Other blog...

For those of you who DON'T know, I have another blog that I update more frequently than this one. It's over at mommakate2032.blogspot.com so if you haven't seen anything up here, it's because I'm using that one. Pop on over to see Halloween costumes the girls tried on yesterday...

Videos

Hey all, some videos for you to enjoy...

Since I'm being lazy, pop on over to my other blog to see them.

Momma Kate's Ramblings

Enjoy!

We may be all right

I finally got a call back from the pediatrician.

After fretting ALLLLLL damn weekend, not sure what the heck his partner had said on Friday and not getting a call back from him. Worrying over what turns out NOT TO BE THE CASE.

He said he looked at the CT report and the fluid is around the outside, (outside being KEY) and he said that means it should go away on its own. We still have to go see a neurologist for more information and closer monitoring. And we are changing pediatricians since I can't believe they couldn't take one minute out of their day on Friday to make this clear for us. We were beside ourselves all weekend.

We can still use prayers and thoughts, since it still has to GO away on its own, not get worse. Thank you to all of you who kept Evie in your thoughts over the weekend. We appreciate it!

I'm nearly positive we have more CT scans, maybe even an MRI in the future, depending on what the neuro says when we see him or her (I'm hoping for a her for once...) Best case, we go in and they look at the first scan and say, keep an eye of out "this, this or this" and if you don't see anything like that, we'll see you in 6 months. Perhaps measure ourselves in the meantime, whatever, I'm a pro at measuring from NICU.

I think that's all for now. By the end of the week we should have the girls' medical records in hand to deliver to our new pediatricians, who were the ones who my brother and I saw as children. Let's hope they show a little more regard for our feelings and more care for the children.

Not so good news

The CT scan was easy as pie. Thankful for that.

But the results showed there is excess fluid. I'm trying to get a confirmation that it is OUTSIDE or AROUND the brain, not inside, which is the worse of the two. Doctors take forever and a day to call back. If they haven't gone home already. We go back to ped on Tuesday to "talk" and have to go to a neurologist for a consultation. We can expect more CT scans in the future. And the likilhood they'll be as easy as this one? Don't know. There was no contrast for this one.

First momos, then the debacle with Lily in NICU and now this. I thought we were finished and could go on and be happy and normal, but NO, not us. I'm so very ready to get goods news right now. I just want this stupid fluid to GO AWAY on its own. I don't care how, evaporate, drain, whatever, but GO AWAY. If it's around the outside, supposedly it can. But he head has gotten bigger each measurement. So whether that means the fluid has increased or not, I don't nkow. I suppose we'll be needing CT scans on a schedule to determine that. I HATE THIS. Simple as that.

I'm pretty sure the doctor said it was around, so we aren't the worst case scenario. I was so hoping that it was just a big head, like so many of our relatives have. I suppose i was hoping we would have dimo twins to, but that never happened, I shouldn't be that surprised.

Prayers are greatly, greatly appreciated.

Big Head Brigade

Well, it seems Evie has joined the big head brigade. At the girls' 15-month check up, the doctor charted her head size and it is off the charts again so he ordered a CT scan, which is scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday. Then he proceeded to explain the areas that COULD have retained water, if it is a water retention problem, and which one would be left alone and disappear on its own and which one would require surgery.

Decidedly not the type of thing to tell ME.

I understand that they have to, but still...

So we somehow have to get an over-active 15-month-old to remain sleeping in a strange place, this big machine thingy all around her, for 10 minutes. So not possible unless we drug her...

The doctor said to keep her awake for 4 hours before and give her Benedryl. I'll give it a shot, but I don't see Evie, who walks everywhere and never stops moving, being still without help. (I get that they can strap them there, but still, that would mean still but screaming brains out instead...)

Here's crossing our fingers she "just has a big head." More on Friday...I hope. Depends on how fast CMH reads the thing.

N.C., Florida and a milestone

Long time no update! Been busy. We drove down to North Carolina to visit Eric's cousin Michael and his family, Chris, Audrey and David, down in Winston-Salem. We all had a great time playing with the kids and the girls got to try a bunch of new foods -- including shrimp gumbo. Evie got her first split lip when she toppled over and smacked into an armchair, but she weathered it well. Here she is fast asleep a few minutes after she did it...



Lily had a GREAT time in the playroom, and here she is living it up there... (those are audrey's legs behind her!)



After N.C. we trekked down to Florida to visit my parents in Fort Myers. The girls had a good time with their grandparents. They got to play with bubbles (in Evie's case, EAT them in this picture...)



They also went to the beach...



And Evie wasn't keen on the wet sand on her knees when she crawled off the towel! She has a sort of "ugh" look on her face!!!



And for some fun the girls each tried on Grandma's old wig that she doesn't use anymore. At least I don't THINK she does...



They also got to visit our old favorite restaurant, which we won't be going back to since it has changed owners and is no longer worth the money or the hassle of going there. So here we are for the last time at Wahoo Willies on Fort Myers Beach.



When we get the pictures, we'll have to put them up, but the girls also went to visit their great-grandmother, my Aunt Kathy and Aunt Eileen, cousins Lauren and Shannon; visited the Calusa Nature Center again; and went to visit Mildred and Dolly again.

The MILESTONE I mentioned. BOTH girls can now take about 6 steps on their own! Lily went from NOTHING to doing that tonight! What a birthday present, huh? I turned 26 yesterday, so that is a great present for me!

Until next time, enjoy the pictures!!!!

"Kitten"

Long time since I have REALLY updated, so here's a cute thing for you.

Many who own cats have probably found them with a bird or mouse dangling from their mouths, calmly waiting to be let into the house (*ya-right, not happening) or prancing around with their catch.

Well, meet OUR new kitten -- as she was dubbed by Eric:

Evie has taken to carrying things around in her mouth. Just like a kitten would do! So far I've found the two pictures, a little bird she carries around by the tail feathers, stuffed babydolls, stuffed butterflies, teething toys, anything she has the jaw power to carry. It's rather cute actually.

BUT on the flip-side. I have removed all kinds of paper, plastic, bits of STUFF I can't identify from its resting place in the roof of her mouth. Yup, the other day she was EATING andI got to the fifth spoon full and noticed something peeking out her mouth. YEH, she was storing it up thereto chew after her meal or something.

Thank goodness Lily doesn't have a chew/dangle-things-from-mouth fetish too or I'd be totally grey by now.

So Lily doesn't feel left out, here is a Lily-bad-hair-day photo (she was REALLY grumpy and just woke up):