Recovering

Last Thursday I took Eli to the doctor for a cough and wheeze. I always second-guess myself when I go or I take my kids for a sick appointment....are we really sick enough to come? I hate going, then being sent home with a pat on the back and a "prescription" for Tylenol. But, apparently my little man was pretty sick. He had an ear infection and some significant wheezing, requiring 2 breathing treatments in the office, which was most likely RSV (a respiratory virus that looks like a cold to a healthy adult but makes kids/babies pretty sick). Unfortunately, I had to work that night so Steven got his first crash course in single parenting a sick baby. After a "lose it" moment (no judgement here, I have plenty of those) a sweet friend came over to help with the next med administration, so all in all they had a pretty good night. The next night we pulled a futon in his room and slept on the floor... Eli was delighted to look through his crib at 4am and see Mommy and Daddy right there! By the end of the weekend he was much better. I figure that every time Steven learns new parenting tips without me there it probably sticks much better, when I'm home I think he tries really hard not to learn any mommy techniques (bathing the kids, cooking, washing bottles). Tonight I walked him through making some mac and cheese on the stove (he has already mastered Easy Mac, but we are currently out of it), we are truly progessing in the Harrell household! To Steven's defense, he has the Daddy role down pat, which I would take any day over the other "Mommy duties". Sadie and Steven are getting pretty tight and Eli, even at 9 months, knows that Daddy is pretty cool. So dishes, laundry, bathtime, bring it on...I am thankful for my manly man who will get on the floor to play with the kids, be a great disciplinarian, teach Sadie Bible stories, provide a wonderful life for us, and love me. I just hope I can be the "prize" he deserves. Oh my, I'm getting mushy... I better go! Until next time...

Dear Subway

I am a big fan of Subway. I love that it is a fresh and healthy fast food restaurant. Most Subways have great veggies and freshly baked bread. They also have good sweet tea when I indulge. Since the New Year we have probably bought 20-25 subs from Subway due to Steven's New Years resolution to lose weight and get healthy. Sadie doesn't really eat the kid's sub very well but she does love the fact that she gets undiluted juice in a box. And of course cookies. I visited a Subway today with my little buddy who had helped me with the kids while I got my haircut. I was trying to stay "on budget" (it's a long story but Steven has a crazy little money system that I try to adhere to) and was going to order waters to keep it cheap. The kind lady at the register told me we could only buy bottled water. I looked just past her at the faucet, which appeared to work just fine, and asked her why we couldn't have tap water. She said she could do that but she would have to charge me for a drink ($1.49), which I obviously was not going to do. I told her I would be happy to pay 10 cents for the price of the cup (I know they are not free) but she became less nice and told me she could not do that either. I was going to just not get drinks (I guess we could have taken sips from Sadie's juice box) but the final straw was that my gift card with exactly 9.72 on it didn't work. So, I gave in, upgraded to a combo, and got a drink. Subway won! I do plan on going to the website and putting in a complaint. How can they brag about being healthy and people losing weight when they make it that dififcult to drink water, which is obviously the most healthy choice of beverage. It has long bothered me that the "complimentary" water cup at most restaurants is significantly smaller than the drink cups, I guess the CEOs of these companies don't realize that water drinkers are just as thirsty as their other customers. But alas, at least they provide a way to drink the tap water, as opposed to the restaurant I visited today. Maybe I'll start buying bread and deli meat....or just take my own water.

Thankfully the health kick seems to be working, especially for me since I got a stomach bug Sunday night and threw up more calories than I took in for the next 24 hours (I always see the sliver lining with that illness). My kids thankfully did NOT get that bug but are still dealing with some yucky sounding coughs. I long for a healthy house! But I know it could be so much worse. A friend of a friend's daughter just had a brain tumor removed, and she is just a couple months older than Sadie. Thank the Lord our troubles are minor. Like frustration at a silly restaurant.

Steven was watching something crazy on TV last night and exclaimed "Holy Cow!" Sadie sweetly responded with "Daddy why you say holy cow?" I am thankful for a husband with a clean mouth. Tonight Eli was getting into something and I heard Sadie say to him "No sir, bud." What a cute little Mama! With a cute new haircut. Eli too, although his was done by my Dad's Flobee (sp?) this weekend (very amusing). I will post pics soon.
Goodnight!

In the Lord's hands

I have to say I am so thankful for a garage. And heat, in our cars and our homes. So many luxuries that I take for granted every day! I am trying hard to begin my days with a better attitude, and hopefully this blog will be reflective of that. I took my little Eli to the doctor today for his 9 month check up and he was almost 18 pounds, officially dropping to the 10th percentile (the highest Sadie ever was!). I attribute this to his recent illness and the fact that he is only still if he is sleeping or almost asleep on my lap. He checked out great otherwise and I was hesitant but did end up giving him the flu vaccine. Such difficult decisions when you can scare yourself to death reading the internet. Who's right? And how to people get so passionate about these things? Maybe I'm just not a passionate person, or maybe I worry too little. I sure hope I am making the right decisions for my children but I guess I just know in the end that I'm not ultimately in control, the Lord is. I do realize I have been given a very serious responsibility with my little charges, sometimes I still can't believe that I'm a mother. I told Steven the other night that if I weren't saved by God's grace and believe in His sovereign care then I would never sleep, I would stay awake for hours with worry after worry. Which kid was that coughing? Should I check on them? That expression Eli makes, is it an early sign of something bad? Sadie is especially thirsty today, does she have diabetes? Should I vaccinate? The list goes on and on. And so, thankfully, the truths I rest on are that the Lord is good, He has given me a wonderful family, and even if my blessings are all gone tomorrow He will still be holding me in His hand.
Goodnight!
Sallie