Quiet Last Days of 2010

I have to say this past week has been very peaceful and quiet.  There have been no couples to chaperone, no weddings to plan, cantatas to practice, deadlines for classes, packages to wrap, or major family happenings.  Mom and I have been sick with head and chest colds, so we take turns coughing and sneezing.  Victoria and Kate have dropped by for dinner several times this week, which we've enjoyed very much.  Meagan Simmons spent an afternoon with us watching old tv episodes on dvd.  Alyssa gave herself a "spa" facial tonight.  Scott has fallen asleep "watching football" several times after working 14-16 hour days.
As I pondered our peaceful state, the phrase "and it came to pass" kept coming into my mind.  The trials and seeming hardships of 2010 are behind us, we have passed through them.  We went through many valleys through the grace of God alone. Thank the Lord for several mountain top experiences that helped to balance out the depths.  For today there has been some peace, well, except for the sneezing.
Scott and I are thinking there may be some more difficulties around the corner, but we can't focus on what may happen, just do our best with what is at hand.  We are thankful that our two oldest daughters have their own places with husbands who love them very much.  We are thankful that Leonard has been safe in South Korea despite the turmoil there.  We are thankful for Alyssa's health, attitude, and loving spirit.
Thank God for this peaceful retreat at the end of 2010. Whatever 2011 has in store, God has His perfect plan and will for each of us.  I just need to take a deep breath and trust in Him each day. Happy New Year dear friends!

Wedding Over, New Chapter Begun

Yesterday was our oldest daughter's wedding day.  I believe everything turned out as wonderfully as possible for Jessica and Martin.  They were surrounded by family, a pastor, and friends who were very supportive and who gave of their time and resources to show their love.  Wonderful people cleaned, set up chairs, decorated, hung dozens of snowflakes, lights, and tulle.  Family members cooked a rehearsal dinner and reception dinner with food, cake, and drinks to spare.  Dear friends helped un-decorate, un-set up, clean, organize, load, and transfer hundreds of chairs and props.  Scott and I were there until the last light was turned off and door was locked.  The best man and crew were still placing chairs in the church building at 11:00 p.m.  We came home very grateful for our wonderful friends and church family.
Today was day "one" of our lives without Jessica in the house.  I did keep looking over my shoulder, wondering if she'd zip through the kitchen or burst through the door - nothing but quiet.  Jessica's wedding gear and several boxes of odds and ends still occupy one corner of her bedroom (until her return from the honeymoon....).  Alyssa now has her own bedroom which we organized and cleaned today.  She has the entire closet to herself!  This frees our hall closet for our coats.  Hallelujah!  I am trying to focus on the "bright" side of the change, although it seems like the second wedding in our family was a little harder on me emotionally than the first.
We have already hung her bridal portrait next to Victoria's in the living room.  There is space for one more, but we won't go there.  I have praised the Lord for bringing Jessica into and through our lives.   The road has been a challenge but it has been an exciting journey.  Someone asked me what was different about mine and Jessica's relationship.  I had to answer that I have had to chase, pull, out-think, out-plan, out-smart, stay a step ahead of this child since we brought her home from the hospital.  There has never been a dull moment, there could not be.  Every day brought hundreds of questions and comments , "Let's go, Mommy", "What's next, Mommy?", "Why that, Mommy?", "I'll do it myself", "Let me try", etc...  My standby response to Jessica since she was two was "Remember, I am the the mommy and you are a child.  Repeat - I am a child"....  Since she was five-year's-old I've never had to call in a pizza order, answer the home phone, order at the drive through, take drink "orders" from guests, program the VCR, or give her order at a restaurant.  I may have to start doing these things now, but I don't have to stay a step ahead or outsmart her....I think.
What's next in our future?  It's a little more simple - candy selling, an orthodontist appointment on Monday, and piano lessons.  Merry Christmas!

Another remodel...!?!

Well, we couldn't have a wedding without tearing something else up or remodeling something.  Scott is remodeling our den. So, that means, all of my bookshelves are emptied and down, half of my furniture is not where it's supposed to be, etc... but it's starting to look better!  My kitchen and sunroom need to be on the next episode of "Hoarding - Buried Alive!"
We decided it was time for our burnt orange to go after the last Texas Longhorn game we watched! just kidding, we are still Texas fans, but it's time for a new palette.
Hopefully, we'll be done by Thanksgiving, but I can't ask....

52 Days Until...

Jessica and Martin only have fifty-two days until their wedding!  I sat down today and made a list of the things that I need to do before the wedding - I am already tired!
I typed the addresses for the wedding invitations, type set the wedding invitations, and made about three lists for Jessica to remind her of what to do - somebody just shoot me!
As a mom, I thought I would be ecstatic about this day, but as it approaches I'm beginning to realize that a giant part of my work as a mom will be over and my "nest" will be emptier.  It is a very mixed feeling - we will have MORE space, which will quickly be filled with Alyssa's things. ha!
Enjoy each day with your family.  Express your love often.  Be thankful for the aggravation, you will have plenty and then you will be the most grateful child the Lord has.  Praise the Lord for family and even for the children.

Grandparent's Day - a first

Scott and I had our first Grandparent's Day.  Pastor planned a great service for the grandparents, honoring them, counting the total grandchildren represented, preaching a sermon for our benefit, and then having our pictures taken for our grandchild.  Scott and I really enjoyed the day and although we are new at this, only 2 1/2 months, we feel like old "pros"!
I really liked being with most of my friends who are also grandparents!
Here's a picture of our four generations, we took this right after church on Sunday, right before our Sunday dinner.  Here's a picture of Scott (Pop-Pop) with Kate.

Kate, Victoria, and Dorinda in Maine

This past Wednesday our good friend, Dorinda Clark moved to Maine to be near her boyfriend, Zack Costa.  Zack is considered "family" to us since he is Leonard's brother.  Dorinda invited Victoria and Kate to accompany her on this 2,100 mile trip.  They left after the Bible study on Wednesday night and headed north.  On the way, they were able to stop in Manheim, Pennsylvania to see Victoria's Mam Ma and Kate's Great Mam Ma, Mary Petticoffer.  Was she thrilled!  Uncle Todd, Aunt Melanie, Zack, Katelyn, and Nathan also got to see them and meet Kate.  I hope Dorinda got a word in, our family can really get to talking when we get together!
They spent the day in Pennsylvania and left Saturday morning to finish their trip to Gardiner, Maine.  I'm praising the Lord for their safety and hope they have a wonderful time with Kate's other grandparents, Leonard and Karmyn Costa.  (The baby looks just like a Costa, so I know they'll enjoy seeing her!)
We will miss Dorinda but know she is on a new "journey", serving the Lord in Maine, near Zack and her best friend, Nicole Droullard.

Our Little Girl - August 16, 2010

  

Today we spent our time going visiting different doctors, getting Alyssa ready for school.  We started with her pediatrician, Dr. Chaikin.   Alyssa is WAAAYYYY off the charts for her age in height - age 10 yrs. 8 months and 5 ft. 3 in.   Her little "mark" on the chart was floating a few inches above the curve.  For her height, her weight is perfect.  As a matter of fact, she is the exact same height and weight as her grandma, "Bachi"!  She's come a long way for a baby who came home weighing less than five pounds and only 18 inches long!

Alyssa bravely received two immunizations, one for hepatitis A and the other for chickenpox.  That was a sight ( I didn't take any pics!)

Dr. Chaikin did a complete physical on Alyssa and noticed that her spine was uneven.  She ordered x-rays for a scoliosis screening.  We went directly to Open Imaging of Longview and had three x-rays made.  

Right after that we went to Kilgore to see Dr. J.T. Roberts for our annual eye exams.  Good news there, Alyssa has 20/20 vision, so no glasses this year!

We weren't expecting to have any problems, but we know God is in control.  We did praise the Lord for having good doctors and having health insurance with Dad's company.

"What's Going On?"

Hello!

The summer is almost over and I believe we've packed more than our share of events into the days!  I think the last post was about our Memorial Day weekend in Muskogee, Oklahoma in the ICU with Jessica.  Since then we've done the following...

• Taken Alyssa around town to sell twenty-seven cases of chocolate for her school fund raiser.
• Prepared for Teen Convention.
• Welcomed Kate Lynne Costa to the world on June 23, 2010.
• Visited with Joe and his tour group, the Sons of the Prophets, while they were in the area.
• Almost finished remodeling the master bathroom (Scott).  Just grout and finish-work to do!!!
• Jessica and Martin Meave became engaged on July 20 at a surprise party at our home.  Our family, the Meave Family, Simmons Family, Tolleys, Joanna Bagwell, and Joy Britt were there for the surprise when Martin got down on one knee to propose.  The Simmons brought a beautifully decorated cake and Martin had roses ready for her.  What a beautiful ring!
• Alyssa got her phase 2 braces and has grown at least two inches!
• Jessica has had tests for celiac disease (negative) and now is awaiting results from a sonogram and blood work checking for other possible intestinal problems.  Please pray.
• Jessica upgraded to a new insulin pump with real-time blood glucose monitoring.  This device takes her blood sugar by IV every five minutes, so no more pricking!  She will be taking a class on Saturday and will be on this device by next week some time.  Praise the Lord!
• Scott has been working on other projects besides the bathroom, including taking my shrubs out from in front of the house...why did he do that?
• Jessica, Alyssa, and I went wedding gown shopping and Jessica found the dress and veil.
• Victoria and Kate come by every evening for laundry, fellowship, and dinner.  We get to hold Kate and spoil her a little every day.
• The girls and I all use the "One Year Bible" and enjoy talking about what we've been reading.
• We've enjoyed Sunday school class visitation and teaching, choir rehearsal, church services, and soul winning this summer.
• Now that Jessica and Martin are engaged there's a lot of dating and planning going on every week.  Martin will even sit and play board games with the family, yes, even Mexican train!

I hope I haven't bored you with what's up, I know we're not bored, and I did try to leave out all of the daily "dailies". 

"A Life Full of Days"

God has blessed us with a summer that has been full of days.  I didn't realize how much you can pack into one summer day in our family!
Scott started remodeling our master bathroom the last week of April...let's see, that makes it....never mind, it's not finished yet!  We have two agreements in this project - he works on the project and I can't ask "When will it be done?"!!!  His days are full with working from 3:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. five days a week and from 3:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. on Saturday mornings, then the project...
Alyssa has had a summer "job" earning money for her school.  She is selling "World's Finest Chocolates" four mornings a week and I get to be her manager and chauffeur!  Lots of "fun" and we make the best of it.  We also have an agreement - she stays cheerful and positive and when it hits 91 degrees on the outdoor thermometer reading, we go HOME!  Chocolate doesn't do well over that temperature.  She hit the twenty-five case mark and earned at $25.00 prize for her work, so we went shopping on Friday afternoon.  I talked her out of several items (junk...), so she's holding on until she finds exactly what she needs and wants.  That's hard to do, even at my age!  We are also working on crafts in the afternoons, plus playing with Kate.
Jessica has been working full-time at Noah's Ark Learning Center and loves being there.  She has done a lot of animal artwork on the walls, worked with two-year olds, after-schoolers, billing, and teaching.
She has had some tests done to diagnose what is causing her blood sugar problems.  We received a negative result for celiac disease and we are praising the Lord.  I don't know if I could live without wheat products and I don't know if I want to find out...
Victoria is a very busy mother and housekeeper.  I believe she cleans her house every day, does laundry every other day, and takes great care of Kate.
I am one that likes a routine and schedule in stone, but that has not been the case this summer!  The Lord knows what we all need, sometimes it is the unexpected!

Being a Grandparent

Scott and I really enjoy being grandparents.  Scott is fifty and I'm forty-seven, so we've got an earlier start than our parents who were in their late fifties.  We've learned a lot in the past two weeks.  It takes energy and time and lots of patience to watch your child be a mom!  I have refrained myself from "taking over" and have enjoyed watching Victoria take charge.  She's a very good mother to Kate.  She's patient, quiet, and seems tireless when it comes to 2 A.M. feedings and 5 A.M. feedings. Kate has had another hospital visit for jaundice and Victoria took great care of her there for three days and two nights.

Our son-in-law is in South Korea serving in the Air Force.  Watching Victoria being a "single" parent also takes some getting used to.  When I came home with my girls I was spoiled by both of my parents and my wonderful husband.  He ran errands, brought me items I needed, helped wherever he could, and was a great comfort to me.  Victoria has held up bravely without her husband and I know he misses her and the baby.  Victoria will turn twenty-two this Thursday and has become a wise woman in the past two years.

We hope that Leonard will get to spend the holidays with his new daughter and that the Lord will keep him safe.

16 Days and Counting Down!

I thought it would be "payback" time as a grandparent when Victoria told us she and Leonard were expecting but I believe I have "felt" every pain and discomfort with her!  I am exhausted, anxious, and the days are passing just as slowly for me, I believe, ha!

Victoria's doctor, Frank Tibeletti, has promised that she won't go past June 23rd, her due date.  That is smack dab in the middle of Teen Convention for our church!  I'm praying that she will have the baby on my birthday, June 20th, but that is on Sunday, so we'll settle for Monday, June 21st!  I told her that if she has the baby during an evening that week that maybe "Flip Smiley" would make a guest appearance down at the delivery room!!! That would be a memory, maybe even "Delta Dawn" would come visit!  Many of our friends will be here that week, so maybe they'll get to see our grandbaby!

Leonard is still at Osan AFB in South Korea.  Trips home for him are out of the question at this point.  We are trying to keep Victoria cheerful and positive, Scott has taken off work for that week and we're helping her get the last minute things prepared.  Leonard is looking at taking an extra-long leave around Christmas.  That is a long time to wait to see your first child.

Dr. Tibeletti says that Victoria is doing perfect, he's just wasting his time checking her every week.  She has no sickness, back pain, or blood pressure difficulties.  Kate has just got her a little "crowded".  Keep praying for a safe delivery and healthy baby.

Welcome Friends

We've had a bit of an adventure the past four days.  Jessica has been in ICU for the past few days.  Here is a breakdown of the time.

• Thursday, May 27, 2010. Jessica painted animals on the walls at Noah's Ark pre-school, took Alyssa out candy-selling, came home, ate lunch, went to Eufaula, OK with Charity Gabucci and sons to visit Joy Britt.  Had dinner with Joy at 6:00 p.m. then visited until midnight, then she went to bed.  She didn't have any snacks or drinks and she doesn't remember what her blood sugar was.  Right now she doesn't remember anything.
• Friday, May 28, 2010. Joy decided to wake her up before she went to work at the church. She was groggy and her blood sugar was 39, so Joy gave her two capri sun drinks and called me to let me know.  I thought she would regain enough consciousness to know what to do, but I wasn't there to see her response or check on her like normal.  Joy decided to go to the store and get some more drinks, etc...  When she got back Jessica had gone to the bathroom to take a shower and had passed out or had a seizure.  She couldn't get any response from her so she called me.  I told her to be rough with her, force sugar into her mouth, etc...but still no response, so she called 911.  The camp nurse came and helped until the paramedics got there.  They gave her an injection of glucagon, her blood sugar was 31 then.  They took her to the Eufaula hospital.  Eufaula is smaller than Gladewater and their hospital is very small.  During this time I was keeping Scott updated at work.  Because it was a holiday weekend, he had to finish out the day and we didn't know how serious her condition was so he didn't panic like I did. He asked me to take the car to get it serviced for the trip and to start packing just in case.  Victoria packed and did some shopping for me, bless her heart.  She also called the tire center to let them know about our situation and they put a rush on the car.  We then received a call from the Eufaula hospital asking for information, she had become so violent that they could not control her or help her.  Joy called and let me know that they were going to transport her to a larger hospital - Muskogee Regional Medical Center.  When she arrived at the ICU there her blood sugar was over 2000 or higher and she had gone into keto-acidosis, a condition where the body starts burning muscle tissue, which produces acetone in the bloodstream.  The doctor called me from there and apprised me of the situation.  We left for Muskogee as soon as Scott came home from work, Victoria went with us.  It took about five hours to get there.  When we arrived the doctor was concerned about her violent behavior and "brittle" condition (where blood sugar goes high/low/high, etc...)  She had to be sedated with Advin? she was restrained on all limbs and her shoulders, she had a tape on her forehead that read "patient bites", she had oxygen, two iv's, and was hooked up to four different monitors and was catheterized.  They had just taken her for a catscan because they were concerned about her slow response time and wanted to see if there had been an injury when she fell.  The doctor said the only thing she would yell is "I want my mommy!" then she added "I want my honey and my mommy!"  Only two visitors were allowed at a time in the ICU. Scott found a hotel for us, one of the last rooms in the nearby hotels.  We sat up with her until 1:30 a.m. then went and rested until 6:00 a.m.  The doctor told us that the sedative should wear off by the morning.
• Saturday, May 29, 2010 - We arrived at the hospital at 7:00 a.m.  She looked the same except her color was a little better.  The doctor had a lot of questions about her history, normal complications, etc... Most of all they wanted to know if she was a drinker or drug user.  Her behavior had been like that of a mean drunk.  She had punched, kicked, and bit several nurses, and her strength during unconsciousness required four nurses (two of them male) to restrain her.  She is bruised terribly and has several puncture wounds from pulling away while they tried to prick her fingers for blood sugar testing. With the insulin drip her numbers stayed between 120 and 180.   We sat with her throughout the day, taking turns with Victoria and Joy.  The doctor told us that the catscan was fine and that her brain was taking time to re-calibrate from the lack of glucose and from the poisons from the keto-acidosis.  She opened her eyes and knew that I was Mom and Scott was Dad, but she was not responding otherwise.  She would flail and yell "I want to get up!", "I need to go potty!", "I need to go to the bathroom!".   I finally was able to coax her up to drink a bottle of water and feed her some Jello.  She recognized Victoria and said that her throat was hurting.  That wore her out, she said "I'm sleepy" rolled over and went into a deep sleep.  We were praising the Lord for that much progress. That was the extent of Saturday.  They decided to take her off of the insulin drip and regulate her blood sugar every four hours with an injection.  Her numbers started going high even though she wasn't eating much.  We stayed with her until 11:00 p.m. on Saturday after we could see that she was resting more peacefully and not fighting.  They removed the oxygen and the ankle restraints.  We slept better that night.
• Sunday, May 30, 2010 - We had breakfast and got ready to go to church in Eufaula.  We stopped by the ICU to see how she was doing and I was able to wake her up and sit her up for breakfast. They removed her catheter and put her on a bedpan, that did not work.  So we helped her to the bathroom.   She seemed to be more conversational, so I stayed with her while Scott and Victoria went to the service.  I had tried to keep her hair combed, her lips lubricated, and her body clean and modest throughout the time and she still looked nice for someone who had been through that much.  She wanted a shower and was hungry and wanted to go home.  I thought maybe a day or two more of this because she looked so weak.  The doctor came in and told us that she would like for her to get up, move around, eat a regular diabetic lunch, and maintain her blood glucose to below 200.  At that time it was 480.  We decided to hook her back to her insulin pump.  She slept most of the morning and woke up for lunch.  After I fed her lunch, the nurse was going to give her a sponge bath, so we went to eat.  When we got back Joy had come from Eufaula (about 30 miles away) and was visiting with her.  Scott and I planned to wait the rest of the day for the doctor to check on her and move her to another room.  In a few minutes, Joy and Victoria came out to let us know that they had just released Jessica from the hospital!  Her numbers were running below 200, she was coherent enough, and she had eaten and was able to go to the bathroom by herself.  All of her vital signs, blood work, etc.. had been perfect throughout the time.  Her white cell count was normal and her keto-acidosis was not showing up in any blood screenings.  We were so surprised, God really does answer prayers! ha!
• In a few minutes we had her dressed, packed up, signed out, and rolled out to the curb.  Joy was such a great help and friend throughout all of this, she didn't even get on to her for punching her...  When we got into the car we prayed and thanked the Lord for protecting Jessica.  We had to stop and get a souvenir for Alyssa...

Jessica does not remember much of the trip home, only eating chicken tenders.  She doesn't remember that Bachi, Alyssa, Aunt Kim, Uncle Mark, Meagan, Karen, and Aly were waiting for her when she got home.  She doesn't remember getting flowers from Karen or hugs from anyone.  The next day she didn't remember anything that happened the past four days, only that she was sore and had bruises all over her.  I told her four times that we were going to the doctor today and she keeps asking what we're doing today.  I've told her the same joke three times and she's laughed each time.  Last night we had a Memorial Day bbq with the Simmons and Martin Meave (she had invited him for Memorial day last week) and she asked about when she got home, she didn't remember.

Her numbers have been going between 50's and upper 200's the past two days.  We're going to check her pump and we have an endocrinologist appt this Friday in Tyler.

Sorry if this sounds choppy, but I'm writing for content and my mind is working in facts only.

Love you much!!!

Thanks for all of the prayers!