Good News on New Year's Eve

Emma performed very well at the vet today... Her PCV was 33! Yes, that's right, 33! This is spectacular news, and means that the medicines are working, she's responding. It is of course critical that her body responds to the immunosuppressants for her to survive. Some dogs don't respond to it. SHE IS!!! HURRAY FOR EMMA!!! Thank you to everyone for the thoughts and prayers that you've sent our way. We are so thankful for the support. We are not out of the woods yet, but this is a very good step in the right direction, and it means more time with Emma! Have a Happy New Year! Next check up for Em is next week!

Good Day Today

Emma had a good day today! Up and about more and more, ears a little perkier, begging for treats, etc. I take her in tomorrow to GVS at 11:15 am for a PCV check, and I'm feeling good news coming on. Her tongue looks nice and pink - not as pink as it could be, but not pale like it was.... Her respirations are great, and she has her drooly appetite. Wow. I hope she's proving herself to be in the "good" 30%!!! Will post an update after tomorrow's appt. It feels so good to not be so anxious. I am feeling so relieved right now, and hoping it is warranted!

Guess Who's Home?

Due to Emma's PCV "stability," they decided to send her home with us today so we can monitor her here at home. Her PCV was 27 again at lunch today. We are so very glad to have her home! And is she ever glad to be here. The kids were so happy to see her, as were Nana and Papa. She's definitely not nearly her old self yet, nor will she be for a while. She just isn't getting enough oxygen yet (needs to be 40-55). It is with cautious optimism that we can let ourselves relax a little bit and rejoice tonight! The deal is... the vets keep telling us about the 30/30/30 rule with this disease. And its too early to tell which 30% Emma will fall in. 30% of dogs will bounce back, and be slowly weaned off meds and not need them anymore. 30% will need long term meds and 30% won't be able to get their immune systems under control and won't survive. Emma has so far had two transfusions to boost her RBC's and buy time for the meds to kick in, and at this point, we think she may be holding at a PCV of 27. So, she HAS to hold at 27 and start to increase on her own with medication (not further transfusions). She HAS to keep herself out of that last 30%! We have to bring her in on Wednesday to get her PCV tested again. We are watching her like a hawk right now for any signs of crashing. It's nerve-wracking being "in charge" of her health rather than the experts at GVS. She crashed 48 hours after her first transfusion. Now it is almost 48 hours after her second transfusion, so I really want to get past this next day or two before I can really let my guard down! Poor thing, I keep looking at her tongue and her gums to look for "pink" not pale. Anywho... that's the update for now. I'll sign off with a few pix of Emma doing what she loves best.

A Bit of Good News

Emma's PCV is holding so far! Yesterday at noon she was 28, then dropped to 24 at 6 pm. The bit of good news I got this morning when I called was that at midnight she was back up to 27 and at 6 a.m. she was still at 27. COME ON, GIRL! The "PCV Treats" must be working. :)

Tonight's Visiting Hours with Poo Bear

We just got back from visiting Emma. She looked pretty good, better than last night. But, her PCV has gone down some. At noon she was 28 and at 6 pm she was 24. We asked to speak with a doctor, and he gave the answer I knew he would, which is that they are not concerned about the drop b/c it's +/- 3-5%, and it could be fluids, hydration, etc. But still, in our minds it's drop and we don't want to see those. We CAN'T see those. They'll check her PCV again at midnight and then at 6 a.m. Please please please stay at 24+, Em. We tried to trick her and told her we were giving her "PCV treats." (We brought along some treats that would have been in her stocking, which has always been her favorite part about Christmas!) We'll see if the placebo PCV treats work! Until then... Here are a few shots of the girl from all of our younger years.

Emma's Fight for Life

I wish I had something more cheerful to blog about, but the biggest, all-encompassing event in our lives right now is our sweet pup, Emma. On December 23rd, Emma was suddenly stricken with a seriously life-threatening disease called AIHA, Auto Immune Hemolytic Anemia. Emma went to bed the night before, not wanting her treat from her pre-bedtime potty break (HIGHLY unusual), and woke up not even able to get herself downstairs. My dad and I rushed her to the vet early that a.m. She was lethargic and not eating, two things a healthy Emma NEVER is. We were told later that afternoon, when Eric picked her up, about what they thought it was, AIHA. We were to bring her back the next morning for a follow-up blood check. AIHA is when one's immune system suddenly turns on itself, lysing its own red blood cells, which carry oxygen to the body. It can be the primary disease, or a secondary disease triggered from things like allergies, medicines, vaccines, cancers, etc. A normal PCV range (a measure of red blood cells) for a dog her size is 35-55. At the vet's, she was 10.6 then 9.3 the next morning. The doctor couldn't even believe she was able to wag her tail like she (Sort of) did, let alone be breathing. This disease is treated with prednisone and other immunosuppressents to try and get her immune system to back off the lysing of the RBC's. Unfortunately, the drugs take time, several days to work, and time is not on our side. So here it is Christmas Eve, we're in the vet's office and we are just realizing the full extent of how serious and life-threatening this is. The vet thought she would need a blood transfusion to survive, so we took her to Georgia Veterinary Specialists (GVS) to get the ball rolling. It was critical to get her RBC count up or she would be gone due to oxygen depletion/organ failure, etc. At GVS, they measured her PCV at 17, and we determined that the test was run differently at our vet's office, so she was probably never 10 or 9, but perhaps close. They still recommended the blood transfusion. The blood transfusion boosts her RBC's, only temporarily until her body lyses them and they no longer carry O2. The transfusion acts as a bandaid to keep her alive, long enough for the meds to kick in. She had her first transfusion Christmas Eve and did well for the next two days. We were even thinking she might come home to be monitored from home. Unfortunately, yesterday her PCV went from 25 to 16 and 18 (they measured it twice). Her respiration rate increased rapidly and they recommended yet another transfusion. So for now she has another bandaid, another dog's blood, to keep her alive until her meds HOPEFULLY kick in. If her immune system doesn't back off from the drugs, her fight will be over. We should know in the next 24-48 hours whether she can hold her PCV on her own. If she DOES survive, then it will be a long, long haul to monitor her condition. Trips to the vet every 2 days at first to test her PCV to make sure she's not crashing, etc. Then every week for a while, then every three weeks, etc. If she can hold steady and increase her PCV, she will be weaned off drugs hopefully completely. We only decided to fight this fight, because if she does make it through this initial crisis, there is a chance that she can get back to a normal, healthy life. So that is why we've chosen to fight with her. To get our Emma back to live out the rest of her well-deserved years with her family.

So... Emma is 8 years old. She has been the most amazing dog we could have ever dreamed up. She's our first baby. We've had so many good times with her it's ridiculous. Backpacking, hiking, swimming, camping trips, dog jogs, snow storms, trips to NY, lake trips, unconditional love, chewing damage, safety pin incidents, and tons more unconditional love. The stories of love for that girl are endless. She has the sweetest demeanor. Anyone that has ever met her has commented on how sweet and gentle she is. Then two kids came along, and although attention from us to her was reduced (after all, she's no longer the "only child"), she gets it back twofold from Lauren and Ethan. We are not ready for her to go. SHE is not ready to go. She is fighting the best she can, and we KNOW she wants to be here with us. I love that girl with all my heart.

So how are we holding up? Well... this is tough. Really tough. It's basically a waiting game with serious ups and downs. Very little ups, lots of downs. There's a good chance things won't work out in favor of Emma being here on Earth.. I'm feeling like my heart might burst. I spend the time here at home constantly fighting back tears, which is becoming physically painful. Everywhere we turn, everything we do, there's a Emma trigger, a memory, a split second where I think she's here like always. A piece of food drops on the floor, I see her favorite spots to lay down, her dog hair, her bowls, the woods out back, everywhere I look I feel her, and then it feels so empty. I am not really sure how to deal with these feelings. Eric has these moments too, and we call them PBM's. Poo Bear Moments. I realize that if you don't have a dog, there's no way you could understand the depth of love you can have for an animal, so perhaps you think this is crazy! But I can assure you it is very real.

I guess I am done for now. If you wouldn't mind, think about our sweet girl for a moment and send her some strength, some love, some prayers, some vibes, some something. I will post some updates on her condition. We go see here every night at visiting hours, and I call to check on her several times per day. Until then...

December Weekend in Pictures

Mommy's Little Helpers

Christmas Cookies, Round 2! The kids were really excited to help me make Snowballs last night! And they were certainly excited to help eat them afterwards, too! We are looking forward to a super-fun Christmas weekend! I have a 15 mile run with my running group Saturday morning, then I'm going to come home and do cut-out cookies with the kids. I think Saturday we'll make then bake, and Sunday we'll decorate them. We've also got Eric's black tie Christmas party Saturday night at the Biltmore, which is always fun! I have a new (not recycled) dress and new shoes, so for some reason that excites me, too. Sunday morning will be a nice, hot breakfast, Christmas movies and music, and some cookie decorating. Let the festivities begin! I wish this month would slow down. I really, really love Christmas time, and it is just going by too fast!

First Weekend of December

We had a great weekend around here! Decorating the house with wreaths, putting up the tree, baking Christmas cookies, watching Christmas movies, playing with worms.... Yes, worms. Here are some pictures from the weekend. As for the worms, a mom from Lauren's class and I did a worm science project with the kids in school on Friday. We observed, measured, drew, played with, and raced worms. It was a totally fun and dirty day! We brought the worms home, and all Lauren wanted to do was play with them, constantly! I'm so glad she's not afraid of worms!

"Here we are, in the woods, getting ready to cut down our perfect family tree! Ooops, I mean, here is Eric bringing up the tree from the basement."

Lauren on the deck playing with her beloved worms.

Lauren's worm "Riley"

Ethan and his Lightning McQueen Ornament

Lauren and the Tree

Riding the Gator in KY

Here are the kids riding their Gator and Grandma and Grandpa's house in Kentucky!

Thanksgiving Pictures

Here are some photos from Thanksgiving in Kentucky with Eric's parents, "Grandma and Grandpa!" They surprised the kids with a John Deere Gator (to work on the farm, of course). That was definitely one of their highlights! I think Lauren is ready for a license. Ethan, on the other hand.... We had a great time and enjoyed every minute. The photos are of Lauren and Eric and the Thanksgiving table, the kids on the Gator, Lauren petting Bourbon the horse, and Lauren petting Pumpkin the calf.

Success at 10-for-10!

I'm done! I did it! And I'm glad it's over! I really enjoyed the challenge that running 10 miles a day for 10 days in a row brought me. I knew a couple of days would be tough just to find the time.... but I did it. The travel days were tough. We drove to KY for Thanksgiving, and wanted to leave early, so running 10 beforehand was impossible. I had to run when we got there, when all the fun was just beginning and I simply wanted to be with my family. Travel day coming home was tough, too. But I prevailed, and with a little Madonna Hard Candy kickin' on the Ipod, Sunday's run after travel, Day 9, ended up being one of my fastest at 1:16, just over a 7:30 pace. The final day, Day 10, yesterday, had to be done on the treadmill. I had no other choice. 10 miles even. All in all, I ran over 102 miles, and my body held up much better than I thought it would. I did 4 runs in KY, which were tougher than I gave them credit for! I felt strong on the runs, but by 8:15 pm I was ready for bed. Such a party pooper and not the nighttime ring-leader that everyone was used to! Well, that's all until next time...

The 10-for-10 Challenge

I've decided I needed a new challenge. As if life itself isn't challenging enough right now in these crazy days. I wanted a running challenge, so I dreamt up 10-for-10, that's 10 miles a day for 10 days in a row. It's my stay-at-home mom, non-professional runner, mini version of Dean Karnazes' 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days. I'll do 10-for-10, and I'll do it in TWO states: Georgia and Kentucky. Is this a smart thing to do? No. It's actually pretty high up on the stupidity scale, since I'll be doing 70 miles in 7 days (and 100 miles in 10 days), and my body is used to about half of that or less on a weekly average. Why, you might ask. I don't know! I guess I got a little bummed about missing 1 1/2 weeks of running due to bronchitis, so I'm making up for some lost time and testing my body. Not to mention, if I can actually get through it, it will certainly help my Boston Marathon training. If I have even and inkling of a problem, nag, aggravation, pain, ANYWHERE, then I'm calling it quits.

I've completed 3 days so far. Day 1 was 10.1 on a treadmill as the kids played in the basement play area and Eric did elliptical with me for a good chunk of the time. Day 2 was on the Silver Comet Trail. I did 10.7 at a pace that put me right to sleep. I was definitely NOT fully conscious on that run. Today, Day 3, I did 10 miles down and up Peachtree Road. I did miles 1 through 6 of the Peachtree Road Race, then turned around and came back. It was slightly cold and a miserable, rainy day. You'd only be out there running if you were trying to prove you're an idiot. I felt a bit like Forrest Gump today. So far, so good. I am recovering well day to day, and have no aches or pains except for my neck and shoulders. Must get away from computer. I finally got some new running sneaks. Had bought a pair on Friday, and when I wear-tested them on the treadmill, they failed. I had two raw ankles at less than two miles into my run! Ethan and I went BACK to Phidippides today, and got some new ones. I'll wear-test them for a couple of miles tomorrow and hope they work out. I really need new shoes to complete this Idiot Challenge. My old ones are bad. Really bad. And that was my last opportunity to get to the running store before we leave for KY Wednesday morning, where I will be doing 5 of the 10 days! Who knows what tomorrow will bring, besides a tired mommy? Until then...I'm off to see Madonna!

Batman Dancin'

Video from Thanksgiving at the Preschool

Lauren is seated in the very front row, green shirt, with the turkeys. Does she know her moves or what? :) Tee hee! They were precious this morning. There's nothing like hearing a group of Pre-K's singing their little hearts out!

Thanksgiving at The Preschool

All of the pre-K students at Lauren's preschool get to tell the story of The First Thanksgiving at our Friday Chapel. Here are a few shots from the morning. We had a great time! Lauren was a turkey, and her line was, "Gobble, Gobble." She is in the front row with the green shirt. Each group (indian men, women, pilgrim men, women) each had about two words to say. They sang a bunch of songs and were too cute for words!

Father Daughter Camping Trip

Last year, Scott and Eric began a yearly tradition: a father-daughter camping trip with Dailey and Lauren. This year the trip had to be postponed due to Strep hitting the Gillies household. By the time another weekend rolled around, it was just too cold to be sleeping in a tent with 4 year olds. So instead this year they made a day out of it that started with hiking, nature collecting, and cooking camp food in a pavillion, and ended with a movie and McDonalds. They all had a great time!

Hot Cocoa

It just so happens to be cold, windy, and somewhat miserable in Atlanta today, so we decided to have our first hot cocoa of the season! They both drank out of big kid mugs, and were so proud of that!

Silver Comet Half Marathon

Eric and I recently ran the Silver Comet Half Marathon, which is a nice, flat, close-to-home race! There were 1,500 runners, and it was a perfectly cool morning. We both ran PR's, as it was the first time that we've both really challenged ourselves at the half marathon distance. Eric ran a 1:34:53, which is a 7:15 pace, and came in 65th out of 696 men, 12/121 for his age group. I beat him (only) by a minute, he is closing the gap! My time was 1:33:50, which is a 7:10 pace. I came in 8th out of 782 women, and 2nd in my age group. We had a ton of fun and thanks to our babysitting co-op, got some "free" babysitting from a runner friend!

6:52, 6:55, 7:19, 7:14, 7:02, 7:12, 7:23, 6:52, 6:55, 7:20, 7:17, 7:29, 7:09, 0:45 = 1:33:50

Lots O' Lamphiers

Boo at the Zoo!

The Atlanta Zoo has this great Halloween event where you can go and trick or treat at the zoo in the evenings. They set up a little Halloween town to trick or treat through, there's a carnival, and you can ride the carousel or zoo train in your Halloween garb. It was our first time going, and Princess Jasmine and Thomas the Tank Engine had a great time!

Halloween Inflatables are the New Thing Around Here...

Check out ours!

Navigator Triathlon Results

I recently competed in the Navigator Triathlon on Saturday, September 13th. It was a sprint triathlon with a 500 yd swim, 12 mile bike, and 3.1 mile trail run. The race was held at one of GA's state parks, so we decided to make a family camp trip out of it! The camping portion of the trip ended up being a disaster, and I won't post details here. Every second at the computer hurts my neck, so posting about a horrible camping adventure is just not worth the pain. I will, however mention my results! I came in 3rd overall for Women and 2nd in my age group! The women's overall winner was in my age group, so I came in behind her. I earned a nice little trophy and a $50 gift certificate to a cycle shop. There were 14 women in my age group. My swim time was 5th, my bike time was 2nd, and my run time was 1st. In fact, I had the fastest run time among ALL women competitors, and beat most the men's run times, too. I suppose that's what I'm most proud of. My transition times were also among the fastest, which is great. I hadn't been able to bike, swim or run for almost 3 weeks due to this neck and upper back issue, so my training was suffering going in. Combine that with a night of NO sleep (remember the part about the camping disaster?) and that makes me very happy that I had a good race. This was my first triathlon on my new bike. (Third triathlon to date). I love my bike! It was only the 6th time I've been able to ride it. Right after I bought it, my neck went into crisis mode and I've seen 2 doctors, done some physical therapy, and am now doing chiropractic and massage. Speaking of neck pain, gotta go! This computer time is wrecking me! I'll be doing my last triathlon of the season on October 5th, up at Lake Lanier. Can't wait for that!

Some Cuties of the Kids

Ethan and his new Thomas snuggle pillow for his big boy bed




Lauren and Ethan getting ready to go to school.



Thomas loves Ethan's "B", too

Here are some cute photos of the kids. They are doing great in school. The adjustment period has been surprisingly easy. At first, they both had a couple of days of sadness, and now Ethan is crying to GO to school on the days when he's home with me. (Lauren is 5 days a week for 3 hours, he's 2 days a week for 3 hours). I spied on him in class the other day, and he was so enthusiastic it just warmed my heart! He's such a happy, cheerful little guy. I am so pleased with how his personality is shaping. Lauren, of course, is Lauren, meaning she is the same outgoing, sweet and caring child she's always been. Couldn't be happier with either of them right now! Of course we have our moments, but they are few and far between. They are growing up so fast. Too fast.

Big Boy Bed

This past Saturday night, we moved Ethan into his big boy bed! So far, so good. We are trying it without rails, since rails would require a serious retrofit on this particular bed. Instead, we have placed his crib mattress in the trundle bed and just roll out the trundle filled with pillows and a mattress for a soft landing. Luckily, there have been no falls. We've had 5 nights and 4 naps in it! As long as he has his thumb and his "B," we are good to go.

First Day of School!

Wow! Today was our first day of school! Lauren started Pre-K, which is 5 days a week for 3 hours a day. Ethan started "Older 2's" preschool, which is two days a week for 3 hours each day. They were both quite excited and both seemed ready to take on the school year. I was definitely concerned about Ethan, since he had a tough time with the drop-in nursery in the spring. He did great, though! Didn't even look back when I left him at his classroom door! The word is that we have the two best teachers at the preschool, so I am psyched. We had our share of difficulties getting Ethan a spot at The Preschool, now we will enjoy the two greatest teachers! Hip Hip, Hurray!

So what does a mama do with those (2 1/2) hours of alone, kidless time? Why she runs and shops, of course! Nothing like a kidless 8+ miler and then a shopping excursion at Whole Foods Market. Life is good. For kicks, I mapped out my run on "Mapmyrun.com" and am trying to post it below... We'll see!

" Cheese!!!"

What a smile!

These kids are ready for school!

Labor Day Weekend at the Lake

We had a great holiday weekend at Lake Sinclair! We met Grandma and Grandpa at their lake house. Uncle Dana and his dog, Brutus, came along for the fun, as well! There was a lot of working, a lot of fun, a lot of swimming, a lot of running, some card playing, a ladderball tournament, and a get-together with friends... Here are some photos from the long weekend!

Family portrait...

Lauren and Taylor boating...

Brutus is so ugly that he's actually quite cute...

Lauren and Eric on the dock...

Ethan and Uncle Dana