lumberjacksgurl

Just :wub: <3

I JUST, as in JUST got a message from the lady herself!!! I will fill you all in soon!

It has now been 100 days!!!!!! Dee is doing very well!!! She is off of both the ventilator and trach. Dialysis has been discontinued. Her feeding tube has been removed. She is getting LOTS of physical therapy and will move to a new rehab hospital soon. :banana: :thumb: :banana:

Worth a THOUSAND joyful words!

Sorry ladies!! Dee is doing well. She was transferred back tothe long term care facility just today. I will have more later for you. I am going away for several days so may not update during that time.

adding a wave...I see you here Muriel good job lady! can't wait to see photos!

Congratulations! I am thrilled to see this news Welcome to the world little one <3

Dee had continued to do well over the weekend and was able to communicate and was obvioulsy wanting to get out of the hospital. It was thought she would be in ICU for another month yet, she continues to fight the infections. She would then go back tot he rehab hospital and work from there. Just a few moments ago, her family let me know one of her lungs collapsed through the night. Keep her in your thoughts, she has scome so very far,

Awaiting joyful news!!

Some good news for a change!!!! While Dee reamins in the ICU and on the ventilator, her sedation has been decreased significantly, and she is able to respond to yes and no questions!!!! She continues to fight the infections. This has allll kinds of good news meaning....it means that mentally she is reasonably intact and that if there was any 'brain damage" it will be minimal and that she is cognisant enough to be able to work with the ventilator rather than fight it!!! I have passed on all of the messages of support Continue to send positive thoughts that soon she will be strong enough to breathe on her own!

Nice to see you Kathie!! Sadly, I missed an update while the forums were down. Dee had to be transfered back to the acute care hospital last week and is once again in ICU. It has now been over 50 days and I know everyone is both very worried as well as frustrated and feeling helpless. This is such a difficult position to be in for her family I imagine....waiting, hoping, remaining viligant, wondering if there will be improvement or if this is a new reality...and wondering when to come to terms with all of those facts. I know I wonder these things, and cannot imagine the toll it takes going to the hospital day after day and not knowing. My own son was just in hospital all last week and had emergency surgery and just wrangling the visits in to see him and meet his needs in combination with all needs of the other family members and the other regular life duties was wearing...and that was for 6 days....I cannot imagine that going on for close to two months with little light at the end of the tunnel that spurs one on knowing in say, 3 weeks she will be home with support....or in one month she will be off of the ventilator and able to sit in a wheel chair...So, so, so many unanswered questions for all

Another setback.... Dee has some new infections :wub:

I am sorry gang...I was offline for a few days as the computer had to go in to the "doctor" Dee was moved to the long term care hospital on Wednesday night. The move was difficult but she seems to be adjusting and stabilizing. She now opens her eyes a little for short bits, but is not seeming to be coherant when she does. They are attempting to wean her off of the ventilator and continue to make some progress with some bad days thrown into the mix. Overall, there is PROGRESS though!

I will pass on all the sentiments. Right now, Deana is "holding her own" for the most part. She has ARDS stemming from Infuenza A. She has now been on a ventilator in ICU for 31 days. She gets dialysis three times a week for subsequent kidney failure which is hoped will reverse eventually. Small steps forward followed by another setback, all to be repeated again. The fact that she has survived to this point is definitely a plus for her anticipated recovery. The plan is to move her to a more long term facility in the coming weeks. It may take several months to strengthen her enough to be able to breathe without the ventilator. There will be much therapy down the road. The family is having to deal with some additional stresses as well. As many of you know Dee had a GREAT love for animals and almost all of them (and there are LOTS) have had to be rehomed as she will not be able to tolerate nor care for them once she recovers. It has been heartbreaking for them, and Dee will be devastated to put it mildly. I will continue to update. Thank you all for the thoughts and prayers.

Congrats Muriel!! Worry not lady, all will go well! Do you remember when I had Ben, I ended up in hospital at 22 1/2 weeks...with just a stick of deoderant and a spare T shirt as it was to be a "quick visit". well that lasted four months and I can tell you that you CAN survive on what is at the hospital and that all that matters is that little one and even if something is not quite done, fear not it will all come together. Ben was the proof for that...now three, he shows no signs of being worse for wear :hug: For the BH contractions...make sure that you have a huge drink of water..tote a water bottle with you..it will go a long ways to helping. The hypos are typical in the newbies of diabetic moms. Sounds like you are well controlled but do not be surprised if they want to keep Pip in the NICU for a atleast a few hours if not a day or two. Here is to easy labour if you are going for a trial or a smooth c section if that is your option!!

Thanks Holly!! I was in shock too...actually devastated and crying when I found out she had been put on a vent weeks back. I was just so relieved to find out she is still alive. It is like coming home...so very many familiar names! So how are you and the hubby doing? Still trapsing all over on your bikes and camping? Still Queen of the Spackle is see :hug: I remember the first thing I ever learned from YOU...how to make hardwood floors from plywood!

Well hello gang! While it was something sad that brought me back here I was brightened up by seeing so many familiar names still around!! It was funny, I was looking for a photo last night online and came across the *I think* June 2009 issue of the Greenleaf Mini monthly and there was my Heart Arbor front and center :hug: I somehow missed that issue so it brightened my evening! Life up here in the North is good. We still have several feet of snow but have been getting above freezing during the day so it is melting! The kids are all growing like crazy. Alex graduates this year and is driving, Izzy has started Kindergarten and is reading everything she can get her hands on and little Mr Ben...is now THREE and a bruiser and growing concern at every.second.of.the.day!!! No more premie issues for that boy! Life is busy with all of the kids as well as my business. The cloth diaper gig took off and it is basically full time for me now. I ship worldwide and attend a few trade shows a year...just at the point of ALMOST needing to hire help and expand but that has so much that goes with it that I am resisting...at least for a couple of years if I can until Ben goes to school. I have not done minis for quite a time now but have everything still and often look at it all and CAN NOT move it all on...at some time I will be able to once again allow that creative side of me flow again. Izzy's house has been VERY well used and she is about old enough to soon assist in a makeover of it I think. Perhaps it will be a project for next winter... I would love to hear how all of you are doing....there are so many pages of old posts to go through that Iw ill never see it all so a quick howdy here would be loved! Hope that all of you are enjoying good health, creative joy and keeping those fingers busy with the small stuff!

Hello everyone. It has been a long time since I have posted here, and I am very saddened to come for this, but I thought you would all like to know that one of the mini community could really use some prayers or positive thoughts. Deana, aka Chesterfieldzoo, has been VERY ill for over a month now. She is in ICU, on a respirator and heavily sedated, and has been for 4 weeks. She has a lung infection of some sort and was inhospital for over a week prior to her condition worsening significantly. I know that even though she was not as active in the community here over the past year, that she does have some contact with some of you via Facebook and that you might want to know. I am in contact with her daughter and can post updates here as they are available if you would like. :hug: love and hugs to my pal...She is quite the character and got me through ALOT...from epic floods to the pregnancy from hell that had me in hospital for months to conversations of politics, a fabulous education in minis, kids, gardening and just life in general...right at this moment I am really missing her.

I am with Gina....more of the white stuff falling daily still. I have to climb to the sixth step to be above the snowline alongside the deck and it is not forcast to come above freezing in the next week........ I am not convinced I will ever see a blade of grass or free flowing water in the river this year..........

Man I about spit my coffee at the screen ...LOL!!! Cute Andrew, but she may be a drag in your life too....competetion for YOUR mini time :jumping:! I needed a laf tonight! Susanne....I am glad I do not have a sister....hugs lady~!

Congratualtions to Kathie, Braedean, Shannon, Susanne and Norma Jean!!!! So nice to open up an email and see SO many familiar names and styles. As usual, the work is SIMPLY STUNNING!!

NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! Grrrrrrrrrrrr Glad it is nice SOMEWHERE

I for one am about done with winter so this was not good news!! We got another 18 inches of the white crap last night and the snow in our backyard is now level with the sixth step up to our deck.....yes I said six and it is not a short rise either :S I am glad we have not done all our repairs from our several months of flooding the year before last...remember I had 2 feet of water in the houe for about 3 months?......guess what I think we may be in for again.... Ugh...Phil and Wireaton Willy both let me down today!!

FYI...this law has been "put off" for a year while the "lawmakers" figure out what they are trying to do. It was a VERY bad law that would have put almost all small retailers and manufacturers of childrens products out of business. I have been following it closely because of the effect it could have on my business as well as several new friends businesses. As the law was written, all END PRODUCTS would have to be tested. Say I was American, (I will get into how it actually affects me later) making my diapers in the US. I would have to test EVERY diaper that I made separtely unless I made only one diaper with the exact same parts in the same fashion. The testing would have had to be done at an approved lab at the cost of approximately $1000. My less than $20 diaper now cost me $1020~! It is true that there was an exclusion for consignments but they would still have to take "reasonable" measures to ensure lead and phalates were not an issue. Raw, undyed wool and cotton and gemstones were also exempt eventually. BUT if you dyed any of those items with even Kool-aid....you are back to testing. Even if every one of your components were tested and you had certificates, as of August, the end product still had to be retested!!!! Now as a Canadian, it really does not affect me in the end, but I do feel for all of my American counterparts who were going out of business (or already have in anticipation). This law applies ONLY to US manufacturers and IMPORTERS. I could make an individual sale to US customers as that is not an import/export situation. I could not however have a wholesale/retail relationship with a US counterpart unless that IMPORTER (defined as one who brings in items for resale) did the testing on my items. The importer is responsible, not the foreign manufacturer. HOWEVER if the foreign manufacturer wants their items to be retailed in the US they would of course work with the importer. The law was a very bad one. It did not truly adress the true threat of products made in China and it definitely was not targeted to recalled products! It was going to put under a HUGE sector of the US economy and small businesses and FINALLY late last week they figured that out after MUCH lobbying of small businesses like mine. Yes, many of the miniatures would have been affected, nad so would the sellers be bound by the law of the CPSIA. True some are works of art, many are not however and you would be at the mercy of the CPSIA and subject to up to $100K fines eventually. I understand the intent and do believe in it. This version of the law was not going to achieve the intent however. They are taking a "time out" of a year to figure out the mess they have caused and to try to truly target what are potentially harmful products.

R U SERIOUS!!??!! Your Bday is TODAY?? Happy Birthday my friend...miss you!!! You know who you share your b day with don't you????.... ..... ...... .......... ............ ................. ...................... \Yep....Baby Ben is one today. Had I known, you would have had some of this oh so fitting for you cake... Love ya girlie!!!!