Dr.'s appointment

Jullian is the best big brother. He loves to hold Layton. He gets things for Ashley and he plays with Eden. We often find him reading stories to her in her room. They have finally gotten him on his meds and he is doing so much better. What a joy to be around. He was a big help yesterday at the doctors office. Hard to believe he's 8 years old. I remember holding him on my lap when he was 3. What a big boy. I love this young man. I'm sure glad God brought him to our family. : )

Little Layton Cove cold and not enjoying the doctors visit. Where's my blanket? Where's my sockies? And why do I have to have a shot? He's done well. He's now 6 weeks old and is 10lbs 6oz and 21 1/2 " long. He's struggling with the spitting up. The doctor has told us to keep his head elivated after he eats for 1/2 an hour and not to change his diapers right after eating. She said boys are more likely to do the spitting up. We need to burp him after every ounce of formula. She was impressed with how strong he is and how well he holds up his head.

Our little 2 year old had to go for her 2 year old check up. Can you tell she was not pleased with the prospect. She wanted out of there. No shots for her. She is 38 1/4" and 36lbs. She is way off the charts for height and weight. LOL She counts to 20, sings her ABC's, know most of her colors, can tell you what animal is what and is a mischief. She is getting into the terrible two's right now. So we're trying to be patient, but some days are easier than others. I love my pookie pie. God let this phase go by quick. : )

Princess Party for Eden's 2nd Birthday

Eden's princess Cake. Aaron went to lick the frosting off the bottom of Cinderella and Eden cried " NO!!! Don't eat Eden!!"

She loved her cake. She immediately stuck her finger in the pumpkins and licked them. : )

Her new Snow White princess Costume.

Uncle Klint and her new toy microphone to sing into. She ran around the house singing her "ABC song"

Listening to her music card from Oma. She kept opening and shutting it so she could hear the Cinderella music.

Our own little Cinderella.

We got her golf clubs so she could go play outside with Grandpa. It was baseball until we showed her she had to hit the ball on the floor. Now she shoves the ball around the room. lol

"Papa, I'm this many"

Eden thinks she is Cinderella and that her mommy is Belle. Ashley has a friend Bridget that has red hair and she is Ariel. LOL

Eden's new bike. It came with a handle so we can push her while she's learning to ride. : ) Love it.

My happy little girlie loves her new bike.

She walks in and asks I having a princess party?

Princess Eden is 2 Today

HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY POOKIE PIE!! Every since she was born she had Papa wrapped around her finger. Now our little princes is 2 years old and has a mind of her own.

She tell us " Not Today", "Leave me alone", " No, I put them on myself", "I wanna go too!!", "you did a good job, Papa". If we ask her if she wants to try and go potty like a big girl she says " No, not today, I have a diaper." She calls herself a Princess. She prays for her family. She calls her poop " chicken nuggets" . She will come patting her diaper and say " I have chicken nuggets". LOL What a riot. Who told her she could grow up.

Missing Papa and Grandma

My poor baby girl is sick. She has tonsillitis. She won't eat, she's running a high fever and she's just plain miserable. But Ashley called to let me know how she was yesterday and said that she was laying in the bed saying " Papa loves Pookie pies" which is what Dean tells her when she's here with us. So we figured she needed a visit from us so we went to her house and took her a strawberry shake. As soon as she sees us in the door she gets so happy and says come to Eden's room. : ) So Grandpa goes down there and reads to her in her room and plays for a little while. So when it's time for us to leave because it's getting close to her bedtime, she says " wait, I go too". She said it over and over again. Made my heart break that I couldn't bring her home with us. She's so sick. I can't have her around my mom with her illness. Needless to say, WE LOVE POOKIE PIES!!!!

Venting

As most of you know my mom is living with us due to her health. She has congestive heart failure and COPD. This year has gotten extremely hard with a million doctor's appointments and trying to get her to each place. My house if full of medical equipment to try and aid her in just living a normal (if you can call it that) life.

So since she went to the hospital in April for a 4 day stay, we have seen two doctors a week. This entails getting her in the shower and bathing her. Getting her back to her room and dressed. Putting on her shoes. Loading her purse, my purse, her oxygen tank in the car. Then backing out of my driveway into my front lawn as close to the door as humanly possible so that she doesn't have to walk any further than she does because just walking up the hall almost kills her. Then getting her into my car is a feat all on its own because she is 420 lbs. alot of that weight in her legs due to edema. Then I have to lift her feet for her while she tries to turn around in the car. She has a wheelchair that I can't lift because it alone weighs 150lbs. So we try and make her use her walker for most things but it's getting more and more hard for her. Then when we get to most offices all the spaces are taken up and she can't walk. FRUSTRATING!!!!

So we go to the general practioner who monitors her weight and asks about all her medications. He has a little girl not more than 20 who tries to take mom's blood everytime. She basically uses my mother as a pin cushion. NOT FUN. He never really says anything except to keep taking her meds as perscribed etc...

We go to the lung doctor who monitors her C-Pap. The frustration there is the parking and waiting. We have to be on time or we lose our appointment. So we get there at 9:30 as told and then we don't get in to see him until 11:15. Then he spend 5 minutes and doesn't say anything. FRUSTRATING!!!

We go to the heart doctor who tells us that she has a strong heart yet she is in Class 3 heart failure. I ask how can that be. NO answer. FRUSTRATING!!!

We go to the wound doctor who is very kind. He gives her cream for her wound care and talks about her getting leg stockings for compression. So the guy that will bring the stockings calls and says he needs to make sure with the general practioner that it's alright, who tells the stocking guy that he has to talk to the Heart doctor who orders blood work for mom and calls and says no stockings. That was after the stocking guy called today to say everything was a go and he'd come out tomorrow to bring them. So I had to call and cancel that appointment.

I've been trying for three weeks to get her to see a lymphademia clinic. I feel like I'm running in circles and not getting anywhere. She is getting worse and I just need some help or some answers in what to do for her. I hate watching her suffer in pain and with her breathing. She is scared and knows she will die in her sleep. Just not a fun situation. And I have to say after 2 years of doctors I have no answers or clear indication of what is going on. I do know she doesn't want to have to go back to Brandon Hospital. She has dug her heals in on this one.

2 Sam. 22:1-7

vs. 7 In my distress I called to the Lord: I called out to my God. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came to his ears.

Thank you Father that I can come to you when I'm stressed and in dispair. That you that you hear my voice and that you love me. That you are my fortress and my deliverer. You are my rock in whom I take refuge.

Look Who's 1 Month Old

Mr. Layton Cove Jennings is one month old today.

That's my little man, just listening to his sister play.

Grandma's little Peanut is starting to fill in a little. He's still long and skinny, but his face is getting fuller now and when he stretches man is he long. He's got big hands with long fingers. And his little toes are grabbers. They grab onto the blankets and everything else they can grab. He hates to be cold. He always wants to be swaddled and wrapped up tight.

Random

Our little miss playing on the playset in the backyard.

She was laughing so hard. she was taking her Easter Eggs and rolling them down the slide and trying to get them in her sand bucket. Her and Dean always wear a hat in the backyard when they are playing to keep the sun off her face. It's either this one or Adam's cowboy hat. What a girl.

Mr. Layton Cove Jennings 3 weeks old.

Awe... he's a peaceful sleeper. He moans a lot in his sleep.

He always has to have one hand up next to his face. What a boy.

I wanted to look at the little guy so I lifted his blanket to look and he popped open one of his eyes and growled at me. This boy hates to be cold. He loves to have his little beanies on his head, socks on his feet and he wants to be all swaddled tight. I'm sure it's because there's no fat on his body and he's cold, but man it's so funny how he growls at us.

Dean is planning on doing one of the story times at VBS next week. I signed up to do registration. We'll see how that goes. : ) I'll try and take pictures to post of the festivities.

I've been busy running mom to all kinds of doctors appointments. She had two last week and so far three this week and I still have to go take her for a blood draw. I have to say I'm just exhausted doing all the things I have to do to keep her living. Trying to keep up with all her medications, the machines and trying to load her in and out of places just has me tuckered out. Part of me thinks it would be easier if she went in an assisted living facility. But then I know I would feel guilty putting her there, but I don't know what I'm going to do with Eden and Layton and trying to get mom to all her appointments. I literally have to pick up her legs and shove them into the car. I have to load in her oxygen, and her walker. I carry her purse, and push the oxygen while she is walking and then if she needs help standing on a scale or getting up on a table I have to help with that too. All I know for sure is that I'm so tired. Dean's parents 50th anniversary is this summer and I'd love to be able to go to Oregon with him, but I can't leave my mom alone for too long. I just feel like it's been two years of continuous work and there doesn't seem to be any relief in the near future. I just worry that if she gains anymore weight or if she continues to be sedentary that I won't be able to care for her. Even now it's taken its toll on my arm. I have tendinitis from having to lift her body off her bed, out of her chair, out of the car etc...

Please excuse the sound of this blog. I just have to have someplace to vent my frustrations. And because of my depression from not having a life I've gained almost 50 lbs. I'm terribly overweight and I know I need to lose the weight, but when do I have time to do it? I'm always taking care of everyone else.

I just keep lifting the problems to the Lord and asking him for guidance because right now I'm failing in all aspects of my life and I just feel lost. Please keep me in your prayers.