I'm here at Meemer's and my current digs, the children's hospital. It is strange to wake up in a hospital. And, from Meemer's perspective, I'm sure it is strange to wake up with a plastic box tent over your head. Due to her nasal stents, she gets to spend time in an oxygen tent nowadays.
The first morning I woke up after I had the babe I was quite surprised to find myself in a hospital. Having just had major surgery. Being a new Mom again! (YAY!) Things went so completely un-according to the birth plan that I think I was caught off guard by the reality of it all. Traumatic c-sections do that to a person, I guess.
So the babe is doing well. They pretty much just do maintenance for RSV. There's not much you can do for a virus. It is comforting to be in a place where her oxygen levels can be tampered with.
She is so dang cute. I love that girl.
Her stents have turned out to be a major blessing as far as her RSV goes. Her nasal passage can't swell off, so she is easier to clean out. (We did a lot of booger sucking before this happened, and now it's even more). The nurses have said they wish all their patients had stents.
Her next surgery will probably have to be pushed back for several weeks, if not over a month, to give her time to heal and for the inflammation to go down in her lungs.
Anyway, blessings abound.
(And, PS, I'm sorry I don't have a cable to download any pictures. She is SO sweet. Babies are so fun).
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
Oh! Can lightning strike twice!
I'm really not sure what to post. We've had some interesting trials pop up this last month, much overshadowed by phenomenal blessings. The best of which is that our daughter, Meemers (note: her nickname), was born a month ago. She is so beautiful. It is an amazing blessing holding such a perfect little soul.
We had some complications at birth resulting in an emergency c-section (because of me) and a rare-but-fixable-through-several-surgeries birth defect. (Meemers has already had one surgery at 2 days old and is in for at least 3 or 4 more in the next few months). I don't really like going into detail on a public blog. Here are a few tid-bits:
Meemers is so sweet! It's fun to see how every child is so different right from the start. I love how curious she is about the world around her.
My epidural failed me yet again right during my c-section surgery. I've had 2 emergency c-sections, and the epidurals failed during both of them. It hurt so bad I thought my heart would stop.
I am so grateful for good doctors and the NICU. And for children's hospitals.
It would sure be nice to meet a good anaesthesiologist for any future c-sections.
RSV really, really stinks.
We have the most amazing family, ward (our church group), friends and neighbors EVER. They have helped us out so much with babysitting, meals and emotional support.
A good laugh can definitely go bad after major abdominal (abominable) surgery. For a short whlie I thought people would think I lost my sense of humor because it hurt too bad to laugh. And I have the funniest husband, mother and kids around. Sounds funny, but ouch! Humor can hurt!
We had some complications at birth resulting in an emergency c-section (because of me) and a rare-but-fixable-through-several-surgeries birth defect. (Meemers has already had one surgery at 2 days old and is in for at least 3 or 4 more in the next few months). I don't really like going into detail on a public blog. Here are a few tid-bits:
Meemers is so sweet! It's fun to see how every child is so different right from the start. I love how curious she is about the world around her.
My epidural failed me yet again right during my c-section surgery. I've had 2 emergency c-sections, and the epidurals failed during both of them. It hurt so bad I thought my heart would stop.
I am so grateful for good doctors and the NICU. And for children's hospitals.
It would sure be nice to meet a good anaesthesiologist for any future c-sections.
RSV really, really stinks.
We have the most amazing family, ward (our church group), friends and neighbors EVER. They have helped us out so much with babysitting, meals and emotional support.
A good laugh can definitely go bad after major abdominal (abominable) surgery. For a short whlie I thought people would think I lost my sense of humor because it hurt too bad to laugh. And I have the funniest husband, mother and kids around. Sounds funny, but ouch! Humor can hurt!
Saturday, February 6, 2010
"Tis an ill wind that brings nobody any good"
In the last 3 months I've had at least 7 illnesses. It all started with the flu. Thank heavens we all had our seasonal and swine flu shots! I think maybe my immune system took an extra hit after that one, because I've since had pneumonia twice, (which I currently am gettting over), numerous colds, a strange leg infection... I've been on 3 separate courses of antibiotics. It's really not so bad being pregnant, it has actually been pleasant. Being sick and pregnant is a little different, but I feel very fortunate that I haven't had to be hospitalized. It's scary getting sick when you've got asthma, let alone when you have asthma and are pregnant. It's a good time to count my blessings, for sure.
We are so excited for our little one to come. I hope she waits a few days until I've recovered, though!
We are so excited for our little one to come. I hope she waits a few days until I've recovered, though!
Sunday, January 17, 2010
I'm free! I'm free!
Aah.
I'm not sure how to write up this post without sounding, well, unpatriotic and not very citizen-y. However, it sure feels nice to have less responsibilities.
I felt a deep sense of duty as far as trying to better our community and stand up for things that I believe in. So, a few years ago while at a caucus I accepted some political positions. I was the only one in attendance that wasn't moving, and as a result was elected as precinct chair, county delegate and state delegate. This translated into 5 to 6 important meetings a year, plus a few extras here and there. Then, a few months ago I was asked to serve as Legislative District Chair as well. This meant I was suddenly in charge of 25 voting precincts. This was a much busier task.
The other day I was trying to fill 5 vacant precinct chair positions. After looking over thousands of names, calling hundreds of people and leaving more messages than I can keep track of, I was a bit spent. So, when a few administrative glitches threw a monkey wrench in the works I decided that maybe it was time I re-evaluate my time. I was able to fill 4 of the 5 vacancies, which I feel pretty good about. However, I realized that I'm going to have a baby sometime in the next 3 weeks. When am I going to have time to run an entire Legislative caucus and hand out credentials before central committee meetings? Thank Heaven for my wonderful family. I resigned and feel much better.
I'm glad for the opportunities I had. I would definitely like to urge you all to get involved any way your circumstances allow. I don't think we should complain about the government if we aren't even exercising our right to vote. Even more so, I think most people would be quite shocked to find out how maddeningly persistent special interest groups are. They DO get involved, they DO run for offices, they DO voice their concerns and agendas to lawmakers, and the general public MAY NOT always agree with these agendas. So who cares if politics isn't your thing? Bettering your community is always a nice choice.
I'm not sure how to write up this post without sounding, well, unpatriotic and not very citizen-y. However, it sure feels nice to have less responsibilities.
I felt a deep sense of duty as far as trying to better our community and stand up for things that I believe in. So, a few years ago while at a caucus I accepted some political positions. I was the only one in attendance that wasn't moving, and as a result was elected as precinct chair, county delegate and state delegate. This translated into 5 to 6 important meetings a year, plus a few extras here and there. Then, a few months ago I was asked to serve as Legislative District Chair as well. This meant I was suddenly in charge of 25 voting precincts. This was a much busier task.
The other day I was trying to fill 5 vacant precinct chair positions. After looking over thousands of names, calling hundreds of people and leaving more messages than I can keep track of, I was a bit spent. So, when a few administrative glitches threw a monkey wrench in the works I decided that maybe it was time I re-evaluate my time. I was able to fill 4 of the 5 vacancies, which I feel pretty good about. However, I realized that I'm going to have a baby sometime in the next 3 weeks. When am I going to have time to run an entire Legislative caucus and hand out credentials before central committee meetings? Thank Heaven for my wonderful family. I resigned and feel much better.
I'm glad for the opportunities I had. I would definitely like to urge you all to get involved any way your circumstances allow. I don't think we should complain about the government if we aren't even exercising our right to vote. Even more so, I think most people would be quite shocked to find out how maddeningly persistent special interest groups are. They DO get involved, they DO run for offices, they DO voice their concerns and agendas to lawmakers, and the general public MAY NOT always agree with these agendas. So who cares if politics isn't your thing? Bettering your community is always a nice choice.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Humanitarian Aid for Haiti
Haiti is in dire need of emergency aid. For those of you wondering what you can do, the best thing is to donate to either the Red Cross, or to my favorite, LDS Humanitarian Services. 100% of your donation goes to the cause when you donate through this organization. Everything is done by volunteer work. You can go here to donate:
http://give.lds.org/emergencyresponse
Visit the following article to find out more:
http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/
http://give.lds.org/emergencyresponse
Visit the following article to find out more:
http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/
Thursday, January 7, 2010
An early salute to the King
Today NiNa was really excited to tell me about a wonderful, good man she learned about in kindergarten: Martin Luther King, Jr. So, although the official day of oberservance for this brave man is still a week and a half away, I thought I'd share my favorite NiNa quote on what she learned about him:
"He made a march with the people and said, 'That's not fair! That's not fair!'"
"He made a march with the people and said, 'That's not fair! That's not fair!'"
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Adoption
Some of our best friends are hoping to adopt.
They've got the cutest little 1 year old boy, and they are the sweetest parents.
For more information, click here:
www.somebodyismissing.blogspot.com
They've got the cutest little 1 year old boy, and they are the sweetest parents.
For more information, click here:
www.somebodyismissing.blogspot.com
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Refreshing!
With how cold it has been lately, it's hard to believe that, technically, it's not really winter yet. Officially, the first day of winter begins on the 21st of December. Brrrr!
In honor of the recent cold snap, I wanted to share some funny frozen stories, but I couldn't think of any. (Other than the time my arm freezer-burn stuck to the shelf at the grocery store when I tried to get a package of peas). I'm sure there are plenty of bitter cold incidents that happened over the years that were humorous, but I can't think of any!
So, instead, I'll just share a cold memory:
When I was a kid I lived 1/4 a mile down a dirt road in the country. The bus came at 7:27, and we had to be out the door in time to get down to the stop. During the frigid months, we tried to time it so we spent the least amount of time possible out in the freeze. It wasn't uncommon to have sub zero (Ferenheit) temperatures up at our mountain valley bus stop. At least I didn't have to walk both ways up hill to get to school. ;-)
There's a sweet Norwegian woman that goes to church with us, Liv, whom I always think of when the weather turns less than pleasantly warm. One particularly chilly day, I saw her and said something like, "It's freezing!" and she replied, "Yes, isn't it refreshing?!"
Now that's a breath of fresh air!
In honor of the recent cold snap, I wanted to share some funny frozen stories, but I couldn't think of any. (Other than the time my arm freezer-burn stuck to the shelf at the grocery store when I tried to get a package of peas). I'm sure there are plenty of bitter cold incidents that happened over the years that were humorous, but I can't think of any!
So, instead, I'll just share a cold memory:
When I was a kid I lived 1/4 a mile down a dirt road in the country. The bus came at 7:27, and we had to be out the door in time to get down to the stop. During the frigid months, we tried to time it so we spent the least amount of time possible out in the freeze. It wasn't uncommon to have sub zero (Ferenheit) temperatures up at our mountain valley bus stop. At least I didn't have to walk both ways up hill to get to school. ;-)
There's a sweet Norwegian woman that goes to church with us, Liv, whom I always think of when the weather turns less than pleasantly warm. One particularly chilly day, I saw her and said something like, "It's freezing!" and she replied, "Yes, isn't it refreshing?!"
Now that's a breath of fresh air!
Thursday, November 5, 2009
The end of October
Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. I have pondered this holiday on occassion. There are some obvious counterintuities about celebrating this pagan holiday. However, I have never dressed up on ventures for candy in order to display pagan beliefs. A lot of holidays have deviated from their original intent, and Halloween's evolvement is a fortunate one. I don't like the gory-scary-naughty-unpleasantries that some have come to associate with this time of year, but it's fun to have a night where we can dress up and 'play pretend' for a while. That's worth celebrating, right?
So here are 4 of my favorite things about Halloween (in no particular order):
1. Cute costumed kids. Isn't that the best part? This year Ls was a dragon, and NiNa a flamingo. CUTE.
2. Pumpkin carving. This is a favorite tradition of ours.
3. Decorating. We hang finger puppet monsters from the ceiling, put home made grocery bag ghosts all over the porch, we've got a bat mobile (a bunch of bats on a mobile I made. Get it? Ha, I know). I always rig the door so when you open it a bat comes down in your face, and this year I rigged a kitchen cupboard so a spider did the same.
4. I used to love scaring people. Not little kids, mind you. Growing up, it was a frequent occurence to hear, "BOO!" followed by, "AAAAIIEEEEE!" We'd all laugh and run to where the scream came from to find out what happened.
Ah, wonderful Halloween. And next comes Veteran's Day, and then Thanksgiving. What a great time of year!
So here are 4 of my favorite things about Halloween (in no particular order):
1. Cute costumed kids. Isn't that the best part? This year Ls was a dragon, and NiNa a flamingo. CUTE.
2. Pumpkin carving. This is a favorite tradition of ours.
3. Decorating. We hang finger puppet monsters from the ceiling, put home made grocery bag ghosts all over the porch, we've got a bat mobile (a bunch of bats on a mobile I made. Get it? Ha, I know). I always rig the door so when you open it a bat comes down in your face, and this year I rigged a kitchen cupboard so a spider did the same.
4. I used to love scaring people. Not little kids, mind you. Growing up, it was a frequent occurence to hear, "BOO!" followed by, "AAAAIIEEEEE!" We'd all laugh and run to where the scream came from to find out what happened.
Ah, wonderful Halloween. And next comes Veteran's Day, and then Thanksgiving. What a great time of year!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
"Julie & Julia" an overdue review
I promised a review of "Julie & Julia" long ago. Alas, many of you have probably already seen it. So to be brief, I would have loved it, perhaps it would have been one of my favorite movies had it not been for all the foul language. :-( Perfect way to ruin a movie. There were parts I laughed so hard I cried, and it certainly inspired me to read Julia Child's My Life In France. (I loved it, by the way. Highly recommended. The ending was a bit slow, but she passed away before it was finished).
As part of a prize I won, I also received Julie Powell's "Julie and Julia", a mis-adventures-in- cooking book. I thought her idea of trying out all of Julia Child's recipes was ambitious, inspiring, interesting... and documenting it even better. I was very appalled, however, as I struggled through the first chapter and finally threw it down in disdain. It was littered with foul language and filthy speach. So sad. I gave it to my mom and she enjoyed it very much.
As part of a prize I won, I also received Julie Powell's "Julie and Julia", a mis-adventures-in- cooking book. I thought her idea of trying out all of Julia Child's recipes was ambitious, inspiring, interesting... and documenting it even better. I was very appalled, however, as I struggled through the first chapter and finally threw it down in disdain. It was littered with foul language and filthy speach. So sad. I gave it to my mom and she enjoyed it very much.
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