Liesel... Faith

It's feeling a lot like fall. I found some beautiful yarn a few weeks ago (correction... beautiful color, yucky yarn), and needed a pattern to go with it. For me the creative process is usually like this - I find something I love (like the color of this yarn) and it speaks to me. This particular something said 'fall' and 'leaves', but the yarn felt weird enough that I knew better than a sweater. I love ravelry - I searched the patterns for a free lace scarf and found several. This one of course really stood out because of the leaves in the pattern. I haven't been a big fan of lace... too much concentration needed. Knitting for me is more about the repetition - it's a comfort. This pattern has converted me. I loved it! In fact I may knit this for other people as well. This is one of my favorite projects of all time!

Which brings me back to faith. Knitting lace is an act of faith. You can read the pattern or the chart, but until you've knit it, you don't know it will turn out like the picture. Lately I've felt as though I need to have more faith. I know there's a plan for me, but what is it? Will I ever know what it is? May my life be the pattern I invision and may I read the pattern correctly and not completely screw it up...

Random Animal Day

DS is doing much better today. Tomorrow he has his post-op appointment with his surgeon. Getting past that appointment will make me feel much better. DS did get to go to preschool for a few hours today, so I got to catch up on work.

When I went out to the garage to the car so I could pick him up, this is what I found...

It's a little hard to see, but there's a hummingbird sitting up on the garage door support. Poor thing can't find her way out. Hopefully she'll get out before tonight when we close the door for the evening.

We went out to play and I had seen a small lizard earlier on the deck, so we were looking for it and instead found this in the grill....

Isn't he adorable????

MRSA

There hasn't been a lot of knitting or blogging or anything lately because my youngest DS and my DH have MRSA. It's basically a bad staph infection that doesn't respond to antibiotics well. DH noticed it first on his hand and then a few days later we noticed it on DS. My theory though is that DS had it first on his foot and we didn't notice it until it was on his leg. In the end DH has had only one confirmed abcess from it and DS has four. I first noticed it on DS on the 9th when I picked him up from preschool and immediately took him to the urgent care clinic. They confirmed it was staph, assumed it was MRSA, and put him on the antibiotic they thought would work. Poor kid hurt so bad he couldn't walk. We noticed the other three abscesses over the next 24 hours. On the 11th, DH's culture came back to confirm it was MRSA so on the 12th I brought DS to his pediatrician. She lanced his two worst abcesses and upped his dose of antibiotic. She also outlined the infection on his belly in marker so we could see if it got worse. On the 13th we brought him back to the pedi because it was worse and they sent us to the hospital. DS spent Saturday night on IV antibiotics and on Sunday had minor surgery to lance the three remaining abcesses. Fortunately they put him under a general anesthesia, so he doesn't remember it. They had to pack in gauze in all three. Poor kid. He was released from the hospital later that night. Monday we were back at the pedi office to have his wounds checked and she was able to remove the packing completely from his two on his legs. She had to pull out part of the packing from his stomach, but we had to wait until Tuesday to get the rest taken out. Tuesday we got a call from the pedi office that the MRSA DS has is resistant to part of the antibiotic he's on, but that it could work. If we notice anything changing in a negative way with him we'll have to go back in for an additional antibiotic or to have him admitted again. We also had to remove the rest of his packing ourselves on Tuesday. He actually did it himself - it was amazing to see him just grit his teeth and pull it out. So far it looks like it's healing ok, but the one on his stomach is definitely tender to the touch.

DH is doing better, but his dr put him on a new antibiotic today. Hopefully it will help.

Now our neighbor has it as well. I'm very worried about him - after listening to his mother about how their doctor has handled his illness.... well I certainly would never bring my child to that incompetent office.

With the amount of praying I've been doing lately, God probably recognizes me simply by my voice at this point. I cannot believe everything we've been through in the last week. Never in my life have I wanted to be a stay-at-home mom, but the last 8 days I've been so wrapped up in taking care of DS I really wish I could be a SAHM and take care of him full-time. I know I can't protect him from everything, but I wish I could.

Raising Kids

First, I'm almost done the afghan - just need to seam two more panels on. I'm so happy with it - I love the colors and it will be a wonderful compliment to our living room.

I've been thinking a lot this week about my sons and what it takes to raise children in this world. It's scary how much bad is out there. There's so much good I want for them, and I don't want them to think everything will be handed to them. They need to know how to work and struggle through things, but I don't want their spirits to break and for them to give up. I want them to look back at their childhood and smile, but also to have learned the lessons they'll need to prosper in the future. I know there will be disappointments, but I hope they'll learn from them. I want them to count on each other and learn how to trust others. And I hope they have common sense. I worry about drugs and gangs - I know their lives will be touched by both influences, and I hope they have the character not to give in. I pray that they learn the value of hard work and the value of a good friend.

Of course above all I hope and pray that they are happy and content in this life.