First Grade!

I can not believe I am the mother of a first grader!

My little boy is getting so big! Here he is on his first day of first grade:

Drew was so excited to start school again and see his friends. He was really looking forward to staying all day (kindergarten is a half day) and eating lunch in the cafeteria. I wasn't as worried about him starting first grade as I was with kidnergarten, but there was a little anxiety. It's hard to leave your child in the care of other people, especially if you haven't even met them yet! So I met with the principal before school started and gave him a letter about Drew and his medical history. It made me feel better. :) And he was very understanding and even forwarded the letter to Drew's teacher and PE teacher.

So this morning, as I was walking Drew to his classroom I got to meet his teacher. I introduced myself as Drew's mom and she told me that she got my letter and that her older sister has congenital heart defects and has had heart surgeries, so she's familiar with CHDs. We didn't have much time to talk since school was starting, but I felt such a relief! When am I going to learn to let go and trust God? Once again He provided the perfect teacher for Drew--probably the only one who has experience with children having heart surgery. Thank you God for always putting the right people in our lives and for gently reminding me who is in control.

Drew in his new classroom

After school I picked Drew up and took him and Ava out for ice cream--our first and last day of school tradition. He told me he had a good day, he liked his teacher, he liked his friends and that his favorite part of the day was recess. And that is about all I could get out of him! I pray that this is a great year for him, that he learns a lot, makes new friends, and continues to be a kind and compassionate friend.

After school-he made a hat!

Enjoying ice cream after school

Last Day of Kindergarten!

Oh my gosh. How did this happen? Drew's last day of kindergarten! That means he is now first-grader. A grade-schooler. A big kid. Gosh this year went by fast!

On the last day of kindergarten Drew's school held a Kinder Olympics and I got to be there to help out! It was a lot of fun for the kids. They had about 12 stations and they spent about ten minutes at each one. I was working the jump rope station and let me tell you, there are not very many kindergarteners that can jump rope very well!

After they completed each station they gathered together and received their gold medals and popsicles on the playground. We took lots of pictures and there were some moms, though I'm not naming any names, who were misty-eyed. It may have happened to me when Drew and his best friend Alex were posing for a picture together. I told them to "say first grade!" and then realized what I was saying and got a little teary.

We've had a wonderful year with Mrs. Geddes as his teacher and Drew has done so well. He put a lot of effort into his homework each night and it has paid off. His writing has greatly improved and he's reading well enough that he is going to be a late reader next year. He got a great report card and we couldn't be more proud of him!

At the horseshoe station

Doing the water relay

Playing catch with the velcro pads with Shane

Hula Hooping

Ballin'

Drew's Class

Drew and his buddy Alex

Enjoying their popsicles and gold medals

Walking off the kindergarten yard for the last time (sniff!)

Bringing home the class pet-a walking stick!

And for comparison, Drew's first day of school-August 24, 2009

Christmas Performances

December has brought many opportunities for performing!

First was Ava’s gymnastics performance (which I almost forgot about, Bad Mommy!). It’s not so much a performance or routine as much as a chance to invite people to come to class and let the students show off their skills. Dan and I attended Ava’s performance and she was pleased that Daddy got to come and watch her. She did a great job demonstrating all of her skills, including various rolls, her bar techniques and trampoline jumps. Afterwards there was a visit from Rudolph. Ava wasn’t so excited to see him, but happily took the candy cane that he offered her.




Next on our December performance schedule was Ava’s Christmas sing called Cookies and Carols at her preschool. Each class in the school practices a couple of Christmas songs and then they take turns singing them on stage. Ava was doing great practicing at home and always won when she and I played “who can sing the song the loudest?” But, performance anxiety struck on the night of Cookies and Carols. She did sing on stage, but very, very quietly and with no hand motions. Maybe next year!

Our final performance was Drew’s Holiday Sing at his school. It was on Friday morning, the last day of class before Christmas vacation and it was Pajama Day! His kindergarten performance was short and not very well rehearsed and had low attendance. I think the parents of the older kids had learned that this particular event might not be worth the hassle of finding a parking spot and a chair in the very small multipurpose room. BUT, Drew said that he wanted us there and so we were happy to come and watch him. His class wandered around in circles and periodically raised their hands in a “dance” to a song called “Hot Chocolate.” Even if it wasn’t Broadway caliber, he still looked cute dancing in his Christmas jammies with his buddies from school.

Parent Teacher Conference

On Dec 8th I had my first parent teacher conference as a parent! What a milestone! I’m like a real parent now! With a big kid who goes to school! Hard to believe!

Anyway, it went very well. I really like Drew’s teacher, she is very sweet and I’ve gotten to know her a little bit since I work in the class every other week. She had great things to say about Drew. He is doing wonderful! She is even planning to start an advanced reading group when we get back from Christmas vacation and she wants Drew to be in that group.


You have to allow me a moment of reflection here. I know that an advanced reading group in kindergarten is in no way indicative what the rest of his schooling will be like. But this is such a huge accomplishment for him, for us, because we really weren’t sure how he would do in school. As an infant they told us he might not even be able to go to a regular school. And as a toddler we were told that often problems develop once the kids reach school age. So we’ve kind of been waiting for this moment, to see what his teacher thinks. She is an uninformed observer. She knows about his heart condition, but we have not told his school about his diagnosis of 22q and the possibility of learning disabilities that come with it. The reason is that we did not want to color their opinions. We felt that if there was a problem it would be identified and then we could share the diagnosis with them. So, needless to say, this is a big step in the right direction and we are very pleased!

She did say though that Drew needs improvement in following directions and staying on task. This is not a surprise to me, as I am always reminding him of what I have asked him to do. His teacher said this is developmental and will come with time. He may be delayed in this area because of his surgeries and hospitalizations or it may just be the way he is. Either way, she is not too concerned and we will just try to keep working on this skill at home.

The last thing that his teacher shared with me is how happy Drew is at school. She said he has made lots of friends at school, that he is kind and compassionate and a pleasure to have in class.

Nothing could make this mama’s heart more proud!

First Day of Kindergarten!

Well, we survived!

I woke up before my alarm this morning and was a little teary just thinking that today was the day. Drew woke up just before 7 and said "Is it kindergarten today?!" My sweet boy, he was so excited! I intended to make Drew a special first day of school breakfast, but Dan beat me to it and had him eating his typical English muffin with cream cheese before I got done with my hair. I quickly scrambled up some eggs so he would have some protein to give him energy for his first day. He got dressed quickly, brushed his teeth, washed his face and did his hair. He got his back pack on and was all set to go, but we still had twenty minutes before we had to leave!

After I was finally ready (I didn't want to look like a slob in front of all the kindergarten parents and teachers), we took some pictures out front and got in the car to drive to school. When we got there it was a mad house with nowhere to park! After we drove around a few times we parked far away and walked to the school. We were a tiny bit late and when we got to the classroom Drew put his backpack on a hook and tried to just go sit down on the carpet with the other kids without even saying goodbye! I grabbed a quick hug and a kiss and let him go. I stayed to watch for a few minutes, but he was just fine. I don't think he even knew that I was still there. So I grabbed a tissue by the door and quietly stepped out. There were a few tears as I left, so I was thankful for the walk I had to get back to my car.

While he was in school I tried to distract myself by taking Ava with me to the gym. By the time 11:00 rolled around we were ready to go back and pick Drew up. When he came walking out of his classroom he saw me and waved and tried to run over to me...so sweet! But he had to stay in line with the rest of his class and wait for me to pick him up by the fence.

I wanted to start some sort of first day of school tradition, so we decided to go for ice cream at Baskin Robbins. On the way there Drew and I had this conversation:

Mom: Drew, I want you to tell me all about kindergarten.
Drew: Well, I will just tell you one thing.
Mom: No, I want you to tell me lots of things!
Drew: OK, I will tell you five things, but that's all.
Mom: OK.
Drew: Well first I wrote my name. Only four things left...
Mom: (laughing) OK, what else did you do?
Drew: Then I drew a picture of myself and you and daddy and my sister. Then I had a snack and played on the playground. And the last thing I did was go outside to see the grown-ups.

I tried to get more information, but it was hard to come by! He doesn't remember the names of any of the kids in his class, he likes his teacher, he was good but some boys got in trouble for pushing and hitting in line (uh-oh!), and his teacher said he should leave his pencil box at school. That's all I could get out of him today, maybe tomorrow there will be more info.

I think he had a pretty good day and I am so proud of my big boy. Now we will both just have to get used to doing this every day...

Drew eating breakfast

Ready for Kindergarten!

Drew with Mommy

Drew with Daddy

Drew and his spiderman back pack

Walking to school

Drew getting his name tag from Mrs. Geddes

Walking out with his class

Drew giving the thumbs up in front of his school

Celebrating with Ava and ice cream!

Drew's Last Day of Preschool

Drew with his teachers, Miss Lori and Miss Brenda

Today was Drew's last day of preschool. After I dropped him off with little gifts of appreciation for his teachers I walked outside and promptly lost my composure. My baby is going to kindergarten! I can't believe it. Two years ago when he started at First Cov he was a very different little boy. Still a sweet, caring and gentle child, but just a little 3-year old. We knew he would be needing another heart surgery soon, but didn't know when. I was scared to send him into a classroom with a bunch of other kids and a bunch of other germs. As a matter of fact, he did end up in the hospital only three weeks after starting school. But his teachers and the director were so wonderful and encouraging to us. They remind me of some of the nurses we have had. It's their job to take care of our children, but they end up taking care of the whole family.

Maybe my tears were closer to the surface because I just visited some newborn babies recovering from heart surgery. It doesn't seem that long ago that I was in their shoes. That I couldn't even imagine what life would look like five years into the future, I could only focus on getting through one day at a time. And now, those five years have flown by! Sure there were weeks spent in the hospital, months spent making difficult decisions, many many hours in various therapies and doctor's appointments. But for the most part, we have a normal, happy life with two precious children. One of whom is going to kindergarten in the fall!

Drew's first day of preschool with Miss Talacey, September 2007

He Swims!

I meant to post this adorable video from Drew's last day of swim lessons before we left for our cruise, but I ran out of time. Here is Drew, who now knows how to swim all by himself! He's made such progress since we started swim lessons. I am so proud of him!


I love how he wiggles through the water!

Ava's first day of preschool on Friday went very well. I actually used my time to go to the gym. I forgot that I signed up for a gravity class on Wed & Fri and it goes for two more weeks. After that it's definitely pedicures on Fridays. When I went to pick Ava up I asked how she did. They said she did great. I asked if she got in trouble. They said no. I asked if she listened and they said yes. I asked if she was sassy, and they said well, yes. Apparently she wanted to paint but refused to put on the smock so she decided not to paint. That's my girl! She certainly has a mind of her own and she didn't want to wear that smock.

A couple of days ago Drew and I were at Costco and they were giving out samples of carrot juice. It sounded gross to me, but Drew wanted to try it. It was special purple carrot juice. Well, he loved it so much that I bought some (three bottles of it). And now they both love it! Here's the proof:

First Day of Preschool

Hooray!

It's time for preschool to start again!

This year Drew is going 3 days a week, and Ava will be going on Fridays. Yes, you heard me right, I will have three hours every Friday to be childless! I would like to think that I'll be getting pedicures and taking naps during my free time, but in reality I will probably be cleaning bathrooms and going to the grocery store. Oh well, it will be easier to do those things by myself too.

Here are the little munchkins this morning before Drew's first day of school, and Ava's preview day. For some reason the picture looks blurry.

Drew did fantastic today and went right back into his usual routine. He did not bat an eyelash when I left and didn't even seem to mind that he had new teachers and new friends in his class. He's been singing school songs ever since we got home.

Ava did well at her preview (moms stay for the preview day), but I find myself wondering if the teachers know what they are getting into with her. She can be very stubborn sometimes, as she has been demonstrating all afternoon. This girl is trying to slowly kill me! But I will not be broken! I am still the queen of this house! At least for now...

Spring Sing

Here is Drew in his "cute and comfortable" attire before the Spring Sing.


All of the still pictures we took during the performance came out blurry or dark, but here is one of Drew singing anyway.

We had great seats in the second row, but unfortunately Drew stood right behind the microphone stand both times he was on the stage. The school also taped the performance, so hopefully their video is better than mine! Drew did great and sang every song! Such a difference from the Christmas performance. He was excited to sing and kept talking about it during the day. Afterwards when we were driving home and he was drifting off to sleep he said "I want to spring sing again!"

Field Trip to the Fire Station

Today Drew's preschool class had a field trip to the fire station. When we got to school he told me he didn't want to wear a fire hat and he didn't want to ride a firetruck. That made me question how he was going to do once we got there. I know he's scared of loud noises and so I told him that they wouldn't turn on the sirens without telling us first. I also told him it's good to try new things, even if it's a little scary, because we might like them. He did so well, I was really proud of him for trying new things! He sat on the fire engine and enjoyed the tour of the station. They also watched a fire safety video and listened to how firefighters help people who are sick. When they brought out the stethoscope and blood pressure cuff he kept looking at me and saying "that's just like me!" He didn't want to be near the fireman when he was dressed in all his gear and his mask, but he wasn't the only one. When they left the kids all got fire hats and coloring books to take home. Drew ended up having a really fun day!

Checking out the firetruck

Holding the fire hose

Sitting in the firetruck

With his preschool class at the fire station

Published

In September 2002 I began a masters program in Forensic Science at UC Davis, expecting to graduate in spring 2004. Well, Drew was born in February of that year and I had more important things on my mind than finishing the program. I had completed all of my coursework by the spring, but still had the business of finishing my research and writing my thesis to attend to. It is only through the encouragement and gentle reminders of my advisor that I ever finished it. In December 2006 I finally graduated from the program. And last month an article based on my thesis was published in the Journal of Forensic Sciences, with my name as the lead author. If you feel so inclined you can read it here.

Journal of Forensic Sciences
Volume 53, Issue 1, January 2008

Forensic Utility of the Mitochondrial Hypervariable Region 1 of Domestic Dogs, in Conjunction with Breed and Geographic Information*
Andrea L. Himmelberger, M.S.; Theresa F. Spear, M.A.; Jessica A. Satkoski, Ph.D.; Debra A. George, M.A.; Wendy T. Garnica, B.S.; Venkat S. Malladi, B.S.; David G. Smith, Ph.D.; Kristen M. Webb, B.S.; Marc W. Allard, Ph.D.; and Sreetharan Kanthaswamy Ph.D.
pages 81–89

There was also an article in the Sacramento Bee today about our parent support group Hearts of Hope. If you read all the way to the end there are a few lines from my interview. You can read that here.

Happy Friday!

Birthday Celebration #1

We celebrated Drew's fourth birthday at preschool today. I made cupcakes and brought them for his class. Everyone got to take a dinosaur home. I wasn't there when they sang Happy Birthday, but the teacher was kind enough to take a few photos for me. It looks like Drew had fun!

Not my best work, but they'll do for preschool

Drew and friends enjoying their cupcakes

More friends eating cupcakes

The Birthday Boy

Gratitude

I am thankful:

• that today, my son is at home with me, healthy and happy
• for the wonderful people at his preschool who care about him staying healthy as much as I do
• for our new pediatrician, who wanted to meet and get to know Drew before he gets sick
• that I have God in my life and I can turn to Him when I am overwhelmed
• for good friends who remind me of all these things
• for my beautiful family

First Day of Preschool

Drew and his teacher

Today was Drew's first day of preschool. He loved it! He ran into the room without even saying goodbye. I had to ask him for a hug before hurrying outside so he wouldn't see my tears. I cried like a baby outside. I don't think I would have cried, had it not been for his rough beginning. I wasn't sad. It was just a milestone that I wasn't sure we'd ever get to have. And here he is, my big 3 1/2 year old miracle baby going off to preschool without me. I'm so proud of him.

When I picked him up he came running to me shouting Mommy, Mommy! Here is our conversation in the car as I remember it:

Me: What did you do in school today?
Drew: Played with toys.
Me: What else?
Drew: Played outside.
Me: What friends did you play with?
Drew: I played with Jacob and Ryan. Ryan was a sad boy. He lost his mommy.
Me: That's sad. But his mommy came back. Just like your mommy came back.
Me again: Did you have a snack?
Drew: Yeah.
Me:What did you have?
Drew: Goldfish and a cheese stick.
Me: That sounds good. Did you sing any songs?
Drew: Yes, wheels on the bus and open shut them.
Me: Did you learn anything about God today?
Drew: He made all the animals. Even whales and dolphins.
Me: That's right. He did make all the animals. Did you have a fun day today?
Drew: Yeah. I want to go to school tomorrow.

Preschool Preview Day

I took Drew to preschool preview day on Thursday morning. It's only for an hour and the parent stays with the child. The idea is to ease them into it before we leave them there on their own next week. Pretty smart, I think. It went great! Drew had a lot of fun playing with the other kids and of course spent most of his time playing with cars and trains. They did a little mini-circle time at the end and he sat there quietly listening. Then he cried the whole way home. When I asked him why he was sad he said "I want to go to school!" Hopefully that's a good sign.

My big boy

Drew and his buddy Jacob are in the same class

Jacob and Drew during circle time