Life with The Leivas

Monday, April 25, 2011

Preschool Easter Party

Last week Peter and I were able to attend Olivia's class Easter Party. Peter is a frequent guest in Olivia's classroom as we have snack with her class about once a week. He was really excited to help Olivia and the other kids find Easter Eggs.

The kids made candy necklaces which Olivia loved! Here's Olivia and Ms. Tina her 1:1.

Ms. Tina helped "bedazzle" Olivia's Easter Bucket.

Peter is helping Olivia hunt eggs.

Ms. Tina helping Olivia find an egg.

Peter helped fill up Olivia's pail and then would run and get eggs to add to the other kids baskets. He's such a good boy!

Hop in! Lets go for a ride!

I LOVE that Olivia is the ONLY ONE looking at the camera, it's always the other way around!

Snacktime!

I found this great cake pan on clearance and have been waiting for a chance to use it. The Butterfly cupcakes were a big hit but of course I forgot to take a picture before they were devoured.

Monday, April 18, 2011

April Showers

We had some crazy weather but it wasn't too bad in our neighborhood. Olivia and Mike enjoyed extra cuddle time inside but I ventured out with my little guy to explore.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Tornado

tor·na·do
[tawr-ney-doh]
–noun, plural -does, -dos.
1. a localized, violently destructive windstorm occurring over land, especially in the Middle West, and characterized by a long, funnel-shaped cloud extending toward the ground and made visible by condensation and debris. Compare waterspout
2. a violent squall or whirlwind of small extent, as one of those occurring during the summer on the west coast of Africa.
3. a violent outburst, as of emotion or activity.
4. ( initial capital letter ) Military . a supersonic, two-seat, multipurpose military aircraft produced jointly by West Germany, Britain, and Italy and capable of flying in darkness and bad weather.

We are all okay. We're feeling very lucky. We were without power for a little over 24 hours but it was a minor inconvenience. Really the only thing we missed was hot water. There were 92 tornadoes that touched down in North Carolina this past Saturday. Olivia goes to therapy several times a week in Sanford, an area that was hit particularly hard by the storms. Please keep people that were affected by the storms in your prayers, especially the friends and family of the deceased.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/18/us/18tornado.html

Swingtime in the Springtime

MPS/Sanfilippo Syndrome

In October, 2008 Olivia was disgnosed with MPS III or Sanfilippo Syndrome, type B. MPS stands for: Mucopolysaccharidoses. It is a genetic lysosomal storage disease (LSD) caused by the body's inability to produce specific enzymes. Normally, the body uses enzymes to break down and recycle materials in cells. In individuals with MPS and related diseases, the missing or insufficient enzyme prevents the proper recycling process, resulting in the storage of materials in virtually every cell of the body. As a result, cells do not perform properly and may cause progressive damage throughout the body, including the heart, bones, joints, respiratory system and central nervous system. While the disease may not be apparent at birth, signs and symptoms develop with age as more cells become damaged by the accumulation of cell materials.

Babies and young children with Sanfilippo Syndrome appear normal, but symptoms begin to appear with age as more and GAGs build up in the cells of the body. There are 3 stages to the disease. Stage 1 the child begins to lag behind peers and begins to display difficult behaviors. Stage 2 the child losing his/her language, becomes hyperactive, chews on everything, and has sleeping difficulties. Stage 3 the child slows down, becomes dependant for all mobility and loses the ability to chew/swallow. There is no treatment or cure for Sanfilippo. Life expectancy varies.