Lord God, please be with Jenny and bless her with the knowledge of your presence in her life, especially during this time of great difficulty. Help her to keep her eyes fixed upon You. Please bless her parents with peace, wisdom, and discernment in the days going forward. You will never leave nor forsake them. Please bless those who will be giving her the care she needs. Guide them with your healing hands and your servant's heart.

"This door is only opened for expected visitors. All others will be ignored." "If you are expected, you may ring the bell. If not, please call to make an appointment."

It's here! Well done, April!

Come on, April! Just a few more good, strong pushes!

Thanks for that info, Night Elf. I'll calm down a bit now. :) I'm sitting here crocheting a shrug to go with my daughter's Easter dress and I keep glancing at the computer to make sure I haven't missed it. You're in good company. :)

Is anyone else getting nervous? She doesn't seem to be progressing. When goats or sheep give birth, it's just a matter of a few minutes (at most) from the time the hooves appear until the baby is out. I realize she's neither goat nor sheep, but still...She's been like this for an hour!

Unbroken

I have happy, thankful tears from your update.

There was a similar situation in my family. If there is ANYTHING belonging to your mother that you want to keep for yourself or your children, get it out of the house now. If your father goes through with this marriage, you can bet your sweet cheeks that she will sell, trash, or get rid of everything that belonged to your mother in her efforts to mark her territory and erase her from your father's memory. Get the family photos out now, any jewelry, absolutely anything...smuggle it out if you have to. Just don't let her get her hands on it or you will never see it again. I just remembered this was a JAWM thread. I'm so sorry for all that you are going through while your mama's passing is still so fresh in your heart and mind. :grouphug:

I'm considering just serving meals right on the table. No plate, no bowl. It can be a big feeding trough that needs to be washed down once a day. We can also revert to the bucket and dipper method, so I don't have to wash cups/glasses. I get so tired of running the dishwasher, which doesn't work very well at all, and then basically having to rewash them all by hand. I do use paper plates for breakfast and lunches, when I remember to buy them. The money it takes to buy replacements for all the broken dishes we deal with each month can not be negated. At least one item gets broken every week. The family feeling trough and bucket and dipper method would cut down on my work load tenfold.

He still looks like he's plotting to take over the world!

I would stay in the U.S. As much as I love traveling and the idea of becoming immersed in another language and culture, I would stay State-side in your situation. I did not live in Germany long-term, but I lived there long enough to know I would never willingly go back. (No offense to anyone currently living there.)

Being left to self-soothe for hours at a time in isolation is not educating him. I would rather have a child who is safe and treated with love and respect, but not as well-educated, than a child who is tossed aside when his needs interfere with the classroom lesson plans while supposedly being educated by an expert. The only thing he was learning at that school was that no one cared to understand or help him. I understand the timing was not the best, but you made the right decision for your child. Feel better.

Not to be a total screwball, but I am currently working with a young lady who has gone through the proper channels to have a Holland Lop rabbit in her dorm room to help her with anxiety issues. They are easy to carry, don't bark, are playful and yet cuddly. Just another option to consider...

So sad about this...

What an incredibly difficult and sad time for you. I'm sorry sorry you have to go through this. :grouphug:

I'm so sorry to leave you all hanging like that! We just had a busy Sunday at church and didn't get home until late. I couldn't sing at church because it was all I could do to keep from coughing and gagging during the service. But I made it through. I refused to go to the ER. I was holding out for my regular doctor this morning. But I am happy to report that I did not need to call the doctor, after all. Faith had baked some oatmeal cookies last night and, for whatever reason, that particular food did the trick when none other would. Thank you so much for your suggestions and advice. I am feeling so much better now that I don't have to worry about cough-gagging at anyone anymore. :)

Tried gargling many, many times. No go. But thanks.

This looks like the winner.

I don't have any clinics near by. Unfortunately, my vet would charge way more than my dr.

This was genius. Thank you!

I feel like this is going to turn into the next missing ball python thread with y'all checking to see if it's out yet.

Alas, no. It's still there. I tried the numbing spray and worked at it again, but cannot get it past all the bumps and ridges back there. The spray idea helped the gagging reflex immensely. Thanks, Katie. If it doesn't work itself out by 8:59 am, I will be calling the doctor at 9:00 am. I can' t believe I have to go to the dr for this.

Tried ginger ale, no go.

Yesterday, I developed this strange, fighting to not gag sensation in the back of my throat that would not go away. Upon very close examination, it appears that I have a small piece of hay or grass (I know, it's the same thing, but grass is fresh, hay is dried), perhaps 3/4" long, but very narrow, lodged in the back of my throat. I have no idea how I managed to get it in there, but I cannot dislodge it and it is driving me absolutely nuts. I want to reach in there and yank it out so badly! I have eaten three meals since its discovery, drunk gallons of fluids of varying thickness (from water to milkshake), tried drinking and swallowing from every possible angle and position, and it will not budge. I have been able to shift it slightly with a cotton swab held by tweezers,Mobutu not enough to get it out. The real problem is that I have a very strong tongue, and an even stronger gag reflex, so that last exercise was...ummm....messy. I have tried gargling, coughing, a water pick, nothing will get it out. Please help! It's lodged near my left tonsil, if that helps.