Been getting a lot of sweet emails from people wondering how Maliyah is doing. She is doing great, but she will have more blood work done tomorrow or Saturday.

The kids have school out next week until next year. Weird to think we have just gotten through another year. For the most part this year was great. We got to do a lot of fun things as a family. But most importantly we are still going strong as a family! We are very blessed to have Maliyah's kidney still working well.

This school year started out great for the kids. Kendra and Maliyah love school, Courtney is on the fence about if she likes it or not. She's had a lot of big changes this year. Austin is finally catching on and working really hard. Justin was having a very hard year, especially when Kendra or Maliyah are in the hospital. I have some pretty great kids. Regardless of the fighting and arguing I know that they love each other a lot!! Love this quote, "Having one child makes you a parent, but having two makes you a referee".. It's so true! Wonder what 5 make?!?!

The more time in the hospital we spend, the more I realize how grateful I am for modern medicine. Little things like IV fluid is a life saver. I'm getting a lot more careful about the medicine the doctors are allowed to give my children. Unless it's a must have. And the girls are feeling the same way. Every drug has a side effect that aren't very fun. Maliyah learned this again. She was put on a drug to help with her c-diff, and the medicine was causing extreme itching, just because we changed from the liquid to a pill form. Basically she scream for 3ish hours because it hurt so bad, she was even bleeding from where she was itching.

When we were struggling with Justin for so long, we learned that he has a hard time express how he is feeling so it would make him act out. Now we are handling that better. We just need to get him to eat more. He was playing at his friend Joe's house yesterday, he told Joe's mom that, "if you play to many video games you can get fat and die". He's so clever!! It's been really good for us to have him as one of the challenges. But we can really tell that he is growing up and slowing moving to another faze of his life.

Austin is one of the easiest children we have. He is also so sweet! This last weekend him and Courtney were sick with the stomach bug. Austin would setup throw up and tell us and go right back to sleep. He missed the bucket once and he profusely apologized. Broke my heart! That's just how he is.

Courtney is defiantly a tween with how sassy she can be, but she still loves to be with her family.

OH MY!! Kendra is just Kendra. We were driving to get the boys from their friends house, she was telling me how to drive. I just laughed. She is a self motivator and gets stuff done when she needs too. A great quality to have.

The worse part about being a parent is the discipline. Maliyah didn't do her book report, so she wasn't able to go to her best friends birthday party. Not sure who it was harder for, Jake and I or Maliyah. My bet would be us. When I was little my parents use to say the same thing to me, but I never understood it completely until this happened with Maliyah.

Jake and I had such a great year together. We go out on a date once a week. We both look forward to it. And it's not something big each time either. Maybe ice cream or a drive. Just being together. It's so great to have a great relationship with Jake. And to be a great example for our children. Eternity isn't long enough to be with him!!

Hope you all have a Merry Christmas and if I don't post before New Years. Have a Great New Year's as well.

Love,
The Herrin's

What a FREAKIN' week/month we have had.

Started out not to bad, but by the end we've had enough. I swear whenever the kids get flu shots they all seem to get a lot more sick. I really hate them, but this year I let the doctor talk me into them. Oh Boy!! Was I wrong, and that never happens ;) (wink mean J/K ).

Let start with the easy little man first. Austin had been having strep a lot these last several months. His tonsils were very swollen they were almost touching and his airway was being obstructed. So he went in for surgery at PCMC. He is by far my easiest child, I thank God for him everyday, well for all of them. But he is such a sweet child. More to come about that later. Austin was very nervous about the surgery as anyone would be. He was sad most because he was giving up his title of the only person that has never had surgery in our family. He cried some before we left for the hospital. So we went a little early to visit Kendra and watch some TV with her. It was finally his turn to walk down to the 2ND floor, I HATE that floor so much!! This is where the ICU is and the OR rooms. Can't go around some parts of that place without having a flashback or something. We got Austin all registered for the surgery, Mary Anne the Child Life specialist came to do some hospital play with him. She was so sweet with him, calmed his nerves. And when she left he came over and told me "I like this place". I laughed and wondered if he would think that after the surgery was over. He still liked the place after. LOL Austin is recoving very well right now. Just praying he doesn't get the bug we are all coming down with.

We were all setting around playing with the dog last night and talking about what to give Jesus for Christmas. Austin comes over to give me a hug and says, mom I know what you want for Christmas, decorations for the house or a new house. Well he was telling me all that he was rubbing my shoulders. He is so sweet! But little does he know, I want nothing for Christmas but a healthy family. :) To much to ask for??

We had a great Thanksgiving with family. The day after Kendra was admitted to the hospital for dehydration. She ended up staying there for 6 days. She didn't mind one bit because she had everything she needed, a kitchen to bring her whatever her little heart desired, great nurses to help with whatever she needed, great techs that love her to pieces, but mostly the FOOD!! Kendra tested positive for a bowel infection, but now I just believe she had the same stomach bug as the rest of us were pleased to have. :) HURTS LIKE CRAZY!! Kendra got home on a Wednesday and was dying to go back to school the very next day. She gets sick VERY fast, but gets better fast, most of the time.

Jake was the next to get the nasty bug. He got sick Sunday night and Austin had surgery that Tuesday. It was a lot to handle trying to jungle everything, but once again my mother in-law helped me out. Can't even explain how lucky I am to have her. She even brought the kids dinner when I was at the hospital. Then I got sick and Jake got Kendra out of the hospital. What a crazy and hard week that was.

It was really funny because a volunteer had come to visit us when Kendra was in the hospital. I said to him that we'd be back very soon. He just laughed, thought I was kidding. Oh no!! I just know what's about to take place. LOL A "sick sense".

Well Maliyah got sick last night and was admitted to the hospital today. That is probably why I have time to update my blog. Doctors think maybe she is having an appendictis, but I'm not worried about that. The thing I'm most concerned about is her creatinine(more than doubled) and the damage the kidney may have because of this virus. Dehydration is extremely dangerous for her transplanted kidney. So we have to hurry up and wait. I tried to find the espisode about Sponge Bob's take on doctors but couldn't find it. That espisode when he gets sick and is scared to go to the doctor. Man, he is right on!!

Hope all of you are having a great holiday season.

Love,

The Herrin's :)