My Hero...

HERO- A man/woman of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his/her brave deeds and noble qualities.

April 25th, 1990, a baby girl was born via c-section at Hickam AFB, Hawaii. She was wisked away immediately to undergo her first of several, painful surgeries. She was born with Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus. This baby girls name is Leolani Mei Wassom and she is my little sister and hero.


Growing up with a handicapped sister isn't that much different. I honestly didn't even know she was or what handicapped meant until, geez... I was a pre-teen. I hardly even think of her as such. It never dawned on me that my little sister had different things about her. A slightly noticeable curvature to her back, smaller than average feet that point in... scars upon scars. It wasn't until someone from school had asked me, politely, what had happened to her that it finally hit me. None the less we played from sun up to sun down when she could. We fought just the same way, too. Just as sisters do! lol! Sharing a bed was dangerous. She is very strong from wheeling her wheelchair around all of the time. When we slept together, we were always too afraid to sleep separate from each other, I would wake up with random black eyes. It wasn't until one night that I had woken up for some reason and received a brisk smack in the face from her while she was sleeping that I realized that she was giving me those black eyes on accident lol! 


One of my most painful memories was when she was about to be taken off to surgery and she looked at me with strong but frightful eyes and said "I'm always afraid that I won't wake up." I never knew she felt that way. They wheeled her back and I cried... I cried until I could cry no more. There wasn't any part of me that wasn't emotionally drained from those few words. Someone so young shouldn't have to be afraid in such a way. If I could take away every pain, surgery, tear, nights in the uncomfortable hospital bed,   roll she wheels in her chair, heartache because men don't pay attention to her and don't look passed the wheelchair, heartache because she hardly has any friends... I would. I can't tell you how many times I've prayed to take it for her.


 But I know she wouldn't let me.


One of the many lessons that I've learned from this beautiful spirit is, really, don't feel sorry for yourself. She sure doesn't. Not once have I heard her complain or curse the sky for the trials that have been bestowed upon her. And that's because she is strong. We can thank our mother for how strong we both are. Sure she has her down days where she wishes things were different. I mean, come on, who wouldn't!? But she gets back up after those brief moments and conquers this world. 


I have wonderful memories because of her... 


I am also a good mother and caretaker today because of her...


I am accepting and love all because of her...


And I miss her.

LeoLani Mei Wassom

Lookin' purty!

All of the siblings.

Back in 2009... no drinking and driving, I promise lol!

She has gorgeous eyes... and I look weirrrrrd! haha! She got my moms skin tone and I got my dads... lol!

While I do have other heroes in my life, no one can top the lessons that I've learned, the fun times that we've shared, the fights, the discovering of the world, the many laughs and many tears that I have shed with my hero. 

Hand Foot and Mouth...

Alex and I were talking the other day and he said "Is Channing Tatum who you think about at night when I don't take out the trash?" I sheepishly said "Yes" and he laughed. Really... can you blame me!?

Okay, on to the real topic of this blog. Hand, Foot, and Mouth has invaded our family. Oddly enough, we didn't know that's what it was until Alex got it. He's the only one that got the full blown effect. It all started one day a few days ago when I let Liam play at the BX's food court play area. He found a stuffed animal that another child had left behind and, of course, he being my child and all, chewed on it... -_- It was immediatly taken away. Well, later that day, after nap time, my poor baby woke up very clingy and with fever. He even had a few Febrile Seizures that scared the ever living out of me! Thankfully those are harmless. Anyway, Liam had a fever, stuffy nose, sore throat I assume, lost his voice *which was great because he couldn't scream when we told him no lol!*, a cough, and then a runny nose. He was all around miserable!

A few days later I got sick. It only lasted 24 hours. That's about all a mom can take if she must be sick. I had a fever, body aches, and headache. I hadn't had a fever that high in ages! Motrin definitely made me feel better. Well, that and a shake from Burger King... :D I had made the boys an appointment that day here at the base clinic. I'm sure I looked pretty miserable and I can almost gaurentee I received a few "I pity you." looks from a few moms that walked by us in the waiting area. I had Liam attached to my lap, facing me, wanting to be held while I had Wesley eating a bottle of milk in his stroller. My hands were full... and I looked a hot mess! My hair had been up for two days, I had stretchy pants on, whatever shirt I could throw on, and flip flops. TRUE STORY!

Then my Wesley started sneezing and coughing a lot. He even had/sort of still has a stuffy nose. My poor sweet baby. No fever, though! I breastfed that baby like crazy! He needed all the antibodies I could muster up.

THEN... Alex got it. Only this time, it hit him hard. He got the worst of it. First he had a sort throat, headache, body aches, chills, and all around blahness. Oh and fever of 102. Then he wakes me up yesterday before leaving for work and asks if he can take the car because he needs to go to the doc because he has blisters on his hands. I was still halfway asleep and I think I muttered the words "Whatever, have a good day." His words couldn't get passed all the sheep I was counting, I guess. Then about 10 a.m. he texts me and says "Doc says it's hand foot and mouth but it isn't contagious anymore. And apparently that's what you guys had to, it just didn't show up as full blown hand foot and mouth. Poor Alex has blisters all over his hands, feet, and a couple on his face. He's miserable and in tons of pain. I wish I could do more for him.

Anyway, I'm gonna go sanitize stuff... ha!

My First Blog

Welp! I'm pretty much going to be writing about our family's events and things that are going on with the Childs. That way everyone in the states or other friends and family in other countries can stay up to date. 

Here we go...

Our Darling, sweet Wesley was born on May 25th, 2012 at 7:18pm. He weighed 9 pounds 1.2 oz. He's pretty much a repeat of Liam. For the past 3 hours I've had nothing to do. Liam and Wesley have been napping and I'm borderline bored! 

You know... It's surprisingly hard to talk about myself. But I'm sure I can handle it. 

In other news, Liam is a big boy now and is using a pillow. I've just about done away with my fear of him suffocating and renewed it with the fear that Wesley might suffocate. Eh, you win some, you lose some. Whatever! It just happens to be one of my biggest fears.

 Our new Jeep Patriot should be here soon. I don't think I'll ever order a car from overseas again... pain in the rear! Just waiting on Alex's commander to sign some paperwork and then it will begin it's journey over to us. We special ordered it to be manual and I wanted it to have a touchscreen, so, since Alex loves me and all, I got my touchscreen. Didn't get the sunroof but it was that or the manual. We chose the manual lol! 

 Mom/Granny came to visit and to help out after having Wesley. Wesley knew she was coming the day he decided to make his grand appearance but they broke my water and 3 pushes later, he was out. Mom missed all that drama by 45 mins or so. But she was a HUGE help. I'm so glad and thankful she was here. I don't know what we would have done without her. She spoiled us all! I love you, Mom! I cried for like 2 days when she left... Alex was very sweet trying to make me feel better the afternoon she left. Didn't work very well...

 Alex is going to have ankle surgery soon. He did something or another to it and now they want to explore and also remove a ganglion cyst that he has on it. Game time in a couple of months when the new surgeon PCS's in. Couldn't have happened at a better time! *sarcasm* lol! I'm glad it won't bother him anymore. :D

 Yes... My 17 month old has hit the "Terrible Twos." Yes I feel like acting the same way he does. Rolling on the floor when I'm pissed off sounds like a good plan.. or a good workout... whichever! But I think I'll have to resolve down to sticking him in the corner for time out. Good thing is, he only does it at home or at church. Never out in public places like the BX. I do wonder why he does it at church, though. You know who is watching!

Well, that's it for now. I can't think of much else going on. I'll write some more later. I hope this wasn't too boring for anyone to read. :D