2007 Coming To A Close.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. I know we sure did. It was great having everyone together. My parents, Chris's parents and Chris's brother Ben and girlfriend Kendall. The food and company were great and we hope it becomes a tradition for everyone to come here for Christmas year after year. In a selfish way it was nice not to be the ones traveling but we were happy to open up our home for the family to get together.

I am thankful for many things this year.
* I am thankful for the health of my family even though it was a roller coaster ride for us this year
* I am thankful my mom has done so well with her cancer surgery and treatment and we are on the road to recovery.
* I am thankful for all the caring friends and family that helped us out when Aaron was in the NICU after his birth. We couldn't have been with him as much had you not been there for us.
* I am thankful for my wonderful children that are growing up so fast and are so smart. They are a joy, most days, and I love to see them grow and achieve new things. They have been very adapting to the new things that this year has brought and have been helpful in so many ways.
* I am thankful for Meghan who loves to learn new things and has been a great big sister to her sister and brother. She is so creative and at times stubborn but is always there to help you out.
* I am thankful for Katie who more quiet and reserved than her sister but is such a generous spirit to all her know her. She is always playing with her brothers and is thinking of others. She makes me so proud. But even though she comes off as quiet most days, once riled up there is no shutting her up.
* I am thankful for Ryan. Who would have thought I could love this little boy so much. He is such a sweetheart and so smart compared to his sisters at this age. The things he comes up with are just amazing. And even after he and I have had a tough day together, he still wants to give me a hug and kiss before I go to work.
* I am thankful for Aaron. Even though he was a huge surprise in our lives I am so grateful he is here. He will always be our bump in the road so to speak as every day is a new challenge with him. But of course I couldn't live without him now.
* And finally I am thankful for my loving husband. I could not be the person I am without him by my side. He is the calm and I am the storm and I love him dearly. I am a better mom with him around and a better person too. He is so strong and there with me every step of the way. I would be lost without him.

I hope each of you remember what you are thankful for this year. It has been such a whirl wind for us and we have weathered it all. I pray that 2008 will be better, but we will take what God gives.



God Bless you and your families in the new year!
Bring it on 2008!


Happy New Year from the Andreachis!

Merry Christmas from the Andreachis!

Ryan strikes again

So we are still working on potty training and Ryan is doing fairly well. Well this morning I was going to give him a bath with Aaron and told him to sit on the potty first. He did for 5 minutes and couldn't go. I said get in the tub then to which he replyed " Mom I think my pecker is broken." Yes this is what Chris has taught our son to call his penis. Nice!

BROKE!

The inhumanity of it all!! The week of Christmas, the craziest at the Andreachi household and my espresso machine decides to break! UGH!!!!! How am I to get through Christmas with no espresso every morning. And the day after we replace all our appliances. Seriously??? I am so bummed. :(

Alas! The wall is crumbling.

So for the last six months Chris and I have been trying to get Meghan and Katie to read the Harry Potter books. Especially Meghan cause we feel she would really like them. I even offered to read them to her. I have gotten nothing but a little girl who digs her heals in to any suggestion her mom might have. Katie of course didn't want to cause her sister didn't want to. We have watched the first two movies only by force and know both the girls enjoyed them.

School started and we found that a number of kids in her class are reading the books. Meghan still refuses. Even her good friend across the street has read them all. Nope, not Meghan. Every time we mention it, nope not going to do it.

Anyway since Meghan's birthday, where a number of her friends were discussing the books and she had no clue, I could see her getting a tad interested here and there. Then yesterday her friend was talking about wanting the Harry Potter 5 movie for Christmas and Chris and I started talking to her about it. Once we got home I thought, I will try again and bring it up to Meghan. So I said to her, "Are you figuring out now that you are feeling left out by not reading Harry Potter?" Her answer was yes. So I asked her if she might want to start reading the books. She then asked if I would read them to her. Of course. So tonight we started reading book one and I told her that she could continue on her own and when she wanted me to read to her again I would pick up where she left off.

Caught her reading more of the book tonight after everyone got home from dance. I am so excited that finally she has decided that maybe it is a good idea to read those books and maybe her mom isn't so stupid after all. :) It is the little feats in life.

On the other hand the three year old needs to be thrown in a snow bank. HA!

Thus begins the week of chaos!

So I am very excited for Christmas this year but somehow I need to make it through this weeek. There is still some baking to do and a ton of cleaning and to add chaos to the mix is the delivery of our new appliances on Monday and then our new fridge on Tues. Plus we need to get someone in here to shave off about a 1/2 inch of our cupboard lip so our new fridge will fit. I am so excited for the new fridge. It is HUGE! The old one is going in the basement and the stove is going in our garage for the hope that someday Chris's brother will come get it. Fingers crossed.

In addition to that there are haircuts for the whols family and yet another doctor's appt for Aaron. Lunch for mom with a friend and first reconciliation for Katie on Thurs at church. Oh and 5 nights of work for mom before everyone arrives. I might need a vacation before the fun begins.

Chris and I took the girls to see Scrooge the musical yesterday at the Community theatre. We had invited the neighbor girls to go along and it was so much fun. Ryan got his playdate too as he plays with the neighbor girls' sister. The production was wonderful and I think the best I have seen there in a long time. The guy that played Scrooge was so comical and right for that role and he couldn't have done a better job.

So I am off to start my list of fun for the week. Hope everyone has a great week whether you are done and ready for Christmas or just starting. Enjoy every moment.

God Bless.

For my friend Andrea

For my friend Andrea who lost her girls this past October. God Bless her and her family!

I thought of you all, I closed my eyes and prayed to God today.
I asked what makes a Mother and I know I heard Him say,"A Mother has a baby."This we know is true.
"But God can you be a Mother when your baby's not with you?"
"Yes you can!", He replied with confidence in His voice,"I give many women babies,when they leave is not their choice.
"Some I send for a lifetime and other's for a day. And some I send to feel your womb but there's no need to stay."
" I just don't understand this God, I want my baby here."
He took a breath and cleared His throat and then I saw a tear.
"I wish I could show you what your child is doing today.
"If you could see your child smile with other children and say,
'We go to earth to learn our lessons of love and life and fear.My Mommy loved me oh so much I got to come straight here.
'I feel so lucky to have a Mom who had so much love for me I learned my lesson very quick My Mommy set me free.
'I miss my Mommy oh so much but I visit her each day.When she goes to sleep on her pillow's where I lay.
'I stroke her hair and kiss her cheek and whisper in her ear,"Mommy don't be sad today I'm your baby and I'm here." '
"So you see my dear sweet one, your children are OK.
"Your babies are here in my home and this is where they'll stay.
"They'll wait for you with me until your lesson is through.And on that day that you come homet hey'll be at the gates for you.
So now you see what makes a Mother. It's the feeling in your heart. It's the love you had so much of right from the very start.
Though some on earth may not realize that you are a Mother until their time is done. They'll be up here with me one day and know you're the best one.

Written with love for all the Mother's missing their babies

by Jennifer Wasik

Kids' Favorites for 2007

Meghan’s Favorites 2007

Color: Blue
Book: Aquamarine
Cartoon: SpongeBob
Friends: MiKayla, Alicia, Kathryn, Brena, Lauren, Kaitlyn
Animal: Wolves
Class: Art
Thing to do: Explore new places
Activity: Arts and Crafts
Sport: Swimming
Toy: Patches the cat
Movie: The Incredibiles
Magazine: Nickelodeon
Comic: Garfield
Number: 9
Outside Activity: Playing with Barbies in the swimming pool
Game: Tag and Twister
Food: Pizza


Katie’s Favorites 2007
Color: Purple
Book: Junie B Jones books and Captain Underpants books
Cartoon: SpongeBob
Show: iCarly
Friends: Marissa, April, Sunday, Cora, Lauren and Jaye
Animal: Horse
Class: Art
Thing to do: Makes Arts and Crafts
Activity: Read Captain Underpants
Sport: Swimming
Toy: Bratz dolls
Number: 1000
Outside Activity: Play in the snow
Game: Whonu

Ryan’s Favorite’s 2007

Cartoon: Dora the Explorer
Color: Brown
Food: Circle Cheese
Drink: Water
Animal: Piggy, Lauren’s
Game: Hungry Hippos
Book: Sea Animals Book
Number: 2
Movie: Dora save the mermaid movie
Friends: Lauren, Jaye, Noelle, KatieMeghan
Likes to go to the doctor, swim in the big pool, bubble baths, trampoline

Aaron's Favorite for 2007

MOM, MOM, MOM!

Oh how I hate the dentist!

SO Chris is in the process of getting deductions taken care of for next year's insurance etc. So I called the dentist office to get a rough estimate on how much it will cost to get Ryan's teeth fixed. He has a huge crater on one molar and 2-3 cavities on a couple of other molars. Yes, we brush his teeth! Anyway they tell us to come in like the next day ( His previous appt is like Jan 23rd, that's the soonest they could originally get him in). So yesterday I take him in, the office smells like urine or something, all these kids are running around ( Children's dentist office) and all the hygenists are like bubbly. Gag! We go back and our girl starts telling me how to take of Ryan's teeth like he's my first kid and I really have no clue. The dentist comes in and lays out what we will do. Since he is at an uncooperative age we will have to take him to Meritcare, knock him out and fix his teeth. Yeah! But the soonest they can get that done is March 31st!!! Yikes! The crater in is molar is HUGE! Anyway the dentist portion is at least $1100 and then we have to pay Meritcare same day surgery on top of that. Of course insurance will cover most of the expense, but we just got through a year of huge medical bills. Always something I guess.

So I plan on taking Ryan in for the same day surgery class through Meritcare so he isn't completely shocked when I take him up there. At least all the work will be done at once and they will be putting sealants on the remaining molars. The one with the huge hole? That gets a crown. A 3 year old with a crown. Lovely! The dentist said he may have just had weak enamel on that tooth and it just didn't grow properly. And he has really deep grooves in the other molars. That he inherits from Chris. Poor baby!

Yep, you got it! Power struggle!

So I was right to contain my excitement over Ryan's success yesterday. He peed this morning and I checked him an hour a half later, wet. An hour and half after that, wet. An hour after that, wet! So I think he may be peeing his pants because I refused to give him a sucker this morning. Oh how I love this boy of mine!

Aaron's Article!

I am posting this as you cannot access Aaron's article without purchasing it now. Too bad I can't get the pictures posted too. :(


Shaping up baby12/03/2007 - Erin Hemme-Froslie
To ward off curious stares, sometimes Aaron Andreachi wears a T-shirt that states: “Don’t mind me. I’m just reshaping my head.”
The 9-month-old has been wearing a helmet since October to treat a flattened spot on the right side of his skull.
“You get a lot of stares, but it’s not big deal,” says Aaron’s mother, Jennifer Andreachi.
The American Academy of Pediatrics kicked off its “Back to Sleep” campaign in 1992 to prevent sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Placing babies on their backs to sleep saves lives, but it has an unintended consequence. Since then pediatricians have seen an increase in the number of babies who develop asymmetrical skulls, a condition called plagiocephaly.
Because a baby’s head is still soft and pliable, some newborns develop a flattening of the head when placed on their backs.
Most of the time, the flattening is harmless and easily treated with simple stretches to strengthen neck muscles, said Dr. Christopher Tiongson, a MeritCare pediatrician. Occasionally, a baby will have to wear a molding helmet to round out the skull.
The asymmetry doesn’t affect brain development.
Tiongson said about 5 percent of babies develop a noticeable asymmetry or flatness.
“We’re good about telling people to lay their babies on their backs, but we also need to remember to stress tummy time and mixing head positions so they’re not always lying on the same side,” he says.
Babies born too early and those with tightened neck muscles are at a higher risk of being diagnosed with the condition, Tiongson says. Premature babies often have delayed muscle development so they take longer to sit up and roll over, two skills that reduce the chance of developing plagiocephaly. Tightened neck muscles restrict head movement.
At Aaron’s 2-month checkup, everything appeared normal, his mother says. But over the next month she observed that her young son never looked to his left. Aaron also had a noticeable flat area on the right side of his skull.
Chris and Jennifer Andreachi say they never treated Aaron any differently than their other three children. They placed him on his back when putting him to sleep. He spent time in a bouncy chair, swing and car seat.
By the time he was 4 months old, Aaron was diagnosed with tightened neck muscle that caused his head to tilt to one side.
A physical therapist worked with the infant and coached the Andreachis to stretch Aaron’s neck muscles.
Chris and Jennifer Andreachi learned how to gently roll his head to each side while holding his shoulders steady. They increased the amount of supervised time he spent on his tummy each day and positioned toys on his left side, encouraging him to look in that direction.
“Stretching his neck every diaper change got old,” Chris Andreachi says.
After a few months of physical therapy, Aaron’s neck muscle loosened but his plagiocephaly had not gone away. To help reshape his skull, doctors recommended a helmet. He has been wearing it for 22 hours a day since Oct. 1 and will continue to wear it for another month or two, his mother says.
The helmet doesn’t look all that different from one worn while riding a bike. The Andreachis decorate it with seasonal stickers, the most recent depicting snowmen, sleds and “Merry Christmas” motifs. They wash it daily.
And even if the helmet draws a few curious stares, it serves a secondary purpose, Jennifer says.
“Now that he’s crawling and walking, it’s kind of nice,” she says. “He doesn’t have as many bangs and bruises.”
Most babies’ flattened skulls will round out naturally by the time they’re 6 months old if they spend adequate amounts of time on their tummies and lay on both sides of their heads, Tiongson says. If not, a helmet may be prescribed.
“Studies show that if parents are vigilant about head positioning, those kids likely do as well as they would with a helmet,” he says.
As a result, a lot of times the helmets are not covered by insurance, he says.
Two or three cases a year, however, require a helmet because the babies’ heads are so flat that they naturally roll in that direction.
Still, parents shouldn’t let the fear of plagiocephaly stop them from placing their babies on their backs to sleep. The risk of SIDS is too great.
“It’s relatively too dangerous to stop doing that,” Tiongson says.
Tips to prevent flattening of head
Pediatricians recommend placing babies on their backs to sleep, but you can usually prevent flattening from occurring by taking a few simple preventive steps:
- Hold your baby upright when he or she is awake.
- During close supervision, place your baby on his or her tummy to play. Make sure both you and the baby are in the same room and both awake when doing this.
- When you place your baby on his or her back to sleep, change the direction your baby’s head faces. Or, alternate which end of the crib you place the baby’s head – this will cause the baby to look both left and right, which helps round the head.
- It also may help to change the position of the crib or the location of interesting objects, such as mobiles. That way, your baby won’t consistently look in one direction.
Once your baby is old enough to sit up, head flattening becomes less of a concern.
Source: www.mayoclinic.com
Readers can reach Forum reporter Erin Hemme Froslie at (701) 241-5534

Success!

Ryan has peed on the potty 4 times today and quickly too, not that sit there for an hour kind of thing! I would get excited but tomorrow will probably be a let down. But a little HOPE....Yeah!

Three is worse than two!

Friday morning Aaron had a doctor appt with Dr Klava for his helmet. I had the day all planned out. Chris would take the girls to school, I would drop Ryan off at Kids Kingdom, then Aaron and I would go to his appt, then to lunch with my friend Penny. On my way home I would pick up Ryan.

Well we started off on the wrong foot. We woke Ryan up and he was crabby. Chris left with the girls which pissed Ryan off. SO I got him dressed and ready to go and told him he was going to Kids Kingdom. That set off a tantrum. He didn't want to go. So I load them up, drive there and open Ryan's door to find he had peed all over himself. (we are still in the process of potty training). I had no change of clothes ( His pull up most have been put on wrong or shifted or something) so I am screaming at him and throwing my own tantrum in the parking lot. It is 8:40 and I have to go downtown yet for the Dr appt. SO I drive home, grab pants, call the doctor and get downtown by 9:05. I change Ryan in the van, it's 5 below, he's mad cause he is cold and we get to the appt by 9:10. That goes well and we finish up and get out to the van where I once again tell him he is going to Kids Kingdom. More screaming and crying. I call Chris who had a dr appt that morning and ask him what I should do. I am NOT taking Ryan to lunch with me. So Chris says he will take him to the office and I can pick him up after lunch. Well in the middle of my lunch Chris calls and says Jeff is taking the office out to lunch and Ryan is going with to Paradiso. That's fine.

I pick him up and tell him he is going to sit on the potty when he gets home.
"I don't like sitting on the potty."
I tell him, "well I don't like when you pee your pants."
He says, " Well I don't like when you take me to Kids Kingdom."
"well I didn't, did I?"

What a smuck! And me fighting with a three year old. Ugh!

And then he peed on the potty twice for me that afternoon. I don't get it!

Aaron's article in the paper!

http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=185050&section=valleyrr

Here's the link to Aaron's article in the paper! Hope you like it. We were happy to do it!