Life with The Leivas

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Yellow stripe

Peter is the very proud recipient of a yellow stripe karate belt. So proud of my little man!

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Love that I came home to find some of Olivia's newest artwork on display on our fridge. Love that we were blessed with an amazing Nanny that enjoys doing art projects with Olivia. Love those sweet Mistletoes!

Chicago

I travel about once a month for work. I enjoy it and for the most part I am able to schedule my trips when I know Mike will be home to watch the kids. If I had to pick my favorite of all the places in the US I've traveled to over the last year.....Chicago wins, hands down. It is clean, I love the public transportation, I feel safe, great shopping, love the river, love the lake, , tons to do. I should mention I've been to Chicago in July and mid-November so it wasn't exactly winter. I'm not sure if feel the same way come February.

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Singing With Santa

The Alumni Association hosts the annual Singing With Santa event each December. Of all the events we do, Singing With Santa is one of my favorites. Mike was able to bring the kids to campus, so even though I'm working, we are still able to enjoy the event as a family. Santa and Mrs. Clause are there. There is cookie decorating and a puppet show. Santa takes a turn at the piano and leads a group sing-along. Peter forgot to tell Santa what he wanted so I promised we would write him a letter. I wish we had more photos of Livey but by the end of the event she was covered in Christmas cookies and frosting. We did manage to get a family photo with Santa. Merry Christmas!

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.