Different Strokes

A really good friend of mine's mom had not one, but two strokes a couple of weeks ago. It all happened right at the time Ronnie past away so I wasn't able to fully process it.

She spent about two weeks in the ICU before finally being transferred to the stroke floor at the hospital for a long journey of physical, occupational, and speech therapies to get herself as close to normal as she can get once again. I had the wonderful opportunity to visit her earlier this week and I'm so glad I did.

I must say that this has hit me a bit harder than it probably should. I think I'm beginning to realize just how old I am getting. This is the first of many incidents where my generation of friends will have to rise up to the needs of our parents as they age. The harsh reality is that we are getting older and that means those around us are too.

As we all grow up, we think our parents and grandparents are so old. We think life is guaranteed until we get to be that age. And we think we are immune from the hardships that come with aging. And then one fateful day, like the one I had a couple of weeks ago, we realize this is not the case. We are the age our parents were when they started out their "young" adult lives. Our parents are now getting to the age of our grandparents when we thought they were so old (and wise). Life is changing as we know it.

A new journey of caring for those we love is starting. But it's not a sad journey, just a little bit of a scary one. I'm not sure what comes next but I do know that I'm not ready to lose any more loved ones for a very long time. I'm not ready to mourn those who are living, but do realize that life is not a guarantee... and easy aging is not a guarantee either.

I am ready to navigate the resources available to my parents and grandparents so I can be ready to help my friends out as their parents and grandparents need services. I am ready to see what joy aging brings my parents as they get to slow down to experience every drop of family and friends. I am ready to see how beautiful my mom looks with gray hair and how much my dad still swoons over her.

I am ready to live my life like I am aging into wisdom and stability. I am ready to love life like I am a non-perishable item.

A Weekend with Tabitha

This weekend Tabitha came to stay with us. It was a much needed break from all of the moving and unpacking and craziness that has been going on in the past weeks. We did a lot of sitting and playing with Elayne and, of course, talking.

I always love catching up with her and this visit couldn't have come at a better time. Although having an oven/stove (that will be purchased this week! Eek!) would have been nice.

More unpacking is on the radar for us this week. Graduation week is always a doozie at work and this one won't be any different. I meet with my UNT advisor Tuesday, Wednesday Phillip is going to a concert, Thursday night I will be helping with the graduation awards luncheon and then helping with check-in for the graduation banquet, and Saturday is both colleges' graduation ceremonies.

Busy busy week.

Then a massage and pedicure Sunday.

Is This Thing On?

Well hello there.

It's been a little really long while since I last updated - just under 8 months.

I've sat down to write this catch-up post for quite some time now. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know how to say it. I wasn't even sure if anyone was still listening. But this weekend something changed that. My grandfather died. He was married to Linda, who passed away almost a year ago. They were probably my only readers. Ever. They followed this blog religiously. And now they're both gone. My two best readers are gone and I'm left truly sending these posts out into the abyss and wondering, "Is this thing on?"

Huge changes have happened since we last chatted. I can't and won't attempt to write some huge lengthy post detailing them all. But here's a run down. Maybe (...hopefully...) I will expand on them some day.

1. I have a toddler. Elayne is a running, independent, moody, and absolutely fun toddler. We chase her everywhere. She talks as much as she thinks. We are about to start potty training.

2. We bought a house. Yes. Our lifelong dream of owning a home has come true after three years of getting everything in order. We just moved in this past weekend after a couple of weeks of renovations. Unpacking is a pain but I'm thankful it'll be the last time for many years, if not forever.

3. I am going to be a doctor. Not that kind of doctor. I have been accepting to the Doctorate of Education in Higher Education program at the University of North Texas and I start this fall!

4. To follow up with that, I receive my Masters in a month! It's been a hard journey, especially last semester and this one (read: I haven't posted in 8 months). But I've excelled and have learned so much. Excited to cross that stage and walk into a career in lifelong learning.

5. I lost Ronnie. Like I mentioned, my grandfather passed away last weekend. It was rough and rough timing. I've gone from four grandparents to two in less than a year. My mom has lost her brother, her mother, and her father in a two year span. It's been hard. But we'll make it through.

6. We no longer have Murphy. It was a very difficult decision and one we considered for months. Lots of talking. Lots of crying. Lots of being grown up in deciding to take him to the Humane Society. It was even more difficult when we were told he wouldn't go out on the "floor" for adoption since he had an aggressive history. Nope. Our dog who was two days older than our marriage would go straight into the euthanasia line. It was so hard. We had so much time and emotion and money invested into keeping him around. But at the end of the day, we had to do what was best for Elayne and our family and friends. And as much as it has pained us to give him up, our lives have been so much simpler and less anxiety-filled.

7. Work is still great. I still work at Parker. I got a new boss. And I am loving where things are headed.

There. A snippet into my life the past 8 months. Let's get back on this journey together.




Keep reading from heaven, Linda and Ronnie, and I'll keep writing.

ONE

My baby is turning one. ONE. I can't believe it. It feels like just yesterday I was finding out about her and now she's been in our lives for a year. She's been changing our lives for a year. Loving us. Needing us. For a year.

This time last year we were getting ready for her. Everything was clean and put away. We had a plan in place and were ready to move at a moment's notice. My feet were being propped up, I was lacking sleep, and anxiety was building. And then she came. Little, happy, and perfect.

I love that little girl. So much. She surprises me with all she knows and how much she already loves. She plays and snuggles equally. She's super sweet and easy going and also so independent and strong-willed. The perfect mixture of Phillip and me. I couldn't ask for better.

And now, as we plan her first birthday party, we're thankful for her even more. Our lives have never been so busy. So exhausting. So full. I wouldn't trade it.

Get ready for the cutest circus-themed birthday party you've ever seen. :)

Cystic Fibrosis

What a whirlwind of a month. Sorry for not posting.

Cystic Fibrosis.

A phrase that never meant anything to us - until now.

With all of the battery of tests Elayne has undergone for her chronic cough, this was an easy one to eliminate. She passed her newborn screening for it, after all. And my tests during pregnancy all came back normal too.

But then her results came back elevated. Not positive or negative. Just elevated.

So for that past month, we have monitored weight and coughs and surfed the internet for answers. Until this week when we finally had a follow up appointment with her pulmonologist (after what felt like months). His diagnosis? Negative for Cystic Fibrosis. His reasoning? His patients who have Cystic Fibrosis have results off-the-charts and hers were simply elevated.

But.

BUT!?

Because her levels weren't off-the-charts low, the pulmonologist thinks a combination of the three of us are carriers for Cystic Fibrosis. While not devastating, this news has the potential to affect our future plans and possibly Elayne's future plans too.

In the meantime, she officially has asthma/reactive airway disease, allergies, and acid reflux-induced congestion. She is on breathing treatments for the foreseeable future and will hopefully outgrow all of it in the future. Will keep you posted!