Let me tell you about all of the excitement that has been happening. For starters I was appointed to the State of Oregon Newborn Screening Advisory Council and have had my first meeting the second week of January. The meeting was at the Oregon State Lab was very productive and I learned so much more about the test, the follow-up etc.. After the meeting I got to tour the actual lab where the test for the newbornscreen is conducted. It was just me and the head of the lab for the Oregon Newbornscreening program. Let me tell you, for me it quite emotional to visit the lab, see the tests, etc. meet the people who work so hard every day to safe babies. And yes, this is the lab where Alena's positive Galactosemia newbornscreen was detected. This is what saved her life - this specific lab...Visiting the lab was really amazing. Seeing all the cards, each being a life, each being tested. It was truly amazing.
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| Mia Rose and her Daddy.. |
The other excitement - you may have already heard about it - is that I am going to New York City. Yes, me - I will be going to the event celebrating 50 years of Gallo Family Vineyards Hearty Burgundy. This will be amazing - and you can follow me along on Twitter and/or Instagram plus you will meet my secret guest :). Super exciting, right?!
There is more, well this is really not extraordinary, we did went for the girls blood draw and took the tram to get to OHSU. As you may imagine neither girl is excited to get her blood drawn, but with magic cream, the tram and my friend Larissa coming along it was fine. Well, Alena almost passed out again after the draw but I think it is because she just works herself up so much...Strangely it does however not get easier for me. Isn't it?! I feel so guilty when Mia Rose cries and screams because she is afraid of the needle which in the end in her words "I did not feel it at all". I also get worried with Alena working herself up so badly that she is on the verge of passing out And yes, I know that one draw a couple of times a year is really, really not bad...so I really have to get over it. And yes, the glass is always half full...
Thank you friends - I have not said it many times before but I am so grateful for every single one of you visiting my little blog. Thank you - Danke!!!
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| Mia Rose, Alena & Larissa after the blood draw |