Inquring Minds Wanted To Know

Why am I blogging through my sickness?

Well, here's why...

EVEN THOUGH....I totally wish I was better, and could very much do without all of this, the silver lining that I have found through it all is that...

...all the stress and overwhelmingness of my normal day, and the "I-have-too-much-to-do-I'm-never-going-to-get-it-done"....has all been gone. I haven't felt any of it. I can't even have, or form, the thoughts. The headache, the fever, the chills just physically won't let me think of them. The only thoughts I can form in my brain is "take medicine, watch Grey's".

It's actually been quite liberating. I haven't felt stressed at all (except for when I'm frustrated when thinking "I can't do this another day").

And on the "too-much-to-do" days, blogging usually is on the top of my list. But then, as the day goes by, it slowly gets moved lower and lower on the priority list.

I actually enjoy blogging. So, when all of that "other" stuff/responsibility is gone, like during this sickness, I have been able to do a tiny bit of blogging. It felt so good to be able to do what I want to do, without the nagging in the back of my brain saying that I am neglecting other more important things. [I also can't just "go to sleep" like some said, cuz I don't sleep. I just lay there...(Alicia, is that correct English? ) Last night I was lying awake from 10:00 p.m. - 4:00 a.m. going through the routine of shakes and sweats. Feel sorry for me yet? hehehe. I sound like such a whiner.]

AND as much as I am begging, praying and looking forward to getting well, I'm not quite looking forward to "those" days again. I liked the liberating days. (And yes, I know, the Tony Robbins in all of us would say...just MAKE those days happen. But realistically we can't have liberating days without any responsibility all the time)

So I promise...I'm going to stop writing about my stupid sickness (even though I'm going to the doctor today because not much has changed and now my heart is starting to skip a lot) and try blogging about my trip. It really was a great time. Does it seem too long ago to blog about it now?

Another Trip to the ER

Didn't I just HAVE a visit to the ER a couple months ago? What is this? Seriously. This is the 3rd visit to the hospital in the last 8 months.

And how come the ERs at regular hospitals are nowhere near similar to the TV show? I'd like it to be more like Grey's Anatomy with hot doctors and nurses, and everyone running around to get stuff done quickly. But no, I get stuck with the old man doctor who is freakishly caressing my skin, and nurses who leave me to die in my bed.

But whatever. Cuz I got Morphine and a whole MAJOR dose of antibiotics (so high that the nurse had to go check if that was what the doctor realy wanted) and Tylenol, Motrin and a prescription for more antibiotics. And at least i'm not shivering so hard I feel like my insides are to going fall out. And at least my head doesn't feel like it's gonna explode.

Can you believe my temperature got up to 104? How scary is that? That must have been why I had such a bad headache. Anyway, I still have a fever but they said it would go down eventually. And it has. I feel much better, even though my eyes still won't focus cuz of the pressure in my head. I just have to lay down and cover my eyes.

They called what I had Pyloric Nephritis. I don't have a specific explanation for it but what the nurse said was that it was like a kidney infection but way worse. A normal bladder infection has 5 White Blood Cells in the urine. I had 30. It was red from having blood in it. Was that too graphic? Sorry. Anyway, they said there was nothing to do from getting it, I just need to catch it the minute I feel it in my kidneys. I've had problems with my kidneys my whole life but I thought they went away 10 years ago. I can only guess they're resurfacing now that I'm over 30.

Thank you to everyone for your nice comments. I never want to be that sick again. I have to go to the doctor's way sooner. I just hate that they aren't open on the weekends.

My Lucky, Yet Bittersweet, Day

The Luck o' the Irish must have been with Brian and I on Friday night. We got a phone call from American Airlines saying that they found our camera. Yay, right?! We were so excited. We were going to pick it up in Tucson tomorrow morning. (**Warning...the next part my be a little graphic so I'm sorry if you're bummed on this post... )


I think, however, MY luck ran out very soon after. Not only did I have a horrible morning setting up a cookie booth for Girl Scouts (story for another time), but the minute we got into the car to drive up there (an hour and a half drive), I started feeling shaky and nauseous. The shakes soon turned into hardcore shivers and I was burning up. Spencer had had a fever earlier but it wasn't that hot so I thought maybe he was just teething. But it turned for the worse for both of us and when I took my temperature, it was 102 degrees!


I had the most horrible trip taking care of my sick baby stuck in a car seat and me not having anywhere to lay down. I ended up taking camp in the uncomfortable back seat with the seat belts jabbing into my already crawling skin. Every muscle in my body felt like it was cramping. I kept thinking, "I can't believe this is what I used to feel like every day with fibromyalgia."

It has to be the flu, with all the symptoms, although I haven't been sure. Mosty because my other symptom wasn't anything to do with the flu...my kidney was hurting too so I was super scared I was doing the kidney stone thing again. I was thinking my fever was from that.

I still don't feel better. I've only thrown up twice (and those know how horrible that is for me since I HATE, despise, throwing up) when I tried taking Percocet for the kidney pain...and my body did want to have anything to do with that. I've been off and on, all night and all day, one minute shaking vigorously with the chills, and then the next, feeling like my skin and insides are on fire.

So! Although I should be so happy about finding our camera, it was a bittersweet drive to get it. I'll be posting soon! Yay! We have pictures. :)

Washington D.C.

WANNA KNOW WHY I HAVEN'T POSTED ABOUT WASHINGTON D.C.?

ask me....

come on...

ask me...

CUZ WE LOST THE DAMN CAMERA TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have like 3 pictures. I'll post those and you can use your imagination for the rest.

No New York pictures though... gotta love our luck...

Amber... you have experience in this area...losing your camera in New York, right? Does it pretty much suck?

(And sorry for the swearing. A well-placed swear word is sometimes needed.)

WE'RE HOME

So, I had great and wonderful expectations of myself to be blogging every day of all that we did and saw on our grand travels. However, between sharing my computer with two little girls who are overly-excited-to-play-dressup-computer-games and online-homeschooling and between a little boy who loves a show called YoGabbaGabba (and Baby Einstein too), to losing my internet for a few days in one of our really-nice-but-horrible-service hotels, I didn't do much blogging at all.

I've also lost my cell phone. My beautiful "iphone-esque" Sprint phone, with a touch screen, email, etc...the works. Gone. (And am I horrible mother if I mention that it was actually my little girls who lost it in the airport cuz they were texting their dad and reading the news cuz they didn't want to be one more minute bored?)

I've taken lots of pictures. So, if y'all still want, I'll be blogging to show the fun stuff we did. However, I decided that what stresses me out about traveling is that I don't give myself enough time beforehand and after to get ready or settle back in. So, I'm taking today off of all outside responsibility and focusing on laundry, groceries, unpacking, etc. Although not the most fun of activities, they will make me feel better once they're done. And it'll probably be a little easier now that the girls are off to Utah to visit their dad! (What jetsetters they are, huh!)

NEW YORK, Finally!

Last Saturday we leisurely packed up and made an hour jaunt to New York. We didn't get there til 1 or 2 p.m. It took forever to get there...every road in New Jersey is a toll road, and then getting through the 6 mile Lincoln Tunnel...a tunnel that goes UNDER, not over, the river to get onto Manhattan Island was traffic the whole way. Not to be a downer, so I'll just be negative this once, but it cost us about $45 just to drive on and off the island and get back home. That was all tolls for the bridges. That didn't even include parking, which by mistake we parked at the parking structure for some 5 star hotel and it was like $55 for 2 hours. Kill me now.

Okay, so now on to how great New York is. You really can't grasp the wonderfulness of it unless you've experienced it. And pictures dont' do it justice (sorry about these upcoming pictures. I'm working from Brian's work computer that doesn't have much in the way of programs for me to fix them.) Even in the "bad parts" of New York, you can't help but just take it all in as a part of a new culture you're figuring out. The girls assimilated really well. By the time we were there for two hours, they already fell in love with it and have made their life plans to live there one day... to be fashion stylists and have two little doggies in a beautiful penthouse apartment. They were enthralled with learning what a 5 star hotel was for the first time and grasping how so many people could live in such a small place. They were in awe over the skyscrapers and the park right in the middle of the island...that was half the length of the whole island.

And even though the weather man said it was going to be in the 50's, the skyscrapers were blocking most of the sun so we were very cold most of the time. Believe me, I made it a point to remind the girls that I told them to bring coats but they refused. (How could I skip an "I Told You So" moment. "Parenting with Love & Logic" made me do it). Anyway, they are FOR SURE going to bring coats this next weekend.

So...because we only wanted to spend a few hours there, we decided to make it a "scope out" trip.

But first! FAO Schwarz. That was a must.

This is FAO Schweetz...heehee... a soldier made out of jelly beans...

The Muppet Display... $150... You design a muppet with stickers and then they literally make you your own Muppet...these are some of the clothes you can pick. Scott! Seriously! Did you see this?

The Ugly Doll

LEGOS

Wow is all I can say about FAO Schwarz. These next pictures are from the "Barbie" and "Doll" Exhibit. SUPER overwhelming. They had everything from "make-your-own-nursery" to Strawberry Shortcake and Raggedy Ann. In the Barbie Exhibit you could actually design your own Barbie. Use a touch screen computer program to plan it out, come back in 15 minutes and the clothes are made, the Barbie is made and you take home your one and only doll. They had a runway section for Barbies, old archived Barbies and big Barbie clothes for the girl...of course to match the Barbie she just made.

Brian SERIOUSLY wants to get some man time and go to the boy's section. What probably did him in was the Tutu Exhibit where the kids could decorate their own tutu starting at $60 and then walk the runway that they had set up...not any old runway...a SERIOUS runway. Looked so professional and everything.

If you didn't know, my sister Nanette introduced my girls to the world of miniatures by finding me a $5,000 miniature house (with EVERYTHING TO GO WITH IT....furniture, electrical fixtures, molding, etc.) for $100 at a garage sale. It's amazing. Well, at FAO Schwarz they had a whole section of miniatures. They loved it. But they quickly moved on when the old man behind the counter turned out to be very crotchety. I had to opine that he lost his miniature store to the competition of a big retailer store like FAO Schwarz and ended up working there. He' s just PISSED to be there.

Big Piano

Yup! The one-and-the-same "Big Piano" that Tom Hanks danced on in the movie, "Big." That was really cool. The girls had such a great time.

That was pretty much the major event of the day. The girls were pretty disappointed that it was so expensive. They have their own money to spend and couldn't believe that they couldnt' buy much with it. I'm sure they hate me that we aren't rich and can't walk out of that store like Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt with tons of bags of toys (who showed them that People magazine story???), but I think I'll go read them a story about the kids starving in Africa or abandoned babies or the hotel kids. hehe. Am I mean?

We did take an hour to drive up Broadway, passed through Times Square, which everyone had their mouths open driving through there, and passed by the tip of the island to see the Statue of Liberty at night. We now have a total plan for this weekend when we spend Saturday and Sunday there.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Little Girls!

So I've been really bad with my Happy Birthday posts. Sorry everyone. But I HAVE to do one for these cute little girls...even if it is belated.

Xoe & Xanthe turned 10 years old on February 4th. Here's a tribute just for them.



How could you not just totally miss these cute little girls who are totally growing up into wonderful little ladies. And I've posted some old pictures of them, because I had a walk down memory lane when my SIL, Johanna, asked me for some old pictures of them to see what they looked like. Wow, it was so weird. It felt like just yesterday (I sound like an old mom now). I can't believe these stages are gone. So, for many of you who knew them back then, you can have a walk down the same lane with me. And for those of you didn't, you can get to know how cute they were back then.

Well, I started to do a post about how... "even though they are twins they're SO different." But as I was writing the different characteristics I couldn't help but realize that they are so similar, but at different times. So, I'm sorry for those of you who think I should give them their own "identity" and stop lumping them together....what I have to say to you is...you don't have twins so butt out! (hehe...) Identical twins are bound to have differences and similarities. Hellooo! Every strand of 365 MILLION strands of their DNA are exactly the same. So ya, they're kinda similar.
Okay, so here are some of their similarities...and they are some of the many things I love about them...


-They are so wild and crazy, as will be attested by how many pictures I found of them being wild and crazy. They're just crazy silly.



-They are so very fashionable...even if they have on the most mismatched outfit...my thoughts have always been that they are experimenting with their style (if that's what you want to call it) and I really don't want to hinder it (or it could be the fact that their mom, me, has no sense of style so she just lets them go with it). I've never really forced them to change when they wanted to wear my black sequined 20's hat with an oversized t-shirt and leggings (or Spiderman...see old post) to school . I let them be. I'm sure I've been secretly criticized. But guess what? Now they are so stylish and "cool" that I don't even know where it came from. They certainly didn't learn it from me. I KNOW I don't have much in the way of style so thanks to my sisters for passing that onto them.

-They're very caring to each other. It's only been recently (probably cuz we've been traveling so much with each other) that they have been "kinda" fighting. They hardly ever pick on each other, duel it out over friends and clothes, and they are so caring towards each other's feelings and emotions. Xanthe is the best help for Xoe's "medical stuff" and Xoe is always taking care of Xanthe and giving Xanthe credit for things she's done. (Anyone remember the art show?)


-They're both shy, and not shy, at different times. They both do very well assimilating into new situations and making new friends (hence the hotel staff giving them full reign of the hotel because they are their best friends now).

-They're both very artistic and creative. They draw ALL the time, create games to play (without relying so much on the TV), and are always dreaming up ways to photograph, paint, perform or redecorate.

-They both stress a lot, but then are very stress-free at other times. It's a bit unpredictable, but they're pretty "go with the flow" girls. But then sometimes they can be super obsessed about something and stress until it works out.

-They are both so very smart, and astute. They catch on really fast and are very ahead in their schooling (except when they have a horrible teacher).

-They are so independent. They WANT to cook dinner sometimes, they WANT to plan their own functions, and they WANT to just do things on their own. They know how to make spaghetti (boiling the noodles and everything), make scrambled eggs (Xanthe's specialty is Spanish Eggs...they are both Colombian you know...with tomatoes and long onions) and a few other simple dishes. It's very nice to be able to tell them they can cook their own food for that meal.


-They are so nurturing to other people, friends, kids and their little brother Spencer. Most of the time, and on an occasional basis, I find them feeding him cereal in the high chair, playing dress-up with him, or giving him a bath. I can't tell you how many times they have sent me back to bed when he wakes up in the morning, only to change his diaper, change his clothes and totally entertain him so I can get some more rest. Xanthe prides herself in bathing him (I'm right nearby) and Xoe prides herself in getting him to sleep. They are truly amazing. I couln't have asked for better kids....(well except for kids who enjoyed cleaning up, didn't whine about doing their homework or feeding the bunny, and were a little more grateful for what they have. But are ANY kids like that? I'm thinking not. So I am grateful for what I have.)

I let the girls sleep in my bed a couple times while Brian was gone. One time they insisted they wanted to take the baby to bed with them. The picture below this one is of the full set up they had on the end of the platform bed. Nice, huh? I almost took them up on the offer.

-I love how much they love me, their Mommy, and forgive me for how "unperfect" I can be most of the time. I'm not really a FUN mom and I don't do things super consistently. But I'm there for them, I cherish them and everything I do is for them (of course WITH Brian and Spencer now that I have them in my life too). We had a rough few years, but we made it through, and the only reason I did was because of their beautiful little cherub faces and bright blue eyes.

I love you girls and I can't believe you have grown up so much. (It's very weird to have 10 year olds. I've had children for a decade.)

I told you girls not to grow up! But you went ahead and did it anyway! :) Oh well. I love you anyway and am enjoying all the time we have with each other. This is for you!

Love, Mommy

change my template?

check out this link and tell me what you think of this template I'm considering changing my blog to...

http://www.eblogtemplates.com/natural-essence/

who needs a pacifier... when you've got socks?

Spencer hates pacifiers.

He won't even put anything in his mouth when I give it to him. Not toys, not spoons, not even random household items.

But give him a piece of material and he goes to town. He sucks on it like it's a pacifier.

He'll grab anything he can get his hands on. Blankets, pillows, his ski hat, his shirt, and in this case, his sock.

The process of putting him to sleep is this--- I lay him down, give him a blanket, where he then shoves it in his mouth and rolls over.

It was way too funny when he put himself to sleep like this on the way home from one of our outings.

Like I said, who needs a pacifier, when you've got a sock... Hey! I'll take whatever works!

***And I forgot to mention in his "7 Month" post that he has grown out of 12 month clothes! He's in 18-24 months!!!!

New York Trip Days 1-5

Tinton Falls, NJ

This New York Trip is actually a working trip...with New York sandwiched in between the free days that we have. At first the girls were really disappointed we didn't go to New York the first day we were here. But once I explained it to them...that we had to think of this as our home-away-from-home, and that we needed to do things during the week that were close-by.

The girls have taken that to heart literally. They have spent many of their days down in the lobby (we're at the Residence Inn, where they specialize in long-term stay) and have made friends with many of the office staff and guests. They know many of them by first name and frequently share stories with me like, "Oh! Kelly let us use the postage machine and help make key cards", or "Larry, the owner, is going to renovate the office upstairs cuz they don't use it anymore". Every time we come down to breakfast, or just to the fireplace/couch area, the hotel personnel are greeting us, giving money to the girls for their birthday and serving us drinks. They are so sweet here and love to entertain the girls while I'm upstairs in the room.

We're in a town called Tinton Falls, New Jersey. Isn't that such a fun name? The pictures above depict many of the "smaller" homes that we see quite frequently along the road and around town. It's right on the East Coast, very close to the ocean. The front desk guy we so lovingly call "Mr. Hobbs" gave us a map today to drive to the coast. It's only about a 7 minute drive, through the ritzy part of New Jersey (where all the big houses are and celebrities live) to the "Boardwalk", equipped with on-the-ocean restaurants, outlet stores and fun little beachfront stores. How much better can that be?

We're going to make our way over there soon since it's in the 50's today. It's the warmest it's been for awhile. All the snow is melted and I'm in a short-sleeved shirt and shorts. It feels like home and I have embraced it. The girls have played basketball outside, worked out with one of the guests named "Carlos" who is a Colombian anesthesiologist who has been here 8 months and made a picnic for us to enjoy outside.

Some of the things we have done this past week is celebrate the day of their birthday (see post below), go shopping in Eatontown (how cute of a name is that?), frequented the mall (Sweet Factory, Disney Store, Macy's and every shoe stores there) and gone walking up and down all the little side streets of quaint little New England storefront shops, one of which was a very cute little organic baby clothes/toys shop where we had to buy our second Ergo Baby Carrier. :)

I'll post tomorrow about our day trip (finally!) to New York yesterday.

7 MONTHS

This post is kind of overdue. About 2 1/2 weeks overdue. :) I just couldn't think of a fun picture to do. Thanks Amber for reminding me of this fun idea.

So because it's a little late (okay, a LOT late...get off my back), I'm veering away from my New York trip for a day. Enjoy!

Here are some other pictures that I never did make their own post about. So I'm posting them here.

*Yes he still loves eating this toes...any chance he can.

Some statistics along the way:

1. 24 pounds, 30 inches long. We still lovingly refer to him as "Chubbs".

2. Giggles and laughs MOST of the time. When he's not giggling he's watching YoGabbaGabba and Baby Einstein. He truly is addicted and I don't know what to do about it. He recognizes songs when I sing them to him and he loves all the toys. (And no, he doesn't sit in front of the TV all day...)

3. He melts my heart, his dad's heart and sister's hearts.

4. HATES applesauce, pears, bananas and sweet potatoes. LOVES, LOVES, LOVES avocados (will eat a 1/2 one in a single sitting and would keep going if I let him) prunes, carrots and squash (will eat them all on their own), . Weird kid... sheesh.

5. Just barely started sitting up (well), and hates to roll over. Won't even touch being on his stomach. We're just enjoying holding his big mass while it lasts and until he chooses to start moving.

6. SLEEPS........THROUGH......THE.....NIGHT.....

*He looks a little scared in this one but he had just fallen over, so it's all good. :)

'Til next month!