I battled a cold all last week.
And I don't get colds.
I have a runny nose or days where I have a little cough, but saying you have a cold is like admitting defeat. Victory to Rhinovirus.
But I woke up last Saturday morning around 3am because I was so stopped up I couldn't breath. I got up to blow my nose, and I noticed my throat was on fire. When I came back to bed, Shawn asked me if everything was okay, and I grudgingly admitted, "I think I'm getting sick."
And that was all it took. That one little admission of weakness was all that nasty little bug needed to take it and run. Luckily, Monday was my day off, so I was able to rest a little but I seriously considered calling in to work on Tuesday.
For a cold.
In the past, my general rule has been, "Unless you're puking, you should be able to work." Because that was always Mom's rule.
"Mom, I think I'm sick. I probably shouldn't go to school today."
"Did you throw up?"
"No."
"Then you're not sick. Go get ready for school."
But Tuesday morning I woke up and felt like my head was in a vice and someone had cut off my air supply. After a hot shower and a lot of drugs, I was able to drag my sorry self out the door and go to work where I proceeded to use every last drop of hand sanitizer in the pharmacy throughout the day.
Fast forward to Thursday. That morning I finally woke up feeling a little better, and I didn't take the Afrin to work with me. Most of the day went fine, but late in the afternoon, I started to feel congested again By the time I got home, I had a rockin' sinus headache. I guess I drove home tensed up, because by the time I pulled into the garage, my neck and shoulders were aching.
Shawn was finishing supper, and he suggested that I take a Zanaflex (a muscle relaxer he had left over from some time ago) while he wrapped everything up.
"I'll only take half so I won't get sleepy."
Five minutes into dinner, I marvelled at how good I felt. "Man, that Zanaflex is good stuff! My headache is totally gone."
Fifteen minutes into dinner, Shawn had to wake me up to keep me from falling into my plate.
After we ate, I picked Sam up and said, "C'mon Tham. Let's go bake a tath."
Shawn looked at me skeptically and offered to take care of the bath that night.
"Don't be thilly. I've got it under control."
I put Sam in the tub and sat down beside it to let him play for a few minutes. I quickly realized that I was going to need some company. I called Shawn to come into the bathroom and talk to me so I wouldn't be tempted to fall asleep while Sam was in the tub.
Now here's the irony in this story. I reported a few days ago that I've been keep an eye on my blood pressure since going off of my medication. It has been lingering in the 130's/80's...just a little bit higher than what we'd like to see. That night, it was 111/72....textbook.
So if I could just walk around in a perpetual state of buzz, we could keep it completely under control.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
This Post Started Out Differently
Several days ago, I started a post out like this:
And then, yesterday afternoon I got a text that made me go back and delete almost the entire thing.
My friend Steve sent me an update on his daughter. Many of you know and have been praying for Allison's situation. A couple of weeks ago, Allison started having some symptoms that caused her medical team to worry. She was vomiting so much she passed out and had to be given IV fluids. They moved her regularly scheduled MRI up a couple of weeks to assess the problem. Out of respect for their privacy, I don't want to say specifically what the results show here on the internet for all to read, but they are not good.
Friends, I know nothing of stress. Stress is sitting in a doctor's office waiting for test results and fearing the worst.
I know nothing of worry. Worry is looking into your daughter's eyes and wondering if you'll get to spend another Christmas with her.
I know nothing of anxiety. Anxiety is knowing that in the middle of a crisis where you want to spend every waking second with your daughter, you still have bills that have to be paid. So you get up and leave her and go to work and hurry home in the evening hoping that she'll feel good enough to sit up with you for a while.
I know nothing of uncertainty. Uncertainty is wondering how you balance faith in God and praying that He'll heal your little girl but knowing that His plan might not be what you want.
Shame on me.
Please pray for my friends Steve, Crystal and Allison. They could use a little peace right now.
I didn't make any New Year's resolutions this year. It wasn't so much a conscious decision...I just didn't get around to it. I listen to KLOVE quite a bit, especially in the mornings, and they have been talking about finding one word that you want to define your 2011. I haven't really given this much thought, either, but whenever they're talking about it, my mind does tend to gravitate toward thinking about how I want to improve myself this year. For some reason, whenever I ponder on this, the word that always seems to float to the forefront of my mind is "peace."I was having trouble saying exactly what I wanted to say. Every couple of days, I would come back to the post, edit a few things out, add a few things in and change some things around, but I still just couldn't convey my thoughts appropriately. The post talked about how stressed I always seem to be. How I worry needlessly. How Shawn continually tries to make my life easier but I always seem to be one step behind and five minutes late. I talked about how I am always thinking about things that never get done, projects that won't get completed, visits that never come to pass.
One definition of peace is "a state of tranquility or serenity." That sounds so inviting.
And then, yesterday afternoon I got a text that made me go back and delete almost the entire thing.
My friend Steve sent me an update on his daughter. Many of you know and have been praying for Allison's situation. A couple of weeks ago, Allison started having some symptoms that caused her medical team to worry. She was vomiting so much she passed out and had to be given IV fluids. They moved her regularly scheduled MRI up a couple of weeks to assess the problem. Out of respect for their privacy, I don't want to say specifically what the results show here on the internet for all to read, but they are not good.
Friends, I know nothing of stress. Stress is sitting in a doctor's office waiting for test results and fearing the worst.
I know nothing of worry. Worry is looking into your daughter's eyes and wondering if you'll get to spend another Christmas with her.
I know nothing of anxiety. Anxiety is knowing that in the middle of a crisis where you want to spend every waking second with your daughter, you still have bills that have to be paid. So you get up and leave her and go to work and hurry home in the evening hoping that she'll feel good enough to sit up with you for a while.
I know nothing of uncertainty. Uncertainty is wondering how you balance faith in God and praying that He'll heal your little girl but knowing that His plan might not be what you want.
Shame on me.
Please pray for my friends Steve, Crystal and Allison. They could use a little peace right now.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
The Other Two People
Once upon a time, I started a blog. I did it so our family & friends who live far away could still keep in touch and know what was going on in our lives because I'm terrible at making phone calls.
And returning phone calls.
Sometimes I text, but I'm not making any promises there, either.
Anyway, I didn't want to live in our own little isolated world, so I started this online journal of sorts so anyone who cared could pull it up and know what we were up to. (I also secretly dream about someday becoming a famous blogger and quitting my pharmacy job, but so far that hasn't happened...)
But somewhere along the way this blog became all about Sam. Actually it wasn't somewhere along the way...I'm pretty sure it happened on April 19, 2010 at about 9:46pm.
Now, I haven't heard any complaints. I'm sure anyone who reads this is probably far more interested in hearing about Sam than about us (and frankly, I like talking about him more than about myself). But there are two other people who live in our house, and I've kinda neglected to give an update on them in a while. So here goes:
You may remember that I have had blood pressures issues since Sam was born, and I have been taking medicine to keep it under control since then. This was a hard pill for me to swallow (no pun intented) since (1) I had never had problems with my blood pressure in the past...it was a bit of a pride thing (2) I didn't have problems with my blood pressure while I was pregnant...just during labor and (3) even the medicine was only keeping it marginally controlled. My OB tried a variety of drug combinations immediately after Sam was born, and then when I transitioned the care to my family doctor we tried a few more. I have wondered if my blood pressure would ever return to normal and had actually accepted that I would just take medicine for it for the rest of my life. However, at my last check-up, things were looking better and we decided to do a trial off of meds! Hurray! I have been keeping a close eye on it (with gentle reminders from Shawn) and it's lingering a little higher than what I'd like but not high enough to really warrant treatment. I'm hopeful that it will keep creeping down over the next few weeks.
Which is an excellent transition to my next topic: Shawn and I signed up for Weight Watchers this week. We have both been guilty of holding on to a pound here and a pound there, and we're not really liking what we see in the mirror these days. We had tried to just watch what we were eating, but I think a couple of Type A's like us need a plan. Say what you will about weight loss plans, but Weight Watchers works, people. I was a little reluctant to actually pay money to do a program when I already know what I need to do (calories out need to exceed calories in...not that complicated). Maybe by paying for it, though, I'll be more likely to stick to it. Isn't it funny how it always comes back to our pocketbook? I'm not sure that either of us has an actual goal weight in mind, we just want to be healthy. We have an extra-special reason to stick around for a while. I mean, if having a kid is this much fun, just think how much we'll enjoy grandkids!
And returning phone calls.
Sometimes I text, but I'm not making any promises there, either.
Anyway, I didn't want to live in our own little isolated world, so I started this online journal of sorts so anyone who cared could pull it up and know what we were up to. (I also secretly dream about someday becoming a famous blogger and quitting my pharmacy job, but so far that hasn't happened...)
But somewhere along the way this blog became all about Sam. Actually it wasn't somewhere along the way...I'm pretty sure it happened on April 19, 2010 at about 9:46pm.
Now, I haven't heard any complaints. I'm sure anyone who reads this is probably far more interested in hearing about Sam than about us (and frankly, I like talking about him more than about myself). But there are two other people who live in our house, and I've kinda neglected to give an update on them in a while. So here goes:
You may remember that I have had blood pressures issues since Sam was born, and I have been taking medicine to keep it under control since then. This was a hard pill for me to swallow (no pun intented) since (1) I had never had problems with my blood pressure in the past...it was a bit of a pride thing (2) I didn't have problems with my blood pressure while I was pregnant...just during labor and (3) even the medicine was only keeping it marginally controlled. My OB tried a variety of drug combinations immediately after Sam was born, and then when I transitioned the care to my family doctor we tried a few more. I have wondered if my blood pressure would ever return to normal and had actually accepted that I would just take medicine for it for the rest of my life. However, at my last check-up, things were looking better and we decided to do a trial off of meds! Hurray! I have been keeping a close eye on it (with gentle reminders from Shawn) and it's lingering a little higher than what I'd like but not high enough to really warrant treatment. I'm hopeful that it will keep creeping down over the next few weeks.
Which is an excellent transition to my next topic: Shawn and I signed up for Weight Watchers this week. We have both been guilty of holding on to a pound here and a pound there, and we're not really liking what we see in the mirror these days. We had tried to just watch what we were eating, but I think a couple of Type A's like us need a plan. Say what you will about weight loss plans, but Weight Watchers works, people. I was a little reluctant to actually pay money to do a program when I already know what I need to do (calories out need to exceed calories in...not that complicated). Maybe by paying for it, though, I'll be more likely to stick to it. Isn't it funny how it always comes back to our pocketbook? I'm not sure that either of us has an actual goal weight in mind, we just want to be healthy. We have an extra-special reason to stick around for a while. I mean, if having a kid is this much fun, just think how much we'll enjoy grandkids!
Our new clinic at work is almost finished. When my company originally got the grant to open a new clinic, one stipulation was that it had to be up and running in 60 days. Um...okay. So the powers that be just found some available space in an office building, got us going and started looking for land to build a new clinic. Since opening, my coworker and I have been dancing around each other in what is quite possibly one of the world's smallest pharmacies. Long story short, we're looking at moving into our new building in April. Now, normally I avoid mentioning work on my blog. People get fired for such things. (And until that whole professional blogger thing falls into place, I need this job.) I'm bringing this up now because I am expecting the next couple of months to be just a wee bit hectic at work...which means I will probably be just the tiniest bit scatter-brained. I know...hard to believe, right? So please be patient and kind.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Dear Sam,
I'm just going to have to stop blinking because every time I do, you age another month. I'm sitting here trying to remember all of the new things you've learned, the funny things you've done, the little Sam-isms that are starting to emerge, and my mind is spinning. Wasn't it just yesterday that I walked into the doctor's office and with a dazed look told the receptionist that I thought my water broke? You are growing and changing so fast I'm finding it hard to keep up.
You're starting to mimic us now. It's so funny to see what you latch onto. The things that we try to get you to repeat, you're not interested in. But then you'll randomly pick up something that we do, and you're so proud of yourself when you do it too. A couple of weeks ago, Daddy had a cold and he coughed almost nonstop. For some reason, you thought it was hilarious, and you were pretty sure he was doing it solely for your entertainment. Now if someone so much as clears their throat around you, you will usually give a little cough then follow it up with a big, cheesy grin.
You're also talking all the time now. You're favorite word is "Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo." We've repeated "mama" and "dada" until we're blue in the face, but those just aren't words you want to say right now. When you're feeling really fancy, you'll say "blah, blah, blah" then usually follow it up with a long and messy, "Thhhhhhhbbbbbbbbbbbb." Again, when you finish your little speech, you always look around like you're waiting for the applause to begin. I love watching you when you're in the middle of your little soliloquies. You clasp your hands together and furrow your eyebrows like you're concentrating on getting the words just right.
You are so close to crawling! I thought for several days that you were about to figure out how to just scoot on your bottom, but now you're back to trying to put your hands down and get your knees under you. We've been trying to entice you by putting your favorite toys just out of your reach, but you usually just entertain yourself with your feet or your hands if you don't have any toys. So I tried a new strategy. We put a few of your guilty pleasures just out of your reach: my cell phone and the TV remote. You stretched as far as you could to get them, and then when you couldn't reach them you looked at me with the most hurt look and started to cry. Good job, Mom.
Your 4th tooth just started to pop through yesterday. We have been able to see a little white spot there for several days, but yesterday was the first day I actually felt something sharp there. This tooth doesn't seem to have been as traumatic as the others. We have, thankfully, avoided the runny nose & fussiness that seem to have accompanied the other three. I'm hoping now that you're an old pro at this teething thing, maybe the rest will be all downhill.
You are also EXTREMELY ticklish! It has become one of our favorite games. Daddy or I will hold our hands out in front of you while we're looking for your most vulnerable spot. You know what's coming and you usually can't even contain the giggles until the tickling starts. As soon as you see the hands looming above, you burst into a laugh-so-hard-you-can't-catch-your-breath fit.
It's amazing to me how proud I am of you. I mean, I always knew we would have the cutest and the smartest kid, but I completely underestimated just how cute and how smart you would be. I can be in the middle of a completely terrible day, but someone asks me about you and I immediately break out into yet another story about you. "Guess what Sam did last night? He ate green beans! I've never seen a child eat green beans the way he does." While I'm sure everyone at work is probably tired of hearing every tiny little detail of your life, they are at least kind enough to smile and endure my stories.
Sam, one of my favorite things about you is that you're teaching me so much. You're showing me how to chill out and just enjoy the messiness of life. You're teaching me that it doesn't matter if there are dust bunnies running across my floor because there are games to be played and songs to be sung. I'm learning that it really doesn't matter if I snuggle all day with you instead of going to the grocery because you know what? Pizza Hut delivers. Thank you for being such a patient and understanding teacher.
You and your dad are my smile,
Mommy
I'm just going to have to stop blinking because every time I do, you age another month. I'm sitting here trying to remember all of the new things you've learned, the funny things you've done, the little Sam-isms that are starting to emerge, and my mind is spinning. Wasn't it just yesterday that I walked into the doctor's office and with a dazed look told the receptionist that I thought my water broke? You are growing and changing so fast I'm finding it hard to keep up.
You're starting to mimic us now. It's so funny to see what you latch onto. The things that we try to get you to repeat, you're not interested in. But then you'll randomly pick up something that we do, and you're so proud of yourself when you do it too. A couple of weeks ago, Daddy had a cold and he coughed almost nonstop. For some reason, you thought it was hilarious, and you were pretty sure he was doing it solely for your entertainment. Now if someone so much as clears their throat around you, you will usually give a little cough then follow it up with a big, cheesy grin.
You're also talking all the time now. You're favorite word is "Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo." We've repeated "mama" and "dada" until we're blue in the face, but those just aren't words you want to say right now. When you're feeling really fancy, you'll say "blah, blah, blah" then usually follow it up with a long and messy, "Thhhhhhhbbbbbbbbbbbb." Again, when you finish your little speech, you always look around like you're waiting for the applause to begin. I love watching you when you're in the middle of your little soliloquies. You clasp your hands together and furrow your eyebrows like you're concentrating on getting the words just right.
You are so close to crawling! I thought for several days that you were about to figure out how to just scoot on your bottom, but now you're back to trying to put your hands down and get your knees under you. We've been trying to entice you by putting your favorite toys just out of your reach, but you usually just entertain yourself with your feet or your hands if you don't have any toys. So I tried a new strategy. We put a few of your guilty pleasures just out of your reach: my cell phone and the TV remote. You stretched as far as you could to get them, and then when you couldn't reach them you looked at me with the most hurt look and started to cry. Good job, Mom.
Your 4th tooth just started to pop through yesterday. We have been able to see a little white spot there for several days, but yesterday was the first day I actually felt something sharp there. This tooth doesn't seem to have been as traumatic as the others. We have, thankfully, avoided the runny nose & fussiness that seem to have accompanied the other three. I'm hoping now that you're an old pro at this teething thing, maybe the rest will be all downhill.
You are also EXTREMELY ticklish! It has become one of our favorite games. Daddy or I will hold our hands out in front of you while we're looking for your most vulnerable spot. You know what's coming and you usually can't even contain the giggles until the tickling starts. As soon as you see the hands looming above, you burst into a laugh-so-hard-you-can't-catch-your-breath fit.
It's amazing to me how proud I am of you. I mean, I always knew we would have the cutest and the smartest kid, but I completely underestimated just how cute and how smart you would be. I can be in the middle of a completely terrible day, but someone asks me about you and I immediately break out into yet another story about you. "Guess what Sam did last night? He ate green beans! I've never seen a child eat green beans the way he does." While I'm sure everyone at work is probably tired of hearing every tiny little detail of your life, they are at least kind enough to smile and endure my stories.
Sam, one of my favorite things about you is that you're teaching me so much. You're showing me how to chill out and just enjoy the messiness of life. You're teaching me that it doesn't matter if there are dust bunnies running across my floor because there are games to be played and songs to be sung. I'm learning that it really doesn't matter if I snuggle all day with you instead of going to the grocery because you know what? Pizza Hut delivers. Thank you for being such a patient and understanding teacher.
You and your dad are my smile,
Mommy
Monday, January 17, 2011
Something For Sam To Talk About With His Therapist
Could someone please tell me at what point in one's life this becomes unattractive?
I mean, look at those little rolls! How could you look at that and not swoon?
And the cellulite! Have you ever seen prettier cellulite?!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
Sam's New Friend
Sam has a new friend. He loves to play with him. I can't blame him. His new friend has lots of nice qualities.
He's very handsome.
And he's an excellent conversationalist.
He's even a pretty good dancer.
He has a fantastic sense of humor. Everything he does is funny!
He REALLY loves his new friend.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Phase III...Christmas In The Hills
Our final trek of Christmas 2010 ended with a trip to visit our Appalachian relatives. We spent New Year's weekend in the mountains and came home in a toy-laden SUV.
Sidebar: I listened to a little dog sing & bark ALL THE WAY HOME only to realize about 10 minutes after we got out of the car that you could TURN THE STUPID THING OFF !!!!
Ahem.
Lesson learned: always check infant & toddler toys for the "off" switch before packing them for travel.
Sam got to play with his cousin Kaylee on New Year's Eve. She was very excited about ringing in the new year, and she even wore her party tutu.
I promise we weren't torturing the children just before this picture. Their faces just look like we were.
Sam's great grandparents got him this cool little riding toy, and Kaylee was kind enough to push him all over the house in it.
Another sidebar: while eating out one night this week, Sam was playing with said remote control, and I reached over to turn the sound off (remember the dog lesson?) because I was afraid it might be disturbing some of the other diners. Just a guess, but the remote control was probably far less distracting than my son SCREAMING because Elmo was no longer talking to him.
Lesson learned: pick your battles.
Other lesson learned: children have their parents' faults...including their mom's dad's temper.
Lesson learned: traveling is hard on little guys. Build in extra time for longer naps so visits are fun.
We stayed one night with Sam's cousin Sadie. This was only the second time we were able to get them together, and it was really fun watching them play. (P.S. Check out Sam's Rocky shirt, courtesy of Daddy. Shawn was so proud.)
These next pictures are shots from the Minnie Mouse Encounter. Sadie had this little Minnie Mouse that Sam just latched onto as soon as we got there. Sadie is into the whole sharing thing, but Sam...not so much. So they had this whole back and forth going. Sam would be happily chewing on Minnie's nose, and Sadie would reach over and take her away and say, "EEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeee!" To which Sam would reply with an equally high-pitched, "EEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeee!" and take Minnie back. This whole exchange happened about 6 times before they finally realized that all of the adults in the room were laughing at them. The good thing is that there were no tears shed during their game. They both seemed pretty happy with just taking the toy and screaming.
Sam has Minnie. Sadie is sounding her battle cry.
She makes her move!
But Sam emerged the victor...this time. I have a feeling there will be a few more of these little skirmishes in their future.
So that wraps up our Christmas adventure(s). I love the Christmas season, but I'm always secretly a little glad when it's all over and life can return to normal.
And now...BRING ON THE WARM WEATHER, BABY!
Saturday, January 8, 2011
A Rant
By Guest Blogger: Sam King
There is so much to do around here! I am so under-appreciated...they just don't realize how busy I am!!
These doors need to be closed!
I don't know who keeps doing it, but every time I close them, somebody comes along behind me and opens them again!
Is it you? Stop it!
Agh! She did it again! And that's not all....
These buttons ain't gonna push themselves, ya know.
There just aren't enough hours in the day!
Wait...who's that coming in the door?
IT'S DADDY!!! I'll bet he'll fly me like an...NO! Focus!
Note to self...maybe if I eat Mom's camera she'll stop distracting me from my very important work with all of the picture-taking.
And don't even get me started on all of the things that need to be chewed on around here.
Why do I have to do it all?!
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