Quick update

A few pictures from our visit from Mike's parents. John was treated to a day in Niagara Falls. He's STILL talking about it. That was what - six weeks ago?! He still tries to recreate Niagara Falls. A couple weeks ago, he had piled flour on the table, and was brushing it onto the floor, while squealing "look, Mommy! Niagara Falls!!!" To this day, if we ask him to tell us about Niagara Falls, he gets all wide-eyed, and rambles excitedly about birds and big fishies. Guess we'll have to take him back!



Sorry for no update in a while. Things have been a little hairy around here. We have an extra person in the house, and Mike is into finals at school, which all means more pressure on me.

Mike's first exam is tonight. It's math - his weak link. He's pretty nervous about it, but at least he can get it out of the way early. I'm sure he'll spend a few days lamenting that he didn't do as well as he'd like, but after the angst dissipates, he should feel a lot better. I haven't seen him in weeks. He goes to school every day. He stays late on school nights, and heads there after work on work nights. But it's paid off mark-wise. He's doing very, very well. I'm worried he's starting to burn out a little, but it's almost over. We've been talking that we'll need to do something fun as a family after this is all over. He suggested taking the kids to the Science Centre. Maybe we should go to Niagara Falls! I thought Marine Land might be fun. I haven't been there in years.

John is going through a "phase." A needy, clingy kind of phase. At first it seemed just random and out of nowhere, but I've noticed a distinct pattern. It has something to do with Jeremy being here, because that's when he acts up. During the day, things are fine. But when Jeremy is here, John won't let me talk to him. Won't let me do much of anything, frankly. Just checking my e-mail sends him into fits of rage. Last night, he flew off the handle because I dared to cook dinner, instead of play with him and his trucks. It's strange. It's not like I pay him oh so much attention in the day, but if Jer is around, he demands full attention and constant play. I don't know what the issue is. I'm thinking it might be that he has an audience, so is acting up, because when Jer is gone, he's his normal self. He doesn't do it when dad is home, whether Jer is around or not, (though he's very clingy of dad when he's home.) Maybe he thinks Jeremy is replacing Dad, and thinks he'll replace me too. Mike did start his psycho heavy school hours in around the time Jer moved in. Maybe he thinks it's linked. I don't know, and his language isn't strong enough to express it. It's just strange. Any ideas? Alice - you took child psychology. Does this sound like anything you learned? I just want my happy kid back!

Joan is doing well. She had a follow-up at the pediatrician yesterday. All her brain scan results were perfect, she said. Now that her heart is larger, she has the murmur isolated to three possible causes. One is a small hole low in the heart, one is a larger hole further up, and the third is a narrowing of one of the arteries, I don't remember which one. She said none of them are a problem. The only one that could be an issue is the larger hole, which can occasionally require surgery. But she's fairly confident she can rule that out, because kids with that heart defect often fail to grow well, and that's obviously not an issue for her. Even if she had it, it would likely heal on its own in a few years. The other two are completely harmless, and will sort themselves out. If it's the little hole, it will close, and if it's the artery, it will widen with age. I asked what happens if they don't fix themselves. She said they always do. Joan's due back when she turns one for a check-up. The doc rated her murmur as a 2, on the 1-6 scale.

The only thing alarming was her size. She said she has the height and weight of an average 8-month old, at 17 pounds, 15 ounces, and 26 inches long. But her head is about average for her age - even slightly below. She said not to worry about it, especially considering that John grew very much the same way, though not as dramatically. He grew very quickly at the start, but now he's just average in all his measurements. It doesn't mean she'll be a giant or anything - it's just her unique growth curve. I guess it's alright that her head not be where her body is yet - developmentally and mentally, she's still only 3.5 months.

Anyway, John is here, so I'd better go.