Sunday, August 19, 2012
It's been a while
I don't like being in the first line out on the ice for the first game at the start of a broomball tournament. There is that moment right before the ball drops when the excitement of anticipation for the day is suddenly replaced with butterflies in my stomach. It passes quickly, but for just a second, I'm nervous. It's so much easier to jump out on the ice to sub on the fly once play has begun.
I feel like that tonight, as Charlie approaches his first day of Kindergarten tomorrow. For a couple of weeks now, we've been buying school supplies, trying on new school clothes, planning out schedules and talking to Charlie about what to expect. Now I'm waiting for that ball to drop. I wonder who his friends will be, will he eat his lunch, will he like his teacher. And will he stay out of trouble.
I told myself that I'd catch up on this blog before school started. That way, it would be easier to keep up again once the excitement of Kindergarten began. And here I am, like the night before final exams, sneaking in an entry. Nothing will replace the last year and a half of entries, but I've kept notes on some things I'd like to share.
For now, I'm going to set this aside and get to bed early. Tomorrow is a big day. I've always wanted to keep up this diary of sorts so that I would not forget the little things that make me smile, the kids' milestones, and the challenges we've overcome. But rather than agonize over documenting the past, I am going to focus on tomorrow. I want to be fully engaged for my little guy, who is not so little anymore. I'm so excited for all the new things he's going to learn, the new relationships he'll make, and the way he'll challenge me to keep up.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
March Madness
So I told myself I wasn't going to let another day go by without getting the blog at least one month closer to being caught up. Those of you reading this as a note on my FB feed may recall our status updates and some amusing photos that were posted from our many visits to medical establishments in the month of March. Let's just say that I drained my healthcare reimbursement account for the year in the span of about 2 weeks.
The month started dramatically. John had a nosebleed just after midnight on the 1st, which he couldn't stop. I eventually convinced him, after I think about an hour and a half, to let me call a friend to drive him to the ER (he wanted to drive himself!). I stayed home and nervously waited with the kids asleep in bed until he returned. Chemical cauterization had it stopped-- but only temporarily, as it turns out. Over the course of the next several days we made several return trips to ERs, and we made the acquaintance of a very nice ENT. John wasted no time becoming a frequent patient of that practice. We moved from the first treatment on to packing, then a few rounds of electrical cauterization, with a couple of balloons mixed in, along with heavy painkillers and a couple of antibiotics to prevent infection. By mid month there were only minor episodes of bleeding.
Probably the worst part of the nosebleed episodes was the Saturday when I had to run home from the mall with Charlie to take John into the ER, and having to explain to him what was happening with his daddy. He had either been asleep or at school for all the episodes up to that point. We are thankful for the friends who helped us watch kids or drive to hospitals during this span of time-- you know who you are!
The rest of the month included a sinus infection for me, and I think an ear infection for Liam. Only Charlie remained healthy the entire month. But we still managed to have some fun.
Mid-month we had a fabulous outing to the Cincinnati International Wine Festival with friends. We once again attended the Saturday afternoon tasting, followed by our traditional meal at Jeff Ruby's for dinner. This year we followed that up with a great James Taylor concert before the night was over. The following week John took Charlie to his first circus. They didn't stay for the whole show, because it ran into Charlie's bedtime, but Charlie seemed to especially like certain things, including the motorcycles. We finished the month by attending Opening Day for the Reds -- this year held on a Thursday. For the first time in a while, the Reds actually won, and in dramatic walk-off home-run fashion.
For the kids, there were of course milestones in March as well. They continued to grow like weeds. I remember glancing across the room and thinking I saw Charlie at the play piano, but it turned out it was Liam. Charlie no longer needed his long pants rolled up, and he nearly mastered buttoning his own shirt. During the first part of the month, Liam started saying "ooooh!" a lot when something excited him. One day, he grabbed his diaper and walked over to a container of wipes-- turns out he had a dirty diaper and we just didn't smell it yet. He did it again about 3 days later. Mid-month we turned Liam's car seat around to face forward in the car, which he loves.
Off to bed I go-- the next update will cover our rainy spring here in Cincinnati.
The month started dramatically. John had a nosebleed just after midnight on the 1st, which he couldn't stop. I eventually convinced him, after I think about an hour and a half, to let me call a friend to drive him to the ER (he wanted to drive himself!). I stayed home and nervously waited with the kids asleep in bed until he returned. Chemical cauterization had it stopped-- but only temporarily, as it turns out. Over the course of the next several days we made several return trips to ERs, and we made the acquaintance of a very nice ENT. John wasted no time becoming a frequent patient of that practice. We moved from the first treatment on to packing, then a few rounds of electrical cauterization, with a couple of balloons mixed in, along with heavy painkillers and a couple of antibiotics to prevent infection. By mid month there were only minor episodes of bleeding.
Probably the worst part of the nosebleed episodes was the Saturday when I had to run home from the mall with Charlie to take John into the ER, and having to explain to him what was happening with his daddy. He had either been asleep or at school for all the episodes up to that point. We are thankful for the friends who helped us watch kids or drive to hospitals during this span of time-- you know who you are!
The rest of the month included a sinus infection for me, and I think an ear infection for Liam. Only Charlie remained healthy the entire month. But we still managed to have some fun.
Mid-month we had a fabulous outing to the Cincinnati International Wine Festival with friends. We once again attended the Saturday afternoon tasting, followed by our traditional meal at Jeff Ruby's for dinner. This year we followed that up with a great James Taylor concert before the night was over. The following week John took Charlie to his first circus. They didn't stay for the whole show, because it ran into Charlie's bedtime, but Charlie seemed to especially like certain things, including the motorcycles. We finished the month by attending Opening Day for the Reds -- this year held on a Thursday. For the first time in a while, the Reds actually won, and in dramatic walk-off home-run fashion.
For the kids, there were of course milestones in March as well. They continued to grow like weeds. I remember glancing across the room and thinking I saw Charlie at the play piano, but it turned out it was Liam. Charlie no longer needed his long pants rolled up, and he nearly mastered buttoning his own shirt. During the first part of the month, Liam started saying "ooooh!" a lot when something excited him. One day, he grabbed his diaper and walked over to a container of wipes-- turns out he had a dirty diaper and we just didn't smell it yet. He did it again about 3 days later. Mid-month we turned Liam's car seat around to face forward in the car, which he loves.
Off to bed I go-- the next update will cover our rainy spring here in Cincinnati.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Catching up- January and February
So here's what I would have written, had I been keeping up with this blog the first two months of the year.....
Liam loves to feed Lucy. He does it on purpose. Charlie would drop food from the high chair, but Liam does it intentionally.
Liam had his 15 month appointment at the pediatrician at the end of January. He was just over 23 pounds (35th%) and 32 inches tall (75th%). Of course, his head remained at the 95th% (He IS a Robenalt.) He was over an inch taller than Charlie was at this age. It's quite apparent that their body shapes are pretty well opposite, like many of their attributes. They're both long in the torso, though, like their father.
During the week of 2/6, Charlie drew his first person-like figure. A blob with long lines coming out of it for arms and legs. Liam started saying "go!" and "row row row" (your boat). Charlie also had a good visit to the dentist.
Later in February, Charlie started using a new phrase... "What the....?" Liam learned how to climb up on the sofa or the La-z-boy by himself. Of course this makes him very proud.
Charlie's pre-school class had a beach party over lunch one day in February. John and I walked over along with many other parents, and we spread out towels in the gross motor room outside the Sunflower classroom for our picnic. I wore my floppy sun hat, and John pretended not to be embarrassed. Charlie was very pleased that we came.
I took Charlie to a Cyclones hockey game where the CBA put on a broomball exhibition during intermission. He ate cotton candy and got a new souvenir hockey stick. We stayed for almost the whole game. After the game, Charlie asked, "Can I learn to play hockey?"
Margie and Morgan also came to visit us for a couple of hours, and Charlie and Liam had a great time with them.
February ended dramatically, as you'll (hopefully) read soon in my March update!
Liam loves to feed Lucy. He does it on purpose. Charlie would drop food from the high chair, but Liam does it intentionally.
Liam had his 15 month appointment at the pediatrician at the end of January. He was just over 23 pounds (35th%) and 32 inches tall (75th%). Of course, his head remained at the 95th% (He IS a Robenalt.) He was over an inch taller than Charlie was at this age. It's quite apparent that their body shapes are pretty well opposite, like many of their attributes. They're both long in the torso, though, like their father.
During the week of 2/6, Charlie drew his first person-like figure. A blob with long lines coming out of it for arms and legs. Liam started saying "go!" and "row row row" (your boat). Charlie also had a good visit to the dentist.
Later in February, Charlie started using a new phrase... "What the....?" Liam learned how to climb up on the sofa or the La-z-boy by himself. Of course this makes him very proud.
Charlie's pre-school class had a beach party over lunch one day in February. John and I walked over along with many other parents, and we spread out towels in the gross motor room outside the Sunflower classroom for our picnic. I wore my floppy sun hat, and John pretended not to be embarrassed. Charlie was very pleased that we came.
I took Charlie to a Cyclones hockey game where the CBA put on a broomball exhibition during intermission. He ate cotton candy and got a new souvenir hockey stick. We stayed for almost the whole game. After the game, Charlie asked, "Can I learn to play hockey?"
Margie and Morgan also came to visit us for a couple of hours, and Charlie and Liam had a great time with them.
February ended dramatically, as you'll (hopefully) read soon in my March update!
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