If I don’t write now, I won’t be able to get it in, I fear, due to being so insanely busy. Update on Amy: She’s doing very well after the surgery. The c-sec itself went without a hitch. The baby however… He came out blue. So he is now in the NICU. They’re giving him oxyden for his lungs (a little immature), and their draining fluid from his stomach, as well as giving him iv antibiotics, since pneumonia from the fluid in his lungs is a possibility. Amy hasn’t even gotten to hold him. Nor has she seen him past the brief hold up of him by the doctor in the surgery. If she’s able to get up and into a wheelchair today, she’ll go see him. I visited last night, and talked to her, and then I scrubbed up to check on the little man. He is SUCH a pretty baby – who vociferously objected to having his butt wiped. Amy will probably come home Saturday. The baby, maybe later, they just don’t know at this point. Congratulations Amy & Dana! Andrew Paul December 7, 2005 8:16am 6lbs, 11oz 18 1/2 inches Update on Bandit: Already a little friskier. He has to stay in the bathroom at least until Sat or Sunday. Then, he may be able to come out to a few rooms – in other words closing off the bathroom and bedrooms, and just letting him have run of the living room, kitchen, and utility room (litter room). We’d close off the kitchen too, but there’s no door. He likes to make his feelings on the whole thing very very loudly. But he took his medicine well, and Jay didn’t get scratched while doing it, so he’s a good kitty. I have way to much to remember to do tomorrow. I’ve written it all down, but it’s just not going to happen, I wager.

And we’re off on the start of holidailies. Believe it or not, I actually have stuff to write about. I thought I would write about Amy’s Baby. Of course her c-sec was this morning at 7am and no one has called me which was not the plan, and it is making me nervous. I’m suposed to be going tonight. We’ll see how that goes, but I thought I would have already gotten a call letting her best friend know that Andrew was here. But that’s just me. Thought we had this down with Dana. I know I know I know. He just had a baby. But there were medical complications involved, and I have no idea if Amy is okay or not and they know that I would worry. I have to vent about it here, because I’m certainly not going to vent about it to them. I’m just hoping mother and baby are okay, and I’ll see them in t-minus 2 hours 30 minutes. I’m also going to go over to their house a week from Sunday and do any cleaning they may need done and babysit while they sleep. Ahhhh a newborn in my hands again. I can’t wait to sniff his head. In other news, Bandit is having some kind of problem with his hind legs. It will result in his being banished to the bathroom for a few days in order for his to have peace and quite and have some steroids and see if that heals his up. In 16 days my in-laws will be here. There is nothing else that needs to be said on that particular subject.

OK, so I have to write this entry. But before I get to the potential catastophic event this last weekend, an update: Still working on our business. Still working on my beads for potential business (working up my inventory). I will no longer be Amy’s labor/delivery partner… She has Plecenta Previa, right below the baby’s head, so she’s been scheduled for a C-Section. My in-laws are coming for Christmas – with on of their other grandkids. For 4 days. In my little house. There will be a cleaning service involved. And now for what happened. We always take family naps on the weekend. The result of our divide and conquer philosophy – if we allow the boys to stay together, they don’t sleep, and Logan in particular needs his nap. So on Saturday, we all went to bed. Set the alarm, so we wouldn’t sleep too late by accident, shut the door and tucked everyone (including the grownups) in. A side note: The door has a child proof lock (Ha!) over the doorknob. That my mother cannot open. I have to let her out. We get woken up by 2 sharp raps on our front window. Jay goes out to see what’s up. I hear voices. He doesn’t come back in, so I go out to investigate. Logan was still asleep in our bed. I go out and there are 4 cop cars in and around our driveway. I ask Jay what’s up thinking a neighbors transformer blew (again) or something. He asks me… Missing anyone? Did an inventory in my head – well no! Joseph decided he was going to the movies. And asking us, we’d say no, so why bother. He left, figured out the child lock, crossed two streets, and ended up in the intersection of the movie theater down the street. He was being corralled by numerous pedestrians, but wouldn’t go with them – one of them got fed up, and called the cops. He went with the cops and told them where he lived. He was wearing his t-shirt, underwear (backwards), and his rain galoshes. Bad = leaving without us, crossing streets without us. Good = Didn’t talk to strangers, went with police, told them his name and address. People, this child is 5! He’s not allowed, nor has ever been allowed to go ANYWHERE without us or his grandparents! And he also knows he has to hold hands to cross the street! They talked to us for a while before they let Joseph out of the car. There was Jay, shirtless, tatooed, and looking the angry former marine he is. Then there’s me, no bra, in a shirt I would NEVER wear in public, no glasses, so squinting, and my hair looking like wild woman of Borneo (we were napping remember?) They didn’t call Family Services, thank You God! They let him out and that was that. Well, that and grounding. Grounding a 5 year old! This was definitely called for. My son has already had his brush with the law, and ridden in the back of a police car. I told him, this better be the last time – for the rest of his life. Think he’ll remember?

I feel like I’m hanging on by a thread. My boss has been gone for the last week and a half, so I was her for that time. Today’s her first day back, so we’re catching up on everything. The whole house is sick. Dangnabbit, I’m fighting it. Ok, so maybe I’m sick to, but I had to take care of them (all THREE kids if you count my husband). Now I’m just hoping I don’t get a phone call to pick one of them up. My parents aren’t home to take them (they fled to Las Vegas – there’s only so much they can take), and Jay only has 4 hours of sick time left. Technically I have the time, be it sick or vacation, but my boss just got back, we’re all facing layoffs, this is just not a good time to take time off. I just feel spread really really thin. I’m a little proud of myself though. I haven’t really let the house go, and I haven’t let my devotional time go. My normal M.O. when overwhelmed is to drop everything and sleep. Actually, that happens when I’m depressed as well. I just get this overwhelming tiredness and must sleep. Must. I think it’s my personal defense mechanism. But my point here is, I didn’t. That’s something for me to feel good about. In fact, I think I’m going to take a break here at work and do a mini-devotional. I keep my pocket Bible here at work for that purpose. My boss is a Christian, or else I may have issues with \”Flaunting my religion.\” I’m very blessed not to have that here. But I must say, I think I may have to cross over from \”I’m fighting it\” to \”I’m sick.\” In our business we sell echinacea tablets, tincture, and throat spray. I really need to get on the ball and buy this stuff BEFORE I need it. Like bandaids. All right, I guess I have to go back to work. I suppose I’m done whining for now, and have to go back to being a grownup. I don’t wanna.

The stuff going on right now is simply crazy… Layoffs at work – that’s not stressfull – no, not at all. I’ve been learning some really great truths, and having some really exciting spiritual study on God’s plan for prosperity. The book link is there to the left. My boss turned me on to Kenneth Copeland Ministries. It’s showing me some amazing things in passages I’ve read over and over again. I’m so excited I’m considering creating another journal just for my spriritual journey. Jay’s going to read the book as well, he’s excited about my excitement. We figured out the Halloween vs. Christianity thing for us. The kids can dress up (we get veto power). I think this year they picked Batman and Spiderman. And we’re going to go to the harvest festival at church. We will NOT be going to the haunt at his school. I’m sorry but my kid is NOT going to work in the witches cauldron booth. So, I wrote the exemption letter. He’s been coming home with crafts like black cats and witches he’s making from scratch as projects. Coloring jack-o-lanterns and such. Plus, he came home with his face painted as a zombie. Not okay with me, but what am I going to do? I’m not allowing him to do their thing on the day itself, and I think that’s about all I can do. God help me when it’s time for sex education.