Jakes Work Christmas Party

December 3rd, 2019

Spencer came to the house to babysit the kids while Jake and I went to his work Christmas party. 

I drove downtown after Spencer got to the house, and Jake and Kevin met me in the parking lot. 

It was about a ten minute walk to the place where the party was being held. 

We sat down with some of his co-workers and chatted for a bit before dinner was served. The food was really good. It took me a bit of courage to get up and get seconds before the food was put away. 

Then they did a Christmas game (one of those stories where you pass left or right) with just the people who worked their and Jake came home with some gift (I don't remember). Oh maybe it was an Echo or something like that, in fact I think we ended up gifting it to Josh for Christmas. 

It was a lot of fun, and I am glad we got to go. 

Alyssa's Finger Infection

So sometime during the first week of November I cut myself on a butter knife. It had a little piece on the handle that had a sharp edge and I cut my finger on it. We bandaged it up and I went on with life. On Nov 8th I took the first picture of my finger documenting that it was getting infected. It hurt a lot.

The infection just kept growing. Eventually we called teledoc and they prescribed me some antibiotics,  Which I took. I went to the InstaCare two days later, because the infection was growing and spreading and it was hurting. The nurse at the InstaCare couldn't believe that I would come in after getting antibiotics just a couple days ago. The dr had no clue what it was. And refereed me to a hand surgeon just in case. She also told me to soak my finger in Epsom Salt. So I did. 5 days after my InstaCare visit I went to see the hand surgeon. I begged Jake to come with me. We found ourselves at the center for breast health, which is where they do breast surgeries. So the surgeons just have their other patients come there too.  I so really scared. I thought they were gonna have to do some cutting on my finger. But the Physicians Assistant (PA) came in and looked at my finger and then came back with the dr who confirmed his diagnosis as Herpetic Whitlow. Which is an infection created by the herpes simplex virus. The infection produces a painful wound called a whitlow on the fingers. From start to finish it took about a month. I was told to email the dr a picture at Thanksgiving (which was a week away), but by then I could see the improvement and didn't bother. The dr was rude, I was shocked, and he basically was like...yep, its this, deal with and tried to leave, but I was able to ask him a couple questions which amounted to him telling me there wasn't anything for me to do but wait. So now me, Sydney, and Lizzy all have herpes. The pustules turned to blood pools under my skin, and only a little leakage from the biggest area (where my initial cut was) had any leakage. At the end it was like where all the infection was turned to a scab, and then fell off. When the biggest area fell off it was like I lost 3 layers of skin. And even now as the skin grows back, my finger still hurts when touching certain things or doing things that didn't use to hurt (like opening stubborn jar lids).

November 8th

 November 9th

 November 10th

 November 14th

November 15th. 

November 23rd. The pus turned to blood pools under my skin. But no leakage.

 December 3rd.

 December 4th.

Elizabeth Turned 5!

(I am writing this post late. I know you turned 5 in October, sorry baby).

My Dearest Elizabeth,

You are now 5! How the years have past this quickly I will never know.

You are growing more and more beautiful every day.

You are growing in more ways than one, you know how to sing your ABC's and love to show it off. You also can count in order up to 12. And you can now recognize up to the number 5 (although we are working on all the way up to 10). You love preschool and doing online Upstart Preschool. Daddy is concerned about the progress you are making though, so I am trying to do more with you at home. I bought some learning aids and we have been doing flash cards in the car while we drive. We also have preschool workbooks that (especially when I have Sydney doing her workbooks) you love to do. Your handwriting is really starting to get good.

You love to dance and sing. Whenever i put on music on the TV you want to sing and dance to you run and grab the broom and sweep the stuff out of the center of the living room floor. It is so cute and funny.

You are becoming such the artist. You love to just sit with paper, crayons, and scissors for hours.

You also love to read. You can pull out books and look through them for awhile.

You have such a quite nature. I often will find you playing peacefully by yourself. You are so content then. Not that you don't love playing with Sydney or even William (especially when you are all getting along, which these days seems far to infrequent, but...), but you love to be able to play by yourself.

You love to dress yourself, and ask me at least once or twice a day if you can go change your clothes. And I always answer yes. Who am I to stand in your way of figuring out what you like to wear. (Although it would be fantastic if I could get you to wear jeans on any sort of regular basis. Even when I beg you or say that I need you to wear jeans because were doing something that requires a little bit of protection you still fight me on it).

You love to brush your own hair. But lately you refuse to let me done anything with it. Although on rare occasions, or if its a special occasion I can get you to let me do something with it.

We started playing with "play-dough kit" items. I. E. animals and rocks and beads and noodles in the play-dough and you guys are loving it. I think everyday for the past month we have.

Daddy and I are so proud of the person you are becoming. Responsible and helpful. And I can't wait (although with apprehension because of the world we are living in and the trouble I fear is coming and also because I don't want you to get bigger. I love this stage of life you are in.) to see you grow and to see who you become.

Love,
Mommy


Stats: October 30th, 2019:
Height: 42.2 Inches (45th Percentile)
Weight 40 pounds (53rd Percentile)

I was trying to photograph you new silver caps on the teeth that had cavity work done.