Wow, it's been a busy few days. Last Friday, we went to our first concert in the park for the season. We missed the very first one because DH wasn't feeling well. This concert was kind of eclectic, with all different kinds of music. DD really, really enjoyed it. She went off onto the grass and started dancing alone, but when they asked people to come forward to dance in a conga line, she dragged me by the hand so that we could dance. Well, actually I danced. DD decided that she wanted me to carry her around and dance at the same time. We sometimes call her "Miss 28 pounds," and quite honestly, she is getting a little big for all the carrying she would like us to do. But it was fun anyway.
On Saturday, our handyman asked us to be his guests at a party. The party was at a house on a lake, and a fireworks display was planned for later in the evening. They had chocolate chip cookies and a trampoline in the backyard, so DD thought that she'd died and gone to heaven.
She was very excited about the fireworks -- until they started. Then, she buried her head in DH's shirt and wouldn't look up. This went on for quite awhile, and no amount of encouragement worked. It was really kind of miserable, because it was kind of cold and windy, and the main reason for being there -- so DD could enjoy her first fireworks -- made both of us kind of want to just throw in the towel and leave. Finally, I asked DH to pass her over, and by some small miracle, I got her to look up at the fireworks. She was completely enthralled and watched until the end. After that, it was all she could talk about, so I guess it was a success.
On Sunday, we celebrated my nephew's birthday. He's growing like a weed -- he turned 14 this month. I simply cannot believe that he is growing up so fast. It seems like yesterday that he was a little toddler in glasses (they looked cute on him, though he has outgrown them). He's such a serious kid now. He kind of reminds me of a future engineer. DD really enjoyed playing with K, her seven year old cousin. They went into the bedroom and played quietly. It was very strange not to have to watch her. I peeked in on them a couple of times, but they weren't getting into any trouble. I could really get used to relaxing and enjoying the company of adults again. I wonder if this is what it's like in families with two kids -- though I suppose that the downside would be the fighting.
Yesterday, we had a little 4th of July party for family and friends. I've mentioned before that our street is on the parade route, and the 4th of July parade is about an hour long. I don't think it was as good this year as in the past (only one marching band, and lots and lots of advertisements from local businesses). They started the parade at the other end of town again, so I don't think that the kids got as much candy as they otherwise would have. When the parade starts at the end of our street, my niece and nephews can fill up an entire plastic bag full of goodies.
But, it was OK. After it was over, the kids couldn't wait to get into the pool, so we obliged. Later on, it was hot dogs and hamburgers for all. My parents were there, and I'm even more worried about my mother than I have been. She had a hard time breathing, with very little exertion. She used an inhaler, but I don't think that it helped much. And, even though the day was sunny and the temperature around 85, she wore a fleece jacket that she kept zipped up. She said that she was cold, and that she's often been cold since her bypass surgery in 2003. She asked for a hot dog, and she only ate one bite of it. That was all that I saw her eat all day -- from 9:15 in the morning until they left. She did admit that she has been losing weight, so I wonder how often she actually is eating. She's been 40-50 pounds overweight most of her adult life, and she's lost at least 20 pounds recently.
We all talked to her about going to the doctor, and she said that she had an appointment with her heart doctor next week on Tuesday. She still hasn't made an appointment with a doctor specializing in asthma, and that was suggested to her months and months ago. I don't know who prescribed the inhaler, but it was just a rescue inhaler, not an asthma treatment.
I truly don't know what to do about her. My constant nagging has gotten nowhere. My husband said that short of commandeering her schedule, taking her to all the doctors that she should see, and participating in all the appointments, there is nothing much more I can do. I hate to sit there and watch her die. I think she's being so silly. A friend of mine also tried to talk with her yesterday. Later, my friend said that she thought my mother was acting a bit like a martyr, but she also thought my she was scared to find out what the problem is.
I guess I feel like things are what they are, and doctors might actually be able to help. She's already got a fatal disease (non-alcoholic cirrhosis, and she is in the end stage), so how much worse can it get? She often says, "when it's your time, it's your time." But my response is that you can do things to hasten your time -- like stepping in front of a train. I think that ignoring your health hastens the inevitable too.
My parents left around 3:00. I called later on, and my dad told me that my mother had gone straight to bed. She did get up later in the evening, and she said she was feeling better. She did sound better. She said her sinuses were bothering her, so maybe she's caught a little bug that made her feel under the weather, along with everything else.
My friend stayed until around 7:00. She and her daughter were the last to leave. Her daughter is seven years old, and she and DD got along really, really well. They played well together, inside and outside. Every time I checked on them, they were doing what they were supposed to be doing.
After she left, we cleaned up a little and then left for another fireworks display. DD had asked to see some more fireworks. These fireworks were at a local park, which was really kid friendly. DD played on some of the park equipment. There were a lot of kids on the equipment, and I would have probably shied away from it if DH weren't there. But DD wanted to play, and DH kind of shadowed her. I was worried that someone would push her off the upper levels, but it didn't happen. And, since there were lots of small, spongy woodchips on the ground, I figured that she wouldn't get hurt if she had fallen.
I really enjoyed watching DD. There were a number of things that she wanted to do, but she stayed back and watched for awhile before attempting them. And, once she'd screwed up her courage, there was no stopping her. I'm glad that she is the kind of person who knows what she wants and plans for it. I hope that she keeps that up.
The fireworks display started around 10:00, and it was kind of damp and cold. You could see the display from anywhere in the park, so we decided to spread our blanket out by our car (we'd parked on a very large soccer field, and the lanes were wide). It probably wasn't the wisest choice, because there were cars leaving while the fireworks were going on. Not only was it distracting, I think it was dangerous. There were lots of people (and children) sitting on blankets by their cars. I was kind of worried that someone would get hurt. But, everyone was careful, so I guess it was OK.
DD was not scared at all this time. But she'd had enough halfway through the display and wanted to leave. I guess fireworks are so "yesterday" for her now. We stayed until the end, and we were literally in our car within a minute after they stopped. But it still took us a full hour to get out of the park. I don't know where all the traffic came from.
Well, that's all for now. I do have several topics that I want to write about, but this is the first time that I've had to sit down and actually type something out. I took the day off today, and DD is taking her nap. I think that I'm going to wake her up so we can go to the spray park. I'm hoping that she'll like it.
Oh, one more thing. Our big box of drugs arrived last week for the FET. I start Lupron on Monday. Good times, good times.