Good Bye 2013

Mike and I call 2013 our medical year.  As we were picking our insurance plan last year we said, "oh we won't have that much medical.  We aren't having a baby.  Let's pick a crappy plan." Yeah, never a great idea.  Found out we were pregnant in February and that was only the beginning. 

In May, on Mother's Day, Luke bit through his bottom lip.  I say it wasn't my idea to take him in, and Mike swears it wasn't his idea.  Either way, Luke ended up in the ER instead of Urgent Care. They didn't do anything.  Told us to feed him soft things like applesauce and yogurt until it healed. 

The end of June Mike had his hospital adventure.  Just so happened it was the end of June and he got released from the hospital on July 2. 

August came along and Michael busted his chin. 3 stitches in his chin.



September on a Monday when I was 38 weeks along, my doctors sent me to labor and delivery for preeclampsia (which apparently you can have ALL the symptoms of, and not actually have).  Spent a few hours there. They gave me some meds for my cluster headache and sent me on my way.  On that Wednesday, I was having contractions 3 minutes apart, so we went back to labor and delivery again. After a few hours of staying at a 4, they sent me home with some other drugs for my head stabbing pain. It got worse, so my OB told me to go to the emergency room that afternoon.  After an MRI, a boat load of drugs and a few other things, they finally gave me oxygen.  The cure for a cluster headache.  I felt SO much better at least for a day until it gradually came back. Showed up on the next Friday for my scheduled induction at labor and delivery which I got sent home due to lack of space.


Finally Spencer came into this world on Saturday....5 trips in September.  I swore I was never actually going to get to leave with my baby outside of my body.



We took October off from the hospital.  Just had 5 trips to the doctor office for well child checks and shots for random children.

November landed Spencer in the hospital for a few days for a fever in a 6 week old baby.



December we've been dealing with Isabelle and her UTI's and kidneys.



With a difficult pregnancy and Mike traveling a lot, it is easy to say 2013 has been horrible, VERY VERY expensive, and nothing seemed to be going our way. I've found myself less optimistic than normal. Looking back I can't help but see all the blessings 2013 has brought.  Mike and I were talking about it the other day.  Mike had a job all year (Despite lots of changes at work), we had our Mom's come help us numerous times and had Ana, we could afford all these medical bills, we had another healthy baby, kids have started school and are doing well academically.  We have enjoyed parks, the zoo, beaches, Disney, another YMCA, and the temple. All of the medical things that happened could have been SO MUCH WORSE! We have been showered with service from friends and a wonderful ward. We hit our 10 year anniversary and are still happy. As I search for the good, it's all there. It's all in our perspective. As I focus more on these blessings, I'm gradually pulling out of my "woe is us" and "Debbie Downer" attitude. The Lord has truly blessed us another year. What will 2014 bring? I'm sure lots of adventures that I will be optimistic about this time. :)