Thank you to all our helpers through Sunday

I wanted to post a big, huge thank you to all my helpers from my surgery June 4 through this past Sunday! I really appreciate all the help, care, and concern that everyone has shown me and my family! I could not have been able to come this far without all of you! Thank you mom for cooking food for us so we'd be able to feed the kids! You are always the greatest mom in the world and always care enough to do whatever you possibly can. Thanks for coming up to help us for the day and trust me, we know if you could have been here longer you would have in a heartbeat. You're the greatest, as always! Here is a little thanks to all the helpers we had in order of when they came to help:

Thanks to Daddy for "running the house" and taking care of me in the first few days and the entire following week. I know it's hard to do a job that you aren't used to on a daily basis, but you did so well! I know you have an even greater appreciation for what I do on a daily basis and I am very thankful for that! Daddy was attentive, caring, and just plain wonderful to Mommy! What an amazing husband! I am truly blessed and lucky to have you! I really hit the jackpot when I snagged you up!

Next, I want to thank my cousin Nicole for all of her help on my surgery day and in several days/ weeks following! Paul could not have been so attentive to me without you taking the boys for us. I know adding another 3 to your 2 is not ideal, but you were wonderful and amazing to do that for us! We love you very much and appreciate all your help in those early days of surgery, in the week following by helping Paul out with the kids, and last week coming over to visit Amy and help her pass the time and watching the boys! Again, I am blessed to have a wonderful cousin who I can rely on when it really counts! So, thank you!

Brooke and Peyton

Third, we want to thank Nanny, my sister Amy! Of everyone, she had the most work to do for the longest period of time! Though you don't have kids, you could have fooled everybody! Nanny did an amazing and awesome job with all three boys, even when she was so tired she could barely stand, she never stopped helping taking care of me and the house and the kids! Nanny cooked, cleaned, did clothes, dishes, and managed to keep her sanity, most of the time...lol! You were wonderful Amy and I promise when you have kids one day, I'll be there to help you out as well! I owe you big time! I could not have been alone last week and you took time off work and everything to come and help me out and I will never forget it! I know how lucky I am to have such a wonderful sister! Lastly, but not least, (I should have more help later this week) I want to thank my brother Glenn, Uncle Glenn to the boys, and his girlfriend Racheal! They came up late Friday after work and stayed through Sunday on Father's Day to give Paul a break from the boys and help us out! Glenn, I have to say I was surprised that you actually changed a diaper, yes only a pee-pee diaper, but I'm so proud of you! Glenn and Racheal took the 2 big boys to Chuck E Cheeze Saturday and they had a blast! I heard more about it yesterday! They also took them to Cabela's and got Daddy a Father's day gift for us which was really sweet to do! They finished the day with ice cream for all of us! It was a wonderful treat to have you two visit the boys and take them away for a day! Thank you so much for holding the baby while he was fussy, those poor teeth, and for making sure that Mommy didn't have to hold him and hurt herself anymore than I'd have to this week! You two did great we were so happy for the visit and the time you put in to all our kids and helping with the dishes, etc.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! It is good to know who you can count on when you really need it! We appreciate each and every one of you!

Second week post- suregery update

It has been 2 long and miserable weeks since my surgery now! The top is healing fine, as I said before, just soreness, but the tummy, once again, has been a not-so-good experience for me! As expected, to put it plainly, it hurts! It still hurts now! The soreness is a constant feeling and the pain is still there everyday! Since yesterday, Monday, I have been "on my own" due to lack of helpers and I'm not suppose to pick up the baby yet, but I don't really have a choice. My stomach is scaring me because after picking Peyton up all day yesterday it is starting to bulge; I'm not quite sure what it means, but I see my doctor on Thursday so I'll have some answers then. I am in a lot more pain from this also! This past week I threw up, fainted, and was having night sweats partly because I forgot to take my anxiety medicine and partly because I developed an infection. I am now on antibiotics and have resumed my medicine so that part is much better. I still am very weak, sore, and swollen, so I can't wait to put this all behind me and enjoy the "torture" that I am going through! I'll have week 3 update blogged soon once I see my doctor and have time to post about it!

Peyton is 9 months old

Mommy was still practically in bed for Peyton's 9 months, but I did get to spend some time with him. Nanny was here for his 9 month milestone and took some really cut pictures of him for me! Thanks Nanny! He continues to be a wonderful baby, but has more fussy days now that he is really teething! I don't know if you remember we posted he got his first tooth at 6 months that the doctor found and it was on the top. We were saying how weird it was that he got a tooth that early because neither Paul nor Preston did and it was on the top and both Paul and Preston cut their first teeth on the bottom. Well, it turns out the doctor was mistaken because whatever it was is no longer there, so he is still toothless, which makes him the latest of our kids to get his first tooth! We expect to be posting soon about his first tooth though because it seems like it will be coming out soon! He hs been biting everything! He even stands up at the boys' table and bites the side of it! Happy 9 months Peyton!

Surgery Update at 1 week

Today is exactly 1 week since my surgery. This usually means that there is still plenty of soreness, but also a lot of improvement. This is not the case with this surgery. Since the surgery I had been feeling a very slow, gradual improvement, until yesterday morning when I seemed to have a minor setback. However, after the pain I felt this morning, I don't think it was a "minor setback" any longer. This morning I felt like it was day 2 after the surgery!
What hurts? The question should be "What doesn't hurt?"
My "top" feels like someone took a foam bat to it and beat me over and over again...sore and unpleasant, but not too horrible considering the bat was "foam." As for my stomach, there are no words to describe the pain that I feel...seriously. I would say that it is unbearable, but since I'm still here struggling through it, let's just say that it must be one of the closest after- surgery pains to unbearable that you can get. Touching the skin on my stomach sends pains across to the other side of my stomach. I won't be able to stand up straight for 3-4 weeks and I have to sleep on my back with pillows under my knees and pillows behind my head to prop me up as if I'm in a recliner. After 1 week, I cannot yet get out of bed alone, or get up from anywhere alone, and on occasion, Paul still needs to help me get in the bed.
How does everything look? It seems like I'm going to love it....I mean after what I saw before this I don't know how I wouldn't love it, but right now it is all swollen and bruised, so everyone can ask me that again in about a month or two! For now, keep the prayers coming please....we really need them!

Also, Preston had to go to the After Hours clinic this evening to see why his arm hurt so much today. He's ok, his elbow had partially popped out of socket. They put it back in and he's good to go! He was excited about the sucker the doctor gave him for being a big boy! I said, "Your arm feels better?" He's so cute, he goes "Yes, the doctor fixed it."

Happy Birthday Uncle Kyle

Yes, I am in surgery today, but I scheduled this post yesterday, so we could wish Kyle a happy birthday today! So, Happy Birthday Uncle Kyle! We love you!

Peyton's first step

Peyton took his first step Tuesday, June 2 without holding on to anything! I was holding his hands and walking with him and when I let go, he balanced on both feet and then lifted one foot and stepped towards me without falling! Way to go Peyton! I'm sure it will still be quite a long time before he actually walks, at least I hope it will be a long time, but it was so nice to experience his first step! He's my last baby, so I want him to stay just like this for awhile! He has been pulling up on everything for months and he's also teething pretty badly. He stands up and grabs anything he can to get his mouth on and bites it! I love this age!!! He's so cute!

Fishing

Sunday, May 31, we took the boys fishing. We had a wonderful time! Little Paul caught his very first fish ever all by himself with Mommy's, yes Mommy's directions to reel it in, pull back, etc.! Although, daddy actually taught him how in the first place...lol! Preston enjoyed fishing at first, but then played in the grass and dirt most of the time. Peyton had a great time playing outside and watching everything! Thanks for taking us all fishing Daddy!

Happy 4th Birthday Paul!

Paul's birthday was May 24, so we had a family day to celebrate. I can't believe he is 4! I feel like I just had him....and Preston....and Peyton.....LOL! Wow, the years have really flown by! He will be starting pre-K this year! Anyway, we watched daddy cut the grass while we painted the patio with outside WASHABLE paint. Paul and Preston also helped daddy cut the front yard too, while Peyton napped and Mommy did some clothes! Then, we got an ice cream cake and sang happy birthday to Paul and let him blow out his candles. We had a wonderful day!

He still very much a handful and I'm wondering when he will stop having his crazy ideas! At least he is very creative though and apparently, very smart! In fact, just today I went to check on Preston in the bathroom (who by the way has been in big boy undies for 4 days now and has not had an accident today or yesterday!!!!) Anyway, I went to check on Preston and I came back just in time to catch Paul writing on Peyton's arm with a permanent marker! Luckily, he didn't get much writing done on him! He had decided to climb on the counter, get the lock to the marker drawer, and then proceeded to unlock it and take them out. Ohhhhh, the craziness! But, he's so cute and such a sweetie! Happy birthday Paul, we love you!!!