Day 5, and still sick....so frustrating!

Ever feel like you've just been hit by a truck? (Not technically speaking). Well, since Monday that's all my body seems to feel like. This full blown flu I've got is just not gonig away.

Sitting down and just watching television is the only bareable position I can seem to be okay at. Since I am able to breath. Each time a cough comes out, which seems like every 5-10 minutes my throat aches and my shoulders sink. My arms although still attached to me feel like at any time they can just fall off.

The fever comes and goes. When it starts to feel like we're all done having a fever, a break of sweat starts again. This requires a change of my t-shirt and Tylenol. Then comes the cough and the blowing of the nose. My head starts to pound even after blowing my nose. And there's nothing else I can take but tylenol.

The medication perscribed for me doesn't seem to work the way I would like it to. The other night, I couldn't sleep at all. I got a total of 1.5 hours of sleep cause I kept waking up from coughing and trying to find a comfortable spot to sleep. I can't even sleep in my own bedroom. I found that I can sleep in AJ's room since the bed is higher and I can elevate my neck with tons of pillows.

I am hoping this goes away by this weekend. I want to be able to eat and enjoy my food. I want to be able to go around and totally clean my house. My poor house. Ugh...I hope this doesn't last me two weeks.

Nikki West

I have to say a very special thank you to Nikki West..

She's my new case worker for Medi-cal, and she is very sweet and sounds very concerned.
I had a different case worker prior to her named Jessica Jones, and when I was first dealing with her, she was a total headache for me!
I originally applied for medi-cal specifically for AJ back in June 07 since I knew that we weren't going to have our med insurance through Pacificare anymore. So then I've been waiting to hear something from the medical office here in south Sac. Then when I try to reapply for emergency Medical..the next day I get a call stating that I have a case worker named Jessica Jones and that I've been approved. So I was excited, and it took a load off me...

When I called Jones, she was a total b...ugh! She had total attitude, and was like "NO you aren't approved, I still need to go over your paperwork, and I have to file for child support and blah blah blah" I was so stressed with her. Cause then I wouldn't be able to get prenatal care.

So when I went to the ER of UCD auntie Tina told me to go the medical office there by UCD. I went and didn't realize that I would be seen by a manager. The manager saw me and she personally made a phone call to that Jones' manager. Oh mun! She also told me to leave him a message.

So that same day (Mon) I get a pleasant call from Nikki West asking for info to be faxed to her. Which I did. And then the next day (Tues) early in the morning, around 9ish (I say early cause I was so sick and had a hard time sleeping) she told me I was approved. She was so sincere about everything, that when she told me about the approval I was in tears. I was so afraid of being denied and having to find out how to pay out of pocket. But now I have medical!! For both AJ and I.

Thank you Nikki West. At least I know there's people out there who actually care and are not just working in that same department to deny someone help.

2 Days in the ER of Labor and Delivery

Well I'm home now. But we had to go back to UCD again cause I had shortness of breath, and my fever went up all the way to 104. Mun! I was never this sick while pregnant w/ AJ.
I'm just glad the baby's okay. I just hope this one isn't so sickly when he or she comes out.
I was on an IV last night and had to get xrays and even an ultrasound on my legs to make sure I didn't have a blood clot. They even had me on oxygen, and I even got a breathing treatment. I felt like AJ last night.

But I'm glad to be home now. I'm on some meds and an enhaler, so it's helping me a lot. The doc said yesterday that in a few days I won't feel like I've been hit by a truck anymore. And man, last night and this morning and a little bit right now..I totally felt like I was hit by a truck.

I'm just glad things are working out. I have to to just keep praying and hoping for the better.

The Announcement

All day today I've been in the ER, or actually the Triage at UC Davis Med Center. I've been really sick..flu like symptoms and just coughing up a storm. It hurts so much when I cough I'm actually cramping. Well, today I got to rest a little bit, had some IV fluids, and got checked. So far everythings good.

I have my old neighbors The Bamboa family to thank for that! Without them, I probably wouldn't know what direction to take.

This is my official announcement that Anthony and I are having baby #2! Yes sir! We're pregnant.

We've told almost everyone, except his sisters. I think he's going to tell them this week. I am so relieved though cause I got to hear the baby's heart beat and even got to get an ultrasound. It's pretty cool. I have to upload it and show the picture.

Well, I'm going to rest now. Its been a long day.

The Best Husband EVER

SO I was soo craving for Sbarro's pizza last night, and Anthony was still working at the shop late. I didn't get a chance to prepare for dinner, so I asked him for pizza. Well specifically Sbarro's pizza, which is all the way at Arden Faire Mall. I know hella far.

But he went and got some for me. I felt bad enough before with AJ when I was craving an eggroll from Jack in the Box, and that was local. But he really went all the way to Arden to get me the pizza that was left. He called me and said that he would try to make it to the mall before they closed, but I told him it's okay I'll just cook something real quick. But he really went.
So I got a combo pizza w/ sausage, pepperoni, mushroom and onion...and another slice which was AJ's on the most part sausage and pepperoni. Yum!

Now that deserves a BEST HUSBAND EVER award!

Thai Food

I swear we've been eating Thai Food like every freagin week! Our ultimate favorite seems to be Thai Chicken Fried Rice. Yum! I really am craving for the Thai food from the restaurant where Kat took me.
But the one here in Elk Grove will do for now. We ate there with ate and Glo about two weekends ago for dinner, and since then we've been ordering take out like there's no other food to eat. Terrible I know. But the spices and the the veggies are soo yum!

I guess it's either Thai Food or pizza. Speaking of pizza, tonight maybe I'll ask for Sbarro's pizza from the mall. That totally sucks that they don't have a store outside of the mall. I would so be there to buy there stuff crust pizza.

Thank You Janet..

Well I went from having a great morning, to a discouraged afternoon. First off we went to AJ's appointment w/ Dr Maulino to double check and make sure that he doesn't have an ear infection. Good news, he doesn't have an ear infection. We just have to keep doing what we're doing which is lots of liquids, tylenol, motrin, breathing treatments, and rest rest rest.
While AJ and I were waiting to be seen I get a call about the medical paperwork stating I got approved. So that was a big sigh of relief for me. I called the number that was given to me on the message (and I so should have left it at that), cause I called it back at 3:30 and just totally talked to someone who really didn't seem to care. Ugh!

I've been trying to get all this medical stuff taken care of so I could be seen and so AJ has his coverage. I'm trying not to get frustrated and just take things easy. Well, I couldn't help it but break down earlier to Janet. I was in tears just trying to explain how frustrating it's been just to get a medical number. I mean, I've paid into taxes and I'm not trying to get food stamps or anything like that. Just medical. That's it. I'm so thankful for Janet cause since we've found out, she's been helping me try to look for a doctor, or better yet a referral already. And she's just been my other ear when I'm just venting over things. I'm glad I have a great friend like her.

It's so frustrating though that I have to just wait and see if I get approved or not. What's crazy is that the case worker was trying to say I need to do this and that, and that since Anthony and I are married I have to rely solely on his income. Ugh! Well, all I have to do is pray. I know that's what I've been doing, and the answer will come soon. Like Janet said "things happen for a reason" and I believe that. It's just frustrating when it happens to yourself.

But thank you Janet for being there for me thus far. You've been so much help to me and Anthony from when AJ was born until now. I can't thank God enough to have someone like you as a good friend.

Several Roles

I noticed I haven't really had time for myself and I've just been swamped with everything from home to the shop. I was telling one of our clients that I play way to many roles in Anthony's life. I felt really bad today though cause AJ's sick and I was still at the shop trying to finish up.
Well, I was thinking of how many roles I really seem to play lately...Wife, Mother (to AJ and three dogs), Housewife, Office Manager, Admin Assistant, part Business owner, Bookeeper, hmm I think there's more but for some reason I can't seem to pin point it.
I totally don't mind it though. I totally see it as well worth it in the end.

Lately, it's been so hectic that I can barely sit down and enjoy my lunch. I've seem to be running erands like crazy wheter it's going to the bank, going to the store to grab something to eat, grabbing parts, grabbing something for the office etc.

To be continued...AJ's in need of laying down near me.

Scarfaced Harley

The other night, well on Sunday night after Lisa, Ning, Glo and the fam came over for dinner..we were getting ready to just sit and watch tv before we headed to go upstairs. Then I took Kylie out of her crate for her to go to the family room, and Harley still leashed up started following her and I don't know if she just got in her way but she got her. Oh mun! It was pretty nerve wrecking. AJ was crying, I was trying to pry her off, and then finally Anthony got her off. He literally had to pick her up from her collar to put her outside.
We have a big feeling that she's pregnant, so that could be one reason why we think she reacted like that. But now Harley has a scar under her eye. She's fine though. We were scared that she got punctured in her back, or she got bit in the eye. But she's okay now. Afterwards, we were haning out downstairs why Kylie was outside still in trouble and Aibo was sitting on Anthony's lap. Well, it was really his head resting on his lap. It's crazy cause I don't ever have to worry about Aibo doing anything or reacting to another dog. It's just Kylie. Ugh, my not so bright American Bulldog!

What a Monday!

Oh my..what a week. Well it really started on this Monday. Since it's our first year in the Yellow Pages, we've just been getting hits left and right! It's pretty cool though. But Monday was swamped!
We had someone come in for a 90K service on a Dodge 3500, a return customer came in and now it's a tranny rebuild, brake job came in, a walk in from the YP came in without an appt. It was just totally crazy! I even had to drive out to Rancho to pick up a part. It felt like a Saturday if anything.
I'm glad it's slowly starting to pick up. Which is good, cause that means everyone can get paid! Woohoo!

Crosswalk

Every once and a while, a seemingly-simple email comes around that ends up being quite profound. This is one of them.

Awesome!! We complain about the cross we bear but don't realize it is preparing us for the dip in the road that God can see and we cannot. Whatever your cross, whatever your pain, there will always be sunshine, after the rain.... Perhaps you may stumble, perhaps even fall; But God's always ready, to answer your call.... He knows every heartache, sees every tear, a word from His lips, can calm every fear...Your sorrows may linger, throughout the night, But suddenly vanish, by dawn's early light... The Savior is waiting, somewhere above, to give you His grace, and send you His love. May God fill your day with blessings!! Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle!

Re-cap of the Weekend

Friday:
We had some great grub at the Ong Household! Thanks to Joce!! She cooked some steak and some garlic butter shrimp. Oh mun! That was sooo yummy. Especially the steak. We haven't seen them in a few weeks and it seemed longer than that. It's always nice to hang out and let the kids play while Joce and I talk. Haha..just every now and then make sure they're not fighting. Well, next round of Friday or Saturday night dinner will be at our house. I have to take advantage of the coupon from Omaha Steak before it expires. $59.99 for hella meat, some seafood and a cutlery set! Maybe this weekend, hmmm..

Saturday:
It was Jason's gathering so we closed up early and went out to the city. We left hella late. I almost didn't go because I left my wallet and Anthony was all mad that we were running late. But we ended up going still. We were suppose to go to Alvin's parents house for his surprise party, but didn't get to go cause we got there so late.
It was nice to hang out and just chit chat and laugh. I agreed that Anthony can do the drinking and I'll be DD. We hung out at Houlihans in South San Fran w/ Michelle, Christy came thru, John and Vanessa, and of course Jason. We were suppose to go the club, but we couldn't of course cause of Vanessa, I mean, I could have gone, but it was kind of nice to sit and laugh.
We got home at 4 AM, talk about late! Well, also considering the 2 hour drive home.

Sunday:
Super Bowl..yay my team won! I wanted the Giants to win and they did. We had some grub though. I wanted some ribs, so got some for like 1.27 a lb at Food co, some cornbread, potatoe salad, and Ate wanted some Crab so Anthony cooked that for her. It was nice to just be home and not do anything but cook on Sunday. Yay Go Giants!
My parents ruined the evening, but that will be another blog.

What a Monday Night

We were on our way to Roseville to drop off paperwork to Nikki, the one who got now has the old Integra..and our car broke down. Well, not technically broke down, but we our lights started dimming. AJ was all singing in the car and then the radio stopped working, then next thing you know the lights inside the car started dimming and then went completely out. I mean, we were able to make it to the exit of getting to her place..but it sucked that it happened.
I guess we can't drive that 83 Benz out far. It's so ancient, it's probably like "I can only go out during the day while the sun's out!"

Well, we had a good dinner. I was grubbin. We stopped over and ate at California Burgers. Funny thing is we didn't even eat burgers. We both ordered Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches, and ordered a side of Zucchini fries. Yum! The sandwich was hella big! It's one of those burger places that seem to serve everything though. There menu is totally random. It's from Mexican food, to burgers to breakfast, to dinners like pork chop and steak. But the food we got was good, so I won't complain.

We had to wait a lil bit and have Rob and Lisa pick us up. Then Anthony didn't want to leave the Benz all the way out there, cause the only other time we would be able to pick it up is in the evening. We went back to the shop to go back to Roseville. Talk about driving a lot after work! Oh well, it's okay. We had a good talk about all kinds of different things. Now, it's Tuesday...hopefully nothing bad happens today.

Interesting Reading...

"The Key To Succeeding In Marriage is not Finding the Right Person; It's Learning to Love the Person You Found!" DID I MARRY THE RIGHT PERSON? By: Bo Sanchez

During one of our seminars, a woman asked a common question. She said, "How do I know if I married the right person?" I noticed that there was a Large man sitting next to her so I said, "It depends. Is that your husband?" In all seriousness, she answered "How do you know?" Let me answer this question because the chances are good that it's weighing on your mind. Here's the answer. EVERY relationship has a cycle. In the beginning, you fell in love with your spouse. You anticipated their call, wanted their touch, and liked their idiosyncrasies. Falling in love with your spouse wasn't hard. In fact, it was a completely natural and spontaneous experience. You didn't have to DO anything. That's why it's called "falling" in love... because it's happening TO YOU. People in love sometimes say, "I was swept off my feet." Think about the imagery of that expression. It implies that you were just standing there; doing nothing, and then something came along and happened TO YOU. Falling in love is easy. It's a passive and spontaneous experience. But after a few years of marriage, the euphoria of love fades. It's the natural cycle of EVERY relationship. Slowly but surely, phone calls become a bother (if they come at all), touch is not always welcome (when it happens), and your spouse's idiosyncrasies, instead of being cute, drive you nuts. The symptoms of this stage vary with every relationship, but if you think about your marriage, you will notice a dramatic difference between the initial stage when you were in love and a much duller or even angry subsequent stage. At this point, you and/or your spouse might start asking, "Did I marry the right person?" And as you and your spouse reflect on the euphoria of the love you once had, you may begin to desire that experience with someone else. This is when marriages break down. People blame their spouse for their unhappiness and look outside their marriage for fulfillment. Extramarital fulfillment comes in all shapes and sizes. Infidelity is the most obvious. But sometimes people turn to work, church, a hobby, a friendship, excessive TV, or abusive substances. But the answer to this dilemma does NOT lie outside your marriage. It lies within it. I'm not saying that you couldn't fall in love with someone else. You could. And TEMPORARILY you'd feel better. But you'd be in the same situation a few years later. Because (listen carefully to this): The Key To Succeeding In Marriage Is Not Finding The Right Person; It's Learning To Love The Person You Found! SUSTAINING love is not a passive or spontaneous experience. It'll NEVER just happen to you. You can't "find" LASTING love. You have to "make" it day in and day out. That's why we have the expression "the labor of love." Because it takes time, effort, and energy. And most importantly, it takes WISDOM.. You have to know WHAT TO DO to make your marriage work. Make no mistake about it. Love is NOT a mystery. There are specific things you can do (with or without your spouse) to succeed with your marriage. Just as there are physical laws of the universe (such as gravity), there are also laws for relationships. Just as the right diet and exercise program makes you physically stronger, certain habits in your relationship WILL make your marriage stronger. It's a direct cause and effect. If you know and apply the laws, the results are predictable. .. you can "make" love. Love in marriage is indeed a "decision".. . not just a feeling.

Dog Show: Golden Gate Kennel Club

Last weekend we went to the dog show in San Francisco at the Cow Palace. We usually go every year, on a Sunday, but I guess we didn't go last year.
We got some pretty good stuff. We finally got a pillow for all our dogs. We originally had Aibo's pillow, and the lady remembers Anthony. He's been going to the dog show for like 8 years..that's crazy she remembers him. Well she remembers the dog breed, but now she knows Anthony by name. We didn't think that they would have Kylie on a pillow, but guess what they did! So now we have Harley our Doberman, Aibo our American Staff, and Kylie our American Bulldog on pillows. Anthony's aiming to get a throw blanket soon. Geez, can you tell we love our dogs!

We were able to buy some canned food, but it wasn't California Natural anymore. I guess they stopped selling it at the dog shows cause they lost profit. I guess that makes sense. But we got hooked up at the Nutro stand! Throughout the dog show they're a pedigree stand that gives out free samples of puppy food, and some dry food. There's also a stand that gives out samples from Nutro Natural Foods. So Anthony asked if we were suppose to start giving Senior food to Aibo, cause he's now 8 years old. And they said that after five is when you start giving Senior food. So the guy gave us a whole bag of samples! Yay! It had like 10 sample bags, hey.. And we got some puppy samples for Harley.

So now we're trying Nature's Logic for there wet food. I found out that there's a local store that sells it but it's actually in downtown Sac. After we got some samples from Innova, they gave us a listing and we found that they sell that brand here in Elk Grove. So the next batch of dog food we get for Harley and Kylie, it'll be coming from that store. Our dogs are sooo spoiled!

Well, I'll be uploading pictures soon..The mastiff either English or Neopolitan will be my next breed.