Rainy Friday Daybook

Outside my window … pouring rain. I knew this unseasonably-warm, sunny weather would change. It reminds me that I need to enjoy each moment because life, like the weather, can change so quickly.

I am thinking … that I am finally tired of eating Halloween candy. I am in the mood for baking today.

I am thankful for … modern medicine and that my croupy baby slept a little better last night thanks to some oral steroids.

I am reading … At Some Disputed Barricade by Anne Perry (one of my absolute favorite authors and a book I have had for almost a year now waiting to be read).

I am hoping … that Russell on Survivor actually wins the whole thing. I was anti-Russell in the beginning, but I have to admire that guy now - one of the best players in Survivor history.

On my mind … that Advent is fast-approaching. Shawn and I agree that we want a peaceful, joyful Advent season. No frenetic shopping, running around, or other general chaos.

We’re learning … subtraction patterns (Jamie), how to write our name (Clare), counting past 25 (Simon), and pulling up and cruising (Violet).

Noticing that … my house is getting neater and neater every day!

Pondering these words … "If God can work through me, He can work through anyone." --St. Francis of Assisi

From the kitchen … as I said, I am in the mood for baking. I am thinking banana bread and pumpkin muffins today.

Around the house … we're clearing out space for furniture. My dad is bringing us my old childhood bedroom furniture next weekend. It will eventually be in the girls' room, but we need some space for it!

One of my favorite things … my Keurig.

A picture I am sharing …

A Daybook

I read about this idea on a blog I follow and loved it. I love having my Clare's Journey blog, but I don't have the time anymore to be as faithful as I used to be. (Geez, why would that be?) So this is an easy way for me to stay connected and keep on recording moments of our life as it whirls around us. I am going to try to do this at least once a week.

Outside my window … it's a gorgeous, sunny, crisp November day. I have not set foot outside this house for an entire week now due to recovering from my kidney surgery. I am looking forward to joining my sister Christina (who with her baby Casey has been helping out around here for a few days) on the afternoon school pick-up rounds.

I am thinking … how blessed I am to have this incredible support system around me who love me, Shawn, and our children so much that they will drop their lives for a couple days to pick up ours.

I am thankful for … a hard-working, family-devoted husband who got up at the crack of dawn this morning to fly to Philadelphia for the day, but arranged his flights so he would be home in time to put the kids to bed.

I am reading … The Virgin Queen's Daughter by Ella March Chase. I love my historical fiction (especially of the Tudor period).

I am hoping … there is some way I can finish my Christmas shopping before Thanksgiving. Nine days left.

On my mind … all those children with Williams syndrome who are currently fighting for their lives.

We’re learning … that the family can survive without Mommy being on her toes for a while, although it does put a crimp in the laundry schedule.

Noticing that … I will never be a bikini model. Unless it's Frankenstein's bikini model. Why did they have to put one of my incisions right through my belly button?

Pondering these words … “I know God will not give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish that He didn’t trust me so much.” — Blessed Mother Teresa

From the kitchen … my deep freezer is stocked with all sorts of delectable dishes to get us through the next couple of weeks without having to cook.

Around the house … oh my goodness, it is a mess! But I am so grateful for Shawn, Diane, Leslie, and Christina who have kept it together for me!

One of my favorite things … listening to Clare and Simon play quietly downstairs, their imaginations running wild.

A picture I am sharing …

Good Medical News All Around

* We were finally able to get Clare vaccinated against H1N1.

* We potentially have already had H1N1 in our house, and everyone survived with a lot of sleep and a lot of Tylenol. ("Potentially" because no one was tested, so it's not definite, which is why we went ahead and still had Clare receive the vaccination.) Jamie got the brunt of it with almost every symptom and was out for four days. Simon, Clare, and Violet had fevers, sore throats, and general crankiness and fatigue for about two days.

* We received the results of Clare's lung scan, which showed lung output at 45-55. Almost perfect and better than her scan 18 months ago! Which means she is not headed into the cath lab anytime soon and will follow-up with the cardiologist with another echocardiogram and EKG in six months.

Blast From the Past

I found this old photo of my little sister Christina and I from one of our All Saints parties as kids. I have no idea who we are supposed to be (maybe Mom can help?), but I am pretty sure whichever saint I was did not really have those lovely dangly earrings and humongous glasses, however stylish they may be!

A Prayer For All

The kids received a new prayer book that has a prayer for just about anything you can think of. We chose one for cousins tonight since they are seeing all their cousins this weekend, and they are so excited for Jasmine, Alex, and Casey to come to our house. I should have scanned the prayer before reading it:

"Dear God, we like our cousins.
When they come to stay,
We talk and laugh and run and jump
And play.

Then we have an argument,
We shout and yell and fight.
We want them to go home again
That night.

But when they're gone we're sorry,
Although they are a pain,
We miss them and we cannot wait till they come
Back again!"


What kind of prayer is that?!? Is it wrong to throw a book of prayers away??

Insomnia

It's one of those nights that even though I've been going all day, I still can't seem to fall asleep. Maybe a blog post will wipe me out...

We missed fall this year. Some rain, a few nice days, and now the temperatures are freezing. I sent both Jamie and Clare to school in their windbreakers with sweatshirts underneath in 40 degree weather because I hadn't hauled their winter jackets out of storage yet. Then we had snow yesterday. It didn't stick, but snow a couple weeks before Halloween is not allowed! Plus Shawn was away on business for three weeks. So we've been cramming in our outdoor fall decorating (hay bales and mums), pumpkin picking and carving, and putting together Halloween and All Saints Day costumes into a few short days instead of stretching it out over the month. Although Shawn missed out, my mom and I did take the kids apple picking with friends. They had a blast (even though it was freezing - apple picking in winter hats and gloves?!?). The orchard had every variety of apple you could think of, a play area for the kids, balloon man, and a wagon ride. With our friends, we had a total of nine children who naturally commandeered the wagon ride. They sang songs all the way out to the orchards and were pretty darn cute! So at least I've been able to do a little of my fall baking and cooking. Today was homemade applesauce. It was amazingly simple and delicious! Tomorrow I am aiming for pumpkin bread and apple gingerbread. I don't know what I love more - baking it or eating it.

Clare has her lung scan this week. Our local hospital agreed to do it unsedated, so that saves us a trip to Boston. Clare needs an IV in place to undergo the scan, though, so the hospital wants us to report to pediatrics 90 minutes before the scan for the IV placement. I hope they are just being ultra-conservative and don't want to chance being late for Nuclear Medicine. I really hate to think that it's going to take an hour and a half to insert the IV. Since it is looking like this is going to be at least a 2-3 hour appointment now, Shawn is going to take Clare alone. I can't remember if the lung scan results are immediate or not. My bet is that we will have to wait for the cardiologist to give us the news. Whether Clare goes into the cath lab or not rides on this scan.

I posted a long time ago about me personally having some kidney issues. I am not a fan of talking about myself, but I am undergoing kidney surgery next month. I am a tad nervous about the general anesthesia (only had an epidural with my emergency C-section with Violet) and the surgery and recovery itself (I have been told it will not be as bad as my C-section recovery, though). I am super nervous about Life At Home Without Mommy for 2+ Days, especially for Violet. I have been pumping and storing milk since I found out about the surgery, but finding the time to pump with four young children while almost exclusively nursing a 9-month old does not equal gallons of milk in my freezer. I know we will all survive my hospital stay (which will at least be two days if all goes well), but I still get a pit in my stomach thinking about it.

And if I don't go to bed, the kids will be greeted by Zombie Mommy in the morning...

Cheeks

I love that this baby is all cheeks!