Can't wait for 2009

This year has not been the best medical year for the family...and that may be the understatement of the year. That said, we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel- successful cancer treatment, recovery from heart attack, diagnosis of heart syndromes, and surgery to eliminate ear infections. But prior to the end of the year, the powers that be keep dishing out medical hurdles. The latest have been kidney stones for Wes' brother and my brother. Seriously, they passed stones within weeks of each other and comparable sizes (gross that I know what sizes the stones were). Unfortunately, Michael was not able to make it down to Houston for Thanksgiving....the good news is that he will be in town for Thanksgiving and my birthday!!!

The medical visits keep coming...we are averaging at least 2 office co-pays a week. Last week I had my stress test which apparently went well because I did not hear from the cardiologist...next week it is radiation follow up and dental visits. So we continue to grow our medical expertise...hopefully that will be done soon.

In one ear...

Alex had her new hardware (tubes) installed yesterday, and everything went smoothly. She was a little hesitant when we got her up early and didn't allow her to eat anything (not because we're mean... doctors orders).
But, we got to the hospital nice and early and she was the first operation on deck... apparently they do the youngest first, which was great for us. They took her temp and checked her out and after only a few minutes and a couple discussions with docs and nurses they took her away (along with Mr. Dinosaur head for moral support). She didn't cry at all when the nurse took her which made it easier (although, a little crying would have been nice for my ego).

Less than ten minutes later the doc was in the waiting room telling us that everything went great and we could join her in recovery soon. A minute later Michele could hear a baby (we hadn't seen any other babies in the joint at that point) screaming bloody murder! A nurse came running out and told us that she really wanted her mommy! We ran back and scooped her up, and she calmed down pretty quickly. We hung out in recovery for about thirty minutes and we were on our way... wow.

Alex took a couple long naps but other than that seemed fine all day. She was happy and playing, and we're pretty sure she can already hear better. She was playing "hands up" and clapping on demand (her newest trick) all day!

Thanks to all for the well wishes. Hopefully this will be the end of the ear infections!!

Burden of proof...

We have not made much progress toward baby-proofing our house... and the list isn't getting any shorter. She flies up the stairs, tries to slide head-first down them, and has yet to meet an electrical outlet that she doesn't love. She knows how to open every drawer and cupboard, and manages to only close them at the exact moment that her little fingers are in position to get smashed. Somehow every knife, slicer, dicer, peeler, and clever is in the bottomest drawer in the kitchen.We have hardwood floors, fireplaces, and tons of low bookshelves overflowing with the heaviest tomes and textbooks available... not that it matters which shelf things are on because she can climb them with the ease of a Sherpa at the Arb.

I guess on some level it is good for her to be able to explore and learn on her own, but we are going to have to start to get serious soon...

Great time in Dallas

Alex and I had a great time in Dallas. It is not like we did a lot, but we were with great company. Alex loved hanging out with Zoe, Hudson and Bruno. Zoe is 19 months and it was really quite scary to see how much Alex is going to grow in the next year. Zoe referred to Alex as Baby and always was asking about her. Quite cute. Hudson is 3 and a half and he loved Alex. Jen pointed out that Hudson wasn't as loving with his sister as he was with Alex....not sure what that is about. But it was great that they all got along. I didn't get a picture of Hudson hugging Alex but he was all about her too. Wes and I were a bit concerned that Alex may freak out with the dog. She hasn't been exposed to dogs before and we didn't know what to expect. Turns out, she loves Bruno. I managed to get some shots of her tackling Bruno- seriously Bruno is super patient. He would follow us around the house and make sure he knew where we were. It was so nice to get away and we really loved being so welcomed. Jen has done so much for us this year, I can't imaging having a better friend. It was a relief to be able to go down there and just relax, not really do anything. I am a bit boring though- I realize that I have lost a bit of my fun this year, so that is my next mission- to get it back. But until then, the weekend couldn't have been more perfect....well maybe if Wes went it would have been.

Bittersweet weekend...

I haven't slept for two weeks. Flu, worry about a lump, and ear infections all piled on top of my usual case of frenetic insomnia. So having the house to myself this weekend should be a chance at possible slumber.

Of course, their plane hasn't even landed yet, and I already want to drive down there to see them.

Hopefully they will have a good time and I'll resist the urge to go find them.

Refreshed joy

I really am grateful to my sister for setting up this blog. I am able to go onto the blog and show off pictures of Alex at all times. But it also is pretty therapeutic. This post will be a release for me.

This week has been nuts. So far, between Alex and I, we have been to the doctor's office 4 times. The plan was to get an update on my heart. Well, life does not go according to plan. I did follow up on my heart and do have what is called Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. Basically, it means that my wiring is not normal....I have extra cells. I have no symptoms so the doctor didn't recommend surgery. I will have a stress test next week to make sure at an elevated rate, my heart doesn't freak.

So all these extra cells in my body, what is up with that? Well, the other issue this week was I found a lump in my breast. Naturally, I freaked. It was the same breast that I had my lumpectomy on and in the same area as my previous tumor. I wasn't sure what it was. So I went to my primary and she felt the lump- now keep in mind, this is after I asked pretty much anyone that came over to my house to feel my breast!! So today, I had an appointment with my surgeon and she felt the lump but confirmed it was scar tissue. She stated that sometimes it grows in little balls and that I may never get rid of it. She followed up with an ultrasound which confirmed that there was nothing irregular. HUGE relief. So now my family can exhale after being worried for a couple days.

Speaking of exhale, Alex and I are planning a trip to Dallas this weekend. Alex went to the doctor yesterday to confirm if her ears would be ok to travel. She got the green light. So we are now focusing on spending some time with the Marr's in Dallas. It should be a great break for us and for Wes at home. He deserves a little time to himself!!!!

Stairway to... for heaven's sake...

Until recently the stairs from the basement/play area were a barrier. We could leave Alex down there for short spurts to play by herself, which she does very well.

This is no longer the case.
I think we need to start using the gates that we have!

Quantum Leap...

I know that children advance quickly. I get that Alex is going to grow by leaps and bounds. But it's difficult to believe how fast it happens. This morning she woke up and, from the first moment that I I saw her, she just got it a little more.

Thursday her newest thing was "hands up". I grabbed both of her hands and put them up in the air. "Hands up." By the afternoon she was doing it on her own every now and again. Friday it made her giggle. Saturday morning she was doing it on request (sometimes). Saturday afternoon she was signaling a touchdown for a room full of Michigan fans in desperate need of touchdowns...

Today when I picked her up from daycare the staff was laughing about her throwing up her hands all day and looking so proud. They couldn't figure out what she was doing. When I walked in the door she threw her hands up and I yelled "hands up", and they got it. She gets it.

I struggle with wanting so badly for her to continue to grow and learn, and just wanting her to stay the same for a week, a couple days, until bedtime. I feel like I need to take more pictures, more videos... to soak her in.

Autumn leaves...

Today has been the nicest day we've seen in a while, and likely the nicest we'll see for months (the forcast is for possible snow this weekend). So Alex and I took advantage of it as much as possible. We went for a long walk and then she played in the leaves while I plugged away on my laptop. You gotta love technology that let's me play with her and work at the same time.

She didn't crawl around a bunch... mostly just sat there and picked up leaves and tried to eat them. She did stand up on her own for a good thirty seconds. It was pretty cool.

Hopefully everyone gets a chance to enjoy the weather while they can.

Stand alone...

I'm frightened...

Piling on...

I am a bit worried that this blog is becoming a venue in which we simply list the latest ailments, injuries, and mysteries that we are all dealing with... so I will temporarily distract you with this video...



Okay, now more ailments. Alex fell and hit her mouth yesterday at daycare. There was some blood and some screaming. I picked her up and took her to a pediatric dentist (yay, another doctor!). No broken teeth, but one of them is very loose. The doctor didn't rule out the possibility that it might still fall out, but said it should tighten up in a couple weeks. We have to give her soft-ish food for a week or two and hope she doesn't bump it again. The good news is that despite this, her ear infections (tubes coming on November 20), and continuing diarrhea (do not click this link) she is still quite happy. The above video was taken last night post-tooth-loosening, so I think she will be OK.

At least she is keeping us on our toes...

I'm Alexandra Harrington, and I approve this message...

You people are old. Okay, some of you aren't that old, but compared to me? Come on. The choice that each of you have the opportunity to make tomorrow will impact greatly upon the world that I am left when you are all gone. Until babies are finally given the right to vote, we have to depend on you people. So please, think about it.

Why did so many people like The West Wing? More to the point, why did President Bartlet (Martin Sheen) seem to be such a fantastic President? Was it because he was a liberal Democrat? A conservative Republican? No. It was because he was smarter than us. He was more even tempered than us. He was serious, contemplative, and able to see issues with an eye on history and a finger on the pulse of the world. He was what we need in our leaders... he was better than Joe Sixpack.

Which current candidate do you think this describes?

Whomever you are going to vote for tomorrow please take the time to vote. And, if you are wavering at all, for crying out loud vote for Obama... I am going to have to live with your decision for a long time.

**The views expressed in this post are not necessarily those of Alexandra Harrington or her mother, but they are that of her crazy, liberal papa.

The ENT visit

We are way to familiar with doctor's appointments. This week between Alex and I we went to 4 appointments and I have another next week. Anyway, the ENT visit went well. He was super nice. He was very straightforward and gave us the risk of tubes. Wes and I had decided to have the surgery before the visit and nothing the doctor said changed our minds. We just want Alex to stop suffering...and she still has fluid in her left ear and some in the right even though she has been on antibiotics since Wednesday. Next step is for us to schedule surgery for her. The surgery sounds easy peasy. She won't be able to eat the day of the surgery but since she is young she will be one of the first appointments. The recovery will be about 30 minutes in the hospital and then we can take her home. So that is our plan...more surgery...

In spite of having these ear aches and diarrhea, Alex still is a pretty happy baby. This week, I had a co-worker come from South Africa and he brought this animal for her. She loves it. It makes noise and she just giggles. She is a trooper!!

Scariest costume ever...