Unfortunately its been seeming like weekly is about as often as I can update this blog these days.  I do try to do it more often but it tends to fall toward the bottom of my To Do list that seems to be as long as my arm these days.  I will say, I finally got through writing all of my thank you cards for Finley's birthday today.  Um yeah - two months later.  It makes me nauseous to admit that because I usually try to get them out much sooner.  So...if you have been waiting for yours...they are in the mail.  And I apologize!  Now I have to start on Nate's!

Mini-Family Hug! (Mike was taking the picture!)

The results are in!  We had to wait until today for the results of Finley's kidney scan - not because they weren't ready - because the doctor didn't call until today!  That left me wondering and worrying the last couple of days.  What if he wasn't calling because something was wrong and maybe they were going to call and have me schedule an appointment to review the results? My mind works in mysterious ways!  Anyway - the results were great!  No damage from the previous UTI (or was it?).  He said Finley's right kidney is smaller than her left, a congenital defect, but nothing to worry about.  Perhaps this runs in the family and is the reason why I have to go to the bathroom so much?  This explains a lot!  Needless to say - we got the green light to stop her antibiotic and we don't need to go back to see Dr. Cheng unless she winds up with another UTI.  Go Finley Go!

This looks interesting...

Nate doing his "Hillbilly Hand-Fishing" imitation and pretending my foot is a fish!

We also finally heard back from the endocrinologist today about Finley's feeds.  We visited right after her birthday and I had inquired about changing her formula - now that she is one.  Well, nearly two months later, we've been advised to start her on Enteral Pediasure.  Which unfortunately is A LOT more expensive than formula, but may give us the opportunity to stop the Polycose entirely since it has more carbs in it than formula.  We have to take the good with the bad unfortunately.  I am also looking into doing a partial blenderized diet for her.  I need to do some more research...more to come on that hopefully.



Something else that has been top of mind lately is fundraising.  Charge it for CHARGE is the fundraiser that the Foundation does each year.  The fundraiser kicks off in the fall and runs the entire year.  Families participate by setting up a personal page on the Charge it for CHARGE website.  Many of the people who read this blog regularly know all about it because so many of you have been so generous to give on behalf of Finley.  My original fundraising goal was $3,000.  When we reached that super fast, I increased it to $4,000.  the $5,000.  And finally the last goal I set was $6,000.  And as crazy as it is, we certainly never thought our campaign would be so successful.  But you know what?  We are sitting only $12 shy of our $6,000 goal!  Its unbelievable.  Anyway, with the close of the 2nd annual campaign getting ready to draw to a close, the Foundation is preparing to kick off the 3rd annual Charge it for CHARGE fundraiser at the end of October.  We have some big news to share about that.  But we cannot divulge it yet!

You don't want to know.

Anyway, I have been trying to think of other things we can do for fundraising and my eventual goal is to plan and execute a large scale fundraiser - but I need to think of a good idea that isn't already taken.  And since that will likely take a lot of planning, I was thinking that for 2011, I am going to plan a colossal garage sale where all of our friends and family can donate their new and gently used items to be sold at the garage sale and ALL of the proceeds will go to the Foundation.  I was thinking I will make some hair bows (my new hobby) that we can sell, maybe couple it with a bake sale and whatever else comes to mind and just make it a weekend of fundraising for the CHARGE Foundation!  As  much as I loathe the thought of hosting a garage sale - I think the fact that we will be donating all of the proceeds to the Foundation will make it exciting.  I am thinking we will do this in the spring - maybe May-ish before it gets too hot.  So if you are interested in donating some items, please start setting them aside!!

Hey lady.  Give me that paci!

Winner winner chicken dinner!

Along the lines of fundraising, I have a request.  Today I received a note from the Foundation about a website called iGive.  I recently read about iGive in a magazine and I tore out the article but never had a chance to log on.  Until today.  And ironically it wasn't because I saw the article sitting on my nightstand (where it still sits) it was because of this note from the Foundation.  For every person that joins iGive in the next 24 hours, they are giving the Foundation $1 each (until noon on Sept. 30). This is such a super easy way to raise money!  The premise is this - every time I shop online at any of their 808 participating stores (all of my favorites are on the list) I am raising money for the CHARGE Foundation (my charity of choice). And when I search the web through iSearchiGive.com (a search engined powered by iGive!), I'm raising a penny or more for my cause every time.  Since I do a lot of shopping online - especially during the holidays - I figure this should be a windfall for the Foundation!  Please consider doing this small thing to help the Foundation!  Here is the link:

http://www.igive.com/welcome/warm_reg_promo.cfm?m=638016

Piece of cake!

One final thing of note.  My company, Hewitt Associates, has been recognized by Working Mother magazine as one of the top companies for working mothers.  They asked Hewitt to solicit Working Mother of the Year nominations from our associates.  One day a month or two ago, I received a call from a gal in HR informing me that I had been nominated.  I was astonished.  The girl on the phone interviewed me, asked me questions about my family, my job, etc.  She said I would be notified of the outcome in a few weeks.  A week or so ago, I received another note saying while I hadn't won, I had been chosen as a finalist and they shared a link to a small article that they were going to be posting about me on our company's intranet site.  I was pretty sure that no one would read the article...until my manager forwarded it out to our entire market.  Since then, I have received the sweetest, most kindest acknowledgements from so many people.  All of these notes have really meant a ton to me.  And as crazy as all of this is to me, I think its really cool that someone thought to nominate me.  And you know what?  I still don't know who that person is!  They wouldn't tell me!  Needless to say, if that mystery person is reading this.  Thank you.  From the bottom of my heart!