Photo Friday: The Week

Ella told me only brothers & sisters could be in the tent. I couldn't resist getting a quick photo anyway.

 Ella has wanted to do a lot for Sammy lately. Here she was trying to snap his shirt but he kept licking her hand. It was pretty cute.

Big sister asked to have Little Brother on her lap and wanted to make sure he could see the snow.

I've always wanted an audience while getting ready in the morning! Ok, maybe not. I need to plan better.

Daddy & his boy after a long day at work.

Sleepy little man.

This was not from the last week. While I was sick, Pete did an incredible job with taking over all of my usual tasks. He even did Ella's hair. What a man. Seriously. What a man.

Thursday we played at Auntie Becky's. The girls love their popsicles!

Sammy was mesmerized by Auntie's tree.

I had two divine outings this week...alone. What better place is there than Target? And during the holiday season!

Outing two was to get my hair done on Thursday. Goodness, it was needed. Many people today have told me they don't remember seeing me with my hair down. New goal: to leave it down more often. Except that means I actually have to take time to do it. Hmm. I'll see what I can do. 

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We're continuing to make amazing progress on simplifying the house. Another big load will be going to Goodwill tomorrow. Joy! Just one and a half rooms left in the basement and we'll be finished. Then we can decorate for Christmas. I might have to share some photos of the crazy organized rooms soon. Yes, I'm that excited about it. 

I will have one more change to post, but now that the weekend is upon us, I think I'll wait until Monday. We're heading down to St Olaf for Christmas Fest tomorrow. Pete sang in the prestigious St Olaf Choir once upon a time, and it just isn't the start of the Christmas season without taking in the annual concert. We always follow the concert at our dear friend Anton's house for dessert and a sleep over. Sammy will be joining us while Ella stays in Duluth with friends. After tomorrow night's concert, Christmas will be in full swing! Yay! 

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Happy weekend, friends!

Mama's Home!

After one long week in the hospital, this mama is home. Such a relief. I had no idea I would need to stay so long, but my infection was tough to kick. Since my appendix had ruptured more than 24 hours before it was removed, there was a whole lot of yuckiness going on. In fact, and I'm kind of proud of this, my surgeon said that it was the ugliest appendix she had ever seen. Can I get a certificate with that?! Really, how many people can claim that prize?

 Every night in the hospital I spiked a pretty decent fever, which was the main reason I had to stay. We finally did another CT on Tuesday night to make sure nothing was still in there, but all was clear. Once I passed 24 hours without a fever, I was released with a pretty hefty dose of pain meds, antibiotics, and an attractive tube that continues to drain fluid from my belly. (No worries, I keep it hidden.) And now I heal.

having a little nerdy fun. beachbody makes our fitness programs.

 I've been ordered to basically do nothing at all until Thanksgiving. What?! How does a mama do that? This mama does it by having an incredible husband. Before I was even released, Pete had childcare and housekeeping help lined up. We've had a mountain of friends claim dates to drop of dinner and even a few, colorful bouquets of flowers have been delivered. I've been blown away by the kindness so many people are pouring out over us. It has made it possible to actually stay in bed and rest. And do a little Christmas shopping.

It's true. I'm taking advantage of this time in bed to search Etsy for Christmas gifts. This is something I love to do but never plan it early enough. I am so on top of it now! Ooo, I'll also tell you that there's going to be a fun appearance change for the blog. That's something I've wanted to do before heading off to Kenya but didn't know when I would be able to do it. Hello, opportunity!

ooo, mama's home!

Even though I'm confined to my bedroom, I'm making a list of things to do before this time is up. Fun things. I might have a friend pick up some felt so I can make a quiet book for Ella to take to Kenya. I'd also like to read a book and catch up on Sam's baby book. Wait, I'd like to start Sam's baby book. And I plan to watch lots of movies. I'm already doing well on that.

so happy to be back together

We want to send an enormous thank you to Nana & Papa Olsen who spent nearly an entire week with Ella & Sam after my surgery. I had no time to prepare anything ahead of time, so with Pete's help, they figured out everything the little ones needed with very little guidance. I cannot thank you enough, Nana & Papa!

Thank you so much for your prayers and kind thoughts. Please continue to pray that all this healing goodness stays on track. I really appreciate it!

Time to Rest

It's amazing where we are able to find moments of rest, especially when we least expect it. Last Sunday I noticed a pain in my belly that was abnormal for me, but it wasn't awful and the rest of my stomach was upset, so I assumed I had a bug of some kind and pushed through. On Wednesday afternoon, it finally let up and I was able to relax. I was very energetic, actually, and got a lot of class work done and cleaned the house a bit. But when I woke up  in the early morning on Thursday, the pain was back. It was a bit stronger, but Ella had to get to school and I had to take a few things to our Mops meeting in Hermantown. It's not like you can just ignore the kids when mama's not feeling well, right? So off we went.

vintage Samsonite bag as a carry-on for Kenya! (Salvation Army $1.50)

I didn't stay at Mops. I didn't want to share my stomach bug with anyone since I didn't actually know what it was. Instead, Sam and I went to the Salvation Army (not standing close to anyone) where I found some fantastic treasures. It was a great way to distract myself from the pain. Eventually, I got to rest a bit during the kids' naps and I stayed home when our nanny arrived so I could rest in my bed and work on class work at the same time. I had been very hot all day, so I eventually dug out a thermometer. I discovered I had a slight fever, something I knew might not be a good sign with severe right side pain. I paged Pete, got right in at the clinic, and at about 11 Thursday night, I had surgery to remove...you guessed it...my ruptured appendix.

Sammy came for a visit

I'm thankful it happened here in Duluth rather than in two months when we're in Kenya. We have great help here and Pete knows most of the doctors and nurses. The ultrasound tech and radiologist couldn't guarantee it was my appendix, so I also had a CT. When the surgeon finally went in, she said it took her a while to find my appendix since there was so much yuckiness around it. Thank you, Jesus, for skilled surgeons and strong antibiotics. I know that this is not a successful surgery in all places throughout the world.

Unfortunately, all this action may play a role in pushing my thesis work back a bit, but really, that's not a big deal. All will be just fine.

It's amazing how good clear liquids can taste.

Today I'm resting. I've asked that only a very few people visit. I love seeing friends, but it takes a lot of energy to have long conversations in the hospital. Instead, I've slept, sipped chicken broth, shopped on Etsy (dangerous), pinned on Pinterest, and watched a marathon of Say Yes to the Dress on TLC. It was not a restful night with hourly checks of my vitals, so maybe this morning will be better. I'll continue to rest today and may be able to go home on Sunday. If not, it will be Monday. I'm going to soak in the quietness and the beautiful city view from my window and get as much sleep as possible. I truly want this to be a time of rest.

Thank you, friends, for your prayers. I'm grateful for each one of them. Really.

This Mama Heart

Oh, my mama heart has been all over the place in the last week. It's hard to even articulate the journey it's been on, but I can feel it immensely right now while I sit working at Starbucks without my sweet little Sammy. I'm trying to be productive, but I keep thinking about him, wondering if he's taking his bottle well or if he's missing his mama. I know he's in wonderfully caring arms, but I still want to be the one holding him. These steps are just hard for a mama with her new baby.

oh, hello, couch

The roller coaster began on Monday evening when we attended our first Down Up North meeting in the basement of an old church on Superior Street. Down Up North is the Duluth area group for families of those with Down syndrome. I was glad that we were able to go through the summer without the expectation of attending a meeting since they don't meet in the summer. I wouldn't have been ready. Yes, I want the support, and I want to meet other families and hear about more resources and such, but my heart just wasn't at a place to take it in. I often forget that my baby carries an extra special chromosome. Right now he's just like every other baby, so it can be tough when I meet others with Down syndrome. Not tough in a bad way, but tough in a way of realizing that there are so many things I don't know yet and so many things I want to be able to do for my Sammy. I want the world to forever see him exactly as I do. In all honesty, it can just be a little scary.

look at this!

So, anyway, we went to this meeting and it was wonderful. As we made our way to the church basement, we were greeted by a couple who led us to a play room where we met six or seven amazing families. Families that are so much like ours. There were even three little blonde haired boys, each right around two years, who melted my heart thinking of where we'll be in two years. They had the sweetest, bright-eyed smiles as their moms introduced them. Ella made herself right at home, showing off to the college girls who spent the meeting entertaining the kids and teaching the younger kids every new trick she could think of. Pete, Sam, and I made our way to a big room where we were able to pull tables together to sit in a big circle. The next couple hours were spent talking about life - our jobs, our families, our experiences with Down syndrome. By the time chairs were being stacked and kids were returned to parents, I didn't know if I was ready to leave. I have so many questions that I want to ask real people, people who have been to doctor visits and school meetings. Real people are a whole lot different than the black and white pages of a book. But I know I can't take everything in at one time. What I took in that night at our first family meeting, though, was incredibly encouraging and very sweet. We're certainly not on this journey alone. And that is good for my heart.

mama, I'm pretty tired

 Another loop in this roller coaster has been the decision to hire a nanny for Ella and Sam. We had a wonderful sitter last year who came two hours most weekdays to be with Ella so I could study. Shelby. Shelby was a junior nursing student and Ella absolutely adored her. Shelby still comes on Tuesday nights so Pete and I can have a date night each week, but her schedule didn't allow her the consistent weekly hours that I've been hoping for. About six weeks ago I began a search for someone who could make this a part-time job to give me time to bake at the kitchen in the afternoons and get in some research for my thesis. Let me tell you, we found a gem. God definitely had a hand in connecting us with Miss Donna. Miss Donna moved to Duluth just last week and will be getting married next month to a business owner here in town. She is sweet, sensitive, creative, gentle, and a grandma. A grandma! Can it get better than that for someone who is going to be spending almost every afternoon with my little ones? Oh, and one more plus. She's Southern. With an accent. That's like icing on the cake. Or sprinkles on the icing. Or a cherry on the sprinkles on the icing, because that's how good she seems. We spoke on the phone and sent emails back and forth before we met yesterday, which made me feel good about the choice to add Miss Donna to the family, but after meeting her in person, I'm quite sure of it. And to be extra sure? As Miss Donna was getting ready to leave yesterday after our first visit, Ella turned and asked, "Mama, can we keep her?" Yes, my love, we can keep her.

oh, my big sister, Ella

It's not been an easy decision to hire someone to be with Ella & Sam in the afternoons, especially since Ella is at preschool every morning. I'll be using the afternoon hours to establish more of a regular baking time to fill orders and to take online decorating technique classes. I know it's good for me to have my own time. I completely understand why lots of mamas (and dads) struggle with the desire to do our own thing while also wanting to spend our time with our little ones.

she thinks it funny to tickle my nose

So I did it. My biggest accomplish of the day was that I was able to leave my little Sammy with Miss Donna and have alone time at Starbucks to write and do some school work and get a little kitchen business done. It was not easy. My heart longed for him even before I walked out the door. It was good he was sleeping when I left or I probably wouldn't have been able to do it. When I get home, I'm going to cuddle up with both my babes.

oh, this is the best

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We're just over a week away from the Step Up for Down Syndrome walk with Sammy's Superheroes! I plan to make their costumes this Sunday so we'll be ready for the big day. We're getting so close to our team goal of $2,000! If you're still thinking about donating to Sammy's team, just click on the button on the right side of blog. Whether you're able to give or not, we would love to have you join us for the walk. We'll be meeting at the DECC at 12:30 on Sunday, September 30 where there will be snacks and big bouncy houses for the kiddos. At 1:30 we'll all be walking through Canal Park. It's nothing strenuous. We'll keep our own pace and have a great time, no matter the weather! Dress like a superhero if you're feeling adventurous! We certainly are! Feel free to let me know if you have any questions.

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Miss Ella decided to finish my workout with me yesterday. Look at her form! Pretty sure it's better than mine. 

Happy Thursday!