Its been a while..

Well, we've been super busy! Our family was in town while we moved into our new house, so we had lots of help! We love it here, its perfect for us! There is only one downside, our cell phone (T-Mobile) does not get good service out here at all. So, on the 15th we're switching to AT&T, in kind of excited. I had my credit ran to see how much of a down payment we needed, $750!!!!!! What?!? I have little credit because I don't have a credit card, my car is in my mothers name, and I dont want credit cards. Well, I guess that's just as bad as having horrible credit. Poo. So we're getting GO phones. Same thing, just have to buy our phones up front. Both lines will be the 50/ month for unlimited everything, that's $110 cheaper a month than what we pay now!!

We also went to church yesterday, and loved it. We are going to start attending every Sunday, I'm very excited. Its a small church, maybe 100 people? We walked in, and the Christmas service was already started and I was really nervous about walking in. I stopped and we waited for this woman to come in behind us and I explained that we were new and didn't know were to go. Turns out, she is one of the lead organizers for the church. She walked us right to the middle of seats and told everyone we were new and to help us feel a warm welcome. Everyone did and it was awesome. Ayden fell asleep 10 minutes into us arriving, abd Cadence was well behaved in his car seat hearing people sing and watching the slide show. I love that the children stay with us, its not a church that we just drop them off somewhere. Merry late Christmas!!

Hopefully today I go to sign papers at my lawyers to end this dispute with Ayden's Bio. Dad. He is giving up because he doesn't have money to pay his lawyer, and is now being nice. And we need to go "in to town" (love saying that, since it takes us 15-20 minutes to go into the city now) to do some food shopping, and maybe swing by the thrift store. I'm thinking about buying fireworks for this weekend, but with the rains we've been having I'm not sure I want the children out in the muddy yard and cold.ignore ayden's awkward face, he was nervous about moving LOL.

Moving! !

Well, we've been super busy here!! We are moving out to the country today! Well, our things, power wont be on until Tuesday, so we are moving everything we don't need to live with today. To make a busy week even busier, my in laws are coming in town tomorrow! 

The family is staying until Wednesday,  I'm so excited to see them. We may have to put them to work painting and unpacking ;)

We own a crock pot now!!! I'm making my first dish, kinda just threw what wasn't packed inside.

1-cream of chicken
1-cream of mushroom
1-chicken broth
1-tomato paste (Cody said it was too garlicky, so used this to tone it down)
4 garlic cloves( I will only use 2 next time)
Salt & pepper
8 chicken drums
A bag of frozen peas

I'm putting it all over pasta, and topping with parmesan cheese, or maybe mozzarella. Ill have to see. I'm calling it Creamy Chicken & peas over pasta. Original, I know! Ill have to post pictures when its done!

Home!!!

So, I was discharged last night, and was hone by about 6 pm. Ill have my home nurse come twice a day now, and we have some good news!!! We're going to look at a house tomorrow! I'm definitely excited to move.

I'm about to post a picture of my surgery wound. Warning!!!!!

Its 3x3 inches, and goes about 4 ingest deep to my chest wall.
I'm hoping and praying for a fast recovery!!

IV horror!

I've always been decent with my veins and IV's....until last night!! Every day since I've been here I've had to receive a new IV because the antibiotics are so harsh my veins soon rupture. Well, last night at 11pm it happened again, my vein ruptured. I had 3 different nurses try to put an IV in, all failed. I was stuck 8 times, I was in tears.

My doctor came in around 9am, and switched me to an oral pill because I absolutely can not have another IV in my arm and if I had to have one it would go into my neck!! I don't know about you, but no thank you!!

My doctor also told me that tomorrow we will be taking the wound vac off, and packing it so that I can go home. I'm debating on posting a picture,  its something people do not see every day. Anyways, I should be able to go home tomorrow and see my babies and husband!!!

I am trying a new frugal life style, a challenge. I want to be as cheap as I can, the world wastes so much money on things they do not need, I'm sick of it. Join me?

Life is about choices!

Yesterday I had another surgery, and Dr. McCabe cut a little more tissue out and put the wound vac back on.

He spoke with me today & might open it back up tomorrow & just pack it so I can go home Tuesday or Wednesday! ! I can not express how much I miss my husband and children.

Since being here I've been able to do a lot of thinking. I have decided that I want to go to college for radiology tech, and use it as a back up if we can not afford for me to be a Stay at home mother. And, I'm cutting all bills back! We're switching to straight talk, Netflix and so much more.

I finally looked at my breast today. I cried. Its deformed and half the size of my other. I do not know if I want cosmetic surgery, I don't think Cody minds either.

Last thing, I also have cut ties with my sister and mother for good. I feel okay with it though. I forgive them, and will pray for them to be better people. I've come to realize and accept God and I wish I would of accept Him earlier!

Really?

Today has been a decent day over all. My in laws have left for Mississippi, but brought me lots of snacks! Thank goodness they did, this hospital food is gross! For lunch was fried catfish, cold fries, and a brownie that tasted stale. I'm far from picky, but it was horrible. Let's hope dinner is better.

Dr. McCabe came in to visit today. I love this sweet old man. Although he never gives me news I want, he means business and will make sure I am healed. He informed me that this infection is super hard to get rid of, and I may loose my breast. He has me set up for the OR tomorrow to be put to sleep and open my wound up to see the base. My wound goes to my chest wall, and if its clear of infection I can go home around Wednesday. If its not healed, ill stay longer and have a chance of no being able to save the breast.

If this wound was on a leg, Dr. McCabe would of just cut down to the bone & skin graph. He is doing all he can to save this. I expect the worse, but pray for the best.

Day one, over.

the first full day has gone by already. I spoke with Dr. McCabe this morning and discussed the future. He would like to keep me in the hospital for atleast 5-6 days, I hope no longer. It all really depends if I'm infection free or not. As far as the next few days, ill be using the wound vac machine. The foam that goes deep inside has to be changed every few days, and they'll need to put me to sleep under general because of how deep and painful it it.

I deeply wish to be home with my husband and children right now. Being 2 hours away is horrible. I have my in laws here until tomorrow morning, I thank goodness that they are here with me to help.

I have been re-reading the "left behind" series, and strongly recommend it. Back to my reading...

Picture

This picture sums up my thoughts for the day. The blue non-slip socks are so comfortable!  I have my blanket that I'm crocheting (orange & yellow), and my wound vac machine behind my feet. My IV had to be switched to my hand after the 1 St one started pumping medicine under my skin, making it sore and red. I'm already bored, and will probably start reading my "left behind" series again.

Post surgery

I had surgery at 4 o ' clock, and did not wake back up until 8pm. I tried to drink some water, but almost threw it up so they gave me anti sick medicine that made me pass back out. I finally am up for good in my own room and its 8:30am. The food is horrible, I never knew anyone could mess up scrambled eggs.

Before surgery:

Good news!

Tomorrow is surgery day! Well, originally Cody wouldn't be able to come at all, while I spend a week in a hospital 2 hours away. Well, I spoke to his mother, and she is meeting me at the hospital an hour before surgery so I'm not alone! She is renting a hotel near the hospital, and Cody and Cadence are coming up after he gets out of school Thursday. I'm so excited! They'll all go.home Friday, but atleast I get to see them while in there. I love my in laws so much, this made me feel so much better.

I kept both children hone today, it was interesting! We made cookies again for my in laws, and had a lazy day. I'm nervous about tomorrow. Plan is taking Ayden to daycare at 8, clean the house to work out some nerves, leave at 11 for the drive, meet mother-in law at 1, and appointment at 1:30.

I haven't spoke to my mother in almost a month still. She will be at my sisters Thursday, in Washington. She knows about my surgery from my sister though, not that she'd care....

New Goals in Life

So, today while having a lot of time on the computer I was doing quite a lot of research on living frugal, and saving money. Honestly, with only my pay check right now because Cody is full time student (graduating in 2 weeks!!!), we're barely scraping by. The idea, is by posting how much money I spend, I'll want to save more and spend less. We will see. I'm setting a goal for myself, by January 15th, I want to have at least $400 saved and set aside. To me, that's a bit because we only have about $200 spending money after all bills are paid and fridge filled up. By next pay check, we have barely $80 left.

As a mother, we NEED savings. We have only $400 in debt (an old bill), so it's not like we have a lot of bills.
Rent- $750
Cable- $45
Cell phones- $200 (This I know I can cut down, and should)
Electric- $65 (Use to be an average of $250! I've become energy smart!)
Food- $400(This could get cut down, more coupon cutting and a garden will be started in the spring!)
Water- $30
Gas(house)- $30
Gas (cars)- $60
Daycare for the oldest- $220
Animals- $30
That is off the top of my head. We don't have alot, but it seems that my money always is gone by the end of the month. We never eat out, and we coupon. I have been baking a lot now that it's that time of year, and that's added things to the food bill that could be avoided.

I'm starting to be as frugal as possible starting on the 15th, after I get out of the hospital and get paid. This is my goal, and I'm sticking to it.

A new day

So, Cody just left with Cadence for school, leaving Ayden and I behind. It's only 8:00 and I wish I were still in bed. Cadence did fairly well, sleeping from 8pm to 3am, then back to sleep until 6. It seems that Ayden and Cadence both are in sync some how becase Ayden soon woke up soon after.

Cody and I have decided that in February, we are moving into a better, bigger house in a better school area for the children. I'm excited, 2 more full months of living here, that's it. I also texted my sister, Breanna today just to catch up. Apparently my mother and other sister Mackenzie are coming to visit her and her husband  in Washington this Thursday- Sunday. I'm happy for her, but I do miss having a relationship with my mother to an extent. I miss the old her, the one that was nice, thoughtful and caring. But, I have to remind myself that the relationship that we had the last 4 years was very unhealthy for both my family and I.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES!
Ayden and I made chocolate chip cookies yesterday, they are awesome! I had to mess with the ingredients, because last time I made them, the batter didn't' form correctly.

Ashley's chocolate chip cookies

1 cup- butter
1 cup- white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons- vanilla
2 1/2 cups- flour
1 teaspon- salt
1 teaspon- baking soda
2 cups- chocolate chips

I just added everything together, and mixed. I added the chocolate chips last, and only used about a cup and a half because I don't like too much chocolate and my chips were "jumbo".

Ayden

20 months old

18 months old

15 months old

13 months old

10 months old

7 months old

6 months old

5 months old

4 months old

3 months old

2 months old

1 month old

 

  April 28th, 2010

This is my oldest child, my handsome Ayden. He can be bad at times, but he melts my heart!

Cadence

4 1/2 months old

3 months old

Shopping with Daddy at 2 month old

1 month old

The day we took him home July 14th,2011

Born July 13th 2011

Background story

This year has been quite a roller coaster ride for my family and I. A little recap! I had my second son July 13th, 2011, a beautiful boy! I decided to breast feed, and it went great. For about 5 weeks. I developed a infection called Mastitis in my right breast, and that was the beginning to my journey. After 2 weeks on the antibiotics, my OB told me to bind my breast, and stop breast feeding, so I did. Three days later, I went to the ER while on family vacation, and had emergency surgery. The ER surgeon drained 1 liter of fluid from my breast, talk about pain. I was left with a 5.7cm hole in my breast.

Well, I was discharged 4 days later and we came back home. It's been a long journey. I have a home nurse that comes and changes my dressings and packing, along with a wound vac. A wound vac is a machine that keeps continuous sucking pressure on the wound. I have a piece of foam inside of the wound, and it's very painful. Surgery was Sept 3rd, and it's only at 4.4 cm as of today. I went to another surgeon on Friday, in Alexandria, LA to have another opinion. He wants to preform surgery on Wednesday at 1:30pm and will probably keep me at the hospital for at least a week. 

My husband has his last week of college this week, which means finals that he can not miss. So, I'm driving two hours alone, to the hospital and he probably won't be able to visit while I'm there. We do not have a baby sitter for our two young children, and I do not want them at the hospital anyways. It's going to be a long week. Alone.

I plan on having Ayden, my oldest stay home with me tomorrow to snuggle and enjoy the time together before I have this surgery and have to stay away for a week. Tomorrow should be fun!