Just life

Steve has been off of work for gosh... like 10 weeks, maybe more. I lost count. That in itself is so tough on everything in general, it has been nice in the respect that he is home to help with the kids. We have been able to keep living, by withdrawing money out of our life insurance policies for the last 2 months. It's tough not to be able to get out of the house to do anything, or feeling guilty for doing it if we do. There was hardly any food in the house this week, so we made do with what we had. Hannah had some really crazy blood sugar levels this week and is dealing with constipation, and I feel guilty that I am not giving her the nutrition she needs. Bailey has gotton a few extra headaches, and was struggling to keep up with his homework, and make up work from being in Mexico. Bailey was busy trying to keep up, and I just found out that the trimester ended on last Thursday and all of his make up work was not completed, so he got zero's on those assigments and tests. I guess it was Bailey's initative to get these things done with daily reminders from his teachers, but we never recieved anything regarding the assignments until last week from one teacher and Bailey still never went to his teachers and did any of tests he missed, and I guess we all learned a big lesson about communication and initative.

Steve is going to Minot, North Dakota to work next week for sure, and maybe longer depending how well it is going there. I am thankful for the potential work, but it will be challenging with him suddenly just gone. There is no inbetween with him, he is either home constantly, or he is gone and we never see him. Hopefully it's only for a week or 2, I can handle it, I have to. He says it could be up to a month. I am hoping not that long as I am having a hard time with him leaving at all.

Hannah had her teacher conference on Monday, and she is doing very well acedemicly, Along with meeting with her teacher, I also met with the school social worker. She was very sympathetic with all Hannah has had to go through the last several months. I assured her she was doing fine. (although sometimes I wonder). Hannah's teacher and the social worker that Hannah see's in a small group setting once a week, both said Hannah has made significant progress over the last 3 years, but still has significant anxiety in communication with adults and class or group discussions.
Mostly in having to share her ideas. She has no problems with relating to kids, in fact her entire class is her friend. She can relate and talk to every one of them. She is a leader and bossy in some respects to her peers. The class had to clean out their cubbies one day, and when Hannah did she re organized her cubby, by stacking everything on it's side, instead of flat. Hannah said after she did that, the entire class copied her and did it that way too. :)
She will answer when asked specificly, she will read her reading and comprehension stories outloud to her teacher and is in fact reading/comprehending way above average, but will not offer any extra information or add to any disscussions. So that is where we are at....improving at a slow yet steady level. I was asked what else they can do, and even was asked on all the why's. Tough questions, and I'm not sure why, or what I can do differently, she is overbearing at home, and not sure how to get her to express that in other situations. I do know that when adults ask her questions and I'm around, I will usually answer for her, when there is silence by her. I hate the silence, but have also learned to let it go and not answer for her every time, so she can learn to answer and when she does, praise her for it. It's hard for now, because if the adult doesn't know her personality, it just gets laughed off and she isn't forced to answer anyway. I wish people could be more sympathetic towards her and give her a chance.....nobody has the patience for that, though. Her teacher and the social worker is to a degree, but they work with her on a consistant basis.
As long as it doesn't affect her liking school or her work at school, I think she is doing just fine, much better than I was at this age and of course am proud of all her accomplishments thus far.

hummm---On to something more personal, I have begun the steps to have the Essure procedure done. What is it? It is permanent birth control. Just the next step in my life that I feel now, is the right thing to do. We for see no more kids in the future. The Essure procedure is an outpatient thing done in a clinic setting. It's not surgical in the respect that there is anesthesia or cutting, like the tubal ligation is. This procedure is replacing the surgery to a significant degree. My doctor rarely does the surgery anymore and has been doing the Essure 'surgery' for 4-5 years. It's only been being done for about 5-6 years. Go to www.essure.com for more information on what is actually done.
My procedure is scheduled for April 13. Steve needs to drive me, and I want him there anyway. I will be on some medication an hour before the procedure (valium and vicodin) and then get another injection while there. The procedure then only takes about 10-15 min. and I will be able to go home shortly after. There will only be some discomfort, cramping type. I will be on the vicodin and ibprophin for a few days and things should settle down. It will take 3 months before I will go back for a confirmation x-ray to see if the procedure worked to rely on it solely for birth control. In the mean time will continue on the pills and will be so glad to get rid of them for good. This all must mean I'm getting older...uuggh... but I am so ready for this and I feel good, and healthy (just wish I could loose 50 lbs).

It's not been a sudden decision. Ever since Hannah was about 2-3 yrs old, I envisioned and truly wanted a 3rd child. (was I crazy!!??) It wasn't meant to be, and I waited, and waited, hoping Steve would change his mind. I said let's just do it, and Steve was STLL the more cautious one. ( maybe stubborness??) I gave myself until I was 35 yrs old to let the reality sink in, and now that I will be turning 36 in a few weeks, my mind has given into the thought that another child is not what I want anymore either. Too many years have gone by, and just don't want to start that process all over again. It was some of the best years of my life, having a baby in the house. I just realize now that it is not soemthing I want anymore and decided to search out my options. When I went to my over due doctor appt. in early March, he told me he had the perfect thing for me....Essure....and so we went on from there.
So there now that is out in the open. Pray that everything goes according to plan.

So with life getting so crazy, I hope for the spring air to come quickly to warm my heart and soul, and bring everyone peace and happiness in the days to come.
God Bless!!

spring cleaning

Am thinkin it's about time to start sprng cleaning. I like to get the inside stuff done early, so when the weather gets nice I can be outside. Will spring ever get here?? It's mid March and our driveway is still snow covered and iced. Usually about this time we can't even park in it, because it is so muddy. That time will come, just a little later, I guess.

to my dad on his birthday.

Too big to sit upon your knee,
Too old to have you read to me,
Too far from you, too many miles
Too many days without your smiles.
So much to do, but had to say,
I love you and have a Happy Day!!!

Happy Birthday to a wonderful man, my dad!!

I know your are enjoying the baseball games in AZ. Go Brewers !.... your dream come true. When I was a little girl I remember you always saying how much you'd love to be in Arizona for Brewer spring training....look at you now.

I miss u and will see you soon.

Another journey in Hannah's life.

Hannah has had a few weeks or so, of off and on tummy aches, and burning while peeing. I have been putting off the doctor, because it has been so off and on. The first UTI she had, was the day we left for Mexico, and that she seemed to get over pretty fast with the meds. I took her into the doctor though pretty quick, within
12 hrs of her symptoms, since I didn't want to take any chances in Mexico and hardly expected her being prone to bladder infections now.

This time I have been letting it go on longer since she, for the most part is acting herself. This weekend, she complained more often about tummy aches, not enough to keep her down and out though, still herself, and she is still eating ok, not drinking well at all though. Sunday night was probably the worst as I was working, Steve said she laid down most of the night and went to bed with her tummy hurting. She had some crazy blood sugar levels yesterday as well.
So I figured now was the time to take her in to see the doctor.

I made a 2pm appt for today and got her out of school early. Her urine sample was good, so not the bladder infection I was expecting. What doctor thinks it is--constipation.
She said it's fairly common in her age, and with having diabetes is also another thing she is prone to. uuggh.
I almost didn't believe her, .....as I am trying to think of the last time she had a bowel movement, if I would even know that. Also I thought about her recent bouts of a sort of diarrhea, small amt. of blood on the toilet paper that she keeps bringing to my attention, and all the tummy aches and the doctor also saying that the bladder wall can get irriated with constipation causing some burning.
Makes sense I guess. I think the UTI sounds more definative and easier to deal with.

Found these signs online and it does start to make some sense.

Signs that children are constipated are these:
**Vague abdominal pain around the navel (belly button) or even severe attacks of abdominal pain
**Decreased appetite, nausea, or vomiting
**Urinary incontinence, frequent urination, or bedwetting
**Reappearing urinary tract infections

So we are suppose to treat her with Miralax, 1/2 capful in a 8-12 oz drink. I am so hesitant to do this, since I am not convinced that she is full of poop.
Her Dr suggested an x-ray to confirm diagnosis and I almost wished she would have went forward with that just so I knew. She kinda blew it off as simple to deal with.
So we'll see how the next few weeks are with some help from Miralax and more fiber to her diet!! Hannah is happy about the suggestion of popcorn from her doctor.

Just another journey in Hannah's life.

D-Vision and Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers

http://www.changeforthechildren.org/dvision.php
I came across this online web page and found it interesting.


....it's been 3 months that Hannah has had diabetes....such a short time in the scheme of life, yet it feels like forever. Forever is a long time, and for now, we struggle, we dream, we pray, we hope, we laugh, and we wait....for a cure.

I am working on a picture slide show of Hannah's story, informative about diabetes and what Hannah goes though and yet just some pictures of our normal girl on the outside, but on the inside things are very different. I hope to have it complete in about a month or so.

We go to Children's on April 2nd, for her first 3 mo check, and first A1C level.
At diagnosis on Dec 3, her A1C was 10%, which means the 3 months prior to diagnosis her blood sugars were on the high end consistantly. The A1C test is the average blood sugar level over a 3 month period ( the life span of a red blood cell). 10% is a average blood sugar of 250. It is a marker of overall diabetes control and a predictor of long term complications. We will now find out for the first time how well her diabetes is under control, by hoping to have a % of less than 8 (for her age now) after age 12, should be more in the 6-7% range. Non diabetics have a A1C of about 6%.

don't ask...

Hope

"Hope fills us with confidence, assurance and expectation- confidence because God will not forsake us, assurance because God will not forget us, expectation because God will not fail us."

Roy Lessin