The "Good"

Update: Thankfully, the boys do not have pneumonia. Sammy is on an antibiotic for an ear infection, and it will hopefully help with his congestion—that he’s had for a month. Daniel’s chest x-rays showed “Reactive Airway Disease” and he’s on albuterol every four hours.

Now that we know some results, does this make everything better? Nope. We still have crying babies, tired bodies, and others who have joined the “Bollinger Chest Congestion Club”.

So, to keep my spirit up, I’ve decided to look for the “good” in each day. It seems that when life is hard, it is so easy to see the “hard” instead of the “good”. So, beginning with yesterday, I’ll tell you about our day and how I looked for the “good” in the “hard”.

1. The “Hard”: Yesterday I had to collect Samuel’s stool samples and run them to the lab.

The “Good”:  I’m looking forward to finding out if Samuel has Giardia. If he is Giardia-free, I can begin bathing the little boys together, letting Sammy play in the sandbox, etc.

2. The “Hard”: I had to spend a lot of time at the pharmacy yesterday trying to get Samuel’s antibiotic filled. However, the pharmacy wouldn’t release the medicine unless we paid for the prescription in full.

The “Good”: Our insurance said to call the doctor’s office and have them rewrite the prescription for one of the free prescriptions offered at Publix, until the insurance snag could be fixed. I called the doctor’s office and they gladly changed the Rx and called it in to Publix for me. Derek was able to pick up the prescription on his way home from work, and Samuel started on his antibiotic that had no out-of-pocket expense. Yay!

3. The “Hard”: Daniel got his hand crushed in the back door yesterday.

The “Good”: His little bones did not break.

4. The “Hard”: Daniel fell backwards off the children’s picnic table onto the concrete of our back porch last night.

The “Good”: The gash did not need stitches, and his head—while very sore even today—is going to be OK.

5. The “Hard”: Today, the girls did crafts together that left a mess in the kitchen.

The “Good”: The girls wanted to spend time together, Hope worked on her fine motor skills, and they both used their imaginations to be creative. (And, they are old enough to clean up. He he.)

You get it. Looking for the “Good” instead of thinking about the “Hard”. So here’s more:

6. Yesterday, Samuel took to his sippy cup!!!!! YAY!!! And, he drank COLD milk!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cold!! He has hated cold! Now, I can give him his probiotics in milk! In addition, I am almost out of his Chinese formula, so his bottle is about to retire. I am so glad he is moving forward! I don't want losing his formula to be stressful.

7. Today Hope let Cherish do her hair the same as Cherish’s. Cherish wanted to be close to her sister.

8. While I was in the shower today, Andrew cleaned the windows in the living room and dusted the furniture he could reach. What a thoughtful way to help mommy!

9. I have a working dishwasher, washing machine, and dryer!

10. The boys have diapers and milk!

11. Precious families have been making delicious meals for us!!!!!!!!!!!!! We would have been just fine eating PB&J and cereal around the clock, but their kindnesses have made life a lot sweeter!!!! (THANK YOU!!!)

12. The Mowbray family gifted us with a baby/toddler carrier!!!!! THANK YOU!!!! Now, I can take the boys into places where the double stroller won't fit. I can put Sammy in the carrier and Daniel in the single stroller. Plus, it will help Sammy with his transition time.

13. I received an encouraging e-mail from a lady who read yesterday's blog post. The e-mail was a gift to my heart!

So, for the next while, I will be posting pictures as I look for the “Good” in each day. I want to focus on the positive and be thankful for the blessings God puts into my life.

God bless all who have been "holding up our arms" as Aaron and Hur did for Moses (Exodus 17)!