Tuesday, October 8, 2013

"That's one thing I haven't worried about."

Thursday, Jan. 30, 1992
     Yesterday we went to visit Ann Prescott at the hospital & got to talk to her for about 30 minutes. She's doing pretty good. Before we saw her we went across the street to see Carol Ficklen. She hasn't changed much. She & Andy are trying to start their family now.
     Ez's 9-mo. checkup was yesterday afternoon. She weighs 20&1/2 lbs. & 30&1/2". Dr Karp said she's doing good. Everything we asked her about she said not to worry about. The only thing she was concerned about is that she's not pulling up yet. That's one thing I haven't worried about. She said she should be doing that by her 12-mo. checkup. She tried to get her to stand up but she wouldn't so she gave her to Guy to try & she only kind of did for him. Dr. Karp said most babies won't "perform" when the parents are telling her what they can do. There was a medical student with her but he didn't do anything.
     She talked to us again about testing Ez. for CF. She said there's not anything she'd do differently to treat her whether she has it or not. We told her we'd think about it. I'm just afraid that if she is diagnosed with it, she'll never be able to get any insurance, medical or life.
     Today we went to work in the church library. Guy ended up doing most of the work. Luana kept her down in the office but when I went down to check on her she was getting pretty fussy. I gave her a bottle of juice & when she was almost done I realized it was almost lunch time. So I got her lunch ready to feed her & I didn't have her spoon or bib. I had to feed her with a regular spoon & she did ok. She seemed like she was ready for a nap so I went to the nursery to rock her to sleep. She just wanted to look around at every-thing. So I went up to the library & Guy was almost done restacking the cassette tapes. He said he'd watch her while I typed up cards for some new books. He came downstairs before I was done & walked around with her til she fell asleep. We finished up upstairs & then waited til she woke up instead of waking her to leave. We went to Wal-Mart to get some stuff.
     I forgot to mention that Dr. Karp said Ez. can have dairy products now. She said to just use up whatever formula we have left the switch to whole milk. But we're going to just add the two together and gradually increase the ratio of milk to formula. We started this morning with 4 oz. formula & 2 oz. milk. So far so good.
     Guy washed my car this aft. & even dusted & vacuumed inside too. Tomorrow we're going to visit Nick & Tina for the weekend. They live somewhere near DC. They used to be here in the Navy but they went to Central. We lived in the same apartments way back then. Tina & Guy hit it off. Nick is quiet like me. They're from TN. Brian was a baby then. I'm not sure how old he is now but Evan is almost 2. Tina says he's a tiger. It should be an interesting weekend. Tina had to have surgery about 1&1/2 years ago for a brain tumor. We didn't know about it til months later.

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

This is my 100th blog post!

This is my 100th blog post!!!
     In honor of this milestone, I just wanted to take a minute to thank everyone who has ever taken the time to read any of my posts. I started this blog a little over two years ago, and I never imagined it would be so well-received. Since starting this blog, overall it has had over 5,000 views. I've even had viewers read it from outside the United States. People in places like Russia, Germany, Australia, the U.K., France, Canada, Romania, Latvia, & Poland are even reading my blog, and on a pretty regular basis too! I never would have thought this blog could be successful internationally, but it is!
     This blog means more to me than anyone could possibly imagine. Yes, I do have memories of my mom. She didn't die until I was 6. I have pretty clear memories all the way back to when I was 2. So I never didn't remember my mom. But what 6 year old is capable of actually knowing their mother? That's what these journals have been to me. I've had numerous people tell me as I was growing up what my mom was like, but these journals have been the key to me knowing my mom as a person. It helps me see in what ways we were alike and in what ways we were different. And it makes me want to be an amazing mother one day.
     So thank you ALL who have read these posts up to this point! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!!



Tuesday, January 28, 1992
     Yesterday was Mom's 78th birthday. I sent her a card last week even though I know she won't know the difference. When I was rocking Ez. to sleep Sun. night I was talking to her about Mom - how I wish she could have known her before she got sick. How I hope Daddy will stay well so that she'll get old enough to remember him that way, cause I can only remember Papa as a sick old man.
     I never really had figured it up until now how old of kids we'd have now if we'd been able to get pregnant according to the way we'd planned things. Our oldest would have been 9 yrs. old this month. We started seriously trying in April 1982 which would've made the baby due in January 1983. Then we would've tried again between his going to school in CA and going to the Persian Gulf in 1985 and that baby would've come in Jan. '86. If we'd waited til he got back from that cruise, it wouldn't have been born til May '86. So the second one would be 5&1/2 or 6. We would've tried again after his S. American cruise which ended just before xmas '87. That baby would've been born in Sept. or Oct. '88 & be 3 yrs. old now. Then we would've tried again while he was on shore duty & probably have aimed for having that baby in June '91, making it 6 mo. old now.
     It's practically impossible to imagine having that many kids or any that old now. Life as we know it now would not be remotely the same. And I'd probably feel twice as old as I feel now.
     Of course, if we hadn't lost the first baby, it would've been born in June '90 & be 19 months old now. But we probably wouldn't have Elizabeth now if the other baby had been ok because we wouldn't have been trying again with it only 2 mos. old.
     I know it doesn't do any good to wonder about how things might have been. I don't think about it as often as I used to. I'm just so thankful that we do have Elizabeth now & that she's healthy & growing even though she's growing too fast.
     I figured out when I was in college that the older you get, the faster time goes by. But since Ez. was born it seems like the days are flying by.
     Sat. was a nice day. Ez. took long naps in the morning and afternoon. We rented & watched two movies. Robin Hood (w/Kevin Costner) and City Slickers. Both were pretty good but not as good as I'd expected. But it was nice to sit & snuggle on the couch, eating popcorn, watching the fireplace.
     I can't remember anything special happening on Sun. We stayed in yesterday - it was rainy & gloomy most of the day. The sun came out in the aft. & Guy took Chief for a walk. He didn't get to run around loose cause there were a lot of kids playing in the street.
     We rearranged the living room yesterday. We moved the end table at this end of the couch cause it's too easy for Ez. to pull it over. (It's a 3-legged table with a floor-length tablecloth.) We set the lamp on top of the piano, scooted the couch down in front of the end of the piano, moved the other end table along with the couch, and slid the word processor table into the space that created, making a little more room in the dining room. We took the books off the shelf unit and scooted it down to make room by the fireplace for the end table & lamps where the newspaper stacker was. The stacker is on the other side of the fireplace now with the chair moved out some. I don't like it sticking out as much as it is but Haven't figured out what to do about it yet. I put away my bunnies from the top of the bookcase, then put the plants on top of it. I'll have to start keeping the watering can under the kitchen sink again. Can't think of any other use for that table so we'll probably take it apart & put it away. The hard part is going to be keeping the coffee table cleared off. Even though Ez. isn't crawling or pulling up she rolls around quite a bit and has bumped that end table a couple of times. It's getting harder to keep her from getting Chief's toys. I found her on her play quilt yesterday with his booda bone in her lap. I don't know if he gave it to her or just left it within her reach. One thing he's started doing is taking his ball & dropping it in front of her. I don't understand that cause he knows she can't throw it for him without help. He always likes for us to fight him for the ball instead of "fetching". But if Ez. tries to get it from him he'll back off & let her have it. A few times I've sat in the floor with her on my lap & when she gets the ball I'll take her hand and help her throw it for him. (Guy finally trimmed Chief's nails yesterday so it doesn't sound like he's ripping up the carpet when he's running.)
     I think Ez. is starting to understand the word "no". I try not to say it too much. I'll also say "un uh", or "leave that alone" or "not for baby". It's mainly when she tries to get in the kitchen trash or in the diaper changing stuff downstairs. It's interesting to watch her reactions though. First I'll say her name & she'll stop & turn around & look at me. Then I'll say "no" or whatever & she'll look back & forth a time or two & then let go when I say something again. Then she'll do it again, same way. The third time after I say it I go & if she's still touching it, swat her hand, say it again & move her to a different spot. No fussing about it so far.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

"...we don't have any money to spare these days."

Saturday, Jan. 25, 1992
     I got up with Ez. this morning & let Guy sleep til 9:00. We've both been getting up this past week & eating breakfast together. I told Guy I wanted one morning to sleep late next week. I wish she didn't wake up at 7:00 every morning. Sometimes it's 6 or 6:30 when I first hear her. I try to hold her off from eating before 7:30. Til 8:00 if I can, hoping that will keep her from waking up so early. I think the sun coming in her windows is what wakes her up sometimes - one cloudy morning she slept til nearly 8:00. Sometimes she wakes up with a messy diaper. I think it would help if we could block the sun from her windows. They have drapery liners in the Sears catalog that I'd like to order but we don't have any money to spare these days.
     I got some sewing done yesterday - finished some overalls and two pair of sweatpants. The sweats were easy. Guy had to put the snaps on the overalls for me. I got started on a onesie and still have a shirt to make (to match the overalls). Then I'll have everything made that I already had cut out. She doesn't really need any more clothes right now.
     We've been getting along pretty good this week. I don't think we've been getting on each other's nerves too much. It still feels like we're an "old married couple" now though.