Along Came a Spider

or some type of insect and bit my child. She went to bed on that Friday night and was fine.

The next morning she woke up like this:



at that time we thought she was having an allergic reaction to something and began treating with benadryl. She was not complaining of pain.

By afternoon it had not improved much. We took her to a walk in clinic, they were closed. So we decided to continue as we were since she had no fever and was not complaining of pain, and that we would take her the next morning. Which is what we did. I took her to the walk in clinic and they said it was an infection from a possible bite and sent us home with antibiotics. I gave her a dose and she went to sleep for a nap. Around 4 pm or so she woke up vomiting and had fever. She was now crying and said it hurt and under her arm hurt as well. I did not pass go...I did not collect 200 dollars, I took her directly to ER.

Thanks goes out to Pastor Nate at our church who came to the hospital. He was there with Jenny and I while the put in the IV.  Jenny was all about that later.  She couldn't express it then...but since then she has referred to him as "her Pastor Nate".

She was admitted on IV antibiotics and morphine for pain. They did xrays and blood work as well. She had a raging infection from an unknown cause. When we first got there they splinted her hand but the xray techs took it off and no one ever replaced it.

The doctors painted a bleak picture of tendon, nerve and all sorts of damage.  But I KNOW a HEALER who can stop infections in their TRACKS!





This is my baby in pain and on morphine..(this one breaks my heart.)



She was brave though and tried to color and play with a gift sNonnie (Shelly Lickliter) sent her







a balloon from a friend brought a smile(Ches..thank you..it really did help her).

Our beloved Ms Terri works at Children's and she stopped in too..which brought smiles as well.  God is good and gives you people in your lives that bless you, in ways that may seem small to them, but is HUGE to you.



They were talking surgery.........and had been since we came in. Her finger was not improving fast enough



we sent out another call for prayer

This is an hour and a half after the previous picture and why I KNOW prayer works



The doctors then said NO surgery on Tuesday morning. she was so brave.  She still had some pockets of infection and her finger is still not the right color but is better. The last photo doesn't show the color of her finger now..or the bluish tint to it...they say it is the infection still under the skin...and it is still a bit swollen. She can now bend it and use it better. They let her keep her jammies on and we couldn't change them because of th IV...but here are some more pics of my girl recovering. (This was written just after we returned home..for a Mommy website I belong to, but now adding it to my blog)



being brave and finally smiling.

almost ready to go home..waiting for our walking papers..LOL





that cot behind her is where I slept. Do not let looks deceive you..it is NOT comfy..LOL.

I almost forgot to mention sweet Hannah Garmany and her mommy Emily came to say hello as well and Poppie called us too......where is my brain.  All that people did, posted, prayed, etc...all of it counted and it mattered and it blessed us so much.


oh and her class and school and teacher sent her this:


 She returned to school on the Friday after her admission.. She was hooked up to a heart monitor part of that time as well due to the morphine for pain and the infection messing with her system. I am so glad she is better. What a weekend we had.  
And while I wrote this the other day, I can now report she has finished that horridly yucky medicine.  Her finger is almost normal but still not quite back to like before.  God is completing the work. 

This is a test...only a test...

If it had been an actual blog post it would have been more interesting.  But since blogger seems to be misbehaving for me, I need to do a test post.  In the event of an actual blog post...read and laugh because generally my life is filled with laughable moments.  Or Cringe because there are some of those moments too. I now return you to regular blog land postings.  Have a great day.

Out of the mouths of babes

Comes great wisdom and great faith.  Last night we were driving to church.  Jenny said "Mommy I have a story to tell you and it is a true story.  It is not fiction (she just learned that word). 

Here is her story:

It is a short story but it is a good one.

Me and Jesus...we is best fwiends. Jesus...He plays with me and sleeps with me and hugs me and I hug Him. He wubs evewybody and He is evevybody's fwiend. He is kindness and He is sweetness. The end. 

And that my friends is the reward of a Mommy...faith in her child, love and hope and the joy of life shining out for the world to see.  I stand in awe of a Savior who has put such love for  Him into the hearts and minds of my children.

Great is HIS faithfulness unto me.

Tweens...the grand adventure

It is that time of year....school has begun.  There is homework to be done, a schedule to adhere to books to keep up with and of course open house.  The kids show off their classrooms, some things they have done and wait with a little anxiety to hear the teacher say they are doing just fine.  In the midst of it all, you have to find time for love and encouragement while trying to get it all done. 

As of late I have felt inadequate, overwhelmed and out of my element.  Because when it all boils down to it...no ladies and gentleman I am NOT "smarter than a 5th grader"!  When did math become so complicated?  As I look at my son's text book, I think...there is no way we learned that in 5th grade.  I am astounded by all he is already learning and feel unable to help.  I am ...but it is a feeling.  One that I haven't had a in a while.

 I remember those first weeks in motherhood, after being introduced to this tiny bundle of sweetness, crying, cooing and spit up.  It was in those weeks I learned, all those years of babysitting, being a day care teacher and a nanny did NOT prepare me for motherhood.  The books didn't tell me about supersonic poos that easily cleared 6 feet out of the diaper and necessitated a bath for anyone and  anything with a 6 foot radius.  It did not prepare me for sleep deprivation or the fear of knowing something was wrong with your baby but no doctor would listen.  It also did not prepare me for the depths of love and willing sacrifice I would feel and go to for my child. 

Now I stand at the precipice of the teen years.  Childhood, young child hood for my son is almost behind us.  He is about to enter............the TWEEN ZONE.  In some ways he already has entered it.  I again am experiencing..all the newness of having a child who is no longer a child but yet he is.  It is limbo land.  Somewhere between childhood and teenager without a map.  Yet, I see glimpses of the man he will become.  What  fine, upstanding man he will be.  He is compassionate and loving.  He is kind and caring.  Sometimes he can be a bit cranky and procrastinate (hmmmm I wonder...who he gets that from...checks to see if my "label" is showing). 

I being a Mommy and decidedly female, do not get the whole boy thing. 

A little  boy one second....something entirely alien the next.  (Did aliens switch him while I wasn't looking).?

Giggly and silly and full of jokes part of the day...moody and stormy another.
Yes...folks I think we are hitting the beginning stages of puberty.  Or as he asked me the other day "mom when I go through pubity, will I be able to grow  a mustache?  When  can I shave...cause I think...see right there on my chin..I think that might be a hair"

Now, his Daddy does and he helps.  However, my son needs to learn from me as the biggest female influence in his life , at the moment. My responsibility to him is to nurture without coddling, to be firm with mercy and to no matter what show him love. Now, I have no issue with the loving part..I have that down pat.  But when the tween attitude rears, I find it hard not to go a little heavy on the firm.  So this is a learning process for us both.

However, the tools in my arsenal include prayer and faith.  Thank GOD for these.  I could not travel this road without them.  As I traverse uncharted territory I trust God to lead me. 

My love for this child, I mean young man grows and changes with him.  It grows deeper, it expands and it learns. 

That is another thing......I didn't get totally, until I had kids...Love learns.

So we are off on this grand adventure...and I have my arsenal ready...faith, prayer, the word of God and lest we forget...for when I need it...COFFEE, calgon and chocolate. 

Wordless Wednesday

A kindergarten tale

Twas the night before kindergarten and all through the house giggles and wiggles echoed  my joy as I layed down in my bed.

I slept most soundly with visions of pencils and crayons and a nice teacher in my head.

Up before the sun I sprang rather slowly and could not eat

but hurried to get dressed with spiffy shoes on my feet.

Breakfast was done and now it was time to wait

for the clock to read half past eight.

I thought this day would never arrive

and waiting was almot too much to survive.

Finally Mommy said those wonderful words

It is time to go.

On with my backpack and lunch box too

posing for pictures is just something you have to do.

Off in flash, how much I have grown

with grins and "pinky tails" to be shown.

We arrived at the school with time to spare

and had lots of things with my friends to share

Time for more posing for mommy to see

what a big girl God has made me to be

Who is that coming down the hall

it's my teacher coming to line us up straight and tall

Standing in line waiting to see

what my next adventure will be

Bye Mommy I love you so much but I am ready for this day

and I will see you later is what I have to say

And off I go hand in hand

with my teacher to Kindergarten land

I arrived home with smiles galore

and happy with all kindergarten has in store

I have a bright future it is plain to see

but I was so glad to have brother, and sister and mommy to walk home with me.

A new Era has begun

I am no longer going to be a mom with children at home during the day.  I have been a stay at home mom for almost 11 years. 

I have changed countless diapers, wiped noses again and again, kissed boo boos, mended toys and read stories. Now they will all be at school and Mommy's job has a new definition. While I will still do lots of those things, my children will be in the hands of others for a large part of the day.

I will now be the peruser of all things homework.  I will listen to their day and decipher what needs a listening ear and what need intervention.  I did some of this before but still had that last little one at home to offer the balance.

Our family is shifting, changing and growing.  While part of me says this is bitter sweet.  Another part of me says this is magnificent.  Change brings growth.  Families grow and change together and learn new things.  It is good. 

Hopefully, a job that works with the children's schedule will come into play.  When that happens, I will become the "working mom".  Now we all know that all mom's work.  However, I will be learning too.  I will learn to juggle, job, home, church, social lives of 3 children and much more.

I am up to the task.  And I look to the future with anticipation of what God is going to do through us and in us.  I want to prepare my children for the destiny God has called them to. I want to be the Mom, my kids know, prays about everything. The Mom they can come to about anything and know acceptance is not based on performance, but based on unconditional love.

Lord, let me be who you want me to be.  Let me say what you want me to say. Let me make a difference in this world and in the lives of  my children. Let my life count for you and your will.

Let me teach with love, discipline with mercy and hope in all things.  Let my children see the light of Jesus in all my words, actions, deeds.  May my hands be those to bless others.  My words be those that build up and never tear down.
Let me support my husband in ways seen and unseen.  May our home always be a soft place to land and a warm blanket of love with the light of love shining like beacon to all who see it.