Beating the Heat

It's been hot here.  Really, really hot! We've been trying to get outside and still keep cool, but it's a challenge. 

Emma started sweeping outside her cottage - one of her favorite activities, but it's hard work sweeping in such hot weather.

Then she went for a ride in her car, but the air conditioning wasn't working.

So she decided to get in her swim diaper and head to her water sprinkler pad thingy. 

The water was cold. VERY cold! She didn't seem to mind too much though once she got in.

 Who knows what she was doing here?! Trying to catch water in her diaper??

 Time to look for bugs in the grass.

Too hot in the grass. Back to the water.

 And then it was time to drink some water.

 And have a picnic lunch of chicken, avacados and blueberries.

 After lunch, Emma turned into a frog.

 Have you ever seen a cuter frog?

 Then it was Super Froggy!

 All in a day's work.

 Finally, she turned back into my sweet girl and spent the rest of the afternoon drawing with her sidewalk chalk. Lots of fun, but it was hot! Really, really HOT!

And today we wait for the hurricane to hit. At least, it will bring cooler temperatures!

To Train or Not to Train?

So now that Emma is 2, the potty training issue on the table.  Is she ready?  Am I ready?  I don't really know the question to either of these questions.  What I do know is that I want her trained by her next birthday so she can start pre-school in the Fall.  Beyond that though, I'm kind of at a loss!

We aren't pushing it just yet because, well, for one she just turned 2 and for another I don't really want to stress her (or myself) out about it. Beyond those two basics, though, we have run into a few things that are keeping us from being a diaper free household. (At least until, a sibiling comes along whenever that may be.)

Issue # 1 - Learning how to sit on the potty.

Issue #2 - Learning what to put in the potty.

Issue # 3 - Learning where and when to use the potty.  Emma likes to carry her potty out of the bathroom, into the kitchen and strip right there.

Issue #4 - the underwear issue.  Emma has the waist and tushie of an infant.  Size 6-12 month pants are still loose on her ... with a diaper on.  12 - 18 months have to be rolled at the waist and 18 -24 months are pretty much a lost cause. She just isn't the standard size of a potty training toddler.

I bought some Pull-Ups for when the time comes, but she really still wears a size 3 diaper and they only come in size 4 and above. Plus I really don't want to rely on Pull-Ups for too long.

 So where does one buy infant sized underwear? Well, I did buy some XS thick cotton training pants at Hanna Andersson (at $25 for 3 pairs!), and while they are cute, soft and make very cute little pj shorts, they certainly wouldn't hold any accidents in.

I may not be able to train her until I can find underwear that fits!  It's a moot point if there's nothing to replace the diaper.

 Issue #5 - She's just not quite ready.  While she does like her pottys (The beautiful rocking chair in the background is actually a potty chair that my mom bought her for Christmas, but currently her infant sized tushy is a little too small to keep from falling into the hole.) and her potty books, but the idea of using the potty is still a bit of a novelty.  Not to mention the fact that she still denys the existence of poop in her diaper 90% of the time.

Issue #6 - I don't think I'm quite ready.  I don't mind (usually) changing diapers.  It just isn't that big an issue.  Mostly, though, I REALLY don't want to drop everything and rush to the bathroom in the middle of Target, the grocery store or somewhere that doesn't even have potty because she has to go ... NOW!

So I guess for now we'll just keep talking about the potty and reading our books.  I'll keep searching for tiny underwear. And when she's ready, she'll tell me.  I hope. Okay maybe if she doesn't tell me by Thanksgiving, I'll buy a book about potty training. Maybe.

So Here's What You Missed ...

Shortly after Emma turned 2, we went to Rhode Island for a Leghorn family party.  Emma had a ball playing with her cousins (well, Jeremy's cousin's daughters - I don't know how that all works - 2nd cousins, 2nd cousins once removed, yada yada yada).  We had an uneventful drive back, but by 9:30 at night, I was doubled over with abdominal pain.  It was actually the 2nd time that week that I had felt this particular pain, but the first time it passed in about 15 minutes and I chalked up to severe bloating.  This time, I decided bloated or not, I should go to the ER.   I figured if I was on my hands and knees trying to alleviate the pain which felt like a labor contraction or, what I imagine, a heartache might feel like, it couldn't be good.

By the time I arrived in the ER and got checked in, the pain was gone, of course.  When I was evaluated by the triage nurse, my heart rate was 150 bpm.  The nurse even said she could see my pulse throbbing in neck.  Not feel, SEE!  The nervous look on her face didn't help bring my heart rate down.  She seemed more than a little nervous out by the combination of my freakishly high heart rate, visible pulse and otherwise relatively calm appearance and demeanor.

I was started on IV fluids to bring my heart rate down, which didn't work, was given anti-nausea medication and pain killers, which sort of worked and had blood work down right away as well as an EKG.  A while later, after convincing myself I was going to need a heart transplant or something (OK not really), the doctor came in declaring that he knew what was wrong with me - gallstone pancreatitis. Sounded pretty good to me since it meant I wasn't dying of a blood clot or heart attack.

After spending the whole night and early morning in the ER, I was finally admitted to the hospital.  I was told that the only cure for pancreatitis was to stop eating and drinking until my pancreatic enzyme levels (which went from about 700 when I came in to 15,000 by the next morning.  Normal is well below 100 I believe.) to return to normal or close to normal.  In other words, I couldn't eat for days. Just under 3 days to be exact.  No food, no water, not even ice chips on a regular basis.  Every time you eat or drink, your body produces enzymes to help digest the food.  No food, no enzymes.

My levels were down by the next day which was surprising to the doctors leading them to believe I had a gallstone blocking my bile duct that eventually passed allowing the enzymes to keep flowing.  I had a procedure called an ERCP to make sure my duct was no longer clogged and was told I would need to have my gallbladder out within a few weeks.

I went in on a Saturday and was discharged the following Wednesday with instructions to avoid coffee, alcohol and fat.  Rather limiting, but it did help to lose 12 lbs in about a week! 

Two weeks ago, I had my gallbladder out.  My parents came to help out since I was instructed not to life more than 15 pounds for 2 to 3 weeks which meant lifting Emma was out of the question. She was not to happy about not having Mommy do the things I usually do, but she seems to be over it, sort of. Jeremy's parents took over on Sunday. I feel great, like nothing happened, but I haven't gotten the all clear yet. Today I go back to the doctor for a follow-up and am praying that he will tell me I can get back to at least lifting Emma. I still can't drink or eat much fat, but at least I can have coffee and now I'm down 17 pounds from when I went to the hospital the for the pancreatitis. So it's not ALL bad!

So that's the story!  I feel like life has been sort of crazy and I haven't felt much life blogging, but I'm getting back to normal and in spite of being an invalid, we have managed to do keep Emma entertained and out of trouble! Thank God!

Delicious!

I really wanted to put the video up of Emma blowing out her candles, but the file must be too big. So here is a short one of her enjoying her birthday cupcake!

Happy Birthday, Emma Bean!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Sweet Girl!

I'm amazed by how far you've come and how much you've grown in the past 2 years!

July 2008

July 2009

July 2010

My heart is filled to overflowing with the love, joy and pride that comes with being your mommy.  I love you more everyday.  I couldn't ask for a smarter, funnier, sweeter, more beautiful daughter than you!

I love you, Sweet Pea!

We're Still Here!

I really didn't intend to leave my blog unattended for so long.  I started writing at the beach, trying to post oh-so-adorable beach photos of Emma, but I didn't have my computer and the signal wasn't very good and it just got overwhelming.  Then my computer died so I was without until I could replace it.  Anyway, we're still here.  Lots going on.  Emma's always keeping me on my toes!

We are actually in Pittsburgh now.  Emma and I came into town about 2 weeks ago.  Then Jeremy joined us for the first weekend to attend my dad's retirment dinner.  Lots of things going on this month, so Emma and I are staying for another 2 weeks.  Being away from home and missing Jeremy has been hard, but we're enjoying our time away.  Emma has a nursery at my parents house now.  She LOVES her new room and we are all sleeping much better!

We've spending a lot of our trip trying out all the playgrounds in town.  I am really jealous of the playgrounds here.  They are so much better than the ones at home!  Yesterday, we took her to War Memorial Park.  It's been the site of many a picnic over the course of my life, but recently they built two BEAUTIFUL playgrounds.  One for older kids and one for smaller kids.  The climbing structure doesn't have holes in the railings where kids can fall through.  There is so much for the little kids to do including little play house type areas which were Emma's favorite.  My favorite feature was the bouncy, cushion-y ground made of rubber.  It was just so nice to go to a playground and not feel like I had to hover over.  She could do so much on her own! 

She loved 'my rubber duckie'.  She didn't want to ride him much, but she loved him just the same.

Emma is quite a cautious slider.  No need to for too much mommy-fear.  She puts her feet out and goes VERY slowly!

'Mommy, open the window!' she kept saying.

She loved this little table.  She told us she was eating noodles!

She also spent a lot of time going in and out of this little door.

Hot and sweaty, looking out the train window.  She called it her 'Chugginton'. 
(Chuggington is a show about trains on Disney which she actually doesn't even like.)

A perfect playground for Emma - there was a drum set!!

We also spent a could chunk of time playing in the creek.  It's Emma's new love.  Sitting at the edge of a creek, throwing stones in.  She doesn't actually throw as much as drop them, but it's her new favorite pasttime.  She seems determined to find the biggest rocks.  Always up for a challenge I guess!

We have two more week here and have lots of little friends coming into town.  I'm sure we have many more days of playgrounds and throwing rocks in creeks in our future!

Thank You!

 Last weekend, I celebrated my 2nd Mother's Day and walked in the March of Dimes walk for babies.  Although it was cold and rainy, the walk was a success.  I wish I had better pictures to share, but the rain kept us in tents and didn't allow for a lot of picture opportunities. 

The 'Hatch Shell' along the Charles River. The Boston Pops perform here on the 4th of July, but last week it was center stage for the Boston March for Babies.

Emma sensed that there were doctors and nurses around her and so, true to form, she was in tears.  We were in tight quarters in the NICU reunion tent and I think she was a little overwhelmed, but I joked with a few of the NICU staff that we knew that scrubs or no scrubs, she knew who they were.

The NICU grads were given these stickers to wear.  Emma was not happy to be wearing it, but I was proud to show of my NICU Grad!

I'm not sure how many people walked, but it was a lot.  I was sort of in the middle of the pack, and I couldn't see the front. It was more touching than I expected to be walking in the rain with so many people who were strangers to be, but that I was connected to through this walk and what it supports.

I thought it was sort of fitting that we saw this group of geese while we walked.  Families of all kinds walking together.

Rain or not, it's still a beautiful scene.  I took this after the walk as I walked across the Harvard Bridge to meet Emma and Jeremy at MIT.

Because of the rain, Emma didn't walk with me, but she was much happier anyway playing in the rocks outside the student union at MIT with Jeremy.

Thank you so much for all the support in this walk. It took a little courage to do it, but I'm so glad I did. I was blown away by everyone's generosity.  I initially set a goal of $200.  When family members covered that almost immediately, I realized I could do more.  I set a new goal of $850 - $100 for each of the 8 1/2 weeks that Emma stayed in the NICU. On the day of the walk, I handed in my sponsor sheet with a grand total of $1,090!! So thank you for the donations!  Thank you for the all the prayers when she was sick!  Thank you for caring about Emma, Jeremy and I, and our families!