skip to main |
skip to sidebar
No, this isn't a post about what we did today. It's actually a post about how we end each day.
Every night we follow pretty much the same bedtime routine. Of course, we don't call it bedtime...that would be too simple. We call it "going shushy night night". I'm not exactly sure how that started. I think it began when Lily was a baby and I would rock her to sleep and say/sing "Shhh, shhh, night, night...shhh, shhh, night, night" Anyway, somehow that stuck and now we refer to going to bed as "going shushy night night". You know...like...you need to brush your teeth before going shushy night night...10 more minutes until shushy night night. You get the idea.
Now, back to the point of this post. Before Lily goes to sleep each night she and I take a few minutes to recap our day and talk about what's in store for the next day. This is something I started with Lily from the very beginning. Obviously, when Lily was tiny the conversation was very one sided. Each night as I would rock Lily I would talk to her about our day and all the fun we had together. Then, I would share with Lily something about the next day. Simple little things like, "tomorrow is Saturday and that means Daddy will be able to play with us all day."
Most nights Tony and I put Lily to bed together. However, the "What We Did Today" part of our shushy night night routine occurs after Tony has given Lily her good night kiss and left the room.
This once one sided conversation has blossomed into a sweet little exchange between Lily and I. To be honest, it is one of my favorite daily 'Mommy Moments'. Unbeknownst to me it's also one of Tony's favorite moments. He just shared with me the other day that he stands outside the bedroom door each night to listen in!
I'll have to remember to mention flying the airplane at the BWI Observation Gallery when we talk about what we did today!
On Friday, Lily and I joined Christine, Chip, and Lian (friends we haven't seen in quite some time) at Oregon Ridge Park for a little frog "hunting" and a picnic lunch. What? No, of course we didn't have frog legs for lunch. I can't believe you would even think that!
While I thought Lily would hop right in (pun intended) with the frog hunt she was much more timid than I anticipated. When we are at the park near our house Lily loves to wade in the river and see what's swimming around...on Friday she barely let go of my hand!
Thankfully, Chip (aka - The Great White Hunter) was there to schlep through the muck and the mire and find all kinds of cool things to show the girls. There were snapping turtles, tadpoles, frogs, toads, newts, stick bugs, HUGE spiders, and more. Come to think of it...maybe that's why Lily was timid!
Now Lian...that's another story. There wasn't anything timid about that little hunter. You should have seen her netting various frogs, tadpoles, etc. all by herself. What can I say? Like Daddy...like daughter!
Yes, you will notice in the pictures that Lily is wearing flip-flops and I did mention snapping turtles, HUGE spiders, etc. What can I say?? Lily didn't want to wear boots or Crocs only flip-flops. Yes, I know I'm the mother. But, have I mentioned lately that I'm the mother of a 3 year old?!?
Since we've been home from China I have sent a few update letters and pictures to the orphanage that was responsible for Lily's care. This is not something that the Civil Affairs Office in China or our adoption agency encourages us to do. In fact, when we were in China the Civil Affairs Office told us that any future communication should be sent directly to them and they would forward it to the orphanage.
Perhaps I'm not a trusting soul, but somehow I feel better cutting out the middle man and sending the letters straight to the orphanage. This way I hope that Lily's Foster Family and other workers at the orphanage that actually cared for and loved Lily (Jia Yin) will see her pictures and read about how beautifully she is doing.
The other day when Lily and I were at the post office sending off a letter Lily was looking at the pictures as I put them in the envelope and said, "They're not going to believe how big and beautiful I am getting!" She left out...modest!
Speaking of big and beautiful here are a few pictures of our little modest girl from ArtScape this weekend. Can you guess who is starting to pick out her own outfits?!?
The other morning I woke up with a pretty nasty flare up of my CIU. Don't worry, this time I didn't take any pictures!
Anyway, the first thing Lily said when she saw me was, "Oh no! What are we going to do??? Our chauffeur's in Ireland!!" How funny is she? I'm sure Dad Dad will absolutely love knowing that's how his granddaughter is now regularly referring to him!
You know what's not so funny? The separation anxiety. No, not Lily's. Mine. Seriously. I'm so happy that Dad is in Ireland, but boy will I be a whole lot happier when he's home. No, not because I need a chauffeur. I just like it a whole lot better when it's the Patapsco River that separates us and not the Atlantic Ocean!
Hurry Home! We miss our chauffeur Dad Dad!
Our little Lily is in love...with a horse named Tips! This is much more than a passing crush. We're talking serious equine love.
Last year the stay at home parents group I belong to had several outings at a horse farm near our house. The first time we went I didn't expect Lily to get within a mile of a horse. After all this is the same child who has seriously scaled my body to get away for a cat or dog she didn't like the looks of. Boy, was I wrong! Through our visits Lily rode Tips several times and loved every single second of it.
Lily talks about Tips nearly every time we pass the horse farm. Mommy, where is Tips right now? Do you think she's had breakfast? Mommy, when can I ride Tips again? Mommy, I think Tips misses me. You get the idea.
Well, today Lily was reunited with her long lost love. I'm happy to report they picked up right where they left off!
Lily was so excited and talked to Tips the entire time. Apparently, Tips talked back. Not only did Tips tell Lily how happy she was to see her again, but apparently she wants Lily to come back soon! We'll have to see what we can do about that.
We had another great summer weekend. With the beautiful weather we've been having we're getting really spoiled...and I'm loving it!
Friday night we went to an outdoor concert. Lily loves music of all kinds and loves to watch people perform. Lily happily sat there taking in every last detail and I'm quite sure she will add some of what she saw to her own repertoire.
Saturday afternoon we went to Patti's house to celebrate the July birthdays (Ed, Christina, and Dave). Oddly enough, the guys don't seem to be too anxious to celebrate the passing of another year so the day mainly focused on Chrisbeanie. That's Lily's new name for Christina. I don't think Lily actually means to call Christina that...it's just sort of been coming out that way lately.
Family, friends, great weather, steamed crabs, birthday cake, and presents. Sounds like the makings of a great day...and it was! We were even paid a visit by the Queen of Pop. Don't believe me?? I have a picture to prove it!
On Sunday, Tony, Lily, and I went to ride the miniature trains again. We packed a picnic and spent the entire afternoon at the park riding the trains, playing on the playground, and enjoying the beautiful weather. Tony and I had a great time and needless to say any time Lily can spend near, in, or on a train she's happy...very, very happy. Our girl truly is a hobo at heart!
This is HUGE people....we're talking seriously HUGE!!
Yesterday, Lily and I spent the afternoon playing in a neighbor's sandbox. When we came home I thought I had done a good job cleaning the majority of the sand off of Lily before we came in the house. The key word here would be...thought.
As it turned out there was quite a pile of sand left on the Living Room floor when Lily took off her shoes. I told Lily that I was going to go get the dustbuster to clean up the sand. To say Lily hates the dustbuster is an understatement. While we're at it let's go ahead and throw in the vacuum, blender, garbage disposal, and fire trucks for good measure! Our girl has a *serious* aversion to loud noises. We're talking she hates, detests, loathes, despises, okay...you get the idea any and all loud noises!
Well, you could have knocked me over with one of those grains of sand I was trying to vacuum up when Lily asked if she could use the "dustbuffer". This from the girl who normally runs into the other room with both of her hands covering her ears! Not only did she use the "dustbuffer" to help clean up the sand...she "dustbuffered" for 30 straight minutes!
This might not seem like big news to most of you, but trust me I think it's HUGE!
I can't believe I am actually typing this, but today my little Beanie turns 10!!
Happy Birthday sweet girl. I am so glad that you are my niece and Lily's "big girl cousin". Lily, Uncle Tony, and I love you so, so much!
We had a great day today with family and friends celebrating the 4th of July. The weather was so beautiful it made it feel a lot more like the 4th of September than the 4th of July!
We skipped the fireworks again this year. To put it mildly Lily is not a big fan of loud noises and besides she was sound asleep before the fireworks even started!
Speaking of sleep, that's where I'm headed. But before I do here's a cute picture of our little sweetie from today.
Our very own Uncle Ed celebrates his birthday one day before Uncle Sam. As much as we love Uncle Sam...we love Uncle Ed even more! Happy Birthday Ed. Hope your day is as special as you are to us!!
Even though we might kid you about looking like a walrus...we really do love you!
Bear with me...this is going to be a looonnnggg post.
As I mentioned in this post I've been having some strange allergic reactions since the middle of April. Well, it turns out after several visits to two different doctors and lots of blood work the doctors have figured out what I'm allergic to and it's....MYSELF! Yes, you read that correctly. I have an autoimmune disorder called Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria (CIU). That's medical speak for...We don't know why, but you've become allergic to YOURSELF! If you're bored and you want to know more about CIU click here.
Without sharing information that isn't mine to share I will tell you that my family is replete with autoimmune disorders. The fact that I've made it 43 years without any autoimmune issues should be more surprising to me than this diagnosis.
The end result of this fun condition is hives and angioedema (swelling of the eyes and lips). Sometimes I can tell when it's going to happen - other times not. Let's just say on the mornings I wake up and can see my lips and my upper eyelids in my peripheral vision I know it's not going to be a good day. On more than one occasion Tony has had to go into work late or miss the entire day because I've been so swollen I can't see well enough to take care of Lily.
Don't worry. I haven't become obsessed with taking pictures of myself looking...ahem...let's say less than my best. It's just that when this all started it never failed that every time I went to the doctor I looked like my normal self. You know, like when you take your car to the mechanic and it won't make the noise you've been hearing for weeks! So, my primary care doctor actually asked me if I could take some pictures to show him...and as it turns out to show you, too. I don't know if I should admit this or not, but lots of days I've looked a whole lot worse than I do in these pictures.
Honestly, when I look like that I can't stand to see a mirror and I hate for other people to have to look at me. There have been times when I'm almost unrecognizable to myself. Unfortunately, sometimes I still have to go out in public...like when I've gone to the doctor's office, the pharmacy, and the lab. On more than one occasion I've actually had people pull their children away from me. Talk about life affirming. But let's be honest, I can't say that I blame them. Would you?
At any given time I can have hives in 3 different stages: past, present, and future. The old hives leave purple splotches that look like bruises, the new hives are fire engine red, and the hives that are about to appear are pinky/red with white circles around them. Doesn't that paint a pretty picture??
When I have a particularly bad flare up I feel like my skin is crawling or, better yet, like I want to crawl out of my skin. My skin itches like crazy, but I can't stand to touch it. Remember when you were a little kid and you had a really high fever and you couldn't stand for anything to touch your skin except the feel of your mom's cool palm against your cheek or forehead? That's exactly how it feels. Oh yeah, and speaking of moms...I may be 43 but when I'm sick I still want my mother!
I'm not going to lie to you, the last few months have been kind of rough and at times even a little scary. Three weeks ago I had a really bad flare up and ended up in the Emergency Room with an acute allergic reaction to myself. How weird is that?!? Really weird - trust me! In fact, now I carry an EpiPen with me at all times. We're talking seriously weird.
For several days before I ended up in the ER my symptoms kept escalating. I had crazy hives. Not a few here or there...we're talking thousands...literally. I do my best to keep this a family friendly blog so you'll just have to trust me when I say I had hives everywhere...and I do mean E.V.E.R.Y.W.H.E.R.E. Oh, and let's not forget the attractive lip and eye swelling. Can I just tell you how pretty I looked?!? Purty, purty, purty! If nothing else this CIU is doing wonders for my self-esteem ;-)
If I could have gotten my hands on a Burkha I would've worn it. On second thought...probably not...because what I really wanted to wear was NOTHING! Okay, okay, sorry about that visual.
Anyway, I digress...during this time I was in daily communication with my allergist. Who, by the way, I think is terrific. At one point Dr. K told me if I didn't notice significant improvement in 24 hours she wanted me to go to the ER and she would arrange for me to receive IV steroids since the 60 mgs of steroids I was taking orally didn't seem to be making a dent. Dr. K also assured me that over time I would learn to read the signals my body was sending and I would know when/if I needed to go to the ER. I remember thinking...um...okay...sure...whatever.
Later that same afternoon as I was standing there in my bathroom seriously preparing to take my clothes off so I could lie naked on the cold tile bathroom floor (because nothing was giving me relief) it hit me...maybe this is what Dr. K. meant when she told me my body would let me know when it was time to go to the ER!
So, I called Mary Beth and asked her if she could drive me to the hospital. Let me tell you her response time is better than 911! No joking. Not only that, but she also comes complete with babysitting service. Mary Beth was on my front porch before I hung up the phone and she had Katie with her to stay with Lily.
Because the Waters girls never like to miss a good party, Patti came to the ER to join in the fun. As usual the 3 of us acted like we were at a Happy Hour instead of the hospital and that was exactly what I needed! Well, okay, that and the 3 IV's the ER doctor gave me!
I received really great care in the ER. Not only from my sisters, but from the doctors and nurses, too! I was seen immediately and was given the first IV within minutes of arriving...and then the next 2 a little later when they realized the first one wasn't going to be enough.
My family has been incredibly supportive since this whole craziness began. Not only by keeping me amused in the ER, but also by taking Lily out for a few hours so I can have some quiet time, stopping by with flowers, running errands for me, and I could go on and on.
My dad has become Lily and my private chauffeur. In fact, that's what Lily actually calls him, "Our chauffeur." Lily will say things like, "Is our chauffeur going to drive us or are you?" Isn't she a riot?? As for Dad, he refers to his new found driving duties as, "Driving Miss Lily."
To "manage" the hives I'm taking A LOT of medicine. I take 4 different prescription strength antihistamines a day and an obnoxious amount of Benadryl (300 - 450 mg a day) if I'm really itchy. Hence the need for "our chauffeur". I'm not sure how well these medicines are managing my hives, but I do know they make my mouth feel like the Sahara Desert!
I'm also taking a pretty steady diet of steroids. I hate taking the steroids and my doctor hates prescribing them. It's just that right now it's seems that steroids are the only thing that will quiet the hives when they get out of hand.
Have you ever looked at the side effects of taking steroids? It's awful. Staggering really. While they are fixing one thing they can be damaging a whole lot of other things. I have been weaned off the steroids several times since this all began, but it seems like a few days/weeks later I end up needing to get back on them.
I have gained a ton of weight since this started. I think that has a lot more to do with the hand to mouth disease (aka eating everything in sight) I develop whenever I'm nervous or stressed than with the steroids...but I'm gonna go ahead and blame the steroids if that's okay with you.
The "upside" of the steroids is they make me pretty hyper and that helps to compensate for the sedative effect of the mega doses of antihistamines. Actually, it over compensates. In fact, if you're looking for someone to come and alphabetize your canned goods or your spices at 3:00 a.m. I'm the girl for the job. Call me.
The good news is that the doctor that is considered the best at treating CIU is at Johns Hopkins. Practically in our own backyard. The bad news is my appointment with him is not until October 5th. I am on a waiting list to be seen earlier if possible. However, his office was quite candid with me and said they rarely have cancellations or no shows because...well...he's considered the best at treating CIU and people come from far and wide to see him.
Here's a little strange coincidence. My good friend, Barb, also has CIU. Barb and I met about 20 years ago when we worked at the Operations Center of the same bank. Barb has been dealing with CIU for more than 2 years...and with her crazy friend calling her with questions about it for about 2 months!
Tony has been very supportive since this whole thing started. I know it's really hard for him to see me like this and not be able to "fix it". You know what I mean? I'm sure this will come as quite a shock to you, but some days I've been less than entirely pleasant. So not only does Tony have to deal with his wife looking like The Creature From The Black Lagoon...he has to deal with his wife acting like The Creature From The Black Lagoon!
By far the hardest part of all of this is the effect it is having on Lily. It scares her. I scare her...and that kills me. I can't imagine being 3 years old and wondering/worrying what your Mommy is going to look like on any given day. Heck, I'm 43 and I'm having a hard time wrapping my brain around it!
Even though this hasn't been easy on Lily she is still her sweet, silly self. I know I promised I would try to stop posting cute Lily-isms. I lied. I just have to share these cute things Lily has said recently:
- Mommy, I know why you have hives. Because you like to eat bagels with cream cheese and hives.
- Mommy, you are a hivey mess!
- Mommy they're not like bee hives...right? There's no honey in them...right?
- Mommy, you don't have any hives today. I'm so proud of you!
I warned you this was going to be a long post. If you're still with me thanks for letting me get this off my chest. Please know I understand having hives and swollen eyes/lips is a minor inconvenience in the grand scheme of things. I do realize there are far worse things that many mothers have to deal with everyday. I guess I'm just feeling sorry for my itchy self tonight. Thanks for letting me whine...again.
