It's been an exciting week.
Carrie and Shar shared a "This week sucked!" comment yesterday.
Today alone, Carrie's boss had to go the hospital, Carrie's got enough of a cough and drainage problem they may have to cancel her surgery, and the dashboard on the Prius refused to light up and tell me how fast it was going.
On the other hand, I drove the damn car anyway, we all went out for Patrick's birthday lunch, I posted about some of my accomplishments for the week, Shane and I spent an hour outside while Carrie made me bagels and bread, and, to cap the night, off Carrie and I watched one of the funniest episodes of Star Trek Voyager ever (Tinker, Tenor, Doctor, Spy).
Lots of stuff going on, but I believe there's a plan for everything.
Deal with the negative, but dwell on the positive.
I'm praying that we survive long enough to look back and see it!
Saturday, March 9, 2013
An Exciting Tuesday Night
Tuesday night did not go as planned.
Carrie returned home late from he CPR certification and we settled in to watch an episode of Star Trek: Voyager.
We were about ten minutes in when Shane started making noise on the intercom. I held it up to my hear just in time to hear an all too familiar noise.
I vaulted off the couch. Carrie rushed after me in a panic.
Shane must have swallowed snot wrong. He was draining while we ran outside earlier.
When we got to his room, Shane was gagging. Then the vomiting started.
Carrie returned home late from he CPR certification and we settled in to watch an episode of Star Trek: Voyager.
We were about ten minutes in when Shane started making noise on the intercom. I held it up to my hear just in time to hear an all too familiar noise.
I vaulted off the couch. Carrie rushed after me in a panic.
Shane must have swallowed snot wrong. He was draining while we ran outside earlier.
When we got to his room, Shane was gagging. Then the vomiting started.
An Aside:
In the past week, I've taught Shane how to stick his tongue out to make the "Nana face," convinced him that Carrie's cousin, Kim, drives a garbage truck, and I wrote down "English/Klingon" for my preferred language(s) at the allergists office.
Does that count as productive?
Friday, March 8, 2013
Allergy Testing
I'm thinking about going through immunotherapy for my allergies.
My nose is always runny/itchy and I sneeze great gobs of snot (I have healthy lungs). I only take an allergy pill once a week or so when it really annoys me, but what's the point if I can be cured? Genevieve's dad went through it years and years ago and highly recommends it. The cats aren't going anywhere (except the one who did), and I suspect my wife will end up adopting something else fuzzy in the future (after her current fish craze).
Thursday after work, I went to the allergist around the corner. I got to get pricked by 54 needles on my back in the first test panel and then I had 12 or 13 shots in my arms in the second panel. After each panel, they tell you "Don't itch!" and wait twenty minutes to measure the reaction.
I am no longer allergic to horses, but I am allergic to cats and house dust (which the doctor said could have cat allergens in it). My body also reacted to dog hair. My family got our first puppy when I was in 3rd or 4th grade, so that really surprised me.
The doctor said I'm "sensitized." My body knows the allergens are there even though there is no allergic reaction.
Strange. Even if I was allergic I never would've given up Jazzy (I still have a picture of her).
The next step is to try some new prescription pills and contemplate if I want to sign up for 100 shots over the next several years. One of my co-workers was in the waiting room in life for her shot when I first arrived! She recommended the procedure and the doctor I saw.
Shane smacked the very same doctor in the head last week! He was pleasant to me this week, so there must not be any hard feelings (though I guess he could have ordered an extra shot or two in my panel...)
My nose is always runny/itchy and I sneeze great gobs of snot (I have healthy lungs). I only take an allergy pill once a week or so when it really annoys me, but what's the point if I can be cured? Genevieve's dad went through it years and years ago and highly recommends it. The cats aren't going anywhere (except the one who did), and I suspect my wife will end up adopting something else fuzzy in the future (after her current fish craze).
Thursday after work, I went to the allergist around the corner. I got to get pricked by 54 needles on my back in the first test panel and then I had 12 or 13 shots in my arms in the second panel. After each panel, they tell you "Don't itch!" and wait twenty minutes to measure the reaction.
I am no longer allergic to horses, but I am allergic to cats and house dust (which the doctor said could have cat allergens in it). My body also reacted to dog hair. My family got our first puppy when I was in 3rd or 4th grade, so that really surprised me.
The doctor said I'm "sensitized." My body knows the allergens are there even though there is no allergic reaction.
Strange. Even if I was allergic I never would've given up Jazzy (I still have a picture of her).
The next step is to try some new prescription pills and contemplate if I want to sign up for 100 shots over the next several years. One of my co-workers was in the waiting room in life for her shot when I first arrived! She recommended the procedure and the doctor I saw.
Shane smacked the very same doctor in the head last week! He was pleasant to me this week, so there must not be any hard feelings (though I guess he could have ordered an extra shot or two in my panel...)
Shar And Dan
Hopefully, you've heard of Dan by now.
He's the guy living in our basement. I've known him and his family since I was three, and he recently helped install a new air system.
Shane's even puked on him.
Sharlene is Dan's girlfriend. She lives in New York City and got her Masters in Psychology last December. When Dan and his friends were installing the heater, they had me verify that Shar was a real person and not some figment of Dan's imagination (or a creeper/serial-killer online Dan met in a chat room).
One of the reasons we don't see much of Dan is he likes to go up on weekends to visit Shar (the other reason is Dan works a lot and hides in the basement when he plays games online with Shar!).
There are some weekends when Shar comes down and visits Dan here. Carrie and Shar nerd out about some shows/things they're both fans of. Then, Dan and Sharlene go out at night to do the "no-kids and lots of energy" thing.
This weekend was a planned visit, but it started off sooner than expected. Sharlene is interviewing at different schools to try to get into a Doctorate program. The school that she hoped to get into (and had gotten the farthest with) rejected her on Wednesday night. She was upset, so Dan hopped on a train like a good boyfriend, and brought her back the next day. That's how Shar was around for Carrie to help transport her to an interview in our area.
I know my wife always enjoys when Shar visits, so hopefully Dan and Shar will be around some and not out and about all weekend!
A Shane Email
Carrie sent this to me at work today:
"Shane decided to give me another heart attack…. he choked on crackers and I had to do mouth scoops and inverted back blows to get enough of it out for him to be able to cough…. ugh… and i wonder why i'm going grey… "
Shane has a tendency to shove way more in his mouth than he can chew.
We call it "Chipmunk Cheeks."
It sounds cute.
It isn't cute when he chokes or when he decides to spit the food back out after 'nursing' it for half an hour.
I have not counted how many times Shane has scared Carrie and I by gagging or choking on something, but I can vividly recall at least two times. It's probably no more than a handful, but let me tell you: the adrenaline really flows when your kid gives you a scare like that.
I rushed home after work to help out in case Shane had Carrie at her wit's end. Carrie was sick this morning/last night, and if Shane spent part of the day choking I figured she might have had enough!
Ironically, I can write this post, because my wife and son are not home yet. Sharlene asked Carrie to drop her off at the Metro for an interview while Dan and I were at work. Sharlene was supposed to be back at the station at 2:15 PM. When I called Carrie after work, Shane was unhappy in his carseat and she'd been driving around for about an hour waiting for Sharlene.
If you're wondering "Who's Sharlene?" I'll address that a little later. I have a lot of posts to catch up on and I may try to bang out several today to keep up with a "one a day" average.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Because of Parenting
Parenting has taught Carrie and I how to deal with an emergency and then keep on moving afterwards.
Things that a teenage you might have expected to cause time to stand still....well, adults (and especially parents) know better.
You do your best and keep moving, because time keeps on moving.
That's enough said for now. I'll post more later. I still need to do my Lent readings for the night.
Congrats to Carrie for getting her CPR certification!
Things that a teenage you might have expected to cause time to stand still....well, adults (and especially parents) know better.
You do your best and keep moving, because time keeps on moving.
That's enough said for now. I'll post more later. I still need to do my Lent readings for the night.
Congrats to Carrie for getting her CPR certification!
Monday, March 4, 2013
ER Trip #4 (Or was it 5?)
Carrie and I's holiday ended with some to do.
When it was time to go, Shane did not want to go. Nana was holding his hand and when they got near the door, Shane threw himself down in a tantrum.
That's when the tears started.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
A Nice Pair of Sundays
The past two Sundays have been great.
Last week, Carrie's parents came up for the day. It was a combination of business and pleasure.
Grandma has been a travel agent for years. Grandpa was marketing and sales, but recently retired. They've decided to combine their skill sets and make their own travel agency (Go Bucket List Travel).
Carrie has been recruited to be technical expertise and to become a Disney cruise expert. My wife is supposed to take some courses through CLIA to get fully registered as a travel agent herself.
For me, it was a day to have good food and a happy Shane. My son loves having company over and it puts him in a good mood. That puts me in a good mood and then I have company to talk to and share my son with.
That makes things even better! It was good day, but I doubt I'll watch that much golf again any time soon (and it wasn't a lot).
This week, Carrie's cousin, Kim, and her fiance, Ryan, came over after church. We played a group game of Dominion while Shane napped.
Shane (in his "Daddy thinks he doesn't transition well" way) threw a very brief fit when he saw new people in the house and then switched into shy-total-ham-for-attention mode. It made for a relaxed and fun afternoon.
At one point, Carrie told Ryan about how Shane would chase after a laser pointer light like a cat. She demonstrated and then Ryan took over. He had Shane running up, down, and all around in a frenzy of "RED LIGHT! RED LIGHT!" and "WHERE RED LIGHT GO?!" It was really cute.
On a more productive note: I got a ton of laundry and some homework for my online classes done today. I managed to not update since Wednesday, so I'm trying to rectify that before bed as well! You're reading my productivity!
Last week, Carrie's parents came up for the day. It was a combination of business and pleasure.
Grandma has been a travel agent for years. Grandpa was marketing and sales, but recently retired. They've decided to combine their skill sets and make their own travel agency (Go Bucket List Travel).
Carrie has been recruited to be technical expertise and to become a Disney cruise expert. My wife is supposed to take some courses through CLIA to get fully registered as a travel agent herself.
For me, it was a day to have good food and a happy Shane. My son loves having company over and it puts him in a good mood. That puts me in a good mood and then I have company to talk to and share my son with.
That makes things even better! It was good day, but I doubt I'll watch that much golf again any time soon (and it wasn't a lot).
This week, Carrie's cousin, Kim, and her fiance, Ryan, came over after church. We played a group game of Dominion while Shane napped.
Shane (in his "Daddy thinks he doesn't transition well" way) threw a very brief fit when he saw new people in the house and then switched into shy-total-ham-for-attention mode. It made for a relaxed and fun afternoon.
At one point, Carrie told Ryan about how Shane would chase after a laser pointer light like a cat. She demonstrated and then Ryan took over. He had Shane running up, down, and all around in a frenzy of "RED LIGHT! RED LIGHT!" and "WHERE RED LIGHT GO?!" It was really cute.
On a more productive note: I got a ton of laundry and some homework for my online classes done today. I managed to not update since Wednesday, so I'm trying to rectify that before bed as well! You're reading my productivity!
1st Night Off!
Carrie and I were off duty on Friday! It's the first alone time we've had since the beginning of 2013. Thank you Indy, Pop-Pop, Nana, Jama!
Friday night, Carrie and I went out to dinner. My hair was shaggy and my beard was bushy, so my wife made me stop at a barber shop on the way. I tried to tell her "I only trust a barber I sleep beside! That's lying beside your quality!"
Carrie was not dissuaded.
Once I was cleaned up, I forgot my jacket on the coat rack, and we rushed to make our reservation at Hooked. There were sushi and tempura fried ice cream delights! Carrie was in love. She's even requested we stop by again the night before her surgery.
Saturday was more of a relaxed, get-stuff-done day. We slept in to the amazingly late hour of 8 AM. We went back to the barber shop to reclaim my jacket, to get gas, and to pick up Carrie's ring from the jeweler (the setting was changed to be more sturdy).
Afterwards we got coffee at Wegman's and worked on filling out job applications to my school system for Carrie. My wife is determined to work. She would prefer to find something in environmental stewardship and working with youth or volunteers, but she's more than willing to jump into education if no opportunities present themselves.
Only time will tell.
We ended our holiday at a Starbucks near Nana and Pop's playing a Scrabble card game.
Carrie won the last round.
Fully caffeinated, we packed up and headed over to greet Shane when his nap ended.
Friday night, Carrie and I went out to dinner. My hair was shaggy and my beard was bushy, so my wife made me stop at a barber shop on the way. I tried to tell her "I only trust a barber I sleep beside! That's lying beside your quality!"
Carrie was not dissuaded.
Once I was cleaned up, I forgot my jacket on the coat rack, and we rushed to make our reservation at Hooked. There were sushi and tempura fried ice cream delights! Carrie was in love. She's even requested we stop by again the night before her surgery.
Saturday was more of a relaxed, get-stuff-done day. We slept in to the amazingly late hour of 8 AM. We went back to the barber shop to reclaim my jacket, to get gas, and to pick up Carrie's ring from the jeweler (the setting was changed to be more sturdy).
Afterwards we got coffee at Wegman's and worked on filling out job applications to my school system for Carrie. My wife is determined to work. She would prefer to find something in environmental stewardship and working with youth or volunteers, but she's more than willing to jump into education if no opportunities present themselves.
Only time will tell.
We ended our holiday at a Starbucks near Nana and Pop's playing a Scrabble card game.
Carrie won the last round.
Fully caffeinated, we packed up and headed over to greet Shane when his nap ended.
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