Surgery and Christmastime

Here's poor little Neptune before surgery. Poor kid had no idea what was coming to him! He got up and went to the hospital with me and was in a great mood. The nurses just totally fell in love with him. The weather was awful, but we made it and were even there a little early. It was nice having the first surgery of the day 'cuz everyone was on time for the most part. It was very quick and uneventful. The dr came to talk to us afterwards. The poor kids nasal passages were more than half blocked by adenoid tissue. He's going to be able to breathe so much better. I can't imagine dealing with asthma and that on top of it!

After surgery he was obviously not feeling as wonderful. In fact he's had a much much harder time getting over this than Mercury did. And that amazes me. I thought Neptune would be the tougher of the two. The dr finally today agreed to call in a narcotic for the poor kid. We've been alternating Tylenol/Motrin every three hours and that only does the trick for two out of those three hours. And nighttime...is a nightmare. He's up every two hours screaming his fool little head off. We'll probably only use the prescription stuff at night, and I sure hope it helps.

When we got home from the hospital I set him down so I could go to the bathroom. Well he decided he was
gonna get up and walk. Poor kid
was still so doped up he fell into a
dresser and bruised his head. The cut under is eye is something his brother helped him out with the day before. Nice, huh? Anyway, I was so looking forward to a nap with Neptune before Mercury got home from daycare. No such luck. Neptune waited until Mercury was home, then passed out on the living room floor. Thanks kid. How come I always get screwed?

As for Christmastime? I learned an important lesson this year. No matter how strange a present is that ends up on my kids list to Santa, I must listen. Mercury had put a telescope on his list to Santa. I kinda blew it off. Till yesterday. 'Santa' sent him a video email and mentioned that he was sure Mercury would get that special present he had asked for. When I asked Mercury what that present was I was informed it was the telescope. What 4-yr old asks for a telescope? I asked Mercury what would happen if he didn't get it from Santa. He looked at me with all seriousness and said, "I would cry".

Well guess what kid? Santa didn't get you a telescope! So I've had this huge internal battle all night. Do I hunt down a telescope on Dec. 23rd or let my 4-yr old be disappointed on Christmas. Am I spoiling him if I get one? I wrestled with this all night. And I was up basically all night 'cuz Neptune was screaming his head off. So this morning I start searching the Internet and calling around to stores. 'Cuz if I'm gonna do this I'm not getting a 4-yr old some $70-300.00 telescope. That's for darn sure. Well my SIL suggests calling Dicks Sporting Goods. I now owe my life not only to her, but to that store as well. This morning...that's right this morning they clearenced a bunch of telescopes down to $20.00. So I called Jupiter and he ran right over there. The thing comes in a case with a stand and a microscope. Mercury is going to be sooo excited come Christmas. Now I'm sure it's not some extremely powerful telescope, but it will be more than enough for a 4-yr old.

So what did I learn this year? PAY ATTENTION! lol

This Time Tomarrow

My house will be adenoid free! Both kids will have had their adenoids removed. The hospital finally called and Neptune is to be there at 6:45 am. He is the first surgery of the day. I don't like getting up early, but I'm glad I wont have to deal with a hungry kid for hours and hours.

The crappy part? We're supposta get a huge winter storm tonight. I'm hoping it's like the last one we got. I hate driving in the winter and I have to drive in the morning. Our last one was only like 8 inches. I can handle snow. It's the ice I'm terrified of. I've been watching the weather 3x's a day for almost a week watching this storm play out. That's how much I hate ice! And as of last night it looks like the ice will stay south of us. So this huge storm they're predicting is hopefully only gonna end up being 7in by morning then another 7 by bed time. And if you were born and raised in Michigan as I was, you know that's nothing to worry about. So I'm hoping they are right about this and we just get the snow and no ice.

Wish us luck and see you on the other side of surgery!

Let's Think Outside Ourselves, People

It's Christmas. Look around. See that person that needs help. The elderly widow across the street that needs her driveway shoveled. The single mom with a small child. The lonely college student that can't make it home for Christmas. See what you can do for someone else today.

My girlfriend confided in me this morning. She told me that in her 20 years of raising her children (she has a 20 yr old daughter and a 4 yr old son) that NO ONE has ever offered to take either child out to buy her a Christmas present. Not that she wants or needs a Christmas present. But children should be able to do that for their mother. Don't you think? So this year, let's not just assume that someone else is doing it. Let's do it ourselves. K?

Surgery? Again?

I knew it was coming. I did. I'm just surprised at how fast.

Back story. Neptune was born a month early. He had blood sugar problems in the hospital and we had to give him glycerin water quite a few times. He had breathing problems while in the hospital and was monitored very closely. He had to stay longer 'cuz here in this part of the world, he was considered premature. I had a wonderful OB (well I had a midwife, but she could not do my delivery 'cuz Neptune was premature) that wouldn't release me from the hospital until Neptune was released. And for that I am eternally grateful. At three days old Neptune had his tongue snipped. He was born tongue tied. At one week old he had his first ear infection. From then on he had 'on average' one ear infection a month. He was tested at 11 mo old. He was almost totally deaf from the infections and fluid in his ears. They put tubes in three weeks before his first birthday. Five days later he started walking. Two weeks or so after his tubes were put in he had another ear infection. Since then (January of '08) he has had 5-6 ear infections. With tubes. He just had another one about 12 days ago. I took him back to the ENT today and they are going to take his adenoids out. Mercury had his adenoids out last November ('07). He had chronic adenoid infections. He was on an antibiotic every other month or so in the winter since birth. In the past year since his surgery, he's been on one antibiotic. It's been amazing! So yes, I am a little bummed my baby has to go through another surgery, but I am so very hopeful that this one will correct the ear infections. I feel so bad for that poor kid. His ears have been infected almost as much as they have not been infected during his almost two years of life. He's very sensitive about people touching his ears. I really pray this fixes things for him.

The ENT wanted to wait until his next ear infection and then schedule the surgery. But as we talked, he realized what a help it had been to Mercury to have this surgery and with Neptune's past, it was bound to happen at some time. So he let me just go ahead and schedule it. He had wanted to give me time to get used to the idea of my 'baby' needing to go under the knife again. But once he realized I knew it was coming and was as o.k. with it as I was going to be, there was no need to put it off. So next Friday (the 19th) is the big day.

And us, well Mercury started us off in October of '07 with the first of our family's surgeries. Since that one, this next surgery will put us at...6 surgeryies in just over a years time! But I'm glad to get this one in before my outpatient co-pay goes up next month!

The Terrible Two's

I have a toddler for sale. Heck, you can have him for free!

I did survive the terrible two's once already. I'm sure I did 'cuz I'm still here and so is Mercury. I'm afraid I'm not going to fare so well this time around though.

Neptune has hit them full force. And he doesn't turn two until next month! It hardly seems fair I have to deal with this now. He went from super lovable, good natured baby to tyrant over night. I had no warning. I kept waiting for it to wear off. And it's not. Which leaves me with only one conclusion. We are in the deep, dark, stinking hole of the terrible twos. Hey, at least I appreciate Mercury much more now. His temper tantrums seem like a fly buzzing around my head compared to the hammer bashing my toe every 3 1/2 minutes of the day, that Neptune's feel like.
He hits, with a fist. Not an open hand. Where did he learn that? He pulls my hair. He bites any exposed flesh he can find. And there have been a few times when I have turned my back on him he's ran up and bit a butt cheek (love that he's tall enough to grab that part of me and bite). Now if that isn't lovely in public! Remind me, just how long does it take for them to grow outta this phase? 'Cuz I don't think I can make it much longer.

Please, send alcohol and chocolate. For me. Not the kid. Thanks.

What Makes You YOU?

What Makes Me ME?

1. I am not very patient

2. I like to know what' going on. I'm a planner

3. My husband is not. We fight about it constantly.

4. When I find a pair of pant I like, I will wear them until the last piece of thread falls off them.

5. My children are my life

6. My children drive me absolutely batty

7. I LOVE homemade hot cocoa. It's the best stuff on earth.

8. I am a baby when my throat hurts.

9. I require a nap almost every day. It may be only 20 min. But I need it.

10. I would walk through fire for my family and my friends. You mess with them, you mess with me.

11. My favorite season is Christmas.

12. I like being outdoors much more now than I ever did as a kid.

13. I can lose myself in a book and am sad when it's over. It's like my best friend just left.

14. I love animals. Especially horses. But I've never owned a horse.

15. Italian food is the best. Pasta is my comfort food.

16. I love to cry at movies/books/ t.v. commercials

17. Coffee is a drug to me. And I am addicted.

18. I hate being cooped up in the house for too long

19. I'm a very social loner. lol

20. I love my make-up

Bye-Bye Menopause

For the time being at least. Not that I didn't love the hot flashes and sleepless nights. But I'm ready to get back to my life. A life that still excludes Aunt Flo for the time being though! Woohoo. How great is that? No hot flashes and no Aunt Flo.

Yep I saw the dr again today. I'm done with Lupron. Been on it for six months. Can't do any more. So I'm coming outta my lovely state of medically induced menopause. But the dr still doesn't want me to have a period for another six months. So I get to take continuous birth control for six months. Woohoo! He did give me the option of removing all my womanly parts. But at 28, I'm not ready for that. Yes, Jupiter is fixed and we are not having any more kids. But still...I'm not ready for there to be no chance what so ever. So for now we do birth control. After my six months is up, I have to go back to letting Aunt Flo visit me three to four times a year. Oh the horror! lol

Grasping

Why is it that Christmastime doesn't seem nearly as magical now as it did when we were kids? I'm very excited for Christmas morning, but I'm more excited about the days leading up to Christmas. I want my boys to learn about what I feel Christmas is really about. I want them learn to enjoy the season, the shopping and giving to others, and I want them to feel peace. Do you think that's too much for a 4-yr old and a 1-yr old to grasp? Probably. 'Cuz I feel like I'm grasping at straws here. Mercury and I curl up on the couch with hot cocoa almost every night and watch a Christmas special on t.v. I love the time with just him. This is my favorite time of year. I just hope I can teach them to love it for the same reasons I do.