Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Blood


This week was a busy one. On Monday we dropped the Durango off at the shop to have the recalled gas tank replaced. The repair was free of course but slightly inconvenient  We were told it would take most of the day to complete but soon got a phone call saying the dealership would need to keep the car an extra day :/ Thankfully we have two cars and were able to meet Steven's grandparents for lunch at the diner that Anne, Steven's little sister, works at. Since learning to walk Avery has become a pain when it comes to sitting still so lunch was not fun for me. After we ate we went to Carter's to get Avery a new pair of jeans, she hit a little growth spurt so her old ones looked like kapris. It turns out Carter's was doing a buy one get one free deal so she ended up getting a few shirts too :)


Being a girl

That evening Steven, Quinn, Ashley and I went to the movies to see the new Die Hard. The son, Jack, is one of my favorite characters in Spartacus :) that mixed with the fact that the theater was empty and we smuggled in a whole bunch of snacks made the evening very enjoyable.

The next day the moving company FINALLY called me back after leaving them countless voice mails  We get the keys to our new apartment on March 1st but our household goods can't be delivered until the 6th :/ That really sucks considering I'm ready to be on my own again. Thankfully my mom was able to take the 6th off because the moving company told me they would deliver our stuff somewhere between 8 am and 5 pm......awesome. At least Avery can stay at my parents' house that day. I wasn't about to force Avery to sit in an empty apartment with no toys or crib for napping for 9 straight hours.

On a positive note, we got the Durango back that afternoon. We went to Walmart after picking it up so I could pick out curtains for Avery's room. The color matches her bedding set and its called: Quinn :) We came home to find a tiny package addressed to Steven. He opened it only to find that it was a Christmas gift he had ordered over two months ago. It was the one thing I asked for - a necklace with his name on it. In all the moving chaos we had both completely forgotten about it so it definitely turned out to be a surprise gift :)


I had a simple doctors appointment on Wednesday. I went to the same clinic I had gone to for 6 years but because I hadn't been there in 2 years (thanks to Korea) the clinic considered me a new patient again. New patients get a 40 minute appointment, minimum, no matter what you're in there for :/ This was troubling news considering my appointment was during Avery's nap time and I knew she wouldn't be cooperative for 40+ minutes. I ended up taking her to Steven's grandparents' house which is terribly out of the way considering the clinic is literally a two minute drive from my house. Even though it was inconvenient  it was for the best. Avery had a good time playing with them and I got a baby-free appointment.


I had simply gone to the doctor to refill a prescription but she spent 40 minutes asking me question after question. At the end of the appointment she suggested that I have a thyroid disorder. She ordered blood work to confirm her diagnosis but I put it off, I knew I would be dizzy and prone to blacking out afterwards and I didn't feel comfortable driving with my child in the car in that state.

I tried to stay off of Google but eventually looked up thyroid disorders. To be honest I thought the doctor was full of sh*t and wanted to put my mind at ease. It turns out I do suffer from about half of the classic symptoms listed, symptoms that I thought were completely random and not associated with anything. From what I read, a thyroid disorder can affect fertility. I spent the rest of the evening laying in bed, depressed, watching foreign films on Netflix.

I was hoping to be back to normal by the next morning but that wasn't the case. I was still kind of down by what I read online. Possible fertility problems is the last thing a baby-fever suffering woman in her 20s wants to hear. I was trying not to get myself worked up until it was confirmed but I ended up moping around all day.

My mom had Friday off which worked out well for me. I was able to leave Avery with her while I went and got my blood drawn. I was very nervous, those who know me well know that getting blood drawn usually results in me fainting, throwing up and recently convulsing. I gave fair warning to the gentleman who was in charge of taking my blood. He seemed kind and soft spoken which was calming. The man used a syringe (much like the ones used for flu shots) to draw my blood instead of the regular thick needle. He asked me to tell him my name and date of birth and by the time I was finished so was he. I sat in the chair for a few moments waiting for the chaos to occur (there have been a few delayed fainting/vomiting/convulsing spells) but it never happened. I was so proud of myself! I managed to not make a fool out of myself AND it was my first time getting blood drawn by myself.

Side story: When I was first pregnant Steven didn't believe me when I told him about how terribly I handle blood work, he even asked if he could record me during. I told him no, thankfully, because to this day that was my worst reaction to the needle. I blacked out half way through the blood draw and apparently projectile vomited all over myself, Steven and (literally) the entire lab room. Two KATUSA (Korean soldiers who were working in the lab) stood idly as I began convulsing. I'm so lucky Steven was there to pull me out of the chair onto the ground and call for help. I woke up on the floor surrounded by nurses and doctors, it was awful. From that day forward Steven has always been by my side whenever I've needed blood work done and taken care of me when it undoubtedly goes downhill.

Anyways, I'm hoping to get the lab results back soon!

On Saturday evening I accompanied my mom to a purse party thing at a family friend's house. We left Avery with the men (Quinn, Steven and my dad) since the party started right before her bedtime. It was a good party but I had trouble enjoying it. I've been suffering horrible insomnia lately, getting maybe 2 hours of uninterrupted sleep a night, and the pure exhaustion caused by it. An hour into the party I wanted to leave and go sleep but of course I laid awake for most of the night :/ Sorry for the lack of pictures this week (really tired) I'll make up for it next week.


Avery Quinn - 13 months old

Monday, February 18, 2013

The Long Awaited Update

So I haven't been blogging, obviously. Since moving back to Idaho I haven't really had the motivation but family members living out of state like the updates.

Steven has been working at Goldy's Breakfast Bistro and although the hours are great (compared to the Army) he's only been getting one day off a week.

Near the end of January I registered for college for the first time in 2 years. The professor had the students sign their name on a sheet of paper for attendance at the beginning of class. I had been signing my married name on the attendance sheet but the college still had me registered with my maiden name. I was eventually dropped for non-attendance because of the name issue.

Avery attended her first birthday party and also kissed a boy on the same day.



Steven and I went on a double date with Quinn and his girlfriend, Ashley. The four of us went to Dave and Buster's, it was a blast. Steven and I hit the jackpot several times, Quinn got the jackpot as well :) I convinced Steven to play DDR with me and the first song to pop up on the machine was our favorite song in Korea: Hands Up by 2PM.


Our unaccompanied baggage from Korea was delivered. The unaccompanied baggage was the small amount of items we were allowed to put on an air plane (the rest of our stuff is still on the boat). We only had 4 boxes delivered but one was full of Avery's toys :)

Steven got his new driver's license. The new Idaho license is really ugly! I'm not looking forward to getting mine.

Avery went to Chuck E Cheese for the first time. The place was awful but she loved the mechanical band that played.


We found our new apartment in Boise :) Its a super cute 2 bedroom in a nice complex. We start moving in on March 1st when our HHG (household goods - the stuff on the boat) gets here.


Avery made her first wish in a fountain.


Steven and I found a really cheap yet very nice 7 piece furniture set which includes a couch, love seat, coffee table, 2 side tables, and 2 lamps.

On February 10th, Avery learned to walk!!! She didn't take a few wobbly steps like I would have expected. Instead she just stood up and walked around like she was a pro.

Avery had her first accident. While at the store she escaped the shopping cart, did a flip, and landed on her back on the ground. I took her to the ER to be safe but she didn't even have a bump or bruise. The doctor said she should be a stunt baby. Steven also went to the hospital (on a different day) after he burned his hand at work.

Avery knows how to do 'lady dabs' which is when she takes a cloth napkin and gently dabs her mouth after eating - it is the cutest thing you'll ever see. She signs 'more' and 'done' when eating, and also waves and says "bye bye" when we go somewhere or when someone else leaves.

My parents have a screen door with a little window that Avery loves looking out of. She'll stand there and point at things and tell me to "look".

On Valentine's Day Avery and I went to Kristen's house. We made a variety of chocolate covered strawberries for our men. Kris and I also took V-Day photos of our kids using props I had made the night before. The pictures turned out so well!


For V-Day Steven got me a HUGE card, Starbucks gift card, bobble and a stuffed bear. I got him a soda stream, sock monkey and the chocolate covered strawberries.

Steven and I went on a date the next evening. My parents were watching Avery so got to have a combined V-Day/(finally getting around to celebrating) our 2 year anniversary. Steven had made a reservation for Chandler's so we both got dressed up for the occasion. The food was beyond delicious, Steve got the Kobe Steak which I could have eaten all day. After dinner we went to Coldstone for ice cream. It was an amazing evening.


Phew, that was a blogful but I think we're finally caught up!


Avery Quinn - 13 1/2 months

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Liebster Blog Award

I haven't blogged in a month, I have no motivation to do so. My blog: Little Lyon's Life in Korea is kind of a moot point since we're no longer in Korea. Thankfully a friend and fellow blogger tagged me for the Liebster Blog Award which has forced me to revisit my blog, hopefully this is the kick I need to get back into my groove.

The rules are simple:
- Post 11 things about yourself.
- Answer the questions set by the person who tagged you, and create 11 new questions for those you tag.
- Tag 11 bloggers who have less than 200 followers.
- No tag backs.

In a nut shell

1. I love skydiving. I've jumped (nearly) 40 times but since moving to Korea and having a baby I haven't been able to jump for over 2 years. Its amazing how peacefully falling 10,000 feet can be. I miss it so much and hope to start jumping again when the weather warms up.

2. I was born with Pectus Excavatum (PE), a congenital deformity of the chest. PE caused my heart to be displaced, fainting, impaired respiratory function, pain and a general feeling of isolation and embarrassment. In 2006, at the age of 16, I had the Nuss Procedure done to correct my PE. The surgery involved two lateral incisions (and a third smaller incision to allow for a thoracoscope), a 14 inch metal bar, two heavy stabilizers, excruciating pain, an 8 day hospital stay and several months of physical therapy. Two and a half years later I had the bar removed and thankfully the recovery was much easier. Since then I have been playing an active role in raising awareness about Pectus Excavatum (since its not a well known condition those who have PE usually suffer ill psychological and psychosocial effects). I am also part of a support group for PE that has almost 645 members! Knowledge is power :)

3. COFFEE. I am addicted to coffee (literally). I absolutely HATED coffee until I became a full time college student while also holding down a full time job, I was easily spending over $300 a month just in coffee. Naturally I gave up coffee when I was pregnant with Avery, at first it SUCKED but a few weeks into my pregnancy coffee turned into my main food aversion. The mere thought of coffee made me sick to my stomach until I reached about 38 weeks. I scarcely drank coffee during the 8 months that I breastfed Avery but once she was weaned I was back to being an addict.

4. I over explain things ^ see examples 1, 2, and 3.

5. Avery and Steven are my entire world. I miss living in Korea for the sole reason of it just being the 3 of us.

6. Avery and I are the definition of co-dependent. We are constantly giving each other hugs and kisses. She always wants to be in my arms, and I always want to hold her. I'm contemplating buying an Ergo so I can carry her hands free. I think I might die the first time I leave her for an entire day.

7. I'm terrified of needles. I always have been and I always will be. Whether it be a simple flu shot or blood draw I pass out, throw up and convulse. My fear of needles triggers a vasovagal syncope - this occurs when past of the nervous system that controls heart rate and blood pressure malfunctions (like people fainting at the sight of blood). I often say that the worst part of my labor and delivery was getting the IV. The nurses couldn't get my IV in the first time which triggered my vasovagal syncope, all the alarms went off, nurses and doctors ran, and I was told "not to do that again"...because its completely controllable lol.

8. I'm a closet nerd. I love anime, drawing little comics, writing fanfictions, playing video games, and watching nerdy scifi movies.

9. Cross stitch - I love it! I currently working on a cute (and nerdy) cross stitch that I'm making for Steven. I'm hoping it will be done by Valentines day :) I'm also making a quilt for Avery - I started making it when I was pregnant with her and have yet to finish. Slow and steady wins the race?

10. I love being a stay at home mother.

11. Steven. How can I even put my love for him into words? He goes completely out of his way to make me happy. I have so much fun when I'm with him, its like we're in our own little world. I could not have chosen a better man to marry and be the father to my child(ren).


Eleven Answers

1. If you could have coffee with anyone who would it be and why?

Myself. I love being a stay at home mom but I do end up sacrificing my ME time because of it. I'd love to sit in a coffee shop by myself for an hour and maybe read a book or just enjoy the silence.

2. Tell me about one defining moment in your life.

It would probably have to be the first time I was alone with Avery after she was born. Avery was only a few days old when Steven had to drive 2 hours north and get my mom from the airport. For 7 hours I was completely alone, in a foreign country, with a newborn. Reality hit me hard during that time that I was a mom and this little life depended on me completely.

3. Why do you blog?

I started blogging because my daughter was born in South Korea. I wanted to keep my parents updated on everything Avery related. My parents started sending my blog to my grandparents who in turn also sent it to other family members :) I really need to keep blogging because my out of state family is eager to read more Avery news.

4. If you could only listen to one artist/band for the rest of your life who would it be?

Three Days Grace - something about that band.

5. What is your favorite food?

This is tough because I LOVE to eat. Does coffee count as a food? If not, I'd have to say BBQ'd anything.

6. If you had to come up with a unique tradition for you/your family what would it be?

Well, we have a habit of celebrating holidays early. My husband lacks patience when it comes to gifts (whether he's giving them or receiving them) so we never actually make it to a holiday/special event/birthday before all the gifts are opened.

7. Tell me something that makes you unique.

I've had 8 teeth pulled. The first 4 were taken to make room for my wisdom teeth but there was a miscalculation of space and I ended up getting the other 4 pulled too. Also I busted out my two front teeth skateboarding.

8. What poem or quote would you say applies most to your life?

"Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself." -George Bernard Shaw

9. If you were a coffee shop drink you would be a?

Definitely a Caramel Frappuchino

10. What is your most treasured possession or memory?

Other than  my child, I would say her small stuff lion. While pregnant with Avery I bought her a little lion (named Lionel) and I am now more attached to him than she is.

11. You find a $100 bill on the sidewalk, what do you do?

Put it in the bank, I'm a saver.


Q & A

1. What is the worst lie you've told?
2. If you were famous, what would you most likely be famous for?
3. What is one thing you believe in/support that is controversial?
4. How do you normally spend your weekends?
5. What has been your biggest adventure so far?
6. Tell me your most embarrassing/awkward experience.
7. What is your night time routine?
8. How did/do you know someone is "the one"?
9. What book are you currently reading?
10. When is the last time you were REALLY angry? Why?
11. What's one thing on your "bucket list"?


Tagged

http://lifearmywifestyle.com/
http://jumpdancelove.wordpress.com/
http://oneboyonegirlandtwokids.blogspot.com/
http://myjumps.blogspot.com/
http://thephatmomsblog.blogspot.com
http://neinamaire.wordpress.com/
http://www.blogster.com/nickriggi1
http://laurenssurgery.blogspot.com/
http://koreanarmywife.blogspot.com/
http://nerdyarmywife.blogspot.com/
http://mamainwonderland.blogspot.com/