Year's End

I'm trying to think more about the lessons I've learned in 2011 before we close out the year and begin anew.  So often I rush from one doctor appointment to one therapy session or another thinking that the old saying "keep busy" will be enough of a distraction to avoid the reality.   I've only really stopped a few times to let it sink in.  What has this year's experiences meant? It's still evolving.

Upon reflection, it's meant strength and perseverance.  I've been afforded new opportunities to become inspired by some awesome, amazing people. And knowing that LJ's smiles and bright eyes illuminate everyone's day.  And the boys' laughter- especially Nate's belly laughs- could carry me through a hundred more years.  And the gains and strides all around.  My how we've grown.  It has actually been such a great year!  We have taken in the sights, sounds and smells of victory.  We have made a lot of progress this year.

We're ringing in the new year with friends and their families, yummy food and games! We are refueling in order to start strong in 2012.  See you around the corner + may you have a happy, healthy new year!

 

Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.

~Hal Borland

Live In Joy

We Finally Did It!

Happy weekend it was indeed. The ole adage, "no news is good news" is right on.  LJ's EEG report was great.  "The EEG was normal but there was a substantial amount of motion artifact."  In English, all that means is that he was moving around a lot during the test so the results are not 100% positive.  However, on the quieter portions of the recording there were no abnormalities.  After waiting an entire week which seemed like cruel torture, this was the best, possible news to start our weekend.  Thank you to everyone for your support and encouraging words. Next step is to figure out what he really was allergic to that caused his reaction.  (Its a mystery because he didn't eat anything out of the ordinary).  But that's a lot of blood tests and I'm not sure either of us are ready to jump right into that quite yet.

And to cap off the weekend of good things,  I took my final for my teacher training on Saturday and there was a graduation ceremony yesterday for my fellow yoginis.  I am officially an RYT-  Registered Yoga Teacher!  It's bittersweet.  Emotionally, I feel excited and sad all at once.  This confusion stems from the fact that I don't want to let go of the moments and experiences I had during teacher training.  I feel so much more connected to myself. I became friends with 7 truly insightful, wonderful teachers. 

Transitions are always hard yet I look forward to the beginning of a new stage in my life.  I am truly grateful to all the great teachers I've studied with.  I will always remember this time in my life fondly.  Hhhmmm, now I'm off to figure out who I am as a teacher and where I see myself headed.  Good stuff.

Sidewalk Cracks

I am thinking about sidewalk cracks. If you live in a place where there are sidewalks you will walk across the cracks many times. And perhaps, once in awhile when you are not thinking about where you are going, or what he or she said, or how you wish things were different, you will notice that they are rarely empty.

The cracks, the broken parts of the well-laid path are in fact opportune gardens in which wildflowers take root.

: :   L a u r a   H eg f i e l d   : :

....still waiting to hear about LJ's EEG test results.  I've called twice, and emailed once.  They told me they allow 7 business days to read the test! The opthalmologist said his eyes look healthy.

72 Months of Nate

Six years ago today I became a mom. I will forever remember that day when we watched rad Warren Miller ski flicks during the down times of labor. Where life was perfectly happy and magical even under the guise of a good dose of pure, unequivocal, physical exhaustion.  That snowy, cold December day when the lovely Redskins were playing right during his birth.  {Someone (not to name any names) was a lil distracted.} When color and light danced around inside even when things turned grey outside. I still remember that first quiet moment after the scary and anxiety-filled decision was made for an urgent caesarian. He showed signs of distress and we were ushered quickly into the OR. Gratefully, I get to tell the stories of celebration, fall deeper in love with him and learn each and every day.  The recovery was far more intense than the labor.

I remember having to walk up our two story-walk-up backward in order to get to the restroom!  Somehow it was more comfortable to walk up the stairs backward then it was forward.  On second thought, I might like to experiment with that tactic when faced with future challenging times.  Looking back, it was absolutely a fitting way to prepare me for what was yet to come.  We must remember, we can't take anything for granted.  We are all too lucky to have this little legomaniac, candy-hoarding, Harry Potter-loving, back-up-dancer-extraordinaire, hot-dog-eating-machine little being in our lives who says endearing things like:

: :  Mommy, do you wanna get under the covers with me?  No honey, I'm ok.  Well, Mom, the fan is pretty good at making people cold...
: :  Get your feet under the covers and stay for awhile..
: :  Somebody poisoned the water hole!
: :  Hey Mom! I got a Christmas sock on Webkinz
: :  Wookies are good guys! Furrowed brow.  They're NOT Naughty.
: :  Oh, I love ducklings.  But how do they make them into those yummy little dumplings?


This little wee one who holds the Earth in his hands and walks around the candle six times.  He represents the Earth revolving around the Sun and the months of the years.  Just thought I'd share.  Love this lil man.  I am forever his.

Hijack Post!

Hello.  This is Nate and LJ's Dad (Jenn's husband).  I haven't posted here in some time, but I wanted to pass on some happy notes from a Saturday evening.  Jenn doesn't know I'm here.  (Sorry honey ;)

1)  LJ seems to be fine, at least for the moment.  We don't know what happened the other day, but he's back to being himself.  He had an EEG yesterday.  We don't have any results from that test yet, but his behavior over the last few days does not give reason for concern

2)  Jenn taught her first yoga class today.  She kicked A$$.  I'd like to use stronger words, but this is a family blog.  I was there.  She done good.  It was a full house and she had lots of supportive friends in the room.  I was proud (and sweaty and somewhat awkward trying to do yoga)

3) Jenn just caught me trying to post this.  She has now gone off to change LJ's dirty diaper (a mother's work is never done) and has made me promise that I will let her read it prior to posting.  She is probably upset that I said nice things about her yoga class.  We're proud of her, us boys.

Pain in the Brain

On Tuesday morning, I received a call from LJ's wonderful teacher, Ms. Julia.  She was concerned about him.  My heart pounded. She is the most capable person you'd ever want to leave your child with so when she says something's not right it was/is alarming. Cue the worry.

LJ pointed persistently at his head to tell them his head hurt.  He started voluntarily using his right hand for every task that was set forth refusing to use his preferred, more functional hand.  And then during snack, LJ turned bright red.  The teachers and therapists that were there, took him out of his chair and put him on the floor in a quieter area of the room.  He was listless and confused.  He could barely open his eyes and when they were squinting they could see the whites of his eyes were bright red and the pupils were very large. When I arrived at the school he was still really lethargic and disoriented.  But for the most part he had recovered.

We visited the pediatrician and afterward went home (armed with referrals) where LJ napped for several hours.  He really wasn't acting like himself the whole day.

There is a chance this episode was a seizure.  Its also possible he had an allergic reaction to something.  So we have an EEG scheduled for tomorrow afternoon at the neurologist's office to see whether this was a fluke or whether there is additional seizure activity.  We have an appointment on Monday with the pediatric opthalmologist since it was evident that LJ was feeling pressure behind his eyes.

All day yesterday, I had my phone attached to my hand...fearful of the chance that it could happen again.  (That and then speaking to the dr and then insurance and then the scheduler).  I am on it! Seizures aren't new to the scene; LJ had them right after birth.  He used to take Phenobarb when we first were discharged from our initial hospital stay.  But the seizures seemed to have stopped.  All this to say, there's never a dull moment around here.  Ugh!