The surgery went well, of course, the blessing I received said it would.... I was released home this morning, still on bed rest for a couple of days, but all is well. my husband and son had a rough night without me, the hospital said they could stay with me overnight but Alex was too rowdy and Shawn decided to go home so I could rest.
The surgeon removed the hernial sack and put a plastic backed mesh patch under the hole and sewed it in place. Apparently, the muscle was too thin to sew up, so he had to leave it open. Hopefully I wont have another grand mal seizure before the area heals.
Thanks for all the prayers and well wishes!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
ANOTHER surgery
I am having surgery tomorrow, 4pm, to repair a hernia. Nothing major... but thought I'd post it anyway...
Monday, October 13, 2008
The Mimosa is finished
I swatched... and swatched... and reswatched.... and checked and measured and did everything right, and it is too small. The pattern says it should be much bigger.... oh well, live and learn.... I guess I will sell it and recoup my money and make another one with bigger needles!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Thursday, October 9, 2008
The Rules of Life
I am on a question and answer board called Sodahead, and a rather interesting question was posed the other day: What are YOUR 8 rules to live by?
I thought about it for some time... What 8 rules do I live by? I thought about the Articles of Faith, the truisms that I had learned over the years, the anecdotal stories of faith, all of the things I was taught as a child, the Lessons of the Gospel.... all of it boiled down to one thing: Free Agency.
God gave every human being the right to decide for themselves what is right and what is wrong, what is valid and what is not, what is true and what is false.... He has let us know what He expects, but He doesn't force us to obey. So what 8 rules could I say that I live by? Well, I finally figured it out.... so I will share them with you here.
The Rules of Life
By Jennifer Blythe
1. Every person on Earth has free agency.
2. There are consequences to every choice. Some consequences require that you give up your free agency.
3. Every person on Earth will have to live with the choices they make and the consequences that come from them. You may temporarily avoid the consequences, but they will always come eventually.
4. Every choice you make matters, whether you believe it or not.
5. There are only two choices for any situation
a) to act
b) to be acted upon
6. We learn from our choices.
7. Other people may also learn from our choices. Whether you believe it or not, someone is watching you make your choices.
8. It is never too late to make another choice.
I thought about it for some time... What 8 rules do I live by? I thought about the Articles of Faith, the truisms that I had learned over the years, the anecdotal stories of faith, all of the things I was taught as a child, the Lessons of the Gospel.... all of it boiled down to one thing: Free Agency.
God gave every human being the right to decide for themselves what is right and what is wrong, what is valid and what is not, what is true and what is false.... He has let us know what He expects, but He doesn't force us to obey. So what 8 rules could I say that I live by? Well, I finally figured it out.... so I will share them with you here.
The Rules of Life
By Jennifer Blythe
1. Every person on Earth has free agency.
2. There are consequences to every choice. Some consequences require that you give up your free agency.
3. Every person on Earth will have to live with the choices they make and the consequences that come from them. You may temporarily avoid the consequences, but they will always come eventually.
4. Every choice you make matters, whether you believe it or not.
5. There are only two choices for any situation
a) to act
b) to be acted upon
6. We learn from our choices.
7. Other people may also learn from our choices. Whether you believe it or not, someone is watching you make your choices.
8. It is never too late to make another choice.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
My cute kid....
We went to a park today to let Alex play, it was very busy.... and there was a group of teenagers eating pizza at one of the tables.... Alex kept eyeballing them, and finally we decided to leave and get some lunch. My husband let Alex know we were leaving and said, "Let's go get some food!" so Alex promptly runs full sprint over to the table with the teens and climbs up on the seat next to one of them, looks up at one of them and says "Bite?"
They were all laughing hysterically and thought it was really cute, my husband was embarrassed and went over and grabbed Alex and we left, I was laughing so hard...
We went to Papa Johns and got pizza for lunch...
They were all laughing hysterically and thought it was really cute, my husband was embarrassed and went over and grabbed Alex and we left, I was laughing so hard...
We went to Papa Johns and got pizza for lunch...
Sunday, October 5, 2008
The best is yet to come...
I am truly grateful for my eternal marriage to my one true love.
Last week we nearly lost it. It began several weeks ago when we stopped doing the little things... a kiss on the cheek, a kind word spoken when the other has done something nice, a smile, encouragement.... Next, we stopped praying together and reading our scriptures together....Then it progressed to selfishness, we both thought that we were right and we were unwilling to see the other person's point of view on any issue...It then progressed to the inability to compromise, and led to arguments that left both of us feeling angry.... Then I withdrew to do my own thing and he withdrew into his electronics, we avoided each other so that we would not have to argue. As we did so, we both began to see all the little things that the other had done as personal offenses.
We had lost our eternal perspective. Satan had led us away carefully, making us believe that we were being wronged and that the other was no longer worth our time. We had lost sight of our goal to be an eternal family and had started to focus on things that really don't matter in the grand scheme of things.
Thank GOD for the Temple. My grandmother agreed to drive us to the Temple and watch our son while we went in to try and rescue our foundering marriage. We were able to remember our sacred covenants, the promises that we made to God and to each other. We were able to leave behind all the silly arguments and hurt feelings, and focus on what really mattered.
In the Doctrine and Covenants 121:7, God spoke to Joseph Smith while he was incarcerated at Liberty Jail and He said: "Peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment." Joseph Smith endured tarring and feathering, the death of his young children, friends betraying him, persecution till he was murdered by a mob, and many other things... and God tells him that he should have peace... that all of these woes would be but a small moment. And here we were, about to throw away our eternal marriage because of some perceived offenses, a few paltry arguments that we wont even remember six months from now....
That hour we spent in the Temple was healing. We saw each other for the eternal people we truly are. All those offenses, annoyances, arguments... they don't really matter. All we will be able to take with us when we leave this world is our knowledge and our relationships. We have resolved to always remember this.
That is not to say that we will never argue again. That we will never have disagreements or hurt eachother's feelings. That we will never speak in anger to each other again... that is life, the human condition prevents us from being perfect.... but we will always remember that we have something bigger than ourselves to work for, to strive for, to become better people for.... and we have to do it together.
During General Conference this weekend, we heard that "The best is yet to come..." no matter how much we have to deal with in this life, there is an eternal goal to work for.... if we can keep that perspective, when the rains come and the torrential winds beat about us, when Satan tempts us, when we feel like there is nothing to work for.... we can look to that as a comfort and have peace to our souls and know that the best is yet to come....
Last week we nearly lost it. It began several weeks ago when we stopped doing the little things... a kiss on the cheek, a kind word spoken when the other has done something nice, a smile, encouragement.... Next, we stopped praying together and reading our scriptures together....Then it progressed to selfishness, we both thought that we were right and we were unwilling to see the other person's point of view on any issue...It then progressed to the inability to compromise, and led to arguments that left both of us feeling angry.... Then I withdrew to do my own thing and he withdrew into his electronics, we avoided each other so that we would not have to argue. As we did so, we both began to see all the little things that the other had done as personal offenses.
We had lost our eternal perspective. Satan had led us away carefully, making us believe that we were being wronged and that the other was no longer worth our time. We had lost sight of our goal to be an eternal family and had started to focus on things that really don't matter in the grand scheme of things.
Thank GOD for the Temple. My grandmother agreed to drive us to the Temple and watch our son while we went in to try and rescue our foundering marriage. We were able to remember our sacred covenants, the promises that we made to God and to each other. We were able to leave behind all the silly arguments and hurt feelings, and focus on what really mattered.
In the Doctrine and Covenants 121:7, God spoke to Joseph Smith while he was incarcerated at Liberty Jail and He said: "Peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment." Joseph Smith endured tarring and feathering, the death of his young children, friends betraying him, persecution till he was murdered by a mob, and many other things... and God tells him that he should have peace... that all of these woes would be but a small moment. And here we were, about to throw away our eternal marriage because of some perceived offenses, a few paltry arguments that we wont even remember six months from now....
That hour we spent in the Temple was healing. We saw each other for the eternal people we truly are. All those offenses, annoyances, arguments... they don't really matter. All we will be able to take with us when we leave this world is our knowledge and our relationships. We have resolved to always remember this.
That is not to say that we will never argue again. That we will never have disagreements or hurt eachother's feelings. That we will never speak in anger to each other again... that is life, the human condition prevents us from being perfect.... but we will always remember that we have something bigger than ourselves to work for, to strive for, to become better people for.... and we have to do it together.
During General Conference this weekend, we heard that "The best is yet to come..." no matter how much we have to deal with in this life, there is an eternal goal to work for.... if we can keep that perspective, when the rains come and the torrential winds beat about us, when Satan tempts us, when we feel like there is nothing to work for.... we can look to that as a comfort and have peace to our souls and know that the best is yet to come....
Friday, October 3, 2008
On Palin
Wow... I watched the VP debate and, wow... just wow... how can we be anywhere NEAR comfortable with EITHER OF THEM in the copilot's seat?
Anyway, check out this Palin flow chart on Adennak's blog... it is freaking hilarious!
it is in the blog post "Moosehunter" at adennak.com
Anyway, check out this Palin flow chart on Adennak's blog... it is freaking hilarious!
it is in the blog post "Moosehunter" at adennak.com
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Reproductive Choices
I am confused. Perhaps someone can explain to me why lawmakers are so willing to give a woman the power to control her reproductive system in some things and not in others.
Why are lawmakers willing to uphold Roe v. Wade and give women the right to terminate their pregnancies, but there is no federal law or court case granting legal authority to all women the right to choose to have a vaginal birth after having a cesarean.
In some states, such as Washington, it is illegal to have a VBAC in a free standing birth center. This puts women in a position of either birthing at home, or birthing in a hospital. And to add insult to injury, many hospitals do not allow VBACs in their facilities, and many midwives are not willing to take on VBAC clients. This is a multifaceted problem for them, as malpractice suits can cost a midwife more than money, it can cost her the right to practice in her state. And the final blow, some insurances, like Medicaid, do not cover VBAC if it is not preformed in a hospital.
Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with choosing to birth at home or in a hospital, but to be told where you cannot birth your child, to have an entire option just wiped out for you, simply because you have had a cesarean section in the past is criminal, in my opinion.
Sure there are ways to fight it. But let's examine these options....
1. You can have a home birth, assisted or unassisted. Effectively avoiding the issue entirely, taking the power out of the hands of the medical establishment to make the choice for you... passive resistance.
This is the option many women take, however some states have made it illegal to have an out of hospital VBAC by statute or legal precedence... or by making it so uncomfortable for the family seeking out of hospital VBAC by threatening negligence or abuse that it is not feasible to proceed.
2.You can simply, or not so simply, refuse to undergo a repeat cesarean with complete open communication with your provider and your chosen hospital.
Make your birth a legal statement in this one place at this one time. Fight for however long it takes to be heard, and sometimes be ignored... birthing your child in a less than hospitable climate because you know that it is illegal to be forced to undergo a surgery against your will.
3. You can conveniently not show up at your chosen hospital till it is too late to preform the cesarean.
Many women choose this option and then end up having their children before getting to the hospital, or they misjudge their progress and get to the facility too early and have to fight head on with a staff that is dead set against it. Some hospitals that I spoke with actually stated that they would have me taken by ambulance to another hospital rather than allow me to have a VBAC in their facility... Can you imagine? Some other hospitals stated that they would "act in the best interests of the health and saftey of the mother and child" regardless of the wishes of the mother. This of course is illegal and can bring about heavy litigation, but savvy lawyers who are retained by said hospitals could argue that the woman was endangering the life of her unborn child or that she was incapable of making rational decisions and that the hospital stepped in to make the decision for her.
In any of these cases, your pregnancy is fraught with stress and worry about the decisions you face. And who wants to make their baby the next Roe v. Wade?
Why are lawmakers willing to uphold Roe v. Wade and give women the right to terminate their pregnancies, but there is no federal law or court case granting legal authority to all women the right to choose to have a vaginal birth after having a cesarean.
In some states, such as Washington, it is illegal to have a VBAC in a free standing birth center. This puts women in a position of either birthing at home, or birthing in a hospital. And to add insult to injury, many hospitals do not allow VBACs in their facilities, and many midwives are not willing to take on VBAC clients. This is a multifaceted problem for them, as malpractice suits can cost a midwife more than money, it can cost her the right to practice in her state. And the final blow, some insurances, like Medicaid, do not cover VBAC if it is not preformed in a hospital.
Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with choosing to birth at home or in a hospital, but to be told where you cannot birth your child, to have an entire option just wiped out for you, simply because you have had a cesarean section in the past is criminal, in my opinion.
Sure there are ways to fight it. But let's examine these options....
1. You can have a home birth, assisted or unassisted. Effectively avoiding the issue entirely, taking the power out of the hands of the medical establishment to make the choice for you... passive resistance.
This is the option many women take, however some states have made it illegal to have an out of hospital VBAC by statute or legal precedence... or by making it so uncomfortable for the family seeking out of hospital VBAC by threatening negligence or abuse that it is not feasible to proceed.
2.You can simply, or not so simply, refuse to undergo a repeat cesarean with complete open communication with your provider and your chosen hospital.
Make your birth a legal statement in this one place at this one time. Fight for however long it takes to be heard, and sometimes be ignored... birthing your child in a less than hospitable climate because you know that it is illegal to be forced to undergo a surgery against your will.
3. You can conveniently not show up at your chosen hospital till it is too late to preform the cesarean.
Many women choose this option and then end up having their children before getting to the hospital, or they misjudge their progress and get to the facility too early and have to fight head on with a staff that is dead set against it. Some hospitals that I spoke with actually stated that they would have me taken by ambulance to another hospital rather than allow me to have a VBAC in their facility... Can you imagine? Some other hospitals stated that they would "act in the best interests of the health and saftey of the mother and child" regardless of the wishes of the mother. This of course is illegal and can bring about heavy litigation, but savvy lawyers who are retained by said hospitals could argue that the woman was endangering the life of her unborn child or that she was incapable of making rational decisions and that the hospital stepped in to make the decision for her.
In any of these cases, your pregnancy is fraught with stress and worry about the decisions you face. And who wants to make their baby the next Roe v. Wade?
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