Still

Sick. Ugh. We took them to the Urgent Care yesterday after another night of non stop vomiting. Kael is down to 19.6 lbs!!!! I am pretty worried about him, it has been over a week now! We got some suppositories to help which did give both of them a few hours "rest" but I am SO ready for them to be well!!

Newness

Congrats Amber! She is lovely!

Updat-io

All's well.

And an Up-Chuck Here, an Up-Chuck There...

Here and up-chuck, there an up-chuck, everywhere an up-chuck..............



Two very sick kids here.



Any ideas on how to stop the vomiting? If Rae isn't better by tomorrow afternoon we're going to the hospital. She has been dry-heaving and spitting up bile for hours now. Finally got her to lay still and asleep, so hopefully she'll remain puke-free for the night to give her body a chance to recover a bit.

Standin' Man

* For a Limited Time Only* THE FRIENDS AND FAMILY PLAN *Act Now!*

So, a topic of conversation in recent months has been about friends and family. I have another question for you, just for discussion, not pertaining to any one situation.

How obligated do you feel to be friends with your family? How willing are you to be family with your friends? Does being related by blood or marriage automatically bump someone up on the list of priorities of people to befriend? Why or why not?

I have several conflicting emotions on this one. On the one hand, I love my family deeply. ALL of my family, blood and marriage ties. I care about their wellbeing, their happiness. I want THEM to care about mine. BUT. There is no one who can hurt me so deep as a family member. It makes me want to back off a bit, not let them "in" so much, because in a moment of carelessness they could really hurt me. Now if some of these people weren't related to me, ( again, blood or marriage, this is not any particular situation) maybe would just steer clear of them; nice enough people, but not really my cup of tea in the friend department. When I befriend someone I do it all the way. The full monty, no holds barred. Nothing ( in my eyes) stands between me and that friendship. It's kind of like marriage; there may be fights, we may not always see eye to eye, but the friendship is so deep and meaningful ( to me) that there is no fear that we won't work through it and be as closely tied on the other end as we were in the beginning. I MAKE my friends MY "Family".

With "real" family members, this is an assumed tie. You can't "divorce" or "break up" with family. If there is a fight, a disagreement, you can't just walk away. You HAVE to deal with it in some way or another because this is your FAMILY. You will be SEEING them, your children are related to them, your life WILL include them. It makes me want to only have "safe", (perhaps a bit shallow?) relationships with family, no risks of serious hurt feelings, no risks of anything. That way you are never in an uncomfrotable position with them. Is that fair to your family? Not sure. But part of me feels a need to protect myself.

I have recently learned that no matter how hard I try, I can't change others. I can't change how they act, I can't change how they see things. I can't MAKE them listen to me, to see things the way I see them. I can't fight for a friendship all by myself. They have to fight too. That was a hard lesson to learn. I might be in it for the long haul, but maybe they aren't. Family friends are different. They are stuck being "friendly" with you because you are family, but just being family doesn't mean that they are your friend. Or perhaps BECAUSE they are family you are required to work harder to be their friend? Even if you wouldn't necessarily choose them otherwise? Or are you? Why? Am I rambling here? Does this make sense at all? I think I'm rambling. Anyway, this topic has been on top of my brain for a long time now and I needed to spit it out somewhere so I can free up thinkin' space for other things.

I really would like your opinion on this.

A Poll of Sorts

When was the last time you called a family member or friend just to say "hi"? No other reason, not to arrange to meet, not to see if they got your e-mail, just for the express purpost of saying hello and finding out how they are doing? Is it often or rarely?

I try to call at least weekly. I know some of you are somewhat neglected ( hi Alyca and Jobie) but I DO try to call and chat. Just say HI, How Ya' Doin'? I think that is important in any relationship; an interest in their welfare. How is their week going? Are they happy, sad? Can you make their day brighter?

I've met people who don't call ever unless it's for a purpose: invite to this, investigate about that. I'd like feedback from everyone! How often do YOU call or contact friends and family, and WHY do you contact that often/rarely?

Comfy Corners

A sneak peek into some of the comfy snug spots in the new house.

Standin' Man

The FIRST time he stood up in his crib was 2 nights ago at about 3am. Heard him laughing and playing on the monitor and went in and about had a heart attack seeing him leaning over the railing. We've since lowered the mattress but looking at these pics I think perhaps maybe we should lower it some more.....

Still Here

Settling in has been difficult for the wee ones. Raegan is still at odds with everything, and I think Kael has the flu; throwing up whatever gets put into him, lethargic, sometimes fevered, just not fun. He's a trooper though. When he's not throwing up or laying on me he's still giggling and trying to play with his sister, poor little guy. That's it for now!