On the Road Again

We drove to Indiana yesterday to be with family. He finally fell asleep after 5 hours in the car. Made the last 3 hours of the trip much less stressful.

For a two year old, he really does very well in the car. Of course, it helped that he had new DVDs to watch.

Merry Christmas Eve!

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

The Adventures of the Miller Family Christmas Tree

Assembly of the Miller Family Christmas tree used to be rather uneventful process.

 Not anymore.

You see, this is the first Christmas that Snuggles is old enough to "help" with putting up the tree. 

While this was going on, I was in the kitchen fixing supper. I came out briefly to find this...

"The tree looks great!" you say.  Yes. Yes it does... only it's the wrong tree!  This is the "skinny tree" we purchased several years ago when our living room was too small for our tree.  But the skinny tree looked very puny in our current space, so poor Guitarman had to put away the skinny tree, go back down to the basement, and pull out the big tree.  He was less than excited.

Miller Family Christmas Tree: Take Two
(Note: At 1:18 Snuggles says "Christmas tree!")

After Snuggles helped take the branches out of the box, he sat on them.

Snuggles was so excited about the Christmas tree assembly process
that he insisted on helping put each branch on the tree...

... which, of course, means the process of assembling the tree took forever!

So we managed to put the tree together, but that was the only thing we accomplished the first night. 

Miller Family Christmas Tree: Take Three

(The next night, we managed to get the lights on the tree.)

 Miller Family Christmas Tree: Take Four
(The next night, we got the decorations on the tree.)



Right after I finished recording the video, Snuggles threw an ornament, and this happened.

 So we decided to put Snuggles to bed, and finish decorating the tree without him.
(I know, I know. We're party poopers. But we wanted to get the tree up before Christmas!)

Miller Family Christmas Tree: Take Five

When Snuggles woke up the next morning, we let him put the star on top of the tree.

[Yes, Guitarman is wearing Elmo pajama pants. Snuggles loves to be matchy-matchy with Daddy.]

And for the final touch...  Guitarman hung Taco's collar on the tree.

 I find it fitting (and surprisingly comforting)
that a little part of Taco will be with us this Christmas.

After 10 years...

This is why I still love my husband...

He holds my purse for me when I've got my hands full.  (Yes, he is purposely striking a "girly" pose.)

Hey, I said he holds my purse. I didn't say he was thrilled to do it.  *smile*

Sneak Peak

Here's a Sneak Peak of our 2011 Christmas Card... coming your way soon!

Photo Card

View the entire collection of cards.

10 Years

Well, the past year month has been so busy, that I've barely had enough time to think, let alone blog about what I've been thinking.  Great ideas went unshared.  Funny stories were left untold.  TSS (Things Snuggles Says) went unpublished.  But rather than trying to catch you up on the insanitythatismylife, I'll just list the things I've missed blogging about, at least what I can remember:

• Guitarman went to Honduras.
• I injured my back while Guitarman was out of the country, and I walked around moaning like an old lady for several weeks.
• We visited the pumpkin patch, where Snuggles enjoyed carrying around (and throwing!) pumpkins. Unlike his usual obsession with animals, Snuggles showed no interest in the petting zoo at the patch, preferring instead to ride in the pink car. (Much to Guitarman's shagrin.) Snuggles also refused to pose for photos. He might be smiling in like 2 of the 100 photos I shot.
• We broke up with our former landlord (who was a major jerk!), and moved to a new-to-us (read: smaller, older, more affordable) house owned by kind home-owner-landlords who care more about people than they do about doing being a millionaire real estate investor. (Seriously, folks, he was a real prime-time jerk!)
• My parents came to Tennessee to help us move.
• Snuggles visited the pediatrician for his 2-year-old check-up. Aside from allergies, asthma, and truck-sized adenoids that face almost-certain-removal, he is healthy. (Thank you, Lord!)  Snuggles now weighs.... wait for it... 27 pounds!  No wonder my back hurts all the time.  He is only in the 34th percentile for height and 40th for weight, but he feels incredibly heavy compared to how small he looks.
• Snuggles continues to impress the pediatrician (and everyone else) with his words and sentences. Basically he's a short little motor mouth. I have no idea where he gets that.  Ahem.
• Mother-in-law moved out of our house into a retirement home!!!
• We had some Fall portraits taken by an amazing photographer-friend.
• Snuggles turned 2 years old. (Yes, people, he is two years old! And yes, we're experiencing The Terrible Two's, which, as luck would have it, started around 18 months for us.)
• We observed the one-year-anniversary of when we moved from Idaho to Tennessee. (Can't believe we've been here a year. Time flew by!)
• I celebrated my 36th b-day.
• Mother-in-law moved out of our house!
• Clumsy me sprained my ankle, which resulted in an over-priced x-ray, and me hobbling around and moaning like an old lady. (Again!)
• We travelled to Indiana to celebrate Thanksgiving with family! Snuggles enjoyed time with his aunts, uncle, grandparents, great-grandparents, great-aunts and great-uncles and his cousins! He did not, however, enjoy the car ride back to Tennessee.
• While in Indiana, Snuggles learned how to ride the battery-operated tractor by himself. (Well, almost by himself. He needed help steering.)
• Did I mention mother-in-law moved out of our house?!  (I really do love her.)
• I spoke in the employee chapel at work a couple of weeks ago, and shared what I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving: My God, who gave me so many blessings in life, and who has always had His hand on my heart and life.  Of course, a shared that gratitude in the context of a funny story about how my parents drove me to college in our car, pulling an aluminum bass boat with all my stuff in it. I'll have to tell that truly humiliating story later.
• I switched from Android to iPhone. (This is a major step for me because I'm not a fan of Apple for a number of reasons.) I finally caved to Apple's obviously superior product, despite my misgivings with their business strategies, simply because I refused to replace my Droid phone for the 5th time.

Last but definitely not least, Guitarman and I celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary today!  (Guitarman and Melinda, sittin' in a tree.... )   Well... we're not actually going to celebrate our anniversary today because 1) We have dress rehearsal for our church Christmas Program this evening;  2)  Because I have a nasty cold/cough that limits our.... marital festivities (cough) to a card exchange, cyber kisses and "hubba-hubba" heckling from across the room.

I'm blessed to have Guitarman as my partner, my best friend, my live-in comedian, my cheerleader, my counselor, my hot date, my pastor, and the fabulous father of our sweet son, Snuggles. After all these years, Guitarman still makes me laugh and he still laughs at my stories.  Thanks for all the memories, Guitarman!  By God's grace, I hope we have many more happy years ahead of us!  I love you!

TSS

TSS (Things Snuggles Says)

When I get home from work, the first thing I do is change my clothes. I have to get out of the office attire and into something more... ahem... comfortable. Like jeans and a t-shirt.

Last night I arrived home from work, and walked into the bedroom to change my clothes. As I stood there in the closet, the door swung open, and there stood Snuggles. (I swear he follows so close behind me that if I let out a big fart, he'd be blown away.) As I removed my pants, and started to hang them on the hanger, the following conversation ensued:

Snuggles:  Mama naaaakiiiid!

Me:  No, Mama's not naked.  I'm changing my clothes.

Snuggles:  Mama shower?

Me:  No, I'm changing my clothes.

Snuggles:  (Pointing to my butt)  Cute!


Trust me, Snuggles, it's anything but cute.  But thanks anyway.

Moving (again!)

"I know God won't give me anything I can't handle. I just wish he didn't trust me so much." 

                                                                                                             --Mother Theresa

I've heard this quotation many times throughout the years, and besides the fact that the Bible doesn't actually say that, the quotation itself is thought-provoking. It communicates sentiment we feel sometimes when we're at the end of our rope. I'm going through one of those times now.

We've been looking for a rental house in the Nashville area because our lease is up at the end of this month.  The house we're currently renting is beautiful (and big!), but it's expensive.  Now that we've been here a year, we have a better understanding of our expenses for living in this area.  We would like to reduce our housing costs in order to focus on paying down our debt with the eventual goal of buying a house here. (We still own our house in Idaho, but that's another story.)

In the process of searching for a rental house, some friends made us an offer we couldn't refuse.  After trying (unsuccessfully) to sell their beautiful townhome for the past year, they offered to rent it to us at a very reduced rate. We jumped at the chance.  They contacted their realtor to take the townhouse off the market, and we were supposed to get the keys and start the process of moving in last week.

We contacted our landlord and gave him our notice of intent to vacate. One hour after e-mailing our current landlord, we received an e-mail from the townhouse owners. Their realtor had called about a potential buyer, so basically their offer for us to rent the townhouse was tabled indefinitely.  I quickly e-mailed our landlord and asked for more time, but he refused.  Instead he pressured us to sign another 1-year lease. 

As home owners ourselves, we completely understand that our friends need to sell their property.  But the bottom line is we were in a really bad position.  We had 20 days to find a new place, not to mention physically pack and move our stuff!

I literally worked myself crazy last week searching property listings, contacting agents, etc. We looked at a bunch of properties, but despite all our efforts, we found NOTHING suitable.

Sunday morning after church, I hit a wall. I reached the end of my rope.  I lost my mind.  As I sat on the floor having a minor nervous breakdown, I thought about the Mother Theresa quote... I had to surrender the situation to God (again!) and just TRUST Him to provide.

Sunday night, we found our house. It's an older home in an established neighborhood in Mt. Juliet, which is east of Nashville. It's much smaller than our current house, and it's a little dated inside, but it has enough space for our family and it's on a beautiful 1.5 acre plot of land.

Once again God proved to me that He always provides our needs.

My prayer throughout the past week has been this:  God give me the strength to see this adversity as an opportunity to trust You, a time to see Your grace at work in my life.

I'm going to keep breathing that prayer throughout the next 2 weeks as we pack and move... AGAIN. This will be our 6th move in 10 years.  I'm over it.

Movin' On Up

Snuggles is movin' on up... to size 18-24 months clothes, that is.  Fall weather brings with it cooler temps, and he can't wear any of his long-sleeved clothes from last year.  After hitting up consignment sales and outlet stores last week, I found some new and new-to-us clothes for Snuggles, which only means one thing... Time to clean out the closet!

The process of cleaning out Snuggles' closet usually entails packing the old stuff into plastic bins and replacing it with the "new" stuff.  [Did I mention my garage is PILED high with plastic bins full of Snuggles' clothes from the past two years?!  Yeah, we can't even park our cars in there.]

I dread the seasonal transition of Snuggles' clothes, for two reasons:

1) I hate shopping.  The search for new stuff wears me out!
2) Cleaning out the closet is an unavoidable walk down Memory Lane.

Okay, I'll be honest.  I'm usually not a sappy person... But when it comes to Snuggles, I'm a blubbering, snot-running-out-the-nose fool.  Transitioning his closet seems to bring me to a grinding halt in front of a sign that says:  YOUR BABY IS GONE!  As I packed away the size 12 months clothes on Saturday, I could literally see Snuggles' babyhood slipping through my fingertips.  And although I want to strangle him sometimes he tries my patience on occasion, part of me doesn't want him to grow up so quickly!

There I sat, on the floor of Snuggles' closet... Everything I touched had a memory associated with it:  He wore the grey, fuzzy sweatshirt on his first wagon ride.  He wore that striped t-shirt on his first trip to the zoo....  Each piece of clothing I held in my hands was like a fabric snapshot of Snuggles' life.

Cleaning out Snuggles' closet to make room for bigger sizes, I found myself torn between celebrating the new phase in life and missing the baby days.  That's when I found it--the white onesie with the lamb on the front and the big yellow stain on the bottom.  That's when I remembered The Blowout.

The Blowout:  We were at a restaurant eating lunch when Snuggles grunted, made the-face-every-mom-dreads, and then proceeded to poop over the back of his diaper, out the side of his onesie, down my leg, and onto the floor.  It was a Level 5 Blowout.

So there I sat last Saturday, on the floor of Snuggles' closet, holding the poop-stained onesie.  In that moment, I realized it's so important to live in the moment.  We've moved on to new adventures now.  And while I'm sure I haven't cleaned the last of Snuggles' poop-stained clothes, I am blessed beyond words.  Every moment with Snuggles is a joy... even the ones that stink.

Playground

Check out the big boy at the playground.  He is so proud of himself, that he's big enough to climb the stairs and go down the slide by himself!

Monkey at the Zoo

I took last Friday off work because Snuggles' sitter was away on a retreat. Since I had to use a vacation day, I figured we should make it fun!  So we met some friends from church at the Nashville Zoo. I was a little nervous about taking Snuggles to the zoo by myself because Snuggles is quite a handful these days, and I really hate it when he misbehaves acts like a toddler in public. He gets restless when he has to sit still for long, and he pretty much throws a major tantrum refuses to ride in his stroller. To avoid him running off--and subsequently my having to chase him all day long--I decided to take his toddler leash, which is basically a cute, little stuffed animal/backpack with a strap attached for me to drag him along keep Snuggles within arm's length. I bought it several months ago for a trip, but I've never used it.... until now.

If you're a parent, you probably know toddler leashes are not without controversy. I used to watch people with their kids on leashes and I would think, "Good grief. Do they think their kids are dogs?!"  But now I have my own toddler, and I see those leashes in a whole new light.

As we drove to the zoo, I debated whether or not to use the leash... What will people think of me? They'll think I'm a bad mom.  To my surprise (and relief!) when I met up with my two friends (whose sons are close to Snuggles' age), they both had toddler leashes for their boys!  :)  So, there we were... three fine examples of motherhood moms with three rambunctious boys on leashes!

Here's a video of Snuggles right after I put the leash on him. (The noises you hear in the background are white- cheeked gibbons.)


You've heard of chasing your tail, but what do you do when your tail is chasing you?!  :)

I'm not gonna lie. Snuggles hated the leash. (And his friends hated theirs, too.)  But that leash saved my bacon at the zoo, and I will gladly use it again.

Guitarman in Honduras

Guitarman has been in Honduras for the past week (8 days to be exact) on a mission trip. I thought I would feel lonely while he was gone. I did miss Guitarman desperately, and I felt Taco's absence even more strongly while Guitarman was gone. But the good news?  I never once felt lonely because I had Snuggles to keep me company!  He seems to become more fun and entertaining everyday. 

Discoveries

I'll start this blog by being completely honest.  I'm hurting.  Taco died on August 31.  (For those who have been on another planet just recently found my blog, Taco was my dog, my best friend of 12 years.)  I'm not ready/able to blog about her death yet, but I'll get to that eventually because I know it will be therapeutic.

Meanwhile, I can't believe how profoundly I'm grieving. I'm heartbroken. And the fact that Guitarman is out of the country makes this week even more difficult.  The good news is: God knows just what we need when we need it.  While searching for a work-related file on my computer today, I discovered a folder of old videos I had downloaded when I replaced my phone.  The folder contained a bunch of old videos of Snuggles, videos I hadn't seen in quite awhile. Watching those short little video clips made my heart smile.

As I watched the videos of Snuggles, I realized the past year for Snuggles has not only been a time of growth physically, it's also been a year of discovery. Thankfully, his many discoveries have been too cute to resist recording. And so, I bring you a video archive of Snuggles' discoveries...

Kleenex (Subtitle: How to make a mess) - recorded Aug. 29, 2010


JELLO (Subtitle: Catching flies) - recorded Sept. 30, 2010



Mobility - recorded Feb. 17, 2011



Words (Subtitle: The Language Explosion Begins) - recorded Feb. 20, 2011



Drinking Fountain - recorded Feb. 23, 2011


Vacuum Cleaner (Subtitle: Proof that Mommy does clean) - recorded April 6, 2011


Climbing (Subtitle: The Monkey in Action) - recorded July 2011

Confessions of an Extravert

We took the Meyer's Briggs Personality Type Indicator (personality test) at work a few weeks ago, and my results were predictable. I'm an Extravert... off-the-charts-extravert, in fact. [I know, it's a *shocker*... Not.]

Basically, extraverts draw energy from action. According to Myers Briggs, contrasting characteristics between extraverts and introverts include the following:

• Extraverts are action oriented, while introverts are thought oriented.
• Extraverts seek breadth of knowledge and influence, while introverts seek depth of knowledge and influence.
• Extraverts often prefer more frequent interaction, while introverts prefer more substantial interaction.
• Extraverts recharge and get their energy from spending time with people, while introverts recharge and get their energy from spending time alone.

I've taken the Meyers Briggs test several times through the years with similar results, and it's always spot-on.  I definitely have an extraverted personality. But motherhood has changed one part of my extraverted personality forever...

I cherish every precious second that I have alone.

I used to *dread* going to the grocery store. And while I don't jump for joy in the produce section, I definitely have a newfound appreciation for that sacred hour of weekly food/supply-gathering now that I'm a mom... becuase I can do it *alone* without a 2-year-old screaming at me, "Mama, I [want to] color!" or even worse, "I poop!"

I confess.  This textbook off-the-charts-extravert-mom desperately craves time alone.  I mean, seriously.  Is it too much to ask to go the bathroom by myself?!

It never fails that I'll sneak into the bathroom and close the door to do my business, only to have Snuggles bang on the door from the outside, crying, "Mama! Mama!"  He carries on like the world is going to end if he can't watch me pee.

I've always been an extravert. And I still am. But every-once-in-awhile, even an extreme extravert needs five minutes alone to poop in peace.

Karate Ballet

Snuggles got a hold of my fabric headband the other night - the one I use to hold back my hair when I'm working out.  (Which is rare these days.)

Anyhoo.

Snuggles put my headband on his forehead, which made him resemble The Karate Kid, only not-so-Italian and much cuter. (Is that a word... Cuter?)

Anyhoo.

After Snuggles put on my headband, he started doing this weird little routine where he put one arm out in front him, and said some unrecognizable word, and then positioned his legs like he was trying to kick... He did it over and over. Guitarman and I could not figure out what he was doing, but it looked like karate moves.  So I called Snuggles' daycare provider, Cathy, and asked her where Snuggles learned karate moves. "Oh, that's not karate," Cathy said, "That's ballet!"

Apparently Cathy's granddaughter has been teaching Snuggles ballet routines... I consider myself a supportive mother, but I have to draw the line at ballet.  I don't even want to think about my son wearing ballet tights.

Snark Attack

Guitarman and I have been married for almost ten years.  When you've been together as long as we have, it's not uncommon to complete each other's sentences or say the same thing at the same time.  (Jinx!)  Part of what has kept us together sane all these years is our shared sense of humor.  I have to admit that sometimes we laugh at those around us.  People-watching is cheap entertainment.  I'm sorry folks, but people are just too funny!  These "snark attacks" happen when we least expect them, and sometimes I just can't resist...

While we were eating lunch in downtown Nashville today, an attractive young lady walked by.  She was obviously dressed nicely for work, but her skirt was so short that she had a difficult time sitting down without showing her lady parts.... That's when I had a snark attack.

Me: If your skirt is so short that you can't bend over, it's too short for work.
Guitarman: Well, that depends on your line of work...
Me:  Yeah, maybe it's okay if you're working the POLE.
Laughter

On the way back to work, we drove through a low income area (also know as "The Hood").  As we passed a store called "Kings & Queens Urban Wear", I had another snark attack:

Me: Kings & Queens Urban Wear... Get your saggy drawers here.
John: I bet they don't sell belts.
Me: Ha!
John: They should have a sign that says, "All pants half off!"
Laughter

Apparently our lunch menu today included a side of snark.  Life is short.  Laugh a lot.

Shoe Obsession

My son is obsessed with his shoes.

No worries, I've done some research and concluded this is normal toddler behavior.

A couple of months ago, I bought Snuggles a pair of Crocs.  In case you're not familiar with them, Crocs are a type of slip-on shoe made out of some combination of plastic and rubber. They are lightweight and washable. They're pretty much the perfect shoe for children. Anyway, a couple of months ago, I bought a pair of navy-colored Crocs for Snuggles. He immediately fell in love with them, which was cute at first. But now, Snuggles is absolutely addicted to his Crocs.

Snuggles doesn't care whether or not his Crocs match his clothes.  He wears them anyway. He wears them to church.  He wears them in the sandbox.  He wants to sleep with his Crocs on. He wants to wear them in the bathtub. He literally screams when we take the Crocs off his feet. Of course, I don't give in to the screaming. I just tell him "I know you like your shoes, but we don't wear shoes in bed," and then brace myself for the screaming to ensue... which I promptly ignore.

In the past, the first Snuggles did when he woke in the morning was ask for his milk. I'll give you one guess what Snuggles asks for now when he wakes up in the morning... "I shoes!"  (Toddler Translation: I want my shoes!)

Tuesday evening, Snuggles played in his sandbox and kiddie pool in our backyard. We were out of swim diapers, so I left him in his regular diaper, which quickly disintegrated in the water.  So I took it off.  But Snuggles didn't mind... 

He still had his Crocs on!

Summertime

Summer is the perfect time to visit the zoo, where you can feed birds...

 and see giraffes. (In the background.)

Summer is the perfect time for baby boys to "chill" in their strollers...

to pet a goat...

to admire alpacas...

and to squirm out of Daddy's arms...

Summertime is the best time for wagon rides...

 and cooling off in the neighborhood pool.

 During the Summer it's important to stay hydrated...

 and you should wear a hat to protect your bald spot skin from the sun... 

 

Summer is a great time to try new things, like pool time with friends...

 falling and getting your first goose egg...

 Learning to put on your shoes...

Summer is the perfect time for hanging out with Papa.

And coloring with Nana

 

Summer is also a great time for Nana and Papa to spoil their grandson with a new sandbox...

and a new kiddie pool...

 

 Summer is the perfect time to soak up lots of love...

 

and give lots of kisses.

Summertime makes me remember just how blessed I am. Thank you, Lord.

Holiday Weekend

We had a fun holiday weekend!  We spent time with John's high school friends at a pool party in Hendersonville, hosted some friends from Idaho for burgers on the grill, and enjoyed a cookout with friends and fireworks on July 4th!

Snuggles really enjoyed playing with his friends, Cooper and Rowan. All three boys are about the same age.

They played in the pool...



They played with the Elmo sprinkler....


And then Elmo surprised Snuggles...


As you can probably tell from the video, the three boys thoroughly entertained the adults. They were a riot!

One of the highlights of the weekend was hearing Guitarman preach on Sunday. God worked through the entire service to touch people's hearts. You can watch the sermon online or download the podcast here.

I'm thankful to live in a country whose freedom allows me to worship the ONE whose sacrifice set me free from sin!

VBS t-shirt

This crazy kid is a ton of fun.  He's usually up to no good.  And he's especially cute in his VBS t-shirt.

Hospital

I'm sorry that it's been so long since I updated my blog, but I have a good excuse explanation... Snuggles has been sick.

It all started two weeks ago when Snuggles got another seemingly-run-of-the-mill cold. Snuggles woke up from his Sunday afternoon nap with a runny nose. Not so unusual considering the fact that during the seven months we've been in Nashville, we've had six cold viruses run through our family. (Darn those Tennessee viruses that are foreign to our Yankee immune systems!) Snuggles' cold progressed through the usual stages... runny nose, stuffy nose and cough (complicated by asthma). We treated Snuggles with extra breathing treatments using the nebulizer and went through several boxes of Kleenex. When Thursday rolled around,
Snuggles had a previously scheduled well visit with his pediatrician (more on that later). She wasn't too concerned about the cold, and since his lungs sounded okay, she went ahead and cleared him to receive his routine vaccinations.

Everything seemed fine until we woke up Friday morning. When I picked Snuggles up out of his crib, I noticed he felt warm. I took his temp: 103.2.  So I called my office and told them I had to stay home with Snuggles. Then I called Nana Nurse (my mom), and left her a voice mail. She is always my first point of info when it comes to Snuggles' health.  Next, I called Snuggles' pediatrician.  Before Nana Nurse called me back, I received a call from Snuggles' pediatrician's office. The triage nurse said the fever probably resulted from the shots combined with the cold/virus. Instructions were to treat the fever, give Snuggles lots of fluids, and call them on Monday if the fever persisted.

On Saturday morning, I woke up at 6:30 a.m. to the sound of Snuggles crying.  As I handed him his milk, I noticed he felt hot, so I gave him some Motrin. He quickly accepted his milk, and laid back down in his crib to go to sleep. I went back to bed. I woke up later that morning to find him sleeping quietly. I decided to let him rest. I enjoyed the lazy Saturday morning drinking coffee and reading a book.  At about 10:30 a.m., I couldn't believe he hadn't woke up on his own yet, so I went to check on him....

Snuggles was sound asleep in his crib, breathing fast and absolutely burning up with fever. When I picked him up, he looked up at me with this pitiful look and just said, "Mama..."  I swear it was like he was saying "Help me!"  He was limp as a dish rag.  I nearly had a heart attack.  His face was covered in thick, gooey snot, so I took him to the bathroom to clean off his face. I realized at that point that he was REALLY hot, so I hurriedly checked his temperature. Guitarman stood next to me as I watched the digital thermometer and started counting aloud... 103, 104, 105 and rising!  I turned to Guitarman and said, "We're going to the hospital!"

Guitarman ran downstairs to start the truck and get it started cooling off. (It was over 90 degrees outside at 10:30 a.m. Welcome to Tennessee!) Thanks to my lazy Saturday morning, I was still in my pajamas and had not showered.  I raced around getting dressed, putting in my contacts, and grabbing the few supplies we needed. Guitarman held Snuggles with tears streaming down his facing, and I heard him praying for Snuggles, asking God to touch his son. I felt a sob welling up in my throat, but forced myself to focus on getting Snuggles out the door and to the hospital.  Maybe I would let myself fall apart later.

We loaded Snuggles in the truck, and drove to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital in downtown Nashville as fast as we could safely drive. I sat with Snuggles in the backseat of the truck. I tried to get him to drink a little Pedialyte, but he wasn't having any of it. He sat there, motionless, breathing really hard and fast. I was so scared, but I knew if we could get him to Vanderbilt, he would be in good hands.  Those were the longest 30 minutes of my life.

After a brief wait in the "quarantine" room of the ER, the folks at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital took us into the triage room, where they asked a few questions, and then moved us into an exam room right away. Within minutes, there were 2 doctors and 3 nurses in the room. They took Snuggles' temp, and it was 105.5! The doctor looked in his ears, and announced he had a nasty ear infection in both ears. His heart rate and respiration were both too high, which they said was probably from the high fever. The doc listened to Snuggles' chest, and ordered an x-ray to check for pneumonia. The worst part about all of it was how still Snuggles remained during the entire examination. He didn't protest at all when they pocked and prodded him... he just laid there, too weak to fight. It was awful!

The first order of business was to lower Snuggles' fever. They gave him a Tylenol suppository and gave him Motrin a few minutes later. The x-ray showed signs of early pneumonia, so they started him on antibiotics. They wanted us to see if we could coax him to drink some juice in his sippy cup, but he refused to drink anything.

After several hours of Snuggles not showing much improvement at all, they started an IV to give him some fluids.  After the IV, Snuggles actually sat up in bed.  He still wasn't moving around much, and he refused to drink anything. But his temp was coming down, and he showed more signs of life.  The nurses tried to cheer him up by bringing him some toys...

Not interested.

Since Snuggles seemed to be improving a little, the hospital decided to let us go home. Before they let us go home with instructions to feed liquids with a syringe (basically "force feeding"), they decided to give Snuggles more IV fluids to "boost" him up before sending him home.  While they were preparing our prescriptions and getting ready to remove the IV, Snuggles started dry heaving. The docs didn't like that because they knew it would be difficult to keep him hydrated and medicated, so they decided to admit him.

What I haven't told you yet is that in addition to Snuggles being sick, John and I were also battling the cold/virus ourselves.  We both had nasal congestion and a scratchy throat, and I had a nasty cough.  (Gotta love asthma!)  After spending all day in the ER, I had used my rescue inhaler several times without much relief.  One nurse even asked me if they needed to start a chart for me!  What I really needed was a nebulizer treatement of Albuterol, and I desperately needed to lay down. But after they admitted Snuggles to the hospital, it became clear that none of us would get much sleep that night... The doctors, nursers and respiratory therapists started coming in/out of his room a lot.  I needed to get home for a breathing treatment, and I really needed some rest because I wasn't feeling well at all. As much as it killed me to leave Snuggles, we decided it would be best for Guitarman to stay at the hospital with him overnight so I could go home and get some rest. Otherwise, we feared I would be in the hospital next. So I went home and took a sleep aid so I could get some rest. (I was so worried about Snuggles that I couldn't sleep without some medicine to force me into Dream Land.)

It turned out our suspicions were right.  Neither Snuggles nor Guitarman were able to sleep much that night.  They braved a night of interrupted sleep... people in/out of the room taking Snuggles' temperature, giving him meds to keep his fever in check, giving him breathing treatments and checking his vitals. I don't understand the theory behind repeatedly waking an ill child who desperately needs rest!  But anyway....
 
I woke up early Sunday morning and headed back to the hospital to relieve Guitarman.  He needed to get to the church because there was no one to fill in on short notice.  When I arrived in Snuggles' room, I was thrilled to see him sitting up in bed, watching "Yo Gabba Gabba".  After being on continuous IV fluids all night, he looked so much better!  I filled his sippy cup with the almond milk I brought from home (he can't have cow's milk or soy milk), and we were all thrilled that he started drinking on his own!

Still in the hospital bed, but feeling better

I spent most of the morning cuddling with Snuggles, encouraging him to drink lots and lots of juice, and watching Elmo.

  Watching Elmo at the hospital

We even played a little Peek-a-Boo between naps.

Peek-a-boo!

I knew Snuggles was feeling better when he started smiling again.

Saying "Cheese!" for the camera

By late-morning, the doctors decided Snuggles was well enough to go home. But we had to wait for Guitarman to get finished at church so he could come pick us up.  Vanderbilt has wagons at the hospital that they let patients use to take walks.  (Wagons are much more cheery for transporting kids than wheel chairs!)  Snuggles absolutely loves his wagon at home, and the hospital wagon was no exception.

Snuggles' wagon ride at the hospital

Although he was still too weak to walk much on his own, Snuggles enjoyed riding around the hospital in the wagon while we waited for Daddy to come pick us up.

It took several days for Snuggles to turn the corner toward recovery... He was very weak, so he was wobbly when he tried to walk, and sometimes he just fell over. He spent most of Monday and Tuesday sitting in my lap or sitting on the couch beside me.

I did not enjoy my boy being sick, but I sure did enjoy the extra cuddle time!

Although Snuggles was still weak on Monday, he did perk up for a few minutes when a delivery man arrived at our house with a "Get Well" balloon bouquet from our church family. 

By Wednesday, Snuggles was back to running and playing again.  I am so grateful to all our family and friends who prayed for Snuggles while he was sick.  I'm also thankful for Vanderbilt Children's Hospital. They were so great taking care of Snuggles, not to mention very kind to all of us!

Still Me

I had an "ah-ha" moment this morning. I've written in the past about the identity crisis I've struggled with since Snuggles was born. Before Snuggles was born, I didn't see myself as a mom, and in many ways I've struggled to adjust to motherhood.  I absolutely adore Snuggles.  Every day with him is a blessing.  But I would be dishonest if I said being a mom has been all roses and rainbows.  It's still a struggle sometimes for my head to catch up with my heart, and sometimes I feel like a failure.

Our church recently started a MOPS Group (Mothers of Pre-Schoolers).  Unfortunately, most MOPS groups meet on weekdays, which alienates working moms like myself.  Just because I work during the day doesn't mean I don't need the support of fellow moms!  Thankfully, our MOPS organizers surveyed participants to see if evening or daytime options work best, and there will be some evening and weekend activities that I can join.  I'm really looking forward to the opportunity to develop relationships with other moms.

So what caused the ah-ha moment?  This week I received a reminder about the MOPS Wednesday night meeting, reminding all the moms to bring their make-up bags to the meeting....  That's when I had the ah-ha moment.

I don't wear make-up.  In the past, I wore a small amount of eye make-up, but the combination of my allergies and wearing contact lenses makes it difficult for me to wear eye make-up.  So, over the years, I just sort of stopped wearing it.  On top of that, I'm a pretty no-nonsense girl when it comes to beauty.  I take care of my skin, I keep my hair styled and my nails manicured, and I wear the clothes that match and happen to be clean... but that's pretty much the extent of thought I put into fashion/beauty.  So I laughed out loud when I received the MOPS Group reminder to bring my make-up bag to the meeting...

I've always felt a little out of place as a woman... like I have more "male" personality traits than what is generally attributed to women.  Lots of women like to shop.  I'd rather have a pap smear than go shopping.  Lots of women enjoy getting dressed up and wearing jewelry.  I wear my wedding rings with my jeans and t-shirt.  Lots of women like to cook or bake.  I cook only because I can't afford to eat out all the time.  Lots of women feel accomplished by taking care of their family and their home.  I feel accomplished by analyzing/solving an organizational challenge.  Psychologists tell us that women have an inherent need to feel cherished and protected.  For me, it's much more important to be respected and consulted.  While many women want chocolate and roses for Valentine's Day, I'd rather have an upgraded camera lens or a new thumb drive.  So that's why I laughed when I received the MOPS Group reminder to bring my make-up bag to the meeting.

I think it's awesome that our church has a MOPS Group!  Despite the fact that I sometimes feel uncomfortable at women's events, I do sense a connection with my fellow moms.  I share many of their struggles.  But I still laughed when I received the MOPS Group reminder to bring my make-up bag to the meeting.

My ah-ha moment: Becoming Snuggles' mom has changed me in many ways, but in many ways, I'm still me!  I will probably always fit in better at a Superbowl Party than I will at a Women's Retreat.  And you know what?  I'm okay with that.

The Case of the Crazy Toddler

The Prosecution will provide ample evidence to prove that the toddler in question (Snuggles - age 18 months) is guilty of crimes against his mother, including, but not limited to, 1 count of disorderly conduct, 2 counts of disturbing the peace, and 4 counts of destruction of property.

Exhibit A: Erratic, unpredictable behavior

Exhibit B: Crime scene footage

Exhibit C: The Accomplice

Exhibit D:  Defendant displays lack of remorse

 

The Prosecution rests.

Mother's Day

Snuggles and I drove to Indiana to spend Mother's Day weekend with my family. (Well, I drove. Snuggles rode.) We were sad that Guitarman couldn't come with us, but that's what happens when your husband is a pastor. It's nearly impossible for pastors to get away over a weekend. 

We had a lot of fun visiting family in Indiana., although you may not be able to tell from this picture...

 The boys weren't exactly being cooperative. My mom clearly thought it was hilarious.

Carter Bear was being particularly difficult...

Which led to several...err... conferences with his Daddy.

My grandparents had an absolutely wonderful time chillin' with all the great-grandkids.

Snuggles had fun playing with Papa.

I spent a lot of time chasing Snuggles... and taking advantage of very Kodak moment, like this one

and this one...

and this one.

Snuggles played with his cousins...

 

and posed for photos with Nana and Papa...

sort of...

 It's always great to be with family... on Mother's Day or any day.
The older I get, the more I realize how precious these days really are.