An Eventful Week

Hello!
Since my last post, I have actually drafted many posts with the truest intentions to finish them later, and then never got around to it. So, today here it is. I have so many thoughts that swim around in my head and never feel like I have the time to actually sort them out and make them coherent enough to post; hence, I do not post as often as I would like to. When I visit other's blogs I see how simple this one is and then wonder to myself, where do they find the time? Alas, for now, I am going to content myself with what I have here and hope that you will all hang on for the ride until I have more time to invest making the reading of this a more comprehensive experience :-)

I have also not been diligent to take pictures of the little tykes, so until I make more of an effort, here is cute one of little Ellie taken last month. She is such sweet pea! Well, I wanted to post today as I was reflecting on our somewhat eventful week. Here is a brief overview...

Monday
Monday was a great day. We started out our morning as usual. The boys watched Curious George on PBS while I took some time trying to wake myself up out of the fog that seems to accompany many of my days. I got breakfast started, coffee brewing and we were off to a good start. After a couple hours I put Ellie down for her nap, got ready for the day, put in a load of laundry and sat down to do preschool with the boys. They loved our lesson and it was so much fun seeing them enjoy what they were learning. They are both so sharp and it is fun to see them absorb new challenges and try to master new skills. After we were done, I made lunch, got Ellie from her crib and embarked on the ever-present adventure of feeding three little kids and trying to get a bite to eat myself!

At quiet time, I began reading, The Magician's Nephew, to the boys to see if they were ready for reading a book with no pictures :-) Ethan quickly tired of the whole experience but Zachary loved it! I put Ethan and Ellie down for a nap and came back downstairs to continue reading to Zachary. He tracked the story well and looked at me with wide-eyed anticipation as the plot began to unfold. It was so much fun...probably the highlight of my week.

Tuesday

Tuesday, was a precursor, a harbinger if you will (that one's for you Uncle Bill if you ever read this!), of things to come. The day started well and around mid-morning, I decided to take the kids to the store. While we were strolling down the aisles of KMART, Ethan announced that his tummy hurt and that he needed to go to the bathroom. Quickly distracted by toys, he decided that he didn't need to go anymore. In record time, I grabbed all that we needed and headed to the check-out line. While in the van, Ethan started to look very sickly and kept complaining that his tummy hurt. We made it home just in time. I thought to myself, perhaps Ethan just had a little bug.

Wednesday

I awoke in the wee hours of the morning to Zachary crying that he had thrown-up all over his bed. I have to say that changing vomit-covered bedding is one of the all time lows of raising young children. Nevertheless, our day began at 5:30 to him throwing-up again. This time though, he was not alone. I thought it would be fun to join in :-). Suffice it to say, the flu had arrived! I sent Tom off to work thinking that we could tough it out for the day. Within an hour, I called him, pleading with him to come back! In the time it took him to come home, all three children were either sick or in need of a diaper change and I was not doing too well. Tom got home and the rest of the day is just one big flu-filled blur.

Thursday

Still sick but Tom was able to go to work...and thankfully did not get the flu (I went a little crazy with the bleach and Lysol spray!).

Friday

Poor little Ellie woke up three times that previous night and then awoke in the morning with a high fever. I prayed the Lord would get me through the day as I was still recovering from my own illness and was exhausted. God gave us mercy and when Tom came home last night, we had a nice dinner and even watched a movie after the kids went to bed. But it had been a very long day...

Today

Ellie is still sick; however, Tom has the boys at gymnastics and I am enjoying a moment of peace, writing to you all and drinking my coffee. This afternoon I plan on finally getting out of the house...I have not been out since Tuesday!!! I think that is a record for me...I need to get out! We are hoping to finish the attic, buy some furniture and maybe go out for lunch! It's amazing how life-giving it is just to resume normal affairs again.

Well, perhaps you didn't want to know all these details about our week, but I wanted to let you all have a glimpse into our lives :-). I have been thinking of this blog often, lamenting how little I attend to it. I did, however, think of something I want to add...a recipe of the week post (well, maybe with my record, a 'recipe of the month' would be more consistent!). A loved one (you know who you are!!!) once called me a 'food snob', which by the way, I am not...I can think of much snobbier (I think I just made a new word...). I want to get feedback from others as well so when I get around to it, look for it on my blog. I love to cook, that is, I love to cook when I don't have three little ones demanding my attention while I have meat juice all over my hands! I have really given up so many of the interests that make me, 'me', that I am trying to force myself to regain some of my identity that is separate but likewise braided into my identity as a mother! So having said that...look for it in weeks to come.

Finally, here are a few funnies from the kiddos...

We had new carpet installed a few weeks ago and Zachary decided it would be fun to rub his chin on it, only to give himself rug-burn...he said he was 'racing' his chin. Anyway, it formed a scab and while picking away at the last scab, Zachary announced to me, "Mommy, I picked all the hills off my chin!"

We get our milk from a local dairy not far from our house. It is cheaper than milk at the store, hormone free and supports the local economy...part of one of the many things I love about this area. Anyway, I always take the kids to get milk and see the cows and they love going. Ethan knew we were out of milk and came up to me asking, "Mommy, when are we going to go to the 'fairy'? So cute!

More to come soon!

Andrea

p.s. I realized that many of my posts are filled with chaotic antics of life at home. There is really much more going on than all the craziness, but the crazy times are the ones that are fun to post about. I will be sure to post on some of the other arenas of life (church, reading, theology, future plans, hobbies and interests, even some 'before-and-after' shots of the house!) that comprise our meaningful but otherwise ordinary lives. I really will...but I won't promise!

A Long Time Coming...

To all of my readers, I am sorry it has been so long! What is really sad is that I have about five previous posts that I wrote in part and never finished or published. But today I am determined to finish this post and publish it!

Life here has been eventful. We have a lot going on with various ministry adventures here in Lancaster city and we are also trying to remodel our attic into a bedroom for the boys before Christmas. We are toying with the idea of buying a different house and it seems like there is a never ending pile of laundry and housework to get done.

The kids are always keeping me busy and the last few weeks have been full of snowball-throwing, stir-craziness and temper-tantrums! We have had some good times though and I am really enjoying this stage despite the constant noise that accompanies my two and four year old sons. As well, Ellie has her own voice and has discovered how to scream...it's so dear...especially at the dinner table :-). She is crawling, pulling herself up to stand and eating just about everything she finds on the floor. She is so sweet and loves to smile and laugh.

Tom's job is going very well, the kids are really enjoying life and I am seeing glimpses of my sanity now and again. I really do praise God for the amazing gift of children and despite the chaos that comes with little ones, I really am going to miss this when they are grown. I love their little laughs, silly sayings and the extreme enjoyment they find in life. I can see when I put them to bed at night, the comfort and security they feel when Tom and I tuck them in and pray with them. As each day teaches them more and more about the dangers of living in a fallen world, it is evident that they feel safe in our love for them...and that makes all this striving worth it.

Here are a few funny sayings from past weeks:

Zachary was trying to get Ethan to answer him and Ethan refused to speak. After a moment Zachary said to me, "Mommy, Ethan is a quiet creature."

In the van the other night, Zachary kept yawning. Finally he yelled to me in frustration, "Mommy, I can't get these yawns to stop coming. How do I get them to stop?"

When doing catechisms with the boys, we asked the question, "Who are the three persons of the Godhead?" To which the boys replied, "Um, God the Father, Moses..." We are working on that one :-)

When playing with his little friend, Anya, the other day, Zachary and Anya were playing with one of her dolls and pretending that she died and then rose again.

Today Zachary said to me, "Mommy, when I grow up, can you call me Spider-man?"

Ethan hurt his ankle today and came limping into the kitchen crying in frustration, "But my foot won't work anymore!!! It's not working, mommy!"

In the van the other day, Zachary said to Tom, "Daddy, when I grow up, I want to be just like you." Ethan then shouted triumphantly, "And I want to be just like Mommy!"

This time of year is always hard for me as I get homesick for my family and friends that are far away. The more I enjoy my children, the more I am saddened that so many of the ones I love do not get to delight in them here with me. Nevertheless, I am thankful for blogs, email and digital cameras that make sharing life with those far away more possible.

Well, blessings to you all this Advent season. I am going to try and post before Christmas and my goal is to get a Christmas card out this year. Do you think it will happen? I think I may also do a Christmas letter on my blog...but that might be too ambitious. We'll see. Also, if you're reading this Aunt Marcia, I am praying for you! I pray you will have electricity soon!

Peace In Christ...Andrea

An Update

I just wanted to post quick and let you all know how today went. I went to the Dr. this morning and he went over the results of my CT scan. He said that based on the scan he was almost certain that I had another ruptured ovarian cyst and that was what was causing all the pain. I am not sure why the Dr. on Saturday did not communicate this with me; nevertheless, the Dr. today seemed pretty confident with his diagnosis based on the scan. He likewise commented on some other findings in the scan that are consistent with his diagnosis that the first Dr. did not mention (at least I don't remember her mentioning them). Anyway, just wanted to let you all know that I am feeling better today and hopefully the worst is past. Thanks for all your prayers and encouragements-- I really appreciate it. And thanks to my loving husband who was so thoughtful this weekend and really helped me with everything. I don't normally give health updates on my blog :-) but I thought I would tonight so you all know that I'm okay. Thanks for reading. I'll try to post on other thoughts later in the week...have a great night!

Love,
Andrea

Please pray for me...

Hello All,

I know it has been some time since my last post! I had planned on posting this weekend but alas, have had a very eventful past few days. These are the events that have comprised the past couple days...

Friday a.m.

I woke up at about 7:00 a.m. to start my day. I had many errands that I wanted to run, including some fun activities for the kiddos. Around 7:30 I began to notice a pain in my side, similar to the pain I had experienced back in June when I was diagnosed with a ruptured ovarian cyst. Within a few minutes the pain had increased and was so acute that I sat on couch and called Tom. He had a big job on Friday so we decided that I would try and tough it out as long as possible to buy him some time. I called my family physician and scheduled an appointment for 3:00 p.m.

Friday p.m.

I made it through the day allowing the kids to watch too much television because it was all I could do to feed the baby and get the boys breakfast and lunch. They did really well and by God's grace we made it until Tom got home. He drove me to my appointment and I met with a Physician's Assistant who sent me on to E.R. fearing that I had an ectopic pregnancy. I told her that I did not feel that was the case as much since the experience was almost identical to what had happened back in June. Nonetheless, away to the E.R. we went.

Five hours and a myriad of tests later, they sent me home with no answers as to what was causing all my pain. They did two ultrasounds and several other test and found no abnormalities with my ovaries. The doctor at the E.R. looked at me questioningly and it became evident to me, as well as a dear friend who was there with me, that he was not taking me seriously. He gave me the option of staying another three hours and getting a CT scan or going home and trying to have one ordered through my family physician. At that point, poor Ellie had hardly eaten all day and was screaming back at home with poor Tom trying to console her. I decided to go home.

Saturday a.m.

I awoke around 2:00 a.m. to feed Ellie and could not go back to sleep because the pain was so great. I was awake until around 5:30 a.m. when the Vicodin finally kicked in and I was able to fall asleep. Ellie was up part of that time and at least gave me something to keep my mind off the discomfort I was experiencing.

Saturday morning I spoke with our family physician's office to see about having a CT scan done. The nurse that I had spoken with wanted me to come in to be examined before the doctor ordered the scan. I told her about all the tests they had run the night before and she said nothing more of me needing to come in but that she would talk to the Dr. and see if they could order the scan. I told her in that conversation that I was having suspicions that the pain was not related to my ovaries at all but perhaps was related to my kidneys, e.g. kidney stones. My husband had passed a kidney stone back in May and my symptoms were very similar to his. She called me later to say they had ordered the scan.

Saturday p.m.

Several hours and almost two liters of barium sulfate later, I headed to the hospital to have the CT scan. Upon laying down and being prepped, they informed me that they were going to give me an injection of iodine to enhance the images picked up by the scanner. I inquired as to the safety of such a procedure since I was breastfeeding and was told I could not breastfeed my baby for the next twenty-four hours if I got the injection. Many of you know that Ellie will not take a bottle, let alone formula in a bottle, and with tears in my eyes I asked what I was supposed to do. The technician said I could opt out of the injection but that the results might not be as accurate. I opted out of the injection as I just felt I could not take the pain I was experiencing along with a screaming baby.

The Results...

The doctor called me to tell me results of my scan: my left ovary was slightly enlarged but otherwise everything looked normal. I asked her about the kidney stones. Her voice sounded irritated and she said, "The scan we did was not looking for kidney stones and they would not appear with the type of procedure I ordered for you." At this point I was in tears and asked why they did not check for kidney stones. She explained that the nurse that morning had communicated to her that I had refused to come in and so ordered a scan based on what the E.R. doctor the night before had been looking for. She explained that had I come in that morning, she could have examined me and run tests accordingly but that I should be thankful because she did me a favor in ordering the scan that she did.

I was so angry and frustrated! I told her that I had not refused to come in and did not realize that it was essential for me come that morning. She did not seem sympathetic at all. When I asked her what I was supposed to do in the meantime she said I could either go back to the E.R. or go home and wait until Monday and get an appointment to be examined again at the clinic. I chose to go home.

Today...

Last night was a hard night. I got more sleep that the previous night but am still very uncomfortable. The pain comes in waves and when it hits, all I can do is sit, curled up in a ball, until it passes. Sometimes it lasts a long time. On top of the pain, I feel very nauseated and have had very little to eat since Friday. I am feeling extremely discouraged today and confused as to why this whole thing has been such an ordeal. I am planning to go in for a follow-up appointment tomorrow and hopefully will soon have some answers. At this point we are not sure if Tom will have to take some time off. I guess we will see.

Anyway, I am sorry this is so long but I needed to vent. Please pray for me as I am very uncomfortable and very tired. Tom has been doing his best with the kids but it has been a long weekend for all of us. Please pray I will get some answers and that they will find what is causing all this discomfort. I speculate that I was misdiagnosed back in June and that nothing is wrong with my ovaries. I wonder if I had a kidney stone back in June and now have another one or perhaps the one back in June never passed and now is back. I am not a physician so I could be totally wrong but everything else is normal and I am still in so much pain.

Well, thanks for reading. Blessings to all of you on this still beautiful Sunday morning--praise God for a day of worship!

Love,

Andrea

Too long...

Greetings! Much has happened since I posted last and I know I have really been slacking with regards to this blog. I have written more since my last post but those writings shall remain drafted in my folder as I think they may be a bit too ornery to post :-) Anyway, I have to make this short tonight.

Since Z's birthday, life here has been busy. I am constantly feeling frustrated at how little I am able to accomplish in a day. I have been reminded in numerous ways that the mercies of God are fresh every morning and every night hold out hope that tomorrow I will be able to endure the whining, fighting, mess-making chaos that accompanies every day (which is also offset by the giggles, hugs and cuddles that keep it all in perspective). The isolation of being a stay-at-home mom is sometimes more than I can bear and I trust each day that the Lord will sustain me through this time.

As to the daily happenings of life in the Bailey household...

We went to our first meeting of New City Fellowship and it turned out to be an adventure. I will post more on this another time. Tom has had some long hours the past two weeks but is enjoying his job. Ellie is practically crawling and doing what we call the 'inch worm'. The attic, which we are converting to a bedroom, is 3/4 finished. Lastly, the kiddos went to their first gymnastics class--so cute!

On a lighter note...

At the dinner table we were listening to a children's CD and the song, 'This Little Light of Mine,' came on. Zachary began singing along, proudly displaying his middle finger and said, "Look at my light Mommy, this is the light finger!"

Okay, well I will post more soon...although my soon may not be too soon!

Happy Birthday Big Guy!

Well, four years ago today Tom and I embarked on this exciting and challenging journey of parenthood--it has been an adventure! Today Zachary celebrated his fourth birthday and we are so blessed to have him in our lives. He is such a sweet, caring and thoughtful little boy! When I asked him today how it felt to be four he said, "Well now I am big and I can help you cook and do laundry!" Such aspirations! I promise I did not put those ideas in his head! I don't know what prompted those thoughts but we sure laughed! We celebrated his special day yesterday with a party that included lunch, games, cake (he had been asking for a CARS cake all last year and was quite excited with this one!) and gifts. I know it meant a lot to him to have his very own party and so many loving birthday wishes. Ellie and Ethan love their big brother and had fun celebrating his big day as well. Thank you to all, both here and those far away, for making his day so special! We are excited to see what this next year holds and cannot believe how fast the time has gone! Happy birthday little man, we love you and are so thankful for you!

More Toddler Talk...

Here's few good ones from this past week...

Zachary: "If Ethan keeps being mean at me I'm not going to be his brother anymore! Ethan, I'm not your brother anymore because you won't stop being mean at me." Ethan, pouting, replies,"But why? Me want to be your brother."

Zachary: "Ethan, pretend you are old because if you are old you don't need money anymore." (Not sure where he got this idea from)

Ethan: "Bye-bye. Thank you for using the alligator (referring to the toy he was pretending was an elevator)."

As I was nursing Ellie this afternoon, Ethan looked at me and said,"Mommy when me little like Ellie, me eat you too."

Ethan: "Mommy when you get little you can take bath like Zatry and Ellie and Ethan and daddy can wash you hair."

As Ethan was playing with his little plastic vegetable toys, his little make-believe dialogue went like this, "Hello corn, me carrot. Hello carrot, me corn." So cute!

More next week!

Andrea