First big hike of the summer

Last week on Thursday we decided it was much too nice of a day not to go out and play. No mom or dad work to do so we went for a hike.

We went on the Apex trail that starts at the heritage square parking lot and goes up to lookout mountain. We made it almost all the way to lookout mountain road and then looped back down the mountain through the "enchanted forest". It ended up being a little more than 5 miles total and I realized that I was very out of shape. That hike completely drained me. Especially since I was carrying the Alan on my back most of the time.

He had fun at first. He got so hot hiking that he actually ingested fluid by mouth!! He got thirsty enough that he took some water from a nalgene.

But toward the end on the walk back to the parking lot he got very tired (as did the rest of us). And he got a little sore spot from the bottom of his incision rubbing against the inside of the pack. But hopefully more (and perhaps shorter) hikes to be had the rest of the summer.

We went back to Heritage square yesterday for the annual Cardiac Kids picnic. We didn't stay too long but Alan got to meet a few kids and hang out with his nurse and ISS buddies: Kate, Elizabeth, Gianna, Beth Rose, Judy and Rhonda.

A Special, I-haven't-blogged-yet-this-month-edition of Not Me! Monday

In honor of this fine monday off I have with a sick little boy in my lap, I thought I'd finally try rejoining the Not Me! wagon. Now that Stellan is back home (yay!), MckMama is back in full swing with all her usual antics, including Not Me! Mondays.

Well for one thing, my darling little Alan here is not stuck in his "throwing" stage of development. He does not throw every object he can get his hands on. If that were the case, casualties would include his favorite binky, toys, cell phones, remotes, etc that go flying across the room. He does not figure out how to throw items that should be much too big for him. He did not the other day pick up the big metal clamp (that hooks his feed pump to an IV pole) that we never use and instead let him use as a toy to shake and chew, and fling it over his shoulder. We would never leave a non-child approved item on the floor.

Alan has not completely resisted encouragement to crawl, instead opting to do the side scoot. This method of transit would require more of said flinging behavior (that he does not do) because every time he'd see an object of any shape or size in the way, he'd have to fling it out of his way.

I did not learn at an enlightening doctor appointment for myself the other day that my years of sinus and ear infection suffering might be caused by my excessive nose blowing. The doc could not tell simply by viewing my right ear (which was not yet infected from my latest cold but pulling inward) that I'm guilty of blowing my nose frequently and as hard as I possibly can. I learned that my "method" is not the best and can make things worse.

I do not sometimes miss important phone calls or voicemails because I'm trying to avoid talking to the collection agent for a particular health care provider who's bugging me about a bill I've already paid. I'm too assertive and proactive for that.

I did not go through my pictures and realize that I've been a big time slacker on getting any cute (preferably smiling) Alan shots lately. Dad did get this cute one the other day. (And by that I mean he really did. Not another Not)

We do not risk disturbing his peaceful sleep by turning all the lights on to get a good sleeping picture of asleep Alan.

I did not secretly really like getting Mother's Day flowers:

even though I claim not to like flowers and include them in my rant about how gift customs (including wrapping paper, greeting cards, and well.. cut flowers) are expensive social constructs that waste resources. Because I'm not one who always needs something to rant about and can't just go with the flow.

I did not try really hard to get more flower photos, first by posing them with Alan, who wanted nothing to do with them and was batting and kicking the flowers away when I tried to make him hold the boquet.

then by fixing them up in a vase (and by vase I mean Ball jars that we use as makeshift drinking glasses) and putting them on the table (which I made clutter free just for the occasion) next to a swivel photo frame. First with the picture of Alan and I. Then the picture with Rob and I. Then I realized that a picture next to flowers is a little creepy and reminded me of a funeral so I just scrapped the whole thing.

And, ughh.. I'm not a total failure at HTML with this post not at all the way I wanted it to be laid out.

I conclude, off to do far more meaningful and productive things with my time. (yes, that was another Not joke)

Don't sit so close to the TV..

it will strain your eyes.

I do eat by mouth..

See:

I love to eat my chicken..

But the most fun is happy hour with mom and dad at Old Chicago's roofop patio. Just a stroller ride away from home.

Yes. We are pretty cute.

April (Snow) Showers

Thought we were safe for the spring but we were wrong. Yesterday we got another significant dumping of snow. It was a rainy snowy slushy mix for awhile. We even got some thundersnow (thunder and lightning accompanying snow). The lights flickered a few times which made us nervous that the power would go out before we got dinner made. But it never did. We enjoyed the warm indoors last night with chili, brownies, and beer for mom and dad and Alan ever partook of a couple bites of pureed peas/rice and a sip of milk.

Then, Alan was in his rambuncious (sp?) playful mood and I made him channel his energy toward some weight bearing in his legs. And...Never mind my unkempt "stuck in a blizzard" appearance. Alan stayed like that leaning (well, leaning a lot) on the couch for at least 30 seconds with most of the weight on his legs. He was shaky but he did it!Go Alan go.

And as soon as we defrost again here - we're going out to play.

Its snowing!

A Game

Where's Alan??
Did you find him?

?

?

?


There he is!

Next, where's binky?

There are eight of them. Gerber apparently decided to discontinue our awesome binky model that Alan uses exclusively. So we had to scoop a bunch up before it was too late. Hopefully those packs will last us until binky-weaning day, an event which will be scheduled at some point a long way away.