Monday, January 16, 2012

Lots of Pictures

It's been a while since I've posted, so I guess I'll start out slow.  With a bunch of pictures of my super cute little girls.
Maddie and Leah love to play in their cars in the back yard.



Leah is screaming, because Maddie took her (Dad's) glasses.


Hannah had off school today, so I got to take all three girls to the park.  It was super sunny, but very cold!

Thursday, April 21, 2011

What's going on...

So It's been a while since I last posted (close to six months), and I think right now I just need a little place to vent.
Soooo... last week I took Maddie to the doctor, because her tonsils were Huge!  While there I asked the doctor (not our regular one) If we might have to have them removed down the road.  I was worried because I had to have mine out when I was 8, and had problems relating to them for years they actually took them out.  The doctor set up a referral for Maddie with the Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist, and they set up an appointment for Tuesday 4/19.  Hannah Had a doctors appointment in between with our regular doctor.  While I was at the appointment I asked him about Maddie and what his opinion was of meeting with the specialist.  He told me that she didn't fit the criteria for having her tonsils out yet, but to go ahead and keep the appointment just to see.  I almost cancelled it, but now I am very glad I didn't. 

We got to the appointment and waited 20 minutes in a small room, with lots of medical equipment (with two cranky little girls) so I was already a little worn out.  The doctor came in and looked in Maddie's nose and at her throat.  She told me that on a scale of 1-4 (1 being the smallest, and 4 being the largest) Maddie's tonsils are a 3.5, she also told me that adenoids follow the same pattern. She then explained that the do take out the tonsils and adenoids of kids her age, but it's best to wait if your can.  She said it's hard to get them to understand they have to drink even though it hurts, and they tend to get dehydrated.  She also said that because Maddie is already small, blood loss and weight loss could be and issue.  Then she looked in her ears.  She told me that because her adenoids were so big they are causing fluid to build up in her ear drums.  And the fluid in her ears is probably causing some hearing loss.  She also told me that the fact that she snores alot combined with her large tonsils and adenoids could mean that she is having some obstructive sleep apnea.

Wait..... What??????

I was totally not expecting this.  I almost cancelled the appointment because I thought it would be a waste of time.  This was supposed to be an appointment where they told me, "oh this is normal"  or "don't worry about this for now, we'll check back on it in a couple years"  It was very scary.  I emailed Maddie's regular doctor that night, and the following day he left a message on my phone.  He told me that he sent referrals to have a detailed hearing test and an apnea sleep study.  He then told me that I needed to contact the school district and have her evaluated by a speech therapist to see if her difficulty hearing is causing her to have speech problems.

So that night I decided to Google "3 year old tonsillectomy".  I came across blog support groups for the parents of small children who have had the surgery.  I was way freaked out!  They all talk about the pain and the screaming.  How the medicine burns, and they are completely miserable. 

I've never been through anything like this before, and I feel guilty on top of everything else.  Sometimes when you talk to Maddie she'll say "what, what did you say'.  I thought maybe she was being sassy (she does that alot) but I was going to bring it up at her next well child check up.  Now I know that she really can't hear us well. That is heartbreaking,  what if I would have brought her in sooner. I worry about it effecting her.  I worry about her having the surgery, I worry about her not having the surgery. I'm kinda stuck.  So for now I have the appointments set up for all her upcoming doctors visits, and when we get the results of all her test, we'll be better able to figure out what we need to do.

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Halloween

It's 9 PM Halloween night and all the kids are in bed (yea).  We had a blast this Halloween, Maddie is finally old enough to finally get how everything works.  They got so much candy, and Maddie even got a hat from the lady down the street.  The lady said she makes them and gives them to the cutest kids on Halloween.


Carving our Pumpkins


Before the Trunk or Treat at Church


Leah the Giraffe


Maddie with all her candy
We went to the Trunk-Less treat at the church building Saturday night.  They had a chili cook off first, then the kids got to go trick or treating in all the rooms.  People "claimed" a class room and then decorated it for the kids.  They had games, candy, and even a haunted house.  It was lots of fun!!

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Busy, Busy

It seems like when nothing is going on to blog about, I have the time and energy to write something.  When I have things to write about, I don't have the time to actually do it.  So I'll sum up the last week or so.  My friend Kim lives in Fernely, Nevada, and I haven't gone to her house to see her in at least 4 years.  So when she invited us to a birthday party for her girls I was all for it.  I got off work early and went to pick up the girls from Grandma Martin's so we could leave.  It turns out Leah wasn't feeling well, so I left her home with Jason and just took Hannah and Madalynne.  We picked up Katie on the way out (I wanted her to drive home because I HATE driving in the dark).  So we're driving and we get right around Donner Lake when it starts to snow (NOOOOO)  I'm a California girl, so snow is a no go.  I briefly considered turning around, but I put my big girl pants and kept going.  We got to the party (an hour late) and had a lot of fun.  The girls loved the pinata at the party.  Madalynne keep saying she wants a piesta (pinata) for her birthday too.  I was so nice to see Kim again, I always love to hang out with her.  We headed home a few hour later and to our luck No snow!!!  When we get home the girls were so tired and they went strait to bed with no problem.  It was so nice!!

But.. it turns out Leah was really sick.  She had a fever and wouldn't eat or drink anything.  I called the doctor in the morning and took her in.  The doctor told me she had Hand Foot and Mouth Disease... (what the heck?)  It is basically a virus that gives you a rash on your hands, feet, and in your mouth (makes sense, right?) Leah only has them in her mouth, but the doctor said it's like having 50 canker sores in your mouth and throat (ouch!!)  but I could do for her is give her Tylenol or Motrin and make sure she is drinking, so she doesn't get dehydrated.  Poor baby!!  I felt so bad for her.  She is finally all better today, but we had a rough couple of days (and nights).  Now Hannah is not feeling well, but at least it's doesn't seem as bad.  It's easier when they can tell you what's wrong.

I'll leave you with a couple of pics from last week....


Sharing a pickle

Finger painting

Leah's first time finger painting- she loved it!

Our first fire at the new house

Baking cookies - Maddie loves to bake

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Our new dog

               So Jason has been a little sad lately, so I thought he might need another "guy" around the house.  So Saturday, while the kids were at Grandma Martin's house, I went over to the Sacramento SPCA.  I walked around and looked at all the dogs and puppies.  The only instructions from Jason were that it couldn't be a small or ugly dog.  I found a really cute hound dog puppy but when I went to the front desk to ask about him they told me he wasn't good with kids, at all (um....no thanks).  So I was about to give up when I saw a big Chocolate lab sitting in the back of his kennel looking sad.  I asked about him, and they took me in a room where I could meet him face to face.  He was so sweet, and he was so happy to be out of his cage, I had to get him.  Before they would let me adopt him I had to bring the girls to the SPCA to meet him (they want to make sure he ).  I picked them up and brought them and they loved him (I was a little worried about Maddie liking him, the whole way there she kept insisting that she didn't want a dog, she wanted a pet Giraffe.)  We got him and took him home with us.  Jason was so surprised that I got him a dog that be (he's 65 lbs).  Jason named him Duke (good guy name, right?). He has been so sweet to the whole family.  He likes to be with us, and he LOVES car rides.  The only problem is that if he get out the door, he takes off.  Jason chased him 6 blocks this morning.  I'm so happy that everything with him is going so well!!!


Monday, October 11, 2010

Fundraiser

SO... I just started my first Tupperware fundraiser a couple of days ago.  I'm really excited!  It's a really great program where the person or organization that your raising funds for gets 40% of all the profits.  I couldn't be doing it for a better cause.  Jason's cousin Erica and her family are adopting a baby boy.  He is due to be born in December.  The costs to adopt a baby are super expensive, so they are looking for help with money for the adoption.  I think adoption is soo great.  I can't imagine being in the place of either mother (the birth mom or the adoptive mom). For the birth mother to love her unborn baby so much that she chooses to give him to someone that is in a better situation.  I also can't imagine not being able to have your own children, but being unable.  All the waiting and hoping has to be heartbreaking.
This song by Michael McLean is a beautiful expression of the love in an adoption.  I can't read this without crying.

From Gods Arms To My Arms To Yours

So many wrong decisions in my past, I'm not quite sure
If I can ever hope to trust my judgement anymore.
But lately I've been thinking,
Cause it's all I've had to do.
And in my heart I feel that I
Should give this child to you.
And maybe, you could tell your baby,
When you love him so, that he's been loved before, By someone, who delivered your son,
From God's arms, to my arms, to yours.
If you choose to tell him,
If he wants to know,
How the one who gave him life
Could bear to let him go.
Just tell him there were sleepless nights,
I prayed and paced the floors,
And knew the only peace I'd find,
Was if this child was yours.

And maybe, you could tell your baby,
When you love him so, that he's been loved before,
By someone, who delivered your son,
From God's arms, to my arms, to yours.

This may not be the answer,
For another girl like me.
But I'm not on a soapbox,
Saying how we all should be.
I'm just trusting in my feelings,
And I'm trusting God above,
And I'm trusting you can give this baby
Both his mothers' love.
And maybe, you could tell your baby,
When you love him so, that he's been loved before,
By someone, who delivered your son,
From God's arms, to my arms, to yours.



I you want to help our Erica and her family, follow the link below.  40% of the proceeds go directly to Erica to help pay for the adoption.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Tupperware Tuesday

So about a week ago I joined Tupperware and be came a consultant.  I joined because I thought it would be a fun way to get out there and meet people and I could learn about products to help organise my kitchen and make a little money.  They have some really cool stuff to make life easier and to be greener.  Every Tuesday I am going to update with a product of the week.  I got my kit with my first Tupperware stuff.  The kids had a blast opening the box.  I think they were more excited about it then I was.  They had so much fun going through everything and playing with it.  One of  my favorite things from the shipment is the "Large Sports Bottle"


It is BRIGHT green so it never gets lost, even in my cluttered car.  I take it to work, and it has a screw off bottom that you can put your keys or any little thing in, so when your working out, or taking a walk you only have to carry your water bottle.    SO that's it for Tupperware Tuesday.....until next week