2.14.2013

random update

Before I forget all the random things going on in our lives, I should document them...or at least document a shortened version for a potential future blog post to come at some point in time that I won't guarantee :)

I truly, truly meant it when I said this is going to be random.

1) Connor had his Kindergarten screening in early December. He did great, although failed his rhyming section...

  • staff: what sounds like dog?
  • C: cat
  • staff: what sounds like bake?
  • C: bacon (okay, some credit here, right?)
later when looking at a picture full of random things and looking for cause and effect type responses...

  • staff: see that fly on the wall? What do you do to a fly on the wall?
  • C: swat it (not sure if that's what they were going for, but acceptable :))
  • staff: what should you do if you're thirsty (knowing there is a glass of water in the picture that the child should point out that they could drink the water)
  • C: my dad has to move a loader
um...what?

So, I ask Connor about it in the car on the way home.

  • Me: Connor, the teacher asked you what you do when you're thirsty and you told her that dad had to move a loader? 
  • C: What? No, mom. She said THURSDAY, not thirsty, THURSDAY, so I told her that dad had to move a loader.
Even though he was beyond wrong to the original question...I find this perfect :) ha. And he was super upset that he got it wrong because he thought she said Thursday and he'd have answered differently if he knew she had said thirsty. Too cute :)

2) Bryan finally had his back surgery on January 23rd. He's been recovering incredibly well, but stil has three weeks left of no 'BLT' (bending, lifting, twisting). Needless to say...I can't imagine that he'd be putting my socks on everyday if the situations were reversed... And Grayson I'm sure can't wait for the day that Bryan can pick him up again! But, the surgery essentially provided immediate relief for Bryan, which was just fantastic. It was horrible, the morning before the surgery he was down on his hands and knees in pain. (ruptured disc was pushing onto his nerves, causing severe pain in his leg) He's also really looking forward to being able to golf again!

3) Because of #2 (or that's what I'm using as my excuse), the house has been in a disaster zone and I hate it. Hoping to work on getting it all cleaned up this weekend and back to its normal, semi-clean state. 

4) Christy Bode Photography has still kept me busy in my spare time! I think I thought that it would be pretty slow in the winter, but not sure what I was thinking, as babies are still born and kids still have milestone birthdays :) Still loving it tho! 

5) Bryan and Angie completely surprised me with a surprise 30th birthday the other weekend. Totally surprised and still so amazed at how many people were there!! So thankful for everyone that came, for Angie and Bryan for coordinating it (although the first 10 minutes were painful, ha) and yeah, it was such a fun night! Angie blogged about it here...

6) I didn't do so well on my 30 before 30 list...and may ask for an extension for a 31 before 31. Although I think it was a few of my goals that are to blame for not achieving the rest :) I'll update more about that at some point.

7) Somewhat relating to one of my goals, which was to lose 30 pounds by my birthday, and if I met that goal, to lose another 10. Two goals that fall into the 'unmet' category, but, since the first of January I'm down 18.8 pounds and it's feeling good. My friend Marni comes over every morning at 5, yes, 5, and we workout for 30 minutes before work. One does treadmill, one does a video. We have a love/hate relationship with Jillian Michaels, that's for sure. Also utilizing the My Fitness Pal app, highly recommend it! I'm just a pound or two from my wedding weight, not my ideal weight, but a weight I haven't seen since my wedding I don't think, so that's good!

8) Grayson is our spitfire. He is talking SO much more than Connor did at this age and truly just cracking us up with his personality and attitude. Love him to pieces. 

9) Speaking of g-man...we've been working with a GI specialist and right now waiting for results from a biopsy to see if he has Hirschsprungs, which as a reminder to all, is what Connor was born with. Initial exams from the doctors came back that they didn't think he had it, but the first biopsy showed he did, and we just went back this Tuesday for another biopsy to confirm. If it shows positive, he'll undergo the same surgery that Connor had at 4 days old to remove the part of the colon that is missing the appropriate nerve cells. Devastating, to say the least. We're coming to terms with it, and, it could be so much worst, but, it still sucks. I'm also trying to schedule an appointment with a genetics counselor to determine the likelihood of a third child to have it, before we make that decision. We also want to understand the likelihood of our boys passing this on to their future children. Selfishly guys, this is what devastates me the most. I was not done having kids (Bryan maybe thought he was.....), but I wasn't done. And I certainly didn't want this to be the reason we were done, I'd rather have that just been a joint decision Bryan and I made for different reasons, not this. But, enough on this. Breaks my heart and then at the same time I just feel so guilty for thinking about this because I should be focusing my attention on our sweet Grayson and what he's going through.

10) Speaking of Hirschsprungs, sort of, Connor is still not 100% potty trained and I'm starting to get nervous for Kindergarten. 

11) Holy shit, did I say Kindergarten? Am I old enough to have a kid in Kindergarten? 

12) Back to number 10. It's better, much better, he's actually speaking the words 'I have to poop' and going into the bathroom on his own, before having an accident. This.is.huge for us, but, he still has accidents, some weeks are worse than others. I will be continuing to discuss this with our GI specialist All his doctors and surgeons at Children's say it has nothing to do with his Hirschsprungs...just seems a little too coincidental to me, and now that we're at UofM instead of Children's (for Grayson), we're learning a little more that wasn't really said at Children's. Like, I was told that they're never really 'cured' of Hirschsprungs, they'll have it for life, will always have a hyperactive sphincter, etc. Sorry for all the chatter about poop, but, it's our life around here.

13) I'm somewhat, and not happy to admit it, addicted to Pretty Little Liars. But hey, whatever keeps me motivated on the treadmill right?!?!

14) Playing around with video a little (COMPLETELY amateur style) and having fun. Here are some links to a Valentine's Day video I did for work as well as a little video from my good friend Erin's baby shower.

15) SOOOO excited that I'm going to be an auntie again! Joe and Krystal are expecting their third in August. Can't wait!

16) Beyond ready for warmer weather. I don't know if it's the fact that I do photography now that I'm more than ever itching for it to be spring, or just to get back to putting my boys to bed in shorts and a t-short and waking up ready to go to school :) (the joys of having boys, right?!)

Well, I'm not going to pull my hair out trying to come up with a few more just to get to 20, you're all probably bored already :) But, that about sums up the last month or two!