Smarty Pants

Friday I had to take Chancery to the public health nurse for some more shots.  They do a few other tests there as well, and this time, it was an eye exam.

 

The nurse put a caterpillar finger puppet on her finger & moved it up & down, then covered one of Chancery’s eyes & did it again.  Next, she changed the caterpillar puppet to a zebra one.  She kept telling Chancery, “Watch the horsie!  Where did the horsie go?”  Chancery was paying absolutely no attention to it & the nurse seemed a bit mystified.

 

Finally, I pointed to the puppet & said, “Watch that, Chancery.”

 

To which Chancery told the nurse, “That’s not a horse, it’s a ZEBRA, Lady!”

The Punisher

We were visiting friends earlier in the week, & Asher discovered a fly on the window.  He asked for a fly swatter, so he could get the fly & he managed to hit it, but it became stuck on the window.  Apparently he figured that was good enough, so he gave the fly swatter back, but about 10 minutes later, I guess it was too much for him to bear to see that fly on the window any longer.

 

Asher asked, “May I please have the fly swatter back?  I want to hurt that fly again.”

 

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Today I was telling Chancery that we would drop Asher off at play-school & then I was going to take her to get her shots.  Evidently Asher didn’t want to miss out on the fun because he interjected, “I want to come & see Chancery get her shots, because I want to hear her cry.”

 

You’d think he got enough of that at home, since he seems to have a special gift of making her cry on demand.  But he would have been disappointed had he come along, since she didn’t cry at all.  She chose instead to stare down the nurse after each injection.

Learing To Walk

Yesterday I had an appointment to see the Doctor about my foot. After a few x-rays & a look at my foot, he gave me clearance to take off the cast-boot & walk on it. He told me I'm allowed to walk on it, but I'm not allowed to do any athletic activities. Not that there is any real danger of that in the near future.

I found that I am very accustomed to walking on my heel, since that was all I was allowed to do in the last 6 weeks. As I left his office I caught myself on my heel & had to really think about putting the rest of my foot down.

I had thought ahead enough to bring my other shoe, which I was happy about. However, I had neglected to bring a sock. Thankfully I was wearing rather long jeans, so no one could really tell that I was wearing one sock & not the other.

So now I have to get my muscles used to doing all the things they are supposed to do when you walk, like stretching! I think at this point, Chancery is walking faster than I am!

Getting A Break

My family has been visiting us for the last week & one of the things we do when we are all together is taking a family picture.

We decided to do it yesterday at church since we'd all be dressed nicely & there would be lots of people we could ask to take a few pictures. After we'd taken some of the whole group, Asher decided he'd rather be running around than stand in one place any longer.

Grandpa & Grandma wanted a few pictures with the grandkids, so I was trying to round Asher up whilst wearing heels. It was not a good combination. I tripped a bit & hurt my foot, but figured I might have just sprained it somehow.

After we got home I iced it for awhile, but it wasn't getting much better & I wasn't sure it was even possible to sprain the side of a foot, so I decided to tag along with PChad since he was going to the hospital to visit a couple who had just had a baby that morning.

Three hours & four x-rays later, we found out that I have a fractured foot & will be the proud owner of a cast for the next 4-6 weeks. I just picked up some crutches today, but I'm wondering just how it'll work to carry Chancery for the next few weeks while I'm on them. And since it's my driving foot, looks like I'll be housebound for awhile too.

We Hope This Is The New Trend

Guess who slept last night from 7pm to 7am without waking up at all:
(and, yes, she does use her silky blanket as a pillow)


Of course things might be a bit different tonight since she just got her shots today. We're a bit behind on shots since we moved when she was first born & I didn't get her scheduled for shots right away when we moved here b/c I didn't really know what I was doing.

The nurse commented that Chancery was a bit petite for a 6 month old, when I corrected her that she was actually 8 months she asked if she had been premature. That's an iffy question since I had 3 due dates & she came after the first one, but before the other 2. I suppose she was a bit on the small side, weighing 6lbs 4oz at birth, compared to Asher's 7lb 11oz.

So Chancery got her shots & hardly cried at all until it was time to undress her to weigh her. Apparently pain is nothing, but being cold is torture. She measured 26 3/4" ranking her in the 33% of babies at 8 months. Her weight was 15lbs 6oz bringing her in at 6%. I guess she'll be long & lean. In not quite 3 months, she has grown 1 1/4" and gained 13 oz. She'll probably never outgrow her car seat, but at least we'll get our money's worth out of it!

On A Last Name Basis

Today I had to take the kids in to the doctor to get them re-checked to make sure the medicine they are on for their infections is working. Asher is 100% better, & Chancery still has a bit of "crackle" in her lungs, so we're supposed to keep an eye on her for awhile.

We try to teach Asher to refer to adults as "Mr. Jim" or "Miss Julie" for friends of ours, but if they are people we don't know as well, then we prefer him to use their last name instead of their first. He is catching on that PChad & I don't say "Mr." or "Miss" & sometimes he'll try to be sneaky & just say their first name. We usually remind him that he's supposed to say "Mr." or "Miss"

Anyways, we were waiting in the exam room for the doctor to come & Asher kept asking, "Where's Dr. Billirubin*?" I told him that the doctor would be in soon, but we just had to wait a bit. After a few minutes, the doctor came & first listened to Asher's lungs, then Chancery's. Asher began asking, "What are you doing Billirubin?..... Billirubin, what are you doing?"

Apparently Asher feels quite chummy w/ the doctor b/c on our way out he asked, "Where's Billirubin's truck? Can I go ride in Billirubin's truck?"

*Name changed (obviously)

**Extra points if you can tell me what movie I got the post's title from! "Are you on a last name basis with all your girlfriends?"

Feel The Burn

About 5 years ago I was having issues w/ my stomach every morning. Usually I can cope w/ such things, but it was getting out of hand. To the point where I couldn't drink my daily latte anymore b/c it was upsetting my stomach. We were trying to make a baby, but after countless negative pregnancy tests & continued morning sickness I went to the doctor to see what was up. Long story short, no, I was not pregnant, I had acid reflux, but they wanted to find out more.

After a few months of testing they figured out I had gastroparesis which means that my stomach takes too long to empty after eating (I never figured out how that works w/ also having a fast metabolism). I was given some erythromycin to help my stomach empty faster & also to combat the acid reflux. I was told I'd have to be on the erythromycin for the rest of my life b/c my stomach just needed some help, but since we were also working on expanding our family & that medication can cause complications, I just took myself off it & tried eating smaller meals more often. Things were going fine until last Friday.

Suddenly my stomach felt like it was on fire & my throat was full of acid. I picked up some Zantac at the pharmacy, but after 3 days w/o much improvement I went to the doctor yesterday & am now back on the reflux meds to see how they work. Why I've been fine for all those years & suddenly it's back is anybody's guess, but so far the medication's not working great, hopefully it will soon. The biggest issue I've been having is drinking water. The more water I drink, the worse it gets, but since I'm nursing Chancery I have to drink lots of it.

There are 2 ways this could go:
1. These meds work & I have no more issues w/ it. (A great option)
2. The meds don't work & in 6 weeks I have an endoscopy. (A fun option, they give you drugs that make you have a GREAT day!)

So, I'm hoping the drugs work or my body decides to correct itself again b/c I am not looking forward to 6 more weeks of this!

Needles

Yesterday I had to take Chancery to get her shots. Since we moved when she was only a few weeks old, she hadn't had any shots yet, so she's a bit behind, but not too much. Since I was there anyways, I asked about Asher's shots as well. I have no clue what's recommended & when they are due, so I was hoping they'd be able to help.

We waited in the waiting room for the nurse to call us back. They had an area for the kids to play, but the only "toy" they had was a bead thing, that frankly, just doesn't do it for Asher. He started opening all the cupboards in the room & asking me, "Where are all the toys, Mum?"

The nurse finally called us in & explained to Asher about the shots & what was going to happen. It was a good move on her part b/c otherwise he was going to start opening all her cupboards & drawers, I could see it in his eyes! So she gave Chancery the shots, there was some crying, & we went back out to the waiting room to wait our prescribed 15 minutes to make sure there were no reactions to the shots.

Not long after that, the nurse came back in & told me that Asher needed his 18 month shots, of which there were 4. She said she could do 2 now & 2 in 2 months when Chancery had to come back. So back into the room we went. Suprisingly, even though he had watched the whole she-bang when Chancery got her shots, he was really good...... until the needle went in! Then the lip came out & the crocodile tears formed! He was none too impressed w/ her.

All seemed fine, we came home, Chancery went promptly to sleep, Asher went for his nap, no problem..... until he woke up screaming that he had an owie!

I asked, "does your leg hurt?"
"nope"
"does your head hurt?"
"nope"
"does your arm hurt?"
"nope"

Apparently nothing hurt... until he moved his arm to get Russell. And then came the painful scream. So I got him some Tylenol & some water, but he refused to drink the water b/c it hurt his arm to lift the cup.

Poor kid, I don't think he's going to be so obliging next time.

Marbles

This morning Chancery had a doctor's appointment. Since moving & lack of doctors here on PEI, this is the first time since she was born that she's been to the doctor. At 3.5 months, she has grown 4" from 20.5" and almost doubled her birth weight from 6,4 to 12,6. She's apparently on the tall end, but right in the middle for weight & head circumference. The doctor is kind of quirky & I really like him. When he finished checking her heart, he asked if they had told me she had a heart murmur when she was born, & I told him, no. Then he said, "I'm not even sure it's really there, it's so faint." He assured me that it's no big deal especially since he couldn't even really tell if she actually has one...... Just one example of his quirkiness.

A friend from church came to watch Asher & he had a great time playing w/ "Miss Julie" while I was gone.

Later I mentioned off-hand, "I think I'm loosing my marbles."

Asher asked, "Can I see your marbles?"

Then I explained that I didn't really have any marbles, but it's just something people say when they aren't thinking properly.

He thought about that for awhile, then offered, "Maybe Miss Julie took then home with her!"

Check It Out!

I might still look slightly pregnant, but I'm NOT! Less than 24 hours after my Dr told me I'd be pregnant for the duration of FOREVER, my water broke! (And I managed to keep the sheets clean).


At 2am my water broke & off we went to the hospital. I was put into a triage room where they evaluate to see if you'll be staying or going home. The person in the next bed kept me entertained b/c apparently she was not enjoying her pregnancy. She was about 28 weeks & had come in b/c she was having some contractions. The nurses verified they were braxton-hicks, but the woman was determined. She asked what her chances were of having the baby that day & was told "not likely." She then asked if they could call the doctor b/c she wanted to have the baby out (though I could relate, I wasn't that eager at 28 weeks yet). The nurses assured her that if she were to go into labour, the Drs would do all they could to STOP it & that no Dr would induce labour at 28 weeks. The lady also mentioned at one point that she wanted to take the baby home & not keep it in the hospital for any length of time...... I was entertained!

So, they decided to keep me around & moved me into a birthing room, where I read my book, enjoyed a leisurely breakfast, & slept until around 9 when they gave me some oxytocin to get some action started. At 10:30 I decided I knew enough about pain & got some morphine. And at 11:07 our daughter Chancery Lane was born!

Chad, in all his kindness, said I make a good cow..... I have easy labours. I was just glad that my child was a bit smaller than a bovine. And she was on the small end, at 6lbs 4oz & 20.5 inches. Welcome to the world, baby girl!

The Cruelest Words

I had another DR appointment today. I was eager to find out if this baby is any closer to coming out. Not b/c I really want to meet it, not b/c I'm uncomfortable, but b/c we have a moving deadline & the older the baby is, the easier the trip will be.

So, off I went. I saw the Dr. I haven't grown at all in the last week. He listened to the heartbeat, measured the tummy & checked that the head is still down. Then he said..... "ok, see you next week!"

How cruel! I got home & Chad asked, "Well, what's the news?" ..... I don't think this baby wants to be born in Alberta. I think it wants to be born on our road trip. He simply said see you next week. Chad asked if he checked to see how far I'm dilated. No, he did not. "Well, you need to tell him to check that!" But I don't want to be one of "those" patients who thinks they know more than the Dr. He's the one who's gone to school for it & delivered countless babies. I suppose when "Baby X" is good & ready it'll come out & until then I just have to find a way to try to hurry it along a little!

The Last Few Days

Over the last week there have been many exciting developments. I was asked at the grocery store if I was pregnant, which Chad & I found quite humorous, since I have only 3 weeks to go. But many people have said I am not very big. From the back you can't really tell that I am pregnant at all, so I suppose I don't look as far along as I am, but "Are you pregnant?" I'd have to have something incredibly wrong w/ me to look like this & not be pregnant!

I didn't have to worry about them stopping me from flying b/c I don't really look like I'm in my 9th month. On one of the flights we were seated in the emergency exit row & the stewardess asked if we felt comfortable to perform the duties of the row & we said yes. Then she came back a few minutes later & asked, "wait, are you pregnant?" "Yes," I replied & she said she'd have to re-seat us b/c she hadn't realised that at first & apparently pregnant people aren't allowed to sit in the exit rows.

We did end up buying the house we had looked at. The offer was accepted Saturday night, we set up the mortgage, insurance, got a lawyer & did all the little things we had to do before we left PEI, so we feel good about getting all that done. We didn't have much of a holiday, but it feels really good to not have to worry about any of that. We'll close on Sept 22, so we can move in then.

I saw the Doctor today & he said he's going w/ a due date of Aug 26. Can we just say THIS BABY IS NEVER COMING OUT!!!!" Normally I wouldn't mind. Asher was overdue by a few days, but it was ok b/c I figure the more days he was inside, the more nights I got to sleep through the night before he came out. But this time we have a bit of a deadline. We have to get to PEI by the 19th of Sept, & we want to be in Ontario for the 14th of Sept, meaning we have to leave here by the 8th of Sept. Having Baptism on the 7th, but I'm not especially looking forward to travelling w/ such a small baby. I was hoping for a month to get everything figured out before we had to go.

They've already moved the due date from Aug 10 to the 21st & now to the 26th. Pretty soon I won't have a baby, but a giraffe! (I believe giraffes gestate for about 26 months).

Oh well, I suppose there's nothing I can do about it by worrying or ranting, so we'll just wait until the little one is ready to make it's appearance. I suppose it might be a good time to pack my bag for the hospital & get the baby clothes out as well.

A New Timeline

The other day I had another OB appointment. I am to the point where I see a different doctor everytime I go so that I can meet them all before I have the baby. O f course, I'm not having the baby here, but they didn't know that, so I was meeting them.

The last time I was there, the doctor asked if I was small when I was pregnant w/ Asher too. Well, I don't know really. I didn't gain a whole lot of excess weight, but I certainly got a big belly by the end. Then she asked if I was on a 28 day cycle.... well, not so much. So she changed my due date.

This time I saw a male doctor, & he said that since the ultrasound pictures had been a bit small for the time frame & I was more than 28 days, the new due date was August 21 instead of Aug 10. Then he asked if I was ok w/ that. Let me tell you, people are not expecting to hear that you'd rather have the baby inside for longer b/c it's quieter that way!

I am GREAT w/ having the baby later for that reason, but it does change things a bit for taking a call to a church somewhere. Our timeline has kinda been that we'd be in Alberta until the end of August & then move to wherever we are going, but I REALLY don't want to drive across the country 10 days after I have the baby, although at that point it will probably sleep most the way, nights will probably be another story. Asher was awake almost every 2 hours & was a Looooong nurser. That could make for an interesting trip.

Another Post About My Eye

I thought since I've been gone the past few days, that you'd be DYING to know how my eye has been doing. There was so much drama about it last week that I couldn't just let the story die w/o filling you in on what has happened.

On Friday Chad & I brought Asher over to our friends' house for the weekend b/c we were going to Prince Edward Island to visit a church out there. The Optometrist had squeezed me in b/w patients in order to check that my eye was getting better. Much to her surprise not only was my eye NOT better, but the infection had spread to the other eye as well. I had started putting drops in both eyes, but since the right eye wasn't as bad as the left I put the weaker, first prescription in the right eye & the stronger, second prescription in the left. Plus I was putting the allergy drops in the left as well since she had told me to do that.

So, Chad dropped me off at the optometrist for my appointment. She took a quick look & told me to keep up what I was doing & take the allergy drops in both eyes. So four times a day I was supposed to put four drops in each eye. It can become quite difficult to put that much liquid in your eye & expect it to stay there & not leak out, but somehow I managed for most of the weekend. I got a bit lax about it by Sunday, but by that time it was pretty much better in both eyes.

Chad said this morning that it looked like I was over it, but my left eye still looked a bit puffy. I have stopped taking the medication & haven't suffered any ill effects yet. I may have to get some botox for the left eye though b/c it does really look a bit saggy, but I suppose that's what happens when your eye is swollen for 10 days.

I am supposed to call the optometrist again in order to set up an appointment for an eye exam since I was charged for one as a new patient visit, but still haven't actually received it yet. I'm a little bit worried about it b/c my left eye still seems a little blurry. I always thought that it would be cool to need glasses b/c they can be such a fun fashion accessory, but now that that might be a slight possibility, I don't think I'm so keen on it any more.

So, that's pretty much that. I hope it's all done with now. Asher never got it, so I am very glad about that. PEI was great. The island was beautiful, we had good weather all weekend, & the people were really friendly. It was nice to fly & not have Asher along.... it was a bit more relaxing than we are used to these days. Asher did fine for the people he stayed with. He told them they weren't allowed to sing at the table. He also woke them up quite early every day, so I'm sure they will be thankful that he's back home now. Hopefully now that he's back home he decides to sleep in in the mornings again!

It Was An Optometrist Today

Today I had my appointment w/ the optometrist. She didn't seem to know I was there for an infection even though I told them on the phone & also put it on the form where it asked, "reason for today's visit." She kept asking me to open my eye further & finally asked, "do you have an infection or something?"

Now, really, if she is looking intently into my (partially closed) eye, shouldn't she be able to SEE that I have an infection? I said, "yes, that's why I am here." So she looked around a bit & told me it just looked like I had a bit of pink eye & told me to keep taking the antibiotic drops I got yesterday & also told me to get some over-the-counter drops to stop the itching.

So, back to the pharmacy I went for more drops. The kind pharmasist wasn't there today, so no more sympathetic looks for me. I wasn't recognized this time (maybe that was due to my incognito status since I was wearing my sunglasses). I finally found them & went back home.

I'm supposed to put the new drops in 4 times a day, 2 drops each time. So I went to put some in right away to help w/ the itching. It was like putting FIRE in my eye. I only managed one drop b/c the burning was so bad, but as Chad helpfully pointed out, "you don't notice the itch anymore though, do you?"

I have ANOTHER follow-up appointment w/ the optometrist on Friday just to make sure it's getting better. I just am very thankful that Asher has not gotten it b/c it would not be easy to put drops in his eyes. He's great about taking medicine, but I think this would be a different story. I just don't understand why it's taking so long to clear up either. I though pink eye was a 2-3 day think, not a whole week!

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Asher had a case of what the doctor figured was strep throat last week, so he was on medication for a week. During that time we added "please help the medicine to work" to his meal-time prayers. Now that I have medicine, we are praying "please helps Mummy's medicine to work." Although he has changed it to "please help Mummy's medicine in the eye, in the eye, in the eye (yes he does sound like a broken record, I think he forgets the end w/o some help), to work." It's very cute, but I'm not certain I can say it's helping any more than the actual medication is at this point.

Third Time's a Charm??

So, as I posted here, I have pink eye. I went to the Doctor on Thursday morning & he gave me a prescription for an antibiotic & told me if it wasn't better by Saturday to go to the ER. Well, Saturday rolled around & I had no relief. My eye was gunky, itchy, puffy... you name a symptom of Pink Eye & I had it.

Chad kindly brought me to the ER nice & early (for a Saturday). We beat the rush by getting there by 8:45. While I was being checked in Chad was chasing Asher around & it was getting more & more difficult to keep him occupied, so I told Chad he could go home & I'd call him when I was done. I only had to wait in the waiting room about 1/2 an hour before they called me back as there were only 2 people ahead of me. I figured that was a good sign.....

The nurse took me back, had a cursory look at my eye & told me the Doctor would be in shortly to examine it more thoroughly. So I sat & waited, & waited, & waited. I nearly fell asleep numerous times. An hour & a half later the doctor finally came in. Why I couldn't have waited in the waiting room I do not know, but I think it's a bit cruel to take someone out of the room w/ the TV & magazines & put them in the room where the only thing to do to while away the time is read the eye chart.

So, the doctor had a look & said that what I had was "Epidemic Viral Conjunctivitis." Which is basically a fancy way of saying that my eye was worse than it had been. She likened it to when you have the flu & it becomes pneumonia. I had Pink Eye & it became this. So she gave me another prescription for another antibiotic & said if it wasn't better by Monday to go see an Optometrist.

I called the optometrist today & the optometrist wasn't in, but they gave me an appointment for tomorrow. In the meantime, I had a prenatal appointment today so I went to that & the doctor took pity on me & gave me ANOTHER prescription for ANOTHER antibiotic. I went to the pharmacy & the pharmacist gave me such a pitying look! She asked, "You're back for MORE?" Oh ya, it's pretty sad when the pharmacist knows you on sight & you've never even been to that pharmacy before a week ago.

So, hopefully THIS medication will do the trick, but apparently I have mystified the doctors that have seen it so far b/c they have never seen a case go on this long & not transfer to the other eye or anyone else. I am still going to see the optometrist tomorrow, especially after hearing that. Next thing I know my eyeball will just corrode away or something crazy like that. I am very thankful though that it's not in my other eye as well b/c it would be very hard to go through the day w/ BOTH eyes mostly closed! Wish me luck tomorrow!

They Gave Me Sugar Water

Yesterday when I went to the Doctor I thought I'd kill 2 birds w/ one stone & get my bloodwork done that my other doctor had ordered last week. I kept seeing the lab order on my counter & just hadn't found a convenient time to go, which isn't like me at all. If you know me in the "real" world, you'll know that I actually LIKE to go to the doctor. I think when I was a freshman in college I was either at the hospital or the doctor every week. (I had physio for my ankle for 2 months, plus I was a BIT accident-prone).

ANYWAY, I went & they told me that the test that was ordered was a 1 hour Glucose Tolerance Test & I'd have to sit there for the whole hour. I knew what kind of test had been ordered, but in the doctor's office where I used to work, we never had made the patients wait, so I had figured I could drink the stuff & go home, then come back w/o Asher in tow, since I knew that sitting in the lab w/ Asher was not going to be a pleasant experience. So I told the lady I'd come back later instead.

Today Chad came home a little early so I could get the test done since I was supposed to get it done as soon as possible & it had already been a week & then some. So off I went w/ my book for an hour of sitting. I have to tell you, it was a rather enjoyable way to spend an hour. I could sit & read w/o any interruptions of any kind. The only issue I had was the chairs in the waiting room weren't very padded & neither is my bum, so sitting there for that long led to a bit of a sore tush, but I suppose most people don't have to sit there that long.... unless they come on a Monday morning, those were always busy.....

They gave me the delicious orange drink & said they'd call me back for the bloodwork in an hour. My baby was enjoying the sugar-rush. It was wriggling & squirming all over the place! When the time was almost up I sure felt tired though!

When I got home it was lunch time & now I have the issue of what to eat since I feel quite sugary & I need something to balance that out....... Any suggestions?

A Visit to the Doctor

Last night my eye was itchy. Chad had the same thing when we were in Grand Rapids a few weeks ago & it went away after about 1/2 a day, so I thought nothing of it & went to bed. This morning I awoke to only one operational eye. My other eye was gunked closed & puffy. And MAN did it ITCH! Chad suggested I put some water in my hand & open my eye into that to clean it out. That just made my eye burn, so I called the Dr & went in. I have Pink Eye folks! No idea where I got it from, but I think the hardest part of the whole thing is trying not to spread it to Asher.

In other news, we went to visit our friend in Sarnia yesterday, like we do most Wednesdays. We had a great time shopping the charity shops & also went to the animal farm. Asher enjoyed the goats, sheep, & crowing rooster that he called, "noisy rooster!" We also fed the geese & Asher was bitten by one, but it was a Canada Goose, so it only gave him a gentle nip as it was going for the bread. Canadians are so polite! I think it even apologized afterwards! Maybe I got pink eye from the animal farm, but I don't remember seeing any goats w/ puffy eyes......