In over my head…

Last month, my other half and I found out that our daughter, who we suspected had health issues, was worse off than we had initially thought. We’re actually still on the road to answers, but so far, we’ve found out that she has an immune deficiency, severe allergies to some foods and some animal dander (dog, specifically), and a heart murmur, which is functional.

This last weekend, we also discovered she’s having seizures. They called them Focal Seizures, and for her, they seem to occur mostly when waking, and generally, it’s shaking/convulsions, spacing out, and loss of hand-eye coordination and control. We rushed her to the ER when it was so bad that she couldn’t even lift a banana to her mouth without shaking and missing, and was falling over because her arm buckled under her.

We’re exhausted, all of us. Her big sister is worried but also doesn’t fully understand. She wants to play more with her, but she can’t. She wants to know why her baby sister can’t have any milk, or pickles, watermelon, etc. Why we can’t bring those foods in the house anymore, and why she has to wash everything after eating them elsewhere.

How do you explain to a 3 year old that her sister just can’t have them and make them understand it?

She has to see so many specialists that my head is reeling. Immunologist, Cardiologist, and now possibly a Neurologist for her seizures and G.I. Specialist for her lactose intolerance.

And on top of all of this, I’m in the middle of my Spring semester of University, for my Teaching license, a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education. I’m overwhelmed. I feel like my head is going to explode with all the possible disorders that I’m having to learn about, and all of the things I have to tell new doctors when she has to go to an ER. My day to day life is me juggling nebulizer treatments, disinfecting the house, double the daily cleaning since she can’t be exposed to allergens, disinfecting her toys, spraying her bed and toys with allergen reducer, doctor’s appointments, and finding a way to study. Hell, that’s why I’m awake right now… I was studying and doing homework and couldn’t sleep after.

And through all of this… all we want are some answers. We just want to get her on a treatment that will do more permanent good.

We believe in vaccinations… well, her previous vaccines may not have even done her any good. Future ones could cause reactions, so we have no idea if they can be given to her. And now we have to worry about measles, what with all the recent outbreaks.

I’m keeping up hope that things will get better. I keep making things more and more orderly, more clean, more sanitary, but it feels like a losing battle most days.

I’m lost, in so many ways. No one wants their child sick, it’s something I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.

I’m angry at her old pediatrician for ignoring me and not listening when I told her that my baby was sick

constantly, and delaying a diagnosis for months. I’m furious that she missed a heart murmur for 10 months. I want to go scream in her face, but that would solve nothing.

And all I can do is trudge on.

We have much more of a story to tell… Both my kids are strong. 

imPress nails: I’m not impressed…

Well, I decided since I hadn’t done it yet, to test my imPress nails from my UniVoxBox.

Needless to say… I’m not impressed.

During application, the pros were that they were initially easy to apply, stick fast, feel semi-sturdy, and look professional. But that’s where the pros end. The tabs on the back were a pain to pull off. They were tough to apply once a few of the nails are on. Many of them are too long, once I found ones that matched my nail size. They fit awkwardly on my nails, and to be honest, I REALLY hated not being able to cut them to the size I personally like for my nails.

I opted, at that point, to test them under real-life circumstances. Started out with the dishes. They did not hold up well… Most of the nails made it through, 9 out of 10 of them did, but the water severely  loosened the glue. The right index finger popped off. Nails felt flimsy while washing dishes, like they would come off anytime. They were also uncomfortable.

After that, BOTH thumbs popped off while I was using the restroom and then undressing for my bath. While typing this, the right ring finger came off while fixing my hair for said bath, and the left ring finger was hanging on by a thread post-bath, as was the left pinky finger and right middle finger.

While typing this, the left pinky fully came off.

I was left with this… One lone middle finger with a nail on it.

 

Yeah, one nail. So, you can guess, out of 10, what my rating is, since I usually rate out of 10?

One out of 10. Has to last more than 2 hours under normal mommy circumstances for me to say differently, sorry. 

NYC Expert Last Lipcolor and Stay Matte Foundation makeup look!

I’m finally getting around to making a nice look for this NYC lip color and the Stay Matte Foundation I got from Influenster over a month ago. What can I say, I’ve been busy. Anywho, I’m going to tell you how to get from point A, no makeup, to point B, the finished look.

11)      Start with fresh, clean skin. I like to use an exfoliating wipe personally. I also use some makeupo remover to get any old eyeliner that may be stubbornly clinging to me, off.

22)      Apply the Stay Matte foundation to the face as needed. I do under the eyes, on the cheeks lightly, and on my nose and chin.

33)      I use a white powder eyeshadow, a loose powder with glittery flecks in it, for the eyeshadow. I find spring looks do best with light shades.

44)      Line the upper lashes, and then the waterline, with a black eyeliner. Smudge to make less dramatic, leave as it is for a sharper look.

55)      Apply mascara, I’m a fan of Rimmel Scandelash.

66)      Apply lipstick, I have the bright pink NYC Expert Last lip color on.

77)      Done. Enjoy!

Child Harnesses: Good or Bad? Or No-one Else's Business?

So, today I was out at our local mall with Mike and the kids, we were just out to walk because, to be honest, our mall sucks, has chased out half the stores that were in it, and there’s nothing to do. While out, I noticed a mom and her, probably 18 month old at the most, daughter out for a walk as well. The mom had her child on a harness, and they were content, the daughter stayed near the mom, no one was upset or fussing, no one was harmed.

And then this old lady walked by and shot this woman a snide, snooty look. And I could not for the life of me figure out why initially… could it be because the mom is in a t-shirt or something? No, because then I’d have gotten a look too, and when she looked to me and Mike and the kids, she smiled as broad as you could. Maybe her lack of a man with her, some people are like that around here? No, because her wedding band was on her finger in plain sight. I was stumped. Then I figured it out when I heard this lady say to her friend “… just like a puppy.”  

Not Child Abuse

She was being judged for her harness.

Now, before you ask, no I didn’t get in this old woman’s face and say something, because I had the kids with me, and to be honest she was so far off when I overheard that snippet that it wasn’t worth it, besides the woman didn’t even seem to notice or care what the lady had said or how she had looked at her.

That said… I don’t get the judgment at ALL. She wasn’t doing something evil or mistreating her kid, she had the child in a safety harness. That’s nowhere near hurting her kid. And yet, all around, parents are being judgmental or holier-than-thou, all because of one of those pesky parenting choices that they don’t agree with.

Shame on these people for having a parenting preference and doing things differently than others!

I mean come on. It’s a harness, not a shock collar. It’s not going to hurt the child to be on a harness, in fact, in busy areas, it can be a blessing.

I bought one of those for the older munchkin when she was learning to walk. She was EXTREMELY independent and wanted nothing more than to get into everything. This was fine in our small town, I held her hand everywhere we went. But we decided to take a trip, around 18 months of age, to an amusement park, Busch Gardens Williamsburg to be exact. Now, my 18 month old looked like she was 3. She was and still is VERY tall for her age. She wears a 4T or 5T from the toddler department or a XS or S from the girls department, for her height, for an example. And I fully intended to hold her hand through that park.

Still not Child Abuse

But, in case some jerk got the idea to try and kidnap my kid… I wanted an extra line of defense. I wanted her attached to me by more than a single hand. So, we harnessed her through the park. And you’d have never known it unless you watched us remove her harness to get on rides. It was a lion, looked like a backpack. And it made me feel safer being out around so many strange people with my baby.

Did we need it? Who knows, maybe it deterred some sicko from grabbing my kid from me. But it made me feel better.

I haven’t used it since then. It’s literally put away until we possibly need it this summer if we go back to the amusement park. But it has its benefits for people. It can help give an independent child some freedom, it can add a safety measure in crowds, it can help when the mom has her hands full or has more than one kid, or forgot the stroller, or SO many things. I have never seen one of those things and thought, oh man that mom is LAZY! Not even before getting one for DD to use the one time did I think that.

So why is it that so many people jump to conclusions about that? All I think is, what a cute harness, and the kid is so adorable! And a responsible parent too, keeping their child safe! It’s great to see people doing what works for them!

 

Maybe... Nope. Still not Child Abuse.

So why judge? Why can’t we, as parents, just let people do what works for them?

I challenge you to look beyond the arguments of ‘it looks like a dog leash’ or ‘it’s lazy parenting’, and see it as it really is… a parenting choice different than one you may use. I challenge you to look beyond the stigma of this item, and to instead of throw a look at a parent with her hands full and a child on a harness, smile and offer a kind word of encouragement. Because that’s what we should be doing anyhow. As long as that child is not being beaten or abused in some other way or isn’t running rampant, the parent’s choices are not your concern.

What do you think? Can you look past the stigma of harnesses? Did you harness your little one? 

UniVoxBox Influenster Review and Unboxing!

The UniVoxBox Arrived yesterday! Obviously, I was excited to crack that sucker open! Check out the unboxing, the second unboxing I’ve done, and take a look at some of the products inside! On a side note… man I need to get a better webcam… for realsies…

6 benefits to baby-wearing, as per a Second-Time Mommy

My poor little sicky... our visit to the ER.

Well, the last few days have been… scary, to be honest. My 3 week old caught a virus from a family member, and she went from a sniffly nose to a full blown chest infection. Apparently, her sniffles turned into RSV. She’s needed a lot of cuddles, and I’ve still needed my hands… so I decided to wear her around the house more than usual. And let me tell you, she’s so much calmer and happier when I wear her. Thinking about this, I decided to think about the benefits of baby wearing, some of which I had noticed, some that I hadn’t until I thought about it.

**NOTE: These are MY benefits to baby-wearing. I’m sure others have other benefits, and some may not even agree with these benefits. And this is in NO way saying you have to baby-wear your child. It’s helpful and beneficial for ME, but it won’t be for everyone. **

Hands Free! – In all honesty, I genuinely need both hands a LOT. I’m a SAHM to two girls, one of whom currently is sick (my poor newb…) and I still need to keep the house clean and get homework done. And when my baby won’t have anything to do with her swing or her carseat, or needs to be held up more to help her clear her chest,  I pop her in the baby carrier and off we go to clean together, and man, it’s been a lifesaver. I wear her for about 2 hours a day, and I get so much done with her in the carrier that it’s crazy.

Great Exercise! –Yeah not even kidding, I’ve lost all my baby weight from my second child, and I swear it’s because I wear her wherever I take her and around the house. I don’t push her in a stroller, she is on me, and you feel the burn after a while of carrying around a 10lb infant child with you all the time. My back hurts, but I feel the ache of a good workout in my legs and thighs after kneeling, walking, lifting, and more with her on me. And I’m not even joking, all of the baby weight is gone. I’m back down to where I was before I got pregnant.

Good for Bonding! -I’ve gotten so close to this kiddo by wearing her, I can tell some of what’s wrong before she even gets mad, and I wasn’t able to do that with my oldest. I bonded with her, don’t get me wrong, but I also had way more time to devote to just being with her all day. Now, I have a limited timeframe to do this all day. But this gives us both the closeness we desire, without chomping into the day. (Yes, she is worth every minute she would take up, but now I don’t have to lose that time.)

Relaxing for Baby! –My newbie is sick, as I said before, and she has wanted me to hold her all the time. But, I can’t, I literally have homework and other things to get done during the day. I pop her in the carrier, and she’s content. She relaxes, she sleeps more soundly, and if I sit in front of our humidifier and let the air hit her, she breathes better. She relaxes a lot more when she’s not sick and in her carrier, too, but when she’s sick, I want to be able to keep her relaxed, while getting the things I have to get done, done.

No need for a Stroller! –You know how many times I’ve used a stroller since she’s been born? None. I’ve yet to need it. I wear her any time I have to go to the store, or want to go to the mall for exercise. And it has been nice not needing to lug out that huge monstrosity of a stroller that we had for our firstborn… I hated that thing with a burning passion. Now the oldest can hold my hand, and the newb can sleep on me, and I have a hand free to carry the small diaper bag. So many problems solved.  

Keeps the crazies from touching as much! –This is a BIG one for me. I cannot stand a lot of unnecessary touching of my kid. I can tolerate a little, but with my oldest, people literally came up to her stroller and seat, and tried to touch her face and her hands… NO people. No. Do not touch her without my permission! Well, now they have a LOT harder time touching her with her being attached to me. Get your grubby germs on her now… See if you get close enough!

What benefits do you see to baby-wearing? Do  you baby-wear? 

Update: Adjusting to life with a Newborn & a Toddler

You know, newborns are funny creatures. Think about it, the average newborn comes out looking something like a cross between a potato and Gollum half the time. They’re covered in hair in weird places, like their earlobes and their backs and their foreheads. Sometimes they sleep ALL the time, except for the time you want them to sleep. They cry , eat, cry more, pee, and poop things that don’t look like human poop.

And yet, we love them so much our hearts could burst. Despite the smells and pee on us, we feel so much love to these tiny humans we created.

So far, we’re going on 2 weeks home with the newbie, and we’ve adjusted accordingly. The first week was interesting… for 2 days, she would only sleep on me or in her swing, so I spent 2 nights on the couch camped out next to her swing while she slept. Mind you, this was a few days after my C-section, so I was miserable once I woke up… Sleeping on the couch does not make you feel great post-surgery. The first night my newb slept in her bassinet, I was praising whatever deity allowed me those few hours of sleep. I needed them so desperately, I was willing to trade anything for that time sleeping.

And she eats like a little horse! (Ok maybe more like a Shetland Pony, but you get the picture) She’s already gobbling down 3 oz per feeding every 3 hours. And since she is currently going through a growth spurt, she’s up to 3.5 to 4 oz some feedings… mind you when she eats more, she waits longer to eat again, but still! And it’s not overfeeding, the kid rarely if ever spits up.

She wears a 0-3 month or 3-6 month size clothes. My oldest was a little runt compared to this tyke… My oldest wore newb sizes for 2 months… she was born 7lb 13 oz. My newbie? Born 9lb and 12 oz., and she’s in a way bigger size. She can’t fit into newb onesies anymore, and she barely fits into her newb one-piece sleep suits.

But that’s all ok. Because she is totally worth all the adjustments and the clothes. (Thank God for Hand-Me Downs…)

My oldest is adjusting pretty well, some of the things this kid says to her sister is hilarious… I’m like, where did you HEAR that from, because we never said it! Like earlier, she said “Please, stop doing that, no more crying!” to her sister in the car on the way home from the store. We’ve never told her sister to stop crying, babies cry, it’s normal!

Or, the ever-hilarious “Please, just no, you be quiet now!”. Yes, we’re telling her that she needs to talk nice to her sister, but we can’t help but to snicker a little when she’s not looking. However, on the flip side, she sees her sister cry, and she gets worried and says, “Chloe’s frustrated? She hungry?”. She worries so much about her baby sister, it’s very cute, but she’s not as interested in holding her anymore. I think the novelty wore off to her. But she’s adjusting well, and she does help us a LOT, she helps shake bottles, and throws out diapers, she’s even helped with changing diapers by wiping her sissy’s booty for us when we let her. She knows not to pick her up without us helping, which was one of our big worries.

The hardest part has been finding the time to do my homework, to be honest! I’ve got to really buckle down this week to get that done in the timeframe that I have!!

So, as I sit here tonight with my 2 week old on my chest, I think about how the last 2 weeks have flown by and how things have changed so drastically… We’ve had a lot of life changes in a very short period of time, some of which I can’t talk about right now… suffice it to say, our life has gotten a lot harder in some ways, but in others, man I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I can’t imagine life without our Chloe anymore.

Anyhow, I just wanted to post a quick little blog update! As you can see, she’s definitely getting big fast! Planning to work on more stuff in the weeks coming up!

Do you remember when your little ones were newborns? What was the hardest part about adjusting with a newborn for you?