And the Rain Continues...

Okay, Here's My Deal...

Thought I better update. So far, nothing too much to report on my husband. The lab tests came back good so it may not be his gallbladder afterall. I am just going to say Yeasty Beast for him to chuckle at when he reads this and then say no more about other tests. By the way it was an ultrasound not a CT scan he had.

I think I may have panicked my Ohio friend about my youngest son's eye infection. It cleared up in just a few days, so he is fine.

The oldest son turned 3 today...but spent it starting out by throwing up and then having the trots all day...poor guy. Hope he feels better tomorrow.

So, there are a few more showers in the forcast here, but hope all clears up soon!!

When it rains...

Okay, Here's My Deal...

It pours.

Seems that lately my family can't get enough of the doctor's office!!

First, it was me being pregnant.

Then my husband's stepfather and his appendix and then his gallbladder, which by the way came out yesterday.

Oldest son might have some allergies.

Youngest son had an eye infection at just days old.

Now my husband is getting tested for stuff...could be his gallbladder or a myriad of other intestinal ailments.

It is just crazy. And it makes you glad you have insurance...even if it is so stinking expensive.

That is all I got. Nothing too exciting around here right now.

Bessie...Maybe Elsie?

Okay, Here's My Deal...

I just want to say that I am very glad both of my sons took to nursing very easily: (1) It is cheaper than formula (2) It is a great bonding time (3) It is best nutritionally.

However, there are times when I feel like a milk cow. Mostly because this little guy is a grazer--my first one seemed to eat a lot all at one time and was done for a while--this guy eats a little bit a lot, so it seems I am always nursing him!!

I do love the closeness and the fact that I have been using that time to also pray over my family...I figure that if God provided nursing as a way to bind with my son, then why not also use that time to bond with Him who provided me with such a wonderful family? But it gets tiring. I have finally given in to a couple of formula supplements that my husband can give...and alllowing himn to bond iwth our son, too...during the evening hours and that helps.

Anyway, that is all for today, so I will go.

Checking In

Okay, Here's My Deal...

This is what we feel like around here...trying to pat our heads and rub our tummies at the same time. Adjusting to a newborn with an almost 3 year old in the house has been interesting. But, I would not trade it for the world.

Baby still had night and day mixed up. Sleeps most of the day, with a couple of wakey wake times, but then each night is different. Sometimes he goes 2-3 hours without getting up to nurse. Sometimes he is up every hour or so. One night we had from 9:30-5:15 to sleep!! Last night he was up and wide awake at 4:45--I went back to bed at 5:45 thinking he'd sleep for a while, but no. My husband got up with him then and let me sleep.

Toddler is not showing any outward signs of jealously and actually has been really good with the baby...but he is having major tantrum issues and sleeping issues. Most are due to his age I am sure, but the baby has something to do with it too.

Husband is a real help with everything, thank God!! He has been awesome.

Disappointed in friends. I am not looking for lots of gifts, in fact, there is not much we need since we already ahd a boy and they were born in the same season and pretty much the same size, so no need for clothes and we have lots of toys when he is ready. But, I am very disappointed that not more people have stopped by or even at the least called or e-mailed us to either ask how we are or to see the baby. Really, I can count on one hand the number of nonfamily people who visisted in the hospital or have contacted us since we have been home. Heck, the residents at the assisted living facility that my huband works have outdone our friends as far as asking how we are and being concerned.

Well, that is about it for now, I guess.

Perspective

Okay, Here's My Deal...

I got a huge slap in the face today as I was reading through my Christian Mommies site. Let me start by saying that I love both of my sons and my husband very much and even though my emotions or hormones or whatever deal I am having at any given moment does not change that even though my reactions may not seem like I do love them. Make sense?

Anyway, in previous posts, I ahve poked fun at some of the more fundamental right wing mommies on that board, but I ahve to say there are some really amazing ladies on there, too, and this has to do directly iwth one of them.

She and her husband have had a couple of miscarriages and also have a daughter who is about 20 months old I think. Anyway, they found out they were pregnant again and were very excited. Early in the pregnancy though, they found out that their son would ahve several very dramitic and serious birth defects and would most likely not make it to full term, let alone survive out of the womb for very long. Despite advice and pushes to abort, they staunchly stood by their beliefs and were going to see this to the end. They beleived that there was value to his life no matter what.

Each visit to the doctors and neonatal specialists brought more sad news and they were amazed that even though there were slim chances to help their son while still in utero most doctors were more willing to perform an abortion than to fight for his little life. Their faith was amazing through the entire ordeal. They finally found a doctor who understood how they felt and he agreed to see them through the rest of the pregnancy and the birth if the Lord was willing to let him survive that long. She kept the fellow mommies updated about her son's condition and we rallied around her with prayers even though most of us only knew her through the board and not in person...and as her due date loomed closer, those efforts were stepped up.

Their son was born full term, but facing many health issues and they knew this from very early and were determined to love him and just knew that his life, even how short it may be, would bring glory to the Kingdom. He put up a strong fight, but as predicted, his life was short. On the thrid day, in his daddy's arms, he died and went ot be in the arms of his Father in heaven. Through all of this, his mother and father have been so strong and their testimony to life had and continues to have impact upon the medical workers and the friends and family that they have.

She was on the board the other day and posted pictures of her son just as any proud mother would have. There is an organization called Now I Lay me Down to Sleep that photographs infants and young children after all ofthe tubes and other medical paraphanillia have been removed so that parents can remeber their children as God intended them to be before He called them home to be with Him...it is a healing and closure experience that parents find comforting.

So, how does that lead to the title of this being perspective? It dawned on me today as I read through her testimony and story that despite the fact that I am tired at times and get frustrated at times with not being able to get him to sleep or if nursing is not going well or whatever that I have a young son that is alive and healthy and that I am blessed by his life...I am sure that this woman would give anything to be able to have her son nurse at her breast or keep her up for a few hours...

That is perspective.

I had made a commitment to myself that each time I would nurse my son that I would pray over my family--sometimes as a whole, sometimes just one ofthe boys, somtimes the other, sometimes my husband and even myself--and I did really well for a while and started to fall off lately. Well, thanks to the story of Amber and her son, Noah and the rest of her family, I have renwed this commitment and have gained a little insight and change of heart about being tired and frustrated.

Sorry if this was a little bot more heavy than usual, but I just had to tell this story as it touched my heart.

~#$%^&* Dog!!

Okay, Here's My Deal...

The dog is outside. If it were up to me, he'd be outside forever--preferably somewhere else and not here. Just when I think he is not so bad, he just torks me off to no end. Now, he is a big dog...purebred lab...so when eh drinks from his water dish, you know it and it is a very distinct sound.

I am sitting on the couch with my 2 week old son, who is sleeping, well, like a baby on my chest when I hear what I thought at first was the dog drinking.

No, wait, that just doesn't sound right. What the heck is he doing? One two -- OH CRAP -- I bolted up to find he had just finished peeing all over the floor right by the door!! He had not barked or paced or wimpered or whined that he needed to go out--he just decided to pee everywhere!!!!!!!!!!!

As soon as he saw me come around the corner he knew his a$$ was grass because he hung his head low and put his tail between his legs...I kicked his butt once (or twice...three times?)then put my son down in the crib and came back to beat him some more then let him out of the door...after having to walk through his business to get there!! Then I went outside and put him on the chain. I then came back in...trailing through it again and then got a towel to sop it up and then the Swiffer to clean the rest.

I then found a container to put some water in for him for the day so that the nosy neighbor lady won't knock on my door to tell me he has no water. He was barking up a storm, so I went out to check and sure enough, he ad knocked over the container. To quote Dwayne LaFonTante (the Verminator from the movie "Over the Hedge") I said, "So, you want to party do ya?!" and got a huge rock, hosed it off and put it inthe container, filled it with water again and said, "Let's see you knock that over, you #$%^ing dog!!"

Now I am off to wash my feet to get any remains off of them and try to relax before the baby wakes up again.

Bupasses!! Sons-A-B#$%^es

Okay, Here's My Deal...

Yes, the title to this entry is another reference to the movie "A Christmas Story." If you ahve never seen the movie, you won't get it...the family in the movie have neighbors named Bumpass that have a large number of hound dogs that just annoy the crap out of the father in the movie. Towards the end, he yells at them Sons-A-B#$%^es!!"

Anyway, last night was quite the evening with some dogs around our house. Both boys ahd gone to sleep and we were just settling in at about 11 when we heard this big commotion outside. It was like a whole pack of dogs ran through our yard between the neighbors house and ours just attacking something. So, my husband goes out to investigate and when he had not returned in about 10 minutes, I stepped outside to see what was going on.

Here he was...standing with his flashlight and a HUGE stick--nay, branch--from a tree. He shone the light on two beagle type hunting dogs in the street and then another one on another street. He said they were just tearing around the streets and yards. They were baying and bellowing and howling like they had the scent of something. I could not believe that other people were not out seeing what was going on.

I went back in teh house and called the police...telling them I knew this would not be high on their priority list, but just wanted to report it in case they were actually viscious. (the dogs, not the police) My husband came back in when they went away...but in just about and hour they were back and he went down to the basement to get his BB gun to scare them away. I was surprised that niether of the boys were waking up because of the noise. I heard my husband pumping the gun and heard a shot or two and then a yelp of a dog and he came back in sort of laughing saying he could not have done that again if he tried. He had shot and he hit the clothesline pole. Keep in mind this is about midnight. The second shot bounced off the concrete of the driveway. The yelp I heard was from him hitting one of the dogs in the behind with a golf club because he could not get the gun pumped up in time to shoot to scare him.

We heard them off and on throughout the night. I think he went out once or twice more. At 5:15 when the baby woke up to nurse, he went out again because they were in the yard again and when he finally came in, he said all he could think about was the dad in "A Christmas Story" yelling, "Bumpasses!! Sons-A-B#$%^es!!"

Hopefully, whoever tehy belong to realized they had gotten out during the night and found them and they won't be tearing around the nighborhood again tonight.