Thursday, January 25, 2007

Joshua's brand spankin' new cousin

Seriously, have you checked this kid out? He's adorable.

It's funny...

I started a post this way before, didn't I? Yes, this one, on the same topic. Well, that is funny.

So to give you another sneak-peak into my life, we've been trying - unsuccessfully - to get pregnant since early Fall. Not militant crazy trying, but earnestly trying. And I've grown increasingly frustrated each month as we've failed. I was starting, quite honestly, to be at the end of my rope...there's not an obvious reason why NOT. Or so I thought.

I have epilepsy - that's always been a huge source of shame for me, so I don't often talk about it. I have been medicated for pretty much 21 years straight to control it. I've had 5 seizures since I was 9 years old - the last one was 11 years ago. I've gone through I-can't-tell-you-how-many different medications. They all have different, odd side effects. Some make you dumb, some make you dopey, some make you hairy...it's always a matter - for me at least - of choosing the absolute minimum my body requires.

While I was pregnant with Joshua, they had to increase my medication level 6 times to compensate for the increased blood volume. And it didn't really help - I still had some weird headaches and breakthrough stuff...basically, my left arm was numb for like 6 months. Not cool. So after he was born, I went through a long process of switching to a new, safe medication - Lamictal. It was supposed to be one of the best - no side effects, safe in pregnancy, safe for nursing, etc. Or so I thought...

So what's the point of this whole diatribe and all the rabbit trails? The point is this - Lamictal is actually not safe. The FDA reported recently that they've seen a high incidence of cleft palates in babies born to mothers taking Lamictal. That's pretty serious.

So basically, it's a blessing - and I seriously mean that - that I haven't gotten pregnant. Because I've been oblivously taking a medication that would likely cause a significant birth defect. So after 5 months of frustration, I'm honestly GLAD to report that I am NOT pregnant.

And so now, I'll go back to the doctor and start the process of changing medications all over again. I'll keep you posted.

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Well fancy meeting you here...

Monday, I bought a new memory card for our digital camera at Target. It appears that we aren't the first people to use it...This is a photo of a totally random person. The new card came with a handful of pictures of her. Very weird.

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

It's a boy!!!


Tegan Dayton Vanover was born today at 6:50 am. Baby Tegan is 7 lbs, 8 oz and 21-1/2" long. Both mom & baby are doing well.

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

New Year's Resolution


In the year 2007 I resolve to:
Wear my underwear on the outside of my pants.



Get your resolution here.

For the record, when I was a preschooler, I did this regularly. But let's be honest - if you had Wonder Woman Underoos, wouldn't you do it too?

Tuesday, January 2, 2007

This is Mama's House...

If you have - or have had - a toddler, then you know that toddlers are almost always at their worst when you need them to be their best. Baby On Bored shared a story today about flying with a screaming toddler. I so can relate. I think every mother of a two year old can feel her pain - nobody wants to be "those people" on a plane, in a restaurant, at the grocery store...

In my life Before Child (B.C.) I hated those people. I saw bad parents, lack of discipline, lazy parenting, you name it...they were failing miserably, and impacting my ability to fly/eat/shop in peace. Rude, horrible people.

Now, After Delivery (A.D.), I feel their pain. I want to cry with them, hug them and reassure them that I know their child is a mutant evil monster, and I don't blame them. I know exactly how they feel, how aware they are of every eye on them, and every whisper...I know what it feels like to have an entire drugstore line look at you and assess your parenting ability based on one tantrum over an Elmo lunchbox.

Now, I want to beat up everyone in the place who's giving that Mom a dirty look. That Mom is one of Us. And it's not her fault that her child refused to take his nap today, got all sugared up because some idiot relative thought he should have candy corn, and then proceeded to run laps around Kroger. That Mom is as much a victim as you are, perhaps more, because she has to take him home with her. So you best step off - she's with Us, and we're not taking any more of that crap.

Moms, unite. We're taking back the airport. And the grocery store. And the drug store. And Starbucks. And all the places we hide from now that we have children. If you want peace and quiet, go to the library. But not during storytime, because that's ours too.

Monday, January 1, 2007

Retail therapy, round #2

So Nate left tonight for Lansing - AGAIN. That, I have to say, is getting old. So I have a new plan this week - I'm still most likely shopping every day - why not? - but am also overcommitting myself so I don't feel lonely. So this week, I'll mallwalk with Daedra a few times, babysit my niece, get my teeth cleaned, work out at Lauren's, go to Kids Korner on Thursday (you should come!), go to tumbling class on Friday, and maybe even try Jazzercise - don't ask.

And then next week, we add back in swimming lessons, storytime @ the library. I also have my eyes set on a Bringing Up Boys class, swing dancing, and a stained glass class. One registration fee at a time, I'm filling up every waking moment for the next few months. So hopefully between that and my measly 10-hour-per-week job, I'll have enough of a life that I won't pine away at home as a work widow.

And maybe - just maybe - I'll actually stick to a few of these commitments. And if i manage to do that, perhaps I will finally fall into a regular routine for the first time since I left my job and stayed home with Joshua. And maybe - just maybe - that will mean that I'll feel sort of pulled-together again, and be some semblance of my old structured self.

Target, don't worry - I won't desert you. I promise to still visit you at least twice a week and catch up on old times.