Get to the Point

We've had a pencil problem at our house for the last year or so. All because we had a completely inadequate mechanical pencil sharpener. 

See exhibit A:

  

At best it would give a pencil a dull tip with which to write - at best. 

See exhibit B:

 

It's been one of those things that we think about every time we need to sharpen a pencil, 'Man, we really need a new one of these.' And then we'd forget about it...until another pencil needed sharpening. 

I am proud to announce though, that the Sorenson family has finally remedied the situation. Not only have we purchased ourselves a new sharpener, but we went old school: a hand cranked, desk-mounted pencil sharpener - in green to match our study.

See exhibit C:

 

  

It works like a charm. 

See exhibit D:

 

Just wanted to point that out to you.

G-Tube Tutorial

Lisa's Home Show 

~ Episode 11 ~
 

Contents of my Purse

The other day I opened my purse to grab something and actually laughed as I came to the realization that the contents of my purse quite differ from that of the everyday mom. Because I am not just a mom - I am a hydro-mom (aka mom-of-a-hydrocephalic-child).

'The Purse'

 Diastat Pen 

to put a stop to an on-going seizure.

 

CT scan 

for reference - just in case.

 Discharge Instructions 

from the latest ER visit. I never look at these. Paperwork = blah.

 

Feeding tube

for a quick meal on the go.


And then there were the burp cloths...diapers...and maybe a binkie or two.

That's my life!

Growing: Part IV

It's the beginning of May - it's been four months since I decided to start growing my hair out (refer to New Years post).

 Let's see how it's coming along, shall we?

[May]

A Look Back:

 [January]

[February]

 

 [March]
 

 

[April] 

 *** I did not take a picture of my hair on April 1st. I was too busy with other things - like keeping Elisabeth alive. Thankfully, my friend Lee Ann was at the hospital and managed to capture some images of that moment in time. Obviously this picture wasn't about my hair (goodness knows, that's hospital hair if I've ever seen it!), but it'll work all the same.

The Case of the Missing Button

 

 While Jennifer and I were at our cheese making class last Saturday, Donald was home tending to the children. He put Elisabeth down for a nap and left her alone until he heard her stir about two hours later. That's when he discovered it - that she had pulled out her g-tube button!

Now, the problem is not that the button came out; we are used to changing them at home and put new buttons in every few months. The problem was that when Elisabeth pulled her button out, there was nobody around to put it back in.

You see, the stomach heals fast, really fast - and for good reason; you certainly don't want stomach acid seeping out everywhere. In fact, when Elisabeth's g-tube was placed two years ago, the surgeon told us that if it comes out, the hole can close up within twenty minutes.

And close it did.

That's when I got the text. The one that said,  

"Come home. Elisabeth needs to go to the hospital."

So Jennifer and I left behind our precious cheese and drove Elisabeth to the hospital to get her stomach re-pierced, so to speak.

And if you were wondering - they don't make a special re-open-the-stomach tool. In fact, they were going through supply closets, brainstorming on what the best tool would be for a situation like this. Poor Elisabeth, in the end they managed to re-open her stomach wall - but it was not without pain

and tears.

 

[A detailed diagram of Queen Elisabeth's abdomen (minus her g-tube button). Fascinating, no?] 

 

 [The 'procedure'. Not for the faint-of-heart, that's for sure.] 

 

   

And it's back in! 

Woohoo! 

 Thank goodness...now I can feed her again.

 And give her methadone - we mustn't forget about the methadone.

Say Cheese!

I love cheese. In fact, cheese is my favorite food. Remember that moment in Florence? Ahhh...it was both the most brilliant and devastating moment ever. Brilliant because I didn't know cheese could taste like that, but it did. And devastating because I knew I would never taste such perfect cheese again (at least not until the next time I find myself in Italy). 

Yes, I love cheese. So you can imagine how thrilled I was to go with Jennifer to a cheese-making class on Saturday afternoon. Me, making cheese - it was just meant to be...

 

 

   

I sliced the cheese in half and was just about to taste the fruits of my labor...and then I received a text: "Come home. Elisabeth needs to go to the hospital." 

To be continued...

Rock Candy Mountain

As you may already know, my grandfather, Claude Coats, was a Disney artist and imagineer for over 50 years. Indeed, he helped bring to life many classics, including, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella, Pinocchio, and Peter Pan. He also helped build Disneyland into what it is today - designing fan favorites like Pirates of the Caribbean and The Haunted Mansion.

But there are also the hidden designs; whimsy's of my grandpa's imagination that never became reality. I can remember being a child and seeing the drawings for a Candy Mountain that never came to be - but I always thought it would have been so fanciful!

Fast forward to yesterday evening. My mother-in-law, Susan, forwarded me an article from Disney Parks Blog, and lo and behold, they are using that design!!! I can't believe it!! There is a new candy store opening on June 15th in California Adventure called Trolley Treats - and in the front window will be a model of my grandpa's original Rock Candy Mountain! Isn't that just dandy?!

I can't wait for August to roll around so I can go see it in person!!

(Too many exclamation points in this post?!!! Perhaps....but this is an exclamation point kind of occasion!!)

Read the full story here.

And visit ClaudeCoats.com to learn more about my grandfather...and perhaps buy a print or two.

(Then you and I could have matching artwork hanging on our walls, wouldn't that be fun?)

Easter Re-Take

Since somebody very important was missing from my Easter pictures I decided to do re-takes this past Sunday before church.

 

   

There, that's better - all three girls in their Easter best! 

And now...a video of this little photo-shoot:

Thoughts on Life - 5 Years Later

This is a day of reflection for me; reflecting back on where we started...and where we are now. On this day in 2007 my life forever changed as I heard the word hydrocephalus for the first time. Those first days and weeks following the diagnoses were hard; I physically ached from a broken heart.

Up until the happenings of this last month, I considered that the most difficult time of my life; learning that my unborn daughter had an incurable brain disorder. In a matter of minutes, what I expected in life was gone and I was heading down a path that I had no desire to walk.

I remember clearly being advised to abort the pregnancy. "Do you want her to live a life of handicaps and surgeries?" my doctor asked me. There was no question in my mind whether or not to continue on, I knew that her life was not mine to take.

While we were in the hospital a few weeks ago I thought about that doctor. "This is what he meant," I thought to myself as I watched Elisabeth writhing in pain and agony. He knew that if I chose to keep her - and if she were to live - that these were the situations we would be forced to face.

But even so - life is worth it. Life is always worth it.

Yes, that doctor was right. Elisabeth has many handicaps and has found herself in the operating room plenty of times in her short life. And obviously the pain that she endured over the course of those three weeks was a trial in its own right. But regardless, the beauty and good in her life has far outweighed the hardships.

Life comes with bumps in the road. For Elisabeth, it's her medical frailties. Others may find themselves needing to overcome emotional, physical, or financial problems. There's never a shortage of hardships in life...but the key is to be stronger than them; to overcome them; to learn from them. And when you survive those trials, oh how sweet life is! Indeed, adversity offers us the perspective we need to enjoy the beauty that is all around us.

The past five years have been - without a doubt - the hardest of my life. But I can also assure you that they have been the most rewarding as well. Donald and I are honored to be Elisabeth's parents. On a daily basis we look at her in awe and wonder how we got so lucky? She is an angel on Earth, with a spirit perfect and pure. Her life is filled with medical complexities - yet she reminds me daily of the simple joys of life.

Five years ago my life changed...and I will forever be grateful.















My friend Lee Ann came to my house on Friday afternoon and took these pictures of Elisabeth. What a sharp contrast they are to the photographs she took in the hospital a few weeks back! Those pictures were solemn...yet spiritual; perfectly capturing a time of uncertainty for us. And these...well these are full of vibrancy and color; a representation of Elisabeth's love for life and the beautiful spirit she brings to our family. Yes, Lee Ann has a gift for artistically - and accurately - photographing life.

Thank you Lee Ann! I am grateful for your friendship.

Please visit Lee Ann's website. Click here.

And thank you to my mother-in-law, Susan, for the beautiful top you sewed for Elisabeth!

• Thoughts on Life - 1 Year Later
• Thoughts on Life - 2 Years Later
• Thoughts on Life - 3 Years Later
• Thoughts on Life - 4 Years Later

A House Party

Every year in March we throw a birthday party for our house...a celebration of the day we purchased our home back in 2005. This year our party got pushed back a few weeks (for obvious reasons) - but better late than never, right?

So we invited family over and celebrated 7 years of owning our beloved home. Some items on the menu: grilled kabobs, watermelon, oranges, and strawberries...






[Donald, the grill master.]




[Susan and Jennifer.]


[Elisabeth says, 'now this is the good life'.]


And then it was time for our first fire of the season. Donald saved our Christmas tree just for the occasion; it smelled like the holidays:


['Oh, Christmas Tree, Oh, Christmas Tree!']




[Lorelai, roasting her marshmallow to perfection.]


And finally...

Donald and I teeter-tottered into the evening. I'm pretty sure teeter-totters are the best toy ever invented.








Happy 7th Birthday to our House!
We love our little place in the world!!


A look back:

Our home's 6th birthday
Our home's 5th birthday
Our home's 4th birthday
Our home's 3rd birthday