Check Ups...and Checked Out

Great news! We went for our first nephrology checkup in Houston last week. The results of the blood tests came back today. Little AL, girlfriend, you are a cool kid. Her tests showed NORMAL kidney function and electrolytes. We have many years of these tests to go, but I will never ever tire of hearing them tell me normal results.

It was a quick(ish) trip to Houston, quick doctor's visit, long wait for blood work. After waiting for over an hour to get her blood drawn, we were finally called back. The doc had ordered for the blood to be drawn from her arm, so I had to hold her down while the nurse dug into her arm for a vein. No luck. They attempted the other arm, going deeper this time. Finally blood came and it was over as soon as it started. Poor little AL. When she quit screaming, her mouth was blue. I could have vomited from the emotional pain of holding her down while they dug around finding the teeniest little vein.

Luckily, babies forget easily. But in my mind all I could think was that we will have to do this...forever. I'm trying not to be the most negative person ever, but I do get haunted by that "forever" word a lot.

On a different note Saturday night Cash and I got to get away for a few hours. I knew, but I guess I didn't realize, how much I missed my Midland folk. We went to the Jr. League's Buckshot Bash, and I was on cloud 9 the entire night. It was so, so good...therapeutic even...to see friends. I realized later that was the first time we had been out in public in Midland (excluding church and the doctor) since early February. Shoosh! So many asked about AL and gave us hugs. I love you, Midland. You are so good to us.

Monday started my first full week by myself with both kids. Oh. My. Gosh. Survival mode at its finest. I swear these two are so close in age they have a twin complex. When one stirs to wake up at one end of the house, the other instinctively knows and begins to wake up on the complete other end of the house. Y'all. This has potential to make a mom go mad and lose her mind.

I'm trying to learn to be patient through the cries and that it is in fact okay to let one child cry while I attend to the other child. I'm getting this down...they are not. 😂

It's a good thing they're cute!

Henry is learning all sorts of things. He has found the stash of koozies. I think we have 2 or 3 koozies from every oil company in the Western Hemisphere. Seriously. It is like those things mated and our stash keeps growing. They must be so fun to play with. Henry has an entire office full of toys, yet he would rather string the koozies out across the kitchen and dining room while I'm nursing. This game isn't as fun to him when my hands are free though. But, boy, every 3 hours when sister has to eat this is a real treat.

I wish you could see the energy this kid feels.

Something I've learned this week is that once you hit your 50s you must get a funny bone where everything around you is just downright hilarious. I am looking at you here, Ron and Brenda. I see the way you "hide" your laughter when Henry tosses his lunch on the ground and claps for himself. It must be funny. I'll tell you when I hit my 50s. In my 30s, though, I just quite haven't hit the humorous note.

On a serious note AL starts her physical therapy next week. At her consultation yesterday the physical therapist was blown away with how she could hold her head up so well already. I don't know when I'll quit being surprised by this little girl. Gah, I love her.

Well, I hear a boy saying "uhoh" from his crib. Break time is over. Thanks for all the kind words y'all have sent as we learn our new normal. It is a hot mess over here on Shell Avenue, but goodness gracious it is a fun mess (most of the time).

Xoxo,
Avery Jane