From Tiki and Naboo

My cats, brilliant as they are, found this this morning, and told me to share it with you all. I think this pretty much sums up how they are feeling about their soon-to-be brother.

A Puppy!

We have been wanting a puppy for quite awhile now, but were waiting for the right time to finally give it a go ahead. When I got my new job, we both decided that this was the time to get the dog. Jim will be home alone quite a bit this fall, and he could use a buddy. So, we have been checking websites daily for the perfect pup and we found him yesterday! He is a 9 week old chocolate lab, and we are going to name him Rowdy (from the tv show Scrubs). The picture online wasn't great, so I will leave you all in suspense until we pick him up next Friday. :) We are very very excited to welcome him to his new home and we are so excited for the opportunity to give a pup a good home.

I do feel the need to say one thing about our new pup. He is not a rescue. And because he's not a rescue dog does not mean we are bad puppy-hating people. We looked at rescue dogs, and breeders alike to find the one that was a good fit for us. Rowdy just happened to come at the right time. Rescue or not, he is getting a good home with people who will love him and treat him right. Who knows what would have happened to him if nobody did adopt him. I understand that the argument is that if you support breeders, they will continue to breed and fewer rescues will be adopted. But as my husband put it, there are orphan children out there who need to be adopted too, but people keep having their own children and will continue to do so. It is whatever is right for the couple making the choice. So please, do not judge us based on this decision. We are good people, who do good things for our communities and our families. Choosing a dog from a breeder does not change that. It was what was right for us, and I appreciate our friends and family supporting that decision.

The New Job

I know I haven't updated the blog in quite awhile. Things the past two weeks have been pretty busy. I started my new job last week and so far I love it. It is so awesome to get up in the morning and not dread my day and walk out of the office at the end of the day with a smile on my face. Don't get me wrong, I didn't hate every waking minute in my old job, but it was so hard to get excited about what I was doing..it was so BORING to me!! And while I do realize I'm still in the honeymoon phase of my new job, it just feels good. I really think I have found a place where I belong, and its been a long time since I've felt that way. I'm very much looking forward to what my new career will bring me and I think this will be something I will stay with for quite awhile.

I start traveling in about three weeks. Traveling means I will be away from home 4-5 days a week, and away overnight for 2-3 of those nights. I think this will be good for me and Jim. Those of you who know us well know that we are attached at the hip, so a little independent time will be good for us. We are actively looking for a puppy though, so Jim isn't too lonely, so if you hear of any black or chocolate male pups looking for a new home, let us know!

I hope everyone has a good Labor Day weekend. We are laying low, since our summer was so crazy. Saturday night I'm getting together with some of my favorite girls, and I can't wait for a night of a thousand laughs and about as many glasses of wine. :)

Dear Fall,

Back off. I'm not ready for you. This morning on my drive into work I saw FIVE trees with leaves of red and orange. In case you hadn't been keeping up, its AUGUST 18TH. You my good friend are not welcome until at least September 9th. While you are still my favorite time of year, I'm not ready to let go of the hot days, warm nights, tank tops, and fun flip-flops.

Go back to your cave, stop bullying Summer, and we'll see you in a few weeks.

I Wouldn't Have Done This in College

After all my talk about growing old, and wishing I were in my early 20s again, I am spending my evening baking whoopie pies for dinner with friends tomorrow night, drinking wine, enjoying some of my favorite acoustic tunes, and dancing in my living room. Maybe its just the wine talking, but this is not something I would have enjoyed in college, and this just may be the best night I've had in a long time. I'm not at a club, I'm not wasted, and I will get up and go to work tomorrow morning. Maybe this growing up thing will turn out ok....

Growing Up

I wish that when I was born, someone had given me a book on the stages of life. Something that said how exciting going to kindergarten would be, how hard puberty is, how fun college would be, and how friggen scary and kind of depressing your late 20's would be. Don't get me wrong here, I enjoy my life and I am very happy with my family, friends, husband, kitties, house, and all that jazz, but it is so HARD to leave your early 20's behind.

A few months ago I claimed to be going through my quarter life crisis. Don't laugh at me (I can see my aunts chuckling at this), its a real thing! Babies? No way. Independence, alcohol, and clubbing? Bring it on. I spent three Saturday nights in a row living it up and wasted three Sundays in bed with the worst hangovers I've ever had. I needed to rebel a bit. Go out to the club. Dance until 2 in the morning (although by 11 I was exhausted). I even told my poor husband I was going to buy concert tickets because it was what I wanted to do and I was sick of having to ask about every financial decision I want make (which by the way is so NOT true, we both have plenty of our own financial freedom). I was a crank.

After the third Sunday of crawling out of bed at 4pm only to trip on the trash can my amazing husband had placed next to me, I snapped out of it. Still no babies, please, but I was perfectly content making dinner at night then sitting on the couch cuddling with my husband and kitties until we went to bed at a very early but comfortable 9pm.

Last weekend was my best friend Ryan's bachelorette party. It wasn't a wild, wear penis hats, matching shirts, and take 900 shots kind of night. We all dressed up, took a limo into Boston, went to a really classy martini bar, and then went to the Revolution Rock Club where we hung out in the VIP area, and I ordered myself a bottle of wine. (Hey, its cheaper that way!) But as I looked out onto the extremely packed dance floor I couldn't help but long for those college and early 20s days back. Things were so EASY. Get up, go to class, come home, start drinking, laugh your butt off for hours on end, go to bed after about 20 drinks, and wake up hangover free. That was the life.

Do I think that life is boring now? No way. I have a lot that keeps me going. I have an amazing husband, and the best girlfriends who make me laugh more than I knew I could. But I honestly think that my college/early 20s years may have been the best of my life, and its so hard to let that go. When I think about starting a family I get so excited, but then immediately realize that my youth is over. I'm even starting to look too old. I was watching some news story the other day about a guy and I just assumed he was this regular, adult man, obviously out of college and in the career world. Then they said he was 27 years old and I about died. Do I look that old? Well, maybe I do, seeing as I too am out of college and in the career world. Oh lord, this growing up thing is tough.

Back to the book I never got. I'd like to think that the chapter on your late 20's ends something like this: Being grown up doesn't mean being boring. It doesn't mean the kids at the store think you are some old hag. It does mean less time at the clubs, but it doesn't mean less time with a good bottle of wine and close friends and family (you still get the buzz you know). Having kids doesn't mean your life is over. You really are only as old as you think you are. When your co-workers and older family members tell you the best is yet to come, its ok to not believe them, you will see it in your own time, but believe that this time is coming sooner than you think. And know this, when the next transition comes and you hit your mid-life crisis, it won't be easy, you'll recover, and the second half of your life will be even better than your first.

GOING HOME!!!

We just got word that Mary is being discharged from MGH as we speak!! She is heading back to Hampden, and will not be doing any rehab in Boston. From what little Jim got from his dad on the phone (he was hurrying to get her ready to go), she will do minimal PT and OT in the Bangor area, and she will be able to stay at her house, rather than being in another facility for a few weeks. This is great news and I can just imagine how excited both Mike and Mary are to finally get home!

Weekend Update

We are back home after a busy busy weekend. Saturday I got to go in and see Mary and she was doing pretty well. The drugs have her in and out of sleep but when she's awake she is herself and really getting better every day. At this point we think she will be heading out of MGH and in to rehab early to mid-week. She won't need any physical therapy but may need occupational therapy. As of our last report from Mike, she hadn't seen the OT yet for her evaluation, so hopefully we'll know more tomorrow. Once she meets with the OT it will be determined if she can do her rehab in Boston or Hampden....pray for Hampden, it would be great to get her and Mike home!!

So, all in all she is doing great, looking great, and sounding great. I'll let you all know when she heads towards OT and where she is going!

Surgery Success!

Hey everyone,

Just a very quick update. Mary had her surgery yesterday to put in the permanent drain and it was a full on success! The drain will now stay in there forever, draining fluid from the brain to the stomach when necessary. Jim and I are in Boston this weekend. I haven't seen Mary yet, as this was a planned weekend with friends quite awhile ago, but I am heading in for a bit today. Jim did get to see her last night and is in this morning and said she is looking and sounding great. I'll post more on Monday when we are back home and after I have seen her. Have a great weekend everyone!

Movin' Out!

I just got word from Mike that Mary is kissing the ICU adios today! She will be moved to another section of the neuro floor at MGH, but getting out of the ICU is huge, and I bet she is just thrilled!

They have decided to put a shunt, a permanent drain, into her head, as they have had trouble with headaches when they try to turn off the drain. The shunt will stay in there forever, but will allow her to recover more quickly and hopefully (this is me talking now, not the docs), prevent future issues.

I'll keep everyone updated on the move, and where she is once she gets moved!

Some Uplifting News

I think we all could use a little good news, so I am here to share. First and foremost, Jim had his 6 week blood pressure check up today. After 6 weeks of a complete do-over of our diet, and a lot of self-control on Jim's part, he left the doctor's with the lowest blood pressure he's ever had since he started going to this office! I'm so so proud of him. He's worked so hard to get his blood pressure down, and to see him not only do it, but knock it out of the park, is just awesome. His next appointment is in 3 months, where they will check to make sure he is staying on track. He is definitely looking at this as a lifestyle change, so I think he will find it pretty easy to maintain. Good job babe :)

On my end of things, I got a new job!! I will be working as an Admission Counselor at USM, where I work now. I am beyond excited about it. I have really been missing working with students, and this will definitely satisfy that need. During the fall I will be traveling all over New England, going to high schools and college fairs to recruit students. The rest of the year I will work to read applications, approve scholarships, and work open houses. This is a new start for me and I am really excited about it. My first day is August 18th.

Checking in on Mary, she is doing well. They have been attempting to turn off the drain that goes into her head. When they are able to turn it off without her getting a headache, they can remove it, and hopefully start moving her out of ICU. As of today, the drain is back on, but they keep trying every day. I know she is anxious to get out of the ICU, so keep your fingers crossed that it will happen soon! She is definitely a trooper!

Home Again

Jim and I are back home again, this time for the week, as we also have to head back to work. Mary looked amazing when we saw her yesterday. The swelling in her eye is completely gone and the bruising has almost completely subsided. She was awake, up in her chair, and attempting to eat. She had her same sense of humor and really just was Mary. It doesn't appear that any cognitive loss has taken place which is just fantastic. Last night after we left, the doctors wanted to try turning off the drain coming out of her head. If she didn't experience any severe headaches, they could take it out today. We did receive an update from Mike around midnight, and they had to turn the drain back on. So, they'll try again soon. I'm just so excited that they are at the point where they can start thinking about disconnecting some of the critical things attached to her. I know she is very anxious to get out of the ICU.

So, I will keep you all updated as the week goes on. Jim and I are headed back to Boston next weekend. I have a bachelorette party to go to, and he'll spend it with his mom and dad. Thanks again for all the love and support!

One Week

Well today marks the one week mark since Mary's accident. Jim and I have been here since Wednesday evening and have only seen her a few times. She's had many many visitors since she got here and asked to have a quiet day yesterday. We saw her briefly in the morning and then the three of us (Mike, Jim, and I) went our separate ways and gave her some space. Jim went for a bike ride to blow off steam, Mike visited with his mom, and I took the opportunity to get some shoes for Ray's wedding. I think we all needed the break as much as Mary did to be perfectly honest. We did get to see her briefly last night and she was awake and eating and looked really good. Every day is an improvement which is what we like to see!

Aside from Mary and her improvement, the think that amazes me more than anything is the amount of support that all the families here in the ICU give each other. We say hello to each other in the morning, offer to get food or coffee when someone goes downstairs, share our stories, and check in to see how their loved one is doing throughout the day. When someone comes back from a visit everyone stops what they are doing to make sure everything is ok. There is a man here who's brother got in a severe motorcycle accident last Saturday. They just stabilized him this morning. There is another family who's wife/mother/sister had an aneurysm like Marys. Another family is here with their mother who is suffering from cancer. Together, we have all become each other's support system. It truly is amazing, and I am so grateful for all of us here that we all feel like we can give each other that type of support, rather than just sitting in this green and tan waiting room all day long, staring at the wall with nobody to talk to.

So, one week down, with tons of improvement. Hopefully this time next week we'll be talking about a timeline for heading home, or at least getting out of ICU.