Two years ago today at 4:44 am, 6 pound, 7.9 ounce baby boy came into our lives. Hard to believe he’s 2 now.
Category Archives: Family
Coming May, 2013
In Memoriam: Francis “Frank” Anthony Tucher
One year ago today, my father passed away. Leading up to this, he suffered a massive heart attack and was unconscious and without oxygen for several minutes. He was taken to the ICU of the hospital and placed on a ventilator. Once I got the phone call about this, we immediately made our way back to Indiana. In talking with the doctors, the chance of him coming off of the ventilator was less than slim to none and being able to survive. After spending several hours with him, the family decided to remove the breathing tube. He became somewhat lucid and was able to talk a little bit. He recognized that his kids were there with him. He managed to struggle to breath for the next twelve hours or so. Within a matter of 10 minutes or so, his stats began to drop steadily and rapidly and then he breathed his last.
I’m not going to lie. We didn’t have the best father-son relationship. He didn’t have much a father-child relationship with any of his kids. He had driven one son to have nothing to do with him. But in the end, all of his kids were there gathered around his bedside at the time of his death.
I wish in the end, things would have been different with us. There was so much that I missed out on growing up. There were too many things that happened early in my childhood (which I won’t go into) that shouldn’t have happened, yet they did.
My advice: Men, be a man. If you become a father, BE A FATHER! It will be a much more meaningful relationship for all those involved. Don’t risk what you have. Make the most of the relationship which your heavenly Father has given to you, for you do not know what may happen tomorrow.
Loving me some birthday cake
The Joys of Parenting: Sick Kids
It was bound to happen sooner or later. After 2 1/2 years, my oldest got his first round of antibiotics. He had an ear infection a week ago and was given some antibiotics. Sunday, my wife took him to the walk-in clinic because of a 102* temperature. It turns out he had/still had an ear infection and possibly strep throat. They gave him a prescription for augmentin. It said on the bottle to take with food. Unfortunately, he had only had milk and not much more than that. We found out why it says to take with food: without food in your stomach, it will make you throw up. He threw up a couple of times that afternoon.
Gwen took him to our pediatrician yesterday and she took him off of the augmentin (after a dose and a half) because it had less than productive results. That led us to last night, which was not a good night.
After we got him ready for bed (at most 20 minutes), he threw up in bed. This prompted a changing of the sheets. Not only did he have vomiting, he also had diarrhea. Because of this, his little bottom is blood red; so red, he doesn’t even want you to wipe it. Around 3 this morning, he threw up again. By this point, we had run out of sheets and he had to sleep with us. During this time, there were more diapers that needed to be changed.
5:30 this morning and he woke up screaming/crying. After changing his diaper again, the only way to get him to settle down and go to sleep was for him to lay on me. This lasted until 8 or so, which meant I got little sleep. I made it into work close to 9:45. I think I was there for around 3 hours before my wife said she needed me to pick up some stuff for Wesley. That little trip cost close to $60!
If that wasn’t bad enough, Gwen said that Bryce was sounding pretty funny, especially when he coughed. She scheduled an appointment with the pediatrician again, this time for Bryce. It turns out that he has croup.
So, to sum it all up, we have one kid with an ear infection and diarrhea (which hopefully is clearing up). Kid 2 has croup.
For Gwen and I, that means that we are fully exercising our vocation of parent, care giver, and all-around “make the boys feel better” people.
We can’t wait to see what fun lies in store for tonight!
Brothers
Monday
Today we went over to Rapid City for an overnight trip to celebrate a friends birthday. Due to some snow in Wyoming, it took us around 2 1/2 hours instead of the normal 2. It’s nice to get away, even if it is for a day.
Remembering
Today is my +father’s+ birthday. Should he be living, he would have been 73. He passed away April 8, 2010, just days following Easter. It’s hard to believe, but it’s been 9 months since he passed away. Here are some pictures of him and I in recent years.
My parents at my Ordination (June 2005)
My dad and niece (August 2008)
3 generations of Tucher men (January 2009)
Anniversary woes
Yesterday was our 5-year anniversary. It didn’t quite go according to plan.
We left the boys with some friends in order to have a date, something we haven’t done since we were back home this summer. We went to see the movie, The Dilemma. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great. I’d give it 2.5 stars.
Our dinner plans were going to be at Prime Rib. Unfortunately, we didn’t have reservations and it was 6:30. The wait time was about an hour. Keeping the boys’ bedtime in mind, we didn’t think that would work. We tried Boss Lodge. Unfortunately, Friday night was seafood buffet night. Not being a big seafood person, that was out. We then went downtown to the Chophouse. The wait time was only 20 minutes.
The Chophouse was very busy. My guess, every place in Gillette was busy last night. It took quite a while to get our soup and salad, chiefly because the kitchen was backed up. My French onion soup was very good. When our meal finally came out, it was also good. By the time we were finished with our meal, it was almost 9:00. If were just us, not a big deal. But having a 2 1/2 year old who was an hour past bedtime, we felt in a rush.
Once we got home, Wesley read his bus book and he was out. Bryce woke up in his carseat. I picked him up and held him and he was out.
Overall, it was a good night, though dinner plans didn’t go as smooth as I had planned. Note to self: always make a reservation on a Friday night. Even reservations at McDonald’s might not be a bad idea in the future.
Anniversary
It’s been five years today since I married my beautiful wife. Things have changed in these five years.
- Moving from Indiana to Wyoming where I pastor (July 2005)
- Birth of our first son, Wesley (August 2008)
- Birth of our second son, Bryce (October 2010)
Just as in any marriage, there have been ups and there have been downs; there have been highs and there have been lows. I don’t think you could call it marriage any other way.