Like a lot of us since Facebook, I've been neglecting my blog. So I was going to link to this on FB but I have resolved to try to do a blog post once again like in the good old days of blogging.
http://www.portlandchoirs.org/
This is A&C's choir home page but it features Archer's solo, even though it has the mom of the other kid talking through Archer by himself. She is a board member so there is that kind of perk. I do nothing and my kid makes it on, so not bad. If you look closely at the oposite ends (they are the tallest) are Archer and Chase, one looking relatively glad to be there, the other not, but what it says about A is that he identifies with being a singer and about Chase that he does it anyway.
It is actually the better compliment, actually, because he does it purely out of love and honor of his mother, because to try to get out of it this year he spent about a solid hour pouting in the corner of the living room until I noticed him. I was going to let him off the hook but I begged him to keep at it because they switched the venue for rehearsals and they took the light rail last year by themselves because it was a straight shot from a block away from our house to the rehearsal locale but this year there are a few blocks in Portland involved and couldn't bear to think of my sweet Archer walking alone in Portland alone at night, so I suppose this might turn Chase into a serial murderer or something because of how much he resents it but for now it just tells me that he is a super sweet boy that would do just about anything to make his mom happy. Not to mention that he has decent pipes himself, he just prefers not to solo quite so much.
When I get around to it I am going to post Archer's major paid solo backed up by a full choir and orchestra but that will involve a bit more work. We are very lucky he went out with a bang, too, because his voice changed this summer very quickly. Kind of sad, but I am pretty sure that his lower voice will also be nice, just not quite so impressive. He used to be able to sing up to a B (5 notes above the highest note for women in the Hymn book). He still can sing to an F, just not solo quality so much, though I am trying to convince him to work up his very nice sounding alto while he still has it. We'll see.
That and a few other posts will be coming as I catch up. They sang at Carnegie Hall and I hope one of the other parents did some good video.
Sadie will be in the Children's chorus of Joseph and the ATDC. She is having a blast and it is developing her voice very nicely. She is very artistic and has added knitting recently to fashion design and drawing. Slade used to draw with Charity in Sacrament meeting when she was little and we all know that turned out well so we expect great things from her once she picks a specialty.
Drake is pretty much school school and more school. He was bummed that they didn't pick the highest valedictorian for distinction at Forest Grove, it is just anyone with a 4 or higher which he scoffs at because he is trying to get it much higher by taking as many AP classes as he can. These are weighted to 5's. He is already working on his Princeton ap because that is supposedly the place to go to pursue his love of physics. We will be interested to see where he gets the money, but there is no doubt that he will find a way somehow.
Slade is cleaning house at Intel. They are sending him to Tokyo in a few weeks as a rep to meet with important customers, which is interesting because there are people with that career path who would kill each other for the chance and if you didn't see him you might not know he was just a regular tech geek for his day job. I think they figure that not only is he brilliant at what he does and well spoken, he makes for nice window dressing because he is also so dang gorgeous. Doesn't have the typical engineer paunch or hairline.
That leaves Q and me. I am finally starting to feel like a normal person since it has only been about a week since I could walk across the room. QB is now past 10 pounds even though she is only in the 2nd percentile for weight. But I am actually glad I get to have her small longer, I know that if she is like most of the rest of us she won't be underweight for long. She easily takes the cake for my best natured baby which wories me because the rest of them were still screaming their heads off but had not a single two-ish tantrum among them later on, when it is a lot less sweet to hear them cry.
Well that about does it for now, but stay tuned because there will be more posting if I get to it, particularly some interesting news that you will want to be the first to hear.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Sunday, August 15, 2010
The Birth Story:
Well I haven't put it all out there quite yet so I thought it was about time. I am not quite put together again, much akin to Humpty Dumpty. My leg still hurts, I am still reeling from having almost died two months ago during the last few weeks I was pregnant, and am still not sleeping normally since it has been a year or more since I Have had enough sleep.
The entire pregnancy was a bit rocky as I have described here. At the highest weight I attained I gained four pounds since the beginning. I went through periods where I wasn't just sick I felt like I was poisoned, and I was. I got so dehydrated that my kidneys and liver were not detoxing me properly and I was undergoing gradual organ failure. At the checkup on month eight, my birthday, I went in and I had lost 24 pounds since my last appointment.
So I was immediately admitted. But they decided it was too serious for that hospital and I was transported between that one and another one via ambulance. I felt like Hannibal Lecter strapped onto a stretcher like that. Anyway once I got there I continued to not be able to keep down fluid and vomit up my insides. It was about a week since I kept down water, around the time that you are supposed to be able to survive, even without constant puking.
Everyone kept coming in my room and telling me I was hours from death uless I was rehydrated via IV but it took about 50 pokes to get a vein since they were all collapsed from not having enough fluid in them. Finally with an ultrasound they found a deep vein they could use and it hurt lie (*@&#^. But everything did pretty much at that point since I was, as they told me, dying.
They decided I needed a psych consult because they decided that no one normal would let themselves get that sick. Weird because I have had doctors say that I was too agressive about trying to get treatment. Damned if I do, etc. I was kept five days even though Quincy was very small, four and a half pounds, but she was healthy it was me that was being monitored during that time.
I think that what happened was that after my leg was broken (and it just crumpled out from under me, I didn't fall, because of bad nutrition - the canary in the mine shaft that I wasn't getting enough to eat) I felt it was too much trouble to get up and get anything to eat or drink and there was no one to do it for me. And I didn't have any appetite anyway so I never felt like it. But at some point I passed the point of no return and my organs started objecting, leading to the wild and crazy vomiting and eventual near death.
My epidural was a disaster. They put in the needle and catheter but for some reason not the medicine. The nurse decided to wait until it was just barely too late to dose it into my system, even though I had the needle placed (she talked as if somehow she thought this helped somehow even though all it meant was that there was a needle and catheter in my back) so Slade threw a fit and said Is there anyone that will listen to my wife, she needs anesthesia, damn it! And the nurses just stood there bovine-like and the only person that responded was the doctor.
So (and this is the part that is quite funny if you can find anything funny in organ failure and major horrible vomiting and pain) the doctor left the room just as the baby was coming out. I had an UNASSISTED DELIVERY RIGHT ON THE BED! So so much for being transported to a level one trauma hospital, because with all the nurses anesthesiologists and ob's I basically had natural childbirth with no assistance from anyone.
What a nightmare. The good news is that as soon as I delivered I got a major appetite. There was silly low cal hospital food so it took a LOT of eating to get enough, but I have managed to gain the 25 pounds back and then some.
The only problem I am still having (other than being generally traumatized from having a premie to take care of after again, being hours from death - they couldn't seem to stress it enough so that's why I keep saying it) is sleep. It has been a year since I have had a normal night's sleep. I usually go weeks at a time with only about ten hours cumulatively per week and then I will sleep for three days. This has been since between pregnancy, nursing and in general caring for a baby, I haven't had the opportunity to sleep nor the medication I take, even the very benign stuff is verboten during nursing, so I am in the process of weaning so I can get some sleep. I have a feeling that the effects of nursing aren't good for me or the baby when it has such a dramatic impact on my health, as sad as it is.
I recently went to Chicago because Slade and I were going to visit Charity. I woke up breifly on the plane and realized I didn't remember packing or getting to the airport so I knew that I was in the middle of a disaster period. I remember very little of the trip, and for some bizarre reason, travel seems to bring on the hypersleep as I call it. I used to be able to drive for days when we went on trips but now it is the opposite. I remember very little of the windy city and what I do remember was basically the results of walking around asleep. Not much of it good. Thanks for being a good sport Charity.
Well the good news is that I am plenty normal when Slade keeps me all Rapunzelized and doesn't let me get excited or anything that might trigger to little sleep to lead to this. So I am sure that everyone knows this but they are welcome to come to see us and Quincy, and it will probably be the only way for a very long time. Slade has said NO WAY to any more travel. So I would love to take the baby and visit people like I used to but that is a no no.
My mom and other sisters have come to see us and that was very welcome and has represented a minute or two of pleasantry in the midst of disaster. And I have the feeling that no one wants to bother us since when we visit them we don't do well, but we are ok here. So please come see us in our normal habitat and you will see that I am mostly normal, except when I am asleep, and then I am pretty normal for someone who is asleep. That doesn't say too much, I realize.
The entire pregnancy was a bit rocky as I have described here. At the highest weight I attained I gained four pounds since the beginning. I went through periods where I wasn't just sick I felt like I was poisoned, and I was. I got so dehydrated that my kidneys and liver were not detoxing me properly and I was undergoing gradual organ failure. At the checkup on month eight, my birthday, I went in and I had lost 24 pounds since my last appointment.
So I was immediately admitted. But they decided it was too serious for that hospital and I was transported between that one and another one via ambulance. I felt like Hannibal Lecter strapped onto a stretcher like that. Anyway once I got there I continued to not be able to keep down fluid and vomit up my insides. It was about a week since I kept down water, around the time that you are supposed to be able to survive, even without constant puking.
Everyone kept coming in my room and telling me I was hours from death uless I was rehydrated via IV but it took about 50 pokes to get a vein since they were all collapsed from not having enough fluid in them. Finally with an ultrasound they found a deep vein they could use and it hurt lie (*@&#^. But everything did pretty much at that point since I was, as they told me, dying.
They decided I needed a psych consult because they decided that no one normal would let themselves get that sick. Weird because I have had doctors say that I was too agressive about trying to get treatment. Damned if I do, etc. I was kept five days even though Quincy was very small, four and a half pounds, but she was healthy it was me that was being monitored during that time.
I think that what happened was that after my leg was broken (and it just crumpled out from under me, I didn't fall, because of bad nutrition - the canary in the mine shaft that I wasn't getting enough to eat) I felt it was too much trouble to get up and get anything to eat or drink and there was no one to do it for me. And I didn't have any appetite anyway so I never felt like it. But at some point I passed the point of no return and my organs started objecting, leading to the wild and crazy vomiting and eventual near death.
My epidural was a disaster. They put in the needle and catheter but for some reason not the medicine. The nurse decided to wait until it was just barely too late to dose it into my system, even though I had the needle placed (she talked as if somehow she thought this helped somehow even though all it meant was that there was a needle and catheter in my back) so Slade threw a fit and said Is there anyone that will listen to my wife, she needs anesthesia, damn it! And the nurses just stood there bovine-like and the only person that responded was the doctor.
So (and this is the part that is quite funny if you can find anything funny in organ failure and major horrible vomiting and pain) the doctor left the room just as the baby was coming out. I had an UNASSISTED DELIVERY RIGHT ON THE BED! So so much for being transported to a level one trauma hospital, because with all the nurses anesthesiologists and ob's I basically had natural childbirth with no assistance from anyone.
What a nightmare. The good news is that as soon as I delivered I got a major appetite. There was silly low cal hospital food so it took a LOT of eating to get enough, but I have managed to gain the 25 pounds back and then some.
The only problem I am still having (other than being generally traumatized from having a premie to take care of after again, being hours from death - they couldn't seem to stress it enough so that's why I keep saying it) is sleep. It has been a year since I have had a normal night's sleep. I usually go weeks at a time with only about ten hours cumulatively per week and then I will sleep for three days. This has been since between pregnancy, nursing and in general caring for a baby, I haven't had the opportunity to sleep nor the medication I take, even the very benign stuff is verboten during nursing, so I am in the process of weaning so I can get some sleep. I have a feeling that the effects of nursing aren't good for me or the baby when it has such a dramatic impact on my health, as sad as it is.
I recently went to Chicago because Slade and I were going to visit Charity. I woke up breifly on the plane and realized I didn't remember packing or getting to the airport so I knew that I was in the middle of a disaster period. I remember very little of the trip, and for some bizarre reason, travel seems to bring on the hypersleep as I call it. I used to be able to drive for days when we went on trips but now it is the opposite. I remember very little of the windy city and what I do remember was basically the results of walking around asleep. Not much of it good. Thanks for being a good sport Charity.
Well the good news is that I am plenty normal when Slade keeps me all Rapunzelized and doesn't let me get excited or anything that might trigger to little sleep to lead to this. So I am sure that everyone knows this but they are welcome to come to see us and Quincy, and it will probably be the only way for a very long time. Slade has said NO WAY to any more travel. So I would love to take the baby and visit people like I used to but that is a no no.
My mom and other sisters have come to see us and that was very welcome and has represented a minute or two of pleasantry in the midst of disaster. And I have the feeling that no one wants to bother us since when we visit them we don't do well, but we are ok here. So please come see us in our normal habitat and you will see that I am mostly normal, except when I am asleep, and then I am pretty normal for someone who is asleep. That doesn't say too much, I realize.
Friday, April 30, 2010
One way it could be worse
Slade often goes to Cali for the day to talk to the big wigs. But even that I hate and anything overnight is unacceptible. Again Anne Bradstreet, seventeenth century, has this to say about men traveling from home for work:
"A Letter to Her Husband, Absent Upon Public Employment"
Anne Bradstreet
My head, my heart, mine eyes, my life, nay, more,
My joy, my magazine of earthly store,
If two be one, as surely thou and I,
How stayest thou there, wilst I at Ipswich lie?
So many steps, head from the heart to sever,
If but a neck, soon should we be together,
I, like the Earth this season, mourn in black,
My Sun is gone so far in's zodiac,
Whom whilst I 'joyed, nor storms, nor frost I felt,
His warmth such frigid colds did cause to melt.
My chilled limbs now numbed lie forlorn;
Return, return, sweet Sol, from Capricorn,
In this dead time, alas, what can I more
Than view those fruits which through thy heat I bore?
Which sweet contentment yield me for a space,
True living pictures of their father's face.
O strange effect! now thou art southward gone,
I weary grow the tedious day so long;
But when thou northward to me shalt return,
I wish my Sun may never set, but burn
Within the Cancer of my glowing breast,
The welcome house of him my dearest guest.
Where ever, ever stay, and go not thence,
Till nature's sad decree shall call thee hence;
Flesh of thy flesh, bone of thy bone,
I here, thou there, but both but one.
He is due for three months of vacation this year and even he who I would have switch companies if he traveled is such a workaholic that he is ambivalent about taking it. He won't admit it really but unless I pin him down he says a lot of stuff that sound like it. At least he likes his work because he does it very hard.
"A Letter to Her Husband, Absent Upon Public Employment"
Anne Bradstreet
My head, my heart, mine eyes, my life, nay, more,
My joy, my magazine of earthly store,
If two be one, as surely thou and I,
How stayest thou there, wilst I at Ipswich lie?
So many steps, head from the heart to sever,
If but a neck, soon should we be together,
I, like the Earth this season, mourn in black,
My Sun is gone so far in's zodiac,
Whom whilst I 'joyed, nor storms, nor frost I felt,
His warmth such frigid colds did cause to melt.
My chilled limbs now numbed lie forlorn;
Return, return, sweet Sol, from Capricorn,
In this dead time, alas, what can I more
Than view those fruits which through thy heat I bore?
Which sweet contentment yield me for a space,
True living pictures of their father's face.
O strange effect! now thou art southward gone,
I weary grow the tedious day so long;
But when thou northward to me shalt return,
I wish my Sun may never set, but burn
Within the Cancer of my glowing breast,
The welcome house of him my dearest guest.
Where ever, ever stay, and go not thence,
Till nature's sad decree shall call thee hence;
Flesh of thy flesh, bone of thy bone,
I here, thou there, but both but one.
He is due for three months of vacation this year and even he who I would have switch companies if he traveled is such a workaholic that he is ambivalent about taking it. He won't admit it really but unless I pin him down he says a lot of stuff that sound like it. At least he likes his work because he does it very hard.
General updating
Well some good stuff and bad stuff. Those that follow me on FB hear about it but the rest of you might not know what is going on with us so thought we'd summarize.
Archer did awesome with his first paid singing gig. He will next month be singing in Carnegie Hall. I wasn't well enough to go but we taped it and will soon load it.
I broke my leg and ankle in three places. Probably because my diet has led to my bones being decalcified like an old woman. My osteopath said it has been known to happen. So I will have surgery on Monday. Bummer but at least then I will start to heal. So if anyone would like to send a shower gift I am not asking for baby stuff but mom is doing something that I could use about as much as I can get.
She is paing for house cleaning. So if people want to go in on a merry maid day that would be perfect. I have had nothing to do but online shop and I got some amazing handmedowns from Slade's sis so I think I am set I just can't cook and clean. And boy I need to. There is also a place called dream dinners where you go and make a month of meals. Stuff like that, just survival mode basically here.
Sometimes there are hidden blessings to bad problems though. Slade is again proving what an amazing husband he is. I heard an early seventeenth century poem by Anne Bradstreet that I can't believe knew me and Slade way back when. He does things for me that I hate to do for myself and unflinchingly. Lifted a seven month preg me down into the tub today, etc.
"To My Dear and Loving Husband"
by Anne Bradstreet
If ever two were one, then surely we.
If ever man were loved by wife, then thee;
If ever wife was happy in a man,
Compare with me, ye women, if you can.
I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold
Or all the riches that the East doth hold.
My love is such that rivers cannot quench,
Nor ought but love from thee, give recompense.
Thy love is such I can no way repay,
The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray.
Then while we live, in love let's so persevere
That when we live no more, we may live ever.
So there are kindnesses. Slade's sis's stuff, mom's offer to clean my house, Donna coming to help, my ward is feeding us, many silver linings.
Archer did awesome with his first paid singing gig. He will next month be singing in Carnegie Hall. I wasn't well enough to go but we taped it and will soon load it.
I broke my leg and ankle in three places. Probably because my diet has led to my bones being decalcified like an old woman. My osteopath said it has been known to happen. So I will have surgery on Monday. Bummer but at least then I will start to heal. So if anyone would like to send a shower gift I am not asking for baby stuff but mom is doing something that I could use about as much as I can get.
She is paing for house cleaning. So if people want to go in on a merry maid day that would be perfect. I have had nothing to do but online shop and I got some amazing handmedowns from Slade's sis so I think I am set I just can't cook and clean. And boy I need to. There is also a place called dream dinners where you go and make a month of meals. Stuff like that, just survival mode basically here.
Sometimes there are hidden blessings to bad problems though. Slade is again proving what an amazing husband he is. I heard an early seventeenth century poem by Anne Bradstreet that I can't believe knew me and Slade way back when. He does things for me that I hate to do for myself and unflinchingly. Lifted a seven month preg me down into the tub today, etc.
"To My Dear and Loving Husband"
by Anne Bradstreet
If ever two were one, then surely we.
If ever man were loved by wife, then thee;
If ever wife was happy in a man,
Compare with me, ye women, if you can.
I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold
Or all the riches that the East doth hold.
My love is such that rivers cannot quench,
Nor ought but love from thee, give recompense.
Thy love is such I can no way repay,
The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray.
Then while we live, in love let's so persevere
That when we live no more, we may live ever.
So there are kindnesses. Slade's sis's stuff, mom's offer to clean my house, Donna coming to help, my ward is feeding us, many silver linings.
Alexis, need anything?
Hi there, hope you are doing ok. I have the opposite problem, Low BP, which even makes me fall, I just broke my leg and that might have been why.
Anyway, I am gathering up stuff that we need to get rid of and I was wondering what your older daughter wears size wise and if there is anything in particular she needs. I am having a baby girl too so I will keep the little stuff but I am thinking like size four or fiveish I will be getting rid of so was wondering if you wanted any of it and if so what particularly.
Good luck to you and hope all is well with, is it Clara?
Thea. That has got to be spelled wrong so I hesitated but got to risk it. I can set her up with some new clothes as soon as I am well enough to go around in the attic which I probably shouldn't do but am very frustrated because I want to nest and can't.
Anyway, I am gathering up stuff that we need to get rid of and I was wondering what your older daughter wears size wise and if there is anything in particular she needs. I am having a baby girl too so I will keep the little stuff but I am thinking like size four or fiveish I will be getting rid of so was wondering if you wanted any of it and if so what particularly.
Good luck to you and hope all is well with, is it Clara?
Thea. That has got to be spelled wrong so I hesitated but got to risk it. I can set her up with some new clothes as soon as I am well enough to go around in the attic which I probably shouldn't do but am very frustrated because I want to nest and can't.
Thanks AGAIN!
Wow I am agog at the stuff Rachel sent me, way better than the stuff I sent her so I am going to send her about the cutest thing I have and then go digging for more. I bought Sadie a plaid sundress in France when I was there that has a matching kerchief. FROM FRANCE! Sadie fit it for about five minutes. Hey that might work pretty well for us because Sadie is bigger than your oldest and my baby will be littler than your youngest at least for a while. So we could trade. I also have some really cute shoes.
I will dig around and find some really good stuff in the bigger sizes because I don't know if I want to store it all for nine years. I have a really cute red and black coat with a muff that hangs around the neck. Also from Europe. So I am going to get you back. I would like to think we have similar taste with kids clothes (good taste of coarse) so I will have some stuff in there that I hope you think is as cute as those baby outfits I got today (or opened today, I have been a bit laid up). Thanks again!
I will dig around and find some really good stuff in the bigger sizes because I don't know if I want to store it all for nine years. I have a really cute red and black coat with a muff that hangs around the neck. Also from Europe. So I am going to get you back. I would like to think we have similar taste with kids clothes (good taste of coarse) so I will have some stuff in there that I hope you think is as cute as those baby outfits I got today (or opened today, I have been a bit laid up). Thanks again!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Thanks Rachel!
I got your package yesterday and the clothes were awesome! The hardest thing for me to do is to go shopping and I spend way too much on ebay so I appreciate it very much.
Archer did very well on his solo BTW. Drake accidentally sang in front of me and sounded great that little stinker.
I am still feeling horrible, but oh well, I can always tell this child what a pain literally what it was to get her here. And it was for Sadie so she should appreciate it, too.
Archer did very well on his solo BTW. Drake accidentally sang in front of me and sounded great that little stinker.
I am still feeling horrible, but oh well, I can always tell this child what a pain literally what it was to get her here. And it was for Sadie so she should appreciate it, too.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)