Friday, February 26, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
53 Mondays - BONUS !
I made this yummy soup a few weeks ago and it was so good I thought it should get a post!
Monday, February 22, 2010
53 Mondays - Week Eight
Two for today - they went together. I'll even have a bonus recipe later this week (I know...crazy, huh?)
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Most Devastating "Injury" - Book of Me Entry
My most devastating injury? Aren't they all devastating? Maybe it should be called my most life-changing injury. Even then, it could be hard to choose. I've had more than a few.
When I was in high school, the summer before my senior year, I was in a pretty serious car accident. I broke my pelvis in four places along with my left humerus (upper arm). I spent the last month of my summer in the hospital. I spent three weeks in the rehab ward at UMC in Las Vegas with people a whole lot older than me. The typical patient was a recovering stroke victim. I was called, "the baby." It was quite a learning experience for me and not just the physical part of learning to walk again and be independent again.
I learned a lot about myself during that time. I think that's because I was alone a lot. I had a lot of visitors, but life goes on outside the hospital too. I learned sheer devastation and discouragement, but I also learned that hard work pays off.
I was in another car accident between my first and second years of college. A drunk driver made a U-turn in front of me and my car ended up crashed into a power pole. My injuries weren't too significant, but I suffered a herniated disk in my neck and migraines for months after.
In 2006, we moved to Utah and were showing off our new house. While in the basement, I stepped backward into a metal 2x4 and completely severed my Achilles tendon. You know you're in trouble when people come to visit you in the emergency room and say, "Can I take a look? I heard you have a crazy injury." Gee, thanks. That one backward step has affected the last 3-1/2 years of my life. It was an incredibly painful injury to recover from. INCREDIBLY painful. Since the original surgery in Aug 2006, I've had 3 more to try to get more back to normal.
That one truly was lifechanging, but alas, not my most devastating.
In August 2008, I gave birth to my incredible baby, Austin Jack. It was such an incredibly easy delivery, almost a blink and you'll miss it delivery. I wish that was the end to this story, but if it were, it wouldn't be included in this list. What happened next is why this is my most devasting injury.
For whatever reason, probably a placenta acreta (the placenta grows into the uterus), I hemorrhaged uncontrollably. I remember the look on my OB's face when she asked, "Have you and your husband talked about having more children?" The end result was that I had an emergency hysterectomy and several blood transfusions. My new, healthy baby and I spent a week in the hospital for the most perfect delivery.
The physical damage healed, but the psychological damage took longer. While Justin and I weren't planning on having more children, it was hard to have that option taken away from me. For weeks afterward, everytime I was alone, I would just cry. It was such an emotional thing. So much of being a woman was physically removed. Yes, it was to save my life. I'm so aware of that and forever greatful that I'm here still, because it was so bad. But those wounds took a lot longer to heal.
Sometimes when I see a pregnant woman, it makes me a little sad, but in some ways, it's made the question of whether or not to have more children easy. We know we're done.
As time has passed, I'm at peace with this loss. I'm thankful for a wonderful doctor who saved my life. I'm thankful for my darling, albeit occasionally psychotic, children. But, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, it was my most devastating and hope nothing comes to take its place!
When I was in high school, the summer before my senior year, I was in a pretty serious car accident. I broke my pelvis in four places along with my left humerus (upper arm). I spent the last month of my summer in the hospital. I spent three weeks in the rehab ward at UMC in Las Vegas with people a whole lot older than me. The typical patient was a recovering stroke victim. I was called, "the baby." It was quite a learning experience for me and not just the physical part of learning to walk again and be independent again.
I learned a lot about myself during that time. I think that's because I was alone a lot. I had a lot of visitors, but life goes on outside the hospital too. I learned sheer devastation and discouragement, but I also learned that hard work pays off.
I was in another car accident between my first and second years of college. A drunk driver made a U-turn in front of me and my car ended up crashed into a power pole. My injuries weren't too significant, but I suffered a herniated disk in my neck and migraines for months after.
In 2006, we moved to Utah and were showing off our new house. While in the basement, I stepped backward into a metal 2x4 and completely severed my Achilles tendon. You know you're in trouble when people come to visit you in the emergency room and say, "Can I take a look? I heard you have a crazy injury." Gee, thanks. That one backward step has affected the last 3-1/2 years of my life. It was an incredibly painful injury to recover from. INCREDIBLY painful. Since the original surgery in Aug 2006, I've had 3 more to try to get more back to normal.
That one truly was lifechanging, but alas, not my most devastating.
In August 2008, I gave birth to my incredible baby, Austin Jack. It was such an incredibly easy delivery, almost a blink and you'll miss it delivery. I wish that was the end to this story, but if it were, it wouldn't be included in this list. What happened next is why this is my most devasting injury.
For whatever reason, probably a placenta acreta (the placenta grows into the uterus), I hemorrhaged uncontrollably. I remember the look on my OB's face when she asked, "Have you and your husband talked about having more children?" The end result was that I had an emergency hysterectomy and several blood transfusions. My new, healthy baby and I spent a week in the hospital for the most perfect delivery.
The physical damage healed, but the psychological damage took longer. While Justin and I weren't planning on having more children, it was hard to have that option taken away from me. For weeks afterward, everytime I was alone, I would just cry. It was such an emotional thing. So much of being a woman was physically removed. Yes, it was to save my life. I'm so aware of that and forever greatful that I'm here still, because it was so bad. But those wounds took a lot longer to heal.
Sometimes when I see a pregnant woman, it makes me a little sad, but in some ways, it's made the question of whether or not to have more children easy. We know we're done.
As time has passed, I'm at peace with this loss. I'm thankful for a wonderful doctor who saved my life. I'm thankful for my darling, albeit occasionally psychotic, children. But, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, it was my most devastating and hope nothing comes to take its place!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
53 Mondays - Week Seven
Can't believe I haven't broken this resolution yet! It's actually kind of fun! This week's recipe was a Definite Winner! Yum!
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Who taught him to talk?
Austin is our last child, so each phase he passes through is accompanied by dual emotions. "Oh look, he's rolling over" versus "Oh man, he's already rolling over." "He's getting so big, he's into 6 month old clothes now" versus "Oh no! This is the last box of baby clothes we'll ever have!" Most of you know how that goes.
Austin's been talking for quite a while now. It was with sheer excitement when he started talking and not just signing his needs to us. We thought it was just so cute when he starting saying, "Ee you dough" for here you go and answered, "yeah,yeah!" just so excitedly when a simple "yes" would suffice.
This week, however, we are questioning why we ever taught this dear little guy ever to talk. He started saying, "NO!" He was always able to very adequately communicate "no" before, whether with a shake of his head, the not-so-gentle push of your hand away, or just running away when he didn't want what was offered.
That apparently was not good enough. He had to MASTER the word. "Nooo!" "Nooo!" It's now the automatic response to EVERY question asked:
"Austin, do you want a hug?"
"Noooo!"
"Austin, do you want your diaper changed?"
"Nooo!"
"Austin, do you want to come eat dinner?"
"Nooo!"
In his defense, he doesn't really like to eat food and who really wants their diaper changed when you're busy playing ball? My favorite, though, is the automatic response followed by the reconsideration:
"Austin, do you want to go outside?"
"Nooo!"...."Yeah, yeah!"
"Austin, do you want a chip?"
"Nooo! .... "Yeah, yeah!"
"Austin, do you want a bath?"
"Nooo! .... "Yeah, yeah!"
you get the picture. He's mastered the word and wants to show us.
I'm hoping for a new word soon, one like "please" or "I'd love to!" A girl can dream!
Austin's been talking for quite a while now. It was with sheer excitement when he started talking and not just signing his needs to us. We thought it was just so cute when he starting saying, "Ee you dough" for here you go and answered, "yeah,yeah!" just so excitedly when a simple "yes" would suffice.
This week, however, we are questioning why we ever taught this dear little guy ever to talk. He started saying, "NO!" He was always able to very adequately communicate "no" before, whether with a shake of his head, the not-so-gentle push of your hand away, or just running away when he didn't want what was offered.
That apparently was not good enough. He had to MASTER the word. "Nooo!" "Nooo!" It's now the automatic response to EVERY question asked:
"Austin, do you want a hug?"
"Noooo!"
"Austin, do you want your diaper changed?"
"Nooo!"
"Austin, do you want to come eat dinner?"
"Nooo!"
In his defense, he doesn't really like to eat food and who really wants their diaper changed when you're busy playing ball? My favorite, though, is the automatic response followed by the reconsideration:
"Austin, do you want to go outside?"
"Nooo!"...."Yeah, yeah!"
"Austin, do you want a chip?"
"Nooo! .... "Yeah, yeah!"
"Austin, do you want a bath?"
"Nooo! .... "Yeah, yeah!"
you get the picture. He's mastered the word and wants to show us.
I'm hoping for a new word soon, one like "please" or "I'd love to!" A girl can dream!
Friday, February 12, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
MTV's The Buried Life
Photo from MTV.com
I have to admit that I'm (gasp...I'm going to say it) too old to watch most things on MTV, but I have a fondness for "The Buried Life" on MTV. It features four guys who travel around on a bus with a list of 100 things they'd like to do before they die. For each thing on their list that they accomplish, they help a stranger with one thing on their list. I watched an episode out of curiosity and was hooked. It's funny to watch these guys, but really touching when they help others. This week, they were in the hospital room when a woman gave birth and it was rather touching how they reacted to it in the end.
It made me think about what's on my "bucket list." I've had a few things for awhile, but this made me really think....
What's on yours?
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
Austin 17 Months (Super late posting)
I should have posted this last month, as he is now 18 months old today!
Monday, February 1, 2010
53 Mondays - Week Five
Did you know that January was national macaroni and cheese month? Neither did I until last week, when I discovered a little gem of a website... www.30days30waysmacandcheese.com. I took this yummy little recipe from there. I had no previous experience with cremini mushrooms and wasn't sure I would like them, so I used half button mushrooms and half cremini. The cremini were similar to the button mushrooms, maybe just a little meatier in texture. Overall, a very good recipe, although it was a little time consuming.
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