YEAH! It took me a thousand times, but I got it. The funny blob on his head is placenta. He would not be still for five seconds together, so all the pictures are fuzzy. The ultrasound measures me at 28wks 4 days, so now Ian is really hoping I'll be early. By the way, it's still a boy. I was almost hoping it had changed... hehe

This is what happens when I'm gone...

Yes, it is on his face because he tasted it.

He looks much worse by the end.

Here they are showing off their work. This is daddy's idea of a bath.

This is Nathaniel on Monday, after the Lortab wore off.

His 'back pack' is like a security blanket.

This is Micaela playing dress-up. I guess it's hard to tell she's wearing layers and layers of dress up clothes under there.

Well, I can't post the ultrasound pictures yet. It won't let me drag and drop edited pictures, and for some reason my computer thinks my edited pictures have a virus, so I can't save them for upload. Here are a few pictures of the kids while I was gone, and one of Nathaniel in his 'backpack.' Everyone's doing ok now. I'm happy to report that I finished 54 pages in my albums, and the boys' baby books are caught up to last week! Micaela's stops at a year old, so I'm really going to try and focus on hers when I get enough money to develop her 500 pictures! In other news, my classes have a very heavy work load, and I'm struggling to get caught up before we leave since I won't have access to a computer this weekend. Ian's pretty tired of being Mr. Mom in the evenings, but he's having to do it till I can get four books read, three papers written, and one mini-essay turned in- all due Sunday (Friday, so I can get it in). We're both tired.

June 2, 2006

Bubba works on his Harley pose.

Micaela contemplates how many grains of sand it will take to make a pie.

Rainboots Rock!

God is good! Today God told me to stop worrying. At least that is how I understood it. While we were driving to drop Becky off for her scrapbooking retreat, Becky and I were engaged in a very serious conversation about how worried I have been lately about moving and finding a job. Well when I looked up I found a sheriff flashing me over. As soon as I saw this I thought, " I'm getting what I deserve." I wasn't intentionally speeding. I wasn't paying attention at all. I was so worried about what I was going to do to get a job that I ignored the present. It was right before I saw the sheriff that Becky had just said, "..it's not your job, Ian, to find a job. That is in God's hands." Well the sheriff asked for all my information which I did not have. It seems I had not yet put the updated proof of insurance in the car. The one I gave him expired yesterday. The sheriff accepted the information and went back and spent some time "checking out my info". When he returned he asked if I was active duty Air Force. I replied in the affirmative. He then told me he was going to cut me a break and gave me two tickets. One was a fix-it ticket for the insurance and the second was only a warning for going 46 in a 35 zone. I knew I deserved a real ticket. God got my attention through something as simple as a warning ticket. I hope that I listen to him more so that he will never have to get my attention using something bigger and better than that.

The kids have been great today. After dropping Becky off they played inside until nap time. Nap time was a bit rough in getting started, but once it began we all had a good two hour nap. Yes, daddy too. We then played outside from 5:00 to 9:00. I love being outside and so do they. Next blog I'll have to include some pictures of our garden. We have three volunteer pumpkins, many volunteer basil plants and some volunteer indian corn that was thrown out in the compost pile last thanksgiving. That is all in addition to the tomatoes, peppers, onions and beans that I planted on purpose. I also planted collards, but I fed them to the aphids. They loved it.

Micaela must feel like she has to make up for Becky's absence. If she wasn't here us guys would probably forget what english sounded like. We love you all.

The Update

I LOVE my pediatrician. The ER doctor made me promise to take Gabe to see either my pediatrician or his this morning, so I did. Gabriel was fine all night; although, he was still running a fever. Of course, that is reasonable, since I didn't give him any fever meds. He rested well, and woke up raring to go. He ran into his doctor's office and played with all her books and her computer while I told the tale. At the end, I asked her exactly what was particle pnuemonia (because the ER would not explain it to me). She said she'd never heard of that before, so we assume that it was only something to say so that I would consent to medicine and blood tests. So, of course, I had to know whether the those things were strictly necessary for particles in the lung. She said definately not, but that since he presented with a high fever she would have taken the same precaution. Well, isn't it nice that at least some doctors think it is worthwhile to explain things to their patients? It makes me much less inclined than I already was to trust a doctor's word. I'm not saying that I know better than they, or that their advice is not welcome: I would just appreciate the truth. All of it. I am capable of making good decisions if they would just inform me.

Anyway, maybe someone should have told me that it was the fever that was the main concern. I could have then said- well, everyone we know is getting sick. All three of my children have been sleeping extremely long nights and taking multiple naps during the day lately. Gabriel has actually been coughing at night. The fever is probably the result of a virus. Or maybe I could have asked... Could this significant a fever have developed from choking on a piece of cornbread for less than ten minutes? (Uhhhh, let me think about it...) I guess they assume that I am completely ignorant of sickness, infection, and my children's general health. I almost think that they believe I am completely ignorant period. Am I the only one? Is it because I look like a teenage mom or is that everyone's perception of physicians and medical staff?

My pediatrician agreed that it was probably viral (Gabe is snotty) and that the fever was elevated because of all the stress he was under when he was choking. She's checking the XRAYs to be sure there's nothing lodged in the lung that could abcess, and depending on what she finds, she'll see Gabe again before we go on vacation.

At any rate, God answered our prayers for safety and health for Gabriel. By the time the paramedics arrived it was not immediately appearant that he was still choking. He just sounded like he was weazing. When we got to the hospital, he was as pleasant and happy as could be. Now, let's pray that we find another trustworthy physician when we move!