Time, or lack-thereof.

For me, school starts today. Tomorrow is PP's first day back! I am so pumped!

On the other hand, I will not have much time to write in this little corner. Online classes, attending real live classes, working and doing school with PP will take up a huge chunk of my time. Let's face it...all of my time is pretty much spoken for over the next few months. I will try to get on here and share the big achievements, but for the most part I am thinking that this blog will get very boring very quickly. I am sad. By the time I am able to have time to write for fun, I will have accumulated lots of fun new stories to share! I think I might start keeping a journal on paper to keep my memory fresh...

Well, back to work. 

Well wishes to all-uh-yous!

XoX

Skewel is kewl.

Next week is a big week for PP and I. We both start school again! EEK!

Last week, I thought school started this week. It didn't. I was very ready for school to start again and was upset that PP would have to wait a whole extra week to see her teachers. I called her teacher, Lezli, to double check the start date and catch up a bit. I updated her on some of PP's progress, but I do like to keep some things a surprise for them. When I talk to one teacher, they talk to everyone else on PP's team so everyone stays on the same page. Surprises are fun for the teachers! I love the look on their faces when they see her do something we have been working on for a long time. They get just about as excited as I do when she reaches a new milestone. All of PP's teachers are very special people to our family. They care so much, and it's amazing to see the amount of love that goes into their work. If you think about it, they see her more than the rest of the family does. Once a week, every week. They are the driving force behind PP's progress. They motivate her, get her excited about learning and trying new things. PP's teachers show her new toys, games, and songs to sing every time they come over. They teach me how to keep the progress moving in the one week time period between visits. Our ECSE team has really morphed into a part of our clan! I will be sad when PP turns 3 because we will have to get a whole new team. These ladies only work with children aged 0-3, but this is a process our family will go through for the rest of our lives. I'm sure I will keep in touch with them anyways!

These reasons, and the fact that our teachers are genuinely wonderful people, is why I was so sad that school didn't start a week earlier. I never thought I would wish for school to start early! Where is my mind? Oh jeez. I call it, "Crazy mom school brain."

I am also very excited for my own schooling to begin. It's been about 2 1/2 years since I've stepped into a college as a student, and I think that's too long. Whatever, the past is behind me, and I am ecstatic to be going back. I feel more enthusiastic than ever! I want to learn. I am excited to do so; my classes are diverse and actually interesting to me. It's like going to school for the first time, but this time I actually want to do it! I feel good, James Brown style. Watch me, UHH!

Papa Chris is "springing" into a very busy season at work as well. He will be working at least 6 days a week, 8-11 hours a day. Sadly, we won't be seeing much of each other in the coming months. I intentionally took night classes so I could go to school without needing to rely on a baby sitter, but that means right as he gets off work I will go to school until late in the evening. We won't always get to coordinate our schedules perfectly, which is fine, because then we might actually get to see each other and be a family! I just keep telling myself, "It will all be worth it in the long run! The past is past. The future is my friend. The present is just a bump and I can jump it!"

I'm so sleepy!

Spooning Snuggles
XoX

Beauty supply stores and other obstacles.

Knowing how PP reacts to certain things while in public helps me decide what/what not to do with her. Loud, busy places are certainly not the best decision. She doesn't like being held for a long time so it's best to go to places with carts. Any store in general can be a toughie. A 2 year old weighing about 33lbs and measuring about 40 inches tall is a pretty size-able kid, throw in the fact that she can't walk and you've got a very heavy and wiggly bug to carry around!

Nevertheless, I was feeling brave today. I was also in desperate need of hair conditioner. Off to Ulta we went! I knew the store didn't have strollers, the music is loud, it smells weird and it was busy so I would have to stand in line. Sounds like a dang nightmare! So I brought her pacifier (which I hate doing, but sometimes it's necessary), a little toy figure of a grandma, stuck my debit card in my most accessible pocket and had a little pep talk with myself. Then it was go time. Sadly, my conditioner was at the very back of the store so PP got a good view of all the fun things to knock off the shelves. I also have a giant purse/diaper bag, so whenever I would shift my weight to catch PP from dive-bombing the nail polish I would knock a few little beauty products off the shelf behind me. Ugh. Standing in line literally made me work up a sweat. She wanted to crawl everywhere so I started flipping her sideways and upside-down and tickled her belly until we got up to the cashier. This girl was nice, but obviously didn't see the beads of sweat on my forehead and my giant baby grabbing everything on the counter, so she proceeded to try to sell me magazines while trying to look up my phantom Ulta account. I finally told her to just stop trying and, "Get me out of here!" Back in the car for a breather then it was off to the grocery store.

I know I said before how it was such a bad idea to bring PP to the store, but the grocery store is an exception. I came to the realization long ago that the grocery shopping can't wait until it's convenient for Chris to help. He also doesn't like grocery shopping and can make the whole experience more stressful. Cub is a Mom-Nelly place. She likes to sit in the cart and play with my keys or my wallet. The people are nice and they make faces at PP. She likes to flirt with the cashiers. I have the whole process down to an art form, nearly memorizing the contents of each aisle. I even use coupons and PP doesn't try to nab my sacred notebook anymore! After our crash course lesson in Ulta, the grocery store was very nice. Trying to get her in the car seat again after that trip was hard! PP fell asleep fast tho so I got a nice car ride to the Convention Center minus child shrieking. I was so proud! I got all of my errands done for the day in about an hour! Heck yes!

This year one of my goals for PP is to keep trying new places in hopes that she will tolerate unfavorable conditions a little better. I wonder what kind of places we will go? I would like to take a bus ride. Maybe even a trip to the movie theater! The older she gets the easier it will be, right?! Sheesh! Keep your fingers crossed for us!


Hugs and Eskimo kisses
XoX

Bye, 2011.

The New Year is fast approaching. I am excited.

PP has been taking 3-5 independent steps every day now, she's so big. I am really excited to see all of her teachers next week! Before the break I spoke to each of them and they told me how excited they were to come back to work and see the progress PP has made. We have had a lovely time off from school, but it gets boring at home and we love our teachers. PP has definitely been making progress in the past two weeks! Besides walking, her sign language has improved and it's clear to see what she is trying to do with her hands. It's such a neat process! She has also been making more sounds verbally, and non-verbally. Now, PP likes to burp and fart intentionally and she thinks it's very funny! She has been adding more "B" and hard consonant sounds to her vocabulary. Pointing at things and asking for "help" is mostly how she communicates, along with high pitched screaming. Her laugh is still the same, and I hope it always stays that way. PP has the BEST laugh I have ever heard. I am not biased because I've heard that from everyone who hears her belly laugh!

This New Year promises to bring a lot of change to our family and I am so ready for it. I am going back to school, and Chris (quitting smoking almost a year ago) has a whole new outlook on his health, and PP has a lot of growing to do!


Happy freakin' New Year!
XoX

Can you say, "Best Christmas, EVER?!"

What a fun Christmas! Our little clan did a lot of traveling in the past two days. The yearly migration from South MPLS to the northern suburbs is daunting but well worth it! After all, it's just for the weekend. We visited GG's house, Auntie Stacey's house, Grandpa and Grandma Babcock's, and even a quick stop to see Great Grandma Donna and Auntie Karri! We drove over the Great Mississippi a couple times too. I had the tune, "Over the river and through the woods, to Grandmother's house we go!" stuck in my head all weekend. How cute.

PP got lots of toys, of course! She also got zebra print clothes and an easel. I wanted to get her a puppy, but while shopping I was able to remind myself of my distaste for raising dogs! I'll stick with just the kid for now. It's so fun to see her play with all these new toys! PP especially likes her new wagon! I've always wanted to get a wagon for her, but just until a few months ago I was sure she would easily lose her balance and fall out. She is so much more stable these days! Taking a couple more independent steps at the Babcock's this morning was my favorite Christmas present! I am positive that PP is ready to have her own wagon now. The amount of change that she has gone through in the past year is astounding. This year she was engaged in the activities, she played with her Cousins and Uncles and Aunts! She could show the family her sign language and flirt like no other. She showed off her walking skills, having one hand held isn't so hard anymore! PP even threw a fit and pinched mommy on purpose, but it's OK. It's not that we allow her to do these things, she surely doesn't get away with hitting, but I am excited because it's behavior you would expect from a two year old. You have to appreciate things for what they are sometimes. I feel like a very lucky person!

After my awesome daughter, supportive family and friends are a large chunk of what keeps me going through the day. I have felt so much love from so many people! My goal is to dish it back ten-fold throughout this coming year. This time of year can really bring out the best in us! I hope everyone is having a wonderful Holiday season!

Sugar plums and snuggles!
XoX

VCUG's, VUR and P

Vesicoureteral reflux is defined as "the abnormal flow of urine from the bladder to the upper urinary tract." In other words, some of the urine in the bladder flows back up instead of down. This introduces lots of bacteria to the ureters and kidneys which can cause serious Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) and scarring.


We first figured out there was a problem in PP's kidneys/bladder when she was just about 5 months old. She got a terrible UTI that set her in the hospital for a few days. PP was in so much pain at one point they had to give her Morphine to calm down. I have never seen a child in so much pain before and I really hope that I never see it again. I remember sitting in her hospital room with Chris and the nurse: it was early in the morning, maybe 2AM, and the three of us were trying everything to figure out why this child was screaming bloody murder refusing to let anyone touch her! We were all having a hard time with the situation. The poor nurse was so rattled and embarrassed she couldn't even grab a glass of water from the end table without spilling it all over the floor. Before we asked her to go take a break and send someone else to help, she just stood with her hands over her face, shivering. I felt very bad for everyone involved! Shortly thereafter PP's morphine was administered and the room fell quiet. The nurses left so Chris and I just went to sleep after that. 


Those terrible days are long gone thanks to a daily prophylactic antibiotic! PP has had a few flare ups and Emergency Room visits, but nothing we can't handle at home. We found out she had VUR by a special x-ray of her bladder and ureters. While they pumped a dye mixture into PP to fill her bladder, they note the amount of solution going back up her ureters. This test is called a VCUG or voiding cystourethrogram. It's kind of a cool process, but it's not my favorite test she's taken. I personally like the barium swallow studies! Anyways, the first time this test was done they found that she had Grade 2 Bilateral VUR. The reflux was occurring in both ureters but was not traveling all the way back up to her kidneys. The most recent test she had done showed a decrease in reflux, just occurring in the left ureter now. The prophylactic antibiotic is definitely doing it's job, but to get rid of this urologic disease you must grow out of it or have surgery. 


We have another VCUG scheduled in July. We hope that PP's ureters are working like clockwork by then because there are brand new guidelines for children on prophylactic medicines and how long they can be on them. PP is past that time frame already, but since she has a unique situation the doctor told me that it was OK for her to take it for a while longer. PP is always the exception to the rule! I really don't want her to have surgery, so I will keep trying alternate options until surgery is our only option. 


That's about as much as I can say about that.


Happy Friday 
XOX

Pictures.

Brand new baby 

4 months

9 months

15 months                                                        

20 months

24 months