Thursday night in Chicago. I confess to being very very tired. It's a happy tired, but I'm tired. I was spot on to shorten my stay from 2 weeks to 1 week.
I've not had a painful day since Tuesday. (Much gratitude.) Wednesday in fact, I felt terrific and everything was moving pretty good. I went to Starbucks for coffee for me and Annie and a paper, parked on the street, and did the whisk into the car with 2 hot coffees, my purse and a paper in between fast moving vehicles on a narrow street without a twinge. I was amazed when I was behind the wheel. Where's the easy button? "That was easy."
Today I'm a little stiff but not sore. I do think that I get tired from the extra energy it takes to move this stiff body around. I get up around 7 or 7:30 as Conor is leaving and after the kids are fed and dressed. I go to bed when Harrison heads for his bath around 7:30 in the evening. I am usually asleep by 9 which is in 7 minutes. ha ha.
We walked to Julius Meinl this morning, Annie and I and the two kids. The only trick was maneuvering that long double stroller with one hand, since the other hand was carrying my hot cup of coffee and the sidewalks are so uneven that the coffee spills out of the cup holder on the stroller. This afternoon we went to the park and Harrison spent nearly the entire time in the swing. Annie chatted with another young mother who was there with her mother and young daughter and in utero baby boy. I think it is lovely to live in this neighborhood full of similar families.
I had to look up the spelling of maneuver since I no longer spell as reliably as I used to. Dictionary.com showed almost 18 million searches today. Apparently I am not alone. I think sometimes it's easier to look it up than to retrieve it from my overcrowded brain. The techno age impacts all of us.
I have taken loads of pictures of these babies. Ella changes by the day. When I arrived Sunday and picked her up my first remark was "Oh! her eyes are so yellow!" I was really surprised at how yellow they were even though I knew she had the special bili lights at home. But today it's hardly noticeable. (The bili lights have been gone for a long while.)
Harrison seems to be trying to say Gram. I could have picked something easier to say I guess...for some reason that didn't occur to me when I was choosing a moniker. He says a lot of things and some of them are understandable. He definitely enjoys interacting with other kids and he is definitely frustrated by this new baby sister. I'm pretty sure though, that one of the garbles coming from his mouth is Ella.
I will be ready to lay about when I return to Kansas City. I will have to do some thinking and planning for that trip to Washington DC over Memorial Day.
Ok. It's 9:06; time to roll over and finish this day.
~Cathi
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Grandchildren are not over rated
I’m in Chicago staying with Conor & Annie and their two adorable babies. Harrison is charming and has slowed his pace to his old Gram’s (most of the time) and we’re having a fine time. I love to make him giggle and I love to see what he does next.Today after a long walk in the car, he parked it and polished it. That’s what this photo is…HB polishing the Cozy Coupe. For the first part of our walk he pushed the car—a little faster than Gram wanted to walk in fact. Then at some point he opted to ride so stopped the car, opened the little door and got in. I love it.
My body hurt terribly today but kids are distracting. The long walk was soothing and I simply ordered supper in rather than cook. Harrison and I also spent some time in the back yard tidying the garage and playing in the sand table.
Now Ella. There’s nothing more grounding than cuddling a newborn. They are totally dependent. They don’t ask for much. And it’s the most important thing in the world when you’re doing it. I remember mothering newborns being a time of wonderful peace. No big decisions to make because the most important thing was that baby. Everything else can wait. Ella is a contented baby, quiet but wide-eyed when she’s awake. Annie is a wonderful Mom, and generous. She is obviously crazy about her children—my favorite kind of mom. We all love our children I think, but some of us are lucky to have parents who genuinely like us and enjoy being a parent. That would be Conor and Annie. Here’s Ella having a few minutes on her tummy this morning.
I’m happy to report that I made the drive up with Carla with no problems. I have to say the mini-van is much more comfortable for a long road trip than the car we took to Cincinnati (though the car was ever so fine, Jason.) We arrived at our hotel and then did an hour at IKEA before we crashed Saturday night. Sunday I spent 4 hours shopping at IKEA before loading up and driving into Chicago to Conor & Annie’s. Then we all hiked half a mile or so to Lincoln Square for supper. We put the kids in the stroller and set off. I love this kind of city living. It’s enviable to be able to walk like that. On the way home, the neighbors were outside with their kids so we stopped and had a chat, a nice long visit. I was pleased with my stamina that day.
It’s a different kind of activity here on a daily basis. Inside, outside, upstairs, downstairs. Sit down, stand up. I’m enjoying it and it works different parts of my body. I’m taking twice as much Cellcept after my clinic visit last week but so far I haven’t noticed a difference in how I feel nor the swelling. The swelling is just willy-nilly. Not so much after the long day on my feet Sunday, but little baseballs in my ankles tonight after I wasn't on my feet that much. I’m probably nuts, but I keep hoping that more walking will eventually make the swelling diminish. Same with the pain, it just comes and goes unpredictably. Thankfully it comes less often these days. And also being able to take Aleve is a nice respite. Wish I could take it twice a day!
Meanwhile, distraction is fine pain relief.
I’m happy to report that I made the drive up with Carla with no problems. I have to say the mini-van is much more comfortable for a long road trip than the car we took to Cincinnati (though the car was ever so fine, Jason.) We arrived at our hotel and then did an hour at IKEA before we crashed Saturday night. Sunday I spent 4 hours shopping at IKEA before loading up and driving into Chicago to Conor & Annie’s. Then we all hiked half a mile or so to Lincoln Square for supper. We put the kids in the stroller and set off. I love this kind of city living. It’s enviable to be able to walk like that. On the way home, the neighbors were outside with their kids so we stopped and had a chat, a nice long visit. I was pleased with my stamina that day.
It’s a different kind of activity here on a daily basis. Inside, outside, upstairs, downstairs. Sit down, stand up. I’m enjoying it and it works different parts of my body. I’m taking twice as much Cellcept after my clinic visit last week but so far I haven’t noticed a difference in how I feel nor the swelling. The swelling is just willy-nilly. Not so much after the long day on my feet Sunday, but little baseballs in my ankles tonight after I wasn't on my feet that much. I’m probably nuts, but I keep hoping that more walking will eventually make the swelling diminish. Same with the pain, it just comes and goes unpredictably. Thankfully it comes less often these days. And also being able to take Aleve is a nice respite. Wish I could take it twice a day!
Meanwhile, distraction is fine pain relief.
~Cathi
Thursday, May 13, 2010
It's all good news
I had lunch this week with a friend I haven't heard from much during my illness. The friend talked about how difficult it was to read the blog every day with the constant ups and downs. I admit that when I go back to read it I am amazed that my spirits were as high as they were. Because every time there was hope, there was bad news after that. A lot of ups and downs. I hadn't given much thought to how readers feel.
But it's all good news this week. Monday at the clinic my hg was 11.4. Almost normal, which is 12. My white cells were 8 which is normal and my platelets were 145, normal is 150. The doctor said "you can take Aleve now for pain. You couldn't do this before but you can now." So Aleve once a day and Tylenol once a day.
The physical therapy session on Tuesday ended with a few minutes loosening up my shoulders. The therapist said she thought they were moving more than they had when I first came in. I wanted specifics so she went and got the measuring business and sure enough, each shoulder was moving about 30 degrees more than it had 3 weeks ago. That was enough to get me back for another session!
Saturday I leave for Chicago to be the chief cook and bottle washer for a week. I'm only staying a week though. I decided I'm not ready for 2 weeks of that much activity.
So all good news. I'm doing my exercises. and taking my drugs. At least the pain killers
~Cathi
But it's all good news this week. Monday at the clinic my hg was 11.4. Almost normal, which is 12. My white cells were 8 which is normal and my platelets were 145, normal is 150. The doctor said "you can take Aleve now for pain. You couldn't do this before but you can now." So Aleve once a day and Tylenol once a day.
The physical therapy session on Tuesday ended with a few minutes loosening up my shoulders. The therapist said she thought they were moving more than they had when I first came in. I wanted specifics so she went and got the measuring business and sure enough, each shoulder was moving about 30 degrees more than it had 3 weeks ago. That was enough to get me back for another session!
Saturday I leave for Chicago to be the chief cook and bottle washer for a week. I'm only staying a week though. I decided I'm not ready for 2 weeks of that much activity.
So all good news. I'm doing my exercises. and taking my drugs. At least the pain killers
~Cathi
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Dateline: Chicago
Dateline: Chicago, IL
Ella Catherine Maynard arrived at 7pm Tuesday, May 4, 2010. She weighed a mere 7 pounds 15 ounces and has a little bit of sandy colored hair. Parents are Conor and Annie Maynard and big brother is Harrison Bradley Maynard. Ella has spent her time in the city drinking and sleeping with a few photo ops for interested parties.
EOQ (end of quote)
I am having a fine time in Chicago. Baby Ella is divine and I got to hold her soon after she was born. A tiny bundle of sweet perfection. It is a wonderful experience, heightened by missing Harrison's birth and first year. We (Annie's mother and I) took Harrison to the hospital today to meet Ella. He smiled politely for the camera, but I would have to rate his interest level at about zero. He was happy to see his Mom and Dad, and play around in a new place with lots of curiosities, but Ella didn't seem to be even a blip on the radar. I'm sure that will change when she takes up residence tomorrow.
Harrison is ever so familiar with his Gram these days. He smiles and says "Hi" and runs to see me. He laughs at my jokes (well it seems to me that's why he's laughing,) and blows me kisses. I adore him. I read to him and when I call the horse a cow, he looks at me funny til I call it a horse. Pretty sharp kid.
I have been fortunate to have a series of days with much less pain. I admit I have pushed my limits up here in Chicago, but one needs to do that occasionally just to see where they are. Today I put together the double stroller for the two babies and I'm calling that a PT session. There were only two screws in the thing, but it was brutal turning that screwdriver. Happy to say I won the battle, the screws are in and the stroller is operational.
I will be returning to KC tomorrow and later in May I'll come back up and stay a while to help take care of two babies. Ostensibly. I'm really coming back up to have a string of consecutive days seeing my grandkids.
~Cathi
Ella Catherine Maynard arrived at 7pm Tuesday, May 4, 2010. She weighed a mere 7 pounds 15 ounces and has a little bit of sandy colored hair. Parents are Conor and Annie Maynard and big brother is Harrison Bradley Maynard. Ella has spent her time in the city drinking and sleeping with a few photo ops for interested parties.
EOQ (end of quote)
I am having a fine time in Chicago. Baby Ella is divine and I got to hold her soon after she was born. A tiny bundle of sweet perfection. It is a wonderful experience, heightened by missing Harrison's birth and first year. We (Annie's mother and I) took Harrison to the hospital today to meet Ella. He smiled politely for the camera, but I would have to rate his interest level at about zero. He was happy to see his Mom and Dad, and play around in a new place with lots of curiosities, but Ella didn't seem to be even a blip on the radar. I'm sure that will change when she takes up residence tomorrow.
Harrison is ever so familiar with his Gram these days. He smiles and says "Hi" and runs to see me. He laughs at my jokes (well it seems to me that's why he's laughing,) and blows me kisses. I adore him. I read to him and when I call the horse a cow, he looks at me funny til I call it a horse. Pretty sharp kid.
I have been fortunate to have a series of days with much less pain. I admit I have pushed my limits up here in Chicago, but one needs to do that occasionally just to see where they are. Today I put together the double stroller for the two babies and I'm calling that a PT session. There were only two screws in the thing, but it was brutal turning that screwdriver. Happy to say I won the battle, the screws are in and the stroller is operational.
I will be returning to KC tomorrow and later in May I'll come back up and stay a while to help take care of two babies. Ostensibly. I'm really coming back up to have a string of consecutive days seeing my grandkids.
~Cathi
Saturday, May 1, 2010
I am a drama queen
I have started a couple of updates that I didn't publish. They were whiney and self-pitying and seemed to be excuses for slacking. Drama, drama, drama.
Last night I started talking to myself differently. "Yes it's going to hurt to stand up, but so what? You gotta stand up anyway." After a few hours of this it seemed to be easier to get out of a chair.
This morning I woke up feeling wonderful. Not pain free but seriously pain reduced. I threw the covers off with one swing of my arm without thinking about it. or cringing. Then I walked upright to the bathroom, and my hands were straight under the water. I don't know what changed but I want it to last.
Perhaps the Cellcept has kicked in that I started taking a week or 10 days ago. Dr. Abhyankar said it would take a couple of weeks. I am not changing anything. I am drinking tea this weekend. (Usually I drink tea during the week and coffee on the weekends.)
Thursday's yoga class was torturous and I posted something on FaceBook about Yo! Gah! I got a lot of amusing responses. That's what friends are for. The best one was "sounds like a battle cry. Yo! Gah! Ouch!" haha. Makes me laugh at myself and my silly complaints.
Yes I have a lot of pain but I am not the pain. I can sit in the chair and focus on the pain which makes it bigger and more dramatic. Or I can go on about my life, doing the laundry and fixing computers at the rate I can go. I haven't quite found the wit in this, but today's respite will surely help.
~Cathi
Last night I started talking to myself differently. "Yes it's going to hurt to stand up, but so what? You gotta stand up anyway." After a few hours of this it seemed to be easier to get out of a chair.
This morning I woke up feeling wonderful. Not pain free but seriously pain reduced. I threw the covers off with one swing of my arm without thinking about it. or cringing. Then I walked upright to the bathroom, and my hands were straight under the water. I don't know what changed but I want it to last.
Perhaps the Cellcept has kicked in that I started taking a week or 10 days ago. Dr. Abhyankar said it would take a couple of weeks. I am not changing anything. I am drinking tea this weekend. (Usually I drink tea during the week and coffee on the weekends.)
Thursday's yoga class was torturous and I posted something on FaceBook about Yo! Gah! I got a lot of amusing responses. That's what friends are for. The best one was "sounds like a battle cry. Yo! Gah! Ouch!" haha. Makes me laugh at myself and my silly complaints.
Yes I have a lot of pain but I am not the pain. I can sit in the chair and focus on the pain which makes it bigger and more dramatic. Or I can go on about my life, doing the laundry and fixing computers at the rate I can go. I haven't quite found the wit in this, but today's respite will surely help.
~Cathi
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