A much needed update

I figured I'd take a moment to update you all about what's been going on. I'm doing this from my phone so please excuse any typos.

This past month or so has wreaked hell on me. I was sick almost non-stop save a few day's break here and there. Then, last Friday, the intense pain in my face started. It began just below my eye on my cheek bone. I thought it was a sinus infection since I had been so congested. It started getting worse though. It felt like Chuck Norris roundhouse kicked me on the left side of my face. I couldn't see straight, was seeing things, dizzy, nauseous, could barely open my mouth; bending over made my face hurt more, and coughing was a nightmare. Every time I coughed, I would start crying.

It was late by the time I wanted to go urgicare and dragging two tired kids and a toddler to the hospital for four hours was not something I wanted to put anyone through, so we waited until Sunday morning to go when we could get a babysitter. When I got to the hospital, they said it was TMJ.And they can't do much about it. They could do a CAT scan, but since I'm pregnant, the radiation poses too much a risk for the baby. Can't do surgery either...They sent me home with Tylenol 3's, which didn't do much. Still couldn't see, eat, or walk much.

I made a follow-up appointment with my midwife. She was concerned it was an abscessed tooth as well (she couldn't really tell though, because I couldn't open my mouth), and told me to make an appointment with a dentist at the biggest hospital in the area. By this point, I had developed a minor fever too, which didn't really surprise me considering my entire body ached. I tried, but they said for me to come in during their emergency hours. I was concerned it was an abscessed tooth since the other hospital barely did anything to check or rule anything out. I knew how things worked at the hospital, if there were too many people there when I went, I wouldn't be seen. I didn't want to risk anything (plus, my husband wouldn't be able to take me having worked 12 hours and then having to go back and work another 12), so we went to that hospital's emergency room.

Surprisingly, it only took about two hours in and out. I received the same diagnosis of TMJ, but at least they checked inside my mouth and checked the baby's heart rate. Went home with some penicillin and Vicodin. That's about all that can be done at this time.

I still don't feel much better. I can at least cough without screaming in pain, though, and I can do things around the house in small spurts. But, I still can't eat much. I've lost about three pounds already...not something you really wanna do when you're 26 weeks pregnant...I don't know what caused it, either. I know it wasn't from grinding my teeth, since I've been a mouth-breather as of late (It's not my fault!).

In other news, we got my eldest daughter's IEP back. They said she has PPD-NOS or Asperger's Syndrome and ADHD. She will never be able to be in a normal class if she went to a typical public school. I'm soooo thankful for Summit Academy...I've mentioned the school before, but in case you've missed it, it's a school that deals specifically with children with Asperger's, Autism, ADHD, and other such disorders. The teachers are specifically trained to deal with children with these challenges. They also lump two grades into one classroom in their elementary schools. Very nice for kids who are struggling or may be ahead of their grade. Back when she attended the public school in our old city, we frequently received calls about her emotional "instability". She's already made some wonderful improvements since attending Summit Academy. She still struggles greatly socially, but now with her IEP, we know what we need to focus on. Academically, she does amazing... Except in spelling; she's at about a kindergarten level there, but she can read at a third grade level.

I'm still struggling myself to fully understand her IEP report.  It's a lot to take in, and at times it makes me a little sad to know she will probably struggle in life. Especially knowing how much of an awesome kid she is.

In blog news, I have a giveaway coming up! I've been working on writing it up. It's taking longer than I'd like, but it's self-sponsored, so I can do that. ^_~ I just wish I'd feel better...

The very bad day...

Last night, while the baby went to be relatively easily, I could not. I knew that I was going to regret it.  I knew today was going to be bad. Little did I know how bad...

Rated PG for some language

An unexpected father's day gift

Man...sometimes I don't realize how long it has been since I last posted...

Yup. Sunday night I found out that I'm pregnant again. Somehow, the subject was brought up and I decided to take a test (I keep them on hand because of the medication I take). Before the Control line had even showed up, the Test line showed positive. In all the tests I've taken, I've never had a result show up that fast and that clear...

When I first saw the result I started chanting a string of vulgarities. Then I started crying. Keeping it was our only option...I wasn't ready - we weren't ready. I was just getting down to my ideal weight...and I was worried how it would affect my marriage. Things were just starting to get really good between us - better than when we first started dating, even. I went downstairs and told my husband. I don't think he truly believed me until I showed him the test. Lol. He asked about false positives, I told him that's not really possible with pregnancy tests. We talked things out further, he calmed me down (I had given myself heartburn lol), and we realized we were going to be ok.

By the next morning, all my anxieties were replaced with excitement. It was kind of nice, actually. For the first time ever, it didn't take months - or even years - of trying. And having come from a small family,  I've always wanted a large family. I didn't think it would happen...in fact, I had almost completely gotten the idea out of my head. Don't get me wrong, three kids is generally considered a lot, but I didn't want any of my kids having "middle child syndrome". Plus, I don't like odd numbers lol.

Most family has been told, except my inlaws...He's already told all his coworkers. And I'm itching to tell everyone else, even though I'm only 5 weeks along. You would think I'd feel more cautious given my history, but I've got a strong feeling this one's going to stick. I had the same feeling with Kyrielle too, and my pregnancy with her was a breeze compared to the others.

Happy Birthday Mr. Boots

I can't believe you're 3 today...

After having miscarried just two months before I found out I was pregnant again, I  had an insanely frightening pregnancy. I bled for about 3 months, passed massive clots, and there was a few times that they told me my cervix was open and I was probably going to miscarry. I never cried so much in my life and was powerless to do anything to stop it. On the day he was born, they had to take him from me and call up the NICU because he wasn't as responsive as they liked. But he turned out ok and they gave him back to me.

My sweet baby boy...

 

He weighed 7 lbs 12 oz and was 18 1/2" long. Even though he was shorter and weighed more than Bucket, he looked skinnier. Wrinkled like an old man.

You pioneered the way for a lot of things, little man. Breastfeeding was the first. Even though I wanted to give up so frequently (partially because he was constantly eating), we made it through one year exactly (he self-weaned on his first birthday, no joke). He opened my eyes to the evils of disposable diapers. He was the first to co-sleep. He taught me to parent naturally as opposed to what books, people, or the mainstream said.

My sweet baby boy...

When he was 6 months old, after I got through feeding him, I leaned over him and my hair dangled within arms reach.  He gently ran his fingers through my hair - never once pulling it. I knew from that moment that he was a very special boy. It was also about that time when he and his sister got into their first fight. It was over a sucker - a purple one if I remember correctly. I couldn't help but giggle at what I was getting myself into...
From the time he could walk, he was picking up after himself. He still really likes to clean, although it is a bit harder to get him to do it...but he'll freak out if he can't and someone else does it for him (I have  to give it back and let him do it).

My sweet baby boy...

 

Speech came a bit slowly for him. For a while, my husband wanted to get him checked out because he spoke almost solely in vowels. But now, he'll talk your ear off and has gotten quite articulate. Hearing him pronounce his s's is quite possibly the cutest thing ever. There's a slight pause and it's drawn out a bit... I need to catch it on  video before it's too late...

He also finally pooped on the potty yesterday! All by himself - no prompting. Just came out of the bathroom & told me, "I went poop!" We have been working on this for such a long time now. He's peed on it just fine, minus a few accidents here and there. I'm pretty sure he'll keep pooping on the toilet simply based on how proud he was.  He then asked if he could go to school now, which is something we told him he could do when he stopped crapping his pants. Boy's got an impeccable memory because we told him that back in August.

Where has the time gone?? Soon you'll be more interested in playing video games and hanging out with friends... Soon, you'll no longer want to be my Cuddle Bear or for me to kiss your boo-boos... Please, don't ever stop being my sweet baby boy. 

Good news!

A few weeks ago, The Husband applied for another job doing the same thing. Well, he got the job! We were going to get a 3 bedroom townhouse, but since he needs someone on the east side, he's putting us in a 3 bedroom house! There's a couple downsides, the main one being he'll be working in some pretty sketchy areas. But the guy wants someone who's going to be there a long time, so we probably won't have to worry about him being fired. Plus, he's going to reimburse Dan for gas mileage - how awesome is that? He uses his vehicle here soo much, and has never even seen a penny. He'll also be training him to do leasing & even managing one day. He even wants to work on getting him better certified (he's already type 1 hvac certified). The complex he'll be doing the leasing at is right next door to our house (god I love saying that!).

We took a quick look at the house today. It was kind of disappointing, but mostly because it hadn't been cleaned yet. The kitchen floor needs replaced and it has hardwood floors throughout. Generally, it's a nice house, but it does need some work. I want the bathroom vanity replaced. It's old, out dated, and pretty beat up... Dan wants to replace the front door because it has a big window and he doesn't feel safe being that vulnerable. The neighborhood isn't too great, so he also wants to buy a gun and a dog. Bucket likes the idea of getting a dog, me not so much. I already have three kids to take care of...I told him I'm not waking up at night to take the thing for a walk - he can do that thankyouverymuch. I'm also not too keen on a gun either, for obvious reasons...but back to the house! It's an older home, built in the 20's probably. Lots of built in shelving. No dishwasher (this makes Meagan sad), but we plan on investing in one of those island dishwashers since there isn't a whole lot of counter space. All of the rooms are pretty big, there's so much extra space, we don't know what to do with it yet.

I've added some pictures...since I don't know how this is going to upload them, the first is the back yard. It isn't much of a yard, but it's more than what we would have gotten if he got that other job. The second is the built-in shelving in the living room. And the last is what you see when you get upstairs. There's two doors leading to bedrooms on the left, the third bedroom, more built-in shelving, the bathroom's on the right. And far right (mostly out of view) is this big area I have no idea what to do with (it will probably collect clothes lol).

All in all, we're pretty excited. We get to make this OUR HOME! <3

Oh yeah, and for some reason, I haven't been receiving notifications about comments made to the blog. And since I currently don't have a computer with internet right now, I'm blogging from my phone. The only Blogger app on my phone, doesn't show me my comments either. I'm kinda upset about this... Hopefully, though, the notification issue's been resolved since the last time I bogged.

Kyri's 8 weeks!

It's hard to believe that she's already 2 months old now. It's also strange to think that she should actually be about 5 weeks had she made it to her due date. Stupid perinatologists....

I have no idea how much she weighs right now. My guess is about 10 lbs.  I don't know how long she is either. But she can still fit in newborn onesies (albeit barely) & she's still too small for 0-3 month pants. And she's finally starting to fit her infant sized prefolds. Starting being the operative word; they're still a little bulky.

I'm still breastfeeding. It got really rough for a bit recently (even worse than previously mentioned), but thanks to Pyur's nipple balm things are better - which I plan on reviewing later.  She is still eating almost constantly, but lately she's been pulling off and crying. I dunno what's going there but it's frustrating. And she still has a horrible latch.

There's a couple of breaks in the day when she's not crying & is just content to sit there taking in everything around her. Those are my favorite moments. But other than that she's crying for food unless she's sleeping, which she's been awake most of the day now.

I know it all frustrates me to no end sometimes, but I know that very soon I'm going to look back and miss these times.

Just in case you're wondering

Sorry I have yet to reply to the comments everyone left me. I haven't been much in the mood for the computer lately. In fact, I've spent most of my time (cat) napping.

I think we've pretty much moved past the wallowing in grief part to just accepting our fate. As crap-tacular as it may be...we're on the hunt for other endeavors & he already has another job interview lined up. Hopefully, this guy will be able to accommodate our needs as a family & hopefully the apartments/residents aren't ghetto. Dan can't handle cleaning up our own kids' poop let alone some other hoodlum's in the washing machine (yes, people do that apparently). This job is closer to home...if that doesn't work out there are other places but they're much further from our families.

Anyway, I'll be spending the next few days catching up. So check back at the comments you've made, I'll probably be replying. ^_^

Waiting is Murder

Se we're still waiting for an answer about a potential new job for my husband. He came yesterday to check out some of his work. Apparently, he talked to his girlfriend (our one friend is friends with her) and told her how this guy came and applied out of nowhere like a godsend and he sounds too good to be true. So at least we know he likes him and likes the idea of hiring someone new. We we were afraid that he was going to have a hard time replacing his late friend and employee (he found him dead in his apartment). Also, we heard that he took the "for rent" sign down from the potential house we'd be moving into. So, that's good news, right? When he left yesterday, he said he needed to make the business  part of a decision and that he'd call Dan soon. Not terribly sure what that means, but hopefully it's good.

So now we wait.

Oh, my...We're all so anxious.


My husband is worried. He's constantly on edge about what the maintenance supervisor (hereafter referred to as Mr. Hero) is going to run to the regional about. It's all so childish, this vendetta against him. They've created a hostile work environment. He's constantly afraid of being written up for  trivial things such as "failure to notify his supervisor of a leak" when he handled the situation just fine. And just today he was given a verbal warning for being sent into an apartment several times to sand the stuff that Mr. Hero mudded and for forgetting a doorstop (Mr. Hero just had to come in while he was on vacation to give the resident one - just so he can be the good guy). I believe they were ready to write him up until my husband explained the full situation. They're trying to get him to quit. The property manager overheard the regional and Mr. Hero talking with each other saying "Well, he needs more write ups before he can be fired". (o.O) Now, tell me something's not rotten in Denmark... I'd love to try to pursue legal action against them, but that would require other people to risk the same treatment that my husband's receiving. :sigh:

Now for some good news:

My daughter is about to start the 1st grade next week! Really, that could go either way...Last year, I almost pulled her out especially after the incident where a boy exposed himself to my daughter on the bus and no one truly did anything about it. But she's excited, so that's good. Especially after we went school shopping last night. Bought 5 shirts, 2 pairs of pants,a super cute hoodie, and a pair of shoes for under $70!

My little rocker's new wardrobe

♥♥♥

She just got back from staying with my parents for almost a week And for some reason,  she's been all about doing chores. It's surprising considering I have such a hard time getting her to help otherwise - not that I'm complaining. lol. Both my daughter and son are leaving for my sister-in-law's to visit hopefully tonight through Sunday. We really need a break, even if we're just going to be cleaning for the most part. The baby will still be here, of course, but so long as she's sleeping it's not even like she's here.

Oh my, my computer's acting stupid so I'm just going to publish this now before it freezes. =/