Merry Christmas!

Here is wishing all you blog friends a safe and Merry Christmas!

My Christmas celebration starts today, when Phil and I have dinner over at my Grandma Beth's house. Tomorrow we are meeting with my parents at my Grandma Joan's house for another dinner, and Christmas Eve and Christmas Day will be spent over at my parents house. So it is going to be a busy next four days, but it should be a lot of fun. This is my favorite time of year and there is nothing better then spending it with those you love, and especially better since I am feeling so much better from my latest bout of the kidney infection I have been dealing with.

This will be my last blog until after Christmas, when I will blog about all the holiday fun and wonderful presents I might receive. I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and I hope Santa brings you everything you ask for!

Not Again...

Guess who was back in the hospital again :(

I've been feeling really good and was so glad to be on the mend, when Tuesday night my right side where my kidneys are starting hurting very bad, and kept getting worse through the night. In the middle of the night I starting getting violently sick almost every hour, and I knew then that I was passing another kidney stone. The next day Phil took me into the ER where after a cat scan and ultrasound, they said I passed a stone AND the infection never went away the first time. They sent me home and told me to come back the next day for a checkup, and the next day I felt worse, so I was admitted and put on heavy antibiotics. I was in there for three days and on Sunday, the doctor tried to keep me another day because he said I was anemic, which I always have been since I have arthritis, and it is nothing new. I told him no, I was feeling so much better and would have rather seen the bed go to someone who could have used it instead of me who wasn't even using an IV.

So I am feeling a lot better. The side is still tender, and I even once in awhile will get a little twinge of pain, but the nurse said that is normal until the infection clears up. I am also on the heavy antibiotics for the next seven days, and then the medicine stays in your system for a month, so that gives me enough time to get in and see my primary care doctor and see what we can do about making sure the infection is gone for good, and stays gone.

Luckily, I am home for Christmas! I baked yesterday with my grandma and I was so disappointed. I love baking and my oatmeal raisin cookies are what everyone raves about, but they came out so bad in my oven, flat and ugly and even though they taste good, there is no way I would want to give them to anymore for Christmas. I guess it is just an old stove. So now I have a ton of oatmeal raisin and chocolate chips cookies. I am going to try making some sugar cookies later in the week, maybe they will come out better.

This is going to be a busy weekend for us. Saturday we are going to my Grandma Beth's house for dinner, and during the day we are going to finish up some Christmas shopping. Sunday night it is over to my Grandma Joan's for dinner for her and my parents, and Christmas Eve and Day we are spending it both at my parents. My parents and I always have the tradition of opening our presents on Christmas Eve, and then having a big dinner on Christmas Day. So I am looking forward to it so much, and I will be sure to take lots of pictures!

Merry Christmas!

Video Blog: Brandi and Xmas Decorations

The most wonderful time of year

Wow, I feel like I haven't blogged in such a long time, even though it was just after Thanksgiving. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about you blog friends, I just wasn't feeling like myself. I had no energy after coming home from the hospital and didn't feel like doing much of anything. But I am happy to report that I am doing so much better. I am feeling more like myself, I am able to do more around the house without having to take a nap afterward, and I even feel like cooking again, which makes Phil happy because he loves my cooking more then his.

I am so glad I am feeling better, because this is my favorite time of year: Christmas Time! The weather has been getting really nice and cool here, even downright cold at night, meaning I have been bundling up anytime I go outside. People have Christmas decorations and lights up which I love to look at, and can't wait for when we take a ride around this weekend to different neighborhoods that we know of that have really nicely decorated houses. And Phil bought us our very first Christmas tree. We got a fake tree, because they look nice and last for many Christmas seasons to come. I wanted a 6ft tree, but we have a small apartment and with how our furniture is arranged, there just isn't a place where it would work, plus Brandi is at that age where she chews at things, and we don't need a doggie chewed tree. So Phil went to Wal-Mart and found a cute 3ft tree that fits so nicely on on of our end tables. As soon as he came home with it, we fluffed it up and he put on lights and we put up some ornaments and even tinsel. But the tree isn't done yet. We went over for dinner at my parent's house this past Sunday and my mom gave me some ornaments from the many that she has, so now I need to put those on the tree and finish decorating the house with my many snowmen things that I have. Yup, I love snowmen.

Another thing I love about this time of year is that I get to do all my holiday baking. There is nothing I love more then spending the day in the kitchen baking goodies and then watching people enjoy them.

I hope that all of you out there love the holidays as much as I do, and I am sure you all have your own traditions that you love to do this time of year.

Merry Christmas!

Gobble, Gobble

I hope you all had a happy and safe Turkey day!

Since coming home from the hospital last week, I was so drained of all my energy and could barely take a shower without having to take a nap afterward. So I rested up all week to be able to feel better for Thanksgiving and it worked! Phil and I spent the holiday at my parent's house and dinner was amazing, as always, and we came home with so many leftovers, not to mention a huge apple pie that we haven't even had a piece of yet.

Now, this means it is officially my favorite time of year....Christmas!! I am so excited to have my own place to decorate this year. I was going to get a 6ft tree that I saw at Walmart for $20, but after looking around here, there really isn't a great space for me to put it, so we are going to get a pre-lit 4 or 5ft tree that will fit perfectly on one of our end tables, plus this way we don't have to worry about the dog eating it, since Brandi is at the age where she eats everything. And once my mom goes through her Christmas boxes, she is going to give me my snowman stuff, since I adore snowmen and love this time of year so I can bring them all out.

So as you can see, I am feeling better. I am starting to feel like myself again, finally, which I wasn't sure was going to happen. I don't have all my energy back, but I find that I can do more things around the house before having to take a rest and I am starting to act more like myself, instead of just sitting around feeling so down in the dumps. I am dealing with the miscarriage well too, I was really sad about it at first, which is to be expected, and it was hard for me to even look at anything that was a baby or was baby-related. And even though I do get sad now when I think about it, I know that it was for the best and that when we try again, we're going to have a happy and healthy baby. But there are times, when I see people with babies who you know shouldn't be parents, I wonder why do they get to have a baby and I couldn't. But I think that is to be expected.

Right now I am just putting all my focus on the upcoming holiday and making it the best ever. Phil hasn't really had a Christmas as an adult, he said he never usually puts up a tree or anything, so I am looking forward to giving him a really Merry Christmas. Oh, and I know that most of you knew that Phil and I were supposed to be getting married this week, but we had to cancel the wedding and the reception since there was no way I was feeling up to both. So I was very disappointed because I was so looking forward to everything, and had been for the past month. But we decided that we are going to get married after the first of the year, this way it is after the holiday, which is always a busy time for everyone. We also decided that we are going to get married and have the reception on the same day, so that our family can see us get married, which is important to us.

Well, that's about all the updates I have for right now, so time for me to get off here and get some dinner started, because this is one hungry Kimbo. Talk to you soon blog friends!

Where I've been and sad news

First off, let me apologize for not being online and blogging, but things have been pretty difficult here around Kimbo Central.

Two weeks ago I started having some pain in my lower right side, where my kidney's are. The pain kept getting worse to the point where I couldn't lay down, sit, and eventually I was unable to keep down any food or liquids. Phil took me into the ER, where it turned out I had a serious, raging kidney infection, to the point where if I had waited a few more days before coming into the hospital, it would have killed me. I was admitted and since I was so dehydrated, I was put on IV fluids and antibiotics.

On Tuesday morning, around 4am, I started bleeding and after an ultrasound and exam, we found out I was having a miscarriage. Luckily, I was still in the hospital at the time, but it was the worst experience I have ever gone through. I spent the entire day cramping and bleeding until that evening, when I was able to get into surgery and have a DNC, where they scrap your uterus.

I finally was able to come home on Thursday, and the doctor said that it is going to take about three weeks for me to get back on my feet again. I have no energy whatsoever and spend most of the time laying on the couch resting and catching a nap or two during the day. Phil has been really good, taking care of me, and I am on antibiotics which are helping the infection in my kidney's go away completely (they think I had a stone that I passed, which caused the infection), and also on iron pills, since I lost so much blood with the miscarriage.

As for that, this has had to be the hardest thing I have ever gone through. Even though I was only 7 weeks along, it was still our child, and we loved it very much. We were so looking forward to being parents and were so happy about being pregnant. It is definitely a loss, and one we are dealing with. We've each had our moments, and even though I went through a period where I thought it was my fault, it wasn't. The doctor said that every women has at least one miscarriage in her life, and that this is the body and nature's way of taking care of something that wasn't right. We will have a baby in the future, we know this. It just wasn't the right time right now, and as hard as it is to deal with, at least our baby is in a better place.

Thank you to everyone who has helped me out through all of this, and been there for me. If you don't see me blogging a lot, it is because I am doing a lot of resting to get better. But I am still here, and getting better everyday.

Peanut

It is truly amazing how your life can change in an instant. How when your least expecting it, things happen in your life that make can either make your world a better place. For me, there are two instances in which I can look back and say my life changed in that instant. The first was the first day Phil and I met, in person. The minute I looked at him and he smiled at me, I knew my life would forever be different and better because he was a part of it and I was right, life hasn't been the same since that day, and I wouldn't change it for the world. The second time that happened to me was Oct. 24, 2007, when the pregnancy test came up positive.

That's right, blog friends, Kimbo is expecting a little one. My cycle was supposed to start on Oct. 23rd, and it isn't rare for me to either be early, or be late. But something felt different this month, and Phil ran off to get me a test, even though I figured I should wait a week before doing so. I took the test, which frankly is sort of degrading, sitting there peeing on a damn stick, but I did it and immediately a plus sign started forming. I sat there, shaking, not believing my eyes. It wasn't a faint line, it was a very visible "Your knocked up" plus sign, and I took the test out to Phil. He looked at it and I saw his eyes water and a shocked, yet happy look on his face and he got up and started dancing around, calling all his family and friends. I called just my mom, and decided to wait to a week and take another test, just to be sure.

A week later, on a Wednesday morning, I took another test, with the same result. It was official. I know people say it is bad luck to tell people during your first trimester, but I am excited and I want to share my news with the people I care about most, because if God forbid something does happen (which I am praying it doesn't), it is those people who I want at my side supporting me.

It seems that there are some people who are not happy about this news. I understand the concern over money and the fact that right now Phil's job isn't always steady, such that happens when working in the construction business. I know some would have liked to see us wait and be married for a year before starting a family, and although that is ideal, sometimes things happen. And I know others worry about my arthritis and whether I am going to be able to care for my child once it is born. And I appreciate every one's worries and concerns, but I wish people seemed to be a little more happy for us. Having a child is truly a blessing in my eyes, and something that I have always wanted. As far back as I can remember it has been my dream to have a family of my own, and I know that not only will I be a good mother, but that Phil is going to be an excellent father. It is at this time that although I know people have concerns, I wish I could get a little more support and happiness and well-wishes, instead of hearing nothing but negative comments, or no comments at all.

At this moment, according to the first day of my last period, I am 6 weeks and 2 days pregnant. My first prenatal visit is Nov. 15th, at which we will have our first ultrasound and get to hear the heartbeat. I am doing pretty well, my breasts are very very tender, and I have had some nausea, and my sense of smell is definitely heightend. And my boobs seems to get bigger by the day (which really isn't a bad thing), and I can cry at the drop of the hat, or turn into the biggest bitch with no notice (which is not a good thing). I am also really tired all the time. Some days I find I have the energy to clean up around here, while other days, like today, I just feel like napping all day long and doing absolutely nothing.

Phil is really getting into the whole thing. There is a website called www.babycenter.com, which when you sign up, it will send you an update each week telling your what week you are in, how your baby is developing that week, and what is going on with you. Each Saturday we get the new email update, and he will sit right next to me with his hand on my tummy while I read what's going on with the development, and also show him the picture they have of what the baby looks like that week. He sits there with a big grin on his face and tears in his eyes. He is a proud and happy daddy already, and I feel so very lucky to have him and have him be so involved.

Now, you might be wondering about the subject line of "Peanut". Well, since it is too soon to tell if it is a boy or a girl, I've been calling the baby Peanut, and Phil has now started calling the baby Peanut as well.

Well, enough of my ramblings for today. I know I haven't blogged in awhile, but it has been quite a busy time around here, and I haven't been online as much as I usually am, but now that things are getting back to normal around here I will be back to regular blogging, and video blogging as well. Until next time, bye blog friends!