Yiayia is sick

Yiayia is in the hospital. My mother called this morning to tell me. My yiaya has been in and out of the nursing home or the hospital for nearly a year. She fell and broke her hip last year trying to get out of bed. She went to the rehabilitation/nursing home after that. I think that her Dr. thought with the proper care her hip would heal, but she finally had to have surgery last fall. When I saw her after that surgery, she looked as though she was barely herself. I don't know if the medication was the culprit. I feared that I was seeing early signs of dementia. It broke my heart to see her in that condition. I need to see her today. This new year has really been pretty sour so far.

What a unique video...

I visited Andrew Sullivan's site and saw this video. No, I'm not a British (Irish decent), Gay, Catholic, Republican Conservative man. He calls himself a Libertarian Conservative. I've seen him on Real Time with Bill Maher. He is an interesting fellow who can keep up with Bill Maher. I don't agree with his politics, but he had an interesting article on President Obama.

Her morning elegance by Oren Lavie. Pure charm:

Does Shoveling Snow Count as Exercise?

I have been the official snow shoveler this season. David lost his wedding ring in the snow last winter. He searched in the evening's bitter cold and couldn't find it. He even bought a metal detector thinking that would work. But it didn't. He was distraught when he realized it was really lost. Dave missed the feeling of the ring on his finger. He broke down and bought a new band 2 weeks later.

I wasn't pleased. I had asked him to wait. I had the notion that the ring would be found once the snow melted. When the big thaw started, I knew it was time to find the ring. I paced up and down our front walk looking for the ring. I walked with my head bent down, straining to see the ring. I was getting discouraged at this point. As I walked to the other end of our property line, I saw this round shape in the melted snow. I have a butterfly garden on one end of our front lawn. Somehow the ring had landed in the garden. The ring was recovered and the stand-in ring was exchanged for a reward for moi.

This is one reason that I have been on snow detail. I'd rather not have a repeat of last year. The other is that I have been a work widow. Of course all that may change soon. So I have been shoveling snow this winter. I've also been shoveling my neighbor's walk when they haven't. They just had premie twins so I've been trying to help. Some of my other neighbors actually pay to have landscapers come and clean their sidewalks. I guess I'm the only crazy mom doing any shoveling on my street. Can I count this as exercise?

Medication for everyone

This has been a busy week. Christopher received 5 shots on immunization day. I opted for the HepA. He also need another flu shot. Christopher went through his checkup like a champ. I was concerned that he would be in pain or get a fever, but neither happened. So the baby was fine which meant that my other 3 would trade getting sick. Sophia started with the sore throat and cough. She passed it on to Alex who continued with the cough but added throwing up first in the car ride home from Yiayia's and then in his bed. Then Alex traded the cough to Zoe and me. What fun!

I finally bit the bullet and went to see the DR. I haven't been feeling like myself for a while. I had taken Wellbutrin for anxiety for a little while last year. I thought I was doing better so I stopped taking it. I've had a few panic attacks since my hit and run. This coupled with constant fatigue signaled that it was time for a DR visit. I have some experience with depression and I was exhibiting some of the symptoms. Like many new moms I experienced postpartum depression. Sadly, I wasn't treated. I tried to explain to my OB about what I was feeling, but she said I just had the baby blues. I don't think doctors were very aware of these issues 10 years ago. So my postpartum turned into clinical depression when I finally sought help 9 months after my daughter was born. I'll save that story for another time.

I have to go back on the Wellbutrin at a higher dose. Hopefully this will help. On a good note, I've lost 7 lbs. since my last DR. visit. It's not much but at least it's a start.

Immunization Day

Christopher turned 15 months and that means it's time for more shots. I should be used to this by now but I'm not. We have to visit the pediatrician and I'm dreading it. I usually go with all the kids in tow because the Dr. is only a few blocks away. I think that I'll have to drop Zoe and Alex off at Yiayia's (Greek for Grandma). CJ is supposed to get 4 shots. He is going to need my undivided attention. Alex has been asking to visit Yiayia for a while now, so this will be good for him.

More nice things...

I have a really nice mother in law. Wives out there know what a big statement that is. When I call my mother in law, we can easily be on the phone for an hour. It is just so much easier to talk to her than my mom. Why? Probably because we don't have the mother/daughter baggage. I'm grateful to be able to have a good relationship with her. When I spoke to my in-laws this week, they asked about what was going on with my hit and run. I told them what had transpired and explained about my concerns, etc. They sent me a letter this week. At first I thought it may be a card. You know the kind, Hang in there, we love you. But as I looked at the legal sized envelope my mind thought, no they didn't. But they did. They sent us a check to help pay for the deductible. I just couldn't believe it. My parents in law wanted us to have one less thing to worry about. How do you thank someone for that kind of generosity and thoughtfulness? I called my mom in law yesterday and I tried my best to thank her. I told her what a loving gesture it was and how much I appreciated her.

Martha Stewart Contest

I entered a Martha Stewart contest. I'm not the type to do this but I thought I would give it try. The winner will get a sewing machine. My Singer is 20 years and reliable, but I thought it was time to upgrade. I submitted a photo of my daughter Zoe's christening outfit. It was challenging but it turned out lovely. Zoe was so precious on her big day. The outfit was the first piece of clothing that I made. The ensemble consists of an under dress/slip, the christening dress and a bonnet. I was able to incorporate a few french seams in the garments. The dress was hand-beaded with tiny pearls on the collar. The bonnet is lined and embellished with little pearls. It was a difficult project for a novice but I am happy with the results.