I'm done with you, January.

January has not been kind...really. I truly am done, and it's not just the weather that has been dreadful. We just haven't been able to catch a break. It all started on Dec. 15th, I started to notice a little tooth ache, but that wasn't complicated enough. It turns out it was in a tooth that already had a root canal so literally hours before we were to board the plane to head home for the holidays I was at the endodontist office so she should could come up with a plan of action. She decided that antibiotics were the best course of action for the time being because a re-treatment of a root canal would be painful and the antibiotics would get rid of the infection temporarily until we returned to New Jersey. I spent the better part of the holidays with a mild toothache, but survived. On Dec. 31st I headed back in to see the specialist... had my re-treatment root canal and headed home. Boy was I in for a treat when I woke up on Saturday. She prescribed me Vicodin and I USED it...about every 4 hours along with ibuprofen I used it. This lasted a week until I went back. At that time she prescribed me more vicodin and a muscle relaxer and by Monday Jan. 10th I was finally comfortable. Yes, 10 days on a vicodin binge...it wasn't pretty. On Saturday Jan. 15th, I noticed a large blister on my gums...and the pain was increasing so on Monday Jan. 17th, back to the endodontist and finally after one month of pain, 3 refills of Vicodin, one prescription of muscle relaxers, one fistula and one tooth extraction I am finally on the road to recovery.

On January 5th Mitch's mom called and said that his grandfather was being admitted to the hospital for complications from either the flu or food poisoning. Not sure which, but anyway they thought he had fatigue and dehydration. On Saturday the 8th Mitch's parents called and said he was diagnosed with MRSA and that they were treating him and if he made it through the next 24 hours he would most likely survive. He responded well to the medication and by Monday it seemed that things were looking up. But the next day the news was grim. Diagnosed with Pneumonia and the doctors needed to know if they should treat or just make him comfortable. Grandma Fran wanted him treated for a week, but on Thursday it was decided to take him off the machines and Thursday afternoon Grandpa LaVerne passed peacefully with his family surrounding him. That night Grandma Fran fell, hit her head and had to be taken to the hospital. A concussion and bleed on the brain kept her in the hospital overnight, so Mitch jumped in the car and drove to Wisconsin to be with his family. Visitation was last night and full military funeral was this morning. I stayed home to take care of the girls who aren't ready to be at funerals and would never have survived the drive. Daddy will be home tomorrow night which is good, we miss him terribly.

On Tuesday Jan. 11th Sandy had to have a cyst removed from her paw. I have had to change her bandage every day because she continues to chew them off. I am stuffing meds down her throat twice a day and wrapping her paw in plastic every time she has to go out...I commented to my mom that there is a reason I am not a vet or a medical professional of any kind. Thankfully the vet called yesterday and the cyst was benign.

And lastly, Mitch was supposed to leave for Switzerland on Jan. 12th...on the 11th it got pushed to the 14th, on the 13th it got pushed to the 14th. Then on the 14th it got pushed to the 22nd. So now I am waiting for him to return just so he can turn around and leave again. I'm feeling pretty sorry for the girls. I'm not sure they are going to remember him. And I'm just a little bit ticked off at daddy's employer. Seriously, people can't plan like that and just make things work at the drop of a hat.

So yeah, January hasn't been real great for us. Lots of stressors but then I get to cuddle up with these two, hear them laugh and smell that sweet baby scent that comes from their heads and I start to think..."Maybe January isn't so bad after all?"