Please keep this family in your prayers

Here is an article in the TBT Times about a family that needs some major prayers. The lady in this article is the sister of one of my trainers through USF. This family has been rocked and they need all the prayers they can get.


From joy to nightmare
St. Pete parents, waiting for a baby, are thrown two horrible curveballs. By Cristina Silva csilva@tampabay.com The newborn baby shook, gasping for air. He isn’t screaming, Dennis Russo thought. Why isn’t he scream­ing? For the second time in two days, the young father won­dered if one of his children would survive the night. ••• Classic control freaks, Theresa and Dennis Russo had their entire lives planned out. Dennis, 30, teaches 10th grade at Gibbs High School. Theresa, 31, was going to start teaching in the fall. Their two-year-old daughter, Ryleigh, would start preschool soon, and a new baby was on the way. Their lives were seemingly perfect. And then, very quickly, their lives were anything but. At first, the Russos didn’t think anything was wrong when Ryleigh suddenly began to complain of fatigue. Then, bruises began to appear all across her body. Tod­dlers fall and bump into sharp objects all the time. Even so, in late May, the Russos took Ryleigh to All Chil­dren’s Hospital just to be safe. The diagnosis nearly para­lyzed them. Leukemia. Ryleigh began chemotherapy right away. She com­plained only of stomach pain. Her appendix had to be re­moved. Last Wednesday, hours after the surgery, the Russos sat with their recovering daughter in her hospital room. The worst was over, they hoped. In two days, on Friday, The­resa planned to give birth to a healthy baby boy. ••• The delivery was routine. Nothing had happened to ex­plain why Reece was having problems breathing. The baby was whisked away for tests and X-Rays. That night, as his wife recovered in one hospital bed, Dennis visited his two children. In one hospital room, his daughter lay hooked up to machines in a morphine coma, a fresh six inch scar on her belly. In another hospital room, tubes and metal pumped air into his newborn son’s lungs. ••• Reese was diagnosed with persistent pulmonary hyper­tension. His lungs didn’t work. Nurses promised the Rus­sos they would train their son’s lungs to breathe. Ryleigh’s hair began to fall out from the chemotherapy. She giggled as she pulled out her long, brown hair and watched cartoons. Dennis laughed, too, careful to conceal his horror. One moment, there was good news. Reese was breath­ing easier. Then there was bad news. Ryleigh suffered two infections from the surgery. After all that, the Russos began to take each develop­ment in stride. Their son might one day need an artificial lung or in two weeks, he could be breathing fine on his own. Their daughter could face a long bout with cancer, or she could be cured before it is time to enroll her in kindergarten. “It’s the ultimate test of humility,” Dennis said Tuesday, as he sat in the waiting room at All Children’s Hospital. “We are not in control. Everything is in God’s hands.”
Ryleigh Russo spends time with her mother Theresa and father Dennis at All Children’s Hospital in St. Pete on Tuesday. Edmund D. Fountain/tbt* Newborn Reece is hospitalized, too, unable to breathe.

A well needed mini vacation

On Monday Alani and I drove out to Orlando with my dad to see my cousins from Virgina. We got to the resort and we had a blast. We sooo didn't want to leave. We had all kinds of food, we swam all day and night, we played putt putt golf, got tattoo's, rode the swans, relaxed and did a little shopping. It was a mini vacation that Ali and I both needed away from work/school and b-day planning.


Here is my princess cheesing for me!



Me and my new boyfriend, I think he's looking down my shirt lmaso!!


The girls playing putt putt golf


Swimming at one of the 13 pools the resort had.




While playing golf I couldn't help but take a picture of my girl, isn't she beautiful.


We got to ride the swans at the resort. I was exhausted after that.


Ali and Jada at DTD

Living our love song....

So we got to the beach and there was only 2 other couples out there. It was soo peaceful. I played in the water and found some shells for my class. While Jason and Ali built a sand castel.





Ali is such a water bug, She loves playing in the water. She didn't want to leave.



Everything that I want is everything he is!!



All this time and we're still in love

My husband Jason! Boy am I lucky!!

Penny's first tip to the beach

We have been waiting to go to the beach but the weather has not agreed with us! Finally we got a break for 20 minutes and we drove out and took Penny with us.

Penny was scared of the water. She would not get near it.

But she was still happy to be out of the house and in a new surrounding.

Great Explorations

Sunday.... We decided to drive to St. Pete to go to Great Explorations.

We made Pizza's


Ali wants to be a Vet.


They loved the green screen stuff!

We did rock climbing

Played in a tree house

Mommy wanted take this gigantic water table to work with her.

Uncle Jay and the kids were community helpers!



And the best part was getting to spray the utters on the fake cow! That was too funny

Ali was soooo excited to see that The exhibits had her favorite characters.... Aurthur. We watch Aurthur every morning before we head to work/school.

Then we really enjoyed the exhibit with the pulley machine. We all tried it even preggo Marti.

Ti ti Marti and Chris

Ali and Daddy

Mommy

What's that?

Christian says "What is that?" Ashley says it's a baby. Christian says my mommy has one of those too!

Ali Ashley and Christian.



Saturday night I went bowling with my sister and a few of her friends.
If you don't know by now I am going to be an Titi again and not only is my sister preggers but her really good friend Ashley is too. They are just a few weeks apart.
The kids love Ashley and her husband. I hadn't told Ali about Ashley having a baby in her bell until last night. So here are a few pictures of Ashely and the kids.

Chuck E Cheese

Saturday Ali, Christian, and I went to Chuck E Cheese. I am not a big fan of this place but I sucked it up and had a blast playing with the kids. Here are some picures of them playing a few games.



Chis fishing



Ali riding the train with Mrs. Karin and Zy

The Birthday girl and Ali

Where did all the balls go? Ali and Chris playing basketball.

Kung Fu Panda

Silly Kids....


Ali and I went to see Kung Fu Panda with my sister and her family last night. It was soo hilarious. I wouldn't recommend to do the late showing.




Ali couldn't sit still she was trying to talk through out the whole movie and she even fell a sleep a few times. She was bouncing back and fourth between my sister and I. I know some people say a 3 year old can't sit still through a movie but Ali usually does. Maybe she had some left over sillies she brought home from school. Now we are getting ready for a birthday party so we will have more pictures later.









Here are the kids showing us their moves...









Pow





Hi-yah





Take that

Ali and Kai

Ali and Kai Kai

Ali is soo proud...

Kisses to the baby....

Lindsey and Kai came over for a visit this evening. Ali has been begging to hold her so we did the prop Kai up thing with a pillow and let Ali hold her baby Kai. Kai loved Ali singing to her and Ali loved just holding her.

Orlando again

So I was in Orlando today for 9 hours doing a training for work. It was awsome I really enjoyed it. The training was at Arnold Palmer Childrens Hospital. It was a beautiful place. The Childrens hospital has a Disney theme, and the adult hospital was amazing. Here are some pic's of me and my co-worker having fun in the hospital.


The sign say's it all.


My work mom and shopping partner


Karen and Pluto




This place looked magical.



The entrance into the main hospital