New Baby Species

As new parents, we have discovered many new species of baby. Here are a few, including some that were thought to be extinct:

• Grumpodon - This species is most often seen mid-day, around nap time, and in the evening, around bed time. It's often very fussy and sometimes inconsolable. It doesn't like just about everything.
  
• Splashosaurus - This aquatic species is usually only found in bathtubs. It has been spotted occasionally in inflatable plastic swimming pools, and we suspect it may be found there more often as the weather heats up.
  
• Squirmodon - This species shows up when least desirable, like when changing diapers on a changing table. It also appears during nap time, sometimes with Grumpodon.
  
• Insomosaurus - This species loves to stay awake, past nap times and bed times. It often does not want to go to sleep at all. Grumpodon is often around the corner from Insomnosaurus.
  

We do not yet have photos of these elusive creatures, but once the opportunity presents itself, we'll be sure to post photos to help others identify these species.

Great Eight

Luca is eight months today. This past month we've seen all sorts of new things. Luca can now pull himself up to sitting, can get out of his bumbo seat on his own, and has developed an unreasonable fear of vacuums. He is an expert roller and is working really hard on his crawling. It's still this kinda funny stomach wiggling/frog leg kicking motion, although he's getting pretty fast. I have to race across the living room to keep him out of the power cords around the TV and computer, which are his favorite new toys. I guess some babyproofing is in order.

Luca is sleeping quite well (most of the time), which is likely because we are now putting him to sleep on his stomach. Our pediatrician suggested we try this as soon as he could roll both ways (reducing the likelihood of SIDS), and he seems much more comfortable. We have even had nights of six to eight hours of solid sleep! Amazing!

When we had the 80 degree day last week I let Luca play out on our porch, even got out his baby pool. Luca likes pools.

Happy Anniversary from Carla

Today Carla posted a letter to us, wishing us a happy anniversary:

Happy Anniversary to the greatest couple I know!!!

Chris and Kyra:

You have been thrown some real curve balls in your first year of marriage, but from where I'm sitting I've seen you handle them with grace, patience and love.

I am so blessed to have you in my life. A year ago today I witnessed a beautiful marriage between two deeply in love people. I felt blessed then to be able to attend your wedding and I feel blessed today to call you my closest friends.

I remember our trip to the zoo on Memorial Day very fondly. Both of you were talking about your hopes and dreams for your unborn kiddo. I'm so lucky to have spent so much time with you before and after Luca's birth. I've been able to see how much you loved him before he was born and now how much more you love him today. You are fabulous parents and Luca is lucky to have you!

To me, you are family. Thank you for all your unconditional support and love!

Happy Anniversary!

Love,
Carla

Thank you Carla!

Happy Anniversary

Ok, so I was going to wait to give Chris his gift till our actual anniversary. But I just can't wait. Yesterday we made yet another trip to the ER. I had some sort of stomach bug, and got so dehydrated that my blood pressure dropped to 80/30 and I needed three liters of fluid. On the way to the ER Chris joked "Well, do you think we could take on any more challenges in our first year of marriage? Maybe solving world hunger, or curing cancer?"

It has been a year filled with challenges. But also a year filled with joy. And yesterday just reminded me how lucky I am to have the husband I do.

Here is your gift. I love you Chris, more than I could ever express. You are my Utopia.

(The video can also be viewed at this address and is best viewed with sound on.)

Balancing the Universe

My mom, my sister, and I have had a running joke since childhood. We call it "balancing the universe". It's the idea that if you were hell on wheels to raise, then your children will be similarly difficult, thus making you capable of empathizing with all the crap your parents put up with. For example, my Grandmother says mother would throw screaming fits and turn herself purple. Therefore, when my mom brought up my tantrums as a child, I could just smile and say "Hey, I was just balancing the universe."

Unfortunately, this really comes back to bite you in the ass when you become a parent.

Luca has just recently become mobile. He started with log rolling himself around the floor, but yesterday he took what could be considered his first "crawling steps," although they were still semi-squirming, semi-flinging himself across the floor. With his new found mobility he has shunned the majority of his toys in favor of cords. He will scoot himself over to the TV or computer and attempt to chew on the power cables, or pull them out of whatever they are attached to, regardless of whether or not the cables are indeed detachable. And when I remove him to his play area with his non-electrical chew toys, he throws what can only be described as the beginnings of a temper tantrum. He rolls himself over on his back, pounds his legs and arms, and starts to cry. Now, I was pretty much the tantrum queen growing up, but I think this kiddo might just outdo me.

And all I can think of is the day he is old enough to say "It's not my fault, I'm just balancing the universe."

You can stop laughing now, Mom.

Mother’s Day Gift

In this month's issue of Parenting Magazine, they asked children what they would get mom for mother's day. This has to be the best answer ever, from Jenna, age 3:

"A dolly. Because Mommy has no friend to sleep with except Daddy!"

Gotta love it.

Beauty Constancy

Yesterday I asked Chris a typical wifely question: "Do you think I'm pretty?"

To which he gave the required husbandly answer: "Of course. Why?"

"I don't know, its just I've been feeling kinda frumpy lately."
"Frumpy?"
"Yeah. I don't really dress up that much, I wear yoga pants and baggy t-shirts around the house. I just want to make sure you still think I'm pretty."
"Have you ever heard of color constancy?"
"No."
"Well take the button on this remote, for example. Its red. However, at night there might not be enough light for you to perceive its color. But your brain knows its red, so it will look red to you no matter what."
"Ok..."
"Well for me, you have beauty constancy"

I love my husband.

A Long Week

As you may know, Kyra went in to the hospital again last weekend. About a month prior, she had what appeared to be an infection around her left eye, and after a weekend in the hospital on intravenous antibiotics, it cleared up. This time, it was all over her face, red, itchy, swelled, and painful. So we thought whatever she had before came back. However, it seems to me like it is actually something different, like an allergic reaction or something else no doctor could figure out, especially with the addition of pain and itching.

The odd part of the story is that no specialist saw her last time or in between. I had to chew out the emergency room doctor to get him to ask the specialist to see her. Over the weekend, three specialists saw her, and the hospitalist actually gave a damn. This happened in part due to my complaints, and I think Kyra caught on and complained about it too. It's sad that patients need to complain to their health care provider to get the right care. Too bad I don't know anyone who works for an insurance company... Oh wait, I do.

At any rate, Kyra now has two appointments, one with an allergist and another with an internist. She'll get a scratch test, and maybe get cultured to see if she has colonized any antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Hopefully, one of these tests/examinations will reveal what happened.

The rest of this week we were trying to recover while I studied for an insurance exam for an introduction to insurance course. The course was offered by AHIP, America's Health Insurance Plans, a coalition of health insurance companies. I studied for a couple of hours every night this week, staying up late to do so. It was a bit draining. I had already read all of the material, but it's hard to remember all of that information, so I was reviewing it and going through the study guide. I took the test yesterday and passed, although I'm not sure what my score was - the software wasn't very clear where to find it. I'm glad it's done. Luca is just too small right now for me to be working and taking any amount of classes.

We were planning on going to Whitewater, WI, today to visit the alma mater and some friends from a music fraternity I was in during college, Delta Omicron. The group focusses on promoting music, including supporting music students through scholarships and performing music at an annual concert. It's not the usual fraternity as it's more academic than social. They were having an annual alumni reunion, but we were so tired we slept in until 9:00 am, which is when we needed to leave to get there on time. I was looking forward to it, but I was really just too tired.

We have our anniversary dance coming up, too, on May 23rd at 6:00 pm. We'll be having some snacks and lots of ballroom dances. If you'd like to attend, let one of us know or look for our event on Facebook.

The Color of a Nukie

Kyra: Really? You're giving our son a pink nukie?

Chris: It came in the pack, with the green and purple ones. And it's not pink, its light red!

Kyra: I leave for two days and you're girling up our son.

Chris: Sexist!

My Favorite Thing in the World

Holding my son in my arms, kissing his downy little head and rocking him to sleep. You just don't realize how precious some things are until you can't do them.

My Boys

As I sit here in my hospital room (again) you are who I think about. Please know that I love you, you are my world, my everything. I am fighting not only for my health, but for you, so that soon you will have your wife and mother back, and back for good. I feel so lucky to have you two in my life, a strong healthy boy and a wonderful husband. I can never say thank you enough for all you do my love.

I miss you both, love you both. Mommy will be home soon.