The Massive 2010 Catch Up Post

I threatened to go back and add a few things from 2010, and here they are.  A few things, and then a few more, and about 10 miles of rambling with a few pictures thrown in.  Don't say I didn't warn you! I did! And here we go.
One fun thing about 2010 was that a good friend had to take an unexpected trip out of the country, and so we were blessed with watching her baby while she was gone.  It was a great preview for all of us into what life with TWO little girls will be like soon.  Little One did pretty well sharing toys, space, and attention, though She did get a bit territorial about my lap.  On the whole She was beyond thrilled to have little "Woo-wah" (Little One's name for her) around all the time.  She started every morning by racing to the crib in the spare room shouting "Woo-wah! Wake up! Morning time, play with ME!" She went into ultra mommy-mode, helping to feed, change, and cuddle.  She was very, very disappointed when "Baby Woo-wah" went home.  And so was I!  Luckily, I was surprised at how easy it was to have an extra set of chubby feet to chase after, and it was fun to remember the days of bottle-feeding snuggles and toothless grins.

All of us on the plane

Not long after we had to give up the extra family member, we hit the skies and went to Texas.  Though Little One and I went out ahead of J, we all flew back together. It was Little One's 30 something airplane, but it was the first time we have all traveled together as a family, and J's first time flying with Her.  It was great!
Years ago, on our way back from our honeymoon in Africa, J and I brought 4 little kids with us. It was a disaster of a trip, logistically speaking, with immigration hold-ups causing missed flights and lost luggage. All of us got stranded in New York at 3 am feeling very Biblical, being told there was no room for us at any inns.  We spent a memorable few hours on the linoleum floor in a dark, empty terminal, feeding the kids vending machine chips and granola bars because everything was closed.  The little one had serious stomach problems. None of the kids spoke English or had ever experienced things like seatbelts, escalators, or packaged food.  It was nuts.  And it was the most fun J and I ever had together until the day Little One was born.  We look forward to more adventures ahead as a family, and getting to travel together on this little trip reminded us of those three fantastic days and made us as warm and fuzzy as that big guy snoring in the seat next to us. 

 And we had lots of fun in Texas. We had a great time visiting my Grandparents again, who are incredibly good at having pretend tea parties. And it was really nice to get to see my sister who was staying there for an internship. We did a lot of hanging out and playing, but we saw some sights too.

We went to the Whit museum which had a lot of great exhibits about the local area, and a special exhibit about bugs.  For some reason, this included moving, talking, Gigantor bugs.  Very educational.  At first Little One balked.  "Bit scary, Mama" She said, trying to find a place to hide and only finding a Gigantor belly.  But Tia soon brought Her around, and soon She was patting and talking to them like tame pets.

Of course, the big adventure we had this trip was to Sea World.  Little One LOVED it.
Surprisingly, for a two-year-old with the attention span of a two-year-old, Her favorite part was the shows.  We saw one with dolphins, a beluga whale, trained parrots, and amazing synchronized swimmers and divers.  Little One was totally transfixed.  She barely blinked the whole show, and then went wild at the end clapping and cheering and begging "More show! More show please Please!"
She even loved the orca show, which- can I be honest?- was terrible.  I guess now that the trainers aren't allowed to risk being eaten anymore, there's just not that much to show. Sissies.

Of course the main event was to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family.  My sister and I helped Little One make these fantabulous place-cards and the masterful centerpiece.  My parents did all the cooking, and we ate it up.  That's what I call a holiday!



When we got home, we traveled south to do Thanksgiving with J's family also.  One thing we love about spending time with these folks is that there are little cousins for Her to play with.  Besides how great it is to see Her having so much fun, it brings up lots of fun memories of good times with my cousins when I was at the Kid Table on holidays. Aw.



This Thanksgiving, I reflected on all the things I have to be thankful for.  Family, friends, and safety are always at the top of my list.  But this year, I have to say I am extra thankful for one thing that is easily taken for granted where we live.  Health care.
In the US, we have some of the best doctors and resources in the world. Even those of us with the worst options have options.  Our family is particularly lucky because health coverage for active military families is amazing. Before Little One passed the soy challenge, the formula She had to drink was billed at $120 a can.  We went through at least one a week.  The fact that this highly specialized, very scientifically advanced substance even existed for us was huge.  The fact that our insurance paid for it also made a very big difference in our lives. What if we didn't have it? Or the tests and super-educated and trained doctors who figured out what was wrong and how to help in in the first place?  Or how about this last time Little One was in the hospital.

Enjoying the first snow of the season

What if we didn't have all those health professionals, and medicines, and clean IV's and tests available to us?  I think about times I have been sick, taken some antibiotics, and just moved on like it was nothing.  I think about how "easy" giving birth was, surrounded by sterilized equipment and digital monitors and experienced professionals.  And I think about my Grandfather, who grew up so sick because he had food allergies and no special formula existed for him.  Or my Nana, who lost her first baby to an illness that would now be so easily treated.  I think about people I have seen overseas, suffering and dying for lack of things I get for free at the military hospital just by asking. I think about Sub-Saharan Africa, and the fact one in 16 women will die in pregnancy or childbirth. Places like Sierra Leone where almost 30% of kids never make it to 5 years old. Immunizations and antibiotics and specialist referrals are all just a normal part of

Cousins

childhood and life in this day and age, in this place we happen to live.  But it hasn't always been so, and it certainly isn't so now for everyone.  So for Thanksgiving this year, I took a long, precious look at my healthy and growing daughter-at everyone I love- and took a minute to be extra grateful for the sometimes inconvenient, probably-not-the-best-organized, at-times-imperfect but nonetheless miraculous healthcare system we have access to.  Life is so fragile. I remember that a lot of us have had our lives saved by medicine at some point along the way, probably without even realizing it. And I'm thankful we had that chance. 

Especially because the majority of the end of 2010 was about worrying for Little One.  105.9 degrees while on both motrin and tylenol, and high fever for over a week is a little much.  She was dehydrated and She didn't eat, and 4lb is a lot to lose when you've only got 22 to work with.  18 needles is a lot to have stuck in you in 24 hours.  And words like "cancer" "immunodeficiency" "autoimmune" are very good and freaking parents the heck out.  The hospital is concerned that She has had so many high fevers with no other symptoms.  They are still looking into why that might be, but thankfully have ruled out all those really scary things at this point.  It may actually be nothing, just Her rogue immune system acting all jumpy and over-reacting to every little bug She picks up on the playground.  Or it might be something else, we don't know yet.
Right now they expect that if it's the something else they suspect, She should be getting sick again any day now.  So that's sort of hanging over our heads a bit, but we're hoping that the specialists will be disappointed.  And at the moment, Little One has fully recovered, is gaining weight, and bouncing around like Her good old self, so we're just going to roll with it.  It wasn't fun.  But while we were in the hospital, when She started feeling better we went to the playroom in the pediatric wing.  We met an adorable 18 month old little girl.  With cancer.  She lives there.  She will be there at least through the summer, staying in the hospital enduring chemo and tubes and bedrest with the hopes that she'll ever leave.  They played together, just two kids who really like crayons and dollhouses.  J and I talked with her dad awhile.  And while we watched them giggle, I think we all counted our blessings. 

Once She was feeling better, Little One and J and I enjoyed the holiday season.  We saw miniature trains, a kids production of the Nutcracker (which She LOVED), and Santa. We danced in snow flurries, decked the halls, delivered gifts, and went to parties.  We spent a lot of time just appreciating being around each other.


2010, to tell you the truth, had a few big disappointments for us, a few challenges for us and those we love.  And it certainly was a pain in the yoo-hoo towards the last bit. But there were a landslide of wonderful things in there, too. And in the end we were all together, warm and safe and sound in our cozy home, with our loved ones a phone call or email away, looking towards a very exciting new year.  And maxing out our math skills, counting our blessings.