Christina, Author at A Mommy Story

Jul 24, 2009

Haiku Friday: My Hero

July 24, 2009 By Christina

While at BlogHer, my
husband is staying home with
our kids – what a guy!

Three cheers for Aaron
Without him, I’d never get
to have all this fun!

Everyone give a big thanks to my dear husband, who is spending his weekend alone with the girls wishing he was at Comic-Con while I’m at BlogHer. This weekend, he’s truly my sponsor for BlogHer!

To play along for Haiku Friday, follow these steps:

1. Write your own haiku on your blog. You can do one or many, all following a theme or just random. What’s a haiku, you ask? Click here.

2. Sign the Mister Linky below with your name and the link to your haiku post (the specific post URL, not your main blog URL). DON’T sign unless you have a haiku this week. If you need help with this, please let me know.

3. Pick up a Haiku Friday button to display on the post or in your sidebar by clicking the button at the top.

REMEMBER: Do not post your link unless you have a haiku this week! I will delete any links without haiku!

Filed Under: Aaron, BlogHer09, Haiku Fridays

Jul 22, 2009

And Knowing Is Half The Battle

July 22, 2009 By Christina

Since tomorrow is the big day where I’m getting behind the wheel and making the drive to Chicago, I thought I’d do a small post to let those who I may be meeting in the next 24-48 hours know what to expect when they meet me.

I will stare at your name badge. Even if I’ve known you for four years. I’m lousy with faces and when people change their hair or gain/lose weight, it’s like they’re new people to me. So know that I’m just trying to jog my memory and not staring at your bewbs. Unless you want me to.

Want me to love you forever? Yell my name across the lobby (it makes me feel an eensy-weensie bit important), or come up to me and tell me you read my blog. You’ll see me blush, and know that you just paid me one of the biggest compliments of my life by admitting you read what I write. (This probably goes for many bloggers.)

I suffer from an as-yet-undiscovered condition called BlogHer ADD. It means that in a large crowd of bloggers I get distracted rather easily, and if the room is extremely loud I’m known to zone out and not notice someone right in front of me. If I’m walking past you and don’t notice you if you say hi, grab my arm or something – I’m probably zoned out and need something to focus on.

Speaking of grabbing my arm – I don’t mind people touching me. Some like it, some don’t, but I’m totally a hugger. If you’re not, that’s fine, and I won’t be offended.

I’m a very casual person, so forgive me for any breaches of etiquette.

The dark circles under my eyes don’t necessarily mean I’m tired. I’ve had them all my life – even pics of me at five years old show a kid who looks like she’s been up all night. Pale skin and unfortunate cheekbone structure equals dark circles under the eyes. No amount of concealer can cover it up. However, if you assume I’m tired and offer me a coffee, I’ll still take you up on it.

I’m dressing up for the cocktail parties, and feel free to get a good laugh at me in a dress. I dress up roughly twice a year, which makes me look all kinds of awkward in a dress and heels. The truth is, I LIKE dresses, I just think they’re horribly impractical for everyday life. BlogHer gives me an excuse to be girly, although my hair and makeup will still be style impaired.

Of course everyone will tell you they’re geeky (it is a blogging conference, right?), but I am truly geeky. Ever watched the TV show The Big Bang Theory? I’m Sheldon. OK, maybe I’m not quite Sheldon, but I’m close at times. I’ll admit I’m not very funny, and my wit has a five minute delay. (You know – you think of the perfect witty response to something five minutes after it was said.)

I will talk your ears off given the right topic. Just ask Stimey – WhyMommy introduced us last year and I immediately held her hostage at the cocktail party for nearly an hour talking about our kids.

I’m not too proud to admit I LOVE swag. Free stuff is awesome. I love to try out new products, and all of the other little goodies make great gifts for my family.

I’ve never been in a limo before. It’s true. And I just found out I get to ride in one at some point during BlogHer. I’m far too excited than I should probably be about this.

I graduated nursing school in June, and as soon as I take my license exam I’ll be a registered nurse. No, I can’t diagnose that pain in your side, but if you sprain an ankle in your high heels I can help you elevate it and apply ice.

My astrological sign is Gemini/Cancer – I was born on the cusp, leaning towards the Cancer side. Which means I’m normally a fairly quiet person who likes to stay at home, but deep inside I want to be a party girl. BlogHer is satisfying my Gemini desires.

Those of you who have met me before are free to add anything I’ve forgotten, or may not even realize about myself. We should be arriving tomorrow in Chicago mid-afternoon, barring any travel issues. Looking forward to meeting many of you!

Filed Under: BlogHer09, me me me

Jul 20, 2009

Summer Barbecue in the Country

July 20, 2009 By Christina

Yesterday we spent a lovely day in the country. This is an annual barbecue where we get to see friends we never see enough of – some we only see once a year. The homestead of our hosts is like a Midwestern Neverland for kids – an enormous backyard of green grass to run barefoot in, a castle playhouse with slide, toys everywhere, and for the barbecue, an unlimited amount of food.

Proof of a day well spent:

Cordy’s first favorite activity: eating

Finding the toys for the big kids

The makings of a perfect evening: a fire, good friends and marshmallows

Mira clapping along to the live music, face covered in dirt

Cordy and Aaron enjoying the fire & music together

All in all? The perfect day. These are the days I hope my girls will remember as they grow older. The days when the TV and computer are gone and we play outdoors with friends all day long until we collapse around the fire in the evening to sing and roast marshmallows with our dirty feet proudly displayed.

Filed Under: family time

Jul 17, 2009

Haiku Friday: Miss Independent

July 17, 2009 By Christina

Next week, a big change
for Mira regarding her
summer camp schedule

Two days a week was
her old schedule, but she wants
more time at her school

Mira is our Little Miss
Independent, wanting more
time away from home

So next week, she will
attend five days a week, just
like her big sister

Mira is nothing if not independent. While Cordy struggles every day with going to summer camp, Mira dives right in. She’s happy to be there, throwing her backpack at me by the time she hits the doorway to her classroom. If I stay and talk to the teachers too long, she will come back to me, look up at me, place her hand on my belly and say “bye bye” as she gently pushes me out the door.

But being there only two days a week is not enough for her. On the days when Cordy goes to camp on her own, Mira often throws a fit because she can’t go with her. So after a lot of number crunching and a little help and prodding from family, we extended her summer camp schedule to five days a week for the last three weeks of camp. I think based on her results so far, she’ll love it.

This kid will be trying to move out on her own before she’s six.

To play along for Haiku Friday, follow these steps:

1. Write your own haiku on your blog. You can do one or many, all following a theme or just random. What’s a haiku, you ask? Click here.

3. Pick up a Haiku Friday button to display on the post or in your sidebar by clicking the button at the top.

REMEMBER: Do not post your link unless you have a haiku this week! I will delete any links without haiku!

Filed Under: Haiku Fridays, Mira, school

Jul 16, 2009

The Amazon Warrior Princess Versus The Tooth

July 16, 2009 By Christina

I woke up before dawn yesterday, and Aaron and I quickly ate breakfast before Cordy woke up. Because of her surgery, she couldn’t eat or drink anything, so having any food in sight before we left would be a problem.

When it was time to leave, we woke Cordy up, dressed her, and got out the door quickly. She protested the entire time, saying, “I don’t want to go to the doctor! I’m too nervous! I’m apprehensive!” (Thank you, Upside-Down Show, for enriching my daughter’s vocabulary.) By the time we were in the car, she was crying, begging to go home and verging on a full meltdown. Aaron managed to get her calmed down again by the time we arrived at the hospital, and she walked to the surgery center with only minor protests.

In the waiting room, there were two other children waiting for surgery. The two started playing together, but Cordy was too distressed to join in despite our attempts to encourage her to play. After about 15 minutes, we were called back to the consultation room.

We met with the doctor who would be caring for Cordy’s teeth. He was very friendly and way too cheery for 7:30 AM. He explained the entire process while Cordy tried to become one with the wall opposite him. She wanted nothing to do with this doctor, no matter how nice he was.

After we signed the consent forms he left and the anesthesiologist came in. Cordy retreated behind my chair, refusing to come out to meet this woman. We went over Cordy’s medical history, and I mentioned her unreliable metabolism of drugs. It was about this time that Cordy poked her head out from behind the chair to tell the room, “I don’t like her!” The anesthesiologist didn’t seem fazed, but I still added, “Don’t take it personally, it’s because you’re a doctor.”

Aaron had to drag Cordy out from behind the chair so the doctor could listen to her heart, although she couldn’t see into Cordy’s mouth thanks to the unwilling (and strong) Amazon. After explaining the entire process to us, she told us it was time.

Cordy walked down the short hall with us, but as we turned into the surgery room, she saw all of the people waiting for her, and all of the equipment, and tried to pull away to make a break for it. Aaron managed to keep one hand on her, pulling her to the ground, then scooped her up in his arms as she screamed and flailed. It took three or four people (I can’t remember) to hold her down on the padded table as the anesthesiologist placed the gas mask over her face. I couldn’t hide the tears in my eyes as I saw Cordy wide-eyed in fear, her screaming muffled by the mask.

It took about 20 seconds for her to start getting drowsy, her eyes rolling around and finally closing. Aaron and I each gave her a kiss and were led out to the waiting room so they could put in an IV and breathing tube and get to work.

The entire procedure took a little over a half an hour, but it felt like hours. I had my mini laptop with me, grateful for wifi access so I could distract myself with reading blogs, Twitter, and mindless web surfing. My stomach was in knots. Some of the other parents in the room were making small talk, but I couldn’t even muster that when I knew my little girl was breathing with the help of a machine while doctors fixed her tooth. (Yeah, I know – dramatic much? Now you know where Cordy gets her dramatics.)

Eventually, the doctor appeared in the waiting room and told us that everything was done and she did well. The cavity that caused the weakness was on the back of her tooth, meaning it would have been very hard for me to see. (Ha! So much for the guilt trip I got from the other doctor!) X-rays were taken and he told us that Cordy’s other teeth looked great and we were doing a good job with them.

The tooth already had an inflammed nerve, but knowing we wanted to keep the tooth at all costs, he did a root canal and capped the tooth. He also cleaned all of her teeth and put a sealant on her other molars to protect them, and he smoothed out the chip she had on one of her front teeth. The doctor then asked if we knew that Cordy had a few wobbly baby teeth already. When we said no, he told us to expect one of her top front teeth to fall out soon! I wasn’t ready to start talking about the tooth fairy yet!

We then were taken to the recovery room. Cordy was still asleep, eyes half open and mouth hanging wide open. The nurse immediately said, “This is normal – some parents are upset to find their kids looking like this.” Looking at Cordy, I smiled and replied, “Actually, this is often how she sleeps at home. Not that different.” The poor kid had been poked four times in attempts to find an IV site. She seems to have inherited my bad veins, too.

We were asked to not touch her or try to wake her. Kids normally wake up in 20-30 minutes, and waking them up too early can make them combative. While we waited, another child was brought into the recovery room and woke up very quickly. We kept waiting while the nurse went over the discharge instructions. After a half-hour, Cordy still showed no signs of waking up, so the nurse gently called to her and moved her a little. Cordy opened her eyes, tried to sit up, then shifted to her side and tried to go back to sleep.

Aaron picked her up and held her until she was a little more alert, and then we were free to take her home. Cordy couldn’t walk – couldn’t even sit up on her own – so Aaron carried her to the car. By the time we got home, she was talking non-stop, telling us her tooth hurt (NOW her tooth hurts?) and she wanted some juice. She was still too anesthesia-drunk to walk. We put her on the couch and gave her a little juice.

The nurse told us that Cordy would likely be drowsy the entire day due to the medication, and probably wouldn’t have much of an appetite. However, about an hour after we got home she wanted to eat everything in sight, and had more than regained her balance, bouncing around the room like Tigger on speed. She was hyperactive the entire afternoon, and ate a total of four meals before bed. Typical.

The final result? Cordy now has healthy teeth, and won’t need to see the dentist for another six months. And she’s got some bling in her mouth now with a sweet silver crown: