N is for new....

cars.. Yipeeeeeeee Mom is getting a new car. Well new to her.

Its a 2003 Saturn L200. Its a pretty metallic light blue with a light grey interior. Has power everything. It only has 45,000kms on it (about 30,000 miles I think) and still has quite a bit of warranty left on the big stuff. It has 4 drs which was very important to Mom and it was a pretty good price. Nanna is a haggler so she negotiated. Mom says her name is Sadie. Bessie is headed to the grave. Mom patted her on the steering wheel and said Job well done, but its time for you to go. Nanna suggested euthanasia for the car, so Mom said to disconnect the battery.. Nanna said that wasn't harsh enough, so Mom said "Sugar in the tank!" I'm not sure why they both giggled like little girls at that, but I think they were both very tired. There are some issues to resolve at the dealership (the car has a clunk) and they need to inspect it to see what the clunk is and if it is going to be really expensive, the deal might fall through because the deal negotiated is for $100 more than what they paid for the car and then they wouldn't make any money at all. So we will see tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

N is also for Naps...which I missed today and I'm very cranky and very over tired and miserable.

M is for Mothers

M is for Mother's Day - see our previous post regarding the Mother's Day Walk n Run

M is for all the fantastic moms out there who survive daily, some more fortunate than others, however, doing everything they can for their children.

M is mommmmmmmmma - my new word.

M is for monkey - thats what mom calls me..or monkey pants.

M is for mommy now going to bed.

L is for Loss

Mommy is going to post this one.

L is for loss... loss of a child.

When I started reading blogs about premature babies, I found Kaitlyn and her family. I read their entire story one night and cried a river over the loss of baby Corinne who saved her sister in utero. I then went on and found other stories, some with loss and some without, each with compelling and heartfelt stories of life with a preemie or two (in some cases three!). I cried along with Eric and Tobie, with Jennifer and her 3, and today I cry for Tertia.

By no means do I want to give off the wrong impression, and I honestly am sorry for their losses. But I am so grateful that my miracle preemie is where she is today. She survived against all odds and she is a little fighter. I am grateful for every moment. Today, we went swimming for the first time and went with Auntie Deanna and her cousins Daniel and Dylan and my little monkey played and splashed and screeched and laughed. But if she hadn't been a fighter, we wouldn't have been swimming today. Fingers crossed we avoided germs.

Urgh

From da mom

Urgh urgh....

I think we're over the illness here but I can tell you we're buying stocks in Scott Tissue or Kleenex or something because my nose is _done_. The cough is still lingering but by no means are we barking like dogs. However my mom is sick now. Sorry ma.

I have had a very roller coaster week. Financially its been getting tighter and tighter as my savings are slowly dwindling and seeing not much coming in until the beginning of May. At least I go back to work on June 4th. Then when I was all doom n gloom, I got a cheque yesterday for reimbusement 100% for my new glasses. At MOST I thought I'd get back $150 and I thought it would be much later in the month that I'd see it. So it was a little cheerier. Then I found out about 8 hours ago that things could get a little tougher if things go the way I think they will.
But then again, I start doing a 3 week contract on April 1 that should make things slightly less gloomy.
Then I start thinking about selling my house, moving to Kelowna (with or without my parents) and not working any more than I have to and living on the profits of my house. (I bought for 94,000 in 1994... tax assessment is 290,000 and we all know thats lower than market) Then I think "What if I hate it? I can't come back to Calgary and get a house..." So maybe I'll wait for the parents to move and visit lots first.

Then I sit back and watch my little miracle. Today I managed to get yoghurt into my little monster without so much as a fuss, spit or gag. I got beef barley soup into her and she loved it. One day we will do this smooth stuff all the time like it was nothing.

She's 10x her birth weight now. 22.8 lbs! Helmet free and so close to walking its scary! She gets very brave and lets go of whatever she is holding onto and then lunges at someone/something to catch her. She doesn't crawl much to get where she wants to go anymore.. she just cruises furniture, or if there is too much of a gap, she will get down, crawl the space and get back up again to cruise the rest of the way.

We have followup appointments with the neurologist, the plagiocephaly specialist, the physiotherapist and the occupational therapist, but I think that at this point, we're almost done with everyone until she's 2 for reassessment. We will still see speech pathology until she starts school but for the most part, she is done with living at Children's Hospital. It is too bad they don't offer yearly parking passes.

I have alot more to say but... really...this isn't the place.

K is for Kangaroo

Kangaroo care is what it is called when you have skin on skin contact with your baby and that's what Mom did alot of us when I was in the NICU/SCN. There were a couple of times that we got stuck together because of velcro or stickies from my leads! I very much enjoyed it and even after we got home, if I had trouble settling down, mom and I would Kangaroo here. I still like to be naked!

K is for Kristin... thats my Mom's name.

K is for Katy, she's Grandma Taffy's daughter and she is my friend.

K is for Rice Krispies (ok well not really, but we needed another K word)... I like these with rice milk.

J is for jammies

I keep growing in odd spurts. I now fully wear an 18 month sized shirt... but still 12 months in pants. Which is completely buggering when it comes to one piece jammies. I either wear slippers over the feet so that I don't trip or step all over the legs, or my arms are sticking out at the elbows. I have a couple pairs of 2 piece jammies but again, same issue. Pants too long, shirt too small.

J is for jam. I don't like raspberry jam.

J is for jello. I have tried orange jello and it seems to be ok.

J is for jumping. I jump everywhere. I am a lean mean jumping machine. I started using people as leverage and then jump to the next person and then use them as leverage to get back where I started. I also have decided that it would be neat to try and jump off furniture, however I have been saved before I can go anywhere.

Mother's Day Walk n Run

I know it is a bit early to be posting this, however...

On Sunday May 13, 2007, we will be participating in the Mother's Day Walk n Run. All funds raised in Calgary will be going to the NICU and Special Care Nurseries in Calgary.

We don't have a March of Dimes Walk of America here, however, we would appreciate the sponsorship and if you want to walk with us, let me know soon so I can get us registered as a team.

If you don't live here in Calgary and wish to sponsor us and give a pledge, please contact me at the email address on the sidebar and we can figure something out.

My thanks to anyone and all who believe that we can make a difference and help our little preemies be all they can be.

I is for infirmary

I think we're headed for the infirmary. The entire house is sick. It started last week when it came home from school and now it has knocked everyone flat on their bums. Last night Mom was sitting here catching up on blogs and she could feel herself get worse by the minute. She woke up this morning feeling like death warmed over.

I have a runny nose and I had a slight fever over the weekend, but it hasn't hampered my spirit. Tonight Rachel had me in belly laughs by flipping her hat off and then blowing a raspberry. Which caused mom to laugh til she cried. Which didn't help her runny nose. Mom says we're buying shares in Scott Tissue.

So, to all that wish to come this way... don't. If you've been sick, come in contact with someone that is sick and especially if you don't want to be sick... go that way --------> cause we're so not healthy and we don't want any more germs.

H is for Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday Rachel!

My big sister turns 14 today! She is one of my favourite people. When she comes home from school, I screech at her until she picks me up and we spend a few minutes together before she does her homework. Sometimes she lets me help her with it but "my sister ate my homework" may be true, it doesn't wash well with the teachers.

We had presents before bedtime on Wednesday because Mom doesn't want to get up at the crack of freakin dawn with Rachel for presents. Rachel usually gets up at 5am! on her birthday for presents!

She got some really neat pants and teeshirts from Grandma Laverty and she got lots of money towards her saxophone that she wants to buy. And she got the mini Kippy stick too. She has presents to open from Scott in the morning before school, but not at 5am!

Deviation

Sorry, we're deviating from the alphabet for a post here.

Today I got rid of the helmet. Life is good. I'm going to be stumbling and crashing a bit I'm sure for a little while until I get used to not being able to push headlong into things but the first time it hurts, I'm sure I'll learn.

I was going to go see my Grandma and Auntie today but it didn't work out as Grandma forgot how long she had to work today.

And Mom promised to share a recipe with Ava & Jack's mommies so here it is..

Simple Cheater Lasagna

Freezes well, recipe makes for 6 people.
Preheat oven to 350F

1 1/2 cups of uncooked elbow macaroni
grated cheese to cover whatever size of oven safe bakeware you choose(we use a mozza cheddar mix of cheese, however just mozza works fine too)
pasta sauce
canned diced tomatoes
In my pasta sauce I use an organic prepared sauce and then spice to taste and add in green pepper, onion, garlic, mushrooms, canned diced tomatoes and often I will use ground beef or turkey. I also use organic canned tomatoes where possible.

Cook pasta in a pot larger than necessary and drain. In same pot add pasta sauce to macaroni and mix. Put in a large oven safe bakeware and mix in some grated cheese. Over top of mix, grated cheese to cover entire top. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese has completed melted and browned to your taste.
Hint: don't mix cheese into mixture in the pot you just used to cook in - half of it will stick to the pot because it will still be hot! Add the cheese once mixture is in bakeware.
This is quick, simple meal that requires approx 15 mins for pasta to cook and 20 mins in the oven and still gives the lasagna taste without all the hassle.

Another easy recipe that isn't as vegetarian friendly, but still quick n easy and a huge favourite at our house is Mushroom Soup Chicken.

4 skinless chicken breasts ( can be boneless as well, but must be skinless)
1 can of Campbell's Mushroom Soup
1/2 can of water

Mix up the soup and water in bakeware, add the four chicken breasts ensuring that they are covered by the soup/water mixture. (If you have larger breasts... I mean the chicken ones, not the double D type :-), you may want a second can of soup...if you do that, still only use 1/2 can of water) I find that if the chicken is not covered with the soup, it tends to dry out.

Bake at 350F for 45 mins. (little longer if they are not boneless)

I usually serve this with rice and use the soup as gravy on the rice.

Again, another quick n simple meal that you don't have to babysit and not alot of prep time.

G is for Google

G is for Google. So today it finally happened. Mom was forced to upgrade to the new blogger or else she couldn't post. Let's just say, she hates it. Go Google.

G is for great! Today, I got my helmet gone for good. There is a huge change in the numbers from the original scan and today it was well in line and appropriate. Great! Now mom can throw out the stinky smelly helmet.

G is for Grandmas - I have lots of them. I don't know them all very well, just my Nanna and Grandma Taffy.

F is for Friends

I have alot of "friends". Mom calls them lovies on here but in reality, we call them friends.

I have an entire bed full of friends. There is a bear from Mom's work, a purple hippo named Violet from Mom, a wooly sheep, several rabbits, a jingle Pooh Bear & my elephant from Grandma Laverty, a blue monkey from Rachel, a pink terry cloth bear from a friend of Mom's, Mickey Mouse that Grandma Laverty got me for Christmas and an Old Navy puppy from Santa.

I have a guardian angel bear from Daddy that is in my memory box because the seam on his foot is starting to let go and Mom doesn't want beans all over in my bed.

I have people friends too. One of Mom's friends, Danielle, had a boy named Cade last April and he is huge compared to me. And Mom's best friend in Ontario has 4 boys and Noah is a year older than me and Liam is a year younger than me.

Grandma Taffy's daughter Katy is my friend too. Today she was making me giggle by saying Dadadadada at me.

F is for french fries. I loooooooooooooooove french fries. Today Mom was off in search of the McD's Kippy mini stick that was released today, and went to 5 different McDs in search to get one for Rach's birthday and they were sold out everywhere. She finally found some in a different town! In order to get them, you have to order food and she wasn't hungry so she brought back a Big Mac meal for Hoser and he shared his fries with me.

F is for french toast. I like this. Mom made it for breakfast on the weekend and I liked it.. or maybe it was just the syrup.

F is for flailing....arms. I sure know how to flail when I am not getting my way. Or make myself go limp. Mom says the terrible twos started 5 weeks ago.

F is for four... the number of teeth I am currently cutting.

F is for five more minutes of sleep for Mom. Which is where she is going now.

E is for Ecstatic

A year ago today, I came home from the hospital, just over 4 lbs and healthy. Ecstatic is how Mommy felt that day, and terrified too. But we have made it a year at home, with only a few issues and my determined spirit keeps me strong and happy.

E is for Elmo. I like Elmo's World and I have play cell phone that sings the song to me that Grandma Taffy gave me for my birthday.

E is for elephants. I have an elephant lovie that I carry around by the tail or the trunk. Grandma Laverty gave it to me when I came home last year.

D is for Dadadadaadadadaaaaaaaaaa

Dadda was my first word but it wasn't directed at Daddy, it was just easy to say. Now I use it when I am playing with Mom and we are 'arguing'. I will say Da Da Da Daaaaaaaa and she will say Mama ma ma maaaaaaaa and we go back and forth and giggle.

D is for Dory. I love Finding Nemo. I watch it and squeal at the fish.

D is for Dot.. or my word for Scott. I call him Dot and I call him loudly when I want his attention.

D is for Determined. Someone said "spirited" was a good word, and we'll go with that. I am exceptionally determined to get places and do things. Sometimes they are not good things - like trying to climb the stairs without help.

C is for Cookie...

...that's good enough for me.

I love Baby Mum Mum's, Ritz Crackers, and Oreo Thinsensations. I totally mush them all and make a mess, but they're GOOOOOOD.

C is also for crazy. I will stand at the coffee table and slam my hand into the table and laugh hysterically at the noise. Mom will laugh with me and say I'm crazy which makes me laugh more.

C is for car. Bessie the beast is still running and the things mom changed last weekend seem to have solved the issue for the moment and saved Mom from having to figure out financially how to get a new car. She's hoping Bessie will make it til she goes back to work in June and has a permanent income again.

C is for computer. Mom looks at the blogs she has listed on the side almost every day and I sit on her knee and watch with her. I especially like watching the videos of Cole & Paige.

C is for clapping. If someone says 'yay', and claps, I will clap too. Mom says I'm cute when I clap.

C is for crib. I have discovered that if I hold the siderail while standing and bounce, the mattress has some serious coils and I can bounce almost as well as I can in the exersaucer.

And lastly, C is for crawling and climbing. I can move at the speed of light. If there is a cat, puppy or human in my way, thats ok, I will climb over. Mom has made a barricade across the living room, made up of my foamy chair, my bike, the piano bench and the arm chair because I am determined to climb the stairs or come to the computer and pull cords. I spend at least an hour a day trying to climb over the barricade. (Note: this space is far too wide for any baby gate and I have yet to find any of the baby fencing to make a corral)

B is for Bathtime

I absolutely love bathtime. I screech and laugh and kick and splash and basically turn the bathroom into Waterworld. Only there is no Kevin Kostner.

I don't like having the water poured over my head and I hold my breath til its over, but otherwise, I'd stay in the tub til I was frozen and pruned from head to toe.

B is also for bananas. I don't like real bananas - I make that Buckley's face when I have it in my mouth or even in my hands.

B is also for bumps and bruises. As it gets closer to the date that I get my helmet off, mom is more and more worried about the bumps and bruises that will appear as I am completely fearless and I plough headlong into everything and she figures I will be black n blue in a week.

A is for Applesauce

I have had applesauce a few times but mom bought Mott's Fruit Sensations with different fruits in it to try. I don't like it. At all. I don't like the texture, I don't like it smoother and I don't like the taste. I like the smell, but as soon as it hits my tongue, I make a Buckley's face and spit it out.

A is also for alien language. I had to go to speech pathology yesterday and I sat with a man who played weird alien language for me and it was very strange. Mom was able to just tune it out but it was a repetition of several 'words' that weren't real to apparently see if I noticed a pattern. After 5 1/2 minutes of this, I wanted no more to do with it and was ready for Mom.

A is also for aluminum foil. I have discovered the joys of ratting aluminum foil. Mom has discovered the joys of Tylenol because of it.

Alphabet Game

Since my mom is playing this on her blog, she thought it would be fun to do it here. If you'd like to play along, please do! Leave us a comment if you do play along so we can follow your game!

What you do is each day or so, you post with a theme... the theme is a word that begins with the next letter in the alphabet.

For example, A is for Apple.. the theme of your post is apples.

So here goes...