last one

This is my last post for a few days, and likely the last time you'll be checking for a few days. It's going to be a smorgasbord of thoughts.

Pete
He's been doing so amazingly well. Like, I really can't believe how amazing he's been. He has not complained at all, and the various splints he's been wearing haven't phased his at all. His most recent splint is not staying on too well, which is a PIA (pain in the you-know-what), and this morning, all of his bandaids had come off, exposing the pin in his ring finger. That's supposed to come out at the Doc's office next week. And in other news, he's so, SO close to crawling. He really wants to move, but I sense that he's nervous about bearing weight on his left hand. I'm thinking that it's only a matter of weeks before he's on the move. Bug, please wait until after the Christmas tree is down, K?

Christmas
This is the first year in a long, long time that have felt so excited and anxious for the holiday to hurry up and get here. Our cousins came into town today, and Monday-Wednesday of this week dragged into eternity. But today went by in a blink, and I know the next few days will be a blur too. It's been so great to feel so excited, really like being a kid again. I think I have Emerson to thank for that. She's been way into it this year, and it truly is magical to see Christmas through a child's eyes. But my heart is also heavy thinking about loved ones who won't be here to celebrate. This is the 17th Christmas without my cousin Vinnie (Yes, really my cousin. Yes, really Vinnie.) I can't believe that I've now lived more of my life without him that I did with him.

That's all from here. Have yourself a very Merry Christmas with your family. Hugs to all of you!

Christmas-ey pics

I'm on hold with Disney, pricing out a magical vacation for a client, and thought I'd maximize my time by multi-tasking. They have the best hold music, by the way. But I digress.

Here's a few from baking at Grammy's. Disregard the fact that she's wearing a Chicago Cubs bib...she's been VERY into being a baby lately...wonder why...and insisted on wearing it while baking. Ah, 3 year olds.

Enjoy!

i'm an old soul AND the winner is...

I've often described myself as an "old soul" Like there's a 70 year-old living inside of my thirtysomething body. I love the 1930's and 1940's; I grew up listening to Old Time Radio shows from that era and still listen to one every night as I snuggle in bed. And I found an awesome store on eBay that caters right to my old soulness...

Collectible Ads Magazines and More

They have a great collection of old magazine ads ranging from the 40's up through the 80's (love the one of Charles and Di as their wedding approached. Very timely now with Wills heading down the aisle in 2011) I collect vintage posters and have them displayed around the house. These old magazine ads and magazine covers are right up my alley. I'll have to start making room on the walls...

As promised, I have the winner of my Cold Tangerines giveaway. I put numbers in a hat for each comment, and drew one at random. And the winner is...Limpy Jo! Please email me directly at alisong@mei-travel.com and we'll work out the details.

Stay warm...it's BRUTAL out there. Well, at least out here anyway.

chicken and rice a'la amy

In the interest of honoring my promise to share recipes, I have an easy one for you that is perfect for this busy week. My cousin Amy makes it, and it's SO yummy. Everyone (well, maybe not Pete yet) in our family loves it!

Amy's Chicken & Rice

4-5 boneless thighs (they have loads of flavor, but breasts are fine too)
bread crumbs (I prefer Italian seasoned breadcrumbs)
2 or 3 eggs, beaten
butter
1 can chicken and rice condensed soup (plain cream of chicken, cream of celery, cream of mushroom, etc...will be fine)
1 cup rice
1 cup orange juice

Dredge the chicken in breadcrumbs, egg, breadcrumbs to coat all the pieces. Pan fry in butter just until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes/side. Spray baking dish with cooking spray. Mix soup, rice and OJ together and pour into baking dish. Place chicken on top. Cover with foil and bake at 325 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.

Mmmmmm.

my first-ever giveaway!

I really, really like the book Cold Tangerines. So much, in fact, that I want to give a copy to one of you lovelies. So, in the spirit of this season of giving, I'm hosting my first-ever blog giveaway. Just leave a comment in today's post telling me your favorite thing about the Christmas season. I'll choose one comment at random and pass along a copy of Cold Tangerines.

I'll give you through the weekend, and I'll announce the winner on Sunday night, so have your comment in by noon on Sunday, OK? (That's noon CST for you worldly types.) Then, stay tuned.

Goody. I'm really excited about this!

cold tangerines

This is what's currently sitting on my nightstand. It's a wonderful, witty, conversational, emotional book. Like lots of coffee dates with your best girlfriend. It's honest and funny and strikes really close to home for me. A friend from church RAKed me with it {that's Random Act of Kindness}, and while I can't give one to each of you, I'm happy to introduce you.

Get a copy. It will make your life better. I promise.

I'm going to plagiarize Shauna Niequist's (the author) website here:

Cold Tangerines is a collection of stories that celebrates extraordinary moments hidden in our everyday lives. It is about God, and about life, and about the thousands of daily ways that an awareness of God changes and infuses everything. It is about spiritual life, and about all of the things we have called non-spiritual that may be spiritual after all. It is the snapshot of a young woman making peace with herself and her life, and trying to craft a life that captures the energy and exuberance we long for in the midst of fear and regret and envy we all carry with us. It is both a voice of challenging and a song of comfort, calling us upward to the best possible life, and giving us room to breathe, to rest, to break down, and to break through. Cold Tangerines offers bright and varied glimpses of hope and redemption, in and among the heartbreak and boredom and broken glass.

3 year-olds...

* have a propensity for hiding things and then forgetting where they are

* are old enough to say "I love you" and mean it

* sometimes say "I love you" at random times, like in the middle of dinner. Sigh.

* are really, really noisy

* tend towards bossy

* have the most amazing imaginations

* are waaaay more independent than two year-olds

* don't take naps

* don't participate in "quiet time" anymore

* can sometimes be amazingly generous with toys and treats

* can sometimes be amazingly stingy with toys and treats

* love to sing

* will crumble into an absolute puddle when they drop their cookie on the ground. Like, shoulders heaving, wailing, and big fat tears dripping down her cheeks

* will smile from ear-to-ear when another cookie appears

* won't say hello to a guest in your home, but will chat ad nauseum with the clerk at the grocery store, or the orthopedic surgeon during their brother's appointment

* like to "help," but lose interest after about 3.7 seconds

* are really, really messy. It's like living with a whirling derbish

All in all, three year-olds are a species unto themselves.

post-op pics and a tip

Before I forget, here's my tip. Did you know you can reuse your laundry dryer sheets? I was skeptical to try because I like my clothes fluffy soft, but it really works. If you don't buy the super-discount brand, you can use each sheet 2 or 3 times. Try it...it doesn't save you a ton of cash, but every little bit helps, right?

I've been meaning to post these all week, but Mr. Pete threw us for a loop by spiking a 102 degree fever on Thursday. After visiting the peds Dr. and talking with the surgeon, everyone is pretty confident that it's coincidental (and bad) timing and not a surgical site infection. We have our post-op follow up appointment tomorrow...I'm anxious to see Pete's "new" hand.

And despite the fact that he's been miserable with his fever all weekend, he still has yet to complain about the sling and bandages and the fact that he can't use his hand. What. An. Amazing. Kid.

So, here are some pics from last Tuesday, about 8 hours after surgery. He was happily playing on the floor while I was changing the sheets on our bed. You'd never guess he went through hell earlier in the day, would you? Like the bruise on his forehead? That's from one of the IV attempts.

I realize this is not his best look, but I love the intensity that he's shaking his toy with. And I can hear him laughing and shouting just by looking at this.

Such a serious look...he was checking himself out in the mirror. I wonder if he was thinking "Hey, where's my left arm?"

He's stylin with his uber sleek bandage. That thing is huge! Makes it challenging to hold him.

I have loads of ideas for posts this week...now I just have to make the time to make them happen.

Make it a good week~

he's a pincushion

I had an interesting chat with the anesthesiologist today. Turns out that Pete was an eyelash from having his surgery cancelled...they couldn't get the IV in! He has pokes in his hand, feet, side, neck, 3 on his forehead (!!!), and they finally got it in on the side of his head. She had to use ultrasound and Doppler to find a vein. They have the same problem with me. Add a family history of stinky veins with dehydration (due to not having fluids after midnight), and it was quite a challenge.

When we went back to Recovery to see him, he looked like Massive Headwound Harry. It was a bit jarring at first. Today, we've had some entertainment counting all of his pokes. Emerson thinks it's pretty funny, but mark my words, she's filing it away in her "gotta have surgery" file. She's not going to soon forget that her brother turned into a pincushion.

surgery details

I really wanted to post some pictures, but my camera isn't cooperating with my computer and I'm too pooped to fuss with it.

I have gotten so many Facebook posts, emails, texts, you name it today- truly amazing and so, SO comforting. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers for our family. What a gift!

So, the doc took Pete's thumb off and used the skin {amazing} to create skin grafts for other parts of the surgery. He made an incision in his wrist and removed a piece of bone {!!!} to give him more flexion in his wrist. I'm thinking that one is gonna hurt...just a hunch. Lastly, he opened his finger and palm to fiddle with the tendon in his ring finger. Pete's pinkie and ring fingers share a metacarpal bone and muscle/tendon/ligaments, so they'll likely always work in unison. He seems to have straightened the finger, maybe not all the way, but more than it was (picture a 90 degree bend, cocked towards the pinkie...that's where he WAS). Seemingly, he'll have some bend in it, but it's too soon to tell. And get this- he put a temporary pin in his finger to stabilize it. When I heard "temporary," my immediate thought was more surgery. But no, Doc said the pin is poking out of his skin and he'll have it removed in the office in a few weeks. Remind me to be washing my hair that day, K?

All in all, it's pretty amazing. And his pain has been minimal so far. He's stirring as I type, so the codeine may be wearing off, but I'll go dose him and get him back to sleep.

Then I'm off to sleep myself.

everything is a-ok

Just a quick update- we are home, Pete is fantastic, surgery went well, all is right with the world. Thank you so much for all the prayers and kind thoughts.

I'll update with details on the surgery after bedtime, if I'm still upright. But the most important thing is that Pete is just fine.

Yeah God and hurray for modern medicine.

randomness

We tried to have a normal day around here today on the eve of surgery. Grocery store, projects with Miss Em, laundry; you know, the usual Monday stuff. But Emerson was a bit different today. If you didn't know us very well, you might not have picked up on it, but I saw some things that made me realize that she is dealing with Pete's surgery in her own way.

* When he was fussy this morning as nap/bottle time approached, she gave him her Pluto stuffed animal to soothe him. Usually, she doesn't let him within 20 yards of one of her "buddies."

* When he woke from his am nap, he was crying. She went in there and did who-knows-what to make him laugh and giggle and forget his crabbiness. Like his own personal court jester. He adores his big sister.

* He had a crying spurt this afternoon (personally, I think he knows something is up!) and I said "Pete, do you need some snuggs?" She said "Mama, I will snug with him." And she did. She sat on the floor with his head in her lap and watched an episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while rubbing his back. Oh. My. Goodness.

* Eventually, she was able to express that she will miss him while she's having a sleepover at Grammy & Grandpa's house, and that she wants to make a card for him. Such a kind girl.

* Upon arriving at G & G's, she announced to Kiwi the cat that "Pete is having some surgery, OK?" Just keeping everyone in the loop, I guess.

She also initiated a conversation that made me laugh while driving this afternoon.

E- "Mama, I want 10 babies."
me- "Ok, when you get married, you and your husband can have all the babies you want."
E- "No, I want YOU to have 10 babies."
me- "Well, I think we might be done having babies. But it's really up to God to decide. He's in charge of those decisions."
E- "Well, this time *I* will make the decision."

Let me know how that goes for you.

date night-amended

Scratch that. White Christmas is not On Demand, nor is the VHS tape in our drawer. No movie.

Lame.

date night

My hubby and I are about to have a date night and watch White Christmas. It's one of my all-time faves, not just Christmas movies, but ALL TIME movies. I've seen it, oh, twenty times. I love the singing, dancing, costumes for the "show", and of course Bing crooning "White Christmas." We're going to watch it On Demand through our digital cable box. Simple. Easy. Ready-when-we-are. For the last few years, this has been how we've watched it. But prior to that, we watched it on a VHS tape that my mom recorded off WGN in like 1987. The picture quality was crap, there were a ton of commercials, and there was that less-than-ambient hum of the VCR in the background.

But you know what? I miss those commercials...there was one for Leggs brand panythose, and since it was 1987, the color selection was like a rainbow: Teal, red, pink, purple. Yikes. But always good for a laugh. And there were others too...Butterball Turkey commercials; Pillsbury Crescent Rolls with that cute little Dough Boy; I wish I could remember some others. For me, those commercials, the lousy picture quality, and that annoying hum are all part of the experience. We had the same experience and laughed at the same commercials every year. While I appreciate the ease and convenience of today's modern technology, and have to stop for a minute and think about some of the little intangibles that are lost.

Guess I'm just feeling nostalgic tonight.

it's december

This post is likely not what you're expecting. While December 1st marks the beginning of a busy month of celebrating, family, friends, and holiday cheer, this year it also means that Pete's surgery is just around the corner.

December 7th WILL be a day of infamy for our family in 2010. We're having Pete's thumb removed that day. If you're new and are wondering what the heck I'm talking about, click here to catch up.

Sounds harsh, but I have to believe it's for the best. Since he has no functional bone in his left thumb, he has absolutely no control over it. So he can't move it to get it out of the way of a drawer, car door, hammer, etc. And it's the teeny, tiniest thing ever. I'm actually amazed that we haven't accidentally pulled it off. I mean that literally.

But it's hard. What's the first thing you do when a baby is born? Count fingers and toes. And even though it's tiny, he was born with 10. And now he'll have 9. As his Mama, my heart breaks because I know that there's teasing to come down the road. No way to get around it.

Sigh.

In addition, the doctor is going to try to give him some mobility in his permanently bent ring finger and also reposition his hand at the wrist to give him a bit more functionality. It's all outpatient, and our surgeon is A-MAZ-ING. I have the utmost confidence in him.

But still. They're knocking my 8 month old out, doing all kinds of cutting, he's going to be in pain when he wakes up, and he'll be in a sling for a month. A MONTH. I'm sure that'll get old real quick.

Up until now, I've really avoided thinking about this whole surgery deal. But now I can't avoid it. I'm trying to keep calm, not stress, and not worry about things I can't control. I'm turning to Scripture to help me accomplish this. Philippians 4:6 says (and I'm paraphrasing) "Don't worry about anything. Pray about everything. Tell God what you need and give thanks for all that He has done. Then you'll experience God's peace, which transcends all understanding."

Once again, I'm asking for prayers from you...for Pete, for the surgical team, for Emerson as lots of attention is showered on her brother, and for Jeff & I to have patience as Pete heals and learns how to function in the short term with his arm in a sling. Thanks so much!

Make it a good one~