MyrnaLynne

Your daughter will need lots of TLC keepsmiling! I know being with you will be a comfort. Nothing harder, as you well know yourself.

Coming up on 4 years since my brother-in-law passed and my sister-in-law is still needing help (but she's a very helpless person to start with). She woke us up early because her knee was bothering her and she couldn't walk, to drive her to the doctor (appointment was 3 hours later; husand went back to sleep, I didn't) - Hubby drove her there, and then she called later and said she'd walked home (the two blocks), he didn't need to pick her up! Either you can't walk or you can...

It's still really hot here; it's August so I suppose it should be (but not this hot, for this many days in a row! And humid!). Although I'm sure it's probably really hot in Texas too. It's been in the 90s every day for way too many days now. I'm hoping it will go down to the 80s for the next few days/this might be it. It's tolerable inside with the two window ACs, but it makes me even more reluctant to leave the house!

I heard there was a heatwave in UK/Scotland - I hope Ekua is staying cool! The weather is just so crazy.

podmom

Keepsmiling I am so very sorry about the loss of your dear son in law Jay. There are never words that can express the sorrow that is felt in sympathy with your pain at his loss and then feeling. So for your own daughter. May God bless and comfort you all as you process this very difficult separation in this world. Part of a scripture that helped me the most when Linda died was from Paul.... no time to check book but I have it memorized..”. These light and momentary troubles worketh for us an eternal weight of glory. So we keep our eyes on what is the seen because what is seen is temporary but what is unseen is eternal.”.......... Now of course I don’t mean this is a light trouble..... anything but! Paul was writing to the Christians who were being persecuted by death and torture..... his point is that this world is fleeting and eternity in heaven is where to focas to get through..... given the way my sister died I had horrible visuals of her ending so that part about not focasing on the “seen” was so helpful. I will be praying for you and yours as you walk this path. I know from experience there will be springs of divine refreshing as well as people being there to be Christs’ hands for you all ������������

I am so so sorry to hear Wen has eye issues on top of everything else ������ She is an angel who I so wish had an easier time. Even in her own troubles she is such a thoughtful dear person. I will pray for her too.

So the baby is a month old and a handful add parents that have baby care to learn equals stress for all ������ I’ve been back and forth and thank the Lord Emily and baby Margot made it to Th beach house yesterday. Gods timing and my sisters husband made it so much better. I was going to have to drive to DC to pick them up then drive the four hours to NJ 6 in all. Paul was visiting his son and said he was planning on driving home to VA Monday so he went way out of his way picked them up brought them to me in PA and we all had lunch.... baby nursed .... back in the car seat for two hours ......oops baby up bbl

podmom

Back again...... so I’m laying on a twin bed where the crib and “rock and play” ie a cradle type thing that can’t be called a cradle because you aren’t supposed to have baby’s sleep in it. This whole have to have your baby’s sleep on their backs is such a pain!!! So Liz tried for a week or so and gave up because baby’s hate sleeping on their backs. Her first had way bad reflux so it was dangerous as well. She found a monitor that goes under crib mattress and alerts if breathing movement stops . Emily has it set up at her house....forgot to bring ( she wasn’t getting baby to sleep anywhere but on her chest anyway insanely) so I wanted to just buy one th day she came to PA Liz talked me out bought some other video movement one that we can’t get to work so that is why I am being a monitor myself and checking baby every little while ( the old finger under the nose technique) till tomorrow when the other kind I got from amazon overnighted because we are helping ween Emily off having this baby sleep on her and her reflux is keeping her up in the rock and play. She is doing better on her stomach. I don’t know how our babies lived. Of course back then they would aspirate and die if you let them sleep in their stomachs. So much harder like you said ML to be a mom today. So many rules and scary warnings. Anyway we are getting Emily healthy because she is too tired and stressed to have enough milk. Baby up again.....

keepsmiling7

PODMOM........I'm so sorry Emily is having a difficult time now. When you don't get your sleep, nothing goes right! Once again, Emily is so lucky to have a mom that can help her out and get her through this rough time. As we all know, other rough times will probably come in the future. My prayers are with Emily and baby Margot.

MyrnaLynne

Oh dear, so difficult. I'm pretty sure my son slept face down as a baby and survived, and maybe my daughter did too (I slept face down until my chest got too big and I had carpal tunnel and my hands would get numb if I slept that way, with my arms tucked under - LOL). They also had crib bumpers and blankets and toys and all sorts of things that nowadays will kill any baby instantly! So glad I didn't 'know any better' back then!

I'm so glad Paul could pick them up and everyone could convene at the beach house, and maybe Em will get some sleep and Margot will learn to sleep. My one office mate was sleeping with her baby until the kid was 2 or 3 - I was wondering how they'd ever have another child! Then again, she was a very difficult baby, too, lots of allergies, and a screamer, didn't like her grandparents or anyone to hold her etc etc (high strung difficult mother). You do what works for you and your baby!

Anyway, I'm glad you're there to be such a wonderful grandmother and support.

Ugh, we've spent the entire week doing Barbara's bidding, taking her to this appointment and that, etc, and I'm getting thoroughly sick of it. I'm sorry her knee hurts but I hobbled around with a cane for 5 years before I got my knee replaced (and afterwards) and I never expected anybody to do anything for me! Today MLette and I are off to see 'Music Man' and she wants us to drive her to the doctor and pick up her prescriptions - SIGH. Sorry, I am just not as good a person as you all, but she is the most helpless and dependent (and fearful) individual on earth.

podmom

ML you are a great person and a HUGE blessing to Barbara!!!! We all get sick of serving needy ppl and we all need to off load so this is one of the safe places to do it. Maybe you need to set some boundaries so she gets her act together some Inlocr the play Music Man.... I hope it is a good production.

Thanks for baby prayers keep smiling with our care of Emily and baby Both are doing better. Baby sleeping on stomach in crib with 3 different monitors on her lol but I’m nervous too about the stomach sleeping. Margot hated the swaddle ( straight jacket) Thing you have to wrap them in for back sleeping ( so they don’t flale around and wake up.... on stomach they don’t do that .) I hope this dad who is not easy and causing stress for Emily at the moment doesn’t make a stink about this. He came today till Sunday. Sigh..... it’s been so nice with both my girls and all 4 grands without Men some of the time. Pixar left WI understand that he has been sold the baby’s have to sleep in back thing but baby sleep in on stomach on exhausted mom seems more dangerous to me so hopefully Emily can stand up to him if her mother instincts say stomach. Liz and Inhsve been neutral and not pushy about stomach sleeping cause we don’t want the responsibility if something happened but we are lending moral support and technology for her to make her own decision. My husband of course never said much about anything I did like most back in the day.

keepsmiling7

PODMOM.........that swaddle thing looked like a torture device. But our little "great" Piper always went right to sleep when they put her in it. They had success with it, and like ML........my kids all slept on their stomachs back then. My three never had a car seat, just bumped around in the back of a station wagon as we travelled about. How did they ever survive the parenting we did those day. I don't remember being as stressed as Emily appears to be. Guess what I didn't know didn't bother me.

MyrnaLynne

LOL! Yes, somehow we all survived! I don't think we even had seatbelts in the car when we were kids. I do remember them insisting we could NOT take the baby home without a carseat (like they would keep our baby).

Oh husbands who have opinions and butt in about things do make stuff more difficult. They should be there to support and walk the baby around for hours on their shoulder if he/she won't sleep, stuff like that.

One of the things I loved most about my husband is that he stood up to my mother for me, when she was trying to instill all sorts of worry ("are you sure the baby is getting enough milk?" stuff like that). She was NOT a helpful person, but then we never got along, plus she was very nervous and negative. (Kid barfed up enormous lake of milk on the floor in front of her after that and I said "Gee, do you think he's getting enough?")

Heat wave seems to be done, now it's pouring buckets of rain, but that's okay! Rain is good (as long are it's not like in PA where the houses and cars are half submerged in water). Our weather is so extreme now, too hot, too dry, too wet, too cold, just too much of everything!

Supposedly they like being swaddled after the womb, makes them feel secure, but I don't know about this sleep on the back swaddling device. Poor babies - poor mothers, it is all so difficult! Yet soon, they will be in kindergarten and next thing, graduating from high school! It does by so fast (but not when you can't sleep and are up every few hours, that part isn't fast)

keepsmiling7

ML.........you are so correct. When the children are young and you feel like you will never have a good nights sleep, it's hard to believe this won't stay the same forever.
Each phase they go through is a learning experience for the parents. Now I get to enjoy the grandchildren and that special Piper. The circle of life continues.

MyrnaLynne

Yes, it's true keepsmiling I always think those people on Househunters are funny, who want carpet for the babies to crawl on - how long do they think they will be crawling? Not very long at all. People seem to think things are going to be the way that they are at the moment, forever, and of course, they change constantly.

I remember the first time my son crawled from one room to another with a toy in his hand and I realized my house was never going to be tidy again! (not that it was that tidy, but toys stayed where you put them until then).

One week until our vacation! I have to spend next week packing (and unpacking and repacking). But I got two new suitcases and bought a lot of mix and match 'travel clothes' that fold up small and don't wrinkle much, so I feel like it should be easy this time (plus it's only a week). When we went for two weeks, that was difficult. Well, we went to FL for 2 months, but we had a washer and dryer there. I think this ship might have a laundry available to passengers; on the other line we usually took, you had to pay to get your laundry done, and the price was high for a very tiny bag of clothes. I checked the weather in all our ports on the long-range forecast and the weather should be perfect too. Getting excited!

But first is my daughter's birthday - she turns 35 this weekend and we just made plans yesterday for what she'd like to do (aside from cake and ice cream and presents and cards). She'd mentioned maybe going away someplace with the BF for the weekend, but I guess that isn't happening, so traditional birthday party it will be! Going to eat out and play some miniature golf. Should be fun.

keepsmiling7

Enjoy your vacation ML.......and give us a report when you return.

MyrnaLynne

Ack, it's Wednesday and we're leaving Friday early morning and of course I'm procrastinating packing, as usual!

Yesterday we went to the Marshfield Fair, sort of a 4-H agricultural fair with rides and fair food, big pumpkins and various animals. It happens around the weekend of my daughter's birthday and has become a tradition over the years. We went yesterday - it was cloudy and looked like rain (but didn't), so nice and cool without broiling sun. We had a good time, but all that walking around and standing around and looking at stuff is tiring. Plus it was 'senior citizen day' so we got in for free And there were tons of grandparents briinging th grandkids (kids under 6 got in free too) - very nice! It's nice that her nursing schedule is so flexible she can do things during the week.

Meeting two of my Roswell/JB fan friends in Montreal before the boat leaves too, FearLess Leader and MaggieakaSarah.

I really need to go pack...

keepsmiling7

Hope ML is having a wonderful cruise........
And that PODMOM's daughter is doing better with her new baby.

podmom

ML I hope you and MrMl are having a great vacation !!

Keepsmiling after being in Ocean City with Linda’s husband and one of her sons and his wife and two kids and Liz and her family I got to rest by myself in OC after everyone left even podad. That was so great and needed. Then this past Thursday I came to my PA house to be there while that same nephew and his wife brought their daughter to get installed at the University . I came home to a horrible smell.... unreal pored didn’t smell it gills I came in the house and said what is that horrible smell!!!! Long story short.... freezer in basement broken I guess while we were in NJ .... with two turkeys that thawed and rotted. The whole house was sickeningly smelling like death. Fortunately the weather was cooler since we had to open up all the windows and have a fan shooting air out the basement slider. This all on the day my nephew and all coming to spend the night. It worked out but we had to go out to dinner and sit on the deck while the 80$ worth of smell obsorbingbthings that maybe worked a bit and candles and sleep with ceiling fans whirling and windows opened. House still smells some . I actually taped up the door to the unfinished part of the basement to contain smell.

Thought that might be an interesting saga

Now I’m in DC again ...: got here today till Friday afternoon. Baby still fussy and Emily and even her husband were up for me coming so that is great he was.

keepsmiling7

Oh PODMOM.......what a terrible adventure with the freezer going out. We had friends that had a terrible smell for ages when a squirrel died in their fireplace. It was located too high up to reach from ground level and too low to reach from the rooftop. They had to cover the fireplace opening the best way they could, and just wait for it to decompose. I don't think they had access to your $80 smell absorbing tricks.

I hope your home is now sweet smelling and you have gotten some rest some where in your busy schedule.