This is Laela.👋 Remember last Saturday? When it was Mom and Dad’s anniversary?🎈 I told you about the bouquet of balloons, right? How they had cards attached to them?
Well they have opened some, and they really liked them.😁 (we worked really hard on them.) So here are some of them.
Let’s go top to bottom, left to right. Wavy made the first one, Dekker made the second, Grandma made the next, then me. (I spelled it wrong😬) But they don’t care. (I hope.🤞)
Here Dad is, holding today’s!😁 Today’s was made by Solly. I could tell that he was really proud of it; as we all are. Hope you feel really special Mom and Dad!😄💜
Rowan delivered his papers today. Since Christmas is over, the flyers have gotten smaller, and things move quicker, which he likes. So today, when we sat down at the table, and Rowan wasn’t there, I realized he hadn’t come home yet! I wondered if maybe they were larger this week for some reason, and therefore taking a bit longer, where he can’t carry as many at once. But it was right as we were sitting down to pray that he emerged from the hallway, cheeks pink, smile big.
“Sorry I’m late, my friend and I got to talking.”
Rowan has made friends with an elderly lady along his route. Based on his stories, she is a pretty lonely lady, and I can attest that Rowan is great to talk to. So she has befriended him! She will talk to him at length, and he is so happy to stand and visit with her for as long as she wants to talk.
Today, she offered him a drink. He brought home a root beer. She told him about her late husband. Introduced him to her puppy. Told him stories from the past. How her kids came and cleaned her entire house with Qtips 🤣 Meanwhile, Rowan told her about Brady’s cancer. Our family. Some of our things, but mostly, he lets her talk. And I LOVE that.
I also LOVE this. He confessed to me that this lovely old lady actually thinks he’s a girl 🤣 He doesn’t have the heart to correct her, and he takes it in stride. I think thats amazing.
Anyway. Now he knows her birthday, so he plans to drop a card off around that date. I suggested a little treat, but when he started listing her allergies off, we decided a note might be safer 🤣
Goodness. I know it seems small. But the value it gives to children when adults put into them is so precious. Get to know your paper boy or girl. Its super sweet.
It was a low key day. Which was so welcomed after this last week of crazy.
It was also helpful because the babies were less than cooperative today, so if there were things I really had to get done, it would’ve been much harder.
I tried to be productive in the morning, and it just wasn’t going to happen, so I resigned to the living room floor, where we played, read books, and took it super duper easy.
For such a hands on morning, naps were short, and the afternoon was a similar level of whiny. That being said, I had willing hands helping in the kitchen. Simple supper, but it was yummy and I really enjoyed cooking with the kids.
A whiny, under napped baby tends to go to bed a little early, and more willingly. So, they did that, and the first round of kids went down not too far after the babes.
The evening wrapped smoothly. The last three chatted together while they gathered up some night snacks. Dishes sort of fell by the wayside today, and the boys jumped in to help Laela finish up washing the pots and such, which is not always the case. It was VERY warm to witness. I LOVED it.
Bigs are up, reading quietly in the living room. The dishwasher is running. Everything is super low pressure. I’m going to crochet a little bit (assuming Munchie Mix stays down nicely) and then call it early. Our newfound routine of 5am milk is not something my body or nervous system appreciates.
Our lovely Laela asked to post yesterday, so post she did, and it was very sweet 💜 She’s a cutie.
But I wanted to post a little something something myself, also.
Our anniversary was heavily overshadowed by a kid needing to go to the city for a visit. We’ve never done weekend visits before. And of all days. But! Duty calls, and thats ok! We loaded everyone up and drove in. Brady made coffee for the drive, and we listened to good music.
He really is, you know.
This is a good man 💜
I took our babe into the visit and Brady waited out with the rest of the kids. Then, once babe was effectively dropped off, he dropped me off to do some thrifting at VV on my own, and he took the kids to drop off a STACK of recycling at the depot by Lawson mall. Those giant Costco flat boxes will just NEVER fit in my bin. They also went and put gas in the van, and went through the car wash.
Meanwhile, I bought some puzzles. Some gifts. Shoes for Wavy for spring. Very few things. But I breathed a little. It was nice.
We all went home after the visit, and my mom took the big kids during nap time so Brady and I could just spend time. Truthfully, we just watched our show and stared. It was SUCH a huge week. But I wouldn’t have chosen to spend that time with anyone else.
Goodness, boy. These have been huge days. I love you so terribly much.
Thank you Lord for EVERY year I get the privilege of spending with this man 💜
Hi, Laela here!😁 My parents have been married for 17 years!
When Mom was in the hospital this week, us kids went to Grandma’s house after school. She reads us adventure chapter books.😍 So we went to her house so Dad could stay at work. When at Grandma’s house, we read, but we also planned for Mom and Dad’s anniversary. We made cards. Then Grandma was going to make a giant heart shaped cookie with candy all over it after we left, but Dad probably couldn’t eat that. Cancer makes his mouth hurt. So when she came over today to drop them off, she had rolled the cards up, and taped them to a bouquet of balloons. She said Mom and Dad could open one per day. Then she put all the candy (that was supposed to be on the cookie) all in a bag to snack on at night.
I’m gonna admit, I kinda forgot it was their anniversary.😬 So in the morning, I whipped up a quick card. To bad Mom looked in our junk drawer.☹️
Well, I know she doesn’t mind!😉 Happy anniversary Mom and Dad!😁
The first half centred around hospital stuff, and everyone trying to coordinate to keep our family life running. Couldn’t have managed that without all the loving help!!! 💜
Then we had a day or two of catching up.
Now we’re short one kid to a youth retreat, and the first batch of sleepers are down for the night.
Brady’s at an MRI tonight. Which is ok, but always a little nerve wracking. Once bedtime round 2 is done, I’m going to crochet in the living room until he’s home. That provides me SO much rest, I can’t even explain it.
Tomorrow we’ll start the day off with a visit for one of the babies. Which is odd because we don’t do weekend visits ever.
We have a meal train this week. It was set up while I was in the hospital with our babe, and has been SUCH a beautiful help. When I’m away, and the troops have been called in to take care of the masses, then someone still had to cook, and it was incredibly relieving to my family to know supper was coming.
So now, we’re all home, and there is still another day or two of the meal train. And my dumb self cannot shake the guilt!!!
Should we even still be receiving help? Like. I’m home. I could cook. Whatever. Its not like I’m the one who is sick and laid up. And baby is mending and somewhat less hands on. I could do things. What am I doing still on the receiving end of this arrangement?!
But because of counselling (though its been a minute 😅 ) I know why!!!
Because we should not wait until we are absolutely at the point of desperation before we accept help. Sure. I could work out a way to put supper on the table. Yes. However, if sickie be sickin’, it’ll be vastly more complicated to get things going. A lot more stress. Maybe baby just having to cry while I do things. Or everyone eating late. Or me delegating a lot more tasks. All of that IS doable!!! And sometimes we have to do that, and thats ok! But if we can have a break from it, gifted to us by people who are happy to put in this way, why do I have to feel guilty?!
Ugh. Anyway. Thats where I’m at. I am SO grateful for this gift. Today, at one point I had a moment where I went from “Oh shoot, I have to figure out supper” to “I actually don’t!” and there was such a wave of relief.
We feel so loved and supported. Thank you to everyone who continues to offer their love and care to us in all the different ways.
Rowan also says thank you for the night snack leftovers!
Ok. All babies are down! I actually have crochet time! Better get to it!! 🧶
Thank you, all, for praying, checking in, offering your help, and putting into us in so many ways. We are SO relieved to be home. 💜
While our babe is not completely done being sick, they are well on the mend, moving beautifully in the right direction, and no longer needed to be plugged into anything! No monitors. No IV. Nothing. Guts have rested. Milk has been reintroduced, and happily accepted. Urine is flowing again, and tears roll as they should, but less now that everyone is feeling stronger.
Strength is coming back, but its going to take a while to be all caught up.
Energy is coming back, but sleep still has some catching up to do in between the bouts of zest.
Food also has some catching up to do. Smaller amounts more often, to continue to go slowly with them guts.
While none of it is perfect, per se, healing is coming and there is nothing we currently need the hospital for! Victoryyyyyyy!!!
It is REALLY nice to be home. And it was REALLY nice to be welcomed so lovingly 💜
Oof. I LOVE my people. I missed them 💜 All of them.
I’m very grateful for the beautiful support our family has received this week, and there is a lot of relief knowing there is still more help to come. Thank you, Lord, for supplying us with so many beautiful people surrounding us. We are blessed, undeniably. Praise God.
It’s good to be home. I cannot wait for my own bed tonight!!
Have you ever heard of gut rest? Me neither before yesterday.
Lesson time!!!
Gut rest is when you let your guts (ready?) rest. As in, you don’t put them to work at all in an effort to let them heal.
So. Its starvation a la hospital.
😂 I’m totally kidding. It actually makes sense.
For example, if someone hypothetically came to the hospital with an angry gastro thing, and all they ever did was poop or barf immediately upon eating or drinking, their guts might need a rest so they stopped being SO irritated by everything and anything entering them. Makes sense, right?
However, to the person who has to practice gut rest, especially a hypothetical young person who does not understand it, it feels like a mean game.
Thankfully, gut rest does serve a purpose. While an IV fills the person with everything they need in terms of nutrients, their tummy gets a chance to heal. And it works! Ever so slowly, a person might introduce something mundane like two tablespoons of unflavored pedialyte, which the kid may or may not demolish and bawl for more. And it may feel worse. But do not despair, because that alone will settle that poor aching empty belly so beautifully. Sleep will come again.
Hard lesson learned ✅
Thank you, gut rest, for doing the heavy lifting for us yesterday. Your work does not go unnoticed. This afternoon, as our special someone dozed off into a long anticipated milk coma, we were incredibly grateful.
Thank you, Brady, for staying back in the morning to get the kids to school.
Thank you, Cher, for watching the other babies today.
Thank you, mom, for having the older kids to your place after school.
Thank you, Jen for arranging a meal train SO fast, and Myrna, for supper tonight.
Thank you to everyone who checked in, followed up, sent a message, or said a prayer.
Thank you, Lord, for providing us with YOUR strength, as ours would be a flimsy mess long ago already. You are the ONLY way. To anywhere. For anything. That is not lost on us 💜
Alright, friends. Its time. Baby needs milk and bed. And I’m ready for my little can of pringles and some true crime!
*****
AAAHHH! My paper towel dispenser just went off all by itself! You know what that means!!!
So here we stay for another night. Maybe two. Maybe more. We don’t know yet.
We do know, though, that this kid is just not ready to come back home 💜
Absolutely could NOT make it work without the invested help of our friends. Social services does not make it easy to have people come help with our kids, but we have a current setup that should work for at least a couple of days. I am SO grateful for the flexibility Bradys work provides, as well as our closest people. And to those who have offered their warm love and care and willingness to help – THANK YOU. It means so very much to know we could ask, and people could home. That alone provides some relief.
I am grateful to be able to be here with this kid. Its amazing how fast a baby can recognize and fear people in the yellow gowns. Everyone and everything is upsetting. It would be AWFUL to not be here together.
Our lovely nurse snuck a lunch into my fridge. I felt like a kid, and I loved it.
Its been a long day of crying. Feeling crappy. Hungry. Exhausted.
