ENT visit

Well, for starters, I liked Elizabeth's ENT doctor, "Dr. Chris" (aka Dr. Christopher Tiu). But when a guy who looks at things like say...tonsils...every day takes a look down your 3-year-old's mouth and says, and I quote, "WOW! Those things are huge!" That may be saying something!

Dr. Chris said they aren't the largest ones he has ever seen, but are definitely in the top 10%. Top 10 isn't bad...if you're going to do something, do it well!

To summarize...Tonsils, HUGE. Adenoids - don't know how big they are as you can't see them because of the tonsils, which are huge. We have to get an x-ray of the adenoids so that he can get a look at how big they actually are, but he's guessing they, too, are huge - behind those huge tonsils. Both will be coming out in the near future...no date set as of yet, because...

Elizabeth still has fluid in both ears, although she isn't complaining of anything. So, she will be on a 5-day dose of a steroid. She will also be seeing an audiologist (in Moundsville...good thing for a GPS as I will be making my first ever trip to Moundsville whenever we get the appointment there!) If, when we go back on the 21st for her follow-up appointment the ear infection has not cleared up or if there is any hearing loss (which, at this age is reversible), then he will put tubes in her ears.

Either/both surgeries are out-patient. She will leave the hospital 20 or so minutes after she is awakened from the general anesthesia. She will have to be out of daycare for a week after the surgery (Grandmaaaaaa!). She will be on restricted activity (no jumping, climbing, etc.) for two weeks following the surgery (that's a good one, doc!). And, because of the slight (3-5% chance of bleeding, which is typically minor bleeding (so don't go too crazy on WebMD, NANA!), we will be "grounded" to Wheeling for two weeks following her surgery.

January looks like it will be an interesting month...I wonder what theme I should set for her birthday party now???

Is That a Frog in Your Throat?

Elizabeth, is that a frog in your throat?



Nope! Them thar is some HUGE tonsils!

They are not inflamed at the moment, they are just in their natural huge state...

Which is why she snores when she breathes, and is prone to ear infections, near continually has a cough or is clearing her throat, is a mouth breather (because if those are her tonsils and the adenoids are behind those tonsils, they, too, are likely big and partially blocking the nasal passage)...and is going to see the ENT tomorrow.

Anyone want to place bets on whether or not she gets her tonsils removed at some point in the next couple of years? Reid will set the line and take the bets...

(If you're really, really interested in a closer look - and Elizabeth isn't in your presence, you can click on either of the photos to view them at full resolution.)

Stuff for therapy at a later date

Nail polish by Elizabeth:


And this won't require therapy, but is just too cute...kissing cousins!

Thankful Thursday

Today I'm thankful to/for/about:

• My health and the health of my family members. Some times I think I take this for granted...until something happens in the real world that snaps me back into reality.
  
• That the green m&m Elizabeth thought seemed like a good idea to stick up her nose on the car ride into Webster Springs last night came out without too much drama. And that, for at least a little bit, it caused her some discomfort - not because I'm sadistic, but so that maybe next time she won't think it is a good idea to stick something up her nose! (For those of you who are curiosity seekers, it was just a plain m&m...)
• For the good news from my dear friends and conspirators in "Team 911" - Shoog is preggers, Nicole is preggers, RFKM isn't, but his wife is...Katie-Kate, who clarified that she is definitely not preggers...and the rest of the general conversation that went back and forth this week (that doesn't need detailed here)...all of which has brightened my week! Miss all y'all as we are so far over-due for a get-together! Could it really have been that it was in 2003 that nearly all of us were last together??? We must rectify this soon...so we can really do something that will cause our children (and respective spouses) to need much therapy!
• Offense! Lots and lots of offense! The Toppers won last Saturday over Edinboro (84-63). I'll be very thankful if this winning streak continues on this Saturday over Cal!!! Go Toppers!
• Things that make me laugh...like the Liberty Mutual Football Coach of the Year voting. Not so funny in DII (vote now for Coach Waialae!)...but when I was checking the Division I leaderboard...who did I see in the Top 10 (#8, actually) -- Rich Rod. Hilarious! Nearly as funny as this little nugget that Ryan Zundell altered that also caused me to laugh (also at Coach Rod's expense)...

Yeah, Toppers!

West Liberty won the second round of the NCAA DII Football Playoffs!

84-63 over Edinboro.

For those of you who aren't followers of WLU football, they were the number 1 seed, so they had a bye last week. Edinboro was WLU's lone defeat in the regular season...the first game of the season...paybacks are nice!

Elizabeth was thrilled to get her picture taken with the Hilltopper Cheerleaders! As long as the cheerleaders are at the game, she will declare, "The Toppers win!" Too bad I didn't have my camera with me - only my Blackberry. They offered her pom-pons, but she was just a little bit freaked out, not that you can't see that on her face!

We're heading up the hill again shortly for the WLU men's basketball game vs. Wheeling Jesuit. Then back up tomorrow early afternoon for the WLU women's basketball game. Can the Toppers sweep this weekend???

Go Toppers!

Thankful Thursday

Today I'm thankful to/for/about:

• Papa's (Reid's dad's) doctors - Sunday marked the 10 year anniversary of his quadruple heart bypass surgery. He had good enough doctors that caught the major blockages to his arteries - in time to prevent him from having a heart attack. I guess some times it takes more than an apple a day...
• Family - we are so blessed to have such loving, supportive, and fun families.
  
• My cousin, Hans, for getting some good (and deserved) press! He was named All-WVIAC 1st Team Men's Soccer!
• My LLBFF, Kristin...enjoyed the chat yesterday afternoon! I hate that an ocean separates us, making it impractical for a daily chat, but I do ♥ you!
• Getting to see two of my favorite AACE friends last Friday when they came to Morgantown (from Rochester & Edmonton, respectively) - Todd & Frickin' Lance. Reid was finally able to meet the infamous Frickin' Lance...who then made me thankful for the next entry...
• That Elizabeth hasn't fully picked up on any bad sayings as of yet. Lance was telling us that he got in trouble with his (4-year-old) son's daycare...and, as a result, his wife, when his son, instead of telling his teacher that he needed to "go poopy" or "go #2"...Jacob said, "I need to go squeeze a loaf!" I'm very, very thankful that Elizabeth hasn't dropped any such words of wisdom on us or the good folks at her daycare!
• Athletics! It will be a ridiculously busy (for Reid) next few days - men's basketball game tonight; football playoff game tomorrow afternoon; men's basketball game tomorrow night; women's basketball game Sunday afternoon; (Monday "off" - let's not go crazy!); basketball double-header on Tuesday night. It is an insane schedule, but oh how I do love college athletics!

Goooooo Toppers!

Thankful Thursday

Today I'm thankful to/for/about:

• Safe travels this week to & from Atlanta...and especially a score on a better timed one-way flight home (otherwise my plane wouldn't have yet departed).
• A warm welcome from my puppy...my Sweet Babboo...and my darling daughter (in order that I saw them!)
• Elizabeth who was quoted as saying at dinner tonight, "Ice cream will make me healthy." She so tickles me!
• My Sweet Babboo remembering to throw out the jack-o-lantern this week with the trash...it was quite rotten when I left for my trip, but I wasn't gonna touch it!
• Sesame Street for 40 wonderful years! What great educational fun for both young and old! (And for the free Google Sesame Street t-shirts that will be coming my way for a Christmas purchase or two for Elizabeth & Alex! Love a bonus gift!
  
• Elizabeth's teachers - she's doing so well writing some of her letters. (Darn us for giving her such a long name...some day she will have all of those letters licked...and in their proper order!)
• For all of our Veterans...and those who are currently serving our country. (Please pray for my friend Robbie Godfrey who departs for Afghanistan tomorrow - God speed, Robbie!)

Thankful Thursday

Today I'm thankful to/for/about:

• Nana - and her unbelievably over-the-top-AWESOME-costume-making-skills! Many, many compliments on the costume. One (green-with-envy) mom said that the costume looks every bit as good as the costumes folks at Disney wear.
• My Daddy (E's Papi) - for being a Fireman. Elizabeth's classroom is studying the letter F this week, primarily firemen. For show-and-tell today, we made a photo book of pictures from when Papi took Elizabeth to the fire station. She loves reading her book. (And, to be fair to everyone else in the family, she has told me that she needs a book about her and Grandma, her and Nana, her and Papa, her and Aunt...EVERYONE she is related to... That's a lot of frickin' books!)
• Trick-or-Treaters - some 175+ of them (in 1 hour of trick-or-treating). Some really cute kids. Some ridiculous parents that were trick-or-treating with their babies to come score some free candy...but my favorite had to be the 4 high school boys that were dressed as terrorists - with bombs taped to their chests. They were trick-or-treating for Unicef, not candy. They not only made me laugh, but it was a good to see some younger kids doing some good for others!
• THE BEST next door neighbors, who brought me a cup of "Witch's Brew" (hot apple cider) while I stayed behind to give out candy. It hit the spot!
• Elizabeth - who was most excited about trick-or-treating! She was my very favorite trick-or-treater...she stopped by three times to get candy. (I think she was afraid that I was going to give out all of that candy from the 5 Sam's Club bags that I bought for the occasion.)
• Getting to hang out with our friends, the Koeglers - Jason, Sarah, Campbell, & Will. Sarah reported that Elizabeth's costume got tons of compliments from adults and kids alike...so many that she has called dibs on Will getting to borrow the costume for next year.
• My family coming "home" today. Elizabeth & I will be going to Sutton tomorrow to see Grandma, Papi, Aunt Anne, Uncle Sean, and Alex! Yippie!

Happy Halloween everyone!!! :-)

Elizabeth gets a haircut!

I am so far behind on blogging, I forgot to post about Elizabeth getting her first haircut! She got her first official haircut over a month ago, September 20th.

Shame on me (let the screaming & crying begin since there is shame on me...I love that shame on you still works...)

Connie Abruzzino was kind enough on a very, very busy weekend (her niece got married in the eastern panhandle area...when she & Danny got home their freezer had quit working...they had to go to Clarksburg to replace the freezer...and then she cut Elizabeth's hair...on a Sunday, no less.) She was not only sweet enough to take the time to give E her first REAL* haircut, but she insisted on sending E back with a package of cookies (as opposed to just giving her a cookie)...and refused payment, despite Elizabeth's attempt to slip her some cash.

Also, don't think that we were punishing our kid (especially after looking at how pensive she looks in the first picture - of her getting ready for the haircut.) I can't remember the last time she got as excited about anything like she did to get her haircut.

The cut is super cute, and it makes her curls stand out a bit more. I still don't know what to do with Elizabeth's hair as it is sooooo thin. (My hair is ridiculously thick, so I'm going to have to consult with the women in my family for what to do with a thin head of hair.)

* Explanation of the "real" haircut. Since Connie's handy-work got Reid off of the hot-seat, I can now explain to everyone on the WWW what a sore spot with me the haircut issue has been. When I was in New Orleans for work just a few days shy of Elizabeth's first birthday, Reid took the kitchen shears to Elizabeth's hair. Yes, that would be the same shears that I use to open a package of bacon, or to cut up some raw chicken...so completely sanitary... (Reid has been made painfully aware of how miffed I was over the issue - not only the nastiness of the situation, but that I missed out on this "first.")

Catching Up (AGAIN!)

Wow, how is it that I get so far behind on the Blogging thing (not nearly as far behind as Anne...or even worse, Reid!)...so here's to catching up (a very hodge-podge post):

• Elizabeth Funny: A few weeks ago after E's bath, I was attempting to put lotion on her. She was squirming all over the place (as she hates the lotion ritual, but with eczema, it's not a ritual that we will relinquish...). So, she was squirming all over the bed, I had lotion all over my hands...when I was able to grab her by the ankles to drag her into the position on the bed where she was supposed to be. She-who-doesn't-like-to-listen said, "Ouch, Mommy! You broke my heart and hurt my feelings!" I'm picturing her Oscar acceptance speech right now...
• Sean-e-Boy had back surgery...came out with flying colors. Is rehabbing quite well, too! So well that Anne, Sean, & Alex (and Mom who went to NYC to help care for Alex during Sean's recovery) will be coming to WV next weekend! Amazing!
• With the kitchen looking much improved these days...the dining room is starting to call my name...must get rid of the hideous flowery 1989 wallpaper in there...but there is soooo much woodwork that I will need to protect, making this a difficult project, I'm sure. And if this wallpaper is anything like the crap-o-la in the kitchen, it will be put up with super-glue...would love to have a dining room face-lift before Christmas, though, so we'll see!
• Elizabeth is going to be a Panda for Halloween. Nana made the costume (with an assist going to Papa for the head). It is over the top. Seriously. Will get pictures up of her in the costume (she wasn't so much cooperative when I tried last weekend.)
• Reid & I will be Don & Betty Draper for Halloween. Mad Men is
  
• I met Newt Gingrich and didn't hurl on the spot. Amazing, I know! He's shorter than I expected...and very soft-spoken in private (also didn't expect that.) Reid & Jason Koegler did an outstanding job putting the event together, especially on such short notice! Speaker Gingrich's canned speech was quite good (yes, I'm actually saying that), where he mostly talked about history and leadership...until the Q&A session at the end...when he got off his canned speech topic and onto topics in which we disagree...
• How on earth is WVU ranked 23rd in the nation? I love my Mountaineers & all, but this may be a stretch...
• WL beats UC at UC in OT... I looooove it! UC folks are so freakin' arrogant, and honestly, I'm not sure why. I took my SAT test there...went into some large auditorium-like classroom, and was handed a slab of plywood for my "desk." This piece of plywood didn't attach to anything, I was just expected (and was forced to) put this crappy piece of plywood on my lap in an auditorium and take the SATs. And I can't count the number of times I've practiced or played hoops in their gym. It was always a disgusting experience. The showers were vile - so much so I wouldn't take off my tape or socks...and would wear flip-flops into the showers hoping not to catch the kooties from some nastiness on the floor. Their arrogance has always baffled me...so I'm super loving that their fans were already making space in their trophy cabinet for their conference championship - some even counting on the national championship...and got beaten by West Lib in OT on their field...and it was their homecoming. To quote SNL's Linda Richmon, "I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it!" Now come on Toppers...just take care of business these next two weeks! (And in the post-season, of course!)
• I've been neglecting a few things (like the dining room...and if anyone would believe it, household-chores, but that would be a lie since I'm not that much into them to begin with) to scrapbook a bit...need to get my scrapbook space better organized as Elizabeth has a bunch of her toys (go figure) in the floor of my scrapbook space...thinking that wide plastic drawers might be what is needed...easy for her to put her stuff into...and for me to get the gifts and other stuff that I have down there that I need to store in a more organized fashion.
• Now I know what Angie meant when she said that the Leap Frog Fridge Phonics would get old..."B says b, B says b - every letter makes a sound B says b." If it weren't such a good educational toy it might be in the trash right now!