Saturday, July 27, 2013

An Answer to Some Questions....

Positive for Whooping cough.....that is the answer, my friends, to the fierce breathing and asthma issues  from the last month here at our outpost.

Yes...we vaccinate...and guess what? It is NOT 100% effective. The first year following vaccination, it is 80-90% effective and after that it wanes. Three local docs could not believe it was possibly Pertussis, because we “had been vaccinated” and therefore, it can’t be Pertussis. Wrong!! Fortunately, we finally had someone listen to my amazing rendition of Peter’s cough, and ordered the swabs so I would shut up and quit doing the cough drama. If ever in doubt, be dramatic, right?

So, not to start a debate about vaccines, because that is NOT what this is about, I do want to make people aware that if your family has a cough that just won’t leave, or gets worse after you think they should have been getting better, or they have a nasty “whooping” sound with breathing in, (think long audible high pitch gasping sound) or if your asthma kids are especially drained from coughing...or turn nice shades of purple and gray like our dear Petey, perhaps the whole Pertussis eval should be broached with your doc. It is a simple swab of the nose to send to the lab. AND...sometimes there is no “whooping sound,” only Pete had that with his cough. Fortunately, Lily didn’t come down with this, she had just been vaccinated a few months ago.

I’m not a doctor, and the only advise I am giving is to persist with your doctor if you think your child might have pertussis. The big deal is, for infants, it is especially serious. People usually need treated with an antibiotic once there is a positive test for Pertussis.  Read what the CDC says about this, and ask your doctor if you have any questions.

http://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/

We are on the mend and feeling better, but that cough....oh...you don’t forget it, let me tell ya’!

Now....I leave you with a picture of my latest shower gift I have made for the next bride- to- be in Jim’s family. I love this pattern, I have made it a few times now, and the brides all seem to like it a lot. It is the “Emmaline” from Sew Liberated. I intentionally post a pic with the chaos showing in my room/sewing area in the background....I didn’t have time to clean up, I was sewing aprons and keeping kids breathing.

Sew Liberated Emmaline Apron

It is reversible, but I forgot to take a pic of the other side! It is in a complementing blue chevron from the same fabric line, bought at Joann’s....with my 50% off coupon, of course! 

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Room For God

“Make room therefore for Christ, and refuse entrance to all others. When you have Christ, you are rich and have need of (nothing) else.
--Thomas A Kempis


How are you making room for Christ? What does it look like in your life to make room for Him? I am endeavoring to attend daily Mass as many times during the week as possible. This has been a challenge in the past, and continues to be so. We have a lovely chapel not too far away, and I am starting with 7pm Mass there on Monday and Tuesday. It is a start. I also am praying through “33 Days to Morning Glory,” renewing my Marian Consecration that I made several years ago. I need to hold tight to Our Lady. She was the perfect follower of Christ. If we endeavor to follow Christ, we need look no further than His dear Mother, who will always point the way back to Him...and boy do I need some directions!

So often in the last several years of motherhood, my prayer time has consisted of short cries of distress, like a “toddler” cries for “Help!” and yells “Why?” My childrens’ medical needs have been so intense at times, I haven’t been able to count on anything being consistent except that it won’t be consistent, and someone will need to see a doctor the present week...often several times in one week. We are moving out of a difficult time this Summer. It hasn’t been full of camping, hiking and beach trips like I was dreaming of the last several months of winter.

Lovely Sleeping Bear Dunes from last year’s trip.

Instead, we got an awful virus in June that set off some of the worst asthma flares we have had in a long time, including myself, and an older son who isn’t typically as fragile as he has been the past few weeks. We have made many, many trips to the doctor and children’s hospital and the pharmacy staff are incredulous when I drive up...again. It has been rough. I shouldn’t complain too much, the time we have spent at clinics and such are a far cry from what they used to be! Now the kids have wave cushions and videos to keep them occupied during long waits. But...the view isn’t quite as pretty as the one above.


I am still brought up short when these times happen, and start the same old whine of “But Lord, why?” Instead...I need to say, “Lord, what? What is it You want me to get from this time?”

During this last round of medical crises, I have heard....”Come closer....lean into Me....and quit with the distractions.”

So, I will read....I will pray...and I will try to attend Mass when I can. I’m signing off of FB for the foreseeable future. I need to hone my writing skills and this is a nicer format for me to do just that, and I need less distractions.

Share with me what works for your prayer time, are you consistent? That’s my most difficult challenge....consistency!!