We had only been home an hour or so today when the phone rang.
Greg was outside so I answered, only to be met with the tell-tale 2 seconds of silence before a very far away voice in a crowded room of other busy voices began: "Hello?"
Usually I have hung up by this time, but every once in a while I feel like humoring whoever is on the other end. Today happened to be one of those days.
After asking for me by my first name and a perfunctory "How are you doing today?" today's caller introduced herself and her company, which I didn't recognize.
"We are the company that took pictures of your baby in the hospital a little over a year ago."
My brain-wheels began turning (while she kept talking) .... pictures...hospital.....ahaaa.... she means when he was born.
"....we are about to delete the pictures of your baby, but we wanted to offer you one more chance to buy these photos of your baby, before we delete the pictures of your baby forever. We have a special package for moms like you who have waited to buy these pictures of their baby...."
While she went on to describe the sizes of this special-deal package for us insensitive, procrastinating moms, I was thinking:
I had reasons for not buying those pictures when they were offered to us the first time, and even though I was going through the typical messed-up post-partum hormones, it was a good decision:
#1 - they were overpriced
#2 - we took our own pictures
#3 - Alan looked like a monkey
So to let this nice lady move on to the next unsuspecting mom of a now-toddler, I interrupted her sales pitch with a kind "no, thank you" and a little chuckle.
Not only had the image of those monkey-pictures popped into my head, I was also bombarded with a quick mental slideshow of all that has happened since those pictures were taken. Oh, if we only knew then where we would be now. It's probably a good thing we didn't. Our hearts would have broken. But, thankfully, we didn't know. Instead, we have lived it, one day at a time. And one day at a time isn't so bad.
But there was a brief moment in that phone call that I wanted to buy those pictures. I wanted to have all the pictures there are of my baby before. Before we knew. Before his liver quit working and he spent days screaming and his eyes turned yellow. Before he had surgeries and blood draws. But having those pictures wouldn't change any of that. Pictures and memories are precious to me, but looking back can sometimes be bittersweet. Instead, when we choose to live in the present we can simply enjoy the sweetness of each day.
Plus.... Alan really did look like a monkey in those pictures. ;)
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
WFMW - corraling toy cars
We don't have a large set of standing rules at our house. We may... down the line... but for now we are able to keep things pretty simple and just expect obedience with small instructions as needed.
However, there has been one rule that we aquired early on and has stuck with us for 3+ years now:
- Cars go on the floor.
You see - Dale was pushing toy cars around making motor noises before he could even crawl. He loves them! And they go everywhere with him.
So it has come in handy for saving tabletops, piano benches, pianos, faces and innumerable other surfaces at our house AND when we are visitors somewhere else from scratches, injury, and other abuse.
It is a simple rule, easy to enforce without exception, and for little ones to remember ("Where do cars go? That's right.... on the floor.").
And that has worked great for us for many, many Wednesdays! ;)
For more Works for Me Wednesday tips, be sure to visit Rocks in my Dryer.
However, there has been one rule that we aquired early on and has stuck with us for 3+ years now:
- Cars go on the floor.
You see - Dale was pushing toy cars around making motor noises before he could even crawl. He loves them! And they go everywhere with him.
So it has come in handy for saving tabletops, piano benches, pianos, faces and innumerable other surfaces at our house AND when we are visitors somewhere else from scratches, injury, and other abuse.
It is a simple rule, easy to enforce without exception, and for little ones to remember ("Where do cars go? That's right.... on the floor.").
And that has worked great for us for many, many Wednesdays! ;)
For more Works for Me Wednesday tips, be sure to visit Rocks in my Dryer.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Much more than bland cold mystery meat and watered down iced tea. It's almost real food!
So I wrote my whole "spill-my-guts" post on Sunday, you know, all hoping it would free me up for better blogging. (Thanks for all your nice comments!)
And then I didn't post for two whole days.
Lol.
We are settling in for our second night in the hospital with Alan. He was admitted Monday around lunchtime for a Tuesday morning liver biopsy because of some of his labs.
The biopsy went fine and we should get to go home in the morning.
This stay wasn't really troubling or anything, mainly just frustration at the interruption to home-life. But once we got here and settled in to the fact that we were back in the hospital again, it was ok. Relatively, anyway.
And I don't have to worry about Dale missing me.... he got to go camping with Nana & PawPaw! He probably won't even want to come home yet! ;)
.....
When I can't think of anything else to talk about, my thoughts usually turn to food. When I talk to Dale on the phone I find myself asking what he had for his most recent meal or two.
Sitting here now trying to think of something to blog about I keep recapping my 2 days of hospital meals. Which aren't that bad here, by the way. And breastfeeding moms get to eat for free.
Well.... you don't have to pay for them when you eat them, but you certainly pay for them down the line, ya know? It's nice though, to be able to pick up the phone and order up anything I want from the menu 3 times a day. 30-45 minutes later it is delivered to our door, and no money changes hands!
I sort of feel like I'm cheating when we are first admitted and Alan's nurse puts me in the computer as being able to order these "Lactation Trays". I mean... he is 15 months old. And can eat a bowl of spaghetti-o's (a hospital treat) or a couple of pieces of bacon like nobody's business. But then I spend the afternoon nursing him to keep him happy because he can't get down and crawl around, or getting up several times during the night to nurse him (especially if he has been woken up by someone coming in to do something to him), and I decide, no.... I'm not cheating. I'm earning those trays!
Oh anyway....
I hope you are all having a good week. Hopefully we'll be home tomorrow night and can salvage a couple of 'normal' weekdays at home together this week! :)
And then I didn't post for two whole days.
Lol.
We are settling in for our second night in the hospital with Alan. He was admitted Monday around lunchtime for a Tuesday morning liver biopsy because of some of his labs.
The biopsy went fine and we should get to go home in the morning.
This stay wasn't really troubling or anything, mainly just frustration at the interruption to home-life. But once we got here and settled in to the fact that we were back in the hospital again, it was ok. Relatively, anyway.
And I don't have to worry about Dale missing me.... he got to go camping with Nana & PawPaw! He probably won't even want to come home yet! ;)
.....
When I can't think of anything else to talk about, my thoughts usually turn to food. When I talk to Dale on the phone I find myself asking what he had for his most recent meal or two.
Sitting here now trying to think of something to blog about I keep recapping my 2 days of hospital meals. Which aren't that bad here, by the way. And breastfeeding moms get to eat for free.
Well.... you don't have to pay for them when you eat them, but you certainly pay for them down the line, ya know? It's nice though, to be able to pick up the phone and order up anything I want from the menu 3 times a day. 30-45 minutes later it is delivered to our door, and no money changes hands!
I sort of feel like I'm cheating when we are first admitted and Alan's nurse puts me in the computer as being able to order these "Lactation Trays". I mean... he is 15 months old. And can eat a bowl of spaghetti-o's (a hospital treat) or a couple of pieces of bacon like nobody's business. But then I spend the afternoon nursing him to keep him happy because he can't get down and crawl around, or getting up several times during the night to nurse him (especially if he has been woken up by someone coming in to do something to him), and I decide, no.... I'm not cheating. I'm earning those trays!
Oh anyway....
I hope you are all having a good week. Hopefully we'll be home tomorrow night and can salvage a couple of 'normal' weekdays at home together this week! :)
Sunday, February 24, 2008
I..um....well....what I'm trying to say is....
Have you ever been in one of those situations where trying not to say a particular thing made it almost impossible to carry on a normal conversation? Whether it was a secret to be kept or a distracting physical feature on the person you are talking to, or any other number of things, it gets to the point where you can't think of anything else to say except for that one thing you are trying not to.
I think that is partly what has become of my blog. (in addition to trying to re-enter "normal life" and adjust to one of the biggest changes we'll ever face).
There are 2 subjects that currently occupy much of my waking hours, and, until now, I have opted not to blog about them. Which has turned out to make it hard to think of anything else to blog about! Which seems to almost defeat the purpose of having a blog. Isn't part of the idea of blogging to be able to put in writing some of the thoughts in your head?
So, with hopes of freeing up some space in my mind, I'm going to attempt to spill at least some of those 2 major thought balloons here.
#1 - Alan. Transplant.
We are currently going to Children's twice a week. This is an all-day affair.
Every time we must decide who will accompany me & Alan (usually my Dad or Greg), where Dale will stay.
We pack a bag, in case Alan is admitted.
It seems to simple to put it down in writing, but there is so much that occupies my mind regarding Alan.
I guess that is to be expected. We are so close to it all that sometimes we forget what a BIG DEAL transplant is. Not that we take it for granted. But I think I often underestimate the huge impact we should expect it to have on every area of our life. At least for now. Surely, surely, we will adjust.
And I will go on to say that I don't feel it is necessarily stress about Alan. I say that I trust God with him, and I do. There is just so much to think about, keep up with, plan, process & absorb. And I most of the time choose not to blog about all that. There are lots of reasons why, but that would make this post too long. On to the other thing that takes up a LOT of my thinking:
#2 - Dale. More specifically, school for Dale. Even more specifically, homeschool.
See, a couple of years ago, if I thought about homeschooling my kids (which, Dale was the only one then) I thought it would be so much fun, and I would be good at the organizing and planning and teaching, BUT... it just wasn't for us. I was opposed to the idea in general for our family. Again, this blog post isn't the place for all the reasons & explanations.
But Greg, well, Greg grew to like the idea more and more, and after a while, I did too. I saw that it was the best thing for our family. (Hmmm.... God speaking, perhaps?) And once I switched over to his way of thinking, I have continued to see over and over again how it is absolutely the best thing for us.
And I am so excited. And I have so many ideas. And thoughts. And plans. And I think about all these things a LOT. And, once again, this was something I have been intentionally not blogging about. And again, reasons and explanations are irrelevant at this point.
So. Having those 2 subjects occupying so much of my thinking and then NOT blogging about them didn't leave much room for blogging. (Add to that the fact that I can't get my camera software to behave, so doing anything with pictures is an absolute pain, and that just reduces blogging further!).
Anyway.... now that I've 'outed' myself on these things, hopefully I can either a)just blog about them already or b) stop thinking about what I'm trying not to say and actually have fun blogging about this, that & the other again.
WHEW. I feel better. ;)
I think that is partly what has become of my blog. (in addition to trying to re-enter "normal life" and adjust to one of the biggest changes we'll ever face).
There are 2 subjects that currently occupy much of my waking hours, and, until now, I have opted not to blog about them. Which has turned out to make it hard to think of anything else to blog about! Which seems to almost defeat the purpose of having a blog. Isn't part of the idea of blogging to be able to put in writing some of the thoughts in your head?
So, with hopes of freeing up some space in my mind, I'm going to attempt to spill at least some of those 2 major thought balloons here.
#1 - Alan. Transplant.
We are currently going to Children's twice a week. This is an all-day affair.
Every time we must decide who will accompany me & Alan (usually my Dad or Greg), where Dale will stay.
We pack a bag, in case Alan is admitted.
It seems to simple to put it down in writing, but there is so much that occupies my mind regarding Alan.
I guess that is to be expected. We are so close to it all that sometimes we forget what a BIG DEAL transplant is. Not that we take it for granted. But I think I often underestimate the huge impact we should expect it to have on every area of our life. At least for now. Surely, surely, we will adjust.
And I will go on to say that I don't feel it is necessarily stress about Alan. I say that I trust God with him, and I do. There is just so much to think about, keep up with, plan, process & absorb. And I most of the time choose not to blog about all that. There are lots of reasons why, but that would make this post too long. On to the other thing that takes up a LOT of my thinking:
#2 - Dale. More specifically, school for Dale. Even more specifically, homeschool.
See, a couple of years ago, if I thought about homeschooling my kids (which, Dale was the only one then) I thought it would be so much fun, and I would be good at the organizing and planning and teaching, BUT... it just wasn't for us. I was opposed to the idea in general for our family. Again, this blog post isn't the place for all the reasons & explanations.
But Greg, well, Greg grew to like the idea more and more, and after a while, I did too. I saw that it was the best thing for our family. (Hmmm.... God speaking, perhaps?) And once I switched over to his way of thinking, I have continued to see over and over again how it is absolutely the best thing for us.
And I am so excited. And I have so many ideas. And thoughts. And plans. And I think about all these things a LOT. And, once again, this was something I have been intentionally not blogging about. And again, reasons and explanations are irrelevant at this point.
So. Having those 2 subjects occupying so much of my thinking and then NOT blogging about them didn't leave much room for blogging. (Add to that the fact that I can't get my camera software to behave, so doing anything with pictures is an absolute pain, and that just reduces blogging further!).
Anyway.... now that I've 'outed' myself on these things, hopefully I can either a)just blog about them already or b) stop thinking about what I'm trying not to say and actually have fun blogging about this, that & the other again.
WHEW. I feel better. ;)
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Get an easy chocolate (or ice cream) fix!
We tried something new tonight: a chocolate shake with no ice cream!
I found the recipe on this page from the Hillbilly Housewife. We halved it and it was just enough for 3 of us. If you have ever had a Wendy's Frosty this is a pretty close imitation. I will definitely be making it again (but going with a little less water for a thicker shake). It was rich and chocolate-y and cold... yum! :)
1-1/2 to 2 cups ice water
1-1/2 cups nonfat dry milk powder
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 to 1-1/2 trays of ice cubes, as much as you can spare
2 tablespoons corn oil plus a 5-second squirt of non-stick spray for emulsification purposes
Place all of the ingredients into the blender, including the oil and the non-stick spray. Use less water for thicker milk shakes and more water for shakes that are easy on your blender motor. The blender should be about 3/4's full. Place the lid on. Process for a full 2 minutes. Pour into cups and serve. Makes 4 - 12oz servings.
I found the recipe on this page from the Hillbilly Housewife. We halved it and it was just enough for 3 of us. If you have ever had a Wendy's Frosty this is a pretty close imitation. I will definitely be making it again (but going with a little less water for a thicker shake). It was rich and chocolate-y and cold... yum! :)
1-1/2 to 2 cups ice water
1-1/2 cups nonfat dry milk powder
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 to 1-1/2 trays of ice cubes, as much as you can spare
2 tablespoons corn oil plus a 5-second squirt of non-stick spray for emulsification purposes
Place all of the ingredients into the blender, including the oil and the non-stick spray. Use less water for thicker milk shakes and more water for shakes that are easy on your blender motor. The blender should be about 3/4's full. Place the lid on. Process for a full 2 minutes. Pour into cups and serve. Makes 4 - 12oz servings.
Friday, February 22, 2008
"He loves them more than you do"
I think I may have mentioned before about a perpetual calendar my mom gave me several years ago. It is probably one of my favorite things, and even though it is a small thing, it is one of the most consistant habits I've had in the last 4 years... to turn that little page each day and see the "Promise for Parents" for that day. I keep it on my window-sill above the kitchen sink.
However, it's been stuck on February 16 since, well... February 16 because I wanted to share the quote for that day with you and it's just taken me that long to do it! :) (If I had turned the calendar page I wouldn't have thought of that particular quote or sharing it here until ....oh... Feb 16, 2009!)
"The God who made your children will hear your petitions. He has promised to do so. After all, He loves them more than you do." - Dr. James Dobson
I could elaborate on how important it is to pray for our kids, or how reassuring it is to think about how much God must love them, but I'll leave that for you to ponder. :)
And now I'm going to go read the next 6 days on my calendar. ;)
However, it's been stuck on February 16 since, well... February 16 because I wanted to share the quote for that day with you and it's just taken me that long to do it! :) (If I had turned the calendar page I wouldn't have thought of that particular quote or sharing it here until ....oh... Feb 16, 2009!)
"The God who made your children will hear your petitions. He has promised to do so. After all, He loves them more than you do." - Dr. James Dobson
I could elaborate on how important it is to pray for our kids, or how reassuring it is to think about how much God must love them, but I'll leave that for you to ponder. :)
And now I'm going to go read the next 6 days on my calendar. ;)
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Tagged again!
I've been tagged by my mom! Fitting enough, since we share the same middle name (and she is the one that gave it to me). :)
Here are the Rules: Post the rules on your blog, and then give your answers. List one fact about yourself for each letter in your middle name. Each fact must begin with a letter from your middle name. If you do not have a middle name, use your maiden name(or create a middle name).Once you are tagged, update your blog with your middle name and your answers. At the end of your post, tag one person for each letter of you middle name. Leave them a comment on their blog telling them that they have been tagged, and that they need to come read your blog for details.
L - Laundry. A load of laundry is one of the first things I do every morning. It helps me keep up, and the day just seems to get off to a better start when the washing machine is swishing away in the next room!
Y - Youth. I taught youth Sunday School for almost 2 years. I quit right before Alan was born. I don't really see myself as a "youth" person, but I truly enjoyed that class, and would do it again if I had the chance!
N - Nosey. Maybe nosey isn't the best word for it, but I am a people watcher. I love to observe others, whether it is watching my boys play or watching strangers and imagining their stories.
N - NumNum. The word we use with Alan for nursing. Yes, we are still doing that. I figure he won't nurse forever. And I wouldn't mention it at all except for I've spent way too much time trying to come up with another 'n' word about me. It's harder than it looks! And Alan is at my elbow asking for num-num. And I'm ignoring him. Because I do have my limits. ;)
E - Eggs. While I am not a picky eater in general, I am very picky about eggs. Scrambled I just about have to cook them myself. Boiled? Can't really handle them. Chopped up in tuna is ok, if they are chopped pretty small. And I usually eat a deviled egg half at Easter, because I really, really want to like them. And they really are almost good next to that slice of ham. :)
I tag:
Kara
Karen
Heart of a Mommy
Shannon
Sam
Here are the Rules: Post the rules on your blog, and then give your answers. List one fact about yourself for each letter in your middle name. Each fact must begin with a letter from your middle name. If you do not have a middle name, use your maiden name(or create a middle name).Once you are tagged, update your blog with your middle name and your answers. At the end of your post, tag one person for each letter of you middle name. Leave them a comment on their blog telling them that they have been tagged, and that they need to come read your blog for details.
L - Laundry. A load of laundry is one of the first things I do every morning. It helps me keep up, and the day just seems to get off to a better start when the washing machine is swishing away in the next room!
Y - Youth. I taught youth Sunday School for almost 2 years. I quit right before Alan was born. I don't really see myself as a "youth" person, but I truly enjoyed that class, and would do it again if I had the chance!
N - Nosey. Maybe nosey isn't the best word for it, but I am a people watcher. I love to observe others, whether it is watching my boys play or watching strangers and imagining their stories.
N - NumNum. The word we use with Alan for nursing. Yes, we are still doing that. I figure he won't nurse forever. And I wouldn't mention it at all except for I've spent way too much time trying to come up with another 'n' word about me. It's harder than it looks! And Alan is at my elbow asking for num-num. And I'm ignoring him. Because I do have my limits. ;)
E - Eggs. While I am not a picky eater in general, I am very picky about eggs. Scrambled I just about have to cook them myself. Boiled? Can't really handle them. Chopped up in tuna is ok, if they are chopped pretty small. And I usually eat a deviled egg half at Easter, because I really, really want to like them. And they really are almost good next to that slice of ham. :)
I tag:
Kara
Karen
Heart of a Mommy
Shannon
Sam
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