A week from today.

Next Tuesday I'll be having minor surgery to remove at least one milk duct from my left breast. Let me just say that 3 months ago, I had no clue this procedure even existed! Oh the things you learn about your body once you have a baby, right? This isn't the easiest thing for me to talk about, considering it's private nature, but I've had so many people surround me with prayers and love that I feel encouraged to do so. 

Back in January I found a lump in my left breast that lead me to see my doctor. I was then referred to a breast specialist who kept a watchful eye on it while we waited on a few procedures and tests. Once cancer was ruled out (hallelujah!!!!!), I was diagnosed with Mammary Duct Ectasia.  Basically, because I had mastitis several times in the same breast with Madelyn, I have irreversible scarring in one or more milk ducts. The scarring has caused the duct(s) to clog and become quite uncomfortable.  

If I did not have surgery to remove the clogged ducts, I wouldn't be able to sucessfully breastfeed in the future, and since Sean and I want more children, my surgeon has suggested that we be proactive and remove the affected duct(s).  I am absolutely head over heels for my surgeon, Dr. Salzburg, and trust her judgement completely! Trust me, y'all, she's awesome. 

Please pray for my silly nerves, the surgery to go well, and for a quick recovery. Also keep Sean and the kids in your prayers as they deal with my recovery (which will hopefully be speedy)! I will certainly keep you posted on how everything goes , and I thank you all for your love and support! 

XO,

Erin

Resurfacing.

Well, long time no blog, eh? Let's just say that in today's world of Instagram and Facebook, there's really no need to post those adorable pictures of your kids to your blog when everyone that reads your enteries, follows you on the before mentioned social media.  I mean, am I right? Our day-to-day lives are pretty much lived out via photos of what we ate for lunch, and posts about how horrible tunnel traffic is in the area- and all of this us viewed instantly through an app. Now, my blog on the other hand, that's become my space for writing things that I may not necessarily want to on other types if social mediums.  For example, I may post to Facebook that I am having surgery, but did I say what for? Nope, and that's because it's on my boob (see, I do have a filter!). That's where the blog comes in. I can keep those that are interested up to date, while somewhat keeping things private (or at least without thrusting such information onto the news feeds of all the men I know!).  With my upcoming surgery, and us planning on buying a house in the next few months, I thought it'd be a good time to dust off the Blogger account and get busy typing! I'll be updating on what exactly my surgery is for and our all about our home buying process.  Welcome back and have a wonderful weekend, all!

But I don't want to!!

You know those little projects that you just keep putting of, and thus they hang over your head and keep nagging you? We all have one (or two, or three...) that you just can't bring yourself to do, no matter how simple they may actually be.  Here's my advice, JUST GO DO IT!

Until a few days ago, I hadn't cut a coupon for over a month and a half and my coupon drawer was over-flowing! I was dreading attacking the huge pile of newspaper inserts (and even thought it'd be easier to just throw them all away), but one night I just pulled the trigger, got out my scissors, and got to cutting! It only took about 2 hours to finish clipping and organizing everything, all while watching my regular Thursday night line-up.  I feel so liberated now, just by doing something about that nagging chore that turned out to not be so difficult after all!

Ironically enough, I had also been dreading posting to my blog since it had been so long.  I hate going a few weeks or months without posting an entry because I feel like I have to play "catch-up" with what's been going on in our lives.  Then I realized, no I don't.  What rule book says that? This is my blog and I can choose what and when I want to write! Sometimes we just don't have anything exciting going on, or I just don't have anything good to write about, and that's OK! You forgive me right? Gee...thanks! :)

Now, go and do...it'll make you feel so much better and give you an amazing sense of accomplishment!

Thankful for a bad day?

Where to start?! I haven't blogged ALL SUMMER.  I mean, I feel like I have nothing new to report, and yet 3 months has passed...so surely something has had to have happened, right?! Anyway, we'll just plan on catching up later and, for now, just go ahead and jump right into a new post!

Both kids pushed me to the limit and then some today.  William was especially nasty this afternoon, even with friends over, which is very atypical for him.  After spending some time by himself, he told me that the devil made him misbehave and he wanted to be a good boy again.  We talked about how the devil can try to make you do bad things but, as a Christian, it was his job to do what was right and what makes Jesus happy.  He started to tear up as I told him that when people did bad things, they needed to tell God they were sorry and ask for forgiveness.  I asked him if he wanted to ask God for forgiveness and he immediately said, "yes".  I asked him if he had a sick feeling in his tummy that was making him cry, and my sweet boy just nodded away.  I explained to him that the sick feeling was the Holy Spirit telling him that what he did was wrong.  We also talked about how if he asked for forgiveness, then that feeling would go away.  Together we prayed, my first born and I, and nothing that happened earlier in the day mattered anymore.

Moments like that are so special to me, and crucial to my relationship with my children.  Not an hour before our quite literal coming to Jesus talk, I confessed to a friend that I was at my wit's end with these kids.  Madelyn fought me on every count today: from going to the bathroom to pulling her hair elastic out (no less than 10 times).  William was rude and nasty while our guests were over, and disobedient more times than I can count.  I spent almost all day thinking wondering where I went wrong.  Why were my kids misbehaving so badly and driving me so ridiculously crazy?  Not one moment did I stop to think that my Father could be teaching me a lesson.

Looking back on the day, I truly believe that God uses our freewill as crucial teaching moments in our lives.  If William hadn't been so surly today, we wouldn't have had the opportunity to share in such an awesome moment of learning and growing together.  Today was definitely a test of patience, love, and compassion on my part, but it was so worth it in the end.  What was gained from our "bad day" is so much greater than any bit of sanity that was lost.  After all, I really wasn't but so sane to begin with, right?

Round two of savings! Ding! Ding!

Triple coupons started yesterday at Harris Teeter, and I posted to Facebook that I got $107 worth of groceries for $11.  I was pretty excited about my savings, but like a true coupon addict, I couldn't stop at that.  Today I had to go back and see if I could top it, and I'd say I did! I'd like to show you $90.95 worth of groceries for $1.85!! Tada!!!....

A lot of friends have asked if I actually get things that we need/use, so I wanted to take a picture to prove that I most certainly do! Here's a breakdown of what I got:

-2 packs of kid's yogurt
-4 pack toilet paper
-2 pack paper towels
-1 lb. asparagus
-1 Kraft fresh-take
-3 bottles of Barefoot reisling (score!!!!)
-2 bottles laundry detergent
-2 Ban deodorants
-1 pound butter
-1 jar mayo
-3 bottles marinade
-3 packs of panty liners
-1 bottle bathroom cleaner
-2 bottles dish detergent
-2 bottles hot sauce
-1 antibiotic for Madelyn (I'll explain...)

I did use 20 (the limit) coupons that I either clipped or printed, but I also took full advantage of a few deals.  The first being that I had a rain check for 2 bottles of Gain detergent (regularly $7.50 on sale for $3.77), and another one for the wine (regularly $5.99, but on sale for $3.97 a bottle).  I also had a $10 off coupon that I got in the mail (promoting the new store), and my last "trick" was using a $20 credit I got from the pharmacy just for filling a prescription at their location.  This deal is INSANELY good! For you local friends, let me just tell you that for every prescription you fill at the new Churchland HT (now until Halloween), you get $20 loaded on your VIC card.

Madelyn had a "just in case" antibiotic from the insane mosquito bite she got over the weekend, and I took it in to get it filled (and score the $20 credit).  Apparently they have another deal where certain antibiotics are FREE with your VIC card! Thus, I got her script for free and earned $20 for it! Seriously? I am so excited over this! I'm transferring my Zoloft over to them because it's only $3.99 there, so every month I'll be basically making $16 for getting a medicine I already purchase.  Score!

So, there ya go, I do get things we actually use/need, and all it takes is a little planning and collaboration of deals! Hope you score some good ones too this week!

Pain in the...

Ok, friends, I am in need of medical advice.  For about a week now (maybe almost two...I haven't really kept track) I've had headaches every.single.day.  Usually they start mid-morning, and if I take something they go away until mid-afternoon.  If I don't take anything, they'll last all day or come and go until I decide I need something for it.  Usually something mild like Bayer or Aleve will do the trick, but I'm wondering if I need something more potent and ,if so, what?

In fact, I've been feeling so cruddy that I went out and took a few pregnancy tests (my husband thought I was insane).  All of them have come back negative (as I deep down knew they would), but that just shows you how "hormonal" I'm feeling.  Sometimes I feel so nauseous that I swear it HAS to be morning sickness.  Not every time do the headaches have nausea accompanying them though.  I'm not sensitive to light anymore than I usually am, nor is my vision really affected.  I've never had migraines before, so I'm not sure if this is one or not.

Typically the headaches are on the very top of my head- a sort of crushing pain.  It literally feels like someone's sitting on my head. Of course I watch way too much medical dramas and have myself convinced that I have a brain tumor (yes, I realize I'm a total hypochondriac).

I haven't seen a doctor yet because, quite frankly, I'm not sure who the heck to see.  Do I see my primary just to be referred to someone else or be told to "wait and see", or do I go to a specialist, or my OBGYN? With our insurance it's not exactly like I have the luxury of hopping back and fourth to doctors.  Also, I don't want to jump the gun and go running to the doctor if there's something I can be doing on my own to help.  I know for a fact that I have not been drinking enough water (thanks to the nausea), nor keeping a regular sleep schedule.  Could that have an effect?

Have you or someone you know had a similar experience? If so, please let me know what you did! I am so tired to telling my kids, "Mommy has a headache".  These headaches are a real pain in the...well, you get the idea.

(Personal) Blast from the past...

This is the Easter post I wrote back in 2009.  I pulled it from my old blog and wanted to share our personal Easter miracle here.  Hope you enjoy!


As most of you know, my sweet William was born on Easter last year. It was the first Easter that I did not attend church (my water broke at 7 am), the first that I did not adorn a new dress, and the first that I did not have a huge feast with family. Those frivolous things didn't matter to me though. My whole world revolved around William and what he meant. 


To get the whole picture of my special Easter, I have to back up and give you some background information about my life. Every Sunday for as long as I have walked this Earth, I have gone to church. What does that mean? Absolutely nothing. For years I was a Sunday morning/holiday/blessing at meals "Christian".


Most parents will admit that their lives changed upon having children. My opinion is no different. However, I feel that my life changed COMPLETELY from the moment I found out that I was going to be having my sweet baby. You see, and this is very hard for me to divulge, Sean and I were not planning on having a baby for a couple of years. Our plan (and I know that this is hilarious to God) was to get married in May of 2008, buy a home, and then have children sometime after that. Children were not an option. Children were a must, but we had our "priorities" that needed to come first. That's why August 1, 2007 hit me like a ton of bricks. That was the day I found out that I was pregnant with William. It was a complete shock and happened in a way that I never imagined. I had pictured Sean pacing outside the bathroom door, eager to find out if there was a plus or minus sign. Instead, Sean was hundreds of miles away at his grandmother's funeral in CANADA! Of course he came home ASAP and was a million percent supportive, but I was still having a hard time letting myself deem the pregnancy as "ok".


I wanted nothing more than to be a mother, but not like this! What a nightmare, right??




Wrong.




Little did I know, but God had a wonderful plan for our growing family. On October 6th, Sean and I had a beautiful wedding at our church...just the way we wanted it to be and no corners were cut. My parents were so supportive and my dad made sure that I had the wedding that I always wanted. We had a small, one bedroom apartment lined up and were showered with tons of gifts to fill it with. It wasn't the cute little cape cod that I was dreaming of, but it suited us just fine for 11 months.


When the time came for baby showers, I was blessed with 4! We received everything we needed for Sweet William's arrival and some! As my due date grew closer I was slowly becoming more comfortable with talking about my pregnancy, but still viewed it as a sore subject. Don't get me wrong, I was never ashamed of William...not for a minute. I was, however, ashamed of my sin. Since I was known by all as a "Christian", I felt tarnished and dull because I was not the beacon that I was intended to be...not yet anyway.


When Easter weekend approached, I got on my knees and prayed for William to come. I was so tired of being pregnant and miserable (even though I wasn't due for nearly two more weeks), and we had lots of family and friends in for the holiday. I just kept thinking, "Oh, wouldn't it be wonderful if all our loved ones were here when William arrived?!" 


God heard my plea.


Easter morning I awoke feeling a bit crampy and didn't quite know what to think of it. I was in charge of going to my mom and dad's house to pop in the turkey before church ,so I called to tell them I didn't think I could do it. While on the phone with my mom, my water broke. 11 hours later my Wipee was born. 


I don't think the magnitude of that day set in for awhile. Of course I knew that March 23, 2008 would forever be etched in my mind because it was the day of William's birth, but I did not know how profound of an impact it would have until months later. Looking back, I don't know how I missed one of the greatest gifts that God has given me. I thought my son was the greatest gift, but God gave me a cherry on top. He gave me forgiveness. Of course I had been forgiven upon repentance, but God wanted to show me on that particular day that I was forgiven.


God could have had William come at any time, any day, any year, but God chose for William to come on the celebration of His son's life! How awesome is that? There will never be an Easter quite like the one I had last year. Having an outward sign of God's love and forgiveness is something that forever changed me, and I am ever so grateful for it.


Thank you for allowing me to share something so personal with you. I hope that you and yours have a beautiful Easter for He is risen so that we might live!

March savings and another couponing tip!

I can't believe we're 4 months into 2012! How crazy is that? I always like the end of the month though, because it gives me a chance to total up my savings for the past 4 weeks.  This time I was really excited because I knew I had snagged some really good deals.

First off, Harris Teeter had triple coupons (which I indulged in three times...using 20 coupons each time).  Also, I had a very successful month with retail store coupons.  I made 2 trips to Bath and Body (they had there special event where if you buy a home fragrance you get a free hand-soap and reusable bag, and I also had a coupon for a free signature item if you spent $10), had an extremely productive trip to Target (they had a lot of toys and games on sale that matched up with their online coupons and coupons from the paper.  I'm talking $2 Candyland and $3 Disney Princess doll deals), and gave my husband a $10 off anything coupon to Kohls and Hi-Ho Silver to use for my Birthday (an extra perk was him winning me a $100 Chamilia necklace in their raffle).

So, what did I save in March? A whopping $377.02 (bringing my yearly coupon savings to $764.05)! Keep in mind, that's just with coupons that I clipped, got in the mail, or printed offline.  That doesn't include store promotions, sales, or using any loyalty card.  I am so excited because this month I was able to add a lot of items to my church's food pantry, as well as my own, get about 10 Christmas gifts under my belt, indulge in a little home and body fragrances, and my husband is already finished with my Birthday shopping...from my favorite stores, nonetheless (that's probably what I'm the most proud of...he's a Walgreens at the 11th hour shopper!).  Also, in case you're curious, we spent about $600 this month on all these items, but they were worth close to $1,500 if regular price).

Now for another couponing tip.  This one's actually for how to score the coupons in the most cost efficient way: Buy your paper from the Dollar Store! We have the Sunday and Wednesday paper delivered (ordered off promotion) and any extra Sunday papers I want, I get from the Dollar Store.  This saves me about half of what I would pay for each paper.  Also, I only buy 2 extra papers, and that's only if there's coupon inserts that week (some weeks there aren't any, so don't go stocking up and then check).  I stick to 3 papers total because most store have a "3 like coupon" policy, so if the deals really good, by the time you go back to get more, the item's already gone anyway.  So, just get 3 and leave the rest for others.  Hope this helps and have a great April!

Couponing Ain't for Sissies.

If you're trying to get into couponing, there's one thing you should put in the front of your mind or you won't be successful.  You have to to let go of embarrassment and speak up, if need be.  It can be hard to bring a mistake to a cashier or manager's attention, especially if there's a long line behind you or if it's an error that "only" costs you a few dollars, but you have to remember that the purpose behind couponing is to save money. You're not going to save money if you're not willing to speak up when an error occurs.  Nearly every time I checkout there is an issue with either a coupon scanning or doubling, or an item ringing up at the incorrect price.  If I were to let it "slide", then I wouldn't be saving at my highest potential, and essentially I'd be doing the extra work for nothing.


The other day I went to Harris Teeter to with the intent of scoring a second round of "triple deals".  I made sure that all my coupons matched up, and that I had no more than 20 total (their limit).  I had to do self-checkout because it was close to closing time, and all of my items scanned with no problem.  Before taking my coupons up to the cashier at the podium, I counted them again to ensure I had exactly 20.  My numbers were correct, and I proceeded to checkout.  


As the coupons were scanned in, I watched the screen and counted each one off.  It took about 5 minutes for the cashier to finish, with the help of the manager on duty.  When 14 were scanned in, they told me I could then pay.  I told them that I only counted 14 coupons and that I was absolutely certain I had 20.  The manager then told me he would put a $6.00 discount on my transaction.  I don't know where he got $6.00 from, but I believe he just guessed a number to get me through the line.  

After completing my checkout, I then went to my car and took a closer look at my receipt.  I went back, item by item, and tallied up how many of each coupon I had and should have received.  There should have been (8) $.50 coupons, (3) $.60 coupons, (8) $.75 coupons, and (1) $.55 coupon.  I only had (5) $.50 coupons, (3) $.60 coupons, (6) $.75 coupons.  That means I was missing (3) $.50 coupons, (2) .75 coupons, and a $.55 coupon- totaling $10.65.  Therefore, even with the $6.00 the manager tacked on, I still came up short $4.65.  

I went back into the store before leaving and told the manager about the error (I realize that it's only $4.65, but it's more of the principle for me).  The manager made a note of the error on my receipt, but told me he couldn't take care of it at the time because Customer Service was closed.  

Later when I got home, I wrote an email to the store manager telling him what happened (If you have an issue that is not solved while you're in the store, I highly recommend contacting the store manager.  They want to keep their customers happy and will appreciate your feedback).  My email was professional and kind, despite my frustration.  Remember, you catch more flies with honey than vinegar! Don't be rude, mean, or nasty (although I know y'all wouldn't be!) because it will just make them defensive.  Also, don't put down their employees because that doesn't make you look good.  Point out the error, but stay as positive as possible.  

Today I got a response from the manager, not via email, but by phone.  He sincerely apologized and thanked me for writing in.  He also said that he was going to mail me a $20 Harris Teeter gift card for my trouble.  I told him that I greatly appreciated it and we went on talking about the absurdity of gas prices (he was such a nice guy!). 

So, the moral of this story is, whatever you do, don't be afraid to (kindly) speak up for yourself! It definitely pays off in the long run!

More Complete Randomness, Via Pictures...

 First off, a fish update: 

Thirteen days after we got our fish (I know that it was that many days exactly because we just barely made the two week "return policy") William's fish, "Diego", died.  We took it back to the store that evening, and he picked out a cute little striped Molly that he named "Zebra".  I decided to pick out a replacement fish too.  This time I got a sweet little "Bleeding Heart" Molly that I named Anderson (ahem) Grouper.  Yes, I realize I'm crazy.

Madelyn's fish, "Nemo", was not loving having the new company, and he died two days later.  He got flushed, and Madelyn will still look in the potty saying, "My fishy?". 

And then there were two....until today.  Anderson Grouper was stuck to the filter, barely breathing, all morning.  Here he is: 

No, I didn't take a picture of a dead fish.  He's still alive here.  I'm not that morbid.  He's just almost dead.  

 I think "Zebra" is on his way out because he's not eating and has white spots on him.  The culprit may be Ich.   Listen to me, sounding all knowledgeable on fish (I may or may not have spent the morning with my friend Google).  Anyway, it's a parasite that causes white spots on the fish (which all the fish but "Dora" had).  I think I'm going to hold off and talk to the fish guy (yep, official term) before getting anymore.  

 See the white spots on "Zebra"?

Moving right along...I made a new letter/number game for William (courtesy of Pinterest of course).  He really likes it, and it was super easy to do! We played it this afternoon and I think it may become a "quiet time" tradition:

Finally, this picture sums up about how much privacy I have around here:

Yep, my bra was Madelyn's toy of choice this afternoon.  Lovely.  What's even better is that while I was attempting to take a shower, William came in and said, "Mommy is it ok if I go potty while you're in the shower? I'll let you know when I need you to wipe me, ok?" Can't a girl even shave her legs in peace?

Normal?

I got a call from the pediatric ENT's office today: William's sleep test results were normal.

You'd think I'd be ecstatic that my child is normal, fine, and healthy on all accounts, but it's hard to celebrate when I still don't have answers.  He is sleeping better, but I certainly wouldn't call it "normal".  He snores.  He wakes up...a lot.  He cries.  His tonsils are still huge.  He gets into our bed almost every night (he only sleeps in his bed the entire night when he doesn't wake up at all- this happens about 2 nights a week.  An improvement, but still frustrating compared to his sister's sleeping 12 hours straight all night, every night).

Now what?

Well, they want his ears rechecked for fluid (there was some at his last appointment) to make certain his ears are draining fine.  I plan on just having his pediatrician check them on Thursday at his check-up.  I am also having the results faxed over to her office so we can discuss them then.  The nurse with our ENT said that if sleep results are normal, but the patient is still having problems, they usually recommend seeing an allergist (there could be some sort of trigger that is causing him to sleep so poorly).

Other than that, I plan on cutting out his afternoon naps because we are in a vicious cycle.  He sleeps horribly, I let him take a nap the next day, he wants to sleep for 3 hours, then he doesn't want to go to bed at night so he stays up late, sleeps horribly, and then is tired the next day.  See? It's vicious.

Thank you all for your prayers and support.  I ask that you pray for answers and a solution to his sleeping issues.  I am very thankful for them, as well as the fact that my baby won't have to undergo surgery though, so I'm going to try and focus on that for now!

4 Years Old.

I'm sittin here I'm one day old.

I'm sittin' here I'm two days old.

I'm sittin' here I'm three days old.

I'm sittin' here I'm four days old.

One day I'll be a year.

Then I'll be two.

Then three...

Then four...*

Happy Birthday, Sweet William! I can hardly believe that you've been in our lives for 4 years! You are such a miracle and and I am so thankful that you are my son!! I love you!

Mommy

*Lyrics from "5 Days Old" by Laruie Burkner

The post where I take a picture of my groceries

Triple coupons started today at Harris Teeter, and I went in at 6:00 when the store opened snoozed my alarm multiple times and wound up getting up at 8:00.  Madelyn and I headed to the store once we dropped William off at school and still managed to get nearly everything on our list.  I was pretty excited, needless to say.

Our haul:

$73.39 worth of groceries for $14.85!

Also, I forgot to post last month's coupon savings.  With online and paper coupons, I saved a total of $232.44 during the month of February.  That brings my savings for 2012 to $387.03 (not including anything saved in March, thus far).  

Get out there before next Wednesday and use your coupons $.99 and below! There are some really good deals going on (hint: If you are registered through E-Vic, you can use 2 online Fiber One Cereal coupons and 2 paper coupons, to get the cereal FREE!).  Have fun!!

Complete randomness, via pictures.

William's first soccer game of the season was this past Saturday, and afterwards we spotted a few yard sales that just couldn't be passed up.  Sean and I went a little crazy at this one moving sale- buying 2 tables, an antique piano bench (nope, we don't have a piano!), a shelf, a Pier-One appetizer set, and an ab-roller (completely random, but he's on a fitness kick).  Here's one of the tables we snagged (for $5!):

 I decided to put it in our bathroom to help spice it up.  I absolutely despise my bathroom because it's small and random.  The tiles are a "once-pink-turned-terracotta" color and nothing matches them! However, I do like how the table looks in there.  Sean's next project is to sand it and refinish it a dark brown.  

Onto the next bit of randomness: Madelyn's self-comfort technique.  For over a year now Madelyn has done this odd sort of "comfort mechanism", and we've finally figured out that that's what it is! 

 ...She holds her own hand.  At first, we thought she had hurt it because she held it all gimp-like, but she started doing it more and more frequently until we realized it's just how she comforts herself (aside from the help of a paci).  

 It's actually kind of funny because she does it ALL THE TIME now.  She'll do it when she gets tired, when she's relaxing, when she's hurt, and especially when she's riding in the car.  Sean and I joke that it's probably a pressure point and she's releasing some progesterone (aka "the calming hormone") into her system! I think we stress her out! Ha! Ha! 

 Finally, I have to share with you my latest obsession:

 Laundry detergent "pods"! These things are amazing! It's ridiculous how much easier they make doing laundry (I mean, seriously, how hard is it to pour a cap-full of liquid detergent in your machine??).  Most of y'all know that I make my own detergent,. which I usually use unless I can get the manufactured kind on sale (I got this with a coupon for $2).  Still, I have 26 loads already in a little pouch for me...plus they feel really cool! Ahhh...it's totally all about the little things!

p.s. Scheduling a sleep study two nights before Daylight Savings Time was so dumb.  So, so dumb.  

William's Sleep Study

William had his sleep study at CHKD last night, and he did WONDERFULLY! My prayer was that he wouldn't be scared, would be cooperative, and that he would sleep as per normal so the results would be accurate.  All my prayers were answered (although maybe next time I should include a "sleep for mama clause")!  

We checked in at the hospital at 7 and were taken up to our room around 8.  William was so excited for his "sleep over with mommy" and to watch his new movie- "Cars 2".  

Around 8:15 they started the process of hooking him up to all the monitors (I should have counted because there had to be at least 30).  William watched his movie while our nurse got to work.  He had monitors on his legs, foot, chest, back, head and face.  A "mask" was placed over his head to hold all the wires in place, and two monitor belts were placed on his chest and abdomen to measure his breathing movements.  Up until this point he didn't mind any of the process! 

And then there was the nasal cannula.  He absolutely hated the feeling of something tickling the inside of his nose.  I've got to be honest, that would have made me snap too.  After taping it in place, he was ready to go!

 After a nutritious snack of cheese puffs (he was stoked because he's never allowed to have them), he fell asleep while watching his movie.

 A lot of nights William wakes up crying within the first two hours of sleep.  Last night was no different.  I was actually glad he did because the monitors should be able to pick up what causes him to wake up so frantic.  Each time he woke up he tried to pull out the cannula, causing the nurse to come in and tape it back into place.

Around 1 am he finally seemed to go into a deep sleep (much like at home) and I settled into my "bed".  Up until this point I had bounced back and fourth from laying with him, to laying on the couch.  I finally dozed off and on for what seemed like hours.

When I woke up for about the 10th time, I checked the clock and it was only 2 am! William stirred a bit, and after calming him down, I went back to sleep.  What seemed like another several hours later, the nurse came back in and started to unhook him.  I was thrilled because that meant it was 5:30 and time to go home! I started to put my shoes on and pack my bag when I was told that it was only 3:00!

At this point, I thought I was going to cry! I started to worry that, for some reason, the test wasn't going to work and we'd have to do it all over again (it was the lack of sleep talking).  Then I started to feel bad because William was the one hooked up to all those wires, with that horrible "mask/hood thing" on, and a tube up his nose! I stopped whining to myself after that.

Flash forward another hour (where I thought surely 5 more had passed) and I was up again.  At that point, I just decided to stay up and do crosswords until it was time to go.  Awake time passed ten times faster than sleeping time (again, it was the lack of sleep making up my logic...or lack thereof).

6:00 crept into our room (I'm guessing the unhooked the other kid first) and William was woken up and unhooked.  I already had our bags packed and my jacket on (yes, I was just a little ready to get into my cozy bed), so I just scooped him up and  ran  left, graciously waving the whole way.

In all seriousness, CHKD really did a fabulous job and had everything down to a fine art.  I am so thankful to have such a wonderful facility so close by, if ever needed.  Also, I realize how completely blessed I am to have had my child spend the night just for observation- especially when there are so many children and their parents who practically live there.

So now, we wait.  The results of the study should be back in about 2 weeks, and then we'll go from there.  I'm praying that we'll find something out, and that it can be fixed- easily.  Thanks so much for all your prayers thus far, and I ask that you keep 'em coming!

And then there were two...

Well, as to be expected, one of our fish died...actually, mine! Ha ha! I guess the other two proved to be too messy for that gal to keep up with, and she just gave out.  Irony much? Oh, "Dora", I so get it.

The Extent of our Pet Ownership...

If you didn't know before, you do now: we're not "pet people".  Don't get me wrong, I love animals.  We're zoo members, I've dog-sat, owned animals in the past, and have an obsession with little, fluffy fur-balls.  However, I just don't have the space, time, or patience for a four legged pet right now (and there's no way I'm getting anything that flies, slithers, or crawls).  What I did think we could handle was a 2 gallon tank, 3 new additions to it, and a canister of fish food.  With no further adieu, I give you, our fish:

Mady's fish that she, undoubtedly, named "Nemo"

 My sucker fish that William named "Dora"...of course I love a fish that cleans! 

William's fish that he named "Diego"

 William's so excited that his job is to feed the fish (here's hoping they make it to their first feeding)! Sean and I figured this would be a good way to ease them into the responsibility of pet ownership, with hopes of one day getting a dog.  However, I'm pretty sure our next step will be some hermit crabs!

Madelyn's Procedure

 Madelyn did GREAT this morning with her procedure! I was worried she may not lay still during the whole process, but she surpassed all my expectations.  The dentist and hygienist kept saying how they wished everyone was as good of a patient.   The whole thing took about an hour, and I got to sit in the room and make sure everything was going well (as if I could do anything if it wasn't, right?!).  Thank you, everyone, who prayed for peace and safety.  Our prayers were answered!

All gassed up and chillin' out.

 The new baby she came home to- a surprise for being so good!

Resting up, and watching "Nemo" with her new baby.