Life has changed so much for me in the last year and a half. I would have never imagined I am where I am, never imagined the players in my life would be who they are, that some people who have always been in my life are no more.
I am thankful for the many, many blessings. Having Shelby is no doubt made such a difference in my life. She is ruling our house, she will likely always have a little ruling on my activities and may be the queen of my heart. I knew having a child would change my life, there would be no way to prepare for it, all I can do is attempt to enjoy it. Shelby is 6 months old. I haven't droppped her, lost her, or broken her too badly. Even when she is very upset, like when I bumped her head, or poked her in the eye, she is calmed by jut being held. Wouldn't it be great if that would always bring her instant ease? I want to enjoy every momenmt of her, I just don't know how to do that and hang on to it. She's growing so quickly! It is just incredible.
Many, many times, I have thought back to the days when I was pregnant. You'd go to the doctor to just hear that little heart beating. That little beat, is the sound that we knew would forever change our lives. Mortality became more apparent in those months. During that time, my childhood friend's father left this world. This, reminded me that the little beat stops, lives are forever changed, again.
It seems all of the songs are true -- "Time Marches On", "Circle of Life", "You're Gonna Miss This", "It Won't Be Like this for Long"...I'm just trying to hang on to as many of these moments as I can...all the while, trying to make time to dance.
We miss you guys so much...
Puppy Pals -- just hanging out together!
Monday, November 9, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Television Ailments
OK, I married a TV addict. This is no surprise. I knew of his condition for years prior to marriage. As a matter of fact, I'm more surprised that he didn't install cable into the house for a couple of years after we moved in. (Proof that at some point, he was money conscious.) Cable TV (specifically Comcast) has been the source of many, many unhappy days in our house over the last few months -- longer than that, but not worth going into...
A few months ago, together, we decided enough was enough. We began looking into satellite TV. We have satellite radio in his truck, and while we won't continue it, it works. The radio programming just doesn't meet our preferences. The quality is quite amazing. On our road trips, we rarely loose signal, and if we do, it's just for a blink under a bridge or through a tunnel. This TV satellite thing, wow, hold on to your pocket books because it is incredibly surprising. First of all, I think it would be easier to re-enroll in college than to learn about the options between the providers.
The details you learn when comparing providers is overwhelming. Of course, they all tell you about how much you will save over cable. Which, is really true, we're saving a ton over cable, but only for the introductory period. Of course, to sign up with a provider, we had to commit to be with them for 24 months. I know people who don't stay married for 24 months, but we just agreed to stay with a satellite provider for that long!
Direct offered more channels -- and more "on-demand" things. HE liked the on-demand, he liked the more channels, I was hoping for a DVR. With Direct, we would need a receiver for each TV that would be used. That's 3 receivers in our house. There's a monthly fee for each receiver in addition to the bucks that go out the door in the beginning just to lease the receiver. I wanted a DVR. I felt as if we needed a DVR. In reality, I'm sure we don't even need all the channels, but if he can have lots of channels, shouldn't I be able to record something on TV??? We went with Dish...few channels, yes. Cheaper price, no upfront fees to lease the HD DVR (or so we thought), DVR included (at least in the beginning), and most importantly, we know two families who use Dish.
What I've learned...
--Even with Dish, you will need multiple receivers if you wish to have your HD TV receiving an HD signal.
--Even with Dish, you will have your bill double after 6 months.
--Even with Dish, I will be able to record shows, but must watch them on that TV or the TV connected to that box. (This made me very sad.)
-- Dish has on-demand, but with way fewer things to watch on-demand.
-- The Dish receiver is only good for 2 TV's. If you have 3, you'll need more than one box inside.
Moral of the story, momma's don't let your kids grow up to be TV addicts. It's incredibly expensive and rather confusing. (This has been a real waste of my limited brain function over the last few weeks.)
A few months ago, together, we decided enough was enough. We began looking into satellite TV. We have satellite radio in his truck, and while we won't continue it, it works. The radio programming just doesn't meet our preferences. The quality is quite amazing. On our road trips, we rarely loose signal, and if we do, it's just for a blink under a bridge or through a tunnel. This TV satellite thing, wow, hold on to your pocket books because it is incredibly surprising. First of all, I think it would be easier to re-enroll in college than to learn about the options between the providers.
The details you learn when comparing providers is overwhelming. Of course, they all tell you about how much you will save over cable. Which, is really true, we're saving a ton over cable, but only for the introductory period. Of course, to sign up with a provider, we had to commit to be with them for 24 months. I know people who don't stay married for 24 months, but we just agreed to stay with a satellite provider for that long!
Direct offered more channels -- and more "on-demand" things. HE liked the on-demand, he liked the more channels, I was hoping for a DVR. With Direct, we would need a receiver for each TV that would be used. That's 3 receivers in our house. There's a monthly fee for each receiver in addition to the bucks that go out the door in the beginning just to lease the receiver. I wanted a DVR. I felt as if we needed a DVR. In reality, I'm sure we don't even need all the channels, but if he can have lots of channels, shouldn't I be able to record something on TV??? We went with Dish...few channels, yes. Cheaper price, no upfront fees to lease the HD DVR (or so we thought), DVR included (at least in the beginning), and most importantly, we know two families who use Dish.
What I've learned...
--Even with Dish, you will need multiple receivers if you wish to have your HD TV receiving an HD signal.
--Even with Dish, you will have your bill double after 6 months.
--Even with Dish, I will be able to record shows, but must watch them on that TV or the TV connected to that box. (This made me very sad.)
-- Dish has on-demand, but with way fewer things to watch on-demand.
-- The Dish receiver is only good for 2 TV's. If you have 3, you'll need more than one box inside.
Moral of the story, momma's don't let your kids grow up to be TV addicts. It's incredibly expensive and rather confusing. (This has been a real waste of my limited brain function over the last few weeks.)
Friday, March 20, 2009
So Happy, So Sad...all in the same day
The emotions of today have been great.
A childhood, lifelong friend was to deliver her twins today. She did. Twins, a boy and a girl, everyone healthy and doing well. A new world for her. She will be a great mother, he will be a fantastic dad. Those kids will be well cared for and much love will be shared because they have the family they have always wanted. I woke up thinking of them and their plans for today. As we worked this morning, we discussed what a day they must be having. I thanked God for taking such good care of them and showing us all the miracles He can give.
Then, there was tonight. My mom called, but it was an odd call. She called on his cell phone, from her cell phone. She would not tell me what she wanted, she said she'd call back later and talk to him. I was on the phone with a friend I don't talk to enough, so I let it go. I even forgot to tell him I answered her call on his cell phone. When he called her back, I didn't realize what was going on. He let me finish my call, then asked about the friend I was talking to. Then he told me why my mom called.
Another childhood, lifelong friend, a sad story. We grew up together -- from the time we were probably only 3 years old. Of all of my friends, she's no doubt known me longer than any other. Her dad died today. I cannot even put into words how great of a person he was, or how much he had to offer, or how much he will be missed. I am trying to be thankful for the time he had here, but it's just not easy, not even for me, a friend of this family.
How can this be, all within the same day, 2 new little blessings come in, and someone slips out, just like that? Feeling like life is so unfair tonight. I will have both families in my thoughts and prayers. The next few days, weeks, even months will bring upon many unexpected moments for each of them.
A childhood, lifelong friend was to deliver her twins today. She did. Twins, a boy and a girl, everyone healthy and doing well. A new world for her. She will be a great mother, he will be a fantastic dad. Those kids will be well cared for and much love will be shared because they have the family they have always wanted. I woke up thinking of them and their plans for today. As we worked this morning, we discussed what a day they must be having. I thanked God for taking such good care of them and showing us all the miracles He can give.
Then, there was tonight. My mom called, but it was an odd call. She called on his cell phone, from her cell phone. She would not tell me what she wanted, she said she'd call back later and talk to him. I was on the phone with a friend I don't talk to enough, so I let it go. I even forgot to tell him I answered her call on his cell phone. When he called her back, I didn't realize what was going on. He let me finish my call, then asked about the friend I was talking to. Then he told me why my mom called.
Another childhood, lifelong friend, a sad story. We grew up together -- from the time we were probably only 3 years old. Of all of my friends, she's no doubt known me longer than any other. Her dad died today. I cannot even put into words how great of a person he was, or how much he had to offer, or how much he will be missed. I am trying to be thankful for the time he had here, but it's just not easy, not even for me, a friend of this family.
How can this be, all within the same day, 2 new little blessings come in, and someone slips out, just like that? Feeling like life is so unfair tonight. I will have both families in my thoughts and prayers. The next few days, weeks, even months will bring upon many unexpected moments for each of them.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Body Worlds, Bodies Not Working...
Last month was my mom's birthday. She, like most people, is not the easiest to shop for. Going out to dinner is not even something she would ever ask to do. So, to celebrate, we did go out to dinner! (Hey, I like to go out, what can I say?) We had a great dinner at Ruby Tuesday's because I love their salad bar and she needs to eat more salad!
For a "gift" we took her to an exhibit at the Museum of Science. This was a traveling exhibit of the human body, hence, called Body Worlds. Quick, check out the link, because I'm not sure how long it will work. The exhibit is up this month. A year or so ago, the exhibit was here and it was all the rage! During the final weekend they even open the exhibit up 24 hours. We couldn't even get tickets for sleeping hours last time. This year, I think the controversy (or the economy) caused a serious decline in the attraction. Who knows, maybe everyone who wanted to see it went last time? Anyway, we picked an week night to go this time and pretty much had the place to ourselves. It was gross. They are real human bodies on exhibit to "bare all". There were lots of bodies showing muscles and organs. Also, there were organs displayed -- of course the ever popular smoker's lung was there. The museum has advertised the human brain exhibit there, too. (It didn't look like much to me.) There was even a special section on pregnancy. Now, I thought this to be educational, but also extremely sad. I mean, these were live beings that somehow are no longer living, but had been pregnant. They also had several fetus/infants at various stages. I had issues with this, how did they really acquire these donated bodies? (Another topic, another day, I guess...) For our group, we had a heightened interest in the liver.
Just days before Christmas my mom was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver. No, my mom is not a drinker, she never has been. At this time, they do not know the cause of the problem, and that's ok...I mean it's taken months to get an actual diagnosis out of someone! The doctor she's seeing has put her on some sort of liquid medicine that she only takes once a day, I think. The initial knowledge, I guess was a little shocking. Of course, it's serious, but so is anything that happens to one's body! The medicine made an almost immediate impact. Within a few days, my mom said her head "cleared out." (No she wasn't congested.) For months, she has felt like she's living in a fog, and the first thing she noticed with the medicine was that she could think more clearly. The energy level she had once the medicine had a few days in her system was also quite noticeable. Sadly, mom had been sluggish and exhausted all of the time. But, this medicine started taking the toxins out of her body that her liver is not filtering out. As with many medications, there are side effects. The most noticeable side effect was an increase in her sugar -- not good for the diabetes. Luckily, the medicine was adjusted and things have started to balance out better. Since December, she's been back to the doctor once for a repeat of blood work. The doctor would still like to do a biopsy and endoscopy to see how bad the damage is. Liver damage is generally not reversible, and in the most severe cases, transplants are needed. We don't know the degree of damage or the actual cause. One theory is that perhaps she was just born with poor functioning bile ducts and over time, the liver has just worn out. Only time (and more testing) will provide more answers.
For a "gift" we took her to an exhibit at the Museum of Science. This was a traveling exhibit of the human body, hence, called Body Worlds. Quick, check out the link, because I'm not sure how long it will work. The exhibit is up this month. A year or so ago, the exhibit was here and it was all the rage! During the final weekend they even open the exhibit up 24 hours. We couldn't even get tickets for sleeping hours last time. This year, I think the controversy (or the economy) caused a serious decline in the attraction. Who knows, maybe everyone who wanted to see it went last time? Anyway, we picked an week night to go this time and pretty much had the place to ourselves. It was gross. They are real human bodies on exhibit to "bare all". There were lots of bodies showing muscles and organs. Also, there were organs displayed -- of course the ever popular smoker's lung was there. The museum has advertised the human brain exhibit there, too. (It didn't look like much to me.) There was even a special section on pregnancy. Now, I thought this to be educational, but also extremely sad. I mean, these were live beings that somehow are no longer living, but had been pregnant. They also had several fetus/infants at various stages. I had issues with this, how did they really acquire these donated bodies? (Another topic, another day, I guess...) For our group, we had a heightened interest in the liver.
Just days before Christmas my mom was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver. No, my mom is not a drinker, she never has been. At this time, they do not know the cause of the problem, and that's ok...I mean it's taken months to get an actual diagnosis out of someone! The doctor she's seeing has put her on some sort of liquid medicine that she only takes once a day, I think. The initial knowledge, I guess was a little shocking. Of course, it's serious, but so is anything that happens to one's body! The medicine made an almost immediate impact. Within a few days, my mom said her head "cleared out." (No she wasn't congested.) For months, she has felt like she's living in a fog, and the first thing she noticed with the medicine was that she could think more clearly. The energy level she had once the medicine had a few days in her system was also quite noticeable. Sadly, mom had been sluggish and exhausted all of the time. But, this medicine started taking the toxins out of her body that her liver is not filtering out. As with many medications, there are side effects. The most noticeable side effect was an increase in her sugar -- not good for the diabetes. Luckily, the medicine was adjusted and things have started to balance out better. Since December, she's been back to the doctor once for a repeat of blood work. The doctor would still like to do a biopsy and endoscopy to see how bad the damage is. Liver damage is generally not reversible, and in the most severe cases, transplants are needed. We don't know the degree of damage or the actual cause. One theory is that perhaps she was just born with poor functioning bile ducts and over time, the liver has just worn out. Only time (and more testing) will provide more answers.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
New Beds
We'd been looking for the pups new beds. The old ones were, well, old. There had been many adventures for the old beds, and they wore well. But, it was just time fore new ones. Here's a picture of one of the new ones.
These are great -- they even have a Disney logo. No, we weren't that concerned with a "branded" dog bed. We couldn't beat the price! These are huge, fluffy, and seem to be enjoyed so far! Missy, seen below, seems to like to have her head on them during the day.
This is Daisy. I think she appreciates them most of all. I think the new beds are actually better than our human bed. Why else would the dogs prefer to sleep in them than with us?
These are great -- they even have a Disney logo. No, we weren't that concerned with a "branded" dog bed. We couldn't beat the price! These are huge, fluffy, and seem to be enjoyed so far! Missy, seen below, seems to like to have her head on them during the day.
This is Daisy. I think she appreciates them most of all. I think the new beds are actually better than our human bed. Why else would the dogs prefer to sleep in them than with us?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)