Vacation Adventure

Ever since Judith was born, we haven't been on a true vacation, and have done staycations instead when John takes time off.  The hassle of dragging tons of gear with us while traveling with an infant or young toddler was enough to cause me to say, "Screw it, it's not worth the hassle!"  Yes, I realize thousands of people travel with infants and young toddlers, and do just fine.  For us, it was a hassle since we would have to try and cram extra equipment into one of our cars (which are both on the small-ish side), and we were content doing day trips instead.

This past weekend, though, we decided to finally do our first hotel stay with Judith instead of spending 8 hours round trip in the car, which was not appealing to us.  John's side of the family had the annual reunion in New York, and we knew early on that we wanted to go.  John was able to use one of his vacation Sundays so we could spread out some of the travel time and not drive ourselves crazy trying to do everything at once.

The weather was gorgeous, and was unseasonably warm, so that was a pleasant treat.  The drive north went smoothly, and Judith was actually really well behaved.  We were hoping she would take a nap, but she was way too curious about the passing scenery and too interested in the activities we had in the car for her that sleep was really low on her priority list.  John and I were both hoping for some awesome foliage because we knew that the leaves should really be changing a lot, and there were some really gorgeous pops of color, but there were also spots where it was still really, really green.

Our hotel was able to check us in early so we could squeeze in a vest treatment before we went to John's cousin's house.  I was trying to figure out when we would be able to do treatments because the schedule was really full, so being able to do it earlier than I thought was a nice bonus.  I was also glad that Judith didn't try to fight us when we said it was time to do her treatment, and I think the novelty of being in a new room (and letting her explore a bit before we started) helped.

We had a wonderful time at the reunion, and it was great to see John's side of the family again!  We haven't had a chance to see some of his cousins in quite a few years, and most, if not all, of his cousins were meeting Judith for the first time, so catching up was really nice.  Judith was able to play with her many cousins and had lots of land to explore.  I still have to chuckle at how fast the Philly Pretzel Factory rivets disappeared, and John and I were already talking about what we're going to do next year since we think we're going to have to take more.  We intentionally decided to take the pretzels because we knew it was something that most of his family couldn't get where they live, but John didn't think people would go so crazy over them.  We were only going to take a box of 50 rivets, but I got 2 boxes for about 100 total instead, and I'm so glad I did because 50 never would've been enough!

Saturday evening we drove around a little bit, and went to the Wegman's grocery store that was nearby.  I've been to Wegman's before when John and I camped along Lake Erie before we were married, and I always enjoyed shopping there.  We don't have one really close to where we live, so this was a treat, and I knew I wanted to get a couple boxes of their half-size spaghetti that one of my friends posted about on Facebook the other week.  I know that sounds like a silly thing to get, but I never saw this before my friend posted about it, and I hate breaking regular spaghetti in half whenever I make it because I always manage to scatter pieces all over the place.  I do love my pastas, so I also went nuts over the selection they had, and for a good price!  I didn't purchase a lot there, because I didn't want to travel with all of that and risk most of it breaking, but we did decide we're going to bite the bullet and drive to the nearest one to stock up on different types, and to also get some of their other tasty things, like their baked goods.

Sunday morning we had the opportunity to worship at one of the churches John grew up in.  Having this opportunity was especially awesome, because it's not something that we can do often, and people were so glad to see John again.  One of the members there has an adult son with CF, and she was really excited to meet her in person.  After church, we headed home, but we wish we could've spent an extra day there so we could've done some touristy things before leaving.

I was really impressed at how well Judith handled the trip.  I was nervous about the whole traveling with CF thing, and figuring out the logistics of getting treatments completed while on the road and in a hotel room.  Granted this trip was probably easier than what it could be or what it will be in the future, because we don't have to worry about nebulized treatments.  It does, however, make me think about things like using the flutters once she's old enough so we don't have to drag her vest if she doesn't want to, and also about the amount of space we used in the car.  It's not something that we're going to jump on at this point, but I think we're going to have to consider getting a slightly bigger vehicle if we do decide to travel more frequently.

Overall, though, things went really well, and went more smoothly than I anticipated.  We're fortunate that Judith is usually good in the car under normal circumstances, and I think that, along with new activities and distractions, helped her on this trip.  We had such an enjoyable time that we're already looking forward to next year's reunion!

What We've Been Up To

I wanted to post a general update, and really had no idea what to title this post.  Things have been stable on the CF front since Judith's July clean out (knock on wood!), so I often feel like I don't have anything to talk about.  So I thought I'd share some of the interesting things that have been happening around here.

Judith's imagination is really taking off.  She's coming up with some interesting stories, and they're often making John and I laugh.  On the flip side, this also means she's coming up with scenarios that aren't real, but are scaring her.  Monsters in her room is a big complaint right now, even though she has her stuffed Mike and Sully from Monsters, INC to help her.  She knows they're good monsters, but more often than not she's ending up in our bed in the evenings, or will occasionally wake us up in the middle of the night.

We were able to spend a lot of time at the amusement park this season thanks to the cooler and nicer weather patterns that we've been in.  Judith tried some new rides and found new favorites that she wants to ride over and over again.  We went to the zoo this past Monday, and I thought she would enjoy it more than what she did since she loves to watch Wild Kratts on PBS.  It may have been her mood, and I want to try going again this fall, because it really is a neat little place.

John and I are getting increasingly frustrated with trying to sell the house.  It's not our realtors' fault by a long shot, and they keep doing everything they can to plug it.  I place all of the blame on the market right now.  It was slow in our area in August, and I'm not sure what September's looking like, but for us it's really discouraging that no one has shown a lick of interest in our house.  We're getting to a point where we can't continue to drop the price, and we're stressed that we could be sitting here longer than we anticipated.  It really is going to take the right person to come along and place an offer, but it's purely a waiting game for that to happen.  And I hate long, drawn out waiting games.

In the meantime, I'm planning out some fall activities for us to look forward to: trips to the local orchards for fall festivals, play dates with friends, and trips to the amusement parks when they're open.  There are some family events coming up as well that will be fun, and we're really looking forward to them.

General Updates

Things are still somewhat stagnant here because of the yo-yo-ing weather, but I'm starting to get excited because we actually have huge patches of grass visible, and the snow geese have been migrating north over the last few weeks so we know spring is coming.  It's so nice not to look out the window and see huge piles of white everywhere.  Now if the temperatures would cooperate and get closer to our seasonal average, we'll be in good shape.  I want to be able to open up the windows and start airing out the house!

Trips to the playground are just around the corner.  It's a huge plus, because I know Judith misses it, and getting out of the house will be good for everyone.  She's been begging me to go to Hersheypark almost daily, and I have to explain that the park isn't open yet, and won't be open regularly for a couple months (although Springtime at Hershey is coming up in about a month, and I'm hoping the weather is decent so we can go!).

This winter has been hard on everyone, and I know Judith and I have been butting heads.  Some of it is from being cooped up in the house so much, but a lot of it is the age.  We still have a long way to go before she turns 4, but I often find myself thinking and hoping that she'll turn a corner and some of this attitude will stop.  She is so sassy it's borderline ridiculous!  Everyone talks about the "terrible 2s," but 2 had nothing on 3.  My one brother-in-law joked that Judith should give up sassiness for Lent, and my answer back was, "Well that would certainly make for an awesome 40 days!"

So many things right now are "No," "I can't," or "I don't want to!"  The selective hearing on top of that makes a great recipe for extreme frustration... on my part.  She is constantly pushing her limits, and fighting almost everything.  One thing she isn't fighting as much is her vest, which is a pleasant change.  I have no idea if she's finally starting to understand that treatments are non-negotiable and she has to do them or if it's just because it's such an integral part of our daily routine, but I'll take what I can!  I have to thank Disney Jr. and Sheriff Callie's Wild West as well, because it's a huge motivator for Judith since she wants to wear a vest just like Callie.  Now, if I could only find a sheriff's badge, a pink cowboy hat, and some pink cowboy boots, we'll be in even better shape.

Judith's imagination is really starting to take off, though, and hearing some of the things she comes up with is pretty awesome.  When she's not being a total sassypants, she's entertaining us with her stories.  The other week, I received full instructions on how to ride a carousel horse, and yesterday I was told that hippos "hip."  Sunday, during communion, she made our pastor and one of the communion assistance laugh because she cuddled the wafer to her cheek and said "aww, I love it!"  So she definitely has her adorable moments, even though she drives me up a wall regularly.

One & Done

I've been running out of blogging steam lately, and am at a loss for things to write about.  Judith's still doing well, and I'm very happy about that!  Our lives are seriously kind of boring since we haven't been venturing out as much because of the weather, and there just isn't a lot of indoor options in our area (at least that I'm aware of, and I fully admit I haven't done a lot of research on this).  So rather than bore you with the mundane details of our days, I thought I'd address something that's starting to come up for us.

Judith's going to be 3 in a few weeks, and we've had a few people ask us when we're going to have another baby.  Inquiries haven't been frequent, but they're starting to pop up and I have a feeling it'll start to come up more the older she gets.  This year our situation is something I'm having a harder time with, possibly because this is around the time that we thought we would start to try to have another child.  But if you've been following our story for a while, you'll know that it's something that can't happen.  Oh, the possibility is definitely there for me to actually get pregnant, but it's not advisable for us to risk it.  I have the severe preeclampsia to thank for that.

The majority of people are understanding when we say that Judith will be our only child, and even if they press further we tell them that we can't for medical reasons they accept the response and move on.  There are and always will be the few nosy turds who insist on spreading their agenda no matter what you tell them, and to those people I want to tell them to get a grip, check their filter, and learn a lesson in tact.  I feel fortunate that I haven't encountered many of the second type of people, but I have friends who are one and done who have encountered these types of people so I've been able to build up a small arsenal of responses that are polite yet to the point.

It really doesn't matter if someone is one and done for medical reasons or if it's by choice.  Please don't blow off the person's reasons and tell them they are "selfish" for only having 1, and then go on to say how your child will be "deprived" because they won't have a sibling.  The "selfish" reasoning can sting enough when said to someone who is one and done by choice, but to say it to someone who's one and done for medical reasons?  If you want my honest opinion, that's sinking to a new low, and is equivalent to kicking a dog when they're down.  As for my child being "deprived," I can guarantee you that she is most definitely not deprived of anything.  But thanks for your asinine assessment, random stranger that has absolutely no idea about our life, yet feels the need to go on and on about the "perils" of having only 1 child.

Do I sound a little bitter?  Yep, because I am a little bitter about our situation this year since we're approaching the time when we thought we'd like to start having another child.  I was able to push that reality off for the last couple of years because we were in survival mode or working to get Judith caught up, and the reality of being one and done was put on the back burner.  There's no denying it now, and while I'm starting to get back to a place where I'm ok with it, it's been difficult for the last couple of months.  It feels like the thoughts and emotions that I had after Judith's premature birth, and the grieving process I had to go through for the loss of the last 11 weeks of my pregnancy.

At the same time, I've been having days when I'm glad that the choice to be one and done was made for us by my body, because I have no idea how the heck I'd be able to handle more than 1 kid.  Judith runs me ragged most days, and add her therapies/treatments on top of that, and it's no wonder why I'm usually crashing in my bed by 9:30 or 10:00 at the latest.  I'm sure that if we were able to have another baby, I'd make it work, and we'd be fine.  But then those complex thoughts come back: the thoughts of not being able to have the choice to have another, and at the same time being content with our lives as a family of 3.

So as I run after my soon-to-be preschooler and listen to the crazily hilarious things she's saying these days, I wonder what it would be like to have another child, and wonder how Judith would interact with a sibling, but also feel blessed that we have her and feel content with our situation.

Life Is Rarely Boring Around Here

This weekend was certainly no exception to that.  I should've taken it as a sign that it was going to be an interesting 3 days when I woke up Friday morning and saw how dark it still was outside thanks to the rain and storms moving through the area.  John had taken a day off, and we decided to go visit his parents and check out the "Free For All" event at their church (they hold it every year, and it's like a big yard sale except everything's free).  Last year we scored a bunch of clothes for Judith, and were hoping to do the same this year and try to get some stuff in advance so we could prepare for next year.  Anyway, John knew the target time that I wanted to leave by so we could drop the dogs off at my parents' house for the day and get to his parents' house early enough so we could try to get some good deals at the free for all, but in typical fashion of his side of the family, 80,000 different things had to happen to delay our departure and throw off the rest of the day's plans.  We were basically ready to go, and just had to load a few more things in the car when the toilet decided to clog and overflow in the downstairs bathroom.  It was really a minor thing, and it flushed fine after that, but it was enough that John had to clean things off and mop the floor while I entertained Judith enough so she wouldn't try to go in there while things were still gross.  1 clean bathroom and 1 shower later, we were finally on the road and had an uneventful (thank goodness) trip to my in-laws'.

Judith's not exactly a fan of big dogs, partially because she's not used to them and partially because many of them are bigger than her and intimidate her, so she was a bit cranky as soon as we walked in the house because the boxer was trying to kiss her and play with her in his excitement.  She was warming up to him a bit, but would still get annoyed when he would pest her.  During her vest treatment, he was hanging around her, and next thing I knew I heard her crying and John declaring that we had an issue.  Apparently Judith got knocked into a piece of furniture and whacked her temple on the unpadded part... with her glasses on.  She had a small cut on her forehead, a super nasty bruise on her temple (which is still there and will likely be there for a while), and completely destroyed her frames.  So much for making it to her annual exam in September without needing a new pair of frames!  I called her ophthalmologist and they ordered a new pair right away, but they probably wouldn't come in until Monday at the earliest.  I swear, this stuff only happens on the weekends when you can't get a speedy repair!

The rest of Friday was relatively uneventful, and Saturday wasn't too bad save for Judith being really cranky and continuing to look for her glasses.  Today, on the other hand, was pure hell.  She's sensitive to bright light normally, but it was worse because of the pounding headache she has to have from the head injury.  Because of the new symptoms cropping up, we took her to urgent care and had her checked out.  Everything looks good, and she doesn't have any other signs of a concussion, but it's going to take a long time to heal.  So between the pain from the injury and the sheer frustration of not being able to see, Judith's been absolutely miserable.  I'm hoping that once we get her new frames and she starts wearing her glasses again, it'll cut back on some of the tantrums and take some of the edge off of her headache.

I'm also hoping that this coming week won't be nearly as stressful, but we'll have to wait and see how that pans out.

Wordless Wednesday

Hersheypark happy!

Memorial Day

Today we spent some time at Hersheypark, and Judith had a blast!  We didn't do the water rides today since it was a little cool for that, and the water in the wave pool wouldn't have had a good chance to warm up yet haha.  She did get to ride on the kids' flume, and a few other rides, though!  I think it's going to be another year before she can start riding on a few more things, but for now she has a pretty good selection of rides that she can ride, either with us or on her own.

It was fun spending the day with my parents and my grandparents, and I know they all enjoyed watching Judith on the rides!  Something really neat happened to my grandfather today: he was wearing his Army hat (he's a Korean War veteran), and a group of teenage girls struck up a conversation with him about it while they were waiting in line to get ice cream, asking which war he served in, where he was stationed, etc.  One also gave him a hug!  He got his ice cream, and came over to us to sit down on a bench to eat, and the girls came over and wanted to talk to him more about it!  I thought it was so cool that they were interested in hearing his stories!

A New Beginning

Today was John's first Sunday at our new church, and I think we both agree that things went well!  We're meeting so many great people, and Judith also has a new boyfriend (who is about a month and a half younger than she is) that she got to play with during the sermon this morning because she was having a very hard time sitting quietly.  It's going to take a while for her to adjust to the new space, but I'm hoping that eventually she'll cooperate and won't act like such a hellion during the service.

John played really well, and it's really great hearing him play a pipe organ again!  He's settling into the new routine, and it's a nice bonus for him that the new church is much closer, because he can be a little more spontaneous with practice times and not have to worry about planning to do as many things at once to account for the really long commute time.

I really think that we're going to like it there!

The Winds of Change Are Coming

It took a few weeks for me to blog about this, and I had to keep the secret hidden until the official announcement was made.  John had been interviewing for various church positions a little closer to home, and recently accepted a new job at a Lutheran church a few towns away!  There are a ton of reasons why he began searching almost a year ago, the biggest being that we knew he had to find something closer so we could save on gas (especially with the prices going up again), wear and tear on our cars, and so the long travel times wouldn't continue to wear on our family.  It's not fair to Judith to make her hang around the church in John's office during one of the services (granted there was plenty for her to do, as we have a stash of toys there), and to keep her up past her bedtime for rehearsals.  When she was an infant, it was easy: she would hang out in her carrier or John would wear her while conducting, and she would sleep.  Now that she's an active toddler, and a nosy one at that, she wants to play and explore the church, which means she's not falling asleep until she's in the car and gets grumpy when we bring her into the house to get her ready for bed (hey, who can blame her for that?).  Coupled with the other reasons, John and I had some discussions and decided it was time to move on.

John is a bundle of nerves, which is normal for him when we're transitioning, but there are times when it's driving me nuts.  We only have a few more weeks with our current schedule, and then we'll all have to work on adapting to the new schedule.  One nice thing is that all of his rehearsals will be on one night, so with the exception of Worship and Music meeting nights, he'll be home with Judith and me more often.  He'll be able to drive to the church and practice whenever, our total commute time is cut in half, as is the mileage.  I'm excited, because the church we are going to has almost 5 octaves of bells, which means that if there is an opening and I can continue ringing, I might be able to save my wrists a little bit and shelly ring again instead of ringing 4-in-hand.  Judith is also going to have an opportunity to make some new friends, and I'm curious to see how she interacts with the children at the new church.

Of course we're leaving a lot of good stuff behind, along with some awesome people, including Judith's godparents.  We're already working on planning some activities so we can all see each other, and we promised that we would be back to visit every so often.