Daddy Time!

Thanks for the flowers Lanaux!

No flowers were harmed during this photo shoot! One might have been licked. . .

Eventually I will feel like writing, but these photos are trumping my vocabulary.

My camera loves Miles!

More scenes from Johnny Jumper

Lazy Saturday. . . just hanging out with Johnny Jumper. He might be my new best friend!

While I was out. . . Dad captured the moment!

Johnny Jumper has moved into our kitchen, or at least onto its doorway. Miles is still uncertain if he like it or not. Haven't seen any wild hopping yet, but I bet a moonwalk is in our future! Especially if he takes after me. I'll let my mom post a comment about that.

Prunes!

Though I am often tempted to share my chocolate pudding Miles, he will have to settle for the look-alike (but certainly not taste-alike) prunes. He's like Mikey- he'll eat anything. In fact, it appears he enjoyed the prunes. I guess when your palette is limited to only 2 other real foods, pears and apples, prunes can seem pretty exciting. Like when you are 11 years old and the mall is the coolest place on earth. . .

Dust, Dust, and More Dust: Day 2

Day Two: Not so bad. I spent 4 hours sorting through old papers and files. My office (actually a little tiny conference room) collected so much dust during my maternity leave. I know folks used the space while I was out, but no one showed my affinity for cleaning. A clean and organized room is a happy room. I've been accused of trying to eradicate particles from my desk. Using bleach wipes every 5 minutes is perfectly normal...right? And who wants particles on their paperwork??? Anyways, my room was gross, and I was under-equipped with cleaning supplies. Tomorrow I am coming armed with a variety of sponges, towels, sprays, and spritzers. And an air freshener- the a/c is smelling a bit funky.

Best part of the day: Jesse and Miles made a surprise visit to the school. Miles met my friends, and he flashed his winning smile to all. Though sleepy, he was on his best behavior. I changed his diaper on my bookshelf! That's got to be a first for my room. Needless to stay, the rest of my day was spent piddling around with Miles in my arms. After dad and son left, I was useless as sand in a sandwich. I did get a fair amount of work done today, and it felt really good. In spite of my separation anxiety, I am happy to be back at school (and playing with office supplies- the true reason I teach- post-it notes and sticky tabs).

First Day Back to Work- A List of Confessions

1. I am jealous of Jesse. He and Miles apparently had an amazing, stress-free, and nap-filled day. Both were beaming as I walked in the door.

2. As I sat in an all-day longer training seminar, I probably caught every third word the presenter said. Where was I? Off dreaming in Milesland!

3. Did I miss my little man? More than any combination of words could express. Shameful that I can't share my feelings with you through interpretive dance- just don't have the proper technology or colorful scarfs.**

4. Did I miss my job and colleagues while on maternity leave? Absolutely! I was greeted my many hugs and words of encouragement this morning. Many folks from work have been following this blog, so they know how hard it is for me to leave home right now. They also know that Jesse will do an amazing job; we are quite lucky.

5. Any new ideas for reorganizing my classroom? Yep, I am going to put a pack 'n' play in the corner. Just kidding, but I did think about it.

6. Will going to work get any easier? That's what people say, and I hope they are right. Coming home and bursting out into tears certainly dampens the mood of a positive day. And that's what I did.

7. Why have a fuss fest? I got scared that Miles wouldn't recognize me. He didn't instantly smile when I walked in. I know the obvious response- he's an infant; give him a chance! I know, I know. . . Once I put him a recently borrowed doorway bouncer (for the first time ever) we were best friends again. I promise to snap some pictures of him hanging out, literally.

8. Gross but true, I actually imagined my umbilical cord stretching across town- from the conference site where I sat all day long back to my house. Many traffic tie-ups were caused; the evening news was alerted! I waste so much energy on these silly daydreams.

9. Still hung up on #6- I want Miles to get kisses all day long. I must ensure that Jesse knows the proper forehead smooch technique, but let's be honest. Nothing beats a Mommy kiss. Guess he'll have to wait until 5 just like Daddy!

10. My hair looked great today despite the awkward visit as mentioned yesterday. A good hair day always helps brighten my mood.

(**Scarfs or scarves- both were in the dictionary. Amazing that I cared enough to look it up. Look Ma'- I am trying to edit! Aren't you proud?)

A Salon Experience

Had an uncomfortable questioned posed to me on Thursday from my new hairdresser. This was only visit number two. I am a glutton for punishment because I have left that salon looking like a Disney villain. Wild and bold highlights have twice render me into a cheap Cruella De Ville impersonator- but close enough to send my dogs running. However, she's a super nice lady who cuts curly hair quite well, and that is a skill hard to come by.

Anyways, during my marathon foiling appointment when chatted about our respective kids. I mentioned that Miles had recently had surgery. This lead to a conversation about congenital heart defects, and that led to Down Syndrome. She had so many questions, mostly benign in nature. And I didn't mind answering her questions, except for her final round. "So, what's your son's life expectancy? About how long to expect him to be around? What happens if you die first? Who will take care of Miles?"

A two ton conversational brick feel right it my lap. All the oxygen blew out of my lungs from the impact. And at emotional ground zero, the "life expectancy" question sat smoldering in my lap. I had several responses that quickly came to mind. Many of my imagined responses would have compromised the already questionable state of my hair care experience. The responses ranged from catty, indifferent , and obviously angry to non-confrontational and let's "hug it out." Remember that I am from Hopewell and that I keep it real.

The suspense must killing you right not- HOW DID I ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS? With a simple- "I dunno." I really wish I had said more at the time because this conversation is haunting me. . .

Apparently the sleep deprivation tank has been moved to my house, and I never signed a consent form.

Getting Miles to take a decent nap is near impossible; it is a complicated as putting together a jigsaw puzzle that is made of same colored feathers. Some times the feathers fit (defying conventional wisdom), and he takes a 2 hour nap. Most of the time you sneeze, sending the feather into space, thus Miles stay awake for hours. Very odd metaphor, I know. That's all my brain can conjure at the moment. When this kid blows through his nap times, there is heck to pay. Jekyll and Hyde- when Miles is rested, he is the sweetest baby on the block. When he is tired, he becomes a soccer hooligan looking for a post-game fight. More distressing than an all-decaf Starbucks menu. Rowdier than James Dickey and Ernest Hemingway fighting over the last beer in cooler, and you know that would be one big 'n' sloppy mess.

I should not complain too quickly seeing that he'll sleep through the night, 8 to 9 hours at a time, and do that 75% of the time. And if he does wake up, he'll quickly drain a bottle and head promptly back to dreamland. Lucky as we are- getting Miles to finally fall asleep at night is another tricky song and dance routine. If I miss that little yawn, his under-the-radar warning shot, we are in trouble. He's got the tiniest sleep window, and Miles can resist falling sleeping for up to 90 minutes. That's an hour and a half of solid screaming and crying. I have read so many books and articles that all have secrets tricks to teaching infants healthy sleeping habits and self-calming techniques. Their theories and methods are great for some families; they just don't work in my house. I have given most of them an honest try, with additional variations of scheduling and environmental adaptations. As of now, nothing trumps his sleep sack. We use these velcro sleep sacks that swaddle Miles ever so tightly. Swaddling has given us the best results. Miles sleeps much longer and sounder when I wrap him up like a baby burrito.

Jesse and I are worried that we'll be swaddling Miles until he is 16 years old. We recently shared a much needed giggle when Jesse described a teenage Miles having to be put to bed in a super small sleeping bag and packing tape. Oh, the extremes to which a parental mind will wander! Gotta love it.

Important Link- Please Read!

All of the recent debate regarding the new film "Tropic Thunder" has given birth to some very interesting dialogue. Many, including myself, feel that Ben Stiller has just gone too far this time. By far, the most sincere and insight reflection I have read was written by John Franklin Stephens, a young man with Down Syndrome. His focus is on the power of semantics- how hurtful words isolate and alienate people. Stephens is a public speaker and global representative for the Special Olympics. His take is quite unique and not quite what you expect. Several people mentioned this article to me, and my dad brought a copy this morning. It ran in Sunday's Richmond Times-Dispatch. I've added a link to the article on the left-hand side of this page. Please read his very insightful and heart-felt words. Stephens is a true ambassador.

Our Technologically Advanced Family Photo Album

UVA recently sent us copies of Miles' pre-op MRI and numerous post-op chest x-rays. The cardiologist gave us a funny look when Jesse asked for these files. Regardless, they arrived on three CDs, and we have been pouring over them all morning.

For the past month, I've been quasi joking that we will be framing all of our karyotypes as a family portrait. After looking at the slides from UVA, I remarked that none of Miles' school portraits will ever measure up to this. Hopefully, this post hasn't crossed into the land of TMI ("too much information"- an acronym I use constantly with my 8th graders). If medical images gross you out, then I apologize. We here at Chez Radiology find it absolutely amazing. How often do you get to closely study your child's heart??? I think I see "I heart Mommy" etched into one of those slides. . .This is just us living for the silver lining- again.

Quick explanation of what you are looking at- the top picture is a post-op chest x-ray. The bundle of wires in the lower right hand corner are chest wires which were connected to an external pacemakers. The tabs and clips are connected for EKG readings. The three lower slides are from the pre-op MRI study. Specifically, the radiologists were looking for evidence of right pulmonary stenosis, which Miles does in fact have. Some of those images are much more concentrated, zoomed in on the pulmonary arteries. I posted these broader scans because I can actually identify some of the parts. The more detailed slides just look like pasta noodles and jam to these very untrained eyes.

School Daze are Here Again!

Why the recent lack of words? Well, I just haven't felt like writing. Typing takes too much time, and time is a non-renewable resource in these here parts. This is the final week of my maternity leave. Friday is an optional work day; think I might have to opt out and spend it with Miles. Luckily, I have an entire week of "teacher workdays" before school actually starts. This will give me time to transition from home to work. What's got me more stressed out? Not getting to spend my entire day with Miles, or the thought of having to style my hair on a daily basis. . . votes are still out.

Obviously, I am not leaving Miles at home with only the dogs, though our pups would love the chance to score some of Miles' plush squeaky toys. Nope- we are entering the phase of unadulterated male bonding. Daddy is staying home! Mr. Mom, Daddy Daycare, Mr. Belvedere- all nicknames I am storing for Jesse. As I type this entry, my guys are sitting next to me on the sofa and doing their best to distract me. Instead of watching Yo Gabba Gabba with me, Miles will being viewing Star Wars 1 through 6 with Daddy while I have chalk dust induced allergy attacks. Sound jealous do I? You bet your Yoda I am!

If I have to share Miles with anyone, Jesse is the clear front-runner. Secondly only to a clone of myself. Maybe third to the option of smuggling Miles in a Baby Bjorn under my shirt. Just picture trying to pass of a wiggling and cooing sweater as perfectly normal to a class of eighth graders; that's not gonna happen. Jesse will be fantastic, and I will cope. It's time for me to put my big girl britches on and go back to work.

First Fruit Ever!

The above is the progression of events- pre to post pear: (1) I'm just sitting here and nicely waiting for my rice cereal. (2) What did you just give me??? Did I agree to try something new??? (3) Hey, I kinda like that! May I have another bite? (3) Okay, pears are fine, but not as good as parent fingers!

Pics from MK's

That last picture I snuck while MK wasn't looking- too sweet!

Road Trippin'

To fight the summer long cabin fever, Miles has been hitting the open highway. Plenty of booster seats are used to ensure he can see clearly over the steering wheel- safety first! Actually, it's more like the family unit has been cruising back country Virginia roads.

Yesterday, we visited grandparents, great aunts and a great uncle in Mathews, about an hour away. Then we swung by a party in Gloucester, where craw fish were the main event. Miles passed on the craw daddies- maybe next year. Today, Miles and I trucked on over to Charles City, about 40 minutes from home, to visit with our auntie MK and her mom. MK and I go waaaaaay back, like when New Kids on the Block were cool. At least cool to a 12 year old girl. . .anyways, she is like a sister. So Miles is like a nephew. Thus- we needed to pay a long overdue visit.

I'm not counting our trip to the UVA hospital as vacation time. Granted, it was time (and money) very well spent, but zero relaxation occurred. Sadly, my maternity leave is up in a week, so I've been itching to get outside. A huge perk of being a school teacher is kicking your heels in the warm months. No stretching back this year, but trust me- we are having an extravaganza of a vacay next summer. In fact, Jesse and I have decided to mark July 25 as a permanent family holiday, Miles' surgery date. This day will forever mark Miles' transformation- our transformation, a day when all of our hearts were healed. I don't know exactly what the celebration will entail- streamers, cake, beaches, hot air balloons, passports. . . Frankly, it doesn't matter. I celebrate the events of that day every time I kiss his healthy forehead, hold his strong hand, and look into his happy eyes.

Happy Birthday Grandpa George!!

Baby's First Calamari

Okay- so this is actually an octopus, but to an infant- it all tastes the same! Great Aunt Joy and Grandma Jewel also join in the eight-armed fun!

Nap Time = Photo Op