Vet Visit

Well I never thought I would be at the vet for the puppy shots so soon after we had to put Lady down but we were. Since changing our day care situation Friday was the first day that I am off work and I have Jack and Maddie with me. So I was in a small panic when I realized that I would be taking a very excitable puppy, a very active 17 month old child and Jack to the vet. Need I say more.

So Friday morning I am taking Jack and Maddie back in the house after dropping Katie off at school. Who should I see but my neighbor out freezing taking care of her dog. I quickly ask her if she can watch Maddie while Jack and I take Cami to the vet. As she said yes, I run inside. I really needed the help and I didn't want her to change her mind and it was freezing.

Off to the vet we go. I first discover Cami is terrified of the the garage door opener and had a little difficulty getting her in the van until the door stopped. We get to the vet and Jack is full of questions. I knew this was coming but Jack had this look of fear on his face when I told him we were going to take Cami to the vet. He thought she was sick. So here goes the 1000 question marathon...Mommy what's this....why that....why why why why why why why. It was insane.

As the Vet walks in to start the exam, Jack pipes up and says he has to go to the bathroom. So pause the vet visit, run to the restroom, run back into the exam room restart the vet visit. We discovered that she is part Lab due to her webbed feet, she has markings on her face that are part Australian Shepard, she is about 5 1/2 months old that was about all we got from it. Jack was able to see her examined and see her get her shots. Jack was very curious and I believed learned a lot that day.

Personally, I was really excited. I felt as if we had made it through the vet visit unscathed. Boy was I wrong. I was discussing with the girl at the desk Cami's spay because she was old enough to get it. Jack was holding Cami's leash and all hell broke loose. Jack is running not too fast back and forth with the dog. I ask him to stop and to bring her to me. Cami freaks out and runs into a display and you hear crashing and dog yelping and I want to crawl into a hole. Jack is stunned frozen because he knows he is in trouble and the dog runs to a complete strangers arms from fear.

I tell Jack to stand next to me and not move, I pay for the visit, get the dog from the complete stranger hoping she will still want to go home with us and walk out. Did I mention the waiting room was packed full of people and pets. The one event I was hoping to avoid happened and I didn't even have Maddie with us, Jack accomplished it all by himself.

Because I expected it to happen, I think I was already mentally prepared for it I wasn't even embarrassed. It is a fact of my comedic life that I just expect. I am grateful that no one was injured (especially the dog), that I knew no one in the vets office and hopeful I never see any of them again.

Hope everyone gets a good Monday laugh from it.

TTFN~

Madelynn's Heart 8

The last four days have been really crazy. I have so much to blog about but this was the most important one. A year ago almost to the day I drove home from a Levine Cardiac Kids meeting. I was really depressed because Madelynn was doing really bad. She weighed less than the day of her surgery, she was eating just enough to stay alive. She was almost labeled Failure_to_thrive. I felt as if my world was spinning out of control. I had taken Madelynn to the ER twice since the last hospital stay and they kept sending us home.

I just broke down and cried and cried and cried all the way home from that meeting. Phil not knowing how to help me told me she would be okay. Anyone who knows me, knows that, those words are not enough. It was time to stop crying and start fighting.

In that years time, Madelynn has exploded. She inhales her meals, some days I wonder if she even tastes the food. She FINALLY is over 20 lbs, I didn't think she would ever get there. She skipped walking and went straight to running. She is talking to us, the dog, the stuffed animals, however, she hasn't figured out how to make her buttons talk yet. Give her time. I love her personality. One of her favorite things is she loves to dance. If ANY music is on she is there 'shakin her groove thang' as Phil calls it.

There are still a few things that make me nervous. Most importantly keeping her healthy. Sounds easy enough however because of her collapsed lung and paralysis in her diaphragm that is still not fully healed it is harder for her to fight off even a cold. We have been very lucky so far this winter plus Madelynn was able to get a flu shot this year. So we have a few more months to get through and I think I might actually take a breathe.

Madelynn completed her physical therapy back in December right before Christmas. In talking to her therapist she looked at her and said 'there is nothing left I can teach her.' The therapist not only helped Madelynn get to par because she was behind, she helped her become an over achiever. In my decision to start fighting, I would sit and watch the therapy sessions and ask why the therapist was doing things. Her therapist finally caught on and would just start telling me why she was doing things. I would work with her everyday because the therapist only came once a week. Even when I started back to work part-time, the therapy sessions were on my day off so I could still work with Madelynn.

Some days I look at Madelynn and am astounded at how far we have come. I hope that I have documented this part of her journey well enough that she we'll see what a fighter she is. Some days we are hanging out at the house and laughing. I stop and look around and just see Phil and three beautiful children. I never thought I would see this day.

Now that I have seen this day I wonder..........If Phil and I were trying really hard not to have children before she was born, she came along, only to be born with a CHD (congenital heart defect), and today acts as if she is as normal as the next child.............WHY was it so important she come along..........what does this life have in store for her.....will it be something GREAT!!....Whatever it is I hope I get to see it....And if I don't I hope I find it in my heart just to enjoy all the little minutes that add up to great.

TTFN~

I have had enough..........

This cold weather in the south is absurd. I am sick and tired of wearing three layers of clothes everyday. Much less dressing three kids in layers. I have been in the south for 15 years and I don't ever remember it ever being this cold for this period of time. I realize that I grew up in the Midwest and this should be nothing new to me. However I have been spoiled by the south.

As I type I am wearing three shirts as part of my pj's and will wear them to bed under my electric blanket and comforter. Phil claims that I have no blood and I need a transfusion. We closed off part of the house and shut the vents to those rooms in an effort to keep the heat bill down. Katie loves it because she is sleeping in our bed, Maddie's pack'n play is in our room. Jack's room is one of the warmest in the house, he is sleeping in his bed. The only thing I know is that it is colder today than 4 days ago and the heat is kicking on less. Hopefully this cozy arrangement will work.

The next couple of days are going to be very chaotic. I am working Thursday then a cardiac kids meeting Thursday night. Friday I have to take Cami to the vet with Jack and Maddie in tow. I can't wait to blog about that trip. Then I have training in the afternoon, Katie has her last cheer leading practice before the competition Saturday. I think when we get home from the competition Saturday afternoon I am forcing everyone to take a nap and I will be joining them.

Hopefully the cheer leading competition will be fun and I will have new Pics to post as well. Katie is having a hard time adjusting back to school from Winter break mostly she is just really sleepy. Jack and Maddie have been removed from daycare in an effort to save money. A good family friend will be caring for them at least until school starts in the fall. I am not sure how Jack will adjust. I believe Maddie will be fine because she will be with Jack.

This is not exactly what I had in mind for my life at this point but this is what I know. Katie LOVES cheer leading and the classes are very inexpensive, Jack is a smart boy and will adjust I just need to work some extra time with him so he is ready for Kindergarten. Maddie is my fighter and she will show everyone who's boss. She has a great opportunity in the fall if I can get all the logistics worked out. I am at peace with all of these decisions and will just have to wait to see what unfolds.

Well it is late and I have to pile on 20 more layers to take the dog out. It turns out we adopted a smart dog. She hates the cold (like me) and will not go out in it unless someone goes with her. So it is about 20 degrees and it will be about 12 in the morning and I need to take her out and stand there so she will go off the deck and do her business. It has been a long time since we have had to train a puppy. It is a good thing she is cute.

The only good thing is that my electric blanket is on and I can quickly defrost. It is one of the best Christmas presents Phil ever gave me. Hope everyone is finding creative ways to stay warm. I have found that actually getting into the WII games gets the blood flowing too. Did you know that my 4 and 6 year olds have scored between 175 and 196 on the WII bowling. They love it.

Thinking warm thoughts and dreaming about the 100 degree summer days that will be upon us sooner that we know.

TTFN~

Giggling away the winter blues......

This week it is supposed to be the coldest all winter. We have been doing all kinds of things in our home to stay warm but also not have to give up one of our children to pay the gas bill. Madelynn has been living in her feet jammies but she has also been experimenting with other clothes. She discovered she could wear Jack's clothes, checked to see if her winter hat still fit, figured out how to put a clown nose on all while keeping the binki in. She has accomplished quite a feat.


I can't imagine where she gets her creativity. Hope everyone is staying warm and that Maddie brought a little giggle to this bitter cold day.

TTFN~

Christmas Present

The pictures above are the front and back of a picture given to me for Christmas by Maddie's day care teacher. I was so wrapped up in other things I totally missed the point of this treasured gift. My thought was 'why in the world would I want a picture she painted that just has Maddie's name on it' and I put it aside. As I was cleaning up Christmas decorations I looked at the picture closer and realized that most of the painting and decoration was done by the teacher, however the snowman was Maddie's foot print.

Honestly, I really hate when I miss the really important stuff like that. I was worried about getting every one's Christmas presents, paying bills, buying groceries, training at a new job. Some days in December I really missed the important stuff. We went to the Christmas Eve Children's service, with the children's choir singing and Father talking to a group of second graders. It was really great. I am glad we went. I was reminded that all of the above stress' don't matter it is the children who matter.

One of my resolutions for 2010 will be to pay more attention to my children and not miss any of the little things. As we know the time really does go too fast. There are moments I wish the days would take off like a rocket. But they are just moments and they too shall pass. Here's to not missing the little things.............

TTFN~

One night in December

As I was cleaning out my camera with all the pictures I had taken in December I forgot about bath night. Maddie was just in a really good mood and very playful and I just started snapping away. These are not all of them but this is about half of them. It was just a really fun night. Enjoy the slide show below.