Well, it's almost 1am and I'm laying here pretty much wide awake.
Christmas snuck up on me once again this year, but I think we did better than last year. And next year I will aim to do better than this year.
Christmas growing up was always so amazing. My mom worked her butt off to make sure we had a great Christmas every year. Even on the years when she told us that it wasn't going to be very good, it was always great.
I remember last year being so sad when Christmas was over. I felt like we didn't do enough for Lexi, or anyone else. But this year I feel pretty good. I'm sure that will change by tomorrow night though. Kristin (baby sister) and I were talking about it tonight. How we felt so bad because our gifts were always piled up under the tree as kids, but they seem so bare tonight. Our kids are young enough that they aren't going to remember much. And they definitely have lots of aunts and uncles who will be giving them gifts also. There was an article going around this week, written by a mom explaining why she buys a lot at Christmas, and I thought it summed up my feelings pretty well. Basically I don't buy my kids everything they want. They get special things on occasion, and they most certainly don't do without. But I have to say no a lot. I don't have the money to buy Lexi an ipad. I would love to have a huge swinger in my backyard, but it just can't happen right now. So, on the rare occasion that I get to go all out, then that's what I do.
I know it's more about the memories than anything. But I also know that Lexi is getting to an age where her friends are going to start talking and comparing gifts. And I never want her to feel left out!
Today we enjoyed the rare treat of being off work on a week day. We did a little last minute shopping, ate lunch, and took naps. Then we made cookies for Santa. I don't bake, lol. So I bought the pre-packaged dough. Lexi got to lay it out on the cookie sheets and then put sprinkles and m&m's on them. Tonight after bath time, Jacob told them about the night Jesus was born. Lexi wrote a note for Santa and put out his cookies and milk.
Tomorrow we will wake up and see what Santa brought! We always have lunch at my Grandma's on Christmas Day. There will be a few gifts there, but nothing major. My grandparents put money on a savings account for the kids on their birthdays and Christmas. Before we go we will have a discussion about thankfulness. Lexi is at an age where her personality and tastes are developing... and let's just say that she doesn't always have a lot of tact. She has always been good about saying please and thank you, but lately she makes it really obvious when she doesn't like something. I don't want to feel like I'm constantly nagging her, but we are trying to teach her about respect.
Tomorrow evening we will go spend time with Jacob's parents. Then Friday evening dinner with sisters and cousins. Saturday afternoon Christmas with my brother and his family. Saturday night Christmas with my parents and sisters. Whew! That's a lot!
I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Christmas time
Well, Christmas gotten away from me again this year. my tree stands in the corner, undecorated. my decorations half unpacked. I don't know why this happens every year. I get so excited for the season, and then get overwhelmed with everything it brings. Trying to organize parties so that we see all sides of the family. Making sure Lexi has everything she needs for her class programs and parties. Do I have enough teacher gifts? Have I done enough this year? in my mind, the answer is always no. We should have baked more cookies and done more family things. We should have done more to make lasting memories. It's all just overwhelming. Hence the reason I am up at 12:30 am blogging about it.
Speaking of blogging...I know I promised to blog more, and I'm trying to figure out how to fit that in also. please forgive any typos or grammatical mistakes, as this is my first time blogging from my new tablet. here's a list of what I want/need to do.
*decorate tree
*more lights outside
*make cookies for the neighbors
*put together goodie bags for the teachers
*finish shopping
*wrap gifts
*Christmas crafts with my girl
Surely I can make that happen.
What are your favorite holiday traditions?
Speaking of blogging...I know I promised to blog more, and I'm trying to figure out how to fit that in also. please forgive any typos or grammatical mistakes, as this is my first time blogging from my new tablet. here's a list of what I want/need to do.
*decorate tree
*more lights outside
*make cookies for the neighbors
*put together goodie bags for the teachers
*finish shopping
*wrap gifts
*Christmas crafts with my girl
Surely I can make that happen.
What are your favorite holiday traditions?
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Where have I been??
I don't even know where to start. I don't remember what my last blog was about, or even when it was.
I guess life just happened. My kids take up all my spare time. I rarely get on my laptop, and I hate to blog from my phone. :(
So, short updates:
Rex turned 1. We had an UNO themed party.
Pretty much all summer we battled with sick kids. Lexi would get sick, and when she would finally get better, Rex would get sick. Since August 29 the poor guy has had 6 back to back ear infections. Changing antibiotics every time. So we finally got a referral to get tubes. Of course this mommy was scared to let him go back, even for this very minor surgery. But our Pastor was there, he prayed with us, and stayed with us the whole time until they took us back to recovery. I was worried about how he would wake up because I have heard horror stories. But, when we got back there he was asleep. The sweet nurses had turned his glowbaby on next to him. She recommended that we let him wake up on his own because it's an easier transition. He slept for a couple minutes, then sat straight up in the bed and started clapping. They brought him some apple juice and he chugged that down. After 30 minutes we were free to go. By that afternoon you wouldn't have known he had surgery. He is 14 months old, and wasn't walking. Wasn't saying very many words. Within 3 days of the surgery he was taking steps. And now, 2 weeks later, you would think he had been walking his whole life! And saying so many more words!! I can't even begin to say how impressed I am with the tubes!
Lexi is in Pre-K. She has already started the whining in the morning about not wanting to go to school. But once she gets there, she loves it. She has 4 pages of homework for the week, and she usually does them all on Monday evening. Because she just loves to do the work. My next step for her will be getting her to read some sight words. She read colors to me out of a color by number book one day and I was amazed!! And she remembers everything! She notices everything. If I get a new shirt, she will be the first one to notice. Sometimes she wakes up in the morning while I'm getting ready for work. She is so sweet in the mornings. The first thing she says is "Hi Mommy!" We kiss and hug. And then she tells me how beautiful I look. She loves to mess around in my makeup drawer. And I even let her put on some light pink eyeshadow one day. Daddy didn't like that, and told her the next day that she couldn't do it. She was pretty sad. She is pretty independent. On the weekends, if she wakes up before Bubba, she gets her ipad and plays on it until the rest of the house is awakened by Rex's talking. He generally wakes up in a great mood also!
We started going back to church pretty regularly. We even joined the church, which meant for me to get baptized again, because I had not been baptized into a southern baptist church. They weren't saying my first baptism didn't count, just that this was a sign of my commitment to the church. We love it there. The kids love it there. Lexi is so upset if we can't go for some reason. She has learned some of the worship songs, and I love to hear her sweet little voice singing them.
I'm still working for Chart. I love it. And I love my position there. Of course if the right opportunity for promotion came along, I would be willing to take it.
I got Botox injections for my migraines. It has helped tremendously. I also got FMLA to cover my time off for my migraines. Yes, they were that bad. I will go back in January for more botox.
My baby sister is having another baby, and I'm so excited about that. They are fairly certain it's a boy. For now we are calling him "Baby B."
My sister that is 1 year younger than me is getting married!! We have all been waiting for that day! Her fiance is an amazing man that treats her like a queen. I couldn't be more happy to welcome him into our family. They've been together long enough though, that he's pretty much already family. He loves all of our kids, and spoils them like they are his own. I don't want to rush them, but I can't wait for them to start a little family!
Well, I think that should about catch you up. I still have some posts that I've been stirring around in my head. I just have to find the time to do it. But I will try to update more regularly....for the 2 of you that read this, lol!
I guess life just happened. My kids take up all my spare time. I rarely get on my laptop, and I hate to blog from my phone. :(
So, short updates:
Rex turned 1. We had an UNO themed party.
Pretty much all summer we battled with sick kids. Lexi would get sick, and when she would finally get better, Rex would get sick. Since August 29 the poor guy has had 6 back to back ear infections. Changing antibiotics every time. So we finally got a referral to get tubes. Of course this mommy was scared to let him go back, even for this very minor surgery. But our Pastor was there, he prayed with us, and stayed with us the whole time until they took us back to recovery. I was worried about how he would wake up because I have heard horror stories. But, when we got back there he was asleep. The sweet nurses had turned his glowbaby on next to him. She recommended that we let him wake up on his own because it's an easier transition. He slept for a couple minutes, then sat straight up in the bed and started clapping. They brought him some apple juice and he chugged that down. After 30 minutes we were free to go. By that afternoon you wouldn't have known he had surgery. He is 14 months old, and wasn't walking. Wasn't saying very many words. Within 3 days of the surgery he was taking steps. And now, 2 weeks later, you would think he had been walking his whole life! And saying so many more words!! I can't even begin to say how impressed I am with the tubes!
Lexi is in Pre-K. She has already started the whining in the morning about not wanting to go to school. But once she gets there, she loves it. She has 4 pages of homework for the week, and she usually does them all on Monday evening. Because she just loves to do the work. My next step for her will be getting her to read some sight words. She read colors to me out of a color by number book one day and I was amazed!! And she remembers everything! She notices everything. If I get a new shirt, she will be the first one to notice. Sometimes she wakes up in the morning while I'm getting ready for work. She is so sweet in the mornings. The first thing she says is "Hi Mommy!" We kiss and hug. And then she tells me how beautiful I look. She loves to mess around in my makeup drawer. And I even let her put on some light pink eyeshadow one day. Daddy didn't like that, and told her the next day that she couldn't do it. She was pretty sad. She is pretty independent. On the weekends, if she wakes up before Bubba, she gets her ipad and plays on it until the rest of the house is awakened by Rex's talking. He generally wakes up in a great mood also!
We started going back to church pretty regularly. We even joined the church, which meant for me to get baptized again, because I had not been baptized into a southern baptist church. They weren't saying my first baptism didn't count, just that this was a sign of my commitment to the church. We love it there. The kids love it there. Lexi is so upset if we can't go for some reason. She has learned some of the worship songs, and I love to hear her sweet little voice singing them.
I'm still working for Chart. I love it. And I love my position there. Of course if the right opportunity for promotion came along, I would be willing to take it.
I got Botox injections for my migraines. It has helped tremendously. I also got FMLA to cover my time off for my migraines. Yes, they were that bad. I will go back in January for more botox.
My baby sister is having another baby, and I'm so excited about that. They are fairly certain it's a boy. For now we are calling him "Baby B."
My sister that is 1 year younger than me is getting married!! We have all been waiting for that day! Her fiance is an amazing man that treats her like a queen. I couldn't be more happy to welcome him into our family. They've been together long enough though, that he's pretty much already family. He loves all of our kids, and spoils them like they are his own. I don't want to rush them, but I can't wait for them to start a little family!
Well, I think that should about catch you up. I still have some posts that I've been stirring around in my head. I just have to find the time to do it. But I will try to update more regularly....for the 2 of you that read this, lol!
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
It's been a while...
I know, I know...I can't expect my blog to grow if I never update it. So what has kept me away? One word...life. Life happens and there are only so many hours in the day to get things done. So this blog gets neglected. Starting next week (I need to be able to start on Sundays) I will have better things coming. For now, let's do a little catching up.
Rex Allen turned one on September 7th! I can't believe my tiny boy is now a 1 year old.
We had an UNO themed party that I saw on pinterest. As soon as I saw it, I had to run with it. My mom made the cakes, my sister made the Happy Birthday Banner, and I threw everything else together. I'll do a separate post with all the pictures and details.
On May 30, we lost my Grandma, my Mom's Mom. She fought a long and hard battle with Alzheimer's and dementia. She suffered a massive stroke and heart attack that day, and though the decision was hard, we knew she was tired of fighting. I still haven't been able to blog about her yet because the emotions are still so raw.
My pain is overwhelming. On good days I can make it through half a day of work. On really good days, I can make it all day. On really bad days, I can't get out of bed. Pre-Approval for Botox injections is still tied up with the insurance. They have to approve it before I can get it done, because I can not pay out of pocket for it. It's been over 2 months now that I have been waiting and given the run-around. I'm about to give up on it all together.
For the most part work is ok. There are obviously attendance issues because I miss A LOT of work due to pain. But, I have been there long enough that I qualified for intermittent FMLA. So many hours per year that I can use for my illness. It protects me from getting fired for my attendance. I'm not abusing it just because I have it. My end goal is to work 40 hours a week. There just are times when that can't happen.
Lexi started Pre-K in August. She loves it. But she has always loved doing school work. She even gets to ride the school bus from her school to Daddy's office after school.
The Christmas season is approaching and I still have no idea where the money is going to come from. I'm going to be helping my mom out with some crafts, so she is going to give me a portion of the sales.
So hang with me. Share the blog with your friends. 'Cause there are going to be some great things coming up soon!
Rex Allen turned one on September 7th! I can't believe my tiny boy is now a 1 year old.
On May 30, we lost my Grandma, my Mom's Mom. She fought a long and hard battle with Alzheimer's and dementia. She suffered a massive stroke and heart attack that day, and though the decision was hard, we knew she was tired of fighting. I still haven't been able to blog about her yet because the emotions are still so raw.
My pain is overwhelming. On good days I can make it through half a day of work. On really good days, I can make it all day. On really bad days, I can't get out of bed. Pre-Approval for Botox injections is still tied up with the insurance. They have to approve it before I can get it done, because I can not pay out of pocket for it. It's been over 2 months now that I have been waiting and given the run-around. I'm about to give up on it all together.
For the most part work is ok. There are obviously attendance issues because I miss A LOT of work due to pain. But, I have been there long enough that I qualified for intermittent FMLA. So many hours per year that I can use for my illness. It protects me from getting fired for my attendance. I'm not abusing it just because I have it. My end goal is to work 40 hours a week. There just are times when that can't happen.
Lexi started Pre-K in August. She loves it. But she has always loved doing school work. She even gets to ride the school bus from her school to Daddy's office after school.
The Christmas season is approaching and I still have no idea where the money is going to come from. I'm going to be helping my mom out with some crafts, so she is going to give me a portion of the sales.
So hang with me. Share the blog with your friends. 'Cause there are going to be some great things coming up soon!
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Letters to Rex 5/28/13
Rex Allen,
You are no longer my tiny baby. You are a big handsome boy now! Next week you will be 9 months old. This first year is flying by!
You can sit up now, but only if we sit you up. You haven't figured out how to go from laying to sitting yet. But you can go from sitting to laying without just tipping over. :) You are still army crawling, and it's the funniest thing I have ever seen. You mainly use one arm and one leg....it surprises everyone that you don't just crawl in circles! But when you are determined to get somewhere you can get along pretty quick. You also have learned how to pull up from sitting to standing. I haven't seen you do it yet. But Granny saw you do it. You eat your babyfood pretty good, when you feel like it. You want to eat food off of my plate, but you haven't really figured out how to do it yet. You sit up in the shopping cart and the highchair at restaraunts, and you think it's the coolest thing.
You love to play with your cousin Mattie. You want to touch her face all the time though, and she really doesn't like that.
Right now you have pneumonia. :( You had a snotty nose and a little cough for a while, but Sunday when you woke up I knew you were super sick. So we took you to urgent care. They gave you a breathing treatment while you were there. Of course we took pictures and posted them to facebook. You did it just like a big boy. You don't need the mask. Mommy just holds the machine close to your face and you just breathe in the steam. Sunday was so sad though. You barely smiled all day.
You have that same sunshine smile that Lexi had when she was a baby. And you are always smiling! Everyone always comments on how happy you are.
You haven't mastered sleeping through the night yet. Some nights you do, but some nights you wake up to eat. Mommy isn't worried about it yet. Once you turn one then we will start sleep training you.
I love you more than life my little man!
Love,
Mommy
You are no longer my tiny baby. You are a big handsome boy now! Next week you will be 9 months old. This first year is flying by!
You can sit up now, but only if we sit you up. You haven't figured out how to go from laying to sitting yet. But you can go from sitting to laying without just tipping over. :) You are still army crawling, and it's the funniest thing I have ever seen. You mainly use one arm and one leg....it surprises everyone that you don't just crawl in circles! But when you are determined to get somewhere you can get along pretty quick. You also have learned how to pull up from sitting to standing. I haven't seen you do it yet. But Granny saw you do it. You eat your babyfood pretty good, when you feel like it. You want to eat food off of my plate, but you haven't really figured out how to do it yet. You sit up in the shopping cart and the highchair at restaraunts, and you think it's the coolest thing.
You love to play with your cousin Mattie. You want to touch her face all the time though, and she really doesn't like that.
Right now you have pneumonia. :( You had a snotty nose and a little cough for a while, but Sunday when you woke up I knew you were super sick. So we took you to urgent care. They gave you a breathing treatment while you were there. Of course we took pictures and posted them to facebook. You did it just like a big boy. You don't need the mask. Mommy just holds the machine close to your face and you just breathe in the steam. Sunday was so sad though. You barely smiled all day.
You have that same sunshine smile that Lexi had when she was a baby. And you are always smiling! Everyone always comments on how happy you are.
You haven't mastered sleeping through the night yet. Some nights you do, but some nights you wake up to eat. Mommy isn't worried about it yet. Once you turn one then we will start sleep training you.
I love you more than life my little man!
Love,
Mommy
Letters to Lexi 5/28/13
Alexia Rosemay,
You are 4 (!) years old now! I can't believe it. Time has flown by.
For your actual birthday you took cookies to school for your class. Then later we had a birthday party for your family. This year you picked princesses. It makes me so very happy that you are a girly girl! You love all things girly...princesses, jewelry, makeup, fingernail polish, shoes, purses, dresses, barbies. You were sick at your birthday party, so you didn't have the best time. But you still got to play with your cousins and friends. Nanny made your birthday cake. It had a real tiara and princess wand on it! And the cake was pink!
You love your baby brother so much! If he's crying you try to calm him down by talking to him or singing to him. If there's a bottle ready you will try to feed him. You are very good about keeping him safe. You always keep all your little toys put away so that he doesn't choke on them. In the past couple weeks you have learned that you can pick him up from laying to sitting, and laying him back down. It kind of scares me, but you try to be gentle. You are so ready for him to be able to get up and run and play with you.
You are ready to go to big school next year. You passed your evaluations with flying colors! You are such a smart girl. You use big words in sentences.
You are a master at working not only the ipad, kindle fire, and phones...but now you love the laptop!
You are addicted to netflix. :) My little pony is your favorite!
You got a bike for your birthday so we have been practicing riding it. You love to be outside. We have been going on family walks lately and you love that too.
After I had my surgery you were so worried about me. And even now after I've recovered you still tell me to be careful of "that belly." You have a heart of gold. And it wouldn't surprise me if you decide that you are going to be a dr, nurse, or teacher when you grow up. Whatever you decide, you will be great at it!
I love you baby girl! You are the sunshine in my day!
Love,
Mommy
You are 4 (!) years old now! I can't believe it. Time has flown by.
For your actual birthday you took cookies to school for your class. Then later we had a birthday party for your family. This year you picked princesses. It makes me so very happy that you are a girly girl! You love all things girly...princesses, jewelry, makeup, fingernail polish, shoes, purses, dresses, barbies. You were sick at your birthday party, so you didn't have the best time. But you still got to play with your cousins and friends. Nanny made your birthday cake. It had a real tiara and princess wand on it! And the cake was pink!
You love your baby brother so much! If he's crying you try to calm him down by talking to him or singing to him. If there's a bottle ready you will try to feed him. You are very good about keeping him safe. You always keep all your little toys put away so that he doesn't choke on them. In the past couple weeks you have learned that you can pick him up from laying to sitting, and laying him back down. It kind of scares me, but you try to be gentle. You are so ready for him to be able to get up and run and play with you.
You are ready to go to big school next year. You passed your evaluations with flying colors! You are such a smart girl. You use big words in sentences.
You are a master at working not only the ipad, kindle fire, and phones...but now you love the laptop!
You are addicted to netflix. :) My little pony is your favorite!
You got a bike for your birthday so we have been practicing riding it. You love to be outside. We have been going on family walks lately and you love that too.
After I had my surgery you were so worried about me. And even now after I've recovered you still tell me to be careful of "that belly." You have a heart of gold. And it wouldn't surprise me if you decide that you are going to be a dr, nurse, or teacher when you grow up. Whatever you decide, you will be great at it!
I love you baby girl! You are the sunshine in my day!
Love,
Mommy
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
What happened?
Ok, first I want to apologize for the death of my blog the past month. I really did have a goal to blog at least 3 times a week, but it just didn't happen. My new favorite saying is "life happens." And that is definitely the case here. So, let's go back a while...I'll try to lay it out for you with dates.
Monday April 8--Rex has a fever. He went to school, but then Jacob had to pick him up and take him to the dr. He had double ear infections. I left work around noon to go home and cuddle him. Around 3 I noticed his breathing seemed kind of labored so I called the dr and then took him back in. He listened to his lungs again and they still sounded clear. He was just so congested that he was having a hard time breathing.
Tuesday April 9--The rule at the school is that you have to be fever free for 24 hours before you come back. And even though he wasn't contagious, the dr recommended some tlc for Rex, so I stayed home with him again.
Wednesday April 10--I think this was a pretty normal day. I went to work and the kids went to school.
Thursday April 11--I woke up in the morning with what I thought was gas pain. I had been having this pain on and off for a few months. I always just took some zantac and gas-x and it seemed to help. So, before I left for work I took some gas-x and threw some extra ones in my purse. I got to work and the pain started getting worse. I took zantac and more gas-x and it didn't seem to help. Then I started throwing up. So, I left to go back home. The drive home was miserable. I was in so much pain...one time I literally screamed out. Got home and drank some mylanta...texted a few nurse friends, and just tried to find anything that would give me some relief. I threw up a couple more times...this time it was really black and just nasty looking (sorry for the description!) I thought maybe if I could fall asleep it would be better, so I took some benadryl and finally fell asleep with the heating pad on my belly. I woke up when Jacob and the kids got home, but I was still in a lot of pain. I couldn't stand and walk upright. Jacob wanted to take me to urgent care, but I told him no because I would be really embarrassed if they did an xray and it was just gas!
Friday April 12--The pain was a tad bit better, but I still stayed home from work. It was Jacob's birthday and I felt terrible that I couldn't really help him with the kids when he got home from work. And I couldn't cook him dinner or do anything special for him. For some reason Lexi asked to sleep with me that night. She hasn't slept with me since I was pregnant with Rex. Even though it was his birthday, Jacob agreed to sleep in the guest room and let her sleep with me. My sweet Lexi, with her kind, gentle spirit. I think she knew that I needed a nurse that night. She took good care of me!
Saturday April 13--Once again the pain was a little better, but not a whole lot. Jacob told me that I didn't have an option, we were going to urgent care. Because there's no way gas pain was lasting that long. By this time, from talking to people and googling lots of stuff, I had decided it was either my gall bladder or my appendix. At the urgent care the dr came in and talked to me about all my symptoms. He had me lay down on the table and he started pressing on my belly. I literally had to hold back a groan when he pushed on the middle right where it was hurting the worst. He agreed that he thought it was my gall bladder. They don't have an ultrasound machine to look though, so he would have to get me a referral to an imaging center....and that couldn't happen 'til Monday. He did some bloodwork and gave me some pain medicine through an IV. The bloodwork came back pretty normal, so he didn't think I needed to rush to the ER or anything, but he did say that if the pain got any worse before Monday to just go to the ER because they would be able to look at it.
Sunday April 14--Jacob and the kids went to church. I was still in too much pain to do anything. Jacob and his mom were supposed to go to his Great-Aunt's house to clean up some stuff (she had just passed away recently). I was texting and calling my mom and sisters and I/we/they decided that it really couldn't wait any longer. I texted Jacob and told him that someone was going to have to take me to the ER. Thankfully (again) I have an awesome husband and Mother-In-Law who rearranged their plans so he could take me in. When he got home from church I was laying in the fetal position in bed. I threw some clothes on and we hit the road. We chose to go to a closer hospital than the one I had delivered Rex at, because it's smaller and we figured the ER wait wouldn't be as long. We got checked in and taken back to a room. After explaining everything to the nurse and the dr, he ordered an ultrasound. He also ordered some IV pain meds, but they didn't make it to me before I went to the ultrasound, unfortunately. It was VERY uncomfortable. They brought in IV morphine and gave it to me. What I don't remember, is that morphine doesn't really last very long for me. Like 15 minutes max. My Mother-In-Law remembered this though and was telling Jacob over the phone that I needed something else. The dr came in and told me that my gall bladder needed to come out. I had gall stones, and the lining to the gall bladder was thickened. They got me checked in upstairs for the night and I would see the surgeon in the morning.
Monday April 15--The surgeon came in and explained everything to me and gave me some options. We opted to have the surgery that day at 2:00, so then the waiting game began. I hadn't had anything to eat or drink since midnight...and I hadn't really eaten anything since the previous Wednesday. So after waiting forever in the pre-op room I finally went to surgery. This was my first surgery and it was definitely a different experience. The big room...people milling around...laying on the table. I remember waking up in a lot of pain. I was sitting up and they were giving me a breathing treatment. She kept telling me to take deep breaths, but it hurt so bad! She gave me some ice chips and they moved me back to my room. When I got back to my room, I guess they asked me what my pain level was and I said 5. I don't remember that, it's just what Kristin and Jacob told me. I was really really tired and just wanted to sleep, but they wanted me to get up and try to use the bathroom. When I stood up that's when the real pain hit. I had 2 or 3 people help me to the bathroom. Then getting back to bed the same thing. I asked when I would get to go home, because with laparascopic surgery you generally get to go home later the same day. All they told me was not today. I remember being really upset that I was going to have to stay.
Tuesday April 16--I was still in a fog a lot of this day. Anesthesia hits me really hard and takes me a few days to really get over it. I would just be sitting there and drift off to sleep. I was still on a liquid diet, so every day breakfast, lunch, and dinner was broth. I was drinking tea at lunch and literally fell asleep holding the cup and spilled it on myself. The pain was still really severe, especially when I had to get up. When I would make it back to the bed I would be shaking because I was in so much pain. They were alternating between IV morphine, and oral pain meds. My gall bladder was in really bad shape when they got in there. There was a lot of fluid/blood around the gallbladder and my liver. They had to put in a JP drain to keep draining some of the fluid off. That was really uncomfortable. They did more bloodwork, and my liver enzymes were still elevated, so they told me I still wouldn't be able to go home. :(
Wednesday April 17--I finally got to go home this day!! It was evening before I was able to be released. They came and pulled the drain out. It didn't hurt, just felt kind of odd. There were 2 student nurses, and then my nurse in the room. I guess when they pulled the drain there was a lot of fluid that was still seeping out. The student nurses kind of panicked, which alarmed me. My nurse went to find the surgeon. He said it was pretty common, just to cover it with gauze. So once they got me bandaged up and released, we headed to Target to get my prescription filled. I walked into Target which really was not the best idea, but I didn't want to sit in the car. I still couldn't walk upright and was in a lot of pain.
I took Thursday and Friday off from work. By Saturday I was getting around a little better. Went to church Sunday and everyone was surprised to see me. But standing and getting up and down at church was too much for me. I was in a lot of pain and exhausted by that night. I went back to work on Monday.
So now you're pretty caught up! Sorry it was such a long entry, but I wanted to put everything in there.
I would like to thank everyone who came to see me while I was in the hospital! Thank you to my amazing pastor who came to pray with me before they took me back.
What's next for the blog?
Favorite baby items
Lexi turns 4
Monday April 8--Rex has a fever. He went to school, but then Jacob had to pick him up and take him to the dr. He had double ear infections. I left work around noon to go home and cuddle him. Around 3 I noticed his breathing seemed kind of labored so I called the dr and then took him back in. He listened to his lungs again and they still sounded clear. He was just so congested that he was having a hard time breathing.
Tuesday April 9--The rule at the school is that you have to be fever free for 24 hours before you come back. And even though he wasn't contagious, the dr recommended some tlc for Rex, so I stayed home with him again.
Wednesday April 10--I think this was a pretty normal day. I went to work and the kids went to school.
Thursday April 11--I woke up in the morning with what I thought was gas pain. I had been having this pain on and off for a few months. I always just took some zantac and gas-x and it seemed to help. So, before I left for work I took some gas-x and threw some extra ones in my purse. I got to work and the pain started getting worse. I took zantac and more gas-x and it didn't seem to help. Then I started throwing up. So, I left to go back home. The drive home was miserable. I was in so much pain...one time I literally screamed out. Got home and drank some mylanta...texted a few nurse friends, and just tried to find anything that would give me some relief. I threw up a couple more times...this time it was really black and just nasty looking (sorry for the description!) I thought maybe if I could fall asleep it would be better, so I took some benadryl and finally fell asleep with the heating pad on my belly. I woke up when Jacob and the kids got home, but I was still in a lot of pain. I couldn't stand and walk upright. Jacob wanted to take me to urgent care, but I told him no because I would be really embarrassed if they did an xray and it was just gas!
Friday April 12--The pain was a tad bit better, but I still stayed home from work. It was Jacob's birthday and I felt terrible that I couldn't really help him with the kids when he got home from work. And I couldn't cook him dinner or do anything special for him. For some reason Lexi asked to sleep with me that night. She hasn't slept with me since I was pregnant with Rex. Even though it was his birthday, Jacob agreed to sleep in the guest room and let her sleep with me. My sweet Lexi, with her kind, gentle spirit. I think she knew that I needed a nurse that night. She took good care of me!
Saturday April 13--Once again the pain was a little better, but not a whole lot. Jacob told me that I didn't have an option, we were going to urgent care. Because there's no way gas pain was lasting that long. By this time, from talking to people and googling lots of stuff, I had decided it was either my gall bladder or my appendix. At the urgent care the dr came in and talked to me about all my symptoms. He had me lay down on the table and he started pressing on my belly. I literally had to hold back a groan when he pushed on the middle right where it was hurting the worst. He agreed that he thought it was my gall bladder. They don't have an ultrasound machine to look though, so he would have to get me a referral to an imaging center....and that couldn't happen 'til Monday. He did some bloodwork and gave me some pain medicine through an IV. The bloodwork came back pretty normal, so he didn't think I needed to rush to the ER or anything, but he did say that if the pain got any worse before Monday to just go to the ER because they would be able to look at it.
Sunday April 14--Jacob and the kids went to church. I was still in too much pain to do anything. Jacob and his mom were supposed to go to his Great-Aunt's house to clean up some stuff (she had just passed away recently). I was texting and calling my mom and sisters and I/we/they decided that it really couldn't wait any longer. I texted Jacob and told him that someone was going to have to take me to the ER. Thankfully (again) I have an awesome husband and Mother-In-Law who rearranged their plans so he could take me in. When he got home from church I was laying in the fetal position in bed. I threw some clothes on and we hit the road. We chose to go to a closer hospital than the one I had delivered Rex at, because it's smaller and we figured the ER wait wouldn't be as long. We got checked in and taken back to a room. After explaining everything to the nurse and the dr, he ordered an ultrasound. He also ordered some IV pain meds, but they didn't make it to me before I went to the ultrasound, unfortunately. It was VERY uncomfortable. They brought in IV morphine and gave it to me. What I don't remember, is that morphine doesn't really last very long for me. Like 15 minutes max. My Mother-In-Law remembered this though and was telling Jacob over the phone that I needed something else. The dr came in and told me that my gall bladder needed to come out. I had gall stones, and the lining to the gall bladder was thickened. They got me checked in upstairs for the night and I would see the surgeon in the morning.
Monday April 15--The surgeon came in and explained everything to me and gave me some options. We opted to have the surgery that day at 2:00, so then the waiting game began. I hadn't had anything to eat or drink since midnight...and I hadn't really eaten anything since the previous Wednesday. So after waiting forever in the pre-op room I finally went to surgery. This was my first surgery and it was definitely a different experience. The big room...people milling around...laying on the table. I remember waking up in a lot of pain. I was sitting up and they were giving me a breathing treatment. She kept telling me to take deep breaths, but it hurt so bad! She gave me some ice chips and they moved me back to my room. When I got back to my room, I guess they asked me what my pain level was and I said 5. I don't remember that, it's just what Kristin and Jacob told me. I was really really tired and just wanted to sleep, but they wanted me to get up and try to use the bathroom. When I stood up that's when the real pain hit. I had 2 or 3 people help me to the bathroom. Then getting back to bed the same thing. I asked when I would get to go home, because with laparascopic surgery you generally get to go home later the same day. All they told me was not today. I remember being really upset that I was going to have to stay.
Tuesday April 16--I was still in a fog a lot of this day. Anesthesia hits me really hard and takes me a few days to really get over it. I would just be sitting there and drift off to sleep. I was still on a liquid diet, so every day breakfast, lunch, and dinner was broth. I was drinking tea at lunch and literally fell asleep holding the cup and spilled it on myself. The pain was still really severe, especially when I had to get up. When I would make it back to the bed I would be shaking because I was in so much pain. They were alternating between IV morphine, and oral pain meds. My gall bladder was in really bad shape when they got in there. There was a lot of fluid/blood around the gallbladder and my liver. They had to put in a JP drain to keep draining some of the fluid off. That was really uncomfortable. They did more bloodwork, and my liver enzymes were still elevated, so they told me I still wouldn't be able to go home. :(
Wednesday April 17--I finally got to go home this day!! It was evening before I was able to be released. They came and pulled the drain out. It didn't hurt, just felt kind of odd. There were 2 student nurses, and then my nurse in the room. I guess when they pulled the drain there was a lot of fluid that was still seeping out. The student nurses kind of panicked, which alarmed me. My nurse went to find the surgeon. He said it was pretty common, just to cover it with gauze. So once they got me bandaged up and released, we headed to Target to get my prescription filled. I walked into Target which really was not the best idea, but I didn't want to sit in the car. I still couldn't walk upright and was in a lot of pain.
I took Thursday and Friday off from work. By Saturday I was getting around a little better. Went to church Sunday and everyone was surprised to see me. But standing and getting up and down at church was too much for me. I was in a lot of pain and exhausted by that night. I went back to work on Monday.
So now you're pretty caught up! Sorry it was such a long entry, but I wanted to put everything in there.
I would like to thank everyone who came to see me while I was in the hospital! Thank you to my amazing pastor who came to pray with me before they took me back.
What's next for the blog?
Favorite baby items
Lexi turns 4
Monday, March 11, 2013
Letters to Rex 3/11/13
Rex Allen,
You turned 6 months old last week. Where has the time gone? Didn't I just bring you home from the hospital?!
Granny took you to get your shots. You did great when you went back to school, but that evening and most of the next day you were fussy with a fever. Your Sissy saw your bandaids and felt so sorry for you. She kissed and loved on you telling you she was sorry you had to get shots. She loves you so much!
Let's see...you could sit up on your own if you wanted to. But you don't really want to, lol! Every time we try to sit you up, you just bend over to chew on your toes. Man do you love those toes.
You must be having a growth spurt because you have been waking up in the early morning the past few days, to eat. You go back to sleep afterwards, so that's good.
You can definitely roll from front to back and back to front. You don't spend a lot of time on the floor because Mommy loves to cuddle you! But I know you and your friend Jack play at school.
My favorite times with you is at night when we are doing our bedtime routine. You are so sweet and cuddly. After you drink your bottle I turn you over to pat you. You always grab ahold of my shirt, and either just hold it there, or chew on it, as you're falling asleep.
You love bath time. You especially love it, if you are taking a bath with Lexi. You are getting too big for your baby bathtub, but we have a dilema since you don't want to sit up yet. You love to kick your leg and splash me. And even when you're in the bath, you're still trying to eat your toes. Silly boy.
I love to peek in your door at night and listen to you snoring. Boy can you snore! You have the sweetest smile, and you are always sharing it with people. No matter where we go, everyone comments on how great of a smile you have. I hope you always share your smile with people.
I love you bunches and bunches!
Love,
Mommy
You turned 6 months old last week. Where has the time gone? Didn't I just bring you home from the hospital?!
Granny took you to get your shots. You did great when you went back to school, but that evening and most of the next day you were fussy with a fever. Your Sissy saw your bandaids and felt so sorry for you. She kissed and loved on you telling you she was sorry you had to get shots. She loves you so much!
Let's see...you could sit up on your own if you wanted to. But you don't really want to, lol! Every time we try to sit you up, you just bend over to chew on your toes. Man do you love those toes.
You must be having a growth spurt because you have been waking up in the early morning the past few days, to eat. You go back to sleep afterwards, so that's good.
You can definitely roll from front to back and back to front. You don't spend a lot of time on the floor because Mommy loves to cuddle you! But I know you and your friend Jack play at school.
My favorite times with you is at night when we are doing our bedtime routine. You are so sweet and cuddly. After you drink your bottle I turn you over to pat you. You always grab ahold of my shirt, and either just hold it there, or chew on it, as you're falling asleep.
You love bath time. You especially love it, if you are taking a bath with Lexi. You are getting too big for your baby bathtub, but we have a dilema since you don't want to sit up yet. You love to kick your leg and splash me. And even when you're in the bath, you're still trying to eat your toes. Silly boy.
I love to peek in your door at night and listen to you snoring. Boy can you snore! You have the sweetest smile, and you are always sharing it with people. No matter where we go, everyone comments on how great of a smile you have. I hope you always share your smile with people.
I love you bunches and bunches!
Love,
Mommy
Letters to Lexi 3/11/13
Lexi Rosemay,
Do you know how much I love you? I hope you never wonder. I hope you go to bed at night and have sweet dreams knowing how loved you truly are.
You are the sweetest girl I've ever met. And I'm not just saying that. You have the kindest heart. If someone else is hurt, you hurt for them. You hated it when you saw Bubba's bandaids the other day when he got shots. You asked me if they hurt. I told you that they probably did. You just kissed him and talked to him and told him you were sorry he had to get shots.
I love to see your smiling face come walking into the bedroom in the morning. Most mornings I'm awake and getting ready for work. You come in and stand and watch me.
Do you know how much I hate to leave you to go to work? On the rare occassion when you get upset when I leave, it breaks my heart. But I know you have fun with your friends at school.
You get so excited when I get home from work. Always telling me, "I'm so glad you're here."
I was worried that you would not understand having a baby in the house. But you do. You get it. You are such a big helper!
Do you know that I come in and watch you sleep? I come in and kiss your cheeks, cover you up, and smile. You are like an angel when you sleep.
You're almost 4 and I can't believe it!
I found some of your school work last night. You had written your name, and then written MOM and DAD. I couldn't believe it! You are just so smart. Your teachers next year are going to have a handful with you!
You sing and talk all day long. It amazes me. You can turn anything into a song. And you are starting to figure out how to make things rhyme. Sometimes the words don't make sense, but you are rhyming!
I love you so much big girl!
Love,
Mommy
Do you know how much I love you? I hope you never wonder. I hope you go to bed at night and have sweet dreams knowing how loved you truly are.
You are the sweetest girl I've ever met. And I'm not just saying that. You have the kindest heart. If someone else is hurt, you hurt for them. You hated it when you saw Bubba's bandaids the other day when he got shots. You asked me if they hurt. I told you that they probably did. You just kissed him and talked to him and told him you were sorry he had to get shots.
I love to see your smiling face come walking into the bedroom in the morning. Most mornings I'm awake and getting ready for work. You come in and stand and watch me.
Do you know how much I hate to leave you to go to work? On the rare occassion when you get upset when I leave, it breaks my heart. But I know you have fun with your friends at school.
You get so excited when I get home from work. Always telling me, "I'm so glad you're here."
I was worried that you would not understand having a baby in the house. But you do. You get it. You are such a big helper!
Do you know that I come in and watch you sleep? I come in and kiss your cheeks, cover you up, and smile. You are like an angel when you sleep.
You're almost 4 and I can't believe it!
I found some of your school work last night. You had written your name, and then written MOM and DAD. I couldn't believe it! You are just so smart. Your teachers next year are going to have a handful with you!
You sing and talk all day long. It amazes me. You can turn anything into a song. And you are starting to figure out how to make things rhyme. Sometimes the words don't make sense, but you are rhyming!
I love you so much big girl!
Love,
Mommy
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Letters To Rex - 5 months
Rex Allen,
Oh my sweet snuggly little man. I can't believe you are already 5 months old. That picture up there is from when we just brought you home. It seems like yesterday and so long ago all at the same time.
You have turned into the sweetest little boy. You no longer scream 24/7 which is a welcome change. You still prefer to be held, rather than play on the floor. But that's ok. I know there will come a day when you won't want to sit in my lap anymore.
You are sleeping through the night for the most part. Some nights you may wake up once and want to eat. I can handle getting up 1 time per night! You sleep on your belly. The experts say you're not supposed to, but that's how you like to sleep, so I let you sleep that way. We can hear you snoring through the monitor!
That picture is from this morning. When you wake up in the morning you get to come to bed with mommy. We hang out, eat, and watch the news. You especially like the weather portion. You always strain to see what's going on when you hear Alan Crone talking.
You smile a TON! You truly are a happy little boy.
You are wearing mostly 6 month clothes, which is a change because your big sister was always a size behind in clothes. But you are a big man!
You can lock your legs and stand up while we're holding you now. You love to sit in the bumbo seat, and I hear you really love the jumper at school. We're going to have to get you something like that!
You still hate tummy time, but hopefully that will change once you realize you can start rolling and moving!
You have had a few bites of baby food. You aren't really sure what to do with it once it gets in your mouth, so a lot of it just comes back out. But I just made the first batch of homemade sweet potatoes. I gave you a taste and I swear your eyes lit up.
We need to work on sitting up unassisted. I'm sure you could do it if you wanted to. But you're too busy leaning forwards trying to eat your toes. That's your new favorite thing. As soon as you lay down on your back you grab those feet and pull them to your mouth.
Everything we give you goes directly into your mouth. We have had to have talks with sissy about not giving you anything small because you might choke on it. She got so upset thinking that she might hurt you. She loves you so very much! And I can tell you love her too. Your eyes light up when she talks to you. You can hear her across the room and you start looking for her.
You have a best friend at school. His name is Hank. You look like twins. Both bald little chubby babies. They say you all talk and scream at each other all day. I wish someone would record it so I could see it!
Baby boy, I love you so much!!
Love you bunches and bunches,
Mommy
Monday, January 28, 2013
Letter's to Rex - 1/28/13
Rex Allen,
You are an amazing little boy!
You grow so much every single day.
You are sleeping through the night now. Which Mommy and Daddy really love! You still wake up some nights and need a little midnight snack, but that's ok...it happens to all of us! You sleep in your big boy bed, and move around so much through the night.
You smile so much! Such a happy little boy! Your eyes light up in the morning when you see Mommy, Daddy, or Sissy.
You are a drooling machine right now. You have got to be teething. You love to chew on anything you can get in your mouth. I can't see or feel any little teeth right now, but I hope something breaks through soon so you can get some relief from that.
You have eaten some banana a time or two. You still aren't sure about eating real food. I mixed up some sweet potatoes yesterday so we will have to try that soon.
You want to sit up on your own, but you just can't balance right now. But you love to sit up and see the world around you.
In just a few days you will be 5 months old. That's almost half a year!! I can't believe you have been here that long!
You are a big boy! You are in the 75 % for your height....I don't know where you got that from....it sure wasn't Mommy!
You still don't have much hair, but we're holding out hope that it's going to come in red.
You can still wear some 3 month tops, but pants and pajamas have to be at least 3-6, and most of them are starting to get too short! I joked with Daddy that you are going to pass Lexi in weight by your first birthday....but that might really be true!
I love you bunches and bunches!
Love,
Mommy
You are an amazing little boy!
You grow so much every single day.
You are sleeping through the night now. Which Mommy and Daddy really love! You still wake up some nights and need a little midnight snack, but that's ok...it happens to all of us! You sleep in your big boy bed, and move around so much through the night.
You smile so much! Such a happy little boy! Your eyes light up in the morning when you see Mommy, Daddy, or Sissy.
You are a drooling machine right now. You have got to be teething. You love to chew on anything you can get in your mouth. I can't see or feel any little teeth right now, but I hope something breaks through soon so you can get some relief from that.
You have eaten some banana a time or two. You still aren't sure about eating real food. I mixed up some sweet potatoes yesterday so we will have to try that soon.
You want to sit up on your own, but you just can't balance right now. But you love to sit up and see the world around you.
In just a few days you will be 5 months old. That's almost half a year!! I can't believe you have been here that long!
You are a big boy! You are in the 75 % for your height....I don't know where you got that from....it sure wasn't Mommy!
You still don't have much hair, but we're holding out hope that it's going to come in red.
You can still wear some 3 month tops, but pants and pajamas have to be at least 3-6, and most of them are starting to get too short! I joked with Daddy that you are going to pass Lexi in weight by your first birthday....but that might really be true!
I love you bunches and bunches!
Love,
Mommy
Letter's to Lexi 1/28/13
My Lexi Rosemay,
You are the sweetest girl I have ever met. I can't believe I am blessed to be your Mommy. You make every day worth getting out of bed.
Lately you say the most hilarious things. I could write a whole book of just things you have said.
"It's a blustery day." -One day while it was cold and raining.
"I love you sweetie pie." -To your brother.
Disgusting is your new favorite word. You say it about everything.
You still are a very picky eater. You will eat chicken nuggets sometimes. Sometimes a piece of pizza. You ask for noodles quite often. Anything chocolate you are all about.
You love bedtime stories and your dream light. I hope you continue to love to read like your Daddy and I do.
You really enjoy school. I hope it stays that way forever.
"Miss Bet-ny (Bethany) and Miss Amy are your favorites.
Every day is a talent show to you. You sing about everything. You twirl and spin and just sing your heart out. Most recently you have started rhyming. The words don't always make sense, but you love to make them rhyme.
You love church most of the time. Last night you cried when it was time to leave. I hope you always love church. Of course it helps that Brayden's Daddy is the preacher.
You are an amazing big sister. If we can't get to Bubba immediately you always talk to him and try to calm him down....and sometimes stuff a bottle in his face.
I can't believe in a few short months you are going to be 4 years old! Such a big girl!
I love you bunches and bunches baby girl!
Love,
Mommy
You are the sweetest girl I have ever met. I can't believe I am blessed to be your Mommy. You make every day worth getting out of bed.
Lately you say the most hilarious things. I could write a whole book of just things you have said.
"It's a blustery day." -One day while it was cold and raining.
"I love you sweetie pie." -To your brother.
Disgusting is your new favorite word. You say it about everything.
You still are a very picky eater. You will eat chicken nuggets sometimes. Sometimes a piece of pizza. You ask for noodles quite often. Anything chocolate you are all about.
You love bedtime stories and your dream light. I hope you continue to love to read like your Daddy and I do.
You really enjoy school. I hope it stays that way forever.
"Miss Bet-ny (Bethany) and Miss Amy are your favorites.
Every day is a talent show to you. You sing about everything. You twirl and spin and just sing your heart out. Most recently you have started rhyming. The words don't always make sense, but you love to make them rhyme.
You love church most of the time. Last night you cried when it was time to leave. I hope you always love church. Of course it helps that Brayden's Daddy is the preacher.
You are an amazing big sister. If we can't get to Bubba immediately you always talk to him and try to calm him down....and sometimes stuff a bottle in his face.
I can't believe in a few short months you are going to be 4 years old! Such a big girl!
I love you bunches and bunches baby girl!
Love,
Mommy
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