About the Surgery

I had a cholecystectomy on April 7. That is to say, I had my gall bladder removed. I just think it's more fun to say the big long medical word. Makes me feel smarter somehow.

The night before, I mentioned how nervous I was. The morning of the surgery was even worse. I don't ever remember being so nervous for a surgery before. Maybe it's because the last time I had a surgery, I was young and dumb. I didn't know to be scared.

No worries, though. I told the anesthesiologist about my pre-surgery jitters, and he totally hooked me up! I'm telling you, those drugs (whatever they were) were awesome! I'm thinking about calling that guy to hook me up with some more the next time I have to speak in church. They were almost as good as an epidural during labor and delivery. Almost.

Anyway, everything went well. I had some pretty nasty bruising and swelling for about a week. And then there was that whole thing about not being able to breath. But my tests came back normal--no blood clot in my lung. It just took 2 days of deep breathing exercises and a little more walking.

I feel so great! In fact, the last time I felt this healthy and energized was before I got pregnant with Kimberly--two years ago. The only minor thing is that I can't eat fatty foods. Fat=serious discomfort. I really miss pizza and french fries, but I'm not complaining about the 12 pounds I've lost thanks to this new, healthier diet.

T-Ball

Makayla started t-ball a few weeks ago. I'm afraid the poor girl has inherited my total lack of coordination, athleticism, and ability to comprehend anything sports-related. Which is really too bad because she loves baseball. She's been looking forward to this since I signed her up in March.

Kasey and I took her to buy a mitt. or glove. (Wait. Is it called a mitt or a glove? Or are both correct? I'm so confused!) We got to the sporting goods aisle of Walmart and showed her the options. Right away she started jumping up and down, begging for the pink one. Please, please, please! Can I get the pink one? Pink is my very favoritest color in the whole Earth!!

So we bought her the pink one.

It has been so fun watching her at practices. She hasn't quite grasped the concept of moving her feet to field a ground ball. Rather, she puts her mitt(glove) on the ground and then watches the ball roll right by her, shocked that it didn't roll TO her. That darn ball!

Watching her throw the ball is a special treat for me, as well. The coaches have been teaching all the kids how to step and then throw the ball, using their weight and momentum to propel the ball forward. After chasing down the ball that has rolled past her, Makayla runs back to her spot and tries to throw the ball back to her coach. But I think the running kind of confuses her mind a little. Because instead of a step and throw, she does more of a skippity, shuffle-run "I'm-not-sure-how-to-do-this-so-I-hope-the-ball-makes-it-to-you" thunk. . thunk. . . . thunk. . . . . . (ball rolls almost all the way to the coaches feet before it stops.) Oh my Heck!! I LOVE IT!!

*********************************

Makayla's first game was on Wednesday. She was so excited. She had her uniform (complete with baseball pants, jersey, and hat) on and was ready to go.

We rushed out the door after a few quick pictures. She got to the field and warmed up with her team. The Twins were first on the field. A few kids batted and then I see Makayla lean over to her coach and say something. He nodded and Makayla started running toward me. Halfway across the field she yelled, at the top of her lungs, "Mom, I have to go potty!" A few of the parents sitting by me chuckled. "Yes, that is my daughter."

By the time we got back from her little potty break, it was Makayla's team's turn to bat. I got this awesome video of Makayla's first at bat. Kasey and I laughed about it several times.

I think my favorite part is when the coach turns her head to look at the ball.

*********************************

Although Makayla is absolutely loving t-ball, I have to admit that I'm not crazy about the schedule. Three to four days a week she has either practices or games. I know that doesn't sound like much. Really, it's not. But I am such a homebody. I'd be perfectly happy to stay at home, never leaving to even check the mail for 5-6 days at a time.

So for me, having my kids involved in things is a huge sacrifice. But I think the looks on their faces when they get to do something they love is absolutely worth whatever I think it may cost me. I mean look at the grin on this kid!

Tap. Tap. Tap. Is This Thing On?

Hello?. . . . Does anyone still read this blog?

I've taken quite a break from blogging. Okay, it's only been a few weeks, but for me that is a long break. But now that I'm healed and have my energy back, I've got lots to write about. So stay tuned for some updates.

Deconstructing the Billing Process

The medical bills for the previous 6 weeks of our lives have started arriving. It's a little scary to see the huge numbers that follow the dollar signs. I am grateful every day that Kasey's employer offers such great medical benefits. We would be sunk otherwise.

There is something very interesting that I have noticed with all of these bills. It seems to me that the longer the name of the test or procedure, or the more difficult it is to say, the more it costs.

For example, an x-ray costs less than $100, but a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI for short) costs nearly $2000. Too bad they don't have an abbreviated price to match the abbreviated name.

At my post-op appointment with my surgeon, he was concerned that the symptoms I was having pointed to a blood clot in my lungs. He ordered a CT Pulmonary Angiogram at the hospital. That's an awfully long name. I'm concerned about getting that bill.

Nerves

My surgery is set to take place in approximately 12 hours.

I won't lie, I'm a little nervous. Okay, a lot nervous.

Wish me luck!

Easter Love

This morning I was awakened by Makayla jumping up and down and shouting, "Mom! Wake up! You gotta come see this! The Easter Bunny came! I can't believe my eyes!"

Ellie followed closely behind with, "The Easter Bunny brought me Princess and the Frog coloring book! That was so nice of him!"

Upon closer inspection of Kimberly's basket, Makayla found a package of baby fruit strips. "Hey! these are for babies. How did that Easter Bunny know Kimmy was a baby? I think he must be pretty smart."

***************************
I wasn't too excited about doing the whole Easter Bunny thing for my kids. We didn't participate in any egg hunts or get pictures with the Easter Bunny at Walmart. But seeing the excitement on their faces this morning totally makes me want to go all out next year. It's quite possible that they are more excited this morning than they were on Christmas morning.

***************************
Last night, there was a knock on my door. When I opened it, there was no one there. But whoever it was left 3 Easter buckets on my step. Inside each was a stuffed animal, a package of cookies, and various Easter treats. The girls were so excited! And me? I was overcome with emotion.

Since all this crap started happening to us in the beginning of March, our family has felt an out-pouring of love from friends, family, neighbors, and members of our church. People have come over to clean our house, bring us dinner, watch our children, do our laundry, and called us on the phone to let us know they are there if we need anything.

I am overwhelmed by the kindness of people. These secret Easter Bunny baskets have just been the icing on the cake. And while I'm pretty sure the person responsible is not a reader of this blog, I just want to say thank you. This means more to us than you could possibly know.

I'm Sure God Has a Sense of Humor. I Just Don't Get It.

For the better part of March, we have had beautiful weather. Last week was especially nice. We took advantage of the 60 degree temperatures to color on the sidewalk with chalk,

test drive new bikes,

and run around with huge grins on our faces.

But this morning, God played a little April Fool's joke on us. That's the only way I can explain the scene in our backyard. . . .