Nothing Fancy: July 2010

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Asthma In the Valley...

My heart has been heavy since yesterday morning. About 3 weeks ago our pediatrician referred us to Valley Children's Hospital Pulmonology Center. Due to Luke wheezing since March she thought he could benefit from seeing a specialist. The conversations we have been having about Luke's health has felt rather familiar to me. It seems like yesterday we were having the same conversations and symptoms with Logan when she was 6 months old. Logan has been a patient at Children's Pulmonology for over 3 years now. It was a sad day for us when Dr. Mojibi told us she wanted to make the referral for Luke. We knew all too well what that would entail.

Our primary pediatrician, Dr. Mojibi had already thrown around the possibility that she thought Luke has Asthma like Logan but I didn't feel the weight until the Pulmonologist handed me the prescription for Luke's asthma medications yesterday morning. My heart sank.

Just to give you a window into our life Logan takes 5 different medicines very single day. Two of them are steroids. (two inhalers, Singular, Allegra, Nasonex) Trav made a comment last night that Logan has taken more meds in her 3 1/2 years of life than both of us have in our nearly 60 years combined. Not to mention all that medicine alone costs about $300-400 a month. Thats just for Logan's meds. Not to mention, I am kind of a hippy in the sense of I HATE MEDICINE. I hardly ever take it myself so to be giving it to Logan, kills me.

With Luke starting down the same path you can only imagine my heartache.

Trav and I awhile back said that if the air quality in the valley was interfering with the health of our children we would move. That was before we had kids. Thats one of those statements that in your heart you know to be true but the reality is so much harder. And let be honest, we never thought it would really be a reality for us.

Our lives are here in Fresno. My whole family, a job Trav enjoys, our amazing friends, neighbors, and a church and community that we LOVE.

Last night Trav and I got on the topic of moving and if we should consider since Fresno is literally one of the worst places to live for an Asthmatic due to the air quality. According to American Lung Association survey Fresno ranks 4th worst in the nation for ozone, 5th worst in the nation for year round particle pollution, and 2nd worst for short term particle pollution. We rank higher than Los Angeles for short term particle pollution!

With those rankings it makes me wonder if we moved would Luke and Logan asthma go away?

I still have to do some research to try to better figure out Lo and Luke's triggers. We have a pretty good idea of Lo's but not Luke's. We wouldn't want to move and find the same triggers present in the new city.

So I am desperate for your feedback. What would you do? Should we move? Please leave comments and let me know your thoughts.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Job Title: Stay at home mom and wife.

When Logan was 19 months old, I finally gave in to the tug in my heart to quit my job and stay home with her full time. Let me say first off, I loved my job. It truly was my dream job. I loved it. I had the best boss, got to work with an incredible staff and did what I feel God gifted and passioned me to do. So making that decision to stay home was one that wasn't easy. I knew when I made the decision I would miss my co-workers, my role and having such a rewarding job outside the home. Not to mention the financial sacrifice of going from a two income family to one income. But at the end of the day, I didn't want to miss it. I didn't want to look at Logan in the eyes at 18 years old and regret not soaking it all up and not being present for her. Not only physically but mentally and emotionally. I had a hard time separating work and home. It was hard for me to leave work and work and be home. In ministry that can be a vague line. Not one day has gone by that I regreted my decision to stay home.

But lately I have been thinking about how none glamourous my job is. Here are just a few of the realities of my life at home with two kids as a stay at home mom.... (can anyone relate???)

Fact #1: My clothes are incredibly out of style. I will go out to dinner or to an event, and this is when I realize just how out of style I am. But seriously....dragging two kids to the mall to go shopping. Yeah right.

Fact #2: Sorry to say, but I don't get to shower everyday. Somedays the kids beat me up (awake) and you know....well there goes the shower for the day. Thank goodness for ponytail holders, and body spray. Its always so great when Trav stays a little later so I can get a shower before he leaves for work. Ahhh the little things. So I would recommend....don't get too close.

Fact #3: What's that smell? Oh its probably my shoulder. The split up that consistently lives there. Most of the time I will go change my shirt but seriously, its just gonna happen again in another 10 minutes.

Fact #4: I can't leave my son for more than 2 1/2 hours. I am a milking machine. Luke currently won't take a bottle. Awesome. Not to mention these girls get hard and up to my chin after about 4 hours.

Fact #5: I strongly dislike the tension I feel when someone asks, "So what have you been up to"? Especially when that person asking is not a Mom. Honestly, I have nothing to say. If I am honest my response would be something like this..."Well, you know, changing dirty diapers, breast feeding every 3 hours, playing Zingo with my 3 year old...." Although I love all these things...really? That is just not that exciting.

The other day I was driving and Logan was singing the worship song Mighty to Save and I look at Luke through the rearview mirror and he is looking at his hand and discovering it for the first time. In that moment I was so incredibly thankful that the Lord has given me the opportunity to do what I do. I am a stay at home Mom and I get to be there for all of these moments. I love it. Someday I hope to return to work but for now I am going to embrace the season I am in. I am going to rock the spit up on my shoulder and the faded black top I am wearing from 5 years ago. Yep...I'm a stay at home mom!

Here are some of my Glam Shots.

Must not of had time to straighten the hair that day.

Note the spit up on the shoulder.

Ponytail and no makeup. Glam Glam.

Totally different note:: I walked into Logan's room the other day and this is what I found her doing. Pretending that she is painting her toenails. 3 going on 16.