Harry's doctor contacted him this morning with the findings from his MRI and ultrasound. The good news is his MRI came back clear. I'm extremely relieved. The not-so-good news is that the ultrasound shows a nodule on his thyroid. The doctor called it a colloid nodule, which means it's benign, but really, without a biopsy and more blood work down, she can't really know that. She wants to see Harry again in 3 weeks for a physical exam of his thyroid (you can sometimes feel the nodules) and a sit down to talk about and possibly find out what caused it in the first place. He's also going to have more blood work done in 2 weeks so they can go over that as well.
As much as I'd love to be good with just an exam and blood drawn, I'd feel better if he got a biopsy (which she's already hinted at). It's the only way to really be sure it's benign. They do a thin needle biopsy for it, done in a doctor's office with a local. They can do a scan, too, but since they've already done the ultrasound and can see it, I think the scan is overkill. So that's where we're at right now. I was so worried about the MRI that I didn't even think she'd find something on his thyroid. I'll admit it kind of took me by surprise. The idea of The Big C frightens me to know end, so I'm just going to think positive about all of this. I have to. Harry seems OK, so that's good. I have to be OK, too.
*****************************************************
And my results for the week... I'm down another 2.4 lbs for a total of 7 lbs in 3 weeks. I am very happy with that.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
My Goofy Kid
Ellie is a great sleeper. I realize how freakin' lucky I am with that. She needs huge amounts of sleep (like her mommy) and she sleeps heavy (like her daddy). It's a perfect combo, and I hope it sticks with her. A well-rested little girl equals a very happy little girl the next day. I'm all for that.
We had moved her to her big-girl bed (it's a toddler bed) back in December. We were so afraid the new freedom of that bed would be the death of us, but she surprised us by not only staying in bed once we put her in but actually remaining in bed even when she woke up and waiting for us to come get her. How awesome is my kid? Pretty awesome, I know.
That's all starting to change now. For the past few days, she's been getting out of bed a little while after we put her in to go get a book or toy or something. It's not a big deal, although bringing the magna doodle in there the other night was a bit much as it took up a 1/4 of the space of the bed, squishing her into the corner. Usually we hear her, we go in there, and we ask her to play quietly for a few minutes and go to sleep. And she complies.
2 nights ago, I heard her rummaging around over the monitor, so I went in to investigate. And there was no Ellie. She wasn't in bed, she wasn't wandering around the room. And yet, I could hear her. WTF? Where was she, you might ask? She was UNDER the bed, trying to get the blocks she had pushed under there the day before. It's a very small space, and it's completely dark in her room. I still can't believe she got herself under there. I got her out and put her to bed. And she went to sleep.
Last night, I was on my guard, listening intently to the monitor. I heard her talking to her baby dolls for a few minutes, but I didn't hear movement. Eventually she fell asleep. I always check on her before I go to bed, so around 10, I peaked my head in. What did I find? The girl was sleeping. On the floor. Next to the bed. Sigh.
I picked her up and put her back in bed. She opened her eyes and looked at me without fully waking up, then closed them and dozed off again quickly. I pulled the covers up over her, and when I went to get her this morning, she was in the same exact position I put her down in, the covers still over her. This kid sleeps like a log as long as she's comfortable.
So who knows what tonight will hold? Needless to say, I'm going to have to make another bed check before 10pm. Next I'll find her sleeping in one of her dresser drawers or something. My kid is such a goofball.
***************************************************************
Oh, and in case anyone is wondering... Harry had his MRI and ultrasound on Tuesday. The techs at the imaging place said the doc would get the results yesterday, but we haven't gotten a call yet. Harry tried to call yesterday to no avail. So we're still waiting.
We had moved her to her big-girl bed (it's a toddler bed) back in December. We were so afraid the new freedom of that bed would be the death of us, but she surprised us by not only staying in bed once we put her in but actually remaining in bed even when she woke up and waiting for us to come get her. How awesome is my kid? Pretty awesome, I know.
That's all starting to change now. For the past few days, she's been getting out of bed a little while after we put her in to go get a book or toy or something. It's not a big deal, although bringing the magna doodle in there the other night was a bit much as it took up a 1/4 of the space of the bed, squishing her into the corner. Usually we hear her, we go in there, and we ask her to play quietly for a few minutes and go to sleep. And she complies.
2 nights ago, I heard her rummaging around over the monitor, so I went in to investigate. And there was no Ellie. She wasn't in bed, she wasn't wandering around the room. And yet, I could hear her. WTF? Where was she, you might ask? She was UNDER the bed, trying to get the blocks she had pushed under there the day before. It's a very small space, and it's completely dark in her room. I still can't believe she got herself under there. I got her out and put her to bed. And she went to sleep.
Last night, I was on my guard, listening intently to the monitor. I heard her talking to her baby dolls for a few minutes, but I didn't hear movement. Eventually she fell asleep. I always check on her before I go to bed, so around 10, I peaked my head in. What did I find? The girl was sleeping. On the floor. Next to the bed. Sigh.
I picked her up and put her back in bed. She opened her eyes and looked at me without fully waking up, then closed them and dozed off again quickly. I pulled the covers up over her, and when I went to get her this morning, she was in the same exact position I put her down in, the covers still over her. This kid sleeps like a log as long as she's comfortable.
So who knows what tonight will hold? Needless to say, I'm going to have to make another bed check before 10pm. Next I'll find her sleeping in one of her dresser drawers or something. My kid is such a goofball.
***************************************************************
Oh, and in case anyone is wondering... Harry had his MRI and ultrasound on Tuesday. The techs at the imaging place said the doc would get the results yesterday, but we haven't gotten a call yet. Harry tried to call yesterday to no avail. So we're still waiting.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Haikusday Tuesday: Summer, Bring It
Summer, Bring It
Old friends and good food
Campfire light, bottle of beer
The weekend starts here.
Old friends and good food
Campfire light, bottle of beer
The weekend starts here.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Frustration
Harry's MRI and ultrasound are on Tuesday, May 26th. I'm hoping we'll get results by the end of that week. It's frustrating, to say the least. Having to wait is never any fun. All the what-ifs crowd your mind and make you crazy. Both of us just want to get it over with.
More frustration comes in the form of my second weigh in day. I only lost 0.8 lbs this week. WTF? Seriously. I know I should be happy because it's a loss, but it's only week 2 for God's sake. I should be dropping 2-3 more this week. What gives? The only thing I added this week was red wine, substituting it for the small bowl of frozen yogurt I have in the evening. I had it Wednesday and Thursday night. It's not like I sucked a whole bottle down; I had about 8 oz each night, 2 small glasses. That's normal.
Yes, I've been walking every day, so muscle is starting to substitute fat. Yes, my clothes feel looser. I'm sure my measurements are smaller. Years of abuse by that damn scale makes it hard to be happy about that though. Those numbers ticking off on that evil beast will forever be important. I can't help it.
I'm not giving up, but I'm seriously bummed today. I was feeling so good yesterday after my walk. All week, I'd noticed how much lighter I felt. It may seem stupid to some people, but I felt good, felt healthy. I had even warned myself to keep that feeling in mind when I stepped on the scale this morning because I had an inkling that I didn't lose much. It still didn't help the disappointment I felt. It's helped even less that on Tuesday I weighed less than I do today. I thought I was on track, and suddenly, a few days later, it's like "fooled you!"
Don't mind me. I'm just really pissy about the whole thing. They say if you follow the program, you'll see results. Well I followed it, and I'm not getting the results I should. It angers me to say the least. Yes, I know the anger doesn't help, but I feel it anyway.
Hopefully next week will be better.
More frustration comes in the form of my second weigh in day. I only lost 0.8 lbs this week. WTF? Seriously. I know I should be happy because it's a loss, but it's only week 2 for God's sake. I should be dropping 2-3 more this week. What gives? The only thing I added this week was red wine, substituting it for the small bowl of frozen yogurt I have in the evening. I had it Wednesday and Thursday night. It's not like I sucked a whole bottle down; I had about 8 oz each night, 2 small glasses. That's normal.
Yes, I've been walking every day, so muscle is starting to substitute fat. Yes, my clothes feel looser. I'm sure my measurements are smaller. Years of abuse by that damn scale makes it hard to be happy about that though. Those numbers ticking off on that evil beast will forever be important. I can't help it.
I'm not giving up, but I'm seriously bummed today. I was feeling so good yesterday after my walk. All week, I'd noticed how much lighter I felt. It may seem stupid to some people, but I felt good, felt healthy. I had even warned myself to keep that feeling in mind when I stepped on the scale this morning because I had an inkling that I didn't lose much. It still didn't help the disappointment I felt. It's helped even less that on Tuesday I weighed less than I do today. I thought I was on track, and suddenly, a few days later, it's like "fooled you!"
Don't mind me. I'm just really pissy about the whole thing. They say if you follow the program, you'll see results. Well I followed it, and I'm not getting the results I should. It angers me to say the least. Yes, I know the anger doesn't help, but I feel it anyway.
Hopefully next week will be better.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Haikusday Tuesday: Almost Forgot!
Hey it's Tuesday! Doh!
I almost missed Haikusday.
Work just kicked my butt.
I almost missed Haikusday.
Work just kicked my butt.
Nothing Yet
Harry went to the doctor's office yesterday afternoon to pick up a new prescription for his hypothyroidism and to find out when his MRI and ultrasound are scheduled. The doctor's assistant wasn't very helpful. She said he didn't need to talk to the doctor and that they'd give a call when the tests were scheduled. Um, OK. The doc made it seem imperative that it was done like yesterday, and the assistant made it sound like it was no big deal. Whatever. So now we wait.
The once-a-day pill thing is no big deal (I was hoping he wasn't going to be annoyed by it). As long as it works, Harry's cool with it. The doctor said his symptoms should relent in a few month's time, so he's good with that, too.
Yesterday, he actually thanked me for being so concerned for his well-being. I was speechless. Of course I'm worried. He's my husband, my best friend, and I love him. He knows that, but hearing the concern in my voice made him feel good, wanted, cared for. My poor husband. Hasn't anyone ever cared what happened to him? I find that so very sad.
The once-a-day pill thing is no big deal (I was hoping he wasn't going to be annoyed by it). As long as it works, Harry's cool with it. The doctor said his symptoms should relent in a few month's time, so he's good with that, too.
Yesterday, he actually thanked me for being so concerned for his well-being. I was speechless. Of course I'm worried. He's my husband, my best friend, and I love him. He knows that, but hearing the concern in my voice made him feel good, wanted, cared for. My poor husband. Hasn't anyone ever cared what happened to him? I find that so very sad.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Results
Harry just got a call from his doctor. It's not diabetes. It's hypothyroidism. Because of Harry's mom's medical history (a brain tumor she had operated on) and his grandfather's history (a brain tumor that killed him), his doctor is worried and wants to get an ultrasound of his thyroid and an MRI of his brain pronto. I'm trying not to freak here. They may get him in for the tests as soon as this afternoon. I'm hoping they do so we get some more answers quickly.
If the tests come back OK, his hypothyroidism can be treated easily with a pill a day he'll most likely have to take for the rest of his life. I'm sure he can deal with that. I've been doing it for my low iron for a couple of years now, and it's no big deal.
Now that we know and I've done a little research, I see where all of his other problems (dry skin being the most prominent and untreatable for all these years) came from. No one's ever bothered to check his thyroid before.
Please keep sending positive vibes his way. We really need them. Thank you.
If the tests come back OK, his hypothyroidism can be treated easily with a pill a day he'll most likely have to take for the rest of his life. I'm sure he can deal with that. I've been doing it for my low iron for a couple of years now, and it's no big deal.
Now that we know and I've done a little research, I see where all of his other problems (dry skin being the most prominent and untreatable for all these years) came from. No one's ever bothered to check his thyroid before.
Please keep sending positive vibes his way. We really need them. Thank you.
Friday, May 15, 2009
TGIF
Today is my first official weigh in day, and I lost 3.8 lbs this week! I'm very happy with that number, especially seeing as my first week included Mother's Day, catching a cold, and getting my damn period (TMI, I know). I drank even more water than I normally do (which is the standard 1/2 gallon a day), and it felt like I was pregnant again. By the end of every night, I was running to the bathroom every 20 minutes and had to get up twice during the night to boot. Eek. I hope that settles down a bit. All in all, week one was very successful. Now on to week 2!
I also want to take the time to thank everyone for all the comments left on yesterday's post. We still have no word on labs, and unfortunately, Harry had some pain in his leg last night. He's frustrated to say the least. He keeps saying, "I don't want a syndrome." Poor guy. I wish there was something I could do to help. The doctor gave him no timeline on labs, and I doubt she's going to call during the weekend. I'm hoping we'll hear something Monday the latest.
Please keep thinking good thoughts for him. We really appreciate it.
I also want to take the time to thank everyone for all the comments left on yesterday's post. We still have no word on labs, and unfortunately, Harry had some pain in his leg last night. He's frustrated to say the least. He keeps saying, "I don't want a syndrome." Poor guy. I wish there was something I could do to help. The doctor gave him no timeline on labs, and I doubt she's going to call during the weekend. I'm hoping we'll hear something Monday the latest.
Please keep thinking good thoughts for him. We really appreciate it.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
A possible diagnosis
Harry's visit to the doctor's office yesterday was well worth the trip. The doc gave him a thorough Q & A session and exam, and he was given a possible diagnosis that we're working with until all his labs come back from all the blood they took yesterday. It's called Lateral Femoral Cutaneous Nerve Syndrome or Meralgia Paresthetica. Basically, it's kind of like a pinched nerve that causing a tingling, burning, painful sensation on the top, outer part of the thigh.
Unfortunately, a known cause for this disease is diabetes. We'll know more once the labs come back. Harry has pretty much said that he thinks at some point in his life he will be diagnosed with it, but I'm still hoping he's wrong. Especially when he says something like, "If it's diabetes, you and I are going to be fighting an awful lot. I'm not going to live on rabbit food the rest of my life" to which I replied, "I've cut most of the sugar out of my diet this week, and I'm not eating rabbit food." He insists he can't eat like that. I stopped the conversation before it went any further; there's no point in arguing with him before we've even got a confirmation.
Another cause for LFCN Syndrome is obesity or having a large abdominal area. Harry is not obese, but he does carry all his weight on his torso, mostly around his middle. Even when Harry got down to 160 lbs, he still carried additional weight around the middle. It's just the way he's built (and he should never go down to 160 again; it's unhealthy for him. It only happened before because he was dirt broke and didn't have money for food. This was before I met him.) If losing a little weight will help alleviate the pain, though, I'm hoping he'll agree to that. He's pretty good at losing weight, so maybe this will be an incentive.
For now, the doctor has told him to take Aleve in the morning, and she's given him a pain killer to take before bed so he can sleep. He took it last night and got through the whole night without waking up once. And there's no pain (at least, not the kind that normally woke him 2-3 times a night).
She's going to call back with the lab results as soon as she gets them, and he's to call her back in 5 days to let her know how the pain meds are working.
What I found interesting is that a lot of times, this disease is misdiagnosed. The reason why this doctor thought of it after Harry's exam is because she actually has it, too. Looks like he lucked out getting her yesterday instead of his regular primary care physician.
Unfortunately, a known cause for this disease is diabetes. We'll know more once the labs come back. Harry has pretty much said that he thinks at some point in his life he will be diagnosed with it, but I'm still hoping he's wrong. Especially when he says something like, "If it's diabetes, you and I are going to be fighting an awful lot. I'm not going to live on rabbit food the rest of my life" to which I replied, "I've cut most of the sugar out of my diet this week, and I'm not eating rabbit food." He insists he can't eat like that. I stopped the conversation before it went any further; there's no point in arguing with him before we've even got a confirmation.
Another cause for LFCN Syndrome is obesity or having a large abdominal area. Harry is not obese, but he does carry all his weight on his torso, mostly around his middle. Even when Harry got down to 160 lbs, he still carried additional weight around the middle. It's just the way he's built (and he should never go down to 160 again; it's unhealthy for him. It only happened before because he was dirt broke and didn't have money for food. This was before I met him.) If losing a little weight will help alleviate the pain, though, I'm hoping he'll agree to that. He's pretty good at losing weight, so maybe this will be an incentive.
For now, the doctor has told him to take Aleve in the morning, and she's given him a pain killer to take before bed so he can sleep. He took it last night and got through the whole night without waking up once. And there's no pain (at least, not the kind that normally woke him 2-3 times a night).
She's going to call back with the lab results as soon as she gets them, and he's to call her back in 5 days to let her know how the pain meds are working.
What I found interesting is that a lot of times, this disease is misdiagnosed. The reason why this doctor thought of it after Harry's exam is because she actually has it, too. Looks like he lucked out getting her yesterday instead of his regular primary care physician.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Bullets
- Thank you all for the encouraging comments you left on my post from yesterday. You have no idea how much they all mean to me. Shenry, as you are the most knowledgable health and fitness guru I know, I may pick your brain from time to time. Tara, as you've done WW before, I may also hit you up for advice now and again. And everyone else, I'll be recording my pounds lost on a weekly basis, so being my cheerleaders really helps.
- I'm on day 3 and still going strong. I'm happy, I feel REALLY good, and I know I can do this.
- I think Ellie and I might be coming down with a small cold which really sucks. I'm curious as to where we caught it. Must have been sometime this weekend. Maybe someone at the Mother's Day brunch was sick?
- Harry went to the doctor's this morning and is getting some lab work down as I type. For the past few weeks, his leg has been falling asleep at night to the point where he wakes up in excrutiating pain throughout the night. Not good. I'm thinking poor circulation, possibly due to his sugar levels. They've been high before, and diabetes runs in the family. Please keep you fingers crossed for him.
- If you are my reader from New Haven, I would love to know who you are. Do you know me? I'll admit, not knowing is slowly killing me. LOL. Leave me a comment if you can. Thanks!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
So far so good
Last week I made a decision. And it's a big one. Especially for someone like me.
I signed up for Weight Watchers. No, you don't understand, I signed up for Weight Watchers. That same diet plan I've been too chickenshit to try for years for fear of being deprived and hungry all the time. The same plan that people I actually know in real life have used and lost on. And yet, I let my fear get the best of me, and I've never given it a chance.
I started counting points on Friday, and I quickly saw how I could tweak what I'm eating to fit the formula. And I thought to myself, "I can do this. I CAN do this."
And I am. I'm officially on day 2, and I have to say I'm happy. Why? Because, wait for it... I'm not hungry. At all. AND I'm not deprived. AND I remembered that I absolutely love broccoli. How did I forget that? In my "I hate veggies" stance, I had forgotten about poor, delicious broccoli. And I'm eating more veggies than I ever have, and I'm suddenly liking them. Yay!
Now I know I'm only on day 2 and it's usually day 4 that it all starts to get to me when I try some new diet. I start to shake and cry because WAH! I can't have chocolate or ice cream. The thing is... I CAN have chocolate. And ice cream. And chocolate ice cream. Last night, I had a bowl of one of my fave flavors of frozen yogurt, mocha fudge. And dude, it's soooo good. I highly recommend it.
So I'm really giving this thing a shot. And I've even started taking walks on my lunch break. I also peaked at the scale, and I'm losing. That's always going to be my biggest incentive, even though I know feeling healthier should be #1. Seeing the scale move always makes me giddy.
So wish me luck on this new endeavor. I plan on sticking to it. I have a support system, both in friends that are doing this thing with me and my husband who's eating the dinners I'm preparing for myself (he's eating 2 portions though). Today, I feel really good, happy, healthier, and carrying less stress on my shoulders (even though the stupid search engine STILL isn't working - pffft).
I signed up for Weight Watchers. No, you don't understand, I signed up for Weight Watchers. That same diet plan I've been too chickenshit to try for years for fear of being deprived and hungry all the time. The same plan that people I actually know in real life have used and lost on. And yet, I let my fear get the best of me, and I've never given it a chance.
I started counting points on Friday, and I quickly saw how I could tweak what I'm eating to fit the formula. And I thought to myself, "I can do this. I CAN do this."
And I am. I'm officially on day 2, and I have to say I'm happy. Why? Because, wait for it... I'm not hungry. At all. AND I'm not deprived. AND I remembered that I absolutely love broccoli. How did I forget that? In my "I hate veggies" stance, I had forgotten about poor, delicious broccoli. And I'm eating more veggies than I ever have, and I'm suddenly liking them. Yay!
Now I know I'm only on day 2 and it's usually day 4 that it all starts to get to me when I try some new diet. I start to shake and cry because WAH! I can't have chocolate or ice cream. The thing is... I CAN have chocolate. And ice cream. And chocolate ice cream. Last night, I had a bowl of one of my fave flavors of frozen yogurt, mocha fudge. And dude, it's soooo good. I highly recommend it.
So I'm really giving this thing a shot. And I've even started taking walks on my lunch break. I also peaked at the scale, and I'm losing. That's always going to be my biggest incentive, even though I know feeling healthier should be #1. Seeing the scale move always makes me giddy.
So wish me luck on this new endeavor. I plan on sticking to it. I have a support system, both in friends that are doing this thing with me and my husband who's eating the dinners I'm preparing for myself (he's eating 2 portions though). Today, I feel really good, happy, healthier, and carrying less stress on my shoulders (even though the stupid search engine STILL isn't working - pffft).
Haikusday Tuesday: Search Engine Blues
It's still not working
I'm tired of testing it
Let's scrap the whole thing
I'm tired of testing it
Let's scrap the whole thing
Thursday, May 7, 2009
My birthday was awesome!
I had a terrific day yesterday. We started off with a little breakfast at my favorite diner. In spite of the extremely loud construction going on on the roof, I still enjoyed my feta cheese omelette with homefries immensely. When the ceiling threatened to cave in, we decided it was time to leave. Good call.
Next stop was to pick up some flowers to plant in our flower beds in front of and in back of the house. That was my main goal for the day. Weird, I know, but being able to plant the gardens without Ellie hovering about is very enjoyable and only takes a couple of hours. We stocked up on impatiens and marigolds for annuals and shasta daisies, Arizona blanket flowers, a hosta plant, and an azalea for our perennials. I have to say I'm quite pleased with how it looks. I love flowers but I have a black thumb. I researched and bombarded my mom (who used to be a florist) with questions about hearty flowers for our area that required minimal attention. These ended up being the top choices, and I'm really hoping they take well. We'll be able to enjoy the perennials for years, and they'll eventually take up most of the space so I won't even have to plant annuals anymore. Total score. Oh, and my hydrangea we transplanted from the other house survived the winter and looks like it's gotten bigger. Joy. As for the mums we planted last fall, only 1 survived. Sadness.
Harry and I really enjoyed gardening together, and it was the first project we've done in a while that we didn't bite each other's heads off. We tend to get a bit moody and irritated with each other when we're working together, I admit. Yesterday was not like that. It was relaxing and we were talking and laughing through a good part of it. Eventually we ended up in separate areas of the yard, and I got to spend some quiet time planting and thinking and just enjoying the sunshine. Perfect.
After that, we trekked our way to the movie theatre to see X-Men Origins: Wolverine. I loved it. Absolutely loved it. Weapon X is one of my favorite X-men stories, and I like how they encorporated some of it into the movie. Mr. Jackman was, of course, fantastic as usual. Liev Schreiber, whom I love as an actor, was awesome as Victor. The only casting I didn't like was Gambit. Gambit happens to be one of my favorite X-men, and Taylor Kitsch didn't do him justice. Josh Holloway from LOST, who was the first choice, would have nailed it. It's too bad he couldn't fit the movie into his schedule. I liked it so much that I totally wouldn't mind seeing it the theatres again. Not sure if that will happen, but I'd like to.
After the movie, we picked Ellie up from daycare and headed to our local Olive Garden for dinner. Olive Garden is never my first choice for restaurants, but my mom had gotten us a gift certificate there at Christmastime, so I figured we'd save a little cash going there. Unfortunately, dinner was a bummer. Ellie couldn't sit still the entire time we were there, and the food was mediocre. AND we had to fork over another $20 to cover the bill and tip after we used the gift card. Ick. It seems Ellie has hit that weird age where she absolutely cannot sit still in a restaurant. This is the second time she's been extremely antsy when we went out to dinner, and she's normally really good about it. I'm hoping it'll pass in a few months. Eh.
After dinner, we went back home for cake. My mom came over to join us, and Miss Ellie helped me blow out the candles. I had decided I wanted a chocolate cake with ice cream filling and whipped cream topping this year, and well, you can't really buy that around here. So I made it myself. Yep, I made my own cake. And it was delicious. Even my mom, who's not a fan of chocolate and can bake like you wouldn't believe, really liked it. Yay!
We ended the evening watching LOST (excellent episode) and a little, ahem, you know. Quite a nice ending to a nice day:)
Oh, and I got a ton of birthday wishes from friends which I not only appreciated but which completely made my day 100 times better. I can't thank everyone enough. AND my niece wrote this wonderful blog entry about me, too, which brought me to tears and made me smile. She rocks. Love you, Uh-cuh-cuh.
Next stop was to pick up some flowers to plant in our flower beds in front of and in back of the house. That was my main goal for the day. Weird, I know, but being able to plant the gardens without Ellie hovering about is very enjoyable and only takes a couple of hours. We stocked up on impatiens and marigolds for annuals and shasta daisies, Arizona blanket flowers, a hosta plant, and an azalea for our perennials. I have to say I'm quite pleased with how it looks. I love flowers but I have a black thumb. I researched and bombarded my mom (who used to be a florist) with questions about hearty flowers for our area that required minimal attention. These ended up being the top choices, and I'm really hoping they take well. We'll be able to enjoy the perennials for years, and they'll eventually take up most of the space so I won't even have to plant annuals anymore. Total score. Oh, and my hydrangea we transplanted from the other house survived the winter and looks like it's gotten bigger. Joy. As for the mums we planted last fall, only 1 survived. Sadness.
Harry and I really enjoyed gardening together, and it was the first project we've done in a while that we didn't bite each other's heads off. We tend to get a bit moody and irritated with each other when we're working together, I admit. Yesterday was not like that. It was relaxing and we were talking and laughing through a good part of it. Eventually we ended up in separate areas of the yard, and I got to spend some quiet time planting and thinking and just enjoying the sunshine. Perfect.
After that, we trekked our way to the movie theatre to see X-Men Origins: Wolverine. I loved it. Absolutely loved it. Weapon X is one of my favorite X-men stories, and I like how they encorporated some of it into the movie. Mr. Jackman was, of course, fantastic as usual. Liev Schreiber, whom I love as an actor, was awesome as Victor. The only casting I didn't like was Gambit. Gambit happens to be one of my favorite X-men, and Taylor Kitsch didn't do him justice. Josh Holloway from LOST, who was the first choice, would have nailed it. It's too bad he couldn't fit the movie into his schedule. I liked it so much that I totally wouldn't mind seeing it the theatres again. Not sure if that will happen, but I'd like to.
After the movie, we picked Ellie up from daycare and headed to our local Olive Garden for dinner. Olive Garden is never my first choice for restaurants, but my mom had gotten us a gift certificate there at Christmastime, so I figured we'd save a little cash going there. Unfortunately, dinner was a bummer. Ellie couldn't sit still the entire time we were there, and the food was mediocre. AND we had to fork over another $20 to cover the bill and tip after we used the gift card. Ick. It seems Ellie has hit that weird age where she absolutely cannot sit still in a restaurant. This is the second time she's been extremely antsy when we went out to dinner, and she's normally really good about it. I'm hoping it'll pass in a few months. Eh.
After dinner, we went back home for cake. My mom came over to join us, and Miss Ellie helped me blow out the candles. I had decided I wanted a chocolate cake with ice cream filling and whipped cream topping this year, and well, you can't really buy that around here. So I made it myself. Yep, I made my own cake. And it was delicious. Even my mom, who's not a fan of chocolate and can bake like you wouldn't believe, really liked it. Yay!
We ended the evening watching LOST (excellent episode) and a little, ahem, you know. Quite a nice ending to a nice day:)
Oh, and I got a ton of birthday wishes from friends which I not only appreciated but which completely made my day 100 times better. I can't thank everyone enough. AND my niece wrote this wonderful blog entry about me, too, which brought me to tears and made me smile. She rocks. Love you, Uh-cuh-cuh.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Haikusday
Tuesdays will now officially be Haikusdays on How I Became a Tattooed Mommy, courtesy of The Book of Shenry. The actual idea of a haikusday isn't Shenry's, but his suggestion is what brought it forth. And you all know how much I love haiku. I couldn't resist.
Cinco de Mayo
I don't know Spanish
Except what Dora taught me
Today is May 5th.
Yeah, not feeling that one. I'll try another.
Cinco De Mayo
It's just the party
Leading up to the best day
To celebrate ME!
I'm a little rusty.
Cinco de Mayo
I don't know Spanish
Except what Dora taught me
Today is May 5th.
Yeah, not feeling that one. I'll try another.
Cinco De Mayo
It's just the party
Leading up to the best day
To celebrate ME!
I'm a little rusty.
Monday, May 4, 2009
I heart Annita
(I stole this pic off her facebook... shhhhh)
(Jess took my most favorite pic of Annita during our Richmond trip. She's just so stinkin' cute)
Last week, I was reading an entry on I Was Never the Girl Next Door, suggesting that everyone take a moment to write a blog about a friend. I immediately thought of my gal, Annita. That's Annita with two n's, not one. Annita informed me that that's the correct way to spell Annita. My cousin, Anita, has been spelling it wrong all these years! Heh heh.
I met Annita on Maya's Mom, a now-defunct online parenting community. Upon first glance, Annita comes off as funny and caring and cool and laid back. She's definitely my kinda girl. We chatted regularly while we were on MM, and when I left, we kept up with each other via email. Now, being as we live like 1000 miles away from each other (I'm guessing... it could actually be more), we keep in touch via facebook.
We started off chatting because of our similar music tastes. Annita LURVES Pearl Jam, so you know she's cool. She's also into DMB, another concert favorite of mine from years past. We talked a lot of concert talk those first few months of our friendship on MM. We had fun laughing at stupid jokes and drooling over Scott Weiland (OK, that was just me). Eventually, we started chatting about more serious stuff... our husbands, our childhoods, our first marriages, our children. We found a lot of similarities in our stories despite the fact that we grew up in different countries with different cultural backgrounds.
If you can't tell from the pics, Annita hails from Cyprus. She's got an unbelievably gorgeous and sexy accent that goes right along with her gorgeous and sexy look. You seriously want to devour her upon sight.
And I finally did get to see her in the flesh this past January. After all the time spent communicating through a computer, we were finally able to see each other face to face during the Richmond meetup this past winter. Annita and I spent a lot of our little weekend trailing behind everyone else, talking, talking, and more talking. We just fit. We learned even more about each other, and I knew right away that I wanted Annita in my life from that point on. That may sound cheesy, but it's true.
I don't think I can really put into words exactly who she is or what she means to me. All I know is I love her to pieces. I could chat with her for hours. She's loving and caring and hilarious and soulful and amazing. Oh, and she has great taste in music and she's hot. Those two things are kinda like the cherry on top.
And I'll hopefully see her again before the year is up. We're planning a trip down to FL hopefully this November or December, and we will most definitely be seeing Annita on that trip (and Becs! Holla!). I'll get to meet her husband and her two beautiful children. We'll have the time to grab a cup of coffee and just enjoy each other's company, lounging in the sun. Man, I wish I could book a flight right now!
So here's to Annita. I love her so.
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