When gallbladders attack...

So, I had a pretty crazy day last Friday. This blog may get a little into detail...so just advanced notice if you want to check out now, I would understand. It's not all that bad, just body functions. It's odd to talk about what your pee has been like recently with friends, so that's your only warning. What's a little pee between friends...that's always been my thought. I mean, if you got stung by a jelly fish, I would pee on you. But I am nice like that. Ok. Refocus...back to the attack.

I have been not well for a few weeks. It all started with what we thought was my back. I went to the chiropractor, who adjusted me a couple of times. I did feel better...not 100% better, but you know...back pain takes time, and all that. So. About a week later, I was pretty sure I had the flu. I was throwing up, running a fever...all that fun junk. That was on Monday night. By Wednesday morning, I was feeling better, still not 100%, but at least I wasn't throwing up, and my back wasn't KILLING me, and I could sleep about an hour at a time at night. So...doing better. Then I got itchy. I thought it was because I had taken several baths the night before (back pain), and my skin was dry (?). So, I lathered up on lotion. But then my pee was orange. And not just like, dark, need to hydrate a bit, dark yellow. Like, the toilet paper was orange, too. So, that's not normal. I drank more water on Thursday, hoping it was a UTI, and I could flush it out a bit. Funny thing, I was in a meeting on Thursday morning for Rejoice, and Chantel commented that I looked tan. I am not tan by any length of the imagination, so we were just commenting on how the lighting must be making me yellow. Weird lights. So, Friday morning, after sleeping a little better on the couch, my pee was still super funky, and I am still itchy. I decided to pop into a quick care type place because I am sure that I have a kidney infection, and just need some antibiotics. So I go in, give a sample. The doctor comes into my room and tells me that I do not have a kidney infection, I have jaundice.

My first response to this is...I don't drink!! What could be wrong with my liver? I barely take pain medicine when I am dying of pain... so the doctor tells me that there is nothing wrong with my liver, that it is my gallbladder. That I probably have a gallstone obstructing my common bile duct, which would cause the jaundice. He told me that he would get me an appointment with an internal medicine doctor for that day, and that I HAD to go. He said if I couldn't get in to see someone that day, that I need to just go to the ER.

So I had an appointment, went home, Zach called my mother in law so she could come watch the kiddos for us. We went into the doctor, who was a PA. Now, there is nothing wrong with PA's, except this was was pretty...uninformed? Uninterested? I think he may have just been used to dealing with the elderly. So, he went and got a doctor who worked with him, the doctor came in, did the exam (OWWWWW) again, looked at my eyes (jaundice) and told him I needed to have an abdominal ultrasound and some blood work. Stat. (what do you think stat means, by the way? Zach and I were talking about this...)

So off we go to get the ultrasound. Across town, of course. Wait FOREVER...in an empty waiting room. Which is so frustrating, because I kept thinking...it's not like they are so super busy...

Anyways, we finally (about 45 minutes and several Royal Wedding Insider episodes later) back, the lady does the exam (OWWWWW) and tells us it is positive. Which to me, means good...but in medicine, it means bad, apparently. She told us that my gallbladder's sides were inflamed, there were things in it, the common bile duct was dilated (bad?), and I have upper right quadrant pain (duh). She said to stay by the phone because we were probably going to be going into the hospital that night.

So. I go and have blood drawn, and head home. The moment we walk in the door, my mother in law tells us that the radiologist had called and we need to go to the hospital. Then the doctor calls and tells us the same thing. So. Off to the hospital we had to go. I went to get diapers and formula for Cadence, since I clearly couldn't feed her, and wouldn't have time to explain how my cloth diapers work to my mother in law. So.

We get to the hospital...and wait...and wait...and tell the same story about 23 times...and wait some more. It really wasn't that bad. We got there around 5:30ish, and I went into surgery around 7. It was pretty interesting...

I no longer have a lip ring. We had to take it out for the oxygen mask...and I was too out of it afterwards to be concerned about putting it back in. We did have a hold up before I could go into the OR to see if I am pregnant...I am not (whew). So, they took me in, put me on the table, and as they are strapping me onto the table (they strap your arms out to the sides) the anesthesiologist comments on how this is a funny pose for me to be in on Good Friday. It is funnier when you consider that they then cut into my side (ahem). Anyways. I laughed about that, breathed in the oxygen like they told me to, and then I was waking up in recovery.

The surgery took about 4 hours, which is apparently a really long time. My gallbladder was all kinds of messed up. And they had to do a separate procedure where they sent a scope down my throat, through my stomach, into my large intestine, then into my common bile duct. They had to make a little cut in it in order to take out the stone. So my throat is all kinds of sore between the breathing tube and the scope being put down it. Ouch.

I have 4 little incision points on my abdomen, which a pretty sore and hurt to stretch. My right shoulder hurts, because apparently they put gas in your abdomen when they do this type of surgery. The air then travels to a high point (my shoulder). And it is actually more painful than the incisions are.

So I am doing and feeling better, am on the mend from the surgery, and am minus a gallbladder. I am currently eating a super low fat diet, as I no long have a gallbladder to help break down the fat in foods. By low fat, I mean that I have eaten oatmeal for breakfast, and homemade chicken soup for lunch and dinner the last several days. And before that, it was just broth and saltines. Someday, I should be able to eat fairly normally again...until then, sounds like soup for dinner!

The Prodigal Return

As many of you know, and those who don't, our dogs, Amon and Spartan, got out and went on an adventure. Actually, after much work in fortifying our fence, and over $100 later, they simply moved what we had done, and dug under anyways. I may have mentioned that the cost of a chain v. the cost of pouring concrete, but we got the concrete instead. And out they went. Anyways, they got out on either Sunday night or Monday morning before 8:30. Either way, Amon was rescued the following Wednesday. Still no sign of Spartan, though we did continue to search for him.

So you can imagine my surprise, when, over a month later, I get a call at 9pm saying that this family has our dog. Actually, they have had him the whole time, and as luck would have it, just found his collar.

Ahem. It gets better.

So while talking to this guy on the phone, getting directions to his house, he asks me to please come up the ally, and that his white truck with a camper and a flat tire will be parked out there. Oh, and while I was out, could I please pick him up a 6-pack of soda. Coke or Pepsi would work.

...uh...wait...did you just ask me to buy you soda? At least he wasn't too particular, I suppose. He did explain that his previously mentioned truck did have a flat, and he had just run out of Coke... cocaine?

Right. So. I am supposed to stop at a store, buy him some snacks, then try to find his house from the ALLY at 10pm at night, where we would make the coke/dog trade off. Ok, then. Spartan was actually at a house a block up from where Amon was found, which is not at all surprising, as I couldn't see them splitting up. So, I got in my car, drove over there, stopping at a Mavrick and buying a liter of Coke, just in case the guy really won't fork over my dog without it.

I get to the street, which is in a SUPER shady part of town, and realize...there are allys on both sides. So I drive up one...no white truck with camper and flat. Drive up the other one, and there it is! There is a girl waiting by the truck with Spartan. I called and he ran right over (thank goodness), and I said, "Here's your Coke...?" The girl apologized for that and said that her mom wanted to talk to me before I take the dog. Then she leads me through a dark backyard, all the while, I am imagining that I am about to be mugged.

The mom just wanted to let me know what a good dog he is (I know) and how sad they are that he is leaving (too bad) and that the boys have become so attached to him. She the proceeded to have the two little boys say good bye, which is making me feel bad, but, uh, he is still my dog. I have a theory that one of the boys purposefully took off his collar so they could keep him and then decided to put it back on. At least, that is how the mom made it sound. So the boys are crying, I am standing in mud...and yeah. Awkward. I said something to the effect of, "Well, thanks for taking care of him...we appreciate it" and left. Spartan, being the good dog that his is, followed right along, jumped in the car, and we got out of there.

Shady. That's all I am sayin.

Semi-Pro

Have you ever gotten your hair done then after washing it yourself NEVER been able to style it as well as your hairstylist? I have considered many reasons this may be so. Perhaps they style better because they see the whole 'picture' so to speak? They know all the tricks? They went to school for this?

The last is true, but I have recently discovered a secret. Or maybe it wasn't a real secret, but something that just hit me in the head recently. Here's what happened. My curling iron went on the fritz. This is unacceptable behavior from a curling iron in my house. So I set out to buy a new one. Actually, Bishop and I set out together, leaving Zach home with a napping Cadence. So. First stop? Walmart. My favorite brand of curling irons are the Conair ones with the super round barrel. So. They, of course, have 2 rows of the size I always buy. 2 empty rows. So, after Bishop chased Jemme and Josh around Walmart for a while, we headed on to Target.

Same story, take two. We get there, and they are out of that sized barrel. Really, stores...really?! At this point, I am thinking, "This is a sign that I am supposed to let my natural wave shine through." Luckily, level-heads prevailed on that decision.

So, I decided to poke my head into Sally's Beauty Supply, to check prices on professional curling irons. And yeah, they are more expensive. But I was pretty desperate, and didn't feel like trying out Fred Meyers...or *shudder* Kmart.

So I bought one. Of the cheaper variety...sort of. It did come with a 2 year warranty (?!), so hopefully I don't lose that paper when this curling iron decides to take a little vacation. I paid more for it than I ever have paid for a styling thing before...and here is what I found out.

High quality styling product= high quality styling ease! OH. MY. GOODNESS. Curling my hair is faster, the curls are better formed, and last longer. And yes, I am blaming all this on a curling iron. Your hair looks better after the salon because the tools they use are better. Didn't think it actually made a difference, but uh, wow. It really, really does.

So, yes, they are more expensive. But they style better, last longer (with a warranty!?), and heat up faster. Do I love my new curling iron? Yes. My hair curls faster and stays curled.

And for an on the go mommy, quick and easy is the way to go.

Cloth Diapering...The What

One of the hardest questions I had when I started cloth diapering was what cloth diapers I actually wanted to use. The more you look into it, the more kinds you find. Did I want prefolds and covers? Pockets? All in ones? (AIO) All in twos(AI2), a hybrid? After reading lots...and lots...I came to the conclusion that the chances were better that the easier the diaper was to use, the more likely I was to use them. So I decided to do a hybrid diaper, the Flip, made by CottonBabies, initially.

A Flip basically works like this- It is made of waterproof cover that is a one-size (OS), so it has different snap settings for the rise. It should fit babies from birth to potty training. It then has an Stay-Dry insert. You keep the rise snapped to the size you want, take the insert, lay it inside, put diaper on baby, and that's it. When it is dirty, you can just pop it out of the cover (it there is no poo on the cover), and reuse the cover again. I do a quick wash of the cover, but they dry really quickly, so it has never been an issue. I have 4 of these diapers, and they run about $17-18 each with an insert. I have 9 inserts to use with them.

The next diaper I decided to try was a pocket diaper. There are some big differences between pockets and the hybrid I used.

This diaper is called a Sunbaby, and though most pocket diapers tend to be about the same. It has a water proof cover, this particular diaper is OS, with snaps on the rise, and it has a pocket inside to put an insert. You can double these diapers (actually, any diaper) to make it more absorbent for overnight use, or long naps, depending on how heavy your baby wets. A nice thing about Sunbaby diapers is that they come in FUN prints, and are pretty inexpensive. I have 4 of these diapers, and they were about $5 each, so significantly cheaper than the Flips. I also have a Mama's Little Helper pocket and a Kawaii pocket.

I then decided to try my hand at a wrap, which is basically a cover than you can put an insert or prefold in. I planned on trying the prefold (which I have used...twice, and I always go back to inserts in them because they are just...easier.) I bought a couple Thirsties Duo Wraps

The main difference between this diaper and my Flips is that it is not OS. I know it has the snaps in the rise, but it has size 1 and 2. We have size 2's, which fit from 18-40lbs. So you can adjust the rise within the weight range. Otherwise, this is a cover that works the same as my Flip covers do. A Thirsties cover will run you about $12 each, and you need to buy an additional prefold or insert to use with them.

The cheapest way to diaper your baby is with covers and prefolds, typically. Primarily because you can buy several covers, lots of prefolds, and just reuse the covers, so you need less. Certain pocket diapers are pretty cheap, and very nicely made. I happen to really like my Sunbaby diapers, which are super cheap, but I have never had them leak or any issues with them.

Once I had been cloth diapering for a month or so, I came across some different websites that I really wish I had known about previously. The first is called Fluff Swappers on facebook. I love this website because you can post what you are looking for, or just see what other mommies are trying to get rid of. I bought lots of my diapers off of there, and have yet to actually buy a used diaper, though you can get those off Fluff Swappers. I usually just glance through to see if there is a good deal that I am interested in, and if not, no biggie. I hate paying full price, so I am slightly disappointed in myself for buying my Flips like I did, but they continue to be my go-to workhorse diaper. They last the longest, and hold up the best.

There are lots of variations on the same thing, and it takes trying them out to see what really fits your baby and lifestyle well. Sunbaby diapers have a leg snap as well as a waist snap, which happens to be good for my little chunky thighed baby. I can choose how it fits her leg, and go tighter on her small waist. That's whats so great about Fluff Swappers. You can get one diaper, try it out, if the fit is weird or won't work for you, resell it, and find one that will before you buy hundreds of dollars only to find that the diaper won't fit your baby right.

I didn't talk about AIO or AI2 because I have 1 AIO, and I have only used it twice. Not my favorite by any means, though I know lots of momma's really like them. I really love my covers and inserts, and am happy using my pockets.

Cloth diaper adventures

So, since I first decided to cloth diaper, I have gotten tons of questions. The primary one being "Why would you do that?!" There are many answers to this question, and depending on where you are coming from, different angles to it. I made the choice to cloth diaper for several reasons, in the following order:

Economics-

It is just plain cheaper to cloth diaper a baby than it is to buy disposables. Knowing myself, and my children, I tend to buy more expensive brands of diapers because of sensitive skin issues. Until Bishop was potty training, he wore Huggies. When he was a size 3, I bought him the costco brand for a while...only to realize it is actually cheaper to buy Huggies...and went back to them. So I have never bought the store brand diapers, and I know that I wouldn't this time around either...even though I know better.

Cadence is a couple days shy of 4 months old. Depending on your baby's age, they go through diapers at different frequency's. Cadence is changed every 2 hours usually, unless she is sleeping. So, around 8-10 diapers a day...there abouts. Anyways, the point is, I bought the cloth diapers that we use for the price of about 2 months worth of disposables, and theortically, we would never need to buy diapers again...until she is potty trained. Think about that. Bishop is almost 3 and not fully-all-night-all-nap potty trained. So he uses 2 diapers a day. At 3!! So Cadence has years of diapers in her future. Diapers that are already bought and paid for.

So the economics behind it was the real selling factor for me, especially since I am staying home full time now. There are tons more things I can spend that extra $80 or so a month on.

The second thing, and this may seem silly, is cuteness...I think cloth diapers are so much cuter than disposables. How many disposables do you come across with Hello Kitty, music prints, or flowers on them? I mean, yeah, Mickey is cute...but we are all tired of the baby mickey prints on diapers. Been there, done that...bought the book, got the cd.

So they are all around cheaper and cuter...and third? Better for baby.

This actually might be more important than the cute thing, but that was the order they came to mind. So.

This might seem silly, but having a girl makes me...nervous. I have done the boy stuff. But baby girls...well...they have all different parts. What if I wipe wrong? (That was a big worry from the start) I am a girl. I know how to take care of...things. But its different when it's your baby! What if she gets a yeast infection!! What if....

Anyways, 4 months, and Cadence hasn't even had a diaper rash yet. By this point, Bishop had had thrush (which is a yeast infection for babies) and several diaper rashes, poor little guy. I do use cloth wipes, and make my own wipe solution that uses tea tree oil, which is good for bottoms, and protect against all that fun stuff.

CLOTH WIPES! you say. Indeed. Actually, I like them better than disposable ones. We actually still have disposable wipes around the house, because, well, they are so darn handy to wipe hands, faces...just about whatever. But when I am wiping a cloth diapered bottom, we use cloth wipes. Mainly, they are just so much easier. I take off diaper, wipe bottom, tuck wipe into diaper, toss diaper in pail. On wash day, I make sure all the inserts are out as they go in the wash...and thats it.

Sorry, but handling wipes just used to wipe up poop isn't really high on my favorite things list. And that's basically what was happening, because I would have to put them in a pile next to the diaper to go in the trash. Yuck. Anyways, I will post again about what kind of diapers we are actually using...since there are so many different kinds of cloth :)

The family jam session and crying

Have you ever had the crying hiccups? You know what I mean, the ones where you have sobbed so hard for so long that you can't help it? I am not the one crying here. I have this daughter who believes it is her duty as the female to let us know when she has been slighted. It has only happened twice in her life so far, and tonight was the second time. I was getting her swaddled, and some how scratched her chin with my thumb nail. No big deal, didn't even leave a mark. You would think I attempted to cut her face off with a dull knife by the way she was squealing. I say squealing because initially, she wasn't even crying, just screaming. Which then turning into inconsolable crying...and eventually the hiccups. I got her to sleep, finally, and she is still hiccuping now and then. Hard to call it really cute when she has over reacted...and at such a young age. Makes me wonder what it will be like when she is older and actually, you know, get's hurt. Drama. Queen.

*Sigh* I am often happy we had a boy first. He is so emotionally laid back in comparison. He has taken to fake crying to get attention recently, but that is a whole different issue, and kind of funny. The family jam session was back in full force tonight. Zach, Bishop, and I all had guitars, and were playing. Bishop, as lead, was...uh leading. And singing/growling/fake throwing up. Not sure when that last one started to get cool, but watch out world. You don't know what's coming next. He was singing an improv song, which are always the hardest. It went along these lines

"Daddy...Mommy (while pointing to us)...

play guitar...guitar (pointing to our guitars)

and...(looks around)

Horses....doggie...dinosaur...dinosaur...dinosaur...dinosaur...."

At this point he started jumping up and down while staggering in a few fake throwing up noises. Zach is laying on the floor laughing, and I am trying to look the other way while laughing. So as not to throw off his groove. Pretty responsible parent behavior, actually.

Makes you wish to hang out at the Ivey house nightly doesn't it? That wasn't sarcasm, because, actually, this is where I like to be, too.

Now, off to force him to give me his family photo album and actually go to sleep, not try to army crawl his way back into the living room.

Love my family.

You see everything

As of yesterday, I have been married for 6 years. This anniversary has made me contemplate many things in my life. And, yeah, it's going to get all emotional and gushy momentarily, so now is the time to check out if you aren't interested.

6 years seems to be a pretty long time. According to Zach, we have a lot of catching up to do...in comparison to people who have been married for 50 years. I may have pointed out that we aren't even 50 years old, but apparently that is inconsequential. So 6 years. I try to put it into perspective. For example, I have been married longer than I was in high school. Or...when Bishop turns 3 this year, he will have been here for half our marriage. Things like that. It still doesn't seem possible that I could have been married this long, let alone in a relationship this long. Here is where it gets all kinds of gushy, which is pretty uncommon for me. I truly love my life. I can not imagine being married to someone else. I just can't. I've tried. Or I have considered what I might do if something ever happened to Zach. And I just can't ever see myself getting married again. He is truly a compliment to my personality.

I believe that when you put a couple together, they should make a solid whole. That they each have traits that, when united, make a wonderful unit. Zach has all the things I never thought that my spouse would be. Not in a bad way, clearly, but in a way that I wasn't smart enough to put together on my own. And thank God for that. Because in myself, I wouldn't have been smart enough to marry this wonderful man who has made me a 100% better person.

So, for some reason, this anniversary, I have been more introspective than in past ones to my memory. I just keep coming back to the point that I am so happy to be married to this incredible man that I have been given. We have had some really hard times. Some really happy times. And all the day-in, day-out times in between. And I am still so happy to be married to him.

I really like Alanis Morissette. She has this fairly awesome song that I have listened to several times recently, and it seems even more fitting as I am contemplating loving the same person for the rest of my life. All the in's and out's that go with it. The chorus goes like this:

You see everything, you see every part.

You see all my light, and you love my dark.

You dig everything of which I'm ashamed.

There's not anything to which you can't relate.

And you're still here.

I have this magnet on my fridge somewhere that says "Love is seeing through someone and still enjoying the view" After 6 years, we have seen lots of things in each other that we never knew before we were married for 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 years. And now, here we are in the 6th year of our marriage. To be honest, I am so excited for this new year together. What it will bring. The new things we will learn together, do together, be together. The hard times, the joyful times. The sheer silly times (which, if you know Zach, are the majority of the times that happen :D ) that make up our life together. What awaits us this year? I look forward to another year with Zach. Here we go!