Mystery Emergency

What a crazy time I am going through right now. Last week on Wednesday I was feeding Casper some lunch and I started getting a stomach ache. I thought maybe I was just really hungry so I ate some yogurt, but it just seemed to get worse. I finally ended up on the floor and was kneeling up onto the couch in pain! I had my iPhone with me and I looked up what this could be and I saw that it could be a gall bladder attack. Great. I knew I should have gone through with that surgery earlier this year! But this time it stayed in my stomach and moved to the right. I texted my sister Jodie and she offered to take me to the hospital. I almost didn't go because I was still convinced that maybe it was just nothing, but I went anyways. I told Dan and he said that he would meet me at the hospital. Jodie came and we took her boy Connor and Casper to my other sister Kristie's house. We finally got to hospital and I could feel every bump in the road. We arrived at about 3:30pm and I was seen right away! Then they actually had a spot for me in the Emergency Area right away too! I totally thought I would be in and out really fast if this keeps up! I was put into a reclining chair and they told me they needed to get some blood work done and set up an IV for me. I told them I really didn't like needles, I just can't look at it going in and I'm fine. But then I started to get really light headed. I told the nurse that I was going to pass out, and she just thought it was because of the needle, which it wasn't but I couldn't explain that to her because I was so out of it! Oh well. They eventually got what they needed and I was ok. Dan finally arrived and they eventually examined me. I told them I was sure it was a gall bladder attack, but to my surprise when they examined my stomach they told me it was probably appendicitis! Just add another thing on the list of all that has gone wrong with my body since Casper was born!

The surgeons came to me and they left the decision up to me whether or not to get a CT scan. If I did, they would determine if it really is appendicitis. If not, they would do the surgery anyways and see if it was appendicitis, and take my appendix out either way. Well, I thought, if I didn't need surgery, I would much rather not have it. So I opted for the CT scan. I finally got the CT scan at about 8:30pm I think. And the nurse told me that it would be about half an hour to and hour or two until I get the results back. But she also said that if there was something wrong that needed attention right away, it would be quick. So I sat in my uncomfortable chair and waited. Dan eventually got up and started walking around because of boredom. There was another guy there who also got a CT scan just before me and I saw the surgeons come and talk to him about his results, then they walked right past me...ok? The nurses kept asking me if anyone has talked to me yet and I kept saying no. The nurses paged them over and over and then finally one of them was coming. But that was just to tell me that there was an emergency CT scan that they had to cover first and then they would come back...yeah right! That was at about 10:30pm. Finally after waiting about 5 hours I thought I should try to get some sleep. I started to fall asleep and then a guy that I didn't even meet before came to the nurses and asked why Kelly Glenn was still here? This was at about 3:30am. I thought I was just going to go home because obviously it wasn't that urgent because it has taken them so long to get back to me! The nurses told him that no one had talked to me yet about the results, and he said it was ridiculous! So he came over to me and told me my results off hand! Why couldn't anyone do this before?? He told me that I did have appendicitis and that surgery was the only cure. There is no antibiotic that heals it. Great. I have never had surgery before! They told me that it would happen within the next 12 hours. So after he left I called Dan who already went home at about 2am to tell him that I needed surgery and that it would happen in the next 12 hours. So I thought he could get some sleep and I would talk to him in the morning about what their plan was. Then I thought I should get some sleep. Probably about 15 minutes later they came to me and told me I had a room upstairs and that my surgery was booked for 6:00am! So, in two and a half hours? I called Dan again and told him the news and he was planning to be there before I went in.

I got into my room and got about an hour sleep. The nurse told me they would be coming for me at 6:00 but she woke me up at 5:30 and told me they were coming right now! I really don't think they understand time frames in the hospital. So it ended up that Dan didn't see me before I went into my surgery, and I was pretty nervous. I didn't want to be cut open! They rolled me out of my room after I called Dan to tell them that I was going in. I have to admit, it was nice being rolled around in my own bed! They stopped me in the waiting area of the Operating Room as they got everything organized. I met the nurse that was going to be in the OR with me and then one of the doctors came out and went to the front desk. The lady there told him that another doctor was coming but was running late and he started swearing and getting mad. He came over to me and introduced himself as the grumpy doctor. I'm assuming it was just his sense of humor. But then they rolled me into the OR and the sweet nurse was telling me everything that I needed to know. The other doctor shows up and the doctors just start arguing with each other right in front of me! I thought it was totally unprofessional, and I was also even more nervous! I was just hoping they would work things out before they start working on me! They gave me some oxygen and fed something through my IV to knock me out. I only remember taking a couple breaths and then I was being woken up by some lady saying my name. I remember shaking my head side to side because I was having a hard time catching a breath because of the breathing tube they had had down my throat. Then I was rolled out and put back into my room. Dan came shortly after, but I really don't remember much of it. He told me he got there at about 9:00am and could tell that I needed some sleep so he didn't stay too long.

The incisions were three small marks. One right below my belly button, one on my left side and then one below my pant line. I'm so happy they didn't have to cut my whole side open. They told me that I wasn't supposed to lift anything more than 10 lbs for 4-6 weeks! Ummm, I have a 13 month old who is a giant. They didn't really have any answers for me. Thanks a lot. The whole time I was in he hospital I was so worried about Casper. He ended up sleeping over at Jodie's house and then Kristie took over in the morning. Dan picked him up later that day and brought him to come see me. I missed him so much I just started crying when they came in, especially because Casper was holding a "Get Well" balloon! I know that Dan understands what was going on, but Casper had no clue! I felt so bad for just leaving him without any warning. And I was also sad that I couldn't pick him up and just hug him. We went for a bit of a walk through the hallways and Casper was a big hit with everyone who saw him! I was so happy to see my family that night.

The next day on Friday I was finally discharged! My parents came to pick me up and bring me home and we got there at about 3:30pm. Casper was with Dan's mom most of the day, but she dropped him off just before I got there. I sat on the couch and Casper came and hugged my knees. Then my dad helped him up on the couch beside my and he just hugged my side for the longest time. I loved it! He wanted me to pick him up quite a few times but I just couldn't. About an hour later Dan left to do a small show so my parents stayed at home with me to help me put Casper to bed. It didn't take me long to feel pretty useless. I started to feel that motherhood was taken away from me. I didn't even feel like I was a wife anymore. Everyone needed to help me with the things that I have waited and worked so hard for. Don't get me wrong, I really appreciate ALL of the help that we have gotten, but I just wish everything was back to normal. I guess this all gave me a better perspective on how much family and the church mean to me. I couldn't have gone through this without either of them.

I am home now and I am doing a lot better. My sisters have taken me and Casper in and cleaned my house and my mom has stayed with me for a couple of days. I have gotten a couple of dinners delivered to our home from friends. I have really felt the love and support that is all around me. Thank you to all that have helped me and my family in any way.

Halloween 2011

This year Halloween started for us on Friday October 28. I took Casper to our ward's trunk-or-treat activity! It was so much fun! Dan had a show that night so sadly he missed out. I dressed Casper up as Elmo and when we arrived there was a dance going on, and Casper got so excited! He headed right for the gym door. He didn't have time to wait for me so he went in with his cousins and found his Auntie Kristie. When I came in he was a little teary-eyed, but soon warmed up to the music and loved it! The kids performed a little parade around the gym so all the parents could get a good look at them. All of the costumes were so good!

Casper as Elmo and cousin Callum as Kermit

Casper was a bit confused on what we were doing out in the dark in the parking lot going from car to car. I think next year he'll get it better. My back was pretty sore from bending over walking him around and directing him where to go, but it was well worth it. I know he had a lot of fun.

On Sunday we went over to Dan's parents' house to show them a couple costumes we had for Casper, since they wouldn't see him on Halloween day. They just melted when they saw him all dressed up. We, of course, put him in his Elmo costume, and then my sister gave us a costume last year of a robot. Both costumes barely fit him and they were both 12 months. Sometime I wish Casper wasn't so big!

Halloween day it snowed in the morning. But luckily it melted during the day! I took Casper out to Market Mall to do some trick-or-treating while Dan was at work and he loved the fact that these nice people were giving him candy! By the end of it, he was done. He needed a nap and to get this costume off. Later that night Dan and I carved our pumpkins and Dan put out some orange lights. I think our place was the best looking house in all of our complex! We tried to dress Casper up again, but he was kind of fussy. We ended up just hanging out at the house and giving away candy. We only got about 15-20 kids. The last two girls we got came at 9:00pm! I think that's way too late for anyone to be trick-or-treating. Casper was well passed out in his bed already.

I hope everyone had a happy and safe Halloween!

Thanksgiving 2011

Our first turkey dinner was with the Glenn's on Sunday night. The food was amazing! We had turkey AND ham. We celebrated with Dan's parents, Spence and Laurie and their three boys and also Will and Heather and their three girls! Will and Heather live in Lethbridge and don't normally make it to gatherings like this, so it was so great to have them there with us.

As mentioned before, we had our Olsen Thanksgiving dinner on Monday after Casper's birthday party. First we took some beautiful family pictures outside and then came back into the church to feast! We had so much food, but it was all so delicious! Since our family is getting so big, it was nice to have the church building to ourselves and not cramped up in someone's house. It was especially nice for the kids to run around! We were so lucky to have everyone in our family there, well, everyone except for Kimberly because she is on her mission. Speaking of which, she just got transferred to Newfoundland! Here is a little preview of the photos that we took before dinner. I edited my favorite ones.

Glenn Family

Amanda

Arlen

Bourne Family

Dykes Family

Mason Family

Olsen Family (minus Kimberly)

Our Family (minus Kimberly)

Kimberly in Newfoundland!

I am so grateful to have such a wonderful and big family. I love my family, I love Dan's family, and I love our family. I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving weekend!

Casper's Birthday Party

Casper had such a fun time at his birthday party! We had it on Thanksgiving Monday October 10th at the Panorama church building. It was nice because my family stayed after and we got pictures done and then had a delicious Thanksgiving dinner! It was perfect!

 Me and my one-year-old eating some pizza.

 One of the two Elmo cakes that I made the day before.

 We LOVE Elmo!

 The whole family with the cakes.

 Singing Happy Birthday.

 Mesmerized by the sparkler.

 First Taste...

  

 He really likes it...

 

 Delicious!

 

 

All done!

 Having fun in one of the bouncy houses.

 

Most of everyone who celebrated with us. Thank you all for being there for Casper!

Thank you for all the great gifts too! Casper loves them all!

Birthday Boy

My baby is ONE! I don't know how it happened, but it's true. This year just flew by and now my Casper is one. year. old. I spent some time reminiscing about the events of last year, and it really feels like it was just yesterday that we were holding him for the first time! I went back through my blog and read the birth story and I could picture it all in my head still. Then again, it feels like we've always had Casper in our lives. It's hard to picture us when we didn't have him yet. Such a strange thought.

Casper's actual birthday was on Saturday October 1st. Dan had a wedding to DJ that day so we didn't plan a party. We lazed around and loved our big boy. We gave him a few small gifts, Elmo and two new books, then we went to the dollar store and got him an Elmo birthday balloon! He LOVED it!

Sunday we went to Dan's parents' house and invited Spence and Laurie's family over for a small celebration. We brought over some yummy Marble Slab ice cream cake and gave Casper a mini birthday cupcake. It was so fun to see him react with it. He didn't know what to do with it so he just held it in his hand. I had to break it apart and give him a few bites so he knew that it was for him to eat, and not just a little toy. He got the hang of it pretty quick, he gobbled it right down and loved every bit! He was even picking up the crumbs that were on the table and quickly putting them in his mouth. It was adorable! He got some nice gifts from the family and he had such a fun time playing with his cousins. The look on his face was priceless when he was watching the boys play. Casper wanted to jump right into the action!

We are also planning a birthday party for Casper on Thanksgiving Monday, October 10th. This will include my family, Dan's family, cousins, and friends. It's going to be at the Panorama LDS Chapel, and I hope it's going to run smoothly. Casper loves Elmo so I'm planning to make him an Elmo cake. I'm hoping it turns out, and I'm sure I will have a picture of it later.

On another note, Casper is starting to walk! I haven't been able to catch it on camera yet, but it's so exciting and sad. I love watching him learn new things and succeed in his learning curves, but it's so sad to see my baby grow up. It's so true when people tell you it all goes by way too fast! But I'm proud of him regardless. Right now he still knows that it's faster to crawl, but he's starting to really get the hang of walking.

Today I took him to get his shots, and he was so brave! He cried at first, but got over it really fast. And he's back to his normal self already... so far. We also got his measurements: 31 inches long, and 25lbs. Yes, he's a tall boy! All the more grown up!

Long Weekend

This long weekend we didn't have anything planned. It was all done last minute, which is what we normally do. We really wanted to go camping this summer, but it never worked out. We didn't go last year either. But apparently it's supposed to be a warm fall, so maybe there's still time? Since we couldn't plan a last minute camping trip on the long weekend, we decided to go to Banff instead. We went there on Saturday after lunch. We first went on a little hike and we brought Casper's new car with us, because we know that he loves it and can stay in it for a long time.

Yup, he's driving with his foot while eating his sock.

Then we went to a food court and got some quick dinner before we walked up and down main street. It doesn't seem like we did much, but we really enjoyed ourselves! We did plan on going to the hot-springs afterwards, but we could tell that Casper was getting pretty tired. Maybe next time.

On Sunday we went to church (where all the primary kids were crazy!) and it was our first week of having 9:00am church instead of 11:00am. It was difficult to get up, because Casper has been letting me sleep in a lot lately, but I have to admit, Casper is much more well behaved when church is earlier! After church we all got a 2 hour nap! Then we headed just outside of Calgary to have a BBQ supper with Dan's family. It was such a nice location, and we could tell that not many people new about it, so it wasn't busy at all! It was fun to be with and visit with Dan's family.

On Monday we didn't do too much. We slept in, lazed around the house, then we went to Cross Iron Mills. We thought it might be super busy, but I've seen worse. I really enjoyed having Dan around more often. It was nice to have us all at home as a family with nothing to do but spend time with each other.

Asking For It

I know it's hard to believe when we talk about Izzie and the things that she does because it's just not normal. I finally got some of her weirdness on camera! Casper loves the cats, but it's hard to tell if the feeling is mutual...

Keegan

I am so proud of my oldest nephew Keegan. He made the decision to get baptized last Wednesday! He then turned 12 years old on Friday (I can't believe it! I remember the day he was born!). He was confirmed and received the gift of the Holy Ghost on Sunday and was also given the Aronic Priesthood. It was great because most of my family was there to show their love and support. What a special occasion this is for Keegan and his family! I hope you remember this time of your life forever Keegan! You will be forever blessed for the right choices you make.

All of the boy cousins on the Olsen side of the family. I think this picture was taken in May 2011.

Married 4 Years

This past Wednesday Dan and I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary! It feels like we've known each other our whole lives, but it really doesn't seem like we've already been married for 4 years. However, when you sit down and look at each year, we sure have gone through a lot! Both good and bad. And that's why I love being married to Dan. We've always got each other's back if anything ever happens, both good and bad. We have a wonderful son together that we both love unconditionally. Sometimes I wonder why we are so lucky to have Casper in our lives. He's such a great baby! I just love our family, and I'm blessed to be sharing it all with the man that I love!

On Wednesday Dan of course went to work, and I stayed home with Casper. Then I decided that I should get all dolled up, because I never get to get really dressed up anymore, and I used to love doing it. So all day I was doing a bit here and there, and Casper was really cooperating too because for some reason he decided he wanted to sleep for most of the day! Works for me! So just before 4:30pm I dropped Casper off at my sister's house and I met Dan at his work. Then we took the train to a restaurant called Saltlik. The food was SO good! Dan got a delicious steak, I got a yummy chicken penne and we shared an order of their awesome skinny fries. Too bad we were too stuffed to get dessert.

After dinner I didn't know what Dan had planned, so we got back to the car and Dan drove. He took me to Bowness Park to go boating there! However, as we were walking up the ramp to get a boat, they were closing the gate! I guess they were short staff that night and he had to work at a different spot. So we thought we should try the mini golf there, but again, it closed early too. So we took a short walk around the park instead. On our way home, we stopped and got milk shakes, and then got stuck in traffic. I guess there's construction on 16th Ave. It wasn't too bad because it just gave Dan and I more time to spend together. We finally got to my sister's house at about 9:00pm. Casper started crying right when he saw me. I know he had fun there, but I missed him too!

Here is some proof that Casper had a good time:

First Zoo Trip

Today was Casper's first time going to the Calgary Zoo! I know it seems a bit late, but we've tried to plan a zoo trip at least 5 times and every time we plan for it, it pours! So I thought we might just have to go as a "spur-of-the-moment". Well, today I got a call from my nephew and they were already at the Zoo! My other sister was coming along as well, so I thought this would be a perfect time to go!

I haven't been to the Calgary Zoo for years, so a lot has changed. Including paying for parking?! When did that happen? And the entrance is completely different! I bought myself a Zoo Pass so now I can take Casper as many times as we want! We didn't get through a whole lot of the Zoo because we had quite a bit of kids with us, but Dan and I are hoping to take Casper again this Saturday. So if it rains that day, you'll know why.

We met my sisters at the hippos and the giraffes, then we saw some gorillas, zebras, pigs, lions, kangaroos, and lots more. I took a few pictures of the ones that I got a somewhat good shot with.

Then of course as the day was coming to an end, it started to rain. Oh well I guess, that's what we get for living in Calgary.