Random Pictures from Mom's House

Poor baby was waiting for me to come home from the hospital and fell asleep on the floor. 

Missy, my parent's dog, stands like this when she wants food...

Ellen and Missy having a picnic. 

Ellen loved Mom's bathroom and her make-up.  She played like this a lot during this trip.

 Uncle Bryan, Wesley, Tyrus and Ellen playing with worms! Ty wanted to send the picture of him holding the worm to Lucas.  Lucas thinks Ty is neat becuase he isn't afraid to touch worms : )

Ellen, gross!  Girls don't touch worms!

On one of our walks Mr. Cathy, the ch*ck-fil-a guy, brought Ellen out a stuffed cow as a gift.

Pics from one of our walks.  Ellen liked ride her bike and to feed the geese.

 

Ellen and Mary!

 

 

Ellen and her Bike

I am so glad I threw her bike into the car for this trip!  We have been taking long walks each day.  I am loving the 1/1 time with my girl.  This is a balance bike, or a ride and glide.  It doesn't have pedals and is supposed to teach her to balance.  I think she's got it.

Time with Family

The silver lining is that we are getting to spend a lot of time with family and Jeff is getting some quality time with just him and Lucas.  Ty and Mary are on spring break, so they have been coming over to Mom's house during the day.  Ellen is loving spending so much time with Mary! 

Wednesday Update

Jenn took the day off today to spend it with Mom.  No real change since yesterday.  When I went to visit Mom tonight I saw that Jenn had the same idea I had about people knowing the Mom that we know.  These were posted on the wall:

Update on Mom

Today is Tuesday.  I'm able to bring my computer to the hospital and use wireless while I sit with Mom.  My job is being so great about being flexible, which I'm so thankful for right now. 

Mom looks the same as when I saw her on Sunday.  She is really only responding to pain, like when the doctor pushes on her chest.  I met the hospital doctor, who is like the team leader.  His name is Dr. Taylor.  When I met him yesterday he had me sit and he talked to me for 45 minutes.  It was his first day with Mom and wanted to know all about her.  When he asked me if she looked like this before, I was shocked.  No way!  I told him how she lived alone, drove alone, fixed her hair and put on make-up every day, ran her own business for 30+ years and now manages the leasing of it.  He said that was what he was after... how healthy and strong she was before this visit to the hospital.  If she was weak and in a nursing home before this, he didn't have much hope.  But since she was strong before, he was positive and optimistic.

It bothered me that Mom looked so different in the bed.  Like and old person - not like Mom.  So tonight I gathered several pictures of her with her bright eyes and bright smile.  I will show everyone that comes in that room tomorrow what she looked like just a few days ago.

Later in talking with James and Mama, we discussed how Dr. Taylor was optimistic that she'd live and not in her quality of life.  We knew that Mom would not be happy in a nursing home or having to have someone care for her.  We know that she can only be intubated for 10 days or so, so it feels like a race to see if her body will get strong enough in that time.  After 10 days they'd have to put the tube in her neck, which we knew she would not want.  She chose to come to the hospital and she chose to be intubated, so we are honoring that and sitting by her to cheer her on. 

Ellen's Song to Mom

I told Ellen this morning that Mom is sick and that I was going to spend the day with her at the hospital.  She said she wanted to sing Mom a song...

Lucas's Very First 5K!

Today was the day of Lucas's big 5K event that I helped the kids train for.  It's funny how things work out differently than you plan.  Jeff was supposed to run this race with him, but he sprained his ankle last week.  I was the back-up plan, but now I'm in Georgia.  Thankfully our good friend, Rob (Blane's dad), ran it with him.

I didn't think that the kindergarteners would be able to finish, so imagine my surprise when Jeff told me he finished in 35 minutes!  That time earned him 2nd place in his age group!  Totally shocked and so proud of him!

Midnight Ride to Jonesboro

Today is Sunday.  Friday afternoon Jenn called me and told me that Mom wasn't good and she had just called an ambulance.  Let me back up.  My brother, sister and mother had told me earlier in the week that it sounded like Mom had allergies.  We all thought it was due to the heavy pollen.  On Friday Jenn called Mom and said she could hardly talk, so she told her she was coming right over.  When she got there she took one look at Mom and asked her which hospital she wanted to go to.  Mom didn't argue, which was a sign to us that she really did feel bad. 

When the ambulance arrived they told Jenn that her b/p and her lungs were good.  Jenn planned to follow the ambulance to the hospital.  When she arrived, Mom wasn't there.  She got a call from the paramedic that told her the original hospital was full, so they were taking her to Clayton General.  She also told her that Mom wasn't doing great and she better hurry.  Jenn called me sobbing as she sped to the hospital.  She asked me what she would do if she got there and Mom wasn't alive.  Thank God, that didn't happen.  When she arrived Mom was on 100% oxygen and still having trouble breathing.  Jenn told me about an hour later that the doctor had told Mom that she needed to be intubated.  Mom said she didn't want to and the doctor then asked her what her last wish was, because she wouldn't make it through the night. 

Jenn stepped out in the hall to talk to the doctor. When they returned to the room Mom voluntarily said she agreed to be intubated.  They had diagnosed her with severe pneumonia and she needed her body to rest while the antibiotics worked on helping her heal. 

I don't know why I didn't jump in the car right then.  I don't think I knew what intubation meant.  The next day, at Blane's party, my mother called and said she didn't think the outcome would be good.  We went through a pneumonia issue last summer, so I thought it was going to be a replay of that, but Mama said it was a lot worse. 

After Blane's party Jeff and I decided that the best thing to do was for Ellen and I to drive to Jonesboro asap.  Then he and Lucas could fly down if necessary.  That way we'd have a car to get home in. 

Grandmother died as I was in route to Atlanta and I was determined that wouldn't happen again.  Looking back it wasn't that smart, but Ellen and I drove through thunderstorms and flash flood watches to arrive in Jonesboro at about 2am this morning.

When I saw Mom this morning, she didn't look good.  Like I said, I didn't know what intubation meant.  She looks like she's in a coma.  Jenn and I think she responded to us with a shake of her head or a squeeze to our hand, but we couldn't be certain. 

Happy Birthday, Blane!

Happy Birthday Charles!

Lake Date with Ellen

Jeff and Lucas had something to do this morning, so Ellen and I took her bike to the lake (Sh*lley) and had a picnic lunch.

After lunch she rode and rode and rode her bike.  It comes natual to her and she has no fear.

Parker and Graham's Party

Lucas was invited to two birthday parties today - Parker/Graham and Seth's.  We got the P/G invite first and accepted.  When we got Seth's I told him that about the party and was about to tell him that we couldn't go.  He surprised me by telling me that he didn't think he should go to Seth's because P/G would be sad since he already said he'd go to their party.  There is some compassion in him!  He fights with Ellen so much that we weren't sure : )

The party was at G* Bananaz and was fun for both kids.

There were bumper cars for the big boys...

And bouncy house slides for my lady!

I took this picture for my dad.

Cute with her little ponytail.

Another pic for my dad.

Lucas and his classmate, Henry.

As usual, Lucas is beside the birthday boy.

Ashley and I held them off the video games as long as we could...

Tag with the Camera

Griffin came over for a play date today, which was rainy, so we had to get creative.  I invented this game of tag with the camera.  If I got a picture of their face, they lost.  Anytime we get rowdy like this, Tyson takes it as his cue to attack, which the kids love.  Total chaos for about five minutes.

"Hmmm, I think they want me to chase them and try to bite them."