My Sweet Girl's Surgery

 The night before her surgery, Kait was very nervous.  She actually asked her Daddy if it's okay to be afraid to die.  Dan and her sat on the couch for a little bit and read her Bible.  I had to capture the sweet moment.

 Kaitlyn had a good night sleep.  She jumped in the tub when she got up in the morning and we got her all fresh and clean for her big day.  She chose to take her unicorn and princess blanket along with her to the hospital.  On the drive there, she said that her belly felt very nervous...and so did Mommy's.

 Once we arrived at 7 AM, the took us right back and we got her all gowned up and ready to go.  She liked her hospital gown with the stars on it.  Once the nurse checked her all out and asked a bunch of questions, she let Kaitlyn pick a blanket out to keep for herself.  She thought that was great.

 The anesthesiologist came in and gave her something to calm her nerves about a half hour before they took her away.  I could tell that it made a difference.  She really liked the special hat they gave her and actually has put it on here at home a few times...until Zoey got a hold of it this morning and ripped it up. :-(

 Dan's Mom was able to come up and be with us.  It was so nice to have her there...especially when they wheeled Kaitlyn away.  Having her company was great.  It kept my mind off of things and before I knew it, they were calling me back to talk with the doctor after her surgery was done.  He said that her tonsils and adenoids were quite large and he would be very surprised if she was able to breathe out of her nose for any period of time.  One nurse came out of the recovery room to tell me what a sweet girl she was...how she was so polite and cute.  They had a little fun with her unicorn and dressed it up while Kait was in surgery.

 I shot this right after Kaitlyn was wheeled out of the recovery room.  She had tears running down her cheeks and was in so much pain.  It was hard to see her like that...I just wanted to take her place.

After she woke up a bit and got some Tylenol for pain, she kept asking in a whisper to go home and lay on the couch.  She did super and we were out of there three hours after her surgery started.

On the way home, we made a little stop at Burger King for a cherry icee.  She was very talkative and I thought that recovery for her would be a breeze.  She was rating her pain as a one or a two and said she felt good.  Once we got home, she downed two bowls of applesauce and a couple of popsicles.

Around dinner time is when things went down hill.  She threw up, which had her in incredible pain.  It was the most helpless I have ever felt.  I sat there and held her hair while I prayed for her.  After she was done, she was a mess.  She was in pain and couldn't swallow or talk.  We got her medicine down and then she fell asleep.  I slept next to her and set an alarm so we could stay on top of the pain and not miss a dose of meds.  It was a long night because she was so uncomfortable.  I questioned our decision to have her tonsils out and wondered if we did the right thing for her.

Saturday afternoon, it was nice out, so I bundled her up, put a mask on her, and took her in the jogger for a stroll around the block.  She loved being outside.  She still could not talk and went through an entire notebook that day writing us notes to tell us what she wanted and how she was feeling...along with a few random facts that made Dan and I smile.  She seemed to be doing a bit better and I was praying she would get some much needed rest that night.  I made a bed up in our room on our floor because she didn't want to be away from us.  She slept like a rock and I felt like she was on the up swing.

Sunday morning, she woke up and wanted her cousin to come for a visit.  So, I brought her home with me after church and it's just what Kaitlyn needed.  She perked right up and we played games and did nails.  She even wanted to come with me when we took her cousin back home.  The day wore her out and she was zonked out within a half hour of being home.  I woke her for her meds and she went back to sleep until this morning.

She is doing pretty good today.  She has talked a couple of times and she has gotten more liquids in her belly than she has since she threw up on Friday night.  She saw a McDonald's commercial and her eyes lit up.  She wrote that she could probably eat McDonald's right now...applesauce, jello, and ice cream will have to do for now.

She will be off of school for pretty much the rest of the week.  We are going to get her all cleaned up and freshened up today.  She is also begging to go visit grandpa...she is missing him.

Tomorrow's the day...we hope...

Tonight, we will say our little goodbyes to K's tonsils.  I will get out my video camera (per her request) and she will open her mouth as wide as she can and I will video them for a few seconds so that she will always remember what they looked like back there.  I will then get out my camera (per her request) and take a few pictures of her with her tonsils. 

We both might not sleep too well tonight. 

The cameras will be waiting on the counter for when we wake up so we can document tomorrow (per her request)...what pj's she wears to the hospital, what blanket she takes, the stuffed animal she chooses to go with her to surgery, and her pillow pet that will keep her company.  There will be many "I love you's" said. 

I will reach back and hold her little hand as we drive to the hospital and talk about whatever she wants. 

I will have her little hand in my one hand...and all her stuff in the other...when we walk in to the hospital's big front door. 

We will make our way to the surgery department and she will probably talk about the butterflies dancing around in her tummy. 

They will call her name and we will walk back and get her gowned up and settled in to the bed before the nurse comes in to check her out....at least this is what happened last time...and it's as far as we got.

Tomorrow, I am hoping my princess wakes up healthy after a peaceful nights rest.  I am hoping surgery is a go and we can say goodbye to those pesky tonsils of hers for good.  I prepared myself last time only to know that I would have to prepare myself all over again...that we would have to set another date and wait a little longer.  I am tired of seeing my princess sick and they need to come out...preferably tomorrow. 

So, here's to (hopefully) a good to go surgery tomorrow and eating ice cream and milk shakes all weekend long!

Nine Years Ago

I have written about this day before here and here.  It's a day way back in 2002 that I will never forget.  Every February 15th that passes is a reminder of how my life changed that day...with a last minute decision to buy a plane ticket only weeks before, to open my heart to possibilities, and to let go of any fear and just go for it. 

That day still runs through my head...the weekend, I can still remember clearly.  A lot has changed and happened in these past nine years...but somethings remain the same: I still get weak in the knees when I look at him across a crowded room, he can still make me laugh just like he did on our first weekend together, and when we are apart my heart aches to be with him.

Today is not just any other day in my world.  It's a day that changed my life forever and until my last breath, it will be a day that I celebrate and thank God for.

Love and Stuff

Aren't they loveable!

gifts from my love

Today, I feel especially loved.  My kids were on their best behavior this morning...and looking oh so cute in their festive shirts that Gammy sent them.  The weather was gorgeous...like a kiss from heaven.  Two packages arrived from my man reminding me of his thoughtfulness...a dozen roses and a box of chocolate covered strawberries.  My littlest man made sure to tell me several times today that he thinks I am beautiful.  And finally, my middle man told me that he is having Daddy get me an Usher poster because he knows how much I liked watching Usher and Justin Bieber perform last night on TV.  Apparently, I am supposed to hang in on my wall in my room...I am pretty sure Daddy is not going to go for that...but, my middle man's heart was in the right place...and he gave me his one and only butterfinger and that is way better than an Usher poster.  Happy Valentine's Day...I hope you feel loved today.

My Story of Provision

I have been a carpenter's wife for almost eight years now, and you never quite get used to the ups and downs of winter as far as how unpredictable work is.  I am beyond thankful for how God has continued to provide for our family over the years and each time refreshes and renews my confidence in that He is my ultimate provider.

Because of The Great Blizzard of 2011, Dan worked one and a half days last week.  I was fretting and thinking of the very small upcoming check.  When Dan was unemployed for those long twenty-two months, I got into the habit of turning my worry in to prayers of thanksgiving and asking Him for what I need.  What seems impossible in my mind, is not the case with God...and sometimes that is easily forgotten.

So, after learning that he would be off work the rest of the week I began to pray that God would provide in whatever way.  I went in to work on Saturday and when I had half of my shift under my belt, it happened : one of the machines in the lab broke.  For some reason, we don't have 24/7 service on that machine and service would not be able to be called until Monday.  What that means is that we would now have to call a courier for every single CBC that came in to the lab.  Guess who is on that courier list?  My husband and myself.  So, from Saturday afternoon to Monday morning we were able to make enough money to cover 4 days worth of pay for Dan...making up the difference from the week of the blizzard.

Every time I think of how everything unfolded, I am thankful beyond words and my heart swells to know how tenderly He cares for us...giving us exactly what we need.  I can't help but think that machine was broken over the weekend just for us.

The Blizzard of 2011

We were hit Tuesday evening in to Wednesday with The Blizzard of 2011...it will always be something I think back to and remember fondly.  Dan was fortunate enough to be let out of work early, the kids were released early from school, and I got a call from work telling me to not attempt to come in.  So, my hubby made a wonderful chicken dinner, we signed up for a free month of netflix on our Wii (yep, you can do that!), and we all slept cozy in our beds as the snow continued to fall and be blown all around.  It was wonderful!

We woke up on Wednesday morning and we all were excited to get a peek at just what had happened over night...it was like Christmas.  We were shocked to find that both of our doors, front and back, were snowed shut with drifts in front of them that we about five feet tall.  Luckily we could get out of our garage door and make our way to dig out.

I love to shovel and volunteered to be the one to dig out so that our doors would be able to be opened and the dogs could go outside.  It was the hardest shoveling I have ever done...and my shoulders are sore from today.  My husband thought I was a rock star though.

The kids were begging to go out all morning.  So after lunch, when the wind finally died down a bit, Dan took all three kids out to play in the snow.  It was great to watch from my warm house.  I had to laugh at my youngest who kept getting stuck and tipping over.

Around one o'clock, I started getting stir crazy and needed my gym fix.  So, I suited up, grabbed my camera, and headed out to survey the area and make my way to the gym.  The roads weren't too bad and I made the mile trek safely.  I had a great four mile run.  The plow guys did a great job!

 looking at our front door...a five foot drift in my way.

 Me clearing off our deck...hard work.

 Kait playing in the front before I broke the rest of the way through the drift.

 Clearing off the front walk.

 Our little snow pup...whose doubled in size the month that we've had her.

 Aaah, the gym!

 Piles of snow in the parking lot...lots of work to do.

 My man getting the roast ready for the oven.

 The kids and my hubby playing outside.

 My littlest man, tipped over again.

 After clearing off one side of the roof, my man jumped off in to the big snow drift...kid at heart.

That's Dan in there...the snow falling off the roof after a couple of pushes.

Icing on the cake: We had a delicious dinner with our favorite neighbors, Dan was told he would have another day off, and the kids' school was cancelled.  So, I am off to enjoy a bacon and egg breakfast made by my husband.  I love when he's home...he feeds us well.