Eric Update

Eric was wonderful. For a guy who hadn't eaten since 10 the night before, he was a real champ and not fussy at all. He smiled and flirted with the nurses who loved it. The doctor (an ENT) said that the clipping released quite a bit. The skin was to his gums as well as to the tip of his tongue. Eric is still getting used to it. I can tell the local anesthesia is wearing off because I was watch Eric getting used the new new freedom his tongue has.

I knew when they were bringing him to me as he was fussy. I heard him in the hall and met him at the door to our room. He practically leapt into my arms and promptly tried to nurse. Although I wasn't fast enough for his liking, he got his meal. He didn't have to try as hard to nurse or nurse as long. Poor kid wasn't used to it and snorted milk out his nose. That didn't make him happy.

Once his belly was full, he was happy and back to normal. That means grabbing everything trying to shove it in his mouth. Besides being a bit sleepy (napping now), he is just fine. I think I might just join him for a nap too. Sleeping next to him will help alleviate some mommy nerves that he is bouncing back just fine. It will also help that 3 a.m. wake-up this morning.

Mommy Nerves (aka waiting for Eric's out-patient surgery)

I am up way too early. I have been tossing and turning for a couple of hours so decided to get up. It is a quarter to 5 a.m. now. My alarm isn't set to go off for almost an hour. I finally just got up so at least hubby can sleep. I figured to catch up on some housework. Then I decided to catch up on the blog. Maybe typing out things will help alleviate my nerves.

Eric goes in for out-patient surgery at 7 a.m. He is having a lingual frenalotomy. Besides being unable to pronounce the medical term this early in the morning, it sounds more serious. Eric is having the skin that attaches his tongue to the floor of his mouth cut. Ya know that piece of skin? Eric's is attached to the end of his tongue as well.

At first it wasn't a problem. Most of my other kids were born with it as well. Cara had it pretty bad too. I am not one to rush into medical intervention for (1) cost and (2) putting my children through perhaps unnecessary things. What mom likes to do that anyway? Like I said Cara has it, but she never had problems nursing. It was a dream with no pain, cracking, infections for a full year. Yet if you ask her to stick out her tongue, it will curl back into her mouth before getting much past her lips. It is kind of funny. She isn't talented like a friend's child who can pick her nose with her tongue. Ick! Maybe that is a good thing (the attached tongue not picking your nose with your tongue).

Anyway, I noticed Eric's attached-tongue-thingy problem pretty quickly. I decided to wait and see with him. Nursing was horrible for the first 6 weeks. I stuck it out because I figured I was out-of practice. It got better so I figured it wasn't bad enough to warrant clipping. Then he was nearing the 6 month mark. It started going downhill for me. Nursing hurt. I take 3 Ibuprofen so I can deal with the pain which is what I take following childbirth. I deal with pain fairly well, but was getting to the end of my endurance. I couldn't wean Eric either.

On one particularly bad day, I tried to offer Eric some formula. He refused (couldn't properly suck on the bottle's nipple or attach which was our problem too) the bottle so I nursed him. I just grimaced and bore it. It was a good thing though. As I was watching him eat, I noticed his face getting red, a bit swollen and developing whelps. I couldn't decide if it was the formula or baby food seeing he had gotten both all around his mouth. I put a drop of formula on a clear part of facial skin. It had the same reaction. It seems Eric is allergic to formula. I guess it was a good thing he refused to take the bottle.

I really don't want to pay more money for the expensive hypo-allergenic formula. I also figured since I produce a cost-free meal for my baby that it was the better route. Eric loves nursing. It is just me that is having issues. Since he was so tongue-tied I figured this was the next step. I just decided it too "late". Up until 2 months, the doctor can clip the tongue in the office. After that the babies get too strong. Eric is over 7 months now. So that is why he has out-patient surgery today.

I am told he will receive a bit of gas to make him sleep so the procedure can be done. The medical staff says it is easy and quick. I see nothing easy about it. Not only can I not nurse or even feed my baby for 6 hours before the procedure (not to either of our likings), but I have to sit in the room and fret what ifs. What if there is a reaction to the gas? What if things don't go as planned? What if ...? Then there is the after part. What if it really doesn't help? What if the problem was me and not Eric and putting him through was ...? I better stop now.

I guess that is what happens with being a mommy. I am not even a worrier by nature even, but I can't help myself. This is my baby. It is just what I do.

Babies and Bunnies

We raise rabbits and kids. Both species are rather cute. We have a litter of four that are about 4 weeks old (one pictured below). Another doe just had SEVEN babies a week ago. I will take mine one at a time, thank you very much. Eric loves all things furry. The poor creatures don't return the sentiment especially when Eric is poking an eye or pulling an ear. Please note that I do chores on occassion. I am drying my clean laundry on the line which means I do manage to keep on laundry most days. It is the folding that I hate. Anyway, back to what I was saying. Aren't babies and bunnies just so cute?

Look, Ma! No Brakes!

Wanna know how up your stress level? Drive a big ol' van with 9 kiddos having a grand time. Not enough stress for you? Drive that big ol' van filled with 9 hyper kids down a big hill. More you ask? Drive that big ol' van with 9 hyper kids down a big hill and have your brakes fail. Oh yeah, that is not for the faint of heart. Heck, it isn't for me, and I have a healthy heart.

I will try to positive and look beyond the bad things. I will look beyond the cost of towing and repairs. I will look beyond being cooped up in the van with the 9 hyper kiddos as I wait for my hubby to come get us (he was 40 minutes away). I will look beyond that the brakes went out on a steep hill with no warning.

What I will see is that hubby was not travelling so at least he could come get us. Rather it was me because I couldn't see cramming 11 people in a 5-person Prius (one being an infant in a carseat). We went and got our other car so we could divvy up the kids and continue on to church. I guess it is a blessing we have three cars having bought the hybrid Prius when gas prices started sky-rocketing.

Another blessing is that the van brakes failed when they did. If they failed the day before, I would have lost our new piano hubby was hauling. If they failed any sooner, I would have hit a house or seriously re-landscaped a neighbor's yard. If they failed any later, I would have gone on to a highway unable to stop or in town with more people, cars and buildings. Neither of those scenarios appeal to me. There could have been some serious injury and damage. Although the "Hulk" (aka my van) seems to be indestrucible from the couple of other things that have hit it like a mailbox and the car that rear-ended us. They didn't look too pretty afterwards.

It is hard to not say what if. I am just glad I didn't have to worry about the what ifs. When I realized I wasn't stopping although my foot was about to go through the floorboard, I let the van coast while still trying to get it to stop. I didn't make my turn. I don't think I would have anyway having either rolled or driven the van into the deep culvert. I am glad we are safe. I am glad my heart rate returned to normal (and that it was strong enough to withstand the fright).

They sure do talk funny

I was reminded of how words/slang and the meanings change over the years. I was reminded this morning by an almost horrified 15 yo. Charissa left her shoes (flip-flops) by the door. Her little brother (the 9 yo Jonathan) came by and saw some ants. He put Charissa's shoes on and smashed them.

I was telling Charissa about it a few minutes later, but heaven forbid I used the word thongs instead of flip-flops. So I basically told Charissa that Jonathan borrowed her thongs. Given the meanings of the words now (a thong being a piece of floss guised as underwear), I guess it does sound rather alarming not to mention funny.

I think they change the word meaning to keep parents on their toes and like totally un-groovy ... er cool.

EARTHQUAKE!

I was shaken awake at 4:45 this morning. Actually, I don't know what woke me, but when I did awaken I heard the items on a bookshelf in our room rattling. When they stopped, my first thought was wind or a tree fell. I checked outside. There was no wind. My hanging plant in our sunroom was still swinging. I started checking on other things. I guess I was thinking that sure felt like an earthquake. I live in the middle of cornfields so it couldn't be. We get tornadoes not earthquakes.

Oren came up saying his parakeets went beserk waking him. This isn't looking good. So I call hubby who happens to be travelling and on his way home soon. He says it sounds like an earthquake. He ought to know as he has been in one. So to relieve all doubt I googled it. I found a site and yep ...

A 5.4 earthquakes struck Illinois this morning. judging by the responses it was widely felt too. We are over 200 miles from the epicenter so fine, but what a wake up call!

TimeTraveller

My oldest says she is a time traveller. I laughed at her. Then she showed me this picture. Look at the young woman on the left.

Now I wonder as this is my oldest here and now.

I read about the first young woman. She is referred to as Big Nose Kate. Interesting history to say the least. Charissa is worried about the photo of Kate at 40. I didn't like the reputation of being a prostitute and common law wife to a gun slinger. So glad I don't believe the time traveller theory to explain the look alike.