Not So Exciting Happy New Year

What an exciting 5 days we've had since the last time I wrote. NOT.

New year's eve, Mark and I were here by ourselves. Ashley and Cora went to Krista and Steve's for the night. We ordered Chinese food, watched a movie, that we had to stop because we were both falling asleep, and proceeded to konk out on the sofas. At 12:06am, Krista called to wish us a happy new year. I had no clue what day or time it was when I woke up to the phone ringing. LOL, how lame is that. In our defense, I'd like to mention, one of the reasons we stayed in this year was because I had a bad cold and couldn't imagine going out in the condition I was in. And, as it turned out, while staying at home on new year's eve, Mark began getting stuffed up and not feeling well, all over again. If you remember, he had been sick prior to Christmas. We did nothing on New Year's Day and on Friday, Mark was so sick, he spent the entire day in bed. I haven't seen him feeling so poorly in years. By Saturday, he was feeling better but had, and continues to, even as I write this, entirely lost his sense of taste and smell. He did a little food shopping but it's been kind of pointless to cook any kind of nice meals, since he can't taste it. So, we've been kind of junk fooding it for the past few days, LOL.

Saturday I had planned that I was going to take down all the Christmas decorations around the house and take the tree down on Sunday. For most of the day, I felt like I couldn't catch my breath or that I couldn't breathe right. My heart was constantly racing and the back of my neck kept getting little hot flashes. In the past, I've had episodes like this that I related to anxiety, but in this instance, I had no idea what I could be anxious about. Every time I attempted to start the clean up, I'd end up laying down or convincing myself to do it later. At one point in the late afternoon, I felt thirsty and got myself a big glass of water. It was then that I realized, I had not had a single thing to drink in two days, besides a cup of coffee and that I was dehydrated. How that happened, I have no idea but as soon as I started drinking, it was like someone turned a switch on and I started feeling better immediately. It was amazing. My energy level zoomed and for the rest of the evening, I took down and packed up decorations, dusted and put boxes away. Who knows, maybe those times in the past that I thought I was having an anxiety attack, was really just needing a glass of water, LOLOL.

So the tree came down yesterday. I'm always sad to take it down but so glad once it's done. My friend Wendy, on the day that she took her tree down, wrote on her Facebook that she felt "accomplished," and I have to agree. Sitting here now, looking around at the house, I feel such a sense of accomplishment knowing that everything is put away, the house is cleaned and it doesn't feel like the walls are closing in on me. Now I just live in everyday clutter instead of holiday clutter, LOL.

Well Erika is officially overdue now. Her due date was on the 4th and the baby is still showing no signs of making its way into the world. We Persson women seem to have this pattern of babies coming later than their due dates so this doesn't surprise me at all. I just hope, unlike both her sisters, that Erika will NOT have to be induced. My guess in the baby pool is that she will have the baby on the 7th, which is only two days away. So baby, come on, start packing your bags and get ready for the big move to your new home. Okay, here's a little tid bit of information that I read just the other day. Most women think they can do things to get labor started like, drinking Castor oil or walking or eating spicy foods. Researchers have found that although a woman may go into labor after trying one of those methods, it's usually just coincidence. This article I read said they now believe that there is a chemical in the baby's brain that is released into the mother's bloodstream that actually begins the contractions and labor process. It said that it was long believed that the baby itself, somehow began the labor but until now, it was not known how. Pretty interesting isn't it?

Erika has another ultrasound to check the baby's kidney and dr. appointment again tomorrow. I'll keep you all posted on how that goes. I ask that you please say a prayer that baby Bales' kidney obstruction will be healed and that Erika will have an easy and uncomplicated labor and delivery when the time comes.

Thank you all who have emailed me to let me know you are praying for Erika, Scott and the baby. We really appreciate your love and friendship.

Hope you all had a great start to the new year.

Love, Janice