Finally Better Days?

This week has been ridiculously insane. Truly. Maybe not the busiest we have ever been, but just crazy anyhow. On and on seem to be the complications from this illness. I feel recovery today, which I am THRILLED about. Michael, stayed home from band today and is missing hockey tonight due to a stomach ache and not eating. And last night, I drove my husband 60 minute round trip to his hospital as his gastro-paresis (paralyzed stomach) once again began acting up, and he was in intractable pain. As I was entering back into my house at 11pm, to gather cleaning supplies to wash the puke out of his truck (his puke, not mine), I received an urgent call from him to now come and pick him up as he was having a severe anxiety reaction to the IV medication they gave him in the hospital. Poor guy....at least the meds did precisely what they were meant to do for his stomach, and he has been sleeping and sore today, but doing MUCH better. I am SO glad.....it is a horrible thing to see someone you love in pain, knowing there is not one single thing you can do to help.

That crazy evening occurred after a rather long and disappointing day for me. I travelled the hour long drive into Abbott hospital for my scheduled biophysical profile test. Oh....back up one week. Lat Thursday, I had a second Level II ultrasound with my OB appointment, and they failed to mention that BPP tests were now ordered for once per week.....not because of any current worries they had now, but due to past history. Well, I had my little buddy, Tubby, with me that day, and he was a marvelous little guy for the entire two hours we were in the clinic! He sat there so nicely on his chair, just holding his little backpack full of cars. He is just the best! Everything went well, and all was fine and good. No worries.

Until yesterday. Bethany failed her BPP, only earning 6/10 points. Her heart strip was reassuring, but not reactive (perhaps she will be laid back, like Crispy?), she did not practice any breathing in a 30 minute time span(big whoop....she is still quite young at only 30 weeks), but the thing they were most concerned about was the low amniotic fluid...less than 5%. Gee whiz......we are hoping that it is simply from this nasty GI bug, and being dehydrated so much during the last week. I will be returning to Abbott on Sunday to retest. At least Tubby and Laura had a good time downstairs at McDonald's with Grandma C during the more than two hour long ordeal today.

BUT.......the sun has been shining this week, and the kids have been playing OUTSIDE. I have been pulling down Christmas light cords and wrapping them from my zero-gravity chair as I watch Laura zoom around in the green jeep, while Tubby shoots down the driveway at lightning speed in his Cozy Coupe. It has been just great to get out of our disease infected house and to spend so much time in the fresh air. I have done NOTHING indoors to clean, organize, or keep up with daily chores, but sometimes you just need to let that go in order to grab a few slices of sanity where you can find it.

Jonny has been a GREAT helper with these little guys. He has been so good about taking them outside to play in the backyard or at the park, anytime I ask. He even took a sad Laura into the backyard to teach her how to golf one afternoon.....it totally made her day! Jonny and Crispy have also been working hard this week to try to calm the dog down when she is around people. It is our goal to make her pleasant enough to share the backyard with this summer....as of now, she would just bowl over any of my small little people in her loving, caring , 75 pound way.

Melissa got to resume horseback riding this week! She had to miss her first lesson last week due to being sick (ok,ok, are you tired of hearing about this illness yet? I am so tired of living in it!)....so she was super psyched to go this Tuesday. She did really well, even after 5 months off, and riding a horse she has never ridden before. The horse was a bit stubborn, and I think that might be a good pick for her...it will force her to speak up more, and use those leg muscles to make him go, instead of being so light on a more "automatic" and easy ride. It is always great to watch her ride, and see her doing something so successfully and having so much fun.

******

A highlight of my week? The arrival of my new diapers I will be trying out on Bethany! As far as disposables go, Seventh Generation are by far SUPERIOR to any other brand. Not only are they better for kids (as chlorine and other chemicals found in other disposables have been linked to skin problems and fertility issues), but they are the most absorbent and smell retaining diaper on the market. I would never go back to any other kind of disposable. With every baby, I have considered the switch to cloth, but honestly, I think the extra work would push me over the edge that I believe I am not too far from. So while cute, and good for baby and environment, I have to bow out there.

Are not these adorable?!?!?

What I HAVE found, is a cloth/disposable hybrid!!! Can you believe it? Soft, cloth, diaper covers, that are oh so very cute and cuddly, with a disposable....nay, FLUSHABLE, insert! How cool is that? I have been reading online forums and reviews over the past few weeks to be sure about making this investment, and I am finally convinced that this will be a great way to go. For those of you that self compost, the wet inserts can be thrown right into your composting pile....made of natural fibers and materials, they biodegrade right into the earth!

****

Speaking of all things good and natural, Mary took me to a Whole Foods store in the cities today. We brought our little ones with us, and shopped to our hearts' content. It was great! The produce was amazing, and the selection of everything was outstanding. I was grocery depleted at home, and was pleasantly surprised that my total grocery bill was barely more than usual. I can not wait to feed my family only organics this weekend! Things are going to begin looking up from here on out!