Summer and Our 7 New Additions!

Since my last post, we've had a pretty big change happen in our house. Our dog Bianca had 7 puppies! Right before my birthday, I was taking her outside and she got loose and took off. About a month and a half later, I noticed that she was getting pretty fat, so I called the vet. They did an X-ray and found out that our girl was pregnant! They told us she would be due very soon, so we began preparing a whelping box and feeding her as much puppy food as she wanted. 

About 2 weeks later, while we had visitors from NY, Bianca started laboring. It was very late Saturday night. Sunday morning, the contractions seemed to have subsided, but then came back a few hours later. Her water broke that day around 2pm. 2 hours later, with no changes and no puppies, I called the vet and got their answering service. They advised me to call the Emergency Clinic and explain what was happening. So, I did that...they asked if Bianca had started pushing and I told them no. They said that it was probably just pee, not amniotic fluid, and that if she starts pushing and an hour goes by with no puppy, then to bring her in. She continued contracting throughout the night with no pushing. Monday morning, she wasn't herself. She would barely get up, and every time she did, she leaked a greenish fluid. I called our regular vet and they told us to bring her in right away. I stayed home with the kids while Steven took Bianca. We didn't want the kids to witness their dog in pain. 

I got a text from Steven shortly after that said: "It's an infection. The vet thinks the puppies won't survive it. And it's not looking good for Bianca either. She's very sick. I'll call you as soon as I can." I was trying my best to hold myself together in front of the kids, but I was terrified. The vet sent Steven home to be with me and the kids while they took Bianca in to surgery. We sat Carter down (Brookie is too little to understand.) and we explained to him as best as we could what was happening to his dog. We told him she was very sick and that the puppies probably wouldn't be able to come home. The first thing he asked was "Well, can Bianca come home?" We told him we hoped so. He started crying...and of course Steven and I both cried with him. All we could do was pray.

Shortly after, we got a phone call from the vet. I answered, scared out of my mind. He said, "Bianca is doing fine...and so are all 7 puppies!" I breathed a huge sigh of relief! They told us that she had a very serious infection, so they took the babies by c-section and that they had to remove her uterus to get the infection out. They put her on antibiotics and pain meds and told us she would be better off recovering at home with us.

Steven had to work at 2, so the kids and I went to pick her up at 5 o clock that evening. Bianca looked awful. She was so skinny and didn't even have enough energy to walk by herself. We set her blankets up in my van and brought her and the babies home. The first 2 days were rough. Bianca was in so much pain and just so wiped out. She finally started eating and walking around. On day 3, we got her to enjoy a little sun in the deck with us. Now, 4 weeks later, she is completely herself again! 

Our house has been flipped upside down with these puppies! They are absolutely adorable and they're so sweet! But they are a lot of work! Right now, we are working on weaning them from Bianca's milk and moving them to puppy food. We have to change the blankets and papers in their box 2-3 times a day. I have never done this much laundry in my life! It's been an interesting experience and the kids are loving it. We are considering keeping 2 puppies! My heart says yes, but my head says, 1 is plenty. We have 4 weeks to decide.

Meanwhile, we are enjoying summer time. We had a blast at all of the 4th of July festivities! 2 parades, 2 sets of amazing fireworks, lots of amazing family and friends!

This past weekend, Steven got some very rare days off. We made the absolute best of it! We even made a "Redneck Swimming Pool" by putting a tarp in the back of the Chevy and filling it up with water!

I hope you are all enjoying your summer as much as we are!

They Think We're Just Fishin'

It almost feels like summer here in Northeast Ohio! We've been spending a lot of time outside. Steven is working 7 days a week now, so we have to get up early to enjoy our days before he heads off at 1:45. Luckily, we live pretty close to 2 different parks where fishing is allowed, so we've been doing that a lot. We've also been playing outside at our house and eating at our new patio table as much as we possibly can. I know we are making memories that will last a lifetime!

(My mom surprised them with a new car, which Carter

is too big for, but insists on driving anyway!)

Steven has been hard at work preparing the yard and deck for his family who is visiting us from NY in 3 weeks. We went and bought a much needed Pressure Washer and a Leaf Blower from Lowes. He has our back deck looking brand new! My mom gave us a brand new, super nice patio set and we put the kid's water table back out so we can play! Now we have the hardest part ahead of us...weeding and making our front walkway look pretty. Its a mess! Then we will buy a new grill (we had to toss our old one.) so we can enjoy!

Here are a few more photos from our outdoor (and indoor) adventures...

And the Father-of-the-Year Award goes to...

Yesterday was the 14th anniversary of my car accident. I have been in a wheelchair for almost a decade and a half. Honestly, it doesn't seem like that long. Life just goes by so fast...especially once you have children. I wish I could go back to when they were little and enjoy it all over again! Anyway, I'm thankful for every day I have been given and I certainly don't take anything for granted. I know all too well how quickly it can all be taken away. It sounds cheesy, but we really do have to live every day as it is our last...because today is almost over and tomorrow isn't promised.

I hope you all have a fun and safe Memorial Day. God bless all of the men and women who served and are still serving.

Busy. Just busy.

That is the only word to describe what we've been up to. I feel like I'm just spinning in circles these days...and there's no end in sight.

Since I blogged last, I celebrated my 31st birthday. Steven bought me my Ruger SR22 which I am in love with...although finding ammo these days isn't easy. My mom got me a new Shark Navigator Cordless Vacuum. It's amazing! I couldn't vacuum at all before because we had a Hoover that weighed more than I did and the cord would get wrapped around my wheelchair any time I tried. So I had to wait for someone else to help, which I hate. My new vacuum is light as a feather and I don't get tangled up. It's also my first bagless...how did I ever survive?! Anyway, my mother-in-law, Godmother, and Grandmother came to visit from NY and took me to dinner for my birthday. We also left the kids at home with daddy and went to Ulta. It was so nice shopping for makeup with actual girls!! I usually go with Steven...he does try to act interested, but I know he could care less! We went to the mall and I finally replaced my old-as-dirt Kate Spade wallet. It was a great birthday!

I made Carter's kindergarten screening appointment a couple weeks ago. He goes on the 16th. I cannot believe my baby will be in school in the fall. We had leaned toward homeschooling and then decided it would be best to get him into the community and send him to public school with his friends. I think I've done a good job preparing him...lets hope he screens in. He actually misses the age requirement by a month, but they are allowing him to screen early. So, he will be one of the younger kids in his class. My little guy is growing up too fast. I am so proud of him.

I got word back from Medicaid recently that I was denied...yes, denied. I am permanently disabled, needing in-home care, and the state of Ohio is denying me medical care. I am in the process of re-applying. I will continue to fight until they realize that I truly need this coverage. Steven and the kids are covered on his insurance from work, but that doesn't pay for the things I need, so I am not on that plan. For now, I am thankful to have my Supplemental Needs Trust, but that won't last forever.

Last week, I received a letter from Social Security that my benefits were going to be stopped completely, due to Steven's income. I have been disabled since before we got together and I have never lost my money. It has been cut down before, but never taken completely. So, after my initial "How will we survive?!"  freak-out, we crunched numbers and figured out that we will be ok as long as he takes any overtime that is offered...which means working weekends as often as possible. So far, we are on Day 12 of a 26 day work stretch with no days off. It's been difficult, but we need to do whatever we can to provide for our kids and give them a good life.  And we will do whatever it takes to make that happen. The main issue with SSA is that they are claiming that I was overplayed $10,000 and that I must pay them back. Of course I will be appealing this because I believe this is wrong. They're coming at me from every angle these days!

So, we've been crazy busy and things will continue. I have to thank God that my husband has a job that allows as much overtime as he has gotten. I'm thankful for our strong marriage and our beautiful family. We can get through anything as long as we are together. They're totally worth it!

Night Blogging

Ok, this is weird. I'm blogging at night. Normally, I blog in the morning when I wake up because that's when I have the most down time. Steven started 2nd shift last night, so I have at least 2 whole hours to myself between the time I put the kids to bed and the time he gets home from work. Last night I had a bunch of laundry to do, so I didn't get to enjoy my time. Tonight, I made sure to get everything done while the kids were watching TV before bed. Now, I'm sitting here with a cup of tea...just relaxing. I can get used to this! 

Today was actually one of the most stressful days I've had in awhile. I have decided to bring a nurse back in during the day for a little extra help. In order to do this, I have to be put back on the Medicaid Waiver Program. I cannot believe all of the hoops they are making me jump through. I spent the entire day getting all of the documents together that they need. I'm not even kidding...they asked for bank statements, insurance cards for every member if my family, and even copies of the titles and registration for our cars! What?! I know it's because they want to figure out how much of a spend down I will end up with. When Steven was out of work, they didn't ask for anything. They were like, "Oh, you aren't working? Here's everything you'll need to get by." No wonder some people live off the system all their lives! I for one, don't think that's a very rewarding way to lie your life, but there are so many people that make living off of government assistance a lifetime opportunity. It is meant to help those who need it when they need it. Maybe if more people treated it that way, it wouldn't be so hard for people like me to get it without having to sign over their first born during the application process! Ok...end rant.

Now that I'm all stressed out again, LOL...I think I'll watch Dancing with the Stars and read a bit before my husband gets home!

Spring Clean!

My mom just left after a long day of helping me clean. I can imagine she's pretty exhausted! We did every room except my bedroom, because Steven has to work tonight and he is in there sleeping. I'll go in there once he wakes up and get to work! Everything looks and smells awesome. Its nice to know that the furniture has been moved and cleaned under, windows are clean, and everything is exactly how I wanted it. What a relief! I took some pictures with my phone, since I've never really posted them on my blog. I'll take better ones when the master bedroom/bath is done.

(Master bedroom/bathroom photos coming soon...)

It's amazing how a clean house can change your entire mood!

Steven got word last night that starting on Monday he will be moved to 2nd shift. Its 2:15pm-10:30pm. I don't know how I feel about it. I was just getting used to 3rds. Now I have to re-psyche myself up. I will have to do dinner/bath/bedtime by myself Monday-Friday. Even though I'm Italian, the "good cook" stereotype is not one that is true. Steven cooks dinner every night. I just clean it up. He also helps with bath/bedtime most nights, so I will definitely miss that. I just have to keep reminding myself that we are very blessed that he has a job at all. Everything will be ok...but it will take a lot of getting used to. It will definitely be nice to not have to sleep alone!

A Little Overwhelmed

Every year around this time, I get really overwhelmed. The weather is getting nicer and I start to realize that its time for Spring Cleaning. Ughhhhhhh...I love once its done, but I hate doing it. There are a few things that I can't do on my own, so I have to ask for help, which I kinda don't like to do. I would rather just do it myself, at my own pace...on my own terms. I think that's the most overwhelming part. No matter how long I've had to get used to my disability, I don't think I'll ever be ok with depending on others for things I'd much rather do by myself. Either way, its the hand I've been dealt, so my mom is going to come over tomorrow and help with some of the more difficult things. Hopefully we can team up and get it done and over with in a relatively decent amount of time. Then I can breathe!

I have a dentist appointment on Wednesday. That's another thing I've been up to in the 8 months I've been away from blogging. Before Steven and I got married in 2006, I went to the dentist to have a few cavities filled. I had a really bad experience...the dentist drilled and filled an entire tooth when I could still feel it. Even when I said something, he told me "You're ok. You're doing great." So, from then on, every time my 6 month cleaning time would roll around, I made excuses why I couldn't go. This went on for 6 years. My front teeth were in great shape, so you couldn't tell anything was wrong...but my molars were a mess. My wisdom teeth had started breaking and I was in a lot of pain. I finally couldn't take it anymore and I found a dentist in my area that specializes in a "Pain-free experience". Even though I was terrified, I bit the bullet and made an appointment. I am so glad I did. My first appointment lasted 4 hours and consisted on extracting 3 of my molars on my left side (2 were wisdom teeth) and drilling/filling anything else that needed it. Then he put temporary bridges over the left side so we could finish them at a different time. The next week, we did the right side. Then I went back in for 2 root canals. I still need 2 more, but they can wait, since they are protected by the bridges. Wednesday, I will have the temporaries removed from the bottom on both sides and have permanent crowns put in place. Then I can go back to get the top done...then I'm done for good! All of this pain and discomfort just because of one bad experience...how dumb?! But I can't even begin to tell you how much better I feel now that my mouth is healthy! And I won't lie...being on the laughing gas is never a disappointment!

I got my van back on Saturday! It looks awesome. Not only did he fix the damage from Walmart, but he also put new clips in my door panel (which has been broken since I got the car.), repainted the ramp cover underneath, and fixed a scratch from a door ding, which I got about a year ago when a cart hit it in (none other than) the Walmart parking lot. It looks like a brand new car on the outside. Maybe I can get my mom to help spring-clean the inside for me while she is here!

OK...I'll leave you with a video that just melts my heart. We went to a friend's 30th surprise party and I caught this video of Steven and Brookie dancing.

I am blessed beyond measure...no matter how overwhelmed I may get.

Date Day - Butchino Style!

Steven and I were able to take a very rare date day yesterday...just the 2 of us. We dropped the kids off with my mom, grabbed a quick lunch and headed to the most romantic place we could think of...the gun range! Country girl at heart right here! He just bought me a new Ruger SR22 complete with a pink grip as an early birthday gift. I couldn't wait to get my finger on the trigger! Just because I'm disabled doesn't mean I can't find a way to do something I love! I live by the saying "Where there's a will, there's a way." So even though I have an unconventional way of shooting, I'm not half bad.

I was able to kill a zombie, too! Walking Dead style!!

Now, that's what I call a date!! There's nothing better than doing something you love with your favorite person in the whole world!

In other news, I should be getting my van back from the body shop tomorrow. Its been there since Monday. While we were in NY a couple weeks ago, I took it to have my tires rotated at Walmart TLE. Sure enough, they wrecked it! Ran it right into a tire machine! So, they are taking care of all repairs as well as giving me a rental allowance. Its been a pain in the butt, but I did get free lifetime tire rotations out of the whole ordeal...if I decide to take it back there!

Anyway, we are having a lazy day today. Eating junk food and watching Wreck It Ralph in our pajamas! These days with my babies will end all too soon.

Check out the updated "About Me" tab to the left!

Tuesday Tidbits - One For Mama!

I was doing a little online shopping the other day and received an email from the Coach Factory Outlet about a sale they were having. I had to scurry to swipe it up because the sale was only going for about 10 more minutes, but I managed to get this gorgeous Ashley Leather Swingpack ($169) for only $59!!

Score!! A lot of people don't know about these sales because they are for members only. Signing up is easy! Just go to coachfactory.com and become a member! You will receive super secret sale emails and save tons of cash! You can thank me later!!

For more Tuesday Tidbits, head over to Kelly's Blog, oxboroughchaos.com!