On Call and Other Fun Stuff

I've had a lot of people ask about how clinicals and on call is going for Levi so far...so here goes. This has been a nice and quiet week for us so far. Levi was on call quite a bit last week, so he was gone a lot more. It seems like there is a bit of a baby boom around here lately so a lot of the time he's going in for epi's or c-sections, and an occassional emergency surgery. When he was home we just kind of layed around in waiting for the next time the pager would go off...but it will all feel more normal as we get into this more and more. We're just trying to make sure things are restful at home, I'm trying to have dinner in the crockpot on those days so it's always ready no matter when he gets here, and going to bed early anytime it's possible.

I remember having to be on call when I worked at Cerner, and the "weighted down" feeling I always had when it was my turn on the pager. The worst part about that is it was my job to troubleshoot and fix things, so you know the client was not happy about it either. You never felt like you could relax, go too far from home, or really enjoy anything for fear it might be ruined if you got called in. Luckily I could do alot of my on call work from home, so I wasn't gone too much. I'm SO thankful I had that job, but I am also so glad those days are behind me and I can spend my days and nights focusing on taking care of my family...and understand, sympathize, and appreciate Levi's efforts, even more, to be the provider in our family. It feel so good to say that in about one year he will be done. We are thankful God has allowed this opportunity for our family, and I'm really proud of my man for his hard work and determination. He'll have a month away from us this summer while he goes to Iowa for hearts and neuro clinical, which will be hard on us all, but hopefully we'll get to see him on some of the weekends. Thankfully he can stay here in town for everything else, so we are thankful for that.

Meanwhile, back on the ranch :), I've been dealing with a few minor issues with the twins. They have heard big brother say (a few too many times) "But MOM, I just don't want to"...so they're catching on, Carson will say "Jus sdon' what to!", and with Cole it gets less and less clear...but I know what he's saying and he still gets in trouble for it even if it's not clear english. Other than that they are their usual busy little selves, enjoying life to the fullest. We've been trying to work with Carson and Cole on counting, the alphabet, etc. They are catching on, and seem to enjoy learning as much as Marcus does. Marcus has slowly been transitioning to no naps. He's doing really great, and usually either plays quietly with lego's or likes to do his "school work" (as he calls it), or sometimes will just chill out on the couch for a while. He had been sleeping less and less so we figured he was outgrowing naptime. Seems to be working out ok so far.

First Video Game

Marcus - 4 yrs

Marcus playing...Carson cheering him on!
The crew

Hat tricks? Not sure what they are doing here...
Marcus

For Christmas Marcus got his first video game...you can read two posts below to find out how that started out. Anyway long story short, he loves it and is actually pretty good a few of the games on there. It's funny to watch him play with the serious concentration on his face (notice the same look on his father's face while playing), and the twins just sit and watch in awe. Here's a few pic's of our little gamer.

Christmas 2008

All the grandsons

The boys coming downstairs Christmas morning
Checking out the presents

Little sneaky guy heading for the tree! Carson and Cole having a snack
Smiley Maven! (this is how he is most of the time...what a joy!)
Greg and baby boy

Marcus enjoying a gift from Grandma and Papa
Mom enjoying her Grandsons
Maven opening a present

Carson excited to see what's inside

Marcus thrilled with a gift from Mommy and Daddy

Cole opening a gift

Alexis, Maven, and Greg

Sweet Maven...and his first Christmas

Cole with Papa Ballew

Brothers

An early Christmas Eve gift...it sounded like an all out emergency around the house for days!

Finally I'm getting around to getting my pictures posted of Christmas in KC. We've had our computer back for a while, but I just haven't had time to get these posted until now. Speaking of our computer, it runs great and so fast now that we had it worked on! (Thanks Grandma and Papa Kelly!) It is so nice because it's back to the speed of when we first got it!
We had a great time back in KC, but I've already blogged about that in the previous post. So, here are a lot of pic's, hope you enjoy! AND, a belated Happy New Year!

Electronics and the Kelly's Don't Mix

If you know us very well at all, you know that we haven't had the best luck lately with electronics...so now we bring more electronic's in to the home.  Electronic item #1:  Levi just got the pager to carry for the next 14 months of clinicals...he teased me and told me not to wash it in the laundry like I did his cell phone.  I told him to "help me help you", and take it off before putting your clothes in the laundry.

Electronic item #2:  For Christmas Levi and I bought Marcus a little Pacman game device for $20 at Walmart.  We thought it was an awesome buy, that he would enjoy, and for his first "video" game it was the right price...(also fit our going to grad school, and having no job budget)  Well as soon as he opened it Christmas morning, he and Levi were in the kitchen doing something and Marcus set it on the counter.  Marcus reached up to get it and knocked into the sink full of water. Needless to say the mood sort of fizzled for a bit.  I took it in the bathroom to try and dry it with the hair dryer.  We plugged it in and it worked for about 15 seconds before it died.  My brother told us to put it in the freezer of all places!  He didn't know where he heard that but thought we should give it a try.  We put it in there over night.  When we got back to Kirksville Levi was unpacking, found the gadget, and hooked it up to the tv.  As he was doing that he said, if this works your brother is a genius!  CRAZY enough it works, and not only does it play Pacman, but it also plays about 10 other games you might recognize from the 80's arcades.  So thanks Greg "genius" Ballew for the idea!   Marcus has had a great time playing it!

We had a great time in KC, it went too fast, but it was fun.  We had 49 family members over to my Mom and Dad's house for the Ballew Christmas Eve, then spent the next couple of days watching movies and relaxing.  We had some quality time with my sweet little nephew Maven, who is already crawling by the way!  He is SO cute!  We also went to Amy's house to visit one night, and Jen came over another night to visit.  It was so fun to laugh and enjoy time with each of them.  I wish we would have had more time, but this far into the anesthesia program there are no more long "school breaks".  Next year we'll probably be lucky to get to go back to KC at all for Christmas, as Levi may be on call...oh well, we're doing what we can.   He know's he'll either be on call Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Years.  We have a bunch of  pic's from Christmas but they will have to wait as I can' t download them right now.  We are getting our home computer worked on so that it will run faster than a snail's pace!  It will be great to get it going as fast as when we first got it.

Well, I better get ready for tonight!  We're having Levi's family over for a New Years Eve party! Happy New Year!!!!!

Fun in the Snow!

Ready to have some fun! Marcus working on a snowman
Cole enjoying the snow

Smiley Carson

Marcus

Snow Angel

This morning I decided to take the boys out to play in the snow...they NEEDED to burn off a little energy. I think we accomplished that! It was really fun and we ended up being able to stay out there a few hours since it wasn't too cold. With the ice storm heading our way later today it seemed like we should get out and have some fun while we have the chance.
David and Deann will travel to Columbia today to see the specialist again, so please be praying for them. We are all praying that if they have to make any decisions regarding doing the procedure or not (to shrink the cyst in the baby), that it would be very obvious as to what they should do. I know they appreciate all of your prayers.

Update and Prayer Request

It's been a while since I  last posted... so I thought I better get that done.  Cole finished his eye drops for pink eye and is fine now.  Marcus got it a few days after Cole and finishes his drops today.  Carson is (so far) in the clear.  Marcus and Cole were both really good about letting us put drops in their eyes 4 times a day, and even got to where they would remind us about them.  Cole would say "edicine bops momma" (medicine drops)... it was kind of cute.  

I took Marcus to the doctor on Monday morning for his followup flu mist...and would you believe he had to have 3 shots too?  I really do deserve "Worst Mommy in the world" label because I assured him there were no shots.  I don't know where my head has been lately, I've forgotten the simplest of things.  The worst thing is that I did this to him last year too!  I just felt awful.  I explained to him that Mommy would never lie to him or try to trick him, but that I really messed up.  He did fine and took it like a little man.  In fact there was more crying and screaming going on before the shots than during or after them...as we left he stopped at the door and looked up at the nurse with the most pitiful look on his face and sadly said, "thank you".  Poor guy.  She said, oh even in your pain you are trying to still be polite.  

Monday afternoon I finally went to the doctor...I've been sick for over 5 weeks, but always felt up and down from day to day.  On Thursday of last week I started getting new symptoms on top of what I had already been dealing with, so I made an appointment.  I'm so thankful that I went because I have a really bad sinus infection.  I left there with 2 prescriptions to take for 21 days and a sample.  I can say I feel 80% better just after 2 days of being on the meds.  AWESOME!  I am glad I have a doctor here now too, I really liked her and it's good to have a doctor established for Levi and I when we need it.  With all the sickness around our house we haven't been out of the house too much in the past couple weeks (except Levi going to the hospital).  It will be so nice to get out and see people again.

In other much more important news, we wanted to ask you to be praying for David and Deann (Levi's brother and our sister in law).  She is pregnant (almost 22 weeks now) and they've found a large cyst on/in the baby's chest.  You can read about it here as they explain it very clearly. Please join us in praying for their sweet baby girl as well as David and Deann.

Good Times...

Well our newest thing is that Cole has pink eye...wonderful. Ever wonder how hard it is to keep three little boys from sharing each other's germs...I'm gonna say, it's nearly impossible. I am sure that we'll all have it before it's all over. At least we got him on antibiotic drops the day it started, but I will be very surprised it hasn't already spread, at least to Carson. Those two are pretty much inseparable.

Anyway, that pretty much describes our Sunday, trying to keep them apart. Saturday night we had a really good time at a couples Christmas party. David and Deann hosted and there were about 12 couples there. They had the house decorated so beautifully and it was such a good night of visiting, delicious dinner, and hearing encouragement from Clint and Jenny Leiter.

This week will be fairly low key for the boys and I since we won't be out and about. I'll be working on Christmas cards in my spare time. Levi will be working longer hours Mon. and Tues. of this week, as he is going over to the medical school to help one of the doctors on a lab with 1st and 2nd year med students. He'll be helping to teach intubations and different airway related things and then check each student off after they've learned the skills and techniques. Kind of a different couple of days for him, but sounds like fun too. Since the doctors in the practice here also teach at the med school I was thinking that Levi is really getting a great and unique clinical experience...and we are so thankful for that. He loves it too, so that is so neat to see.