To the Moon!

I had a nice little thought on my way home from school today:

    It could seem as though the decisions I've made in my life seem backwards and unfortunate. Yes, I can see how getting pregnant at 21 isn't a good idea for most people. No, I am not married to the father of my child. No, I do not own my own house and I do not have a degree or career yet. Jeez! Where's the good part?! It could be depressing...but it's most certainly not.
    The second happiest moment in my life was when I realized that I could live my life exactly the way that I wanted to; in a way that went against every rule I was taught for living the American Dream. I get to write a story like no one I've ever known! It's liberating, scary, satisfying, fills me with curiosity and uncertainty. I love learning and I love people so I've always wanted to live a life that revolved around those two things. I always thought that planning the rest of your life out while you were in your 20's was insanely boring, useless, SO not what I wanted for myself. Doing things backwards, in a sense, made the most sense to me. I hear a lot of people say that having a baby "before you're ready" means you have to throw your dreams out the window, which is wholly untrue. It makes things harder in some ways, but it makes things easier in almost every other way because love can help you accomplish anything and everything. I got what could be considered an end result in the beginning of my life, so I see my end result as limitless. What better environment to help you plan out the rest of your life, than to be surrounded by people who want to teach, learn, love, and have fun with you? I've got my family, now I can concentrate on making a life that fits us best.


    Speaking of family, PP starts her new Occupational and Speech therapy next week! I am so excited! Therapy starts on her Spring Break from the school system which is nice because we can introduce her to this new stuff without overwhelming her. It will be really different, but I am looking forward to the new techniques and resources we will get from her new therapists.
    PP has recovered from a UTI this past week, the darn bilateral reflux in her ureters flared up. She had a bad fever, but no cold or flu-like symptoms which sent up a red flag for me. She can't talk, but when she would try to void her bladder she would scream like a banshee and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to put two-and-two together. A 3AM trip to the ER went very quickly and we got a substantial amount of antibiotics for her. We endured about 4 consecutive nights of being up ALL night, with Chris and myself taking turns sleeping on the couch and watching a movie in our bed with PP. The three of us trying to sleep in the same bed together was nearly impossible, and probably pretty funny if I wasn't blinded by sleep deprivation. I forget which day it was, probably day 3 of no sleep, I was trying to play with PP. I say "trying" because even though I was sitting up, talking to her, and moving toys in my hands I was falling asleep. Like, really, falling asleep. It was the weirdest feeling! Sheesh! I survived with the help of large iced caramel macchiatos from Dunn Bros, which I would chug in less than 5 minutes. I'm so glad it's over and PP is all better now!
    Today, we went to Children's Hospital to have blood drawn. The three of us each had 10mL of blood taken so it could be tested for Weavers by those eager beaver scientists up in Canada! Chris went first, then me, then PP. This was by far the best blood draw PP has ever done! She cried and tried to pull her arm away, but I know she can pack a punch when pitted against a phlebotomist. Thankfully, this wasn't the case today! I think that watching me and Chris do it first helped her a lot. She recovered quickly, and within a few minutes you wouldn't have known that the phlebotomist had to dig in her arm to find a vein! I don't know when the test results will come back, but I won't hold my breath. Genetic testing is very complicated. I can imagine that testing for a very obscure and rare genetic disorder would take longer than a normal test.

    PP is such a character! She loves going outside. She stands by the door and yanks on my purse or her jacket, then bangs on the door when she wants to go out. She loves to take rides in her Radio Flyer, playing in her play house and sliding down the little slide. She loves to walk near the street too, so showing her not to walk where the cars are driving is something I have been trying to teach her. It usually starts with me trying to block her way and explain why it's bad to walk into the middle of a busy street, trying to redirect her, then she ends up throwing a fit and we have to go into the house so she can throw herself around on the couch or in her crib where it's safe to do so. She also hates dogs that bark. They are very scary and send her into a frenzy that is only cured by a hug, walking and singing. She likes to use her reverse four-wheeled walker in the yard. It helps her stay stable over the uneven surface, and gives her more independence. She can kick beach balls and chase Momma all over (almost). PP also likes to lay on her back on the ground in search for airplanes and puffy clouds to point at, which is absolutely adorable.
    PP loves to give hugs and kisses, but mostly to Momma and her sock monkeys. She's shy to give kisses to Papa Chris, I think it's because of his whiskers! However, she does giggle A LOT when Papa gives her tickle-ly whisker smooches! She loves to give hugs, cuddle and watch her Papa edit his photos. We tried to use the FaceTime application on our phones the other day which went terribly! She looked horrified; crying and screaming when she saw Chris' face on the phone! It was funny to me, but obviously not to her. She gets upset when he's not around, and she would prefer it if both of us stayed in the same room at all times and gave her our undivided attention. She's two, ya know! Very bossy!
    PP has started to sign two signs together, like "more" and what I am beginning to pin down as "eat" or "drink". She is making up her own signs, but she's lucky that I have developed the priceless skill of knowing how to dissect non-verbal language from years of working with Alzheimer's patients and people with disabilities. I never imagined how useful those skills would become!
    PP loves to jump on the bed with Momma, and she loves to play dress up! She wears my shirts, hats, shoes and jewelry. She also puts clothes on me! The other day I was wearing two blankets on my head, a hat, sunglasses, and a stacking toy in my mouth which she thought was hilarious. She has an odd fashion sense that is totally PP. She is most definitely a unique girly girl!
   
Well, time for bed.
Sweet dreams and pleasant thoughts
XoX