Cautiously Optimistic

Easton is winning! , Julia is doing awesome! and Austin is probably a big brother by now. 

And, to add to all of the imom pride, we got an AWESOME report from Dr. Cogen today! 

Since we are so far into the Eye situation, we only have to visit his PO once every 6 months, which is nice since Birmingham is not where we actually live. But, the time between visits seems to take f o r e v e r. Our last visit granted us an extra hour off of patching each day. That made 2 hours without a patch. Two hours is basically the time he is in the car, the bath and the minutes throughout the day that it takes us to get a new one on his eye. I did not AT ALL expect any more time off this visit because we got an hour off last time, so when Dr. Cogen said, "FOUR hours" off of the patch, I was floored. Literally, I started crying.

I cannot explain the thoughts that fought for attention in those few seconds when my brain tried to process, FOUR. I just won the lottery, what on earth does one do with four hours of not patching, this will change everything, there is no way he just said 4, FOUR. Most of all, I thought "THIS IS WORKING!!" 

Four. 

AAGGHH!!

I am still a tad bit overwhelmed at the excitement of it all. 

Other bits of news from the visit:

1. Anderson is "remarkable". Yes, I know. Also, he is "proof" that this works. "This" being parents and grandparents who literally have no free time or sanity because they stalk a toddler with an eyepatch. 
2. He identified all of the shapes with both eyes. Hand, Cake, Horse, Old School telephone. We have been practicing letters, so it was his first time seeing the shapes. I was beyond proud. 
3. His vision is...wait for it...NORMAL!! As long as we stay focused and keep patching Dr Cogen said he should have reading vision, driving vision, etc. He wouldn't commit to long term diagnosis because he said reading letters is a lot harder than shapes. Despite my frantic request to try letters, Dr. Cogen said it would be best to end on a positive and save them for next time because it isn't going to change anything at this visit. That just gives us 6 more months of practice before the big game. 
4. My kid is awesome. My mom is awesome. We are awesome. Everyone and everything is awesome!! I am just a tad bit giddy about this whole thing. 
5. Finding Nemo was playing in the exam room. Fate. 
6. We can't let ourselves get too excited. It's still the middle of the marathon. Just because you can make it to mile 14 doesn't mean you can finish. So, Deep breath. Stay focused. Keep patching. We are at 11-12 hours a day, which is still a tad bit daunting, but nothing compared to 13-14!

 Someone is proud of the A+ that he earned at the visit.

I try to take a few pics each visit to document his growth and progress along the way. 

imoms-Arlo needs Glasses  is the BEST glasses book that I've found for Anderson. It is a cute story with a dog that sort of resembles Chloe, it's interactive and it's informative! I love the "Everyone is special" approach to most glasses books, but I really appreciate this kid friendly book that explains a visit to the eye doctor! We used it to try to read our own eye charts. I added a few subliminal messages to ours, though.

Thanks to everyone for the support and encouragement!!

some patching.

Anderson is officially too smart for his own good. 

He hard core works us with this patch situation.

Bribing us for extra time in the sandbox, fruit snacks, etc. in exchange for keeping it on.

Brandon asked me a few weeks ago, "How has he been with the 'you know what?'" Anderson piped up, "My eyepatch?" 

There are days when people stare or ask questions or ugly little boys tell him he is a fake pirate because his eyepatch is green and not black. 

Then, there are days where I help a woman get her daughter's wheelchair out of her car and I am beyond humbled.

There are days when I realize his obsession with Nemo can teach me a lesson, too. After all Nemo does have that little fin, which in the end turns out to be fine IF the dad would just let it go & stop worrying! But then I am reminded that the worry is what made the dad get him out of that aquarium in the 1st place.

*This movie really just stress me out. The mom is eaten, Nemo is taken, the dad is almost eaten by birds, sharks, etc., Dori just needs a friend, the Angelfish must have a sad background, the niece is scary, do all fish feel trapped? I am sick every time that diver gets him. Every time. It is just too much for an hour and a half. Usually while I am thinking all of this I realize that I am not entirely sure if Anderson even realizes that Nemo and his dad are TWO different fish.*

 But, back to the eye. I do still worry constantly. The entire time at his 30 minute swim lessons I kept thinking how weird it was to actually see my kid's face! And, I kept worrying about that time without the patch. We do get 2 hours a day, but a chunk of that is taken up by car rides, bathtime and our chasing him to get it back on. Plus, at 11 in the morning you just never know how the rest of the day is going to go so you hate to use your only free time for day! It is always there. The worry.

 There is one teeny tiny thought that I generally keep very, very well hidden & it only pops up occasionally. It isn't a fear that "this" won't work. Rather, it is the step beyond that. It is the fear that it won't work & Anderson will blame me for his lack of vision. 

There. I said it.

I know what you're going to say. "It's not your fault! You didn't cause it! You are doing everything you can! Blah, blah, blah!" Sorry to be unappreciative, but if he can't see, those phrases won't help me feel better. (Just being honest again)

I know teenagers. I know they are wonderful, sweet, inspiring people. I also know they tend to be a bit irrational at times. In the darkest corner of my mind lives a conversation with Anderson where he is upset because he can't drive or something else related to his lack of vision and he says something awful like, "It's your fault, mom (Bobble?)!"

And, it will be. All of the patches, appointments, drops, pirate costumes, stalking...none of it will matter because he will be right. Ultimately, I am his mom. This happened when I was pregnant. I am supposed to fix it.

Nicole & I were talking about Anderson's eye the other day (shocker) & I sort of brought this thought up & I was crying, she was crying (my mom is probably crying now) and I decided a plan of action.

I'm going to lie.

If "this" doesn't work then I will tell him that he never had a chance to see and all of those thousands of baby pics with him in a patch were just because we thought we would try, not because there was actually a chance. I am pretty sure we won't have to resort to that, but if we do I would appreciate if you could all work with me on it. Thanks.

This. app. was. deleted. 

I know just last week I was all about running a marathon & now I am sort of rambling in a slightly more negative tone. It is the nature of therapy, which my blog (and you all) provide for me. I am appreciative of the fact that this therapy is free:)

Terribly Terrific 2

Russia is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.

Not to get all History nerd on everyone, but, so said Winston Churchill in an attempt to describe Russia at the outbreak of WWII. 

I think it would be more accurate to say, "TWO is a riddle wrapped in a mystery in an enigma."

Two is so weird.

So, so weird. 

Tantrum. or yoga?

In one minute Anderson can reason the purpose of a bobcat with tracks versus that of one with wheels...then, 2 seconds later he is throwing the dogs' water all of the couch. 

He will rock star pee in every single public potty...then, he will bite the heck out of my arm after he throws his train car at me.

He is so oddly insightful in certain situations & will say things like, "Frogs don't live in the lake, they live on lily pads!" or "They have to share with the hippo; they are his friends!" when reading, But not the Hippopotamus & then acts like he literally has never heard of the concept of pooping in the potty.

He will point out the color and name of letters that he sees on signs or writing, yet he will spit at people in public.

This video was an attempt to capture this.  He is mad because he wants me to put the peaches back in the can. You can tell I am trying not to laugh at him. Parenting at it's best in the Glover house! Similar responses have occurred following him not being allowed to say goodbye to Nemo, me telling him that white ice cream is also called vanilla & Gabbi going out the door before Chloe. And, that was just today.

 I do love me some 2, though. The tantrums & independence demands are a little tiring, but his questions and personality and reasoning and comments are just too much fun. Like every other phase, the tiring parts of 2 are definitely balanced by the fun parts.

One of my favorite videos! Playing hide and seek (Brandon is clearly a master at the game) & it was hilarious watching Anderson try to find him. I wish I would've started recording earlier in this turn, but I did capture some of the cuteness.

Funny things Anderson has said lately:

Noni to Bop: Put them in the washer. (about socks or something)
Anderson: No!
Noni: I am talking to Bop. Yes, in the washer.
Anderson: I don't want to go in the washer!

Me: Do you want me to make you a car out of this cardboard box? (trying to be a creative mom here. sort of blew up in my face)
Anderson: Will it have wheels?
Me: We can put wheels on it (I am thinking construction paper wheels...)
Anderson: Will it go?
Me: Well, no. I just thought it would be fun to sit in
A:If it has wheels, it will go. Silly Bobble. I don't need a car that doesn't go!

Anderson: I keep my eyepatch on to stay in sandbox (Oh, no! He is using the bribery on us now!)

Brandon to me: How was he today with the "you know what?"
Anderson: My eyepatch?

Anderson (at Lowe's on the toilet aisle): look at all these potties! (then he proceeded to look for poop in each one and ask people standing around them if they had to poop)

Bop: Those are tractor trailers.
Anderson: Bop! These drive on the road! Tractors drive on grass!

Week 2: fun, then not so much.

Contrary to what my posts may imply, we do spend a lot of time at home playing outside, playing with trucks/trains, running around everywhere, etc. My heart always melts when I spot him just doing some "reading" on his bed.

We like to go places because I will just remind everyone again that my child sleeps about 3-4 hours less per day than an average toddler, which equals 21 extra hours a week (minimum) that we have to fill with festivities. It's like our week is 9 days instead of 7. I know. It's like having a toddler on steroids.

We went to a "fair" at Children's Hospital on Sunday and it was really the perfect size. A moon bounce, cupcakes, tattoos (he got a moon & stars on his arm) and a few crafty activities. 

Thomas play time at Smart Toys & Books! They set out a table with fun coloring pages & have all of the trains out to play with on the floor. There was a story & a snack & a juice box! FOR FREE!

The Futcher family invited us over for a bit to swim, play on their bobcat & eat cheese puffs. I realize that all of the extra cheer hours are totally worth it when I look at the friendships that I've made through this "job."

Green ice cream with Dad!

Gabbi. Tron. Gabs. #2. Tronalish. Gabbers.
*I wanted to name her Sophia Patrillo (shout out to the girls in Miami on the lanai!), but Brandon didn't want to be in the yard yelling for Sophia Patrillo, so we settled on Gabbi because we were eating Gatti's Pizza.

Chloe. Worms. Worm Girl. Fat girl. #1. Chubbers. 

*I have no idea where her name came from, but I do know she peed all over us the first time we picked her up & for some reason we thought she seemed "perfect"

It is a really good thing those girls are so cute because they are a teensy bit of trouble. For example, you might think your dog sheds but unless you have a 75lb German Shepherd who is losing her winter coat, I will call shenanigans on you. Throw the worm's shedding in the mix & the above is how much hair comes off of the stairs once a week. It fills an entire canister. Just the stairs, 

Swimming with his snakes at Clare's neighborhood pool. 

 At Walgreens* with my parents. Anderson is pretending to be a garbage truck with the basket. I love my parents in the background & so does Anderson. They went to Memphis for a week & he was SO excited when they came home. Literally would not let Noni out of his sight. He insisted on spending the night with them & my parents are awesome & let him.

*I am still mostly anti-Walgreens because I just don't like how I can't use register rewards to buy something that gives me register rewards (you can do this at CVS with Extra Bucks), but I will go every now & then. They had Omega 3 vitamins for adults & kids for $10 with $10 back in RR. Because I like to pump everyone I know with DHA, this was a pretty good deal.

 In addition to NoniBop living down the street, about the same distance the other way is GG & JPa! This boy is almost too big for his GG's lap, which is sadness for everyone involved. He seriously is going to be 10 & still trying to climb up in her lap to be rocked!

Swinging at McFee. Clare is pretty handy to keep around to provide good conversation and help push swings!

 The new splashpad at the zoo did not change our lives.

 A lot of running/racing/acting like race cars/helicopters EVERYWHERE we go! (nicole...shoes off...at the zoo!)

 The zoo has an awesome indoor area & Anderson decided he wanted to do all 9 of the puzzles. Very odd considering I can't get him to sit down at home to actually do one. And, look! There I am!

We were the only riders of the tram thing in the parking lot. VIP. 

All in all, Anderson's life has continued to be really, really rough recently. 

 

Pump it Up playtime was fun....except Anderson started to feel bad so the visit didn't last too long.  

Then, "the not so much" started and the weekend was not the best. 

Besides the fever, there were 2 ways we knew he was sick: he took a nap (almost an hour!) and we only used 3 patches ALL DAY! I was honestly sort of freaked out and thought about calling the doc & saying, "This is serious...he still has his patch on..should I bring him in?"

Then, he was trying to jump up on our porch (it's 1 step) and he totally face planted and busted both lips. He proceeded to carry around the ice wrapped in a towel all weekend. He was so pitiful. He couldn't eat or drink because his lips hurt so much & I was terrified he was going to become dehydrated since he also had a 103 fever. 

Random good link for all you moms with boys (and girls!)   25 Rules for Moms of Boys

And, a short video that captures our minutes around here. It is, as always, very professional quality and will not make you dizzy at all. It's on youtube because blogger wouldn't let me load it. 

Anderson Running Around the House

Not everyone can run a marathon.

So says Dr. Cogen at every visit.

 The Eye journey is most often compared to a marathon (You don't get partial credit for a marathon, nobody gets a medal for running 4 miles, you're still in the hard part of the marathon AND not everyone can run a marathon.)

Well, some people can.

For some reason about 7 years ago I decided to run  the St. Jude Marathon. I really don't remember a specific reason except that I thought it would be really cool to say I did when I am 90 & can't walk too well. You know, no regrets, prove to myself that I can, get a tshirt, that kind of thing.

I have always been pretty proud of this feat. 26.2 miles is a bit of a distance to run & I ran the entire way. Contrary to what it seems like, this is not a self promoting post, instead, it is a reminder to myself that running the marathon was actually the easy part. The hard part was the year leading up to it when I was running all of the time. I had to schedule everything around the running, my feet got disgusting blisters & these weird growths, my body hurt all of the time, I was starving, I always wondered if I was really going to be able to complete the entire race....

But, I stuck it out. (It was pre Anderson-I was actually in a tiny bit of shape & had extra time, so it wasn't really as hard as it sounds)

Flash forward 7 years later and I am in a similar situation. Everything revolves around patching time, Anderson's face is red & irritated, my heart hurts a bit every now & then when I have to force it on him despite his pleas of protest, I am usually still hungry quite a bit (I think I just like to eat) & I ALWAYS wonder if we are going to win this EYE thing.

 I am sticking it out...

And, here is why.

Coincidentally, it is the same reasons I stuck out the marathon.

My parents with homemade signs at 5am cheering me on during the race. They plotted the course so that they could drive around & be somewhere every 5 miles or so to cheer me on & support me.

Sort of like now, only is is way more than every 5 miles.

How do all of you non twins survive? She is way more stressed out than I am . And, is she actually running with me? Yes, I think so. That is definitely another connection with this Eye marathon, too. Always right next to me.

I remember Brandon couldn't go to Memphis for the run, so he bought me new running clothes. Toni & Jack bought me new shoes. Clare bought me a medal for the Patron Saint of running (love a Catholic friend!), Zack, Amanda & the boys were at mile 20 with a "Go Aunt Sissa" sign (They probably don't remember this, but I will never forget when I first saw them right when I was about to cross into the hardest part. What a boost that was)

Now, instead of posters, my family & friends are supportive with helping to keep the patch on, never complaining, letting me complain, offering support, encouragement and a "Patch Marathon" t shirt (thanks Shannon & Nicole!)

I also remember meeting people along the way and sort of running with them, encouraging them when they needed it, taking their support when I needed it. Some guy gave me his water when the station was out, I helped a girl behind me find some of the energy gel stuff. We were all in it together and knew a marathon is a pretty hard thing to do alone. Cue imom music here...

I really, really believe in a way out. I have to based on what I've seen over the past year or so. And, now I realize why I randomly decided to train for and run a marathon. It was so I could know that I can do this. I can literally and figuratively hang in there until the end. 

I bet the reward at the end of this race will be way cooler than a granola bar, too.

We've been patching a year & a half today. I would say that's about mile 9, maybe? 

Week One: Pappaw, Fire & Water

I am really going to try to avoid putting hundreds of pictures on here this summer. So, I'm limiting myself to no more than 2 per day. Even that many is ridiculous, I realize, but I cannot go any lower. This is already a tough goal I've set for myself. 

 "Hello, Yiwwy? Pwease come to my house. Pwease. I need you." Direct quote. 

Pappaw on Memorial day!!

 Because Brandon is awesome and buddies with some fire fighters, we brought Anderson to his own personal tour. He got to climb in all the trucks, play with the lights and use their potty! He is really into firemen recently. He can't pronounce F really well, so he will say, "There's a Tire! Hurry!" and then pretend to slide down a pole and run to put out the fire. It is really precious.

Fountains in Market Square!

 Lunch wtih GG & Pappaw! I love this picture!

Looks like JPa is returning to his old self:)

A friend invited us on her boat for a bit one afternoon & it was great. We weren't out there very long, but Anderson gradually got the hang of jumping into the lake.

Storytime at Ijams was fun, but he mostly enjoyed trying to find frogs in the pond.

 Swim "lessons" began this week! Mostly it is just a time to get him comfortable in the water. His glasses/patch stayed on until we had to take them off because Dr Cogen's words follow me everywhere in every situation. (You can't over patch!)

 Possibly he is a water bug?

After the first part he was annoyed that he couldn't just play with the boats so we had to bribe him with the boat to keep kicking. The attention span of a toddler is very limited, we have discovered. 

One man's trash is a toddler's playhouse!

A few hoarded cardboard boxes...

... a free can of paint from Ace

creates a perfect house!

 These are the letters he wanted me to paint on it