More About Kitty. . .

Okay, this is the last time I talk about the sweet kitty that visited us a few weeks ago. . .I promise. I fessed up to my husband tonight and told him that I let the kitty inside. It's not that I lied to him and told him that I didn't. . .I just didn't tell him that I did. When I let the kitty inside, she went downstairs which made Olivia want to go downstairs. When Olivia goes downstairs, she MUST watch Baby Signing Time. Olivia sat in her beanbag to watch her show and the kitty joined her and watched the whole thing with her. It was the sweetest thing and I have been dying to share these pictures. Still no sign of the kitty, which supports my theory that she was a little angel. :)

Thursday, September 17, 2009 - Update

First, I wanted to say Happy Birthday to my niece, Rebekah, who is turning 7 today!!! I hope you had a wonderful birthday!

We met with Olivia's developmental pediatrician today. All in all, it was a good visit. Olivia is almost age appropriate in gross motor and language. She is, however, significantly delayed in her fine motor skills. We have known that for some time. Olivia does not like to be constrained (especially her hands) and be forced to do things. One of the suggestions to help with her fine motor skills is to do hand over hand and "force" her to go through the motions. This doesn't work because she gets increasingly upset and will no longer concentrate on the task at hand. Olivia was unable to stack blocks, put a peg in a peg board, string a bead or color. She has stacked blocks and rings at home, but not consistently. She is very timid when she touches things and doesn't use the force that's needed. It's not that she doesn't know how to do things, it's just that she doesn't use enough force. Of course, I had to tell them that she is trying to potty train herself. It's amazing because I wasn't going to work on that for another 6 months, but she goes in the potty about 2-3 times each day. It's almost instinctual for her. She doesn't even need any type of reward because it's as if using the potty is its own reward.

Anyway, I hope to get her more occupational therapy in order to address these concerns. I still don't know how to help her with her sensory issues and it's a little frustrating for me.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009 - Update

I used to worry about Olivia because she didn't really seem aware of what was going on around her. Someone would take a toy away from her and she would just shrug and go get something else. Today, Izzy came over to play and Olivia seemed very aware of things. She wanted whatever Izzy was playing with. . .especially the cozy coupe. Izzy is getting very good at sharing, but Olivia is just approaching that "mine" stage. So, there were a few tears and tantrums this afternoon. We had a great time and I think the girls did too.

Tomorrow, Olivia has an appointment with her developmental pediatrician. The last time she saw her, Olivia was just beginning to walk. She has done so many new things in the past 6 months. Hopefully, we'll get a good report as well as some helpful suggestions in 1) Getting her off the bottle 2) Helping her with fine motor skills 3) Gaining weight. Those are my three main concerns. Pray for good news!

Tuesday, September 15, 2009 - Update

Ooops!

Olivia is doing amazing with her potty. I honestly wasn't even going to attempt potty training for another 6 months or so. I guess Olivia had ideas of her own. She went three times yesterday and three times today. I never thought something like that would make me so proud. I'm almost not ready for my baby to make such a huge step into childhood. I know we still have a long road ahead until she is actually potty trained, but what a great start!

Harrison

I was getting ready to write a post about how Olivia went potty not once, not twice, but three times tonight. That girl loves to use the potty. I'll write about that a different time. My excitement was stifled, however, when I learned that my last guinea pig, my sweet Harrison, died tonight. So, the evening turned dismal pretty quickly. I told you that September sucks! We no longer have any pets in our household and I think we'll probably keep it that way for awhile. Now all of my pets are together, I guess, somewhere over the rainbow bridge. .

Monday, September 14, 2009 - Update

What gorgeous, fall weather today! Olivia and I just had to get out and enjoy it. I always thought she didn't care to get messy, but maybe I was wrong. She was covered in chalk and found her first caterpillar AND worm! She enjoyed every minute of it. . .as did I.

Aren't I sweet?

Mommy and I had so much fun outside today!

We even played with chalk.

I kept wanting to eat it, though.

Hmm. . .this kinda hurts my head.

Me and my messy face.

Aidan's 4th Birthday Party

This afternoon, we celebrated my nephew's 4th birthday with a puppy party! We had a great time and Olivia enjoyed all of the new toys. She especially liked the playhouse.

Olivia and Mama

Olivia with the goose and the birthday boy, Aidan!

Olivia and Kaleb

Olivia and the goose

Kaleb

Dinner's ready!

Ladies first! How sweet!

He evens opens the door for her!

Olivia borrowed her cousin's pickup.

Ahhh. . .Aidan even filled it up for her. Whatta guy!! Hope you had a great birthday party, Aidan! You are such a sweet guy and we love you!!

Exciting News

I've been meaning to tell you, Nurse Holli had her baby last Tuesday. He weighed 6 lbs 8 oz.

Introducing Logan Charles

Be sure to visit Holli's blog at Truly Taylor Chaos to see more pics and leave your congratulations!

Saturday, September 12, 2009 - Update

The big news of the weekend? Last night, Olivia went pee pee in the potty! Ryan and I got so excited that I think we scared her a bit. Sorry, Olivia. . .we were just so proud. She is very interested in the potty, she also loves her words! Be sure to check the sidebar to find out all the new words that Olivia can say. We discovered at my parents' house, that she loves cards. She found a matching card game over there that she would have played with for hours. It has pictures of all the words that she knows. So, we bought her some cards today and she LOVES them!! They are like little flashcards for her and she's already learned a bunch of new words. Not only can she say a lot of words, but she knows the signs for them as well. Then, she gets so excited when she sees things that she knows. . .like, the big red balls outside of Target. She screams, "Balls!!" The other day, we spent forever at Bed, Bath and Beyond in the towel section. She had never seen so many towels! She is just exploding in new knowledge and it's such a joy to watch.

Nine Eleven

Can you believe it's been eight years since that horrible day in 2001? That seems crazy to me. At that time, I was living in my first apartment and Ryan and I had been dating for about 5 months. I was on my way to work when I turned on the radio just as the second plane had flown into the World Trade Center. When I got to work, my boss, Rachelle, and co-worker, Vicki, had the radio on and we listened as the events continued to unfold. I was supposed to train Johnny, a new agent and friend, but we just sat in the back and talked all afternoon. Ryan came over after work and we watched news coverage all evening. My hearts go out to all the families affected by that day. . .whether it be from that day in particular or the subsequent war on terrorism that followed. Now, it's your turn to share what you were doing on that day and/or how it affected you.

Sugar Sugar

Okay, so I think I'm finally on the right track. With the help of my therapist, I believe that I have problems with reactive hypoglycemia. I read about a study that showed a relationship between PCOS and reactive hypoglycemia. . .especially in women who are not overweight. I have always noticed that I feel awful after a heavy carbohydrate meal or if I eat lots of bread and sugar. Sometimes when I'm really tired, I get shaky and weak and foggy. I consistently have low blood sugar when having a blood test done. . .one time it was 62.

I have also read that adrenal fatigue is sometimes believed to be chronic fatigue syndrome. It is also believed that chronic fatigue syndrome is closely related to insulin resistance, which many believe is an underlying cause of PCOS. So, I've decided to go on a low-glycemic/little to no sugar diet. Okay, after I finish these amazing cupcakes that my husband made and this yummy banana bread that my sister-in-law made. . .I'm going to try a hypoglycemic diet to see if I notice any improvement. At this point, I'm tired to going to doctors to try to get answers. I have also read that reactive hypoglycemia is controlled by diet and lifestyle changes and I don't need a doctor for that. Plus, it's the same diet that is recommended for those with adrenal fatigue and PCOS, so I figure it won't hurt me. I would love to hear from any of you that have trouble with hypoglycemia and what has helped you. I just pray that I feel better soon, so that I can get back to talking about Olivia instead of my fatigue. :)

Thursday, September 10, 2009 - Update

A day at the park

Olivia and Izzy on the swings

Yesterday afternoon we headed to the Sunrise Boundless Landscape Park at Sedgwick County Park. Awesome, awesome park that is the first in Kansas to offer 70% accessibility for children and adult caregivers regardless of physical limitations. Olivia and her cousin, Izzy, were also lucky enough to be the only kids there all afternoon. We had a great time.

So, I'm still working on the possibility of getting a cat. In Ryan's defense, he is allergic to cats (and I'm mildly allergic) and we'd hate to get one and then find out we couldn't keep it. My new angle, however, is to get a black cat since Ryan is such a huge fan of Halloween. Don't you think he needs a black cat? Oh, and I have the funniest story. . .The three of us were sitting around and Olivia was saying, "No, No, No," to everything. Ryan thought he'd be clever and asked Olivia "Do you really want a cat?" Olivia paused and then with total excitement exclaimed "YEAH!!!" Ryan failed miserably at that one.

We also wanted to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Uncle Kris!! Hope you have a great day!! Kris is on the birthday train with Olivia. Our family has five birthdays in a row. . .all exactly a week apart. Izzy, Olivia, Aidan, Kris and Rebekah. . .Choo Choo!

Wednesday, September 9, 2009 - Update

So, you're small, yellow and fluffy, but you're not a baby chick?

Well, Olivia is obsessed with her new potty. We borrowed this one from Izzy to see what she thought of it. She is just tickled that there is a potty that's her size. She has yet to use it, but her interest is there. I think, however, that I would rather change a dirty diaper than clean one of these things out.

Not much going on lately. It's been so rainy outside that we haven't gotten out much. I do need to get out and see about having Olivia's glasses repaired. One side of them got bent somehow (she's really very careful with them) and now the left side sits lower on her face. We bought the warranty with them, so hopefully that will take care of it. I can't imagine how often a toddler will probably need his or her glasses repaired.

Family Pics

Okay, so I'm going to copy my sister-in-law, Kim, and post these family pictures because I don't have any pictures to share today. :) These were taken a few weeks ago by my brother-in-law, Joel, who is starting his own photography business called joelsiview. As soon as he has it completed, I will post his website. He is also the one who took Olivia's two year pictures. If you are looking for family pictures (would be a great Christmas present) senior pictures and more, Joel would be a great person to go to. Contact me if you would like to contact him!!

Olivia and her cousins on the Glunt side

Okay, so this photo needs a bit of explaining. Ryan and I did not know that we were doing family pictures on this day. We thought it was just pictures of the grandkids in their Easter outfits. We show up in jeans and t-shirts (and me with hardly any makeup.) Ryan's mom, however, saved the day and tossed us some orange shirts. The picture turned out great, although I wish I wasn't in jean capris and blue shoes. . . .

Poppies and Tut Tuts

Okay, so poppy means potty AND puppy in our household. Sometimes you have to try to figure out what context it is being used in to figure out which one Olivia is talking about. Today, I was reading her a potty book called Have You Seen My Potty and Olivia got up and ran into the bathroom saying "Poppy, Poppy!" So, I stripped her down and put her on the tut tut (toilet.) She kinda sat there and smiled and I thought, "Surely, she wasn't telling me that she had to go potty." So, I took her off and she walked out of the bathroom and peed on the carpet. So, mommy screwed up. She was really telling me that she had to go potty! So, we're going to get Olivia her own potty and play with it a bit. I can't imagine that she's ready because her diaper is still soaked in the morning. But, since she is very interested in it right now, I figure it wouldn't hurt. Olivia would be the first child ever who was potty trained and still taking a bottle. . . .

Monday, September 7, 2009 - Update

Well, my kitty never came back. It was the weirdest thing. It was like she knew all of my problems and visited me on a day when I really needed a friend. And her caring little eyes? That kitty should be a therapy cat of sorts! And the way she was with Olivia?? Olivia doesn't like to be cuddled a lot and pushes people and animals away when they get too close. With this kitty. . .she hugged her and didn't want to be away from her. For the next few days, Olivia would run to the door and shout "Kiki? Kiki?" I wish I knew who she belonged to so that I could say, "Your cat is amazing and. . .um. . .can I have her?" She was like a little angel.



Okay, enough about the cat, I promise. I got a blogging award! Thanks Sherri!

I pass this award on to three people who I would have never met without this blog. They have become friends of mine and my life is brighter with them in it.

Amanda Rust

Angie Collinsworth

Stacy Larson

Outdoor Fun

It was a beautiful night out tonight, so we enjoyed hanging out on the driveway. It was a nice chance to let Olivia burn off some of that extra energy. She went to sleep so very easily tonight.

PCOS

Please excuse me for my rambling, but I have to get something off of my chest. Maybe someone has some insight for me. I was diagnosed with PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) a few years ago as the reason for my infertility. I was not ovulating and I did have cysts (string of pearls) on my ovaries. I have never been entirely convinced that PCOS is my problem. It's like I was diagnosed by process of elimination and this was all that was left. Many people with PCOS, however, suffer with fatigue. You add that to what I have been through the past two years and maybe that is why I'm so tired. PCOS is a hormonal imbalance. Now, if it's a hormonal imbalance then why do all of my hormone tests come back normal? I also have read that it's important to treat PCOS in order to treat your fatigue. In order to treat PCOS, you have to treat the underlying problems. These are

1) Hormonal imbalances: How do you treat when all your levels come back normal? They are putting me back on birth control pills, so I'm guessing this is their brilliant idea.
2) Insulin resistance: But, my blood sugar isn't high.
3) Weight loss: But, I'm not overweight.

Or, you can spend thousands of dollars on supplements that "supposedly" work. I'm not going to spend money on some quackadoo's big breakthrough idea. I'm so very very frustrated. I obviously have some problem because I am basically one big fertility mess. I'm trying to "treat" my PCOS but I don't know how and no one will help me. I thought my answers were within grasp with my new endocrinologist, but I was sorely disappointed. With those answers, I thought I would be given hope about many, many things. Anyway, if you have been given a diagnosis of PCOS, how are you treating it? Do you have problems with your energy levels? If you don't feel comfortable leaving a comment, please send me an email. I'd love to hear from you.

Friday, September 4, 2009 - Update

My day started very badly. I won't get into the whole thing, but I was referred to an endocrinologist a few weeks ago because something in my bloodwork came back elevated (shouldn't be over 200 and it came back 309.) The cause of it being elevated is usually due to a genetic disease that causes infertility, headaches, depression and. . .extreme fatigue. I thought I was on the road to some real answers. I went back this morning for the results of my second round of bloodwork and that hormone was back in the normal range (91) and thus. . .I'm deemed normal. I don't feel normal and I'm so depressed that no one can help me. My new endocrinologist just decided to agree with my previous diagnosis of PCOS, even though I only have a few of the symptoms. I've tried everything, spent thousands on supplements, started exercising. I'm just at a loss. So, I was sitting on the couch feeling really down and I look out the door to find this:

This sweet little kitty staring into our house. We went outside and played with the kitty a bit. Think of the friendliest cat that you've ever met and multiply that by 100. This is the sweetest, most loving cat I have ever met. An hour later?



Still here. Okay, so maybe I got her a bowl of water which may have persuaded her to stay. But, this sweet kitty has hung out at our house all afternoon. She thinks that she lives here. I have never seen it around, but I'm sure it's someone's cat. If not, I'm going to try with every persuasive skill that I have to call her my own. She's too sweet not to have a home. You should see her (I'm assuming it's a girl) with Olivia. They snuggle up together and follow each other around. We've spent quite a bit of time outside with the kitty.

Anyway, the time came when I was ready to go back inside, but it broke Olivia's heart to be away from her kitty.

I think we're headed back outside. Olivia loves animals, but I've never seen her quite like this. The two of them are instant friends. It's like this little kitty showed up at our house to brighten my day. . .and it sure worked.

Thursday, September 3, 2009 - Update

Lots to do today. . .first a doctor's appt. . .
then shopping with my baby.

Olivia had her two year appointment today and amazingly. . .it was her best appointment ever. I don't know whether it helped, but I took her favorite blanket and we listened to Celine Dion on the way in the car. Olivia is calmed by calming music. She wore her glasses the entire time (usually those are the first things to go when she gets upset) and she told the doctor her letter sounds and even smiled at him, etc. Her weight still isn't where he'd like her to be, but she seems to be staying in the same percentile (which is way below the 1 percentile.) Because of that, he concluded that she is just going to be small. My mom looked and I was only 22 lbs at 2 years old and I didn't start out at 1 lb 1.5 oz.

Weight: 19.8 lbs (Seems she has fallen a bit below 20 lbs.)
Height: 30 inches
Head circumference: 45.25 cm

So, no talk of growth hormone testing at all. Whew. The only thing that he was really concerned about was that she still has 3 bottles a day. She doesn't drink milk well out of a cup or straw, so the only way I can successfully get her the amount she needs is by bottle. When you're concerned about weight, it's a hard thing to giveup. Plus, she has fallen in love with her bottle recently. Anyway, she got one shot (Hep A) and the flu mist nasal spray. She cried more from the nasal spray than the shot and she walked out of the doctor's office without any tears. What a big girl!

Wednesday, September 2, 2009 - Update

I was so excited when my friend, Amanda, started a blog. She is one of my dearest friends whom I have never met in person. Isn't that crazy? We are so much alike I think we might have been separated at birth. Anyway, check out her blog here or you can find it listed as Raising Boys. She's due with her third boy in November.

I'm pretty nervous about Olivia's 2 year appointment tomorrow. I don't want her weight (or lack of) to be an issue. Maybe I'll save her diaper from tonight and put that on her before we go out to the scale. . .ha ha. That has to add at least 5 pounds. I'm sure that when I tell them that she is pointing and starting pretend play there will be something else entirely that they are expecting her to do. You can never win. Hopefully I'll have good news to report.

Also, Happy Happy Birthday to my nephew, Aidan, who turns 4 tomorrow. I hope you have a GREAT birthday!

Tuesday, September 1, 2009 - Update

Ah, September. . .my least favorite month of all time. Don't get me wrong. . . .it has many great qualities. The weather turns cooler, football season starts, my parents were married in September and there are many family birthdays during this month. But, it has not been good to me. On September 3, 1993, my friends and I were robbed at gunpoint. On September 30th of that same year, I lost a lifelong friend in a car accident. On September 28, 2007, I lost my son. I'm sure I was dumped a few times in September as well. I just want something good to happen to me in September. Every year, I hold my breath and wait until October 1st. Then, I breathe a sigh of relief. Here's hoping this month is a good month or at least an uneventful one. . .

Rough Night

We still have problems sometimes with Olivia throwing up. Tonight was one of those nights. If you don't care to hear about vomit right now. . .I wouldn't read this post if I were you. Olivia ate tons for dinner tonight and then had a bottle before bed. Now, over the past two years I have become quite skilled in the catching of vomit. I've actually come up with some pretty ingenious ways to do so. One time, Olivia was in her high chair and I knew it was inevitable, so I grabbed the nearest cup and stuck it under her chin. In my haste, I didn't realize that the cup had water in it. . .and down poor Olivia's shirt the water went. Okay, so that was one of my not so ingenious times. Anyway, poor baby girl threw up tonight and I caught it all in a blanket. But, then a second round came and it went all over her, me, the floor, the chair, etc. A two year old's vomit is a lot harder to stomach than a babies. . .especially when there are whole Velveeta mac and cheese shells. I guess she just swallows them whole because there was a whole mound of perfectly formed shells. My least favorite thing in the whole world is throwing up so no matter how many times Olivia does it. . .it breaks my heart every single time. She can't eat anything high calorie, high sugar or a large volume of anything without throwing up. She can't get upset or worked up at night or she will throw up, so the term "cry it out" does not really apply in our house. I wish I knew how to help her. She's on Prilosec and when we've tried to get her off of it. . .she has more problems with gagging, etc. Anyway, it was a rough night because she was so tired and just wanted to go to sleep. But, we had to clean everything up and get her another bottle, etc. I just feel so bad for her.

Monday, August 31, 2009 - Update

It was a beautiful. . .and I mean beautiful day today so we headed out to the zoo. (Because that's what us Kansans do, right Amanda?) We met up with Shelley and Izzy along with Izzy's friend, Ruven, and his mom. Izzy and Ruven go by Iz and Ru. . .so I'm thinking that when the three of them are together maybe Olivia will go by Liv. :) We had a really good time and spent about two hours letting the kids run around in the tent in the gorilla forest. I accidentally spilled some pop in Olivia's wagon and soaked poor Olivia's pants. So, guess who had the child running around without any pants? That would be me. Luckily, Shelley somehow had a diaper cover that Olivia could wear, so it didn't make it quite as bad. I carry this HUGE diaper bag and never have what I need and Shelley has one no bigger than a purse and seems to have everything.

Olivia and Izzy were quite the pair. . .Olivia without pants and Izzy without shoes. They had a blast, though.

Pictures

Here are just a few pics of Olivia that show her love of video game cards. Hmm. . .wonder if she'll take after daddy and his love of video games?