Papa Update

First of all, thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers. Secondly, Barrie is doing great! He got to come home from the hospital last week and is antsy to start gardening and completing the laundry room renovation…to which Carol is busy trying to stop him. While we are unsure of the steps to come, the doctor was able to remove the tumor and I think that as a family, we are all feeling quite positive.

Last night we had our first Sunday night dinner since this ordeal started. It was so much fun to feel like a “normal’ family again…as normal as a family dinner can be with nine adults and five kids ranging from 1-4 years old. To think that in a short few months there will be SEVEN kids (I’m not having two…CONGRATS to Brad and Sarrah!).

Have a good Monday everyone!

An Extra Kiss and a Tighter Squeeze

The Blatz family has been through a bit of a whirlwind this week. Never has there been a more apparent reminder to let your loved ones know how you feel (try it, it is awesome to tell someone that you love them when they are not accustomed to it…it throws them off).

Complaining of a headache only last week, Barrie (Papa Blatz), has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. How a headache spirals into a brain tumor is still beyond me, I am really not sure when it will all make sense. Due to the size off the mass, Barrie has been undergoing treatment over the past few days to reduce swelling to make surgery possible. We have been reassured that he is under the best of care (shout out to Doctor Chan – I am sure that a guest Blog post about this guy is in Brad’s future), and are keeping positive and hopeful. We are also so deeply touched by the support of our friends and family, especially those incredible ones who cut a vacation short with out any question or thinking twice.

Surgery is today, and while I am frustratingly unsure of what the future holds, all I ask from you (my six or so readers), is to give your spouse, kids, parents, friends etc an extra kiss and tighter squeeze…and maybe some positive energy and thoughts in the direction of the Royal Columbian Hospital (RCH is in New Westminster so you are going to want to send it to the West – or to the left if you are my mom).

Don't Put Your Hands Down!

This is Jack's new walking technique...

Pregnant = Crazy

The following are reasons that the words Pregnant and Crazy may be interchangeable:

• Sobbing for over an hour in bed when your husband asks if he can move the “pillow” but the pillow is actually you – Do I seriously already feel like a freaking pillow?
• Wearing maternity pants at 10 weeks because you can – this just seems sensible…who isn’t dying to ditch the waste band!
• Drinking apple juice from a large tetra pack with a straw like it is a children’s juice box.
• Knowing the specific difference and having a dramatic preference between Ruffles Dill Pickle Chips and Old Dutch Dill Pickle Chips – come on! They are totally different!
• Being able to eat two or more oranges at one sitting with out thinking about it.
• Putting random things like bowls or dry storage food items in the fridge or perishables (cream cheese) in the cutlery drawer.
• You un-closet your love for Celine Dion because she sang Billy Joel's Lullaby on Oprah last week....and it was beautiful...and then you replay it over and over because "Jack" really liked it and you love her.
• You un-closet your love for Oprah because she had Celine Dion on last week and she sang Billy Joel's Lullaby (youtube video below)...
• Did I mention the crying?

Feel free to chime in ladies (or husbands...or maybe not, especially if your lady is still crazy pregnant).