3 Days and 2 Nights

Abby and I spent 3 days and 2 nights in the hospital.

Last week she had a bump in her private area.  To me it looked like a bug bite and I thought it would just go away.  Three to four days went by and it wasn't getting better.  It was just getting worse.  It was swelling and it had a small dot at the center of it.

Saturday she was talking about how bad it hurt.  I took her to a doctor that is in our ward.  I am so thankful that she helps me out so much.  The doctor told me I could bring her over to her house and she would take a look at it.  She said that it looked like it could be a boil that we would just need to take her into the hospital and they will nock her out for about 15 to 20 minutes, drain it and she would probably go home the same day.

So, I waited till Sunday and we stayed till today, Tuesday.

The rest of the story will have to come another day.  I don't think I am awake enough to tell the story properly.

She will be okay.  It will just take a couple weeks to heal.

Good night.  -Ma

ENT

Went to the Ear Nose and Throat Doctor today.

Doctor recognized us immediately.

I was impressed.

He hadn't seen us in almost two years.

When David had his tonsils out.

Emma needed to get her ears cleaned out.

Emma's wax was so packed in there that he couldn't get it very well.

The wax even clogged 3 of his tools.

I was advised to put mineral oil in her ears for 2 weeks.

And then return.

I told the doctor that I will be back in a few weeks with Jacob.

Out of curiosity the Dr. asked, "Why?"

I said, "I think he is tongue tied."

Dr. asked Jacob to stick out his tongue.

Dr. looks at me with a sad look and said,

"He is."

I then asked, "Can you take one co pay for two kids?"

He frowned and said, "No."

Of course!

He then gave me a sheet of paper that gives step by step instructions to

clean Emma's ears out all by myself.

Jacob will need to be put out for 2 minutes to have the connector piece under his tongue clipped.

Not sure if he will need therapy yet.

Poor guy has had the most painful life so far.

It all started with his collar bone braking during delivery.

He is a very tough kid.

Bear and Splinter

My kids are bare foot walkers.  So they end up with lots of splinters.

Abby got a good one in her foot.  So as Mommy nurse I got all of the sterile tools to remove the splinter.  I was just getting ready to pick at the splinter, when Mackenzie (cousin) screams out dramatically, "Oh, I can't look!"  She covered her face and turned.  That was just so funny to me because I am so used to my kids, they just watch, they want to see what I am doing. 

David sees the stress and decides that Abby needs some comfort so he gently says, "Abby you can use my bear, he will help you."

David got his bear from Build a Bear.  My friend DiAnna took him right before he got his tonsils out last May.  He is still so attached to the bear and gets it for comfort.  Thank you so much DiAnna for getting him the bear, it brings the softer side out in David and brings much comfort to our home.  -Ma

Beautiful Morning

This week we have been giving Pa a ride to the bus stop and picking him up in the evening.  The Jeep is out of commission.  We have to leave at 6:50 to drop him off.  This morning all of the kids were up, usually we have to carry them out while they are asleep. On the way back home the kids were talking about the sun rise and how beautiful it is, they were talking about all of the colors they could see.  It is fun to think that they really haven't seen too many sun rises, boy are they missing out.  I am glad that they have this opportunity, not so glad that the Jeep is "sick".

Yesterday, Emma and David had a dentist appointment right after Emma got home from school. I was thinking that I had it all together, we were going to get there about 5 minutes late... not too bad.  So I am yelling, "Go, go, go, lets get in the van..."  We all rush out the door, and get in the van.  Ooops the keys are in the house.  Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.  I don't have a spare key hidden all nice some where outside.  I don't have a cell phone.  Oh wait, we did this before... Pa got us back in with a pocket knife, sad but true our house is easy to break into.  Searching for a pocket knife.  Ahhhhh, it isn't in the van any more.  Okay, okay, okay... I found a pen with a metal piece on it.  I break it off, then I tried to break into the house.  It worked only half way. Then I tried to use a spoon from Wendy's.  That didn't work either.  Du.  So I go to a friends house around the corner and ask for a knife.  She gives me a leather-man kind of thing, better than a  knife.  I couldn't get the knife part to open the door but another part of it did.  However I was now 45 minutes late for Emma's appointment, 5 minutes early for Davids.  And 25 minutes late picking Pa up from the bus stop.  Called the dentist, the hygienist went home, then ran to get Pa.  Phew!! -Ma

Update

I don't know if anyone else feels this way, but when one hasn't blogged/journalized in a while it just feels like you don't know where you want to start.

CHRISTMAS:  We had a really good Christmas.  Pa and the kids were all sick with vomit and other stuff.  So we were not able to have our family come for the dinner that we had planned for. We are however very grateful that Katie was able to take over and have dinner and the family at her house.  All of the places we planned to go to they came to us.  That was a fun change.  I was actually able to clean up the "Christmas mess".

DAVID TURNED 5:  Christmas day David turned 5.  That was the day that he was most sick.  It was funny because he opened his stocking I think it was something like 4 am.  He was wide awake and he wouldn't let me or Pa sleep.  But then when it was time to open presents later that day he was so out of it.  He didn't even know what he got.  It was a few days later that he started noticing new stuff, and he would get so excited, "Look what I got!" he would say.

JACOB GOT FROSTNIP:  He was eating a popsicle and his finger was touching it for too long. He came to me screaming.  I could tell that he was in pain but didn't know it was that sever.  I took the popsicle away, washed his hand off and the skin was a bright red.  He wouldn't let me touch it.  So I put him down and didn't think much of it.  However he got a blister.  Shocked that this happened I had to find out if he had frostbite or something of that sort.  I turned to a really good book that my Mom had gotten me, Healthwise Handbook A Self-Care Guide For You By Yavapai Regional Medical Center.  This is what it said, "First degree ("frostnip"):  Skin is Whitish or Red and tingling or burning, but there is little likelihood of blistering if it is rewarmed promptly."  Who would have thought?  A popsicle???  Crazy!!

PA TOOK A TWO WEEK BREAK FROM WORK:  This is always fun, I love it when he is home. It is however a little nerve wracking to take time off because of the times.  It feels like one has to prove themselves at work just to keep their job.

WE WENT TO SHOOTING IN THE DESERT:  Poor kids loved being in the desert but didn't like the sound of the gun.  Pa loves to get out though.  We would have loved going camping however it is too cold at night especially for kids.

Kids playing with bubbles

HAD FUN AT THE PARK:  I don't know what happened but I am now in underline mode and I don't know how to fix it.

Feeding the ducks

I know there is more that has happened, but life is calling, I need to be a Mom now.

Till later. -Ma

Emma and I

Pa saw us taking care of some grooming matters and thought that this needed to be documented.  

Tender moment

Love ya Emma.  -Ma

Way to go Emma

Emma's report card was sent home yesterday.  She is doing so well.

For the last 3 grading periods.

Phonics: B+, B, A

English:  , C, B

Spelling:  , C, B

Mathematics: C, D, B

Penmanship: O, O, O

Citizenship: O, O, O

Homework Completed: O, O, O

Academic Effort: O, O, O

Books Read:  , 11, 11  I sure do struggle with this one.  I always have visions of us snuggled on the couch reading the best of books.  We get to the library and then I don't know what happens. Any advice would be great.  How do I just sit and read with the little lady?

Days Absent: 0, 0, 5 is this why she did better this last time?  She was able to have a bit of a break?

Days Tardy: 1, 0, 0

Teachers comments:  Emma has done an awesome job improving in all academic areas.  She is working hard.

Emma is going to a school that teaches about a grade or two above the grade she is in.  So, I am so proud of her, she does work so hard, and it is so fun to see her grow and learn.

She is still having her headaches.  I did get the x-rays done, they came back fine.  I am starting to think it is not related to stress, because during the  winter break she was still having the headaches.

Pa and I were talking and we are thinking maybe it could be a sensitivity to light.  He too gets lots of headaches and light is one reason why.  They also struggle with getting enough sleep, last night Pa was up late, just laying in bed, couldn't fall asleep.  Then Emma came in I think it was when Pa finally drifted off to sleep, she had had a bad dream and woke up then couldn't go back to sleep.  Every time I would move she would comment about something or other.  Yawn, yawn. -Ma

I Lost Another Tooth!!!

Emma has been holding on to this tooth for weeks and weeks and weeks.  Telling us about how it hurts when she bites into things, or how she can make the tooth go sideways.  Then finally on December 22nd she wiggled it just enough and the tooth came out!

Then she remembered that the tooth fairy comes and her little mind started to think, and think and think.  So she decided that she needed to write the tooth fairy a letter.  This is how it went.

Dear Tooth Fairy,

Where do you live?

Love, Emma

The letter was put under her pillow along with the tooth, shortly there after the letter was ripped into pieces by a younger, less understanding little sister.

Emma did not know this happened because she got sick before going to bed that night and didn't care much about anything except having her puke bucket close by.

However, the Tooth Fairy knows ALL.  So she wrote a tender letter back to Emma.  This is what she wrote.

Dear Emma,

I am so proud of you!  you lost your second tooth.  You are getting so big.

Thank you for your letter.  So, you want to know where I live?  I live 

with all the other fairies, all around  you. We watch over you.

I love to see you smile and laugh with your brothers and sister.  It is so 

great that you have a good family.

I can't wait to visit you again when you are dreaming and you lose 

another tooth.

I Love You Emma!

Love The Tooth Fairy

Emma also received  a cute fairy duck and a One Million Fairy Dollar Bill.  Very cute stuff that came from Grandma, don't know where she got them but they are loved.  Thank you Grandma. -Ma

Exercize

Jacob loves to exercise with his Mama!!

Whenever I pull out the air climber he has to be the first on and the last one on.

Isn't he cute??  -Ma

Emma's Headache

Emma went to the doctor Thursday for her headache.  He said it could be one of 3 things.

1. She could be stressed.  My only thought would be that she is stressed about her math at school.

Doctor suggested that we see if there is a councilor at her school that she could talk with.

2.  Her sinuses could be blocked.  She will be having an x-ray done... probably next week.  He also gave her some trial mucinex to take for the next couple of days.

3.  I don't think I listened very well to this one but he said that if her head is still hurting then she would need to get a cat scan.  But he doesn't want to do that because of too much radiation.

I don't feel worried about her my gut is saying that the problem is probably #1.  -Ma 

Emma's Forehead

3 weeks ago Emma started complaining about her forehead hurting.  At that time she also said that her throat was bothering her too.  After calling the school nurse, I learned that strep throat was going around so I learned that a headache can go with strep throat.  Gave her some colloidal silver and that seemed to be the end of it.  Well her throat issues went away.  

Forehead pain continued...

So after three weeks of hearing, "Mom, my forehead hurts."  I had just had enough.  

Went to the eye doctor today, she had to get the yucky drops in her eyes.  They did find that she has a stigmatism in her right eye that they had not noticed before.  But, that wouldn't cause headaches, in fact he said that I wouldn't have to change her prescription unless I was looking for a reason to get new glasses. 

Now on a side note.  While I was filling out the new insurance information.  I guess David took a toy from Jacob.  I looked up to see what was going on, and before I could determine who was in the wrong.  Some old guy decided that it was his job to take care of the situation. 

Here is how it went, 

Jacob screams.

Old guy said, "Give that back to him."

David in shock looks at the old guy.

Old guy, "give that back, you can't take it from him, you give it back right now."

Old lady who is sitting next to old guy, "you give that back to him."

David in even more shock, hands the toy over to Jacob.

Old guy laughs and said, "someone needs to stick up for the little guys."

2nd old guy in office said, "ya, and he is still eying it."

Old guy and old lady laughs.  Old guy says, " Ya, we sit next to some kids in church and we don't let the other kids be mean to the little guys."

Ha, Ha, Ha, they all laugh.

David out of embarrassment hides under a table.

I am in shock the whole time, just looking at the back of the guys head, making faces the more he talks.

Let me make one thing clear... I am all in favor of helping others in parenting.  However, I feel that a stranger needs to do it lovingly, he was demanding and making fun of David.  His voice had anger in it.  If you are going to be angry at a child being a child step back, because that is not going to teach the child.  

After a couple of minutes David came over to me and said, "Mom, I don't like that guy talking to me." 

My reply, "I don't either, Mom is hear and I can take care of the situation, you should not take toys from your brother though, okay."

David, "I know."

I continued filling out the paper work, and I noticed that the old guy cranked his head around to look at me, he then mumbled something.  And that was that.

Now, question.  Why didn't I say anything right away???  Because I am naturally shy and I have such a hard time facing people.  Now I feel so upset, I should have just told the guy how I felt. -sigh-

Well, back to the forehead pain, she has a molar coming in, so I called the dentist.  He said that it is not normal for one to have headaches while a tooth comes in but I could come in and they will look at it.

I think I will set something up with the doctor next.  Can they figure out if it might be allergy problems?  Will she have to go through tests?

She was having tummy problems earlier in the year and I think it was just stress.  Maybe this is stress too? -Ma

Thank You Grandma's

Thank you Grandma for putting my Strawberry Shortcake blanket together.

Thank you Great Grandma for quilting on it.

I wasn't feeling so good when this photo was taken and it brought me comfort.

I love you!! -Abby