What a difference a year makes....

*First off... I really need to be better about updating this blog. haha... Really. I have birthday parties, baseball, soccer games, field trips and such to blog. Someday I'll catch up. ;)

ANYWAY...... 

A year ago this month our family went through some major trials. We had a 4 week old baby, Ricky was laid off, and then hospitalized for a week. Fun times.

I never blogged about what happened last year. In a nutshell..... April 8th was Ricky's last day of work (we knew it was coming so we were prepared). We were not, however, prepared for his health issues that arose that same day.

The night of the 8th we spent in the ER at U-M hospital. Ricky was diagnosed with kidney stones and spent the next couple of weeks in bed, in LOTS of pain, and in and out of Dr's/urgent care offices. Everyone told him.. "The stones will pass." "There is nothing we can do." "Keep doing what you're doing." What he was doing... was alternating between ibuprofen and excendrin to help take the edge off the pain. He ate almost nothing (no appetite) and drank as much water as he could before he felt like he wanted to vomit.

The pain was getting worse, not better, and on the morning of the 18th he began throwing up blood. We hightailed it back to Ann Arbor where he ultimately spent 6 days in the hospital, 3 of which were in the ICU. He was bleeding internally. They had to scope him, twice. The first time to stop the bleeding, then second to make sure the bleeds were indeed, stopped. But first they had to pump as much blood as they could out of his stomach. Not a pretty sight and not something anyone would want repeated.

In the end he lost almost half his blood volume, and received 2 (almost 3) units of blood through, what looked like, a McDonalds straw that they had placed in his neck.

He was sent home on Ashely's 5th birthday. It was probably the best present she got that year.


The following months were challenging. He was very weak (losing blood will do that to a person), and his appetite wasn't quite normal, and he had several follow-up visits (including an additional scope) to make sure everything was going ok. Not to mention the Rx's that were now a part of his normal routine to help ensure this would never happen again.

The job thing was minimal compared to the health issues. It was actually nice to have him around more often. The kids got to spend the entire summer with their dad. Not many kids can say that. In hindsight I think it was a blessing in disguise. Funny how things work out. ;)

And it all ended well. He got a job in December (just as his unemployment was about to run out. Again.... funny how things work out. ;) AND... he just had his one-year-follow-up appt and everything looks good. :) He was given the ok to go off of the Rx that he's been on the past year and the Dr's are confident that this is all behind us now. (fingers crossed they're right).

I know I've said it before.... but it's worth repeating: Things ALWAYS work out. It's true. They may not work out right when we want them too... but they do, eventually, work out. As I look back on this year I can see the reasons why (almost) everything happened when it did. If things had gone according to MY timeline.... well, lets just say it's a good thing they didn't. Things work out when they are supposed to work out. Always.


Now.... if things would hurry and work out in the "house hunting" chapter of our lives, I would be a very happy chick. (more to come on that later....)

Looking back...

I was thinking the other day.... about where we were this time last year. Getting ready to have our 4th baby, living with my parents, Ricky's job getting ready to end.. life was just a big pile of uncertainty.

In truth, I remember being terrified. I felt soooo unprepared for Easton to be born. He didn't have his own room, or even a crib (though in all honesty, that didn't really matter, as we co-sleep the first few months anyway), we didn't have a car that would fit us all safely, and Ricky was about to be laid off.

I did a lot of praying then. A lot. It was all I could do. I know much of what I was feeling was due in part to the lovely pregnancy hormones, but the things we were facing WERE scary, and so it wasn't all "crazy preggo brain". I do remember feeling a sense of peace though, a calming feeling that everything would be okay. And it was. It always is.

I ALWAYS freak out, I always worry, stress, panic, but in truth... it ALWAYS works out for us. Maybe not right when I want it to, but eventually, it does work out. Those things I worried about this time last year.... most worked out (we are still living with my parents), but Easton came and we survived! lol We ended up getting a new mini van that fits us all, safely. AND... Ricky, while he was unemployed for 7 months... got a job. And, we survived during his unemployment. Things worked out.

I have no doubt that the other stuff will also work out. We will get a house, and while I'm sure that fact alone will bring on a new slew of worries, it will be okay. ;) Moving here has given us an entirely new set of trials to deal with. But so far they have helped to shape us into who we need to be. I know that I need to start trusting in Heavenly Father more. He really does know best, and the sooner I trust Him and stop freaking out over everything, the better off I'll be. ;) I'm trying, but for an admitted control freak like myself, giving up the reins is a hard thing. But I'm getting there. Slowly but surely... I'm figuring it out.

It's crazy to think that this was where we were this time last year...

8 Feb 2011

Possible Colo Springs Trip

So... we are thinking of having Ricky fly out to Colo Springs on the 5th for a job fair. He was going to take Cohen, but since it's such short notice.... the ticket for just him is gonna be like $300+. I'm not spending another $300+ for Cohen. I figure... we can all just go out there together, later.

It's a management job fair, so.. I'm hoping he'll be able to find something that pays well. I'm just sooooooo sick of being here and "waiting" for the next step. I really want to be moved by June, if not sooner. I *know* it's going to happen, it's just a matter of when.

We've pretty much nixed the whole "moving to Michigan" plan. I feel bad, but we just don't feel it's the right place for us to go. We feel really good about CS and it's a good half-way point between both of our families. I can drive up to Michigan whenever the mood strikes me. It's about a 17 hour drive, so.. not short, but defiantly closer than California!! LOL If Ricky and I drive together we can make it in a day.

{ugh} I'm just praying he gets something soon. I want my own stuff again. 90% of everything we own is in storage. We've been living out of boxes for over a year now, and I'm over it!! Plus... we are living with 2 bedroom, and 1 bathroom. It's beginning to get to me. 2 kids, 1 dog, a baby on the way. *sigh* My kids need their own rooms, an actual playroom, their own bathroom, not to mention... a freakin' backyard!! Ahh...to have my own backyard again.... what a joy what will be.


So anyhow..... hopefully we can get this trip planned. I told Ricky he needs to hurry and decide if he wants to go or not, because I need to buy the plane ticket tonight. He may end up driving, but with the price of gas.... it might be cheaper to fly. Not to mention faster.