The Opthamologist (spelling?)

Caitlyn's bump on her lower eye lid has been growing a little again, and so I called today to see if they could get her in sooner than our June 20th appointment. They were able to get her in this afternoon! The appointment went well, although Caitlyn did have some anxiety. The doctor said that it was chalazion. It is not a tumor, but an accumulation of fatty oils in the eyelid. Because it has been there so long, the doctor wants us to try a combination of warm compresses and massage once a day. If it does not start shrinking within the next three weeks, he wants to remove it via surgery, because it will start to form scar tissue. needless to say, at the word "surgery" Caitlyn started to panic. There is a 30% chance that she will get another one, since apparently she is prone to getting them. Her vision was good though, and that in itself is a blessing. We are scheduled to leave for Tennessee a week from tomorrow, and we are so excited! Please pray for a safe trip, and some good relaxing time with the family. Love you all, and thank you to God Almighty who has for now blessed us with these!

The Thyroid Files

Hope all of you had a great Memorial day weekend! If you haven't already, be sure to check out our new family pictures (to the right), and the video of Caitlyn and her violin that I posted a few days back. I went to the endocrinologist yesterday, and didn't really get any answers but was educated about my thyroid. They are doing a bunch of blood tests that I hope to have back the end of this week, and of course I will update as I get new information. They think I may have Hashimoto Disease, which is an auto immune thyroid disease. My thyroid is enlarged, but they think that it is a mild case, and should not require surgery, but will require some medication adjustments. the endocrinologists also thinks that I have some hormonal imbalance issues other than my thyroid and is testing my pituitary gland as well. Depending on what they find I will probably have to go back to my ob/gyn to let him handle those issues. It looks like it is a combination of some issues, and hopefully with some medicine we can get my body functioning correctly. My Grandma Thomas has not been feeling well, and has an appt coming up next week. please pray that she will gain some strength and some weight back. Love you all, and thank you to God Almighty who has for now blessed us with these.

Happy Memorial Day

Have a great holiday! Check out the new slide show of the Knutson Klan!

Cassie

Just wanted to post that picture of Cassie (my new bird). Be sure to check out the video of Caitlyn and her violin that I posted earlier. We can't help but be proud of her. Her teacher has been impressed with the natural ability she has. Caitlyn has really turned into a great helper for me, and is such a sweet child. She's having a blast "mothering" all the little ones here at home. I removed the music player from the blog so that those of you who have speakers on your computers can hear the audio from the video. Hope everyone enjoys their Memorial Day Weekend! Please pray that my appt with the endocrinologists on Tuesday afternoon goes well. It looks like June is shaping up to be a busy month for us with our trip to Tennessee, VBS, and a possible visit from my cousin Jennifer and her family! Love you all, and thank you to God Almighty who has for now blessed us with these.

The Violin

Birthday Weekend

I turned 28 this weekend, and what a weekend it was! We've been going nonstop since Thursday! It all started with Dawn's surgery Thursday. Friday, Corey had a pre-op checkup with his pediatrician and Caitlyn had her first violin lesson. That evening I left for a "Mommy Vacation" with my best friend. We spent Saturday at DC, and I came home to pizza, cake, and presents. Jeremy bought me a finch for my birthday. I had asked for one, and it is a beautiful bird. I'll post a picture as soon as I get a chance. She chirps a lot, especially in the morning. We named her Cassie. Sunday was spent at church and preparing for a VBS meeting that night. Yesterday was packed full with a trip to the park, a meeting at social services, and a ladies meeting at church last night. The meeting at social services went well. It is looking like the kids will be with us even longer than we thought. In our county, they only give the parents 6 months to a year to get on track. I have mixed feelings about this. If they are going to return home at some point, I just hate to drag it out. It will make it harder on us all. On a good note, they are thriving with us, and are enjoying some long wanted stability in their lives. The kids all have bonded well with each other, and we don't hear much "my mommy"/" your mommy" talk anymore. Corey had his dental surgery this morning, and is doing very well. He didn't swell near as bad as Dawn did, and although his face is a bit puffy, he is up and playing. His teeth look absolutely gorgeous, and the dentist was able to save the ones we thought they were going to have to pull! On another note, my little sister had her wisdom teeth taken out yesterday. I talked to her this morning, and she sounds like she's doing well. Today is my dad's birthday, so Happy Birthday Daddy! Love you all and thank you to God Almighty who has for now blessed us with these!

Dawn's Surgery Update

Dawn did really well yesterday. Her surgery lasted close to three hours, and they had to do a ton of work to her mouth, but she handled it all very well. It was hard watching them put her to sleep, but as soon as they started waking her up, they let me hold her. Her face is still pretty swollen, but it looks much better than yesterday! Dawn ended up loosing a couple more teeth than I originally thought. Corey's is scheduled for Tuesday morning. He won't handle it as well. He's not a trooper like Dawn! :) The kids saw their mom on Wednesday for the first time since being in care. It has been difficult for Dawn to understand why she can't see her mom everyday. Please pray that God gives her little heart peace. Also, we have a team meeting at social services on Monday. There will be some important decisions made regarding Dawn and Corey. Please pray that the children's best interests will be the main concern on every one's heart (including ours). Love you all and thank you to God Almighty who has for now blessed us with these.