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Friday, August 28, 2009
God's here...
During the gravside burial for my Nana this past Monday, my 23-month-old son, Jace, said the most amazing thing. It was toward the conclusion of the service and one of my family members was saying the prayer. We were standing at the edge of the tent the funeral home sets up at the burial site. Jace is my loud child and says everything in Jace volume. But, he looked up at me and whispered, "God is here" and he pointed to the top of the tent where the four corners come to a point! Wow! I was jealous that my eyes didn't see, but my heart was full of faith.
Nana
Well, I've been distracted lately due to the sudden illness and death of my grandmother, whom I call Nana. She has been battling ovarian cancer over the past year, but the chemo was stopped a few months back and she was told her "levels" were low enough that she no longer needed the chemotherapy. In May at a regular check-up she was told that there might be a mass on her kidney. She was scheduled for a procedure to put in stints to clear a blockage that might have been causing her to have kindey infections. Two days before the procedure was scheduled she ended up in the hospital. She threw up all night long the previous night and ran a temperature of up to 105 degrees. My Pop had to carry her to the car to get her to the hospital because she had become so lethargic and weak. They said she had pneumonia and she was admitted. They transferred her to Baptist so that she would be there if they decided to go ahead with the kidney procedure.
They did put the stints in her kidneys. But, then her stomach began swelling up like it would look if a person was pregnant. They ran some scans (which they didn't read for two days!) and she was scheduled for an abdominal surgery so that they could find the blockage. They took out a good portion of her intestines and said that there were spots of cancer in her abdomen (which we later found out was extremely bad, they said it would have taken them two weeks to cut out all the cancer they saw). After the abdominal surgery she never felt any better. She was diagnosed with congestive heart failure because of the fluids building up on her heart and lungs. She was transferred to the PC ICU (which is Pulmonary Care ICU) I believe on a Sunday or Monday. I was out of town that weekend and went in on Tuesday evening, which was my first chance to get to the hospital.
I visited with my Pop in the waiting room and ate dinner with him while were were waiting on visiting hours to begin. A doctor came and found him in the waiting room and told him that he wanted to look him in they eyes and say that her condition is very serious and that she is very sick. He said that there was a strong possibility that she would not make it through this. Ten minutes later I was able to go back and visit my Nana. A family friend was also there to play her instrument for her. My nana had requested that she bring it on her next visit so that she could play it for her. So, she went back to visit my Nana as well. My pop went back out to the waiting room because there are only supposed to be two visitors at a time and my aunt and uncle had showed up in the waiting room right when visitation had started, he was going to visit with them.
Our friend quitely and sweetly played her dulcimer while I gently held and rubbed my Nana's hand. She was on an oxygen mask and every now and then would get agitated with the fit or begin breathing heavy. She did this several times while I was in there. She was "in and out of it" probably due to her medication and weak state. She began another episode of breathing heavy but this time it came on rapidly and progressed further. She looked panicky, her body stiffened, she started pulling her mask out and struggling. All of the monitors began beeping and blinking. Nurses began running in yelling to get her doctor on the line. They rushed us out and asked us to wait in the waiting room.
My friend and I had to go to the waiting room and tell my Pop that something happened. He took it in and then stood up and said he was going to go back to try to get some information. He and my aunt, who is a nurse, walked back to the unit. Soon after we heard the "code blue" for her unit. When my aunt returned she was crying and said that Nana had coded and that we should begin calling everyone and tell them that they should probably come right away. We were given a small room them soon after moved to a larger family waiting room. Family began trickling in. We were not updated much on her condition except that they shocked her and got her back and that they were working on stabilizing her. They allowed visitors after what seemed like forever, but she was sedated and was intubated. This was a Tuesday night.
Over the next couple of days she made some improvements, her oxygen levels went up enough that they were forced to turn off the ventilator and extubate her. She was never the same person. They had her on very small amounts of morphine at times, but she was not strong enough to stay awake for more than a minute or less at a time and she could not speak. She was acknowledging us speaking to her and would smile or grimace depending on the conversation and the question asked. But, her body was dying. We were waiting on my uncle to get there so that all six of her children could be by her side. After his 27 hour drive (straight through from Canada) he arrived 12 hours before she passed. He and his family got to see her and talk to her for a few hours before the night arrived. They all either slept at the hospital or in a hotel across the street. Around 4:30 am the nurses called my family and told them that she was not going to make it much longer. My Pop and her six children gathered by her side and were with her when she died peacefully and without pain. Her breathing slowed to a stop.
My Nana has always been my role model in Christianity, motherhood, marriage, and many other things. She and my Pop had an extremely close relationship. They laid side by side every night and prayed, and woke the next morning to get dressed, drink coffee, then hold hands and begin their day by praying again. She knew how to love, always put others first, and saw the positive in EVERYBODY. She never dwelt on the negative in people no matter their situation. My goal is to be more like her. She influenced many people through being "the coach's wife". She was a team mom to the Ouachita Baptist University basketball team most of her life and would have been married to my Pop for 60 years this Christmas Eve.
I love you Nana
They did put the stints in her kidneys. But, then her stomach began swelling up like it would look if a person was pregnant. They ran some scans (which they didn't read for two days!) and she was scheduled for an abdominal surgery so that they could find the blockage. They took out a good portion of her intestines and said that there were spots of cancer in her abdomen (which we later found out was extremely bad, they said it would have taken them two weeks to cut out all the cancer they saw). After the abdominal surgery she never felt any better. She was diagnosed with congestive heart failure because of the fluids building up on her heart and lungs. She was transferred to the PC ICU (which is Pulmonary Care ICU) I believe on a Sunday or Monday. I was out of town that weekend and went in on Tuesday evening, which was my first chance to get to the hospital.
I visited with my Pop in the waiting room and ate dinner with him while were were waiting on visiting hours to begin. A doctor came and found him in the waiting room and told him that he wanted to look him in they eyes and say that her condition is very serious and that she is very sick. He said that there was a strong possibility that she would not make it through this. Ten minutes later I was able to go back and visit my Nana. A family friend was also there to play her instrument for her. My nana had requested that she bring it on her next visit so that she could play it for her. So, she went back to visit my Nana as well. My pop went back out to the waiting room because there are only supposed to be two visitors at a time and my aunt and uncle had showed up in the waiting room right when visitation had started, he was going to visit with them.
Our friend quitely and sweetly played her dulcimer while I gently held and rubbed my Nana's hand. She was on an oxygen mask and every now and then would get agitated with the fit or begin breathing heavy. She did this several times while I was in there. She was "in and out of it" probably due to her medication and weak state. She began another episode of breathing heavy but this time it came on rapidly and progressed further. She looked panicky, her body stiffened, she started pulling her mask out and struggling. All of the monitors began beeping and blinking. Nurses began running in yelling to get her doctor on the line. They rushed us out and asked us to wait in the waiting room.
My friend and I had to go to the waiting room and tell my Pop that something happened. He took it in and then stood up and said he was going to go back to try to get some information. He and my aunt, who is a nurse, walked back to the unit. Soon after we heard the "code blue" for her unit. When my aunt returned she was crying and said that Nana had coded and that we should begin calling everyone and tell them that they should probably come right away. We were given a small room them soon after moved to a larger family waiting room. Family began trickling in. We were not updated much on her condition except that they shocked her and got her back and that they were working on stabilizing her. They allowed visitors after what seemed like forever, but she was sedated and was intubated. This was a Tuesday night.
Over the next couple of days she made some improvements, her oxygen levels went up enough that they were forced to turn off the ventilator and extubate her. She was never the same person. They had her on very small amounts of morphine at times, but she was not strong enough to stay awake for more than a minute or less at a time and she could not speak. She was acknowledging us speaking to her and would smile or grimace depending on the conversation and the question asked. But, her body was dying. We were waiting on my uncle to get there so that all six of her children could be by her side. After his 27 hour drive (straight through from Canada) he arrived 12 hours before she passed. He and his family got to see her and talk to her for a few hours before the night arrived. They all either slept at the hospital or in a hotel across the street. Around 4:30 am the nurses called my family and told them that she was not going to make it much longer. My Pop and her six children gathered by her side and were with her when she died peacefully and without pain. Her breathing slowed to a stop.
My Nana has always been my role model in Christianity, motherhood, marriage, and many other things. She and my Pop had an extremely close relationship. They laid side by side every night and prayed, and woke the next morning to get dressed, drink coffee, then hold hands and begin their day by praying again. She knew how to love, always put others first, and saw the positive in EVERYBODY. She never dwelt on the negative in people no matter their situation. My goal is to be more like her. She influenced many people through being "the coach's wife". She was a team mom to the Ouachita Baptist University basketball team most of her life and would have been married to my Pop for 60 years this Christmas Eve.
I love you Nana
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Rock-a-bye Baby
So this weekend Jack and Jace have been sleeping in the same room as Cody and I while we have been away from home. They had a blow-up mattress close to our bed and did really well sleeping on it. Our alarm clock at home is typically set for around 6:00 am so that Cody can get up and begin getting ready for work. Cody prefers the beeping noise over the radio. But, this weekend, we got to wake up to music! Jace.....laying in bed.....on his pillow.....singing "Rock-a-bye Baby"! Except his song comes out more like, "rock...baby...treetop...rock...baby...treetop". Either way it was a welcome change to the 6:00 am beeping!!! Just one of those things I wanted to share and never forget!
Friday, August 14, 2009
Gift Idea
As I am typing we are pulling into the great town of Lubbock, TX!! Cody's grandmother is turning 80 years old and the family is having a surprise party for her! I just had to share our cool gift that we made/bought for her.
On a list of things Cody's aunt said she needed or would like was a bird bath. I thought it would be neat to get one and have the kids put their footprints on it and turn them into little birdies! I got crafty and did it, I'm pretty proud of myself! Gotta show a pic of course! I haven't added the wings yet because I wanted it to dry a little first. Then, I will also have to spray it with a sealer. But, here it is!! Sorry they are sideways, don't know how that happened??
On a list of things Cody's aunt said she needed or would like was a bird bath. I thought it would be neat to get one and have the kids put their footprints on it and turn them into little birdies! I got crafty and did it, I'm pretty proud of myself! Gotta show a pic of course! I haven't added the wings yet because I wanted it to dry a little first. Then, I will also have to spray it with a sealer. But, here it is!! Sorry they are sideways, don't know how that happened??
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Hawaii 09
Obviously I can't load the hundreds of pics we took while in Hawaii, and loading five took long enough, so here are a few pics of us on our vacation. We went in early May with our friends, Justin and Jennifer. We rented a jeep for the week and never put the top on! We drove the famous "North Shore", went to the Dole Plantation, went snorkeling at Hanauma Bay, spent much time on the beach reading a book (mine was Twilight), and ate a lot of good food!
Photo 1: Our first steps on Hawaiian sand
2: A cool tree we found on the beach
3: Standing amoungst the red pineapples at the Dole Plantation! I was on my way to get pineapple ice cream with pineapple tidbits, yummy!
4: Live parrots in my hand, freaked out!!
5: At Moose McGillicuddy's having a great meal
Photo 1: Our first steps on Hawaiian sand
2: A cool tree we found on the beach
3: Standing amoungst the red pineapples at the Dole Plantation! I was on my way to get pineapple ice cream with pineapple tidbits, yummy!
4: Live parrots in my hand, freaked out!!
5: At Moose McGillicuddy's having a great meal
I'm alive!!
Wow, it's been a while! Thanks Allyson for encouraging me/us to keep up our blogs! I feel really bad for my blog, like it knew I was giving preferential treatment to Facebook or something?
So, just to catch you up: Jack is now 3 years old, we had an AWESOME Monster Truck Birthday party for him and I will have to post on that later with pics. He is incredibly loving and smart. He plays well with others, takes good care of the little ones (including his little bro), and is an all-around joy to be around. Jace, will be two in September. He is speaking full sentences, pee-peeing in the potty, and loves to Jump. Kinda random, but when thinking about him, I think Jump. But, he does pronounce it "gump". Only makes it cuter to me!
Cody and I visited the island of Oahu in early May. Hawaii was wonderful, but think I will go to Maui next time to get out of the big city and see more 'Hawaii'. I also took a trip to Destin with a friend. So, two adults, one five year old, one three year old, and one one-year old! One car, 11 hour drive, lots of movies! It was wonderful though! The boys and my friends daughter laughed and giggled the whole way! (Lexie, the five year old handed Jack a pretzel to put on his finger. She said, "With this ring I thee wed." Jack said, "With this ring, I be wetter." Hilarious!!)
Hopefully I'll get my pic of the boys changed to an updated one! It's a year old!
So, just to catch you up: Jack is now 3 years old, we had an AWESOME Monster Truck Birthday party for him and I will have to post on that later with pics. He is incredibly loving and smart. He plays well with others, takes good care of the little ones (including his little bro), and is an all-around joy to be around. Jace, will be two in September. He is speaking full sentences, pee-peeing in the potty, and loves to Jump. Kinda random, but when thinking about him, I think Jump. But, he does pronounce it "gump". Only makes it cuter to me!
Cody and I visited the island of Oahu in early May. Hawaii was wonderful, but think I will go to Maui next time to get out of the big city and see more 'Hawaii'. I also took a trip to Destin with a friend. So, two adults, one five year old, one three year old, and one one-year old! One car, 11 hour drive, lots of movies! It was wonderful though! The boys and my friends daughter laughed and giggled the whole way! (Lexie, the five year old handed Jack a pretzel to put on his finger. She said, "With this ring I thee wed." Jack said, "With this ring, I be wetter." Hilarious!!)
Hopefully I'll get my pic of the boys changed to an updated one! It's a year old!
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