Mostly UP-dates, and a few downdates

Photography by Tessa
 (if you want to have some photo-edit fun, check out Picasa for free. 
This photo uses sepia, soft focus and glow effects.)

 

There are so many things

 going on these days, that a few updates are in order:

 

My dad is in the hospital right now (at midnight) after a mild heart attack, having surgery for a twisted intestine.  We are praying hard.

 

On a lighter note, Tessa's hamster (mistakenly called Nibbles in the hamster post, but that was the former hamster's name.  This one is ChimChim.  I was tired when I wrote that one!), anyway, ChimChim is very much alive.  Go figure.  He looks like Quasi-Moto, with a big giant lump in his shoulder, but he is very much alive, and is somehow getting slightly better each day, though he may never fit in his tube again.

Amazing!

 

Tessa's tummy trouble is finally getting the attention we have been asking for.  I will be attending a class for her and we will get one-on-one time with a specialist.  We are hoping that she will be out of pain soon.

 

I have a leg scan tomorrow. 

 

 My blood thinners are effectively making me have red water for blood.  My leg oozed for two days after the clot removal and the bruise is impressive.  No sky diving or knife juggling for a while.  Swimming with sharks - also out.

 

Our dog, Toby, who was acting like he might die back in December, and again the week the baby was born, is back to semi-puppy mode.  He will be 14 soon.

 

Adam is excited to be enrolling in public school.  It was not my choice for him, but we allowed him to make the decision for himself.  He walked to the school, got the enrollment forms, filled them out, and asked his dad to help him drop them off.  I hope he has a great year.

 

Natalie girl weighed 9 pounds at her appointment the other day, and has been diagnosed with reflux.  The medicine seems to be helping, and in combination with Kid-E-Col (herbal colic tonic), simethicone (which, by the way, makes for some impressive toots) and my elimination diet, she is feeling much better.  Also she is adorable and smiling a ton now.  And I adore her.  And she is just the prettiest baby ever.  Sorry, it is true.

 

Yes, it says 9 lb 4 oz, but that was with dipe.  Sans dipe, 9.2, tummy full.

 

She also has developed a pretty bad umbilical hernia.  It sticks out like a little balloon.  Updates on that when we know more  (the picture above shows the hernia, but 2 days later it freakishly tripled in size).

 

The following creatures are living in my house: one dog, two hamsters, one 4 foot red iguana, two leopard geckos (and their little egg :) ...), one tarantula and one huge black widow spider in a jar.

 

I may have diabetes. 

Tests pending my 12 week post partum visit.

 

My Kindle book Coping with a Miscarriage has been selling about 15 copies a month, and I got my first consumer review... 5 stars.  Not too shabby.

 

I am currently working on a collection of my favorite posts from this blog for my SECOND Kindle book.  My goal is to be able to pay our monthly car payment with the earnings.

 

We had a shooting the other day here on our block.  Two bullets went into neighbors' houses on either side of us, but missed ours.  The shooter was on foot and shooting at a moving car in the early evening, sun still shining.  Ridiculous. 

 

I have added dishwasher repair to my home appliance repair lineup.  This time a nasty problem (Tessa FORCED the door shut with something stuck down in the hinge and bent the hinge so the door couldn't shut) cost exactly ZERO dollars.  Yay for mama and her handy-dandy pliers!!!

 

I walked around the block.  I was slow and had to be barefoot because of my leg pain, but I did it!

 

I am back to doing laundry, sweeping, and being completely ignored by my children. 

Except for the blood clot business, life is feeling kind of normal again.