Thursday, August 28, 2008

End of the Summer?













Today was rainy, time to start the indoor fun again. I hope we have a few more days of sunshine, but just in case, I had a stroke of genius and moved a tent over the swings so we can continue to swing in the rain. I had better catch you up with what they kids have been doing and growing!

The baby is cruising and spends more time standing and slowly rising up (I call her the Great Pumpkin) than she does crawling. She's taken a few little steps, including a few that I've missed and wondered how she moved so quickly from one place to another. She can say mamma and almost dadda and tries to copy the cats' meows. She still doesn't sleep through the night!

Butters missed his friends but had a blast with his cousins and aunts. I can't believe how resilient he was, slept in several different places over the weeks, went from person to person. He was very go with the flow. He picked up a few bad habits ("It's no big deal, mamma"), but he also learned how to pull down his pants, so we are officially potty trained. We turned a corner this week and he likes to do it, "by myself." He says. He is currently in love with Buzz Lightyear and told me he didn't want to have a penis, because Buzz Lightyear doesn't have one.
Can't believe all the love and support we are still getting, just today I got some awesome cookies and a wonderful letter in the mail! Thanks, TiffTiff.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Mommy Got in Trouble

Yes, Officer, there was a reason I was going that fast (76 in a 60). We are just returning from a hellish trip (it was no vacation) including over 18 hours of flying and driving, going to the in laws to pick up our dog and driving back through Seattle in stop and go traffic, hoping the baby will stay asleep because we know she'll be crying the last 5 miles and making my husband's seriously bad headache even worse.... but if we can just make up some time from all that traffic and the longest three weeks of our lives....if we can just get home a few minutes sooner.

"Just trying to get home after a long day." I got a speeding ticket about 8 miles from home.

We had one dead plant, two happy but pissed cats, 3 hairballs, one lost mariner hat size small (already replaced) and a boatload of mail. My amazing neighbor left dinner for us in our fridge so I didn't have to go to the store until today. I can't thank her enough.

I now have proof that Butters listened to everything I say. He told me yesterday, "When you get sick I want to go to Pittsburgh to help you feel better." The poor dear, I tried to tell him I wouldn't get sick but that's not completely true. We talked about everything, I told him daddy is much better.

Cost of speeding ticket: $93-He lowered it to 65
Sleeping in your own bed with your husband and kids, priceless!

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Hanging in There!

Here's a phone photo of my typical day, knitting at the bedside. But, thankfully, we are on the mend and out of the hospital. Spinal headache is going away. All your love and light must be working!

I've been surviving on desserts, wine, knitting and coffee. I'd get the baby settled in the morning, walk to the hospital, spend lunch with hubby, back to hotel to spend time with baby, go to hospital for dinner, back to hotel to put baby to bed. DH and I finally got the alone time together that we needed, just not the perfect circumstance. But, all that is over and we are on to the next step.

Monday, August 11, 2008

Not a Positive Post

It's very difficult to see the person you love in pain. DH and I talked about this to prepare for labor, but at least after that pain, you have something to show for it. My poor sweet husband is in great pain, I'd like to say it's getting a little better, but the truth is he is very down. This is by far the hardest thing we've ever done. This has been a pretty shitty year. He'll get better every day, even just a little bit. The doctors finally agreed to give him something stronger so maybe soon he'll feel more like himself.

We didn't think this would be easy, we knew it would suck. I'd like to write a positive post and tell you everything is okay, but each day as I walk back from my morning hospital visit and think about how much this sucks and how long the road ahead is, it just doesn't make it easier that we've completed one small step. I just wish I could do more for him. I wish he didn't have to go through this. The good news is that they got the cancer, he will get better. I just have to keep telling myself and him that.

Saturday, August 9, 2008

DH Update

My husband is doing well. He's in stable condition after a 7 hour surgery, the surgeons feel they got all the cancer, we'll know pathology in a few days. Family is fine, kids are fine, but I'm feeling like a brat since a friend read through my thinly veiled/ridiculous call for yarn-she became the yarn fairy:) If you would like to do something to help, please consider donating blood or making a donation to your favorite cancer organization. Here's a list of my favorites.
Love you guys!

University of Pittsburg Med Center
American Cancer Society
Breast Cancer Action