Family outing!

My day in a photo...

You try keeping up with them!! 

Whew!!!

What a beautiful day...

Today was a perfect spring day. Short-sleeves were fine if you were working/active & long-sleeve t-shirts if you weren't. Sadly I didn't take the time out to get my camera, so I didn't capture any cuteness in photos. However, my two are just full of their own cuteness! :-)

Simon is learning to be a wonderful helper. He spends most of his time actually fighting to be allowed to 'help'. Even though he's pretty big for his age, he's still too short and not quite strong enough for some things. However, he's perfectly suited for other things. For instance, I'm still a t-rex as far as using my arms goes (my arms are there, but they're not worth much), so I gave Simon the Shark Quick Vac. He does a pretty darn good job of capturing all his & Rachel's (as well as Andrew's & mine) crumbs. He needs direction to stay on task sometimes, but he'll actually do a pretty good job throughout the whole house if you don't mind hearing the vac for hours. He also was very helpful with uncovering my newly emerging flowers from their covers of leaves. He's very excited about the "Daffy-dills" because they're yellow & green, his favorite colors! He & Andrew picked me one of my miniature ones while I was sick. Today we picked a whole bunch to keep that one company.

Rachel, on the other hand, is on the path of destruction. Tell her *not* to do something & you may as well assume she's going to do it. She'll even turn around & look you in the eye with that naughty grin on her face. She's a champion smasher, tearer (terror?!?!), flinger, crammer, & shrieker. Reverse psychology doesn't work (yet?!?!), so telling her to do something just gives her permission. I think I'm getting terrible twos early with her! She's adorable & *loves* to be held, but cross her & she'll make you regret it! ;-)

I'm doing okay. The fact that my arms are still pretty useless is difficult for me. I ended up over-doing it today (I'm pretty sure) even though I kept telling myself to quit. I'm still in a super-tight bra 24 hours a day (except when I shower) & still have tape covering my incisions & the layers of stitches under the skin. I think she's really relying on the pressure from the bra-band & tape to keep those stitches from coming loose. She said I could pull a few, but if I pulled many loose, then I'd be back to where I was before with my implants down my ribs. Not a pretty picture! She also told me that it'd take a full year for all this stuff to be back to 'normal'. :-( Its great that it already 'looks' pretty normal (although I've got weird swelling and/or rippling right now), but it is still a constant reminder of what I've lost & been through.

Its really easy to get caught up in the here & now or stuck in the past. To have the right blend of past, present, & future takes delicate balance; something I'm not sure I have. I have a hard time looking at the future because I'm so focused on where I am or where I've been. However, I'm going to try to use this Lenten season to balance my outlook. Knowing where I've been & how I've gotten where I am is important, but the MOST important place is where I'll spend eternity!

My week in FB updates...

Rachel cost me & Andrew years of our lives, grey hairs, & anxiety! Yesterday she was in her carseat with eyes wide open completely unresponsive only to be 'awoken' by Simon screaming her name. This morning she woke up & was again mostly unresponsive. I rushed home from work & rushed her to the dr. Stomach virus & sleeping with eyes open is the diagnosis. Unless the unresponsiveness becomes a pattern... WHEW!!!

Monday February 28, 2011 at 2:55pm

Poor Rachel, she still vomiting & miserable thru the Zofran. Now she's got a slight fever. She's in bed with us so we can comfort her as best as possible.

Tuesday March 1 at 1:09am

Rachel seems a bit better now, but we had a rough night! Her temp is down & she's also keeping her drinks down. Here's to prayers answered!!!!!

March 1 at 8:35am

Ugh... Rachel's not vomiting... Now it's coming out the other end. She's trying to be happy though!

March 1 at 12:19pm

Poor Rachel is having to have her diaper changed every 10-15 minutes. We're using Vaseline to keep diaper rash at bay. She acts interested in food, but only for a bite or 2. She actually sat on Simon's potty for a while diaperless. I think she's tired of diaper changing! Her fever is back too. :-(

Tuesday March 1 at 8:16pm

Poor miracle girl is in her bed - still feverish & diaper issues. We've bumped it up to Desitin. If it gets beyond that we have burn cream for that very reason. We just gave her more Zofran & ibuprofen to keep her symptoms at the minimum. My poor baby! :-(

Wednesday March 2 at 12:15am

Today Rachel seems a bit better. Her diaper area is a bit red, but not too bad. She's a sleepy girl though. All day today she's been laying either with me in my bed or hers. Her diarrhea is still bad & now she's not wanting to drink. We're pushing Gatorade down her. Her fever comes & goes. She's so cuddly & sweet thru it all! ♥

Wednesday March 2 at 2:45pm

Poor Rachel is throwing up again. :-/ We thought she was thru with that phase. Tomorrow was supposed to be her 15 month check-up. Instead we may make it a sick visit. I'm bummed for her as is Andrew. We haven't seen Simon since Monday morning hoping that he won't catch this too. They miss each other.

Wednesday March 2 at 5:06pm

At this point we took her into Dr. H's office for another visit. He indicated that we needed to check her CO2 levels to see if she was too dehydrated. He also indicated that it was completely reasonable to go ahead and admit her for IV fluids. That's what we did. We were in room 6113, just down the hall from where I recovered from my hysterectomy.

Rachel has her IV now. The IV team said she was perfect & laid there letting them put it in her left elbow. She looks so pitiful & feels even worse. :-(

Thursday March 3  at 1:56pm

Rachel update: her levels are still low & still no pee. :-( She's asleep with me in the crib. She has perked up somewhat, but is still no where near my normal Rachel! Prayers & thoughts greatly appreciated!!!!

Thursday March 3 at 10:05pm

Rachel PEED!!!! she's still under close supervision & not out of the woods yet. However, this is the best sign!!!

Thursday March 3 at 11:38pm

Rachel update: As of this morning she's had a total of 3 wet diapers, beautiful blood-work, & instructions that we can go home as soon as she starts drinking & eating a bit without throwing up. Thankfully they didn't really count the little throw up she had when I was changing her diaper. She had a bit of biscuit & some eggs, but is refusing to drink. Time will tell!!

Friday March 4 at 9:40am

Rachel update: We're still in the hospital. She's refusing to drink. Until she's drinking somewhat regularly we have to stay. :-( She's being stubborn. She's feeling better & shaking the crib rails like a gorilla in a cage.

Friday March 4 at 3:38pm

We're busting out!!! Rachel's going to mom's because now Simon's sick too. Our house is going to be the sick house. Mom's is the recovery zone!

 Saturday March 5 at 3:07pm

Ooooohhhh nnnnoooo!!!! I dropped Rachel off at mom's. Then I came home to Simon being sick, but Zofran helping him. Now Andrew is feeling sick too. :-( Looks like I may be the the last one standing... :-(

Saturday March 5 at 6:15pm

Guess how Simon woke me this morning? He was singing "Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the highest." It was around 930 - so he was probably channeling Mass.

He's not acting sick in the least. However Andrew & I are completely exhausted!! Rachel's at mom's eating & drinking like normal!

Sunday March 6 at 11:37am

Well, I haven't been standing today. My stomach, head, & body ache. It is hopefully just residual stress... Tomorrow is my make-up 3rd Post-Op appointment. I'm going to that & then to work. Wish me luck!

Sunday March 6 at 10:38pm

I hope to get photos uploaded from this past week. This post was actually supposed to be photos AND FB updates, but my computer/phone is not cooperating....