Celebrating

The past week has been one of non-stop celebration!
Just my style!

We celebrated our Chloe and the unique -- and spectacular, I might add -- perspective she gives to our lives.



We wore green to spread awareness for Cerebral Palsy.



We wore purple to spread awareness for epilepsy.



We celebrated the color yellow.
This was my friend, Bree's, idea!
It was so much fun, and I'm glad I participated!
I tried to feel joy and spread joy as much as possible.
It's amazing what a dramatic effect it can have when there is even a small change in your thoughts and actions.
I sprinkled my weekend with:

random acts of kindness
(daffodils to a long-term care facility and other small things),

simple acts of service
(flowers to our parents, a smiley-face balloon for Chloe, and a service project for third-world countries),

and taking the time to do things I enjoy!
(spring cleaning, family visits, scrap booking, and playing the ukulele)

Nothing major happened, but I gotta tell ya - it felt good.
And it's good to feel good!!!!!!!!!!!





We also celebrated that the playground got some special recognition.
A local newspaper article featured our story,
and it touched a lot of lives.
I've received more emails, calls, and words of support than ever before!
I was shocked how many people who I thought knew about this project, actually had no idea. I'm so grateful the article helped us get the word out to our community! I feel more and more confident that this big idea will continue to be supported, funded, and become a reality. What a gift, to feel supported. I consider myself a very blessed individual.

One last quick thing:
I'd like to recommend this book that Bree recommended to me.
It happens to be about living a life of celebration every single day.
One might say it's about living an endless jubilee!
I thought I already understood and lived this concept,
but I learned so much more!



I think it's pretty safe to say that this book changed my life,
and I think it will most likely continue to have a significant influence for years and years to come! I've read it once and am reading it for a second time to make notes. In all sincerity, I wish that every single person in the world would read this book and start to live its principles to the fullest. I think the world would quickly become a drastically different place!

Epilepsy

Tomorrow is Purple Day, a day created to increase awareness about epilepsy and seizure disorders. Chloe has epilepsy. Thankfully, her seizures (Infantile Spasms) are controlled with medication and I count that as a HUGE blessing in our lives. However, many types of seizures are associated with Infantile Spasms, and the associated seizure types usually develop later in life. In other words, just because Chloe's seizures are currently controlled does not mean that Chloe no longer has epilepsy.

Lavender is the international symbol for epilepsy.

I think this is a perfect symbol. Fragile, yet beautiful and sweet, and there are many shades of purple within the flower from very pale to very deep and dark. The darker purple colors remind me of the purple heart, an award held to honor only the bravest war heroes. I think the purple heart could also be a symbol for epilepsy. The infants, children and adults who battle this disorder are BRAVE indeed.

Informing people about Chloe's condition(s) is so important to me. I want people to understand and love her, rather than make assumptions and possibly avoid her. I follow these words of wisdom:

“Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.”
~Mary Oliver

Chloe teaches so many things just by being. I feel more and more inclined, responsible even, to share every little thing that I learn from her. She truly does astonish me! Her body astonishes me! I have to tell about it. I have to let everyone know not to pity, not to be afraid, but to understand and be astonished as well. I have to.

I think the least understood part about epilepsy, and therefore the most feared, is how to react to someone when they are having a seizure. Here is a chart that simplifies things. Please take a moment to read this. If you do, then if you're ever in this situation, you can be proactive and helpful to a person with epilepsy.

Plan on more Chloe lessons coming up.

Prepare to be astonished!

And wear purple tomorrow.

For Chloe and many, many others.

Thank you!

Soul-Stirring

I'm extra excited about this playlist. Every song has either a unique and interesting sound, catchy tune, genius lyrics and/or is just plain fabulous in every way! This playlist makes me SO happy in every way. I hope you listen to every single one -- and please share any new tunes or artists you're liking as well!

I think my favorite new artist is Civil Twilight. Those guys are going places! Think Coldplay meets Ray Lamontagne! Squeal! You should check them out. I'm also super obsessed with Mumford & Sons lately -- their lyrics reach down into my soul and stir it up like crazy. Okay, now I'm starting to sound insane. Hmmmm, maybe I am!?!? ;)

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend! I'll be celebrating in a very special way. Join in if you want to! Details here. :)

Impossible as it May Seem....

Tonight was another dance class for Miss Chloe.
Her recital is coming up and we are so excited!

How can I possibly explain how special it is for
Chloe -- MY Chloe -- to be a dancer?
I've tried to find the words,
but the best I can do is this set of pictures
from tonight's class
put to the music and lyrics of Mindy Gledhill's
Whole Wide World.

I'm gonna walk a hundred miles
I'm gonna whistle all the while
If that's what it takes to make me smile
I'm gonna walk a hundred miles

I'm gonna run right up this hill
Summer sky or winter chill
If I gotta take a break I will
But I'm gonna run right up this hill

I wanna hold the whole wide world
Right here in my open hands
Maybe I'm just a little girl
A little girl with great big plans

I'm gonna go and take a chance
I'm gonna learn to ballet dance


Learn a little something 'bout romance
I'm gonna go and take a chance

I'm gonna live a crazy dream

Impossible as it may seem
Doesn't matter what the future brings
I'm gonna live a crazy dream


I wanna hold the whole wide world
Right here in my open hands
Maybe I'm just a little girl
A little girl with great big plans

You tell me, "don't try it"

I'm warning you that I won't buy it
All failure is fleeting
I trust it always has its meaning

I wanna hold the whole wide world
Right here in my open hands
Maybe I'm just a little girl
A little girl with great big plans

True, Chloe isn't normal....
She's extraordinary!!!
And an extraordinary girl wants nothing less
than an extraordinary life
filled with dancing, laughter, love,
and indescribable joy.
Take a peek at that last picture again.
I think she's got all those things already
and I will do everything within my power
to ensure that she has those things
every single day of her life.

Thank you to Mindy Gledhill, yet again,
for giving a song that speaks to me so profoundly.
First All About Your Heart, then Anchor, and now this.

Oh, how I love Mindy!
And I just cannot keep it to myself
one second longer that

***

(drumroll please)

***

she has agreed to
be our headliner
at a benefit concert for
the playground!!!!

Seriously, I didn't think I could adore Mindy any more,
but I was so wrong.
She took the time to find out about our cause,
then not only agreed to help us out,
but has offered advice, assistance, inspiration and encouragement!
I adore her and so look forward to working
with her throughout this process.
The concert won't be for quite awhile,
but I just had to share my excitement!
(I'll share details as soon as I have them!)

My Pot o' Gold

I really like St. Patrick's Day.... any reason to celebrate, right?!?! But I actually don't believe in luck.


I do, however, believe in magic, rainbows, and pots o' gold. I found MY pot o' gold at Nana's house, and it was these two little lasses, waiting to eat corned beef and cabbage! Yummy!!! (Thanks, Nana!)



Holy cuteness!!!!! Love those girls.

I also believe in green -- in making things green and lush and lovely for yourself! I guess you could call it luck, but it's something YOU create, not something that randomly lands with people. Just my opinion, I guess.


Chloe seemed to like St. Patrick's Day. I asked if she did anything fun at school, and she smiled and squealed. I'm guessing that was a yes? I'm sure her fabulous teachers had something fun planned. Chloe also loves the tradition of corned beef and cabbage, mostly because it's another reason to see her cousins! Here she is with Tonio reading her favorite book, Just Because. Chloe LOVES this book because it's about a little girl with big blue eyes and curly hair who is in a wheelchair. She loves to point at the pictures of Clemmie in her red chair. It is such a sweet, sweet book. I actually think it's a must-have for all children, special needs or not. It teaches a special lesson and it's just very sweet, almost as sweet as this picture of Tonio being such a good cousin. Love him!


Let's try to look past the chocolate chip cookie remnants that are smeared all over Chloe's white shirt, shall we? ;)

I hope you had a lovely St. Paddy's day yourself!

Different Than Planned

Well, a few have asked me how I'm liking my new camera and/or how it was to go see Nick Vojicic. That will teach me to do a blog post about my plans, because things never go quite as planned around here! We didn't do a single one of the things I said we were doing in this post. It kind of makes me giggle, actually, because those plans were so set in stone, but alas.... life had a different idea!

I ended up doing an interview for a local newspaper about Chloe and the playground, then Chloe ended up being pretty darn sick Saturday and Sunday. So Chloe and I stayed home while Oby did the grocery shopping and went to family events that came up. Truthfully, the low-key relaxation was kind of nice, although I was bummed Chloe was sick. But she made a dramatic recovery Sunday evening and has seemed fine ever since.

She went back to school on Monday after a 2-week hiatus. She was SOOOOOOO excited, I can't even explain it in words! I asked if she was excited to go on the bus so she could go to school and see her teachers and friends. Squeal, kick, smile, raise her arms.... totally adorable!

Chloe has been showing more and more of her personality recently and it makes my little heart leap with joy! She is obsessed with her Minnie Mouse doll and acts like a typical 3-year-old if she doesn't have Minnie in her arms while we're reading books before bed. When she has Minnie, she has to give her a kiss, then puts in poor Minnie in a headlock while she falls asleep, then stays that way until she wakes up. Adorable! Another thing she's recently started is while I'm getting ready in the mornings, she yells at me, kind of like a nagging little holler, until I put makeup on her. I usually put Lip Smackers chapstick and pretend to put on blush with my brush. She goes wild with excitement, then "nags" me again until I show her in the mirror. How cute is that!?!? I love how much personality this girl has. She also will NOT look at me when I'm taking her picture. She'll smile and giggle, turn her head away, closer her eyes or do this....

What a stinker! I love it :)

I love Chloe's shirts in those pictures. The sunshine with the saying, "I will make a difference." Sigh, so true, Miss Chloe. You have and you will make a difference. I also love the green shirt with the retro-vibe to it. Chloe seems more and more like a little girl and less and less like a baby lately. I know she IS a little girl, but it still seems strange to me. She is so fragile, yet so strong, brave and bursting with potential. She amazes me every single day!

In other news, and in no particular order:

• The playground video is complete or close to complete. The second I have it, you better believe I'll be sharing it!
  
• An article should be in the paper in the next week or two.... I'll keep everyone posted about that.
  
• I have big news about a benefit concert and the headline singer who's supporting us -- this makes me giddy and squeal and jump for joy all at the same time, I can barely handle the excitement! We also have lots of other fun news about the playground, but it's all unofficial at this point, so I can't share it ;)
  
• Oby is almost done with school!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  
• Oby and I are both doing really well with losing weight. I struggled when Chloe was so sick, especially with exercising, so I lost weight more slowly, but I still widdled away at it. We have such different and improved eating habits, I love it! We also have a stationary bike and are obsessed with the "Just Dance" version of working out on the wii. Oh my word, we laugh so hard when we do that and I seriously sweat more doing that than any of my other workouts. Good times! I really, really, really want to be healthy and fit into my skinny jeans. So I'm working really, really, really hard to make that happen!
• My March Madness bracket is complete. I am so excited for the games to begin!
• I am planning a wildly adorable birthday party for Miss Chloe's 4th. Can't wait!
• We have four summer getaways planned, not including our usual cabin visits. Fun times ahead!
• Chloe just woke up so this is my last bullet point. Night-night!
  

Feeling Lucky

I feel so lucky and blessed today. Maybe it's St. Patrick's Day fever? Or spring fever? I don't know and I don't care, I love it!



Speaking of luck and St. Patrick's Day, I just realized that I needed to let you know that if you're looking for any cute St. Patrick's Day ideas -- crafts, decorations, food, activities -- kidz is the place to find it. I had good intentions of making a few garlands for the house, but what I'll probably do is something cute for Chloe's wheelchair the day of and something to send for her classmates. Anywho, here's a glimpse of some of the ideas, but go check out all of them!

Actually, this banner is essentially NO work
because it's a free printable.
Hmmmm.... guess I might throw this up in a hurry after all!

Should I send this with Oby for lunch on St. Patrick's Day?
LOL, how funny would that be.
I'm totally going to do it!

Green eggs and rainbow toast = super duper cute idea from my pal Bree!
Love this!

Weekend Plans

I'm so excited for the weekend! We have some fun things planned and I'm SO looking forward to it after having an exceptionally hectic week!

Last weekend Chloe and I were both so sick, that it came and went in a blur. My house still has evidence of our sickness strewn about, as well as laundry that didn't get done when my usual routine got the rug pulled out from under it. So tonight I'll be cleaning and doing laundry, and dreaming of the day that my laundry room looks like this....

Are you squealing too? I know! I already have the "LAUNDRY" detergent holder, so I'm pretty sure it's meant to be :)

I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much, but Oby told me today that we would probably be getting a new camera tomorrow. I've been begging for one for heaven only knows how long. You may have noticed that there are fewer and fewer pictures of Chloe on this blog and that's because I just down-right detest my camera! It takes terrible pictures, so I hardly even use it. I love memories and pictures and blogging and scrapbooking, so I need a camera! Everyone cross your fingers that this little beauty is mine tomorrow!!!!!

We're also planning on going to the Ice Castles in Midway tomorrow. I can't believe I only recently found out about this exhibit that is so close to my house. It sounds so amazing and I cannot wait to see it in person! How cool will it be if I get to take pictures of the Ice Castles with my new camera tomorrow? (Insert super cheesy grin and annoying squeal here!)

GASP! As I was creating this post, I went on the Ice Castles' website so I could link everyone to it, only to find out that Wednesday was their last night. I am so bummed because we planned on going for the last three or four weeks and something always came up, and now we've missed our chance. I'm wiping away my tears and will just have to look forward to going next winter (sniff sniff).... Good thing Utah is so beautiful, I'm sure we'll still find somewhere lovely to go! (Trying to find the silver-lining here, people!)

Speaking of finding the silver-lining, we have something very special to do on Sunday. We are going to see Nick Vujicic speak.

The first time I heard of this amazing man, I was in a dark place about Chloe's condition. Hearing his story was a miracle for me and truly life-altering. (Watch the video here.) It changed my perspective on.... everything. Those words just do not do justice to how much watching this video on that day meant for me then and going forward. I wish I could express it better, but hopefully you get the point.

The way I found out he was in town was also miraculous. I stopped at a gas station on my way to work this morning. As I was checking out, the guy behind me asked if I had ever heard of Nick Vujicic. My eyes immediately lit up and I said, "Yes! I love him! Uh (awkward giggle).... why do you ask?" He explained that he saw him speak last week and heard he was speaking again this Sunday. He said for some reason, when he saw me, he thought he should tell me. He was not a weird guy, folks. In fact, he seemed embarassed.

I told him not to be embarassed, I just stood there shaking my head, and writing down the information. I told the stranger about my daughter and about the first time I watched the video, and how it truly changed my life. The man told me that going to see him speak last week changed his life as well, then we went our separate ways, both trying to figure out what just happened.

Life is amazing, people! I'm telling you! It makes me so happy all the time, all the zillions of little things that happen all around me that make life so wonderful and blessed.

Here is a paragraph from his website that explains what he teaches:

Nick shares with his audiences the importance of vision and dreaming big. Using his own experiences in worldwide outreach as examples, he challenges others to examine their perspective and look beyond their circumstances. He shares his view of ceasing to see obstacles as problems, but instead begin to see them as opportunities to grow and reach out to others. He stresses the importance of how attitude can be the most powerful tool we have at our disposal and illustrates how the choices we make can have a profound effect on our lives and the lives of those around us. Nick shows through his own life that the major keys in fulfilling our biggest dreams are persistence and choosing to embrace failure as a learning experience, rather than allowing the guilt and fear of failure to paralyze us.

Last but NOT least, we will be adding our prayers to all the prayers for the victims of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami. My heart has been broken all day because I cannot get the images out of my mind of the water just eating everything up so quickly.

I pray that the love of Christ floods their hearts and homes as quickly as the tsunami flooded their country.

Only with the help of Christ can we fully overcome tragedy. It is necessary to develop our faith in Him as the Redeemer of the world. He taught us: "In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world (John 16:33)." --Carlos H. Amado

Community Development

Picture it.
Downtown Salt Lake City
on a Tuesday at 5:30 pm.
Rush hour traffic.
An exhausted special needs mama
gets in her car after an 8-hour workday
after getting only 90 minutes of sleep the night before.
She is excited at the chance
to rush to teach her piano lesson,
then head HOME,
kiss her sweethearts goodnight,
knowing she can rest well
because tonight it's his turn to watch Chloe! ;)

That's when she gets a phone call.
"Can you be at the city public hearing tonight
to represent the playground?"
"Oh, you mean the project that I started?
Well, I guess if it needs representation,
tonight or any night, I'm your gal.
What time do you need me there?"
(please be during piano lessons, please be during piano lessons!)
"7:00. Can you make it?"
"Oh darn (wink), that's right in the middle of when I'm teaching piano lessons.
Guess someone else will have to fill in."
"Well, sorry for the late notice, but it's really important, has to do with a grant that could get the project a lot of money and abc couldn't do it because of xyz, so that leaves u."

So calls get made, schedules get rearranged.
Of course I show up. But I don't promise much else.

Oh, this story is about me, by the way.
I just went from writing in the third person to writing in the first person
for no apparent reason.
It's not a literary novel, for heck sakes,
so let's just go with the flow here
because I'm too tired to edit.

I'm ill-informed on the grant,
but highly passionate about the project.
I hope that's enough
'cause that's all I got.

I have fifteen minutes to snuggle Chloe,
do my hair for the first time today,
freshen my make up,
try to cover the GIANT fever blister on my lip,
apply more eye liner and darker lip stain than usual
in hopes to make it look like I'm half awake instead of half asleep.
Rather, I look a bit like a 7th grader trying to figure out for the first time
how all those brushes and eye liners work,
and not sure when more make up is too much.

Oh well.
Some things are bigger than
utter exhaustion
and self-esteem.
Like my kid.
And everyone else's kids.
And doing the right thing.

So I haul myself to the city building,
prepared to see the usual few
who attend those meetings.
Instead, I walk into a wall of people.
It's a madhouse!

"Am I at the right place?
This is Syracuse, Utah's
public hearing, right?"
"Yes. Get in line."
"Okay, but just to be sure,
this is not a public appearance by Bono or Justin Bieber?"
No response.
Hmmm.....

Long story short,
there's a major road issue going on
in Davis County (of which Syracuse is a part).



I-15 is no longer meeting our commuter needs.
Legacy Highway has begun,
but the Davis Corridor of that highway
is still in the planning stages.
No matter where this corridor runs,
it will have a HUGE impact on a LOT of people:
neighborhoods, protected wetlands, farms, developed parks....
all of which have people and families behind them
who are upset and/or opinionated
about the Davis Corridor.
And, to be honest,
I don't blame them.
To be even more honest,
I am one of them.

TONIGHT was the night
that UDOT came to Syracuse
to talk about these MAJOR issues
and address all the heated
questions, comments and concerns
about the proposed options for the corridor.

Okay, not to make this major development planning
for the state of Utah
about me, but...

Seriously?
I look like I just got ran over by a truck,
FEEL like I just got ran over by a TRAIN,
haven't got anything prepared to say,
and my issue is on the agenda just before
THIS issue?
Seriously?
Seriously?

I'll skip the details about the meeting
and its big-time issues,
but here are some notes I put into my smart phone
to reference as I gave my presentation,
even though I couldn't find when it came time to present.
Par for the course, eh?
Thankfully, I think I remembered most of it,
and the improvisations of what I couldn't remember
seemed to go over pretty well.
I stammered a time or two, said um more than I should have,
smacked the microphone a good one after I wiped a tear --
even though I tried my darndest not to cry.
But everyone clapped afterward, patted my shoulder,
and things of that nature.
I sincerely feel like I did what I came to do....
I passionately represented The No Child Left Out Project and
Chloe's Sunshine Playground.
Here's what I said. Sort of. And then some.
Then it's edited and polished quite a bit, but here it is nonetheless....

Syracuse City has been presented an opportunity to pursue Community Development. I can assure you that Chloe's Sunshine Playground is the best way to develop this community. Let me explain.

Not only will this playground be a wonderful gathering place, it will also boost the economy. It will be a place that will not only accept or accommodate my daughter, Chloe, or all children with special needs, or all adults with special needs, or meet ADA standards, or provide accessibility options for mobility equipment... It won't only help everyone feel good about doing just enough
so they can say that, 'special needs kids can play here too,' and feel warm and fuzzy that they did the 'right thing.' It won't only be a place just for this city, either. I know the special needs community and they're willing travel many miles to see their childrens' smiles.

Chloe's Sunshine Playground will be a place where differences are celebrated!


It is so easy for the general public to see how they can help those with special needs. The special needs community needs your help and they're grateful when they get it. But I promise that the things that make them different also make them extraordinary and they can help you too! I hope that no one will stand tall over a child in a wheelchair on the grand opening of Chloe's Sunshine Playground and say, "Look what we did for you. Aren't we wonderful?" I hope, instead, they will kneel down and look into the child's eyes for a moment, take time to see their smile light up their face, then be so profoundly touched and changed by such pure joy, that they quite simply have to say, "Come on, let's go play together!" Mother Theresa taught that we belong to each other. If so, we need a place where we can all really be there for each other in the broadest sense. Everyone can help their fellow man in unique ways, and so often the simplest actions have the most profound effect, if only we take the time to see and appreciate them.

I'm grateful to be part of a community that is willing to see its opportunity for development in a broader scope than just visually appealing structures that have feel-good labels and accommodations. Those things are important and we need them, but I'm referring to something larger and more grand. Chloe's Sunshine Playground is an opportunity for all of us to light an inner spark and shine a little brighter, because maybe that light will help someone else. This concept is community development in its truest form.

Tonight, our differences of opinions about where to put a road have segregated us. Issues have and will resonate within this community that will seem to force us into separate corners, in aggressive and defensive stances. (Not to undermine the importance of this issue because the Davis Corridor issue IS very important to me and will directly impact my neighborhood.) However, it's my hope that Chloe's Sunshine Playground will one day be the place where the simplest and most universal expression of joy,
a child's smile,
will always unite us.

I would argue with Jim Collins that Henry Ford's most far-reaching and influential invention was not the Model T, but the assembly line. In that same line of thinking, I hope that Chloe's Sunshine Playground is not Syracuse City's legacy. I hope our broader sense of inclusion and commitment to community becomes the playground's legacy.

Pinterest!!!

I've tried mentioning Pinterest on the sly a few times on my blog, a few times on facebook, but it seems that nobody's curious about my subtle suggestions. Apparently Pinterest needs its own post to get the recognition it deserves.

Pay attention, folks!

I know you're thinking, 'What is Pinterest?' Well, be patient, I'm going to tell you more about it than you ever wanted to know. I know I'm not the only one who dog-ears corners of magazines and catalogs to mark those things I wish I could get.... shoes, earrings, a dress for Chloe, a cool gadget for Oby, a diy idea, and the like.

You do it too, right?

So. Imagine a place that allows you to "dog ear" pictures of things you find on the internet.... anywhere on the internet, and organize it into categories onto your own little website of sorts. Then you have one easy place to look back at all these wonderful things -- and the images are linked to the site where you found them! Squeal! I know what you're thinking (because I thought it too -- at first).... Isn't this just like bookmarking a page? Um, sort of, but much easier to manage! PLUS, if your friends join in on the fun, you can both see the things you're both loving. Think gift ideas. Think of never being bored ever again.


Like a particular store? See what others have pinned from that website!
Planning a bathroom remodel? Get ideas!
Wish you were Zooey Deschanel? Try to copy her style!
Home decorating? DIY ideas? Gift guides?
Obsessed with all things yellow?
Planning a wedding? Need a new hairstyle?
Love houndstooth?
Does your daughter get up 5-10 times each night
and even though you're exhausted, sometimes it's hard to get back to sleep?
Heck, search everything anyone has ever pinned!!!
I bet you'll never guess, but that's how I got started!


This is a great marketing tool,
so if you have something to market....
Also, it's a great way to find new things
and new sites that have fabulous things
because they're out there trying to market
with images of their best items.
Get it? Love it!

Are you picking up what I'm putting down?
Have I convinced you yet?
Because I can keep going if you want!

Pinterest is so addicting and fun and free and lovely and inspiring and wonderful!
You do need to be invited to participate, so if you'd like an invite, shoot me an email and I'll get you into my elite club ;)
manntar@hotmail.com

Pinterest
The Place Where Posh People Pin

I just came up with that on my own.
I swear, I should be in marketing.

***Want to see my Pinterest boards? Go here!***

I know what some of you may be thinking....
"Shame, shame, shame, Tara. Thou shalt not covet."
Dreaming is SO different from coveting!
Dreaming lights a spark! It inspires! It uplifts!
It's okay, encouraged even, to seek after lovely things!


By the way,
I was not paid or motivated in any way to create this post.
I really just enjoy Pinterest
and would love to parouse if my friends and family
joined in on the fun!!!
I think it would be a roof-raisin' good time!
The end.

From Tortured to Tickled Pink!

Oh my sweet girl was SO sick last week. She had very labored breathing, a rattly cough, sunken eyes, no appetite, pale as a ghost.... It was heart-breaking.

Last Tuesday, her labored breathing started. I couldn't get her into her pediatrician until the wee hours of the morning, so decided to go to an urgent care clinic where my office was for a few months because I know and love the people there. They took an x-ray and it was too dark to give an accurate reading. But since all other signs/symptoms pointed to pneumonia, we decided to treat her accordingly. Heavy duty antibiotics? Check.

The next day, just to be sure, we took her to her pediatrician. He just knows what "Chloe's normal" looks like better than anyone else, so we wanted his opinion, especially since the x-ray wasn't clear. He agreed with their assessment and also believed she had croup. So he added another med to our list. Steroids? Check.

Well, a few days went by and rather than getting better, she got progressively worse. She had a few good hours here and there, but in general, she went downhill. I mean, each time she would take a breath, her entire body had to work to make it happen. It was killing me to see her in so much pain and I just wanted someone to fix it and fix it fast!

So back to the pediatrician we went. This time, we got an on-call dude. He was very concerned when he saw how labored her breathing was and immediately gave her a breathing treatment through a nebulizer. She wasn't a fan. Look at her, just saying with her eyes, "Mom, I already don't feel well, why are you torturing me by shoving this thing in my face?"


Despite Chloe's angry glances, the breathing treatment seemed to help and quickly, so I was happy! Then another chest x-ray was ordered. I figured it would be a lay-on-the-table typical-run-of-the-mill x-ray.

I was wrong. Dead wrong.

They shoved her in this contraption that I'm pretty sure was the brain child of some torture chamber specialist from Sarajevo or wherever they torture people.

They don't call it a torture device, of course. But its name is still rather unflattering.... a piggostat. Ugh. It was so awful. Chloe was screaming her head off, even though she couldn't breathe, so she was also having coughing fits. I couldn't even be in the same room for most of the time, then when they did let me back in, they said I couldn't get her out for 2 minutes. So then I was there and she could see me, but see that I wasn't helping her! Oh boy, was she mad!!! I was literally sick -- so much so that the x-ray tech asked if I needed the waste basket. Thankfully, I held things together for the 2 minute torture extravaganza and we all lived to tell about it.

I got pictures of Chloe in it, just so I could show Oby, but I seriously cannot post them. It is too heart-breaking. This kid's face is quite pleasant in comparison, so here's a peak at the piggostat.

I've been witness to quite a few procedures with my little Chloe, and this one has to be in the running for most cruel and unusual. Spinal taps? MRI's? IV's in the head? EEG's? They ain't no thang in comparison. A word to the wise? If someone ever says 'piggostat' in reference to your child, run the other direction! If you choose to stick around, don't blame me when your child is angry and glares at you from across the room like Chloe did after her little "adventure"....


While the piggostat has some obvious negatives about it, the one positive is that its usage did result in an accurate chest x-ray, which showed NO sign of pneumonia whatsoever. So after I did three cheers that Chloe didn't have pneumonia, I asked what she did have. RSV. Awesome.

That night, I came down with a long list of flu-like symptoms. It didn't take long for me to realize that I had been sitting on my hands to prevent myself from lashing out at the x-ray tech as he latched Chloe into the piggostat. Then during the procedure, I chewed the nails attached to the fingers attached to the hands that touched the pediatrician waiting room chair (a.k.a. petri dish of bacteria and viruses). Grrrr! I paid for that ALL weekend. Thankfully, my mom and Oby took over so I knew Chloe was in good hands while I was quarantined to my bedroom with fevers, chills, body aches, and a lot of other symptoms synonymous with feeling like crap.

We opted not to have Chloe's RSV monitored at the hospital. We decided it would be best for her (and all of us) to be comfortable at home with less chance of secondary infections. A nebulizer, albuterol sulfate and O2 monitor? Check.

The breathing treatments helped, but it took 3 additional days for her to really make a turnaround. She now seems to be back to her usual little self! Thankfully she has forgiven me for the piggostat rigamaroo and my neglecting her while I babied my own sickness. She is such a sweet soul and brings so much joy! Oh, I just love her :)

Tonight. Live on Stage.

Squeal! Yep, Joshua Radin! Love him!

We got there just early enough that there was only one row of people in front of us. However, in that front row was Andre the Giant. No lie, this guy was at LEAST 6'8".... huge! LOL. We could still see just fine, but it made us laugh!

The concert started with Laura Jansen. I seriously loved her. Man, can this girl sing and jam on the piano! She has quirky/insightful songs and I really liked all her original songs. But my favorite number of hers was "Use Sombedoy" remake of Kings of Leon. She owned that song.


Then Cary Brothers rocked the stage. So I've been a fan of Cary Brothers for a long time, but always thought it was a group of dudes. Little did I know it is one dude - first name Cary, last name Brothers. Huh! I also never knew what a true talent he was. He can do acoustic, rock, guitar, piano, you name it. He owned the stage. He played my two favorite songs, Ride and Blue Eyes. The version of Blue Eyes was stripped down and raw, rather than the usual rock-pop version. Oh. My. Word. I almost cried - it was beautiful! I never really paid attention to the lyrics, but they are stunning! it was wonderful!!!

Then Joshua Radin came out. He is so adorable and humble and he was wearing this cute hat. He was just soaking up how much everyone loved him, he seemed sincerely surprised that so many people came to see HIM. It was so adorable! I knew his singing voice would be superb, but even his speaking voice made me giddy! He is fantastic. And I loved that he shared the back stories of all his songs, because then the songs I already loved became even more beloved in just an instant. You guys. Seriously. He is a musical genius. His voice!!!! I can't describe it, so let's just leave it at that. And this (so cute!)....

We were texting my mom during the entire concert, and unfortunately, she kept giving us bad news. We already had the tickets when Chloe acquired pneumonia, but today she really seemed to have made a turn for the better so we decided it would be okay to go. But she was having labored breathing and seemed to really be in pain. So even though I was so thoroughly enjoying Joshua's voice, lyrics and musical genius, my motherly instincts overrode the moment, so we snuck out early.

The only bonus of that was that since everyone was mesmerized by Joshua's performance, no one was in line to meet Cary Brothers. So we took just a quick minute to chat with him. We explained that we had to leave early so we could take care of our sick little girl. He signed a poster with a special message to Chloe - so sweet! :)

Now we're home and Chloe seems to be doing okay. I'm really worried about the labored breathing she was having earlier in the evening, but now she seems to be breathing fine. If she starts the labored breathing again, I'm going to have to take her to the doctor to make sure her sats are okay. For now, things are okay. Everyone hope and pray with me that things stay that way. Pneumonia has always been my worst fear with Chloe. I'm so afraid that if something ever takes her, it will be pneumonia. Her immune system is so fragile and it leaves her susceptible. I have faith that she will be okay, but that underlying fear is there. But these Joshua Radin lyrics are dancing through my head....

But I look at you, warm in your dream

While your mobile dances above

And I think to myself

It's a beautiful night

And I know everything

Is gonna be alright

Yes now I know

It'll be alright

(from Will's Lullaby)