Mr. Big Eyes Gets His First Bottom Tooth....

Here is 5 month old "Mr. Big Eyes" Jacob with his Mom.  He got his first bottom tooth yesterday.  Enjoying her day off, my daughter Jodee and her handsome son Jacob met her girlfriend with her baby boy, Noah.

Here are the boys in their car seats...Noah on the left and Jacob on the right.  Check out that expression on Jacob's face... Is that a Cabbage Patch doll smile or what?

Cabbage Patch smirks run in our family...my other grand sons, the 8 year old and the 6 year old are famous for them.  Both the boys returned to school today.  They enjoyed their Spring Break last week.  The 8 year old is going to be in a play this Saturday.  He has a one liner part.  Oh how I wish I could be there...

I had a nice long phone visit with my older daughter last night and one with my younger daughter (above) today.  She called because Jacob had a lot to tell me about his new tooth and how much he misses his Grandpa and me...

More From Dad...

Mom visited Dad in the nursing home today, just before 11 AM.  She found him in bed with his legs elevated, surrounded by five young nursing students.  They were all laughing.  Dad seemed extremely happy.

She sat down after kissing him hello and he began talking non-stop as if Mom was interviewing him -- Mom was able to ask a few questions, but for the most part, Dad did all the talking...
So Mom decided to take notes: (All Dad's conversation is in bold)

"All the boys did their devotions at their weddings at Disneyland...."

Mom asked Dad who came to visit him yesterday, (knowing their youngest son E_____ had visited ...)
"Hol Doll came and we went to prayer sessions.  They were very soothing prayer sessions.  (Hol Doll is his pet name for my sister...) Her husband came too.  He was very relieved the surgery is over. (He plans on having surgery later this year...but neither my sister, or her husband came to visit that particular day) We took lots of pictures. We laughed a lot.  E____ came too.  I want to sit in a cab or a bus or a train with the boys and talk...we can take up the back seat..."

"The ladies hum to him and he loves it. 
They whisk him off fast to lunch or breakfast. 
He loves to watch himself on the television...
He is a nice loving guy and he's #1 in the world. 
They send money; millions of dollars, so he is a millionaire. 
He is going to help people with the money. 
He spends a lot of time loading sand boxes...
If you feel comfortable with someone, marry them..."

Dad asked her what she was doing...and she told him she was writing down all the important things he was telling her...She continued to write:

"He went to visit someone in Europe for a week. (Dad has never been to Europe) 
Some of the girls he is married to were there. 
He loved England.  (He has never been to England, either)
They traveled in a big bus because it was safer. 
Doctor-Doctor (His favorite female CNA, who is still out on leave, recuperating from surgery) sends him love notes...".

"The boys love him and call him Jehovah. 
They come over and give him a bite out of a cookie. 
He loves to watch the boats in the water...he tells the little boys not to go near the water, it's dangerous!  (Dad loved to sail as a young boy when he lived in Conneticut.)
So many beautiful places...."

"He has to report if it going to be a rainy day."

"He likes to get up and do things for people. 
They wheel me out real fast and I walk with the people.  I know them real well. 
I look out and check the weather to see if the horses will run today. (Dad used to "play the ponies")
I mind my own business. 
The kids come up and shake my hand; their fathers are so proud, it makes me happy to see the proud Fathers."

"He has to use the language they understand. 
He handles all the money in the whole wide world that comes in. 
He wants to keep up in a peaceful way. 
He wants to always preach peace, not war. 
If you do something for someone else, forget the war. 
We are in a war situation - be prepared."

"He helps turn on the TV and we watch it, but it is not too interesting. 
He feels so good most of the time. 
He has extra strength in his body. 
He is not a Tourist attraction. "

"He feels good talking with his sons. 
He hopes they remember him.
They're always talking about getting together with him. "

"Europe is beautiful.
Think of somebody underground unless you are on the tail end of it.  (Before he went into the hospital, he told me about the Battle of Tarawa, and how all the Japanese were tunneled underground....and when the Marines took them prisoners, the Japanese put their hands behind their heads, as if to surrender, but instead had granades which they had hidden and pulled the pin when they were in a big group...killing themselves and Marines...)
Much better on the back seat. 
He waits where he knows the last car will be. 
If it's cloudy you need to be under cover. 
It's so crowded with the girls on the train. 
They're right underneath him, and he does what they say."

"Nasty people get clobbered. 
A weapon reads who and what you are before they pull the trigger. 
Use the escalator one step at a time. 
If you disobey orders, they take you off -- and pay big fines.
If you can't pay you go to jail where you have to stand on one foot.
If you can't obey you are covered with black ink and you can't get it off."

"Instantaneous communication is wonderful."

"I'm very busy.
That's the way I like it,  to help people." 

"It's amazing how fast you can travel. 
I've ridden in helicopters when I was in Korea, locked up for quite awhile. (Dad was never in Korea) 
We destroyed one an other's house. 
When you see the mountains, there are villages all over it. 
It goes up fast and it costs thousands of dollars."

"They need to come to me and cuddle.  
Certain things turn out to be illegal. 
I said the hell with that. 
I know legal and illegal. 
I respect people who are older than me -- they walk with canes and play cards."

"He can show you how to make every move without moving a castle, so the castle is one of the things he uses...." (Dad was a great chess player...so he may be referring to the game...)

The male nurse came to get Dad ready for lunch.  He asked Dad if he wanted to walk to the restroom, rather than wheel him in with his wheel chair.  Dad told him YES, and then moved so quickly, the male nurse had to scramble after Dad, reminding Dad, "Slow down now, remember, we are a team". 
Obviously the physical therapy is helping Dad. 
Mom said she had not seen him move that fast in a year...

The weather is always a question...

He likes all his food mixed together...( and proceeded to dump the carrots in with the pot roast, potatoes, and gravy.  He also had milk, coffee, bread, butter and cookies.)  After Dad finished his lunch, Mom wheeled him back to his room....

Mom leaned over to hug and kiss Dad good-bye...  He kissed her cheek and told her,

"My best to you and your HUSBAND and the little ones..."  (Mom actually got a kick out of this, and it struck her funny... Thank God Mom has such a great sense of humor...)

***** Thank you so much Mom for this detailed visit...it was like being there....******

Advice From Dad....

My youngest brother E___ visted Dad today.  E____ calls him "Pops".  Being the youngest, he has always had a very special bond with Dad.  When Dad was first admitted to the hospital, it was E_____ who softly spoke to Dad, to get him to take the necessary tests.  He knew when to be serious,  to use humor and to bring Dad calm, by reminding him about the Lord...

My brother sent us an email and I am sharing it exactly as he wrote it to us...

Here are some of Pops one liners and classic advice to live by from today!!!


One day at a time.

You can't predict life.

Love people.

Help others.

Concentrate on peace.

Gardening was one of his favorite things to do.

Really listen to every word carefully that people say,

That makes you more able to help them.

Loving and helping people is the best thing you can do.

Love is the bottom line.

If you worry you won't be happy.

The way you love animals says a lot about you.

Wake up happy and be happy all day.

Ask god for the answers.

The lord will comfort you.

You need to be happy for others to be happy.

Watch the media influence.

Let the attorney do all the talking. (if you need one)

Always depend on the Lord.

Be secure knowing that people love you.

Dad 2-23-2011

 
It was a very meaningful and well timed visit for me.

Love,

E_____

Relief....

Oh, I am so happy to report when I spoke with Dad this morning, he had completely forgotten all the events of yesterday...

He was in gibberish mode, where none of the words used in his sentences, went with anything he said...

I did my best to pick out what I could to carry on a conversation.

He did remember my husband and asked how he was, calling him by name.  He was very happy and invigorated by the beautiful day.  He seemed calm, happy and relaxed.

What a relief.

Five Months Old Today...

Jacob, 5 months old today

Hangin' out with Dad...

Close up of the outfit we gave him. (worn in pic above with his Dad)..just look at that little face!

This one was taken on Valentine's Day...

Seeing these pics of my grand son has been the high point of my day today....and the three glasses of white zinfandel....loosened up those muscle spasms in my back....

It's All Part of This Crazy War Dance of Alzheimer's/Dementia...

I went to sleep watching TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL marathon episodes and woke up to a phone call from Dad at the nursing home.

"Holly?"  

"No, this is Donna... Hi Dad..."

"Where are you?"

"In Nevada."

"Then you are no help to me...I can't get a hold of your Mother or anyone."

"Mom is probably in church... wh---"

"I have an emergency.  This is important. I can't take a taxi because I don't have any money."

"What's wrong Da--"

"I NEED SOMEONE TO COME PICK ME UP FROM THIS HOSPITAL RIGHT NOW!!"

"What happened?"

"I am NOT going to discuss this over the phone.  I want to go to (gave the address of the house where Mom lives) or to anyone in the family's home.  I have an EMERGENCY!  DO YOU HEAR ME?"

"Yes, Dad, yes...I will call..."

"NO ONE IS HOME!!!"

"OK, Dad...I will hang up and do my best to get ahold of someone in the family.... but I have a private line, it is safe, you can talk to me.  What happened?"


" DON'T ASK ME THESE QUESTIONS!  I TOLD YOU I CANNOT DISCUSS IT OVER THE PHONE!!!  I AM GOING TO CALL A TAXI!"

"Calm down Dad... I'll call...  I will work on it and call you back...."I lov----"

"Good-bye"  Click.

I had to gather my wits... was I awake or did I have a nightmare about Dad?  He has not done this in such a long time... it brought back horrible flashbacks when he first went into the hospital and called me to come pick him up....

I called the nursing home and spoke with the charge nurse.  Dad was calm cool and collected, until he was put back in bed at 8:30 am to elevate his feet.  He even had all the student nurses fussing over him.  Apparently, he told them he wanted to speak to his wife.  They called Mom, who did not answer as she was in church... Then, they called my cell, (didn't hear it) and then the house phone, which was right by my bed.

After our phone call, I guess he was agitated and yelled and screamed for a few minutes before apologizing profusely to everyone and not wanting to discuss it anymore... The nurse assured me Dad was fine and was in the activity room for church services.

Relieved, but still rattled, I hoped hearing the words of the Lord would calm him down...

I left Mom a message, spoke with my youngest brother and my sister.  I wrote a family email to everyone.

During the day I have made calls every couple of hours to check on Dad and they keep telling me he is resting or in activities and doing fine...

Mom called around 3:30 PM and said she had a message from Dad at 2:30 PM.  His message said he had a cold and needed to come home to take care of himself... I told her I would call and check on Dad  again...

I talked at length with the male nurse who spends so much time with Dad.  I have to remember it is more emotional and difficult for us, than it is for Dad.  Some times Dad's short time memory is in tact and some times not.  Same with his long term memory.  It's all part of this crazy war dance of Alzheimer's/Dementia.

Personally, I feel guilt because he sounded so alert, but so upset.  None of us want him to live in a nursing home, but he has to.  We can not give him the 24 hour care he needs.  It is so emotionally draining for all of us, especially when Dad tells us he wants to come home.


I will call Dad tomorrow, acting like nothing happened and hope for the best.  I will be grateful these phone calls do not happen every day...

Laughlin Blog Friend Meet, Grand Sons and Dog Love...

My husband and I went to Laughlin to meet up with one of my dear blogging friends, Jeanie of Living Consciously.  We met for lunch on Valentine's Day...  She was just as wonderful as I thought she would be.  Her husband Doc, and my husband enjoyed mutual conversations and Jeanie and I spent more time talking, (having a few "toddies") than playing the slots.

She didn't do so bad...and I came home with $20 less than I came with...

Always thoughtful, Jeanie presented me a Valentine's present from her dog Dodger, to my dog, Izzy.  A cute little hedgehog (which she promptly tore open and tried to eat the squeaker) and a hard, lime green, chew bone that also squeaks.  She is still figuring out what to do with the bone, as most of her toys are "fuzzy".  She was tossing it around yesterday...

Dodger (Doc and Jeanie's dog)

Izzy (my dog)



Jeanie and I both decided they would make a cute couple...what do you think?

This is Doc and Jeanie.  Doc is a knowledgeable dog owner, protector and great fan of dogs...One of his pet peeves are owners who don't pick up their dog's poops...and people who don't respect the etiquette of the Dog Park... (see the band aid? ) He doesn't put up with any nonsense.... (just kidding...he had some minor surgery...but the rest is absolutely true!)

Me and my honey...

On the way home Tuesday morning, he suggested we stop at a neat old place in Searchlight.  He discovered it when he used to work and was checking out a project out in that area.  He told me I would love it and said it was like going back in time to the 50's...

It is right off Hwy 95 and is called the Searchlight Nugget.  It is about 20 miles from Cottonwood Cove.  When you walk in, you hear the sound of money falling from slot machines.  Now a days, the machines generally spit out a pay voucher with a bar code.  You can cash it in or stick it into another slot machine like money.  No more getting your hands dirty from gathering up all those coins from the coin slots...

Wonderful aromas of bacon and coffee fill the air.  The prices were extremely reasonable for the generous portions.  They are famous for their coffee which costs....(are you ready???) ten cents.  Yep, that's what I said, TEN CENTS!  Delicious coffee!!  I think I had six cups.

This is our check...(check out price of coffee, I was not kidding!)

If you are in Laughlin, take a little drive to Searchlight, it is so worth it... We decided we would re-visit as it is only about a 45 minute drive from our house.  I want to take more pictures of some of the old stuff there...

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The six year old grand son was in a play Thursday night.  My daughter said he was a little Tom Cruise.  He said his 4 different lines perfectly and did not talk too fast.  He sang at the top of his lungs and waved to all his fans.

He also drew a picture of Gary the snail from Sponge Bob Square Pants...Here it is:

Pretty good little artist, eh?



The eight year old is quite the reader.  He is required to have 16 points per quarter, and he already has 45 points.  Unfortunately the extra points don"t carry over.  He is like his Mom...he likes to get everything done in advance so he has more play and fun time. 

They both are looking forward to their being off all next week...9 whole days!

Here is baby Jacob...making his first mess.  He rolled over and attacked the pile of diapers!  Notice how proud of himself he is??

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I have a new Grand Pup..... my oldest daughter's family got a chocolate lab and his name is Dutch.

He has been with them almost one month...and already knows how to sit and stay.  The boys are having a blast playing with him... Isn't he cute?

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As promised...Izzy in her purple sweater....and relaxing in her bed in my office...

Fits her great...now if we could just find a new rain proof jacket...her belly has grown and she no longer fits her little red parka anymore...