Second Home

Many people dream of having a second home, somewhere they look forward to spending time away from home.  We have a "second home," but I do not enjoy being there.  We have met many wonderful people, some of whom have changed our lives for the better.  Our second home is the hospital and we almost made it a year this time since our last visit.  

This last weekend, Owen was admitted to the hospital for the eleventh time, not including NICU.  We started out on Friday the 10th with a few sniffles and a cough. Saturday, knowing he wasn't feeling well and had not eaten supper the night before, we gave him the choice of where to eat for breakfast, hoping to encourage him to eat something.  When we were seated at the restaurant, all he wanted to do was to lie in Travis' lap--not a very Owen thing to do.  We took him home where he started to become a little more tired and lethargic.  By approximately 6:00 that evening, I could see he was beginning to retract, was looking pale, and just the slightest hint of blue was beginning to appear around his lips.  I took him to the children's urgent care nearby, feeling pretty confident already this was going to be an admission.

The urgent care is only five to seven minutes away (compared to 25+ for the ER) and has fewer germs with which he could come in contact.  That is the positive side to going to the urgent care instead of the ER.  The negative is that if he needs admitted, then that means an ambulance.  While he actually somewhat enjoys the ride, I already start adding up the bills in my head.  The ambulance is necessary for transport since I am not authorized to have an oxygen tank in my car.  Much to Owen's dismay we do not speed through the streets of town, lights and siren blazing.

While waiting for the ambulance, we heard a firetruck in the parking lot.  Next thing I know, three firemen come in the door and start to check Owen's vitals and such.  The medics came along a few minutes later.  Owen was a little overwhelmed with all the people in the room, but was more concerned the firemen were there to give him a shot.  Yep, the boy who cannot breathe that well and does not feel well is more concerned over a little shot.  In fact, he asked every person that came in his room while we were there if they were going to give him a shot.

{The firetruck and ambulance that came for Owen--he loved all the lights}

He was loaded up into the ambulance and I hopped in beside him.  About every two minutes he would ask if we were there yet...and every time we slowed down...and every time we stopped.  The medic, whose name was Megan, was great with him and answered him every time.  She tried her best to entertain him with balloon gloves and drawing things for him and getting the other medic to talk over the speaker to Owen.

As we were about to leave the urgent care for the hospital, the nurse practitioner turned to Owen and said, "Well, you are going to your second home."  At this point, hospital stays are somewhat routine, one which we hope will change a little more as he gets older.  Even though it is routine, I would not say it becomes easier.  Part of it is a little bit of frustration in knowing I can care for him most times at home, but do not have access to certain medicines and to oxygen.  It is not easy to watch your child struggling to breathe.  It's not easy sitting in a hospital away from your other child and your husband, knowing the other child wants you just as much as the one you are with.  It's not easy trying to keep a baby/toddler/preschooler in bed and to get them to not touch whatever is attached to them to try to rip everything off.  It's not easy keeping that child occupied and distracted when they are not allowed out of bed.  It's not easy sitting there in a building full of people and feeling alone.

We are very fortunate, however, to have a large group of friends and family whose messages and prayers uplift us, probably more than they will ever know.  We are still blown away by how many people still pray for Owen, which is the best medicine of all.  

One of Owen's favorite toys is a stuffed giraffe given to him during one of his first hospital admissions here after after we moved two hours away.  That small token on the giver's part was received so gratefully by Owen and was very uplifting to us, the parents, as well.  The small things really do matter.

{Getting settled at the hospital with James the giraffe and Sammy the seahorse}

Everyone complains about the sleeping arrangements at a hospital, so I'll spare you that diatribe--with enough lack of sleep, even the uncomfortable arrangements cannot hinder my sleep from coming.  What's hard at night is the constant barrage of people coming in and out of the room all night.  I have learned that I can usually request the nursing assistant to not come in to check blood pressure and temperature through the night.  When I figured that out several admissions ago, I was beyond thrilled and we both sleep much better.  

If Owen is not on continuous nebulizer medicine then that means the respiratory therapist is coming in every two hours during the night.  As he becomes better, the medicine is spaced out to every three hours and eventually to four which is usually when I get to take him home.  Sometimes he is able to sleep through the treatments, but other times he becomes very aggravated.  I would be too if I woke in the middle of the night to some stranger standing over my bed blowing something in my face.  

Thankfully, this stay was a short one.  The doctor teams make their rounds in the mornings.  When the team came in Sunday morning to see him, they told us that he would be going home probably on Monday morning since he was still on oxygen and his treatments weren't every four hours yet.  The attending doctor said unless by some miracle we would not be heading home that day.  Well, we got our miracle thanks to all those prayers.  

Although Owen gets sick quickly, he also heals relatively quickly. Also, with his history of numerous admissions and respiratory illnesses, the medical staff feels comfortable sending him home with me when they would normally keep other children who haven't been hospitalized as many times.  Although even we have referred to the hospital as his second home, it obviously is not and never will feel like home.  We were able to go home about 6:30 in the evening, fewer than twenty-four hours after being admitted.  There truly is no place like home and we are so happy to be here.  

{He was so happy to be able to Skype with his daddy and sister}

{A Child Life volunteer brought him some new toys that had been donated to the hospital--the first big grin on his face in a few days!

{No more oxygen AND he's eating!}

A "Happy" Anniversary

Usually when I think of an anniversary, I think of a time to celebrate an important, joyous event in one's life.  However, not all anniversaries celebrate the original event.  Sometimes the anniversary itself is a time of joy when thinking about the events and circumstances that have followed the original event.

Today is the one-year anniversary of my dad being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.  This anniversary we do not celebrate the diagnosis, but we do celebrate the remission of the cancer.  It was not an easy journey, but it was one that showed how abundantly God loves us and allowed others to show their love for and to my parents.

A year ago was shocking and overwhelming to hear the diagnosis.  I knew before my dad was diagnosed that the survival rate for a person with pancreatic cancer was extremely low, so when the diagnosis came to say I teared up would be an understatement.  I bawled.  I mean, how could my dad have cancer?  Why him?  While I was growing up it was always my dad who put others first.  He drove the oldest car (usually without air conditioning).  Even though he was exhausted from his day at work, he would play with us as soon as he got home.  He read books to us nightly.  He taught us about God and showed us what a godly father is.  He took the time to let us know we were important and loved.  If anyone did not deserve to have cancer it was my dad.   

Then I remembered that no matter what, God was in control.  For someone who likes to control things down to the tiniest detail like I do, you would think this would have been hard for me.  However, once I decided to hand over my fears and desire for control to God, He granted peace to me and a weight was lifted off my shoulders.

A year ago we would not have imagined that less than a year later my dad would be cancer free.  So though this anniversary does not bring joyous memories of the event itself, it is a happy anniversary since today he can celebrate his being cancer free.  Now my children will get to know this selfless, godly man I do.  So, Happy Anniversary to my dad.  You are loved beyond words!

{My parents in October 2012, pre-diagnosis}
{photo credit: Phil Hyman Photography}

{At the beach, June 2013, after months of chemotherapy}

{At my nephews' first birthday, November 2013}

For more information on pancreatic cancer, please visit the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network's website.

'Tis the Season

I can hardly believe it is a new year.  I feel as if I'm still playing catch-up from before Thanksgiving.  I absolutely love this time of year though.  Thanksgiving brings feasts, family, and Fall.  Christmas brings feelings of joy, gatherings of family and friends, and gifts, whether they take physical form or they are actions, with the biggest gift being that of Jesus Christ's love--His coming to the earth as a baby to be the Savior of the world.  New Year is a time to reflect on the past and plan for the future.  This whole season of celebrating is memory-making at it's finest.  

Of course, all this merry-making means I play a lot of catch-up this time of year.  Add to that one or both of the kids being sick for over three months and I felt at times as if I would never get ahead (I think this may be the year I finally buy stock in facial tissue brands so I can hopefully recoup some of my money one day).  Now, time for some catch-up:

Thanksgiving

Owen's classroom made Indian outfits out of pillow cases.  One of the teachers dyed all of the cases and each child was able to stamp shapes all over it.  The hat he is wearing has a blue feather in the back with his Indian name, Prowling Panther, on the front.  Yeah, he likes the Carolina Panthers.  They also made colored pasta necklaces.  When he brought the outfit home, he wanted to wear the costume everywhere.  He wore it to Target, the grocery store, and every place in between.  He tried to wear it to bed, but I stopped him there.

We went a couple of hours away where most of our family and friends live and stayed with my parents for Thanksgiving.  Owen wore his costume to a few of those feasts as well.  We met for breakfast with friends and enjoyed watching the first "snow" of the season.  Here in the south, snow is not very common during Winter so many people get excited about even the tiniest of flakes.  My husband is from Iowa and laughs at our snow saying we haven't really seen snow until you go up north.

{My little Indian at school}

   

{First taste of snow}

{My silly girl at Grandpa and Oma's house for Thanksgiving}

While at Grandpa and Oma's house for Thanksgiving, I looked all over the house in the afternoon for these two.  I found them out in the garage eating leftover turkey out of the fridge.  Busted!

Christmas

We always get a fresh Christmas tree each year.  You cannot beat the smell of a real tree, and the look of a real one is, in my opinion, far better and more unique than an artificial tree.   We always get our tree the day after Thanksgiving.  Our favorite place to go is a tree farm near my parents.  You can cut your own or purchase freshly cut trees.

{Shopping for a Christmas tree at the tree farm}

{Watching a Christmas movie}

I volunteered to help out at my son's class Christmas party.  If you bring food for the class, it must be store-bought food due to allergy issues of other students.  Last year, I did some fruit juice boxes I made to look like snowmen as well as some other snacks.  This year I only needed to bring the drinks, so I did the snowmen juice boxes again since the kids liked them so much last year.  They loved drinking from a snowman!  

{Class Christmas party}

{Drinks for the class party}

 This was Owen's first year to send a letter to Santa.  I made up the stationery and wrote what he said since he can't yet write.

{About to mail his first letter to Santa}

{Mailing his letter to Santa}

    With school being out, we had to figure out some more activities to stay busy.  We made pipe cleaner crowns one day.  They were really fun to make (okay, so I made them while they created hair bow pipe cleaners for me) and the kiddos got a few days out of them before they were destroyed.

{Pipe cleaner crown fun

We let Owen have a miniature tree in his room this year and he helped me decorate it.  He went to sleep every night with it lit.

{Decorating the tree in his room}

{One of many cups of hot cocoa}

 For his last day at school, I put the teachers' gifts together and made a little card to go with it.

With "Running Behind" being the theme of the season, I failed to get pictures and order Christmas cards until about two weeks before Christmas.  My husband set up the tripod, snapped a few pictures, and voila!

{I love this picture!  Such a ham with the camera}

{Date with Mommy to see Frozen}

 We started a new tradition this year of getting a new pair of pajamas on Christmas Eve and watching a Christmas movie.  We added that to the current tradition of driving around looking at Christmas lights on Christmas Eve.  So this year, the kiddos took early baths, opened their new pajamas, and then we hopped in the car to look at lights.  When we came home, we watched 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.  The kiddos put out some cookies they had decorated and milk for Santa and then went to bed.

{Eating her Christmas morning sausage bread}

On Christmas day, we opened up presents in the morning, packed our bags, and drove to my sister's house where we had my more immediate family's Christmas party.  The next day we had the Christmas get-together with my husband's family, and the day after that was a Christmas party with my extended family.  The kids probably think now that every time we stay with my sister and her family then they will receive a lot of presents.

{"Playing" piano with the cousins}

{Having some fun with their cousin}

{This is what really happens to your new Christmas present.  Yeah, Travis isn't getting that one back}

As chaotic as this time feels, I would not trade it for the world.  The memories made this year are numerous and precious.  It was the first Christmas where both kids really got into all the festivities and where Owen really understood the reason for Christmas.  Sometimes, it pays to be running behind because the reason you are behind may be that you are busy making memories with your family.  Now that's priceless.

Breakfast Sausage Bread

Every Christmas for a couple of years now I have made a sausage bread for breakfast on Christmas morning.  The recipe makes two loaves, one of which I freeze for later.  Both of my picky eaters eat this bread and my husband always eats seconds.  He rarely eats seconds of anything, so I take this as a compliment.  I think this next year I will make the bread the day before and put the one for Christmas morning in the fridge.  After I thaw the frozen one, I just slice it and put it in the toaster oven to make the outside edges crispy again.  

I get the dough from my local grocery store bakery instead of buying the frozen loaves.  You could do this too if your store doesn't have the frozen loaves.  The bread looks and smells so great when I pull it out from the oven!  It's hard not to pick on it before I let everyone else eat some.

Breakfast Sausage Bread

Ingredients

2 loaves (1 pound each) frozen white bread dough, thawed

1/2 pound mild pork sausage

1/2 pound bulk spicy pork sausage

1-1/2 cups diced fresh mushrooms

1/2 cup chopped onion

3 eggs

2-1/2 cups (10 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

Allow dough to rise until nearly doubled.  Meanwhile, in a skillet over medium heat, cook and crumble sausage.  Add mushrooms and onion.  Cook and stir until the sausage is browned and vegetables are tender; drain.  Cool.  Beat 1 egg, set aside.  To sausage mixture, add 2 eggs, cheese and seasonings; mix well.  Roll each loaf of dough into a 16-in. x 12-in. rectangle.  Spread half the sausage mixture on each loaf to within 1 inch of edges. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting at a narrow end; seal edges.  Place on a greased baking sheet (or line sheet with parchment paper).  Bake at 350° for 25 minutes; brush with beaten egg.  Bake 5-10 minutes more or until golden brown.  Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Credit: Taste of Home