I'm Back!!

Wow!  Didn't realize how long it had been since I had last blogged.  It's been too long.  But find myself needing to do it.
School definately took over my life.  Anyone who has ever been through nursing school can relate.  Since my last blog I have completed 2 semesters of nursing school, almost have my kids done with another year of school, traveled to Gatlinburg and Florida, pulled off all the important holidays...Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, learned that I will be an aunt soon and who knows what else!
Things are definately being overhauled around here.  Many changes coming.  Stay tuned!

Keeping My Head Above Water!

Right now that's all I can hope for!
Just got done with our second week of exams in school.  In nursing school it's like a week of finals every 4 weeks.  Stressful to say the least.
Now on to fall break for me and then for the kids next week.
Strep has entered our house, Ashley was first...guess we'll see who's next.  It likes to make the rounds.
At the end of October I am doing something I've never done since having kids!  Going on a girls weekend shopping trip!!!!  I can not wait!  Going with some dear friends to Gatliinburg for 3 nights!  I've never left the kids, EVER!  It'll be hard but I SO need it!!

The other day in class we got a little speech from our director.  She said she could teach each one of us any skill we wanted to know about nursing but the one thing she couldn't teach us was compassion.  I loved that!  Compassion is something taught and learned long before becoming an adult.  Compassion in your job/education, being a mother, wife, sister, daughter...just having compassion in everything that you do.  I try my best to have that compassion everyday.  I know there are many areas that I need to work on but one thing I do hope is that I can instill that compassion into my children.  I know they will each be compassionate for different things but the one thing I hope they have the most compassion for is just being a good person.  being responsible for their actions, considerate of others and one day to show compassion for raising their own children as I have for raising them.

In my nursing school of course I have the most children.  I haven't stood up in class and spouted off about having 8 children.  The word has just gotten around.  It's not something that I feel I am special for.  Blessed beyond belief, YES!  Special, NO!  But everyday another person in school ask, 'How do you do it?"  "How do you study?"  How do you afford... I still just answer we just do it.  We just make it happen.
And that we do.  We'll just keep makin' it happen!!

                                               The sassy sisters!

                                          This should be a Goldfish commercial!

Is it over yet???

Back to school...for me!!!  Sitting here waiting to go back into class after my first BIG exam, I only havbe 4 this week...YIKES!!!  Praying that I did alright.  I prayed about it before taking it.  I keep reminding myself why I am here, why I am doing this.  My kids!  I do this for them to give them a better life and to make thiings easier on us in the future.  This is all for them, I keep reminding myself. 
getting up with Doug now at 5:15 am., doing 15 min. on the treadmill (Go me!) then shower and get the school kids up.  getting used to doing this now and it's not bad just hope my grades are not bad as well.

The weather has been strange, fall is coming quick.  I think Doug has brought the first bout of Strep in our house.  If this goes through the kids, especially this week,  I think he'll move to the dog house.  I don't have time for numerous Dr. visits this week.  But, I'll do what I have to!

So just wish us all luck this week.  me for grades and Doug for a nice place to sleep!! haha

Back Again...

It's been a while.  Summer here is just crazy.  7 kids at home all day...every day!!  Plus trying to sell the house, have had some showings, in-laws here, babies starting to walk, I had pneumonia, took a summer class, just to name a few of the things that have kept me super busy this summer. 

Oh, Emma played softball also, she had a ball!  That kept us extra busy with practice once a week and at least two games.  But it was worth it!
Now just getting ready for Aug.  It's always busy but will be crazy busy this year.  I'm going back to school!!!  Scared to death, such a change.  Interviewing sitters this weekend to hopefully find a wonderful longtime sitter for the kids.  I'll be away at least 3 days a week.  What a change that will be but it'll be good for all of us.  Trying to stock up on groceries for all those lunches to send to school (will have 4 in school all day!), freezing meals for us to have for dinner on my busy days, and made out the school supply list...oh my!

And the babies are saying what I am feeling about the summer...

LET ME OUT!!!!!

What a Few Weeks

The last time I blogged (Tuesday, April 5th) we were on our second day of spring break, just getting over Ashley's birthday and getting ready for the twins birthday and an exciting end of spring break.  Boy how things can change in an instant...
That night things here were pretty much normal.  Big kids were in bed, Doug and I were gettting the baby twins ready for bed.  Lil Chance had finally started crawling that day.  He seemed so happy to be going everywhere that his "big" sis Sophie was.  Well, I was getting him ready for bed, had jammies on and his lil face was dirty.  So I took him to the couch, sat him right next to Doug who was holding Sophie and went to get a washcloth to clean him up.  As I was standing at the sink I heard the thump.  Doug said that he fell off the couch head first.  When I got to the living room he was sitting up crying.  Like any other time that one of my kids have fallen from the couch because of course they all have.  As I am holding him, trying to console him, he goes limp, he has passed out.  Doug calls 911, I laid Chance on the couch.  His breathing was scattered, I'm saying his name trying to get a response.  He comes too and starts screaming.  I'm thinking we are o.k.   Luckily even though we live in the country, there is a manned fire station a mile from our house.  The firemen arrive before the EMT's.  We lay him back on the couch for them to look at him.  He begins to have a sort of spell that was later confirmed to be a seizure.  Afterwards he starts vomitting.  Long story a little shorter, we are taken by ambulance to Kentucky Childrens Hospital ER.  There an IV is started, a neck brace is put on and a CT and X-rays are taken.  The CT shows a subdural hematoma.  A bleed in his brain.  At this point I still haven't totally lost it.  The neurosuregeon says it's not bad enough for surgery, we'll stay in the hospital a couple of days for observation.  He is then moved to the PICU for a couple of hours then to a room on the pediatrics floor.
This became the first night of five nights that we would spend at UK.  We seen a countless number of Neurosurgeons, Pediatricians, Neorologists and Opthmologists.  Ended up that he also had retinal hemoraging in the left eye. 
At 9 mos. old Chance was diagnosed with BESY Syndrome.  BESY is a syndrome that usually causes no problems, it is extra fluid on the brain causing a larger than normal head. He is supposed to just grow into it.  He has struggled with his big head with sitting up and controlling the thing.  His big ol head got him into trouble this time.  Probably why he came off the couch anyway, his center of gravity is higher than other children.  After all this happened I am told that children with BESY are more prone to hematomas.  (Now you tell me!!)
After several days of no answers at UK, no answers to why my child is still vomitting everything up and why he's not doing any better...well  that's when I had my lil or big break down.  Needless to say I got some things done though!  On that Friday the CT was repeated to make sure there was no new bleeding.  It did show a little bit of new blood but not enough to cause extra pressure.  Finally they put him on zofran every six hours and diagnosed him with Post Concussion Syndrome.  What I was told could end up being up to eight weeks of the vomitting, crying and hurting in his head.
We were finally able to come home on Sunday, still on zofran, still vomitting, still crying.  But getting better day by day.  He still has his good day and bad ones.  Just so the good out weight the bad then we are good.
As of today Chance is much better.  Playing like normal, crawling around, eating almost as much as before.  The past two day have been the best for him.  He still has issues of pain not to mention he decided to cut 4 molars right now.  WHY???   Our pediatrician has been wonderful about checking on him and staying in contact to see how he is doing.  He has numerous follow-ups to come in May.  He is also sporting a new padded helmet when playing.  Momma doesn't want this to happen again!!

Through all of this the twins did celebrate there fir st birthday!!  No big parties this year, just a couple of cupcakes. 
Looking forward to celebrating Easter this Sunday as well as Chelsea's third birthday!  My birthday month is almost over, thank goodness.
This Easter I am so thankful that our family will all be under one roof.  We don't do well seperated.  I am mostly thankful for Chance's good health.  This whole thing could have went so much worse.  With all the complaints I have of things that happened and how sick he has been it could have been much worse.
Thank you Lord for my children and their good health!

Better Late...

Well in usual mom to 8 fashion, just a couple of days late.  But when it comes to blogging, it'll have to wait till the moment presents itself. 
On Saturday we celebrated my oldest daughter, Ashley Jean's 7th birthday!  Nothing big, just dinner with the family with her choice of chicken fettucine alfredo. 
Ashley was born April 2nd, 2004.  At the time I was still working at Toyota, selling real estate and building our new house.  I had already planned on not returning to Toyota after her birth.  We were in-between houses and was living in a double wide that my mother rented out.  Needless to say it wasn't spectacular and wasn't big.  We moved for a house that was almost 4000sp ft. to this double wide without getting any extra storage.  Boxes were stacked from floor to ceiling, wall to wall.  Plus all the kitchen cabinets, lights, etc. that we had purchased for the new house.  When starting the house the plan was to be in before her birth.  We almost made it to her 1st birhtday before moving in.  Poor lil thing didn't even have a room, her crib sat in the hallway.  Not a great place for a princess.

Ashley and big bro

My favorite!

The night of April 1, 2004 there was no "fooling around".  We had just went to bed.  Laid down and I literally heard and felt a pop...I asked Doug, "what was that".  My water had broke.  Finally, the princess was ready to make her appearance.  We rushed around, got Wesley up and took him to Nanny's and headed to the hospital.  We labored all night and at 6:30am Ashley Jean Harvey was born.  She weight 7lbs, 8oz and was 19 1/2 in. long.  Delivery really wasn't bad, my epidural actually worked.  

Ashley has grown into such an amazing young girl.  She is so responsible, caring, loving and keeps everyone in line...especially her brother!  She's my lil helper.  Many days I'm not sure I'd make it without her help. 

Happy Birthday Ashley Jean!  I love you!!

The First

Well here I am on a very busy day taking time to blog.  This date is significant for several important reasons.  Frist, a year ago today was the day of my step-dad, Rays funeral.  He suffered from diabetes and heart disease for many years.  He is finally at peace. 
Also, a year ago tonight was the night that (only about 45 minutes after leaving the funeral) I was admitted into the hospital with early labor for the twins, Sophie and Chance.  That began a week of pure you know what.  Four days on Magnesium is nothing I would wish on anyone.  But we'll talk more about that later.
The most important significance of today is...it's Wesley's 9th Birthday!!  He is getting SO big, just like his uncle Justin.  Starting to find his own way so to speak, he told us this weekend that he wanted to join the army.  I'm just thankful we have a while to consider that.
This is a busy month of birthdays for the Harvey's (5 of 8 this month).  But I've decided that with each one I am going to tell my birth story.  Mainly for me to remember and never forget.  Like when my kids are having kids and they ask questions, I want to be able to remember.
Mr. George Wesley was a little surprise in that he was born exactly 3 weeks early.  I had plans to meet my mom in town to go to yard sales on that Good Friday.  We were meeting at 7:30.  About 6:50 someone decided that he had other plans.  My water broke.  Up out of bed I jumped, run to the bathroom...what just happened??  Doug who had only been to bed for a couple of hours (worked 2nd shift at the time) suggested that I had peed the bed.  Even though that was quit possible I knew that wasn't the answer.  I was calm, cool and took a quick shower.  Called my mom and told her that we would have to do yard sales some other day.  Of course she is supposed to say "why, what's wrong?"  But no she said alright, that's fine.  She ended up pretty shocked.  So off to Georgetown Hospital we go.
As many know, the first is usually the worst, and it was. 
As spring can be here in KY, it's usually hot or cold.  That day was hot and stormy.  While in labor you can get pretty over heated also...my AC wasn't working in my delivery room, actually not in the whole unit.  Just gonna have to tuff it out. 
It was a long day!  Epidurals are a wonderful thing, when they work.  Mine worked during contractions but actually pulled out when I started pushing, so when I needed it I didn't have it.  Remember me saying the first one is the hardest.  Well the baby didn't present just right.  When a baby is born the face is facing downwards, Wesley's was facing sideways.  There is a medical term for this but I can't recall right now and don't have time to go surfing the web to find it.  Anyway, this is how he was born making his arrival very difficult.  But after hours of pushing, almost 12 hrs. of labor and some help via forecepts George Wesley Harvey was born on March 29, 2002 at 6:32pm weighing 8lbs. 1oz and 20 in. long.  Yes he was 3 weeks early, thank goodness after being that big!
My mom and Doug's parents were at the hospital to welcome him.  I've never seen them so happy!
Remember me saying my AC wasn't working, the story to that is this:My brother is a HVAC guy and was working for a company in Lexington at the time.  Being in his early 20's, not married, he wouldn't want to sit around a hospital all day waiting on this baby.  So my mom decided not to call him until he was off work.  Well, he actually was there all day, just working on the AC and not with us.  We didn't know it and he didn't know we were there.  So the joke later was, no wonder it didn't work, Justin was working on it.
We stayed in the hospital for 2 nights, came home with the Easter bunny on Easter Sunday. 

That was the start of lots of joy for years to come!