2009

With 2009 at an end, I'm excited to start 2010!!!

2009 started with a bang as Jon, Mom, and I went to Oberlin Congregational and spoke with our wedding coordinator on January 1st. officially marking the day we started planning our March wedding. I have to say that I don't really remember much of January or February... With the stresses of wedding planning that can happen to a girl. I do remember Jon buying me diamond earrings for our first Valentines Day together. He got them for me to wear them on our wedding day. :) He's good to me.



I remember spending Tuesday through Thursday stuck at St. Joe's Hospital the week prior to our wedding. I remember that agonizing pain and horrible tube draining my stomach. I remember crying because that was the week I was supposed to be doing my programs, finishing my favors, and having my bridal party come into town... Then WOW! The big day arrived; no one noticed that we didn't have programs or the things that were done last minute. None of that mattered... What people will remember is that Jon changed our exiting wedding song to "Celebrate (good times, come on)."



Jon and I have had a great first year of marriage, we've gone through surgery for me again, Jon being laid off (he went crazy those three weeks), the disappointment of not going to Kauai for our honeymoon as planned, getting another dog Junior, and sharing the holidays with all the parents and family for the first time.



For 2010, we're hopeful for no more surgery, work keeping steady, possibly buying a house, and maybe becoming parents. I'm excited to see what happens, for now we're placing it all in Gods hands!



2009 was a trying year for many, but Jon and I are happily married despite everything we went through. We thank God every day for his blessings and for staying true to his promises. I pray that everyone has a better year, it's time to put 2009 behind us and look forward to 2010!

Wonderful Christmas

Despite how hectic the month of December was, Christmas was wonderful. Jon and I spent Christmas Eve at Grandma B's in Steilacoom (my Step-dad's family). We had a wonderful dinner and gift exchange. Christmas morning we drank coffee and did presents before getting ready for the day. We then went to my moms and met up with the siblings. We opened presents and had brunch as a family.

After spending the morning at Mom's; Jon, Andi, Kevin (Andi's b/f) and I all packed into my SUV (with three dogs) and went to Enumclaw to visit Dad, Leslie, and the family. My step brother Gabe came to town... He just got engaged last week to Rachel. I'm so happy for them! My step sis Jen-ai, her husband Jim, and the kids Johanna & Josh were there too. Josh is 5 and loves Jon. They had an amazing time riding the three wheelers and playing laser tag together. Jon needs a son! He's the biggest kid I know and when he and my nephew get together... they have a BLAST! We enjoyed a prime rib dinner and Wii.

Saturday morning we slept in a little, then got up and drove out to Shelton to visit Jon's Mom, Sister Kayty, and her boyfriend Shaun. His momma made sausage biscuits and gravy. YUMMY! We did our gift exchange and spent some time catching up and enjoying the afternoon. We went grocery shopping on our way home and cleaned up the house a bit. By 5:30 I was feeling pretty nauseous and miserable, so I let Jon cook dinner. Around 8:30 Momma, Kayty, Shaun and his daughter Kaylie were at our house for dinner and staying the night. I ended up with the stomach flu and wasn't the best of company or that great of a host. Jon did a good job filling in though. The Hunter's had their Christmas gathering on Sunday. I wish I could have been more apart of it, but I did not feel well.

I found out today that of the 26 people in attendance on Christmas Eve at Grandma B's, 18 people ended up with the stomach flu... I say flu, not food poisoning because Grandma B was sick before Christmas Eve, Nate was sick Christmas Day, and everyone else was sick in the days following Christmas.

We had a wonderful Christmas and are so thankful for the time with our family.

10 days until Christmas...

Where has the year gone? This is the first time I have ever done last minute shopping. I'm usually ahead of the game; with my Christmas cards done the weekend after Thanksgiving, presents bought and wrapped under the tree by the second weekend in December... THIS YEAR IS DIFFERENT! :) I have the majority of my shopping done, some presents wrapped, and my Christmas cards??? That's a good question. . . I haven't even started. I'm hoping to have them done by the New Year. We will see how that goes.


Continueing with the idea of different... This is our first year married and we're struggling to do it all. Prior to Jon, I went to three different places on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas. Jon had two places to go. Now that we're married we are trying to divide holidays "fairly" among family. We would of course love to be able to see everyone, but in an attempt to keep our sanity and the joy of holidays we are splitting things up. I can't imagine that we are the first couple to go through this... but it sure feels like it. We made it through Thanksgiving, I'll let you know how Christmas goes.


Jon and I have been so busy this month with work and our new dog. A big dog requires so much more of us... Balls thrown every night, rain or shine and a long walk to exert all that energy! What did I get myself into? Better yet, what did I let Jon get us into? Hahaha- We love Junior and he's a good dog. Because he's so good, we want to give him the best life possible and make sure we meet his playing and running needs. Paco's small, doesn't like to be wet, loves to play in the house and not outside. He's a good lovable, little, indoor dog, but he never prepared us for the demands of Junior.



I'll post picture of Junior and Paco soon

Keeping Busy

Since Thanksgiving, life has been very busy. I went Black Friday shopping with my dear friend Chanda, we spend the entire day together and got some pretty great deals. Saturday I went to Woodburn, Oregon with my my mommy and my Aunt Char for outlet shopping at wonderful places like Coach, Cabi, Carter's, Lucky, Le Creuset, and North Face. We had lunch before shopping and stopped in Lacey on our way home and had dinner with Andi. It was a nice time, but long day.

Sunday was an early morning at church. Instead of our normal worship and service, our church closed and we went out into the community and served. Gramps organized a project for injured soldiers. We made 50 backpacks filled with snacks, toiletries, playing cards, clean clothes, and stationary. After each pack was made, we hand wrote a Christmas card to the recipient. When our group finished we prayed over the packs; we asked that the recipient know and feel the love and prayers put into each backpack. It was a really neat opportunity to give back to men and woman, who have given so much to everyone of us.

After church Jon and I ran a couple errands, came home and packed him up for the week. He was gone with work for the week and didn't come home until Thursday night. I hate when he's out of town, but it gets a little easier each time he does it. Doesn't hurt that we have a new bigger dog around too.

We got a new sweet 3 year old dog named Junior. He's "Jon's Dog"... but since Jon was only home with him for a day and a half, he's bonded to me and is my dog. :)

Thankful

With Thanksgiving on my mind, I would like to share some of what I'm thankful for. I've learned the more I search for blessing, the more I find.


I am thankful for:

• my relationship with the Lord and all of his blessings
• a loving, kind, patient, and funny husband who adores me and loves me despite my quirks
• good communication in my marriage
• a goofy sister, whom I would do anything for as she would for me. I am so proud of the woman she's become.
• my mom and all of her wisdom, love, and strength. She's taught me how to be a lady, how to take the high road, how to be a good friend, and how to manage money well :)
• my dad and all of his knowledge, kindness, and love. He's taught me how to be a hard worker, how to fish and hunt, how to be my own "handy-man," and how a lady should be treated.
• Being 25 years old and still having my parents and grandparents and all of the great memories we've made this far
• Marrying in to a loving, supportive family, who accept me for me
• Our jobs... Jon and I are beyond blessed by liking both the companies and people we work with and for
• Good health... Jon is always healthy as a horse, but my surgeries have been a success and my energy is coming back, so we're all doing well
• My friends who love and support me

I'm am continually amazed by all the blessing in my life; despite the hard roads traveled over the last year, we have received so much.

Great Weekend

Jon and I had a great weekend, full of birthday parties, good food, fun music and pool. Friday night was Jon's buddy's birthday. We hung out with old and new friends, played pool, and had a good night.

Saturday was a busy day filled with hitting the gym, running some errands, upgrading Jon's car (it now has fog lights), all before dinner time. We met my Mom, Step-dad, Nate, and my grandparents in Tukwilla for a great dinner in honor of mom's birthday. Then Jon and I met up with Andrea M. for her 29th birthday bash in Seattle. We had a nice time hanging out, listening to great music, and a little dancing.

Today is our relaxing day. Laundry's caught up and the house is clean. Ready to take on a new week!

Pictures as Promised

My memory card was out of my camera, so it only took a couple pictures :(

Happy Birthday Jon!

Birthdays have always been a big deal to me and my family; so when Jon told me it was just another day I became determined to make it more. Last year I threw him a surprise party that he honestly had no clue about. So when his birthday was approaching this year I needed something big! So why not invite his whole family over to our little home? Oh wait... that's just what I did. Yesterday was Jon's 28th birthday and it started like any normal day for him. However, when he came home from work there was a clean home, good food cooking, Seahawks decorations, a homemade cheesecake, and presents! The clean home and good food are pretty normal, but not the rest. I teased with Jon that he is way too old for a Seahawks themed party, but I could resist buying all the paper plates and such! Anyone who knows Jon for 5 minutes will know that they're his team.

Unfortunately some of the family couldn't make it last minute due to being sick or working too late. Which means we have a ton of left over food! Jon had a great time with his family; who I'd like to thank for making Jon's birthday more than "just another day! "

(I'll post picture this evening)

Yippee!!!

Jon finally called and he's on his way home to me! I can't wait! I haven't seen him since Sunday... hopefully the power is on when he gets home... it's a stormy, stormy night and I'm sure he'll want a hot shower.

Wordless Wednesday

This mornings' beautiful sunrise!

(Mornings like this show how great our God is!)

GRRR!!!

Two weeks ago I missed 3 days of work and was pretty sick with the flu. I got relief for 4 days and then BAM! Saturday night I start getting cold symptoms. Today I woke up and my voice was gone... so I scheduled an appointment with my doctor. I have a sinus infection, cough due to congestion, and laryngitis.

I was wanting a busy, fun filled week while Jon was away... looks like I'm gonna have to cancel plans. Sorry!

I'm bummed out and can't speak... if now is not a perfect reason to blog, I don't know what is!

5 Days Husbandless

Hmph... Jon left today and won't be home until Thursday or Friday. He has a job in Pacific City which means he's staying at a hotel and won't be home until it's completed. He packed up a suite case and I packed him snacks and drinks. I secretly put little notes in different articles of clothing and pockets of his suitcase... He's been at the hotel 1/2 hour and found half of them! I can tell he appreciates them, they were fun to write... One simply says "Smack Jason for me." I know he'll bust into laughter when he gets that one. We both really like his coworker and he's a fun guy to joke with.

While I will miss my dear husband I love the idea of having "me time." For example: Jon left at 2:30 this afternoon and since his departure I have cleaned the whole house, finished all the laundry, done the dishes and put them away, washed and changed the sheets, made myself dinner, and watched a movie. My whole house is lit up like a birthday cake with every candle is lit and it smells so nice and it's very calming.

Tomorrow it's back to work and then off to mom's. I'm planning to stay there tomorrow night. Mom will love having Paco and I there; I'll love the company, good food, and brief commute to work.

Well, I'm about to get snuggled into bed and watch some TV... Paco gets to snuggle with me on the bed when Jon's not here, so he's excited!

Halloween Night

This was the 2nd year we've spent Halloween with Andrea and Kevin. They are always a blast to be around and they have some pretty entertaining friends. This is the 1st year Jon and I dressed up in costume:


This is Andi's new puppy Sasha... Andi actually dressed
her up, she's crazy about her new puppy.

Jon was a dead motorcycle rider & I was a vampire...

I borrowed the shoes from Andi!

Megan, Steve, and Andi

I wish I had more pictures of every one's costumes to share!

I hope that every one else had a great and safe Halloween!

Mess making at Aunt Brittany's & Uncle Jon's

Wednesday was a wonderful night!

Jon and I had Andrea (Mazie and Ryder), Coley (Brady and Daisy),
and Miss Chanda (sick babes left at home) over for an eventful kiddo night...
We made homemade pizza and a huge homemade cookie... okay, so I baked them,
but the young ladies fixed up the pizza and Brady
helped the ladies with decorating the cookie!

They did it all by themselves... Notice how they made
1/2 mozzarella & 1/2 Mexican cheese. I love it!!!!

Great teamwork and sharing!

Super Cute and Tasty

They enjoyed licking the frosting off the
cookie more than the cookie itself!

The Mommies and I caught up and laughed! Jon watched football with Brady who hung
out with him for the majority of the evening!

It was a great evening! Can't wait to do it again!!!

Family Dinners

My husband has a magic with his family that I don't understand. Let me start with some background. Jon is the oldest grand kid of 8 and the first to be married. I am the newest addition to the family since Ryan (who is now 10). Jon and I live next to his loving and wonderful grandparents. His Aunt Deb and Uncle G live 10 minutes away, his Uncle M and Aunt D live 8 minutes away, and his mom & sister live in Shelton (45 minutes).

Just over a year ago Jon and I went to his mom's for dinner in her new home. Jon had arranged for Nanna, Gramps, Aunt Deb and the kids to be there as well. Momma didn't know that Jon was inviting everyone. So once he had a head count she had to run to the store to buy more food for dinner, but she was thrilled. It was the first time the family would see her new home and everyone was buzzing with excitement. At lease that's what I thought all the buzz was about... Unbeknown to me, Jon was proposing that evening during dinner.

While I ran some errands that morning, Jon called my dad, mom, and siblings asking for my hand in marriage and inviting them to dinner at his mom's. (They weren't able to make it but he still got their blessings). Then he called everyone in his family, explained what he was doing, and asked them to join. I'm guessing he thought with an audience I wouldn't be able to say no :) That was the first time I saw Jon round everyone up.

On Jon's way home from work last night he called me to tell me he wanted Godfather's Pizza. Since our plans had fallen through just moments prior I agreed that a laid back dinner out would be great... No cooking or dish washing for me! 15 minutes later he walked in the front door and told me the family was joining for dinner at 6:30. I refer to it as Jon's magic, because a family gathering usually requires advance notice and lots of planning. Jon however, can arrange the majority of the family to be there in less than two hours. It's amazing to me!

My family gathers on holidays, big birthdays, graduations, births, weddings, etc. Now this is a slight generalization because my family is huge; there are always exceptions to the rules... i.e. My Dad's side of the family tries to do a camping trip (we refer to it as "Family Camp") one week out of every summer. Last year My mom's parent's took the whole family on a week long Alaskan Cruise for their 50th anniversary. My step-dad's family does a pre-holiday party. You get the point. :)

Living so close to my husbands family is wonderful, but it makes me miss mine! When I was younger I resented my dad for always moving further and further away from where I was. Now that I'm an adult I've done the same thing!!! There never seems to be enough time in a day, but I need to find it... I know that the older I get the more busy I am.

To my family near and far: I love you and miss you all! XOXOXO's

Sleep Sweet Sleep

I know every one's concerned about my sleeping problems, so I'm happy to report that sleep is again my friend! I started sleeping last week, but it was still hit or miss with how much and how restful it was. I had a head cold over the weekend where NyQuil knocked me out and I was pretty prepared to start week two back at work. Monday I met with my new doctor who changed my medication for sleep. I'm afraid of being dependant on medications and the one I was taking can be addicting. So now I'm taking something else that's non-habit forming. The best part is that it works!

Yesterday was the middle of the week and I was pretty tired. After I got off work I went home and thought "gee, I could use a nap." I thought I'd lay down for an hour or so and watched some TV. I laid down on my bed, wrapped up in blankets and watched about 15 minutes of TV before I was out. Jon woke me up when he came home around 4pm. I slept for 2.5 hours! Obviously I needed a nap. The best part... I was able to sleep last night despite the nap.

Friday

Fridays!!! I've always loved them, but today... this Friday is a bit more significant. It marks the end of my first week back to work. I'm glad to be back, but it's tough. My energy is low, but physically I'm feeling well, with the exception of my pants rubbing on my scar. I hoped returning to work with the early morning schedule would help me sleep and it has. Wednesday night I slept from 10-6, a whole 8 hours!!! I woke up occasionally, but it was a restful night! Last night I slept too! Not a full 8 hours, but still pretty good. Next week I'll be working the same schedule. I'm still not ready for full time and the longer days. Things are going better... sleep is helping my moods and emotions!

First Week Back at Work

I returned to work on Monday with lots of emails to catch up on. It's hard to sit and read them for hours finding out what's changed, if they apply to me, or if they did 6 weeks ago. That was Monday; thankfully it was a quick day. After work, I went to urgent care for follow up on no sleep. Yup, I'm still not sleeping, the day time restlessness has calmed down a little and the night time restlessness is almost completely gone thanks to the medication. I'm still staying away from leaded coffee's right now and no soda. I'm afraid of caffeine for the first time in my life. The doctor I saw was awesome; she was so thorough and understanding. We made a plan of action and I'm trying it this week before I see another doctor on Monday. So hopefully this will be the end of it and I'll be back to sleeping through the night soon.

Monday night mom had a pampered chef party, so of coarse I went to that. It was nice being around woman. I didn't know many since they were from mom's work, but it was a nice time. I didn't stay late, I had a bored husband at home and I wanted to be home with him relaxing.

Yesterday was harder then Monday. I'm learning the less sleep I get and the more I'm doing during the day, the more tired I am by the end of work. It's a great thing I'm only working 7:30-12:30. I know that doesn't sound like much, but it's exhausting. I got off work yesterday and went home and curled up on the couch. I'm afraid of sleeping during the day because I don't know if I'll sleep at night. Paco and I watched TV and played Farmville (the really addicting game on fb). Jon got home around 4:30 and we were both so exhausted and hungry we ordered pizza. I hate it when you're so tired that opening a can of chili seems like more than you can do. :) lol

Today I woke up and and got ready for work. My hair is curly, my make up is on, and I look pretty darn cute... if I do say so myself. But that's just the outside appearances. If you look deep enough you'll see an emotional, tired, and sad girl. Emotional from lack of sleep, tired because of no sleep, and sad because I didn't think this recovery would take such a toll on me physically and emotionally. I have an amazing husband who has been so supportive. He's always trying to find ways to keep me happy or cheer me up... that doesn't typically take work, that's just who I am. I know I'm not my bubbly, happy, fun self... I'm praying a lot and searching for answers that I can't seem to find. I'm trying to be patient, but patience is something that I lose with lack of sleep. I feel like I'm in this whirlwind and can't see anything clearly, so I just go through the motions of normal.

Mom is pretty good at listening and helping me through the whirlwind. We compare notes on this most recent surgery and last years. It's hard for both of us to remember all the details of where I was in my recovery, but last year I didn't have a deadline to return to work. I was fortunate to be unemployed with no pressure to find a job until I was ready and able. I hope that by returning to work and being on a schedule now, I will be pulled out of this rut and sleep will be my friend again.

Catch up

My memory can't recall a daily report for the last week, but I remember some of the highlights.

Last Week:

• Jon was only able to work one day last week with his thumb injury, but he's worked all this week.
• I spent Thursday hanging out at Harrison while Valann was induced... Kaiya wasn't ready to meet everyone yet, so they sent mommy and daddy-to-be home for a few days.
  
• Jon and I made a quick trip to Eugene, Oregon last Friday... we watched lots of football and Papa examined our eyes. I picked out new super cute glasses... I'll post pictures as soon as I get them.
• Jon and I made it home on Sunday by kick off. I spent the afternoon at home doing laundry and watching the game, while Jon went to his friends for the game. (We spoke during great and not so great plays)

This week:

• Monday marked 6 months since we said our "I do's" Jon brought me home dinner, red roses, and a beautiful I love my wife card. I love wife cards now! :)
• Yesterday, I spent lunch with my great radiation therapy co-workers for my belated birthday. I stopped in and said hi to everyone in Oncology. Then I saw Miss Andrea M. who is back to work in the Harbor with me. She and I met when I was 19, we both worked at Cardiac Study Center.
  
• Last night at 9pm I got a text message from Valann, Miss Kaiya Annmarie made her debut at 8:23pm... 6.6 lbs and 18.7 inches. Perfectly healthy mommy and baby.
  

Today, Chanda and Chloe came over and spent the day with me while I waited for the delivery of my new washer and dryer. I helped Chanda make a baby blanket while we waited. My appliances were to come between 8-12... I started calling at 12:30, at 4pm this evening I finally spoke with a manager who helped me. The delivery charge is automatically added into the price of the set, so we're being refunded the delivery charge. Plus since my set isn't actually in stock again, they've upgraded my appliances and they should be here first thing tomorrow morning!

I return to work on Monday, I'm looking forward to having a schedule again and being social. I'll be part time to start and then work myself back up to full time. At least that's the plan!

I'll update this weekend!

Jon's Thumb Injury

This morning a little before 9 am, Jon called me in his normal calm voice and said "Don't freak out Babe, but I need you to meet me at Harrison ER". I typically follow that with "What did you do?" Where he down plays the cut to his thumb. He's now joking that he tried to cut it off... he was just unsuccessful. Jon was on a job site alone this morning trying to set a tub. It was setting uneven due to a piece of tile that was under one of the feet of the tub. He was lifting the tub and reaching with his left hand to grab the tile. The sharp end sliced into his thumb, creating a flap. It required 4 stitches and Tylenol or Motrin for pain. We were there until 11:15 and he's been being pampered... well as much as I can do. We're now trying to figure out dishes, it's too much for me and he can't get his hand wet... paper plates it is!

He's going to be home on the couch with me until Wednesday with his hand elevated. Aren't we a pair?

Finally Sleep

I did what the doctor prescribed and I slept last night from 11:30 pm-7 am. For the first time since our wedding, I woke up with no Jon next to me... He moved to the spare bedroom sometime in the night. He said I was sound asleep that I was snoring (something I don't normally do). Since he knew I needed the sleep he didn't try to wake me up or roll me over. Isn't that sweet!?!?!? He came back to bed and we slept in (no snoring for either of us) until 9:30. I feel like a completely rejuvenated person.

Today was a great day! We did laundry, got the house straightened up, put my new bedding set on our bed with fresh clean new sheets! Nanna and Gramps came over for the Seahawks game... Jon has a 67 inch TV with surround sound... it's like being in the stadium... well almost :) They were impressed! Uncle Mark and Aunt Deanna stopped in to wish me a happy belated birthday. I got a new pretty plant for my porch.

It's been a good day. I feel like I'm on the up and up... becoming human again. :) I hope that tonight is another restful night!

Planning to Sleep Tonight

I went to urgent care today, it was a good experience. I was in and out in under an hour. I was prescribed one medication for my nighttime restlessness and something to help with the day time. Both should help me sleep, so that's the plan for the night!

Sleepless & Restless

My Dad told me know one's ever died from not sleep... while this is probably true, I feel like I'm losing my mind. I'm very emotional and activity wipes me out. I'm so not myself and I'm dreading the next two weeks. I return to work on Sept. 28th and no sleep isn't making me feel like I'll be ready to return.

When I stopped taking my pain medication two weeks ago I wasn't prepared for the sleepless and restless days and nights. I'm on my 10th night of not sleeping and I can't nap during the day. I'm averaging 2-4 hours of sleep every 24. After last years surgery, I knew that it was likely that I'd wake up often, but I was able to nap then. I feel like if the restlessness was gone, sleep could be possible. I looked up the medications I was on and sleeplessness and restlessness are often side effects, so I'm going to see a doc this evening.

Wordless Wednesday

My Happy 25th Birthday Evening at Mom's
(family portraits didn't turn out good enough to show everyone)

Weekend Catch Up

Friday, Jon went to the Tacoma Rainier's baseball game. I spent the evening with my parents and little brother. We watched a movie and ate dinner late. I loaded Paco up in the car and we headed home for real. hehe Not like last weekend, this time we came home to stay. (I'm still unpacking, it's a slow process) I got home around 10:45 and Jon joined me around 11:30. It was so nice!

Saturday, Jon slept in... I'm still not sleeping well and I'm waking up earlier than I'd like to be. We had a really lazy day! Lots of movies and take out.

Sunday, the busiest day I've had since surgery, also the first and last day that I wore jeans. I don't know when I'll do that again. Chapel Hill (a church in Gig Harbor that a few of my co-workers attend) launched a "Go Sunday". We do it at our church on Thanksgiving weekend. It's a day where the church closes for the day and the members worship by serving others. My wonderful co-workers went to a patient's house in the pouring rain... cleaning her gutters, clipping her rose, lots of yard work, detailing her car, and much much more. I went to "sit and look pretty" as my co-workers said. It was neat seeing everyone especially our patient who is one of the most gracious and wonderful woman I have met.

After Jon and I visited, we went to Costco... Jon doesn't have a Costco card since Mom and I share a membership, so I had to go... We kept it easy and short, only getting the necessities but being there was a little harder than I thought it would be. On our way home we swung in to Lowes which was having a huge sale... I checked out my dream front load washer and dryer... (just to look)well Jon said we could get them...

So we ordered them yesterday! They'll be here in 10 days! I'm so excited. I've been reading reviews and figuring out what I wanted for months... I can't wait!

Sunday night Valann came over for laziness and movies, she ended up staying the night and hanging out in pj's all day with us yesterday. Mom came to visit us too. She brought us food and cleaned a bit. She's the best.

Today I woke up early, but I had a project to do. I got to sew, cut, and sew some more. I'm making Valann's baby shower gift. I bought fabric a month ago, but haven't been home to sew or anything... I didn't think I'd finish in one day, but I DID!!!

Tomorrow I turn 25... 09-09-09... it doesn't feel like tomorrow is going to be my birthday, but I'm sure looking forward to mom's homemade cheesecake (it's like 3 inches thick!)

That pretty much sums it up. I'll post some pictures this week...

Whew

First let me say thank you for every one's prayers. I know there are more people praying for me than reading this and than I realize , I am constantly reminded what an awesome God we serve.

I don't have any infection. I have a seroma, he described it as a pocket of clear fluid that can develop in the body after surgery or big irritation... Dr. Medwell actually laughed and said it was nothing. (He's a very serious man, so that was a relief). I have to keep an eye on it, because it can become infected. After pricking me with a needle (that I amazingly didn't feel) and draining some out, he believes my body will absorb it or it will drain.

When I don't feel very strong, everyone else seems to be strong for me!

Another Trip to the Surgeons

OK I know I haven't been keeping everyone update enough. For the last few days I've been keeping an eye on my wound/incision/scar and it's healing process... It hasn't been looking right to me since Sunday, Mom and Jon said Tuesday...

It started to get puffy and for fear of grossing any one out I leave the visual description to that. It's warm, not hot, it's turned red, there's little if no pain, unless my pants rub but there's worry for infection. I saw a nurse yesterday with mom's work who told me I should be with my surgeon right away. So today I see him at 10:20. She told me it could be a stitch that my body isn't absorbing, but it could be an infection... either way, the fluid may need to be drained.... oops was that too much? I have this fear of it needing to be lanced or something.

I was beginning to feel good, still not sleeping, but feeling better and better. All week with nothing but Tylenol, which is awesome. But this kind of knocks the breathe out of my lungs. I've never had one surgery, go without some type of problem. Can't I catch a break? I feel like there should be a level or amount of pain one person should be allowed to feel... I say this on my hard day, knowing that this is little and many MANY people have it worse then I do. I feel guilty feeling like this; especially when I work in oncology and know that my troubles are small in comparison of many of out patients.

My FB page has been reassuring to me, with everyone noting their prayers for me. It's reassuring in down moments to see all the people praying, when mine seem more like pleas. Thank you for being strong on be half.

I'll update everyone this afternoon!

Monday at Mom's

Well Jon and I enjoyed our time at home, but we came back to mom's last night. Now I'm enjoying a relaxing day with the pooches, watching TV which by the way- day time TV is horrible.

Yesterday I didn't have to take any pain medication until night, and today's starting off well too. I'm taking it really easy, so I haven't needed anything. It's not even two weeks after surgery, so this feels like a big accomplishment. :)

First Time Home

Jon and I have only been home for a few hours, but it's a great feeling. Our plan is to stay here until tomorrow evening. I don't know if they trust me or that I trust me enough to be at home this early. I've only been out of the hospital 1 week and mom thinks I should have another week of pampering before returning home to a large list of things that I'll want to do. :)

Alright, well I'm going to enjoy my home for the next 24 hours. Later!

Finally Friday

I know it might not seem fair for me to say that this has been a long week, but when you're not feeling 100% it makes everything longer. Not to mention that my family members have all been back to work and caring for me at the same time. I'd like to think that I'm back to being independent, but that's the furthest thing from the truth. I can do simple things like get in and out of bed alone, but it's a lot more work then it used to be. I am appreciating this weeks little triumphs: showering, staples being removed, attempting to cook dinner, taking less pain medications, and reconciling our check book.

Jon and I are going to be going home tomorrow morning and staying until Sunday night. We're going to evaluate Sunday night whether or not I still need to spend next week at mom's.

I'll let everyone know tomorrow how wonderful it is to be home... sleeping in my own bed!

Today's appointment

It was a rather quick appointment, but Dr. Medwell's always to the point and quick... so I'll try to be as well:

• He told me that this was the end of our relationship and I should never have to see him again (Mom joked it's best to have a quick break up) I agree lol
• My staples were removed
• I can't lift anything over 10 lbs or work for 6 weeks from surgery (Freedom day=Sept. 28th)
• I can eat what I please... I'll probably stay away from popcorn, just to be safe
  
• Most exciting for Jon and I.... we have no restrictions as to when we can start a family. This is not a hint that it will be trying immediately; we still have plenty of things we're enjoying as a couple first.

I'm so excited to finally start living again with no more restrictions! The prayers and love everyone has extended is amazing and I couldn't have gone through this alone or without the grace of God.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.


PS. Paco joined us at mom's this evening. Jon picked him up from Vayver's on his way home. I'm so thankful for her being so wonderful and willing to take on an energetic puppy for two full weeks! Thank you Valann!

Busy Day

The day started when mom woke me up and moved me to the couch... It was too early for me to know what time it was, but Jon had left for work so it was after 6. I slept until 9:30 and then had breakfast... I didn't eat breakfast prior to surgery, but I have to now to take me medicine. Frosted Mini-Wheats are becoming my favorite. I watched an episode of Closer that I recorded on the DVR from Monday. Towards the end of the show Jeannette and Angie came with 2 cards, a wonderful gift for a massage, and a plant.

They stayed for a while as we caught up on work, my progress, and some of the fun going on in their lives.

My Grandma and Grandpa Bailey came with Kayla in tow a few hours later. It was great seeing both of them. Grandma visited while I was in the hospital, but Grandpa wasn't up to with his health, so it was neat seeing both of them today.

An hour or so after Chanda, Chloe, and Alisa came to visit. While they were here my buddy Tom stopped in and gave me a CD he's been recording (he has a great voice) and he met Jon for the first time.

I attempted to make dinner in hopes of thanking Mom and Mark for all that they've been doing, but Jon had to finish for me because apparently I had overdone it today. I do great all day, but toward the evening I start running on empty.

Tomorrow is my one week follow up with Dr. Medwell. I get my staples removed tomorrow and learn more about what his expectations are for me with my recovery ie when I can start driving again, being back at our home, and returning to work. I'll be sure to update tomorrow early afternoon when I get back home from my appointment.

Thank you for every one's thoughtfulness: texts, emails, cards, flowers, love, and prayers... They make a world of difference.

Recovering at Mom's

Well Jon and I are staying this week at mom's. We don't know the exact day that I'll be be feeling up to being back at our home. Saturday was a rough day all around. The nausea hung around a while and I didn't have energy at all, but mom took great care of me. Jon did too when he got here after working all day.

Yesterday was a huge day... I showered and shaved. BIG accomplishment! I hung out on the couch and stayed awake for an entire movie with Jon and Nate. I was very exhausted by 2pm, but I was in too much pain to sleep. Mom intervened and made me go to bed. I feel like I'm a little kid and I don't want to miss anything by being in bed. But I finally took a nap from 4 until 7 last night.

The hardest part now is learning what I can do and what I can't. I don't like being dependent on everyone else, and I feel guilty always asking for help. But the smallest things like going up and down the stairs are exhausting and cause pain if I don't take my time. So it's baby steps for the next few weeks.

I'm going to take a nap before my sister comes with my niece and nephew to visit. I'll try to update tonight.

Being Discharged

So I'm breaking out of this place in less then an hour. I'm having really bad heartburn and nausea this morning, which is just the pits. My rounding doctor said it's something I can work through at home and not something that's keep me stuck here. I'm looking forward to sleeping in a normal bed, lots of TV channels (3-13 are horrible), and being able to sleep.

My Neer Grandparents sent me beautiful flowers this morning and I'm in my own clothes... Two good highlights to the day!

I'll be updating everyone once I'm settled at moms.

XOXOXO

Grandma Time!

I mentioned that I spent time with my Grandma Barb & Papa last weekend,

here are some photos:

Hanging out in her motel room, just like we did when we were little girls

We have always loved our fun time together

Laughing at baby pictures of me... Jon had a great time with that!

Grandma and I got our toes done

Hanging out waiting for our toes to dry

It was great having G'ma and Papa up here. It was the first time in two years that I've spent time with them. I wanted to get these posted prior to the hospital stay, but oh well!

Pictures!

Mommy and I on Wednesday

Jon and I on Wednesday, my good day

Jon took me to Swedish on our beautiful new bike

New Diet

Exciting news!!! I get to start my clear liquid diet today! I've ordered a popsicle, cranberry juice, jello, gummy bears, and an americano for my momma. It's the little things that make us happy.

I still haven't slept much today, but when mom and I finish the Sex in The City Movie I'm napping! Visitors aren't expected until this afternoon, so I'll get some shut eye.

Summary of My First Full Day

Here's the details of my 1st full day since surgery:

*Woke up at 6:30, tried to make mom wake up to keep me company... 15 minutes later the rounding doctor came in and she had to wake up.

*7:00 Nurse came to draw blood. Had to poke me twice

*7:30 Dr. Medwell arrived and told me what a great looking mom I have (very true) and said that I can start clear liquids tomorrow and will go home Saturday(fingers crossed)

* 8:15 Daddy called to check on me

*8:45 I called work to check on them and give them the link to my blog

*9:15 talked with my niece Johanna and my sis Jen-ai, then my step momma Les called

and I talked with her.

*9:50 I spoke with my hubby and he said I took the last of the toothpaste- I gave him instructions on where to find our back up supply (see why I worry about him?) LOL

*10:15 Grandma Barb & Papa, Aunt Char, Grandma Bailey, and Cousin Craigo all showed up. It was nice having company.

*11:30 got out of bed for the first time, took two laps and they removed the catheter.

Jon arrived shortly after.

*Aunt Char took Craigo and Grandma home a little before 1pm after view pictures Grandma Barb brought up with her from me growing up.

*A little before 2pm Grandma Barb and Papa left. They head home to Oregon tomorrow.

It means so much that they came up to see me.

*2:00pm Jon took mom to get lunch in the cafeteria, I slept.

*3:15 they came back and we watched I love you man. During the movie mom and Jon ate cashews... I was totally starving and bit their head off. Sorry mommy and Jon.

*After the movie I made some phone calls and texts.

*6:00 Mark and Nate arrived with beautiful Steilacoom Farmers Market fresh cut flowers.

*6:25 Jon, Mom, Mark, and Nate went to the cafeteria for dinner. I started to blog.

*7:05 Jon came back and spent some one on one time with me before heading home at 7:40

*7:30 Mom, Mark, and Nate returned... we hung out until 8:10

before the boys left to go home.

*Now it's just mom and I. I'm going to try and sleep. I know the nurses will be waking me up often, so I'm going to bed early. :) Good night!

Awake

I've been awake for about an hour now and my pain is in much better control today. I'm sleepy so I'm keeping this short. :) Mom will probably be updating again this afternoon or evening.... she can keep her train of thought better than I.

Thank you everyone for the prayers! They have been answered!

Out of Surgery

Brit arrived at Swedish Hospital at 11:00 this morning. Jon went back to the pre-op area while Cheryl and Rob waited.

At noon Jon traded places with Cheryl to accompany Brit to the Surgery Center. The anesthesiologist started the IV, the Heparin injection was given and Dr. Medwell arrived to discuss his main concern of the past 24 hrs; namely, the high likelihood of having to make a "T" incision to reach the anastimosis (previous surgical "connections"). He told Brit he'd not done a "T" cut in 31 years and didn't want to do one today. He had prepared us for a surgery lasting up to 3 hrs. At 1:15 Brit was taken to the operating room.

Jon, Cheryl, and Rob were joined by Grandma Barb, Papa Claude, Andrea, Kevin, Grandma and Grandpa Bailey.

At 2pm, Dr. Medwell came to the waiting area and said it had gone as well as he could have hoped for. He found that Brit has minimal scarring and adhesions after last year's surgeries. The top anastimosis had kinked and adhered so he created a new "huge" one. The lower anastimosis had slight adhesions which he snipped. He was very pleased with what he found.

We didn't get to see Brit until almost 4:30 because they had a hard time getting her pain controlled post operatively. Once it was under control, her room was flooded by those who were waiting and she did her best to interact. Mark arrived shortly after 6pm and received a bright and nearly lucid smile!

It's almost 10pm. It's been a long day, but we are a grateful family. Hugely relieved and very thankful to our Lord who hears and answers our prayers.

Preparing to Leave

I'm running on about 3 hours of sleep, but instead of being really tired and emotional I don't really have any reservations or worry. I think I cried it all out of my system yesterday...

So this morning I'm taking the opportunity to do all the things I can to enjoy myself... i.e. shaving my legs (unless you've stayed in the hospital for 15 days, you might not appreciate how amazing it is!) I'm also enjoying jumping on and off the scale and the flatter fitter tummy I have (Surgery preps are my secret weight loss) hehehe! I'm also going on my ride. I don't know what the future holds, but God does and today I know that with 100% certainty.

Thank you for all the prayers, they make a difference! XOXOXOXO

Surgery Tomorrow

Well surgery is tomorrow and today has been the hardest day for me.

I got to spend part of the weekend with my grandparents who I haven't seen for a couple years. Grandma and I got coffee and our toes done. Last night Grandma and Papa took us out for my last meal. Andi met us at their hotel last night; we ate blizzards, went over pictures and reminisced. I was so glad Jon got to meet them and it was a great end to a weekend.

This afternoon, everything hit me when Paco had to go to our friends. I totally broke down. I've had my emotional times, but I try to play tough. I haven't been able to do that today. I've known for weeks that when Paco went to our friends, it was time. I've known for three weeks that it's tomorrow and I don't feel prepared at all. I'm scared of the unknown and this time there's a lot of it.

Jon asked what he could do to help, so tomorrow he's taking me to the hospital on our new motorcycle, in my new pink gear! I've had so many restrictions the last 24 hours and nothing in my paperwork said I can't go by bike... so mom's driving behind us and hiding my gear in her car after we arrive. Being on the bike is something I love and we don't know the next time I'll be able to ride. So if your driving northbound from Tacoma to Seattle between 10-11am, look for me in pink!

I'm so thankful for my supportive husband who has the most positive outlook on this... my family and friends have been amazing too. I have faith that God knows the outcome and that I'm in his hands... but I'm still so scared. Please pray for the surgeons, my family, and for me.

*Jon may update this tomorrow after I'm in recovery... he's not a blogger so be patient....

update

I haven't written since I met with my surgeon. He did the scope and found that the lower connection site is more narrow then it should be. Dr. M said that I shouldn't have had any problems with that area, because when he stitched up that section it was a good size connection... But now it was so narrow he couldn't get the scope through to the upper site. It looks like surgery in both areas is a probability, but he won't know until surgery. This isn't what we wanted to hear, but it's OK. I know that no matter what God's in control and with me through all of this.

Hopeful

Today I'm headed to see my surgeon and having my test/procedure. As I've mentioned before this will determine how extensive my surgery will be. Hopefully by the end of the day I'll have some questions answered and know what to expect come surgery. I'm more at peace with this than I thought I would be. It helps talking to family and friends knowing that I'm being prayed for by so many.

Just for Me

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

Ever go to church and feel the worship songs were chosen for you and the message was tailored to your situation and life. Well last Sunday was every bit of that for me. Jon's Grandpa even made a comment to me about it being what I needed to hear.

Things are definitely coming together. Tomorrow I have an out patient procedure at my surgeons office and I'm scheduled for surgery on August 18th in Seattle. While my I'm still nervous, I have a better peace about things.

Introducing myself

Blogging was something I never thought about doing, but I joined to follow one of my dearest friends Andrea. After following her blog for a couple weeks I thought "gee, what a great way to keep family and friends informed on daily life". so that's my plan :)

Where to begin?

I am happily married to my best friend Jon as of March 21, 09. He's a dedicated husband, a strong family man, a hard worker, he loves his motorcycle (almost as much as me), he's a movie critic, Mr. Fix-it, and a wonder on the grill. Since I was a little girl, all I wanted was to be married and have babies. Jon is a better husband then I ever thought I would find. We are not parents yet, but I know when that day comes he will be a great daddy.

We started dating and within in 6 weeks I was scheduled for colo-rectal surgery. April 14, 2008 I had surgery: spending 15 days in the hospital, undergoing two emergency surgeries, and ending up with an ileostomy (my biggest fear). Jon saw me every day... that wasn't easy considering he didn't have his license at the time. He had to get rides with any one who would drive him from Port Orchard to Swedish in Seattle. A couple times he stayed the night with me so my mom could go home and sleep in her own bed. He spent weekends at my parent's house with my step dad and step brother, going to our family functions (without me ) and meeting my family for the first time. He was such a trooper :) I was home for 6 days and went back in 3 days. He was by my side the whole time. He drained most of his vacation in the first 3 months of our dating... poor guy! June 20, 2008 was the last surgery. They lowered and reconnected my small intestine to my colon meaning no more ileostomy! YEAH! It was hard to feel really great about yourself hiding a bag under your shirt. I have several scars on my tummy, but whatever that's nothing.

I've been working in the medical field for over 5 years now. When I first got sick and knew that surgery was the inevitable I had a hard time accepting it. It made answering 120-150 calls a day torture. I was working in a scheduling call center and it was my job to listen to callers complain about a sniffle or toe pain like it was the end of the world. I had real health problems. I lost compassion and I knew that to these people, they're symptoms were a big deal. I prayed that God would help me through it and he did just not in the way I thought.

I didn't work for almost 4 months after surgery. When it came time to look for work I wanted more then just family practice. I wanted to work where God wanted me to. He opened all the right doors and closed all the wrong. I currently working front office for an Oncology and Radiation therapy clinic. My patients are more to me than faces and names; which can make this a very hard and rewarding job all at the same time. Death is something that I am learning to deal with more often. Trusting that God has me in this job for a reason is one of the only ways I can still smile and serve our patients on a daily basis. I used to think that I had it rough. Then I met some amazing patients who had better attitudes then I did and they have much worse problems.

So now it's been over a year since my last surgery. I've had 4 bowel obstructions in the last year and as a result I don't eat any vegetables, nuts, or popcorn. My most recent problem was from an apple... AN APPLE! I called my surgeon and he said that I shouldn't be having any problems with the exception of nuts and popcorn... so it's time to meet again. I am scheduled to meet my surgeon on Tuesday. We're going to be setting up a date for another surgery. Last week I went through all the depression and mixed emotions of what that means. It's hard to prepare for the unknown. But once again, I am reminded that God is in all of this and will help me and my family through. I learned the last time around God's timing is perfect, so why is it so hard to remember that? It's always hard to prepare for the unknown... so why try?

Please be praying for strength and patience for me!