My mom says I need to continue blogging...

Little does she know I already am...

3 Months

Nayelli Grace (2 Months)

I actually haven't forgotten to write; I've just been really, really busy. From October through December we had been working on the Christmas play at church. It seems I was there at least three times a week. I was worried because it wasn't your typical Christmas play (a modern day Scrooge), and second it wasn't your typical nativity story that you would see in church (a modern day Scrooge with a spiritual twist). Furthermore, I had to do the set all by myself. And I had a newborn! And a three-year-old that can't sit still. Thank goodness Dad let me borrow his Netflix password, otherwise we would never have gotten it done.

Our Amazing Trunk or Treat (and First Family Photo)

Nayelli was a Unicorn Princess

After that we were sick for a while. About four rounds of itchy throat and runny noses, and pure exhaustion. I didn't feel much like talking about that. Actually, Nayelli had to be observed overnight at Children's Mercy because she had a temperature. Aldo had forgotten about this, but because of her young age, a slight temperature is something to worry about. It was rough. Aldo had to stay home with the kids and with Bandit. I had to stay at the hospital alone overnight. Nayelli had to sleep in a big girl bed/crib hooked up to monitors. Of course, she slept through the night proving the point that she is a "perfect baby". I slept in the rocking chair right next to her with lights on and waking up every hour to pump or for vital check, etc. I'm grateful though, because from this experience we learned that she can, indeed, sleep alone in her crib through the night. So when we got home, we swaddled her and put her in the crib. Since then she's slept through the night.

Nayelli's First Visit with Abuelito

The holidays were nuts. Absolutely nuts. Honestly, where do I come up with these ideas? And why do I open my big mouth? Why do I agree to things? For Thanksgiving, I decided that I wanted to see Dad's side of the family. We hardly ever see them for holidays. Then, Aldo's dad announced that he was moving to El Paso after Thanksgiving, so this was our last time to see him. And Aldo's mom would be going to central Mexico on vacation for Christmas. And Vero wanted to host, but not late at night. And Jerad would host, but he would have to do it later for the kids. It was all mixed up this year! Long story short, we made it to all three, but we were late to both of mine and I didn't get to do my favorite thing... play games! Never. Again. Never, ever again. Two Thanksgivings is enough. Three Thanksgivings is straight up coo-coo.  

Merry Christmas 2018! 

 The very first in our new house...

Christmas, I thought, might go better since we were hosting (Aldo's idea). I knew it was coming because Maecy hosted last year, and when we bought the house Aldo said we would host the next one. Hosting is just as bad as being the one to travel. I don't know who decided we'd be the only ones cooking... I know who. It was Aldo! IT WAS ALDO!!! Aldo told all of my family that we would cook mom's ham, buy a turkey as well and cook it, make mashed potatoes (because J and Amy might not be coming and they're easy), and I'd cook the green beans (per usual because I make his favorite). He told his family not to worry about a thing, that there would be plenty of food, just bring themselves!!! I was like, whoa now... if we're hosting two families at the SAME TIME, we're going to need more. Jerad brought a ton of soda. Granddad was supposed to bring the rolls (he brought hamburger buns). Maecy brought her pretzel salad dessert (delicious!), Mom made stuffing, and Jul came with (what he brings every year) pecan pie. Everyone came at the same time! IT WAS INSANE! Thanks to Granddad and his horrible memory, and Jerad's "5 minutes" turning into a solid hour, my side ended up at the house between 1:30-2:00. Aldo's side, running on CPT, got there immediately after. We were supposed to serve at noon. And I hadn't eaten breakfast. I was starrrrving! And you know what else??? We had two gift exchanges. And while everyone was playing games on the Cooper side, we had the Secret Santa with the Alvidrez'. And while they played the cube game and I almost burnt the second round of green beans, I also had to show the Coopers how to work the remote. Entertaining is stressful. All I wanted to do was play games!!! I had spent YEARS waiting to get to the adult table... it was like, my greatest accomplishment when I was finally able to sit down with everyone and be taken seriously at Up and Down the River... and now, I might actually strategize and win! Sheesh. Afterward, Aldo agreed that hosting both sides at the same time, even though we had enough seating probably wasn't the best idea. So now, we plan on switching years at hosting between the family. 
How did New Years come up? Aldo. Still Aldo. He told friends that he wanted to have them at our house. And invited more friends. Someone's kids invited their friends. And so on. Aldo had worked a regular shift, came home and grilled up some tacos, and hosted til past midnight. For a while there, it was a ton of music and, for me, running up and down the stairs to take care of Nayelli. Then for a while we played Texas Hold Em'. Midnight came, and since then we haven't had a spotless house. (Was it seriously ever going to be spotless? And with a dog that sheds?) Confetti was everywhere! I knew we'd have confetti to sweep up, but darn it, some kid took it upstairs and tossed it all over both of our kids' rooms and in the bathroom too! There's confetti in between the crack of the seat of our couch. There's confetti in our air vents. There's confetti in our vacuum that we emptied at least three times. And there's still confetti in our room (which was locked that night), from sticking to the bottom of our socks and shoes and being carried in there! Forever confetti. Fun night though. Since then, everybody wants to come to our house. I don't know why... we have hardly any seating. No one eats at the dining room table. Our dog goes bonkers when anyone comes over. Maybe I should stop smiling when someone throws out these bad ideas..... I'll replace it with Aldo's "grumpy cat" face.

I forgot to mention that in between the holidays, right before Christmas to be exact, Aldo decided to get a vasectomy. So there's that. I don't want to go into too much detail, but let's just say it was a bad experience for both of us. What should have been a 5-10 minute operation, ended up being 45 minutes. And the recovery was longer. And it's hard as a "nurse" when you don't know how to help the "patient" and how to empathize with what they're going through. All you know is that it was traumatic. And you know, it being the sensitive and prized area... all the more traumatic. 


Currently...

Nayelli
Gosh, because this is HER first year book that I'm working on... 
She's amazing. Absolutely amazing. I already said that she sleeps through the night. A typical day goes like this:

5:00-7:00 am • Wakes up after sleeping through the night for first feeding and goes back to bed
9:00-10:00 am • Wakes up for good, is very attentive and happy (I get most of my cleaning done)
Eating in between
12:00-2:00ish • First nap
Eating in between
Attentive, but wants attention. A good time for games, toys, and learning.
6:00-8:00ish • Second nap
Eating in between
10:00-11:00ish • Bedtime

She recognizes and loves my face. Daddy is pretty high up there too. More importantly, Bandit is interesting now. Except that I've caught him licking her hands, feet, and head while she's in the swing, so you have to keep an eye out. And on top of that, she likes to stick her hands in her mouth as fists. It's really cute. But what's not so cute is when she does it right after Bandit licks them. She also blows raspberries and will chatter at you and raise her eyebrows and smile, like she's telling you a story. Cutest thing ever! She drools a lot. Can babies cut teeth this early? Google says some babies are born with teeth, so at three months it could happen. Typically, they cut around 6 months, but a baby can start showing the symptoms as early as 3 months. If that's so, she might be slobbery in every picture from now til then. Just saying. Last, blankets now go to the mouth too. Today, I caught her examining her hands. The time when she starts examining all sorts of things with her mouth is coming. It's right around the corner.

Mila
Oh, Mila. She is a wonderful big sister. She doesn't try to "help" by taking care of the baby herself like I feared she might. Instead, she warns me when the baby is crying and I need to get out my "special leche". She'll grab you diapers and wipes if you ask repeatedly. And, she'll play with Nayelli by taking her toys, giving Nayelli a high-pitched voice and having a conversation for her, or by telling her she's "so cute" and reminding me to put bows in her hair. Everything is still "so cute". Nayelli is a "princess". Speaking of which... we had a conversation today:

Me [in control of Nayelli's hands]: Come at me, Mila. I'm gonna punch you. Come on. Come at me!
[Mila giggles]: No!
Me: Come on...
[Still giggling]: No!
Me: Hey, guess what, Mila. I'm a princess boss. 
Mila: No, you're not a boss.
Me: Yeah, Mila. I'm a princess boss. Mila's not a princess boss.
Mila: No!
Me: Yeah, I'm a princess boss. Mila's a baby!
[Mila giggles]: I'm not a baby! You baby! 

Gosh, she's so smart. And gorgeous! Both of my girls are GORGEOUS. I mean... watch out! But back to smart. I was worried because I haven't been able to work with her like I did with Luke. For a good portion of his life, Luke watched Elmo and that's how he learned everything. So I was very happy when she picked up Mickey's shapes book. And counting from "monkeys jumping on the bed". And colors from... well, I don't know where they came from. Power Rangers, maybe? I'm so proud.
Hopefully soon we'll be able to get back to the library, where she can have some big girl time and learn with kids her age. Get used to kids her age! She wants to go to "school" and calls the library her "school" and also church her "school". She'll tell me she has "homework" and then play with her toys for a while. I honestly have no idea what she's doing, but if it keeps her occupied for a little bit, then that's good. The girl is constantly talking, or singing, or moving. She's seriously a special kind.

Luke
This is the part where my mom said I should start blogging again. It comes from the fact that I enrolled Luke in 4H. He decided his first project should be with the dog. Actually I encouraged it. Dog Care & Obedience to be exact. Win-win! So we had our first class (without the dog). Class went well with three kids. The trainer is really nice and funny, seems down-to-earth and easy-going. She ended up giving out homework to work on this first week. Made sense since next class will be wild with 10-20 dogs, several of them less than a year old, meeting other dogs and other people for the first time in a new place with new smells. Some who haven't been on a leash that much. Some who haven't been in the car that much... like ours for instance. I imagine that we'll want to quit after the first week. Anyway, the homework was: to work on their name (a dog should look you in the eyes when you say their name, that way if you're out in a field and shout their name... they at least acknowledge you), work on a "stupid trick" that I can only describe as dog touches their nose to your open hand, and the basic trick of sitting. If the dog is already pretty good at sitting then you can toss them treats (which leads to staying). Well, we get home and Luke and I look at each other and say, "Hmmm... let's see what Bandit can do!"
Bandit is not a dumb dog. Close, but not the dumbest. He knows his name. Woohoo! He instantly wants to come at your hand if you put it out. Instead of a nose touch, it has turned into let me go above and beyond and lick your hand up and down for the treat. I will wrap my tongue AROUND your hand, that's how much I want a treat. :| And, for a treat... he'll sit right away. He'll also sit for praise. He likes attention. So, we're like... let's move on to the treat toss. The very first one bonks him right in the middle of the forehead! It was hilarious and sad. I've noticed that he's not very quick at sniffing things out. Apparently he's not very good at seeing things fly towards his head either. I will give it to him though, the treat is tiny like pea-size. I suggest we try a toy instead. So Luke and I do the trick with Bandit's squirrel that he just got for Christmas. He did sooo good! And Aldo taught Bandit to "drop it" so it's been turned into a really fun game! After 20 or so treats and fetches, we're done and I go upstairs. Before I know it, Luke comes up and tells me he has bad news. Bandit ripped up his squirrel. There's stuffing everywhere. Ok, no biggie. He's also ripped up my bra. My last bra. Ugh. THIS DOG! The trainer said to pay attention to how much praise vs. "no"s we tell our four-legged companions. I tied up the count real quick. (To be noted: Bandit has gone after my bras forever. Is it my smell? Is it the breastmilk? Is it the fact that it's just mine and he wants it? I don't know why he went for it, but he's on my Do Not Trust list. Cannot leave bras around, even if on the highest point of the couch or counter. He WILL find it. He WILL go for it.)

Aldo & Myself
Right now our church is doing a 21-day fast. It's been good so far. It is only Day 3...
In the midst though, we have been planning for the Children's Church ahead of schedule, which is nice (for me especially... the admin). We went on a "date" last night to go pick up a foosball table in middle of nowhere, Holton, KS. During the ride we talked about dreams that we've had on trips to go on, retirement, aspirations, work-related goals, etc. Today starts the day where I start getting the house in order and our five year plan written out, a budget in place and so on. Aldo and I are finally in agreement to do the insurance thing (not with the original company), AND in agreement that I should go back to school to become a CPA. I've looked into it several times and every time I think - Oh my gosh, I haven't done a math problem in forever and now companies and people are going to trust me to help them with their finances and taxes! I can't do percentages off the top of my head like Aldo can! I don't understand stocks! I would have to be attached to Excel and whatever other programs they have now. And, would working with numbers all day be mundane and dull? But, I am encouraged to try out a class at least. I can do it. If it doesn't work out, well, like Aldo's insurance job... it wouldn't be "the dream job"... but a means to the end. In all seriousness, I've made the dream job. I'm a mother.

The Birth Story

The morning started off early. Very early. We had to be at the hospital at 5:30 am, so I woke up at 4 to get in one last antibacterial rinse - I wasn't toying with the idea of infection. I laid out clothes for the kids for the next three days all in order, and prepped some last minute things. Mom was going to come by between 4:30 and 4:45. She ended up coming early at 4:15, right at the time when Mila woke up. I think kids have a sixth sense about these things... because Mila had been sweet all week and would crawl in our bed in the middle of the night. And I let her. It's the last week of her being the baby and only girl!! I think dogs also have a sixth sense, but ours was kind of dumb about it. He would set his head on my lap and then try to burrow in further, and sometimes he would follow me around and sniff my butt. Can you smell my water about to break? Can you??
So we told Mila that the baby's birthday was TODAY and that we were going to the doctor to get the baby out of Mommy's belly. The first thing she wanted to do was go wake Luke up in her bossy way so we could get a move on. As we explained further, she looked puzzled like - Why can't you get the baby out right here? And, why aren't we all coming? But because Mom was there that made it easier. Aldo told her she was staying with Grammy and that they had to make sure Bandit would be good with the baby. And because it's still dark outside she had to go back to bed. I'm not sure if she ever did... but she seemed ok with everything when I told her we would be back.

4:30 AM on 10/4/2018

Last Time Being Pregnant :(

It was dark out still. The roads were empty. It was a quick and surreal car ride. When we arrived at the hospital, they checked us right in. We were taken to what seemed like a hallway with curtains, and behind the curtains were beds where people were either prepping or recovering from surgery. I think I was the only one in their though. First thing I had to do was strip down to nothing and put on the hideous green gown, and let my buttocks hang out. I decided to make light of it, so I just joked around the who time. I guess I did a good job because Aldo commented on how I hadn't been given any medication yet...
I was assigned two nurses to start. One must have been a beginner because the other was watching over her shoulder and making sure she checked everything off the list. (I found out laster that it was her actual job to check things off the list. She did it in the surgical room too. She made sure everything happened according to procedure.) She recommended to the other girl where to insert the IV - on the outer side of my arm... "because it doesn't hurt as bad." I didn't care where it was as long as it was done right the first time. I was thinking, why not in the obvious veins sticking out of the back of my hand??? But they took a long time searching around my arms, tapping along the inside and outside. And what ended up happening...? The newbie stuck me on my inner wrist, not hitting any vein, which had to be pulled out. And then the other nurse re-stuck me in her original suggestion, which also hurt. I thought, I really hope this isn't the start of something... I hope this isn't a Mila experience all over again... (Referring to the medicine that got stuck.)
I know Aldo could see the pain on my face. It's not an easy thing for me to hide. And he could read my mind too. I really tried to be nice and not show the pain so not to make the girl feel bad... sadly, I think she double-guessed herself the rest of the time. They put monitors on me (just like I'd been doing with the NST's) and went through a series of questions about allergies, medical history, etc. Then, they had to shave my nether regions. That was awkward. I wasn't numb or anything, just letting it all hang out in the room. And as newbie nurse was shaving, she apparently buzzed me on the leg and it started bleeding (with clippers that aren't supposed to cut!). From what I could tell... I mean, I couldn't see over my big, pregnant belly... it was a total hack-job! I shouldn't have joked about putting a design in...

The time passed quickly. I was taken right into the surgical room. And it's exactly like the TV shows. There's a metal sink outside that everyone must disinfect his or her hands in. And once you're in, they're all in scrubs and face masks. Later, I even had to put on a hair net. Haha! I was surprised by the table that I had to get on - it was super thin, barely enough space for one bun to fit on. But I did it. The longest time was spent talking with the anesthesiologists, who were really nice (and I think gay too). One of them must have been in training as well because they discussed what lumbar area to insert the needle. What is this... a teaching hospital? Cross fingers I don't die on this table or become paralyzed from an incorrect epidural... They did good. I didn't feel anything but a pinch. I had to hunch over, hugging a pillow, and then lay down and not move. They say there are side effects from epidurals (nausea, headaches, vomiting, shaking, changes in blood pressure, etc.). Thankfully I only experienced a slight headache and that was later. Instead, I started to feel anxiety set in. I didn't know the time and things were happening around me that I couldn't see, with more people than I expected coming in and out of the room... and not introducing themselves like at first. I'm sorry, are you here for the peep show??? Then, all of a sudden, this blue paper separator was put up right in front of my face. I knew it was coming, but I expected it to be a little further down, like by the bottom of my ribs. On the others side of the sheet, my garment was moved aside and again I was out in the open. That's when I got emotional. Part of me has no idea why I was crying. The other part realized that I was about to undergo a very serious surgery and complications could happen. The unfamiliar is scary. I looked over to my left and saw the warmer where they would put the baby after taking her out of me, and I suddenly worried about losing her. All the emotions!! I felt really alone in there. Vulnerable. Where was Aldo? I thought he would be in there as soon as the divider went up. The younger, gay anesthesiologist was the one that reassured me - "Everything is ok. It's normal to be scared. Don't worry about shaking," (as I'm crying...), "Your husband is on his way, someone will go get him when it's time."

Meanwhile, Aldo says that he was still back in the room. Someone had told him that they would help him get into his clubs. But as time passed and the clock showed it was close to 7:30 am, he decided to  put on the scrubs himself. He was given the largest the hospital had and still ended up ripping them slightly. He knew that he wouldn't be able to sit down without completely hulking out of them. And then, when the nurse finally arrived, she said, "Oh good, you're dressed," and brought him straight back. He came in just in time. He says he didn't get to in to see when they made "the cut".

The cut. It was weird. I was laying there with my arms stretched out on the table, and overheard them say, "Hand me the scalpel." Sounds just like the TV shows, right? Then, I felt like someone was drawing across my skin with a Sharpie marker. But because someone had just mentioned the scalpel, I'm 100% sure it wasn't a marker; it was a different kind of "sharpie". Then Aldo appeared. I looked up and his big head hovered over mine. And I teared up all over again. They kept asking him if he wanted to sit, actually, they insisted... because if he passed out, they wouldn't be able to drag him out or take care of him as well as me. We talked for a little while and caught up with what happened between us. And then they were pushing my stomach back and forth. As a pregnant person, sometimes the baby will favor one side and so your belly looks lop-sided for a bit. It was like that. Like they were intentionally making my lop-sided. Like they were playing ping pong with the baby inside of me, shifting her around until she was in the right spot. I asked Aldo if he could see anything, but even standing up he couldn't. Even when the staff said, "Oh wow! She's reaching out her hand! She wants to shake your hand!!" he couldn't see anything. The cut was more on the underside of the belly than on top. It was just too low to get a good visual. Then, all the ladies "ooh"-ed and "aww"-ed over how much hair the baby had. And then, it felt like they were passing her around amongst them, admiring her... while the rest of us waited impatiently. It took FOREVER for them to put her in the clear, heated baby bed. I was watching for it! When they took her over, Aldo asked if he could go over too. I told him Yes. Not because I'm nice. I was actually heartbroken. C-sections suck because it seems like the mother is the last one to see and hold the baby. It's pretty much unfair. I mean, I carried her for 9 months. Shouldn't I hold her first? I let him go so that he could keep watch and let me know every single thing they were doing. I'm the type of person that wants all the details!!!! And he did a good job. She sort of cried. They did a heel stick test. Weighed and measured her. And other things. Then finally Aldo brought her over. Oh my goodness, did she have a TON of hair!!

Nayelli Grace was born at 7:53 am. The entire procedure took 23 minutes. She weighed 8lb 8oz. (I'm sorry... but wasn't she supposed to be a "big baby"? Like closer to 10lb???) And she was 21.5in long. Although the numbers show differently, she seemed like the smallest of our babies. Her jet black, hair-covered head was perfectly small and round. She had blueish-grey eyes and a nose that stuck out a little further than Luke's or Mila's. It's probably because they were smashed as they came out. Same ears as me. No dimples to be seen. Her torso was long and her legs were short, chicken legs (same as Aldo) with the smallest feet and longest, skinny toes. She folded her hands, which have skinny, long fingers and pretty nails. Honestly... perfect.

The First Picture

The Alvidrez "Pout Face"

My C-Section Baby

As Aldo held her next to me, the doctors sewed me up. I didn't feel much; I was too distracted. I guess I had staples on the inside and disappearing stitches on the outside. At the beginning they had counted all of the surgical utensils they were using, and at the end they did it again. So THAT really happens. (FYI: There are more than 20.) And as they cleaned up, I saw a lady carrying a jar of some red liquid. Curiously, I asked, "What's that?" I probably wasn't supposed to see it (maybe from a record of women passing out or getting sick...), but it was fluid. Not the placenta. Bummer because I wanted to see what the placenta looked like. All well. Then we were rolled back to the curtained recovery area. After a little while, Miss C was allowed to come in to take pictures. Our first vision! And she adored Nayelli. Conversation made the two hours of recovery go faster. A lot of the time was spent checking feeling in my legs. Can I wiggle my toes? Can I bend a knee? They put old-granny pantyhose on my legs, non-slip warmer socks, and these motorized compression, Velcro "robot socks" that make sure no clots form. It's like a constant leg massage. I was able to have ice and water, annnnnd I can't remember anything else in there. <Shrugs>
Nayelli was also monitored. She had some checks done right outside the curtain and her first bath. Yes, I missed it. She was pretty content with everything. She didn't cry at all.

Then we were moved to our final hospital room. As we entered, Pastor T was sitting in the dark in there, like a creep! I thought that was funny. The nurses questioned whether we knew the strange guy. Haha!

Daddy and Nayelli

<3 Her Hair! <3

Mommy and Nayelli

(I caught her first smile on camera!)

The Announcement Photo

(The hair was kept a surprise for in-person visits...)

So... between the four days that we stayed over I can't keep everything clearly separated. I'll share what I can remember. The rest of the first day both Nayelli and I had our blood sugars tested to make sure diabetes didn't stick. They monitored my pain, which never really flared up. And I was able to eat lunch!!! Most delicious bland chicken I've ever had. Dad ended up coming to visit and brought A BUNCH of goodies - giant rice crispy sticky cookies, vanilla cake balls, chocolate cheesecake brownies (my new fave that I didn't know existed that I'll have to purchase again... and I probably ate an entire box myself... to test the glucose, of course!), party-sized sherbet, juice boxes, plates, forks, spoons, balloons, party hats... THE WORKS!!! I told him about how Mila said we needed to have a birthday party for Nayelli and he sure made it happen! And, all my guests were happy too. (Or, Nayelli's guests, I guess.) Lily visited that afternoon and Mom brought the kids later that night after dinner. I wanted to be empty-handed (no baby) when Mila came in so not to cause any jealousy off the bat. But you never know what's going to happen, right? And it just so happened that I was supposed to feed newborn Nayelli every three hours, at the very least, AND when they all showed up I had just hit that three-hour mark. So I hid her quickly under the blanket. Luke and Mila came in and saw me and Daddy first. Luke immediately wanted to know where the baby was, but I told him to hold off because, "Baby Nayelli brought you presents!" I had them open their gifts first. Mila loved her princess shoes. Except one of the princess emblems broke off right away. Cheap dollar toys... Luke like his gifts too, but he wanted to open them right away and that ended in a little break down (had the batteries, but no screw driver). So opening presents took a while. Well then, the Gutierrez family showed up again. We had a packed room! We passed out the goodies and party hats and then big brother and sister got the big reveal. I told Mila, "The doctor got Baby Elli out of Mommy's tummy... See!" and BAM! took Nayelli out from under the blanket. If I could describe Mila's reaction it would be a cross between confused and excited. Like - Whoa! Mom just pulled a baby out of her belly! Was not expecting that! They both got to hold her (on a Boppy) and from that point on LOVED her. The best reaction was Luke's. As he held her, he was saying how he was shocked she had so much hair and that it looked like his. I said, "Well Luke, that's not all she has. She has long toes like you. And when she cries, she has the same pout face." He thought that was pretty funny. But I kept going, "See Luke, God knew you didn't need a little brother... you needed a little sister who looks JUST.. LIKE.. YOU!" He grew silent and then closed his eyes. Slow motion - his head tilted back and with mouth opened wide, he started to SOB! Tears just streaming out of his eyes!! Dang.. way to go, Mom... Make the kid cry... I felt so bad!!! A story for the memory books, I guess. #ironic #priceless

 

Nayelli's BIRTH-day Party

 

The next day when the kids came, they brought Granddad and Nancy with them. They were baby-holding pros at this point. My "goal for the day" was to continue managing my pain, have the catheter removed, and be able to walk to the bathroom. Seems like the expected recovery time was a bit quick. By the end of the day I should have peed three times on my own. The first walk wasn't as bad as they say. I didn't feel like there was a hole in my stomach. Instead, I felt like I couldn't stand up straight and I had to hobble to the bathroom. Getting in and out of the hospital bed was the real puzzle. Learning the best way to get one leg up and then the other, and then slide back into a comfortable, upright breast-feeding position. By that evening we had found our rhythm, although, I still can't figure out why Aldo was so tired. It seemed like he slept every moment he had the chance. Probably the entire spectrum of manly emotions wore him out??? I have to give him kudos for being more attentive to me than the previous delivery (Mila). But that might be completely ill-calculated since I experienced baby blues and EVERYTHING he did was wrong.

That night I sent Nayelli to the nursery for a couple of hours just to get some rest. They say to take advantage of the nursery. Plus, every chance I had, I chose to hold her. Two hours away for the night while all three of us slept is not bad at all. Aldo on the couch, me in the bed, and Nayelli safe in the nursery. No reason to feel guilty. The nurses said she was a doll. And she stayed away from those loud boys. Also, while she was in there, she ended up getting the rest of the slobber crud out of her system. (She had been gagging every once in a while. With vaginal delivery that stuff is pushed out, but in the case of a C-section... it has to be suctioned. FYI: One of my worst fears is for a baby or child to gag/choke and me not knowing what to do or what the proper technique is because I never took the Newborn First Aid & CPR class.)

Great Granddad Cooper & Nancy

Mila waiting her turn...

  

<3 BIG SISTER, MILA <3

  

<3 BIG BROTHER, LUKE <3

(He told the kids in his class that he loved her smell...)

Day 3 - Maecy and the kids came to visit. Mateo smiled at Nayelli and had this look like - Mila, I know what it's like to be an older sibling. You're going to like your baby. So sweet! I got a surprise visit from my cousin, Haley, who was working in another area of the hospital and took her lunch break to come see me! And later, my Aunt Diana and Great Aunt Dolores came. Dad brought Stacia and her gang of kids. I'm almost positive one of them set off the alarm and put the maternity ward on lockdown. Aldo's mom visited every day, I think. I'm not sure, but it was always chill when she came. It was reassuring to have her there even in the background. We had a small photo shoot toward the end of the day with Miss C, Nat and Mikala. They ended up leaving sooner because, "I looked like I wasn't feeling well." My countenance changed quickly in those last five minutes from enjoying the company to what looked like a painful grimace attempting to hide behind a smile. In all actuality, it wasn't pain... I had to poop. And I was afraid to poop with company there. Not my first poop. So... I don't know if we got any good pictures or when I'll ever see them, but if/when I do... I will post them pronto.

 

Tia Maecy & Cousin Mateo

*Unpictured: Cousin Joshua was in the other room because he was under 1 year old...

 

Aunt Stacia & Cousins Kaidynn and Ava

*Unpictured: Cousins Jax and Cash because they were over with Papa, probably getting in trouble.

The final day was fast and slow. Fast because I wouldn't have minded staying another day. I enjoyed having the option to order somewhat homey food from the cafeteria and having nurses constantly on my case about how I'm holding up. And not having to worry about the house work or (I love them, I love them, I love them...!!!) my other two kids. Oh, and I have to say something about this... I stated point blank before leaving that our dog is an inside dog, that he needs this much food at these times, that the kids' clothes are laid out, etc. etc. Day One - guess what happens. The dog was left outside in the rain and tore the sliding screen door off the back porch. He's never gone for the screen door! Day Two - he ripped the screen out of the frame. Day Three - he was left outside in the rain again. I don't know how long, but we gave a friend the key code to get in the house and he ended up having to bring Bandit in and put him to dry in the kennel. Every Day - Mila was in miss-matched clothes. ??? So my question is, why ask for directions or leave directions if they're going to be ignored?
Anyway, the day was slow because we had to wait on the approval from the pediatrician for Nayelli to be discharged, and from my OB for me to be released. I honestly did not mind waiting. First, I wanted to make sure we got everything packed that we needed - our own stuff, plus the diapers and extras from the hospital. And second, if we were paying for the stay then I was getting lunch on the house!

Welcome Home!

And then we were home. Vero and the boys ended up coming over. THAT was exhausting. I thought it would be a 10-minute to 30-minute visit... they stayed for an entire movie. I slept through most of it with Nayelli resting on my shoulder. Sorry, sister. I'm not a very good host coming fresh out of the hospital... Good thing is, she didn't expect me to be. And the kids had their cousins to burn off some energy.

New Things

38 Weeks, 5 Days

I’m sure I’ve said this before and I’m sure you’re sick of me repeating myself... “Every pregnancy is different.” There’s a lot of new things that I’ve never dealt with in giving birth to Luke or Mila. For instance... contractions. I had them, but they were so mild that I didn’t know it. It was more Braxton-Hicks type stuff where you would have a sharp pain here or a crampy feeling there. I am definitely having contractions now. To where I actually have to keep time on them. I’ve never had to do that. FYI - I got a pretty good app on my phone that’s been helping keep track - simply hit the start as you feel a contraction coming on and stop when your stomach releases (“Full Term - Contraction Counter”). A few days ago my contractions were 9 minutes apart. Then nothing the next day. Then the next evening they were 7 minutes apart. We thought for sure we would be going to the hospital then. Our parents were on standby. And they really haven’t gone below 7 minutes consistently. I notice them more when I’m sitting on the couch with my legs up; not when I’m walking around or cleaning. They come on more in the morning or evening, and after I drink an ice-cold glass of water. (Speaking of... I hope chewing on ice doesn’t mess up your teeth because I’ve been doing it thise past three months.)
So, in case you’re debating whether it’s a real contraction or one of those blasted fake ones... (and sometimes it is really hard to know the difference...) here is the best explanation I could find:

1. Braxton-Hicks are irregular. The timing is all over the place whereas true contractions will get closer together at measured intervals and will increase in strength.
2. False labor contractions will go away if you switch up your position. In my case, I could feel them really strong when lying on the couch with my feet up, whereas the Braxton-Hicks I experienced went away when I got up and sat at the island, or went to lay in bed, etc. I definitely had real contractions though, and I know because in the middle of the night I would bear down in pain for a couple of hours keeping track of time on my app. I’d also wake Aldo up from groaning in my sleep. Nothing ever stuck until morning. 
3. False labor contractions are in different areas (a right side here, a pelvic pain there, Wiley in the back); real contractions harden your entire stomach. Sometimes they start out as back labor and wrap around to the front. (I can always tell when I'm having  a real one because Nayelli likes to kick, and all of a sudden her kicks disappear  because my entire stomach hardens instead of the place where just her foot is.)

What really sucks is that early labor can last for weeks. All the signs show up - contractions, back pain, cramping, pelvic “lightning” or dull pain, discharge or mucous plug (and we already established that doctors don’t care about these), diarrhea (thank goodness I’m not experiencing  it; quite the opposite actually), nesting, baby drops, etc. - but the only things that really matter are those real contractions and the timing of them, if your water breaks, and how far you’re dilated.

I’ve never had to deal with whether or not my water broke. I had to look that up. I’ve never had to deal with a mucous plug or bloody show. And I’ve never had to deal with acid reflux. The other night I literally threw up in my mouth. Probably due to the fact that I’m forced by the diabetes nutritionist to not skip or skimp on my before-bed snacks. Wouldn’t you like the taste of cottage cheese coming back up. Yuck. (And, I can’t remember what my snack was... so it wasn’t necessarily cottage cheese.) At the same time I had these pains on both of my sides. I’ll tell you what... I’ve never Googled so much during pregnancy. The symptoms led me to a list of things like ectopic pregnancy and placental abruption. Fortunately one of the major signs of these things are massive bleeding, and I wasn’t experiencing that at all. 

The last new thing that we are now scheduled for is a caesarean. We were supposed to get a call from the hospital on how to prepare, but haven’t gotten anything yet... so based on my internet searches, here is what you should know and my thoughts on it....

Before the surgery -
How do I prepare my body? The doc said to take a shower in the morning and evening the day before. Clean the area with anti-bacterial soap. There were a lot of comments online about how nurses appreciated when the patients had their nether regions trimmed before going in. I might try this later.
Are there any restrictions on what I can do before hand? You can still lift and walk, etc. BUT you have to stop eating and drinking by midnight. Can’t even pop in a mint. (In my case, this is because my c-section is scheduled for the morning. If it were in the afternoon, I think you start the fast 10 hours before???)
Any recommendations on what I should eat as my last meal? Anything that will help/not help? No findings. I assume it’s eat what you want. Because following the procedure, you’ll still be off food and then gradually be fed light items like jello and soup until you’re back on solids. I guess I’ll just avoid spicy food so I don’t “poof” on the operating table when everything is numb.
What happens for those two hours of prepping? A lot of questioning surrounding your medical history - anesthesia, pregnancy, prior surgeries, etc. They'll put in an IV for meds and a catheter for pee, monitor you and baby for a while, and let the epidurals set in. Then it's GO time!
Who can be in the room with me? When can photos/video be taken? Only one support person. Photos and video can be taken at any time by your support person. I asked this because Miss C wants to take pictures for us and put together a "birth story", but it looks like she won't be able to come in the operating room. (And she doesn't do blood either, so it's a good idea NOT to let her in.) It's limited to one person and no switching between people in the middle of surgery because they need it as sterile as possible. Aldo won't even be able to snip the umbilical cord. The soonest anyone else can come by is in the recovery room, and the baby will be in there with us.

During surgery -
How long is the surgery? It can range anywhere from 2 to 30 minutes.
Where will the baby be? She'll be going through her measurements and initial heel stick tests, etc. off to the side in the same room as long as everything is going according to plan. When everything checks out, the hospital will push for skin-to-skin.

After surgery -
How long will I be in the recovery room? Is the recovery room the final room we'll be in? Recovery takes about 2 hours. It's the time it takes for feeling to come back in your lower body and legs. And you may experience side effects like a headache, nausea or the shakes. When those wear off, everyone will be moved to a large, final room.
How long will I spend at the hospital? Usually 3 nights. If you go in on a Thursday, you'll be released on Sunday (probably in the afternoon as doctors make their rounds at that time).

At home -
How do I care for the incision? Regular, daily showers. When you wash, save the incision for very last. Refrain from using a scrubby or wash rag; just apply soap and rinse. Gently pat dry with towel. (FYI: You'll also experience the bleeding that comes with a vaginal delivery. So you'll be wearing the mesh undies and abnormally large pads too. Change those frequently. Watch for blood measuring golf ball size or larger. Watch the incision for bleeding, smells, etc. Your biggest threat would be an infection. Applying pressure to the incision does help - such as with a pillow or wearing a belly band - that way you can sit and stand, cough, and so on as your belly goes back to normal.)
What are my restrictions? And for how long? Some people are saying you can only carry the baby or car seat, not both at the same time, and some are saying baby in the car seat. Either way, nothing more than that. (*My doc said that I can carry no more than 20lb. so MY baby in the car seat that we have is just fine and long as I'm comfortable with it.) This will last for two weeks until the follow up appointment. No driving while on medication. You can drive again when you feel comfortable enough to hit the breaks in a quick reaction situation. Yes, you may go up and down stairs. Refrain from exercise... yotta, yotta... although I don't know anyone who would want to exercise as twisting and bending will be difficult. And with that statement, obviously, no hubby time - as with any pregnancy that's restricted for the next 6 weeks. Poor fellas.

Well... I think that's it. Since C-section is happening no matter what, I'll be kicking up my feet these next days. I figure if I "go" then we'll go. And if not, then everything will go as scheduled. I'll take the next days to rest and prep around the house in small batches. In the meantime, parents are still on standby. Mom asks me just about every day how my contractions are going. Honestly, I think it will work out better now just going in on Thursday because we have a plan for the kids, how to get them to school and home, Bandit won't be left alone for hours at a time, bills and trash will be taken care of, and hopefully the house won't be a complete disaster, and we won't forget any last minute things... and I'll be sterilized... less likely to get an infection.

Hurricane Season

34 Weeks

I originally named this post “Hurricane Season” because of the phrase... “When it rains, it pours...” and I felt like the phrase just didn’t cover half of what we’ve gone through lately; it’s more like a hurricane for us. Ironically, according to the National Hurricane Center, hurricane season this year (in the Atlantic) runs from June 1st - November 30th. Let’s pray that that’s not how it’s going to be from here on out. Let the storm stop in September!! I was thinking about it the other day and before I was asking, “God, what is going on???” It finally occurred to me that He knows exactly what's going on and maybe he’s got a plan and that all of this is a set up. I can’t come to any other conclusion.

So in case you missed it here’s a quick look at the past three months...

• June 5: Luke breaks feet (leads to re-breaking foot on July 31st)
• July 5: I don’t pass my first glucola test (leads to a 3 hour test, finding out I have gestational diabetes, pricking finger and keeping track of blood sugar readings 4x a day, starting diet of low carbs and high protein which in turn leads to constipation {wha.. wha...}, have to start Metformin which causes nausea, and as of late started insulin... to be continued I guess...)
• July 20: We bring home Bandit - a very overwhelmed feeling of Is this really the right time?
• July 26-29: Aldo goes to conference to learn about selling life insurance - another overwhelming feeling considering I won’t be working myself and he wants to change jobs
• August 11: Aldo is rear-ended (leads to Blazer being totaled and multiple doctor and chiropractic appointments, and now shopping for a new vehicle)
• August 21: David passed away (funeral yesterday and keeping mom company and out of depression)

I don’t think anyone else could handle it. Did I mention my birthday is coming up? I’m turning 30. I think I could use some good news now. And we haven’t celebrated our anniversary yet. :( That was a month ago. And we have the gift cards too, just sitting in my purse. Ugh... #whenlifehappens

- - - - - -

Well, I was sad the other day thinking on the book I had for my pregnancy with Luke up to his first birthday. And then Mila’s book (which hasn’t been printed yet. And now this one. I’m sorry if any of my kids ever feel left out or like you got the short stick. I love you all so so so much and I just wanted the experiences written out and perfect. None of them are the same. I learn as I go... just like regular people.
For example, I had no idea what to expect with Luke. I had so many newbie mom questions. I went to the classes for birthing and bringing a baby home. I learned a lot. With Mila, I had the experience of breastfeeding and baby blues, and maybe exhaustion... because it’s easy when you can put all your concentration and energy in pregnancy and raising a newborn as a new mom whereas when you already have one child, attention goes there as well. You feel like you missed some of the big milestones of pregnancy with the second. But you definitely try. And the third, I feel so bad I haven’t kept track of ANY milestones. It’s been more of keeping track of what symptoms are hitting me this week...? What's up with this bruising? It's vericose veins that won’t go away. Am I going to die in the middle of the night from a blood clot in my leg? No, it's just regular ol' leg cramps. Flex your foot and point or get up and walk; it will go away. Am I having Braxton Hicks? Is it too early? Braxton Hicks are with portions of your belly getting hard and sometimes associated cramping or pain. Sometimes you feel them, sometimes you don't. What's "full term"? 39 Weeks. Do I have to count the baby's kicks/movements? Not with how active she is. And remember, toward the end of pregnancy there is less room in there, so movement might appear to slow down. (I apologize for being graphic ahead of time.) Is discharge normal? Yes, depending on color. Hemorrhoids??? Yes. Sorry you're strained. When does the “bloody show” actually show? Closer to delivery... like days before. So BE READY!!
Funny how you have new questions with each subsequent pregnancy. AND I completely forgot how to take care of a newborn. AND... now we have a dog (more precisely “an energetic puppy”) that steals blankets, toys, and even food off your plate, which I’ll be bringing my newborn home to. Whew. It’s a lot to think about.

They're trying to starve me, I'm sure of it... & Other Matters

28 Weeks, 2 Days (Entered into the 3rd Trimester)

So, whatever happened before camp, it seems like we went right back there after camp. It's been non-stop in this house and I'll try to catch up as much as I can.

For some reason Aldo decided to host 4th of July at our house. He invited the church, the family, and the neighborhood. After catching up on rest from camp, I immediately went to work on getting the house ready. One day, I cleaned out the garage and basement (because I figured that's where people would hang out since it would be hot and Aldo would be working the grill), only to realize... I did absolutely nothing to help out the house, which people would also walk through to use the restroom or cool down. The next day, which was the day before the 4th, I worked on the bedrooms, ran a load of dishes and finally a load of laundry. It was pristine! But of course, again, I missed the kitchen, bathrooms and floors... all much needed places to clean if we want to host anything ever. So then, I got up early on the 4th and did the rest of it while Aldo used the weed wacker. We went over time by a little bit, but it actually ended up working out just fine; EVERYONE was running on CPT.
After picking up Aldo's dad, we went to the fireworks stand and got a pretty good deal. Noted for next year. Got back, fired up the grill, and the people showed up gradually.
From cleaning, taking the kids to the parade (Also noted: not fantastic, but lots of candy collected), and going around entertaining everyone... I was exhausted.

Independence Day 2018

So then I tried to catch up on rest again. But then on Saturday, it was Home Depot Day. The kids love it and it gets them off of electronics and out of the house. So I went and did that... and then went to the Home Store and bought organization bins for the kids' rooms... and went through all their toys (that took two days alone).

Nephews <3 Mateo & Joshua

Home Depot Day!

(They made a fishing game and I learned about "Portrait Mode".)

The next week, we had Luke's follow-up appointment for x-rays on his feet. Originally we were told he would have to wear his cast for 8-10 weeks. But we were both surprised to find out that he was getting his cast off that day! And the rest of the month would be spent transitioning from the boots into tennis shoes in the house, and then tennis shoes outside the house, and then to regular play. Our final appointment for his feet!!!

THE SUMMER OF THE CAST IS OVER!!!

Not the last appointment forever though. After getting back from camp, I had that weird glucola testing done that happens with every pregnancy. The next day, the office called back and said I didn't pass my test. At first, I was surprised. And then I read a ton of information online on what it means if you have gestational diabetes and freaked myself out. (The only thing that seemed to calm me down was a blog I found about a lady who said it was the best thing that could've happened for her health and the health of her baby. That it went away right after birth. Her child was fine. Things were regulated because of the early detection. And she had it again with her second pregnancy and was already in the habit of eating right, so it was easy to do.) I had to schedule an appointment for a 3-hour test for the following week. Fasting again. Hear the excitement? <sarcasm>
Had a bunch of people encouraging me and praying for me. Went in feeling pretty good. Glad I took the books and downloaded a movie on my phone. During the first hour I read a book and toward the end started feeling nauseous so I had to stop. The next two hours, I just watched a movie because it felt like my eyes were going cross-eyed and all I wanted to do was sleep. But I was stuck in the uncomfortable chairs of the waiting room.

The following day, Aldo had his yearly health screening with his work. Just another medical thing I had to attend. (Apparently his cholesterol is off.)

That weekend I worked at the library. Thank goodness I was busy doing displays and research so the time went by quickly.

Also during the weekend was the church's 50th Anniversary. Wonderful words from the speakers. Challenging too. I'm glad they provided lunch on Sunday because it felt like a healthy meal and as of late all I've been eating, it seems, is carbs from noodles and potatoes. After that we celebrated with Asher for his birthday. He had a messy party, which unfortunately Luke couldn't participate in wholly (specifically he CAN NOT be on trampolines, bounce houses, slip n slides, etc.), but he sure made the best of it. And Mila just doesn't like being dirty. While we were there, the kids loved on Asher's golden retriever puppy. I don't know why I thought it was a good idea to bring it up while Aldo was holding the puppy in his arms... but I asked what we were going to do for Mila's birthday, which is coming up in August. I've been thinking along the lines of a dance party with ballet-type decor but also fun stuff for the boys too OR a Paw Patrol party or adopt-a-pet party like what Ember had years ago. Aldo blurted out, why not get a dog? ... <pause>
You can imagine what I was thinking. We're having a baby. In 2-3 months. Seriously??? And usually he's the one that holds back and I'm the one that pushes for the big thing.
Things went kind of quick. For the past three days, I haven't been able to sleep through the night because of anxiety from thinking about a puppy - Are we going to have one? Can we afford it? Is it the right time? Am I ready? What do we need to do to prep? What should we call it? The next day, Aldo talked with the breeders, sent an offer, and it was accepted. We are in line to have a golden retriever puppy, brother to the Gutz puppy, by THIS FRIDAY! ... <pause>

It's starting to look like a little sunshine in our week.

Back to medical... since I didn't get a call the next day from the Women's Clinic about the 3-hour testing like I did the first time, I figured everything was alright. Because they get back pretty quick with the unwanted results, and if they're good that's when it takes 2-3 business days. Today I found out that I did not pass.
> I have diet guidelines to follow.
> I have a nurse appointment where I learn about gestational diabetes and how to use a finger pricking device and monitor my sugars.
> I have a dietitian appointment next week.
I was on the phone for most of the afternoon talking to scheduling and insurance providers, seeing what's required and what's covered, filling out documents, and seeing how much things will cost.

I AM EXHAUSTED.
I've kind of had enough medical issues for a while. (That's my feelings right now.)
After a good talk with a friend, I know I can get through it... many people have... and I know God has given me the strength and provision; He's made a way EVERY TIME... I don't need to worry.
Sincerely, I think my brain is just fried for the day.
No more thinking please.

The next few days will be busy and informational. With a little puppy-breath sweetness thrown in. Then next week (why did I do this to myself???), the kids have VBS at Jerad's church. And near the end, Aldo is going out of town to hear about selling insurance. I'm not looking forward to that Thursday...

• Husband leaves early in the morning. 
• Luke goes to VBS.
• I lock up the puppy (*tentative) and leave for my next appointment with Dr. Holmes, since seeing the nurse and dietician.
• I go back home to let out puppy*.
• Jerad picks up kids, I go to work from 2-8pm. Who takes care of puppy?*

Not to mention, I have to run Children's Church all by myself that Sunday. <sigh>
I may be taking naps throughout the following days just to prepare myself for what's coming.
And seriously, what IS coming????

When All You Can Do Is Laugh...

So it's been an eventful two weeks. This is how it went down...
It started with our big camp meeting that we have every year. During the prayer, when the leaders spoke against opposition, I couldn't help but feel a little weird. This year has been different for us, especially financially. We've donated more than we have ever before, more so that even with the past years put together this year's donation was more than that figure quadrupled. On the way home, the only "opposition" I could think of was when we tried to find babysitters for the kids. So I talked about it with Aldo. He calmed my weirdness over the situation referring to the story of friends holding up Moses' arms during the battle against the Amalekites. In a way we were stepping in to hold up the arms (financial burden) during a time when our friends experienced job loss. That settled things.

Not even a day later, the opposition came. If you're one to look at it that way, I guess. We were in a meeting at the church and were just about ready to go when Luke climbed up the welcome booth for some unknown reason because he's usually not a "climber" (a booth that was on wheels to be thrown in the trash) and it fell over on top of him. Thankfully he was thrown as it fell down so that it only fell on his feet. Thankfully it bounced so that he could remove his feet and didn't get stuck underneath. Thankfully, Mila had moved closer to me seconds before to say she was ready to go home. And thankfully, Aldo made it to the meeting because he hadn't been feeling well that morning and took off work (otherwise he would have been a closer and wouldn't have been at the meeting). It took only seconds. But it felt like I stood there for 10 minutes in shock. I honestly cannot tell you what I did in between the time I saw Luke's face after the impact and getting Mila in the car. I remember the breaking of glass and initially thinking Luke was crying because he broke something that belonged to the church, not because he had hurt his feet. The face he made is forever ingrained in my head. It breaks my heart that I didn't react more quickly. Aldo, on the other hand, went into calm, yet fast, parent mode and asked the all the right questions. We made the decision to take Luke to the ER. I'm sure that Aldo was worried, he just never let it on. Mila came with us; it was already late and she was worried about Luke. She said, "Luke's crying so Mila's crying," and talking about getting Luke a band-aid.

I hate going to the ER. It seems like if you are gushing blood and guts coming out (sorry for the graphic imagery), they just take their sweet time. But I am thankful for doctors and nurses and everyone that is working hard to get you in and out. On the way there, all we could do was tell Luke to breathe through the pain. We waited for a while in the waiting room, then we went to triage, where they decide the urgency of your care. Then we went to his room and waited some more. In between all of that, I saw that Luke was tearing up and asked if he would like me to hold onto his glasses. So I was put in charge. By the time we made it to his room and Luke went to the restroom, the glasses had disappeared. No one has found them since. One minute I had them hanging on my shirt. I did not touch them. And the next minute they were gone. Aldo has no words for it either. Probably because we just picked up our new glasses two days before. And probably because that night we had found the camp flashdrive that I had "lost" in my computer bag. Pregnancy brain... it's a real thing. So while waiting, I was also mad at myself for losing Luke's brand new glasses. Let's just pile on the bills, shall we?

They took x-rays and ended up putting Luke in ace bandages on both feet and a splint on the left foot, which was tender, already bruising, and swollen. They also gave us crutches and told us we could follow up sometime in the next week with our doctor. It was about 5 o'clock in the morning when we were discharged. Aldo went to go get the car while we waited in the waiting room. Mila had fallen asleep finally after going between laps, coloring, and eating everyone's hospital snacks. A minute later I got a call - we had a flat tire. Aldo said to never pray for opposition ever again. I didn't pray for it! All I said was I felt weird!!! As Aldo was changing out the tire as the sun came up, I was in the waiting room hoping someone would turn in Luke's glasses before we left the building. :( It never happened though. We made it home at 6:00 am and were exhausted. I called in to work. It was supposed to be my first Wednesday going in early... but there was no way I'd be able to function on an hour of sleep.

On the way home, Luke said, "Mom, I'm lucky. It could've been worse. The booth could have fallen on my legs!"
Me: "Or on your body and broken your ribs!"
Luke: "Or on Mila!"
Me: "Yeah, bud"
Luke: "Mom, I think God was watching out for me."
Me: "Luke... I think he sent angels around you!!!"
He's so sweet. I am proud of the young man he is becoming...

But that's not all!

Wednesday morning we were woken by a phone call. The ER told us that they were looking over the x-rays again and were pretty sure Luke had fractured his foot, so we should get a follow up right away with a pediatric orthopedic specialist. (Note: Something of concern for Luke's age are the growth plates.) That day we went in to the specialist -- awesome, awesome doctors and nurses -- and found out that Luke's foot was broken in two places... the right foot. Seriously? Luke had been walking around on a broken foot?! It took them less than 15 minutes to put a cast on Luke's broken, right foot with a walking shoe and a boot on the other foot. The other foot was too swollen to see fractures or breaks at this point, but better to err on the side of caution. We made an appointment for a week later to get x-rays again and look at the left foot. Then, we proceeded to Walmart where we had the tire fixed.

Two Broken Bones in the Right Foot

Our Trooper (& First in Our Family to Break Something)

I must also mention, prior to all of this I had asked Luke what he wanted to do for his 8th birthday and his one request was a Skating Party. As it turns out, I never got any contact information for his best friend from school, who I really wanted to be there. And both of Luke's cousins are out of town for the entire summer. We agreed that it wasn't worth the money to have the party without the people he would want to be there, and especially because he can't skate. We made plans to take him to the Omaha Zoo with some of our best friends, who would definitely make his birthday special. After the entire foot debacle, we had to tell Luke there would be no Skating Party. He was devastated. (He didn't know about the Omaha Zoo surprise coming up that weekend.) He said, "I guess I'll have a Dinosaur Party". I found this really cool cast design that makes it look like scales and a dinosaur/dragon foot. When I showed him, I said, "Luke, do you want to be a real hybrid?" His eyes LIT up. (We tease, but not really, that the kids are hybrids because they are half Mexican and half American. They think it's cool that they have the best of both worlds. Man, how the world has changed...) So back to Walmart - I let him walk through the isles and show me what toys he liked. Indoraptor (aka Utahraptor). LEGO Pachycephalosaur set (the one that looks like it has a skullet and rams into things). Anything from Jurassic World. Which is ok since he would actually play with it. Luke and Mila have been building a Jurassic Park out of LEGO men, plastic dinosaurs, stuffed animals and babies, and just about anything else they can get their hands on. Their summer project. Daddy said he couldn't get anything that night, but maybe he would get something on Friday (hinting at a zoo-type something from our day trip).

The zoo was so much fun! The car ride was long, and a little uncomfortable. Luke didn't try to guess where we were going or question much at all - even when he saw the sign for Omaha! It wasn't until he saw the desert dome that he put two and two together. And we chose the perfect company to come with us. The kids were all excitement. So much so that we had to continually tell Luke to take it easy. Although the weather seemed like it might get unbearably hot, we chose to see everything outside early in the day. A good choice. And everything inside during the afternoon. Mila wasn't scared of the skylift at all. She said, "We're flying!" and pointed out the rhinos, the big birds (ostriches), and the lions. We did get Luke a wheelchair, but for that first part he had to walk. And he didn't care. Toward the end, he was offering ME the wheelchair. My favorite parts had to be the butterflies (that Natalie is scared of and Mila loved), the aquarium that you walk through (we saw divers go in with the sharks!), and the lied jungle (with free-flying bats that Natalie is also afraid of). We had it easssssy this year - only a single bat sleeping in the long tunnel! Luke told me today that all he can think about is the monkey that was picking his behind. I mean, he was digging! At several angles!! :P Yuck! Oh, and there was the "escape ape", the orangutan that started to unscrew his glass enclosure. While the husbands went to get the cars, the wives and the kids checked out the after-hours family festival. They had vendors everywhere. When we asked what was going on, all they said was that they come twice a year and everything is free, so go get something. We took the bubbles ("that help with asthma"), went to the photobooth, made some sensory bags, grabbed some cotton candy and free Dip N Dots too!! That's when we found out that it was for special needs kids. !!!! Good thing the husbands called for us to pack up because we would have done balloons and face painting too! Instead we went down the walk of shame. Haha! The misadventures of us!

Our Day Trip to the Omaha Zoo

(I didn't get many pictures because we were travelling with a professional photographer, who blocked all my shots... but that's alright... 

I expect to see some good ones posted.)

You would think after that, we'd go back to something "normal".

Well, it's not so much family-related, but this week has been crazy at work too. There's construction going on outside. The road in front of the library will have improvements later on, and to prepare for that they have to move the water line, which is right at the entrance of our parking lot. The first day coming in this week, no one was here to let me in. I had to chance my key code and hope that no cops showed up. The second day, there was a huge hole in the entrance and I wasn't expecting that until the following week, so I drove around thinking we might be closed if no one called me back. We had to park on the street. It was also the day of a bus trip. The hole got filled in right before that showed up. And then the guys cut into our phone and internet line. Nice. It's been a wild week at work.

So then, there's today. Today we went back to the pediatric orthopedic specialist to see how Luke's left foot is (the one in the boot). The Dr. still couldn't see any brakes or fractures on the x-rays, but was certain that something was broken because of the amount of swelling, discoloration and tenderness in certain areas. We go back in 3 weeks. For the time being, Luke has to wear his boot most of the time. The exceptions are at night he can take it off to sleep, when he takes a bath, and possibly the pool (but if he's at the pool, he's not really swimming... it will be hard for him to move around and he can't get hit either). Then, getting into the car to go home we hear a hiss coming from the vent. And then the cold air was gone. I'm hoping with all the hope that I have for my car, that it's just a valve come loose and let all the freon out. Because at this point... all we can do is laugh and keep going.

Camp is 9 days away. <sigh> And boy am I counting down...