Jacey Chronicles: Tasty morsels of chow

It was way past Jacey's bedtime but he was begging for a snack so we got a bowl full of goldfish crackers. We retired to the living room to snack in the dark and watch TV with Jonson and Russ. Jace kept coming over and putting his hand into the bowl, into his mouth, and back into the bowl. The goldfish in the bowl were getting mushier and mushier. I had just about decided not to "enjoy" his snack anymore when I reached in and pulled a couple fish out only to notice that there was some sort of round nugget, totally slobbered, in the bowl. I pulled it out, rolled the sogginess around in my fingers to confirm that it was indeed not a goldfish, then took a little wiff. What!?! Could it be? Yes, it was a morsel of dog chow. Yes, it had been in my son's mouth. The good news is that he discarded it into the bowl rather than eat it. The bad news is, this ain't the first time. I think my son may be following in his father's footsteps. (Joyce tells me of some very smelly "packages" Russ delivered as a baby after partaking in just this type of shenanigan.)

Here's the little dog chow lover in his daddy's goggles today.

Random: Updates 2007 Continued

Updates to 2007, continued...

» October 2007. To make a long story shorter, dad's hospice nurse screwed up, landing dad in the hospital and resulting in the commencement of a very steady, very quick decline. He lost his feeding tube in his belly and ended up with a very uncomfortable tube in his nose. It was a huge setback for dad and for the family. On the bright side, due to dad's increased needs, the boys began staying with Russ & I during the week. It was tough to get the bedtime/morning routines down but it was nice to have them here and to be able to help out.

» November2007, Johnson's move to Texas! Russ and I never dreamed that we would be so blessed as to have our entire family in the same city but it all came true when Clark, Joyce, Eric, and Jeanette moved to Round Rock. They were able to stay with us for a while and it was so nice to have them around.

» December 2007. We spent our last Christmas with dad. It was a tough holiday for him and for us. His health continued to decline, requiring lots more attention from Mom. Still, we all enjoyed each other's company and celebrated the holiday in style.

» January 2008. Dad passed on. Nan and Lee had taken Lillie on a weekend trip to Phoenix when dad got some sort of respiratory infection. This is a very common way for people with ALS to die. Dad got sick on Saturday and seemed to get a little worse each morning. Nan and the gang were slated to be back on Monday and I believe that dad was waiting for Lillie & Nan to return. His face just lit up when we put Lillie and Jacey into bed with him. He passed away the next morning. Mom, Jacey, and I were with him. It was a bittersweet goodbye.

Ok, enough updates. Now let me just get back to it.

Random: Back again, no promises

Well, it has been over a year since I posted and I'm honestly not sure that I'm committed to it just yet but I will try to make an effort to put a few thoughts, updates, etc. down every week. My sister says it's a good way to keep notes for upcoming scrapbooking. But, looking back on the posts from the last 2 years, I think it's a good way to remember for myself... even if no one else reads it. I see stuff that I wrote about dad and the boys and my pregnancy and I remember EXACTLY how I felt in that moment. It's amazing, really—that words have such power to evoke such emotion. So, here goes.

What happened in my life and my family's life over the past year?

» Jacey was born! May 13, 2007 was Mother's Day and my little guy finally made his appearance. It was the very best Mother's Day present I could ever receive and I can't imagine that it will ever be topped.

» Hosier family reunion, June 2007. We all traveled to Colorado, even the babies. Lillie was not quite 4 months old and Jacey was just 6 weeks. It was a tough trip on dad... flying was difficult on his neck and uncomfortable to be out of his power wheelchair so long and stuck in one position. But, it was worth it in the end to see our family and make some really spectacular memories. Plus, we had the reunion in the same place Russ and I were married so it was nice to be back there.

» Jacey rolls over. Joyce & Clark (Russ' parents) were out for the 4th and we all spent it in New Braunfels at Nan & Lee's. Little did we know that they would soon move to Round Rock and that would be one of the last events at their first home. Jacey rolled over for the first time, much to my shock and amazement. He would show his new talent off and on over the next few months.

» August 2007. Nan and Lee started staying with us part time in Round Rock. It was a wonderful, beautiful summer to wake up every morning to Lillie's beautiful fuzzy head and spend the day relaxing, nursing, eating, and cat napping with my sister. Literally, this is all we did (it seems like) for the first few months of the baby's lives.

» We made the news! September 2007. Nan and I were at a local mall when we were asked to breastfeed in the bathroom or leave. So, we left and contacted everyone who would listen to put the word out about how poorly we were treated. It resulted in a formal apology from Disney, a formal apology from Premium Outlets, several spots on the local TV station, and finally, a well-attended nurse-in at the mall. Not to mention... Breastfeeding Mother of the Year award from Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies!

» Nan and Lee move to Round Rock! October 2007. They found their dream house, complete with a beautiful, delicious pool.

Ok... well, there's lots more that happened. I will have to come back to these, me thinks, and fill in the rest of the holes... dad's health, the boys, the babies, etc. There's really no way to tell it all so I'll just have to try and get a few of the highlights... more later.

J & J Strike Again: Appetizers Won't Prevent a Wiggly Belly

Joseph spent the night last night and got up a little before Jacey and I did. When I came out into the living room, he was eating. I asked him what he had and he pointed to the bag of gummies in one hand and replied, "Appetizer" and the bowl of goldfish in the other hand and said, "Breakfast."

By the time we all had breakfast, played, and got showers, it was already 1pm. Jacey had been up since 9 so he was ready for a nap. It was 2pm before he woke up and by then, everybody's breakfast had worn off and we were all more than a little hungry. I had promised the boys a trip to Toys R Us and the library so I decided a lunch out was in order. Plus, it's Friday and I was too lazy to cook. So, we headed off to meet Nan and Lillie at Chick Fil A.

Joseph said, "Tika, I'm so hungry that my belly is all wiggly. It's like it's vibrating or something." I've smirked all day just thinking of his description. Ya know, it's a darn good description, if you ask me.