10-16-11

Yes, Yes, Yes...it has been quite some time since I have blogged. Our lives have been turned upside down these last few weeks. Where to start.....?

Lets start with a few weeks ago. The plague attacked our home and all of its occupants. We were planning a trip to Alabama to see my family and the week before we were going....plague hits. Brittany was sick. She was out a couple of days with her plague in hopes to not get the girls sick. Great idea! However, the results weren't so great. Turns out she had an upper respiratory infection and strep throat. I am highly suseptible to strep throat. If it is 3 miles down the road and I get a whiff of it....it adheres to me and I am done. Seriously though, if any illness defeats me, it is strep throat. I think I am allergic to it. Needless to say, I was done for a couple of days. I came home on a Tuesday and went straight to bed after going to the doctor earlier in the afternoon when I realized I couldn't swallow my own spit without squinting my eyes and my head was hotter than the pavement of Walmart in the middle of Summer. I was ill. Unfortunately, Brittany was diagnosed the same day. So I was going to be out of work the next day with the plague and taking care of two snotty nose girls. Literally, they were coming down with something. They weren't feeling well and just wanted me to love on them and I couldn't do it. So reinforcements were called in for Wednesday. My wonderful grandmother made the trip to Winder to play and love on babies while I took it easy. Then my Mom took over in the afternoon so I could pass out in a coma for the rest of the evening until Richard got home. I was still sick on Thursday but Brittany was well enough to come help me. So we tackled the girls together and notice slight fevers and extremely runny noses. They were sick. So we all packed up and went to the doctor. Now, either we are really good or we have a special Angel looking out for us. But $80.00 later at the pediatrician, they just had a cold. Strep and flu test were negative. So we didn't get them sick with the plague. Thank goodness. Perhaps I was overly precautious but I am pretty sure they can't tell me their throats feel like it is closing and they can't swallow. So I took them based off a slight fever and a runny nose. Sue me!

When returning home on Thursday from the good doctor, I was using the restroom when it sounded like rain outside. However, it was a gorgeous day just moments before when we were bringing the girls inside from the car. No worries...it was only raining from the pipes in my walls and under my house. YEP!!!! We had a busted pipe in the wall in my bathroom that would require them removing my entire vanity to get to the pipe. Needless to say, I passed on the removal and had them just cap off the pipe. I was dealing with the plague and didn't want to deal with disaster. That is until the nice "bearer of bad news" plumber informed us of the black plague under our house that had grown from the tiny pin hole in the pipe that had been spraying for quite some time now. Let me inform you of the danger of black mold, it is bad. Plain and simple, it will make you sick. The kind of sick that you do nt want to be. BAD! So the next day, we had a expert come out to evaluate the clean up of the mold. They rerouted the air in our home directly under our house into the crawlspace to dry out under the house for clean up. He expected it to be a couple of weeks until it was dry enough to clean. Basically, the clean up would mean the removal of insulation and mold. and all the goodies with black mold growing on it! So, after a few days of the loud....very extremely loud, machines, we packed up and left. It was no place for babies to have to spend their days, or Brittany. It was so annoying. So, the girls and I went to my parents for them to have some peace and quiet during the day. It was nice to know they would be able to watch tv and play without them falling through the uncovered vents.

So it has been a back and forth effort with State Farm and the Restoration company but finally we are on the home stretch. Unfortunately, my bathroom is now sealed off because they had to tear up my new hardwood floors and clean the black mold that was residing on the subfloor. Luckily, home owners is helping us out with the bill, a whomping $14,500.00 for the entire cleanup and repair. Told ya....that black mold is nothing to mess with and they put a hefty price tag on the clean up. Next step is replacing the polybutylene piping from the 80's that had so many lawsuits. That is only coming up to about $3000 for the repiping of the house. That price does not include the demolition to the walls and ceiling to get to the upstairs bathroom. So yea, more destruction to my home. Please pray for us. Did I mention from day one this has now been a three week process and now looking at another week til completion. Yes, nearly a month since the girls have slept in their own beds. No worries though. We are being well taken care of at casa de LeVert! I miss those home cooked meals. And I know Richard does too! Although, he has spent some days and nights at the house painting the outside. Oh yea, are are painting the house too. So it is quite a mess on the inside and out!

So the weekend following sickness, we went to Alabama. We had a great time visiting family and watching my cousin Trey's football game. It was the first football game the girls had ever  been too. And trust me, they got plenty of attention being their and being Sammy's grandchildren. Seemed like people knew them before we knew those people. Gotta love Facebook. No one is a stranger these days! We had a good time. It was great to just relax knowing the mess we were going home to face the next week.

So while at Mom and Dad's home, sickness struck again. Let me recap, the week before, Brittany was sick, I was sick, Richard lucked out, and even my Dad had strep and the girls had a cold. Well, my cousin came to visit and brought another plague. The day before his visit he had a virus that was causing both ends to be very active. We just thought that he had gut rot from all the candy and junk food he was eating down here because he wasn't allowed to have at home in Tennessee. NEGATIVE. He passed it around. On Tuesday, my Mom favorite place was the throne and on Wednesday night my sweet Quinn threw up in her sleep. I went to check on them and much to my chagrin she was covered and her bed was too. While I was getting her out of bed, we accidentally woke Brooklyn. Richard got her because he was gagging at the smell of Q. He said that Brooklyn was soaking wet on her legs. That is right. Quinn puked in her bed and Brooklyn pee'd on her bed. Did I mention it was 3am? So Operation Clean Up commenced. I changed babies and figured it was too late for a bath. So Quinn had to smell a bit funny for the rest of the night, it was in her hair. We changed the girls and Richard stripped their beds. Did I mention they had corn for dinner? So you can imagine the sprinkles of corn all over the sheets. I was really afraid that I was going to have to clean up Richard's puke because he was havng a hard time handling the smell. First of all, he was the one that discovered the issue by smelling it from down the hall. My sniffer doesn't work well so I didn't smell anything til I got her out of bed. What ya gonna do? So Quinn snuggled with me so Richard wouldn't puke and Brooklyn snuggled with Richard in our bed. We hardly slept for the rest of the night. But it was okay. We had the girls and we were all together.

A few hours later, Brittany called, she had been puking all night. She said she felt okay but didn't want to get girls sick. I told her to join the club. She was so upset when she asked who was sick, I explained our night and Quinn being sick. Later, Brooklyn didn't have any energy and was just laying on the couch and Quinn played a little bit. My babies were sick. They have had runny poop for days now. But Brooklyn never puked. So now onto Friday, I come home and by home I mean Mom and Dad's house only to feel nauseas on the way. Yes, about 9pm I was hovering the toilet. I enjoyed special one on one time with the toilet several times throughout the night and on into Saturday morning. It is Sunday, Richard is currently laying on the couch with a fever and has been having an affair on me with the white crown princess all day. They have been having quality time together. So hopefully this will be the last victim in the three week plague called our life! It has been a health nightmare not to mention the housing nightmare. I am better and the girls are coming around. They aren't eating as well as they usually do but they will eat a bit here and there. So hopefully we can desanitize this house and get well again.

We have 18 month check ups on Tuesday. We hope all is well. Girls still aren't "talking" but definitely repeating things they hear and occassionally repeat after you say it to them. They are growing and really learning. They enjoy doing things you tell them to do. They seem to have a feeling of accomplishment.

Today, we went to a Corn Maze and activities at the Wshington Farms in Watkinsville. They seemed to have a big time. They got to pet baby chicks and bunnies. They went through a hay maze and down slides. They even rode in a make shift 50 gallon barrel that was made into a cow and pulled behind a mule with other cow barrels. It was quite enjoyable for both of them. However, Brooklyn was not happy to leave it. She loved it. My quiet adventurous child. They had a good time. And we pretty much let them walk all over the place and they just loved the freedom. It was good to get them out because of the rain, they have been inside all week. Miss Brooklyn will venture off if you let her. She is so curious and has such a seeking train of thought. Give that girl a stick and she is off twirling it and drawing in the dirt. She just wants to go nowadays. She seems to be breaking out of her shell. Her voice is being heard and she loves it. Meanwhile, Quinn is the talker. She doesn't stop her twin talk at all. Brooklyn answers her but Quinn is the true conversationalist.

They are spectacular girls and I am grateful daily to have them love on me. It makes me feel like no matter the cost of pipes or cleanup, or the bad day at work, or the fact that your vehicle my die any day, or any other troublesome worry in the world, those two girls love me for who I am to them. So I can gripe and complain all day but what matters most is the look in their eyes knowing they made it and so can I. They continue to inspire me and I am reminded of the message God sends to me through them. He doesn't give us what we can't handle. I was scared to take on motherhood and bring a child into this world...I got two. God gave them to me because He knew I needed them. It may sound a bit sappy but I cannot say enough about the strength and guidance those girls give me. Many years ago, I couldn't imagine life with a child and now I just can't imagine life without those two girls. I was riding the hay ride today and sitting there thinking, I am so proud to be called their Mom! I hope that they will be glad to call me their Mom as I am to call mine, Mom. My parents have been so generous these last few weeks and I am grateful to have them. Thank you!