My very long day...

Today was going to be a long day. I knew it when I heard the first sounds of life rousing my house as doors began to open and close with the coming and going of children through the hallway into the kitchen. It was not yet 7 am. And then I heard it. The rumbling of a truck, a very loud, very large truck. Laying there in my bed, snuggled next to my sleeping one year old, I realized that today was Thursday. And somehow, I knew, I just knew that this was the one Thursday in a year that my husband had forgotten to put out the rubbish bins before leaving for work. Apparently my eleven year old daughter knew it too, because as I was leaping from my bed, she peeked in my door and quietly (so as not awaken the little one) told me which way the garbage truck had just gone down our street. Hooray! It was going down the opposite side of the street. I still had time. I asked Lindsey to watch the sleeping baby, as I was sure the noise would awaken him and he'd tumble out of bed. And then, running to the back of the house, I grabbed my eight year old and said to him, "Hurry, we might make it in time!" We ran out the back door, both in our slumber clothes. He pulled the recycling bin which he can barely see over and I pulled the garbage bin and we ran them to the rolling gate that crosses our driveway. It was locked! I raced back into the house for the key, all the while wondering what the school children and their mothers walking down the street to the elementary school must think of the crazy woman running wildly in her pajamas. I grabbed the key off of the keyholder, raced back out to the gate and unlocked it. My son and I each pulled our respective bins out to the curb. Whew! I think we made it. I hope we made it. I fought the urge to run over to the neighbor's bin and have a quick glance. If I did that, the mothers walking their children to school would really have a story to tell. I pretended I didn't notice them. Maybe they didn't notice me. I very casually walked back inside the house, as if running around outside before 7 A.M. in pajamas with wild bed-head hair were no big deal. I thought I would climb back into bed with my baby for just a little while longer. But, it was not to be. He was happily awake and ready for breakfast and the new day. I fed him his breakfast, the only thing he will eat, Gerber Rice cereal with apple juice to moisten it. It smells like apple scented cardboard. I wonder if it tastes the way it smells. Yes, it does actually. I wonder if the Gerber people taste what they create for the most innocent of those among us. From the taste of this, I don't think so. After breakfast, the diapers must be washed. We are down to our very last "easy" snap on cloth diaper. And I can't take Benjamin to his new doctor's appointment in an old fashion "pin on" diaper. I drain the pungent liquid from the diaper pail into the toilet. Flushing the toilet as the diaper water drains, I hope a diaper doesn't slip into the toilet. What a clogged mess that would make! So far, it hasn't happened, but I wonder if one day it will. After draining off the diapers, I tump the diapers into the washing machine. I set it to rinse/drain. Have I mentioned how much I love my front loader washing machine? It takes the diapers 19 minutes to rinse/drain, afterwhich I will then set them to soak for 44 minutes and then to normal wash for another 44 minutes. I play with the baby while waiting on the diapers. The older children are getting breakfast and feeding the animals. Lindsey, who has been up since who knows what hour, has already finished her breakfast and already done her morning chores and made her bed. She is ready for me to help her with her sewing project. She has recently taken a liking to sewing anything she can think up. So, a few days ago, we bought a pattern for making doll clothes. She has her pattern cut out and ready, she has washed and dried her fabric. She just needs me to show her how to lay out the pattern on the fabric to cut it efficiently and productively. We work on that for a little while as the four children aged between 3 and 10 get ready for a sleepover at Memaw's house. The get their clean clothes for tomorrow and their pajamas for tonight and each put them in their backpacks. They are so excited about this little venture. Memaw is going to keep them so that this afternoon when I take Benjamin to the neurologist, I can really talk with the doctor. By now, Benjamin is ready for a little nap. He rarely wants to wake up before 8:30 and would nearly always sleep until 9:00 if the house were a bit on the quieter side. But the happy noises of his siblings are far more enticing than the bliss of peaceful sleep. So, for today, he is back in bed by 9:00 am and sleeping soundly. The other children and I get some things done that need done. A little learning is the order of the day. Then by 11:30 am, the diapers are clean, the children are packed for their trip and it's time to get in the car. We've much to do before we can go over the hills and through the woods to grandmother's house. Loading everyone in the car is a bit of an adventure itself. Did I lock all the doors on the house? Did I turn off the heat in the house? Does the cat have food and water for the day? Whew! Yes! Now, is everyone outside? As I was checking doors inside, I was calling out, "Anyone in here?" It must be done. More than once, I have locked the front door, only to have someone come right out afterwards. The children race each other to the car. Even so, they also help the smaller ones to get in. What a blessing they are to me and to each other! Once we are in the car, I must do a head count. One child in particular seems to enjoy looking for something on the floor during the headcount time. Today though, as I am looking back, I see his little hand pop up in the air, as he seemingly knows I must be counting them. Funny, I hadn't announced it. I presume after so many years of it, they just know. I do not back out of the driveway without knowing exactly where everyone is. I'm a bit paranoid that way. Now, satisfied that all are accounted for, we make way to our first destination- Sam's Club to pick up medication. While there, we share a large pizza for our lunch. We have to wait for it to cook, so we roam the aisles in search of the sample ladies. We are quickly rewarded for our efforts. Cheesecake! Ah, the joys of eating dessert first! Next stop, peeled, deveined and deheaded shrimp. There are only two brave souls who try this. The next sample isn't ready yet, but then over near the bakery, it's cookies for everyone! We head back to the front of the store, happily munching our treats and find a place to sit down with our pizza. Parmesan? Can you ever have too much Parmesan? Most agree that you cannot. The lone dissenter gets to pick her piece first, so that she may choose the one with the least amount. It never ceases to amaze me that people love to watch large families. Some watch with approving smiles on their face, while others not so much. We do try our best to put our "best foot forward" as the saying goes. Smiles all around today. Yes, it is a good day.  When my children were much smaller, I did not reward them for behaving in the store UNLESS a total stranger complimented me or them on their behaviour. I found that this tactic makes for especially well behaved children in the store because they know that their behaviour isn't being judged by mommy who might be persuaded to be swayed in her opinion, but their behaviour is being judged by others over whom they have no ability to prevail upon. We finish our lunch and head out the door to the van. The children are ahead of me. My daughter is anxious to be the one to show the receipt to the doorman. He seems not to notice it is a cart full of children and that there is no adult, as if everyday a mere child of the age of eleven shops at Sam's Club with 5 little siblings in tow and no parent. I giggle to myself and finally catch up with them. We get in the van and drive over to the gas station. Some $60.00 later, we begin our journey towards Memaw's house yet again. We still have another stop to make though. With eleven people in one family, the family vehicle tends to collect dirt, dust, trash and various other sundry items. After nearly a month of non-stop rain, our poor van is in desperate need of a good washing and vacuuming.  So, we go through the $5.00 drive thru car wash. It is loud, the baby doesn't remember the last time. My ten year old announces, "Benjamin has a funny look on his face." I glance back, and indeed, a look of shear fear and panic encompasses his being.  I smile at him and clap my hands, cajoling him to enjoy the funny scene surrounding him. Bright pink, soapy windows and big blue octopus tentacles rubbing the windows. I don't succeed. He is happy when we exit the carwash. We pull into a vacuum stall and my 8 and 10 year old sons hop out to get the vacuums. I relax in my seat and nurse the baby while they vacuum. When they finish, I look at the work they have done and tell them how good they did. They think it is great fun and I am thankful that I did not have to contort my body inbetween van seat rows to vacuum. As we drive away from the carwash, I see the sign they have that drives me crazy. It says, "If YOUR happy, tell a friend, if not, tell the manager." I have another chance to resist urges. This time the urge to tell the manager of the grammatical error on his sign. Surely by now, SOMEONE has told him, surely.  We arrive at Memaw's house promptly at 2:00 p.m. The baby has fallen asleep, so I unload the children who are staying as quietly as I can. They are so excited and happy to get to be with Memaw. She must have the patience of a saint. Or else, I just have super children who are easy to care for. (hahahahaha) Now it is just me and Lindsey and Benjamin. We traverse the metroplex yet again. After waiting 6 weeks, after reading through the MRI report myself and searching the internet for clues as to what it means, we got in to see the neurologist today. Finally! Even though we weren't scheduled to see him until Dec 1, someone else cancelled and we got the opening. I am thankful to the Lord for that bit of mercy. I'm sure He knew I needed some information. I want to have the peace that only He can give, but I also want to know what the doctor knows. Ya know? I do struggle with that. Am I being discontent if I wish doctor's appointments would hurry up and get here? Anyway, we arrive at the doctor's office at 2:45 p.m. for our 3:30 appointment. They are very prompt today. We are taken to a room before I can even finish filling out new patient paperwork. The neurologist comes in the room. I knew he would be foreign because of his name. I am so thankful that his accent is very understandable. I truly dislike having to ask a doctor to repeat him/herself simply because I cannot understand them. I am certain they are brilliant, else they wouldn't be a doctor. It embarrasses me to ask them to repeat themselves. But he is understandable. I do not have to ask him to repeat himself. He stays in the room a good long time. He lets me go on and on about everything I can think of. He does not make me feel rushed. I am glad about that.  He asks lots of questions. This helps me to remember some of the things I want to say. I did not understand all he said when it came to medical things. How can a baby have a small brain, but a large head and not have hydrocephalus? That did not really make much sense to me. Benjamin does still have low muscle tone. The neurologist thinks it is due to a traumatic birth. He ordered some tests though, bloodwork and urinalysis. And he is referring us to an opthamologist to have Benjamin's eyes checked for pressure. I do not feel as if I know much more. And I certainly do still have concerns. For example, Benjamin's head circumference has grown disproportionately larger than the rest of his body. His head started out in the 50%, then gradually went up through the 60%, 75%, 95% and now above. This is not normal. Normal is consistent. His length, that is normal. He started in the 50% for length, and is still in the 50% for length. His weight is not normal. He started in the 25% and has now dropped below the 5% on the growth charts. He seems happy enough at times though. He is social and interacts with us and others. I just pray we don't become complacent and then he is the one who will suffer for that complacency. If he truly has hydrocephalus and there is more and more pressure put on his brain, then he could potentially have irreversible brain damage. And I should advocate for my son as much as possible, shouldn't I? We left with our bloodwork orders, so while we were in the same building as the lab, we went ahead and got that drawn. Benjamin did not want to share his blood. I do not believe he is a fan of Twilight. ;p  It took a while for the phlebotomist to find a vein. She had to use one from his wrist. But he just didn't bleed well. Another nurse came to help and between the both of them, they finally retrieved what was required.
Did I mention this was a long day? It wasn't over yet. By now it was 4:40 pm. Lindsey, my sweet helper and darling first daughter is on a swim team. They practice 4 days a week from 5:00 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. So, she and I and Benjamin ventured on over to the practice pool. I walked her inside and then went back out to the car to nurse Benjamin again and see if he would nap. I drove him around also, trying to encourage sleep to come upon him. I do believe the sandman couldn't find us though. Because Benjamin would have nothing to do with sleep or any form of relaxation. We chatted and listened to some talk radio. Very interesting politicks going on these days. Things I haven't had much time to engage or educate myself in. I do hope others are getting the job done. Swimming is over and now we have a date with a friend whom I haven't seen in a while. With both of us having many children to tend to, getting together happens far too infrequently. She wants to treat me to birthday dinner. The local chicken house is the happening place! You can tell because there is no place to park. They serve a side of chicken and all you can eat veggies. Mashed potatoes are so good tonight. I'm needing some comfort food. And you just don't get much more comfortable than scratch mashed potatoes! The food is good, the fellowship is sweet. I really appreciate my friends, and am thankful for each one of you (especially if you are reading this! and made it this far! Ha!) And so, the day is about to end. I drive my two sleepy children home and put them in bed. And instead of going to bed myself, I, for some strange reason, feel compelled to transcribe my day for the whole world to read. (Except I only have two followers and one of them is me! LOL!) Goodnight and God Bless. May tomorrow be a blessed day for everyone!