I would post pictures, but I left my camera in Mark's car. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We spent the day with Mark's family. It was so enjoyable to have everyone together. I took some time to reflect on the year. I know that I should be thankful everyday, but the truth of the matter is that I get focused on life and the day to day "fires" that I tend to forget all that God has blessed me with. Having a day or a season to stop and think about God's blessings is something I cherish. And oh how much I have to be thankful for! With the uncertainty of the economy and all the unknowns of our future... it is easy to become anxious. Sometimes, that anxiousness often masks the blessings that are standing right in front of me. Taking that moment to "count your blessings" tends to push away the anxiousness and help me to rest in the arms of the one who created the heavens and the earth. Nothing is outside of God. And, I am confident that God loves me, that I am His child, and that no matter what, God has not been caught off guard nor has He left my side.

So... to sum it up... I am thankful for my life and ALL that encompasses it.

Last week, Elizabeth had to have blood work drawn. I can't remember if I mentioned it, but she doesn't handle it very well (typical of a 3 year old- but with Elizabeth,things like that seem much more traumatic then a typical 3 year old screaming). She was a trooper for the blood work. We managed to make it out alive and in one piece (though it was quite a workout for mom- she is very, very strong!). We waited the 5 days, only to discover that the wrong lab work was drawn. I couldn't believe it! So... we faced another episode of lab work. Elizabeth tried hard to be brave. She made it up until we walked into the room and sat down. She fought hard, but amazingly, she calmed down some. The first attempt was quite difficult. They put the needle in her arm, but didn't hit the vein and couldn't locate it. Elizabeth actually stopped fighting (though she whimpered quite a bit). They pulled it out and had to try the other arm. Elizabeth was so brave. She cried, but held out her arm and let them draw it. Half way through, she sat somewhat calm in my lap. It was amazing! Anyway, we waited another 5 days for the results.

I got the call yesterday. She is positive for Thalassemia Minor. It is a genetic disorder of the blood. I can't believe how I am almost relieved to hear it. By God's grace, the minor is not life threatening. In fact, we shouldn't have to be too concerned, only when she marries. Her spouse will need to be tested to see if he is a carrier as well. If they both have the genetic disorder, then the chances are very high that they will have a child with Thalassemia Major. That disorder is far more serious and dangerous. We will meet with a genetic counselor in February. They will go over everything with us then. Until then, I am doing a great deal of research on my own.

I had a few questions for the nurse when she called. An hour or so later, the doctor called me. I was surprised. He wanted to be able to share it with me without having a "middleman". He assured me that she will live a long healthy life. He told me that Thalassemia is common world-wide, but in the States, it is not very common. The blood test for it is very simple. If Elizabeth had been african-american, he would have ran a test for sickle-cell anemia after her blood work had originally indicated that she was anemic. But, for Caucasian children, the general consent it to give a child a couple of months of iron supplements and retest to see if the anemia has corrected itself. I think, because Elizabeth is our daughter, I think the fact that she is Asian was not on his mind. The doctor shared with me that when I called his office with suspicions of her having Thalassemia, it triggered it in his mind and he instantly felt she would be positive. I am thankful that someone shared with me about the disorder. I am also very thankful for his honesty and his response to my concern. For awhile, I have felt as if they were perceiving me as an over-reactive parent... blowing things out of proportion (not that that doesn't describe me at times :)).

So, now I am much less concerned about melamine poisoning. My biggest concern about the melamine was her unexplained anemia and the blood pressure checks she was having. The anemia is now explained by the Thalassemia. So, for now, I am at peace. I still want the kidney ultrasounds on both kids. But, I am not expecting the results to be positive for melamine.