Updates {May 2014}!

This pole near our house still hasn't been fixed weeks after being hit.

Our mail box was hit by a car again. This one didn't even make it a whole year, even after Rod moved the post back as far as we can and still have it be accessible. This is the 4th time our mailbox has been hit in the 5 years we've lived here. We know it was hit by a car, not farm equipment or a baseball bat, because the car mirror was on the ground under the mailbox this time. I didn't get pictures, but Devon did take pictures of the telephone pole down the road a little way that got hit almost a month ago. We live on a 50 MPH road that gets a pretty decent load of traffic and doesn't have much of a shoulder, but it is straight. I just can't figure out why it's so hard to stay on the road. I drive it all the time and have never had any problems staying in my lane. I get the poles around the corners being hit all the time. Okay, actually, I don't because it isn't really THAT hard to slow down around the corners, but on the straight stretches it should be possible to stay on the road. It should also be possible to fix broken poles in a timely manner, especially since it happens so often, but obviously that is too hard also.

Brenna has had quite a week. I know that's pretty common too. This week she spread the contents of her diaper all over her body and threw a HUGE fit when I tried to clean her up, then the very next day spread Lansinoh (purified lanolin for nursing moms) all over herself. She's had 4 baths in 2 days.

Owen has been really spoiled with being allowed to watch TV and or play Wii a lot more than our other kids have ever been allowed. With all of his health issues, we have used screen time as a crutch to get us through things like tube feedings, the after effects of bad seizures (sometimes he can't walk without falling for days after), and meals he can't eat; as well as rewards for eating his keto food or taking his medicine. Now that he's doing so much better, we're trying to wean him down to a more appropriate amount of screentime. Let's just say that he's trying REALLY hard to wear me down. He isn't used to entertaining himself (partially because we couldn't let him out of our sight safely for years), so he wants me to pay attention to him CONSTANTLY. Add in busy Brenna and hormonal teenagers, and I'm ready for a vacation. It doesn't even need to be anywhere expensive because I plan to spend most of it sleeping and the rest watching movies of my choice (no cartoons or talking animals) and knitting. Except,  a vacation isn't really going to fit into our schedule or budget, so I just get to plan it out in my head.

I've spent hours the last two weeks on medical stuff. Eye doctor's appointments for most of us, going back to pick up glasses and contacts as they come in, thyroid re-check for me( it was low so they upped my dose, maybe I'll have a little more energy soon), making Owen's next appointments, and dealing with insurance issues.

Tomorrow, we are taking the kids to the zoo for Brenna's birthday (not until the 7th, but easier to celebrate over the weekend), then going to meet Kristi and Simon for dinner. They have an apartment in Seattle near the hospital that they get to use until Carlitos is released. So, we're meeting them there and then we'll take turns visiting Carlitos and staying with the kids who aren't old enough to visit the NICU(13 and up). I can't wait to see the baby again! He's taking about 40% of his feeds orally and just got the top off his incubator! We can't wait until he gets to come home!