Joy to the World

Or perhaps it should be "Silent Night." Ethan slept through the night for the first time last night! He has been doing longer stretches at night and last night he slept from 9 pm to 5 am. Since it was Sunday night I didn't have transcription and I went to bed as soon as he did so I got 8 hours of sleep! I know this could have been a fluke and he won't do it again tonight but a mommy can dream. He is 14 pounds now and thriving. He is our little Bruiser, very compact and very happy. He has a cold and slight ear infection right now but he isn't the least bit grumpy.

Jackson just had his 3rd birthday and is doing great. He really wanted and got a Talking Chuck the Truck with construction vest and hat for him. He loved wearing that around for everyhing for awhile. He is so funny and comes up with new things all the time. A few favorites:

I had just tucked him into bed and shut the door when I heard "Mommy, are you out there, over, crrrr (static noise). He had just watched Curious George learn about walkie talkies and apparently that stuck with him.

He got some tools and googles from his Aunt Krissy and he immediately started calling the goggles his "gobble gobbles". He is very into safety and would put them on every time he used his play flashlight because that is what the boy on the box was doing. Though why the goggles didn't come with the play drill I don't know...

That's about it

I keep thinking I will do a full post about my recent back surgery and everything that has happened but I just don't seem to get around to it. So condensed version, I had my back surgery, it went well, I stayed with my Mom for five days so she could care for the boys since I couldn't (She is such a lifesaver!) I had another spinal headache like after my C-section but multiplied by like a million. Finally found Percocet would knock down the pain but made me nauseous, ended up going to the emergency room a week after my surgery because the Percocet caused me to throw up violently for 3 hours, got Toradol (sp?) which is a majorly strong narcotic at the ER and also an IV to hydrate me which helped my headache go away, felt better and hoped life was back to normal, Life laughed in my face uproariously, three days later Jesse, Jackson and Ethan ALL got the swine flu, went to the ER at Primary's because I was worried about Ethan being only two months and having this and because he was grunting with his breathing, ER doc confirmed flu in all and prescribed Tamiflu in the boys. Now four days later Jackson and Ethan are doing much better and Jackson seems back to normal except for some extra long naps which his Mom does not mind. Jesse seems to actually be getting worse with a hacking cough that will not let up which is hard because he has a big Conference planned for his Aflac job. And to top it all off, I am now getting sick but thankfully, knock on wood, spit in the wind, cross your fingers I seem to be getting just a mild version with junk in my throat and mild aches. And that sums up the month of October for us..

On a happier note, here is a video of the boys I took before the surgery and chaos that ensued. Ethan is up to 12 pounds now and is very smilely and likes to coo. My favorite smile is the open mouthed smile I call the Jackolantern. We have always called Jackson "Bubba" and this month we settled on "Guido" for Ethan which just seems to fit.

Never say never

Last year I wrote about my back problems and that I would NEVER do surgery. I was able to get great results with physical therapy and figured that was it. My back has gone out a few times this year but nothing major at least not until two weeks after I had Ethan.

I started having sciatica like before but it got progressively worse every day to the point I was walking with a limp and could barely pick Ethan up or sit down or even worse try to sit and feed Ethan a bottle in the middle of the night. I got another MRI last week and it turns out my herniated disc had gotten even worse and I also had an epidural hematoma so my doc said surgery was most likely the best choice unless I wanted to "wait it out" which I just can't both because the pain is so intense and because I can't be a mommy like this. The pain has gotten a little better and I can function even though I have chronic pain. I've moved from Lortab every four hours to Ibuprofen 800 every eight. I HATE pain pills and especially don't want to become addicted but there are still days I have pop one in before I lose my mind from the pain.

My question for my dear readers is: Have you heard of any good neurosurgeons? Or any bad ones I should avoid? My doc says a neurosurgeon would be better than an orthopedic surgeon because of the nerves involved. I am scheduled to see Robert Petersen tomorrow.

Also, any tips on how to get a two-year-old to take his naps again or somehow have some peace for his mommy for an hour????

Worth it all

Before I start part two of my labor story I have to say a very fond welcome back to my ankles. After two months of swelling I again can see my ankles and I'd forgotten how lovely my feet can look when they aren't swollen like big, fat marshmallows. Also, this post is LOOOOONG.

So my doc had told me to be at the hospital that afternoon for my C-section. I mentioned in my previous post I had gotten morphine the night before for my pain. Actually it was Monday morning technically because it was at 1:00 a.m. so I hope none of you were on the road when I drove into my doc's that morning around 10:00 a.m. because I'm not sure I had my eyes open for most of the drive.

I called Jesse and told him that once again a child of our was going to be making a suprisingly early entrance. It was about 11:00 a.m by now and we were scheduled for a 5:00 C-section, meaning we had to be at the hospital at 3:30 p.m. I was exhausted and took a nap when I got home and then packed a bag for myself and things for Jackson to stay with Jesse’s mom until that night when my mom would watch him until the next day. We are so lucky to have two grandmas so near by and Jackson LOVES hanging out with both of them.

We got to the hospital and Jesse headed downstairs to register me, yet again. He was quite an expert by this point. I changed into my lovely gown. They hooked me up to the monitors and I was happy to listen to my little one’s heart beat steadily, is there a better sound in the world? They started getting me ready and I was happy to find I didn’t get sick from the medicine they gave me this time to empty my stomach. With Jackson I got quite ill and had to have Jesse sign documents and talk with the nurse while I concentrated on not throwing up. This time around was much better maybe because I’d already suffered enough discomfort. I was even happier when my anesthesiologist came in and it was the same one who had done my C-section with Jackson. He did a great job and was also very helpful during the surgery, telling me what was happening and what to expect. I was thinking about asking for him before but hadn’t so I was very glad to see him there.

The spinal block by the anesthesiologist and surgery went well. I think it was easier for me this time around because I knew what to expect and my doc is awesome so I hoped to have as little discomfort after the surgery as I had with the last one. The anesthesiologist said they were bringing the baby out and I heard a nice little cry so I knew he was okay. Then I heard the doctor say, “Looks like we have a red head!” Yep, my little one seems to be taking after his daddy’s side. I think as the days go by he will be a strawberry blonde. He also has very dark blue eyes which just might turn out to be brown like his mommy. He was born a little after 6 p.m. and weighed 6 lbs, 8 oz and was 19 inches long, nice and healthy.

My mom, dad and sister got to see little Ethan and agreed he was a cute red head. Jesse’s mom brought Jackson to the hospital and also brought me some beautiful flowers and a baby blanket. Jackson was a bit confused by his mommy shaking from the anesthesia and I so made sure he didn’t stay long in my recovery room but played with his grandmas and saw his new baby brother. The first time he saw Ethan he said “sick” which my mom thought he was saying because he looked weird, fresh from being born and not like he might expect. We later came to realize he was saying Baby Ethan was sick because he was at the hospital and you go to the hospital when you are sick. Smart little boy, sometimes too smart. My mom explained Ethan wasn’t sick but was just staying at the hospital with mommy until they were strong enough to come home.

I didn’t get to have Jackson in my room at all when he was born because he was hooked up to monitors and kept in an isolette so I thought I would want Ethan with me 24/7. I will pause for the laughter from other moms. I was exhausted that night and happily sent Ethan back to the nursery and kind nurses after a feeding. They brought him down to my room for every feeding and then took him back to watch in the nursery so I could rest.

I woke up the next morning with a horrific, severe neck ache. I figured it was from sleeping in a hospital bed and having surgery the night before. I mentioned it to my doctor when she came by and she said it could be from that or it might be a spinal headache, which can happen after an epidural or spinal block, which is what I had for my C-section. Usually the symptoms are a really severe frontal headache that is much better when you lay down but my doc said the neck pain is also a possible symptom. I hadn’t taken any pain pills because again I had no pain from the C-section (yea for Dr. Robinson!!!) but she recommended I take a Percocet and some caffeine. For some reason the combination of pain pills and caffeine are very effective with spinal headaches. I worried because I was breastfeeding that it would affect Ethan but they said it wouldn’t. So I downed two pills with a Dr. Pepper and kept swilling caffeine all day. As Jackson would say “ta ta!” the pain went away. Unfortunately the pain came back later that day and my neck also felt really weak, like I couldn’t hold my own head up. They wanted me to walk the halls to make sure my blood was pumping after the surgery and it was all I could do to scrunch my neck down and hold onto my mom was I walked. It only felt better when I laid on the bed just right and didn’t move. My doc had an anesthesiologist come talk to me, not the one who had done my surgery, and he said he didn’t think it sounded like a spinal headache. I had never heard of neck pain associated with it so I thought it probably wasn’t after all.

The neck pain continued throughout the hospital stay. My doc even had me try using a heating pad on my neck and back whenever I was in bed and that was a little better. I kept taking Percocet until I noticed how very sleepy Ethan was. I know newborns are pretty sleepy but it didn’t seem right to be pumping drugs into my brand new boy. So I stopped taking the pain pills and just dealt with the pain. Ethan was a darling, content boy in the hospital and did well.

We were discharged from the hospital on Thursday evening. Jesse and I took Ethan home and then Jesse’s mom brought Jackson home from her house. My mom and sister came over to help out and bring us food. The minute I opened the door and saw my mommy I started bawling. The hormone drop, the stress of childbirth and recovery was all too much. My mom was a lifesaver and immediately hugged me, told me I would be okay and best of all she had brought me some Chunky Monkey ice cream which she knows is my ultimate comfort food. She straightened up my house, Krissy gave my dirty little Jackson a nice long bath and got him ready for bed and both of them listened to me cry about my neck discomfort and life in general.

I got Jackson in bed and my mom and sister left around 10 p.m. Ethan started to fuss so I was trying to feed him but it was so hard with the neck pain which had now spread into my shoulders and up into my head. I finally decided to give him a bottle. I was so grateful I had bought bottles and formula before I left for the hospital, just in case I went that route, since it was now 10:30 at night and I was exhausted. Jesse helped feed Ethan and we both fell into bed that night knowing our nights of exhaustion were just starting.

Ethan is a very content little guy who only cries when he is hungry or soaking wet because his mom put his diaper on badly. Even when he cries it is only once like “um, when you get a minute could you come help me?” and if we don’t come right away he does a second little cry like “no, I mean like right now if that is convenient.” The only time I have heard him cry really loud and long is when we got his PKU test done at the doctor’s yesterday and I would cry too if someone poked my foot and kept squeezing blood out of it. He still has his days and nights mixed up which makes his mommy want to cry sometimes but I think he is getting better and I’m lucky to have Jesse home in the morning for a bit and he volunteers to watch the boys while I sleep a bit longer. My true and deep desire at this time is for a stretch of sleep longer than 2 hours. But my boys are miracles and worth their weight in gold.

A side note: I did end up having a spinal headache. I found an article on the Internet that described my symptoms exactly, like the researcher had studied me. Neck pain and weakness spreading into the arms and shoulders is a symptom and for a few days after I got home from the hospital the pain moved into my head and all I could do was drink caffeine and lay down as much as possible. They can fix spinal headaches with a blood patch where they inject your own blood into your spine and it fixes the hole where the fluid leaked out but fortunately my headache while quite bad didn’t get to the point I needed to do that.

And now, more picture of Ethan!!

What a pain

In my previous post I talked about how one of the reasons I chose to have a C-section was so I would know when I was having the baby and could plan things out. I bet Ethan laughed so hard when I wrote that, ha, go ahead and think that mommy but I've got my own plans!

On Sunday I woke up with around 6 a.m. to chest pains. I figured it was just chest wall pain which is something I've had off and on since I was like 12 and wrote it off to being tired and physically strained. But they got worse and I was also having slight contractions so we decided to head in to the hospital to just make sure all was okay. I figured we would go in, they would check me out and make sure everything looked right and send me home within an hour or so. Well, they had me there for five hours checking me out because even though I didn't feel most of them I was having pretty regular contractions. They ended up putting in an IV and rehydrating me and that stopped the contractions so they sent me home. Jesse said maybe they should just do the C-section since we were close anyway but I said I wasn't ready and was glad they didn't suggest that.

We went home and my chest pain seemed to be better. Jackson and I were hanging out at my mom's house and I was drinking lots of juice and water to stay hydrated so I wouldn't have more contractions and feeling like everything was going to be okay. Around 7:30p.m. I decided I should take Jackson home to bed but the chest pains had come back and made it hard to breathe or even move. I worked my way through them and somehow got Jackson tucked in and went straight to bed myself. I had a doctor's appt scheduled for the next day and thought I'd better get some sleep because it might be time for the baby to come after all.

I woke up an hour after I had gone to sleep to the most severe chest pain I've ever had. The previous episodes had lasted about 20 minutes or so I figured I was in for more of that. But the pain kept escalating and my attempts to be not wake Jesse with my whimpers failed. He woke up and we talked about what we should do. I realized I was also having contractions because my tummy was hardened but honestly I didn't feel pain there because the chest pain was so horrible. Honestly one of the reasons I wanted a repeat C-section is I have a very low pain threshold and wanted to avoid labor pains but it looked like I wasn't going to avoid them after all.

It was about 9:30 p.m. and I thought maybe we should call the hospital and see what they thought but then realized I just needed to go in.

I thought for sure this time they would go ahead with the C-section since we were so close and my chest pain was so bad. They watched me for a few hours and the doctor on call decided to give me morphine for my pain and have me see my doc the next day. I was disappointed because I didn't think I could stand this pain much longer.

The next morning I went to see my doctor and she agreed it was time to move the surgery up. It was so nice to talk to someone who knows me and understands me. She called and found a time for that night and said to be at the hospital that afternoon at 3:30.

Okay, this is way too long and I haven't even gotten to the good part yet. I will write the next part when I get energy again which could be anywhere from tomorrow night to two weeks from now, I never know. But here is a reward for reading all of this. A handsome picture of Ethan Spencer Collins.

I'll work on getting a pic of him with his eyes open (though this only happens lately when I desperately wish my eyes were closed because it is 4 a.m.)

Count-down

I am now 36 weeks and officially further along then I ever was with Jackson. Ethan is doing great and growing strong. The last ultrasound about 2 weeks ago said he was about 5 pounds so I very happy. Jackson was born at 4 lbs, 1 oz and we had to fatten him up to at least 5 pounds before we could take him home from the hospital. So it is looking more and more like Ethan will get to come home at the same time as his mama from the hospital!! It was the saddest feeling to come home empty-handed from the hospital last time and leave Jackson there. I cannot even imagine the pain of some women who never get to bring their little one home.

I keep trying to remember to get a pic of my belly but haven't yet. I do feel like I am growing a lot more these last few weeks which I hope means Ethan is getting big and strong but not TOO big. It seems every morning I wake up another one of my shirts is too short. I am scheduled for a C-section on August 28th which is one reason I decided to go C-section again, I love knowing the exact date the baby will come (unless I go into labor before then). At my last visit the doc said it doesn't look like he is going anywhere anytime soon so I am hoping and praying we make it two and a half more weeks.

It's kinda like that

I had an ultrasound done yesterday in view of my previous history with Jackson and low amniotic fluid. I was very happy to hear that is NOT a problem for this little guy and also very happy to hear the baby is for sure a HE since one previous ultrasound was not so clear. He is already facing head down which his big brother never did and is QUITE active. I no longer worry about being bored when I am waiting for an appointment or something because I can just watch my stomach as he does the samba, squirms and spins.

I took Jackson with me to the ultrasound and my mom came along to corral him. He was sitting in her lap and she was showing him the baby on the screen saying "Isn't that neat?" He looked at the screen and said "It's kinda weird." The way he says this is so funny and how he decided to label this experience with such an appropriate word for the situation just kills me. Later that day his daddy stuck smiley face stickers all over him and when he came in to show me he said "I'm kinda strange" which Jesse did not tell him to say or anything, he came up with all on his own.

Actually what he is, I have to say, is kinda funny and very smart.

Jackson funnies

Don't worry you still have time to let me know you want to belong to the exclusive world of my blog but in the meantime here are some funny things Jackson has done lately that I do not want to forget.

He found a bunch of my old ID cards the other day and knew just what to do with them. He took each one and expertly slid it in a quick horizontal line. Hmm, do we think his mommy uses her credit card a bit too much???

With the weather getting getting so hot lately we brought out the floor fan to use again in our living room. Jackson was very excited and wanted me to come right up to it. He kept trying to tell me something and then I realized he wanted to me to talk into the fan and say "I am your father" I have no idea how he learned this classic line from Tommy Boy, neither Jesse or I remember saying it into the fan previously but it was quite funny to hear his cute little voice say the phrase and get excited when Mommy said it into the fan.

Do I know you?

I have decided to make my blog private. I wish I could think that the only people reading this are here to know how my little family is doing but I have heard too many horror stories. So for the same reason I put a "No Soliciters" sign on my door I have decided to put a "Only People I know" sign up on my blog. So if you want to keep viewing my blog and think you belong in this category send me an email or put a comment on this blog. I will wait about three weeks to give everyone a chance to do this that wants to and then I'll send out invites to my "exclusive" blog.

Siete meses

I think that is how you say seven months in Spanish... I am now 28 weeks and just starting my seventh month

Here is the latest belly shot complete with big brother's hand on Mommy's belly.

The little guy is doing well and measuring bigger than his big brother did so hopefully that means he will come on his due date.

Chatterbox

Following the example of some my friend's recent blogs of their kids words here are some of my favorite sentence/phrases of Jackson's.

I lost my ___! Always said with great alarm whether his shoe fell off, he can't see the car right in front of him or I just took the mentioned item from him and must now realize my mistake.

I broke my ___. This can be ANYTHING when it does not work exactly as his little (quite brilliant I must say) brain thought it would. My favorite is "I broke my shirt!" though I never figured out how he thought he had done that..

"Hmmm..." He says this with the perfect inflection and emotion and best of all, puts his cute little finger up to his lips while he says it.

"I don't know or "I think so"" The funniest thing about this is again his inflection, he says it with just the right emphasis on the words.

He is quite a chatterbox and even when he is not talking he is making little noises. It is so nice to be able to ask him what is wrong or what hurts or what he wants and be able to understand his answers.

Why I chose this "career"

Jackson loves to "move it, move it" as he tells me quite often. A second ago we were watching TV when a rocking song came on. He looked up at and said, "I gotta dance!" and immediately wiggled out from behind the couch where he was playing and did a little boogie, so darling. This, this is why I became a mom.

Introducing Jjoey Due !!

We now know for certain we are having a boy. We had another ultrasound done and not only was the little man a lot more proud of his manhood, he was quite active too. I drank some juice on the way so maybe he was on a sugar high. Right away we saw very strong proof of him being a boy and then it was such a delight to watch him wave his arms around, stick his hand in his mouth and kick around.We have some darling pics already of this little one and are very excited to have a little brother for Jackson. We have yet to choose an official name for the little guy though thanks to the comments from my last post we have a great "pretend" name.

It's official we are having...

A shy baby! The little one found it most comfortable to lay on its tummy for the ultrasound we had yesterday, making it hard for anything other than its spine to be seen. The doctor "thinks" he saw boy parts but was not sure.

So we are just calling the little one a boy for now and I will have another ultrasound probably the end of May when he will hopefully be more proud of the fact he is a boy or if it is a she maybe she will be more upset I have been calling her a boy for two months and be willing to prove her gender.

The great news is the baby is completely healthy looking with two arms, two legs, two kidneys (yea!) and a normal looking brain, lungs and heart.

The bad news if we are having a boy is we have no name ideas, any suggestions?

Baby belly

Here is my "belly shot" now that I am four months along. Also, proof that I still exist since all the photos ever taken are of Jackson. We find out next Friday if we are having a boy or girl.

Jackson aka "Happy Feet"

Jackson has become a big fan lately of the movie "Happy Feet" or as he calls it, the Penguin movie. I took a video of him dancing to one of the scenes. He is quite the little dancer!

Legendary Service

It is rare these days for me to experience good customer service so I wanted to write about a great experience I had. The funny thing is this night could have been a night I complained about but because of great management it turned out completely opposite.

Jesse and I had our anniversary on Friday (3 years now!) and celebrated with dinner on Saturday night. My good friend Emily agreed to watch Jackson and all of the kids involved had a grand time from what I hear. Jesse and I decided to go to the new Texas Roadhouse on 5th West by Lowe's in Bountiful. I called ahead and so by the time we got there the girl at the desk said we only had about 10 minutes wait left instead of the hour and a half. Unfortunately she did not tell us that we should watch these electronic signs posted throughout the waiting area. Your number comes on these signs and when that happens you go to the hostess desk and get taken to your table. A great concept because then you don't have the hostess yelling out names all night but again, no one told us this concept. So about 20 minutes after getting there I ask the hostess why our number came up on the sign but no one called us back. Then she told me about the electronic sign and put our name back up on the top. I was fuming and tired of standing so as soon as we were seated I asked to speak to the manager. Right away a service manager came over and I told her what had happened adding that as a pregnant woman I don't do well with standing that long. She apologized and gave us a free appetizer.

Jesse and I were pleased with this and enjoying our yummy mini onion blossom appetizer and the peanuts that are on every table. Eventually I went back to the restroom and when I got back the salads we had ordered as sides to our entrees were on our table. Jesse then told me that the waitress had just brought the salads and profusely apologized, turns out she had forgotten to put our order in to the kitchen. Oops. She was so forthcoming about her mistake and so truly sorry, I was so glad she had been honest about the mistake instead of simply putting the order in then and not telling us leaving us to starve forever and wonder what was going on.

As soon as she left the same service manager came back and said "We're not having a good night with you tonight, are we?" She apologized again about our order and said the orders would be up as soon as humanly possible. Then she handed us our bill, which was now $1. So we got two steak dinners, an appetizer and two lemonades for $1. She also gave us a coupon for a free appetizer when we came the next time.

Throughout the rest of our meal this service manager and another manager on duty (what! two managers there at one time? Awesome!) kept checking on us and making sure we had everything we needed. I felt like a celebrity or something, they were so concerned that we have a good time and leave with a good feeling. Wouldn't life be better if every business treated their customers this way??? The food was wonderful too and Jesse and I were both impressed with its quality.

As the meal ended the second manager gave us a coupon for two free dinners and then also handed us his business card and wrote on the back "No wait". He said next time we come in to ask for him because he is always there (they are serious about keeping customers happy!) and he would make sure we had a great meal. He also said if he wasn't there that giving the business card to the hostess would make sure that we would have no wait at all when we came next time but would be seated right away. WOW!! Again I felt like a celebrity and like well, like I was important which customers should feel like.

The slogan for Texas Roadhouse is "Legendary Food, Legendary Service" which I figured was just a slogan. But after our experience Saturday night I would agree every bit with that saying.

Lub dub, lub dub

Well, actually it sounded more like whoosh whoosh, whoosh whoosh when Jesse and I heard the heartbeat of our baby to be yesterday for the first time.

Yep, it is official we are having a baby! I am due on September 6th, the day before Labor Day which may just have a whole new meaning this year. We will find out in April whether Jackson will have a baby brother or sister.

Handsome little boy

I realize this blog has been sorely lacking in pictures, especially of everyone's favorite subject, Jackson! So here are some cute pics. He is such a good kid. Jesse's brother and sister-in-law lent us their toddler bed and we figured we would give it a try. I thought I would be in for a battle trying to get him to sleep in it but nope. The very first night we brought it home he ran into his room and snuggled into the bed. He got a little confused and upset about it about 20 minutes later but after Daddy went in and snuggled with him he went right to sleep. Now every nap and every night he runs in to sleep in his Big Boy Bed. He really loves it now that we have Lightening McQueen Cars sheets.

Daddy pretending to sleep in Jackson's bed. Jackson was too intrigued by the camera to pretend sleep though that is often one of his favorite activities, complete with snoring

He saw an Elmo's World about cameras and now says "Cheese!" when I take his picture and then he ends up with quite the cheesy face. That is when I can get a picture at all. As soon as he sees the camera he runs behind it to see the pictures of himself.

This is my favorite picture of him lately. You can see his cute little dimple and the mischevious smile that makes everything he does seem okay and quite funny.

Too much thought for food

You want to know what one of my least favorite household things to do is? Well, if you don't want to know, then stop reading. I hate coming up with meal ideas. I've become a lot better at cooking and I don't mind that so much. The part I hate is sitting down one day and coming up with a week of meals. I find this helps me cut the grocery budget if I do this rather than buy random things I might, one day make and then don't. So the meals for a week idea is good for the bottomline. My problem is coming up with the meals. I have a cookbook I got a from an aunt who is a wonderful cook with recipes from her ward. I've found some great meals but now we've done them all and I don't know where else to look.

I am a big fan of little to no prep and not much cooking time. I like simple meals that are easy to make and eat. I should be making a grocery list right now for my weekly trip but the thought of making that menu for the week made me want to crawl into my bed and hide. So I decided to complain about it instead. Productive, huh?

Anyone have ideas on finding new recipes?

My man

I thought I knew what busy was and then Jesse started working two part-time jobs and a full-time one and now I really know. I am so proud of him, he took the leap and stopped working full-time as a welder (the only career he has known since he was 16) and became a full-time salesman for Aflac insurance. He loves helping people and this career is giving him the chance to do just that, giving people peace of mind in this topsy turvy world. Afraid you'll get hurt on the job and lose your apartment while you are out of work? Well Aflac has a policy that gives you cold hard cash while you are out of work to pay your rent, buy groceries, whatever. They don't care if you have insurance or not, they just give you the cash and let you do what you need with it. Jesse is doing great! He has been at this for a little over two weeks and already signed his first contract with more great meetings already set up. I love how hard he is working and how the main reason he is doing this is to provide for his little family. He adores our little boy and it thrills me to see how excited they both are to see each other at the end of the day.

Jesse still works at UPS part-time in the morning, from about 4 am to 7 am because of the great health insurance there. Then he drives out to Sandy where he is learning the trade of Aflac from some top salespeople. Then just because he is such a hard worker and kind, he is still working on Saturday at his old welding job just to help them transition and train his replacements (yes, two people to replace one of him).

I wanted to devote this post to my devoted loving husband and the hard work he is giving to this new passion of his. I am so proud of him and so grateful I found him and married him almost three years ago.

Mommy Merit Badges

***Warning this post is about toddlers losing their lunch all over the kitchen floor***

I have earned a new mommy merit badge over the last week or so and that is the "Staying up until 2am while your child throws up multiple times" badge. Jackson has thrown up before, in fact he has a very sensitive gag reflex so I am used to the occasional episode. But Saturday night was the first night I spent four hours in a row constantly changing my outfit, his outfit, washing his blankets, scrubbing the floor, being eternally grateful for channel 16-2 having children's programming on 24 hours a day and holding an exhausted, shaking little boy while we snuggled under whatever blanket I could find. I figured his tummy hadn't liked the food he got that night and was grateful to fall into bed at 2:30 a.m.

Then Monday night I was typing around 9:15 p.m. and heard a high pitched scream come from his room. I ran in and quickly brought him out to the kitchen before he started losing his tummy contents again. He seemed so in pain I called the pediatrician on call that night who turned out to his pediatrician so she knew his history. She said a nasty flu was going around but she was worried about his electrolytes because of his previous issues. She suggested going to the emergency room to have them checked. It was 10:30 by this time and so I started packing a bag for the hospital and calling my mom and sister to see if one could come with me since Jesse was too exhausted. By the time my sister came though Jackson had stopped throwing up and seemed so tired so I put him to bed. The next day he seemed fine and I hoped it was all done.

Then last night, Wednesday, he again woke up screaming at 10:30. He didn't throw up but he was in pain and seemed like he might. He went back to sleep about 45 minutes later.

But now I am worried what could be going on. He seems fine during the day, playing like normal and taking his bottle. He is less interested in solid foods than usual so I am not sure what to do next. Why is he fine during the day and then has tummy pain at night every other day? Any ideas or experiences?