Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Make you laugh...

We have had a lot of visitors the past week. My mom, Jonathan's mom, our nephew Ethan, my sister and her three kids...Justin, Kristen & Sarah. The kids have played long and hard and are exhausted. Today after everyone had left we were left with my kids & I and my nephew Justin. He is going to stay with us a few days to help out and Joel loves him (they share birthdays...15 years apart). He follows Justin everywhere. He was even just sitting in the rocking chair with him...not moving. If you have met Joel...he doesn't sit still. I was talking on the phone and you could hear Joel crawling superman fast across the floor and Justin laughing. Then Gabe added to the laughter. As I get off the phone...Justin says, "Aunt Kelly watch this!" He proceeds to throw a toy across the room and Joel on all fours crawls to get it and brings it back to him. I am thinking...is my child really being treated/acting like a dog? Then Justin says but wait...he acts like he threw the toy and Joel goes crawling away looking for it. I lost it with laughter. As I was laughing, I told Justin to throw the baby the toy. Makes you wonder...are dogs like humans or humans like dogs?


By Kelly

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Surgery Update

Well, I have survived the dreaded surgery. I don't remember a thing! Ha! I remember them giving me some medicine and me asking if I was supposed to feel sleepy and then I woke up in the recovery room telling some guy that "YES! I was in pain!" I was then informed it would take at least 30 minutes for the medicine to work. What a fun way to wake up. As for the hospital stay...I slept a lot....sometimes in the middle of someone talking to me I would randomly fall asleep. If that was you...I apologize. I had nice nurses until the last day when upon being discharged they couldn't decide if I was supposed to be sent home with the Foley catheter or not. So...we went over them and called the urologist on call and got the answer we knew was right. Which was no catheter! So then I just had to pee enough to go home. I kept chugging water just so I could go to the bathroom...which I found ironic since that's I why I had the surgery to begin with. I finally got home around 2pm on Saturday. My mom was at the house with the boys and I enjoyed the entertainment. I started having some pain so I sent Jonathan to get the RX filled. It made me so sick to my stomach and very light-headed. I decided to deal with the pain (which feels the same as giving birth and I handled that w/out pain medicine). Today, however I had this uncontrollable urge to cry. It's been quite amusing to me b/c I am not that sentimental and I hardly ever cry. I cried today because I was in pain, I cried because Jonathan took the boys to church and I really cried when my mom went home. Upon giving birth to the boys I was like....I'm fine...no I don't need anything.... thanks..see ya later and today I was a human waterfall. I've been fine just taking motrin but very very bored! I did go to Target with the family and rode around in their motorized wheelchair. At least I got out! So as for help...Jonathan's mom is coming tomorrow and Tuesday and my nephew will be staying with us Tuesday afternoon through the weekend so I will have help with the boys. If you get bored during the day...you are welcome to come and bring your kids....I would love the company. I do not do well being on "house arrest." If you are bringing us dinner...Thanks so much in advance! We really appreciate it! If you'd like to come and eat it with us...that would be great too. I promise to not fall asleep on you again! Just pray that I will survive "house arrest" and not be too bored out of my mind, we have no more crying issues and the pain stays managable.

Thanks!

Monday, July 21, 2008

And The World Was Never The Same

On this day, twenty-nine years ago, my parents were building a home on Deerpoint Lake, in Panama City, Florida. It was a day well planned. The cement trucks were scheduled to arrive in the morning with 40 yards of concrete for the foundation of their new home. My mother was pregnant and due on the 23rd with their 3rd child. The night before, my father looked at my mother and bravely said, "Joy, all I ask is that you not have the baby tomorrow." This was a big request, not only because she had no realistic control over the situation, but because my father was taking his life in his own hands by making such a suggestion. This pregnancy had not been easy for my mother. It was complicated by the size of the baby and she had spent many a day in the doctor's office being monitored.

Regardless, the trucks were scheduled and it was imperative to get the foundation of their new home laid that day. So again, "Joy, all I ask is...not today." My mother agreed that this day would not be the most desirable time and they went to bed. At 2:00 a.m. on Saturday morning, only 2 hours into the very day they had agreed would be "labor free," my mother's water broke. This child was setting a precedent. However, as any good parent would, my parents refused to give in to the child and my mom sat in full labor as the cement trucks rolled in one after another. Occasionally, my dad would look to his strong, committed wife and ask "are you doing okay?" Her responses were either silence or "I'm fine."

My mother stayed in touch with the hospital personnel, who were not happy that she was on Deerpoint Lake, at least 30 minutes from them. "You have to come in now!" they told her due to the complicated pregnancy. "Don't PUSH!" was another common statement. Finally, around 1:00 p.m., my parents headed to the hospital. The doctor was contacted as he was finishing a game of bowling at Bowlaire. My mother recalls that his first statement when he walked in the hospital room was "I'm glad it's you." This was again in reference to the pregnancy issues.

Finally, at 6:31 p.m. the doctor, using his knee to support the weight, caught a 10 lb. 1 oz. bouncing baby boy! Actually, there was definitely no bouncing. More like the doctor saying "Oh jeeze, my back, somebody take this!" My parents were very surprised. You see, they had two girls and were expecting another. They didn't even have a name for a boy. It was supposed to be Rosemary Elizabeth (shutter). I hadn't heard this part before, but my mother remembers looking up at my father in the delivery room and noticing him tear-up as he looked and realized he had a son. They decided that this baby, being of sound stature and much fat needed a big name. So, my father thought of Jonathan. To continue a family name, they chose Austin after my father's uncle (whom he is named after as well).

So, at 6:31 p.m. on July 21st, 1979, after a story I couldn't have made up, Jonathan Austin Conrad was born to his loving parents, Ted Hiram Conrad and Ina Joy Conrad and two pestering sisters (okay, I love them too) AnnMarie Joy Conrad and Melanie Katherine Conrad. Thus started a really, really wonderful life for me and I thank them all for 29 very cool years.