This just makes me sick.....

When I first started "blogging" over at livejournal one of the first people I followed was a woman named Emily. Emily was from Texas and was two years younger then me with 3 children. The oldest was Madison and the middle was a sweet little boy named Julian. Both of them had been preemies but were doing well. Emily's main blogging focus was her little girl named Dakota Rose. I started following them when Dakota was about 6 months old. She is now 4. Dakota was also a preemie but she never quite kicked it. I remember posts where she almost died or we were afraid she wouldn't make it through the night. She would get better and then get worse again. We all thought it was do to complications due to being so premature. I think she was born at 29 weeks. At the time I am reading this I am 19 or so and this was my first preemie so I thought this was what happened with preemies. I, among others, fell in love with Dakota Rose. Such a sweet little girl. I commented like the rest and Emily even responded back to me.

Awhile ago Emily stopped posting, Dakota was about 2 when she stopped. I thought something horrible had happened or she got tired of sharing with the world. This past month or so I couldn't stop wondering what had happened to Dakota....if she was okay or did she finally pass away.

This morning I was livejournal stalking, someone made a comment on another friends blog and I got curious so I looked up the commenters profile. We share several friends and one of things she was reading was a blog called the macdonaldfive. This turns out to be Emily. Emily had two blogs...one here on blogger and one on Livejournal. Well without looking too hard I found out something horrible had happened. Just not the horrible I thought had happened.

Emily admitted and was caught on tape taking fecal matter from Dakota's diaper and putting it in her feeding tube during a stay at the hospital back in April 2009. She was originally brought in for a high fever and would get better but would get sick again. The doctors were able to tell that there were organisms in Dakota from fecal matter but could not figure out how they were getting there, hence why they put a video camera in the hospital room. Emily was not diagnosed with Munchausen by proxy syndrome...they don't think she has it. 

What it boils down to: Dakota Rose did have some issues from being a preemie and Emily started blogging about it. Her blog grew so much attention that Emily continued to make Dakota sick so the attention wouldn't go away.  Her trial has been delayed, last date set that I can find is May 2010 but no word after that. She was let out on her own recognizance but was jailed after going into a home with her two young nieces/nephews.

The story if you want to read it

I just cant believe it! It definitely is the same family, I just never ever thought it was Emily doing this to her child! Dakota is reported to be doing well....as can be given her preemie status and what Emily did to keep her sick. The other two kids are doing fine. There was talk of Emily doing things to Julian when he was a preemie and refocused once Dakota was born but there are no official charges on that. As far as the cops are concerned the only child at risk is Dakota.

This just makes me sick, there is no words to describe what I am feeling right now. I really didn't want this to be the answer to my questions about what happened to Dakota. I just hope that the trial doesn't get delayed again and Dakota can finally get justice

Look what I found!

Carley and me

Look! She is smiling!

This is my Executive Housekeeper/old Night Manager's daughter! One of the four babies that was born late September/early October. She is also the only girl. She looks JUST like her daddy...soo sweet!

Such a cutie pie!

Daddy and Daughter :) He dressed her too!

Chris trying to fix the printer before he realized I could help with the baby

I spent the entire morning playing with this little one. SO sweet! She is about 10 lbs so still 2lbs shy of what Xavier was when he was born.

A way to cut down your electric bill!

So we all should know that it is better/cheaper to put on a sweater when you are cold rather then turn up the heat or put on a fan/open a window before turning on the AC. Just doing that I am sure saves money. Other then the AC side of things as Brian loves his AC and HATES the heat, I do not know exactly how much we have saved by not turning on the heat until absolutely necessary since we have never turned the heat on early at all. :)

Brian and I found a new trick! A couple months ago we thought our dishwasher had broken down, we think something just ended up getting stuck in it. Anyway, since our landlord was ignoring our calls Brian read the manual to see if he could fix it. Reading the manual, he found that if you turn the faucet on hot and let it get as hot as it can get before you turn the dishwasher on you can actually run a full load on lite wash. Litewash=less energy used and we think it takes less electricity to heat the water from the faucet then heating it in the dishwasher. Well either both things or right or at least one of them is because our electric bill is only $79 and it was more last year at this time. We shall see how next month does but we think we found a way to lower our bill!

Man life got busy!

This week has just flown by. Work has been completely dead. It is nice in a way but I am just watching my commission just go down the drain.  In the afternoons I have been hanging out with Caroline and Allyson while Brian works late. They are tons of fun and really enjoy their company. School is coming to an end.  Brian has 1 month and 3 days left of school which means our lives will change drastically.  He has started to apply for jobs so hopefully he will hear back soon. It is going to be weird for him not to be in school. He is starting to get concerned with money as we obviously wont be getting any more student loans. We will be fine but he is starting to figure out how our knew budget will be/should be. I am so lucky he actually thinks about these things and prepares for them to the best of his (our) ability.

I am still doing gymnastics and am getting back into Curves. I am not sleeping well and I am hoping it is just not enough activity. I have also cut out all soda's and sweet teas. I haven't had anything like that in a couple months now. I am still losing weight but not nearly the speed since I am not working out as much. At this point, while losing wouldnt be bad, I am more focused on maintaining. I am learning new tricks and ways of doing things at gymnastics all the time. Tonight, Brodie and I just couldn't stop laughing.

The baptism of Mady and Austin is a week from Sunday. I have my dress and heals and am all ready with the gifts and things. Oh and other then Austin's bday gift, I have all xmas gifts, bday gifts, baptism gifts ordered. Some are here already and are wrapped. The day after the baptism Brian and I are flying home to CT for Thanksgiving. I cannot wait! It is going to be so fun!

I am off to bed. I am off tomorrow but I am up BRIGHT and early helping Allyson drop off Mady at her dads.

Gamma's Paintings

My Gamma Kay has always painted. I remember her easel in the laundry room with a half finished painting and a photographed attached to the easel. She would take a favorite photograph and turn it into a painting. I never realized how special this was. I knew not every Gamma painted but it was just something I took for granted until after her passing.

After she passed my clever Aunt B thought to take a photograph of everything of Gamma's, put it on Webshots and the family would comment on what we would like since we all lived several states away. If two or more people wanted the same thing we would find a way to compromise but to my knowledge that never really happened. I found myself not really wanting the jewelry but wanting the paintings. My kind Aunt B is holding the paintings I wanted for me up by her as I do not have the space for them at the exact moment. She did mail me one of them down since I forgot to take it myself after the funeral.

Last week my mom said I would be getting a package on November 2nd. Guess what was inside? Some of my Gamma's paintings she had found in the garage! I have hung them up and thought I would share them :)

This one is for sure Arizona and used to be over the Dining Room table

We aren't sure where this is but call it the Irish painting

This is the print Aunt B sent me

We thought this was a Swiss Alp and we thought it was a view from a canyon, not sure at this point :)

My friend Dave from work showed us how it almost looks like the US from the side, can you see it?

The following pictures are how they make the apartment look:

And still found room for the Angel :)

Halloween 2010

This has been the best Halloween since I moved down here...it may even beat college and high school Halloweens! Usually I am working or sitting at home doing nothing. Brian and I have never lived in an area where kids trick or treated so we never even got to experience that side of things.

This year was completely different! I got to go trick or treating with Allyson and her kids! I got to Caroline's (where we were meeting) after work and just hung out and then helped them get ready. Austin was going as the Chef from Ratatouille basically and Mady was going as a Fairy/Peacock. Austin went with his friend David and his mom and Allyson and I went with Mady. We (Allyson, Mady and I) also were going with Lauren (a coach/owner of the gymnastics academy I go to) and her husband John with their two young ones Chase who went as Elmo and Cadence who went as a pretty kitty/lioness. Angel and Landon (Brodi's, my gymnastics coach, wife and son). Lauren and Brodi's sister Michelle tagged along as well. Brodi stayed at home. Landon was supposed to be a monkey but it was a bit warm. I knew Brodi/Lauren's family next door and Brodi knew but apparently he didn't spread the word since when they saw me they did a double take. :)

Another VERY different thing about this Halloween? It was pretty, bright, sunny and a cool 70 degrees out. I am SO used too it being dark, freezing and rainy. OH and no kiddy melt downs! Trick or treating was pretty dissappointing. Very few houses were giving out candy and we walked around several neighborhoods and the ones that did only gave out one piece per kid. I am used to getting 3 or 4 at each house. Anyway I ended up taking lots of pictures as I normally do and I will do my best to not post them all :)

Mady getting ready with Nana's

Dress over head....every girl's favorite past time!

All smiles!

Getting make up done by Auntie Blair!

Austin

Mady and Me

All ready!

Austin deserted us for his friend David so I don't have that many pictures of him :-\

Baby Landon

First house!

Chase, Mady, Cadence

Can I have him Mom please!!!!

Austin, David, Mady and Cadence

I am sure people thought we had triplets!

After trick or treating we came home and ate Chili at Caroline's house and celebrated Walker (nephew of Caroline, cousin of Allyson) passing the bar. Walker has become a friend and as I like to call it he is my husband in god parenting to Austin. And that was Halloween 2010!