My Recent Obsessions

1)  The Maxi Cosi Pria 70 car seat-  on the recommendation of a very experienced mom I purchased this for Steuart and I could not be happier!  Easy to install, easy to clean, SUPER comfy for him.  He is as happy as a clam!  I love it!

2)  Metallic leggings-  Fashion meets comfort in a whole new way.  You can be sassy and breathe!  It is amazing!

3)  Gold-  I am usually a silver girl but recently have been wearing a lot of gold.  And very traditional pieces.  It's like I am getting old.

4)  Claude Moore Jeweler-  They have the BEST customer service ever and I love playing in there.  Especially while making out wish lists.  It's super easy just to say- Jason- check out the list!

5)  Ford-  I love my car.  Still.  I am just OBSESSED with it.  Especially after the road trip from hell to Maryland and back.

6)  Miss Jessie's Pillow Soft Curls-  For curly hair it is the best product I have ever used.  It doesn't make your hair crunchy or sticky.  Just soft and bouncy!

7)  Coco Chanel Mademoiselle-  It's not my signature scent- that is Carolina Herrera but my mom had it so I wore it.  It just smells good.

8)  My hairdresser- Jason Chambers.  He is the best.  Ever.

9)  Veuve Clicquot-  Just had a bottle on NYE and it remains my favorite.

10)  Moms Day Out-  I need this time every week to be a normal person.

Comfy as can be!

Gold leggings!  LOVE!

Easy? Clearly NOTHING Can Be Easy!

“Reality is the leading cause of stress amongst those in touch with it.”  -Jane Wagner

Last I wrote we were a couple of weeks away from having another surgery for baby Steuart.  This had been planned for quite some time and was going to be our "easy" outpatient surgery.  When your child goes under it is never "easy" but compared to lung surgery in Birmingham with a 5 day hospital stay on the special care floor of Children's and chest tubes- this was going to be fairly simple..... until it wasn't.

We went to the Infirmary early in the morning as we were supposed to for pre-surg prep which all went well.  Our doctor came out and met us, explained the procedure again and then took back a very happy and alert Steuart who was just shy of 11 months to have his procedure.  

While we were waiting we had our beeper and went to the cafeteria to eat some breakfast.  When we returned to the waiting area we sat around, as most people do.  I was reading, Jason was working on his iPad since he was out of the office.  The doctor came out.  "We have had a little issue.  I don't want to alarm you, but he had some problems breathing so we have given him a breathing treatment and he seems to be doing fine.  We are finishing up now and then he will be in recovery."  So.....the albuterol helped?  Or not.  Clearly I start freaking out because my infant who has a history of pulmonary issues and already had lung surgery is now having a problem breathing.  So we sit.  And we wait.  Not much longer the doctor comes back out and tells us that there is a medical transport team en route to pick up Steuart and take him to the PICU at USA Children's and Womens Hospital.  He went into respiratory distress on the table and they have had to intubate him.  We can see him before he goes but cannot ride on the "bus" with them as there are a number of people working on him and they need all the space available.  We walk in to kiss our baby, on a stretcher with a tube in his mouth and like seven people around him.  They take him away, we get in the car and drive down the street and go up to the PICU.  And we wait.  And wait.  And wait.  About an hour later they finally let us back to the room.  He is completely sedated, with a breathing tube, and restrained so he cannot pull his tube out should he wake.  So our "easy" procedure ends with an emergency ambulance ride to another hospital and a stay in the PICU.  

Long story short we were home a couple of days later.  Being in situations like this and our previous ordeal with my pregnancy and Steuart's birth really puts things in perspective.  This is real life and this is real stress.  Not "I can't find anything to wear to dinner" stress but REAL LIFE STRESS.  Shit just got REAL.  You find out really quickly in situations like this who your friends are and who your acquaintances are.  And I can tell you now, without those friends you're going to have one heck of a time getting through it.  

It's times like this that you realize it really is the people that you can call up and say "I'm about to come un-glued and I need to get out of my house" that are really important people in your life.  If you're not comfortable being real and raw and unguarded then you don't have REAL CLOSE friends.  

It also makes you realize that the person that may not like you for no other reason than you are friends with someone they don't like- they don't matter.  That football game you are worried about- it doesn't matter.  The volunteer project you are working on- it can wait.  Those are all "extras" and "distractions" and things you do on the side.  What is real and what is important is life.  And part of that real life is your family.  Nothing is more important than that.  And if it can't wait while you focus on your children then it isn't that important to begin with.  

You get through it all the best you can and navigate it in the way that best suits you.  And at the end of the day there is nothing wrong with happy pills and wine!

Steuart before his surgery

Steuart and Daddy having fun waiting to go back

In the PICU after being ex-tubated

Alert and HUNGRY!