One Tough Week

After one of the toughest weeks we have had in some time (hospital visits for a seizing baby, redeye flights to a dying grandma, floods and non-cooperative insurance agents) things have swung around again to the brighter side of the street.

The baby got better. My grandma is making a sort of recovery and suddenly the previously awful assessment that we would not be covered for the extensive water damage was reversed.

I take comfort in being pretty certain things can’t get much worse. Well, they could. Things could be way worse, but for now life is looking bright and I have a sense of excitement for what the troubles of this past week will bring.

I noticed that before most of Phoebe’s recent illnesses she had fallen or hit her head. Her uncle, Dr. Dave, found that both her neck and lower back were quite out and he is doing very light chiropractic adjustments to get her all aligned. We started Phoebe on treatments three times a week and I am already noticing that she is sleeping way better. Now she actually asks to go into her crib. I say to her, “Do you want to get cozy in your bed?”, she nods yes and reaches for it and within a few minutes she is passed out.

A quick trip to Chicago filled my thoughts of my childhood with my grandma and I had a chance to tell her I loved her to her face and hold her hand. She is bedridden now, so I spent a few hours adjusting her pillows and watching her fall in and out of sleep. You will never know how much you can understand just from a person’s eyes until you see someone on their last moments of their current life, unable to really speak too well. Oh her eyes. She knew what was happening. For a lot of the day she was not too present, but in those moments when she was there it was quite powerful.

The flood. My god, flood. It is a total pain in the ass. A drain next door failed and during the heavy rains water built up and started to pour through the foundation into our downstairs. It went everywhere. At first our insurance said we were not covered, but then we found out that was not accurate. All repairs and new floors are going to be fully handled.

The upside of the flood is that since everything is all over the place and torn up now, we might as well make some other improvements. Steve’s mom is going to help us renovate Chloe and Ella’s bathroom and there are other things all over the downstairs that will be getting facelifts, so the space is going to end up looking better than it did before. Without the flood, who knows how long it would have taken for me to get around to those projects– ten years most likely.

Life. Life is interesting. When it all looks like a massive ball of confusion and you cannot understand how all this is happening at once, you just have to keep on doing what you know is correct and figuring it out and keeping your eye on the final outcome and making things right the best way you can. I find it helps to stay loyal, honest and to ask for help.

We came out of this past week stronger. I came out of this past week stronger. We made it through. I think you can always make it through.

Yesterday my middle daughter Ella turned 7. She was born 7 years ago at 3am on Valentine’s Day and she has been an adventure ever since.

It was a nice break to put my attention on planning a party and baking cakes.

Here are some shots from her three birthday parties. One at school, one with her family and one with her friends.

Telling her class she is 7

Telling her class she is 7

Her best friend

Her best friend

Pretty much sums this girl up

Pretty much sums this girl up

My attempt to make a fancy square cake pretty much ended in a pile with frosting on top.

My attempt to make a fancy square cake pretty much ended in a pile with frosting on top.

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Putting together Lite Brix

Putting together Lite Brix

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Let's Party!

Let’s Party!

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8 responses

    • Yes Amy. We are all doing better. My grandma is walking again. I cannot believe it. She has 9 lives.

  1. Wowzers, you did, indeed, make it through one tough week. Moms are known for making it through weeks such as those and I applaud you for making it through with style and grace! So enjoy your pictures and stories! Carry on! xoxo Kate