Good Riddance, 2016.

While there have certainly been a few wonderful moments, I am eager to bid 2016 good riddance. I hope that I never have another year as tumultuous as 2016.

We started 2016 out on a high note, in our new home with our beautiful children.  We  had our first photo session as a family of five and hired our amazing cleaning lady.  We even discussed to possibility of having just ONE more baby.  Chad started traveling to Corpus Christi for work, which added an entirely different level of stress to the house.  I had a tubal ligation and they cleaned up my endometriosis, which was quite extensive at the time.

In February, we packed up and all headed to Corpus Christi for a week for a tiny break from the daily monotony.  Sadly, we didn't even survive 24 hours there as it proved to be too stressful in a small hotel room with three children under two and a jerk face dog.  I packed the King Ranch back up, and headed back to Houston.  A few days later Chad surprised me by returning early, but it wasn't such a good thing - Mom had called him that morning with bad news.  My beloved puppy, Elijah, wasn't doing well and they were going to put him to sleep.  Additionally, my Grandma had suffered from a few mini-strokes.  We packed up the King Ranch yet again, and headed back to Illinois.  Grandma recovered seemingly well and was able to meet the twins.  We held off on putting Elijah down, so that I could spend some much needed time with him.

The beginning of March was tough, as we finally euthanized Elijah.  The house would never be the same again.  Chad returned to Springfield and we went to a wedding, and then managed to pack up the truck the next day and head back to Texas.  We got a much later start than anticipated and spent the evening in Memphis before hitting the road bright and early the next day.  March was uneventful from that point on.  

April was most certainly one of the most memorable months.  It was April Fools Day when I received that phone call - a large stray pup showed up at Chad's office.  I truly thought it was a joke, but headed over there to pick him up.  The pup was emaciated and terrified of people, but we managed to (somehow) get him in Chad's work truck and I drove him home.  The entire drive he sat right next to me, sweet as could be.  He was taken to the shelter, but I promised that boy he'd not seen the last of me.  A week later we picked him up and brought him to his forever home.  Sadly, he was a pretty sick boy with an awful case of heartworms.  He cost us a pretty penny with all of his medical care, but he's now healthier than ever before.

In May, Charleigh June turned two and Chad & I spent an evening in Galveston for a Safety Gala.  I was too exhausted to enjoy it, though, and spent the majority of the evening resting.  We had a very small party for Charleigh's birthday, and she was enjoying every part of it until she burned her hand on the candle. :(. Her screaming broke my Mommy heart.

June brought my annual well-woman exam where it was decided that it was time to bid farewell to my loser uterus.  My procedure was scheduled for mid-July, and we started making preparations.  One of those preparations was me having a MRI to see if my bowel or bladder was compromised.  That is certainly one experience I never wish to have again.  As if a MRI isn't bad enough, try having one in a mobile trailer.  YIKES!  Thankfully, the MRI appeared clear so additional specialists weren't needed.

My Mom flew in prior to my hysterectomy and excision in July.  I was all sorts of anxious about the procedure, but looking forward to having it over and done.  During the surgery, they found that the Endometriosis had spread even more since my tubal.  That helped me acknowledge that, although I was saddened from losing all possibility of having another child, I'd made the best decision for me.  I was released the day of my surgery, and then ended up in the ER that evening as I could not void.  This was truly the worst pain imaginable.  (Okay, maybe not as brutal as childbirth). After my two week postop appointment, I scheduled my final postoperative appointment where my OB would help me achieve the closure I'd been longing for.  Towards the end of the month, my Grandmother suddenly became ill, and it became apparent that her time was coming sooner than we wanted to admit.

The beginning of August Mom drove down for a visit, and the day after she arrived Grandma passed away peacefully.  It was a rough week, knowing that things would never be the same again. The rest of August came and went, but I noticed Charleigh June doing some new things - dancing being the most significant.  (Grandma June absolutely loved to dance, and I firmly believe that she is present in Charleigh June.)

In September I had my final postop appointment and finally got some closure from the twins birth. (That's another story for another time, though.  I've been slacking long enough without writing.).  My OB referred me to a Pain Management Clinic to help manage the pain from the endometriosis, which has been a good experience. We booked a vacation to Walt Disney World in February, and then rescheduled it to over Halloween.  Finally, we had something to look forward to.

We spent much of October planning  our vacation, and looking forward to a break from reality.  Packing for five people for 10 days is a tough thing, and road trips can be quite brutal with all the children.  We spent the first night in Mobile after a horrendously long day, and the second night in Orlando with Chad's parents.  There was some drama at the resort when we checked in, but things were corrected.  All three children had their first trick or treating experience at the resort, which is something I'll never forget. 

The first day of November, Charleigh June got to meet her favorite character ever, Winnie the Pooh.  It was an amazing moment and I definitely got all choked up.  We all had so much fun that we decided to extend our stay just one day, so while we were awaiting dinner one evening we called to book another night.  We were able to cross The Boardwalk off of our bucket list, leaving only ONE deluxe resort.  (Again, another story for a different time). I decided to try a nerve block (Superior Hypogastric Plexus) to assist in managing pain, and had that scheduled for the 29th.  Illness spread like wildfire through the house - chicken pox, a stomach virus and shingles to name a few.

December brought my 35th birthday and my first time leaving the children overnight with a babysitter.  I, surprisingly, survived.  I also had another nerve block, and had a much better experience this time around.  We had a wonderful Christmas and, as usual, Santa went a tiny bit overboard.  We ended the year with guests (my parents), and started the new year with them as well.

I sincerely hope everybody had a safe holiday season, and wish you all a happy and healthy 2017.  What will 2017 bring The Coffmans?  Only time will tell...