So life threw us a massive curve ball yesterday. The Mayor overslept his alarm again. When he finally woke up, he told he lost 19 pounds over the last few weeks. Annoyingly, he has been waking up the last few nights due to dry mouth and having to pee. All of this was enough to send my mama bear instincts into overdrive. I quickly tested his blood sugar, which came back at 188. Thankfully, the pediatrician was able to see us that afternoon to recheck with non-expired strips.
Unfortunately, the visit to the pediatrician’s office ended with us being referred to the ER to rule out diabetic keto acidosis. We’ve been in the hospital since last night and will be here at least another night. His blood sugar was 440 in the ER last night, but has since come down to 170 thanks to the insulin and fluids they’ve on boarded. Once they have his blood sugar stable and all his bloodwork back, we should be able to go home.
I haven’t posted anything on social media and won’t be sharing any photos of the patient here. However, we felt it important to share our experience as it may help someone else. I’m grateful for the experiences of my friends that helped inform our decision making yesterday. Thanks to the shared knowledge we were able to prevent a crisis. We won’t have a firm diagnosis until the bloodwork is back, but it will be life changing for him. Anyway, like the title suggests, we’ve just been thrown a major curve ball.
You have three magic genie wishes, what are you asking for?
I’d ask for my kids to be healthy, dogs to live forever and enough money for my entire family to live comfortably.
Our ducklings are thriving! We were quite nervous for them when Sweet Mama laid her eggs at our front door in the open. When they hatched and she was reticent to take them to the lake, we were nervous again. Fortunately, she made it to the lake on Sunday. She spends the nights there with the babies and her duck family. In the morning, several ducks escort her and the babies back to my front door. At night, they come and escort her and her babies back to the lake. It’s honestly quite heartwarming.
Incredibly, there are still eight lively ducklings! Normally, by this time she would have lost several of them to predators. Sweet Mama is taking no chances with her sweet brood. We give her plenty of space to take care of them. She gets nervous when anyone, even us, comes outside. She’ll fly you off if she thinks you’re getting too close to her babies. Consequently, I refill their water and feed them during their sojourn at the lake. If you had asked me earlier this month if I thought her clutch would be successful, I would have answered you no. She is intent on proving all of us wrong.
What would your life be like without music?
Life without music would be so boring! Music fuels my workouts and my life. Anyway, I’m pretty sure you already knew that since I post a music video to nearly every blog. Now off to take my iron supplement.
Can you believe it’s been one month since the kids got married? It was such a magical day! I’ve taken some time away from the blog and social media to soak it all in and rest. There’s a lot that goes into your child’s wedding. As with everything relative to one’s kids, I found myself more invested in ensuring their wedding was perfect than I was with my own. Having kids is an interesting experience. If you line every spectrum of the emotional rainbow amplified, then parenthood is for you. The highs and lows are much more extreme when you watch your kid experience them.
Fortunately, the wedding was an emotional high for all of us. The smiles never left the bride and grooms faces. They soaked in each and every moment of their special day. Although I’m sure if you asked them, the day was a blur. I continue to be proud of how Goalielocks and The Mayor showed up for Jake and Melly. It was proof that I’ve gotten at least three things right in life. Go me!
In the intervening weeks, life has settled back into its routine. I’ve relaxed my exercise routine to give myself some rest. It’s a bit harder to be motivated when you don’t have a fancy dress to fit into imminently. If someone could please throw a gala, I could get back on the bandwagon. Meanwhile, I’ll be over here pouring through the wedding pictures as feeling nostalgic about my the boys’ childhood.
One of my girlfriends, thank you Marla, had the brilliant idea of writing my favorite moments from the weekend down. It is easy to forget the smaller moments as time passes, so here are some of my favorite moments. Hopefully, I will catch the essence of their special weekend.
From Friday night, I loved watching Jake and Melly walk in a catch all the little details from the welcoming sign to the Daschund cookies and personalized candy bag tags. Also, from Friday night, it was great to see everyone interact and enjoy themselves in a relaxed and informal setting. We opted to hold an open house-style rehearsal dinner instead of the traditional stodgy dinner. This allowed us to include everyone attending the wedding. The majority of both families live out of town, so this was a great way to get the families together without the formality of the wedding. Friday night was a gift and fortunately went seamlessly.
Saturday leaving the house, in a rush per usual, we stopped to take a picture of the boys out front. It’s the same place we took all their back-to-school and prom pictures. Luke and I rode together and the boys drove separately. Truly, it was special to see how far the boys’ relationships have grown and how tight they’ve become. The younger two boys arranged Jake’s favorite dinners in the days leading up to the event. Additionally, the Mayor made sure we had all of Jake’s favorite snacks and drinks. The Mayor stepped up and helped Goalielocks, who had finals the entire week.
I had my hair and makeup done by Glamsquad, which did amazing work. It was fun getting ready with the bride, the bride’s mom, and the bridal party. Honestly, Melly and her family included me in everything throughout the wedding planning process. It meant a lot especially since I don’t have any daughters.
This one might be a bit silly, but I loved my outfit. I started looking for the dress even before the engagement ring was shipped to my house. Early on I decided I was going to buy an incredible designer dress second-hand. I sent all the candidates for Melly for approval. Eventually, I settled on a navy blue Jenny Packham gown. The gown had high slits on the legs and a magnificent cape. To round out the look, I paired it with a pair of Jimmy Choo Romy glitter pumps that I bought off eBay and a clutch I picked up at Nordstroms. The look turned out better than I could have imagined.
My veil played a starring role. I didn’t think my veil would ever see the light of day again. And then Melly asked to wear it. What an absolute honor it was to give her my veil. It complemented her dress and hairstyle perfectly. As dinner wound down Saturday night, I was chatting with the newlyweds and told Melly it was now her’s to pass down. I’m so happy she was able to wear the veil, but even happier to pass it down creating a family heirloom.
The ceremony started a little late, but still early by South Florida standards. I loved seeing my boys all dressed up. We lined up to go in and walking Jake down the aisle was surreal. Watching Goalielocks, the best man, and then The Mayor walk in with Ava (the flower girl) was a wonderful moment. Ava loves the Mayor, so we thought it would be a good way to get her down the aisle. Turns out it was picture-perfect.
Watching Jake’s face change as he saw his bride for the first time was moving. I lost it. It was so sweet to see him blown away by how beautiful she looked. The kids wrote their vows. Daringly, Jake said his vows with no notes. His vows, however, were from the heart and beautiful. I’ve never been more proud. When I asked him about them later, he said he didn’t need to write or down because it was just how he felt. Cue the tears…. And then she recited her vows, cue more tears. It means a lot to hear how someone loves your child completely and without condition. I’ve never been more proud of both of them.
The bridal party’s entrance to the reception was fantastic. They entered with lightsabers and it was amazing. The first dances were beautiful. Jake and I danced to “In My Life” by the Beatles, which is the song I danced to with my dad at my wedding. It was a special moment that I shared with Jake. A few minutes for us to chat about the day and for me to remind him how proud I was of both him and Melly.
Goalielocks was the best man and as such gave the first toast. He didn’t write it down beforehand, but he’s both good on his feet and a great speaker. Goalielocks wasn’t always the best brother to Jake, which he acknowledged. He did, however, acknowledge that his brother always treated him well no matter what. As Goalielocks grew up he’d come to respect and look up to his brother and their relationship has blossomed. It was a genuine, heartfelt speech that made me proud and misty.
The last speech was Melly’s dad. First of all, her parents are amazing and are so good to Jake. We love them dearly. PJ’s also a great speaker. The most touching part of the speech was when he spoke about how much he loved Jake. We think the world of Jake, but hearing his father-in-law describe their love and appreciation for him was truly a special moment.
My boys are the crowning achievements of my life. I’m so proud of the men they have become. This weekend the relationship they have cultivated was on full display. I’m so proud of how far their relationships have come. This weekend their love, loyalty, thoughtfulness, and support for each other were in full display. The Mayor brought his Polaroid camera to capture some of Saturday’s casual moments and boy did he. Meanwhile, Goalielocks, was there to support Jake with whatever he needed Saturday. Lastly, both boys made sure their uncles never went thirsty at the reception. Thanks for being a participant in my recap of my favorite moments from Jake and Melly’s wedding
We’re now two days away from the big day. I’ve spent most of the day fending off a tension/migraine headache, which is so lame. Hopefully, it will be gone by tomorrow. In the meantime, I’ve been alternating between cold and heat to loosen up my neck and shoulders. Fortunately, I’ve still managed to be somewhat productive. I got the pictures ready for the rehearsal dinner and wedding. And I got the cookies under control. I’ll be baking a double or triple batch of butter cookies tonight.
I binge-watched Netflix’s Decameron as I alternated between the heat and ice. The Decameron, by Nicholas Boccaccio, is one of my favorite books. It follows a group of friends who leave Florence for the countryside to try and avoid the plague. While in the countryside, they spend their time telling short stories daily. The stories are amazing. It’s said that the Decameron inspired Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. The limited series on Netflix doesn’t follow the book per se but follows nobles taking refuge in the countryside. I have quite enjoyed it.
Tonight I’ll have all three boys under one roof. What a gift! They’ll be playing video games and eating their favorite snacks. The Hubby is making jerk chicken with black beans and rice. One of Jake’s, and all of ours’, favorite meals. While they play video games, I’ll be mixing up more cookies and binge-watching a different show. Poor Ani will have to sleep in his cage tonight since he can’t be trusted with visitors. Before I forget, I have to say thanks to my dear coworker Sherry for the beautiful happy hanky. Two Days!
What’s the story behind your nickname?
My great great Grandfather’s name was Andreas. He was born at the Trandem farm in Romskog, Norway. We were lucky to visit the place where our ancestors were born in 2017. The doctors thought I was going to be a boy, but I surprised them all. My folks named me Andrea and my nickname became Andie because they thought I was going to be a boy.
Six more days until Jake and Melly get married! This morning I crossed a couple more things off my list, which felt good. We needed a few things for the bar and then photos for the in-memoriam table. Tomorrow I’ll pick up the photos and frames for the table. I still have a few more items to go. Honestly, the list seems never-ending just like it did when I was preparing to get married. Nonetheless, it will be here sooner rather than later and I can’t wait.
Yesterday I baked mini chocolate chip cookies with great success. Today I attempted sugar cookies with cookie cutters in the shape of birds and Daschunds. Unfortunately, the sugar cookies were an unmitigated disaster. The birds look like overcooked blobs, while the Daschunds look like dicks. Perhaps if you were hallucinating, you could see they’re birds or dogs, but probably not. They were so bad I threw them all away. I’ll be making the sugar cookies for Friday in their regular, boring, circular shape. Oh well, there was no harm in trying. Six more days!
What do you listen to while you work?
I like to listen to heavy metal between calls at work. If it’s not super busy, I’ll watch a live Wild Life Safari filmed in South Africa instead of listening to music. While on a call, I mute the safari but keep the closed captioning on so I can still watch it live. It’s amazing!
One week from today Jake and Melly get married!! There’s so much to do to make sure the evening goes off without a hitch. The Mayor and I picked up a few more items for the rehearsal dinner today, so it’s good to check a few more things off the list. We also added some stuff to the list. That will happen when you’re trying to make sure there’s something for everyone. The Mayor suggested adding Shirley Temples to the menu, which is a fabulous idea.
I started baking some mini chocolate chip cookies this afternoon. They turned out good, but I think they still might be too big. Tomorrow I’m going to experiment with the sugar cookies. The Publix cookie platter had four varieties of cookies, but for time and simplicity’s sake, I’m going to make two. Our Publix doesn’t carry the buttercream frosting, but I was able to find one nearby that does. I’ll pick that up later in the week and make it pretty with some sprinkles. I enjoyed a nice interlude from baking when my friend sent a reel showing a bunch of hens tittle-tattling like hockey moms.
I tried on both outfits this morning. Both dresses fit and the shoes are perfect. Although, my legs are way too pale. I’ll need to fix that before Saturday. I did, however, misplace the dust bag. Honestly, I have no idea when I put it. Consequently, I put the shoes in a different dust bag to keep them pristine. The heels don’t have a reputation for being super comfortable, so I’m buying some blister bandages and a cushion for the ball of my foot. I bought the 85mm heel instead of the 100mm because I thought they’d be more comfortable to wear over an extended period than the higher heel. One week to go!
What’s your go-to comfort food?
I love chicken noodle soup and saltine crackers when I’m not feeling great. It’s always tasty and usually settles my stomach. I prefer the original Campbell’s chicken noodle soup over the healthier versions. My other favorite comfort food would be bread. I love the taste of bread, but it also keeps my stomach happy. I’ll never be able to be on a strict Atkins diet.
Eleven days until the wedding?!? Can you believe it? I checked a few more items off the list this morning! Now I only have the caterer picking up things like ice and borrowed cooler to pick up. The dress I ordered for the rehearsal dinner should be delivered early next week. Thankfully, the shoes I ordered off of eBay for the ceremony should be here by tomorrow afternoon. This gives me plenty of time to buy another pair if they don’t fit right.
Eleven days is a short space of time to get everything done and for everything to change. It seems like science fiction that next week will be the last time our family of five will be under the same roof. I’m still trying to figure out where time has gone and how the kids got so old without us aging. I think my mom might be aging in reverse. Eleven days from now our family will embark on a new and exciting chapter.
Got to celebrate my mom’s birthday with her yesterday!
In other news, the shoulder is getting better daily. It hurts most of the time, but both my range of motion and pain level are steadily improving. In light of the injury, I’ve been modifying my Apple Fitness + plan to protect the shoulder. Honestly, I don’t love walking on the treadmill, but it was significantly less jarring to the shoulder than running. I enjoy running Apple’s treadmill workouts. They always draw the best out of me,
Which activities make you lose track of time?
I lose track of all time and space when reading. If I didn’t pay attention to the time, I could read all night. The bookshelf I bought earlier in the year is already filled up with new books. My pocketbook can’t wait for the new library to open up this fall.
It’s a rainy afternoon here in South Florida. Thankfully, the thunder and lightning have abated making it infinitely easier to hear on the phone. The rain can’t, however, dampen our spirits as we continue to ride the wave of the Panthers Stanley Cup win. I think all of us Panthers fans have been watching and rewatching clips from Monday night’s win since the game ended. There is something special about watching people achieve their dreams.
The parade is on Sunday and should be a marvelous time. First of all, there are few places prettier than Fort Lauderdale Beach. I love that strip of A1A. The hubby will be working, so it will be just the Mayor and myself. We’ll have to get there early since we’re parking near the parade route at a friend’s place. Hopefully, the weather cooperates and there’s no rain. Thankfully, the beautiful beach is there if we need to cool off for a minute. We’ll be wearing our swimsuits to the event.
Amazing photo taken by Juan Morales Monday night @
I’ve been hunting for Stanley Cup merchandise that isn’t an arm and a leg. I found the hats and t-shirts for the boys, but am still looking for a women’s version of the shirt. I hate paying for shipping so any site charging for it is out of the question. Hopefully, I can find what I’m looking for when I am out. Otherwise, I’ll be out of gas.
Off topic, but super important to me. One of my dearest aunts is in the hospital and not doing well. Please keep her, her son, my grandma, and our family in your prayers.
What’s the most delicious thing you’ve ever eaten?
I’ve had some great meals and great desserts in my life, so it’s really hard to narrow it down. One of my favorites is the Kouign-Aman we ate in Normandy at the gite (think AirBnB) after traveling into Brittany to see Saint Malo.
Twenty-five is how old my eldest son Jake turned today. What’s odd, however, is that I’m only 33. Somehow the math just isn’t mathing. I can’t believe twenty-five years have passed since this amazing person entered the world. My Hubby and I were just kids when he was born. Now, especially today and with his impending wedding, I’m feeling a bit old.
Twenty-five years ago there were no digital cameras and I hadn’t even purchased my first cell phone yet. My hubby was still rocking a pager. My parents had cellphones, but they were the size of bricks and you had to pay by the minute. I can’t believe how much has changed in our world since he was born. We’ve gone from an analog society to a fully digital society. New Star Wars movies no longer have the novelty that they did in 1999. Who wasn’t excited to see the Phantom Menace.
Unfortunately, we won’t be able to celebrate the big birthday with Jake as he’s home in Tally. Fortunately, he’s coming down for the 4th, so we’ll celebrate him then. Meanwhile, we’ll watch the Panthers continue to choke in the Stanley Cup Finals. I’m not willing to get my hopes up at this point because the Cats will break my heart. No matter what, this team has been so fun to watch this season. I’m excited to see how their success will continue growing the Florida game.
Which food, when you eat it, instantly transports you to childhood?
There are a couple of foods that bring me back to my childhood. Creamy cucumber salad is one of them. I used to love it when my great-grandma would make this with cucumbers straight from her garden or the farmer’s market. Pickles roll-ups, aka Minnesota sushi, are another food that transports me back to the 1980s.
