How much can you cram into a weekend?

"You picked a great time not to answer your phone." That was the message I heard when I checked my voicemail. But, I'm getting ahead of myself. I was scheduled to work January 14-17 and was planning for a much needed day off on Friday the 18th. You know what they say about "the best laid plans of mice and men..." I worked on Monday, the 14th. I worked on Tuesday the 15th. No big deal either day, but on the way home from work Tuesday I literally pulled to the side of the road and sat for a few minutes. Had to. I was so stinkin' dizzy and it just wouldn't pass. When it finally let up...after 3 or 4 minutes...I drove home. Checked my blood pressure because I hadn't taken my medication. Blood pressure was fine. So I sat in the recliner and tried to relax. Then my head started hurting...and kept getting worse. Then my ears stopped up. So, I knew that the old sinus cavities were stopping up and fluid was backing up in the ears. I went to bed as soon as I could and it got worse during the night. I called in sick to work the next morning. I basically sat around all day Wednesday feeling miserable so I let them know that I would not be at work on Thursday either. Hubby got me some Robitussin and I started guzzling it. Wednesday night I drank a big swig of Nyquil and went to bed. Slept great, but when my phone rang on Thursday morning I assumed it was someone trying to find a sub so I didn't answer it. Uh...WRONG! When Ronnie's phone rang immediately after mine I knew it was someone needing to get in touch with us. He answered and it was our daughter, Kristin. She had gone to the doctor for her final sonogram and was sent straight to the hospital where they planned to induce labor. She needed us to pick up her other two boys and bring them to the hospital. So we hopped out of bed, quickly dressed and then drove to Plano where we picked up first Carter and then Trenton. We drove to the hospital in Frisco and the waiting began.

We took the boys for lunch and then watched them play in the playroom until we got a text from our son-in-law at 5:55 pm saying that the baby was here. A few minutes later I got a text introducing us to our newest grandson, Tanner McMahen Durbin. Trenton, our oldest, teared up when he saw the picture of his new baby brother. I have never seen a kid so excited and eager to meet a sibling! I don't think Carter really understood exactly how his life was changing.

When we got back to meet Tanner Trenton was like a kid in a candy store. Carter thought it was "cool" but immediately asked, "What happens if you poke him?" There was a moment of stunned silence and then we all burst out laughing. Kristin laughed so hard that she jiggled the baby, who then began squirming and snorting.

We visited for a while, Popaw and I held Tanner for a minute, and then we took the two older boys and headed to our house. It wasn't until we got home that the dizziness resurface. I guess that in the excitement of the day my sinuses cooperated and let me enjoy the day and my boys. On Friday I got up and took the boys back to the hospital. Kristin wanted Trenton to enjoy some time with his baby brother before he went to spend the weekend with his dad. Trenton had a blast just holding and looking at Tanner. He started calling him "Little T."

During "quiet hours" at the hospital we took the boys to Gatti Town to play games and eat pizza before returning to the hospital where "Tanner" sent cookies to his big brothers. When Tanner decided it was time to eat, we took Carter and left. Trenton was going home with his dad for the weekend. Saturday we took Carter to his soccer game and then went to the hospital so that we could pick up Kristin's car and get it home for them. We took the car, and Carter, home and waited for them to arrive...which they did within about 30 minutes. We visited, held Tanner again and then headed home. Saturday night we went to the Stars game with some good friends of ours. Opening game of the season and the Stars won. It was a good game. Home and bed sure felt good though. Sunday morning I went to visit my dad and then my older boys, Ryan and Richard, for lunch. Back at home I worked on laundry and putting my house back in order before giving Beau a bath. So...all in all, I think this is probably the busiest weekend I have had in a long time!!!