He's Home!

Great News!  Dad is healing well, and on the road to a speedy recovery!  He got out of the hospital today, and seems to be doing well.  He is even making Sean dinner... hmmm something doesn't quite seem right...   Sean better get that bell installed above Dad's bed quick!  We wouldn't want Dad to have to get up again!

Thanks Kathy for bringing the boys dinner!

Thinking about you, and sending lots of love your way, Dad! 

Mended Heart

The luck of the Irish was on Dads side!

Dad went in for heart surgery yesterday.  I am happy to report, all went well.  Thanks to Sean, and his emails and phone calls- we were able to stay up to date, minute by minute on the progress of Dad's surgery! 

Dad has never one to make a big fuss over himself- and this operation was no exception.  Dad had a leaky valve in his heart for quite some time now (a least a year now, maybe longer?)... basically a leaky heart valve forces the heart to work harder as it re pumps blood through the valve-- and it was time go in for surgery to repair the valve and stop the leak! 

Dad- I am so proud of you- I know the recovery isn't fun (5 days in the hospital + 2 months taking it very easy)- but it could be worse, right?  Your heart is fixed, and you are on the way to feeling better.  Sean told me that the doctor even said you looked "very athletic"!

Dad was a little worried about going in for heart surgery on St. Patricks day- thinking that the doctor might have been partying too hard before or during his surgery.  Dad's doctor, however, was Asian, so I don't think Dad had too much to worry about...

Love you Dad- wish we were there- and make sure you ring your bell at all hours of the night- for Sean to come running! (Then tell him, "never mind")

Brendo

As many of you know, Dan's brother Brended has been body boarding for quite a while and has been pretty successful in doing so.  Im embarrassed to say- but yesterday was the first time I had actually visited his website- shame on me- but I have to say it is pretty impressive.  Brenden has been working hard trying  to balance body boarding and the travel/work thats involved in getting and keeping sponsorships with finishing up his uni degree.  He's doing  a great job- and has this to show for it:  http://www.brendennewton.com/

I'll never forget- last time Dan and I were here visiting (December 2009)- I was 6 months pregnant with Dyllan, and Brenden and I were down at the beach hanging out- and he says to me (dead serious) "I cant wait till Dyllan is born- and I can take her out in the surf!- I have a friend who can custom make a little board for her, and I can get some little flippers"  HAH- the scary thing is.. he REALLY could do this.. and take her out for a session.  One day....Brenden.

Brenden Newton Signature Body Board

Brenden in Riptide Magazine

Brenden and his wife Libby

Expressions

**I found this post in my list- and it looks like I never published it.. not sure why- but I will publish it now.  I will add a part 2 with more current expressions...**

This is my favorite sequence.  Dyllan (4 months) has learned to master "The Pout".



4 months: 
Trying to get some work done and the only way she would stop crying was by
being close to me.  So I sit her in my lap and continued to use the computer. 
She has a little smirk on her face.. got what she wanted.




Caught Dyllan cracking herself up in her crib. 




"What."




Dyllan and Mylo, Best Friends Forever.




Mother's Day picnic
"Whoa...."




Dancing Queen




"I dont think so..."




Doing some flag pole with Poppy. 
"Watching the news, duh"




Figuring out that her hands are connected to her body and trying with all her
might (you can tell by her tongue and eyebrows) to make them do what she wants. 




Took Dyllan to moms Chemo appt.  She was quite the hit in her Elf jacket.



Water baby

I don't know if I have already mentioned this somewhere else- and if I have- sorry for the repetition, but... 

Ever since Dyllan's first bath- she has absolutely loved the water.  The day before we took Dyllan home from the NICU the nurse said to us that we could give her her first bath.  She seemed a little cautious- and told us that babies got cold really fast out of the incubator and they usually cried their eyes out.. oh yeah, and said that we should be extra careful because they are very slippery when wet- so be careful not to drop her after the bath!!  HAHA.  Well this scared me enough- to give Dan the honors.  So Dan gave Dyllan her first bath, while I video taped and took pictures (rolls kinda reversed..).  Dan put Dyllan in the little tub in the hospital sink, and from the very first splash, she loved it.  The nurse was so surprised!

Anyway, ever since, Dyllan has loved the water ( swimming in lake washington ).   Bath time is her favorite time of day (she gets soooo excited when the tub fills up- she can hardly wait to get in!), and going for a swim is the biggest treat!  I wonder what this means..  will she be a swimmer?  Water polo player? Scuba diver? Aqua Aerobics instructor? Synchronized swimmer?  Professional Snorkeler?  who knows....

Scooba Dyllan, ready to tackle the beach...

Weeeee- Flying Dyllan!

Going in for a dip...

Mona Vale Ocean Baths

"Grace" swimming up to Dyllan Grace
(Dan thought this was pretty cool!  "Look Dyllan, she is Grace too")

"Uhh , where is my Dad?"

"Oh bother, more kisses..."



Trying to copy the old lady's stroke- and totally beating her in the race...obviously.



Time to go.



Visa Granted!

Woo Hoo!  My visa was approved!  I am now officially a Permanent Resident here.  I am actually in a little bit of shock because they told me the current processing time was 12 months.  I was pretty sure it would take close to that because all the forums online said anywhere for 5-8 months, and everytime I called they said the same thing-12 months.. so I'm not sure how mine got approved so quickly- but I'll take it!  Oh, and I also bi-passed the 2 year temporary resident part.  When you apply for a spouse visa- you apply for the temporary and permanent at the same time.  Usually what happens is you are first granted a temporary resident visa- then after 2 years, if your relationship is still genuine and continuing, you are granted your permanent residency.  I guess our case officer was feeling really generous! 

Huge relief- I now have insurance and the ability to work!  The immigration department told me to apply for Dyllan's citizenship separate from my application because it would be much quicker and she is an automatic citizen by decent.  I lodged her application weeks before mine- and hers still hasn't come back.  Fingers crossed hers is just around the corner.  For now- having one approved is great!  Yay.

Weekend Recap

This weekend was great- everything a weekend should be- Fun, free (almost), and as a family.

Friday night Dan and I made pizzas for dinner, put Dyllan to bed (turned on her remote baby monitor next door AKA the cordless babysitter) and headed out to The Sands for live music and a bike ride.



Top Left: Head Lamp, McQueen filled with wine-, bikes parked in the bushes- ID's- oops...
Top Right: Live Band
Bottom Left: The Sands Hotel
Bottom right:  Only had $8- so asked the bartender if he could split one glass of wine in two glasses- lucky day- he filled them both up and only charged us $6 (for a $7.50 glass of wine- sauvignon blanc from the marlborough region- Dan's fav!)

 Saturday we took Dyllan on a bike ride- which was supposed to end up at the beach so Dyllan could go swimming- but instead somehow we managed to go on a LONG bike ride... off-roading... around Narabeen Lake.  Hmmm.... not sure how we ended up there (Dan)... The off-roading was too much for my bike- and the peddle came loose.  So we decided to head back.  By this point Dyllan was getting fussy- she, too had enough of the bumps- and fussed the whole bumpy way back to smooth pavement, then fell asleep in her seat.  Haha...


Haha!!  All set, ready to hit the road (not literally..)
Wet suit- check, ugly hat- check, death grip- check!



Little did Dyllan or I know.. but we were about to do some off-roading...



Sunday we went down to the beach for a surf and some swimming.  Kayleigh took these photos with an app on her phone:



Surfing Dyllan

Dyllan's fun island