I survived my birthday - the world did not stop spinning, I did not explode into a pile of aging goo, and no one is pointing and laughing at the artifact that is walking among them. So no different than before. This birthday did make me realize how many fantastic friends I've got, though; birthday cards and email arrived from all over the place. I stood back Monday night and took a good look at all of the people that I've surrounded myself with, and I have to say, they all kick ass. So thanks, y'all, for doing such a great job of making me feel like a million dollars. Age IS just a number.

And according to the Wii Fit, I'm 28 anyway, so suck it, Father Time.

Life: 1 
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Sarah's party went really, really well. We bought too much food, which is pretty normal for us (I seem to be in constant fear that we're going to run out of food for some reason, like everyone will swoop in and demolish the food and then be all, HEY, WE ARE LEAVING NOW, YOU LOSERS) which means that we ate hot dogs for two days afterwards. No matter. Sarah was gifted with mounds of clothes and plenty of toys, and everyone had a blast. The Wii Fit was put to good use in entertaining some of the older kids at the party.

The bakery did a fanastic job with the cake; I was very impressed that they were able to do all of that from the napkin that I handed them. She did the dantiest cake smash ever; I gave her a corner peice, and she picked the little pink edging parts off and stuck them in her mouth one at a time. She had a little icing on her mouth and her hands, and that's about it; it's like she knew we were giving her permission to be a total mess, and she decided to do the exact opposite. And she refused to eat any of the actual cake; she would only eat the icing.

The combination of school and work and kids and husband and...well, LIFE, is kicking my ass right now. Time is at a premium. I'm not sure what happened, but somehow I'm scheduled solid from the time I wake up until the time I collapse in bed at night. I just keep telling myself that I can get through these two classes; but there are days when I stop and think about how stupid I was to take them at the same time in a shortened semester. There is nothing I can do about it now but muddle through as best as I can, but next time I come up with some hairbrained scheme to "knock out those two classes", please pick up the nearest heavy object and wail on me thoroughly. With gusto.

I was a part of a fantastic stitch marker swap on Ravelry, and somehow I ended up with the greatest assortment of stitch markers ever. My girls did a FABULOUS job; each set was made by hand, and will be put to good use if I ever get out from under my life. 

There is one additional set that I can't show you here, because y'all, this is a FAMILY SHOW, and two of the stitch markers may be shaped like a part of the male anatomy that rhymes with SCHMENIS. And others are a little more gross than that. I had a picture of it up on Flickr, but I took it down for fear that it would violate their terms, as well it should. Dirty, dirty stitch markers that I'm not sure should ever see the light of day.

Next up: the BIG BIRTHDAY. Of which we do not speak. But I think I did just speak of it. Crap.

One year ago today, I was in the hospital at the unGodly hour of 5:30 am, bribing the nursing staff with bagels and cream cheese. Other patients told us that the nursing staff in any hospital can be bought, and buy them we did with fresh bagels. I definitely got top notch care, but I think that's just how that particular hospital rolls anyway.

One year ago today, I watched the weather in a pre-op gown while hooked up to an IV.  They had TVs in there, to distract you from all of the rest of the things that they were doing at the time. I wasn't allowed to eat or drink anything after 10 pm the night before, so when they started the IV, all of that fluid went straight to my bladder, and I had to manuver myself into the bathroom while still hooked up to it. I told the nurse they would have been better off just emptying the IV bag directly into the toilet. She didn't get my joke, and proceeded to explain all of the Good Stuff In The IV to me. I forget that not everyone understands my humor.

One year ago today, I cried as they walked me down the hall to the operating room; I was so scared of what was about to happen that I couldn't stop shaking.  When they got me up on the operating room table, after they had located a step stool (how could you expect me to CLIMB UP THERE, you dolts?), my anesthesiologist leaned over my shoulder from behind to make sure I was doing okay. I told him that I was fine, just terrified out of my freakin' mind, but ready for the spinal block. I hardly felt it. Next thing I knew, there was a rush to get me flat on my back before the drugs took full effect and I couldn't move at all. What I do remember is praying that they would wait to put the catheter in when I couldn't feel it. Thankfully, they did. 

One year ago today, Mike sat and wiped my tears as they started the surgery that would change our lives and our family forever.  Not to mention my reproductive status, as we got that FIXED while they were in there. They started the surgery, and I had a fabulous nurse anasthesiologist helping out; when I mentioned that I felt like I was going to puke, he worked his magic in my IV, and I immediately felt better. I remember my doctor commenting on how large I looked, and then saying that they needed a vacuum to get the baby's head out. Dr. Orth exclaimed over her size compared to my height when she finally got her out of there. 9 lbs even, 21 inches long. 

One year ago today, the nurses smacked my bed into a wall while they were rolling me back to my room; they felt horrible about it, but I was so hopped up on morphine that I didn't feel a thing and actually giggled at them for doing it. Once I was in my room, the urge to heave up my guts just wouldn't stop; they had me try a bit of jello, and the second it touched the back of my throat, my body started convulsing. Not such a great thing right after abdominal surgery. I tried the holistic things that they recommend, but finally I gave in and they shot me up with some anti-nausea drug that made me very, very sleepy.

One year ago today, I held my daughter for the first time.