Springing to Life

What a lovely day it has turned out to be. Yesterday's gloomy weather coupled with a Monday had me feeling a little blah, but today truly captures the essence of spring. I wish I could take credit for the picture, but even though I did not take it captured the vibrancy I was feeling. After a long week of feeling sick and then just trying to get back to a sense of normalcy, I feel so energized. This can only mean one thing. Look out house you are about to be cleaned!!

Today my husband sent me flowers at work. It made me feel so special, and I couldn't stop grinning like a school girl. They are some lovely multi-colored tuplips. If I had a camera at work, they would have been the picture on my blog. They are even more special since it was a "just because" gift and not a holiday or anniversary. I am so honored to have such a sweet and thoughtful husband even after 6 years of marriage.

In other Medrano news Micah started crawling this past weekend. He started off crawling a few inches, but he finally got the hang of it and he is starting to head all over the place. Even though he can crawl his favorite is sitting up. No matter what he is doing he loves to be sitting up. He looks so proud of himself. He just beams at everyone. We caught him trying to pull himself up last night. I think he still has way to go, but we decided we better drop the crib soon or he may be tumbling out!

I really need to post some recent pictures. I just lack the patience to upload and then sift through all of the pictures and then pick just a few from so many. I will make an attempt to by the end of this week. The kids are just too precious not too.

Now I better wrap up here at work. It's almost home time.

I Don't Know What is Going on, but I Kind of Like It

Shifting, changing, and growing, we are constantly in a state of moving forward. I have been through so many emotions as well as spiritual awakening in these past few weeks I don't know even where to begin. The air is thick with change and with urgency. I continue to realize how little control I hold and how dependent I am on our heavenly Father for every little thing.

I work for a company that manufactures pavers. When pavers are produces and then laid they go through a natural curing process which causes a whitish film to rise to the top of the pavers for the first few months. It is simply a natural process that takes time. You may clean the efflorecense off, but more will rise until the paver has fully cured over time. This is the best analogy I can use to where I am at right now. Things come to the surface and God deals with me and then more keeps coming. God is shaping, molding, and testing motives. I am no alarmist, but the times are short. I don't know what tomorrow holds, but I am open to the purification and strengthening that the Holy Spirit is doing on this earth.

I don't know exactly what God will do, but I think I kind of like it.

Mucus You are My Enemy

I attempted to go back to work yesterday. This turned out to be a bad idea. My voice was bad and I could not hear very well out of my right ear. I lasted three hours with everyone begging me to go to the doctor in case I had contracted bronchitis from Kaylie. I finally decided to go home, but I really wanted to hold off on going to the doctor. I went home and slept for a couple of hours. I woke up and it just kept feeling like it was getting worse. My ear was starting to hurt. I finally decided to bite the bullet and go to a Care Now since it was too late to get into my family doctor. I actually got in right away thanks to their web checkin. Chris took off to meet me at the doctor. I was diagnosed with a right ear infection, and an upper respiratory infection,no surprise their. The doctor prescribed me some flonase to make the stuffiness ease up in my sinuses, and some antibiotics for the infection. I also got a steroid shot for some immediete relief. That really helped and I actually woke up feeling refreshed. Here I am back at work. I'm not totally back on my game. I still have drainage, and I am still waiting for my ear to pop and relieve the pressure, but that will just take time and the antibiotics starting to kick in. One thing I am pretty excited about is regaining my sense of smell and taste. I have realized that life is so much more fun and beautiful when you can taste your food and smell the air. I've had a stuffy nose, but this is the most severe I can remember. All food tasted like sawdust in my mouth. I can't help it, I love the taste of good food. Having these things taken away from me made me realize what wonderful gifts from God they truly are. I'm hoping once the weekend gets here I will be feeling more like my old self. Kaylie is almost back to normal. She still wears out easily, but she wants to do more. Micah is still fighting a cold, but he is such a good natured boy he hasn't been too fussy about it. I just feel sorry for the poor guy when he gets to coughing late at night. Chris has been lucky so far, hopefully it will stay that way. He has been such a great husband taking care of me and dealing with all the medicine, doctor runs, etc. I love him so much.

So here's to nice weather and getting over this sick season!

Here Comes the Sun

I do enjoy the rain, but I really needed some sunshine in my life. After taking Kaylie to the doctor Friday I started getting that tingly feeling in my throat. By Saturday morning I was feeling full blown horrible. Sunday I ran a fever most of the day. I felt like I was in a fog. I stayed in from work today, and I still don't feel 100 percent. I am starting to wonder if the junk in my nose and throat really has an end. My mom was nice and took the kids today so i could actually sleep. I haven't been sick like this in awhile. I get colds here and there, but this just sucks the life out of me. I could wake up from 10 hours of sleep and then go right back to bed. I hate feeling that way because I detest sleeping the day away. I am trying to keep myself from overdoing it today. With the kids gone and the sun shining I am tempted to clean house, but then I would just collapse again if I even made it that far. Chris was a wonderful husband and took care of me all weekend as well as making sure Kaylie didn't overdo it since she was starting to feel better. I debated on and off all day yesterday whether to stay home from work. We get no sick time at work and if we are sick we have to use vacation time. Because I used everything I had when Micah was born I have nothing until this September. I know we can make it with less income, but it throws the budget a little. Yesterday an old family friend came to visit my dad. We were going to try and make it by to say hi, but I was obviously feeling too yucky to go anywhere. We haven't seen this man in years, but he always told my parents he felt bad because he had not given us a wedding present. This was no big deal to us as six years have come and gone and it is not something I ever think about. Well my mom called me after he left and informed me he had left a substantial monetary gift. This was more than what it would take to make up the difference of me staying home one day. Wow, what a blessing! I have said it before, but I will say it again. God is so faithful even in the small things. Now I am going to get back to resting so I can be ready when my kiddos come home. Have a great week everyone

Two Blogs in One Day

Woohoo! I really am on a roll. Ok, ok I admit, I am only writing this blog so that my brain will not stop functioning due to excess boredom. When you work in an industry that relies heavily on good weather to function things get a little slow when rain overtakes the metroplex for more than one day.


So hmmm what can I babble on about. I did take Kaylie to the doctor today. She has been sick since Monday and has been feverish on and off for three days. She won't eat anything so I started to get worried. After two stays in the hospital in the past I am never willing to take any chances. There was nothing alarming, but the doctor did say she seemed to be in the beginning stages of bronchitis. They went ahead and put her on an antibiotic to prevent a bacterial infection due to her history. I am a careful mom, but I also believe in letting the body try to heal itself before overloading on unecessary meds. After a week of rest and liquids I couldn't watch her suffer anymore. Kaylie is very trusting of her doctor which is a good thing. She never acts scared to go in and is very happy when she leaves with a lollypop and sticker.


I just want to give credit to the Cook's Childrens Physician network. They are awesome and always prompt. We were called into the exam room within 5 minutes of setting down. I didn't even have time to finish filling out my paperwork. The doctor was in within 5 minutes of the nurse settling Kaylie in. We were out of the office in twenty minutes. Even though they are fast they definitely don't rush you. All of our questions or concerns are always addressed, and they work so well with the kids. Sometimes I think Pediatritions get busy and forgert they are still dealing with kids. All of the doctors in this office have a way of making the exam go smoothly while allowing kids to just be kids. Our children's primary doctor is Dr. Sharon Jackson. She has been with us since Kaylie was 2 months old. She is incredible. She was the one who realized Micah had a hernia and we had it promptly taken care of in about 2 weeks. I have been impressed with just about every physician in this network. Kudos Cook's! You have lifelong patients in our family, at least until they are adults =)

Rainy Days

Most people hate a day like today. I have to say I would like it much better if I was in Seattle. I love how we all instinctively want to curl up in bed, rent movies, and eat soup or chili. We humans are such creatures of habit. It is no wonder marketing geniuses make millions of dollars every year playing off our predictable insticts and emotions.

If I were in Seattle on a day like today I would bundle up in rain appropriate gear and mosey on down to the Pike Place Market. I can just imagine the smell of fresh fish, fruits and vegetables, and the salty smell of water drifting in from the sound. I would grab a hot plate of fish and chips and then head into a local coffee shop with a good book and enjoy a rich breve latte.

Back to reality in Texas on a Friday at work. Hey a girl can dream.

Turbulence Ahead

I have flown my whole life. I can't even recall my first flight, but you log a lot of air miles as a child when your dad works for an airline. I took the whole experience in stride. I even recall calming a few adult passengers when turbulence occurred and their agitation was high. Ironically my fear of flying has grown as I have grown. I'm not sure if this has something to do with worldly awareness, recent terrorism, or just the simple recgnition of my own mortality. Needless to say I am always hoping for a smooth flight in the days preceding any travel. When the pilot comes over and says their may be a little turbulence ahead I start to brace myself for the worst, but more often than not time passes and I look back a realize it was nothing more than a few bumps in the road so to speak.

I give this long analogy to preface my story for the day. I woke up to a typical Thursday, relieved it is one day closer to the weekend, but sad I still have two full days left two work. I hopped in the shower and decided I needed to pray. The shower is one of my favorite places to pray. In there it is just me and God... no interruptions. With things going along so well at home lately I dared not wonder when the next bout of usual domestic turbulence might arrive. With my day started out on the right foot, I was ready to go. I get out to find Kaylie downstairs laying on the couch still not feeling well. She has been sick for a few days. Chris and I start a discussin on what to do, and we both have our opinions. I take something said the wrong way, and then realize it is getting later and I could be late for work. This is where in my head we hear the captain come overhead,"Fasten your seatbelts, we may be experiencing some turbulence." There is apart of me that has a tendency to get defensive in tense situations. For once I decided to just shut my mouth. We made it to work and I decided to just let it go. Life is to short and I love my husband.

The point of my story is building upon yesterday's blog. I find that when I have let go of the control and allowed God to take preeminence the dreaded turbulent times become nothing more than just a few bumps in the road. The forseen nose dive suddenly becomes just a light chop. We are all human and until that glorious day of redemption we face a real world with challenges big and small. Will I slip up sometimes? Oh most definitely. Fortunately the grace and love of God are in hot pursuit of all who will let Him in. I'm hanging on to Him. It should be a beautiful ride!