| Thursday, June 30, 2005 |
| Lawn Mowing. Reasonable. Right. |
The title? That was a sign I saw today. A hand-made sign hanging on a light pole at an intersection. Now, tell me, what can we figure it means? Lawn mowing..that part I get. Reasonable. Ok, I get that as well. But, Right? Right? What exactly would that mean within the context of the sign? Something for you to ponder, kids. I'll try to get a picture of it tomorrow if I can.
 I can't believe I haven't mentioned the Live 8 concerts coming up this Saturday! I am looking forward to it so I hope they show some of the good stuff on tv. The concerts in Philly should be awesome. Well, ok, awesome for me. DMB! Maroon 5! Rob "he's mine Tara" Thomas!! Woo hoo! I forget which location, but also performing will be Joss Stone (Bubba-ump's saliva inducing hottie), Sting, U2, Def Leppard (they're in Philly, too), Velvet Revolver (of the Angie wants the drummer, fame) and the list goes on. Just watch, NONE of the ones I want to see will be shown on whatever the hell channel it's supposed to be on. Mtv or vh1 I think. No, even better, they will show a one minute clip and then flip to one of the other concerts to someone I have never heard of before. Aren't I so positive about all things at all times?
Who watched the original Live Aid back in the day?? Huh? Show of hands...
My best friend at the time, Jeri, stayed all night with me and we watched the WHOLE THING from beginning to end. Didn't sleep at all..for, what was it? 24 hours? 36? I tape recorded some of it, too. Tape. Recorded. On a cassette tape. Yes, I know. but you have to remember, this was the same girls who had the birthday party for Andy Taylor from Duran Duran. (I'm too lazy to link to it right now, but it is in my archives somewhere.)
Ok, more tomorrow. I'm tired. Must go cuddle up to the ump. Nighty night.
By the way, how much am I loving FINALLY being able to post photos on blogger without having to use "hello" or flickr AND I can post more than one easily. It's the little things, people. |
posted by Angie @ 11:50 PM   |
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| Um, yeah....I LOVE YOU ALL!! |
I know I've been writing about complete nothing crap lately...but come on! Where's the comment love?? I feel foresaken...rejected...
*sigh*
UPDATE I love you Scully!! :) This is just a post to hear myself post kind of post. (could I say the word post any more in one post??)
Seriously, guys, I love you all whether you comment once, a thousand times or never!! I didn't mean to alienate anyone! I love my bloggy good friends!! |
| posted by Angie @ 1:06 PM |
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| Wednesday, June 29, 2005 |
| A, B, C, D, E, F, G.... |
Yeah, I know. That picture over there looks like Bono with a double chin and a weird facial tic. I was feeling silly, what can I say?
Anyway..I saw this over at xtessa's the other day and since I haven't a unique and original thought in my head, I figured I would do this to take up blog space.
A is for Age-34(OH.MY.GOODNESS. I am 34!)
B is for Booze-not much or often, but when I get the hankerin', I go for a girly drink..like a raspberry margarita at Chili's. Yum.
C is for Career-I have an Associate's Degree in Medical Assisting. Yeah..not really using that. I work in a medical laboratory in the Client Services dept. We are the Jack of all trades dept in the company. Need something done that no one else wants to do? Call CRC! (our dept is really called Client Response Center.)
D is for Dad's name-Jimmy (not James!)
E is for Essential item to bring to a party-Gossip! ;)
F is for Favorite songs at the moment-umm...for the dance factor.."Don't Phunk With My Heart" Black Eyed Peas;for the oh-my-god-he-is-sexy factor.."Something To Be" Rob "he's mine, Tara" Thomas; Oh, just come look at all the music on my Musicmatch Jukebox on my computer...that'll tell you who I am listening to these days.
G is for Goof off thing to do-effing Blog Explosion...or some silly game on Pogo or MSN games
H is for Hometown-Muncie, Indiana, USA born, raised and still there
I is for instrument you play-don't I wish.
J is for Jam or Jelly you like-grape jelly all the way
K is for Kids-Guard Girl, Tater Tot and Baby J AKA Brianna, Braelyn and Jameson
L is for Living Arrangement-in a van down by the river! no, really, in an old house with ugly carpet and an outrageous heat bill every winter!
M is for Mom's name-Peggy
N is for Names of best friends-Shonda, Bubba, my sisters Lori and Denise
O is for Overnight hospital stays-3 c-sections
P is for Phobias-heights, deep water, public speaking
Q is for Quote you like-can I come back to this one?
R is for Relationship that lasted longest-the one I am in now. 15th wedding anniversary this year and we have been together for 17 total.
S is for Siblings-2 older sisters
T is for Texas-ever been?-nope
U is for Unique trait-ummm...
V is for Vegetable you love-broccoli
W is for Worst traits-a few extra pounds, terrible housekeeper, terrible cook (I don't know why, I guess he's just stuck with me..Bubba, that is.)
X is for X-rays you've had-lungs (pneumonia), right arm
Y is for Yummy food you make-Chili is about the only thing I make well
Z is for Zodiac sign-Sagittarius |
| posted by Angie @ 9:30 PM |
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| Tuesday, June 28, 2005 |
| I'm it |
Ok, so now I've been tagged twice for this. Once by Mrs. Guppyman Present Storm and once by one of my new favorite girlys, Sarcastic Kitty. I guess it's time I sucked it up and took a walk down memory lane...
What 5 things do you miss about your childhood??
The "rules" go like this:
Remove the blog at #1 from the following list and bump everyone up one place;add your blog's name in the #5 spot; link to each of the other blogs for the desired cross-pollination effect.
1.Blog, Blah, Blah http://epnurse.blogspot.com/
2.Margaritaville http://margaritaville_rocks.blogspot.com/
3.A Perfect Marriage http://www.perfectmarriage.co.uk
4.Sarcastic Kitty http://sksarcastickitty.com
5.Ficken Chingers http://fickenchingers.blogspot.com/
Next:Select new friends to add to the pollen count.(No one is obligated to participate.)
My victims?
Who else but Tara?
Wait? Did she already do this? I am too lazy to go look. Heck, I should remember if she did this or not.
I think I will tagCristie too and hope she hasn't done this one yet, either. Sorry, I am just lazy tonight.
Ok..I'm just going to leave it at those two...and if anyone else that hasn't actually already done this..if you wanna...go for it! :)
The 5 things I miss from childhood...
1)Going to Tennessee to visit my grandparents several times a year. Driving down their big long driveway after the 6-7 hour car ride and seeing their house in the trees. Running up to hug them. Making biscuits with Grandma. Sitting on the porch all day doing nothing was just fun. Taking walks in the woods. Etc, etc. There are so many memories in this one thing.
2)The closeness of that one best girl friend. I don't really have that these days.
3)Saturday morning cartoons. REAL Saturday morning cartoons. GOOD Saturday morning cartoons.
4)The way our house felt after our weekly "Friday housework." No matter how much I ever clean my own house now, it will never feel as clean as when my mom was in charge.
5)The simplicity of life. Wake up. Eat cereal. Play. Take a bath. Watch tv. Read. Go to bed. No worries. Those were the days.
Ok, this was so hard for me. My list could have been miles long. |
| posted by Angie @ 6:20 PM |
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| Sunday, June 26, 2005 |
| I Feel Pretty....Oh So Pretty.... |
La la la la la la la la la...
Do ya like it?? Do ya? Do ya? Thanks to Cherry over at Web Divas I got a make over! Cherry rocks and Web Divas rocks and you should all go get a make over, too!!
Are you all surprised, cause I didn't even hint that I was doing it..just to see the looks on all your faces! :)
You may all compliment me now. (except for Dawn and Pikkel, cause they already did.)
Kiss Kiss |
| posted by Angie @ 10:02 PM |
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| I used to like Tom Cruise |
Here is the post I was in the middle of this morning when our piece of poopy modem went on the blink...it's working again...for now...
Ok, so yesterday didn't quite go as planned. Didn't quite go as I gloated it would yesterday morning. Remember when I said I was going to be kid-free? Well, I did get rid of take the little ones over to mom and dad's at around 11am. (Oh, by the way..the night before, the little buggers didn't get to bed until about 10:30 because of a long and busy day, and guess what time they got up?? 6:45 ) However, Guard Girl didn't have to work after all, so I was stuck with her all day. :) She's not a kid, though. At least that is what she thinks. :)
We made a Wal-mart run to get a few things. Isn't wal-mart the greatest place to people watch? I turned in 4 rolls of my 15 used rolls of film :) I have no idea what is on them. Probably winter guard. Passed a new Dollar store that Guard Girl just had to go in so we stopped. She found a new bracelet and got J heart B on it. (her boyfriend and her intials) Oh, and a J keychain. She just can't get enough J things to represent Drummer Boy her boyfriend.
After the dollar store, we got Taco Bell and took it home and watched Alfie which is a pretty good movie. We laughed a lot...especially when we watched some Dane Cook stuff. You should hear GG do her Dane Cook impression. She about made me pee my pants :) Then on the way to pick up Bubba-ump at the sports complex, GG was playing some of her mix cds and Drop It Like It's Hot by Snoop Dogg came on and I did my gangsta lean in the mini-van. I thought Guard Girl was going to pass out she was laughing so hard We were going to pull up with the windows down blasting that song, me leaning way back and to the right, but only if Bubba had been standing right there waiting for us. There were way too many people around and I am too much of a chicken to do that in front of a bunch of people :) (you should hear what is on some of her cds On any one of them you can hear The Devil Went Down to Georgia with a little Snoop Dogg after that followed by some Metallica or something...the girl has a wide range of musical tastes, I must say. She even likes some Rascal Flats, Tara )
After that, we went to pick up the wee ones and so ended my day alone. I had fun even if I wasn't alone and I didn't get one single thing organized with my scrap stuff. Maybe next time. :)
Oh, yeah, the title of this post. Well, that is really all I have to say on the subject. Give me the Top Gun sexy TC any day. I feel the need...the need for speed... |
| posted by Angie @ 8:30 AM |
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| Saturday, June 25, 2005 |
| I can almost SMELL the silence.... |
In just a couple of hours, I will be ALL ALONE...ALL DAY! My mom and dad are keeping the little ones all day. (Mom said she was "homesick" for them..it's a grandma thing, don't ask)Guard Girl has to work. Bubba-ump has to work. And I will have the WHOLE DAY to myself!!! I have to run to Wal-mart for a couple things and then, I will have the whole day free to myself. A Saturday! I'm going to try to keep my butt out of the computer chair. We'll see if that happens.
Happy Saturday! |
| posted by Angie @ 7:37 AM |
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| Friday, June 24, 2005 |
| A little less snot... |
Feeling better..back to work today...will post more later. I'll leave you with just a most precious quote from Tater...
"Mommy, you have big legs!!"
Yeah...I was feeling good about myself yesterday after she said that. |
| posted by Angie @ 12:42 PM |
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| Thursday, June 23, 2005 |
| But, before I go crash... |
Hey, you, in Crestview Hills, Kentucky. Yes, YOU! I just want you to know that I have never posted a picture of a micropenis, so please..please..look elsewhere. K? Thanks.
Someone please tell me why searching Google for "micropenis" gives you MY BLOG at NUMBER 9!!! (Because wifeandmom2 commented once about google searching gross stuff, including micropenis. Thanks sweetie. :) hee hee) Oh, jeez..now it will only get worse because I keep saying micropenis in this post.
I love the internet. :) |
| posted by Angie @ 8:26 AM |
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| Snot Head |
I'm siiiiiiick.....somebody come baby me....please....but first you will have to wade through the mound of used kleenex.
Called in sick. Gonna go sleep for a while. |
| posted by Angie @ 7:49 AM |
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| Tuesday, June 21, 2005 |
| More Quotes from 1986 |
So sayeth Angie at 15...
"Sometimes I wish that I were married to Chad W. We would have 4 adorable kids named Tristan, Jordan, Mallory and Megan. They would all have blue eyes and long eyelashes."
"My dad gets along with everyone just about all the time. If I want money he gives me some or if I have somewhere to go he'll take me. He'll even do the dishes for me sometimes if I ask him real nicely."
"If I were a tree, I would be a palm tree....(blah blah blah)...I would live in Miami so I could watch Don Johnson filming "Miami Vice." I might even get a cameo appearance in of the episodes."
"My dream car would be a Delorean....(blah blah)...it would have the best sound system of any car ever. If I couldn't have that, I would take a small,red,sporty convertible. Behind the wheel would be a blond, tan, gorgeous californian guy named Jordan." (wait, wasn't Jordan one of my kids' names? ew.)
The question was...If you could spend one day with anyone in the world, who would it be and why?
I said Sarah Ferguson and Princess Di and her kids. I was a total royal watcher back then! But this answer was the best...
"I would spend a day with Bruce Willis off of "Moonlighting." He is so charismatic. He seems like a great guy to know. I'd probably have a lot of fun with him."
Oh, and I also made reference to the "rock group" Duran Duran. hee hee |
| posted by Angie @ 9:43 PM |
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| Oh my gosh, you guys, I was certifiably a big old doofus! |
I think tonight I will inundate you all with the thoughts from me as a teenager.
This is from a journal we had to keep in freshman english, October, 1986
If you had to name the most important invention of the last one hundred years, what would it be and why?
(In all my infinite wisdom, this is what I said.)
One of the most important inventions is the telephone. If it weren't for the telephone you would have no communication with some people. Also, it would be difficult to get help in an emergency.
(I can't even believe I am going to admit to writing this next thing!)
Another is curling irons/brushes. If it weren't for them I would look pretty disgusting every day. (oh. my. goodness.)
Television is a good one, too. Some of the best entertainment is on tv.
Good Lord, people!! Who was that person??
I must clarify something here, though. I HATED the teacher in that class with a screaming purple passion. So, I pretty much wrote whatever just to get points for the days journaling.
You may make fun of me now.
(don't forget to read my three wishes post below. It will give you a warm fuzzy feeling.) |
| posted by Angie @ 5:39 PM |
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| Three Wishes |
Ok, guys. I found a piece of notebook paper with my writing on it in a box of nostalgia. :) It isn't titled but I am assuming it is a list of my three wishes which actually numbers to 15 because every third wish, I wished for 3 more wishes. :)It isn't dated, either, so judging from the other stuff in this box, it is probably from 8th or 9th grade.
I am so embarrassed, but I am going to share the wishes with you. Remember, every third wish, was 3 more wishes. Wasn't I a clever girl? The stuff in parentheses are my comments now.
No deadly illnesses in the world. (this is the obligatory "world peace" kind of wish.)
All of the clothes I want.
All the shoes I want.
Perfect hair.(who's shallow??)
Clear skin.(yup, the dermatologist became my friend.)
Perfect body. (self-esteem problem, anyone??)
All the tapes I want. (yes, it says tapes. god, that soo dates me!)
A great boyfriend. (this was pre-Bubba, of course.)
Meet every star I want to meet. (some things never change!)
All A's
I MAY have gotten one of those...I'll let you figure out which one. :) |
| posted by Angie @ 5:02 PM |
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| Monday, June 20, 2005 |
| I am soooo over it... |
Over what? I am so over hearing about Firefox and how if you "still" use IE then you should be paraded around town naked and lashed with wet noodles. Who cares?? If you like FireFox, more power to you. Use it and be happy. IE works for me..has always worked for me and what I do on the computer so get over it already!
Can you tell I've been surfing the Blog Explosion a little tonight? I just want to scream every time I see another blog telling me to use firefox because IE is stupid and so you are stupid to use it...blah blah blah... |
| posted by Angie @ 9:40 PM |
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She's I'm Not Ready!! |
I found out today that Indiana changed the cut off date for kids to start kindergarten next year(2006). A child will have to be 5 years old by August 1st in order to start kindergarten. That means Tater Tot will be old enough next year--by one day! Her birthday is July 31st. Oh...my...gosh...I am just coming to terms with Guard Girl being a FRESHMAN...At least I'll still have Baby J as my baby for 2 years after TT goes to school...*sigh*
If you need me I'll be over in the corner taking baby lotion intravenously... |
| posted by Angie @ 3:27 PM |
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| Saturday, June 18, 2005 |
| Class of 2009 |
That sounded like a LONG time ago when my daughter was born and I figured up what year she would graduate. Now? It's 4 short years away. I will have a senior graduating from high school, a 2nd grader and a kindergartener. What the H-E double hockey sticks was I thinking?? Anyway, at the 8th grade graduation the other day, I did relatively well. One of the choir songs made me a little teary-eyed, but I held it together. Until...all the 8th graders stood up and turned toward the audience and the principal said something like.."I present to you the Class of 2009!" Yeah...I lost it.
There is an air show going on over at the Summer Heat Air Festival at our little airport. I can hear the jets and every time the sound comes back 'round, I keep thinking it is thunder.
Bubba-ump is...umpiring today in Indy. The kids are being halfway good. Guard Girl stayed all night with her friend Kasi and then went from there to work. I think she has to work until 9 tonight. She hates it because it cuts into her weekend social life. But, she likes the money. $$ Update:Guard Girl just called. She's done already and it is only 4:30. They are dead today.
Guard Girl got all A's on her final report card (remember when they were actual cards?) for middle school. She's dreading high school because she knows it is going to be hard. Her classes will be a lot harder than her 8th grade classes were. Socially, she has it made. Her entire freshman class will be the kids she went to middle school with. She knows a LOT of upper classmen because of band and guard. She'll get along just fine.
Michael Jackson is a freak. He should never be allowed to leave Neverland. Ever. Please be done with showing your face in public, MJ. It doesn't surprise me that he was found not guilty. Do I think he's guilty? Hard to say, but I doubt he is. He has an extremely warped sense of reality. Just because the man is a freak doesn't make him a child molester. I hope he isn't for the children's sake.
Terri Schiavo. I never really posted anything about her when the whole starvation thing was happening and now that the autopsy findings have come out...well, I think..I just..I...ugh...I get really, really fired up if I try to talk about it, so I will spare you all.
Remaking "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" is blasphemous!!
I really, really want to scrapbook today. No chance of that with the monkeys kiddies around. But, my friend Chocolate, is having a scrap night on July 8th at her house, so hopefully I can get lots of pages done.
I got my blog butt kicked today on Battle of the Blogs on Blog Explosion. 9-0 by some boring guy's blog. My ego is shattered. But I still have over 300 credits so it's all good, baby. :)
I was the first person to comment on this weekend's meet and greet over at Michele's. Am I cool or what? don't answer that.
Can you tell I am bored and have NOTHING to say?
Did I mention I had a dream about Bo Bice? Yeah...I hope I dream about someone else tonight, but NOT Constantine!
Ok, enough blogging about nothing...if only it could be as funny as Seinfeld. "These pretzels...are making me thirsty." |
| posted by Angie @ 4:04 PM |
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| I blame HER! |
Ok, I had this dream last night...and I totally blame PresentStorms! Seriously! And she doesn't even know it.
See, last night, I was really tired but of course I was on the computer because I can't ever pull my behind from the computer chair at a decent hour.(Hey, it's MY time when the kids go to bed!) Anyway, I was doing a quick run through of a few of my favorite people on my blog roll. Well, it just so happens that hers was the last one I looked at. Guess what her post was about? Bo Bice. Guess what I dreamed about? Bo Bice. Now, before I go on, let me remind you, if you have read my blog for any amount of time, you know I was a HUGE American Idol fan. You also know that I HATED Constantine (Tara, do you think he'd get the hint if we mailed him some "Gee, Your Hair Smells Terrific??") but that I liked Bo although he did nothing for me as far as looks or sex appeal goes. Ok, the dream.
It was short, but disturbing enough. :)
I was in the kitchen making a sandwich when someone walks up behind me and puts their arms around me and says "Will you make one for me?" Of course in the dream, its known who it is..it's Bo...and he is my boyfriend or husband. (sorry, honey)And I say, "Why should I do that?" And he says, "So I can give you a kiss to thank you." And I turned around and we started kissing all passionately and then I heard something and opened my eyes and there was a camera man standing there filming us! Apparantly I thought it was a guy from work, Rudy, being stupid so I yell, "Rudy!" but the guy looks out from behind his camera and it's not Rudy and I realize we are on a reality tv show of our own.
The end.
Thanks a lot, PS. :) Maybe now the dream will transfer to you tonight and get out of my brain. :)
So, what did THAT dream mean?? Anyone? Anyone? (Pikkel, be nice.)
Bo Bice is a good kisser. Go figure. |
| posted by Angie @ 9:17 AM |
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| It's getting hot in herrrrrr... |
| Did anyone catch Hit Me Baby One More Time this week?? Ok, Wang Chung doing a cover of Nelly?? Pretty damn cool. It was so bizarre..too bizarre to even be bad! They totally should have won over Irene Cara. Most of the performances so far on all 3 episodes have been so very bad.(hello, Loverboy?) This show is all that is cheese, but I am hooked. Next week? Glass Tiger, baby! I am so watching. :) |
| posted by Angie @ 12:17 AM |
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| Thursday, June 16, 2005 |
| Car-seat Driver |
A couple of days ago, we were heading to my husband's work to drop him off. (In the land of Suckage McSuckeyville, having ONE vehicle is the all-time suckiest!!) Hubby did a "rolling stop" at a 4-way stop and Miss Tater Tot says..."Daddy! That sign means stop! You didn't sto-op!" To which he replied, "Yes, I did." And Tater said, "No you didn't, you're supposed to stop." Farther down the road and we get to a portion of the road where the speed limit goes up to 40mph. Tater says, "Daddy! You're going to fast! WHEEEEEE....WOOOOO..." as she held her arms up as if she were on a roller coaster.
Next day..Bubba-ump is driving and he did something that made him veer to the right and almost rub against the curb. Tater says, "Daddy! You almost hit that thang!"
Bubba said, "We're getting that kid a blind-fold." |
| posted by Angie @ 7:44 PM |
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| Saturday, June 11, 2005 |
| serious--part 3 (it's the last part!) |
So Baby J was on his way to Riley and I still hadn't been discharged. There were doctors to be called, papers to be signed, pain meds to be prescribed. (!) Bubba had to get things smoothed out in town, pay bills, take the dog somewhere to stay, make sure the kids had somewhere to stay. My oldest sister, Nursey and my Mom and I headed down to Indy.
A place of miracles. 
We soon learned that the NICU waiting rooms would become our home away from home. There were tables and chairs, big brown recliners, small kitchens, bathrooms, lockers, phones, tvs...all in the 2 waiting rooms. We saw so many other families just like us, waiting and worrying.
Baby J was in Module 3. Each module was just a big long hospital room with 5 or 6 babies along each side. There was a nurses station just inside the door of each one. As the parents, we were allowed to come and go as we pleased. Hand washing became more than a routine. We were allowed to bring one person in with us at any time. Then, we could also sign a paper giving 3 people permission to be in there without us. That first night is such a blur. Bubba stayed with Baby J almost the entire night while I tried to get some rest in one of the sleep rooms. I ended up dozing for a bit, but unable to get comfortable, I found my way out to one of the recliners where Bubba happened to be. I think he told our life story to the nurse, Lindsey, that night. That first night there, the doctors were very good about letting us know what was going on. We rarely saw the doctors after that. The ones to be commended for their hard work and loving touch were the nurses! A better group of ladies you would be hard pressed to find.
The Module. (sounds all space shippy, huh?)
At Riley (and at our home hospital before he was moved), Baby J was on "minimal stimulation." In other words, we were not to talk to him, rub him or anything like that. We were barely allowed to touch him for fear of disturbing him. He wore little "ear muffs" and had a towel laid over his eyes to keep the light out. A three paneled screen was put up around his bed to keep the noise out. (His was the first bed on the right when you walked into the room.) That was hard. It was hard not to talk to him. Hard not to touch his soft skin or rub his little leg to soothe him. It drove my mom crazy not to be able to sing to him!
Here you can see his "ear muffs" and you can just see where Bubba is holding up the towel so we can get a picture.
One thing I must mention here is something that scared us to death from the moment we got to Riley. The ECMO. Basically a heart/lung bypass machine that if Baby J didn't get better, he would have to be hooked up to. For days, possibly weeks. The risks involved were scary. We didn't want it to come to that. So, we watched and waited and learned more about O2 sats and numbers on a ventilator than we ever thought we would. Every minute that he improved, meant he was that much further away from the ECMO. That first night and maybe the second day, it was touch and go. His sats would get better, then get worse. They'd up the Nitric Oxide, then lower it. They gave him surfactant (something usually given to preemies) which seemed to actually make him slightly worse than better. He didn't tolerate that well at all.
The next day, I think, we finally got a spot in the Ronald McDonald House. It was a godsend! Thank God they give priority on the waiting list to mothers who have had c-sections. The RMH is such a wonderful thing. You get a room almost like a hotel, though you have to share a bathroom with another room. You are responsible for keeping the rooms clean and the bathroom clean. They have laundry facilities and a house kitchen with several stoves, refrigerators, sinks and dishwashers. A couple of times a week, dinner is provided by local churches and organizations who bring it in and serve it up sort of buffet style. Also, on any given day, you would arrive at your room and there would be a "care package" sitting outside your door, again provided by a school or other organization. The RMH is something I won't forget. We send donations when we can still today and always will. PLEASE...if you go into a McDonalds and you see those little donations boxes, drop your change in them. It is for such a good cause. I can't ever say that enough!
This is where we slept.
I will try to keep a long story slightly less long here by saying we spent our days sitting around the hospital, visiting Baby J, making friends with the other families around us, eating at the cafe in the hospital or at the McDonalds that is there as well. I thought I would never touch McDonalds again after that. We spent our nights calling the nurses to check on his numbers and see how he was doing. All the days and the milestones that he achieved run together now. I barely remember my own recovery. My mom likes to tell her story of finding a penny on the floor/ground every single day we were there. On the last day she was there, the night before Baby J got to go back to our home hospital, she found a dime. She thinks it was a sign. Perhaps it was.
The day Baby J finally got to come off the vent was HUGE! We were so nervous. Nervous that he wouldn't breathe on his own. I think this was day 6, maybe, at Riley. Like I said, it all runs together. But he did so well. No problems. He did have to be on a c-pap for a while, too. Now our focus shifted to his feeding. He had a tube into his stomach and we would hang his formula to drip in. After a certain amount of time, the nurse would then check his stomach contents to make sure he was digesting well. No problems there.
During all the time at Riley, Baby J had begun to hold water and was swollen. His head was big and squishy, I kid you not. Compared to the preemies all around him, he was GARGANTUAN BABY. Then, a day or two before he came home, he started peeing and pretty much didn't stop until he peed it all off.
Here you can kind of see how big his head was getting. This wasn't long before the vent came off, I think.
Finally, on day 7 at Riley, I think, maybe 8, I got to hold him!! For the first time! EVER!
Finally!
Baby J ended up being at Riley for 9 days and after that, they transported him back to our home hospital where he would be for 10 more days. He was in isolation for a day or two because he had a slight fever. But after that, we spent our days and evenings sitting with him, holding him, feeding him once he finally got the feeding tube out. He was the all time slowest eater. I look back at the pictures now and I looked like HELL! Circles under my eyes. Rough. It was a long 3 weeks. We watched his monitors and learned to check all the leads when the alarm bells went off. We got to give him his first bath in water. Most of the nurses I loved. The doctors were just awesome.
On the day he was 3 weeks old, we got to take him home. No monitors, no tubes, just baby. He had no visible signs that he had even been that close to death. Only the two little bitty scabs where the chest tubes had been. He has been fine ever since. The only thing we have to watch him for is signs of hearing loss. It's a side effect of the this whole ordeal. Nothing yet.
Getting ready to leave the hospital. See how tiny his head is here compared to big squishy head? :)
Baby J now.
Thanks for wading through this long story. I've wanted to tell it for a long time. |
| posted by Angie @ 10:57 AM |
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| Friday, June 10, 2005 |
| My serious post--part2 |
If you haven't read part one, it is just below this one. :)
Around 11:30pm that first night, a nurse came in to see me. I like to call her Barbie. She was blonde and petite. In a nice little sing songy voice she says. "Your little one has given us a little bit of a problem tonight." (she's smiling the whole time, mind you.) In the same voice she continued. "He was laboring to breathe and wasn't getting any better so we had to put him on a ventilator." (more smiles) I think the room began to spin at about that time. I was speechless. She then told me the doc would be in shortly to explain and she left. She LEFT! I was in my room all alone thinking all kinds of thoughts waiting for the doctor to come in. I waited for what seemed like an hour or more, but was probably only a few minutes and the doc finally came in. He explained that Baby J had a pneumothorax (air around lung/collapsed lung) on the left side and they had to put in a chest tube. (I am pretty sure I just sat there in stunned silence with my mouth hanging open.) His oxygen levels weren't staying up on the oxygen alone and he was laboring to breathe so they placed him on the ventilator. He expected this to help and said he would be back later. Stunned and crying and alone. I was so scared! I called Bubba and he grabbed up the kids and took them to my parents' house and picked up my mom to come with him to the hospital.
So Bubba and my mom show up and he paces and wanders the halls and we wait for the doc to come back and explain to them. Bubba was as white as a ghost the whole time. He visited Baby J off and on all night and I STILL didn't get to see him. The next morning, they had to put a chest tube in the right side and he had air around his heart in between his lungs which we were told would dissolve itself.
This is how I saw him next.
Look at those little eyes open. This broke my heart. Tears flowed freely from mommy.
One of the hardest moments ever was when I went in to visit him and the nurse was having to check his blood for whatever reason and she stuck his heel and I watched his face twist into a grimace...but he couldn't cry. He couldn't cry because of the vent. I bawled. They had to get me a chair so I could sit down. That just killed me that he couldn't cry when he was hurt.
By Thursday, March 20th, his condition had worsened and they had figured out that he had developed pulmonary hypertension. At around 7:30am the doctor said that by noon he would make a decision whether or not to send him to Riley Children's Hospital in Indianapolis. (about 60 miles or so away.) Riley had a more advanced ventilator (that is what I think I remember him saying) and also they would treat him with nitric oxide. So we waited. In the meantime, my doctor had come in to see me and when I told him what was wrong with the baby, he was floored. He told me later that we could have knocked him over with a feather that day when he heard. But, he told me that he would discharge me early if the baby had to go to Riley.
At around 10am, the neonatologist came back in and said he had made the decision, he was sending Baby J to Riley. He had already called them and the transport team was on its way. I ventured into the shower and while I was in there, Bubba starts yelling at me to "Hurry! They are ready to leave!" So here I am trying to rush, and 2 days post c-section, one can not hurry very quickly. So I throw my clothes on and with wet hair and pink fuzzy slippers I make my way down to the NICU to say goodbye before he leaves. Thank goodness they weren't ready yet! (Thanks Bubba!) We had to sign all kinds of papers while they prepared him. The transport team was a group of 5 or 6 people from Riley. Not sure what all their titles were. Here he is after they got him all ready to go.
More wires and tubes and tape, etc...
This is similar to the one he was transported in.
To be continued..again... |
| posted by Angie @ 9:11 PM |
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