Convalescing, Confetti, and Couture

We've been finding lots of ways to stay occupied this week.

Immediately, Natalia wanted to color--and she's been doing really well, considering she's a lefty and that arm is busy being elevated or iced. I am impressed by her steady concentration and neatness. We'll see when the novelty wears off...maybe it won't! :-)

The biggest challenge for me is keeping Adam from being too physical around Natalia and making sure he gets extra hugs and time with Mama. His latest fascination is making confetti. He seriously will sit at the table and quietly cut paper into tiny pieces for 1/2 hour. Not a peep outta' him! A lifesaver for the 4-5 o'clock hour when I'm preparing dinner and he typically is getting rammy. AND, he thinks it's fun to use the dustpan and brush to clean it up for Mama too! I think that's MARVELOUS!!!

Paper "doll" horses that were in a new coloring book from Grandma. (And I just had to join in on the fun with "Cousin Violet" from Downton Abbey! Who could resist?!?!)

And, finally...what to dress this girl in once we do need to leave our house, socialize, and return to our lives?!?!

Besides the fact that Natalia has been busy outgrowing her winter wardrobe already, and I didn't want to hack the left sleeve off of her shirts needlessly, here is what I did:

*Removed the seam attaching the left sleeve of the long-sleeved black, white, and brown T-shirts she already had to use for layering. (Will reattach later.)

*Purchased 3 teen XS short-sleeved T's on sale and made them into tunic tops. Rooted through my buttom and fabric stash for embellishments.

*Took in the underarm seams on 2 tank tops I had that didn't fit right to make 2 more tunic tops.

*Purchased a pair of navy leggings and a pair of dark blue jeggings also on sale. She already had brown and black leggings. (She typically wears jeans everyday, but buttons, zippers, and such are currently problematic, and all her shirts are suddenly getting shorter on her. Major growth spurts in this household.)

*Nothing wasted expense, and she now has a spring/summer warddrobe!

Oh, and I had an extra Youth T-shirt and black puffy paint on hand, so I copied one of the pictures out of her new horse coloring book, and voila! (She was wearing her favorite horse shirt when she arrived in the ER, and they had to cut the full length of the arm.)

The Post That Got Hijacked...

...by more urgent matters. :-)

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This is what I wrote last Saturday, February 18th, intending to post later that evening:

My blog has been rather silent of late, for a variety of reasons. Number one, blogging is not a priority right now. No offense to you, my faithful readers and friends, but life has been full and I've had some opportunities in the last months that were given precident over blogging. BUT, I am hoping to pick things up again soon. I've got a writing itch to scratch. :-)

This past week, on the 15th, I took Natalia to her 6 month cardiology check-up.

You may remember what a hard time we went through last spring when she was prescribed the first medication we have ever needed to give her for her heart. The two months she was on it were extremely trying...for all of us. (If your memory needs refreshed, here's the link to that post. And if you're not sure what was wrong with her heart in the first place, here's our story.)

Well, needless to say, I asked for prayer for our appointment last week like a desperate woman. Because I felt desperate.

I was desperate for God to change my attitude. The most recent appointment last summer hadn't gone well, my daughter's strong will raising it's ugly head to the point that she refused to let them touch her. Except for the technician who does the ECHO. She gives lollipops and lets you watch a movie.

Was that appointment humbling? Oh yeah. Embarassing? Incredibly! Why? Because my pride was hurt. My daughter's behavior was a reflection on me, and I didn't feel it was justified. I felt like all my efforts to train her to respect authority, follow directions, and be respectful were for nothing. Because I like to see results. Because I like to believe I have some semblance of control over my children. Because I'm delusional like that. I sensed the frustration of those trying to do their job, even though they were being extremely patient, understanding, and creative. And at some point the realization that there was nothing more I could do to get her to comply...well, it just took the wind out of my sails. And though I didn't express it outwardly, I could feel the ugliness rising up inside--where I was throwing a hot and sweaty tantrum.

*sigh*

So you see, I NEEDED prayer.

Most of all though, I had to confess to the Lord that I wanted to change my daughter. And as I prayed last week for God to help me have the right attitude, I really felt he took away the dread and worry, and I knew that regardless of how the appointment went, he would be my strength.

And he was. And the appointment was horrible. But God gave me patience, tenderness, firmness, and wisdom at just the right moments. I was emotionally drained afterwards but I wasn't despairing.

Medical update:
The leaking/spurting from the incision sites (not the valves) has increased slightly from our appointment 6 mos. ago, which had increased since the visit before that. We're still in the mild range, but it's now mild+ and that means we go back in late July and likely she'll try a different medication for the same issue. And that appointment really needs to go well so they get as accurate information as possible.

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So...for those of you who are on facebook, you know Natalia broke her elbow just before bedtime this past Saturday night. We just needed more medical drama in our lives, right?

Long story short: our local hospital has a limited pediatric unit, and though they did the initial x-ray and diagnosis, with Natalia's heart condition and the required anesthesia and surgery to put a pin in her elbow, Pete and Natalia got a midnight ambulance transport to Penn State Hershey Medical.

She had surgery at 7:30am Sunday morning, and I relieved Pete so he could go home shortly before lunch. That afternoon the swelling went down some, she transitioned from the morphine to the Tylenol w/codeine, and began to regain her appetite. I was prepared to spend the night but around 9pm I was wheeling her out the door! Finding a pharmacy that was open was a challenge, but once again God took care of us and within 15 minutes that problem was solved and we knew where to go. (There is only one pharmacy in Lancaster County that is 24 hour!!! And it's relatively closeby.)

By 11pm Sunday we were home, she was tucked in her own bed, and we could finally catch up on some sleep. Pete had gotten 2 (interrupted) hours + a 2 hour nap, and I had slept 3 hours in 40 hours.

God was so faithful to provide for us through it all:
*Natalia was calm on the way to the hospital.
*It was a clean and common break.
*She cooperated for the x-ray.
*She wasn't frightened by the ambulance ride--thought it was pretty cool!
*Surgery went well.
*Pete and I knew the drill regarding the pediatric wing--it didn't feel as daunting as it did when she was an infant needing heart surgery. (Of course this wasn't nearly as serious a situation, but both Pete and I felt more confident in our surroundings and in being Natalia's advocate.)
*Mom and Dad were closeby and ready to help with Adam, transporting cars, etc.
*Peace.
*Pete was willing to take her to the ER and navigate the subsequent medical stuff, and I could concentrate on the recovery part.
*It was a holiday weekend, so both Pete and Natalia had off Monday--and Natalia has an early dismiss scheduled for Friday, so she isn't missing as much.
*Our sofa bed loveseat in the living has been such an easy way for Natalia to convalesce this week.
*She's been a mostly happy patient, not in pain too much, and easy to keep entertained.
*Special visitors, cards, and activities/gifts to make it a fun week while she missing her classmates and teachers.
*Seeing a friend from church in the hospital parking lot as I was getting ready to take Natalia home.
...and so many more reminders that we were not alone, that God was caring for us and supplying for our needs.

Thank you all for your prayers and kindness!

Meatless Soups--Creamy Potato Leek

This was a new recipe for me, but it's by the food network's Robert Irvine and received a high rating. I would whole-heartedly agree! It is oh so yummy!

I halved the recipe so it would serve 4.

Creamy Potato Leek Soup

3 large potatoes, peeled and chopped

3 leeks, thoroughly washed (white and some of light green parts)

2 stalks celery, chopped fine

1/2 medium onion, diced

1 bay leaf

1 qt. stock (chicken or veg.)

1/4 c. flour

4 Tbsp. butter

1/2 c. heavy cream (I used half and half)

thyme, salt & pepper, to taste

Put everything in a large pot and after vegetables are cooked and soft, puree in food processor. Then return to pot and simmer about 20 mins. more until hot. Serve with croutons or crusty bread.

Meatless Meals--Vegetable Frittata

This recipe comes courtesy of allrecipes and Taste of Home if my memory serves me correctly. I think they call it Christmas Morning Frittata (because of the red and green veggies/herbs) but I don't have many breakfast recipes without meat, hence the name change. Oh, and I also tweeked it a bit, so here is my version.

Vegetable Frittata

2 Tbsp. butter

1/2 c. onion, diced

1/2 c. green pepper, diced

1/2 tsp. minced garlic

1/2 c. diced tomatoes (or use a handful of grape tomatoes and quarter)

1 Tbsp. dried parsley

8 eggs

1 1/2 c. shredded cheese (I use Mont. Jack)

1 c. soft bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (about 2 slices)

1 tsp. worchestershire

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

Directions:

1. Saute onion, green pepper and garlic in butter for 5 mins. over medium heat. Remove from heat and add tomatoes and parsley.

2. In a separate bowl lightly beat the eggs and then mix with remaining ingredients and sauteed veg's. Pour into a greased 8 x 10 and bake at 350 for 30-40 mins. Let sit for 5 mins. before cutting to serve.

*I served this for friends recently who said they really liked it...and they are not fans of breakfast casseroles with bread cubes because of the soggy consistency that typically results. Because these bread cubes are small and you don't soak overnight, you barely know they are in there! They just make the eggs fluffier.

Meatless Soups--Minestrone and Creamy Tomato

I went digging through my blog archives for this first recipe: Minestrone Soup. The only change I made was to use a reduced sodium, vegetable base I found recently called "BETTER THAN BOUILLON".

I didn't have any homemade stock on hand, and though I've used bouillon cubes for years, I wanted to try something different--something with largely recognizable ingredients. This 8 oz. jar makes 9.5 quarts worth, goes into the refrigerator, and 1 tsp. of it equals one bouillon cube or 8 oz. can of broth.

This soup is hearty, full of flavor, and good for ya!

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The other recipe is one of my absolute favorite soups. Honestly, can there be a better combo than creamy tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich?

This recipe is just slightly adapted from the MORE WITH LESS cookbook (I omitted the onion, reduced the salt, and changed some of the spices).

Cream of Tomato Soup

Serves 3-4

2 Tbsp. butter

3 Tbsp. flour

2 tsp. white sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

dash of garlic powder, basil, and oregano

2 c. tomato juice

2 c. cold milk

Directions:

1. Melt butter in large saucepan on low, whisk in flour, then sugar, salt & seasonings.

2. Remove from heat and gradually add juice, then return to burner, increase heat to medium, and bring to a boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

3. Ladel a spoonful of hot soup into the milk, then add milk to the saucepan and heat until ready to serve, stirring as needed. (You don't want it to boil again.)

Enjoy!

Meatless Meals--Vegetarian Enchiladas

Providing vegetarian meals for a family who was going through a hard season recently was a source of joy for me AND good incentive to incorporate more meatless meals in our dinner repetoire.

I thought I'd share a few of our favorite vegetarian recipes this week. We've been hibernating of late, trying to get healthy again after rotating colds, and there doesn't seem like much to blog about. But recipe posts are easy, and I am always on the lookout for good recommendations to get me out of meal plan ruts. (Leave your vegetarian favorites in the comment section!)


The first one you can also make with browned ground beef or pre-cooked chicken.


Vegetarian Enchiladas
Makes 6-8 servings


Ingredients:
8 flour tortillas (8")
1 can refried beans
1 can black beans
1 small can diced tomatoes w/chiles
1 1/2 c. sweet corn (I use 1 pint of the corn I freeze each summer from the garden)
2 c. shredded cheese (I like to use Mont. Jack)
1 1/2 c. (1 can) enchilada sauce (I make my own using this recipe even though it makes alittle more than needed here)


Toppings:
chopped lettuce
sour cream
sliced black olives


1. Combine beans, tomatoes/chiles, corn, 1 c. cheese, and 1/2 c. enchilada sauce, and spread about 1/3 c. of mixture lengthwise into each tortilla and roll up.
2. Place seam side down into a greased 9x13" dish, pour remaining sauce evening over top and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese.
3. Bake @ 350 degrees for 30-45 mins. until cheese is melted and everything is bubbly. Let sit a few minutes, then serve with lettuce, sour cream and olives.


*When making with meat, I use only the refried beans, meat, cheese, sauce, and toppings.
*A good meal to freeze for later!