Baby, It's Cold Out There

Ok, the temp thingy is reading 19 degrees. Brrrr. I believe it, I just came in from the feeding all my animals. It's really 19 degrees, I wore my jamma bottoms layered with my rubber boots and HUGE coat and gloves and it STILL felt like 19 degrees. LOL. We have a frozen chicken, but since the rabbit is inside we stuck the frozen chicken in the rabbit cage where she is forced into shelter. LOL.

I'm proud of my boy, Rowdy-Mator stayed in his barn last night so he is less iced over than yesterday afternoon. This morning he was out trying to run laps. When I look out our back door there is a wooden fence between him and me and all I ever see is his bangs flapping. You know he's out and about when you see his bangs. Just a weird tidbit. He kind of wanted to leave the yard with me and I explained that since I was headed back in the house he couldn't come with me, he was pretty sure he could.

The goats were fine, they make their babies stay in most of the time. So they are smart, of course Lexi and Tiny Tim wanted to come with their Mommy but I said no. I would but the extreme changes in weather could give them pnuemonia. I do not want that, I would die if I started losing my babies. I was really worried about going out this morning because it was so cold and iced, I was scared I might have lost something but everything seemed fine, just the goat side chickens and Roo are iced over but under their stiff iced feathers are dry so I guess they will be OK, Roo Roo was out and about strutting his stuff, he's nice so far. But one chicken (maybe a small Roo???) would rather attack me than look at me. It's so onry, it's not everyone just me. What gives? I'm the one that feeds you, LOL.

Well, It's nice and iced over out there. Like even the street is solid white, it reminds me of one year when I visited Misty in Kansas and it started snowing really bad so I decided to venture out and head south, get closer to home. Kansas is crazy it snows like 3 feet and they scoop it to the side and the roads are clear. The driving is almost normal because they can bulldoze their roads. I got to Kansas and was headed to visit Brad and Lorinda. I was driving a Mitsubishi Montero Limited, it was the DREAM vehicle, my brother had wrecked my car 2x and the city truck that hit it last covered the rental. So I was in Heaven driving that thing. I'm glad I was in it, I hit about 30 minutes outside of Sand Springs and the road was WHITE, the was a valley on one side and the road was hit downhill, I was terrified, never driven in snow or ice in my LIFE. I literally got in line with a million bigrigs and followed their very slow trek down. I have never in my life been so scared, well maybe when I have to drive in rain storms. But I was barely creeping in that line of trucks and I was watching cars and pickups go over the side over and over. Get to the major highway and traffic had worn down the dead center of the highway and you just got in that groove and went, there was no stopping I finally got to my hotel and SLID in. I checked in and asked if there was a store or food nearby I was starving. NOPE. I survived that evening and night on Little Debbie snacks that is all the hotel had. It was horrible. The next morning I was feeling braver so I crept over to Lorinda's and had breakfast then went back to my hotel to await church time, made it to the church and back to the hotel. LOL. I rode with them the rest of the time, I had an extra day and a half vacation because NO ONE was leaving the Tulsa area. I was so proud of myself though for making it and not falling apart. It's in times like that you learn how strong you are. When obstacles are put in front of you that are your worst fears and you either face them or fall apart. I did it. Now don't ask me to volunteer to do it again, I've been in too many ditches in rain and ice with my Dad.

If the ground is wet I will drive but I'll fight anxiety and panic attacks until I reach my destination. I'm better than I used to be, I used to have to use an inhaler because of the attacks, now I just deep breath and give the steering wheel a death grip. LOL.

It's icy so it brings the memories of my experiences on ice, perhaps I should write about my experiences with water. LOL.

Headed to help Mom cook breakfast, since this is a ice day we are laying aside diets and having fried eggs and bacon, yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Camdon Update #8 Our Lubbock Weekend

Here are a few pics I took this weekend in Lubbock.

Regina and Camdon. Poor thing she's exhausted.

Camdon looking much better
Look at that blond hair, he is sleeping
Nana (my Aunt Brenda) and Camdon

Aunt "Winna" as Daylan calls Mom, LOL.

Tana (Me) and Camdon, he is so tiny. Makes your heart break that he is so sick.

Mom, Brenda and Regina in the Game Room at the Ronald McDonald House.

Ronald McDonald staff invited us to stay for dinner. A group had donated BBQ and Cobbler and it was wonderful. THANKS!!!

Kaleigh having some BBQ. YUM, she isn't quite sure what's going on with Dada, Momma and Camdon. She was NOT enthused about the drives.

Daylan and Myself at dinner. It was very good. He is so sweet and very concerned about his baby brother. He "likes road trips, they aren't scawree" LOL. He would watch out the window and say "Look I see the road trip". Too adorable.

One of the hallways in the Ronald McDonald House. There were quilts everywhere gave the place a homier feel.

This is on side of the kitchen at TRM House

The there side of the HUGE kitchen.

This is the pantry and freezers.

I forgot to take pictures at our hotel. LOL. Only me, I'm such a dweeb but how would you know? The biggest bar in town was attached to the hotel. LOL. It wasn't too bad though. We will always laugh about the fact. We drove around to the "front" and I was like "Oh dear this is a bar the hotel must have been the next buiding down there". I turned the corner and NOPE we were at the right place. There was no parking and I will always get teased. But at such a good rate, who cares, really!!!

Camdon Update #7

Camdon is doing good today. He's a miracle!!!

Camdon Update #6

More good news today. The doctors did another xray of Camdon's lungs, yesterday he had the huge mass of phlegm that would take awhile to go away. Well, we have a God that can. The doctor's said the mass was MIRACULOUSLY gone. That was great news. We know it is a result of all the prayers going up on Camdon's behalf. My God is an awesome God and He knows just how to get our attention and still show His goodness!!!!

We enjoyed dinner at the Ronald McDonald House today. I do know I will be donating to that Charity in the future it is an awesome organization that is a huge help to families from out of town. I plan to donate some of my time to help with chores and such. I learned tonight while watching the kids there that churches and people wanting to volunteer for a good cause donate their time and come in and do chores for certain rooms. Each room has chores to take care of each day and it gives them a break.

I plan on learning how to donate toys and books to them also. They had books and toys galore, but some where well used and kids videos, looked like everything ever put out. LOL. I was so impressed with them. The common rooms give the families a place to share and support each other. It is a great place.

Camdon Update #5

GREAT NEWS!!!! Camdon is ready for a regular room. There isn't one available right now but as soon as there is he will be there. We are all so excited. Brenda called and said she wanted to just jump up and down but didn't think she should. I said go ahead they will just look at her crazy. LOL. Thank everyone that is praying for Camdon he is doing better, not well by any means but so much better.

Camdon Update #4

So this isn't really an update.

Camdon has RSV. It is an upper respritory virus, it's the cold that doesn't go away that everyone around my town is passing around. Thankfully I didn't get it. It's not bad for healthy people but sickly people and small children it's serious and babies under 6 months it's critical and preemies it's fatal. In Camdon's case he has lots of phlegm in his lungs that has to come out before he will be better.

He also, I think, had a bronchial infection. I can't remember all that Brenda said about that. But basically his not breathing episodes were from the RSV. Babies don't breath out of habit their bodies think it through with each breath. That is why little babies sleep so much because their bodies work hard at breathing. Around six months old they start doing like us and breathing without thinking about it. When babies under six months get sick they are likely to get tired and stop breathing because they are tired. That is what is going on with Camdon. So he had the ventilator while they boosted his little body to be stronger.

They are giving him drugs like caffiene type stuff to give him energy and help him breath on his own. Last night the nurse tricked him into drinking his meds, LOL. She dipped a bottle nipple in sugar water and when he started sucking on it she started sending the meds in and he took them all. We were all cracking up, he got tricked BIG time.

I tell you what I respect and look up too those doctors and nurses. they have some stressful jobs. They deserve some big rewards. Well the nice ones like last night and not the mean ones. LOL.

Hope this answers the questions of what Camdon's illness is. Feel free to ask about it.

One other thing. Last night we were talking to a family with a 11 month old baby in the hospital and we were telling Cammies story and how we have people praying and we believe that is why he is doing better already. The man asked that we pray for I think the name was Draken. It's amazing how times like this in a Children's hospital people are reaching out to anyone to anywhere for help. With small kids like this they feel helpless. It's sad to see all the babies on IV's.

Well, it's breakfast time almost here so I'm headed out.

Camdon Update #3

Camdon is awake Awww, Chris and Camdon talking

Ok, this is funny Mom and Brenda's maiden names are Cone, this whatever it is said Cone. Hilarious part is Brenda was born in Tulia which is just north of this thing. My real grandfather was born in Wichita Falls and had family in Tulia so we wondered and discussed the fact, what if that was family. Hmmm, we know nothing about the Cone's except that Richard Cone was George Luther Cone when he was born. So that was kind of cool.

Well, we are sitting in the hotel I reserved for us. LOL. It had good rates and looked Ok, LOL. We got here and it has the BIGGEST bar in the whole city of Lubbock. People are partying. Very interesting. One thing you don't have to be all quiet. LOL. It's not a bad place though. Our window looks out onto the inside courtyard and it's nice.

Camdon is doing much better. He is off the ventilator for now and off the feeding tube. He is awake and looking around. They did xrays today and he has a large mass of phlegm in his right lung. He still has a while to stay in the hospital. I got to see him tonight and he looks so much better but it's so sad because he is so little. But there is a baby in the Critical Care that is smaller and it also has RSV. That stuff is bad on little ones.

One family said RSV is a 2 1/2 month stay. We are hoping Camdon will beat the odds and get out sooner.

Tomorrow we are going to get to see the Ronald McDonald House where Regina and Chris are staying.

I got to go in and see Camdon tonight when we got into town. He looks so much better. But watching his little body working so hard to breath is heartbreaking. He is off the ventilator for now and no feeding tube