Katie's Last Day at Bright Horizons

For the last two and a half years, Katie has been going to Bright Horizons in Issaquah. It was truly a wonderful experience and their influence on Katie has helped her to become the self-confident, healthy, happy child she is today. Katie loved going to school there and I felt comfortable taking her there everyday.

For her last day, she wanted to take cupcakes in to share with her friends, for a sweet goodbye. Now, I knew that I needed to make sure the cupcakes were peanut-free, but in Katie's class there is a child who is allergic to wheat. So, I needed to make wheat-free, peanut-free cupcakes. Well, that's not a problem for the frosting, but it is a challenge for the cake. I ended up finding a recipe online which turned out really yummy and passed the "kid test". So, if you ever need to make a gluten-free cupcake, try this recipe for yellow cake.

Okay, so I was so proud of myself for accomplishing the task of making a batch of yummy cupcakes that all the kids could eat, even the kid with the wheat allergy. But, my bubble was burst when Katie told me after I picked her up tonight that the child with the wheat allergy is also allergic to eggs! Well, of course the cupcakes had egg in them. Unfortunately, it was not communicated to me that he also had an egg allergy, so he had to eat a popscicle while everyone else ate the cupcakes. I felt terrible when I heard that. Katie said she told her friend she was so, so sorry, but her Mom didn't know he couldn't eat eggs. Well, I suppose he is used to that happening. I was just hoping we could avoid a situation where he gets left out because of his allergies.

Here are some pictures I took of Katie and her friends today, on her last day of school at Bright Horizons in Issaquah.

Camping With Our Friends

It was a perfect weekend for camping. We went to the Wenatchee Confluence State Park with our best buddies, Mel and Court, and their 7-month-old babies, Jack and Avery. They brought their little dog, named Katie, who was a constant source of entertainment for our Katie who insisted on being with her as much as possible. Our Katie also had fun digging in the dirt and making volcanoes. She's definitely a tomboy!

Of course, we completely enjoyed visiting with Mel and Court, but I also loved having full access to the two babies. What a joy they are!

Camping Time - The Real Kind!

I head up to Seattle tomorrow (Thursday) so that we can take off Friday to go camping with some friends for the weekend. I grew up camping (tent - no trailers) as a kid sometimes on our own as a family and other times with family friends. They were some of the best times we ever had - as far as I am concerned.

While we stayed at campgrounds -- yes with electricity and showers -- we never brought a TV and cooked on an open fire and camping stove. Suzie and I have camped on and off over the years, too. I have always insisted that we tent camp with no TV.

We have grown from a 2 person tent to a 4 person tent to now a 7 person tent. When they say 4 person they mean just enough room for four people to sleep. No extra room and I need some room to move around and keep my clothes in the tent! Katie likes the new tent because you can put up a wall to divide it. She has only been backyard camping with me in the 4 person tent so this will be a new adventure for her. She is excited, but I don't think she realizes what it will actually be like camping outside the entire time. I am sure that she will love it and want to go again.

As I get older, I realize that I am not the best at sleeping on the ground. We are bringing an air mattress for the first time! Katie will bring her Aero travel bed, too!

We will upload pictures when we get back!

Driving Toward Mt. Ranier - Sept 23

Relax and enjoy!

Here's a 3-minute video
of the beautiful Pacific Northwest...

Katie Is A Three Blanket Gal!

Just before Katie was born I searched for the "perfect" blanket for her. I actually found two different kinds but soon realized after she was born that the soft, Oprah recommended one, was her favorite. As a baby, she would rub it on her cheek and then her belly to put herself to sleep. Later, it was her blanket for "good night time."

Worried that she would be without it, or it would get lost, we bought a smaller version of it for the car -- thinking we could keep one in her crib and one in the car. Well, Katie had other ideas. She always wanted both! So, we had to carry around both blankets. As she got older, the smaller one was placed on her pillow for her head and the larger one covered her up.

This past summer, we vacationed on the East Coast and visited her cousins - Paige, Katelyn and Mathew. They gave her their Care Bear blanket so now she needs all three! The Care Bear blanket now is in the bed with her, too. Yikes!

TV Starts Again!

I am not sure if I am as excited about all the new shows starting or just the reality shows starting up again! Today it is Dancing with the Stars but Survivor and the Amazing Race start this week too!

I had a weekend of not feeling well... started with a weird headache all day Saturday and then Sunday I felt dizzy for most of the day. The good news is that I at least felt better when Suzie, her Mom and Sister, and Katie were here. Katie and I spent Sunday together while the rest of them drove up the Columbia river and saw some falls. I can't wait to make the drive, too, before the weather rolls in and we can't make the drive. They drove back today and were thinking of stopping at Mt. St. Helens. Since I haven't heard from them I am assuming they did.

I went to the doctors today to check the pressure in my ears (need to be healthy for camping this coming weekend). Turns out all looks good. My tubes are not formed "correctly" (I am not the only ones) and so the pressure I feel is like being up in an airplane. I can't pop my ears very well and she said this is why. Right now, the pressure is just building up. It could indirectly cause my headaches as the pain may be causing me to tense up (thereby giving me tension headaches that cluster into a migraine). So, for now, I take Sudafed and she gave me a muscle relaxer to help me sleep and relax those neck and shoulder muscles.

It was great to see everyone and I am looking forward to everyone being together in October. Next weekend is the big camping trip so I am sure there will be pictures forthcoming soon!

Off to watch some TV.

Multnomah Falls

My Mom, sister and I spent an afternoon driving along the Columbia River Gorge and came across many waterfalls. This one was the most impressive.

Columbia River Gorge

My Mom (Kathleen), my sister (Bonnie) and I took a drive along the Columbia River Gorge, even though it was misty and gray outside. It was pretty, even without the sun, so I can't wait to drive it again on a sunny, cool autumn day when the leaves are changing.



Our first stop was at the Viewpoint Inn for lunch. The building was constructed in 1924 and is now on the National Register of Historic Places. Our lunch was delicious and the atmosphere was warm and welcoming. I'd go back anytime! Mom took this picture of it.

We kept on driving, came across numerous waterfalls and about a gazillion photo ops. The most impressive of the waterfalls was the Multnomah Falls. At the gift shop, I bought a huge poster of it for Katie. It stands about 6 feet tall and looks great on the wall here in our Portland apartment. Mom was our photographer during the drive and took this picture of the falls.

Ron and Kathleen's Visit ~ Day Two

After I dropped Katie off at school, ran a couple of errands and returned home to shower, we all ate some lunch and headed toward Seattle today. We ended up visiting the Impressionist show at the Seattle Art Museum. It was quite enjoyable. Afterward, we walked a couple of blocks over to the Pike Place Market. We looked around and ate an early dinner there at Lowell's where we enjoyed a view of the sound while we ate.

Ron returns home tomorrow, unfortunately. Mom will stay for another six days. After we drop Ron off at the airport, we'll continue driving on down to Portland to spend the rest of the weekend with Regina.

Ron and Kathleen's Visit ~ First Full Day

I took Katie to school and we (Kathleen -my Mom, Ron - her husband, and Bonnie - my sister) all piled into the jeep and headed East. We were all hungry and opted to eat out instead of at home. It's more fun, afterall! I wanted them to try Twedes Cafe in North Bend. I enjoyed the fish and chips, while they each tried one of the 26 different hamburgers offered on the menu. They call it their Hamburgers A to Z. I'm not a big burger fan, so I'll just take their word for it that they're good.

Then, we got on I-90 East and ended up at Snoqualmie Pass. There we just drove around a couple of the exits, admired the beautiful vacation homes, and walked around Alpental even though the facilities are currently closed to the public.

Around dinnertime we picked up Katie and grilled salmon at home. It was a perfect way to end a day of showing Mom, Ron and Bonnie some of the scenery we get to enjoy every day living here.

I wonder which apartment is on fire? Oh, no.

I drove home tonight from work tonight - my first time -and as I was driving up the hill to my turn I could smell smoke. I was talking with Sue and thought to myself I wonder which apartment is on fire as there are apartment complexes all over the place. As I turned onto Jefferson Parkway and worked my way to the top (where the complex is located) I thought the smoke and smell died down. I was just thinking - well it is not me - when I turned into the complex and saw all the fire trucks.

I quickly got off with Sue and tried to find a place to park as there were at least four fire trucks in front of my building (and beyond) blocking the road and my path to my parking spot. After finding a parking spot, I walked towards my building. Suzie, Katie and Bonnie had already gone home (they arrived safely) so I knew they were safe. But, was it my apartment?

After getting closer, I saw people walking past my building and to the building on fire. I didn't walk too close to it, but it looked under control but an ambulance was coming in so someone was hurt. Well, I thought I should at least go check in on the apartment so here I am.

Safe and sound. What a first night by myself!

Preschool Test Drive

We're spending an extra night in Portland this weekend so Katie and I can spend tomorrow morning (Monday) at her new preschool. There are three classrooms for the preschoolers and they want to make sure Katie is placed where she'll fit in best, so they invited us to come in for a couple of hours prior to her first day of school. Katie can "test drive" each classroom so hopefully on Oct 1 when she begins attending, we'll already have determined which classroom will be best for her.

We'll head back to Seattle as soon as we're done at school. Hopefully we can begin driving right after lunch.

On The Move Again

It is moving weekend, again, as I move into a bigger corporate apartment so that Suzie and Katie can join me in Portland. This one is in Lake Oswego so I am excited to learn a new area. I have now lived in Beaverton, Hillsboro and soon Lake Oswego. I really like the Hillsboro location for walking, shopping and eating, but the apartment is very noisy (and hot as I get direct afternoon sun without air conditioning).

The new apartment is in Mountain Park so it is higher in elevation and full of trees. I can't easily see shopping but have already found a grocery store. It will be a new adventure for sure! Suzie and Katie will be down at the end of the month as Katie starts school on October 1st. Everyone is coming down this weekend to help and see the new place.

We will have great weather for the move - 80s and sunny, but I have to say I am not looking forward to the actual moving. I mostly have to move clothes and personal items, but we have a few things that are heavy and bulky that we moved down here so as to not have them in the house for showing. Plus, there are Christmas stuff and a tree to move, too!

I will send out address and phone information via email once I get settled!

Finally, Relief!

Yesterday Katie, Bonnie and I left Portland around 3pm. I was debating what to do about my lingering head pain. I decided we needed to stop in Bellevue at the Overlake ER on our way home. The pain in my head was the worst when I moved around and/or sat upright. When I would lie down, it was okay. So, I reclined for the whole drive back to Seattle while Bonnie drove and Katie watched her new favorite movie, Robots, on her portable DVD player in the back seat.

It seemed to take forever to get treatment at Overlake and I almost didn't stay, thinking I could just come back the next day after dropping Katie off at school. Right as I was getting up to leave, they assigned me to an exam room and took us back. Turned out that they agreed with me that I was probably leaking spinal fluid as a result of the lumbar puncture procedure they performed at the ER last Wednesday. I had two options. Wait for it to heal itself or get an epidural blood patch. Well, the pain was really horrible and prevented me from functioning normally, so I decided not to wait for it to heal on its own. I had the blood patch done.

It was the most amazing thing. I felt relief immediately! My pain went from an 8 out of 10 all the way down to about 2 out of 10 in just the few minutes it took the anesthesiologist to perform the procedure. It was amazing. I was so grateful.

We got home last night around 10:30pm and we all went to bed shortly afterward.

Today I have a very mild headache, but nothing like it was before the blood patch and my lower back aches. My orders are to lie down as much as possible for the 48 hours following the blood patch. That's not a problem though. Katie's in school and Bonnie is here with me. I feel pretty wiped out and therefore don't have energy to do much else anyway. I'm just thankful that whole episode is over.

Okay, time to return to my spot on the couch, next to my two very protective kitties.

Suzie Update

It seemed that things were turning around on Thursday (almost back to normal) when Friday hit. On Thursday, Suzie decided that they would come back down to Portland for a change of scenery. Unfortunately, Friday hit and Suzie felt -- almost -- as bad as she did on Wednesday. The good news was she wasn't throwing up. The bad news was that she still had a headache.

I was worried that it was the result of the spinal tap. Everyone I know who has had that procedure had a terrible headache at the base of the head. I warned her of that when we talked on Thursday but since she was feeling better I assumed she was okay. Anyway, back to Friday, Suzie got Katie off to school and then she and Bonnie headed back to the ER. They, too, thought that since she was better on Thursday that it more than likely meant that it was not due to the spinal tap. However, they didn't see any issues with treating it like it was. There are two options - one meant going to downtown Seattle for treatment or the other was high dosages of caffeine and pain medication.

Suzie really wanted to get away so she opted for the latter and the three of them headed for Portland late Friday afternoon. I didn't know all of this was going on as I would have told them to stay and I would have driven up after work. They hit bad traffic leaving that late but Bonnie hung in there and got them to Portland with the directions given by a drug-induced Suzie!

She looked tired and drugged but pretty good when they arrived. All day Saturday, Bonnie, Katie and I worked to keep quiet and busy. We went to the pool, ran errands, and went to the park. Suzie slept most of the day and didn't say much so were were not really sure how she felt. We just stayed clear and tried to keep the apartment cool and quiet.

It is Sunday morning and she just woke up.... and looks almost like Suzie. She is moving and alert (always a good sign) and just said she doesn't feel bad. Let's hope she is back to new! I guess they will head back up sometime today.

A big thanks to Bonnie -- not sure how Suzie would have gotten through all of this without her help!

Dark, Black, Very Low Day

I woke up feeling awful. Horribly, terribly awful. My head was pounding. It was similar to my normal migraine, but worse. Much worse. And, unlike my normal migraine which is located on the left side of my head, over the temple, this one was the most intense in my forehead. It felt like someone had inserted a knife in my forehead. I thought that perhaps breakfast would help. So I had a banana and some orange juice. Then I fed Katie and got her dressed for school. Right before we were getting into the car, I threw up. Even so, I managed to drive her to school and even got back home safely. I lay down for a while and around noon I asked Bonnie (my sister is here for the summer) to drive me to Urgent Care. They gave me two shots. One to relieve the nausea and the other for pain. After about 20 minutes, the nausea was nearly gone, but there was still pain. They gave me another shot of pain medicine. 20 or 30 minutes after that I still felt the pain, but didn't really care. So they sent me home. When I got home I took an imitrex (migraine medicine) and lay down again. I slept on and off all afternoon. At about 5pm it was time to pick up Katie from school and I could tell all the medicine had worn off and the headache was even worse. I began throwing up again - actually dry heaving since there was nothing left in my stomach. So, I asked Bonnie to drive me to pick up Katie from school and then she took me to the ER. They quickly hooked me up to a lovely cocktail of pain medicine, muscle relaxant, anti-nausea, and anti-inflammitory. Suddenly there was a light at the end of this dreadfully dark tunnel I was in. Bonnie and Katie went out to eat while I hung out in the ER. My doctor was concerned that since this headache was not like my normal migraine, there could be something else going on like brain bleed. So, he ordered a CAT scan and Lumbar puncture. The two tests combined would let us know if there was any bleeding going on in my brain. It would also find any tumors that might be there. Fortunately, there was no bleeding and no tumor. At about 10:30pm, they sent me home. I was groggy and hungry, but feeling pretty good, considering. We all went straight to bed when we got home.

My First Adjustment!

Last week I had a bad, stay-at-home, migraine. It was the kind that I get two to four times a year and they usually end in a trip to the emergency room. I was hoping that after my hysterectomy that these severe ones would go away. The good news is that I have only gotten two in the last year and was able to "ride them out" without going to the emergency room. In both cases, I finally stopped throwing up enough to get some medication down. And, eventually, felt better. Unfortunately, after the one last week, I still never felt 100%.

I noticed over the last few months that my neck was popping and clicking more than I ever remembered. Several co-workers and the doctor I have been seeing in Seattle had recommended I see a chiropractor. The thought of someone cracking my neck seemed a little too scary. So, like most things that don't seem like much fun, I procrastinated about calling and making an appointment. After a weekend of not feeling well after the Wednesday headache , I decided to call the doctor that was recommended to me by someone I trusted in the office.

When I called this morning and said why I wanted to come in, they cleared a 4:30 appointment for me. My first thought was... oh, today? I needed more time to adjust (no pun intended) to the idea. But, I decided to just jump in and take the appointment. She explained everything she was doing and after some massage and sonar treatment, she adjusted my neck and upper back.

I didn't like the sounds of it, but must say it feels better. I will need to go twice a week for a few weeks, but so far it was a positive experience. She also said (I of course knew this) that migraines are hard to end due to the difficulty in finding the exact chemical imbalance -- there are so many. She has found that if you wake up with them that they might be caused by lack of oxygen. She may want me to get tested to see how much oxygen I take in especially during sleep.

So, I can now say that I am cracked!

Long Weekend in Portland

Katie, Bonnie and I drove down to Portland Thursday afternoon. It was a good decision to leave so early. We didn't hit any traffic congestion at all, making it an enjoyable drive.

On Friday, Regina went to work but met us at noon and again at 3pm to tour preschools for Katie. We unanimously agreed about which school we liked better. The clear winner was Touchstone Preschool. Fortunately, it's only about 2-3 miles from the apartment we'll all be living in beginning Oct 1. It's such a relief to have found a suitable preschool for her. She really enjoys going to school, so I don't want to deprive her of that when we move. We're lucky they have an opening for her at Touchstone.

On Saturday, we adults took it easy. However, Katie was full of energy, as usual. So we took her across the street to a brand new playground where she played for a couple of hours and as usual, made new friends along the way. I love how social she is. Then we decided to check out the local COSTCO and can you believe it, we walked out of there with only two items! Amazing.

Today we had a lazy morning. After lunch, we decided to do some shopping at a nearby outlet mall. I was mostly looking for fall clothes for Katie since she's outgrown most everything she wore last year. I love shopping for her though! And today it was especially fun with all the sales.

Tomorrow we'll return to Seattle. I imagine we'll begin driving right after lunch.

Foot Massage

Okay, remember a few days ago I wrote about the plantar fasciitis I am dealing with in my right foot? One of the treatments my doc recommended was to massage the bottom of my foot with a golf ball. Well, yesterday I discovered this wonderful product at REI that provides the same sort of massage, but it's so much better. So, if you're suffering from plantar fasciitis or just tired, worn out feet, check this out for 5 bucks at REI.

Ready for Halloween!

Katie has decided to dress up as Tinkerbell for Halloween this year.
Here she is, trying on her new costume.

Bet you didn't know Tink plays soccer, did you?