It was just like any other horrendous shift on T9. Finally I was caught up and the calls had ceased momentarily. I made a dash to the kitchen on our floor, grabbed 3 packs of saltines, one thing of peanut butter and a knife and made a mad dash for the break room to try and catch the kiddo's on the phone before they went to bed. I called and talked to them and Manny while I spread my peanut butter on my saltine crackers and set them off to the side. Hearing their voices made the night better and gave me gumption to go do the less than appealing tasks ahead of me and carry on working all night even though I had already put in a 12+ hour day. We said goodnight and ended our call. I sat there enjoying a moment of complete silence while I proceeded to eat my prepared snack.
Moments later one of the nurses I work with came in and commented on how it's funny that we just grab whatever we can at work to eat and how we'd never eat what we do here at home. I just laughed and thought to myself, no I wouldn't eat this at home because this is what I grab even unconsciously at times when I'm aching and yearning for my babies, when I'm home they are with me so no, I would never eat this at home, but I wouldn't expect you to know that.
Last March when I went into pre-term labor at 32 weeks I spent the night in L&D. Many things changed in me and for me that day. Manny and I went through several emotions, worriment, and moments of growth as a couple that night. After the worst of it was over Manny crashed on the couch as usual [so envious at times at his ability to do that by the way]. I on the other hand, had too much running through my mind for sleep so I sat in my bed and listened to the rhythm of my sons heartbeat. It was steady, soft but prevalent, and the constant I needed at the time. Finally around 4am my nurse came in and told me that the medication had worked and it had reversed the labor and they weren't worried about me delivering anymore or needing to do a c-section so they offered to bring me a snack. It had been hours since I had ate so I was grateful for any little morsel they could scrounge up. My cute aide brought me peanut butter and 3 packs of saltine crackers! So, after 4 am one Sunday morning I sat in my hospital bed listening to the constant, soft, rhythm of my unborn babies heartbeat on the one side and the not so soft snoring pattern of my darling, passed out husband on the couch.
We had no idea what was to come and I was worried about SEVERAL things but the peace, love, and reassurance I felt was indescribable. It was a horrifying experience and there are several things I will always remember. Among them are: the sweet, kind nurse and her ability to care for me and put me at ease even though I know from experience she is probably exhausted and just wants to be home and in bed. My husband sitting next me on the bed, cheek to cheek while ours tears of sorrow/worriment/joys/anxieties ran together, and I will always remember the calmness, peace and comfort that engulfed our little room after a very humble and fervent prayer to our Heavenly Father. This night attached my heart even more intricately to my husband and bonded me even more to my William in ways I cannot describe to you. Sometimes food is just food-something to grab to feed our hunger pains. But as in this instance it can feed so much more. I love some of my co-workers and it is only because of them that I survived many a hellish nights but I also miss having someone there with me that knew me well enough to know little tidbits of info like this to offer moral support when you need it.
I am grateful for a job, for health and strength and the ability to go out and work but I am a Mother first and when my children aren't with me, I always have a longing and aching to be with them. 12 hours at work is an eternity at times but when I miss them unbearably and want to feel close to them - I reach for my peanut butter and crackers and take 5 to regroup and recharge my battery before I go back into the chaos again.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
5x7 Folded Card
Film Stars Blue Birthday Card
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Thursday, March 22, 2012
Life's Lessons
We had a rare experience the other night. March 17th was our day celebrate Marcus' 6th birthday. Per our family tradition he got to choose where he wanted to go for his birthday dinner - surprisingly he chose to go to Leatherby's for taco's and ice cream so that's where we headed. It was a fun filled night - as usual they were squealing with excitement and had a blast eating and playing around. Alas, it was time to head back home so we all piled into the car headed home. Everything was very uneventful and just the way I needed it as I had a lot of preparation to do for Marcus' party, that is until we stopped at the red light on 700 East and 90th South. Not too soon after going through the light after it turned green we realized we were following a drunk driver. Manny joked about calling dispatch and after he nearly ran into the median and sign going into Wal Mart I told him to call before this guy kills himself or someone else. While stopped at the light on 7th, a Sandy patrol car turned heading South. This cop was apparently not going anywhere with purpose so I thought we'd make the call and they would dispatch him, he'd come right away and pull him over and illuminate something horrible happening and we'd be on our way home and plans could carry on as scheduled.
We continued to follow the truck while he swerved in and out of multiple lanes, coming very close to hitting signs/trees etc on the right shoulder before swerving back into his lane, we witnessed him driving into oncoming traffic and swerved out of it in the nick of time. I kept thinking any minute now a cop car will pull up and take over and I won't worry about him anymore but no one showed. Still on the phone with dispatch we followed him East on 9400 South. I don't know if it was the Mother in me or what but I just couldn't turn my back on someone in obvious need. I kept thinking he's got to be close to home, please let him be close to home before he hurts himself or someone else. I had my whole family in the car with me celebrating the birth and life of our oldest...how many other families or Mom's and Dad's, children, etc were out on the roads that night. All I wanted to do was take my babies to the safety of our home and hold them tight but I couldn't bear to think of this ending tragically for some unsuspecting family or multiple families. We had turned into a neighborhood and followed him a bit on that road and in a flash he gunned the gas, hit a trailer on the side of the road, bounced off the trailer and ran his little pickup truck right into the HOUSE of some poor unsuspecting couple.
We pulled up in front of the house and I rolled down my window and heard him calling out for help, I told Manny I had to go and check on him to see how bad he was hurt. Manny warned me and asked me to wait until help came that they were on the way. He said you don't know what condition he's in or what he's on or what he has on him, that he could hurt me and to just please wait for police and EMS to get here. I thought about what he said, I looked at our car and that safely held my hold world in it. I'm a mother first and foremost and I know I have people dependent upon me for things. But, I heard the scared cries of a stranger and I told Manny it was fine, to listen to him...he's not a threat, he's genuinely scared, to trust me and let me just go down and assess the situation and reassure him help was on the way. Working with several people on drugs and/or alcohol I've learned that they can be very unpredictable and you have to keep on your toes at all times. Because I've had patients turn on me on a dime I briefly worried the same might happen here but something inside told me it would be okay and to go out and help him where I could.
I got out of our SUV and climbed down to the truck by the house and started talking to the visibly shaken man in front of me. I asked him his name and introduced myself and told him that help was on the way. His name was Curtis and he was 30-my same age. He was scared and kept saying how much trouble he was going to be in this time and kept asking for help. There was a significant amount of blood loss that first appeared to be coming from his face but later I realized it was from a pretty gnarly chunk of skin missing on the palm of his right hand. His truck was running and I asked him to turn it off so we could hear each other better. He replied there was no key. I called for my protector and told Manny he needed to come reach in and turn it off with the screwdriver he had. Manny was still hesitant mostly because our 3 children were with us and you never know what can happen. I told Curtis that my husband I were there to try and help him and we weren't going to hurt him but we were going to reach in and just turn off his truck so we could hear each other better, he had a dog with him and we made sure the dog wouldn't lunge after us if we reached in the vehicle. Manny got it turned off and we helped him and his dog out of the truck. Manny was still on the line with dispatch as I tried to keep him calm and reassure him that help was on the way and everything was going to be ok. The homeowners got him an old towel and we wrapped his hand up in and had him apply pressure. The police had arrived at this point and started talking to him. He was worried about his dog being taken away so I called his brother and let him know what was going on. He said he'd be right there so I let Curtis know and left him to the care of the police and fire department.
I was all a matter of just minutes and I was back in our car filling out a form for the PD. William was oblivious but I had a 3 and 6 year old with me that were pretty worked up and scared. I worried I had done the wrong thing in helping this stranger I had damaged and horrified them. Then the thought came to me no. Someone was in need of help. I was responsible and cautious about the situation and the right thing was to help. I explained to them that they didn't need to be afraid and we talked about what we had just seen. We talked to them on their level about drugs and alcohol and how they are harmful to our bodies and how they impair our thinking and ability to do things, we also talked about healthy coping mechanisms among other things. I realize they are only 3 and 6 but I know kids also understand more than we give them credit for. I don't condone drunk driving and being irresponsible when drinking but that was no excuse to not step up and help where I could.
I could see the unsettled state they were still in. I told them I knew they were young and it may not all make sense to them at this time and I understood they were scared. I tried to very carefully explain to them that what he did wasn't right and there are better ways we can handle the situation. BUT, it's not up to us to judge someone or their circumstances.
I've learned in my life that we are here to help others. If we cross paths with someone we have the opportunity to help and we are capable of doing so - we should. Beyond the unsettled feeling they had that night, I hope what I taught my children was if we find ourselves in a position to help someone else even though we ourselves may be scared of what could happen - we should step up and do what we can to help.
We continued to follow the truck while he swerved in and out of multiple lanes, coming very close to hitting signs/trees etc on the right shoulder before swerving back into his lane, we witnessed him driving into oncoming traffic and swerved out of it in the nick of time. I kept thinking any minute now a cop car will pull up and take over and I won't worry about him anymore but no one showed. Still on the phone with dispatch we followed him East on 9400 South. I don't know if it was the Mother in me or what but I just couldn't turn my back on someone in obvious need. I kept thinking he's got to be close to home, please let him be close to home before he hurts himself or someone else. I had my whole family in the car with me celebrating the birth and life of our oldest...how many other families or Mom's and Dad's, children, etc were out on the roads that night. All I wanted to do was take my babies to the safety of our home and hold them tight but I couldn't bear to think of this ending tragically for some unsuspecting family or multiple families. We had turned into a neighborhood and followed him a bit on that road and in a flash he gunned the gas, hit a trailer on the side of the road, bounced off the trailer and ran his little pickup truck right into the HOUSE of some poor unsuspecting couple.
We pulled up in front of the house and I rolled down my window and heard him calling out for help, I told Manny I had to go and check on him to see how bad he was hurt. Manny warned me and asked me to wait until help came that they were on the way. He said you don't know what condition he's in or what he's on or what he has on him, that he could hurt me and to just please wait for police and EMS to get here. I thought about what he said, I looked at our car and that safely held my hold world in it. I'm a mother first and foremost and I know I have people dependent upon me for things. But, I heard the scared cries of a stranger and I told Manny it was fine, to listen to him...he's not a threat, he's genuinely scared, to trust me and let me just go down and assess the situation and reassure him help was on the way. Working with several people on drugs and/or alcohol I've learned that they can be very unpredictable and you have to keep on your toes at all times. Because I've had patients turn on me on a dime I briefly worried the same might happen here but something inside told me it would be okay and to go out and help him where I could.
I got out of our SUV and climbed down to the truck by the house and started talking to the visibly shaken man in front of me. I asked him his name and introduced myself and told him that help was on the way. His name was Curtis and he was 30-my same age. He was scared and kept saying how much trouble he was going to be in this time and kept asking for help. There was a significant amount of blood loss that first appeared to be coming from his face but later I realized it was from a pretty gnarly chunk of skin missing on the palm of his right hand. His truck was running and I asked him to turn it off so we could hear each other better. He replied there was no key. I called for my protector and told Manny he needed to come reach in and turn it off with the screwdriver he had. Manny was still hesitant mostly because our 3 children were with us and you never know what can happen. I told Curtis that my husband I were there to try and help him and we weren't going to hurt him but we were going to reach in and just turn off his truck so we could hear each other better, he had a dog with him and we made sure the dog wouldn't lunge after us if we reached in the vehicle. Manny got it turned off and we helped him and his dog out of the truck. Manny was still on the line with dispatch as I tried to keep him calm and reassure him that help was on the way and everything was going to be ok. The homeowners got him an old towel and we wrapped his hand up in and had him apply pressure. The police had arrived at this point and started talking to him. He was worried about his dog being taken away so I called his brother and let him know what was going on. He said he'd be right there so I let Curtis know and left him to the care of the police and fire department.
I was all a matter of just minutes and I was back in our car filling out a form for the PD. William was oblivious but I had a 3 and 6 year old with me that were pretty worked up and scared. I worried I had done the wrong thing in helping this stranger I had damaged and horrified them. Then the thought came to me no. Someone was in need of help. I was responsible and cautious about the situation and the right thing was to help. I explained to them that they didn't need to be afraid and we talked about what we had just seen. We talked to them on their level about drugs and alcohol and how they are harmful to our bodies and how they impair our thinking and ability to do things, we also talked about healthy coping mechanisms among other things. I realize they are only 3 and 6 but I know kids also understand more than we give them credit for. I don't condone drunk driving and being irresponsible when drinking but that was no excuse to not step up and help where I could.
I could see the unsettled state they were still in. I told them I knew they were young and it may not all make sense to them at this time and I understood they were scared. I tried to very carefully explain to them that what he did wasn't right and there are better ways we can handle the situation. BUT, it's not up to us to judge someone or their circumstances.
I've learned in my life that we are here to help others. If we cross paths with someone we have the opportunity to help and we are capable of doing so - we should. Beyond the unsettled feeling they had that night, I hope what I taught my children was if we find ourselves in a position to help someone else even though we ourselves may be scared of what could happen - we should step up and do what we can to help.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Happy 4th of July
Catching a flick, we took the kids to see "Cars 2" Saturday night.
Our little ones in their patriotic red, whites, and blues; ready to celebrate the 4th of July.
HAHA, had to post this one of Elaina, her cousins were teasing her and she got mad and started pouting. She IS our little fire cracker.
The handsome Montes boys.
Little miss attitude. ;)
The Handsome Montes boys!
Marcus and Lainey, she LOVES her big brother!
Our little William, ready to celebrate his first 4th of July.
Popi and William watching the fireworksWe planned to go camping this weekend in our favorite little camping nook in the mountains...however, events earlier in the week caused us to have to cancel those plans as well as the plans we had made during the week with the kids. While it wasn't the week and weekend we had planned, we still had a great time and had some fun in the process. Saturday Manny and Marcus went fishing on 'The Pearl' with the Bogenrief's and out to dinner at McDonald's. Meanwhile, Elaina, William and I had a pool party and picnic in the backyard with Papa, Maca, Aunt Jessie and Justin. Saturday night we took the kids to see the new "Cars 2." They loved it and thought it was pretty cool. Elaina was super excited to go to the movies. She got a little restless about 3/4 of way through it but then snuggled next to Manny and was fine the rest of the time. Sunday was a chill day, just church and hanging out with family but all in all, even though it wasn't the weekend we planned and were looking forward too, we still made the best of the time we had and had a great time.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
A Breath of Fresh Air
The last 3 months have brought about a LOT of unexpected little ripples which have delayed just about all of my plans/ambitions or cancelled them completely. Here we are in June and I still haven't taken Marcus to do his 5 year old milestone pictures. Today, I was bound and determined to finally make it happen so I started to get him ready to go. Elaina seeing we were getting ready to go do pictures took it upon herself to go and finish getting herself ready. She got a little pink and brown sundress back in the Spring which she hadn't worn yet due to our cold Spring we had this year. It being a beautiful and warm day, I put that on her today. While doing Marcus' hair I hear her coming down the stairs. She had gone and got her little cowgirl boots and put them on as well as her pink cowgirl hat. She looked so stinkin' cute and I couldn't believe how well she matched her little outfit. She says, "I'm to go Mommy." She certainly was, she looked so cute, I told her I was gonna take a few pictures of my best cowgirl even though she had scratched her little face up at her Aunt's house a few days before. I put a few loose curls in her locks, we packed up the camera and William and off we went. We had fun but they were clearly more interested in the many ducks and geese and other random animals walking about to focus on posing for pictures. I still got a few cute shots.
It was dinner time afterwards and Lainey said she wanted pizza for dinner. We decided to grab a pizza to go and eat it at the park and let the kids run around afterwards and play. It was a lot fun to just chill and enjoy each others company and the beautiful weather. They had a blast running around chasing each other and playing on the playground, they even chased Popi down the hill and saw bats flying around which they thought was awesome!
Friday, June 3, 2011
Class of 2011
June 1st, 2011Marcus' Preschool Graduation
Marcus had a fabulous year in preschool. His teacher, Ms. Hilary is simply amazing and is so great with children. His year was filled with new experiences, learning, new friends, reading, ABC's, numbers, songs and music, playtime, art projects, and so much more.
We had a fun day all day celebrating. We went on his last field trip with him in the morning, spent the afternoon with his cousins, and then came home and got ready for his big night. After graduation Manny and I took Marcus out to dinner [his choice] and we went to none other than Cafe Rio! It was especially fun because we met the Meyers there and Aunt Amy came to celebrate also!Congratulations on your first BIG milestone as far as school is concerned kiddo. We are so proud of all your hard work, determination, willingness to try new things, and for all that you have accomplished. We hope you remember what you learned and will apply it into your life for years to come. It was certainly an experience for all of us and was fun to watch you grown and learn throughout the year. One of our favorite things was being able to watch some of those 'ah ha' moments. Daddy, Elaina, William and I were so happy we got to be a big part of your special day!
Congrats on a job well done.
We Love You.
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