Wednesday, January 31, 2007

My lungs sound better

That is the good thing. My chest X-Ray said that I have several calcified granulomata on my lungs though. I'm not supposed to worry. HA! They do not know me. I will have another chest X-Ray after the baby comes to see if anything has changed. Until then, I worry...

Just wanted to post an update. Go Google calcified granulomata and leave me a comment saying I am fine. (BTW-I have already read every article online about it! I have never had any lung infection that I am aware of, so I am convinced that I have been misdiagnosed)

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Chest X-Ray

Yesterday I was feeling so horrible that I went in for a chest X-Ray. The nurse called today and said the preliminary results were normal. I go in tomorrow afternoon to see the midwife for a recheck. I am still making a lot of noise when I exhale, so I am not sure what is up with all of that.

Today I had to take Caleb to the doctor for his Medicaid paperwork. Every single year I have to jump through a million hoops to continue with his Medicaid waiver. You would not believe all the paperwork that is required. The doctor has to fill out three forms, I have to fill out about three or four and include all kinds of documentation. It is nice to have though. Medicaid picks up whatever our primary insurance does not. So, instead of paying the $100 per month for his seizure medicine (that is our co-pay by the way. His medicine is about $500 per month) we don't have to pay anything because medicaid will pick up the rest. Medicaid also picks up the normal co-pay for doctor's appointments and such as well. When he turns 18 then he will go on a different type of Medicaid and I don't think I will have to reapply every year.

Baby is still transverse. I think we have named him. If you don't read my Baby Blog, his name (as of now anyway) is Simon Perry Jorek. There is a character in the movie Nanny McPhee with the name of Simon. He is such a cute little boy too. I think that is what triggered the name in our minds...(a long time ago) Of course, it's Biblical. Simon Peter among others. The bad thing is it means "to be heard" which really isn't a great thing to name a baby. I am sure we'll get the question, "Did you name him after Simon Cowell?" Ummm...no!

Saturday, January 27, 2007

Saturday

I think my cough is getting a little better, but my wheezing/crackling/gurgling continues. It really scares me. I wake up at 3:30 am and listen to myself breathe and I lie there and worry. I wonder what it could possibly be and why it isn't going away. Worry, worry, worry...

Today I bought a used Baby Bjorn carrier for $10. It's an older model, but it will do. I also washed more layette stuff and organized it all in a drawer. I am all set minus some receiving blankets. I have no idea what I did with all my other blankets. My friend, Cheri, pointed out these diaper bags on Ebay to me. How adorable! The funny thing is, she lives near me. Just a few towns over. Oh, and I got this in the mail today! I love it. I bought this pattern. I also bought my very first Bravado nursing bra. It's fine, but I think my bras are more conducive to nursing.

I saw my friend, Karen, and her family Friday night at the local pizza place. She is back on chemo and it makes her feel worn out. But she looked really good. It was nice just saying hello and talking for a minute or two. Keep praying for her and her family as they walk through this battle with cancer.

I posted a picture of myself over at the baby blog.

Have a great weekend!

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Z-Pack...finally

I went to my regularly scheduled OB appointment today for my glucose test. (Blech!) The midwife listened to my lungs and said, "You sound awful!" She called in some antibiotics and I am going back for a recheck of my lungs next Wednesday. All of this a day after my Primary Care Doctor said all was fine. Who knows?? I haven't gained any weight for 8 or 9 weeks, but the baby is growing fine. My uterus was measuring 26 weeks (I am 25 tomorrow) so she wasn't concerned about the weight. The heartbeat was fine and he was lying transverse like he always does.

We were able to go to Olive Garden yesterday for lunch! Caleb didn't have a fever when he woke up and wanted to go to school. It's just hard to enjoy your food when you are sick.

All the children are sick. They are coughing. Especially Josiah. I am going to give him some cough medicine tonight even though he is going to fight me tooth and nail.

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Tagged - Six weird things

My Down Under friend, Sonia, tagged me. I have to tell six weird things about me, then tag six people.

1. I drink lemon juice straight from the concentrated bottle. I add a little salt to it though.

2. I really don't like to kiss. Anyone.

3. I crave a strong, cold beer (Sam Adams Lager is fabulous) in my second trimester of pregnancy. So far, I have only given in to two temptations this pregnancy.

4. I am a self proclaimed hypochondriac-but y'all knew that one.

5. I am in the parade scene in the movie Animal House. You can't really see me though. I was 10 years old.

6. I ran away from my mother's house in Oregon the summer before my senior year to go live with my dad in Washington. I traveled by Greyhound Bus all by myself with only the clothes on my back.

OK, I tag:

Misty
CJ
Camille
Dawn
Stephanie
Holly

Monday, January 22, 2007

Happy Anniversary to me!

Caleb came home from school with a fever and cold symptoms. That means he will stay home from school tomorrow. That means no Olive Garden for us. I should be thankful that Olaf has the day off to help with everything and not be so selfish.

Coughing and wheezing

This is so not fun! I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow at 9:45. I know this man is going to think I am utterly crazy because I was in there a little over a week ago thinking I was dying of pancreatic cancer. Now it's lung cancer. Oh boy, I am a mess!

Tomorrow is my nineteenth wedding anniversary. Olaf is taking the day off so I can go to the doctor and the chiropractor. We may go out to lunch at the Olive Garden with the children while Caleb is at school. Caleb doesn't do well around pasta. He is very sensory defensive and will vomit if he sees someone slurp spaghetti. I'm not chancing ruining a meal at Olive Garden with vomit.

We looked at a lovely new home that I would very much like to buy. The problem is trying to get this one ready to sell. That would take SO much work. ::Heavy sigh::

Friday, January 19, 2007

Favor to ask

I am sure most have you have heard about the hostile take over bid from US Airways for Delta Airlines. Of course, this would be awful for my family and for Delta in general. Not to mention the consumers. Would you please take a minute to go sign this petition? This is why it is imperative that you sign now:

Next week a group of employees from every division and from across the system along with retirees and pilots will be going to Washington, D.C. We will be visiting key members of the Senate to let them know why the hostile takeover by USAirways is bad for employees, retirees, customers and the communities we serve. We will announce how many signatures we gathered on our e-petition to Keep Delta My Delta. Also, Jerry and Doug Parker are scheduled to testify next week before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.

All, dozens of Delta employees and retirees along with the Board Council will be storming Washington, DC, next week to make a major push for Congress' support of Delta against US Airways' hostile takeover attempt. We were successful with pension legislation and we plan to be successful here, too.

As part of the campaign, we are will be having a media event to announce the total number of signatories to the Keep Delta My Delta petition. We have purposely withheld the total count so as not to pre-empt the event.

I can reveal that to date we are short of our goal. So I am asking that you make one last conscious push to make sure you, your friends, family, and Delta supporters go to the KeepDeltaMyDelta.org site and sign the petition. Every signature counts now more than ever.


Thank you SO much!

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Catch Up

Well, yesterday Grace wakes up vomiting. If you know me at all, you know how much I fear vomiting. I can watch others vomit and take care of them, but the thought of ME vomiting scares me to death. I am hoping I don't catch it. She seems fine now which I am grateful for.

Josiah has had hives on his face, arms, and legs for three days now. We have no idea what is causing them so he is on a constant dose of Benadryl. Nothing is new in his diet or in our laundry detergent. The Benadryl helps a little, but not a lot. They don't seem to bother him too much.

We have a cold snap right now. It finally feels like winter. It went from 72 degrees to 45 degrees in one day. I love the colder weather, but it doesn't last long down here.

I got on the scale this morning. I am back down to 6 pounds total weight gain. I was up to 8 at one point. I don't know why my body isn't putting on any weight. I haven't gained in over a month. I am 24 weeks pregnant today. The baby is still nameless:)

Did anyone watch American Idol the past few nights? I love the beginning of the season where all the bad singers audition. It cracks me up.

Monday, January 15, 2007

Back Pain

Something is wrong with my back! It's not the typical low backache that one gets when they are preggo. It's up high, like under my right shoulder, and it wakes me up every stinkin' night. Being the good hypochondriac that I am (are we starting to see a theme?) I went to the doctor convinced I was dying of some sort of cancer. He said, "It's a backache Mrs. Jorek." Oh, how I hope he shows up at my funeral and recants.

Baby still doesn't have a definite name. I blogged a bit about it at the Baby Jorek Blog.

Camille is already planning her birthday. It isn't until March 11, but she has decided that she wants to go here with her best friend. I think Olaf will take just the two of them. I would take them but I cannot get on a horse pregnant. She still loves horses so much. She wants to take riding lessons again, but I am not so sure that I am ready to be dragging the other children to lessons. Maybe in the fall.

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Swelling already

Last night my left foot and ankle were slightly swollen. Say it isn't so! It is WAY too early for that. This morning my hands felt a bit swollen as well. So I did what any hypochondriac would do. I went to Eckerd to buy a blood pressure cuff. Then I went to the big machine that takes your blood pressure and took mine four times. It started high (I had just walked in from the parking lot and was out of breath...sad) but by the fourth time, it was normal. Olaf is going to check it this evening with new cuff I bought too. Not that my hypochondria isn't bad on its own, I have Josiah adding to the mix. He said to me today, "Mom, when the baby is born it is going to be very sick." I asked him how he knew that and he said, "Well, I just know it." Thank you Josiah. You made my day. I really hate being a hypochondriac. It is awful to live this way. I wish there was a pill to make it all go away. I pray and pray and pray and pray. I try to take every wrong thought captive to the obedience of the Lord. And as I am trying to think on Whatsoever things are true, my head is ruminating on sickness, cancer, diseases, death and the after effects on my family. It's not limited to me either. I fear one of the children or Olaf dying as well. It's awful I tell you.

Do you know how much I dislike grammar? Teaching Camille grammar is so hard for me. I don't even understand it. We are working on pronouns which, in and of themselves, is not a hard concept. But classifying them and such...who cares? If you can recognize a pronoun then I say GOOD FOR YOU! On the other hand, I love math as long as it isn't spacial. I really don't like geometry, but I like algebra. When she gets beyond Algebra 2 I will have to send her to a coop math class or something. That is too advanced for me.

My brother called me last night. We talk about twice a year. It's always fun to catch up with him. We talked for over an hour about parenting teenagers. He has four teens right now. Let's just say that after talking to him I am so glad I homeschool:)

Sunday, January 07, 2007

Yet another tornado warning

Two days ago a tornado touched down about 15 miles away from my house. It did significant damage to people's homes, but thankfully noone was hurt. And here I sit in yet another tornado warning. Yes, we took shelter in the basement as instructed, but it has moved far enough away that we are safe now. I feel like I am in Kansas.

We went to Lowe's today and looked at the different types of drop ceiling tiles that can go in a basement. Since we really don't know anything about finishing a basement, it was futile. Even Olaf admitted that he had no idea what he was looking at. Thank God for contractors.

We also went and looked at a home that is for sale. It is a lovely home with 5 bedrooms and 3 full bathrooms. The landscaping is gorgeous and the lot is the best in the neighborhood. The price was great as well. It just wasn't big enough for me to be motivated to prepare my house to sell. Just the thought of getting this house ready is overwhelming! So, finishing the basement is still the best option at this point. We got one estimate today. $15,000 for everything. There is no way the finished basement will add $15,000 to the value of our home, but that is just something we have to deal with. If this is going to be our "forever" home (and I am totally fine with that) then we'll just have to eat the cost.

I am hungry. I think I am going to have a bowl of cereal.

Friday, January 05, 2007

Finishing the basement

We have had one man come out so far to look at our basement. I think Olaf has two more coming out so he can compare prices. It looks like we will be finishing one huge playroom/family area that is about 635 sq. feet and a bedroom that is 138 sq. feet. He will be putting three windows in as well. We don't have the actual cost estimate yet. He is working on that right now. I am just so excited at the prospect of having more room. I pray it all works out.

We had a tornado warning this morning. The rain was coming down HARD. So glad nothing came of it.

Remember last week or so when I was feeling really sick? I am certain I had a full blown sinus infection because my upper teeth on my left side were killing me. Kind of like when you have a bad cavity. Anyway, I really should have gone on antibiotics, but I didn't. Now...and this is really gross...I am blowing the infection out of my left nostril. If I say more than that you WILL vomit. Moral of the story; if you get a sinus infection go to the doctor.

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Charity had her baby!




My friend Charity had her baby this morning. A BIG healthy baby girl. She woke up at 1:15 am and had the baby at 2:27 am. This was a planned homebirth and the midwife got there 15 minutes before the baby was born. Here are the stats:

Claire Elyse
9 pounds 4 ounces
22 inches
Born at 2:27 am January 3, 2007

Congratulations to the whole family!!

Monday, January 01, 2007

2007

In 2007, I resolve to have a baby. That resolution I will certainly keep!:0) Other than that, I resolve not to make resolutions that I know I will never keep. How's that for honest?

Today (just for fun) I went and registered at Target and Babies R Us. Basically I did it to get any coupons that may come with the deal, but I got nothing today. Bummer. It also isn't a lot of fun to take four children with you when you register. Thankfully, Olaf took the kiddos and let me walk around. We bought a new mattress for the bassinet and another bassinet sheet. At Target I bought some onesies and little pants that were on clearance. It will be hot here when the baby comes, so he really won't need more than that. I think I am all set with the layette now between Target and Kohls. You can look at my registries online if you want to.

Olaf and I were discussing the possibility of finishing one room down in the basement. A big huge playroom/family room where the children can store their toys and such. I think he is going to call some contractors for some estimates. I would love, love, love that. Our house is fairly small and any added space would be fabulous.

Olaf goes back to work tomorrow. Caleb goes back to school on Thursday. I need to start school with the girls again too. Hopefully we can get their school year finished before the baby comes. Hopefully:)