Just the basics of the last 2 months!

Kaden: "Daddy, when we get home can I have a bath?"
Silence as Daddy considers it (it is already bedtime).
Kaden: same question.
Daddy: "No Kaden, I don't think we're going to do baths tonight."
Kaden: "JUST because I ask you for something DOESN'T mean you always have to say NO!"
Poor kid got a short bath.

The last 2 months have been insanely busy. In November Kaden took 5 weeks of swim lessons with his friend Quincy. He thoroughly enjoyed every second of those lessons! The first day of lessons Kaden convinced his teacher to take him to the deep end afterwards. She didn't know what she was getting into...almost every lesson he begged, pleaded, and otherwise convinced her to spoil him for a few minutes after lessons. He also was the kid who was always in trouble and had to sit on the wall. He wasn't trying to be naughty, but he just loved to be underwater. Apparently going underwater while the teacher is working with other kids is a big no-no. Also, he didn't have the greatest attention span, and loved trying to make the other kids laugh. I was told before we started not to expect him to pass because "they never pass a kid the first time." Well, I'm proud to say he passed! (I do have to wonder if the teacher just wanted to be rid of him!) He was able to hold his breath under water for 3 seconds, push off the wall on both is front and back and glide 2 body lengths, pick up an object off the floor of the pool, and other things like that. He even jumped off the diving board twice! He was one of only 2 kids to pass.

Katelyn and I spent that time either sitting and watching (well, she ate suckers...) or we suited up and walked the "lazy river" together with a friend and her daughter. Walking against the current is harder than it first appears! Katelyn loved getting to be in the water too.

For Thanksgiving we headed to Montana to my parents house (and sadly, we forgot our camera.) We were able to spend Thanksgiving with 3 of my 4 brothers and my Grandparents. The last time I was able to be home for Thanksgiving I was pregnant with Kaden and sick, sick, sick. I don't even remember most of it. It was fun to do all of our traditions: the meal, graham cracker houses, games, and leftovers on already too full stomachs. Kaden still talks about the house he made (which had character! I wish I had a photo!) and has asked Gramma to save it for him at Christmas so he can eat the candy off of it. So fun to share traditions that I enjoyed at his age!

For my birthday my parents offered to keep our kids for the night the Saturday after Thanksgiving. We left around 9am and headed to Billings to shop. It was so weird to drive in silence, and the car felt so empty! We shopped alllll day, then had a nice hotel with heated pool and hot tub. We shopped a little more on Sunday and were able to get much of our Christmas shopping done. We met my parents with the kids at Sams around noon. Katelyn wouldn't even look at me when we met up. She held out, not looking at us, and refusing to come to us until Gramma threatened to put her in the car and take her back home. She practically leaped into my arms! What a stinker! It was a very fun weekend, but it always reminds me how much a part of my life my kids are. I sure do love them. (I just don't love shopping with them!!!!!!)

(I am so thankful for autosave as I accidentally just deleted this entire post. It had autosaved just a few seconds before!!!)

This month has been filled with Christmas Parties, (for MOPS, PCA, Church..), meetings for church, and other holiday fun. Yesterday Kaden and I were laying on the floor by the tree looking into the ornament's reflections and talking about Christmas. He has been asked several times by people what he wants from Santa, which has generated much talk. He is confused between the link between Santa and Baby Jesus. We are talking about how Santa is someone we pretend brings us presents, and Baby Jesus is real, and was born as the son of God. After we talked about that I asked him what he wanted for Christmas and his reply was, "Ummmmmm...some more trains, some more trucks, and something for Katelyn." It melted my heart. A while later, curious as to what he'd say, I asked again. He replied the same exact phrase. So we decided to take him out Christmas shopping for his sister. They each got each other a present and we are talking about how we get presents for each other at Christmas and why. It has been fun to see him question, and put together the pieces that everyone teaches him about Christmas.

This week Luke had an appointment to find out if the mole on his nose was something we needed to be worried about since it was changing in shape/size from year to year. Since he works in the sun many hours all summer long we wanted to make sure it was not going to be something to cause skin cancer, etc... The doctor said that he was fairly confident that it was nothing, but said that it might be best to have it removed just to make sure. It ended up being more than we bargained for. Apparently to make an inscision on the face they have to put you under anesthetic to ensure that you won't move and screw anything up. So 2 days later Luke went in for that surgery. It was not a very fun experience for either of us, but it's over now and we're glad to have it behind us!

In a week we are headed back to Montana to spend Christmas with Luke's family. It's hard to believe it's already that time of year! During that stay I'm hoping to write our Christmas letter (which is actually a new years letter and I don't know why I still call it our Christmas letter and send it in Christmasy envelopes!) We need to take a family picture- I wish I'd thought of that before Luke's surgery! (I bet he wishes that too!)

March Madness

As I sat here trying to figure out when Kaden could have his next dose of Tylenol (which also happens to be the last teaspoon of both "i b Broken" and Tylenol both) I realized something. This family may have singlehandedly supported the pain medicine industry this month.

We completely (started AND finished in just this month) used:
3 Children's Tylenol bottles
2 Infant Tylenol Bottles
1 1/2 Infant Ibuprofen
1 Children's Ibuprofen
at least 50 Adult extra strength Tylenols
and some amount of Adult Advil

AND I don't just feed my kids (or Luke) pain meds! Other than this surgery for Kaden-they ONLY got pain meds for fevers above 100*. Maybe I should look into getting a prescription for these meds? Then I could get a tax write off at least. LOL. Maybe April will be less painful month all around???

More Kaden-isms -I B Broken

Today Kaden had his tonsils and adnoids taken out. He was a real trooper. We went in at 9am, and he went back into surgery around 9:30am. (He was a little nervous-and the sedative just made him cranky...but he did fine.) At 10ish he was out of surgery, and at about 10:30am we could go back and see him. He was pretty laid back, and a little scared. He wanted OUT of the gown and back into his PJ's. He also wanted the bandage off his hand-which was bloody-which freaked him out. Then he wanted to sit on Daddy's lap- NOT in the bed. But they kept telling us he got the best waker-upper award for the day.

Anyway, so all day he's been in pretty good spirits. He's drinking and eating very well, and wanting to up and about running around playing. So much for keeping him down for 7-10 days. I'm shooting for 3!

Anyway...so tonight he's had a low temperature around 96*, so we've been watching him closely in case he goes any lower. He got tired of me taking his temperature, so the last time I had to bribe him. Now, Kaden loves his tylenol-but we can't give him any- and I usually say when he's done getting his temp taken he can have tylenol. So this time I told him he could have ibuprofen. Well-I forgot. (Bad Mom!) and pretty soon I hear him exclaiming, "Mom! I need my I B Broken!"

I think that's a pretty appropriate name. Next time Luke's sore from bball, I'm gonna ask him if he's taken his "I B Broken" medicine.

Worry

Last night I was awake from 2-4am. I hate being awake in the night-especially during busy weeks like this one. AND it's the 3rd night in a row, on top of several previous nights of little sleep from being up for sickies. Anyway, that wasn't the point of this blog. The point was, while I've been awake I've had a lot of time to think. Now, I wouldn't say I'm a "worry-wort" or anything like that...but I do have my moments. Last night:...about the bridal shower I have coming up (I always stress about these things, and after they are done I always wonder why! Specifically this time-that I'll get what my family has and not be able to do it!) About Kaden's appointment with the ENT Specialist today...and while thinking about that Kaden would cough and I'd be reminded that his fever was still going strong and his Pediatrician told me if it went 48 more hours we needed to do more testing (we are now down to 6 hours...it's not looking hopeful!) and I just started to worry. I thought about the what-ifs. What if they want to do surgery right away... what if they can't do surgery til he's well (HE'S NEVER WELL!)...what if's about surgery...And then I would stop myself. I'd start praying (if you've been in contact with me within the last 6 months in anyway there's a good chance you got prayed for!) And it's kinda neat, God's brought several songs to my mind that I didn't even know I knew the words to! But all of that reminded me of one thing...

Matthew 6:25-34. Specifically vs 27 and 34 which read "Who of you by worry can add a single hour to his life?.....But seek first His kingdom and his righteousness..."
So many times we are told don't worry. It's wrong to worry. Just stop worrying. But how? By seeking Christ. It works. I'm here to tell you! And it's amazing how it doesn't just stop the worry...it reaps many more blessings and answered prayers. Because instead of wasting time worrying you are praying-thus having prayers to be answered! Or you're singing...and God gets to pop that song in your head that you never thought you knew (it's a blessing!) It's just so cool. The annoying thing is that the devil doesn't stop giving you something to worry about...so it's a constant battle.
This has been my constant challenge for about a year. When the gallbladder pain started and it felt like I was going to die-and no answers! Then surgery! Then tests on my heart and brain, then a lump removed-where we hoped it wasn't cancer and worried that it was. When Kate was tested for a problem with her bladder-which they had expected since I was 20 weeks pregnant. And now with all this sickness and facing yet another surgery-this time for Kaden and his tonsils. It's minor. But I tend to worry. He's my little boy-it's so hard not to! But I keep going back to these verses...

Today I am having a lump removed from my shoulder area. The doctors are saying they don't think it's a high risk thing since it's not in the lymph nodes or breast, but the fact that after thinking he didn't want to take it out, to changing his mind RIGHT after feeling/seeing it makes me nervous. I'm nervous. It's not very easy for me to admit that normally. Lately, after so many doctors/tests/etc..I've gotten good at waiting for results. But it seems like the results keep getting more and more "iffy" and the waiting gets longer and longer. God has really been teaching me patience. But most of all He's been teaching me to trust. Not just Him either. Actually, through everything I feel like I've trusted God and His sovereignty easier than I've trusted doctor's and their tests. And more than I've trusted my friends/family with even the knowledge of what we've been facing. I talked to my brother who's here, and who watched my kids for the appointment this morning, and he didn't even know what my appointment was for. For all he knew it was just a yearly physical, or a sore throat....until someone asked him if I'd had my "surgery" yet. He thought they were asking about my gallbladder back in July. In fact, besides Luke's parents (which have only known for a day or 2) I don't know if any of his family knows, and my parents are the only ones in my family. After that discussion I started realizing that in uncertain circumstances it's important to trust in our almighty God....but there is a lot to be said for allowing people into my life to pray for me. Sure, I've let a few people know. a VERY few. and even they didn't know right away. I want to be someone who trusts God and people enough to share my struggles, even though it's hard to be transparent like that. Especially with my own family who would be more than happy to pray for me.

Also, I'll know the results next week sometime. I'll post as soon as I know, so you don't have to wonder if I have cancer!!!

Ghost Gallbladder

Today is 6 weeks post surgery. How do I feel? FANTASTIC. Energetic. A whole new person. And a little surprised that it was so easy.

I had a little back pain for a few weeks after surgery. I also had what I've now, affectionately, come to call my lack-of-gallbladder-feeling: ghost gallbladder pain. You know, when someone has something amputated, I've heard that they have a hard time convincing their brain that it's gone. Really gone. I think that was my brain and it's tramatic parting with my gallbladder. Every day, sometimes several times a day, I would have a burny-stretchy-knifey pain where my gallbladder used to be. I actually thought it was kind of neat. However, that ghost gallbladder has also taken leave of my body. I will miss you, my fair ghost- at least a little.

The hardest part about surgery was getting back on my diet. Which I didn't. Yet. Tomorrow, I expect that to change. I wanted to try a lot of different foods right after surgery so I would know if I had any adverse affects to talk to my surgeon about. (Yes, my surgeon. I now have a surgeon to call my very own.) I tried all the yummiest, fattiest, sinfulest foods I could imagine. And I had absolutely NO problems. However, 6 weeks later, I'm afraid I can no longer use the excuse "I need to see how this affects me without a gallbladder" excuse any longer.

SAD day.

I am, however, happy to report: I gained no weight while trying all those greasy, sinful, yummy meals/desserts/snacks/etc... Which leads me to wonder-was my gallbladder hoarding calories? Or is it just coincidance that I didn't gain.

I don't actually wonder. I know. But it sure would be nice if it could have been a "got rid of my gallbladder and now I'll never gain weight again" kind of miracle.

Only 10 more pounds to lose tho!

One Week Post Surgery

Oh the things you can learn in just a week!

1) there is no way to explain the feeling of an absent organ. None.
2) 1/2 dose of vicodin does me WELL. Please, no one ever give me a full dose!
3) surgery restricts sleeping positions more than pregnancy does.(I know, I didn't think that was possible!)
4) a 2 year old can find a 3/8inch incision faster than anyone I know.
5) gallbladder removal does NOTHING to help weight loss. nothing.
6)being "unable" to lift over 10 pounds sometimes feels like being treated like a princess. (Honey, let me get that chair for you...etc...)
7) Breastfeeding after surgery-possible, but not recomended.
8) Being "unable" to lift over 10 pounds is sometimes the most frustrating thing ever. ("Are you SURE you should lift that?" every time I lift so much as a pencil.)

I am quite sure there is more. For now, I have other things on my mind to blog about.

Surgery Update (by the victim herself)

I can honestly say I wasn't expecting it to be this easy.

I hope I didn't speak too soon.

I was pretty nervous for my gallbladder surgery yesterday. I think I can honestly say I felt that people were praying for me even last night (the waiting game is almost the worst part!) and by evening I was relaxed completely! I slept WELL last night and that shocked me!

We got to the hospital around 6:45am to have them draw blood to test liver functions. Those turned out good, which meant the surgery would be less complicated. Praise the Lord! Then they did the whole rig-a-ma-role of getting me situated and telling me I could die and those things. I don't enjoy that part. I've kind of decided I'm a wimp about things...and I'm blaming that fact on the fact that I've never had a cavity/filling. Maybe if I'd had to endure minor things, these major wouldn't seem SO terrible? They gave me some anti-nausea meds because, they informed me, I am the right age and gender to be most likely to be sick after anetheisia. (Wonderful.) During that time my pastor came to visit. That was a surprise, and a nice visit to take my mind off things! Then they gave me the sedatives. YAY.FOR.SEDATIVES. I don't think I remember everything after that! And it doesn't bother me one bit! I do remember Gary praying with us :) (I had wondered if I would) and them taking me back to the OR...I don't know if I remember the whole trip there, but I do remember them moving me to the bed, and looking around thinking "I want to remember this, since, hopefully, it will be the only chance I get to be in an OR." So I looked at all the lights and felt how skinny the table was (they told me to make sure I was centered, lol...it was like just as wide as me!) Then thy told me to breathe in some oxygen. Now when I had my wisdom teeth removed they TOLD me when they were putting me to sleep. This time, either they tricked me, or I am not remembering them telling me. I took to deep breaths and the next thing I remember is waking up to the nurses talking about the fact that I was breastfeeding, as if that changed some med they were going to give me. They then made a call. My first thought was "did they not know that? Second thought: I sure hope they didn't find out because I leaked all over!" (TMI??? Gotta love the loopy drugs...at least I said nothing out loud.) So I asked for water, about 16 times. Until they finally told me I needed to take it slow in case I got sick.

Sooo tired. That's how I felt. No pain. No nausea, no nothing. They kept asking how my pain was and I kept saying I felt fine. I didn't want vicadin (sp?) but they acted like I was crazy and wasn't leaving unless I had some. So we compromised and I had half the dose. The nurse was great. She was very attentive and maybe thought I was being a martyr (painwise). I think she finally believed me after I went to the bathroom and asked to change into my clothes. She kept saying how I looked great and she surprised at how fast I was recovering from all the drugs. The vicadin (just half) did make me feel drunk...good thing I only had half! I haven't filled that prescription and am hoping Advil will do the trick. Thats what I've always done after having babies, which I realize is different, but still a major thing.

I got home around 11:30am...starving. So I ate and watched Chuck, and facebooked, etc. I haven't slept yet...I've felt like it sometimes, but not enough to think I actually would sleep well. I've even held my baby girl (on the left side!) and fed my baby boy some of my food (surprise.) :) It's 4pm now and I've taken more Advil, even though I wasn't feeling pain (yet?)...and I really feel great (considering the circumstances....)

Dr. says the first 3 days are the hardest, then just don't lift for 14 days. A little difficult with 2 little ones, but I have my mom and Luke's mom here to help!

Thank you to all who have been praying for me up until today and through today. I appreciate it, and like I said before, I know it was those prayers that calmed my nerves and spirit, and that are helping my recovery to be so uneventful! It is a blessing to have you all praying and caring!