Today is Rachael's 7th birthday. My how they grow. She has turned into a beautiful, sweet, smart and funny girl. I love her so. :)
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Happy Birthday Boo!
Today is Rachael's 7th birthday. My how they grow. She has turned into a beautiful, sweet, smart and funny girl. I love her so. :)
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
The Saga Continues...
Well, Matthew is better. Rachael is improving but still has a fever and is exhausted. We're on the back end of this though (I think) and that's great. I may survive! I'm not sick yet, YEA! Grandad will be here in 2 days and we might just be germ free by then! We've had bunches of snow here and schools have been closed so at least the kids haven't "missed" much school. Since they are feeling better they are now bored and bickering. Maybe the sleeping all day was better! I can imagine that Rae will be out of school the rest of the week, since her fever is still 101-102. Matthew could have gone back today but of course the snow kept him here.
So I fell off the wagon (so to speak). I smoked. Not much, granted, only 1-2 a day (for the past few days) but I realized I couldn't do it without the patch. I became rather irritable and nervous! The state of Iowa offers 2 weeks of free patches and I got them yesterday, so here I go again! I'm not giving up on this one!
So I fell off the wagon (so to speak). I smoked. Not much, granted, only 1-2 a day (for the past few days) but I realized I couldn't do it without the patch. I became rather irritable and nervous! The state of Iowa offers 2 weeks of free patches and I got them yesterday, so here I go again! I'm not giving up on this one!
Monday, February 4, 2008
Another Day in Paradise
Well, it's Monday now. Both kids are now officially sick. Matthew continued to get worse and when his fever reached 104 I hauled him off to the ER. His cough had not improved at all (perhaps it was even worse!) and he had been running a fever for going on 3 days. I had my fill. Of course, it was in the middle of the night. Isn't that when all crazy, exhausted moms take their kids to the ER?
So, let me tell you about my ER visit. When we got there Matthew was actually feeling a little better because I had given him some Ibuprofen which completely hypes him up. I supposed that's not terribly convincing to the doctors when I say he's completely lethargic and has been sleeping 20 hours a day. We did the typical check in, it all went relatively well. We were the only ones there (one of the perks of a small town). I couldn't help but think of my dear friend who runs an ER in Houston Texas. He would be shell-shocked to enter an ER at midnight on a Saturday night and it be empty!
Well, we waited a very few minutes when the doctor came in, or at least I suppose it was the doctor. Given he had no identification on him and he didn't bother to introduce himself, who really knows? He sat down in front of Matthew and kept telling him to move closer so he could listen to his chest. "I'm not going to bend over, my back hurts. You are going to have to scoot over here!" Ugh.
Well. After a very thorough (HA!) 2 minute examination he determined that there was nothing wrong with Matthew. Granted, he had 104 fever and he was coughing up a lung. But it would pass in a week or so. Thank you and goodnight.
I was livid. I guess since I've worked in hospitals before (or maybe just because I'm human) I was so put out by this visit! I mean, seriously. Nothing wrong? Granted, perhaps it's not pneumonia and we had ruled out flu, but nothing? How about a little compassion and bedside manner? Even a "continue to give him the medicine you are giving him, make sure he gets lots of rest and call your doctor if he doesn't improve in a few days" would have been better than "There's nothing wrong with him." See, Scott? There's incompetence in every ER.
OK. So he leaves and I did think to ask the nurse what his name is. I'll be calling my family physician about this one.
We got home around 2am and I finally managed to fall asleep in time to get up for church in the morning.
To be continued....
So, let me tell you about my ER visit. When we got there Matthew was actually feeling a little better because I had given him some Ibuprofen which completely hypes him up. I supposed that's not terribly convincing to the doctors when I say he's completely lethargic and has been sleeping 20 hours a day. We did the typical check in, it all went relatively well. We were the only ones there (one of the perks of a small town). I couldn't help but think of my dear friend who runs an ER in Houston Texas. He would be shell-shocked to enter an ER at midnight on a Saturday night and it be empty!
Well, we waited a very few minutes when the doctor came in, or at least I suppose it was the doctor. Given he had no identification on him and he didn't bother to introduce himself, who really knows? He sat down in front of Matthew and kept telling him to move closer so he could listen to his chest. "I'm not going to bend over, my back hurts. You are going to have to scoot over here!" Ugh.
Well. After a very thorough (HA!) 2 minute examination he determined that there was nothing wrong with Matthew. Granted, he had 104 fever and he was coughing up a lung. But it would pass in a week or so. Thank you and goodnight.
I was livid. I guess since I've worked in hospitals before (or maybe just because I'm human) I was so put out by this visit! I mean, seriously. Nothing wrong? Granted, perhaps it's not pneumonia and we had ruled out flu, but nothing? How about a little compassion and bedside manner? Even a "continue to give him the medicine you are giving him, make sure he gets lots of rest and call your doctor if he doesn't improve in a few days" would have been better than "There's nothing wrong with him." See, Scott? There's incompetence in every ER.
OK. So he leaves and I did think to ask the nurse what his name is. I'll be calling my family physician about this one.
We got home around 2am and I finally managed to fall asleep in time to get up for church in the morning.
To be continued....
Friday, February 1, 2008
Keep A Bucket in the Car
There are so many joys to motherhood...so many I could spend a lifetime and never name them all. But let me tell ya. I don't do sick kids. I guess it's a good thing mine are rarely sick, because I'd probably have to hire a nurse! I mean seriously, the whining, the crying, the wanting to be carried everywhere, the various excrements! You can have it.
Can you tell I have a sick kid? Yup. Matthew woke me up Wednesday night in the middle of the night fussing. I took him downstairs to lay on the couch (so I'm not the perfect mother who puts them straight back in bed!) and noticed he had a fever. Not a bad one, but one nonetheless. He was coughing a little but nothing alarming.
The next morning he was no better so I made him an appointment with our doctor. There's just too much pneumonia and flu going around to not be careful. He was tested negative for the flu (thankfully!) and given cough medicine for the cough. He slept most of the day and when it was time to get Rae from school we piled up in the car and headed on to get her.
I guess it was a combination of the cough medicine and the bump-bump of the car but Matthew was getting sicker, and fast! We ran by the bank and while in the drive-thru, Matthew unloaded, literally....all over the backseat. Poor Rachael, I thought she was going to climb in the glove compartment!
He felt better after and ended up sleeping the rest of the day and night. He's still got fever, cough, but at least the sleep will help. We'll see how this all turns out. I see visions of an entire household being down!
Can you tell I have a sick kid? Yup. Matthew woke me up Wednesday night in the middle of the night fussing. I took him downstairs to lay on the couch (so I'm not the perfect mother who puts them straight back in bed!) and noticed he had a fever. Not a bad one, but one nonetheless. He was coughing a little but nothing alarming.
The next morning he was no better so I made him an appointment with our doctor. There's just too much pneumonia and flu going around to not be careful. He was tested negative for the flu (thankfully!) and given cough medicine for the cough. He slept most of the day and when it was time to get Rae from school we piled up in the car and headed on to get her.
I guess it was a combination of the cough medicine and the bump-bump of the car but Matthew was getting sicker, and fast! We ran by the bank and while in the drive-thru, Matthew unloaded, literally....all over the backseat. Poor Rachael, I thought she was going to climb in the glove compartment!
He felt better after and ended up sleeping the rest of the day and night. He's still got fever, cough, but at least the sleep will help. We'll see how this all turns out. I see visions of an entire household being down!
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
There's A Mouse In the House!
So yesterday was a beautiful day. Temps in the 50's. Kids played outside, I cleaned out the car. I even opened up the windows in the house and opened up the sunroom!
After we got inside from playing, as I was walking down the hall, I saw this small "something" on the floor and dismissed it as a big leaf that one of the kids dragged in. My hands were full of laundry so I just walked past it. A few minutes later I was fixing dinner and noticed it in the kitchen. Rachael said, "What is that?" I said, "Oh it's just a leaf" and reached down and picked it up. It was not a leaf. It was a dead baby mouse. One of the cats must have found it in the sun room and dragged it in the house.
Now, typically I would have not freaked out. A few years ago, yes. But over the past few years I've had many animals to take care of, watched my hamster give birth and helped with baby hamsters (this mouse was about the size of a newborn hamster) and of course have given birth...twice. Not much scares me anymore. Anyway, I'm used to animals, so normally I would have just scooped it up (although probably not with my bare hands!) and thrown it out. But I totally freaked out! I think when you expect a leaf and it's this cold, damp, critter....I don't know. It was just funny ( looking back on it). Rachael sure thought it was funny. Teased me about it all night.
Of course then I had to wonder...where did it come from (although I'm sure it was the sunroom, there are boxes out there, etc) and are there more? If there are more I'm sure we will find them once the weather warms up and the sun room stays open most of the time.
In the meantime, the house is closed back up. We got a cold front through last night and the windchill is -5 right now. We are expecting 1-2 inches of snow, which would be fine except they are calling for "blizzard-like winds" and "snow drifts". It's days like this I hate to send Rae to school (although I did) because I hate the thought of what it will be like when school gets out!
After we got inside from playing, as I was walking down the hall, I saw this small "something" on the floor and dismissed it as a big leaf that one of the kids dragged in. My hands were full of laundry so I just walked past it. A few minutes later I was fixing dinner and noticed it in the kitchen. Rachael said, "What is that?" I said, "Oh it's just a leaf" and reached down and picked it up. It was not a leaf. It was a dead baby mouse. One of the cats must have found it in the sun room and dragged it in the house.
Now, typically I would have not freaked out. A few years ago, yes. But over the past few years I've had many animals to take care of, watched my hamster give birth and helped with baby hamsters (this mouse was about the size of a newborn hamster) and of course have given birth...twice. Not much scares me anymore. Anyway, I'm used to animals, so normally I would have just scooped it up (although probably not with my bare hands!) and thrown it out. But I totally freaked out! I think when you expect a leaf and it's this cold, damp, critter....I don't know. It was just funny ( looking back on it). Rachael sure thought it was funny. Teased me about it all night.
Of course then I had to wonder...where did it come from (although I'm sure it was the sunroom, there are boxes out there, etc) and are there more? If there are more I'm sure we will find them once the weather warms up and the sun room stays open most of the time.
In the meantime, the house is closed back up. We got a cold front through last night and the windchill is -5 right now. We are expecting 1-2 inches of snow, which would be fine except they are calling for "blizzard-like winds" and "snow drifts". It's days like this I hate to send Rae to school (although I did) because I hate the thought of what it will be like when school gets out!
Monday, January 28, 2008
Before I Was A Mom
I got this in my email today and thought it was great. And true....
Before I was a Mom
I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.
Before I was a Mom -
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on. Chewed on. Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts
I slept all night.
Before I was a Mom
I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots. I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.
Before I was a Mom
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put her down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.
Before I was a Mom -
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.
Before I was a Mom -
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom.
Before I was a Mom
I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.
Before I was a Mom -
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on. Chewed on. Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts
I slept all night.
Before I was a Mom
I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots. I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.
Before I was a Mom
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put her down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.
Before I was a Mom -
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.
Before I was a Mom -
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom.
Birthday Parties and Snow Play
We had a busy weekend, but as one of my friends says, "it's better to keep moving!" That tends to be especially true for me even though sometimes all I want to do is doze on the couch!
We went to a birthday party on Saturday for a friend of mine's daughter (that's GOT to be bad grammar, but oh well!). It was at the bowling alley and we had a really good time. Rachael and I had a chance to bowl a little together (Matthew was MUCH more interested in the arcade). I realized it had been a good 15 years since I had bowled! I had forgotten how much I enjoyed bowling, although I must admit I don't remember ever bowling (as an adult) without drinking beer! Seemed a little odd to be bowling with Orange soda! But such is the life of a Mommy!
After the party we were able to play outside for a while. It was in the upper 30's (the beginning of a heatwave!) and the kids enjoyed sledding down our hill. We did manage to get out again yesterday and do the same and the temperature was into the 40's! But never fear, it will be back into the teens by tonight with a snow forecast for tomorrow. Too good to last!
Yesterday at church the hand bell choir played for the first time under the direction of their new director...me! They were awesome. Who wouldn't want to direct a group as great as they are?! It was a bit hectic yesterday, I was directing and ushering but it always seems to come together.
So here we are, back to Monday. My day "off". I'm headed to take Matthew to school and then off to the gym. There will be housecleaning to be done (is that ever NOT the case?) but I'm taking it easy today.
One day and counting smoke free.....getting nervous. I realize how hard this will be, but I'm really dedicated to this. I've got friends keeping me accountable, along with Rachael and my Dad....what a cheering squad!
We went to a birthday party on Saturday for a friend of mine's daughter (that's GOT to be bad grammar, but oh well!). It was at the bowling alley and we had a really good time. Rachael and I had a chance to bowl a little together (Matthew was MUCH more interested in the arcade). I realized it had been a good 15 years since I had bowled! I had forgotten how much I enjoyed bowling, although I must admit I don't remember ever bowling (as an adult) without drinking beer! Seemed a little odd to be bowling with Orange soda! But such is the life of a Mommy!
After the party we were able to play outside for a while. It was in the upper 30's (the beginning of a heatwave!) and the kids enjoyed sledding down our hill. We did manage to get out again yesterday and do the same and the temperature was into the 40's! But never fear, it will be back into the teens by tonight with a snow forecast for tomorrow. Too good to last!
Yesterday at church the hand bell choir played for the first time under the direction of their new director...me! They were awesome. Who wouldn't want to direct a group as great as they are?! It was a bit hectic yesterday, I was directing and ushering but it always seems to come together.
So here we are, back to Monday. My day "off". I'm headed to take Matthew to school and then off to the gym. There will be housecleaning to be done (is that ever NOT the case?) but I'm taking it easy today.
One day and counting smoke free.....getting nervous. I realize how hard this will be, but I'm really dedicated to this. I've got friends keeping me accountable, along with Rachael and my Dad....what a cheering squad!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
