Catching Up

Since my last posting we've had quite a bit going on. In the middle of October Betty (mother in-law) was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer and we were told she would not live much longer. She passed away in her sleep on December 1st while Joe was in her hospital room with her. It was so peaceful that he didn't realize she was gone.

Betty was the most caring, dedicated and compassionate person I've ever known. The youngest of 7 children, she devoted her life to taking care of her family. When her older sister EI (Edith) had a stroke she moved her to Columbia so that she could visit her daily in the nursing home. After several years she reduced her visits to three or four times and week...for 15 years she did EI's laundry, made sure the nursing home staff took good care of her and helped her recover from several subsequent illnesses. Once the Doozies came along she and Pop offered to keep them when I returned to work and did so for two years...at no charge. Pop got pneumonia in March and was hospitalized for three months. Three weeks after he returned home Betty had what we thought was a stroke. It wasn't until about a month later that we found out the true source of her difficulties. She was paralyzed on the right side and couldn't speak. It was so hard to see her trapped in a body that was so limited. There is some peace in knowing that with her passing she has entered a much better place and that she has been reunited with her daughter who died 9/11/03 and all of the others who went before her; however, it is extremely difficult to imagine life without her.

Pop is in the hospital again with pneumonia but we could it early and he is improving. At the beginning of his hospitalization he told us he had been on the Bill O'Reilly show and Bill wanted to know his preference for president. I think he understands now that he wasn't on the program. Hopefully he will be home for Christmas. :) Home for us is Pop's house for now. We are "camping out" with our clothes and some toys. Pop wants us to stay with him and I don't think we can leave. He still requires help for various things and cannot live by himself. We want to keep him out of a nursing home for as long as we can.

Emma has continued to surprise me daily with her knowledge and abilities. Last night she sang and danced the Hokey Pokey (sp?). Jehu attends a 3-year old program at a local elementary school and is getting help with his speech. He still has PT and OT. Both are ready for Santa Claus....Emma says he will bring her two presents. She doesn't give any other details...just that he will bring her two presents.

There are never enough hours in the day.

Student of the Month

Guess who is the student of the month for the Pre-2 Class??!?!?!? Jehu! I had a note on his "report card" when I picked the Doozies up tonight. My first thought was that he had done something wrong but what a surprise! The daycare will post his picture and some information about him at the front of the center.

His favorite food: ravioli

His favorite book: Brown Bear

His favorite animal: Dolphins

Person he admires: Papa

What he does well: Building with blocks (pester his sister)

What he likes about daycare: Teachers, friends and crafts

In other Doozie news Emma told me this evening that I have a big nose. Where did that come from?!?!?!? It made me feel a little better when she added that she had a big nose too.

Daddy has been living with Papa for the past two weeks and the Doozies and Mommy have been holding down the fort at home. We spent last weekend at Papa's house and had a great time. :)

An Eventful Week for the Doozies

Last weekend we had a great time at a nearby park. Jehu climbed up a ladder (with my assistance) to get to a slide about 30 times. Emma slid with Daddy and loved the tunnel.


This week Betty was moved to the longterm care facility where Pop has been for the last month. Pop is scheduled to go home next week even though he is still on tube feedings. Jehu had two boo-boo reports at daycare. One for getting his finger caught in the door and the other for Emma scratching him. Today the doozies did without their "bubbas" during their waking hours and Jehu got new glasses. He wore them after his nap until it was time to go bed. Yeah! I'll get a picture for the blog in the next couple of days. Emma's services through BabyNet were discontinued today because she is doing so well.

Also, we got some fantastic news from Aunt Kiki...she is engaged! :) Can't wait to see the ring! Now the planning begins!



Aunt Katie has settled into her residence hall and new class schedule. There is some roomate drama but I think that goes along with the rest of the college experience.

Loooooser!

So today I wore a new pair of dress pants...with the little tag still on the back. You know the one that is sewn into the waistband. These are lowriders...I'm sure it was visible but no one told me. How embarassing!

Emma had a ROUGH morning. Didn't want to wake up, get up, change her diaper, take off her jammies....didn't want to do ANYTHING. This is the second morning in a row that we've had such issues. I can certainly identify with her desire to stay in bed. Poor dear! I can't tell you how many times she said, "I don't want to." to whatever I tried to do. She also got a busted lip today at daycare. Another little one bumped into her and she fell down. Blood? Yep. AND, on top of everything, Jehu HAD to push her buttons today. He has her pegged. What a duo! I'm going to get some more pics up here at some point...just can't seem to get to it.

Pop failed two swallowing tests this week so he was a bit down. They put him back on tube feedings. Betty is still paralyzed on the right and can't speak. It was a disappointing week on the health front. Joe's a trooper though. I don't know how he keeps going while burning the candle at both ends. He goes in to work early, then to the hospital, home for a few minutes and then to the nursing home.

Things are happening on campus as we get set for football. Go Cocks!

Axe in a Rear

Translate "Axe in a rear," from Emma-ese into English.

I about cried the other night when I heard Jehu talking in his crib. He had his Buzz Lightyear in the air and he said something about "Buzz flying." Doesn't really seem like a big deal to most people but this is a little boy that has probably put a lot of things together in his head but didn't get it out for others to see. He's come such a long way. :)

Speaking of coming a long way. Pop is doing wonderfully with his therapy and getting stronger and stronger. He is willing to stay in the nursing home a little longer because he sees what PT, OT and ST have done for him. Betty is still paralyzed on the right side and unable to speak. She seems aware and we think she understands where she is and what has happened to her. I hope she gets better soon.

Back to the translation...."wax in my ear."

He Did What?!?!?!?

As I entered the doozies bedroom I noticed that Jehu had taken off his diaper. I immediately figured there would be something in the crib other than Buzz Lightyear and a few books. However, as I approached the crib I stepped in something wet. Upon closer inspection it appeared to be....pee pee. Since Binky hadn't been in their room during naptime I can only guess that Jehu decided he needed to go, took aim through the slats of his crib and did the unthinkable. He pee peed on the floor! There wasn't anything in the crib or on the slats. Is he that good already?!?!!?!? If so, we're going to try the real deal.

Unbelievable!

Pop had been home for about three weeks when we settled into a new routine. Betty was still adjusting to her new role and duties. Joe went to check Pop's blood sugar around 9pm each evening. Then the unthinkable. Betty had a stroke. Joe had just left their house when Pop called him. That was two weeks ago. Last week Pop was moved to a nursing home and it's been a shock to his system. His concern and worry for Betty is overwhelming. They have been married for 53 years and they rely on each other heavily. We keep telling Pop this is temporary and keep praying that Betty will recover completely. She is paralyzed on the right side and cannot speak. It's so ironic that she spent the better part of the last 15 years caring for her sister who had a stroke. In the beginning she went every day to the nursing home...then changed to three or four days each week. It's hard to think of someone who has done so much for everyone else being in such a condition. Pop is getting a lot of therapy and hopefully will regain much of his strength and stamina so he can go home and visit Betty.

The doozies and I have been sick for the last few days...I hope we get better soon so we can visit Pop. The little ones can't visit Betty but I would like to go and see how she's doing.

In other doozies news...Emma is talking up a storm! I love it when she pats my arm and asks if I'm ok. Too cute! Jehu continues to babble a good bit and he's getting better at communication. Both kids are getting ready to move to the next classroom...Pre-2. It's kind of scary. They will know most of the kids but it will be a change. One of their current classmates cries ALL day long. Sometimes I'll ask Emma about her and she'll say, "Alexis crying".

Grandaddy came to visit and help us out for a few days. What a calming influence he is! :)

Just a couple minutes mommy

I told myself I wouldn't let my children watch much tv; however, Jehu loves the movie Toy Story and he will wear his patch while we watch it. He rarely tries to take it off when Buzz and Woody are entertaining him. So, when I pick them up from daycare and we have to get in our two hours of patching....I reach for the DVD. Tonight as the Disney logo came into view Emma said, "Castle! I like castle!" She turned to Jehu and asked "You like castle?" He responded with "I like castle." (I think) Then she gave a summary of the conversation, "Emma and Jehu like castle." What a girl. She negotiates bedtime now by saying she wants just a couple of minutes with me. She tells me I'm nice. Of course, then she adds that Jaime is nice, Aunt Kiki is nice, and many others in addition to those...are nice. Tonight she would ask herself, "how about ____?" Then answer her own question. Before you know it she's going to have full-length conversations and then going off to college. The italian in her is showing too. She gestures ALL THE TIME. And she makes the funniest faces.

Later this month the Doozies will move to the next classroom and I'm concerned. I don't want to hold them back with younger kids but they are still so much smaller than the others. Plus Jehu is so wobbly. I'm sure it will go smoothly but I can't help worry about them. Today the petting zoo visited daycare again and brought a kangaroo, camel, zebra, hedgehog, tarantula, skunk, horse, cow, two monkeys and two lemurs. I almost forgot...they brought the snakes again. :( This time Emma didn't seem as interested in them, thank goodness.

Another favorite word right now is quesadilla. It seems like once a week the kids have quesadillas as their afternoon snack and apparently Emma likes them. ;)

Binky got a trim today and she looks mighty nice with her blue bandana. The trip to the doggie spa has worn her out...she's been asleep since we got home this evening. The groomer mentioned how cute she was and I was tempted to ask if she wanted to keep her for a little while. Last night, for whatever reason, Binky decided she would rather NOT go outside to potty much to my dismay. Was it raining? No. She just thought inside was more to her liking.

A week in the life of the Doozies

Last Friday we took the Doozies to Saluda Shoals with our Bright Start family including our EI, Kate. Joe and I were so excited and just knew our babes would LOVE the water park. We were surprised though by their response. They wouldn't go near the water. Will we ever learn, as parents, that our children are overwhelmed by new experiences and loud environments? I don't know what we were thinking. All morning Emma repeated that she wanted to get wet. That didn't happen. She clung to Joe as we approached the park and heard all of the kids squealing. We will try again and maybe they'll warm up to the idea. On the way home we stopped by Grandmama and Papa's house. Jehu ran throughout the house and climbed the stairs under the watchful eyes of daddy. Emma was so excited. They hadn't been there but once in the past three months...this after they spent three days each week there for the past two years. It took them a while before they calmed down enough to give Papa hugs and they were reluctant to leave when it was time to do so. Pop is doing some better...he's able to walk around the house more which is very encouraging. :)

Saturday, Joe and I split up with the Doozies...he and Emma went grocery shopping as Jehu and I went to look for mommy some clothes and get our two hours of patching in for the day. I cannot tell you how wonderful that little boy was. He let me look for more than an hour and try on several items all while he wore the patch...without mits on his hands! He even picked out a skirt for me! Most of the time he held my phone and we listened to kids' music. Several women remarked on his good behavior and his curly hair. I'm sure I beamed with pride.

This week at work was hectic as I tried to hire an administrative assistant and review several contracts. I think I have a new assistant! I'm so excited and cannot what until she starts.

Yesterday Emma was put in timeout at daycare for standing on a chair and refusing to sit down. Now, I ask you, why wasn't the class bully put in timeout when he and another child pushed my son down on the floor and pinned him there? All he got was "don't do that...it isn't nice."

Today our speech therapist, Dawn, visited with Jehu at daycare and called me to let me know that Jehu spoke in a complete sentence. "I want that potato". Well, I'm sure it was more along the lines of, "I want dat tato". But it was a complete sentence!!! Subject. Verb. And more! What a boy! :) He has been so much more vocal lately. Unfortunately I cannot understand what he is trying to say most of the time.

You know you're pitiful when you put the date for the premier of Merkat Manor's new season on your calendar. One night this week I saw the promo and reached for my planner. Those little critters are just too cute!

Kodak Moments

Sometimes you get a great shot...sometimes you don't. I tend to get a lot of silly shots of Emma. She has such an expressive face. Jehu surprises me every once in a while though.

NICU Reunion

In an earlier post I mentioned that we went to the NICU reunion in May. Here's a picture of the Doozies with Daddy and one of our favorite nurses Jocelyn.

Brother Did It

There's a new popular phrase for Emma.

"Brother did it."

Doesn't matter what "it" is...brother did it.

Mommy's friend Amanda who lives in Alabama gave the Doozies these t-shirts...how appropriate eh? Often times Emma did it but she doesn't necessarily want to admit it. :)

Single Moms - How do you do it?

It's been 5 days since Pop went home from the hospital...5 days since I've seen Joe...5 days since the twins have seen the daddy...5 days of mommy and the Doozies going it alone. I don't know how single moms do it day in and day out. Getting the kids up and ready for daycare, going to work, picking up the kids from daycare, providing supper, giving baths , brush teeth, kiss boo-boos, and give lots of love and attention. EVERY DAY? All by themselves? Not to mention grocery shopping, putting gas in the car, mowing the yard, and keeping up a house. Jehu and Emma are the sweetest little ones but even their sibling bickering and all of their care can appear daunting at times. Add in a sinus and ear infection plus laryngitis and you've got quite a circus aptmosphere. This morning as I made pancakes I had four arms wrapped around my legs and the chorus of "mommy hold you" permeated the house. As both were trying to get my attention each told the other "no". That translates into "she's going to hold me, not you." This only served to incite cries and tears. Jehu has taken advantage of my weakness and climbed into his highchair and onto the table MANY times in the last couple of days. It seems as if the twins have a scam going when it comes time to patch Jehu's eye...shortly after we begin Emma insists she has pottied and must be changed immediately. In the few seconds it takes to get a diaper Jehu has his mits and patch off. Who can win?!?!? I decided to bring out the big crate of beanie babies and see what they thought of them. We had a great time identifying all the animals until it came to the snake. Emma kept winding it around her neck until suddenly she decided it was a scary being and we had to put it away. She was too cute as she pulled other toys out and said "look you guys." I guess I say that a lot.

I think the stress is getting to me just a little...I've been thinking, in my spare time, about my weight, what I eat, etc. Something has got to give. I've resolved to start really monitoring what and how much I eat...tomorrow. That's after I've finished the devil cakes in the cabinet and after I've taken the last bite of my 1/2 pound Hershey's milk chocolate bar smeared with peanut butter. I can't leave those things in the kitchen while I try to make a change...the temptation would do me in almost immediately. I may have to resort to drastic measures. Maybe a picture of my stomach hanging on the cabinet where the kids' snacks are. Duct taping my mouth shut. We'll see.



Now that the cakes and Hershey bar are gone I feel much better about my chances. Ha!

I've included some of my favorite pics of the Doozies to this entry.

Early Days

The first time Jehu was taken out for me to hold. His arms were smaller than an adult's fingers and he felt like he weighed nothing at all.

The kiss. Well...I think Emma was trying to bite Jehu's nose but I guess we'll never know. Daddy is actually holding both babies when this shot is taken.

The first Christmas was spent in the NICU. One of our nurses, Leslie, put a red bow in Emma's hair. She was on the vent and had an IV in her head. Later she graduated to the C-PAC...notice she covers her mouth during a yawn. Miss Manners from the beginning!

These are some of my favorite early photos of the Doozies. I've just been going through pics on a flash drive and thought I'd put some up on the blog. :)

Jocelyn usually had Jehu at night. I knew he was in good hands on her shift and she would often leave cute polaroid photos for me in the drawer of his isolette. We still refer to her as Jehu's "first girlfriend." Meredith was with us in the delivery room and helped whisk the Doozies off to the NICU. She frequently had Emma during her shift. Shortly after our arrival in the NICU she arranged for the Doozies to be in the same room once a spot became available by Emma. Initially Jehu was in Room 1 which is reserved for the sickest infants. Emma was in Room 3. Both Jocelyn and Meredith were so encouraging throughout our NICU stay and we are grateful for their special care of our little ones.

Early photos from home. It took a long time for the Doozies to get hair...same for eye lashes. Today Emma has extremely long, beautiful lashes.

One Day at a Time

Pop has gone home from the hospital so Joe and his mom are getting into a routine of daily care for him. Pop's been in the hospital since April 2nd with pneumonia...he started at Lexington Medical Center where he was on a ventilator for several weeks and in ICU for what seemed like forever. He was transferred from there to Healthsouth to receive physical, occupational and speech therapy. During that stay he had to be admitted to the ER at Richland, then their ICU, Heart Hospital and regular ward. From there he went to InterMedical at Baptist and back to Healthsouth. I honestly don't know how my husband and mother-in-law have survived. Sitting in the hospital day after day and feeling helpless takes a toll on you but they have done extraordinarily well. Pop continues to improve and hopefully he'll be back to his old self in short order! Here are some pics from Doozie visits to the hospital.

In other Doozie news...our speech therapist recently brought us some clothes for Jehu. Both kids had to try on EVERY piece of clothing in the bag. I think Emma looks quite fetching in Hawaiian prints. :)

Emma and Jehu have toyed with the idea of using a potty; although, as you can tell by the pictures, Jehu doesn't grasp the concept of taking off your pants first. :)

Emma has enjoyed the kiddie pool we have on the deck a couple of times this summer. Jehu hasn't gotten bold enough to get in...he will stick his foot in the water but that's about it. Emma has several bathing suits and has recently demanded that she be allowed to sleep in them at night instead of in jammies!