I managed to get a few pictures of Charlie and Megan together early this evening - you all are going to be sorry you asked for pictures; I might not stop!    Megan's blanket is one Amanda made for her to be swaddled in!

Charlie just looks thrilled, doesn't he?     He was just as happy to get down and play.

Here is the new little one -

In other news, things at the nursing home were looking better today.  Yesterday, I very nicely and politely, but firmly, told the woman who had called me to tell me they were probably taking my mother off skilled nursing status this coming week, that I had some concerns about her care on the new floor she was on.  Then last night, the unit supervisor called me!  I thought that showed them making an effort.  So, I told her of some of my concerns, and today, we really thought there was some improvement in attention and care.  They had even put a TV in the room!  That floor doesn't usually have TVs unless brought by the patient, I think, so that was very nice.  The skilled nursing/rehab rooms have them.  And Jim and I put up some pictures, and a wreath I had made her for her apt, and we thought things seemed better.

And Suzanne is traveling this week for her spring break, and she arrived at her destination with just one flight delay.

We have much to be thankful for!                             

Here she is!  Megan Grace -

 Megan and her mommy came home this afternoon!  Charlie was with me most of the day, and here he is eating his lunch -

And I got a picture of him settling down for his nap; he had to get all of the animals exactly where he wanted them, then he laid down on one -

That's a start!  I will get more pictures next time I see Megan, which should be tomorrow!
                                             

I promise to post pictures soon - I forgot to take my camera to the hospital yesterday!  How does a Grandma who is so excited about a new baby girl forget her camera?    Well, it was just about all I could do to remember all that one needs when one takes a toddler anywhere, and we had taken Charlie to see his parents and new sister!

In the midst of all the happy news and excitement of baby Megan's arrival, my own personal feelings go from being so thrilled and happy to a very real sadness and almost a feeling of despair at the situation at the nursing home with my mother.

My mom was moved on Wednesday to the long-term care floor of the nursing home, and then fell out of bed in the middle of the night - she was trying to turn over but there were no rails on the bed.  So, she is now bruised and has cuts on her - and they managed to lose part of her dentures during the move (and we are having trouble getting her to eat anyway!), and the room is at the end of the hall and very drab with some broken furniture in it.  I was able to run over to see her for a little while when Betsy was home with Charlie yesterday, and what I saw was so very depressing.  I did spend some time talking to the staff both there and via the phone, and I was able to make sure they puts rails on the bed, but now I am going to start looking at other nursing homes in the area.

The rehab floor really seems like it could be a different facility - I was warned that the nursing home floor was not very good, and now I see that for myself.  I'll try to perk up the room a little this weekend with flowers and pictures and see if that helps.

Meanwhile, I am expecting Charlie soon!  He and his daddy went home last night since Amanda and Megan were doing so well by themselves at the hospital.

Megan Grace Brenneman was born early this morning at 3:45!  She weighted 6 lbs 5 oz, and Mommy and baby are doing fine.  I went over to stay with Charlie at 12:30 AM, and from what I hear, this baby came quick!!!  Charlie didn't seem to mind that it was Grandma getting him out of bed and giving him breakfast!  Now we are back at my house for the day - and night, too!

Praise the Lord for this precious blessing!

Oh, and for anyone who is wondering - I am not going to quilt camp.  It worked out better that Megan arrived before I got settled in up there!  That's ok - I would rather be here with my family!

Well, the Arizona person only got on twice so far since I wrote that last post.  All I can see on the footprints is "Arizona" and then under it, in tiny green lettering, "Charlotte."  I don't usually mind anyone reading my blog even if they are not subscribed to me, especially if I can see that it is a link from someone I do know or if in looking at their blog, they seem to be fine.  I even get footprints from states where I know I have friends or relatives.  But I don't think I know anyone at all in Arizona.  This is just very strange.

Ok, I was able to find the place to click that I don't want all of my xanga blogs on my facebook page.

A call from the nursing home today was to tell me that a long-term private room is opening up tomorrow.  If I don't take that one, when Medicare discontinues my mother, if there are no semi private long term beds, she will have to move to another facility.  So, we are taking it, and I went over and told her. 

Came home in tears.  But, Jim reminded me that a lot of this is her own doing, her choices these last few years to sit and do nothing, and that even now she is not drinking or eating enough to maintain her blood pressure or any strength.  You just can't, at her age, decide for several weeks that you want to stay in bed until you feel better and then all of a sudden get up and feel better and have any strength.  Still, this would be easier to take if she were just a little bit out-of-it.

So, on the day that you all see me write that my mother is gone . . . .you'll know that I am finally at peace.

Meanwhile, there is some cheery news - Charlie loves to sweep and swiffer!  So, we at least got the kitchen floor cleaned!  Amanda's doctor's appt showed that there is more progress and so we are hoping for a new baby anytime!!! 

Quilt camp is this weekend!!!  I have been registered for months, and I am going to go - it is only about 30 - 40 mins from home.  I don't really have my heart in it, but I am still sort of packed up from my quilt weekend a few weeks ago, so I don't have too much to prepare.  If the baby arrives, Amanda will text me and I will leave immediately, even if it is the middle of the night.  Meanwhile, Jim and Betsy are "on call" here to take care of Charlie before I can get home.  If my mother is any worse, I will come home immediately too. 

So, I said to God, "I am available this weekend to be wherever You want me - quilt camp, home with Charlie, or at the nursing home."  I guess that God's answer will be via my cell phone!!!  

For months now, someone from Arizona has been on my footprints day and night.  I guess there is no harm here, since it is a public blog.  But please, whoever you are, do leave a comment or message so that I know who you are!

And while I am wondering about technological things - it seems that xanga will automatically enter my blog on my facebook page?  What's up with that?

sigh . . . I am afraid that my brain is mushy and I can't process anything too complicated in computer-land.  I rarely sleep at night anymore and I am too overwhelmed during the day to think clearly.  Maybe another cup of coffee will help. . . .

I can't wait until my new grandchild is born - sometime in the next 3 weeks - so you all will have something else to read besides my day to day news about my mother!

Let's see - today, I went to one of my stitching groups, but was on the phone before and during, and by 9:30 AM I had a date arranged to have a local company that moves seniors scheduled, and an appt with the funeral home.  I wasn't happy arranging for these end-of-life plans before we get that far, but I was told that was the best thing to do so that I am not paying for everything out of my own pocket once my mother's retirement fund is either belonging to the government or in probate.  I had that appt today, too, so all that is done.  Now we will pack up the other stuff in the apt, all but the furniture, and bring it here.  Where to put it?  Well, Amanda and Sam moved things out of her old room, so I guess I will move more stuff in there. 

This evening, my JAVAS friend, Gina, and Betsy and I went to Barnes and Noble to practice signing.  We try to do that every Thursday evening that we can.  No agenda, no curriculum, no plans - we just "chat."  No talking, no voicing, no mouth moving allowed.  That's not easy!  Last night, for instance, at HANDS group, there was a woman who was a new signer, so I was voicing for a deaf woman and mouthing while I was signing.  Trying to change back to "voice off" is a challenge!

Not a move for us, but a move for my mother is probably in the works.  I am having a care planning meeting with the staff at my mother's nursing home/rehab tomorrow, but I am pretty sure that I will be giving her assisted living facility a month's notice and moving her things out of that apartment this next month.

She is much worse - in fact, so much worse today than she was just 2 days ago.  Again, no specific medical issues that can be addressed, but she is losing so much weight and is getting dehydrated - I think they are going to start an IV - and she is sleeping all the time and can not be upright without her BP taking a major dive.

Just when I was feeling sorry for myself at the thought of having to move her personal stuff out myself and then arrange for someone to move her furniture, etc (there really isn't much left) - I had done the move from her old apt to this apt pretty much by myself - oh, and I managed the move for her and my father from FL to VA completely by myself  7 yrs ago - so I was having quite a pity party when today, I had 3 offers of help without any of them really knowing what I was feeling!  Isn't God good?  What a blessing!

I haven't given them notice yet, so I won't pack anything up yet.  And I still haven't decided where on earth things are going to go - we do have some of her old furniture in storage - I am sure that will all work out as well.

I went to one of my stitching groups tonight - just a group of ladies who meet a couple of times a month to sit and visit and stitch, and I brought my smocking.  What a delightful group of women!  I had such a wonderful time!

But now that I am home, Jim and I have to review and make decisions on a "Comfort Care Order Sheet" for my mother that I will discuss with her tomorrow and give to the nursing home staff.

Betsy and I had tickets for this afternoon to see Charlotte's Web, put on by the Roanoke Children's Theatre.  They have their performances at the Art Museum so prior to the show, we went to see some of the new exhibits at the museum.  Then the show, which was very good!  Betsy has done some work with the show, so I got a picture of her with a couple of the actresses afterwards -

I came home and started making dinner when I heard a "POP" from my stove - and it just quit!  We managed dinner by using the burner on the grill and the microwave. 

So, now I have no stove, which has an oven with it, but fortunately I have another oven, a wall oven.  I'll have to call the service people to come this week.  You know that I have quite a history of appliances quitting, and you know that appliances die in 3's.  I am proof of that. 

So, here's the story in our household right now. 

Stove/oven - not working
Ice maker - sluggish
mixer -  not working
desktop computer - not working

Now, if we count the ice maker as probably on it's way to quitting, that's 3 appliances and the computer would be extra.  Or we can count the computer as an appliance for our purposes here, and the ice maker as still working.  Either way, we have some problems with our household modern conveniences!  I'll keep y'all updated on their status'.

Do you suppose this means that we get to eat out or order in all week?????

I was blessed by this verse today on a friend's blog:  "And he will be the stability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge;  the fear of the Lord is Zion's treasure."  Isaiah 33:6