The whirlwind of the end of Summer.

It's officially Autumn, as much as I hate to admit it. I don't know about you, but the beginning of the school year has my head still turning. We are still working on getting into a routine around here.

I hope things have been wonderful with my dedicated readers!

I've been working on a new photography venture, I started classes last March, and I'm finally getting to a point where I'm liking my photos. 

(Please note, these are low-resolution photos to deter people from taking them without permission)

During Labor Day weekend we visited the LOVELY Fayette, MI. Here's a photo of Snailshell Harbor!

And here's the furnaces from the ghost town of Fayette.

We've witnessed some amazing Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) this summer, too!

And some other beautiful things in the sky.

Our small, and close, adventures have kept the last few weeks thoroughly busy!

Another busy season is upon us, as the holidays roll in.

If you'd like to see more of my photos, please follow me on instagram! 

See you soon!

Let it GLOW! Keep them safe.

I received products in exchange for this post, but I've also purchased these products from Oriental Trading many times in the past. All opinions are my own.

Summer nights are when some of my favorite memories are made. Bonfires, fireworks, camping and fun family celebrations make for a great time with the kids.

Having eight children can be a challenge at times. One of the major challenges we face, especially when out in an open space, is keeping an eye on all of our kids. They are all still fairly young, the oldest being 11, and we still need to know where they are. At night, we always make sure that they are wearing something to make them easy to see. 

Glow-sticks, necklaces, and bracelets are great ways to help keep the kids visible and they LOVE them. 

 We get our glow products  from OrientalTrading.com since their selection is HUGE and their prices are great. We've gotten a ton of things from them, but my recommendation is to go for the premium glow products (they glow brighter and longer). 

We go to about 6 fireworks displays per year, and purchasing these glow products before hand makes our trip a lot more fun, and less expensive. These sell for about $5 per necklace if you purchase them at the park for the fireworks display. That's $40 for our family of eight children! By purchasing these in advance we get 50 necklaces for under $40. Another great reason to get your own... they'll likely be different than what is available, then you can spot your children easier. 

Aside from making children visible glow products are just plain fun. Night-time games of field tag, hide and seek, and dancing make for great entertainment. 

Answers. #RatBiteFever Part 6.

Yep, there's more to the story! Check out these posts if you haven't yet:
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5

So, it is now Wednesday. Nearly two weeks since Orrin first started having problems. We are at Helen DeVos children's hospital, admitted, and looking for answers.

     

More doctors started to come in. First some residents, as DeVos is a teaching hospital, then Dr. Kassenich.  She came in and told us that Orrin has arthritis, but there are two forms of arthritis: primary arthritis and secondary arthritis. Secondary arthritis is caused by something else. She said they would figure out what was wrong and we WOULD have answers. So we talked.

I told Dr. Kassenich everything I could think of... about the strep throat that went through our house a couple months ago, the new Baltic Amber teething necklace we had gotten the day before this started, the rat bite. We talked about his arm and leg, and how there was no known trauma to either.

When I told her about the rat bite she said, "that is probably THE most important thing you've said".  I knew then that she thought it was rat bite fever. She said there would be more blood tests done, and that she would consult with an infectious disease (ID) doctor and that ID would be in to look at Orrin.

Blood was taken, and IV was started (which was horrible... Orrin has horrible veins and it was just such a bad experience).  That first night was a night of waiting. No real answers...

Orrin was started on penicillin as a precaution.

Rat Bite Fever, if left untreated, ends in death in 10-25% of the cases, and can result in problems with the heart, and linings of the spine and brain (as well as a bunch of other complications), so it was better to get this simple treatment started rather than delay. ID wouldn't be able to see us until the next day, and they would be the ones who determined if it was, in fact, rat bite fever.

The night was horrible. Very little sleep for anyone in the room. Orrin was cranky, and his IV kept having issues.

A little bit of precious sleep.... pure exhaustion!

The next morning, Thursday, Orrin's IV came out by accident. He got a new IV, this time in his foot... and no less trouble than the first. Orrin wasn't eating or drinking, he was quickly becoming dehydrated. We needed the IV for the antibiotics and his hydration.

An Infectious Disease resident came in and talked to us. Heard the whole story, checked out the finger which had been bit, and looked Orrin over. He said he would consult with the ID doctor and get back to us. A little later ID came in and said, yes, they do believe that he has Rat Bite Fever (Streptobacillus moniliformis). 


Rat Bite Fever comes from a type of staph bacteria that is in nearly all mouths of rats. It can also be carried by other rodents. This dangerous possibility was never mentioned by the pet store where we purchased the rat. We had no idea that "Rat bite fever" even existed before this situation. The rat just seemed like a cute and easy pet.

With about 200 documented cases of rat bite fever in the US since 1839, it is a relatively rare and unknown illness, but one that anyone who owns a rat should know about. Rats do not die from this bacteria, they are only carriers. A person does NOT need to be bit to get ill from this bacteria. Something as simple as holding the animal can lead to infection. Scratches and bites make it easier to transmit, but they are not the only way of transmission. Please, be cautious.

We still have no idea why the rat died, the only reason I can see is divine intervention to help us remember that Orrin was bit.

The bacteria that causes rat bite fever is difficult to grow for a blood test, it takes specific conditions which are hard to create in a lab. We are still awaiting final test results, but they may take up to three weeks.

About 24 hours after starting the penicillin we did notice that Orrin was improving. He was able to stand. By Friday morning he was able to walk. The usual treatment for rat bite fever is 5-7 days of IV penicillin, and then oral antibiotics for an additional 14 days. Due to the multiple issues with Orrin's IVs and his difficult veins, the doctors decided that he would be switched to oral antibiotics as of Friday. We were released Friday afternoon, and so far Orrin seems to be pretty happy.


Orrin has been walking around, playing, and eating plenty of Easter candy today!

We will continue to watch for fever and joint pain to be sure he doesn't relapse, and we will be following up with his doctors to make sure that he doesn't have any complications in his joints, heart, brain, or lungs.

We were told that with treatment of antibiotics, the mortality rate of Rat Bite Fever is extremely low and Orrin seems to be doing great so far. It's been a crazy couple of weeks...

Have you owned a pet rat? Would you own a pet rat now?

It's Getting Worse. #RatBiteFever Part 5

A continuation of... Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4.

Okay.. so this is Tuesday. About 10 days after the first incident that started with Orrin not using his arm. His leg had seemed better the last couple days... but he still had a fever- despite Motrin around the clock (every 6 hours). We were supposed to have a follow up appointment with the orthopedic specialist affiliated with DeVos, but there was no referral so we couldn't get an appointment. We had been calling all Monday trying to figure out how to get this follow up scheduled, and now it seemed even more important.

While Orrin had been acting fairly normal the last two days, this morning he started walking with a limp again. He was very uncomfortable. I called his pediatrician's office to ask for something stronger. Maybe he could get another shot of toradol? It seemed to help him so much before.

Orrin's doctor had gone out of state for Spring break, so we talked with the doctor that was filling in. There was a lot to catch up on. She had to make many, many calls. After several rounds of calling to get more information, and her calling DeVos, she called me back around 4:30 that afternoon. She said that we were never supposed to be discharged from DeVos- we were supposed to be admitted.

She immediately ordered more blood tests, and we went to Munson hospital to get them done... she said the results would be back that evening. Depending on the results, we may need to see a specialist at Munson, but she was hoping the blood tests showed that there was improvement. They didn't.

Around 10pm that night we were called and told we needed to leave early on Wednesday and drive to the orthopedic specialist down at DeVos. Orrin's blood tests still showed high levels of inflammation and showed he had low hemoglobin. Something was going on.

The next morning Orrin's leg was very swollen, very painful, and he wasn't walking at all. We were on the road. We didn't even have an appointment yet, but Dr. Statler said she'd get it taken care of and give us a call in the morning while we were driving down. She did, and we were able to have Orrin be seen at 11:30 that morning. Dr. Cassidy, the orthopedic specialist, had more x-rays done of Orrin's arm and leg. He said there was no sign of bone-regrowth... which means that Orrin's arm was not broken. It hadn't been broken. But, there was something wrong and we needed to figure out what it was.

The orthopedic team had consulted with the oncology department, and had gotten confirmation that this was NOT cancer. We were relieved that we were at least not facing that epic battle. But what was wrong?!

Dr. Cassidy said we needed to figure it out... and so he arranged for a team of doctors, called the hospitalists, at DeVos, to figure it out. Orrin would be admitted, and we would have answers soon.



Part 6: Answers.

The Rat. #RatBiteFever Part 4

In case you missed the other posts...
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

I'm going to give a little history here. We purchased a rat, in January, after much begging from our son Gavin. It was his 11th birthday, and I gave in. It would be good to teach him responsibility!

So, we purchased a rat from Pet Supplies Plus (and we were given this information, in a print out). All the kids loved it. It was cute, cuddly, and nice. It died within days. So, we went back and got another from a new shipment. This rat seemed healthy and happy- it was cute, cuddly, and nice too! We were happy.

We were amazed at how tame this rat was. Even our one year old son could hold it! Orrin adored the rat. He adores all animals, really; you can tell he is an animal lover.

 But... we also have a cat. The cat wanted to eat the rat.

For the last couple months, the cat would try to get the rat through the cage. We couldn't keep it away. The cat seemed to be just playing with, it in a way- she didn't attack the rat out of the cage... just messed with it while in the cage. But, the rat started attacking everything that touched the cage (fairly understandably, IMO).

Our son, Nolyn, got bit first, it was more of a nick than anything, but we moved the cage. Then another day, Orrin got bit... just a small bite, barely enough to get the skin. We moved the cage again. The kids loved the rat, and the rat was still very tame and calm when held- it just didn't like to be messed with in the cage. Then, Orrin got bit again. This time right through the finger nail. It was a full bite.

This time the rat went up above the bird cage. The kids couldn't really see it to mess with it and the cat didn't mess with it. Seemed like it was a good place for it.

After we cleaned Orrin's wound it healed up- and we didn't think much more of it... until the rat died.

So, that's the story of the rat... which is an important piece to this whole story.

Now back to Tuesday and Part 5.

Horrible thoughts. #RatBiteFever Part 3

If you need to catch up, here's part one and part two.

The next morning we were called and told to immediately go to Helen DeVos children's hospital. It's a 3 and a half hour drive from where we live... so it isn't a quick or easy chore for us. We had to get childcare for the other kids, then drive an extra hour to pick up the x-rays from the hospital... but we were on our way.

My husband and I had had horrible thoughts racing through our minds for the entire night, and now they were even worse. We hadn't been sent an hour away to Munson (the next biggest hospital near us)... no, we were sent across the state to a special children's hospital. The doctor has said the test results could mean a range of things were wrong, but he was most concerned about a bone infection.


Helen DeVos emergency got us in very quickly (the shortest wait I've ever had at any hospital). Orrin was quickly assessed and the slew of doctors started pouring in. We saw so many doctors in such a short amount of time, it was nearly overwhelming.

The first thing they wanted to do was repeat some blood tests. So, they did...and we waited.

We waited, and waited, and waited.

Finally, pretty close after shift change, a new doctor came in and said that they thought everything was fine and that we would be going home soon.

Then, another doctor came in and said that we would need to have Orrin sedated so they could take fluid out of his knee and elbow to check for infection. We were confused, we had just been told everything was fine?! Well, apparently the test results hadn't come back when the other doctor had said we should go home, and now that they were back, and showing even higher levels of inflammation, Orrin needed to have his knee and elbow aspirated to check for bacteria.

Orrin's cast came off... and his elbow looked huge, red, and was very painful. He was not a happy kiddo. The orthopedic specialist there said he didn't see a fracture on the films, so they weren't planning on re-casting his arm, but would put it in a splint after the sedation to protect the joint just in case it was close to fracturing.

Then, they put our little guy into a "semi-sleep" state and we had to wait in the waiting room.

We came back and our little dude was still in this sleep-like state. His eyes were twitching and he wasn't really aware of his surroundings. 

And now we had to wait some more. The results of these tests wouldn't be quick. The test was completed at 8:30pm... and we waited.

We were told that the fluid taken from the joints looked pretty good, it wasn't full of pus, but there was very little fluid collected from his elbow. This was good thing in relation to infection, because infection creates pus and that would mean that there would be a lot of fluid.

The waiting was horrible. Orrin was starving, We hadn't eaten in... well, I don't even remember when. Raymond went to the cafeteria to get something for us to eat. When he got back, Orrin was SO upset. He wanted "nummies". He wasn't allowed anything to eat or drink, though, in case he needed emergency surgery. So, we all sat there... staring at the to-go container all wishing we could eat. Finally, Orrin fell asleep around 1am.


Around 1:30am the doctors came in and told us that his knee results came back negative. But we were still waiting on his elbow results. A bit later the doctor came in and said they were negative as far as he could tell. The situation wasn't deemed an emergency any longer so we were discharged after they gave Orrin some more toradol (a strong anti-inflammatory medication given by IV).

We were told Orrin likely had Toxic Synovitis. A type of arthritis that is common and is the body's response to a viral infection. The doctor also said it could be a rheumatoid arthritis since RA is on both sides of the family... but that it would take a rheumatist to find out and that would be coordinated with our primary doctor.

 We thought that it might just be Toxic Synovitis.... but something had happened while we were at the hospital that kept playing on our minds. Our pet rat had died quite suddenly while we were at DeVos. 

We traveled home, exhausted, and in the dark. We finally got home and got a few hours sleep.  When I finally woke up my husband and I started discussing the death of the rat and how Orrin had been bitten a couple weeks before, and  I started Google-ing.

This was the first instance where I saw anything about Rat Bite Fever. The arthritis and fever fit... but besides that, it didn't seem that likely. He didn't have a rash, or an open sore... the site of the bite had healed well.

Orrin's doctor called that Saturday afternoon. I mentioned the rat, but he asked if the bite seemed to be infected, and it didn't, it had healed well and we had cleaned it thoroughly. The pediatrician said it was pretty unlikely and so we didn't give it much thought after that.

The next few days Orrin seemed to be better. He was walking around and acting fairly normal. We had two birthday parties and he was active in them both. We thought everything might be okay.... that he may just have arthritis... or maybe it was just a viral infection. 

Then, Tuesday came.

Part 4: The Rat.  

SOMETHING is wrong! #RatBiteFever Part 2.

(Did you miss part one? Click here)

We weren't thrilled to be going to the hospital again, but our kid couldn't walk! I was worried about how they would think of us as parents. Our son's arm was broken, and we didn't know how it happened... and now he wasn't walking on his leg. AND, we had just been at the hospital with our 9 year old who had a concussion. Surely they would assume we were harming our children. I was crying I was so upset at this. Nothing had happened... nothing out of the ordinary toddler bumps and falls, at least.

When we got to the hospital we were seen pretty quickly. One of the nurses had been there the last time I was at the hospital with Orrin, and the doctor said she'd already heard about what happened with Orrin's arm. She had seen Orrin and I before when I had picked him up from the couch and hurt his leg, which was stuck under part of the couch before I had realized it, and was hurting. Last time we were seen he was fine and walked fine as soon as we got to the hospital. She asked to see him walk just to make sure I wasn't just an over-worried mom. But, Orrin didn't walk right. He was dragging his leg behind.

So, she ordered some x-rays. Nothing showed up, everything appeared normal on the films. When the doctor came back to the room she asked if anything had happened. RJ, our 10 year old, had said Luke had thrown something at Orrin's leg earlier, but it didn't seem to bother him- it didn't even knock him over- but I told her about it.

I asked her if there was any way it could be related to his arm. I mean, two limbs not being used within a week? She said it was probably just a coincidence. I asked if there were any labs or anything that could be done to see if he was sick. She said they don't do that there, we would have to go to our primary doctor. She "diagnosed" Orrin with a limp and said to follow up with our pediatrician in the next few days if it persisted.

Well, it didn't get better and I was able to finish work early the next day. We were able to get in to the pediatrician. I told him what had led up to this and said SOMETHING is wrong. I really felt like Orrin's arm trouble and leg trouble were connected. Orrin's knee was warm and slightly swollen at this point. The pediatrician agreed that something was amiss. He ordered a bunch of blood tests and told us he'd call when the results came in.

At this point I was very concerned. I had had two friends who had children with leg pain, one had ended up with cancer, the other a serious bone infection. Nothing good was running through my mind.

At 6 PM we got a call from the pediatrician. His first blood test results looked okay. He didn't think this was anything serious at this point. His white blood cells were at a normal level and he said the tests looked reassuring. I was relieved, but still baffled at what was going on. We waited for more test results.

Then, at 10pm, we received another call from the doctor. His blood tests that tested for inflammation had come back with very abnormal results. The doctor told us he would call in the morning after consulting with some other doctors in some other major cities and decide what to do from there.

Part Three: Horrible thoughts.

Mommas, trust your gut! #RatBiteFever Part One.

What an odd couple of weeks we have had. It all started two weeks and three days ago, a Friday morning....

Orrin, our nearly two year old, wasn't feeling well that morning. My husband (the amazing stay-at-home Dad) called me to say that Orrin was really whiny and not acting himself, he put him down for nap and hoped he would be better after. When I got home from work, he wasn't any better. He wouldn't be put down. If he wasn't in our arms, he was screaming. I noticed when he was put down and made to walk to one of us he was walking rather oddly, he wasn't using his left arm at all. So, we took him to the hospital.

At the hospital we were told that he likely had "nursemaid's elbow", a type of dislocation that is very common in toddlers- usually resulting in a caregiver pulling on a child's arm. The tendon near the elbow isn't very strong, so it gives and allows the two bones in the child's forearm to twist. Since we didn't know of any trauma to Orrin's arm, I trusted the doctor and allowed him to "set" the arm. Orrin actually started to use his arm a little, although it was still shaky, and after about a half hour of observation we were allowed to go home.

While at home it actually seemed like he was a bit better. He played for a few minutes and then we sat down to watch a movie. At one point, a bit later, Orrin decided to try to get out of his little chair. He started screaming and holding his arm. I knew something was still wrong. Back to the hospital we went.

This time there was a different doctor on. He did some x-rays of the arm this time. He said there was nothing that he could see in the way of a fracture on the x-ray, but it is hard to read at this age since so much of their bones are still cartilage. He said nursemaid's elbow relapses easily, especially immediately following it being set back into place. He tried to set it again, said he felt a "pop"- so that was good, it was likely back in place- and then put Orrin in a hard splint and told us to follow up with the orthopedic team on the next Monday.

The next morning we were called and told that the radiologist did see a fracture on the x-ray. Our son's arm was broken, so be sure to follow up with the orthopedic team on Monday. 

The doctor prescribed some tylenol with codeine to help with the pain, but after the second dose, Orrin broke out in hives. He was allergic to the pain medication, and there wasn't anything stronger than tylenol and motrin we could give him now.

On Monday, my husband took Orrin to the orthopedic doctor. They took more films of his arm and put a cast on his arm. At that point, we assumed that Orrin had gotten his hand caught in his crib, or his almost three-year-old brother had tried to help him out of his crib and pulled on his arm too hard. There was no trauma that we knew of, so we were trying to find answers as to how this could have happened.

Two days later, while my husband was at the hospital with our son, Liam, who had gotten a concussion at school, Orrin stopped walking suddenly.

I was sitting in the living room, Orrin and all the other kids were playing and running around, and quite suddenly, Orrin stopped where he stood. He was whiny and upset. At first I thought he just wanted the chair he was holding to be moved... so I asked his brother to move it... but then he got more upset. I called for him to come to me and when he did, his right leg just kind of dragged behind him. He couldn't walk.

My husband came home just minutes after this started happening. I gave Orrin some motrin in hopes that it was just the pain from his arm overwhelming him. But, it didn't seem to help.

After a bit of contemplating we decided to head off to the hospital yet again.

Part 2: SOMETHING is wrong.

A #Sirius disappointment....

This post is not sponsored. Nothing was received for this post. As always- all opinions in this post are my honest opinions and not influenced by any partnerships I may have.

I am a mail carrier.... more specifically a rural mail carrier. I spend a lot of time in my car. Since I purchased my car used, I didn't get to choose what kind of options it had....and I've had to deal with the fact that it's not new so not everything is perfect. My stereo is one of those things. The 6 disc CD player hasn't worked since I purchased the car. I purchased it anyway (there's always the radio...right?). Well, the radio doesn't always come in- so I turned to Sirius.

I heard rave reviews from many people, and I checked with others in my town and was told the reception was great! I was excited, but then saw the price tags on the radios. I decided to wait to see if I could find a deal. Well, I finally found a pretty good deal on a Sirius XM radio, so I purchased it. I was SO excited because I could listen to Pearl Jam Radio whenever I wanted! 

The install wasn't all that bad, even in the winter. However, the account set up seemed like torture. I tried to do it online since I had a great discount code (6 months for $25). But, I couldn't get the deal to work. So, I thought I signed up for a free month trial. Nope, I signed up for INTERNET radio. Well, that isn't what I had intended (they even asked for the radio ID... why would they want your radio ID if you aren't using a Sirius radio with the service? CONFUSING!), so I had to cancel that. 

It took talking to 2 different people before they were able to activate my radio... but I did get the special introduction promo, and I was pretty satisfied at that point. 

Then.... after 3 days of great signal and everything seeming to go well....

and this...

I thought that it might be a one day thing... but then it has happened every. single. day. 

I refreshed the signal sent to my radio.... it didn't help. 

I've checked my antenna and all the wires from it- no problems! Nothing has changed, and it is all still in perfect condition. I've only had it for 10ish days! 

Aside from the signal issues I do enjoy the music, but it is a bit misleading when they say "commercial free". The stations are not commercial free. I have heard actual advertisements on most stations I've been able to listen to, and if it isn't an actual advertisement for a product it is a promo for another Sirius radio station.

The radio I have ( The OnyxPlus) isn't all that special... I wish I would have saved my money more and went with the basic radio. I don't need the color screen or album images, nor do I need all of the presets. It's a pain in the butt to change the station. You have to scroll through different stations one at a time or you can scroll through them by category but it's still a hassle! I had thought you could push the buttons to tune into a specific channel but you can't.

 Another major annoyance for me is that whenever I turn off my car (which is a lot since I have to turn it off each time I deliver a package) the whole radio turns off and has to reboot the signal. It would be nice if the radio held a charge so that the interruption didn't happen.

The price you pay for Sirius is NOT cheap... about $20 a month, plus taxes and fees plus royalty fees and a huge activation fee. Honestly, I think that I will likely be returning the radio if these problems can't be resolved and discontinuing my service.

Do you have an experience with Sirius?  I'd love to hear if you like it, love it, or hate it.

Sad, Mad, Glad.

About a week ago we introduced a new activity to our family's dinner experience. We've always shared dinner together, always sat around the same table. I've loved the conversations and closeness that it brings. We recently heard of a "game", and we've now adopted it into our daily schedule. 

Sad, Mad, Glad. It's easy to "play". In our family we start with the youngest (well, the youngest who can talk), and ask them to share one thing from their day that made them sad, one thing from their day that made them mad, and one thing from their day that made them glad.  When each person is talking they are the only one who's allowed to speak, everyone else has to listen and no one is excused from the table. It's really been a great lesson in patience and respect!

The first day we just tried it to see how it would go, to our surprise the kids asked to pay it the next night and have been insistent on doing it every day since! It has definitely given us a little more insight to our children's day as well. One day we learned that two of the boys had been fighting on the bus (something they didn't share with us when simply asked how their day was). I'm not sure who "created" this game, but I love it and wanted to share it with all of you, because I think your family may love it too! 

If you try Sad, Mad, Glad, or currently play, please share your experiences!

A Word of Caution for those Seeking High Speed Internet from #Exede

These are my personal opinions and experiences. 

When we moved last month, I was disappointed that I could no longer keep my cable internet provider. When I looked for other internet providers I expected to find something comparable. Unfortunately I was sadly mistaken.

Of course, all non-cable internet choices have data limits. This was scary for me, since I am on the internet a fair amount of time. I figured I'd be paying a lot of money for extra bandwidth. Well, I haven't had that problem, that's for sure!

My internet practically never works. I am currently working in offline mode, and will finally publish this when I get a signal again. I have called customer service numerous times, and through resetting my modem and restarting my computer I CAN get internet back...for 5 minutes then it's out again. It is SO frustrating! I reset my modem at least 5 times a day, and I usually just plain give up.

Of course, there is no reason why Exede would want to solve my problem. They'll get paid for the next 23 months regardless because I am in a binding contract.

Anyhow, buyer beware. Exede has been horrible for me, I would rather have dial-up at this point.  Exede requires auto-pay monthly on the first, and there are no paper bills. I have yet to receive an e-bill, but they have taken the money out of my account just fine.

I just cannot explain my disappointment fully in words here. I would be very careful and do some research in the area you are considering living in when looking into Exede internet. I wish I had done more research myself.  

Tales of Surgery, Infection, Wisdom Teeth and a Newborn!

It's been three weeks since I've given birth to little mister, Orrin. Hard to believe time has gone by so quickly. It always seems to do this to me, though. I cherish these days with a newborn, it's one of my favorite times with my children. The days seem long, but the weeks fly by!

The last three weeks have been quite exhausting. I've been recuperating from the loss of blood and blood transfusion, but I also am still struggling with a lot of health issues. I was supposed to have surgery last Monday on a kidney stone and to replace some stents, but it had to be cancelled due to a kidney infection. Now I wait and see what antibiotic I will be on since I am allergic to so many and nursing (there are a few you're not supposed to use when breastfeeding). Of course, it's been nearly a week and I am still not on antibiotics, so my infection is only getting worse.

Then, I had to have two of my wisdom teeth pulled the other day. One broke in half, and the dentist said they always take them in pairs (in her office anyhow). Not fun, and I definitely NEVER want another tooth pulled... I will explore all options before ever having that done again!

And of course, there's Orrin! Nighttime feedings and fussy times mean that I am more tired, and the fact that the only place he wants to sleep is in my arms (but who could resist?!) make that I am having a difficult time getting online and actually doing some work! 

I will be having surgery sometime in the next two weeks, and hopefully I will recover quickly! I just wanted all my readers to know I am STILL here! And, I hope to be writing a bit more this week between baby snuggles and feedings, doctor's appointments, and the occasional nap. :)

Orrin's Birth Story

I can't believe it's been a week since Orrin arrived in our lives! I am so glad to be here to tell my story. Here is my story to the best of my recollection (and perspective).

Let's start with a little back story. I've had two c-sections (my last two deliveries). I did not want them, but circumstances warrented them. I did not want to have a c-section for Orrin's birth. The hospital where I deliver is not VBAC friendly.  I spoke with my doctor throughout my pregnancy and let her know that I did not want a c-section. We did not schedule a surgery date, and decided on the "wait and see" game plan. While my doctor couldn't tell me I could have a VBAC, she couldn't force me to either.

Once I hit 40 weeks, things got a little more tricky. Since I was a c-section candidate there was pressure to have my surgery scheduled. I wasn't happy, but I decided to schedule the surgery for July 30th. It felt right...and I figured if I went 10 days past my due date it was probably time to get the little guy out of there (I have other medical issues going on and am on medications that really aren't that great to take during pregnancy). 

Well, unfortunately plans changed, and the 30th wasn't available. The doctor called me and convinced me to change the date to the 29th. It didn't feel right, but I reluctantly agreed. However, after being upset the entire day, I called the next day and cancelled. This led to a flurry of phone calls and a lot of emotions. I was told I would be transferred to a different hospital if I came there in labor. Eventually my doctor called me and talked for quite some time, and I, again, reluctantly agreed to the July 29th c-section.

So, on July 28th, I had a dream. In my dream I was having a contraction. It was an odd dream, and I woke up. I laid in bed wondering if I had had a contraction, or if it was only a dream. Within minutes I was asleep again, and in just a few minutes a was awakened by another contraction. I was 8 days "overdue". I smiled. I laid in bed catching a few minutes of sleep in between contractions until I was sure "this was it". 

I woke up my husband and let him know I was in labor. I was thrilled. I had a plan. We slowly got the other children ready, we had packed most of the stuff the night before so it wasn't too much of a rush. I continued to have contractions and bloody show. We left our house around noon and took the kids to their Grandparent's house. Then we headed to the hospital.

"Oh yeah, this is happening!"

We arrived at the hospital around 1:30pm. My contractions were strong, but not horrid. My husband asked if I wanted to go in. I didn't. I didn't feel like the contractions were bad enough yet and I didn't want to go in while in early labor... I decided to labor in the parking lot.  Around 2pm I felt my water break. It wasn't a big gush though, so I was worried that this would be similar to my water breaking with Annabelle (which ended up in a c-section). My husband said we should probably go in. I went in, but I said I wanted to use the bathroom first. I used the bathroom, and then stood in the hallway. I couldn't go in. I was too worried that if I went to OB that I would be transferred immediately. My husband knew my concerns and decided to go check out the OB's nurses station to see who was working.

He came back and told me all was well and that we should go in. He had told the nurses that I was in labor and that my water had broke, but there was no way I was going to come in if I was going to be forced to have a c-section or transferred. The nurse said to come in and get checked, and that I didn't have to stay if I didn't want to. My doctor was on her way to the hospital anyhow, and that it was good timing.

I went in, got hooked up to the monitors. Everything looked good, thankfully. Orrin was tolerating the contractions well. The nurse told me that there was actually another lady going in for a c-section in just a few minutes, and that's why my doctor was coming in (to assist the other OB). This was fantastic news. I knew I had at least an hour to labor before they could get me in for a c-section. 

My doctor had told me that if I came in in active labor and 6+ cm dilated that my chances of delivering naturally were pretty good. I was so nervous when the doctor came in to check me. She said I was 5cm and 90% effaced. I was glad to be that far along, but it wasn't 6cm. My doctor told me not to worry and that I had time while she assisted with the other c-section. Awesome. This was going to happen.

I know from my previous natural deliveries that once my water breaks I deliver very quickly (like, in less than 20 minutes), so I was wondering what was going on. My water had broken, we could see the leaking fluid, but labor was still not super fast. I had 2 IV's put in (just in case I needed an emergency c-section or medication). It was nearing 3pm. The contractions continued to get stronger, I had forgotten how uncomfortable they could get! I guess two babies without a labor can make you forget!

Around 3:40 I was checked again. This time 6-7cm, and completely thinned out. Then, about 10 minutes later, GUSH. My water really broke. Apparently I either had had two sacs, which I didn't even know was possible but the nurse said it happens sometimes, or I had "forewaters" (where the baby blocks part of the sac of water so only a little comes out, then when the baby moves the "big gush" comes out). Whatever happened, after that gush the contractions were stronger.

 My doctor came a little after 4 and checked me and I was 9cm, baby was still pretty high. After she checked, she took off her gloves, but I needed to push. I don't even remember the contraction, I just remember an intense push... they hadn't even gotten the foot of the bed off yet. I crossed my legs (made them a circle) as I felt Orrin come out. The doctor was trying to get her gloves on quickly, but Orrin was faster. His quick arrival had him laying on the bed cradled in my legs. I had done it. I had my VBA2C! I was so happy.

They laid Orrin on my chest, and I breathed a sigh of relief knowing how wonderful everything turned out. The nurses, doctor, and my husband were rushing around. They got the foot of the bed off and stirrups up so I could deliver the placenta. 

I laid there staring at the wonderful new baby. He had such a big umbilical cord! I mean, this thing was THICK. I hadn't ever seen an umbilical cord that large. Orrin's face was quite bruised, the quick final stage of labor really put a lot of pressure on his face...he had a 15" head circumference, so it was quite the squeeze! 

8lbs 15oz baby boy!

After I delivered the placenta things got a little sticky. There was a lot of blood. I didn't really realize what was going on, but I heard the nurse saying my husband's boots and pants were bloody and they gave him some booties to cover them up. I knew I was bleeding (I mean, there is always blood during birth), but I didn't realize how much. The doctor reached up into my uterus to make sure that there wasn't any placenta left or any large clots. If you've never had this done, it is PAINFUL. She pulled a few clots out, but overall it didn't seem like a big deal. The cord had stopped pulsing, so Orrin's cord was cut by my husband. Then I had a small tear that had to be repaired, so that was done. 

Things from here on out are fuzzy, I can't remember for sure the timeline, but this is what happened as far as I can remember.

The nurses took Orrin to get his measurements and assess him. The doctor checked my uterus level and massaged my abdomen to help it "clamp down". She then told me she needed to go inside and remove some clots, she didn't think my uterus was shrinking down like it should and I was bleeding more than I should. She then reached up into my uterus and pulled out many more large clots (I seriously felt like a puppet- and this hurts SOOO bad)! I was given pitocin via IV with the bleeding. The nurse then had to massage my abdomen for 15 minutes, which was horribly painful. 

I somehow ended up with three IV sites... I'm not sure why I had three, though.

Right Arm

Left Arm

 The doctor gave some orders and went home. After the nurse was done with my abdomen I sat up to nurse Orrin. I asked for some food because I was starving, and I felt weak. I was in a lot of pain, and nursing made it hurt so much worse....at least I thought it was nursing that was making it worse. The nurse saw that I was in a lot of pain. I had taken my pain pill, but it wouldn't be working for about 45 minutes. The pain was bad, I was crying. 

The nurse said she needed to check where my uterus was (it's supposed to be belly button or lower). My uterus was getting bigger. The nurse called the doctor back to the hospital. I was given morphine via IV....and then I became a puppet again. The doctor pulled out many more large clots. I was given an oral medication (4 pills) and a shot in my leg to help control the bleeding more. I was told I was hemorrhaging and that I had lost nearly 2 liters of blood. Because I had lost so much blood they needed to quickly give me a lot of fluids. I was given fluids through both of my IV's. I needed to have my abdomen massaged for quite some time. I don't remember how long exactly, but I do know it was very uncomfortable. I felt cold and weak. I don't remember much after this... but I do know that my bleeding finally waned and I was stable. I don't remember much for a two hour block of time, though.

When a five year old steals...

Well, it's happened. One of our boys have stolen something. Our 5 year old decided that it was okay to take a piece of candy from the store tonight. 

We found out rather quickly, within about 5 minutes of him being home. I quickly told my husband to take him back to the store and make him apologize and pay for the candy. I wanted to be sure the punishment quickly followed the crime.

My husband agreed and took our son back to the grocery store.

They came back about 10 minutes later. Our son was obviously upset. Good, I thought... I hope it sinks in! Then my husband started telling me what had happened at the store.

The lady who our son apologized to was nice enough... but explained that even though he's only 5 she could still call the cops. He was scared, probably embarrassed as well. 

Well, there were several customers in the store. My husband told me that the lady directly behind him (probably about mid 20-30's) was "disgusted" that he would publicly embarrass our son by having him return to the store to apologize and pay. 

I was pretty shocked to hear this! 

Well, there were a few older people there as well, and they were glad that my husband brought our son to the store. One elderly man actually asked my husband if he needed to borrow his belt. That's a little extreme, but it is amazing how differently generations parent their children. 

Now, back to the shocking part... "disgusted" because we made our child do the right thing? It makes me wish that I had been there so I could ask her what she thought was an appropriate punishment. It also makes me wonder if we as parents in this generation are going "too soft" on our kids. Is a little humiliation not okay when disciplining your child? 

I remember when I was a young girl, I was 5 I believe, I stole a rubber snake from the grocery store. My mother made me take it back and apologize. I was scared to death, and I felt really bad...but I also never stole again. I learned my lesson... and I definitely did not want to feel like that again!

Do you think making your child be embarrassed in this situation is inappropriate? What punishment would you have chose if it was your 5 year old child?

This Mama Loves Her Bargains also had a tough time with a child's behavior... check out her post too!

It's been 6 years...

Six years ago, early this morning, my mother committed suicide (at least that's what the death certificate officially deemed).  And no, this is not an April Fool's joke. I really wish it had been.

I didn't think of my mother as suicidal. I still have a hard time believing it was suicide... partly because the officers involved had a hard time believing it as well. I do know my mother was having a hard time with her new husband (whom she married after knowing him only weeks). I also know that her husband was very violent.  I often think "what could I have done to prevent this?"  I know that does me no good, but it still pops into my head from time to time. 

You know how people say "it gets easier with time", well... I guess it does. Now, six years later, it is much easier. I no longer think that my mother is a phone call away... I don't expect her to call, and I don't expect to see her some random place. 

I know where my mother is, she's nestled in an urn in our hutch.... and that's okay. It's pretty crazy how the grief process works, and how long it takes. While everyone deals with death differently, and on their own timeline, it is something that definitely takes time. I am at peace with the thought of her being gone. Although, not necessarily at peace with her death, as I think I will always be wanting the closure of knowing what really happened that night and early morning. 

My relationship with my mother was strained. She hadn't always been a good role model, or even a person who was able to support me. I moved out on my own when I was 17, and didn't talk to my mother for quite some time after that. When I was pregnant with my first child, we started talking again. It's definitely a time when most daughters need their mothers. 

From then on, we tried to repair our relationship. We were never close... I never told her I loved her, and I was extremely guarded. However, she did want to be a part of her grandchildren's lives, and she was a good grandma. 

One of my biggest regrets is not telling my mom how much she did mean to me. I was angry still. I held that anger in my heart and while I do think it was justified, I really wish I could have let it go. It was only after she died that I really wished I had let it go, it wasn't worth having.

If I could give everyone a piece of advice it would be to free yourself from your anger. It isn't always easy...but being so angry really isn't worth it in the end. I still struggle with this at times, I still hold grudges against people that I am angry with. I try to remind myself that this anger really isn't worth it, and you never know what will happen in life. 

RIP Lisa Marie Genson. March 8, 1965- April 1, 2006.

This Momma has the flu.

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Yep... it's been fun, NOT! This is the first time I've had the flu when pregnant and it has been torture!

I even got this year's flu shot!

I started having symptoms Sunday night, I just didn't feel very well. Monday morning I went to work, and ended up having an ambulance called to check on me because I felt like I was going to pass out, and I was having trouble catching my breath. My heart was racing, my pulse rate was over 140bpm. I was warm to the touch and somewhat sweaty, but I was so cold. 

I headed to the hospital, and my blood pressure was dropping when I stood. The doctor told me it was due to the additional strain of the illness while pregnant. Oh joy. 

So, here it is Wednesday, and I still feel like poo. I have asthma, and the flu has really caused issues with that. I feel like I can't get my breath and I'm using my rescue inhaler much more often than I should be. 

I've also missed the whole week of work so far, which makes me sad. But, like my boss says, I need to get better. 

The hardest part of this all, is I have no energy...and that includes no energy to be a mom. Just bathing the kids wears me out. Hopefully it will be gone soon...

Have you had the flu when pregnant? Know of any good ways to beat the discomfort of the flu?

March came in like a LION!

I live in the northern lower peninsula of Michigan. I love it here! There are very few natural disasters we have to worry about. Basically we deal with tornadoes, and winter storms.Tornadoes are very rare in my area, and winter storms usually aren't too bad after you get used to them.

However, on March 2nd it was quite the storm!

The rain started around 4pm, and turned into wet heavy snow shortly after. I could see the water drops on the apple tree outside my window and I knew it wasn't going to be good if it froze.

Around 9pm our power went out....and stayed out. My husband was sick with the flu and was in bed, and so were the kids. I was up, too nervous to really sleep. I don't know why, but I get all these apocalyptic thoughts running through my head when the power goes out.

Well, there was some shouting in the street... I figured it was just some neighbors talking to one another about the power. Then I heard what sounded like a gun shot. My heart started beating faster, and I got a little scared to be honest. Suddenly I hear two men outside my house, they were just across from my driveway, then another sound like a gunshot. I watched the men walk away- but I had NO clue what was going on. I stepped out on my porch, and while I stood there I could hear what sounded like a shooting range. Surely there wasn't a bunch of people with guns, so what the heck was the noise?

I walked to my backyard, and there I discovered what had been scaring me so much.

See that poor pine tree? Yep, all it's branches had been coming down! The gunshot sounds were branches falling off the trees! And this tree wasn't the only one that had troubles...there were many, many more.

When I was in my backyard I noticed that there was a strange orange glow coming from a couple blocks down. It looked like flames, but I figured it was plow truck strobe lights since I didn't smell any smoke. After a while I found out it WAS indeed a fire. A line had gone down and started a fire, as well as a transformer catching. 

On Saturday, March 3, we were still without power. Around 1:30am the power came back on...for 8 minutes, then was out again after a few zapping sounds. The snow was piling up higher and higher...and getting heavier and heavier.

I had to be up in the morning to deliver mail, so I tried to get some sleep. When morning came, I got up...and dug out my car.

It didn't seem too bad, but the heavy wet snow had fallen off of the vehicle and onto the ground. When I walked to the backyard to check on the tree the snow was up to my knees! I was able to see the ground the day before! My estimate is that we got 18 inches overnight. 

Well, I went to work, only to be sent home for the time being- the truck hadn't been there and would be a couple hours late. My house was without power, but the post office a couple blocks away had theirs, thankfully. 

At this point I had no idea what the extent of the damage was, but I knew that the plows hadn't gotten much of the roads, and they were going to have to work hard.

Our truck came in at 10:30, so I went back into work. We knew it was going to be a challenging day, but it was darn near impossible. No mail was able to be delivered, where the plows HAD been, it wasn't possible to access the mailbox, and where the plows hadn't been- you just couldn't go. There were so many trees down and power lines down...it was honestly creepy. 

When I got back home, my family and I snuggled down and tried to see what we could do to keep warm. No power means no heat for us since our furnace needs the fan to get the heat into the home. We also had no hot water...but we were lucky enough to have a gas stove and we could light the stovetop with a lighter. We boiled water and it really helped the house stay warmer! 

The next morning we were still without electricity. We decided to get out of the house a little bit since the roads were pretty much plowed. It was amazing to see the damage... so many power lines down, and trees! There are a lot of trees that will have a difficult time surviving now. There were trees down on cars and houses. 

Flattened Lilac bush. :(

A group of pine trees that look like a tornado went through them, but it was just snow!

Thankfully, 46 hours after we lost power it was restored. But a lot of northern Michigan was still without power even this morning! Stores were sold out of generators, heaters, gasoline, batteries, water...it was a rough few days for our area!

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