Getting into the Groove

Even though I have not been posting lately, I have been trying to keep up with everyone else's blogs. I seem to notice a trend emerging as we all struggle to get back into our routines. It is easy to find yourself in a funk as you emerge from the holidays and find yourself back to the everyday. It also means that there is less to blog about.

We have been pretty busy around here. Last week Jake started back up at school, we found ourselves traveling down the hill to visit the dentist and we welcomed back friends who we had not seen in quite some time. Saturday I went to the movies with my girlfriends to see "Four Christmases", which was very cute by the way. Tuesday we trekked all the way to ULCA for a second opinion on the cause of my droopy eyelid and yesterday I hosted a pajama party playdate for our group at the house. Yes, we have been very busy.

So the conclusion for my health is that the droopy eyelid has no neurologic or systemic cause. This is good news. The bad news is I may never know what caused the muscle to get stretched out, but it was most likely caused by an inflammatory process, either when I started getting allergies two seasons ago or this year when I had the conjunctivitis and then had a reaction to the eye drops prescribed to treat it. Now the choice is up to me whether to pursue surgical correction or not and honestly, the thought of having an elective procedure done to my eye is very daunting. I feel aesthetically speaking, it does not look that bad. Most people do not notice it until I mention it and I think I have come to terms with it.

On the other hand the neurologist who is treating me for my migraines convinced me that since my anxiety has not completely abated, the next best course of action is to try me on a course of anti-depressants. They are known to stabilize the serotonin levels and decrease the frequency of migraines and hopefully help with the anxiety too. So far, the side effects have been fairly unpleasant - I seem to waiver between being extremely tired or nervous and jittery but I am trying to give my body a chance to adjust and really hope that it will work out to be helpful in the end. I just really want to feel healthy again.

And on that note, I have forced myself to stick to my exercise program. I am not pushing myself, but I have to admit to feeling much more relaxed and energized after a good 30-40 minutes on the treadmill. I am also very proud of myself for continuing this program, even though I have not been feeling that great. The kids jump around in the bounce house while I am on the treadmill and then they stretch with me afterwards, which is pretty cute and quite a sight to behold.

Ever since mid-December when Joe was in South Carolina, I have been having the kids fall asleep in their own beds by themselves. It was much easier than I thought it would be as I explained that week since Daddy was gone that I could not lay down with both of them so I was not going to lay down with either of them. Now every night, they go to bed on their own, although they have become the master of stall tactics, whether they need to go potty, need a drink of water or have something on their bed that is tickling them. But the good news is that they are falling asleep on their own and starting the night off in their own bed. Jake still wanders into our bed somewhere between 2-4 hours after he falls asleep. Jadyn is more sporadic, sometimes making it the whole night in her own bed, while other nights she cries to come into our bed as early as 2 a.m. It is a work in progress but at least there has been progress.

And speaking of going potty, Jadyn's potty training is continuing and is going quite well. With little prompting she can stay dry a majority of the time when we are home and she is starting to ease into using public restrooms while we are out. She is still not going "stinky" in the toilet on a regular basis but she has on occasion and I feel that if we remain consistent it will not be long before she is fully trained. I am so excited and hope we do not run into any setbacks.

Jake's newest obsession is Legos. It started when Joe and him started playing Legos Star Wars on the Xbox and he would then make spaceships out of the Legos he has, but now is fascinated by them and of course he wants the super tiny real Legos. He seems to have outgrown the MegaBlocks and Duplos. I don't quite understand why the small original Legos are so much better but I love to see Jake immerse himself in coming up with unique creations or following directions to build such things as helicopters and houses. He really does have quite an imagination.

So that is the gist of what has been going on with the Funny Noses. We are getting into the groove after winter break and have many fun activities planned for the upcoming months. Thank goodness, because I need fresh blogging material. Of course, with all the fun and cute things the kids do on a daily basis, I could probably never leave the house and still have plenty to write about!