Ciara has her EEG today. I'm really nervous, I know she's going to freak out, she hates being held down. So i've asked my mom to come along too, she'll be able to keep her calm, ok and me too. It calms me a little just to know that she's coming. Ciara loves her grandma, I know everything will be okay.
I pray that her results come back negative!! I wish I knew when I would know the results.
I will update when we get back.
About Me
- Andrea
- Surrey, BC, Canada
- Hello, i'm Andrea i'm a mama to three dynamic kiddos, a fur baby, and a "wife" to a wonderful man! My mornings/early afternoons consist of chasing my 2 year old around, preschooling him, saving him from the trouble he finds, getting the older two ready, fed and off to school and most of all hugs, kisses and cuddles. Vacuuming, dishes, cooking, laundry, and errands all get shuffled into the mix, and sometimes I "forget" about them altogether. Afternoons and evenings are filled with homework, walks, play time, crafts, cleanup, bath time, snuggles and lately quite a few time outs. When the kids are in bed, I come online to relax, chat with friends and family. This is also my time to eat my chocolate or indulge in some icecream. I think it was around 6 years old, when my precious little sister was born, that I wanted to be a mommy. I remember pretending she was mine. In school, when I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, i'd answer the same thing: a MOM! And that I am, my lifetime goal, achieved! So that's some of my life, exciting isn't it? Well I think so, and I wouldn't change it for the world!
Monday, May 5, 2008
Friday, April 25, 2008
A Newborns Conversation with God
A baby asked God, 'They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow, but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?'
God said, 'Your angel will be waiting for you and will take care of you.'The child further inquired, 'But tell me, here in heaven I don't have to do anything but sing and smile to be happy.'
God said, 'Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you. And you will feel your angel's love and be very happy.'
Again the child asked, 'And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me if I don't know the language?'
God said, 'Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak.'
'And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?'
God said, 'Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray.
''Who will protect me?'
God said, 'Your angel will defend you even if it means risking its life.''But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore.'
God said, 'Your angel will always talk to you about Me and will teach you the way to come back to Me, even though I will always be next to you.'
At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from Earth could be heard and the child hurriedly asked, 'God, if I am to leave now, please tell me my angel's name.'
God said, 'You will simply call her, 'Mom.'
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Asparagus anyone?
I LOVE asparagus!
After many weeks of wondering why I had smelly asparagus pee, I decided to look it up.
As archived in the Boston Globe at www.boston.com, below are more details about why asparagus causes urine to have a unique odor:
Asparagus is filled with sulfur-containing amino acids that break down during digestion into six sulfur-containing compounds. These can impart a unique smell to urine as they are excreted. "It's the same sulfur group that makes skunks smell," said Barbara Hodges, a dietician with Boston University's nutrition clinic, the Evans Nutrition Group.
Scientists remain divided on why people have different urinary responses to eating asparagus. One camp thinks only about half of the population have a gene enabling us to break down the sulfurous amino acids in asparagus into their smellier components. Others think that everyone digests asparagus the same way, but only about half of us have a gene that enables us to smell the specific compounds formed in the digestion of asparagus.
"There's something of a dispute," said Dr. David Stollar, chairman of biochemistry at Tufts University Medical School.The unusual smells are nothing to worry about, though. According to the Dictionary of Medical Syndromes, which includes an entry on the urinary excretion of odoriferous components of asparagus: "The syndrome does not have any pathological significance."
Don't let that stop you from eating it, it's nutritional benefits far outweigh smelly pee syndrome!
Asparagus is one of the most nutritionally well-balanced vegetables in existence. It leads nearly all produce items in the wide array of nutrients it supplies in significant amounts for a healthy diet.
Asparagus is the leading supplier among vegetables of folic acid. A 5.3 ounce serving provides 60% of the recommended daily allowance for folacin which is necessary for blood cell formation, growth, and prevention of liver disease.
Folacin has been shown to play a significant role in the prevention of neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, that cause paralysis and death in 2,500 babies each year.Its wealth of nutrients, fiber and very low sodium and calorie content make asparagus a nutritionally wise choice for today's health-conscious consumer.
Asparagus is:
Low in calories, only 20 per 5.3 oz. serving, less than 4 calories per spear.
Contains no fat or cholesterol.
Very low in sodium.
A good source of potassium.
A source of fiber (3 grams per 5.3 oz. serving).
An excellent source of folacin.
A significant source of thiamin.
A significant source of vitamin B6.
One of the richest sources of rutin, a compound which strengthens capillary walls.
Contains glutathione (GSH).
Low in calories, only 20 per 5.3 oz. serving, less than 4 calories per spear.
Contains no fat or cholesterol.
Very low in sodium.
A good source of potassium.
A source of fiber (3 grams per 5.3 oz. serving).
An excellent source of folacin.
A significant source of thiamin.
A significant source of vitamin B6.
One of the richest sources of rutin, a compound which strengthens capillary walls.
Contains glutathione (GSH).
Friday, April 18, 2008
Wow it's been over week since I posted!
So we finalized the sale of our home, which was a HUGE relief. And we found a place to rent. It's so nice, it feels like a home. It's beside an Elementary school, which is excellent since I don't drive. There's a big park behind us too, with a pool and a water park. The location is awesome!
We move on April 25th, well start moving. We booked the moving truck for the 27th. I can't help G move because of my back, so our friend Tony is helping us out, our prior arrangements fell through. Disappointing.
I am soooo excited to get a King size bed and a new living room set. I'm going to get the kids new bedding; Bradley wants Harley Davidson, and i'm going to get Ciara a butterfly pattern with bright pinks and purples. yayyy!! lol
OH the best part, there's TWO bathrooms! lol The kids want to decorate theirs in either duckies or frogs. And i'm going to do ours in chocolate brown and off white.
I can't wait!!!
We move on April 25th, well start moving. We booked the moving truck for the 27th. I can't help G move because of my back, so our friend Tony is helping us out, our prior arrangements fell through. Disappointing.
I am soooo excited to get a King size bed and a new living room set. I'm going to get the kids new bedding; Bradley wants Harley Davidson, and i'm going to get Ciara a butterfly pattern with bright pinks and purples. yayyy!! lol
OH the best part, there's TWO bathrooms! lol The kids want to decorate theirs in either duckies or frogs. And i'm going to do ours in chocolate brown and off white.
I can't wait!!!
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Reusable Bags
I'm going to print this asap, and drop it off at Safeway, Superstore and Save On Foods this weekend.
Ask your favorite stores to start offering $.05 or $.10 credits per bag to customers who bring their own, and/or to charge for disposable bags (plastic and paper). They can join other progressive retailers including CostCo, Whole Foods, and Ikea that have already taken the lead. They can save money and help the environment at the same time.Sample letter:
Dear [name of store manager or CEO], As a concerned regular customer of [store name here], I am writing to ask you to join in with other leading retailers including Ikea, Costco and Whole Foods by either 1) offering a $.05 or $.10 credit per bag for customer that chose to bring their own and/or 2) introducing a small fee of .15 cents per disposable, single-use plastic bag. This will both save you money and help establish your business as a responsible retailer that cares about our environment.
Introduced 25 years ago, single use plastic bags are now consumed at an astounding rate of approximately 500 billion per year globally, or 1 million per minute. It is estimated that 1% or 5 billion of these bags end up as wind blow litter each year. These bags that take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade, often wind up in waterways or the landscape, becoming eyesores and eventually degrading water and soil as they break down into tiny toxic bits.
Their manufacture and disposal also uses large quantities of non-renewable resources, especially petroleum, a key ingredient in plastic. Large amounts of global warming gases are released during their production, transportation, and disposal. Environmentally, disposable plastic bags are a serious problem. Hundreds of thousands of marine animals, including endangered sea turtles, die every year when they eat plastic bags mistaken for food.
Paper bags are not the answer, since independent studies show they have roughly as many negative impacts as plastic ones. The negative impacts of disposable bags could be reduced easily and significantly by charging for their usage at the point of purchase. In cooperation with retailers, the Irish government introduced a plastic bag tax (PlasTax) last year that has slashed consumption over 90% and raised $9.6 million for environmental and waste management projects.
Another benefit is that stores save money on bag purchases and improve their public image. For example, Superquinn, one of the largest Irish grocery chains, says the number of bags it distributes for free has dropped by 97.5%. Charging for disposable bags and rewarding the use of reusable bags is a win-win solution to the disposable bag problem.
It helps create the foundation for public-private partnership consumer in solving environmental problems, and saves retailers money. Thank you for your careful thought on this matter, and I hope, the introduction of a store policy to charge for disposable bags and give credit for reusable ones. Corporate responsibility like this can make the difference between keeping and losing customers.
Sincerely, [your name, city, state, and zip code]
Ask your favorite stores to start offering $.05 or $.10 credits per bag to customers who bring their own, and/or to charge for disposable bags (plastic and paper). They can join other progressive retailers including CostCo, Whole Foods, and Ikea that have already taken the lead. They can save money and help the environment at the same time.Sample letter:
Dear [name of store manager or CEO], As a concerned regular customer of [store name here], I am writing to ask you to join in with other leading retailers including Ikea, Costco and Whole Foods by either 1) offering a $.05 or $.10 credit per bag for customer that chose to bring their own and/or 2) introducing a small fee of .15 cents per disposable, single-use plastic bag. This will both save you money and help establish your business as a responsible retailer that cares about our environment.
Introduced 25 years ago, single use plastic bags are now consumed at an astounding rate of approximately 500 billion per year globally, or 1 million per minute. It is estimated that 1% or 5 billion of these bags end up as wind blow litter each year. These bags that take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade, often wind up in waterways or the landscape, becoming eyesores and eventually degrading water and soil as they break down into tiny toxic bits.
Their manufacture and disposal also uses large quantities of non-renewable resources, especially petroleum, a key ingredient in plastic. Large amounts of global warming gases are released during their production, transportation, and disposal. Environmentally, disposable plastic bags are a serious problem. Hundreds of thousands of marine animals, including endangered sea turtles, die every year when they eat plastic bags mistaken for food.
Paper bags are not the answer, since independent studies show they have roughly as many negative impacts as plastic ones. The negative impacts of disposable bags could be reduced easily and significantly by charging for their usage at the point of purchase. In cooperation with retailers, the Irish government introduced a plastic bag tax (PlasTax) last year that has slashed consumption over 90% and raised $9.6 million for environmental and waste management projects.
Another benefit is that stores save money on bag purchases and improve their public image. For example, Superquinn, one of the largest Irish grocery chains, says the number of bags it distributes for free has dropped by 97.5%. Charging for disposable bags and rewarding the use of reusable bags is a win-win solution to the disposable bag problem.
It helps create the foundation for public-private partnership consumer in solving environmental problems, and saves retailers money. Thank you for your careful thought on this matter, and I hope, the introduction of a store policy to charge for disposable bags and give credit for reusable ones. Corporate responsibility like this can make the difference between keeping and losing customers.
Sincerely, [your name, city, state, and zip code]
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Me venting...
On top of all that is going on with us, we are in the midst of selling our house and finding a place to rent. We chose to sell to be free from debt!! The stress was too overwhelming for us, it was (is) getting in the way of our lives, ok ok it took over.
So once all the subjects are off, which should be very soon, we will be that much closer to being FREE!!!!!!!!!!
Then comes the next part. Finding a house, townhouse or apartment to rent, in a good area, with a school nearby. We looked at a few houses and one townhouse already. Oh my they were horrible! and most were over $1200 a month. One place didn't even have a lock on the door, a sock was shoved in the hole, and i'm sure that if we'd gone inside, we would have contracted some sort of infection LMAO!!!
I don't get how people can rent their places for SO much money, and actually look you in the eye saying how wonderful it is. Like do they think we are blind? or have no sense of smell? haahhaha
Tomorrow we are going to look at a condo. It's right beside a school, and behind a large field, further down is a pool, park and water park. It would be perfect for us!!! I really really hope we get it.
Which brings me to another annoyance; applications. "Fill this out, we'll check your credit, how big your shits are, and how much money you make, and if we like what we see, we'll get back to you"
Why can't they just look at your place of employment, or tell you to bring a paystub, look at your family, and say ok it's yours???
It just adds more stress, because you fill out the application, they tell you there's 15 more people looking at the place, and we'll get back to you in 5 days to let you know. Don't they know we're already stressed out about all the other crap?
Why does life have to be so hard?
lol then it wouldn't be so fun right......right?
K now that i've laughed with myself, i'm feeling a little better hahaha.
So once all the subjects are off, which should be very soon, we will be that much closer to being FREE!!!!!!!!!!
Then comes the next part. Finding a house, townhouse or apartment to rent, in a good area, with a school nearby. We looked at a few houses and one townhouse already. Oh my they were horrible! and most were over $1200 a month. One place didn't even have a lock on the door, a sock was shoved in the hole, and i'm sure that if we'd gone inside, we would have contracted some sort of infection LMAO!!!
I don't get how people can rent their places for SO much money, and actually look you in the eye saying how wonderful it is. Like do they think we are blind? or have no sense of smell? haahhaha
Tomorrow we are going to look at a condo. It's right beside a school, and behind a large field, further down is a pool, park and water park. It would be perfect for us!!! I really really hope we get it.
Which brings me to another annoyance; applications. "Fill this out, we'll check your credit, how big your shits are, and how much money you make, and if we like what we see, we'll get back to you"
Why can't they just look at your place of employment, or tell you to bring a paystub, look at your family, and say ok it's yours???
It just adds more stress, because you fill out the application, they tell you there's 15 more people looking at the place, and we'll get back to you in 5 days to let you know. Don't they know we're already stressed out about all the other crap?
Why does life have to be so hard?
lol then it wouldn't be so fun right......right?
K now that i've laughed with myself, i'm feeling a little better hahaha.
Update
Ciara's pediatrician is the best ever!! He is very thorough, pleasent, just an awesome guy! His name is Dr. David Ou Tim, in New Westminster, BC.
Today Cici was diagnosed with Epilepsy. She's been having Tonic seizures.
Epilepsy is a disorder that disrupts the transmission of electrical signals inside the brain. Although you may assume that epilepsy always causes episodes of uncontrolled movements and loss of consciousness, the condition is actually quite variable. Symptom episodes — known as seizures — are often subtle, causing strange sensations, emotions and behavior. Some people with epilepsy simply stare blankly for a few seconds when having a seizure, while others have full-fledged convulsions.
Many people — for example, children with high fevers — experience one seizure and then never have another one. But after you've had two seizures, the chance that you'll have additional seizures increases dramatically. At least two unprovoked seizures are required for a diagnosis of epilepsy.
Many children with epilepsy even outgrow the condition with age.
Symptoms vary depending on the type of seizure. In most cases, a person with epilepsy will tend to have the same type of seizure each time, so the symptoms will be very similar from episode to episode.
Tonic seizures involve increased muscle tone or stiffness. Depending on how quickly the seizure starts and how long it lasts, tonic seizures may be a gradual movement or a massive jerk. The child may be pushed forward or backward and even fall down as a result of the muscle stiffening. The child may turn blue and appear to stop breathing because his chest muscles have also stiffened. Tonic seizures usually last for 10 to 15 seconds, but may last for up to a minute. They often occur during sleep or just after a child wakes up. The child is only confused for a short time after the seizure.
Tomorrow she will be started on Carbamazepine - chewable tablets.
Dr. Ou Tim is going to schedule Ciara for an EEG, as soon as possible.
I'm not sure what to think or do at this moment. My body and mind are numb and I can't think straight. I don't want to get all worked up about anything. I want to see what the EEG results are.
I'm so scared though. Why my precious baby?
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Lately...
my nights have consisted of turning my baby monitor up full volume, and listening ever so closely, getting up 4-5 times a night to check on Ciara, sleeping so lightly so that I can be up and in her room asap.
She's had two seizures in the past two weeks, and i'm constantly worrying. So much that some nights we co sleep, which i'm not complaining about, at least she's right there and I don't have to worry as much. I do love cuddling with her, even if I wake up with a toe up my nose lol.
Tomorrow we have an appointment with her pediatrician, hopefully we can get some answers.
I've read alot online about seizures (mainly febrile) and they seem to be common in children her age, and don't happen past 5years old.
Both times she had a slight fever, and they happened about an hour after she had tylenol. It's all so scary. I hope it never happens again. My poor baby is scared to go to bed, and wakes up scared too.
I'm going to leave it at that for tonight...
She's had two seizures in the past two weeks, and i'm constantly worrying. So much that some nights we co sleep, which i'm not complaining about, at least she's right there and I don't have to worry as much. I do love cuddling with her, even if I wake up with a toe up my nose lol.
Tomorrow we have an appointment with her pediatrician, hopefully we can get some answers.
I've read alot online about seizures (mainly febrile) and they seem to be common in children her age, and don't happen past 5years old.
Both times she had a slight fever, and they happened about an hour after she had tylenol. It's all so scary. I hope it never happens again. My poor baby is scared to go to bed, and wakes up scared too.
I'm going to leave it at that for tonight...
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