Here I Am!

Man, it feels like forever and a day since I have posted anything over here. Lots of things have happened, in no particular order: * Rob's truck was totalled. He is taking it very hard. We are now down to one car and having to make some serious financial decisions. * I am now teaching classes that include CPR for infants and adults. I really enjoy it and am thankful for the opportunity. The one downside fo the job is that I am always worried I am not a good teacher. I don't know where the insecurity comes from other than I am an insecure person by nature. * I am debating on signing Lincoln up for swim lessons. Any thoughts? My mom is convinced he will get ear infections, and several other moms have told me it is a waste this young. It is literally not an option to not swim during summer here and I want him to know how to stay safe. Hmn.... * We took it upon ourselves to lower Paris's dosage on her anti-seizure medicine and she is back to being her spritely self again. I don't want her to have another seizure but her quality of lie is compromised beign so drugged out. * Lincoln is standing on his own for brief stints. Where did my tiny, squishy baby go? I promised to put a new picture up of him and now it is time for his quarterly photo to be taken again so I will just post one of those, probably. He is sooo cute!

Scarrrrrred

As you may recall, about two weeks ago I lost a friend to a sudden illness. She was in good health and it has sent all who knew her reeling.

In all the years I have known him, my husband has never called out sick from work. Today he did.

And today, without the usual fuss, he allowed me to make him a doctor's appointment.

I should disclose that the night prior, I had a headache and asked him to cancel his plans with a friend to help me with Lincoln. The second he walked in the door he kept saying how sick he felt, and he even took a 2-hour nap on the couch, all while I seethed that I never get a break from parenting. He even apologized before bed, explaining that he really did feel extremely sick.

My husband has pneumonia. Lots of people get it, but it is also to be taken seriously. He had been coughing for going on 7 weeks, but yesterday his symptoms went from annoying to extremely concerning.

Clearly we have issues in this family with going to the doctor in a timely fashion.

Anyway, I am confident in his treatment and expect a quick recovery. But! If you can learn anything from my crankiness, it is that we all need to exercise compassion, regardless of how we are feeling. And also, hold your loved ones a little tighter.

Awww!

So money is tight 'round these parts. Mainly, we are on a tight budget so that I can take have private health insurance. Our aim is to always rely on our own resources as opposed to government assistance (no shame in utilizing it, just leaving it for those who truly need it.) We couldn't afford for Rob to go onto COBRA, too, so he will have insurance in 3 months with his new employer. In the meantime, we are saying lots of prayers to ensure his safety.

All this to say, my husband has been slaving away at his new job. The hours are much better and he has been blessed with ample work (a far cry from his last job!) This past week he worked six days and he is anticipating a good pay check. He called me a minute ago and said, "I did even more hours than I originally thought. My check will be good. Now you can buy nursing bras and clothes that fit!" It was a very sweet sentiment. My pricey, sexxxy Frederick's of Hollywood bras have all but quit on me and it is time to make the move to something a little more pregnancy-practical. I had mentioned needing a few things and obviously he was listening. He is so proud to care and provide for his family. I, in turn, am proud of him and his work ethic.

Yesterday was Rob's first unofficial Father's Day and we spent the morning in the Minute Clinic because he has been having a severe allergic reaction to poison ivy. I won't make you lose your lunch with a photo but let's just say it is drawing stares and comments from strangers. Despite this, he put off seeing the RNP as long as he could and he has been suffering through the reaction in the heat. I had been pressuring him to go it looked at but he simply didn't want to take the time off. (It wasn't a money issue, as clearly we have reserves for this and medical attention is necessary. ) I'm simply so thankful I was blessed with a man who puts his family first. Hopefully the steroid therapy helps and he is back to feeling himself shortly!

Good News

So sorry for the delayed absence. It was certainly unplanned. Being sick last week really, wiped me out. I missed out on a lot of fun stuff, lost a ton of weight and basically laid around like a sloth. But, I'm feeling better now! When I get home I will work on my weekly updates.

Just wanted to thank everyone for the good vibes they sent our way-Rob is working a new job this week and so far it is going really well. Losing his last job was so.hard but everything happens for a reason. We are convinced God needed to remove him from a toxic situation, by any means necessary, even if it was painful. He didn't end up accepting the job he thought he really wanted but this new job is pretty cool, too. The best part if that he gets off at a reasonable hour of the day and it is only 5 miles away. So, thank you again for your support during The Great Sickness of 2011 (praying this is the only sickness...) and Rob's job woes.

Gah!

Well, I failed the 1-hour glucose test. hat means I get to undergo the 3-hour tomorrow morning. I am bummed but at the same time, simply glad for modern medicine allowing me the opportunity to know if there is something wrong. Being on a restrictive diet or having to take (more) shots would be a massive bummer but anything to keep my little man healthy and safe!

We're having a lot of stress related to our insurance, so any warm fuzzies or prayers you have would be appreciated. Basically, the woman who does HR for Rob's former company feels absolutely no pressure or rush to get us the COBRA info in a timely fashion so we have been "deactivated" and it is causing problems. There's more to it then that but I won't bore you.

In more positive news, Rob had an interview early this morning and he is still gone, 2 hours later. I am choosing to look at this as an excellent sign! This is the job he really wants because there are a lot of perks you don't typically see in his industry, such as days that are only 10.5 hours long and some weekends off (unheard of!)

The Good and The Meh

I had another doctor's appointment today. Everything seems to be going on swell! Praise God for that! Le bebe sounded nice and healthy and I am holding steady on my weight, which I was concerned about. I also did my gestational diabetes test. I spend time on The Bump message boards and from the way many people write about it, I was literally expecting hell on Earth but that was not the case at all. My bottle of glucola was very small and tasted like fruit punch. I literally had it down in two sips. Now, I get to wait for the results.

Rob had a job interview today and they are doing a background check. I really hope it works out. The situation is not ideal but we desperately, desperately need for him to find a job. No joke. I paid the doctor $720 this morning, I have to pay COBRA for the month, which is as yet undetermined because his HR lady hates him, and we have to spend $100 on Paris for her seizure medicine tomorrow. Oh, and I have to pick up another prescription, too. Anybody have some winning lotto numbers to spare?

All kidding aside, so long as the baby is healthy, I don't care about money. We are still actively trying to live in a place of faith, not fear. Sometimes we have to gently remind ourselves. OK, maybe we have to do a lot of reminding, but it's all OK, either way.

A Conversation

The doctor to Rob: So, what do you do for a living?

Rob: I'm a mechanic.

The doctor: Oh, well, I fancy myself a mechanic of sorts, too.



**At least she maintains a sense of humor!