"Without Internet, we're like...cavemen." -Seth
(Our home phone/internet service has been out for 1.5 weeks, and we were talking about it. Maybe you had to be there, people, but believe me, it was funny!)
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Friday, June 27, 2014
Tailgating, Style Fancy
What a good night we had! Hoffbeast and I went to a Brewers game with a few of our friends. Little did we realize that it was actually Kevin and Karen's anniversary. Best tailgate dinner ever...steak sandwiches topped off with crème brûlée for dessert!
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Our Cramazing May, Episode LVII: A Beautiful Last Night in India (or so we thought)
By the time Tom and I got back from our afternoon exploring, the guys were fast asleep, so we joined them for a nap....it was wonderful! What a nice place to be forced to live in for a couple of days! ;)
After our naps, we woke up to...more food! And more importantly, to our last evening together as a foursome. Our time in India had been spectacular and very cramazing, but at midnight, Hoffbeast would leave with Rex for the airport, and we would be separated for a few days until we were joined together again at home with the rest of the fam. We wanted to really take it all in, enjoying the night together with our dear friends, the McFs...
We walked down to the restaurant, expecting a delicious meal. But we were NOT expecting the spread that we saw! It was an incredible feast of a buffet, and we LOVED it! I think Hoffbeast especially enjoyed it...he had consumed a lot of Indian food by this time and had decided that he could live there, if only for the food. This was his last night, so he'd better eat up!
Me, on the other hand, I'm not exactly a foodie. But I sure do love sweets! So of course, I had to take photos of the amazing, huge dessert table....I really couldn't believe how much food was available to us, a little strange when you realize the poverty not far outside the doors of the hotel, but when you are guests at the hotel, there is little to do but be thankful, enjoy, and be filled with appreciation, both for the beauty and also for the provision. Just another example of God's abundant grace!
"What do you think of all this food??!?!" They were stunned, obviously.
L was all smiles!
Tom was quite happy, too, especially when there was food around!
I love this picture, the last taken of the seven of us...what an amazing blessing it was to travel with this sweet family. (You're stuck with us for life, McFs!)
After dinner, we went for a beautiful night swim....the kids loved it, and I think we were all feeling grateful--for our travels, for our kids, and for the fact that HOME was getting closer by the minute.
(I wish I could upload a precious sound clip here that I have...it's L yelling, "One, Two, Three!" as she and Rex jumped in the water, something they did over and over and over again...)
And then, just an hour or so after this was taken, Tom and I walked Daddy and Rex downstairs to a waiting cab where we would say goodbye......until the next morning, when they unexpectedly returned to the hotel. Coming up, Rex's long-anticipated and favorite story of our whole trip....sort of. Not fun to live, but kind of funny to recall.
Welcome, guest blogger/storyteller, Rex..........
Our Cramazing May, Episode LVI - Afternoon at the Sheraton
Our taxi ride to our final Delhi destination would prove uneventful, except for the fact that when we arrived at the hotel, a dog had to sniff our car for bombs before we would be allowed on the property. That was interesting. Thankful for the thorough safety check, sad that it was needed. We went with it because, well, what choice did we have? This is simply life in this part of the world.
Of course, I'm still unsure of Delhi's geography, but I do know that the Sheraton felt much further away from the city proper. It was quite a drive to get there, but thankfully, our driver managed to get us there with no problems. And immediately, we knew that we would again be treated like royalty.
This place, like the Hilton Garden Inn, was very, very nice! And so beautiful! We were immediately welcomed like family to this hotel, and the front desk manager made sure to take very good care of us. They signed us up for their Sheraton rewards program and by doing this, cut down our cost by a significant amount. And threw in free breakfasts. And a discount at the restaurant. And on and on. He said again and again that if we needed anything at all, we were to let him know!
Our bellhop was just as helpful, going above and beyond to make us comfortable and feel really cared for. Rarely have we seen such amazing customer service, especially at two hotels in a row!
Since Hoffbeast and Rex were flying out that evening, they decided to get some rest, while Tom and I went exploring. Again, this hotel had an amazing rooftop pool, not quite as wonderful as the last, but almost! One edge of the pool waterflowed over the side of the building, making it look like you could just cascade down it and be lost. It was quite safe, of course, but what a beautiful optical illusion!
We eventually found the restaurant and some grub, most of which Tom downed as if he were a grown man. Seriously, I couldn't believe how much he ate! You have heard the phrase, "A way to a man's heart is through his stomach?" Yep. That was happening here....I was about to begin an around-the-world trip with my son (who, at this point, MUCH preferred Daddy!), so our bonding-over-food was much needed, and by the time this meal was finished, I had begun to win him over!
Seriously, aren't those eyes amazing??!
Such a happy disposition...
I was definitely falling in love! What a cutie!! :)
DSCN3924 from Hoffbeauty on Vimeo.
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Baking with Tang
Beth absolutely adores her Tang-a-lang, and tonight, Tang came over and baked a beautiful jello cake with her. Beth always looks so forward to their times together, and this was no exception. Tang, we love you! Thanks for being such a good friend and for loving our daughter so well!
(This photo was taken last year when Beth and Tang made their first venture into jello-cake land.)
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Hospital Breakout!
We've enjoyed our stay (sort of), but we're outta here!!!! My baby is back! He's super happy and smiley today, just like normal...so thankful for the amazing care he's received these last few days from our pediatrician, the ER staff, ENT docs, surgical team, and the nursing staff of W10! Time to go see Daddy and the kiddos!
The Cutest Bandaged Baby in the World!
This weekend, Bart and I ventured off on a mother/son weekend to....the Children's Hospital! A bad ear infection turned to worse, and thankfully, Friday night we ended up at the ER, where we finally figured out what's truly been going on with him for the last week or so. Yesterday morning, Bart had surgery, and now he is recovering and being treated with IV antibiotics. This morning, doctors will change his dressing and see how he is healing...please pray for him!
A Friendly Visit to our Local Children's Hospital
So...after my last post, I fully intended to write the next night about India, then my video wouldn't upload, then our internet was down, then summer project happened, then our baby got sick. Life, you know? You get the picture.
Ten days ago, Bart's fever started. Today, we are leaving the hospital...and I feel like I finally have my baby back. Prior to Thursday, when we finally got some strong antibiotics in him, he was just miserable. And even after that, he still wasn't himself. And the bump behind his ear continued to swell.
Mastoiditis. Hadn't even heard of it before three days ago. Now, Bart has had surgery to deal with it!
So much to be thankful for....my great-uncle lost his hearing in one ear 100 years ago due to this same illness. But in 2014, antibiotics and surgeries and wonderful, fancy, comfortable hospitals are available, and healing is much more probable than it used to be.
He has been such a trooper, the worst part being getting his IV inserted twice--with two attempts each time! That's a lot of painful poking and pulling for a little 16-pounder.
Again, He has been faithful. I'm not sure why God allowed this particular trouble to come Bart's way, but I am thankful that again we have been acutely reminded of our helplessness and His power, love, care, and provision for His children.
Following are my Facebook posts from the last few days...
Monday, June 16
And now I'm asking for prayer for our baby. Bart is sick...he's had a fever since last Wednesday/Thursday, but for most of that time, we thought it was just teething. Saturday, his fever went very high, and it's been high on and off since. It's not teething. Today it went to 104.2, and I'm now waiting for a call from the doctor...thanks for praying!
...
Thank you, all, for praying. I talked to our doctor as well as to the doctor on call this evening. They are encouraging us simply to keep him comfortable as his body fights whatever virus he's got. He just woke up, and I gave him meds and a good dose of nursing and a snuggle...seems that's the only thing that comforts him, and I am more than happy to oblige, as I know that that special time will be over before I know it! He's asleep again...we will see how long sleep lasts this time. Please keep praying...we appreciate it so much!
Tuesday, June 17
Possible blood work has been mentioned as we moved into the 7th day of a fever. What is your opinion on how long to let it go before doing that? The only thing I'm noticing besides the fever and a little bit of a runny nose/cough is that when I nurse him on the right side, he seems uncomfortable...it's a little odd. Any thoughts? Hopefully today will be the end of it, but I want to be prepared in case.
...
Thank you so very much for your thoughts and prayers. As an update, Bart was up four times in the night but ended up sleeping from 4:30 til about 8 or so this morning (which I much appreciated!). This morning, he was actually much happier, and his fever was down, but by the time I out him down for a nap, he was warming up. We will see what happens when I get him up from his nap, as that is when the fever as spiked the last several days. Keep up the prayers...God hears every one!
Thursday, June 19
Thank you so much for your continued prayers for Bart! So many of you have let me know that you are praying, and it's wonderful! This is one of the reasons I love Facebook! So...here's the update for today: Bart continues to have a fever/be miserable/throw up occasionally, so today we will be re-evaluated by our awesome pediatrician. Tuesday I noticed that he was uncomfortable when nursing on one side, and yesterday he flinched when I touched his ear. By last evening, the area behind his ear is noticeably red. Could this just be an ear infection after all, or do we have something else happening? We aren't sure, but we certainly hope to have some answers by the end of the day. I will say that for being so miserable, he sure is sweet! When he's feeling better and smiles (which is still about half the time) he absolutely melts me! Keep praying, and I'll let you know when we know something! Doctor's appointment is at 9:30 CST.
...
Well, turns out that yes, he does have an ear infection, but he also has swollen lymph nodes. He is on a strong antibiotic, and we will watch to make sure that the swelling goes down within a couple of days. If not, we go back in. We are on the lookout for mastoiditis--and hoping he does NOT have it!
Friday, June 20
Guess where we are...Children's Hospital ER. Mostly precaution...continued prayers for our little guy are appreciated!
...
Okay, just had CT scan...tech said he was the best 10-month-old ever. Did so well! Getting the IV in was absolutely horrible, but the scan could hardly have been easier. Waiting for the results...The doctor suspects mastoiditis, and a CT scan is the only way to know for sure...and hopefully be able to rule it out. Bart is sooo tired now...this stuff wears a person out!
Saturday, June 21
It is 2:30 a.m., and I'm posting from Bart's hospital room. He has been admitted for IV antibiotics and also for surgery tomorrow morning (It's relatively minor, but still.) Lots going on...when I have more mental energy than I do now, I will share more. Thank you for all of your many prayers for him!
...
We are in the surgery holding area. Pray that the abscess drain and tubes insertion goes as planned and that it has the desired affect of clearing a way for the infection to get out! Feeling a bit better after some good sleep!
...
Surgery went well...there was LOTS of infection (more, maybe, than they expected going in), so they were able to drain it, put tubes in, and take care of the abscess that he had. So much has happened so quickly...goodness! Thank you SO MUCH for praying! He is back in his room now recovering...he's clearly in pain but hopefully we will get that under control soon and he can sleep...
...
Update: a bit ago, Bart was very agitated, and we were assuming it was pain from his ears. Finally, after a half hour of off-and-on screaming, I noticed that the skin on his leg was really tight. Guess what? His IV infiltrated so his leg is super puffy. Back to miserable. When i was in labor with Rex, my IV infiltrated...it was awful and it hurt! I totally understand why he was screaming. Please pray as we have to get the IV reinserted in a different vein. That was the worst part of last night, and now we get to do it all over again. Wahhhh! (Mama tears on behalf of baby.)
Sunday, June 22
Good Sunday morning! Thank you for praying for us last night. Getting the IV restarted was the thing that finally did me in...it was just so hard to see my little guy go through that again. The process only took about half the time, but they still had to try in two different spots to get a vein that would work. Jan (Woodard), I can imagine you crying quietly and praying over Kristin as I was doing w Bart last night...the IV has to be placed, so there's nothing to do but grit your teeth and bear it....it was so sad. But he was such a champ, and we got through it. The men and women who work here at Children's are wonderful and I have been reminded so many times of what a privilege it is to have the medical care available that we do. This morning, Bart's dressing will be changed....please pray for him because I can't imagine that it's going to be super pleasant.
And now I get to let all of you know the good news...that we get to go HOME today! I had thought that it wouldn't be until tomorrow, so this is exciting....so glad that Bart is doing well enough to go now. Thank you for your many prayers these last few days...it was so great to be able to update and know that so many were joining us in lifting him up. A specific answer to prayer: his dressing pretty much came off on its own, and when the doctors came in to remove the packing, it all went quite smoothly. He now just has gauze taped to his head where it's draining...that's nothing compared to what he looked like before! The best part is that this morning, I finally feel like I have my baby back. He really seems MUCH more like himself today than he has in over a week! Right now, he's pushing himself up on his hands and knees in his hospital bed trying to practice real crawling (as opposed to the army crawl that he does now)!
Ten days ago, Bart's fever started. Today, we are leaving the hospital...and I feel like I finally have my baby back. Prior to Thursday, when we finally got some strong antibiotics in him, he was just miserable. And even after that, he still wasn't himself. And the bump behind his ear continued to swell.
Mastoiditis. Hadn't even heard of it before three days ago. Now, Bart has had surgery to deal with it!
So much to be thankful for....my great-uncle lost his hearing in one ear 100 years ago due to this same illness. But in 2014, antibiotics and surgeries and wonderful, fancy, comfortable hospitals are available, and healing is much more probable than it used to be.
He has been such a trooper, the worst part being getting his IV inserted twice--with two attempts each time! That's a lot of painful poking and pulling for a little 16-pounder.
Again, He has been faithful. I'm not sure why God allowed this particular trouble to come Bart's way, but I am thankful that again we have been acutely reminded of our helplessness and His power, love, care, and provision for His children.
Following are my Facebook posts from the last few days...
Monday, June 16
And now I'm asking for prayer for our baby. Bart is sick...he's had a fever since last Wednesday/Thursday, but for most of that time, we thought it was just teething. Saturday, his fever went very high, and it's been high on and off since. It's not teething. Today it went to 104.2, and I'm now waiting for a call from the doctor...thanks for praying!
...
Thank you, all, for praying. I talked to our doctor as well as to the doctor on call this evening. They are encouraging us simply to keep him comfortable as his body fights whatever virus he's got. He just woke up, and I gave him meds and a good dose of nursing and a snuggle...seems that's the only thing that comforts him, and I am more than happy to oblige, as I know that that special time will be over before I know it! He's asleep again...we will see how long sleep lasts this time. Please keep praying...we appreciate it so much!
Tuesday, June 17
Possible blood work has been mentioned as we moved into the 7th day of a fever. What is your opinion on how long to let it go before doing that? The only thing I'm noticing besides the fever and a little bit of a runny nose/cough is that when I nurse him on the right side, he seems uncomfortable...it's a little odd. Any thoughts? Hopefully today will be the end of it, but I want to be prepared in case.
...
Thank you so very much for your thoughts and prayers. As an update, Bart was up four times in the night but ended up sleeping from 4:30 til about 8 or so this morning (which I much appreciated!). This morning, he was actually much happier, and his fever was down, but by the time I out him down for a nap, he was warming up. We will see what happens when I get him up from his nap, as that is when the fever as spiked the last several days. Keep up the prayers...God hears every one!
Thursday, June 19
Thank you so much for your continued prayers for Bart! So many of you have let me know that you are praying, and it's wonderful! This is one of the reasons I love Facebook! So...here's the update for today: Bart continues to have a fever/be miserable/throw up occasionally, so today we will be re-evaluated by our awesome pediatrician. Tuesday I noticed that he was uncomfortable when nursing on one side, and yesterday he flinched when I touched his ear. By last evening, the area behind his ear is noticeably red. Could this just be an ear infection after all, or do we have something else happening? We aren't sure, but we certainly hope to have some answers by the end of the day. I will say that for being so miserable, he sure is sweet! When he's feeling better and smiles (which is still about half the time) he absolutely melts me! Keep praying, and I'll let you know when we know something! Doctor's appointment is at 9:30 CST.
...
Well, turns out that yes, he does have an ear infection, but he also has swollen lymph nodes. He is on a strong antibiotic, and we will watch to make sure that the swelling goes down within a couple of days. If not, we go back in. We are on the lookout for mastoiditis--and hoping he does NOT have it!
Friday, June 20
Guess where we are...Children's Hospital ER. Mostly precaution...continued prayers for our little guy are appreciated!
...
Okay, just had CT scan...tech said he was the best 10-month-old ever. Did so well! Getting the IV in was absolutely horrible, but the scan could hardly have been easier. Waiting for the results...The doctor suspects mastoiditis, and a CT scan is the only way to know for sure...and hopefully be able to rule it out. Bart is sooo tired now...this stuff wears a person out!
Saturday, June 21
It is 2:30 a.m., and I'm posting from Bart's hospital room. He has been admitted for IV antibiotics and also for surgery tomorrow morning (It's relatively minor, but still.) Lots going on...when I have more mental energy than I do now, I will share more. Thank you for all of your many prayers for him!
...
We are in the surgery holding area. Pray that the abscess drain and tubes insertion goes as planned and that it has the desired affect of clearing a way for the infection to get out! Feeling a bit better after some good sleep!
...
Surgery went well...there was LOTS of infection (more, maybe, than they expected going in), so they were able to drain it, put tubes in, and take care of the abscess that he had. So much has happened so quickly...goodness! Thank you SO MUCH for praying! He is back in his room now recovering...he's clearly in pain but hopefully we will get that under control soon and he can sleep...
...
Update: a bit ago, Bart was very agitated, and we were assuming it was pain from his ears. Finally, after a half hour of off-and-on screaming, I noticed that the skin on his leg was really tight. Guess what? His IV infiltrated so his leg is super puffy. Back to miserable. When i was in labor with Rex, my IV infiltrated...it was awful and it hurt! I totally understand why he was screaming. Please pray as we have to get the IV reinserted in a different vein. That was the worst part of last night, and now we get to do it all over again. Wahhhh! (Mama tears on behalf of baby.)
Sunday, June 22
Good Sunday morning! Thank you for praying for us last night. Getting the IV restarted was the thing that finally did me in...it was just so hard to see my little guy go through that again. The process only took about half the time, but they still had to try in two different spots to get a vein that would work. Jan (Woodard), I can imagine you crying quietly and praying over Kristin as I was doing w Bart last night...the IV has to be placed, so there's nothing to do but grit your teeth and bear it....it was so sad. But he was such a champ, and we got through it. The men and women who work here at Children's are wonderful and I have been reminded so many times of what a privilege it is to have the medical care available that we do. This morning, Bart's dressing will be changed....please pray for him because I can't imagine that it's going to be super pleasant.
And now I get to let all of you know the good news...that we get to go HOME today! I had thought that it wouldn't be until tomorrow, so this is exciting....so glad that Bart is doing well enough to go now. Thank you for your many prayers these last few days...it was so great to be able to update and know that so many were joining us in lifting him up. A specific answer to prayer: his dressing pretty much came off on its own, and when the doctors came in to remove the packing, it all went quite smoothly. He now just has gauze taped to his head where it's draining...that's nothing compared to what he looked like before! The best part is that this morning, I finally feel like I have my baby back. He really seems MUCH more like himself today than he has in over a week! Right now, he's pushing himself up on his hands and knees in his hospital bed trying to practice real crawling (as opposed to the army crawl that he does now)!
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Soccer buds!
Here is Neil with one of his very best friends, J. J is part of an amazing family, and we pray that these boys always stay close, encouraging each other toward the grace and gospel of Jesus Christ! For the last few years, Neil and J have played soccer together. That run ends this fall when Neil takes up flag football, and J goes on to further his work in martial arts.
But never fear....5th grade isn't too far away, and I have a feeling that when it comes, our school's soccer team is gonna be loving these guys!
Sunday, June 1, 2014
MIA
He's right, you know?
Rex has been very annoyed at my blogging--or lack thereof--of late. He says that while I'm trying to finish our Cramazing May story, I never blog about anything else. And that there are huge gaps in between the times I write.
He's right, you know?
I have so much to say, so many memories to record, so many photos to post, so many thoughts on which to ruminate. But I just rarely do.
And yet again, I am entering back into the blogosphere with a post about how I've been MIA from the blogosphere.
I detest these kinds of posts.
But he's right. All those other things have been on hold while I finish recording the story of our time in India. Tom has been home for almost three years now--June 5th will be the 3rd anniversary of his arriving home with our entire family intact. I am determined that in four days' time, I will be done with my story and can get back to posting about our day to day....
Rex has been very annoyed at my blogging--or lack thereof--of late. He says that while I'm trying to finish our Cramazing May story, I never blog about anything else. And that there are huge gaps in between the times I write.
He's right, you know?
I have so much to say, so many memories to record, so many photos to post, so many thoughts on which to ruminate. But I just rarely do.
And yet again, I am entering back into the blogosphere with a post about how I've been MIA from the blogosphere.
I detest these kinds of posts.
But he's right. All those other things have been on hold while I finish recording the story of our time in India. Tom has been home for almost three years now--June 5th will be the 3rd anniversary of his arriving home with our entire family intact. I am determined that in four days' time, I will be done with my story and can get back to posting about our day to day....