Late August/September update

1. Willa's school closed for one week before the new school year started. Willa and I stayed at Didi and Pop-Pop's house and had a visit with her Grammy, Aunt Krista, and cousin Emma while in town. Willa stayed all week, I stayed until Wednesday (see #2). Willa had a great time and I suspect the family did, too.

2. Markus and I went to Montreal - alone! - for a long weekend to celebrate 5 years of marriage. We had a wonderful time - shopped, ate, rode bikes (on the road - quite a milestone for Christie given her fear of bike riding...hmm, breaking bones as a child couldn't have anything to do with that?...), ate, walked, drank our favorite beer brewed in the outskirts of the city, and soaked up the nice weather and culture there. Markus wants to move there. Seriously.

3. Willa had pneumonia. Seriously. We came home and a cough from 3 weeks prior had re-surfaced. Since I was on vacation the day after Labor Day, I figured what else could be better than a doctor's visit? They diagnosed pneumonia and wheezing, which resulted in 2 more hours at the radiology lab waiting for a chest Xray to confirm no "structural" problems in the lungs. No structural problems found, azithromycin started, problem solved within days.

4. Christie found out she has a deviated septum and "stiff" eardrums. Years of allergy suffering finally taking their toll, apparently, since there have been more sinus and ear pains this year than in my entire life. Started a course of heavy-duty antibiotics and steroids to reduce inflammation and get rid of any possible infection. Must return in 5 weeks to see if the problem was due to infection-related inflammation, or if I'm still having problems, must get imaging to look for "structural" problems. What is it with structural problems? Here's hoping the pills do the trick. Otherwise, surgery (eww, nose surgery) is how they correct this problem...oh, and the ENT told me I could get tubes for my ears if they remain problematic. I thought tubes were for 2-year-olds?! What the heck?

5. As a result of the septum issues, I am returning to the care of an allergist after a 10 year hiatus. I'm sad about this...thought I could manage with my regimen of pills, nasal sprays, and eye drops. Allergy shots are probably likely to be part of my life again (I got them for 15 years, then took my 10 year break). I'm so excited. Not.

6. Christie turned 33! Hooray for old age! Well, I'm not old, but I'm no spring chicken either. But I'm not as old as my Dad either - he turned 50 on September 15!!! Ha ha! I have crow's nests around my eyes (or eagle's nests as I originally called them when I forgot the name - Markus corrected me, thankfully - but some days I feel like they look as big as eagle's nests!), well, that's enough. I'm pretty healthy (save the nose/ears/throat/allergy stuff), I have a family I love, I'm employed, we have a nice home and food, so what's their to complain about? I could come up with stuff, but I'll save it. Markus took me out for a nice dinner and his brother, Luke, baby-sat Willa. What a stand-up 25 year-old-guy, huh? Baby-sitting his 2-year-old niece who adores him. How lucky are we?!

7. Markus got braces today. 18 months of hell, as he said. On a conversation about an hour ago, he wondered if he should have done it. I told him he'll be very pleased with the results in 18 months. In the meantime, I've roasted squash to make him some delicious homemade curried squash soup for his dinner and jello for dessert. I remember the post-orthodontist visit tooth/mouth pain. I'm sure after a few days, it will get better.

Next up - travel. Lots of travel. Between Markus and I, one or both of us is travelling each week between now and the last week in October (one week together for a family vacation to Florida, though Markus is going to Seattle for a conference, taking a redeye and meeting us at the Philly airport to head directly to Florida - exhausting!). Blog updates may be sporadic given our schedules. We're still here, mostly healthy, and Willa is awesome (as usual).

Happy Fall and stay tuned for more updates and pictures!

Hemangioma, part 2

Willa, pointing to her hemangioma : "Mommy, whatssat?"

Mommy: "What did I tell you it is? Do you remember?"

Willa: "Eee billy (pause) joba"

Mommy: "That's right, hemangioma."

Willa: "Ee billy (shorter pause) joba"