Thursday, June 30, 2011

First meeting with the OT...

Today was our first meeting with Pierce's OT. She was amazing! I am so tired of dragging Pierce from place to place, looking for information, answers, or even just someone to listen to our concerns. She did all of this, finally!

Her name is Michelle, and Pierce clicked instantly with her, which is all I can ask. She said that she feels that while he is on the mild end of sensitivity, there are obviously some regulating issues for him.

She seems to be really well educated in the eating sensitivities, and had lots of suggestions for kid's with low muscle tone in their faces and cheeks. One thing that we are going to try right away is stimulating Pierce's cheeks with tapping before he sits down to eat.

We also talked about some of his other anxieties, like the foam soap, shampoos and lotion, and she agreed with me about being careful not to push him. It was a breath of fresh air to talk to someone who didn't look at me like I was creating these issues myself.

We are going to try some of the strategies she suggested for 6 weeks, and then meet with her again close to his birthday to see where we need to go from there. I am hoping in the meantime we get some answers from the respiratory clinic, and that our Dr. will refer us for more of the allergy testing.

It feels so good to not feel crazy!

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Playtime

"Mommy, let's pretend you're my servant, ok? I'm a princess, and you do all my cooking and cleaning. Oh, and you carry me everywhere so I don't get my shoes dirty. Oh, and you wash my clothes, and fix stuff when I break it. Ok, Mommy, let's start now!"

Yes Liv, I would love to play REAL LIFE with you. It would be a lovely break from what I do, day after day.

Alyvia- Creating Awkward Situations Since 2006.

I thought Liv's gibberish spelling was cute at first.

"Pierce, you are M-R-P-S-T-N...that spells amazing!"
Until today.
"Mom, I think you need a P-A-P"...
...
Of all the letter combinations, she had to use that to spell coffee? The poor cashier looked like he couldn't choose between dying on the spot or vomiting.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

This kid is all kinds of adorable.


*Ignore the laundry in the background. That rocking chair also serves as a laundry basket.

Monday, June 20, 2011

26 Things That Make Me Smile on My 26th Birthday.

1. Cody. I could not have married a better man. He's here when I need him, works harder than anyone I know, and takes better care of us than I ever could have imagined

2. LivBug. When she isn't teasing me, talking back or causing bodily harm, she is lighting up my life. Everyday I smile at her amazing personality.

3. Pierce Man. What's not to love? This kid is his Daddy in a smaller package, so he is my kind of guy. He doesn't talk much, but what he does say makes me smile EVERY time.

4. My parents. Not every girl gets the kind of help and love at 26 years old that I do from my Mom and Dad. I smile everytime I watch my kids with them, and appreciate everything they do for me.

5. The rest of our family! My kids have an abundance of people who love and care about them, and I smile everytime a goofy uncle plays hockey with them, or an Aunt reads them stories.

6. Coffee. More specifically, Java Jive's Medium Iced, Half Sweet, Low Fat Vanilla Latte. Oh, and the fact that it is called a "Hannah".

7. My truck. I know, nobody wants to admit material things make them happy, but that was the best gift my husband ever bought me. And these days, when van shopping seems imminent, I smile just a little more everytime I hop into it.

8. Polka Dots and Zebra Print. Not together, obviously. But both of these things make me happy.

9. Friends. I have so many. I don't know how it happened, but I may have created my own "In-Crowd". They all love me, listen to me, and laugh with me, and really, what could be better than that?

10. Micheal Buble, Jack Johnson and Kesha. I have no limits to my taste in music...or maybe just no taste, but loud music in a car on a hot day makes my cheeks hurt. I love it.

11. My kid's giggles. I know I already used them, but this is specific to the identical laughs they have. When they both get going, I can't help but join in.

12. Salt and Vineger Chips. This is the one thing Weight Watchers and I disagree on. They have to be good for me, they make me so happy.

13. The movie theatre. This is the whole experience. Loud shows, popcorn and Iced tea.I love it.

14. Shopping. Just in general.

15. A really good deal. Like finding something you have been wanting on 50% off. I think that makes everyone smile though

16. Family Pictures. I love getting pictures done of us all together. Everyone that comes into my house comments on how many photographs hang on the walls. In 5 years, this family has some pretty special moments to look back on.

17. Size 6. This is the first time in YEARS that I have been able to buy things in a size 6. Everytime I do, something inside me is proud of the hard work I have put in.

18. Oprah. I miss her.

19. Snuggling babies. Especially my own. I am generally a very hands off person (to my husband's disappointment) but holding a warm, clean baby does something to me I can't explain.

20. A positive pregnancy test. Now, before we get all ahead of ourselves, this is not an announcement. I just love the feeling you get when you realize you instinctively already knew what the test is now telling you.

21. Checking the mail. It's something I thought I would outgrow as I started receiving more bills with my name on it, but I love walking to the mailbox and checking for surprises. This is something Liv and I love to do together.

22. Hot Showers. Like, so hot my skin tingles. Cody and I can't shower together because I like the burn and he is a wimp.

23. Gardens. I hate digging in the dirt, weeding, remembering to water and everything that comes with gardening, but I love to sit in a quiet garden and drink iced tea. Thank God I have a mom that likes to do all of the above mentioned chores.

24. Grey's Anatomy. It's dirty, sexy and one hour of my life that I cherish. This may change when Patrick Dempsey moves on.

25. Having a clean house, or catching up on laundry. It's rare, but I am sure to appreciate when it happens.

26. Facebook. It's another guilty pleasure but it has also been my connection to the outside world for the last few years when I feel like I am trapped inside my house with 2 screaming monsters and a headache.

I thought 26 things might be hard, but I think I could probably do 100 more. I am trying hard everyday to appreciate the things I have, because truth be told, I am one blessed girl. Happy Birthday to me.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Don't be a Drag, Just be a Queen.



I had no idea that my daughter was going to be an exact replica of myself. But, holy shit, am I ever glad she is. Style points for both of us. I love this kid.

Head Banging

Only at my house would the timing work out for Liv to open a drawer the same second I flip my head over to blow dry my hair. I must have killed somebody in a past life, and my children are my karma.