Posts in Family
Sasha's Third Birthday

The best thing about warm Novembers is going to the park for Sasha's birthday (this was our second year in a row). I felt bad because "the big day" was none too fun. Sasha was recovering from a fever (meaning mommy wouldn't let her have any sugar) and both Justin and I had to work, so the only time we were together was at breakfast. We did sing Happy Birthday before Jordan left for school, and I managed to dig up a gold party hat and three yellow balloons (the last ones in the party box). We didn't even have her present because we decided to get her a sled and Target (the only store we'd had time to look at) didn't have them in stock yet.

Read More
As Time Goes By

People keep asking me how I'm doing. "Fine, OK, alright, good, hanging in there," I say. And I am all of those things. What I don't say is, "I feel guilty." How can I live my life as though everything is normal when Miriam and Eric have had someone so precious torn from their life? How can I ask my kids to be quiet so I can read (a Harry Potter book for the 5th or so time) instead of making the most of every minute I'm blessed to have them here with me? How can I want to laugh when I hear Sasha insisting that Jordan and/or "Tiny Baby" have to pretend to be sick and die and Jordan protesting that he doesn't want to play that when I was, am, and will continue to be devastated by the death of my tiny niece and know that they miss her too? 

Read More
A Letter to Miss Hailey Mae

Dear Hailey, I will never forget the day your mother told me she was pregnant with you. When she asked me to take a walk with her I knew what she was going to say. I felt joy that our family was going to be blessed with another baby, but I knew that your mom and dad would have a hard road ahead of them. I never could have imagined just how hard it would be.

Read More
Miss Hailey Mae

From last Monday when I saw how ill my 18-month-old niece Hailey was, to Thursday when she was diagnosed with leukemia, to tonight when we received the news that the cancer hasn't spread to her spinal fluid, I've gone through a wide range of emotions. Some of them were expected - gut-wrenching fear, helplessness, grief, thankfulness after today's news. Others were unexpected.

Read More
Stinking Splint!

This is why I shouldn't write about things when they're going well - I jinx myself. Yesterday, a week and a half away from Jordan's x-ray appointment, his patched splint popped its patch. Jordan thinks the wheelies he was popping at the time are to blame, even though he didn't fall down or anything.

Surprisingly, driving to Children's Hospital for casting, cast removal, x-rays and splint fixing is not my favorite thing to do. Especially now that no matter which way I go to get there I'm confronted by major construction and stand still traffic. So I called Jordan's doctor to see if we could get in early for x-rays and maybe ditch the splint altogether, but that was a no-go.

Read More
Jordan's Arm

If you're reading this, chances are you know that Jordan has had a broken arm for most of the past 9 months. But since I'm as tired of answering the questions "What happened to his arm?" and "How is Jordan's arm?" as he is of hearing me say "Where's your splint?", "Settle down, you don't have your split on." and "Go put your splint on." I thought I'd address the issue publicly, so to speak.

Read More
Hard To Believe, But True

Last night I was at the computer (working on this blog actually) while Jordan was getting ready for bed. He had just gone to the bathroom when he came over and informed me that his butt hurt. So I told him to bend over so I could see if anything was wrong. While he's bent over pants-less and I'm leaning over to see what's going on, our neighbor walks up to the front (screen) door to let us know that he put Jordan's bike by our garage door. So he gets a lovely view of me inspecting my son's butt. I started laughing hysterically, told Jordan it looked fine, but he could put some ointment on it if he wanted and thanked the neighbor. Meanwhile, Jordan looked up, startled, fell over and crawled behind the coffee table to put his butt out of view. 

Read More
Diapers For Sale

*Note - If you are easily offended by hearing about #1's, #2's, or the use of the word "potty" in place of the more formal "toilet" do not read this post.* 

Not to brag or anything (okay, yes, I am bragging), but Sasha has been officially fully potty-trained since about mid-June. That's right, day-time, night-time, at home, in public, no more "little potty" potty-trained. Although she still sometimes has accidents during the day when she doesn't quite make it to the toilet in time, or forgets to "scootch" back enough (causing pee to shoot out between the toilet and the toilet seat), she's never wet the bed. Sometimes she wakes up and cries until we take her to the bathroom, some nights she sleeps through. In case you couldn't tell, this makes me really really proud and really really happy.

Read More
What A Week

So, here I am, typing away at 2:30 in the morning when I should be sleeping. This week really dragged me down. It started with a really busy weekend, which was fun but not at all restful. 

Saturday we went to a pancake breakfast, then took the kids to the bank. We decided that Jordan and Karlye are old enough to have an allowance ($1.50 a week, split 3 ways between church, savings, and spending - woo hoo!) and to start learning to manage their money. In preparation we emptied their piggy banks and had them deposit the money in the "big bank". It was even more fun and educational than I had planned because they got to go in the back with the teller and watch all of their change be counted. 

Read More
Young Love

The person Jordan talks about most from Kindergarten is his friend Mya. This is a picture that she made for him the other day. I think it's too cute not to share. (The back of the picture, in case you're wondering what the arrow leads to, is a graph that Mya drew. Because, as Jordan's recent schoolwork stated, "Graphing is Cool!".) 

Read More
Wednesday's Aren't Always Fun Either

I don't know if it's the winter blues or what, but this week just doesn't seem to be getting any easier. I've got a headache that won't quit, and my life has shrunk (was it ever any bigger?) to work, home, and the car. Maybe I'm just too idealistic. I've got a few dream lives stuck in my head, and I don't see any way of making my life more like any of them. Why do I have to be so moody anyway? I complain so much I irritate myself, so I'm now going to attempt to be positive. 

Read More
Baby Genius? I Think So

Yes, I do think that Sasha is a baby genius. It's only to be expected since Jordan was one, and since her parents are so brilliant. :) Since five months of age, Sasha has used a fake cough to get attention. Since having a very bad real cough a few weeks ago she has amped up the fake cough so that it sounds like she is coughing so hard she's choking. She also responds to her name, initiates games of peek-a-boo and chase, and (best of all) knows how to say mama. Usually she says "um-um-umma" but every once in a while she slips in a "mama". Also, when I ask her if she wants her nummies, she starts hyperventilating, saying "umma", and trying to rip off my shirt. 

Read More
Feng Shui?

I'm not really into feng shui. Maybe sort of surprising considering all of the other things that I'm into, but it's true. The thing is though, that I noticed that my furniture arrangement is totally affecting my life and my priorities. Ever since we moved to our new place and put the computer in our bedroom because there's no room in the living room, things have been different. I balance my checkbook less than once a week instead of every other day. I write in my blog almost never. I check other people's blogs less than once a week instead of almost every day. I play almost no Spider Solitaire. Internet radio usage is almost non-existent. Even internet shopping has lapsed. It's odd how much things have changed actually. Pretty soon I may not even need my computer, and my living-on-an-island plan will come to fruition.

Read More
Oh Happy Day

I got the new job!!! I'm so excited! I start July 15. No more endless scanning and filing; I'm actually going to be doing something I'm interested in. It sounds like I'll be working primarily with graphics, as well as doing general office stuff, but I'll also get to do some writing and editing. Besides, I've always been interested in graphics. Maybe Suzy can teach me a thing or two. 

Justin's summer shut down is coming up, starting this Friday. It will be so nice to have some time together and maybe even accomplish some things around the house. It would be great if we could get our dining room chairs refinished to match the table, especially since I have the great big roll of fabric all ready and waiting downstairs.

Read More
State of the Family Address

A few days ago I attempted to post a blog about how things have been going with Justin, Jordan and myself, but alas, blogspot ate it before I could post it, and I was too irritated to attempt to recreate it. So here is the current version: Justin had surgery on Friday, March 5. It took three very long hours, but seems to have been successful. The (highly reputed) surgeon found the leak in his lung, cut out the weak area, stapled his lung back up, and put in some talc to cause the lung to scar and adhere to the chest wall so his lung won't be able to collapse again. The surgeon said that he's never seen a leak in that location with a spontaneous lung collapse, but he found nothing else of concern.

After the surgery it seemed like Justin was hooked up to just about everything possible. He had an IV with a morphine drip, a separate ball with narcotics going directly into his incision, an epidural for pain, a monitor hooked up to his finger to measure heart rate and oxygen level, a catheter, an oxygen mask, and these things on his legs to keep blood clots from forming (which he had to wear over white thigh high nylon stockings - very masculine). 

Read More
Update

I suppose it's time for an update. Even Heather has updated her blog, so I know I am falling behind. I was going to say that not too much has been happening, but that isn't entirely true. The reception, as I'm sure all of you know, went off smashingly...although I didn't get to spend as much time with my friends (that means ya'll) as I would have liked. Oh well...I'm sure I will see you all again someday. (Heather I hear you're planning a little trip, and I was thinking, maybe I can swing it). Justin and I got a lot of fun presents for our reception, so that was cool. (And thank you notes will be out any day now, really, just need to buy some, write 'em all out, get stamps, and then drop them in the mail box, no sweat).

Read More
Family, Fun, MarriageHannah DischComment
He's Here!

Well, as Clare has already announced my baby's birth on her blog, and as anyone reading this (if anyone IS actually reading this) has probably already talked to me about it, I won't go into all the bloody details again. Suffice it to say that I now have a son, my tiny little Jordan. He was born Saturday night, and I still can't believe he's mine. He is, naturally, the smartest and cutest baby ever to be born.

Read More