While observing the incision from my surgery [on the lower part of my abdomen] Jessie says to me, “Did they cut you in half?”  –Jessie Ann Hall, age 3–

I just want to say thank you to all the friends and family who have been so kind to me from helping to just asking how I am doing.  I really appreciate it.  As someone who wanted glasses and/or asthma as a child just to get more attention [and believe me, I had plenty of attention] I always notice and appreciate stuff like that.

Today has been a good day.  We went to swimming lessons that their mom-mom paid for and the kids had a fun time.  Jessie would look up from her lessons every so often so that she could yell, “Mommy!!!  Look at me!!! I’m doing it!!!!”  ”It” being a variety of things, lol.  These go all this week and next week, at which time I expect my children to be proficient at the butterfly stroke, etc.

Yesterday we played hooky from church and went to the theater to see Wall-E.  If you go there expecting to see cute animation you will not be disappointed.  I enjoyed the whole thing, it was very cute.

I have managed to get my gardenia to produce one bloom.  It doesn’t sound like much but since it is past the blooming season for those, I was pretty impressed with myself.  Granted, I have majorly cheated with miracle grow soil and adding a fertilizer stick but that is beside the point.  I have also managed to keep the knock out roses alive and plant two crepe myrtles and two grass squares.  Yeeha!  Top that you city slickers.  lol.

The kids are napping and I am enjoying the peace and quiet.  Today I feel very much back to myself, just a less strong version.  We went to Costco against my better judgement.  It ended up being okay except for when I almost fell flat on my face after tripping on the gasoline hose while pumping gas.  We met the Haygoods up there for a nice cheap lunch and bought some groceries afterwards.  This is where it got interesting for me and fun for the kids.  I knew when Aaron got home he would ask me how my day went and how much work I did, and did I relax enough.  So, explaining Costco when I’m not supposed to be driving yet was going to be tricky.  I justify it like this:  I didn’t have a baby, so the recovery is easier and faster and less stressful, therefore I can go to costco three days earlier than I should?  lol.  Anyway, Kathryn and Caleb pushed the cart the whole time, picked up and loaded each item, unloaded it onto the conveyor belt, pushed it to the car, unloaded every item, closed the hatch/trunk, pushed the cart to the return cart area and unloaded everything when we got home.  Whew!  It was kind of fun directing them and I could tell they had a lot of fun getting to do everything and they had fun knowing they were helping me.

So, to sum it up, recovery is going even better, thank you for the well wishes and the help!

I am more able to walk upright these last couple of days.  This past weekend was Aaron’s grandmother Davis’s 75th birthday!  Phyllis and Kathy organized a great big family birthday party for her [I believe our family would easily put any Greek family gathering to shame].  The super neat part was that Paul and Bethany surprised everyone and were able to come!  So, since I didn’t get to go to the party we loaded up in the suburban yesterday and visited with them for the last several hours until they departed, brand new 6 week old baby and all.  That was really fun for me and brightened up my otherwise dreary relaxed last few days.  They are doing well and the new baby is of course adorable.

My parents came by on the way to church and brought me an entirely homemade and soooo yummy dinner!  Just so y’all can drool, here it is:  bar-b-q chicken, green beans [with mushrooms], corn pudding, rolls, and salad.  MMMmmmmmmmm!!!!!

Later that day, Caleb and Claire came by to visit!  They brought me some of my favorite [and yes, I know] ridiculous gossip magazines and also a nice “real” magazine and some Starbucks truffles.  Yeah, I know you are all jealous but she is MY sister-in-law.  Lol.  

I must say my mom and Aaron’s mom have seriously spoiled us with all their sweet help.  They have each kept the kids several times and just been so sweet and encouraging and helpful.

So, today I will sit… sit… sit… and sit some more.  I am starting to be able to walk mostly upright and that is much better.  I don’t have stitches, it looks like they used steri-strips.  The shower I am about to take is my big excitement for the day.  Wheee!!!  

Well, I am here at home and am recovering.  I had a myomectamy and a uterine uplift.  I have got a really weird sharp muscle pain in my right shoulder and I’m betting that happened when I was trying to use one arm to turn my entire body onto my right side while still having a bunch of pain meds in my body.  Note to self, whenever under heavy pain drugs, use caution and don’t try to “be the hero.”  So, now I am on darvoset and trying to stay on the minimum.  I think there should be an edge of pain so that you remember not to push yourself.  At least for me.  I have a whole new perspective for women recovering from c-sections, a great deal of sympathy.  Also, after this I’m not sure I could ever voluntarily get a tummy tuck.  Being a women, I still reserve the right to change my mind.  The best description of the pain at the incision site is that it burns just like my perineum burned when Caleb was born.  Most of the time, I walk to the bathroom completely bent over at the waist, like I am folded in half.  Also, I cradle the incision site the whole way there b/c it burns like fire.  I am not 100% sure yet, but I am thinking that getting up from having been sitting on the bed is more painful than any other way.  IE, laying on the bed, sitting in a chair, etc.  Mark Carrillo, the assistant pastor and youth pastor at our church came by.  He stayed and visited for a bit and brought us a yummy dinner.  Keep in mind this man has a family, a full time job and is in the process of finishing his master’s degree!  I have my brand new imac sitting here to my left and Aaron is in the process of setting it up and switching me over so that I can get used to the new os and the look and feel of macs.  For anyone who didn’t know, I am starting a photography business for weddings, family portraiture, and whatever else I can get my hands on!  I will be launching the website soon-ish.  Actually, that’s not true.  Aaron will be launching the site soon-ish as he is able between doting on me, switching me over to the imac and oh yeah, his full time job.  I submit to you that he is husband of the millennium.  His company, Womack Machine Supply sent me a nice arrangement of flowers.  They are always very thoughtful.

Anyway, the surgery went good and Dr. McAlpine was pleased and that’s all I really care to know.  I am looking forward to being further down the road to recovery when it doesn’t hurt so much.  Hospital visits are never fun.

Aaron and I were getting ready to head out the door to my pre-op appointment.  He was putting on his dress shoes and socks b/c after the appointment he neeeded to go straight to work.  Jessie is sitting at the bar drinking her breakfast smoothie and says, “Daddy, are you going to chuch?”  [church]  Aaron replies that no, he is not.  She says, “Then why are you putting your tights on?”  We start cracking up b/c to her, his dress socks look like tights. 

Kathryn and Jessie were luxuriously and wonderfully spoiled by their Great-grandmommy King today.  She wanted to take them to the most magical toy store in the world and let them shop.  [Toy Works on Camp Bowie in Fort Worth, Texas]  Wow!  Every little girls fantasy!  They shopped for a while and these outfits are only some of what they picked and were given.

Also, I have a funny Kathryn story.  My parents have just gotten back from their San Francisco vacation and so my mom was in the car with us on the way to pick up Great-Grandmommy.  We were all excited to shop with the girls and then walk next door to La Madeline’s for lunch.  So mom ["regular" Grandmommy King] gets in the suburban and begins to have fun talking with the children who are all talking at once, and loudly per usual.  ;)  The conversation goes on and makes its way to Ariel [the Little Mermaid] as it always does these last few months.  I think mom asked Kathryn why Ariel only wears those shells on her and its Kathryn answer that has me so tickled.  She said well, the mermaids all go around in their bras.  They do that because all mermaids are poor.

HAHAHAHHAA!!!!  I just loved that!

A cool close-up of the wave

Write your memoir in six words.  You think it can’t be done?  More than 30,000 have mastered it. 

This idea was blatantly plagerized from The Fort Worth Star-Telegram.  It was on the front page of their funny page section [the only section I read] and it caught my eye.

If you have a minute, please give this a whirl.  Here’s one I wrote:

Eighth anniversary soon, life still bliss.

I had an insightful conversation with my sister yesterday and mentioned that I might blog about it.  We were discussing how easy it is to either accidentally or on purpose judge another through the eyes of your own strengths and how easy it is to do so.  Interesting thought.