getting things done

It's a getting-things-done kind of day today. There is laundry in the wash, the bills are paid, and there is a pink toilet seat around the dog's neck.

For real. I don't make this stuff up. See exhibit A.

~ this is exhibit A ~

Since I'm trying to make this a productive day, I decided it would be a good day to post house pictures. Just another one of those things I've been meaning to do, but it keeps getting pushed to the bottom of the list because kids need to eat, chores need to be done, and I'm just plain too tired most of the time.

Except, it's like the kids know I have this goal of writing a post and they have made it their sole mission of the day to prevent me from reaching that goal. Please refer again to exhibit A if you would like a better understanding of the shenanigans happening around me.

Anyway, here it is, in all its (poorly lit) glory. I snapped a few quick pictures late yesterday afternoon, throwing proper photographic technique out the window in exchange for just getting the job done.

The front view, in need of a pump house, and the rear view, in need of some concrete (patience, Tonya, patience):

I moved some kitchen items in over the weekend, and spent yesterday afternoon cleaning floors and a few windows. New houses are just plain dirty.

Obviously, there are still some things we need to install before we are done, like a stove and bathroom mirrors, but we are really so very close.

The kids' bathroom:

Our bathroom:

With his and hers closets and vanities.  We aren't good at sharing.

The living room and dining room (pre-floor mopping):

Yes, it appears as if the kids have already moved in.

Because I'm a nosey kind of person, and I'm sure you are too (or you wouldn't be reading this blog), I thought I'd include a shot of the whole yard. I'm terrible at merging pictures to create a panoramic scene, so this will have to do.

And, now, on second glance, this isn't really our whole yard, but I think you get the idea.

We weren't ready for an inspection last week, as I had hoped, but there is one scheduled for today. As with all things government related, final inspections involve a ridiculous amount of rules and codes, of which only half can be understood by the average person, so I honestly don't expect us to pass on the first inspection. But, one inspection or two, we should be in by the weekend! Hooray!!

ummm, yeah

Just a few pictures today.

Because I wanted to post something, but have a bit of writer's block.

Not because I have nothing to say,

but because I have SO MANY things on my mind right now

and I cannot think of a coherent, non-boring way to get them all out of my head.

Hope you have an awesome Monday!

a little update on mia | CDH awareness

Mia's follow up appointment with the surgeon Wednesday was uneventful - vitals were taken, scars inspected, and lungs listened to. Five minutes later, she was confirmed a healthy little girl and cleared for another year before following up again. She had two x-rays of her chest, which she was NOT happy about and that required both Ryan and I to hold her still, but were (quoting Dr. G*), "Perfect. You would never know anything was ever wrong."

I heard those words over the phone Wednesday afternoon, and I couldn't help but think, "How is that even possible?" It truly is amazing.

Before leaving for home, we stopped by the NICU to share pictures of Mia with the doctors and nurses, and received the warmest welcome you can imagine. We saw some of Mia's nurses, and the front desk personnel who watched us enter and exit NICU several times a day for nearly a month. We also saw Dr. S*, who was the attending doctor when Mia arrived that day in July. She is a petite woman, maybe five feet tall, but so very big in our hearts. She had stayed up with Mia that entire first night and into the next doctor's shift, ultimately making the decision to put Mia on ECMO, and I have no doubt in my mind that this woman saved our daughter (with the help of her team of nurses and doctors, of course). I remember so clearly walking into the NICU that first morning, seeing how tired Dr. S* looked and feeling sort of shamed for having gone to bed the night before for a few short hours of sleep. I am forever grateful for her determination to save Mia and for her knowledge of the human body. It was such a sweet moment to be able to show her how well Mia is doing now.

So often, when people meet Mia for the first time (those who know her medical history), they say, "She looks so normal." And yes, she does look normal. CDH babies do not exhibit identifying physical characteristics like, for example, a baby with Down Syndrome. Assuming the CDH is repaired successfully, the only defining characteristic is a few scars. But more than that, I think people are surprised by how healthy she appears - pink, chubby, active. And it's true, she is unbelievably healthy. Mia has been very blessed to have beaten CDH relatively easily.

I think it is important to point out that Mia is an exception to the rule with CDH.  Sometimes, I'm afraid that her health diminishes the seriousness of the defect. The mortality rate of these babies is 50%. HALF die. And of the half that survive, so many of these babies have chronic lung issues, require multiple surgeries, experience gastrointestinal problems, and even have developmental issues. I can't stress enough how fortunate Mia is to not even be on a single medication, and that this is not a typical outcome.


Occasionally, I visit various websites and blogs related to CDH (congenital diaphragmatic hernia). I don't visit long because it inevitably leads to me crying. Words like ECMO and pulmonary hypertension take me directly back to a time and place filled with uncertainty, fear, and sadness. I'm so very thankful our girl is healthy, but sad that so very many other babies are not. My heart aches as I relive the pain these other parents are going through, and obviously, this isn't the best way to pass my time.  But these websites serve a very valuable purpose, and that is to raise awareness of a defect that, it seems, very few people have heard of.

In keeping with that purpose, I'd like to share some links related to CDH.


CHERUBS is a non-profit organization, started by Dawn Williamson, mother of a CDH baby, that raises awareness, promotes research, and provides support to families of CDH babies. To read a great article about how CHERUBS was started go here, and to see a video of the little life that inspired Dawn to start CHERUBS, go here.  Get your tissues, you'll probably need them.

When we met with the NICU doctors before seeing Mia that day in July, I remember one of them telling me, "This isn't your fault. There is nothing you could have done to prevent this." It was slightly reassuring, but I felt like (and still do feel) there is something he left out of that sentence.

"That we know of."

Research is being done to determine the genetic and environmental causes of CDH, but there are not very many answers to the questions, "Why does this happen? What causes this?" CHERUBS is circulating a petition to increase research of CDH, and has a goal of 10,000 signatures by April 19, which is International CDH awareness day. Would you please take a minute and sign the petition here?  Additional information about what the petition is asking for can be found at the link.

Thank you!

and BAM! it's March

And just like that, March is off with a bang. Yeah, I just started this post like we are in the middle of a conversation. I'm allowed to do things like that because I make the rules around here.

But, really, March is off with a bang. We are having amazing, sunny, warm weather, and we all have rosy cheeks and noses to prove it. The trees are budding out, blossoms blooming, and due to the ridiculously dry Winter, the plants already need watering.

Laci has been spending most days in her pajamas lately. Lately? Who am I kidding? Pajamas are a regular thing in these parts. And I consider myself lucky that she has agreed to wear anything at all, considering she spent an entire day, night, and part of another day in just her diaper last week.

However, at this very moment, she is fully clothed in a shirt and jeans and her hair is contained in two braids. I feel like I need to document this moment as proof that I do in fact have some authority over my daughter, that she does not make all the decisions all the time as it may seem.

Did you know she knows the letters of the alphabet? Not just how to sing the ABC's, but actually recognizes and names letters, even when they aren't in order. I'm asking, because she learned it somewhere and I had no idea until a few nights ago when I started randomly writing letters on the chalkboard and she's all, "B! Buh, Buh."  I'm guessing someone out there has been secretly teaching my child how to read. Or, and this is probably more likely, somewhere between me singing the alphabet three billion times and a few hundred episodes of Super Why (her current favorite), her little sponge brain absorbed some of the information. Oh, and because she's a genius.

Little Toot, as I often call her, has already learned that everything big sister is doing is amazing. As Laci and I played blocks the other day, Mia sat gazing at those brightly colored blocks wanting nothing more than to be in the middle of it all. I let her have a couple to chew on, much to the dismay of her older sister who cried about them being "All Slobby!" which means "all slobbery" for those who don't speak Laci-ese.

Oh my goodness, can I ever get distracted! March is off to a bang, not just because of the weather and my children's abilities to amaze me, but because I got a new cousin on Saturday! He is my first cousin (as in, my aunt's baby, certainly not because he is the first cousin), but will be more like a cousin to my girls and I am so excited! Little Justin Michael, who weighed 9 lbs 4 oz and therefore isn't really little, arrived healthy and happy and I can't wait to meet him.

I stole this picture from my cousin's Facebook because I just had to share his adorable fatness! Can you believe that is a size one diaper on the big guy? I could go on for days about how awesome it is when babies are born and they are healthy, and how my perspective has changed so much now that I have my own babies, but I'll save that for another day when I'm not wrestling a not-so-smallish child on my lap.

Instead, I'll talk about Ryan's birthday, which was Friday, and how I successfully pulled off a surprise picnic dinner in our new house. He usually likes to go to Red Lobster for his birthday, so I brought the seafood to him. King crab legs, copycat cheddar bay biscuits, and fresh green salad were on the menu, served up with chilled Corona for him and a root beer for me. It was the perfect combination of surprise, special, and simple, if I do say so myself. I did good this year, which makes me feel like awesome wife of the year and also makes me wonder, "Oh crap, what will I do next year?" And the best part:  Häagen-Dazs Caramel Cone ice cream for dessert, which, if you ask me, is ice cream perfection.

And one final piece of early March news is we are hoping to get a final inspection on the house this week. Of course, nothing is set in stone yet, but I can finally say I'm ridiculously excited about finishing up this project.  Especially as we approach the one year anniversary of moving out of the double wide.  No, I still haven't taken any pictures of the house, but I will.  Soon.  Hopefully.

peach {you capture}

Peach...oh, you elusive peach.

Peach was a challenge.

Peaches are not in season.

I wasn't about to purchase some terrible store peaches just for a photo op.

So, I looked for "peach" elsewhere.

I looked to the crayon box.

But Crayola calls this apricot.

I looked to my coffee cup, which I love.

I love it because it holds my most favorite warm drink.

I love it because it reminds me of Pooh's honey pot.

I'm thinking this is more salmon pink than peach.

I looked to my yarn stash.

The label calls this color "gerbera daisy."

Really?

Linking up with You Capture.