You can't stay in your corner of the forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.

I didn't think of that quote all on my own...it's from Winnie the Pooh...but it kind of fits how I've been feeling about this whole Chicago situation.

I feel like I am seconds away from becoming "that" patient. The one that keeps calling until she gets an answer she is happy with. The one who believe to the depths of her soul that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. The one who her nurse cringes when she sees on the caller ID.

I am NOT good at waiting, but that's what I've been doing for what seems like FOREVER! I still don't know when I'm going back down to Chicago. A couple of "a couple weeks" later and here we are almost in April. Am I going in May? Dunno. July? Dunno. I don't want to keep bothering them, but seriously, it's a trek for me to get there. Not to mention expensive. And top that with the fact I have to figure out childcare because Todd will be working his usual shifts.

Just needed to vent a little. Hoping for the call soon!

Timing is everything

Last week I started back at the hospital. It's the position I had originally after graduating, that I gave up when I went to work for an ortho clinic I won't name here. I was pretty nervous to go back. I already know everyone, so that wasn't a problem, but I was SO afraid that I had forgotten everything I was taught because the last couple of years at the ortho clinic were filled with mindless, not-my-freaking-job tasks (filing charts, answering phones, helping the RN, filing more paperwork, etc). Anyway, just like everyone told me, it's a lot like riding a bike (even though, I should add, I'm not really that great of a bike rider, so this phrase has never really given me much comfort, but you get the point).

But of course, like with everything, the timing ended up sucking. Monday morning Todd went to get Mason out of bed only to find that he had thrown up everywhere. He continued to throw up and have diarrhea for the next three days. Poor little thing! It was his first stomach bug and I was at freaking work all day! I am officially a horrible mother. Luckily, between my dad and Todd, he was well taken care of and I came home in the afternoons to dote on him, too.

I thought it was over, he did fine until the weekend, when he continued the crazy pooping party going on in his diapers. Holy disgusting! (I'll kindly spare you the horrid details) So now I have NO IDEA what is wrong with him. My best guess, one that I came to after hearing my mom call his eye teeth "stomach teeth" enough times, is that he's getting his eye teeth and they are living up to their old wives tale name. Here's hoping it's over soon!

Walk MS 2010

This year's walk is just a little over a month away!!! Please go here to make a donation or to sign up to walk with us. Our team fundraising goal this year is $2500 and right now we are only at $1500. It's a long way to go, but I know we can make it!

I went to AK Serigraphics last week, and this year, all Team HOPE members will be getting a Team HOPE t-shirt!!! Whoohoo! (thank to KK for the design) As always, if you fundraise $100 you receive an official Walk MS t-shirt at the walk.

Please please please please! If you can't make it to the walk, make a pledge to one of our team members.

Thanks so much!!!

Long Overdue Updates

Who knew just how crazy one little baby could make life! I know I keep promising to be better about updating...so I won't promise that anymore...but I really will try.

Mason is growing up so fast. I can't believe he will be 16 months on the 25th! He is ALL boy, and such a jabberbox. He is really picking up words and signs every day, our latest sign we're working on is "please". He's pretty good at it, but I'm afraid that he's also learning what a sucker I am when he asks nicely. He's been going to daycare twice a week since the beginning of the year. I was nervous about how he would react to it, but like everyone said it would be, it was a lot harder on mommy and daddy than it was on him. Most days when we get in the parking lot of Beth Shalom he starts clapping, and when we get into his classroom he can't get his coat off fast enough and wave me bye-bye.

One thing about daycare, Mason definitely brought home some bugs! He had a runny nose and really horrible cough...which he shared with both Todd and I as well as with Papa. His poor cough would not go away, so when he went in for his 15 month well-baby we talked to the pediatrician about it. She heard some wheezing when she listened to him, and coupled with the eczema he gets, she was concerned about the possibility of asthma (just like his mama). We gave him nebulizer treatments for a few days, and also put a humidifier in his room...and the cough is better. The eczema was treated with hydrocortisone cream and Aveeno and so far hasn't come back. He doesn't have the official asthma diagnosis, but it's something we'll need to watch for as he gets older. As for the nebulizer...he loved it! I've never seen a kid his age just sit and hold the mask themselves, especially the first time they get a treatment, but he did great!

I did hear about my insurance for the Chicago trial...they approved me! I was in total shock when the nurse called me from Northwestern to tell me. I was really expecting it to be a much longer battle! Now I'm waiting until they can bring me back down for more testing and to be randomized. It's looking like it will be in July, but there is a possibility it may happen as early as May.

Here are some pictures of life lately to catch everyone up :)