WOW! Where do I begin?

I have been putting off the blog because I was overwhelmed with where to begin. So, I am just going to start and see how far I get. In my last blog entry I referred to the fact that I was beginning to feel a little overwhelmed with all that was going on. That was my first mistake. Never voice that you think you can't juggle any more in your life! Ever since Chloe was born, life has been crazy. Chloe has actually been a very easy baby, everything else just kind of fell apart.

This entry may be boring and long and full of too many details, but I use it as my journal so just skip what you want:) I will just start from the beginning. Four days after Chloe was born, I had my first attack. I did not know what it was at the time, but it was very painful. I proceeded to have three more "attacks" over the next couple of weeks. These attacks would come on in the middle of the night, last for two hours, and be excruciatingly painful, like nothing I had ever felt. After the second attack, I was in seeing a doctor who began a series of tests to see what was wrong. Finally, they discovered I had gallstones and was experiencing gallstone attacks (and oh, by the way, they found a kidney stone while they were looking). The only way to solve the problem was to have surgery and remove my gallbladder. I found this out a week before we were moving. They wanted to do the surgery the next week, but I had to postpone till the following week because we were moving. GREAT, a newborn, moving, and now surgery. I had to go on a strict diet of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains until the surgery and if I had another attack before the surgery, I was to go to the ER and have an emergency surgery. That would be convenient.

So, the scheduled date of our move was Friday, February 20th and my surgery was scheduled for Monday, March 2nd. Well, a couple of weeks before the move Maddie became sick, then Michael, and finally Chloe. They all seemed to fight through it except Chloe. She stopped being able to sleep and seemed to be getting very sick. The only way she could sleep was on my chest, upright, for maybe 45 minutes at a time. Therefore, between worrying about my attacks and now my baby, I was not sleeping at all. I had no idea how I was even existing, but I was. Motherhood really is amazing. At the same time I was trying to pack up because we were moving that Friday.

Well, moving day came and Chloe was so sick I needed to take her in and left Ryan to do the move all by himself. Sure enough, Chloe was swabbed and it was confirmed that she had RSV. Not bad enough for the hospital yet, but I was on alert to watch her closely.

Ryan spent the day moving and I spent the day taking care of Chloe. I must having been living on adrenaline because somehow, we got it all done. Finally, the move was over, but the fun had only began. We were in a new place where we knew did not know anyone and so of course, time to get to know the ward by becoming the new "needy" family in the area. On Sunday, February 22nd, two days after the move- it wasn't Chloe's RSV or my gallstones, nope, it was my kidney stone. Yep, the one the doctor said was too big to pass. It decided to pass. So, I woke at 7 am in immense pain, crawling to Ryan. He was frantically asking if I was having a gallstone attack, but no, it was my kidney stone, I could tell by where the pain was (it is almost comical now). I needed to go the ER but I did not want to leave Chloe with anyone but Ryan, so he called some friends that lived about 15 minutes away. My friend, Amy, came and got me and took me to the ER, just in time for me to start throwing up in the lobby. She is a great friend!!! To make a long story short, the stone was 6 mm and I was dying until they hooked me up to morphine. Suddenly, the hospital didn't seem so bad. In fact, all my troubles just floated away. We stayed until around 3:00 and an ultrasound showed that the stone had almost passed. ALMOST PASSED! I kept telling them I was not leaving the hospital until it fully passed. So, the nurse gave me another shot of morphine, some painkillers for later, and a strainer for when the stone passes and sent me on my way.

Needless to say, Amy was a little worried about my state of being. She dropped me off at home and immediately called our Relief Society president to inform her of the new family in the ward that needed some help. Within minutes, we got a knock at the door. I can only imagine Str.Holden's first impression of us. A very, very sick baby, two other kids running around in ragged pajamas, the house has boxes everywhere, and I am on heavy morphine just laying on the couch (I am sure she thought I was interesting). But, she was amazing. She immediately had meals coming in and people coming by to check on us. She was like a little angel that I desperately needed.

The next two days were crazy and poor Maddie had to start her new school right in the midst of it. Gramma Johnson (aka Carolyn) was ready to jump on a plane and come help, but I assured her that everything was fine and things seemed better. Once again, why did I voice it! The stone finally passed with little pain and Chloe seemed to be doing better. Well, the next night Chloe took a turn for the worst and I took her into urgent care. Once there, the doctor (who is also in our new ward) sent her straight to the emergency room. After tests, pokes, and hours, they finally admitted Chloe and had discovered that she had pneumonia. That was Tuesday night, February 24th. The next day Gramma Johnson and Great Gramma Watters flew out. What a blessing. A couple more little angels. They were much needed. They cleaned, cleaned, cleaned, and unpacked while Chloe and I stayed in the hospital until Saturday. We came home just in time for me to prepare for my gallbladder surgery on Monday (March 2nd).

Despite the craziness of it all, I was so thankful for all the help we received. After Gramma and great Gramma left, my sister-in-law, Angie, came out to take care of me and my family following the surgery. Another angel to take care of us. She spent endless hours taking care of my kids and then unpacking boxes. I cried a bucket of tears driving back from the airport after dropping her off realizing how grateful I was for her and all my family that had been so supportive, even those that couldn't make it out, but I knew were thinking of us. But suddenly I realized I still was in a new place and all the adrenaline from the past 4 weeks had started to pass. So, I was glad that the airport drive home took me a good half of an hour because I needed a good cry.

The next couple of weeks brought a lot more illness as far as colds and all that icky seasonal stuff. Michael and Maddie both have struggled with breathing problems ever since the RSV passed through the house. The doctor said it may take up to a year for their lungs to recover. At the end of March, the 26th-28th, Maddie ended up in the hospital because she had a horrible asthma attack and they could not get her breathing under control. She had come home from school not feeling well. I began giving her breathing treatments because I could tell she was struggling to breathe. At 4:00, she came crawling to me saying she could not breathe and all I had to do is take one look at her to see that she was telling the truth. So, I threw Maddie and the two other kids in the car, grabbed the breathing machine (luckily I have a plug in my car), plugged it in and had Maddie breathe with the machine as we raced to the doctors. My plug saved me a call to 911. Once at the doctors, they got her right in, got her some steroids and basically bought her some time before sending her to the hospital. Of course, Ryan was out of town and it would be the night that his plane got detoured because of horrible wind. WIND, Arizona has the most boring weather EVER, except the night I needed Ryan home. Thank goodness for my brother that could come over and stay with Michael and Chloe while I took Maddie to the ER. Another angel. Ryan met me at the hospital around 2 am. The hospital had become our common meeting ground. When he arrived at the hospital all I could say was, "fancy meeting you here." So I went home and Ryan stayed a couple of days with Maddie. All I have to say is, Maddie and steroids, very bad combo, she is moody enough without them:)

So, all in all, a little crazy, but nothing to complain about. I gained a lot of respect for people who live their lives this crazy all the time. Our house is still in boxes and nothing is hung, but I figure I will get around to it next Fall or maybe after Chloe starts Kindergarten. I think I have blogged enough for now and probably bored everyone, but I will send some pictures and finish catching up later.




Our new home!

Gotta love the porta potty in front. No need to dirty the bathrooms in your new house!

















Michael loved all the attention from Great Gramma!
The 6 mm kidney stone!



Chloe in the hospital. She still looked so beautiful even as sick as she was.









One of my many angels, Aunt Angie. We tried to keep her!






Maddie in the hospital. She was on a few drugs:)