Saturday, November 22, 2008

RIP my honorable and loving Grandpa

This morning my Grandpa Preston went home to be with the Lord. I got an email from my dad first thing and this is what it said -
"Dear all,
Grampa passed away this morning. The nurse who put him to bed last night said, "I will see you in the morning." He shook his head no, she then said, "you mean I won't see you in the morning?" He shook his head no once more. More details later....
Love,
Dad"

My heart aches because death of a loved one is never easy - no matter how much we prepare our minds for it. I'm happy because he is with grandma and in no pain. At the same time I am sad.
Love you grandpa! Miss you already!!

Friday, October 24, 2008

Life lesson #145

Take as many naps as possible, when possible! Sleep in not over-rated but a scientific fact that it pro-longs our life expectancy. Not only that, sleep helps reduce stress and makes you feel warm and fuzzy all over.
On that note, a MUCH needed afternoon snooze is awaiting me! zzzzzz

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Update on Josh

Josh is doing good - after a week from Hell. After his surgery, he was in a tremendous amount of pain. So much that I had to take him into the ER - where they pumped him full of IV"s and pain meds. They wanted to admit him into the hospital but would you believe there were no beds available?! So the next day I take him back for a catscan and to meet with his urologist. Turns out he had a 3 mm jagged stone left over from surgery. Needless to say, I demanded that he get admitted that minute. Poor guy was in tears - his pain threshold hit all it could take. More IV's and meds - all this happened on my birthday! Oh I felt horrible for him.
The next day Josh was released - he felt very sore but wanted his own bed. All day he pee'd gravel from the stones broken up from surgery and finally passed that large stone fragment. Turns out his kidney was swelled to the point it was blocking all the toxins and stones from passing. As soon as he started taking steroids to open that up, it released so much pressure. Had he not gone to the hospital, he would have gotten a kidney infection. Thank God I nagged him to go get help!!
Today he is just really tired and somewhat sore. But he is on the mends - Thank God!

RIP my beautiful grandma

October 4th, this past Saturday, my dear Grandma Mable passed away. She lived a very full life - one with challenges but more with great joy.
She was 89 years old and living with a disease called Huntington's - it attacks the nervous system. Grandma Mable was told she'd be dead years and years ago. But she fought. Her will to live was great and it inspired us all. It would be selfish of me if I wanted her to keep on living in misery. I know she is in heaven, loving every minute of it.
God bless you grandma. I love you and miss you very much.

http://www.legacy.com/RapidCity/Obituaries.asp?Page=Lifestory&PersonId=118532290

Monday, September 22, 2008

So PeeWee thinks he's a dog

Preston is at that age of pretending to be animals. Yesterday it was a dog - apparently.
While playing in our yard with the neighbors, Preston proceeded to rip off his diaper (one handed no less) and squat right then and there to go poop! It was hilarious and gross at the same time. Hey - at least his potty training is making progress~! ha

Sunday, September 21, 2008

One hell of a Week

Can I press a redo button on this past week? Please?

On Thursday Josh went to his urology appointment at the VA. For those who don't know, he's had over 100, yes 100 kidney stones these past 4 years. So needless to say, he has regular urology appointments. The doctor took a urine test, blood work and of course x-rays. Upon reviewing those x-rays, Josh had a handful of stones, but 2 were extremely large in size. One was 8 mm and the other was 1 cm in diameter. To put that in perspective, a BB pellet is 5 mm. The doctor looked at Josh and said surgery was required. Greeeaaatttt....You see, when we were in Phoenix, Josh had this surgery done and oh boy was it horrible. The pain and long recovery time were extremely unpleasant (to put it mildly.) Knowing this, Josh is less than thrilled and the anxiety is rising. September 30th is the day. Fortunately, my parents are coming into town late this week to help out with everything. God Bless them!! For a day or so we really thought we were on our own - which I was mentally trying to prepare for.

Ok if that wasn't enough, I had a trip to the Emergency Room yesterday. For the past few days I have had pain in my right breast. I still nurse Myla Mae and sometimes get a clogged milk duct. That normally goes away on its own so I really didn't think too much about it. Yesterday late morning I was taking the kids on a long walk and on our way, stopped at McDonalds so they could play at the playground there. As Preston was eating his nuggets, I instantly got a cold sweat followed by a flash fever. Feeling dizzy, muscles ached, sharp extreme pains through my right breast and I thought for a second that I was going to faint. Not good. Here I was by myself with the kids, without a car and felt the worst I have ever felt in my life. If things couldn't be worse, Preston pooped and I had to muster every survival mode to change him. Great now I have the task of getting us home. I'm telling you, it was pure adrenaline and survival mode skills that had me pushing 50 pounds of kids a good mile back home. It was a hot day and I really really thought I was going to black out. By the time we got home, I layed on the kitchen floor sobbing, curling up in the fetal position. My fever was so high and I was drenched in sweat. Poor Myla and Preston knew something terribly wrong was going on. Preston kept stroking my face telling me it would be OK. I crawled (with the kids behind me) to their room and put Myla into her crib. I then made it to our bed where Preston just laid there with me, with full concern on his face.
Josh and his Dad were in a golf tournament 10 minutes away and were headed back promto. They were on the last hole anyway (they won the tournament by the way)
GOD BLESS our neighbors - Morgan and Scottie! Morgan took me to the ER with Myla and her little girl. Meanwhile Josh, his dad and Preston went back to Edgerton (where Josh's folks live.)
Well the diagnosis is a severely infected clogged milk duct. Got some antibiotic and vicodine - God Bless Drugs!! Feel alot better today - though I have to take it easy. I started to go speed this morning only to start feeling like crap again. ugh.

Just to add to our crappy week, all I have to say is that I HATE family drama. I have too much going on in my life to deal with stupid crap. But when someone pushes that button (and one has to dig deep to find it), I must defend my family and myself. That's all I have to say about that..... grrrrr...........

Saturday, September 13, 2008

What a horrible past 24 hours for Hurricane and Train Wreck Victims!

My thoughts and prayers to those affected by Hurricane Ike and to the victims of the Train Wreck in Southern California. These past few 24 hours have been a harsh one on America. So far, 18 people have died in the train crash. Hurricane aftermath damage is currently being assessed. Keep those prayers going!!

Friday, September 12, 2008

Birth Control Advice

You CAN get pregnant while breastfeeding. Hence why we have our beautiful Myla Mae! So DO NOT use that as a birth control method!!!

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Advice!

So my dearest friend just got engaged and per her request, I will start posting some great marriage, baby and life advice - just based all on what we've lived through thus far.

We have this wonderful poster from the Little White Wedding Chapel (from Las Vegas) that is entitled 'Rules for a Happy Marriage.' This is GREAT advice!!

1) Never both be angry at the same time.

2) Never yell at each other unless the house is on fire.

3) If one of you has to win an argument, let it be your mate.

4) IF you have to criticize, do it lovingly.

5) Never bring up mistakes of the past.

6) Neglect the whole world rather than each other.

7) Never go to sleep with an argument unsettled.

8) At least once every day try to say one kind or complimentary thing to your life's partner.

9) When you have done something wrong, be ready to admit it and ask for forgiveness.

10) It takes two to make a quarrel, and the one in the wrong is the one who does the most talking.

Friday, September 05, 2008

Definitely NOT winning Mother of the Year

Last Saturday was an eventful one. Josh, Myla and I put in a perennial garden in our backyard (looks awesome by the way!) Myla and I got super muddy and a shower was in order for both of us. I thought it would be easiest for us both to take one together. Everything was going great - got her washed up and set her down so I could scrub the dirt off my face. In that 5 seconds, she stood up and slipped forward, smacking her face hard into the shower floor. My heart stopped. I grabbed her and saw that blood was pouring out. At first I thought she ripped some teeth out but then saw it was her cheek that was torn open. I really had no time to panic. I was in survival mode for my child. I grabbed a towel and put in on her face, grabbed another for her. Screaming at Josh for help, I couldn't help but feel like ultimate crap. This was all my fault.
Josh raced up from being in the backyard, he too was all sweaty and muddy but all that didn't matter. I threw on clothes, as I was still soaked from being in the shower. Put my hair in a wet ponytail and off we went to St. Mary's Hospital , where Myla was born, in Madison. We opted for a larger hospital versus a small town one - just incase something was terribly wrong with Myla.
The whole way there, I kept praying to God that nothing was seriously wrong with her. It's a parent's worst fear - to have their child hurt.
We get to the ER thinking we'd be seem as soon as we got there. Here is a 12 month old that is bleeding profusely and had smacked her head. Instead, the receptionist told us to have a seat, like nothing was urgent. So we did thinking 15 minutes tops. 30 minutes later a nurse looks her over and types information into the computer. Then, she sends us over to the 'business cubicle' to find out how we are going to pay for this. Um hello? I have a very hurt child and all you care about is what insurance we have?! Are you serious? Thank God we have incredible insurance. I understand the need for doing this - to less critical patients - couldn't we do all this paperwork while being seem with a doctor?! Um Hello my child is still bleeding here!
Yeah - back to the waiting room this business lady sends us. By now Josh and I are starting to lose our cool. Thank GOD Myla was in somewhat good spirits. She is thee best baby ever.
As we were sitting there, there were drunks coming in from a college football game, very confused elderly people wanting attention for their non-emergency needs, trailer trash that never brushed her teeth and now had a tooth ache, and a couple little boys with broken bones. Most of those people arrived AFTER we did. Thank God they took in those little boys with broken bones - those guys had legit emergencies that we were happy to go ahead of us. But for the rest of those yahoos - one by one they got seen before we did. HOLY CRAP! Mother Bitch Mode came to play. The receptionist went back to inquire why all these people were getting seen before us. The nurses in back said that they wanted to put Myla in a front room so that she could be monitored closely. They were sending all those people in back rooms. What a load of crap that excuse was!!!!!!! Well the receptionist could tell we weren't buying that. With in 10 minutes, she took us to a room.
45 minutes later.....the doctor finally came in. I do want to say that the nurses and doctor were extremely nice and very gentle with Myla. I think the ER was severely understaffed and disorganized. The doctor apologized a half dozen times for us having to wait. That was nice but our daughter was still bleeding.
The doctor opted to super glue her cut versus stitches - that way it would heal faster and have less scaring. The whole process took a whole 10 minutes. Myla was a trooper. I think she cried more out of being exhausted than it hurting. In the end, Myla was alright and made it through like a champion.
Today, her black eye and cut are healing super nicely. It's getting old having people ask me what happened - I feel horrible each and every time I tell the story - just because it is my fault she got hurt. But one thing is for certain, no more showers for her!!!

Thursday, September 04, 2008

I'd like to announce.....

I'd like to say I am 7 pounds away from being at my prepreggers weight! woohooooo!!! wwooohooo! (I'm so doing the happy dance with Preston right now!)

Politics

Oh Politics! This year's election is a vital one. I'm all McCain. Pure and simple. He can protect our country and knows how to do so. He is a veteran, one that went above and beyond the call of duty. When my husband was in the Air Force at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, McCain was our senator. What a wonderful leader he is. He is for America, not for politics. Obama wants to raise taxes like crazy. I got this email with stats on how high Obama wants to raise our taxes compared to McCain:

DATA ON TAXES
Proposed changes in taxes after the 2008 General election:
CAPITAL GAINS TAX
MCCAIN: 0% on home sales up to $500,000 per home (couples). McCain does not propose any change in existing home sales income tax.
OBAMA: 28% on profit from ALL home sales. How does this affect you? If you sell your home and make a profit, you will pay 28% of your gain on taxes. If you are heading toward retirement and would like to down-size your home or move into a retirement community, 28% of the money you make from your home will go to taxes. This proposal will adversely affect the elderly who are counting on the income from their homes as part of their retirement income.
DIVIDEND TAX
MCCAIN 15% (no change)
OBAMA 39.6% How will this affect you? If you have any money invested in the stock market, IRA, mutual funds, college funds, life insurance, retirement accounts, or anything that pays or reinvests dividends, you will now be paying nearly 40% of the money earned on taxes if Obama becomes president. The experts predict that 'Higher tax rates on dividends and capital gains would crash the stock market, yet do absolutely nothing to cut the deficit.'
INCOME TAX
MCCAIN (no changes)
Single making 30K - tax $4,500
Single making 50K - tax $12,500
Single making 75K - tax $18,750
Married making 60K- tax $9,000
Married making 75K - tax $18,750
Married making 125K - tax $31,250
OBAMA (reversion to pre-Bush tax cuts)
Single making 30K - tax $8,400
Single making 50K - tax $14,000
Single making 75K - tax $23,250
Married making 60K - tax $16,800
Married making 75K - tax $21,000
Married making 125K - tax $38,750
(Your taxes could almost double!)
INHERITANCE TAX
MCCAIN 0% (No change, Bush repealed this tax)
OBAMA Restore the inheritance tax. Many families have lost businesses, farms, ranches, and homes that have been in their families for generations because they could not afford the inheritance tax. Those willing their assets to loved ones will only lose them to these taxes.
NEW TAXES PROPOSED BY OBAMA
1.) New government taxes proposed on homes that are more than 2400 square feet.
2.) New gasoline taxes (as if gas weren't high enough already)
3.) New taxes on natural resources consumption (heating gas, water, electricity)
4.) New taxes on retirement accounts, and last but not least....
5.) New taxes to pay for socialized medicine so we can receive the same level of medical care as other third-world countries!!!
You can verify the above at the following web sites:
http://money.cnn.com/news/specials/election/2008/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/issues/issues.taxes.html
http://elections.foxnews.com/?s=proposed+taxes
http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourworld/politics/articles/mccain_obama_of fer_different_visions_ on_taxes.html
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/candidates/barack_obama/
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/candidates/john_mccain/

Back from months of not writing

Ok. I am such the slacker on this blog site. I promise to get back in the groove of writing. Buying a home and doing all the projects that go into home ownership, along with chasing Preston and Myla Mae, having totally eaten up my time. Enough excuses - I will start writing again. That is, after I fix lunch!

Monday, March 10, 2008

NEW DIGS!

Wow! where in the heck did time go? Weeks have flown by since my last post. It's not that I haven't wanted to write, it's just been nonstop busy around here!
We have found our home! We are in the process of buying an awesome duplex in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin! It's bran spank'n new with 2500 sq feet to run around in. I am very excited to have a huge kitchen and very open floor plan. The basement is a walk out basement - so it doesn't really feel like one. Our awesome home has 3 bedrooms, 3 baths and has a huge rec room. Josh is installing a projector so we can watch movies - theater style. Woohoo for us! And we got the place at a great price - definitely instant equity! :)
Well Preston is getting into something (as usual) gotta go catch him!

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Yipppeee! New Car!

I forgot to tell you all about our new car!! Yes!! We got rid of the Durango. A few weeks ago Josh and I were chatting about trading that piece of crap in and not 20 minutes later, I kid you not - the check engine light went on. grrrrrrrrr....For the past year that thing has cost us nothing but alot of money. We got a lemon alright and this was the final straw. $275 later .... the mechanic changed the spark plugs (really overcharging us). He got the check engine light off and told us to sell it ASAP. There was more work that needed to be done on it and we just weren't happy to be dumping anything more into it.
So the next day we hit the car dealerships in search of thee next best Ray vehicle. We originally were looking at the Kia Sorentos. We drove down to the Kia Dealership in Janesville it great anticipation of getting rid of our money hog. We test drove a Sorento and thought it was decent. When the sales manager came back with the trade-in offer, I was offended. Basically he wanted to rape us and give us nothing for the Durango. Needless to say, we immediately got up in anger and got out of that place.
A day or two later, we went to the Hyundai dealership in Janesville. The Hyundai Tuscan immediately jumped out at us - so we took it for a test drive. Comparing it to the Kia Sorento, the Tuscan was a much smoother ride and offered more sound safely features. We fell in-love with the 2007 Tuscan and made our offer. This is a really cool dealership and the sales manager was willing to give us a fair trade-in value. Josh and I were very pleasantly surprised with how smoothly and easily the whole car buying process was with the Janesville Hyundai Dealership. I HIGHLY recommend going there for your next car. We sure will when we get a commuter car for Josh.
With our awesome SUV comes a 5 year / 60,000 mile warranty and road-side assistance. Nice.

Tuesday, January 08, 2008

JUMP!

It's raining. Yes, in the middle of a Wisconsin winter. Oh and Thursday it's supposed to snow. Make up your mind weather!
Anyway, I just got doing 200 jumping jacks. I figured if I did 500 per day, that's a good start to a workout, right? I try to do bits and parts of exercises between kids screaming, getting laundry down, fixing dinner, vacuuming.....heck, all the housework and running up and down stairs, I think that's a good work out in itself! Well I am getting serious about this losing baby weight. It's not fun not looking up at all my old clothes that are too tight to wear. (makes me feel like an old maid)
ok... back to those jumping jacks

Saturday, January 05, 2008

Just rambling

Is that silence I hear? awww yes, Preston is at grandma's (God Bless her) and Myla's asleep. Josh is downstairs playing with his music toys and I have this rare moment to write my thoughts.
For the first time in months I have more energy and this new positive exciting outlook on life. I'm feeling like my old personality coming back to life. Now I just need to lose 30 pounds and I'll be one happy camper. Since having my babies back-to-back, I haven't been feeling myself. It's like I've been a robot, just going through the motions of life - not really stopping to smell the roses - so to speak. I think that goes with being a new mom. I just don't want to lose my identity or 'let myself go.' I want to be a smoking hot wife and mom. oh and a kick ass fun one too! now only if I had a personal trainer, nanny, personal chef, maid...I would be one relaxed hot momma!! (I'm dreaming, I know...)
Awww this has been one hell of a week. All four of us got the flu and boy did it ever suck the big one. Just being sick yourself is bad enough, but then add in taking care of 2 sick babies. Oh dear Lord that was hard. But we made it and came through with a few more gray hairs!
Happy New Years!!!