It's A Grand Life

All I can say is this has been a YEAR!  Today I just want to enjoy the pics of my grands and daughters.  I have been truly blessed.  The video is Max ALMOST crawling Thursday night while our unofficial daughter, Rachel (B's bestie from her school days) and I watched the kiddos.  Gosh, he was almost there and yesterday he DID IT!  There is a video but I can't seem to get it from my phone to my computer.  It's in a text message and I saved it but it's too big to send to post here.  This is the next best thing.  This little kiddo is progressing in leaps and bounds and I would bet he crawls in a couple of months and then starts trying to walk.  He will be a year January 4 and what milestones he has accomplished.  

The month of December has been extremely busy for my kiddos and their babies with all kinds of functions.  Thursday while I was grand-sitting this one got to ride in a carriage at Woodward.  I'm sure she was on cloud nine as she is so in love with any kind of horse.  She is going to LOVE her Christmas present!!!

Friday night A's choir sang at Cain's for the Jacob Tovar Christmas Spectacular.  It was all ages so she got to go and see her grandad do his dance thing.

There has been a lot of cousin time too.  They are all having such a fun time, especially Max...lol!

Last night they went to Mass at Holy Family and for the second time R got to join them.  

Then it was off to Roppongi for ramen noodles, Min's favorite.  Even Max got to sample some of the noodles.  He is still in a struggle phase of trying to eat some but is getting better every day.  All in good time, all in good time.

These girls, more like sisters than cousins.  

Man, it is times like this when I so wish my mother could have lived to enjoy the grands.  She would have reveled in the joy that they are.  

Update: Life in General

This is just a little update about our little Bubs.  

Notice something...

no oxygen in his nose.  

Yesterday he went to the heart doctor which is every other week and they said no more oxygen, except at night right now but begin the weaning off of it.  He still has a heart monitor but said that needs to be weaned off (mostly the parents need to be weaned off of it!)  PLUS, he doesn't have to go back for a month.  I knew that would happen.  He is just doing so very well and just keeps progressing.  Now we tackle the food thing and he will have it made, till the next surgery.

MIGHTY MAX

Last week I scooted off to the cabin on a Wednesday and stayed till Sunday!!!  I figured I had nothing else going on and I'M RETIRED!!!  The Hubby showed up Friday afternoon.  It was absolute bliss.  I sat on my screened porch with a fire, my book and then I painted a bit.  Absolute bliss.  

I painted a still life...

"Fall is in the Air"

and...

"Big Red"

which I already sold.  Yes I have painted him before, in fact this is the third time, but they sell almost immediately.

Back to reality (meaning to town) and I hit the ground running with a 1-1/2 hour visit to the dealership for "required maintenance" and to get two nails out of one of my tires.  Glad I didn't have a blowout on the drive to the cabin.  Tuesday was our annual review on our retirement accounts, and finally Wednesday a bit of time at the easel.  I finished this little jewel and really like it.

"Fall Hay"

16x20

Monday was also back to cooking for us.  I had some frozen shrimp, feta, tomatoes, asparagus and rice.  I decided to do the feta back with the tomatoes then took out the immersion blender and whizzed up this to pour over a 1/4 cup of rice.  The asparagus I roasted in the oven and halfway through put the shrimp on top.  All seasoned with salt and pepper and I think Italian seasoning.  It was pretty yummy.

The week before I had my annual Medicare physical.  Don't mind telling you I was jittery about it.  I'm kind of a white coat-syndrome gal, my blood pressure tends to be high at first.  I was worried because I've again put a few pounds on ARGHHHHH!  But when the nurse put the cuff on I was amazed it was pretty perfect!  Then of course he harped on my weight and was again trying to push the Monjaro like diabetes drugs that people are taking to lose weight.  I AGAIN explained that first of all several of them, if not all, have warnings about a rare thyroid cancer.  I have thyroid issues in my family, me included, benign tumors on brother and my father's thyroid (his removed.)  My great-grandfather on my mother's side DIED of thyroid cancer.  So I am not inclined to be a test subject on that crap.  Also, many years ago there was FenFin that everyone was doing to lose weight and I was one of those that was put on it.  I lost weight, yes.  I stopped it (not sure why) and boy am I glad because the bad side effect was heart damage and open heart surgeries!!!!!  HOLY CRAP!  So I will continue on with eating fairly well on my own, ESPECIALLY after my labs came back.  To quote my doctor, "your labs are EXCELLENT!"  Well, that answers a lot about how I'm doing on my food.  I probably, know I should be exercising.  I'm going to take some steps in that direction...LOL.

And The Hits Just Keep Coming

I SWEAR TO GOD this family, and I mean ALL OF US, can't catch a break...ARGHHHHHH

Sunday afternoon Min and her Daddy took my car to OKC to hopefully bring Max and his Momma home, today.   So I am the one carless now.

It was just what the doctor ordered for all of us, Min to see her Momma and little brother and me getting some much needed rest as I'm still hacking and not feeling my best.  They got to see Cousins Jack & DeeDee, who they stayed with so much this past year during all this.  Min was so excited to see them, they are like another set of grandparents for her.  Then she and her Momma went for a mani/pedi, her first.  Suddenly Min's eye started swelling and not feeling great.  

Off to the ER as they were in the vicinity (LOL).

This little girl has pink eye.  Hmmm, her granddad has had an eye infection too.  They didn't classify his as pink eye but I bet it was from his cold.  I think it was basically a cold in the eye, now she has it.  What this might cause is a delay in letting them come home, riding in the same car together...ARGHHHHHH!  

On a good note, this little guy is MORE than ready to come home.  Max is just doing wonderfully well, his infection is gone and they've even scheduled him for the next surgery, the Glenn, August 3!  Then we get to start the childcare thing all over again.  I NEED this next month to be childcare free for me to rest and get healed.  I NEED them to be able to get another car so I have mine back.  We NEED to get this stupid limb off our house, Thursday is the target date, again.  I NEED to have everything start moving again, forward.  I NEED to get back to my studio and my oil paints.  I NEED this family to start getting some good news.  

(Oh, yesterday Bri's car has started having issues so it's in the shop and The Hubby is her driver today, taking her to work and bringing Snicklefritz here for me to watch.  Snicklefritz doesn't have camp this week so she is my sidekick with no car.  Tonight she is having a friend stay the night with us too! Should be fun, giggling 10 year olds!!!) 

Life is really full.

Look at that face and sitting up and all.  Can't wait to snuggle him.

OKLAHOMA HURRICANE 2023

Oklahoma Hurricane 2023

That is what some are calling it because there were winds in excess of 100 mph on Saturday night.  (Forgive if I repeat.)  Our dear little Max is still in OKC Children's Hospital, now day I think 13 and he was on track to come home today.  Saturday his daddy, Nick, came back to town for a gig and to accept delivery of their new couch.  Saturday evening he pulled into the driveway and started to get his vibes out of his red Rave 4 when he said the wind nearly took him out, so he thought the vibes can wait, they will be okay, not him if he was hit with debris.  So inside he went and he had been in the house a few minutes when this happened.  

The neighbors tree pulled out of the ground and crushed both of their cars, absolutely crushed.  Honestly, it is one horrible thing but would have been a lot worse if he had continued on to get the vibes.  He would have been crushed too.  There are small miracles.

It was terrifying for Nick to be at home all alone, to have this happen, no power, in the dark, and he had never been in any of this kind of weather before, traumatizing.  I would not be surprised if he has PTSD from it all.

THANKFULLY the house received no damage, but poor little Min's backyard swing-play center is toast.

She was so upset to see her chalk all over the place.

Now, back at the "ole' homestead" we suffered our own damage.  Our massive oak tree in the backyard decided it was done with one of it's limbs.

It snapped and landed on the corner of our lovely back porch/patio.  This damage will push the need to replace the roof, which we had been putting off.

Luckily, the neighbor next to us is having a pool installed, roof, room addition and had immediate access to a tree guy.  We hired him on the spot but had him first to go to the daughters house to uncover the cars.  Our clearing will happen sometime.  It was most important to try to uncover the cars to see if they can find the car seat for Max to come home.  

Because both girls homes are without power we have a houseful staying with us.  Nick is staying in town to navigate the insurance system and see if he can get a rental because if not my car will be going to OKC and I will have Min.  Even if they get to come home they will have to stay with us because of no power.  There may be a lot of pallets on the floor and we may go to the cabin!!!  Although the generator is running there full time too and here.  Thank GOD we have a generator.  The heat index is supposed to be horrible today so staying in a house without A/C will be miserable and so we may also be housing B's dogs!  Hopefully we can get a small generator going at their house to work some fans.  

On the home note, little Max, who was to come home today, yesterday developed something.  They did not know what was going on with him.  The doctors suspected a brain bleed or infection or something else.  Poor Af was absolutely beside herself with fear for her baby.  She didn't know what was going on and since her car is here in Tulsa, and CRUSHED, she was stuck all by herself at the hospital dealing with whatever it was.  At a bit after 3 am this morning she sent a text saying that it's an infection and he was put on heavy doses of antibiotics.  Thank GOD!  It was so scary to think something else.  Hopefully now the infection will be kicked and he will be home next week if not sooner and that their power will be on soon.  

Another good thing is that is a go for the next surgery, the Glenn in 4-6 weeks when we start the Min sleep-over again.

Also, on the Dana front is that I did get to see her one last time on Friday.  She was coherent that day but I understand from her daughter and my daughter who went to see her yesterday that she is no more.  They've stopped all her medications that she has been on forever and she's only on pain meds.  She is not eating anymore.  This reminds me of Momma at the end.  Momma wasn't even on pain meds, she was on nothing.  The not eating will shut down all her organs so it won't be long.  So sad.

Cancer SUCKS

So much going on in my/our lives right now.  First of all, little Min has been living with us since last Wednesday.  Honestly this time around she has been quite enjoyable and probably would be more so if I was feeling better.  Last week The Hubby started getting sick and Friday finally went to minor emergency where he was diagnosed with bronchitis.  Then Saturday morning Little Miss Muffet woke me up at 2:30 in the morning screaming GRANNY!  I rushed in there and noticed my throat feeling a bit weird.  Well, dang it, I'm sick too.  It's been mostly in my throat with just soreness but from Friday to Monday it didn't get better so I did a video call yesterday with my doctor and he sent in an antibiotic and told me to take Mucinex DM for the little cough and congestion that was starting.  Starting it is.  Good GRIEF!  This has been the slowest moving whatever it is.  I believe it's an upper respiratory, not bronchitis like The Hubby.  I am PRAYING, absolutely PRAYING that Min does not get it and so far she seems fine, so far.  Because if she does she will be with us longer than this Thursday.  

Don't mind saying that I'm burning out with this childcare thing right now.  It's probably because I am sick.  Oh, the reason I have her is this little guy, or should I say husky little guy!  Max had to go into OKC for a quick change out of his feeding tube contraption in his belly but they ran into lots of problems.  Finally, they got it going with a different kind but wanted to keep him to see how he would tolerate the feeds back into his stomach that had been basically shut down.  That meant staying until today when they were to do an already scheduled cath procedure to balloon and to check out his lung function to see if he would be okayed for the next surgery in October or put on a transplant list.  We are on pins and needles with this.  At the minute I'm writing this he is in the procedure and we wait.  Such a sweet happy little boy.

Now to the toughest news of all.  I'm not sure if I posted about my little sister, Dana, but Dana has been battling cancer for nearly a year now.  She was diagnosed with lung and liver cancer, terminal, inoperable but was doing chemo and getting ready for radiation.  She first went to the ER because of severe back pain and found out one of her vertebrae was collapsing so they put surgical cement in it and on she went.  I'm telling you, from the beginning I said I thought the cancer was there too.  Well, she's had a couple more stints in the ER/hospital, one with an ambulance ride.  Dana HATES, DETESTS hospitals and for her to willingly go is a big deal.  About a month ago she went in for pain and most of the use of her right hand.  This time it was more pain and loss of use of both hands and she can barely walk.  Her husband has to help her eat, go to the bathroom, etc.  We got news a couple of days ago that the liver was fully engulfed with cancer and it was pushing on the spine...I THOUGHT THAT!  That is why she is losing function of her extremities.  Either today or tomorrow she is being sent home with hospice. My baby sister is dying.  

I am more than devastated by this.  I knew the cancer was terminal from the onset but when it is down to the wire it is hard to take.  I need and want to see her but with a three year old in tow I can't right now.  If all goes to plan with Max I hope to see her one last time.  GOD, that's hard to say.  Both my girls were able to go to the hospital to see her and that makes my heart happy.  My brother flew up there the minute I called him to see her.  Her kids have been with her.  

SHIT SHIT SHIT!!!!!

Also, our Aunt Sharon, one of two siblings left of Daddy's is battling lung and breast cancer.  She is to have a mastectomy soon.  I'm really not sure how much more I can take.  My heart is breaking in two.  

Max & Min

Well, this week took a turn.  First of all, Tuesday evening I took Snicklefritz to see The Lion King.  We went to dinner at In The Raw, hers and my favorite, then it was off to the show.  We really had a great time.  The next day they had to take Max to OKC to have his Gtube changed out.  There was a leak or something.  It was to be a quick turn around thing but it has turned into much more.  

Look ma, no oxygen thingy...sometimes!

Hence, we have had Min since Wednesday and with the AWESOME help of Snicklefritz it has been manageable.

Honestly she's been a lot of fun and probably would be better but someone is sick here.  Actually The Hubby has been sick and eventually went to minor emergency.  He has bronchitis.  That is hard to shake, I know as I had asthmatic bronchitis over 30 years ago and it took 2 years to beat it, and I'm NOT asthmatic!  Yes he is sick but yesterday morning about 1:30 in the AM I was jolted out of sleep by, "Granny, GRanny, GRAnny, GRANNY!!!!!"  I have never jumped up out of bed so fast.  Good LORD....I ran in there to her saying someone shut her door.  GOOD GRIEF!  I left the door open and told her to go back to sleep.  Surprisingly she did till about 6:30.  But that jump out of bed I realized my throat was sore and felt weird.  I was getting sick too.  DAMMIT!  I still have it this morning but after a cup of coffee and breakfast it is better.  I have a frog voice too.  I thought it might be strep but really doesn't feel streppy, feels viral something.  Even if I could go to the doctor I don't think an antibiotic would even be needed.  So we will see what tomorrow brings.  Don't feel too bad, just wrung out by a busy 3 year old.  I am sleeping good too which is important.