Princess Diana died 10 years ago today. Do you remember where you were when you heard the news? I do. I was in a bar, down in the flats in Cleveland. It was a bar called Heaven & Hell. There was an upstairs and downstairs. The upstairs was Heaven, the downstairs was Hell. Each part was decorated differently. I was with my friend, Melanie. We were sitting at the bar in the Heaven part. There were TV's and the breaking news was on. Later that night, I ran into my prom date. Crazy, eh? That is what I remember.
Do you remember where you were and what you were doing when you heard the news?
Friday, August 31, 2007
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Let's Play a Game...
Okay here are SEVEN baby pictures. Can you tell me if it is Jude, Elise or Avery in the pictures? Jude looked at them and he could tell which were Elise but he choose the Avery pictures as his baby pictures as well. I will reveal the true identities in a couple of days. Make sure you play. Oh...you could probably figure out is more than one picture per kid.
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seven
one
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seven
Thursday Thirteen....Signs that Jude "NEEDS" a dog!
We are not very committed pet owners. Since Jake and I got married we have had two different dogs. The first we acquired when I let Jake take the cat to the vet by himself. He came home with a dog. His name was Max. He was a German Shepard mix. He was a good dog but had lots of fur and was still a puppy - which meant he was hyper. Jude was about a month old and Max jumped on him and scratched his eye. That was the end of that dog. It is okay because the vet decided to keep him and she still has him. The next dog came along when I was pregnant with Elise. Jake pretty much laid low and waited until I was so sick (from the pregnancy) and when I was at my weakest point he asked for a dog. I finally gave in and said yes. The dog he picked was Monet, a cocker spaniel poodle mix....aka a Cock-a-poo. He was a good dog for Jude but we had some serious problems potty training him. He also barked all the time when he was outside or in his kennel. It was annoying. When we moved we got rid of him. Jude still tells me he misses him.
I am NOT a dog person. I like cats. I have a cat that I got on my 23rd birthday. We have been through A LOT together: boyfriends, break-ups, wild parties, 5 different room-mates (before Jake), college, I can't even remember how many jobs and she has moved with me SEVEN times. My kids love the cat. She is tolerant of them but she won't play with them the way a dog would....ya know?
Lately I have noticed some very funny things that make me think Jude really needs a dog. Don't worry - we won't be getting one until be have a big fenced in yard. I am even a little reluctant then but since I live with at least 3 other dog lovers I think I am out voted on this one.
So here are my 13 Signs Jude needs a dog! Enjoy!
1. The other day he had a big, black fly trapped between his window and his screen. He was so excited. He came running to tell me to come and see his new "pet".
2. Last week he & Elise were playing. Elise was crawling on the floor so I assumed she was the baby and they were playing house. WRONG...she was pretending to be Jude's dog.
3. As I type this they are trying to catch the cat because she is their pet Tiger.
4. Yesterday we went to the library. Jude wanted every book that had a dog on the front cover.
5. Jude's "new" favorite toy is the cat carrier. We have it to take Molly to the vet and for when we move. He saw it in the garage and begged to play with it.
6. The cat carrier is full of stuffed animal dogs.
7. Yesterday I wasn't allowed to go in his room because he pet dogs were sleeping in their cage.
8. About once a week Jude asks to watch this little video we have of the old dog Max. He says, "Mommy, can we watch that video of when we had a real dog?"
9. He has a picture of Max in his room.
10. The kids have a bunch of old beanie babies and one of their favorite things to play is Animal Shelter.
11. I caught them putting a baby doll hat on the cat. If we got a dog it would take some pressure off the cat.
12. When they go to my visit my Mom they have to say goodnight to her dogs.
13. Jude begs to get a dog. He has already named it Charlie.
I am NOT a dog person. I like cats. I have a cat that I got on my 23rd birthday. We have been through A LOT together: boyfriends, break-ups, wild parties, 5 different room-mates (before Jake), college, I can't even remember how many jobs and she has moved with me SEVEN times. My kids love the cat. She is tolerant of them but she won't play with them the way a dog would....ya know?
Lately I have noticed some very funny things that make me think Jude really needs a dog. Don't worry - we won't be getting one until be have a big fenced in yard. I am even a little reluctant then but since I live with at least 3 other dog lovers I think I am out voted on this one.
So here are my 13 Signs Jude needs a dog! Enjoy!
1. The other day he had a big, black fly trapped between his window and his screen. He was so excited. He came running to tell me to come and see his new "pet".
2. Last week he & Elise were playing. Elise was crawling on the floor so I assumed she was the baby and they were playing house. WRONG...she was pretending to be Jude's dog.
3. As I type this they are trying to catch the cat because she is their pet Tiger.
4. Yesterday we went to the library. Jude wanted every book that had a dog on the front cover.
5. Jude's "new" favorite toy is the cat carrier. We have it to take Molly to the vet and for when we move. He saw it in the garage and begged to play with it.
6. The cat carrier is full of stuffed animal dogs.
7. Yesterday I wasn't allowed to go in his room because he pet dogs were sleeping in their cage.
8. About once a week Jude asks to watch this little video we have of the old dog Max. He says, "Mommy, can we watch that video of when we had a real dog?"
9. He has a picture of Max in his room.
10. The kids have a bunch of old beanie babies and one of their favorite things to play is Animal Shelter.
11. I caught them putting a baby doll hat on the cat. If we got a dog it would take some pressure off the cat.
12. When they go to my visit my Mom they have to say goodnight to her dogs.
13. Jude begs to get a dog. He has already named it Charlie.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Bag Update...
Last night I made a trip over to the local Aldi store. I decided I would put my denim bags to the test. I wasn't doing major shopping - just the mid-paycheck shopping, ya know? Well, I buzzed through the isles and got what I needed. It was a small load compared to most Aldi trips. I go to the check out and the guy says, "Do you need bags today?" I said, "no thank you." After I pay and start to walk away I pick up my denim bag that has the other bag and a few spare reused bags inside. The cashier says, "Oh that's your bag - I thought it was a pair of shorts." Yeah, I pretty much had the same look on my face that you have right now. SHORTS? Why would I be carrying a pair of shorts in my cart? In case I got hot while shopping? I said, "No these are my bags." He (trying to save face, I think) said, they are very cool." I told him I made them (hoping close by shoppers would hear and rush over to place their orders). Unfortunately, no one did (that time anyhow - there is always next time). After all that, I go over the the pack your stuff up counter and started packing away. It was unbelievable the amount of stuff I could fit into one bag. Because they are so sturdy and I didn't have to worry about them ripping or falling apart I made them pretty heavy. Even Jake was impressed when he carried the groceries in (he is such a good hubby). Oh, he also stopped by Walmart on his way home and bought more sewing machine needles. While he was there he noticed there are needles made for sewing denim (duh why didn't I think of that???) so hopefully I won't be breaking anymore needles.
Oh, in case you were wondering....I fit $32 worth of Aldi stuff in 3 bags! How cool is that???
Oh, in case you were wondering....I fit $32 worth of Aldi stuff in 3 bags! How cool is that???
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
What happened to that Blogger????
Today I let the cat out of the bag and told some of the "new" people in my life about my blog. I know it sounds silly but as you know I have had a problem or two with the blog so I have been a little "shy" about introducing it to anyone. I know, me and shy just don't go together. But I can be extremely shy....well, maybe it isn't shy - probably more anxious than anything. So, I told them about my blog and through a series of random connected thoughts I went back to see when I started my blog. My two year anniversary is coming up and I wanted to know the exact date. As I read through my post titles I realized my writing has changed. Maybe I got bored. Maybe I lost my mojo. I don't know. But, I think I had a lot of good stories about the old days. I still have MANY stories. I think I will start incorporating them back into my blog. I like all the mommy stuff and I enjoy the carnivals and Thursday 13's and all that but there is more to me. I also have a lot of old pictures that I'd like to share. So, hopefully I will have time to get all this done.
Until then - have a great day!
Until then - have a great day!
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Picture Time (Again)....
Do you remember last Christmas when I tried to take "professional" at home pics of my kids for the Christmas card? Well today we tried to take some pics of the three kids together. I dressed them up and we went to the park. It was insane. I couldn't get them to all look or smile or listen to anything. Here are some of the results. It looks like I may have to shell out some money after all....
I Repurposed it from SCRATCH!!!
I am so excited to tell you about my latest creations. I hadn't sewn single thing in like a year and suddenly I had this urge to sew...I think I told you about it a few months ago. Well, one of the things I made was a purse from fabric and a pattern I bought a couple of years ago. It turned out cute. Unfortunately I didn't take a photo of it and right now I am on a time schedule so that won't be making it to this post. Anyhow...I was at my pottery class and one of the ladies asked me if it was some name brand of purse. Flattered and ever so humbly I told her I made it myself. That is when everyone started oohing and ahhing. The teacher looked at it and said if it was just a little deeper it would make a great "grocery bag". What a good idea. So the next week I headed off to the 50 cent sale at Village Thrift. I walked away with $5 worth of 50 cent denim jeans. I couldn't wait to get started. The next day while the kids were sleeping I started cutting out the pattern from the jeans. It took one pair for each bag. I decided I wanted to line the bags so I went through my boxes of old fabric (anyone who sews has quite a stash) and found fabrics I could use for the lining. When I run out of my stuff I will probably buy the $1 a yard stuff from Walmart. I hadn't had the chance to sew them together because I just had a baby so finally today I got to sewing. I am so excited about the results. The bags are sturdy, deep, roomy and stylish to boot. You can't beat that. Unlike many reusable grocery bags mine have a flat bottom, I think it makes a big difference. They are a little bulkier than some of the reusables I have seen but it isn't anything I can't deal with. And they could be used for other things (i.e. library books, lunch, diaper bag, extra deep purse). And the best part is....they cost about a $1 each to make. If you have old jeans lying around it could be even cheaper. I also saved the rest of the cut up jeans for future projects (stay tuned for those). Here are some pics.
I am actually thinking about making these and selling them. What do you think???? Would you buy something like this? How much would you spend per bag? How many do you think you would need to accommodate your groceries?
Oh, in case you notice the pins on the bag with the colorful inside...my needle broke on my sewing machine and I have to buy a new one but I wanted to post the bag so...there.
Have a great day.
I am actually thinking about making these and selling them. What do you think???? Would you buy something like this? How much would you spend per bag? How many do you think you would need to accommodate your groceries? Oh, in case you notice the pins on the bag with the colorful inside...my needle broke on my sewing machine and I have to buy a new one but I wanted to post the bag so...there.
Have a great day.
Check Out This Page!
I read about this in my Mother Earth News magazine. It is a very cool web-site that people post instructions for everything. Check it OUT.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Free Stuff is DANGEROUS...
Yes, you read correctly. Several other bloggers have "free" days where they list different freebies on the web. I LOVE it. Each week I wait for the posts so I can divulge in FREE stuff. I have learned it can be dangerous. The first time I got a hint of this was when I received a free coffee sample. It was some new Folgers Gourmet vanilla biscotti coffee - YUMMY. It was so delicious that after I drank what I wanted while it was hot, I put it in the fridge to drink as iced coffee later. I quickly tucked the coupon they sent with the sample in my wallet so I could purchase more. About a week later I received a sample of the new Tide Pure Essentials in While Lilac scent and Bounce dryer sheets in the same scent. OH MY GOODNESS - it smell so good. I used it about two weeks ago and Jude's pajamas still smelled like it last night. I don't think I have EVER bought Tide in my life because I think it is too expensive. Now, I really want it. Jake told me I'd have to get a job if I want to fit it into the budget. Ha.
Since I have been out of commission healing from the surgery I really have got backed up on my magazine reading. Yesterday I decided while I was nursing I would turn the Food Network off and catch up on my misc. reading. One of the magazines I get in the mail is Domino. I got it for free. I was so excited to get free magazines. Well...Domino is pretty much a magazine FULL of very VERY cool stuff. It is really a magazine of advertisements. As I was flipping through I started saying, oh - I NEED (ahem...want) that, oh and this is so cool and that would make a great gift and when we buy a house we will need that - oh I need to start a scrapbook of what we will need in our new house...... I started getting out of control so I threw the magazine in the garbage. It was for the best.
So, free stuff is dangerous but I can't stop. I am addicted.
Here are some links if you are interested.....Amy (Freebie Friday's) & Heather (Nifty-Thrifty Thursdays).
This is not a sponsored post....I linked them for free!
Since I have been out of commission healing from the surgery I really have got backed up on my magazine reading. Yesterday I decided while I was nursing I would turn the Food Network off and catch up on my misc. reading. One of the magazines I get in the mail is Domino. I got it for free. I was so excited to get free magazines. Well...Domino is pretty much a magazine FULL of very VERY cool stuff. It is really a magazine of advertisements. As I was flipping through I started saying, oh - I NEED (ahem...want) that, oh and this is so cool and that would make a great gift and when we buy a house we will need that - oh I need to start a scrapbook of what we will need in our new house...... I started getting out of control so I threw the magazine in the garbage. It was for the best.
So, free stuff is dangerous but I can't stop. I am addicted.
Here are some links if you are interested.....Amy (Freebie Friday's) & Heather (Nifty-Thrifty Thursdays).
This is not a sponsored post....I linked them for free!
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
In a Perfect World....
I would go to sleep at 11 P.M. and get up at 6 A.M. With seven hours of deep, comfortable, uninterrupted sleep. Ahhh....wouldn't that be heaven!? I think it would. But, alas, I have three children -as you know, one is a newborn. I am getting plenty of sleep but it is interrupted and those interruptions extend my sleeping time, which cuts into the rest of my day. Because I am up late at night I have been sleeping later. I usually wake up to one of my children asking for something or crawling over me or the two of them fighting with each other. That isn't a fun way to wake up. I am a morning person. I am one of those annoying morning people that wakes up in a good mood. I try to be sensitive to the non morning folks around, so not to be too irritating.
Things are going well with the baby. I can't believe she is going to be 4 weeks old already. She is growing but still so small. Her 0-3 month clothes are still too big. Isn't that crazy. She is really long and skinny. She is a very good baby. Very sweet. And yes, she looks so much like Jude did when he was a baby. The other kids are doing great with her. One day I did catch Elise trying to poke her in the eye with a pencil. Luckily I caught her just in the nick of time and had quite a lengthy talk with her about not hurting her baby sister. I think she was still trying to figure out if she is real. Since then she has been better around her.
My wound is still healing. I went to the doctor yesterday and she said it is almost completely healed and I can start getting back to normal. Whew.... I am allowed to drive again. Thank GOD. It was making me crazy not being able to drive. I just need that option so I can get back into the swing of things. I have been trying to get a few things done. It has been challenging. Not because I can't handle three kids but mostly because I am nursing. I breastfeed because I feel like it is the best thing for my babies and because it is cheaper BUT....it takes a lot of time. I am not very good at sitting still and doing nothing. So, breastfeeding is tough for me. And Avery likes to eat - a lot (and often). By time I feed Avery several times and the other kids (who are grazers and ALWAYS hungry), get them dressed and do a load of laundry or two - my day is shot. One day this week I didn't get a shower until Jake got home -yikes. But yesterday I got myself dressed, hair done, make-up on - all three kids bathed, dressed, fed and out the door by 10 A.M. I felt like I really accomplished something. Crazy isn't it.
Today I have a little list of things I want to do - take clothes to Goodwill, finishes getting Elise's next size clothes out, sort Jude's old stuff to give to my sister, put all the laundry away, do a little "school" lesson with the kids (we are attempting to do homeschool preschool) and get a shower and all that. One day we are going to buy a house and move again...I am trying to declutter as much as I can to prepare for that day. I've gotten rid of most of my maternity clothes and the baby boy stuff. I do have a large box of stuff to take to sell to one of those resale shops. Hopefully they give me a lot of money for them.
Okay, enough rambling....I have stuff to do. See ya.
Things are going well with the baby. I can't believe she is going to be 4 weeks old already. She is growing but still so small. Her 0-3 month clothes are still too big. Isn't that crazy. She is really long and skinny. She is a very good baby. Very sweet. And yes, she looks so much like Jude did when he was a baby. The other kids are doing great with her. One day I did catch Elise trying to poke her in the eye with a pencil. Luckily I caught her just in the nick of time and had quite a lengthy talk with her about not hurting her baby sister. I think she was still trying to figure out if she is real. Since then she has been better around her.
My wound is still healing. I went to the doctor yesterday and she said it is almost completely healed and I can start getting back to normal. Whew.... I am allowed to drive again. Thank GOD. It was making me crazy not being able to drive. I just need that option so I can get back into the swing of things. I have been trying to get a few things done. It has been challenging. Not because I can't handle three kids but mostly because I am nursing. I breastfeed because I feel like it is the best thing for my babies and because it is cheaper BUT....it takes a lot of time. I am not very good at sitting still and doing nothing. So, breastfeeding is tough for me. And Avery likes to eat - a lot (and often). By time I feed Avery several times and the other kids (who are grazers and ALWAYS hungry), get them dressed and do a load of laundry or two - my day is shot. One day this week I didn't get a shower until Jake got home -yikes. But yesterday I got myself dressed, hair done, make-up on - all three kids bathed, dressed, fed and out the door by 10 A.M. I felt like I really accomplished something. Crazy isn't it.
Today I have a little list of things I want to do - take clothes to Goodwill, finishes getting Elise's next size clothes out, sort Jude's old stuff to give to my sister, put all the laundry away, do a little "school" lesson with the kids (we are attempting to do homeschool preschool) and get a shower and all that. One day we are going to buy a house and move again...I am trying to declutter as much as I can to prepare for that day. I've gotten rid of most of my maternity clothes and the baby boy stuff. I do have a large box of stuff to take to sell to one of those resale shops. Hopefully they give me a lot of money for them.
Okay, enough rambling....I have stuff to do. See ya.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
As Requested....Lots of New Pictures!!!
Avery's first trip to the Zoo. She slept the whole time.
Oh yeah...you try to get 4 kids to look and smile at the same time.
Jude & Elise playing house. They were calling the doll Avery. And yes, Jude is wearing his Woody costume.
Elise being silly.
Elise with crazy static hair.
Elise checking out the penguins.
Jude & Indy (posing of course) in a covered wagon.
Monkle Ivan (that is what Elise calls him) entertaining the kids (or the kids entertaining him...ha ha).
Jude flying away.
Avery Sleeping...
Avery...
Avery... (she had been crying because I put a hat on her head!)
And Another Avery....
Reichen eating blueberry pancakes...
Monday, August 20, 2007
In the News....
I have one minute and I am going to tell you two things I heard on the news today.
1. Nine different pizza delivery people were robbed in Akron over the past week. Yes...I said nine. This city is out of control. Five were robbed just this week-end. I also heard someone delivering chinese food was robbed too.
2. There is this crazy story about a woman being killed by her pet camel. Here is the link.
K...gotta run.
1. Nine different pizza delivery people were robbed in Akron over the past week. Yes...I said nine. This city is out of control. Five were robbed just this week-end. I also heard someone delivering chinese food was robbed too.
2. There is this crazy story about a woman being killed by her pet camel. Here is the link.
K...gotta run.
PK...
It stands for Promise Keepers. PK is the male version of Women of Faith (which I never wrote the post I was planning to about Women of Faith....add that to my "to write" list). Jake went to the Promise Keepers conference this past week-end. It was in Cincinnati so he stayed overnight. In fact, he left Friday morning and came home Saturday evening. It wasn't bad at all. I think I handled having 3 kids and an open wound just fine on my own. I did drive (I am still not "allowed" to drive). I wasn't planning to drive but it was only an hour after Jake left and I started getting the itch. My plan was to take the kids to the library but we ended up having lunch at the park. It is only a few blocks away so I think it was okay. Although, I don't plan on driving anymore until I am allowed. I satisfied the rebel in me but now I just keep thinking about healing and getting this crap over with. This morning I was wondering to myself....If I had just stayed in bed for a week after the surgery, would I be better now? Probably. I am dumb, I guess. Anyhoo...this post is supposed to be about Promise Keepers. Back to that.... I remember the first time I heard about Promise Keepers. I don't remember exactly who was telling me about it but they were saying my old youth Pastor and his buddies were going to this Promise Keepers conference. I asked what that was and the person said it is some Christian thing for men where they learn that they are the leaders of their families - that women should stay home and take care of the kids. We were most likely sitting in a bar when this conversation occurred. I remember feeling outraged at the idea. Women staying at home - can you believe such a thing? After all I was going to college to get a degree that would ensure I would NEVER be one of those pathetic women. So, for several years after that conversation I had a bad attitude about PK. I'd see the bumper stickers and laugh out loud. Silly me.
Later on in life, after many failed relationships I decided I should try to meet a nice Christian boy. I knew it would probably require getting involved in Church -which I was okay with. I had always enjoyed Church and I was a Christian - I had just strayed for the moment. At the time I was working 2-3 jobs and I thought I didn't have time to go to Church. But, one day I was sitting at the front desk at Safe Landing and I saw this case worker pull in drive. I had never seen him before but the first thing I noticed on his car was a PK sticker. At that moment I thought...oh here comes my next boyfriend. He was very handsome, so that added to my interest. He worked for CSB and had one of his girls staying at the shelter. That was cool because it meant I would be seeing more of him. We chatted, smiled, even flirted a little but then he was gone. Well, later that evening his girl freaked out and ended up leaving the Shelter so....well, that meant I wouldn't be seeing Mr. PK/CSB anymore. Bummer. A couple of months later, as luck would have it, one of my other jobs sent me to CSB to do a summer program with the kids that lived on the campus. Crazy enough, the only case worker I saw the whole time was that guy. Anyhoo...I forget how he got my number but he did and he called me. We ended up going out one time. I asked him what his favorite movie was and he said "When Harry Met Sally" I laughed and told him he didn't have to try to impress me. He looked very offended and told me he wasn't - that was his favorite movie. Ha. We made plans to get together again but never did. Later, he got fired from CSB for dating a clients mom or something. So....my PK story continues.
Less than a year later, I met Jake. He had been to PK before but he didn't have a sticker or anything. I probably didn't even know until after we got married. Either way, he went last year and we had a really bad year. I could have cared less if he went this year or not....to be honest. I felt like he came back feeling defeated and that caused a few problems. And it is expensive, money is tight and well, that was an issue too. He said he wasn't going to go but obviously it was meant for him to be there because it all worked out. He came home and had several revelations. It seemed to be the spiritual recharge that he needed. So that is good. I am happy about it. Of course you all know what a great guy he is...sometimes I think he just needs to believe it.
Well, that is my LONG story about Promise Keepers and how I ended up with my Promise Keeper.
Later on in life, after many failed relationships I decided I should try to meet a nice Christian boy. I knew it would probably require getting involved in Church -which I was okay with. I had always enjoyed Church and I was a Christian - I had just strayed for the moment. At the time I was working 2-3 jobs and I thought I didn't have time to go to Church. But, one day I was sitting at the front desk at Safe Landing and I saw this case worker pull in drive. I had never seen him before but the first thing I noticed on his car was a PK sticker. At that moment I thought...oh here comes my next boyfriend. He was very handsome, so that added to my interest. He worked for CSB and had one of his girls staying at the shelter. That was cool because it meant I would be seeing more of him. We chatted, smiled, even flirted a little but then he was gone. Well, later that evening his girl freaked out and ended up leaving the Shelter so....well, that meant I wouldn't be seeing Mr. PK/CSB anymore. Bummer. A couple of months later, as luck would have it, one of my other jobs sent me to CSB to do a summer program with the kids that lived on the campus. Crazy enough, the only case worker I saw the whole time was that guy. Anyhoo...I forget how he got my number but he did and he called me. We ended up going out one time. I asked him what his favorite movie was and he said "When Harry Met Sally" I laughed and told him he didn't have to try to impress me. He looked very offended and told me he wasn't - that was his favorite movie. Ha. We made plans to get together again but never did. Later, he got fired from CSB for dating a clients mom or something. So....my PK story continues.
Less than a year later, I met Jake. He had been to PK before but he didn't have a sticker or anything. I probably didn't even know until after we got married. Either way, he went last year and we had a really bad year. I could have cared less if he went this year or not....to be honest. I felt like he came back feeling defeated and that caused a few problems. And it is expensive, money is tight and well, that was an issue too. He said he wasn't going to go but obviously it was meant for him to be there because it all worked out. He came home and had several revelations. It seemed to be the spiritual recharge that he needed. So that is good. I am happy about it. Of course you all know what a great guy he is...sometimes I think he just needs to believe it.
Well, that is my LONG story about Promise Keepers and how I ended up with my Promise Keeper.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
So, I Might Not Be Wonder Woman After All....A Graphic (yet entertaining) & Personal Story About Me.
I am going to tell you a very personal story about my c-section healing process. It involves gross stuff like bodily functions & fluids. Perhaps if you have a weak stomach or have some sort of adversity to TMI then stop reading here. But I must warn you...you will miss an almost funny story.
As I have mentioned before, I had a c-section. I have had c-sections for all my children and I haven't minded one bit. I was not one of those women that felt cheated or less than womanly because I had a c-section. I wasn't planning to do anything without meds in the first place and after witnessing my sister - her legs spread eagle with runway lights glaring on her privates a mere 6 days before my due date with Jude - I was more than thrilled when they said I needed to have a c-section. I know, some of you may not understand but that was me. My recovery after my first section was okay. I think I recovered fairly quick but I did have some pain to deal with. With Elise - man it was cake. If you remember I posted a picture of me hiking with Elise in a sling only 10 days after I had her. No problem. Well, this time has been slightly different.
Let me begin by saying my surgery was long. Because I have a lot of scar tissue it took an hour just to get the baby out...then they had to sew me back up. It took a while and I was grouchy by the end. Mainly I was thirsty and hungry because I wasn't allowed to eat for at least 12 hours before the surgery. Because I chose to eat dinner at a normal hour - not midnight - it ended up being almost 20 hours without food. I was starving. So, I get to the recovery room, drink a gallon of water, order food and immediately feel sick afterwords. I regained myself after chasing everyone out of the room because I was sure I would barf and felt okay after that. EXCEPT, I did not have control of my pain meds. They had put something in with my spinal block that administered Morphine for 12 hours. Let me tell you - 12 hours of Morphine is too much for me. I wasn't allowed to get out of bed for the next 12 hours. I had to have an IV and a catheter. I was ready to get up and walk around but I was stuck in bed - doped up. At one pointed I was actually seeing shiny colors on the bathroom door. Cool, eh????
Finally the next morning they let me get up and walk around. I only took half of the pain meds I was allowed and felt great. The nurses looked at me like I was crazy for passing up the drugs but honestly I was feeling good. I got dressed on Sunday - in real clothes. I had one nurse walk in and ask if I was the patient....you gotta love that. Well, my point is that it sure looked like I was on a short road to recovery. Yeah....
Then I came home....
I got home on Monday and everything was fine. Tuesday I went with the kids to tot time. It was a short walk and I didn't do anything but stand around and show off Avery. I came home and took a nap. Easy enough. I wake up from my nap and go to the bathroom (I warned you). When I stood up blood gushed everywhere. It looked like a murder scene in my bathroom. The blood was coming from my incision. In case you were wondering - uh, that isn't normal. In fact, the plan is your incision is intact and never leaks a fluid even before you leave the hospital. So, mine is bleeding. I yelled to ask Jude to get his dad. Jake came upstairs and looked at the mess. I told him I think we were going to have to go back to the hospital. He said, Okay let's call the doctor - I'll go get the phone. So...he calls her and explains what has happened. In the mean time I send Jude down to get my mom - I thought she could have murder scene clean up duty. She gets up there and probably was freaking out a little but remained calm. She starts cleaning. At this point I have disrobed from the waist down and was walking around with a wash cloth on my incision. Jake comes back and hands me the phone - the doctor wanted to talk to me. So, I take the phone in one hand, wash cloth in the other and begin to talk. The kids are running around my bedroom trying to look at "mommy's boo boo". I ask my mom to take them out and Elise starts throwing a fit. At that point my mom is explaining to Elise that she is going to spank her butt if she didn't cooperate (all while the doc is on the phone and I am holding onto my wash cloth). I am saying, "where did Jake go????" He had totally disappeared. Did he get sick? Did he pass out? No....he needed to go poop and had went to the basement bathroom to do his business. WHAT????? How can he poop at a time like this? I don't know. So, the doctor tells me I could go to the emergency room or if I felt comfortable I could wait until Thursday (she isn't in Wednesday's) and come to see her. Thinking of the insurance gap (ER care is not cheap) and the fact that I really wasn't that concerned (not sure why, looking back) I opted for going to see her on Thursday. For the time being she gave me some simple instructions about caring for my gaping wound and that was that. I sent Jake off to CVS to buy some supplies. The bleeding dramatically slowed down and the incision wasn't looking infected or anything. On Thursday I called and made an appointment. After a few minutes went by I decided I was just being neurotic and called to cancel the appointment. Why??? Who knows. By Monday I was annoyed with the incision still being open and still bleeding so I went to see the Doc. She is concerned because it is open still but on the large scale of things it isn't that bad- although she did mention she wished I would have kept my Thursday appointment and then pointed out that most normal people would have gone to the ER. But....for now she (the doctor) has ordered a visiting nurse to come out and pack my wound (sounds so graphic doesn't it???) once a day (twice today) until next Monday. Then I have to go see her again. They said it may take 2-3 weeks to get this healed up. ARGGGHHHHH. I hate not being invincible. The good thing is....she said the open incision was NOT my fault. I guess I had bled from the c-section on the inside and the blood was trapped so it had to get out somehow. It would have happened even if I had been laying in bed all day long. But for now I am supposed to be taking it easy, taking regular pain meds and getting lots of rest. None of those things come naturally to me. I get antsy real easy. So say a little prayer that I heal quickly (and properly). In the mean time I will keep you updated.
As I have mentioned before, I had a c-section. I have had c-sections for all my children and I haven't minded one bit. I was not one of those women that felt cheated or less than womanly because I had a c-section. I wasn't planning to do anything without meds in the first place and after witnessing my sister - her legs spread eagle with runway lights glaring on her privates a mere 6 days before my due date with Jude - I was more than thrilled when they said I needed to have a c-section. I know, some of you may not understand but that was me. My recovery after my first section was okay. I think I recovered fairly quick but I did have some pain to deal with. With Elise - man it was cake. If you remember I posted a picture of me hiking with Elise in a sling only 10 days after I had her. No problem. Well, this time has been slightly different.
Let me begin by saying my surgery was long. Because I have a lot of scar tissue it took an hour just to get the baby out...then they had to sew me back up. It took a while and I was grouchy by the end. Mainly I was thirsty and hungry because I wasn't allowed to eat for at least 12 hours before the surgery. Because I chose to eat dinner at a normal hour - not midnight - it ended up being almost 20 hours without food. I was starving. So, I get to the recovery room, drink a gallon of water, order food and immediately feel sick afterwords. I regained myself after chasing everyone out of the room because I was sure I would barf and felt okay after that. EXCEPT, I did not have control of my pain meds. They had put something in with my spinal block that administered Morphine for 12 hours. Let me tell you - 12 hours of Morphine is too much for me. I wasn't allowed to get out of bed for the next 12 hours. I had to have an IV and a catheter. I was ready to get up and walk around but I was stuck in bed - doped up. At one pointed I was actually seeing shiny colors on the bathroom door. Cool, eh????
Finally the next morning they let me get up and walk around. I only took half of the pain meds I was allowed and felt great. The nurses looked at me like I was crazy for passing up the drugs but honestly I was feeling good. I got dressed on Sunday - in real clothes. I had one nurse walk in and ask if I was the patient....you gotta love that. Well, my point is that it sure looked like I was on a short road to recovery. Yeah....
Then I came home....
I got home on Monday and everything was fine. Tuesday I went with the kids to tot time. It was a short walk and I didn't do anything but stand around and show off Avery. I came home and took a nap. Easy enough. I wake up from my nap and go to the bathroom (I warned you). When I stood up blood gushed everywhere. It looked like a murder scene in my bathroom. The blood was coming from my incision. In case you were wondering - uh, that isn't normal. In fact, the plan is your incision is intact and never leaks a fluid even before you leave the hospital. So, mine is bleeding. I yelled to ask Jude to get his dad. Jake came upstairs and looked at the mess. I told him I think we were going to have to go back to the hospital. He said, Okay let's call the doctor - I'll go get the phone. So...he calls her and explains what has happened. In the mean time I send Jude down to get my mom - I thought she could have murder scene clean up duty. She gets up there and probably was freaking out a little but remained calm. She starts cleaning. At this point I have disrobed from the waist down and was walking around with a wash cloth on my incision. Jake comes back and hands me the phone - the doctor wanted to talk to me. So, I take the phone in one hand, wash cloth in the other and begin to talk. The kids are running around my bedroom trying to look at "mommy's boo boo". I ask my mom to take them out and Elise starts throwing a fit. At that point my mom is explaining to Elise that she is going to spank her butt if she didn't cooperate (all while the doc is on the phone and I am holding onto my wash cloth). I am saying, "where did Jake go????" He had totally disappeared. Did he get sick? Did he pass out? No....he needed to go poop and had went to the basement bathroom to do his business. WHAT????? How can he poop at a time like this? I don't know. So, the doctor tells me I could go to the emergency room or if I felt comfortable I could wait until Thursday (she isn't in Wednesday's) and come to see her. Thinking of the insurance gap (ER care is not cheap) and the fact that I really wasn't that concerned (not sure why, looking back) I opted for going to see her on Thursday. For the time being she gave me some simple instructions about caring for my gaping wound and that was that. I sent Jake off to CVS to buy some supplies. The bleeding dramatically slowed down and the incision wasn't looking infected or anything. On Thursday I called and made an appointment. After a few minutes went by I decided I was just being neurotic and called to cancel the appointment. Why??? Who knows. By Monday I was annoyed with the incision still being open and still bleeding so I went to see the Doc. She is concerned because it is open still but on the large scale of things it isn't that bad- although she did mention she wished I would have kept my Thursday appointment and then pointed out that most normal people would have gone to the ER. But....for now she (the doctor) has ordered a visiting nurse to come out and pack my wound (sounds so graphic doesn't it???) once a day (twice today) until next Monday. Then I have to go see her again. They said it may take 2-3 weeks to get this healed up. ARGGGHHHHH. I hate not being invincible. The good thing is....she said the open incision was NOT my fault. I guess I had bled from the c-section on the inside and the blood was trapped so it had to get out somehow. It would have happened even if I had been laying in bed all day long. But for now I am supposed to be taking it easy, taking regular pain meds and getting lots of rest. None of those things come naturally to me. I get antsy real easy. So say a little prayer that I heal quickly (and properly). In the mean time I will keep you updated.
Monday, August 06, 2007
Visitors...
We've had a lot of visitors over the last 10 days. It has been nice. This week-end was pretty quiet. Although I got a myspace message and I think one of my friends did want to come and visit but I didn't listen to her message on my phone (sorry I hadn't charged the battery - I am going to listen to it as soon as I am done typing this....). So that was a bummer to miss her. We really did a whole lot of nothing this week-end. The kids were with Nana & Poppy so we had all this free time. We were talking about it and laughing because now we find it unbelievably easy with just one kid but when we just had Jude we thought it was so difficult. Ha ha ha haha. Only if we knew then what we know now. Perhaps we would have enjoyed it more. Anyhoo......
Last night we got a call from Jake's cousin Emma. Remember the Amish cousin? Well, she had told me she was going to be coming up on July 10th but I never heard from her. I was disappointed but didn't really think about it since. I told Jake I just wasn't cool enough for his Amish relatives. But, last night she called and said they would be in the area. How exciting. She wasn't sure what time she would be around but she said she would call. So, this morning at 8 A.M. the phone rings. It was Sarah Ann (Emma's sister). She said they were in Cuyahoga Falls already. Yikes....I was still in bed. I needed to shower and get ready and bath the baby and clean up the house a little and make something to drink and on and on my list went. Jake was already at work. Before the panic set in she told me they were going to go to Marcs & the Village Thrift (it is 50 cent Monday) and then they were going to stop by but first they needed directions to the Village Thrift. Whew...they showed up around 10:30. It was nice. Sarah Ann & Emma came in but the other ladies didn't want to since they didn't know me. When they found out I have a 10 day old baby they came right in. It was just a short visit. We talked about birthing babies, c-sections, getting your tubes tied, picking peaches and canning corn. Kind of a strange mix of conversation with the Amish girls. Really they are not much different than me. Right before they left the one lady said she had just learned the song "Hey There Delilah". I told her it was about me and we all had a laugh. Either way...I thought it was cool that I had Amish visitors so I wanted to tell ya'll about it. Have a good one.
Last night we got a call from Jake's cousin Emma. Remember the Amish cousin? Well, she had told me she was going to be coming up on July 10th but I never heard from her. I was disappointed but didn't really think about it since. I told Jake I just wasn't cool enough for his Amish relatives. But, last night she called and said they would be in the area. How exciting. She wasn't sure what time she would be around but she said she would call. So, this morning at 8 A.M. the phone rings. It was Sarah Ann (Emma's sister). She said they were in Cuyahoga Falls already. Yikes....I was still in bed. I needed to shower and get ready and bath the baby and clean up the house a little and make something to drink and on and on my list went. Jake was already at work. Before the panic set in she told me they were going to go to Marcs & the Village Thrift (it is 50 cent Monday) and then they were going to stop by but first they needed directions to the Village Thrift. Whew...they showed up around 10:30. It was nice. Sarah Ann & Emma came in but the other ladies didn't want to since they didn't know me. When they found out I have a 10 day old baby they came right in. It was just a short visit. We talked about birthing babies, c-sections, getting your tubes tied, picking peaches and canning corn. Kind of a strange mix of conversation with the Amish girls. Really they are not much different than me. Right before they left the one lady said she had just learned the song "Hey There Delilah". I told her it was about me and we all had a laugh. Either way...I thought it was cool that I had Amish visitors so I wanted to tell ya'll about it. Have a good one.
Saturday, August 04, 2007
Back to Blogging....
Oh what a week. If you have ever had a baby you know that the week after you give birth you have a dramatic drop in your hormone levels and it can be....well, interesting. This week has indeed been interesting. I'll spare you the details - although they are probably quite entertaining, I think it is too soon. Ha.
The baby is great. She has proven to quite a good baby so far. She is already on somewhat of a schedule. Elise did the same thing almost immediately. She has only been waking up once a night to eat. It is so nice. I could have 2 or 3 babies at a time if they were all this easy. She is already growing - which makes me so sad, since I know she is my last baby. Also - probably a hormone thing.
We have had lots of help. My mom was here for most of the week. On Thursday she took Jude & Elise and went to Tennessee. I didn't really want the kids to go away because I didn't want them to feel like I was trading them in and I wanted to make sure they adjusted to having a baby around. BUT...they really wanted to go, my mom wanted to go and did I mention I am a little hormonal???? As soon as they left I wanted them to come back but.... They will be home on Monday and they are having fun with Nana & Poppy. Elise won't even talk to me on the phone. Before he left, Jude told me he would miss his baby sister but I think he has already forgotten about her because he hasn't mentioned her! Both Jude and Elise were doing just fine with the baby around. Elise wasn't as bad as I thought she would be. She only poked Avery in the eye once. She asked to hold her a few times and when she played with her dolls she now calls them "baby sister". Isn't that cute. I think Jude thinks Avery is a little boring still. He keeps asking when she will be able to walk and talk. Oh, and did I tell you??? He doesn't call her Avery. He calls her Skye. Elise goes back and forth. Jude wanted us to name her Skye all along so that is what he calls her. I think it is cute.
Other than my mom helping out - Jake has been home from work. He is going to start going back for a few hours at time next week. I still need him a little because I CAN'T DRIVE! It drives me crazy. The kids will be back on Monday and it will be just us for a couple of days, then Linda (Jake's mom) is coming to stay for a few days. I should be good to go by then. I've had a few "complications" in the healing process this time so I am a little slower than I think I was with Elise at this point. Maybe I just don't remember clearly. Either way, people have been bringing meals over to us. Most of the people are from our church and a few from our old church. It has been sooooo nice not to have to think about dinner - it just shows up. And everything has been absolutely delicious. It is a good thing it is only for two weeks otherwise I may never loose the baby weight. Last night the dinner included cake. Before I cut into it I thought....I hope this cake is strawberry or cherry chip - what are the chances....It was!!! I ate a huge piece. That isn't good for the girly figure.
The baby is great. She has proven to quite a good baby so far. She is already on somewhat of a schedule. Elise did the same thing almost immediately. She has only been waking up once a night to eat. It is so nice. I could have 2 or 3 babies at a time if they were all this easy. She is already growing - which makes me so sad, since I know she is my last baby. Also - probably a hormone thing.
We have had lots of help. My mom was here for most of the week. On Thursday she took Jude & Elise and went to Tennessee. I didn't really want the kids to go away because I didn't want them to feel like I was trading them in and I wanted to make sure they adjusted to having a baby around. BUT...they really wanted to go, my mom wanted to go and did I mention I am a little hormonal???? As soon as they left I wanted them to come back but.... They will be home on Monday and they are having fun with Nana & Poppy. Elise won't even talk to me on the phone. Before he left, Jude told me he would miss his baby sister but I think he has already forgotten about her because he hasn't mentioned her! Both Jude and Elise were doing just fine with the baby around. Elise wasn't as bad as I thought she would be. She only poked Avery in the eye once. She asked to hold her a few times and when she played with her dolls she now calls them "baby sister". Isn't that cute. I think Jude thinks Avery is a little boring still. He keeps asking when she will be able to walk and talk. Oh, and did I tell you??? He doesn't call her Avery. He calls her Skye. Elise goes back and forth. Jude wanted us to name her Skye all along so that is what he calls her. I think it is cute.
Other than my mom helping out - Jake has been home from work. He is going to start going back for a few hours at time next week. I still need him a little because I CAN'T DRIVE! It drives me crazy. The kids will be back on Monday and it will be just us for a couple of days, then Linda (Jake's mom) is coming to stay for a few days. I should be good to go by then. I've had a few "complications" in the healing process this time so I am a little slower than I think I was with Elise at this point. Maybe I just don't remember clearly. Either way, people have been bringing meals over to us. Most of the people are from our church and a few from our old church. It has been sooooo nice not to have to think about dinner - it just shows up. And everything has been absolutely delicious. It is a good thing it is only for two weeks otherwise I may never loose the baby weight. Last night the dinner included cake. Before I cut into it I thought....I hope this cake is strawberry or cherry chip - what are the chances....It was!!! I ate a huge piece. That isn't good for the girly figure.
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