30 Days of Thankful (Day14)

My 30 Days of Thankful

Day 14

I am thankful for youngest daughter, Nadia.  She is often the odd man out because her older sisters are 6+ years older and younger brother is 4+ years younger.  Even though she may not be included in every game she finds some way to include others. Like when she lets her brothers help her dress up a barbie doll even though they may be more interested in chewing on her feet and hiding the shoes to torment their big sister.  Nadia is always quick to hug and forgive.  Maxx's new favorite thing to tell her is "I hate you", when he does not get his way.  She just laughs it off and tells him, "Well, I love you brother!".
Being the middle child in our big boisterous household cannot be easy.  She takes everything in stride and does not let herself get lost in the mix of day to day bustle.

She was my first easy going happy baby.  A true blessing because I ended up suffering from Postpartum Depression.  My marriage had suffered because my husband did not understand why there was such a difference with this post baby recovery from the others.  Her smiling happy face is what helped me face my day.  She would wake early and with a bright smile on her face.  It helped me to see the world through her eyes and in a more positive perspective.

30 Days of Thankful (Day10)

My 30 Days of Thankful

Day 10

I'm thankful for my Two oldest daughters.  They are extremely helpful with their younger siblings.  To the point they fight about who gets to do what with their little brothers.  Morgan likes to wake early and cuddle with Magnus after he eats breakfast on the weekends. (letting me capture the parental unicorn and SLEEP IN!)  Lauryn is our night owl and likes to read books to Maxx as he falls asleep.  They even help Nadia get to her learning games websites.

They have both started making dinners without constant supervision as well. It has been a long process for me to learn to trust them in the kitchen.  (I still don't trust them with my chef's knives)  It took me over a year of hovering in the kitchen while directing them every step to get to here.  This Thanksgiving they want to help with more food preparations. I don't think they know what they are in for cooking in the kitchen while I am cooking.  My husband calls me the kitchen Nazi.. and that I make Gordan Ramsey looks like a pansy.

It was a rough few years when Lauryn and Morgan were little with them being so close in age. (15 months apart)  I wouldn't go back and change it at all.  They used to always say that they were best friends.  Then when they started school and made other friends they begun saying, "We are better than best friends... We are sisters!!"

Thank you girls for being helpful, especially during those times when you would rather be a normal lazy self absorbed preteen. Even though you may drive me crazy at times (bickering and fighting) you do make my life much easier.    

Boys VS Girls

When I found out in my fourth pregnancy that I was having our first son I never thought there would be so many daily differences.

Sure I have to duck when changing a diaper or be able to beat the times of a Nascar pit team in changes.  There is the obvious differences in the plumbing.  My girls were never as interested in their nether regions as early as my son has been.  It's a nonstop wrestle to keep him from yanking his jewels off.  His most recent interest in showing them to everyone or just touching them.  He has already become an expert at arranging his clothing and diaper so that he can man-handle himself. I am missing when he was just obsessed with his belly button. (he would play with it so much that he actually left it glowing red)

The biggest difference is in day to day playtime.  Today I was standing at the sink washing vegetables when my son started his usual shouting to hear himself being loud. (boys are louder.. girls are just really high pitched)  I turn around and jump at him with a loud RAWR!  I thought it would have startled him at least a little. (I know.. mean mommy)  Instead of running away to peek at me from behind something like his sisters have in the past, he runs at me full charge with a little battle cry.  I was so startled by his reaction I didn't prepare myself for his onslaught.   He almost manages to knock me to the ground.  (If I hadn't been standing close to the sink it would have been Monster Maxx 1 Mommy 0)  He then laughs a huge belly laugh while pointing at the stunned look on my face.

There are also many things that are all to similar.  Maxx loves to break into dance at any music just like his sisters.  Their favorite song to dance to is actually the intro music to Strawberry Shortcake. Nadia requests me to play it again and again just to dance with Maxx.

What are some of the differences between your sons and daughters has caught you off guard the most?  

A Dose of Radiation

There is nothing like a late night trip to the Urgent Care to give any normal person insomnia.  Add that kind of late night excitement to the life of a nut case like me and I may never get to sleep again.

My long night began as it usually does.  The three girls had been sent off to bed and I had just finished my workout.  I was finally settling on the couch to watch a movie cuddled up with Maxx.  Suddenly this horrifying scream pierces through the air.  I burst into their bedroom to find Nadia already clutching a towel to her face.  (worst case scenarios stampede through my head)  After quickly gathering my nerves I look under the towel in horror to find my sweet faced little girl growing the biggest bump I have ever seen right between her eyes and an ugly 1/2 inch gash right in the middle of it.  I gathered her up in my arms and quickly got an icepack for her to hold on her face as I put out the phone calls for help.

Grandpa was asleep when I called but he came over in such a hurry he didn't even put on socks.  He thankfully brought Grandma as well to help watch the other kids. Daddy was all ready to go go with me until I reminded him about his early schedule and the fact he should have been asleep hours ago.

After getting lost due to not remembering that the Rancho urgent care was on Rancho of all streets.  (still trying to shake the haze left from the adrenaline rush.)  Once inside it only took 10 minutes before we were pulled back into triage. Maybe it was the 4 yr old trying her best to look her most pitiful or the mommy pacing frantically, but we got back very quickly.

They took her vitals and we were sent straight to the suture room where we waited for the doctor.  Nadia was so well behaved during the whole process. The only time she really squirmed was when the doctor was poking at her wound.  When she was all cleaned up and the extra hole in head was glued shut she had to get a cat scan do to the immense amount of swelling. (liquid stitches thank you whoever invented you!)

The woman Nikki who did our cat scan was very excellent.  She explained to Nadia that we were going to take a picture of inside her head and she needed to stay very still.  Thankfully it was one of the new light speed cat scan machines by GE.  It moves around the patient a lot more than just the table moving you into it.  Nadia called it the donut camera and at one point smiled and said cheese when I told her to stay still so it could get a picture.  The cat scan went well it only took 5 minutes because she did so well "playing statue".  I stood by her side the entire time.  Now I'm good on my booster dose of radiation. It had almost wore off from the last time I needed x-rays.

Then back to the exam room for us.  The nurses were in love with Nadia. I heard them all talking about the cute little girl with the slippers and big bump with the little cut. As soon as Nadia saw them she waved and told them all Merry Christmas which they all started giggling and waving to her.  (She had charmed 6 stickers out of random nurses before we left.)

Next began the long wait with only my 4 yr old for company.  Let me tell you, kid's say the darnedest things.  Nadia was trying anything to talk her way off the table.  "I really want to hug you mommy."  ::get up and hug her::  " No I want to hug you over there by the door." At one point she almost fell off, so I had to tell her to sit still or she could fall and get even more hurt.  She nodded very seriously and told me she didn't want to fall and get hurt because she didn't want to grow a mustache like Grandpa and Daddy.  "Wait what?! A moustache? "   Nadia replies,"Yeah, Grandpa must fall down a lot because he has a BIG moustache." She repeatedly kept asking to go home so I had to tell her we were waiting for her cat scan. Immediately she starts looking around the room frantically.  I ask her if she dropped her toy.  "Nope, looking for that cat that needs a scan."

Our results finally came back and she has no fractures or any other problems.  I just have one resilient bruised little pumpkin.  Now my night has just begun.  I have to wake her every 4 hours to check for behaviour changes, like grogginess or listlessness.  This should be fun ::sarcasm::  Who isn't groggy and listless at 4 am?  I know I will be.

This whole ordeal left me very thankful for so much.
I am Thankful for:
My husband for working so hard at job he doesn't enjoy to provide us with excellent health care.
Nadia for being such a big girl throughout the whole process and keeping her good humor.
My parents for being able and willing for me to lean on in an emergency.
My daughter not being hurt more severely than she was.

I could go on for hours about the many things I am grateful for, but my adrenaline is wearing off and I am crashing fast.  I'm gonna go cuddle on the couch with my little sweetheart and whisper another prayer thanking a higher power for my many blessings.

Here is the pictures of the damage done but it is once most the swelling had gone down and we were back from the doctors.

It doesn't do the swollen lump between her eyes justice though.
Her pictures on Christmas morning are going to be colorful thats for sure.