The Asmussen Family: TTT: Season 3, Episode 16

1. I hate to disappoint, but I really don't have much to write about other than my surgery! It went really, really well, thank God. We dropped the kids off at my parents just before bed time on Wednesday night, came home and slept, and then headed to the hospital early yesterday morning. I'm never one to get nervous about hospitals and medical stuff. I figured I had about the same chance of something go wrong during my surgery as I do of getting in a wreck every time I get in the car. And I certainly don't fret while driving, so why worry about the surgery!?! Mark, on the other hand, was a little more nervous. I guess since he knows what's actually going on internally and knows all of the complications that could occur, he's allowed to be a little less blasé about it. But everything went just as expected. Surgery started shortly around nine and we were headed home by eleven. The doctor informed Mark that my gallbladder was chalk full of stones and that he was convince that Mark wasn't getting the full story from me on how much it had been bothering me. He ended up having to enlarge the hole in my belly button just to get it out, it was so full. Honestly, I think I must deal with pain differently. As is with my lupus, once I've gotten used to it, it's just the norm and I somehow work to ignore it or choose not to acknowledge it. It really wasn't bothering me that much...which is how I managed to put it off for two years!!! But I guess having the surgery done was for the best. It truly was a ticking time bomb. Anyhow, once we got home, I proceeded to sleep for over three hours while coming off of the anesthesia. And thankfully, I had my favorite guy to take care of me. Chicken noodle soup for lunch, tomato basil soup for dinner, yummy orange push pops, ginger ale for my nausea...he took care of the works. We hung out, watched movies, read magazines, and just relaxed as much as possible. Oh, and FaceTimed with the babies too! This morning I'm home alone, while Mark is at work for a bit. Definitely very sore and bruised but overall feeling great considering the four holes in my abdomen. Thank you all for your prayers! And if you don't mind, more for a speedy recovery would be greatly appreciated!

2. While a major surgery isn't exactly how I'd choose to have a "vacation," I have to admit that it has been nice to have a couple of days without the kiddos. Everything is so calm. Almost eerie! But Mark and I thoroughly enjoyed our evening together. And waking up this morning with no responsibilities other than to care for myself was strangely enjoyable. But on the other hand, having these few days alone just re-affirms how much I love my babies. I see their pictures and wish they were here so I could grab them and kiss them. I miss the tell tale signs of their presence. No sounds of grinding teeth coming from Kolbe, no screeches of joy/anger/excitement/frustration from Grant, no little piles of toys strewn across the house. No mounds of shoes left by the door. But more importantly, no kiddie laughter, no sweet smiles, no big hugs or morning kisses. Sure, having children means utter chaos a lot of the time, but oh, what one must miss by not having them. Though I suppose you don't even realize you'd miss it until you've had them and then miss them. Needless to say, I'm anxious to squeeze my boys and have my home back to normal as soon as possible. But many, many thanks to my parents for giving me the opportunity to recover in the comfort of my own home. It has been great!

3. Tidbits, Treasures, and Tantrums:

- Exactly one month from now we will be at the beach! I can't wait, can't wait, can't wait! Especially since this year I know the boys will be much more comfortable with the water. Many fun times ahead!

- Our little backyard garden is coming along! Just within the past week we're seeing lots of tomatoes. The cilantro and other herbs are looking great...we just need to peppers to start producing and then we'll have plenty of fresh salsa in our future.