Week in Rewind Volume 124

College Life Lately

Since I last wrote, Peyton has been busy traveling with the volleyball team. They’ve had tournaments in Joplin, Missouri, and Arkadelphia, Arkansas. And while she still isn’t cleared to play, she’s working hard with the trainers and is getting closer every day.

It’s been challenging for her to travel with the team and not be able to compete like she wants to, especially while also adjusting to all the normal ups and downs that come with being a college freshman.

Unfortunately, she had to sit out this weekend’s tournament in Searcy, Arkansas, completely. She hadn’t been feeling well for a few days, and by this past Tuesday morning she felt bad enough that she went to the student health center. As luck would have it, she tested positive for both strep AND mono… because apparently one or the other wasn’t enough! Truly the last thing she needed right now.

I had mono when I was in high school and remember just how much it can take out of you. Unfortunately, it also means she’ll be sidelined from volleyball a little longer because of concerns about an enlarged spleen that comes with a mono diagnosis.

If you have a minute, send some get-well wishes (and maybe a few prayers) her way. I know she’d appreciate them, and this mama certainly would too!

An Unexpected Weekend Adventure

Before school started, Peyton was talking with her doctor about getting an emotional support animal to take with her to college. Our cat at home has always been her baby and such a source of comfort on some of her hardest days, so we knew having that same kind of companionship at school could be really helpful.

Ultimately, she decided to try going without an ESA for at least the first semester and see how things went, but apparently the cat distribution system had other plans!

A few weekends ago, she was out with friends when they came across a stray cat. The kitty quickly decided Peyton was her person, and the feeling was definitely mutual.

With everything Peyton has been navigating these first few weeks of college, it truly seems like it was meant to be. She started working on the necessary paperwork to get her approved as an ESA through the University, but in the meantime, getting this kitty into a vet around classes, volleyball, and everything else was proving a bit tricky.

So last weekend, my mom, Harper, and I made a very impromptu road trip to Missouri to see Peyton and bring the kitty home with us. We drove down Saturday and came home Sunday, making it a 12-hour round trip for less than a 24-hour visit.

We got her home safely, and now Peyton can focus on getting healthy, keeping up with school, and finishing the ESA approval process while we take care of her new sidekick here at home.

So meet my new grandkitty, Rollie! She’s slowly adjusting to her new surroundings (and her new fur siblings…or I guess technically they’re her aunts?) and seems to be settling in more each day.

The Surprise We Didn’t See Coming

And because this story apparently needed one more plot twist, I took Rollie to the vet this week and discovered she’s pregnant!

We had our suspicions since she was a stray, but an X-ray confirmed that kittens are officially on the way!

According to our vet, she’s already well over halfway through her pregnancy, and we expect her to have them by the end of the month. So somehow I went from “grandma” to “great-grandma” in just the first few weeks of college. Not exactly the update I was expecting to share!

Now we’re getting a little kitty nursery ready and waiting for the new arrivals. And consider yourself warned…there will most definitely be an excessive number of cute kitten photos and updates once they arrive.

Braces for Harper

In other family news, Harper got braces this week!

She wasn’t exactly excited about getting them, but she was ready to get it over with and is already counting down until they come off. She’s hoping to have them off before the end of middle school in another year and a half.

She was an excellent patient, and the whole process was surprisingly quick. So naturally, we headed to Dairy Queen afterward to celebrate with a Blizzard. I’d say she earned it!