A Diagnosis

Sorry to keep you waiting friends. Things have been busy.  
Andrew went to a new urologist last Thursday.  The urologist said to Andrew, “It’s not cancer, but it’s not good” before “diagnosing” Andrew with Interstitial Cystitis.  Also known as IC, and what I will be calling it.   It is a complex, chronic bladder disorder.  It is permanent and there is no cure.  The cause is unknown but this particular Dr looked at Andrew’s history and thinks his severe dehydration from when he was sick vomiting and such may have caused the permanent damage to his bladder.  IC is more common in woman,  and out of all the people with the illness, about 10% are men.

Interstitial cystitis (IC), also known as bladder pain syndrome, painful bladder syndrome or hypersensitive bladder syndrome. The symptoms can vary greatly between individuals and even for the same person throughout the month, including an urgent need to urinate, a frequent need to urinate  and, for some, pressure and/or pelvic pain. Pain levels can range from mild tenderness to intense, agonizing pain. Andrew can always feel it but sometimes the flares are really bad and other times the pain is very manageable.  His pain was not tolerable for a few weeks, including when he was in the hospital. Pain occurring after urination may relate to pelvic floor tension and/or muscle spasms. Pain may also radiate to the lower back, upper legs, vulva and penis.  During flares, patients may also experience the “IC Belly,” a sudden and random swelling of the lower abdomen which Andrew has had. He couldn't even button his pants even though he lost 20 pounds.

Some of the info above is from here

Andrew doesn’t think this is related, but the VERY first time I met Andrew he had to go to the bathroom suddenly. It was at his brother’s wedding and I saw him run out of the function room during his dad’s LONG toast.  I later found out he went to use the toilet.  Then, fast forward 9 moths and I was on my first date with Andrew. We had each had a couple beers and were talking and all of a sudden he said “I need to go to the toilet” (By the way, saying Going to the toilet in NZ is normal…whereas here we would say rest room or bathroom).  I thought it was weird he said toilet instead, but I also thought it was weird he literally jumped up and ran to the bathroom.  IN the next few weeks I kept joking about that, and how it wasn’t normal to have to go so suddenly. I actually straight up said "I think you have bladder issues. Were you a bed wetter?" lol- ya, I was barely dating him! I sure know the way to get a guy to like me!
 He told me it only happens when he drinks alcohol.  IT has been almost 7 years since that first date, and I can say that Is true.  When he drinks, he has to go urgently.  It is the reason he doesn’t like to drink at big crowded events.  Here is another fact- Andrew doesn’t really drink water. IT drives me CRAZY! I drink TONS of water all day. He drinks very little.  I think he is actually dehydrated a lot more than we know of.   SO- maybe the urgency to go isn’t related to alcohol but just the fact that he never sits down and drinks 3 glasses of water in a row like he would beers…or more. Its more the AMOUNT of fluids that make him go suddenly, not WHAT the liquids are.

Anyway, that is a theory of mine- that maybe this has been coming for a long time…but he doesn’t agree with me.
The problem now,  is Finding a treatment plan that works.  The treatments vary for people.  So far, the doctor gave him scripts for MORE pain medicines, anti-inflammatory pills and anti-depressants. He really hasn’t taken any meds yet,  because he doesn’t like the side effects listed.   Another thing the dr mentioned,  and we have researched it, is elimination diets. Eliminating acidic foods that can upset the bladder more may help with the pain. SO, basically lots of Andrew’s favorite things- coffee, chocolate and lots of fruits should be cut out.  He is already a very skinny guy- so taking away his favorite things is tough, but better than pain. 
From what we understand, the only way to confirm this diagnosis is by doing a biopsy of his bladder, BUT a biopsy can also REALLY irritate the bladder more…so it’s not something to rush into. 

Another theory I have...The dr said this may have been made worse or even "caused" (I dont know exact wording because I was not there and I am going by what Andrew told me) by Andrew's severe hydration when sick. Here is the thing- Andrew has been dehydrated a lot in his life. Well, a lot by my standards. He doesn't drink a lot of water ever, and he has been dehydrated from illness before. I wonder if each time he has been dehydrated, it has added to this...and now we have reached the breaking point? From what I understand, the bladder wall is very inflamed from irritation...almost like a burn.

Andrew left the dr Thursday and went home to start researching.  He found  a lot of the bad case scenarios. Scary stats like 90% of people with IC can’t hold a job. Or that 50% of people with IC lose their marriages. It is hard because it’s not something people can see and it’s not common, so people don’t understand it.  Andrew was very emotional about it.  Thursday and Friday were just hard. At one point Andrew said he wanted to move back to NZ so he could be around people who love him.  I admit, I wasn’t being the best at support system,  because I was still processing and learning too.

I am just so happy Andrew has Anika to make him smile and to keep him positive.  He is facing a really poor quality of life right now, and that is very upsetting! I get that.
On Friday morning, it was rough in our house as I was trying to get out the door. I could sense that Andrew was crying after a discussion about him being sick...he had also gotten really upset with me because I don’t seem to care. He was basically telling me I was not giving him the support he needed. When I realized how upset he was, I had him sit down next to me. The second I saw a tear drip down his face, I started to cry. It is so painful to see. We were both emotional and he was upset…THEN, Anika walked over And just started DANCING, Laughing and clapping…looking at us with her huge grin and giggles. She was trying to get us to laugh…and we both did. Shakin her booty! The best part- SHE usually will NEVER clap for me. She claps with her little friends all the time, but usually not for me. That little stinker…I ended up leaving Anika with Andrew for the morning because he needed that purpose…and she gives it to him. She loves her daddy so. She will mimic words he says, but wont for me. She always brings over this ONE book for him to read to her because he makes all the great sounds and she loves it. He hid the book on Friday, and SHE FOUND it and brought it to him to read. I think seeing her love for him is what makes him being sick even harder than just because he is my husband.  I hate the thought of him not being able to do all the things with her he loves to do. 

He will be seeing more doctors and hopefully we can find a treatment plan that allows Andrew to go back to work and live a fulfilling life without being in chronic pain all the time.

I ask that if you know anyone with IC, you let me know.  I would love to learn more. I feel like Andrew is finding a lot of negative things online and we need to find positive stories.  HE is even looking into holistic approaches.  He read that colostrum has worked for some people with IC. Obviously, Colostrum from a human would be hard to obtain, but they do sell cow colostrum. 

Andrew’s dad said it best- Thank God it is not in Andrew’s nature to pity himself and to get down in the dumps over things.  He is such a positive person, so I truly believe after the initial shock and upset wears off, he will be able to start fighting this…or at least trying to find the best treatment for HIM! Depression is a huge issue with this disease and I pray that Andrew doesn’t fall into it.

If you watched the video in my last post- did you see Andrew’s reflection in the tv?? That was on Saturday morning. He was obviously having a good morning and we just need LOTS more mornings and days like that!
And holy crap, Anika turned 11 months old!   That girl will get a post about her last month all to herself! Hopefully tomorrow!  Because, dang, that girl has been up to a lot!  She is one active little toddler learning and saying more every day

I mean- look at how much this girl loves her daddy?

BUT, she sleeps like her mama. I used to sleep with my butt up like that...and even like that pose in current day :) 

Ill be back soon. I wanted to write this post last week because I had a lot more emotional feelings I wanted to record about the whole thing.  It is scary. Andrew's employment is up in the air.  OUR WHOLE future is up in the air. If Andrew cant do the same work, we really cant afford a 2nd child. That breaks my heart.

Thanks for the prayers and thoughts.

UPDATES...again.

WELL, Andrew is still in the hospital!!

He had a cortisone shot epidural and it didn't touch the pain. So, the herniated disc is not causing the pelvic pain.  He is being discharged today. They are having him go right to the primary doctor across the street so he can get that doctor up to speed, and so he will be able to prescribe pain medicine and we can "manage the pain at home".  Also, the pcp will be the dr to refer us for 2nd opinions.  I hate to be negative, but the pain meds they are giving him for home are not like what he has been getting in the hospital, so I'm not optimistic that we will be able to manage much at home.  The hospital is saying studies show managing pain at home is better for patients.  I told the hospitalist that I know we will just be in another hospital soon. He said his recommendation is to keep him out of the hospital because he just gets frustrated there. REally? You dont think he will be frustrated at home?
He is currently at Concord Hospital. I didnt write the name before out of our privacy, but at this point, I  want people to know. The doctors prefer text book cases and Andrew is not text book, so they are just throwing their arms up.  I believe the hospitalist still thinks it a urology issue, but the urologists in Concord have washed their hands of if. 
Yesterday they talked about having a psych evaluation but I dont think that ever happened. They also stopped his pain meds and only gave him Tylenol and he ended up in tears. YES, my grown ass husband- who I have almost never seen cry.  THIS hurts my heart.
I guess I will see what the primary is willing to do.  IF he wont refer him right away, then I might just bring him in through the ER at either Dartmouth or B.I in Boston.  I am getting all his records today so I will have those on hand.

This was one of the days we went to visit dada.
By the way, I have been so caught up in Andrew that I forgot to tell you that Anika has been calling me Mum Mum. She also loves to say Uh oh. She drops things all the time and says "Uh Oh"  She also points and says dada when we walk by the hall of photos at our house. There are pictures of Andrew but also I think it is because he always stops and shows her all the pictures and points to who people are. She went to a parent teacher conference with Miss B the other day (For Miss B's son) and she sat in Miss b's lap eating her blueberries and when she dropped the cover she said "Uh oh" and miss b said she was showing off putting on quite a show.
She has been Such a sweetie pie lately. Just melts my cold heart. hahaha 

These are all Iphone photos. Oh yes, I jumped over to the dark side. My blackberry was shitting the bed and it needed to be restarted SEVERAL times a day.  When I went to verizon to look at my options, an Iphone came up and I could get it for $100 so I just got it. I still cant really use it and I hate the touch pad still. I miss a keyboard.  Also it is different with emails and how that all works.  People say I will love it soon.  We had to wait FOREVER at Verizon as well.  Anika just ran around the store and I just followed her around.  I also brought a book and kept reading that.  There was another Little boy there (2 years old) and his mother kept yelling his first and middle name and yelling at him. Like "Brandon Michal- GET OVER here NOW!"  I was so happy that I had the patience to deal with Anika in JUST the way I wanted to.  In fact, I even told Andrew when we got to the hospital that I used to look at some parents and think "WOW, that is exactly the calm, soft spoken mom I want to be" and voila. That was totally me that day.

I was so proud of it because I really try to do positive discipline with Anika. So, when she was just playing at the store well, I kept telling her and kissing her and saying "Anika, you are such a good girl. I really appreciate how patient you are being. I am so proud of you"  AND, having books and toys there in my purse was KEY!
Lets fast forward a few days. I had to go BACK to Verizon because they gave me the "courtesy" option to put the iphone and accessories all on my next bill instead of paying then. I said sure. Then I got my bill and the surcharges and fees were up by FORTY percent. So I assumed that they taxed the additional costs of the phone and such.   There is NO sales tax in NH by the way, so I never pay tax on goods. Come to find out- they didn't. THe government mandates the surcharge fees and they did go up! But it went up by a lot for me also because We had $80 in overage charges! We NEVER go over.  I tried disputing the whole thing and I got no where.  We had to wait for 40 minutes on Sunday in the store and this time Anika had 2 Tantrums. Back arching and screaming when I took the boxes away she picked up off the shelves. I gave her my box and I tried reading to her. it worked a few times but she was done.   Finally, someone called my name to help me at customer service and Anika was over it.  A Stranger came over and said "Hi, do you want me to read to her or walk around with her while you talk to customer service?" I looked at her and she looked like a girl from one of my mom groups, but she wasn't and I knew that.  She seemed nice. At this point I had given Anika my wallet to shut her up and she was pulling all the cards and check book out. I didn't even care because it was keeping her quiet.  I remember very distinctly a few years ago being at my friend's house and the contents of her wallet were all over the floor. I was horrified. She told me her son did it. I was like- oh hell no. I'm too anal. I would be pissed if my kid disorganized my wallet and I wouldn't let it happen.  OH yes, foot in mouth. Granted I would NEVER allow her do it at home but in a public crowded store to keep her still and quiet, I sure did.  The stranger was trying to help....and I eventually just handed her a screaming Anika and turned around and went back to talking to customer service. I was also returning a car charger because I thought they charged too much for it. lol.  When I was all done and got nowhere, I turned around looking for Anika. OH SHIT. WHERE WAS SHE?  The stranger's boyfriend looked at me and said "They are over looking at the Ipads" And i said oh, phew, I thought she took her and the boyfriend said laughing "Oh no, I wouldn't let that happen" haha.

ANika just needed some entertainment and I thanked the girl so much. I still cant believe I did that. Haha.  AND, there was a very made up heavily perfumed older lady who had come over to help before that.  I mean, ANika wasn't being loud- she just wouldn't sit still. ANd, I bet it was all over me that I was a mess. Driving back and forth to the hospital every day, caring for an active little girl, and trying to keep my life together...it puts a toll on me.  I stress a lot about money and Andrew not being able to work.  LET ME SAY, THANK GOD for savings.  THIS is one of those times, Im SOOo happy Andrew doesn't like to spend money.  I mean, its not taking a huge hit yet, but I think it will if he continues to be the way he is.   And the medical bills- I cant even think about those right now.

So, ANika- THis is the problem with a young walker- they don't understand consequences...or bribes yet.   I left that store sweaty and near tears because of getting no where with Verizon and then about to head to the hospital.

This is just a picture I took out my sky light bedroom window of the full moon. haha. IT doesn't really make sense in this post.

Kale chips I love to make with coconut oil. SO healthy and delicious. Coconut oil is SOO healthy and has so many wonderful purposes.  AND making kale chips is super easy. I dont even take off the stems.

Anika visiting dada

 She loves to escape his room and run down the halls. Luckily he is in the orthopedic section so people are not sick. Also that floor is really quite empty! She just does laps around the wing.  I have to let her to burn energy. Luckily she doesn't touch too much.

My friends went and visited Andrew last Friday. They brought him that big balloon that says "I love you" ...I wonder what the nurses thought when I got there as the wife! lol. My friend K and C (and C brought her 14 week old son) all visited ANdrew for 3 hours. ANd brought him TONS of goodies. When I got there Friday night, his spirits were SOO high.  He even told me he had no idea that visitors could distract him from his pain so much.  It was so nice to see him happy. Also on Friday we THOUGHT we had some answers, but come to find out- we dont.

Saturday, I had a ski race. I almost had to miss another one, but my parents finally got back and my dad rode up to the mountain (1.5 hours north) with me and my friend I race with. We took Andrew's truck.   My dad cant watch Anika alone at the house, but said he would watch her while I took my runs. He is a wonderful grandfather and loves to be around Anika,  but he has probably never changed a diaper in his life.  He does more with kids when they get older, but he loves to have Anika with him...as long as my mom or me are around to help! haha  My mom had a race with my niece at another mountain so she couldn't watch Anika.  I brought the sled for him to pull her around.

He said people kept stopping them to talk to Anika. When I got ready to head out, my dad said "What if she poops? If she poops, Im calling 911"

LOL. Luckily she didn't poop....and he probably wouldn't have even known if she did!

She was admiring her Mum Mum who got FIRST Place!

It was nice to race and let some of my frustrations out. We only stayed for my run and were back home by noon. Anika and I went to the dump and did some laundry and then went down to see Dada.

And, I'm off to pick Andrew up. I Just got off the phone with the hospital social services!
This is such a friggen mess and so upsetting.
Ill keep you posted.

WHAT a way to spend Valentine's Day, huh?

TWO Big Things: Andrew update and FRIENDS!

(Added after I wrote this post. This post covers 2 important things and I got off track and started on the 2nd topic and then made my way back to the 1st topic. You will see!)

Andrew is STILL in the hospital.

He called me around 1 PM yesterday telling me he was going to be discharged. I told him I would be right down. I had been down to see him the night before and he was not well, so I knew he should not be discharged. Even with morphine and lots of other meds, it only took the edge off! Also, the meds make him act intoxicated. I brought Anika to see him and it was just hard with her. And he gets so short with me.

I left work. After hopping in the car, I called my friend C. I have been talking to her daily about all of this and she has been a HUGE support! She is such a logical thinker :)  I wanted her to look up the difference between MRI’s and CT/Cat Scans and email me the information, so I could review it before going into the hospital to deal with Andrew’s doctor. A few people had mentioned an MRI to me and I got to thinking that I would request one, but I needed to know what I was talking about first. Andrew already had one ct scan during his first ER visit and a 2nd ct scan on this visit. Both came back fine.

 C didn't didn’t answer the phone. I called another friend, L who has also reached out to me several times to help with all of this mess. I want to say here, that there are friends who say they will help in these situations, and then there are friends WHO DO HELP. L and C are both Doers. They are both real friends. C lives half way across the country and has been a HUGE support via phone, email and text through all of this. L lives close and she has her own baby and juggles working, baby and dogs, etc. She also had offered to help in many ways.

L searched the web and sent me the info (I didn’t see any of the emails until I got to the hospital which is 50 minutes away)  C ended up calling me back and I told her why I had called, so I had her still pull info and email it as well. I am glad, because they BOTH sent me different info and I was able to use it all! My gram also called while I was driving about some lunch plans we had made for Friday (today). I told her I couldn’t go because I had no idea what Friday would hold and if Im not at the hospital, I should be at work…and then I just cried to her. She is 85 years old and offered to pick Anika up at Miss B’s for me and help out. The thing is, I LOVE my Gram, but she wouldn’t even know how to use a modern day car seat! She offered to come meet me and drive down to Boston with me to bring Andrew to a hospital in Boston. At that point, that was my plan: To bring him to Boston, but I also needed to get Anika at some point, so I had not worked out the logistics of that yet. I saw a text from Natalie wheN I stopped to get gas, so when I got back in the car, I called her.

I want to take a moment to epxlain THIS friend, N. A couple months ago I was invited into a private on line group for moms (and even moms to be) by Brittany. A blog friend who by the way just opened her own photography business

YOU CAN SEE HER First series of MOMS BF'ing in Public HERE. I became “Friends” with Brittany when I was pregnant. She lives in Boise. The mom group is a bunch of moms from all over the country that believe in natural parenting and living. Some are more “hardcore” than others. Some are pregnant and don’t have kids yet. MANY of the moms know each other in real life. A majority of the group lives in CA. IT is a place for like -minded moms to post questions without any judgment. There are currently 111 women in this group and I’ve never seen any fights or catty behavior like I heard exists in other online groups. I have no idea, because this is the first online group I’ve been part of.

 

There is one member in the group who had a natural homebirth right when I got into the group. Since the birth, she has experienced EVERY difficulty possible with breastfeeding. EVERY obstacle you can think of. I dont want to get into specifics because of her privacy.  Also, her partner left after the birth of her beautiful daughter, so she is doing this ALL alone. He is not helping out in ANY Way. About a month ago she mentioned how she was not eligible for ANY assistance. She was soon going back to work full time and would have to pay her mortgage (alone), pay daycare (alone) and everything else related to her baby. Here she was- trying to make an honest living and support herself and her daughter, and she couldn’t get any assistance unless she left her job and took a lesser paying one...or didn't work at all! This touched my heart. I know a lot of people who don’t make this effort, and get a lot of help. It is not fair. I Know people who choose to stay home and get assistance, but this hard working mom cant?! That is effed up.  Here she is using cloth diapers and breast feeding (both save money).  She also mentioned several times how she wanted an Ergo baby carrier when other moms posted wearing their babies in them.  I have one and they are about $110 brand new. I wanted to surprise her with one SOO badly. To let her know I was proud of her and I appreciated her efforts to support her family. I see too many people who abuse the system and don’t do this.

I talked to Andrew (this was when he was still working and pre health issues) and he didn’t go for US buying her one, but he said I should ask other HM’s to go in on it. I took a chance and texted Natalie. She had given me her number a while before, but I didn’t really think I would text her! I texted asking her if she thought the other moms would donate towards the ergo. It took her a while to respond, but she finally did and she said it was a great idea. We got started on the logistics of sending out a message (actually it had to be several message) without the recipient girl knowing. I figured out how to get donations on paypal, etc. Once Natalie sent the messages out (I wanted her to because she knows a lot of the group members in real life and I was still new to the group and know NONE of the girls in real life). The donations started rolling in. We only needed $120 to cover the ergo and shipping and we raised almost $400 in the first DAY! I was busy with work that day, so Natalie took over a lot of the administrative issues dealing with all the other moms.

Once we were able to order the ergo, we started thinking of other moms in the group-either in need or having  a hard time. Gifts and gift cards were sent. Since then, we have raised money for other people in the group. I think just this week, one mom about to have her 2nd baby, is getting a doula paid for by the HM’s.

 

Through working with Natalie on these secret missions, we became closer. Other moms have now sent in ideas, and now the whole group is on giving missions! It is amazing, truly. It is SUCH a special group to be part of! N texts me a lot and we have even talked on the phone a few times. While I was driving, things were going through my head about how scared I am if Andrew can’t go back to work because of this health issue…and what if we run out of savings…I can’t pay for everything on my salary! The fears are endless! He can’t even really play with Anika right now! THIS alone, would break his heart, and IM afraid he wouldn’t want to live that way. I had a full out breakdown in my car. I keep taking time off from work and granted, I am using PTO time NOW, but It will run out if this continues! After talking to L, C, and N on my ride down, I cheered up a bit. YES, I am in a shitty situation, but WOW- Do I have some great friends! Friends who know me in real life, and Friends I HAVE NEVER MET! My “Imaginary” friends are just as much my friends as well. AND, That extends to THIS BLOG- and the imaginary friends I have through blogging. The emails, comments, texts and tweets-letting me know you are thinking of us and praying for us- THOSE HELP. They make me smile in a shitty situation when I am scared. You guys throw ideas at me and they help. I have looked into the possibilities you have thrown at me. Most of you know Andrew is not a fan of this “Imaginary” life, but I think he gets it now. I mean, sure he thinks I have Plenty of great in real life friends so can’t imagine why I would need “imaginary” ones, but I think he is starting to get it.

I also want to note that I have two other friends that live around here who have helped me watch Anika and I appreciate their support as well. I also have a “friend” who turned down watching Anika one morning because it was “too early for her to get out of bed” This friend is Great with Anika and with kids, but she does not have her own kids. Fine, I get her sleeping in time is valuable to her, but I also reached out to her to go visit Andrew in the hospital while I am at work and she hasn’t responded. In fact, she doesn’t respond to a lot of my calls or texts. That stings. (UPDATE – ANDREW JUST called and said she called HIM and is going to visit him! So, I Take back saying that, but she still doesnt respond a lot of times). I have tried not to ask my friends with kids to help because I get it- life is busy with kids. But, for SOME of my local friends who don’t have kids, I just wish they would show a bit more support- even if it just means going to visit him!  No one has visited him except me! Andrew’s brother is out west for the week, so even he hasn’t been around to visit him.

Anyway, I JUST want you ALL TO KNOW, THANK YOU. I appreciate your friendships- IRL and Imaginary. I am ONE LUCKY LADY To have all of you, I really am.

I also just want to make a note on my friend L. She is the older sister of my high school boyfriend. I was with him in HS and into college. I no longer speak to him, but THROUGH him, I met her. We even lived together in my tiny Boston apartment the semester after I got back from New Zealand. She was married at the time but lived down there during the week while she went to school! It took me MANY years to get over her brother,  and in a way, I probably never fully will (This is embarrassing because L reads this),  but IF it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have L in m life! We both moved back to NH after college and we both struggled leaving the city, but our husbands love it up here. We both struggled career wise up here. We both bought houses like 20 minutes from each other. She encouraged me to rescue Piri! We were also pregnant at the same time! I KNOW that her brother was in my life FOR MANY reasons (He taught me a lot about myself) but I think the main reason was to bring us together, because now I have HER and we won’t have a breakup! Haha

BACK TO THE ANDREW UPDATE, Sorry for the side track, but I REALLY have been wanting to POST about friends, and what better time?

OK, so I went down to the hospital and when I walked in his room, he was in his clothes and leaning over his bed in pain. I asked the LNA (a nurse assistant) to gather all his records, CT images, and we would not be leaving until we had all of that in our hands, so I could take him to another hospital. I WAS serious and I meant business.

The LNA also whispered to me that there was a number I could call to dispute the discharge. Andrew had already signed all the papers, but I argued he was not competent to do so. He is on HEAVY pain medicines and when the medicines wear off, the pain is so intense, he is irrational. He had already had 2 CT scans but people (friends, family and moms on HM’s) kept asking me about MRI's. I had looked over the stuff L and C sent me, on my way into the hospital, and one of the links had something about a herniated disc. Many symptoms sounded like it. I even forwarded to Andrew to read when he could. When I was in his room, I saw a reflection of myself in the room mirror and I was red in the face and red in the eyes from my meltdown. Ugh, I needed to get my shit together to be taken seriously.

The LNA (male) hung around and seemed to really like Andrew. I asked Andrew if he had any discharge papers, but I guess he had turned them in, but I read over the parts he got to keep. I had to fish them out of his bag.  There was no number. The RN came in and I was reading over the papers. I was also filling out the record release form by then. The RN said she called the doctor and he would be back since Andrew had asked for a note from him...and it was obvious that he was crippled with pain. He couldnt even talk in full sentences!

 Apparently the dr told him he was ok to go back to work, so Andrew asked for a note or something (before I got there).  HE COULDN’T EVEN STAND UP. The drugs he was on earlier were obviously wearing off. We waited (I thought we were waiting for records).


Finally, the dr who discharged him came back with a slew of other people (one being his supervisor I THINK). I told them we wanted an MRI. The "team" thought that was a good idea.  It was mentioned at one point that a back dics may have slipped and could be pinching a nerve causing all the pain in the front (pelvic/groin area). The hospitalist didn't think it was possible though, and kept sending urologists to see him. The hospitalist did say he just didn't know what was going on and it didnt make sense! Well, then GET specialists in here! Many prostate exams showed nothing wrong. Also, he is not tender on the outside. The pain is deep in.

The doctor said In front of all the other people that Andrew was CLEARLY in a lot more pain now than when he discharged him. They got an IV in him and gave him some morphine. I will also note here, that the RN KNOWS MY MOM!! She has been Andrew’s day RN for a couple days but this was the first time I saw her. Andrew JUST told me this when I got there.
I called my mom who is still in Canada later that evening, and I guess she has kids on my niece’s swim team and my mom was JUST talking to her last week at swim about Andrew being in Concord Hospital the week before and how he got no answers, etc. LET me just say, that at first I was HORRIFIED that she knew my mom, because Andrew’s language has been poor. He also gets frustrated and says embarrassing things. I know it’s bad to say, but sometimes I have felt that his behavior might impact the care he gets. For example, when all those people came back in with his main hospitalist dr, they were asking him questions about his pain, and while explaining about his pain, he used the terms “cock” “balls “ and “nads” I JUST ABOUT DIED. I seriously turned even redder. This “Team” was in there because I caused a ruffle when I asked for all his records.

 I also think the RN saw how much pain he was in and might have mentioned it to the doctors. I told his RN later that his pain meds make him act intoxicated and use improper language. My GOD! One of the supervising physicians (I assume that is what she was) called me out in the hall, and asked me how long this pain has been going on, etc. She wanted my take on it.

They readmitted him and did the MRI last night.

The results were read this morning. The orthopedic dr said the current MRI shows a pretty bad herniated disc and it is pinching a nerve, however it is not pinching the nerve connected to his scrotum area where the pain is...so they are confused as to why he has pain where he does.

They want to do a cortisone shot to test something; however Andrew has recollection that he is allergic. We are trying to get in touch with his doctors in NZ to find out. Andrew’s old doctor was a sport medicine doctor and she is now an official doctor for the NZ Allblacks! But, we can call the practice she used to work at and hopefully get some answers. Just need to wait for them to wake up on the other side of the world.

I am so happy to have SOME kind of answer, even if it still doesn’t make sense to them, BUT it doesn’t explain the FIRST visit- with all the vomiting, diarrhea, etc. But A HM wrote that “Herniated discs cause vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite... and a whole slew of other issues. Especially if there is spinal cord compression happening” and I’m going to research that more now.

Now, Please pray that they can FIX him. I know a lot of people live in chronic back pain, and I Just hope we can fix this. I want my husband back (Pain and Med free). I know Anika wants her daddy back too.

We need Prayers

Andrew went back to the hospital on Monday.  My parents were away this time, so are not around to help with Anika. On top of that, we have THEIR dog on top of my own dog and kid. Andrew was in pain all day Sunday,  as I wrote in my previous post. He stayed home while Anika and I were gone all day.  Monday I left Anika home with him, but by 11 AM he was dropping her off to Miss B (who usually does not watch her on Mondays).  He then drove himself to Urgent care.  Urgent care sent him by ambulance to the ER. Same hospital he was in before. When he said he was going to Urgent care, I said that sounded good. I don't know what I was thinking...well, I thought, "Oh good, UC doesn't have a copy like the ER" but now instead of the one copay, we will have UC, ER AND 2nd ambulance in 2 weeks!  YEs, he has insurance, but I mean, they only cover so much. I havent seen any bills yet, but IM getting scared. Very scared.  I am trying to stay positive. When we first got married, Andrew didnt even have insurance for a couple months. I told him to get a private plan, and he did, after some serious persuading. At that time, he was not a Citizen and I was responsible for any debts he incurred while in America! eeks. He just didnt have a concept of the American health system. Its not NZ honey, health care AINT FREE! ha.  So, I am grateful that he has insurance, and good insurance at that now that we need it!!

Anyway, so Monday I asked if he wanted me to come down to the hospital and he said no. He said no all day.  After work Monday, I went home to take care of dogs, house, Anika, etc.   At 8:30 PM ANdrew called. He wanted me to come down.  WTF. ANika was already in BED!  I woke her up, and brought her down. 50 minutes away. He was still in ER.  I brought her in the ergo carrier. She was ok at fist, but then she was just tired. She would cry. I stuffed my boob in her mouth and that worked here and there but she could only use that for so long- she just wanted to be in bed....OR get down. I couldn't let a toddler down in the ER! She would run around touching everything...and probably licking stuff.  yuck.  Andrew was in pain and on meds. He kept snapping at me when she would cry. Then, I would walk out in the empty halls- walk up and down, up and down to keep her happy, hoping she would fall asleep! If she cried, he would snap again that I was bothering others.   The whole reason he wanted me down there was to talk to the Dr and advocate for him....so I wasn't going to leave until the dr. came. I kept asking the nurse, how much longer. I Know I was coming off as a major bitch.   Finally, I gave up and put on my coat and walked out to my car...I was thinking of getting the stroller and trying to get her to sleep in that. Then Andrew called  to say that the dr was there. I walked back in. This dr was way better than the one we had at our last visit. He wanted to start from scratch. All the symptoms are different this time than last time.  This time the pain is in his LOW LOW abdomen. Behind his pubic bone. he said it feels like he got kicked in the testicles, but he didn't.  He also gets dizzy and has passed out.  He has NO bowel issues. He hasn't vomited.  The doctor wanted to examine his privates since the pain was down there. He asked Andrew if he minded me in there, and of course Andrew said it was nothing I haven't seen before. I did turn to a wall with posters on it and was pointing to letters and saying them to Anika.  I mean, it was weird to have Anika watch it.  Then I heard the doctor say "nice. Very nice Testicles here. Yup, Nice testicles" I had to hold my laughter. I was also so happy it was a male. I guess earlier in the UC he had a hot female dr doing the same inspection and he asked for a less attractive dr. lol. I told this  dr. I wanted him prepped for a colonoscopy.  He agreed they would do a colonoscopy and endoscopy. I said Ok, I just wanted to make sure those tests got done IN The hospital this time. We dont need to sit around again for 4 days with nothing being done.  He was referred to a GI dr. as an out patient last time and has an apt. for Feb 16th for that colonoscopy which is too long to wait. I felt ok with what THIS dr was saying, so I went home.  I was definitely a bitch. I was tired, ANika was tired, ANdrew was a sick snappy bitch...therefore I was on the defense. The dr took one look at me when I came back from the car and said "You don't look happy"  ugh

Tuesday. I went to work because SOMEONE has to be working!  I am too afraid to use all my PTO time now,  because who knows how bad this is going to get! Oh, actually, before work, I dropped ANika off at Miss B's and then went and ran at the gym. Sorry, I'm an emotional mess right now, and I REFUSE to give up my exercise. My exercise keeps me sane...and healthy.  And, yes- I NEVER wanted to bring Anika to a germy hospital, but when put into the situations I have been put in...things change. I do keep her close, don't let her down...and Breast feed her as much as I can to keep her immune system strong.  Ive also been drinking my garlic tea daily, all my vitamins, Apple cider vinegar (AMAZING natural remedy but gross), etc.  Anika gets what I get...so hopefully we can stay healthy even though we have to be around sickos. While I was at the gym, I got a call that ANika fell down a few stairs. I had to go see her and she seemed find but her sitter was Very upset. SHe had no signs of concussion, etc. Her eyes were fine and she had coordination. SHe did have a big welt though. She is a crazy wild child.

Tuesday night my friend came over after work to watch Anika and  I went to the hospital alone. By the way, MOST of my friends have been awesome. The ones that live far away have been here for me by phone, email and text. The ones close have offered to watch Anika. Although one friend said she couldn't get out of bed early enough to watch her one day.  That was rude. I thought I was going to touch on my great friends (real and"fake") in this post, but I am running out of time and it will have to wait, yet again. Yesterday, I actually told Andrew I wasn't coming earlier in the day because he was being a dick. I Know he is sick and isn't being himself, so I always planned on still going. I brought him his laptop, magazines, books, clothes, slippers, phone charger, etc.  (I forgot everything the night before).   

After I left, I guess he dropped his laptop on the floor and it is now broken.  He was shocked to see me walk in.  I cant believe he really didn't think I would show up! I spent some time with him and he was supposed to be drinking the prep drink for the colonoscopy, but he was having  a hard time. He was drinking Tiny sips every several minutes. He was supposed to be drinking an 8 ounce cup every 10 minutes. He still had not had a bm when I left last night.  My friend texted around 6:30 and said Anika was falling asleep in her arms! That is WAY early for her.  So, I told her just follow her cues. She did end up sleeping until. My visit with Andrew was hard. He just was not pleasant. I mean, he doesn't yell at me, but he was annoyed with me, therefore, I was annoyed with him.

I wanted to say "UM, do you know how hard this is on ME too?" IM the one taking care of everything else.  This is a very emotional situation to be in.  I left the hospital last night and he told me to stop and put air in my tire. He said he had been putting air in it and that I should get it looked at as well. SO, I stopped in the freezing cold and tried putting air in but it was dark and I kind of gave up. Then as I was driving on the highway I got paranoid so I stopped to get more air. That time, I put a lot in, but I had no idea how much because the gauge wouldn't work.  Then,  I got driving again. AND, I Got PULLED OVER! AGAIN.

THIS time the cop was NOT an asshole.  He asked for my license, and I gave him my debit card. Then it took forever to find the registration. Then he asked where I was coming from. I said hospital. He asked where I was going and I said home to my baby (I throw in baby!) who was with a sitter. I told him my husband was in hospital and he asked why. I said I DONT KNOW!  He also asked what I do for work and what my husband does for work. I answered.  he asked how old my baby is.  He went back to his car and I thought for sure he would see I was pulled over just a couple weeks ago ON THE WAY to hospital, but I don't think he did. When he came back to my car, I think I may have fallen asleep waiting and with the lights Because I kind of "came to" to him asking if I was ok! ha. whoops. He said he knows my car can be fast and hard to keep it in check but to try so I can make it home safely to my baby! HE is not the first person to comment on my car being fast. ITS NOT Fast and it doesn't have all the power people think it does! (its a volvo S60) I just get distracted. He also gave me a written warning and said he decided to save me a few bucks because it would have been $150. I said sorry and thanks a lot and he was friendly.

I got home, chatted with my friend for a bit. She left and I cleaned up. I plopped on the couch to watch A DVR'd Real Housewives, but fell instantly asleep. I woke up on the couch at 2 AM, went up to bed, and Anika cried.

Andrew had the colonoscopy and endoscopy this morning. They found nothing.  A urologist saw him and he doesn't think its a urology issue. He thinks it may be a disc issue and maybe his back discs slipped or pinched a nerve!  Or maybe when he was violently ill, he disrupted something. I have no idea, but seriously, HE CANT COME HOME LIKE THIS! I cant handle it. He hates pain meds so he doesnt take enough of them, and then when he does take some of what they offer, he acts like a weirdo.  Plus, he is still in pain even with the meds, so he would just lay around miserable at home!  This is all adding up- him out of work,  the medical bills, his health in question, not knowing what to do next to fix it, etc. Also, there is no FIRE Wood left, so I am heating the house with propane...which gets pricey in this cold weather.  There is fire wood but he hasn't brought it up from wayy down below our house. I can get fire wood from the shed, but I cant carry it from where it is...not with Anika in tow!

I have cried a few times today because I dont feel equipped to handle these "adult problems"  I KNOW I can deal with Anika on my own, but its harder.
I think I will just bring her with me tonight and stay for a short time.  Also, I think I need a new phone. Mine keeps freezing up and not working over and over all day.  There is a verizon store down in the same town as the hospital.

Ill keep you posted friends. Please pray for answers!
And to end this sad post on a happier note, Anika is doing just fine

Rough Week: Hospital

I have been MIA from reading blogs and writing my own.
Andrew has been in the hospital.  I took him Wednesday around 11 AM.   He was sick LAST week. HE came home from work Wednesday morning throwing up. He was sick until Friday. The bowel movements were also an issue. Friday he drove himself to Urgent care to get IV fluids since he had not ate any food or been able to keep anything down. He was told it was probably norovirus that is going around. We thought this was odd since no one we knew had been sick.  I slept on the couch anyway Wed-Friday and I had him not touch Anika's toys, food, clothes, etc.  Friday  night he felt better and I went back to our bed.  
 Saturday and Sunday he still had some bowel issues but no more throwing up. We went out and did stuff. HE acted fine. Monday he went to work. Tuesday he was home from work anyway and cleaned the house and then picked Anika up.

 Tuesday night I woke up and heard him throwing up in our downstairs bathroom. He told me it was his acid reflux, but I knew it wasn't.   Andrew was supposed to take Anika to a chiropractor appointment Wednesday Morning and then keep her for the day. We have to pay Miss B no matter what, but Andrew wanted to keep her. Come Wednesday AM, and THAT was not going to happen. There was no way he could even move from the bathroom or our bed with a bucket (yes, we have a puke bucket). I took A to her apt. and then took her to Miss B's house. I called home around 10 AM from work and Andrew sounded bad! He couldn't even really talk to me. I went home and he was in bad shape. He Could barely move.  He was also just non stop puking. I helped him to the car and wanted to drive him to the same urgent care he went to the other day.  It is 50 minutes from us.  Oh, I will mention- I called his doctor from my work before I went home. His dr assumed it was rotovirus and said NOT to have him come in, but to get him to an ER, But not THEIR ER because it was full.  That was fine because that ER is not a great one. I just had a feeling it was something more, so I mentioned lead poisoning since Andrew works with lead, but its not that and I knew that. A.) his levels are checked often and B.)  the symptoms for lead poisoning are way different (I googled it).  I was just saying it to try to get someone to talk to me.  I also even said how his Mom died of colon cancer. Ok, so his mom is not his bio mom, but I was just trying to get somewhere. I guess his dr. called Andrew himself (After I called my mom and said how useless he is and DENIED to see Andrew). His dr. told him that he needed to get himself to an ER, even if by ambulance. I didn't find this out until way later that his dr. had even called him.   I think his dr. is pretty useless, but I am having a hard time finding doctors who are taking new patients!

On the way to the hospital, Andrew was puking. It smelled like DEATH in my car.   Every time he would make those noises and I would hear it hit the bucket, I turned the radio up and put my window down. He was turning my heat on and off. and on off. He was shaking. I was gagging and then I could feel the puke coming up from me...not because I was sick- because I was grossed the Eff out.   I reached for my trash bucket.. THEN, I was getting pulled over.  THE COP was an Insane asshole. 
I will have to continue this story later because I have to go. I thought I was just going to tell you why I have been MIA, but then I got writing this all down. I actually have a lot to say- NOt just about his sickness and all, but stuff I learned about myself while caring for him. SOME are even ugly truths I feel ashamed to admit.
There is a lot that has happened since then, but I will just say , he ended up being transported by ambulance from the highway.  HE is still in the hospital now and we still don't know what is wrong. Its horrible.  He is at least responsive now and yesterday, unlike Wednesday.
To be continued. Sorry.

Just Saying Hi

I still need to load pictures for my NYE post, but figured I would just stop by to say hi!
My phone camera card is full so I was looking at some photos on it to delete.

This picture below was taken out my kitchen window, so excuse the screen.  You see, Andrew leaves his coffee cup out on the picnic table A LOT. It is pet hate of mine.  When I see it out the window, I tell him to go get it and bring it in. HE isn't even allowed to use my nice coffee cups because he always leaves them out on the porch or the picnic table, or his car.  So, before Christmas,  I was in the kitchen baking and Andrew was outside doing stuff around the yard (picking up dog poo, cutting fire wood, hauling fire wood, etc)  and he wrote "LOVE YOU" in the snow on the picnic table! Aww, sweet, right?  BUT, I didn't even notice. Then he came in after a while and said something and I looked out and saw. Then he said "I thought for sure you would yell at me for my coffee cup out there so I Just wrote that for you to see too" haha. SO basically, he was picking on me for always nagging him for leaving his cup!  Oh, but he still LEFT THE CUP!  You can see in photo! lol.

 This was on our 2nd to last day of swim I think. Andrew came downstairs with her riding in his bag. haha. She thought it was great. I think he said "My bags are packed"

Someone at work gave me this photo of Anika from Andrew's ceremony.

Me trying to read to Anika on xmas, but she would rather do other things! I practically have to beg for her to come hang out with me!

This one was actually sent by my  mom. This is Anika up on New Years Eve waiting for the ball to drop! haha

-

 Yesterday I got a flat tire on the way to work. I had already dropped Anika off at Miss B's and I had gone to the gym. I was leaving the gym and headed to work and I felt it!  I pulled over. I was going to ATTEMPT to change it myself, but it was 5 degrees out yesterday!! FREEZING.  Ended up calling AAA, but it was going to be an HOUR. I had to be at work so someone from the gym came and brought me to work. Then I got in touch with the tow truck person AAA had coming, and he picked me up at work and brought me back to the car.  Thank God. It was too cold to walk! I told the driver that ironically the last time I had a flat tire was when I was in NZ and I was driving Andrew's old beater car around. It was a 1984 Subaru that had a CHOKE to start it. It was obvi  a manual, which I knew how to drive, but this one needed fluids like everyday. A real mess of a car, but that's probably why he let me drive it in a city I dint know that well- AND driving on the other side of the road! Eeks. watch out! I got a flat tire at the grocery store there, and just left it there and walked back to Uni! I called Andrew and he said he would come after work. HE met me at  the store after work and apparently all his work friends were in shock that an American girl didn't know how to change a flat! Andrew vowed that I needed to learn. To this day, his is quite horrified I don't know how. The thing is, My dad taught me how when I was 16, but that was on a DIFFERENT car and LIKE I remember!!  Andrew thinks it should be part of our licensee test. Whatever. That's what we have AAA for! duh.  The tow guy put air in it instead of changing it. He said it didn't need to be changed and that putting a spare on my all wheel drive car would mess it up, bla bla He gave me his number to call if I needed more air to get home after work. Then, I drove it back to work and my mom came and took it to the local garage and they fixed it for me. Just a hole needed repair. 

Shortly after she dropped the car back to me, I got a call from the delivery people that they would be at the house in 30 minutes with our new washer and dryer, so I went home to meet them (and took a long lunch break).   THANK GOD they moved our old ones from our top floor down to the basement for us. Andrew wants to keep them to put in his future garage to wash his work clothes. Right now he takes his work clothes to the laundry mat.  I have a small attached garage, but Andrew wants to build himself a separate one next to our house. I don't see that happening soon so I guess I will just have 2 machines collecting dust in my basement for a while. That basement is getting mighty full!

  Andrew did the first wash last night-clothes.  HE showed me how to use it and walked me through it...and told me to read the directions but I told him to just tell me. ha.  I needed to do a diaper load.  So, I dumped the diapers from the pail ihto the wash, and told him to do a spin cycle first (to get the stuff out). It was a cold spin.  When the spin cycle was done, I went up to add the soap, but he had to show me where to add the soap...and we looked in and there were poop particles!!!   WTH?  He asked if I rinsed all the poop off. I told him I rinse *most* of it off, but I always just toss them in with SOME on there. HE was grossed out!  He started freaking out that he was sick to his stomach and we have been wearing poop clothes for 9 months. Technically, not 9 because breast milk poop really is organic and does dissolve. So, basically just since she has been on solids.   I SWEAR my old washer NEVER had poop particles! He wanted me to take out ALL the diapers and then hand pick poop out of the washer.  I did..mostly. I made him come help me though.  Then, he had me freaking out. I never saw poop particles in the old washer! He said the holes in the drum were bigger in the old one so they went through the holes..but he didn't want me ruining this new one. All I could imagine was some BIG poop buildup between the drum you can see in the washer and the outer drum where the water drains out the holes!!  EW!  WELL, I posted something on this hippie mom site I belong to ...where most of the moms Cloth diaper and some people were like, ew- "I rinse ALL THE poop out" Which is what my mom said too. She always gives me back diapers with ALL the poop completely rinsed- not just the solids flicked off like i do. Also, my mom CD'd my brother and I so she said she used to hand rinse ALL diapers.   Andrew said he also rinses ALL of it out, but how would I know that? I never supervise him!  But then other moms commented they do what I do and its fine. My favorite comment said this
"Ashely, I do the same. If it makes you feel better, I used to do customer service for Maytag. There shouldn't be any build-up between the inner and outer tubs unless there was already a fabric softener buildup there - and usually that presents as greasy or bluish streaks on your clothes. If there were really poop left on your clothes (and the dipes!) you would FOR SURE smell/see it. Every once in a while I do find something like a bean skin in the washer bottom - but only because it was way to big to get through the tub holes. If you're worried about buildup between the tubs, run an empty hot water wash with bleach. That'll take care of it unless you just use ridiculous amounts of fabric softener. :)"

I have never used fabric softener, so that is good!  I washed the diapers in HOT water again and no poop was left. 
 I still dont  know if I love this washer and dryer. As I experienced with the brand new stove we bought for this house- "THEY JUST DON'T MAKE THINGS LIKE THEY USED TO"

By the way, it is a TOP loader. We heard front loaders are not good for Cloth diapers so we stayed away from them.  And, by we, that was the ONE thing I told Andrew when he said he was looking at new machines...and then he picked them out ALL on his own and wrapped up the paperwork for Christmas.
If they suck, I will make him return them.

MR. USA

Friday was a BiG DAY!  Andrew became a UNITED STATES CITIZEN! For those of you who do not know, he could have stayed a permanent resident forever.  As a Citizen, he gets to vote. And, he can work for the govt if he wants to. Andrew had no interest in becoming a citizen, but his company has a few contracts coming up with the military, so we figured it was best he had his Citizenship, so he was eligible for more job opportunities.

His swearing in ceremony was in Concord, The State Capital.

We had to be at the US District Court at 8 AM.

My parents and niece met us there.  It was REALLY windy out and we were kind of in a rush, but my mom got this photo as we were getting out of the car. No one looks happy, but we were. haha. I was trying to figure out what we needed to bring in. I had NO Idea we would be in there for 2.5 hours! For Anika, I brought in ONE diaper and her diaper wet bag...that's it! whoops. Should have brought books or toys or something.

There was quite a line to go through security. I used to go to the  Federal Court in Boston ALL the time. IN fact, I went there every single day for 3 months back in my former life. I knew we needed a photo ID to get in...there was also a big sign saying to have it ready when you go through security. MY DAD forgot his! My parents live an hour away from the court. My dad was all dressed up- even in a tie which he barely wears.  He was starting to get disappointed, but when we got up to security I told the guard my dad forgot his ID and he let him in anyway :) Thank God. Oh, but my dad had a pocket knife in his pocket they took (and he got back after).

That jacket my dad is holding. Ya, it is his jacket with a patch that says "National Rifle Association" ...he had that on and they STILL let him in! haha
Andrew had to go to the front of the court room where they had seats for all the immigrants.  He then had to sit there and we waited for all the other people to get seated. IT WAS a whole hour until the ceremony started.  As you can imagine, Anika had NO interest in sitting still. So, we went and walked around out in the hall. Oh, when we had walked into the court, I asked my dad about his "pet cat" in his house and told him "My friend" aka my blog friend Jenny was concerned about it. He wanted to know WHO the friend was and asked if she wanted to talk to him about it. I was like, no- She is pissed off you have a dead bobcat in your house! And I didn't want to say a blog friend but he kept being like 'have her call me if she has concerns about it" hahahah.. um, no.

PS. I had NO idea we were "matching" until people commented on FB! haha.  We had to get up at 5:30 AM and I picked the outfits last minute having no idea it would appear we were matching.

She wore her 4th of July bow since it is patriotic.

 I have been giving my ALL Time favorite light brown boots a break lately and have been wearing these black boots I got at the 2nd hand store for $15! They are leather and all. LOVE that store!

She was making so many friends at the court! She is just such a social butterfly.

Andrew registering

When we were outside the court room waiting.  Andrew had to stay seated in a seperate section, but all of the family had to just wait and wait and wait. We did have seats, but Miss A had no interest in sitting in them. My niece was a little antsy too. She got to miss the morning of school to attend the ceremony since it is educational. 

Anika practicing to be a judge!

The Governor of NH, John Lynch, made his rounds and was talking to a lot of people. The people to the left of him were from the Senators' offices and the House of Reps offices. They have people from those offices there because the immigrants are now VOTING Citizens! The Governor also gave a small speech, but he is coming to an end on his term and he is not running for re-election, so he was not there to get votes. HE was just there because he finds the process and ceremony important. I think that is pretty cool. He didnt say that, but I have heard that from other political people.

There was a class of 5th graders from a local school who sang a bunch of Patriotic songs. They did a fabulous job. My mom was video taping the whole ceremony, but was running out of tape, so she didn't get the kids singing. The Judge also gave a very heartfelt speech that I enjoyed. There were 37 countries represented and the Judge called each country and the New Citizens stood up when their country was called.  When NZ was called, my mom, dad, me and Kaelyn all cheered. After the ceremony ANdrew said NZ got the loudest cheer...which I was surprised it sounded loud to him because Im pretty sure it was just my family cheering! haha. When the Congo was announced, the people next to us did some kind of call..like a mating call..wait, not mating...but it was obviously cultural.  The Judge said a lot of the new citizens were very skilled people brought here by big American companies because of their skills.  There were doctors and engineers. There were many people who have been living here for 20 years already. There was a girl sitting behind us from Kenya. My niece is very social and was talking to her. Actually, my niece was also trying to show off and being fresh to me and I told the Kenyan girl to not do what my niece did! ha. The girls name started with an H. H told us her dad was becoming a citizen and he was a doctor, but they have been here for 4 years.  So, H asked my niece if she could get a picture taken with Anika!! haha. When I was in the hall H kept coming up to talk to Anika and kept saying how cute she was.  H had her own camera and gave it to my niece to take and my mom took some with mine.  I wasn't that hesitant about her holding her for a photo, surprisingly. AND, Ill admit, this is NOT the first time someone has asked to take their picture with A!  And, its not the first time I have said ok. I mean, the people are never visibly sick and I always wash Anika's hands. And, its in these types of safe situations, in my opinion. I know some people may think I'm a whack a doodle , but whatever.  I have my neurotic behavior about a lot of things when it comes to Anika, specifically the food/drink that goes in her body. I am pretty intense about it and she has a lot more restrictions than you probably care to hear about.  We all have our  own neurosis I guess.

ANika acted about the same as she did on Santa!! She was just like, whatever. 

Then my niece wanted a picture taken with her new friend too!

Then the family got to go through the gate and meet up with our immigrants :) Here is Andrew getting his Certificate.  This was after he had to do the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag and sang the National Anthem with the group.

The Governor (Who by the way said Anika's name right and Commented on her awesome patriotic bow made by Danielle), Me, Ani, Andrew and The Judge.

Same with my parents and niece. Luckily you cant see the big rip in my panty hose...oh, yes Anika ripped them after we were there for a few minutes. She was also farting up a storm. Gotta love her!

Leaving...

Anika is next to get her dual citizenship done...and then me.  One at a time, but Andrew's was definitely lthe most expensive to get done. AND, we didn't even hire a lawyer, I was our lawyer, otherwise it could get WAY more expensive.
After being at the court for 2.5 hours, we went next door to breakfast! I have NO idea how Anika was still running since we were WAY past the normal time she naps. I did have to nurse her in the court house bathroom AND change her nappie with her standing up because there was no changing station.

Nona and Anika at breakfast

She was such a good girl and ate LOTs of food.  People kept coming over to her to say hi to her. She is such an attention whore. One boy came over and actually pet her head. Ok, that one was kinda weird..and my mom was being nice to him and said "why aren't you in schooL?" and he didn't answer and then his dad said "he is home schooled' ha. whoops.   I then said I was going to home school ANka and my whole family laughed at me! Rude.  

Oh whoops this was out of order.

After breakfast, I had to go to work :( 
OH, I forgot t say before, my boss had someone from my firm come to the ceremony to take photos for us! So, I will be getting those photos as well. Her photos will be wayy better than mine. It was very sweet!

Friday night my friend Molly and her sister came over for dinner. Molly is home visiting from CA. I had not seen her since July. She brought Andrew an ice cream cake shaped as a FOOTBALL since that just says America! haha. It said congrats Andrew with a little American Flag on top. I forgot to take pictures before we all ate it!

Anika got a little American flag at the Ceremony. She was waving it at the ceremony and my work person took some photos of her with it, so I hope they came out. Here she is at home with it!

Also, Andrew wore a pin that his friend's dad in NZ gave him when he left NZ to come over here and marry me. The pin is an American flag and NZ flag together as one pin. IT was from WWII. Andrew wore it on our wedding day on his suit and obviously it was symbolic. He wore the pin on Friday too!  WE ALSO got MORE pins- American flag pins from the American Legion men at the ceremony.  IT wasn't until Andrew was sitting there that he realized what a big deal this whole thing was.  Its a big deal to become a Citizen of this Great Country and it was emotional. Well, it would have been more emotional for me if I wasn't trying to keep my baby quiet. I definitely felt proud to be an American. Oh that song played a lot! haha.

Andrew's brother called him this weekend and asked why him and his wife were not invited to watch. My mom had asked Andrew why is brother wasn't there too...to be honest, Andrew just didn't think of it. Again, he didn't think it was a big deal! But, he realizes now he was wrong.  He said it was very cool and he is glad he got to keep his NZ citizenship too :)

This weekend was VERY busy, but I will have a separate post for all that :)

UPDATED after I wrote the post: Andrew received a packet at the ceremony. I just looked at the contents. It contains a big yellow envelope within the envelop that says "A message from The President of the United States" Inside is a letter from President Obama welcoming Andrew. haha. Then, there is a book with the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Another book called The Citizen's Almanac and contains a lot of historical events, speeches and letters. Also, a pamphlet called "The Voter's Guide".  A passport application  and a folder for his certificate of naturalization! There is also a card with the words to the Star Spangled Banner and the Pledge of Allegiance. Also, here is the oath he had to take:
"I hereby declare, an oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of The United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God"