Handicap Artist

Josiah is HeRe!!!!!!!

2010-11-18T11:24:00.000-06:00

I had Josiah David at 1 am on Octobr 30th!!! He was 5 lbs. 5 oz. and 17 1/2 inches long. Tiny baby.... I have him in preemie clothes. :-) He is the sweetest, best gift ever! I love him to death.... He's been having a hard time gaining from what he lost initially. At his 2 week check up he was almost 5 lbs. So he as to go back for a weight check on Monday. I decided to supplement with some formula once or twice a day since I'm not sure if I have enough breastmilk especially since my GP immediately got worse after he was born. Plus, my stomach has been upset so I know I wasn't getting enough calories or liquids even though I have been drinking a lot. But I've made some changes to how much formula I am getting and that is getting better. I feel like he is getting more from me, and now I know he is getting enough with the added formula.

My mom left yesterday. She was such a big help! I will definitely miss her. :-) And I know she will miss Josiah. I mean, how could you not??!!! ;-)

The first three pics are from his first day here.

Home from the hospital!!! Two days old.

These are from his first week home. I love this one. He is soooo precious!!!

This is priceless. :-)

Awww....

So little!!!

This pic is from yesterday.

A pic from a few days ago.

For some reason he tends to get pics in this outfit. lol Don't know why. Maybe cuz I don't have bunch of preemie clothes for him. I didn't have any clothes that fit him until my best friend sent me some!!!

Hope you enjoy looking at our sweet baby. :-) I can't get enough of him.....

Sick..................

2010-10-16T21:24:00.000-05:00

I have been super sick. I still don't feel well even though I am finally on the mend. I hate how slow I recover. It's seems to be even slower since I'm pregnant. I just want to feel well!!! I have so much to do. I have three banner orders and two of them are Thanksgiving! Plus, I still have a couple gifts to finish. I'm hping I can get a lot more accomplished this week and the next. First priority is the banners and then the Christmas gifts. I might have to buy some gifts instead of making them. Sigh. We shall see.... I hate my health right now! I hate how it changes everything. It's hard enough to live when I'm not sick with a sinus infection and a bad cough, but when you add it on it makes life so much harder. I've been dying to paint.... I've been regulated to reading and watching tv like there is ever anything on tv. I finally was able to draw out the cornucopia on the one banner today, and it made me sooo tired, bleary eyed, and dizzy not to mention making my headache even worse. Sigh. At least it's drawn.... That's the hard point.

On a happy note, my mom will be here tomorrow evening!!!!! So thrilled!!! I asked her if she could cut and ready a couple of banners for me, and she said sure. Yay! I need all the help I can get right now. lol Oh, Tuesday I have a Chelsea bag class! Can't wait to learn how to make it! It's a backpack. Anyway, I hope I can make it through without feeling too horrible, but at least my mom will be there to help me if I feel like I'm going to pass out.

Ben bought me How to Train Your Dragon!!!!! I love love love that movie! It even had the extra little short with it, too. Such a nice surprise. I just figured we would rent it from RedBox. lol

I'm about to watch another movie I got from Amazon Unbox. And then t bed I go. I will probably go to bed before the movie is finished. lol But that's ok. We can finish it tomorrow. :-)

Sick

2010-10-10T17:05:00.000-05:00

Thursday evening I got sick. It was that sudden. I took a nap, and when I woke up I was coughing and coughing and my throat was sore. Then I started sneezing and blowing my nose that night. Crazy. My heart rate has been faster b/c of not feeling well so I hope the baby is fine. I'm sure he is, but it's still there in the back of my mind - is it affecting him??? :-) So I've just been resting, reading, and watching movies. I need to paint some stuff so I'm hoping to work on it tomorrow. Oh, I have another banner order. It's a Thanksgiving one like mine. I need to prep that banner and start working on my other 2 banner orders. I'm thankful to have some orders. :-) I need to get the Thanksgiving ones out SoOn! That's my goal for this week. I hate being sick. It's causes such a wrench in my plans.... Sigh. Oh, well.

My nerve pain has been so bad. The baby is in the perfect spot to increase my pain. Plus, he's been kicking a lot around my j-tube making it hurt even more and bleed a lot more, too. I'm so ready for him to be out, but I want him to wait so he will be a healthy baby.

I've been reading a book entitled Babywise. A friend reccommended it, and it is so good. It has so much good advice! I also ordered an electric breastpump. I hope breastfeeding turns out to be easy in the sense of having enough milk and enough calories in it. We'll see very soon.

My mom will be here in a week!!!!!! Can you believe it?! I'm so excited! I hope the baby comes a couple weeks early so Mom can be around 2 weeks after the baby is born. I will need help then.

We aren't moving to Georgia till the beginning of January, but Ben will be off in the middle of December so we can get things done. The trip should be way easier on me at that time. So the baby's first Christmas will be in Texas. :-)

I have so much to tell you guys, but I'm super dizzy right now. Plus, a bad headache so I will talk to you later.

Ramblings

2010-09-26T10:41:00.000-05:00

I just finished a bring book I had to review. I was surprised because her other book was so good. But oh, well..... I did manage to finish it..... So now I'm on to the third one. So far it is ok. We'll see. :-)

I had a horrible day yesterday. I was sooo sick. I felt miserable. I hope today is better. I somehow managed to put a base coat on 4 banners. The other one is different. I have to draw things on it before I can paint. I'm hoping to do the drawing of the butterfly today and get the words on it so all I will have to do is paint it tomorrow. We'll see how that goes. I might be able to sketch out the other banners. That's my hope, but we all know my health rules on things like that. lol It's ok, though. I'll work around it like I always do.

The weather here has been sooooo nice! It's been in the 80s with a slight breeze. We are supposed to be in the 50s tonight, and then we will go into the 60s at night. That means we don't even need the air on! I love fall!!! I've been able to walk Kalyee again, and we both love it. She's such a great dog.

My star candle mat class got cancelled! So sad. :-( The next and only time they have it is October 8th, and I have a doc appt. that day. Suzanne said she could show me how to do it when I come in next so we'll see. I have the cutest fabric for it, too. Here's hoping I can learn it!

Dad's gift is coming along. I need to work on Dylan's gift today. I'm wanting, too. :-) It's hard to let my body dictate how and when to do things, but I've gotten used to it as time has gone on. No use fighting it and getting all mad when that won't change a thing.

The growth scan went well. The doc came in with a huge grin on his face and said that the baby is 3 lbs. 13 oz.!!!!!! He said he is perfect - not too big and not small. God is so good.... It really is a miracle. :-) He'll be here before we know it. Our precious gift from God. I can't wait to meet him and hold him.

The Day

2010-09-22T14:50:00.000-05:00

Today I have gotten my banners ready to paint my base coat. I'll be able to start sketching on them tomorrow. :-) Later on today I'm hoping to work some more on the toolbox and try to do touch-ups on my dad's gift. I sewed 2 snap clutches over the weekend. They are so fun!!! All I haveleft to do is paint the thing for Ben's dad. I think that's it... We'll see. :-)

I'm taking another class on Tuesday!!! It's on how to make a star candle mat. I got the fabric I need on Friday, but I need to get some more - it's 30% off this week so that will help! Maybe I can go tomorrow after he growth scan. We'll see. :-) The mat is for me. I can't wait to show you the fabric I chose!!! It is so cute.

Kaylee had a vet appointment today. She gt everything done so I don't have anything to worry about when we move. Oh, I can get a free wellness exam for the flight since we are PCSing. All I have to do is show our orders. I love anything free. ;-) Saves us $25! So Kaylee is all good. I'm going to try to take her on a walk in a little bit. It's such a beautiful day.

I feel so tired. I have some laundry going, but I still need to unload teh dishwasher. Sigh I don't want to move! lol I hate feeling so out of it. Frustrating.

Ben's mom comes Friday afternoon. She will stay a week, and I don't have anything ready! The art/sewing/baby room is so cramped already. I'll have to be inventive. Anyway, I haven't cleaned up that room yet. It's craft messy. And the desk has papers everywhere. Sigh. I so don't want to fix it. I'm planning on organizing it tomorrow before my ultrasound. We'll see how that goes. Oh, I need to figure out what to cook, too. Sigh. I need a nap. I feel so tired....

Orders!

2010-09-14T09:34:00.000-05:00

I have banner orders!!! I have 3 small banner orders and 2 big banners. Yay! I'm gonna be busy.... :-D But it's good b/c I can use that money to pay for Kaylee's annual vet visit and hopefully, a tire for our car. I'm pretty sure I can b/c I'm getting my payment for a small banner today. I am so thankful! Now I can save for our trip and the last minute things I will need for the baby.

So on my agenda today. I am going to wet the dropcloth and set it out to dry. I decided to cut the banner sizes out after I steam them. I need to go buy some more dropclothes on Saturday b/c I don't have enough for all the orders. While the dropcloth dries, I'm going to draw out 2 Mario pictures and draw out "Super Dylan" for our nephew's toolbox. Plus, I need to sketch out the mushrooms and question mark boxes. I don't know if I will transfer it all onto the box, but I need to at least draw it all! I'm going to do the face on my dad's gift, too. That's my plan! Now to see if it actually happens.... LOL :-D

I have my last class at Quiltin' Country on Thursday. I'm going to learn to make a snap clutch! They look so cute. :-)

Kaylee is doing well with her carrier/kennel!!! She got in all by herself yesterday and just lay down. I was so excited! She was so scared just a week and a half ago. Treats have really been working. What dog can resist food. ;-) I'm hoping I can train to "go to the kennel" whenever I need her, too. I've been working on it, and she's pretty smart. Plus, I want her to view it as her happy place especially for the plane ride in December!!!

I went to the OB yesterday. They want me to start counting kicks and then put a check in the box when he kicks 10x in 2 hours. I have to start going every week now, and next week they are going to give me a non-stress test to make sure the baby and I are doing well. Next week is another growth scan. I'm hoping Ben can take me since it's a later time and it will be a pain with the HOP. And he can see how much bigger the baby is! Last time he saw him was when we found out he was a boy which was at 19 weeks. So he looks a lot different now!

That's the update for now. :-)

Exciting News!

2010-09-11T11:16:00.000-05:00

I ordered business cards!!! Can you believe it?! I've wanted to for so long. Let me tell you how it happened. I got an e-mail from my friend/sister-in-law about this place that has 80% off address labels and business cards. She thought I would order address labels, but my eye was on the business cards. ;-) I found a design I really like and added in all my info. And then I saw that I could make a website through vistaprint. I was like hmmmm should I? Or shouldn't I? It's free for the first month, and then it's $4.99. So I talked to Ben, and he was like do it! So I did! So not only did I order business cards, but I started my own website!!! I know this is the way I should start. I can eventually get a better website or do Etsy. Etsy just isn't right for now. I don't know why. I just know I shouldn't. But this is right. I feel peace about it for sure. I know God is leading me in the best path. I am so happy and excited. :-) I'm hoping to get in with PayPal in January. I'm sticking with checks for now. I know I may not get any orders, but hey, at least I started!!! That is huge in my book. :-) My website is: http://customdecor.vpweb.com/ I hope you check it out!

Of course, I want the site to look better. Especially the gallery section, but I'm happy with it. I know I can't do more with it right now, and that's ok. I'm so glad I'm at this point in my life. I thought I would never get here. I know I have a long way to go to not be so perfectionistic, but I'm encouraged to see progress. :-) God always gives us hope and encouragement. Don't you love that? He always thinks of everything.

The interesting part of this whole thing is that my health is deteroriating. My CMT is getting worse from the pregnancy like I knew it would. I am getting weaker, hurting way more, and am staying super tired. I'm sure anemia isn't helping. But the point is, that even though things are getting way more difficult God is still here. He is still caring for me. He loves me so much that He keeps on bringing things in my life to brighten my pain-filled days. I feel so incredibly thankful to Him. And humbled that He would do so much for little ole me. I know I don't deserve His goodness and mercy, but God gives it to me anyway. :-) I feel more at peace as each day goes by. I'm not worried about the move b/c I know God will work it all out for our good. So why should I worry? I trust Him, and that's all I need to know right now. I don't have to know the logistics of how it will happen, but it will all work out. That doesn't mean I will stop planning and organizing. God doesn't expect me to be lazy. But while I am planning, I have peace knowing even if it doesn't go according to "my" plan it will go according o God's. And that's the best way it can go!

I just wanted to share this with you all. And if you guys are having a hard time, remember God is right there ready and willing to help you. Just go to Him. He never disappoints. :-)

Anniversary

2010-09-06T18:25:00.000-05:00

I had a great anniversary last Thursday! Ben and I have been married for four yers. :-) We went out to a Japanese steak house called Nami. It is right across from our housing division. We love that place. We just sat at a table and enjoyed the evening. Oh, he got me a gift card to a book store here that sells used books, new books, and new books marked down rally cheap. I was sooo excited! I could hardly wait to go! lol I got five books that I have been dying to read. Smart husband. He knew what would make me happy. :-D It was a great evening. He also rented some movies for us to watch over the four day. We both loved the old Nancy Drew mysteries. We are working on "The Diary of Anne Frank" right now. He liked what I got him, too - how could he resist a Wii game??? ;-) lol

So here's some pics of us that night.

I love this one even though it is blurry.

My belly. I'm almost 7 months!!! Can you believe it?!

The flowers Ben got me. I was excited to be able to arrange them! It came with greenery and some purple looking baby breath.

The tote I made at my class on Friday. It's for my sister. This is the front of the bag.

And the back of the bag. I like to make each side look different. :-)

Another tote bag as a gift. I just need to finish my dad's gift, and then make some more over the oven towels. Only three of them.

We went shopping today, and I was able to get some gifts for Ben's nephews. Just one of his nephews is left now. Oh, and the one I'm painting the toolbox for. I still haven't painted Mario on that. I'm going to do Dad's gift first, though. I ordered some gifts online, and now I'm just waiting to find some good deals for the guys. I know what I'm getting most of the guys. I'm just unsure about one of my brothers still. But it will come to me.

My j-tube has been bothering me lately. It's been having some strange discharge and is very tender to the touch. I'm going to get it checked out tomorrow.

That's it for now. :-)

Crib for Baby!

2010-08-30T16:12:00.000-05:00

The crib!!! I am so happy how it turned out. :-) I just need to buy a mat and frame for Peter Rabbit and hang him up above the crib. I also need to sketch out the other characters I need so the set will be complete.

The bumper up close. My mom made it. I just stitched in the ditch.

The little rabbit. :-)

My OB appointment went well. I had a problem with my eyes over the weekend and then had a horrible headache and both of my eyes really hurt. They think I had an ocular migraine, but they wanted me to tell my neurologist to make sure it wasn't something more serious. So I called, and now I'm just waiting for a call back. :-) Could be awhile. ;-) Also, my blood count dropped. I was already low, but it went even lower. Sigh. So they are getting up with my GI to see how they want to add some iron to my fomula or if that is even an option. Plus, they are talking about inducing me at 39 weeks. That is if the baby hasn't already decided to come out. lol They want to do it on a weekday so I can have all the different docs I need around. That way I can have my g-j mic-key replaced while I'm still in the hospital. We'll see how that goes.... Not sure I want it, but I understand the reasons behind it. :-) Maybe he will decide to be born on a weekday on his own. Who knows. :-)

I can't finish the tote bag I started yesterday until I get matching thread. I'm hoping to get that tomorrow. tThen I can put it together and post it up for y'all to see.

The toolbox is all ready for me to paint Mario on it! I found a really cool pic online of Mario throwing a fireball. I want to do another action pose on the other side. At the bottom of the toolbox I will have a mushroom, star, and a 1-up mushroom. The front will have his name with "Super" above it in smaller print. That was Ben's great idea. ;-) I haven't quite decided what I will put on the back. Maybe a question mark box. That would be kinda neat. Maybe some regular blocks and then a question mark box. I like that idea, but I might change my mind. :-D

Oh, my midwife is so sweet! She wants to buy me all the Peter Rabbit books. Well, I guess I should say Beatrix Potter books. The small ones that I've wanted for awhile!!! I think that is just the sweetest thing.... :-) I had to share.

I finally decided on the pattern I want for Tonya's tote bag! I just need to sew it together before Friday so I might do it tomorrow. We'll see. I have a couple days. :-)

My First Zippered Pillow

2010-08-29T14:10:00.000-05:00

Here's my latest sewing project. It's a gift for one of our nephews. It was the first time I sewed a zipper! I watched this tutorial where this guy showed a super easy way to put a zipper in a pillow. So that made my life a lot easier.

I'm working on a tote bag for a gift today. I would like to finish my dad's gift sometime this week, too. Plus, I have a class to learn how to make a charm party tote. I'm making that for my sister. I'm in a sewing and a painting mood so I'm not sure what I will make this week. :-D I know I will make the charm tote b/c I will make it at the class. ;-)

Lots of News

2010-08-26T13:04:00.000-05:00

The baby is still growing well!!! Yes! Anyway, he is 2 lbs. 11 oz. right now. :-) Also I can breastfeed! They can switch my one med to another after I've had the baby. I am so thrilled! I can't believe I actually can.... Makes me so happy. :-) It is so much better for the baby, and I'm all about making him healthy. The only problem is that the new med can make my asthma worse. So we will see.

I finished a banner,and she wants another banner with monkeys. lol I wasn't expecting that. Plus, I might have an order for a fall banner so we will see.... I need as many orders as I can get! Every little bit helps. :-) So here's the latest banner. It was taken outside so it is harder to see b/c of the brightness, but I was able to fix some of it so it isn't as bad as it was.

I've been busy with errands this week so I haven't had much time to get some of my projects done. I think I might start working on the toolbox I'm painting for one of our nephews. It will have Mario on it. I'm more in the painting mood right now, I think. But I am hoping to work on the tote bag this weekend. We'll see.

Ben is off tomorrow! Yay! Not sure what we will do, but at least he will be around. :-) Maybe we can play Wii. We did that the other night, and it was so much fun! We played the Mario one for Wii. You know, the one that came out last year around Christmas. I love that one. It's so much fun b/c you get to play together. I also like Mario Kart, and I want to play Super Mario Sluggers b/c I like baseball on Wii. Especially since I can't play it for real. I at least feel like I'm playing b/c I get to swing the bat! Too fun.

I have housing for Fort Hunter!!! They are giving me an already handicap house. It was built in 2006 and has three bedrooms and two baths!!! I was like, wow?! Really?! At first, they were going to give me a two bedroom b/c we will only have 1 child, but those houses are way too small for me with a power chair. Especially since they would totally have to revamp it for me. I am so thankful we will get one already ready for me! But there are some things they might still need to do that they didn't mention was done already. They said yes, make sure you mention everything I need so they can work on it. They are being so helpful and nice! :-) God has really blessed us with this. I have all the paperwork except for the doctor note saying I need modifications and which modifications I need. The woman said I can go ahead and send everything I have, and they will be put me on the list. I can't believe how quickly everything has come together! It is amazing. I know it is God working this all out. There is no other way.

I have a new provider to help me with stuff like taking me to appointments, going to the store, picking up my meds, and helping me with things around the house. She is awesome! And so kind. She is a Christian, too. We hit it off immediately. She has 2 boys so she has great advice for me, too. Her name is Missy, by the way.

Missy is the one who gave me the advice of flying instead of driving to Savannah. I had thought about it earlier, but I wasn't sure if I should b/c of Ben having to travel alone. Plus, he would have to clean the house.... But Missy suggested paying someone to do it. Bingo! Great idea. :-) And then there is Kaylee. I would rather Kaylee go with me on the plane, and since it is winter she could go as baggage. It would be costly b/c I would have to by a big carrier for her and pay for her to go. But I would rather that. She would handle it better, I think. If I go to Dallas, I could get a straight flight to RDU which would make everything better. I wouldn't have to worry about Kaylee being accidentally put on the wrong plane, and I wouldn't have the problem of transferring to another plane with the baby. :-) Then I can stay there a couple days, and my parents could drive me down to Savannah to meet up with Ben. Hopefully, we can get into housing immediately and get all our stuff from the movers quickly. We are moving at a good time b/c most ppl move in the summer. So I'm just praying all that stuff works out well.

Lots of great new, don't you think? :-) Hope your day is going well!

Peter Rabbit!

2010-08-21T15:12:00.000-05:00

I finished Peter Rabbit!!!!! It was awesome to paint in watercolor again! I aboslutely love the new watercolor boards they have out now! Man, it makes it so much easier to paint b/c you don't have to worry about putting too much water on it and having the paper came up. I want way more of these! Makes it so much less stressful to not have to worry about the paper, too. I'm hoping to transfer my lion to my one other watercolor board and start working on it this week. But before I can paint the lion, I have to finish this banner order. I'm hoping to get it mailed out by Monday so we will see. :-) Anyway, here is Peter Rabbit.

I got fabric for Cathy's tote bag at Hancock on Thursday. All the fabrics were on clearance! I love the focus fabic for it. I can't wait to make it! Sometime next week. Maybe even tomorrow. ;-) I have some more over the oven towels to work on, and I need to stitch in the ditch the crib bumper my mom made and sent to me. It's the final touch to it. Also, I got the fabric I wanted for the grocery cart cover! It was a remnant at a really good price and the fabric I wanted to use for it! Plus, I got the fabric to work on the pillow for Eli's Christmas present. It shouldn't be too hard to do. So this week is sewing week. ;-) I'll post pics of all the stuff I've made when it is done.

That's about it for now. Have a great weekend!

Feeling Better

2010-08-18T10:54:00.000-05:00

I'm finally feeling better and more like myself! Yay! When I went to my OB appointment on Monday, my midwife took one look at me and was like let's get you out of here quick! lol I still wasn't feeling well from the surgery. I was so glad she took care of me quickly. :-) Oh! I found out what blood type I am! I am O- so that means I had to get a shot. LOL I just find it too funny that I've always wanted to know what blood type I am, and I've been stuck a bazillion times in my life and now when I finally find out I get another shot! Just like me to make it difficult. ;-) It's b/c of the RH Factor when you are pregnant and have that blood type.

So I drank that horrible stuff for the bloodwork, and of course, it made me super nauseated and hurt my stomach a lot. BUT I kept it done. :-) Talk about living on nausea meds. The thing that bugged me the whole time I was drinking it was that I know I am not diabetic. I actually get low blood sugar more than anything else. Ah, well.

Yesterday I had my tote class!!! I love it! I'm giving it as a gift, and I can't wait to make more as gifts. :-)

I used a different pattern for the front and back so it's more interesting. It was so fun and easy. I have a banner order! She wants it like the dragonfly one I just did but w/o the ladybugs and in her school's colors. She's a teacher so it will be in her classroom. :-) Also, it sounds like there is another banner order coming soon. The big kind this time.

I go to GI today. I'm going to bring my Audrey Hepburn picture and work on it. I'm doing her in pencil, and when she's done I'm hanging her up in the art/craft room. Since I go to Temple so much I'm going to bring her to all my appointments until she is finished. Then I'll bring something else. I love finally hitting on to this idea. Before I was kinda like, but ppl will see.... I hate to be in the spotlight, but I need to get some things finsihed so I'm going to be brave and do it! I'm so excited at the possibility of getting some pics done this way!!!

Well, I need to clean the bathroom. I also want to make Ben a dessert today. I just haven't decided WhAt to make. lol It might be tomorrow, though b/c the day is going by fast, and I will be on the HOP later. We'll see what happens. :-)

Surgery Update

2010-08-14T13:41:00.000-05:00

My surgery turned out more complicated than it was supposed to be. Ben and I got there a little before 9:30 and didn't leave to go home till 2:45! It was a looong day. :-) They got me in a room by 10 and started an IV, and then the anesthesia guy came in and went over all my info with me. Then the assistant to the GI doc came and talked to me. The GI who did the replacement I've never met before, and I never did meet him!!! I was knocked out before I saw him. So that was kinda weird. lol Anyway, they took me to the surgery room at 11 and got me all set up, and then I was asleep.

When I woke up, I could hear myself coughing, wheezing, and having a hard time breathing, but I was still so out of it. They were trying to get me to use my inhaler. I tried but just didn't have the strength and wasn't even sure where it was. lol They finally got it in me. I heard them telling the recovery nurse my blood presure was staying really low, and I was having tachycardia the whole time in surgery. And now the asthma attack. So they got a nebulizer to me really really quick. I don't even remember all that. I remember them telling me several times to wake up and breath. I finally woke up enough and was breathing the stuff in better. I had the treatment for about 20 minutes, and I felt lots better when it was done. My blood pressure finally rose so I didn't have to take any meds to raise it. But my heart rate stayed fast the whole day. I think when they went in to suck up the stuff from my stomach that my pill must have still been trying to digest. I don't know, but it was fast all day so I felt miserable.

I wasn't able to feed after midnight and then the surgery took 2 hours instead of 30 minutes! Then they told me I couldn't drink anything for an hour and couldn't feed until 8 pm!!! I was like oh, no.... I was feeling so shaky and weak. I fell while trying to transfer to my power chair. Ben helped me. It was just like oh, wow I am weak. So I was sick all day and just needed rest and lots of it. I finally managed to eat a little something and drink some Ginger Ale. I was so happy to start my feeds!!!

The other problem was that when they went to replace my tube, they noticed that the tube was really coiled up and was in stomach. The end of the tube was going into the small intestine, but it was too close to my stomach. So that probably explains why I have been sooo sick the past couple of weeks with intense nausea, feeling full, stomach upset, and losing weight. I'm glad we got this thing fixed and out of me!!! They think it messed up so bad b/c of my growing stomach, and I didn't have enough cord to continue down into my small intestine. They made sure I had enough this time so I'm hoping and praying it stays where it's supposed to so I don't get so sick again!!!

I slept for about 11 hours before the surgery, and last night I got about 10. But I still don't feel well today. I was ok for the first hour I was up, but the more I moved and did stuff they sicker I got. My head is really hurting, my throat is super sore from the tube down me for 2 hours, the sides of my neck near my ears are very tender to the touch - probably from the tube, too - and I just feel exhausted. I wanted to paint today, but I don't know.... Ben said I should just rest and not do anything. :-)

Ben's 12 hour shifts started up today. He will be working 12 hours every day for 3 weeks. That means weekends, too. I miss him already. lol I'm used to him being around on the weekends so it's weird. :-) We might not be able to get leave for our anniversary. It would be nice if we could just b/c next year the baby will be here and this is our last time of just us for awhile. But it's ok. As long as we spend time together that is what matters. :-) He's going to see if they will let him use his 4 day for reenlisting for our anniversary. So we'll see what happens. :-)

I might have another banner order! That will be nice. :-)

Well, that's my long update. Hope everyone is doing well!

Another Banner

2010-08-12T13:43:00.000-05:00

Here's my latest banner. It's for a little girls room. Dragonflies and ladybugs. I hope the Mom likes it!!! The little one is just one, I think so she's not going to care yet. lol

I'm really happy with it. :-) I'm glad my orders are done before the surgery tomorrow. The thing is I'm so out of it I don't think I'm going to get much accomplished today. Sigh. I wanted to sew, but I need Ben here to change the needle for me. I was going to paint, but I'm too tired. I honestly don't want to do anything. I had to get up too early, and I have to get up early tomorrow, too. Yuck. I'm just going to watch movies tomorrow probably. Anesthesia makes me feel tired all day. Oh, I can't feed after midnight. I hope I get home at a reasonable time tomorrow. I don't want to be stuck there for too long....

I read a book on the bus ride today. Like usual. But this one I started and finished on the bus. lol I already wrote my review on my other blog. It was pretty good. Not boring at all. It was about Anne Bradstreet - the Puritan poetess. :-)

I can't wait for my tote bag class!!! So excited. :-) Should be lots of fun. The women at the shop are always really sweet.

It's still really hot here. It's just too hot to walk Kaylee. She hasn't gotten out much in a couple weeks. With the heat index, we stay around 108.

That's about it for now.

Surgery Again

2010-08-10T12:49:00.000-05:00

So I will have my g-j mickey replaced Friday afternoon. Sometime around 1-4. The bad part is I can't feed until I'm done! I just went through a stomach bug and lost weight, but I have finlly gained it back!!! Thank you, God!!! I don't want to lose again b/c it was a hard hard battle to gain it back. :-) Anyway, they are planning on giving me IV fluids at least. So that's good. I will have it in the OR this time so they can monitor me better since I'm 6 months pregnant now. The OB will also send down someone to check the baby's heart rate before and after surgery. So Thursday I have the anesthesia appointment. My GI appointment got switched t next week - well, they are trying to switch it to next week. Good news! I finished the baby quilt!!!

Good news! I finished the baby quilt!!! It's a rail fence quilt, and it is my first quilt! I alternated green and blue pinwheels. So excited it's finished! I'm thinking of doing the Square Dance quilt next.

Also, I'm taking a class on how to make a tote bag with a pocket. That will be next week. I already have the fabric. I'm going to give it one of my sister-in-laws. I plan on making more tote bags as birthday gifts, too. :-)

I finished a commissioned banner on Saturday. I'm hoping Ben can send it out today. Here it is.

Here's my fall banner. I finally took the time to finish the little details on it.

I have another banner order I'm working on. It's for a little girl's room so it should be fun. I'm doing a smaller size. It'll be 10x15 b/c her name has 7 letters. Also, I'm adding ladybugs and dragonflies, and if I figure out how to paint lightning bugs, I'll be adding them, too. I've done the background color, and a coat on the border so I'm hoping to get the boring stuff done today so I can get to the fun of drawing and painting the dragonflies and ladybugs. ;-) Oh, I also have to draw her name, too. Letters are kinda fun to me. :-)

I've also been sewing some Christma gifts for the women I know. I need to finish my dad's gift, too. It's a painted figurine. Ben added the porch to the dollhouse, put the door in, and added the windows! It's coming along!!! I can't wait to make the furniture and stuff. I can see cute little lacey curtains in the widows.

Oh! I drew Peter Rabbit!!! I want to paint him so bad, but I need to finish this banner first..... But he's all ready now!!! So excited. I need to go ahead and add him to the paper so I can just paint right off.

Oh, no! I just remembered I was supposed to make a painting for Ben's work! Oh, man! I need to work on that ASAP! I have to decide what to put it on first. Ben kinda wants an Apache blade and a Black Hawk blade.... Sounds boring to me. lol I wanted to draw a sillhouette of both of the helicopters. But that's way more difficult. lol So we'll see. :-)

I'm off to work on the banner. Oh, I still haven't gotten my school assignment back, and I haven't heard anything from my story I sent out. Unusual to take this long with my school assignment, but not unusual for the story I submitted to the magazine. lol Ok, I'm going for real now. ;-)

Skype Time

2010-07-28T12:39:00.000-05:00

I have a growth ultrasound tomorrow! It's so nice to see him and that he is groing on schedule. :-) Definitely alleviates my fears. I didn't find out till Monday evening that I had this appt. b/c they didn't call me to let me know! So annoying. I am hoping to get home at a reasonable time.

My best friend and I are Skyping and talking on the phone all this week since neitherone of us was able to travel to each other. I am so thankful we live in this time!!! Makes staying in touch super easy. We have watched a movie together so far. Basically we have just been taling and talking. lol We never run out of things to say. ;-) Plus, it's nice to see each other. We are hoping to paint together eventually. I love my sister in heart so much!!! She is the bestest. :-)

I think I will draw until we can Skype. I've been dying to watercolor lately. I have to make time to work on the lion picture and Peter Rabbit. I need to work with my true painting love. It's nice to get paid for the banners, but I get tired of acrylic when I love watercolor so much. Oh, my midwife wants to see pics of my work so I'm hoping order some pics so she can see them. Probably banners and watercolor pics.

Oh, I painted this saying, but I sent it off to my friend without taking a pic of it!!! Frustrating. She is going to try to get a pic for me so I can have it on file. :-)

I had a pretty good day Saturday! Ben and I went out and had so much fun together. I love him lots! :-) I was so glad I was feeling well enough to do something with him.

I've found some pretty good Christmas ideas on the internet now that I can sew. So excited!!! Can't wait to make them. :-) And they look pretty easy, too so that is awesome.

I'll try to post some pics next time.

The Day

2010-07-22T18:00:00.000-05:00

I had my OB appointment today. My friend, Charity, took me b/c the HOP (Special Transit Bus) didn't have a Medicare/Medicaid patient going at my time. I can only go to Temple as long a Medicaid patient is onboard. I have no idea why they have that rule. I mean c'mon I pay there and back. Oh, well. So I had to use my manual which I hate b/c 1) it is uncomfortable 2) it won't fit in the small bathrooms in the OB rooms 3) it would be a pain to weigh since I didn't know its weight (Now I do. lol) and 4) I can't move myself in a manual. But we made it. :-)

I got to see the baby again today!!! He is getting so big. And cute!!! In 2-3 weeks I have to have another growth ultrasound to make sure he is still on schedule. I go back to my OB in two weeks. Well, less than two b/c I already had an ortho appointment scheduled that day. I'm not about to change that one! I would get way to behind in my braces schedule. We can't have that! lol Anyway, I'm going to be going to the docs a lot in August. Sigh. Not fun.

So they ran bloodwork!!! They agreed that they need to make sure there is nothing wrong befor ethey say officially it's this or that. But my midwife was actually there this time!!! She is so so nice. Anyway, she told me that in the 2nd trimester is when most women experience a lot of headaches so that could be what it is. I was like why didn't anybody tell me that before??? That's what I kept saying - is this something to expect or could this be something else. Crazy docs. Oh, she also told me I most definitely do not have to sleep on my left side!!!!!! YES! It bothers my j-tube so much I couldn't take it. I am so glad. Now it won't bleed anymore. :-) And hopefully, stop hurting me. Oh, when the midwife came back with my OB, she said he agreed with all the bloodwork you suggested. LOL ;-) He added a couple more, too. I thought that was hysterical, though. I can't believe I'm 24 weeks!!! I so hope I can make it the whole way.

I finally had a good doc appointment when my midwife and OB are there. The OB I like. lol I hope he is the one there for my delivery.... I really really don't want the other guy..... But if Pattie is there maybe it won't be so bad. :-) Oh, she wants me to bring pics to show her my watercolor paintings. Any of my artwork, actually. So that's cool.

I need to work on the baby's pics tomorrow. I've been so exhausted the last few days I coudln't do much of anything. If I get lots of sleep tonight I should be able to. I sent my story out to Highlights yesterday. So excited! hope it sells! I haven't heard back from my school about my last ever assignment with them. As soon as I do, I will fix what they suggest and send it on out. :-) I really want to sell my stories. I write them for kids to read and enjoy. Not sit in a box at home. Anyway, that's all for now. I have to go finish supper real quick. Chicken and pastry - one of Ben's faves. :-)

Frustrations

2010-07-20T20:34:00.000-05:00

I go to the OB on Thursday, and they better listen to me and help me!!! I am so super bugged at all my docs right now. I have been having horrible headaches for 5 weeks. They thought it was dehydration, but I've been drinking more and flushing more , and it is not helping!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so sick of this. Plus, they haven't checked my bloodwork in awhile, and I want to make sure everything with my nutrition is good. I am so tired of being the doctor and nurse and having to deal with all this at the same time. C'mon people, DO YOUR JOB! I'm doing mine and then some. I am so sick of this.

God is def helping me through this, though. Even though I'm bugged, I know He is in charge, and He is more than enough for me. I know He will work this out. I just need to keep trusting Him. :-)

I need to go to the post office tomorrow, pick up some meds, and take some library books back. Then home to rest. Oh, I'm sending out a new story tomorrow!!! I'm hoping this is the one that sells. :-)

Game Craze

2010-07-17T22:45:00.000-05:00

So guess what I have been into lately? Scrabble!!! lol I've been playing it on pogo.com for free. But Mom found my computer game I left at home, and I should get it Monday!!! Yay! I remember when Mom and I played Scrabble almost every night. We were very evenly matched. She would win one night and I would win the next. It was so fun. It always took at least 2 hours to play each game, but at least we never got bored with nothing on tv. ;-) The times when we weren't on a Scrabble kick we would play Skip-Bo. That was when I was the only one left at home. I wasn't used to not having somebody to hang out with what with being the youngest of five. Mom was so great about it. She would stop things she needed to do just to make me happy. She knew I wanted to do something. :-) That was also when my friends had moved away so I was left alone by my siblings moving out and by no friends. But oddly enough I didn't really miss it too much b/c of Mom being there for me. Besides I never could go out much with my friends when they were there b/c of my health. It's a good thing I love to read!!! And paint. And I don't mind being alone. :-)

I've been practicing with my sewing machine before I start quilting my quilt. I so do not want to mess it up!!! I also started my dad's Christmas present and did a preliminary sketch of Peter Rabbit for the baby's room.

That's my update for now. :-)

Contest

2010-07-13T21:11:00.000-05:00

Short update: We got the money from Chase!!!!!!!!!! Yay for G-PACT!!!!! As soon as they decide how to use this money for awareness, I will let you guys know. I am just so so thrilled. :-D

Vote for G-PACT!!!

2010-07-09T18:56:00.000-05:00

Anybody who reads this and has a facebook account, please please vote for this charity. Here's the direct link: http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/charities/233092178-gastroparesis-patient-association-for-cures-and-treatments-inc

I have gastroparesis along with 5 million others. Gastroparesis is partial paralyzation of the stomach so my stomach doesn't empty anything I put in it fast enough leaving me feeling really nauseated, bad stomach pain and abdominal pain, and feeling full and bloated after a small amount of food. It is a horrible diease robbing me of the joy of eating and drinking anything I want. The bad thing is the only drug the US allows us to use has bad side effects so most of us can't even take it!!! I am on lots of nausea meds everyday so I can drink and eat some food to keep my stomach from getting even worse than it already is. But I get most of my nutrition through a j-tube. A j-tube bypasses my stomach and goes directly into my small intestine. My small intestine is slightly delayed, too but not as bad my stomach. I used to be on IV nutrition. I had that for 2 years, and it was way more dangerous than the j-tube. I've been on the j-tube for a year. I had symptoms for a few years before I was diagnosed. I'm only 26 and had trouble since I was 20. It seems to come more to women especially ones in their 20s. I get so tired of going to the ER or being in the hospital.

Anyway, G-PACT is a small organization and really needs this $20,000 to help increase awareness. Please, please vote!!!

Miscellaneous Stuff

2010-07-08T22:06:00.000-05:00

I painted this banner for my case manager as a thank you gift for all she does foe me. I matched it to the colors in her house and then red and purple b/c those are her favorite colors. But she decided to hang it in her office! LOL So much for matching her house. :-D

This banner and the next one were commissioned. Somebody else what's me to do one, too. I have it it all ready and prepped. I just need to draw out the design. Then I'll paint a dark brown instead of the medium brown to match her decor better. i can do her initial and the brown until I get a picture of her colors. I know her colors, but she said they are muted so I don't want to start painting without knowing for sure what they look like.

This is the first outfit I got for the baby!!! Isn't it too cute?! I love it. :-)

This is my baby bump. :-) I can't believe I'm 22 weeks and am 5 months!!! Time sure does fly. :-)

It rained all day today again. So unusual for Texas. My plans for tomorrow are to draw out the banner, and then work on my story. I might paint some. Not sure yet. I need to go to Hobby Lobby sometime this weekend to get some more rods, dowels, and paint. I also want to look at their fabric b/c I need to figure out what scheme I want to do for the grocery cart cover for the baby. I know I don't want a jungle print. That's about all I know. lol

Hope you all are doing well!!!

A Story and the Fourth

2010-07-07T21:22:00.000-05:00

I have to tell you something ironic. I was at the orthodontist and decided to have the HOP pick me up at the library b/c they have the hardest time finding me when I'm at the orthodontist. The library is to the right of the orthodontist but in the same area. Well, I went down the side road for all the buildings so I could get on the sidewalk. The ramp was right at the end of the sidewalk so I got on safely without any cars around. Once on the sidewalk, I realized that there was no ramp to get off it!!! It just ended with a big step. Not a small step. More like 2 steps in one! So I had to get off where I came on and get on a real road - not just one for the office area. I waited for the cars to go by then zoomed on and off before the other car got close. I HATE driving on roads. It feels so unsafe. Scary. But once I got to the library, they had doors that opened with a push of a button so that was cool. I'll probably do that every time so I can get some books and wait in the coolness. :-)

My heart rate has been getting faster so I have to rest more now. I'm 22 weeks!!! And in a few days I will be 5 months pregnant. Can you believe it?!

Ben and I will be moving to Savannah in December instead of July. We had to do paperwork saying b/c of my high risk pregnancy I need to stay with docs that I am already established with. They agreed!!! So so glad. I know it will be harder to travel with a baby, but at least I have the peace of mind knowing that I'll have docs to take care of us before he is born. I'm so excited we are having a little boy.... Can't wait to see what he looks like. The artist in me. ;-)

I painted a banner for my case manager as a thank you gift for all the help she gives me. I'm hoping to give it to her tomorrow. I painted it to match the colors in her house. I got another order for a banner so my sewing machine will be all paid for. I have it, but since I've had to be resting more I haven't used it yet. :-) I have a couple more painting projects to get done. I'm trying to decide if I need to sew the quilt first or paint first. I also need to finish my story. I finally started it. I just haen't had time to finish it yet. Sigh. My health needs to cooperate for me. :-)

Hope you all had a great Fourth!!! We did! I love July Fourth. We watched three kids for a friend and then watched the fireworks from our front porch. It was awesome. Oh, I made a homemade apple pie - even the crusts were homemade!!! - the first time I've ever done that. Ben loved it! I was so glad especially since it killed my hands. lol But it was worth it to make him happy. :-)

That's about it for now.

So Called Designated Handicap Spots

2010-06-19T19:15:00.000-05:00

This is a rant. lol Ben and I went to see Toy Story 3 last night which I LoVeD, by the way. Anyway, we did get there a little early, but of course the handicap seats were taken. One of them was legitimate, but the other two were so not. Well, the 2 on the floor told their manager. She looked unsure what to do!!! The other woman was like do you want me to do it? And she said no. She finally went up to one of them but they were sitting up one step. In case you don't know, I CAN'T WALK PEOPLE! Ugh. Anyway, she came back and said that they said that they couldn't move b/c they wouldn't be able to find enough seats to sit together. I was like well, excuse me but you sat in the wrong spot and 3 of your friends were already NOT sitting by you, but in the handicap seats!!!

So the manager was like I don't want to tell them to move b/c they were here first! WHAT?! The seats plainly have handicap stickers on them. Looks to me like they were in the wrong. I personally think no one but handicappers should sit there. The thing that was so annoying was that at other theatres they will always say, if you need us to kick ppl out of the handicap seats let us know. Not so here. But then this woman moved with her son so we did get a spot. She was very kind to move for us. Those other ppl were just RUDE.

So here's the thing. I know ppl think those seats are the "best", but what normal ppl don't realize is that we don't want to have designated seating!!! We want to sit wherever we want. I would love to go hunt for seats like everybody else. I would love to sit up higher, but that isn't an option. I don't want designated parking either! But we have to use it b/c we need the extra space to get me out of the car. I hate how I can get onto the sidewalk at one spot. Did you know that it takes a while to find the ramps sometimes? Or they put it between speedbumps. I'm like are you kidding me???!! Make it harder for me why don't ya. Some stores don't even have ramps! Yes, it's true. Sad but true.

Also, I want to be able to pick any bathroom stall I want, but I can't. If it's dirty, I have to deal with it. No other option. Then there are places where I can't even FIT into the "handicap" stall. I hate it when I get up and have hope that it will work, but then I can't shut the door! Does any of this sound like special treatment to you??? Do you really think it's such a great premium??? But yet, so many ppl use the designated handicap stuff when they don't need it b/c they think it's the best. Get real. I would rather be walking and choosing wherever, whatever I wanted than in a power chair with limited access to anything. Sigh.

I just don't know why ppl can't seem to get it. What is so hard to understand..... We can't help being handicap. It isn't our fault. Why do they make you feel guilty and ashamed over it? It doesn't feel like a luxury to me. It is just another one of those things where you do the best you can with what you have. Don't geto me wrong. I would rather be alive and in this cahir than not. I just hate when ppl don't seem to get it. :-)