Boys, and their boyness!

So planned on talking about This...(Tara 2 years ago)

but alas, instead we will talk about this!! Elijah asked if he could go "riding" before dinner tonight. I said sure, just bring your cell phone (sometimes I need to call him and let him know its been an hour come home!) and put your helmet on (of course). So I have spaghetti on per Toris request, and just boiling the water to put the noodles in when the phone rings. I see its Elijah so I anwser, and he is just screaming. I can tell he is hurt, so I ask where he is and he says just go up our steet and turn right. So I get in the car with the other 3 kids and we go searching for elijah. He is not up our street and right so I look around a bit and call him back. (still crying) he said "I don't know where I am, just hurry it hurts" poor kid. I go around for a few more minutes looking and finally find him. (down our street, left, then left again up a steet and right....but what ever) I see right away that his finger is hurt (bent) and that he has some nasty road rash all over. We go home and clean up a bit, and call Jim to see when he will get home. In only about 1/2 hour so we wait for him to come home. At this point I knew we were going into the Urgent care or ER. So Jim gets home and Elijah and I head out. When we get there it is PACKED like I have never seen it. Crazy, and we wait, and wait, about 2 hours in the waiting room. We get backed they get the road rash cleaned up and bandaged, and do exray on his anckle (which both the doc and I agreed most likely just sprained) and his pinky (again doc and I agreed most likely brocken). Well xray is done, and I ask if I can see them. She says no, but she puts them up for the doctor to see when we get back and puts us in our room and I go sneak a peek...my kid! And even I notice the LARGE break on his leg. OOOPS!! So he broke his Fibula, and we see the orthopedic surgeon tomorrow to decide what to do. Oh, and did I mention his finger was fractured as well? An upward fracture? not sure what that means, but just a finger splint will do I guess! OOPS again!!!

So tomorrow, or Wed. I will write about our little princess Tara, and her story (readers diagest version of course). but until then, why am I always in the ER on September 14th!!!

a cup of coffee

Today the middle ones started pre-school. So at 9am I have Elijah, Jake, and Tori and school, and Tara still sleeping. Now I sit by my computer sipping on a fresh cup of vanilla nut coffee. What could be better then that!!
I will be posting another post later about the tales that enspired 2 years ago today, when we were told to say goodbye to our sweet little baby girl Tara.

Taras 2nd birthday!!

This is actually post number 2 for the day, so keep clicking down!!!

This past Saturday we celebrated Tara's 2nd birthday with a Backyard Birthday Bash with Blood Drive!! It was so much fun! USC blood donor center came and took blood from friends, family, and neighbors in honor of our Miracle baby (guess at 2 she is not really a baby anymore) girl! They were able to collect 33 pints of blood!!! We celebrated with a HUGE water slide and bounce house, lots of yummy food (if I do say so myself!!), friends, family, and nieghbors. It was so nice to just hang out with everyone, and have such a good time. Friends came that Jim and I havn't seen since our Wedding, nurses came, even Taras cardiologist came to join in the celebration! Everyone said they had a great time, and I say God bless disposable serving trays!!! not good for the environment, but good on my back for not having to be doing dishes til 3am like last year!!! Here are a few pictures of this years celabration!!

what we did last week.

I am so impressed with how well Mac does with all the kids! Tara just loves on him, and can't wait to hold him, hug him, and ride him....She pulls his ears, checks his teeth out, pulls his tongue, (and his ummm...parts as well...), he is so good, and just loves her back. We love him to pieces, and if anyone has any intrest in getting a dog, highly recomend the Silver Labs. Just soooo good with the kids as you can see by the next few pictures: Seriouslly, I am so impressed at how well he does!! tara giving Mac a hug! We also celebrated daddys birthday on the 2nd, so we made chocolate cake with chocolate frosting!! Here is a picture of daddy eating his birthday cake! (dont mind all the laundry on my dest/chair/everywhere!!) we made lots and lots of cakes!!! WE made 6 for Taras party, plus one for daddys birthday!! chocolate cake for daddys birthday (this is just the chocolate frosting, makes a better picture!) and of course lots of this still....Fortunatlly she is feeling much better now, so they have stopped!

Taras birth story (9-6-07)

For some of my new readers/bloggy friends, I thought I would share Taras birth story since its hilarious. (you know, you can laugh at these things now...)
On Wednesday the 5th I had my normal OBGYN appt. He checked me as normal as I was 37 weeks along (longer then I had kept any of my other kids, I have a very inhospitable womb!). When I say checked, I mean he was IN there, up to his elbow!!! He said I was 4 centimeters, and it would be any day. As any women knows, after they check you, you get some contractions going on, but nothing to bad. I went home, and by noon, I was leaking...stuff. I assumed my water, so I went to the hospital, got checked in by 4, got a nurse, and she said "no, you are just peeing your pants, it happens" "honey, you will know when its your water, you are not even 1 cm dialted, you have weeks to go." SUCK!! I didn't know you could re-gress on dilation....I went home, made dinner for everyone, and walked around with a make shift diaper out of towels, as I was leaking all over the place, literally!!! I gave the kids a bath, and put them into bed like any normal evening.
By 11ish I was trying to go to sleep, but the contractions were just a bit uncomfortable, so I took 2 tylenol and went to bed. At 1130 I was woken up (and woke everyone else up to) with the most uncomfortable contraction. Seriouslly, I was screaming!!! Jim who was already asleep asked if I was ok, and I said "aaah I am in labor, I need to go to the hospital NOW, I NEED DRUGS!!!!!" he said how long how you been in labor "about 10 seconds". Needless to say he wanted me to have more then 1 contraction!! By the second contraction I said "call the sitter, we are going to the hospital NOW" He called the sitter, and by this time I was screaming, banging on the wall, yelling at anyone and everyone, and anxiouslly waiting by the door for the sitter to drive the 15 minutes to my house. By about midnight I told Jim get in the car we are leaving now, I dont care if he is not here!! Needless to say he got there as we were pulling out!! Jim is the most cautious driver known to man, but I made him speed!! He was being so good at first, but it was getting really bad, I was banging on the ceiling, hitting my head on the window anything. At this point, no break between the contractions. I even told jim at one point, "I need to push"!!! As we were getting closer, I told him to call the hospital and tell them to meet us out front with drugs. They asked how long I had been in labor for, and when he told them half an hour, they didn't .....So we pulled up in record time after running every red light, and stop sign with speed. Jim ran in to get someone, and I saw the ER. I was going in, they had drugs and I was going to get them. I was screaming and hunched over "GIVE ME DRUGS!!!" "GIVE ME DRUGS" I was serious. The security guy pushed me thru to the labor side down the hall as I am sure I got stares. As I was walking down the hall I saw a nurse and said "can you give me drugs, anything, I just need drugs, please" I was crying, screaming and begging. No such luck. I get to labor and delivery, and they come get me (I was pretty loud I guess...) and the nurse is telling me to calm down, there is a long way to go. She gives me a cup and a gown, and tells me to get dressed and give her a urine sample. I am screaming for drugs, but she said no pee, no drugs. So I went to the bathroom, and tryed to give a urine sample. I was shaking so bad I couldn't hold the cup. I got Jim to come in to help me and pleaded with him "you need to hold the cup, I keep dropping it, they wont give me drugs til I give them pee". So being the great honey that he is agrees to hold the cup for me. He gets down there, puts his hands there, and without warning, at 12:06 am out pops my little girl!!!!! He catches her, and puts her on the ground, and spins her around trying to un-wrap the cord from her kneck, and pulls the little "help" cord and says calmly "we need some chucks pads and some hemostats in here"
Nurse on the other end "what for sir"
"for the baby"
"what baby"
"the baby my wife just had"
"#%$& WHAT!!!"
Lots of dropping, and words were flying around, but needless to say about 5 nurses were there in about 5 seconds.
They put 1 hemostat on the side where Tara was, and cut the cord, and I sat there on the toilet with the cord in my hand for quite awhile....Lifting it up so I didn't bleed to death. They took the baby, and did what they needed to do with her and I just sat on the toilet screaming still I needed drugs (I felt ripped off!!)
After about 20 minutes they finally come to get me and lay me down on the bed as I am still holding my cord, and I asked Jim to call my mom who was going to be there for the birth. She got there, and the nurses finally called the doctor who arrived about an hour and a half later (yes I am still holding my cord) Needless to say my mom got to see me deliver the placenta, proubably not the same excitment!!!
The doctor FINALLY gave me drugs, and I was a happy girl holding my sweet little 6lb 11oz 19 1/2 inch baby girl with red hair and blue eyes.
She was just absolutely beautiful, and perfect in every way. I counted her fingers and toes, and admired her piercing blue eyes, and her chunky cheeks (yes even at 6lbs she had cheeks on her")I thought she weighed so much more then that she just looked chubby!!
She had perfect little arms, perfect little legs, perfectly round head, and a perfect heart......
Yes, my girl was born with a perfect heart. Undamaged, perfect and whole in every way.
That story will be next week....
Baby girl,
You came into this world like crashing thunder. You supirsed us all with your fiesty little attitude even then. We knew then that we were on your timing, and things were going to be your way or the highway!!! You captured my heart with your sky blue eyes, and your fiesty red hair. You were perfect, and tiny, and I was in love. Little girl, you have been thru some much in your short time here, and I am amazed by your strength. Most people dont go thru this in their lifetime, and you have done it in 2 years, yet you still push on with your fiesty attitude. I can't imagine our family without you, as you bring in a completion that we never had. You tought me how to have patience, you showed us how to pray, You showed us how incredibly generous people and strangers are, and how family unity is so important, but most importantlly you showed us that miracles do happen. I am so proud of you baby, and I am honored that God chose me to be your mom, and its a privledge and an honor everytime you say "mama".
I love you Tara Lorraine.
Mom

hospitals, parks, and hospitals?

First things first, We had a weekend with my niece and nephew last week.
Why would anyone have 5 carseats in the car, carrying 6 children you ask? (Elijah taking the picture) 5 kids under the age of 4.....Well Sarah my niece at some black berries....turns out she is alergic! So we went off to the doctors office with 6 children where we had to wait about 1 hour (we had no appt...) Needless to say there were lots of tears, lots of duck duck goose, and even more stares. (Mostly at me I am sure, as I was tyring to entertain 6 children any way possible.) We got some medication, and were on our way....until later. When everything started to swell even worse. Poor girl! She is really allergic!!! So Auntie Kat (being the awesome Auntie Kat that I am spent the night in the Urgent care with her, then up til 4:30 am with a cranky girl. Tori and Tyler playing Castle. One of Toris favorite games!! Jake being jake!! what a good big brother!! Tara being the puppy! 2 extra kids joined the crew for a weekend! My nephew Tyler, and niece Sarah (before she got real bad...) not sure what this face is all about!!! but he is still cute! bathroom break! We have spent the summer playing at the parks in the area (mostly the one next door!) Its so convenient to not have to pack up the kids! Plus with the park next door, we always know we are going to get a clean bathroom...well, most of the time! Sometimes the bathroom gets left for last on my list of chores! Priorities!! Every one wants clean Panties, but nobody wants to do laundry!!

kids running at the park with 100 tress (also known as Mills Park, or Pepsi park if you lived in La Verne back in the early 90's!) Last ditch summer picnic before school starts! Yummy In and Out at the park with cousins. Jake swining at the park! Look at those dirty tootsies!! Little princess loves to swing! Just closes her eyes and soaks it all in!! Last but not least, our little love bug/ pain in the neck :) was hospitalized again last week. Its so hard to get this across to people, who ask, Oh, well she is out of the hospital, is she better? Seriouslly if I get that "oh, so she is better now" after comming home from the hospital one more time I might scream!!!!!!!!! (you have been warned!) NO SHE IS NOT BETTER~She has a serious heart problem. One that does not fix itself, and one that there is no surgery to fix. The only way for her heart problem to be fixed is with a transplant, (which equals a new can of worms meaning no she would not be "better" that way either) or God to give her a "transplant" no cutting required!! The fact is when she comes home from our "tune ups" at the hospital, its not because she is better, but the fact is she can be better managed at home, with our "home" germs versus hospital germs. We have monitors, and medications that we do at home, but sometimes, she needs a bit more supportive care, so our hospital stay will not get any less often until the Lord chooses to heal her completely. (any time now Lord, We are ready!!) She has been admitted 17 times now, in the last 23 months. When talking to the nurses and doctors, they thought that was actually pretty low for someone with her medical history, and condition, so she is doing good with only 17 in their eyes. Its hard, its hard on the family, its hard on her, Its not only her that gets admitted, but its one of us parents, and our other 3 munchkins get shifted as well. Its hard on everyone involved. Our families take on way more then they bargined for, with an extra 3 kids, midnight phone calls, and lots of stress! We are greatful for everyone who helps.

But seriouslly, how cute is she! Tara getting an echo.

Part 2 of Day in the Life....

No pictures as I was to busy with puke and blood!!!
While eating hot dogs for dinner With the dog of course right under Tara :) who was sitting in a big girl chair next to Tori thinking she is all that...falls...thats right. Have you ever noticed how much a lip bleeds? Mom of course springs into action knocking off the box of cinnamon toast crunch that was still on the table from breakfast (yes, breakfast. Complain if you must, but there were "incidents" as previouslly stated. Plus if it makes you feel any better my bathrooms are spotless right now, like you could eat off the toilet seat, or at least let the dog drink out of the bowl) while I am trying to take care of fore mentioned blood, the dog starts going crazy with cereal. Eating it all. I am now at a crossroads of sorts....apply pressure with ice, or take the cereal away. Tara is screaming louder, so she wins. I am asking Tori to get the food away from the dog, but she says that its to gross. So I ask Jake. Has anyone ever seen Jake with his food? He doesn't give up, or stop eating very easy.....He finally tries to take the food away with hotdog in hand and Mac grabs that too. Now I have Tara screaming with blood, and Jake screaming with his hand half way down Macs throat trying to retrive his hot dog. Its gone. Jake is now screaming, (possibly lounder then Tara) food is a big deal. I let Jake know he can have mommys hot dog (which only has a few drops of blood on it that I pass off to him as ketchup). He is happy, and Tara starts to calm down, where I can now start cleaning up "the mess" blood off the chairs (seriuoslly white cushions? what was I thinking) the remains of the cereal box (which is pretty much bits and pieces of cardboard and plastic) and within a few minutes I hear Tori let out the blood curtling scream. I think someone is hurt, bad...I rush over to find the largest pile of puke ever known to man....on Tori's lap. Yup, as it turns out puppies can not eat there normal amount of food, and entire box of cinnamon toast crunch, bits of cardboard from box, a sippy cup spout (still intact, I am debating weather to put it in the dishwasher and call it a day? those things are a hot comodity at my house), and half a hot dog. Sitting on Toris lap. Of all kids!! haha! I run over to Tori to make sure my couch is still safe, I mean make sure she is ok...After I realize my couch is barily saved by the tiny little lap we call Tori I get a towel and start on yet another load of laundry after I hose off the big pieces and fish out the sippy cup spout thats now sitting on my counter in a zip loc. I figure I will decide tomorrow when my mind is clear!!
Now, I am off, and I am hungry. Jake ate all my hotdog....
Expect more stories from this weekend. It will be a day in the life of 6 kids and a dog, I have my 1 year old niece and 3 year old nephew all weekend!! Should be fun!!!!