Shirk or Work?

Today two little Sassy's are home with a variety of ailments. This list is long so get your cup of morning Joe and settle in for the long haul... ok it's really not that bad but to this mama who has more on her plate this week than she cares for, it feels like a lot. Which is why I'm considering the Shirk or Work philosophy.

Kailee woke up at 4:30 a.m. saying her belly hurt, seeing as it was still "night-time" hours I told her to climb into daddy's spot (because he had to go to work extra-extra early) and snuggle in. I woke up at 4:53 and heard the distinct sound of gagging. Poor child... then she started to get the chills... which led to some tears and (my favorite part is coming up next, though I wish it was not an encore to crying) more mama snuggling. So, it's 7:40 a.m. right now at this very second she has ate 2 saltine crackers and a sip of water. She says, "my belly is very hungry feeling" one second and then in the next she says, "my belly feels ger-rumbly-in-knots". So... we're sticking with little sips and tiny bites until the "ger-rumbly-in-knots" feeling passes.

Gracie on the the opposite side has this wicked cough. The kind of cough that makes a mommy stop and think "wow did that just come out of you?" So... when I have E.T.A. on daddy I will be calling for an appointment for G. We cannot make our trek down to Devos on Thursday with a child who is hacking like chain-smoker.

I hadn't planned on blogging about this but, I figure it's a part of Gracie's history and it needs to be documented just because I need reference for many things. I think it's important for children to know their medical history and maybe this will be important for her to know and remember one day. If my memory keeps going as it is I won't be able to remember much, but this will provide a documentation that will give us a little light when we need it. 

You're probably thinking why are you going to Devos Thursday? Well, we're going to the Neurofibromatosis Clinic to see Dr. Vanderland (spelling is questionable sorry). Since birth Gracie has had a large birth mark on her back (not uncommon or of concern). Well, the birth mark has grown in size and she has more of, what I thought were "birth marks" on her body (mostly belly & back). The doctor called them Cafe au lait (Ka-Fay Oh Lay) spots. These spots can be one of the "markers" for something called Neurofibromatosis, which is a genetic disorder that can disrupt cell growth in your nervous system. We're going down so G can be evaluated on Friday morning. It's not scary or invasive from what I've been told, it's a lot of chitter-chatter amongst adults and looking at spots on the child. We are hoping for a very easy, quick, not-to-serious appointment but also an appointment that will answer all of our questions... which are endless.

We have had a little insight into this disorder already because friend of Jon's has a daughter (named Gracie as well) with this disorder as well. Her mommy was nice enough to ease my fears and provide guidance on what to ask and then she even let us borrow their information regarding this; which was a blessing. I don't know how this family has dealt with this disorder for so long and not lost their mind but it sounds like they arm themselves with information, support one another, and do not dwell on it. I admire them.

I want to make sure that we do all of the same.
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So far, only 8:30 a.m. ... the shirking is feeling like work... belly aches = no fun.