February Joy-Bringers!

Okay, peeps.

If you've made it though my last few weeks of posts, you've noticed a trend of overwhelm, stress, change, health challenges, and just...a lot of heavier content related to our rough January!

I mean...I should have known when I spent New Year's Day with Little Man in the hospital that we might be off to a rocky start, but...

We made it through!

(The month, at least, ha.)

January 2026 is getting kicked to the curb, and we are fully embracing a February of joy and love and light (at least, that's what I'm manifesting!).

And what better way to kick off a fresh new month than a late-breaking sibling visit?!

I knew older bro had a conference here, this week, but I'll be honest: given the chaos of January, the date sort of snuck up on me! And it kind of snuck up on him a bit, too (I think)!

It was maybe Thursday when he was like: by the way, my flight lands around noon on Sunday and I was like: this Sunday?! No way?! (But, like, an excited no way!)

Talk about the BEST gift on earth, after a few tough weeks.

I joked that he was secretly showing up for a wellness check on me, ha. And though that's definitely not the case, I suspect he did arrive on midday Sunday when he could have delayed until Monday--all so he could lay eyes on me or allegedly have some quality time, ha.

Though, to be fair, he recently had his own health scare. So maybe we're just peas-in-a-pod Hot Messes!

He's actually the one who inadvertently convinced me to finally cave and get an AppleWatch that can help me track all sorts of lovely health things, and he's been helping me learn the ropes (along with Chica, who's had one for a few years). It was a riot for us to swap heart monitoring app tips, like we're octogenarians, haha. 

I keep saying we're too young to already be talking about our health this much!! ;)

Anywho...I can't even begin to describe how his visit was a massive mood-booster. Hysterically, one of his colleagues also got to visit a sibling just before the conference and shared that it was "soul good" to have some sister time and older bro responded with" "Same, girl. Same." So, obviously, it was not just me who enjoyed a little special time!

It was also so joyful for him to be here for a quick day that did not revolve around a holiday!

The kiddos got to show off their refreshed rooms (older bro hasn't been to our house in, like, four years!), their instrument playing and dance numbers, and all the good things. We cooked, we did domestic things, we did three Coda walks in the short 20-ish hours he was with us, and...it did my heart such good (physically and metaphorically, ha).

As a side benefit: it was glorious to have a reason to tidy up the joint, a bit! It's not been dirty around here, per se, but...there have been piles and odds and ends post-Christmas that have been lingering, and it was amazing to have a purpose behind tackling it--and unearthing the kitchen counter! And the laundry...oh, the laundry pile! I tackled so much of it!

All that said...by the time I dropped him at the conference center just before lunch on Monday, I felt so super-boosted and like I was ahead of the game and not behind for the first time in ages. I think just the fact that I've managed to post a couple of times in the last few days says it all!

In other we're-forcing-some-joy news of the last week or two...

I think Chica has made it through the worst of her High School decision-making drama that was reallllllly weighing her down. 

https://delappenings.blogspot.com/2026/01/triple-threat-triple-stress.html

She's had to make a handful of really tough choices, but, now that they're made, things are looking up! Despite super-early mornings and the launch of her track season this week, I've seen some lightness creep back in. I even captured her laughing and being insanely silly last week, and I was like: WHOA. Have we made it through the tough stretch (at least, for now??).

She's been enjoying some new little mental health journaling (party of what I gifted her in honor of that recent school award) and it's really cute. She selects a theme word for each day and writes down positive things, and I love that it's sparking some joy. 

She's also taken weekend time for some smaller joys like baking and coloring, and I can't tell you how happy it makes me that I've encouraged these kinds of activities she can continue all throughout her life, if they serve her. 

It's good to see her smiling, more. I'm doing my best to keep her on a more even keel. Here's hoping we can have more positive days than negative!

Other January sparks of joy...

Some movie watching (especially over the ice day extended weekend)! We finished the Harry Potter movies (the younger two hadn't seen the last few movies) and started the Iron Man journey...and that same weekend, when we were virtual church-ing because of the weather, we even managed a tiny little Valentine craft. Probably too juvenile for my kids these days, but, still!

I know that for me, at least, it's doing wonders to feel the days extending by just a minute or two each week as we march onward in terms of seasons. Additionally, the kiddos have a three-day weekend next week, and it's just a few short weeks until official Spring Break. So crazy!

I don't think we're the only ones who often feel the doldrums of January. It's such a rough month, for so many reasons, and this year was obviously amplified in so many ways, but...we've made it to February, and I'm determined to make it a GOOD MONTH.

Okay, peeps.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but...I think I'm kind of officially caught up on this here blog??? Anything I haven't shared is just going to be left in the rearview, m'kay??? 

Onward and upward in 2026!

Happy Hump Day (and Double Post Day!), peeps!

Over and out.

If Mama Ain't Happy

Okay, peeps.

GOODNESS.

Where to even begin with this one???

I suppose there's nothing to do but dive right off the deep end (ironically, much like my hormones and general state of health).

And if that's not its own disclaimer to proceed with caution if you're not interested in reading about my downward trajectory of late, well...I don't know what is!

WITH. THAT. SAID. Let's do this!

Beginning with a statement of fact:

I'm not exactly in the best place, health-wise, and I've been trending that way for a solid two years.

There. I said it. It's out there. Whew!

However (and this should really be a HOWEVER), I know that All Things Wonky with my health can and will be addressed and fixed, and I do very much believe that nearly all of my issues stem from the fact that I am a woman of a certain age (there, I typed it; it's also out there and it makes me feel like an old crone, but it's TRUTH I speak).

Which leads me to my second statement of fact:

I am a middle-aged woman in perimenopause.

Like, blood work confirmed perimenopause.

And though the blood work to confirm this is recent, I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that I have been in perimenopause for several years, now--which is, of course, in direct correlation with many of my health challenges.

So...what are those health challenges, you might ask??? (Abandon now if you don't want a laundry list).

• Erratic and overly-frequent menstrual cycles.
• Excessive bleeding.
• Severe anemia due to excessive bleeding.
• Increased pain (back, leg, uterus, hip) related to my menstrual cycles.
• Brain fog (hello...did I mention severe anemia?).
• Anxiety (like, anxiety).
• Heart arrhythmia.
• Mood swings (do not ask my husband about this one).
• Insomnia.
• Recurrent UTIs (when I've never had them in my life).
• Erratic migraine complications (just...ughhhh).
• Fatigue.
• Sahara-level dry skin.

Basically...yup. Not a great plethora of symptoms.

And so many that are interrelated.

Which means it's really hard to pull apart the threads and find the origin of any single one. Or to find and address the most critical issue(s) in the hopes that it domino-helps some others.

As a side note...I absolutely must share my favorite graphic of all time that relates to this subject. At a recent doctor's appt, this visual made me cackle like an insane witch, and I have since shared it with everyone I know, because it makes me feel so validated. I mean, who could possibly stay level amidst this roller coaster of hormones?!

Okay, now back to my whole downward trajectory...

Welp.

Lucky for you reading this...I'm going to skip past several years and several boring recaps of doctor's visits and tests, and sonograms and medicines and blood panels and wait-and-see approaches and let you know the latest and greatest EVENT that finally led to results. 

A couple weeks ago, I landed in the ER not once but twice in a single day, and by the time I was there the second time, I was in such a bad way (heart arrhythmia, profuse vomiting, head-splitting pain so bad I thought it would explode, numbness in my hands and face and uncontrollable body shaking) that they called a code, thought I was stroking out, swarmed me in triage, rushed me into a CT with contrast of both my head and heart and...to avoid unnecessary suspense, let me just say that...

I'm okay. (I mean, relatively speaking, ha.)

No stroke. No blockage of the heart. But rather, a very SEVERE onset migraine and nervous system response to a lot of stuff that I won't bore you with, but...it was bad.

Needless to say...I spent that week feeling pretty beat up. Bruised knees (from such intense vomiting, bruised arms (from multiple IVs), insanely delicate head (from multiple migraines), sore stomach (again, the vomiting), fatigued muscles (from the intense hours of body shakes), and a heart that was jumping all over the place.

Welp. Fast forward to a week or two later, when I had the "joy" of an endometrial biopsy that involved the doc manually--without warning--dilating which led to a full 24 hours of labor contractions and the exhaustion of feeling like you've, well, been through labor. I mean...joy.

Have I mentioned how beat up my body has felt post-January???

BUT. It's all been working toward a greater purpose, because...

A few days after the biopsy/contraction fun, I got word that I'm approved for a uterine surgery I very desperately want and believe will significantly improve my general state of wellness (and this has been confirmed by every woman I know who's experienced this surgery).

Additionally, last week (ironically, the same day as the biopsy), I found a great, new (to me) cardiologist to help me check into my current arrhythmia.

For reference, arrhythmia is nothing new to me (I have a hyper-sensitive heart--both physically and metaphorically; along with a mitral valve prolapse), and I've often been under the care of a cardiologist. It's just time for a check in and a deep dive, so...I'm currently sporting a spiffy heart monitor for a week before some other tests to investigate my ticker.

Lastly...I now have a new hormone therapy doctor through my GP's office who I very much adore and I believe will help set me on a path of greater stability in all things perimenopause. I have no clue if I will actually choose hormone replacement therapy as a path for me, but...I'm very grateful to have a doctor who I respect and connect with, so I can discuss any and all options.

And, I have a fun little heart monitor for a week, so I'm basically like Iron Man (it's top of mind because we just watched it as a family)--you know, if you ignore the monitor positioning and pretend I'm way cooler than I actually am, ha.

Basically...I'm just a SHITE SHOW, these days.

It was an extremely challenging month--especially when you stop and think about the fact that all of the above was coming to a head just as we were coming off of Little Man's hospitalization for flu-related myositis, and Chica's ER visits related to her extended flu illness. 

I mean...it's just been a lot. A lot, a lot.

But for now, let's circle back around to the crux of the post title (If Mama Ain't Happy) and talk about the most unbelievable side-effect of my own health decline:

My health challenges tanked my dear Coda pup's health so badly that, just a few days after my ER stay, Coda girl was admitted to the doggy hospital with a very severe and sudden onset of HGE (Acute Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis) brought on by--you guessed it--ANXIETY and STRESS.

HGE can be linked to bacteria infections, etc., and causes intense, bloody vomiting and diarrhea, but since her labs came back clean, it was determined that her health was literally tanking because she was anxious about her beloved Mama.

I mean...if that's not a kick in the you-know-what when you've already got enough on your plate, I don't know what is!

HGE can be so scary in tiny dogs like Coda that they can go into shock and pass. We were lucky to get her to the vet right away, and get her fluids and five (yes, FIVE) prescription medications and then the past two weeks of tender loving care, but...it was a lot to add into the mix at a time when life already felt like a whole lot, from solely a health perspective. 

Here we are, smiling like fools (despite our collective exhaustion) when she was discharged from her hospital care:

Sporting matching wounds from our IVs, no less!

She spent more than a week snuggling, resting her weary little body, and ingesting all the meds to get her back on track. And every day, I tried to assure her that I was okay so that she could be okay. Ridiculous, I know, but apparently necessary for this little codependent fur baby of mine!

Honestly, Coda's health tank really underscored the fact that the saying exists for a reason:

If Mama Ain't Happy, Ain't Nobody Happy

Mothers are often the nucleus that holds a family together. And when they tank, a lot of things tank--badly.

Don't get me wrong: the hubby is essential and beloved in our family life. We literally couldn't do what we do without him! But there's something unique to a mother not operating at her best and how it ripples outward among the entire household, and...it's certainly something I've been witnessing and reckoning with, firsthand.

Okay. So. What happens now???

First, my little surgery will hopefully happen in early March. Woohoo! And I think that will help so many aspects of my physical and mental health.

Second, we have plans to stay home as a family for Spring Break, and never have we ever been so excited for some lounge time. Our crew desperately needs it!

Third, I'm still pursuing my full cardio work-up to make sure all is structurally sound.

And, fourth, I have a hormone follow-up in March to talk through potential options, post-surgery, to see how I might get to a happier and more stable place in my health.

All. Will. Be. Well. 

I keep saying over and over that all of these things can be addressed and fixed. And do you know what's so beautiful???

As I've been transparent with friends and acquaintances about my health woes, I always--like, always--feel a little less alone in my journey because everyone has something going on that the world might not know about.

I mean...just today, at my Barre class, there was another woman also wearing a heart monitor. Wild!

Not to mention the number of women I've held impromptu therapy sessions with at school events when I verbal diarrhea about my current state of health and they reciprocate! We are all in this together as women of a certain age, dealing with changes and challenges, and I find it to be so connective to talk about it instead of hiding it away. (I mean, obviously, or I wouldn't share in such detail on this here blog!).

It's such a lesson in empathy, right? The idea that what we see when we pass someone on the street is literally just the tip of the iceberg.

We all have a whole lot going on under the surface. Mentally, physically, emotionally. So...be kind to one another and never assume you know what someone is going through. Who knows? It might make a world of difference to someone who might really need it. 

So there you have it.

The high level events of my life, of late!

I gotta tell you: I'm SO happy to have January in the rearview, and I very much hope it's onward and upward from here!

Happy Hump Day, peeps!

Over and out.

Youngest Kid Wheels Off Vibes!

Okay, peeps.

Yesterday was the first Monday in weeks that didn't start with feelings of already being behind!

Woo-Freaking-Hoo!

And in case you're wondering, that's really saying something--considering Chica launched her track season, yesterday, and now has to be at school at 6:30 a.m. (translation: an earlier, heinous wake-up time for all).

Of course, it wasn't just a fluke to have a not-terrible Monday. In fact, I think there were two things that boosted the positive vibes 'round these parts:

First: my older bro is in town for a work conference this week and I got to steal him from the airport on Sunday and hold him voluntarily hostage for the night. I can't even begin to tell you how glorious some unexpected sibling time was for me. :)

And second: thanks to older bro's quick visit, I had to get my shite together, in terms of tidying up the house, ha.

To be clear: I absolutely did not go into a cleaning frenzy, but I did straighten things up and manage to clear off the kitchen counter (it's white under there!)--and catch up on laundry (holy cow, there is a bottom to the baskets).

Who knew that combo of uncluttered kitchen/ tidy(ish) house/ low laundry piles could make me feel so dang stable and gosh-darn invincible?!

Of course, the bonus-bonus to all of this is that stable (and quasi-invincible) leads to a brief moment for posting, so...LET'S. DO. THIS.

Today's topic of discussion???

MY SON. :)

Oh, my dear (not so) Little Man...how I love thee, how I feel exhausted by thee energy, and how very grateful I am to thee that thou can self-entertain when need be! 

Pause for a hysterical pic of some quality time with my boy a couple weeks ago. Doodling, no less! (A Fortnite character of his choice, natch.)

No joke. Youngest kid vibes are A THING.

When I think back to a few years ago and my interaction with parents who had older kiddos and a decent age spread, I used to be like: man, that youngest kid is footloose and fancy free!! Is anybody watching them??

I mean...youngest kids always seem a little wilder a little bolder and a little older beyond their years, amiright???

And, man oh man, do I now understand why!

As a side note: after some observational and anecdotal research, I believe this is only a true vibe when a family has three or more kiddos. Specifically, this is a YOUNGEST kid thing; not a YOUNGER kid, thing.

ALL the parents I know who have two or less seem to keep it relatively together and manage to stay equally engaged for both Kid #1 and Kid #2, ha. Congratulations, amazing parents!

But, goodness, throw that Kid #3 into the mix and it seems to be a game changer and the absolute epitome of: Let it go; let it flow!

(And I say this as a pretty engaged and slightly helicopter-y parent, myself.)

I never would have thought I'd have to so quickly and readily make peace with the amount of time Little Man has to self-entertain, the milestones I allow him to hit before the girlies ever did, and the amount I have to trust him...kind of by default.

I literally can't be in all the places at once.

I can't magically make the days more than 24 hours.

I can't split myself into a handful of clones (though, wouldn't that be amazing?).

Instead, I'm resigned to a current parenting life stage of putting out the hottest fires and dealing with the squeakiest wheels.

As a result, I've never been more grateful for Little Man's intelligence, resourcefulness, and fidget tendencies that keep him constantly going and moving because, without those attributes, the poor dude would probably end up an ignored couch potato!

(I kid...but only a little).

I've also never been so grateful for the one-on-one time I have with him--both before and after school--because, outside of those brief windows (and our precious bedtime snuggle routine), it's truly a free-for-all!

Take, for example, my latest Give Up Moment (that I suppose is really a win/win for all):

I recently ripped off the bandage and sent Little Man off, alone with a friend, to ride bikes, get out some energy at the playground and return safely and unharmed...with no chaperone.

Yikes.

I never would have done this at the same age with the girlies!

And, perhaps, that's just me being overprotective--though I know many other like-minded parents who wouldn't have, either.

To be fair: this particular Give Up Moment was made a bit more comfortable by two things:

First, the little friend he went riding with is a grade older than Little Man, is a really responsible kiddo, and they're both in Robotics Club together. So the kind of trouble they might get into would probably be a hysterical brainiac type, ha.

And, second (and this might be the true clincher): I recently caved and got an AppleWatch (I know, I know; so many feelings with this one and I'll explain more in a later post). So, before Little Man zoomed off, I strapped the watch to him, gave him a time to return, and now the couple of times he's ventured off with this buddy, he's come home safely and responsibly.

And, really: isn't it a win/win for him to be outside, in the fresh air, getting exercise, and socializing with a responsible friend???

In other Little Man life updates...he is intensely enjoying his Robotics Club (as a 4th grader, this is his first year of eligibility), and we're gearing up for the crux of it all with a major competition in less than two weeks.

My son studied like crazy to take all sorts of voluntary quizzes in an attempt to be the "driver" of their group's robot and he'll actually find out today if he gets the opportunity to fill that role.

He recently decided to take a small hiatus from his Table Tennis lessons--primarily because he's been having most of his lessons solo, without any buddies his age to play with, and I can understand how that might diminish the fun a bit.

Instead, he'll be launching his first experimental round of Flag Football next month (along with a couple of buddies from school), and I kind of adore that he still loves enough sports that he doesn't really lock in on just one. He consistently toggles from soccer to basketball to table tennis to...football now, I guess!

Add in GT (Gifted & Talented), HAM (Hyper Accelerated Math), his Robotics adventures and the Spelling Bee he was selected to compete in (that's happening next week), and I tend to think this youngest, free-range kid of mine is still tracking pretty darn well, but...goodness, how I say my prayers for him every night!

If I could go back in time and reassure my younger parenting self, I'd demand that I SOAK IN all the glorious one-on-one time I enjoyed with my boy when he was a preschooler and his sisters were at school. (Or rather, enjoy it even more, because I enjoyed the heck out of it at the time!).

I'd tell myself to buy even more LEGOs to build together, take time for even more doodles, snuggle the crap out of him and NOT THINK TWICE about the optics or the "spoiling" factor of it all. 

I know Little Man's time in the sun will come back around when he's once again the only kiddo under foot (don't even get me started; after attending a High School Electives Fair with Chica last night, I cannot talk about COLLEGE right now). Until then...I'll just do my best to spread out my love as best as I'm able and to appreciate this stage for all the new and different joys that it brings. 

Now. Two final odds and ends...

First: This post made me want to hunt down another one from many years ago that shows Little Man and I in peak peas-in-a-pod years. I have so many core parenting memories of afternoons spent building LEGOs and listening to music. Or our morning IHOP dates, settled in our favorite booth to color and eat pancakes. I'm so grateful I had the presence of mind to enjoy it all back then. Precious times, I tell you. PRECIOUS.

 https://delappenings.blogspot.com/search?q=indulged

And, second: Little Man recently participated in the elementary school's inaugural Talent Showcase--not as a talent participant, but as an emcee! He was selected to be part of a dozen kiddos who acted out little skits to introduce each talent act, and I'm so proud of his work to memorize his lines and his bravery in getting up there.

Here he was in his simple Diary of a Wimpy Kid costume before leaving for the showcase. (And if that pose doesn't reiterate the "Wheels Off" title of this post, I don't know what does, ha.)

And here are some pics that were taken at the event:

Okay...here's hoping for more time for one more catch-up post, today, and then...onward and upward!

Happy Tuesday, peeps!

Over and out.