Partners in Crime Edition 3: Jail Rockers

A few weeks ago, I was busy cleaning the house and Janni and Frodo (our year and a half ChiPoo) were off in the kitchen, exploring for hidden treasure (Frodo's treasure being food droppings from lunch).  I guess the locals must have had very little tolerance for a toddler and a mutt stealing their beloved treasure, because I found them both in jail!
 

"Let us out!" Janni cried!

"Janni, be quiet! We don't want them to see us as more nuisances than we already are!" Responded Frodo in a hushed and uncertain voice.

"Janni, my girl, would you please stop pulling my fur, it is rather uncomfortable.  Please, Janni, it hurts!!" Grunted Frodo, really wanting to turn around and give her a warning nip (but knowing the consequences from Janni's Mommy would mean sitting in timeout).

"Let us OUT! PLEASE, LET US OUT!" Frodo hollered, throwing all reason out the window and knowing he just made a huge mistake (but not caring, because it really did hurt to have your fur pulled!).  

*NIP!*  Frodo gave in to the inevitable, "Off to timeout I go," he grunted once more.

Disclaimer: Janni and Frodo both chose to climb into the kennel together.  Nobody was forced, excepted when Frodo left on his own will and Janni threw a tantrum, demanding he came back in! And Frodo was really just licking Janni in an effort to make her stop pulling his fur.  He truly is a kind, tolerant, and kid friendly dog.

The Precious No Nap Wednesday

Today I babysat for a lady down the way.  She's an ER nurse and works nights 3 times a week and needs somebody to come and watch her 2 children so she can sleep while her husband is at work.

Well, Janni typically refuses to take a nap anywhere but in her crib (I'm honestly in no big hurry to move her to a big girl bed, nearly 2 and all) and since we arrived there at 9 am and wouldn't be leaving until well after nap time, I knew she would be difficult at the end of the day.  She usually does great until we get home around 4:15 and I have to begin preparing dinner.

Tonight was no exception.

Janni has been the epitome of a sticky finger (you know, those hands attached to a string that you can buy from quarter machines in the grocery store and are made of some sticky rubbery content). She will cling to me and slowly let go, only to quickly realize she is no longer holding tight to me and I may somehow get away, so, full-on running, she SLAPS onto me, only to repeat the process again, doing this all while crying or whining, which if you're anything like me, makes the thought process a distant memory and getting things done nearly impossible.  And I am torn from feeling compassion that she is wayyy exhausted and it's mostly my fault and super frustrated because our family needs to eat!

I know, my life is so awful!  I have a healthy, affectionate, kind, smart, little girl who loves her mommy (even more when tired)! I put Janni down for bed a full 45 minutes early and she went down with barely a fuss! 

But rest assure, our family did eat before she went to bed because Zack showed up and made everything better and I ended up changing into my comfy pants because jeans and overeating go together like a polka-dots and stripes (okay, maybe somebody has figured out how to make it a good combo, but you get my point).  So don't feel too bad for us, Momma Bear, Papa Bear, and Baby Bear are all well fed!

While Janni sleeps, whether she has been either sweet or difficult, I often look at pictures of her to either reaffirm how precious she is or to reaffirm that no matter how difficult the day may be, she is still that same precious girl that I find her to be when she is sweet and agreeable!  This picture was taken after we had gone swimming and she truly did not want to get back in the car to go home for a nap.  And yet, even with the sun glaring in her eyes and a tantrum central, she is oh so very precious and I am so blessed that I get to be her Mommy!

What are a few things that remind you how precious your children are (even when they aren't acting particularly precious!)?

It's Been a While, but I'm Back

My mother-in-law is still undergoing cancer treatment.

Janni turns 2 next month.  I can't believe my little girl who made me a mommy is growing up so fast!  She's sweet and cuddly and just a ball of fun and energy!

I'm planning her birthday party: kitty cats.  But not realistic cats, cartoon cats!

I've started making her party favors and decorations and I'm certain of 2 things:

1.) It's time consuming, and
2.) I need a better camera

Here's the party favor I've made so far, where you can clearly see that my camera and eye for natural light are real winners!

Now that we've cleared some things (hmph, my picture abilities bite harder than a a bear with babies), I can focus on the content of this blog and start looking for a Canon via Craigslist.

And just for fun,  here's a recent photo of Janni.

Okay, it's a picture of a picture. I can't wait until our new desk to come in!  Our old desk is embarrassing and I estimate, purchased the time of the ice age. 

Here's to getting better at blogging, new furniture, and snuggles in bed with my sweet baby who decided throwing up on the way home from lunch with my sister-in-law and nephews was the best time to throw up! 

Update/ Merry Christmas!

Well, my Mother-in-law got as far with the Induction Chemo that her body would allow her.  She got through the 2nd and then to the first does of round 3 (there are 5 doses, one day after another) when her heart and kidney started to fail, so to speak.  So they pulled her off of the chemo and gave her a day for her heart and kidneys to rest.  The next day, they were reading normal (as normal as somebody flushing terrible toxins out of their body can be) and her heart seemed fine.

She took it as a sign that her body was just done with chemo, that it had had enough.

Now we are waiting until the first week in January to decide further treatment.  As far as we know, there are only 2 options:

1.) Surgically remove the tumors (there are 3, not 1 as I had been led to believe and Zack (her own son) and I have just been informed last week that there were really 3 tumors) from her tongue and then proceed with radiation to kill any left over cancer cells.

2.) Proceed with radiation to shrink the tumors more and save more of her tongue (with each tumor, 50% of the size of the tumor will need to be removed from her tongue as well to ensure that they get any straggling cells) but then that is it.  Radiation is so powerful that there won't be another shot to receive it.  If any of the cancer cells are left behind... then who knows what the options are.

After she receives her treatment,they will take a skin graph off her leg and use it to reconstruct her tongue.

I really can't wait to begin blogging regularly.  I have so many ideas but life has been so rough recently.  I went to a really thorough doctor and she did some blood testing and other testing and actually found why I have been feeling so terrible and now we have a treatment plan to get my body back in shape!  I am super excited to start feeling better!  I start all my treatment tomorrow!

Hope everybody is having a merry, wonderful, family-filled Christmas!

Enjoy you family and presents but always, always, always keep in mind the reason for the season: Our desperate need for the Savior, Jesus Christ!

Seasons

I've not felt well and life has been hard.  I'm on a supplement that is suppose to help level out my progesterone and balance out my adrenal glands.  This week I am feeling amazing!  I am feeling normal!

My sister-in-law confessed her exhaustion for being primary caregiver to our Mother-in-law and now all three able sister-in-laws (there are 5 of us. One lives in Minnesota and the other has three children and 2 are school aged and she needs to be present with them and their school work/activities) are going to be rotating taking care of her.

She received her 3rd induction chemo and is currently in the hospital.  It is so life threatening the first week after chemo that she must be in the arms of skilled, life-saving professionals, so she spends close to a week in the hospital.  She is then pretty sick and in pain for the next two weeks and that is where the three of us will rotate.  All three of us live in Northern Arizona, so being away from our husbands and homes deems way, way too difficult so we will need to take our child/ren down to Phoenix and go on 4 day shifts.

I begin my first shift this Tuesday.

I am scared beyond measure.  I've memorized their address and will likely need to call 911 often.

When somebody has a trachea and a feeding tube, it makes the already hard and challenging nature of chemotherapy that much more difficult.  When vomiting must come through a small trachea opening and food must be administered slowly, every 3 hours... it pretty much means that she will vomit every 3 or so hours. 

But God is good.  He gives strength to the weary and gives power to the powerless.  These are the days where I will have to release my own capabilities and strengths to God so that He can make my weaknesses build up in strength.

I Lied

I lied.  Not intentionally... But I lied nonetheless.  This is the hardest week to sit down and blog.  Between shopping for my part in Thanksgiving (going to my Mom's) and preparing to make not one but two trips to Phoenix,  I'm swamped!  Next week I'll have to get going on blogging.

Such is life.

Cheers

Update on Mother-in-law and Us

My mother-in-law, Cheryl, is still in Gilbert undergoing chemo.  The tumor isn't shrinking like they would like to see and it and so she has to keep her trachea and feeding tube in.  They started her on an even more powerful induction chemo.  She ended up in the hospital last week because it was so intense that even the medicine meant to keep her from vomiting wasn't working at all and she needed help with IVs and hospital administered only anti-vomiting medicine.  Please keep her in your prayers.

We are going down to Phoenix tomorrow for the weekend to care for Cheryl while my sister-in-law takes a much needed break from her care giving responsibilities but I plan that next week I will be blogging and socializing with other blogs every weekday.  I have several fun ideas and outfits to share and I think I am finally going to be able to be a responsible (daily) blogger!  It's been a very emotional few weeks and it has been too difficult to blog.

An update on us? 

I went into a natural path doctor yesterday to start on my thyroid and adrenal panels.  I've been sugar and grain-free for over a month and still feel so bad that Zack and I decided that it was finally time to figure out what is going on with me. The doctor actually had a free thyroid and adrenal test kit she had been given to give to a patient and asked if I wanted it. I promptly agreed.  So I will have about $670 of tests done for free (we are still trying to figure out insurance for our family so most things are done out of pocket)!  Feeling very fortunate because natural paths aren't cheap nor do they take insurance!  If this one doesn't yield the results we're looking for then I will have to pay for other testing, but please say a prayer that this kit is able to give light to how I am feeling!

Zack and Janni still as cute and fun and sweet as ever! 

I look forward to blogging daily come Monday!

Cheers!