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.