where he can learn about science and such...i know it will be FUN!! i can't wait! and he is starting to get really anxious about daddy coming home SOON...he knows it is not much longer now...he always says, "june is almost here!!' i sure hope it is BEFORE june!! we can't wait!!

onto matthew, matthew is doing ok....has many of you know he has been sick since JUNE and it just continues on....well, he was admitted into the hospital the first week of MARCH for 5 day due to all his congestion and since then, he cleared up for a bit...well, we continued on for 30 days + of antibiotics to try to keep him CLEAR until the 25th for his CT SCAN...well, he came off his antibiotic on the 24th, had his CT on the 25th (which showed that his lungs are REALLY scared and show CHRONIC LUNG DISEASE and instead of being mainly BLACK on the scan, they are mainly WHITE which is all the scarring!! and his sinus right side looked FINE but the left one showed a bit of swelling)...she said that if he got sick again 7- 10 days later, then we could probably say that it was his SINUS....well, by THURSDAY morning, he woke up at 4am with a FEVER 102.5 AND CONGESTED!! it didn't even take him more than 2 days for him to get SICK AGAIN....i didn't know if should LAUGH, SCREAM OR CRY so i started to laugh! i bet he thought something was wrong with ME! i am just so fustrated with this...i can only imagine what he must be feeling!! so, i called the pulmologist and she started us up AGAIN on a 10 day dose of OMNICEPH and then to have him continuing on AMOXICIL until we find out what the problem is...we are going to go to an ENT to see what he can do for us!! i have an INTERESTING theory but i won't bore you with it here...you can read about it on my blog (3/31/08)..ANYWAY, he is doing well on eating...he has slowed down a TON since he got sick again....*sigh* he was doing AMAZING, it just hurts so bad that he is back down to very little.....anyway, he is also working really hard on standing and walking...we just keep TRUCKING ALONG! and he is doing WONDERFUL on his school!! he can sort correctly at about 90% of the time and he recognizes so many things now and can POINT with his pointer!! wowowowow! he is also so funny! just crack me UP!! oh, and yesterday, he ate CHOCOLATE CANDY and he loved it sooo much he was trying to climb all over his nurse to GET TO IT!!! YUM!

well, joshua is getting so big! he is now 7 months old and he is sitting on his own and just so darn CUTE!! he has the best smile and laugh and he loves to EAT!! either me or his food he loves it all. i got some GREAT video of him eating his first watermellon...OMG, i am tempted to send it to funny videos! he was just adorable! i will download it and put it up on my BLOG today so ya'll can check it out! he is also getting long and big! he is just such a good little boy! is reaching and wanting EVERYTHING and he loves to give me big open mouth kisses and hugs....awww...he melts my heart! and he LOVES his brother ALEX!! as soon as he sees him he start to scream and laugh and just smile....can't keep his eyes off him! and with matthew, it is a WHOLE OTHER STORY!!! it is too funny! he sees matthew coming and boy, he doesn't know what to do! matthew wants to just LOVE on him...so he ends up knocking him over or just holding josh soooo tight! it is so cute to watch! matthew loves to give him love and kisses!! awwwww.....

as for james, he is ALMOST HOME!!!! he said on midnight on the 1st of april, he was SOOOOO HAPPY cause he could finally say, 'NEXT MONTH I SHOULD BE COMING HOME!!" he has waited such a long time to say that! he is anxious to come home and be with his family!! we can't WAIT to get him home!!! he is doing well...he says he is just sooooo tired! he has been working 13+ hour shifts 6 days a week!! this weekend and last weekend were the FIRST time in a VERY long time that he had 2 days off!! when he would call to say hi, he always sounded sooooo tired and he was JUST GETTING INTO WORK! poor guy! but he can't wait to get home...he told me how much he weighs and i am a bit jealous cause he weighs about what i weigh!! he says he hasn't weighed that much since high school!!!! he says he will probably put it all back on when he gets home...awww...he wants to get the boat checked out BEFORE he comes home cause he want's it READY AND WAITING so he can go out on the water!!! he is so excited!!

as for me, i am doing fine...just TIRED and my fibro has been kicking my booty! it is very painful and just annoying...i don't like to feel this way!! one day, i actually had to take something for it because i couldn't stand it any longer!!! i am getting excted to get my man home....sooooo close!!! but other than that, i am SOOO READY to get him HERE!! i am excited!!

and a quick update for those that heard about my friend DIXIE'S mom....WONDERFUL NEWS....after many scans, NO CANCER WAS FOUND ANYWHERE ELSE IN HER BODY, THANK YOU GOD! sooo, now, after being told she DID have cancer in the liver, they think that it might be just a FLUID FILLED SAC in the liver and although they are going to take the fluid in for testing, they don't THINK it is CANCER after ALL!! WHAT A RELIEF!! and what a SCARE for that family!!! soooo, PRAYERS DO WORK!!! i thank GOD that that is the case...i am so happy for them....the family thanks all those that said prayers for her!!

well, that is it!! i have posted some pictures of the boys on the BLOG (www.blessingsinmylife.blogspot.com) if you want to check them out...i will also upload the cute VIDEO of my little guy!! he is eating his watermellon!! AWWW.....if new pics are not done TODAY, please check back with us.,...

well, tons of love from our family to yours!! thanks for all the thoughts and prayers for our family during this deployment....we are ALMOST THRU!!! THANK YOU GOD!

GOD BLESS and TAKE CARE....
love to all,
JAMES, MARIA, ALEX, MATTHEW, & JOSHUA

URGENT PRAYERS FOR A FRIEND....

HELLO EVERYONE,

i hope everyone is doing wonderful....i am asking for URGENT prayers for a wonderful friend of mine (and some of yours)....my wonderful friend DIXIE just got some devestating news on her MOTHER, MS SAINZ....her mother found out today that she has CANCER in the LIVER.......unfortunatly, that is not normally where cancer starts so they are having to do many studies and scans to see if they can find out where it started from...they just got the news TODAY and as you can imagine, they are all DEVESTATED....they don't know a prognosis.......

this wonderful women is just that WONDER and AMAZING....she is such a joy and to hear this is just so devestating for myself that i can ONLY imagine what it must feel like for her family...so PLEASE, any healing thoughts or prayers for her and her family would be GREATLY APPRECIATED.....

thank you all.....if anyone knows of any prayer warriors out there, please, pass this along...they will need it so much! they are very faithful and they believe in miracles (they were with us thru it all with matthew from birth to current) so they KNOW how powerful PRAYER IS!!! please say some prayers!!!

thank you all and GOD BLESS...

maria