Poppy's 89th Birthday

Sorry it took me a few days to get this up, pictures needed to be uploaded and then there was that little thing of an earthquake and I was distracted.

So Saturday morning I was up at 9 (shocker) and I got up, showered and packed, and was on the road around 10:20. I didn't rush because I didn't think I'd hit traffic or anything but boy I was wrong. I did pretty well the first hour and until I got past Baltimore. The it stopped. Oh my GOD it was awful. Delays to exit 67. Get there, it opens, I go 70... delays exit 71... stop. No rhyme or reason. It would just stop and we would go 5 miles an hour for NO reason! It was awful. Usually I get to my typical rest stop after an hour and a half or so, this time it took over three hours!




I was so not happy. My butt was numb, my feet hurt, my neck and shoulders hurt... it was awful.

In Delaware when 95 split with 295 it mercifully opened again. I got through Wilmington and into PA and stopped AGAIN. But once I hit Phili it was smooth sailing the rest of the way. My 3 and a half hour drive took 6 hours!!

It was weird driving past my usual turn for my street and not taking it. It made me kinda sad! But I made it to Sam's house finally.



We had a blast. Her sister Danielle hung out with us and we hung out for a bit before taking the necessary trip to the farmer's market. I loaded up on tomatoes, cucumbers, and bicolored corn. SO GOOD. We also saw some hot air balloons which made my day.









Back at the house we made an amazing dinner. First was tomato basil and mozerella with oil and vinegar salad. YUM. Then we had flank steak and fried green tomatoes (recipe and instructions to follow!) as well as corn. Some good food and good company. (: Chick flicks inevitably followed.









The next day I got up and went to my grandparents' house, another hour in the car. When I was a block away I called my grandparents house to wish Poppy a Happy Birthday. I told him, "I wish I could be there! Ryan and I arranged to have a delivery sent to you and they promised it would be there by 12:30. Can you go outside and see if it is there?" Poppy was all confused, asking what I sent him and if I was home or not, but he eventually came outside, still on the phone, and I was standing there on the sidewalk!





He looked so surprised, a huge smile and a little teary. I had him fooled and he loved it! Babci and Poppy were definitely happy to see me and I got to spend about four hours with them just catching up. We looked at pictures (my professional wedding album that was an early birthday gift from my mom and my Poppy's old album) and talked and talked. Of course Babci made I was fed (glumpkes and stuffed peppers) and I helped her make chocolate cake and lemon meringue.





Sadly I had to leave around 5. The rest of my family arrived in the last hour or so I was there but there was a storm coming in and I had to go. Of course half an hour into my drive the sky opens up. The sky was black and buckets were pouring from the sky. Lightening flashed so much I could barely see and the thunder was so loud. I may or may not have said a whooooole lot of Hail Marys, out loud as I drove with my flashers on on the turnpike at 25 miles per hour. It was like this exit 8 to exit 4.



Then the sun came out.

I made it home in five hours. A little better.

Wordless Wednesday: Cherry Blossoms Take One

Surgery Story

Follow along with this journey here and here...

I know since my surgery I have been a pretty poor blogger, so hopefully this will change that! Welcome to the new followers too! I was pretty surprised when I saw how many people were there. Wow!

Ok, going back to February 23. Mind you some of this gets pretty hazy since I was heavily medicated :P

I woke up around eight or so and showered and got ready. I had to shower with antibacterial soap and could not wear any lotion, deodorant, or make up. The lack of deordorant makes me feel icky so I kid you not I pretended to put some on (with the cap on the container) so I could mentally trick myself! No eating, no drinking... not even water since midnight. So of course I am starving and would kill for a glass of water. But no matter. I can do it for a few hours.

We are about to head out the door around 9am to get my mom from the hotel when my phone rings. It's the hospital. They want to know if we can push my 12 noon surgery to 2pm. Ok. A couple extra hours. We go and get my mom and come back to the apartment to watch tv and wait it out. I have to get to the hospital at 12 now instead of ten so a few episodes of the Office later we're on our way.

Somehow we find a parking spot and I get into the check in area before noon. I register, which took all of ten minutes, then head to a waiting room. I sat in said waiting room for maybe an hour. Mind you it is close to one now, I have not had anything to eat or drink, and I am all jittery! I finally get called back for vitals and I have to say goodbye to my mom. Ryan comes back with me while I get changed into a gown and some rocking brown socks with funky bottoms so I don't slide.


Waiting pre-surgery

I was told that my wedding band had to come off because the way the do the cut for surgery involves an electrical charge (?!!). The ring was jammed on so the nurses actually had to get some lubricant for my finger to get it off! I gave it to the hubby for safe keeping. I get some tests done and Ryan and I just had to wait. Mind you in the mean time the pre-op nurses had some sort of party so all of them keep walking by with cookies! Ugh! I was so hungry at this point, as was Ryan. He had a piece or two of toast but he was trying to not tempt me. My nurses were great and really funny, they kept making fun of one another and they even sneaked Ryan two cookies, one for him for then and one for me later, post surgery.

Since Georgetown University Hospital is a teaching hospital I had a student doctor in training come ask me lots of questions too. Not bad. Eventually my doctor came in with yet another student and began to draw. With blue permanent marker he marked all over my chest. I was a little embarassed standing there topless with two male doctors but luckily my husband was right behind me holding my hand the entire time. Then I was waiting more. 2pm passes, then 3pm... at this point I am waiting for the anesthesiologist to come talk to me. Waiting waiting. Eventually the nurses needed to have a pow wow so they move my bed/stretcher thing to another bay where I wait some more. Ryan and I begin to play checkers on his phone to pass the time. Then an anesthesiologist in training (yes another student) comes and starts an IV for me. I was just getting some much needed fluids at that point but awaiting the drug that would "calm me and make me loopy" before going in... her words not mine!

Finally the darn anesthesiologist shows up and signs my paper and suddenly I am getting wheeled to the Operating Room at 4 fricken pm. PANIC! I am squeezing Ryan's hand and wondering where my darn loopy shot is! They let Ryan walk with me right about to the OR door. I got to kiss him goodbye, say I love you, and then I was in the OR. Wide awake. Oh my god. I had to force myself not to look around as they had me transfer myself onto the table. I remember looking at a green wall, no one said anything at all to me, and suddenly it is a lot later.

I wake up feeling hazy. I remember thinking, "Wow I am not in that much pain. And I am pretty alert. Not bad! I hope my boobs are small." Hah. According to Ryan I was as high as a kite. I kept asking him trivial questions like if they went to eat during my four hour surgery. Duh. I remember him and my mom coming in, getting my wedding ring back, asking if they looked different, and feeling the need to assure them I was ok. I think I said, "I feel great, but I am pretty tired so I may need to take a nap now." Then I conked out and woke up much much later in my real room. I was still hooked to an IV. I was in and out for a long time. Anytime I woke up someone asked me if I was in pain... I'd say yes and they'd put a shot in my IV. It burned like HELL in my hand and then I conked out again. I remember seeing my mom and Ryan eating dinner at one point and then saying goodbye to my mom, insisting I was fine with Ryan driving her home.

At some point I woke up and was alert. Around 10pm I think. I met my nurses and told them I really had to pee. I was hooked up to some leg decompressors (to prevent blood clots) and had to be unhooked to go to the bathroom. Of course I was very confused as to why my toilet had a bucket in it, but they needed to track my out going liquids apparently. I get back in bed, re-attached to my leg things, and start to feel my chest is pretty darn sore. and I have drains coming out of my sides into these little grenades.

Every hour or so someone would come in and wake me up, ask if I was in pain, give me a burning shot, then I'd conk out again. Ryan was sleeping in a chair/bed next to me the entire time. Around 11pm I started to watch TV and ate some graham crackers which were AMAZING to me at that point. I was still semi out of it though, evident in the text messages I sent. My friend Dell asked if I was ok and I replied "Sore, on drugs, and watching Laverne and Shirley. I have noooo recollection of watching Laverne and Shirley. At all.


Right before check out

Around 5am they had the student doctor and a few other people come in and check on me. Looking down at my stitches made me freak out a bit but otherwise I was alright. At 7:00am I got the best breakfast. French toast (my favorite) bacon and some grapes. I got more burning shots (I later found out the burning shot was morphine, damn that stuff is powerful!)and was told I could check out when I was ready. Around 11am we checked out and I got wheeled to the car. We picked up my mom and then I got plonked on the couch.

We started watching The Office and I passed out again. Percocet became my best friend and I spent most of the day in and out on the couch. I woke up and ate a chicken sandwich at one point. With cucumber salad. And potato wedges. I was hungry. That night they got me into bed and I slept pretty well. I woke up a few times, took more drugs, and passed out. Ryan slept on the couch because he was worried he'd roll over and knock my drains or something. I fought it at first but I was too out of it to really fight back. He set up the portable DVD player for me so I could sleep bnetter (I can't sleep alone in the room unless the TV is on).

Day two home was not that good. I was on some strong antibiotics and I got violently ill. I could barely keep water down. After a paniked call to the resident on duty I was perscribed Zofran which is a miracle pill. Seriously. Thank you makers of Zofran.

Ryan and my Mom watched a LOT of the Office and kept me company while I lied on the couch. Ryan was a trooper and cleaned my drains and bandages daily for me and recorded the outtake, I could barely look when he did! Saturday morning my best friend Sam drove down to hang out and visit with me. We watched a lot more tv, at lots of take out, and caught up. Mom and Sam helped me clean up and wash my hair, which was wonderful. Sunday the two of them took a trip to Georgetown Cupcakes and came back with SEVEN DOZEN. Their order accidentally got doubled and they left me a dozen of magical healing cupcakes. Man I love them.






Sunday Mom and Sam helped Ryan deep clean the ENTIRE apartment. I felt awful watching my best friend and my mom clean while I sat around but it wasn't like I could help. Sunday night Mom and Sam drove home and I started to wean myself off percocet. As you saw from the Damn Drains entry I did, it did not work to my advantage.

Flowers from work, they're gorgeous!




Flowers from Mom, they smelled great.





Now the surgery story is done! I will write more of the aftermath later, but I am very happy. This entry is long enough! Thanks if you read it all and thank you to all my guest bloggers for helping me out. (Ryan was a tad put out that he didn't get more comments on his entry but I told him a few of you emailed me!) Stitches come out tomorrow (:

Change by Kaylee (aka my Blogging Bestest!)

Ok, day two! Hopefully I am home from the hospital and nice and loopy so I don't feel anything on my way to recovery! So, behold... my blogging besty! I absolutely adore Kaylee and I am so glad she agreed to do a guest post for me after I pestered her relentlessly asked her. She is a fabulous writer and mommy to be and her story is one to read. Head over to Moore than a Mrs and share some love!

Change…

Dunnhhhh Duhhnnn Duhhnnn!

Start the scary Jaws music and prepare to be shaking in your bikini tops because change can be a scary thing for some people.

As well all know, the only reason you are reading writings by me here is because my bloggy bestest is undergoing Big Changes!

Sure she is super nervous!

Yes she had to prepare for this for the past few months.

Of course this is going to change her life forever.

And Heck Yes, this is well worth it!

See, if you are like me, then change is can be pretty scary. When Jacob got out of the Marine Corp 1 year ago, I was so ready to have my husband home with me like every other normal relationship that I had ever had. I was so ready for us to start our life together and actually be together (since we weren’t for the first 5 months)!

But..

About 2 months before his EAS day… I started to freak out uncontrollably worry. What were we going to do? How would we react to x,y, or z scenario? Would it take long for him to find another job? Will we be okay? From there I caught myself really second guessing our his decision for leaving the military life style. Jacob was ready to be out though, so I respected his wishes and we made the change.

It was a tough one, let me tell you!

But in the end, I couldn’t picture life any other way.

We faced a few challenges and left with a few battle scars, but in the end, it wasn’t so bad and our lives have grown and flourished from the dreaded change.
Some changes aren’t quite so big though. There is the changing of one’s hair color. There is the changing of one’s car. There is the changing of the type of food you eat. There are new jobs, new houses, new pets, new clothes and the best of course is new shoes.

What I am trying to say is that no matter what the change, they can all be challenging, like breaking in those super cute peep toe pumps for a month and tending to your battle scars blisters while doing so.

Allie is making a big change for her, and no matter how scared, nervous, worried or slightly excited she may be, this is still something new for her. She is trying something unknown, but she is such an awesome person that she is keeping a positive outlook and grabbing the change by the horns and embracing it! (She is doing much better than I would be.)

Change is what you make of it.

I could have locked myself in our apartment when Jacob got out of the Corps and never enjoyed anything new for the sheer fear that it was all new, but where would that have gotten me or us?

I could have thrown those super cute peep toe pumps in the closet and never worn them again after night number one, but that would have wasted $110, and Jacob would have had my head.

Change is what you make it out to be, and if you make it fun and exciting… I promise it will be.

Good luck Allie – oop :)

This will be awesome!

(And take advantage of being waited on... that's the best part!)