Pump and picc line

So, my far-away friends haven't seen the pump or picc line. so, just for y'all, here are some pictures - I wore this crazy pump around my waist for 14 weeks! I had syringes of Zofran, and anti-nausea medicine, that would fit into the pump and then the pump would "pump" medicine into me 24 hours a day, seven days a week.



The syringe had a long tube that connected to my picc line (PICC = peripherally inserted central catheter). The picc line went in at my elbow, and was about 14 1/2 inches long. It went all the way through a vein in my arm, around my shoulder, and ended just about 2 inches above my heart in my chest. That's how medicine got into me for 3 months!



We had to do the picc line because oral medicine never helped the hyperemesis - IV meds were the only thing that EVER helped. And even then, at the very beginning of the pregnancy, IV meds didn't make me feel fantastic - just functional. It wasn't until about the beginning of December that I started to consistently feel better.

My home health care nurse, Lisa, came out weekly (and sometimes even bi-weekly or tri-weekly!) to change the dressing on the picc line. What an ordeal it's been so far!

MOPS!

My devoted blog readers will remember my disastrous MOPS experience last year (where I was literally left standing in the corner with no one talking to me!) Well, I've decided to give another MOPS group a chance after hearing good things about it. I already received a really nice note from the director of tomorrow's group, so hopefully that means this group will be better!! I think Grant will love playing in their childcare program at least! :) I'll let you know how it goes!

Team Pink!

Well, even though we found that the baby is a girl awhile ago, yesterday was my "big" ultrasound at 20 weeks where people *usually* find out the gender. (ya know, non-hyperemesis, non-contracting, non-pulmonary-embolism people ).

So, I thought it'd be fun to track back to the post when we found out Grant was going to be a boy:

http://journey2guat.blogspot.com/2006_09_01_archive.html

I was going to have the ultrasound tech take a picture of us yesterday, but I forgot the camera! bummer!

Anyway - it feels so "complete" knowing we'll have one boy and one girl. I cannot explain how much Matt and I are praying for the next 4 months to be so uneventful and smooth and lead to a healthy baby girl in late May!

Making Cookies!

Grant and I made cookies for the first time together yesterday. He LOVED it. After he figured out how to dump stuff into the bowl, he was SO into it! And, he was just mesmerized by the KitchenAid mixer - he kept saying "wow...wow".

And, he also figured out fast what the best part of making cookies is! Look at his little finger:



(the quality's low because it was my phone)

"New Woman"

Yesterday at our appointment the hematologist walked in the room, said hi, and said "wow, you look like a new woman!" I think that was just code for "wow, you looked really BAD last week in the hospital!"

25 Random Things About Me

So, I posted this on Facebook, but for those of you not on there, I thought I'd post it here, too. It's just 25 Random things about me, that you might or might not have wanted to know. ;)


1. I LOVE to be organized. Even though my house doesn't always reflect it, something just seems better in the world when I'm organized. I LOVE the Container Store - I could get so excited about closet systems and pantry dividers!

2. On the same note, I hate clutter. I try to remove it as much as possible, as fast as possible. Whatever the opposite of a pack-rat is, I am.

3. I de-stress by getting out of the house by myself (with or with out Grant), and shopping. I don't have to buy anything - there's just something about walking around the mall and even just browsing that makes me feel calmer, less-stressed, and more at peace. That's got to be weird, I know, but it's true. I feel much more sane after being out of the house for a couple of hours. Grant and I have this whole routine for each mall that we go to - I know what food kiosks to stop at for a snack and Diet Coke - the kiosks are about half-way through the mall so on my return lap I can get a free refill. :D

4. I love Pottery Barn. Love, love, love it. I love to dream through their catalogs. However, I have a Target budget. ;) So, I try to re-create their looks for less - and, Target usually has pretty good Pottery Barn knock-offs!

5. I enjoy trying to decorate my house. My current project is the mantel that Matt just built for me. I love the mantle, but now have to get stuff on it!

6. When I'm not pregnant, I really love Starbucks. When I am pregnant, just the thought of coffee makes my stomach ick.

7. This is the last pregnancy for us. No questions asked.

8. I love to run. I never, ever thought I'd enjoy running, but once I started, I found I really, really like it. And, I love the way it makes my legs look! ;-)

9. I think part of the reason I like to run is I like the cute exercise clothes. :)

10. I love pasta and could eat it almost every day.

11. I think Weight Watchers is the greatest "diet" program ever invented. I lost 88 pounds (shocking, I know!) of pregnancy weight while following WW online after I had Grant. (It was bout 70 pounds of pregnancy weight and 15ish more pounds that I should've lost before him! ;-)) I'm already looking forward to doing WW and running again after I have this baby - being in control of my food and exercise just made me feel so healthy.

12. On that note, the pulmonologist said that being in such great shape before this pregnancy probably really helped my lungs process this clot. So, that I'm thankful for! All the more reason to exercise.

13. I have a special shampoo that I use just after running- almost like my reward for running. It's Aveda's Rosemary Mint Shampoo, and it just smells heavenly. It's way too expensive, though, for daily use, so 3-4x/week after running is my treat. :)

14. I started going seriously gray this past year and had to start coloring my hair regularly.

15. Hair is very important to me. I can't tell you the amount of tears I've cried over my hair! Fortunately I've learned what cuts do and don't work, and that my husband is usually my best hair-cutter!

16. This past year has probably been one of the hardest of my life. Losing baby Josie at 11 weeks last spring, dealing with hyperemesis this past fall and now this lung clot...I'm so, so ready for life and health to be back to "normal", whatever that is!

17. Although I currently love being a stay-at-home-wife-and-mom, I really, really miss teaching. I miss the creativity involved in lesson planning, and I miss just being in front of the classroom, interacting with my students. I definitely hope to go back to part-time teaching when our kids are in school. My heart will miss the classroom until then, I think.

18. I will always have a special place in my heart for the city of Dallas and our time there. Although we had our difficulties, we met some of our best friends in the world and just have such wonderful memories of them and Dallas. I miss Chuy's, the best Mexican restaurant ever! Our "Dallas" friends are now pretty much spread through out the US, and I miss them!

19. I really, really like to paint. I LOVE looking at paint samples!

20. I love fall and winter. Fall is probably my favorite, but I actually enjoy the cold and snow, too! I

21. I love to cook but hate to bake.

22. I love to get my toenails done.

23. It's slightly embarrassing to admit, but I like reality TV. I also like the Unit, 24, Grey's Anatomy, and Lipstick Jungle.

24. I think Bobbi Brown make-up is the best ever!

25. My husband needs a medal of honor, or something even higher, for all he's done for me the past year. For 2 months this past fall I was on the couch either throwing up or feeling like I was going to die, and he selflessly took care of me, Grant, the house and everything else. His commitment through "in sickness and health" has been put to the test way more than a couple married 6 1/2 years should be, and I love him so much.

Only 2 more notches!

I have only 2 more "levels" to drop down to until we can possibly turn my Zofran pump off! We just turned it down to 20mg/day, and Friday if I still feel okay (fingers crossed!), we'll drop it to 16mg/day. Then, once I get to 12mg/day and still feel okay, we can turn the pump off! Then, ideally, I'll still feel okay with the pump off and then we can get the PICC line out!!!

Now, I have been SO thankful for the picc line because it's given me some sense of normalcy, but I'm SOO ready to have it OUT! To be able to shower with out covering my arm, to be able to sleep with out tubes coming out of me - I'm so ready!!! So, hopefully soon!!!

Tuesday Morning

It's a chilly Tuesday morning, and Grant and I are snuggled on the couch, sharing a cinnamon-raisin bagel. (He especially likes the raisin bits!) Grant woke up this morning singing "e-i-e-i-e", his version of Old Macdonald.

Matt's the Best!

So, I'm nauseas again today, for the first time in awhile. But, Matt's just the absolute best, once again!

The only thing that sounded good to me was cornbread - so, he made it for me! From scratch! and, it's soooooo good!

What a great husband!

And, here's the recipe, if any one is interested! It's easy, and just sooo much better than the boxed mix.

Golden Corn Bread

* 1 cup yellow Corn Meal
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 2 to 4 tablespoons sugar
* 4 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup milk
* 1 egg
* 1/4 cup vegetable oil



1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. In large bowl, combine corn meal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
3. Add milk, egg and oil. Beat until fairly smooth, about 1 minute.
4. Bake in greased or sprayed 8-inch square baking pan 20 to 23 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Christmas Quiche

Here's the quiche recipe we ate on Christmas morning. It's terrific! And, at least we're getting some sort of veggie in! :)


Spinach-Bacon Quiche

4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 1/4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, cooked and drained
1 (9 inch) unbaked pastry shell


1. Preheat oven to 400. In a large bowl, beat eggs; whisk in milk, 1 cup cheese,
onion, bacon, salt, mustard and paprika.
2. Add spinach.
3. Pour into pie shell.
4. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
5. Bake at 400 degrees F for 40-50minutes or until a knife inserted halfway
between the center and the edge comes out clean.

Merry Christmas!

---





This gift is too hard to open, Mom!





I'll really try to get it!




Yay, I'm getting close!



Dad will help me learn how to play the recorder!



Merry Christmas to all!

She's a GIRL!

I am still processing the fact that this little baby is a GIRL! After buying boy stuff for over 2 years, it's hard to wrap my mind around PINK!

Here's a picture that she's going to love when she's 15. lol!



And a profile picture - I think she's cute already!

Happy Thanksgiving!

After a restful trip to my parent's house, we're glad to be back home! One major thing that I'm thankful for is that I'm now in the 2nd trimester, which means I've survived 14 weeks of pregnancy! Well, I should say that WE - Matt, Grant, and my family - have survived 14 weeks of pregnancy! Hopefully only a few more weeks until this hyperemesis fades away...

Hope your Thanksgiving was full of good food and good family!

Hamburgers! Tacos! Steak!

So, after being semi-vegetarian for almost 6 months, the baby has decided that it needs BEEF! After we left the hospital Monday night and I felt SO GOOD after all the meds I had in me, we decided to order take-out. Well, the only thing that sounded good was Texas Roadhouse! So, though I cringed when I ordered my steak, let me tell you how GOOD it was! My goodness that steak was excellent! I still feel badly for that poor cow, but what can you do when the baby wants beef?

9w6d pregnant...

...and still sick! Hence the lack of blogging. I *think* we're closer to figuring out a protocol that will help, so hopefully soon I can function again!

9 weeks pregnant and...

Gobble, gobble, gobble!

Nope, not a turkey post - "gobble" is the word Grant calls his vitamins!

If he sees his vitamins on the counter, he'll start saying "gobble gobble gobble" and pointing at them!

Sparkly Helmets!

I'm sure it's because my brain cells are slowly atrophying after weeks of barfing my brains out, but I think that Ohio State's helmets are so neat! They're silver, and they SPARKLE! How cool is that? Matt is not so impressed with my fascination!

I support Animal Rights!

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Preposition Confusion!

Sweet Grant is gaining more words almost daily, which I just love, but he's getting his prepositions a tad confused. It's so cute, though! He says "down" for up - as in, he'll stand by me, holding his arms up, saying "down, down". :) I'll say "you mean UP" and he'll grin at me like "oh, yeah, UP!". When he awakes in the morning I'll hear "momma! off! off! momma!!" I'll go into his room and say "do you mean DOWN?" and he'll grin and say "down". :) He says "out" for "down" and "up" for "out". :) He'll get it one of these days!! We can figure it at least. :) I just love hearing him talk!!

Date Night!

Popcorn, caffeine-free Diet Coke, sweats, and a good movie with a great husband! Couldn't ask for a better Saturday night!

New Pictures

A couple new pictures of Grant - at 21 months old!!!

Amazing!

Such a wild talent!

http://www.kentucky.com/181/story/532854.html

At Home At Last!

So, after 4 days of traveling, we're back at home! We drove 2 days down to Texas, visited with my grandmother, introduced her to Grant, and drove 2 days home. My mom rode down with us, and she was shocked that Grant doesn't sleep in the car. We've been telling people this for almost 21 months now, but she said she thought he'd at least take cat naps. For the entire first 3 days of travel, he did not close his eyes ONCE! When we were just outside of Terre Haute today, he finally fell asleep for about 45 minutes. So, we have a very overly-tired toddler! We're all glad to be home, and Grant is loving seeing his toys again!!!

Grant's new word

Grant's new word is "bapple" for "apple". It's SO cute to hear him say it!! If you give him an apple slice he'll just look at you, very confidently shake his head and say "bapple".

Snacktime

I thought he actually *ate* his carrots, until I got him out of his chair.

Food on Floor

If Grant's going to throw food on the floor, I wish it would at least be food that Lizzie would eat!

Cookies!

Posted in honor of my cookie-loving husband!

Yum!

Chocolate Pudding!

Popcorn or Icecream?

That's been a main question around here during this Olympic-party of ours!

It's a party!

The Olympics feel like a party around the Walker household! We're staying up late, eating popcorn, drinking coke, lounging around until midnight! It's a fun 2 weeks!! But, it's wearing us out! We're t-i-r-e-d!

Michael Phelps just won the 200m IM. He is a freak of nature!! My goodness it's amazing to watch him!!

Dinner Tonight!

On the menu for dinner tonight:

semi-homemade Whole wheat bread
honey baked chicken
parmesan zucchini crispers
brown and wild rice blend

With coffee from our favorite new Keurig machine and homemade icecream (my dad's!) for dessert!

Off to get it all started!

So Sharp!

I just LOVE the Olympics women's gymnastic team's uniforms! They're so fabulous! The shimmery red is so neat, and the sparkly star on the side - so cool!! I would have LOVED that uniform as a teenage girl! My mom said it would be a neat swimsuit, and I totally agree. I've always liked sparkly stuff, and their uniform is just the best!

5K pictures!

And, pictures of the 5K Matt and I ran together Saturday morning! It was a wonderful morning - my parents came down to stay with Grant while we ran, and then we went out to lunch afterwards.

At the start of the race:



Me finishing - I look like I was trudging along in this picture, but I was seriously running as FAST as I could!!



After the race the church held a fun fest, and Grant LOVED it.



The little man is FIXATED on ducks, so the duck pond was a huge hit with him! (My mom's camera got messed up, but the effect is kinda neat with the ducks!)

Fair Pictures!

Here are the pictures from the State Fair last Friday. It was a gorgeous morning, and Grant just LOVED it!

Here he is petting a cow for the first time.



In this picture he's saying "mmmmm" which is his word for cow.



Pointing at the cows!



Our first fair food purchase - funnel cake!!



Grant LOVED sitting on the tractor. he goes "vroom vroom" and moves the steering wheel.




And a cute shot of Grant and Matt

He ate! He walked!

He ate! Recently it's been difficult to figure out what Grant will eat (besides CHEESE!), so I made him some oatmeal for lunch. he ate a HUGE bowl of it!! I was shocked. He sat there for like 15 minutes, using a spoon the entire time, eating 3/4 cup of oatmeal! (which is really a LOT of oatmeal!) Good job, Grant!

And, he walked ALL OVER downstairs before nap! He walked down the hallway and into the kitchen, around the island, and back to the patio doors! Just this weekend he figured out how to stand up after falling (with out holding on to something to stand), so I think this week is going to be a big walking week for Grant! He's becoming much more steady and is just so proud of himself. Another good job, Grant!

Fair Day!

It was such a beautiful morning today that Matt and I decided to go to the State Fair. It was so much fun! I'll get the pictures transfered after Grant goes to bed. We totally had our fair food fix. :)

Fresh Perspective

I visited the Pediatric Oncology Ward today to visit an old college friend and her 2-year-old son who was just diagnosed with leukemia. Walking onto that floor felt like facing death and tragedy head-on. Seeing thin, pale, bald babies, toddlers, and children was so overwhelming. I had to pause and get myself together before I found their room - I could have easily lost it there in the hallway - it's just too much for a mother's heart to think about your child dealing with such a serious disease! What a short life this is, and what hope we have for an eternity with out pain, suffering, and disease!

I realized, too, that although when I was pregnant I prayed all the time for Grant to be healthy, I haven't really specifically prayed for him to be healthy as a toddler. I pray for his spiritual life daily, I pray that we would make wise decisions as parents, but I've never really prayed that he would remain healthy. But the instant I stepped off the elevator and saw a bald 5-ish-year-old carrying her own IV pole, I started praying that Grant would never have to deal with something like cancer. His health is now for sure on my regular prayer list, along with the health of all of my friends' children.

My heart just hurts for my friend and her son, and I hope they feel the Lord's presence deeply during this ordeal.

Hoping it's not injured!

So, after an *effortless* 4-miles on Friday morning, I couldn't even do 1/2 mile tonight with out stopping! My achilles tendon was killing me, and my foot was starting to fall asleep! I'm hoping the tendon issue was just dehydration (the only thing I had to drink today was a diet coke, unlike my usual 80+ ounces water), and that the falling asleep issue was just my shoe laced to tightly! I'll try again tomorrow night and see how it goes.

Ironic, perhaps?

I was browsing through Nike's clearance clothes online recently, seeing if they had any of their cold weather gear on sale. I love Nike's website because they have user reviews and you can see what size that person bought, and they can review the product based on several categories.

One pair of running pants looked particularly great, so I read the 2 reviews. The first woman bought them in XXL and said they were great lounge pants. The second woman bought them in a S and said they were great for training for her next half-marathon!

Blisters!

In my 6+ week-long quest to get rid of some blisters (all because of wearing one new pair of socks!), I bought Band Aid's Advanced Care Cushions today. Hopefully these will help. I feel like I'm becoming the pharmacy assistant in the blister aisle - tis at least the 4th different blister product I've tried. None, so far, have really helped. If these help, I'll let you know, to save you from future blister distress!

We're (finally!) home!

Grant and I visited my MIL's house this past week as Matt was traveling. We came home yesterday, and the trip took about an hour and a half longer than usual because of some sort of crazy traffic situation in Indianapolis! Aack! Grant was totally melting down at the end, but fortunately I had a full package of wipes in my bag, which kept him occupied for the last 15 minutes. I figured we could let one package of wipes keep him entertained!

We're relaxing around the house today...we're *all* so tired! Gotta run to the store, though, to get diapers (we literally have no more!) and milk.

And, tonight's my "long run" for my 10K training program. 3.5 miles! I'll have my playlist updated and my favorite shorts washed! :) It's only .4 longer than my usual run, but it just sounds so long! I'll let y'all know how it goes!

Almost Walking

So after 18 1/2 months, worry about development, tons of research on late walkers, and a physical therapy eval, I deserve to be excited about this!! WE took this video 2 nights ago, and he's even SO MUCH CLOSER since then! Today he walked from couch to couch in our living room!!! (They face each other!) I think he might be walking before his first physical therapy appointment in 2 weeks!

So, here's 2 nights ago, right before bath time (hence the diaper). And, I was getting ready to go running, so excuse the running clothes!

Here's 2 nights ago - I'll try to get an even better one tonight! GOOO GRANT!!

The Icecream King

The Icecream King...a.k.a. my father...made a very special delivery tonight to the Walker household! Two very full coolers showed up on our doorstep today, filled with vanilla, butter pecan, blueberry, toffee, and mint chip icecream! All home-made, with love, by my wonderful Father. Thanks, Dad!

And, a HUGE congratulations to my father, whose small-business just did very well!! I'm so happy for you, Dad!

I just got back in from running (another 3.1 miles down!), so I'm off to take a shower and then work on my Sunday school lesson for tomorrow! Hopefully we can all get out of the door in one calm piece - Sunday mornings tend to get crazy around here!

Twice as Nice!

Last week I bought some low-fat latte ice cream bars to try, and Matt tasted one tonight for the first time. His immediate comment was "wow, that's good!" I then mentioned to him that they're ultra low-calorie, and he said, "that means I can have 2!"

That logic works for me!

Prayers for a friend...

So, I'm SO hopeful for one of my far-away friends right now that I have to post it! I have one friend that's been through thick-and-thin of pregnancy loss and infertility difficulties with me, and she's currently trying to conceive #2. It's been a long, hard road for them (as infertility always is!), and I'm so hoping their journey is over soon. Within the next few days she'll know one way or the other if this last treatment worked, and my heart is hopeful for her and her family.

So, my far-away-friend, know that I love ya and SO hope you get two nice, big, fat positive lines soon!!!

New Background...

So, I'm sure you're noticing my new background! Isn't it awesome? Instead of hitting the pavement tonight, I'm sitting here, playing with my blog! I have about 10 more minutes to either run or wait until the morning to run...better go get my tennis shoes on. Blogging will be here when I come back!

Grant and Mommy

This is a bigger view of my new profile picture - it was taken about a month ago, at my parent's house.

Quote for the Day

I saw this in an article about fitness, but it could so be applied to diet, exercise, our Christian walk. Food for thought:

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle

Weirdest Ever

Matt's on the job site this morning, so I went down to the hotel's work-out room to run. When I mentioned to Matt this morning I was going to head down there, he chuckled and told me to be careful on the unusual treadmill. Well, holy cow he was right! It was the *weirdest* treadmill ever. I've tried to find a picture of it, but I guess I'll have to go back down there and look up the model name. Seriously, though, it was the weirdest-looking treadmill ever. Even though this is a cartoon picture, this is very close to what the treadmill looked like! Weird!

Latest Run!

I am slowly building up endurance again after having surgery 2 months ago. Here's my latest run:



I'll run again tonight, before we leave for vacation. I think Matt and I are going to work-out in the hotel together so I don't miss a run!

Race Walking

I was searching for races in the Indy area last night, and came across this race walking website! I sent it to my MIL, who's an avid (normal-style) walker, but had to blog about it because it's so weird!! The whole site just was going on and on about how exciting race walking is, and then had the rules and what gets you disqualified. Here's a picture of what's disqualifying - I can NOT imagine walking like this!!! And, I don't totally understand the knee-bend thing - it seems like an awkward way of walking!

Saturday Morning

It's an early, rainy Saturday morning here! Grant is sitting at the patio doors, staring and laughing at the rain! He's enthralled by it.

Coffee's almost ready!

Recall

This is the first recall that affects us! Grant's crib has been recalled!! The crib slats apparently can break, causing entrapment and strangulation hazards! I guess the company is issuing a full credit towards the purchase of another crib - I'm calling first thing in the morning!

Funny

I saw this saying from a Weight Watcher member, and it made me laugh out loud. I think all of us who've ever tried to lose weight before will understand!

She said "I fell off the wagon into deep fried bliss".

Wednesday Morning

I am so sore! I did a new pilates video last night that target abs and back. Whoa! Apparently I definitely need to work those areas, as I am SO SORE this morning!

I'm off to Walmart, Target, and Lowe's this morning to finalize our preparations for the church's booth at the street fair this Sunday. I need to find a duck pond and ducks! Grant's going to love shopping with me for two dozen ducks! I can hear it now - "du! Du! DUH!!" (his word for duck!)

Nilla Wafers

Do you know that I could eat at least half of my day's calories on Vanilla Wafers? Matt *loves* them, and I thought Grant would like them, so we proceeded to get the mega-ultra-jumbo box of them at Sam's Club this morning. Grant tried a couple at the end of his snack today, and I dutifully counted out the 8 cookies that are a serving (for 140 calories!) and ate them, washing them down with my water. Next time we need to buy the reduced fat variety, so I can eat more!