Me, while trying to convince J that she should not wear the silver star shirt with the pink and brown heart pants to her Doctor appointment: "I'm even going to change my shirt."
J: "But why? That shirt is BEAUTIFUL!"
Me: "Because it has holes in it and it's sloppy and stained. It isn't respectful of others to look sloppy when you visit."
J: "But you're a COUNTRY girl!"
J, while at above mentioned appointment: "Look! I can SKIP again!"
(Yes, she is feeling much better already after having her knees aspirated and injected yesterday.)
Crazy cat, Ernie, who has only half a brain at most, attacked the snow shovel while I was clearing the snow from in front of the garage. At least 4 times I scooped him up along with the snow because he didn't move out of the way. It didn't seem to bother him in the least.
Now, Miss J is having problems sleeping...probably due to the steroids. She says that her mind is playing tricks on her and won't let her "change the channel" (what JP tells her to do when she is having scary thoughts at night). I am already feeling the effects of shoveling 4 inches of snow off the drive, along with the piles that I only pushed half way off after the last snow...time for bed and a heating pad!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
Home Fires
It has been cold this winter. Below freezing cold for days on end, with a respite of 35 degrees thrown in here and there. It has been lovely to keep a fire burning in the wood stove in order to keep the house in the 70 degree range, and know that my electric bill won't suffer because of it. I can usually start a new fire in the morning with the embers left from the night before, using the previous day's junk mail as tinder.
Since we were out all day, and there was no fire, the stove was cold and dead tonight. I tried unsuccessfully for at least an hour to get one started, but it would only smolder and smoke. Finally JP did his thing, and it is roaring again...but not in time for me to bask in the warmth before climbing into my cold bed.
Instead, I am warming my brain by munching Godiva dark chocolate in tiny bites, and feeling warmth in my heart thinking of the wonderful people at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh that we encountered today.
J returned to see her Rheumatologist this afternoon for joint injections in her knees. She was dreading this procedure, which is the common reaction when you inform someone that they are going to have needles stuck in their knees. The procedure was planned down to the last dot on the consent form. The nurses gave J a stuffed puppy to hug during the injections. The Music Therapist had even been scheduled to help with diversion. She sang songs with J, including "Stinky, Stinky Diaper Change" (sung to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star"), "Jimmy Picks Boogers" (sung to the tune of "Jimmy Cracked Corn"), and an original composition about our dog and cats.
It is incredibly difficult to watch your child suffering and be unable to help. I am reminded often these days of my brother and sister-in-law, who spent many months in and out of the Children's Hospital several years ago when my nephew was ill. I asked my brother once, "How do you do it? How do you take him to all of these appointments and know that they won't all be pleasant, that he will still have a terminal illness? How do you go on?" He told me "I just do it. He's my son, and I do what I have to do for him."
No child should have to experience what so many of the patients at Children's do. No parent should have to watch their child suffer. But it happens. Life is not fair, as I tell my girls so often. The wonderful thing is that there are those special people who make the hard things just a little easier, with a stuffed toy, a silly song, a joke or even a hug. I feel extremely lucky that our situation is one of the better ones that walk through those doors in Pittsburgh, and I admire my brother and sister-in-law even more for their walk, which was incredibly more painful than ours.
So, with the powers of dark chocolate working their magic on my brain, and the cockles of my heart glowing, I will go warm my toes by the fire before dashing off to bed.
Since we were out all day, and there was no fire, the stove was cold and dead tonight. I tried unsuccessfully for at least an hour to get one started, but it would only smolder and smoke. Finally JP did his thing, and it is roaring again...but not in time for me to bask in the warmth before climbing into my cold bed.
Instead, I am warming my brain by munching Godiva dark chocolate in tiny bites, and feeling warmth in my heart thinking of the wonderful people at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh that we encountered today.
J returned to see her Rheumatologist this afternoon for joint injections in her knees. She was dreading this procedure, which is the common reaction when you inform someone that they are going to have needles stuck in their knees. The procedure was planned down to the last dot on the consent form. The nurses gave J a stuffed puppy to hug during the injections. The Music Therapist had even been scheduled to help with diversion. She sang songs with J, including "Stinky, Stinky Diaper Change" (sung to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star"), "Jimmy Picks Boogers" (sung to the tune of "Jimmy Cracked Corn"), and an original composition about our dog and cats.
It is incredibly difficult to watch your child suffering and be unable to help. I am reminded often these days of my brother and sister-in-law, who spent many months in and out of the Children's Hospital several years ago when my nephew was ill. I asked my brother once, "How do you do it? How do you take him to all of these appointments and know that they won't all be pleasant, that he will still have a terminal illness? How do you go on?" He told me "I just do it. He's my son, and I do what I have to do for him."
No child should have to experience what so many of the patients at Children's do. No parent should have to watch their child suffer. But it happens. Life is not fair, as I tell my girls so often. The wonderful thing is that there are those special people who make the hard things just a little easier, with a stuffed toy, a silly song, a joke or even a hug. I feel extremely lucky that our situation is one of the better ones that walk through those doors in Pittsburgh, and I admire my brother and sister-in-law even more for their walk, which was incredibly more painful than ours.
So, with the powers of dark chocolate working their magic on my brain, and the cockles of my heart glowing, I will go warm my toes by the fire before dashing off to bed.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
New Year's Resolution: Same Old, Same Old...
Whew! December was a busy month! Just days after returning from our R & R in Florida, Christmas arrived (ready or not), along with 8 extra family members who celebrated Christmas, Birthdays and New Year's with us. Now, 8 days into 2011, I have finally finished putting away the extra bedding and towels, taken down the Christmas tree, and baked a second Birthday cake. I was hoping to slow down a bit, but January is plowing ahead, regardless of my desires.
JP and I had Pre-Employment Physicals last week, which shocked me into reality. Soon our lazy limbo period will come to a close and our late nights, sleeping in, and afternoon naps will have to become a thing of the past as our jobs begin in 2 weeks.
J is deep into school already, and we are nearly caught up from vacation. She has testing with her Cyber Teacher next week, as well as another visit with her Rheumatologist. We had a brief spark of hope regarding her arthritis last week, when the Rheum. informed us that her Lyme Titer was positive. After confirmation blood work, we discovered today that it was a false positive, leaving us with no doubt of her diagnosis of JIA.
L was very excited to go back to Preschool this week. She has been a busy girl for the past 2 weeks, celebrating a birthday and 2 Christmases within 72 hours. We have Birthday Party II this weekend so that she can have the pink poodle cake she was hoping for.
New Year's Resolutions...did you make any? I just use the start of each new year to renew my efforts of becoming more organized and improving my time management issues. Speaking of time management...staying up late to blog is counter productive. Time for bed.
Happy 2011 Everyone! I wish you all the best in achieving your own New Year's Resolutions this year.
Just a few pics of our fun Holiday activities with family:
JP and I had Pre-Employment Physicals last week, which shocked me into reality. Soon our lazy limbo period will come to a close and our late nights, sleeping in, and afternoon naps will have to become a thing of the past as our jobs begin in 2 weeks.
J is deep into school already, and we are nearly caught up from vacation. She has testing with her Cyber Teacher next week, as well as another visit with her Rheumatologist. We had a brief spark of hope regarding her arthritis last week, when the Rheum. informed us that her Lyme Titer was positive. After confirmation blood work, we discovered today that it was a false positive, leaving us with no doubt of her diagnosis of JIA.
L was very excited to go back to Preschool this week. She has been a busy girl for the past 2 weeks, celebrating a birthday and 2 Christmases within 72 hours. We have Birthday Party II this weekend so that she can have the pink poodle cake she was hoping for.
New Year's Resolutions...did you make any? I just use the start of each new year to renew my efforts of becoming more organized and improving my time management issues. Speaking of time management...staying up late to blog is counter productive. Time for bed.
Happy 2011 Everyone! I wish you all the best in achieving your own New Year's Resolutions this year.
Just a few pics of our fun Holiday activities with family:
Monday, December 20, 2010
Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite
To be honest, one of the first things I did after checking into each Hotel room while on vacation, was to pull back the sheets and check the mattresses for bed bugs. Didn't seen any sign of 'em...hope I actually know what I'm looking for!
It has been unseasonably cold in Florida. The first 2 nights we were there, the temperatures dropped to the 20's. Ghosts appeared to rise from the flower beds as all the tender plants remained covered. Day temps rose up into the 50's, and we took solace in the fact that it was still 30 degrees warmer there than at home! The lines at Busch Gardens were non-existent, allowing us to leave a ride, run around to the beginning, and ride again. L rode a roller coaster for the first time.
On Friday, we drove further south to the lovely island of Sanibel off the Gulf coast. That night we walked along the shore, allowing L to see the ocean and feel the sand between her toes for the first time. The following morning, J and I walked the beach in the rain, to collect a bag full of lovely shells.
I didn't really feel like Christmas in Florida, although lots of people had decorations out. I guess there's nothing like a white Christmas for me!
Now, after a long day en route, we are home again. It is hard to believe that this morning I was strolling barefoot in the sand, watching dolphins and pelicans. Now I am facing a mile high pile of laundry, snow outside, and family arriving in 4 days for Christmas. I had better get my act together!
Right now though, I am going to sleep in my OWN bed...can't wait! Good night, sleep tight. Don't let the bed bugs bite!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
It Must Have Happened in Mexico
We just received the word today from a Pediatric Rheumatologist that J most likely has Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (formerly known as Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis). She has been complaining on and off of her knees bothering her since soccer in September and October, more regularly for the past couple of weeks.
J is the kind of child that does NOT want her boo-boos examined...never has. It took a long time for me to be able to actually touch her knees (I actually had to threaten) in order to discover that they were both quite swollen.
She is not disabled by any means. She continues to run and jump and play like always, just has trouble getting up and down the ladder to her bed on the top bunk, and is stiff and sore after sitting for a while.
I am feeling overwhelming guilt at this point. Primarily because I didn't push her to let me check her out months ago. I also have this nagging feeling that I might have done something wrong to make her more susceptible to this. Was it our vacation in Mexico 8 years ago? After trying to conceive for 3 years, we went scuba diving and couldn't drink the water, so drank other beverages, then returned home to find that I was several weeks pregnant at the time. Was it because of my irresponsibility in her early weeks?
Where to go from here? The Doctor tells us that it is good that only 2 of J's joints are involved. She will start with daily anti-inflammatory medication, then return for a follow-up in a couple of weeks. I am researching JIA...something I wasn't completely familiar with, although I had a sinking feeling since examining her knees that this might be the diagnosis. I am trying to find kid-friendly information to present to J as well. In the meantime, we are readying ourselves for some time in the sun down South.
Gotta escape this never ending blowing snow somehow!
J is the kind of child that does NOT want her boo-boos examined...never has. It took a long time for me to be able to actually touch her knees (I actually had to threaten) in order to discover that they were both quite swollen.
She is not disabled by any means. She continues to run and jump and play like always, just has trouble getting up and down the ladder to her bed on the top bunk, and is stiff and sore after sitting for a while.
I am feeling overwhelming guilt at this point. Primarily because I didn't push her to let me check her out months ago. I also have this nagging feeling that I might have done something wrong to make her more susceptible to this. Was it our vacation in Mexico 8 years ago? After trying to conceive for 3 years, we went scuba diving and couldn't drink the water, so drank other beverages, then returned home to find that I was several weeks pregnant at the time. Was it because of my irresponsibility in her early weeks?
Where to go from here? The Doctor tells us that it is good that only 2 of J's joints are involved. She will start with daily anti-inflammatory medication, then return for a follow-up in a couple of weeks. I am researching JIA...something I wasn't completely familiar with, although I had a sinking feeling since examining her knees that this might be the diagnosis. I am trying to find kid-friendly information to present to J as well. In the meantime, we are readying ourselves for some time in the sun down South.
Gotta escape this never ending blowing snow somehow!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Bert is my Hero!
Bert the Barn Cat caught his first vole this afternoon. While it is not exactly a mouse, the voles have terrorized my baby trees, so it is a legitimate and worthy kill. Any fewer rodents around Poplar Ridge is an improvement, in my opinion, so Bert Buddy, hunt on!
Monday, December 6, 2010
From Giving Thanks to...February???
How did it get to be December?
I don't know if this happens to you, but most Decembers, I find my schedule totally packed...something going on each and every day. It's not quite that bad around here yet, but we did manage to book most of our time from this coming weekend until early January. It's all fun, of course: a visit to Family, a vacation in a sunny location with no huge agenda, and lots of Family here for Christmas festivities.
So, some how we went from feasting on amazing Turkey and fixins with lovely family and friends to now. JP tried a new method of Turkey roasting this year. He's the Turkey man; if it is left up to me, I get crabby and the Turkey is bland. He butterflied the bird on Thanksgiving Eve, while L looked on, smacking her lips and chortling "Ummmm! Yummy!" After this, he rubbed a salt mixture under the skin. The following day, he draped it with salt pork and roasted it until it was golden brown and the skin was deliciously crispy.
The Monday after Thanksgiving is the first day of rifle season for deer hunting in PA. It is HUGE around here...so big in fact, that the schools are closed for the occasion! This was my first year to sit out with a rifle, which I did 3 different days, but didn't see any animals except for Bert and Ernie, the barn cats. I was trying to decide, while I sat patiently in the cold, whether I could actually pull the trigger if I happened to see a deer meander into my sights. I'm still undecided.
The last day I was out, I was run off by helicopters. Because of the huge discovery of natural gas in the Marcellus shale in this region, the property around here has been crawling with earth movers for the past several months. Presently, a company is doing seismic studies in preparation for a Marcellus well to go in very near Poplar Ridge. I think the helicopters were here on seismic study business, as they were dropping mysterious packages in our yard and my parents' as well.
This is how loud it was, causing me to give up my secluded post and come in by the fire.
L has begun Christmas activities at Preschool. J was delighted to get out the Christmas ornaments and decorate the tree. I am glad to report that my level of Christmas Spirit is MUCH higher than last year, despite the weather that makes me think of February: gray and blowing snow every day for days and days.
I don't know if this happens to you, but most Decembers, I find my schedule totally packed...something going on each and every day. It's not quite that bad around here yet, but we did manage to book most of our time from this coming weekend until early January. It's all fun, of course: a visit to Family, a vacation in a sunny location with no huge agenda, and lots of Family here for Christmas festivities.
So, some how we went from feasting on amazing Turkey and fixins with lovely family and friends to now. JP tried a new method of Turkey roasting this year. He's the Turkey man; if it is left up to me, I get crabby and the Turkey is bland. He butterflied the bird on Thanksgiving Eve, while L looked on, smacking her lips and chortling "Ummmm! Yummy!" After this, he rubbed a salt mixture under the skin. The following day, he draped it with salt pork and roasted it until it was golden brown and the skin was deliciously crispy.
The Monday after Thanksgiving is the first day of rifle season for deer hunting in PA. It is HUGE around here...so big in fact, that the schools are closed for the occasion! This was my first year to sit out with a rifle, which I did 3 different days, but didn't see any animals except for Bert and Ernie, the barn cats. I was trying to decide, while I sat patiently in the cold, whether I could actually pull the trigger if I happened to see a deer meander into my sights. I'm still undecided.
The last day I was out, I was run off by helicopters. Because of the huge discovery of natural gas in the Marcellus shale in this region, the property around here has been crawling with earth movers for the past several months. Presently, a company is doing seismic studies in preparation for a Marcellus well to go in very near Poplar Ridge. I think the helicopters were here on seismic study business, as they were dropping mysterious packages in our yard and my parents' as well.
This is a helicopter getting ready to drop a package in my parents' yard.
This is the one that landed just down the hill from my clothes line.
This is how loud it was, causing me to give up my secluded post and come in by the fire.
L has begun Christmas activities at Preschool. J was delighted to get out the Christmas ornaments and decorate the tree. I am glad to report that my level of Christmas Spirit is MUCH higher than last year, despite the weather that makes me think of February: gray and blowing snow every day for days and days.
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