Taking Care...

So, this past week has been crazy!

I am happy to say I am feeling much better. Besides a dull throbbing lack- of- sleep- headache that I can never get rid of, I am almost back to normal_But headaches have always been part of my life, so maybe I am back to normal. I am so glad to not be pregnant. I am also to thankful to have had so much support from my friends and family.

My kids are in rare form and fighting like cats and dogs and lions. They even play fight- so you know they are serious about hurting each other when they decide to have fun thru their aggression. Poor kids- I am sure they are acting up because I am not doing enough for them. Any behavioral issues are always the mothers fault- right? Anyone feel like adopting? The kids, not the baby.

My husband and I started his diabetes classes. We are the young whipper snappers of the bunch, and all the ladies are very excited to see a small baby in class(She goes where I go, I go where she goes- the umbilical cord was cut physically, but we are still connected).

My Mom gave us a scare by passing out in front of my house on her way to take Leila to school and then meet a friend for lunch. The scary part was she was in the car backing out of my driveway! EEEK! A good Samaritan was passing by and took the keys out of ignition, put the car in park, and called 911. I was just inside and didn't know anything was going on until I was headed out to meet a friend about 10 minutes behind them. Nathan was excited about the "hospital truck" outside and I was too, until I saw my mom was still in her car, and they were working on her! Poor Leila was scared, but she was very brave. She stayed in her seat belt and waited until it was safe to come out. I am thanking God that my mom was just in front of my house- not at a busy intersection- and the EMTs arrived so quick. We took her back inside and I made her a famous PB&J and some juice. Richard came over and gave her a blessing and then took her to Urgent Care and the ER. Her blood sugars dropped quickly. The doctors didn't think it was the blood sugars effecting her, so they did an CT scan to rule out stroke and an EKG to rule out heart attack. Looks like it wasn't either of those, so they monitored her over night and released her yesterday afternoon. She is OK, but has to take it easy- that is for sure.

My Dad had an appointment for the results of his testing. Amy and I joined him and learned more of his situation. They think he has what is called "Pseudodementia". This is still very serious- but its not a brain injury. In fact, we learned he had very little damage from the actual stroke. If his problems are indeed pseudodementia, we will need to get it under control to find out what other damage is lasting. Dad has a lot of work ahead of him: he will need to find the right medication and dosage and enter into some counseling. He will need to identify and try to eliminate stressors in his life. His family- us - will need to step up to help him in anyway possible. It is quite exciting and very encouraging, but there is still a lot unknown and by no means will this be an easy route to take. Here is an interesting article on this condition:
http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=15336&cn=231

The main thing I learned over the past few days and weeks is how important it is to take care of ourselves and each other.

I have had so many people take care of me after having Kathryn in the form of calls, dinners, time spent helping me.

I am so thankful for those taking care of my family: the good Samaritan calling about my mom, the doctors and professionals taking care of my Dad, the support from extended family who love us and want to help us.

With as crazy as life gets, we simply need to remember the individual. Each person has challenges. Each person has the ability to make life a little better for those around him or her. We can not fix everything, but can provide comfort, and can take small steps to improve the task at hand.

I also had a great birthday yesterday- thanks to everyone who called and stopped by. I have had so much attention the past month with the baby and end of my pregnancy I am a bit surprised people still want to be around me! I feel very special and very loved. Jeremy took us out to dinner for my favorite Chinese food. He and the kids have promised me a week of TV free living. I will let you know how it goes! I will post more pics soon-- can you beleive my baby is one month old?