Family Update

Cannot believe that it is time already. Time is flying! We have received a reminder that it is time to schedule another follow-up renal scan for Ian. I will post the date as soon as it is scheduled. It will probably be in 4 weeks or so. Thank you for your prayers and support!

The Throne!

Don't let this title throw you off... This post may not be for the faint of heart and feeble as this approaches the realms of nastiness in some regards but has moments of how we can direct our thoughts towards the throne of God.

As this story begins... it begins with a different throne. The throne in which all of us will recognize throughout the going ons of the day. Yep, everyone takes part in this throne and that of the porcelain kind--the toilet!

It was just shortly before 9 AM this morning and I was busy getting all three kids ready for the day. Skye did not have school today as it was a student holiday and teacher work day for the county. As I was dressing Paisley in her princess costume for her first Princess class at Romp 'N' Roll, Skye announced that she had to go potty. Well, Skye soon finished and flushed as I soon realized that I too had to go. I quickly finished Paisley's hair and told Skye to finish getting ready and to keep an eye on Ian for me real quick.

I opened the lid and everything looked fine. I proceeded to sit upon the throne and take care of my business. Afterwards, I flushed and discovered to my horror that the toilet was plugged. I looked at the clock and decided that an hour was plenty of time to finish dressing all kids and embark out the door and unclog the unsightly, agitating sight!

I ran downstairs, grabbed the plunger and quickly ran back up the stairs again to attack the throne. Plunge plunge plunge plunge FLUSH. Water rose but it slowly retreated. Plunge plunge plunge plunge plunge FLUSH. Water rose but not too bad. I looked at the clock and I thought to myself that I better get going because I want to take care of this thing before we go and so I plunged harder and quicker than before. Then I flushed. Water rose but went back down slowly. I was getting frustrated by this point. PLUNGE PLUNGE PLUNGE PLUNGE and FLUSH! Water rose but this time it kept rising. Uh oh! I thought to myself. Heart started pounding as I saw the nasty brown water rising ever so close to the edge of the bowl. Now it has gotten this high before but it has always stopped before going over, I thought to myself as I took a deep breath.

PHEW! It stopped... as I went to grab the plunger again, I realized that the water stopped only momentarily! It was most definitely going to overflow! I GASPED and started grabbing bath mats and such and throwing them away from the toilet. All of a sudden I heard the terrible sound of dirty water streaming out of the toilet. WHAT TO DO! WHAT TO DO! I thought frantically. I grabbed the trash can trying to catch the forbidden water from flowing out--like that worked. Then I went for the shut off valve but the water still kept flowing out of the toilet!

And then I did what any other frantic woman would do in my circumstance, I screamed and ran around in circles! My screams were soon joined by my girls screaming as they saw me run from the bathroom into the hallway and then down the stairwell. I did manage to grab older towels and call Scot during the frantic screams.

What a disgusting mess! Scot came home and together we cleaned the toilet and the floor with Clorox Bleach. I also ran my disheveled self out the door because I was determined to get Paisley to her class. In my haste I took a wrong turn, but soon realized my mistake. As I dropped Paisley off and started back home in the car, I tried to calm myself down and was trying to think of anything positive about the craziness in the last hour or so. As I drove, I noticed cars stopping for geese crossing the road. They were slow but I thanked the Lord that they were crossing the road so that I could catch my breath so to speak. I noticed one goose limping but determined to get across the street with his fellow geese. That goose inspired me to be strong and hang onto the positives and persevere as I thought about the towels and floor mats that were ruined. Again I thanked the Lord for the simple reminder in the midst of it all.

Well, as I was turning into my neighborhood a few minutes later, I looked in my rear view mirror as I normally do to make sure the traffic behind me was stopping too. I noticed a fancy blond in some expensive SUV flaring her hands at me because I guess my turning into my neighborhood with my indicator on was an inconvenience for her. I quickly raised my one hand back at her to let her know that I noticed she was acting like a you know what. I pulled into my parking space with my blood boiling. I thought to myself that I really would have loved jamming on my breaks making her slam on hers and then I could have gotten out and given her a piece of my mind. Oh I was angry!

As Scot went back to work, I fed Ian a late breakfast and began to clean the rest of the bathroom. As I was cleaning, I spilt dirty water on the newly cleaned floor. Unfortunately, I muttered "damn" under my breath to myself and then I decided to change my tude. I said to myself "God is for me and God is with me." Then I started to realize as I was disinfecting and scrubbing that I have been wanting to redecorate the bathrooms anyways and now I have an excuse to start. I also realized that I had not used any of my gift cards yet from Christmas to the likes of Kohls and Bed, Bath and Beyond.

My spirits lifted as I found the silver lining in things for the rest of the day.

REPEAT

I am going to find a positive gosh darn it I am...



God is our HEALER!



This past week has been completely crazy! This time last week, I had discovered I was experiencing fevers of 103; and by Tuesday afternoon, I found out that I not only had an ear infection in my left ear but that I had a pretty bad case of pneumonia. Yep, you read it correctly--PNEUMONIA! PNEUMONIA!



Who would have thought that 11 months after Skye, I would suffer both an ear infection and pneumonia just as she had experienced. This opened a ton of emotions for us. I could tell when Skye walked by my bedroom door and she saw me wearing a face mask that it brought back memories for her. She even stated how she wore one when she had pneumonia. And that was before I had revealed to her that I had pneumonia.



I was able to fight it at home. During the height of the illness and fevers and nausea, I thought to myself how strong Skye truly was and is; she suffered so much more than me and for a longer amount of time--much longer. I am in awe of her strength and I pray that she continues to have it and use it for the rest of her life.



Due to allergies that I have to Sulfur and Amoxicillin, and hence other Penicillins, I was forced to use antibiotics that I cannot use while nursing. So now I have to use frozen breast milk for Ian and supplement with formula, as I pump and dump. However, pumping and dumping have been causing blocked milk ducts that I have never experienced previously, and I have breastfed 3 kids now.



Thankfully, my fevers broke late Wednesday night into early Thursday. Although I am fever free, I am extremely exhausted. It takes a couple of weeks to heal from pneumonia. In the meantime, I am a mother of three with very low energy.



When we thought that we were in the clear, Ian came down with a nasty case of mastitis. Yes, even infant boys can get mastitis and Ian found the way! While the pediatrician was examining him for the mastitis, she discovered that he also had an ear infection.



Today, as Ian's infection was showing great improvement, Paisley has come down with diarrhea. The difference today, however, than how I was feeling the other evening, is that I am determined to think of the positives even if I have to pull my teeth out trying to find them. I am going to trust in God. Through out the last few days, I have had to tell myself and repeat over and over again in my head that God is for me and my family, and God is with us. I would repeat it even if I was having problems believing in it's entire. And God has given me what I have needed to get through it.



God laid it upon my heart on Wednesday as I was repeating "God is for me and God is with me" to read my daily devotion. The author talked about the waves mounting but that I needed to look at God instead of the large daunting waves. Looking at God would give me strength. With in an hour of reading that wouldn't you know that God had a friend of mine send me such a positive and uplifting text message. One that described that things may be difficult today and that tomorrow may be difficult too but well this is what she wrote: trust in him and not worry...so i say drink lots of juice...get lots of sleep...take ur meds...say a lil prayer...wake up and repeat. When I read that, it made me cry especially the 'repeat' part. It was simple and it was true. And REPEAT seemed to be the theme. Either in my actions, my prayers or what I was repeating to myself.



One night, I also just prayed a prayer like David. I told God I was angry and that I simply didn't know how to pray...



While life has not really gotten much better in the last day or so, I am going to REPEAT.

Out of the Mouths of Babes

I begin with saying that I do not think that I need to keep re-hashing the facts and reasons as to why I get edgy with coughs and fevers now as well as why snow and I are still not exactly best buds. By now, most of you either know me, or have read my blog long enough, to understand the reasons for which I have the above stated opinions; and therefore, simply stating them should be enough.

While snow and I were reunited at Christmas and our visit turned out to be a pleasant one, I wouldn't exactly say that we are back at BFF status. We have a bit further to go in our relationship. Well, I guess God expected that I am like any other human being on the face of this planet, who sadly reverts back to his/hers old habits and/or thought processes. He was prepared. Yesterday afternoon as Skye was climbing into the minivan after school, Skye's Principal, Ms. Olsen, remarked how she just got the kids back from Christmas vacation and she wasn't ready to give them back yet. She informed me that some snow was in the forecast. I responded by telling her that I did not know that snow was in the forecast and that I agreed with her that the 'white stuff' could stay away. As I pulled away, I began to express to the kids that I hoped it did not snow again and that I had my fill of it already this year. As I went on a voice came from the back, "Well, Mom, you can't stop it from coming." Skye stopped me in my tracks. I felt like I was a complaining child and she was the parent. She was right. Why spend my time complaining and worrying about it because if it is to happen it will happen; and no one except for God can change the weather. Immediately, I thought to myself "Out of the mouths of babes."

This afternoon, while I was upstairs breastfeeding Ian, I heard some coughing. Right away I was on alert. Who was that? Was it Skye? Was she coming down with something? Or was it Paisley who shouldn't be coughing because she is on antibiotics for a sinus infection. But then again, Skye was on antibiotics when she continued to get worse with pneumonia. As thoughts started to swirl in my mind, I proceeded to shout down to the girls who were busy quietly playing, "Did someone just cough?"

"Yes?" Skye responded.

"Who?"

"Me." Paisley said, but then she kept going before I could say anything else, "But I'm okay mom."

That struck me for two reasons. First, I believe God was using her--"Out of the mouths of babes." Secondly, I probably have made such a big deal out of worrying about coughs lately with all the chest infections we have had, that she was tired of it and it has made an impression on her. Regardless, I still believe that God was using her and "Out of the mouths of babes."

I am sure Ian probably had something profound to tell me too, but it was encrypted in his new baby talk and baby phrase "Dada dada dad da da dada daddy."