Let's start first with the topic of Camping...with children. My husband and I like to camp and used to do it often. Needless to say, we had not camped yet with children until a few weekends ago. We did "camp" once this summer in our backyard. One of my friends invited us to camp with them and several other families up in Wisconsin. Longing for something to do since the weatherman said we were bound for some last days of warmth, I eagerly accepted. Totally forgetting that Saturday night was my wedding anniversary. My husband was a little surprised when I said I would be fine camping instead of a fancy dinner (OH MY GOODNESS, who have I become!). Anyway, geez, 2 days of camping requires 4 additional days - 2 for prep and 2 for cleanup. I swear I think I packed the whole house because Baby Jimmy is only 11 months and requires a lot of crap. He had just started walking (more on that in another post) before we left so the pack-n-play (which I never used for Paige) was a MUST to keep him contained. Jim couldn't get up there until after us because he had to work so it was even more fun packing up all that junk, dropping off the dogs at grandma's, and getting set up all by myself. Despite all the work, it was a great time! Who knew my kids could spend so much time just rolling around and laughing in a tent?
The weather was awesome, mid-80's during the day and surprisingly not very cold at night. I was worried Baby Jimmy would be too cold but he was just fine and toasty. I got to snuggle up with him and Paige on an air mattress while my drunk hubby snoozed on the floor.
The downside to camping with children - when you camp without children it's dirty and grungy but not too "germy". Well kids makes it all different. They pee on their feet behind the tent or droop their underwear on the floor of the public washroom . UG! They're dirty and stinky and they don't care! I felt like I had to sanitize everything when we got home. ick.
The good side - Fresh air, good conversation, campfires and cuddles, watching Paige's eyes when she saw a real live stick bug someone had caught running up their leg. Seeing a snake and hearing her say, "snakes aren't scary, I learned all about them at school". Setting up our tent with just me and Paige (no daddy there yet) and realizing how proud she felt to do something which to her is was such a monumental task. Watching her offer her buddy Trea her prized glow stick so she wouldn't be scared in the dark tent and then laying with her buddy until she fell asleep. Snuggling with Jak (baby Jimmy) and watching him go up and down the air mattress as if he conquered a mountain. Wishing everyday could be so simple. Meeting new people and enjoying their company. Seeing the spectacular fall colors up north. and best of all was having some time with my husband without any home or work distractions.
Everyone there was awesome, friendly, and down-to-earth. Even though it was a bit of work, it was totally worth it! Can you believe I forgot my camera??!! Doh!
So right after I got my breath back from cleaning up from camping it was time for the S word, SURGERY. Paige had to have some minor surgery to remove a spot (nevus) and a dermoid cyst on her head. Neither was life threatening but they needed to be taken off and she needed to be put under anesthesia to do it. We went to Children's Memorial in Westchester and I couldn't have been happier with my choice. The surgeon was great and the staff made her feel so comfortable. Up to the date we talked with her about it and made sure she understood what was going on, but not enough so she got anxious. I was pretty careful not to let her see me get nervous, because if I'm nervous then so is she. And as long as she understood what was going to happen, she was fine. An amazing thing about kids, they are much more resilient than adults. She couldn't eat since midnight the day of the surgery and she never once complained. As they prepped her she never cried or was scared, she was way too enthralled with the hospital. She was absolutely amazing. Even as they wheeled her away she was ok in the hands of her nurses. We had to wait about an hour and a half before it was over. In that time I got to read a newspaper in quiet for the first time in years.
Finally they came to tell us she was done and everything went just as expected. I said I was fine right? Well I was up until we went to her room and she was in her gurney down the hall. As they starting wheeling those big brown eyes towards me and I just LOST it. I totally cried I was so happy to see her little smiling face. She was so sweet and vulnerable in the moment. all groggy from the anesthesia and bundled up in a warm blanket. I was so happy and proud of her being so brave. There are times in a mom's life when they love their kids and then there are times when you love them so much you feel like your heart is going to burst from it all. This was one of those moments.
We were able to go home shortly after and she was doing well, eating a bit and then a few hours later she spiked a 104.3 degree fever. She totally went downhill. The next few days are a bit blurry. Basically, she had a fever for several days and she starting vomiting the next night. After rounds on the phone with her surgeon and her pediatrician we deduced that she most likely had a cold brewing and the taxing nature of the surgery really made it hit her hard. Baby Jimmy came down with a stuffy nose the day she went in. She was probably vomiting from a virus or perhaps because she had a fever and had barely eaten anything for 2 and a half days. I had to take her to the doctor's office where they found she had an ear infection (her first ever). We started some antibiotics and by that night she was feeling a bit better and eating some soup. It's now almost a week later and today was her first day back at school. She still a bit sluggish but definitely much better. At least she gets that she feels like crap because of the cold and not the surgery. I don't want her to be terrified of doctors and in therapy someday :)
It was so hard watching her just lay there totally out of it, sleepy, hot, but most of all quiet. Much too quiet. Poor baby Jimmy kept trying to make her laugh but she was just too sick and too pooped. Anyway she's on the mend and playing with her brother again, which makes him very happy. she is one of his favorite people of course.
Here are a few pics from before. One of the staff members came and we showed Paige what everyone would look like in the surgery with their hats and masks on. We showed her how you can see someone is smiling in their eyes even when you can't see their mouth behind the mask. Then we let her put them on, she loved it. More accessories!
Last jewelry. So I may have mentioned Rachel and I are venturing in the hand crafted jewelry
biz. Darn her! she's cranking out the stuff like a machine and I've barely made a bracelet! Let's remember she has no children. BIG difference! I've been staying busy doing things I can do while the kids are up. messing around on the computer for ideas, starting up the website, and tonight working with Rachel on a lighting and photo system (more on that later). Part of my problem is I have so many things I want to make and some of them aren't even jewelry. Or to make them I need to invest money for the materials. It's hard for me to just pick a few things and get going. I want to do it all and now! But that attitude gets nothing done. So I sit and see the Rachel-machine go and dream of a life where I can sit and craft in peace for hours. Hey, I can dream can't I?
OK that's all I can blog for now. It's almost midnight and I'm tired. I'll try to blog some more in the next few days. hopefully some more inspiring posts and not just the hum-drum of my life. Camping, surgery, and jewelry is so mundane! Teehee! k
No comments:
Post a Comment