Friday, December 28, 2007

Merry Christmas and a Happy Surgery...

Christmas was great! Joy was getting into the excitement and enjoyed getting presents. By the end of the day all you had to say was Joy present and she would come running ready to open. I will get some pictures up as soon as I can get Rob on that (next year sometime!).
Surgery went well as far as I can tell. I went in with Rob around 9:15 and did my paperwork and pre-op stuff (the nurse was sure to tell me I am not pregnant) and then Rob got to come and sit with me while we waited for the doctor to show up. The surgery was scheduled for 10:30 and last I heard it was about 10:35 and the doctor was there not long after that. So I went into the operating room fully awake and then I moved to the table and I remember seeing a syringe putting something in the IV line, but then next thing I remember was waking up. Apparently I was smiling allot when I woke up and I chatted with the nice nurse who was there in the recovery room. She gave me lots of water (which I later learned was a bad idea). I was doing very well and so she said she would go tell Rob I should be ready to go in about 15 minutes. Well then she sat me up, and nausea set in. She laid me back down for another 5 minutes then I sat back up finished getting dressed and then she moved me to a "recliner" next to the bed I was in. She then went to get Rob because it had been about 30 minutes to the original 15 he was told about. He sat there with me for awhile, and I apparently was looking very tired (I might have dosed off again) and another nurse asked if I was ready to go home. I went with a yes on that. So the nurse and Rob loaded me into the car (not hard as I literally walked from the wheelchair to the car about 5ft). Then we took off toward home. Now I failed to mention to the nurse and Rob that I still had some nausea, and not even to the corner I managed to get all that water Sprite and a cracker they had given me back up. Then I felt much better! We made it home, luckily Joy was sleeping so I didn't have to worry about her seeing me and wanting to play. Vicki stayed with me while Rob and Marty went to get me some lunch. I ate and slept the rest of the day. Thursday morning I woke up in pain!! I managed to get up and to the couch, but no further. I pretty much stayed there all day. Not sure now why it was so painful, but it was painful! I took my medicine every 4 hours and made it through the day. After Joy went to bed I started to try and clean up some of the Christmas mess that we brought home after Christmas at my Mom's. I did real good I got things into piles all in the middle of the floor and then I could do no more. So the piles stayed. This morning I managed to get the piles out of Joy's way (at least the ones that needed to be) and I had a good day. I only took my pain medicine this morning, and have been pain med free the rest of the day. I don't know if it was the medicine or just the lack of food, but I was having that nausea feeling again. Anyway we got out twice today, and I am feeling fine. I even took my bandages off this evening and examined my stitches (I think they are cool). Anyway that's my story for now. I will try and do more about Christmas later with pictures!

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Pictures (Finally!)

Okay so I have been promising pictures but anytime I can get on my computer Rob is typically on his and the pictures are on his and it's easier not to bother him to get the pictures so anyway finally here are some pictures!

These first two are of Rob's office for Halloween. I don't recall if I mentioned he did the Matrix theme with a couple other guys from work, well I never got the pictures of all of them, but here is his office. Yes he hand painted all that, and each one is a letter or number, a few coded for me and him to understand.


So Halloween night here he is in front of our home. He brought home the panels from work and hung them in the entry way, you can kinda see it in the pictures, but not really great. Basically you could not see into the house just the Matrix panels.


Switching Holidays, right after Joy was born my dad was here and bought this from a lady down the street. We didn't get it up last year, and it's not lighted at night, but it's out and Joy loves to play with it!


Now this is the Christmas Program at our PDO. These are the best 2 pictures (the only ones where it's not the back of her head.) She came out and jingled her bell for the song, but was a little surprised by all the extra people in the Sanctuary (those people were not in practice!) She did okay cried a little but was still the cutest one!

This is just a random picture, Joy got the top (along with some pants that are too big) for Christmas from my friend Mary. She's in the laundry room refusing to come in the house. Just being herself and cute.

Now here is THE dress! She hasn't tried it on yet (I fear more tears when she does) but it is as done as it gets and I am okay with it. If you look close you will see the mistakes, but your only allowed to say wow you made her a dress what a great Mommy you are! I think I might get my friend Michelle to embroider that into the dress. It's done she will wear it twice then it will hang in the closet until I am willing to toss it out. I am really hoping for some sewing lessons next year so I can make all her special dresses preferably with a little less tears. (The blood is inevitable I prick myself all the time!)


Well I do have some news also. I went to the orthopedic surgeon on Thursday. He agreed it was a meniscus tear, and then saw the MRI report (I guess no one told him it was there so he examined me and then when he came to his conclusion I told him about it.) So he said surgery is the thing told me about the surgery and I asked about the alternative and he said it would be like it is now, which is okay as long as I don't squat, go up or down stairs, or walk more than 20 feet. So The scheduling nurse came in and was looking through the calendar. She was in mid January when she asked how soon I wanted it. I mentioned Rob has off work next week, and she flipped back to December 26th, said she had a cancellation and would see if she could get the space back from the Surgery center. Long story short I am having surgery on December 26th at 10:30am. My sister will watch Vicki that day and Rob will be home all week just for safe measure. The doctor said I would be able to walk out of the surgery (after I wake up) and I should have little to no restrictions. I will have some at home exercises to do, but I should be better than now by this time next week. So that's my story this week. I hope to get some Christmas pictures of Joy in the dress and then on Christmas Day, doubt I will get them up for awhile though so be patient with me :)
Merry Christmas!

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Not a dressmaker

Okay so I had this wonderful idea to make my daughter's Christmas dress. I even went as far as buying a pattern, material and the things that went with it. I have sewn before, I made myself a shirt (that I actually wore) at one point. I have made other things too, I did all my living room curtains, I have done other little crafty sewing things. So why not tackle a dress.... Let me tell you why not, the directions are written in a foreign language, they say it's English but I didn't understand it! In addition they are asking you to do things that just aren't humanly possible at least not by this human. I called my mom on many occasions asking what's this, what's that. She finally came over (a week after I gave up) and fixed some of the problems. Oh by the way I am doing this on her high school graduation gift/sewing machine. Well when she left on Sunday *all* I had to do was the side seams and the hems on the sleeves and the bottom then put on the cutesy little things. Well I managed to get it done (screwing up the sleeves but fixing with rickrack). Then I notice a few things I had not before. The dress is done (and a picture has been taken but our camera or computer did not delete the pictures last time we downloaded them so Rob didn't want to wait out the download of 230 pictures a second time for really only one picture.) Joy will wear the dress to church on Sunday, then to my Uncle's party and then again to the church's Christmas Eve service. Is it perfect, NO! Is it handmade with blood, sweat and tears absolutely! Merry Christmas Joy, I promise this is the last dress I make until after someone give me sewing lessons (a great Christmas present if you haven't already bought one for me!)

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Better than Santa

Okay so I admit my computer time is not spent blogging because I am on CafeMom reading other Mom's issues and writing about my own or MySpace lurking it's amazing who is out there and what they are doing! Anyway this post is only going to be a stolen item from CafeMom, I loved the message and wanted to spread it. Hope you like it!

WHY JESUS IS BETTER THAN SANTA CLAUS

Santa lives at the North Pole...
JESUS is everywhere.


Santa rides in a sleigh...
JESUS rides on the wind and walks on the water.


Santa comes but once a year...
JESUS is an ever present help.


Santa fills your stockings with goodies...
JESUS supplies all your needs.


Santa comes down your chimney uninvited...
JESUS stands at your door and knocks, and then enters your heart when invited.


You have to wait in line to see Santa...
JESUS is as close as the mention of His Name.


Santa lets you sit on his lap...
JESUS lets you rest in His arms.


Santa doesn't know your name, all he can say is, "Hi little boy or girl, what's your name?"
JESUS knew our name before we did. Not only does He know our name, he knows our address too. He knows our history and future and He even knows how many hairs are on our heads.


Santa has a belly like a bowl full of jelly...
JESUS has a heart full of love.


All Santa can offer is HO HO HO...
JESUS offers health, help and hope.


Santa says, "You better not cry"...
JESUS says, "Cast all your cares on me for I care for you."


Santa's little helpers make toys...
JESUS makes new life, mends wounded hearts, repairs broken homes and builds mansions.


Santa may make you chuckle but...
JESUS gives you joy that is your strength.


While Santa puts gifts under the tree...
JESUS became our gift and died on a tree.

It's obvious there is really NO comparison. We need to remember WHO Christmas is all about. We need to put Christ back into CHRISTmas, JESUS is still the reason for the season!


Yes, Jesus is better, He is even better than Santa Claus!!

Friday, December 7, 2007

Not a good Blogger

Okay so it's overtly obvious I am not good at this blogging thing. Well just add that to the tally of things I am not great at, cleaning house, cleaning laundry, just cleaning anything, keeping up with my scrapbooking (Joy's is at least a year behind, and the "family" one is even worse!) However, I am keeping up with Joy's moods and her schedule, she has yet to go unfed (although sometimes the meals aren't that great. I know all the mom's who are great at the cleaning and you can eat off their floors sometimes wish they had more time to spend with their kids. I wish I had more time to clean because I would rather spend my time with my kid. I hope that makes me a great Mom. I know sometimes I feel it makes me a great Mom but not a great wife. First thing when we win the lottery (that we don't play) is we are hiring a maid and a lawn guy, then Rob and I don't have those weekly things that keep us from Joy! Until then sorry no eating off the floor! I am not sure where that came from, but there it is.

In real news at our home everyone is sick! Last Wednesday night in the middle of the night Joy woke up crying, something she hasn't done in 4-5 months! I would like to say I rushed into her room, but I let her be for a few minutes until it was obvious that something was wrong and it wasn't just a random small cry. I get in there and she had thrown up all over her bed. I yell into the monitor to wake up Rob and together we clean the baby and the bed. Joy did not seem to phased by this other than it disrupted her beauty rest. When she was all clean and her bed back together we rocked her for a couple minutes and then I laid her back down. Rob and I headed back to bed. about 2 minutes later I hear her coughing, well I had to go check and be sure she hadn't thrown up again, and sure enough she had thrown up a little more. It wasn't much and it was high on her bed so we rocked a little then back to bed she went. Again a few minutes later she was coughing so since Rob was still up and had followed me last time anyway I let him take care of her. Until I heard her upset over the monitor. I went in and we all rocked. I think this happened one more time, and Rob took care of her that time (he was up no reason for everyone to be in the room). Joy and I stayed home from Parent's Day Out and she was fine all day. Friday again fine. She was fine all week, she was pooping more than usual (a good thing) and on Wednesday this week got a not that said she had a loose poop (unusual, but no worries). So Thursday Rob isn't feeling well and I leave him at home, with him thinking he will go to work just an hour late, Joy and I went to PDO as usual. I get home at noon to find out he never made it to work and is feeling pretty miserable. So Joy and I just do our usual thing and Rob stayed in the bedroom being sick. This morning Rob is feeling better but unsure about his prospects so Joy and I head out. Just past the mall Joy starts to cough, I check the mirror and she looks fine, but starts coughing again. I keep watching as much as I can while driving, next thing I know she is throwing up. I call Rob ask him if he is well enough to take care of Joy since I have to go to work since 2 other teachers, in my room, are out that morning. I bring Joy home drop her and my car here, then go to work in Rob's car. I get to work tell Donna (the Director) the story and we decide I can go at 10:30 when my kids will be covered by other teachers. I get home and Rob is still ill feeling, but Joy is no worse for the wear! I already have a doctor appointment for her this afternoon, so we will see if anything else is known, or if we just keep going as we are. I am glad to know that she is like me and just takes being sick as a minor nuisance, but it makes it hard to determine when she is sick! Is she sick? Has she been sick this whole time? *urgh* I can't wait till she has more words to tell me how she feels! Oh and in all this I don't like taking her temp, I refuse to do rectal, until I have been shown by someone who knows what they are doing and the underarm doesn't seem reliable, and we don't have an ear thermometer yet. So that is where we are now. *sigh*

News about me... My knee which has been hurting since Joy's b-day and I went to the doctor about took an x-ray said it was fluid, it still hurt but I didn't call until it was killing me after spending 3 days at my sister's 2 story house. I called and the doctor scheduled an MRI, and I did it last Saturday. Side thought that thing is loud, and although I am sure it really was 25 minutes it seemed very short. I decided going in that I would say a quick prayer to make it not seem as long as it was and God really answered that because when the tech said 6 minutes left I thought he was going to say 10 minutes passed! So the results were given to my doctor on Tuesday and I have a torn medial meniscus, and I was referred to an orthopedic surgeon. I have that appointment on the 20th, which was the first new patient available appointment. I decided it's not killing me now, so I can wait. I will let you know when I know more. Until then if you see me hobbling you will know why.

Other babbling because I can... I am over ambitious this year in my thoughts for Christmas, I have a pattern and material to make Joy a dress. It's still just a pattern and material. I do have a backup dress, but hope that everyone will be well enough soon enough that I could get it worked on soon. What this means is she has not yet seen Santa, and our mall is a no go now because she would never be good enough for the line and then sitting in a stranger's lap. So if we can we will go to the Texas City mall, where Santa actually dresses like Santa, and it's a dead mall so that means little or no line. *shrug* we will see. Again needing the time we don't have. Oh my other bother this weekend is that we have 2 things scheduled to do with others, and I really want to do both but now may not be able to do either. The first is my friend Mary, her husband, her twins (2years) and her baby (7 mo?) will be here at Moody to see the lights etc.. I really want to go with them tonight, but if Joy is sick I don't want her to forever hate me getting her boys sick! Although her boys have recently been sick also. Then Saturday is our Christmas Party for our Sunday School. Also my sister is taking her residents (the teens she is house mother for) to Moody on Saturday so that's another thing we could possibly do if time allowed. *sigh* the ONE weekend the rest of this year we have stuff planned and Joy decides to be sick for the first time!
OKay that's all my ramblings, it any of it made sense I am impressed. I will try and blog more, but in reality it's not high on my list (although it does rank above cleaning the kitchen floor!)