People go through medicine cabinets at parties, don't they?
Dammit. That's one more thing to clean.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Medicine Cabinet
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Awh boooo
So you know how we're having a Hanami this weekend to celebrate the blossoming of our cherry tree?
Um. No blossoms.
This second picture is me looking more closely and saying, "Really?"
It blossomed last year. I called the tree guy we bought it from and asked about it. (I can't decide if he thought I was a neurotic freak or if he really loved the fact that I was so concerned about my tree. Toss up there.) Ultimately his wise and professional assessment was, "well, that happens sometimes."
**Sigh**
Can't get worked up about it. We'll make our own damn blossoms. No one is keeping me from those cases of sake and Asahi.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Happy Birthday Mr. Anderson
Those of you who've read the blog a while know I am hopelessly in la la love with my husband. It's sick really.
I will spare you all and not publish a mushy post this year. He'd prefer it that way I'm sure.
So here we go...
Just keepin' it real with a birthday shout out to the Man.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Earth Day
I forgot it was Earth Day until this morning when I found I had a crapload of spam in my inbox telling me so. Here are some of my favorite subject lines:
· Get Green with Online Banking
· Win a free Green T Shirt!
· How much money will you save by GOING GREEN?
· Best Deals Ever! Earth Day early birds SAVE!
· Red Light Goes Green
· Get a Free Roll of Reynolds Wrap Foil from 100% Recycled Aluminum
I’m not sure how I feel about this. On the one hand, it's for the greater good. On the other, it's turned into a total marketing ploy. I, for one, am a bit tired of being told to be green. I way too cynical a person maybe. I can’t just recycle a can, I have to figure out what’s really green. Does the can go to your regular old dump anyway? Or when it goes to a “good dump” do they cart it off 500 miles in big gas guzzling trucks?
Yea, yea, I know I'm overthinking. And I already know a couple of you who are probably laughing right now. (Bishand comes to mind first.) I think trying to do our home remodel as green as possible put me over the edge in this area. It was a giant exercise in contradictions. Yes, I want eco-friendly cabinets that don't offgas chemicals, but if they come from replenishable wood that's soft aren't they going to warp over time and end up in a dump anyway? And what about the fact that those special cabinets have to come from Oregon - on a truck - which requires fuel?? (Can you see my eyes roll to the back of my head?)
So today, to celebrate Earth day, I’ve decided to.... let go. Fine. I'll be GREEN. I'm just going to toss this can of Diet Coke in the recycling bin and go ahead click on that last email.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Hanami 2009
In 2004 Mr. Anderson and I went on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Japan. By sheer luck we arrived in Tokyo in the middle of prime cherry blossom season. We spent a fantastic day soaking up the blossom bliss at Ueno park, one of the country's most popular Cherry Blossom viewing locations, with over 1000 trees. I was enchanted by every aspect of it. Not only is it just beautiful to behold, but the spirit of the occasion is awesome. It's a communal exercise in "being in the moment". Everyone sits under the trees admiring their beauty and enjoying each other's company. All day. You hear the word "utsukushii" (meaning "beautiful") from every corner. Oh, and everyone gets drunk on sake.
So, way back then we vowed we'd throw our own Hanami someday. And when we moved into the house, Mr. Anderson planted a Cherry tree for me in the front yard. (Yea, he's that good, people.) And now it's time! We're on watch. From what I can tell we're about a week or two away.
In the meantime, enjoy these pics from our trip in 2003...
Friday, April 17, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Perfect
Photo credit: My fab friend Maia. Letsdoshots.com - LA, NY and Chicago.
I've been wrestling with how I react when people use the word "perfect" to describe Audball. I think I'm generally self-conscious agreeing Audrey is "perfect" because it seems so immodest. And just sorta weird. But you know what? I'm soooo overthinking this. Right now, she's PERFECT. Perfect smelling. Perfect smiling. Perfect laughing. Perfect feet finding. PER-FECT!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
TMI warning. Discussion involving girly business.
Seriously. If you're a male (like my FIL or my dad) stop reading now. You won't like it.
Ah, who am I kidding? They never visit anyway. Ladies? Shall we...
So yesterday my body made it violently clear that its ready to have another baby. I'm sort of floored by this. Already? Really? I'm not breastfeeding, which I guess means this shouldn't have been a surprise, but REALLY? I just am feeling human again. And my body is... oh jesus... a DISASTER. I guess I'm somewhat horrified and amazed at the same time. It's a marvelous thing, the female body. It's breathtaking, really. But wow.
And here's a hilarious thought -- before I got pregnant and the whole back thing happened our plan was to actually pop two kids out one right after another. (I'm not getting any younger, remember?) So if I were to follow the plan now we'd be fine with this turn of events. Happy probably! Let me say today though --- OH NO. Whoa boy. Let's slow this down. Age be damned. I need a breather. At least a little one. And the back needs to heal.
In other TMI news. I paid $50 to find out when my mom went through menopause. Yea, that's a weird one, right? Recently it occurred to me I had no idea when my mom went through it and at some point down the road I think I'm going to want to know that sort of info. And probably lots of other medical history facts that I never bothered to ask her about (you know, because she was supposed to live a while.) And not just for me - for my sister and Aud... So I paid to get a copy of her medical records. It arrived -- all 64 pages of it -- with a huge thud. I could understand absolutely NOTHING from the doctors notes, but found myself sad looking at mom's writing. Each little check mark on a form (you know, "no, no history of seizures" etc.) felt oddly like a little piece of her. It was harder than I expected.
I got what I wanted though. In 2007 she wrote down her last cycle was 5 years prior. So she was 55. Now I know.
If anyone knows a doctor who would be willing to translate the rest, I'd be appreciative.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Useless
I'm hormonal and blue today. In case you came here to the site wondering how we were doing. Argh.
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Aud @ 4 months
Can you believe this pic? Already such a big girl.
Stats:
- 13 pounds, 10 oz - 50th percentile.
- 26 inches long - 95th percentile (Yea, I'm highly suspicious of the last measurement. She grew 2 inches in one month? Hmmm)
- Refused head measurement
- Sleeping well (without her swaddle no less!)
- Found her feet
- Very little head slumping when she's propped up
- Grabbing, holding and sucking toys
- Anticipates the bottle and makes sure we know she wants it
- Likes to look at things up close
- Holds her head up when on her tummy, and rolls over
- Sleeping on her side. Left, to be specific. And perpendicularly in her crib. Seriously. No matter what way we put her down, this is how we find her when she wakes up. She makes sure to touch her head and her feet to the opposing bumpers. Maybe because it's a little more cozy?
- "Talking" and squealing
- Playing
- The fishes in her aquarium
- Watching Ringo
- Daddy
- Twirling her hair in her fingers
- Scratching the wall next to her changing table with her fingers.
- Having her morning bottle taken away before she's had 4 oz.
- Sudden noises. Particularly Velcro. It's evil and makes her cry.
- Being bored
- Shots
- Being cold and wet after a bath.
Get used to it, right?
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Oy My Back
Today is the one year anniversary of my back injury. Reflecting on it this morning I re-ran through the blog fully expecting to find a ton of posts on the subject but was surprised that there weren't any really. So odd. The actual pain of the injury couldn't be more fresh in my mind. And the months and months of therapy were such a huge part of my life. In fact, I still go to physical therapy today.
At the time I think I was so stressed and depressed I just couldn't share. If I actually talked about the pain or released what I really had to say it would have been pretty dark. So I made a choice I guess. I chose to blog about my pregnancy and the joy of our upcoming arrival rather than dwell on the excruciating pain and miserable journey I was on for my back to heal. It wasn't totally honest I suppose but everyone wants to hear about a baby, not a bad back. And frankly for my own mental health I wanted to focus on the baby too.
One year later, I'm SO MUCH BETTER. Holy Mother-of-Jesus am I better! Just incredible. And so with that, I'll commemorate the year with a few reflections...
First off - know that I'm not sure how I hurt my back. Prior to the injury I'd been flying twice a week and working at a desk hunched over for hours with no regard for ergonomic support. (And yes, I can see you straightening your back now. Haaha.) Even though I was working out with a trainer and was stronger than I'd been in years, I wasn't focusing on my core which apparently was a very HUGE mistake. Oy. I also had been skiing recently and even worse, snowboarding for the first time, which strained it even further. Plus I had recently slipped on ice on our front steps and taken a pretty decent fall. And, of course, I got pregnant. Later I found out that my new pregnancy hormones may have actually loosened my joints and helped secure the perfect storm to not only badly herniate my L4/L5 discs, but also make me unable to heal quickly.
I remember the morning so well. I was so thrilled to be home in Chicago. I'd arranged to work here that week and at that point I hadn't spent 7 consistent days with my husband since Christmas. We'd also just learned I was pregnant. So that Monday morning I rolled out of bed and popped to my feet with a smile on my face. Immediately it was like a lightning bolt shot through my body. Such incredible pain. So much that I called out to Mr.A immediately. He helped me back to bed and we both tried to shake it off as a temporary issue. I even took some Advil without knowing you're not supposed to when you're pregnant.
Two days later we were in the emergency room. I was 7 weeks pregnant and being told that normally I would be given some good drugs and steroids but since I was pregnant it was going to be dicey. I should probably talk to my OB about pain killers. But I didn't have one yet. When I found one she told me she didn't deal with backs and couldn't help me. (Bitch. I can't help but seethe with anger about that woman. She was so cold and indifferent while I was hunched over in such obvious pain. I have since sought vengeance through a bad yelp review.) Anyway - then I was referred to a back doctor, but there was immediate talk of surgery and risk to the baby so I freaked out. It was horrible. All the while I couldn't walk without support and was constantly curled over at a 90 degree angle.
Finally I was referred to the Chicago Rehab Institute where there are doctors who specialized in spinal issues for pregnant women. Everything changed. My new doctor was a savior. She referred me to an OB she could work with and together they put me on drugs that took the edge off without hurting the baby. They reassured me that I could do this. I just needed to go to physical therapy twice a week until the baby was born. Um yea. Did I mention that I fly twice a week for work?
I didn't go back to Denver for two months. My job was amazing about it but I still needed to work from home so I built a home office in bed and actually found the distraction pretty helpful. One thing though - I couldn't tell them I was pregnant! They were baffled when every week I wasn't better. I got endless emails from co-workers with advice and "helpful" stories of friends who had bad backs but had taken steroids and been better in a matter of days and so... you know... you should see about that.
I often had to rock myself for hours to ease the pain. I would wake up every two hours through the night. My awesome, patient husband had to sleep in the guest room. I would count the minutes to my next pill and then feel guilty after taking each one. I was trying to make peace with the fact that I was going to deliver a crack baby.
Thank God the pregnancy continued without an issue. The baby was looking perfectly healthy even if I wasn't. Although I remember thinking it was just ridiculous at one point in physical therapy when they started to coach me in how to puke without lurching forward and hurting my back. Seriously. Are you kidding me? Its enough that I need to puke but now I have to puke in SPECIAL WAY?
I developed a new appreciation for people with spinal injuries. Everything I did was so difficult. Opening doors was a challenge. I needed a chair to shower. I remember hobbling down the street to go to the chiropractor and feeling people stare at me because I was so curled over. Or noticing others just wouldn't make eye contact. I couldn't take care of myself. I resented people who could walk upright. I was missing spring in Chicago! I couldn't contribute to the household. Mr. A had to do everything. I felt horrible. God, to live like that. My eyes water just thinking about it.
When I was finally cleared for flights at 16 weeks pregnant I had a new outlook on the world. I lived like an 80 year-old. I walked really slowly. I sought out handicapped aisles and toilet stalls. I needed to ask for help from complete strangers. It was incredibly humbling. Before I got really pregnant, people often gave me dirty or rolled their eyes at me when I asked for help with my bag. Assholes.
When my belly got big I actually got better. The weight shifted me forward which actually helped stabilize my back and lock in the disc. And at 22 weeks I got to a point where I could tolerate pain without drugs. My 8 minute walk to work from my apartment was 20 minutes, but dammit I was managing it. It was so great to stand up straight!
As you know from my labor story, I had to make some accommodations for my back but everything turned out OK in the end. Audrey was fine, thank God. When I cried when Aud was born it wasn't just because we were finally a family. I cried because it was finally over. And my back was finally clear of the baby so I could take drugs (Hallelujah!) and begin healing for real.
I am so grateful to my husband for his help through the whole experience. Ours was not a sweet and cuddly pregnancy by any stretch. To find out your wife is pregnant and to have her land on bedrest 10 days later was a shitty hand to be dealt. But he stepped up. He cooked, cleaned and cared for me, and held me while I cried in pain. And cried some more because of hormones. His strength should surprise no one at this point. He's my rock.
I still need to be mindful of my back now. I can't pick Audrey up off the floor or out of the crib without an issue, and I definitely find myself in some discomfort at the end of every day. I'm working on it though. We want to have another baby and I ain't getting any younger.
When I was in the worst of it at the hospital I sat in the waiting room next to a paraplegic woman who was pregnant. That, my friends, will give you perspective.
I am so grateful, and so fortunate.
Saturday, April 04, 2009
Cathy LaPlante Day
So today is mom's birthday. She would have been 62 years young. In the last few days I've thought about how I wanted to manage myself through this day and here's how I'm approaching it: It's bad enough that Jan. 22 will forever be marked as the anniversary of the most horrible day of my life. I refusing to give up another precious day of the year to sadness.
So instead I'm trying to use the moments when I think of mom today to "bank" some positive memories of her. It's a weird instinct I've had a lot lately. Apparently it happens when you lose someone you loved. When you're hit with a memory you have this incredible urge to rerun, rerun and rerun it. Like memorization. Logic being there won't be any more memories, so you want to hold on to each all the more tightly.
Sigh.
So with that - here are some things that have occurred to me today:
She was great with birthdays. She loved buying adorable cakes when we were young. I remember one in particular that I loved -- a cake formed around a barbie doll standing straight up. She wore a big hoop skirt made of cake. With big frosting to make it look puffy and beautifully draped.
Also - there was a year we were really into Knight Rider so for my birthday mom rented a Trans Am and drove me and my friend Debbie around town and pretended it was KIT. I totally remember flying north on the 405 with the sunroof open, shouting to "KIT" to turbo boost as mom smiled and laughed.
My big Disneyland birthday. I am so impressed she did this now, actually. I think when I was in 7th grade (maybe 8th?) she took me and bunch of my girlfriends from school to Disneyland for the day and then we stayed over at the Disneyland hotel. We were hooting and hollering on the balcony of the hotel at one point - trying to attract attention from boys below. I'm sure she loved that. Somewhere there's an old style portrait of us in sailor suits with mom behind us. I have to try to find that picture.
And of course - for my 16th birthday mom surprised me by flying me to Vegas for the day and taught me to play blackjack. With real money! She winked at the dealer when he asked my age and told him, "Oh today's her birthday and she's 21. You can trust me on that. I was there!" On the flight back she told me to tell my father I’d gone to school, then we’d been shopping. Best birthday present ever.
So this is good. I'm smiling. And wondering if my husband will mind if I sneak Audrey to Vegas when she's 16. Hmmm...
If I think of more I'll post them as the day goes on.
5:19 pm - We just found a box with tons of Disney videos in the garage. So funny we should uncover them today. Mom used to give them to us as gifts over the years. She always worried when they advertised limited edition copies that by the time we had kids we wouldn't be able to get one.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
