Out With the Old, In With the New...

Just two and a half hours and it will be 2009...i must be getting old because time just seems to pass faster and faster. We were supposed to have friends over for dinner tonight, but had to cancel due to a sinus infection that I thought was going to turn into the flu. Thank goodness it didn't and the antibiotics are awesome! So instead of our original plans which we will reschedule, Daniel & I went out for an early dinner at our favorite restaurant (my mom had the beebs), I fed Ru and now I'm writing my last post of 2008 and then it's off to bed, before midnight...i know, I'm such an old lady, but I'm okay with that!

(a very low key new year's eve)













(daniel's dinner came with free sea shells...ick!)













This past year was quite an adventure, with daniel being hired on as a salaried employee for Air Coastal Charter, a move to a new home and all that entails...the passing of my grandpa, a new baby who came much earlier than expected, a new car for me, and finally daniel being downsized from salary to contract work, on Christmas eve no less. What kind of timing was that? At first we were so upset, and Daniel was worried about what we would do, but it didn't take long to realize the Lord has a plan for us, and Air Coastal is no longer a part of that plan.

If there's one thing my mom taught me at a very young age, it's that if we are faithful in our finances, ie. tithing, the Lord is faithful to us. I have given 10% of my income to the church as long as I can remember, and I have never been in want of work. This was a difficult adjustment for Daniel when we got married, after all, 10% is nothing to laugh at, but he soon realized the blessings that come when we are faithful to give to the church who in turn blesses those in need. Every time he turned around he was getting a new opportunity to earn money. At one point I think the boy had about five different jobs at one time.

Within two days of the bad news, Daniel has managed to pick up two new students, has the possible opportunity to fly contract on a plane that he needs to build time in, we were more than blessed with a generous check from both of my grandmas as Christmas gifts & finally, my expense check from work (which I dragged my feet on doing) was approved & issued in record time and will nearly cover our entire car insurance bill. Before this happened we had researched paying for health insurance on our own and were planning for me to leave my job to stay home with Ruby. There was a reason we dragged our feet on filling out the insurance forms... praise the Lord I wasn't hasty to quit! For once in my life procrastination was a blessing! :) Daniel flew contract today and learned that they will probably be moving the hanger to Temecula permanently (they used to be based at John Wayne). He was also told that they would probably be able to hire him back sooner than expected. Thanks, but no thanks...commute to Temecula, who needs that? The year Daniel spent at Air Coastal was an awesome opportunity, it allowed him to work on the side and make extra money which helped with the move &, it also allowed him to spend a lot of time with his new daughter, but, we both realize that God has something better in store for us. What, we don't know, but we're excited to find out. There are other examples of God at work in our lives, but i don't want to go on forever...the bottom line is, often times when we feel least in control, we are actually in the safest place and that's the best time to watch God at work in our lives. He is our provider, always, and why we ever doubt Him I don't know. So goodbye 2008 and hello 2009, I can't wait to see what's in store for us.

(last picture of Ru in 2008...
gotta love home made gifts!)

Inhalers, Monitors & Medicine Oh My!

(sad mommy in the ER)















What a week it has been! I was so looking forward to all the posts on Christmas firsts...pics with Santa, homemade stockings, family get togethers etc. etc. However God has a very strange sense of humor at times & much of this has had to take a back seat. Last monday, (shortly after I had the thought..." I can't believe Ruby is almost six months old and hasn't gotten sick once!") our little lady started to get the sniffles, which grew into a cough and a very wheezy girl. By wednesday it was bad enough to consider taking her to the doctor, but i decided against it with the reasoning that they wouldn't be able to do anything for a cold. Thursday morning came and Ru sounded awful, so Daniel decided to take her to the pediatrician. All the while she is in the best of spirits; smiling, laughing and just being her normal happy self. When the doctor saw her he told us she had bronchiolitis (inflammation of the bronchioles within the lungs), and that her lungs sounded pretty bad. He debated admitting her to the hospital, and decided against it only because "she was in such a good mood" and didn't "look" like a sick baby at all, she was even laughing at the him.

He sent her home with an inhaler and had us schedule a follow up appointment for saturday which we never made it to. Instead, Danny went to pick her up friday night from Grandmas and she sounded considerably worse. Long story short, (yeah right!) we took her to the ER, and they were concerned with her heavy wheezing and crackely lungs. They took chest x-rays, suctioned her nose with what looked like a pressurized turkey baster, catheterized her nose to suck the mucus out of her lungs and gave her multiple breathing treatments of albuterol. All the while my girl was all smiles with the exception of whenever they had anything shoved up her tiny little nose which is quite understandable! :( Again the hospital debated whether or not to admit her, because other than the snotty nose she had no outward symptoms, but, after the fifth breathing treatment with minimal results and a positive test result for RSV (Respiratory syncytial virus) they decided we needed to stay. RSV is really just a cold virus, but it hits infants much harder causing insane amounts of mucus which becomes dangerous when it gets in the lungs and it is also SUPER contagous! So, Ruby & I spent the night at Long Beach Memorial both friday and saturday night, rather than doing fun things like going to see the christmas lights, or baking cookies...you get the point!

(this is how she woke up in the hospital!)











After two days of having her oxygen levels monitored, several more breathing treatments and a couple doses of prednisolone as well as countless nose suctionings,
we are now home. With the new routine being, using the humidifier, propping up her mattress and suctioning her poor little nose several times an hour as well as continuing on the inhaler. As you might have guessed this has impacted our Christmas plans greatly as she is still very contagous as well as susceptable and we don't want to share her germs with any of her cousins although she has already managed to share with both mommy AND daddy who now have colds! ;) Many things that we wanted to do didn't get done, but there's always next year, and the important thing is I have a healthy baby who's on the mend. We're so grateful we caught this early, because it could have been much worse. I'm just happy to have my little muffin home on Christmas and to be able to spend the holiday as a family! Thank you to all those who left messages of well wishes and prayers & to those who didn't even know about all the goings on, well, it was one less thing to stress out about during this crazy time of year!

("what the heck is this glowing thing on my toe?")

















why it's an oxygen monitor for Ruby the red-toed baby!















Daddy & his Angel Bear

Happy Five Months...

one day late ? ;) Yesterday my roo-bear was five months old and I can't believe what a little lady she's turning in to. She no longer looks like a little baby, even Daniel noted the other day, "she's such a little person now". It's just crazy how fast time is passing, but I'm loving everday. I look forward to celebrating this Christmas season as a family and enjoying all those holiday firsts: pictures with Santa, choosing her first ornament, looking at all the Christmas lights when we take our evening walks, opening presents, visiting with family & friends, etc., etc. I already have all her presents picked out (which will go in her stocking...which has yet to be made...hmmm) and I can't wait to give them all to her. Just a few small things, as she is just a baby still, but purposefully and carefully chosen. I will be sure to post pictures of her stocking and all it's contents after Christmas.

It's been eleven years...

since i first fell in love with Daniel Harris Green. Eleven years ago today it was made official, and Daniel asked me to be his girlfriend. We had been dating for a couple months, but Suzanne Yoon convinced Daniel that he needed to "ask me out" proper, and so he did, in the parking lot after school as i stood on the door jam of my little toyota corolla. I was so excited as he was my very first (and last) boyfriend. It was less than a year after that, I knew I would marry him and after six LONG years, we were indeed married. ;) I can't remember life before "The Boy", (as my parents referred to him way back when) but the past eleven years sure has flown by. I love you mr. green and I'm thankful I found someone who not only puts up with my craziness, but loves me despite it!

way back when...




















on our "eleven year anniversary"
Celebrating at Picarelli's