It has been such a long time since I've updated this thing. I feel like it's about time! We've been so busy with so many things...
I'll maybe start with a few weekends ago. The last weekend of October, we took 22 students on a youth retreat called Breakaway, to Des Moines. It was a great retreat! I think the coolest part was that many of the students who went have just recently been attending our youth group... a ton of new faces! It was exciting getting to know many of the students, better. Also, my mom and cousin, Cindy, so generously came to take care of Tatum while we were gone. It was my first weekend away from Tatum (I know, it took almost 15 months!!), and it went really well... maybe TOO well! :) No, I'm kidding. But, actually, I really did appreciate how I was able to focus more on the students, while my mom and Cindy took care of T at home. I'm so blessed to have family willing to do that!
The following weekend was supposed to be "uneventful and normal". Tatum, Ida, her friend, and I were on the way to the mall in Davenport. T was being a little fussy, so I gave her a closed container with coins, inside, to shake and play with (obviously, thinking she couldn't open it). All of a sudden, I heard her coughing and choking. I turned around and saw that she had opened the container! I pulled over and took her out of the car seat. She kept crying, coughing, and vomiting (sorry, if TMI). Eventually, she calmed down. I put her back in the car seat and dropped of Ida and her friend at the mall. At that point, I wasn't sure if T even swallowed any coins. I know my sister used to swallow objects all the time (coins, paper clips, safety pins, etc.), and she ended up being fine, but I just didn't know what to do. I decided to drive T to the hospital, just in case. Fortunately, we were in Davenport, so I was able to go to Trinity where she was born... it was easier to do paperwork, etc. As I pulled into the parking lot (thinking I was possibly over reacting), she started crying again, gagging and vomiting.
They did some x-rays, and discovered that she had a coin at the bottom of her throat! Because the coin was stuck, the doctor asked that I didn't give her anything to eat or drink, not let her lie on her back, not let her fall asleep, and to keep her from crying so that it wouldn't move and block her airways.....?!!! The poor nurses had to yell across the hospital to ask me questions. Every time someone would approach us, T would burst into tears... the poor girl! I know that she was scared, hungry and thirsty (she hadn't had anything to eat or drink in a few hours). When they told me that T had to be put under for them to retrieve the coin, I called Benjamin to have him come meet me at the hospital (I'm not going to lie, I was freaking out a little). He was hunting for his first time and had to leave early. :(
We spent a while waiting for the specialists. I had to carry her, and not sit down. If I sat down, she would fall asleep. Finally (the whole process took a few hours, but felt like FOREVER), they were able to put her to sleep and take those pennies (yes, pennIES) out. There were two pennies, stuck together, in her throat. Afterward, she was SO happy and cute. She did so well! It was a very dramatic day, but God protected our little Tatum. It could have been so much worse, and we're so thankful for God's provision and strength!
Last weekend, Benjamin and I were able to go to FamilyLife's "A Weekend to Remember" in Cedar Rapids. A couple from our church blessed us with the finances to go, and my parents so generously stayed with Tatum. The whole weekend was fantastic! It was our first weekend, just the two of us, that we've had since T has been born! We definitely needed it! :) I think the most valuable part for us, was just having time focused on each other. The conference, itself, was great too. It created intentional time and space for Benj and I to have great discussions. I, also, loved just "showing up" to things and not have to plan or prepare anything! I would encourage every couple to attend at least one of these weekends in their lifetime. I'm just so thankful that we were able to go at this stage in our marriage. We have only been married for four years, so we don't have the "baggage" that I know some couples have to work through. We are very, very blessed.
Ok, so this wasn't taken on that weekend, but it's our most recent photo.
