It turns out that Sunday Grandpa's enzymes were elevated. He did, in fact, have a heart attack. God's been good and there's only a little damage. I'm so thankful he went to the doctor before anything major happened. Uncle Brian & Aunt Heather came Sunday afternoon to see him and listen to what the doctors were saying. They left Monday around lunch time so Heather could work at least half the day. It was good to see them even if it was just for a few minutes.
We went to visit Grandpa on Monday. All of a sudden there was a knock on the door and Stephanie, PJ, Mason, Carissa, Elena, John, and Lola came in for a visit. Of course Stephanie had to step out to visit someone from her congregation who was in a room down the hall. And, the nurse checking Grandpa's blood sugar was from her church too. The life of a pastor!
Grandpa came home on Tuesday. He and Grandma have been walking together and carefully planning their meals. Today he had an appointment with Dr. Bill. Grandma went with him and then had to go to work this afternoon.
The car update...the shop told us it wasn't what they fixed in March, that it was probably the water pump. We called our local expert--cousin Paul (III)--to come help Russ fix it. They're working on it right now but the water pump isn't the problem. The cooling system is all clogged, so they've been running water and the air compressor to clean out the hoses. Hopefully that's all it is and the Malibu can be up and running yet today.
Charles has been up at 6:30 every morning this week--I'm exhausted. I think he's getting more teeth. Last night he was a little warm, didn't want to eat, and was out of sorts. This morning he was quite warm (I don't have a good thermometer to know for sure how high his temp was) and not at all himself. Have I mentioned he's been drooling like a mad man? Today he had two strands of drool running down his chin. This morning he was awake again at 6:30, but luckily he fell back asleep. He only had an hour nap this afternoon and at 6:30 tonight was falling asleep with his head on the tray of the high chair. I've got some photos, but will add them later.
Tomorrow is Russ' day off. It should be a good day if the car is fixed yet tonight. We are both going to the dermatologist. It's about time, my cousin Jeff died of Melanoma a year ago and I've been saying I need to have all my moles checked since he was diagnosed. Hopefully they can treat Russ' eczema and get it under control.
I'll post this without pictures so you can have an update on Grandpa. With Charles being so fussy and out of sorts I haven't been able to do anything, so the sink is overflowing with dishes and the leftovers from dinner are still on the table.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Memorial Day Weekend
It's been a crazy weekend. I had a whole list of things to get done, it was overly optimistic to say the least, but I thought we'd get at least some of the things checked off. Boy was I in for a surprise.
Friday afternoon Charles and I went to the mall for his 9 month pictures at JC Penny. Never again am I taking him without help (of course I say that and it will surely happen whether I want it to or not). He was good, but never gave the photographer a classic Charles grin. And, I had to choose what to buy without anyone to give me advice. Oh, the pressure of it all!
After Pennys I had a coupon for a freebie at Victoria's Secret and thought we could walk at least a mile in the mall before heading home. We stopped at Sears to look at their lightweight strollers and I found one. I went ahead and bought it, so now we're set for our trip to Oregon. It ended up being something completely different than what I'd seen at Babies R Us and Baby Depot. I was bummed because I didn't win an auction on EBay earlier in the week--I literally lost in the last seconds of the auction. This one turns out to be very similar to the high end ones I've been trying to get for a bargain price on EBay. Charles started getting fussy in Sears so we stopped in the food court for a cup of applesauce and a bottle.
We met Grandpa, Grandma, and Aunt Christy at Poblano's for dinner. Mmmmm!!!! Wish all of you could've joined us, it's our favorite place. On the way home our car began to get really hot. A warning sign of what was to come...
Russell and I cleaned out the Malibu when we got home thinking we would go to Carmax on Saturday to get a quote on its value should we decide to sell it. It almost looks brand new. No more pop spills or dog hair! Saturday morning I called Grandma to see if she might babysit. I didn't even get a chance to ask because Grandpa wasn't feeling good and they were headed to the doctor's office.
Turns out what they thought was probably heartburn was a blockage in Grandpa's heart. He was taken from the doctor's office to the hospital via ambulance (much to his dismay). They decided to be extra cautious since he's had trouble in the past. They got him in right away and he ended up having an artery with 70% blockage and another stint was inserted just below the first one.
Russell, Charles, and I found out Grandpa and Grandma were at the hospital so we went to their house to gather some things for them. They were expecting to just run some errands, not spend the weekend in the hospital. As we were driving to St. Francis, our car began to overheat. We stopped at cousin Carissa & Mason's house and let it cool before heading the rest of the way. It was hot again by the time we got to the hospital, just a few miles away.
The saga continues...we got to the hospital around 3:00. Grandma had been sitting in the waiting room since noon and finally at 4pm tried to find someone, no luck. At 5 she finally found someone and was taken to Grandpa's room. He was fine, hadn't been having a heart attack like they'd led her to believe when they arrived at the hospital. She found out that the stint was inserted and Grandpa had been done for quite a while and was wondering why she hadn't been to see him. The nurses couldn't believe that no one had given her an update. It was very frustrating!!! Aunt Christy, Russell, and I went to see him. Some friends of Grandpa & Grandma showed up (the church people are wonderful, and news spreads quickly) and entertained Charles while we went to Grandpa's room.
We got to see an EKG, an ultrasound of his heart. Amazing!!! So much like the ultrasound we had of Charles, but of the heart. Grandpa has a congenital heart defect, two of the three aortic valves are fused together. Charles has a heart murmur too, so I'll have to remember to tell Dr. Scott about Grandpa's heart so they know about this family history.
Grandpa will probably go home on Monday and will be home the rest of the week. I don't think he'll even be able to drive. Charles and I may go visit him periodically and might even have to drive him if he's got any appointments, since he won't be released to drive during that time.
Speaking of driving...we headed home around 6pm and were still having the problem with overheating. We got to Aunt Christy's house and spent about an hour there. Her neighbor saw Russell with the hood up and tried to help. He suggested we get some coolant. We barely made it to the auto store before we overheated. The additional coolant seemed to do the trick. Thank goodness! We made it home without a crisis. The car had a coolant leak fixed about 2 months ago, so we're going to take it back on Tuesday and hopefully get an explanation. Of course now we're worried about the cost of repairs. It may not be worth the expense which means a new (different) vehicle. The thought of buying a car is overwhelming.
We knew the day was coming and have been saving but we thought we could make it a while longer. Both Russell and I hate not having enough information to make an informed decision, we'll just have to wait and see what the shop says on Tuesday. So, there's a possibility we could be getting a different vehicle. It's fun to look at the cars on-line but then there's the thought of paying for them. YUCK!!! It makes me wish I lived in a city with a subway--not really, especially with a baby but I wouldn't have to worry about a car.
We've officially entered middle age because unless there's some major change, we'll be getting a mini van. Most of my friends detest the idea of a van, but I'm over trying to look cool. Both Russell and I are too practical. A van can haul people, but it can also haul stuff like a truck.
Russell was disappointed he didn't get to work on his bookshelves at all yesterday. He's trying to get them finished before he begin his summer class. He's outside right now working on them. He's made good progress this week and still has another week to finish up. We want to get them out of the garage and into the basement where we can load them up with the books that are in boxes on our junk room floor. We can't go to another bookstore convention until we get more bookshelves!
Charles was good yesterday, but off his schedule. He was exhausted but wouldn't nap at the hospital with all the people and things to see. He cried all the way home--we were frustrated too. He was starving when we finally did get home but got a second wind and didn't go to bed until after 9pm and was up before 7am. Hopefully we can get back in a routine soon.
Friday afternoon Charles and I went to the mall for his 9 month pictures at JC Penny. Never again am I taking him without help (of course I say that and it will surely happen whether I want it to or not). He was good, but never gave the photographer a classic Charles grin. And, I had to choose what to buy without anyone to give me advice. Oh, the pressure of it all!
After Pennys I had a coupon for a freebie at Victoria's Secret and thought we could walk at least a mile in the mall before heading home. We stopped at Sears to look at their lightweight strollers and I found one. I went ahead and bought it, so now we're set for our trip to Oregon. It ended up being something completely different than what I'd seen at Babies R Us and Baby Depot. I was bummed because I didn't win an auction on EBay earlier in the week--I literally lost in the last seconds of the auction. This one turns out to be very similar to the high end ones I've been trying to get for a bargain price on EBay. Charles started getting fussy in Sears so we stopped in the food court for a cup of applesauce and a bottle.
We met Grandpa, Grandma, and Aunt Christy at Poblano's for dinner. Mmmmm!!!! Wish all of you could've joined us, it's our favorite place. On the way home our car began to get really hot. A warning sign of what was to come...
Russell and I cleaned out the Malibu when we got home thinking we would go to Carmax on Saturday to get a quote on its value should we decide to sell it. It almost looks brand new. No more pop spills or dog hair! Saturday morning I called Grandma to see if she might babysit. I didn't even get a chance to ask because Grandpa wasn't feeling good and they were headed to the doctor's office.
Turns out what they thought was probably heartburn was a blockage in Grandpa's heart. He was taken from the doctor's office to the hospital via ambulance (much to his dismay). They decided to be extra cautious since he's had trouble in the past. They got him in right away and he ended up having an artery with 70% blockage and another stint was inserted just below the first one.
Russell, Charles, and I found out Grandpa and Grandma were at the hospital so we went to their house to gather some things for them. They were expecting to just run some errands, not spend the weekend in the hospital. As we were driving to St. Francis, our car began to overheat. We stopped at cousin Carissa & Mason's house and let it cool before heading the rest of the way. It was hot again by the time we got to the hospital, just a few miles away.
The saga continues...we got to the hospital around 3:00. Grandma had been sitting in the waiting room since noon and finally at 4pm tried to find someone, no luck. At 5 she finally found someone and was taken to Grandpa's room. He was fine, hadn't been having a heart attack like they'd led her to believe when they arrived at the hospital. She found out that the stint was inserted and Grandpa had been done for quite a while and was wondering why she hadn't been to see him. The nurses couldn't believe that no one had given her an update. It was very frustrating!!! Aunt Christy, Russell, and I went to see him. Some friends of Grandpa & Grandma showed up (the church people are wonderful, and news spreads quickly) and entertained Charles while we went to Grandpa's room.
We got to see an EKG, an ultrasound of his heart. Amazing!!! So much like the ultrasound we had of Charles, but of the heart. Grandpa has a congenital heart defect, two of the three aortic valves are fused together. Charles has a heart murmur too, so I'll have to remember to tell Dr. Scott about Grandpa's heart so they know about this family history.
Grandpa will probably go home on Monday and will be home the rest of the week. I don't think he'll even be able to drive. Charles and I may go visit him periodically and might even have to drive him if he's got any appointments, since he won't be released to drive during that time.
Speaking of driving...we headed home around 6pm and were still having the problem with overheating. We got to Aunt Christy's house and spent about an hour there. Her neighbor saw Russell with the hood up and tried to help. He suggested we get some coolant. We barely made it to the auto store before we overheated. The additional coolant seemed to do the trick. Thank goodness! We made it home without a crisis. The car had a coolant leak fixed about 2 months ago, so we're going to take it back on Tuesday and hopefully get an explanation. Of course now we're worried about the cost of repairs. It may not be worth the expense which means a new (different) vehicle. The thought of buying a car is overwhelming.
We knew the day was coming and have been saving but we thought we could make it a while longer. Both Russell and I hate not having enough information to make an informed decision, we'll just have to wait and see what the shop says on Tuesday. So, there's a possibility we could be getting a different vehicle. It's fun to look at the cars on-line but then there's the thought of paying for them. YUCK!!! It makes me wish I lived in a city with a subway--not really, especially with a baby but I wouldn't have to worry about a car.
We've officially entered middle age because unless there's some major change, we'll be getting a mini van. Most of my friends detest the idea of a van, but I'm over trying to look cool. Both Russell and I are too practical. A van can haul people, but it can also haul stuff like a truck.
Russell was disappointed he didn't get to work on his bookshelves at all yesterday. He's trying to get them finished before he begin his summer class. He's outside right now working on them. He's made good progress this week and still has another week to finish up. We want to get them out of the garage and into the basement where we can load them up with the books that are in boxes on our junk room floor. We can't go to another bookstore convention until we get more bookshelves!
Charles was good yesterday, but off his schedule. He was exhausted but wouldn't nap at the hospital with all the people and things to see. He cried all the way home--we were frustrated too. He was starving when we finally did get home but got a second wind and didn't go to bed until after 9pm and was up before 7am. Hopefully we can get back in a routine soon.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Wild Weekend
We had a great weekend. It was Russ' 9/80 so he was home with Charles and me on Friday. We ran errands in the morning and Russell mowed in the afternoon. Russell also helped his colleague pour some cement. It was a sunny afternoon and Russ is a little red. Soon it will be the beginning of his summer farmer tan.Saturday was busy. Russell had basketball at the church and Charles and I went with Grandma, Grandpa, and Aunt Christy to participate in the Wichita River Festival's Walk Fest. We did the 2.5 mile walk. Charles and I made sure to put on 30 SPF so we didn't end up with sunburns too.
You'll notice Charles has on a shirt that's the same color as the Walk Fest shirts. He didn't get an official shirt, but I found one at Target that was the same color. I didn't buy it for the color, but for the logo--it says "Sharp Shooters!" Russell was in a basketball tournament last fall and had to come up with a name for his team. They were the Sharp Shooters. I just couldn't resist, and it was only $2.99. How can you beat that?!?!Saturday afternoon we went to cousin PJ's birthday party. Charles was napping so we were late and missed the food but made it in time for the birthday cake.
PJ got a scooter--at first he didn't want it, but once he realized he could ride it without the learning curve of a bicycle, he rushed up and down the sidewalk. In the meantime, Elena and Charles enjoyed a ride in the wagon. Elena wasn't too happy about Charles trying to eat her sidewalk chalk!
Charles was off schedule due to all our activities and was completely overtired. We think he's teething too so that made it worse. He was in bed and asleep by 8:00 on Saturday night but was up at 4 am. We fed him and gave him some ibuprofen and then put him back in bed a half hour later. Thankfully he fell asleep, which let Russell and I sleep until 6:45 when we had to get up and get ready for church. He was out of sorts all day and we finally got him to sleep at 8:30 tonight. Hopefully there won't be any more 4 am wake-up calls. Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Mother's Day Weekend
Charles is 9 months old today. It's gone so fast. I believe he's getting another tooth--he took an unprecedented nap yesterday from about 3pm until sometime after 6:30. He's also back to constant drooling and his shirt is soaked if he doesn't have on a bib.We had a good weekend, for the most part. Lillie was up both Friday night and Saturday night puking and threw up a few times on Saturday and Sunday. After a full day of fasting on Sunday, she's better and back her old self. Charles, too, has had some digestive track issues. We had to do an impromptu bath at Grandpa & Grandma's house on Sunday and put on a completely new outfit. I think I've done my fair share of cleaning up messes this week.
It was nice to spend a weekend without worrying about homework, tests, etc. We watched two movies and relaxed. Oh...except for the ants. We found ants in our kitchen cupboard on Friday. I cleaned out the pantry and we sprayed on Friday night and then cleaned off the entire kitchen counter and sprayed again on Saturday. They showed up again yesterday morning so I emptied the pantry again and sprayed. So far there has been no return of the little critters, but the contents of the cupboard is still on the dining room table. It's so frustrating. We want to spray even more thoroughly on Friday when Russ is home so my kitchen may stay a mess for the rest of the week.
Mother's Day was nice. For the second year in a row I won "newest mom" in our Sunday service. There was no one in first service who was pregnant with their first child. Two of us had first children under age 1. After church my sister and I made Mom dinner. Of course she couldn't sit without helping. She loved our gift, a set of Kitchen Aid knives. She'd been talking about them since she used the ones my brother & sister-in-law got as a wedding gift. She has one condition with this set--she must get rid of all her other knives. I'll have to add them to the Goodwill box the next time I'm at the house.Russell and Charles got me a membership to the Zoo as a gift. I hope to use it sometime soon. The weather has been really hot the last couple of days and it's rainy today, so maybe later in the week we can go. Charles isn't too excited about the animals yet, but it's a great walk for me! The Zoo will be crazy this summer once the new Penguin exhibit opens. People always flock to see their new exhibits.
We actually went to the Zoo on Thursday evening to see a preview of the exhibit. The Cessna Foundation was the major sponsor of the exhibit, so there were four preview nights for Cessnans last week. We ran into quite a few people from church and we met up with Russ' cousin Brady and his family. They hadn't met Charles yet and we hadn't seen Hannah since last summer. She's gotten so big and is definitely a Sharp with her red hair. The served us sloppy joes, chips, cookies, and drinks which was actually pretty good, especially for FREE!!!
Charles is still not crawling yet, but he's working on it. You can tell from the picture he's trying to get his legs underneath himself but he just can't quite get things coordinated. He discovered Lillie's tail yesterday. Unfortunately, I was not able to snap a picture in time to catch him putting it in his mouth. She laid on the floor quite content to have her fur and tail yanked, pulled, and slobbered on . Saturday, May 5, 2007
9 Month Check
We had our 9 month check rescheduled to yesterday. Here are the stats:- 21 pounds, 10 ounces
- 30 inches long
Charles is still in the 90th percentile in height and has jumped into the 60th percentile in weight. To quote Dr. Scott, "he's a tank!" Thankfully there were no shots and his ears are clear. He's been pulling on them and we haven't been sure if they hurt or if Charles has just discovered that they're there. Or, maybe he pulls on them when he's tired. I haven't figured out a pattern yet.
Yesterday was Russ' day off. He had class in the morning and rode to the University with Mom. Charles and I picked him up and we ran some errands. I got a much needed haircut. It's such a treat to go to the beauty shop and be pampered. It was my reward for losing 5 pounds. There's more to go to fit into my pre-pregnancy summer clothes. I think the next reward will be a pedicure.
Today I'm going to take on an overwhelming responsibility--taking both dogs to the vet with Charles in tow. The ride there should be interesting. I may drop Charles off at Christy's house while I head to the vet, which is just around the corner from her house. It will just depend on when I get out the door.
We're planning going out for Mexican food today. It's Cinco de Mayo!!! I'm sure they'll all be busy since it's Saturday. We'll have to go for a late lunch or early dinner. It will depend on when Russell gets home from basketball and what he's got on his schedule. He's got a final on Wednesday and then he's done until summer classes start, sometime after Memorial Day.
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