On this date 8 years ago, my uncle went home to heaven. It was very unexpected. Uncle Durwood went out hunting at his brother-in-law's house. They came home and saw his car was still there and thought it was odd. They found him sitting against a tree, holding his gun, gone. It was a heart attack. Heart problems run on that side of the family, but he had had a physical a few weeks earlier and was given a clean bill of health. Christmas always makes me think of him, partly because it was this time of year that he left us and partly because of all the good Christmas memories I have of him.
Uncle Durwood was gentle and soft-spoken. He was friendly and loved kids. We have many pictures of me or my siblings (the youngest cousins) sitting on his lap. He has four grandkids that didn't get to have him long enough. He would have been so proud of them. When we all get together now, there's an abundance of little kids - 8 kids 6 and under. He would have loved that. I wish my kids could have known him. I wish Steve could have known him too. They would have gotten along so well.
Thinking of when Uncle Durwood passed makes me think of Grandma Steward. She's with him now, but I remember her crying when we got the news. He was her only son and her oldest child.
I've been pretty somber for the past few weeks, thinking about Uncle Fred and Aunt Rita. What I didn't expect is how many memories it would dredge up, of Grandpa and Grandma Atherton, when he died and Grandma couldn't stay at their home alone anymore, of Grandma Steward and when she died, of when she couldn't safely live alone at her home anymore, of this past summer when we went through her house the last time before we sold it and they tore it down. There have been so many strong emotions swirling through me. Thankfulness for the time I had with each of them, nostalgia and longing for things of the past, relief that Grandma Steward wasn't around to see her home torn down, a strong urge to go to the places that remind me of each of them, wishing I had more things to remind me of them, thankfulness that my kids have known Grandma Steward, Fred, and Rita, and sadness that the girls didn't get to know my other grandparents, Steve's other grandparents, and Uncle Durwood.
If my feelings are this strong, I can only imagine what Aunt Rita must be feeling. Please pray for her - for peace, for safety, for comfort. I realize that part of aging is outliving loved ones and returning to a state where you increasingly need others to help you and care for you, but it can't be easy. I realize I've blogged multiple times in a few weeks after not posting for months. Writing helps me. I can get my thoughts out and organizing them into coherent sentences helps me process them. I'll be writing a Christmas letter and I know I'll have happier things to post soon. But thank you for your understanding while I deal with this loss and the memories it's brought up.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Grief and loss
I had a whole post ready to go about last week. Uncle Fred passed away Monday morning. Ella got sick. We had our 7th wedding anniversary. The visitation was Thursday and the funeral was Friday. We came home to the news of the shooting in Connecticut. The week was emotional and up and down.
Uncle Fred had a long life and turned 86 a few weeks before he died. He was married to Aunt Rita for 60 years and they dated for 10 years before that. He had been sick for a few months and the last month was rough. But it gave everyone in the family the opportunity to visit and say goodbye. He wanted to make it to Aunt Rita's 90th birthday on Christmas day. We're all concerned about her, since she's getting older and her balance and physical strength isn't what it used to be. She had a black eye at the visitation and funeral, after getting tangled in her sheets and falling while climbing out of bed. She may not be able to stay in their home much longer, at least not without someone staying with her. My heart's been heaviest through all this thinking about Rita and what she must be feeling. 70 years with one man is an amazing accomplishment and there must be a lot of heartache now that he's gone. He did repent and become a Christian at the end, so that's some comfort.
The news of the shooting put that loss in perspective. Yes, we miss Uncle Fred already and I'm afraid of what his death means for Aunt Rita, but the only person we had to say goodbye to on Friday had a long life and we had time to say goodbye while he was still alive. That's a tremendous gift. So many people were not so fortunate on Friday. It's tragic. The whole thing is unthinkable. I don't believe gun control or different laws would have prevented it. I believe the mental health system needs to be changed, though I don't have any suggestions of how to do it. I don't think pointing fingers does any good. I don't think talking about guns helps anything. I don't think the incessant coverage and rehashing helps either. Attempting to discover what could have prevented this may help prevent future attacks, but that doesn't seem to be where the media is focused. I don't have answers and I don't think there is an easy answer to this. My grand solution is to show love and pray, a lot. I pray for peace for the families torn apart. I pray for people to have compassion towards the brother of the shooter, who was originally accused and may be stuck with the stigma of this horror while mourning the loss of his own family. I pray for the kids and staff who witnessed or heard much more than anyone ever should, let alone at such a tender age. I pray this won't happen again. I pray for safety. I pray for all the people who feel the deep pain that leads to committing this kind of act. I pray for people to show love at every opportunity and that maybe small acts of kindness will help prevent this in the future. I guess my point is this: show kindness and express love. We don't know how much a small thing like a smile or holding the door open can make a difference, especially to someone who's been ostracized and outcast. Do the good you can, where you can, in whatever way you can. Maybe that can be the legacy from this tragedy.
Uncle Fred had a long life and turned 86 a few weeks before he died. He was married to Aunt Rita for 60 years and they dated for 10 years before that. He had been sick for a few months and the last month was rough. But it gave everyone in the family the opportunity to visit and say goodbye. He wanted to make it to Aunt Rita's 90th birthday on Christmas day. We're all concerned about her, since she's getting older and her balance and physical strength isn't what it used to be. She had a black eye at the visitation and funeral, after getting tangled in her sheets and falling while climbing out of bed. She may not be able to stay in their home much longer, at least not without someone staying with her. My heart's been heaviest through all this thinking about Rita and what she must be feeling. 70 years with one man is an amazing accomplishment and there must be a lot of heartache now that he's gone. He did repent and become a Christian at the end, so that's some comfort.
The news of the shooting put that loss in perspective. Yes, we miss Uncle Fred already and I'm afraid of what his death means for Aunt Rita, but the only person we had to say goodbye to on Friday had a long life and we had time to say goodbye while he was still alive. That's a tremendous gift. So many people were not so fortunate on Friday. It's tragic. The whole thing is unthinkable. I don't believe gun control or different laws would have prevented it. I believe the mental health system needs to be changed, though I don't have any suggestions of how to do it. I don't think pointing fingers does any good. I don't think talking about guns helps anything. I don't think the incessant coverage and rehashing helps either. Attempting to discover what could have prevented this may help prevent future attacks, but that doesn't seem to be where the media is focused. I don't have answers and I don't think there is an easy answer to this. My grand solution is to show love and pray, a lot. I pray for peace for the families torn apart. I pray for people to have compassion towards the brother of the shooter, who was originally accused and may be stuck with the stigma of this horror while mourning the loss of his own family. I pray for the kids and staff who witnessed or heard much more than anyone ever should, let alone at such a tender age. I pray this won't happen again. I pray for safety. I pray for all the people who feel the deep pain that leads to committing this kind of act. I pray for people to show love at every opportunity and that maybe small acts of kindness will help prevent this in the future. I guess my point is this: show kindness and express love. We don't know how much a small thing like a smile or holding the door open can make a difference, especially to someone who's been ostracized and outcast. Do the good you can, where you can, in whatever way you can. Maybe that can be the legacy from this tragedy.
Friday, December 7, 2012
Updates
Apparently I've blogged twice in about 14 months. The last time was 9 months ago. Plenty has happened to blog about, but I haven't taken the time to sit down and type it out. Life has been busy and sometimes I feel like it's been too busy to sit and write about it, lol. So here are some highlights:
- We got two cats. We thought they were girls and named them Martha and Puggles. After some rather male behavior, I checked and found that our female cats looked suspiciously male. They are now Frank the Shark (we couldn't pick between two names so we combined them and we now have a gangster cat who is fat and lazy) and Puggles (Mia sometimes calls him Mr. Puggles).
- The girls are now 6, 4, and 2. We're down to one in diapers (amazing after having 2 in diapers for a solid 3.5 years, 6 months of which we had THREE in diapers). Zero cribs,one toddler bed, two twin beds. No high chairs. I finally sorted out all the baby toys and assorted baby things and they all went to my parents' house. My two sisters (who both have babies) each took some things and some stayed there, so Mom and Dad now have a great collection of baby toys.
- Ella is in first grade. She loves school and is in the advanced group for both reading and math. She has a best friend (Gavin, since she's a tomboy and thinks boys are awesome). She no longer likes pretty things and only wants to be cool. Her favorite toy now is Legos (the small ones, because she's old enough now).
- Mia is in preschool. She's buddies with Ellie, who conveniently has a brother Ella's age, a sister Nora's age, and an awesome mom. She still adores pretty things and princesses. She's my helper. At home and at preschool when it's my turn to help in the classroom.
- Nora enjoys the time alone at the house. She's really chatty now and most of the time we can figure out what she's saying. I have to interpret Nora-speak for other people a lot though. She's into all pretend things with characters.
- Steve earned a big promotion at the bank back in the spring and a very nice raise with it. He works more hours and is a bit more stressed, but he usually enjoys the work and the challenge.
- I stay busy running kids everywhere and keeping things and schedules organized. I'm also in charge of Secret Sister for MOPS now. I'm no longer teaching Turbo Kick, which was bittersweet, but maybe at some point in the future things will line up better for it. I am planning on pursuing health coach and nutrition training in the spring with the plan to work part time until all the kids are in school all day.
- We gained another niece (bringing the total to 6) and a nephew. No new marriages, but two siblings are in fairly serious relationships. Uncle Fred is sick and will most likely pass in the next few weeks. Annie and Jonathan were both able to come home to say good-bye. Jonathan will deploy in the spring. Leslie and Paul are in North Dakota now and technically Paul deploys every week or so (he's usually gone for 36 hours at a time as a missileer - I'm thankful he's able to be home most of the time and isn't in a war zone).
I'm pretty sure those are all the highlights. At right this moment, Nora is sitting next to me on the couch coloring. Mia is moaning on the loveseat - she's sick and a bit melodramatic. Ella is at the table with Steve and Mike playing with Legos. I can't complain (other than the fact that it seems like someone is always sick - can we change that?) because life is good. It's busy and messy and definitely not perfect, but we have everything we need, most of what we want, and a lot of love and laughter. I hope the same is true in your household.
- We got two cats. We thought they were girls and named them Martha and Puggles. After some rather male behavior, I checked and found that our female cats looked suspiciously male. They are now Frank the Shark (we couldn't pick between two names so we combined them and we now have a gangster cat who is fat and lazy) and Puggles (Mia sometimes calls him Mr. Puggles).
- The girls are now 6, 4, and 2. We're down to one in diapers (amazing after having 2 in diapers for a solid 3.5 years, 6 months of which we had THREE in diapers). Zero cribs,one toddler bed, two twin beds. No high chairs. I finally sorted out all the baby toys and assorted baby things and they all went to my parents' house. My two sisters (who both have babies) each took some things and some stayed there, so Mom and Dad now have a great collection of baby toys.
- Ella is in first grade. She loves school and is in the advanced group for both reading and math. She has a best friend (Gavin, since she's a tomboy and thinks boys are awesome). She no longer likes pretty things and only wants to be cool. Her favorite toy now is Legos (the small ones, because she's old enough now).
- Mia is in preschool. She's buddies with Ellie, who conveniently has a brother Ella's age, a sister Nora's age, and an awesome mom. She still adores pretty things and princesses. She's my helper. At home and at preschool when it's my turn to help in the classroom.
- Nora enjoys the time alone at the house. She's really chatty now and most of the time we can figure out what she's saying. I have to interpret Nora-speak for other people a lot though. She's into all pretend things with characters.
- Steve earned a big promotion at the bank back in the spring and a very nice raise with it. He works more hours and is a bit more stressed, but he usually enjoys the work and the challenge.
- I stay busy running kids everywhere and keeping things and schedules organized. I'm also in charge of Secret Sister for MOPS now. I'm no longer teaching Turbo Kick, which was bittersweet, but maybe at some point in the future things will line up better for it. I am planning on pursuing health coach and nutrition training in the spring with the plan to work part time until all the kids are in school all day.
- We gained another niece (bringing the total to 6) and a nephew. No new marriages, but two siblings are in fairly serious relationships. Uncle Fred is sick and will most likely pass in the next few weeks. Annie and Jonathan were both able to come home to say good-bye. Jonathan will deploy in the spring. Leslie and Paul are in North Dakota now and technically Paul deploys every week or so (he's usually gone for 36 hours at a time as a missileer - I'm thankful he's able to be home most of the time and isn't in a war zone).
I'm pretty sure those are all the highlights. At right this moment, Nora is sitting next to me on the couch coloring. Mia is moaning on the loveseat - she's sick and a bit melodramatic. Ella is at the table with Steve and Mike playing with Legos. I can't complain (other than the fact that it seems like someone is always sick - can we change that?) because life is good. It's busy and messy and definitely not perfect, but we have everything we need, most of what we want, and a lot of love and laughter. I hope the same is true in your household.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Guess I haven't blogged in a while, lol. There's been plenty to write about, but that's just it - life is full and busy. So we've been busy living. Here are the highlights:
- Ella is doing great in school. Her teacher adores her. She's learning at a rapid pace and remembers almost everything. She likes to play teacher and boss her sisters around. They tolerate it about half the time and ignore her the rest.
- Mia is finally potty trained! We finally just kept her in underwear for everything and kept a spare pair of pants and underwear in the diaper bag. A few weeks ago she started staying dry at night. She's had a few accidents the last few days but she's still learning and we're not going back. That means we're officially down to ONE in diapers! After almost four years of at least two in diapers (and a solid six months of THREE in diapers), this feels like a huge, amazing accomplishment.
- Nora is more and more vocal and getting easier to understand. Some of the things she says are just hilarious. One night at bedtime she said, "I not a tired baby." She also very clearly blamed Mia when she pulled Mia's hair.
- My class kinda fizzled. It's disappointing but I believe there's something better and the timing was just not right or something. So for now I'm focusing more on my fitness. I just completed week 1 of P90X.
- Steve has had more changes at work. A coworker and friend left for another opportunity and Steve received a promotion to Senior Network Engineer, way more responsibility, and a big raise. Like we can pay things off and save money now big. He's a little more stressed but he loves the challenge and he's learning tons.
Basically, life has been really good, just really busy. I'll try to post more often since we increasingly have family spread around the country.
- Ella is doing great in school. Her teacher adores her. She's learning at a rapid pace and remembers almost everything. She likes to play teacher and boss her sisters around. They tolerate it about half the time and ignore her the rest.
- Mia is finally potty trained! We finally just kept her in underwear for everything and kept a spare pair of pants and underwear in the diaper bag. A few weeks ago she started staying dry at night. She's had a few accidents the last few days but she's still learning and we're not going back. That means we're officially down to ONE in diapers! After almost four years of at least two in diapers (and a solid six months of THREE in diapers), this feels like a huge, amazing accomplishment.
- Nora is more and more vocal and getting easier to understand. Some of the things she says are just hilarious. One night at bedtime she said, "I not a tired baby." She also very clearly blamed Mia when she pulled Mia's hair.
- My class kinda fizzled. It's disappointing but I believe there's something better and the timing was just not right or something. So for now I'm focusing more on my fitness. I just completed week 1 of P90X.
- Steve has had more changes at work. A coworker and friend left for another opportunity and Steve received a promotion to Senior Network Engineer, way more responsibility, and a big raise. Like we can pay things off and save money now big. He's a little more stressed but he loves the challenge and he's learning tons.
Basically, life has been really good, just really busy. I'll try to post more often since we increasingly have family spread around the country.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
A Christmas Letter
Here it is, Christmas Eve again. Where did the time go? It's been a busy year at our house, but a good one.
Steve earned a promotion from IT Help Desk Analyst to Network Engineer in April. The new job is a challenge but he enjoys it. When he's not at work, he plays with the girls, experiments in the kitchen, fixes computers, and watches BBC America.
Paula was certified to teach Turbo Kick in March and began teaching in April. She was hired by a local dance studio to teach TK in October and loves doing that on the side. Otherwise, she cares for the girls and keeps the household running smoothly.
Ella turned five this year and started kindergarten. She loves school and can read a little bit already. She's like a sponge and just absorbs everything. She also began wearing glasses in August, which makes her look even older. She's as confident and independent as ever. She began taking ballet classes this fall and loves all arts and crafts.
Amelia turned three in April and likes to be Mommy's helper. She enjoys being the big sister while Ella is at school. Mia can write her name now and is mostly potty-trained (yay!). She started taking ballet classes this fall and it's one of her favorite things. She loves pretty things.
Nora turned one in April. In the last year, she's learned to walk, talk, and do so many other things. Nora adores music and will sing and dance. She also likes to pretend. She's a busy little girl but likes to cuddle with Mommy and Daddy.
For news with our extended family, we welcomed two new nieces this year; Madelyn in January and Meredith in October. There are also two new babies on the way; a nephew in February (our first!) and a baby in May (apparently baby wants to keep everyone guessing). Paula's grandma passed away in June at the age of 91. We miss her but are thankful we had a chance to say goodbye and she wasn't sick for long. With the loss of a loved one, there's always a deeper appreciation for family and the loved ones we still have.
Merry Christmas, everyone! And Happy New Year. We wish you all health and happiness and warm times with your loved ones.
Steve earned a promotion from IT Help Desk Analyst to Network Engineer in April. The new job is a challenge but he enjoys it. When he's not at work, he plays with the girls, experiments in the kitchen, fixes computers, and watches BBC America.
Paula was certified to teach Turbo Kick in March and began teaching in April. She was hired by a local dance studio to teach TK in October and loves doing that on the side. Otherwise, she cares for the girls and keeps the household running smoothly.
Ella turned five this year and started kindergarten. She loves school and can read a little bit already. She's like a sponge and just absorbs everything. She also began wearing glasses in August, which makes her look even older. She's as confident and independent as ever. She began taking ballet classes this fall and loves all arts and crafts.
Amelia turned three in April and likes to be Mommy's helper. She enjoys being the big sister while Ella is at school. Mia can write her name now and is mostly potty-trained (yay!). She started taking ballet classes this fall and it's one of her favorite things. She loves pretty things.
Nora turned one in April. In the last year, she's learned to walk, talk, and do so many other things. Nora adores music and will sing and dance. She also likes to pretend. She's a busy little girl but likes to cuddle with Mommy and Daddy.
For news with our extended family, we welcomed two new nieces this year; Madelyn in January and Meredith in October. There are also two new babies on the way; a nephew in February (our first!) and a baby in May (apparently baby wants to keep everyone guessing). Paula's grandma passed away in June at the age of 91. We miss her but are thankful we had a chance to say goodbye and she wasn't sick for long. With the loss of a loved one, there's always a deeper appreciation for family and the loved ones we still have.
Merry Christmas, everyone! And Happy New Year. We wish you all health and happiness and warm times with your loved ones.
With love,
The Scotts
Steve and Paula
Ella, Amelia, and Nora
The Scotts
Steve and Paula
Ella, Amelia, and Nora
Thursday, October 20, 2011
The Thursday Sprint
Thursdays are busy. BUSY. Every other week is especially busy. I get up, get ready, get the girls ready, pack them into the van, and we head off to drop Ella off at school. From there, we either come home or go to MOPS. If we come home, it's a bit more relaxed, at least for a few hours. If we go to MOPS, I'm just moving more of the morning. We go through Tim Horton's for Timbits for the girls and decaf coffee for me and then go to the church. We unload, I distribute the girls, and I get to sit for a bit and talk to actual live adults! (If you are a stay at home mom, you understand how wonderful this is.) After a couple hours, I collect the girls, load them back into the van, drive home, and unload them. Then we eat lunch and then they go down for naps. At this point, I eat lunch, check FB, and sit. Then I workout (Thursday is usually ChaLEAN Extreme - heavy weights!) and then hop in the shower. I get ready again, get the girls up, and we hustle out the door to pick up Ella from school. Then we come home, get snacks, change diapers, and get the girls in their leotards. I make sure everything is in the diaper bag and we rush back out the door and off to ballet. I herd them through the parking lot, in the door, up the stairs, and to the waiting room. I make sure the girls are all dressed for it and off to their rooms. Then Nora and I sit. Or she runs around and I sit or chase her if she tries to leave the room. Finally, when they're done, I get their ballet slippers off, their shoes, sweats, and coats back on, and we head back down the hall, down the stairs, out the door, and back across the parking lot and load them back into the van. Then we go home. It's usually about 6:15 and Steve has dinner ready around the time we get home. And I collapse, lol. Steve handles bedtime and helps Ella make her lunch while I lay out clothes for the next day. Then Steve and I sit and catch up and maybe watch a little tv. He goes to bed earlier than I do. I should go to bed at the same time, but I love the quiet after everyone else is in bed. And on Thursdays, it's so nice to be alone and have quiet time without someone needing me or having to watch the clock.
So how did I have time to write this? Well, I haven't charged my BodyMediaFit in a few days so I'm waiting for that to finish. It just did, so I'm off and running. Happy Thursday everyone!
So how did I have time to write this? Well, I haven't charged my BodyMediaFit in a few days so I'm waiting for that to finish. It just did, so I'm off and running. Happy Thursday everyone!
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Thankfulness
Nora has had a cold lately. Because she's been congested, she hasn't slept very well, which means I haven't slept very well. She had her 18 month well-child check yesterday. Since she had a cough, the doctor checked her lungs and ears. Both were okay, but he did tell me to watch her cough and call if it got worse. Last night she went to bed okay and I went to bed early, figuring I wouldn't get to sleep all night. I was in bed by 10:30, early for me. As predicted, Nora woke up about 2:30 (I think. Nights of interrupted sleep start to run together.). We were back in bed shortly after 3. She whimpered in her sleep a few times but didn't really cry until about 6:30. We got up for the day then. She had that barky cough so I turned on the shower, cranked the hot water up, and shut the down. We sat in there for a while. I'm not sure how much it helped. I tried giving her juice but she didn't want it. I googled croup and took her outside, hoping the cool air would help. It didn't seem to. After continuing to hack and cry, she threw up a lot of phlegm - right into my hand. Miserable, but it seemed to help more than anything else had.
Finally it was 8 am and I called the doctor's office. They said to bring her back in. So I got all the girls dressed, dropped Ella off at school, and headed to the doctor's office for the second morning in a row. They took us back to a room within a few minutes and the nurse talked to us and said the doctor would be in shortly. Nora slept fitfully on me (honestly, I can't be very comfortable for her. I'm too short for her to stretch out.) and I almost fell asleep. Mia looked at magazines and explored the room. She did wonderfully. The doctor came in after about 45 minutes (well, we didn't have an appointment) and looked Nora over. He listened to her lungs, her throat, and checked her ears. One ear was pink - it had been clear yesterday. She also had a slight fever. He was concerned about her breathing so he had us get x-rays of her lungs.
That was more waiting. Nora would sleep on me for a bit, wake up and cry, and occasionally would stop and just whimper. The x-ray tech was wonderful and did a great job, but I hope we never have to do x-rays like that again. She put Nora in this contraption. We had to slip her legs into these holes and she straddled the table. Then I had to hold her arms over her head while we closed this clear plastic thing around her. It's effective for keeping little bodies straight and arms out of the way for chest x-rays but poor Nora was miserable. She just sobbed and kept reaching for me. Mia had to wear an apron and stand off to the side. She was very concerned about Nora and I had visions of her having vague memories of watching her baby sister in what looked like a torture device, complete with leather strap, while I stood there letting it happen. And I stood there in a lead apron holding Nora's hands and trying to comfort her as best I could without holding her. They took back and side shots and then we had to wait a minute for them to develop. The tech said it was easier to keep kids in there than put them back in there so we waited. A few had to be repeated and it felt like an eternity. Poor Nora gets this betrayed look when she's upset with me. I almost cried with her. But the x-rays were clear and we walked back to the exam room we had been in.
We waited a bit longer before the doctor came back in to explain the diagnosis: bronchiolitis. He said right now Nora's trachea is more inflamed and congested than her bronchi (is that right? I don't know.) but he wanted to treat it aggressively since Nora is so young and it came on so quickly. The prescription is basically a kiddie z-pack and steroids to help her breathe easier. He said to give her Tylenol too, for any fever and discomfort, and to keep him updated on her progress. By this time, we had been at the doctor's office for about two hours. I love our doctor. He's thorough, reassuring, and doesn't rush, even though we didn't have an appointment.
Since it was 11 am by then and none of us had eaten anything (Ella had a cereal bar on the way to school), we swung through Tim Horton's. I got coffee (extra large and NOT decaf) and tried to get an egg white breakfast sandwich and ordered Timbits (donut holes) for the girls. They were out of egg whites, so I ordered a regular breakfast sandwich. I pulled forward, paid, and took the coffee and Timbits. And I waited. Finally, the girl came back and asked if I needed something. I said my sandwich. Oh, she thought I didn't want one. Then she wandered away and the manager came to window and asked if she could help me. So I ordered my breakfast sandwich for the third time. I paid for it, got it, and we left. I love TH and I'm glad they usually do a better job than that. Although I have to say, if I'm having a rough morning already, they are out of what I try to order and/or mess up my order. I still say they're better than Starbucks or Biggby though.
We continued to Walgreens, where we once again waited for someone to notice us. Finally someone helped us. She said she was working on Nora's prescriptions and it would probably be 15-20 minutes. Of course. But at least we knew, so I turned off the van and gave Mia another Timbit. Nora was inconsolable again at this point. She didn't want the bottle of juice I had for her. She didn't want a donut. She wanted either a bottle of milk or me. She sat there crying and repeating, "Mamama" in the most pathetic voice possible. I ate my sandwich and sipped my hot coffee, wishing I had ordered an iced coffee and we could just get the prescriptions and go home already. I called Steve to update him on everything, they finally gave us the prescription (about 18 minutes from the time she told me 15-20 minutes), and we headed home, Nora crying the whole way.
We got home, got inside, and I tried to give Nora her meds. She drooled out some of the azithromycin and we both ended up sticky (side note: this is why I avoid giving my girls ibuprofen. It always ends up all over my hands - and I'm allergic. Like my throat will swell shut if I ingest it. So if I give them ibuprofen, I feel like I immediately need to scrub my hands. Tylenol is just easier and safer.). So I laid her down to give her the prednisone but she still spit some of it out. I went to the kitchen to wash my sticky hands and the syringe and came back to find a puddle on the floor. So I don't know how much of either she really got. I gave her Tylenol a little later too and gave her a fresh bottle of milk. She calmed down and maybe half an hour later, she ate a couple Goldfish crackers and wandered away to play. I was so relieved, because in the 6.5 hours we'd been awake, she clung to me and just cried. It's 3 pm now and she seems to be doing MUCH better. She's acting like herself again and her breathing is easier. Neither Mia nor Nora napped, but whatever. They'll sleep harder tonight.
So after this very rough day, why am I thankful? Because Nora merely has a bad cold and the worst test they performed on her was an x-ray. Because I realized she'll be better within a week and doesn't have a chronic or terminal illness. Because I didn't have to watch the nurses and technicians draw blood, intubate, do a spinal tap, or any other invasive procedure on my baby. Because this very rough day for me and my girls would be dream for some other families compared to what they endure. Because so much of life is a matter of perspective and I realize we've got it GOOD. We're blessed. I'm guessing you are too. So be thankful, appreciate what you do have, don't complain about the things you don't have, and just SMILE. Life is good. :)
Finally it was 8 am and I called the doctor's office. They said to bring her back in. So I got all the girls dressed, dropped Ella off at school, and headed to the doctor's office for the second morning in a row. They took us back to a room within a few minutes and the nurse talked to us and said the doctor would be in shortly. Nora slept fitfully on me (honestly, I can't be very comfortable for her. I'm too short for her to stretch out.) and I almost fell asleep. Mia looked at magazines and explored the room. She did wonderfully. The doctor came in after about 45 minutes (well, we didn't have an appointment) and looked Nora over. He listened to her lungs, her throat, and checked her ears. One ear was pink - it had been clear yesterday. She also had a slight fever. He was concerned about her breathing so he had us get x-rays of her lungs.
That was more waiting. Nora would sleep on me for a bit, wake up and cry, and occasionally would stop and just whimper. The x-ray tech was wonderful and did a great job, but I hope we never have to do x-rays like that again. She put Nora in this contraption. We had to slip her legs into these holes and she straddled the table. Then I had to hold her arms over her head while we closed this clear plastic thing around her. It's effective for keeping little bodies straight and arms out of the way for chest x-rays but poor Nora was miserable. She just sobbed and kept reaching for me. Mia had to wear an apron and stand off to the side. She was very concerned about Nora and I had visions of her having vague memories of watching her baby sister in what looked like a torture device, complete with leather strap, while I stood there letting it happen. And I stood there in a lead apron holding Nora's hands and trying to comfort her as best I could without holding her. They took back and side shots and then we had to wait a minute for them to develop. The tech said it was easier to keep kids in there than put them back in there so we waited. A few had to be repeated and it felt like an eternity. Poor Nora gets this betrayed look when she's upset with me. I almost cried with her. But the x-rays were clear and we walked back to the exam room we had been in.
We waited a bit longer before the doctor came back in to explain the diagnosis: bronchiolitis. He said right now Nora's trachea is more inflamed and congested than her bronchi (is that right? I don't know.) but he wanted to treat it aggressively since Nora is so young and it came on so quickly. The prescription is basically a kiddie z-pack and steroids to help her breathe easier. He said to give her Tylenol too, for any fever and discomfort, and to keep him updated on her progress. By this time, we had been at the doctor's office for about two hours. I love our doctor. He's thorough, reassuring, and doesn't rush, even though we didn't have an appointment.
Since it was 11 am by then and none of us had eaten anything (Ella had a cereal bar on the way to school), we swung through Tim Horton's. I got coffee (extra large and NOT decaf) and tried to get an egg white breakfast sandwich and ordered Timbits (donut holes) for the girls. They were out of egg whites, so I ordered a regular breakfast sandwich. I pulled forward, paid, and took the coffee and Timbits. And I waited. Finally, the girl came back and asked if I needed something. I said my sandwich. Oh, she thought I didn't want one. Then she wandered away and the manager came to window and asked if she could help me. So I ordered my breakfast sandwich for the third time. I paid for it, got it, and we left. I love TH and I'm glad they usually do a better job than that. Although I have to say, if I'm having a rough morning already, they are out of what I try to order and/or mess up my order. I still say they're better than Starbucks or Biggby though.
We continued to Walgreens, where we once again waited for someone to notice us. Finally someone helped us. She said she was working on Nora's prescriptions and it would probably be 15-20 minutes. Of course. But at least we knew, so I turned off the van and gave Mia another Timbit. Nora was inconsolable again at this point. She didn't want the bottle of juice I had for her. She didn't want a donut. She wanted either a bottle of milk or me. She sat there crying and repeating, "Mamama" in the most pathetic voice possible. I ate my sandwich and sipped my hot coffee, wishing I had ordered an iced coffee and we could just get the prescriptions and go home already. I called Steve to update him on everything, they finally gave us the prescription (about 18 minutes from the time she told me 15-20 minutes), and we headed home, Nora crying the whole way.
We got home, got inside, and I tried to give Nora her meds. She drooled out some of the azithromycin and we both ended up sticky (side note: this is why I avoid giving my girls ibuprofen. It always ends up all over my hands - and I'm allergic. Like my throat will swell shut if I ingest it. So if I give them ibuprofen, I feel like I immediately need to scrub my hands. Tylenol is just easier and safer.). So I laid her down to give her the prednisone but she still spit some of it out. I went to the kitchen to wash my sticky hands and the syringe and came back to find a puddle on the floor. So I don't know how much of either she really got. I gave her Tylenol a little later too and gave her a fresh bottle of milk. She calmed down and maybe half an hour later, she ate a couple Goldfish crackers and wandered away to play. I was so relieved, because in the 6.5 hours we'd been awake, she clung to me and just cried. It's 3 pm now and she seems to be doing MUCH better. She's acting like herself again and her breathing is easier. Neither Mia nor Nora napped, but whatever. They'll sleep harder tonight.
So after this very rough day, why am I thankful? Because Nora merely has a bad cold and the worst test they performed on her was an x-ray. Because I realized she'll be better within a week and doesn't have a chronic or terminal illness. Because I didn't have to watch the nurses and technicians draw blood, intubate, do a spinal tap, or any other invasive procedure on my baby. Because this very rough day for me and my girls would be dream for some other families compared to what they endure. Because so much of life is a matter of perspective and I realize we've got it GOOD. We're blessed. I'm guessing you are too. So be thankful, appreciate what you do have, don't complain about the things you don't have, and just SMILE. Life is good. :)
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