Does It Work For You?

I came across an interesting article in Parents about sibling spacing and it got me to thinking about the spontaneous, yet wonderful spacing between my own two girls.

Caitlin & Cara are exactly 2 years, 11 months and 3 weeks apart. Did we plan it this way? No, Cara was a big surprise, one in which we didn't discover until she had been growing inside of me for about 3 months! That said, over the past year, this age gap has proved to be just wonderful, most days. Here's my reasoning--

~Ben & I had been out of "baby mode" for a few years, so finding out that we were expecting again was a refreshing and welcomed change.

~Caitlin got just shy of 3 years of our undivided attention and she has blossomed into a wonderful kid because of it. I am so happy that we had that time together to develop her personality, interests and knowledge. She remembers this time and knows that we love her. She also cherishes "alone" time with each of us all the more.

~Caitlin was at an age in which she could understand about mommy having a baby in her tummy and that she was going to be a big sister. We were able to play up the concept and get her so very excited for Cara's birth that there was almost no jealousy.

~Most days, Caitlin is more than happy to share toys and my attention with Cara. The two sisters will play together for a long time, happily. The bond between them is so strong, they are the best of buddies. Caitlin told me the other day that she doesn't want to go to school next year because she's going to miss Cara and wonders who Cara will play with while she's gone. So very sweet.

~Caitlin can entertain herself independently for awhile. This has come in handy because I've been able to attend to Cara knowing that Caitlin is happy and not resentful.

~Caitlin was potty trained, fully, within a few months after Cara joined the family. So, I only have one kid in diapers at a time.

~I absolutely love that Caitlin loves to be a big helper and is proud that she can "help" with little tasks like fetching diapers, sippy cups and other things for Cara as well as doing little chores around the house. I'll take all the help that I can get.

~I love watching Cara try to copy Caitlin. I know that Caitlin is a great role model for Cara to look up to. I hope that Cara learns from Caitie so of the things that make her so dear to us.

~Caitlin is in pure "big sister mode" a lot with Cara and watches out for her, shows concern for her and advocates for her baby sister. I know it will be so comforting for Cara to know that Caitlin will be there to walk her to her Kindergarten class on the first day of school.

These are the reasons that I love the spacing that we happened to get between our girls. Is it the only way that it would've worked? Of course not, there are advantages to any and all age gaps, which is what the article talks about. I guess it just helps us find the positives in whatever arrangement we happen to have.

So, I'd like to hear from you, my blog readers. What is the spacing between your kids? Does it work for you? What are some of the positives that you can see? Did you plan it that way or did it just happen? I thought that this article might open up an interesting conversation.

Little Milestones...

It is becoming very obvious that Cara's physical therapy (both at the hospital and at home) is paying off with very big dividends. Every time she goes in for an appointment, I am just amazed at what she can do and how she is learning to move outside of her comfort zone.
In the past few days, Cara has learned how to stand from a sitting position while grabbing onto my hands; raise herself off of her bottom while holding onto the edge of the coffee table (totally unassisted); and sitting up from lying on her back using the sides of her changing table for support.
Before I know it, she will be crawling, cruising and walking! I just love seeing the baby steps of progress.

Cara, Mommy & Daddy so are very proud of you!

A Day @ Our Second Home

Yesterday was one of the longest lengths of time that we've spent at Children's Hospital without being admitted.

At 9 o'clock, we were in a PT session with our sweet therapist Karen. Cara continues to make progress and I always come away with new things to try with her at home.

We had a break from 10 o'clock until around noon, so we went to a local McDonald's to grab some lunch--Happy Meals for me & Caitlin--with the goal of Caitlin getting to play at the PlayPlace and for me to split my 6 piece chicken nuggets with Cara but she fell asleep. We decided to let her sleep and opted for home. We all ate lunch (Cara having woken up) and then ventured back to the hospital.

12:30 saw us filling out the necessary billing paperwork for Cara's CT scan and then breaking out the coloring book & markers while we waited for Cara to be called in.

1 o'clock rolls around and we are ushered back to the CT machine. They begin to swaddle Cara to keep her from moving, which promptly causes my toddler to scream. She just wanted to be able to suck her thumb! After trying a pacifier (which she's never taken) and puppets, it was finally my voice singing and a picture show on the ceiling that calmed her enough so that the images could be taken. Caitlin got the honor of watching the whole process at the computers with the technicians. Ten minutes later, it was all over.

Next, we went to the Creative Play Center (day care for siblings of children being seen in the hospital) to drop off a very reluctant Caitlin armed with a Sprite & cheese crackers (yes, I bribed my kid). The girl who didn't want to go play had vanished from my sight before I was able to complete the sign-in paperwork. Funny how quickly that fear went away.

Cara & I then went over to the in-house Pearberry Coffee stand to get a Chocolate-Banana Bear (heaven, let me tell you) and then found our way to her neurosurgeon's office for a consultation following the CT scan. All is well with her shunt, the incisions have completely healed (almost no visible scars) and her head circumference is down another little bit. He is pleased with her developmental progress and unless we see a need otherwise, he doesn't need to see her again until April! I did voice one concern with him about Cara's eyes. Ben & I have noticed some "dancing" in them, especially the left, when she concentrates on an object. Her neurosurgeon doesn't think it's neurological, but we are going to follow up with the Eye Clinic at the hospital to see if we can figure out what's going on. I am just waiting to hear from the neuro's assistant that the referral has been sent to the clinic before I can make an appointment.

Finally, at 2:15, we were all done with appointments and whatnot, went to pick up Caitlin, who by now, didn't want to leave and had to be coaxed out (armed with two neat spin-art pictures), and head home. What a long, but good, day!

The 4's...

I got tagged by Lauren to do this, so here goes...

Four Jobs I've had in my life:
1. Party coordinator for McDonald's--called a Ronald Ranger
2. Prison Librarian
3. Copy editor/proof reader
4. Circulation clerk

Four Movies I have watched over & over:
1. Sound of Music
2. Beaches
3. Sarah, Plain & Tall Trilogy
4. Mystic Pizza (or any Julia Roberts chick flick)

Four Places I have lived:
1. Ferndale, MI
2. Wixom, MI
3. Durango, CO
4. Aurora, CO

Four Shows I love to watch:
1. Extreme Makeover
2. Law & Order
3. Don't Forget the Lyrics
4. Food Network Challenge

Four Places I have been on vacation:
1. Orlando, FL
2. Yellowstone/Grand Tetons
3. NYC
4. Mexico

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Gyros
2. Just about anything Greek/Mediterranean
3. General Tso chicken (or just about anything Chinese)
4. Pasta--enough said

Four of my favorite drinks:
1. Iced sweet tea
2. Lemonade
3. Flavored water
4. Chocolate malts (chocolate milk or shakes will work too)

Four Places I'd rather be right now:
1. Buying myself a new wardrobe at a really ritzy mall
2. Curled up with a book at a chai latte at Tattered Cover
3. Sitting by a mountain lake contemplating life
4. Gathered around my mom's kitchen table with my family

Four People I will tag:
1. Sarah
2. Angela
3. Ben (Fat chance that he will read it and post)
4. Anyone else who reads my blog and is so inspired

First PT session

Cara had her first official PT session at Children's Hospital yesterday. She did very well for almost the entire time. Her therapist, Karen, worked with her on reaching (using her neck & torso), rotating her body, putting weight on her legs and playing on all fours. She didn't seem to mind being in "crawling mode" as much as before, so we are making some progress! We left the therapy gym with a handout of things to do at home to keep her moving forward. Cara will be going one a week for awhile and then we will re-evaluate and see how she's doing...possibly cutting back to twice monthly. Cara really likes Karen and loves to play with her.

We also had a home visit from a service coordinator for Developmental Pathways. Cara's paperwork has been submitted so, within the next month, we should be able to start services for her there. She has a multi-disciplinary evaluation with them on the 25th to get a better idea of what they think she needs in the way of therapy. We're excited because it's 100% free!

Evaluation Results

Cara had her PT/OT (physical therapy/occupational therapy) open evaluation yesterday at Children's Hospital and, overall, things went better than I expected. On average, Cara is at the 10-14 month range, which is right on considering she just turned 14th months on the 17th. The one area that she is lagging behind is in her gross motor skills. She is not really mobile yet and because of that, she's at/around the 6-9 month category for those skills. We also need to work on getting her pincher grasp developed. Her therapy plan is going to be mostly focused on strengthening her torso and leg muscles so that she has the strength where she needs it to begin to crawl, support her weight and eventually cruise furniture and walk. They are also going to "push her out of he comfort zone" when it comes to maneuvering from a sitting position to the pre-crawl position and forcing her to get used to supporting herself and using muscles that she previously hasn't used. She does have low muscle tone in her lower abdomen and legs. I have been given a list of things to work on with her here at home to try to encourage her development in these areas. Basically, we are doing play therapy--such things as coloring with markers, stacking blocks, turning pages of a book to develop the pincher grasp, reaching and playing with toys on her Boppy pillow to get her accustomed to being "on all fours" and other fun activities. Somehow, I don't think Cara is going to mind having me spending more time with her. She thinks it's all great fun.

She will be going to PT once a week for awhile until we start to see some progress and then will possibly scale it back to once or twice a month. At this point, she will be seeing OT once a month. Reason being is that they want to make use of our limited insurance coverage to get her mobile, which both therapist deem more important than anything else.

Cara had the most fun yesterday and soaked up all of the attention. She enjoyed playing with all of the "new" toys in the PT gym and showing off for the therapists. She was able to do some things that I didn't know she could do, with a little bit of coaching. Now that I know the potential is there, she's not going to be getting off as easy anymore!

Her therapists also want her to see a speech and language pathologist to work on language development and acquisition. At this point, Cara has still not spoken her first word though she does babble almost constantly and says "Mmmmommmm" a lot. She also needs to learn to respond to simple commands and phrases. We are wanting her to talk right now, but I imagine, once she does, we'll be wishing for peace!

We have been very fortunate to have great friends who have helped point us in the right direction for finding sources of free or reduced cost services for Cara. We have discovered Developmental Pathways and are busy getting started on the qualification process for receiving services from them through the Child Find program that is offered in conjunction with their program and the local school district. They provide developmental screenings, personalized home visits to see, hands on, what services Cara might benefit from and then, if we qualify, all of the intervention services we might need. This includes PT and OT as well as, hopefully, a speech and language pathologist. The best part is that the therapists from the hospital will work with Child Find to coordinate services. In other words, they will fill in the gaps if Child Find isn't able to provide everything that Cara needs. I'm so excited to get the ball rolling and start to see Cara catching up developmentally.

All the therapists seem to agree that if we follow the therapy plan, Cara should be on track developmentally by the time she's 2 years old. This is such wonderful and encouraging news for us! We have our work cut out for us over then next year or so, but it's going to pay off big time for Cara.

Oh...in other news. We have qualified BARELY for the Colorado Indigent Care program which will help pay for any medical expenses that we incur. I found out too, that we can back-bill up to 90 days which means, this may help cover the cost of Cara's shunt surgery--the portion that our primary insurance won't cover (about $1300 to date and rising). I just about cried when the financial counselor told me this yesterday. A huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders! Finally, we may be able to catch up financially.

So, yes, yesterday was a great day!

A Glance @ my Palm

(I'm so glad that I found this--it got lost in the moving shuffle--and brought a cable so that we could sync it up again. It's old, but gets the job done)


September 24th
--2pm--Hearing Aid Appointment (Laura)to put an end to this annoying feedback I've been getting lately.
--Clean house in preparation for parents' arrival on 26th
September 25th
--2pm--Meet new mom friends Megan & Kitty at Children's Museum for a play date.
September 26th
--Parents coming into town
--11am--Open Clinic Evaluation with PT/OT department at Children's Hospital to find out what kind of help Cara might benefit from.
--1pm--Appointment with Financial Counseling department at Children's Hospital to see if we qualify for secondary insurance to help with our insurance's lack of PT coverage and the mountain of bills we already have.
(Whew, looks like we have a week or so with no "commitments" except for story times, maybe)
October 10th
--12:45pm--Report to Radiology (1st floor) @ Children's **REMEMBER @ new campus** for Cara's CT scan.
--2pm--6 week post-surgery follow up with Dr. Winston @ Children's (3rd floor).
October 15th
--3pm--Well baby shots for Cara (no co-pay) @ Alpine Family Practice.
(another week or so "free")
October 25th
--12:30pm--Full evaluation with Developmental Pathways/Child Find; re: Qualification for reduced cost PT/OT.

I'm exhausted just looking at that! And, I'm sure as time goes on, more things will be filled in for the "gaps" that we have. Oh yeah, and that doesn't include putting aside time for more play dates, pre-K lessons and things like that.
Judy, I'm beginning to know how you feel...slightly.

C-A-I-T-I-E

I will admit to being slow. I just now realized that I can upload videos thanks to upgrading my Firefox browser, so here's a cute video for you all.

May Not Seem Like Much...

My new car, named Sally Subaru, taking her rightful place in the garage.
A few odds & ends that are getting donated. The Apple computer is Ben's co-workers and will soon be going back to her.
My clever organizational skills. It looks like a scene from Tetris.

But to me, it's just short of a miracle. I can finally park my car in our garage! Woot! It only took 3 weeks, unpacking hundreds of boxes, purging and donating to make it happen. Today, I had finally had it with parking outside and with a very rare burst of energy and determination, I attacked what was left in the garage making it impossible for me to get my car in. I neatly organized and stacked the few things that remain in the garage along the wall and the rest, I found new homes for. Oh, it will be so nice to be able to just pull into the garage and not have to bring kids and groceries in from the parking spots. Granted, it's only a difference of about 100 feet but, the point is, the garage is being utilized like it is meant to be--a home for my car. Winter is fast approaching and I'm looking forward to NOT having to shovel off my car before I can run errands. Oh, I'm spoiled now. Too bad that we couldn't have a 2-car so that Ben could enjoy this luxury too, but heck, he's hardly ever home, so he wouldn't appreciate it like I will.

The clearing of the garage also means that we are finally all moved in. I unpacked and put away the last box (minus a box of pictures that my parents are going to help me hang next week) yesterday and it was a wonderful feeling. Our place looks like home. Okay, honestly, it looks like a toy store blew up but we're working on that. Toys have declared war on our living room and have been winning but we are about to deploy the special ops. Once we reclaim the living room, life will be good. I'll be able to display some knick knacks and, more importantly, walk around the room without stepping on Kixs, plastic food or crayons.

We're home and we love it here. We love how quiet our neighbors are, we love the open floor plan, we love the grass and "quad" right out our front door and of course, we love our garage. Oh yes, and we love our property manager. She's the sweetest and, if we ever have an issue, she sends our cool maintenance guy right over. How's that for service? I can see us living here for a good long while, happily.

Welcome home, family, welcome home!

Oh, and..

For those of you who have Flickr accounts, I have added new pictures to my profile. Please check them out and leave your comments!

Insurance Blues

For a long time, I've been a supporter of both equal-access public health care and a nationalized health care program for all Americans. I was rallying behind Bill Clinton when he put Hilary in charge of coming up with something economically feasible years ago. Now, faced with my own health care crisis (of the mini-sort), I am wishing that I lived in Canada, Australia or any country that offers free health care to it's citizens. The United States really needs to get on the ball. If we can't have nationalized health care because of the cost and putting the federal government further into the red, than can we at least have a "watch dog" type of organization to ensure fair and equal access to those paying top-dollar for private insurance plans? There are so many injustices and just-plain-wrong things going on that I wish someone was in charge of preventing. What exactly am I referring to, here's the skinny...

I called our insurance company today (Aetna) to ask about a claim that was denied when I truly thought it should have been covered because it was a simple clinic visit and we paid our co-pay at the time of service. So, I call up and speak to a Yolanda who informs me that the claim wasn't processed correctly and that she will re-submit it. I will get a final bill from Aetna after it's been processed again and may have to pay a portion if the $5K deductible hadn't been met prior to this appointment. Good, just what I wanted to hear. True, I wish we didn't have to worry about deductibles and co-pays but that's life. Gone are the days of covering my family members for free, no deductible, cheap co-pays and excellent coverage--only had that once in my life, while working at Baldwin Public Library in Birmingham, MI. There are days when I want that job back, just for the benefits. Anyway, I'm wandering...Next, I dared to ask about our plan's (Aetna Advantage Plus) coverage for physical therapy (PT) since Cara is going to require some to catch up on her milestones. This is where the dam of bad news broke loose. I was informed that our plan doesn't cover ANY (not one ioda, one dime, one session) of physical therapy unless the deductible has been met prior to any PT claims coming through. Now, thankfully, due to the $21K brain surgery and ER visit we have far exceeded our deductible this year so here is what Aetna will graciously cover:
-24 sessions of PT per calendar year
-$25 maximum per session to be paid by insurance
Whoa! Hold the phones, did she say a WHOLE 25 DOLLARS?! Wow, that's so generous. Now, while I have no idea what an average session of PT costs, I can almost bet the ranch that it's more than $25. I mean, when we saw the Nurse Practioner for 10 minutes for Cara's 1 week follow-up, $100 was billed to Aetna. Since physical therapy is a bit more hands on and involved, I just know that $25 isn't going to cut it. So, we're going to be shelling out some serious cash for every session that Cara needs and we will because we are going to everything we can to give her a chance to have the best quality of life--bills be damned.

Now, come next year, when we start all over with the $5K deductible, you have to wonder how in the world we will afford the PT. This question was on my mind too, so I asked Yolanda if there was a plan in existence (with Aetna anyway) that covers more, in terms of PT. She then transferred me to the sales department where I spoke to a gentleman who told me:
1. I couldn't change plans until we had been enrolled, with no policy changes, for 6 months which would bring us to Novemeber of this year.
2. If we wanted to change to a more inclusive policy, we would have to undergo the underwriting process again and Cara's hydrocephalus would be "exposed" and probably wouldn't be covered on the new policy because it would be deemed to be a pre-existing condition.
3. We are stuck with this policy and I just wasted 10 minutes of my time asking about changing.
I thanked him for his time and hung up.

The wheels in my head were turning and I was starting to get pissed off. I mean, what the heck is wrong with insurance in this country if the people who really need it (sick, poor) can't get it because it's either too expensive or because said insurance will not cover the medical condition that they so badly need coverage for? We pay just shy of $300/month for this insurance only to find out just how limited it is. I sometimes wonder why we even bother to pay for it at all except that I wouldn't want to be stuck with a $27K tab. It just bites (in lack of a stronger word to keep this blog at it's "G" rated status) that only the healthy can get good, affordable insurance these days. Yes, it's nice to have so that you don't have to pay for well-child visits and just in case something horrific happens but, when something does happen and heaven forbid, you need some special services, good luck! Hope you have a nest egg hidden under the mattress for such things.

Some would say to me that we should have sprung for a better, more inclusive health care package but, give me a break, who actually sits down, when selecting insurance, and says, "Gee, let's see how the coverage would be if Johnny needs brain surgery or Sally gets cancer." Nobody is that morbid. You get a plan that you can afford that covers the basics and you think life is good. Then your literature for said plan arrives, and you might read the little chart that explains the percentages of coverage and such, but you push it to the back of your mind--you're not going to need to know how much your plan is going to play for orthopedics because you're never going to need it, right? I don't want to go through life thinking about the worse case scencerio every time I purchase something, that's too exhausting.

Since I have discovered our fate due to poor insurance coverage, I've had to try to find funding from other sources, unless, we went to declare bankruptcy next year, which I'd rather avoid. I have a meeting with the financial counseling department at Children's Hospital on the same day that Cara goes in for her PT evaluation. In the meantime, I have to round up 90 days worth of pay stubs, bills and such so that our counselor can determine if we qualify. I have also contacted the county health & human services department to see if the state has any programs that might off-set our medical expenses. Short of having a fund raiser or setting up an account at a bank for donations, which will probably never happen, I'm fresh out of ideas. Of course, there's always payment arrangements, problem is, you have to have money to make those payments and things are already quite tight around the waist right now.

If we had nationalized health care like some other countries, while I may have to wait to receive some services, they would be free. Cara would get the treatments that she needs without us having to worry about affording them. What a wonderful thing that would be! Imagine that, everyone getting the care & services they desperately needed without having to be the next Bill Gates or Donald Trump. We claim to be a land of freedom, equality and opportunity and yet, there's an alarming number of people who an either uninsured or, in our case, under-insured. What's being done to help...not much at all. Some states are better at helping their indigent than others. Colorado just happens to be a pretty lean state in terms of social service programs. Just great!

My point...you just might hear that we've jumped ship and moved to Aussie-land. Move over, Sarah, we're moving in!

**OMGosh, this just might be the longest post I've ever written so, bless your hearts if you take the time to read it!**

Our social calendar was so full!

Have you noticed that it's been weeks that I've posted anything? If so, I can explain---
Labor Day weekend (starting on that Thursday) saw us in Montrose in preparation for my brother Mike and bran-new sister-in-law's wedding. We had a rehearsal, rehearsal dinner (yummy, not good for the gut, Mexican food) followed by a beautiful wedding ceremony outdoors at a state park overlook (overlooking a reservoir with the San Juan Mountains as a backdrop) and concluded with THE MOST happening and fun wedding reception I've ever been to. Yes, me, the one with no rhythm and two left feet was on the dance floor several times and even did "The Train"! It was an absolute blast and I loved dancing with my husband (a very rare treat) and grooving along with family and friends, some whom I hadn't seen in years and years.
After the wedding, we had a brunch honoring the newlyweds and then, some social activities with some old family friends. Once everyone returned to their home city or state, things calmed down some and the girls and I settled into our role as dog-sitters for the rest of the week.
We arrived back in Aurora on Friday night to a condo flooded with unpacked boxes. Ben & I have been hard at work unpacking, setting up and weeding through our belongings. I am proud to say that I have a have fully set up kitchen, can get to my bed without tripping over boxes and dropped off a car-load of items no longer needed to Goodwill. How is it that you can start off a marriage with only the bare essentials and end up with way too much stuff? I swear, I don't remember buying most of this stuff. Did I sleep-shop?
Anyway--we are back and slowly, things are returning to normal. That said, I am hoping to schedule playdates with a few friends, visit the Children's Museum a few times and continue making our new residence feel like home. Yep, my plate is full once again, but would I have it any other way, probably not. Life would be too dull!

No, I don't play a neurosurgeon on TV...

But, I might as well as familiar as I am becoming with medical terminology lately. Let's just say that I've become a dedicated advocate for Cara and her medical care. We have survived surgery--$21K worth--followed immediately (seriously, we were home for a whole 3 hours) by an ER visit due to projectile vomiting, which, of course, stopped the moment we walked through the ER's doors. The diagnosis for said projectiling? Cara's brain and it's connected parts hadn't gotten used to the change (less) in pressure in her brain due to a working (thank goodnes, no malfunctioning) VP shunt. Her neurosurgeon said to give it a few days and see if she wasn't better. By golly, he was right! Thank you Children's Hospital for that lovely 12 hour wait in the ER to be seen by a neurosurgery resident, CT scan with the dolphins on the ceiling and chicken puppet, and $6K bill. You can't put a price on a peace of mind.
Since this episode, Cara has been doing wonderfully. I continue to be amazed at how quickly she recovered from a having something permanently implanted in her skull. Our little trooper only needed a regular dose of Tylenol for the first day and a half! She was back to her normal self--even a bit more happier and less fussy. She has started to do an "Army crawl" when she wants to reach something and is vocalizing up a storm. Still, she is behind developmentally--not crawling, walking, pulling herself up, etc. So, being the advocate that I am, I spoke with the Physical Therapy/Occupational Therapy (PT/OT) department at the hospital and we have what is called an open-clinic evaluation on September 26th to see which services she might benefit from. I also need to ask about a speech & language pathologist to work on helping Cara learn to talk. I am so excited to hear her say "Momma" or "Dada" for the first time. Hopefully, with some techniques and strategies from the PT/OT people, Cara will catch up by leaps & bounds and will continue to be the happy little toddler who always has a big smile on her face.
She also has a follow-up CT scan in October to check the placement and functioning of her shunt and then will see her neurosurgeon right after for a follow-up with him. So far, so good, so I am hoping this appointment will be brief.
Let's just say that we will know our way around Children's Hospital like it was our own backyard and I will be shooting off medical terms like Doogie Howser. I am determined to become just shy of an expert on all things related to hydrocephalus so that I am certain that Cara is receiving the very best care that she can get. Thankfully, I have found a few moms who have already been down this road of whom I can ask questions and receive advice. One such mom, Sarah, has been so very helpful and patient in answering my 50,000+ questions. She has a beautiful and amazing daughter herself and is also quite the knowledge source and advocate. It's so comforting to know that I'm not alone--that others have gone through this and their children are doing so much better as a result. It gives us hope for Cara, that the future will bring nothing but the best for her. But, even if she doesn't move forward from where she is right now, we are okay with that and will love her nonetheless. She will always be our Bubba (and Peanut and Cara Lou) and Lulu Bird (don't ask how Ben came up with that one) regardless.

80's Memories

This quiz got me thinking about some of my favorite things from the 80's and how most of them have become popular again. Caitlin has My Little Pony, Polly Pocket, a Cabbage Patch Kid, Mr. Potato Head, Colorforms and other things that I used to play with. This is "Laura's Childhood Part 2" and I'm having fun!

You Are 72% A Child of the 80s

Not only did you experience the 80s... you are practically an expert. You should be totally stoked!

Are You a Child of an 80s?

Success!

Cara's surgery went very smoothly. She was back in post-op recovery around 5pm and moved to a recovery room around 8pm (they were booked, so we were on hold). She is returning to her normal self, wanting to eat and drink and playing peek-a-boo with Mommy. If everything continues to go as planned, we should be released tonight or early tomorrow morning! It's amazing how children bounce back from things like this so quickly.

In other news, we were approved yesterday afternoon for a condo (rental). We will be moving on Friday, August 24th and hope to having everything settled by the 29th. Thankfully, the development is just down the road from where we are, allowing us to "move dirty" if needs be. We will have a 1st floor condo which means NO MORE STAIRS!

So, all is well in our world. We are extremely thankful to the Lord for watching over Cara and the dilligence of the medical staff here at Children's Hospital. They have been wonderful. Also, I want to thank everyone, once again, for their thoughts, prayers, text messages, emails, phone calls, instant messages, etc. I don't know how I would've made it through this without you all. We know that your thoughts and prayers made a difference. We felt surrounded by love & support.

My Kind of Pizza

Thanks Kendra for this idea...

It's funny that what you put on your pizza and how you eat it can tell so much about a person! I'm all over that "travel to Hawaii" part.

What Your Pizza Reveals

Your appetite is pretty average. You don't go overboard - but you don't deprive yourself either. You aren't particularly picky about pizza. It's so good... how could you be? You fit in best in the Western part of the US. You like food that's traditional and well crafted. You aren't impressed with "gourmet" foods. You are dependable, loyal, and conservative with your choices. You are carefree and friendly. You should consider traveling to Hawaii. The stereotype that best fits you is geek. You're the type most likely to order pizza to avoid leaving your computer.

What Does Your Pizza Say About You?

Fictional Father Figure

Say that three times fast! Okay, I'm not looking to replace my father, but this was kind of funny...

Your Daddy Is Patrick Stewart

What You Call Him: Papito Why You Love Him: He's the Mack Daddy

Who's Your Daddy?

It's funny because my dad's name is Don(ald) and how they got Patrick Stewart from that, I'll never know. But, I've always loved Mr. Stewart from Star Trek days. He has the sexist voice. He's narrated a couple of books and TV specials and I just melt!

Going Under the Knife

Cara had her pre-surgical consultation at Children's Hospital yesterday. We met with the neurosurgeon who is going to be performing the surgery and felt confident that he will do a good job and take care of our daughter. Surgery has tentatively been set for Friday, August 17th in the afternoon and will go as planned as long as the doctor receives the CD-Rom of MRI images in time to review them before the surgery. He wants to make sure that a shunt is the best option for Cara and see exactly where the placement would be.

My mom googled the doctor last night and found out that he has some pretty remarkable credentials including having been a professor at Harvard University. He is just modest and simple, so he doesn't flaunt what he's done or where he's been. He's done thousands of this particular procedure and has been in pratice for over 30 years, operating at two different hospitals.

So...we will be admitted to the hospital on Friday morning for the pre-op stuff (IV antibotics, etc) followed by the surgery 4 hours later. Cara will remain at the hospital overnight and go home the next day as long as everything goes well.

My mom will be coming across again to be by my side as will my brother and very soon-to-be sister in law. Again, I am so blessed to have my family & friends for support and assistance! We love you guys, each and every one of you.

Prayers, prayers and more prayers, please!

Two for One

The ball is rolling on Cara's hydrocephalus. Her pediatrician got the MRI results yesterday and promptly called me explain them in layman's terms. He wanted us to move quickly on getting Cara in to see a pediatric neurosurgeon at Children's Hospital. After running to the pediatrician's office to pick up a copy of the MRI results and the name of a neurosurgeon, I was on the phone attempting to book an appointment. My mom ended up having to act as an intermediary since I was having trouble hearing and understanding the appointment scheduler. At first, it looked like we weren't going to be able to get in for a consultation until September, then it moved up to the end of August. Cara's pediatrician felt that there was some urgency to her case, so he called the pediatric neurosurgery department, pleading Cara's case and got us in this Friday (8/10). She is going to see the neurosurgeon recommended by her pediatrician even though I got another referral from my mom (long story) for another who is supposed to be the best in the state...so we may end up changing doctors if we're not impressed. She is also going to see a plastic surgeon at the same time. I'm not entirely certain why a plastic surgeon is necessary but, I'm guessing that it's due to the scars that will result from the surgery. Two surgeons in one visit...way to simplify things, I suppose. Right now, it is of dire importance that we get a surgical consult done ASAP. I am prepared for the fact that we might be prepping Cara for surgery as early as this weekend or the first part of next week depending on the neuro's take on the MRI results and the degree of urgency he attaches to her case. It could be next month too, no way to know right now. From everything that I've read, it looks like there will be a 2-3 day hospital stay after the surgery, assuming that she has a shunt put in. If they do another procedure, I have no clue as to how long as there wasn't much information available on alternative surgeries. I would really like for her to have a endoscopic third ventriculostomy because it is less evasive and sounds like permanent fix to the problem whereas shunts can malfunction and get infected...so it's a life long thing. Right now, we are playing "wait and see" until 2 o'clock on Friday. Then, we should have a lot of answers to our questions.

Again, please keep our family in your thoughts and prayers. We are all a little scared of what is yet to come. I take comfort in the knowledge that my family and friends are there for me. My mom will be making the 5 hour journey across the state to be here for the consultation. We need all the support (and medical know-how) that we can get.

Thanks everyone for your love, friendship, caring and support!

3 Weeks and a Dilemna

For those that don't know, our lease is up at the apartment complex known as Del Dumpe (yes, even the 4 year old calls it that due to my slip of tongue one very frustrating day) at the end of this month. We signed a notice telling them that we will not be returning despite the pleads and "great special offers" or the lure of the new community center. Some of you may remember the issues we were having with maintenance and our neighbors. Frankly, we think we can do better. For the better part of the last month, I have combed through page upon page of listings on Craig's List and have found a few that look promising. We'd really like to get the 3 bedroom house. We've seen the inside and really like it. It's big and open, with more than enough space for our growing family. Not to mention that there's a 2 car garage and a nice sized, fenced-in backyard. However, I just didn't feel a good vibe from the owner. He's supposed to let us know by tonight, so we'll see. This house is also in a great neighborhood with kick-butt schools and REALLY stinking close to the water park. I have also called on a 3 bedroom townhouse that's right by Cherry Creek State Park. Again, it's in a good area with the same kick-butt schools. Hopefully, the property consultant will email me back tomorrow so that we can go down and check it out. If all else fails, we have arranged to move into a condo-style apartment about two miles away from where we are. It's really nice but, again, it's an apartment and we're trying to avoid returning to apartment living at all costs.
What's going to be interesting is finding a new place, getting the money together to move in, pack up our stuff here and load it into a Budget truck along with the things that are in our storage unit (only bare essentials are with us now), move in and get things semi-unpacked all before I have to show my face in Montrose for the start of my brother's wedding activities. Whew, talk about a busy few weeks!
Of course, add all of this to what is going on with Cara and that makes for complete chaos! I must find order in this chaos though...what choice do I have? Well, wish me luck!

Cara's MRI

Cara went in today for her MRI at 9:30am and was back in recovery around 11am. She was given an oral sedative and then two doses of another sedative in shot form. She was so out of it, there's no way she could've moved a muscele. We were in recovery for about 3 hours, waiting for her to be alert enough to sit up, hold up her head and drink. She will still be groggy for the rest of the day, but she did very well.
We went to Montrose Memorial and were spoiled rotten. My mom works there and had, of course, spread the word that we were coming. They have always treated us well though--like family. I'm so glad that we drove out here to have this done rahter than waiting 3+ weeks to go to Children's. An MRI is an MRI and now, her pediatrician should have the results no later than Tuesday.
The next step is to meet with a pediatric neurosurgeon to discuss the results and how to proceed.
Ben & I want to thank you all for your thoughts & prayers and ask you to keep it up as the journey has just begun.

We have the best friends and family members out there & we love you all.

Unfortunate Events

Things have taken a definite turn for the worse (not to be pessimistic) with Cara. After running a fever, vomiting and not having an appetite for about 48 hours, we determined that it was time to call her doctor. We got an appointment this afternoon for her to be seen. Our biggest concern being dehydration since the poor baby couldn't keep anything down for more than a couple of hours. A thorough examination led to the conclusion that Cara has a mild ear infection and that the pain and nausea associated with that was probably causing her to vomit. We were given a Rx for amoxicillin and told to offer her fluids around the clock and if she wasn't much improved by the end of the weekend, to bring her back on Monday. We narrowly escaped a positive culture for Strep, thank goodness!

We had also asked the doctor to discuss the ultrasound results from Children's Hospital earlier in the week. We had been praying that the radiologist saw nothing alarming...that it was just genetics. Unfortunately, Lady Luck was not on our side. Instead, the ultrasound found that the three front lobes of Cara's brain are enlarged and causing some concern. Her doctor wants us to take Cara in for a MRI to provide more details and hopefully reveal the reason for the enlargement. At this point in time, her doctor has no idea what this enlargement could mean. She did say, however, that it could very well explain her developmental delays, but that would be the call of a pediatric neurosurgeon, if it came to that. It could be nothing at all or it could be something quite serious. Originally, we were going to take Cara back the Children's Hospital for the MRI but, then, found out that they are 2-3 weeks backlogged. There's no way that I would be able to wait that long wondering what's wrong with my baby, so I put in a call to my mom and asked her to check with the hospital in Montrose. Being a smaller hospital, there's not as much demand or a backlog, so as long as our insurance will cover it, Cara has an appointment there on Thursday morning. We will be packing up and going over on Tuesday, most likely, as long as Cara is feeling much improved from the ear infection. My mom will be able to go to the hospital with me (Ben will be here in Denver, he has to work all week, unfortunately, but he is very supportive of me going to Montrose and getting this done ASAP) and hopefully, we'll get Caitlin's former sitter (or maybe my best friend) to watch her while we go.

Please, continue praying, thinking good thoughts and crossing fingers & toes. I'm trying to to think "what if" or worse case scenario but, I will admit to being scared out of my mind. My little girl has been through so much in her short life and it seems like there's no end in sight.

Thanks everyone & I'll continue to keep you posted.

Birthday Splash!

Since the sprayground has become one of the most popular summer attractions for the girls, it was the natural choice for hosting their joint birthday party. Wednesday, the 18th turned out to be the perfect day for playing in the water. Temperatures crept up near 100 degrees (oh, humanity!)and the water spraying down was lukewarm--not goosebumps cold nor sauna hot. While, for some unknown reason, Cara was not that into splashing around, Caitlin had the time of her life and told everyone she ran into that it was her birthday today. In fact, when we first got there, she just had to go around and show the other little girls her birthday dress (a yellow flower print dress with an overlay that my mom made) and twirl around for them.
After Caitlin had enough fun running and splashing (and was chilled to the core), we headed over the our picnic shelter and began to grill hot dogs. There's something about BBQing outdoors that makes everything taste better...maybe it's the grill marks on the dogs but, the hot dogs were awesome along with the salads and chips.
After everyone was full, it was time to open presents. Of course, this was the part that Caitlin had been waiting for, rather impatiently, days. She was jumping up and down and smiling real big with anticipation while her Grandpa and I brought the presents over from our cars. Her enthusiam showed for each and every present she opened--exclaiming over each one.
Cara joined in the festivities from her stroller giving us big grins when we presented her with present upon present. Big sister helped her unwrap them, of course. While she got some great gifts, Cara was much more fasinated by the ribbons on her packages and the bright paper than the gifts themselves, at least until they were out of the boxes and she could play with them.
Both girls were spoiled pretty darn rotten by their parents and grandparents. One of my favorite gifts was a family membership to the Children's Museum of Denver. I love the fact that we can now go whenever we want, for how long we want without spending $14+ each time. We've already been once and both girls had a jolly good time. We even get the scoop on special members-only events and new exhibits. I cannot wait to get our money's worth out of the membership, especially during the winter.
After opening gifts, Mother Nature decided to grace us with her windy presence, blowing everything (including Cara in her stroller) all over the place. We had to quickly pack up and move the celebration back to our loft.
Once there, we lit the candles upon the Dora the Explorer and Care Bears cakes, sang "Happy Birthday" times two and let the girls dig in. Cara had the most fun with her piece, slurping up every last bite. She was quite a mess and promptly got a bath which filled the bottom of the tub with candy confetti. Caitlin's favorite part of the cake was the icing. I was so tempted to just by the kid a tub of whipped frosting, put a candle on top and call it a done deal!
After cake & ice cream was eaten and enjoyed, my parents retired to their hotel room and the girls wound down (or up) by playing with some of their new toys. The popular favorite was Cara's Bounce & Spin Zebra from Mommy & Daddy. Both girls had fun riding on it.
All in all, it was a great day! The girls really had a blast and were so happy to see their grandparents to boot.

**Oh, I wanted to brag, just a bit. Cara's cake was the $6 WalMart special. I had them write on it for me, for free. Then, after searching around the store without success for some Care Bear figurines, I came back to pick up the cake and asked if I could purchase on of the Care Bears cake top decorations that they had. The bakery manager disappeared and then returned with two sets (4 bears total) and asked me which I wanted. Being the budget conscious person that I am, I asked how much they were and she said, "Go on, take them, they're free!" Both of them, all four bears for free! Score! I think Cara's cake looked good, if I do say so myself. FYI--Caitlin's cake was from Target and I think they have the best marble cake with buttercream frosting ever!

On the "Forefront"

Before I start a post on the girls' birthday party celebration, I wanted to write about something that really had Ben & I (along with our close friends and family) wondering. Our youngest, Cara, went in for an ultrasound of her frontal lobe area of the brain yesterday. Her pediatrician showed some concern because her head circumference has been measuring off the charts for several months now. At first, he was hoping that the rest of her would catch up to her "out of proportion" cranium. When that didn't happen, he wondered if it was genetics. However, been at approximately 105% of average still worried him. He wanted to be sure that she didn't have hydrocephalus, which could account for the reason why Cara is a bit behind in her developmental milestones like crawling, walking, pulling up, etc. So, he wrote up an order for the ultrasound and we drove to downtown Denver yesterday afternoon to the pediatric imagining department of Children's Hospital. We arrived on time, after a nerve-wrecking experience parking in an ancient parking structure (problem to resolved when the hospital moves to the Fitsimmons campus in October). Let me just say that this hospital is the cutest and most kid friendly place I've ever seen. The information desk looks like a hot air balloon and there's a huge fish tank, TV playing Disney channel shows and playhouses in the waiting area. Doesn't seem like a hospital in a lot of ways. Anyway, we checked in at the pediatric imaging department and waited about 15 minutes for our turn. We were escorted to the ultrasound room by Jessica, a really sweet ultrasound technician. She put enough gel on Cara's hair to hold a mohawk for a long time, did the ultrasound while I kept Cara from swatting at her and within 10 minutes, we were out.
We are still waiting for the results from Cara's pediatrician and have an an appointment scheduled for next week. While we seriously doubt that there's anything "wrong" with Cara's cute little brain, we are prepared for the news that she might need some physical therapy to help her learn to crawl and walk. We will do whatever it takes to help her along. Looking back, I think it was meant to be that I became a SAHM because should she need PT a few times a week, I will be free to take her whereas, had I been working, I would've had to take time off. There is a divine plan and reason for everything in life.
So, if I may ask, could you all keep Cara in your thoughts & prayers over the next week or so as we find out the results of the ultrasound and decide on how best to go forward from here. No matter what we find out, nothing will change how much we love our little girl and how she means the world to us!

Political Profile

If only it was this easy to figure out where I stood on all the issues surrounding politics and the upcoming 2008 election. I could go on & on about how I would do things differently but now, talk is cheap! As for the results of this profile, doesn't surprise me one bit that I'm more liberal. I really would like to know if it's possible to be a sociology/social work major and be an extreme conservative?

Your Political Profile:

Overall: 35% Conservative, 65% Liberal Social Issues: 50% Conservative, 50% Liberal Personal Responsibility: 0% Conservative, 100% Liberal Fiscal Issues: 50% Conservative, 50% Liberal Ethics: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal Defense and Crime: 50% Conservative, 50% Liberal

How Liberal Or Conservative Are You?

Happy Birthday Caitlin!

(Bad mommy forgot to publish this post on the 24th)


Little Bug--2003


Balancing Act--July 2007


Dear Caitlin,

There's something we want to tell you...
We are so proud of the young lady that you are becoming. Your independent personality is really starting to show through and you are one unique little girl. You are so smart and creative. You continue to amaze us with the things that you know, say and do. Your biggest accomplishments in the last year have been learning to use the potty, riding a "big girl" bike, writing your name, "pumping" a swing, balancing on a balance beam, and learning your ABC's. We are so very proud of you and love you more than you'll ever know. We are looking forward to being a part of your very active and exciting life. Please allow us to come along for the ride but please, don't be in a big hurry to race on ahead. Even if you do, Mommy & Daddy will be there, in the distance, watching out for you. Forge on, Princess Caitie!

Happy 4th Birthday!

Love always,

Mommy & Daddy

In 1978

In 1978 (the year you were born)

Jimmy Carter is president of the US US Senate votes to turn over the Panama Canal to Panama on December 31, 1999 Israel and Egypt reach a peace settlement at the Camp David Accords The US and mainland China announce that they will restore full diplomatic relations Members of Jim Jones' People's Temple commit mass suicide in Guyana Pope John Paul II becomes the first non-Italian pope in centuries Ted Bundy is captured in Florida The first computer bulletin board system is created Garfield debuts in newspapers Ashton Kutcher, Kobe Bryant, Usher, Clay Aiken, and Nelly Furtado are born New York Yankees win the World Series Dallas Cowboys win Superbowl XII Montreal Canadiens win the Stanley Cup Saturday Night Fever and Grease are the top grossing films "Night Fever" by the Bee Gees spends the most time at the top of the US charts Diff'rent Strokes and Mork & Mindy premiere

What Happened the Year You Were Born?

New pictures

Hello everyone! I have just uploaded new birthday pictures to my Flickr. Again, they are set so that only family & friends can view them. So, if you don't have a Flickr account, you might want to get one. Trust me, the pictures are worth it. Or, if you'd prefer, you can send me an email and I'll send you a few of my favorite pictures.

I will post later about the girls' birthday and other news.

Happy Birthday Cara!

Happy Birthday to our little Peanut, recently renamed Bubba. It's so hard for Mommy & Daddy to believe that twelve months have gone by since the day that you joined our family. You have brought so much love and happiness into our lives. As we look back, we are amazed at how much you've changed and how much you've learned. We have enjoyed watching you blossom from a tiny baby into a bubbly toddler full of personality. It's been quite the journey, sweet girl, one which has only just begun! Many more milestones & memories await us. We will always be by your side.

We love you!

Mommy & Daddy


Then, such of a little peanut--small and, oh so precious!


Now, a sweet little girl with a personality as bouncy as her hair.

Meme Go 'Round

I got tagged by Judy to do this Meme...so here goes. Trying to make this 8 things that you don't know about me.

THE RULES:
List 8 facts/habits about yourself
Post the rules at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed
Tag 8 people and post their names, go to their blogs and leave them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and ask them to read your blog.

1. I once took my car (an '88 Dynasty) up a 4-wheel drive only trail. We're talking over boulders and all of that.

2. It is my secret goal (well, I guess it's not a secret anymore) to own all the Disney movies ever made.

3. I once wanted to be an interior designer and have a whole notebook full of room designs, furniture, etc.

4. I often read books in reverse...meaning that I'll read the last chapter or two and then go back to the beginning. Sometimes, I just can't wait to see how a book ends.

5. I have a bizarre urging to catalog the books, CDs and DVDs in my house.

6. I'd love to get selected for TLC's What Not to Wear. I wouldn't even give Stacy and Clinton too much lip.

7. I once went to summer camp and spent 2 weeks learning how to "de-bean" a horse.

8. I have a long list of places I want to see and things I want to do before I die. Some of them would surprise you.

Umm, as far as tagging people...I don't know 8 people who have blogs who could do this, who haven't already done this.

Randomness Part Deuce

I don't know how but I've managed to find some time recently to do some random web surfing and came upon some cool sites. If you are as bored as I was, check them out.

Seven Wonders--
I voted for my 7 favorites awhile ago and about 3 of them made the final pick. Now, I have to add these 7 to my "Places To See Before I Die" list.

What People Say in NYC--
Laugh so hard that you almost pee in your pants, funny! Good for a pick me up.

Secrets on Postcards--
Human interest...it's amazing what people will say.

Only One Sentence
If you only had one sentence, what would YOU say?

Randomness

Thanks for the boredom busters, Kendra!

60%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

Mingle² - Online Dating

--I guess I have a pretty serious addiction to blogging, at least in terms of reading other people's blog because heaven knows I don't post enough on my own!--

$5225.00The Cadaver Calculator - Find out how much your body is worth. From Mingle2 - Free Online Dating

Mingle² - Free Online Dating

--Gee, and I've worked the past few years beacause? I could've just sold my body to science. Hehe!--

Mingle² - Online Dating

--Hmm, I wonder when I used the word "kill" that gave my blog it's rating?--

I Scored a 80%!

--I'm still trying to figure out which two I spelled wrong. I pride myself on being a human Webster's Dictionary...guess I'd better not give up my day job!--

Back from the Artic!

Have I mentioned that my husband is brilliant? Remember how I threatened to retreat to the Artic Circle to escape the heat and lack of air conditioning in our apartment? It seems that Ben had had enough of sweltering in the heat and decided to poke around in the closet (he had to break in since the apartment community locks it) that houses our furnace. He took the cover off of the furnace and noticed that there was a little switch. Hit the switch and the next thing we heard was the sweetest sound I've heard in a long time--the air conditioning turning on. Apparently, there must be a ground short somewhere in the apartment because this switch keeps clicking off. Ben positioned the cover just-so hoping to prevent it from switching off again. At least now, we know what happened and how to fix it. Took him all of about 5 minutes to discover what was wrong and to fix it and the maintenance people couldn't find 5 minutes out of their day spent sitting on the curb smoking to relieve a sweating family of 4? All that I can say is, thank God Ben is handy!

Oh, and look what Ben found while he was poking around in the furnace closet...


Nice, huh? And no, that's not ours!

The Artic Circle Looks Good

I'm thinking that a vacation sounds good right about now. Not your typical summertime, relax on the beach vacation either, the last thing I want to go is anyplace warm. Denver (and much of Colorado, for that matter)is in the midst of yet another heat wave with the forecast predicting near-record highs in the upper 90's and almost no rain in sight. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem, since we have central air. Or I should edit that to say, we did have central air. Our unit (which is probably 15+ years old)decided to quit working--again--Friday morning. Ben called them around 1pm after failed attempts to get it going again, and they said they might send someone out that evening (didn't happen)or "possibly" Monday. Knowing these sum-lords, we'll be lucky if we're cool before the 4th of July. Ben & I are going to draft up a letter telling them that we will be deducting a day's rent for each & every day that we do not have A/C in the month of July. Maybe that will motivate them?

So, that said, I'm about to pack my bags for Antartica and hang out with the penguins. In reality, we may escape to my parents' place where at least they have a swamp cooler. We are getting together with them on the 4th anyway, for a picnic and such in the mountain town of Ouray. It's kind of a family tradition.

Flickr changes

Hi everyone! I wanted to let you know that I've recently uploaded some new pictures of the girls out in the wading pool. However, due to an obscene number of views, I have decided to change some of them to be viewed only by family & friends. So, if you want to see them and are not a contact, you may have to create an account and then add me as a contact. If you already have a Yahoo account, you can use that. Sorry to have to do this but I worry about someone, somewhere, using my daughters for child pornography. I've seen it done so many times with innocent partially clothed pictures. When an innocent picture of your daughter in her bathing suit gets 223 hits in two days, something's up! Some of the pictures are still public, for now, but that may change too. When it comes to my girls, I just can't be cautious enough.

Thanks for understanding.

Hop Aboard the Whirlwind Express

The low-down of our trip to the Great Lake State.

I'm happy to report that we left the house EARLY on Thursday morning, don't ask how that happened. Honestly, I think it had something to do with the fact that we packed up the car the night before and that I was up at 3:45am. When then drove to the park-n-ride by the airport, parked, unloaded, climbed into the shuttle and arrived at DIA at 6 o'clock on the button. We discovered that Curbside Check-in is SOOOO worth it when you're lugging three suitcases, carry on bags and carseats. What's a measily $6? After that, we were down to two carry ons, a diaper bag and a garment bag, umbrella stroller, and two car seats. Little did we know that we could've checked both car seats and saved hauling them thru security and all that. No one at Northwest offered to do this for us. The line for security moved very quickly and we got thru without any problems, thank goodness. They did ask me what was in Cara's sippy cup--water, no liquid explosives--but otherwise, we were in the clear. We got to our gate in plenty of time to go to McDonald's for breakfast ($14 for 3 breakfast Extra Value Meals?!) and watch planes pull in. Having kids pays off at the gate when we are allowed priority boarding with all of the first class people. It took us that long to get everyone situated, including asking for help with Cailtin's car seat. We then settled in for our just shy of 3 hour plane ride. Cara briefly nursed before falling asleep, Ben was out almost immediately (having worked the night before) and Caitlin dozed off shortly after take off. Cara woke up after about a 45 minute nap, so I entertained here with toys and Cheerios while Ben & Caitlin continued to sleep. Pretty uneventful and routine flight in all regards. The only thing that urks me is how the major airlines are charging for food now. On our flight, they were charging $5 for a snack box! Not even real food, just snacks. Thankfully, I had packed snacks for everyone, we just took the free beverages. Anyway, we got into DTW (Northwest World Gateway...WOW!) right on schedule and after figuring out the Tram, got to the luggage claim and met Ben's mom & sister. The girls were greeted with hugs and gifts...Ben and I with just hugs. Once we got outside of the terminal, the humidity and heat hit us! Holy smokes...I sure haven't missed THAT about Michigan! We just don't get the humidity here in Colorado, thank goodness. The rest of Thursday saw us unwinding and prepping for the journey down to Toledo for the wedding. My sister-in-law (thanks F!) treated me to a manicure & pedicure and Caitlin to having her nails painted. What a rare and appreciated treat! I got a french manicure and looked like sophisticated momma.
That evening, I snuck over to my good friend Robyn's house and we hung out, she showed me how to do my make-up (I'm clueless) and played with my hair. I'm sorry to say that she was the only friend that we had time to see and that's only because she lives right down the street from the in-laws (and yes, it's just because we like them too).

Firday, we all got up, showered and packed for our journey to Toledo. Ben & I had the grand idea to try to stop off in Birmingham on our (out of the) way down. Unfortunately, we ran into construction traffic (construction has it's own season in MI) and ended up scratching that idea. Turns out that the people we wanted to see were out of town anyway, though I would've loved to have seen the library. Ben decided to take Evergreen to 7 Mile, don't ask me why, and then 7 Mile to 75. Needless to say, it was THE SLOWEST way to get to 75--lots of stoplights, detours, etc--and took us through some rough neighbors like something right out of Eminem's 8 Mile. After about 1 1/2 hours, we finally got on I-75. Problem was, our directions were from US 23, so we got totally turned around ending up all over the Metro Toledo area including down on the waterfront (very pretty area). By some miracle, we arrived at the rehearsal at 5:02pm, only two minutes late. I think Caitlin was hot & tired because she really did not want to cooperate with the wedding coordinator and had to be sternly talked to ("Catilin, I'm sure there's a wall for you to stand with your nose against around here somewhere...") before she conceeded and cooperated with everyone. The santuary was beautiful, built in 1905, but lacked one essential during midwestern summers, air conditioning. To say it was warm in there would be a gross understatment. Thankfully, we were able to run through the ceremony quickly and then head off to the restaraunt for dinner. We had dinner at the Navy Pier Bistro down on the waterfront. Beautiful location, great food, lots of fun. I had this piece of caramel pecan pie to die for!

We awoke to a beautiful, yet probably the warmest day of the summer thus far, on Saturday morning. Caitlin was up and out with the bridal party to have her hair done around 10am and Ben followed at noon. Cara, my mother in law and I headed to a local Target to pick up some last minute dress essentials before going back to the hotel to change. I am proud to say that I negoiated Toledo's freeways all by myself and got us to the wedding with time to spare. Unfortunately, that was the last piece of good news. Just as we feared, the santuary was very warm again, with only fans to circulate the air. At first, Cara & I were doing well. We sat towards the outer aisle in the back in case we had to make an emergency exit and Cara was as happy as a clam. However, as soon as the actual ceremony started, Cara began to fuss. I noticed that she was drenched in sweat despite my attempts to cool her with a paper fan & a sippy cup with water (word of advice, make sure baby's clothes are made of cotton). We ended up having to vacate the santuary and watch the ceremony from the doors leading to. I couldn't hear what was being said, but the ceremony was beautiful nonetheless. Ben looked handsome standing up as his brother's best man and Caitlin did a wonderful job as flower girl, she looked so grown up. I think that Ben & I shed a tear. My brother in law and his new wife were so blistfully happy and in love, such of a wonderful sight. Susan looked so beautiful and glowing in her gown. It was just a picture-perfect ceremony. Afterwards, we all assembled outside to see the new couple off. Mind you, it was a perfectly clear, sunny day so the sun was just beating down on us. Cara was not happy about being outside and soon started to wail. I brought her back inside and attempted to pacify her with no luck. At one point, I was seriously considering foregoing the reception due to Cara's temperment. I decided to give her one last chance and escaped to the bellows of the church to feed her. Momentary peace came over us while she nursed only to be follwed by convulsions. I am fairly certain that she had heat stroke. Never have I felt so guilty or scared. I rushed her to the sink in the lounge area, strpped her down to her diaper and splashed cool water all over her. After a few minutes, she stopped shaking and promptly fell asleep. After making sure she was indeed sleeping (checking for a pulse and signs of breathing), I moved her upstairs again, by the fans, while the wedding party had more photographs taken.
Afterward, we all headed over to the reception. Again, the food was wonderful and the entertainment was great. It was so cute to see Ben dancing with Caitlin and then his mom. Ben & I got to dance too, which was a rare treat. We both thoroughly enjoyed it. The rest of the night, Ben & Caitlin got their groove on while I stayed with Cara. Caitlin had a blast dancing with her Uncle Kofi, Aunt Effie and brand-new Aunt Susan. That little girl danced from the time the music started until Ben carried her off the dance floor around midnight! Cara & I headed out awhile before then as Cara was sleepy. We ended up driving around town and to a Meijer parking lot where Cara had her nightcap and promptly fell asleep. Ben and I, both high on life after the reception, went out in search of food and found a Kroger. Armed with yogurt, salad and chips, we came back to the hotel, sat in the dining room and chatted for awhile. Ahh...life without kids, even if it was 1:30 in the morning!

Sunday found us out in the country around Slyvania, OH at Susan's parents' home. We all had a BBQ followed by a refreshing swim in the pond in front of their house. Ben, Caitlin & I attempted to paddle boat but, Caitlin got scared when the tether for the boat got caught up in the paddles and we coulnd't paddle. Brave Uncle Kofi and Navyman, Jason came to the rescue. Once we were freed, we made one more loop around the pond before heading inside to leave. I almost forgot, we all watched Kofi & Susan open their wedding presens and boy did they get some beautiful things, especially some crystal serving pieces. Kofi was saying that they got so much stuff that they needed a bigger house to put them in!
We headed back to MI and over to Kofi & Susan's place to say goodbye to them and have some wonderful Jet's pizza. They were heading out to Hawaii for two weeks in the morning as we were leaving to come back to Denver.

We arrived at the airport, checked in at Frontier where they promptly asked if we wanted to check our car seats (yes, please!) and then headed to security. Again, we got lucky and went right through, no problems while the family in front of us got searched. After some Starbuck's for breakfast we boarded the plane. I have to say that I love Frontier airlines (not only because they started in Denver either). The employees are very friendly and helpful, the planes are comfortable, they offer free drinks & snacks and the best part---for $5 you can watch TV or movies on these little screens built into the seats. We paid for Caitlin to watch NickJr in-flight and it kept her quiet and happy. Cara slept most of the flight while Ben and I rested up. We got into Denver right on time, and after struggling with getting luggage to the shuttle pick up point, got back to our car and on our way home.

It's good to be home but, we are missing Detroit and our friends and family there. Caitlin really grew attached to her Uncle Kofi, Aunts Susan & Effie as well as her Nana and Grandpa (who she met for the first time at the wedding). She still talks about how she misses them and the fun that she had (especially the limo rides). I wish that we had more time to make the rounds to see family and friends. Hopefully, we'll be able to make a trip out next summer to see everyone.
Well, that's all folks. Everything considered, it was a pretty seamless trip there & back with just enough "adventure" thrown in to make things interesting and memorable!

To Kof & Susan--we can't wait to see the pictures of both the wedding and honeymoon! We hope that you guys had a wonderful time in Hawaii! Thank you for letting us be a part of your special day.

To Aunt F & Nana--thanks for providing the means for us to come to MI and for the hospitality (oh yeah, and for spoiling the girls).

Going on a jet plane

In case you have been wondering why I've been so quiet lately, here is the reason. I have been running ragged trying to prepare 4 people for a trans-continental flight to Detroit for my brother-in-laws wedding. We've had to patiently (or not patiently) await the arrival of Caitlin's flower girl dress, drive way across town to have it altered, take suits to the dry cleaners, find suitable clothes for the mother of the flower girl and then attempt to pack our family of 4. Let me give you some of the highlights.

--Finding a "formal" dress when you've not been blessed with a model's body has been nearly impossible. I have been to store upon store and resorted to ordering from JCPenney (thanks for the gifts cards Mom & Dad). What a mistake that was. First, did you know that you really can't pay with gift cards on JCP's website? Well, you can't. Especially if you have more than one. You have to pre-pay in the store, wait for them to receive the payment to "release" the order to be shipped, then wait for the order to arrive in the store. To make a very long story short, let's just say that JCP's right hand doesn't know what it's left hand is doing, or saying. They told me the order was shipped one day via the 1-800 number and when I arrive in store to pick it up, I'm told another date, four days later. Umm, hello...I'm on a deadline here! Grr! Thankfully, in my running about today, I found a cute outfit from Catherine's. Granted, it cost me about twice what JCPenney was charging but hey, it's in my hands and it looks good. No guessing if JCP's periwinkle will be more purple than blue.

--Having a dress altered is a royal pain in the arse. Caitlin's dress for the wedding is beautiful. It is kind of an antique ivory almost a sheer with lots of layers, a petticoat, the works. Well, turns out, that in order to take up a hem off the length, one has to take it up from the bodice due to the delicate ruffle on the bottom. The seamstress made it look simple enough even if there were pins every 1/2 inch along the bottom. The dress was promised to be ready to go today. Well, we get in there, Caitlin tries on the dress for the final fitting and what do I immediately notice, despite my naive eyes? That the ruffle along the bottom is not the same length all the way around. OMG, are you serious?! I momentarily panic because in exactly three days, we are to be mid-air. I politely (don't ask me how) point out the problem to the head seamstress who promptly comes over with her pin cushion and begins to make the adjustments. She asks me, again, when I need the dress back by and when I tell her, you can just see the color drain from her face (that makes two of us). "Umm, our plane leave bright & early Thursday morning, so I'll need it by Wednesday". So, we are due back in Lakewood, about 40 minutes away again at 4pm on Wednesday--lovely, with the price of gas being what it is.

--Coordinating and packing for 4 people is a gigantic undertaking. You'd think, enough said, right? Not quite. It's not just doing the laundry, folding clothes and packing them into a suitcase...oh no, it's more complicated than that. Here's a sampling of my internal monologue: "What is (insert family members name here) going to where to the family portrait? To the rehearsal?...Do we have tights and shoes to go with it? What about if there's a pool at the hotel? Better pack a bathing suit. Oh wait, since we're not going to be at the wedding/rehearsal all day, I've got to pack casual clothes for everyone too. And, let's not forget that every one's beauty care products must fit comfortably into a quart size Ziplock bag...how are we going to pack Caitlin's pink hair lotion? Shoot, gotta remember to pack diapers, wipes and Pull-ups". Once that is accomplished (sometime Wednesday). I still have to put together carry-on bags for the girls and Ben & I, figure out how best to carry-on Caitlin's flower girl dress, arrange for off-site airport parking and pick up Ben's suits.

That said, I will be so glad when we finally board the plane on Thursday morning. It will feel good to sit back and try to convince two kids to behave somewhat like humans for three hours. That seems like a piece of cake compared to the past couple of days and the days yet to come. Just writing this post has made me tired. Traveling as a family of four is bound to be an adventure, I'll let you know how it goes. I'll tell you all about the journey and the wedding when we get back.

Caitlin's Quips

Out of the mouth of a not-so-little babe---

(after waking up for a nap and being asked to pick up her toys)
Me: Caitlin, please pick up these train tracks and put them in the box.
Caitlin: Mom, I can't, not yet.
Me: Why not?
Caitlin: My brain isn't awake yet.

(after picking out a movie to watch)
Me: What movie are we going to watch?
Caitlin: Muppet Christmas Carol
Me: But it's not Christmastime
Caitlin: I'm a kid, it's always time to watch this movie.
Me: Okay then
Caitlin: This movie is brought to you in part by Pedigree!

Kids do say the darnest things.

A little consideration would go a LONG ways!

I've had it, that's it, I'm throwing in the towel, no more Mrs. NiceWoman. From now on, I'll be playing hard ball and rounding the bases in a furry.

To my downstairs neighbors, consider this your warning! We've all just about had it with your loud, obnoxious, gang-banging music blaring at all hours and all decibel levels. In case you haven't noticed...you live on the 2nd floor, so that means that people live both above and below you! It really wouldn't kill you to have an ounce of consideration for those around, especially those with little kids who are trying to sleep, who have jobs that require them to sleep during the day (and night) and, heaven forbid, those who don't want their place to sound like a club gone bad!

Apparently, informing the property manager has no effect on you, so let me just say that we are stepping up the game. The next time that our floor vibrates at an obscene hour, we will be calling the courtesy security patrol and they will be paying you a not so welcomed visit. If that doesn't work, we will be calling the police. I know, I know, they are frequent guests at your place--well, that's great, they shouldn't have any trouble finding you then. Now, please understand, we are not saying that you have to walk around on your tiptoes and whisper. See, we realize that we live in an apartment too and that certain noise is a fact of life. However, you've taken "noise" to a whole new level. Webster's has created a new definition of the term just in your honor.

That said, please, go onto Ebay and buy yourself some consideration!

Oh, and to our chain-smoking, puffing like a train next door neighbor. The city of Aurora called, there's now a new smog zone right over your head and it ain't attractive. They wanted me to tell you that every day is a no-burn day. All joking aside, we would appreciate not inhaling 2nd hand smoke every time we want to open our windows or turn on the A/C. If you want to smoke, do so in your car going 90 down I-25. That way, no one really has to smell it 'cause they're going too fast. Thank you!

--------------
Bottom line, apartment living bites rocks! We've never had this much trouble with our neighbors before. I must be the low-life residents that this place attracts coupled with the fact that the property management does nothing to enforce the "rules" that we're forced to sign as part of the lease. We have affectionatly named this place DelPoopAy (Actually called Del Arte Lofts & Flats) and when our lease is up in August, we plan on high-tailing it out of here. Oh, I hope and I pray!

Well-rounded look at me

*** THE EVERYTHING TEST ***

There are many different types of tests on the internet today. Personality tests, purity tests, stereotype tests, political tests. But now, there is one test to rule them all.


Traditionally, online tests would ask certain questions about your musical tastes or clothing for a stereotype, your experiences for a purity test, or deep questions for a personality test.We're turning that upside down - all the questions affect all the results, and we've got some innovative results too! Enjoy :-)



PERSONALITY
You are more logical than emotional, more concerned about self than concerned about others, more atheist than religious, more loner than dependent, more lazy than workaholic, more traditional than rebel, more engineering mind than artistic mind, more idealist than cynical, more leader than follower, and more introverted than extroverted.
As for specific personality traits, you are adventurious (100%), intellectual (74%), romantic (71%), greedy (55%).

STEREOTYPES
Young Professional (100%)
Old Geezer (50%)
Punk Rock (47%)


LIFE EXPERIENCE
Sex (19%)
Substances (8%)
Travel (24%)


POLITICS
Your political views would best be described as Liberal, whom
you agree with around 46% of the time.

SOCIOECONOMIC
Your attitude toward life best associates you with Working Class.
You make more than 82% of those who have taken this test,
and 8% less than the U.S. average.

If your life was a movie, it would be rated PG.
By the way, your hottness rank is 45%, hotter than 9% of other test takers.

TAKE THE TEST
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Rain, tornado watches and hailstorms

Gotta love Colorado weather. In the matter of eight hours, you can see all weather extremes. Yesterday was one such day. Started off cloudy and a bit on the cool side, then the wind picked up to about 35-40 MPH. After that, it started to pour, complete with thunder and lightening. Next thing we know, NickJr is interrupted for a weather bulletin. We were under a tornado watch for several hours. The sky was a really icky color between gray and green though nothing else really happened. It got pretty cold last night though, enough for the girls to put on their winter pajamas and for me to put on my flannel bottoms. Woke up this morning to partly cloudy skies. You can barely tell that there was any severe weather around here yesterday.

Check out this slide show to see some of the extreme weather Colorado saw. Slide 12 shows the tennis ball sized hail that fell from the sky around Elizabeth in Elbert County. Amazing! I have only seen golf ball sized in my time and I remember going out into the front yard of a house that I was at for a birthday party, putting some into a ET glass and coming back inside to add sugar and food coloring to it. Ahh, the memories!

Happy Memorial Day!

Graphics & Layouts

Let us remember to give thanks to all the men & women who fight every day for our freedom. We are truly blessed to live in this county and sometimes, I know that I take it for granted.

So, today, spend time with your family & friends, grill some hot dogs and burgers and think of some of the wonderful reasons why living in the United States is great. When you see a flag blowing in the wind, count your blessings.

Happy Memorial Day everyone!