BB = Before Bedrest

In order to TRY and play catch-up (and for those that "steal" pics off my blog ;) let's label this post "Before Bed rest" and then the next one "After Bed rest"? and just for times sake (since I have a glorious 45 min. of the house to myself) let's do captions :)

 

We spent a Sunday afternoon at Husband's cousin's home at a local "island"....

The kiddos had a blast! The weather wasn't great but we made the best of it for SURE!

"One time... at dance camp...."

On Minnie's "Bucket List" this summer was a water ski show with Mama H and her family... we looked and looked but didn't see them (I guess they WERE there we just missed their crew) But I packed popsicles and we made the best of a family night...

Speaking of Family... CountryDad had a SLEW of it in town over the course of about two weeks. It was a BLAST...

Remember that part where I wanted girls with dirt under their painted finger nails? I got it. For SURE!

Father/Daughter

More of the crew...

We also had big plans to take Pheebs to a Sea Dog game... it lasted all of about 45 min. before they wanted to leave, get a drink, a snack, and then finally, go to the mall! :)

Fun while it lasted though!

 

And then there was the surgery....

oh yah, and more extended family time :)

Then we had what should have been a glorious 4 days at a lake house with TWO black labs... and it was... minus the part where the dogs didn't stop barking and the "way" to the lake was so treacherous I thought for SURE we'd be back in the ER... but... the boat was great, the water was glorious...

and the view was STUNNING!

Minnie swimming to shore after jumping off the boat!

if only it was as quiet and serene as this pic makes it look... course then I wouldn't have the two BIGGEST blessings in my life right? :)

 

Husband had a friend to come and fish with him...

 

Fun times for EVERYONE :)

and when we got back we found the CountryRents!!!

 

It was helpful to put these pics up... we did try to make the best of it with Husband's leg... and we certainly didn't have a "normal" summer but I wonder... will my gals even notice? I think not...

 

We are blessed.

Sunday: did YOU further the kingdom of God this week?

My friend Gwynne sure did....

Miss B Sings

MVI 2198 from Country Mouse on Vimeo.

MVI 2199 from Country Mouse on Vimeo.

Loved WELL

I was told recently that my blog was "boring"... while I may not have been taking the TIME to update, post all our fun adventures and fill my four readers in on the reality that is my life... I assure you... my LIFE has NOT been boring...

Four and 1/2 weeks ago Husband fell 7 feet off some staging at his little part-time-summer-just-working-to-buy-tires-for-the-truck-job... it was his fourth day... he continued to work for another 1.5 hours after "washing" it with a gallon jug of water and wrapping it with stuff from his track med kit... when he finally got home I saw the way he was moving and convinced him to go to the ER...

We spent a LONG evening where they were concerned about "compartmental syndrome" where your lower leg swells and it can't go anywhere so you start to lose muscle, etc. Thankfully he rested and wasn't in the pain they thought he should be for the syndrome, got 3 stitches and instructions to keep the big wound that they couldn't stitch covered for two days and then uncover it.

He had a follow-up with his PCP where they swabbed the wound that he was supposed to leave uncovered and found out that he had both staff and strep. Thank goodness the doc started him on antibiotics before getting the results of the swab so they already had time to work... It wasn't getting any better. The open wound on his leg was so red and instead of a "scab" he had a long thick black LINE down the wound...

We called our resident expert and trusted, Glory to come over and take a look. We paid her in cukes from the garden. ;) She def. thought we needed to have him seen again sooner rather than later. We made another call to the doc and they decided (thank goodness) not to mess around and send us to the Wound Clinic two days later.

We met our little angel, Janie, RN... she assured us it didn't look "that bad" it hadn't been "that long" and she thought for sure that with some salve that is basically synthetic maggots and blood suckers, it would take all the dead tissue off and he'd be good to go. All the black that was on his leg was dead tissue, and the red that LOOKED infected was his own red blood cells trying to heal his body but it couldn't get through the dead.

A few dressing changes and Janie had the wound doc look at it. Husband was there alone... with Miss B. The Doc suggested that he have surgery two days later to speed up the process of the healing...

Last Friday Husband was wheeled away from me for his 14th medical procedure since right before Minnie was born. Tough stuff for this gal... tough stuff. He came out of the surgery and the doc said it was much MORE than she anticipated... she had to take about an index card sized chunk out of his leg... it's about 1/2 inch deep and goes right to the layer above the muscle. He has a nerve exposed that when it is touched sends SHOOTING pain through his entire foot.

Last Wednesday he was approved for a wound VAC and was given strict instructions for "bed" (couch) rest for one week. They are trying to get the layer of tissue to rebuild quickly and especially over that nerve. With the VAC and the rest things are moving along. He has dressing changes at the hospital every other day and as you can imagine peeling the bandage off is very painful. My high-tolerance for pain guy has been going through the Tylenol 3 like it's candy. :(

Spending the summer with your leg wrapped up, laying on the couch, and humbly accepting help from loved ones is challenging... It's so much easier to be on the other side OFFERING support, bringing ice cream and checking in with prayer, Scripture and flowers. That being said... we have been loved WELL....

 

Because it's never just an injury is it? It's a trial for the whole family. It's an adjustment for everyone from what is "normal" and in this house... we barely felt steady again after our last earth shattering... guess there is more to learn. Thank the GOOD LORD we don't have to do it alone...

Joshua 1:9      English Standard Version (ESV)

⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

 



*********************************************

WARNING BLACK AND WHITE PICTURE OF THE WOUND BELOW

**********************************************

Miss B TURNS TWO!!!!

Miss B YOU ARE TWO!!!!!

 

Happy HAPPY day sweetie petey! What a squishy little love you are... we are OVER THE MOON for you!

You are coming into your own for SURE, letting us know what you like and most def. what you DON'T like. In true little sister form you LOVE to copy most everything your big sister does. That is good AND bad. ;)

You ABSOLUTELY ADORE your sister. You ask for her as soon as you wake up and if I take you any place alone you question her location the whole time we are out :) I'm pretty sure you think she hung the moon... until she steals a toy from you or "accidentally" knocks you down ;)

 

 

You keep us giggling all day long with your antics, dress up, imagination and fun little spirit!

 

 

You are more easy-going than your sister and I think maybe a bit more like your Daddy. You like snuggle time and your bink and blanket are your go-tos when you are tired.

APRIL

 You pretty much go with the flow and love an adventure to meet new people as long as those you hold near and dear are close. Nursery drop off the past few months has been fairly brutal as you cry sometimes to the point where they have to come get Mommy or Mom or Dad has to stay with you. Pretty sure this won't happen forever so we are just rolling with it now.  

A typical day has you up between 6-7AM, you like a little "nack" of dry cereal to start you off and then you will eat yogurt most days for breakfast. You love fruit with it but getting you to eat any sort of carbs (toast, eng. muff, muffins, waffles, pancakes) can get a little tricky.

You, like your sister, are a SNACK-A-SAURAUS but I am encouraged by my girlfriends with kiddos that you are not unlike your friends :) almonds, Ritz Bitz (cheese), goldfish, raisons and craisons, peanuts, cereal bars, Kid Cliff Bars, bananas, apples and any sort of BERRY are your favs.

Lunch is usually grilled cheese, mac 'n cheese or any of the above "snacks" all on one plate and called "lunch". You are not great about drinking water through the day so I'll slip you a 100% juice box 2-3 days a week or so.

You go down for a nap around 12:30ish and will sleep until about 3. As SOON as you wake up you ask for a "treat" and that means 3-4 mini jelly beans or a small pack of "smarties" :) Sometimes Mom feels generous and you get a Dum-Dum ;) Typically you need some couch/snuggle time when you get up from your nap and then you LOVE to head outdoors. Blowing bubbles, playing on the swing set, having a ride in the Jeep with Minnie are all FAVS!

Dinner with you is pretty easy. You love most everything right now and especially make Daddy proud but "doggin'" your steak ;) You love tomatoes, cukes and cooked green beans from the garden. Corn on the cob is a big fav. and pasta is of course high on the foody list!

Post-dinner routine is playing/wrestling with Daddy, tubby-time, books and you are off to bed between 7:15-7:30. We don't usually hear anything from you once you are in your bed and you are pretty good most nights. Sometimes you'll wake for a bink in the middle of the night but you go right back to sleep... we have come a LONG WAY with sleep my friend... a long way! :)
 

JUNE

Your language has just taken OFF the past few months. You are putting together complete sentences, responding in sentences and asking questions. It's ADORABLE! Some of my favs: "wake-up ME!" when you get up from your nap, "Hode It" for hold it, "Shuurre", "OK Mommy" (has to be my ULTIMATE fav! :) "hi Baby" when you talk to Daddy, "no tank tu, yes peeze", "I COMIN!", "I DO IT", "awww tanks" (in your best nasaly whine :). You also love to sing the last phrase of "In Summer" and have recently started with praise and worship. So Cute!

NOVEMBER

 

SEPTEMBER

Miss B, (aka MC, Myah Cate) we can't BELIEVE how blessed we are to be YOUR parents. We love you so much, you bring such joy, laughter and balance to our family. We look forward to what the year ahead brings and enjoying each and every day with you sweet girl!

 

We ALL love you babe! 

Mommy, Daddy and "Nah-Nah"