Have you ever been so tired you could sleep anywhere, in any position? Well, The Chocoholic was last night! We didn’t get home until 11:00 and this is how I found him when we pulled into the garage. Yes, he is dead asleep!
Showing posts with label The Chocoholic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Chocoholic. Show all posts
I am thankful for The Chocoholic.
He is full of energy and loves to play games. Even when he was little, he wanted to play board games all the time. I am grateful that his little sister will play with him. And it’s always fun when his aunt will come and play too.
When he was 3 years old, he came up to me and said he needed chocolate. And he has loved chocolate/candy since then. He loves Halloween and was very sad that this is his last year trick or treating.
This is the Chocoholic’s bedroom. He was very patient with me. He pulled everything out on Tuesday and I started on Wednesday. I got it all taped and prepped and had painted 1/15th of the edge of the ceiling when I got a phone call from the elementary school, informing me that The Princess had been hurt. Long story short, she broke her finger and I spent the day in the ER of the children’s hospital. Fun times. So by the time I got home, I was wiped out, so I didn’t do anything that day. The next day I was at work. Friday I just didn’t want to do it.
Finally on Saturday, I forced myself to go down and start painting. I listened to the BYU football game while I was painting (Go BYU!) which was a nice change from just music. Monday morning I put a second coat on and then The Chocoholic was able to put his bed together and sleep down there again. Last night I worked on the bookshelf and wall shelf. Today I was able to get it all put together.
I was so excited because I was going to get his room done super fast, and I still ended up taking 9 days.
Here are the before pictures:
After:
I absolutely hated the green on the walls until I started putting the chocolate brown on, which really calmed the green down.
Well, onto the final bedroom!
The Chocoholic is 11, but he will be 12 next week. Here are some reasons why I love him.
1. He loves chocolate. It has been a very special thing between us, to share chocolate. He doesn’t like white chocolate as much.
2. He loves to play games. Mostly board games. He doesn’t care if he wins or loses, as long as someone will play with him.
3. He wants to grow up, but he doesn’t want to stop being a kid yet. He loves to be goofy and silly and doesn’t care what people think.
4. He is so kind and caring to The Princess. They have been close ever since she was born, and he is the best big brother to her. He even lets her dress him up in the princess clothes and jewelry, and then lets me take pictures of him.
5. He is freakishly skinny. If he sucks in his stomach, you can grab his lower rib! It’s so weird!
I love him so much!
1. He loves chocolate. It has been a very special thing between us, to share chocolate. He doesn’t like white chocolate as much.
2. He loves to play games. Mostly board games. He doesn’t care if he wins or loses, as long as someone will play with him.
3. He wants to grow up, but he doesn’t want to stop being a kid yet. He loves to be goofy and silly and doesn’t care what people think.
4. He is so kind and caring to The Princess. They have been close ever since she was born, and he is the best big brother to her. He even lets her dress him up in the princess clothes and jewelry, and then lets me take pictures of him.
5. He is freakishly skinny. If he sucks in his stomach, you can grab his lower rib! It’s so weird!
I love him so much!
My children are growing up on me, and I can’t stop them.
The Princess started 1st grade this year. That means she is in school all day long. She is loving it. She comes home each day bursting with stories about the kids and things that have happened (I love it because the boys never tell me anything). Her teacher said that she has a very unique quality, in that she is friendly to everyone. Not just to her friends, but to all the kids in the class. I am so proud of her, because that is something I have really talked to her about, and tried to teach her. She is reading so well. We read from the scriptures for 1/2 hour every morning, and then each child goes to their room for reading for one hour each night before bed. Not only does it help their reading, but it gives them time to calm down and be ready for bed.
The Chocoholic is in 6th grade. He loves walking to school with The Princess because last year he had to walk alone. He got a great teacher this year, and she is really going to challenge him. I am thrilled about that. He is an entrepreneur and loves to make money. Right now he is selling Silly Bands before school. He buys them at Wal-Mart where there are 12 in a package for $1. Then he sells them for 25 cents each. He said the kids know they can buy them cheaper at the store, but then they have a bunch that are the same. This way, they buy just the ones they want. He only takes one package at a time to sell and won’t open another package until the first one is gone. It cracks me up, but he is making pretty good money!
The Artist is in 8th grade. No longer will he be the bottom of the barrel at the junior high! He loves art, singing, and drums. His birthday isn’t until October, but we already gave him his birthday present. We were treasure hunting, a.k.a. driving around looking at garage sales, when we saw a big drum set. I got a killer deal on it, but it was too big to hide in the house. So we had to give it to him. He was so excited. His voice is deep and now he is getting mistaken for his dad AND his older brother.
The Teenager is working like mad to save money. He has a scooter but it’s only 49.5cc and it barely goes 25 mph. He wants to buy a motorcycle, which I am totally fine with. Then he will start saving for a car. He is working at an ice cream/grill shop and does dishwashing and bussing. Yesterday he worked a double shift, so he left the house at 11:30 a.m. and didn’t get home until 12:30 a.m. He is doing the same today and tomorrow. This morning when he got home, I told him I wasn’t going to wake him up to read scriptures with us so he could get more sleep. He said, “No, if I do that, the Lord won’t bless me.” I was so proud of him. He is going to be in 11th grade this year. I think that sounds younger than saying he will be a Junior. I remember being a Junior in high school. Yikes!
I keep telling my children to stop growing up, and yet if they stop growing up, how will I ever get them to leave the house so I can be alone with The Doctor? Because I am really looking forward to that! I guess it’s the season of life I am at. No more babies, just children getting older and preparing to leave the nest. I hope I am doing a good job with them. I don’t have much time.
I am so frustrated with this whole coughing thing. I took The Chocoholic into his pediatrician today. We discussed everything that has happened over the last 8 days. Basically we have no idea why he is coughing. He has had times where he has gone several hours without coughing, so we know that it’s nothing permanent. We discussed taking him to a pulmonologist, and even to a psychologist. I am so tired of doctors and medicine. I made the decision to wait a week and see what happens. I really think he will be okay. I really hope he will be okay.
Thanks for all your well wishes and prayers!
Oh my goodness, what a week this has been! I am so tired! Let’s start at the beginning.
Last year, in February, The Chocoholic woke up coughing one morning. Out of the blue. He would cough all day long, but as soon as he went to bed, he would stop coughing. This lasted for 9 days. He didn’t go to school for 5 of those. I ended up taking him to the doctor who asked him lots of questions about school and how he liked it and what kind of grades he got. Basically, he thought The Chocoholic was faking it. I knew he wasn’t. We finally decided that it must be from allergies.
It happened again in May of 2009, but it only lasted 1 day. It happened again in August, and lasted for 3 days.
Monday morning, he woke up coughing again. I wasn’t too concerned. I kept him home and gave him antihistamine. He slept fine that night. Tuesday he was coughing again, so I kept him home again.
However, Tuesday night he couldn’t stop coughing. It was bad. I was so worried. I decided to take him to InstaCare. Except when I got there, they informed me they didn’t take our insurance. So I had to take him to a different Urgent Care. We got there at 9:45, and they were supposed to close at 10:00. I could tell they were thrilled to see us walk in the door. They gave him a breathing treatment and a steroid pill. The doctor said he might need to go to the hospital by ambulance. What? That really freaked me out. They gave him some chest x-rays and everything was clear (no pneumonia, no bronchitis). So they said that he should stop coughing in 15 minutes and sent me on my way. I could tell they were just trying to get us out of there as soon as possible. I was on my way to fill the prescriptions they gave me, but then The Chocoholic said it was hard to breathe. So I immediately turned around and headed up to Primary Children’s Hospital. In the dark. And the rain. By myself.
We got up there and they examined The Chocoholic, then gave him another breathing treatment. He does not have asthma, or croup. They have no idea why he is coughing. They gave me a prescription for Tylenol with codeine and Flonase for allergies. It was 1:30 in the morning before we headed home. I had to stop and get gas in the car at 2:00. It was 2:11 when I crawled into bed.
Wednesday, I called his pediatrician and we went in to see him. He was baffled by the cough as well. He prescribed more steroid pills and said to call him if things got worse. That night, The Chocoholic had a hard time stopping coughing again, so The Doctor called his brother and they gave him a priesthood blessing. Within 15 minutes, the coughing had stopped and he was able to sleep.
Thursday, he couldn’t stop coughing again. I have tried everything I can think of. Here is the list of things either I or the doctors have tried:
- Prayer
- Cough medicine
- Cough drops
- Antihistamine
- Mucus reliever
- Breathing treatment
- Steroids
- Vicks
- Flonase
- Honey
- Lemon juice
- Honey and lemon juice in hot water
- Antacids
- Vaporizer
- Vicks on the bottom of his feet
- Tylenol with codeine
- Steam from a hot shower
- Claritin
- Zyrtek
- Lemon drops
- Cold air
Finally I gave him Nyquil, in the hopes that the alcohol would do something. It seemed to help, as at 11:30, he finally calmed down and fell asleep.
However, his cough was worse this morning. I called the pediatrician and he said to take him up to Primary Children’s so he could get seen by a pulmonologist. So after I took The Princess to school, we drove up to the emergency room. We went through all the same questions as Tuesday night. They told me that the pulmonologists won’t come down to the emergency room. So I will have to get a referral from Dr. Ryan to see one. Great. They did another chest x-ray to make sure his lungs looked okay, which they did.
I did ask them if there was any possibility that he had whooping cough. They thought about it and said there is a distant possibility. There is no test for that, so there’s no way to know for sure if he isn’t making the “whooping” sound. But they also said that it’s hard to tell if he has walking pneumonia too. So they prescribed Azithromycin, which is prescribed for both of those. So we will see if it works.
I feel so horrible as a mother. Every time he coughs, I feel guilty because I can’t do anything to help him. But even worse, I feel horrible because I am so irritated by the noise of the coughing. After 5 days of the constant cough all day long, not to mention he has been home every day, so the TV has been on a lot more too, it’s just about more than I can handle. I just cried and cried last night while he was coughing in his bedroom. I didn’t know what to do.
So that is what has been going on. How has your week been? :-)
I just love that The Chocoholic was born in December so that everything happening here was happening in December! LOL
December 20, 1999. We took him back to the children's hospital to have another renal exam. This time it wasn't so easy to put in the catheter. He was crying and I was crying and it wasn't pretty! Finally they got the catheter and the I.v. in. They strapped him down on the exam table where he proceeded to cry and cry some more. They gave him a sucker and that calmed him down for about 15 minutes.
When it was over, we met with the pediatric urologist. We were told that 90% of the time, hydronephrosis happens in boys, and 90% of the time, it is in the left kidney, and 90% of the time, there aren't any problems. In fact, in the years before ultrasounds, we would have never known he even had this. But it's that 10% that need intervention that are truely helped by all this. When the doctor looked at the scans of his kidneys, he smiled. When we were there last time, the split was 60/40, meaning that one kidney was doing 60% of the work. But this time the split was 55/45. The doctor said, "He is fine and I hope to never see you again!" I cried all the way to the car. What a relief that was.
So our experience with hydronephrosis came to an end. All that stress over nothing. But it could have been worse, and I am so glad that he is healthy!
December 20, 1999. We took him back to the children's hospital to have another renal exam. This time it wasn't so easy to put in the catheter. He was crying and I was crying and it wasn't pretty! Finally they got the catheter and the I.v. in. They strapped him down on the exam table where he proceeded to cry and cry some more. They gave him a sucker and that calmed him down for about 15 minutes.
When it was over, we met with the pediatric urologist. We were told that 90% of the time, hydronephrosis happens in boys, and 90% of the time, it is in the left kidney, and 90% of the time, there aren't any problems. In fact, in the years before ultrasounds, we would have never known he even had this. But it's that 10% that need intervention that are truely helped by all this. When the doctor looked at the scans of his kidneys, he smiled. When we were there last time, the split was 60/40, meaning that one kidney was doing 60% of the work. But this time the split was 55/45. The doctor said, "He is fine and I hope to never see you again!" I cried all the way to the car. What a relief that was.
So our experience with hydronephrosis came to an end. All that stress over nothing. But it could have been worse, and I am so glad that he is healthy!
After The Chocoholic was born, the pediatrician examined him. The kidneys weren't swollen, and he had peed on the nurses just after he was born, so he felt everything would be okay.
Less than 2 weeks later, we went to the children's hospital for an ultrasound. The right kidney was completely normal, and the left kidney was 1 cm. longer. But they weren't concerned at all. The pediatric urologist scheduled us for a renal exam and bladder x-ray the next month.
Boy, weren't those fun. Ever watched a 1 1/2 month old get an i.v.? And a catheter? I just cried while they were doing it, mainly because they were having to hold him down to do it all! But he was so good about it!
The renal exam is to check for blockage. They laid him on a "table" that had the “cameras” on both the top and the bottom, so he was inside, kind of. It was open on both ends. They put sandbags over his feet, then one over each arm. He had to lie still for the pictures. Then they brought in this tube that has radioactive symbols and warnings all over it. They opened it up, and it's lead lined, with a tiny needle inside. They injected it into his I.V., then we waited. They had a computer screen that was showing the particles as the collected in his kidneys. It took a picture every 15 seconds. It was kind of cool to watch as the kidneys began to show up. The right kidney "dumped" the particles almost right away into the bladder, but they stayed in the left kidney a lot longer. They watched that for 20 minutes, then they gave him a diuretic to make him pass the remaining particles into his bladder. It took the left kidney quite a while to pass them. That took 25 minutes. He slept during the whole thing. When they were finished, they took out the I.V., which woke him up and made him cry again.
Then we went into a waiting room to wait for the bladder x-ray. This is to check for reflux, if the bladder is pushing the urine back up into the kidneys. I fed him while we were waiting. When they called him in, I had to lay him on a table and the nurse gave Tom and I both lead vests to wear so we could stay with him. I held his hands, and she hooked up a bottle of saline to his catheter. She just held it up in the air and the saline flowed into his bladder. It took less than a minute, and his bladder was full. She then took some x-rays of his bladder. Then she called a dr. in to watch him "void." They took out the catheter and took x-rays while he was "voiding." After they were done, she left to go get something, and he peed again. I think he peed 3 times in all! But the good news is there was no reflux!
So we were told to come back in a year and they would do it all again to see what was happening.
I bet you didn't anticipate a part three, did you?
Less than 2 weeks later, we went to the children's hospital for an ultrasound. The right kidney was completely normal, and the left kidney was 1 cm. longer. But they weren't concerned at all. The pediatric urologist scheduled us for a renal exam and bladder x-ray the next month.
Boy, weren't those fun. Ever watched a 1 1/2 month old get an i.v.? And a catheter? I just cried while they were doing it, mainly because they were having to hold him down to do it all! But he was so good about it!
The renal exam is to check for blockage. They laid him on a "table" that had the “cameras” on both the top and the bottom, so he was inside, kind of. It was open on both ends. They put sandbags over his feet, then one over each arm. He had to lie still for the pictures. Then they brought in this tube that has radioactive symbols and warnings all over it. They opened it up, and it's lead lined, with a tiny needle inside. They injected it into his I.V., then we waited. They had a computer screen that was showing the particles as the collected in his kidneys. It took a picture every 15 seconds. It was kind of cool to watch as the kidneys began to show up. The right kidney "dumped" the particles almost right away into the bladder, but they stayed in the left kidney a lot longer. They watched that for 20 minutes, then they gave him a diuretic to make him pass the remaining particles into his bladder. It took the left kidney quite a while to pass them. That took 25 minutes. He slept during the whole thing. When they were finished, they took out the I.V., which woke him up and made him cry again.
Then we went into a waiting room to wait for the bladder x-ray. This is to check for reflux, if the bladder is pushing the urine back up into the kidneys. I fed him while we were waiting. When they called him in, I had to lay him on a table and the nurse gave Tom and I both lead vests to wear so we could stay with him. I held his hands, and she hooked up a bottle of saline to his catheter. She just held it up in the air and the saline flowed into his bladder. It took less than a minute, and his bladder was full. She then took some x-rays of his bladder. Then she called a dr. in to watch him "void." They took out the catheter and took x-rays while he was "voiding." After they were done, she left to go get something, and he peed again. I think he peed 3 times in all! But the good news is there was no reflux!
So we were told to come back in a year and they would do it all again to see what was happening.
I bet you didn't anticipate a part three, did you?
When I was pregnant with #3 (The Chocoholic), I was really nervous because I wanted a girl so badly. I had even been feeling like it was a girl. I know, we are just supposed to want our babies to healthy and strong, but I wanted a girl desperately! The night before the ultrasound, I had my husband give me a Priesthood blessing and afterwards, I felt such a calmness. I knew I could handle it and would be okay.
We had the ultrasound at 20 weeks, discovered that he was a boy, and I was strangely calm. I was disappointed, but I knew it would okay. As we were sitting in the exam room waiting for the doctor, the nurse came in and said, "So are you the couple that is having problems with your baby?" We said no, and she quickly hurried out, but then I started to panic.
When the doctor came in, he said there might be a problem with one of the kidneys of the baby. There was some extra fluid in the left kidney, and the tube to the kidney was slightly dilated. He told us to come back in 2 weeks and they would check it again.
The next afternoon, I was watching Oprah and they were talking about parenting tips and she had on a couple who had 10 boys, ages 22 to 4. I started to cry. Just a little bit. Then harder and harder. It just really hit me. I was totally sobbing. I had to call and tell Tom something, and I could barely talk. I finally calmed down and then my mom called me to see if I had watched it and I started to cry again. It doesn't mean I don’t, or won’t, love this baby, but I just needed to cry.
Two weeks later we had the ultrasound and the kidneys looked the same. My OB told me they will just wait and do another ultrasound at 34 weeks and if it was the same, then we would let the pediatrician know and go from there. It wasn't serious enough that anything had to be done right away. Except stress about it!
I went to the doctor at 34 weeks and had another ultrasound. The baby's kidneys were still dilated. I will try to explain it without pictures!
There are 2 sections to the kidney, the place where it holds urine and the working part. The place where it holds the urine would normally be 1cm wide. The baby's are 1.25 cm. This means that the urine is not draining into the bladder like it should. The doctor said that sometimes a little flap grows in the ureter, which blocks the urine. If the working part starts to shrink at all, then he would send me to Primary Children's Hospital to see a pediatric surgeon/specialist. He told me this isn't something that we should take lightly, but we also shouldn't stress about it. LOL Tell a mother something is wrong with her baby, but don't stress about it!
They gave me ultrasounds every week to keep and eye on it and finally in December, I was induced and delivered a healthy baby boy.
But lest you think our story is done, stay tuned for part two!
We had the ultrasound at 20 weeks, discovered that he was a boy, and I was strangely calm. I was disappointed, but I knew it would okay. As we were sitting in the exam room waiting for the doctor, the nurse came in and said, "So are you the couple that is having problems with your baby?" We said no, and she quickly hurried out, but then I started to panic.
When the doctor came in, he said there might be a problem with one of the kidneys of the baby. There was some extra fluid in the left kidney, and the tube to the kidney was slightly dilated. He told us to come back in 2 weeks and they would check it again.
The next afternoon, I was watching Oprah and they were talking about parenting tips and she had on a couple who had 10 boys, ages 22 to 4. I started to cry. Just a little bit. Then harder and harder. It just really hit me. I was totally sobbing. I had to call and tell Tom something, and I could barely talk. I finally calmed down and then my mom called me to see if I had watched it and I started to cry again. It doesn't mean I don’t, or won’t, love this baby, but I just needed to cry.
Two weeks later we had the ultrasound and the kidneys looked the same. My OB told me they will just wait and do another ultrasound at 34 weeks and if it was the same, then we would let the pediatrician know and go from there. It wasn't serious enough that anything had to be done right away. Except stress about it!
I went to the doctor at 34 weeks and had another ultrasound. The baby's kidneys were still dilated. I will try to explain it without pictures!
There are 2 sections to the kidney, the place where it holds urine and the working part. The place where it holds the urine would normally be 1cm wide. The baby's are 1.25 cm. This means that the urine is not draining into the bladder like it should. The doctor said that sometimes a little flap grows in the ureter, which blocks the urine. If the working part starts to shrink at all, then he would send me to Primary Children's Hospital to see a pediatric surgeon/specialist. He told me this isn't something that we should take lightly, but we also shouldn't stress about it. LOL Tell a mother something is wrong with her baby, but don't stress about it!
They gave me ultrasounds every week to keep and eye on it and finally in December, I was induced and delivered a healthy baby boy.
But lest you think our story is done, stay tuned for part two!
The Chocoholic has had one dream that he has dreamed of for months. I told him we could do it just before school got out. May 26th, his dream finally came true. Enjoy.
Yes, we did it outside because I didn't want the mess! And his head felt like a baby's bum! So soft! Amazingly, by the next day, there was stubble. I really thought we would get a couple days with it smooth, but not so. And he has decided that he's not going to go bald again. Too much work and pain!
Now if only my dreams were as easy to obtain!
Yes, we did it outside because I didn't want the mess! And his head felt like a baby's bum! So soft! Amazingly, by the next day, there was stubble. I really thought we would get a couple days with it smooth, but not so. And he has decided that he's not going to go bald again. Too much work and pain!
Now if only my dreams were as easy to obtain!
from Working Momma 247 by Jean
1. What is something your mom always says to you?
The Teenager (age 15) : Go do your chores.
The Artist (age 12) : Clean your room.
The Chocoholic (age 10) : Do your chores.
The Princess (age 4) : I love you.
Apparently The Princess hasn't entered the droning world of chores in our house yet! LOL
2. What makes your mom happy?
The Teenager (age 15) : When they (the chores) are done.
The Artist (age 12) : Dad and love.
The Chocoholic (age 10) : When you say I appreciate you for doing stuff and give her hugs and kisses (Yes! He got it down!).
The Princess (age 4) : I kiss her and hug her.
3. What makes your mom sad?
The Teenager (age 15) : When I yell at my brothers.
The Artist (age 12) : Fighting.
The Chocoholic (age 10) : When we argue and fight and talk back.
The Princess (age 4) : That I get in trouble.
4. What does your mom do to make you laugh?
Every one of them said tickle me. I guess I tickle a lot!
5. What was your mom like as a child?
Again, they all said I don't know. I guess it's time to talk about how perfect I was. Yeah, right!
6. How tall is your mom?
The Teenager (age 15) : Smaller than me (And that is true and it's so sad!).
The Artist (age 12) : Almost the same height as me. Well, I'm almost the same height as her.
The Chocoholic (age 10) : I don't know.
The Princess (age 4) : Like as tall as my grandma (Like, fer sure!).
7. What is your mom's favorite thing to do?
The Teenager (age 15) : Scrapbook
The Artist (age 12) : Scrapbook
The Chocoholic (age 10) : Her work
The Princess (age 4) : She likes to work
Yep, I like to work. NOT. It's just that's all I do anymore.
8. What does your mom do when you're not around?
The Teenager (age 15) : Work
The Artist (age 12) : Work, laundry
The Chocoholic (age 10) : Work or scrapbook
The Princess (age 4) : Work
This makes me sad. Just does.
9. If your mom becomes famous what will it be for?
The Teenager (age 15) : Perseverance (Huh?).
The Artist (age 12) : Acting (Again, huh?).
The Chocoholic (age 10) : Being the best mom (Awwww).
The Princess (age 4) : When she gets married (LMBO!).
10. What is your mom really good at ?
The Teenager (age 15) : Getting us to do stuff we don't want to do.
The Artist (age 12) : Piano.
The Chocoholic (age 10) : Her work.
The Princess (age 4) : Playing games.
11. What is your mom not very good at?
The Teenager (age 15) : I don't know.
The Artist (age 12) : Playing video games.
The Chocoholic (age 10) : I don't know.
The Princess (age 4) : Playing Candy Landy (her words) because sometimes she wins and sometimes I win (Too cute!).
12. What does your mom do for her job?
The Teenager (age 15) : Bank reconciliations.
The Artist (age 12) : Accoutant.
The Chocoholic (age 10) : Payroll and Taxes.
The Princess (age 4) : Work like Daddy.
All true!
13. What is your mom's favorite food?
The Teenager (age 15) : Lasagna? (He said it as a question.)
The Artist (age 12) : Chocolate
The Chocoholic (age 10) : Macaroni and Tomatoes
The Princess (age 4) : Macaroni and Cheese (Definitely not! That's her favorite).
14. What makes you proud of your mom?
The Teenager (age 15) : She never gives up. (I'm guessing this goes along with the perseverance thing. I am going to have ask him more about this.)
The Artist (age 12) : She works, cooks, and does our laundry for us.
The Chocoholic (age 10) : She gives us hugs and kisses, loves us, takes us to school sometimes, and feeds us.
The Princess (age 4) : That she love me so much.
15. If your mom were a cartoon who would she be?
The Teenager (age 15) : Tigger (?)
The Artist (age 12) : Supergirl
The Chocoholic (age 10) : Jerry cause she hardly gets hurt (as in Tom and Jerry).
The Princess (age 4) : Tom and Jerry (They must have been watching Tom and Jerry just before I asked them these questions! LOL).
16. What do you and your mom do together?
The Teenager (age 15) : Talk
The Artist (age 12) : Hardly anything (oops)
The Chocoholic (age 10) : Play games
The Princess (age 4) : Play
17. How are you and your mom the same?
The Teenager (age 15) : We kinda have the same interests.
The Artist (age 12) : I don't know (I think I might be dropping the ball with this kid!).
The Chocoholic (age 10) : We like to play games and we like chocolate.
The Princess (age 4) : We love each other.
18. How are you and mom different?
The Teenager (age 15) : We like different things (which contradicts his answer to #17. I'm just saying...).
The Artist (age 12) : She's a girl and I'm a boy.
The Chocoholic (age 10) : She's an adult/girl/mom and I'm a kid/boy/not.
The Princess (age 4) : She wears glasses and I don't.
19. How do you know your mom loves you?
The Teenager (age 15) : She says so.
The Artist (age 12) : She kisses me and hugs me.
The Chocoholic (age 10) : She cares for us and loves us.
The Princess (age 4) : She kisses me and hugs me so much.
20. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
The Teenager (age 15) : Wal-Mart
The Artist (age 12) : Red Lobster (not anymore!)
The Chocoholic (age 10) : I don't know.
The Princess (age 4) : To the store.
1. Was your pregnancy planned? Kind of. With #1, Ihad been on the pill for 4 months, and it took us 4 months to get pregnant. With #2, I had been on the pill for 7 months, and it took us 7 months to get pregnant. I had just started going back to school when we decided to start trying. I had been on the pill for 12 months, so we figured it would take us at least that long to get pregnant, and then with the pregnancy, I would almost be done with school when I was due. Well, Heavenly Father had other things in mind. I went off the pill and didn't even have a period before I got pregnant!
2. Were you married at the time? Yes.
3. What were your reactions? We were stunned. Yes, we were trying, but really weren't expecting it that quickly. And then the doctor said that when you get pregnant right off the pill, there is an increased chance for twins. He immediately took me to the ultrasound room and checked. Thank goodness there was only one!
4. Was abortion an option for you? Never
5. How old were you? 25
6. How did you find out you were pregnant? Home pregnancy test. I always get really cranky and mean and one night I was at my wit's end and I jokingly said, "I wonder if I am pregnant." Well, I had a test, so the next morning I peed on it and it was positive!
7. Who did you tell first? I don't know. We never kept them a surprise, so I am sure our parents.
8. Did you want to find out the sex? Definitely! I wanted a girl so badly. The pregnancy was so different from the other two that I just knew we were having a girl. I even went and bought girl clothes. The night before the ultrasound, I had The Doctor give me a blessing and I was blessed with peace. So the next day when they said it was a boy, I was okay. I did cry some, but I thought I was handling it. The day after that, I was watching Oprah and she had on a woman who had 10 children, all boys. I lost it! I sobbed for 2 hours! But by the time he was born, I was ready for him and wouldn't have traded him in!
9. What was your due date? December 13.
10. Did you have morning sickness? Just slightly nauseous.
11. What did you crave? Fruit.
12. What irritated you? Don't remember.
13. What was the sex of your third child? A boy.
14. Did you wish you had the opposite sex of what you were getting? See #8.
15. How many pounds did you gain throughout the pregnancy? 25
16. Did you have a baby shower? Nope.
17. Were they a surprise?
18. Did you have any complications during your pregnancy? I didn't, but the baby had Hydronephrosis. That is on my list of things to blog about. So stay tuned!
19. Where did you give birth? In the same hospital as #2.
20. How many hours were you in labor? I was induced, so from the time the needle finally got in my arm to the delivery was about 8 hours. But the first 3 hours don't count because the contractions didn't even hurt. It wasn't until the doctor broke my water that I started feeling them.
21. Who drove you to the hospital? My hubby. We had an appointment that morning to see if we should go ahead and do the induction, and when he said yes, we casually walked down the hall to the women's center. Much different than with #2!
22. Who watched you give birth? My hubby and my mom. I loved having her there.
23. Was it natural or c-section? Natural.
24. Did you take medication to ease the pain? At the end, I asked, no begged for an epidural. While it was going in, I started pushing. The nurse pushed my legs together and said I had to wait! But as soon as it was in, I flipped over and 2 minutes later he was born. So I still felt everything. We have figured out that when I start asking for an epidural, I am in transition!
25. How much did your child weigh? 8lbs exactly.
28. When was your child actually born? December 4, 1998 at 5:27 p.m.
30. What did you name him/her? The Chocoholic.
2. Were you married at the time? Yes.
3. What were your reactions? We were stunned. Yes, we were trying, but really weren't expecting it that quickly. And then the doctor said that when you get pregnant right off the pill, there is an increased chance for twins. He immediately took me to the ultrasound room and checked. Thank goodness there was only one!
4. Was abortion an option for you? Never
5. How old were you? 25
6. How did you find out you were pregnant? Home pregnancy test. I always get really cranky and mean and one night I was at my wit's end and I jokingly said, "I wonder if I am pregnant." Well, I had a test, so the next morning I peed on it and it was positive!
7. Who did you tell first? I don't know. We never kept them a surprise, so I am sure our parents.
8. Did you want to find out the sex? Definitely! I wanted a girl so badly. The pregnancy was so different from the other two that I just knew we were having a girl. I even went and bought girl clothes. The night before the ultrasound, I had The Doctor give me a blessing and I was blessed with peace. So the next day when they said it was a boy, I was okay. I did cry some, but I thought I was handling it. The day after that, I was watching Oprah and she had on a woman who had 10 children, all boys. I lost it! I sobbed for 2 hours! But by the time he was born, I was ready for him and wouldn't have traded him in!
9. What was your due date? December 13.
10. Did you have morning sickness? Just slightly nauseous.
11. What did you crave? Fruit.
12. What irritated you? Don't remember.
13. What was the sex of your third child? A boy.
14. Did you wish you had the opposite sex of what you were getting? See #8.
15. How many pounds did you gain throughout the pregnancy? 25
16. Did you have a baby shower? Nope.
17. Were they a surprise?
18. Did you have any complications during your pregnancy? I didn't, but the baby had Hydronephrosis. That is on my list of things to blog about. So stay tuned!
19. Where did you give birth? In the same hospital as #2.
20. How many hours were you in labor? I was induced, so from the time the needle finally got in my arm to the delivery was about 8 hours. But the first 3 hours don't count because the contractions didn't even hurt. It wasn't until the doctor broke my water that I started feeling them.
21. Who drove you to the hospital? My hubby. We had an appointment that morning to see if we should go ahead and do the induction, and when he said yes, we casually walked down the hall to the women's center. Much different than with #2!
22. Who watched you give birth? My hubby and my mom. I loved having her there.
23. Was it natural or c-section? Natural.
24. Did you take medication to ease the pain? At the end, I asked, no begged for an epidural. While it was going in, I started pushing. The nurse pushed my legs together and said I had to wait! But as soon as it was in, I flipped over and 2 minutes later he was born. So I still felt everything. We have figured out that when I start asking for an epidural, I am in transition!
25. How much did your child weigh? 8lbs exactly.
28. When was your child actually born? December 4, 1998 at 5:27 p.m.
30. What did you name him/her? The Chocoholic.
Have you heard about Reflections, the program sponsored by the PTA? This year's theme was "Wow."
Both The Artist and The Chocoholic entered several projects this year.
They each won for one of their projects on the school level.
The Chocoholic got an honorable mention for his picture of a green tomato, but won for his story, "Lightning."
The Artist won for his picture of the moon.
So both projects were sent on to the council level.
Unfortunately, The Chocoholic did not win for his story. But what a good story it was!
The Artist did win! That is his beautiful picture of the moon. It was very cool. So now he goes on to the Region level.
So here was my dilemma. I was SO proud of The Artist for winning, but I felt so bad for The Chocoholic. He was so sad that he didn't win.
So I sat there, going from child to child trying to be happy for one and consoling the other. It was a very gut wrenching evening.
Both The Artist and The Chocoholic entered several projects this year.
They each won for one of their projects on the school level.
The Chocoholic got an honorable mention for his picture of a green tomato, but won for his story, "Lightning."
The Artist won for his picture of the moon.
So both projects were sent on to the council level.
Unfortunately, The Chocoholic did not win for his story. But what a good story it was!
The Artist did win! That is his beautiful picture of the moon. It was very cool. So now he goes on to the Region level.
So here was my dilemma. I was SO proud of The Artist for winning, but I felt so bad for The Chocoholic. He was so sad that he didn't win.
So I sat there, going from child to child trying to be happy for one and consoling the other. It was a very gut wrenching evening.
When The Chocoholic was 2 years old, he came up to me one day and said, "Mom, I need some chocolate." Well, me being the good mother that I am, I took him to the store and bought us some chocolate. We enjoyed it together and I look back on that memory fondly.
Starting in 2005, my mom has helped feed his addiction. She gives all the other grandchildren money for their birthday's, but she gives him chocolate.
This was 2005, and this cute bucket was full of chocolate syrup, candy bars, and a giant Hershey's kiss.
Yum!
In 2006, she took clear tennis ball containers, took the wrappers off, and filled them with Whoppers, tootsie rolls, and other chocolate items. Sadly, I didn't get a picture.
2007 brought 10 Cadbury chocolate candy bars. He was in chocolate heaven!
She asked him this year if he wanted money or chocolate and he immediately responded...Chocolate! He is so excited to see what she does this time!
Starting in 2005, my mom has helped feed his addiction. She gives all the other grandchildren money for their birthday's, but she gives him chocolate.
This was 2005, and this cute bucket was full of chocolate syrup, candy bars, and a giant Hershey's kiss.
Yum!
In 2006, she took clear tennis ball containers, took the wrappers off, and filled them with Whoppers, tootsie rolls, and other chocolate items. Sadly, I didn't get a picture.
2007 brought 10 Cadbury chocolate candy bars. He was in chocolate heaven!
She asked him this year if he wanted money or chocolate and he immediately responded...Chocolate! He is so excited to see what she does this time!
The Chocoholic was born December 4, 1998.
I was 26.
We went to the doctor at 8 am that morning. He examined me, I was only at a 1, and then he sent me to get an ultrasound done on the baby's kidneys. (He was diagnosed with Hydronephosis. Another story for another day.)
After he looked at the pictures, he said that they were the same and he wanted to go ahead with the induction. I said okay. I knew that he had my best interest in mind, and the baby's, and so I was okay with it. Last night, I told Tom that I just had a feeling that I would be induced today, and I was okay with it.
So we walked casually down the hall to the women's center at JV Hospital and they were waiting for us. I got changed into that attractive, modest gown and got into bed.
The nurse came in to put in my I.V. It was so awful! Apparently she usually just works on babies, and not the mommies. She was trying to find a vein that was long enough to put the needle in, and wouldn't roll. She kept switching from hand to hand trying to decide which to use. She started on my right hand, and was trying to put it in. It hurt so bad! I mean really, really bad. So she gave up on the hand and tried to put it in the arm. And it hurt, really, really, really bad!
The Doctor (husband) left and told them we wanted a different nurse to put it in. He said they get two tries, and they are out. I didn't even have to ask him to do that! So another nurse came in and got it in my left hand really quick, and hardly any pain. So finally at 9:35, they got the IV going.
I felt the first contraction 5 minutes later, but it just felt like my Braxton's. For about 3 hours, I only felt about half of the contractions, and they were just strong B.H. No big deal. At 12:40, the dr. came in and broke my water. I thought it would hurt, but I didn't feel a thing, other than wet! At that point, I was only dilated to a 2.
The contractions started getting harder, and I had to start breathing through them. Mom came up, as I had invited her to be there for the birth. I just sat in the rocker and watched TV. I hated not being able to walk around. I think if I could have, it would have gone faster and easier. I asked the nurse, and she said it was "protocol" that if you are on Pitocin, you have to be hooked to the baby monitor at all times, except to go the bathroom.
Side note, my nurse was so wonderful! Her name was FaeLynn, and she was the best thing for me. She was so nice and caring and we talked and talked. She really helped me get through all of this.
Anyway, at 3:30, they checked me, and I was only at 5. I was frustrated. At 4:30, the contractions were really hurting. I was having a hard time keeping control during them. They checked me and I was only at 6.
I asked for an epidural.
Let me take that back.
I begged for an epidural! LOL I was in so much pain. And of course I couldn't walk, so all I could do was lie in bed and breathe. So they put a call in to the anesthesiologist on call, and said he would be there soon.
He got there at 5:05 and they asked if I really still wanted the epidural. They checked me and I was at an 8, but it hurt so bad, that I said yes.
They took their sweet time getting set up (LOL) and at 5:15, ask me again if I am sure. They kept asking me because they knew my feelings on going natural. I had them check me again, and I was still at an 8. I was thinking that this birth was taking forever, and I didn't want any more pain! I said yes.
So then they tell me that I am not allowed to move while he is putting it in.
AS IF!
During the contractions, my nurse was staring me in the eyes, helping me to breathe. I started pushing. Everyone is freaking out because he is still doing the epidural. I was telling them, I need to push! So my nurse is now staring me in the eyes, helping me pant! LOL Tom later told me that my eyes were scary! I had a wild look on my face, and he could tell I was loosing control.
I told them I was pushing, and one nurse grabbed my legs and squeezed them together! I was so mad. I could feel the head between my legs!
At 5:25, they got the epidural in, my nurse went around, looked between my legs, looked at another nurse, and said, "We are going to have to deliver this baby now!" I told them I had to push! LOL Keep in mind my dr.'s office is just down the hall. He walked in as I was pushing the head out. He jokingly told me that if I had had this baby before he got there, he wouldn't be my dr. anymore because that would be twice!
Anyway, The Chocoholic was born at 5:27 p.m. The epidural hadn't even kicked in yet! Sure glad I asked for it! So it was a completely natural birth. I tore some and had to have stitches, but that is because I wasn't patient in my pushing!
The Doctor (husband) told me this part later. When his head started coming out, his face was really blue, and the cord was wrapped around his neck. They were afraid that something was wrong. So as I was trying to push, they were holding him in a little bit, trying to get the cord out enough to get it off. As soon as he was born, they had in the layette, giving him oxygen. But his face wasn't blue from lack of oxygen, it was blue because it was bruised from the birth! So I already gave him a bruise! LOL Again, I didn't know any of this for a couple of days. I am glad I wasn't aware of it then.
He was 8 lbs. even, and 19 inches long, with dark hair! As the dr. was stitching me up, the power went off. Of course only for a second, then the generators kicked in, but it scared me! It had snowed all day, the first real snowstorm of the winter.
After he looked at the pictures, he said that they were the same and he wanted to go ahead with the induction. I said okay. I knew that he had my best interest in mind, and the baby's, and so I was okay with it. Last night, I told Tom that I just had a feeling that I would be induced today, and I was okay with it.
So we walked casually down the hall to the women's center at JV Hospital and they were waiting for us. I got changed into that attractive, modest gown and got into bed.
The nurse came in to put in my I.V. It was so awful! Apparently she usually just works on babies, and not the mommies. She was trying to find a vein that was long enough to put the needle in, and wouldn't roll. She kept switching from hand to hand trying to decide which to use. She started on my right hand, and was trying to put it in. It hurt so bad! I mean really, really bad. So she gave up on the hand and tried to put it in the arm. And it hurt, really, really, really bad!
The Doctor (husband) left and told them we wanted a different nurse to put it in. He said they get two tries, and they are out. I didn't even have to ask him to do that! So another nurse came in and got it in my left hand really quick, and hardly any pain. So finally at 9:35, they got the IV going.
I felt the first contraction 5 minutes later, but it just felt like my Braxton's. For about 3 hours, I only felt about half of the contractions, and they were just strong B.H. No big deal. At 12:40, the dr. came in and broke my water. I thought it would hurt, but I didn't feel a thing, other than wet! At that point, I was only dilated to a 2.
The contractions started getting harder, and I had to start breathing through them. Mom came up, as I had invited her to be there for the birth. I just sat in the rocker and watched TV. I hated not being able to walk around. I think if I could have, it would have gone faster and easier. I asked the nurse, and she said it was "protocol" that if you are on Pitocin, you have to be hooked to the baby monitor at all times, except to go the bathroom.
Side note, my nurse was so wonderful! Her name was FaeLynn, and she was the best thing for me. She was so nice and caring and we talked and talked. She really helped me get through all of this.
Anyway, at 3:30, they checked me, and I was only at 5. I was frustrated. At 4:30, the contractions were really hurting. I was having a hard time keeping control during them. They checked me and I was only at 6.
I asked for an epidural.
Let me take that back.
I begged for an epidural! LOL I was in so much pain. And of course I couldn't walk, so all I could do was lie in bed and breathe. So they put a call in to the anesthesiologist on call, and said he would be there soon.
He got there at 5:05 and they asked if I really still wanted the epidural. They checked me and I was at an 8, but it hurt so bad, that I said yes.
They took their sweet time getting set up (LOL) and at 5:15, ask me again if I am sure. They kept asking me because they knew my feelings on going natural. I had them check me again, and I was still at an 8. I was thinking that this birth was taking forever, and I didn't want any more pain! I said yes.
So then they tell me that I am not allowed to move while he is putting it in.
AS IF!
During the contractions, my nurse was staring me in the eyes, helping me to breathe. I started pushing. Everyone is freaking out because he is still doing the epidural. I was telling them, I need to push! So my nurse is now staring me in the eyes, helping me pant! LOL Tom later told me that my eyes were scary! I had a wild look on my face, and he could tell I was loosing control.
I told them I was pushing, and one nurse grabbed my legs and squeezed them together! I was so mad. I could feel the head between my legs!
At 5:25, they got the epidural in, my nurse went around, looked between my legs, looked at another nurse, and said, "We are going to have to deliver this baby now!" I told them I had to push! LOL Keep in mind my dr.'s office is just down the hall. He walked in as I was pushing the head out. He jokingly told me that if I had had this baby before he got there, he wouldn't be my dr. anymore because that would be twice!
Anyway, The Chocoholic was born at 5:27 p.m. The epidural hadn't even kicked in yet! Sure glad I asked for it! So it was a completely natural birth. I tore some and had to have stitches, but that is because I wasn't patient in my pushing!
The Doctor (husband) told me this part later. When his head started coming out, his face was really blue, and the cord was wrapped around his neck. They were afraid that something was wrong. So as I was trying to push, they were holding him in a little bit, trying to get the cord out enough to get it off. As soon as he was born, they had in the layette, giving him oxygen. But his face wasn't blue from lack of oxygen, it was blue because it was bruised from the birth! So I already gave him a bruise! LOL Again, I didn't know any of this for a couple of days. I am glad I wasn't aware of it then.
He was 8 lbs. even, and 19 inches long, with dark hair! As the dr. was stitching me up, the power went off. Of course only for a second, then the generators kicked in, but it scared me! It had snowed all day, the first real snowstorm of the winter.
See the popped vein in my forehead from pushing? Beautiful!
Oh, I love baby stretches! This outfit, as unattractive as it is, was the outfit we brought all 3 of our boys home in.
How long were your labors? (I am counting from when the pains started, not when my water broke)
The Teenager: 7 hours
The Artist: 3 1/2 hours
The Chocoholic: 8 hours
The Princess: 5 hours
How did you know you were in labor?
The Teenager: My water broke
The Artist: The intense pain!
The Chocoholic: Because I was in a hospital bed with an i.v. of Pitocin hooked up to my arm
The Princess: My water broke
Where did you deliver?
The Teenager: P.V. Hospital
The Artist: J.R. Hospital (BEST WOMEN'S CENTER EVER!)
The Chocoholic: J.R. Hospital (DITTO)
The Princess: A.V. Hospital
C-Section?
None
Who delivered?
The Teenager: Dr. Dinger (I am not kidding...and I hated him! But he was better than the dr. I had for the first 90% of the pregnancy...Dr. Slezack. I'm not kidding!)
The Artist: Dr. Hansen (BEST DOCTOR EVER!)
The Chocoholic: Dr. Hansen (DITTO)
The Princess: Dr. Smith
Drugs?
The Teenager: Two half shots of pain killer, which did nothing except put me to sleep in between contractions so I couldn't get on top of them.
The rest: Nothing. Just wonderful pain and the best feeling in the world is pushing that little baby out. I loved it!
The Teenager: 7 hours
The Artist: 3 1/2 hours
The Chocoholic: 8 hours
The Princess: 5 hours
How did you know you were in labor?
The Teenager: My water broke
The Artist: The intense pain!
The Chocoholic: Because I was in a hospital bed with an i.v. of Pitocin hooked up to my arm
The Princess: My water broke
Where did you deliver?
The Teenager: P.V. Hospital
The Artist: J.R. Hospital (BEST WOMEN'S CENTER EVER!)
The Chocoholic: J.R. Hospital (DITTO)
The Princess: A.V. Hospital
C-Section?
None
Who delivered?
The Teenager: Dr. Dinger (I am not kidding...and I hated him! But he was better than the dr. I had for the first 90% of the pregnancy...Dr. Slezack. I'm not kidding!)
The Artist: Dr. Hansen (BEST DOCTOR EVER!)
The Chocoholic: Dr. Hansen (DITTO)
The Princess: Dr. Smith
Drugs?
The Teenager: Two half shots of pain killer, which did nothing except put me to sleep in between contractions so I couldn't get on top of them.
The rest: Nothing. Just wonderful pain and the best feeling in the world is pushing that little baby out. I loved it!
You would think with a nickname like "The Chocoholic" that he would be overweight.
Nope.
The Chocoholic has always been able to do this. It freaks me out.
I have to buy him "slim" jeans.
Several weeks ago, he was wearing a pair of jean shorts that were just too short. I had him give them to me and I looked at the size.
Size 5.
He is 9 1/2.
I just about died!
He is always eating, always hungry. I don't get it. He certainly didn't get it from The Doctor or me!
Nope.
The Chocoholic has always been able to do this. It freaks me out.
I have to buy him "slim" jeans.
Several weeks ago, he was wearing a pair of jean shorts that were just too short. I had him give them to me and I looked at the size.
Size 5.
He is 9 1/2.
I just about died!
He is always eating, always hungry. I don't get it. He certainly didn't get it from The Doctor or me!
Subscribe to:
Posts
(
Atom
)