She's coming home finally!!

Makenzie has been in Disney World with her dad, Michael since Aug. 4th. This is the longest she has been away from me, and her birthday was on the 6th. For her special day(that I missed) I completely redecorated her room. She has no idea what her present is, but when she opens up her bedroom door, I think she'll know. I bought all new bedding, lamps, throw blankets, rugs, ect... I also hung stars from the ceiling above her bed. We put huge circles on the walls and painted her initials in them. I hope she likes it. The best part was that I went to Sips n strokes and painted a funky tree for her room. It matches perfectly! Happy Birthday Kenz!!!

Faith

Hi everyone- I need your prayers for my sister Faith. She has been doing so well recently. She just graduated college and is planning to go to grad school in the fall. She moved home for the summer, and somehow developed a sore on her big toe. For those that know her, she has no feeling from her waist down due to her spina bifida. Well, the other night, her dog of 11 years, little bit, started to lick the sore on her toe while she was sleeping. Him being a dog, he didn't know any better, and bit her entire left big toe completely off! She lost alot of blood because she slept right throught the whole thing! When mom found her they rushed her to Children's where they stopped the bleedig and sewed her up. Unfortunately- she will probably require surgery to fix the damage- although she will never get the toe back. That is where she is this morning- at the doctor- seeing what they think. The worst part about all this is the emotional damage this could cause her. Her vulnerability is so evident, and that is hard for her to accept. She has to endure so much, one can only wonder how much is too much? Please pray for her physical healing as well as her spirit. She really needs an uplifting! I'm gong to visit her for the next couple days and take Maddie. Maybe this will help. Also, Makenzie is in Disney World with her dad, Michael. She will be gone for seven days, the longest I've ever let her go with him. Plus, her birthday is tomorrow! I can't believe I won't see her on her 9th birthday! I know she is having a blast and that Michael is keeping her safe- but still, I'm her mom and I worry. She starts 4th grade next Thursday. When she comes home we are gonna do some major mom&Kenz shopping time!

Blessings to all,
Crystal

I have a Pincher!!

As you can see in the picture- Makenzie is in pain due to Maddie pinching the devil out of her arm! She does this alot-especially to Makenzie. Anyone else have this problem?

Rainy summer day

Today our trip to Alabama Adventure was cancelled due to the rain, so we just hung out with the family instead. We did lots of nothing and listened to Maddie fuss. She must be cutting new teeth, cuz she was exhausting today!! Anyway, here are some pics of the girls playing in the rain.

Maddie is 18 months

Today was Madelyn's 18 month check-up. No more immunizations until 2 years. YEAH!! I hate the way she cries with her shots. Dr. Amy said she is completely perfect, advancing right along as she always has. It seems like yesterday when we were waiting for her arrival. Now we are talking about when to convert the crib and potty training. It is all too fast! This pic is typical MAddie with her huge grin. We love you so much angel bear!

Lillie

After Faith's party, Lillie came and stayed two nights with us. I understand what it is like having three children. I learned that we can't have another baby for a while. Madelyn is already a handful. When we added Lillie to the mix, it was almost too much. Thankfully my friend Sarah came and helped out. It was lots of fun experiencing the joys of a newborn all over again. They really are soooo precious. I also took Lillie's first pictures. They turned out great!

Faith's birthday

Last week we celebrated Faith's 23rd birthday. I can't believe how fast time flies by. We swam at mom and dad's house, then had dinner and cake(that Chelsea made). Love you sis.

pics from girl's vacation

This was taken on our last night. We ate at the Boatyard, which was very good. Even better was the time we had karaokeing later that night. We were bored while we waited for the cute soldier to change my tire. We had a blow out, if you didn't know!

This was my favorite day. It was just the three of us, and the beach was beautiful!

Getting ready to go roller skating/bowling! Lots of FUN!!

pic of Lillie

This is our beautiful Lillie. She grew over an inch in one week!! She came to visit toay, and can't wait for when she gets to spend the night.

Lillie

Lillie came home last Wednesday, and is doing great. She didn't get the PICC line, and is not on any meds except a multi-vitamin. I stayed with them over the weekend, and everyone is adjusting well to the new addition. Bobbie Leigh is going to be a great mom. It was natural for her as well. I can tell thatLillie will have no problems being held. Her mommie does a good job of that. It is amazing how well she is doing. Bobbie's due date is not until July 3rd. The entire NICU staff were amazed at how soon she got to come home. Initially, they told them that she would come home in July around her due date. Boy were they wrong. Miss. Lillie had alot to prove! I promise to post a pic very soon!

Blessings,
Crystal

2009 Rasco Family Photos

This is my beautiful Makenzie, always photogenic! Madelyn is waving "HEY"! It's her favorite word.
And no, her hair is not really that red. It's the sun!
My sweet angels! They had a blast at Splash, as always!
Finally, a half decent photo of all four of us!
Maddie playing in the sand. What a beautiful expression on her face!

update on Lillie

So Lillie is just a miracle baby!! She is now on room air and drinking about 20ml/s every 2-3 hours. She is going to get a PICC line to continue with her abx,and the last venous line can be removed from her belly. Then Bobbie Leigh will be able to hold her as much as she wants. Bobbie Leigh and Lewis are doing better too. They go see her everyday. The shower is this Sunday. It will be good to see everyone then. Thanks for all the prayers.

Lillie Ann

Hi everyone. If you didn't know, my sister Bobbie Leigh was pregnant and was due July 3rd. Unfortunately, she went into premature labor last Monday night and delivered early. Lillie Ann Shadwick was born on May 26th at 0245 am She weighs 5 lbs and 10 oz, 18 in. long. She is a very good weight considering how small Bobbie Leigh was, but that is the only thing in her favor. Bobbie Leigh had what is called abruptio placentae- where the placenta detaches from the uterine wall and ruptures. This is what sent her into labor. The baby swallowed meconium and now has pneumonia. Fortunatley,she was weaned from the dopamine drip, and she came off the vent and cpap by today. She now only requires supplemental O2. She is still getting lots of abx and has received several blood transfusions. Bobbie Leigh was able to touch her for the first time yesterday. Please pray that the baby continues to have a speedy recovery. Also for Bobbie Leigh as she is recovering as well, physically and emotionally. It has been hard for her to leave the baby at the hospital, but she knows that's where she needs to be right now. THANKS!!

Here are a couple photos of the girls that I took at the Botanical Gardens.

SICK!!

"The Plague" struck our house two weeks ago and will not go away!! Makenzie started out with a stomach virus and bronchitis. Madelyn had a bilateral ear infection along with a resp. infection. I took them both to the MD and both had lots of meds to take to get better. Luckily, Makenzie did but Maddie did not. Her resp. infection turned into RSV. It was caught early, so no hospitalization was required thankfully. A week after her first trip to the Doctor, she had an allergic rxn to her abx. Now we are off the abx and on prednisone to help get rid of the horrible rash. She has been on the med now for five days, and the rash has still not healed completely. On top of all this, I had a bad cold last week, and somehow caught pink eye. YUCK! Chris has been running a temp. since Friday night. We think he has the flu. Makenzie was really the only one who got to enjoy the snow due to us all being sick. Please everyone, pray this sickness goes away. I'm sooo tired of MD visits, co-pays, more RX's, and most of all, my family not feeling well. This needs to go away fast!

more pics

Madelyn's Birthday

Okay, I know, her birthday was on Jan 15th. I've just been so busy that I haven't had time to post anything new. Well, on her birthday, Celine Dion was in town. Chris bought me tickets back in August for my own birthday. My two best friends, Sarah and Jennifer, went with me. We had the BEST seats ever, and we had a blast! That Saturday we celebrated Maddie's first birthday. It was so sweet and PINK! She had lots of family and friends there to celebrate with her. Also I've started back going to the gym and reading. The series that I just finished was the Twilight series(four books). I say just, but actually, I finished it the week after her birthday. If you haven't read it, well you need to. It is sooo yummy! I needed the escape it gives you. And finally, the gym thing. So I've lost 10 pounds. Yea!! I officially have lost all the pregnancy weight again. This time I'm going to keep it off. I still have a ways to go, because I gained some before getting pregnant thanks to nursing school. Anyway, I'll try to post my results more often. Maddie's crying, gotta go!