Rest

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I know I've been gone for a while but time spent in front of a computer screen is far less tempting when you have a sunny summer day calling your name! And on top of that its sometimes good to simplify things and rest awhile. No worries though, I'll be back!

Choose your own title :)

Man, oh, man.  Where to begin? 

Let's start negative, so we can end positive... shall we?

Tripp is back to his- sleeping all day, not wanting to play, infection bearing- self.  As I predicted, about 2-3 days after he got off of the antibiotics, he started slowly going downhill again.  And he didn't start feeling really bad until a few days ago.  Probably in the past 3 days, he's stood up to play about a total of 30-45 min.  He will try, and will play for a little bit, then just want to be back in the rocker. 

He's been sleeping late... like 2-3:00 in the afternoon late.  He always does that when he's sick and got something going on.  And with whatever he has going on... he has turned into a FUSSING MACHINE.  The child even fusses himself- I'm not kidding.  I guess fussing (the "hissing" noise he makes with his trach as he slaps at you) is his only way of defending himself and communicating with us.  And now that his eyesight is gone, he is sure getting good at "defending himself."  

His SAINT of a pediatrician, Dr. Defusco, offered (without me asking) to make another house call today... on a SUNDAY.  She's bringing all the stuff we need to draw blood and finally get some bloodwork done.  I think it's been since October (the last time we were in the hospital) since he's had bloodwork done.  So I'm anxious/nervous to see where he stands as far as being anemic, platelets (clotting), and infection is concerned.  And this is all IF we can get it drawn and IF he cooperates.  Dr. Defusco also called yesterday and started him on the same antibiotic that he was on a couple weeks ago.  She said that she feels in her gut, that if he's feeling so much better when he's on antibiotics, that we should keep giving them.  The only problem with that is the more he takes them, the better chance of the bug getting smart and being resistant to the antibiotic- which would mean the only other option to treat his infections would be IV antibiotics in the hospital.  But Dr. Defusco and I have always been on the same page from day one- Tripp's "quality of life" is more important than ANYTHING.  I will not magnify his pain or misery, just to prolong his life.  I want him to be happy and comfortable and as pain-free as possible.  And we will deal with running out of options when we get to that point (as I've known from the beginning that we will one day have to do).  

  

So I haven't used this blog as a means to vent on my personal issues, and I don't intend to start yet.  However, there have been so many questions about what's going on in my personal life that I feel obliged to let you in on the big details only (TRUST ME- You do not want to know the other details). Randy and I have been living apart and separated since last July and our divorce will be final this coming July (next month).  And ALL I will say is that things are NOT going well and have been difficult for everyone involved.  I would appreciate your prayers for understanding and forgiveness.  I will need them to get through this with just a little bit of sanity left so that I can continue to move forward.

I know that the statistics were in our favor with a special needs child, but I want to clarify that this was not something that was just given up on.  There were/are other obstacles than Tripp that were/are still involved.  Thank you for your prayers for us all.

On a different note, we had something interesting happen over here this week.  My grandma (my dad's mom) has an apartment that was added on to my parents house a few years ago so she could be close.  Well, during the "storm" we had this week, she was talking on her phone (her CORDED phone) when lightining struck through her roof, into her attic, and hit her phone line.  We didn't SEE it happen (obviously) but she said it jerked her arm and made the phone fly out of her hand.  She's okay- she just can't really move her arm.  My dad took her to the hospital and they ran every test imaginable for 2 days, while my mom and dad worked hard over here to get the hole in her roof fixed, along with her A/C, electricity, cable, etc... back up and running. 

Our luck, I know... Enter this house at your own risk!

So for a positive note....

Hmm...........

Well, we got a whole new air condition unit put in at my mom's, I guess that's one positive thing.  Her old unit just wasn't keeping up (like a lot of units here in Louisiana do in the summer), but with Tripp here- that wasn't cutting it.  If we were comfortable, we knew he was sweating and miserable.  So now it is borderline FREEZING in here- and little man is finally comfortable and getting less new blisters a day.  We just bundle up in long-sleeves and robes. 

There's not too much more positive going on around here... except for all the wonderful people that I have in my life that are getting me through all of these hard times.  I need happiness and sanity to make Tripp happy and comfortable.  And I am so lucky to have those people in my life who make me happy and who would do anything for Tripp and I :)

I will let you guys know what the doctor says and what the bloodwork results are.  

Thank you for your thoughts, prayers, letters, emails, and kind words! 

Once again, we are so blesssed.

Love,

I heart summer.

Summer days are so fulfilling.  We are so together.  And so busy.  And so consumed with life.  Yet everything is so relaxed.  I love it. 

We spent the much of the morning moving everything out of the upstairs, removing doors, and taping off vents.  B started sanding this afternoon and made it through the first sanding with little difficulty.  And, bless his heart, he's working upstairs in easily 100 degree temperatures.  But he looks so dang cute doing it :)

Since we're not unfamiliar with this whole remodel bit, we've actually become fairly tolerant of  displaced furniture and accessories that we have to accommodate for the duration of our renovations.  It actually creates some unique little spaces in our home that wouldn't exist otherwise.  And since it's only temporary, it's kinda charming.

The living room with the addition of the rocker from Becks' nursery and our cheapo Ikea mini-couch/sleeper which I'm comfortably blogging from right now :)

Our bedroom with the addition of Becks' dresser and his crib mattress.  He's all cozied up with us for the next couple of days on his little floor palette.

The view from my bed, accented with the doors from upstairs. 

Anyway, while B was sanding, Becks and I busied ourselves with finger painting, and it was about twelve kinds of fun. 

Apparently, sticking his tongue out is all part of the creative genius. 

Then, we carried our creativity outdoors where we blew bubbles and chalked up the driveway. 

Obviously, I enjoy chalking quite a bit.  Probably more than Becks.

And, for the record, here's our end-of-the-day-freshly-sanded-pine pics - or, proof that we're actually accomplishing something in a timely manner pics ;)

The End. 

TGIalmostF!

Becks' Big Boy Bedroom Take One

Beckham will be three on June 27th.  Three!  Cah-to-the-razy.  I will probably talk about this fact a lot in the next several weeks. 

Anyway, though he has never tried to escape from his crib, we collectively decided that an upgrade was necessary and immenent.  In my perfect world, he will have a Big Boy bedroom by his birthday.  In reality, and considering our track record (i.e. 5 month kitchen-remodel), it could take longer.  We shall see.

I don't know that I've ever taken you on an upstairs tour.  {But maybe I have.  This blog is almost three years old, too, so since we're almost 800 posts deep I'm not certain that I haven't visited up there before.}  We live in a 60-something-year-old traditional Cape Cod, with a steep stairway leading to the upstairs bedroom and a half.  When Becks was first born, he slept in the half and we slept in the bedroom.  You can't call the half a "real" bedroom because the stairs open right into it. {Sidenote: Before we add to the Babbling family, we will put up a wall to make it into an actual bedroom.}

Becks was a little over a year when we decided to move him into the actual upstairs bedroom and move our bedroom downstairs.  Ever since, he's lacked a defined space, and his bedroom was more of just a crib and toys and random stuff.  Nothing picture-worthy. 

The first step in this hopefully-not-too-long process was to move everything out of his bedroom and into the loft, pull up the carpet and padding and remove several feet worth of tack strip, and about a gobzillion staples, with the ultimate goal of refinishing the exisiting hardwood floors found underneath. 

Shoo.  That was a run-on sentence if there ever was one! Continuing...

Here's the before shots which will also show the flow of the upstairs much better than I can describe it!

Looking through doorway into Becks' room.

Corner of room shot.  Note those super fancy pink knobs.  So totally can't wait to get rid of those, especially since one's already missing.

 

Opposite corner of room shot. 

Current view of the loft, piled high with stuff from Becks' room and random decor items. 

View from loft looking at doorway to Becks' room.

 Becks' room without carpet. 

The existing hardwood floors are in good enough condition to qualify them for refinishing, and since this is a project that B's tackled before (read all about that starting HERE and proceeding for many posts after!), we're confident that a smaller space, combined with pine planks instead of oak will ultimately lead to a quick job.  {Remember, I'm an idealist.}

So, wish us luck as we head to The Depot tomorrow morning to pick up the ol' sander.  After we try our hand at another marriage strengthener, of course.  We like to call this one: moving furniture down a narrow set of stairs.  It's going to be fun!!!!  Especially since I have the upper body strength of an earthworm.

:) 

Our life in pictures lately...

I just don't think I could possibly catch up {quickly} to all that our life has been lately.  So I'm just going to show the odd pic.  Or twelve. 

It's been a fun life to live, as opposed to blog about :)

There's been cars to repair...

And first-of-the-year diving board jumps to make...

And baby showers to throw...

 These are my girls.  My Donovan Hall/ADPi Housemates.  My forever friends.  Dr.B {in the middle} is having little Ethan in August.  Can't wait. 

There's been bouncy houses to bounce in...

And snow cones to slurp...

And new cousins to meet...

Mimi and Nana M.  I thought this pic was too cute!

 There's been goggles to wear.  When not swimming, of course...

And time with my B well spent...



And this is only, most thankfully, the start of a very rich summer indeed. 

Happy, happy Tuesday to you!

{ Sunspiration }

May was a bad month for blogging. I'm aware. It was an unannounced no-motivation-May.  Forgive. 

But, now it's June!  and June is just full of inspiration and sunshine and I'm going to have to find some motivation somewhere since I have less than 70 days to accomplish about a dozen home improvement projects, vacations, kid-friendly activities, school-related ventures, and two grad school classes.  Yippee!

So, to kick off my summer break, which officially began last Thursday around 1:30pm (amen, halleluia, PTL!), here are my lofty goals for the next three months...

Let's review...

1. Eat popsicles in the park.  And maybe share with strangers.  Safe-looking strangers, of course.

2.  Rig up the ol' Big Boy bedroom.  Y'all know I'm going to have a three-year-old at the end of this month, right?  Gah!

3.  Take an impromptu road trip.  This is sooooo up my alley.  But not necessarily B's, so it might have to be a slightly pre-planned road trip just so I don't freak him out.

4.  Run {almost} every day.  So far, so good.  So long as I continue to get up when it's still cool, not rainy, and Becks is sleeping.  Otherwise, no dice.  Rainy weather or too hot weather usually dissuades me, but I'm going to try to persevere...

5.  Paint lots of things.  The list of things that I want to paint is absolutely daunting.  From mirrors to walls to hardwood floors to everything in between.  Not even kidding. 

6.  Have a yard sale.  Mainly so I can support my summer yard-saling habit.

7.  Host a banana split part.  I wonder who will come?

8.  Aim for 1 date night a month.  Because we've officially been married for 5-years (May 28th if you wanted to know), thereby qualifying us as oldy-weds.  We need to keep it spicy.

9.  Make homemade lemonade.  Yum.

10.  Learn to take better pictures.  Or find friends who can teach me to take better pictures. 

11.  Make a new friend.  Who doesn't want more friends?!

12.  Read 2 novels.  It should be noted that this is one less than I aimed for last year.  Which is still on the high side since I only made it through 1 last year (The Last Song).  And Summer Sisters isn't allowed to count towards my goal because, of course, I'm already reading it as my annual kick-off to summer beach read.

13.  Take Becks to a fair.  I'm thinking of the state variety because I hear the fried food is out. of. control.  Bonus points if they have fried pickles, which are about 12 kinds of amazing in case you've never had the privilege. 

14.  Pick berries on a farm.  Blue, black, rasp - I don't care.  So long as it's a berry and I can eat it, it counts.

15.  See a live band.  Preferably on one of the aforementioned date nights.

16.  Make a "plan" for the bathroom remodel.  The kitchen's been done for less than a month and I already have the itch.  What's wrong with me? 

17.  Do lots of art projects.  Can't even wait.

18.  Host a sleepover for the cousins.  Becks, Soph, and Sutton would have a blast.  Let's pick a date, Chels! 

19.  Make a picture wall.  If you could only imagine the number of undeveloped images on my computer just dying to be processed.  Combine that with my naked walls and I think we've got a winning project on our hands.

20.  Plan and execute a block part with the committee.  L, this is the official written notice that we *ARE* doing this!!!!!

What are your summer plans???

Tripp's Follow-up story on WWL Ch.4

I didn't get much notice that this was coming on... (like I found out TODAY), so in case you missed it- 

here is Tripp's "follow-up" story that WWL Channel 4 News asked to do about Tripp reaching the milestone of 2 years old! 

I was SO excited that they showed Tripp's beautiful face in this one! 

Please visit the WWL website HERE to read the story in text or to watch.

Once again, my dear friend Bill Capo- you did an amazing job of sharing the story of my little man. 

I'm forever grateful to you for wanting to help us spread the word about Tripp and EB. 

Thank you again for being so sincere and so wonderful to us.

Love,