Brought to you by the colour ORANGE-EN

DJ has never really been that child who throws tantrums. We usually never get to the point where he gets so frustrated that he drops to the floor and screams and cries...but lately DJ has been having complete melt downs over the colour ORANGE...or as DJ calls it ORANGE-EN.

DJ will only eat orange-en peppers or use the orange-en plate, dish or cup. In fact, he will only eat items that have orange-en peppers mixed in. How delicious does raisin bran cereal with orange-en pepper sound first thing in the morning? Or perhaps you would prefer a peanut butter sandwich with lunch meat and orange-en pepper only served on an orange-en plate? (he grossed me out by just adding the lunch meat!)

He is driving us nuts with his infatuation with the colour orange-en and all things orange-en. But I guess, this too is only a phase and he will out grow it! And heck, he is at least getting his vegetable allotment for the day!

Well, I am off to the dollar store to buy new crayons - it appears all the orange-en ones are used up....did I mention he will only colour with the colour orange-en?!?!?!?!?

+++ my template will not show links unless you move your mouse under the words in green...so that child is a clip of a famous toddler tantrum for your review!

Call Made for Maddie

This morning at 8:02 am, I made the call to CHEO to book Madigan's ultrasound. We will know shortly when her appointment will be.

Please keep her in your prayers and thoughts.

Please cross your fingers, and all other extremities, that her tests come back OK and no further surgery is required. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE.

Also, I have received some very supportive emails from my blogging friends asking more about our CHEO experiences. Here is a nice article we did for a CHEO awareness campaign.

Requisition - on hold

It sits in my wallet - between my VISA card and my Petro-Points card. It is just a piece of paper. But, every time I go through my wallet, I see it, I finger past it and my heart stops for a moment.

This yellow piece of paper is a requisition for Madigan's ultrasound follow up. It is dated August 1, 2007. All I have to do is call up the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) and make the appointment. But I cannot.

It is not that I am worried that the ultrasound will detect another tumor in my little girl. It is not that I fear she will need more surgery. In fact, I am quite confident that she is doing great. But I am still not able to make that call.

I still remember Dr. Chou calling us out of the surgery waiting room. Announcing that Maddie's surgery had went well - but also informing us that the dermoid tumor in her belly had engrossed her left ovary and had torn off the left fallopian tube. They could not save the ovary or the fallopian tube. It seemed so surreal to ask a surgeon if your 2 month old daughter would be able to have children. But Dr. Chou assured us that even with one overy, her ability to conceive would not be compromised. Then she added the kicker...another cyst had been found on the right ovary. They attempted to secure the right fallopian tube, but could not. Therefore, she would need to be monitored. Thus, the follow-up ultrasound.

I have a very good feeling that the cyst was simply a hormonal cyst - many infant girls are born with them...and they shrink on their own. But the only way to know is to have the ultrasound done.

I know I need to make that phone call. But I cannot.

Madigan is in no pain. She is thriving and growing. Should I hold off making that call? If I am certain all is OK, then why not get the silly ultrasound done and be done with it all. But I cannot make that phone call.

I have a love-hate relationship with CHEO. Very understandable coming from a mother whose first born was saved at that hospital. Very understandable coming from a mother who lived in NICU for almost a month. Very understandable coming from a mother who during a pregnancy ultrasound found out her unborn baby had a "sizable" tumor. Very understandable coming from a mother who had to hand two infant babies to strangers and place their lives in the hands of those strangers.

But perhaps, because of those reasons, I need to call. Part of being a mom, is protecting your babies. And I can only protect my baby Mags if I know her real medical condition. I need to make that call...and I will.

That Mommy Moment

David and I were told we had a sleepy, but healthy baby. Go home and work on nursing and it would all be OK...but it was not.

The situation did not improve. The baby remained sleepy and our anxiety, tension, stress and level of fear all sky rocketed. Our baby was not waking up to feed. He was sleepy, so sleepy.

The watch alarm would go off, David would try to wake baby up - doing everything from undressing, tickling, cold water on toes, and the "doll" hold. Nothing worked. While David worked at stirring the sleeping baby, I would pump and set up the supplemental feeding kit and get ready to feed. David would bring the sleepy baby to me and I would struggle to get him to latch. Frustrating. Heart breaking. Stressful.

Upon declaring defeat I would "finger feed" the sleepy baby, only to have him vomit that precious milky gold. David would be off in the kitchen sterilizing the pump stuff and getting the bottles ready. Exhausted, we would take baby and lay him in his bassinet, then collapse on the couch and just as we would drift off, the watch alarm would go off. David would shuffle off to go wake up baby for his next feeding. Frustrating. Heart breaking. Stressful.

After 98 hours of pure hell, we trusted our instincts and rushed our newborn baby to the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO).

We just knew something was not right. Our nine day old baby was not well.

CHEO was amazing. They whisked us into a large, sterilized, fluorescent lit examination room. They knew something was not right.

The commotion around this little seven pound baby was terrifying, yet calming. The room buzzed with organized chaos as vitals were taken and questions asked. I stood at the head of the gurney, stroking the baby's little head, as professionals attempted to "get a line". Frustrating. Heart breaking. Stressful.

Then a nurse placed her hand on my hand, leaned forward and in a gentle, but firm voice said, "Mommy, he needs you to be strong. Hold him and comfort him. He needs you".

I moved to the side of the bed, picked up my baby, my David Joseph. I cradled DJ. I rocked DJ. I held DJ close. And as DJ settled in my hold, I had my first Mommy Moment.

Loving. Calming. Grounding. I realized then and there that I was a Mommy. That DJ was mine to love, protect and comfort. And I vowed to do just that.

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This post was inspired by a post by Liz at Mom- 101. Her post about having, or rather, wanting a Mommy Moment is superb. Thank you Liz. Love your blog!

First Day of School Family Mantra

The first day of school seems to include multiple rituals or traditions. These vary from family to family and from house to house. To our family, the first day of school meant new shoes, the traditional photo leaving the house, and the reciting of the first day of school mantra.

Our family mantra started over thirty-three years ago at a dinner party of sorts. I was about five or six years old. We were all seated at the dinner table as my parents were hosting a fellow school teacher who worked at my father's school. And here is how the now famous dinner table conversation proceeded:

Dinner Guest (young elementary school teacher): So, Laura how was your day?

Laura: Fine.

Dinner Guest: What did you learn in school today?

Laura: Nothing.

Dinner Guest: Oh, come on now Laura, you must have learned something. Think hard. Tell us at least one thing you learned today.

SILENCE....extended silence...pressure now on while all eyes on grade one Laura.

Laura (taking a deep breath) : Well, um, I guess I learned something...When we were in story circle Mark, with the long hair, burped and we all laughed. Mrs. Hunt told us is was not polite to burp in class. So, I learnded not to burp in class.

Then, when we were working on our math paper, Mark, with the long hair farted and we all laughed. Mrs. Hunt was not happy and told us it was not polite to fart in class. So, I learnded not to fart in school.

Then, during art class, Mark, with the long hair, broke his crayon and he yelled, "FU*$". Mrs. Hunt got really mad and told us that it is not polite to say "FU*$" in school.

So, I guess today in school I learnded you should never burp, fart or say "FU*$" in school. Can I be excused now?????

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Yep - this conversation has become a family legend. From that day forward, as we left for our first day of school my mother could be heard reminding my father, my brother and myself:

" REMEMBER - NO BURPING, FARTING OR SAYING FU*$ IN SCHOOL. "

So, on Wednesday, when we attend DJ's intake interview with his Junior Kindergarten teacher, I plan to continue our first day of school family mantra and teach my school-going cutie the three key lessons of school - like any good mom should!

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Side bar: I wonder what ever happened to Mark, with the long hair...heck, wonder what ever happened to Mark, with the short hair!

DJ's School Bus

We have been prepping both DJ and Anderson on our up-coming school and pre-school schedules.

DJ seems to understand, but true to his character is more reserved.

Anderson on the other hand is driving us close to the lunatic fringe (in a good way!) Every time he sees a yellow school bus he yells out, "Dere's DJ's School Bus!"

So now, trips with Anderson include loud recognition of every Scoop, Rollie, Lofty, Garbage Truck and DJ Buses on the road!

Superman and Super Friends

Today I bought tickets to Andrea Sims-Karp's CD release party. Before I went on maternity leave I worked with Andrea. She is a co-worker, fellow-blogger and friend. Over the last year she has been working very hard to release her first solo album, Sleeper.

Here are 4 reasons why I am super excited for September 22:

1) I am super excited to have a date night with my hubby,

2) I am super excited to see and hear Andrea preform - she is AMAZING!

3) I am super excited to visit and catch up with my co-workers,

4) I am super excited to participate in a dream-come true story.

All this "super-ness" got me thinking about Superman. Yep. Andrea Sims-Karp's music got me thinking about Superman.

I can remember watching Superman for the first time. I loved that movie. But, I have always wondered why people did not recognize the mild-mannered Clark Kent as the world-saving, tight-wearing super hero. Did horned-rim glasses and a kerfuffled suit really hide his true identity? How could people work with him day in and day out, but never caught on that he was a super hero?

Now that I am an adult, living in the "real" world - I TOTALLY get it!

Within the office - or at the baby play date, for that matter - people do not always show all facets of their personality.

You see, for months, I never knew Andrea was a musician. I saw her only as a friendly media-analyst and fellow civil-servant. Many mornings (she started at 6AM) she looked a bit tired, but always very pleasant and would answer any of my questions. During work functions and events I learned that she has a great, if not quirky, sense of humour that I can really appreciate! Just before I left for mat leave I discovered she is also a very talented, banjo-strumming, sweet-voiced, folk-musician.

Funny, how you can work beside someone and never know one of their hidden talents, or not so-hidden talents for that matter. As humans we are so complex, so multi-faceted, so multi-talented. We all have different talents, passions and desires. And by getting to know people and sharing ourselves with others, we can learn and experience so much more in life. New doors of opportunity open when we open up to new and interesting people.

Before I had my children, my life evolved around the hi-tech industry, soccer and rugby. Most of my friends came from those three aspects of my life. I led a very great life and had great friends. But after kids I got thrown into a new world - the new parent world. Suddenly, I began meeting people that did not share my same profession or career path, nor did they necessarily play any sports. Instead, they brought a whole new pot-pourie of experiences, talents, passions and callings. I began meeting people I would have never got the chance to meet in my pre-kids life.

Just last week I met a gal who is an actuary. We had a super chat about breastfeeding, car seats and baby slings. Me, who is challenged to remember my bank card PIN and who could not predict a probable event even while it smacked me between the eyes - carried a wonderful conversation with an actuary. Wonder what the odds are that we continue a mommy-relationship?

And it does not stop there. I have met some wonderful moms (and dads) - people I now consider my closest friends - and all because of having a baby. A common connection. A whole different "pool" of friends.

I met one mommy when DJ was only 4 months old - we frequented a weekly play group. Our children are now turning 4 and we continue to meet on a weekly basis. She is a super friend. We now scrapbook together, lean on each other for support and even our kids have developed a super friendship.

I have become mommy-friends with a very interesting mommy who I would have never crossed paths with if I did not frequent the Andrew Fleck morning play group. She has become a wonderful friend. Believe it or not, it was through this super friend that I found out about an employment opportunity...that lead to me working the morning shift at the media centre...which meant working with Andrea...which lead to me buy a ticket for her CD release party, which lead me to get super excited and to write this post...

No matter how hectic life gets in the office, or between play dates or other mommy duties, take a moment and make a new friend, and discover their super, hidden talent or passion...you may be super-surprised.