Living Her Life

Ovi lives like a queen.  When I come to my desk she always jumps up.  When I’m on my computer she walks from left to right across the keyboard making sure she sounds off as many beeps and dings as she can.  After that she lays under the lamp with a partial body covering half of the computer receiving warmth from both.  My typing was immediately halted due to the lack of room left for me and then she proceeded to take a nice lengthy bath.  She cleaned behind the ears, the face, the legs, the feet, the toes and made sure each area was cleaned to perfection.  I patiently waited.  As the bath and heat lamp warming was complete she jumped down to find a more satisfying place to rest.  The queen.

Squishable Kitty

You would think I would figure this out by now.  Utilizing my time while Georgie colored I decided to clean out a few bathroom drawers.  I carried the drawer to the kitchen counter and how . . . how . . . did Ovi know I was doing this?  Within seconds there she was cramming and “fitting” in her furry little chubs into my skinny bathroom drawer.  I had to do a “google search” to explain this phenomena.   “But how do you explain why and how they are able to cram themselves into the most perplexing places (e.g. a flower vase), the kind that cats choose to sleep in instead of the expensive, luxury cat bed you just bought them? Lucky for these crazy critters, their flexible spines allow them to squeeze themselves into the confined spaces, so it’s no big deal for them to cram their furry bodies into a small basket or shoe box. According to The Daily Cat, cats do this simply because they can!”

I’m Coming Home

Look who is coming home all snuggled and perfect in his car seat.  Rudy!  It is like Christmas, it is like this day would never come, like the best day ever, leaving the NICU after eleven days with gratitude for a job well done, looking forward to siblings,  and a house he hasn’t truly seen and to just be home with his family all together, snuggled and perfect.

Water Preferences

 “Cats generally don’t like water, but most of them enjoy playing with water from faucets or fountains. They will often bat at dripping water, while some fully immerse themselves.”   This sounds like Ovi and she is totally within the norm of cat behavior.  Recently she has been intrigued with me brushing my teeth- it is that steady stream of water.    So she now has her own time where she loves the trickling stream of coolness and likes to “paw bat” at the wetness.  The trickling stream of water in the sink and a clean toilet bowl for drinking suits her just fine.   No water bowl thank you!

This Was Needed

After a rough and yet blessed week we all met at Moose’s Tooth (in the tent) to have dinner together with the family-it was Micah’s birthday.  All the kids had their own table and we had ours.  It was such a nice night to eat, talk and just be together.  David mimicked Calder -they are the buds.  We scored with the Apricot Pizza: blackened chicken, cream cheese, apricot sauce, red peppers, carrot threads, green onions, mozzarella and provolone.    It is all about family – I have thought often this past week about those who are alone and enduring hardships.  As Harold B. Lee stated many years ago, “The most important work you will ever do will be within the walls of your own home.”

Child’s Face by Judith Kempis

Look at the child and observe the face
The beautiful smile from God’s grace
Her eyes that tells the love in heart’s place
Shows joy and happiness with great amaze.
Child’s face as she sleeps
Innocence and mind in peace
Like an angel from heaven
Wearing a long white dress.
As child cry and tear drops
Your heart burst and make it collapse
The kiss and hug of yours let them jumps
Relieved and played with smile and laughs.

Her Post Says It All

Happy one week to this big boy. Rudy came into the world with a bang and has quite the story to tell.

During a smooth induction Wednesday evening, his umbilical chord prolapsed (came out before he did) while I was pushing. Everything from that point went very quickly and I was rushed in for an emergency c section. Rudy went about 20 minutes without oxygen and blood flow inside of me before he was able to be delivered. He had no heart beat for a few minutes, David watched as they did CPR to revive him. After some evaluation and worry about his breathing and possible seizures he was taken into Anchorage to the NICU. I only held him for about 30 seconds in the hallway after I had awoken. With the lack of oxygen for so long, they were worried about brain damage. They put him into “active cooling therapy” where they drop his body temperature for 72 hours in hopes to slow down or heal any damage to the brain that might have occurred. After that he slowly warms and they do an MRI and EEG. David stayed in there for the first 4 nights by himself until I was healed enough to finally see my boy.

It was the longest 5 days before we had any answers. But the MRI and EEG came back normal

We’ve all endured a lot of trauma but Rudy’s body has taken the most. He’s still in the NICU doing so good but still has some time before we can come home with him.

So many prayers and messages and help has been given to us. We really have the most amazing family and friends. Our kids have been shuffled around but have loved the extra cousin and Grammie time. Thank you to everyone

There have been many miracles and tender mercies along the way. One of the biggest is that Rudy boys chest is huge and after he was born, multiple doctors said I most likely wouldn’t have been able to push him out myself, most likely causing shoulder dystocia which could have ended worse for both of us. The Emergency C section was a miracle.

The nurses, Drs and staff at Mat-su Regional were incredible. I don’t think he would be here if it wasn’t for my midwife Meg.

Playmates

Not only has Georgie been my better half but Ovi has truly enjoyed having a friend.  I have an array of photos – well they really say it all:  teasing, watching, stretching, eating lunches, sharing a stool, playing with ribbon, being a pal, curiosity, sharing and just being there for one another.  Ovi totally enjoyed having some “girl play time.”

Rudy’s Bed

Micah and I kept our eyes on the Amazon account to see when Rudy’s crib was going to arrive.  The first date they said worked well because it was right around his original arrival time.  Then Amazon delayed it and then Rudy was born and has been in the NICU.  So what was the big deal about the crib?  Rudy has a sign on his wall in Georgie’s room and right below it was to be the crib.  It is always nice to have everything in place before baby comes home (even though he won’t be in the crib for awhile) but for those over achievers like us we wanted the crib.  Lo and behold the night before he made his Red Birch debut the crib arrived and David put it together.  Thanks Amazon!!

Grammie’s Art Workshops

Georgie and I have intertwined our days together since the boys are at school and David and Micah are in the NICU with Rudy.  We have found quite a suitable routine which consists of a trip to Target (our love), a purchase of some sort of art project, a trip to McDonalds for lunch, art class all afternoon and a quick snuggle on the couch to watch Sing 2.  You know, this three-year-old and sixty-four year old get along super fine!!!