Christmas pics cont.

Christmas 2009

Another Christmas has come and gone and all in all it was a good one.

Joey's mom, Bev, came down Christmas morning to watch the kids open their gifts. We also exchanged presents. We went out for Chinese food for lunch. I will fix a Christmas dinner once Joey is home to enjoy it with the family later. That evening we were invited down to mom and Howard's to have birthday cake with Howard. This is a very personal issue so I will just say it was the first time in around four years I had been inside their home. It was really nice to get to celebrate his 82nd birthday with him though.

Today we went up to dad and Shirley's and had lunch with them, Don, Sherry, and their boys. While there we also exchanged gifts.

The house is an absolute mess. I am serious. I think it would be easier to move instead of clean but since that is probably not financially possibly I will try to work up the courage to tackle it once I take Bre to Wee Care on Monday. I feel there is no need to even try with her here in the house.

It is late and the South Park video is interfering with my thoughts so I will leave with some pictures for tonight.

Better

Bre is quickly getting better after a few doses of antibiotics for an upper respiratory infection. She is far from well but definitely heading in the right direction. It seems that after being coughed on a few hundred times though my immune system finally waved the white flag and I am down for the count.

Heading to the doctor

Out the door soon with Bre. She has been sick since Friday night. I thought it was just some sort of bug that would pass but she is only getting worse. Her fever has went up to 103, her cough sounds awful and now she refuses to eat or drink anything....not good.

3 very...

different stockings for 3 very different kids. I thought the contrast of these stockings hanging together on the wall was interesting.

Christmas Kitty

No wonder our tree looks like heck. Sadie scoots and pushes her way through the branches and presents until she finds a comfortable spot to settle into. Of course it didn't help the other day when the dog ran under, no it was more like through, the tree trying to get to the window so she could bark at a car in the driveway.

I think this makes his 26Th admission, and he has never gotten to me like this before. He is so cranky and in such a pissy mood. It is like he is ticked at the world and I am in his path. I know most of it is he is upset with himself, he had an incident earlier that made him feel like a little kid, so he is taking it out on the only person in the room with him. Did I mention he is on isolation? Oh yeah. He can't leave or even have his door open till some tests results come back negative so that leaves us with lots and lots of alone time.
At this point the gastric team thinks it is probably a viral illness that is just wrecking havoc on his system. They have two other children up here with very similar problems right now and just discharged one today after a 6 day stay with next to identical dx. Please, please do not let us be in here for 6 days. It has only been one so far and I am so feeling the effects!

In the hospital

Made the drive to St. Louis yesterday and he was admitted but let me back up a bit.

The trip up here was less than perfect. It snowed on and off with winds so strong it would about jerk the jeep off the road. I had to stop and get gas and oh my goodness was it ever cold. Marcus was laughing at me cause while the gas was pumping I was dragging gloves and a scarf out of the suitcase. The closer we got into the city the more the temperature gage in the vehicle dropped.
When we walked into the ER we seen it was packed, great. We waited about an hour and was very shocked when he was called back ahead of several others. Some nurse had pulled his chart and seen his past history. She told me she didn't want him sitting out there with all of the illness floating around in the air. I was thankful for that but it was a less than perfect situation. The only room available was a trauma/procedure room which was not set up very comfortably. There was not a tv and the chairs were hard and I got tired quiet quick in them. We were in that room for 5 hours. From there they admitted him. It was after 8PM by time we got to his room and the night just wouldn't end. I attempted to find something to eat with no success. All I had was $20's and no way to break them and of course the vending machines didn't take bills that large. I quickly called it quits and came back to the room. Doctor after doctor just kept coming to the room to ask a million and one questions and exam him. I think the last one finally left around 11:30 PM and the first one was back by 6 this morning. We are no strangers to being in the hospital but I have never had a night and day like we have had. They will not leave us alone for longer than 10-15 minutes at a time. We are both exhausted. I have given up trying to sleep or eat cause it just isn't going to happen around here. I don't remember it being anything like this the last time we were here. At this time everyone is still clueless as to what is wrong with him. He feels so bad all he does is gripe about everything. Just a bit ago I had to step out of the room and take a deep breath because I was afraid I was going to loose my cool. He was bitching cause his IV was beeping and the nurse wasn't getting here fast enough with his medicine that he has to take before he can eat and his food might be getting cold. It was just one long steady complaint coming out of his mouth. It is stressful on both of us. I guess it would just be nice not to be totally alone and be able to leave the room for a break now and then.

quick update

Quick post to let Joey and other family know what I think is going on with Marcus.
I have done some reading and it seems that all his current problems can be caused by either a bad fibro flare or Lupus (sound familiar?). His ped was unsure because Marcus is his only patient with fibro. Anyway he is not doing good at all. He has only had a few nibbles of food in days and maybe drunk 4-6 ounces all day today. Even though his regular rheumatologist(sp?) is out till next week in St. Louis I am going to call and ask to speak to who ever is on call tomorrow morning. If they want to see him then we are off.

This and That

It was a long weekend for Bre, she couldn't go outside. She is fascinated by the big, deep hole in the front yard that has raw sewage leaking into it. Sorry but the last thing I felt like doing was pulling her out of there and cleaning the mess that such a situation would have left her in. The septic tank guys are suppose to come first thing this morning and pump it out. Well my morning is well under way and I am still waiting so we will see.
I am very happy, no thrilled, to report that I am feeling much better. During my last visit to the neuro in St. Louis he put me on some medication called Topamax for the nerve pain and, knock on wood it is working. I have been pain free for days. I may still get the occasional twinge or shock of pain but nothing compared to before. My muscles are also no longer cramping. Slowly but surely I am starting to feel more like myself again. I haven't had a pain pill in well over a week. Thank you dear Lord!
Poor Marcus is only getting worse though. I don't know what to do. He has been on antibiotics since Thursday night and he is no better at all. His stomach is still hurting and now he has some sort of weird 'cut' in his mouth. He has barely eaten or drunk anything for days so I know he did not swallow anything to hurt himself so what in the world could it be? His mouth is also getting full of fever blisters, yes the Inside of his mouth.
He has missed so much school but what can I do? If he is sick then he is sick. I wish he was the one being home schooled instead on Dylan sometimes but he has way to far to go in school and would require too much supervision and help. I am scared I just couldn't handle it. Dylan on the other hand was about finished with school. Anyway I guess I will take Marcus back to the doctor today and see what he says.

Gut Infection

Dylan gets credit for the title of this post. He thought it should feel in place with the last two lovely titles.
We left the house around 1:30 today to head to the doctor's office. They sent us to the on site lab to check for infection. Then came the real fun part...off to the local hospital for a CT scan of the abdomen. I knew we were in for an adventure from Dylan having his done a few years back. Marcus had to drink almost 2 large glasses full of some type of nasty liquid. After each drink I had to talk him through not throwing it back up. Once all that was down we had to sit and wait for an hour before they could do the scan. So an hour later they take him back and complete the CT. Then another hour for the radiologist to read it.
The end verdict is he does not have appendicitis but he does have inflammation and an infection of the lymph nodes in his stomach. Heck I didn't even know there were lymph nodes in the stomach. Just one more thing we are calling a "Marcus Thing" and trying not to understand it.
We then went for something to eat, the first thing since around 8 this morning, picked his medicine up and headed home.
I threw on my gown without taking a shower and plan on wrapping up in the comforter and sleeping on the mattress cover since the bed doesn't have sheets on it. For some reason right now it just doesn't seem like a priority.

Shitter's Full

New day, new problems.

There is a huge hole in my front yard. A backhoe digging to find your pipes and septic tank seems to cause that (insert sarcastic smile here).
Not only is our tank full and needs to be pumped out but it is also all rusted and needs to be replaced. I was quoted approximately $1200 for the tank alone. So in the famous words of cousin Eddie (Christmas Vacation) the shitter was full. Yes I am in a festive mood right now.
The good news is at least we can run the water and flush the toilets. The bad news is the shower in the master bath seems to be draining right into the floor which then runs into the garage. There is no access space to it so the plumbers will be back to cut a hole in the wall so they can get to the pipe that apparently came loose from all the pressure of the water backing up. More good news is it has stopped raining so the roof is not leaking at this moment. The other bad news is Marcus's stomach pain is worse. It is in the same location as Dylan's was when he had appendicitis. We are off to the doctor at 2PM. That leaves Dylan to pick Bre up from school and watch her.
Oh yeah it is a freakin barrel of monkeys around here!

Holy Sh*t

I swear I am not making this up.

Joey has only been gone a few hours and all hell has broken loose around here.
There is water backed up in both bath tubs and the master shower. Neither toilet will flush right and it seem this has somehow caused the basement to flood. There is also a nice water bubble formed over the tub in the master bathroom. Since there are no pipes in the ceiling there that means only one thing-the roof is leaking.
Of course I should have known how my evening was going to play out when the dog puked not once, not twice, but three times on the living room carpet. YooHoo! Good times I tell ya!
Did I forget to mention Marcus is almost doubled over with a stomach ache?

Watching the Grinch

She was so involved last night watching the original Grinch cartoon. It is funny how some classics never die.

Pretty Bunny

Joey shows his Christmas spirit

Needed a laugh

Thanksgiving 2009

I have so very much to be thankful for. I have 3 wonderful children who give me meaning, I'm talking true reason to be alive meaning. My husband is such a rare find. He is everything positive wrapped into one. I have one of the best dads every as well as my extended family. My mother in law treats me like her own daughter. We have a nice house, vehicles and live an overall comfortable life.

It was nice to see family from Illinois. I don't think it would seem like Thanksgiving without them. All the kids get along so well and can not wait for the holiday to begin. And Joey was home this year, the first time in many years.

Yes I have a lot to be thankful for so why.......(private blog).

Memories

Using granny's mixing bowls to make pumpkin bread (which she used to make all the time). Always miss her worse around the holidays.

Insomnia

Bre and I are both up even though it is after 12:30 AM.
I couldn't sleep and when I walked into the living room she was sitting on the love seat wide awake. Now she is in her bedroom playing. Maybe our brains forgot to tell us to go to sleep tonight. I guess I will sit here for awhile and listen to the dog snore, it is quite loud (and cute)!

Don't be fooled

Don't be fooled by the look of interest on her face. She painted maybe 2 lines on each ceramic critter then hopped down from her chair to never return to the project. Not to self...put this one on the list of Unsuccessful activities.

Making sun catchers

Catch-Up

I didn't realize it had been over a week since I posted.

Joey came home last Saturday. It is the first month in awhile that he has not been delayed for one reason or another so it was nice to see his truck pull into the driveway on time.
We finished up the kid's Christmas shopping.
All that is left is one gift for Marcus that has to be delivered to our local Wal-Mart for us to pick up. Dylan mostly wanted cash so that is simple enough. I thought we were done with Bre already but as usual she threw one in on us. She done the same thing last year cause I remember searching like a mad woman for a "pink princess watch". Luckily I found one and the really good part was it only cost $5. We didn't get off as cheap this year for that one last gift. Oh no, this year she thought much bigger and more expensive-a Barbie Camper. Seventy dollars that I was not planning on but what do you do when she exclaims very determined that "Santa is bringing me a Barbie camper for Christmas cause I asked him to". Of course Santa can't disappoint! I just hope Santa doesn't surprise me any more this season. I still have to finish up shopping for Joey. All I have to do is place a couple of orders. It is just the matter of making myself sit down and do it. As for everyone else I am waiting on one more delivery of stuff to come in. See a trend here? Most everything came through the mail this year. It is so much easier to fill out an order form or click a few keys on the computer. I spent one whole day just wrapping gifts so our bedroom is now crowded with presents stuck in the corners of the room. The kids were as excited as always to see the pretty boxes cause they know the holiday season has started. Of course the boys like Christmas but they both have told me on several occasions that Thanksgiving is their favorite cause family from Illinois comes down.
Good news, Dylan's car is back up and running again. We were all amazed all it took was a couple hundred of dollars for some new spark plugs, oil and filter along with some type of sensor. I was so afraid that he had ruined it for good so he got dang lucky and hopefully learned a good lesson in the process. I know he won't soon forget it cause his dad made him do all the dirty work while he supervised. Dylan even admitted that it made him feel good, like he had accomplished something. I am just thrilled that he now knows how to jack up a car and change the oil.
I also finished getting the shoe boxes together yesterday. For those that do not know what this is click here to check it out http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/occ/. This is one project that truly makes the statement "it feels better to give than to receive" true. I love picturing in my mind some child half way around the world feeling the joy when they open up their box of treasures. I always fix up 3 boxes to send. One for a girl and two for boys. I also do the older age groups cause I feel those are the children most often forgotten about.
Joey has been up since 2:15 AM. He had to have his mom to the airport in Memphis by around 5 this morning. She is flying to California for the week to spend with her daughter and her family. Joey used his air miles to fly her there. It is nice to be able to do that for family.
Now him and Marcus are out deer hunting. I know I am not a hunter so I will never get it but boy do I hate this time of the year. All the dead deer along the roads from being hit by vehicles makes me cringe for my safety every time I get behind the wheel. One of Dylan's friends totalled out a car last night when he hit a deer. Then of course there is the peaceful sound of rifles going off all around the house. Really that doesn't bother me but when the gun is being shot off of the deck, yeah that kinda bothers me. I can not tell you how many times I thought I was going to jump out of my own skin when they were shooting the gun yesterday off of the back deck. The poor dog was wrapped around the back of my legs then between my legs seeking protection from the commotion. I love my husband and my son so I do my best to keep my mouth shut and let them enjoy the craziness of it all though I do slip up sometimes (sorry Joey).
Me and Bre are just hanging out at home today. She has been working on a sun catcher kit since around 9 this morning. She amazes me how much patience and concentration she has for a four year old child. This thing has tiny plastic pieces that go onto small pegs to make designs. I then iron them with a hot iron to glue the pieces together and tie a string on for hanging. Hours later she is still doing it with the same determination as she started with. Dylan has since joined her in her project and is already to the point of throwing it across the room out of frustration!
Time to get off the computer and get back to doing laundry.

At the doctor's office BEFORE the shot

Timmy!

How can something so wrong on so many levels still be so dang funny??

Anyone who has ever watched South Park will know who he is intimidating-Timmy. He does it at the most random times too. It is very popular with getting a smile from me when I should be scolding him instead. The other night him and Dylan were being complete brats with each other and while I was giving my "you both better stop it" speech Marcus broke out his Timmy call and I started laughing. Yes I know I need to work on my parenting skills.

PJ Party

Last Friday was jammie party day at Bre's school. Even though she had just received a booster shot the day before and her little leg was very sore, she didn't want to miss her party.

She completed her PJ look with wearing her new rain boots. Too cute!