I'm very tired and I'm not doing the math, but I think it's been two nap days since that post and both awakenings have gone very well. Yesterday I was gone, and John said there was minimal fussing because I was gone, but there were no tantrums and all went well.
Today, again I was gone, but she wandered downstairs and was in a great mood. Everybody cheered her on and made a big, big deal about how nice it was that she was so happy when she woke up.
I just can't believe that once I finally put this out for all to see she does a 180. Thanks for prayers. God is good, good, good. Even to me!
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
I Love Gertie, really, I do.
Gertie continues to wake up from EVERY nap screaming and crying. She is irrational and uncooperative. I just don't know if I can put on paper (or, uh, the internet) how incredibly frustrating and exhausting this is.
Today: Wakes up screaming for Mom. John goes up and she'll have nothing to do with him as he tries to bring her downstairs, calm her down, but evenutally gives up, leaving her screaming in her room. John and I are just discussing what to do because this is becoming an ugly routine. She starts screaming for Dad. He goes and brings her down, telling me that she's going to calm down. Her face is blotchy and red, she can't regulate her breathing yet, and she clings to me, still whimpering. I sing a bit to her, and she tells me, don't say that. I ask her if she'd like something to eat. She starts crying. She's not hungry. She doesn't want a banana. She wants a banana. I take her in my arms to get the banana. She wants to peel it like a monkey. Mind you, all of these comments come out in on-the-verge-of hysterics cries. She takes three bites. She doesn't want any more fruit. I want Cheerios. I place her in her chair to set her up, and she's still screaming at me. She needs a drink. I've had it. I take her up to her bed and she screams up there for a few minutes. She tells me she's going to calm down, so she is allowed to come down. I sit her back in her chair as she whimpers for her drink, then her Cheerios. She eats. She watches Dora.
That was ten minutes ago. Now she is cheerfully talking of going to church and how she wants to go to her class. Go figure. And, heeelp meeeee, please.
Today: Wakes up screaming for Mom. John goes up and she'll have nothing to do with him as he tries to bring her downstairs, calm her down, but evenutally gives up, leaving her screaming in her room. John and I are just discussing what to do because this is becoming an ugly routine. She starts screaming for Dad. He goes and brings her down, telling me that she's going to calm down. Her face is blotchy and red, she can't regulate her breathing yet, and she clings to me, still whimpering. I sing a bit to her, and she tells me, don't say that. I ask her if she'd like something to eat. She starts crying. She's not hungry. She doesn't want a banana. She wants a banana. I take her in my arms to get the banana. She wants to peel it like a monkey. Mind you, all of these comments come out in on-the-verge-of hysterics cries. She takes three bites. She doesn't want any more fruit. I want Cheerios. I place her in her chair to set her up, and she's still screaming at me. She needs a drink. I've had it. I take her up to her bed and she screams up there for a few minutes. She tells me she's going to calm down, so she is allowed to come down. I sit her back in her chair as she whimpers for her drink, then her Cheerios. She eats. She watches Dora.
That was ten minutes ago. Now she is cheerfully talking of going to church and how she wants to go to her class. Go figure. And, heeelp meeeee, please.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Rocking Horse
I
I realize I've been a little short on pictures lately. These are of the kids playing on the rocking horse we picked up off the curb in front of our neighbors' house. Have you ever picked up someone's trash from the curb? In my part of the country it is kind of an understood thing that if you put something out on the curb you are hoping that someone will consider it a valuable treasure and take it off your hands, that way you don't have to pay to dispose of it. I think our neighbors have moved by now. There is no car there ever anymore, and for a couple weeks before they moved they were frequently placing things out at the curb. We have another set of neighbors that snatched up most everything, which is just fine with me. But the other night Grace spotted the rocking horse and raced over to check it out. She hollered over to me that it was in good shape, and I hollered back to go ahead and bring it home. Real classy. Now I have a huge rocking horse sitting in my living room. The kids love it. Gertie keeps taking her babies for rides on it. Ethan is a crazy man on it. But what am I going to do with this big rocking horse? I am thinking after a bit, maybe it will be on my curb.
As for other goings ons, we are in the full swing of school. We are all adjusting well to the fall schedule, racing from here to there and there to here. Ethan starts football tomorrow morning, and he's excited about that.
I've been doing laundry all day. Lots of it. John told me this morning he's got no clean underwear. Well, now he does. Ethan told me this morning that he was wearing his last clean pair of pants. Not anymore. The kids are on the trampoline, and John has built a bon fire for s'mores. It is a good family Friday night. (Except that I'm in here blogging, but that's about to change.) All my chicks are in the nest.
As for me, I'm off to Sioux Falls to visit my girlfriends this weekend. I don't know what we're going to fill our time with, but it will most certainly be girly-girl things that our husbands won't much enjoy doing with us. These are my oldest and dearest friends, and I am really looking forward to it.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Quotable Quotes
Gertie keeps saying a few things that I want to make sure I write down. I can't recall if I've mentioned them before, so sorry if I'm repeating myself.
First is the rhyming. She is rhyming everything. I love you bove you. There is the school pool. I want a cracker tacker. Rhymes everywhere.
Then she is telling me I'm the favorite mom in the whole world. And Dad is the favorite dad in the whole world, and so on. And it seems to be required after she says it that I say it back for her. You are the favorite Gertie in the whole wide world. If I don't say it back, she repeats it in an angry way until I fall in.
The biggest repeater is "Mom, I love you and I don't want to disobey you." She says this all the time. All the time. Not after she disobeys me. Just when she's sitting on your lap or crying because she's "really sick."
Just a quick post.
First is the rhyming. She is rhyming everything. I love you bove you. There is the school pool. I want a cracker tacker. Rhymes everywhere.
Then she is telling me I'm the favorite mom in the whole world. And Dad is the favorite dad in the whole world, and so on. And it seems to be required after she says it that I say it back for her. You are the favorite Gertie in the whole wide world. If I don't say it back, she repeats it in an angry way until I fall in.
The biggest repeater is "Mom, I love you and I don't want to disobey you." She says this all the time. All the time. Not after she disobeys me. Just when she's sitting on your lap or crying because she's "really sick."
Just a quick post.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
School Days
This morning I got up early with Grace and we ate breakfast on the porch. It was a dark and windy morning, although it has still produced no rain. The kids went to school, first Grace on her bike, then Ethan on the bus.
Grace has little lists posted about the house:
eat breakfast
don't forget cello book
gym bag
She is definitely a list maker. She also isn't very tidy, so I find them laying about. I enjoy them. It is fun to see what is on her mind. She was ready so early, but that was good because she helped me out a bit in packing Ethan's lunch and got off to school early enough to take care of a few loose ends.
Ethan was sluggish. He went to bed early enough, but he's got a cold, or allergies. I am never quite sure. I almost considered keeping him home. He was planning on riding his bike, and I was going to take Gertie to join him, but Gertie was a sleepy head this morning, so he was faced with a lonely ride to school. At the last minute he opted for the bus. I am glad because I don't completely trust his ability to not be hit by a car. He watches for traffic 90% of the time, but every once in a while I catch him dart out into the street without even glancing sideways. We have charted a very low traffic route to school, but one of the streets is now under construction, so he'd have to take the busier street. It was a good day for the bus.
Gertie has had a great morning. She still comes to me occasionally saying that she is really sick or would I love her for a minute, but overall, this morning, she played on her own some, she was happier, she ate well and has been drinking a bit. I was able to get a lot of laundry done, some phone calls (even a fun one with sister Beth) and many errands run. We had a good day.
I just finished putting scalloped potatoes and ham in the crockpot. Pray for good food. Dinner is usually John's forte, but he's working all day in Albert Lea today, and won't be home in time to fix anything. I thought I could help with this burden. I just don't cook much, so I haven't tried this recipe. I'm sure it will be delicious, though, right?
It has been a good first day of the usual school-day routine. I am not the mom that is so anxious for summer to be over to get my kids out of my hair. I actually like having them around, but around now I do get anxious to get the show on the road. I want my "normal" days to start. And they have.
The kids should be home any minute now to tell me all about their days. Well, at least Grace will...
Grace has little lists posted about the house:
eat breakfast
don't forget cello book
gym bag
She is definitely a list maker. She also isn't very tidy, so I find them laying about. I enjoy them. It is fun to see what is on her mind. She was ready so early, but that was good because she helped me out a bit in packing Ethan's lunch and got off to school early enough to take care of a few loose ends.
Ethan was sluggish. He went to bed early enough, but he's got a cold, or allergies. I am never quite sure. I almost considered keeping him home. He was planning on riding his bike, and I was going to take Gertie to join him, but Gertie was a sleepy head this morning, so he was faced with a lonely ride to school. At the last minute he opted for the bus. I am glad because I don't completely trust his ability to not be hit by a car. He watches for traffic 90% of the time, but every once in a while I catch him dart out into the street without even glancing sideways. We have charted a very low traffic route to school, but one of the streets is now under construction, so he'd have to take the busier street. It was a good day for the bus.
Gertie has had a great morning. She still comes to me occasionally saying that she is really sick or would I love her for a minute, but overall, this morning, she played on her own some, she was happier, she ate well and has been drinking a bit. I was able to get a lot of laundry done, some phone calls (even a fun one with sister Beth) and many errands run. We had a good day.
I just finished putting scalloped potatoes and ham in the crockpot. Pray for good food. Dinner is usually John's forte, but he's working all day in Albert Lea today, and won't be home in time to fix anything. I thought I could help with this burden. I just don't cook much, so I haven't tried this recipe. I'm sure it will be delicious, though, right?
It has been a good first day of the usual school-day routine. I am not the mom that is so anxious for summer to be over to get my kids out of my hair. I actually like having them around, but around now I do get anxious to get the show on the road. I want my "normal" days to start. And they have.
The kids should be home any minute now to tell me all about their days. Well, at least Grace will...
Sunday, August 31, 2008
The Long Story Long
If I had read a post like that I'd be checking in, so I felt I better update. Although, it is Labor Day weekend, so maybe many of you won't read this until I've already caught you up. So for my memory bank as well, here is the story:
Yesterday when Gertie woke up from her nap John saw a big bright red drip of blood on her lip. We looked in her throat and could see some blood and a big bright red spot in the back of her throat. We knew we'd need to take her in, but the blood didn't continue to come out her mouth, and we were trying to determine if we could take her to the urgent care here in town, or head to Mason City where the ENT doctor has his practice. I tried to call the triage nurse, but I got voice mail, so we had decided to just head to Mason City. As we were walking out the door, the nurse from our local hospital called back and assured me that they could determine whether we needed to head down to the ENT or if they could handle it here. So we changed gears and decided to go to the local urgent care. A very long two and a half hours later they told me that I needed to go to Mason City, and would I like to ride in the ambulance or drive myself? I opted for our own ride, so I collected John and Grace (Ethan is visiting Cousins Hunter and Tate) and we drove down to Mason City.
Things moved much more quickly while we were there. The doctors made a decision that they'd like to remove the blood clot and stop the bleeding. Gertie didn't even cry when they put the IV in her wrist. She is so brave and I am so proud of her. The nurse gave her a bunch of stickers and she immediately stuck them all over her lower arm. They were lots of dime-shaped stickers of the Disney princesses and they were headed in for surgery. John and Grace left for some much needed dinner, as it was 8:30 or so by then. I was able to stay with her as we walked toward the operating room, and left her only as they walked her into the operating room doors.
When the doctor came out he told me that she is quite a trooper. She did great. They found a couple veins that were trickling, but nothing that was gushing blood. That was good. They cauterized the whole area, I think he said, and it would be extremely rare for this to occur again. He kept us in the hospital overnight. The nurse on staff was great. Gertie slept pretty well after I finally insisted on turning Snow White off the television at 11 p.m. I couldn't believe she was still awake. I figured she'd be so tired after that long day, but she was mesmerized by the movie. What she really wanted was something to eat, and the nurse gave her a popsicle. She kept insisting that she wanted another one that was purple, but the nurse said no. She needed to go easy after the anesthesia.
The doctors came in before 7 a.m. and woke Gertie up by basically sticking a big popsicle stick down her throat, and that didn't go over very well, but they said everything looks good and she can go home.
Since home she's been very clingy, a little spacy, and hungry. I am trying to be very careful about what I give her to eat, but she's going after the popsicles again. She has a bit of a fever, but I believe that's pretty normal. Nothing to worry about unless it's up to 102 degrees.
John seems to think she needs some Disney movies now. He is on that errand. It was making us remember Grace when she was about Gertie's age, shouting at me as John and I were having a serious discussion about something, "Don't say that about my father. He's not crazy. He's a genus!" We both looked at her and realized that that was a line straight out of Beauty and the Beast (except for the "genus" for genius part). That was the beginning of Grace's acting career, reciting everybody else's lines as well as her own.
I am hoping for a nap this afternoon, a long one. I think we're all exhausted.
Yesterday when Gertie woke up from her nap John saw a big bright red drip of blood on her lip. We looked in her throat and could see some blood and a big bright red spot in the back of her throat. We knew we'd need to take her in, but the blood didn't continue to come out her mouth, and we were trying to determine if we could take her to the urgent care here in town, or head to Mason City where the ENT doctor has his practice. I tried to call the triage nurse, but I got voice mail, so we had decided to just head to Mason City. As we were walking out the door, the nurse from our local hospital called back and assured me that they could determine whether we needed to head down to the ENT or if they could handle it here. So we changed gears and decided to go to the local urgent care. A very long two and a half hours later they told me that I needed to go to Mason City, and would I like to ride in the ambulance or drive myself? I opted for our own ride, so I collected John and Grace (Ethan is visiting Cousins Hunter and Tate) and we drove down to Mason City.
Things moved much more quickly while we were there. The doctors made a decision that they'd like to remove the blood clot and stop the bleeding. Gertie didn't even cry when they put the IV in her wrist. She is so brave and I am so proud of her. The nurse gave her a bunch of stickers and she immediately stuck them all over her lower arm. They were lots of dime-shaped stickers of the Disney princesses and they were headed in for surgery. John and Grace left for some much needed dinner, as it was 8:30 or so by then. I was able to stay with her as we walked toward the operating room, and left her only as they walked her into the operating room doors.
When the doctor came out he told me that she is quite a trooper. She did great. They found a couple veins that were trickling, but nothing that was gushing blood. That was good. They cauterized the whole area, I think he said, and it would be extremely rare for this to occur again. He kept us in the hospital overnight. The nurse on staff was great. Gertie slept pretty well after I finally insisted on turning Snow White off the television at 11 p.m. I couldn't believe she was still awake. I figured she'd be so tired after that long day, but she was mesmerized by the movie. What she really wanted was something to eat, and the nurse gave her a popsicle. She kept insisting that she wanted another one that was purple, but the nurse said no. She needed to go easy after the anesthesia.
The doctors came in before 7 a.m. and woke Gertie up by basically sticking a big popsicle stick down her throat, and that didn't go over very well, but they said everything looks good and she can go home.
Since home she's been very clingy, a little spacy, and hungry. I am trying to be very careful about what I give her to eat, but she's going after the popsicles again. She has a bit of a fever, but I believe that's pretty normal. Nothing to worry about unless it's up to 102 degrees.
John seems to think she needs some Disney movies now. He is on that errand. It was making us remember Grace when she was about Gertie's age, shouting at me as John and I were having a serious discussion about something, "Don't say that about my father. He's not crazy. He's a genus!" We both looked at her and realized that that was a line straight out of Beauty and the Beast (except for the "genus" for genius part). That was the beginning of Grace's acting career, reciting everybody else's lines as well as her own.
I am hoping for a nap this afternoon, a long one. I think we're all exhausted.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Prayer Request
Please pray for Gertie. I realize many of you won't read this in a timely fashion, but I'm making my pleas. She is in surgery right now because of a blood clot that formed in her throat. The doctor feels that the best thing to do is to remove the clot and cauterize the source of the bleeding. I think we're looking at an overnight in the hospital again, but I'm not absolutely sure.
Please pray that they easily find the source, that they are able to stop the bleeding, that she tolerates the anesthesia well (she did great with the tonsillectomy), that her mom isn't overtaken with fear, that we can be a comfort to Gertie as she recovers again.
Please pray that they easily find the source, that they are able to stop the bleeding, that she tolerates the anesthesia well (she did great with the tonsillectomy), that her mom isn't overtaken with fear, that we can be a comfort to Gertie as she recovers again.
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