Queen of the Juggle

It’s been too long since we’ve jotted anything, so I’m going to try and recall the last month or so. Our Las Vegas deposition on 1/9 went very well. Leveled the playing field anyway. It’s nice that we finally just maybe get a break. We’ll see. Things the boys have done. They took their first trip to the park in Wingfield Springs on 1/26. The boys are so busy and interactive. They still love Little Einsteins. Now all the boys are getting more active and raising their arms to the blastoff and doing pat, pat, pat. Gary has had some constipation problems and we now know what to do…a regimen of Miralax daily or every other day. He’s doing much better. Gary’s also had some problems waking up in the night and screaming. I wonder why and since they can’t talk to us, it’s hard to tell other than limbs being stuck which, as far as we know, only happend once. The boys continue to try to talk. Gary is trying to say tractor. Gary is trying to say so many words. Ben and Ryan sometimes do and sometimes just play. Like everything else Gary has been first to do more. The other two, I’m sure will come around any time now. All of the boys continue to get more and more into books. Chip was looking at a book with them recently and made the “arf, arf” seal sound. The boys laughed so hard and Gary stuck his lips out and tried to do. SO CUTE. They running everywhere and discoverying so much. We’ve also had 2 baths in our big tub. Much less time individually, but I worry they don’t get enough alone time with us. It’s a weird dynamic–for me anyway. Ben is figuring out that he won’t be pushed around and in particular likes to bite Ryan. The last week has been brutal for Ryan. Ben needs to get over it. Poor Ryan has a couple of good sets of teeth marks on him. Ben continues to love his blanket and carries around the empty (or full) bottle. Our little Linus. Ryan is just climbing everything and wants to be everywhere he can get hurt. I’m finding that he also likes the cloud blanket in bed with him. He sleeps with it over his head. Celia made those soft blankets for the little guys. All the boys still love to be outside but are exploring more in the yard than just the playset. Mom, Chip or both of us take them outside almost every day and they love it. Especially watching the cars go by and seeing the birds and ducks. Chip even put Ryan and Ben on the tricycle. It was so funny to watch. The boys liked it, but can only touch the pedals when they are “up”. Kaitlyn and Gillian were here the first and third weekend in January. Now it’s been a long stretch in seeing them because of the two 3 day weekends. It’s hard, but I’m glad that they get to spend 3 day weekends. John continues to manipulate any way he can, especially when he can fly under the radar like not sending the GS cookie stuff in time. It does appear tho that John has been shorter on money this month. When we do get to chat with them it’s more chicken nuggets at home and renting movies. It just gets more interesting. Chip and I are trying to keep the organization stuff caught up. It’s not great, but hopefully a step forward. I’m getting our tax stuff together too. I’m hoping that after February we’ll get more of a breather financially and get a big return to help us jump ahead. I’m hoping too that Chip and I can get out a little more and spend some quality time together. Not sure how I can fit that in too.

Christmas is over, and the bowl season is in full swing headed into New Year’s. It’s weird having just the boys, Sherri, Fred, Celia, and I here. Seems quiet without the girls and without any other visitors, since Christmas & Thanksgiving times saw so many people coming & going. My job is going well, and we desperately needed it. Financially, things are looking pretty bleak. Our USAA credit card is maxed out at $21k, we still owe $5k to Bunny and Bill, $5k on the AMEX, $2k or so left to RC Wiley for the washer, drier, dishwasher, and stereo stand, $2k for Chuck Hoskin, and another $1k or so to Marlas. All told about $36k in the hole. I have never personally been in non-secured debt more than $10k or so in the past. It has gotten to the point where I do have trouble sleeping. I wonder if that stress is rubbing off on the boys, as Gary and now even Ryan, are starting to wake up in the middle of the night. I’m not sure the explanation, but certainly the financial burden can’t be helping.

There has been so many events that have happened since I posted the homecoming of Gary on October 5. On October 11, 2007, my dad, Gary, suddenly passed away from a heart attack at Carson Tahoe Medical Center. He had been fighting bladder cancer and starting chemotherapy on October 9. He was struggling to breathe when the first treatment was almost done. Soon after he went to the E/R and went into the hospital. Things quickly went from bad to worse. Between 10/9 and 10/11 we were all informed that Gary’s cancer had spread to his lungs. Sadly, it was too much for his heart in addition to his diabetes. His passing was quick and very unexpected. After arriving in Reno as soon as I heard the news and could get a flight, my family and I went to Winnemucca to make arrangements and bury him. It is a difficult time for all of us, certainly for my mom. Oddly enough, his passing occurred 4 months to the day of his surgery to remove his bladder and the initial cancer. A favorite photo of my mom’s of my dad is posted above in his honor. There is so much I could say and stories I could share about how great my dad was. What I would like to say is that he was a wonderful man who loved his family and the outdoors. I will be forever grateful that my dad had been well enough to be in Las Vegas with us when the boys were born and could see them and hold them. I am sad that he won’t be here to pass on the his love of hunting and the outdoors himself to our boys, the rest of my family will pass that on in his honor and memory. I know that he is smiling down on our little miracles every day. October 25 would have been his 65th birthday. It was a hard day, but one we also celebrated his life. I’m happy to have had him in my life for almost 30 years. My life, I am certain would have turned out much differently had he not been a part of it. I think the rest of my family feels the same. I miss him dearly already, but am peaceful that he passed quickly and did not have to suffer through his cancer. He was not that kind of man. He would’ve rather have been enjoying his last days with my niece Tiffany, helping her shoot her first deer. Grandma and I took her out but didn’t see anything. A few days later her dad took her out and she did it! I’m sure grandpa was with her proudly smiling a huge smile from above! She got a buck, as she would not settle for a doe, knowing that Grandpa wanted a buck. She was ready and it was great that grandpa took her shooting just before he went back to Reno for treatment. None of us would have ever guessed that he wouldn’t come home.

My mom decided to come back to Vegas for awhile, so we have an additional hand to help us with these babies who keep us really busy! I drove back with her on Oct. 22 after helping close up her house and prepare to be away however long works for her. It must be bittersweet to move through the house, to feel his presence and know that he is gone, but yet there are the memories that my mom – all of us – will have forever in our hearts.

During the time I was in Winnemucca helping my family make arrangements, the boys were here with their dad. He and Christina took great care. Fred and Celia were here for a few days and lent a very much needed hand as well. Bunny came back out from Florida to help too. We can’t thank the Horton family enough for all the love and support they’ve give the Las Vegas McVeys and the rest of my family during this difficult time and before the babies to prepare. Christina and Chip are baby experts now! Nothing like trial by fire! We appreciate so much all the people who were here and are here to help and support us.

I was away for 11 days. Boy these babies GREW! I also missed the circumcision appointment, which was a relief to me. Chip, Bunny and Celia managed that task and did a fine job. 🙂 It’s so good to have people in our life that will step right up. Each boy is well over 6 lbs. now. All are doing so well, eating 4+ ounces at a feeding. Now we are trying to get them to sleep all night so we can get some sleep! Until then, my mom and Christina are doing morning duty and Chip and I are doing night duty. We get to bed at about 3 a.m. I feel fortunate to get 6 hours of sleep at a time. I wouldn’t change it for a minute! It truly takes all 4 of us to take care of these boys. Everyone does whatever needs to be done and do a great job.

I’ve realized with my dad’s death to rethink my priorities. It’s sad that it takes an event like this to push us to evaluate what is the most important. I find myself pondering what are my true passions? What makes me happy? What is best for my family? How can I both do and be better? It also makes me think of the simple things like taking more pictures. During making arrangements with my family for my dad’s funeral, putting together a memorial slide show, that I had very few pictures of my dad and I and no pictures of the girls and my dad. I was very sad when we chose the photos to put in, but Chip came to my rescue and looked through many old photos to find a few with me and dad. Luckily, there are some pictures of dad and the boys, even though in the pictures you can see that he didn’t feel well. I now am painfully aware of how important these simple things are. I also will try harder to tell those I love that I love them and show that better with my actions, despite being really hormonal after having the boys.

I went for my last check with my OB doctor and have been “cleared” as healing well after the delivery. There is still quite a big bruise on my belly. It looks much better than a month ago though. Good news for sure but he also reminded me that it will be probably a year before my body is completely recovered. It’s surprising because it seems like 7 weeks is so long ago, that I should be back to normal now. It’s easy to forget how much harder it is to recover from both a c-section and a multiple birth. The whole experience of the pregnancy and the birth has been surreal to say the least. I have mixed feelings when I reflect on it and it is noticeable in my emotions. Love, frustration, pain, happiness, relief and a little sad that it’s over. I am fighting some postpartum depression, but am also aware that I need to take care of myself and am taking appropriate action. Some people around me may disagree with me but all is OK for the time being.

Other than that, the other news is that I will need to go back to work on 11/9/07. I’m a little sad about that, but am grateful, no very thankful, that both Chip and I work from home. It is the best possible scenario that we could have with these little guys. Sounds like so far work is pretty flexible. Time will tell how it will be since our team has gained another market manager which is good! Not sure how much I’ll be able to travel so that will be a factor. We’ll see what the future holds.