Coming to terms...

The past few days have been a rollercoaster ride of emotions, to say the least. I consider myself to be a very strong and courageous person, who can usually overcome any obstacle that gets in the way. My strength and courage must have been tested too heavily this past month, leaving me feeling very raw and exposed. As it always proves true in my life, when it rains, it pours. I find myself sitting here, getting more and more agitated and provoked. Simple noises are grating on my nerves, I have turned the volume down really low on the television and I seem to develop a nervous twitch when a loud car goes past. Some of this could be the result of a rough night with minimal sleep last night, agreed. I also find, when under alot of stress, I tend to become very edgy. The phone ringing is the worst thing. It has been ringing all day. Yes, I could easily silence the ringer, but it's not quite possible when it could be dad or Grams calling. So, I or Andy quickly hit the off button when it rings, so it doesn't grate on my nerves too much.

This really sounds like I'm just crabby or cranky, I agree, but Liam was having a day all on his own. His teeth are stubborn, and his gums look so painfully sore. I feel for the little guy... We kept him busy today though. Went to the weight loss clinic this morning. Andy lost 4.5 pounds (way to go) and due to alot of fast food, I gained 1.2 pounds. I had a feeling I would, so it wasn't a huge surprise. We went for our treat lunch at the gourmet hot dog place, visited with the owners--we were going there even before I had Liam, and they have seen Liam since he was basically a newborn. They're like his adopted grandparents.

Went to Confederation Park tonight for a walk and to take pictures. I have been having a blast taking gorgeous pics of Liam. We did the same thing last night, after having dinner and doing some shopping at Deerfoot Mall. He also went for his first ride on a little carousel last night. $6 later, he was having a blast, but to get him off of it, oh my! I see why some parents tell their children that the ride is broken!

Going to see Dad tomorrow morning. Bringing him cheese, salami and olives, as well as leftover ham dinner. He is starting to get tired of the food there--personally I don't blame him! It would get boring after awhile. They have him doing some painting on some planter boxes there, so he isn't going as stir crazy.

Am trying to find Liam a playgroup. Will make some more calls tomorrow to figure a few more places out. And Manda and I are trying to work out some coffee and play dates--gets us all out and about, and keeps the kids happy. I am also trying to teach Liam social skills and how to adapt to different situations, as well as maintaining the schedule that we have worked so hard on the past few weeks. Teething sometimes messes it up, but usually it's like clockwork with him!

Andy's birthday is coming up on Saturday and Liam's on Tuesday. Can't believe how fast the year has gone!

Should run, am going to read some of "Pride and Prejudice" so I can sort of look like I know what I am talking about at Manda's book club! It's very good so far, definitely enjoy the writing style as well as the moderated usage of wry humour. Cheers!

Catching up.

It's been a little while since I last blogged. It has also been very hectic the past few weeks. But I shall try to get everyone caught up on our happenings since the last blog. Here goes...

We had part one of Liam's birthday celebrations on Thursday. We did it early, so that everyone we care about would be able to celebrate with us. We had a full house, fired up the bbq, and had a great time. Liam learned how to open presents, with help of course. He wouldn't eat and cake or ice cream, but he did say the word "cake", which was adorable. And we had a beautiful cake, in the shape of a turtle, done by Andy's dad. Thank you again Mr. H, it was a hit!! We will be having the big family party later on, once dad is out and on the mend.

(1) The gorgeous turtle cake (2) Liam opening presents

The people we wanted there were Tina, Alex and Shelby. They live next to my parents, and over the years, we have all become very close. Tina made the final decision after giving many chances, to leave her husband. I know it was a tough decision, but she needed to do what was best for the kids, so she is moving them out to BC to live with her parents. They need a fresh start and need the support of family and friends. It wasn't an easy decision for her, but she couldn't keep living her life like she was. We all went up to see dad last night so he could say goodbye to the kids, and it it was heartbreaking. Alex, who is the sweetest little boy, told my dad that he wants his legs better soon, and gave him hugs and kisses. My dad broke down, which broke my heart. He is going to miss them dearly, especially Alex, as they had become good buddies. My mom and I said more goodbyes today, which left us all balling our eyes out on the front step. I know that it is what's best for the kids, and for her. She is a strong, passionate and amazing mother, who deserves nothing but the best. It's an honour to call her not only a neighbour, but a friend, and we will definitely be doing a trip to BC to see them in the spring. May she continue on with the same strength, courage and passion in this new chapter in her life. And may her little ones remain as adorable as ever.

(1)Liam with Alex and Shelby (2) Miss Shelby--very proud of this picture.

Dad is in the therapy/rehab centre. As of Tuesday coming up, it will be a month since the accident. It is definitely getting harder and harder to leave him after visiting. It hurts to see him in there, and I feel absolutely helpless. It will be another 5-6 weeks in there. They have been doing treatments on the skin on his foot, and he has another one on Monday. They are not the most pleasant, but it will speed up healing. The infection that was in his foot did set him back by 2 weeks, but he's strong and will pull through all of this. He has a long road ahead of him, but we'll be there every step of the way (that sounds like a bad pun). Plus, all the rest of the people there get a kick out of Liam and I, and we seem to make their day a little brighter. Mom, Liam and I are going tomorrow night to have supper with Dad, which is always alot of fun, plus the food is really good. Alot better than regular hospital food anyways.

My dad with Liam--the highlight of his day

That is pretty much all the updates for now. I'm exhausted and need to get some sleep. Cheers all!

The Big Chop

I cut off my hair a few days ago. Well, I didn't personally, a hairstylist did. I went from having hair half-way down my back to 2 inches long. It's spikey in the back, I love it! I haven't had it this short in over 2 years! That's the big news. I thought it was time for a change. With all of the chaos in my life, I needed something different, some form of positive change. It worked in a sense. I love the possibilities it gives me!

Dad is doing better. They put him on antibiotics for his foot though, as it was getting red and icky--the best and only way to describe it nicely. I've seen it, and for someone who can handle anything, it was, well, icky! But his mood and attitude are getting back to normal, so that is definitely an improvement. He gives the nurses and other patients a hard time, definitely like him...

Have been up to the hospital every day with Liam to visit. Liam seems to be his favorite visitor, and he has enough strength now to lift him which helps his arms alot.

Have been trying to get all my cleaning and laundry caught up on, but with all the stress lately, my MS has been flaring up, so it's been tricky. Got more pain meds though, so at least I have options. And instead of pushing myself, I have been giving myself down time when I need it.

Tomorrow we're going for dinner at my mom's, with my aunt and uncle, cousins and Grandma, and Dad will have leftovers on Monday when we go to visit.

Should run though, Liam is having a good sleep for now. His teeth have been getting him alot, so it's been up and down...

Night all!

In The Blink Of An Eye...

...life can change dramatically. It can leave us reeling, raw, emotionally drained, scared and altered. In the blink of an eye one horrifying event has altered our current paths in life. On Tuesday, my dad had an accident at work. He was painting on the roof of a very large house, the ladder skidded out from under him and he fell. He fell off the roof, hit a lower roof, then hit the cement driveway. We got the horrible news from his customers, who weren't home at the time. I had just gotten home and gotten Liam down for his nap, and my mom called. I thought this was odd, as she tried both numbers, even though I had just left her place not even an hour prior. She said "Melissa? You have to come get me. Dad broke his ankle." What is usually a 20 minute drive took me a mere 8 minutes, and I ran into her house. She informed me that Dad had fallen off the roof and we had to get to the hospital. He works alone, and his customers were not home. Thankfully it happened in the front of the house, so there were people walking past that got help. He was rushed to hospital, and taken straight to trauma.

When we arrived we saw him. First off, he was green from head to toe from the paint that went with him. He saw us and started crying. They had already put him under once to work on his foot, and were doing numerous tests, x-rays, ultrasounds, and ct scans.

Skipping forward. He dislocated the bones in his left foot, as well as tearing tendons and ligaments. The bones did exit his foot, and he has had surgery on it already. His right leg is broken, he broke the tibia bone. He has had a surgery on it as well, and there are pins and rods etc.

He will be in hospital for quite awhile, followed by alot of rehab and physio. His spirits are good, and not relying on heavy painkillers now. He loves visitors, so we make sure that we are up there as much as possible. We are exhausted and stressed, as well as concerned for the future.

The main point is he is alive. Apparently, when he fell, the 2nd roof slowed his fall, and when he hit the driveway, his head landed on a small patch of grass. Yes, he has a long road ahead of him, but he at least has a road...

Please keep him in your thoughts. And thank you to everyone for visiting and all of your support. It definitely keeps him going!!

Onward... Liam has had a few rough days. He is working on 4 teeth, which is causing his moods and tummy to be off kilter. We had a rough night last night, and the day was tough. Not alot of sleep, and my MS is flaring up very badly among other problems. I'm going to try to get more sleep tonight, and take it easy tomorrow, probably stick around home quite a bit. Am going to try to get a doctor's appointment for Liam and I tomorrow, just to get everything checked out. I also need a new prescription for some MS pain meds, as last night was almost unbearable.

Weigh in went well last Monday. Andy lost 5 pounds, and I lost 4.2 pounds! He is down by 73.5 and I am down 25--70 total since I had Liam though.

Should get some sleep though! Night all!

I'm A Lobster....Pass The Butter Please!

Liam is officially a starfish now. He finished his lessons on Friday, and passed with flying colors! I am so proud of my little fish, and so was the teacher. He absolutely loves the water and kicks his little legs like crazy! We felt bad that swimming lessons were over, so we went to Cardel on Saturday afternoon to get some more swim time in. We had an excellent time. Stayed in the water for an hour, watched Liam crawl through the wading pool, went through the swirly river thingy (note: Liam does NOT like life jackets), and splashed around.

On Sunday my parents picked Liam and I up, and off we went. We headed to the Saskatoon Farm by Okotoks, checked out the plants, Daisy the big, and the store. It is an amazing garden centre/berry picking farm, and we really enjoyed it. We then headed into Okotoks to have lunch, then on to Black Diamond, Turner Valley, and Priddis. We then made our way back to Calgary, and stopped at our landlords house to pay the rent. She is a very sweet woman; made us excellent coffee and had goodies galore. Liam really liked her and loved her backyard with all the trees.

Went to get my eyebrows waxed with Mom on Monday, then took Liam to play at her house. Tuesday was more visiting at my parents place, and out for coffee with Grandma and Liam.

And today we went to Heritage Park. We took Liam on his first boat ride, went all through the trains, saw the animals, hit up the bakery, and had a wonderful day. Liam absolutely loved it, and next time we will definitely do a train ride. Then we went and saw my parents tonight and played on his swing.

Tomorrow we are off to Bowness park with Amanda, Aidan and Emma. We are going to go to the wading pool, spray park and playground, and have a picnic lunch. Should be fun, and Liam gets to play in the water.

Friday Liam is getting his immunization shots, so we will see how he is. We do need to do grocery shopping, but that's about it. And Saturday we are going to the park with my Grandma and her doggy for a walk.

Should run though, need to get some sleep, and hopefully keep Liam down for the night... And he's awake....s

He drank up all the water..

Went for Liam's fourth swim lesson today. Andy got to see the little fish in action, and even videotaped it! He needs to do some editing on all the clips, then I will post it on here for sure. Liam started his day off tired, but still had blast in the water. He didn't sleep good last night, even threw up, due to guzzling his bottle. After swimming, he fell asleep in the car as we ran around doing a few errands, and woke up when we got home. He hadn't slept en0ugh, so he wasn't the happiest. Andy cleaned the fish tank, and we took Liam for a walk. First to the chinese market, then to the drug store, then down to Rotary park, where we witnessed a near drowning in the wading pool, due to a mother's carelessness. She let her 1 1/2 year old play in the wading pool by himself, while her and a friend were a good 10-15 feet away, gabbing. We thought he was just playing and dunking himself in the water, apparently he was struggling in the water, and couldn't get his head above the water. She rushed in and pulled him out thankfully, but can we say "stupid"? Or irresponsible? He was a couple inches taller than Liam and the water was up to about his chest. She should have been in the water with him! Nonetheless, he was saved....

We walked around the park area, then around all the side streets, laughing as Liam giggled at the trees. We had a great time, and tomorrow will do another huge walk.

Went to mom and dad's tonight, so they could show Liam his new swing. He absolutely loved, was going hysterical with laughter in it.

Should run though, need to switch our swim stuff to the dryer, and get to sleep. 4 hours last night just didn't cut it. And tomorrow is Liam's last swim lesson, and he should get his starfish badge. Saturday we are going to Cardel to swim. They apparently do a parent/tot swim program in the fall that is inexpensive, so will definitely take advantage of that, and probably meet Amanda out there. Night all... my eyes are too heavy to hold up...

He Must Have Been A Fish In A Past Life

Liam with Mommy at the park

Liam had a busy day today. He had a huge breakfast--his favorite right now is oatmeal with apples, peaches and bananas. It's from an organic company--yes, he prefers the organic baby food. Now, I don't blame him. I have tried some of the baby food, and read the huge lists of ingredients. Some of it tastes disgusting, I'll admit it. Some of the ingredients, such as spices, lentils (yeah, that's give them to a gas prone baby), lemon juice, chicken fat (yes, it's in a few of them), are truly not necessary to an immature palette. The organic products at least have simple ingredients and taste good. And they agree with him, that is the big plus!

After breakfast, I got him dressed in his adorable swimming outfit. My mom bought him matching swim trunks and a swim shirt, both of which have UV protection built into the fabric. He knew something was going to happen, and was excited as soon as we got in the car. As we got closer to the pool, I told him he was going to play in the water, and he squealed. We got into the pool, and he turned into a little fish, blew a few bubbles in the water-granted he choked a bit, but he didn't cry at all. The teacher was sooo proud of him! And we are the only ones in the class, which works out well. He had an absolute blast, and wanted to stay in after the lesson was over. My mom took a couple of pictures, and will take lots more tomorrow, so they will be posted in the next few days. We went to McDonalds after for lunch, and he fell asleep on the way home. The swimming must have wiped him out, as he napped for 3 hours!

Liam with Grandpa P.

Tonight we went walking around the neighbourhood with my parents, and down to Rotary park, where we played at the playground. Liam loves the swings and the teeter totters, and watching other kids play.

Liam loves the swings!

Tomorrow it's back for more swimming. Can't wait! Next Wednesday, I have booked a trial class at Gymboree for us. It's good that they offer a free class, then we can see if we want to register for more classes. I want Liam to experience as much as possible.

Should run though. Need to get back to my cleaning and baby proofing. Night!