A Bad Day!

Wow, I'm not quite sure where to start, but I did have a huge sobfest earlier so I now
feel much better (nothing like a good cry every now and then). The day started out with a phone call from Monte's mom telling us that they just found out my dear father-in-law has prostate cancer. There's something about the word cancer that makes your mind go about a million places. Monte also had a dr. appt. today, I wasn't origanally planning on going with him, but decided to give our friend, Sister Mary Edwin, a call to see if she could watch Isabella. She happily agreed to what I thought would only be a couple of hours, but of course I was wrong. He saw a wonderful doctor that we had never met before, but there was LOTS of waiting. The kind where you think surely they must have forgotten about you! He took one look at my poor, sickly husband and knew he was not well at all. His color is, well, greenish, and his weight is in the 130's. That's bad, considering his healthy, pre - Crohn's weight was about 180. Let me just say, I hate this disease, I hate what it's done to my only 29 year old husband, I hate seeing him in so much pain that he honestly has a hard time even standing, I hate what it's done to our life, and I hate that Isabella has seen me so upset and emotional the last few weeks. I hate that his parents are so worried about him, when they now have so many worries of their own. I know, I'm not supposed to hate anything, but really, that's how I'm feeling right now.

So he had some tests done today, and they gave him a couple of prescriptions for antibiotics. The trip to the pharmacy involved a LOT more waiting, where they screwed up his prescriptions, had to make numerous phone calls, and more waiting, which made me extremely annoyed as Monte was in so much pain I thought he was going to pass out! THEN, we went to pay for them, and wouldn't you know there was some kind of problem with his insurance, so we had to pay the full amount for the prescriptions. We were told to contact the insurance company and figure it out with them, then we could possibly bring the receipts back in and the pharmacy would reimburse us . . .whatever, all we wanted to do was go HOME by this point.

So now we are home, I missed my sweet girl like crazy, but she had a blast with Sister. The dr. today made Monte an appt. about 100 miles away for a procedure to be done this coming Tuesday. So that's what we know for now, we'll know much more after Tuesday, and hopefully get some options for treatment so that he can get back into remission. Thankfully, my mom is going to take some time off of work and come out to take care of Isabella. And tomorrow we are heading to Monte's parents to spend the weekend. It's been a LONG few weeks, and it's been SO cold (30 below 0 today!) so I haven't even been able to get Isabella out. We need a change of scenery, and Monte's parents could use some cheering up (which our resident, goofy, two year old can provide!). And although it's easy to get down, I have hope and trust. Hope that things will get better, and trust in our loving God, that through this all, His will be done.

Interesting Things (or not so interesting in my case)

Here's how it works: All the ones that are 'bolded' are things I've done or seen or whatever because I just KNOW you wanted to know all this about me. I'm tagging Connie, Kristin, and Meredith (if you want to do it) and anyone else who wants to play along.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty (I only went half way up so I guess it doesn't count)
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill ( I was definitely tempted, but could never bring myself to do it)
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29 Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33 Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41 Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud (and subsequently got glass in my eye, which was of course followed by an emergency room visit!)
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class - no, BUT I used to do a Tae Bo video a la Billy Blanks in the late 90's - does that count?
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64 Donated blood, platelets, or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66 Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67 Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy (several - as long as my mom hasn't thrown them away)
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone (just a finger)
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79 Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

The Best

A few days ago we had a busy day, we were gone and Isabella didn't get a nap. She fell asleep on our way home. When we got home, I got her out of the car and she woke up. I thought since she was pretty groggy, I would rock her for a minute. She ended up falling right back asleep, so there I sat, rocking my "baby" while she slept with her little head on my shoulder for over an hour. It was the best!

Bring it On

The FREEZING cold weather, that is. I know it's been here for a while, but now we're REALLY ready.

Miss Sensitive

Isabella has always been so sensitive (just like her mother). Ever since she started hearing the word "no" when she was a baby she has rolled her bottom lip under, and cried because she feels so bad. She still does this, but now she tries not to cry as her lips are quivering, and tears well up in her eyes, it's quite a sorry state! She can't stand seeing anyone else sad, or any other kids crying or upset. Just last night she said something she had been hearing extended family members saying, that we don't want her saying, ("Oh my G-O-D"). I didn't get upset because it's not her fault, it's just what she heard. All I said was that we don't say that in our house, and she felt SO bad that she immediately started crying, and did the whole lip thing. Then she just kept repeating over and over through her tears, "I no say that, I say oh my goodness or oh my gosh." And still today she kept saying, "I say oh my gosh or oh my goodness."

As I've mentioned before, Monte is not doing good right now with his Crohn's. He's really not able to do much. It's starting to take a toll on Isabella as well. This morning Monte was doubling over in so much pain, that Isabella started crying. She just kept hugging, kissing, and patting him. She is now saying quite often, "oh no Daddy, feel better Daddy". And she won't leave his side, she just stands there next to him, handing him her blanky to make him feel better, and hugging him. I really hope we can get this all figured out soon, because I need my hubby back, and Isabella needs her Daddy!

Pictures to go with the previous post . . . and lots of them!

Part 1: Christmas Eve at our house.

Silly girl with the big bow from her kitchen.

The new kitchen, she absolutely loves it!! It makes noises like boiling water, frying, and timers.

This is when she first saw it.

Both sets of our neighbors gave her a new baby! She's quite the little mommy. She loves that the big one talks, cries, laughs, sneezes, sings, etc.

Part 2: Christmas at Monte's parents.

Playing play doh with a couple of the cousins.

A Christmas day visit at the nursing home with Monte's 95 year old grandpa. (Pictured with Monte's oldest sister)




Part 3: Christmas weekend with my family.

I LOVE this picture! She especially loves her older cousins, here she just kept backing up into cousin Luke like she couldn't get close enough to him.

All the grandkids with my grandma. I don't know how we managed to get this picture, but not a picture of all the grandkids with my parents.

All the cousins again. Three 2 year old girls!

Having fun with the boys.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

We've spent the last week spending time with both Monte's and my families celebrating Christmas, our 6th anniversary, and New Year's. It was a great week! I haven't even been on the computer for an entire week, so I don't think I'll be able to catch up with all the blog reading, and I just got my email cleaned out, I get way too much junk email. We started out by spending our first ever Christmas Eve at home. It was just Monte, Isabella, and I, it was so nice. We went to Mass with our neighbors in a different town in the afternoon, since all we had here was midnight Mass which I absolutely LOVE, but I have a feeling it will be years before we are able to attend that again. When we got back from church "Santa" had come and brought Isabella a play kitchen, she absolutely LOVES it. We had some appetizers, and opened presents. Monte got a book and some clothes, I got some books, clothes, and lotion, and we got Isabella some books. I'm so glad we didn't get her anything else because between grandmas and grandpas, aunts, uncles, neighbors, and even extended family like my aunts and uncles she got an outragous amount of toys. I don't know where I'm going to put everything, I think I'm going to take some of my Christmas money and buy one of those cube organizers with storage baskets.

We got up early on Christmas morning, and headed for Monte's parents. All of his sisters and their familes were home, so it was a busy, crowded, loud, fun household. Isabella had so much fun playing with her cousins, she is at such a fun age. We had told her on the drive there what we expected of her, she listened well, and played so nice, and shared. She even slept great in the toddler bed at Grandma and Grandpas. On Friday we made the trip back to our house for a quick rest, then headed out again on Saturday morning for my parents. We celebrated Christmas with my family on Sunday, which was also Monte and my 6th anniversary. Monte had also come home on Sunday so he could work on Monday, but Isabella and I stayed with my parents until yesterday. Isabella did so much better than the last time we were there. I think it helped that Daddy was there to begin with, he serves as a sort of security blanket for her I think! My parents brought us back yesterday, and babysat so we could go out and celebrate New Year's and our belated anniversary. And that was our week, maybe I'll get a chance to upload some pictures later. Our New Years Day is nice and quiet. We went to Mass with my parents this morning where Isabella loudly exclaimed "YAY, CHURCH" right at the end, then my mom and I made a big breakfast. They headed for home this afternoon.

And on a not as good note (this should probably be a different post, but oh well), Monte is really not doing so good with his Crohn's Disease. He hasn't felt good in months, and I'm starting to get really worried that he'll end up how he was the first couple of years of our marriage. It's getting very frustrating for both of us, but I'm trying to stay positive since having a negative attitude is not going to help the situation.