It is amazing how much our little family has been sick this past quarter! I am hoping that with the new year comes an improved immune system.

Alex update

 

Alex has been up at the Parry Center for Children for the last couple of weeks.  The hope is that they can get his medications managed enough to be more therapeutic.  For those of you who didn’t know, Alex has Asperger’s. If you couldn’t tell, nothing personal but he just doesn’t feel comfortable around you yet.  Oddly enough, nothing says, “I feel comfortable and care about you,” more than him having a meltdown around you.

We are limiting who can call and limiting calls for those who are allowed to only on the weekends.  If anyone is wanting to send him letters, however, feel free to give me a call and ask for the address. Just know that all letters are screened by his therapist prior to him getting to read them.  If the therapist feels that the letter was inappropriate or would cause issues with Alex, then they will not give it to him.

Also, due to him being up in Portland, we are trying to make at least two visits a month to spend time with him, as well as make sure he gets to church a couple of times each month. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.

A new adventure soon to begin

 

Due to a limited time offer of an Alumni discount, I will be going back to school to get my MBA.  I had entertained the possibility of attending the University of Oregon…but only for a very small moment.  I could not believe the amount of time and money needed just to apply at the local university!  I am so much happier to return to Kaplan University.

I am looking forward to going back to school. I am hoping to start November 30, 2011. Only one class per term, but each term is only 6 weeks long…not sure how much work it is going to be but can assume it is going to be tough.

The plan is to graduate just before the girls go to elementary school so that I will have time to find not just a job but a career.

~Sam

Technology is grand... Now I can post blogs from my phone!

That’s Life For You!

The latest and greatest with the Ames Clan:

Sam: So, the surgery is/was a success! The tummy seems to be holding quite well. It isn’t the prettiest, and doesn’t do well for her constantly bobbing self-esteem, but at least she can walk, and from time to time even jog, without her intestines trying to make a run for the floor!

Now she battles with having so much energy and so little time to get everything that she wants to do done. Not to mention that she has been mysteriously plagued with edema in her legs and feet. We say mysteriously because her doctor ran blood work on four of the five things that would normally cause swelling in the legs and feet (the five things being kidneys, thyroid, liver, infection, and heart failure). The only thing the doctor hasn’t checked her for yet is heart failure. Currently the doctor has lowered her migraine medication (because it also affects the heart) to see if it makes any difference.

Tim: Is on vacation and wondering when it is going to start! He has been working on the house (because we always seem to be running out of space and things are always breaking on us, like the water main) and he has a list a mile long (or at least it seems like it) of things he wants to get done while he is on vacation. He is at least 1/4 of the way done with his list and he still has all of next week

Alexander: Is on his second summer vacation, this one is about two and a half weeks long. He would much rather be at school, especially since we cancelled everything fun until the house is clean again. Alex helps out here and there, but everything seems to overwhelm him lately…to the point of personal property destruction.  Heaven help us!

He missed the deadline to get his medical form for Special Olympics in this year, so he will not be competing, but we will be on the ball for next year!

ChristopherJon: Please tell us that school will be starting sometime soon! We love this kid to death…BUT a whole summer of flat out refusal to do anything to help out around the house (even when Sam was in the hospital or home during recovery!!) will drive any and every parent to their wit’s end!

EmaMae: has turned into the female version of Dennis the Menace. Whether innocently causing trouble or purposely so, like having that evil look in her eye and sly smile across her face as she takes the FULL bag of chips or graham cracker cookies and dumps them on the floor, she could definitely give Dennis a run for the money

JohannaDean: Is up a whole percent on the scale! She earned her way up to 15% by hitting 13 lbs on the scale!! She is up to 25 inches long, now. She hates laying down, she hates the car seat, but she LOVES standing and walking (not without help thank goodness!)! She is becoming quite her own little person. We all just love her laugh and she loves being entertained by her big brothers and loves being held by her big sister. It is adorable watching them all interact with one another!

 

Tim and Sam will be going up to the Portland Temple to receive their Endowments on August 27th… Oh wait that’s tomorrow! Got a lot to do! Comb the hair, wash the shirt, polish the shoes…WE don’t have much time! ANYWAYS…We have some life altering things going on which will not allow the family to be sealed at this time, but with the endowments out of the way we will be all set up for going to Utah to get sealed next summer.

All in all life is slow right now…maybe it will pick up in the next few weeks ROFLMAO!

Spring has Sprung!

 

Spring has sprung and the Ames household has started it’s annual process of change.

During Tim’s Paternity Leave from work, he took on a lot of tasks.  He installed a couple of cabinets in the kitchen to store food. He also installed a couple of racks in the kitchen and a couple of them in the back room.

He also enlarged the garden with the help of Alex, Chris, a couple of Sister Missionaries, and Pete! We are looking forward to the abundance of vegetables throughout the season. We also picked up a “few” more blueberry bushes and will be enjoying those next year ! 

With the help of some AWESOME ward family members, Tim was able to extend my flower garden out front!  I am looking forward to the many different colors of perennials, ranging from Sunflowers to Lupines to Poppies to Butterfly Weed!

Tim is back at work and us girls sure do miss him

JohannaDean has arrived!

 

April 4th Sam went into the hospital with contractions that did not stop and increased in pain levels…but the doctors could not reach the cervix to gauge the dilation.  Ultimately it was decided that the baby should come out, even though it was two weeks early, due to medical issues with Sam. JohannaDean was born on April 5th at 11:35am, via C-Section.  She weighed 8lbs 9.6 oz., and was measured 20 inches long and had a 14 inch head circumference.

During the C-Section, Sam had a tubal ligation performed and there was an attempt to repair the hernia.  Within two days after the surgery, it was apparent that the hernia repair did not hold up and that Sam was going to need another surgery. She will get more information as to when the next surgery will be when she sees her General Surgeon on May 12th.

While in the hospital for 5 days, JohannaDean had lost 12 oz. It took her a whole month to get back up to birth weight.  Many may say so what… but the doctors all stated that she should have regained the weight within two weeks.  There were a few problems that stood in the way of her gaining the weight back.  She was discharged from the hospital with 40% jaundice, without receiving treatment (it is believed it was because Sam’s milk was already in). Due to the jaundice she was a VERY sleepy baby. She also had and still has a difficulty latching. We have been working with Riverbend’s lactation consultant in teaching her to latch and getting her to consume more milk and will continue to do so until the doctor feels she is no longer in danger of failing to thrive.

On a happy note, JohannaDean has started smiling while awake.  We have yet to capture it on film.

Not Strong Enough

I don’t recall what started the discussion between Tim and I, but a couple of days ago (one day before my Grandfather died) we ended up talking about if one of us should pass away before the other.  I told him that he couldn’t go first, that was reserved for me. He asked why and at that point in time I could only muster a laugh coupled with the words, “Because I said so.”  Truth be told…I don’t think I am a strong enough person to continue on if he were to pass first.

In the past 20 years I have had to figure out how to survive without: my father, my grandmother, a close friend, one of my best friends who just happened to be a cousin, a grandfather, my older brother, and now another grandfather.  Mind you, 86% of these were men of some age in my life.  Half of these were freak accidents, half were old age or cancer, and one was a suicide the day after I had spoken to him on the phone (and I had no idea he was so unhappy). I truly can’t fathom being capable at any age to pull myself together for my own sake, let alone the sake of my children if I were to lose my best friend and husband. I don’t know how anyone can do it, even if they only take it one day at a a time…it is one day too many for me. 

Heck…I don’t recall much of my high school years due to the fact I was trying to figure out how to get through the steps of grief…by myself. My Step-mother had become a self-involved drunkard and failed to take care of anyone, including herself, so grief counseling wasn’t sought out for us kids.  So, pardon me if I want to be selfish for once, dearest husband…I get to go first!

Tim’s Tool Wall

Here it is! Tim got it 90% complete last night! I am so proud of him, as he has a place for everything and everything is in it’s place now! Good work, luv!

Change is inevitable

 

There always seems to be something changing at this little house of ours.  Over these past few weeks we have installed lockers in our hallway to utilize the space we have…and to keep the kids’ clutter off of my freezer and floor.   We also installed some lockers outside, for garden tools and kid toys. 

We sold the Truck and bought a minivan…which is currently having transmission problems We also were able to sell the 5th wheel…since we no longer had a way to pull it…it had to go!  I am glad it went to a good home…I am sad that the menfolk were the last ones to clean it…which means it has a LOT of cleaning needed, sorry Laura!

We have a couple of projects currently underway, one of which Tim appears to be half way through…and the other is waiting for warmer and dryer weather for me to start on.  Tim has decided to redo his tool area in his play room…and it is looking rather nice. I don’t exactly know what it is called, but it is making him happy that it is taking up less of the space he has available and he gets to hang his tools directly on his wall

The project waiting for dryer and warmer weather is my greenhouse. I could put it all together and then varnish it…but I’d rather have it varnished before we tack the 6 mil plastic to it. I can’t wait to get it underway… I am so tired of the cat knocking over my seedlings! so far I have been able to rescue my daisies, the lavender, salad greens and peas. Hopefully I was able to save the onions, purple potatoes, pickle cukes, salad cukes and pumpkins.I kind of ran out of space before I could get to the zucchini, and the tomatoes LOL  Now to find the energy and strength to dig a hole large enough to plant my plum tree!

We have everything ready for JohannaDean’s arrival…at least everything that I could think we needed to have done first. All that needs to happen now is for me to see the General Surgeon (March 2) to discuss options for hernia repair after birth, see my PCP (March 3) to get the EKG halter monitor to wear for a day or two so they can see how worried they need to be about my tachycardia during delivery and to see the OB a few more times. Sometime in between all of this Alex has his Regionals for Special Olympics Basketball.  I will let everyone know when it is, as soon as I find out. Luckily this time it is supposed to be in Springfield, so Alex can have a much bigger support base than just Tim, the kids and I.

Last, but not least, there is the Pinewood Derby at the end of March! The whole family is planning on participating this year. I can’t wait! Last year was so much fun…watching Chris’ car race down the track…and stop halfway down LOL!  Tim didn’t make it befpre the opening and I didn’t know you had to “grease” the wheels with graphite.  Had I known that he might have had a chance at first!  I am hoping he races the same car this year to see how fast it can truly go. 

Until next time!