Well, it is New Year's Eve, and like most people, I have reflected on the excitement of this past year. It was a tumultuous but exciting time, filled with adventures, challenges, heartache and joy.
In the past year:
-I applied for and got a full time English teaching position
-We moved in with my in-laws (something I swore I would never do) and stayed with them for 4.5 months
-We watched Julia's seizures become very severe, to the point of hospitalization in March
-Elena became more vocal and increasingly active
-We bought a house (a single family, no sharing walls with anyone house!) in late April
-Dwayne was accepted into Keyano College's Co-op Work Experience to become an Electrician
-Julia was finally diagnosed in July after an abnormal EEG showed a blip in her right hemisphere. She has Benign Rolandic Epilepsy which they say she will outgrow by 16
-I was sent for training in Victoria to be able to teach Advanced Placement English (I got a nice vacation out of it too!) and offered a probationary contract in the fall.
-Julia started school in the Early Entry program.
-In September we found out that we are expecting Baby #3!! I got so huge so quickly that everyone thought I was having twins. As it turns out, I am just having OHB (one huge baby!). Sometimes I fondly refer to my belly as "The Whale"
-I had glowing teacher evaluations and hints have already been dropped about a continuing contract when I return to work in 2008.
-I fought for Julia to not be labeled even though they lost funding because I made them change her IPP. She was labeled as having a "mild speech language delay" and being pulled out for mixing up "his/her" pronouns and had a one-on-one teacher's aide. I didnt think it was necessary that she was labelled as "gross motor delayed" becuase she couldnt jump 18" with both feet together, landing with both feet together. Heck, I dont know that I could do that or that she was "fine motor delayed" because she couldnt cut within a half and inch of a line in a smooth continuous motion around a circle. Who makes up these tests? Anyway, I know Julia and agree that if anything she could use more work on her gross motor skills but language delay? Give me a break, she tells me the difference between a cheetah and a jaguar.
-My fathe moved into the basement with us whenever he is on shift (10 on, 4 off, how's that fpr a terrible shift?) and it is actually not bad. We get a minivan out of the deal so no complaining here!
-We are starting to save our pennies for a house back in Edmonton. Now that housing prices have skyrocketed there, I am not sure that we will be able to upgrade our house down there as originally planned when we first bought real estate here.
I am looking forward to 2007, even as I know that there will be many more challenges that will face us. I am excited and freaked out, just the way any adventure should begin.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Monday, December 25, 2006
Christmas Day Excitement!
Well after a bit of a tussle with stockings and the idea of shifting traditions around now that we are in our own house for the first time for Christmas since we have been together (Prince George being the only blip in the 8 year run), we have things squared mostly away.
It was a bit off to talk about how Christmas was going to go, since we are so close to how we used to celebrate (being in the same town and all) but not being in the same place to wake up in, not knowing where to hang stockings and who was going to fill them once they were hung!
After much discussion, some grumbling, some hormonal teary eyes and some back and forths, Christmas settled into a nice groove. 
The kids slept until 11am, having been up partying with their cousins at the traditional shingding the night before, and then got up to open their stockings. Elena was so enamoured with the toothbrush at the top of her stocking, she wouldnt open anything else for at least 10 minutes!
Julia, on the other hand, was so into things she didnt know where to look next, but soon got into the groove of opening, admiring what she got and then moving on
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
The Worst Doctor's Appointment Ever
So after my little incident and being told to keep off my feet for a bit, to relax and not stress out, I made a follow-up appointment with my doctor. Only she was booked up and referred me instead to her colleague who works in the same office. This would have been OK if he hadnt been the biggest jerk to walk to planet.
When I was put into the examining room, his first question was "Well, what's the matter with you?" And when I explained what had happened, and that I had had 5 continuous days of headaches, his response was that I was being hysterical and that headaches were part of pregnancy so I would just have to learn to deal with them for the duration of my pregnancy. I stared at him in disbelief. He looked totally nonchalant, and proceeded to tell me that insurance companies didnt like for doctor's to approve people going on sick leave during maternity so I shouldnt ask.
I looked at him like he had grown three heads, I hadnt asked to be put on early leave, I asked whether I should be concerned with 5 days of headaches that Tylenol couldnt do anything for. When I explained that the headaches were combined with dizzy spells (spells severe enough that I would have to pull over while driving or else risk driving off the road) and that in my past pregnancy I was advised not to drive after the 5th month due to similar problems with dizziness and wanted to know if I should be concerned about the fact that they seemed to be getting worse not better.
He reiterated that I was concerned about nothing, that pregnanct women sometimes get dizzy and then got up to leave! I asked if there wasnt ANYTHING I could do--lie, down, elevate my feet, anything?!--and he replied, "Well, only you would know how to make it better for yourself. If sitting down doesnt work, try something else" I shook my head in disbelief at this guy. If I knew how to treat myself, why would I waste my time going to a doctor at all? So I called him on it, having sat there long enough feeling like a sheer idiot. "Well, since I came looking for a medical opinion about the headaches, can you please suggest something?" He scribbled out a requisition for some blood work and said, "There, you can have some blood taken."
So then, because I had just finished the round of antibiotics from the hospital for the UTI they had found during my visit to the ER, I asked if the lab results had been sent to the doctor's office because, silly me, I thought maybe all my prenatal records should be comprehensive. He heaved a sigh, because he had already gotten up to leave, huffed back to the desk and punched in some data. "Nope, nothing was sent" "Well, could you make a note of it in my record that I had a UTI diagnosed and treated this pregnancy, please? I understand hat having one makes me prone that having more?" "Well yeah but *you* know so isn't that enough?" And with that, he left the room.
I was so frustrated and angry I couldnt see straight for several moments. I had to brace myself to go out into public, to go back to school to teach my classes. I was so disgusted with the whole medical system in Fort Mac--crazy wait times, lack of second opinions, "One problem per appointment only", 6 minutes in and out policies, the list goes on. I know that there is a shortage of doctors and nurses, but this is a bit ridiculous.
As for the headaches, they continue to come and go. The dizziness is the same but school is out soon and hopefully a few weeks of vacation and downtime will help.
When I was put into the examining room, his first question was "Well, what's the matter with you?" And when I explained what had happened, and that I had had 5 continuous days of headaches, his response was that I was being hysterical and that headaches were part of pregnancy so I would just have to learn to deal with them for the duration of my pregnancy. I stared at him in disbelief. He looked totally nonchalant, and proceeded to tell me that insurance companies didnt like for doctor's to approve people going on sick leave during maternity so I shouldnt ask.
I looked at him like he had grown three heads, I hadnt asked to be put on early leave, I asked whether I should be concerned with 5 days of headaches that Tylenol couldnt do anything for. When I explained that the headaches were combined with dizzy spells (spells severe enough that I would have to pull over while driving or else risk driving off the road) and that in my past pregnancy I was advised not to drive after the 5th month due to similar problems with dizziness and wanted to know if I should be concerned about the fact that they seemed to be getting worse not better.
He reiterated that I was concerned about nothing, that pregnanct women sometimes get dizzy and then got up to leave! I asked if there wasnt ANYTHING I could do--lie, down, elevate my feet, anything?!--and he replied, "Well, only you would know how to make it better for yourself. If sitting down doesnt work, try something else" I shook my head in disbelief at this guy. If I knew how to treat myself, why would I waste my time going to a doctor at all? So I called him on it, having sat there long enough feeling like a sheer idiot. "Well, since I came looking for a medical opinion about the headaches, can you please suggest something?" He scribbled out a requisition for some blood work and said, "There, you can have some blood taken."
So then, because I had just finished the round of antibiotics from the hospital for the UTI they had found during my visit to the ER, I asked if the lab results had been sent to the doctor's office because, silly me, I thought maybe all my prenatal records should be comprehensive. He heaved a sigh, because he had already gotten up to leave, huffed back to the desk and punched in some data. "Nope, nothing was sent" "Well, could you make a note of it in my record that I had a UTI diagnosed and treated this pregnancy, please? I understand hat having one makes me prone that having more?" "Well yeah but *you* know so isn't that enough?" And with that, he left the room.
I was so frustrated and angry I couldnt see straight for several moments. I had to brace myself to go out into public, to go back to school to teach my classes. I was so disgusted with the whole medical system in Fort Mac--crazy wait times, lack of second opinions, "One problem per appointment only", 6 minutes in and out policies, the list goes on. I know that there is a shortage of doctors and nurses, but this is a bit ridiculous.
As for the headaches, they continue to come and go. The dizziness is the same but school is out soon and hopefully a few weeks of vacation and downtime will help.
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Christmas is Coming!! and Pregnant Adventure #1
My Santa GirlsWell, it's almost that time of year again. I am surrounded with surprises I have to keep hidden for the next few weeks and the girls already super curious already. What on earth am I going to do when they start *looking* for gifts hidden around? Gah. On the upside, I am 99% done the shopping and we havent really gone too far overboard in terms of expenses and unintentional gift buying. I have a few people left and some packages to figure out how they are going to make it to their intended recipients but otherwise, I actually have this Christmas thing under control.
Which is good, since some other things have stumbled a bit. Before anyone panics, the baby is fine. FINE. I heard the heartbeat yesterday and it is a merry 155 bpm. Sure the nurse was a bit incompetent while looking for it, but hey, while she was looking close to my chest area for the heartbeat, at least I got some peace of mind that there really is only ONE baby in there. Yeah I am feeling a bit unsure about what happned exactly but I am confident now that I only have one baby swimming around now. Speculation can now run rampant about what on earth I was feeling before but speculation is all that it can remain.
On Friday, I was putting up lights. Yeah yeah, spare me the lecture, there are enough people chorusing around me to knowck me into next week should anything more stupid enter my hear. But it was a nice day. And the lights were so tempting. And the ladder was so little. And I only slipped a little. One step. OK maybe two but not more than that! And I didnt land on my belly or face down in the gutter , I just skinned my knee! But then people started asking me in puzzled bewilderment why my belly seemed like it was *shrinking*. I was literally getting smaller within about a day. And, um, the little flutters I was feeling werent really there anymore. But I only skinned my knee! I didnt fall down, I swear! I just skidded a bit off the step!
I got my ass hauled down to the ER and they checked me. I wasnt bleeding, I wasnt losing amniotic fluid, I had mild cramps that were (and will remain) round ligament pains. I did end up showing a UTI, which sucks, but otherwise, I am fine. And the baby is fine.
And the doctor said that as long as I took it easy, didnt get worse or shrink more, and didnt lift anything heavy (including :( Elena) he wouldnt put me on bedrest. Since then, with my smaller belly, I havent felt kicking other than where the doctor said my fundus should be and all the other movement and kicking I felt in other funny places has stopped. So. I am trying not to think about it because the idea of twins never really existed in the first place, but there it is.
Did I mention that the baby is fine? And I have been solidly reamed out by everyone and their dog so yes, I feel guilty about being stupid. But I honestly didnt think that I was in any danger. Or that what I was doing was anymore dangerous than, say, carrying a squirming 2 year old out to the minivan on the slippery driveway. I know, I know, knock it off.
That was my adventurous weekend. I'll stick to gift wrapping, I guess, from here on in.
16 weeks vs 12 weeks What do you think? Noticeably smaller?
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