It's been a year

One year ago today I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, and it's been one roller coaster of a year for sure. It's been a long, dark and scary back alley of a year in some respects; an alley that I thought I was destined to walk alone, desperately looking over my shoulder as I scrambled to find an exit or some safe haven from the horrible unknown that skittered in the dark closely behind me.

Then around a week later my best friend in the whole world was diagnosed, and in the most odd/bizarre/tragic/morbid/comical way... suddenly I was not alone. We traveled  together, huddled in the dark while taking turns shining a flashlight for each other; shedding light on pitfalls and outright stumbling blocks in our path.

We have laughed and cried together out of grief and terror, we have fallen silent and morose. We have joked about the possibilities of the illness, and have related to each other in ways that even our loved ones fail to comprehend. Monique and I both have a better understanding of what we are dealing with, and we have shared a wealth of knowledge with each other.

In these ways, my life has somehow become richer. Through common ground and despair, we have connected on a level I never thought was possible. We had discovered mere months before being diagnosed that we were best friends, already a friendship deeper than ANY friendship I have ever had outside of my marriage. So deep in fact that she asked that I be the godmother to her unborn daughter. :) We have so many similarities, so many odd things in common that it's mind boggling... then to have this happen?

The most mind blowing thing from all of this is that we have not met in person yet. In just 14 days I get to meet my other soul mate, my sister from another mister... my life doppelganger.

I am so thankful and utterly grateful to have her in my life. We have gotten each other through so many rough spots in the last 12 months, and have created a relationship bound (and gagged) in love and laughter since July 2011.

Simply put, I could not have gotten through this last year without her*.

I cannot wait to see where this road goes next, Monique "Bella Boo"!
I'm positive. *wink*





*Of course it goes without saying that I could not have gotten through this year without my loving and supportive husband, who is the yin to my yang. Love you MISU!

Finally... It's definitely a boy!

Hey there blog reader, I know I am way overdue but not in the way you would think. ;)

I woke up on there morning of July 16th at 6:30 with a contraction of sizable discomfort value. With contraction #2, I grabbed John's (the Male Income Support Unit) arm and said evenly through clenched teeth, " I don't think you will be going to work today." Contraction #3 happened much like #2, about 7 minutes from the previous but a little stronger.

I decided to get up and walk around the quiet house, hoping to get things going as I had failed to do on 2 other occasions within that week. While I was brushing my teeth I called out to my sleeping MISU, "Uhhhhhh, honey? Honnnnnnney, I think my water broke." I stood there with my mouth full of tooth paste, tooth brush poised in mid air waiting for those words to register with John.

Two seconds later a blurry eyed hubby came running to the bathroom. "What should I do?"

"Um, I'm going to call my OB's office, you try to call your mom (so she can stay with Anna and Emma)... and could you please find me some clean maternity undies?"

My Ob's office said to go right to the hospital to be admitted for the already planned c-section. John tried unsuccessfully to get a hold of his mom- who seemed to have turned her phone off because our calls went right to voice mail, so we went to our back up plan, his aunt Sue... Who also was not answering her phone.

10 minutes later, still waiting for my befuddled hubby to find me clean undies, I called my friend and coworker Meghan who had offered to take me to the hospital or watch my girls in case I went into labor early before my MIL had arrived from Texas. Thank God for Meghan, she was there in about 3 minutes!

Since both of our vehicles we in the shop and not running we had to borrow Meghan's car to go to the hospital. Anna (my 9 yr old) calmed her nerves by making some microwave pancakes for herself, Meghan and Emma. My MIL eventually called back while on our way to the hospital.

At 10:16 am, after a few contractions, and after me being jerked all over the surgical table to get him out Jacob Harrison Krajnovich entered this world screaming and healthy 12 days early. He weighed 7 lbs 13 oz and was about 19 1/4 inches long.

His pediatrician brought him over and pressed his little head against my lips repeatedly, in a smooth jabbing motion and finally pressed his face against mine. After a few seconds of me cooing to him ( after I stopped chuckling at our pediatrician LOL), his screams subsided and his proud daddy snapped a few shots.

Mommy and Jacob, my first time holding him about 2 hours after birth :)

Daddy and Jacob on his second day of life :)

Finally a big sis, Emma gets to hold her baby brother after a long 8 1/2 months.

Oldest sister Anna, soooo proud and excited!

My life saver, Miss Meghan getting some baby loves :D

Jacob is settling in to life here pretty well, but we have noticed a few things about our boy. He is louder and stronger than Emma, who in turn was louder and stronger than Anna. He dislikes having his diaper changed very much and doth protest loudly each and every time. He also tends to dislike having an empty stomach and at times has boxed us for his bottle right as we try to get it to his mouth, and he is a very stubborn burper.

All in all, he is welcomed and loved more than could possibly be imagined... this unplanned miracle came just after John and I reconciled last year, and though I had doubts about my ability to take another step forward and seemingly another 4 steps back in my life and it's natural progression... I couldn't imagine my life right now any other way.

My favorite pic so far...

Ding Dong, ding dong, ding dong!

No I'm not referring to my husband though it could be fitting, we are a couple of ding dongs...

No, those ding dongs are the tolling of bells. Nobody has died yet ;) They ring out to celebrate our 19th anniversary, today.

I think I mentioned a few weeks ago that I asked the MISU if he thought we would make it to 20. He said no. With a smile, he was just being silly. I think.

Let me just say that the only way I plan for either of us to leave this marriage is feet first, six feet under, so the bells tolling... if he's not planning on us lasting another year? Looks like I've got some planning to do of my own. I've only got a year to plan AND execute, pardon the pun.

But shhhhh... this will be our little secret.

But... he is smarter than me. Maybe he has planned and is about to execute. Poop! I have so many more things I want to do in life, like wanting to lose enough weight (and boobs) so that I can see my feet again, mastering the art of calligraphy (with my feet)... or trying the newest Ben & Jerry's flavor. Oh well. If you don't hear from me in a month, send in the cavalry and a back hoe to dig me up, will ya?

In semi-seriousness ( and with slightly less morbid references), my husband loved me for exactly who I was because- frankly- I told him exactly who I was. He took me despite my spotty, troubled past and potty mouth. He overlooked my perverted, annoying and criminally insane/homicidal/psychopathic family members, and even risked dipping a toe into the septic tank that is my gene pool.

God bless that man!

In all seriousness... I know we talk about the things we have yet to do in life, but even if we never accomplish half of those dreams, know that your are my dreams and fantasies fulfilled. You are everything I had hoped for, and amazingly at times everything I am not. You truly do complete me. Who needs far away vacations and expensive cars... You are my Paris, my city of love.

And my rrrrrrich Corrrrrinthian leather. ;) I tried really hard to keep it together, but enough of the mushy stuff.

Babes, you saved me from a life of trailers, 'coon skinnin', and crocheted beer can hats.

You are the wind beneath my wings.

And Hans, Boobie, I'm your white knight.

Love,
Aury

We interrupt regular programming for a word from our sponsor: Sarcasm

The MISU treated us to some Pizza Hut last night so that we could all get our grease fix for the week. You know you have a problem when your toddler sucks on a french fry until it's nothing but a salt-less blob of starch. Then discards it for another. We are trying to eat better... but baby steps people.

But I digress. On the way to Pizza Hut, we engaged in light hearted banter as we are wont to do when seconds from quenching our "grease lust".

Anna: I was thinking that maybe we could-

Emma: Not gonna happen.

Anna: Emma! I was still talking!

Emma: Get oh-ber it.

I try to hide my amusement by doing the "I'm pressing my lips together to [attempt to] hide the fact that I am laughing on the inside" face.

MISU, wearing an accusatory yet wry smile, while looking at his beloved (that would be me): Thank you. Thank you SO much for that.


Oh, yeah. Sarcasm IS our regular programming. Silly me. ;)

Love is in the air... no sorry that's the stench of poop.

Please scroll down for today's other post, that doesn't involve various names for caca. Thanks.

Guess what neighbors! Once again, in the general vacinity of my anniversary, my basement has flooded.

With poo.

Yup, that's right... Severe thunderstorms and rain the last 20 minutes, and the sewage backs up through a drain in my basement floor.

I just called the hubs to share the good news, and reminded him that this is the second time this has happened before our anniversary.

"What's the basement trying to tell us?" John asked.

"You want to know? It's saying your the sh*t, baby."

"That's right, I am the sh*t! See? the basement knows."

Exuse me while I go open the windows and light a candle. I light this candle in the name of Love.


And poo.

5 days without modern conveniences *TWITCH*

The good ones anyway! I tell you it was a long five days, nearly as long and painful as 22 hours of hard labor without drugs, followed by an emergency c-section... all while suffering through a raging case of bronchitis. Coughing with a 4 inch incision? Yeah that kind of pain.

Yesterday, I was so near the end of my rope that I sat on the couch, doing absolutely nothing for an hour while waiting for the cable guy to show up. Now that's sad! Salvation came just in the nick of time, when my knight in shining work pants and his noble Mediacom steed came to my rescue. I did not ride off into the sunset with said knight though... I was too busy frantically making sure everything worked before he left.

Besides, he doesn't have as nice of a butt as John's.

EDIT TO ADD: I forgot to mention that not only did was our cable disconnected, but because it was behind 83 days behind we lost our AWESOME package (movie channels/cable, internet). Now , we no longer have movie channels, and because the prices have gone up we can't afford movie channels. To top it all off, without movie channels... IT IS COSTING US MORE MONEY THAN WHAT WE WERE PAYING BEFORE- WITH MOVIES.

Speaking of butts- finally checking in yesterday to read your comments on possible punishments made up for it. Pamela's comment was the best! You made me and John laugh. Slacker Mommy's comment was a close second, but it wasn't meant to be. We were without Internet and cable for 5 days... what else were we supposed to do? :D

Actually, we played musical chairs with the 2 bedrooms Saturday, Monday and Tuesday. You know, the 2 bedrooms that house 2 adults and that 2 pretty, pretty, prima donna princesses share? Guess who were the losers? John and I are now sharing a room with Emma, and Anna is very happy to have her own room back. We moved Em into our room after taking our bed off the frame. The good news? We only have to walk a foot to climb into bed to soothe a fussy, grumpy, half asleep Emma back to sleep in the middle of the night. The bad news? She only has to walk a foot to climb into bed with a fussy, grumpy, half asleep mom and dad.

When I have a chance, I will take a picture of the adorable butterfly removable stickers I found at Home Depot. I put them in a floating wave across two walls and up the side of a window, it's pretty cute and no painting was involved.*Phew!*

We have Emma all settled into her "new woom", and it's all been toddler proofed. Next we have to sort through 6 years worth of girl stuff to make Anna's room acceptable. Our girl already has plans for mom and dad to paint over the flowery wall paper, and paint grass, blue walls for a sky and paint a sun around her brand new Hunter ceiling fan. Sometimes an imagination is not a good thing. ;) Not for mom and dad anyway. All in good time we tell her. She also found butterfly stickers, but she knows it has to wait until we prime and paint the wall paper.

Of course squabbles broke out downstairs as the parents toiled away upstairs, including Anna purposely bugging the snot out of Emma ( no cable ya know), and complaining that we were taking too long... until dear old mom told her to straighten up- " We're doing all of this for you, you know. Do you think I want to share a room with my kids? Uhhh, no! We know you need your own room, and we are doing this so that you can have your own space, and so that you and your sister do not kill each other... So knock it off and zip it before I change my mind!"

In order to do all of this , huge amounts of furniture jockeying was required, including getting a bed frame out of storage and 2 sets of box springs. In order to get the box springs out of the garage, we had to clean off the messy porch so we could take a short cut through there...You get the idea. Plus giving her our dresser (why am I doing this again?) because we can't afford to buy her a nice one right now ( by nice I mean one that isn't compressed wood that will fall apart before she makes it to college). We finally got her bed together last night right before bed.

It's been an interesting 5 days. You want to know the funny part? I got a note from Anna's school stating that last week they were having a period of "no TV" for 3 days and they were encouraging everyone to take part- you know " to do something!". I gave Anna's school a mental razzberry and thought to myself- Yeah right! I do what I can to soothe the savage beasts, I thumb my nose in your general direction!

Haha, I guess the joke is on me. They got their 3 days plus some *grumble*. At what price, a mother's sanity? *sniff*

Anywhooo, I leave you with 2 Anna-isms.

While frantically trying to soothe the beasts with a plethora of DVD-age, Anna and Emma watched Ice Age. Sid the sloth was running in circles screaming like a girl because his tail had caught fire. Anna said:

Stop, drop and roll, ya freak!

This weekend we were out and Anna had mentioned that she thought it was raining. John asked her what had clued her in, all the tiny drops of water that just hit her body?

Anna seemed upset at her dad's sarcasm, and turned away to look out of the back seat window. I explained that we had just been joking with her, we didn't mean to hurt her feelings.

"The damage has been done, my friend," she said, smiling... and we all burst into laughter. :D

I am experiencing technical difficulties...

And do not have internet. Or cable. Or my phone for that matter. They all went mysteriously kaput yesterday mid blog...

Because my husband, the MISU forgot to pay Mediacom.

For 83 days.

I love him.

But he's got some 'splaining to do... Hell hath no fury, like 2 girls without cable.

And a momma without the net. I am typing this from his desk at work.

Any suggestions for punishments? Because I won't have any of those lovely things until next TUESDAY.

Anyone?

Edit to add: I'm still at his work desk... as a punishment I have tiled this image on his ginourmous 24 inch monitor...
It's the prize for the Friday the Dorkteenth contest... I told him he has to keep it up on his screen until I get internet back.

Appropriate I think. :D

Is that a fact?

*Emma's party was great! I post ASAP, and/or as soon as the Motrin kicks in. Getting old is for the birds.*

Thursday John informed me after coming home from work that he "was going to kick my @ss."

The guy really loves me, I tell ya!

Anyway, when I asked him WHY he would want to kick it, he said it was because he had forgotten to take the White N' Nerdy MP3 off of his flash drive. The flash drive I used to transfer the MP3 to my computer with. So, a coworker was retrieving a file from the flash drive and mentioned it. "What's this White N' Nerdy thing?" So, he played it for her... and it would seem that he had that song going through his head for the rest of his work day. *snicker*

Of course, I was howling, and somehow I managed to say-well, on the 3rd try - " I was just thinking about blogging about this, and I was going to write "I think I could take you.' " :D he got a good laugh out of that. I think I'm off the hook for burning that song into his subconscious, except now he is humming I Hope You Dance. *SNORT!*

Friday night, we dined and feasted at Quizno's. While chewing and enjoying my elegant dinner of Prime Rib (on a bun), Anna mentioned that she had 2 grandmas. One was nice and one was mean. I said that that was true and that I tried really hard not to be like my mother... and I wasn't perfect either.

"Every day is a new day, "Anna sighed, with an air of authority.

I laughed and asked who she had heard that from, fully expecting her to say she had heard it from me or John, or her Nana at the very least.

In a sing-song, yet matter of fact tone she said, "Chicken Little."

"That's pretty sage advice, coming from a cartoon, " John mused.

And from a 6 yr old, I would think. ;)