Halloween 09

We enjoyed a fun Halloween this year. We took the kids to the Ward Trunk or Treat, although Scott and I are fond of the "Old School" Trick or Treat, after dinner when it's dark going from house to house...spooky, fun, etc. Then it was off to Scott's sister Angie and Gary's house for chili and breadsticks...yum :) The kids did a little Old School Trick or Treating around their block and were "totally scared of the drunk lady" at one house. Now mind you, she was drinking a bud light, which means she was drunk ya know. Ha ha.. Kids.

Avery was a 50's girl and Mitchell was well..you can see, a Victim of the Economy ;) He was going to be a hobo and we just kept adding to that. So he ended up with empty pop cans tied to a shopping cart and a sign that said "Will work 4 candy" then would flip it over to say "Thank you, God Bless" Aaaahh...too funny. It was Claire's first Halloween. She slept most of the night. So until next year....BOO!

My Gallbladder....( a novel )

Since I haven't been blogging, I'll share with you a big part of the reason....my gallbladder.

(Warning, it's kinda long...)

I was having a hard time recovering from having Claire. It seemed harder for me to get around from the surgery, my incision opened a couple of times and I was scared of infection. I was depressed and weepy, not used to having a newborn and no sleep and trying to still work (at least part time). And then the "Great Pain" began. I had an "attack" of this great pain about a month before Claire was born. I was pretty sure it was Gallstones since I Googled my symptoms and my Aunt had just gone through the same thing.


Well, these attacks started happening more frequently. I started not eating hardly anything because I was afraid of food triggering the attacks. It got to the point when even healthy, little things would still make me sick. I lost alot of weight within 7 weeks (well, alot of weight for me!). Finally after having attacks every night for three nights in a row, I had Scott take me to the ER the last night. I just wanted them to give me some pain meds and admit me already! I had gone to my Doctor Monday and had an Ultrasound Thursday, but by Sunday night I was dying!


We took Claire and I called my Mom to meet us at the hospital. We drove to UVRMC and upon arriving realized it was chuck full of people waiting to been seen. I could not wait that long! I was in pain and felt like I couldn't breathe! So we headed off to AF hospital, which I preferred anyway since I had the baby there and my Doctor was closer.


As we were headed to the freeway, Scott sped up to avoid the homeless jaywalkers trying to cross the road so we didn't have to stop. Of course a Cop was somewhere watching and pulled us over. GREAT! I was in pain and now we are getting pulled over and I was hoping Claire wouldn't wake up screaming (she was rudely awakened in her sleep to come anyway) because she was hungry. Scott explains the situation and the cop had to flash his light on me and ask me if I would like to call for medical assistance. Yeah, cause that's what I need...a really expensive ride to the hospital. He ran our plates (FOREVER) and cited us for my registration being expired..(only 6 months, what's the big deal :) But that's another story! So I guess the ride over was a little less expensive than an ambulance ride.


At the hospital we did have to wait a good 30 minutes to be admitted, and Scott had to leave with the baby because apparently the new hospital policies everywhere are no infants/children allowed in waiting areas, etc. because of the swine flu. I had no idea....but my Mom stayed w/ me. We waited ANOTHER 45 minutes before I could even talk to a doctor, and then ANOTHER 20-30 minutes before they FINALLY gave me some drugs! I explained my symptoms (for about the 3rd time that night). They did an ultrasound, confirmed I had alot of gallstones and it would probably have to come out and then sent me home since the meds were working. Blah.


The next morning was spent at a surgeons office for two hours (explaining symptoms AGAIN) and off to surgery by 1:30 that day. I was excited to get it over with already! Coming out of surgery SUCKED! ( I think I was allergic to the anesthesia). I threw up from the second they woke me up. For two or so hours in the recovery, I could barely wake up and kept throwing up and dry heaving since I didn't have anything left! The room was just outside the nurses station and I kept hearing them chit chat annoyingly about some girl name Cheyenne and I was so sick I wanted to kick their a**''s and remind them that I was DYING! But I was told they gave me all the nausea medicine they could administer and so the nurse told me to turn over and she would give me a suppository? What? Why? Before I knew it, it was done. It didn't do a damn thing except make me feel like I had a greasy butt. Thanks!? The nurse was saying I was the worst nauseated person she had seen after recovery. That's because I was DYING! HELLO! Possibly allergic to the anesthesia?!!!!


Scott had to dress me and take me home and I was pretty much sick, nauseated and sore for the next 4-5 days. I ended up having about 3 gallstones that had traveled into my bile duct, so they had to make an extra incision to remove those since they can wreak havoc, and the doctor thought there was one more way down he couldn't remove and I would possibly have to have another surgery w/ a scope going down my throat to get it out. Luckily, I have felt better and he believes it is small and should pass through the bile duct on its own.


So all in all, I thought gallbladder surgery was simpler than that. Same day, no biggie. But to me it was a biggie. A biggie suckie! But, hey...it was an excellent diet which I don't recommend to any friends BTW.


Please bless that this is the end of feeling like butt for the rest of the year... at least! Oh wait, I have just caught Scott's cold now. I'll take it though...I'll take it. Just don't make me go to the hospital again, EVER!

The end.

The Year of the Ox

So here are the newest additions to the Gallagher side of the family this year. We moved Claire over a bit to prevent flailing arm smacks:) They are all born in the year of the OX

Bella (5 1/2 mo) Jo (4 mo) Claire (3 weeks)

(It was feat to keep Bella on her back in this pic, she rolls EVERYWHERE!)

People born in the Year of the Ox are patient, speak little, and inspire confidence in others. They tend, however, to be eccentric, and bigoted, and they anger easily. They have fierce tempers and although they speak little, when they do they are quite eloquent. Ox people are mentally and physically alert. Generally easy-going, they can be remarkably stubborn, and they hate to fail or be opposed. They are most compatible with Snake, Rooster, and Rat people.

Dancing Under the Stars

My Mom and Sister took Avery to "Dancing Under the Stars" while I was in the hospital w/ Claire. They had some people from "So you think you can dance" and others. Here's a cute post my sister did on her blog about that night....it's so Avery:

Oh and the cutest part of the whole show was when the two little boys, mini Zac and Corbin from HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3 performed a hip hop number. This is as close as I'm going to get to Troy Bolton/Zac Efron. It was actually my niece Avery's idea to stay and see if she could get a picture with little Corbin, once they came out and ran over there and she kind-of freaked out and got all shy and would not go close to them at all, so this picture is for her.

Little Lady Claire

Little Lady Claire is finally here...finally! Thursday was the big day and I was so nervous, but the surgery went really well. It's the AFTER surgery that doesn't fair so well with me. Blech. It was worth it and she has the smallest, most normal perfect little head outta all my kids. Where did she come from?! (Actually, we can't decided that! Everyone keeps wondering who she really looks like?) I guess she is her own little miss Claire.

She does resemble Uncle Fester, especially with the blanket around her face :) No luck on getting kids with hair, just baldies for us! The little bit she does have is a toss up of faint, strawberry red or blonde...I don't think she'll be as red as Avery.

She is actually quite alert and her cheeks are so squishy and chubby, I love it!!

We laughed when we put her in her car seat. She looks like a tiny peanut! She weighed 6 pds 13 oz and was 18 inches long, but when we left the hospital, she only weighed 6 pds 3 oz...so she does feel like a peanut and I've been trying to get her eat, eat, eat!

Grandma w/ baby Claire, just a few hours old.

Mitchell and Avery were so excited, and were there that morning. They had to get up at the crack of dawn because the surgery was scheduled at 7:30. Within 20 minutes she was out! It was putting humpty dumpty back together again that took longer :)

I know, I know...no pictures of Mom or Dad w/ the baby. I actually of one of Scott and Claire, but it's pretty blurry. I don't know what the camera was doing in the hospital, it was taking horrible pictures!

Of course I felt like butt pretty much the rest of the day and was throwing up just the little bit of water I could even have. I hate recovering, it's tough!

We are glad she is here and healthy! It's still a little weird to hear a baby cry in the other room and remember "Oh, that's mine!" She is so fun and we are happy to have another sweet girl in the family. I didn't think I could do it again, but now that she is here I have that calm assurance that I can, and how perfectly she fits right in!

Avery Cheering

Avery was so excited to do SOMETHING to be in the parade again this year. So thanks again Cheer Camp. Wish granted and here's to worrying about the parade next year!

Avery Melts My Heart

Saturday night Avery asked me if I was planning to make pancakes the next morning. I told her no and asked her if she wanted me to. She replied no and left it at that.

The next morning Scott was up early getting ready for his usual Sunday morning meetings. All of the sudden he shakes me awake and tells me Avery has made breakfast for me and it is sitting next to the bedroom door, he nearly walked into it :)

She had made a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios and a glass of OJ w/ a cute card that said "Have a great breakfast Mom, I love you!".

How cute is that?! She melts my heart. I have never enjoyed slightly soggy cheerios more :)