STITCHES. . .

We've had our first. . . and HOPEFULLY-LAST experience with stitches. Makaylee was running around outside and hit a skiff of sand that had been left on the neighbors driveway and WIPED-OUT! I was at work, and unable to leave because my patients were being NAUGHTY! I was a nervous wreck waiting to hear the latest and wishing I could be with her! Luckily my mom lives right next to the hospital so she met Terrill at the Emergency Department and watched the other two kids while Makaylee got stitched up. Terrill handled it all like a pro, and Makaylee was SO BRAVE! 7 stitches right in her pretty little chin!
I called her when she was finished (11:00PM) and one of the first things she said to me was "I'm sorry I made everyone stay up so late Mommy!" It broke my heart!

Do you see any resemblance to Leno:)? Poor little sweetheart!

Sitting Pretty!

Look who is sitting like a champ! She is also crawling around like crazy. She is so adorable, but I want her to SLOW DOWN just a little! She is my baby girl, and I am not ready for her to grow up SOOO FAST!

Um. . . That Can't Be Good

Today in the car Makaylee said, "Mom, I have a new tooth coming in behind my other teeth!" When we got home I took a look at her choppers and gasped. . .
I think I am going to start saving for braces starting TODAY!

7 Months Old

Soooo Big!

I don't know what we did to deserve such a happy/ bouncy/ busy/ smiley baby, but we sure are blessed to have her! She is rolling around like crazy and getting up on her hands and knees and rocking- I expect she will take off crawling any minute now!

Rowen's Birthday Party

We had a Birthday party/ 4th of July party this year for Rowen. It was so much fun, and Ro thought it was WAY cool that he got to have fireworks at his birthday party! Thank you to everyone that came, and for all the fun toys he received. I think we should make it a tradition!

Kindergarten Graduation

Makaylee "graduated" from Kindergarten! She had such an awesome year and learned so much! Bring on 1st grade! She is READY!

Her darling teacher Mrs. Zeally

She had a cute end of the year program.

Proud Grandmas and brother!

Couldn't be prouder!

A Day to Celebrate

9 years ago TODAY: I married the love of my life!
I can't believe how fast 9 years can pass when you are married to your eternal companion!

3 years ago TODAY: My sweet baby boy was born!

And he has been an absolute joy every day since then!

TODAY: Terrill got a new job!
It has been a long road-and I couldn't be more proud of his hard work and this awesome accomplishment!

WHAT A DAY TO CELEBRATE!!!

Just an FYI

I couldn't/ wouldn't tell you how I learned this- but just for your information: washing a diaper with a full load of laundry is definitely NOT a good idea!

6 Years-3 Years-6 Months

6 Years Old

3 Years Old

6 Months Old

Bubbles

The Biggest Bubble Ever!

Blowing raspberries! (Her newest talent!)

I Don't Want This Anymore

The other day, Rowen woke up early and came into my room to lay by me. I thought he was falling asleep, when suddenly he popped his binky (I know) out of his mouth and said: "I don't want this anymore." I was a little confused, I asked him if he didn't want it right now, or if he didn't want it at all anymore. He said "Nope, I don't want it anymore!"
I said, "Okay, if you don't want it anymore, do you want to go throw it in the garbage?"
He said, "Yep, I'll throw it in the garbage!" and he hopped up and did it!
Really?!
I had been dreading and putting off that moment for WAY TOO LONG! I didn't know it could be so easy! (I won't mention the fact that when it was time for bed- he changed his mind and asked Makaylee to go get it out of the garbage and wash it for him - and became a little teary when I told him that 'the garbage man already took it to the dump.') But still. . .I am so proud, and I can't believe how grown up he is becoming!

Bipolar. . .

Is it possible to love and hate what you do at the same time? I think it is. . . when you are working with Bipolar youth at least. I don't talk about my job much, for a lot of reasons. One reason is that I am just so used to bizarre things, that I almost don't even think about them anymore. . . but they really freak my family/friends out. (One time I was telling my sweet Mom matter-of-factly about one of my patients, and she was teary-eyed before I even got to the climax of the incident, so I stopped mid-story!) But today was just such a classic Bipolar-day, and I can't help but vent a little. . .

I quickly introduced myself to a new patient at the beginning of my shift. A few hours later, I was called to the hall, where she was very agitated and pacing. She had been aggressive /combative with her staff and some other patients. When she saw me she yelled "What are YOU doing here?! You always make everything WORSE!" I literally turned around to see if there was someone standing behind me that she was talking to. . .there wasn't. (Well, It's nice to meet you too, I thought!)

Then. . . I got a cute card from a 14 year old patient that said "Stefanie, Thank you for helping me through my treatment."

Then. . . I was doing vital signs and realized the one of my patients had lost over 10 pounds in one week. When I did some prying, she admitted that she had been starving herself, and throwing up. I talked to her for a while about how unhealthy it is for her not to eat. I told her that I could get her set up with the dietician, if she wanted to talk about losing weight the right way. I eventually talked her into getting a meal tray at dinner (which she had refused for the last 4 days.) When I checked in on her, she was actually eating it, and I was so relieved!

Then. . . about 30 minutes later I was called to the unit again, where I found this same patient shoving her glasses (yes, her EYE GLASSES) down her throat and vomiting all of her dinner up, all over the floor. . .