Wednesday

A sweet friend picked me up at 6am to drive me 2hrs away to my doctor appointment at OHSU. (Thanks Jane!). And another sweet friend took my 3 youngest girls from 9am to 5pm.  (Love you, Chris).  Another friend brought dinner for our family.  (Ines- you are a saint.  Happy Birthday!). People are so kind.

I was a bit of a mess going to my appointment- with a catheter that wasn't working, a ziplock full of medicine and my very own wheel chair.

Turns out my bladder is full of disintegrating sutchers (string) and lots of mucusy sluff stuff that clogs a catheter minutes after it's inserted.  So, I'm on my own.  Trying to potty every hour to keep my tiny bladder from getting too full.

I put on real-live panties this evening!!  And, I could wear pajamas!!  

When I first got my catheter we figured out that all I could wear was maxi skirts.  My cute husband went to stores around Portland and bought me about 10 skirts. I felt loved every time I wore one.  

And-- I got a new, fancy walker today.

I went from this...

To this fancy thing...

I got the upgrade for free from a company Love Inc.  Inc stands for in the name of Christ.  So nice.

So-- no catheter!  It is pretty guaranteed that I will need another bladder surgery but that will have to happen in New York because I need more time to heal before the surgery.  Sigh.  I am grateful to be alive and this bladder stuff is something I can handle- most days.  Sometimes it is just one more thing and I cry every time urine spills down my legs into my compression socks.  My mom calls me Sweet Pee.  Ha!

And... Guess what else?!  

We bought a house.

With 10 acres.

White rail fences.

A barn.

A pond.

A big, beautiful pool.

A fenced in small yard with a swing set.

My mother in law says the house is so cute and in such a well manicured condition it is like a real-live doll house.

The house itself is smaller than our house now, but it is still big and will work fine (2400 sq ft not counting the finished basement).  If we want to renovate later it would be easy for us to make the kitchen bigger or add on a few bedrooms (it has 4).  

I feel like this house is a real blessing.  If I were to draw my dream house, I think it would look like this house.  I think it's funny that that God is blessing us with a beautiful home and barn and land for horses or cows or sheep, and I can still barely walk.  Sigh... I've got a ways to go until  I'm healed- but it's coming.

My mom cares for me so well.  I can't even tell you how grateful I am for her.

Tonight Anna watched my dressing change.  I'm surprised she wasn't grossed out- I am.

(Yeah-- I know these pictures are pretty gross.  Sorry.)

My family is darling.  I love being home.  My baby is the sweetest fella ever.

Life is good.

I told Todd all I want for Christmas was a real-live pony.  :). I could hear his sigh over the phone... He's thinking 10 acres might be worse than pregnant guinea pigs.  Ha.  

Sorry I'm talking so much about myself these days...  I am a bit self focused.

Well- focused on myself and my cute baby.