Blog Notes

(1) I just got around to changing my email address for comment notification, so I may not have seen your comment if it was left during the last 3-4 weeks. I scrolled down my recent entries to see comments, but any comments left on old posts have probably not been seen - if you need me to see something, please resubmit. Sorry about that!

(2) I'm afraid I've been very, very, very bad about using blog category labels - in fact, I haven't done it for the past, oh, 18 months or so. Thus, I have installed search bars on both my blogs so that visitors can search for a subject of interest. I'll probably get rid of the label category side bars soon.

(3) I have added a new side bar - "Various Lines of Thought on HG Prevention" - this is for links from people who believe they have info on preventing HG, usually through pre-conception diet. If you see anything that would belong there, please let me know!

Fall Challenge

Considering that I only completed (maybe) half of the summer marriage challenge at Women Living Well - actually, I'd forgotten about it until I saw this new one - I kind of questioned if I should jump on the wagon again.

However, this new Fall Challenge is super-super-super easy - much easier than the summer challenge - and it's in an area I need serious (i.e. remedial) help in - that is, decorating and seasonal decor, etc., type of stuff. It sounds fun - and more importantly, as I said, easy! - so as of Monday we'll be off! Join me if you feel like it! Here's the summary:

"Is your calendar full like mine? Do you feel a little tense, rushed and even panicked at times when you are running late? Do you feel like the rest of the family is feeling the same way? I believe we women can create a physical environment, as well as a spiritual environment, that can bring peace, harmony and a sense of calmness to our homes if we are willing to be intentional.

"So let me introduce you to the "Making Your Home a Haven" Fall Challenge. Each week I will give you one practical tip and one spiritual tip that you can do to create a haven in your home."

Hurray for my very favorite season - Autumn! Bring it on! (And these near-record heat wave things can leave any time.)

HG Has a Button!

See my sidebar - many thanks to Becky at Refuse to be a Womb Pod!!

Here is the link:

http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff104/vbacwarrior/HGawarenessribbon.jpg

I feel special now! I have a button!!

Adventures in Preschool

First, an update on baby - We had our evaluation with the state-run early-start program this past Tuesday (they offer free in-home therapy), and baby more than qualifies - so much so that they're probably going to pass us on to the next level - so we'll be dealing with a different department, one that will probably offer more services. We'll hear back on that this week.

It has been so unusual to note the differences between our sons. Our eldest is the "healthy as a horse" type. He's only been to his pediatrician for sick visits once in his life... he's never had anything wrong with him other than colds.... he is the kind that the doctor has a hard time remembering whenever he does come in.

Our youngest, on the other hand, has so many issues (I know I've written about this before, but it keeps coming up). Besides his main issue of whatever is going on (diagnosis hopefully coming in November/December), he is fussy/delicate about things like temperature and wind, he gets more rashes, he has gotten ringworm (we think), his colds last a lot longer (current cold is on day 8), he can't handle solids well (he throws up if his food isn't smooth enough), etc. At this point, the receptionist at our doctor's office actually knows my voice on the phone. It's crazy. We talk with them constantly. I guess it's just our turn to learn about non-perfect health in children!

Now, our older son:

Our eldest son's preschool does daily "grading" - they get "green" for good behavior, "yellow" for doing something naughty, and "red" for doing something really bad (you are only allowed 2 reds before getting kicked out of the program - yikes).

On Thursday, our son brought home his first "yellow" - for not following directions during P.E. time. I can't say I was surprised - in fact, I had been pleasantly surprised that he went so long (two whole days!) getting "greens"!

It has now been a full two years since we began to be approached by various teachers. Thankfully it's only world-destroyingly-catastrophic the first time - I don't think I took in half of what his two-year-old-class Sunday School teacher told me when she let me know she was having issues with him in class - I was in a state of absolute shock, dismay, panic, denial - the works. It was super-hard to take in.

Since then, I'm afraid I've gotten a bit used to it. We continue to work hard, hard, hard on obedience issues (it is a daily adventure), but the truth remains that our son continues to have absolutely ZILCH interest in group activities, and obedience is a hard sell with him, despite our work. His attitude seems to be "Sure, you guys go over there and do whatever you want; I'll be over here playing with this toy." If you put him in a group of older teens, he's all attention, but with his peers he is distant and unconcerned.

Part of what makes this harder for me is that I was a docile, mild-mannered, pleaser, compliant, disgustingly-goody-two-shoes girl. So my experience with spirited, non-pleaser-type, wilfull, energetic boys, is naught.

I can still remember the only three caregiver-discipline issues of my entire K-6 experience.... #1 - Getting put in time out for spanking a boy who deliberately knocked over my block tower. (I have no regrets! He deserved it, LOL!!!), #2 - Being spoken to firmly after questioning my 2nd grade teacher's directions, #3 - Getting scolded by my mom for bringing home an A- instead of an A+ in some 6th grade subject. Oh, the horror!

(As a matter of fact, I didn't get a non-A grade till college.... it was first-quarter Physics lab - I got an unexpected C. I'm still in therapy for that.)

Oh, and there was that little incident in third grade where I and a friend were almost arrested on suspicion of masterminding a jewel robbery, but that was a frame-up! I swear it!

(As another matter of fact, that really did happen.... Thankfully the school authorities and the police realized that the accusing party - a rather nasty fourth-grade girl - had completely made up the charge to get back at us for reporting her playground bullying.)

Anyhow, this whole thing is rather new to me. As I've said, we are working super-super-hard on constant obedience training, learning more and more parenting techniques, instilling good morals, etc. etc. etc., but for now we are still stuck with having occasional teacher issues.

So for now, we set up consequences for any future "yellows," and we'll be explaining them this weekend. Hopefully they're complete enough for deterrence!

Is this a sign that we need to persevere, and that things will get better? Or is this a sign that our son is not going to have a fun school experience and that we need to still consider homeschooling?

I still have not come to a place of peace about either homeschooling or not homeschooling. Thus, I'm trying to keep an open mind, pray constantly about it, and watch how preschool goes. If we decide on school, then preschool will be preschool.... if we decide on homeschool, then preschool will just be an "enrichment class." I'm just praying for direction and peace with whatever decision God wants us to make.

And if anyone has any parenting suggestions, tips, techniques, or books/websites to recommend for dealing with spirited boys, let me know! I've read some that have been very helpful - every little bit helps!

Have an awesome Sabbath, everyone!!!

One Mama Blogs About Future HG....

..... and she is a braver woman than I!

It's Not Easy Being Green

Can I say that I love this mama's blog? A birth blog and an HG blog, all rolled into one.... that is my kind of blog!

Thanks for writing!

Doctor #5: Cardiology

Gosh, we're really chalking up the doctors' visits, aren't we?

I'm shot after today - a very busy morning after too little sleep!

So today was cardiology for our little one. A friend offered to watch our eldest (he had a great time!), so it was just baby and myself (and DH joined us halfway through).

I got a dreadfully late start, but thankfully it didn't matter since I'd arranged to have them fax the intake papers to us so that I could fill them out at home - there is nothing I dislike more at doctors' visits than having to fill out reams of paperwork in a noisy and distracting waiting room while dealing with a cranky baby or rambunctious toddler, all while secretaries are asking for insurance cards and co-pays. So thankfully we skipped all that! I plan to do that with every doctor appointment I have for the rest of my life. (Though some docs, like my primary care provider, have real on-line forms! Love it!)

Thankfully, they were really on-time - there was little to no waiting. We started out with a quick EKG, for which baby was a sweet angel. Then we went for the echocardiogram (an ultrasound), and he let loose for all he was worth - screamed his head off the whole time - why, I'm not sure, as it was painless and on a comfy bed. But he was not having it! Poor baby, and poor ultrasound tech! We were all a big ragged by the time it was over. Baby went right to sleep in his carseat afterward, then DH arrived, and then the doctor came in.

We had a great doctor, who was a pleasure to work with - I love doctors who are clear, concise, and logical. This was a good visit.

We were expecting a clean bill of health - that this visit would be more of a formality than anything. Well, not quite - but nothing horribly serious either.

They found two things with baby's heart:

#1 - A Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) - this is a septum that should have closed at birth (when circulation changes from fetal circulation patterns to newborn circulation patterns) and didn't. It's extremely common - 20-25% of the adult population has it, so it's nothing to worry about and almost never causes problems.

#2 - A Patent Ductus Arteriosis (PDA) - another circulatory pathway that should have shut down at birth and didn't. Less common, and may possibly cause problems due to reduced circulatory efficiency. We're going back in 9 months to see if it is causing problems (heart enlargement, etc.), or if it has possibly closed (that would be best, though very unlikely since it usually closes within 24 hours post-birth), and we'll confer at that time with the doctor to see if correction is necessary. If it is, it will be done through groin catheterization, so it wouldn't be major-major-major (i.e. open-heart) surgery. Hopefully it won't happen at all!

These health issues with baby are like an onion - every time we investigate, we find more problems! And I can't say that I'm not a bit freaked out by the possibility of heart surgery for baby. However, knowledge is good, and I'm glad to have another doctor visit in the "done" category. Now remains only our visit with our geneticist, as well as next week's state-sponsored therapy evaluation.

I'm shot! Nap time!!!! Have a lovely weekend, all!

HG Activism: The Necessity of Getting Full Information

A facebook friend of mine - an old high-school acquaintance - is expecting her first baby (hurray for new babies!!!). A day or two ago, she posted that her husband had had to take her to the emergency room for out-of-control nausea and vomiting that was causing dehydration and preterm contractions.

*Red Alert! * Red Alert! * All hands to the HG-advice station! *

So I immediately hop onto Facebook and message her, giving her my blog address, the address for the HER (Hyperemesis Research) Foundation, encouragement, etc. You know the drill.

Then I got her response: "Oh, actually, I just had a 24-hour stomach bug. I'm fine now."

* Crickets chirping *

This is why I need to wait until having full information before jumping into HG mode! I am so freaked out about HG that whenever I hear about bad vomiting from a pregnant mama, that's where my mind immediately goes. Next time I will need to THINK before I jump.

And Jess, if you're reading, my apologies!