Tummy Aches

So much has happened in the last 3 weeks I'm not sure my old brain can remember it all. However, I will try.

The weekend after my last post, sweet Sydney started having tummy problems, pain, nausea, lack of appetite. I figured we had contracted the dreaded tummy bug that is making the rounds in K-town, so I accordingly quarantined her, leaving Joe and Kel to fend for themselves. Well, after two days of no eating and pain, we headed to Children's Hospital. After 9 hours in the E.R., Syd was admitted with no diagnosis -- maybe chronic constipation. Really? After 9 hours, that's the BEST YOU GOT?

Day 2 in the hospital brought our pediatrician in with a diagnosis -- an acute gastritis attack. Day 3 brought an additional esophagitis diagnosis. She is a champion acid producer, just like her mom. Anyhoo, she came home on Day 3 with about a zillion medications. Our fridge is decorated with a medicine chart just so mom doesn't overdose her on Pepcid!

After 11 days away, she returned to school for the last week and was able to enjoy her class Christmas party. Her recovery is not complete -- good days and bad -- but she is better. She eats and plays, dances and sings and is anxiously awaiting Santa's arrival in 3 days. She is banned from eating chocolate, tomatoes (ketchup -- oh, my!) or oranges, but we have become creative and she's handling it well. I am hoping in a month she will be good as new.

As for the rest of us, we're ready for Christmas. The packages are wrapped, the cards are out and school is on hiatus. The in-laws are here for 5 days, the house is all pretty-fied and we're busting at the seams. We're getting back to normal. Life goes on.

I probably won't be blogging until after the holidays, so see ya' next year!

Merry Christmas!

~Peace

Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town (and so is my mother-in-law!)

Joey and his sisters at the Fantasy of Trees
And I want this and this...
Syd at The Groovy Pad for her birthday
Kelsey's wiffle ball birthday party
One of only a handful of Joe and Kris pics!
Halloween 2008


Well, it's been a month since I've commented on the current status of the Birchfield clan -- Though I will admit I have been updating my Facebook status MUCH more frequently! What is it about Facebook that sucks us all in? It's kind of an alternate reality where we all still get along with our high school buddies and we request to be "friends" with people we barely know, people who are friends of friends, or just people we plain ol' haven't ever liked just for the sake of upping our friend totals on our profile pages. It is like some kind of drug for the 30/40-something set. It is MADNESS. I digress...

Anywhichits, there is not a whole lot to update here. There has been the usual goings on, Halloween, birthday parties, school (and more school), the annual Fantasy of Trees trip and Thanksgiving. Oh, yeah, and Joey is driving now -- legally. The girls are both pulling down As this year, both growing like weeds and both counting down the days until "The Man" jumps down our chimney -- well, we don't really have a chimney. The big guy comes through our door with the MAGIC KEY left on our doorstep 5 years ago when we moved into this house. For those counting, he'll be here in about 3 weeks. That means I have 18 days to get everything done, as the in-laws will be arriving on the 21st. Better hurry up on this entry!

Coming up for us: Kelsey's in the school spelling bee again this year, having won her class bee, two more weeks until school is out, visits from the in-laws (complete with brother-in-law and pug-in-law) and Christmas. The house is lit, the trees are up and all the stuffed animals and Christmas knick-knacks are bobbing and singing on my living room shelves. The Christmas cards are sitting on the computer desk waiting to be printed and stuffed. The Christmas stamps are bought. Christmas candy bowls are filled and presents are stacked on the playroom table, scheduled for wrapping this weekend.

By all accounts, I seem organized and so prepared for this Christmas season. I might also mention that the Pepcid bottle is almost empty, the fingernails are worn down from absent-minded chewing and the Xanax bottle is on the nightstand, standing at attention. So if you get your Birchfeld Christmas card this year imprinted with only the words, "Ah, the hell with it," don't be surprised!

I'm going to post some pics at the top of this entry of the last couple of months' activities. Hope everyone out there in blog land is staying healthy.

Happy Holidays! And for all my *Christian* friends who get SO offended by my wishing them blissful December days, I will also send out a "Merry Christmas!"

~Peace