Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Elvis' surgery day

Today is the day the urologist goes looking for Elvis' testicles. What fun! When he locates them, he'll pull them down and stitch them in place where they belong. I've never owned that equipment but I'm 100% sure that my day today will be better than Elvis'.

We don't have to be at the hospital (an hour from home) until 2:30 this afternoon. I fear we may be there well into the evening hours. I'd much rather have gone in the wee morning hours and be done by now. We didn't get a choice. He did get to eat breakfast this morning. He could eat before 8:00 and then can have only clear liquids between 8 and 1. He can't have anything after 1.

Alli is not going with us. She's pretty miserable with the pregnancy so she's staying home. Beth is going with me. I was afraid to try this adventure without another set of hands along for the ride. Elvis loves his Aunt Beth and she's great with him. We'll be fine. And, Elvis will be cranky afterward but he will have earned that right.

Monday, June 29, 2009

Still no baby

I went with Alli to her appointment on Friday and she was still only dilated to "a loose two but we can call it almost a three if it makes you feel better." However, the baby is measuring BIG - 88 percentile and he wants to get her out soon. So, unless she goes into labor before, she will be induced on Wednesday...Boy Wonder's birthday. Can you tell I'm just thrilled about that last part?

Elvis has surgery scheduled for Tuesday so it looks to be a busy week around here. I'll keep you posted.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Baby Watch, 2009

Alli had her cerclage removed (fairly painfully, evidently) yesterday. That means the baby could join them at any time. All of her restrictions are removed and she can carry Elvis again. After 5 months of toting that guy around, I think this part makes me happiest of all. ;-)

So now we wait...and wait. She's not technically due until July 13 so the baby may come soon. Or we may still have a month.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Thinking ahead...Father's Day

My own father has been dead for about 9 years. I'm single so my kids don't have a father here. Their own bio father is...interesting, to put it nicely. Elvis' bio father surrendered parental rights several years ago. Father's Day just isn't an issue in my house. There's really no mention of it since it doesn't apply to anyone.

In the spirit of the season though, I'd like to "introduce" you to someone - Dick Hoyt. If you've already seen/read about/heard about "Team Hoyt" take the time to meet them again. Their story is a blessing. It kind of restores my faith in fathers.

Team Hoyt website



Saturday, June 13, 2009

June Birthday-mania

Lots of family members have June birthdays. Alli's is June 2. Beth's is the 10th. My brother's is also the 10th. My aunt's is the 12th. Add to that the birthday of a close friend's son on June 1, and we have a looot of June birthdays.

I combined Alli's and Beth's birthdays and took them out to lunch right between their actual birthdays. We also went to a local park Wednesday and celebrated Alli, Beth, and friend's son's birthdays all together. The candles on the cupcakes were the numbers 52 - their ages added together.

I took my brother and aunt out to eat last night to celebrate theirs. It was a nice evening. I can't remember the last time just the three of us did anything together. It was a different vibe without spouses or kids but it was a nice change.

Today, we are getting up and heading to my mom's hometown for...another birthday celebration - LOL! However, we will be celebrating everyone's birthday there today. Her family lives about 2 hours away and we don't get together as often as we should. So, we pick a Saturday every summer and celebrate all at once. Everyone brings a funny birthday card. We sign them and drop them in a box. Everyone draws one out and reads it to the group. Surprisingly, both my girls (and SpiderPig) are going along today. (Just Elvis and I went with my mom last year.) I'm not quite sure why the change of plans but I'm glad they are going. They really like one of my aunts there and she may be the draw. Doesn't matter. It looks to be a good day!

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Up to no good

Remember Beth's former BFF's brother? Take a moment to refresh your memories from last summer here and here.

Bff came by to visit me last Monday. We had a nice visit. She even brought me flowers and her new boyfriend for me to meet. I asked about her brother and she said he was still making horrible choices. The very day of that visit, this occurred:

"Xxxxx Co. Sheriff's Dept.

Monday, June 1

Xxxx Xxx Xxxxxxx, 19, (address deleted), was arrested and charged with theft, two counts of sale of marijuana, possession of marijuana for resale, attempted sale of a schedule I counterfeit narcotic, burglary, tampering with evidence, underage consumption of alcohol, possession of schedule IV narcotic and possession of drug paraphernalia. He remained jailed Tuesday in lieu of $73,500 bond."


Bless his heart. From 8th in his huge high school class to all those charges. He's not just using drugs now, he's also selling them. Everyone hoped he had learned from his problems last summer. Obviously, not. He seems determined to self-destruct. What can you do?

Friday, June 5, 2009

Hi, Fielding! Hi, Blair!

*waves toward Heaven* It's June again and I'm thinking of you both. In some ways, last June seems like just last month. In other ways, it feels like 10 years ago.

Breaking up

Elvis' speech therapist is breaking up with him. She's worked with him since before he was a year old. It feels like she's always been there. We've followed her to 3 different clinics, driving further to see her each time, just to continue the great working relationship with her. Now, she's quitting at the current clinic and won't be taking his insurance in her private practice. I feel like I've been dumped, too. You search and search for people who will love your kids and really make them work. This almost feels like a death in the family. We've got to find a new therapist and then spend the time to build a relationship with the him/her before expecting Elvis to make any progress.

On the upside, we've been driving a long way to these therapy sessions - over 100 miles round trip each week. Hopefully we can find a super speech therapist (who takes his stinky insurance) who also happens to be in an office with a great OT and PT and who all happen to be much closer to our home. That's not asking too much, is it? **insert hysterical laughter from parents of other kids with special needs here**

In other news, we've been busy here. Alli went with us to Elvis' speech appointment yesterday and we stopped at Walmart on the way home. I'd been invited to a baby shower and needed to buy a gift. We were gone a long time but had a good afternoon. This morning Elvis and I went with Alli to her OB appointment. We got to watch her ultrasound. Alli is 34 weeks pregnant and the baby is measuring 35 weeks and the doctor said she looks good. They will take out her cerclage two weeks from today and we'll wait for nature to take its course. Now, we're off to the baby shower. It's for a girl who was a student at a day care I worked at in college. (Yes, I'm that old.) It's at the park and the family is....different. So there promises to be many funny moments from today's shower.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

They are sure this time

Alli got another text yesterday telling her that her uncle had died.. (again - LOL). I asked if she was sure he was really dead and she read me the text message from her cousin that said, "Uncle C is dead. I'm sure this time." The family has no money for final expenses so he's being cremated and not having a service.

Pardon me if I seem a little cavalier about this death but, simply put, he was not a nice person. He was young enough and (until a couple months ago) healthy enough to work. He chose to spend his time pursuing illegal activities instead of honestly trying to provide for himself and his family. This left his now 19 year old daughter to financially support the whole family (bum father, 21 year old sister, and herself). Ordinarily I could have gotten past that but literally hours after his mother's funeral in January, he demanded that his father give him some of his mother's furniture and belongings. He wanted them so badly that he almost came to blows with his father. Did he was them for sentimental reasons? Nope, wanted to sell them to pay off a drug debt. That was the last straw in my book.

I feel really sorry for his daughters. As most good daughters do, they loved him dearly despite his faults. I'm sure his siblings and father (on some level) will miss him, too. The rest of the world? Should probably breathe a sigh of relief. RIP, Uncle C.

Monday, June 1, 2009

11/20/09

The new movie in the Twilight saga will be released. The trailer was released last night. I.can't.wait!!!


THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON trailer in HD