What a rollercoaster ride!!!

As mentioned previously, my oldest had an accident and ended up with stitches in her upper lip.  Well, the following day.........ok, maybe I should do a disclaimer, if you are eating or drinking any sort of liquid especially if that substance is milk or anything else milky looking or if you have a weak stomach, please move on and read something that will not make your skin crawl and make you hate my blog for life.  With that said, the following day we noticed puss oozing (one word I do not particularly care for but it is what it was doing) out of her stitches and her lip was extremely swollen.  We took her into her pediatrician and he told us what we knew already, it was infected.  He asked how it could have become so extremely infected (so much so that he squeezed a ton of puss out of her lip and still it proceeded to come out, he even mentioned it exploding and popping stitches if not taken care of), I had no clue, she hadn't been eating and we were cleaning it really good and I thought back tot our trip to the ER and that's when it hit me, they never cleaned her wound.  Not once, she was seen by a doc and a plastic surgeon was called and nothing was ever used to clean the wound.  She was simply stitched up.  How could I have missed that and not said something?!!  Needless to say, our doc told us they should have cleaned it but there was nothing we could do about that now, however she would need to have surgery to fix the problem.  The surgery would go a little something like this, sedate my girl, proceed to open her lip back up and then some, clean it out like it is spring cleaning and stitch her back up.  My heart dropped.  The thing is, I would normally be nervous for sedating my child but in this case, even more so.  between the meds my girl takes and her Epilepsy, being sedated can be very scary.  I have been told by many a doctor how she would stop breathing and they would be breathing for her and then all of the nightmares she would be having coming out of the anesthetic.  Stop breathing?  Breathing for her?  I know this to be routine for them but it is not for me and I was scared beyond measure.  I had that brief nightmare of them telling me that she didn't wake back up and me having to go in and see her poor lifeless body on the table and say goodbye.  Yes, that may be morbid but lets not lie here and say you never think those things.  It is a brief moment of "this can happen" and then you snap yourself out of it and pray and hope that everything turns out int he complete opposite way.  And in this case, it did.  the plastic surgeon cut a small incision in her lip (while she was wide awake) and said it looked a lot better than the previous day and that the anti-biotic she was on seemed to be working and that as long as we drain it and clean it a couple of times a day, she would be alright.  I wanted to shout a good ol "HALLELUJAH" right there in the office but I waited until we were outside int he hallway.  As soon as the door shut to the office my sweet girl let out a huge breath and grabbed me and hugged me so tight.  I did so in return and we rejoiced for no surgery!!  and in the best way to celebrate, we went across the way to the mall and let her pick out something, Lord knows the girl deserves something special for being a rock star through all of this.  I am hoping to have much brighter and shinier posts now, along with pictures and hopefully funny stories.  thank you for all of the prayers and support for me and my girl through all of this!!!

Happy Birthday, how about a trip to the ER?

Yesterday my baby girl turned 2 and a fabulous day of dinner with family and friends had been planned.  We took our annual trip to Sea World the day before so we were excited to be at home eating good food and being around the people we love most.  I was thinking about the day she was born, how she has gone ever so quickly from this

to this

Do I even have to mention that they grow up way too fast?  If you are a mom or a grandma or an aunt, I am pretty sure I do not,  it is crazy how fast time flies!!!!!  As I sat reminiscing and making my list so that I can go to the store and come home and bake the cake and............what the heck is that, who is screaming?  Let me say this, once I heard the death curdling scream, I did not go running in that direction.  My kids have a tendency to fight (I know, only my kids right?) and sometimes while fighting they scream like someone is killing them and the first couple of times I went running and found nothing, I became numb to it.  Now I stroll down the hallway and think of how I can tell them that screaming like that is bad unless you are actually hurt or in trouble in a new way so this time it actually gets through to them.  As I am thinking this, I turn to go into my oldests room, where the source of the scream is still coming from and it is then I see her, her face is covered in blood and her hands sit below her chin and they are dripping blood because they are so full of blood.  I quickly went from "we don't scream like that unless....." to "WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED?!!!"  I quickly got some paper towels and washcloths to clean off her hands and try to see where the blood was pouring from and eventually saw her lip sitting wide open, the kind of split lip where you can see her teeth even though her mouth is closed, it was pretty bad.  I tried calming her down, she was getting really worked up and the last thing I wanted was for her to go into a seizure.  So, we calmed down as much as an 8 year old with a lip wide open can and she told me how her sister had come in the room and threw a sippy cup at her.  And no, not the one you see pictured above, that is my angel child ( I know this statement may change at one time or another), it is her attitude riddled middle sister who thinks throwing things lately is a good way to vent anger.  I knew I had to get my girl to the ER for some stitches so I had to deal with my middle one later.  However, I did have her come in the room to see the damage she had done, hopefully that will stick in her head and she will not get so angry next time.  So, off to the ER we went.  Now, I knew it was bad but I also knew it could look bad but end up with some stitches and be done.  I also know that maybe motherly instincts of "this is pretty bad" sometimes turn out right, and the in this case, the doc agreed with me.  Her lip was not only split, the muscle that runs through there was pretty tore up.  It was not only her lip but also the skin above her lip, it was pretty bad.  So, a plastic surgeon was called and we waited for him to get there.  He said he could put it back together but that we needed to come back throughout the week so he can keep an eye on it.  We still ended up having the party for my youngest, having family and good friends around was good for my girl, however, she was milking it for everyone.  But as I said before, can you blame the girl?!  Today she is eating through a straw and not able to really speak due to the massive swelling and pain.   I am positive it will heal nicely and hopefully she will not have any more stitches to her face.  This makes 22 total in the past 5 years, those are all stories for another time though :)  Happy 2nd birthday my beautiful Hayley, I look forward to spending so many more with you and I promise to have better food and a prettier cake next time, I also plan on no ER visit where I can actually pull that off :)



Ultimate Blog Party

What is going on?  I have been blogging for a while now and today I get on and check some of my favorite blogs and everyone is talking about this Ultimate Blog Party.  After watching a little brief tutorial, I think I might be able to handle this.  What better way to connect with others and fulfill my appetite to read more blogs?  So, here it is goes........

My name is Kaleena and I am a mom to 3 beautiful little girls.  We have been down a long and windy path these last couple of years but we are forging through it with grace and dignity.......some might say with laughter and little bit of absentmindedness <-------- is that even a word?  Anwyas, what you will find here is stories of my girls as they grow into amazing women, fun outings with friends, freak out moments and just plain fun.  I have also started my own small business making cupcakes and custom order cakes, you can find that link on the left, Lovin Oven Bakery (my fourth baby).  I hope you find this blog fun and uplifting and maybe even sometimes inspirational, however, I ask that you do not quote me on any of this :)  Thanks for stopping by and I look forward to "meeting" you!!!!

Guilty

Hello, my name is Kaleena and I am addicted to the Real Housewives, any of them really, except maybe the new one in Miami, I haven't been able to really get into that one.  However, I am addicted!!!  Can you imagine my reaction then when I went shopping at my local mall and right there in the Nordstrom shoe area was Tamra Barney from the real Housewives of OC?!!  I died!!!  I questioned for a long time whether or not to go up to her and say hi and ask for a picture but if any of you have ever watched the show, she isn't the nicest of gals.  and that day, she looked exceptional ticked off.  And a little tore up, I am just sayin, I am sure she gets plenty of hair and make-up to get her to look glam and ti made em feel better knowing she walks around with greasy hair with the extensions clearly showing and not a stitch of make-up on her face.  She was still gorgeous and tiny, don't get me wrong, but she was un-done quite a bit.  Anyways, as was mentioned, she is not always so nice and I had a quick flash of me being nice and asking her for a picture and her giving me the devil stare and yelling at me and having everyone look, so I moved on, not after 15 minutes or so of pretending to look at shoes so I could see her and wonder what she was buying, ha.
So, this brings me to where I am currently.  I am leaving for a getaway this weekend and I am super stoked.  I have been doing laundry and packing and planning and realized while all of this was happening that I am white.  Ok, so it wasn't a big realization since I have known this since birth but seriously, my legs could be a beacon in the dark to get planes, trains and automobiles home safely, it is nutty.  And people always say they aren't that bad, until they see me in a dress and it is always hard for them to hide their shock, how white can legs be?!!!  So, since I will be wearing dresses on my excursion, I decided to spray tan.  I am sure you can only imagine my excitement when I found out that my local place here is the same place that spray tans the Real Housewives of OC and they have been on the show.  I am seriously addicted people.  So, the appointment was booked and in I went.  I have to say, it is a really embarrassing place to be if you are not 100% confident with the fitness level of your body.  I was told to wear bottoms and nothing else.  They give you a robe but once inside the curtained area, it must come off.  I did a swift move of whipping it off and using my hands as shields so no one could see anything but the sweet girl quickly told me to put my arms in the air.  Lets just say it was an awkward 20 minutes but she was sweet as all get out and made me feel comfy, even when she told me to stick my butt out so she could get it properly, yes ma'am.  Now get this, you cannot shower for 12 hours after being sprayed, the tan needs time to set in your skin so it will last.  Ok, no problem, I shower in the morning anyway so it is not a big deal.  That is until I woke up this morning with brownish orange all over my bed (which does wash out, no worries) and my daughter telling me "mom, you look like a rotten orange", really?  Great!  That was EXACTLY the look I was going for.  I drove her to school wondering if people laughed as the rotten orange drove by but I was hidden under my Jackie O glasses and a hoodie, I was not taking that much of a risk looking like a crazy orange.  As soon as I got home it was shower time and thank goodness I am ok.  I saw tons of color go down my drain and wondered if it all came off but the orange and sharp color came off and I am left with a nice tan.  I am super stoked and now probably addicted to the spray tan.  I may need an intervention soon, or maybe a guest role on the Real Housewives, I feel like I am one of them :)

Helpless

I hate feeling helpless.  I hate that a nation is grieving its lost and hoping to have their lives spared as well.  Even more so, I hate that one of my very best friends lives in that country and is experiencing it all first hand.  My mom called me last Friday because she was worried about the tsunami hitting us.  We are only 1/2 mile from the beach front and we are beach level, we are not one of the lucky ones sitting on a hill.  Ok, we are lucky to only be 1/2 mile from the beach,. anyways.......I had just woken up so I had not seen the news so I had to ask why on earth we were on tsunami warning and she told me about the earthquake in Japan.  My stomach dropped.  I ran downstairs and turned on the news and the only words out of my mouth were "Oh my God, Julie!!!"  I immediately picked up my other phone and the sweetest voice came on the other line.  "Oh my God, you are ok!!!!!"  I normally am not one to use the phrase "Oh my God" but I felt it worthy in this instance, I thank God that my friend and her sweet kids are ok.  I listened to her tell about the earthquake and what has been happening since.  When I am not talking to her on the phone, I am glued to her Facebook, looking for updates on her and her husband who is in the water pretty darn near everything, so much so that the whole ship is wearing radioactive gear to keep them safe.  I watch our news to see what is happening and my heart sinks everyday when the news of the power plant gets worse.  Then I got news this morning, she is being evacuated.  Where to?  No one knows.  She will get a knock on the door sometime soon with the news that it is time to go and her and the kids just need to follow.  I feel helpless!!!  I cannot imagine the fear.  I cannot imagine having to choose what belongings I need to bring with me because Lord knows what might happen to the rest of it before I am able to get back.  I want to shelter her, i want to shelter that whole nation of people who are suddenly in fear of their lives, not knowing their future.  I know a lot of people are not the praying kind but this is a situation where you need to get on your knees, thank God for your health and your family and pray for those who don't have any of that any more.  If I feel helpless and scared, I can only imagine what they feel being in the thick of it.  Julie, I know the last thing you are doing right now is reading blogs on the internet, but please know how much I love you and am praying for you.  You, Chris and the kids are not just friends, you are family and I love you!!!!!  Stay safe my friend, I know you don't feel it, but you are a strong woman and can get through all of this.  And then one day when we are 80 and still dancing on the bar at Coyote Ugly, we will look back and reminisce about the strength you had in this horrible situation.  To the people of Japan, you are constantly in my prayers and I pray that God gets you through this and you are able to get back to your lives as quickly as possible.  And for the thousands of people who are grieving for those lost, you too are in my prayers, I cannot imagine the pain you are going through.  God bless you all!!!!!!

UPDATE: The evacuation for some reason has been called off.  Obama swears that our American citizens in Japan will be evacuated but my dear Julie was supposed to leave yesterday and they now tell her it needs to be on her own dime.  Airline tickets right now are at $3,500 a pop and she has 4 kids plus herself.  Who can afford $10,000 for plane tickets?  Please, contact your local congressman or mayor or whoever and let them know that our military families need to be evacuated and it needs to happen now.

Birthday Fun

Last week was my birthday, I am officially kicking off the last year in my 20's, my farewell tour if you will.  And because I have super cool and amazing friends, they came down and took me out to dinner over the weekend.  I have been friends with these two amazing girls for almost 14 years now, geez that makes me feel old!!!  So, out to dinner we went and luckily there was a nice little wait to eat and there just so happened to be a wine place across the street that does wine tasting so we were able to have some fun even before dinner began.  It was nice to kick things off.  This year alone one of these lovely ladies will be getting married and hopefully one if not both will be starting their families.  I am so excited for the festivities of this year and hopefully 14 plus more years with these amazing girls!!!!!

Last night.......

Last night I had a great nights sleep.  I had a dream about my brother.  Nothing in particular, we were just hanging out with our kids and just having a good time.  I could seriously feel him hugging me, it was a fantastic dream.  And then I woke up and realized, he is gone, it was just a dream.  And I have to admit, that is pretty darn depressing.  Today is my birthday and one of my dear friends Pattie called me bright and early and she told me to think of it as a blessing.  So, I sit here with tears in my eyes, thinking of my brother and what he would be doing right now if he were still here but I feel like I got the best birthday present anyone could ever give me.  I know that he is not here, that he is in heaven but I swear it felt like he was right with me and it made me feel fantastic.  I would kill for another hug or another "I love you" and I know I cannot get that until I am up in heaven with him so I will take what I can get.  Maybe it was his way of making me feel special on this day and I can tell you this, I do.  So today started off on the right note and thank you to Pattie for helping me realize how much of a blessing this is!