My New Niece!!!

Thats right! She is finally here!!! Emily Nicole Dye came into the world by C-section at 7:37 pm I believe. She is 8 lbs 7oz and 21 inches long. She has an ENTIRE HEAD full of dark hair. So much in fact I think they can honestly put bows in her hair without any trouble from birth! She is absolutely perfect. Momma is doing great too. She was in recovery when I left. I havent gotten a chance to hold the little one but I will tomorrow. Just wanted to share my news. I have TONS of pictures but I left my camera for Jason and Nicole so they could continue taking pictures. I will post some soon. :)

****UPDATE****

HERE ARE THE PICTURES OF EMILY NICOLE DYE

It's beginning to look alot like.....

CHRISTMAS!! Yep, I have finished the decorating, the presents are wrapped and the kids have been warned about the elves! They are cautiously looking out the windows to see if the elves are marking them on the naughty or nice list. :) Its a good feeling to have everything ready for the big day. Its alot of fun to see how excited the kids are. They wore their christmas outfits today, we took pictures of the girls. Joseph did not have one in his size...so we will get one before family pictures are taken. Promise!! The upside was that for once the outfits for him were not to big...they were to small!! YAY. We also built a gingerbread house. The girls had a blast doing that. Some bits and pieces of candy have started to disappear from it already and strangely the girls have no idea where its going. :P I hope everyone is as excited as we are for the big day. Here are some pictures.

It's Raining......

NOPE....POURING!!! You know that old saying that everyone can relate to. I have decided it has proven true for me over and over again. If yesterdays events weren't enough..this could be the straw that breaks the camels back. You see...Joe's car broke down today. YES....it sure did. We now have his car in the shop to determine what is wrong with it. We are PRAYING its as small as needing a new battery, but for some reason I feel my already empty pockets are in for some bad news. We did however get some good news from Stanley Steemer. They removed 7 of the 10 fans! This is saving us 350.00!!! If they remove more tomorrow there will be even more savings! FINALLY some good news! I just hope we are not taking it from one company to pay another. Anyway, Just wanted to give the update on our ever entertaining drama.


****UPDATE****

The car repair stopped at needing a battery! Yay!!! So, the cost was under 200...which means we are still ahead in savings! The sheetrock man is our last stop...let us PRAY he is cheap!

Water World

OK...not so much....just a watered down bathroom, living room, dining room, kitchen, laundry room and garage. So, if you haven't guessed, we had a water leak today. Joe was trying his best to improve our home and it ended in a very wet disaster. In our downstairs bathroom Joe was trying to strengthen the towel rack which was very wobbly. He was drilling into the wall not realizing he had drilled into a water pipe attached to the hot water heater. :( Needless to say when he started to realize water was coming from the hole he drilled he knew something was wrong. All it took was one little shake and.....POW...the water came streaming from the hole with so much pressure it put a hole in the wall across the bathroom!! Joe ran around crazy for a second and then realized he needed to get the water cut off. He ran outside and cut off all water flow into the house. When he came back in water was EVERYWHERE. So much in fact we were forced to call for help. I was at work during this episode of course, so Joe was on his own. We called in Stanley Steemer to extract the water. Due to all the water there was alot of moisture on the walls. So, as a result 10 industrial strength fans will blow non stop for the next 3 days to get the moisture out of the wall. We had to call in a plumber to fix the pipe. Tomorrow a man will come in to fix the sheet rock in the bathroom. So far our tab is 1636.94 not including the sheet rock man. As you can see....Our idea of indoor pool was not what we expected. :( To all of your home owners...remember before installing a towel rack, be familiar with what is on the other side of the wall. To those of you who are in an apartment...can I move in?? I miss the free maintenance! So, needless to say we have had an eventful day. Surprisingly, Joe and I have handled this with smiles on our faces. I guess after everything else that has happened to us these last few months we have bonded together and realized we can make it through anything. Our bank account on the other hand.....not so much. :) Here are some pictures of our lovely mess.

THE PIPE REPAIR

THE HOLE FROM THE WATER PRESSURE

ONLY 4 OF THE 10 FANS

CALL STANLEY STEEMER!!

Another addition to the Fling household.....

Guys come on now....NO I'm not pregnant! hehe. I had a good friend of mine offer me a great deal. She is a Boxer breeder and has given me her last puppy. :) We are now the proud owners of a 7 week old female boxer puppy. We have decided to name her Bella. Lots of people like to point out "Are you sure?? You have so much on your plate right now." To that...this is my response...

Yes, we have alot on our plate. Alot of negative things. For once, Joe and I decided we are going to do something fun. Since Joseph's birth everything has been hectic and crazy...sad and depressing. He is a wonderful baby with challenges. We wanted something fun to add to the mix. When this opportunity came our way we decided it would be a GOOD thing. Yes, puppies have their moments...but that doesn't mean it will overwhelm us. Potty training is such a small spectrum to the return you get from the love of a loyal dog. So far, she has only pee peed 2 times and that was just hours after I brought her home. We got her Sunday night. I am happy with her. Besides...its just a dog...its not 5 more kids. We can handle it. :)

Below are some pictures of her. Beware...she is adorable!!

Santa Claus is coming to......

FAST!!!! I cant keep up with things this year. It seems like it was just Halloween and now Thanksgiving has come and gone. I tried to get some shopping done today, I got some...but no where near half way. I think I will end up using the Internet alot this year. Oh well, welcome to the Internet age! Its a little easier this year though, now that Hailey and Megan can actually tell me what they want. I'm excited for Joseph's first Christmas. The "firsts" are always fun. :) We just had his first Thanksgiving...below is a picture of him with the traditional Turkey Leg. And for kicks I included Hailey and Megan's first Thank giving pics too. Ahhhh Memories....

Since my last post we have made 2 trips to the ER. None of which were dramatic or trauma related thank goodness. More on the side of "Just in case" for the doctors peace of mind. Joseph has been sick with a bad cold which was causing him to throw up. This concerned the doctors because that is a symptom of a Shunt malfunction. I was told I would become very familiar with the inside of an emergency room. Oh Joy....Oh Bliss. HOWEVER...there is nothing I wouldn't do for my little man so it is what it is. Everyone is doing well at the moment though. (Fingers crossed) Other than that there is not a whole lot going on. We plan to take family pictures soon. Our first since Joseph was born. Naturally I will share when they happen. Until then...Enjoy some Turkey Day pics! Just in case you cant tell them apart...I put them on by age. Hailey is first, than Megan and last is Joseph.

Pandemic....

So, I read an email that my dad sent out today. It was referencing a woman in the church and her role in educating church members about the upcoming pandemic. It was a very eye opening email. One scary part was when she stated "a pandemic is coming - not 'maybe' but is DEFINITELY coming." How scary is that?? And that's not the scariest part...this is..."the pandemic is expected within the next two years but she personally believes it will be 'sooner' rather than later." AND "the World Health Organization expects 40% of the world population to become sick. Of those who become sick, they expect 50% will die. If you do the math - there are over 6 billion people on the earth today - that puts the death rate at over 1.4 billion people - and she says these deaths will happen over only a 3 to 4 month period of time. When the pandemic hits the US, mandatory quarantine's of all infected and NON-INFECTED peoples will occur within the first 48 hours. This quarantine will last during the duration of the 'pandemic cycle' which will last approximately three months. "

WOW....that really jump started my brain. I naturally turned to my husband and started a small conversation before he headed off to work. During that conversation I realized something. Joe is a convert to the church and has had minimal exposure to the food storage world. Yes he knows about it, but he is not as "concerned" as he should be. And that's when I realized most of this is up to me to educate him and get this food storage party started! I looked around at my peaceful family. Hailey and Megan watching their new favorite move "WALL-E", Joseph discovering his voice and learning to suck on his hands and Joe quietly dressing for work. I became VERY protective. It was like a fire was lit in me and I wanted to immediately protect my family. I don't want my family to one day wonder "why didn't Mommy heed the warnings and start a food storage plan?" I couldn't bare the thought of my family starving when I could have prevented it.

To some this may sound silly, a little over the top or perhaps think I'm a crazy person. I on the other hand feel that I have a lot of catching up to do in this race. If anyone wants access to the email that was sent to me, just let me know. I don't want to be included in the "I wish I would have listened" crowd when things start to get bad and neither should you.

More Sick Drama....

So the drama continues with a new addition...the stomach bug. Yep, our family has contracted the stomach flu. It started with Joseph. He couldn't keep his formula down. All day yesterday he kept throwing up. It got to the point where we took him to the ER. I was concerned that he wasn't eating enough. After 3 hours we came home. He was on pedialite all day yesterday. Today we are inching back into the formula.

Yesterday however, Megan and I became sick with the same thing. Mine started at work. I was miserably sick. I left 1 hour before my day ended. The whole way home I had to distract myself so I wouldn't lose it in the car. I kept passing all the fast food restaurants and OMG...I almost threw up several times. The second I walked in the door, I bolted to the bathroom. Afterwards I went straight upstairs and didn't budge until this morning. Yesterday Megan started with it too. She threw up all over the carpet, the couch and in the sink. She is doing a lot better today though. I took today off to recuperate. The downside is I now have to work Saturday to make up for today's hours. YUCK. But, at least it should be an easy day. Anyway, so there is the update. As you can see we have been having a blast! On a a good note...check out these cute kids!

Halloween 2008

Halloween this year was a lot of fun. Now that the girls are older, they are really starting to enjoy the holidays. We took them to my parents house for trick or treating. We brought little Joseph around with us, just not door to door. A few nights before Halloween we carved the pumpkins. The girls had a blast. Joseph wasn't quite sure what was going on, but he sure laughed about the pumpkin. We met up with my sister Heather and her husband, they brought little Katy around trick or treating too. She was dressed as a lady bug. All in all, it was a good holiday. The girls are already geared up for next year. Below are some pictures of the grand event.

Are you kidding me??

OKAY, so its been almost exactly a month since my last post. I cant believe its been that long. Felt like a couple weeks. What a crazy month it has been. Mainly just medical crud as usual.

First, about 2 weeks ago Joseph's G-tube button fell out. YES, came out of his tummy leaving a hole!! Basically there is a balloon on the other side of the tube preventing it from coming out, and it ruptured. Therefore the tube came out. Now, I was at work when it happened and my mom called me in a panic wondering what to do. Naturally, all this stuff happens while I'm at work and cant see it for myself! So, needless to say we ended up taking him to the ER. I had Joe take him due to it not being a "Critical" issue. The hole closed up enough to where they had to put the actual G-Tube back in to enlarge the hole again. This coming Tuesday he is scheduled to have the button put back in.

Second, after all that drama Megan starts coughing like crazy. You can hear the amount of mucus in her chest each time she coughed. It started to get to the point of her gagging herself. So, due to having other people in the house I had Joe take her in. (again, I'm at work) So, the doctor says its a bad cold and to continue with over the counter medication as usual. Poor thing, she was miserable.

About 2 days after Megan sees the doctor, Joseph starts coughing. He started coughing bad enough that he would gag himself. Now, the difference with him and Megan is age, weight and reflux. When Joseph gags, all of his formula comes up with it. After another couple of days he starts with the chest congestion. Now, most of you know of his history with aspiration. So naturally I'm wondering if he is developing Pneumonia. I tell Joe again, to take him into the doctor just to be safe. So, this past Tuesday Joe takes him in. So of course I'M at WORK expecting Joe to call me and give the same report that Megan got. No such luck. He calls to tell me Joseph tested positive for RSV!!! With his age and medical history they immediately hospitalized him. We were there until Saturday afternoon. They suctioned his nose every 2-4 hours and added breathing treatments and 2 other medications to his list of medicines. He has improved greatly and sounds much better.

Now you can see why the past month has made it difficult to post anything! I HOPE my family is on the mend and that this isn't a prelude to what I should expect this cold and flu season. On a positive note though, we have all the kids Halloween costumes ready! Hailey will be a bumble bee, Megan a Pink Princess, and Joseph a Skunk! :) They are all going to be adorable! Of course there will be a frenzy of picture taking, so I will post pictures.

Until next time, take care all...protect your children from the cold and flu season. Get the flu shots, wash your hands and keep cold medicine stocked!! This year could be a bad one!

Let's Catch Up..

So, its been a while since I last wrote, but its been a little nuts around here. The illnesses I believe are nearly done. Megan started with the same fever deal 2 nights ago, but seems fine this morning. Now, they just have that allergy congestion. Ugh!

Joseph has been doing really well. Not to long ago they did another swallow study on him. They said he was still aspirating a little bit with the thin liquids but doing great with the thicker liquids. They still wanted to continue his speech therapy ( working with a bottle). I got a call from a different medical office saying they could work with him from home!! So, she came out to do an evaluation. She called me yesterday and said "Mrs. Fling, after my evaluation of Joseph I am not going to qualify him for home health." I said "What?? Why?? Its so much easier to do it this way than for me to drive 30 min to the other office for the same treatment" She said "Its not because I don't want to, but I don't think he needs it. When I watched him drink his bottle, he did it perfectly. I really think that the thick liquids works wonders for him right now and I just don't see why he needs speech therapy. If things change in the future when its time for him to spoon feed, call me back and I would be glad to come back out." THIS was GREAT news. Now I have a second opinion which mirrors my own to take to the current people he is with and say "NOW, tell me that he REALLY needs this, or discharge him from this service." I really hope they say the same thing.

The last big topic was what happened to my neighbors a couple days ago. There is a large family that lives next to us and its a combination of adults, teens and 3 small children. Well, these people let the smallest children hang out in the front yard ALONE several times week. The other day the teen mother was screaming and running up and down the street crying. She went to another neighbors house begging for any information she could get. Apparently, he son had been kidnapped. I found out about this while I was at work. Joe was home with our kids. I called him the second I found out and told him they are not allowed outside, PERIOD. He told me as long as he was out there to let them play. I said "Joe, if there is someone out there stealing children, I don't want them to see ours, to even know they exist." He agreed and the kids were kept inside for the day. Luckily, by the time I got home, the little boy had been returned. It seems a family friend of theirs who had a grudge saw an opportunity to take one of the children, and did. They were arrested. This makes me feel better knowing it was someone they knew and not just a random person, but still. Kidnapping is Kidnapping!

So that's it, nothing more to report. The kids and I are going to the fair today. I'm taking Hailey and Megan with me. I think they will have a blast. I'm kinda exited myself. I don't remember the last time I was at the fair. :)

Sick

We now have an illness among us. Hailey is running a temp and saying "only my head hurts and I'm hot." I have been fighting off allergies the past few days myself. Not sure what is causing this for Hailey though. She was running a 101.3 when I got home from work. Later that night, after I put her to bed I went to give her another dose of Tylenol and she was 102.7. I gave her a luke warm bath to bring it down. She came into my room at about 5am saying she was hot again. I didn't take her temp but you could feel her burning skin. I gave her more Tylenol. She has no other symptoms other than a fever. My thinking is, she is adjusting to the school environment. They say the first 6 weeks are the worst. So, today I am home...taking care of my sick family. Megan is still running a muck though. :) And Joseph is just hanging out. I hope they don't get this.

Grateful....

I was catching up on reading all of my friends and Families blog postings from the last few days and I came across one that changed me. My friend Heather always seems to find things accidentally that hold so much meaning for me. More than I let on sometimes. She came across a family blog, not quite sure how she did but it doesn't matter. It was a blog of a Mormon family who recently lost their only child, their 2 year old little girl. Their story is tragic, not one anyone can fully relate to unless you have been in their shoes before. Their story touched me. They lost their little girl due to her choking on a piece of apple, the size of a pea. I cant even begin to imagine the anguish this poor mother feels. Yet, I feel I can slightly comprehend the pain you feel for your child when you cant help them, and when their fate lye's in God's hands. Of course you all know I am referring to my experience with Joseph. Their little girl was taken from them way to early. Now they have to deal with what will seem like eternity, here on earth, without her, waiting to be reunited again. I still have my Joseph. He has had a very very rough beginning, but we still have him here with us. I was reminded tonight after learning of this family, that I would gladly take this trial compared to what could have been. I know that hospital feeling. Sitting by your child's bedside, praying....no...begging God to spare your child. To some how miraculously fix him and grant him a normal life. I know that feeling of complete helplessness, despair and defeat. I think back to the day I was told he might not make it. I remember feeling that emptiness. I remember crying on my dad's shoulder telling him "I can not bury my baby." At that point I had not yet held him. I needed desperately to cradle him and make sure he knew me. If he were going to leave, I needed him to take back with him a memory of his mother. I needed him to know me. And I needed to know him. I cant imagine not getting that chance. I also cant imagine the final goodbye. Holding someone for the last time. I can still hold my baby. I can see him grow, touch him and love him physically. My heart goes out to all those mothers who do not have that chance. I only hope they gain the knowledge that they will see them again. I am reminded tonight to not be selfish for wanting my son to be 100% healed...but to be grateful for the chance to hold him tonight, tomorrow and eventually forever.

I'm sorry this post seems like a downer. I am feeling overwhelmed but at peace. For those of you who would like to read the Jackson family blog, here it is http://jacksonparkcity.blogspot.com/. Just as my friend Heather warned, I will do the same. It is very emotional...be prepared to release that emotion.

A Good Day

Today was a pretty good day over all. It started early with taking Hailey to school at 7am. Then I came home and fed Megan and Joseph breakfast. We left at 8:30 to drive to Joseph's appointment letting us know his EEG test results. It showed there were no signs of seizure activity but he did have abnormal electric activity. They want to do another follow up EEG to compare it to. That will be later this month. Next we came back home for lunch. Then we headed off to Joseph's 4 month appointment. It went really well. The doctor was pleased with his past 2 months of changes. Right now he is 10 lbs 2 oz and 23 inches long. :) He is showing great progress in his weight which shows his formula intake has been very sufficient. (We have been feeding him by mouth the last 2 weeks. No G-Tube). He also got his 4 month shots. :( Poor baby. Last but not least we took Hailey to her appointment for her arm. All was well so they removed the cast. :) She is glad to have it off. They actually just pulled the darn thing off...lol...no saw involved. Things sure have changed since I was a kid. lol. Anyway, now its just time to relax with the family.

Dad Update....

Hey Everyone,

Just wanted to give a quick update and let you know that my dad is home. He ended up having a 80% blockage in one of his main arteries. They put in a permanent stint which will help keep it open. He had a 2nd artery that was 30% blocked but they didn't do anything to that one. He is now on some medicine he will take for the rest of his life to help keep the cholesterol levels down. He is also being put on a cardiac diet...he is not happy about that part. He came home Sunday afternoon and is doing well. Thank you all for your love, support and prayers. Maybe if we are lucky....we will finally have things OUR way for a change. :)

Keep it in the Family....

SO...all of you that know me and read my blog are aware of our incredible bad luck over the past few months. Well apparently I cant keep it to myself and I had shared it with my Dad. A couple weeks ago he was in Arkansas on a fishing trip. While fishing one day, he was out wading in the water and caught a fish. He was a good distance from the boat so he decided to walk and guide the fish to the boat while it was still on the line. Well, somehow the fish got tangled around his legs causing him to fall into the water. He hit his knee on a big rock. When he was done fishing that night he looked at his knee noticing a 50 cent piece sized bruise on his knee. No biggy right?? Wrong..by the time he came back home about 3 days later the bruise had spread down his entire leg and he started having a huge pain in his shin. It got to the point that he decided to go to the ER since it was a Sunday. Once they sent him home they said to call back on Wednesday to give an update to see how he was....well on Wednesday it was even worse. They admitted him to the hospital where he stayed for 1 week. ALL FROM A SIMPLE FISHING TRIP!! So....the sad part.......I'm not done yet.....

After 1 week in the hospital he came home on Wednesday. Here it is Saturday morning and I get a call from my mom around 8:30 am. She says "Heidi, I need you to come get Katy (my 6 mo old niece) because I think your dad is having a Heart Attack" WHAT?!?!?!?! How on earth is this happening to him? She said she had already called 911. Now, I live about 15-20 min from my parents. I made it to her house in 9 minutes, crying the whole way there wondering what I was going to see when I arrived. When I got there, the paramedics already had him in the ambulance getting ready to take him to the ER. My mom was a mess. She told me though that the EMT's did not think it was a heart attack but because they couldn't be sure they were going to treat him as such anyway. He has been admitted to the hospital yet again for more testing. At this point everything still looks like it was NOT a heart attack. THANK GOODNESS! They are still running some tests, so he will most likely be there through the weekend.

For those of you who know my dad and my family...you know that he is our ROCK. If he were not here, our family would struggle tremendously. The shear thought of losing my dad this early in my life was terrifying. I just hope that whatever dark cloud we somehow managed to adopt will realize it is not welcome here, and LEAVE...Period.

Long Weekend...

In a good way! We have been looking forward to this weekend for a while now. Not that we have anything significant planned, but any time you get 3 days in a row...its awesome! Hailey did so good in her first week of school. She had some trouble with talking in class and not following directions, but show me one 5 yr old that does it 100% and I will owe you money! She really likes her teacher and works hard to please her. I already see her behavior at home improving. :)

Megan misses her big sister during the day. The BFF she has known since birth is gone nearly all day long. She is adjusting though. She asks how Hailey is doing and when she is coming back. The good thing is that she understands she IS coming back. So, she spends her time helping my mom take care of Joseph and her cousin. She is very maternal!

Joseph is still doing great. We have not used his G-tube (other than for medicine) in over a week! He has slept through the night for 4 nights in a row now! Its great! It makes my early mornings and full days of work much easier to deal with. He is talking and smiling so much more now. And his appetite is none other than a duplicate of his father. The boy always wants to eat!! Its times like this where I don't miss nursing. I would have loved the chance to nurse him but for those of you who nurse...you know what I mean when they always want to be right there at your boob! He has several checkups in the beginning of Sept. I will update when we know more.

For our Holiday tomorrow we are taking the kids to the Zoo. I for one am very excited. I love the Zoo!! Its been a little while since we were there last and the girls are looking forward to it. We are going to take Joseph too. :) He will have his first real outing tomorrow. We are taking my sister and her daughter too. It should be a fun day.

Last but not least...the Twilight series. I am still very much involved. I am just under half way done with the final book. So far I'm really loving it! In fact, after I get the kids into bed, my plan is to dig right back into it! I cant wait to find out what happens next!

Off to College???

Not quite, but I feel like Im losing my hold on her really fast. Hailey had her first official day of school today. She did sooo good when we dropped her off. She acted as if she had done it a thousand times before. She walked right in, sat down, and began the coloring activity. So many other parents were in tears or their child was crying. Not Hailey...she was very excited. Once I realized that she didnt "Need" me there, we said our goodbyes. She just smiled and kept right on coloring saying "See you later Mom." My baby seemed so grown up. Her teacher is really nice and I know she will definitely be good for Hailey and her large amount of energy. :) As shocking as it was, I didnt cry. I fully expected that I would. But I guess seeing just how well she did was a major comfort. I did shed a tear on the way to work thinking about how much she has changed and accomplished in 5 years. Wow...



Megan was sad to see her go but understood that Hailey was going to school to LEARN not play. Megan thought school was just a big play ground. haha. She will learn soon enough that there was no rush! After we dropped Hailey off I took Megan and Joseph to my mom and I headed off to work. I had planned to take atleast the morning off, but ended up only being an hour and half late. My boss was pleased. lol.



Here are some pictures of Hailey on her first day. I also included one of Megan's "Backpack." :)

The Last Days.....

Before School that is. I cant believe that in a matter of DAYS now, Hailey will be in school. How does one cope with this? I have such mixed emotions about it. I WANT her to go...but I don't know how to LET GO. My first born baby is going out into this crazy world. Strangers to me are supposed to take care of her all day. UGH...the feeling makes my stomach hurt. On the other hand, I'm super excited for her. I feel her life is really starting to take off. She is going to get so much experience from this. I'm excited for her to have friends at school, to tell me about her day, help with homework, and see her put all her energy to work! Again....Letting go is the key.

I'm still very involved with the Twilight series. I am on book 3...about half way done. I'm so glad I didn't have to wait like some of you to find out what happens next. Its a continuous story for me! I read every single day and sometimes night...lol. Its such a good series. I am like my friend Heather, when its all done....Then what????

Anyway, I believe we are going to do Hailey's party this weekend for her birthday. Its so hard trying to mesh schedules. It isn't going to turn out quite like I planned...but oh well. She will get the main idea behind the "Princess" theme. Its hard to keep up this blogging deal now that I am back to work. I feel so exhausted by the end of the day. I will keep going though. :)

P.S.- For those of you with children...incase you didnt know Sept. 7th is Grandparents day. Show some love to your childrens spoilers! Here is a site I love that makes it easy. www.personalcreations.com

Work Shmirk....

Today I finished my first official week of work. It wasn't TERRIBLE...but it wasn't great, fun or exciting either. Its pretty much back to normal now. I wish even more now that I could find a way to work from home. We don't have anymore appointments planned for this month. HUGE SHOCKER. Since he has been home he has had 1-2 each week. Things are finally starting to settle.

I went to Wal-Mart yesterday to buy all of Hailey's school supplies. I spent 65.00. I couldn't believe the list. I know that I am buying for the whole class for the entire year, along with other parents, but I also know I am making up for parents who don't buy anything. One item on the list said "18 Elmer's Glue Sticks". Yes....18!! Now if all 20-25 students bring it...that's a WHOLE LOT of glue! I have just learned to stop complaining and buy it. Its not like complaining is going to make the list disappear.

Anyway, not much has been going on. Hailey is excited for School, Megan is finally pooping VERY regularly in the toilet, and Joseph is still making progress. Joe is doing his thing at the Sheriff's office and I'm back at work. Its nice to finally be somewhat Normal again...but now that things have slowed down...I find myself....bored. (but in a good way) :)

Blessing Day

So Yesterday we were finally able to Bless Joseph. It was a great day. Our Bishop was kind enough to attend the blessing at our home. It has become a tradition. Back tracking.... when Hailey was being blessed my grandparents flew in from California. The airline lost their luggage and it would not be retrieved before the blessing. We decided to bless her at home so that my grandparents wouldnt need to go to church in street clothes. When Megan was born we decided it was nice to have the privacy of just the family sharing the event...and so began the tradition. The same went for Joseph. Everyone in my family was there accept for CJ (he wasnt able to get out of teaching his priesthood class) and Celeste who lives in Utah. My mom provided his blessing outfit (that is her tradition) which even in the smallest size made, he was still swimming in it. The blessing was beautiful. It gave me some comfort. Joe was very emotional through it all. He paused several times to compose himself. I love that about him. I have been very blessed to have my husband worthy enough to provide these sweet blessings to all 3 of our children. Joseph did very well through it too. He started to fuss just a little, but the gentle rocking of all the men soothed him easily. Needless to say, the spirit was very strong. Here are a few pictures.

Will the Rain Cloud ever leave???

Alot has happened the past few days, hence the reason I was not able to post. Hailey fell down and broke her right arm. Its not a bad break...but a fracture. She has a bright pink cast on for the next 4 weeks. She doesn't seem to mind other than the fact she cant scratch when she itches. The other negative is that she will have it on for her 5th birthday and her first few days of school. :( I was hoping it would be done by then. Below are some pictures. It just seems the old saying rings true..."When it rains...it Pours." I believe we have filled our quota of bad things for quite some time. "Dear Bad Karma, Please pack your bags and leave the Flings alone!"

New Obsession?

What on earth...how can a book...a fictional story captivate me so intensely? I am constantly thinking about this book and its characters. This author is sooo good. I'm glad I decided to finally read this book. I'm a little more than half way finished with the first book. I would be done by now if part of my day and night wasn't taken up by work, kids and sleep. :) I look forward to finishing it and starting the rest of the series. Not to mention I'm so excited to learn there is a movie coming out in December. I WILL have to see it. Anyway, this post really serves no purpose except that I cant read anymore tonight because I have to sleep...so I get to at least blog about it one last time tonight. :) Pathetic...but fun!

Work...well kinda

Today was my first day back at work. It was...interesting. My co-workers were really excited to see me. It has been 3 months and 2 days since I was last in the building. I took some pictures in reflecting back on the 2 month journey in the NICU. I logged into my computer only to find that I had 400 unanswered emails. OH JOY. Each one needed my attention one way or the other. I knocked it down to half by the time I left. It was a long day because of the lack of sleep I received the night before. Little man was not very cooperative when I mentioned I was working the next day. It was a nice break though. I still worried about him, wondered how my mom was making out for the first time alone with him. She did good, a little nervous (completely understandable) but good. It takes time to get used to his routine. She is a mother of 7 kids...but its her first time with a feeding tube and continuous medication. Not to mention he had surgery days before and still has the bandages on his head. I feel more comfortable with giving some of the responsibility to others. Not completely...but I'm getting there.

I have also been reading more of the Twilight book. Its great so far. I love it when people tell me "This book is a must read...you will love it" and it turns out to be the truth. I find myself thinking about the characters as if they were real people. Odd huh? Its almost like I found myself wondering " Whats Bella doing right now?" or "I wonder if Edward was back at school today." Again, this all could be from lack of sleep too. Haha. Well...I'm going to make some dinner and settle back into my book. I want to answer the above questions. :)

Home At Last

We made it home. FINALLY. This was a short hospital stay when you consider the nature of the surgery but MY GOSH it was soooo long for me. It was a very difficult past 2 nights. Monitors beeping, babies crying, kids screaming, late night visitors for the roommates, nurse checks every hour...it was terrible. However, we endured and he is home safe and sound with me. Seems he needs some Tylenol every 8 hours or so..but WHO can blame the little guy. He just finished his 3rd major surgery in 3 months! The doctor was pleased with results and confirmed the shunt is in place, no additional bleeding and his ventricles already appear to be smaller. YAY for little man! During my stay in the hospital I decided to read a book everyone had been raving about. Yes, I began "Twilight." The verdict....great book so far! I'm very intrigued. I'm not a reader so this has to mean this author is amazing! I continued reading nearly through the 2nd night because there was no possibility of sleep. To those who have not yet read the book, get it. Start it...you WILL finish it within days. Anyway, just wanted to post to confirm our homecoming.

Quick Post

Well, things didnt go as planned. Joseph ended up needing to be admitted early to the hospital for surgery. It was not life threatening but he was uncomfortable. He had his shunt surgery at about 4:30 pm yesterday. I stayed overnight with him and will again tonight. He is doing great though. He was in such good spirits by late morning today. He was smiling too. :) If all goes as planned, he should be home tomorrow afternoon. I will post again with an update. Thank you, to those who kept him and I in your prayers. They are working.

Heartache....

Its late. I can't sleep. My little one is fast asleep in a peaceful slumber...all 3 of them as a matter of fact. I walked into my little girls' room and tucked them in for the night. They always kick their covers off in their sleep. I always seem to sleep better when I know that they are warm, safe and content. I just starred at them. My gosh they are gorgeous. The two most beautiful creations on this earth. Such sweet little girls. So full of life. Such a passion for excitement and fun. Words cant even come close to expressing how much love I have for my children. I only want what is best for them. I never want them to hurt, feel sad or scared. I want to protect them from this world we live in. Yet I want them to experience life. I want them to grow up and express their individuality. I want them to become amazing adults. Then my thoughts always turn to little Joseph. An amazing little spirit. So strong, vibrant and special. HE IS SOMEONE GREAT. But why...why must he have to endure such hardship so early? I want to take it from him. I begged God today to let me have it...to put his pain and suffering on me. I wanted his little head to be healed so badly. I prayed and it didn't happen. I'm not mad at God. I know that Joseph was his son before he was mine. He doesn't want to see him suffer. And I know he is protecting him from our fallen brother. Still though, knowing all that does not make it any easier to see my precious baby boy endure so much in such a short time. How much can a little baby weighing less than 9 lbs take? But my gosh he is a fighter. He is amazing. His sisters love him so much. Hailey loves to take care of him. She has so much concern for him. Always wants him to be happy. Megan just wants to protect him. She loves to hold him and sing him songs. And he loves them in return. He just stares into their faces listening so intently. Heavenly Father has blessed me with 3 beautiful children. All 3 their own person. I thank him so much for that. I need him to hear my prayers...I am slowly cracking. I'm a compassionate mother. I can only handle seeing my children in pain so much before I lose it. And I'm losing it. I find myself holding Joseph and crying into his tiny chest. I have apologized to him for not making it better...not having the power to change it. I try my best to explain that there is a reason for it all. He is so sweet, he just looks into my eyes almost as if he knows why. He is loved by many. I just need a break from the bad. Anyway...this post is a late one. My heart is very heavy right now. I just want to cuddle my baby to sleep...and that's exactly what I intend to do.

A Sad but prepared for Day....

So today I decided to call Joseph's neurosurgeon because I felt like his soft spot was fuller/harder than normal. If I was right...that would mean he wasn't absorbing his fluid and would need the shunt. I prayed incredibly hard for my little man not to get bad news. Unfortunately Heavenly Father has other plans for him. The doctor told me "Good catch Mom, he is fuller and does need the shunt. Had you waited until his appointment next week... you would have had a very uncomfortable and cranky little boy on your hands." I am deeply saddened that my little guy has yet another surgery to endure. However, this is what is best. With this shunt I will not constantly be worried about excess fluid around his brain. Once healed it will also make him more comfortable too being he will not feel anymore pressure from the fluid. I wanted so badly for him to not need to see the inside of a hospital...but again...it was not Heavenly Fathers plan. He is a fighter and he will endure. The other positive is that I am able to stay with him 24 hours a day. He will not be left alone and I don't have to say goodbye this time. The surgery will be Monday morning at 9 am. I'm asking for your prayers so he will have a fast recovery without any complications.

The next item of business is my Job. I was scheduled to go back on Aug 4th...the day of his surgery. I called my boss to inform him it would be later in the week before my return. His reply was that based on business need...termination of employment may present itself. Not because of performance...but a lack of attendance. They are fully aware of my situation but at the end of the day..they are a business. I need this job financially but even more so for Joseph's insurance. My boss seems to think the extra couple days shouldn't make a difference but he wanted me to be aware of the possibility. I'm telling you, when it rains it pours. Keep us in your thoughts please. It's greatly appreciated.

Beginning of the Last week.....

So today starts the last week I have off from work. When I go back it will be after being off for 3 months. WOW. It was nice but incredibly full of every emotion possible. I am ready to go back to see everyone, but by Wednesday I will want another 3 months off. haha. I am hoping I can find a way to work from home or at least go part time. Joseph needs me...but we need money. Is there a happy medium anywhere? I don't know how all this work stuff is going to go anyway. Even though Joseph is home, he still has Physical therapy once a week and Speech (feeding) therapy 2 times a week. If Joe cant take him, then I have to take off work. I don't know how long USAA will deal with it. But, in the famous words of Scarlet O'Hara from Gone with the Wind..." I can't think about that now, I will think about it tomorrow."

On a different note, I finally got my girls room decorated. It looks great!! The loved it. We did a Disney princess theme complete with 3 different princess pictures that are 4 feet tall and a huge 5 ft castle. We also hung beautiful nylon butterflies from the ceiling. I bought new princess bedding to match. It was really fun to see their reactions. I will post a picture. And now for a nice relaxing (hopefully) evening until little Joseph decides it's bed time. :)

A spiritual Sunday??

I just got back from church. Oh.....my.....gosh. I was looking forward to today because I was being released from my calling as a Sunbeam teacher. Now, typically I love the primary callings but this one was just shy of a nightmare. These kids are completely wild and crazy. I felt bad for the short notice of being released so I decided to still teach my class one last time. BIG mistake. See, I asked to be released for the first time ever in my life. The stress of having Joseph is still very much apparent and I literally just couldn't handle it. These kids today would not listen to ANYTHING I said. Not to mention during the 1st hour the "singing time" teacher passed out candy. YES...CANDY to a bunch of little kids who still had an hour to go. They were bouncing off the walls, screaming, saying No, fighting and even spitting! Usually I have a helper in the room, no such luck today. I ended up with 4 boys and 1 girl. Even the girl was acting nuts. I didn't have a lesson prepared because I wasn't supposed to be teaching, which made things worse. I was basically talking about everything under the sun. FINALLY the hour ended and it was time to head back into the Primary room. MORE ADULTS! When it was all over I handed off my lesson book and said " I will not be available next week." Now I just want to be at home and relax. My stress level is off the charts. lol. All I can say at this point is, GOOD LUCK to my replacement!

Relaxation and Friends...

Today we got a chance to just sit back and relax. No doctors appointments at all until next week. It was great to wake up at 9:30 this morning. All 3 kids decided to sleep late. I needed that. We all kinda sat around in our P.J.'s until my wonderful friend Heather called me. She has not yet seen Joseph and was very anxious to meet him. She has been craving holding him since he was literally conceived. ha ha. I love being around Heather. She is so much fun. She and I are like twins some how separated in the Pre existence. BUT..we found each other. Our kids are even to much alike. The visit went really well. Heather cuddled Joseph and felt his sweet spirit. The 3 girls just laughed and played the entire time. The always look forward to playing with each other. After they left we started to clean the girls room a bit. WHAT A MESS! Now, the kids are quietly watching their night time shows on the couch. Nothing like a day filled with relaxation and friends!

Doctors upon Doctors...

So today Joseph had 3 appointments. Poor little guy. First up was his follow up with the surgeon who inserted his G-tube. All went well. He said he will fit him next week for the "button" which will allow us to bathe him submerged in water. It also wont have the 6 inch tubing hanging from his tummy. Over all...a much better experience for everyone. Next was Speech Therapy. They work with him on bottle feeding. He did GREAT. I now have the okay to feed him 20 CC's of formula twice a day. Eventually we will work up to his full feedings of 2 ounces (60 CC's). And last was Physical Therapy. They just do some stretching with his arms and legs, tummy time, and just over all stimulating him. He tolerated that well. He starts to get annoyed with them after the first 30 minutes. Who can blame him? In total I was gone to appointments from 1 pm until 5 pm. It was a long day, but worth it for my little man.

Today he weighed 8 lbs 8 oz. He has now officially doubled his birth weight! He was born weighing 4lbs 7 oz. He is even starting to look a little chunky! Nothing major by any means, but you can see a little pudge in his cheeks. He is still in Newborn diapers but steadily growing into them. At 2 1/2 months he has come such a long way. He has made great strides and shows us every day he is a true fighter. He knows what he wants and works very hard for it. I am enjoying every moment with him. I have even graduated into sleeping without his night light. I have a bad habit of leaving it on so that at any point during the night I can look over and see him sleeping. I feel comfortable now with him sleeping in the dark. YAY for us! Anyway, that's about all for today. More updates and comments to come.

Joseph's Delivery Story

It was on Friday, May 2nd, 2008. It started off as one of those "TGIF" days. I started my work day at 8:00 am. I work for USAA in our Credit Card area so its not a stress filled job. At about 9:00 am I needed to use the restroom. Nothing so abnormal about that being I was 8 months pregnant. While walking the short distance to the restroom I felt a small gush of fluid. At first I began thinking, "Wow, I really have to go and cant keep it in". After using the restroom while walking back to my desk I felt a 2nd and much larger gush of fluid. I walked back to my seat and just waited to see if it was my water breaking. At about 10:00am I felt the urge to use the restroom again. As I was walking back to the restroom I felt another gush. I knew something wasn't right. I went to see the company nurse. Not being incredibly skilled in Labor and delivery they suggested I leave and see my doctor. This was in my plans anyway, so I called and made an appointment. They told me to come in at 1:30 pm. I left work right afterwards at about 11:00 am. I went home to change my clothes and to have Joe drive me. We took Hailey and Megan to my mom just in case.

We arrived at about 12:45 to the doctors office. They called me back pretty quickly. My regular doctor was not there so I saw one of her partners. He performed an exam and said he could see alot of fluid but was unsure if it was amniotic fluid or just vaginal secretions. He collected a sample and asked a nurse to check it. He also said he wanted to get an Ultrasound to see the amniotic fluid levels. During the Ultrasound the doctor kept making sounds like "Hmmm....oh...mmmm" and it worried me. He then said " Well, I'm going to consider you ruptured and send you to labor and delivery. I can only find 1 good sized pocket of fluid which means you are leaking it". I was terrified. I had been crying most of the appointment but when he said those words...I lost it. He kept telling me everything would be fine. I was 36 weeks pregnant and days away from being considered TERM at 37 weeks. He told me to go straight to the hospital. I called my mom and told her what was going on. She was excited and told me not to worry, everything would be fine. Of course she would say that..I'm her baby...having a baby and she wants everything to be perfect. I kept saying to her "Its not okay, I can tell something is not right". She tried her best to comfort me and told me in a few hours I would be holding my first son. I replied with " If I have him in a few hours, I will be looking at him with a bunch of cords and tubes attached to him." I just had a feeling....and it was not a good one.

We arrived at Northeast Baptist Hospital around 2:45 pm. We signed in and the nurses did their best to console me. I could not stop crying. I was terrified for my baby. Joe was making the necessary phone calls to work and family while I was changing into my hospital gown. A team of nurses entered the room. My nurse named Nikki and her 3 interns. They were excited to share this experience with me. They tried their best to be professional and cheer me up. While getting my IV set up, Nikki asked me when was the last time I felt the baby move. My heart sank...I couldn't tell her for sure. I could not remember feeling him that morning. I kept thinking surely I have felt him move...he always moves. I said " I honestly cant tell you that I have felt him this morning. I think I have...but I cant tell you for sure". She then told me he seemed to be a little sleepy and they wanted him to move around a little. They changed my position a few times and even did an internal "head rubbing" to stimulate him. It didn't work. They decided to call my doctor to have her evaluate the situation. When she walked in she gave a sweet smile and said she would take good care of us. I believed her but I was still scared. After looking at the "flat strip" or fetal movement tracker Dr. Chavana became a little concerned. Then I heard the dreaded words..."Lets get her into the OR. I want to do a C-Section STAT." My heart fell directly into my stomach..."STAT"...that is something only used on the TV show ER in extreme situations. I panicked. I began crying even more. Joe tried his best to comfort me, but I was beyond comforting at that point. They all kept telling me it was only a precaution. They just wanted to get him out and into the world. I could see the concerned look in all of their eyes. Something was not right...

Right about that time Heather, Mike and Nicole showed up. They tried to be happy but they could tell I was scared. They were informed I was being taken to OR for the C-section. My brother in law Mike agreed to help Joe give me a quick blessing before it all happened. The nurse stressed the importance of time and was rushing them to finish. As soon as the words "AMEN" were said they ran me down the hallway and yes, they were literally running. I was wheeled into a very large, bright and cold room. There were several nurses and doctors running around. Joe was not with me because they were dressing him into his sterile attire. I was nearly hyperventilating. I was shaking partly due to fear but mostly because the room was freezing. They sat me up as quickly as possible and started my epidural. I kept asking for Joe. They told me he was coming in very soon. I laid there shaking as they pulled up the big blue sheet preventing me from seeing the surgery. The intern kept wiping my tears and saying "Its okay, Its okay". Finally I saw Joe. He looked so scared. They pinched me a few times on my stomach to make sure the medicine had kicked in and then they started cutting. The doctor behind me calmly told me what to expect and a step by step guide to what was going on. I then heard them say "Okay, you will feel pressure and then the baby is coming out" I felt a big push just below my sternum and then he was here. He didn't cry. I heard Dr. Chavana say "He is here Heidi. He is a little small but they are taking him over to clean him off and check him out. You did good Heidi." He still wasn't crying. I looked up and Joe and asked him to tell me what was going on. He said "I can see him, but not really well. There are alot of nurses and doctors around him but I can see his chest going up and down." Several minutes passed and they told me "Okay mom, look to the left and you can see him really quick before they take him away". I could see a big clear box and a bunch of tubes. I saw the smallest bit of pink, which was the side of his face. Through my tears though, it was a blurry picture. They wheeled him out and told Joe to follow. They said they would stitch me up and get me to the recovery area where I would wait for an update. I just layed there motionless. What was wrong with my baby? .....

About 30 minutes later my parents came into the recovery area. My dad had a small smile and my mom was in tears. I was very medicated and don't remember much from that moment. I remember my dad asking me how I was feeling and if I needed anything. All I wanted was to know where my baby was. Joe came into the room. He looked sad. My mind went crazy and all I could think was "Please don't tell me my baby died". He said "He is stable, he is in the NICU. He didn't breathe on his own for 6 minutes but he is breathing with a ventilator right now. He is very small." I asked if he would be okay and what was wrong with him. Joe didn't have all the answers. He said "They don't know what is wrong just yet. They are examining him right now. He weighs 4 lbs 7 oz." What a tiny baby. I had never even seen a baby that small in person. My baby was far away from me, fighting for his life and I cant even be there to help him. I turned to Joe and said "He is covered in cords and tubes isn't he?". Joe said with tears in his eyes "Yes, but they are helping him Heidi. Their whole purpose is to help him get better". I couldn't even think anymore. I was so overwhelmed by this unfamiliar territory. I was surrounded by family and all we could do was wait.

Later, they were taking me to get up in my hospital room. While on the way they stopped by to let me see my baby. I couldn't hold him but I could see him closer than I had before. They were in the process of putting a central line into his belly. I reached up and held his tiny hand. My dad gave him a quick blessing and they took me away. The doctor came in to see me. He said they were unsure of what caused this at this point but needed to run more tests. He told me their NICU was not suited for such a large case. He needed a higher level NICU. They were going to transfer him to another hospital. I said "Okay, when do we leave? Where are my things?". He then told me "Mrs. Fling, unfortunately you will remain here for your recovery." Did he really just say that? Did he just tell me they were taking my baby and leaving me here??? My dad told me that he and Joe were going to follow the transfer unit to the next hospital. He was going to North Central Baptist. They brought him by my room while he was in the transfer unit so I could see him before they left. I could hardly see him. I was barely close enough to touch him but they opened the side of his bed and let me feel his small head. He was sooo tiny. He was beautiful. He was there about 5 minutes so we could sign paperwork and then they left. I sat there alone. Joe called me several hours later. They said something happened with his head. Not sure what it was at this point and not sure he would make it. All I could do was wait, in another hospital...alone. I asked Joe to stay the night with me. I couldn't be alone all night.

The next day I had alot of time to think. I thought all day long about what happened the day before. I thought about what my little boy was going through. I thought about how it happened. I thought about how it could have been prevented. Joe's parents flew into town. They didn't want Joe to handle this alone. He was trying so hard to be there for me and for our son. With both of us in 2 different hospitals, it was hard. I was released on Sunday and was very anxious to go see my baby. We left around 1 or 2 in the afternoon and went straight to see him. I was so nervous and scared, yet excited and anxious. Nothing could have prepared me for what I was going to see. I knew what to expect, Joe tried his best to describe everything to prevent surprises. As Joe wheeled me through the NICU we passed by so many babies. My heart was leaping wondering which one was mine. We went to the very back corner of the unit and stopped near a bed with a tiny little baby inside. I stood up to get a better look. My eyes filled with tears. There laid the most beautiful baby. He was so helpless. He was covered in cords and had lots of different things attached to his chest for monitoring. I lost it. I began to cry. The nurse came over and put her arms around me. She said "I know honey. He is doing okay though. He is peaceful and he is not in any pain." I asked if I could touch him. She opened up the side of his bed. I put my hand though one of the openings and held his tiny hand. He was warm and soft. I watched his chest move up and down and I kept praying it didn't stop moving. He was not hooked up to the ventilator anymore. I was spared seeing him with such a terrible looking device strapped to his face. He had a small tube taped to his face that went into his nose. This was his feeding tube. He was wearing nothing but a diaper. I talked to him. I told him I was here and that I would do my best to protect him. I was told he was to fragile to be held right now. That broke my heart. I had been separated from him for 2 days. I needed to hold him, cradle him and show him what love was. The doctor wanted to meet with us. We went to her small office where she did her best to tell us what was going on with him. She said he had a brain hemorrhage. They were not sure of the magnitude just yet. They told me he was having seizures due to the blood on his brain. More testing had been ordered and it would be about 3-4 weeks before he could go home. I left that night so sad. My baby was going through this traumatic experience and I couldn't help but feel guilty. Why my baby?

They next day we had a meeting with the Neonatologist. He is the doctor treating little Joseph. He explained to us the best he could what to expect. He told me he was stable and not in critical condition anymore. Everyday would be a battle, but he was not in fear of dying. This was such good news. I couldn't bare the thought of losing him now. The doctor told me they still had no idea what happened to cause the brain hemorrhage. As soon as they knew...I would be informed. He then told me "I feel that it is very important that you bond with your baby. I feel that he needs you just as much as you need him. I have written an order for you to hold him anytime you like. Starting tonight." THANK YOU HEAVENLY FATHER!!! I was finally able to hold him in my arms. Joe and I walked back and I waited anxiously as they were wrapping him in a blanket and securing all his cords. Finally, he was in my arms. He was so small. He felt perfect. I was complete at that moment. I could have held him all night if they would have let me. Joe took his turn next. It was nice to see him bonding with his son. We both needed that so badly. We finally felt like his parents instead of observers. And then started the long period of the NICU days.

But that....is another story.

First Blog Ever...

Hi...to whoever is able to read this. I have decided to start and online blog for myself. I am on the internet a little more frequently than I should be and this seems to be a good way to communicate my feelings. Im going to attempt this.

At the moment my biggest life event is my newborn son. He is still in the NICU. Its been 2 months. He has a huge trial going on in his life right now. He was born 4 weeks early with a brain hemmhorrage. I cant even imagine the things he has endured. My first official blogging post will be about my labor and delivery experience. I guess this blog is mainly my outlet to express my feelings as we all try to cope with this each day. As for now...my other 2 children require a nap and if you have children you know how impossible it is to do anything with little ones running loose. :) Until next time.....