band-aids and gynecologists

This post is rated PG-21.

I like to think I am a tough girl. I have a high pain tolerance and try not to whine about the little things. So last week, when I sliced my finger in the kitchen and asked my husband to help me, he laughed. And then I started crying, the kind with tears and snot and such. Aaron quickly realized that I was seriously hurt and rushed to my aid. I sliced my middle finger on the tinfoil box and it was deep, almost to the bone. While searching the house for the new box of band-aids I had just purchased, I realized that a few days prior they had been discovered by a certain 4 year old and his baby accomplice (who was suffering from a bad case of sore nipples).
Aaron helped me wrap my sliced finger with toilet paper and a big piece of gray duct-tape. Later that night we went on a romantic date down the band-aid isle of Walmart. Thanks to those wonderful band-aids, my finger is looking much prettier.
Last night I went to bed early (8 PM) because I was feeling an oncoming bladder infection. I woke up at 2, 4 & 6 AM to pee. I have only had one other bladder infection in my life and it was the worst.thing.that.has.ever.happened.to.me. I didn't want to go through that again anytime soon, so this morning, I made a doctor's appointment to get a script just in case it gets worse. I am not the type to run to the doctor for just anything (dude, I had a baby in my bedroom) but I figured it's been a year since my last pap-smear, so why not kill two birds with one stone?
I was able to make a same-day appointment with an OBGYN 3 miles from my house. Score. It was a male doctor who spoke English, but not clearly. (apparently, it's the only kind of doctor in Vegas.) The first 10 minutes of our appointment, he told me about the ways I can ENSURE a daughter for next pregnancy.I liked him immediately, but had to watch his lips closely to understand him. During the pap-smear, I couldn't see his face and had a really hard time comprehending what he was saying. (ps. doctors shouldn't talk while giving paps.) While I was laying there, I swore he kept saying he was going to get a "bowl of this" and a "bowl of that". After he was finished, he said it again, "a bowl of..." and I finally had to ask, "I'm sorry, a bowl of WHAT?" He laughed and said, "Not a bowl of anything. I am saying VULVA with the letter V." Righteo-- a vulva is the proper term for a girl part. I learned that on Oprah. (Dr. Berman recommends a DVD called Viva la Vulva... I am about to put that on hold at the library!) I walked out of there with a prescription and a smile on my face.
Do you have issues with going to male gynecologists? I do not. My most awkward pap-smear EVER was with a female. Want to hear the story? Maybe you can clear things up for me... because I am still rather confused.
The year was 2004. Aaron started his first semester of law school in Spokane. We had been there about two weeks when I realized my birth control was almost out. I needed a new prescription soon, but our insurance hadn't kicked in yet. And I was NOT about to have a baby his first year of law school. So, I decided to head to Planned Parenthood. No insurance necessary, cheap visits, quick prescriptions... no questions asked. I made an appointment and saw a female doctor. She looked at my charts and said, "Wow. Twenty-five years old and two kids! I hope you're done!" I told her that I wasn't done, but would like a little break while my husband attended school. She then said, "Well, if you ever change your mind, there are simple solutions." Thanks, lady, but I'd like to keep my uterus. After the exam, she gave me my prescription, a bag full of condoms and a tube of lubricant gel. She said very enthusiastically, "I don't give this gel to everyone. We have a hard time keeping it in stock." I told her thanks and she continued, "Oh, this is the best lubricant I've ever come across. It has a fabulous flavor. Let me tell you, my ferrets just love it."
It's been almost 7 years since that appointment, and I still can't wrap my perverted mind around her comment. If her ferrets did, in fact, love that particular lubricant, why did she feel so inclined to tell me? Needless to say, I didn't go back. Because the lubricant was mediocre.

I am thankful for healthy kids.

I would like to do a THANKFUL post each day in November. Who knows if I will get around to it every.single.day, but I am going to try my bestest. Today I am thankful for healthy kids.

Seeing a dear friend go through chemo with her child is such an emotional thing. I wish I could do more for them. I wonder why someone like Leigh Ann, who already has so much on her plate, has to deal with such a trial. For the past two months, there has not been a single prayer said in our house that doesn't include Greg. In fact, it's become the first line of each and every prayer-- so automatic and almost redundant, but each time we pray for him and his family, I feel a deep gratitude for the health of each of my kids. Sometimes you need to witness a friend going through something difficult in order for you to see how blessed you truly are.


Last week while in Atlanta, I was able to spend some quality time with my adorable nieces and nephews. Carson is ten days older than my Zack and these two boys would be the best of buddies if they lived a little closer. Carson recently had an accident on the playground and shattered his leg. He's been wearing a humongous red cast for weeks now. Just before we arrived, it was removed and he was able to get a smaller green one on it. I watched him wabble around in that cast and felt so bad for him. I have had little boys for nine years and still haven't had a broken bone in the bunch. (I am knocking on wood and typing at the same time...)

Today I am thankful for four boisterously healthy children.

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The Cupcakes for Cancer (Race for Greg Downer) is fast approaching!

A few days ago, I copied and pasted a letter about the race, but I didn't tell you about my dear friend and neighbor, Leigh Ann. She is expecting baby #5 in January. She lost her mother less than a year ago. She homeschools her children, sews, and even rotates her food storage! Her husband plays the organ in church and he's a clerk in the bishopric (meaning she single-handedly gets her kids ready for 8 am church). Talk about a WONDER WOMAN! Two months ago, on Labor Day, I wrote about our difficult day but said we went to bed feeling grateful because our friends had spent the day in the hospital with their oldest son who had his appendix removed. A few days later, test results came back and they found out that Greg, their 6 year old son, has cancer (Burkitt’s Lymphoma). During the past two months, he has completed two treatments of chemotherapy and has spent a lot of time in the hospital due to high fevers and infection. This wonderful family has been so strong and inspiring. I truly feel grateful to know them and we are proud to be a part of this race. If you live in Las Vegas, please come and run with us! If you don't live here, you can sponsor my boys who will be running for their buddy Greg! Please donate with a personal check or through Paypal at THIS LINK. To read more about Greg's story and the race, go HERE.

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Happy November!

I mourn when October is over. I know, I know... Thanksgiving and Christmas are good things to look forward to, but time is just moving too quickly. I swear, two minutes ago, it was October first and all was right in the world. How did an entire month pass by without my permission??

Well, November is here whether I like it or not. We are taking down our Halloween decor and putting up a few turkeys today. We're also doing a THANKFUL WALL for Family Home Evening tonight. I need to stop complaining and start listing all my blessings. I have many. If you want to do your own, print out this paper below.. my post from last year has a better explanation.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN from our swamp to yours

This was taken at the end of a long night, but at least we got a family picture!

Aaron was SUCH a great sport. A couple of weeks ago, I gave him the opportunity to back out... but he said he'd be happy to go along with the family theme. Little did he know, he would get the most attention and be the most uncomfortable. I was planning on going green too, but happened to be in charge of the party and just didn't have enough time to do it. (we all had to get ready in the nursery after being at the church for a few hours....)
I love that Ben snapped this picture spontaneously...
Simon couldn't figure out what was happening to Daddy's face.
Shrek's costume consisted of a white shirt from Aaron's closet, pajama pants he wears often, boots from our winter bin, a pillow from our couch, a $3 (women's) vest from a thrift store, a homemade paper mache helmet (free) and $1 face paint that didn't really match. Total cost= $4.

I found my dress at Savers for $8. I wasn't planning on wearing a wig, but when I came across it for $6, I couldn't resist. My shoes were $2 at a thrift store in Atlanta. My crown was given to me for my birthday, but I had to buy gold spray paint for $2. My hair scrunchies were made from the lining of my dress (which was too short for me to begin with) and my ears were made from some scrap fabric around my house. Total cost= $18.

It was The Donkey's idea to do a Shrek theme this year and he wanted to be The Donkey from day one. We originally planned on him wearing a gray sweatsuit, but it was a sad costume, especially for my child who is most excited about holidays. I bought this costume online for half price. We bought the teeth for $1 at a Halloween store. Total cost= (including shipping) $16.
I have an old tiger costume for the baby & thought Simon would be so cute dressed as Puss and Boots. For a solid week I tried to talk Luke into going as Lord Farquaad, but he wasn't having it. His costume was a bit of a mess. I found a women's dance leotard at a thrift store for $3 and we sewed a tummy in it and also made a sorry tail. The cape is from Ben's Darth Vader costume. The boot covers were made from a bed skirt (along with his belt). His hat and sword were bought at the dollar store. His glasses came from a Sonic kids meal. Total cost= $5.

The dragon costume came from our Halloween bin. Luke wore it when he was 2. It was SO small for Zack and we made him wear his winter boots because the pants were capri length on him. Total cost= free. We lost him for about an hour tonight. He was off Trunk or Treating all by himself and didn't even realize he was lost. By the time this picture was taken, he was SO EXHAUSTED and was cursing me for making him wear those boots..
The Gingerbread Man was a grumpy little bugger. He slept for a total of 45 minutes today and wasn't digging the whole Halloween thing. He spent lots of time in his stroller drinking a bottle. His costume was originally a kangaroo. I found it at Goodwill for $3. I took out the tummy and cut off the tail and it was a perfect little Gingerbread suit for our chubby baby. The fabric paint for the frosting was $2 and the fuzzy gumdrops came out of our craft bin. Total cost= $5.
Halloween only comes around every 365 days (unfortunately) and it's a bummer it lands on Sunday this year. The big debate in our house is whether or not to go Trick-or-Treating on the Sabbath. My husband says no way. (He's a righteous rule-follower and also, he's a big OGRE.) I don't think it's an un-holy thing to do, especially if you're out as a family. Will we go? We're still debating. You can answer my new poll on the right and help us settle our fight.... Although if you side with me, Aaron won't listen to anything that comes from the blog. And if you side with Aaron, I won't tell him about the results..

Hope your Halloween is happy,
and
your buckets are filled with only the good candy.