Ahoy Matey!

THIS is one of the top reasons for picking this subdivision to live in. In addition to all the pools, there is also a lake. Funny tidbit, there is also a pool right next to the lake, surrounded by sand. At the lake you can take out their boats, which we LOVE.

Adam and I went out for a sail a few weeks ago. When you leave the dock they give you a paddle, just in case there is no wind. After a nice sail around the lake we started to head back when we lost all wind. So there we sat in the middle of the lake. Not wanting to succumb to the paddle I kept fiddling with the sail. Adam had different opinions. He grabbed the paddle and started us toward the shore. I turned around to see how cute he was being and caught one last glimpse of said paddle as it SUNK to the depths of a (man made) lake.

So there we were. In the middle of the lake with no wind and no paddle. About 15 minutes later the wind finally picked up again and we made it back. The lifeguard was NOT impressed that I lost his paddle. I say, Adam did him a favor, PADDLES ARE SUPPOSED TO FLOAT! I just put that one out of it's misery. Oh, the cutest part of going out on the lake is, when we float pass ANYONE, the kids always yell, "AHOY MATEY!"

For the sake of remembrance

Please forgive my absence. There was a time in my life when I had all the time I needed to keep up on my blog. As the kids have gotten older, it has been harder and harder. The other day I realized, so much has happened that I have not documented and need to, for my kids to read later on.

We moved to Houston, Texas. Rob moved down the middle of April and we followed July 1.  He came home for Memorial day weekend and we hiked up to Boston Lot Lake. It's a lovely hike. One of our very favorites. It was uphill to get there and downhill back to the car. Which was great for tired little legs.

We hiked up to the lake with Greg and Andrea and all the kids. They brought a plastic fish tank up with them. We caught lots of wildlife! It was awesome! Tons of pollywogs, frogs, TURTLES! We put back the frogs and turtles, but took the pollywogs home.

During our amazing nature fest, Adam steps into the water. I was surprised with how adventurous he was, considering the wildlife in the lake. When all of a sudden, he reached into the water and grabbed a HUGE FROG! He held it up by the legs for all to see! It was AMAZING! I was SO proud of him! And he was so proud of him! At some point he dropped it, but reached right down and picked it up again. It was truly AWESOME.

Thanksgiving and Surgery

The deal on Thursday morning was, I would either have surgery or I could go home for the festivities as long as I returned 12 hours later for more IV antibiotics. They threatened me with a pic line when I returned so I wasn't going to challenge the 12 hour time limit. The IV's were taken out of my arm and the family was ready to take me home. We were walking down the hall when a nurse came running after me, wanting to see my IV spot. She looked at it and said someone from the blah blah blah team needed to look at it. 45 minutes and 5 shots later, we left the hospital. I was incredibly excited to leave even for a little while. We went to Thanksgiving at friends' where I had to continue to keep my hand elevated. As you can see I look like a superhero.

I headed back in to the hospital 18 hours later (I had permission to be gone that long!) and saw the plastic surgeon. He asked ME what he should do. I told him to "just make it better" so he and his residents operated.

They cut along the lines in my hand an inch and a half along the "father" then up 1/2 inch along the "light" and put a catheter in my tendon. They also cut all the way across the first line in my finger-from the top. Can you imagine it or are you completely confused?

Later that night I was visiting with friends when my hand was starting to feel the worse pain known to man. I was trying to be keep a strong face, because of my guests, but I was deteriorating quickly. I informed the nurse of my excruciating pain (she was awfully crabby) and she returned with several colorful pills. I told my friends if they left I would be fine and after finally convincing them I was okay, they left.

First, I dropped my cell phone. Getting out of bed is not really an option at this time, as I am attached to 2 different IV's, heart monitor, some other thing on my finger, Oh and I'm somewhat buzzed. I made myself as comfortable as I could and waited for the medicine to take the pain away. But the pain didn't get away, it got much, much worse. Like I said, I dropped my phone on the floor. A previous nurse told me I couldn't call out on my room phone (which wasn't true). I emailed Rob a desperate note. I just wanted to hear his voice so I could feel more at ease. I called the nurse again and told Mrs Crabby Pants that I was in ALOT of pain! She left the room with an "okay." Okay? Okay what? It's 12am and my hand hurts!

15 minutes later Dr. Van Hottie walked in. More like Dr Van Good Looking, but at that moment, he was my knight in shining armor. But it does make my boring story a little more entertaining huh? Okay, back on track, Dr Van Hottie walked in and I started to get teary eyed. He unwrapped my hand. It looked ghastly. He left the room and came back 30 seconds later with the biggest syringe I have ever seen. He stuck it into my wrist first. I was teary, but okay. Then he took the syringe out and firmly put his finger over the injection site holding it and rubbing the medicine into my wrist. Then, I cried like a baby. Totally, uncontrollably sobbed. I was blubbering, about how I just wanted to talk to Rob and I begged Dr Hottie to get my cell phone so I call him. He picked up my room phone and I told him it wouldn't work when he rolled his eyes and mumbled something about the nurses and dialed my Handsome Prince. I sobbed to Rob while I got 3 more numbing shots in my hand. I told him how I dropped my phone and needed him and how the nurse wasn't being nice so I didn't want to ask her to pick it up...It was a sad sad night. The Dr did walk out to the hall and talk with the nurse for a few minutes, then came to say goodnight. The nurse was as sweet as could be the rest of the night. She even got me a fan and heated blankets. :) I didn't mean to get her a lashing, but she was being mean.

Coming soon, Too Many Drugs and Kids

Hands

November 19-Rob leaves for business trip. Index finger is sore.

November 20-Finger much MORE sore. Call my DR he puts me on oral antibiotics.

November 21-Rob still away, but he will get back tonight! Finger is so much pain I can't think about anything else! Surrounding fingers cease to have movement. Index finger as big as a sausage and all sorts of colors, including white.

Continued November 21-This is where the juicy story begins. My DR called late on Monday night and told him what my finger looked like (worse than the night before) and told him that I was unable to move my surrounding fingers. I texted him a picture and he gave me an incredibly sincere apology and that I needed to go to the ER right away. He would call his friend to expedite the process, but I should probably plan to stay over night.

At the hospital-Blood is drawn. Sunny, (who also assisted in removing my appendix just 11 months prior) shows up and shoots my hand up with all sorts of numbing potions. He then takes a scalpel and makes 1/3 of an inch cut parallel to my nail. FLUID went FLYING all over the room! It was the coolest thing I have ever seen! He washes it out. Puts me in a sling. Tells me to NOT put my hand down. We joke about my appendix just months before and he tells me he will try to have me out of here by Thanksgiving. I chuckle and say, "you are joking right?" He replies in a very somber tone, "I know this doesn't seem like a big deal, but you could be very very sick from this." Crap.

In my room-I have nothing but feelings of irritation. Rob is getting home tonight. I wanted to be there for him. The kids have school the next day. I have mothering jobs to do! They started me on IV antibiotics.

The next day I woke up and got everyone organized for the day (as much as I could over the phone) Rob was able to stay home and hold down the fort. My roommate and I acknowledge each other and become lifetime friends :) I now know everything about her and her about me. Soon the numbness in my hand starts to wear off and I am moaning and whimpering, worse pain than in labor. Labor, the contractions end and you have SOME relief. The nurse heads out to get some narcotics when my room mate, a massage therapist mind you, comes over, wets a washcloth puts it on my head and starts massaging my arm and legs. I love her. The nurse comes back and gives me narcotics and soon I feel happy. Friends Forever.

I later tell the nurse that I am dying for a shower and I will need help, since I have 1 hand unavailable and 1 hand with an IV that can not get wet. Can the evening nurse come in an wash my hair and assist me? Yes absolutely.

At 7:30 HOT guy walks into my room (Okay, I have been married for 10 years, but I am NOT blind!) Anyway, hot guy walks in and introduces himself. He is my night nurse. He understands that I would like help taking a shower, "Yes, I can help you with that." Uhhh. Awkward. I quickly say that my friend is coming to visit and she said she can help me. As soon as she shows up I explain to her that this hottie is threatening me with his assistance and she agrees to help me. She said, "Sure, you workout!" That was a humbling experience. At least a nurse has seen tons of naked bodies. Now I can never be on her bad side as she has now seen my "bad sides."

Next post: Thanksgiving and the surgery. Stay tuned.

Running Away

Rob and I decided we needed to run away. We had a small taste of freedom (30 hours to be exact) in August for our 10 year anniversary, but we wanted to REALLY get away. Rob's parents and sister, Lauren came for a visit in October and being the great hosts we are, we left. Them. With our kids. We took off to our Nation's Capital to see the sights and boy, did we see the sights! It was so fun to be with Rob and NO kids! If we got lost, oh well. If we missed the train, huh, it happens. Sure, lets walk a mile in that direction just for fun. Instead of, (insert crying, screaming, whining.) I just had to put up with Rob's crying, screaming and whining. Just kidding.

We toured the Pentagon on Friday. It was AWESOME to be there. They have a special memorial for those who were killed in 9/11. It was a very surreal place to be. A place that you see in movies and the news, but you never go there.

I can't wait to run away again with him sometime.

Washington DC

In front of the Capital Building.

I know you LOVE our emergency rain ponchos. They do add to our coolness.

So we took a Segway Tour while there and I must say, seeing the city by Segway is one of the best ways to see it! SUPER fun and you get to see everything upclose, except the White House. Not quite as big as I had expected, but beautiful none the less.

Rob, pretending to be a train. He missed the kids. Actually, he missed having an excuse to be silly.

Washington DC

Rob vs. the whale

We were pretty excited about the elephant too.

On the National Mall. I kept calling it "the green." For you west coasters, a "the green" is the grassy town square.