{Post 1,725} Time Has Flown

So much has happened this past week in our family that it seems like at least a month’s worth of events. I’ll just start a week ago. Timmy (6) and I drove 8 hours down to South Georgia on Tuesday to take care of my eldest’s three children while his wife had a C-section. The newborn (born Thursday) was immediately sent to an NICU in another hospital for breathing problems. He is still there, and is 4 days old. Just found out he will be there 3 more days at least. My second born had a baby boy yesterday as well. She is Timmy’s mom and lives a few minutes from us (at home, not here). She and baby are home recuperating.

We hit the ground running. I am glad we came a couple weeks ago to see the lay of the land here. I came armed with a detailed meal schedule and every single food ingredient I would need to make them. I even brought some of my own pots and pans (and my trusty Instant Pot). Forewarned is forearmed! The kids have loved the meals and are not picky eaters, thankfully.

Timmy got very sick Friday AM. He started vomiting early in the day and could not keep down one sip of water or one bite of food all day and through the early afternoon on Saturday. I thought it would blow over, but he started getting listless and really weak. He was up at least once an hour though the night screaming that his stomach hurt, and he was dry heaving. That is so unlike him. I decided he needed to be seen by a doctor. I called my DIL and asked her if she could get someone to come stay with her 3 boys. The woman who came suggested I go to the hospital where she works about 25 minutes away. He was given anti-nausea medication and slept most of the time there. I was so pleased with our caregivers. I worked as an RN when I was first married, and I am usually not pleased with medical personnel. 

I will now make a long story short (maybe for the first time ever). Timmy and I are very close. I was an emotional wreck the whole time we were at the hospital. Then the doc there decided he needed to go to another hospital in case he needed surgery...by ambulance...without me...YIKES! He slept the whole way and never realized I wasn’t there. Long story short, he was given an anti-nausea med at the first hospital. His abdomen was very painful all over. By the time we reached hospital #2, he had no pain and was drinking Powerade shortly after our arrival. We stayed a couple hours to make sure he could keep fluids down, and he could. I was so grateful!! We are both exhausted (most likely from the all-nighter Saturday AM). We are still pooped.

Here are a couple of pics of him at the hospital. In order...first arriving, after being examined, and at second hospital.

Here he is today, playing with his three cousins outside (only two are pictured behind him...watching them is about as easy as herding cats)...

Lastly, one of the time-fillers I brought was 18 new-to-me men’s shirts to debone. For some reason, I put off doing that. I did that my second night here. I cut out a 14” square out of each of them for a scrappy quilt I saw on Karen Brown’s “Just Get It Done” quilt channel on YouTube. It is on the “What to do with ugly fabric” video. I am not sure I like the blocks, but here are 16 of them. They are not trimmed in the picture, but will be 12-1/2” square when I do (I did not bring my 12-1/2” ruler, and that will make it so much faster and more accurate). I made a pile of the inside of the collars and cuffs when I was deboning them as well.

Here are the 31 Rail Fence blocks I got out of the small bits of the shirts. These measure 6” square. I think I cut up the yoke of the bright orange shirt, because there is an abnormally large proportion of that one. This isn’t even 1/4 of the quilt I want to make, so there will be many other fabrics participating. I think this is quite the accomplishment since it was done while chasing around 4 littles, doing all diapers, baths, meals, hospital run, etc., etc., etc.

Again, that orange is screaming, but will be toned down with the addition of other eye-catching colors later. 

The 4 amigos have been playing well for a long time now, and that will probably end soon. Better run for now!