Glad to be a fish out of water

I've spent the last 8-1/2 hours navigating places I don't know, people who speak a different language and things that are different from anything I can relate to. And I am so thankful for it.

I am at Children's Hospital with Ava. On Wednesday she developed an infection on her bottom. On Thursday I took her to our doctor where she got antibiotics and they did a wound culture and tried to drain it. (Three minutes of Ava screaming at the top of her lungs.) On Friday, after three doses of antibiotics, the infection was getting much, much worse instead of better. So, Friday at 4:10 I drove home, handed Ava to Dave while I cried, then went and packed for her and me for the night.

We got to Children's right at 5:00 Friday night. It took about an hour for triage, an hour for a room, an hour for a doctor, two hours for a surgical consult and she was admitted and got a room around 11 PM. It's a MRSA infection, which means it can just keep coming back if not careful. They're going to put her under tomorrow (hopefully early in the morning) and open it up and clean it out. Right now her entire right butt cheek is bright red and tender, but afterwards she should be able to go home fairly quick.

Ava has been an absolute trooper. She didn't go to sleep until 11:45 PM, despite her tylenol with codeine, but was not crabby at all. Well, not crabby unless someone was touching her sore area or trying to get an IV in (which didn't work the first time in her hand, regardless of all the moving and prodding and poking the continued to do, so they did her foot). She finally just passed out, so tired and worn out.

As for me, I'm exhausted. I don't want to be here, but am so thankful it's only one night. When the surgical doctors apologized profusely for keeping me waiting for so long, I knew they were good guys, but they just made me glad that I didn't know the horrors of what kept them so long. When the nurse gave me the tour to show me the playroom, the family lounge and the resource room, I was thankful to know that I probably won't be needing them.

This has always been one place that I'm thankful is here, am thankful that the most caring people work here, am thankful they're so qualified, and so, so thankful that I've never requierd long-term service.

Gifted and talented. Or not

Last week I got a letter from school inviting Abby to be a part of the gifted/talented program for 3rd grade literature. While I'm very proud of her, I am also quite realistic in the fact that she's lucky that she excels in something that is rewarded in school. Other kids may excel in something more technical, or sports, or any number of other areas, all of which are important but not necessarily rewarded or even recognized in a school setting.

But I do have to admit, for a minute I was a little big headed on her accomplishment, until I read this (quoted directly from her letter):

October, 2010 [which is funny from a gifted/talented program in literature, because the comma is not used correctly]

To the parents/guardians of Abigail Gawrych

Your child has shown potential in the area of reading and language arts through his/her test scores and classroom performance. Although s/he has not completely met the criteria for gifted and talented programming and is not currently identified as gifted/talented, s/he is invited to participate in the Grade 3 Literature Group.

Ok, so let me get this straight. She's not gifted? No? How about talented? Not that either? Ok then, thank you for letting us know. I mean, I would hate to go through life thinking she was either gifted OR talented. Now we shall proceed accordingly.

Monday, Monday

Despite Dave having to leave on Sunday morning at 6:45 for work, we had a really nice weekend. Most of it was because of two really wonderful women who I got to hang out and visit with on Saturday. However, because of reasons out of my control (namely, I'm really tired and I can't find my camera), I find myself unable to write about it tonight.

So, instead, I'll write about Mondays.Believe it or not, I love our Mondays. Other than the fact that I actually have to get up and get going, we have a good day. The bigs get going on their schedule and head off to school. Then Ava and I go and drop Max off at his school. He just loves school, so it's so easy to get him going. And once he's off, it's just Ava and me. We usually head to the Y for a little bit, then maybe some grocery shopping. And lately it's been so nice out that we go to Max's school and play around for a little bit. Then Max gets done and we head home. Ava falls asleep in the car, so I get her down for a nap right away. Then Max and I eat lunch together and he usually watches a movie while Ava sleeps. I then am able to read my book do laundry, and by the time Ava wakes up and has lunch, the movie is done, and the three of us play. And lately, Max and Ava have even been playing together. Max will sneak up into Ava's room when she wakes up from her nap and she just laughs. He climbs in with her and jumps her around and she's so happy. It's amazing that this little girl, who could barely smile a year ago, can actually be Max's playmate! Anyway, from there it's outside and waiting for the bigs to come back home and on with our regular day. It's just so much fun to spend one-on-one time with the littles.

Then, every other Monday we have CCD (church class), and I usually don't look forward to that so much. But this year? It's the first time I'm not teaching one of my own kids (I have 4 and 5 year olds), and I have mostly girls, and they are lots of fun. Even that, I'm really liking so far this year. And after a day of one-on-one with the littles, it's nice to leave them home and have some time with the bigs.

It's so positive about a Monday! But just wait 'til Tuesday... :)

My Little Bookworm

Ava is just too funny lately. Even now, as she's under the weather and STILL getting four teeth in, she cracks us up. Her latest thing is books. She picks one up, finds whoever is close and walks to them, then turns around and backs up until whoever is there picks her up and reads to her. Book after book after book. Abby used to do the exact same thing, and I'd forgotten until Ava started doing it too. I always wondered why Abby was such a reader and Nolan and Max really aren't. Did we just not have as much time to read to the boys? But now, seeing Ava, makes me think some of it is inherent in their personalities. Books must just hold that special something to some people. (I love them, can't put them down. Dave will read them, but will take him awhile.)

Other than that, Ava really just cracks us all up. She LOVES an audience, and if the kids are laughing at her, she just keeps going. Tonight we were at a play place and she would hide, then peak around the corner. They'd laugh, then she'd laugh, then she'd run somewhere else and do it all over again. The kids never stopped laughing, and she just kept going. It's amazing how much personality she has. Usually it's a good thing... But, she wants what she wants. If you have to leave somewhere she wants to be, she's pretty good at throwing a fit. Same thing if you have to take a toy away, or she wants something Max has. And jealous! The baby girl does not like to be put down if Max is being held. She wants the attention. And I can't believe I still call her baby girl, but I do. I wonder if she'll ever grow out of being my baby girl? Abby's always been my Little Lady. Opposite sides of the birth order, I guess!

Anyway, here are some pictures from our trip to the Elegant Farmer pumpkin patch on Sunday. Note to self: If it's going to be 85 degrees outside, do NOT go to the pumpkin farm, no matter how far into October it is. It will NOT feel like fall.

Crazy days

So, we have been certainly trying to be outside, enjoying the wonderful weather forecast... which was very much as nice as they predicted it would be. But Thursday, when I finally thought I'd get to just have some time to enjoy it, when the laundry was pretty much done, when I had a dinner plan in place, I got a kidney stone attack. I felt a little off all day, but it just kept getting worse. By 2:30 I had called my urologist and they told me to come in. I called Dave and cried to him that he had to come home for the kids, and then I dropped the kids off with Rocky next door and drove over there.

Once I finally got there, I had to check-in (the woman took forever!), give a urine sample and get xrays. And the pain just kept getting worse. By the time I was finally in the urologist's office, I couldn't be comfortable at all. And the pain because so bad I threw up in the garbage can. I know. Lovely. They finally gave me shots for pain and for nausea and it was a God send. Then they asked if I wanted to get lithotripsy (the surgery to break up the kidney stones) the next day and I said YES, YES a MILLION TIMES YES!

So, from there I went to Walgreens to pick up my prescriptions. While waiting, I had to drink magnesium citrate, which is really disgusting. Think sweet grape kool-aid with about a cup of salt poured in. Bleah. It hit my system and did bad things, so I ran to the bathroom, where I proceeded to get rid of it all anyway it would come out. (Sorry, trying hard not to be too graphic!) While I was finishing there, my phone rings. I saw it was the hospital with my pre-op registration so I answered, asked for a minute and regained my composure and went through the registration with her.

I finally got my drugs and got home and after two percocet was feeling better. And, actually by about 10:30 that night, the stones had moved enough that they weren't causing pain. The x-rays the next day revealed that they moved from vertical to horizontal, and that's when they hurt, and then back to vertical which felt better. But regardless they were still there and would certainly cause more pain another day.

SO, Friday morning was the outpatient surgery. I'd done this before and knew it wasn't too bad, except for the anesthesia, which I hate. This time, I didn't wait until I woke up to throw up. Once I was in the OR, I switched beds and decided the nausea would come then. They immediately called the anesthesiologist, who gave me lots of anti-nausea meds, and when I woke up, it was much better.

Hopefully, that's all taken care of for now. Last time all of the stones didn't come out and I'm hoping that's not the case this time. I don't think I could take another attack. I can deliver babies without pain meds but that? That was horrible. I'm happy to be on the mend now, but with I had another couple of days for my weekend! At least the weather this week looks nice again so I can still enjoy it.

Gloriousness

I don't think I've ever seen such a perfect weather forcast, especially in October in Wisconsin.

Seriously, could it get any better than that?

Corruption times two

This weekend was filled with great friends on all levels. Nolan spent the night Friday night at his friend Kyan's house, Abby went to a birthday party on Saturday, and my friend Nicole came up for the weekend. On top of that, my friend Stacy, her husband John and their three-year-old twins Jack and Meghan came up on Saturday (the twins are just two months younger than Max). I used to work with both Nicole and Stacy back in the day at West Group, back when we thought we knew it all. You know, before we got married, had kids, and had a whole bunch of other life things go on. But our friendship has survived despite living in different states, and this weekend we got to sit and talk over great food and flowing drinks.
Jack and Meghan are adorable little people. Extremely polite, a little quiet, kids you don't mind having in your house. And then came Max...

Look at how cute this is! It's my friend Nicole, who is a Godmother to both Abby and Meghan. Isn't Meghan just adorable and innocent?

And here's Jack... Equally handsome and innocent.

Then Max comes into the picture. You can almost see the conspiracy, can't you? Jack, you just stand on the back of the couch like this. And these here? These are for swinging on. And if you're really brave, you can climb to the top and slide down!

Either Jack was ready to be corrupted, or Max is a really good teacher! Jack on his first solo ride.

Oh, and if Nolan sees there's corruption to be done, he's in. And look, there's Meghan who wants in on the action!

Rock on!!

Abby and Meghan looking cute. This was after I so innocently asked, "Meghan, would you like some ice cream?" I'm usually pretty good about asking the parents first, but I just couldn't help myself. I wanted to get in on the corruption too... and see the sugar high! If looks could kill, Stacy might be charged with manslaughter about now. :)

And look, best buds. Although I'm wondering if it's a hug or if Max is somehow putting Jack in a choke hold.

The kids were really great, and we had such a great time. I wish they didn't have such a far trip back home and that we could see them more often. If Max can corrupt the two of them, then just maybe some of their good manners will get into Max!