Life just keeps getting better...

Okay, so I played hookey from work last Thursday...actually, I was feeling like crap. But I've been following this new "win what you really want" contest on Mix 96, and trying my hardest to get through. I missed the song announcement that morning, and when I checked the name of the song on the website, I couldn't for the life of me remember one note of the song. Anyway, long story short, the song came on the radio, a bell went off in my head, and I actually got through. Basically, I won $100 gift certificate for Reno Depot, and I've been entered in a $30,000.00 grand prize draw... how awesome is that?! Only 160 people will be entered in this draw, so the odds are pretty decent. Here's keeping my fingers crossed.

All tests normal.

Oh, oh, oh, we had the appointment for Mykah with the geneticists on Jan 11. All tests are normal, so he's not a Little Person after all. The only thing that is really off is his weight, but even then, he doesn't look like he's underweight. So, we have to follow-up with the GI specialists at MCH, but I'm no longer worried.

Smoke-free...not!

Damn, yes, I started smoking again. I went 5 days, but allowed a certain family situation get to me, and I started smoking again. Grrrrrrrrrrrr...

Smoke-free!

Okay, so here I am in my 78th smoke-free hour. Yes, I am quitting smoking, and although it's still not easy, I've found an excellent method for quitting. Laser therapy. It's not without it's challenges (I still have to deal with the psychological aspect of quitting smoking), but at least it helps ease some of the physical unpleasantries of quitting.

We have scooting...

Well, Mykah's bum scoot is coming along faster than I thought. Put it this way, I'm scrambling to clean up small things, dirt, etc. in a 5 foot radius around him... I put him down somewhere, and he doesn't stay put very long. I think he'll actually be moving from room to room in the house by next week.

Mobility is just around the corner...

Yes, Mykah looks as if he'll start doing his own version of crawling pretty soon. I say "his own version", because it's actually not crawling at all. Right now, he turns himself in circles while sitting on his bum, using his feet to move him around. Well, he wanted a toy that was just out of his reach, and he used his hands to pull himself forward to get it (while still sitting on his bum!) It's really cute, and very funny all at the same time.

Happy New Year...

I actually saw the New Year come in this time... I've slept through it for the past 4 years at least. I had intended to go to bed at 9:30 last night, but my kids had other plans. It was fun, and both my babies saw the new year come in too. When the music started after the ball dropped, Zach started dancing, and little Mykah, sitting on his Papa's lap was trying to dance as best he could too (I call it "bum-bopping" since he can't walk yet). So, Happy New Year to every one!!

Made a new friend...

When I was out shopping for shoes for Mykah the other night, I also made a new friend. There's a girl who works at Fairview who is a Little Person, and I've had so many questions. She was happy to speak with me, and she even gave me her number if I have any other questions. She's about my age, and she's so nice. She was thrilled to meet Mykah, and happy to answer all my questions.

Adventures in baby shoe shopping...

I went to Fairview last night to do some shopping. I had to get a gift for a friend, and I had to buy shoes for Mykah. It was pretty funny trying to find shoes to fit him. I went to Panda to get his feet measured, and to see if I could get his shoes there. The smallest pair they had was a size 2 for babies, and it was way too big for him. So, the sales person told me I should check at Brown's... well, that wasn't helpful either as the smallest baby shoes they carry at Brown's are size 3. I finally found a pair of suitable shoes (I hope) at Payless...size 1...very tiny and unbearably cute. Hopefully, they will be suitable... it was the only pair in Mykah's size. So, at least now he has shoes for when his orthotic is ready... I think I'll get the call from J.E. Hangar next week.

Dwarfism...or Skeletal Dysplasia

I have been doing research on Dwarfism, also called Skeletal Dysplasia. First of all, I had no idea there were so many different forms of dwarfism...over 200 different conditions...wow!

I've been researching it, because of Mykah's growth and development delay...they will be checking him for dwarfism. Now, I know that only a doctor will be able to diagnose for sure, but I'm starting to wonder due to a few factors.

1. has dropped under the 5th percentile growth curve
2. his head circumference is in the 50th percentile
3. he was born with misshapen feet (one clubbed, and one with a reverse arch)
4. his wrists seem double-jointed (they snap when he moves them quickly)
5. he has wicked "hitch-hiker's thumbs"
6. he's extremely flexible (he sleeps with his feet up at his ears)

The most common form of dwarfism is , Anachondroplasia and that is usually very apparent right from birth. But there are other forms that are not really detectable until a child starts dropping off the growth curve (within the first couple of years of life)... Hypochondroplasia for one

Bleh...

I saw my doctor on Monday, and I finally consented to try the Lithium. I'm tired of having unpredicable mood swings, and am hoping that the Lithium will have the effect my doctor seems to think it will have. My body is protesting slightly to the new meds...I feel dizzy and a little nauseous...I really hope this works.

More consultations, more tests...

Well, yesterday was a very full day. Mykah had his regular check-up for his feet at the Shriner's. His left foot (the one that was clubbed) is doing great. His right foot (the one that hasn't had treatment so far) is some kind of "Torsal flexion" can't remember the exact term the doctor used... any way, long story short, he will need to wear a special arch support during the day to help correct it. His feet and shoulders have grown a little, so he needed new night time shoes and a new bar for the shoes (for an idea of the type of shoes he wears at night, click here.)

Now, the less pleasant news is that I put him on the scale at the Shriner's, and he's only up to 16lbs 14.5 oz. Also, the doctor who treats his feet wants us to see the Geneticists at the Shriner's for a consultation...to find out why he's under weight, and why he's behind in his physical development (gross motor skills)

Stupid ISP...

So, I haven't been able to blog for a couple of days. I've been having trouble with my Internet Connection; apparently there's a lot of resistance on my line, and they have to do some tweaks and tests...blah, blah, blah. I've been having problems ever since I got my new modem, but it's just been getting progressively worse. I guess whatever they're doing to fix it is having some effect, because today I actually managed to be able to download something, and I'm actually able to surf the web at a fairly reasonable speed...still not what it should be, but much better than what I had ended up with before calling tech support. Anyway, I'll see if this has any effect, and if it doesn't improve drastically, I am sooooooooo switching over to Videotron!

Where did yesterday go?

So, I didn't really accomplish anything of substance yesterday; I think I managed to wash a couple of dishes and clean off the table...that's it. In fact, I'm not even sure what I did do yesterday...it's a blur...Well, I slept until almost 10:30, blogged, got Zach out of bed, fed him, and set up the Dora DVD for him...but other than that, I can't really remember....strange... I do know that I was very tired yesterday, and put Zachy for quiet time in his room around 3pm...then I was abruptly awaken at 5:30 by my husband in a panick because he didn't know I had kept Zachy at home, and he thought I was late picking him up. He scared the crap out of me!!! He relaxed when I told him Zach was in his room. Then Gilles had to go out to his mother's, so I was on my own with Zach (Mykah's at my Mom's).

Anyway, Zach fell asleep on the couch around 8PM, and I carried him to bed, then...I don't remember. Gilles got home around 8:30, and we spent some time talking and watching TV.

This morning, my alarm was set for 6:30AM...guess what...I had to get up at 5AM, because Zach was wide-awake and full of energy...oh well... had good strong coffee, and got to work by 8AM.

Today's plans...

Well, I was supposed to go to work today, but after having to wake up with Zach at 3AM, and him not falling back to sleep until 5AM, the plans have changed. Also, his schedule is now all messed up, so I'm keeping him home today. That way, he'll skip his afternoon nap, and go to bed, hopefully, at a decent hour tonight. So, if he cooperates by being a nice little boy today, here's my to do list.

• Laundry (wash, dry, fold, AND put away)
• kitchen counters (clear off junk and wash)
• kitchen table (clear off junk and wash)
• dishes (wash, dry, and put away)
• wash dish rack and mat
• bleach and wax the sink (yeah, I know this one sounds strange, but I have a white porous sink that looks very grungy if not bleached every once in a while. The wax is to keep it from getting stained again too quickly)

That's it to start. If I can get all of that done, I'll be happy. I'd also like to start work on my husband's christmas present. I'm making a fleece shirt for him. I would have started earlier, but I couldn't get the sewing machine working...my Mom came over on Sunday and showed me how to fix it. I had it threaded completely wrong; but to my credit, my mom said that it's a finnicky machine and is set up all backwards anyway (it's a really old machine). But, once threaded properly, it sews like a dream, and hopefully I'll end up making something that at least resembles a nice shirt-- it's my first sewing project. ha ha... wish me luck.

Spare Bedroom...

The baby's room is starting to look pretty good, although I still have a lot of junk to get out of here... oh my, how things accumulate. I recycled a whole pile of magazines, so I ended up filling 4 bins with paper for recycling. The closet looks a whole lot better, and all of my craft supplies (cross-stitch, knitting, etc) are up out of Zachy's reach.

So, half of the room looks great, while the other half of the room still needs quite a bit of work. I kind of got sidetracked, because Zachy did something to my computer, and I had to try and resolve it. I think I fixed most of it, but I'm still can't download updates from mcafee.com. When I try to update, Internet Explorer crashes and shuts down...strange, because I can download things from other sites; it's just that one thing that's giving me problems.

Manic...

I am definitely having a hypomanic episode! I've been up at 5AM every morning this week, and that's without setting the alarm! Plus, I'm waking at night and having trouble getting back to sleep...and I actually feel great!

Yesterday, I completely rearranged the furniture in the computer/baby's room, and cleared all of the clutter off of the various surfaces, dumping it all in the baby's crib (it's okay, the baby is visiting with my Mom until tomorrow).

Today, I started clearing out the closet (around 7AM). Now, I'm in the process of sorting all of the clutter in this room (the crib is full to the top). I've already filled two 12w x 18L x 8 H bins with papers for recycling, and I'm going for a third!

Is it possible?

I made it to work for 9AM today. Wow, I actually was up at a decent hour. So, now to the transcripts. I still only have the one tape to work on; side A is done, and I'm starting side B. If there are no more tapes waiting, I'll be able to stay home tomorrow and Friday.

Lazy day...

So, I was supposed to go to work today. Thank goodness for a flexible schedule, because I took one look at the weather outside, and went back to bed! I had a very TV day...that is, I was a couch potato today, sitting on the couch, watching TV, and working on my cross-stitch projects. So, it wasn't totally unproductive, just not productive in terms of housework. I did, however, manage to put together a good supper for the family, so that is a major accomplishment in itself, as I rarely manage to plan meals. (I've made supper for two days in a row now.)

Efficient people piss me off...

You know those people who have every thing in order... their houses are immaculate, their gardens perfect, their lives very structured and full of self-discipline? Yeah, those people. They piss me off to no end, because I just can't figure out how they do it! They piss me off, because they are masters of self-discipline, and seem to do it so effortlessly, and I just can't even to seem to succeed at adding one simple little consistent routine into my life. No, I don't hate organized people...I admire them.

My life is a whirlwhind of chaos. I can't seem to get up at the same time every morning, which then messes up any attempt I make at establishing a morning routine. I know it comes down to a matter of self-discipline too, and I'll admit, I have a serious deficiency in that area. So, how does one go about teaching oneself self-discipline? Is it actually possible to do it on one's own? Does it require a coach to hold one's hand at the beginning, gradually easing the grip once the trainee begins to master basic self-discipline? If so, where do I start? or where do I find such a coach? I am currently at a loss to know where or how to begin.