Every so often I take a look at who's coming to the blog and how they wandered here. The most entertaining are those who did some sort of Google search and wound up here. My personal favorite is still, 'broccoli is a fruit'. However, I no longer pop up in that search. boo hoo, LOL.
Recent searches go from the 'huh?' to the 'ick...'
AH.UN.OH - on a google.cl search
broke my toe mom blog - ooookay
how did you feel walking in the susan g. komen walk for the cure? - I think this one was pretty cool
i hate my feet - this one's quite popular!
cut roses sprouting - when the heck did I write about roses?
understatement of the century - on a google.co.uk search
i hate my mother - on a google.co.in search (I think someone has issues.)
dairy withdrawal - on a google.ca search
true or false 1 in 10 women diaper dinner - wha?
The 'ick' ones I'm not repeating because I don't really want those kinds of people coming back here again. Yuck, yuck, yuck. Anyone have blog bleach?
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Can't look away
In addition to my daily check on the tropical storm situation in the Atlantic, I'm now checking in on the wildfire situation in California.
Professional interest has me keeping an eye out for developing hurricanes (none predicted at this time, thank goodness) due to the nature of my job. When Texas gets hit by a hurricane, my employer goes into 'crazy' mode trying to assess claims and check on policyholders. Fortunately, Erin petered out and Humberto really didn't do much damage. We've still got a ways to go until the end of hurricane season, though.
Personal and professional interest has me voraciously reading news reports of the California fires. Hopefully, policyholders have appropriate limits on their homeowner policies. Between the damage caused in 2003 and the resulting increase in the cost of building supplies, I really hope insurers are on the ball and have raised limits appropriately. It would be terrible to lose everything in a fire only to discover that you are under-insured and can only rebuild half your house...
I did read one commentary that rubbed me entirely the wrong way. Well, one sentence: 'And while insurance companies appear financially well-positioned to cover losses, they’re increasingly pressing homeowners to reduce fire risk and increase coverage.' Ummm, in order for an insurance company to be financially well-positioned to cover massive losses, the policies they sell MUST have adequate limits. Encouraging (read: offer premium discounts or surcharges based on meeting certain underwriting guidelines) policyholders to reduce fire risk is a win-win situation for both the homeowner and the insurance company. In order for a policyholder to have a valid financial cushion, coverage must be adequate.
One of the things I love about working for an insurance company is that I feel we make a difference. Yes, everybody hates their insurance co. Shoot, there are times I dislike my own. I pay a lot of money for a product I hope to GOODNESS I never have to use. When I do have to file a claim, there is definitely stress present. However, without that financial cushion, many, many, many people would experience financial difficulty and/or ruin.
On the personal side of things, the devastation felt by so many people who have lost their homes or are in danger of losing their homes is horrifying. My heart aches for so many who have lost so much. The loss of life is even worse...
Professional interest has me keeping an eye out for developing hurricanes (none predicted at this time, thank goodness) due to the nature of my job. When Texas gets hit by a hurricane, my employer goes into 'crazy' mode trying to assess claims and check on policyholders. Fortunately, Erin petered out and Humberto really didn't do much damage. We've still got a ways to go until the end of hurricane season, though.
Personal and professional interest has me voraciously reading news reports of the California fires. Hopefully, policyholders have appropriate limits on their homeowner policies. Between the damage caused in 2003 and the resulting increase in the cost of building supplies, I really hope insurers are on the ball and have raised limits appropriately. It would be terrible to lose everything in a fire only to discover that you are under-insured and can only rebuild half your house...
I did read one commentary that rubbed me entirely the wrong way. Well, one sentence: 'And while insurance companies appear financially well-positioned to cover losses, they’re increasingly pressing homeowners to reduce fire risk and increase coverage.' Ummm, in order for an insurance company to be financially well-positioned to cover massive losses, the policies they sell MUST have adequate limits. Encouraging (read: offer premium discounts or surcharges based on meeting certain underwriting guidelines) policyholders to reduce fire risk is a win-win situation for both the homeowner and the insurance company. In order for a policyholder to have a valid financial cushion, coverage must be adequate.
One of the things I love about working for an insurance company is that I feel we make a difference. Yes, everybody hates their insurance co. Shoot, there are times I dislike my own. I pay a lot of money for a product I hope to GOODNESS I never have to use. When I do have to file a claim, there is definitely stress present. However, without that financial cushion, many, many, many people would experience financial difficulty and/or ruin.
On the personal side of things, the devastation felt by so many people who have lost their homes or are in danger of losing their homes is horrifying. My heart aches for so many who have lost so much. The loss of life is even worse...
Hiccups
Bump, tap.... bump, tap.... bump, tap....
The bean has gotten the hiccups a couple times. It's pretty interesting because she has a WHOLE lotta space to move around in right now. When she hics, I feel a bump on the right followed by a soft tap on the left side in a fine example of Newton's 3rd Law of Motion.
Just wait kid, it won't be long before you're out of room.
The bean has gotten the hiccups a couple times. It's pretty interesting because she has a WHOLE lotta space to move around in right now. When she hics, I feel a bump on the right followed by a soft tap on the left side in a fine example of Newton's 3rd Law of Motion.
Just wait kid, it won't be long before you're out of room.
Non-toxicity test
Hopefully, Crayola's water color paints are as non-toxic as advertised. L. decided it would be great fun to taste her water colors last night.
Monday, October 22, 2007
7 Random Things about me - or I've been tagged
Ms. Aimee at Greeblemonkey tagged me a few days ago. About time I answered, huh?
1. Chocolate makes me sneeze. My nose can tell fine chocolates from a Hershey bar just by the number of sneezes. There's some Swiss dark chocolate that triggered a good 6-7 sneezes per piece. Mmmmm....
2. I had matching scores on the SAT verbal and math the first time I took it. I also had matching verbal and math scores on the GRE. No wonder I can't figure out what I want to be when I grow up.
3. I love writing queries in SQL. Yes, I'm weird.
4. I learned how to drive on a standard transmission. Nothing says stress like a very novice driver stalling out in the middle of a busy intersection in Wiesbaden Germany.
5. I took 2 years Latin in high school. Elephantus non capit murem.
6. I like Scooby Doo cartoons
7. Back in the original Power Rangers days, I thought the blue ranger was just the cutest thing ever. Yes, I realize I'm a little old for Power Rangers, see number 6.
I can't think of 6 to tag... so I'm going to be a slacker and let it die here.
M.W.
1. Chocolate makes me sneeze. My nose can tell fine chocolates from a Hershey bar just by the number of sneezes. There's some Swiss dark chocolate that triggered a good 6-7 sneezes per piece. Mmmmm....
2. I had matching scores on the SAT verbal and math the first time I took it. I also had matching verbal and math scores on the GRE. No wonder I can't figure out what I want to be when I grow up.
3. I love writing queries in SQL. Yes, I'm weird.
4. I learned how to drive on a standard transmission. Nothing says stress like a very novice driver stalling out in the middle of a busy intersection in Wiesbaden Germany.
5. I took 2 years Latin in high school. Elephantus non capit murem.
6. I like Scooby Doo cartoons
7. Back in the original Power Rangers days, I thought the blue ranger was just the cutest thing ever. Yes, I realize I'm a little old for Power Rangers, see number 6.
I can't think of 6 to tag... so I'm going to be a slacker and let it die here.
M.W.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Throwing my own little pity party. Want to come?
L. was diagnosed with a severe allergy to cow milk 19 months ago. Since then, we've gone on a strict dairy elimination diet, and we've done quite well. Her last hives outbreak was a year ago (when I forgot to wipe down a restaurant table) and that one was pretty minor.
1 year ago, she had a follow-up RAST and skin test. The skin test came back negative, but the RAST showed her levels were unchanged. We continued the dairy elimination diet, and I just KNEW things were better this year. Her RAST test results looked good (from 2 to 1 for milk), so we were all set to do a food challenge yesterday. Right before the challenge, her allergist did one last skin test, and she failed miserably. Within 60 seconds of him applying the allergen, she was itching and developed 10 mm welt where he had put the whole milk.
We'll try again in another year... I had dreams of taking her to the fair and letting her have all the 'goodies', eating birthday cake and ice cream, enjoying my mother's pumpkin pie at T-giving, being able to go out to eat as a family, etc. Instead, it's another year of remembering to take epi-pens and wipes and special snacks and worrying about substitutes in L.'s daycare class...
I'm about to enter my 3rd trimester, so I'll be starting my dairy elimination diet soon. I hate soy flavors and cannot bring myself to drink soy milk. I guess I'll just have to suck it up... The allergist also recommended I avoid peanut and tree nuts since they are so allergenic. *sigh* I know it could be worse, and my heart breaks for the parents whose kids are allergic to unknown and multiple foods. But still, I'm having my little pity party today... I'll be better tomorrow.
M.W.
1 year ago, she had a follow-up RAST and skin test. The skin test came back negative, but the RAST showed her levels were unchanged. We continued the dairy elimination diet, and I just KNEW things were better this year. Her RAST test results looked good (from 2 to 1 for milk), so we were all set to do a food challenge yesterday. Right before the challenge, her allergist did one last skin test, and she failed miserably. Within 60 seconds of him applying the allergen, she was itching and developed 10 mm welt where he had put the whole milk.
We'll try again in another year... I had dreams of taking her to the fair and letting her have all the 'goodies', eating birthday cake and ice cream, enjoying my mother's pumpkin pie at T-giving, being able to go out to eat as a family, etc. Instead, it's another year of remembering to take epi-pens and wipes and special snacks and worrying about substitutes in L.'s daycare class...
I'm about to enter my 3rd trimester, so I'll be starting my dairy elimination diet soon. I hate soy flavors and cannot bring myself to drink soy milk. I guess I'll just have to suck it up... The allergist also recommended I avoid peanut and tree nuts since they are so allergenic. *sigh* I know it could be worse, and my heart breaks for the parents whose kids are allergic to unknown and multiple foods. But still, I'm having my little pity party today... I'll be better tomorrow.
M.W.
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Exam's comin' round the bend
You may (or may not) have noticed a marked decrease in the amount of posting lately. Weeellll, truth be told I'm obnoxiously busy at work, and I'm actually still trying to study for the actuarial exam next month. I would dearly love to pass this exam, but realistically, I hope to merely flunk well enough that they don't toss out my score altogether. The concepts covered in the material aren't bothering me much at all. The killer part is all the math I forgot or never knew in the first place. Things like natural logs, integration, geometric series, quadratic formula, that stupid e, etc.
I checked my blog traffic yesterday and was pretty shocked at what I found. People are still coming to read here! In fact, somehow my Actuarial Schmactuarial post was linked to from Actuary.net. Weird... and unexpected. I don't believe I'm the only person to grouse and whine about actuarial exams on a blog. Maybe I should take a look and see if I can find any brothers and sisters in pain. LOL!
I have 6, possibly 7, days vacation I need to use before the bean gets here in early February. Between training up my fill-in for my maternity leave and dealing with end of year bonus schedules, I won't be able to take any vacation starting January 2. I'll be using 2 day in order to travel to see my folks over Thanksgiving and 1 day for L.'s allergy test.... oooh, I haven't posted about that one.... which leaves me 3, possibly 4, vacation days just begging to be used. Guess who'll be using 'vacation' time to study? No, no, no, YES! Yours truly.
Now, the big dilemma is deciding WHEN to use those days. Should they be grouped together right before the exam? Should they be spaced apart evenly between now and the exam? Should I save one for the day after the exam when I will be in a big sulk and not want to talk to anybody, especially co-workers who will be asking me how I did on the exam, thus bringing the pain of my first failure ever to the forefront over and over again?
M.W.
I checked my blog traffic yesterday and was pretty shocked at what I found. People are still coming to read here! In fact, somehow my Actuarial Schmactuarial post was linked to from Actuary.net. Weird... and unexpected. I don't believe I'm the only person to grouse and whine about actuarial exams on a blog. Maybe I should take a look and see if I can find any brothers and sisters in pain. LOL!
I have 6, possibly 7, days vacation I need to use before the bean gets here in early February. Between training up my fill-in for my maternity leave and dealing with end of year bonus schedules, I won't be able to take any vacation starting January 2. I'll be using 2 day in order to travel to see my folks over Thanksgiving and 1 day for L.'s allergy test.... oooh, I haven't posted about that one.... which leaves me 3, possibly 4, vacation days just begging to be used. Guess who'll be using 'vacation' time to study? No, no, no, YES! Yours truly.
Now, the big dilemma is deciding WHEN to use those days. Should they be grouped together right before the exam? Should they be spaced apart evenly between now and the exam? Should I save one for the day after the exam when I will be in a big sulk and not want to talk to anybody, especially co-workers who will be asking me how I did on the exam, thus bringing the pain of my first failure ever to the forefront over and over again?
M.W.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Photographic evidence
I have an hour or so to kill, so I thought I'd post the 'it's a girl' u/s pic. I'm not exaggerating about the hour. Between limping along on a 7 year old computer and dial-up internet connection, it is an hour.
So.....
Now, I, personally don't see girl parts in this image. It looks more like a lack of boy parts. However, during the actual u/s, I think I saw what was most definitely girl parts. Still, I'm not 100% convinced we're having a girl. Of course, I wasn't convinced until I saw for myself in living color for S. and L.
Mr. W. and I have settled on the first name for this little girl but are still working out the kinks for the middle name. Anyhoo, her first initial will be A. When you consider that our last name starts with W, we will have the SLAW girls. Maybe I can have matching sweaters made...
So.....
Now, I, personally don't see girl parts in this image. It looks more like a lack of boy parts. However, during the actual u/s, I think I saw what was most definitely girl parts. Still, I'm not 100% convinced we're having a girl. Of course, I wasn't convinced until I saw for myself in living color for S. and L.
Mr. W. and I have settled on the first name for this little girl but are still working out the kinks for the middle name. Anyhoo, her first initial will be A. When you consider that our last name starts with W, we will have the SLAW girls. Maybe I can have matching sweaters made...
Friday, September 21, 2007
New country western song?
I Barfed This Morning, But I've Felt Fine All Day
I bet Weird Al could take that title and make something of it... Anybody got a direct line to him?
I bet Weird Al could take that title and make something of it... Anybody got a direct line to him?
You know what's fun?
What's fun is getting a phone call from your 5 year old's Kindergarten teacher informing you that:
a. Despite having a good morning, your daughter wound up having a color change in the afternoon. This makes 4 days in a row.
b. She had a crying fit in the cafeteria because she had lost her lunchbox. The lunchbox was found in the hallway where she dropped it. Crying fits are VERY unusual for this child unless she is sick.
c. When you ask the Kindergarten teacher if there's been anyone sick in her class, she informs you that yes, there was a child out with strep throat. You proceed to groan and tell the teacher that your daughter is very susceptible to strep and between the exposure and the crying fit, you are 99% sure your daughter has strep as well.
d. You call your husband's cell phone and the home phone trying to reach him in the faint hope he can get your daughter to the doctor for a strep test this afternoon only to reach nothing but voicemail.
This is fun... NOT
a. Despite having a good morning, your daughter wound up having a color change in the afternoon. This makes 4 days in a row.
b. She had a crying fit in the cafeteria because she had lost her lunchbox. The lunchbox was found in the hallway where she dropped it. Crying fits are VERY unusual for this child unless she is sick.
c. When you ask the Kindergarten teacher if there's been anyone sick in her class, she informs you that yes, there was a child out with strep throat. You proceed to groan and tell the teacher that your daughter is very susceptible to strep and between the exposure and the crying fit, you are 99% sure your daughter has strep as well.
d. You call your husband's cell phone and the home phone trying to reach him in the faint hope he can get your daughter to the doctor for a strep test this afternoon only to reach nothing but voicemail.
This is fun... NOT
Monday, September 10, 2007
Flora, Fauna & Merryweather
I had the BIG u/s on Thursday. After waffling for weeks, I decided to go ahead and find out if the bean has girl parts or boy parts. Mr. W. wanted to find out and the poor guy had to miss the u/s, so I had pity on him.
We are infanticipating a 3rd little girl. In celebration of this occasion, Mr. W. proposed we rename the elder two Flora and Fauna and name this little sprite Merryweather in honor of Sleeping Beauty. He is such a funny, funny man. The baby appears to be absolutely perfect.
I decided that since Mr. W. couldn't go to the show, he should get SOME kind of a surprise. On the way home from my appointment, I told him that while everything looked perfect with the little bean, the legs were crossed the entire time. heh heh heh
So I popped into a party shop and purchased a dozen helium filled pink balloons. Watching me try to stuff those into the cab of Mr. W.'s pickup truck provided entertainment for several hanging out in the parking lot. I drove on home and managed to haul the balloons out of the truck and into the house. Kudos to me for only breaking 2 during this process, LOL. The balloons were set up in the middle of our living room with the u/s picture stating the bean was a girl.
Mr. W. and S. walked in and S. chirped, 'Birthday balloons!!!!'
Mr. W. looked at me quite puzzled. I told him to take a look at the card... He has since accused me of being verrrryyyy sneaky. I think he enjoyed the surprise. The girls definitely enjoyed the balloons. S. is over the moon about having another sister. As the eldest sister, she predicts (quite accurately) that she will someday have a room to herself while the younger 2 will eventually have to share. smartypants.
Anyhoo, I had an ob appointment Friday morning, where the topic of contractions and preterm labor came up. Now, I am one of those oddballs who has tons of contractions all through the pregnancy only to go past term and wind up delivering after hours of pitocin. My u/s was even delayed a few minutes because the contractions interfered with the doc's measurements. This is completely normal for me. However, my ob is new to my weirdness, LOL. Despite my assurances, he strongly encouraged me to let him get an u/s measurement of my cervical length. He was pretty shocked with what he saw, LOL. He was looking for anything over 3 cm. Mine is (in his words) a county fair award winning 5 and some change cm. Wonder if that has anything to do with me needing 7 hours' pitocin drip for the silly thing to open up...
ps. I'm still off my meds and have only been sick 3 or 4 times over the past week (including once this morning, but that's okay).
We are infanticipating a 3rd little girl. In celebration of this occasion, Mr. W. proposed we rename the elder two Flora and Fauna and name this little sprite Merryweather in honor of Sleeping Beauty. He is such a funny, funny man. The baby appears to be absolutely perfect.
I decided that since Mr. W. couldn't go to the show, he should get SOME kind of a surprise. On the way home from my appointment, I told him that while everything looked perfect with the little bean, the legs were crossed the entire time. heh heh heh
So I popped into a party shop and purchased a dozen helium filled pink balloons. Watching me try to stuff those into the cab of Mr. W.'s pickup truck provided entertainment for several hanging out in the parking lot. I drove on home and managed to haul the balloons out of the truck and into the house. Kudos to me for only breaking 2 during this process, LOL. The balloons were set up in the middle of our living room with the u/s picture stating the bean was a girl.
Mr. W. and S. walked in and S. chirped, 'Birthday balloons!!!!'
Mr. W. looked at me quite puzzled. I told him to take a look at the card... He has since accused me of being verrrryyyy sneaky. I think he enjoyed the surprise. The girls definitely enjoyed the balloons. S. is over the moon about having another sister. As the eldest sister, she predicts (quite accurately) that she will someday have a room to herself while the younger 2 will eventually have to share. smartypants.
Anyhoo, I had an ob appointment Friday morning, where the topic of contractions and preterm labor came up. Now, I am one of those oddballs who has tons of contractions all through the pregnancy only to go past term and wind up delivering after hours of pitocin. My u/s was even delayed a few minutes because the contractions interfered with the doc's measurements. This is completely normal for me. However, my ob is new to my weirdness, LOL. Despite my assurances, he strongly encouraged me to let him get an u/s measurement of my cervical length. He was pretty shocked with what he saw, LOL. He was looking for anything over 3 cm. Mine is (in his words) a county fair award winning 5 and some change cm. Wonder if that has anything to do with me needing 7 hours' pitocin drip for the silly thing to open up...
ps. I'm still off my meds and have only been sick 3 or 4 times over the past week (including once this morning, but that's okay).
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Shhhh... don't tell
I've been off my nausea meds for 4 days now. I've only thrown up 3 times (and none today).
*shhhhh* looks like this might be the beginning of the end of the morning sickness.
*shhhhh* looks like this might be the beginning of the end of the morning sickness.
Too good to last
S. had her first color change yesterday... for throwing rocks at another child on the playground.
I knew she wouldn't stay out of trouble forever, but it sure would have been nice if she hadn't tried to hurt somebody else. *sigh*
Update at 5:15 PM. Mr. W. informs me that S. had not 1 but 2 color changes today. Something about not following directions... Here we go again.
I knew she wouldn't stay out of trouble forever, but it sure would have been nice if she hadn't tried to hurt somebody else. *sigh*
Update at 5:15 PM. Mr. W. informs me that S. had not 1 but 2 color changes today. Something about not following directions... Here we go again.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Feeling better about S. and school
I visited with S.' teacher this morning, and I'm feeling much better about the bathroom incident. There is a single bathroom in the classroom that the children all use. However, not all the kids have good bathroom etiquette. Things like shutting the door while they are in there and knocking before entry are still being learned. The teacher is also dealing with kids who wait until the last possible minute to go potty.
A new boy started on Wednesday. It was his very first day to ever be in any sort of classroom setting. He is one of the kids having bathroom protocol problems. What I think happened is that he needed to GO, and S. was already in the bathroom. He was probably much more interested in getting her OFF the potty than anything sinister.
Mrs. G. has assured me that she will continue to work with the kids' proper bathroom protocol and will spend a little more time reinforcing it. Meanwhile, I'm going to talk to S. about saying NO or OCCUPIED very strongly should someone walk in while she is in the bathroom.
*whew*
I've re-arranged an afternoon meeting, so lunch today with S. is still ON! She still doesn't know, so this is going to be a pretty nice surprise.
As a side note, Mrs. G. seems to have a fine appreciation for S. We both agreed she is a pretty funny kid. Yesterday afternoon, Mrs. G. had a worksheet for the kids. S. responded with, 'I don't want to do this.' Mrs. G. talked to her, and S. did complete the worksheet. I suspect this will not be the last difference of opinion, though. I told Mrs. G. that we found punishment really doesn't phaze S. very much. In order for her to follow rules, she needs to understand why they are important.
A new boy started on Wednesday. It was his very first day to ever be in any sort of classroom setting. He is one of the kids having bathroom protocol problems. What I think happened is that he needed to GO, and S. was already in the bathroom. He was probably much more interested in getting her OFF the potty than anything sinister.
Mrs. G. has assured me that she will continue to work with the kids' proper bathroom protocol and will spend a little more time reinforcing it. Meanwhile, I'm going to talk to S. about saying NO or OCCUPIED very strongly should someone walk in while she is in the bathroom.
*whew*
I've re-arranged an afternoon meeting, so lunch today with S. is still ON! She still doesn't know, so this is going to be a pretty nice surprise.
As a side note, Mrs. G. seems to have a fine appreciation for S. We both agreed she is a pretty funny kid. Yesterday afternoon, Mrs. G. had a worksheet for the kids. S. responded with, 'I don't want to do this.' Mrs. G. talked to her, and S. did complete the worksheet. I suspect this will not be the last difference of opinion, though. I told Mrs. G. that we found punishment really doesn't phaze S. very much. In order for her to follow rules, she needs to understand why they are important.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Four Drop offs and a Funeral
Gee, it has been a long time...
Monday
S. started Kindergarten on Monday. Where has the time gone? Her first day, she wanted assurance that Mr. W. and I would hang out with her if necessary. However, once we got to her class, she dove right in and couldn't have said we were there or not. Her teacher had a little gift sack for each set of parents. It contained a little packet of Kleenex and some chocolate to help the mommies and daddies get through the day. A very sweet poem she wrote about the first day of school accompanied the bag and left me boo hooing in the van on the way to daycare.
L. was NOT happy about going to her school without S. She did eventually voluntarily enter her classroom, but she made her displeasure known.
Tuesday
Again on Tuesday, we took S. directly to her classroom. She couldn't wait for us to leave.
L. started a new class at daycare. She refused to walk in her new classroom until she was a couple of her buddies from her previous classroom. I spent a good amount of time discussing L.'s food allergy and pointing out where we keep the epi-pens and how they work. I'm confident these teachers will be just as careful as her last teachers.
Wednesday
Mommies and daddies are not allowed to walk their child to class as of today. I dropped S. off in the designated area. She barely slowed down for me to yell, 'I love you. Have a good day.'
L. went right into her new class and was raring to go. Good times.
I worked obnoxiously late and when I got, home, Mr. W. told me the disturbing story S. told him. She said a boy came into the bathroom while she was in there and touched her privates. She told the teacher, and the boy got in trouble. We did not get a note home or any communication from the teacher about this. I am trying not to go off the deep end. S. doesn't seem traumatized, just annoyed. I am struggling with an urge to drop kick this kid into the middle of next month.
On the other hand, S. brought home some work from school. They are spending the first couple weeks learning how to use their tools. Yesterday, the was glue and scissors practice. I'm really proud of how well she managed to keep her glue contained.
Thursday
Freddy, the betta fish, is dead. So dead, in fact, that he was starting to stink. We held an impromptu burial service for Freddy out by our front step shortly after breakfast. May he rest in peace. Sucky way for a 5 year old to start her day, losing a pet...
On the way to school, S. confirmed her story about the bathroom incident and added the detail that the boy kicked her as well. I am going to visit with the teacher tomorrow morning. Her conference period is from 8:05 to 8:55, and I need to hear from her what is going on.
Again, L. tripped merrily into her class. I think she really loves the new activities available to her now.
I am leaving for home now, and really hope that we have some sort of communication from the teacher.
I am excited about tomorrow, though. I am taking a long lunch and spending it with S. I haven't told her about it, so it's going to be a surprise.
Monday
S. started Kindergarten on Monday. Where has the time gone? Her first day, she wanted assurance that Mr. W. and I would hang out with her if necessary. However, once we got to her class, she dove right in and couldn't have said we were there or not. Her teacher had a little gift sack for each set of parents. It contained a little packet of Kleenex and some chocolate to help the mommies and daddies get through the day. A very sweet poem she wrote about the first day of school accompanied the bag and left me boo hooing in the van on the way to daycare.
L. was NOT happy about going to her school without S. She did eventually voluntarily enter her classroom, but she made her displeasure known.
Tuesday
Again on Tuesday, we took S. directly to her classroom. She couldn't wait for us to leave.
L. started a new class at daycare. She refused to walk in her new classroom until she was a couple of her buddies from her previous classroom. I spent a good amount of time discussing L.'s food allergy and pointing out where we keep the epi-pens and how they work. I'm confident these teachers will be just as careful as her last teachers.
Wednesday
Mommies and daddies are not allowed to walk their child to class as of today. I dropped S. off in the designated area. She barely slowed down for me to yell, 'I love you. Have a good day.'
L. went right into her new class and was raring to go. Good times.
I worked obnoxiously late and when I got, home, Mr. W. told me the disturbing story S. told him. She said a boy came into the bathroom while she was in there and touched her privates. She told the teacher, and the boy got in trouble. We did not get a note home or any communication from the teacher about this. I am trying not to go off the deep end. S. doesn't seem traumatized, just annoyed. I am struggling with an urge to drop kick this kid into the middle of next month.
On the other hand, S. brought home some work from school. They are spending the first couple weeks learning how to use their tools. Yesterday, the was glue and scissors practice. I'm really proud of how well she managed to keep her glue contained.
Thursday
Freddy, the betta fish, is dead. So dead, in fact, that he was starting to stink. We held an impromptu burial service for Freddy out by our front step shortly after breakfast. May he rest in peace. Sucky way for a 5 year old to start her day, losing a pet...
On the way to school, S. confirmed her story about the bathroom incident and added the detail that the boy kicked her as well. I am going to visit with the teacher tomorrow morning. Her conference period is from 8:05 to 8:55, and I need to hear from her what is going on.
Again, L. tripped merrily into her class. I think she really loves the new activities available to her now.
I am leaving for home now, and really hope that we have some sort of communication from the teacher.
I am excited about tomorrow, though. I am taking a long lunch and spending it with S. I haven't told her about it, so it's going to be a surprise.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Drugs, drugs everywhere
Seasickness patch worked, but also induced terrible dizziness. Good thing I didn't vomit on that stuff, since I could barely get upright, let alone hit an appropriate vomit target.
The doc has submitted a request for the Zofran to be covered... Right now, I'm perfectly willing to pay full price for anything that keeps everything currently in my tummy from making a violent re-appearance. Although, $20/pill hurts...
The doc has submitted a request for the Zofran to be covered... Right now, I'm perfectly willing to pay full price for anything that keeps everything currently in my tummy from making a violent re-appearance. Although, $20/pill hurts...
The security system woks
We have a brand new security system at work. Badges are required to move from floor to floor and into certain departments. After more than 9 years of never having to deal with a locked door, I have definitely hit a learning curve.
I can tell you with 100% certainty that the lock on the glass door that goes into IS works perfectly, seeing as how I have smashed myself into it on multiple occasions. Maybe a broken nose will help me remember to swipe my ID badge? ... Probably not.
I can tell you with 100% certainty that the lock on the glass door that goes into IS works perfectly, seeing as how I have smashed myself into it on multiple occasions. Maybe a broken nose will help me remember to swipe my ID badge? ... Probably not.
Operation Eeyore Sleep
We (or rather, Mr. W.) did it! The girls are no longer sleeping on toddler bed and in a crib. Both have been put away and twin size beds have taken their place.
In order to make the transition from little to big more comfortable for the girls, we ordered matching Eeyore Blue Roses bedspreads, sheets, etc sets. The girls love them almost as much as jumping on their new beds.
We skipped the side rails for now, and L. did fall out of bed once last night. She was cranky when Mr. W. picked her up to put her back in bed. However, she did manage to stay in the center of her bed the rest of the night. Yay L!
In order to make the transition from little to big more comfortable for the girls, we ordered matching Eeyore Blue Roses bedspreads, sheets, etc sets. The girls love them almost as much as jumping on their new beds.
We skipped the side rails for now, and L. did fall out of bed once last night. She was cranky when Mr. W. picked her up to put her back in bed. However, she did manage to stay in the center of her bed the rest of the night. Yay L!
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Appointment!
Had my prenatal check-up today. It was oh-so-fun PAP, etc. appointment. We did get to listen to the little bean's heart fluttering away at 156 bpm. Everything's perfect, and he commented on my little bump. Mr. W. turned into a giant squooshy, kissy-faced marshmallow after hearing that little flutter... Awwwwww.
I have a script for seasickness patches which I will try for a few days. If these don't work, the doc will start the process to TRY to get Zofran covered for me... On the lighter side, apparently the medication in the patch will make your pupil dilate if you touch your eye after applying the patch and before washing your hands thoroughly. He had a patient who wound up subjected to all kinds of neurological workups when she showed up at the ER with uncontrollable nausea and vomitting and one dilated pupil. A good thing to note!
I again declined all genetic, spina bifida, etc. screenings. I'm one of those who worries incessantly when there may be something wrong, and I would never forgive myself if an invasive test wound up harming my baby. So, it makes perfect sense to me to skip screenings that already put me at a higher risk due to my 'advanced maternal age.' When you add in that I have no intention of terminating, it just makes sense to save the insurance co. some money.
Now if you could tell me that an amnio was guaranteed 100% not to harm the baby and gave a 100% correct diagnosis, I'd be all over it. Otherwise, I want to avoid what happened to a good friend of mine. She too, would never consider an amnio or termination and she DID have screenings done. She received terrible results and wound up having to deal with worries at the back of her mind the rest of her pregnancy. She delivered a perfectly healthy little boy.
I'll head to big, bad, research hospital an hour away in another month or so for a detailed ultra sound. This should give enough information to prepare me for the need to deliver at big, bad, research hospital if there is something seriously wrong with the bean. The local hospital where I plan to deliver doesn't really have a NICU. Can you imagine how badly it would stink to be stuck in one hospital while your new baby has been airlifted to another one an hour away? *shudder*
M.W.
I have a script for seasickness patches which I will try for a few days. If these don't work, the doc will start the process to TRY to get Zofran covered for me... On the lighter side, apparently the medication in the patch will make your pupil dilate if you touch your eye after applying the patch and before washing your hands thoroughly. He had a patient who wound up subjected to all kinds of neurological workups when she showed up at the ER with uncontrollable nausea and vomitting and one dilated pupil. A good thing to note!
I again declined all genetic, spina bifida, etc. screenings. I'm one of those who worries incessantly when there may be something wrong, and I would never forgive myself if an invasive test wound up harming my baby. So, it makes perfect sense to me to skip screenings that already put me at a higher risk due to my 'advanced maternal age.' When you add in that I have no intention of terminating, it just makes sense to save the insurance co. some money.
Now if you could tell me that an amnio was guaranteed 100% not to harm the baby and gave a 100% correct diagnosis, I'd be all over it. Otherwise, I want to avoid what happened to a good friend of mine. She too, would never consider an amnio or termination and she DID have screenings done. She received terrible results and wound up having to deal with worries at the back of her mind the rest of her pregnancy. She delivered a perfectly healthy little boy.
I'll head to big, bad, research hospital an hour away in another month or so for a detailed ultra sound. This should give enough information to prepare me for the need to deliver at big, bad, research hospital if there is something seriously wrong with the bean. The local hospital where I plan to deliver doesn't really have a NICU. Can you imagine how badly it would stink to be stuck in one hospital while your new baby has been airlifted to another one an hour away? *shudder*
M.W.
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
This, that and the other
All about S.
Got a note from daycare that a child in S.' class came down with scarlatina (aka Scarlet Fever) last Friday. I'm guessing this is where S. was exposed to Strep.
Kindergarten is a mere 20 days away. It has finally dawned on S. that when she starts her new school, she will be leaving her old friends and teachers behind. We had a case of the nervous whines on the way to daycare this morning. Bless her heart. She has attended the same center since she was 6 weeks old. She will never be in the same school for that long again (please, let her finish college in 4 years!). She's worried about her teacher, her friends, being all by herself, etc. She is so outgoing and friendly with everyone, that I know she will settle in just fine. Meanwhile, I've promised to:
A. go with her on her first day and stay as long as she needs (Mr. W. is in on that promise, too).
B. go have lunch with her at least once.
On the mommy-bragging side of things, we requested a particular K teacher for S. One of the instructors is very militant, and I know from the depths of my soul that teacher would be a bad match for S. We picked the teacher we got the warmest fuzzies from during the Kindergarten parent orientation back in February. Additionally, this is the same teacher who was recommended by another faculty friend. Turns out S. is in high demand. We met another Kindergarten teacher at the local museum, and she was impressed enough with S. that she asked the principal if S. could be in her class.
Of course, next year, the teachers will switch from discussing who 'gets' to have S. and who 'has' to have S. Well, maybe not that extreme.
All about L.
L. is a terror to her older sister. There, I've admitted it. My 2 year old is rough and mean. The funny thing is now after L. has bitten, pinched, hit, pushed, thrown at her big sister, she starts shushing S. in a futile attempt to avoid getting in trouble. It's wrong to laugh, but I immediately know when L. has done something wrong. Her shushing noises are not exactly super quiet.
Speaking of aggression, I'm concerned about L.'s lack of speech. Not only is she not understandable by just about anyone besides me, she is trying to enunciate and failing miserably. I'm giving her another couple weeks before I start talking to our doctor. As much as I hate the thought of it, it is very likely time for L.'s hearing and language skills to be examined more closely.
All about me
You know how products very rarely live up to the hype? I have found one that truly does. Oh my goodness, am I happy. It's this tummy sleeve I bought at Motherhood Maternity. It's just spandex/nylon stretchy tube top looking thing. However, you can put it on over your regular button down pants while they are unbuttoned and unzipped. The edge looks a bit like the end of a tank top (black in my case). This sucker holds my pants up, smooths out the lines where everything is unfastened and allows me to put off (perhaps permanently?) switching to those belly-covering maternity slacks and skirts. I'm almost as in love with this thing as I am the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.
I have my next doctor's appointment Thursday morning. Hopefully Mr. W. remembers to ask off so he can go. There's nothing quite like listening to that little heart beat to get a guy 'vested' in a pregnancy.
Also, I am definitely feeling the little bean move. Wow! I never expected to feel it so soon.
M.W.
Got a note from daycare that a child in S.' class came down with scarlatina (aka Scarlet Fever) last Friday. I'm guessing this is where S. was exposed to Strep.
Kindergarten is a mere 20 days away. It has finally dawned on S. that when she starts her new school, she will be leaving her old friends and teachers behind. We had a case of the nervous whines on the way to daycare this morning. Bless her heart. She has attended the same center since she was 6 weeks old. She will never be in the same school for that long again (please, let her finish college in 4 years!). She's worried about her teacher, her friends, being all by herself, etc. She is so outgoing and friendly with everyone, that I know she will settle in just fine. Meanwhile, I've promised to:
A. go with her on her first day and stay as long as she needs (Mr. W. is in on that promise, too).
B. go have lunch with her at least once.
On the mommy-bragging side of things, we requested a particular K teacher for S. One of the instructors is very militant, and I know from the depths of my soul that teacher would be a bad match for S. We picked the teacher we got the warmest fuzzies from during the Kindergarten parent orientation back in February. Additionally, this is the same teacher who was recommended by another faculty friend. Turns out S. is in high demand. We met another Kindergarten teacher at the local museum, and she was impressed enough with S. that she asked the principal if S. could be in her class.
Of course, next year, the teachers will switch from discussing who 'gets' to have S. and who 'has' to have S. Well, maybe not that extreme.
All about L.
L. is a terror to her older sister. There, I've admitted it. My 2 year old is rough and mean. The funny thing is now after L. has bitten, pinched, hit, pushed, thrown at her big sister, she starts shushing S. in a futile attempt to avoid getting in trouble. It's wrong to laugh, but I immediately know when L. has done something wrong. Her shushing noises are not exactly super quiet.
Speaking of aggression, I'm concerned about L.'s lack of speech. Not only is she not understandable by just about anyone besides me, she is trying to enunciate and failing miserably. I'm giving her another couple weeks before I start talking to our doctor. As much as I hate the thought of it, it is very likely time for L.'s hearing and language skills to be examined more closely.
All about me
You know how products very rarely live up to the hype? I have found one that truly does. Oh my goodness, am I happy. It's this tummy sleeve I bought at Motherhood Maternity. It's just spandex/nylon stretchy tube top looking thing. However, you can put it on over your regular button down pants while they are unbuttoned and unzipped. The edge looks a bit like the end of a tank top (black in my case). This sucker holds my pants up, smooths out the lines where everything is unfastened and allows me to put off (perhaps permanently?) switching to those belly-covering maternity slacks and skirts. I'm almost as in love with this thing as I am the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.
I have my next doctor's appointment Thursday morning. Hopefully Mr. W. remembers to ask off so he can go. There's nothing quite like listening to that little heart beat to get a guy 'vested' in a pregnancy.
Also, I am definitely feeling the little bean move. Wow! I never expected to feel it so soon.
M.W.
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