It is amazing how quickly my boys can change their minds about me. Just this morning Dallin went from shouting, "It's not fair!" to whispering the sweetest "I just love you mom," within minutes. What prompted such a tender moment? An Oreo cookie, of course. How can you not love someone who's handing you a double stuffed Oreo!
Last night Daniel beautifully thanked his Heavenly Father for his mom and said how happy we are together. Moments later as I sang to Dallin in the rocking chair, Daniel shouted, "Mom, are we ever going to get the CD player fixed." (the boys usually fall asleep to some classical music, primary songs, or acoustic hymns) I realize that my singing abilities can leave a person nauseated. I am grateful that Danny approached the situation in such a subtle manner.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Happiness is a warm bath.
My day began just as my husband gives me his goodbye smooch and I rise to face the morning. The morning included a six-year-old who threw a tantrum because he hated the new shoes that I was making him wear. How dare I by something without cool transformers on the sides. The words, "You are the worst mom ever!" rang loudly in my ears as I poured the milk over the fruit loops. Moments later the little one let out quite a few ear-piercing screams. Apparently, he was upset that his bottle of Dasani water was no longer full. I refilled it and he took a few gulps. Then, because again his bottle was no longer full, there was more screaming. By dinnertime I was done. I was desperately in need of some space from all things screaming.
In walks James to the rescue! He took the boys shopping for Valentine's goodies and I had an hour of peace and quiet in my home. The hour was beautifully spent in the tub surrounded by bubbles, the scent of vanilla candles burning, and my favorite itunes playing. To top it off I shared my bath with a handsome bowl of Bryers Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream. It only took an hour and even if James had brought home nothing more than a half tank of gas in my van, it still would have made for the nicest Valentine's gift ever!!!
In walks James to the rescue! He took the boys shopping for Valentine's goodies and I had an hour of peace and quiet in my home. The hour was beautifully spent in the tub surrounded by bubbles, the scent of vanilla candles burning, and my favorite itunes playing. To top it off I shared my bath with a handsome bowl of Bryers Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream. It only took an hour and even if James had brought home nothing more than a half tank of gas in my van, it still would have made for the nicest Valentine's gift ever!!!
Saturday, February 2, 2008
I Will Miss You.
Today, my family will attend the funeral of the sweet prophet Gordon B. Hinkley, president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am so deeply saddened by this great loss. This man, though we've never met face to face, has had such a tremendous impact on my life. He has brought peace and happiness into my home. As I have followed his counsel, I have grown in my relationships with my husband, my family, and my Savior. He has rescued me from trying times with his sweet messages of love. My heart is always filled with joy when I hear his voice over the pulpit. He has made us all laugh, and he has surely made us all, who follow him, better people. President Hinkley will be known as the temple building prophet who scattered the world with sacred Houses of the Lord in which families will be sealed together for eternity. I was sealed to my sweetheart in the St. Louis, Missouri LDS Temple, dedicated by President Hinkley. I have been at many temple dedications and followed our prophet as he led in the hosanna shout. How I look to the glorious day when we will meet again and together shout, "Hosanna! Hosanna! To God and the Lamb!" Thank you, dear prophet, for all you have given us. We are happy that you have returned to be with your sweetheart and will miss you so.
The following link is a tribute to this great man and his work in building the Kingdom of God: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DONH655IR1E&watch_response
The following link is a tribute to this great man and his work in building the Kingdom of God: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DONH655IR1E&watch_response
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Tagged!
Well I've been tagged by a friend. This game requests that I post 7 random facts about my life and then "tag" 7 friends to do the same. So, here goes...
1 - I had a blue Dodge Omni hatchback in college that was totaled by the 3-year-old son of an uninsured, unlicensed, crack addict as the toddler drove a stolen 78 buick over a tree, narrowly avoiding a pedestrian, and then into my Omni. True story.
2 - All my life, until I had children, my belly button was an outie.
3 - In kindergarten, I had a crush on a boy named John because his name was the same as my favorite grandpa. The crush ended when I saw him color on his saltine cracker with a crayon and then eat it. From that point on he was too weird for me.
4 - My two sisters and I used to spend hours in the backyard as children, pretending that we were P.G.s (Power Girls) with super powers. It was our job to control the elements such as wind and rain to destroy the evil cloud pigs and rescue the friendly people of Chips Ahoy land.
5 - James and I went on our first date June 1st, 2000 and were engaged by June 7th of the same year.
6 - When I worked as an R.A. for the on-campus housing at UM-St. Louis, I was once awakened by a Serbian exchange student who ran into the stairwell swearing in at least two languages, because he had just instantly flooded his unit and the unit below it by hanging his clothes on one of the emergency sprinkler heads in his bedroom. There's just nothing like seeing an angry Serbian who's soaked to the bone and realizing that it is going to be your job to explain to him what that bill is going to look like.
7 - I once lost a beauty contest (actually, I came in 2nd) to a gay man who we later learned was "in-cahoots" with a member of the panel of judges. So sad. :(
It's amazing how events in one's life can be so much funnier in hind-sight.
Power girls -- away!
Alright, now it's your turn Laura Finlinson, Annie Edwards, Amber Jensen, Allison Shepherd, Holly Chase, Sheri Kimlinger, and Jenn Wehrmeister. Please post your 7 facts. I can't wait to hear the dirt on you gals!
1 - I had a blue Dodge Omni hatchback in college that was totaled by the 3-year-old son of an uninsured, unlicensed, crack addict as the toddler drove a stolen 78 buick over a tree, narrowly avoiding a pedestrian, and then into my Omni. True story.
2 - All my life, until I had children, my belly button was an outie.
3 - In kindergarten, I had a crush on a boy named John because his name was the same as my favorite grandpa. The crush ended when I saw him color on his saltine cracker with a crayon and then eat it. From that point on he was too weird for me.
4 - My two sisters and I used to spend hours in the backyard as children, pretending that we were P.G.s (Power Girls) with super powers. It was our job to control the elements such as wind and rain to destroy the evil cloud pigs and rescue the friendly people of Chips Ahoy land.
5 - James and I went on our first date June 1st, 2000 and were engaged by June 7th of the same year.
6 - When I worked as an R.A. for the on-campus housing at UM-St. Louis, I was once awakened by a Serbian exchange student who ran into the stairwell swearing in at least two languages, because he had just instantly flooded his unit and the unit below it by hanging his clothes on one of the emergency sprinkler heads in his bedroom. There's just nothing like seeing an angry Serbian who's soaked to the bone and realizing that it is going to be your job to explain to him what that bill is going to look like.
7 - I once lost a beauty contest (actually, I came in 2nd) to a gay man who we later learned was "in-cahoots" with a member of the panel of judges. So sad. :(
It's amazing how events in one's life can be so much funnier in hind-sight.
Power girls -- away!
Alright, now it's your turn Laura Finlinson, Annie Edwards, Amber Jensen, Allison Shepherd, Holly Chase, Sheri Kimlinger, and Jenn Wehrmeister. Please post your 7 facts. I can't wait to hear the dirt on you gals!
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Gratitude
This morning I received a call from a dear friend who insisted on making me the recipient of her tremendous charity.
Last night, feeling overwhelmed with the challenges of this pregnancy and the household duties that seemed impossible to face, I wondered how I could make it all happen. James has quite the course load this semester and he needs to be spending every spare minute preparing for the Dental Admissions Test in May. He's been trying to stay on top of his studies and still fill in for his honey who has been making regular trips to the hospital for re-hydration and ketone analysis. His burden has been no less than great. A damaged laptop and a fender bender with an uninsured motorist sent us over the edge yesterday. It was just one of those days.
So, it was especially nice to be rescued by this angel who has INSISTED that I allow her and a few others into my home as my own personal cleaning crew. It was clear right away that there was no chance that she'd allow me to politely decline, as my nature surely would have directed. I think perhaps, that she might possibly have beat the door down if necessary. At the first sound of this news, I thought how can I possibly let someone clean my house while I sit as a bystander! Then, in seconds, my heart melted and I just cried. I thought of the days that I stood breathless over the sink searching for the ability to make a dent in the dishes, only to find myself on a tile floor in my bathroom nauseated by scent of the dish detergent.
How could this friend have known just what I needed and how to offer it so that I could graciously accept? She's been there. A victim of difficult pregnancies, Wendy knows first hand what a difficult pregnancy can do to one's home. This came of great comfort to me as so few people know and understand the debilitating effects of HG. In this world of glowing pregnant women who run a mile everyday, and find just enough time between play group and a trip to the gym to eat a healthy salad, free of soft cheeses, and take their prenatal vitamins, it is comforting to find someone else who watched their belly grow from the same spot on the couch everyday.
While the first of the cleaning crew won't arrive until Friday, Wendy has already done more for me than she could know. She has lifted my spirits and really helped me to have hope. God certainly hears our prayers and I am so very grateful!
Last night, feeling overwhelmed with the challenges of this pregnancy and the household duties that seemed impossible to face, I wondered how I could make it all happen. James has quite the course load this semester and he needs to be spending every spare minute preparing for the Dental Admissions Test in May. He's been trying to stay on top of his studies and still fill in for his honey who has been making regular trips to the hospital for re-hydration and ketone analysis. His burden has been no less than great. A damaged laptop and a fender bender with an uninsured motorist sent us over the edge yesterday. It was just one of those days.
So, it was especially nice to be rescued by this angel who has INSISTED that I allow her and a few others into my home as my own personal cleaning crew. It was clear right away that there was no chance that she'd allow me to politely decline, as my nature surely would have directed. I think perhaps, that she might possibly have beat the door down if necessary. At the first sound of this news, I thought how can I possibly let someone clean my house while I sit as a bystander! Then, in seconds, my heart melted and I just cried. I thought of the days that I stood breathless over the sink searching for the ability to make a dent in the dishes, only to find myself on a tile floor in my bathroom nauseated by scent of the dish detergent.
How could this friend have known just what I needed and how to offer it so that I could graciously accept? She's been there. A victim of difficult pregnancies, Wendy knows first hand what a difficult pregnancy can do to one's home. This came of great comfort to me as so few people know and understand the debilitating effects of HG. In this world of glowing pregnant women who run a mile everyday, and find just enough time between play group and a trip to the gym to eat a healthy salad, free of soft cheeses, and take their prenatal vitamins, it is comforting to find someone else who watched their belly grow from the same spot on the couch everyday.
While the first of the cleaning crew won't arrive until Friday, Wendy has already done more for me than she could know. She has lifted my spirits and really helped me to have hope. God certainly hears our prayers and I am so very grateful!
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Let It Snow!
Christmas was a little different this year. We didn't travel to see the family. Instead we took a slower pace and enjoyed the views of Christmas from the sofa. The boys took their time opening gifts, stopping to play with everything as they opened it. They spent the day wearing down the batteries on their new R/C cars. Dallin just giggled as Danny chased him around the house with his little blue Mustang GT, and Dallin conquered the universe with the assistance of Buzz Lightyear.
I love how much it snows in Kansas City. We enjoyed a white Christmas and the boys got to put some miles on the sled with James. Dallin couldn't get enough sledding, and nobody could get enough hot chocolate.
I love how much it snows in Kansas City. We enjoyed a white Christmas and the boys got to put some miles on the sled with James. Dallin couldn't get enough sledding, and nobody could get enough hot chocolate.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Humility - a long story.
Well this pregnancy has begun with quite the bumpy start. Just after announcing to the world that we were having a baby, the baby announced to us that there might be complications. If you don't wish to hear the details...stop reading now. I started spotting and was super worried that we were about to lose the baby. Instantly, came guilt. I had just spent the last week complaining about the nausea and morning sickeness and could often be heard saying, "I hate being pregnant." These words echoed in my ears as I sat in the E.R. awaiting the results of my blood tests. It was my fault! God heard me and decided to do something about it. So, I hit my knees and begged for forgiveness. I promised not to complain anymore if he'd let me keep the baby. Apparently, He thought that was a fair deal and the baby is now fine.
The whole experience was highlighted with a mess of bureaucracy. A few weeks before all this happened, we discovered that James and I had been accidentally kicked of our health insurance because of someone's careless mistake. The problem had been remedied but our coverage wouldn't start up again until Dec. 5th. I went into the emergency room on December 1st. December 1st was a Saturday so no one could be reached by phone that day to discuss our options. Eventually, we learned that emergency room visits were covered under the "red card." Thanks goodness!
So, when you're only 6 weeks into a pregnancy and you're threatening to miscarry, here's what happens. They do a blood test to determine your beta levels. There is a pregnancy hormone that your body produces when you are expecting and this level should double every 48 hours as your pregnancy progresses. So, my beta (a.k.s. HCG) levels in the hospital were just over 30,000. The hospital released me after an ultrasound, put me on bed rest, and insisted that I follow up with another blood test on Monday to make sure my hormone levels had doubled.
Well, since my healthcare coverage didn't start up again until the 5th, we hadn't seen an O.B. yet. I did have a family practicioner in town, so we hoped that he could handle the blood test for us. I called their office early Monday morning to schedule an appointment only to discover that they were booked for 3 days. The secretary put me through to the nurse's voicemail and asked me to leave a detailed message in the hopes that they could do something. The same secretary informed me that their office did not accept the red card.
Plan B...the red card is issued by Medicaid through the health department. So, certainly the county health department would be able to accept the red card and get me the test I needed. WRONG-O!!! For starters their labs aren't open on Monday, and secondly, they would only agree to accept me as a patient if I signed on to have all my pre-natal care there. Let me tell you why that's not gonna' happen. I've seen their exam rooms. I've seen their lines. I've seen their nurse technicians and their tattoos and piercings. Call me judgemental, but NO WAY! Besides, I require a doctor that has a background in high-risk pregnancy and pre-term labor. The health department pre-natal care staff is only Certified Nurse Practicioners and Nurse Midwives.
Plan C...I called the emergency room at St. Lukes - Northland to see if I could simply have a requisition from the attending doctor to have a quick blood test in their lab. That simple question led to about 45 min. of runaround and at least 15 on hold back and forth between different members of the hospital staff who knew nothing. I finally spoke with a woman who insisted that I could not use her lab, because the doctor who cared for me in the E.R. wanted to make sure that I followed up with someone in person on Monday. They needed to have an O.B. to send the test results to. I explained my situation and promised to have an O.B. by Wednesday, when my health insurance kicked in. I asked her to release the test results to me personally, promising to forward them to the doc on wednesday. She refused. She insisted that I agee to have my care through County Health and that I wait until Tuesday to use their labs.
Finally, James and I decided that if we just went back to the emergency room that they'd have to see me since I was still spotting. The doctor would then order another blood test and we'd finally have some answers.
Just then, I got a call from my family practicioner's office. The nurse there had spent most of the morning trying to find my chart from the E.R. which she couldn't locate because it was getting passed around from useless person to useless person. She explained that while their office did not accept the red card that they could bill me directly and that a blood test is only about $75. She also mentioned a 20% discount if you pay at the time of service. She saw how urgent the need was and agreed to get me in right away. Then she realized that the lab that their office uses is the same lab that the E.R. uses (my doctor's office is in the medical building attached to the hospital). Then she decided to call the lab and see if they could just bill my red card directly. THEY COULD!!! So, she said that I could walk in to the lab anytime that day before 6pm and have my blood work done. She then called me promptly the next morning with the results.
Isn't that amazing. How is it that one person with a kind heart and some common sense can accomplish so much when a dozen people with multiple degrees could only make a young girl mad?
To finish the story...My HCG levels had not doubled, but they had increased. I was able to get in to see a fabulous "high-risk only" doctor on Thursday. He did an ultrasound and found a heartbeat. Yea!!! Happy dance!!! He also was very thorough and discovered that my spotting was due to "implantation bleeding." Something that's quite common and not much to worry about. So I spent the next two weeks trying not to complain about the nausea that lasted all day.
I wish the story ended there but, no. This week I picked up a flu bug. The lady who was trying so hard not to complain about nausea had spent the last 4 days getting to know her comode a little better than she'd like. This, accompanined with chills, a fever, and dehydration, has me just the most pleasant person to be around. I'm not sure what I am supposed to learn from this trial but I suppose I may be able to tell you in hind sight later on.
Until then...
I hope you all appreciate what I'm willing to do to bring you grandchildren, nephews, cousins, friends, etc.
The whole experience was highlighted with a mess of bureaucracy. A few weeks before all this happened, we discovered that James and I had been accidentally kicked of our health insurance because of someone's careless mistake. The problem had been remedied but our coverage wouldn't start up again until Dec. 5th. I went into the emergency room on December 1st. December 1st was a Saturday so no one could be reached by phone that day to discuss our options. Eventually, we learned that emergency room visits were covered under the "red card." Thanks goodness!
So, when you're only 6 weeks into a pregnancy and you're threatening to miscarry, here's what happens. They do a blood test to determine your beta levels. There is a pregnancy hormone that your body produces when you are expecting and this level should double every 48 hours as your pregnancy progresses. So, my beta (a.k.s. HCG) levels in the hospital were just over 30,000. The hospital released me after an ultrasound, put me on bed rest, and insisted that I follow up with another blood test on Monday to make sure my hormone levels had doubled.
Well, since my healthcare coverage didn't start up again until the 5th, we hadn't seen an O.B. yet. I did have a family practicioner in town, so we hoped that he could handle the blood test for us. I called their office early Monday morning to schedule an appointment only to discover that they were booked for 3 days. The secretary put me through to the nurse's voicemail and asked me to leave a detailed message in the hopes that they could do something. The same secretary informed me that their office did not accept the red card.
Plan B...the red card is issued by Medicaid through the health department. So, certainly the county health department would be able to accept the red card and get me the test I needed. WRONG-O!!! For starters their labs aren't open on Monday, and secondly, they would only agree to accept me as a patient if I signed on to have all my pre-natal care there. Let me tell you why that's not gonna' happen. I've seen their exam rooms. I've seen their lines. I've seen their nurse technicians and their tattoos and piercings. Call me judgemental, but NO WAY! Besides, I require a doctor that has a background in high-risk pregnancy and pre-term labor. The health department pre-natal care staff is only Certified Nurse Practicioners and Nurse Midwives.
Plan C...I called the emergency room at St. Lukes - Northland to see if I could simply have a requisition from the attending doctor to have a quick blood test in their lab. That simple question led to about 45 min. of runaround and at least 15 on hold back and forth between different members of the hospital staff who knew nothing. I finally spoke with a woman who insisted that I could not use her lab, because the doctor who cared for me in the E.R. wanted to make sure that I followed up with someone in person on Monday. They needed to have an O.B. to send the test results to. I explained my situation and promised to have an O.B. by Wednesday, when my health insurance kicked in. I asked her to release the test results to me personally, promising to forward them to the doc on wednesday. She refused. She insisted that I agee to have my care through County Health and that I wait until Tuesday to use their labs.
Finally, James and I decided that if we just went back to the emergency room that they'd have to see me since I was still spotting. The doctor would then order another blood test and we'd finally have some answers.
Just then, I got a call from my family practicioner's office. The nurse there had spent most of the morning trying to find my chart from the E.R. which she couldn't locate because it was getting passed around from useless person to useless person. She explained that while their office did not accept the red card that they could bill me directly and that a blood test is only about $75. She also mentioned a 20% discount if you pay at the time of service. She saw how urgent the need was and agreed to get me in right away. Then she realized that the lab that their office uses is the same lab that the E.R. uses (my doctor's office is in the medical building attached to the hospital). Then she decided to call the lab and see if they could just bill my red card directly. THEY COULD!!! So, she said that I could walk in to the lab anytime that day before 6pm and have my blood work done. She then called me promptly the next morning with the results.
Isn't that amazing. How is it that one person with a kind heart and some common sense can accomplish so much when a dozen people with multiple degrees could only make a young girl mad?
To finish the story...My HCG levels had not doubled, but they had increased. I was able to get in to see a fabulous "high-risk only" doctor on Thursday. He did an ultrasound and found a heartbeat. Yea!!! Happy dance!!! He also was very thorough and discovered that my spotting was due to "implantation bleeding." Something that's quite common and not much to worry about. So I spent the next two weeks trying not to complain about the nausea that lasted all day.
I wish the story ended there but, no. This week I picked up a flu bug. The lady who was trying so hard not to complain about nausea had spent the last 4 days getting to know her comode a little better than she'd like. This, accompanined with chills, a fever, and dehydration, has me just the most pleasant person to be around. I'm not sure what I am supposed to learn from this trial but I suppose I may be able to tell you in hind sight later on.
Until then...
I hope you all appreciate what I'm willing to do to bring you grandchildren, nephews, cousins, friends, etc.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Thanksgiving
The Burneson Family has much to be thankful for this holiday season.
1st - We are thankful for the soon to be newest member of the Burneson Family, set to arrive in July 2008.
Yep! We're expecting and we just found out, but we're shouting it from the rooftops anyway.
(James can't keep a secret.)
2nd - We are thankful that Emily has yet to experience any morning sickness.
3rd - We are thankful for pie and the fact that we can pretend that any weight gain is a result of the pregnancy, and not a result of all the pie I've been eating.
4th - Pie. (oops did I say that already?)
5th - We are enjoying the end of a year filled with many blessings.
Please email us and let us know what's new with you.
Happy Holidays!
1st - We are thankful for the soon to be newest member of the Burneson Family, set to arrive in July 2008.
Yep! We're expecting and we just found out, but we're shouting it from the rooftops anyway.
(James can't keep a secret.)
2nd - We are thankful that Emily has yet to experience any morning sickness.
3rd - We are thankful for pie and the fact that we can pretend that any weight gain is a result of the pregnancy, and not a result of all the pie I've been eating.
4th - Pie. (oops did I say that already?)
5th - We are enjoying the end of a year filled with many blessings.
Please email us and let us know what's new with you.
Happy Holidays!
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