poor Seth!

So I learned a very valuable lesson the HARD WAY this week! When Seth STARTS wheezing, he needs to see a doctor ASAP to get a prescription for steroids. I didn't do that on Wednesday, so we ended up in the emergency room. We waited for over two hours in the waiting room until his airway was almost completely swollen shut and he was barely getting any oxygen whatsoever. THEN the triage nurse decided to call the e.r. docs to get us a room and some doctors and nurses to rescue my angel baby's life. If I hadn't been crying so hard, I probably would've felt like I was on some hospital show because all kinds of medical staff swooped in, capes flying, talking all their medical talk and doing all their medical rescue business. It was pretty amazing to see that kind of stuff in real life. I would have preferred it be someone NOT my child in distress, though! We stayed in the pediatric ICU Wednesday night and then the regular pediatric ward Thursday night. Seth is fine now, back to his normal angel baby self (his siblings have other words to describe Seth's normal, but I'm sticking with the positive here). I have repeatedly prayed that God bless all those people who helped Seth through that scarey night!

my brother

today would've been my brother John's 35th birthday. i'm sure i'm not the only one crying today and wishing i could've had more time to show John how important he was to me and how much i loved him! i posted a video on youtube today. happy birthday, little brother!

where am i?

Here with Superchick:

"breathe"

"crawl"

"hold"

CUTE kids! and a new job

Monday, I got to watch a friend's two children. They were deLIGHTful!!! Maybe at home they behave differently, but the whole time they were at my house, they were ANGELS!!


I knew just how great they are when we were discussing lunch options. I suggested having chicken nuggets, but that didn't sound very good to them. When I asked how they felt about peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and fish crackers, they jumped up and down and yelled, "We LOVE those!!!! YAY!!!!" Only the super-great kids love the easiest food in the world :-)


And of course, my own little angel just added to the greatness of the day :-)


Babysitting is NOT the new job that I mentioned in the title of this post. I really enjoyed the day, but babysitting isn't something I would want to do for a living. Today I started working again after ten years of being a stay-at-home mom. I'm re-stocking and ordering greeting cards for Hallmark. It's easy work, I'll be working by myself after I get all my training, and I get to set my own hours. I'm looking forward to this job! I'm also looking forward to the paychecks that will go directly to American Express :-)

funny little detail

Here's a funny little detail that my mom didn't know about me until last Tuesday: I don't brush my hair. I haven't brushed my hair in about four years because I started getting perms four years ago to make life easier right before Seth had open-heart surgery. If I were to brush my hair, it would be a giant frizz bomb. I do WASH my hair and use my fingers as a comb to put conditioner in it; but I never use a brush, comb, or pick on my hair. Apparently that's shocking, not just to my mom, but to other people I've mentioned this to. BUT my hair IS clean, and I only get a haircut and perm once a year -- because I don't brush it. Funny how we all do things a little differently :-) And speaking of hair, Makenzie, Seth, and I are well on our way to donating another ten-inch braid to Locks of Love. Anyone care to join us? :-)

my 6yo thinks i'm brilliant

My kids seem to think that a person's intelligence is based solely on their math skills. I talked to my kids this morning on the phone (I'm still at my mom's house). Before Luke decided to say good-bye, he asked me, "Mom, what's 10 + 15?"
"25"
"And what's 25 + ummmmmmm 3000?"
"3025"
"Wow! You're GOOD! Bye, Mom! Love you!"

lots of cards

My mom has received LOTS of cards and notes from friends and family. We have both appreciated these very much! One of the cards really touched me:
God Understands the Pain as Your Shepherd

The Lord is
always watching . . .
always keeping . . .
always providing . . .
always defending . . .
never forsaking.
You are never forgotten . . .
always loved!

When there are no easy answers . . .
When you are facing something
you thought you would never have to face . . .
When you wonder how you will ever
pick up all the broken pieces . . .
God is there for you!
He will bring you through --
not somehow, but triumphantly!

"Casting all your care upon Him for he cares for you." (I Peter 5:7)

And then my calendar page yesterday had this verse on it: ". . . the Lord has comforted His people and will have mercy upon His afflicted." (Isaiah 49:13)

Everyday life can be stressful and even difficult sometimes. We all make mistakes and have problems. Nothing I've been through so far, though, has been as difficult as this situation. I'm still going back and forth between acceptance, sadness, and "no way! this did NOT happen, it just couldn't have happened!" I pray for comfort and peace for all of us. God is good and I know He'll answer!