Chosen Love

http://thelorickfamily.blogspot.com/

Check out this blog of one of my friends, Jenna Lorick. Read her story and buy her CD, it's great and will bless you in many ways. What her family is doing is truly God inspired and amazing, you don't want to miss this.

The Pump

 

I have really struggled with not getting pictures of "the pump" recently, but today I decided that it needed to be documented, hopefully one day I can look back at all of this and just smile.

So here goes...

I have what is called Hyperemesis Gravidarum - I've been told it happens to about 3% of pregnant women. I also had it with Reese but it was not as severe as it is with this pregnancy. Here is link to a website the explains a little about it if you are clueless.

 http://www.hyperemesis.org/

Anyway,

I have been hooked up to a pump that keeps Zofran in  my system 24/7 - it has been a week and a half now on the pump. Results... well I'm getting better. I only vomit every 2 days or so now, and the most is 3 times in a day...but the last time was just 2 instead of the 8/10 plus. I have gone from being nauseated 24/7 to only 6-8 hours a day. I actually ate real food this weekend, didn't keep it all down, but it was better than chicken noodle soup and crackers.  My family has been so good to me, I know it's hard to put up with this version of Stacy. I really can't do much, I can sit on the couch, sometimes ride in the car, and usually watch TV, but more than that in one day is a little much. I'm grumpy, tired, and very emotional (all great signs that the baby is doing just perfect). I just haven't been much of wife or mother - okay I have not been one the past 3 plus weeks. I am just very thankful for this baby and know that it will all be worth it in April. (My doctor did hint to the fact that this should be my last pregnancy...I think he is right on that one)

I was really nervous about the pump, having to change my site - I am not a big fan of needles so I wasn't sure I was going to be able to do...but I must say, I feel like a pro now - it's not that bad and I use and ice pack to numb my tummy each time so I don't feel it. The only thing that hurts is when I need to change the site because of the Zofran being rough on the skin...and it doesn't look pretty. The little places are read and some bruised, but that is a VERY small price to pay for feeling better.

Here are some pictures of what my site and pump look like



The pump and syringe - the syringe is changed every 20 hours

This is the site



This is the super cool and stylish bag that attaches around my hips...you know you want one!

Well, now I have documented this part of my journey with such a little blessing. I go back to the doctor tomorrow, and we will see if I can go back to work this week as well as check the baby. So far the baby is doing great, he/she gets everything first so it just takes a lot for me to recover from an episode. Even though I am very frustrated, tired, emotional, sometimes mad, and constantly sick I would not change one thing I am going through because I know God is blessing me with a little miracle.

"He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Fall Fun

WOLVERINE

CUTE CLOWN AND AUNT STACY

Last weekend we had 2 Fall Carnivals to attend. Friday we had one at Yantis, I did not get to go but the rest of my family did and Katie took lots of pictures for me. Then on Saturday we had one at Martin's Mill. I had planned on trying to go, after getting off the couch and putting on my clothes and fixing me hair (I think my hair had forgotten what it felt like to be fixed, it had been that long) I got really sick. I called for a demand dose of Zofran in my pump and hoped that in 30 minutes I would be feeling better. I armed myself with sprite and crackers since I have to sip and eat every twenty minutes and we headed to The Mill. I made it through the costume contest without feeling too bad, but I was just sitting on the floor in the gym and had enough sweet little kids to keep my mind off of the sickness. Then we headed out to the games, I did good for about the first 5 games, but once we headed in to check out all of the "baskets" to be auctioned and let everyone else eat some dinner I was pretty much done for the night. I managed to watch the boys play a few more games but was very thankful to get back to Katie's house. Katie let us stay the night which helped as well. Here are some pictures of the weekend, I am so lucky to have such a great support system and such cute little boys to make me feel so much better!

Here are some pictures from night one at Yantis =)

Reese and Nathan on their favorite thing at the Yantis Fall Festival =)

Thanks for taking us, we had so much fun!

I love my Mom's face in the picture, you can tell that she lives for her family, she loves all of us so much! Man, we are lucky to have her and each other!

Fishing Game

Create-a-Ghost, Reese thought this was pretty awesome

Nathan figured out how to win this game!

Fall Festival Night 2 at Martin's Mill

 Costume Contest...he was one of 4 who tied for 1st place, meaning he got tickets to play games! Nathan tied for first too, but I wasn't over there to take a picture.

 Reese sliding down, first game of the night.

 Nathan sliding, it was his favorite! I think you can tell by his face, looks like Katie enjoyed it too!

Got to see Mrs. A at the GT sucker pull booth =) starting the night off with candy!

Reese playing "plinko" he kept winning big prizes and only ended up with a few pieces of candy. 

Throwing the dice...his best bud Ty G. got to go around with us for a little bit, he is the super cook Army man, he had a gun and everything! 

Nathan picking a duck from the pond.  

 Reese taking Nathan around, he is so sweet to him, and Nathan loves it too, he would only let Reese tell him which way to go!

 Spinning the wheel, this booth had the Ranger game playing...Chris wanted to stay for a while.

 Nathan spinning the wheel.

 One crazy Wolverine...he was sweating and rubbing off his paint =) He loves this picture!

 Hoop the Mustang - Reese was pretty good at this one - Nathan was taking notes for his turn.

Thank you PawPaw and Gammy for taking me around this weekend! I love you - Reese

I'm not sure who was more worn out by the end of the night...the boys or the grandparents...I love this picture though...we tried to get Nathan in the picture, but he was really tired and wanted to play ball with the cute girls =)

Pumpkins

Last weekend Uncle and Lauren came to see us! On Saturday we carved pumpkins...it was our first time and we had a lot of fun.

This pictures is staged...Reese would NOT stick his hand inside the pumpkin to get the "guts" out. He made Momma do it, but he was willing to pose with them as though he had done the work. He did sit beside me and cheer me on as I cleaned it out.

Reese and I carving "his" pumpkin. Excuse my looks I had been so sick all week long...my family didn't care though we just had a good time together.

Lauren carving her pumpkin. Poor Lauren, the boys are always trying to find something to pick on her about. She's so much fun!

Reese working hard on his bat...you can see Uncle Clay sitting and staring at his pumpkin...he was the last to finish, but he did free hand his design!

Uncle Clay carving out his pumpkin - he had to start over a few times, but it ended up looking good.

Reese and his bat - he was so proud!

Lauren's cat

The cat and bat waiting for Uncle Clay to finish!

Uncle Clay's bat in the moon.

All three together - I think we did a pretty good job for our first time carving pumpkins. We had such a great day with Uncle Clay and Lauren, we love them so much! Then on Sunday we got to see Gigi, Nathan, and Uncle Matthew as well as visit with two great families in Martin's Mill, it was a great weekend! I needed it after the week that I had.  

The Three R's

Reading, Rangers, and Reese

This past weekend was one of the past I have had in a long time!

The weekend started with Reese getting an award for his Reading - his ability to read his sight words! This made one happy reading teacher Mom. =) Here are a few pictures of the little guy.

Then on Saturday we went to our first Rangers play-off game with Katie and Matthew. I got up at 6:30 and fried chicken breasts and baked cookies for a tailgate lunch. The atmosphere was amazing! Even though we blew the lead with only 5 outs to clinch the series it was  A BLAST!!! The best game I have ever been to, despite the temperature and the 51,746 people crowded in the stadium. I really needed a day of relaxing fun with my 3 closest friends (Chris, Katie, and Matthew).

Ryan and Amanda were at the game and came and tailgated with us! It was so fun to see so many people at the game 3 hours before it started.

I hate my pregnant self in these pictures...so I tried to stay out of as many as possible.=) I love Chris so much! He is my closet friend and my beloved. I'm so blessed to be married to him.

They were free!

Love my sister so much! She's my best friend! Katie bought us tokens and we stood in line with the kids and got tattoos!

Love these two cats! Like I said it was very hot in the bleachers the first 30 minutes.

Claw and Antlers were everywhere!

This lady cracked Katie and I up all game..."hit it right here..."

Phillips, Craig, and Dean sang God Bless America during the 7th inning stretch :)

This guy was a few seats down and did a great job with the bull horn during the game!

Right after Kinsler's solo shot! He is Katie's boy!

Only in Texas...even though they didn't get the sweep it was so much fun!

I have to end the post with some pictures of Reese. As you know, if you have read my blog before, Reese loves to cook. He wanted to make a Halloween cake tonight, and my pregnant stomach could not tell him no. Hope you enjoy the pictures!

I had to start with this picture!

I didn't get pictures of him mixing it all together this time...so we just started with the icing. This was the first time Reese used a bundt pan =)

His face shows the concentration that he puts into his work...LOL!

Sprinkles...

He made a pumpkin if you couldn't tell. =)