SOME CUTE PICTURES

Carly in her new dress with a new hairdo!




How's this Mommy?




Carly with her cousins Keelie and Kaden (Rob's brother Steve's kids)taking an outside break before their Grandpa's funeral.




Keelie and Carly just before their Grandpa's funeral.

A SAD YET BEAUTIFUL DAY

It was a gorgeous day today. The sun was shining and there was just a little wind. We didn't even really need a coat, just a sweater or a light jacket. It was a seriously beautiful day. But, I kept asking myself if it can ever really be a beautiful day when you bury someone you love. Rob's Dad was a good man. He was a policeman for 24 years--a wonderful public servant. He had a tremendous sense of humor and he was dearly loved by his family.

The letting go is the hardest part. It's not that we don't know where he is; we do. We know we will see him again and be with him again. It's just that parting for now is hard. The blessing is that he is out of pain and at peace. We know God lives and we know Christ is His son and that because of His sacrifice we can be together again.

Dad, we love you and miss you and are grateful to have had you in our lives.

Jim and Jane Ann Harris with Jon and Carly

This is a sweet picture we took right before Jim and Jane Ann left to head back to Indiana. They were so nice to come and see Dad through surgery. What amazing friends! They even babysat for Carly and Jon while we took Dad for some pre-surgery appointments. The kids fell in love with them. Thanks so much Nana and Boppa!

DARN THIS THING!

I had some cute pictures to post tonight and for some reason the Blogger isn't letting me post them. I've never had it act up like this before and so, I don't know what's wrong. Something in the Blogosphere, I'm guessing. Hope they get it fixed soon. Oh well, the pics will have to wait for another day.

Went to visit Dad today, and Mom too for that matter. She has been spending the night there the last few nights. Well, we actually haven't left him alone there. Someone has stayed with him each night but Mom never came home and took a break today so we visited her, too. Dad's having quite a bit of pain in his shoulder's as the physical therapists are continuing to work them so they don't freeze up on him. I think I am going to have to go meet with his PT people and tell them to lay off a little. I don't know that they aren't doing more harm than good for his shoulders.

As far as his knee goes, he is doing wonderfully and has not had much pain at all considering what he just had done. He is up to 115 degrees on the bend and only has to get to 120. He is amazing everyone!

That's the good news. Tomorrow we have Rob's Dad's viewing and Monday is his funeral. Rob and I appreciate all the love and caring you have sent our way. This is a difficult time. Please know your thoughts and prayers are felt and appreciated.

TURN AROUND . . .

Carly is having her first sleepover tonight. It's her 5 year old cousin but it counts because she really, really wanted her to stay. I can't believe what a little girl she is becoming. Oh my goodness, she is growing up fast!

NEWS OF THE DAY

Well, Dad is doing well. He is pretty much back to his old self. The medicine for the thrush is working. Also, he is amazing all of his physical an occupational therapists by how well and how quickly he is coming along. He is up to 108 percent on his knee bend. They want him to get to 120 percent. They think he will be there by Sunday. I'm not sure what comes after that. We found out today that he will likely only be in the rehab for 2 weeks. He will then have continued therapy with home healthcare.

Rob's Dad's funeral is on Monday. We will have a viewing for him on Sunday evening. Our girls are going to sing at the funeral and Rob and his brother Steve will be speaking also. I think it will be a very nice tribute to him. It is still hard to imagine he is gone.

Well, that's about all I know for today. Guess I'd better get some sleep while I can.

SOME SAD NEWS AND AN UPDATE

I'm sorry I haven't posted for a few days. We got word a few days ago that Rob's Dad had been rushed to the hospital and wasn't doing well. The doctor's told us he had less than a week to live. Rob and his brothers and mom took turns staying at the hospital with him and he passed away early this morning. I'm really grateful the kids and I were able to visit with him a couple of days ago. I don't think any of us thought he would go so quickly. It's been really hard on Rob.

While my Dad's surgery has gone really well, he got thrush again from the antibiotics and it caused another infection and some confusion for several days. Thankfully, he is starting to come out of that now. Overall, it's been a really hard week but here's to hoping things get brighter from here.

UPDATE

Dad's doing pretty well. His pain level is still pretty low. He's had a lot happen pretty quickly and I think that's been the hardest adjustment for him. We are trying to have someone stay with him throughout the day and night just to make sure he is comfortable and getting the care he needs. He is doing well with his physical therapy. Hopefully, time will pass quickly and he will be able to get through his PT and come home. That's all for now.

SUNDAY EVENING UPDATE

Dad is settled in the rehabilitation center. Tomorrow they will begin his rehab. He is in releatively low pain for what we expected him to go through. Of course, he has yet to really work his new knee in rehab. He has walked on it but not worked it. Please keep your prayers for him going. He will need them. Thanks everyone.

HE'S ON THE MOVE

Dad has the doctor a little surprised and a lot pleased! He's trying harder and doing better than most of his other patients (who are younger and stronger.) Does that surprise any of us?! NOPE!

Anyway, the Dr. just released him to Thatcher Brook. He will be on his way there in a few hours! More later!

THE DAILY DAD REPORT

Hi all,

Dad has taken two walks today. One from his bed to just outside his doorway and back and the other from his bed down to the nurses station and back. The physical therapy helped him get his knee to an 80% bend today and they are hoping to go to 90% first thing in the morning. All signs look good at the moment that he will be sent to Thatcher Brook tomorrow afternoon for rehab. If not tomorrow, then on Monday.

His pain level still seems low. I think his shoulders are bothering him worse than his knee! And his shoulders actually do need replacing worse than his knee did; the doctor just said he should have the weight bearing joint replaced first. So, that's what we did. We are hoping the physical therapy for his knee goes smoothly and he can have his worst shoulder done in three months or so.

Dad wants to say THANK YOU to the CLASS OF 1957 for the beautiful flowers! Also, thanks to those of you who have sent cards and made calls. They are cheering him up quite a bit. Thanks for being great friends!

ALL YOU KNEE'D TO KNOW . . . YUK, YUK, YUK

Dad is doing really well today. Still has relatively low pain. They got him up and set him on the side of the bed and have done some movement with his leg. They have been able to get his knee to a 70 percent bend. They want it to be at a 90 percent bend before they release him. It looks like that will be either on Sunday or Monday. He will be going to Thatcher Brook Care and Rehabilitation Center for a couple of weeks.

(Don't worry--this is not the nursing home he has been building up points for with his awnry behavior. For those of you who don't get this joke, the three of us girls have been giving him nursing home points for years any time we thought he was a little awnry with us. We gave him a ceiling of 1,000 points when we started and told him if he didn't behave when he was old and feeble he would have to go to a nursing home instead of live with us. He blew the thousand points the first day! We have to keep starting over! Gee, we must love our Dad!)

Anyway, Thatcher Brook is a terrific new facility that does only rehab. Once he gets there I will I will post some pictures and you can see how good he has it!

If any of you want the address for the facility it is below. Also, in the meantime you are welcome to call his hospital room. He is alert today and up to chatting. The direct number to his room is 801-268-7574 and the room number again is 5W14 if you need it. That's all for now. More later.

Thatcher Brook Rehabilitation and Care Center
1795 Chelemes Way
Clearfield, UT 84015-6298
(801) 614-5700

Hi All,

They have decided not to get Dad up and have him walk today since his pain block has worked so well. Apparently, when a block works really well it not only keeps you out of pain tremendously well it also numbs your leg--so walking is not a really good option! We prefer he stays in the no pain zone anyway--so we are in no real hurry to unblock the block.

Dad is resting comfortably and making some really crazy and, what some people might think (not me, of course) are some pretty dumb jokes to the nursing staff. So, things are pretty much normal!

All three of us daughters are here with him and mom right now. We are having a good old time. More later.

A LITTLE MORE INFO

We just got Dad into a room here at the hospital. He didn't have any problems with the anesthesia and has even had eaten some jello and pudding and is keeping them down. He is kind of in and out right now--napping a bit but is not in a ton of pain.
His surgeon said his knee and leg were crooked and in fact that because of that his knee was one of the worst ones he'd done. He was able to straighten it out and it is in great form now but took twice the time to do. They gave him a leg block for pain and said it was a really good one so he shouldn't have much pain for 36-48 hours. Although he does have the magic button for morphine just in case!

They do plan on getting him up around 2:00 p.m. our time to take him for a little walk. Yep, that's the way they do things these days! (I just say "OUCH!")

In case you want to know, Dad's room number is 5W14(that stands for 5 West room 14.) Again, in case you didn't get the whole address before here it is:

St. Mark's Hospital
1200 East 3900 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84124-1300
(801) 268-7574 (This rings straight to his room.)
Room: 5 West 14

Thanks so much for your love and prayers. Please keep them coming. Love, Nancy

THE SURGERY WENT GREAT!

He's out. It's all good. He's doing great! He's in recovery and will be in a room in about an hour! More later!

DAD'S IN SURGERY

They took Dad to the surgery about 7:35 our time but the doctor told us it wouldn't begin until just before 8:00 a.m.. We expect the surgery to last just under two hours. We did find out yesterday that his hip has some arthritis and is somewhat involved in his pain but they are not going to do anything about it. Apparently, he has some bone spurs in the hip but not bad enough to do anything to it now.

Dad was in pretty good spirits this morning although he was nervous. But then who wouldn't be? Mom, me and Jim and Jane Ann are in the waiting room just hanging out for some news. My sister Sarah should be here any minute as well. Susan will be here in a couple of hours. I will updated this as soon as we hear anything. Please pray hard for my Dad. Thanks!

Here are a couple of pictures from this morning:

AS PROMISED . . .

Dad's surgery is the first one on the docket. We have to report to the hospital at 6:00 a.m.. (GAH!) They will prep him and his actual surgery will begin a little before 8:00 a.m.. They expect the surgery to last an hour and a half and then he will be in recovery for another hour to hour and a half before he is put in a room. That's what we know for now.

I've been asked to give the hospital address and info where he will be:

St. Mark's Hospital
1200 East 3900 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84124-1300
(801) 268-7119

He will most likely be there for at least 3-4 days. I will keep this updated as we know what is happening. Please keep your prayers going. Thank you so much! Love, Nancy and family

T-MINUS TWO AND COUNTING . . . WAIT, THAT ONLY LEAVES ONE . . . YIKES!

Yes, we are getting into the nervous Nellie stage around here. People to see, places to go, things to do, major joints to have replaced, er, I mean before said joints are replaced. Actually, if we haven't done it by now, it probably isn't getting done before we report to the hospital.

We have a pre-op appointment in the morning at 11:15 and should find out then what time surgery is on Thursday. We have another doctor appointment tomorrow afternoon not directly related to the surgery and between the two that should take up most of our day.

I will post something on here tomorrow when we get back to let you know the time of surgery. We would be so grateful if you would keep Dad in your thoughts and prayers more especially on Thursday. Not only that he makes it through the surgery without any complications but also that his pain level will be low and that he will be blessed with peace and comfort as he goes into surgery.

Well, I did promise pictures with the Harris's and I deliver on my promises! Actually, they have new names around here. Carly has adopted them and they are now Boppa and Nana! In fact, they are going to babysit for her and Jonathon while Mom and I take Dad to his appointments tomorrow. Carly has been really picky about who she will go to for the last 6-8 months and when Jane Ann came in the door and asked for a hug Carly ran right over and gave her one! Unbelievable! Amazing! I say she has the magic touch!

It is really wonderful to have Boppa and Nana here. It has really picked up Dad's spirits and given him something to do and think about besides sit and worry about the coming surgery (which he would have done.) My parents have amazing friends--they always have had. Thank you to all of you who have been so wonderful to them. My sisters and I all thank you and love you. And especially thank you Jim and Jane Ann. Who gets in their car and drives 2,000 miles because their friend is having surgery? You guys are amazing! We love and adore you!

One last thing before I post the pictures and end this for tonight. I just want to say: God Bless the Class of 1957!! You are the best and closest class I have ever seen. You have stayed close and been good to each other. It's been fun to watch. What a blessing you all are to each other! Ya'll come see us, too!


Dad and Jim chewing the fat!


I made everyone pose for this one (and they called me bossy!) Who me-bossy? :}
Aren't they cute, though? Very, very cute!


Apparently, Carly didn't think they were cute enough. She insisted, and I do mean "insisted" on being in the picture with them! So, what do you think--Are they cuter with or without her? Trick question-be careful what you say! I'm the mommy! :)

HEY, HOW YOU DOIN'?

HOOSIER DOWN HOME NIGHT AND I FORGOT TO TAKE PICTURES

Jim and Jane Ann Harris arrived tonight and we broke bread together. They came out for Dad's surgery. What a terribly nice thing to do! It has really cheered Dad up, too! I can't believe I didn't take a single picture. Don't worry, they will be back around and I WILL REMEMBER next time! I'll slap myself in the forehead a few dozen times and say "DUH!" That should take care of it.

Jonathon is doing really well. He's totally holding his bottle on his own. He just started sleeping on his tummy. He wouldn't do that at all before because of his reflux and upset tummy. Now he likes it. Don't worry, I check him constantly. His head was getting a bit of a flat spot on the back from sleeping only on his back, so he needs to sleep more on his tummy and sides to round it out now. Don't you know, it's always something!

Well, that's really all the news for today. Check back tomorrow and maybe something exciting or funny will happen. Lol!

FIVE DAYS . . . BUT WHO'S COUNTING?

Well, now that I mention it, I'm pretty sure there are at least five of us who are. We've been waiting so long, it's kind of hard to believe it's really almost time for his surgery to be done. We don't know what time it will be yet. I'm sure they will let us know the afternoon before. I will let you know as soon as we do.

Dad is looking better this week than he has in the past month. I think it may just be getting him up and out more that's helping.

Carly had lots of antics today, but my not so favorite one was when she put her hand in her cup of yogert and painted her dress, her face, her hair, the carpet and the coffee table. That was right after I told her she had to stay at the table to eat her yogurt! These two year olds are so quick! Who can keep up? I know, I know . . . famous last words: "I just turned my back for a second!" But it's true, I did!

NEWLYWED SCHMULYWED

Rob and I got asked to play the Newlywed Game the other night for an activity at our Church. They had a Marriage and Family therapist speak afterwards on communicating better in your relationships. Anyway, we had a strategy going in. We decided not to play to win but to play for laughs! Hey, how could we go wrong with that? It worked too! We didn't win and we got laughed at! Lol!

TODAY'S HAPPENINGS

Went for a drive with Mom and Dad today. Mom needed to stop by the doctor's office for something so Dad wanted to have them weigh him and see how his dieting has paid off. He has done really well. He is down to 250 which is where he wanted to be for surgery.

We also took a drive to check out a rehabilitation facility Dad may use after surgery. Turned out it was a really nice place and is only about 5 miles from our home. Dad will only spend 2-3 days in the hospital but will probably need to go to a rehab facility for 7-10 days after that before he is prepared to come home. I can't remember if I've already told all of you this or not. Oh well.

We are down to one week away from surgery. We will be glad to get him through this. I will keep you posted as to what is happening on this end.

DADDY'S BOY, MOMMY'S GIRL

CARLY'S HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY!

Thanks everyone for all the calls, posts and well-wishes for our cute little one. Here are a few fun pictures from our little family party for her. I think she had a fun time. I know she loved the CAKE!!

SHE'S TWO. SHE'S REALLY, REALLY TWO!

Our little princess turned two today! I am not sure she understood it but she loves cake and she had fun opening presents. So, all in all it was a happy day! For all the presents she got, she loved the $1.99 bottle of bubbles she could blow the best. We had to hide them after she opened them to keep her opening presents. Even then, she would look around and ask for the bubbles and forget she had other presents to open. Isn't it funny what little kids focus on?

We took some pictures but I will have to post them tomorrow. This mommy is wasted!

Grandpa and Grandma were upstairs for the party. Although, Grandpa is in a touch more pain having had to forgo even the Aleve for the next couple of weeks until surgery. We are going to try him on some tylenol until then. He can have that. Hopefully, that will help.

Thanks for your calls to Carly and your well wishes. She loves you. Happy sleeping or waking--as the case may be!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

We had a lovely Valentine's Day! Went to church this morning. Julie had a talk and she did a great job. We came home and napped awhile and then had a great big dinner. Uncle Steve came over and so did Megan. We had barbecued spare ribs (done in the crockpot), rice, homemade rolls, mixed green salad, and homemade frosted brownies for dessert. It was very yummy. Grandpa even came upstairs for dinner. Then we watched the Winter Olympics on TV and just chatted until we were all tired.

It was a pretty good Sunday, I'd say. Nothing much to report except that my baby girl turns 2 tomorrow. Technically, she turns two at 4:44 a.m. but hopefully none of us will witness that time of day. I really cannot believe how big she has gotten so fast. It doesn't seem possible that she can really be two years old already. Although, I have decided that either the terrible twos are REALLY TERRIBLE or my two year old has already gotten her share of teenage female hormones. Oh my goodness, she is like a really loud faucet! If you even look at her wrong, let alone tell her "NO", she wails like the biggest drama queen you have ever seen. And she does it so loud you can't even try to reason with her. I've learned to carefully negotiate around it--though it's probably going to only get me in more trouble eventually. I just hold up a piece of candy or a gummy bear or something I know she wants and the tears and wailing stop immediately. I can then talk to her about what is wrong and she is immediately all smiles again anyway just because of the candy. Tell me former mom's of two year olds--how long does this go on? Does it ever end? Or is it all drama from here on out?

Well, here's to my little adorable, emotional, dramatic and lovable two year old and hoping the happy moments outweigh the emotionally charged ones! I absolutely love her to pieces and am so grateful to have her in my life. What a catch! Happy Birthday baby girl! You are growing up way too fast. Love you.

JULIE'S BIG ADVENTURE--THE PICTURES

Don't they look great! They had a really terrific time together. Can you believe how old she looks? We've decided to put a big cinder block on top of Julie's head to keep her from growing up so fast! :}

JULIE'S BIG NIGHT; MOM'S LEARNING CURVE

Julie is going on her first date tomorrow night. It's a Sadie Hawkins dance for Valentine's Day. She is 16 now and that's the age we let our kids start dating. She's a sophomore and to tell you the truth I would just as soon she would have waited one more year to go to a formal dance. She asked us about a month ago if she could ask someone to the dance and we said yes. I don't think I was very committed to the "yes", at least not as committed as Rob was. He has been through this before --several times. This is my first rodeo.

In some very real ways, Julie is my first born. I know that doesn't make a ton of sense but it does to me and I think to her. She not only prayed me here but she really wanted me to be her Mom. She accepted me from day one and she was my baby (the baby) of the family when I got here. I feel very protective over her.

I'm finding it very hard to let her grow up. It's been a tough week for me but I think I'm may just grow up yet. At her age we have her group date. She doesn't have her license yet so we were going to drive them to and from the daytime date and the dinner and dance. They could have gone with the group of teens but we weren't crazy about them driving around with a bunch of other teens who hadn't been driving for too long. We also haven't met this young man she is going with so we wanted to be sure to meet him as well. I planned that Rob and I would drive them to the restaurant and then eat dinner there also just not anywhere near them.

Yah, I know. Sounds a bit like a stage mother, eh? Well, for the last two days I have been thinking things over in my head and realizing how much I would have wanted to be trusted and have some freedom at this age. (Oh wait, I was and I did. Thanks Dad and Mom! Were you CRAZY?!) Plus, I have this incredibly wonderful young woman who has earned my trust and who is a really good girl--I should relax and give it to her.

It is really hard being a mom in today's world with so much gunk going on. Tomorrow my little girl who should still be eleven is sixteen going on thirty and will be going to her first dance with a boy. I hate it that I can't be there to hold her hand. I hate it even more that she doesn't want me there to hold her hand. It isn't easy for Mommie's to grow up but I am determined to do it and get it right. Although, I do not promise to do it without tears!

So, tomorrow Julie will be going with the other teens all day and evening on her date and the only time Rob and I will interfere is to pick them up when the dance is over and take them home. (That was Rob's idea--not mine.) I think it's a good one. Although, Julie is going to make sure we meet him before they leave.

Wow, kids grow up just way too fast. Next thing you know I'll be writing this about Carly. AHHHHH! I can't even think about that. I love you Julie with all my heart. Mom

OUR OUTING

We had a really busy day. Mom and Dad started early. I think Dad saw all of his Home Health Care helpers today, i.e. physical, occupational therapists, aides etc. and then the big wig came and tested him and made sure he was doing as well as they were reporting. He was and so Dad graduated from Home Health Care today! He won't need them again until after surgery.

Then we took the hour drive to get his test done. After that he had an hour long class that gave all the specifics of his knee surgery and answered any questions you could have afterward. It was really thorough. Then, we did something we haven't done in months. We went out to eat. All in all I'd say we wore John Henry plum out. But, it was a good thing. I think we wore Mom and me out, too only probably not quite to the degree we wore Dad out.

This surgery is going to be a BIG DEAL. With his other leg not really cooperating the way it used to it will be interesting to say the least. We need lots of prayers on his behalf that everything works well and he is able to walk and use his legs again to get around. This is a new world for him--even though I think he knew someday it would come. Knowing it intellectually and having it actually happen that you can't move your body without help are two different things. It is upsetting. Please send your most chipper thoughts this way. Love you all, Nancy

JUST STUFF

We all got dressed today. May I have a standing ovation please? We just didn't leave the house. We decided not to do a dry run on tomorrow. It would probably go over best if we don't rehearse it. So, tomorrow we have a blood test and a class on Dad's knee surgery about an hour from our house. The stairlift is completely charged and working! Yay! We did do some dry runs with it. I've been having Mom come up and down with it since her foot isn't in the greatest shape. No, need to overuse it. I do think her physical therapy is helping her foot but still she might as well not overuse it when she doesn't have to.

Rob has been in Deleware training for his job for the last two weeks so he has been in the middle of these snowstorms. He got snowed into his hotel for the second time today. He is supposed to fly home tomorrow--so please pray with me that he will be able to do so safely. The airport he is coming from is closed and all flights cancelled today. Hopefully, all will be well for tomorrow.

Carly is going to be two on Monday. Can you believe it? Me neither. Wow, time sure flies. She is so grown up--in her mind. She sure acts like she is and almost convinces me of it at times. She is a funny little thing. Right now she is scared of "dugs" or bugs. And for some reason she keeps finding them and goes nuts until someone gets rid of the dug! It has not always been a real bug. Sometimes its a piece of paper or a candy wrapper rolled up but we haven't been able to convince her! So we just kill whatever she thinks is alive and throw it away and that seems to satisfy her. Lol!

It's pretty cold here right now--only 29 degrees. It's been a good few days to stay indoors. At least we don't have the white stuff, too. Well, I'm going to crawl under my warm blankets now. Good night.

RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU'RE IN YOUR P.J.'S

It's 11:35 p.m. and I'm in my pajamas. Sound normal to you? Yah, it does to me, too. Problem is, I never got out of my P.J.'s today. I'm claiming total wipeout. My baby boy has been keeping me up until the very wee hours of the morning and the worst part is I don't even think he feels bad about it! At least he had the decency to nap with me most of the day. He's a pretty good boy that way.

I couldn't even drag myself out of bed as long as the kids were napping. I figured I could just nap right along with them and so, I did. It might sound lazy but it sure felt good. I got absolutely nothing accomplished today other than taking care of kids and catching some stolen Zzzzzzz's but it was so worth it.

Mom and I tried to bring Dad upstairs for dinner tonight and had chair failure. Couldn't figure out what had gone wrong until I talked with hubby on the phone. Seems we had been given some misinformation about the battery staying charged without it being plugged in. Um, er -- it doesn't, at least not for very long. So, Dad and Mom had dinner together downstairs tonight and we plugged the chair in to charge. Won't make that mistake again. Checked it just before starting to write this and it is all re-charged so he should be able to go up and down all he wants tomorrow.

I told him I think we need to get him out of the house tomorrow for a drive. It's been almost a month since he's been outside. I think that is way too long. We have an appointment with the surgeon's office on Thursday but I still think just a leisurely drive would be a nice thing for him. He has always loved to just go for drives and look at the scenery. So, if we can get him out of the house tomorrow, I think we will do that.

We are 16 days now from Dad's surgery. All the prayers you can send Heavenward for him to stay healthy and be prepared for it, to come through it and heal quickly and to regain his strength and ability to walk would be wonderful. Please spread the word. We love you all. Nancy

MY SCREAMING MIMI

I took Carly to the doctor today to have her ears checked. She has been walking around tugging on them for the last couple of days. Sure enough, she has an ear infection. More antibiotics. The thing that struck me about the doctor appointment though was how it took me back in time. The moment the doctor came toward Carly with her stethescope, she began to scream. She listened to her heart and then wanted to listen to her back. I don't know how she was hearing anything at all because Carly was screaming and crying at the top of her lungs. As soon as the doc wanted to listen to her back Carly turned around and clung on to me for dear life and screamed and cried even louder if that's possible. I couldn't get her to calm down.

It took me back in time to when my sister Sarah had to get her vaccinations for school. Oh my goodness, talk about a screamer! It was at Dr. Johnson's office and I remember being shocked by how upset she got and no one could calm her down. She cried and screamed bloody murder. Well, I now have a child to rival her Aunt Sarah. And that's saying something! Holy Crap! I can't wait until it actually is a shot they are giving her (tongue in cheek). That should be some fun! All the doc wanted to do today was look in her ear and at her throat and she just plain lost it!

Hopefully,the antibiotic will start to kick in really quickly and we will have a happy camper again soon. It sure is interesting to watch our babies personalities come alive. Some days the nature vs. nurture argument doesn't even apply and you realize they just plain come the way they are and as who they are. Cute little stinkers! Gotta love 'em!

IT WAS A TERRIFIC DAY!

Two reasons. Jonathon is responding to the antibiotics. He sounds so much better. You can't hear his breathing from the other room anymore. You can't feel it in his chest when you're holding him. He's not hacking up a lung. In fact, he's not coughing at all anymore and he acts like he's feeling better, too. Yay! So, the doctor's guess of a secondary infection and trying the antibiotics was a great guess! We are so thankful for all the prayers and blessings! Yay!

Reason two. Dad spent most of the afternoon and evening upstairs with the family. We watched the Superbowl together--as disappointing as the outcome was. Dagnabit! It's so nice to have him back upstairs with us again and a part of things.

Although, some of you probably need to call and give him a bit of a hard time. He has been really trying to lose weight before his surgery which is a good thing. However, he is down to 249/50 which was his goal and he is continuing to diet. And when I say diet, I mean he tries to only eat two small meals a day. So, I keep having to talk to him about the importance of keeping his strength up and eating 3 meals a day even if they are not large ones. He just needs to keep some protein and veggies in his system. He just isn't as strong right now as he needs to be and it worries me.

Well, that's been our day and it was pretty darn good. Hope yours was too!

GRANDPA'S NEW RIDE

Wonderful News! Grandpa has risen from the basement! I am so excited. He has been down there for more than a month with only a couple of exceptions which took some major assistance and near extreme measures to get him out. Well, tonight, thanks to my brother-in-law Russ, Grandpa has a new ride. Grandpa and Grandma bought a stairlift and Russ came and installed it for them. Rob was planning to install it but it came on a day when he had to be gone. So THANK YOU RUSSELL!

Now Grandpa can be a part of the regular flow of our home again. He can eat meals with the family and be part of the conversation and see what is going on in the house. I don't know how he has handled being down there so long and not getting totally depressed. I mean, he has everything he needs down there--except people and the main hub of the house. I'm just so happy that we can move him about more easily now and I know he feels more freedom now, too.

So, take a look at his new ride. Keeping Carly off this should be fun! (Yikes!) Here he is in all his glory! Yay!

DID SOMEONE SAY HAIR SPRAY?

Cuz I've got this brand new hairdo and this whole bottle of hairspray and not a thing to do. Just tell me when and where and I will be there to create some sticky havoc!



O.K. you can come and play with me as long as you keep telling me how much you like my cute hair and how adorable you think I am. Oh yah, and if we play house, I want to be the Mom and the Dad! Cuz, I'm bossy like that!



Well, alright if you insist, you can be the Dad, but you're going to have to kiss me! And it better be good buster. Pucker up and let's see what you've got!



Mmmmfff, Yah, that's not gonna work. Thank goodness I had a mint! O.K. you can still be the Dad but you're gonna have to bring me some chocolate and gummies. I just love gummies and a girl can never get enough chocolate!



Well, are you coming or not? I haven't got all day. Oh yah, and don't forget to bring your own bubbles! I love this stuff so much I could spend all day popping it. I'm not about to share mine! C'mon let's play! Happy, Happy! Don'tcha love my hair?

JUST SOME THINGS

This is going to be a busy month. Dad's knee surgery is scheduled for the 25th. He just got information from the surgeon asking him to attend a class on the surgery next week to give him more information on it and answer any questions he has. I thought that was really a nice thing. I mean major surgery can be scary and to actually have a class put together that explains it is pretty great. He also has a few appointments this month that are pre-surgery things, plus one with his neurologist.

Mom just saw her foot specialist today and he thinks that she is making some progress with the physical therapy. She is going to keep at that for awhile. He still needs to look at her Indy MRI but she needs to get a little tough with them about getting it to him.

Jonathon -- well, it's kind of hard to tell if he's making progress or not. His lungs/breathing sound so junky--even with breathing treatments and us cleaning out his nose. We have him on antibiotics now but he hates them and we fight him everytime to keep them down. It's so wierd because Carly has had the very same medicine prescribed and if I would let her she would drink the whole 10 day supply with a straw! It's that pink liquid antibiotic and she thinks it's terrific. He sees it coming and starts to gag. Wow! What a difference in taste buds.

Me, I am just plain tired. Although, Julie and I did get the front rooms in the house clean tonight and that alone makes me feel better. I just can't get it done with two little kiddos running around. If I start out the day behind, you can bet I'm going to finish the day in a deep hole.

Well, it's 1:45 a.m. and I just got bubby to sleep for the second time and I think this one may stick so I'd better join him. Sleep tight all. :}

ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER DOLLAR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT . . .

So, back to yesterday's news. Here are the updates. Dad only had a tiny little bruise on his bum. You've been waiting all day and night to hear that, haven't you? Oh c'mon admit it?! You wanted to know. Seriously though, it doesn't appear that his fall was serious--this time. Now we have to convince him to stop doing dumb stuff! Actually, he's pretty good and I think it scared him enough that he won't be doing any climbing onto anything but the floor from now on.

Jonathon went to the doctor for a check-up today and we found he wasn't doing significantly better. His oxygen count was up in the high nineties which is what saved us from having him re-admitted to the hospital today but his lungs still sound pretty junkie. They did another lung xray and said his lungs have only slightly improved. The doctor feels like he should have been improving more quickly and can't figure out why this bronchiolitis is hanging on nor the RSV. We decided to put him on a course of antibiotics in case he had a secondary infection they aren't seeing. Hopefully, that will help. Please pray for him that it will help. He needs to get well so badly.

Carly, well, Carly was just being Carly today. She's got her "girl" emotions on all the time now. Up/down, high/low, happy/sad, HOLY MOLY! Wow, "we" are emotional creatures! Who knew?!

So, last night I said pictures were coming. Well, they are here. For a few minutes last evening no one was minding the mint. Grandma had just finished baking banana bread and gone downstairs and Julie was busy baking cookies in the kitchen and has a one track focus. I was taking care of Jonathon when all of the sudden the little munchkin pictured below came and found me wanting help to clean up. Turns out she'd made quite a mess with the 25lb bag of flour her older sister had pulled out to fill the flour container with. Before I helped her clean up, I had to take her back to the scene of the crime (and get a couple of pictures) and find out why the warden wasn't paying any attention to what this little munchkin was doing. Yah, turns out Carly was whooping it up in the flour bag less than two feet from Julie and she never knew it was going on!? Crazy man! Teenagers--whatcha gonna do?

Without further ado--Here's Carly!

IT'S BEEN A DAY!

Seems like when you are not feeling your best everyone decides to misbehave. Carly was really on one today. (pictures to come)
Baby brother still isn't feeling terrific either. He is doing better enough to be home but still having to have treatments and be watched closely.
And then there's Grandpa, who fell today. Seems to be okay but he's a little sore. Fell on his bummy, he did. Luckily he fell against a wall and just slid down it. His balance is not real great. Hoping a new knee improves that.
Well, more tomorrow. G'night

NO BLOG TONIGHT

I've been in bed sick all day. Kept thinking I would get up and accomplish something but never felt up to it. Hope this doesn't last long. Everyone else is doing pretty well. Blogging is not going to happen tonight. Check back tomorrow. :/

HOME

We are home. Got released late yesterday afternoon. Jon is really, really happy to be out of the hospital and he is doing really well. Still some recovering to do but he is much, much better. More later.

SATURDAY 11:20 a:m

Still waiting for the Doc to come and check on Jonathon but looks like he is doing well enough to be released for certain today. Still has quite a bit of recovery to do at home but very, very grateful for God's blessings upon him and us and for dear friends and loved ones who have been praying for us. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Love you all.

MUCH BETTER THANK YOU

Jonathon is enough better this morning (it's a little after 3 a.m.) that I think they will let us go home this morning when the doctor comes in. This does not mean Jonathon is completely well--he still has a ways to go until he is over the RSV and Bronchiolitis but he will be able to be cared for at home. We will just have to be very careful and be sure everything and everyone is sterile (just kidding!) Wanted to see if you were paying attention.

Anyway, looks like good news. We will have lots to do at home to take care of him but we will be HOME SWEET HOME. HAPPINESS!

A SHORT UPDATE

This will be short. It's way too early in the a.m. and I'm exhausted. I believe Jonathon is doing a bit better at the moment, although the doctor warned me this morning that he would do better to begin with and then slide downhill again before actually getting better. I guess that is the nature of this beast. I haven't had a child with RSV before and he has RSV and Bronchiolitis. Anyway, his fever is down and his breathing is better. He is still on oxygen and breathing treatments but he sounds better. That's where we are.

Rob did get back this evening about 8:00 p. m. so that was a relief. Jonathon was happy to see him, too. I will post again tomorrow to update you. Thanks so much for your love and prayers. Love, Nancy

OUR LITTLE GUY NEEDS YOUR PRAYERS

Jonathon has had a really hard time breathing for the last several days and has had a cough to go along with it. We have been giving him breathing treatments and suctioning his nose and everything else we could think to do. He has been terribly congested but that is fairly normal. Every time we take him to the doctor with these symptoms they diagnose him with the Rhino virus and send us home to doctor him. Well, not this time. This time the symptoms got more severe and Jonathon is in the hospital. They didn't even let me go home from the doctor's office. They sent us straight to the hospital.

They got the tests back after a couple of hours and it is RSV this time. Even with oxygen and breathing treatments his breathing is very labored and he is having a tough time. They think he will have to be here a minimum of 2-3 days and a maximum of a week. We could really use your prayers for Jonathon right now. He's a tough little guy but he can use all the help he can get.

We love you and will keep you posted.

THE BEST LAID PLANS

I tried to get Carly to do her cute dancing for you today. Well, she didn't know that. But she caught me aiming the camera at her and got both shy and cranky. She got shy because that's what she does when she notices me filming her. She got cranky because I wouldn't let her take the pictures. I managed to catch her crankiness on film. Since I didn't get the dancing I planned to share with you, I figured the least I could do was share a shot of her crankiness with you. This is her Royal Highness Miss Terrible Two. It's a face I get to see at least once a day if not ten times. I love this little face. I just love to see it so much better when she has her beautiful smile on it. She is a little crack up, though. She can go from sunshine to stormy skies in 2 seconds flat! Enjoy!

NEWS OF THE DAY

It's been one of "Those" days, i.e., not enough sleep, migraine, screaming children, finding out you made dumb mistakes that come back to haunt you--you know one of T H O S E days. It's almost time to fall asleep and I'm hoping for some sweet dreams and kids in better moods tomorrow.

I did forget to mention last night that I talked to my friend Jane on the phone whom I haven't talked to in at least six months and had a really nice conversation. I like having friends where no matter how long its been since you have seen each other or spoken you can just pick up where you left off. In fact, the day before that, my friend Taylor called and it had been a couple of months since we talked and it was the same. It's nice to be able to do that. It's like being completely at home with someone. That's a great feeling.

Mom went to her PT today. I guess she's having that 3 times a week. They worked her over pretty good but she seemed no worse for wear. Hopefully, it will help her foot. Dad actually seemed a little better to me tonight. Rob and Steve gave him a blessing. That was nice.

Well, not much else going on here--at least worth mentioning. Take care ya'll.

GOOD TO KNOW

I feel a little better knowing that not long before I was born my big sister Susan apparently loved the word "No" too. My mom told me she remembers Susan, who was not yet two, screaming "No" at her quite a bit! Susan and I are only 18 months apart so Mom thinks maybe Susan entered the terrible two's a little early as well. I guess that means there is hope for Carly coming through this phase soon!

Jonathon turned five months old on Saturday. I can't believe how fast it's gone and how much he's grown! He's so amazing. We are so blessed to have him in our family. He wants to stand up a lot now--with us holding his hands, of course. He's also starting to teethe--the slobbering and chewing on his hands part. He can and does put his whole fist in his mouth at times. Although, he usually is just chewing on two or three fingers at once. He also knows his name and will turn and smile if you call him. He is so darn sweet! Wish you could all meet him and hold him!

We had an uneventful day today--which is good. Dad's still not doing great. His pain level is pretty high and he isn't moving well. Please keep him and mom in your prayers. This is pretty rough going for them. Mom's health is good but I think they both can use all the support, love and prayers they can get. We are all really thankful for your friendship and concern. We just wish his surgery date wasn't so far away still. It's at the end of February but that seems like forever when he needs a working leg. Well, that's all for now. Please keep us in your thoughts . . .

NO ONE TOLD ME . . .

As soon as they start to talk they start to talk back! Wow! Carly's favorite word is 'No" and I never knew it could have so many syllables or so many decibel levels! She is now learning the meaning of the words "time out". Those are not her favorite words. Go figure. Keep in mind, she are still a month away from turning two. She's one smart Chicka. Gadfrey!

SAME OL' SAME OL' ROUND HERE

One day Carly is blowing bubbles from the bubble cannister and the next they are coming out of her nose. That's right--she has a cold again. Poor child. We just can't seem to stay away from the Winter colds and flus around here. Darn. Other than that, things are pretty good.

Mom went to her first physical therapy today. I have to retract something here. I said before that the doctor ordered the PT on her arm. That wasn't correct. It was the specialist we went to for her foot who ordered the PT. So that's what she went to do today. She came back with new exercises to do and one of those dark green stretchy things which Carly immediately claimed. Grandpa has a couple a yellow stretchy thingy she thinks is hers, too. Sometimes we humor her and sometimes we just say "no."

For Mom's arm that she hurt, the doc is just having her try exercises for awhile and if those don't help then they will do an MRI. It didn't look like she had done any major damage from an X-ray and exam--so the exercises will tell us whether or not it will get better on it's own.

Dad continues to have home health care--PT and occupational therapy. I have started to worry some because he doesn't have a lot of stamina. I will be glad when he feels strong enough to go outside or even to move around the house more. We are installing a stair lift so that should help.

Hope things are good wherever you are. :O

BEAUTIFUL CARLY

Bought this adorable cap from Taylor Joelle and I've been trying to figure out how to do Carly's hair for it. I have her hair pulled really tightly into a pony close to her head with the cap over it for these photos. I think it really shows off her eyes. Isn't she gorgeous? I sure think so! No proud Momma here.

CARLY LOVES BUBBLES!

I love her laugh! When she's happy, she's ecstatic! Enjoy!

JUST A FEW THINGS

We went snow tubing today. It was a lot of fun and ended up being a really good day to do it. The temperature was pretty good so we didn't freeze. Grandma and Grandpa watched the wee ones since they are way too young to go. Carly actually napped the entire time we were gone and I think Jonathon talked their ears off. He's becoming quite the little jabber jaw!

Wow! I just heard three more people were pulled out of the rubble in Haiti today, a full week after the earthquake. Apparently, another college student was found yesterday after 6 days when she was able to text a message that she was trapped in the rubble. Wow! What miracles! I know these are such small numbers of people but the fact that they are finding anyone alive at all this long after the quake is amazing.

I heard some of you tried to leave comments yesterday and had trouble. I did set it up to be fairly easy but I guess there are still a few steps to it. I just checked it out and here's what you do:

Click on the word "Comment" at the end of the blog you want to comment on. It will take you to a comment section. Write your comment in that section. Then below you need to:

Choose an identity. Click on the one that identifies you. The choices will be:


A. Your Name (If you have a Google Account) – use this if you have a google account

B. OpenID --Don't know what this is--just skip it!

C. Name/URL Name (Use this if you just want to use your name.)

D. Anonymous (Use this if you don't want to put your personal info in.)

When you are done you can Preview your Comment or just Publish it.

It will make you put in a series of numbers or letters to prove you are a human being and not a computer which has nothing to do with the comment before it lets you publish. It's really not as hard as it sounds.

Good luck. Hope it works next time. :)

SEE, WAS THAT SO HARD?

Seriously, thanks to those of you who let me know you were reading this. It is nice to hear from you once in a while. If you ever want to comment directly on the blog all you have to do is click on the small print word "comment" directly beneath the specific blog you want to comment on and it will take you to a comment screen. I've made it as simple as possible. If not, just say "hey" once in a while some other way.

Today was not a real productive day for me. Jonathon was up about every hour and a half last night which makes for one tired Mommy. Luckily, Julie is out of school for two days this week and she was here to let me sleep in a little--OK, maybe alot.

Rob is taking a day off tomorrow and we are going snow tubing. It's an annual family event. It's pretty fun--mostly because unlike when you go sledding and you have to walk back up hill, there is a tube lift that tows you and your tube back up the steep hill so you can slide down again. Now that's my kind of down hill sport! Yep!
It's pretty darn fun! Somehow we can't talk Grandpa into it. Go figure. LOL! Just kidding.

Speaking of Grandpa, he's doing really good with his physical therapy. His pain level is even down a little in his leg. Now we have to get Grandma's physical therapy in her arm started. That's next week, I believe.

Jonathon is doing better, too. Oh and Rob's cold is much better as well. Stay tuned for more medical updates on As The Stomach Turns. LOL!

OKAY FRIENDS LET ME 'SPLAIN SOMETHING . . .

I love that you read my blog but it doesn't mean you have had a conversation with me. I don't know how many people have told me they haven't called me or written for a VERY LONG TIME because they feel like they have talked to me since they read my blog. Keep in mind unless you make a comment once in a while or drop me an email, I don't even know you're reading it! I love to hear from you--I even love you! So, write me, call me, text me--but please be in touch from time to time. Pretty please.

Grandpa is doing about the same. He is up and around a bit downstairs but we don't try to have him climb the stairs. We are looking into the possibility of getting a stairlift to make it easier to get him up and down. Grandma made a yummy supper tonight. It was a new recipe with chicken, wild rice, cranberries, mushrooms, cheese and heavy cream. Rob and I got an afternoon nap after church. That was yummy, too.
All in all it was a terrific Sunday.

We are praying for the people in Haiti. It is hard to see the images coming in from there and imagine the suffering they are going through. God bless them.

THE CUTEST BOY EVER!

MY LOVEY, CUDDLY, LITTLE BOY

Today I decided I was going to get stuff done--laundry, cleaning, maybe even a little cooking. It was not to be. Jonathon had his own list of things for me to do and really it just had one thing on it: Hold and cuddle me. Yep, that was it. He didn't even want to take a nap. Everytime I got him to sleep he would cat nap for like ten minutes and the second I would lay him down his eyes would pop right back open! He was in a wonderful mood. He cooed and smiled the whole day as long as I was holding him. He continued this way into the evening. He's been awake most of the day so it should be a fairly easy night. Julie has him tonight per my birthday gift!

So, I was finally able to finish laundry this evening with some extra hands around. But I decided to enjoy him most of the day and try not to worry TOO MUCH about the dust and clutter. He will only be this little and this cuddly for so long. He is awfully sweet and such an adorable baby. We are so blessed to have him. I am so grateful to be a mom!

Jonathon and I took Grandma to her foot doctor appointment today. We've been thinking Grandma had a torn tendon that would need surgery but we actually got some better news. This doctor doesn't think it's torn and thinks physical therapy could help it quite a bit. He still needs to look at some of her tests but wants her to try the PT and see how it goes.

Jonathon seems to be recovered from his day at the hospital. Rob's cold is even better today. I would love to have everyone in the house well at the same time for a whole week. Wouldn't that be great?! What are the odds? Yah, you're right--too stiff for me too! I can hope, but I won't hold my breath . . . O.K.?

IT'S A MIRACLE . . . SORT OF

It really almost is. We got Grandpa out of the house today and it was no easy task. He has not been able to walk for a few weeks now. The last few days he's been able to take a few steps with his walker but it's really been hard for him to get around. He hasn't been upstairs for a couple of weeks. We had a doctor appointment to get him to today and we made a plan last night that involved him taking the fewest steps possible and using the wheelchair. It also involved us lifting him in the wheelchair up a few steps and it actually worked. Yay! We even got him to a barber today while we had him out. It was a good day. :)
Grandpa was pretty darned worn out when we got him home but I think it did him good to get out and about for a bit. It can't be good to be so cooped up for so long.

Jonathon also had a pretty good day. He is recovering quickly from his day of scopes and punctures. I had to give him a bit of tylenol here and there today but he seems OK otherwise. He's a real trooper and such a sweet little guy.

Grandma told me Carly came downstairs last night and grabbed their phone book from home (which is tiny) and opened it like a song book and started singing really loudly and leading with the other hand. Don't know what she was singing - it's usually some language she has made up. But she is pretty good at the leading thing. Pretty funny, eh? She is something else!

ALL IS WELL

Thanks so much for your prayers. Jonathon is doing really well now that his surgery is over.

He had four different procedures today. The first was because he did not pass his hearing test for his left ear at birth or more recently and the docs thought he might have water in his ears so they did an auditory brain response test for his hearing. They also checked his ears to see if there was water behind his ear drums and were going to put in tubes if needed. They didn't find any water but ended up piercing both ear drums looking for the water so he is going to be sore for a few days. He did not end up needing tubes which was good.

Jonathon has severe Reflux and is being treated for it but he has also been having some difficulty breathing for some time now. He is very congested and sometimes it sounds as if it is coming from his nose and other times it feels as if it is coming from his chest. So, they also went in and scoped out his nose and his throat to see if there were any blockages (i.e. folds of skin or flaps)that are keeping him from breathing well. They did not find anything that appeared to be causing his breathing difficulties. So, their best guess is that the Reflux is causing him to ingest part of what is coming back up or to aspirate it and then making it difficult to breathe. If so, this is usually something children grow out of so we are hopeful. There is also the slight possibility that he is pre-asthmatic but we won't know that for awhile. There really isn't a test to tell us that answer, it's just a wait and see game.

Anyway, we are just very grateful he made it through the surgeries today without any complications. Thank you so much for your prayers and your friendship. Love you, Nancy

OUR LITTLE GUY HAS TO GO THROUGH SOME BIG THINGS

Tomorrow (Tuesday) Jonathon has to have some outpatient exploratory surgery. He is actually going to have four procedures. He hasn't been able to pass his hearing test for his left ear and they think the problem is water in his ears so they are going to go in and check for the water and possibly insert tubes. Then they will do the hearing test while he is under since he has been too squirmy to test it well while he is awake. The doctor decided that while they have him under they may as well try to figure out what is really going on with his noisy breathing. He has had some serious congestion and they don't know if it is coming from the reflux problem or being caused by something else so he is going to have his nose and throat scoped too.

These are pretty big procedures for such a little boy. My biggest worry is the anesthesia. We would sure appreciate your prayers for Jonathon and us while all this is going on. I will post something as soon as he is out of surgery. Love you all. Nancy

OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF BABES!

My Mom and I ran some errands on Saturday morning and we took Carly with us. One of the stops we made was the bank. The lobby was closed so we went through the drive through and the teller noticed we had a little girl in the vehicle and sent a sucker out for her. Carly loves suckers. I unwrapped it and handed it to her and she partook for a few minutes and then excitedly exclaimed from the backseat "Mommy, I suck!"

Grandma and I had quite a good chuckle over that one. Oh, the innocence of our little ones. So, so cute! I love my little girl!

HAD SOME LOVELY VISITORS TODAY

Aunt Maren and Aunt Tammie came to see us today. Silly me, I didn't think to get the camera out until they were leaving. Didn't get any of them with Jonathon. That was so dumb! That tells you I'm not feeling good for sure. Anyway, we had a very nice visit with them. Carly wanted to leave with Maren and was so sad when she actually had to come back inside.

MORE SICKEES

Well finally Rob and I both have the gomboo. It took a while and we staved it off as long as we could but we both caught it--me first, then Rob. Cough, cough, hack, hack. It's so miserable and of course, there isn't anything you can do for it since it's just the common cold gone wrong. Finally, you get the kids feeling a little better and you feel like dog poo. Woof.

FUMES

As in running on them. Sorry I didn't blog yesterday. I collapsed into bed around 6 or 7 p.m. and let hubby run the show. Then when he came to bed around 11 p.m. I got up and helped him with Jonathon who of course decided it was time to wake up and be bright and cheery right at bedtime.

I was still in the same dreary, tired fog most of the day today but my little ones didn't care to hear about it. No excuses. Just show up Mom and on time, please! They don't accept i.o.u.'s. I might have been in a mommy coma but I was functioning. Wow, am I running on fumes!

Grandpa still isn't walking very well but has more physical therapy tomorrow. I think it is just going to take time. I will keep you posted though. Well, I need to get some zzzzzzzzz's.

AN UPDATE AND PRAYER REQUEST

So, my Dad's polio leg is still pretty weak. He still isn't able to use it to get around on very well but he is starting physical therapy on it Monday. Between that leg, his other knee and his shoulders he has been in quite a bit of pain. We are hoping physical therapy will give him back the use of this leg and alleviate some of his pain. Boy, this complication sure blindsided us--we just were not expecting problems with this other leg. We would definitely appreciate any prayers you could ask on behalf of my father. Thanks so much!

OUR GIRLS GOOFING AROUND AT CHRISTMAS

JONATHON IS GETTING BIGGER

Just a couple of recent photos of Jonathon. He's 14 pounds now and growing. He loves to chatter. He especially likes to talk to Grandpa. When Grandpa talks to him he smiles really big and just chatters as loud as he can get. He really loves his Grandpa!

EGG . . . ZACTLY

Last night Megan, Julie and I were in the kitchen doing some cooking and Carly wandered in. I opened the refrigerator door to grab something off the top shelf and didn't notice Carly had gotten into the bottom. A few seconds later I heard Megan gasp and then start laughing. I turned around to look and Carly had made it a few feet from the refrigerator and then tripped and fallen flat with an egg in her hand. The egg had cracked and was smushed all over the floor and Carly had the most confused look on her face.

She has had this intrigue with eggs now for months. The egg basket in our fridge is on the very bottom of the door and to Carly, I know, all these little white eggs look like little white balls. For a long time she tried to grab them every time we opened the door so we started keeping the eggs in their cartons up higher so we didn't have the problem. But when the holidays came and we started putting more food in the fridge I put them back at the bottom and I didn't realize she had noticed them. Oh well, guess I have egg on my . . .
FLOOR.