Sunday's Update

Today was relatively uneventful.  The physical therapist came in and worked with Dad again.  This time she was able to get him out of bed with the help of another nurse.  This is great news.  It's the first time he's been out of the bed since Thursday.

He had a rough night Saturday night.  He got very combative and had to be restrained and sedated.  Because of this they moved him to a room closer to the nurses station to keep a closer eye on him.

He is still having hallucinations.  He was up on his knees in the bed last night saying that there were snakes in the bed.  He was talking to Mom today when she wasn't there.  He insisted that she was.

I brought Alex and the twins up to the hospital to see him today.  He saw Alex and got to talk to him.  I think Alex was afraid but he told Papa he loved him and gave him a hug and kiss and told him all about how he was going bowling with a friend later today.  It was very sweet.  He even packed 2 capri suns to give to Papa and a couple fruit roll ups for when he goes home :)

Alex shows Papa Tiger :)

Dad and Bobby looking at news from Japan...

We did not get any results or new information today regarding Dad's condition.  Tomorrow will be the big day.  He'll have the heart cath and we'll know from there what our next step will be.  Dad is (for some unknown reason) cooperating with going along with the surgery plans as well as boarding Belle.  I took her (Belle-Mom and Dad's golden retriever) this afternoon to the kennel for boarding.  She'll be there for at least the next 5 days.  

Well, time for bottles and bed.  I'll take my laptop to the hospital tomorrow so I can update my blog when I have new info.  Please check back often for updates.  This is the best way for me to keep everyone updated.

Love,
E

Saturday's Update...

Today was a day full of information.  Some good.  Some bad.  Some unsure.

We'll start with the good.  Dad was moved from CCU to a regular room today.  His blood pressure is coming down with the new medication.  He's able to hear VERY well and definitely has regained his sense of humor :)  He even cracked a couple of jokes this afternoon!  He's able to eat, swallow oral medication and he recognized a picture of Alex.

Now the bad.  Today while I was there I noticed several things.  First, he's not seeing as well out of his right eye as I initially thought.  He's had to have a catheter put in.  He's started having hallucinations.  He thought he was covered in ants and was trying to get them off of him.  He thought it was snowing and he was cold and kept "reaching" for his coat.  Mom was sitting next to him beside the bed and he kept reaching over.  When Mom asked him what he was reaching over for he said the table.  There was no table.

Now the unsure.  After reviewing the tests the cardiologist decided that Dad's heart is not healthy enough to endure a stress test.  The next step will be to do a heart cath on Monday.  This will tell them exactly how blocked his arteries near his heart are.  If everything looks good then they'll go ahead and attempt to clear the arteries in the back of his neck via a catheter.  If the tests come back that he has severe blockage, then that will tell us that he's not stable enough for the neck surgery and could possibly need open heart surgery.

Now for the worse...  All day today Dad was relaxed and catnapping and cool as a cucumber.  However just a few minutes ago I got a call from my brother saying that Dad had taken a turn for the worse and become very combative.  So much so that they are having to restrain and sedate him.  We talked with the cardiologist and he initially mentioned doing a stress test but after reviewing test results from the ekg and ct scans they decided he wasn't healthy enough for the stress test.  So the next step is to do a heart cath to see how blocked the arteries around his heart are.  If they are not very blocked then we're clear to proceed with a procedure to operate on his carotid arteries.  Here's a great description of the procedures that may be used: Carotid Artery Surgeries.

That's all for now.  We'll know more Monday.

Love,
E

Angels...

I believe in angels.

I believe they are all around us all the time.  They are our protectors.  They comfort us no matter what we're going through.  That take care of us and hold us close so we can feel God's love when we most need it.

I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason although we may not understand the reason at the time.  I believe I was meant to have twins even though there are days when I reminisce back to our days of dinkdom (dual income no kids).  I try to always see the bright side of things.  I try to believe that deep down inside everyone has a good heart.  Although sometimes you have to dig deep.  I try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt.

All of this being said, it's been an incredibly draining day.  Why I'm not already in bed is a mystery to me.  I was at the hospital today from 8:30am - 5:30pm.  I feel mentally exhausted.  Dad's blood pressure is slowing stabilizing but unfortunately this time (this is his 8th stroke) he did not escape without battle scars.  He has lost his vision in his left eye completely.  He says it's been getting worse over the past week or so but who knows what the truth it.  He is a very modest and proud man.  He likes being me and Bobby's (my baby brother) Superman.  He's rough and tough and does NOT like to be knocked down.  It is very frustrating for him to be in the hospital.  He wants to be home and be back in his normal routine.

Anyways, by the time Bobby and Jen (my sister-in-law) left tonite, Dad's blood pressure was like 170/83 which is a HUGE adjustment.  He will no longer be allowed to drive.  We'll see how that works out.

And just when I'm starting my pity party and feeling like I'm having the worst day ever, I hear that one of our closest friends lost his mom to cancer last night.  This was a battle she had been fighting for years.  Not that it makes it any easier at all.  I just can't imagine his pain.  She is in a better place with no more troubles or pain but it is still devastating to those left behind.  I pray that those angels I spoke of earlier will surround him and his kiddos at the awful time and hold them tight and give them faith and comfort.

I've got to get to bed now.  Visiting hours start early tomorrow and I want to be there when the Neurologist shows up as well as when he has his CT scan.  Maybe tomorrow we'll get good news :D

Goodnite,
E

Dad...

Today started out fine. I dropped babies off, got to work on time and even surprised a co-worker with a little gift :)

We started our workday and then my cell phone rang. It was my brother. I honestly didn't think anything of it. He was calling to let me know that dad had a stroke last night. We think that happened sometime during the night. He woke up dizzy, not seeing well and his left side of his mouth was drooping. She called my brother around 8am (the reason she didn't call 911 herself is a whole different story in itself) and told him. He called 911 and hurried to the hospital.

Once we got here we were seen by Dr. Brad Russell and nurse Brooks. They were wonderful. They did a CT scan and a chest x-ray. Both came back normal. No bleeding on the brain like he had with his last stroke.

His blood pressure has been extremely high. They've given him 3 injections of blood pressure meds but it still won't come down. I think the last pressure was 249/115. Because they can't get it lowered they have transferred him to the ICU.

So that's where Jen and I are now. Waiting in the ICU waiting room to be allowed to come back and see him. The nurses here are very strict and you HAVE to follow protocol. Bobby had a class at 11:30a and Mom had a doctor's appt at 12:30p so Jen and I are holding down the fort.

Dad has not been very agreeable but I will give him props that he didn't have to be restrained this time. I told the doctor this and he agreed that he may need a sedative until we can get everything regulated...

I'll update as I have more news...

Love,
E

Bathtub Fun!

Well, the babies are finally getting to the age where they're able to sit up in the bathtub (aka: the kitchen sink)!  Tonite was the fist night I sat them up and gave them some toys to play with.  They LOVED it!  Here are some of our favorite pictures from tonite :)

Daddy enjoying some Carter time!

Beautiful day!

What a beautiful day it was!  We spent the afternoon at Nana and Pop's.  It was so ncie that we spread out a blanket and stripped the babies down to their diapers!  They had such a good time just hanging out in the sunshine :)

Videos...

Cow...

Tonite at work we celebrated with a mexican fiesta!  Today was Amber's last day so we wanted to do something special for her.  Some of the girls in the office chose "spanish" names for everyone for the party.  They were taped over our nametags during the party.  The name chosen for me?  La Vaca.  English translation?  Cow.  How fitting.

Caroline says Mama!

Loud and clear!  Yay!

Love,
E

Falling apart at the seams...

Well, that's how it feels to me lately.  Ear infection, sinus infection, high blood pressure, low thyroid, etc, etc, etc.  I went in this morning to have bloodwork done to check my thyroid function as well as kidneys and everything else.  I hate giving blood.  I hate needles.  Correction.  I HATE giving blood.  I HATE needles.  I've never liked shots.  When I was preggo with the twins and was checking my blood sugar levels 4 times a day I thought it was going to be the death of me.  But, I know as I get older (and after having 3 kids) this is something I should probably be used to.  Now.  With that said, does all this scare me into wanting to eat healthier and exercise more?  It should.  It doesn't.

I think the babies are finally trying to cut teeth.  They are both running a low grade fever, have a runny nose, are drooling like crazy, are cranky like crazy and are chewing on EVERYTHING!  They will be 8 months old in a few days so it's definitely time.  Carter has finally mastered rolling back to front and front to back!  Caroline is babbling all the time and has finally said "Mama" for me :)  I've tried to get it on video but no such luck yet.

Work is going ok.  One of our tellers has found a new job and this Friday will be her last day.  It's bittersweet.  I'm happy for her since she found a job doing what she's been wanting to do and one that allows her to utilize her college degree in accounting, but sad that she'll be leaving.  She is by far the most cheerful person at our office and I'll miss hearing her laugh...  Next week will be our first week without her and we'll also have 2 other associates on vacation so it will indeed be a BUSY week!  The next 6 weeks (or until we hire someone to replace Amber) I'll be working 40 hours a week.  Coming from working 30 hours to 40 hours is a big change!  The paychecks will be awesome but I'll be exhausted I'm sure!

Mana has been helping us for the past couple of weeks while the babies and I were sick.  She left Monday morning headed back for Alabama and took Alex with her!  This was his first road trip without us and one of the few times he's not sleeping at home.  We miss him terribly but it is SO much easier just having 2 babies to care for.  It sounds crazy but just taking 1 child out of the equation making a HUGE difference!  She'll be bringing him home this Friday and dropping him off with my Mom to stay a night or two.  We talked to him tonite and I realized how much I miss him!  He was talking about "giraffey" and I couldn't help but smile!

Now for the best part :)  The most recent pictures and videos!

Love,
E

Sweet Caroline

Mommy's monogramming again...

Rough Day...

For my day off, today sucked.  Sorry, but it did.  It started with dropping off kiddos then heading to Sam's to have my tires rotated and balanced.  They preceded to tell me that because the tires were so worn they were not allowed to touch them.  Oh yeh, and I have an alignment problem.  So, I call Christian Brothers (mechanic) and they say to bring it in around 12p and they'll have it done by 3pm.  So I continued on with my errands, 2 doctors appointments, grocery shopping and a trip back to Sam's for formula and my glasses that FINALLY came in.

At 5pm I go back to Christian Brothers to pick up my van only to find out that they haven't even had the chance to look at it :(  Not good.  Ugh.  So this means that on one of my days off next week we'll be back at Christian Brothers.

Anyways, I guess the bottom line is that today has been extremely frustrating for me.  The only upside is that I found a new comforter set at Sam's.  It's been my "mission" if you will to convert our bedroom from kid/junk/bedroom to a peaceful, serene bedroom.  So, this afternoon, I cleaned it out completely taking out EVERYTHING that wasn't necessary and leaving just the essentials.  I washed the sheets and put the new comforter on and I think it looks pretty darn good!

Mana (Chris' mom) has been here since last Friday night and as usual, she's a TON of help.  Nana (my mom) came over today as well to get some snuggle time with Carter.  He's been sick with a cold and out of daycare since last Friday.  She's heading home tomorrow for a couple of days but will be back Friday to help this weekend again.  Oh, and the best part!  She's taking A back home with her for a few days :)  Woo-hoo!  We'll be down to just 2 kids!

Chris has been studying for his last CPCU test and this weekend will be his last opportunity to study.  Monday is D-day.  This is the final test and the one that determines if we get to go to Vegas!  No pressure or anything :)  He was also recently chosen to be a Team Manager in a different department of State Farm for a year.  It's a developmental role and after the year is up he'll return to his previous position assuming he's not been promoted...  Anyways, I got to see his office today and it's pretty much a square box :)  But, it does have a door!  A big move up from where he has been (in a cube).  He's got some finishing touches to do to spruce it up but you can definitely tell I'm the organized one!  LOL!

His old office (and a VERY young Alex...I think he was almost 2)

His new digs!

Well, it's time to make bottles.  Hopefully tomorrow will be a MUCH better day :)

Love,
E

I can't see Facebook!

Ok, so I decided to get original with the title.  Long story short is I found out last week that I need glasses (yes, all the time) and I've deleted my facebook page.

Now for the long story.  After several weeks of coming home from work with headaches and not knowing why, while driving home on the interstate the other day I noticed the interstate signs were a little blurry.  So, I went in and had my vision checked thinking nothing of it b/c I had LASIK 12 years ago.  Well, it didn't exactly go that way.  I found out that my vision is not that great.  I will need glasses and I'll have to wear them all the time.  Well, at least the headaches will go away and honestly I'm kinda excited to get them!  Does that make me old?

Now on to facebook.  I went back and forth trying to decide whether or not to delete my facebook account and finally decided to do it.  Too much drama.  No, nothing new.  Just the whole facebook thing.  Everything you say will be overanalyzed and taken the wrong way.  Just too much to worry about.  It's actually been pretty liberating.  No, I don't know what ALL my friends did today or what they ate for breakfast, lunch and dinner but guess what?  I'm ok with that!  I wasn't constantly checking it to see if someone had commented on one my pics or whatever.  Anyways, it's gone and I'm ok with it.

And the most important thing :)  This month Chris and I will celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary!  It's almost hard to believe!  My gift from him was beautiful sapphires added to my engagement ring.  I'm adding a pic in to show you :)  I LOVE it!

Well, I guess that 's it for now.  Time for bed!

Love,
E

Breakfast time!

Breakfast time!

My beautiful anniversary gift!

It's been a while...

Well, it's been a while (at least for me!) since I blogged. I love doing this. It's such a wonderful outlet for me as well as an awesome way to quickly relay what's going on in our lives to our friends and families!

***Warning:  this blog WILL be choppy and all over the place.  I am certain I will ramble.  There's your warning...

The babies are doing great. Caroline was in the 90th percentile at 7 months (18.5lbs) and little Carter was in the 50th percentile (16.12lbs). Caroline is still very much the BIG sister! Ha! We are working with Carter to help him roll more (he's only rolling front to back now) and hopefully the babies will start babbling soon! It's time! We get squeals and
laughter but no vowel sounds yet (they want to hear baba, dada, bebe, etc).

My hours at work have been increased and my boss' goal is to get me back to 35 hours. I'd be thrilled with that. 1 day off/week so I still have time to get things done during the week but still getting a good amount of hours at work.

Things seem like they're moving at warp speed lately...

Over the past several months I've noticed that my vision has been a little blurry.  I really didn't think anything about it because I had LASIK done about 12 years ago.  Well, yesterday I mentioned it to Chris and he suggested I get an eye exam.  Well, as it turns out I need glasses.  Crazy, right?  I am in total disbelief.  I NEVER expected to have to wear glasses (ALL THE TIME, not just for reading) after LASIK.  Oh well.  So now I've ordered my glasses and they'll be here next week sometime.  I wonder what the babies will think?  Will they still recognize me?

The babies are sleeping through the night now.  Whew!  I can hardly believe it!  It's weird being able to sleep all night without interruption.

I called Comcast last week and threatened to switch from them to Dish Network and they lowered our rate by $40/month as well as gave us a free DVR.  Like everyone said, I'm LOVING it!  It's SO nice to be able to record my favorite shows then actually watch them when I have time!  I'm finally able to catch up on all I've missed!  It's like a dream come true :)

Well, it's time again to wash bottles and make formula.  I'll be so glad when these babies are drinking whole milk!  Geez!  I'll leave ya with a few pics from the past couple of weeks!

FINALLY enough hair to put a bow in :)

Playing hat tricks with Pop!

Alex shooting skeet with Pop (except his gun is plastic!)

DOWN for the count :)

Caroline's hand over Carter's.  Both were sound asleep!

Apparently she was trying to figure out why Ava has hair and she doesn't?!?!

Finally rolling to her belly to sleep at night!  

A full tummy and ready for bedtime!

A full tummy and ready for bedtime!