Brooke starts Preschool!!

My apologies for not updating in so long...usually no news is good news! Brooke started preschool on Wednesday!! My emotions are all over the place!! I am so excited that we are at a place along this journey that she gets to experience a normal life activity!! At the same time...nervous as heck!! Nervous she will catch nasty germs and her body not be able to fight them! I am going to give it all to God and know he is in control and will protect her as he has in these past two and a half years!!

Medically she was doing really good....her liver is very happy!! However, her EBV (for those who don't know this is the virus that most of us all carry but in transplant patients it can cause cancer) has raised its ugly head! She went from being undetected to 20 and now this week 80. They are lowering her Prograf in hoped her body will fight it off. The doctor says he is not concerned and thinks she will be fine. Dr. Kaufman doesn't worry...momma doesn't worry!! ;-)

Here are a few pictures from her first day of preschool! Please if you are not an organ donor sign up today...without organ donation Brooke would not be able to experience this milestone! (Thanks Jessica always for allowing her to experience life and hit these amazing milestones!!)

Thanks for all of your continued prayers and support along this journey we live!! We couldn't do it without each and everyone of you!!

Brooke is doing GREAT!!

I know I have to post pictures from our Make a Wish trip to Disney! It was absolutely MAGICAL and we have so many memories! Thank you Make A Wish, Give Kids The World, the Disney Parks, SeaWorld, Universal Studios, and the many people that made this happen for us! WOW is really all I can say!! Operation Easter Basket is on its way and baskets are starting to roll in! I am trying to reach my goal of 60! I hope you can help me out and put smiles on the faces of these kids that have to sit and spend their Easter in a hospital! We know first hand how it is to spend so much time confined to a room with four walls...something that no kid should have to endure! If a simple act like putting together an easter basket can put a smile on these kids faces and make their day, it is so worth it! Please join with me and make a child's/family's day! For more information or questions, you can reach me at 540-661-7554 or email me at wallacefamily@vabb.com. Brooke is doing really really good. Her labs yesterday showed her liver happy! Her Prograf on the other hand was too low so they are increasing and we have to repeat on Thursday. I put a call into her transplant coordinator, I don't understand if her liver levels are good why are we increasing the medications. I hope to hear from her sometime today. I will post pictures soon! Thanks again for your love and support on this journey!

GREAT NEWS....

Probably shouldn't post this until after we get back from our trip but here it goes anyway...

BROOKE HAS BEEN OUTPATIENT FROM GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY FOR ONE SOLID YEAR!!!!

God is good and has blessed up in so many ways! Georgetown Rocks and I love them and miss them but love my baby girl healthy and home a whole lot more!! =)

Doing the happy dance!!

Nine days and counting...

WOW !! I can not believe there are only nine days until Brooke's trip to Disney! Make a Wish is such an amazing organiztion and is definetly blessing our family with this trip! Brooke is super excited and asks DAILY how many days til DISANEE!! I have so much still to do! Our send off party is tomorrow evening at 6pm!

Please keep my dad in your prayers also. I worry about him non-stop! I see him each and every day and if I don't for some reason, he is calling me asking where I am and what I am doing!! I am the baby of 6 kids and I am Daddy's little girl still...even if Brooke has pushed me aside a little bit! LOL He went back into the hospital this weekend for chest pains. They called his lung doctor, heart doctor and his cancer doctor in...as I type looks like he is coming home and it may just be a pulled muscle where he took a hard fall the other day! I pray that is all it is!!

Brooke is doing really good her labs look GREAT and we have a full month off!!! YAY!!! We are so super excited!!! Now we get ready for Disney and no thoughts of Georgetown until we get back!!! I love them but this is our break and fun time as a family!!! I will post pictures on facebook each day while we are away and when I get back I will post on here! After our meeting tomorrow evening I will post more details on our trip!

Thanks for your love, support and prayers!!

Princess Pals...

Brooke was the flowergirl in my nephew's wedding. He married a great girl whom is a great friend, MaryBeth! From day one she has always called Brooke her Princess Pal...AKA "PP"". Their love and special bond together is amazing! MaryBeth has supported and stood by me and my family from the beginning or our journey together! She has always felt like a part of our family even before her wedding day! There is a special place in my heart for this classy lady! I love you MaryBeth....as does Miss Brooke! Thanks for ALWAYS being there by my side...you are absolutley amazing!

DATES ARE SET....

Brooke's wish will be granted on March 23rd thru the 29th! Our flight will leave out of Richmond on the 23rd at 7:00am! We will return on the 29th in Richmond at 10:50pm!

They are still working on the itinerary and details but it is set and we are all so very excited! Brooke keeps asking about "Disanee Wooorld"...we are going to have movie night when we are 30 days away to familiarize her with all the charachters! I am creating a countdown calendar this weekend for her!

We repeated labs on Monday and her liver functions are rock solid! YAY!!!! However, her Prograf(anti-rejection med) was way low! They are upping her dose from .06 tp .08! We are repeating them again on Monday. We also had clinic on Monday with Dr. Little and Martha! Brooke was her happy self and very talkative! She told Dr. Little...and I quote..."I have one comlpaint!" Dr. Little looked at me and I looked at her and smiled and shrugged my shoulders....Dr Little said what is that...Brooke said my mom needs a shot! =) She is a piece of work! She keeps us sooooo laughing each and every day!

We then visited my work so she could see all her adopted Aunties! She loves them to pieces and talks to them as if she is their best friend. She acts 27 not 2!!

On another note, my dad is in the hospital. He has a blood clot in both lungs. They are trying to treat and dissolve it. Prayers they can and he can be home this weekend. When I visited yesterday, he was very worried about Brooke! I said dad she is going to be just fine...you have to take it easy and rest and get home so you and her can play! I call them the Dynamic Duo! They are too cute together!

Miss Thang and a little into her Make A Wish....

As you know, Brooke had her Make a Wish interview....she wished to swim with the Dolphins.

Unfortunately, they called yesterday to say Brooke was too young. However, they would send us to Disney for a week with passes to the parks for the whole week! We will stay at GKTW(Give Kids The World). She will be able to go to SeaWorld one day and though she will not be able to swim with the dolphine, she MAY be able to feed and pet them!

Our family is so excited....nervous we have never flown! AAHHHHH but we are looking at it like another obstacle Brooke is helping us overcome! She does that to us alot! =)

When I have more details I will definetly post!!

Operation Easter Baskets

I am working on a project as one of my give back goals for 2011! I am asking for your help! I am trying get 60 Easter baskets put together and distributed to the pediatrics at Georgetown University! This is for the Pediatric transplant unit, the PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit), and the general pediatric floor.

As a mother of a child that has been inpatient for long periods of time, I know personally what kids and families go through inside that walls of a hospital! When you can put a smile of the faces of these babies and kids, through a gift and kind act like this, it gives them so much joy and hope!

If you can and are willing to help put together one or several Easter baskets for these babies/kids, please contact me. The Easter baskets can be filled with small toys, coloring books/crayons, movies, jewelry, books, games/puzzles and Easter candy(No Nuts) or anything you feel a child would like.

There are 4 simple steps:

1. Decide whether your gift will be for a boy or a girl and choose an age category: (0-2), (2-4), (5-7). (8-10), (11-13), (14-16)..please let me know what age and gender you are creating a basket for so I can keep track of what baskets we will still need created.

2. Find a basket, bucket or other creative idea.

3. Then, fill your basket with a variety of gifts.

4. Wrap your basket in a cellophane bag. When done please attach a tag that states Boy or Girl and the age category for the basket.

I will need all baskets by April 18th I can arrange to pick them up from you or arrange a delivery time and place.

If you have any questions, interested in creating one of these baskets or two, etc., I can be reached by messaging me on facebook, emailing me at wallacefamily@vabb.com, or call my cell phone at 540-661-7554.

I hope I can count on you to help with this project! Your special act of kindness will forever hold a special place in the hearts of these families for a lifetime! I know they have for me and my family!

Thank you in advance for your support!

Make A Wish

Brooke had her Make A Wish interview yesterday and all went well. When they first got there, they presented her with a Make A Wish Barbie...how very sweet and special! I didn't want to open it but of course that wasn't happening!

She was interviewed by one volunteer and the other volunteer then spoke to Bo and I and had us feel out paperwork. NBC 29 news was going to be there to do a follow up story but it was against MAW rules because of HIPAA priviacy.

I heard some of her interview but I do not know exactly what she answered. I heard her favorite resaurant(place to eat) was McDonald's!! LOL Favorite color was pink! =)

She is sooo cute. They asked her later when we were all sitting together who her favorite Princess was and she answered...Probably...Snow White! They laughed at her and said probably? She crinkled her nose and and said yes. She talks so grown. With having two older siblings and staying with my parents during the day she just has older intereaction and talks so well.

For now we have to wait for Richmond to contact us with her wish details. I am not sure what they are going to decide or do. Some things were thrown out to us but until Richmond decides for sure what they are going to grant her I don't really want to say...Stand by for more information and details on her wish!! We are really excited about what was mentioned and know whatever it is will make Brooke's wish so very special! This organization really is spectacular!!

Donate Life Virginia Mascot

Last year, I entered a contest to name the new Donate Life Virginia mascot. Brooke and I were invited to Richmond for the unveiling of the new mascot and the announcement of his name. I am proud to say that Brooke and I were the winners! The new Donate Life Mascot's name is....Captain Cardinal! Here is a picture of Captain Cardinal, Brooke and I.

Busy Busy Busy

My goal this year is to get back to updating and keeping you up to date on Brooke and her journey. She is doing really good, reason I haven't really updated anything. We were able to get through the holidays and Brooke again was spoiled and had a very nice Christmas!

2011 has now began and I have so many goals, ideas, and resolutions that I think it is going to be one busy year! Brooke is now very stable with her labs and her liver function tests are looking really good! She still has an EBV level of 400, but Georgetown is watching this very closely and monitoring it. This may just be where she hangs out...let's just pray it doesn't get any higher or intervention will have to take place.

With that said, since I am not as busy going back and forth to DC for labs, inpatient trying to get Brooke stable, consumed with her meds, and this liver disease/transplant has loosened its reins, it is now time for me to give back! I am going to a training session in February with the Washington Regional Transplant Community to start promoting organ donation and becoming a Friends for Life Volunteer and Donate Life champion!

Also, this coming Monday, Brooke is being interviewed by the Make a Wish foundation!! Georgetown sent in her information and they will be granting her a wish! I asked her the other day what would you like to do, or go, or see...her comment to me was "I want to swim with the dolphins but they might take me out to sea and I not be able to come home!" (too much Disney mermaid I think) She also said she loves Hi Ho....her favorite movie that we have to watch countless times a day! By the way that is Snow White and the seven dwarfs! =) After Mondays interview, I will post and let you know what the decision will be!

Brooke is such a blessing to us! She truly has taught us so much in her short little life! She has so much personality, she never meets a stranger, she carries on conversations like she is so grown, she has such a beautiful relationship with her siblings....well Dustin and her, Chelsie and her have a different personality together...they like to fret each other, pick at each other, argue about things together, but then at the end they are snuggled together reading a book, watching tv, and laughing together! I just wish they could get to that point quicker and save me some headaches! Really, they also have a wonderful realationship and Chelsie would do anything in the world for her!

So please check in often and know that I promise to update more and keep you posted of all Brooke's progresses, lab results (we are to monthly labs finally!), birthday party, and milestones! You have been on this journey with us every step of every day and we thank you and appreciate your love and support! Hope you have a blessed day!