The Gift that Kept on Giving

*Box of raisins: $.34
*ER visit: $150
*Sneezing out the raisin the next day: Priceless

Yes, folks, that about sums up my birthday last week. The day had started well, but certainly hadn't ended how I had anticipated, despite showing some promise.

Earlier in the week, Scott told me that he might have to work late on my birthday, so I really hadn't expected much of a celebration that night. Thankfully, though, he came home about his usual time, with a cake in tow and plans for a dinner out. (This was the promising part.)

Enter Leah, who had had an off day since lunch. Who knew it was about to get worse. 

Leah (crying, from the other room): "Mommy! My raisin's stuck!"
Me (thinking it's stuck at the bottom of the box): "Well, don't cry! Just bring it here, and I'll get it out." 
Leah enters the room, box-less: "The raisin's stuck in my nose!"

Oh my! Yes, THAT was my birthday gift from my almost-three-year-old. Somehow, I kept my cool, instructing her NOT to dig anymore lest she shove it up farther (too late for that, really). 

After calling the pediatrician, we headed to a friend's house (she's a doctor) to see if she could extract the offensive raisin. Try as she might, she couldn't. (No surprise, though, since Leah was screaming like a banshee and wriggling all over the place. Then again, I couldn't blame her since someone shoving a pair of tweezers up her nose was hardly enjoyable, no matter how calm and reassuring Julie was.) 

So, it was off to the ER, with hopes of a successful (and sedated) extraction. I'll spare you some of the details of their trip, partly because they aren't pleasant, and partly because I can't remember ALL of them, but let's just say that it took four adults to hold down the little miss in an attempt to remove the raisin (yeah, so sedation, unfortunately). By the time it was over, the medic couldn't see anything, so he assumed that Leah must have sucked it down due to her hyperventilating. (I am so glad Scott went instead of me; just his recounting of the evening makes my heart ache for my baby girl.) Just in case, he told Scott what to watch for, and gave him the information for an ENT specialist. 

Well, Friday morning, Scott peeked up Leah's nose, just to be sure, and found what looked like the raisin. Seriously? After all that, it was still there? We went about our morning activities, keeping an eye on Leah, but pretty sure of our discovery (with plans of confirming that with Julie), when Leah sneezed.

Leah, pointing: "What's that, Mommy?"

I knew immediately what she was pointing to: the raisin! I have never been so happy to hear my baby girl sneeze or to see a raisin. 

So... happy birthday to me. At least this one will be memorable!

Giggles

Unfortunately, I don't have time to write much today, so instead enjoy this video from the other night. One of our favorite family "games" is "playing food" since Hunter can play, too. As you'll see in the clip, Hunter loves it when big sis "feeds" him. Enjoy the giggles!

Goose-stepping

Hunter LOVES walking around. Seriously. He's happiest when we're assisting him on his adventures, and that really is all that we're doing. He dictates the direction, and we just "support" him (literally). I know we're crazy for doing this since he's not even eight months old yet, but boy, it is fun watching him. Enjoy!

The Mommy "To Do" List

Last week's post sort of inspired this one, though I'm in a better frame-of-mind this time around (read: this week has been MUCH better than last). The "Mommy To Do List" is a bit daunting and overwhelming, especially when laid out (see below) in list-format (for all us Type As out there), and never-ending, but I wouldn't trade this list, this job, and all its requirements for anything else in the world.

"To Do" (in no particular order of importance)

*Clean the house
  -Includes: washing dishes, doing laundry, dusting, vacuuming, scrubbing the bathrooms, wiping spilled milk (peas, pears, etc.), picking up toys, organizing toys, making beds, changing sheets
*Manage the household
  -Includes: run errands, plan meals, make meals, buy gifts, organize social calendar, pay bills, update friends/ family (via letters, email, blog, etc.)
*Raise the kids (yes, Daddy helps, too)
  -Includes: clothe them, wash them, teach them manners, teach them right from wrong, help them with art projects (stickers, play-doh, paint, etc.), teach them to share, discipline them, potty-train them, play with them, love them (not always easy in the midst of a temper tantrum), hug them, kiss them, celebrate their successes, comfort them in their failures, encourage them, read to them, sing to them, dance with them, praying with them
*Set a good example
  -Includes: dressing daily (not just in sweats!), putting on make-up, doing my hair (ponytails don't count), spending time in God's Word, finding time for hobbies, forgiving, being gracious, loving (when I don't feel like it), balancing time with friends & family

Ugh. I'm exhausted just looking at this list, and I know it's incomplete! Still, I'm grateful for the opportunity to make this list, even if I'll never fully complete it. After all, sweet moments with my babies and my husband outweigh the demands of a list any day.

One of those... weeks

Who knows how long this will be since I have a rather upset almost-three-year-old upstairs whining and fussing (I've been trying to ignore her in the hopes that she'll stop). That basically epitomizes what kind of week it's been ... since last FRIDAY. Oh yes.

I'm so grateful that this is only a season, though, for I don't know how I could endure this for longer than that. (Though that does make me think about Hebrews 12:1-3, but that's in reference to faith in general. Course, the only thing getting me through Leah's tantrum right now is God's grace.)

It's just been one thing after another, after another. An almost two-hour doctor's appointment for Leah (last week). No time to accomplish anything on my list. Hunter teething (not sleeping well). Scott studying for a promotion at work. Long mornings with pokey kiddos which translates to less time to run errands which means committing another day to errand-running. Running errands with two kids (Nuff said!). Leah not napping (though she desperately needs one). Clean the house? What's that? Oh, items #97 on the list.

You get the idea.

Thankfully, yesterday was a bit of a reprieve. And it was all God. See, I certainly wasn't any more productive yesterday (in reality, I was much less), but His perfect grace and peace encompassed my being, allowing me to accept my lack of productivity... and be okay with it.