Just over a week to go!

My husband has recently received several donations from local companies for the fundraiser on May 2nd. This has been a wonderful surprise. Today, we also received our first donation by mail!

Several of our friends have also pitched in to help. We have friends donating sign painting, basket organizing, photography, baking, ticket sales, and more.

A big thank you to everyone who is helping get the fundraiser off the ground. We truly appreciate everything!!!

Martha Stewart Eggs

I did the Martha Stewart eggs that I mentioned a week ago. They turned out GREAT!!! It was very simple and the instructions were easy to follow. The one thing that I recommend is that darker colored silk be used. The lighter colors did not show on the eggs, but the darker colors were beautiful.

First trip of the year to Boston

Dylan had his visit to Boston on Friday, April 10th. All went quite well. He saw a new doctor, Dr. Sawicki, who he seemed to like a lot. He gained about 5 pounds and has been eating quite well.

Because he is 5 now, he will be starting a medication called Pulmozyme (a post on the medication is to come) which helps keep his lungs clear. Hopefully, this will mean less infections and coughing for Dylan!!!

We are also waiting for his new chest PT vest! We were very excited to hear that this would be covered by insurance, and even more excited that Dylan liked the vest when he tried it!

He also had blood work and a chest x-ray which we are waiting to hear the results of this week.

Red Sox Tickets

We now have a way to purchase some Red Sox tickets for our fundraiser. I am so excited!! My cousin is giving us a MLB.com gift card that should cover most of the cost. We plan to use the tickets along with 2 fleece blankets and some odds and ends in a basket to raffle off at Need to Breathe on May 2nd. We are hoping that this will be a big money raiser since we have a lot of Red Sox fans in the family and among our friends.

Planing The Seeds

Dylan and I planted a variety of seeds on Friday, April 3rd. They were various veggies and flowers to plan at our new house. Today I checked on the seeds and 2 varieties have already sprouted. This is really exciting.

We have a very ambitious garden planned for this year. Everything from lettuce and tomatoes to watermelon and pumpkins. It should be really fun to watch everything grow from seeds.

The first thing to pop was butter lettuce. This came up 2 days after we planted the seeds and is already 1.5 inches tall!!!

Easter's fast approaching

Here we are at another holiday. They seem to come, and go, so quickly. We have to go driving all around with the kids so that we can see both families. It is very exhausting, but well worth it in the end. This year shouldn't be so bad because we now live closer to both families. The kids are all excited about Easter, especially Dylan. He loves the candy.

We will have an Easter Egg hunt at the house this year, our 1st year in the new house, before we set out for a day of fun with our families. I purchased all sorts of candy for the kids that we will put in about 20-30 eggs and hide all over the yard. It should be a really fun time!!!

I also want to do a fun egg decorating project with the kids. I saw a great project today on The Martha Stewart Show. http://www.marthastewart.com/article/silk-dyed-easter-eggs?lnc=38f9cf380e1dd010VgnVCM1000005b09a00aRCRD&rsc=showmain_tv_the-martha-stewart-show It looked fairly easy for a 5-year-old to help with and the eggs are so beautiful! I think we will try this on Saturday. Tristan will be more interested in eating the eggs than decorating them.

I am also trying my hand at some gluten-free/vegan sugar cookies that we can cut out into Easter/Spring shapes and bring with us to grandma and grandpa tick-tock's house.

Fundraising Blues

My family is putting together a fundraiser called "Need to Breathe". This is a fundraiser for cystic fibrosis. All the money raised goes to research, education, and will ultimately be used to further and/or save thousands of lives including Dylan's.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inherited, life-threatening disease of the mucus glands. This causes mucus to build up and clog some of the organs in the body, particularly the lungs and pancreas, causing progressive damage to the respiratory system, chronic digestive system problems, and can also affect other organs. When the mucus clogs the lungs, it can make breathing very difficult and can cause bacteria or germs to get stuck in the airways, which then causes inflammation and infections that lead to lung damage. The mucus can also block the digestive tract and the pancreas. The thick mucus stops the digestive enzymes from getting to the intestine. These enzymes are needed by the body to break down food so that the body can receive the important nutrients it needs to help it grow and stay healthy. Digestive enzymes are often needed, in the form of capsules, to replace these enzymes and help people with cystic fibrosis digest their meals and snacks and get the proper nutrition. The production of abnormally thick, sticky mucus in the body's organs is what causes the signs and symptoms of this disorder. Problems with breathing are among the most serious of symptoms. Mucus can obstruct the airways and cause bacterial infections in the lungs, which leads to chronic coughing, wheezing, and inflammation. Over time, mucus buildup and infections will lead to permanent lung damage. This lung damage includes the formation of scar tissue (fibrosis) and cysts in the lungs.

Most people with cystic fibrosis also have digestive problems. Mucus blocks the ducts of the pancreas, preventing the necessary enzymes produced by that organ from reaching the intestines to help digest food. The problems with digestion often lead to diarrhea, malnutrition, and weight loss.

Dylan has a lot more trouble with his digestive system than with his lungs currently. He is at a higher risk to getting colds, and other lung infections which can damage his lungs further. No children should have to go through what he is going through both physically and emotionally. He is angry about having CF often. This makes me really sad as his mother and I try to make every day a fun day for him. It is really hard to make sure he is having a really fun life, and keep him disciplined as well. Sometimes the balance is not quite there, but we make sure that he gets to do all the extra activities that he wants to do.

My husband and I have been calling places to get donations to the fundraiser and have been having some bad luck. Businesses either only donate to a specific charity or flat out do not donate at all. What has this country come to? Large corporations cannot spare a measly $50.00 to help out a good cause? I find it very interesting that some businesses only donate to a specific charity, American Heart Association. Our charity has a four-out-of-four stars rating from Charity Navigator for achieving excellence in fiscal responsibility. That is the best you can get!!!

We are having this fundraiser so that we can raise money and give Dylan and other children like him a chance at a long and happy life. These kids deserve that. If you would like to donate to the cause or just help out with the charity please visit the following website.

http://www.needtobreatheonline.com/

I am hoping that the rest of the weeks calls go better than the beginning of the weeks calls!