6.27.2011

Can I really have a 9 year old?!














It seems like yesterday that my oldest was born and here she is turning 9! I've joked that were half way to adulthood... And that just makes it all the more crazy! Im still trying to figure out when I became old enough to have a 9 year old?! Ha! She and Ava's birthdays are only 2 weeks apart so the beginning of our summer is spent partying!! Caitlin had a tie dye party this year... We had friends over and they tie dyed t-shirts, made sand art, busted a pinata, ate pizza, and made some groovy bracelets! It was a super fun evening and I think all the girls really had a great time. I had never made tie dyed anything so I was pleased the next day when I washed my girls tees and see that they had turned out supper cute! Here are some pictures of Caitlin's tie dyed party including the invitations that I made... Which I love, love, LOVED! Super cute!

My baby is 3!

The more children we have the faster time goes by! Memorial Day this year was also Ava Maxine's 3rd birthday... 3? Already? She has been such a wonderful addition to our family... She is our little comedian! She has her Daddy and I's sense of humor for sure. I can't imagine life without her! We had a bunch of family friends and their kiddos over for her birthday and grilled hot dogs and rented a bouncy house. It was the perfect birthday party for our little princess!















Father's Day!

Generally for Father's Day I help the girls make homemade cards, but this year I wanted to do something a little different... So I decided to put together a Father's Day book! Complete with each girls hand prints and a letter from each girl about what they enjoy doing with their Daddy. I added a poem that I wrote and was SUPER thrilled with the way it turned out!





6.25.2011

Gall Bladder Surgery

So yesterday was the big day... Bye bye gall bladder! It was an out patient surgery and I didn't have to be at the surgery center until noon... By which time I was STARVING! Upon arrival at the center I checked in and then a nurse took me back to get me prepped for surgery. She gave me a hospital gown, booties and a hair net and told me to strip down to my birthday suit. After changing and hopping into the hospital bed she brought me warm blankets and started my IV and monitors. Then hubby was allowed to come back and sit with me until go time. The anesthesiologist came and talked to us and told us what to expect. Then it was surgery time. Hubby was sent back to the waiting room. I was given a medicine to ease the nerves and then wheeled back to the operating room. I don't remember much after that. They put a mask on me and I was down for the count. I awoke in recovery with a nurse at my side to aid in my pain control... It HURT! After my pain was in check I was put into a rolling chair and wheeled to a different recovery room where my hubby was brought to. The nurse brought me a diet coke, some saltine crackers and a hydrocodone. Yay for pain meds! We weren't in recovery too long before I was told I could get dressed and leave! I was sorta shocked at how fast they discharged me.... Then again it was 3 o'clock and a Friday! We went and picked the girls up from a friends house... Who was so gracious to watch our kiddos twice this week during my endoscopy and then again for surgery. From there we headed home and I got settled in while the hubby went to get my pain med Rx filled. I was really starving by now... since I hadn't eaten since the night before but every time I tried to eat it made me nauseous! I drank lots of water... I guess from the anesthesia it made me really thirsty... I couldn't get enough. I took my pain medicine when it was time and I tried to walk to get rid of the gas they fill you with. It wasn't working... I was in SO much pain... All I could do was cry. Finally hubby called the doctor and I called my mom... Its amazing I'm 30 years old and have 3 babies of my own but when I am in pain or really sick... I still want my Momma! The doctor said the pain was from the gas build up... The excruciating part of my pain wasn't "normal" per say... But that is what was causing it. My doctor told my hubby to wait and hour and then to take 2 more pain pills. I curled up into a ball (which seemed to be the most comfortable position) and waited. After being able to belch some of the gas out and take more meds I finally started to feel slightly better... and I do mean slightly! I knew when I set up my surgery that the hubby would be working this weekend (yes... stupid on my part) but I thought no big deal... The doctor and everyone I knew who had had the surgery made it seem like no big deal... Let me tell you... Its a BIG deal! I've had 3 babies and this pain didn't compare to labor at all! Hubby went off to bed and I tried to get comfortable and watch TV. After the second set of pain meds I got sick. Then I was starving...Again! So I made soup and praise the Lord I was able to keep it down. I went to bed at about 11 and woke up every hour in pain. When the hubby got up for work at 330 I wasn't able to go back to sleep... So I got up. Here it is 6 am 15 hours post op and I defiantly feel like I've had surgery! Lesson learned... No matter how "small" your told something will be... Prepare for it not to be. I thought because everyone kept saying how much better Id feel when it was out, how it was out patient surgery, there would only be one incision through my belly button... That it wouldn't be a "big" deal... And maybe for some people its not, for me it has been a HUGE deal and Ive been through the ringer so far... Hopefully as the weekend progresses it will be less painful and the feeling better part will start!

6.23.2011

Cades Cove

The family and I went for a drive through Cades Cove a few weeks back to see the synchronizing fireflies. Here are a few picts I took...












Bye Bye Gall Bladder...

Today I met with the general surgeon and my gall bladder removal surgery was set for.... TOMORROW!  He asked me when I wanted to have it done and I just said ASAP (thinking it would be a week or so!). So tomorrow we will head to the surgery center (out patient) and they will remove my gall bladder through my belly button! How cool is that?! Im ready! Im SO over the problems this booger is causing me or at least I hope thats whats causing all of this! We shall see!

6.22.2011

Endoscopy

So yesterday I had my endoscopy and walked away with pretty pictures of my insides! Im telling you even my sonogram picts weren't this detailed! Anyways... Endoscopy's not so bad MUCH better than the HIDA scan.... Ugh! Really no big deal. I walked into my gastro docs office and checked in. They have a "procedures" building attached to the doctors office. Once I was taken back to the procedures part I was asked to change into a hospital gown and was able to leave my pants and shoes on. An IV was started, and monitors placed onto my finger (I hate that thing!).  I was asked a gazillion health questions and then asked the same questions again by the anesthesiologist. He explained he would give me some medication that would make me sleepy and then Id take a nap! Yay for naps!! He informed me that once he started the medication it would only take 10 to 15 seconds for it to take effect. Boy was he right! I was out for the count! A bite guard, which had a hole for the camera tube to pass through was placed in my mouth. The procedure was done (I was COMPLETELY out and remember nothing about the actual procedure). I woke up in a recovery room. My throat wasn't sore, nothing hurt... It was completely pain free except for the poke for the IV.  After I was awake and they removed my IV and monitors they retrieved the hubby and he was able to come back to the recovery room with me. They brought a wheel chair in for me to sit in and we waited for the doc to come in and talk to us. Doc showed and explained the picts to us and said my stomach looks good! No offense to the medical community but I told you so! Gastro doc has referred me to the general surgeon who I go see for a consultation in the morning. Gall bladder has got to go! Hope that solves the issues I am having...  We shall see!

6.17.2011

Day Camp with a side of VBS













It all started last Wednesday... The big girls started day camp through our church. I signed up to teach a class with my friend...We ended up with 1st grade boys.. Mind you I have 3 girls and know NOTHING about boys... BUT I sure learned A LOT about 'em! LOL! We had a great group of kids and I think they all had a great time! We met at the church each morning and bussed them out to a "farm" with hiking trails, a creek, lake, pavilion, REAL potty's (YAY!), and a screened in porch kitchen! It was beautiful! The kids learned all about God's Creation and we studied Genesis. Our memory verse for the week came from Psalms....

"This is the day that the Lord has made, I will REJOICE and be GLAD in it!" Psalms 118:24