Beau Jackson

I had done quite a bit of posting – to air my worries as it were – but you know what?…it’s good to share the good news too.  Things seem to be getting a little better.

Elizabeth is definitely on the mend.  She does *not* want to lay around and rest, she wants to get outside and play.  She forgets that she’s still hurt, but gets the occasional reminder when somebody bumps her arm.  We keep telling her to go easy, but she must be using a different definition of “easy” than we are.  She has another appointment with the orthopedic surgeon today – I imagine she’ll have quite a few of these follow-ups to do x-rays on her elbow to ensure everything is mending correctly.  Very encouraging all-in-all.

My seizures are definitely coming under control.  Most days I have a handful (read: 10-20) of “shivers”, especially at the end of the day or during stressful times, but even if you were looking for them you’d never notice them.  I can feel them of course, but from the outside they’d be almost invisible.  I still have a bigger one once in a while but not daily any more.  Last Thursday (Friday? not sure), with the help of a couple of Benadryl, I slept through the entire night for the first time in about four months.  If you’ve never gone an extended period of time without a good nights sleep you don’t know how wonderful that really is!   I also got my blood tested last week to check the med-levels in it, so I hope to hear back on that today or tomorrow.  The doc may or may not increase my dosage depending on the results of that test.

I may still be on the emotional roller coaster – I may just be on an “up” part right now, but I’ll take it! ;)

Some friends came over to visit today.  I suspect there might have been some showing off going on.  Elizabeth decided she would try to ride Bridget (one of our dairy goats).

Now, I wasn’t there, and I didn’t see, but I do know Bridget.  She is a not what you would call “bucking stock”.  She’s very calm, and I imagine she just started walking.  However, Elizabeth is not exactly an expert bare-back goat rider and she fell off.

This was around 3:30pm today.  I’m now writing this post at 10:15pm from the side of her hospital bed.  She’s finally gone to sleep.  Poor thing keeps getting itchy spots on her face and she can’t scratch them because one arm is in a sling and the other has an IV in it.

Long story short – she broke off the lower part of her humerus (which is the upper arm bone), right where the lower arm bones connect to it.  That broken piece of bone also displaced.  So she had to have surgery to have it pinned back together.  Her arm is in a splint and sling for a couple of days and then she’ll get a cast.

We’re sure going to get that family deductible paid on the ol’ insurance policy this year, that’s for sure!

If you’re inclined to pray, prayers for Elizabeth’s speedy recovery would be appreciated!

Tonight I was folding laundry, and Teresa (my soon-to-be five-year-old) was sitting next to me.  She really wanted to help, but she’s not very good at folding clothes yet.  She looked at me and said “You know, you’re lucky”.  If you’ve been reading my last few posts, you’ll understand why my first thought was “I don’t feel so lucky”, but I asked here why she thought so.  She said, “you can fold laundry”.  LOL!  Woohoo!  Lucky Me!  I can fold laundry!!! hahahahaha!  I thought it was a very cute thing for her to say.  I told her I thought she was lucky too.  Then she said, “yeah, I’m lucky.  I can talk, and dress myself, and make a sandwich, and help clean up, and…” she went on for quite a while about all the little things she can do and feels lucky to be able to.

What an amazing perspective!  Here I’ve been moping about off and on worrying about my problems, and NOT thinking about all the ways I’m really lucky.  And you know what?  I really am lucky…even with the epilepsy, because it could be a LOT worse.  I’ve known a few people with epilepsy that had seizures that knock them out (literally) for several minutes, and then they take the better part of a day or two to recover.  I may have a whole bunch in one day, but once it’s over, I can take a deep breath, try to relax my neck and shoulders, and get on with life.  I may not be able to drive for the time being, but on the flip side, I’m only putting gas into one vehicle now instead of two.

Here’s a little exercise for you…how are you lucky?  Think in terms of a four or five year old.  Think of all the little things you can do that my daughter might think you’re lucky to be able to do (like tie your shoes, or ride a bike, or fold laundry!)

I know, it’s a cliche…but Elizabeth turned 7 today, and she’s getting so big so fast.

It was not the best birthday party we’ve ever put on…birthdays are getting a little more humble around here, but we still had cake and ice cream and presents, and we went to the lake to go swimming.

We are in the midst of “birthday season” here at the ranch.  We just had Juliana’s in June, Allena’s earlier this month, and Dominic’s will be in early August.  Then Teresa in September and William in October.  Then we get a few months off from birthdays :).

I’ve always found that expression to be a little odd.  Why would anyone be emarrassed of their riches?  I find myself in that very position now however, as I tell you loyal readers (all five of you!) that we are expecting the next addition to the Jackson family sometime in late January.  For those of you that haven’t been keeping count, this will make *six* children for us.  Truly an embarrassment of riches!

On a note of trivia, did you know that the Spanish word for “pregnant” is “embarassada”?

It’s been a mixed bag of emotions – we’re tickled to be having another child, and yet there have been worries.  Our seven passenger mini-van is not going to cut it anymore.  Our house is even getting on the small side for us.  The reactions of co-workers is hurtful in a small way (the raised eyebrows, that subtly say “six?  you must be nuts…haven’t you ever heard of birth control?”).  The pending reaction of family that is hurtful in a major way (and oh, how I dread that phone call).  The reactions of friends that understand our feelings about birth control (and share them) and are truly happy for us, and understanding of all the other reactions.

Anybody have a big van they want to sell?