Yesterday we finally dedicated the day to taking down
our Christmas trees and Christmas decorations (Four Christmas trees, wreaths galore,
bows, pictures, Christmas chotchkies ,
lights, crafts....all of it....well...except one tiny thing that I'll show you tomorrow). It is a lengthy process to de-Christmas, but
one I never mind doing because I love the looks on our kids faces when we
transform our home into their Christmas Wonderland. Their future spouses won't even believe it
when they begin to describe their childhood Christmases and I am totally up for
demonstrating.
Seeing is believing!!!
Of course when some decorations are tucked neatly into
their storage boxes it is time to decorate all over again. Bring on Valentine's Day, sweethearts!
This
morning as I was serving the kids their breakfast Hannah initiated a
conversation regarding the new year and how old everyone would be turning this
year. I stopped for a moment, listening
as she rattled off the numbers, "So I will be eight, Tori will be eleven,
Hayden will be five and Andrew will be thirteen.", she announced!
Whoa!
Whoa!
Whoa!
Hold
it right there!
I
demand a recount!
My
first baby will be...th-th-thhhh-thirteen?!
Certainly
not?!
Right?!
{SIGH}
Yes,
yes he will be. I recalculated the
math...just in case she was horribly wrong on ALL accounts.
I
remember my childhood taking what seemed like FOREVER, yet somehow watching my
children grow seems like it is literally happening overnight.
As
for this moment, this VERY moment right now I will cuddle with them (because
they all still love cuddling with their Momma),
and I will savor right now, just as I always have because I have a
feeling that this very topic of birthdays and ages will be replayed time and
time again as my babies grow older each day.
Resolve to find passion so deep that it rocks your soul. ...Then nurture it. Embrace it. Enjoy it.
©Stephanie/LittleInsights2012
I could not imagine my life without my hubs and babies. I pray that you all have someone, or many in your life that make you whole.
Resolve to laugh every single day. Good, hearty belly laughs are the best.
©Stephanie/LittleInsights2012
Resolve to be great.
Greatness can be
found in abundance
within each of us.
©Stephanie/LittleInsights2011
Resolve to claim
your destiny.
©Stephanie/LittleInsights2011
Resolve to live
in harmony.
Resolve to love.
©Stephanie/LittleInsights2011
This time of the year is by far one of my favorites. The family time, the decorations, festivities, Christmas movies, music, food, more decorations, lights, crafts......
I truly love every moment of it, other than that
feeling you get after you have loaded yourself with a plethora of junk foods,
processed foods, foods high in saturated fat and sugar, or worse, the foods
that contain a ton of artificial ingredients.
In years past we happily joined along in the Thanksgiving and Christmas
feasts. I've been cooking those HUGE
meals for the last thirteen plus years, happily slaving away in the
kitchen. A light bulb turned on in my
head this year...an epiphany of sorts....
Why the heck do people feel the need to binge on these holiday favorites
when they are available all year long?
Sure, some things might be seasonal, so enjoy those very favorite items
in moderation. I physically cannot
marathon-eat like some folks. We are most
definitely grazers here.
Before Christmas this year I took a family
poll. I wanted to know what everyone's
favorite food was at Christmastime.
Without skipping a beat I had two very strong votes for sausage cheese
balls, my homemade mashed potatoes and gravy and cookies. DONE!
That was what I prepared this Christmas, along with our usual whole fruits
and veggies. I must say that not one of
us felt miserable throughout the day and all of us enjoyed our Christmas that
much more because instead of spending hours in the kitchen we enjoyed even more
hours together.
I am all for Christmas and holiday traditions. Rest assured this is one tradition I plan to
uphold.
I Wish You.....
I wish you joy
...and peace.
Love
...and laughter.
I wish you happiness.
A cup that is always half-full.
I wish you all better than the best.
I wish you gorgeous sunrises...
and spectacular sunsets.
Inspiration and excitement.
Patience and understanding.
Times that are not trying.
Health.
I wish for your dreams to come true.
These, my blessed family and friends
are my deepest wishes for you.
From our home to yours I'd like to
wish you all a beautiful Christmas and Blessed New Year.
Love and Hugs,
Stephanie
The lady who is dressed in blue
She sits in the corner and she is watching you
A smile on her face
and a pink flower tucked in her hair
The lady who is dressed in blue
She is watching you
....watching over you...
....Watching over you
Caught between this life and the next...
She purposefully sits in the corner
She sits there watching over you...
Continuing to watch when you are out just out of view...
Keeping watch as you play and when you are tucked into your bed each night.
That lady who is dressed in blue
with a pink flower in her hair has sworn to watching you
protecting you...
In the very same way she watches me too.
The way she always watched me...
The way she always protected me.
In her loving arms, no longer tangible
...she holds your hand as you journey through this life.
All from that corner where she sits in her chair
...watching you...
...protecting you...
Like most mommas, I have a picky eater on my hands. My picky eater has a little brother who totally looks up to her. For the record, Hannah hasn't always been so picky but in recent years she has decided that when we have spaghetti she prefers hers sans sauce of any kind. Honestly, if she prefers plain pasta then it really isn't that big of a deal, except I'd hate for her taste buds to live a sheltered little existence.
Tonight we were having pasta alfredo, black
olives and fresh baked bread. I decided
that I'd play a little tricky-poo on my two youngest kiddos. I served their plates, each with plain pasta,
olives, bread and "dipping sauce" for their bread. Internet -- You should have seen these two
kids gobble up their bread with dipping sauce!
MMMM!
Yum!
This is soooo good mom!
Yummy!
Did I tell them it was the same sauce they
usually turn their noses up to, you might ask.
Heck-to-the-no I didn't!
Like most mommas, I have a picky eater on my hands. My picky eater has a little brother who totally looks up to her. For the record, Hannah hasn't always been so picky but in recent years she has decided that when we have spaghetti she prefers hers sans sauce of any kind. Honestly, if she prefers plain pasta then it really isn't that big of a deal, except I'd hate for her taste buds to live a sheltered little existence.
Tonight we were having pasta alfredo, black
olives and fresh baked bread. I decided
that I'd play a little tricky-poo on my two youngest kiddos. I served their plates, each with plain pasta,
olives, bread and "dipping sauce" for their bread. Internet -- You should have seen these two
kids gobble up their bread with dipping sauce!
MMMM!
Yum!
This is soooo good mom!
Yummy!
Did I tell them it was the same sauce they
usually turn their noses up to, you might ask.
Heck-to-the-no I didn't!

Tonight as I sit here, a turkey ready to be placed into the oven, the ingredients for all of our favorite holiday recipes waiting in an organized line before their preparation I sit here feeling thankful and blessed.
I am thankful for my family, for my friends, for the men and women who serve our country each and every day. As I sit across the table from my family I will certainly remember those who are protecting our country so that we can enjoy many-a-holiday in the comforts of our home in a land that is protected by the brave men and women who are willing to sacrifice all to protect us. I am thinking of the families that sit around their tables absent a loved one as they serve our country.
I pray that each of you finds even the simplest things to be thankful for this holiday season. Without acknowledging those tiniest blessings we often miss the biggest reasons to be thankful. May your holiday seasons be happy a bright.
So, yesterday Hannah writes a letter to the tooth fairy (She prefers dictating versus writing so this was a HUGE deal)- Her letter reads:
Dear Tooth Fairy,
Tonight I want gold coins
please. The tooth was really hard to get
out and it hurt a lot.
Thank you very much.
Love,
Hannah
(After
work yesterday my husband made a special trip to the bank to retrieve said
"GOLD COINS".)
Last
night I was wrapping up a few last minute projects after we had tucked the kids
into their beds, therefore I was the last one into the shower. While in the shower, I asked my hubs if all
of the kids were asleep. When he told me that we officially had four sleeping
kiddos I reminded him about that "THING" that we needed to do. You know....that thing where he gracefully
slips into his set of tooth fairy wings, flutters down the hall and slips
"GOLD COINS" into the pocket of one particular tooth fairy pillow,
removes the aforementioned letter and tooth and flutters ever so delicately out
of the room without making a peep.
I
shall give you one guess what never happened last night.
The
tooth fairy didn't come!
[GASP]
What?!
Hannah
scurried down the ladder of her bunk bed, and into the living room with her
tooth in hand, "Mom, the tooth fairy didn't come."
What?
"The
tooth fairy didn't come." [With a very long face and look of devastation.]
Thank
goodness I was thinking on my toes....
"Did
I remember to tell you to put the tooth nearest the elephant and gently
rub?", I asked her.
"No.",
she replied as she scurried off to grab her tooth fairy elephant pillow.
We
rearranged the tooth in the pocket, rubbed it gently and have officially set it
out...AGAIN for the tooth fairy to grace us with her presence this
evening! I think I'll be dusting off my
wings this evening. That look of
devastation just about killed me this morning!
Day 1 - Today I am thankful for by husband who loves me unconditionally, knows me better than any other person in the entire world, serves as my husband, lover, best friend, confidant, soul mate, partner.......
Day 2 - I am thankful for my four absolutely
beautiful and wonderful blessings-my babies.
I could not imagine my life without my children. I pray that in this lifetime I can teach them
at least half of what they have taught me.
Day 3 - I am thankful for my family and friends. For laughter and tears and laughter to the
point of tears.
Day 4 - I am thankful for my cameras and for the
fact that I am able to capture memories of a small moment in time that will
last forever.
Day 5 - I am thankful for paint!! Yes, I said it, I AM thankful for
paint. I love to create something new
out of something old. Time and time
again, over and over I am in awe of the magical powers of paint.
Day 6 - I am thankful for music.
Day 7 - I am thankful for belly laughs....big
hearty belly laughs....
Tonight, while having dinner Hannah tells me that she REALLY wants her 2nd top front tooth out because it HuRRRRRts. I console her, as any mom would and tell her that it will be out soon. Without skipping a beat my friend who was visiting proceeds to tell her about other children who are receiving "gold coins" for their teeth. HOLY CRAP! Talk about putting a mom and dad on the spot. I haven't any Sacagawea coins handy at the moment. Not only do I not have them readily available at this hour , the last time I requested some from the local bank they hadn't a clue what I was talking about. Yes....Seriously....the teller hadn't a clue what a Sacagawea dollar was! Now, as she sits here praying for her tooth to fall out and for the tooth fairy to bring her "gold coins", I am dusting off my tooth fairy wings and praying like crazy that the tooth doesn't fall out until I can get my hands on a few Sacagawea dollars!
Better yet, I
think I should add up all of the teeth that are yet to be lost so I can just
keep that number of coins on hand.....
I wish I could say that I wasn't one of "THOSE" people, but I must admit that as a result of the move I am forced to unpack boxes and face the reality that at some point in my life something happened and I started to keep about 90 percent of, well, EVERYTHING!
I could literally recreate my children's nurseries because I have saved everything. Like most things there is an event, or maybe even a series of events in life that creates the desire to save everything. I have always been a very tactile person. I love to recollect a memory and actually have something tangible that coincides with that memory. One memory turns into two, which turns into a million, then ten million. The item starts as just one, then two, then a million, then ten million items. A shrine. An homage to my entire life and to my children's lives.
My other problem is the fact that I love upcycling and recycling old things and creating new things. Hobby collector, perhaps?
As I sort through this "stuff" I am finally at a point where I am embracing the stupidity and insanity of thinking that I need to keep every. single. thing. It is really ridiculous.
I have donated tons of stuff before, believe it or not and I can't wait for the day to turn my trash into a little cash, along with donating a ton more to local charities!
What do you hoard collect?
AKA....Abraham
de Lacy Giuseppe Casey Thomas O'Malley the Alley Cat
For
as long as I can remember or at least from the moment I saw Aristocats for the
first time I was in love! Such a cute movie!!
I
like cats but must admit that I have NEVER been a fan of litter boxes or fur
balls. Yes, yes, yes! I am well aware that all of that is part
of owning a cat. In our case owning a cat also means serious
allergy problems for my husband. My
kids on the other hand have been begging for a cat.
NOPE!
NOPE!
NOT A
CHANCE!!!
That,
internet is what I repeatedly said until I started thinking about all of the
snakes, rats and mice outdoor kitties are capable of eliminating! The thought of our little slice of the world
being critter free makes me very, VERY happy!
It
was win/win....and well...win! The kids
get to have their own kitty, we don't have to have fur-balls and litter boxes
and our Mr. O'Malley can enjoy all of his beautiful world while, hopefully
ridding ours of these little nuisances along the way. Fingers Double Crossed!! ![]()
And....
Did I
mention that O'Malley had a homeless brother.
What could be better than one exterminator?
TWO!!!!
Internet,
meet our very adorable Monroe!!
I am
not really a believer in having 100% outdoor pets, but I can't think of a
better place for these little ones to take up residence. They'll enjoy many a day by the bay and
perhaps even feast on a fish or two (Not to mention the love and affection from
the kids and I!).

Take the internet, for example. As a kid there was no such animal in existence, yet now we come to rely so heavily on the internet. For social networking purposes, business, gaming, reading, school, homeschooling resources, the news, directions, the dictionary a thesaurus, a referencing guide, shopping, couponing, recipes, blogging..... The list is just never-ending. And look at all of the old reference materials that are becoming obsolete.
I was recently without internet. At first I didn't miss it because at one point in time in my life I used the "Old school" referencing materials. I could still use a card catalog at the library if it came down to it, prepare recipes from a cook book, ya-da, ya-da, ya-da. It makes me wonder, though about the upcoming generations that so heavily rely on the internet as their ONLY resource for just about everything.
This brings me to another revelation about the change in society and reliance on computers.
A few months ago I pulled through a drive thru to buy drinks for my kids. We don't typically eat junk food, but the kids were thirsty and I didn't feeling like hauling out Tori's wheelchair just to buy drinks. I pulled up to the line, which was very backed up, then to the speaker. I placed my order for four drinks, pulled forward to magical window number 1 where I was greeted by a teenage kid who was obviously struggling at the window. Apparently their computers were down and she was forced to accept money from customers and figure out the change to return to the customers. She wasn't able to accept any credit cards whatsoever.
I WAS FLOORED!
This kid was stumped by a computer outage. I worked for nearly ten years in the restaurant business. We had a specific kit called a "crash kit". When the computers went down we were able to input everything manually without the need for the computers. When servers were hired I trained them in the usage of the crash kit to make sure they understood how the restaurant would work effectively under those circumstances. I couldn't believe the leg-work it took for this kids to figure out how to charge me for four drinks that were a dollar a piece plus take out tax! This by no means was rocket science, but for this kid it might've been the closest she'll ever come to that.
Oh....and here's another example-
I pulled into the gas station and realized that I did not
have my husband's wallet. I knew I
needed to get gas and, knowing that I seldom carry cash I better find an
alternative. I turned to the ton of change that I had handy in the car versus
turning the car around to fetch my husband's wallet. I counted ten dollars worth of quarters,
proceeded to the window to pay for my gas.
I opened the tray and set my quarters in the slot. The cashier looked at me and said, "We
don't accept that kind of money.".
I kid you not! I thought she was
kidding, so I smiled back. She repeated
herself, "We don't accept that kind of money." "Quarters", I replied. "Yes, she said because then we have to
count it and the manager's don't want us to have to count." Holy crap folks, this is a cashier who no
longer has to count! I had made up my
mind that I was not leaving that window.
A minute or so passed when she reached into the slot, removed the
quarters and told me that she'd do it this time, but it that ever happened
again I needed to have my quarters rolled!
Uhm....okay. I think I might just
elect to pay with change more often and really stump these non-counting
cashiers! ![]()
In September my husband and I celebrated twenty years together (for those of you just joining me in blog-land, my husband and I were high school sweethearts). I already knew I loved him years ago. I certainly wouldn't have taken on the enormous task of restoring my childhood home with him had I not known that our love was strong. I have seen marriages crumble under the pressures of building a house, let alone renovating a house that was built in 1904. There is nothing plumb or level about this house. The one hundred plus years of being nestled by the bay and taking the winds head on has to play a huge part in the settling. There were layers of filth and old crumbling, itchy insulation that had to be removed, the desire to keep things old while also making some things new out of necessity, the termites, the crumbling mortar (The list really could go on and on.). The fact that when our home of the last twelve years never sold we knew that our restoration would have to be tackled on a shoestring budget. We did it anyway. We jumped in feet first, somewhat aware of the tasks that lay ahead. There have been some bumps in the road, some projects that have taken longer than we anticipated. (Let's just say that re-plumbing and rewiring a house that is built like Fort Knox in the hottest part of the summer in a home without air conditioning was taxing on our bodies.) Did I mention that we did all of this with all of the demands of having four children and two dogs under foot. We had to address all of their needs before even beginning to think of proceeding with our daily projects.
As I'd lay my head on my pillow, his arms wrapped
around me I knew that there was not a single person in this world that I'd
rather share this experience with, mentally, emotionally, physically.... Not a
single person!!!
I think that my Grandma, Auntie and Dad, who
loved this house more than I can even begin to describe would understand the
changes that we made and above and beyond I believe that they would be so proud
of the blood, sweat and tears (I was the only one shedding those...(You had to
know there'd be tears.)... It is hard to
see old "stuff" removed when you really, REALLY wanted the house to
be a total restoration, but realize the necessity in upgrading some things).
All of this was truly a labor of love. It was an honor to tackle this with the love
and lovies (our babies) of my life.
A few months ago we purchased unfinished cabinets
from Lowe's that were manufactured by Continental Cabinets. I have to be real honest and say that I
typically like to shop at Lowe's versus Home Depot. I like the lighting and overall feel of the
store better at Lowe's than Home Depot.
Don't get me wrong I frequent both, but I frequent Lowe's more than Home
Depot. Even the exterior of Lowe's is
more appealing to the eye. (At least to my eyes)
Sorry, I digressed. Back to the cabinets.....
So we purchased all of the lower cabinets that we
needed with the exception of a thirty inch sink base. We also purchased one of the upper cabinets
but decided that we'd postpone purchasing the rest of the upper cabinets so we
could divvy the funds out in different directions. I brought the cabinets home and began the
finishing process. Because we are in a
very humid climate I even went so far as to polyurethane the backs and sides of
the cabinets in an effort to protect them from mold spores that are common in
these climates. I had a bit of a problem
when it came to staining one of the twenty-four inch base cabinets. I am not sure if the wood had been treated
differently, but the stain did not seem to take in certain places. Before staining the next twenty-four inch
base my husband and I decided that we'd better exchange or return these
cabinets to ensure that we hadn't lucked out and purchased a "bad
batch". We took the cabinets along
with the receipt to one of the local Lowe's stores. Along the way the defective
cabinet's door cracked when wind rushed under the cabinet door. We continued into the store where the lady at
the returns desk began to process the return.
I left my husband in charge of the return while I took my youngest
kiddos to the restroom. Apparently while I was gone the lady handling the
returns called over her manager since the one cabinet was damaged. I returned from the restroom to find that
Netherly (And no, I am not making that name up) was hassling my husband
regarding our return. Carlos can
certainly handle himself when it comes to returns, but I was livid! We have spent thousands of dollars in Lowe's
stores this year alone and this guy was seriously hassling my husband about our
need to return his defective cabinets.
Step aside! Step aside! He turned to me and asked what he could do
with these cabinets now that we had one that was defective. I kindly explained that he couldn't do
anything with them anyway because they were apparently defective when we
purchased them. Now I was on the verge
of exploding!!This idiot had to be kidding me.
At that point he told me that he was going to talk to my husband and
completely turned his back to me! I was
SHOCKED! I don't think I have EVER
received such crappy customer service!
Finally he agreed to take back the cabinets 'since we had our
receipt'. My husband handed the lady the
receipt. She promptly called the manager
over again. Apparently the receipt was
over 30 days old. Netherly returned,
passed by us and said that he would not be returning the cabinets! I was livid beforehand; Now I was
fuming! Off we went, reloading the
cabinets onto the trailer.
I knew something was way wrong! This guy wasn't being this big of an ass for
no reason.
A few days passed and we went to search for our
last base cabinet. We arrived at our
usual Netherly-free, friendly Lowe's. Without skipping a beat we made our way
to the cabinets and purchased our sink base.
We got home, set the unfinished cabinet in place when, holy hell Batman,
this cabinet wasn't the same! The
drawer-fronts were different, the heights were different, the quality was crap
and the manufacturer was different.
I was so stressed out! How would my kitchen come together when the
cabinets didn't even match? Would I have
to have a cabinet maker make a stinkin' cabinet that was at least similar to
take its place where I needed the cabinet? My upper and lower cabinets wouldn't
match! My tummy churned! A dear friend
called another store manager for me who did the legwork and concluded that
Continental Cabinets had given Lowe's a thirty day notice to have all of their
cabinets removed from their shelves. My
tummy REALLY churned! I went back to my
normal Lowe's and talked with the manager.
I explained my situation and stressed that I needed a solution to my
problem. He had his fellow managers
tackling my problem. They found my
cabinets. Apparently all cabinets that
were not sold were donated to the local Habitat for Humanity Restores. They went a step further a called the local
Habitat for Humanity locations to actually ensure that they had the cabinets I
needed! Take that Netherly! That's how managers should operate and treat
their customers! Karma, Netherly,
Karma...and it'll sneak up and get you when you least expect it!
It was obvious that I had to hustle and make the
trek out to purchase my cabinets. My
husband's work schedule was completely booked so my dear friend accompanied me
and my four kiddos for what ended up being a nearly six hour trip (It took
awhile to get there, pull the cabinets, realize that there was a different
layout option for my dimensions, pull those cabinets then go ahead as planned
with the original design idea). I am so
grateful for her patience because I was completely scatter-brained that day and
certainly needed someone to help me sort everything out and make sure that I
had EVERYTHING I needed right then and there!
As it turned out it was a steal.
I ended up paying twenty percent lower than Lowe's last discounted price
on each cabinet. Not to mention the fact
that while perusing the door selection we came across and absolutely gorgeous
(well....it will be gorgeous when I am done with it) door to grace the back of
our house. The lines and leaded glass
details were beyond perfect for our home!
The back of the house will finally have some much-needed pizzazz!
In April of 2004 we welcomed our beautiful daughter Hannah into the world. Here is the story of how she came to be....
We felt so blessed the very moment that we found out that we were expecting another sweet little blessing. I would be lying if I said that I weren't nervous, since before becoming pregnant with Hannah I had lost a pregnancy.
My OB at the time suggested that I take daily injections of progesterone to make certain that I sustain this pregnancy. I did as she suggested, because I trusted her. In retrospect I still scratch my head in wonder at why in the world I trusted her as much as I did. I mean my progesterone levels were already within normal ranges and I hadn't had any problems with my progesterone levels in the past. I imagine that my hips said thank you once I reached the second trimester and I was able to stop the daily progesterone injections.
During the second trimester, around week 17 I began having a bit of cramping on the top portion of my belly. My doctor sent me in to the hospital to have a few diagnostic studies performed. Initially she thought the pain might have been coming from my gallbladder. When the sonographer scanned my gallbladder it was perfect. They moved on to my kidneys which were also great. The next organ on their list was my liver. I knew that something must have been happening in there because the scan took a bit more time than the previous organs required. She stopped the scan and went to pull in a colleague. They both studied the screen for some time and asked me to change position several times, inhaling a deep breath and holding it, then exhaling and holding it. They both stepped out of the room for a bit. Before I knew it the radiologist came into the room and began to explain their findings. There was a mass the size of a softball in the largest lobe of my liver. To say that I was shocked was an understatement. I had so many questions, more than you can even begin to imagine....What was it? How did it get there? How long had it been there? Is my liver functioning okay? Will this affect my little princess that was growing inside of me?
I was discharged from the hospital and asked to come in for an MRI, without contrast to better evaluate what in the world was going on in there. After the MRI results came in my OB's office decided I'd better see a specialist. They told me that the tumor, located in my liver could be one of many things, some benign and harmless. Others were just downright scary!
I scheduled my appointment with the doctor whom came highly recommended by my OB. I made a list of questions for the new doctor, questions that had kept me up at night that I wanted answers to. I sat in the office for what seemed like forever. She was unable to answer any of my questions and her best suggestion for what was going on was to perform a needle biopsy. When I questioned her recommendations she told me that she had delivered a preemie baby who was in the NICU, but just fine. It was clear to me that she was absolutely not concerned a single bit with the little life that was thriving inside of me. I had a completely unsettled feeling in my gut that told me NOT to go through with the biopsy. There was just something about poking a hole in a vascular organ on a pregnant woman whose blood volume is already increased due to the pregnancy that just doesn't seem like the brightest idea. At the end of the day I felt like her lack of knowledge and statistical information led me to search for a better doctor and more importantly a second opinion. I went deep in the heart of the medical center to find the answers that I was looking for. My new doctor was able to answer questions before I was able to ask them. This doctor laid out all of the possibilities and gave me his best educated guess based on my age, health and family history. He went on to tell me that first and foremost we needed a healthy momma and a healthy baby, then we'd worry about the rest. Our plan would be to monitor the tumor each month until delivery. If the size or shape changed then he would make a small incision, take the needed biopsy and hold pressure on the incision to make certain that there'd be no internal bleeding. He also said that in those circumstances we'd have an operating room ready in case we were forced to deliver our baby.
The rest of the pregnancy was absolutely wonderful, minus the stress of wondering what exactly was going on inside of my liver. The day came when it was time to deliver, April 27th, 2004. I went into the hospital for my scheduled c-section. The operating room was swarming with people, OB, High risk OB, Pediatrician, Anesthesiologist, CRNA, Operating room nurse, delivery nurse, nursery nurses, the administrator over the unit, my husband and my mom.
The epidural was placed and I was laid back on the operating room table. Suddenly I felt the urge to cough and couldn't feel my chest. Before I knew it I was vomiting on the operating room table. That was definitely NOT my idea of fun. Our pediatrician stepped over to my side and assured me I was okay. Apparently they had decided to order a spinal and an epidural so that the high risk OB could feel my liver after Hannah was born to make sure that my liver felt okay.
Soon the c-section was underway and in a matter of minutes I heard the sweet newborn baby cries that I anxiously awaited. My little girl was finally here. The pediatrician whisked her away to the isolette in the room to begin her assessment. Hannah was evaluated as a 36-weeker, 6 pounds 7.4 ounces and healthy other than being tachypnic. She, unlike Tori was swept away to the NICU immediately where she was placed under an oxygen hood and closely observed for eight days. Those eight days seemed like an eternity. I was so ready to be home with my sweet little girl but knew that she was in good hands in the care of the NICU nurses.
I felt so blessed and so overwhelmed with joy once I knew my little girl was finally able to come home.
(Six weeks after her birth (about mid-July) I was able to have a needle biopsy to finally have a definitive diagnosis for the growth that was in my liver. As it turned out the tumor was identified as a Focal Nodular Hyperplasia. It is a benign tumor that apparently many people have and just never know about it. At my one year post biopsy MRI the tumor had shrunk to half its size at the time of diagnosis.)
I have to
say that I love the place where I had my ultrasound this morning. I've been there once before and the level of
compassion and professionalism that the staff shows their patients is
absolutely extraordinary. Our hope was
that, by some strange miracle our growing little one was in fact growing, but
the reality is that our pregnancy has resulted in a blighted ovum and we will
wait for my body to miscarry naturally.
Thank you all for your love, support and prayers this morning. I cannot begin to tell you how relieved I was
when I looked at the monitor and saw my uterus, with the gestational sac in my
uterus rather than in my fallopian tubes.
I fully believe that HE is far bigger than us and that everything
happens for a reason. This, apparently
was not in His perfect timing. I sit
here at this very moment counting our many blessings and relishing how rich
life truly is. Thank you again for your
prayers and kind words. It truly means
the world to me (us).
Several
weeks ago and in the absence of a my monthly visitor we found out that we were
expecting another beautiful little person into our lives in April. I went to my first OB appointment, elated
since nausea, tiredness and hunger had already set it. The appointment was lengthy, routine and
overall uneventful. That same day I had
labs drawn, including my HCG levels and progesterone levels. These labs are also routine draws for the
first appointment. My labs came back
with a value of 2,134, which was low, but within normal ranges for that stage
of pregnancy. I was asked to come back
in one week to have my HCG drawn again.
This time the value had only increased to 2,885. I knew then that something in my body wasn't
happening quite right. Rather than
perform an ultrasound I was asked to return for a third week to have my HCG
drawn again. Again, the number climbed,
but only to 3,391. I have continued to
be nauseated, tired and hungry, clear food aversions and and cravings. Everything seemed textbook, minus my lab
work. Yesterday after having a lengthy
discussion with the doctor on call in my doctors office I have been scheduled
for an ultrasound this morning to take a peek at what is really happening
inside of me. I am hoping and praying at
this point that the pregnancy is in my uterus (blighted ovum) and not in my fallopian tubes
(Ectopic pregnancy). Please keep me in
your thoughts and prayers this morning.
I appreciate it more than you'll ever know!
*HUGS*
For months now, I have had countless discussions with Tori's Occupational Therapist about her progress, or lack thereof in some respects. Several months ago Tori was eating 6-7ounces by mouth several times per day. We thought we were finally over the feeding-difficulty hump that Tori has been on since birth (with the exception of when her old speech therapist, Diana was treating her.) Then, out of nowhere we all got some kind of funky bug. After Tori returned to her normal self again she also returned to her old ways. As soon as you approached her with a spoonful of anything or a drink of anything she would purse her lips as tightly as you can imagine. She was NOT having any of it. PERIOD. As the weather has become increasingly hot she has also been pulling her hair out, literally. It has become crystal clear that she is CRAVING proprioceptive input in a major way. If you sit her in the grass she will pull out the grass, take her out of the grass she pulls her hair. Bounce her on the ball, she is in heaven, take her off of the ball and she begins seeking the input again. Let me also say that this isn't an un-happy hair pulling, but rather something that she enjoys. It fills a void that other kids might fill, by say, jumping on a trampoline or pogo stick, running, jumping, climbing and things of the like. I cannot even begin to tell you how much I wish I knew the perfect remedy for her needs.
The OT and I had discussed many different "things" we could try. We tried many of them; Some worked, others....well...not so much! Today, during her therapy session Cindy blurted out that she had something in the back of her mind, then went on to tell us the news that she has felt like it is time for Tori to move on with another OT. The great news is that Tori isn't being fully discharged (which translates to Tori has made all the progress we think she can make and your insurance company will no longer be covering any services). This just means that a fresh set of therapists eyes, hands, and knowledge will be applied to working out the Tori puzzle.
It is hard to explain, but these therapists hold a special place in our hearts. They become like family when they are in and out of your house several times per week. You learn about their children and families and they learn about yours. In all fairness they really become part of your family. We will certainly miss having Cindy in our home, working with Tori. We now have to trust in the abilities of another therapist and trust that this is all just part of a much bigger plan on Tori's road to healing. For years I have prayed that she will be healed from the top of her head to the tips of her toes and nothing less. I have never set limitations or expectations for her healing. If you find it in your heart to do so, please pray for that as well. I believe in positive thinking and know that Cindy allowing Tori to move on with another therapist has happened for a reason...one that is bigger than you, or me, or Tori, or even Cindy.
While on his way to work my hubs spotted a work truck with the following advertisement:
The Glass Man
555-555-5555
Without skipping a beat he said, "I'd love to remove the g and l".
He continued [while giggling] "Imagine the increase in business......"
"If only I were friends with him I'd do it just to see how many calls he received....."
[Insert more laughter]
"The ass man!!!"
Yes internet, I am convinced my husband reverted back to a teenage boy at that exact moment!
Once upon a time (or roughly five months ago) sat
an old house, one which was built in 1904.
It's electrical wiring was anything other than code. There were but eight breakers for the entire
home, wires were crossed and crisscrossed, the lights flickered and the
breakers tripped....frequently. The
breaker box for the air conditioner had added breakers to power the front porch
and all of the old wires were covered in a black cloth/rope looking material. Although I grew up there I did not feel safe
knowing about the wiring that hid in these historic walls. We had the capacity to make the changes
necessary to update the old electrical wiring to the safety standards of today.
We took our time (and by we, I do mean my
husband, father-in-law and a great family friend). We were limited to tackling the entire
electrical re-do on my husband's two days off per week and any other time that
we could sneak over. While we were all
confident in our, I mean their
abilities we wanted to make sure that everything was perfect. We did not want
to cut any corners whatsoever, especially when it comes to something as
important as the electrical wires that power your home.
It all began by hiring a couple guys to clean all
of the old insulation out of the attic.
My hubs attempted to tackle that project, but his skin was extremely
sensitive to the OLD fiberglass insulation.
It was cheap enough to hire out for that job so we splurged. Fifteen to twenty contractor-sized trash
bags later we were down to beams and sub-floor in the attic. Old wires were hauled out by the bag-full.
After assessing the situation we realized that it
wasn't going to be quite as easy as we thought to send the wire down the
walls. We were forced to cut small
sections out of the top of the walls (about 18 inches tall by 6 inches wide
sections). That was a feat in and of
itself as well; behind the sheetrock are 1 1/2-2inch thick wood walls. After the sections were carefully cut-out we
were able to set the new wire into place.
All of the new wire was sent to a brand new 200
amp breaker box. The old breaker box had
a total of 8 switches that controlled the ENTIRE house! YIKES!
After testing each and every switch and outlet,
adding an outlet for a stove, dishwasher, indoor refrigerator, washer, dryer,
air conditioner and water heater it was finally INSPECTION time. We ALL felt really confident with the work
that was completed. Though none of the
guys are electricians by trade my husband was sure to research every little
step along the way.
Today, my friends we achieved a very important
milestone! On our first attempt we PASSED our electrical inspection!!! Now, we just have to contact the power
company and all systems are "GO"! (Well....minus purchasing more
wire, conduit and digging an 18-24 inch trench to run the power underground to
the city's utility pole.)
The
Journey of Rewiring in Pictures:
