Down the Tubes

I dreaded those words more than anything... "Liam needs tubes." Everytime a runny nose began, I would cross my fingers tight that maybe this time our ears would drain fully, and this time we would not need a prescription. It seemed like everytime I thought he had an ear infection, he didn't. Everytime I was for sure we would get a good report, we would either have fluid or an infection. We battled Liam's ears for months. And months... And months.

And even though he only had 4 true infections, that pesky fluid just wouldn't drain. So, it was time.

I dreaded everything surrounding tubes. I played the same fears and concerns over and over in my head:

I don't want to have to put my baby under surgery at such a young age

I don't want the stigma behind tubes

I don't want Liam to not be able to swim

I don't want to fool with ear plugs

I don't want to have to watch bathtime

I want my child to be perfect in every way

When I look back on it now, it all seems so silly. So un-educated. Because the truth of it is tubes have come a long way. The truth of it is...

You don't want ear infections to hurt your baby

You don't want to have hearing loss

You want your child to have perfect balance

You want your child to speak clearly, without speech difficulties

You don't want so much medicine to affect liver functions

You WANT your baby to have tubes

The Perfect Mother's Day and Giveaway

The week before Mother's Day, I received the best Mother's Day present a mom could ask for. Liam, after not saying it for 8 months, found his "M" again and said Mamma! And hasn't stopped saying it ever since. My heart was completely full when he began repeating a distinct "Hi mamma" to which I would reply "Hi Liam" until we both ran out of breath. His latest use of mamma is while carrying his playskool cell phone. Daycare also pointed out that he walks around the room saying Hi mamma... and da - dee while speaking into their play phone. Hummm... Does this mean that I am on the phone too much?

Would you like Sprinkles?

After receiving and responding to many of your questions ranging from work to diapers to birthdays to photos I have finally decided to act on a new blog project I have been kicking around. Please bare with me while I take on this new challenge and work to turn this blog into an adventure that I hope you will all want to take with me. Stay tuned.

As for today, let's discuss the "Mommy Brain" which can be translated into "I have totally lost my mind," "I think I am going crazy," "How am I supposed to take on one more thing and keep everything straight" or sometimes just the excuse to get out of something!

Ever let your child play with your keys and shut the door just in time to hear the beep beep? And then bounced around like a frantic monkey trying to get them to press the 'other' button so you did not have to break a window? Or maybe you took the locking mania to another level like yours truly and in an effort to keep the boogie man out while you are at home by yourself with a little one for the first time. Maybe you too locked yourself outside of the house while peering inside at your son from a nearby window with the constable waiting on your sister-in-law who lives across town to come to your rescue. Tip: Make sure someone within a 5 mile radius has a spare key to your home and your car! Victim of mommy brain. And I know... You would NEVER lock your kid in the car or God forbid the house because you are super mommy, but neither would I.

Last weekend another mommy fell victim to the effects of the mommy brain. While trying to get the house clean, setting up the perfect play spot with all the right toys, filling the cooler with drinks and juice, setting out an array of appetizers for all age groups, grocery shopping, and in true Martha Steward fashion baking sugar cookies for decorating... she lost her car keys. How in the world could you lose your keys? Not like you had a million things going on at once. This is when we have to stick together as moms because no one else truly gets it. Because not only were there a million tasks to juggle there was also a time clock ticking in the background. Ticking for nap, ticking for daycare, ticking for shopping... for cookies in the oven... for the playdate to begin and who knows what other ticking clocks were going off in her personal and professional life.

So, after a car rescue and pickup the crew began to show up and just like the perfect mom everything was right on time and ready for a playful afternoon.