Cousins

Cousins, originally uploaded by PaulaK.

Sisters

DSCN6247, originally uploaded by PaulaK.

I. and J. on J's 16th birthday.

Guitar

DSCN6239, originally uploaded by PaulaK.

Daryl, D. and L. have all been learning to play the guitar.

More Before

DSC_0698, originally uploaded by PaulaK.

Before

DSCN4119, originally uploaded by PaulaK.

Here is a picture of what I looked like prior to surgery.

Updates

Post surgery update: Although they only removed 7 lbs. (3 of breast and 4 of belly)--I guess since the rest of me is thin and it was targeted weight loss it made a huge difference. I am wearing pants 2 sizes smaller than I was! I can wear normal bras and shop at stores like Victoria's Secret for bras now, and even go braless if I want! It was a painful recovery, and I developed an infection in one of the permanent interior abdominal sutures at about 3 weeks post surgery which made it take longer, (I had to take double strength antibiotics for 14 days and even then the surgeon said I had a 50% chance of it going away and a 50% chance he'd have to go in and remove the suture--but it went away!) but now I feel and look great.

Adoption update--We are tentatively/hopefully going to Africa in late June to get our kids! I wish I could post pictures or more details but I can't--once they are ours I will though!

Illness update--I still receive monthly IVIG treatments which keep it under control, but it is not in remission. Remission is no meds/no symptoms. I just began a new drug last week which will hopefully get me at least into a drug remission, which is no symptoms with drugs. I still have the rashes, and I imagine if I discontinued the IV treatments the muscle weakness would return. This drug is an immune suppressant that they give transplant patients, so it will make me slightly more prone to illness, which will hopefully be offset by the IV treatments which are other people's pooled antibodies.

So please pray for complete remission for me and that our adoptions and adjustments at home afterward go really smoothly!

J and M

DSC_0305, originally uploaded by PaulaK.

D and M

DSC_0324, originally uploaded by PaulaK.

Prom 2010

DSC_0316, originally uploaded by PaulaK.

Siblings going to Prom

DSC_0319, originally uploaded by PaulaK.

Not together! D. went with his girlfriend, and J. went with her boyfriend.

J attends her first Prom

DSC_0375, originally uploaded by PaulaK.

Beauties

DSC_0346, originally uploaded by PaulaK.

This is our daughter J before prom, with her sisters I, A and T.

We couldn't be prouder.

nhs, originally uploaded by PaulaK.

This is my oldest child, D, speaking at the National Honor Society Convocation last week. He is President, so he gave the opening speech summarizing the group's astonishing list of service activities. Despite his reluctance, he did a great job!