...{MeRRy cHRiStmAS}...

For those of you who we don't have an address for and were unable to send a Christmas card too, here is the picture and our Christmas letter that went out with our card. Merry Christmas to all of you!

2008 has been quiet the year around our house. We enjoyed a lot of new things and experienced some exciting changes.
For starters, our little Gracie turned 4, started preschool and dance. She absolutely loves going to school and since she only goes 3 days a week, she often cries on the days that she wakes up and does not have to go to school. She has taken quite a liking to a young man in her class and is constantly telling the family of all the many great qualities of this prince charming. She also started dance with a new studio and is thriving and becoming quite the little dancer. She was chosen as the dancer of the month for November. At her Christmas performance she stood on the stage in front of hundreds of eager parents and families and danced her little heart out, doing every step and twirl perfectly. This is a big improvement from her past performances where she has usually taken the minimalist approach, only doing a few spins and hip shakes. Grace is a sweetheart!
Nicholas…our big 5 year old, whom we have recently nicknamed ‘Big’ or ‘Big Nic’, used to be our little Nicholas because he is named after his Daddy and it was just easier to call Dad, Big Nic and Nicholas, Little Nic. But we have decided that ‘Little Nic’ just doesn't suit his personality; he is definitely ‘Big Nic’! He has been having some medical testing done to test his Growth Hormone levels and has been such a trooper through all of the poking and prodding that has been required. We are currently awaiting the results of a test to see whether or not he has a Growth Hormone deficiency. Nic also embarked on a new chapter in his life, elementary school. He started kindergarten this past August. He is doing amazing and it came as no surprise to us that he quickly made friends with just about everyone in the class. He is such a friendly, outgoing kid and we love him just the way he is!
As for Nic and, I we have had a lot of adventures that we have been able to experience together. In November we ran our first race, it also happened to be a half marathon, 13.1 miles. It was a great thing to accomplish and even more rewarding doing it together. We also made the scary decision to make a career change. After 5 years with our APX Alarm family we decided that going back to our family at New York Life Insurance Company was the right choice for our family. We made some life long friends with APX. We’ve seen some amazing things and places and are sad to leave part of our life behind. Although it is scary to leave the comfort and familiarity of an old job and leaving the luxuries that that job provided will be hard, we know that this new venture will provide and allow many things to our family that we have not been able to enjoy in the last several years. We can’t wait to go camping during the summer, enjoy our 8th anniversary at home and actually be able to celebrate it, have a 4th of July and the best of all…not have to prepare for a cross country move leaving our home, friends and family behind come summer time.
This has been an amazing year, bringing so many good things and we have so much to be thankful for. We can’t wait to see what 2009 holds for our family. We hope you all have had as good of a year as our family and wish all the best for the upcoming year.

Merry Christmas

The results are in.......

So we actually got Nic's test results on Thursday but with all the last minute shopping and Christmas parties it has taken me awhile to get the word out.
His test came back normal, which means when stimulated his pituitary glands produce Growth Hormone normally just like they should. So we are relieved that he won't have to have a daily injection for the next 10-12 years of his life but still a little concerned about why he is growing at such a slow rate.
His doctors still want to test him every six months to monitor things, which will involve a couple blood tests and an x-ray but not the big 6 hour test anymore, (thank goodness).
So for now we will just keep making him eat like crazy and pray for a huge growth spurt to hit him soon.
Needless to say when we told him his blood tests were over for a while he was so relieved and over joyed. Thank you again for all of your love and support. We hope you all have a great holiday season.

:cRazY:

Okay so I know this sounds crazy but I really want to do this race:

http://www.ragnarrelay.com/wasatchback/index.php

So I know that I am still in the recovery process from my last race and I have the stress fractures in my legs to prove it, but it's not till June 19-20th. Ever since I saw a picture of a man with long dred locks in a speedo running on the cover a running magazine and figured out what the heck he was doing, I have added it to the list in my head of things I really want to do, BAD! This year it is also being done in honor of Christian and Stephanie Nielson,

http://web.me.com/andrewtbagley/NieRecovery/Home.html.

Anyone up for it? I need a team of 12 crazy people. Nic and Teena I am already counting on you and I haven't even asked you yet, but since you two talked me into running a half marathon as my first race with only two months to train, I am thinking you owe me!

Let's do it people! Let's make 2009 a year for doing things that sound crazy, things we thought we would never want to do and things that make us admit our insanity ourselves for even thinking about doing them. Hey, maybe I will even go sky diving for my birthday....UMMM....maybe things not quiet that crazy!

My sister the HERO!!!

Yes....I am bragging! Nikki has always loved animals so when I got a call from her informing me of this animal loving heroic act, it came as no surprise! She is so cute and I am so proud of her! Good job Nikki and Savannah and the cop for actually being able to lasso the dog!

Go here to check out the story:
http://www.kutv.com/content/news/topnews/story/2-Girls-And-A-Cop-Rescue-Dog-From-Icy-Pond/R1HE1QPuikmhul14Y1Xe4g.cspx

It's over...Finally!!!

Well Nic's GH Test is over, thank goodness! It was a bit more eventful and dramatic than it should have been but over it went well. The first IV they put in wasn't very good. Every time they had to come in and draw blood they had to manipulate it and move it around until they got into a good enough position for the blood to actually come out. For anyone that has had an IV you know how much it hurts when they move it around at all. It is almost worse than the actual poke of the needle. So after the 4th blood draw they were injecting saline into the IV to clean it out and Nic screamed because it hurt so bad, I looked at his arm and instead of going into the vein all the saline they were injecting went into his arm and was forming a little bubble under the skin. They now had to try to put in a new one. Well he is a little guy with tiny veins so it took another 20 minutes and a few more pokes for them to finally get it into a big enough vein. After that IV was in all the blood draws were easy and uneventful. By this point he was so pail and lethargic, I kept telling him I didn't remember the last time he sat so still an quiet on my lap for that long. They did about 8 draws of blood total. He was such a good sport about the whole thing. He cried and screamed but for only being five he was so good. It was very hard to watch and I was surprised that I didn't start crying right along with him. When they weren't drawing blood he had fun reading books, making all kinds of projects and watching movies. When it was all over we got some food in him and he purked right back up to his usuall happy, energetic self. I am glad that is over and glad that that test is the last step, as soon as we know the results, which should be about a week, we won't have to put him through anymore blood test like that. Thank you for all of your love and support and concern on our behalf. Thanks Uncle John and Jonah for coming to say hi during the test and bringing Nic prizes, he loved it. We will let everyone know the results as soon as we do. Like I said before it should be about a week, so just before Christmas we should know.

My little Nicholas!

Nic is having his Growth Hormone Stimulation Test this Friday. The woman doing the test said that it will last anywhere from 5-6 hours. His test is at 9 am and he can't eat after midnight the night before so that in itself will be hard enough, telling him he can't eat until 3 in the afternoon. As soon as we get there they will start him on an IV with medicine that should cause his pituitary gland to release the Growth Hormone into his blood. They will take blood samples every 1/2 - 1 hour throughout the test. They said the medicine may make him nauseous so to be prepared for that side effect. Great!
I am not exactly sure how long the results will take to get back but we will be anxiously awaiting them. If his body produces the GH than we know he does not have a growth hormone deficiency and if it doesn't than we know he does. We have been told that treatment will be a daily injection of GH until he reaches puberty and his growth plates close, usually about 14-15 for boys.
Nic and I are so grateful that no matter the outcome of this test Nicholas is and will be a healthy little boy. We could not be happier that this issue is in no way health related. But as his Mom I see how being the size that he is negatively effects him even at such a young age. He is the smallest kindergartner and he notices it. We have had to change our vocabulary around our house. Instead of saying things like "When you get bigger you can do that" to "when you get older you can do that". Nicholas is very sensitive about his size and never fails to mention how all his friends are taller than he is. Luckily for him he is very outgoing on not shy. He has not yet let this hold him back at all.
We would just ask that all of you keep a little prayer in your hearts for him on Friday. I am nervous about the whole thing really. He has unfortunately had to have his blood drawn enough times already that he knows what to expect and he isn't too fond of it. 5-6 hours is a long time to ask any kid to stay in one room and have his blood drawn over and over and not eat anything and possibly feel nauseous too. I went and stocked up on the dollar toys today and have prepared a bag full of toys, activities and IPOD's with new movies so that should help with the boredom. He is brave and such a good boy I am sure he will be great and I will at the end of it all just be a worried Mom. What can I say I hate seeing him be in pain or uncomfortable. Thank you all for all of your love and support through this. We will let all of you know as soon as we do what the out come is.

{4}

Mary Grace Aguirre
December 9th, 2004
9:54 am
6 lbs. 13 oz.
18 1/2 inches
St. Marks Hospital

Goose:

I can't believe how fast these four years have gone. It really seems like just last Christmas we were bringing you home from the hospital. You were and have continued to be such a joy and blessing to our family! From very early on you developed your own little personality. Your smile has always been a great source of joy in our family. Despite your girly attitude and drama queen tendencies you are usually always very sweet. We love that you are always ready to cuddle and hug. You are such a good helper, you always ask to help before I could even ask for the help. You even helped Mommy out before you were born by arriving two weeks early, good girl!!! Even though you promised to stop sucking on your thumb when you turned four and swiftly broke that promise the moment you woke up, we still think you are a great little four year old. You have always been adorable but you are really turning into a beautiful young lady, (and you haven't lost your chubby little cheeks that I still love to kiss)! We may not have been prepared and definitely caught a bit off guard when we found out you were on your way to our family, but now we look back and just can't imagine life without you!

We love you Grace!