Update time!!

I realize I have been PATHETIC at updating this blog! I will try to do better in the future. However, I really feel like I get too much "screen time" as it is. If I were Catholic I would be giving up screen time for Lent. But since Im Church of Christ, I will just make a deal to cut WAY back. :)

On to the biz.

Sweet Avery is 18 months old today!  Where does the time go??  She is about 27 pounds and closing in on 3 feet tall. In fact, she is so tall they tell me she will be around 5'10". Whoa! This will come in handy someday. Eventually she will be as big or bigger than Eva and my will the tables be turned. Thats all I wanna say about that but suffice it to say that someone around here is a bit of a bully.
Avery doesnt really talk that much yet. Eva is usually pretty good at telling us what Avery wants....I guess she doesnt see the need to talk. :D

Eva is almost 4!!  She is taking ballet and tap now. She seems to like it but I think we will try something new after her recital in June. :) Maybe Tae Kwon Do or t ball. She is going to preschool 2 days a week and is writing her name!! She loves telling me about all her little friends at school. And her latest bit is talking about getting a puppy.

Funny part is we are actually going to get one. :D Im super excited!!  Ive been looking for puppies on Craigslist and the shelter websites for a week now. Normally, I am all for shelter dogs, BUT I am interested in a puppy only.....for my own peace of mind, I HAVE to know that the dog has been properly socialized to children and cats.

Kyle and I are doing well. He is remodeling the house and working A LOT right now. Someone quit and so he is having to cover that guy's shifts until the new guy gets trained. At least there is someone waiting in the wings though. That makes it a lot easier for me. :) I am busy with church activities and kid taxi-ing. Our new church building will be opening in a few weeks and I am really looking forward to it being literally right round the corner. I have also been dabbling with minimalism. No, I am not going to go out and buy a loft with only three sticks of furniture. This is not practical when you have a family.  But I am learning that having less stuff is so freeing and gratifying. Ive been purging stuff like crazy! The only tough spot is the kitchen. The clutter monster lives here and LOVES to multiply overnight, especially with the mail and Kyle's tools. ;)

Well I guess that about does it. Lucky for me, it is bed time for the littles. Yay!! 

Homemade mayo.......seriously, try it!!!

So we were totally out of mayo the other day. I had been itching to try making it by hand. Eggs and oil.....how hard could that be, right? Oh gosh it was so easy!!  I used the Julia Child blender method.

So......you need
1 egg
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp vinegar/lemon juice
1 cup oil (olive, canola, or similar)

First, crack an egg in your blender, add the mustard and salt then fire that puppy up on high for about 30 seconds.
Turn blender on low and add vinegar or lemon juice. I went with lemon juice. Blend on low for 10 seconds.
Slowly pour in the oil.....just drizzle it in there. I should also add, while you *can* use olive oil, I dont recommend it, unless you REALLY want that danky olive-y taste in your mayo. Not that I now from experience or anything. At least cut it with some kind of salad oil. You can use canola or whatever. I dont know if this would work with coconut oil......I will try it when my current jar runs out. Anyway, as you are slowly adding the oil you will notice it just magically turns into thick yellowish glop.
This is your finished product. It is FAB!!! The texture and flavor is amazing!! I will never go back to store bought mayo. Pour it in a quart sized mason jar and enjoy your thriftiness.......one less thing to buy! YEAH!!!

Sorry for no pictures. Im just not that good of a blogger heh.

Of ears and TDY's

So as soon as Kyle left for Georgia, Avery came down with an double ear infection. It really was quite a mess. I took the poor girl to the doctor twice before she was finally diagnosed. I feel so bad for her. I KNOW how much those hurt!!  But she is quite the little trooper. So....if you count the double infections, she is now on infection # 5 and 6 and 8 months old. We had a checkup yesterday to check the progress of the antibiotics and she is totally cleared up. Although he did recommend we see an ENT to be evaluated for tubes. :( I had already made an appt with Dr Fewins in Ft Worth for next week. He is a very skilled dr......he is the one who seperated me from my putrid nasty ol tonsils two years ago. :) I am sad that Avery seems to be taking after me but I have a great Dr and it is in Gods hands.

Blessings :)

The Ins and Outs of Breastmilk Donation

It is my intent with the blog to educate about safe breast milk donation. Donor milk was the right avenue for my family after much prayer and research. I encourage you to do what is right for your family.

When it became apparent that I was not meeting my baby's needs I began to search for ways to up my production. I was trolling the internet researching galactogogues when I discovered Eats on Feets. I was a bit skeeved out about giving another woman's milk to my baby but it stuck in my mind while I attempted to ramp up my production.  On the advice of my lactation consultant, I saw my personal physician and had blood work to check thyroid, prolactin, and hemoglobin levels. It turns out I have an endocrine disorder which may be contributing to my low supply. While I am under treatment for this, I still need to feed my daughter. Ever since the Similac recall I am pretty paranoid about giving her formula. So begins our experience with breast milk donation.

First, I considered contacting our local milk bank Mothers Milk Bank of North Texas . Their process: a donor mom fills out a 10 page questionnaire about her lifestyle, health history, medication/drug/alcohol use. If she passes the written test (haha) they send her for blood testing to check for disease. They combine all the donated milk, and pasteurize it to help ensure safety. With 10 banks in the US and only one in Canada, the demand is very high, with 70% of their milk going to hospitals. Milk is issued in order of greatest medical necessity to babies with a doctor's prescription. Most insurers do not cover donor milk for a non hospitalized infant. If you are paying out of pocket, it costs 3-4$ PER OUNCE!!! My daughter needs an extra 8oz a day which worked out to 672$ a month. I quickly realized this was NOT in the budget.

On to plan B. I joined Eats on Feets TX, and Milkshare while continuing to research my options. During my research, I came across this video for flash heating breast milk. This is a method of home pasteurization being utilized in Africa by HIV+ mommies to prevent Mother To Child Transmission (MTCT) of HIV.  This really allayed most of my safety concerns. Flash heating kills HIV and bacteria, but not hepatitis so it is always a good idea to have a look at a donor mom's pregnancy blood work. All donors are more than happy to provide this and if they are not, it should be a red flag. A recipient may also request a donor to have blood testing at the recipient's expense. Further, it is wise to ask a donor mom about their diet, lifestyle, medication, and illicit drug use (though to be honest, anyone taking the time away from their baby to pump extra milk for yours isn't likely to be getting high every chance they get). Everyone has their own comfort levels as far as what is acceptable to them. It helps to keep in mind that a donor mom is feeding her own baby the exact same milk you are receiving. Once I explained this to my husband, he was okay with this, though he later admitted he thought I was nuts. :S I posted a request on Eats on Feets thinking if it was meant to be, I would hear from someone.  A day or two later, I received a response from L, a local mama who had already been cleared by the milk bank. She has a daughter 2 weeks younger than mine. This is considered ideal because the milk evolves to suit the aging child. The day before Thanksgiving, she brought me 200 oz of frozen breast milk. I came to learn that many donor moms prefer to go through social network donor sites because they like to see the babies they are helping.  Many also do not feel good about donating to the milk bank and knowing some mom is having to pay such an exorbitant fee,

At first I kept this all a big secret from everyone but my husband but then it occurred to me that there might be other mommies out there who, like me, were feeling bad about their situations. So I decided to start raising some awareness about breast milk donation. On the whole, people are supportive and curious. There have been a couple of people who ask Why on Gods green earth would I give donor milk when formula is readily available? Well.....I just couldn't shake the fear that I was feeding my daughter something that might be hurting her. After the recall, I kept having this recurring image in my head of my tiny sweet baby daughter pooping live beetles. Gross! However, I realize my hangups dont excuse me from my daughter's safety. So I worked out my own game plan for donation. When I first talk to a donor mom, I ask about her diet, medications, drug and alcohol use. If we decide to get together, I will ask her to have a copy of her blood work for me to look over. (I also find out what kind of milk storage items she prefers and I bring some replacements with me). Of course, during the process we talk about our babies and share pictures. :) When we get together, I look at her and her baby....Are they healthy?  When we get home I store the milk in the deep freeze. When we are ready to use it, I carefully thaw it, then pasteurize it.

If breast milk donation interests you, please visit:
Eats on Feets Global 
Human Milk 4 Human Babies
Milkshare
Human Milk Bank of North America

FYI: Milkshare is similar to Eats on Feets and Human Milk 4 Human Babies though they are not as large, and there is a 20$ fee requested of recipients to help with administrative costs. As a general rule at informal milk sharing sites, there is no exchange of money for breast milk ever. It is up to the recipient to conduct your own screening.  A recipient should expect to compensate a donor mom for storage bags/bottles and all shipping costs if your donor mama is not local to you.
I hope I have helped educate about safe breast milk donation!!  Please leave any questions on the comment section. Many blessings!!!

Its called Liquid Gold for a reason

Hi yall Im back!!
I figured it was update time, seeing as its been quite a while since I blogged anything. I felt like it was a great time to put pen to paper so to speak, and just talk.

So....Ive been nursing Avery for 5 months. When she was about 2 months old I stopped being able to keep up with her demand....this is called Low Milk Supply. I had similar problems with Eva so now it is called Chronic Low Milk Supply. Ive tried EVERYTHING! I take supplements, drink teas, pump extra, tons of water.....I even took reglan for a few months. But sadly nothing helped. The wonderful Lactation Consultants at For Babies' Sake recommended I see my doctor to have some blood work checked and perhaps find a medical reason why I cant fully meet my baby's food needs. I go in tomorrow for that appointment. But in the meantime, Avery still needs to be fed. And I am anti formula. It has its place. Avery has had it in the past but still.....I am uncomfortable with it, especially given the recent Similac recall.

And with that, I have a confession to make. I have been supplementing Avery with donor mother's milk. Honestly, the difference between when she received formula supplement vs breastmilk supplements is huge! She smells waaay better for one! Secondly, she looks better...its hard to describe but her skin and hair just seem more beautiful and shiny looking. She seems happier. Her digestive system (AKA poop) is waaay better. She has been on donor milk since Thanksgiving and I am SO proud to have a baby who is 5 months old and is 100% breastfed.
But it certainly is not easy. The government is so quick to tell you Breast is Best....but then you are left to your own devices to figure out the rest. At first I considered contacting the milk bank but the demand here is very high. Since Avery is a) not a preemie, and b) not very sick, we would certainly be last in line. Then I would have to get a prescription from the pediatrician, and then it would cost 3-4$ PER OUNCE...if she even got any at all!!! I quickly calculated that Avery ate up to 8 oz extra per day. At 3$ an oz that is 24$ per bottle, 168$ a week, 672$ a month (pssht! thats more than my house payment!!) and a grand total of 8064$ A YEAR! And thats IF her demand didnt go up. You can see why plenty of families turn to formula. But this is important to me so I dug in and started researching. I discussed this with Kyle and right away he wanted to know how safe it was using donor milk. I researched it some more. I saw a video discussing a study done in Africa where HIV+ mommies were taught to express breast milk and then use a home pastuerization technique called flash heating. Most of the antibodies and such were retained, and this killed any bacteria, and the HIV virus!! Countless young lives will be saved by this method (often, mother to child transmission of HIV occurs through breastfeeding). Flash heating is really simple to do, no extra equipment needed. Also, virtually every mom in the US has blood testing done when they are pregnant. Part of the deal with being a donor is that you agree to provide your blood results at the recipients request, or they can also pay for a donor to undergo testing. Another thought to consider is that a donor mom is also feeding her baby the exact same milk you are receiving. And anyone going though the time consuming trouble of pumping extra milk is not likely to be getting high and trashed out every chance they get. I got Kyle on board, though I am sure he was a little weirded out but I felt so relieved to have his support.

Then I made contact with the facebook group Eats on Feets Texas. There are chapters in every state and all over the world. They are groups of mommies donating their extra milk to each other for free! I lurked in the group for a few weeks before I finally worked up the courage to post a request for milk. I admit I cried when I got a response from L. She is a mommy in my area who had a little girl only 2 weeks younger than mine (perfect! milk evolves to suit the aging child so it is ideal to have one close in age to yours). The day before Thanksgiving she gave me about 200 oz! That night in private, I got on my knees and thanked God for bringing this whole thing into my life because I (and Avery) were being blessed beyond measure. Since then I have met two other mommies, S, and M, and they have also blessed my baby. There is no way I could ever repay them back for this gift. I am forever grateful to them and humbled because I have realized it truly does take a village to raise a child.

So why would I talk about such a private, and seemingly bizarre thing? Simple really. Babies deserve mothers milk. It is what is best for them. The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastmilk for the first 6 months of life, and continuing until age 2, or later if you want. Well.....I could only provide exclusive breastmilk for 2 months, and I know there are plenty more out there just like me. The demand is so high. Looking through all the posts requesting milk on the webpage, it is about 10 requests to every 1 offer. There just isnt enough to go around.......yet. So I figure if I tell my story, maybe, hopefully, prayerfully, someone out there will realize how truly blessed they can be in giving. Maybe one day we can have a whole huge network where no one has to stress out about giving the best to their baby.

I can only pray. :)

Links:
www.facebook.com/eats-on-feets-texas
www.milkshare.com




Ok you may need to copy and paste the links into your browser......I am not a computer whiz and cannot figure out how to make them active links. =)

Ahhhh time flies by!

So Eva just turned two on April 11th.....she is so independent! Her last birthday, her daddy had just returned home from Iraq 2 days prior, and she still had no hair....wasnt *really* walking yet either. Now she has curly reddish hair, her eyes go from hazel green to brown.....I was hoping she would have my dark green eyes but it looks like it is not to be. :( She bounces from place to place always smiling and excited and just looking for trouble. We have been going to Stroller Strides usually 3 times a week. She is ok with it but does not like to be confined to the stroller.......I am sure NO ONE is surprised by that!

NEWS: We are having aother baby GIRL!!!! :D Today marks 5.5 months into the pregnancy. We are both doing well. Eva is so sweet....she will point to my belly and say Sissy! She also likes to kiss and pat Sissy....but still steps on me or kicks me when she is getting rambunctious. Eva and her sister will be about 2.5 years apart....everyone tells me its perfect but I think that can only be so once we get potty trained :) Speaking of potty training.....we went to the potty yesterday!!! It is still very hit or miss. Sometimes she can tell me if she needs new drawers but most of the time she cant be bothered. We have bought the toddler underwear....I beleive we will crack those out when nap time is over.

As for me, I am still working in the ER but maybe one or two afternoons a week. My main function is to stay with Eva. I imagine it will be even harder to get to work once the new baby gets here.....poor thing still doesnt have a name....but we have time lol.

Please say a prayer for my FIL Larry Hankins....he needs some healing. Love to all!

Hey kids

So.....Eva is 13 months old now. She is 25ish pounds and is at least 30 inches....but I think she has grown a couple since out checkup in April. :D

Kyle got back from Iraq on April 9th. Eva and I went to the base and got to watch the plane land and see Daddy get off and walk to us. It was really nice. She wasn't too sure about him that night but the next day they were bestest buddies again. :D We had a very small birthday party for her on Saturday April 11....which was her birthday. She wasnt feeling too good but she still had a good time. I kept it small on purpose because a) she was sick, and b) Kyle had JUST gotten back home.....I realize I may have overlooked some folks and I sincerely apologize for that. We did have A LOT going on though! :S But anyway we are so glad to have Daddy back home!! YAY!!

Monday we drove to Corpus Christi. We went during the day and E did NOT enjoy it at all. What should have taken 7 hours took closer to 10. We had a good time together....it was overcast but the temp was great. We drove out to South Padre one day....it was a little cool for it I guess because the waves washed up on our feet and it was BRRRR!! E decided she hated the ocean right then and there and screamed bloody murder until she was safely packed up in her carseat. Later that day it warmed up and we were feeling brave and took her to Corpus Christi beach. We got her changed, sunblocked, and set her down on the sand (which was NOT hot BTW) and she screamed bloody murder then too......hence, she is not a beach baby....Im so sad! But we maaaay have gotten sunscreen in her eye so that might have been a factor. Mommy has since upgraded to stick sunblock. YAY!!! We also went to the Texas State Aqaurium....this was the highlight of our trip. E loved all the critters and we had a good time too. Neither of us had ever been. Very cool! Highly recommended!! Bonus.....they have sweet deals for military....even deeper if you go to the NAS in Corpus and pick up your tickets at the ITT office. Another place we went to was the USS Lexington. Very educational but TOO HOT and TOO LONG....also, NOT very stroller friendly, just FYI.

Question: How do you get a baby to wear a hat when she flat out refuses to do so? I cant get Eva to wear one to save her life.....and Im concerned with the Texas sun coming out like it is.

I will get some pics of Corpus Christi up soon.......in the meantime, it is EMT week and I am baking cookies for all my medics. Have a blessed day!

been a while!

Ok I havent updated since January....sorry....but not a whole lot of people read this anyway so Im not going to feel too bad for long, lol. Anyway, Eva is doing fabulous. Beautiful and funny as all get out! Starting to walk....starting to get some attitude. She is the dog's best friend....mainly because off all the food that ends up on the floor. lol

Kyle is doig good. He is really excited to come home next month and play with his baby. He really misses her. Last night at church someone said Eva was starting to look more like a little girl and less like a baby and that breaks my heart! :( I just hope he doesnt think Jeez Ive missed so much, ya know?

But hey we are happy, healthy, productive. We both have great jobs....actually I have two jobs lol.......My most important job is a stay at home mom. And my nursing job which is just a few days a month....and mostly for my spending money. heh

On the job front, Kyle was offered a job in extrusion at the south plant where he first began working.....and is MUUUUCH closer to home!!! He talked about getting into the extrusion side of the business when he first started working there....he told me if he could learn that aspect of the business he could write his own ticket anywhere.....we'll see.....cuz mama sure wants to go to CO, or FL....or who knows where! Anyway, now he has been offered this opportunity and I am so happy for him. :D New boss, new job, new money lol sorry I couldnt help it! Hopefully he will be happy there, because that is all I want for him.

WEll, I must get going......I need to finish dishes before bed.....must.......be......productive!!!

9 month visit

Yesterday we went to Eva's 9 month checkup! She did very well. 23 pounds 5 ounces and 28.5 inches long. She did have to get a couple of pokes though. They tested her iron and she got a polio shot (apparently no more oral polio.....it was a live virus....eeep!) The iron test involved a toe poke. It bled for a long time so her doc put two bandaids on it and we went on with the visit. He thinks her top teeth are going to pop any minute now....but anymore bottom teeth are still a ways off. He ear has cleared up beautifully.





So this morning.......the bandaids were gone. Not in the crib either....or on the floor. It didn't smack in the face until this afternoon that HEY she probably swallowed them you dummy!! I called up her doctor with visions of a bowel obstruction/perforation swimming around in my head and that would have been ALL MY FAULT! I really have no clue if bandaids can obstruct the intestines. (This is not something typically taught in nursing school lol) Anyway, they told me as long as she is having no respiratory issues, she should pass them. WHEW!!!!! So for now, I guess that means I'm on poop watch!

Christmas goodies!!




Well I guess that aught to wrap us up! Hope you guys are doing well!!

Love,
Us

Updates Galore....

hear ye hear ye!!!

So, Kyle left for Iraq yesterday. :( They went to Miami but left tonight for somewheres in Europe......well, I know where but I don't want to blurt it out all over the internet....sorry. Feel free to hollar at me for more info.

So after literally YEARS of college, I have finally completed my BS in Nursing. I am done for a while but I plan on going back for my Masters (once Kyle gets done with his BS in Engineering.) :D This does not mean more $$$.....at least not right away. But I do need it to advance in hospital land. :D

Eva is getting big! She weighed in at 23 pounds 2 ounces the other day. She is getting over a cold and an ear infection. I feel so bad! She started getting sick right before Christmas (and I darn near got fired for missing work on Christmas Eve to stay home with her!). Thought it was just a cold so we went on our planned vacation with plenty of tylenol and motrin. She was up all night every night so we got VERY little sleep! Got back and I started counting the days and decided to take her to the docs and get her looked at.....last time she was this sick it was bronchitis. But it turns out she is taking after me with a big fat ear infection!......so now we are experiencing the joys of amoxicillin. She is doing so much better now....back to sleeping through the night again!!! Woot!!

So....for our vacation, we went to Palo Duro Canyon. VERY pretty!!! It isn't as big as grand canyon but it is still very nice....I really enjoyed learning about the history of the canyon too.

Well....I worked a 12 hour shift today and I am so tired I can barely see strait so I better get to bed. Hope all is well with you.....bookmark us for updates!!

And now for Kyle's news. So

Done........

1. Started your own blog. Check!
2. Slept under the stars. Can’t tell you how many times I have been camping!
3. Played in a band. I sang.
4. Visited Hawaii. LOVE it there!!!
5. Watched a meteor shower. Kyle was in the astronomy club at Mountainview.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disneyland/world.
8. Climbed a mountain. Once or twice
9. Held a praying mantis.
10. Sang a solo. Oh yeah
11. Bungee jumped...yep....dont recommend it either
12. Visited Paris.
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.
15. Adopted a child.....does hubby count??
16. Had food poisoning. Hasn’t everyone had food poisoning?
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty.
18. Grown your own vegetables....yeah but its been a while...I would like to do it again though
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.
20. Slept on an overnight train....been on the night bus to/from Mexico....that should count.
21. Had a pillow fight. good times
22. Hitch hiked.
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill. I have had a case of the Friday flu before.
24. Built a snow fort.....snow????
25. Held a lamb.
26. Gone skinny dipping. I dont skinny dip....I chunky dunk!
27. Run a Marathon (HAAA!! Yeah right!).
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice.
29. Seen a total eclipse....sun or moon?
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset....if you havent done this you are a goober!
31. Hit a home run. Once or twice.
32. Been on a cruise. Can't wait!
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person.
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors. No but would like to....I understand they are from Colgne
35. Seen an Amish community.
36. Taught yourself a new language.....still learning Spanish.
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied. Yep....the trick is just being happy with what you have.
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person.
39. Gone rock climbing....we used to go all the time
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David.
41. Sung karaoke. Unfortunately yes.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt....yes, last summer...beautiful!
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant. yep
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.....yeah....in Galveston with the hubby.
46. Been transported in an ambulance...yes I was in a bad wreck at 18.
47. Had your portrait painted.
48. Gone deep sea fishing.
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling.......snorkeling in Mexico.
52. Kissed in the rain....yep....love it!
53. Played in the mud. Ha.....ask Krysie....or my mom...I think she hosed us off
54. Gone to a drive-in theater....yep there is one in Ennis
55. Been in a movie. uhhh not that I know of
56. Visited the Great Wall of China.
57. Started a business. Not a successful one. LOL
58. Taken a martial arts class.
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen......we used to go to a street corner in Dallas and pass out food on Sundays after church
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies....yep.
62. Gone whale watching.....no....dolphin watching
63. Got flowers for no reason....I think maybe once or twice.
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma. I have donated blood before....I am O+....they love me. 65. Gone sky diving. Negative ghost rider….who wants to jump out of a perfectly good plane?
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp.
67. Bounced a check. Anyone who says they haven’t is lying! LOL Or maybe I am just forgetful!
68. Flown in a helicopter.
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy. Still have a few.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.
71. Eaten Caviar.
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square.
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job. Yep.
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone. Nope.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle. My hubby and I would ride around everywhere!!!
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person...oh yeah it is AMAZING!!
80. Published a book.
81. Visited the Vatican.
82. Bought a brand new car. Actually, never have bought a new car.
83. Walked in Jerusalem.
84. Had your picture in the newspaper. a few times.
85. Read the entire Bible.
86. Visited the White House.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating. do fish count?
88. Had chickenpox. Yes
89. Saved someone’s life.....part of my job.
90. Sat on a jury. (no, thank god!)
91. Met someone famous. Nolan Ryan
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one. A couple.
94. Had a baby.......Miss Eva came April 2008
95. Seen the Alamo in person. I think it is required to live in Texas.
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake.
97. Been involved in a law suit. Nope….thankfully. That has to be scary!
98. Owned a cell phone. Who doesn’t own one these days. 8 year olds carry them!
99. Been stung by a bee. Never a bee but I took a wasp in the face when I was like 8.

update!!!

So here is a little update on Eva.....she will be 7 months old next week.


Two weeks ago she started crawling :-O

One week ago she started pulling up (wow!!)


Kyle is bound and determined that she will be walking by the time he goes to Iraq (mid January, BTW)

For Thanksgiving we will be heading out to Caddo Lake to see all the family again. Not sure yet if we will be camping or staying with mom and dad. We'll see. :D

School is not going so hot. I am supposed to graduate in a month but that may not happen so say a prayer or two if you think of it. And thanks, btw!

Love to all of you!!!

Rocking Camille

I found this essay on a nursing journal website I belong to. It brought tears to my eyes and I thought it deserved to be shared. Just a warning though.....get your kleenex!

Candice



Stepping into my clogs and starting my shift in Labor and Delivery always brings a sense of anticipation to my heart.Nearly two decades have passed and I am still excited to assist with the birth of a baby. People often comment on how lucky I am to work in such a happy environment. This is true, but there is another side that most people, even other nurses, will not discuss.Some babies are born with issues that can not be fixed. Some babies are born so prematurely that they can not be saved.This was the case the evening I met her. She was 20 weeks gestation, born due to premature rupture of membranes. She was perfect; hands two centimeters long, each miniature fingernail in place, her skin fragile and translucent, her eyes still fused. Lungs are immature at this gestation so she would never breathe, but her heart beat.Her heart was beating 140 times a minute -- normal. She was already a surprise because most babes this small die in the birth process.With complex assignments like this one we help the primary RN as much as possible. I was to take her vital statistics and obtain mementos. We bathe and dress these little ones, take photographs, obtain hand and footprints-- a lock of hair if possible. We wrap them in warm blankets and keep them with their parents for as long as desired. Any spiritual or cultural rituals are honored and arranged for the family.These steps have been shown to help the family grieve their loss. I think it helps the staff process the death also.Her parents did not want to know anything about their little girl. They chose not to see her. At birth she was taken out of the room immediately at their request. We have rooms that provide the necessary privacy for these delicate times.Most parents want to be with their child, especially if born alive. Most parents hold their newborn. This was not the case for this little one.At first I was upset. She was still alive! Someone needs to hold her; her family!The situation was not so simple. This baby was a twin. Her brother was healthy with great possibility of living. His separate and intact bag of water had saved him.Mom and Dad were holding on to hope. The prospect of losing both babies was scary and heartbreaking so they focused their energy on the twin that still had a chance.If fear and desperation were going to separate her from her family I would do my best to fill in. Honoring her short life was the least I could do. I wrapped her in a warm blanket. I was able to rock her, talk to her. It should only take a few minutes. Five minutes… her heart rate 120’s. Rocking, rocking…I did not intend to name her. It wasn’t my place.But the name Camille just popped into my thoughts.I decided she deserved a name since she was still alive. It was just between the two of us anyway. Twenty minutes… heart rate 100. It shouldn’t be much longer Camille…. rocking, rocking…I hold her in my hands, as if I’m holding a prayerbook… rocking, rocking…Thirty minutes… heart rate 60. I’m trying to be patient…Little ones like you don’t live this long. Rocking….Forty minutes…. heart rate 50. She is exceeding any expectation I had of her. Rocking…Fifty minutes… heart rate 5. Fifty-three minutes… the heart beat became a flutter and stopped. Peace for this little person.Fifty-three minutes of rocking Camille. Sweet, strong Camille.It has been three years since Camille. I still get teary when I think about her. She taught me that there are still surprises to watch for. She confirmed for me that life is to be respected even when it isn’t perfect. I was humbled by her strength and beauty. Who knows what her sensory capabilities were? Was she comforted, possibly aware of her surroundings? Only she knows. I was given the honor to be with her. I rocked Camille. She is the reason I am a nurse.Note: This is a true account of my experience but I have changed some minor elements to prevent identification of the family involved.Thank you for understanding.

Daddys in Portland

I am in Portland, Oregon i am here with the Air Force Reserves doing my two weeks annual tour. I am waiting on my wife and my baby to show up on Friday. Candice and Eva are going to be here till Tuesday. I can't wait to see them. I don't know how much stuff we will get to do together but it doesn't matter we will be together as a family.

Me and Eva are all by ourselves

Well.....for a week anyway. Kyle went to Portland Or this am for the AF. They will be gone two weeks.....but we are flying up there Friday morning for the weekend. Yes....you heard that right....I am flying....with a baby....by myself. Sheesh. Is my head screwed on right? But I am really looking forward to it. It will be an adventure! We are flying Southwest.....mainly becase they don't charge extra is you have more than one bag.....oh and parking is easier and cheaper.

Well, Kyle has landed and he says it is totally beautiful out there. They are staying in a hotel by the airport (which also right by the base). Lucky us, he gets his own room ;)

Well, I better get. Kyle promises to update on here so check back soon!

Are you ready to ROCK?!?!

Tonight is the journey*Cheap Trick*Hart concert at the old Smirnoff concert place. WOO!!! Me and Kyle and meeting my best friend Krysie and her hubby Drew at this place called Iron Cactus tonight for some mexican food (mmmm!) and then heading over for the concert. We are taking Lil Bit with us and sitting kinda in the back......away from all the dopers! lol We are also meeting up with my sis Carling, her husband Chuck, and their friend Joel. Hope we are not out too late tonight.....I have to work tomorrow. Bleh!

Well.......I better get. Have a great week!

Can I just say I love that 70's show!!


Hi yall!!!

Eva is huge! There is a little one...and I'm talking little...at church who is 11 months old and she is like 3 or 4 inches taller than mine and a couple of pounds heavier. I have a B.O.G.....Big Ol Gal! :D I love my cuddley sweetums. The fun part is that she is totally breatfed.....boobie babies are usually skinnier than formula fed babies. Oh well....she is healthy. No colds or stomach bugs and what not. And she is happy. I love her smile!!

Kyle is doing good. He loves being a daddy and he is soooo good at it!!

Ooops E is crying...I gotta go!

VBS tomorrow

Fun stuff! So tomorrow is VBS and I signed up to get the kiddos registered in the morning. :D K signed up to be a barnyard keeper or something......but the base called this afternoon and changed this weekend from next to this. BoOOOO HISSSSSSSS!!!!! Oh well. Good ol Kim is going to keep E for me while I work at VBS. This should be fun.

I swear she is trying to cut teeth!!! I can see them beneath her gums but they haven't erupted yet. Anyway she has been a drooly julie for two weeks or so but in the past two days she has been getting so fussy!!!

What to do on a Friday night. Not much.....K has to be in Ft Worth at 0530. YACK!!!!! I think we will go get a movie.

One of these days we are going to the drive in movies in Ennis. That is about the only way we are getting a movie these days. heh

Love to all!!

C

And now for the baby news

Eva is amazing. I cannot beleive I get to be the mommy of such a beautiful and perfect person. I feel so lucky and totally unworthy. What did I do to deserve her? :D

As for the nuts and bolts of it, she is 11 weeks old Friday. About 13 pounds now....23 inches long. Her hair is still red though it looks like it is getting darker. Her eyes are changing....just not sure to what. They are grey but look like they might be turning brown. Go figure. She started sleeping through the night almost a month ago. WOOHOO!!! She nurses great and I am uberhappy about that. My little family is asleep right now but since I am a nightowl, here I am. I am going to pay for this when my little dumpling wakes up at 6.

Also, tomorrow, the water damage people are coming out to check their moisture trapping contraptions. Turns out the condensation pan on the upstairs ac unit rusted through and RUINED all the new laminate floors in the baby's room. There is a very small amount of damage to the hall and the guest bedroom....they think they can dry it out.....as for Eva's room, there was already mold forming. The ceiling in the office below her room has damage so the subfloor will have to be cut out and the insulation replaced. Lovely. She is back sleeping in our room till it gets put back to rights again.

And I just got her room all nice and pretty too. It figures.

Granny Pam is in town tomorrow. :D We be shopping on Friday. Wooot!