Wow. This has been the most insane month ever. With my birthday, finals, and now being sick.. ugh.
Yes, we are currently all sick over here with either an evil mutant cold, or the flu... which is also evil. It's been over a week since the first of us got sick, and I've been sick since Friday. I was supposed to work tonight, but I asked them to take me off if they have a low census.. and they just called me to tell me that they were able to cancel me!! Thank God. Well, I definitely don't have the energy to catch you up on everything, but I'll mention some of what's been going on.
Ari had his seventh CranioCap checkup a week-and-a-half ago now. This was the SECOND TO LAST CHECKUP!! I cannot BELIEVE that the next one is our last one! Wow.
The appointment went very well. The specialist adjusted Ari's helmet as usual. This time she actually shaved off some of helmet above his sideburns, because it didn't need to be there anymore to help keep it on and it was causing him some chaffing. So far it hasn't seemed to help a lot. I think it's more cradle cap or eczema or something instead of chaffing that's going on there.
After that we discussed Ari's schedule. She said that really we could leave the helmet off now except for when he is lying down: changing, napping, and also when reclined in the car seat.
We are going to go 3 weeks between visits for this last one, because Ari's head will be growing slower now. So at the beginning of January, he will have his last visit and then be HELMET FREE!!! Woo hoo! I told his specialist, Janet I believe is her name, that we need to get a picture of them together at the last appointment. She was so happy about that, and told me that I will have to email her a copy. She will miss seeing Ari. = )
Ari has been growing so fast lately! He is so close to walking on his own. He has taken up to 4 steps from one person to another. He can also walk very well holding onto his walker toy that his Grammy and Papa gave him. He is clapping, shows you how "big" he is, and waves hi and goodbye now too! He says "Mamamama" and "Dadadada", and I think he tries to say "Boo Boos" which is one of our nicknames for Abita (one of our dogs). One of Ari's favorite things to do lately is to pull all the books off his bookshelf and sit in the middle of them all "reading". He such a stinkin' cutie. = D
Academic update: I got an A in Anatomy & Physiology II !! Wow, what a crazy semester; my first since having a baby. Next semester I will be taking Microbiology with the same teacher. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.. right?! = ) Also, next month I will be applying to the North Hennepin Community College Nursing Program! I am applying to this program because they have a Night/Weekend program, which Century College does not. If I get accepted, and God willing, I will start Fall 2011!
Other than that, I still have Christmas shopping to do, gluten-free Christmas food recipes to prepare and stock up for, Christmas cards to make (they'll probably be New Years cards again) and Ari's first birthday party to plan. Oh well.. at least we have a white.. VERY white Christmas coming up this week! And Ari's first! = D
Merry Christmas Everyone!!.. in case I don't blog or see you before then. = D
For a quick academic update: I am continuing to do super well in my A&P II class! I got a 30/30 on my lab presentation (in case I didn't already mention that) and got 96/100 on my most recent lecture exam! Woo woo! Haven't got my score back from this past Monday's LAB FINAL though... dun dun dun.. or my recent Nutrition Homework Assignment. But, I feel pretty positive about those. I have my lecture final on Wednesday, and a homework assignment and bonus quiz due by next Friday (he extended the time for these so we can study for the final) so I still have a lot to do.Phew! There is sooo much that I need to get done, and that is going on this month!! Aaaa!
I know the holiday season is always very busy, but this is a little overwhelming! All the things I need to do!!... helmet appointments, Abita teeth removal/follow appointments, Christmas parties, Santa dates, studying for finals, taking finals, taking a Christmas picture, making Christmas cards (they will probably end up being New Years cards again) getting the Christmas tree up, Christmas shopping, finding time to work some shifts, finding time to get re-CPR certified, figuring out bills, planning Ari's first birthday/unhelmeting party (coming up next month!)... this does not include all the normal every-day things that cannot be put off!...
[Deer in the headlights look]... I don't even know where to start.
Besides the fact that I feel like I'm drowning in all the things I need to get done, I really am feeling very positive about this holiday season. It's Ari's first, so I'm super excited about seeing how he reacts to it all!
Plus I CANNOT wait for his first birthday party!!.. although I don't really know what I'm going to do for it. I'm not a super good planner. Our living room does not seat a whole lot of people, and it's winter so it's not like we can have an outside celebration. There is room in the basement, but it's awful cold down there and it's depressingly lit. I guess maybe I can see about borrowing some space heaters and lamps... there is additional seating down there. Or perhaps I should look into having it at church or something.
And who does one invite to a first birthday party? Just family and close friends? Or all my friends who oooh and ahhh over Ari's growth and CranioCap progress on Facebook as well? I don't want to exclude anyone who would want to come. Please comment and let me know what you think!
Alright, no more time to go on and on and on about everything (like I enjoy doing). Gotta "Get 'R (all of 'R) Done"! = D
Hope you're all enjoying the Season as well!
Sorry it's taken me FOREVER to write about Ari's latest CranioCap checkup. Things have been VERY crazy for me! Recovering from being out of town, classes, Drew's BF visiting from out of town, holiday stuff, work trainings, lab final prep just to name a few. Phew! Wish I could have kept up and blogged about it all too, but alas. = )
Anyways, Ari had his 6th CranioCap checkup last Tuesday, almost a week ago now. It was another pretty short visit, but a good one.
The specialist adjusted Ari's helmet while we waited. This was actually the last visit that they had originally told me to schedule, so after the adjustment we discussed what we wanted to do from there. She said that normally it's decided that treatment should discontinue by now, since growth is slower and kids get more fussy about having the helmet on. But, she thought that since Ari is such a laid back guy and doing so well in the helmet, and since I still catch him rolling on his back to sleep sometimes, we could keep the helmet on for 5 more weeks. She told me that she wants to see us in two weeks (one week now) and then 3 weeks after that for the last visit (since growth then will be even slower).
I am excited about this. We have already seen such great progress during the first half of the treatment, that I want to get as much as possible before we discontinue treatment! And Ari really could care less about the helmet.. he is so used to it by now. = )
The specialist also told me to start giving Ari longer helmet breaks, so that he can start getting used to experiencing normal every-day injuries. Now we're doing three 45 min-1 hr helmet breaks a day when he's crawling around/cruising, trying hard to still have the helmet on anytime he is lying on his back, in his car seat or sleeping.
I have to tell you, it's sure been working. That boy has been getting more bruises, bumps and cuts, and I have heard more crying, in the past week than probably all the previous months of his life combined. Mommy has been doing a whole lotta comforting. My little boy is growing up. = )
So that's probably all the helmet news for now. Oh, except for that we've been finding temperature control even harder now that it's winter out. It's sooo hard knowing what to dress him in. It seems like he's always too hot, or his little hands and feet are too cold. He still doesn't complain though. I swear, he must be the most laid back baby on the planet... minus all the drama. He sure is a dramatic little boy in many other areas. ; )
On to a few fun new developments:
Ari is cruising like a maniac. Seriously. He's maniacal about it. He races around the table as fast as he can cruise, rapidly panting with effort and excitement, and sometimes giggling. It's hilarious. He looks like he's lost his mind and is loving it. = )
He is also able to crawl/climb up onto short objects now, like his little baby sofa or my nursing pillow if it's on the floor. It's pretty darn cute.
Just a couple days ago, he did "sooo big" for the first time when I asked him how big he was. He was so proud of himself. = D
Also, his top right front tooth has poked through about 3 mm now! So cute. We still haven't been transitioning to solids very well. I think I need to start working him towards eating soft finger foods, because he is very capable of picking up tiny things with his "pinchers" now and also does the grinding movements with his jaw. Ugh.. so much to think about. I don't think life will ever be easy again. = )
Here's a couple final pictures of him at Pho Quan, my favorite restaurant in the world, which we were at for my birthday this past week. He had a helmet break when we were there. He was so tired, but had a great time. He's so stinkin' cute.. wow. = D
Wow. This has been the most insane month ever. With my birthday, finals, and now being sick.. ugh.
