Hipaagrammy's Journal, 07 May 15

Happy Thursday!

Crazy life update...DIL#1 had a C-section on Monday due to stress on the baby. They live 4 hours away, so the plan had been for them to come and stay with us a week or so after the baby was born, while my son is on leave from work. Unfortunately, they had to transport baby Bowdin to a hospital with a NICU 3 hours (further)away. On Tuesday I drove the 4 hours to Sault Saint Marie and picked up their two older boys (ages 11 and 8) and brought them back to our house so DS and DIL could go to Marquette to be with the baby. Both of the older boys are severely autistic and the boys have never been away from home (and GoodMan and I have never taken care of them) for more than 2 days. It looks like the baby will not be released from the hospital for at least 7 days and possibly longer. GoodMan and I plan to drive the 7 hours with the boys this weekend up to Marquette and stay at a hotel for a couple of days so they can see their parents - at least on that journey I will have GoodMan to help with rest stops and other necessities.

I've made some observations about myself during this family emergency. When I got the call asking me to come get the boys I got dressed quickly (didn't even shower first) and grabbed two bottles of water for the 4 hour ride up north. I didn't think about food, but on the way I found a few granola bars in my cooler bag. I ended up eating all three bars on the way there. Then I stopped at Walmart in S.S. Marie for bananas, hummus, crackers, and little bear-shaped cookies and fruit roll-ups "for the boys". On the way back I ate everything within reach! This continued yesterday. I ate and ate and ate...at one point I asked myself if I was eating for comfort...did it really make me feel any better?...NOPE...if anything I felt WORSE!!! Today, I'm starting out with a renewed commitment to my new lifestyle. I tried handling this stress the old way and it didn't help...if those old methods of handling stress don't work it's time to find new ways!

TTFN