Monkeys

These are “my” monkeys.  Okay, technically the little guy in the middle isn’t part of our family.  But since I’ve been watching him since he was six months old, he feels like he is.

Cuuuute!

Aren’t they silly?

And did I already say cute?!?

Of course we had to do this one.

Peek-a-boo!

thanks

#61 we are settling into a normal routine

#62 enjoying 3! toddlers

#63 lovely neighbors and friends

#64 titus sleeps through the night!

#65 a beautiful fall

#66 husband-made coffee this morning

#67 pumpkins lining the front of the house

# 68 my little helper in the kitchen helping make gingerbread “men”

#69 a husband who teaches our children to respect me

#70 kids who eat (mostly) what’s put in front of them

Prepping for Alzheimer’s

Can you identify the object to the left of my hand?

It’s on my windshield/hood while I’m driving down the highway at 50 mph.

Have you guessed yet?

Yep.  It’s a used diaper.  A stinky, rotten, did-not-want-to-leave-it-in-the-store-or-put-it-in-the-van kind of diaper.  So, I thought to my mature, focused, highly intelligent self that I would put it on my hood where I was sure to see it when I left the store and would, without a doubt, remember to drop it in a dumpster.  And even if by some chance, I forgot that it was there, I figured there was NO WAY I would miss it, located right in my line of sight.  I am not usually like this.  Although don’t ask my husband if that is true, or any close friends, or anyone who remotely knows me.  Also, this is not at all like the hot mitt incident.

Rhyme This

Me: What rhymes with pork?

Sunita: I don’t know

Me: Something you use to stab food…

Sunita: I don’t know

Me: You have a knife, a spoon, and a…

Sunita: CHOPSTICK!!

The Wedding Professional

My daughter loves to be the center of attention.  She has learned the best way to achieve total adoration is to be the flower girl and to follow the bride everywhere.   With the most recent wedding couple (congrats Kevin and Laura!) that were graced by her presence, the groom’s mother asked if we had ever considered having her model professionally.  The reason she asked is because Sunita loves it and it shows.

The bride and groom were students of mine when I was teaching at Westside Christian High School.  Then they went to college right here at George Fox (and they worked for me).  So, we’ve known each other for about 7 years.  Sunita’s known them since she came home.  Laura (the bride) was the one who let Sunita ride her horse a while back, and she’s been itching to do it again ever since.  And now for a few gratuitous pictures of the wedding professional.

It was a beautiful wedding.  They are families of faith on both sides and the heritage was wonderful to see.  We were blessed to be a part of it.

I had to share these last photos.  The woman in yellow is the groom’s mom, while she watched her son dance with his wife for the first time.  The beauty of all their expressions was moving and sweet – I had to share.

The Egg Bunny

Husband was playing the munchkin in her room and found a purple hat of unknown origins (to him).  He asked Sunita where it came from and she said “The Egg Bunny”.  She did receive it in the mail this past Easter.  So if you’re wondering, the Egg Bunny does use the USPS.

Goodbye Tonsilloadenoidectomy Whine!

How to get there:

Day 1 (Thursday, 19th): Have surgery.  Prior to surgery think it’s great; after surgery change your mind.

Day 2 (Friday): Sleep.  Be forced to suck on popsicles. Whine, a lot.  Emphasis on “a lot”.  Embed yourself into your mom.

Day 3 (Saturday):  A bad day, but as it turns out, not the worst.

Day 5 (Monday): Healing is continuing.  Normal life begins again.  Start to feel better.  Nap all afternoon, wake anytime mom tries to detach herself from you.

Day 6 (Tuesday): Go to the community garden, swing, pet the cat, play.  It’s pretty good.  Still take long naps.

Day 7 (Wednesday): PAIN is unleashed again.  This is the beginning of the scabs falling off.  Whine, have pain, whine, have pain, add an extra side of whine.  Nap (of course, only with mom).

Day 8 and 9 (Thursday and Friday):  Repeat day 7, with occasional bouts of being OK (but never well).  When friends or family come over shun them.  If they talk to, you cry.  Stick to mom.  Literally.  Oh, and whine.

Day 10 (Saturday):  Feel some improvement.  Go out to Grandparents.  Play a little.  Nap for 3 hours or so.

Day 11 (Sunday):  Wake up almost normal.  Play.  Eat – almost anything.  Don’t take a 3 to 4 hour nap.  Don’t take near as much medicine.  Be fine.  Stop whining.

Day 12 (Monday):  Be normal again.  Take less medicine.  Eat chips.  Stop napping entirely.  Stop whining, well, not quite entirely.

Day 13 (Tuesday):  Take no medicine, not even for bed, and sleep clear through the night.  Whine at the normal level.  Hooray!!

Was it worth it?  YES!  Do I ever want to do it again?? HECK NO!!

48 Hours Later

Who knew 24 hours after the surgery would be the worst part of the ordeal?  Tuesday night (two days before surgery), I think due to nerves, Munchkin had slept really poorly – therefore, mom had slept really poorly.  Wednesday was not a great night either.  Throw in massive amounts of stress (the fact that it was totally irrational just didn’t matter) and you have a great formula for getting sick.  Adrenaline got me through the surgery, but once home, I came down from the high and felt terrible.  My legs felt like I had run a million miles, my back felt like I had gotten kicked by a horse, and I was freezing!  Of course, I had a fever.  I made it through getting Munchkin to bed and then crashed on the couch.

Meanwhile, Sunita has done pretty well so far, except for the almost constant whining.  During the first night she woke up at midnight for her pain meds and then slept until 6:00 for her next dose.  So all in all it was a really good night.  The next day she definitely did not want to eat or drink like she should.  She also didn’t want to take her pain meds because they taste bad.  So, Husband and I have been forcing her to do things for two days, which isn’t fun – but very necessary.  Thankfully she seems to be doing pretty well.  She has been up and around a little and is sleeping quite a bit.  She even went on a short bike ride today.  Still, the recovery is a bear.  And her breath does smell like roadkill.  All things considered,  we are glad we decided to do it.  Her breathing is already significantly better.

Oh, and not to state the obvious or anything, but developing a phlegmy cough around the time you have your tonsils out does wonders for increasing the pain level…

Hello Hospital, Goodbye Tonsils!

Here is Munchkin in pre-op.  This picture vividly captures her emotional state.  We went into pre-op about 8:00.

She played and was a total goof.

She practiced with her “grape” smelling mask and watched some Cinderella.  She went into the operating room around 9:15, and the time went by quickly.

She came out of the OR about an hour later.  She was much more subdued and wanted her mom.  She sat on my lap and watched cartoons for a couple hours.  Our doctor keeps young patients at least three hours post-op to be sure all is well.  She had six Pedialyte ice pops and eventually soaked right through her diaper onto my sweatshirt and pants.  She ended up doing that twice yesterday, which is actually a good problem to have, since not drinking is one of the biggest challenges with kids.  Patients end up dehydrated and back in the hospital.  Today (day after) she is much more reluctant to eat or drink, so you can be praying for more soakings, or at least more drinking.

Here she is at home with her pink (boy) elephant and blue (she has now decided it is also a boy) elephant.  She is sucking on a sucker and watching cartoons.  I anticipate this will be what she looks like for the next couple days.  I’m hoping she will start to eat and drink more again.  She hasn’t gone potty all day and I’m a little worried she isn’t getting enough fluid.  I’ll be forcing the liquids after she wakes up from her nap.  On the positive side of things, already she is obviously breathing better (and hopefully that will translate into sleeping better).  After today, she will continue to heal and hopefully begin to eat and drink normally.   In about 4 to 9 days the scabs will fall off and she (like all tonsillectomy patients) runs a risk of bleeding at that time, and it will also increase the pain again.  After that, we should be home free.  So hopefully we have about 2 weeks of progressive healing.  Hopefully.

Curious Sunita

Well, today was the seemingly long-awaited tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy for the munchkin.  This morning we got up and out of the house by 6:30 to make it to hospital by 7:30.  Sunita was a little nervous on the way and protested going a bit, but without tears.

When we got to the hospital she was greeted by a very nice nurse and got a “girl baby elephant” (blue) that matched her “boy baby elephant” (pink) that she got at Jared’s surgery last summer.

After that she did amazing.  She was so curious about everything, as always.  We believe in full disclosure, so Sunita had been well prepped for just about everything that happened.  When the anesthesiologist came in, she said she didn’t think Sunita needed the “magic meds”, (a.k.a. Versed) to help her relax before getting the gas mask.  The nurse later came in and made the same assessment.

Although I was counting on sleepy, sweetie, crazy (drugged) Sunita, I had no such luck.  She was incredible.  She asked the staff their names and then referred to them as such.  She astounded the doctors and nurses.  After everybody had gone through their spiels and were standing around just about ready to take her to the operating room, Sunita said, “I’m ready to go now.”  And she was.  Alert, awake, and rolled away from us, quite OK with it all.

When the doctors came out after the surgery they said her tonsils and adenoids all but hopped out of her mouth and everything went great.  When Sunita woke up she cried a bit, but overall it couldn’t have gone better.  The drive home was actually the worst part.  It’s an hour drive home and she was a bit nauseous and felt bad enough to be whiny for most of the ride.  Honestly, I expect by tomorrow she will be about 90% normal, with occasional bouts of fits.

[ Note from Jared: Amy and Sunita are both down for the night (hopefully the whole night!) but Amy asked that I get this posted for all of you who are waiting on an update. Pics to follow in another post...  On a personal note, thank you all so much for the prayers.  Today was about as good as it could have been.  I went into Sunita's room after she'd fallen asleep and her breathing was already much less labored than before. ]

I’m Not Naked

My daughter was getting in the tub last night when she told her Dad, “I’m not naked”, which she most assuredly was.  Her Dad questioned her and she replied “I’m wearing brown”.