When it rains...it pours

Have you ever heard that phrase?...When it rains, it pours. I'm sure you have. I have 2 meanings for that tonight. First, most of you know that mom had to go in to a specialist and have a melanoma taken off her face on Wednesday. She has had a spot on her face that has changed and she began to get worried. Thank goodness it was time for her dermatologist check up and they caught it before it got any worse. So, I promised mom and dad that I would cook dinner for them since the doctor said that mom would probably zonked out on medicine for a couple days. Well, those plans changed, and I ended up having an emergency appendectomy Wednesday evening. (Most of you know me - I work on a routine and schedule, and this was definitely not on my calendar. It totally threw me for a loop.) After surviving a million needles and IV sticks, and a crazy story behind the surgery, the doctor said I would live. He said I can't lift anything over 10 pounds for 4-6 weeks and that I would be extremely tired for several weeks. So, Kelli, my sister, is having a hysterectomy this coming Wednesday and mom and I are supposed to help out with the children. So..this means all 3 of my daddy's girls will have had major health issues all in one week. The hospitals, I'm sure, are loving us right now. Here is where I say, when it rains, it pours. The second reason I say that is that I'm totally amazed at how God works. He always has His hand in the little things - things that don't make sense at the time, but in the end, everything comes together and makes sense. For one, and this may sound silly, but I think God knew this was going to happen to me and let it happen before the end of the year. My insurance changes in January - because we're down grading to something less because we're never sick (knock on wood). There's no telling what kind of bills are about to come rolling in. Plus, the timing is crazy. We only have 2 weeks of school before Christmas break, so there wasn't anything major I was going to start doing with the kids until after Christmas. And then, I've had this pain in my side since Friday night, so I went 5 days before anything was done about it. I really didn't think it was my appendix because it didn't fit any of the symptoms that I read about on the internet. Before I went to the doctor on Monday to find out what was going on, I prayed that night - God, if it is my appendix, please let it hold off until a doctor can check it and know for certain. I didn't want it to rupture and all that mess happen (even though it had already ruptured and I didn't know it.) So, again, when God rains down his mercy and protection....He pours it down. Because that's exactly why my situation wasn't any worse than it was. Here's the condensed version: Friday night - pain started in right side; thought it was gas from eating too much popcorn at the football game Pain all weekend. Doctor's office Monday afternoon. Bloodwork showed it WASN'T my appendix. Instead thought it was my ovaries or a kidney stone. Scheduled CT scan to be sure. Tuesday - nothing Wednesday morning - CT scan; doctor's office called 15 minutes after walking back in the door - get to surgery immediately. It really was my appendix. In surgery, the doctor found that my appendix had folded itself over and had actally ruptured, but the puss had adhered itself to my small intestine like glue. A piece of fat had stuck itself over my appendix, trapping the puss and bacteria in and keeping it from seeping out into my belly. (That will be the only time I will be thankful for fat on my body.) So, he said he had to cut away the fat, and then peel away and cut my appendix off of my small intestine. Crazy, isn't it?? Other than some normal pain after surgery, everything is good. Ok, so off of that story - I just want everyone to know what a fantastic hustband I have. He has been a great nurse. He has had to help me get up and down, help me use the bathroom, and had to help put my clothes and shoes on. He has made sure I've taken my medicine on time and has massaged my swollen feet and legs. I couldn't ask for anyone better to take care of me. (Plus, I'll give a shout out to my mama. Even though she has been in pain from her face, she has helped me too. She helped me take a shower, wash my hair and helped bathe me, and even rubbed my legs down with lotion afterwards!) Because the doctor has said that I can't lift anything more than 10 pounds for 4-6 weeks, that means I can't lift Gavin in and out of his crib. So, Jason went and bought a toddler bed for Gavin and has been working his hiney off all day cleaning out Gavin's room and closet, and making a new "big boy" room.

Down with the baby bed.

And up with the big boy bed.

And some new touches we added to his room...

(Kelly - you should see this new clean room. You'd be impressed.)