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.  

Happy Birthday's

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the granddaughters!!!!

Actually, yesterday would have been my mother-in-law's birthday, her 96th.  

We certainly do miss her.  Last weekend we celebrated her, B and the babies.

This weekend we really celebrate the babies.  Min's 4th birthday party was a happening with tons of kiddos, squeals and laughter.  I was in charge of being the balloon taxi!  They had a friend doing face painting so I hopped on board for it as the afternoon was a block party in our neighborhood.

Today is Snicklefritz's actual birthday, her 11th.  Cannot believe it really.  They grow up so very fast.  

Tomorrow is Min's actual 4th birthday.

The week was really loud around here because we got a new roof.  It was very quick though, like 15 hours and they had the old torn off and the new put on.  Amazing.  I spent the time playing around with watercolor as I could not get my car out and didn't want too because of roofing nails.  

MOMENTOUS DAY!!!

This is from our daughter about our dear Mighty Max!!!

We’re going home in the morning! Seven weeks since our initial admit with Max vomiting blood, the discovery of a blood infection, a clot, and an open heart surgery. We’ve spent 161 days in the hospital this year and only 75 at home. That’s about 2/3 of a year inpatient, not including the multitude of doctor’s appointments since that first anatomy scan a little over a year ago, with many more to go. Here’s Max with his two surgeons, Dr. Burkhart and Dr. Nakamura. We cannot thank them enough, or the whole team for that matter (you know who you all are

). We will miss everyone terribly (but not being inpatient, that’s for sure)! We are praying for a long home stay, a cozy holiday season, much music making, sibling bonding, snuggles, and a healthy Fall/Winter. Thank you EVERYONE for all your prayers, donations, fiery emails to the car dealership, meals, messages, and love. There’s no way we would’ve survived without this outpouring of support. And eternal thanks to my incredibly hospitable cousins, Jack and Dee, for housing us for months on end. And thank you once again and especially to the Pediatric Cardiovascular Program at Oklahoma Children’s Hospital. Thank you for saving our son’s life. You all do incredible, invaluable work and we are so grateful.

FINALLY he is coming home after a very long time but doing so very well.

He is such a happy little man, even after all he has gone through this past 8 months.  He will officially be 9 months old in a week.  BUT he will be home to celebrate and to celebrate this dumpling's 4th birthday.  

So very much to be thankful for.  She is celebrating and so is Snicklefritz the day before hers.  The week before is her Auntie Biff's.  I try to  have a family gathering in September mainly for my mother-in-law's birthday but since she has left us I continue to do it.  We have so many birthdays in the month of September and the first two days of October, it just makes sense to keep the tradition up and honor her. Not even sure when I will be able to do it as they have their own little parties to plan.  We will squeeze in there somewhere.

Weekend of Fun, Week of "Here We Go Again!"

 We scooted off to the cabin this weekend for more R&R and a bit of friend time.  Our little group was sparse but Lesa was there to do the chit-chat Saturday evening along with her hubby.  We were thrilled by the rain on the roof all weekend and even last night here at home.  

Art, oh how I love creating art.  The drawing group is going to have to be put on hold for at least a couple of weeks (hope it's not 3!)  Today begins my stretch of watching Min full time again.  Little Max is supposed to have his next surgery Friday as he has outgrown the shunt that was put in the previous surgery in January.  It is just time.  He's been in the hospital since I think June 8 when all HELL broke loose for his family.  Honestly, I've only seen her twice since then as their parents have been taking turns being back in town with her, which I must say was a welcome respite from it all.  It allowed me to finally get rested and well.  Last week was the turning point for me with the glands in my throat to finally settle down and recede in their swollenness! I'm so thankful for a full nights sleep without pain and not taking Tylenol forever.  I actually had someone say to me that maybe it was all in my head.  Don't mind telling you I was pissed by that statement as it was not in my head, the pain was quite real.  Oh well, onward to the task at hand today.  THANKFULLY little Min got her cast off last Friday but I'm not sure she is using the leg yet.  I don't blame her it is scary to start walking again after a cast has been taken off.  With me I had a walking cast so I was used to walking again, she is not.  It is still green in healing so she does still have to be careful.  Not sure I can carry her around all day long though, she's nearly 4 years old and my back is 67 years old!!!

Hopefully, HOPEFULLY I will be able to go to the studio and paint but not sure at this point.  With her around it's kind of iffy.  You know when Snicklefritz was young she would either paint at her easel or sit in a chair or windowsill and watch me endlessly.  She loved to watch me and still does.  Min is a different story.  She wants to touch and be in the middle of it all, different child for sure.  I'm hoping on Wednesday to get back to this little jewel I've been working on.  I'm taking my time trying to make it happen.  In fact, this is my second attempt at painting it.  It's bigger of course with her smelling roses and holding a Victorian lace parasol.  Definitely a challenge, a challenge I'm willing to try.  Hard to do with a 3 year old in the mix.  

Have to tell you I'm extremely apprehensive about the week and how long it will be having Min with us.  This week alone I have something every night so I've already canceled two of them, mainly because The Hubby won't be here to watch her either.  I'm hoping to make it to my book club because he dances that night and I've asked B to come but Snicklefritz's first day of school is Thursday and they have a ritual of the night before school starting.  Lesa said she could watch her and I may take her up on that at this point.  I'm only gone a couple of hours and frankly The Hubby could watch her an hour of that time.  I'll make it happen.  IF the doctors DON'T do the surgery on Friday and want to wait a bit longer then I'm going to have to insist that one parent come home to care for her.  The long term thing I can do just so long before I cry "UNCLE!"  It's just too much on me.  There comes a time when you realize you are too old for this kind of thing.  

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.

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.