tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68063402012-01-11T13:47:40.893-05:00Father-free for the next generationEmilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.comBlogger8841100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-8870899881034637082011-12-19T22:31:00.001-05:002011-12-19T22:31:26.228-05:00

Dude.  Christmas is hard.  It's not just Christmas.  It's working and being a parent and a partner and trying to nail this exercise/running thing.  I'm kind of pathetic, totally interested in my stats from my little Nike iPod doohicky, ignoring the good people of the internet from whom I have drawn so much support over the years.  It sounds sarcastic, maybe, but it's true. Here's a question.  If

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-58030578058755880982011-10-25T18:13:00.000-04:002011-10-25T18:13:15.183-04:00

I have a dozen other things to do (reviewing several documents in both original and commented form, writing a report, and counting some really old oncologists), but right now, I owe us some blogging. Let’s be honest, however, that you’re not really here and that I only owe myself some blogging, as it’s been a while since I wrote anything over sixty words that I wasn’t paid to write. Things I

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-8632708943770500032011-10-04T23:31:00.000-04:002011-10-04T23:31:07.312-04:00

Birth One Two

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-20388768658101046112011-09-20T12:39:00.000-04:002011-09-20T11:42:05.235-04:00

Sanna wrote her very first sentence in kindergarten yesterday. She was so proud to show it to me when I got home from work at 7:30, having dropped her off at morning care at 8am. Brooke insists that Sanna knew how to spell these three words, was thrilled to string them together in a sentence, and pleased to draw a picture to represent the story being told in the sentence above. I'm the big

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-74412975075291154902011-09-16T15:49:00.000-04:002011-09-16T15:50:06.410-04:00

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-281118781116174512011-09-14T22:59:00.004-04:002011-09-14T23:18:51.496-04:00

Sally Horse may be one of the most perfect inventions, and I don't mind if I take at least some credit. She was born when Karl was freaking out and I was trying to distract him by suggesting that his doll ride his stuffed horse around the room. Karl insisted there was another horse, not the stuffed one, and her name was Sally. She lives with Karl, sleeps beside his bed, is never more than a

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-30821642744276398552011-09-06T18:36:00.001-04:002011-09-06T18:39:02.749-04:00

Happy first day of school from everyone Chez NTM.

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-27862780229849821852011-09-04T23:05:00.001-04:002011-09-04T23:09:13.048-04:00

1. Promise me you'll turn your volume down for this one. Live music was recorded while Karl went nuts. 2. Sanna learned to ride without training wheels the weekend before Kindergarten starts. You can turn your volume back up for this.

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-1185277309170436272011-08-31T17:18:00.004-04:002011-08-31T17:31:28.301-04:00

Sanna, walking around the cemetery where my mother is buried: "Can we go to the park now? There's nothing to do here but look at dead people." Karl, sitting on the back step, looking out over the yard, chewing on a popsicle on the driest day in a week: "Nope. Not raining." I expected him to tip his straw hat and continue with, "It's a good year for corn," but he did not. Sanna, sitting at the

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-5989079644306051002011-08-08T17:33:00.002-04:002011-08-08T17:46:40.081-04:00

I have to say this. I need you all to know that my life has changed and changed dramatically. Everything is different. I am better. The methotrexate is working. I have not felt this good in two years. My doctor called to report that the labs were fine, and I told her I feel fantastic. She squealed--she actually, honest to God squealed. She said what we were all thinking, which is that we

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-78053950509434488232011-07-20T07:59:00.001-04:002011-07-20T13:52:42.988-04:00

This morning's car ride made me reconsider whether I should be so frank with the kids about life. (Note: "Na" is Karl's "yeah.")S: Karl, when you have babies, you'll be a daddy.K: Na.S: Do you want to be a daddy?K: Na.S: That's right, Karl, you can get married or just live with a woman, and then you'll have--wait, Karl, do you want to be with a girl or a boy?K: Boy.S: Okay, then you won't have

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-74169873751828072852011-07-14T22:27:00.003-04:002011-07-14T23:03:53.728-04:00

In mid-June, Karl moved into the preschool classroom next door--that's a local thing, this preschool starting at 2.5 thing. His tuition rate plummeted. The playground got much bigger. Karl started talking a lot more: clearly, greater complexity, and oh, the quantity. We really noticed it when Sanna was gone or sleeping, and boy, the kid can talk now. On July 4th: "Skeetos eat me! Dey bite my

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-32963074470817125532011-07-13T19:13:00.007-04:002011-07-13T19:35:13.758-04:00

Methotrexate is treating me wellish. I'm increasingly sad about no beer, but I'm doing it because it's the best plan. Our next door neighbor is a rheumatology resident in R2's clinic (R2: "Really? You live next door to him? He's in the clinic Right Now."). We were out front watching the kids play with their bikes and chatting about misdelivered mail (NB: if you get Rapid Republican Times

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-23095279448956419042011-06-20T12:07:00.000-04:002011-06-20T13:47:33.739-04:00

It became clear to me in April that the Plaquenil was working. From December to March, I was basically bed-bound 1-2 days before my cycle started. In April and May, I was tired but not useless during that time. All last fall and through the winter, every cold required several days working from home and made it difficult to care for my kids. I caught a cold in April, a crummy one that held on

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-50237941689059922322011-06-16T18:12:00.001-04:002011-06-16T18:12:27.365-04:00

"But Mommy, you're asking me to be cooperative this morning, and Mama asked me to be cooperative in the afternoon, and I had to be cooperative yesterday. I can't be cooperative three times in a row. It's too much."

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-62051549094491493222011-06-02T23:48:00.003-04:002011-06-03T00:12:15.777-04:00

Tonight was one of those nights. Something crummy happened at work, and I was late getting home. Brooke had a bee in her bonnet about mowing the 9-inch tall grass in the back yard, and she embarked on that, only to run down the battery on the mower with frequent starts and stops to wrangle children. I arrived home and swore extravagantly about my day. Brooke responded in kind. I ordered

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-59695609798805304352011-05-05T21:50:00.002-04:002011-05-05T22:16:59.884-04:00

Sannaismssmogarettes (SMO-ger-ets) n pl: little paper sticks that Papa puts in his mouth"Those are Papa's smogarettes in his pocket, Karl."lawnmower (LAHN-mo-er) v: what the neighbors need to do to their grass now that her parents finally got around to cutting their own lawn"Meli, those people need to lawnmower their grass."refrigerdrator (ree-FRIJ-er-DRAY-ter) n: the place in the kitchen where

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-61016858362500025302011-05-02T22:28:00.004-04:002011-05-02T23:15:19.700-04:00

You know me. Any opportunity to talk to my kids about some huge topic that's not entirely relevant. Oh yes, I did. I told my kids that Osama Bin Laden was assassinated.I like to be my kids' first glance into some subjects. I want to put that first lens on, even if their experiences color it different later on. There's a lot being said about Bin Laden's assassination that doesn't entirely

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-12705480562659700502011-04-22T15:55:00.004-04:002011-04-22T16:21:05.733-04:00

I owe you something. Anything. It's been 11 days since I last posted. I spent Tuesday through Wednesday in New York, specifically northern NJ, midtown, and TriBeCa. I concluded that it is not for me. I did ride in one of those little bicycle cabs, which beats standing in the rain in the cab stand line at Penn Station with seventy-eight tourists and their Hogwarts trunk-sized suitcases and

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-65723365239826069252011-04-11T15:11:00.003-04:002011-04-11T15:15:48.140-04:00

Sanna, waking up from a nap: "Meli, did you know that Jack and Annie don't live in a house? They live in a treehouse!"me: "Oh, cool. So where do they go to the bathroom?"Sanna: "What?"me: "The bathroom. Where do they go to the bathroom? Do they have a toilet in their treehouse?"Sanna: "Mooooooooommeeeeeeeeeeee! It's not real! It's just a story!"

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-78283576581063207742011-04-08T15:13:00.003-04:002011-04-08T15:17:25.035-04:00

The problem with trying to do something nice to surprise Brooke?We are apparently so much on the same wavelength that it's just never much of a surprise. I plotted to get a sitter so we could go out to dinner tonight, and she proceeds to foil me. This morning, she emails about a lecture she wants to go to tonight. Instead of dinner, we're doing a lecture and then dinner. No surprise, but I

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-2808891787900675592011-04-05T13:45:00.003-04:002011-04-05T13:50:31.839-04:00

Cute:Brooke, reading aloud: “Have you a Zans for cans?”Karl: “No. We don’t.”Sanna, explaining how to use the bubble Christmas night light: “First you turn it one, and then you plug it out and shake it, then you plug it back in.”Karl referring to himself only as “the baby” or “Karl Robert” (which sounds a lot like “Tawl Wobbet”).Sanna, enjoying sautéed collards at dinner: “Farmer Rob is a good

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-58069558635657774662011-04-01T00:46:00.000-04:002011-04-01T12:48:07.312-04:00

At the time of this writing, I’m somewhere over New Mexico.It’s my first time on the road since December, and I’m not sure it quite counts as “on the road.” I’m going to a conference for people who do what I do. I managed to come without business cards. Oof.My kids are in pieces over my leaving; this first trip in 3.5 months appears to be the hardest we’ve had yet, and that’s true all around.

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-91135863192278128642011-03-21T16:47:00.003-04:002011-03-21T16:53:18.092-04:00

When we schedule hair cuts, it's always in large blocks on Saturday mornings. Brooke needed hers cleaned up. Karl was looking shaggy. Sanna was due for a trim. I started asking her when we scheduled three weeks back what kind of cut she wanted. "As short as yours!" she cheered. "Oh, that's nice, you don't have to decide now," I told her. I quietly hoped she would change her mind, maintain

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-72173749755174742492011-03-17T21:44:00.002-04:002011-03-17T22:16:34.090-04:00

It's springy here, by golly. I kept looking out the windows at work today at the rapidly melting snow and ice. This morning, there were Canada geese perched on the ice, high above the retention pond outside the office, and by 2 or 3, the ice had all melted, and there were mallards crossing the parking lot. The time change, which killed us a little, brought with it light evenings, and today, my

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-17043956629544048322011-03-15T17:21:00.003-04:002011-03-15T17:57:24.819-04:00

Nothing like looking inside yourself--REALLY looking inside yourself--for some real perspective on life.This is actually my belly and also a CT Rorschach test. What does this look like to you?

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-56871613622456888052011-03-02T14:50:00.003-05:002011-03-02T14:58:20.954-05:00

I went off the wacky supplements. Turns out they were working, so we've moved up the date of the swallow study so that I can go back on them.The blood work is back. A new and surprising result puts cancer back on the table for discussion, and we're going to send away some blood to the Mayo Clinic to have them check me over for something the Big Old Top Ten Research And Teaching Hospital here

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-36641367182028646672011-02-23T22:33:00.002-05:002011-02-23T22:37:23.387-05:00

I left R2’s office today with an order for ten more tubes of blood work and an order for a swallow study. Without fretting too much, I’m holding off until April to have this run. The pulmonary function was ordered because I was short of breath sometimes, and yet I performed above normal levels there. I am a swallowing overachiever who has had some trouble with pills recently (and since I have

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-10107151394456428682011-02-16T11:57:00.003-05:002011-02-16T11:59:44.516-05:00

We may need clones here Chez NTM. Oddly, we tried that already, but it only just now seems to be making a difference in our workload.

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-46169574727974957562011-02-13T23:37:00.003-05:002011-02-13T23:58:39.095-05:00

I called the neuromuscular clinic. After being reminded that the doctor told me not to let the door hit me on the way out (scheduler" "It says, 'Come on as needed basis.'" (long pause) me: "Yep." (which is why I'm calling you) scheduler: "So, are you having problems or something?"), I was offered an appointment with a resident, supervised by the jerk behind door #1, three weeks out. I asked for

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-13290837521589726092011-02-07T23:04:00.000-05:002011-02-07T23:05:11.127-05:00

I never did tell you about the appointment with the fancy specialist. I went. I saw him. I hated his guts.That’s not exactly true. After weaning Sanna, I was in this period of feeling pretty good. It lasted a few weeks, like four or five, and then the low grad crumminess crept back in. I saw him right in the midst of that, and I was basically asymptomatic. But that’s not what bothered me.

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-77568706807166758942011-02-01T13:33:00.002-05:002011-02-01T13:35:07.576-05:00

Snow day coming.Library for new books: check.Costco for lots of snacks (for Sanna's party on Saturday... hope we don't eat them all before then): check.Gas for the snow blower: check.Charged up phones and laptops: check.Bring it.

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-30256810078912981722011-01-31T10:14:00.001-05:002011-01-31T10:14:53.108-05:00

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-81530790474998298982011-01-27T22:00:00.002-05:002011-01-27T22:05:50.364-05:00

Do you ever look at your kid(s) and think You are just so f-ing big; where did you come from, anyway?

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-53514083157701666272011-01-24T21:40:00.005-05:002011-01-24T22:02:32.918-05:00

Sanna's bullshit meter is pretty sensitive, hence the outcry about the Tooth Fairy. She is very literal, which is not to say that she doesn't have a healthy imaginary life, but rather that art does not and probably never will burble out of her. It doesn't out of me. I build on what I have experienced and am pretty good at putting two and two and two together and discovering that we can make

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-46373515145969120042011-01-24T10:03:00.001-05:002011-01-24T10:04:52.210-05:00

Sanna (2 weeks short of her 5th birthday) reamed us out last night for having permitted her to believe in the Tooth Fairy. It was admittedly not the best decision, but her first tooth caught us by surprise, and she was upset about it, and we had friends over who started talking about it. Then she started calling it the Money Fairy, and we were so charmed that we couldn't help ourselves. Lost

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-40948379754484878832011-01-21T22:11:00.001-05:002011-01-21T22:16:43.407-05:00

What can I say? It was a NOLA day.

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-50296181517891288382011-01-21T10:26:00.002-05:002011-01-21T10:30:15.116-05:00

Last night, in my dreams, it was the apocalypse, and Brooke destroyed the alien robots with her superstrength super powers. The kids were hiding in a cave, and when the alien robots were gone, we found a few other families, and I started doing the math on how many generations it would take to repopulate the area to a sufficient level (a lot).Karl is kissy and huggy and practicing the potty.

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-62122089583179266642011-01-20T15:25:00.002-05:002011-01-20T15:27:19.278-05:00

Home made sling, originally uploaded by sannaemilin.

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-7192724703715816442011-01-06T11:19:00.001-05:002011-01-06T11:21:08.546-05:00

One story about Denver that is worth telling even though I missed it the first time around:While we waited at the gate for our could-be-would-be standby, we were in the midst of four men who were traveling together, presumably on business, probably from Japan. They sat down across from our heap of carry-on suitcase, diaper bag, kid backpack, and two car seats while they waited for their flight.

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-18254096402598819282011-01-03T22:52:00.002-05:002011-01-03T23:45:01.756-05:00

Dear Internet:I'm not dead. I'm returning from a killer work-month and a lovely, restful, peaceful vacation in the woods where there is little cell/crackberry reception (and even less wifely tolerance for mucking about with hand held devices) and no desire whatsoever to sit in front of a computer screen when I could be sitting on a couch with a book or at the dining room table with a pile of

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-45830589108855358912010-12-02T11:10:00.002-05:002010-12-02T11:21:01.837-05:00

How safe do you feel flying these days?Read this: How about now?And this: And now?I have to fly back to Los Angeles next week. I've been through the new security with my kids (and missed a flight because of new security), thus being pitied and not being asked to do the full body scanner OR a pat-down. But now I'll have to choose: pat-down alone or scan with risk of pat-down.I'm pretty cranky

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-8119075572663753332010-11-29T22:47:00.002-05:002010-11-29T23:12:26.215-05:00

I am not, unlike a coworker, writing from a hammock at a coffee plantation/meeting center, watching long legged birds feed in a pond while lizards the size of shih tzus lumber past. No, I didn't go to Brazil. In the last two weeks, I have been to Chicago, Denver, and back to my dad's place, but I have not been to Brazil.Let's start with Chicago. ChicagoSummary: Awesome and tiring.Detailed

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-57988205582310289012010-11-12T09:07:00.002-05:002010-11-12T09:20:02.625-05:00

For the first time ever, I understand why people lock up all of the household chemicals--really lock them all up. Karl has moved from eating lip balm and giving himself mascara mustaches to taking a bite out of the dishwasher detergent tablet. I hope it's not pica.In other news, my travel schedule is about to get complicated. This afternoon, we leave for a weekend in Chicago, which starts a

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-10220073903688502682010-11-01T22:15:00.000-04:002010-11-01T22:15:43.894-04:00

Dear Sanna,You will forever be my first baby. Words cannot describe how much Mama and I wanted you, how we ached for you, and how we needed you. Our ache was relieved when we knew there was a tiny ball of cells in me, and the moment you were born, we both achieved a sense of completeness that we hadn't previously imagined possible.Two weeks ago, we shared for the last time a remnant of that

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-29814170138012536912010-10-28T16:11:00.000-04:002010-10-28T16:13:49.871-04:00

I'm very busy. More soon.

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-49814167699711066882010-10-22T15:48:00.001-04:002010-10-22T15:49:29.863-04:00

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-36873208900651968002010-10-12T16:40:00.000-04:002010-10-12T16:43:26.077-04:00

As I write this, I am in the air somewhere over the middle of the US (watching puffs of cloud drift under me, snagging on mountain peaks, and lower hills like ripples of lichen, covered in trees with turning leaves), mid-flight to the west coast for work. I am doing one to two trips per month, usually two overnights, sometimes two or three bedtimes away. It’s hard on Brooke to fly solo so often

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-15659026843628951852010-10-07T11:00:00.004-04:002010-10-07T12:45:47.488-04:00

It is formulaic. You know how small children are; they love repetition and predictability. They love to join in. They love to know what to expect.Karl picked out How Loud is a Lion last night, a book we've read before. Each page features two animals and the pattern: "[Animal As] are [adjective]. [Animal Bs] are [adjective]. But how loud is a lion? Shhhh. Listen."They were on the edge of

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-55125755825110261922010-10-05T11:45:00.002-04:002010-10-05T11:47:49.071-04:00

There's more to be said about my baby turning two and my other baby losing her first tooth, but it's a writing for another time.

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-3318793912152176422010-10-01T12:39:00.001-04:002010-10-01T12:41:08.526-04:00

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-22433215952173504602010-09-28T23:26:00.003-04:002010-09-28T23:43:47.260-04:00

Our small friend who had the liver transplant has hit a new milestone, a wonderful milestone, at basically the same time she hits a more challenging one. The challenging one is the PICU's Wall of Courage. She earned her way up there, as did all of the other children, at she hits one month of PICU time. It is devastating for her family, as they had hoped and prayed that they would be on the

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-5199446768450067982010-09-27T11:48:00.002-04:002010-09-27T12:08:17.272-04:00

I usually answer all of Sanna's big questions. The little ones--the ones I think of as little--come when she has been thwarted, when it's 10 minutes to bedtime and she wants to go play with the next door neighbor, and she demands to know BUT WHY for the fifth time: why is it almost bedtime, why is it so late, why is it important that I get my sleep, why don't you want me cranky tomorrow?!?!

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-15095411889838520402010-09-21T22:46:00.003-04:002010-09-21T23:32:31.521-04:00

Falling is like this:We took a long weekend outside of the confines of a holiday and did vacationy things up near my dad's place. We stayed at his place (cheap) and let him take us out to dinner (extra cheap) and brought him on a tour of wine-tasting-with-kids. It was eventful. We arrived in time to see some construction work going on as his contractor begins the remodel work on the tiny 3-bed

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-3189799864276744072010-09-14T10:08:00.002-04:002010-09-14T10:18:47.607-04:00

Liver is in. Small friend's abdomen will remain open for a few days "because she's given [the doctors] so much trouble," and then, when all goes according to plan, she'll be stitched up and her new liver will do its thing. If the whole thing is complication-free from here, she'll spend the next six weeks in the hospital. Six weeks. From here on out, she should continue to heal, get well, and

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-76884673154698940202010-09-13T13:17:00.004-04:002010-09-13T13:37:59.212-04:00

Our small friend has been mostly stable, generally holding steady in the PICU. It was made clear to our friends (whether explicitly or implicitly, I don't know) that she wasn't leaving the PICU without a trip to the OR to get a new liver. They posted on her diary that they're exploring the living donor option, and the response has been overwhelming. No way to know if any of them will match,

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-9096374394698036932010-09-08T23:07:00.003-04:002010-09-08T23:42:20.520-04:00

I don't usually post twice in one day, but my evening kind of got me down, and it seemed only fair that I get you down as well. I signed up for an email list for adults who have mitochondrial disorders and adults who have loved ones with mitochondrial disorders. Some of the list members have the myopathies, others are married to or caregivers of people with these myopathies, and a few are

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-55662588551416295582010-09-08T16:31:00.003-04:002010-09-08T16:39:12.587-04:00

You wouldn't think that electronic paperwork can get lost. The whole "paperless" system works as well as it does because there's nothing to drop or misfile or get stuck together with something else.But no. My paperwork for the neuromuscular clinic somehow got lost between the rheumatology desk staff and the neuromuscular scheduling coordinator, so it's a good thing I called today. The

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-5064062675438398032010-09-07T13:17:00.002-04:002010-09-07T13:37:27.358-04:00

We are tap tap tapping our feet in wait. Our small friend is fully back on the transplant list while she works on waking up in the PICU. She is moving meaningfully without gaining full consciousness, watched by her parents and her providers, carefully monitored.I wait to hear from the neuromuscular group, getting clearance from R2 to call them tomorrow if I haven't heard anything by the end of

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-85664289556255696052010-09-03T10:38:00.003-04:002010-09-03T10:46:02.196-04:00

It is with great joy and peace that I give you the best news I could imagine having right now. Our small friend is making fantastic progress in the PICU. The attendings decided to push her to see how far she would get in her healing, and she is weaning off the vent and getting a breastmilk drip bypassing the stomach. I was incorrect in my interpretation of something our friends had written,

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-35680135192205997682010-09-01T09:41:00.003-04:002010-09-01T09:52:51.607-04:00

I wobble between concern and love and heartache for our small friend and her family on the one side and grotesque self-importance on the other. Oh, look, it's the other side. All of the initial tests are back, and my heart and lungs are awesome. My pulmonary function actually exceeds baseline norms. (All that long distance swimming when I was in high school was good for something. Dad,

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-466043263052588362010-08-31T23:46:00.002-04:002010-08-31T23:50:35.324-04:00

Liver transplant was aborted early in surgery. Our small friend developed a bleed in her lung, making her oxygen levels dangerous. Fortunately, she was not so far along in the procedure that it was too late to back out. She was closed up and stabilized and is in the PICU healing. When she is stable enough to undergo surgery again, she'll be back on the top of the list.The first call came 12

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-43084583413178228372010-08-31T11:00:00.002-04:002010-08-31T11:07:35.347-04:00

Best way to stop being so obsessed with yourself: find out that your small friend's parents got the call that there's a liver available for her.They are hanging out at the hospital, now with (decent) coffee. Surgery will be mid-afternoon (US Eastern Daylight) and last several hours. Please say a prayer, think good thoughts, light a candle, or send Healing White Light (TM) their way.And let's

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-50884099573140201612010-08-27T15:12:00.003-04:002010-08-27T15:29:49.897-04:00

Over the last few days, there's been a great outpouring of support, and I really, really appreciate it. Thank you. We are still overwhelmed. I'm describing it as having been thrown into the ether by this diagnosis, and I don't know which way is up, much less where to go. I'm putting a lot on this upcoming specialist appointment, but even looking forward to that is fraught—I have heard nothing

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-64319147886895493842010-08-26T00:38:00.003-04:002010-08-26T15:22:17.714-04:00

I have a lot of fantastic news to share. I don’t have lupus or rheumatoid arthritis or polymyositis or any of a number of stranger and more complicated rheumatoid disorders requiring immunosuppressants. I don’t have ALS or MS or pinched nerves or the kefir-induced weirdness. I am free from infectious diseases and vitamin deficiencies and cancer. Hooray!Remember the Krebs cycle? If so, pardon

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-19802525508360867412010-08-17T12:22:00.002-04:002010-08-17T12:57:17.692-04:00

Karl's articulation is still mostly unintelligible. He's expressive enough to meet most of his needs, but between his wicked gross motor coordination and efforts to keep up with his sister, he just doesn't have time for all of that fine motor business. Shimmy to the top of a 6 ft playground "rock" wall? Done. Jump on two feet over other children? Whee! Climb a cyclone fence wearing nothing

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-23182460935079651952010-08-16T11:01:00.003-04:002010-08-16T11:17:22.245-04:00

I don't have time to say much, but let me say this:The biopsy is not yet back, but I have full use of my arms again.The EMG and nerve conduction studies, done Friday with pleasingly immediate results, ruled out the scariest of the scary: ALS.With that, R2 and Brooke and I are all thrilled to bits, and I've been given clearance to go back on prednisone along with the Plaquenil. It's probable

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-46371059431017359522010-08-03T22:34:00.002-04:002010-08-03T22:43:49.696-04:00

I found out this morning that they were going to sedate me fully for the biopsy, which, of course, meant no coffee.The nurse looked askance at me when I told her that, no, I did not want a pregnancy test, thanks, even though it's been maybe 31 days since my last cycle.The rheum who did the procedure is over 6'6". At least.Everyone kind of freaked out about my Medipore tape allergy.Which means I

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-9130866048729763722010-08-02T22:08:00.002-04:002010-08-02T22:10:43.386-04:00

Do you supposed I should marinate my arm in something before they slice and dice it? I suppose they'll douse it in enough different contrast agents before they're done with it.Biopsy tomorrow. Results TBD. Here's hoping I'm not too stoned to work tomorrow.

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-65120274660426043212010-07-28T10:37:00.003-04:002010-07-28T10:50:58.385-04:00

I'm back home after a few days away for work. I returned to my house shortly after midnight and was greeted by Brooke and a good friend, draped over different pieces of furniture and reading quietly in their pajamas.I am tired. I am weak. I am worn. Despite this (I should point out that this blog entry is not plagiarism of Thomas Dorsey's hymn so much as a pathetic hack of it for my own

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-49245891568604072622010-07-22T22:29:00.002-04:002010-07-22T22:43:08.619-04:00

Karl is just now learning to speak. His receptive language is great, and his body language makes it clear he understands and responds in a developmentally appropriate way. His toddler "no" is a twinkle and a quick head shake with a dash in the other direction.Today's new words are hotdog and chocolate.Oh, yes, and he's given up going to sleep for Brooke at night, so I nurse both kids down now.

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-33540950433614894632010-07-22T13:28:00.004-04:002010-07-22T14:47:46.273-04:00

I don't have any qualms about explaining difficult things to Sanna. In the last week, we've covered property deeds, squatters' rights, autopsies, tox screens, and biopsies. The first two were topics she brought up, asking how people will know it's our house so they don't try to live here (okay, to be fair, the first was something she brought up, and the second was a classic My Dad "this is

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-4423368306493776042010-06-25T00:12:00.000-04:002010-07-22T13:25:27.282-04:00

God's honest truth? I'm (wait for it...) busy. I have plans to tell you all about our Mem Day Wkd trip to South Dakota, where both kids rode on horses (and Karl nearly fell off), petted (and nearly caught) chickens, struggled with phonics ("That sign says, 'Welcome to Sioux Falls,' honey.") and had near death experiences (Sanna 0, SD 2)).I also want to tell you about the house/floor strife in

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-92168414825879203922010-05-21T12:49:00.003-04:002010-05-21T13:09:36.925-04:00

I am basically decided on the Ford Focus. It turns out that the Fiesta isn't available until the summer, and it's going to assembled in Mexico. The Focus is UAW made in the States, and unlike the Corolla (which I have always loved and of which many are also UAW made), it's a US and local manufacturer. There are multiple benefits to the Focus, although now I have to make a bunch of decisions

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-36831978877890538962010-05-12T21:24:00.002-04:002010-05-12T21:34:08.977-04:00

We're in our temporary home. We've got a contract on a house, and it appraised for over the contract price (as the kids say, "w00t!"). It has orange carpet and brown carpet and two-tone orange/brown carpet, but carpet is replaceable, and beneath the singular orange is beautiful, nearly untouched oak. Who covers oak with orange carpet? 1980s yuppies, that's who.We should close by the end of

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-31364181914911287922010-05-11T15:21:00.001-04:002010-05-11T15:21:00.442-04:00

Karl, originally uploaded by sannaemilin.At a vineyard in San Diego

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-21446776954733328792010-05-11T15:20:00.001-04:002010-05-11T15:20:30.215-04:00

Sanna, originally uploaded by sannaemilin.At a vineyard in San Diego

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-7798438686153959752010-04-22T12:36:00.003-04:002010-04-22T12:37:46.000-04:00

Sanna:"My shirt says BIG sister, and Charlie said my shirt says LITTLE sister, so I punched him."pause"That's what Ms. J said. I just patted him, though."

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-23536731727130890122010-04-21T11:13:00.002-04:002010-04-21T11:57:53.697-04:00

I finished work over on this side of the lake. We have gone out twice for house-hunting, put in an offer on a place, and lost to a competing, over-list bid. We have one more trip out in order to get under contract for the federal credit deadline, and we'll be living half with my in-laws and half renting from a family friend until we land a permanent residence. It is unknown and scary and

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-67161911722666701742010-04-01T22:36:00.003-04:002010-04-01T22:47:38.853-04:00

First things first: there's a button just below the header that I really recommend you click. Again. Again. Again. It's a wonderful thing.Now for the news. We're leaving. Done. We've quit our jobs and are moving back to Michigan. I could go into the reasons, but I won't. Suffice it to say that we have a small window during which we are being handed cash money, a not insubstantial amount

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-35626227328485648872010-03-27T23:21:00.002-04:002010-03-27T23:22:00.402-04:00

We are here. We are okay. I'm waiting for the dust to settle before I say more.

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-84520024981352614842010-02-23T18:16:00.000-05:002010-02-23T23:36:54.033-05:00

I’m on the train and Brooke just called.Karl used his learning to learn how to stand on the Learning Tower. This was several weeks ago. Now he pushes it around the kitchen, first in short bursts, now for long stretches (12 feet or more) with his sister on top. She squeals. He grunts. Then they use their new height (5.5 feet) to remove everything from the top of the refrigerator, dishwasher,

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-66468340921505027672010-02-17T14:04:00.002-05:002010-02-17T14:08:09.026-05:00

Sanna, now at age 4, is in the 10th percentile for weight and 50th for height. She is also stunningly uncooperative, independent, and sassy.Karl, 16 months, is in the 10th percentile for height and 50th for weight. He has not yet learned not to hurl himself against the floor when angry, and he howls and bites for all of the pain his growing teeth are causing.They are beautiful, healthy, and

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-91599974609615020052010-02-11T23:07:00.002-05:002010-02-11T23:08:24.852-05:00

True cooperation, originally uploaded by sannaemilin.How many birthday kids, at age 4, would share the frosting beater from their very own birthday cake this awesomely with a younger sibling?

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-73619331547565563722010-02-08T23:21:00.002-05:002010-02-08T23:32:14.737-05:00

Sanna turns four tomorrow.We went in on a (very nice) bike with her Papa for her birthday. She loves it. It's her two-wheeler, and it's for kids who are big. She is so very pleased with herself, and we are pleased with her. She biked all the way to the restaurant on Saturday and all the way back. Sunday afternoon, we practiced pedaling and braking as well as Bicycle Disaster Response (it

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-35765682494285461092010-02-03T00:01:00.002-05:002010-02-03T00:18:04.976-05:00

It's a little of this and a little of that. We did a weekend in Michigan for Sanna's birthday, to be followed by a weekend here with her grandfather for her birthday, followed by a night out at the family doctor and at the neighborhood Irish pub ON her birthday, followed by a holyshitexpensive family outing to some children's music thing the following weekend.I broke up a fight in the living

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-61287172089061661582010-01-27T14:07:00.003-05:002010-01-27T14:10:56.168-05:00

When you're counting the things that are wrong with the world, add this one to the list.I have more Facebook Friends who are fans of requiring drug testing of welfare recipients than I have Friends who are fans of Ben & Jerry's. It's a sad, sad world, people. Very sad.

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-35027635094768239002010-01-19T23:04:00.000-05:002010-01-19T23:05:39.493-05:00

I want to tell you about my church. You know already that we like it, that they’re doing this Crazy Hope campaign. You may know that it’s Lutheran. You may have inferred that they’re great about kids.For reasons that will as of yet go unspoken unwritten, we’ve been mulling over our church a great deal. It is a unique group. We’ve been attending on average twice a month or more for the last

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-91063681583959891462010-01-13T23:10:00.002-05:002010-01-13T23:14:45.842-05:00

S: Guess what! I drew something today!E: What did you draw?S: I'm not telling you. You guess.E: Was it Sanna?S: No...E: Was it Karl?S: No...E: Mama? Meli? The cats? Our house?S: No, no, no, no...E: An alligator?S: It was candy...E: Chocolate? You drew chocolate?S: It had a stick in it...E: One of those chocolate bears on a stick?S: No. It was a lollipop!E to B: Wait--was that a hint? Was

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-37056784307255928932010-01-07T22:27:00.002-05:002010-01-07T22:47:33.540-05:00

1. Christmas: We did the tour de Michigan, complete with unbaby-proofed family homes and totally out of whack routines. All four of us slept so well on our own bed upon our return that you'd think a coma sneaked into the house in the night.2. It took THREE DAYS to unwrap all of the presents from my MIL. I'm glad to know she owns her house outright because I'd otherwise be concerned about her

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-18916402395811498242010-01-06T23:12:00.002-05:002010-01-06T23:14:19.944-05:00

Suburban Gothic, originally uploaded by sannaemilin.More later.

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-67905819768334283172009-12-20T22:50:00.002-05:002009-12-20T22:56:43.219-05:00

The best things about this weekend:* having a dishwasher--it's making its fourth run of the weekend right now* bowling with a 3.5-year-old* watching the cat try to figure out how to get out of the kids' bathwater* eating gravy and fried potatoes for dessert* making gingerbread houses with Sanna's class and making new year's plans with friends at the same time* Trader Joe and his peppermint

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-18178238012913082762009-12-11T16:46:00.002-05:002009-12-11T16:48:55.853-05:00

I overheard a woman on the train yesterday catching up with a friend. Her friend was directly behind me and didn’t say much, but the woman was standing in the aisle speaking passionately. She talked about her young son, how he’s a handful, and how grateful she was after two days at home with him to get back to the office. He’s at home with a nanny, she told her friend, and has what he needs

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-47880045477908624132009-12-09T22:38:00.000-05:002009-12-10T10:47:49.387-05:00

We mostly finished decorating the tree while dinner simmered last night. Sanna hung ornaments and Karl pulled them down. Pointing at one ornament resembling a gift box as it left the room clamped in Karl’s gums, Sanna wailed, “He can’t have that! It’s a present for Jesus!” By which she means, "my little brother makes Baby Jesus cry." Our tree topper, a star, is supposed to light up, but the

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-5416280864621652812009-12-04T10:09:00.003-05:002009-12-05T21:57:22.358-05:00

Sanna: "I don't want an M&M. I want real chocolate!"The main thing that's been occupying the children while I make dinner each night is the bin of dress-up clothes. They both seem to gravitate toward it in any of their free time, actually. We usually have to strip them out of dress-ups in order to get them to the table for dinner. We've been trying to expand their options slowly (there's a

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-26629401085086713972009-12-03T23:55:00.004-05:002009-12-03T23:58:37.682-05:00

Shoe and soil, originally uploaded by sannaemilin.Leaves, originally uploaded by sannaemilin.

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-10632545429765208642009-12-02T22:19:00.003-05:002009-12-02T22:30:13.112-05:00

Sanna woke up this morning unable to walk and complaining of hip pain. After ibuprofen and cereal, she was limping but still couldn't put her own socks on, so we continued on to the doctor. Dr. F, who has been in practice since the dinosaurs, heard Brooke's telling of the events, looked at Sanna, and diagnosed transient synovitis. "It can be really scary when your active child is suddenly in

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-86066003076931744722009-12-01T22:13:00.002-05:002009-12-01T22:37:58.384-05:00

It's feast or famine around here isn't it? The news of the day is that we're bickering with the federal government over the price of the house we want to buy. At least they're responsive. We put in an optimistic offer at the close of business last Wednesday, and they responded this morning, offering just pennies to the dollar below list. We moved twice as much as they did in our counter to

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-72492950576933011082009-11-30T22:30:00.002-05:002009-11-30T23:05:49.529-05:00

Sanna is a nail chewer. I've used this habit to my benefit as a way to avoid painting her fingernails. We do toenails in this house but not fingernails, even Brooke and me, and the nail chewing is an excellent excuse to avoid having to discuss the topic. I did once paint just glitter on her fingernails, and she had chewed it all off eight of her fingers within 72 hours. We haven't had to get

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806340.post-14519766262703701752009-11-20T23:00:00.000-05:002009-11-20T23:01:14.153-05:00

It starts tonight. Wish us luck.

Emilinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555834098062517763noreply@blogger.com9