When Tom Cat is Away, the Mice will play...

Since my husband was in another state for the day, I decided that I could allow the little Monkey to make whatever mess that I saw fit, have it cleaned up before my husband got home and he would never know...

I needed a little time to take care of some deep cleaning in the kitchen, so I grabbed a couple boxes of cereal out of the cabinet, scooped up the little critters from the office and created a time occupier for the little Monkey.She had the very best time treasure hunting.
I would love to say that the end result was as clean and put together as the beginning of the treasure hunt, but that wasn't the case.
In fact, it was so unbelievable that I couldn't bring myself to capture it in a picture.
The joy on her face made it all worth it though!

SERIOUSLY

"Seriously Addie?!"

Is my new phrase for the ultimate level of frustration that I manage to achieve while listening to the crying Monkey in the car.

We had not even gotten out of the neighborhood when Monkey started crying.

I looked back at her with my hands held in the standard, questioning pose and asked her,

"Seriously Addie, are you seriously going to keep crying?"

She nodded and in the closest mimicking sound said, "seriously".

(insert Mommy screaming here)

Seriously, will it ever get any better?

We are on a serious deadline to help Monkey find a way past this...I am starting to think we are not going to meet the deadline.

(insert whining and imaginary, mascara running sobs here)

Picture Of The Day!

The little Monkey - after being attacked by a baggy of goldfish.

"Thank You Mommy"

We are still making changes to the little Monkey's room, trying to get everything just the way it should be.

The very first thing we did after we moved her bed into her room was to put a safety gate on the doorway of her room.

The safety gate is just about the worst gate, but considering we checked out every store around town and found nothing that was suitable, we had to settle until I order the new gate.

The safety gate that is in her doorway right now has a piece on the bottom that we have to step over to get into and out of her room...which makes for a terrible tripping hazard for the little Monkey with terrible balance.

So for now, we are improvising in order to keep her safe.

The safety gate is a requirement because of Monkey's balance and her lack of depth perception and her inability to understand how she can get harmed.

Each night when Monkey wakes, she sits in her bed and lets me know that she is awake.

She either cries, every once in a while she will call for me or she will whine, anything to try to get my attention.

She knows where my bedroom is and is always looking for me.
For two nights now, I have received the most beautiful gift when I got Monkey from her room (sorry once again, Dr. Ferber).

When I opened the gate and walked over to Monkey, she held up her arms for me to pick her up.

I picked her up and each time, she put her head on my shoulder, gave me the biggest hug and said, "thank you", "thank you Mommy".

Oh God...I never knew how beautiful it could be to have those moments in my life.

I hold a miracle in my arms each and every day.

Thank you all for your continued prayers, support and love!

Serving The Purpose

Now nothing in Monkey's room matches, but I think we can get past it.

I already have Monkey's new bed all picked out at Pottery Barn Kids, I am just waiting for the PBK Lottery to pick me as thier lucky winner and then we will be all set!

:)

The curious little Monkey checked out her bed...
and supervised the proper placement of the mattress... and then got so excited....
and started clapping for Julien!
Then she looked at me for my approval to climb onto her bed...
then Julien proceeded to pile on the covers....

and when it came time for bed...

although it wasn't easy, she slept for a while in her new big girl bed all by herself...

for just a little while.

My Poor, Neglected Husband

I know many of you must think that my poor husband is so incredibly neglected and has such a difficult life.

It is tough for him...he's only had three BIG golf get-a-ways this year.

It's September, surely he should of had at the very least nine BIG golf get-a-ways.

Well, my poor neglected husband had the pure misery of attending the PGA Tour Championship in Atlanta today.

I only heard the beginning of his story about his day and then the increasing sounds of violins playing began to drown out the remaining part of the story as he was saying that it rained most of the day, but having executive level passes allowed him and his bestest buddies to remain either in the tent or clubhouse and enjoy food and beverages...then there was something about watching trophies being engraved and autographs...but by that point it was all just white noise.

~~~~~

Before I receive the telephone call from my husband (after he reads this post) reminding me that I was invited to go with him on this trip, let me set the record straight.

My husband did invite me to go with him today. Although the mere thought of standing silently next to sweaty strange men for four hours in the pouring rain in the sweltering Atlanta heat makes my heart just skip a beat, it just wasn't feasible.

When the cost of Monkey's therapy/medical expenses reached more than the annual salaries of our housekeeper and nanny, we had to let them both go.

So, who else was going to milk the cow, chop the firewood and get the vittles on the table, not to mention play with the small, blue-eyed mammal that we own?

I mean seriously...one day away from the farm and everything would fall to pieces.

Change Is Never Easy

For those of you who don't know me personally, I think it is only fair to preface this story with a little bit of insider knowledge.

I am an incredibly stubborn person and once I get an idea in my mind, it has to happen.

It doesn't matter how it happens or how long it takes to happen, but it has to happen.

When I was putting the little Monkey to bed a week or two back, she was having a tough time and in an effort to calm her, I was kneeling beside her bed and rubbing her hand through the slats on the bed (Dr. Ferber hates me).

She moved to get more comfortable, which put me out of her sight and so she sat up, which made me have to move in order to make eye contact with her.

For whatever reason, we both found humor in this, because we both started to laugh.

It was at that exact moment that I decided a change had to take place.

We have kept the little Monkey in her crib for many reasons, mainly because she felt safe and comfortable and we felt comfortable knowing she was safe while we slept.

With that being said, I knew that if I made the change to take the little Monkey's crib away, that it was going to require lots of modifications and it was not going to be easy...for any of us...and it wasn't...and it still isn't...but it is a work in progress...

that began with a little toddler bed that we bought from someone two years back for $5 because they wanted to get rid of it because their child had never slept in it (and for $5, we just didn't care that it didn't match her dresser - it would be temporary).

We brought it home, put it in the basement and put it out of mind.

Until I decided a change was necessary...

so we moved the crib to the other wall and made room for the temporary new big girl bed for Monkey.

She was very interested in all the activity and was very curious to know what her Daddy and Julien were doing bringing the big girl bed up the stairs.... and into her room....
Inhale...lots of changes on the way....

Changes are on the way...

Aaaahhhh man....

I just don't have it in me tonight to give a humorous little summary regarding Mean Aunt Diane. My migraines appear to be coming more frequent and if I don't get a permanent Rx for my drug of choice, I'm going to have the tantrum of all tantrums...

So, here's a brief summary regarding Mean Aunt Diane:

The Pacemaker that was going to be jammed into her today - wasn't. Apparently, one of the meds she was on due to her heart attack(s) was creating all kinds of serious issues. Once "they" figured that out, they took her off and she started to improve enough where "they" decided no Pacemaker (but I'm sure that is subject to change).

"They" sent her home with a heart monitor to wear for the next 30 days - with all feedback going directly to "them".

Somewhere along the way (we can recall a recent fall), Mean Aunt Diane managed to get a couple fractures in her back - no freakin' wonder her back has been hurting.

Then there is the TIA and ever present congestive heart failure.

In hopes of getting Mean Aunt Diane back up and into the land of the living, PT will be making home visits...and they better hope they send somebody sweet and good....because this awful pain behind my right eye will cause me to be much more irritable with people and I don't need to be blacklisted from local home health agencies.

So, that's it...in a very tiny little nutshell. By the way...Mean Aunt Diane has been so incredibly sick that she has no idea that I have blogged about her and she hates for people to know her business...so, we'll just all pretend this didn't happen and by the time she finds her way back to the blog, enough time will have passed that this post will be in the archives.

Not Exactly What They Had Planned.

#58 just so happened to be going up against an "old" preschool classmate of his.

This old classmate has grown a bit, which meant that when you pair these two against each other...nothing happens.
It's like two bulls locking horns...
So...instead of football, last night became a wrestling match.

We lost the match - painfully so.
Life wasn't bad for long though...

It's time for another...

Exciting Round Of:

Name That Diagnosis!

As a recap to yesterdays diagnosis, we were excited to learn that the 36 day guessing game of how to fix a patient after two heart attacks was finally coming to a close with a very fixable diagnosis of blood clots.

I know, I know, it's hard to contain your excitement.

Then, those of you tuning in tonight will be disappointed to learn that there will be no winner crowned today.

Tune in tomorrow though for another round of Name That Diagnosis! - Could it be...
Deep Vein Thrombosis;
Pulmonary Embolism;
Renal Failure;
Congestive Heart Failure;
or the ever trusty... Insertion of a Pacemaker?

Aaahhh...I know, the suspense is just enough to make me lay in bed in my insomnia induced state and stare at the wall.

Stayed tuned...more after this commercial break from the folks over at the Hoover Recreational Football League!

TMI - I don't think so...!

I recently heard about some research that was being done to determine if physicians tell their patients too much information.

From my experience, they absolutely do not give enough information.

So, when I got the call last night from my Mother telling me that they had finally found blood clots, I asked her what the treatment plan was.

Although, the treatment plan is usually pretty obvious, I was confused because the neurologist had been in earlier in the day and removed my Mother from the Heparin drip...because she didn't need it (insert screaming and banging of my head on the keyboard here).

I have very little information because we were not given very much information, but I am very hopeful that my Mother is now on the road to recovery.

I hope to have more information today (insert wishful thinking here).

Copyright Laws

I failed to properly cite my source when referring to my Mother as Mean Aunt Diane. The phrase, "Mean Aunt Diane" is solely under copyright protection by my cousin Apryl . In the midst of all the drama, I failed to point that out and I sure hope she manages to forgive me before we end up in mediation.

This major oversight was brought to my attention earlier by Apryl via blog comment:

"I would like to state that I own all rights to the name "Mean Aunt Diane". I coined the phrase over 20 years ago and would like for you to forward all proceeds you received from the use of the copyrighted name "Mean Aunt Diane" to your beloved cousin. Just kidding. Thinking of my M.A.D. everyday. Praying for you all. Let me know if I can do anything."

Love you Apryl!!!!

Mean Aunt Diane

a.k.a My Mother is an incredibly private person, so when I post things about her, I don't do it without second thoughts. My concern for her overrides her privacy rights. She is now back in the hospital for the third time in about a month. Although, she has a great team of physicians - all with great bedside manners - they can't seem to get her straightened out.

After two heart attacks that have apparently done a bit of damage, her heart and lungs are intent on retaining fluid.

It is very disheartening (no pun intended) for her to be so sick after a month. She is at the point where she doesn't want to call her doctor because she doesn't want to "bother him" and even the thought of yet another hospital admission is just too draining for her.

I know all of you have your own battles to fight right now, but I would appreciate it if you could please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

Picture Of The Day!

Fungus Girl

Sometimes I think Fungus Girl picks up a cootie bug just so that she can get me to stay at home with her.

On day two, FG and her brother paid a nice visit to our favorite ENT.

Two copays, hearing tests, tympanograms, samples of prescriptions, written prescriptions and lots of oohhing and aahing later, FG, Julien and I were on the way back home.

~~~~~

In all of her misery, FG was more than content to sit inside the box and color for what seemed like hours.

Let me just say that I am beyond impressed at her little grasp on the crayon.

She tries so hard to color just like her friends.
Much attention to detail...all sides of the box get equal coloring time.

That's better...

We were the home team!

I didn't get a whole lot of pictures at this game. Chris and I were splitting our attention between the field and fungus girl. Fungus girl tried her very best to flip head first over the row of bleachers in front of us, so we were more on edge than usual. Afraid that FG would lose her balance (and I was right), I kept my hand on her at all times, so I managed to catch her before any damage was done - other than causing every spectator to turn and look at all the commotion, mainly caused by the incredibly loud crash as FG's metal cup clattered onto the metal bleachers below.

#58 did a good job, even had his name announced for a tackle. We made it home in time to get fungus girl and #58 in bed before the stroke of midnight.

#58's knee is almost completely healed - fabulous!

Whereas, fungus girl was at home for the next two days as she was battling cooties...that she probably shared with each and every person we encountered at the aforementioned game.

Hey...I've told you before, we are great sharers. Whether you like it or not.

MythBusters

Let me clear up one tiny little myth.

Somebody said to me recently that, "I know you don't like to be touched". I'm assuming that comment was made because of the time or two or three or four (you get the point) that I have mentioned having a slight issue with germs.

Really, that is where my issue is - with germs - or the people who don't mind having a major infestation of them. The people who don't wash their hands after using public restrooms, pick their noses in public, etc...

BUT, I love people - I am a very affectionate person, despite being incredibly shy. I love giving and getting hugs, kisses and so on and so forth. If there is any hesitation on my part, it is strictly because of me.

Example: I recently was asked by someone if they could give me a hug (oh...yes...you...can...) and the only, ever so slight hesitation on my part was because I was trying to remember just how much of a sweat I broke while walking from my car into the building in the scorching Alabama heat. See...it's not you, it's me. :)

BUT - there is one main Rule (outside of you not being covered in the Hantavirus). If I am on the verge of tears, you may hug me, but you cannot speak to me during or after the hug - because you will make me cry and I am not a crier.

Oh...and before you kiss me, you must have brushed your teeth upon waking that morning.

As for hand shakes, pats on the back, picking up items I've dropped, cutting my hair or removing that piece of lint from my cheek - I would highly prefer that you not have bodily fluid of any kind on your hands.

And...if you need a little more detail - as for any physical exams, lab work or invasive surgery - with or without IV sedation, a good lathering of the hands is highly appreciated....(as well as removing your five carat engagement ring before slicing me open, but that's another post).

So...I hope this clears up all the confusion.

I am not in the military and do not require "permission to hug". In fact, people have become so hyper-sensitive to the threat of offending people, that we don't do a lot that we really should -such as holding a patients hand who desperately needs reassurance.

AND remember...hand sanitizer is your friend. May I recommend Gold Bond Ultimate Hand Sanitizer - Orange Scented?

Reminder - It's nothing more than a few clicks of a mouse! - Reminder

I have two friends that have their children in two separate photo contests. If you feel led to cast your daily vote, we sure would appreciate it.

First up is Baby Brock - you all will remember him from this amazingly beautiful day. He is in the running for the Gerber Generation Baby and I don't know of a baby more perfect to hold that title!
(make sure you check your spam email folder for the confirmation email if it doesn't come directly to your in box)

Click here to vote for Brock.

Then, Allie is a finalist for The Birmingham Parent Cover Kids - Special Needs Category.

Click here to vote for Allie - she is the first picture under the Special Needs Category (wearing a yellow shirt).

:)

Pictures of the day!

The day after

In an effort to soak up some Vitamin D, we headed out to the local park the afternoon after our lovely drive home.

On the way out the door, I grabbed a pack of tortillas to feed to the fish.

Julien was away for the day, so Addie had the whole pack to herself and she was so excited to see the fish and turtles.

Addie and her Daddy.

S-U-C-K-E-R-S

Well, what can I say?

I am a sucker for anything that makes my life a little bit easier.

Including the activities on the lovely trip that we are still trying to recover from.

I opted for reserved seating instead of sitting amongst the general population.

I did this for several reasons, including the convenience of not having to drag around chairs, blankets and a cooler and more importantly to avoid having to sit amongst thousands of people who would make our lives miserable.

As our luck would have it lately, we have dealt with more rude people and people who love to do nothing but stare and make hateful comments (remember the little old lady? followed by two other awful experiences all within an hour of arriving), than we have dealt with people who are soft spoken and kind-hearted.

In an effort to minimize our encounters, reserved seating it was.

The idea itself was good enough and considering that both of my children love music, really...how could I go wrong?

They had a good time while waiting for the show to begin. Somewhere around the 30 minute mark, the little Monkey hit meltdown in the middle of our reserved seating, in the midst of thousands of people.

That is when I resorted to my emergency stash of cash and told my husband to find the nearest vendor and hand over our life savings for two plastic light up swords that cost more than the last space shuttle launch.

Wonders beyond wonders it brought quiet to the little Monkey, made Julien happy and just about smashed in the heads of the fellow reservees sitting next to us.

To make the moment even more beautiful, the little Monkey could barely keep her balance while walking with the sword and... we almost had to make a trip to the local E.R. for a few thousand stitches to reattach my husbands head. All this before exiting right before the end of the show to avoid a horrendous traffic jam, only to find ourselves on I-20 with a screaming and hysterical Monkey, a befuddled pharmacist, one upset husband and my sweet baby boy who was beyond worry for his sister...so much so that when we stopped at the nearest gas station (after midnight), Julien was so upset he had to get out of the car and get some fresh air to keep from getting sick.

There are just no words to describe what the little Monkey goes through in the car.

My Pollyanna Attitude is on holiday.

I want so much just to make it all better and I'm at a loss.

Just like everyone else, we have our ups and downs and right now we are having an incredibly tough time.

Everything that is going on right now doesn't feel fixable, although I know that God will indeed provide the resolutions. I think the hardest part is that there are several different things that are out of my control to resolve and they are taking their toll on me.

Amongst a few personal items and the little Monkey and the car issue, mean Aunt Diane is back in the hospital. Mean Aunt Diana a.k.a. my Mother is now on day four of this hospital admit and we are still waiting on that lovely crystal ball to reveal the problem.

BUT, we all have our issues, ours is no different than those around us.

The only advantage I have is this little public diary that I get to write out my thoughts in an effort to magically make sense of it all.

I need sleep...which I won't get because the little Monkey is upstairs miserable because she is getting sick.

Cooties are grand.

Pictures of the day - Ten days ago