Great news and some layouts

I have some great news to share! Ashlyn had a CT-E on Monday to see the extent of the Crohn's Disease in the portion of her small intestine that was not visible via scoping, and overall the results came back normal! yay!!!! I am SO grateful that she is still in the early stages of this disease and that hopefully she will be able to start being an 11 yo girl again. :) There are some areas that are "non-specific" (oh how I loathe those words) that will need to be monitored, but I am going to keep the focus on the positive.

This disease has a mind of it's own and we are going to take it day by day and deal with what may come today and not worry about tomorrow. The new formula she is on, as well as the medications are also slowly starting to work. I can see pieces of "Ashlyn" emerging, and it makes this momma's heart full with joy! She has been laughing. A lot. Smiling more. Playing with her iPod touch. (you know a kid is sick when they get an iPod Touch for a Christmas gift from her brother, and then barely touch it for months on end.) She's not lying in bed alone, but instead has been camped out on the sofa in the living room to be among family. She doesn't complain as much when I tell her we are taking our daily walk around the block, however she is grateful for all the rain we've had lately because then we don't go. We took her to the park for three hours the other day, and although she spent most of the time lying on a blanket on the grass, she did walk around and let me take a few photos of her. :)

She takes long naps throughout the day. She cannot walk for long periods of time or her legs get wobbly and give out. She still walks hunched over in as much of a fetal position as she can to help ease the pain. She carries a bucket with her everywhere "just in case" she has to vomit. She complains 3 times a day when I give her her medication. The thought of food does nothing to appeal to her senses. We still have a loooooong way to go, but in time, we'll get to a place where she's feeling good again and will eat and play and be happy again.

In some other good news, I was asked to be a design team member for My Scraps and More! yay! Along with three other super-talented ladies. Be sure to check it out, there is a fun contest happening soon.

I leave you with two layouts today: both created from challenges at My Scraps and More.

My Minds Eye papers, doodlebug and pink paislee stickers, Daisy D's punch out alphas, twine, Jillibean Soup Correguated Shapes and paint.

Echo Park paper- LOVE it!