Time for a break...

I'm ready for a break... not a break from being a stay at home mommy...a break for being sick or having any other sort of health issues! Since Colemans arrival, it seems like I haven't been able to feel completely myself.

For starters, Coleman's labor did require a little longer of a healing process that we had anticipated. Once finally getting on the mend from that and feeling like I could be the kind of mommy I had always dreamed of (being able to get around easier, bounce and sway him, play on the floor, etc.), Kidney stones decided to make their appearance once again. The first round of these happened when we were on our way back from Traverse City visiting some friends. We had to stop in GR because the pain was so bad I couldn't make it back to our house to go to the hospital. Also, the first time I had to leave Coleman for a long period of time happened this same day because we didn't want him in an ER being that young (around 6 weeks old). So my parents met us at the hospital and took him to their house while I was being treated. After a day I began to feel better...either I had passed the stone that was moving, or it stopped moving and the pain went away.

Then about 2 weeks ago, I began to have bad back pain again...I tried to work through it, but a fever came over me as well and the pain worsened. Back to the ER we go, get treated, and sent home again...and now I'm feeling great. Since this time, I've done some more research on kidney stones and have been working to change some things in my diet in the hopes of being able to prevent more from forming. The thing with kidney stones is you never know when they are going to decide to start moving again and there really isn't much you can do to "prevent" them from happening. They are also a genetic thing, and since my dad and brother have had them, and it's not my first time with them - they are likely to come back at some point. So diet and exercise is my new goal now in hopes that it may help some.

Last week I also ended up in the ER with what I believe was a very bad case of food poisoning. I mean seriously!! Can I please have a break from being sick so I can enjoy being a stay at home mom and take care of my precious little boy? We have been so blessed to have such great family members and friends who have dropped their busy schedules to come and help us out as I have been recovering. I have felt very bad about all the issues I have had because it takes my husband away from his work at the most busy time of the year for us (feeling very guilty about this). He reminds me that there is nothing I can do about it and we will get through it. That we will, but I still feel bad.

Then my husband came home sick from work on Monday and I had to take care of him in the afternoon - while trying to keep Coleman and myself away enough so that we didn't get sick. So Coleman and I slept in a different room of the house that night so Justin could get some good rest. Good rest for the hubby and Coleman, not good rest for me since I slept on the floor of Colemans room.

And yesterday, Coleman and I got back from my moms group at church only to find that Harley had gotten sick all over the living room carpet. I'm so glad that I remembered to shut all the doors to the other bedrooms and bathroom (we've been doing this since her last explosion when I was 7 months preggers). So I spent part of the afternoon cleaning up the explosive mess on the carpet. Thankfully, Justin's grandma was coming over to see Coleman so she could watch him while I cleaned. But before that happened, Coleman needed to eat so I had to sit there, feed him, and smell the awful stench and look at it while Harley is outside on the deck whining to come in. She really feels bad about what she did, and I know she couldn't help it (she obviously has some sort of bug)...keep reading...it gets better!

Last night, Harley woke us up by going to the door to be let out (around 1am). Clearly she is still not feeling well. Then around 3:30 I hear Justin say "oh no Harley"...he jumps out of bed and drags her to the door (later I found out he woke up because he "heard" what she was doing...gross!). I woke up and smelled that horrible smell again and sure enough she had another accident on our bedroom floor. She clearly couldn't get to the door fast enough, and I believe that is what she was trying to do. So it's now 3:30, my husband has left to go rent a steam cleaner and I am waiting for him to get home. Coleman is still sleeping at this point (the longest he has slept yet) so I transfer him over to his crib because I know we have some cleaning to do. Come to find out that the steam cleaners aren't available until 7am so on our hands and knees at 3:30 in the morning we are scrubbing away at our bedroom carpet. By 4:30 we were back in bed and Harley was put in the laundry room for the rest of the night.

Coleman woke up at 5:30 this morning!! He went 8 1/2 hours from his night feeding which is just awesome! I was hoping that I could have slept that long too, but I'll stay hopeful for tonight =)

So now I feel like I am on the mend and things are beginning to feel 'normal' again. I think any sort of sickness has passed through this house between myself, Justin, and Harley....so we are ready for a break!!