Thank you all

I want to thank every one of you that took the time out to write and send in our family's nomination for EMHE. Now all we can do is wait and pray. Thank you for signing the petition as well. I sent that in to them too. Only time will tell.

Lets see...on to what has been happening here at the Tomecko house...

School has let out for Summer break for the kids. I surprised them on the last day with this...

They had no idea that their mom would actually write all over our van...ha....showed them! So now they are home for the summer. This is the time of year that I sit and tell them AND myself that we are going to do a page of schoolwork(review) a day...so far...I have moved their papers and books from one spot to another...without opening them or looking at them...oops. I need to get my butt in gear with this stuff! They do want to go to the library one of these days, so we will be taking a "field trip" down there soon.

It seems like Kenny is getting more and more of a hand full for us. He is CONSTANTLY banging his head. He's got black and blues and big knots all over his head. So in order for him NOT to hit his head, I have to hold him...all the time...not good! I don't know what to do. He is going to hurt himself one of these days. The doctors are looking at a couple of different things...I strongly feel that he is just getting frustrated and cant express himself. I thought it was because he has had ear infections in the past, but I took him to the doctor and they said his ears are clear. He wont wear his hearing aids anymore...I have been trying and trying...between the banging his head and the pulling the hearing aids out, I think I am going to just have to suck it up and hold him 24/7... but then, what about Gina, or cleaning the house, or making dinner or helping my other kids (who is probably feeling a little left out). I cant center all my attention on just Kenny... I physically cant. I am one person with 2 arms. UGH...I am so upset over this.

Not to mention, he's been waking up every night coughing and throwing up again....it started about 2 weeks ago...and now it is every night! So...I have to wash his bedding and ours, because we bring him into our bed. We give him his breathing treatments every night and I also give him his Singular...thinking that maybe its allergies that produce the mucus that runs down his throat and makes him cough and throw up... nothing is working...I am wondering if we have to put him back on oxygen at night. If we do... how will we keep it on him? He will be going to his Comp Care next week...I'll talk to them about it.

Someone finally called me back from one of the many waiting lists that he is on for PT/OT/Speech Therapy, He is going next week for the initial visit and from there we will be setting up a therapy program for him. It is about 30 minutes away, but who cares...at least he will be getting in somewhere!!!

Reality is hitting us in the face. I told the doctor that with everything that is going on with my little guy, I feel guilty for keeping him alive in the NICU. Did we do the right thing? Did God want us to keep him alive? I don't know. We are doing everything we can for him...but it just doesn't seem enough. So please keep us in your prayers...to give us the strength we need to help Kenny become the strong, confident, healthy and happy person he should be. Pray that we can do all of this and still have time for our other kids. I want them to be strong, caring, independent, healthy and happy too...how can we balance all of this? How do we make time for the other kids with Kenny being so needy? If any of you out there knows, please let me know. I am slowly feeling like I am failing ALL my kids because I am being pulled in every direction.

Ok...enough of the self pity party...

What do you get when you take a kid that is having breathing problems to a wedding? Throwing up because he is coughing so hard? Well...I'll tell ya.... Yep...you guessed it! Every 3 hours!
We had a blast otherwise

This past weekend, my niece, Shannon married her long time boyfriend, John. I wish them the best that their future has to offer! The wedding was beautiful. They had a few wrenches thrown into the day but they never let it ruin it for them. Yes, there was the typical issues...some not so bad and then there were the very bad...John's dad in the hospital recovering from a stroke and then Great Aunt Mary (Shannon's dad's aunt) passed away, unexpectedly at noon on their wedding day. I am praying that the family has peace trough all of this. She was a lovely woman who loved her family. All of these could not stop the party from happening...yes, we were sad, but Aunt Mary wouldn't of wanted to ruin their day and also, since John's dad was in the hospital...they had live web cast of the wedding ceremony for his dad to "be there" with them.Their lives together are just starting. There are going to be some good and bad things happening in their lives together....hopefully... mostly good. But those "bad" moments are what strengthens a marriage (or could break it). When Tony and I got married, I would never of thought that we would still be living in our first home...14 years later, have 7 living children, experienced 2 miscarriages and the death of our baby, Having a child with many medical issues, unable to have this or do that...oh the list goes on and on. But I am glad for the very happy moments...marrying my best friend, Tony starting a business that he loves, meeting many, many wonderful people in our married life time, Having and watching every one of our kids grow, and going through ALL of the bad together.I feel that we are being tested...I am not sure why, only God knows... I hope that we are passing the test.