this, that and other stuff

Sorry I haven't been in a while. I'm tired and pregnant and feeling sore and blechy most of the time, so just haven't felt up to stopping by, to be honest.



Let's see. Pregnancy is still a go. I had a third ultrasound last week, and was given all good news. They had called me back because the last technician couldn't get a clear look at the spine. This time, the baby was in the perfect position, so it was a quick in and out. Technician said everything looks good - nothing to worry about. I wanted to ask the gender so badly, but we'd already agreed to have yet another surprise.



The other kids are doing well. I was truly spoiled for Mother's Day. I got a big bouquet of dandilions and some sort of purple thing, picked from our yard and the neighbouring parking lot. John was so proud! "You like them, because they're nice!" he said, as he arranged them for me in a little cup of water. I also got a second surprise. I was doing dishes, when he came up and said "Mom! I made your Mother's Day present! Come see!" So I followed him to the bathroom, where he, in grandious fashion, lifted the potty lid to reveal... a huge poop. "Happy Mother's Day!" He said. It could have been worse - he could have left it somewhere more...creative.



He's passed into a delightful phase, in which he displayes a marked obsession with his bodily orifaces, and the disgusting things that ooz, squirt and slime out of them. It's very depressing for me, because I know this phase won't likely pass until well into high school, when he decides he wants a girlfriend. He puts his own John spin on it all, though. He asked me what snot was a few days ago. Not knowing what the answer was at all, I told him it was dead germs that his soldiers (our name for white blood cells) were pushing out of his body. He accepted that, but few days later, he asked if the germs in his snot were really dead. "I think so," I said. "Well, then who will take care of their kids?" he asked sadly. So I did some backtracking, and now the germs aren't really dead - snot is just the slime they make that can make you sick. So the germs are okay, and living happily with their families, but they can't make him sick anymore. Shockingly, he bought it. Then he went on about how the germs need to go to the hospital, and that the ambulances wil come take care of them when the soldiers hurt them, so that they will be okay.



We've decided that we're going to sign him up for preschool in September after all. We've been toying with the idea for a while, but the last straw was a few days ago, when we all went to the park. There was another boy there, who was 7, waiting for his league's soccer game to start. John was stuck to this kid like glue. They played tag, and chased each other around. Then the boy had to go. It was heartbreaking. John tried to convince me that he could go play on this boy's team, too. Then a little girl showed up, and John said "Oh boy!!! Another friend for me to play with!" and ran right up this 7-year-old 'tween, who was far too fabulous to pay him any mind, but he stuck to her like glue regardless. We really realized the full scope of the cruelty we were inflicting on our child. He's the most sociable creature on the face of the earth, and he's at home with boring old mom. This is a kid who'll run in from playing outside, squealing "Mom! I made a new friend! Come meet him!" And it turns out to be an ant or a worm. What we're doing just isn't right! So yeah, we're going to head out for a few tours and find one that's fun and social. We're not so concerned about academics - he's so smart, he doesn't really need help getting ready for school academically, which is good, because most of the "good" preschools are already into waiting lists. But he's got to have regular social time with a group of his peers. And the revolving door of faces he gets through little drop-in type programs just doesn't seem to be cutting it.

He got a special treat a few days ago - a nice long chat with Grandma Phillips. My mom got a full tour of his toy box, as he emptied it onto the floor. He thought that talk was great! He's still telling us all about his special call from Grandma. So if anyone else wants to light up his life a little, don't hesitate to call!

Joan's doing great, too. We're in this study at the hospital, andas much as it's inconvenient, I'm glad I'm doing it. It's a clinical study to test the effects of a course they've developed on the outcomes of physiotherapy. It's all about recognizing the non-verbal cues that kids send, and it's geared specifically for parents of physio kids. Like how to recognize when they just don't feel like doing something at the moment, vs they can't physically do it. How to tell if they want to do it with help, vs by themselves. So far, it's been really helpful, even though we're not in therapy just yet. It helps to see things in a different way. Like, the therapist in Hamilton said to do it one way, which hasn't been working. This helps to think of new ways to do it, based on the uniqueness interests and moods of the kid themselves. It's a much more holistic way of looking at therapy. They say they get much better results this way, and I believe it. I've been applying some of the ideas, and they've really helped remotivate Joan. I've actually seen her get down on her belly and try to crawl, which she hasn't had any interest in doing for months. One of the best parts is the other moms and the instructors. It's run by actual physiotherapists, so they know exactly what I'm talking about when I discuss specific situations with Joan. Even though they've never seen her, they've been able to give me great advice and ideas, because they're so familiar with the condition. Meeting the other moms has made me realize that we're not so bad off. We're the mildest case. There's another little girl at the same developmental level and the same age, but she has seizures as well. Another has cystic fibrosis. Others have too many problems to remember. A little stroke sounds so minor in comparison. It's nice to be able to talk about MRIs and neurologists and leg braces, and no one bats an eyelash, because everyone's been there, done that.

Anyway, better go - Mike just got home. But I'll check back in soon!