It's 2:15 A.M. in the Bolt house, and my guys are finally resting, but I'm wide awake. Every little cough or moan coming from the nursery induces a burst of energy that causes me to jump up and run to Spencer's crib and make sure he's ok. And there are a LOT of moans and coughs...I may as well just set up camp in the glider for the night. It's been an excruciatingly long day of doctors appointments and prescription runs. The diagnosis: we all have the flu, type A, which can be a strain of seasonal flu, but is more commonly swine flu. The doctors won't bother to do further tests to confirm one or the other because the treatment is the same for both as long as it doesn't get out of hand. So here we are, holed up in our tiny house with our drugs and gatorade and chicken soup (thanks to my amazing mother-in-law) watching movies and listening to each other moan and groan. We're a pitiful bunch right now, and Spencer has the worst of it. The poor thing has moments when he's happy and smiling, but as soon as the Tamiflu kicks in or the Tylenol wears off, he's inconsolable. And two sick parents taking care of an even sicker 5 month old is incredibly difficult, but we're holding on. Yes we hurt, yes we feel like we've been run over by a truck, and yes we have our irritable moments, but we still have each other. I'm not sure if it was delirium, fever, sleep deprivation, or all of the above, but we had some great moments together today when we just laughed until we cried, or one of us started coughing up a lung. It's times like this when you're tested in so many ways, and you can either make the best of it or you can let it get the best of you. We're choosing to make the best of it. So what if we can't leave the house, that's just more time together. So what if we're so achey that sometimes we can't move, that just means more cuddle time on the couch. No, it's not a bed of roses, but it's not a bed of thorns either. And if our sweet little boy wasn't so sick, it would be 100% easier. But he is. And it's driving me crazy. I HATE it. He's been through so much already in his short little life, but Satan decides it's not enough, and throws this at him. But he's a fighter. That little boy is the toughest person I know. And we know that our God is bigger than ANY flu, swine or not. Ray and I tell each other all the time that we owe Spencer LOTS of ice cream for being so good when he's gone through so much, and this is adding to the debt. We've been blessed with such an amazing little boy, and I fall more in love with him every day. He gets that from his daddy :)
We're pitiful right now, but we'll come out of this stronger and closer. What Satan intends for evil in the people of God, God uses for His Glory. He is so much bigger than this, and we're trusting in Him to bring us through. All of that being said, prayers are greatly appreciated! The more warriors fighting this battle the worse the defeat for Satan! To God be the Glory. He is SO GOOD!
My Loves
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
My Main Man
So, my sweet little boy is 3 months old now! It's been a while since I've posted, and things are going so well! Spencer has had no episodes since we got him home, and hopefully we'll be able to get him off of the monitor soon! My sweet boy is sitting in my lap right now laughing and cooing at the screen as I type! He's incredible, and being his mommy is the coolest thing in the world!
Since I last posted, Ray has gotten a job, which he starts tomorow, and I no longer have a job...not a paying job anyways...my new title is full time wife and mommy! It's my dream job, and I couldn't ask for more. This smiling, drooling chunky monkey in my arms is my pride and joy and spending every day with him is the best possible scenario! I love my new life, and I thank God for his blessings that lead to this point.
Today was a very special day for our family. It's my mom's birthday, as well as our Uncle Charlie, but most importantly it's the day we dedicated our little man to the Lord. Papa Campbell performed the dedication, and we had lots of family there to share in such a sweet moment. It was so precious, and we are committed to raising Spencer in the Fear and Admonition of the Lord. We will teach him the Holy Word of God and train him in the way that he should go. I'm so excited about raising our little boy and watching him grow into a man of God. As his personality begins to come through, it's exciting to know that soon he will begin to learn and understand the principles and commandments that we live our lives by daily. As exciting as it is, it's also scary, but we've had such great examples in our parents and will continue to heed advice and wisdom from those who brought us to where we are today. This life is a new adventure, and we're taking it head on! The Bolts are in business, and it's gonna be a great ride!
Since I last posted, Ray has gotten a job, which he starts tomorow, and I no longer have a job...not a paying job anyways...my new title is full time wife and mommy! It's my dream job, and I couldn't ask for more. This smiling, drooling chunky monkey in my arms is my pride and joy and spending every day with him is the best possible scenario! I love my new life, and I thank God for his blessings that lead to this point.
Today was a very special day for our family. It's my mom's birthday, as well as our Uncle Charlie, but most importantly it's the day we dedicated our little man to the Lord. Papa Campbell performed the dedication, and we had lots of family there to share in such a sweet moment. It was so precious, and we are committed to raising Spencer in the Fear and Admonition of the Lord. We will teach him the Holy Word of God and train him in the way that he should go. I'm so excited about raising our little boy and watching him grow into a man of God. As his personality begins to come through, it's exciting to know that soon he will begin to learn and understand the principles and commandments that we live our lives by daily. As exciting as it is, it's also scary, but we've had such great examples in our parents and will continue to heed advice and wisdom from those who brought us to where we are today. This life is a new adventure, and we're taking it head on! The Bolts are in business, and it's gonna be a great ride!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
FINALLY!
Well, as you can tell, it's been a while since I've updated my blog. A lot has happened since the last time I wrote, so I figured I'd take the time to fill everyone in while I have a second...and those are few and far between these days!
We'll start 9 weeks ago...I went to work on Thursday morning, and it was a relatively normal day, except I noticed that my feet were swelling more than normal. By lunch time my shoes were overflowing...not pretty or comfortable...when I got back from my lunch break I decided to take my shoes off to give my feet some room to breathe, and I left them off for the rest of the day. By 5 o'clock, I started to feel light headed and nauseous. When we finally got to leave at 5:45, my shoes would no longer fit. I had to walk to the car barefoot, and I had a difficult drive home. When I got home I called the doctor and waited on a call back...but that call never came. I went to bed that night and woke up the next day...still no call...so I got up and got ready for work, and on my way decided to call the doctor back. Needless to say, they were pretty angry that I hadn't received a call back, and I was assured someone would call me back within 20 minutes. A few minutes after arriving at work I received a phone call, and was ordered to immediately come in. When I got to the office, my blood pressure was elevated and my feet looked like they belonged to a 500 pound man. The doctor took a look at everything and informed me that I would not be returning to work...WOW...I didn't know what to think. My mind was racing. Part of me was glad because the stress was becoming overwhelming, but the other part of me was terrified over the logistics of the situation. Would we be able to afford it? How was Ray going to react? How was work going to react? All of these thoughts no doubt had the opposite effect of the intention of the doctors orders...I was now stressed beyond belief and my blood pressure was no doubt higher than before. The uncertainty of the situation was disconcerting, but in the back of my mind I knew God was in control...and boy was he. He has taken such great care of us. He has been our provider and our comforter, and kept both Spencer and I in good health through the end of the pregnancy. Ray handled it way better than I thought he would. He was super supportive and let me know that his only concern was my health and that of Spencer. He's amazing...I'm so blessed...
Six weeks later, we were at my due date...and no Spencer in sight. At this point, I'm willing to do ANYTHING to get him out of me! Once we hit the due date, we began daily walks and similar tactics to try and move things along...and nothing happened. Monday, 3 days after my due date, I had a doctors appointment. The doctor checked my cervix, and I wasn't dilated in the slightest...my cervix was doing NOTHING. I was bummed, but there was light at the end of the tunnel...they went ahead and scheduled my induction for Friday...so regardless, I'd have a baby by the weekend...YESSSS!!!!
On Tuesday, Ray and I went to my parents new house to help them paint. The day went by uneventfully, and Ray and I made plans to spend the next day together as or last day before the kiddo was to arrive...but we would never get the chance. We crawled in bed at around 11, and I noticed an unusual sensation in my lower abdomen...these unusual sensations were coming about every 10 minutes...not wanting to alarm anyone, I decided to just ignore it and try to sleep. I woke up at about 5 in the morning on Wednesday to some more intense sensations that I was now sure were labor contractions. At this point they were about 8 minutes apart, so I decided to let Ray in on the excitement. I woke him up and told him that Spencer wasn't going to wait until Friday...and he was ecstatic! We continued to time the contractions, but they never got closer together. Eventually we both fell asleep again, and woke up a few hours later to even more intense contractions, but they still weren't closer together. We continued to time them throughout the day, waiting on the coveted 5 minute lag, but it never came. We decided to go to my parents house and walk on the golf course in an attempt to move things along. After 4 hours of walking, the contractions were about 7 minutes apart, and I was in the worst pain of my life. But since they weren't 5 minutes apart yet, and not wanting to seem like a wimp, we didn't go to the hospital. We went home and continued to time and wait. Around midnight, I decided to call the doctor on call and get her opinion. She told me that since I was scheduled to be induced on Friday anyways, to come on in and they'd get me comfortable and go ahead with the induction in the morning (it would be Thursday morning). So we packed it up and headed to the hospital! We were so excited that we'd soon have a baby in our arms!
We got to the hospital and were admitted at 1 o'clock. They put the monitors on me and began to monitor my contractions and Spencer's heartbeat during the contractions...and that brought some alarming information...his heart rate was plummeting during contractions. They immediately put me on oxygen and moved me into a labor and delivery room and called in the doctor. She came in and saw the monitor readings and decided to check me, break my water, and attach a monitor to his head in order to more accurately see what was going on. That was the most painful thing I have ever gone through. WOW. I'll spare you the awful details, but all of that is done by hand...OUCH. Anyways, when she broke my water, they saw that there was meconium in the amniotic fluid...again, not good. She attached the monitor and said she'd give it five minutes, and if his condition didn't improve, we'd be looking at an emergency c-section. WHAT??? I couldn't believe those words just came out of her mouth...I was in shock. I told Ray to call our parents and let them know. About 3 minutes later she gave the word...we were going to have a c-section. His heartrate wasn't improving. I was scared, upset, devastated, and heartbroken. My parents weren't there, and I was told that we couldn't wait for them to get there...we had to go now. So I put on my strong face and smiled at Ray, and tried to concentrate on the fact that we'd have a baby in our arms sooner than we expected.
The rest of the morning seems like a blur. I was prepped for surgery, Ray came in, our son came out, he was BEAUTIFUL. They sewed me up and moved me to recovery. I remember seeing my parents there, and Ray came in and told me how perfect our son is, then they gave me a shot of morphine before moving me into my room, and I don't remember much after that, except holding my sweet boy for the first time...he really was perfect...so handsome...I was head over heels in love IMMEDIATELY.
As many of you know, as we were getting ready to leave on Sunday, some really scary things took place. Because I've already hogged the computer writing this much, and Ray is itching to check his Facebook, I'll have to tell that story later. Just know that now everything is fine and my little man is absolutely healed. God has been so good to us even through the trials that Satan has tried to throw at us. By trusting in Him, we've come out on the other side stronger than we ever knew we could be. To God be all the Glory...He is AWESOME!
More to come later...
We'll start 9 weeks ago...I went to work on Thursday morning, and it was a relatively normal day, except I noticed that my feet were swelling more than normal. By lunch time my shoes were overflowing...not pretty or comfortable...when I got back from my lunch break I decided to take my shoes off to give my feet some room to breathe, and I left them off for the rest of the day. By 5 o'clock, I started to feel light headed and nauseous. When we finally got to leave at 5:45, my shoes would no longer fit. I had to walk to the car barefoot, and I had a difficult drive home. When I got home I called the doctor and waited on a call back...but that call never came. I went to bed that night and woke up the next day...still no call...so I got up and got ready for work, and on my way decided to call the doctor back. Needless to say, they were pretty angry that I hadn't received a call back, and I was assured someone would call me back within 20 minutes. A few minutes after arriving at work I received a phone call, and was ordered to immediately come in. When I got to the office, my blood pressure was elevated and my feet looked like they belonged to a 500 pound man. The doctor took a look at everything and informed me that I would not be returning to work...WOW...I didn't know what to think. My mind was racing. Part of me was glad because the stress was becoming overwhelming, but the other part of me was terrified over the logistics of the situation. Would we be able to afford it? How was Ray going to react? How was work going to react? All of these thoughts no doubt had the opposite effect of the intention of the doctors orders...I was now stressed beyond belief and my blood pressure was no doubt higher than before. The uncertainty of the situation was disconcerting, but in the back of my mind I knew God was in control...and boy was he. He has taken such great care of us. He has been our provider and our comforter, and kept both Spencer and I in good health through the end of the pregnancy. Ray handled it way better than I thought he would. He was super supportive and let me know that his only concern was my health and that of Spencer. He's amazing...I'm so blessed...
Six weeks later, we were at my due date...and no Spencer in sight. At this point, I'm willing to do ANYTHING to get him out of me! Once we hit the due date, we began daily walks and similar tactics to try and move things along...and nothing happened. Monday, 3 days after my due date, I had a doctors appointment. The doctor checked my cervix, and I wasn't dilated in the slightest...my cervix was doing NOTHING. I was bummed, but there was light at the end of the tunnel...they went ahead and scheduled my induction for Friday...so regardless, I'd have a baby by the weekend...YESSSS!!!!
On Tuesday, Ray and I went to my parents new house to help them paint. The day went by uneventfully, and Ray and I made plans to spend the next day together as or last day before the kiddo was to arrive...but we would never get the chance. We crawled in bed at around 11, and I noticed an unusual sensation in my lower abdomen...these unusual sensations were coming about every 10 minutes...not wanting to alarm anyone, I decided to just ignore it and try to sleep. I woke up at about 5 in the morning on Wednesday to some more intense sensations that I was now sure were labor contractions. At this point they were about 8 minutes apart, so I decided to let Ray in on the excitement. I woke him up and told him that Spencer wasn't going to wait until Friday...and he was ecstatic! We continued to time the contractions, but they never got closer together. Eventually we both fell asleep again, and woke up a few hours later to even more intense contractions, but they still weren't closer together. We continued to time them throughout the day, waiting on the coveted 5 minute lag, but it never came. We decided to go to my parents house and walk on the golf course in an attempt to move things along. After 4 hours of walking, the contractions were about 7 minutes apart, and I was in the worst pain of my life. But since they weren't 5 minutes apart yet, and not wanting to seem like a wimp, we didn't go to the hospital. We went home and continued to time and wait. Around midnight, I decided to call the doctor on call and get her opinion. She told me that since I was scheduled to be induced on Friday anyways, to come on in and they'd get me comfortable and go ahead with the induction in the morning (it would be Thursday morning). So we packed it up and headed to the hospital! We were so excited that we'd soon have a baby in our arms!
We got to the hospital and were admitted at 1 o'clock. They put the monitors on me and began to monitor my contractions and Spencer's heartbeat during the contractions...and that brought some alarming information...his heart rate was plummeting during contractions. They immediately put me on oxygen and moved me into a labor and delivery room and called in the doctor. She came in and saw the monitor readings and decided to check me, break my water, and attach a monitor to his head in order to more accurately see what was going on. That was the most painful thing I have ever gone through. WOW. I'll spare you the awful details, but all of that is done by hand...OUCH. Anyways, when she broke my water, they saw that there was meconium in the amniotic fluid...again, not good. She attached the monitor and said she'd give it five minutes, and if his condition didn't improve, we'd be looking at an emergency c-section. WHAT??? I couldn't believe those words just came out of her mouth...I was in shock. I told Ray to call our parents and let them know. About 3 minutes later she gave the word...we were going to have a c-section. His heartrate wasn't improving. I was scared, upset, devastated, and heartbroken. My parents weren't there, and I was told that we couldn't wait for them to get there...we had to go now. So I put on my strong face and smiled at Ray, and tried to concentrate on the fact that we'd have a baby in our arms sooner than we expected.
The rest of the morning seems like a blur. I was prepped for surgery, Ray came in, our son came out, he was BEAUTIFUL. They sewed me up and moved me to recovery. I remember seeing my parents there, and Ray came in and told me how perfect our son is, then they gave me a shot of morphine before moving me into my room, and I don't remember much after that, except holding my sweet boy for the first time...he really was perfect...so handsome...I was head over heels in love IMMEDIATELY.
As many of you know, as we were getting ready to leave on Sunday, some really scary things took place. Because I've already hogged the computer writing this much, and Ray is itching to check his Facebook, I'll have to tell that story later. Just know that now everything is fine and my little man is absolutely healed. God has been so good to us even through the trials that Satan has tried to throw at us. By trusting in Him, we've come out on the other side stronger than we ever knew we could be. To God be all the Glory...He is AWESOME!
More to come later...
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Fresh!
Fresh...my new favorite thing! I like things to smell fresh, as I revealed my craziness in my last post, and yesterday I discovered just how much I love the Fresh Market! Until yesterday I had never been, but now I have the feeling I will be frequenting that wonderful place as long as time and my budget will allow! First of all, when I walked in I was amazed at how pretty it was! No bland decorations, it was all to rich and fancy! Then there were the gorgeous flowers. I came so very close to buying a pot of orange daisies, but I figured I'd spare their beauty, seeing as every plant that I am put in charge of seems to die rather quickly, and I just couldn't be responsible for ruining such beautiful flowers! Next came the produce...it was all so fresh and beautifully displayed! Because I am currently addicted to strawberries, I snatched up 2 containers of fresh Carolina strawberries, and one of them didn't make it through today. Next it was off to the meat section. Never in my life have I seen such good looking meat! I got a treat for my wonderful hubby for date night, and he grilled it to perfection...we may have to make some extra room in the budget to get our meat from there from now on because it was exceptional! I got some more knick knacks on the way out, successfully avoided the alluring candy section, and went on to the checkout line. It was so much fun! I don't know if it's the mom coming out in me or what, but it was an afternoon of domestic bliss! I hope my mom enjoyed it too, because I'll be dragging her along whenever I go...it wouldn't have been nearly as much fun without her! I don't think she will mind too much. She's very much into the organic thing now...I call it her hippie diet...and I think after seeing how it has helped her and as much fun as I had yesterday, I might start introducing some more hippie foods into our diet. I can't say I'll ever be fully committed to it, but adding a few things here and there couldn't hurt.
I now realize that I just posted an entire, and very sincere, blog about a grocery store. Life as I knew it is over...and I'm totally ok with that :)
I now realize that I just posted an entire, and very sincere, blog about a grocery store. Life as I knew it is over...and I'm totally ok with that :)
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Cravings...and subsequent addictions...
I've been asked this question many times, so I thought I'd share what my cravings have been recently. I use the word 'craving' loosely, as the word 'addiction' fits more appropriately. They start as cravings, but when the craving is insatiable no matter how often you make a feeble attempt to satisfy it, it becomes an addiction...at least in my book.
At first there were the typical culprits...spicy food, anything salty, and really whatever I could keep down...but as of late things have gotten a bit more interesting. There is now of course the cliche yet incredible desire for ice cream...chocolate chip cookie dough to be more specific...there must be a half gallon of it in my freezer at all times...I've eaten it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well as desert and a midnight snack. It doesn't matter what time it is, any time is a good time for ice cream.
Along those same lines, I have single handedly kept the Sno-Hut near our house in business. I'm sure at the end of the season when comparing profits from last year to those of this year, the owners will find a considerable increase in revenue. They may think that it's due to an unusually hot summer, but we know the truth. It is solely the result of the uncontrollable addiction to snow cones of the crazy pregnant lady down the street. I could eat them ALL DAY EVERY DAY. What flavor, do you ask? Either blueberry with cream or wedding cake with cream. Usually wedding cake with cream, but every once in a while I brave the blue mouth and go for the blueberry. The wedding cake flavor is clear, so I can indulge in my addiction and no one is the wiser. To this point I haven't stooped so low as to attempt to hide my addiction from my incredibly understanding husband, and I hope I don't have to, but I'm beginning to think that he may think less of me if I don't learn to control it. I'm not proud of it, but unfortunately they don't make a patch or have a 12 step program for me to attempt to break the addiction. At least I can admit it...that's a step in the right direction...at least that's what I keep telling myself :)
My next craving made me feel insane until I talked to a mom who said she experienced the same thing...so now I feel a little better about it...it's not a food craving. I am addicted to the smell of clean. I cannot stop cleaning my house...not because I'm a germaphobe, but because I want everything to smell like cleaner...specifically Fabuloso...and it is just as the name implies...FABULOUS. I can't get enough...I clean constantly, to the point that I've crippled myself, but I can't stop. I need to smell the clean! It's not limited to Fabuloso either. It's soap, dish detergent (oh Cascade, how I love thee), Gain, the fresh smell of my car's air conditioner when I turn it on after a long hot day...I know it sounds insane, but it's the truth. I love the fresh smell of clean. If I could carry around a bar of soap all day and not be looked at like a crazy person I totally would. Don't judge me :)
I look forward to regaining my sanity...
At first there were the typical culprits...spicy food, anything salty, and really whatever I could keep down...but as of late things have gotten a bit more interesting. There is now of course the cliche yet incredible desire for ice cream...chocolate chip cookie dough to be more specific...there must be a half gallon of it in my freezer at all times...I've eaten it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well as desert and a midnight snack. It doesn't matter what time it is, any time is a good time for ice cream.
Along those same lines, I have single handedly kept the Sno-Hut near our house in business. I'm sure at the end of the season when comparing profits from last year to those of this year, the owners will find a considerable increase in revenue. They may think that it's due to an unusually hot summer, but we know the truth. It is solely the result of the uncontrollable addiction to snow cones of the crazy pregnant lady down the street. I could eat them ALL DAY EVERY DAY. What flavor, do you ask? Either blueberry with cream or wedding cake with cream. Usually wedding cake with cream, but every once in a while I brave the blue mouth and go for the blueberry. The wedding cake flavor is clear, so I can indulge in my addiction and no one is the wiser. To this point I haven't stooped so low as to attempt to hide my addiction from my incredibly understanding husband, and I hope I don't have to, but I'm beginning to think that he may think less of me if I don't learn to control it. I'm not proud of it, but unfortunately they don't make a patch or have a 12 step program for me to attempt to break the addiction. At least I can admit it...that's a step in the right direction...at least that's what I keep telling myself :)
My next craving made me feel insane until I talked to a mom who said she experienced the same thing...so now I feel a little better about it...it's not a food craving. I am addicted to the smell of clean. I cannot stop cleaning my house...not because I'm a germaphobe, but because I want everything to smell like cleaner...specifically Fabuloso...and it is just as the name implies...FABULOUS. I can't get enough...I clean constantly, to the point that I've crippled myself, but I can't stop. I need to smell the clean! It's not limited to Fabuloso either. It's soap, dish detergent (oh Cascade, how I love thee), Gain, the fresh smell of my car's air conditioner when I turn it on after a long hot day...I know it sounds insane, but it's the truth. I love the fresh smell of clean. If I could carry around a bar of soap all day and not be looked at like a crazy person I totally would. Don't judge me :)
I look forward to regaining my sanity...
Newbie!
So...here goes nothing! This blog is coming into existence for a few different reasons that I can no longer ignore...and no longer want to. First of all, my wonderful sister-in-law has one of her very own that I try my best to keep up with, and in the past she has claimed that she is funnier than me, so it was unavoidable that I come here and give her a run for her money. Second, my job tends to have some down time...which means a lot of reading news that is important, gossip that isn't, and refreshing Facebook more times than I care to admit lest I come across as pathetic. So, I came to the conclusion that this would be a good time filler. Third, I wanted family and friends to be able to stay in the loop about what is going on at Bolt Manor, and one-sentence status updates just don't seem sufficient. Plus I know all of you are DYING to hear all the juicy details in the lives of Ray, Heather, and the soon-to-be poop machine Spencer...so this is for you! It is in no way my own therapeutic way of getting my thoughts out...except in EVERY way.
Hopefully you will enjoy this as much as I will, and hopefully I won't bore you to tears! Thanks for reading and caring about our simple little lives!
Hopefully you will enjoy this as much as I will, and hopefully I won't bore you to tears! Thanks for reading and caring about our simple little lives!
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