I believe in miracles...
Keenan came home this week!! Tuesday night he arrived home with mommy and daddy. It was an eagerly awaited end to a very emotionally stressful two weeks. To finally be able to hold Keenan in my arms was definitely a most satisfying reward for all the tears and heartache felt over the last two weeks. It took everything in me over the two weeks not to drive down to Toronto, but I knew I was needed here, not down there. Colin and Crystal already had tons of family down there. We kept things in order up here.
When Keenan came home, he was sitting in his carseat, and we were looking at him. It was so great to finally see him without tubes, or lights on him. He was stirring a bit, and when I heard him make his baby sounds, and watched him stretch I almost started crying. For a while it didn't look like we'd ever see or hear that happen, but there he was. A healthy, regular baby doing everything babies are supposed to. Colin picked him up and it was such an amazing moment to witness. After everything Colin and Crystal had to go through to get Keenan, to see Colin holding him just finished everything. That one gesture said so many things....Keenan isn't going anywhere. Daddy's going to be there through everything.
So, do I believe in miracles? You bet! We were told that Keenan shouldn't have been able to bounce back. At first we were told the brain damage would be too severe and he'd be in a 100% vegetative state, and yet, here he is. Moving, gurgling, stretching, doing everything babies should. This baby has the biggest circle of love and positive thought around him. All the white light, prayers, and positive thoughts helped make a miracle happen.
My sincerest thanks, from the very depths of my soul, go out to everyone who sent out their well wishes, prayers, love, positive thoughts, and white light to a little baby who was in desperate need. He's doing great, and living proof that miracles really do happen.
Sara
-Who's blown away by what a group of people from different religions and backgrounds can accomplish when they put their beliefs together for a greater good.
Just a quick update...
Keenan will be coming home at the earliest this Saturday, and at the latest next Wednesday!! YAY!! The little guy is going to be okay! He still has to go through physiotherapy once he gets home because he hasn't been moving much, but he hasn't been able to!! But Colin and Crystal will have him up and motoring and doing baby things in no time at all! I can't wait to see him!!
In other news, my super-duper fiance proposed to me yesterday. He was waiting to do an official proposal even though we were actually engaged already. We ordered the ring 2 weeks ago, and he wouldn't let me have it until he could propose properly. Well, it just so happened that I forgot something at home that I needed at work. I called Matt to ask him to bring it to me on my lunch, to be there for 1:00. So, 1:00 came, Matt showed up, and then there were my parents. I was talking with them, and I turn around to talk to Matt and he says asks me if I want to get married hehehe. I look, and he has the ring! My face lit up, grin from ear to ear, and of course I said yes lol. Matt said it worked out perfectly that my parents were still here too, because he wanted them there. All the girls at work thought it was the most romantic thing lol. They all think he's just the sweetest hehe.
Well, that's all for an update for now. Matt and I are heading to Powassan for the weekend to spend time with his parents. I'm looking forward to it. We haven't been there in a long time, it'll be nice.
Enjoy your weekend!
What A Wonderful Week This Has Been....
At least, maybe....kind of??? To be honest it was basically a very stressful week, but for some reason I'm flying high today. After the Little Man, Keenan was born on Wednesday evening, things turned upside down. They found a swelling and bleeding into his brain, which was putting pressure on his brain and causing seizures. I found this out at 7:104am, just before heading to work. I get off the phone with my brother promising not to tell my parents, just to tell them to get to the hospital ASAP. I found it rather challenging to keep the tears away, and failed miserably. After throwing my parents into a panic they zoom off to the hospital and I call work to take a day off. It was very last minute but a family emergency is more important than a $10 an hour job. Off to the hospital we go. We found out Keenan can't be flown out to Toronto until Friday. Brief moment of panic until the doc assures us that an extra day or two won't hurt him, that all of his vitals are fine.
Well, to skip the rest of the day, we move to Friday. I have to go back to work, the whole needing to make money thing. That and there really wasn't anything I could do family-wise because everyone was leaving for Toronto after Keenan. Matt and I volunteer to cat-sit for Colin and Crystal. They say we can do our laundry, and enjoy the satellite. SCORE! Anyway, I call my parents this morning to learn the update and find out that Keenan is doing really well. His jaundice is basically gone, he's off the respirator, and the Doctors are slowly starting to ween him off the drugs and get him out from under all the sedation. He was supposed to undergo an MRI last night, but we don't know the results yet. My parents made me feel a lot better by telling me that the swelling seems to have gone down a bit and that he hadn't had one seizure since he got to Toronto. So, please keep sending positive energy his way! I have to come up with a great nickname for him because of his strength through all this. :o) He's already an amazing little man.
In honour of his strength and of course Matt and I being the coolest aunt and uncle ever, we went and spoiled my little man rotten today!! We bought a stellar collapsible basket and then bought tons of stuff to put in it. We gotthe cutest set of 3 sleepers, the most adorable little short set for summer, face cloths, bibs, adorable little farm animal socks, a stuffed pig named Wilbur, a towel, and safety stuff like locks for cupboards and plug covers, and a cute padded snuggle picture book. I'm going to have it all packed and ready and set in the nursery for his return.
I can't wait for him to come home. After my mom was talking about him, he's able to open his eyes now, you can see his beautiful brown eyes, and he's looking a lot more healthy with his natural colour coming through. I can't wait until he's strong enough to come home so I can finally snuggle him.
Dum spiro, spero"While I breath, I hope"....sending my energy your way little guy. Come home quickly!
Love and hugs
Auntie Sara
Welcome Little One....
I'd like to announce that Keenan Anderson Toulouse-Janssen was born today, March 8, 2006 at 7:24pm. Proud parents, Colin and Crystal are thrilled. After a long and emotional labour, baby arrived by c-section. Both mommy and baby are well. I'm so excited I'm an aunt!! My parents were just beaming! News has spread quickly! I only got to see Keenan for a few seconds before he was taken to recovery, but I'll post pictures as soon as I have some. :o)
Okay...this is overkill....
I decided to do some research on what exactly is in the Oscar Gift Bag this year. I'm always curious as to what companies are giving away to celebrities as "consolation" prizes, and congratulatory items...even though they're the last people on the planet who need "freebies". Well, much to my disgust, I found a rather extensive list...are you ready to vomit profusely onto your keyboard?
a Victoria's Secret jewelled pink bra-and-panty set with a detachable diamond brooch, fragrances, and other items worth $7,000 for Best Actress nominees
a coupon for laser eye surgery
gold accented Havaianas flip flops
Manolo Blahnik leather "My Shoes for the Weekend" bag, with pouches sized perfectly for three pairs of Manolos. It comes with matching suede sandals
Hermes cashmere shawl/blanket
La Grande Dame Veuve Cliquot champagne
pair of Baccarat crystal earrings or crystal lighter, Baccarat champagne flutes
Estee Lauder products, including a “crystal glow” sugar rub and a “calming body spray", plus spa treatments for recipient and a guest
round-trip tickets to anywhere Song Airways flies
Crest Whitening Expressions toothpaste
Kiehl's gift set, value $500
"the ultimate HDTV package": VOOM high-definition satellite and 12 months of programming service as well as a 43-inch Samsung DLP HDTV. Value: $6,000
Peacock Black Pearl Collection gift set including an 18-inch necklace, seven-inch bracelet, and stud earrings, from
PearlParadise.com.
“Canadian Adventure” package:-a one-night stay at Whistler Platinum-a day of skiing on Whistler Blackcomb-helicopter transfer between Vancouver and Whistler-private tour of Canada's premier family-owned winery, Mission Hill Family Estate-three nights at Opus Hotel in Yaletown, Vancouver-dinner at Elixir restaurant-air tour of Vancouver
DuWop cosmetics in a custom-designed gold and silver striped tube along with a yoga mat and yoga pants
a private, $1,500 steak dinner at Morton's
$500 Krups espresso machine
A pair of round-trip business-class tickets on Air New Zealand from L.A. to Auckland
5-night stay at New Zealand's
Treetops Lodge & Estate in secluded Rotorua, New Zealand (above airfare may be used separately)
Two nights in a suite at The Carlyle Hotel
SeaDreamseven-day cruise for two to the Mediterranean or Caribbean
Pollaro Custom Furniture$5,000 gift certificate
Christina Oxenberg Knitwear neck scarf or shawl
French perfume bottled in Baccarat crystal emblazoned with the nominee's moniker
Charles Worthington shampoo gift pack ("made-in-Wales with a cool £4,295 price tag")
gift certificate for a free TAZ I from
Tight Systems,
a personal video and media player
GINGI skincare products
Motorola is giving out cell phones, not yet available to the public. The
V600 cell phone, equipped with an activated SIM card. It comes in a custom-made box, engraved with the recipient's name, in the shape of an old-time film camera that features an audio snippet of Mel Torme's classic rendition of "You Oughta Be in Pictures."
Kyocera 7135 Smartphone with the Sherwood Personal Security Mobile Security Protection package includedPCS Vision Video Phone VM4050 by Toshiba, courtesy of Sprint, personalized with an engraved monogram and ringtones and screensavers from the appropriate movie
Personalized
Anastasia diamond tweezers with an 18kt white gold chain and heart-shaped diamond (for Best Actress nominees, value $2,000)
a limited edition tin of Altoids mints, encrusted with crystals. Each tin takes up to 10 hours to create.
Nyakio’s African black tea candle
Jelly Bag
$750 piece from the new Talismania collection, the new jewelry line from porcelain sculptors
LladroTina Earnshaw Makeup set
chocolate-covered strawberries from Brymm Berries in Houston, TX
A glass ornament in the shape of a shopping bag with the Oscar logo, handcrafted in Europe, designed by Lisa Kelechava of Tennessee...and something made by some guy in Wisconsin.
*hands you a bucket and allows you to spew vilgar language about how disgusting people can really be* Overly extravagant, don't you think??
Sara
-Who really is afraid that the world and the humanity contained within, is beyond all hope.
Alien Invasion...George Bush Style...
I had the oddest dream last night! (Yes, it was even worse than the Willis Adventure!) Matt, Karla and myself were camping just outside of a city (no city I recognize at all). We were laying outside the tents looking at the sky. Matt had fallen asleep, as did Karla. I kept watching the sky and saw some interesting flashes that I thought were lightening. I kept watching, waiting for the oncoming storm. I could hear very faint rumbling sounds. Suddenly it changed to an interesting yellowy-orange colour and it started dancing across the sky. More colours were joining in, and soon it was an impressive display of colour dancing across the sky and through the clouds. I thought it was the most incredible display of Northern Lights so I promptly woke up Matt so he could watch it. I could the rumbling getting louder, accompanied by a screeching sound. I was dazzled by what I was seeing and hearing. Matt woke up and was watching with me. We watched for about 30 seconds when we suddenly felt the earth shake and a loud booming sound, not an explosion but definitely something high-impact. Suddenly about 500 feet beside us we watch as a missle comes dropping from the sky and lands, imbedding itself into the ground. Instant panic hits and we start running into the city. It's mass panic as people in the streets are running everywhere, screaming, looting, and all around hysteria. Suddenly all the tvs turn on and focus on the strangest looking being.
Our initial reaction when the bombing first began was that Baby Bush was finally taking his hostility out on Canada (despite that his mirror image just got elected as our leader!). The being started to speak on the television and announced that the invasion had begun. The missiles that had just been imbedded in the ground were set on timers and were also controlled by a remote detonator. If we didn't comply with their rules, or live inside their means random missiles would explode until all earthly beings had conformed. A frightening thought indeed.
For some reason life returned to normal, except the fear level was much higher. Everyday the news was reporting missles exploding in different countries around the world. It had a very Big Brother feel to it. Fear that every action you make, or word you utter will bring down a wrath and fury most feared. I was walking around town with Matt, and my mom and dad, heading towards a restaurant when an explosion knocked us down and shook the city. We saw a large factory down by the water explode, water shooting up into the air, the building and the people around it disappearing into the crater created by the explosion. Everyone starts running again, and that's when I woke up. Definitely a very odd, and fear inspiring dream.
Sunny-side up!
Well, I'm not sure when it happened or how, but I realized yesterday that I'm the happiest I've been in a long time and am feeling fantastic. Perhaps it's the recent string of sunny weather and the melting snow. Perhaps it's because Matt got his job with the Airport Security. Perhaps it's because he got his first Employment Insurance cheque and we're covered until he can start his job with the airport. Perhaps it's the fact that I'm off the pill and I don't feel like the world is ending and the need to cry about it. Perhaps it's because I have a little niece or nephew on the way any day now. Perhaps it's because we're finally catching a tiny financial windfall so we can pay off furniture, buy a ring, and pay for wedding things.
Perhaps it's because I'm finally feeling healthier. I went to the Dr. on Thursday and told him I have another sinus infection. After his initial facial reaction of "You're Dr. Who-by-the-way?"....he asks me a barrage of questions to which I promptly reply "Green, yellow AND browny boogers, left eye is about to escape the confines of my socket and splat across the room, I'm coughing up delightfully disgusting "stuff", second one in a month and a half, childcare is hazardous to my health". He writes the script, tells me if I get another one too soon or this one doesn't leave I need x-rays. I take my list of drugs and I'm gone. $100 later and two days of taking meds and I already feel fantastic lol.
Anyway, whatever it is that's making me feel fantastic I'll keep it thank you very much. Thank you universal energies, and keep up the good work. Perhaps the hard times have finally ended, or at least on their way out.
My little taste of spring...
Since it's March 1st, I'm posting my own personal little taste of spring. This is a picture of the crocuses I currently have blooming in my living room. It's right next to the pot of tulips that should be blooming in the next week or so!
Sara
- Who's trying to remember that we're one day closer to spring.
On The Topic of Kleenex...
Isn't it funny how companies advertise their kleenex as being oh-so-soft, but in reality it's as rough as sandpaper? The same applies to toilet paper! You try to save a buck by buying less expensive TP and it's rough rough rough!!.....On the other hand there can also be the other problem of being entirely too soft. I'm not personally thrilled about the idea of "cleaning" with something that feels rather like a cloud...I don't feel all that clean lol. Just a thought. DON'T BUY CHARMIN'....it's too soft. There, I've said my piece lol. On to more important things.
While searching for a picture of a kleenex box I came across this picture:
I'd like to state for the record that this is NOT what I do with my kleenex lol. I don't need any help in that department, thank you very much. This just struck me as funny. Much like today's garfield was HILARIOUS! It actually had Matt laughing, and he doesn't laugh at Garfield a lot lol. I'll post it, just for a Wednesday evening giggle! Hope you enjoy it!
Sara
-Who had a great day for a change! Let's hope March brings better things!
Random Thought....
I actually own Kleenex brand kleenex. This is the first time ever I think. I kind of like it...it's all soft and stuff. Very nice on sensitive noses hehe.
Sara
-Who thinks it's about time her sniffles go away.
