Partners in Crime Edition 2: Bringing Frodo Home

As I get older, I am beginning to realize a lot of traits and things about myself that I am sure have been around for some time but I have been blind to.  A few of those things are:

1. I hate exercise.  I know I say I enjoy it, but after my last walk with Janni, and my overwhelming desire to turn back, I admit now that I don't.  I spent the whole entire 30 minute walk singing to the tune of Finding Nemo's "Just Keep Walking, Just keep walking, Just keep walking, walking, walking..."

2. If I could mentally handle it, I'd skip the whole getting ready for bed thing.  I hate it.  I like being clean and knowing I'm not taking any daily dirt or bad breath to bed with me, but let's face it... By the end of the day, I don't feel like brushing my teeth, combing my hair, or washing my feet/face. I'm just ready to collapsed into bed and call it a night.

3. I am not a pet person.  Oh, I love animals!  But I don't like owning one. I don't like them living in my home, leaving their fur behind, training them, or taking care of them. I love our dog, Frodo but it took some time to warm up to the idea that I would be being responsible for his care and upbringing for the next 10-15 years.

This is the story of bringing him home!

The cuteness of a puppy enamored everybody’s heart, even before the sweet moment when we threw out the voice of reason and Zack said we could get the very last puppy being sold in front of a local grocery store.  No hesitation.  No regret.  Zack seemed thrilled to be able to give me such a sweet gift (it’d been a tough week).  Even Janni squealed with delight as soon as Zack showed the puppy to her.  She grabbed him by the back of the neck and shook him side to side as the puppy yelped and hollered.  After a stern correction, Janni slowly learned that puppies are not animated stuffed animals!  We named him Frodo

Good ol’ Albert Einstein (and God Himself) could have been heard laughing at me that first night when I had to get up with Janni twice and the puppy THREE times.  That night, Einstein’s quote was caught staring me in the eyes, “Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe.”  Clearly, I had done a stupid thing.  I had gotten a puppy, which resulted in Emily, mommy of TWO!!!  I lay in bed that night with a snoring husband.  I didn’t know whether to be more upset that Zack was snoring or that Zack let me get a puppy.  The third round of puppy cries, I seriously considered putting him out in our then not fenced backyard and letting whoever found him keep him.

But this family doesn’t give up on difficult situations.  So the puppy stayed.

If there are two things I know about puppies, it is that they are stinky and they like stinky things … For some time, Frodo quickly became my dirty diaper radar; equipped with a magnetic nose that became stuck to Janni’s diaper when filled with smelly content.  When Frodo was seen following Janni’s diaper with his nose, we knew that it was time for a change. That was helpful but has since ceased.  He also still likes trashcans, bathrooms, and any and all food that Janni decides should be thrown on the floor.  He is also deadset on stealing Janni’s caterpillar stuffed animal and relentlessly snatches Janni’s no longer used pacifiers.

One night, a week or so after we got Frodo, as the puppy wimpered from his kennel (before you judge, at the time, he still treated the ENTIRE house like it was his bathroom), I confessed to Zack that getting him was a horrible mistake.  “Why did you let me get a puppy, Zack?”  Zack spent part of the conversation chuckling and the other part admitting the with such a young baby (Janni was all of 8 months old at the time), it was the wrong season to get a puppy.  Another conversation, another conclusion: the puppy stays.

Slowly (and by that, I mean sssslllooowwwlllyyy), Frodo began to mark a place in my heart.  His peepees on the carpet still made me cringe, his poopies on the carpet still made me scream, and when Janni got a hold of one of his turds, I cried (you better believe I had poison control on the phone in about .0378 seconds).  But his silliness, lightheartedness, energy, and the joy he gave my Janni made all the hard feelings slowly melt away.

He started to become a little less dependent and I started to become a little more patient with him.

So, here’s to our family dog, Frodo … stealer of pacifiers, smeller of Janni’s behind, eater of sand, barker at the neighbors (we’re still working on this), and snuggler of our hearts!

And why do I write this you ask?  Because yesterday was Frodo's first birthday!

Happy Birthday, You Crazy Animal!

Frodo, we're so glad you're home!

Bumps in the Road Called Life

I've felt a little bad because I have seen my page view count go up and up and have had no new posts for a few days now.

I really want to start some DIY posts up for the Fall season but it's been such an emotional week that I have had a really hard time completing any post.  We've spent a few days 100 miles away down in Gilbert, AZ.  My Mother-in-law had a tracheotomy and a feeding tube put in because she has a tumor on her tongue about the size of a crab apple that is obstructing her breathing.

Today Cheryl, my Mother-in-law, starts what is called Induction Chemo Therapy.  I'm a little shaky on the details but my understanding is that it is a very strong chemo that will be delivered through a port in her chest, directly to the cancerous tumor.  She will stay in the hospital until Friday and deliver the chemo there because having a trachea makes this intense kind of chemo very dangerous due to the high potential of vomiting and it needing to be done through the trachea.  Suffocation is a huge concern.  My sister-in-law will be staying with her starting next week, in a rental near the hospital and will have to learn how to save her life if, God forbid, her breathing through the trachea is in jeopardy.  This is a difficult time on our family.

I really want to be authentic about our life.  It is lovely and wonderful and I feel unbelievably blessed to have such a caring husband and a sweet little girl.  But life is often hard, and I think that if I only show the good times in life, I will end up hating blogging because I don't feel like I am being real.

So for the above reasons, I am choosing to update about my Mother-in-law and her cancer treatment.

I will post DIY and other categories sooner than later so keep looking. :)

Fairy Tales Teach Children that Monsters Can Be Killed.

"Fairytales don't teach children that monsters exist, they already know that monsters exist. Fairy tales teach children that monsters can be killed."

-G.K.  Chesterton 

This is one of my favorite quotes to date.  I still, at 27 years old, love a good fairy tale.  I have fond memories of lying in bed or on a grassy backyard during a cool Spring's day and getting lost in an adventure regarding a rather large Lion and 4 brave children.  Or a Princess with 7 little men following her around.  And as a parent, I really cannot wait until my sweet Janni is able to sit still and listen long enough for me to introduce her to my beloved stories.

But why do we like fairy tales?  What draws us so near to them?  I really think that as human beings, we really tend to root for the underdog and we're joyous when good over trumps evil.  Even in the most evil of worlds, we want what we perceive as evil to be killed.  We want what we perceive as good to ride victoriously through the streets as a cheering crowd proclaims their victory!

So, with that said, I want to share some of my emotions as my Mother-in-law battles cancer because, just like my quote, cancer is an ugly monster.  And just like when we were children, monsters still scare adults.  I don't expect the Boogie Man to jump out from my closet or under my bed as I did when I was a child, but I still know that they are very real.  And my heart, as an adult, wants my quote to ring true.  That this monster called cancer can and will be killed.  I want it with all of my heart. 

But as a Christian, I know God is in control.  I know that our days are numbered from the beginning of creation.  And this fight doesn't look so good for my Mother-in-law.  Without going into too much detail, she waited too long before she sought help and now they want to remove her tongue.  They want to take it out, put her on a feeding tube (because she won't be able to eat without a tongue), and then proceed with radiation.

I really want to go deeper into detail but alas, I don't want to bore you.  Just know, things look bad.  Very, very bad.

I am really trying to have child-like faith.  I really want to have an overwhelming belief that this monster, that this ugly, awful, terrifying monster called cancer can and will be killed. That Janni and all future children will have not 1, but 2 doting grandmothers.  And mostly that Cheryl will ride victoriously through the streets as her family and friends cheer her on.  Cancer defeated, life restored.

Please prayer for her.

Cheryl holding Janni at just a few hours old.

Rest

I have not felt well all weekend.  As a matter of fact, I didn't feel well Friday either.  In these cases, I tend to let the house go a little more than I would like.  And by this, I mean the dishes were half-done.  The living room floor was covered in toys, neither of the beds were made, and the bathroom was frightening (via, 3 people trying to look decent for church).

By Sunday after church, we had somebody coming by to buy a CD Burner Zack's work had asked him to sell on Craig's List.  We came home from a Sunday lunch and I went into panic mode because the entire house was an absolute wreck and I couldn't fathom the thought that a total stranger who we will never see again would see our house in such a state of disaster!  I put Janni down for a nap and then began picking up the living room, organizing the desk, doing dishes, and clearing the kitchen table.  I begged Zack to clean the bathroom and pick up our bedroom.

By the time I had started to sweep the kitchen floor, I was overwhelmed because the adrenaline that had kick started my overwhelming desire for all things clean had worn off and the house was still a good 30 minutes from being clean.  I began to sweep the kitchen and Zack came in and said, "Well, he's not stopping by, he just cancelled."

I stood there on a Sunday afternoon, the day the Lord has given us to rest, speechless and telling myself that this will not happen again because from here on out, I will no longer being doing laborious chores on a Sunday. I will no longer stress out because on Sundays, no matter how bad the mess, I will be resting (although, our beds will still be made and dishes will still be done because, you know, that's just gross).  I won't worry about toys on the floor or whether or not the refrigerator needs a good spruce.  And I intend to put away all electronics and things that distract us from meditating on the Words we learned in church and the things of Christ.  Everything that needs to be done to maintain our home is going to have to be done on Saturday.

Aside from fighting something this weekend, I have been complaining so much about exhaustion and it's so clear that one of the reasons I am exhausted is because I am not taking my day off as my body was designed by God to do.  I also am not saturating my heart into the Word of God.  I need to have a personal devotional on Sundays (and throughout the week) so that God can work on my heart and bad habits and behaviors that need to change. The rest of the day will be spent as a family. 

 So, this post is to kick off relaxation and meditation and family starting this Sunday!

And I will rest.

Cheers!

Late Night October 3, 2014

Early in the Morning on October 3, I got a message from my sister-in-law.  She was having contractions and this was it, the baby was on the way.  She gave birth to a little boy, the 13th grandbaby, late last night (I don't have all the details yet).  Welcome to the world, Baby Jude.  We're so happy you are here!  Can't wait to snuggle and get to know you!

Momma Cara is well and recovering.  Baby Boy is healthy and likes to eat.  I wish I had more details to offer you.

Janni used to be the youngest grandbaby until yesterday!  I feel a little sad because Janni and I both used to be the youngest grandbaby (I am youngest of 30).  It was fun to share this position together.  Of course, I knew it wouldn't last but it was fun anyway.

As for my Mother-in-law: she is receiving pressure relieving treatment for her tongue in order to help bring the swelling down.  Things look bad but God is good and faithful.  I'll write more about what is going on with her and her cancer but right now, we are rejoicing over the birth of Baby Jude!

I truly do love Zack's family like I love my own.  Life is so funny.  We're rejoicing and weeping at the same time and yet, our joy is greater than our sorrow.

Hold your family members tight and never forget to tell them how much you love them.

Cheers. 

A Rough Day

Janni is coming down with something.  She woke me up last night coughing, so I went in to checked on her and she wanted to nurse.  I nursed her and she went back to sleep just fine but she's had a bit of a fever and has been cranky all day.

We went to get my hair cut and I caved in and gave her a dumb-dumb that they had on the counter.  She was happier and I ignored the fact that sugar is the worst thing to eat when your body is coming down with something.  Our former church's pastor happened to be there getting a haircut and came to say hi to us.  He has a special place for Janni in his heart because when she was about 6 months old, he was holding her and she locked eyes with him and smiled a huge smile. He was sold! So he always makes a big deal about her and she was thrilled to receive the attention.

We did a quick run to the library to pick out some books for both of us.  There wasn't really anything too interesting for me, but there were plenty of good picks for Janni.  I chose all of the available Eric Carle board books because she seems to enjoy the pictures and colors that he offers.

Janni being sick isn't the only thing that has been hard in our life this week.  My mother-in-law is battling oral cancer.  She was suppose to see a specialist today but we have yet to hear from her.  This likely means that things are getting worse.  Between waiting to hear news from my Mother-in-law and dealing with a cranky child, I just want a nap but I am the kind of napper that when I do manage to fall asleep during the day (which isn't very often), I wake up feeling worse than I did before I went to sleep.  So, I resisted the urge and took ibuprofen instead.

Zack has to work late tonight.  He is taking his Mother being ill very well but I do worry about him.  He says this week has been difficult to focus on any side work and I suspect it's because of his concern over his Mother.

I just want Zack home.

I want dinner to be cooked, the dishes to be done, and to lie in bed with Zack, playfully harassing each other, as we 1-up each other over a competitive game of Words with Friends!  Right now, this is my happy place.

When things are difficult in your life, where is your happy place?

Potty Training...

Janni is about 17 months and 1 week old.  She is sweet and loving and good and fun and full of mischief!  We love her so!

The past week or so, she has been telling me when she needs to go number 2 (not number 1) or has already gone, pretty consistently.  Just yesterday, she had not fallen asleep for her nap and was just in her room jibber jabbering.  I went into her room to check on her and as soon as she saw me, she proceeded to tell me that she had gone number 2, using choice words and hand motions.  I checked her but nothing.  I got her up, figuring, "hey, she fell asleep in the car long enough, this nap isn't going to happen." She played around and then in about 10 minute, she came to me to tell me she had a number 2 and ran to her bedroom and lied down on the floor to be changed (these days, she refuses the changing table).  I checked her and sure enough, she was right!

I got to thinking, maybe she is old enough to begin potty training...

Any advice from Mommas who have been there would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers!