Moving DONE plus Art Show...

It's DONE...all moved in.

My former area of work is no more...

Transformed into a new comfortable space.  The drafting table is where the file cabinets were.  It will stay for him to finish his final billing tomorrow and for me to use for drawing.

NOW...this is my whole entire area for painting, painting, painting...

It's not all done yet, but the organization has started with the most amazing help of B!  Thank GOODNESS I have her because I COULD NOT get it all done.  

Frankly the past couple of weeks have been overwhelmingly exhausting.  Moving carloads of art work/supplies several times a day, loading and unloading, in between being Granny Taxi to little Min and trying to navigate my new work desk to finish that job, I am more than overwhelmed.  In fact, I dropped Min off at school after making a couple of load and unload runs then running quick to pick her up from downtown from her catechesis class to then driving her to her day school at 61st & Yale, knowing it was lunchtime and heading back to the "new" studio, I was asked at her day school by one of the teachers how it was going.  Oops, wrong time to stop and talk to me.  I was vulnerable to falling apart at that moment.  There was the director, and two teachers in the hall and I fell apart.  I just hit a brick wall.  It has been so much that my mental capacity is at that breaking point and my body is breaking down too.  My tummy has been in turmoil to the point that sometimes while cooking dinner I almost want to throw-up with the thought of even eating it.  This nearly 67 year old body is to the point of collapse and I can't let it happen because there is still so much more to go.  Come June/July time frame we will again be having the three year old with us more, but she will be a bit older, that helps.  And the move is basically done, that helps.  Work will be sort of over, that helps.  I think there will be a breather in there somewhere.  

This weekend we are heading to the cabin and will have a mini celebration with our cabin friends on Saturday night, and a bit of drinking will be happening!  The Hubby is really in his head with this final day tomorrow and needs to get away.  We thought about staying to Monday but can't.  Have to be back Sunday night because I think we will have Min so they can discharge with Max on Monday and HEAD HOME!!!  Just in time for Easter.

Oh gosh, every second of our lives right now are changed by the minute.  I can hardly plan anything because of it all.  I, my art group, Tulsa Artist Guild, is having an art opening on Thursday evening.  THAT I have to do as I'm in charge of the caterer and food, and I have art in the show!  Looking forward to it.

If you are in the area and would like to come to our show, here is the info.  Please join us.  There will be very yummy refreshments and lots of beautiful art.  I have three paintings in this show and this the art sells very fast usually.  

Change

Change, is anyone okay with change.  Change is difficult for anyone, good or bad.  We've had a lot of change in our world lately, the grownups, and the kiddos in our life.

This one has been through it, with a new brother, not living with him yet, and her momma being gone now for 3 months, and spending a lot of her time with me and her Auntie Biff.

When Max does finally come home life will not at all be the same for her.  She will probably have to drop out of her day school because of the possibility of bringing home germs to Max.  

She's had some bright times at school, meeting new friends, like this little guy she met at the hospital.  His little sibling is in the hospital with the same thing as Max so there is a bond there.  Plus the family lives in Tulsa so they may get to see each other many more times.

This little guy who knows the hospital as his norm, will very soon (probably next week) have to adapt to a whole new surrounding at his actual home with a 3 year old sister and 3 cats.

Snicklefritz has also gone through a ton of changes in her very young life.  First we lost her Great-papa then her Mimi, then Max's entry into our world.

And with Min spending so much time with me, day and night, for weeks, her previous room was taken over by Min.  So we had to adjust for Snicklefritz and make her own space for spending the night, a more grown up space for her.  She has been so wonderful letting that happen, without grumbling, but with joy in helping with the process.

Now we are at the time where WE are retiring and the "shop" as she has known it since she was 2 years old is changing.  She's actually known our offices since birth but her first 2 years were at the other location where I watched her nearly every single day of her life (minus weekends!)  Since this is the last week of actual business as we've known it we have been gearing up for the auction of equipment, vehicles, tools, office supplies, etc.  So moving drafting tables out and file cabinets and having bags and bags of shredding stuff and boxing up files we have to keep for a bit of time.  All that kind of stuff has to go to storage.  My desk as I've known it for eight years will be in the auction and we had to make a new area for desk work because even though we won't technically be in business, work will still be done with reports and stuff until tax time next year, collecting the last of the accounts receivable and paying the last of the bills, changing the names of accounts, closing accounts, so much to do.  You do not realize all you have to do to shut down a 44 year old business.  

This brings to the changes, for me.  You see I'm yet again moving my art studio.  

It has always been the plan that I would move into our office with my studio.  

I've had a studio in my home for several years...

then Linda and I moved into a shared studio with artist Gil Adams, calling ourselves, Studio 3.

When the landlord rented our space out from under us we had to shift very quickly to another location where Gil left our happy threesome (maybe not so happy for him.)  It was his idea for us to be in the studio space with him, but he's a guy, a guy that had a hideout from his wife, where he could go and eat ice cream late at night and watch TV without his wife knowing.  We cramped his style, he was okay with the split and going his own way.  

So Linda and I moved into a larger space, calling it Lemon Tree Fine Art.  We've been studio partners now for over 6 years, happily.  In that 6 years I have amassed a ton more art supplies, created a lot of paintings that frankly were bad and either will have to be painted over or hopefully sold (the better ones.)

So I am moving yet again, packing up tons and tons of art stuff, making trip after trip to the new space.

The new space, our old office that we are cleaning out now.  The downstairs of the stone building as of next week will be the previous location of Alrac Electric and the new digs of Carla Hefley Fine Art! 

Back to Snicklefritz.  This is all so much change for a little girl and she's so feeling it, I'M feeling it.  It's like a tornado everyday to get it all done and frankly I'm quite exhausted, physically and emotionally over all of it.  I've had to change my business area and will be creating my new art, creative area all very quickly.  It is a lot.  Plus with Max and watching Min.  I honestly can't wait for summer to get here to take a breather, rest a bit.  I want to paint but frankly, I'm not sure where my paints are at this moment.  They're in piles and piles of art supplies.  To top off all of this, The Hubby will be in my art space a lot because it is our building and his "man cave" building is across the parking lot.  Hmmmm, not sure how this is all going to work out creatively with him in my business a lot and trying to dictate how I use this new space.  Saga to continue...

Kiddos Update

Lot's happening around here, some not good, some wonderful, some in a holding pattern.  This kiddo has finally snagged a job, a job she wants!  That is one worry off my mind for her.  With us closing our business that meant she lost her part time job with us, along with her hubby's job with us.  But it finally happened and she is on top of the world.  I/we will still need her to finish out the closing, she is invaluable!  

This weekend Snicklefritz and I FINALLY got some time together, just us two.  We even got to the studio to paint, which she has been wanting to do for a really long time.  It was a short spend the night but it was a spend the night and we had a great time.  Tonight she is going to see Hamilton.  We saw it a couple of years ago and for some reason is back in Tulsa.  We didn't want to see it again and I know it is her ABSOLUTE FAVORITE, so we gave them our tickets.  I'm so very excited for her.

I've also started packing up my studio and actually moved some today.  I have a lot more to go but it has started.  Kind of sad and I will so miss Linda and our visits.

On a good note, last week Min made it to her day school every day without incident!  Today she even made it to her catechesis class and then I picked her up and was onward to her regular school.  She didn't even wave goodbye, just made her way to the jungle gym.  So glad she has passed those dark times.

She also got to go see her Momma in OKC.  It has been so tough on EVERYONE to be split up like they are, we are.  But Max is a priority for her momma right now and she is being taken care of to the utmost.  

Max update, day 66:

**Specific prayer request: please pray that Max’s severe reflux resolves. We ask that it resolves without the need for any more variations of feeding tubes or surgery. Thank you.**

Heart-wise, he’s doing well, considering. But this reflux is just awful.

They’ve tried all sorts of variations of meds, and today they put in a transpyloric tube (a TPT), which goes through his nose, through the stomach, and into the small intestine. Since he had that placed this morning, he’s still had emesis twice, vomiting bile, with two episodes of bradycardia (low HR).

I don’t understand it. We don’t know why he started having trouble after the g-tube was placed. It’s so upsetting to witness him have these episodes. I fight back tears every time.

If this continues, they may consider a surgical procedure for a Nissen wherein they tie the upper part of the stomach with the lower esophagus. Or we wait till he’s 7 kilos (he’s 5.3kg) to place a G-J tube. It could be another two months before he’s 7 kilos.

They said that feeding is the most frustrating part of this. Babies often have reflux, but having reflux with a critical heart defect is a much bigger issue. It’s not uncommon for heart babies either.

His second surgery, the Glenn, usually happens around 4-6 months. It’s completely within the realm of possibility that we may never get him home between now and then.

I have avoided going home for various reasons. Yes, I have been in OKC since January 2nd, and have not been home once. I’m a nervous driver even when not stressed. I’m terrified of having a panic attack on the road, or God forbid, I get to Tulsa and have to turn right back around for an emergency. I worry that the second I’ll leave, something will happen. And I worry about no one being here to advocate for him. I’m the only one who sees him every day and can literally sense when he’s going to brady/vomit before even the monitors pick it up.

I need to go home and be with Minerva. I need to do this drive and wrap my head around going back and forth.

Thank you for your prayers. We need them.