Day 46

Since I always voice my complaints and stresses here in my blog, I feel a slight need to explain some things, for whatever it’s worth. My kids do not have free reign in our house, even though it might appear that way due to my freely reporting on their crazy messes/mishaps here.

They’ve always been overly curious. And a wee bit daring. But it’s more than that. Many of my friends have told me that their own kids wouldn’t even think about doing some of the things my kids do. As in, it wouldn’t even occur to them that you can dump out an entire box of Cheerios and eat them right there off the floor. Or finger paint the wall with yogurt and lick it off.

Or that it’s a lot of fun to squeeze toothpaste out of the tube. Or carve 12 bars of soap with a unraveled paper clip. Or unroll an entire roll of toilet paper and attempt to flush it down the toilet all at once. Or eat chapstick by the tube. And my favorite, fling the entire contents of a 5lb bag of flour all over the living room. (yes, that DID happen, albeit years ago--I am still quite traumatized by it.)

But my kids? All in a day’s work. And they're very quick about it, too.

So here’s hoping all this ingenuity will someday pay off.

Alrighteeee then, now that I've gotten that off my chest...

I had to trudge Eli back into the doctor today. (can I just say how SICK and TIRED I am of doctors???) He was up last night until around 2am with vertigo and in his words, buzzing in his ear. It got so bad at one point he threw up. So, the doc checked him out and said that unfortunately, things like this are very common after such an ear surgery. Eli will begin a round of steroids today and see how that helps. The doc also did a 'bone line' hearing test and the good news is that Eli does have hearing in his left ear, but it was not at all good hearing. It was down to 49 decibels (when before surgery it was 42..again, below 20 is normal), but he does still have surgical packing under his eardrum--the doc just wanted to check and make sure that his brand spanking new titanium stapes was working at all. It is.

Signing off...I'm now addicted to Mudslides and I'm craving one now. (if you don't know what it is, a mudslide is a wonderfully yummy drink made with rum.)

Day 45: Double Digits

Happy *10th* birthday Caleb!

I can't even fathom how an entire decade has gone by and my second born son is now 10 years old. How does it happen so fast?

Hubby took Caleb out to eat at his restaurant of choice for breakfast this morning. He chose Country Buffet and I gladly let hubby take him there (ewwww!) while I stayed home with the rest of the bunch. Caleb came rolling home after breakfast saying he was feeling sick. I asked him if he felt like he was going to throw up and he replied with "No, I'm just nauseated"...and after the run-down I got from hubby on all that Caleb consumed, it's no wonder. French toast. Cinnamon roll. Pancakes. A 'ton' of bacon. And glass after glass of chocolate milk. The poor kid said he didn't even want any of the birthday cake I was making for him. Luckily, time passed, he didn't throw up and he ended up enjoying a nice big hunk of that birthday cake.

I love you Caleb...you're one of a kind :)

Day 44

I've not been taking very good care of myself lately. Call it laziness if you want, but I think it's more that there is not enough time in my day to take care of everyone else and myself. I'm sure you can relate, right? The thing is that I admit I haven't been taking very good care of myself in the Vanity Department. I figure... "what's the use?" But this morning I took a good look at myself (and my feet-- Holy MOLY! The Feet! and good Lord, the frumpy arms and legs!) and was like "Why are you doing this to yourself?"

I can't think of a good enough excuse why.

I promised told myself way back in November when I had to go on medication for my skyrocketing insulin levels, that by my 34th birthday, I would be 50+ pounds lighter and therefore, healthier. So am I? Uhhhh, nope. I lost nearly 25 pounds though...but then gained back almost 20 of them, so it really doesn't count now does it? I'm almost ready to give up the dream of losing weight. I would never have imagined that at 34 years old, I would have this body and the energy of an 85 year old. I mean, I spent the majority of my teens and very early 20's doing crazy things so that I would never look this way, and yet, here I am. I am having a hard time adjusting to this body (and face!) At times, I feel emotionally exhausted, and just want to stop fighting it and accept it. Nope. Can't do it. I hate being overweight. But, do I hate it enough to do something about it? My mind screams yes, but my mouth(pie-hole) says no most of time, sadly. I freely admit I am a stress-eater, and my life is all about stress lately. I'd rather be a stress-runner mind you, but that's not my lot in life I suppose :)

Anyway, good news on Gracie...her 24 hour culture did NOT show any e-coli. If after 48 hours it has not grown any, we can breath a little easier. She's still running a fever, but she is happy and energetic, very unlike before, thank God. And I'm pretty sure my friends that hosted the bbq last night think I am a total freak now...I dropped off my family and our food for the party and I tearfully told them I had to take Gracie in to the ER ...my insides were literally shaking with dread knowing that my poor princess could have to be put through hell again at the hospital. Sorry friends, not a freak, just worried :(

Hubby and the boys are out at the dollar theater seeing Speed Racer...so I am feeling a little bit of freedom. Hey, when you have 5 kids, having just 2 of them for a while is nice! Think I'll go whip up a mudslide and read a book. Tomorrow is Caleb's birthday, so it'll be hopping around here...gotta rest up while I can!

Later!

Day 43

It seems almost impossible that 14 years has gone by since hubby and I got married. 14 years? Am I even old enough to have been married that long? Apparently so, and sometimes I forget that! Our marriage has not always been easy...in fact, we've had more downs than ups the last few years, but we're hanging on to each other despite it all.

Since we were married on July 4, we decided about 10 years ago, when Eli was 2, that while our children were growing up, instead of celebrating with just the two of us, our anniversary would be a day for the whole family to celebrate...it is in fact, the day we became a family. Hubby is just happy that I am guaranteed to see fireworks on our anniversary :)

Just as we were getting ready to head up the street to a bbq tonight, Gracie woke up from her nap(Nap? She never naps unless she's sick!) and she was HOT. As in 103* fever hot. As soon as I saw the number register on the thermometer, my mind took me back a little in the day..."My back hurts Mama"...and I remembered the occasional "My tummy hurts" over the last couple of days. I put all of that together and I started to panic a little seeing as how she was so sick just weeks ago. I called the pediatrician and he was very concerned--almost ready to admit her to the hospital again without even seeing her. But, I ended up taking her into the ER to see what was going on. Thankfully, our doctor called ahead to the ER and we got in immediately.

Gracie does have another UTI and the ER doc said it was 'starting to brew' in her left kidney. My heart sank when I heard that and I prepared my heart for her to be re-admitted to the hospital...but (thank GOD) Gracie's own doctor said he would just start her on oral antibiotics and wait on the results from a culture before doing that. So, that's where we stand.

Still waiting.

Gracie and I showed up to the bbq 2 hours late, but the party was just getting started anyway in terms of the fireworks. I let myself relax a little (with the help of a couple of mudslides) and kicked back in my chair.

So, here's to another year of marriage...troubles and all.

Day 42: Dizzy is as Dizzy does...

Poor Eli...he's been so dizzy today. He's walking at a slant most of the time. If he lies still, he's okay, but as soon as he sits or stands up, he gets hit with the vertigo. I spoke with the surgeons office today and was told to call if by Saturday he is still dizzy. Eli is also pretty bruised up on his head and the insicion on his wrist from his graft is sore too. But, even with the dizziness and feeling so uncomfortable, Eli is *most* pleasant on codeine and scopalomine!

Gracie went in for a hearing screening today. The doctor that did Eli's surgery said that she should be checked out too since the hearing problems could be hereditary, and for the fact that she tilts her head to one side, cups her ear and says "What?" a lot. Thankfully, her hearing is perfectly normal. Whew...

I'm ditching hubby and the kids tonight to head to a girlfriends house for a bbq. I hear that there is food and margaritas galore...no need to say more :)

Heading out...gotta go!

Day 41

Eli is home. He ended up having a major reconstruction and needed a prosthetic stapes and a vein graft to close up an 'oval window' fistula. (nope, I'm not explaining it..too tired!)


Here he is pre-op...looking good!

Right before being taken back to the OR (yup, that's me... the stay-puffed marshmallow mom)

In the PACU just coming out of anesthesia

Getting a kiss from Mom...

It was a long ordeal and Eli had difficulty with waking up...and then when he did wake up, he couldn't move without being extremely dizzy...and when he was dizzy, he threw up :(

He's on lots of good drugs and resting now.

We're still uncertain as to what happens next, but the surgeon said he was 'hopeful'.

Update later.

Days 39 and 40

Yup, I know...I am behind in blogging again. And I think I am only going to get behind even more as this week goes by. Eli is having his surgery tomorrow, Gracie goes to the doctor on Thursday, our wedding anniversary is on Friday and Caleb's birthday is on Sunday. But, if I look on the bright side, staying insanely busy makes the days go by faster and the faster they go by, the less insane I am with having the kids home for summer. Make sense?

Other than my nonsensical gibberish up above, not much else going on. Status quo. Same old same old. Crying and screaming. Screaming and crying. What else would life be with a housefull of kids?


Signing off to contain the chaos and duct tape up some kids.