Ah, sweet healing is finally occurring.
I CAN BLINK!
Now that statement might not seem like a big deal to the average citizen, but for someone who hasn't blinked (or is it "blunk"?) in 4 weeks, it's a HUGE DEAL! I have slept with an eye patch for a month and last night when I put the fake tear drops in my eyes, I realized my eye blinked (or is it "blunked"?)at the feeling of the eye drops. I ran into the kitchen and showed Carter and we both did the happy dance. I believe the words, "I'm getting my wife back!" came out of Carter's mouth!
I can semi-smile now too. The main symptom left of the Bells Palsy is the headaches. This is due, in part, to the light sensitivity I have in my eyes so sunny days wreak havoc on my head. But this too shall pass and I'm guessing sooner than later since the other symptoms have slowly started to fade.
Some day I will be normal again.
Well, maybe not completely normal. I've never been completely normal. ;)
Monday, May 25, 2009
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
The Big Day
So today, May 20th, is my due date.
And I have babies that are now one month and one day old.
All I have to say about that is...
THANK THE GOOD LORD I'M NOT STILL PREGNANT!
Monday, May 18, 2009
Nothing Sweeter
Whew...it's been a tiring day for Daddy and the babies!
The babies had their 1 month doc's appointment today. They are growing like weeds and are both just over 7 lbs and 20 inches long. Thankfully the colds they're both suffering from are strictly in their heads and have not made their way to the lungs. We'll just ride it out and hope their breathing eases up very soon because it's just plain sad to listen to them struggle with a stuffy nose.
I am on week 3 of the Bells Palsy and it looks to be getting a smidge better. I can will my mouth to move ever-so-slightly on the paralyzed side which is HUGE strides from where I've been. My eye is cut to pieces, though, since I haven't closed it in 3 weeks. Guess that's par for the course. It twitches all day long so I'm hoping that means it's trying to remember how to close. That would be a clutch move! Still have the ear pain (which is not actually the ear but the 7th nerve that surrounds my ear), but even that is easing up just a little. I now only recognize that pain in the middle of the night when I'm up feeding babies. So...these strides may just be in my head, but I'm thinking we're moving in the right direction. Here's hoping.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
The 4-Week Journey
So it's been a month and the sleep deprivation has finally reached a new level. For some reason I have forgotten that I was sleep deprived with the first 2 kids (though Carter says he remembers it well), but this go-round is a whole different ball game.
There is no "It's your turn" comments to make because every time it's "our" turn. It's a team effort. And the team starts breaking apart at 3am when there's incessant crying (in stereo) and all we want is to grab a few hours of uninterrupted sleep. Doesn't happen.
But the team rallies. And all is forgiven once the sun comes up. And then the babies sleep. Like champs. For 3, sometimes 4 hours straight. Thanks guys. Could we switch that to the nocturnal hours to save some parental sanity?
I have hope that this too shall pass and the babies will some day sleep like little angels all night long.
With as quickly as these last 4 weeks have flown by, I know the next 4, and the next 4 after that will fly too.
And someday, I'll forget what it's like to have bobble-headed, soft as silk, 6 pound newborns that smell like sweetness and spit-up.
Then I'll get baby fever again and..........
WWWWHHHHHAAAAATTTTTT????????
Pardon me. Had to take that thought captive.
There is no "It's your turn" comments to make because every time it's "our" turn. It's a team effort. And the team starts breaking apart at 3am when there's incessant crying (in stereo) and all we want is to grab a few hours of uninterrupted sleep. Doesn't happen.
But the team rallies. And all is forgiven once the sun comes up. And then the babies sleep. Like champs. For 3, sometimes 4 hours straight. Thanks guys. Could we switch that to the nocturnal hours to save some parental sanity?
I have hope that this too shall pass and the babies will some day sleep like little angels all night long.
With as quickly as these last 4 weeks have flown by, I know the next 4, and the next 4 after that will fly too.
And someday, I'll forget what it's like to have bobble-headed, soft as silk, 6 pound newborns that smell like sweetness and spit-up.
Then I'll get baby fever again and..........
WWWWHHHHHAAAAATTTTTT????????
Pardon me. Had to take that thought captive.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Times, they are a-changin'
So we had us some babies.
2 as a matter of fact.
Cutest darn little muffin cups you ever did see.
There have been approximately 0 minutes and 4 seconds to update this blog since the little muffin cups shouted their arrival.
And the story goes...
I spent week 34 1/2 to 35 1/2 on complete bed rest. No moving except to go to the bathroom or from the bed to the couch. Talk about feeling useless (as if I hadn't for the past few months anyway). I had some incredible friends pull through for me and got me through the week by taking morning and afternoon shifts. They entertained toddlers (who were in massive need of entertainment!), fixed snacks and meals, cleaned up, kept me sane, and did whatever else was needed. It was extremely humbling to have to sit and just accept the help, but I had no other choice. Contractions were coming often and the medicine I was taking to slow them down made my heart go into attack mode and left me with the shakes. An excellent combination.
Woke up Sunday morning, April 19th to Buster Boy busting up in our bed. After rolling awkwardly out of the bed, I headed to the bathroom. HELLO! Water broke. I'm not gonna lie and say I didn't pump my fists a little at the readiness of these babies to come on out. I worried a lot about how early they would be (4 1/2 weeks) but I knew there were not many days any of us had left in our current state. Called Doc and got the game moving. Babies were born, healthy as larks, 3 hours later. They required a night of oxygen in Level 2 nursery and a round of IV antibiotics, but by day 3, they were living in our room, wire free. We went home on day 4.
Since then, life has been a cake walk with 4 kids 4 and under.
The End.
p.s. In the 3 weeks since the babies have been born, we have also enjoyed many other highlights. An emergency 911 call as rocks (craters) were being hauled at our living room window, shattering glass a foot from our newborn babies' heads. Talk about a Mama Hen ready to kill. Love those random acts of kindness.
The husband, of whom I am so proud, dumped grad school off his shoulders and is now the proud recipient of a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership from Georgia Southern University. Then he topped it off with a job promotion as Assistant Principal at his current school. A nice week.
And I received the gift of Bells Palsy. Whatever the heck that darn virus is. A week after the babies were born, I woke up with numbness on one side of my face which progressed over the next 3 days into a full-out paralyzation of the left side. My left eye, ear, cheek, and mouth have gone on hiatus for 6 weeks to 1 year (LOVE that prognosis). No meds can heal it. Just a wait it out and enjoy the benefits of slurping food, drooling liquids, speaking with an impediment and scaring my husband with the eye that never closes. Awesome.
Here's a glimpse at Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum...
2 as a matter of fact.
Cutest darn little muffin cups you ever did see.
There have been approximately 0 minutes and 4 seconds to update this blog since the little muffin cups shouted their arrival.
And the story goes...
I spent week 34 1/2 to 35 1/2 on complete bed rest. No moving except to go to the bathroom or from the bed to the couch. Talk about feeling useless (as if I hadn't for the past few months anyway). I had some incredible friends pull through for me and got me through the week by taking morning and afternoon shifts. They entertained toddlers (who were in massive need of entertainment!), fixed snacks and meals, cleaned up, kept me sane, and did whatever else was needed. It was extremely humbling to have to sit and just accept the help, but I had no other choice. Contractions were coming often and the medicine I was taking to slow them down made my heart go into attack mode and left me with the shakes. An excellent combination.
Woke up Sunday morning, April 19th to Buster Boy busting up in our bed. After rolling awkwardly out of the bed, I headed to the bathroom. HELLO! Water broke. I'm not gonna lie and say I didn't pump my fists a little at the readiness of these babies to come on out. I worried a lot about how early they would be (4 1/2 weeks) but I knew there were not many days any of us had left in our current state. Called Doc and got the game moving. Babies were born, healthy as larks, 3 hours later. They required a night of oxygen in Level 2 nursery and a round of IV antibiotics, but by day 3, they were living in our room, wire free. We went home on day 4.
Since then, life has been a cake walk with 4 kids 4 and under.
The End.
p.s. In the 3 weeks since the babies have been born, we have also enjoyed many other highlights. An emergency 911 call as rocks (craters) were being hauled at our living room window, shattering glass a foot from our newborn babies' heads. Talk about a Mama Hen ready to kill. Love those random acts of kindness.
The husband, of whom I am so proud, dumped grad school off his shoulders and is now the proud recipient of a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership from Georgia Southern University. Then he topped it off with a job promotion as Assistant Principal at his current school. A nice week.
And I received the gift of Bells Palsy. Whatever the heck that darn virus is. A week after the babies were born, I woke up with numbness on one side of my face which progressed over the next 3 days into a full-out paralyzation of the left side. My left eye, ear, cheek, and mouth have gone on hiatus for 6 weeks to 1 year (LOVE that prognosis). No meds can heal it. Just a wait it out and enjoy the benefits of slurping food, drooling liquids, speaking with an impediment and scaring my husband with the eye that never closes. Awesome.
Here's a glimpse at Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum...
So now we are:
The Akins Family, Party of 6.
Wow.
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