How about your son tumbling down the stairs. Yes, the lil' guy had an accident this weekend and fell down the basement stairs. We were so scared, but he turned out none the worse for wear. Jason called me on my way home and I met him at the ER. The doc thought he looked pretty good, but with the contusion on the side of his head and the location, decided to do a CT scan. The sedation was the worst part I think. I was able to go with and stay with him while he was in the scanner. The nurse stays with him and they bring a pediatric resuscitation kit along in case he would crash. (This after they tell you the sedation is not that bad, and is quick) He had a minor reaction to the meds and he became pretty flushed and vomited what little was in his tummy. Poor guy! They were able to bring his temp down and after a bit he drank some of a bottle and kept it down. CT was clear and we were able to go home. Within a few hours he was wanting to walk around and play, although he was a bit unsteady due to the sedation yet. Today, his bruise is faded yellow and you'd never know what happened.
Let me tell you, no matter how positive you try to be...the worst still runs through your mind. That door is almost always kept closed, just for the simple reason is that it IS a magnet for kids. Somehow is was cracked open and he decided to explore. It was an accident, one that could have happened to anyone. But that doesn't make the guilt any less.
I was so happy that he didn't need tubes and hookups at birth, I never expected to see him with the O2 piping into his nose. I was fully unprepared for that sight, and that is what did me in, almost. I am so thankful he rolled rather than bonking end over end, and his noggin is alright.
Monday, May 7, 2007
We did it!
We have officially raised $1020 as of this evening! And donations are still coming in! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!
WAT Donation Update
We are so close to reaching the $1000 mark!! We are currently at $915 with a few more donations to roll in this week. We are so going to make it!
Thank you to all who have donated!
Thank you to all who have donated!
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Happy Birthday Ariana!
My little girl turns 4 today!!
Here is a photo montage of her first year of life...
Here are some photos from the last 4 years.....
Days Old
One Year
Two Years
Three Years
And just the other week, almost Four years old
Here is a photo montage of her first year of life...
Here are some photos from the last 4 years.....
Days Old
One Year Two Years Three Years And just the other week, almost Four years old
Monday, April 30, 2007
New Hat
Here I am in my College of Disney Knowledge graduation cap! I received it along with my certificate last week.
I am beautiful
I have taken up a new hobby over the last 6 months. I am taking bellydance lessons and I LOVE IT!! It's something strictly for me, and I love how it makes me feel. I feel beautiful when I bellydance. The movements are graceful and exotic. I'm learning "tribal" bellydance which is very earthy, and it all about the empowerment of ourselves. It is helping me to love my body and appreciate all my curves. I am feeling much more confident about dancing now, and I'm sure will even more as I continue.
Here is a quote that pretty much sums up how I feel about dancing......
Do not deny yourself the opportunity for a spontaneous exchange between the musician and yourself. Let the music come inside of you and dance that music. It is this most intimate musical self and your most intimate dancing self. Feel the music. Fill yourself with it... This is the art of takseem." ~ Artemis
Here is a quote that pretty much sums up how I feel about dancing......
Do not deny yourself the opportunity for a spontaneous exchange between the musician and yourself. Let the music come inside of you and dance that music. It is this most intimate musical self and your most intimate dancing self. Feel the music. Fill yourself with it... This is the art of takseem." ~ Artemis
More PE talk
With 11 days to go until the Walk-A-Thon, and with your help, we have raised $620 to date. Thank you to all that have donated. If you are interested in donating, please consider doing so this week.
A couple high profile topics concerning preeclampsia have surfaced over the past couple weeks:
*Marcia Cross, star of Desperate Housewives, developed preeclampsia with her twins recently and gave birth 4 weeks early.
*This past week's episode of Grey's Anatomy featured a pregnant woman who developed preeclampsia. She progresses from preeclampsia to eclampsia, and is forced to deliver her baby at 30 weeks by c-section.
A couple high profile topics concerning preeclampsia have surfaced over the past couple weeks:
*Marcia Cross, star of Desperate Housewives, developed preeclampsia with her twins recently and gave birth 4 weeks early.
*This past week's episode of Grey's Anatomy featured a pregnant woman who developed preeclampsia. She progresses from preeclampsia to eclampsia, and is forced to deliver her baby at 30 weeks by c-section.
4 years....
Four years ago, I lay in bed thinking I had the flu. I couldn't eat or drink without it coming back up. The abdominal pain was intense and got to the point I could not find any position that would relieve the pain.
Four years ago, I did not know I was days away from giving birth to my beloved daughter. That I would have to lie on my left side for over 24 hours and receive a drug (magnesium sulfate) that would prevent me from having a seizure.
Four years ago, I did not know the words "preeclampsia" and how they could affect a person's life. While I had glanced at the paragraph on preeclampsia in the pregnancy books it was something that I wouldn't have to worry about. I had no clue what HELLP was, or that it even existed.
Four years ago, I was still naive and was having the "perfect" pregnancy. Now I know things don't go as planned and our experience has made us stronger. Awareness is so important to me and if I can reach out to just one person, it has all been worth it.
Four years ago, I never expected to have a 4lb baby who would have to stay at the hospital while I went home. I never expected the feelings of guilt, loss, careful happiness that came our way. I never expected to be able to hold my baby while she was hooked up to monitors, or only be able to hold her for brief periods of time before she needed to go back into the isolette so she wouldn't lose too much body heat.
Four years ago, I knew my life was about to change with the upcoming birth of our first child. What I didn't know was how much love could exist inside me, and that this child would amaze me daily.
Ariana turns 4 this week, and mom is happy, excited, and sad that her little girl is growing up.
A few days old
April 2007
Four years ago, I did not know I was days away from giving birth to my beloved daughter. That I would have to lie on my left side for over 24 hours and receive a drug (magnesium sulfate) that would prevent me from having a seizure.
Four years ago, I did not know the words "preeclampsia" and how they could affect a person's life. While I had glanced at the paragraph on preeclampsia in the pregnancy books it was something that I wouldn't have to worry about. I had no clue what HELLP was, or that it even existed.
Four years ago, I was still naive and was having the "perfect" pregnancy. Now I know things don't go as planned and our experience has made us stronger. Awareness is so important to me and if I can reach out to just one person, it has all been worth it.
Four years ago, I never expected to have a 4lb baby who would have to stay at the hospital while I went home. I never expected the feelings of guilt, loss, careful happiness that came our way. I never expected to be able to hold my baby while she was hooked up to monitors, or only be able to hold her for brief periods of time before she needed to go back into the isolette so she wouldn't lose too much body heat.
Four years ago, I knew my life was about to change with the upcoming birth of our first child. What I didn't know was how much love could exist inside me, and that this child would amaze me daily.
Ariana turns 4 this week, and mom is happy, excited, and sad that her little girl is growing up.
A few days old
April 2007
Monday, April 23, 2007
Protective Instinct
It's simple. We protect the ones we love. No questions asked.
Someone we love was hurt last night and as I knew she sat sobbing with her heartbroken, we rallied around her. The situation was over something so simple, yet complex. The comment may not have been meant in the way it was taken, but there are simply some things you just never say to a woman. Jason reared up and both of us spoke to the person who did the hurting. I'm not sure the person gets exactly how they hurt her, and while I was trying to impress how crushed she was, I don't think that was understood.
There will be aftermath, I'm sure. But I refuse to apologize for protecting one I love. It's a requirement of loving someone unconditionally.
Someone we love was hurt last night and as I knew she sat sobbing with her heartbroken, we rallied around her. The situation was over something so simple, yet complex. The comment may not have been meant in the way it was taken, but there are simply some things you just never say to a woman. Jason reared up and both of us spoke to the person who did the hurting. I'm not sure the person gets exactly how they hurt her, and while I was trying to impress how crushed she was, I don't think that was understood.
There will be aftermath, I'm sure. But I refuse to apologize for protecting one I love. It's a requirement of loving someone unconditionally.
Friday, April 20, 2007
I Love her
I love this little girl so much.
Her spirit is so fantastic and she finds so much joy in the smallest things. She may be small in stature, but she's big at heart. She loves to run and feel the wind streaming through her hair while on the swing. The pride shines in her face as accomplishes a new feat. Of course, since she loves to inject her fun spirit into everything, she can match that in a tantrum. She can be stubborn and hard-headed. Even when she's steamin' mad and I'm about to lose all patience, I love her. That goofy grin, and the way she doesn't walk but skips along. All that excitement in that little body. I hope she never loses sight that she can do or be anything she wants to be. And that fun and beauty can be found in all things. Her love of bugs, jumping off the furniture, and dressing up like a princess--all at the same time. Her spirit constantly amazes me.
Dream big kiddo. We love you.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Making sense
This is a direct quote from an individual who worked with a person who took his own life, as well as his two children's, earlier this week.
"The only person that knows the facts is gone. The rest of us need to make sense with the facts we know," Rasmussen said, adding that speculation and innuendo aren't helpful for those trying to understand the tragedy. Rasmussen explained everyone reacts to stress differently, because what may be stressful for one person may not be for someone else." WDH 4/17/07
I understood what they meant. There are so many questions that will never be answered when someone commits suicide. This makes sense to the Virginia Tech tragedy, who can truly know what was going on it that kid's mind when he shot all those people?
Suicide is an awful thing to have to be a part of as a family member or friend. I think most are wondering if they missed something that could have helped the person. Of course, there are the those who talk about how selfish an act suicide it. For that person this was a choice where they possibly felt they had no other options, they couldn't share their pain, or it was a chance at freedom of whatever was causing heartache in their lives.
The speculation is always rampant. "Do you think he did it because.....?" "I didn't know they were having problems." "But she always seemed so happy." Then the question of why. "Why did he do it?" "Why would she do that to her family?" And the those things will never most likely never be answered.
While I do ask the "why's," I try to remember that whatever this person was feeling was so awful that they felt ending their life was a solution for them. The despair or pain they were feeling must have been so great. Suicide is not something that makes sense to the people left behind. They have to deal with the aftermath and attempt to balance their feelings of anger and grief.
I had the chance to attend a QPR training over a year ago. QPR stands for "Question, Persuade, and Refer" Ask the person outright if they are thinking of killing themself. There was a story of a man who committed suicide by jumping of the San Francisco bridge (if I remember the location correctly). He wrote in his note that if just one person would ask him how he was, he wouldn't go through with it. This man walked from his apartment to the bridge, which was blocks and blocks away, and not a single person said "hi." He ended up taking his own life. Sometimes a "hi" is all it will take.
We all need to learn more about suicide and the signs of it. Depression cannot be a "hush-hush" topic any more.
"The only person that knows the facts is gone. The rest of us need to make sense with the facts we know," Rasmussen said, adding that speculation and innuendo aren't helpful for those trying to understand the tragedy. Rasmussen explained everyone reacts to stress differently, because what may be stressful for one person may not be for someone else." WDH 4/17/07
I understood what they meant. There are so many questions that will never be answered when someone commits suicide. This makes sense to the Virginia Tech tragedy, who can truly know what was going on it that kid's mind when he shot all those people?
Suicide is an awful thing to have to be a part of as a family member or friend. I think most are wondering if they missed something that could have helped the person. Of course, there are the those who talk about how selfish an act suicide it. For that person this was a choice where they possibly felt they had no other options, they couldn't share their pain, or it was a chance at freedom of whatever was causing heartache in their lives.
The speculation is always rampant. "Do you think he did it because.....?" "I didn't know they were having problems." "But she always seemed so happy." Then the question of why. "Why did he do it?" "Why would she do that to her family?" And the those things will never most likely never be answered.
While I do ask the "why's," I try to remember that whatever this person was feeling was so awful that they felt ending their life was a solution for them. The despair or pain they were feeling must have been so great. Suicide is not something that makes sense to the people left behind. They have to deal with the aftermath and attempt to balance their feelings of anger and grief.
I had the chance to attend a QPR training over a year ago. QPR stands for "Question, Persuade, and Refer" Ask the person outright if they are thinking of killing themself. There was a story of a man who committed suicide by jumping of the San Francisco bridge (if I remember the location correctly). He wrote in his note that if just one person would ask him how he was, he wouldn't go through with it. This man walked from his apartment to the bridge, which was blocks and blocks away, and not a single person said "hi." He ended up taking his own life. Sometimes a "hi" is all it will take.
We all need to learn more about suicide and the signs of it. Depression cannot be a "hush-hush" topic any more.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Toofers
Phoenix popped his two bottom teeth through last week and I think he's working on another. Boy, does he get cranky!!
PE on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4ihRB-MGn8
This is a video made by someone who lost her two babies to preeclampsia. It's long, but worth watching.
This is a video made by someone who lost her two babies to preeclampsia. It's long, but worth watching.
Upcoming events
I'm hosting a "Crop out Preeclampsia" fundraiser this week with two friends. One is a Creative Memories consultant and the other is with Tastefully Simple. Looks like it will be a smaller gathering, but I'm excited nonetheless. The fee and a portion of their proceeds will be going to the Preeclampsia Foundation in the fight againt preeclampsia.
Then our family will be participating in the 3rd Annual Preeclampsia Foundation Walk-a-thon held on May 12th. Last year, we missed the WAT as I was pregnant with Phoenix and wasn't sure if we'd have a baby by then or not. So I am really looking forward to this year's event. I've helped get two raffle baskets together (one with thanks to the authors of Passporter) and we are getting close to achieving our goal of raising at least $750 for the WAT. Jason's mom & hubby ride Goldwing and their local chapter had donated $100 to us, we were overjoyed and are so thankful.
Then our family will be participating in the 3rd Annual Preeclampsia Foundation Walk-a-thon held on May 12th. Last year, we missed the WAT as I was pregnant with Phoenix and wasn't sure if we'd have a baby by then or not. So I am really looking forward to this year's event. I've helped get two raffle baskets together (one with thanks to the authors of Passporter) and we are getting close to achieving our goal of raising at least $750 for the WAT. Jason's mom & hubby ride Goldwing and their local chapter had donated $100 to us, we were overjoyed and are so thankful.
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