This Summer Left Us in Stitches!

We've had children for 8 years, and not one set of stitches, and then this summer, we are already on our second set!  I guarantee this will not be the last set.  Our kids are far to wild for that. 

I do believe Bryce may have ruined his chance at ever pulling a switcheroo on teachers.  He is going to have a scar from his tumble off the couch. 

 This is right after we got home from the doctor.  We opted for the liquid stitches because holding down a screaming toddler didn't sound like fun.  He had the area bleeding again within a few hours.

Here he is this morning.  Dana has now nicknamed the boys, Scarface and Babyface.

Now She has a Story!

Saturday night, Kaia was riding her bike at the end of the driveway when she fell.  The neighbor was over visiting with Dana, and he came into the house to tell me I had better get out there.  I rushed out to see what the damage was, and saw blood.  Lots and lots of it!  Dana had given Kaia a clean shop rag and instructed her to hold it to her chin.  I had her remove it so I could take a look, and we all agreed, she needed stitches.

Kaia was distraught the whole way to the hospital.  She didn't want stitches and wanted to know every little detail about how getting stitches would feel.  We arrived in emergency and were immediately given a room.  The nurse came in and was very nice to Kaia, and explained that she was going to put some medicine on to numb it.  The nurse practitioner came in and explained what she was going to do and had Kaia lay back, and covered her eyes with a towel. 

It was a long process of cleaning the wound and stitching.  There was a fair amount of asphalt in it.  But in the end, Kaia did great.  She has 2 interior stitches, and 7 exterior stitches.  And for Kaia, best of all, she now has huge audiences to retell the story to!  She loved telling everyone at church Sunday morning.  And she was excited to show her class. 

The Klutz

Yes, here it is, another post filed under "owies."  How do I continue to do this to myself?  No idea, but I don't expect these posts to change any time soon.

Yesterday, while helping Dana in the garage I fell.  Now I didn't just trip and fall, or slip in a wet spot and fall.  No, I do both of those on a very regular basis in the garage.  This time I stepped on a socket, it rolled and I went flying into the motorcycle jack.  The pain was insane.  The wind was knocked out of me.  As Dana was looking at my back to see what happened, the garage door came down onto his shoulder.  There wasn't much to see on my back.  There still isn't.

I did spend over 3 hours in a very busy ER to learn that I did in fact break a rib. I did not puncture my lung though, but I now need to be careful so that I do not puncture my lung.  And how is a mom of 4, with 2 toddlers supposed to take it easy? 

Luckily I have the help of my family, and several friends have volunteered to help if needed.  My mom and dad watched Kaia and the twins while I was at ER, and she watched Morgan after Dana stopped by with him.  Then my mom picked up my prescription and a few groceries, while Dana went and picked up dinner at New York Teriyaki. 

I'm feeling ok but sore today.  Breathing seems easier, and of course there are these lovely little things called pain pills.  The one bright note from yesterday, I spent my time in ER reading Hungry Planet.  Wow, it is fantastic!  For now, I'm off.  The pain pills are kicking in, and it's time to apply ice.

Biggest Boy

Photo courtesy of Grammy and Papa

The biggest boy is finally starting to potty train.  He has been wearing underwear and using the potty (during the day) all week.  The first few days he struggled, but now he seems to be getting the hang of it.  He even wore underwear home last night. 

We am so proud of him, and so thankful.  None of this training is our doing, it is all Grammy and Papa.  And they are doing a fabulous job.  So I admit, I'm a bit nervous about the 3 day weekend.  But, I'm sure we can handle it.

Also, please keep Dana in your prayers.  He crushed the tip of his pinky finger in between 2 concrete poles yesterday.  The bone is broken, and the flesh pretty much exploded.  It's painful and looks terrible, but the concern is infection.  Please pray that he heals up and that there is no infection.

Blog Interrupted

This interruption was brought to you by the letter "V" as in V- virus.  And the letter "C" as in C- cold and C- cough.  And the number 2 as in 2 days of missed work. 

So for today, enjoy this picture of Hemi.  It's C- cute.

Just in time for cold & flu season, Boiron

This last review is the one I'm most excited about.  I received a package of 3 children's cold & flu products from Boiron.  These products are homeopathic remedies for the viruses.  I love it when I can use natural and homeopathic remedies.  I have only used 2 of the products, as we have thankfully not had the flu in our home yet. 

The first product we used is Chestal Honey.  Mo and Kaia both had nasty coughs.  If you have young children, you are probably aware that traditional over the counter cold and cough remedies aren't recommended for children under 6 years old.  So while I can attempt to trick Kaia into drinking the expectorant by telling her it doesn't taste horrible, Mo cannot have anything but his nebulizer treatments which do not soothe the throat or loosen much of the phlegm.  Children's Chestal though can be used for kids 2 and up.  With the first rounds of coughs I opened the bottle.  It took some convincing to get Kaia and Mo to take that first dose, but once they did, they were the ones reminding me they needed medicine.  Mo declared it "dewicious!" And, it helped.  The coughs weren't so forced, they quieted down and sounded more productive.

The second product was Children's Coldcalm which is for children 3 and up.  This medicine is teeny tiny balls that you dissolve in your mouth.  Mo started to get a nasty cold, about 3 weeks after we first used Chestal (the crud has hit us hard this year).  You kind of kick start the fight by taking 5 of these little balls every 20 minutes for the first hour.  Then follow up every 2 hours that there are symptoms.  Mo again wasn't convinced that the balls weren't icky, but he took them without complaint and went back to playing.  He reported to Grammy later that day that he was feeling better, and he told me that evening that the medicine made him feel better.  Later during the cold when I'd forgotten about giving him medicine (I'm not sure why I would forget things...) his symptoms definitely began to make a reappearance.  Mo reminded me he needed his medicine, and I happily obliged.

Here is the best part about these medicines: They are affordable!  I honestly expected that these would be out of my price range and that I'd never buy them at the store.  So often the natural medicines are $15 +, but while shopping at Fred Meyer (a Northwest Kroger affiliate) I checked out there natural medicine section.  I was delighted to find that the products started at $6.99.  They were comparable to name brand over the counter medicines in price, but are safe for younger children and a natural medicine. 

If you have a child or a houseful of them, I completely recommend these remedies.  If you don't have a child, Boiron makes the same medicines for adults!  I have to investigate the safety of using them during nursing, but I will definitely use their products for myself in the future.  No coupons to giveaway, but if you are a mom with a blog and would like to try these products too, visit children.boironusa.com/freesample. 

Stay healthy this winter!  All my review business is wrapped up, and I'll be back on Monday with posts from our life.

Surgery Scheduled!

Thank you again for all of your prayers. Today we met with Dr. Walker, who is one of 6 doctors doing this procedure. Did you know most of his patients come here from out of State? They fly in just to have him save their twins, and after meeting him, I understand why.

He was great to talk to. He didn't sugar coat anything. Our boys are in Stage 2 and will likely be in Stage 3 soon. Doing nothing would result in the death of our boys, and we won't let that happen. On Monday morning at 10 a.m. I will go in for surgery. They will make a tiny incision and insert a tiny camera (2mm) and with that camera then guide a needle in for the laser. He will use the laser to sever the veins that the boys are sharing. The benefits of this are: both of our boys have a good chance at survival (70%), if one of the boys does happen to die it will not kill the other boy which is likely without the procedure (90-95% of the time at least 1 twin will survive), and there is very little risk for me. Both of the boys are still doing well, and both have a good sized area of placenta to themselves. So I pray that they do well and thrive from this procedure.

I will spend the night in the hospital, and then after an ultrasound the next day, should be able to return home. I will be on restricted activity for 1 week (although both Dr. Walker and Dr. Peterson have said I can do some work from home, which is good, because I have some things to work on). After the first week, I should be able to return to work. I will have weekly follow up visits at the U of W to make sure the boys do well. After a month, if all is well I can go to every other week. And the best part, Dr. Walker said I should be able to carry to full twin term (37 weeks), but he does recommend a c-section. I hope to deliver as close to that 37 weeks as possible, and have them here at Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital.

I'm feeling hopeful after our visit. I know that there are risks, but I feel our boys are strong and will come through this. Dana is also feeling more at ease. I think he's also ready to take on his new housekeeping role next week too. Although if anyone wants to drop off a meal, you are welcome to do so! Thank you again for all your prayers! I tear up every time I remember how many people are praying for the boys, Dana and I. Also please pray for Dr. Walker who is doing the surgery, and Dr. Peterson who will be providing follow up care.

Photos to come! Including a 3D that Dr. Walker took because Frac was so cute.

We Made It!

We arrived home at about 6 p.m. on Tuesday evening. It was a long and uncomfortable drive for both of us! It was so good to be back home in our air conditioned home, sleeping in our own comfy bed, listening to the quiet that is our suburban life (instead of the noise of a busy Seattle hospital's emergency entrance).

Thank you so much to all of you that prayed for Dana's surgery to go well. Thank you for the prayers for our safe travel. A big thank you to our families that helped us so much. Thanks for watching the kids, for feeding the dogs, and for giving us money to help cover the expenses. THANK YOU!

And now, by special request, Dana's eye. His left eye is the one that had full surgery, including the retinal detachment and now a gas bubble. His right eye had some laser work, so it's a bit more red than usual, but looks ok. The left eye is not pretty, so consider yourself warned. The kids call it his icky eye. I say it looks like a blue circle in a see of red.

I hope to visit some blogs this week. I'm also going to work on a new blog reader, just as soon as I have time!

It's only time right?

It's official. We will be making the 8+ hour trek home tomorrow. No traveling over passes. Other than needing a gas bubble, the doctor says the surgery went well. Dana is not comfortable. He has to keep his head face down for 50-55 minutes of every hour. He's having trouble finding a position that doesn't put pressure on the left eye, because that is painful. Please pray for a safe trip home tomorrow, and comfort for Dana.

On the bright side I did manage to finish a knit baby cap, and I started and completed another. The one I made during the surgery wait is a beautiful mix of cream and tan. Very gender neutral. Will post photos when at home again. Also, we have internet access in our hotel, but no AC. Thankfully today is cooler than yesterday, still would appreciate a few more degrees cooler.

Thanks Son!

Black eye courtesy of Mo. It happened on Sunday, and I'm pretty sure he didn't mean to hurt me. But he was in big "twouble" for running straight into me with his race cars.

Another "Bad Mommy" Moment

Kaia went back to the dentist today for a full cleaning and check up. Please note this was her very first check up. She has had dental insurance since she was 3, but I haven't made it a point to take her in. I knew I should, her doctor has told me that she should have regular visits, I always meant to make that appointmetn but I procrastinated. It may have something to do with the fact that I haven't been to the dentist in 12 years. Maybe?

But today Kaia went to the dentist. She got to watch the corny videos where the uncle dog takes his nephew to the dental clinic so he could learn all about it before his first appointment. The whole time I'm watching it, I'm thinking: I sure hope that is a set, and not a real clinic because those dogs are touching everything. Kaia enjoyed it though. Upon viewing her gray teeth again, the dentist said that there is a third one changing colors, which I had thought, and that it was dying too. None are loose though, and her gums still are healthy.

The "Bad Mommy" moment came when we discovered she has 3 cavities, and one spot that could become a cavity. This has nothing to do with Kaia's poor oral care either, none of the cavities are where her toothbrush reaches. They are all flossing area cavities. A certain mommy got tired of having the dental floss strung from one end of the house to another, and she put the dental floss up. Then she forgot to pull it out for Kaia to floss with like she had been, even though Kaia wasn't really the culprit to the mess (although she quite often left her used floss on the counter next to the sink).

We scheduled Kaia's first filling on Presidents' Day (way to celebrate!) and came home with a bag of goodies from the dentist. She now has a floss pick (no more floss strung through the house), a new roll of floss (ok, maybe Mo will still manage to make a mess), a timer, and a Sleeping Beauty toothbrush.

Tonight we will start a new routine. After dinner and dessert (Kaia doesn't believe in not having dessert), the kids will both brush their teeth while the sand goes through the timer. They will then floss, or rather, Kaia will use the floss pick, and I will bravely attempt to floss Mo's teeth without losing a finger. And then, it is water only until bed time.

Speaking of losing a finger, my thumb is not broken, but I still have to wear the horrid, uncomfortable splint for a week. I do take it off to shower, and a few times a day to ice it. After the week is up, the doctor wants to recheck it, and if it isn't improving send me for more x-rays.

Tooth Update

The dentist visit is over. And Kaia did great. She was a little nervous, but was a good sport. They took some x-rays and found that the roots of the teeth are still intact, and there doesn't appear to be any damage to her permanent teeth. The teeth will continue to be gray and may even turn darker, because they are dead, the nerve is dead and there is some bruising and bleeding from the trauma to them. The dentist is going to leave them in, as her permanent teeth are probably a year away from coming in. We just have to watch for abcesses.

Thanks for all the support! I'm really not beating myself up over it. Kids do things like that, and I've never been one to worry to much over their owies. If they didn't get hurt, then they wouldn't be living life. I think kids should be kids, and that means some bumps and bruises along the way.

And, Danielle, thanks for the laugh! I know there are plenty of women who would say that and not be joking. There are also those that would say I lost out on any mother awards for weaning Kaia when she was 12 months old and Mo when he was 6 months. Luckily, my goal is to have happy, well-adjusted, creative and independent children. They may not give out awards for that, but the end result will be worth far more than any award!

Remember the teeth?

It wasn't long ago I told you of Kaia's fall on her front teeth. Remember how I said I thought she'd be ok?


I think I may have been wrong. Maybe you can't quite see that.


Her 2 front teeth are not only gray, but they are getting more gray every day.


She sees the dentist Tuesday morning. This just secures my non-placement in the Mom of the Year Award.

That was so much fun

We had so much fun on our trip to Seattle, we're going to do it again in February. Ok not really, it was nice to have a night alone, but spending a day at the eye clinic, that wasn't fun. Especially for Dana. He had to be seen by an assistant, then meet with the doctor. Have 2 different rounds of photographs of his eyes, and then go back in to see the doctor. Even worse, the doctor put in two blocks, but Dana still felt and saw everything. The good news is, that in February, the doctor will use a different type of block on the other eye, and that should take care of the pain.

Thank you so much for all of your prayers! Please continue to pray that his left eye heals well. There is a chance (25%) of some complications, and that would require full-blown surgery. I am the eternal optimist and point out to Dana it's only a 25% chance. My poor pessimistic husband just looked at me like I had two heads. How he's survived me this long, I'll never know.

My big accomplishment: I drove home. Did you read that? I drove us home! In Seattle. I drove in Seattle. We both lived to tell about it. I even made it through the tunnels that have the lights that make me sick.

For those of you that haven't been to Seattle, the driving is insane over there. The roads are all thrown together haphazard so no matter how good of a map or directions, you will have to turn around at least once. And the people driving are out for blood. Their time is more important than anything else in the entire world! And don't even think about parking a crew cab truck in Seattle. It was nearly impossible. So we were both happy to be back home, on the East side of the Cascades, where life is a bit calmer, and rednecks in pickup trucks can park.

Thanks again for all your prayers!

Catching up!

If Jennifer were the kind of girl to tag, she would have tagged me for this meme. So now that I have a book near me, and not a huge stack of data entry... well that huge stack of data entry is still hanging around, but there is a book too... here is my meme. The rules are to grab the closest book, find the fifth sentence on page 46, and write that sentence plus 2- 5 more sentences.

So from Randy Alcorn's Edge of Eternity: I got up and stumbled from that suffocating room, knocking over a stool. I was not going to eat with this man. There was something wild and savage about him. He was an explosion waiting to happen, an untamed beast. I saw a storm in his eyes, and I did not want another storm.

I'd say that this is an awesome book and recommend everyone read it, but I have yet to finish it. I tried to read it when I first bought it, back when it came out. It is one of those surreal books where a man is stuck between heaven and hell, and he can see and hear and taste both. I've picked it up again, and have made it farther this time than before. I am very much a bookworm, and Dana would LOVE it, if I wore stockings and garter while reading.

For all of my bloggy friends, I am reading your posts, mostly in my reader and haven't been able to comment much recently. Things are a little crazy here! This week we will travel to Seattle for what we hope is Dana's last eye surgery. It wasn't what either of us wanted, but the Dr. left no choice. He simply stated that Dana is too young to lose his eye, and we needed to get over there ASAP.

We are blessed with abundant help. Kaia will be staying with one of her "grandma's" from church. This will be new for her, but I think she'll do fine. Mo will stay with Grammy and Papa. And my mom generously helped us out with the hotel cost. So please pray for safe travel and a successful surgery! I'll try to stop in and say hi to each of you very soon!

Just Another Owie at the Kihn's

Kaia would smile for you, but her swollen upper lip makes it hard. Last night was her date night with daddy. It didn't end well when she fell on the stairs in the play area of McDonald's last night and hit her teeth.


There was some bleeding around her gums last night. And she was in hysterics when I left my meeting to go home and see the damage and comfort her. We don't think there was any serious damage done, and she's off to school today, with a swollen lip and some sore teeth.


She was really hoping that they would fall out and she could have a visit from the tooth fairy. I'm sure that will come soon enough.

The Nurse

Dana had another eye surgery on Tuesday. This one was very painful, and isn't healing as well. Lucky for us, we have Nurse Cinnamon! I'm not sure what she does for the eyes, but she makes a great heating pad.


Please pray that he heals quickly! Also please pray for the daughter of my minister and his wife (who is my very good friend), she is in the hospital with a UTI at just 3 months old.

Wanted: The best Green Bean Casserole Recipe

Thank you for all the kind words on my post yesterday. Dana came through his surgery, and his knee should be healed soon. He did get pretty sick from the anesthesia, but at least next time they can prevent it. He will be down for a few days, and then will be able start using his knee more. I'll be using my lunch breaks to fix his lunch, and will be picking up Kaia from child care each day, as he cannot drive until cleared by the doctor. We are going to be busy, but I'm so glad his pain will be alleviated.

This year for Thanksgiving my mom and I talked about having a Green Bean Casserole. I'm going to bring them. Only one problem: I've had them, and loved them, but I don't have a recipe. I know I can look online, but I want to make sure I use a good recipe. So please, if you have the best Green Bean Casserole, will you please share the recipe in my comments?

I will also be making deviled eggs (as I do for every family gathering) and I'm planning to make a Pear and Almond Cream Tart that I found in my November Everyday Food.

I'll be by to visit you all very soon! I cannot wait to see your menus, decorating ideas, and holiday plans.

Prayers and Praise

It's been a long week already, and it's only Wednesday! First is my praise: My friend Kris had her son last week! He is home and healthy.

At the Kihn's, I am sick with a monster cold. Mo seems to have a touch of it. Dana will be having surgery on his right knee on Monday the 17th. He will be down for a few days after surgery, and will have the entire week off of work. They anticipate taking care of his left knee some time in December.

On top of this the Kihn house is a disaster. I'm not sure how I fell so behind, but not feeling well isn't helping. So this weekend I HAVE to clean up so that Dana doesn't trip and fall on one of the 500 small toys, papers, pencils... you name it scattered throughout the house.

I promise to visit you all soon! I try to check in, but haven't had much time to comment.

A Peaceful Night... Almost

Today, was a busy day. At 2:20 we had Kaia's first ever school conference. She is doing well in almost every area, but still struggles with things like... using scissors. Seriously, my girl can read the word animal, but cannot use a pair of scissors. It all comes down to stubbornness really. I've tried to help her, so has Dana, but she refuses to hold them and cut correctly. Soon enough, I'm sure.

At 4:15 Dana went to the eye doctor. Today was surgery day. Laser surgery. Not the fancy kind though where you don't need glasses anymore. No, this was really painful, stop the bleeding in your eye laser surgery. On top of that, he had to have some dye injected to really show where the bleeding was. The dye causes queasiness, and he definitely felt it. If you wonder how this might feel, even after a valium and numbing drops, Dana describes it like this: "Imagine a lit cigarette being put out in the back of your eye. Then times that by 4." OUCH. Unfortunately, he has had this surgery before in his other eye, and it isn't uncommon for people with diabetes to have this bleeding.

It's fairly quiet here right now. Morgan stayed with Grammy and Papa. Dana is resting while I finish dinner (Hamburger Helper, leftover canned green beans, and a fresh tomato. Hey, we're classy here.) Kaia is a bit rambunctious. She was good at the doctor's office, but she used it all up there. Some of it may be due to hunger, and since dinner just finished cooking, she's definitely settled down. Now, I just need to help her finish decorating Tom the Turkey, because he's trying to hideout and avoid being Thanksgiving dinner. She wants to make him a cheerleader from High School Musical 3. I had better get to helping.