An Expensive Lesson

I learned another lesson.  The mother of a child that wears a contact lens should avoid Pink Eye like the Plague.  It cost us a perfectly good lens and a week of patching.  And a cute contact lens case.  Sigh.

Check this out!

So, the contact drama has subsided.  Must've been a bad day for my pumpkin.  Thank Heavens!!  Anyhow, I just wanted to share how excited I am about these super cute contact lens cases I found.  I mean really, who else would get how important it is to have cute patches...and if possible....cute cases!!  Lilia thinks they are pigs and asks every morning if we've got the pigs in Nicole yet. LOL.  We also got blue elephants! Oh, and although still difficult to see the lens is somewhat more visible in the bottom.  Ah, the little things that make me happy.

Our new fish contact case

Lovely

A friend of mine shared this article from our newspaper on Facebook and I though it was absolutely lovely.   A wonderful reminder that we can all touch lives by living an "ordinary" life. 

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1146928--shelagh-was-here-an-ordinary-magical-life#article

Hello!

Hello!
Life has sure caught up with us. Being back to work full time is proving to be quite the challenge. Although I do find a moment at the end of every day to read my favourite blogs and take a peek at Facebook keeping up my own blog is not working out too well is it!! At the end of the day the exhaustion sets in and all the things I wanted to share just take a backseat to my calling bed.
Nevertheless, I did want to stop in and let everyone know that Nicole is doing quite well lately. I guess that is relative though. She's still on drops twice a day and as of yesterday the tears and fighting has picked up again for any and all lens business.
After nearly 6 months of putting in Nicole's lens without having to swaddle her today I cracked. And I cried. And she cried. After almost six months I had to tie her down and pry her eye open through teary eyes....mine and hers. But damn it I got the stupid thing in.
Anyhow, I try not to dwell on it. I hope it's just another stage that will soon pass. I guess it's all just a reminder of how much easier things could be. Thoughts and feelings that no one can understand except those of us going through it. And believe it or not, through all of this, we actually received an email that preceded to explain to us that although we were going through difficult times so were others. And then it listed all the things other people were dealing with. Yuppers. Thanks for the love.
I guess it's partly our fault. My hubby and I stand strong together. We are each other's support. No one else in our life understands. Not one other person. Sure people empathise. But unless you've lived it you've got no clue. I suspect that because we stand strong people don't see the pain.
Maybe a day in our shoes would help.
There are no morning cuddles. Nope.
There are drops.
There are physical restraints. Tying your baby down to do something so very not natural,
There are lenses. Lenses you pray to get in the first shot.
Lenses you pray you don't lose through out the day.
There are long days of work from which you come home exhausted and find the lens has been lost and with it any and all money made that day and more.
And now, exhausted you crawl painstakingly throughout the house looking for the impossible.
There is laying an infant down and taking their sight away. Every. Single. Day.
There is planning entire days around patch time. How much time left has become normal jargon while others wonder what the heck you are talking about.
There is crying. There is fussing. There is a child begging you to unpatch them. But you can't.
There are endless doctor's appointments.
There is starving your child so someone can force sedatives down their throat for these appointments.
There are surgeries and retinal detachments and glaucoma and corneal scrappings.
There is nothing good.
Nevertheless, we trudge on. Each day passes and we fall in love with our girls more and more and we thank God for all the good that we have. We have learned that life is too short. So we brush aside the ignorant comments and move forward. And smile. Cause truly...life is good.

Hallelujah!! Project 365 - Week 52

Hallelujah...good bye good riddance sayonara. 
I can't believe I did it.  The Project 365 I took on a year ago is thankfully DONE!! (No less on my 100th post!!)   And no, I did not decide to continue this year. LOL.  I love looking back at all the pictures and how much the girls have changed but heck was that a lot of work or what!? How many cameras did it take? A DSLR, a point and shoot that got left at Dusseldorf airport, another point and shoot we got to replace it, a waterproof dive camera, a Blackberry that lost it's life to spit up, the iPhone that replaced it, my hubby's iPhone that lost it's life to we don't know what, and the iPhone that replaced it.  I think that covers it.  Yikes.
Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed a peek into our lives. 
Ladies and gents...the last week!!!

Dec 24 - Santa's little helper

Dec 25 - Opening presents with cousins

Dec 25 - Daddy worked Christmas Day so Santa came on Christmas night instead of Christmas Eve.
Lilia had her reindeer food and Santa's key all ready to go!

Dec 26 - Opening presents on our "Christmas morning"

Dec 27 - No, it can't be.  Is that actually snow on Baba's hat???

Dec 28 - Don't even ask.

Dec 29 - That's me comatose on the floor.  It's the day after my first nightshift and I decided not to sleep.
And to go to the mall.  Hence passing out on the floor.

Dec 30 - Finally some snow for snowangels!

Dec 31 - WOOHOOHOO!!!
My last photo of the year!!
I worked all day and came home at almost 8pm but we got our last family photo of the year in!
Happy New Year Everyone!

Project 365 - Week 50 and 51

Dec 10 - First batch of Christmas cookies.

Dec 11 - Good thing we have 3...otherwise there would've been some fighting! LOL

 

Dec 12 - Day one back to work.  According to Daddy she picked this shirt herself.

 

Dec 13 - Nicole finally sedated at the Eyeclinic.  Retcam in the back ready to go!

 

Dec 14 - Sisterly love.

 

Dec 15 - Apparently they all need some patchtime.

 

Dec 16 - Getting into the holiday spirit.

Dec 17 - Is there anything sweeter than a baby sleeping?

Dec 18 - That's my girl!! Sipping Swiss Chalet sauce. Yum Yum.

Dec 19 - when all else fails glue some blueberries to your craft...care of Baba

Dec 20 - Everytime Lilia visits Baba she comes home with another ornament.
I made this one in 2001.

Dec 21 - Caught stealing almond cookies

Dec 22 - We got takout for lunch at work...I brought some home for my hubby.
Yum Yum...or so he says. Ugh.

Dec 23 - Sugar rush time!! I love Christmas!

Project 365 - Week 49

Dec 3 - Walking through Walmart with Lilia and she pointed out that Nicole was on the can. LOL
She thinks the peanut is patched.  Too funny.

Dec 4 - My baby girl was too quiet.  Yup.  She was working on my tv armoir with her 2 little teeth.

 

Dec 5 - Last day at playgroup had fun fun crafts!

 

Dec 6 - The Christmas tree is up!

Dec 7 - A visit from Daddy before cooking class.

Dec 8 - Who else can see what doesn't belong. 
A bowl full of blueberries emptied on the tree.

Dec 9 - More gingerbread cookies.

December 13

Today is the day after my first day back at work.  It is 6 am and I am the only one awake.  I had to stay up till midnight so Nicole could have milk and then get up a half hour ago to offer her some apple juice because after this there's no more food for awhile.  She has her sedation appointment this morning.

I am horribly nervous.  I hate sedation appointments.  I don't want to go into all the details of why I hate it cause I'm trying to block it from my mind.  I will deal with it when we get to the hospital.
All I pray for is that we get good news.  I pray I pray and I pray.  Is it ironic that today is St. Lucy's day? The patron saint of eyesight.  Oh I hope it is a sign.  Nicole has a little St. Lucy statue that was a gift and I hope and pray that she looks after my little girl and all of your little ones.  If you've read my post Glaucoma Saga you know why I think she's been watching over my baby. 

I hear Nicole stirring.  Time to slowly get ready.  I will post an update.  But before I go I must tell you that the first day back at work went wonderful for the girls and their dad.  He finished patching at 10am!!! WHAT THE!!??? Good work!! They were fed, the dishes were done, the room tidy and I actually got a warm meal and a coffee at work.  So far so good!!

The Last Weekend

So, inevitably, this weekend has arrived.  The last weekend before I head back to work.  It's been a great year off with a lot of ups and downs.  This blog has helped me get through so much of it and linked me up with many wonderful people going through the same struggles.
Unfortunately, I can only predict that if the last few weeks are any indication, back to work will mean a retirement from the blog.  Time just seems to get away from me lately.
I will most definitely be diligently reading your blogs and keeping in touch with those of you on facebook.  I will also try to keep things updated with Nicole's progress which I hope will only continue to be positive!
We are currently baking cookies and gearing up for a sedation next week.  Wish us luck!!
Thank you everyone for sharing my year with me!!

Project 365 - Week 48

You guys thought I crashed and burned on this project didn't you!!?? LOL

Nov 26 - I wonder why I'm ready to go back to work =)

Nov 27 - More birthday celebrations!

Nov 28 - 14 months in the making...they finally look like friends...

Nov 29 - Hopefully the last batch of leaves for the season

Nov 30 - Lilia whisking away.  The made peppermint cookies this week.

Dec 1 - The swaddle a fellow eye mom showed me.  This is the end of the day.
She is definitely not impressed

Dec 2 - Visiting with Santa

Project 365 - Week 47

Nov 19 - Relaxin after lunch

Nov 20 - The bird feeder lasted a day thanks to the squirrels.

Nov 21 - Today my grandmother turned 92!! Here she is with my dad when he was less than 2 months old!

Nov 22 - She wanted to make a sock puppet.  I told her I didn't have any old socks.  So she used the one she was wearing.
Who doesn't love a toddler!

Nov 23 - Kinderchefs making Tilapia and roasted Cauliflower

Nov 24 - Happy Happy Happy Birthday to my beautiful little girl!!

Nov 25 - Caught in the act...again.  The iPOD has already spent some time in a bowl of rice.
Daddy should learn to keep it out of reach. =)

Project 365 - Week 46

Nov 12 - Tea Party at Pottery Barn Kids

Nov 13 - So many leaves!

Nov 14 - Daddy, I know you love hats...but really?

Nov 15 - Our first day at Great Wolf Lodge.  Awesome place!

Nov 16 - Everyone loved the waterpark at GWL

Nov 17 - Blowing out my birthday candles with my girls.

Nov 18 - Making our peanut butter pinecone birdfeeder.
 Thank you so much Special Agent OSO for suggesting such a wonderful and not at all messy craft. Ugh.