Throwing up stinks!

And that's no pun intended!! We have been really lucky since Jacob has been diagnosed with diabetes that we haven't had any bad sicknesses. Jacob got the flu shot last year (2006), and again this past December. He would have a few ups & downs, but nothing ever really bad.

I posted below about who was sick last weekend. After posting that, whoever was going to throw-up did. It was either throwing-up or diarrhea or both. I don't now how Lindsey & I got so lucky, but we did. Unfortunately this weekend she and I have terrible head colds, but I rather have that then up-chucking. :-)

Everyone was done with throwing-up by Tuesday. I sent kids to school. I probably should had them stay home another day, but I was so ready for kids to be back at school. It was rather a long weekend.

Thursday I took Jacob to see the new GI doctor. His blood sugars had been really low since Tuesday, and I let them know that. Good thing his diabetic doctor was in the same building. They got him, and we all had one great big talk. We decided to let him eat whatever he wanted (since he wasn't eating well either), and to lower his Lantus insulin. Okay. No biggie. YEAH.........RIGHT!!!!

On Friday, he didn't eating much breakfast. At lunchtime the school nurse called me. They had tested his sugars, and they were trying to correct them, and they were not going up. AND to top it off, they gave him his Novolog insulin, and he didn't eat! So, as I am trying to decide what to do, I called his diabetic doctor back, who always answers his office phone (love love love that!), and he told me to go get him from school. I do, and had him eat a sugar-free pudding (since that is what he wanted). I go to the store with my mother-in-law, and I was only gone for 1 1/2 hrs if that long. The store was a 25 minute drive each way, and that's all we did. I got home, and he was complaining again that his stomach hurt. He checked his blood, and then we to lay down because he still wasn't feeling well. Promptly throws-up again. I call his doctor back, in a panic because now I don't know what to do, and I tell him "TELL ME WHAT TO DO! I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO ANYMORE." We both agree that he needs to go to ER @ LSU Children's in Shreveport (90 miles) to meet him there.

Long story short of the rest of the night: He was admitted to LSU Children's.

Not only do I have Jacob, but I unfortunately had Joey. Not fun. My friend did offer to watch him the whole night, and I should have left him there. Why didn't Shawn take care of him? Because he had to be at work on Saturday, and he could not call in sick because he called in sick that Monday because he had to virus too, and we already can't afford to live.

His blood sugars remained low throughout the night, and on Saturday morning. By afternoon, his sugars became normal, and he was starting to eat without complaining. They took his IV out to see how he would do until dinner time. He ate dinner good, and sugars were great. We left to go home at 7pm, to meet Shawn at the other hospital so we could drive back at the same time.

The doctors determined that his Celiacs is at its worst right now, and that he needs to be on a gluton-free diet now. So needless to say, we are starting that tonight for dinner, even though I started it for him this morning. Kids aren't too happy about no more porkchops with gray gravy (don't ask!) or stand-up fried chicken, but those are foods that can make him sick, or worse.

We will be going on a vegetarian diet (see me laughing really hard?) with some meat and dairy, but no breads or bread products! Even ice cream has gluton, and Ranch dressing (oh my, whatever shall we do?)!

PUKE!

Literally! Let's see... Kristen started with it Friday night, and continued to puke until 3am, and then puked most of the day on Saturday, puking her last puke last night about 7:30pm.

Kayley then complained all afternoon today that she wasn't feeling well, and finally around 5:30 or so, I told her to go to bedroom, put on her jammies and go to sleep (she told me she didn't want to eat). Wasn't complaining about her stomach though... just saying she didn't feel well. By 6:30, she was puking. Has puked about 3 more times since.

We all sit down to eat about 6:30pm, and give the kids their food. Jacob just sitting there looking at his, and at first I thought maybe he didn't want to eat the chicken (Shawn's brother grilled it...a lit-tle on the black side). I call him over to me, and when I asked him what was wrong, he told me he didn't feel well. Sent him to bed. At 8:30 when I am trying to get little girls in bed, while holding a nursing baby (yes, I can multi-task), I ask who is in the shower JUST AS I OPEN THE BATHROOM DOOR AND SEE PUKE ALL OVER AND AROUND the "throw-up" bowl and all over the toilet. Jacob stickes his little head out and says it's him.

Take baby off the boob, and lay him in bed. Start cleaning up throw-up. Shawn is an RN, but he cannot clean up sick puke. He can do puke at the hospital because usually it's not the "sick sick" kind... KWIM? So, that is why I am doing it. I have a strong stomach! :-)

In the meantime, Kayley is running into the other bathroom puking, and Lauren is complaining she is going to get sick if she has to smell it while taking a shower. I tell her to stop, and take a shower in my bathroom since Kayley only had some dry-heeving, and not anymore sick puke (at the moment). I get the 3rd load of wash going since I don't want the smell lingering in the laundry room anymore then it has too.

At 9:47, all children are in bed asleep. Let's see how long it will last... *EDIT* Lasted all of 3 minutes... Kayley was just in the bathroom. I've told them to spray the toilet and everything around it with Lysol and wash hands good.

*Side note* Josh came home from school on Friday with a very sick stomach, but he never threw-up. His came out the other end. LOL!! Same with Joey's. I am glad I am nursing him still (only a few time a day as he is eating food) as his diapers have been YUCKO! I didn't feed him much food on Saturday because he was worse on Saturday especially that morning, so I knew he wasn't feeling to good. He is also beginning to pull at his ear again. He just got done with antibiotics for his 2nd ear infection in a month. Guess he is getting another. All of his could be related to getting his teeth (he now has 6!), but may not be.

Only Lauren & Lindsey haven't gotten sick yet, but their moment is coming I am sure...

A new baby is coming!

And it's not mine!! Can you believe it? My crazy, silly sister-in-law, Cindy, is preggers! #5 for them. Her 'baby' now is almost 7! She says she wants 2 more, and wants them to be both boys! I have a friend who had 4 in the same pattern as Cindy: B-G-B-G, waited 6 yrs to have another and then another 2 yrs later. Both boys! Maybe Cindy's pattern will be like Jen's!

Congratulations Cindy & Brett!! Glad it's you and not me!! LOL!!!

Oh, part of the story I was going to post down there... I listen to a radio show called Kidd Kradic. Crazy show in the mornings! Hilary listens to it too. Anyway, they have a segmet called 'Do you think I'm crazy?' You have to call in with your "weird" thing you do, and the show will determine if you are crazy or not. Hilary called in once, and they told her she was rude. LOL!! So I call today (2nd time I have called... did I post about the 1st time? Hilary will have to post it), and I got through!! I was soooooooooooooooo excited, but the segmet was done. I was so bummed!! I have the perfect "Do you think I'm crazy?" I was going to say, so if you ever hear it, you know it's me... I have a thing about even numbers. Every thing has to be even. If I count something, and I know it's going to end with an odd number, I'll count really fast to end it in an even number, silly I know... but the catcher is... I have 7 kids. It's really bothering me that 7 is not an even number. I want to have one more to make it 8. Does that make me crazy?

I know I would win!! I would be the ultimate winner. Who can come up with something better then that?

Ok, this is it!

10 days into the new year... I am starting the dreaded word~ diet. Oh, how I hate diets! I love to eat. This new year I decided I really needed to stop drinking Diet Dr Peppers. So far this year I've had 4. Yes, 4. Mom thinks I've only had 3, but I did have another. It was the 2nd. I was so ashamed. I acted as the 3rd was my 2nd. :-D Such a dork, I know! I even went walking today in my new Nikes that Josh got me for Christmas. I told him I wanted pink and white Nikes. They are awesome. I can't even tell you the last time I had Nikes for me. I know I had some in high school, but I have been wearing the Walmart special. They are cool, my Nikes that is... I am hoping to loose the 50 lbs I need to loose by Saturday. Think I can in these Nikes? Wish me luck! I'm hoping to get at least in the size 14 jeans that Hilary gave me that are super cute (which I almost can, it's just the dang zipper that won't cooperate!).

Oh, and the nurse has already called me! I'm like sooooooo dang impressed!!

Next week I am taking the 4 younger kids to their Drs. in Shreveport. Taking Jacob to the Pedi GI, and taking the other 3 to a new Pedi.

Why are people dumb?

Don't know what it is. I don't know if they are dumb really, but it's enough to make me ticked. And you don't want this person ticked! LOL!!

A few weeks ago, Jacob was finally approved for an insulin pump. I say finally because first they told me that he wasn't. I called the insurance company, dealt with a nice lady in HR named Janet, and we got everything squared away. It wasn't that we weren't approved, it was because Ed from the Insulin Pump company didn't make it clear what he was trying to get approve. So before I called Janet, I spoke with Ed, with him telling me that I needed to call the insurance company. I signed all the papers that were sent, and mailed them back. Almost 2 weeks later, and I still haven't heard back from Ed. I call him today and he tells me that the insurance company wasn't going to approve it. Hello? Are you there ED? Didn't we have this conversation a few weeks ago? He then called Janet, who confirmed everything that I just had told him, and then he calls me back. But not before I called Janet back to make sure everything was cool, which of course it is. Ed calls me back, but I didn't let him know that I had called too, and he tells me that everything is cool, and that all papers are signed (um, hello ED...you just told me told that I wasn't approved so why am I now with papers signed even?). He is mailing the pump off today, and I should receive it by Tuesday. He will have a Home Health Nurse come to the house to help us set Jacob up with it. Of course I told Ed that if I hadn't heard from the nurse by Tuesday I would be calling him back. Why do I get the feeling that I will be calling him back?

Shawn got me a Bosch Kitchen Machine for Christmas. Not cheap for a family who is not rich. He also got me the cookie paddles and the food processer to go with it. Only it's not the food processer that came with it. It was the slicer/shredder. Which would have been okay if it wasn't $100. So, I called Emergency Essentials and told them that they sent the wrong item. I called them less then a week after Christmas. They told me that the UPS or Fed Ex man would be coming to pick up the box within 72 hrs. Nothing. I call back. Okay...he will be there either the 4th or 7th. It's now the 10th. I actually called yesterday. Manager wasn't there, but I was told that they would send out a call slip for the return order since they messed up, but to call back on the 10th. I called this morning. Oh, and BTW... where is my processer? "Hmmmmmmm," she says. I don't know what happened. Seems like all of it was put on hold? WHY? You have my $100, send me the right item! It's not my fault that y'all screwed up! Send it to me now and get the d**m UPS man here because I'm tired of waiting for him. I do have a life besides sitting in my house waiting for him all day! Okay, not really did I cuss, nor do I have a life, but still! I'm tired of waiting! They told me that he should be here within 72 hrs.

Oh, brother...

Christmas Dresses and a Pair of Khakis

I always remember getting things that matched as my sisters. Being the oldest, and with the next sister 4 yrs younger than me, it wasn't all the time. My sisters Heather & Hilary always had matching things, or at least I think they did. I do know that my mom would sometimes attempt to make us Easter dresses for all of us girls. I think the first dress I ever remember her making me was when I was 10. She made this red dress, and it was like pioneer-style up on top. Had the lace and all that, but it wasn't a long dress. I really liked that dress. Mom would put my hair back into a bun, and have this lacy comb thing that she would put on, and I thought I looked cool.

The next Easter Mom made the pink gingham dresses. Mine was the same style as that red one, and the 3 other girls had pinafores to go with them, or at least that is what Mom called them. It basically was an eyelet dress sleeveless thing over the main dress. I don't know if my baby sister had one, but she did have a bonnet to go with hers. I thought they were cool. I think Mom made herself a matching skirt too. Not to sure about that.

Then we moved to Alaska, and the first Easter there was still snow on the ground. I guess Mom thought we would freeze if we didn't wear long johns to church like the boys could. So that year she made us long purple dresses. Oh, how I hated that dress! I was 11!! No 11 yr old wore a long dress, and certainly nobody on earth wore long dresses in 1982! Heck, I was almost in Young Women’s! Can you see me making Lauren & Kayley wear a long dress? Oh, it was soooooooooo not cool!!

Mom started making her a matching skirt too, but never got done. I think she realized that they were ugly. I mean the material, and I do remember that material, was like very thin, and the dresses were short-sleeve! What was the point of that? Sorry, Mom! LOL!!

That Christmas, after I was 12, Mom again made sure we were matching. I guess she decided dresses were too hard to make (thank goodness!), but we did get matching nightgowns. Long-sleeve white gowns with red trim and panda bears on them. I have to admit, they were okay, as I didn't have to wear them in public. Mom does have the picture somewhere; don't know if Hilary can get it from Dad's scanner, and put it on here. It would be hilarious!

Since Kristen & Lindsey are close in age, they do like to match. Shawn's mom and I found these dresses at Dillard’s. They had bigger sizes for the bigger girls, but I just couldn't see Lauren & Kayley wearing them. She bought them for the girls, and they thought they were so cool. They wanted me to keep taking their pictures, but they had to leave for church. Lauren was staying the night at Victoria's house (first time I ever let her do it on a Saturday night... what kind of Mother am I?), so she didn't get pics done with her new church clothes. Jacob has his new church clothes on, which are always the same... khaki pants & white shirt. But Josh did do his hair to make it look like his. Kayley is wearing her new dress and black boots. She just about died and went to heaven when she saw she got black boots for Christmas! Lauren did too, and they were cute with her new black skirt, and gold sweater with belt. I'll get a picture of it later.

My Baby Is One!

My baby turned 1! Can you believe it? Shawn had to work on his birthday, so we decided to have his party on Sunday night (sound familiar?) when Shawn could be there. Normally Shawn can careless about birthdays, but he does like to be here for the 1st one. Maybe because he realizes that he doesn't have a baby baby anymore. Oh well... this womb isn’t having anymore!

Saturday night, Joey was up all night crying, like he was in pain. At 3:30am I pulled on his ear some, and he screamed out. Gave him some Tylenol & Motrin, and he slept until 2pm when kids & Shawn came home from church. I got up with them, got them dressed, took pics, and as soon as they left, I went back to bed too.

Normally I never miss church. Can't even remember missing church for a sick child. Most of the time Shawn stays home because of my calling... leading music in church. But, Shawn was doing the 5th Sunday lesson for Priesthood/Relief Society, so he had to be there.

I decided not to make a cake, or buy one. No one really eats cake here. We rather have brownies or pie, or cookies. Don't get me wrong, we like cake, but not as much as the other stuff. So, I made brownies, and cut him a piece, stuck on the candle, and whoa-la! Birthday brownie!

Shawn fed him a piece, and he liked it. Remember he is sick in these pictures, and still has his jammies on. BTW... I took him to the doctor this morning, and he does have another ear infection!