Ally was a total champ today during her procedure. It took them a long time to find a site for her IV- unfortunately they had to stick her three times before they got it on the fourth try. It was torture for us both and I hated subjecting her to that. She was a trooper though and survived with minimal tears- thankfully I brought her faithful friend Lily Mae to comfort her.
The entire procedure took about 20 minutes. The doctor came to the waiting room to talk to us and told us that other than some thickening at the top of her windpipe (which is very indicative of reflux) everything looks healthy. Her esophagus, stomach and small intestine all looked normal and he expects the biopsies that he took to support his visual findings. While this is very good news, I'm a little disappointed- I sort of wish that he would have found something simple that we could fix. Now we're just stuck with trying to tweak the medication until she grows out of the reflux stage. Still, we're very thankful to have such a healthy little girl.
She was very slow to wake up from the anesthesia and we had a few nervous moments because her pulse ox dipped to 62% at one point (it should have been 93% or higher) and her heart rate shot up at the same time. They had to put her on an oxygen mask for a while and gradually step the oxygen down until she was getting enough on her own. When she finally woke up- over an hour after the procedure was completed- she was very groggy and cranky but she was very happy to see her mommy once the double vision cleared. ;-) Her voice is pretty scratchy since she had a breathing tube down her throat and she seemed to really enjoy a bottle full of water.
After we were released from the hospital she fell back to sleep in the car on the way home and didn't even wake up when I transferred her into her crib. I'm hoping she'll sleep the rest of the drugs off this afternoon and be back to her normal cheery self in time for her daddy's return tomorrow.
Thanks for thinking of us and checking in!
Wendy
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
The Bomb Has Dropped
I did it! I turned in my notice today! April 16th will be my last day and I'm starting the countdown. My boss said he'd been expecting it and wasn't surprised at all. As usual, it wasn't nearly as difficult as I though it was going to be and I'm upset with myself for wasting so much time stressing out about it. It's going to be tough to fight off the short timers effect, but I'm going to attempt to still do good work for the next 7 weeks.
Check out my nifty new ticker to the right- let the countdown begin!
Check out my nifty new ticker to the right- let the countdown begin!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Tuesday Happenings
There is a lot going on this week in the Martin household! To start with, my parents arrived yesterday from San Diego to stay with us for a while. My stepbrother Len and his wife Melissa are going to be having a baby on or around March 5th. They live in NYC- so Dad & Ann are using Norfolk as their jumping off point- they'll stay with us until they get news that Melissa has gone into labor then they'll book it up to New York to welcome in the newest member of the family. Ally and I are thrilled to have them and are enjoying the company already.
Sometime this week (probably tomorrow) I will be taking the first step in my journey to becoming a full time SAHM (Stay At Home Mom) by turning in my notice at work. My last official day of work will be Thursday April 16th. I'm giving them 7 weeks notice so I can make the transition as easy as possible for my employer. There is no guarantee that they'll keep me around that long and a small part of me is almost hoping they don't. I'm ready to get on with life and get away from my dead end job and onto the more important business of being Ally's mom.
Ally will be having her endoscopy procedure on Thursday morning. We just got the call from the doctor yesterday- gotta love Navy medicine and all the advanced notice that you get! We will get immediate results and will have time to talk to her doctor after the procedure. He's a great guy and I have a lot of faith in him but we'd still appreciate your prayers. Hopefully we'll finally find a way that we can help Ally and in turn make all of our lives easier.
Matthew will be coming home on Friday (yea, only 3 more days!) after a long month away. We're all really ready to have him around again- even if it's only for a few weeks before he leaves again on the next work up. Though we've missed him terribly, I guess this month has been good for me in a way- it's helped to prepare me for the long 7 month stretch and also shown me that I can do more than I give myself credit for sometimes.
Finally, Friday will also be the day that I go in for my first mammogram since the summer of 2007 when I was pregnant with Ally and had all the biopsies. I waited a few weeks after I'd finished nursing since that can make it hard to get accurate images and I saw my primary care doctor last week for a referral. During her exam she found an area of concern which is hopefully just another fibrous mass like the last one. I still want to get it checked out and make sure that it's nothing before we start trying to give Ally a little brother or sister! ;-)
That's all for now- thanks for checking in!
Wendy
Sometime this week (probably tomorrow) I will be taking the first step in my journey to becoming a full time SAHM (Stay At Home Mom) by turning in my notice at work. My last official day of work will be Thursday April 16th. I'm giving them 7 weeks notice so I can make the transition as easy as possible for my employer. There is no guarantee that they'll keep me around that long and a small part of me is almost hoping they don't. I'm ready to get on with life and get away from my dead end job and onto the more important business of being Ally's mom.
Ally will be having her endoscopy procedure on Thursday morning. We just got the call from the doctor yesterday- gotta love Navy medicine and all the advanced notice that you get! We will get immediate results and will have time to talk to her doctor after the procedure. He's a great guy and I have a lot of faith in him but we'd still appreciate your prayers. Hopefully we'll finally find a way that we can help Ally and in turn make all of our lives easier.
Matthew will be coming home on Friday (yea, only 3 more days!) after a long month away. We're all really ready to have him around again- even if it's only for a few weeks before he leaves again on the next work up. Though we've missed him terribly, I guess this month has been good for me in a way- it's helped to prepare me for the long 7 month stretch and also shown me that I can do more than I give myself credit for sometimes.
Finally, Friday will also be the day that I go in for my first mammogram since the summer of 2007 when I was pregnant with Ally and had all the biopsies. I waited a few weeks after I'd finished nursing since that can make it hard to get accurate images and I saw my primary care doctor last week for a referral. During her exam she found an area of concern which is hopefully just another fibrous mass like the last one. I still want to get it checked out and make sure that it's nothing before we start trying to give Ally a little brother or sister! ;-)
That's all for now- thanks for checking in!
Wendy
Monday, February 23, 2009
Manic Monday
It's been a busy day here and I don't have time to post much but I've had several requests to post something new so that icky cockroach from my last post will no longer be the first thing that you see when visiting my blog! So, here's a few nice, cute, cuddly Ally pictures to hold you over.
More tomorrow- hopefully!
Ally enjoys leaving little finger prints on the sliding glass door. I though this picture was sort of cool since you could see her reflection too.
She also gets hours of entertainment out of watching the clothes in the washer & drier go round and round. She laughs and beats on the doors.
We check email frequently- always hoping to hear from daddy.
She does not like her party hat that I bought for her 1st birthday. We're trying to wear it for a few minutes every day to get her used to it.
The little shrimp has become a terror with toilet paper! I've had to take it off of the holder and stash it on top of the commode to keep it out of her reach. It wouldn't be so bad if she just unrolled it, but she tries to eat it!
More tomorrow- hopefully!
Ally enjoys leaving little finger prints on the sliding glass door. I though this picture was sort of cool since you could see her reflection too. 
She also gets hours of entertainment out of watching the clothes in the washer & drier go round and round. She laughs and beats on the doors. 
We check email frequently- always hoping to hear from daddy.
She does not like her party hat that I bought for her 1st birthday. We're trying to wear it for a few minutes every day to get her used to it. 
The little shrimp has become a terror with toilet paper! I've had to take it off of the holder and stash it on top of the commode to keep it out of her reach. It wouldn't be so bad if she just unrolled it, but she tries to eat it! Wednesday, February 18, 2009
La Cucaracha Must Die!
Last night I enjoyed some lazy time on the couch catching up with my DVR. Around 9:30 I decided it was time to call it a night. I shower at night before bed because I feel like my sheets stay clean longer that way and I just like to fall asleep without the day's funk on me. So, I let the dogs out for the last time, lock up the house, set the alarm, and head into the bathroom. I brush my teeth and strip down to my birthday suit. I slide the shower door open and am poised to step into the tub when I see it! La Cucaracha!!! Ewwwwwwwwwwwww!!! It is running along the track of the shower door. Ugggggggg!!!! I can handle spiders and bugs, but cockroaches freak. me. out. My skin is crawling right now just thinking of it! I froze for a split second then almost fell over in my haste to get away from it. Normally I would scream for Matthew and make him do the dirty work but I was on my own this time. I was scared to let him out of my sight while going to the kitchen for the bug spray- if I lost him I wouldn't be able to use the bathroom again for fear of him lurking in there somewhere. So, I searched around under the sink and found the 409- not ideal, but it'll work. I blasted his ass with 38 squirts of grease fighting power. He was definitely the cleanest roach in town. (Now there's an oxymoron for you!) I feel compelled to tell you that we've lived in our home for nearly 2.5 years and that is the first cockroach I have ever seen in it. No idea where he came from, but I sure hope he doesn't have friends! I did a little victory dance as I watched him circle the toilet bowl- I've discovered one more thing that I can accomplish on my own if I have to... I can kill la cucaracha!Tuesday, February 17, 2009
4 Day Weekend
Miss Ally and I had a nice 4 day weekend together (I love it when my weekends are longer than my work weeks!) We walked at the park and had lunch with our friends Libby & Natalie on Friday, attended a 1st birthday party for Ally's friend Hal on Saturday, had a Valentine's day dinner with Ally's great grandmother, Dot, on Saturday night, church & brunch with Bonnie & Dean (who shared some really happy news with us!) on Sunday, errands and a visit with Ally's grandparents who just returned from Florida on Monday.
It wasn't all fun and games though- in fact, we went through some pretty rough patches throughout the weekend. Ally has been refusing to eat, unwilling to drink her milk, and frequently vomiting up the little bit of food that I'm able to get into her. It's very frustrating for me and I'm constantly worrying if she's getting enough nutrients to grow and thrive. Since we doubled her medication dosage last week she has gotten worse. I spoke to her doctor this morning and he's going to see her on Wednesday afternoon. Matthew and I have discussed it at length in our emails this week and have agreed to let him proceed with the endoscopy, if he still wants to do one, in order to rule out some potential problems. We've been resisting the procedure thus far since we don't like the idea of our baby being under anesthesia, but nothing else seems to be working well. I've talked to other mothers who have dealt with reflux babies and they always say "As soon as we got on 'x' medication baby 'y' was just fine!" That's never been the case with Ally- even on her good days she is still really difficult.
I watched a Mystery Diagnosis show on TLC one afternoon this weekend while I was cleaning and Ally was napping. A 3 year old little boy with digestive problems was the subject of the show. He'd been diagnosed with reflux as a baby- improved briefly, struggled with constipation which seemed to be controlled by a special diet, and he vomited frequently. They assumed he just had a sensitive stomach until he got really sick right around his 3rd birthday. The parents and doctors were stumped and couldn't figure out what was wrong with him until they took him in for an Xray and discovered that he had a tear in his diaphragm which had allowed his stomach and intestines to migrate up into his chest cavity! I know Ally doesn't have this problem, but it made me think that perhaps this isn't just simple reflux and maybe we should make sure there isn't something that we've missed so far.
So- we'll see what the doc has to say tomorrow. I'll update on Thursday with the verdict.
Here are some pictures from the weekend.
Ally is practicing walking all over the place now with a little assistance from Mommy.
Me and Ally at Hal's 1st birthday party
Naked baby showing off her 'pulling up' skills
Gus comes upstairs to wake Ally from her nap with me. He loves his little sister and she gets awfully excited to see him. This is the picture that I snapped seconds before she fell out of her crib... Don't worry- I caught her- but it was quite a scare. From now on any crib pictures will be taken with the rail up!
She wakes up so happy- just like her mommy!
It wasn't all fun and games though- in fact, we went through some pretty rough patches throughout the weekend. Ally has been refusing to eat, unwilling to drink her milk, and frequently vomiting up the little bit of food that I'm able to get into her. It's very frustrating for me and I'm constantly worrying if she's getting enough nutrients to grow and thrive. Since we doubled her medication dosage last week she has gotten worse. I spoke to her doctor this morning and he's going to see her on Wednesday afternoon. Matthew and I have discussed it at length in our emails this week and have agreed to let him proceed with the endoscopy, if he still wants to do one, in order to rule out some potential problems. We've been resisting the procedure thus far since we don't like the idea of our baby being under anesthesia, but nothing else seems to be working well. I've talked to other mothers who have dealt with reflux babies and they always say "As soon as we got on 'x' medication baby 'y' was just fine!" That's never been the case with Ally- even on her good days she is still really difficult.
I watched a Mystery Diagnosis show on TLC one afternoon this weekend while I was cleaning and Ally was napping. A 3 year old little boy with digestive problems was the subject of the show. He'd been diagnosed with reflux as a baby- improved briefly, struggled with constipation which seemed to be controlled by a special diet, and he vomited frequently. They assumed he just had a sensitive stomach until he got really sick right around his 3rd birthday. The parents and doctors were stumped and couldn't figure out what was wrong with him until they took him in for an Xray and discovered that he had a tear in his diaphragm which had allowed his stomach and intestines to migrate up into his chest cavity! I know Ally doesn't have this problem, but it made me think that perhaps this isn't just simple reflux and maybe we should make sure there isn't something that we've missed so far.
So- we'll see what the doc has to say tomorrow. I'll update on Thursday with the verdict.
Here are some pictures from the weekend.
Ally is practicing walking all over the place now with a little assistance from Mommy. 
Me and Ally at Hal's 1st birthday party
Naked baby showing off her 'pulling up' skills
Gus comes upstairs to wake Ally from her nap with me. He loves his little sister and she gets awfully excited to see him. This is the picture that I snapped seconds before she fell out of her crib... Don't worry- I caught her- but it was quite a scare. From now on any crib pictures will be taken with the rail up!
She wakes up so happy- just like her mommy!Saturday, February 14, 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Over the Hump
I made it through hump day yesterday, but just barely. It was a pretty rough afternoon. I left work feeling pretty decent only to discover that Ally refused to eat all day at daycare. I tried feeding her before I left for home and she just kept pushing the bottle away. One of her caregivers had the misfortune of asking me how she was eating at home and I just lost it! Talk about an emotional wreck- I was sobbing away right there in front of all the babies. Every once in a while all the pent up stress just has to come out and sometimes it doesn't always pick the most opportune moment!
I manged to pull it together for the drive home. I prayed to God for strength and patience and arrived home with a renewed determination. I managed to get a full bottle and some oatmeal into Ally then I decided it would do us good to get some fresh air since it was another 70 degree day. I plunked her into the BOB and we were off for a 45 minute power walk. I was feeling much better by the time we finished up- must have been all those long dormant endorphins!
While Ally was napping, her GI doctor finally called me back! He agreed with me that her medication dosage needs to be adjusted so we doubled it! WOW- wasn't expecting it to go up that much! I give her one dose in the morning in her first bottle and one dose with her 5:30pm feeding that I'll mix in with some pureed fruit. It didn't appear to have had much effect last night as she still fought through her last bottle and this morning wasn't much better but we're going to give it a few days to see how it works. I agreed to give up my planned appointment on Friday and rescheduled for a week and a half later so we'll have time to see if the increased dosage is making any difference.
There were a few fun things that happened yesterday- it seems every day Ally discovers something new. On Wednesday- it was the stairs! As you can see in this picture- she made it up one stair. Guess it's time for us to finally start using that annoying gate that has been in the way for the past 11 months! ;-)
Ally also discovered the toilet paper yesterday! She was playing in our bathroom while I was putting some clothes away and I heard her laughing. I went to investigate and found her standing up in front of the toilet and unrolling the toilet paper roll! I got some of it on video but it's too long to post on blogger. Suffice it to say that it was very cute!
This last picture is just to prove that there were no hard feelings after my emotional outburst. Ally is still my #1 kiddo and I love her more than anything- even if she does act like a little monkey butt sometimes!
Hope you all have a nice long weekend and enjoy Valentine's Day with the ones that you love. Only 15 more days until my honey comes home- we'll have a belated celebration then.
Until next time....
I manged to pull it together for the drive home. I prayed to God for strength and patience and arrived home with a renewed determination. I managed to get a full bottle and some oatmeal into Ally then I decided it would do us good to get some fresh air since it was another 70 degree day. I plunked her into the BOB and we were off for a 45 minute power walk. I was feeling much better by the time we finished up- must have been all those long dormant endorphins!
While Ally was napping, her GI doctor finally called me back! He agreed with me that her medication dosage needs to be adjusted so we doubled it! WOW- wasn't expecting it to go up that much! I give her one dose in the morning in her first bottle and one dose with her 5:30pm feeding that I'll mix in with some pureed fruit. It didn't appear to have had much effect last night as she still fought through her last bottle and this morning wasn't much better but we're going to give it a few days to see how it works. I agreed to give up my planned appointment on Friday and rescheduled for a week and a half later so we'll have time to see if the increased dosage is making any difference.
There were a few fun things that happened yesterday- it seems every day Ally discovers something new. On Wednesday- it was the stairs! As you can see in this picture- she made it up one stair. Guess it's time for us to finally start using that annoying gate that has been in the way for the past 11 months! ;-)
Ally also discovered the toilet paper yesterday! She was playing in our bathroom while I was putting some clothes away and I heard her laughing. I went to investigate and found her standing up in front of the toilet and unrolling the toilet paper roll! I got some of it on video but it's too long to post on blogger. Suffice it to say that it was very cute!
This last picture is just to prove that there were no hard feelings after my emotional outburst. Ally is still my #1 kiddo and I love her more than anything- even if she does act like a little monkey butt sometimes! Hope you all have a nice long weekend and enjoy Valentine's Day with the ones that you love. Only 15 more days until my honey comes home- we'll have a belated celebration then.
Until next time....
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Happy Hump Day!
It's Wednesday- or hump day as I like to call it. I'm looking forward to the weekend- especially since I have Monday off for the President's Day holiday! Love those 4 day weekends!
Ally and I have survived without Matthew for 8 days now- which makes this officially the longest period of time we have been apart since Ally's birth. We're managing okay, but we really miss him. Ally has been going through another really rough patch with her bottle and isn't getting the recommended daily amount of liquids. It's really stressful for me and it is just so much easier to have someone around to share in the frustration. We have another appointment with her GI specialist on Friday afternoon so hopefully we'll get some answers.
We had a nice day yesterday- we played hookey from work and day care (sort of) to visit with my good friend Lisa who came to visit us. I checked email and voicemail regularly and did some work at home in the afternoon so it wasn't a complete hookey day. Lisa came in town on Monday night, hung out with Ally and I, ate dinner with me and spent the night. On Tuesday morning we relaxed some more and went to get brunch at a local restaurant once Ally got up from her nap. It was great to have some adult conversation and a drink together. Thanks for coming Lisa!
One last bit of happy news- I've had two people at work tell me that I'm looking good this week! I've lost 10.5 pounds since I started Weight Watchers again last month and I guess it's really starting to show. I'm excited and motivated to keep going!
And finally- here are a few pictures to cap off this post. Enjoy!
Ally is fascinated by Angus' feet. She loves to play with his toenails and to pull on his dew claws. Thankfully he doesn't seem to mind too much!
She can pull up on the furniture now!
Silly ham!
She can reach lots of new things now that she can pull up! Of course she has to taste test them all!
Mo & Goose miss their daddy.
I took this picture on Sunday morning b/c Ally woke up with crazy hair. You can't really tell, but it was sticking out all over the place. I had to dunk her under the faucet to fix it for church!
Ally and I have survived without Matthew for 8 days now- which makes this officially the longest period of time we have been apart since Ally's birth. We're managing okay, but we really miss him. Ally has been going through another really rough patch with her bottle and isn't getting the recommended daily amount of liquids. It's really stressful for me and it is just so much easier to have someone around to share in the frustration. We have another appointment with her GI specialist on Friday afternoon so hopefully we'll get some answers.
We had a nice day yesterday- we played hookey from work and day care (sort of) to visit with my good friend Lisa who came to visit us. I checked email and voicemail regularly and did some work at home in the afternoon so it wasn't a complete hookey day. Lisa came in town on Monday night, hung out with Ally and I, ate dinner with me and spent the night. On Tuesday morning we relaxed some more and went to get brunch at a local restaurant once Ally got up from her nap. It was great to have some adult conversation and a drink together. Thanks for coming Lisa!
One last bit of happy news- I've had two people at work tell me that I'm looking good this week! I've lost 10.5 pounds since I started Weight Watchers again last month and I guess it's really starting to show. I'm excited and motivated to keep going!
And finally- here are a few pictures to cap off this post. Enjoy!
Ally is fascinated by Angus' feet. She loves to play with his toenails and to pull on his dew claws. Thankfully he doesn't seem to mind too much! 
She can pull up on the furniture now!
Silly ham!
She can reach lots of new things now that she can pull up! Of course she has to taste test them all!
Mo & Goose miss their daddy. 
I took this picture on Sunday morning b/c Ally woke up with crazy hair. You can't really tell, but it was sticking out all over the place. I had to dunk her under the faucet to fix it for church! Here Comes Trouble
This was a total accident. We normally keep Ally's activity table on the rug so it doesn't slide but she pulled up on it while it was on the hardwood. As it started to slide away she started walking after it! I was so surprised but I recovered quickly enough to grab the camera and start filming. Matthew was so excited to see the video but a little disappointed that he missed it. I think she'll wail until he gets home before she starts walking independently but a the rate she's going- who knows? In the past week alone she's started cruising around objects, pulling up on anything she can get her hands on and sort of walking! She is such a joy to watch!
Beach Pictures
As promised, here are the pictures my friend Sarah took at the beach on Sunday- I love the one of Ally & Hal- aren't they adorable?
Thanks Sarah!
Thanks Sarah!
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Nice Weekend
Ally and I have had a surprisingly nice weekend thanks to some good friends- old and new. We had a play date on Friday afternoon with a few new friends that I met through the squadron. Ally was the oldest child and the only girl. She had a great time playing with toys that weren't hers (always more exciting that the same old ones at the house) and I had a nice lunch and some adult conversation. It was a win-win situation!
On Friday night our friends Bonnie and Dean came over for dinner. I'm sure they probably had something more exciting that they could have been doing on a Friday night, but they were kind enough to hang out with me instead. It was great to have some company and and to spend an evening at the table instead of parked in front of the television.
Saturday was a beautiful day and I was fortunate enough to have made plans to meet my friend Marissa in Williamsburg for lunch. She lives in Richmond and Williamsburg is a great meeting point for us since it's about the same distance for both of us. We had lunch at one of my favorite places- The Cheese Shop (yummy sandwiches!) and then we walked around and did some window shopping. We found a nice grassy spot in the Colonial part of Williamsburg to soak up some of the sunshine. Ally thought it was pretty great to crawl around and eat a bunch of sticks & leaves!
Me and Ally enjoying the sunshine in Williamsburg
Ally & Marissa
Ally with one of the many leaves she tried to jam into her mouth.
That pretty much sums up the weekend. Only 8 more days until Ray & Dee come back in town, only 14 more days until my parents arrive for a visit, and only 18 more days until Matthew comes home! So much to look forward to....
P.S. For anyone that read my blog post about my icky sicky day- I'm am officially not pregnant. Yet.
On Friday night our friends Bonnie and Dean came over for dinner. I'm sure they probably had something more exciting that they could have been doing on a Friday night, but they were kind enough to hang out with me instead. It was great to have some company and and to spend an evening at the table instead of parked in front of the television.
Saturday was a beautiful day and I was fortunate enough to have made plans to meet my friend Marissa in Williamsburg for lunch. She lives in Richmond and Williamsburg is a great meeting point for us since it's about the same distance for both of us. We had lunch at one of my favorite places- The Cheese Shop (yummy sandwiches!) and then we walked around and did some window shopping. We found a nice grassy spot in the Colonial part of Williamsburg to soak up some of the sunshine. Ally thought it was pretty great to crawl around and eat a bunch of sticks & leaves!
Me and Ally enjoying the sunshine in Williamsburg
Ally & Marissa
Ally with one of the many leaves she tried to jam into her mouth. On Sunday we went to church and had lunch afterwards with Bonnie & Dean at Panera- yummy! The weather was amazing- it reached 73 degrees yesterday and I had a major case of spring fever so we called up my friend Sarah and agreed to meet up with her for a walk outside. Her son Hal and Ally are only three weeks apart so it's really fun to see them together. We even stopped at the beach at the end of our walk but it started to get cool as the sun was going down so we didn't stay long. Ally hasn't been in the sand since September and she was much more interested in it this time around. She kept grabbing handfuls of it and trying to figure out what it was. I didn't have my camera- shocker!- but Sarah had hers and she took some really cute pictures of the kids. She's supposed to send me some tonight so I'll post them tomorrow.
That pretty much sums up the weekend. Only 8 more days until Ray & Dee come back in town, only 14 more days until my parents arrive for a visit, and only 18 more days until Matthew comes home! So much to look forward to....
P.S. For anyone that read my blog post about my icky sicky day- I'm am officially not pregnant. Yet.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Bye Bye Baton
Matthew deployed yesterday for a 3.5 week work up tour on the USS Baton. http://www.bataan.navy.mil/default.aspx It was hard to see him go and I had that familiar tightness in my chest all day and all night yesterday. Thankfully the first day is behind us now and it gets progressively easier as we all get used to our altered routines. Ally was a bit of a terror yesterday and refused to nap all day long but thankfully she slept well last night and seems to be back on track this morning. I have some fun stuff planned for us over the next few weeks- a few visits with friends and some play dates so hopefully we'll be able to make the time pass quickly.
I just wish Matthew were as lucky. His new job on the Baton is going to keep him very busy and pretty sleep deprived. In addition to his regular duties he's on a watch rotation for the entire 3.5 week work up where he is on for 5 hours then off for 10, on for 5, off for 10. In those 10 hours off he's got to get his regular job done, eat, sleep, work out, etc. He's learning first hand that the life of an aviator is quite different than that of a SWO.
That's really about all the news I have this morning. I finally got over that bug on Monday night and have been feeling fine since so the worst seems to have past- thankfully!
In other random news, my friend Christine- whose hilarious blog I follow daily- and her husband Tony just had their baby this morning! Welcome to the world little Greyson- can't wait to see your first photos posted on blogger for all to 'awwwww' over! Congratulations guys- I'm so happy for you!
I just wish Matthew were as lucky. His new job on the Baton is going to keep him very busy and pretty sleep deprived. In addition to his regular duties he's on a watch rotation for the entire 3.5 week work up where he is on for 5 hours then off for 10, on for 5, off for 10. In those 10 hours off he's got to get his regular job done, eat, sleep, work out, etc. He's learning first hand that the life of an aviator is quite different than that of a SWO.
That's really about all the news I have this morning. I finally got over that bug on Monday night and have been feeling fine since so the worst seems to have past- thankfully!
In other random news, my friend Christine- whose hilarious blog I follow daily- and her husband Tony just had their baby this morning! Welcome to the world little Greyson- can't wait to see your first photos posted on blogger for all to 'awwwww' over! Congratulations guys- I'm so happy for you!
Monday, February 2, 2009
Icky Sicky
Being a mommy while you're sick really stinks. I learned this lesson the hard way yesterday. I had a headache all day Saturday and was fighting a cold that I picked up in Florida. I was coughing so much on Saturday night that I left the bed and went to sleep on the couch so I wouldn't disturb Matthew. When I woke up on Sunday I felt really lousy but the Ally monster was up & ready to go so I put on my game face and proceeded with our normal routine. I powered through the early morning but as we were getting ready to leave for church I got really nauseous. I should have stayed home but like a stubborn idiot I decided to go anyway. About half way there I remembered that I signed us both up to work in the nursery that day! I hope whatever I have isn't contagious- I'd feel terrible if I infected a whole bunch of babies & toddlers! I held it together until we got home then I really fell apart. After praying to the porcelain god for a few minutes I got Ally cleaned up and put down for a nap. She was kind enough to sleep for a whopping 45 minutes during which time I moaned and groaned in bed trying in vain to fall asleep and stop the pounding in my head and the churning in my stomach.
I should mention that we had a contractor at the house working on our deck this weekend. We're paying him by the hour but he reduces his rate when Matthew assists him so he was tied up all day long working on the deck leaving me to try to take care of myself & Ally. Fun, fun, fun!
I managed to stay upright long enough to feed Ally her lunch then I literally sprawled out on the living room floor and surrounded her with some toys. In between bouts of dry heaving I tried to entertain her from my prone position but I know she was wondering what the heck was wrong with mommy. Ally pooped twice during this time which required us both to crawl into the bedroom for diaper changes which induced more dry heaving. Lovely! After several hours of this I was able to put her down for a real nap where she slept for a blessed two hours during which time I dozed in bed, dry heaved some more, and downed my umteenth dose of Tylenol.
Fast forward to 5pm- Ally is awake and ready to eat again. I struggle through mixed veggies and pear pineapple purees- they do nothing to calm my stomach! I lay on the floor some more while she plays and finally give in to my bored child and push her around the house in her little car. Matthew finally finishes up with the deck and comes inside only to run straight out to Costco to load up on all the necessities that I wasn't able to get since I was feeling so crummy. He doesn't return until 6:45 at which point I turn Ally over to him so they can watch the Superbowl together while I make him some dinner since he hasn't eaten all day long. Browning ground turkey and cutting up onions is not an activity I recommend when you're feeling ill.
8pm- Matthew is fed, Ally is asleep and I decide to take a shower. Hot water works wonders and I get a bit of a second wind. I am able to lay in bed and talk to Matthew as he packs for his 3.5 week mini deployment.
I sleep pretty well and wake up feeling decent. Headache is just a dull throb and the nausea is gone for the time being so I decided to suck it up and come to work. Now it's all back full force and I'm struggling to get through the next hour and 15 minutes until I can go home. I'd really like to crawl back in bed, but I need to go to the grocery store and feed Ally before that will be an option. Please God, make it stop! I don't think I can handle another day like this- especially when Matthew is gone.
I have a fleeting memory of my mom being really sick one morning when I was going to school- I couldn't have been more than 5 or 6 and I think she was going through chemo at the time. My mom crawled around the kitchen making my lunch and insisted I go to school even though I wanted to stay home and take care of her. I'm in no way comparing a touch of stomach flu to chemo, but I have a new appreciation of what mommies will do for their kiddos- even when they're feeling awful!
I should mention that we had a contractor at the house working on our deck this weekend. We're paying him by the hour but he reduces his rate when Matthew assists him so he was tied up all day long working on the deck leaving me to try to take care of myself & Ally. Fun, fun, fun!
I managed to stay upright long enough to feed Ally her lunch then I literally sprawled out on the living room floor and surrounded her with some toys. In between bouts of dry heaving I tried to entertain her from my prone position but I know she was wondering what the heck was wrong with mommy. Ally pooped twice during this time which required us both to crawl into the bedroom for diaper changes which induced more dry heaving. Lovely! After several hours of this I was able to put her down for a real nap where she slept for a blessed two hours during which time I dozed in bed, dry heaved some more, and downed my umteenth dose of Tylenol.
Fast forward to 5pm- Ally is awake and ready to eat again. I struggle through mixed veggies and pear pineapple purees- they do nothing to calm my stomach! I lay on the floor some more while she plays and finally give in to my bored child and push her around the house in her little car. Matthew finally finishes up with the deck and comes inside only to run straight out to Costco to load up on all the necessities that I wasn't able to get since I was feeling so crummy. He doesn't return until 6:45 at which point I turn Ally over to him so they can watch the Superbowl together while I make him some dinner since he hasn't eaten all day long. Browning ground turkey and cutting up onions is not an activity I recommend when you're feeling ill.
8pm- Matthew is fed, Ally is asleep and I decide to take a shower. Hot water works wonders and I get a bit of a second wind. I am able to lay in bed and talk to Matthew as he packs for his 3.5 week mini deployment.
I sleep pretty well and wake up feeling decent. Headache is just a dull throb and the nausea is gone for the time being so I decided to suck it up and come to work. Now it's all back full force and I'm struggling to get through the next hour and 15 minutes until I can go home. I'd really like to crawl back in bed, but I need to go to the grocery store and feed Ally before that will be an option. Please God, make it stop! I don't think I can handle another day like this- especially when Matthew is gone.
I have a fleeting memory of my mom being really sick one morning when I was going to school- I couldn't have been more than 5 or 6 and I think she was going through chemo at the time. My mom crawled around the kitchen making my lunch and insisted I go to school even though I wanted to stay home and take care of her. I'm in no way comparing a touch of stomach flu to chemo, but I have a new appreciation of what mommies will do for their kiddos- even when they're feeling awful!
Florida in Pictures
We made a trek to Florida last week for a wedding in Orlando and a visit to Matthew's parents new home in Tampa. The trip was easy- we've discovered that traveling within the same timezone makes it much simpler to stay on schedule and that a two hour plane ride is a cinch compared to a cross country journey! (don't worry Dad- we're still coming to San Diego for regular visits!)
Ally had lots of fun playing in this box in our hotel room in Orlando
She wasn't too excited about the pack & play when we first arrived so I let her nap in bed surrounded by lots of pillows.
Mommy and Ally got all dressed up for the wedding- black tie optional at the Ritz Carlton- fancy schmancy!
Look at all my teeth!
The Martins after the ceremony
Great pic of Ray & Dee
More Martins
Aside from the fact that my wrap is all messed up, this is a nice picture of the three of us!
Family dance
Ally with her grandparents at the wedding
Finally asleep in her stroller. Amazingly, she didn't wake up when the waiter spilled a glass of champagne on her! We had to wash her dress & her lovey because they smelled so bad!
Frank, Nick (the groom) and Matthew- a VMI reunion
Being silly at the Martin's place in Tampa
Grandma takes a turn feeding Ally- we're both convinced that if we open our mouths she'll open hers to eat!
Playing with new toys!
Daddy & Ally checking out the pool
Ally had lots of fun playing in this box in our hotel room in Orlando
She wasn't too excited about the pack & play when we first arrived so I let her nap in bed surrounded by lots of pillows.
Mommy and Ally got all dressed up for the wedding- black tie optional at the Ritz Carlton- fancy schmancy!
Look at all my teeth!
The Martins after the ceremony
Great pic of Ray & Dee
More Martins
Aside from the fact that my wrap is all messed up, this is a nice picture of the three of us!
Family dance
Ally with her grandparents at the wedding
Finally asleep in her stroller. Amazingly, she didn't wake up when the waiter spilled a glass of champagne on her! We had to wash her dress & her lovey because they smelled so bad!
Frank, Nick (the groom) and Matthew- a VMI reunion
Being silly at the Martin's place in Tampa
Grandma takes a turn feeding Ally- we're both convinced that if we open our mouths she'll open hers to eat! 
Playing with new toys!
Daddy & Ally checking out the pool
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
