Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving this year was wonderful. We were able to spend quality time with all parts of our family over a period of four days. Cora and I had been sick the week before but recovered in time for all the festivities. On Thanksgiving, we went to my grandmother's house for lunch and then my mom's that evening. My mom's food is simply the best... especially the stuffing. Everyone knows that I am the official taste tester of the stuffing and that I get the biggest helping:). All but one of my siblings were there...lots of kids running around and laughs. I loved seeing my kids spend time with their cousins...they are already becoming great friends. The next day we celebrated Thanksgiving with Kyle's family. His grandmother, aunts, uncle, and cousins came into town and we had a delicious Mexican feast. Cora got to meet some of her family for the first time. Also, Miss C. slept great in Mi Mi's nursery! We had tried a nap outside our house a few months back and she was not comfortable yet. However, now that she is bonded well...no problem! This was a huge milestone for her. Yay baby girl! Saturday we loaded up the kiddos and met some of my family out at a Christmas tree farm. We cut down a tree and grilled up some hot dogs and smores. Cora loved being outside and was content in the Ergo most of the time. Max had fun intermittently...he was tired from the previous days but still managed to enjoy himself mostly. Finally, that night we celebrated my mom's birthday at Ruth Chris steakhouse (sans kiddos). What a meal! My sister and brother-in-law are wine experts and picked out some goodies:). Sunday was a go nowhere/decorate the tree/jammies day in order to recover. Overall, I felt blessed that we have family to share the holidays with. The only downside is that both my kiddos are sick again...so many people so many germs:(. We are now gearing up for Christmas and cannot wait to partake in all the festivities around town.

Christmas Card

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Stationery card

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Recovery

This past week has been surprisingly much more difficult than I expected. I think this was caused by a combination of ignorance (mine) and medicinal issues that have made recovering from surgery tough. I went in on Tuesday morning for surgery and was told I would be home by late afternoon. Kyle was with me the whole time minus the actual surgery. They took out my gallbladder using a robotic arm through a single incision in my belly button. Because the cutting was so minimal, I was told recovery was easier than open surgery (thus setting the stage in my mind I would feel good after a few days). Well when I woke up from anesthesia I could barely breath it hurt so bad. I asked for pain medicine but apparently my breathing and oxygen levels were not good when on heavier stuff...thus the horrible pain. Basically, Kyle and I were there at the hospital until that night before I was able to go home. Before my surgery...I ignorantly thought that I could handle the pain no problem...I had a c-section with Max and recovered well. Oh how I was DEAD wrong. The lack of really strong pain meds plus all the trapped air in my abdomen (they pump in to inflate you during surgery) made for the worst pain I have ever been in including child birth. They had me walk soon after and I almost passed out a few times. Needless to say, my first few days at home were pretty awful. The combination of pain and not being able to leave my room to see my kids stunk. My moms and Kyle have been AWESOME...taking care of me, the house, and the kiddos. Today, I am feeling a lot better but cannot do a ton of moving without feeling worn out. I will take it though! I am grateful for my family and sweet kiddos for helping me recover. Overall, things are looking up! Hopefully, this will be my last surgery for a LONG time:)!!!

Halloween, Surgery, Oh Mom!

To sum up the past few weeks would be hard. So many ups and downs. Isn't that just life though? Ups: Halloween was a blast. My two sweeties were dinosaurs. The cuteness was just too much:). Also, I love this time of year! November 1st marks Christmas music time, lots of cooking, family time, and traditions. Downs: After 8 months of intermittent pain, my gallbladder is coming out this Tuesday. Apparently, it is full of sludge...yuck. I am not supposed to pick up anything over 10lb for a week (Yeah right...do they know I have two kiddos?!?!?!). Due to all this...I have not been my sharpest for sure. For example...I locked myself out of the house with Cora asleep in her crib. Mom fail. Lastly, Cora's eating has kind of plateaued...still trying to get the chewing thing down. However, none of this down stuff is a crisis. At least I have a home that is not flooded, running electricity, and a house that is in tact. It is amazing what I can take for granted sometimes. Life is good...but a few prayers for a quick recovery would be appreciated!:).