Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
Frustrated
As you all know I was referred to an endocrinologist. Well, she's new, I mean like she's only been practicing 3 weeks new. The idea was that since she is new, she would be up to date with all the recent developments in medical research. Unfortunately our plan backfired. Since she is so new, she doesn't know what (if anything) is wrong with me (other than my thryoid which we already know about and are treating) and she is sending me out for lab test after lab test. I had 2 more blood draws just last week.
Well, despite all my results coming back normal, some of the results are on the "low side of normal" so she wants to do further testing (re-testing the same hormones but in a different way by injecting me with additional synthetic hormones to see how my body reacts with a series of blood draws, etc). "No!"........... is the answer I gave to her nurse when she called this morning. The endocrinologist promply called me back after she was informed of my refusal. I explained to her how I don't even wanna be taking thyroid meds while I am nursing, the last thing I wanna do is additional testing of the same hormones that are NORMAL, especially since I'm not even presenting symptoms of the extremely RARE disorder she is looking into. She said she respects my decision, but that she needed to notify me that if I were to, Heaven forbid, go into shock from taking the meds I'm currently taking with low (normal) levels of this particular hormone, I need to go immediately to the ER and inform them of my low levels. She said she wouldn't increase my meds since I'm refusing this test b/c I shouldn't even be taking these meds without all of this checked out first anyway. Uh hello, if that's the case, why didn't my PCP check this all out??!! She said she couldn't answer this........ I'm supposed to continue on my same dosage and see her again on 10/20. She's made my experience with her extremely unpleasant, has me worried about some extremely rare disorder (even though she herself said it was highly unlikely I have it--she just wants to "rule it out"), and has insulted the referring doc. So I've been in crying shambles all morning.......
I'm waiting to hear from my PCP and see what she wants me to do. Either I am referred to a more experienced endocrinologist if that's what she wants (she was initially concerened it would take too long for me to get in to one of them--Mark and his partner know both of them and can make a call and get me in ASAP--gotta love connections) or I am going to continue only seeing my PCP. I was referred to this endo for weight loss and thyroid issues..............now she's chasing a very obscure disorder--of which I present absolutely no signs or sxs except weight loss. I'm so frustrated and upset........ It's really no wonder my weight has continued to decline. This process is really scaring me...........
Well, despite all my results coming back normal, some of the results are on the "low side of normal" so she wants to do further testing (re-testing the same hormones but in a different way by injecting me with additional synthetic hormones to see how my body reacts with a series of blood draws, etc). "No!"........... is the answer I gave to her nurse when she called this morning. The endocrinologist promply called me back after she was informed of my refusal. I explained to her how I don't even wanna be taking thyroid meds while I am nursing, the last thing I wanna do is additional testing of the same hormones that are NORMAL, especially since I'm not even presenting symptoms of the extremely RARE disorder she is looking into. She said she respects my decision, but that she needed to notify me that if I were to, Heaven forbid, go into shock from taking the meds I'm currently taking with low (normal) levels of this particular hormone, I need to go immediately to the ER and inform them of my low levels. She said she wouldn't increase my meds since I'm refusing this test b/c I shouldn't even be taking these meds without all of this checked out first anyway. Uh hello, if that's the case, why didn't my PCP check this all out??!! She said she couldn't answer this........ I'm supposed to continue on my same dosage and see her again on 10/20. She's made my experience with her extremely unpleasant, has me worried about some extremely rare disorder (even though she herself said it was highly unlikely I have it--she just wants to "rule it out"), and has insulted the referring doc. So I've been in crying shambles all morning.......
I'm waiting to hear from my PCP and see what she wants me to do. Either I am referred to a more experienced endocrinologist if that's what she wants (she was initially concerened it would take too long for me to get in to one of them--Mark and his partner know both of them and can make a call and get me in ASAP--gotta love connections) or I am going to continue only seeing my PCP. I was referred to this endo for weight loss and thyroid issues..............now she's chasing a very obscure disorder--of which I present absolutely no signs or sxs except weight loss. I'm so frustrated and upset........ It's really no wonder my weight has continued to decline. This process is really scaring me...........
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
Harper's 1st tooth
Harper cut her 1st tooth today. She seems to be taking after her brother and is a champion teether. We didn't even know she was teething until Nana felt a tooth. It's her bottom left front tooth.
Harper's scooting everywhere
backward!! I remember sweet P going backward before he went forward. Pierce thinks it's pretty funny--he gets in the floor next to her and scoots around laughing. I'm not ready for my lil' lady to be mobile.....
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
NYC Vacation
Here are our pics. Remember to click on slideshow for the full picture and caption.
Saturday, September 13th: We had a bright and early flight into NYC. As you all know, we like a little adventure with our vacations, so the start of this vacation would not disappoint. Prior to our last vacation, we decided to purchase an additional umbrella stroller. If you are a parent, you know these little gems well. They collapse easily, are efficient, easy to maneuver, and will not break your bank if they are lost. Well, that's just what happened. Somehow, American Airlines managed to load one but not both strollers. Thank goodness, we brought along our Bjorn carrier. While Mark and Harper collected all of our checked luggage, Pierce and I went and filed a claim with the baggage office. Next we caught a cab, a nice new spacious SUV cab. Mark and the cabbie were loading our luggage, while I installed both carseats. No sooner was I finished getting a tight installation on both seats, Mark realized one of the bags we had was the wrong bag. Doh!! Mark talked the driver into waiting while he ran back into the airport to get the correct bag (note to self: put bright colored marker of some sort on inconspicuous black bag). However, the cabbie started getting antsy so I told him we'd catch another car. I chuckled to myself when he pulled out with another passenger only moments before we did in a new cab. So there we were, off to Manhattan for Pierce's 3rd trip into the City and Harper's 1st. After checking into our hotel--which was a very large suite--we ordered take out from our favorite pizza parlor right next door. Our pizza had cheese (of course), roasted red and green peppers, and fresh basil. It was accompanied by a Sicilian salad with greens, mozzarella, black olives, capers, tomatoes, roasted peppers, carrots, artichokes and delicious homemade Italian dressing. It was fabulous. Next we caught a train to Madison Square Park to meet up with two families from my online message board. This is the 3rd time we've met Heather and her family from Philly (she has 2 boys--one who is a week younger than Pierce). We also got to meet Linda and her family from New Jersey for the 1st time this trip (she has 3 boys--one who is 5 days older than Pierce). Pierce had a fun time playing with the other boys at the park. It was a nice lil' enclosed park near the Flatiron building. It was extremely hot and muggy this day. We try to go out of our way to vacation places where it will be cooler than Texas, but alas, it didn't happen this time. Before leaving from our lil' tri-state playdate, we listened to some musicians. Pierce got to show off some of his air guitar playing (a skill he's been fine tuning on his real guitar--a birthday gift from Papaw Mark). For dinner we picked up some take out from a Greek restaurant that we've frequented before. We started with dolmades which are grape leaves stuffed with rice, tomatoes, sweet peppers, and pine nuts served with a yogurt sauce. Mark and I both opted for the same entree--lamb shanks baked in a clay pot with orzo, tomatoes, and kefalotryi cheese. In my opinion, this was the meal of the trip. For dessert we had almond cake.
Sunday, September 14th: We started with a breakfast of oatmeal made with milk and topped with brown sugar and multi-grain pancakes. I called the airline again because after being reassured repeatedly that our stroller would be on the next flight to LGA and delivered to our hotel suite, it still hadn't arrived. After some time on hold and some time searching, American Airlines informs me (in a round about way) that our stroller is lost. They decide to give us a $75 travel voucher for our inconvenience and reimburse us the cost of a new stroller. Not a bad deal considering Mark and Pierce were able to pick up a new umbrella stroller at the Times Square Toys R Us for $20 during Harper's morning nap. Mark asked what color I'd like him to look for before he and Pierce headed out. I told him to look for something neutral........if they have khaki get that so it'll match our current stroller. Otherwise get grey (the color of the lost stroller). I then went on to tell him it didn't really matter much, just don't get something too loud i.e fluorescent orange. I'll be darned if he didn't waltz back into our hotel room pushing P in a fluorescent orange stroller. Apparently color choices were limited. Next we headed to lunch at our all time favorite restaurant in the West Village. They serve the best Middle Eastern fare with the freshest pillowy pita bread. Their speciality is an ouzi which is chicken, carrots, sweet peas, onions, golden raisins, almonds, basmati rice, and secret spices all enclosed in phyllo dough. It's fabulous and not to be missed. According to Mark, this was the meal of the trip (a very close 2nd in my opinion). After afternoon naps, we went to an obscure lil' park within Central Park in the Upper Westside (Diana Ross Playground) and picked up some dinner. We had Peruvian rotisserie chicken, plantains, and verde rice (rice with cilantro, peas, and carrots). For dessert we had a scrumptious chocolate mousse cake and a yogurt lemon bar.
Monday, September 15th: We ate breakfast at our hotel--nothing fancy just breads, cereals, coffee, juice,etc. While Harper napped, Mark and Pierce went shopping for some Yankees game gear. Then we all went to FAO Schwarz to pick up our traditional souvenirs for the kids--teddy bears. You all may recall from past visits that teddy bears from FAO were the very 1st baby items we purchased both Pierce and Harper during our pregnancies. It's tradition now to get a bear every visit. Pierce now has 4 and Harper has 2. After picking out the perfect teddy bears, we went to a local Indian restaurant for their lunch buffet. Highlights of this meal were lamb curry and pumpkin bhaji (small pieces of red pumpkin with aromatic spices). Next we went back to the hotel for afternoon naps before our big evening plans. Once well rested, we went to a baseball game at Yankees Stadium (Yankees last homestand ever in the house that Babe built) against the White Sox. Mark has been looking forward to taking Pierce to this game for many months. Imagine our disappointment to find that, despite showing up at 5 pm when the gates opened, they had already closed Monument Park for the day due to the volume of people. We'd have to admire the park from afar and our farewell to the baseball greats from our trip in May '07 will have to do. Pierce had a great time cheering for each new batter, especially Jeter who on the previous night tied Gehrig's record of most hits ever in Yankee stadium (he broke this record the following night). I can't explain how many flash bulbs were going off all over the stadium when it was his turn in the batting rotation. We went with the intentions of not staying long, and were not disappointed when we decided to leave after only 1 inning (hey, that's one more half inning than we stayed during the game we went to last season against the Bo Sox). The kids did great (we didn't leave b/c they were acting up or anything), more just to keep with routine (those with kids will understand). We had seen what we came for and headed out. Once the gate security guards reminded us that we wouldn't be able to re-enter after exiting, we stepped out of the historical park. The security guard reminded Mark, "Aren't you gonna say goodbye". Blowing the stadium a kiss, we turned and walked away. The guard questioned Mark's allegiance to the Yankees by saying, "What kind of fan are you, I have to remind you to say goodbye?!". Perhaps he didn't notice our son was wearing a Texas Rangers ball cap. We ate dinner at the stadium of course--hot dogs for Mark and I and chicken strips and french fries for Pierce. What baseball game wouldn't be complete without a helmet sundae for dessert??
Tuesday, September 16th: We had a quick breakfast at our hotel room and a laid back morning. While Harper napped, Pierce and Mark went to Henschler Playground in Central Park. Once Harper was well rested, we headed to Bryant Park for lunch. We ate a lunch of turkey and chicken paninis with chilled cucumber soup and marinated chickpeas. Next it was afternoon nap time. Once both babies woke up, we headed to Central Park to visit our beloved Gapstow Bridge where Mark and I were engaged 5 1/2 years ago. It's tradition to take a picture on our bridge and we were thrilled to include Harper in her 1st picture on Gapstow. Next we did a lil' window shopping on 5th Avenue We ordered delivery from a Moroccan restaurant for dinner. We had a chickpea soup for starters. The entree was meat (chicken for Mark and Pierce, lamb for me), seven veggies (carrot, sweet potato, cabbage, chickpeas, zucchini, squash, onion) and the best couscous I've ever had. For dessert , I opted for a slice of Rocky Road Macadamia Nut Cheesecake. It was a slice of cheesecake that probably weighed a pound, but Pierce and I savored every last bite. Mark went back for more chocolate mousse cake instead.
Wednesday, September 17th: We didn't do much this day b/c we were busy getting ready for our afternoon flight. Breakfast was continental style in our hotel. Pierce and Mark went to Columbus Circle and back to Henscler Playground again while Harper napped. After Harper's morning nap, we squeezed in a quick visit to the Central Park Zoo. It's a small zoo, rather quaint but there are a few exciting animals. We saw polar bears, red pandas, penguins, monkeys, and seals. Once checking out of the hotel, we caught a cab back to LGA for our flight home. In our usual exciting vacation fashion, we had to sit on the runway for about 45 minutes in LGA before taking off due to heavy traffic. Our babies did wonderfully though and handled the delays with grace.
We had yet another fabulous family vacation. We had an awesome time but it's good to have some peace and quiet at home too.. Is it me, or does someone always seem to get sick on our vacations? This time it was Mark. These next few days will prove whether or not the rest of us are affected. Pierce had a really fun time seeing all of the exciting sites of the city. He's proving every day how much he's growing into a lil' boy, favoring to walk most places instead of riding in the stroller. Harper had multi-grain cereal for the 1st time this trip. She also had her very first taste of fruits (we introduce all the veggies first)--she had pears and bananas. She learned to clap while we were on vacation too. Both kids delighted New Yorkers and tourists alike in our hotel, on the trains, and at area attractions. Even the most disgruntled commuter was hard pressed not to flash our cuties a smile.
Saturday, September 13th: We had a bright and early flight into NYC. As you all know, we like a little adventure with our vacations, so the start of this vacation would not disappoint. Prior to our last vacation, we decided to purchase an additional umbrella stroller. If you are a parent, you know these little gems well. They collapse easily, are efficient, easy to maneuver, and will not break your bank if they are lost. Well, that's just what happened. Somehow, American Airlines managed to load one but not both strollers. Thank goodness, we brought along our Bjorn carrier. While Mark and Harper collected all of our checked luggage, Pierce and I went and filed a claim with the baggage office. Next we caught a cab, a nice new spacious SUV cab. Mark and the cabbie were loading our luggage, while I installed both carseats. No sooner was I finished getting a tight installation on both seats, Mark realized one of the bags we had was the wrong bag. Doh!! Mark talked the driver into waiting while he ran back into the airport to get the correct bag (note to self: put bright colored marker of some sort on inconspicuous black bag). However, the cabbie started getting antsy so I told him we'd catch another car. I chuckled to myself when he pulled out with another passenger only moments before we did in a new cab. So there we were, off to Manhattan for Pierce's 3rd trip into the City and Harper's 1st. After checking into our hotel--which was a very large suite--we ordered take out from our favorite pizza parlor right next door. Our pizza had cheese (of course), roasted red and green peppers, and fresh basil. It was accompanied by a Sicilian salad with greens, mozzarella, black olives, capers, tomatoes, roasted peppers, carrots, artichokes and delicious homemade Italian dressing. It was fabulous. Next we caught a train to Madison Square Park to meet up with two families from my online message board. This is the 3rd time we've met Heather and her family from Philly (she has 2 boys--one who is a week younger than Pierce). We also got to meet Linda and her family from New Jersey for the 1st time this trip (she has 3 boys--one who is 5 days older than Pierce). Pierce had a fun time playing with the other boys at the park. It was a nice lil' enclosed park near the Flatiron building. It was extremely hot and muggy this day. We try to go out of our way to vacation places where it will be cooler than Texas, but alas, it didn't happen this time. Before leaving from our lil' tri-state playdate, we listened to some musicians. Pierce got to show off some of his air guitar playing (a skill he's been fine tuning on his real guitar--a birthday gift from Papaw Mark). For dinner we picked up some take out from a Greek restaurant that we've frequented before. We started with dolmades which are grape leaves stuffed with rice, tomatoes, sweet peppers, and pine nuts served with a yogurt sauce. Mark and I both opted for the same entree--lamb shanks baked in a clay pot with orzo, tomatoes, and kefalotryi cheese. In my opinion, this was the meal of the trip. For dessert we had almond cake.
Sunday, September 14th: We started with a breakfast of oatmeal made with milk and topped with brown sugar and multi-grain pancakes. I called the airline again because after being reassured repeatedly that our stroller would be on the next flight to LGA and delivered to our hotel suite, it still hadn't arrived. After some time on hold and some time searching, American Airlines informs me (in a round about way) that our stroller is lost. They decide to give us a $75 travel voucher for our inconvenience and reimburse us the cost of a new stroller. Not a bad deal considering Mark and Pierce were able to pick up a new umbrella stroller at the Times Square Toys R Us for $20 during Harper's morning nap. Mark asked what color I'd like him to look for before he and Pierce headed out. I told him to look for something neutral........if they have khaki get that so it'll match our current stroller. Otherwise get grey (the color of the lost stroller). I then went on to tell him it didn't really matter much, just don't get something too loud i.e fluorescent orange. I'll be darned if he didn't waltz back into our hotel room pushing P in a fluorescent orange stroller. Apparently color choices were limited. Next we headed to lunch at our all time favorite restaurant in the West Village. They serve the best Middle Eastern fare with the freshest pillowy pita bread. Their speciality is an ouzi which is chicken, carrots, sweet peas, onions, golden raisins, almonds, basmati rice, and secret spices all enclosed in phyllo dough. It's fabulous and not to be missed. According to Mark, this was the meal of the trip (a very close 2nd in my opinion). After afternoon naps, we went to an obscure lil' park within Central Park in the Upper Westside (Diana Ross Playground) and picked up some dinner. We had Peruvian rotisserie chicken, plantains, and verde rice (rice with cilantro, peas, and carrots). For dessert we had a scrumptious chocolate mousse cake and a yogurt lemon bar.
Monday, September 15th: We ate breakfast at our hotel--nothing fancy just breads, cereals, coffee, juice,etc. While Harper napped, Mark and Pierce went shopping for some Yankees game gear. Then we all went to FAO Schwarz to pick up our traditional souvenirs for the kids--teddy bears. You all may recall from past visits that teddy bears from FAO were the very 1st baby items we purchased both Pierce and Harper during our pregnancies. It's tradition now to get a bear every visit. Pierce now has 4 and Harper has 2. After picking out the perfect teddy bears, we went to a local Indian restaurant for their lunch buffet. Highlights of this meal were lamb curry and pumpkin bhaji (small pieces of red pumpkin with aromatic spices). Next we went back to the hotel for afternoon naps before our big evening plans. Once well rested, we went to a baseball game at Yankees Stadium (Yankees last homestand ever in the house that Babe built) against the White Sox. Mark has been looking forward to taking Pierce to this game for many months. Imagine our disappointment to find that, despite showing up at 5 pm when the gates opened, they had already closed Monument Park for the day due to the volume of people. We'd have to admire the park from afar and our farewell to the baseball greats from our trip in May '07 will have to do. Pierce had a great time cheering for each new batter, especially Jeter who on the previous night tied Gehrig's record of most hits ever in Yankee stadium (he broke this record the following night). I can't explain how many flash bulbs were going off all over the stadium when it was his turn in the batting rotation. We went with the intentions of not staying long, and were not disappointed when we decided to leave after only 1 inning (hey, that's one more half inning than we stayed during the game we went to last season against the Bo Sox). The kids did great (we didn't leave b/c they were acting up or anything), more just to keep with routine (those with kids will understand). We had seen what we came for and headed out. Once the gate security guards reminded us that we wouldn't be able to re-enter after exiting, we stepped out of the historical park. The security guard reminded Mark, "Aren't you gonna say goodbye". Blowing the stadium a kiss, we turned and walked away. The guard questioned Mark's allegiance to the Yankees by saying, "What kind of fan are you, I have to remind you to say goodbye?!". Perhaps he didn't notice our son was wearing a Texas Rangers ball cap. We ate dinner at the stadium of course--hot dogs for Mark and I and chicken strips and french fries for Pierce. What baseball game wouldn't be complete without a helmet sundae for dessert??
Tuesday, September 16th: We had a quick breakfast at our hotel room and a laid back morning. While Harper napped, Pierce and Mark went to Henschler Playground in Central Park. Once Harper was well rested, we headed to Bryant Park for lunch. We ate a lunch of turkey and chicken paninis with chilled cucumber soup and marinated chickpeas. Next it was afternoon nap time. Once both babies woke up, we headed to Central Park to visit our beloved Gapstow Bridge where Mark and I were engaged 5 1/2 years ago. It's tradition to take a picture on our bridge and we were thrilled to include Harper in her 1st picture on Gapstow. Next we did a lil' window shopping on 5th Avenue We ordered delivery from a Moroccan restaurant for dinner. We had a chickpea soup for starters. The entree was meat (chicken for Mark and Pierce, lamb for me), seven veggies (carrot, sweet potato, cabbage, chickpeas, zucchini, squash, onion) and the best couscous I've ever had. For dessert , I opted for a slice of Rocky Road Macadamia Nut Cheesecake. It was a slice of cheesecake that probably weighed a pound, but Pierce and I savored every last bite. Mark went back for more chocolate mousse cake instead.
Wednesday, September 17th: We didn't do much this day b/c we were busy getting ready for our afternoon flight. Breakfast was continental style in our hotel. Pierce and Mark went to Columbus Circle and back to Henscler Playground again while Harper napped. After Harper's morning nap, we squeezed in a quick visit to the Central Park Zoo. It's a small zoo, rather quaint but there are a few exciting animals. We saw polar bears, red pandas, penguins, monkeys, and seals. Once checking out of the hotel, we caught a cab back to LGA for our flight home. In our usual exciting vacation fashion, we had to sit on the runway for about 45 minutes in LGA before taking off due to heavy traffic. Our babies did wonderfully though and handled the delays with grace.
We had yet another fabulous family vacation. We had an awesome time but it's good to have some peace and quiet at home too.. Is it me, or does someone always seem to get sick on our vacations? This time it was Mark. These next few days will prove whether or not the rest of us are affected. Pierce had a really fun time seeing all of the exciting sites of the city. He's proving every day how much he's growing into a lil' boy, favoring to walk most places instead of riding in the stroller. Harper had multi-grain cereal for the 1st time this trip. She also had her very first taste of fruits (we introduce all the veggies first)--she had pears and bananas. She learned to clap while we were on vacation too. Both kids delighted New Yorkers and tourists alike in our hotel, on the trains, and at area attractions. Even the most disgruntled commuter was hard pressed not to flash our cuties a smile.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Sippy
We introduced a sippy cup to Harper for the 1st time. She knew exactly what to do with it. She didn't drink much out of it, but definitely knows what it's for and had fun exploring it.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Pierce (27 mos) and Harper (6 mos) pics
We had Harper's 6 month pictures and family pictures taken last week (I know, we were late--she turned 7 months old on the 12th--but we had to wait for her black eye to heal). She's going through a bit of stranger anxiety and was terrified of the photographer. Even though she wouldn't smile, we're still very pleased with the results. Pierce thought the camerman was pretty funny. Here they are:
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Summer Vegetable Dinner
Harper had summer veggies for dinner tonight. She wasn't a huge fan....... I finally mixed in some winter squash to get her to eat it.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Monday, September 8, 2008
thyroid update
I had my 4 wk. thryoid recheck today. More weight loss, more unaswered questions. My doc is very concerned about my weight loss and is sending me to an endocrinologist for a 2nd opinion. My weight has reached a pt. where she is worried about #1 my milk productions and #2 my bone density b/c all my calcium is going to my milk, and she's afraid it's setting me up for osteoporosis. She redrew all my labs and will have the results by Wed. my appt for the endocronologist is on Friday. We have no doubt that I do have Hashimoto's autoimmune thyroiditis, but we're starting to wonder if there is something else in addition we are missing. Mark suggested that maybe my body is becoming eu-thyroid. Basically what this means is I may have had this for years and my body is just now adjusting to normal thyroid function making my weight go where it would normally be. My doc said this very well could be possible with both nursing and thyroid meds giving my metabolsim a boost. Unfortunatley she doesn't know for sure, so now i'm off to a specialtist.........
Harper hurt again
This time P poked her in the eye (same eye that just healed from the black eye he gave her). It's been red and tearing for the last 3 hours. Her ped said there should not be any concerns of it effecting her vision but to watch for swelling and/or draining of anything other than tears. Why is he so rough with her?? It's not lack of parenting, Mark and I were both right there...... She just woke up from a nap (short nap) and hey eye is so swollen she can hardly keep it open, we're taking her to the doc at 1:30. pm.
Update: We just got home from the doc and thankfully Harper is perfect!! Our ped actually thinks that pierce poked her eyelid more than her actual eye because it is swollen. She said her vision is perfectly fine and all her blood vessels are in tact. She didn't think a referral was necessary b/c she didn't see any scratches (and even so, there isn't much they can do for scratches). We are supposed to watch for any signs of infection and can use saline drops for any discomfort. At this point she thinks antibiotic drops would be more of an irritant than help. As soon as she walked in she said, this is the same eye she had a black eye isn't it??!! It's so sad, it's red, watery, and swollen........... :(
Here's a pic I took with my phone and sent Mark from the office:
It's been a long day already.............
Update: We just got home from the doc and thankfully Harper is perfect!! Our ped actually thinks that pierce poked her eyelid more than her actual eye because it is swollen. She said her vision is perfectly fine and all her blood vessels are in tact. She didn't think a referral was necessary b/c she didn't see any scratches (and even so, there isn't much they can do for scratches). We are supposed to watch for any signs of infection and can use saline drops for any discomfort. At this point she thinks antibiotic drops would be more of an irritant than help. As soon as she walked in she said, this is the same eye she had a black eye isn't it??!! It's so sad, it's red, watery, and swollen........... :(
Here's a pic I took with my phone and sent Mark from the office:
It's been a long day already.............
Sunday, September 7, 2008
"Mount Mount" Vacation
We're back from another action packed vacation. We flew (Harper's very 1st flight) to Denver, Colorado on Thursday morning and then drove up to Estes Park. If you remember, we made this same trip last fall when we were about midway through our pregnancy with Harper. What a joy it was taking her there in person!! Here's a link to our slideshow, complete with captions: pictures (remember to click on "slideshow" to see the full picture and caption). Below is a quick, err lengthy run down of what we did during our visit to Rocky Mountain National Park:
Thursday, August 28th: We had a very pleasant flight into CO and actually arrived early. It was quite interesting (humorous) watching Mark and I juggle two precious little ones and all of our gear through the airport, but we managed with a smile. We (our kids) got LOTS of attention. After taking the rental car shuttle to the rental car station, I thought "this is the smoothest vacation start we've ever had". It seems like something always happens i.e. weather delays, luggage issues, etc. Not wanting to jinx us, I kept this thought to myself. I'm laughing here b/c no sooner did we try to leave with our trendy van than we were told we had the wrong car. Mind you, this was after we had already loaded 3 large suitcases, 2 carry-ons, installed 2 carseats, and belted in 2 babies. Instead of accommodating us, we had to switch into another stylish minivan. If you know Mark and I well, we're pretty anti-van (we like our gas guzzling SUV thank you very much). Traveling in a van isn't exactly our definition of cool so this was quite a strech for us. But on a road trip out of town (where no one knows us and can laugh) we went for the more gas conscious vehicle. ;) After getting everything transferred into the correct car, we were on our way to what Pierce affectionately refers to the "mount mounts." Once arriving in Estes Park, we checked into our lil' cabin. It was a 2 bedroom/2 bath cabin with a full-sized kitchen, living room, fireplace, washer/dryer (had I known this I wouldn't have over packed--no wait, I probably still would've) all situated on a gorgeous mountain stream called Fall River. I can't even begin to tell you how relaxing and peaceful it was sitting with our cabin door open listening to the sounds of the rushing river, not to mention the gorgeous view. We didn't do too much b/c of the long day of travel. However, we did sneak in a quick drive into the park. For dinner we had take-out from our favorite place from our last visit to Estes Park. It seriously has the best marinara ever--requiring not 1 but 2 meals from them (this visit and last). Mark opted for the NY Strip (vacation splurge as you know health conscious Mark doesn't eat much red meat) accompanied by spaghetti with marinara. I had chicken pesto, and Pierce had fettuccine alfredo. All was delicious and topped off with 2 extraordinary chocolate desserts.
Friday, August 29th: We started with breakfast at a great lil' local eatery that is well known for their house made granola. Of course we had to get some to take along as snacks. We ordered an egg white omelet with jack cheese, tomato, and avocado and granola pancakes. Delicious!! Harper and I returned to the cabin for a morning nap, while Mark and Pierce went exploring. They went on a hike to Alluvial Fan which is a beautiful waterfall. It was created when a dam broke on a gigantic high mountain lake which carried huge boulders and debree down with it. Once Harper was well rested, we returned with the boys to Alluvial Fan for a picnic lunch. Mark raves about the picnic lunches I prepare, although they are nothing special....turkey sandwiches, chips, peaches (Colorado has the BEST peaches), and cookies. If anyone has ever been to the RMNP (or any other national park for that matter), you may recall how they remind you not to feed the animals b/c it disturbs their natural tendencies and habitat. At each of our picnics, however, we were swarmed by either squirrels, chipmunks, and/or ducks. Tell me people don't feed these animals. We encountered our 1st lunch guest here--a small chipmunk. Pierce was so excited he blew it a kiss. After our lunch, it was nap time so we headed back to our cabin. Once everyone was rested up, we headed back out to the park. We went to the Morraine Park Visitor's Center which has a nature hike with incredible views of the valley surrounded by mountains including Long's Peak and Flattop Mountain (2 of the highest peaks of RMNP) and a museum. For dinner, we picked up a NY Strip steak and a hamburger (accompanied by red potatoes) from a local eatery. Everyone split the meals, but we each had our faves. Mark liked the burger, I liked the steak, and Pierce liked, well he didn't eat much.........see below. :( Dessert was a brownie and strawberry and rhubarb pie from a bakery.
Saturday, August 30th: For breakfast we went to another local cafe and ordered raspberry granola pancakes and a veggie egg white omelet. Pierce loved this place because the hostess gave him a bucket of dinosaurs and his fave--"choo choos"--to play with while we were there. After a morning nap, we went for a hike around Lily Lake and ate a picnic lunch. While we ate, we had various spectators scoping out our perfect lil' picnic spot. Came to find out, they were getting married the following day in that very spot. Can you imagine saying your marriage vows in such a beaucolic place??!! After our hike it was nap time again. Pierce took an extra long nap this day. I actually had to wake him up at the 3 hour mark. Since it was getting a lil' late, our plans changed from a long hike to a short hike next to a mountain stream. It's amazing the power rushing water holds. Pierce and I got close to the water to feel it. It was freezing cold and crystal clear. Upon leaving RMNP this day, we saw the most incredible animal sighting of the trip. We had seen a few deer and elk here and there, but nothing compared to the herd of approximately 100 elk we saw leaving Morraine Park. They were literally grazing everywhere. Pierce was more interested in picking wildflowers though. Dinner was take out from a local comfort food eatery. We split buffalo meatloaf and chicken macaroni and cheese. Dessert was chocolate cake and a blonde brownie. This meal had mixed reviews but was delish nonetheless.
Sunday, August 31st: Breakfast was back at the granola place with the exact same order--hey, why mess with success??!! Pierce and Mark went back to Alluvial Fan and the Fall River Visitor's Center and located P's fave--an alligator aka an elevator--while Harper napped. We ate lunch at Baldpate Inn after touring their famous key collection. Next was, you guessed it, nap time again. After naps, we went on a hike around Sprague Lake which features spectacular views of the Continental Divide. Unfortunately our walk was cut short by an unexpected rain shower. Brrrr it was cold!! We picked up our last dinner of the trip on our way back to the cabin. We decided to make a meal of some of our favorites from the trip with menu items from two different restaurants. Spaghetti and filet from the Italian restaurant............and Mark had to have another hamburger. Pierce had chicken strips. Dessert was a pecan and peach pie from our lunch spot. All were met we seals of approval.
Monday, September 1st: Harper decided to start her day extra early. So while she was having a morning nap, Mark and P went to pick up breakfast to go from the "choo choo" restaurant. Again, the order was the same. We ate breakfast on the patio (with the door open of course) while Harper snoozed. As soon as she woke up, we checked out of our stream side cabin and headed back to RMNP for one last hike. Since we had to cut our previous hike around Sprague Lake short due to rain, we decided to try again. As luck would have it, it was extremely windy/chilly. Fortunately, we found an area on the other side of the lake shielded by trees with the wind blowing the opposite direction where we could have a picnic lunch. After our lunch, we drove back to Denver. The route we usually take was closed off forcing us to take another road. However, it turned out to be a more scenic route back to the airport with a beautiful mountain stream flanked by mountains for most of the drive. Our flight back home left without a hitch, although security made us throw P's playdoh away (still curious why DFW didn't have a problem with it--just tested it with their lil' machine to make sure it wasn't plastic explosives).
We arrived home late Monday night. We had a fabulous time. But as always, man, it's good to be home.
Both babes traveled very well, getting many compliments on their cuteness and good behavior. They both were very flexible despite our busy schedule. Unfortunately, Pierce wasn't quite his energetic self for this vacation. He ran fever 3 of the 4 nights we were away. He was fine during the day, but early in the evening he would start getting quiet, fatigued, and lethargic. Then he'd get a fever that needed both Tylenol and Motrin to bring it down. He's quite the trooper though and enjoyed our trip to the "mount mounts". He even walked most of our hikes. He brought along a car we had given him shortly after his 1st birthday to take on his very 1st flight (to NYC). Little did we know at the time that this car would travel all over RMNP too. He insisted on taking it on every one of our hikes (you'll see the lil' red car featured in quite a few pics). Harper tried 2 new foods while we were away--carrots and winter squash. She also learned how to click her tongue.
That's it for now....... If you've read this far, you deserve a cookie. We're recovering and gearing up for our next trip. Next weekend we're headed to the "City" for Harper's very 1st trip to NYC and Pierce's 3rd trip. You all know what a special place New York is to Mark and I (we were engaged there) and we're anxious to return as a family of FOUR!!
Thursday, August 28th: We had a very pleasant flight into CO and actually arrived early. It was quite interesting (humorous) watching Mark and I juggle two precious little ones and all of our gear through the airport, but we managed with a smile. We (our kids) got LOTS of attention. After taking the rental car shuttle to the rental car station, I thought "this is the smoothest vacation start we've ever had". It seems like something always happens i.e. weather delays, luggage issues, etc. Not wanting to jinx us, I kept this thought to myself. I'm laughing here b/c no sooner did we try to leave with our trendy van than we were told we had the wrong car. Mind you, this was after we had already loaded 3 large suitcases, 2 carry-ons, installed 2 carseats, and belted in 2 babies. Instead of accommodating us, we had to switch into another stylish minivan. If you know Mark and I well, we're pretty anti-van (we like our gas guzzling SUV thank you very much). Traveling in a van isn't exactly our definition of cool so this was quite a strech for us. But on a road trip out of town (where no one knows us and can laugh) we went for the more gas conscious vehicle. ;) After getting everything transferred into the correct car, we were on our way to what Pierce affectionately refers to the "mount mounts." Once arriving in Estes Park, we checked into our lil' cabin. It was a 2 bedroom/2 bath cabin with a full-sized kitchen, living room, fireplace, washer/dryer (had I known this I wouldn't have over packed--no wait, I probably still would've) all situated on a gorgeous mountain stream called Fall River. I can't even begin to tell you how relaxing and peaceful it was sitting with our cabin door open listening to the sounds of the rushing river, not to mention the gorgeous view. We didn't do too much b/c of the long day of travel. However, we did sneak in a quick drive into the park. For dinner we had take-out from our favorite place from our last visit to Estes Park. It seriously has the best marinara ever--requiring not 1 but 2 meals from them (this visit and last). Mark opted for the NY Strip (vacation splurge as you know health conscious Mark doesn't eat much red meat) accompanied by spaghetti with marinara. I had chicken pesto, and Pierce had fettuccine alfredo. All was delicious and topped off with 2 extraordinary chocolate desserts.
Friday, August 29th: We started with breakfast at a great lil' local eatery that is well known for their house made granola. Of course we had to get some to take along as snacks. We ordered an egg white omelet with jack cheese, tomato, and avocado and granola pancakes. Delicious!! Harper and I returned to the cabin for a morning nap, while Mark and Pierce went exploring. They went on a hike to Alluvial Fan which is a beautiful waterfall. It was created when a dam broke on a gigantic high mountain lake which carried huge boulders and debree down with it. Once Harper was well rested, we returned with the boys to Alluvial Fan for a picnic lunch. Mark raves about the picnic lunches I prepare, although they are nothing special....turkey sandwiches, chips, peaches (Colorado has the BEST peaches), and cookies. If anyone has ever been to the RMNP (or any other national park for that matter), you may recall how they remind you not to feed the animals b/c it disturbs their natural tendencies and habitat. At each of our picnics, however, we were swarmed by either squirrels, chipmunks, and/or ducks. Tell me people don't feed these animals. We encountered our 1st lunch guest here--a small chipmunk. Pierce was so excited he blew it a kiss. After our lunch, it was nap time so we headed back to our cabin. Once everyone was rested up, we headed back out to the park. We went to the Morraine Park Visitor's Center which has a nature hike with incredible views of the valley surrounded by mountains including Long's Peak and Flattop Mountain (2 of the highest peaks of RMNP) and a museum. For dinner, we picked up a NY Strip steak and a hamburger (accompanied by red potatoes) from a local eatery. Everyone split the meals, but we each had our faves. Mark liked the burger, I liked the steak, and Pierce liked, well he didn't eat much.........see below. :( Dessert was a brownie and strawberry and rhubarb pie from a bakery.
Saturday, August 30th: For breakfast we went to another local cafe and ordered raspberry granola pancakes and a veggie egg white omelet. Pierce loved this place because the hostess gave him a bucket of dinosaurs and his fave--"choo choos"--to play with while we were there. After a morning nap, we went for a hike around Lily Lake and ate a picnic lunch. While we ate, we had various spectators scoping out our perfect lil' picnic spot. Came to find out, they were getting married the following day in that very spot. Can you imagine saying your marriage vows in such a beaucolic place??!! After our hike it was nap time again. Pierce took an extra long nap this day. I actually had to wake him up at the 3 hour mark. Since it was getting a lil' late, our plans changed from a long hike to a short hike next to a mountain stream. It's amazing the power rushing water holds. Pierce and I got close to the water to feel it. It was freezing cold and crystal clear. Upon leaving RMNP this day, we saw the most incredible animal sighting of the trip. We had seen a few deer and elk here and there, but nothing compared to the herd of approximately 100 elk we saw leaving Morraine Park. They were literally grazing everywhere. Pierce was more interested in picking wildflowers though. Dinner was take out from a local comfort food eatery. We split buffalo meatloaf and chicken macaroni and cheese. Dessert was chocolate cake and a blonde brownie. This meal had mixed reviews but was delish nonetheless.
Sunday, August 31st: Breakfast was back at the granola place with the exact same order--hey, why mess with success??!! Pierce and Mark went back to Alluvial Fan and the Fall River Visitor's Center and located P's fave--an alligator aka an elevator--while Harper napped. We ate lunch at Baldpate Inn after touring their famous key collection. Next was, you guessed it, nap time again. After naps, we went on a hike around Sprague Lake which features spectacular views of the Continental Divide. Unfortunately our walk was cut short by an unexpected rain shower. Brrrr it was cold!! We picked up our last dinner of the trip on our way back to the cabin. We decided to make a meal of some of our favorites from the trip with menu items from two different restaurants. Spaghetti and filet from the Italian restaurant............and Mark had to have another hamburger. Pierce had chicken strips. Dessert was a pecan and peach pie from our lunch spot. All were met we seals of approval.
Monday, September 1st: Harper decided to start her day extra early. So while she was having a morning nap, Mark and P went to pick up breakfast to go from the "choo choo" restaurant. Again, the order was the same. We ate breakfast on the patio (with the door open of course) while Harper snoozed. As soon as she woke up, we checked out of our stream side cabin and headed back to RMNP for one last hike. Since we had to cut our previous hike around Sprague Lake short due to rain, we decided to try again. As luck would have it, it was extremely windy/chilly. Fortunately, we found an area on the other side of the lake shielded by trees with the wind blowing the opposite direction where we could have a picnic lunch. After our lunch, we drove back to Denver. The route we usually take was closed off forcing us to take another road. However, it turned out to be a more scenic route back to the airport with a beautiful mountain stream flanked by mountains for most of the drive. Our flight back home left without a hitch, although security made us throw P's playdoh away (still curious why DFW didn't have a problem with it--just tested it with their lil' machine to make sure it wasn't plastic explosives).
We arrived home late Monday night. We had a fabulous time. But as always, man, it's good to be home.
Both babes traveled very well, getting many compliments on their cuteness and good behavior. They both were very flexible despite our busy schedule. Unfortunately, Pierce wasn't quite his energetic self for this vacation. He ran fever 3 of the 4 nights we were away. He was fine during the day, but early in the evening he would start getting quiet, fatigued, and lethargic. Then he'd get a fever that needed both Tylenol and Motrin to bring it down. He's quite the trooper though and enjoyed our trip to the "mount mounts". He even walked most of our hikes. He brought along a car we had given him shortly after his 1st birthday to take on his very 1st flight (to NYC). Little did we know at the time that this car would travel all over RMNP too. He insisted on taking it on every one of our hikes (you'll see the lil' red car featured in quite a few pics). Harper tried 2 new foods while we were away--carrots and winter squash. She also learned how to click her tongue.
That's it for now....... If you've read this far, you deserve a cookie. We're recovering and gearing up for our next trip. Next weekend we're headed to the "City" for Harper's very 1st trip to NYC and Pierce's 3rd trip. You all know what a special place New York is to Mark and I (we were engaged there) and we're anxious to return as a family of FOUR!!
Friday, September 5, 2008
Monday, September 1, 2008
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