The Chronicles of Drake

Kids Are The Best Medicine

2010-08-16T15:23:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had a really lousy day...the kind where everything that can go wrong does and you can't help but to feel sorry for yourself, gladly taking others down with you? Well, I had one of those days last week but my kids refused to let my mood damper their pure and innocent spirits.

Daniel, Jakey, and I were quietly eating lunch until Jake (in his cute little toddler voice) says "Mommy, mommy, wook at me!!" I look over and this is what I saw:

We all laughed so hard and I was instantly in a better place. What a great reminder to cherish what's important!

Addendum

2010-06-16T21:16:00.000-07:00

Well I was going to finish off the cobbler (see post below) but when I got to the kitchen, this is what I found...

(More on this kitten later)

Works for Me Wednesday -- Berries!

2010-06-16T16:05:00.001-07:00

I L-O-V-E berries. Their sweet-tart flavor, the deep richness of their colors, pumped with antioxidants (I think they've even been called "super fruits"), they are arguably the most perfect fruit. With no pits or bothersome peels, they are effortless. Just rinse them off and pop a handful into your mouth. The boys are major fans too.

I buy them all year round but I love summertime when berries are abundant and you can easily find them in the supermarkets on sale.

This week our neighbor Bob brought over a basket of his Boysenberries. Straight off the vine, they were still warm from the sun, plump, juicy, and extra tart. After the boys and I were done noshing, we made a cobbler with the leftovers. When I'm done with this post I will finish off that cobbler with some vanilla ice cream and that's why this works for me.

My breakfast on the days I work: berries, greek yogurt, granola

Boysenberry cobbler *BTW this is a must-try Pioneer Woman recipe

Daniel -- almost 3

Jakey -- 16 months

Wordless Wednesday: Not an Easter Egg But Catcher Thanks You For Finding His Bone

2010-04-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

Earthquake Damage

2010-04-10T13:08:00.000-07:00

On Easter Sunday we experienced the longest and scariest earthquake I have ever felt. As a southern California native, I've had my share of earthquakes (though not as many as you'd think) but this sort of gave me a reality check. I am thankful that this recent earthquake didn't have as much of an affect as in Haiti, Chile, etc but it makes me wonder and ask "what the heck is going on?"

They always talk about disaster readiness but I think most of us take it for granted that nothing major has happened in San Diego...yet. So now I have water, cans, and extra batteries stored up. At least it's a start and I'm hoping and praying that I'll never have to use them.

Our earthquake "damage"

On This Day,10 years ago...

2010-03-18T14:00:00.000-07:00

I married the most wonderful man. The past 10 years have been the best of my life and the love I have for my husband has only grown over time. I still get butterflies when I see him and at the end of the day, when it's time for him to come home from work, you can find me anxiously pacing around the house awaiting his arrival(ok, partly because the kids are driving me crazy and I desperately need relief, but mostly I just want to see him). There are so many reasons why I love this man so much but keeping in theme, here are 10 things that made me fall in love:

1. He's incredibly charming. Five years ago this would have been replaced with "the life of the party" which was extremely alluring, but with age and fatherhood he has matured and I love him even more for it.

2. He's the best dad to his two boys. Case in point 1: While on vacation, Daniel had a hard time falling asleep for a nap so David made up the "monster truck story". It was so successful that Daniel still requests it from time to time. I personally think he should publish it. Case in point 2: Everyday after work he goes into the playroom and plays (and I mean on the floor, fully engaged play) cars, trucks, and trains with the boys. Case in point 3: He's very affectionate and everyday he gives the boys hugs and kisses and tells them that he loves them. Case in point 4 through infinity: He changes dirty diapers, gives baths, gets up in the middle of the night, mops up vomit, rocks and sings to sleep, brushes teeth, takes to urgent care, stands in long lines at the pharmacies, drives to school (30 minutes out of his way), etc.

3. He works 40+ hours a week but still finds the time to help me take care of the boys (see #2) AND, helps me do the dishes, clean the floors, fold laundry, pay the bills (he actually does ALL of the household administrative stuff), mow the lawn, etc. without me ever having to ask.

4. He's extremely witty. I don't know where he comes up with some of this stuff but he can still make me laugh.

5. Exceptionally handsome. Case in point 1 and 2: Have you seen our adorable children?

6. Gentle. He gets along better with animals than people, nuff said.

7. He backs me up no matter what and when I'm acting crazy nuts he can talk me down like no other. It's humbling.

8. He's the most generous person, loves to help people, and doesn't ever ask for anything in return. Case in point: one year he helped several people do their taxes (for free) **note this lasted only one year. I put an end to it because he's not a CPA or anything even close to it, but he still helps my niece and nephew.

9. He's quirky/goofy and doesn't mind at all what other people think. Again, I'm laughing all the time at the things he does and says.

10. He gives the best hugs in the world and gives them often and freely to me and the boys. One of his favorite quotes: "You need a hug, a hug can makes everything better."

It Does Snow in San Diego...Part 2

2010-01-26T16:20:00.000-08:00

Last year, I was so excited about the snow in our local mountains that I posted it here. Last week, after putting up with 6 straight days of pouring rain, we were once again rewarded with a sunny weekend and snow in the mountains. Snow is a novelty in southern California (and it certainly doesn't last very long) so when it happened again this year, I couldn't resist posting part 2. Just to give you an idea how unaccustomed we are to the snow, David is wearing tennis shoes, I'm wearing jeans, and all three boys are wearing wind pants.

Family of four

Daniel and his friends, Ricky and Kennedy

Jakey and me (my jeans were soaked up to my knees but I didn't care)

Taking a break to warm up in the car

Gorgeous

David and Jake

The three boys getting reading to sled down the hill

Winter 2009 Photos

2010-01-14T14:43:00.001-08:00

I know it's been a while but blogging is just so time consuming. The boys are happy, healthy, and growing up fast. Here is a reminder of how cute they are :)

By the way...my friend Miranda took the photos. Didn't they turn out great? Here is her website:
http://www.msstudiodesigns.com/

**** For some reason the pictures are getting cut off. Anyone know how to fix this?

Wordless Wednesday

2009-10-07T20:17:00.001-07:00

(Because it's been too long but I don't have time to do anything else)

Rub a Dub Dub, Three Men in a Tub

2009-08-14T20:50:00.000-07:00

Tonight I was sitting in the office, trying to catch up on e-mail while David was giving the boys a bath. I got up to check on them and this is what I found:

The Fair

2009-07-19T20:48:00.000-07:00

I am falling behind on my blogging again but at least our trip to the San Diego County Fair was just last month. I don't even know if I should bother with the 4th of July. Maybe that will be next month.

I am trying out a new way to post pictures through Smilebox. Let me know what you think. It will take several seconds for the slide show to start.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Mr. Independent

2009-06-14T15:55:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when you give in and let your 3 year old dress himself.

Top Ten Tuesday

2009-05-21T13:36:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been a while since I've posted. To get back in the game, I thought I'd give an update on the Drake household. I'll warn you that this is not the sit-at-the-edge-of-your-seat kind of info, just a lot of small to medium caliber events which collectively, make for a exhausting few months. Some "items" downright sucked and others were huge victories (one in particular). So here it goes...the Top Ten Things the Drake's have been up to:

1. Our house was fumigated due to a termite problem. In addition to the regular termites, we had the subterranean type which come from the ground. In order to get to said termites (the little s**ts), we had to tear up the floor in our playroom/family room. Tearing up floor = carpet out, padding out, wood under carpet out, asbestos filled tile out, and sub floor out. If we didn't have a cement base, you'd see dirt. Did I mention that we have a wet bar in the playroom? The cabinets and sink had to come out too.

2. Daniel got glasses -- According to the opthomologist, his far sightedness is "off the charts." According to the nurse who was about to brush off my concern before I got aggressive, Daniel's squinting is a "childhood habit." According to me, "never underestimate a mother's intuition."

3. Jake got glasses -- What can I say? Both of my children inherited some bad eye genes but Jake's problem is worse. One eye's vision is significantly more impaired than the other. This means that we are going to have to patch one eye.

4. We went to our LPA district regional -- The whole family headed out to OC for a weekend of fun. We met some new friends and reconnected with old friends. Definitely a highlight of the past few months.

5. Jakey's walking! -- Just in time for the regional to show off his moves too. Around his 17 month birthday, he started taking steps on his own. He just took off. He is such a pro now and I am so glad I don't have to oxy clean every single shirt.

6. I literally flushed my cell phone down the toilet -- A random tidbit but too funny to pass up. Plus, this was a lesson learned for me (never text while in a public bathroom) and I'm always willing to put myself out there if others can learn from my mistakes. Without going into extreme details, the phone was under my chin and it accidentally fell into a flushing toilet and got sucked down before I had a chance to react. Not that I would've done anything about it (diving into a toilet is not for me) but I would've liked the opportunity to decide its fate on my own.

7. Ear tubes -- After 6 weeks of sleepless nights, weekly doctors appointments, and 5 different antibiotics, Jake's never-ending ear infection was finally obliterated. He got ear tubes put in at the end of March. No ear issues since then.

8. MRI -- Jake had his follow up MRI at Cedars. The first one in Dec, 2008 was "borderline" per Dr. Danielpour so 4 months later we had another. The results were the same which was actually good news. Because Jake is developmentally doing well and he doesn't show any major physical signs of compression it's a "wait and see" type of situation.

9. I joined facebook and even more of a breakthrough...David joined too. It is partly to blame for my blog neglect.

10. Another totally useless random tidbit, but I needed a #10 so here it goes: While parked at a red light, my 3 year old son witnessed a homeless woman peeing on the side of the road. His conversation to himself(as I was too shocked to say anything): "What is she doing? She's...she's...yes...she IS going potty! Mommy, she's going potty...like a dog!"

Finally, some pics of the boys:

Along with walking, Jakey's taken up the habit of giving mom a coronary by climbing up onto side tables!!

More trouble

Another Tidbit from Easter

2009-04-17T20:26:00.000-07:00

I forgot to add this clip to my last post. It may not be very motherly to exploit my son's gawky ways, but this is freakin' hilarious. It's only 20 seconds long but look for it at the very end.

Happy Belated Easter!

2009-04-16T14:14:00.000-07:00

For some reason, I haven't had the time to update as regularly as I used to. Ok, I'll admit it -- I'm in a blogging funk right now (we all go through it, right?). I wasn't even going to blog about our Easter fun but after someone sent me a subtle "hint hint," I guess I'll post a few pics. After all, I can't deprive you of my adorable children forever. :)

The morning started out with church, followed by an Easter egg hunt at the Smith's house. In this picture all the kids are looking for the prized "golden egg." I wish the picture would have posted bigger because the expression on the kids faces when they realized the egg was discovered is priceless.

Look who's standing (and actually walking...more on that later...when I actually get around to posting again).

The famous group picture. Notice that none of the kids are looking at the camera. It was a challenge to get them to stay in the same vicinity long enough for a couple shots.

In the afternoon the boys had another egg hunt of their very own. One of Catcher's (our dog) bones is behind Jakey in the grass. I think it ended up in the Easter basket as well!

Jakey found a special prize in one of his eggs, a "ca"

This is the closest to a posed picture I could get of Daniel. He was too busy hunting eggs.

2009-04-07T15:36:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I belong to an online discussion group called "Parents of Little People." It has been a huge support system as well as an invaluable source of information. Lately online discussions have revolved around the word "midget" and it's use in the general population. I know that this word has been innocently used for decades but as a mother of an LP, a medical professional, and a friend of many LP's, I have an obligation to at the very least, let all of the readers of this blog know that this word is highly offensive and not under any circumstances appropriate. Please, please, please do not refer to my son, my friends, or anyone short of stature as a "midget". If you could also do me the favor and politely correct anyone you hear using this word. The correct words are "little person, short statured," and/or "person who has dwarfism."

In this day and age, as we continue to progress towards equality and acceptance of minority groups, it's high time to put an end to the "m-word."
Thank you!

Happy 3rd Birthday Daniel-boo!

2009-03-23T13:17:00.000-07:00

Three years ago he came into our lives and at that moment our world changed forever. Within the first few hours of his life, his presence grabbed hold of us and we experienced a happiness we never thought possible, a love so strong it broke us to tears, and a sense of humility that still puts us in check 'til this day. I thank God everyday for this blessed child.

As a 10.2 pound baby, Daniel was the big boy on the block in the NICU. He spent 5 days there after several episodes of apnea shortly after birth. Those were the longest 5 days of my life and I will never forget the sadness I felt when they discharged me from the hospital without my baby.

As a baby he ate everything that was put in front of him! At 2 months he weighed 14.5 lbs; 4 months = 18.5 lbs; 6 months = 20.2 lbs; 9 months = 25 lbs. As a toddler, he is now long and lean. He is more picky about his food now but still likes *some* of his veggies. Favorites: carrots, tomatoes, beets, and broccoli!

Daniel was born with dark hair, just like his momma. He is now a sandy blond with sometimes green, other times hazel eyes...dreamy. Here he is only a couple weeks old

3 months old

4 months old

Daniel can be very silly...

and loves to have fun...

but mainly he is a sweet, compassionate, and sensitive little guy who loves his little brother!

It does snow in San Diego!

2009-02-14T15:50:00.001-08:00

It rained and poured here last weekend and left some cold, white, powdery stuff in the local mountains. Hmmm, maybe we should check it out? We packed up our car and headed 40 minutes east to Laguna where we were welcomed to a winter wonderland. I know for some of you this is no big deal, but for us, snow is a novelty and we had a blast playing in it today. It was Jakey's first time and Daniel's 2nd (we won't count Jakey's first Christmas in Utah b/c he was only 7 weeks old). Daniel had a great time and couldn't get enough of it. Jake could have cared less.

I still can't believe how perfect this place is. Where else can you drive 40 minutes one way and hit the snowy mountains and 20 minutes the other way and land on the beach? I know I go on way too much about my home but like my friend said "we get bragging rights for living in an over priced city."

Enjoy the beauty...

Updates

2009-01-29T13:23:00.000-08:00

Our horrible weekend was only two weeks ago but it's already been pushed to the back of our minds. The boys just finished their antibiotics yesterday and are finally back to normal. They were feeling better 2-3 days after the "weekend from he**" but it took them a while to get their appetites and energy back up.

I spoke to Jake's geneticist a couple days after he had his seizure and I'd thought some of you may want to know what she said (not her words exactly, but my interpretation of them). Basically, cord compression itself does not cause seizures. BUT, one of the possible side affects of cord compression is hydrocephalus, and hydrocephalus may cause seizures. Dr. Jones said this is why it is important for people with achondroplasia to have a baseline MRI, looking not only at the foramen magnum opening, but also measuring the size of the ventricles and CSF flow. The ventricles are "pockets" in the brain that collect CSF (cerebral spinal fluid, AKA "water"). Enlarged or dilated ventricles are an indication of hydrocephalus.
After describing Jake's symptoms and what happened before, during, and after the seizure, the geneticist was very confident that he did in fact have a febrile seizure and no further testing was needed.

Also worth mentioning, febrile seizures are NOT neurologically triggered and tend to run in families. Come to find out, David had a couple seizures when he was a young child. It is unclear whether he had a fever when they occurred (after all, it was soooo long ago :) but his mom said he was treated with medications. They don't treat febrile seizures with anti seizure meds nowadays but according to the geneticist, back then they did. So it is very possible that they were febrile seizures.

So this is what I've learned from our experience. I'm sure there is much more, but it is complicated and I don't want to give out any wrong or misinterpreted information. Follow the links for more info. Tonya also has a wealth of info on her blog with more of what I wrote about as it relates specifically to achondroplasia. And let me tell you, this girl knows her stuff!

Other updates in the Drake household (no, I'm not pregnant): David had his two painful wisdom teeth pulled today, we got Jake's MRI results and he doesn't need any surgical intervention for now (more details in another post), and January is almost over which means there is another 3 day weekend to look forward to in February. Hopefully this one will be different from the last one.

These photos were taken within the last week, showing how fully recovered the boys are:

My middle name is "trouble"

You asked for it! warning: nudity ahead

2009-01-26T13:25:00.001-08:00

Thanks to Mike, I've been tagged. I was told not to crop, edit, etc., so here it is in it's...er, natural form.

Jacob on his birthday in his birthday suit (10/29/07)

I tag the rest of you on my "friends" list.

Here are the rules:

1. Choose the 4th folder where you store your pictures on your computer. No cheating {cropping, editing, etc.}!

2. Select the 4th picture in the folder.

3. Explain the picture.

4. Tag 4 people to do the same.

Top Ten Tuesday

2009-01-19T17:01:00.000-08:00

Not caring if I sound bitter, here are the top ten reasons why my weekend sucked:

1. High temperature --Friday started out with Jakey having a high temperature. At 2 AM he woke up crying and when I went in to check on him, he still had a temp of 101.5 (even with Motrin) so I called and made an appointment for Saturday morning.

2. Ear infection -- Saturday morning's doctor appt revealed an ear infection. He started antibiotics that day.

3. Seizure -- Saturday evening rolled around and this is when the fun began. David was holding Jakey (he wouldn't let us put him down all weekend, David and I traded off) and said he felt really hot. We checked his temp and it was 103.8 degrees. Wow! Jake was really lethargic and didn't look right. Soon after we checked his temp he started having a seizure. I called 911 right away.

4. ER (not Children's Hospital) -- the ER doc came in without even examining Jakey and said "IV, spinal tap, chest x-ray, CT scan..." I talked her down to a chest x-ray and a blood work up. Both came back clear. Several attempts were made to draw an IV line but Jake's veins wouldn't cooperate. Finally I said "stop" and they backed off. They also gave him a breathing treatment and tried to give him a yucky medicine that just made him gag. He ended up throwing up all over me. People kept coming in and out of the room trying to do things to him and Jakey was pissed! He just wanted to sleep. They also gave him a suppository of Tylenol which wasn't fun, but it did bring his temp down. Finally, they concluded that Jake had a febrile (fever induced) seizure and let us go home.

5. Stupid doctor -- Sunday we took Jake in for a follow up at after hours pediatric care and the stupid doc there hardly examined him and said he was fine (well, other than having something viral going on). Nothing much more to do besides antibiotics and trying to keep his temp down. She then proceeded to say that he might have another "febrile" seizure and that we wouldn't need to come to the ER unless the seizure carried on for more than 15 minutes or if he stopped breathing...duh! Sorry lady, I WILL call 911 if this happens again. I won't wait a minute before I do either!

6. Wisdom tooth -- Monday David's jaw hurt so much that he made an emergency visit to a dentist. I wonder how long he was in pain before he couldn't take it anymore because he never said a word with all the stuff going on with Jake. Turns out, he has an infection under one of his wisdom teeth and needs it taken out. THAT doctor only gave him 3 pain pills.

7. Teething -- Jake is so fussy -- a part from the sickness. He keeps sticking his fingers in his mouth and is drooling buckets. He is long overdue for more teeth so I think this could be it.

8. Vomit --lots of it. Monday night (yesterday) I thought the worst was over with Jake until DANIEL starting throwing chunks. He threw up 7 times between 5 PM and 10:00 PM. Poor guy, he had nothing left in him. Turns out HE has an ear infection and most likely a sinus infection too.

9. Haven't slept in my bed since Friday night. On the couch next to Daniel one night (we moved him into the playroom) and on the floor next to Jake's crib the other nights. I AM sleeping in my own bed tonight or I won't survive another day.

10. The house is an abominable mess and I haven't been able to do anything about it.

So that's about it. To top it off it WAS a 3 day weekend with 80 degree weather outside and we had plans to enjoy it. So much for that.

Here is a picture that reflects a little bit of our weekend.

And he wasn't playing with Roomba either. Just waiting for me to give him a glass of water.

David's graduation

2009-01-10T10:53:00.000-08:00

After 6 long months he's finally done! David graduated from the academy last week and is already one week into his new profession. What a ride it's been, starting from the day he told me he was quitting his job of 15+ years to follow his dream and completely change his whole career path. I am so proud of him! It wasn't easy but I know he will be much happier. Here are a few photos from the ceremony.

I think Daniel looks so cute trying to catch a glimpse of what was going on on stage.

I think this is one of my favorite pictures ever!

WARNING!!!

2009-01-05T10:00:00.000-08:00

To all those parents out there with children who aren't 200% potty trained:

When your child has an "accident" in their clothes (and those of you who haven't gone through the entire potty training experience, it WILL happen), please make sure that any article of clothing that has been violated, is turned inside out completely BEFORE laundering in the same machine that the rest of the family uses. This is particularly important for those PJ's/sleepers with feet that are always scrunched up into little balls after your child has taken them off. You will want to take each individual foot and carefully turn it inside out until the very tip toes are exposed, making sure there aren't any hidden surprises. TRUST me on this one.

Happy New Year!!

2009-01-01T20:07:00.000-08:00

It was absolutely gorgeous out today so we decided to try out my new camera (a Christmas present from David) and spend some time at Seaport Village. It was a great way to start out the New Year as I was visually reminded of how lucky we are to live in such an awesome city. The camera is amazing (although I'll have to take a college course to learn how to properly use it) but it doesn't do justice to the beauty of San Diego bay.

Vivid colors

Cruising the boardwalk with daddy

The Hat Shop, which Daniel loved

Jake...not so much

David wasn't too amused either

Cool action shot

Check out the aircraft carrier in the background

A good reflection spot

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-21T17:32:00.001-08:00

The MRI is done!

2008-12-17T20:26:00.000-08:00

Whew...am I glad that is over. Now I can finally focus on Christmas.

Jake was an all star and overall the day went as smoothly as I would have hoped. Your prayers and thoughts were felt throughout the day. Thanks to all who left words of encouragement, they all meant so much to me and really helped calm my nerves.

In the days before the test I was really stressed out. Knowing the risks of general anesthesia for achondroplasia made it worse than it probably should've been. I have a print out of a list of all the anesthesia considerations/complications, summarizing an actual journal article. Have any of the other POLP parents ever read that summary before? Several times it mentions the "squashing of nerves" in the neck area! What the heck!!??? Not good to read the day before your child goes under for the very first time.

Other stress factors included:
* the 2.5 hour drive to LA and trying to beat the horrible traffic to be there at 7 AM
* not being able to feed Jakey anything 8 hours before the test (I could give him clear liquids 2 hours before, but they said "no" to the thickener he needs to avoid aspiration...so that was out)
* going alone!!!
* not knowing how Jakey would recover but having to be back at work the next day

So, I'm not just a drama queen, right? My feelings were valid, right? Did other parents bust out crying when they saw their precious little one fall asleep? Man, was it quick. At one moment he was looking up at me with those big blue eyes and the next (we're talking like 30 seconds), he was out.

So, I said your prayers were felt...and in such a real way.

First of all, my dad told me that he would go with me. I didn't ask him because I wanted to seem strong for both of my parents. I think I put on that mask for most people. Inside I'm really that little girl who needed her daddy more than she wanted to admit. He woke up at the butt crack of dawn (actually WAY before, 3:45 AM to be exact) to go with me.

David couldn't go because he's in the academy, which is basically boot camp. His first training officer wouldn't even let him carry his cell phone. That morning he asked another training officer and he told him "yes"!

It rained ( = poured) in San Diego all day Monday. Tuesday it was clear. Wednesday (today) it poured again. This is significant! Southern Californians don't drive in the rain. I'm telling you God was watching over us.

Jakey was a doll the drive up AND while we waited for over 2 hours before the MRI began. Can you imagine holding a 13 month old squirmer for 2 hours? All he wanted to do was play on the floor. No way I would let him on the hospital floor. Yikes! But he put up with me holding him for 2 hours and didn't complain about being hungry.

The procedure took 2.5 hours. After, they let us walk (but not touch) with Jakey to the recovery room. He was waking up along the way and that little whimper was like angles singing in my ears!

Once the flock of nurses in the PACU (post anesthesia care unit) did what they did, I was allowed to hold him and feed him a bottle. The poor little guy was like jello in my arms. He couldn't even hold his head up. He was a little fussy but a sweet angel once he had something to drink. He sat quietly in my arms for the next hour and a half while they continued to monitor him. The worst part was when they tore the heart monitor sensors off his chest and pulled out the IV.

The drive home was great. We got out early enough to just beat rush hour and Jakey slept the whole way.

I took him to my parents today (vs daycare) and they said he was his usual self. As if nothing had happened. I was a bit tired at work but luckily the rain kept most of my patients from coming in and I caught up on paperwork (and some gossip). I'm not kidding, southern Californians don't know what to do when it rains. We are afraid of it.

So that was our experience. Sorry this was so long. I know there are some people reading this who would've wanted details and to avoid repeating myself I wrote a book. It was also our first experience and I promise not to write so much next time.

Jake's MRI

2008-12-15T11:58:00.001-08:00

Jake has an MRI tomorrow morning at Cedars Sinaii in LA. I'm kind of freaking out because they'll have to use general anesthesia for the procedure (and besides the usual risks, there are also some special considerations with achondroplasia). Otherwise, I have no idea what to expect because they haven't even called me yet!! I have called them and left a message so hopefully I'll hear something today. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers and I'll let you all know how it went on Wednesday.

In the meantime, I've been inspired by other bloggers...enjoy!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

What my kids can do in under a minute --part 2

2008-12-09T18:28:00.000-08:00

Turn Jakey's crib into the dirty clothes hamper. Note the gray sock hanging from the mobile. A nice touch, isn't it?

Line up all of daddy's shoes and somehow manage to put on mommy's new boots.

Climb up onto the dishwasher door while mommy is cleaning it out. This happened about a month ago when Jakey really first started climbing, so I nearly had a heart attack when I turned around and saw him up there! It doesn't look like it in the picture but the door hangs a foot off the ground.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-26T20:11:00.000-08:00

There are so many gifts God has given us and although it may be easy to say "thanks" on this one day, do our hearts really reflect with gratitude? There is so much darkness in the world and especially now, we tend to hear only the negative. Today I will challenge myself to focus on the positive and not get bothered by the slightest annoyances. Instead I will try to be thankful for them.

When Daniel starts to bang on the keyboard as as I try to type this post, I will turn around and hug him. I am so thankful that he is here and such a presence in my life.

When I look at the mess in the laundry room and the piles of clothes on the floor, I will thank God for so many clothes.

When David and I argue this morning because he wants pancakes and I want waffles, I will smile and say "pancakes" because I am thankful for him and for having choices in the food we eat.

These are only examples of the ways I have already been challenged with my feelings. It's hard to not get frustrated and I had to make a conscious effort to change my attitude but I want my heart to be filled with gratitude on this day.

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.”
- Colossians 3:16

May your day be filled with the joy of spending time with loved ones, great food, safe travel, and thankfulness.

What my kids can do in under a minute...

2008-11-23T16:23:00.000-08:00

I went to the bathroom and left my kids alone for less than a minute. During this time Daniel managed to move a play tent we borrowed, from the living room (where it's been, until then, *safely* and patiently waiting to be returned to its owner) to the playroom, pop it partialy open, throw in a bunch of toys, and entice Jakey to join him. I really can't leave them alone for even a minute.

When I first walked into the room I was mortified. This isn't our tent! Miranda graciously and trustingly let us borrow the tent for Jake's party. But I couldn't help but laugh. They were just too cute.

This one cracks me up...do you see Jake's head popping out of the tent on the right?

Happy Birthday Jake!

2008-11-11T13:22:00.001-08:00

On 10/29/07 Jacob Dylan Drake was born. A year later this beautiful boy has given us blessings and joy we never could have dreamed of. I thank God everyday for His gift to us.

We celebrated Jakey's birthday with friends and family. It was a great time and Jake did really well with only one nap. A family tradition we have on first birthdays is to place items around on the floor, each representing a profession (e.g. stethoscope = medicine, Bible = ministries, spatula = chef). Then we let the birthday boy loose and wait to see which object he picks up first. Jakey first reached for the scientific calculator. So, we'll see if the tradition holds true and if he becomes a math teacher, engineer, accountant, etc.

Big thanks to all of our friends and family who helped make this day so special!

Here are some photos from the birthday party:

Madonna concert

2008-11-05T19:48:00.000-08:00

I realize that last night was monumental, election-wise, but I have more important news to share: I went to the Madonna concert last night!!!! I went with Michelle, Miranda, and Carolyn and we had a blast! Madonna is incredible and not one part of her looks 50 years old. And let me tell you, that woman has some moves. We were gettin' into the groove, up on our feet, and steppin' to the beat all night long. What an entertainer. The pictures didn't turn out great, but here are a few:

Carolyn, Michelle, Jane, Miranda

There were plenty of characters at the concert and here is Carolyn with one of our faves

I too, wanted a picture with the embellished, goth bell boy but then "Bono" decided to crash the picture

We were right in front of the big screen monitors

But we had floor seats and the stage wasn't too far. She looks tiny in this picture but I would say that she was maybe 150 feet from us?

There were some amazing effects too. At one point, Madonna was in the middle of this round screen that had cool images flashing on it. It's kind of hard to tell but in this particular clip there were raindrops spinning around on it. You can see her crouched down briefly in the beginning.

Besides staying out way past my bedtime and waking up early to go to work this morning, it was an awesome experience. Thanks M, C, and M for sharing it with me!!

Halloween Highlights

2008-11-03T20:06:00.001-08:00

Here are some highlights from Halloween:

Daniel was a "pieced" together pirate. My friend Myra let me borrow two pirate costumes from which he wore the shirt of one and pants of the other. The vest is actually a leather biker's vest that was given to us by Oma when he was just a baby, and the hat, funny enough, was a happy meal prize from about a year ago.

Forget Daniel's weird pose. Let's focus on the cuteness of Jakey. I got him a onesie and hat from Old Navy since I didn't have the energy to hunt down a small enough costume.

Daniel couldn't stop looking at himself in the mirror. I think he was mesmerized by himself and probably why he didn't smile in any of the pictures.

Except of course when he got to go head first down another blow up slide we found at the carnival by our house...crazy kid.

All in all, it was a fun night and Daniel scored some good candy for mommy!

Stay tuned...Jakey's 1st birthday post coming soon!

10 Things My Husband Loves...

2008-10-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

As promised, I am back to fulfill my "tagee" duties so here it goes:

Ten Things My Husband Loves
(No particular order)

1. Diet Coke -- I came to the conclusion long ago that this is a Drake thing. His whole family drinks it. He probably drank it from a bottle.
2. Meatloaf
3. Flight Simulator
4. Me
5. His boys -- David's not one to share his feelings too often but there is no hiding it when it comes to Daniel and Jake. He has no problem telling or showing them how crazy he is about them.
6. Computers -- He doesn't have the time now, but he's been known to build a computer or two (or three, or four...)
7. Costco
8. To nap
9. To help people -- He is always offering to help people in any way, whether he has the time or not. It can be annoying sometimes (One project in particular took way too much time. Dilenna knows exactly what I mean, her hubby did it too). It's admirable but really, I just want him to myself sometimes.
10. To stir things. This is a quirky one. If I'm in the kitchen making dinner or baking something, he comes in and stirs it. Even if it doesn't need stirring or I've already done it. He comes in looking for things to stir. Weird, I know.

This post has been approved by the one and only himself

Pumpkin Patch Fun

2008-10-28T20:16:00.000-07:00

On Sunday the fam went to Victoria's Garden in Lakeside. We went with my friend Michelle and her son Sterling. Daniel and Sterling had such a blast. They saw farm animals, took a train ride, a hay ride, spent 15 min. on a giant blow up slide, and ate hot dogs. As if that weren't enough, Daniel also wanted to ride on the cheesy little mechanical car that you stick 50 cents into. You know the ones in front of every Wal-Mart or K-Mart? Of all the things to do on a farm he wanted to do that. He threw a mini tantrum when we left because he didn't get to ride the car. We would have probably given in but not after he started whining about it. Sometimes it's hard to be a parent and you just want to give in so badly, but we held strong.

Jakey hung out in the pumpkin wagon (I wish I had a picture) most of the time and was a perfect angel, unlike his brother. If it's not one, it's the other, I tell you!

It is such a small world. We ran into the Bollingers there and a LPA family we had met before. AND, the Coon's were at the same place the day before.

Attempt at a family pic (except Daniel was more interested in Sterling who was trying to crash the family photo -- it's ok Sterling, we love you as family!)

Slide fun (Daniel's in the stripped shirt, the kid with the crazy moves)

Head first...whoah!

Awesome action shot with tongue hanging out.

Train ride

Two pals (I love this picture...so cute!)

Michelle and Sterling

Tagged Twice!

2008-10-23T20:17:00.000-07:00

What is going on out there in the blogging world? I've been tagged twice today with two different tags. I'm a bit tired tonight so I'll only do one. I promise I'll get to the other one sometime this weekend.

10 years ago I...
1. Was well into my relationship with David (and married him 2 years later).
2. Was still working on my biology degree (and wouldn't graduate for another 2 years!)
3. Drove a silver Toyota Celica with a sun roof. I bought it off my brother (he gave me the family discount) and I thought I was just the coolest thing driving that little sports car around. Still by far my favorite car I've owned. Her name was Cindy and I had her until she died. :(
4. Still considered some of my high school friends as my closest (now I only keep in touch with one).
5. Had no idea who I really was. Still working on the self discovery. Maybe by 50 I'll have a real sense of who I am.

Things on my to-do list (for tomorrow):
Um, I have to work tomorrow and on the days I work there is nothing else I can possibly bring myself to do (besides the normal daily chores like, get the kids up, dressed, fed, etc). Don't think I'm lazy. I just can't have too many things going on in one day.

Things I would do if I were a millionaire:
1. Invest for my husband and I AND the kids
2. Quit my job. I do love it, but would rather just stay at home with my kids right now.
3. Get a tummy tuck and breast lift (really, I'm not vain, I'm just tired of doing the fold and tuck everyday).
4. Buy my dream home
5. Take my friends and family on an all inclusive vacation/cruise (two separate vacations of course).

Places I have lived
1. San Diego, California
2. Prague, Czech Republic (just for a semester)
3. Phoenix, Arizona
4. Northridge, CA
5. Simi Valley, CA

Jobs I've had:
1. Baker at Paradise bakery (that was my title but really I just scooped premade cookie dough onto the cookie sheets and stuck them in the oven).
2. Shoe salesperson at Sears (good times)
3. Shoe salesperson at Nordstrom (by far the most difficult job I've ever had)
4. PT aide
5. Physical therapist

Now I tag Jen, Miranda, and Dilenna...payback ladies

Top Ten Tuesday --D12 Regional

2008-10-14T15:22:00.000-07:00

10 awesome things about the D12 regional:

First, a little bit of background (Disclaimer: if you are a LPA member, skip to list, this will be boring). As you all know, Jakey is a lifetime member of LPA. Aside from the National Conference held each year, each district holds semi-annual conferences. Our district (D12) is comprised of California and Nevada. Each district is further divided into local chapters (ours is the San Diego local chapter). This past weekend, Jakey and I flew to San Jose for the fall D12 regional.

1. Jakey did better than expected on the plane. It was his first time flying and although it is only 1 hr, 20 min flight, all hell could have broken loose (those of you who have flown with little children before know what I mean).

2. Parent meeting/workshop. The room was full! We each went around, introducing ourselves and sharing a little of our lives. It was encouraging to hear some of the more seasoned parents as well as relate to some of the concerns of other parents.

3. Welcome reception Friday night. We had our own little circle going. The kids were so adorable playing with each other.

4. San Jose Fairmont. Besides the Bellagio in Las Vegas and for the price, it was the nicest hotel I've ever stayed in.

5. Meeting new friends: Too many to mention but everyone was so friendly and welcoming.

6. Meeting old friends: Ellen and Justin, Mallinson's, Jessica and Audree, Peyton, etc.

7. Dancing after the banquet: The kids had such a blast and it was so cute seeing them get their boogie on. This of course was before the teenage pack hit the floor. Those teens OWN the floor! They came out of no where. I'm not kidding...they just kept coming in. I would see groups of 3-4 throughout the weekend but come Saturday night they ALL come out. I can totally see Jakey as part of gang when he's older. It was cute, some of the parents call them the "rat pack."

8. Johnny Rockets burger. Because of the mad rush of everything, I didn't eat dinner Friday night or breakfast Saturday morning. After all the workshops were over, I found the restaurant across the street from the hotel where I scarfed down the best burger and fries in the world.

9. Jake taking a long, 3 hour nap Saturday afternoon. I watched a marathon of America's Top Model on MTV. I was stuck in a hotel room, what else could I do? Having no guilt watching senseless TV is the best!

10. Coming home to see my other two boys. I know Daniel had a blast with aunt Juu-wee and David probably relished sleeping in, but I was soooo happy to be with my family again. I think Daniel and Jakey actually missed each other too.

Welcome Reception: Jake and the adorable Caty

Welcome Reception: The circle of kids; They kept moving and I couldn't capture all of them at once

The hotel room was spacious and Jake had plenty of room to roam around. The common areas of the hotel were really nice.

Banquet: blog group

Banquet: Jake on the dance floor

Jakey and Justin

Jessica and Audree. The pic is not the most flattering for me but check out Jakey "eyeing" Audree's dinner roll. Cracks me up.

Jake, me, Audree, Matthew, and their dads. Why am I in the dad photo?

I forgot this cutie-pie's name, but she was all over the babies and asked if she could feed Jakey his bottle.

Back home the next day: Daniel and Jakey missed each other

I am truly blessed

Top Ten Tuesday

2008-09-30T12:49:00.000-07:00

Ten Things I cannot live without are:
(Besides my friends and family of course)

1. My Roomba and Scooba -- I AM Monica from Friends when it comes to cleaning and I'm especially particular about the floors (read: everyone must take their shoes off before entering the house). I received Roomba as a Christmas gift and I can't live without it now. As if an automatic vacuum that charges itself when it's done wasn't enough, Scooba came along. Scooba is an absolute Godsend with little babies crawling around on the floor. It washes my kitchen/dining room area tile floors AND the wood floors. I don't want to admit it, but it does a better job than me. Somewhat pricey but so worth it.

2. My Dishwasher -- with the kitchen remodel we bought a new dishwasher and it is the best! I don't have to worry about "top rack" only items melting. I can stash plastic things anywhere and it comes out sparkling clean.

3. Costco -- see Sunday, September 28, 2008 post at "The McMommy Chronicles"

4. Memory Foam Pillow -- Aaahhhhh. It's so comfy and soft AND no more neck pain.

5. Digital Camera and photo shop -- see below

6. My PC -- So much to offer with the Internet, games, Office, photo shop, etc. And sad but true...I prefer e-mail over talking on the phone.

7. Oxy Clean -- If you haven't tried it yet, do it! Grass stains? No problem. Blood? Easy. Blow outs? Yuck!...but bring it on. Tomato sauce? Not even an issue. Grease stains? Depends on how old and how big but pretty darn impressive.

8. Mascara -- It makes the world of difference in a matter of seconds. I never leave home without wearing it.

9. Deodorant -- No explanation needed.

10. Monitor -- The kids will be in high school and I'll still use the monitor! The boys share a room and I'll overhear the funniest things. Just the other day I heard Daniel tell his 11 month old brother "Jee Jee (Jakey), stop talking! Close your eyes now!"

Jakey likes the Scooba too:

Ok, so I'm not the greatest at Photoshop. It's still fun though, isn't it?

Stuff...

2008-09-26T20:06:00.000-07:00

Jake had his first sleep study this past Wed and while I'm sure some of you know, it was awful! So, I won't go into details. Jake's o.k., he's already recovered. It's me who will need some time to forget. It's like for those of us who have experienced labor...it needs to get filed somewhere deep down where I'll never find it again. I'm better but still exhausted from the lack of sleep and emotional stress. I don't think I'll be completely at peace until I have the results.

Like I mentioned in a previous post, Jake had his pulmonary appointment last week and along with the sleep study, the doctor ordered a chest x-ray, swallow study, and an inhaler. The chest x-ray was a breeze and came back completely normal. The swallow study is yet to be scheduled and I had been waiting to talk to Jake's pediatrician and geneticist before starting the corticosteroids/inhaler. After talking to the pediatrician and geneticist (via his OA, which I'm not too happy about...more on that another time), we decided that we should go ahead and try the medication. The doctor said it would help him with his increased respiratory rate.

That's all the stuff that has been going on in a nutshell. Otherwise we are all healthy and happy.

I took a picture of Jakey during one of the few times he actually slept. So sweet and peaceful.

I stayed awake most of the night to pat his back and little bottom as needed. As soon as he started to stir, 'ol mommy pat pat was there. Sometimes it worked and sometimes all hell broke loose. Oh, what we go through for our kids.

Top Ten Tuesday

2008-09-23T15:24:00.001-07:00

I had some time today to post but instead of draining myself by talking about my purse again or Jake's appointment, I decided to do something fun. So with a little inspiration (thanks Miranda), I came up with "Top Ten Tuesday."

Top ten favorite things about my two boys are(no particular order):

1. Jakey's wild beach blond hair. It's still sparse at the moment but I see fros in the future.
2. Daniel's hazel eyes and Jake's baby blues.
3. When Daniel leans in to me with puckered lips and says "iss"
4. Jakey's cute chubby achon butt.
5. When the boys make each other laugh with their own little made up game that they won't even let me in on.
6. Jakey's squeal of delight when I threaten him with "I'm gonna get you!"
7. Daniel's dimple smile and Jake's twothy grin (he has two teeth...get it, "twothy"? Ok, that was bad)
8. THE LIP: When they're winding up for a good cry. They both have it but Daniel wins the prize.
9. When Jakey's precious trident hand (achon term) plays with my necklace while I feed him a bottle or snuggle with him.
10. Daniel's emphatic "GOOD MOOOORNING!" He says this every single morning with a smile, even on days when I have to wake him up. This is then usually followed by "Mommy, God light" and I go open the blinds for him.

Some photos to back up my picks...

Wild crazy hair:

The lip:

The lip 2:

The achon butt:

The dimple:

The "iss":

The baby blues:

So much to write, so little time...

2008-09-21T14:42:00.001-07:00

We've been busy this past week and it looks like this next week is not going to get any better. Most importantly, Jakey finally had his Pulmonary appointment this past Monday. It's another post in itself and since there is some follow up stuff that I'm still waiting on, I'll do just that and devote an entire post to this topic later.
We had two other appointments this week, one for me (physical therapy...go figure)and another for Jakey, who was seen for a cold (but no ear infections, yeah!). So three appointments in one week is enough for a mom of two little ones and who also works. Those were the big things but when you add all the extra little things, the week gets hectic.

Friday night we went out to dinner and I left my purse at the restaurant. I didn't realize it until this morning and now it can't be found. It has EVERYTHING in it! My cell phone, wallet full of credit cards, my drivers licence, PT license, gift cards(ouch!), paycheck, planner, checkbook, SS card, some of my MAC make-up (this one makes me cry), etc. Needless to say, David and I were busy making phone calls earlier today. It's a mess and it sucks!

Tomorrow Jakey and I have an appointment with 3 people from Ca Early Start. It's a program that provides various services for children who qualify. I'm not even sure what they can do for Jakey at this point, I guess I'll learn more tomorrow. I can see him needing speech therapy in the future but maybe it's never too early to start. Hey (light bulb flashing)... maybe that's why it's called "early start."

That's a little insight into our lives right now. I know some of you have been asking about David and the academy. He'll be in week 10 with only 15 more to go. He still hates it but with each week he gets closer to the end. For those of you who haven't seen him in a while, he shaved his head and has lost around 35 pounds. I think he looks pretty darn hot!

I hear Daniel waking up from his nap so off I go again but I'll leave you all with some pictures of the boys getting into trouble in the pantry, past and present. They are so alike in so may ways.

Daniel: 11 months (taken back in 3/2007)

Daniel: 11 months (taken back in 3/2007)

Jakey: 10 months (taken in 9/2008)

My funny boy...

2008-09-14T20:28:00.000-07:00

Daniel cracks us up all the time. It is so fun having a 2 year old, they are not terrible at all (truly, no sarcasm). The other day he was playing on his own with his toys and came into the kitchen to tell his daddy "Look daddy, my wuk haf eyeballs!" (translation: look daddy, my truck have eyeballs)

I was in the other room when I overheard this and had to see for myself. He was right! He had placed the eye shaped pieces from his mega blocks through the windows of his truck. So funny! It totally cracked us up.

Daniel is also starting to be more vocal in public. So far this has been cute and innocent. For example, on our walk around the neighborhood just today, we passed up an older gentleman and Daniel waved and shouted "Hi man!" I'm just waiting for the day he starts telling complete strangers our family secrets!

Perspective...

2008-09-07T20:54:00.000-07:00

We had a great day with our church family yesterday with a picnic at Santee Lakes! I haven't been there since a was a child myself and I forgot how beautiful it was. Definitely a place we'll be returning to with the boys.
Most of the time I remember to bring a camera to events like this but I never remember to take pictures. Arrgh! Luckily, a friend took the cutest picture of Jakey and his friends. I wish I had taken some pictures of Daniel playing next to the lake with a ball, the setting was so perfect.
At least I have the one picture, which actually put things a little in perspective. Since Jakey is so perfect the way he is, I hardly ever notice the difference in his size. I can see it now in this picture because the other two are at most half his age. I know his difference in size will only become more apparent as he gets older and I wonder when I will get the dreaded first comment from a stranger. How will I handle it? Will I be prepared? Can I even prepare myself? Whatever the comment is, I know it will probably be innocent, but in moments like this, when I play out actual scenarios in my head, the anxiety sets in. It's just a fleeting moment though. I have been blessed with the best baby in the world and every time I see him smile, nothing else matters.

The three amigos: Kyle, Audree, and Jake

Labor Day Weekend...

2008-09-04T12:50:00.000-07:00

We had quite a busy weekend and we had a great time together as a family. David was especially grateful for the 3 day weekend and subsequent short week. Here are some pictures from Monday at David's mom's house.

Future synchonized diving team? Daniel and Sterling

Oma and Jakey

In the past month I've grown two teeth AND some crazy hair!

The boys and their aunt "Juu-wee" (hey, it's an upgrade from aunt "wee wee")

A Man's Best Friend...

2008-08-25T15:11:00.000-07:00

In the past week Jakey and Catcher have bonded and formed a special relationship. There was even some role reversal involved.

Old pals:

Catch- um, Jakey:

Youth is wasted on the young...

2008-08-21T15:14:00.000-07:00

The power went out at work yesterday around 10 AM. Normally we are busy treating kids but since it's summer break, things are kind of slow. It's a great time to catch up on paperwork, mainly writing reports and entering billing codes, all done online on our lap tops. The power outage left us with little to do except fight for the phones (at least we could catch up on phone calls) while the rest of us twiddled our thumbs in the dark.

At one point I suggested we play a game. Someone of course had to throw out "Truth or Dare," but we decided that we already knew too much about each other and did not need to take it to the next level. Instead we all decided to take turns answering one question "What's the stupidest thing you've ever done for a boy/man?" The question evolved and we started sharing in general about the stupid things we've done in our past. Here are a few (note few) of mine:

1. At 18, drove to northern Arizona to pick up a friend and on the way to back, ended up driving through a blizzard in my little sports car. Hello! I'm from southern Ca, I don't know how to drive in snow! We fish-tailed and 360'd our way down the mountain and somehow survived. It's one of my fondest memories and I can still see my friend sticking half of her body out of the sun roof, trying to pick the ice off the windshield wipers.

2. This one's a bit embarrassing...With the same friend (who shall remain nameless, but you know who you are) stuck cheese puffs up our nose to see who could blow them out the furthest.

3. Sat on plastic bags and slid down a huge church embankment with ice plants. This was again with a friend who ended up breaking her thumb. Looking back up the hill, we could see the damaged ice plants and path we left behind.

4. Junior high church camp at a state park. Four of us got in a mud fight and got so dirty that the forest rangers kicked the entire group out of the park because of the muddy mess we left in the bathrooms.

5. Permed my hair in the 11th grade:

It's hideous. I know. That's why it's on my list.

Your turn!

Just when you think you have the most well behaved, perfect little angel of a son, you learn of what he's been doing behind your back...

2008-08-14T14:26:00.001-07:00

I must say Daniel is a well behaved boy. At times he can be a cry baby which is annoying, but he rarely causes mischief and pretty much sticks to playing with his toys and other authorized paraphernalia. Maybe it’s due to his overall mellow nature or that he is truly obsessed with cars and is oblivious to the rest of the world around him. I like to think it’s because of my exceptional parenting skills (yeah, right).
Last Friday I learned a different side to Daniel. David’s sister Julie came to watch the boys and what she had to say when we came home was shocking (yet hysterical at the same time). Apparently, Daniel was playing with an attachment to my Roomba (vacuum). When aunt “wee wee” told him that his mommy probably would not want him playing with that his response was “but mommy not here.”
What else have you been up to, my dear little boy? I think I have been played! Now I will have to grow eyes in the back of my head.

Nine months and counting...

2008-08-03T14:17:00.001-07:00

Jakey turned 9 months old last Tuesday and it was to the day that he started combat crawling! What a huge birthday present to himself. He's been rolling for several months now, but you can only go so far with rolling from one end of the room to the other. Now he's got multi-dimentional mobility and there is no stopping him! He especially loves to go after his brother's toys.

My First Post

2008-04-16T20:48:00.000-07:00

stay tuned...