Hello again our faithful followers! Today's topic.....Growing Up. Follow me for a minute..you'll see where I'm going. So, as most of you know I wait tables as a side-job a few nights a week. Right around the start of school we were getting the families in with their kids after the first few days of school. In an effort to make conversation I'd inevitably ask the kids how school is going....with the typical response of "Good". After a few more probing questions they start to talk about how they can't wait to get out....or can't wait to just go to college and party....or just can't wait to get a job. So, I do the polite thing...smile and nod, and walk away to get their Strawberry Lemonades and Chips/Salsa. In my mind...I want to scream "WHAT'S YOUR HURRY??"
Let's flash back several years for all of us....we all remember being in school and saying the same things...we can't wait to get out of school. Well, now that we're all out...what do we want to do?? Go Back To School? Whether it's to get a Master's Degree, finish our Bachelor's degree...or just go back to naptimes and recess....everyone that has a job realizes that it's way over-rated!! What's wrong with kids today? They seriously need a reality check.
All that being said....I find myself in that boat with our daughter, Sydney. When she was just a wee lil' baby, we couldn't wait for her to walk and talk....well, didn't know what we were in for. The only time she's not moving or speaking is when she's in her sleep....however, she seems to have inherited my "sleep-talking" gene, so really there's not much of a break. (Let me take a moment to sincerely apologize to Jenny...basically she doesn't get a break from either of us talking...Sorry baby!) Don't get me wrong....I love running around with her and listening to her stories about a princess getting chased by a horse in a car and then a dragon swooping in from nowhere. However, when I'm trying to get into a really intense episode of The Office, or So You Think You Can Dance...it's just not the right time. I find that I was in such a hurry for her to grow up that I didn't appreciate the silent, motion-less baby of years ago!
To try and wrap this random entry up...those who follow me on Facebook might remember a few weeks ago when Sydney told me on the phone "Daddy, I'm having a bad day". She's 3 years old...how bad of a day can it be?!?! I remember thinking how grown up she sounded as she told me that...and instantly I wanted to hug her and tell her to just slow down. I know she can't be a little kid forever.....but I'll do my hardest to make sure she enjoys her childhood...and even harder to make sure I enjoy it just as much!
On one final note.....I had no comments from my last entry about stories from the world of waiting tables...so I'll keep all the good stuff between myself and Jenny! Happy Friday all!!!
Friday, October 2, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
So..nothing new
Well, I kinda felt like I should get on here and update everyone on what's going on with The Storms....after all, that's what this blog is about right? Well folks...you're not missing a whole heck of a lot. Sydney is still doing well on the potty...for the #1 incidents. #2...well, it's a stinky situation that involves lots of laundry. But, patience will prevail... Jenny is still continuing to get her monthly blood draws. Apparently things are fine because I haven't had any calls from the doctor "...wanting to explain things to me because Jenny was a little upset and might have missed some facts". Ahh...that was a stressful day for all of us! Regardless....I'm glad that she's healthy and things are good! On the job front....well, she's still looking. I know out of the 3 people a year that look at this blog...one of y'all have to have a decent job lead for her! Remember the whole 6 degrees of separation to Kevin Bacon?? Come on folks....someone has to know Kevin and I'm sure he needs an assistant...right?
So, I've got something else that I want to start blogging about on a semi-regular basis. I'm reading a new book based off of another blog I've started reading. It's a book called Waiter Rant. It's essentially about a guy who waited tables at an upscale bistro in New York...talks about his experiences and in a humerous and story-telling fashion...is basically giving readers who haven't been in "the biz" an idea of how to not end up with a little spit in their food. So...I was kinda thinking about kicking off my own lil' version of that based on experiences in my 10+ years of working in restaurants...most recently with Chili's. Trust me...I run into some interesting characters out there..both customers and fellow employees. So...if this is something that the 3 of you would find interesting...please comment and let me know. Otherwise, I'll just keep boring Jenny with the same ol' stories instead of y'all!
Beyond that...all is well on the Storm Front... (haha..just got that as I was writing...damn I'm funny). To those family out there...we love y'all. To the friends out there....well, it's a little early in the relationship to tell...so we'll leave it at....we like y'all!
So, I've got something else that I want to start blogging about on a semi-regular basis. I'm reading a new book based off of another blog I've started reading. It's a book called Waiter Rant. It's essentially about a guy who waited tables at an upscale bistro in New York...talks about his experiences and in a humerous and story-telling fashion...is basically giving readers who haven't been in "the biz" an idea of how to not end up with a little spit in their food. So...I was kinda thinking about kicking off my own lil' version of that based on experiences in my 10+ years of working in restaurants...most recently with Chili's. Trust me...I run into some interesting characters out there..both customers and fellow employees. So...if this is something that the 3 of you would find interesting...please comment and let me know. Otherwise, I'll just keep boring Jenny with the same ol' stories instead of y'all!
Beyond that...all is well on the Storm Front... (haha..just got that as I was writing...damn I'm funny). To those family out there...we love y'all. To the friends out there....well, it's a little early in the relationship to tell...so we'll leave it at....we like y'all!
Friday, July 24, 2009
Potty-training success!!
As most of you are well aware, the Storm household has been potty-training central for the past several weeks. Sydney showed no real desire to start doing her business in the big girl potty, but I figured now was as good a time as any since I'm not working.
We started on Monday, July 6th. After chatting online and getting some last minute tips from my Babycenter mommy friend (thanks, Tricia!), Sydney and I headed off to Target for potty-training supplies. We got Pull-Ups, flushable wipes, a Dora seat for the big potty, a toy she could open when she went a day with no accidents, and a package of Chewy Spree. As soon as we got home, we swapped her diaper for big girl panties, and I waited for something to happen. I had everything set up in the bathroom: Her Dora seat on the big potty, a stool for her feet, and two sticker charts--one for good bathroom manners, and the other for going pee-pee or poo-poo on the potty.
Well I waited, and waited, and waited. Sydney had been in big girl panties since 11 am and it was now 3 pm with no accidents, but no success in the potty. She either had a bladder of steel (unlike her mommy!) or was learning to hold it so she wouldn't have to go on the potty. Finally, at about 4:30 pm, we had success!! Well, not complete success. She went pee-pee, but on the carpet. Then again on the tile floors. I was starting to get discouraged and it was only day 1. She ended up having one more accident before finally going on the big girl potty at the end of the day. The rest of the week went much like day 1...lots of accidents with some success mixed in.
By the weekend, she was starting to get the hang of it, and I was thankful to have some help from Troy! Week 2 came, and Sydney was doing really well going pee-pee in the potty. She got to open her toy for having no accidents, but was still struggling with poop. After holding it in for 4 days, she FINALLY went poo-poo on the potty and that was one of the happiest days of my life! Who knew poop could be so exciting?!?
We're now at the end of week 3 and I can say with a fair amount of certainty that Sydney is officially potty-trained (well, pee-pee at least!). She hasn't had a pee-pee accident since the end of week 1. She's finally starting to poop more regularly, but it's still a work in progress. She'll start to push it out in her panties, but stops and does the rest in the potty. She only wears Pull-Ups at night or if we're going to be out of the house for an extended amount of time. We could probably do away with the nighttime Pull-Ups, because she has yet to have an accident at naptime or overnight!
Troy and I are so very proud of Sydney. She is such a big girl, and never ceases to amaze us! Potty-training is by far one of the hardest things I've had to do as a mommy. I feel as if I can now join that elite group of mommies who have been through the battle known as potty-training, and I survived!!
I end this post with a picture of Sydney's Potty Chart. She has diligently put a star on her chart each time she has done her business. I can't say it enough, but I'm so proud of her!!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Sigh
Yes, I know I'm at home, jobless, and have all the time in the world, but I just haven't been in the blogging mood. Troy, Sydney and I are doing well, just trying to stay out of the stifling heat!
I leave you with a picture of Sydney, because she's what makes me smile!
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I leave you with a picture of Sydney, because she's what makes me smile!
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Final Pathology Report
Just when we thought we could finally move forward from our miscarriage and D&C, Dr. Erwin called Thursday afternoon with the final pathology report. Earlier in the week he had the initial report back that just stated degenerative changes, but the final report was a different story. It stated that the reason for the miscarriage was a Partial Molar Pregnancy.
Basically what happened is that my fertilized egg had the normal chromosomes from me but double the chromosomes from the sperm, so there were 69 chromosomes instead of the normal 46. Either the sperm duplicated or two sperm fertilized the egg. My doctor said there was fetal tissue but of course it was so abnormal it couldn't survive. Apparently the chances of this happening are 1/1000 and there's only a 1-2% chance of it happening with my next pregnancy.
The bad news is that some of the abnormal molar cells can still be in my uterus and if that's the case, it starts rapidly dividing and can cause Gestational Trophoblastic Disease. If that happens, my doctor said I'll have to take methotrexate to kill the cells. The good news is that he said there's really only a 5-7% chance of that happening.
What I have to do now is to get my hcg levels tested to make sure they go down to 0. I had my blood drawn today and my doctor will take more in two weeks at my post-op appointment. If my numbers are going down, I'll have to continue to go back every month for the next 6 months to make sure my levels are at 0. Instead of waiting the standard 2-3 months to try and get pregnant after a D&C, my doctor said I'll have to wait 6 months-1 year. He wants me to go back on birth control pills so my hormones will be at a constant level--that way if there are any changes, he will know it's because of the molar pregnancy and not my hormones being wacky.
After reading online (which, according to Dr. Erwin I shouldn't do so I won't scare myself!!) the odds are in my favor. Most likely my numbers will go down, I won't need any treatment, and my next pregnancy will be just fine.
So after the latest drama, I'm hoping that this is the last time I'll have to update our blog with bad news. Here's to hoping the black cloud of rain stuck over the Storm family will lift and we can finally see our rainbow!!
Basically what happened is that my fertilized egg had the normal chromosomes from me but double the chromosomes from the sperm, so there were 69 chromosomes instead of the normal 46. Either the sperm duplicated or two sperm fertilized the egg. My doctor said there was fetal tissue but of course it was so abnormal it couldn't survive. Apparently the chances of this happening are 1/1000 and there's only a 1-2% chance of it happening with my next pregnancy.
The bad news is that some of the abnormal molar cells can still be in my uterus and if that's the case, it starts rapidly dividing and can cause Gestational Trophoblastic Disease. If that happens, my doctor said I'll have to take methotrexate to kill the cells. The good news is that he said there's really only a 5-7% chance of that happening.
What I have to do now is to get my hcg levels tested to make sure they go down to 0. I had my blood drawn today and my doctor will take more in two weeks at my post-op appointment. If my numbers are going down, I'll have to continue to go back every month for the next 6 months to make sure my levels are at 0. Instead of waiting the standard 2-3 months to try and get pregnant after a D&C, my doctor said I'll have to wait 6 months-1 year. He wants me to go back on birth control pills so my hormones will be at a constant level--that way if there are any changes, he will know it's because of the molar pregnancy and not my hormones being wacky.
After reading online (which, according to Dr. Erwin I shouldn't do so I won't scare myself!!) the odds are in my favor. Most likely my numbers will go down, I won't need any treatment, and my next pregnancy will be just fine.
So after the latest drama, I'm hoping that this is the last time I'll have to update our blog with bad news. Here's to hoping the black cloud of rain stuck over the Storm family will lift and we can finally see our rainbow!!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
It's been a while!
Hello, all! I figured that since I'm sitting at home with no job and nothing to do, I'd finally get around to updating our blog. Just a warning...this is going to be a long one!!
As all of you may know, April was a rough month for the Storm family. We found out we were pregnant in March and were nervous but excited to go to the doctor in April for our first ultrasound. Deep down I had a feeling something wasn't right, but Troy being the supportive husband he is, kept telling me everything was fine. The 16th finally rolled around and as Dr. Erwin performed the ultrasound (while I had a death grip on Troy's hand) he discovered that our baby was only measuring 6 weeks with no heartbeat and I was almost 9 weeks along. Troy and I were in tears and heartbroken. He said it was probably a missed miscarriage but wanted to send us to a MFM specialist with a better ultrasound machine.
A note about Dr. Erwin--Troy and I are so blessed to have such a wonderful, caring, Christian doctor in our lives. He always treats us with the utmost respect and makes us feel as if we are his only patients. He prayed with us and helped us to see that this was all in God's plan.
The following day, we went to see Dr. Sheppard expecting her to confirm Dr. Erwin's findings. We were wrong. After staring at the screen for a long while, we all noticed a flicker of activity on the screen. She grabbed my wrist to feel for my heartbeat, and informed us that our baby did indeed have a heartbeat, although it was rather slow. She said things didn't look normal but she wasn't ready to rule it a miscarriage yet. She recommended we wait for a couple of weeks and have another ultrasound to see if any progress had been made.
So that's what we did...we waited. While waiting, more bad news hit. I found out I was laid off from work. At this point, I really didn't know how much more stress and bad news I could handle. Now I look at losing my job as a blessing in disguise. I need a better job and Sydney is definitely ready for preschool so she can learn new things and meet new friends. God had a mysterious way of doing things and sometimes I don't understand them, but I know He's doing what's best for my life.
After waiting 2 weeks, the 30th finally rolled around and we were finally ready to have some answers. At this point in my pregnancy, I was almost 11 weeks along. Dr. Erwin performed the ultrasound, and once again, our baby was only measuring 6 weeks with no heartbeat. After seeing that, the next 24 hours went by in a flash. Since his machine is old, Dr. Erwin wanted us to be seen immediately by the radiologist with a better ultrasound machine to confirm his findings, and he went ahead and scheduled a D&C for the following morning at 7am. After giving 3 vials of blood, we went next door for another ultrasound, which indeed confirmed the results of a non-viable pregnancy. So then we went back to the hospital to pre-register for the procedure. While there, I had to visit the lab and give 2 more vials of blood. Since my blood type is B-, immediately following the procedure I had to have a Rhogam shot and the lab had to type my blood for the shot. Needless to say, I was a little woosy after giving so much blood and not eating much all day!!
Since the procedure was at 7am on May 1st and we had to be at the hospital at 6am, Sydney got to stay the night with Mamaw and Papaw. I'm so blessed to have such wonderful parents that can help us out on a moment's notice! Troy and I woke up at 4:30am the morning of the procedure and were at the hospital promptly at 6am. Shortly after checking in, we were brough up to pre-op where they took my vitals and started my IV. Dr. Erwin stopped by to go over the procedure and said a prayer with us. Troy was then shown to the waiting room and I was wheeled back to the OR. About an hour later I was in recovery feeling groggy, a little crampy, but otherwise ok. After staying there for about 1 1/2 hours, Troy was finally able to bring me home. I slept most of the day away on Friday and gradually started feeling better over the weekend.
It is now the Thursday after my procedure, and physically I'm almost back to my old self. Emotionally, I have my good moments and bad moments, but I'm starting to feel better. I'm comforted to know that our Angel Baby is in Heaven looking down on us and that one day, Troy and I will finally be able to meet our little one.
Thanks to everyone for their love, support, and prayers during this difficult time. Troy and I are blessed to have each and every one of you in our lives.
As all of you may know, April was a rough month for the Storm family. We found out we were pregnant in March and were nervous but excited to go to the doctor in April for our first ultrasound. Deep down I had a feeling something wasn't right, but Troy being the supportive husband he is, kept telling me everything was fine. The 16th finally rolled around and as Dr. Erwin performed the ultrasound (while I had a death grip on Troy's hand) he discovered that our baby was only measuring 6 weeks with no heartbeat and I was almost 9 weeks along. Troy and I were in tears and heartbroken. He said it was probably a missed miscarriage but wanted to send us to a MFM specialist with a better ultrasound machine.
A note about Dr. Erwin--Troy and I are so blessed to have such a wonderful, caring, Christian doctor in our lives. He always treats us with the utmost respect and makes us feel as if we are his only patients. He prayed with us and helped us to see that this was all in God's plan.
The following day, we went to see Dr. Sheppard expecting her to confirm Dr. Erwin's findings. We were wrong. After staring at the screen for a long while, we all noticed a flicker of activity on the screen. She grabbed my wrist to feel for my heartbeat, and informed us that our baby did indeed have a heartbeat, although it was rather slow. She said things didn't look normal but she wasn't ready to rule it a miscarriage yet. She recommended we wait for a couple of weeks and have another ultrasound to see if any progress had been made.
So that's what we did...we waited. While waiting, more bad news hit. I found out I was laid off from work. At this point, I really didn't know how much more stress and bad news I could handle. Now I look at losing my job as a blessing in disguise. I need a better job and Sydney is definitely ready for preschool so she can learn new things and meet new friends. God had a mysterious way of doing things and sometimes I don't understand them, but I know He's doing what's best for my life.
After waiting 2 weeks, the 30th finally rolled around and we were finally ready to have some answers. At this point in my pregnancy, I was almost 11 weeks along. Dr. Erwin performed the ultrasound, and once again, our baby was only measuring 6 weeks with no heartbeat. After seeing that, the next 24 hours went by in a flash. Since his machine is old, Dr. Erwin wanted us to be seen immediately by the radiologist with a better ultrasound machine to confirm his findings, and he went ahead and scheduled a D&C for the following morning at 7am. After giving 3 vials of blood, we went next door for another ultrasound, which indeed confirmed the results of a non-viable pregnancy. So then we went back to the hospital to pre-register for the procedure. While there, I had to visit the lab and give 2 more vials of blood. Since my blood type is B-, immediately following the procedure I had to have a Rhogam shot and the lab had to type my blood for the shot. Needless to say, I was a little woosy after giving so much blood and not eating much all day!!
Since the procedure was at 7am on May 1st and we had to be at the hospital at 6am, Sydney got to stay the night with Mamaw and Papaw. I'm so blessed to have such wonderful parents that can help us out on a moment's notice! Troy and I woke up at 4:30am the morning of the procedure and were at the hospital promptly at 6am. Shortly after checking in, we were brough up to pre-op where they took my vitals and started my IV. Dr. Erwin stopped by to go over the procedure and said a prayer with us. Troy was then shown to the waiting room and I was wheeled back to the OR. About an hour later I was in recovery feeling groggy, a little crampy, but otherwise ok. After staying there for about 1 1/2 hours, Troy was finally able to bring me home. I slept most of the day away on Friday and gradually started feeling better over the weekend.
It is now the Thursday after my procedure, and physically I'm almost back to my old self. Emotionally, I have my good moments and bad moments, but I'm starting to feel better. I'm comforted to know that our Angel Baby is in Heaven looking down on us and that one day, Troy and I will finally be able to meet our little one.
Thanks to everyone for their love, support, and prayers during this difficult time. Troy and I are blessed to have each and every one of you in our lives.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
It's that time in Texas...
...for bluebonnet pictures! We were lucky this year to find a nice patch of bluebonnets after the drought we've been through. Here are a few pictures of Sydney in her best element...in front of the camera!
Finally, here's a shot of Sydney making sure not to step on the flowers!
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