Mondays around here are always a crazy time. That is the day Jack has in home physical therapy and his home health nurse makes a visit to check his weight and change his dressing on his central line.
Today was our normal routine, PT then nurse. One thing was different though, today was Jack's first day with 8 hours off his TPN pumps! It's a big deal since he's been on 20 hour days since October. We were very excited to go out and celebrate so we had planned an trip to the zoo. I get the ginger in the car, I jump in and what do you know but my car won't start. I had left a door slightly open and drained the battery overnight. Awesome. I can't wait to explain this to my husband when he gets home, and deal with somehow getting his car close enough to mine in the garage to jump it off since mine won't change gears when the battery is dead. Yup, you read that right, I can't even put it in neutral and back her up.
I assume you understand how a toddler reacts to not being able to go to the zoo when he's been told all morning that after the nurse leaves we get to leave. Meltdown level- GINGER! The upside of this is that he took a nice late nap, hence I'm blogging right now instead of chasing a toddler through the house.
So my advice on this lovely Monday is to be sure your car doors are closed before you hit the hay tonight.
--Cassie
Monday, April 21, 2014
Saturday, April 19, 2014
The ginger and his cousins
So yesterday my sister drove my mom up to see me for Easter and she brought my nephews along so we could get some pics of them with Jack. I took them out to the local children's museum called the Discovery Center. We LOVE this place! The museum is great but the best part is the wetlands area they have outside. Here are a few shots of Jack with his "big kid" cousins. It's nice to see him looking so happy and healthy!
These were all shot with my Nikon D90 and a 35 mm prime lens. I process in Photoshop using Greater Than Gatsby Presets.
--Cassie
This area is set up over a pond with little fish, a muskrat lives there and lots of other stuff. The boys are looking at an ENORMOUS bullfrog tadpole here. How big was it? Oh I thought it was a snake. A SNAKE!
--Cassie
Thursday, April 17, 2014
So it's Throwback Thursday....be prepared this is a heavy post
So some of you that have looked at my blog may have noticed that this blog was actually created in 2010. Four years ago. I think I have some explaining to do.
I actually wrote a partial blog post back then and never published it. I think I was just really scared to tell the world how I was really feeling back then. This will also explain why I named my blog "I can still laugh".... seriously this is some heavy shit. Put your seatbelt on.
February 2010
Some people might be surprised that I took to blogging about my recent circumstances. However, I thought to myself that this could only make my situation easier. It's almost like I have a constant ear to tell my story to as often as I need.
So let me move onto what I really need to say.
I've always used humor to deal with any situation that has arisen in my life. I vivdly remember laughing like a hyena in Wal-Mart with my sister the day after my father died. We had to go buy him underwear because our mother had insisted and we had to buy the biggest pair of underwear in the whole store. I think it's ok to post such a thing because, if he were there, he would have laughed too.
On the 15th of January I delivered my son. He was stillborn. I spent most of the evening before in the hospital being induced cracking up the nurses and laughing with friends because that is the only way I knew how to deal with the fact that my child would never go home with me. I convinced the doctors to let me eat before my induction by promptly calling the staff in the room with me a bunch of assholes. I said "Listen. I'm having the worst day ever and you're not going to let me eat for at least two days?" They let me eat. The best chicken nuggets I ever had. I can't say that the rest of my time in the hospital was that laugh worthy.
I delivered Clark at 1:46 am. Never in my life did I expect to have to deliver a stillborn infant. It ripped me apart to have to watch my husband hold our son and say goodbye to him. We were lucky enough to be able to spend some time with Clark and get to see which of us he favored. (He had Keith's nose and my toes :))
Since I came home I have spent an unimaginable time alone. After my husband went back to work and the food deliveries stopped I found myself with just me, my dogs and my own crazy mind. I'm not the type to be able to deal with this situation so I've been making myself get up everyday and leave the house. Those first few days were horrible. I actually sat in my car in the parking lot of Target that first day and never went in for fear of running into a) someone I knew or b) someone I didn't know with a baby. Either would have been disastrous.
Today I was waiting in line to pay at a store here in town and right in front of me was a red headed little boy that couldn't have been more than 8 months old. He sat in the cart and smiled at me and I thought my heart would burst. I keep being reminded that my child will never be that age. He'll never
**let me be clear I have wonderful friends who took amazing care of me along with my husband who never let me cry alone.
As you can see I never finished it. I think it was just too much for me to even comprehend at that point. I was too close to the situation back then.
Well that's my story. Now we have our wonderful ginger kid who will be three this summer, and yes he has some serious health problems right now but he's on track to getting better. I know my life could be worse and it has been far worse before.
I hope I haven't ruined anyone's day by making you read that. I just wanted to shed a little light on who I am.
--Cassie
I actually wrote a partial blog post back then and never published it. I think I was just really scared to tell the world how I was really feeling back then. This will also explain why I named my blog "I can still laugh".... seriously this is some heavy shit. Put your seatbelt on.
February 2010
Some people might be surprised that I took to blogging about my recent circumstances. However, I thought to myself that this could only make my situation easier. It's almost like I have a constant ear to tell my story to as often as I need.
So let me move onto what I really need to say.
I've always used humor to deal with any situation that has arisen in my life. I vivdly remember laughing like a hyena in Wal-Mart with my sister the day after my father died. We had to go buy him underwear because our mother had insisted and we had to buy the biggest pair of underwear in the whole store. I think it's ok to post such a thing because, if he were there, he would have laughed too.
On the 15th of January I delivered my son. He was stillborn. I spent most of the evening before in the hospital being induced cracking up the nurses and laughing with friends because that is the only way I knew how to deal with the fact that my child would never go home with me. I convinced the doctors to let me eat before my induction by promptly calling the staff in the room with me a bunch of assholes. I said "Listen. I'm having the worst day ever and you're not going to let me eat for at least two days?" They let me eat. The best chicken nuggets I ever had. I can't say that the rest of my time in the hospital was that laugh worthy.
I delivered Clark at 1:46 am. Never in my life did I expect to have to deliver a stillborn infant. It ripped me apart to have to watch my husband hold our son and say goodbye to him. We were lucky enough to be able to spend some time with Clark and get to see which of us he favored. (He had Keith's nose and my toes :))
Since I came home I have spent an unimaginable time alone. After my husband went back to work and the food deliveries stopped I found myself with just me, my dogs and my own crazy mind. I'm not the type to be able to deal with this situation so I've been making myself get up everyday and leave the house. Those first few days were horrible. I actually sat in my car in the parking lot of Target that first day and never went in for fear of running into a) someone I knew or b) someone I didn't know with a baby. Either would have been disastrous.
Today I was waiting in line to pay at a store here in town and right in front of me was a red headed little boy that couldn't have been more than 8 months old. He sat in the cart and smiled at me and I thought my heart would burst. I keep being reminded that my child will never be that age. He'll never
**let me be clear I have wonderful friends who took amazing care of me along with my husband who never let me cry alone.
As you can see I never finished it. I think it was just too much for me to even comprehend at that point. I was too close to the situation back then.
Well that's my story. Now we have our wonderful ginger kid who will be three this summer, and yes he has some serious health problems right now but he's on track to getting better. I know my life could be worse and it has been far worse before.
I hope I haven't ruined anyone's day by making you read that. I just wanted to shed a little light on who I am.
--Cassie
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
So glad to be sitting in my kitchen right now
SO yesterday was a lot longer than we had anticipated. I guess I had it in my mind that we would waltz in , get our blood and be on our merry way. Nope. Blood typing had to be done and we had to wait TWO hours for his blood to be sent up to us. The ginger took it in stride and played while we waited. He also sat very still while he was infused which is an amazing feat for a rambunctious two year old. He's a good kid, we're very lucky :).
During his transfusion
After his GI appointment yesterday afternoon
A couple of great things came out of Jack's visit yesterday with his GI specialists. First, we are going to be able to take him off his TPN for 8 hours now instead of 4! And.....we are introducing a few more foods. Anyone have a great gluten free, dairy free biscuit recipe? This kid used to love biscuits.
Ok well I'm off to enjoy my coffee and get my ginger ready for his Easter pictures.
--Cassie
Monday, April 14, 2014
Tomorrow is going to suck but it could be worse
Well the ginger is going to have another blood transfusion tomorrow.....well I better back up a bit. Jack has a yet to be diagnosed GI issue that causes his body to not be able to digest food. He's on TPN (total parental nutrition) and lipids 20 hours a day. Over time it causes your body to become very anemic, hence the blood transfusions.
So tomorrow will be spent sitting at Vanderbilt from 9-about 4. Yay.
But, like I said, it could be worse. We spent most of September- December staying in the hospital. He's come a long way since then, he's gained about 14 pounds! He finally looks like a healthy toddler and he acts like one too! He wears me out on the daily.
So here's hoping I can keep him entertained for that long!
--Cassie
So tomorrow will be spent sitting at Vanderbilt from 9-about 4. Yay.
But, like I said, it could be worse. We spent most of September- December staying in the hospital. He's come a long way since then, he's gained about 14 pounds! He finally looks like a healthy toddler and he acts like one too! He wears me out on the daily.
So here's hoping I can keep him entertained for that long!
--Cassie
Thursday, April 10, 2014
The party can start, I'm here.
Are you ready for this? I'm not.
So I've toyed with the idea of blogging for a while now and seeing as I am currently a SAHM I may finally be able to find the time to actually do it!So.....where to start? I suppose a little about me is in order.
Name: Cassie- I'm sassy and I like to think I'm mildly funny. I hope my friends and family agree.
Things I like: Running (it's my free therapy), shopping, photography, spicy Thai food, sushi, sleeping in, and coffee.
Things I don't like- When the coffee runs out, changing diapers, lack of sleep and negative people.
If I had a million dollars: I'd pre-pay for years of professional house cleanings and Starbucks deliveries.
Job: Well, until December I was an English teacher at a local high school, I was also responsible for their yearbook. Fancy, I know. Now I am a SAHM to a ginger kid.
My kiddo: Jack will be three this summer. He's a handful but he's fun :) He loves puppies, Elmo, his baby (a little piglet stuffed animal he's had since birth), and digging in the dirt. Here's a pic of my ginger boo :) I made him, no big deal.
My goal is to be able to show off a bit of my photography, my crazy life and my humor :) Sit back and enjoy the ride.
--Cassie
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