24 hours

In the past 24 hours, we have seen Dr. W, Dr. Baily, and Dr. Johnston.

I have a virus causing sores and ulcers in the back of my throat with a high fever.

We took Izzy in for her every other week injections for her hip and what we thought was a hot spot that showed up Saturday. Not so much. Apparently, she is "developing skin issues." Dr. Baily did not elaborate and the Cuddler could not really put together any other questions than was this cyst cancerous. We got a no on that and some medicines and a follow up in two weeks. Lets just say that Izzy has a big knot and gaping hole on her hip. She does not look so good and this did not sound like a one time event. Great.

The Cuddler has completely lost her voice and is making this scary squeaking noise when she coughs. Nice. Bronchitis again. She got a shot and three antibiotics.







Love, a cowboy

What a mother.

This is going to be a Cuddler entry. If you aren't interested, come back later this week. I'm sure the Plum will have something to say.

Sometimes in life you see a mother that is so outstanding that you take notice. You want to emulate her behavior. A mother who gives everything to her children. I'm not talking about mothers that are too afraid of their own children to tell them no so they give until they have nothing more to give anyone else and nothing for themselves. I'm talking about a mother that in the face of inevitable death, cannot rest, cannot accept her fate because she must give all of herself to her children.

I went to a visitation for such a mother tonight. I only knew her through Ashley. She would have had no idea who I am. Ashley's cousin, Stacey, fought colon cancer for one long year. It was, by all accounts, a bitter and hellish fight until the very end. She wanted to continue treatments when they were no longer advisable.

In a time when so many mothers are failing their children, I cannot get this exceptional mother out of my mind or off my heart.

She was only thirty-six. She leaves behind two young sons. Even during her treatments, she never missed an opportunity to be with them. On Sunday, she was at her son's baseball game and on Monday she went to heaven (as my mother says, "Praise be to Jesus" she is made whole without any pain). What a mother. Even when she had so little to give, she gave it all to her sons.

What a legacy of strength and courage to leave your children. Please say a prayer for Trey and Cody.


Love,
heavy hearted Alissa

I showed them

I told them I did not want to go to the lake.



They did not listen.

Five out of six of them ended up with the stomach virus.

You should not ignore the Plum. He doesn't like that.

Here are some pictures of me when I wasn't acting like a pill.

Bubbles...



Big Boy...



Me and Julia ready for the water, well, she was ready for the water. I was just being Captain Safety.





Who thinks they will listen next time?

where fun goes to die

I take fun to the lake to kill it. The Cuddler and Morning Guy have been going to the lake with our friends, The Nelsons, for four years. Every year they rent the same house and just enjoy each others' company and relax. They have been really looking forward to again this year. Well, I wasn't feeling it.

We loaded up Friday and headed to the lake. They thought I would like the lake because I like the pool so much. Well, I don't know what gave them that crack head idea. I hated it. It is murky, choppy, filled with fish, and you have to wear a life vest. Who the hell wants to do that?

As if that was disheartening enough for them, I decided to jack with them last night. I went to sleep around 8, but about 9, I woke up and started crying. The Cuddler tried and tried to get me back to sleep and lay me back down in the pack and play. I was having none of it. Then Morning Guy tried. Then they decided to go to sleep and put me in bed with them since we were sharing a room. At 11:00, the Cuddler took me outside since we were still not asleep. At 11:30, Morning Guy decided to screw our friends and let me cry it out. So I stood up in bed screaming MAMA, MAMA, MAMA! While smacking the Cuddler since my pack and play was so close to their bed. That was a fail. At this point, Morning Guy claimed that I was killing him and we should just get in the car and come home.

Sometime after 2:00 AM we all fell asleep. I was up before 7. We decided to come home early.

I take fun to the lake to die a slow, miserable, sleep deprived death.



Love, an exhausted Plum and his parents

partying and pottying like a rockstar

Partying and pottying. We had a rocking fourth of July. It was filled with redneck adventures at deer camp, visiting and grilling out with my friends, and hanging out at my Non and PawPaw's.

Here is my friend Jacob.



Here is the Cuddler smelling Jacob's new baby brother, Carson. She said his smell made her heart skip a beat. She hasn't said that about me in a while. She did say that my feet stink like a grown man's.



Here I am with Nic. I just love to say his name, Nic, Nic, Nic.



The three of us played in the baby pool. This was one of the few moments that one of us was not crying that one of the others had taken our toy or screaming "mine" or just going WWE on the other.





In other news, I have been pottying in the living room to great accolades. I talked with Lola about this and she is a little "pissy" about it. Apparently, when she started eliminating, as she called it, in the living room, she went to live outside.



I, on the other hand, got a snack and took in a show while waiting and M and Ms when I finished.



Love, the Plum