Snowy days and Turkeys always make me cry?

Wow---I wouldn't have thought that Thanksgiving was going to be hard for me, but I was sad the whole week. The day itself was good, lots of family and friends, a wonderful bird, if I do say so myself (alas the much anticipated Turducken never showed...perhaps a light fingered Fex-Ex employee had a wonderful dinner on us....Regardless it was a lovely day. The only crying I did was on a walk I took earlier in the day before our guests arrived...just general missing Sophie sadness....

So much has been going on, I have been wanting to post but just haven't felt the inspiration. Anne Marie had an echocardiogram and a full spinal X-ray last week, just to make sure that she doesn't have any of the other symptoms of Heterotaxy, which the genetics doc seems to think is what is going on with both girls..a mild expression of those genes. I am thankful we are not planning on having any more children, I can't imagine how stressful that pregnancy would be. The doctor thought a 1 in 4 chance of the same thing or worse happening again...yikes. I am hoping Sophie's case will make it into the big Heterotaxy study at Baylor, but I am not hopeful...both kids have "mild" expressions. So little is known about these conditions. I have read that Heterotaxy may account for up to 1% of all newborn deaths...that could be up to 40,000 babies per year in the US alone. I know there is so much competition for research dollars...but this seems huge. I sure hope Annie can get some answers before she had kids (if she has kids). I must get going on the asplenia screen. I would LOVE to hear from other parents whose kids have asplenia but none of the other common symptons...how many are there?

I guess in the end I am thankful that both girls haven't experienced major illness (OK you don't get much sicker than Sophie did...but I mean prolonged) I am thankful that I had Sophie to hold for almost 16 months (plus the 10 months I carried her)...and I am thankful that I have Annie and Mike to love and to hold and to get me through all of this.....Rachel too, it's just that she is being so "teenager" right now (I hear you snickering Mom!)