Tonsils and Noses

Ethan had his tonsils removed on August 27.

Ethan before his surgery

It was tough watching him go with the nurse alone to go have the surgery done.

But after Mike and I had some lunch, and went back to the Parent Waiting Room, the doctor came in and said everything went well.  Ethan was a bit disoriented when he woke up and wanted his Mummy.

Ethan started to feel better once his Mummy held him for a bit.

I even had to sit on a wheelchair and get wheeled out of the recovery room with Ethan sitting with me (much like the picture above).

Ethan had a  couple of close calls while he was recovering - on the first day I went back to work and my mother-in-law was watching him he threw up for about 3 hours straight.  When I got home at lunch I gave him two doses of Gripe Water and it seemed to help.  Then that Sunday he was so mad that his throat hurt when he woke up from his nap that blood was in his spittle and we had to go to Emergency because the doctor told us to go to the ER if we saw any blood at all (in case the scabs came off he could bleed out).  He was fine though.

I knew he was better when he looked all shocked last Saturday and said  "I'm not sick any more!"

I really hope this will help keep him from being sick all the time.  He already seems like a new boy - he has lots of energy and doesn't seem cranky and tired all the time (just around nap and bedtime like most kids)  :)

Now that he is fully recovered, let's talk about me!  I went to see my Ear, Nose, Throat specialist this past Tuesday.  I told her I am still in pain 75% of the time, the last treatment she gave me didn't work much at all.  My sinuses are still blocked and painful.  She looked and said there was a small improvement.  She is booking me for surgery (not sure when), and in the meantime gave me really strong steroid drops (stronger than Prednisone, but local to my nose so less side effects) to put in my nose to try and shrink the nasal polyps that are clogging my sinuses up.  I have to say, after only 4 days of doing this, I am in significantly less pain.  I actually have a little bit of energy! I can enjoy spending time with my family!  Even if this is only a stop-gap until I get surgery, I will be happy for the time it lasts.

I even had energy to enjoy Ethan's first swimming lesson today, even though he cried through the entire thing.  He told me he wanted to play with the boats next time, and that he had fun.  Kids, go figure!

A Quckie...

I haven't been on here much.  Ethan is getting his tonsils out on Monday, and I am waiting to hear about my own sinus surgery in September.

Maybe after that I will have the energy to post more often. With Ethan being sick all the time, and me being sick all the time we barely have time to do anything fun :)  I am kidding, sort of.. We do manage to have fun, but the fund days exhaust us, and we must rest for several days after :)

We did make it to Tinkertown again today, we figured it would be nice to have something fun for Ethan to remember right before going under the knife.  We also went to Mike's Grandma's 92nd birthday party after we went to Tinkertown.  I will be happy if I can make it to 92 with my mind in tact like Mike's Grandma.

Summer fun (in pictures)

It`s the middle of summer.  It`s been fairly hot this summer - I am pretty sure almost everyone in Canada or the U.S. will attest to that.  We have had a fairly active summer, and it is really nice now that Ethan is 3, we seem to be able to do so much more.

Here is a brief recap of our summer so far:

Summer in the City in Steinbach (our town).

Ethan's first pony ride

The "must go on "horsie ride"

 Camping (during a visit to Alberta and Waterton Park)

Ethan was terrified of the Ground Squirrels (yes this was in June, and he`s wearing mittens!)

We had to visit every playground we walked past :)

Requisite picture by the waterfall at Waterton National Park

Our camping spot in Waterton - isn't it peaceful?

Visited with family and friends (during the same visit to Alberta)

Ethan with my mom

At my friend Colleen's place near Lethbridge

Ethan LOVED the trampoline at Colleen's (pictured here with my brother)

We also went to Chuck E Cheese's (there isn't one in Winnipeg, so we go whenever we see one)

The carousel

Noah's ark

In the maze (or mouse puzzle, not sure what it is called)

After our road trip was over, we went to Tinker Town just outside Winnipeg

On the boat

This picture almost looks posed

Driving an Ethan sized car!

On the swings

We have done a lot of other things - including many trips to various parks, splashing in Ethan`s little pool, and going for walks.

Counting My Blessings

I have been getting more and more negative, feeling like everyone else is doing better than we are and it has got to stop.  It is making me grouchy, derailing my weight loss efforts and basically just not nice.

So instead of focusing on the things I don't have, I will count 10 things I am blessed to have:

1. Mike and I are both gainfully employed, and my benefits package at work is pretty nice.

2. Even though we can't afford a mini-van or a big trailer, we were still able to go on a 10 day vacation to Alberta and enjoy ourselves in our little car and little trailer

Camping in Waterton National Park, June 2012

3. We have a roof over our heads, and comforts inside that house too - air conditioning, PVR for our main TV, and a computer and Internet connection

4. We live in a friendly neighbourhood.

5. We are lucky enough to be able to afford to keep two cars.  We can't afford to get new cars, but having two enables me to drive to work and drop Ethan off at daycare when it is less than comfortable outside, instead of walking.

6.  I still have a sense of humour.  People may not always understand my humour, but I still have it!

7.  While I can't afford a smart phone, I do have a basic pay-per-use cell phone that allows me to text (if I have to) and call when it is necessary.

8. I have a great family.

9. I have great friends.

10.  We are lucky to be (mostly) healthy.

THREE!!!

I know I should be doing a Father's Day post, but it has been a while since I posted, so I am still catching up.  The events in this post actually took place on Mothers Day!

Ethan turned 3 on May 22.  It was the Tuesday after the May long weekend (Canada's Victoria Day).  Because Ethan's Aunt and Uncle and their kids usually go camping on the May Long Weekend, I decided to throw his party on May 13, which also happened to be Mother's Day.  A word of advice - throwing a child's birthday on Mother's Day means you don't actually get any time to yourself or to enjoy anything. But it's still worth it!

We went to the Midway that was in town that weekend as part of his party.

Ethan with his Dad and Great Grandma

Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake

Right after he blew out the candles

Ethan and his cousins playing with the fibre optic Mickey Mouse he got as one of his gifts.

Ethan had a pretty good time, even though he was cranky and kept screaming he didn't want to go on any of the rides at the Midway.  We forced him to go on a couple of rides, and even though he cried through them, he was happy to have gone on them after.  My Dad and step-mom, Mike's parents, Mike's Grandma and Mike's brother and his family (including my sister-in-law's dad) all came out for the party.  I think everyone had a good time, but I know for sure Ethan had a good time, and as far as I am concerned, that's all that matters.

I sent all the Mothers home with a couple of flowers from a bouquet I bought at Sobeys, as a small token for Mother's Day.

I still find it hard to believe it's been three years since Ethan was born.It still feels like yesterday.

Mother's Day

Ethan's gift that he made at daycare.

This is what he (and his Daddy) got me:

I had been too afraid to carry my Kobo with me, but now I have a snazzy case!

I love both gifts.

(this post was delayed because I got a new laptop sometime in between all this and I FINALLY uploaded all my pictures...)

I miss my blog

I miss my blog.  I think of things to write every day.  Then life happens and I don’t get a chance to post, or I am too lazy and just want to veg without thinking.

ETHAN

Ethan is changing almost every day.  His words are getting better each day.  He says so many cute things I should really be on here at least posting one cute thing he says each day. 

There is one funny thing he started doing - but I sort of taught it to him.  When I would ponder what to eat for supper, sometimes I would see Ethan and tell him we were having Roast Ethan for supper - then I would pretend to rub him with oil and spices and then pick him up and hug him and tell him I was going to throw him in the oven.  Now he does the same thing to me - "We having Roast Mummy -I rub with butter, now 'pices, now roll Mummy into oven".  He then proceeds to roll me around the living room until I am "done".  I am usually too busy laughing to protest much.

Ethan’s potty training is going so/so.  He now pees on the potty 95% of the time we put him on there. We usually only end up getting him to go about 4 times on the weekend – once mid morning, once before his nap/quiet time, once around supper time and then before bed.  There are SEVERAL times in the day when he will yell loudly that he does NOT want to go on the potty. We are still a long way from putting plain underwear on him.  We keep telling him he can go poop on the potty, but I think it will be a while yet before he does that. 

Ethan is still getting sick at least once a month (fever, cold), but his infections are getting further apart. I upped his Vitamin D intake last month, so I’ll know soon whether or not it is helping any.

ME

I am busy trying to get in shape (yes, STILL).  I bit the bullet and paid for 3 months of Weight Watchers online.   I tried to do it using Sparkpeople, but I wasn’t getting the motivation I needed.  I like that Sparkpeople tracks fitness minutes, so I am still using that to keep track of how much exercise I am getting.  Weight Watchers seems a little easier for me to follow, especially since they allow you to eat fruits and veggies as much as you want - based on the Points Allowance system they are “free”.  I like that because it encourages me to eat a banana when I am hungry instead of a piece of bread.

Anyway, on the health side of me trying to get healthy – I saw an ENT (Ear, Nose, Throat specialist), but he wanted to refer me to an ENT that does sinus surgery as her specialty so I have to wait until July 17 to see her.    Thankfully I started going to massage therapy and the chiropractor again, it seems to ease the headaches somewhat.  And now that I am truly exercising regularly I notice my headaches aren’t as bad either.  Maybe because I force myself to breathe through my nose, making my sinuses clear naturally?

FAMILY

As a family, it is getting easier to do things together.  Ethan is a little more able to try new things now that he understands what we are talking about.  He remembers past outings as well, and looks forward to things now.  It is really fun to watch J  We go to a picnic spot in the provincial forest sometimes, and he really enjoys it. 

**I will update this with pictures soon, but I needed to post something, it was driving me crazy***

What have we been up to lately?

I have been neglecting my blog for a while.  This is supposed to be here to chronicle Ethan's life, but I have been too busy trying to get our lives under control to come on here much.

Ethan is doing pretty well.  He is still getting sick fairly often, but he hasn't had any infection of any sort since Christmas, which is a small victory for us :)

Ethan is still in the slow potty training process.  The good news is that his daycare sits him on the potty and he goes, and he goes for us usually (80% of the time) at night before bed.  I am not pushing it too much, but hoping that he will eventually get used to the idea that he will be doing this for the rest of his life :)  I am hoping that in the summer we can switch him to regular underwear one weekend and see how he does.  I can't really imagine that right now.

We finally had some snow and hopefully we will be doing more sledding soon.

This year is the year I take control of MY health.  I have been sick and tired (and overweight) for far too long and that needs to change fast if I want to be here to see Ethan grow up and become an adult.  I am hoping that by getting my sinus headaches under control (waiting for a follow-up visit to an ENT) and by getting in shape and eating better that I will be a happier, healthier version of myself so that I can devote more time to my family.

So far my plan hasn't made much progress.  I am back at the chiropractor and have started seeing a massage therapist in the hopes that the alternative therapy will help me feel better and I can actually START getting in shape without worrying about the sinus headaches that plague me EVERY DAY.  So far, in the 2 weeks since I have started this, I have only had a couple of sinus headaches.  I do have a bad cold this week, so that is a minor set back.  I did get up and work out on my elliptical trainer this morning however.

Yay Team!

This picture was taken on January 9, 2011 (pretty much exactly 1 year ago when he was 1.5 years old).  I had been so excited that he was getting interested in sitting on the potty - he even has the book :)

Fast forward 1 year, and he has refused to sit on the toilet at all, with about 4 or 5 exceptions.  I have been getting a little nervous, wondering if he will ever potty train.  He is finally getting out of his really bad "no" stage (No isn't always his standard response now).  So today I told him that starting tomorrow we were sitting on the potty and wearing big boy diapers.  I asked him if he wanted to practice tonight, so when we were getting his pyjamas on I asked him if he wanted to sit on the potty and he said "yes" (cue excited music).  So I watched him pull his pants down and I helped him sit on the potty.  I went to get him a book to read, and by the time I got back he had gone pee!  Yay!

Of course I made a big deal out of it, and I called out to Mike to come upstairs and rejoice in the potty moment.  I was so excited I said "Yay Team" and Ethan thought that was the best so he was saying it the rest of the night.

So here's hoping that this streak continues through until tomorrow.

Are Ethan's naps gone?

Ethan decided today that he didn't need to nap.  He did pretty well, playing and being relatively quiet.  I was wondering if this meant the end of naps altogether.

At 3:58 pm I thought Ethan was a little quiet so I checked up on him.  This is what I found:

I guess I don't have to worry about him phasing out the nap yet.

Independence

My little baby is growing up.  At 2.5 he is sitting on the couch, relaxing with a book and drinking his milk.   When I ask him to please start getting ready so I can take him to daycare he says "I stay here.  You go by self Mummy" and waves me away.

The "Silent Killer"

I went to the doctor yesterday and we talked about my sinus problems - I will use a spray that will hopefully shrink my polyps and we will see how it is after a month or so.

The big news is that I have high blood pressure.  My top number was normal, but my bottom number was in the severe zone.  The doctor kept telling me it is a number usually seen only in the ER.  So, needless to say I am on a water pill to see if it helps lower my blood pressure.  And no more procrastinating on the exercise, it is one of the best ways to lower blood pressure.  I am supposed to lower my sodium as well.  I don't add salt when I cook, but I am guilty of using canned soup.  I'll have to change that.

 I have to get blood tests and an EKG on Friday morning at the hospital on Friday.  I will go back to the doctor in 2 weeks and see how my blood pressure is, if it is getting lower or if I need new medication.  I have a blood pressure monitor at home to track my BP.

Nothing like a good scare to get someone doing the right thing....

I Am Not a Superhero

I am going to the doctor today.  I have been sick and tired for so long, every time I try to exercise and get in shape the natural way, my fatigue (or sickness) gets in the way.  I am starting to feel depressed about it, and that is a big alarm for me. Time for me to take control of my health.

My sinusitis has been out of control lately, I pretty much have a sinus headache 6 days out of 7.  I am pretty sure it is time for me have nasal polyps (growths) removed from my sinuses again, I have the symptoms I had before. I called the specialist who did it before, but because it has been more than 3 years I have to go through the referral process again.

Also, I am pretty sure I have high blood pressure.  I had hoped to control it by dropping weight and exercising, but my sinus problems pretty much make it impossible for me to do anything consistently.

I hope I can get these two problems addressed today, and maybe I will actually start feeling better soon.

Wish me luck, I am hoping these are the only problems I have....

On My Birthday...

I am 36 today.  I am not freaked out about my age, I accept it.  The only thing that has been upsetting me is the fact that I haven't managed to get in shape yet.  I had a great month in September, I was back at walking regularly and going on my elliptical trainer a lot as well.

I received an email from Sparkpeople.com today and I think it pretty much states how I would like to spend my next year of life - not just in regards to getting in shape.  Maybe by my next birthday I will have one less regret and even more joys and accomplishments to share.

The Obsession

It all started innocently enough.  On Tuesday I found a pair of footed Cookie Monster pyjamas on clearance at Sears.  I figured that since Ethan only has a few long sleeved pyjamas that he fit into at the moment, these would help bridge the gap between now and Christmas when he will get a lot more pj's.

I brought them home and got the usual toddler reception to clothes, he ignored me (and the pj's) completely.  that night though, he wanted to wear them.  So we put them on him.  He went to bed and slept.  When he woke up, Mike went to change him and put his daytime clothes on, he kicked up a fuss.  Mike didn't want to fight so he let Ethan wear them through breakfast and I changed him before I took him to daycare.

That night, he wanted to wear the pj's again.  Repeat the story from above, except that I had to promise him we would wear Cookie Monster when he went to bed that night.  Friday he wore his pj's all day (we had the day off for Remembrance Day), and we managed to take them off for 2 hours while they were thrown in the washing machine and cleaned.  It is now Sunday and he is still on the Cookie Monster kick.  We gave him an early bath and got him out of them today, but we had to pack them in his diaper bag so he could wear them after dinner tonight - we are going to his Grandma and Grandpa's for dinner.

Changes

If anyone has read my blog (or knows me IRL), you will know that I have been looking desperately  for a job since I went on Maternity leave with Ethan.  Ethan is almost 2.5 and I am still commuting. 

All that is about to change.  I had a job interview last week, and I was offered the job on Monday.  I tried not to act too excited as I accepted the job over the phone.  I start on October 31.

I will be working in the Loan Compliance Department of the local Credit Union (read: bank).  It is a Monday to Friday job.  It is about a 3 minute drive from home, and a 1 minute drive from Ethan's daycare.  I am pretty excited about not having to drive 1 hour each way to work every day.  The pay is about $3,000 less per year, but since I am paying roughly $4,500 per year in gas I will still be bringing home more money.

I need to wear business suits once I start, and that is the part that is freaking me out the most.  My jobs have all been either business casual or casual, so I definitely do not have the wardrobe for the job yet.  The credit union will reimburse me up to 50% for some of the clothing so I am happy about that.  Now I need to lose weight so I can have more options in my wardrobe :)

I am actually a little sad about leaving my job.  I liked the people I worked with.  The job itself wasn't exactly rocket science, I am pretty sure I won't miss that, but will definitely miss the camaraderie I found there.  Since I will be in a "satellite" location away from the main branch, I am not sure how many people I will be working with.  It might be easier to lose weight without so many people bringing in treats every day...

I am hoping this will be a positive change for my family, the long hours were really starting to get to all of us.  Mike still needs to commute, but at least with me closer I can get more stuff done and take a little of the burden off him.  I am looking forward to seeing how much we are affected by this positive change.

First Dentist Trip

Yesterday we took Ethan to his first Dentist appointment.  It is free for children under 3, so I figured I would take him in when I got my teeth cleaned and get it over with.  I was in the chair getting my teeth cleaned when Ethan got his teeth checked, but I heard everything :)  And, because I wasn't in there, Mike didn't take any pictures, even though I gave him the camera... (I really wanted a picture, even if he was crying, but Mike doesn't like taking pictures if the subject is not sitting like a statue and smiling angelically).

Ethan was pretty good about sitting in the dentist chair, but got a little scared when they moved the chair back.  He cried a little when the dentist checked his teeth out, but it wasn't a full-on scream so we were lucky.  The dentist said his teeth look good.  He has 16 out of 20 teeth, so he will be teething again pretty soon she said (the hands in his mouth and extra drooling are already happening).

The dentist gave him a bag full of goodies that he helped pick out.  He got a new toothbrush, a car a top (the spinning variety) and a latex glove.  He played with the glove (under supervision) all day yesterday.  I don't think he even noticed the other toys.

So while Ethan did well, I have my second cavity (ever) and need to get it filled.  So I am going in a week to get that done.  Is it weird that the only two cavities I have ever had are on the top front teeth?

Autumn is Here and things are Great...Sort of

It is October 2 and the days are still (mostly) warm and gorgeous, if a little windy.  We had frost 2 nights so far, but nothing more than that.  I will not complain, because there have been some Septembers that have been downright nasty as far as the weather was concerned.  If this weather can stay with us until mid or late November, I will be happy.

Ethan has been growing/learning by leaps and bounds.  he can now say 4-6 word sentences and expresses his desire for independence a lot.  It is nice to see, but is frustrating for me at times.  It is also sad to see my little boy growing up :(

                                       Ethan - putting his animals to sleep on the second to bottom stair




I still have another post to do about our summer and that one will be picture heavy, but I just wanted to write down a few thoughts I have had between the big posts.

I am still struggling as a working Mom who commutes 2 hours (round trip) to work.  I have been trying very hard to get a job closer to home, and I have had several interviews, but have still not had any luck getting further than an interview.  Both the time spent away from home AND the money I spend on gas has been taking a toll on me and my family.  I am trying to maintain my energy level, lose weight, exercise, and still be "there" all the time for Ethan and Mike.  But some days are harder than others.  I would love to write/maintain my blog more frequently, but it doesn't seem like things are going to be less hectic any time soon (unless I win the lottery or instantly get a new job in my town with awesome pay).

So in the meantime, I will try every day to do the best I can, and know that is all I can do.  Hopefully I will have more time in the winter months to update the blog and get Ethan's life down on permanent record.   I also want to get back into my groove of reading all my favourite Mom Blogs and having the time to comment on them.

I also hope that this blog gets read by more than my brother (even though I love you Chris and am happy you can share in Ethan's and our lives through here since you are so far away).

Fun times - Part 1

It's been a while since I have posted.  Between being busy and exhausted I haven't managed to get on here.  I guess those are the perils of being a mom to a toddler :)

But with such a cutie pie for a kid, I just HAVE to spend my spare moments with him.

We recently went to camping again, went to the zoo again, and to the beach again (while camping).  The good news is that the more often a 2 year old does something, the less freaked out by it he is.

Camping at Bird's Hill Park (just north of Winnipeg) was actually pretty fun this time.  Ethan only fell out of bed once, and he wasn't too scared to fall asleep.  The only drawback was that it was so freaking hot during the day (around 30/31C) and we don't have a/c in our old little trailer. We also forgot Ethan's stroller and his wagon, so we had to walk to the beach without any wheels, and Ethan had never done that, so he just stood there and we had to carry him.  Not fun in hot weather.

                                                 
                                                   See the smiles!

                                                 
                                                      Being busy at the beach!

We were so exhausted by Sunday morning though, and with the heat still going strong, we started packing up at 10.  The only sad bit was that one of my friends and her 2 boys were going to come and visit us, but we were already almost packed up, I told her we were too tired.  So we missed out on that, I was bummed, but also so tired I didn't think we would have been up for much walking or visiting.

That was the weekend before the Labour Day weekend.  We didn't have too much planned on the Labour Day weekend, I mostly wanted to catch up on housework and I WAS hoping to catch up on some blogging, but that didn't happen.  Ethan was pretty busy, and he is growing so much and changing so much, I was enjoying it.

I will post the rest of my story in a second part, this is probably long enough for now.

Wordless Wednesday