Recently in Josie Category

I was lying in bed last night feeling like I was standing on the abyss. What will my life be like tomorrow? What is going to happen? The expanse of unknown made me sway backward, wanting to reverse time. How will I deal with this new step in our life as a family? Both of my babies are off at school. They don't need me! I know it's not true. I tried to turn my thoughts on their ear and think of what I want to fill that abyss with. Support, love, comfort, encouragement, love, stability, hugs, direction, imagination, fun, adventure, and love and love and love.

For Josie, I wish, and know, that she will take the world and change it, and embrace it and live in it, not worrying who's watching or what they think. I think of this song lyric from Tangled (I am a sucker for musicals!) when I think of my wishes for my girls, "Look at the world so close and I'm half way to it. Look at it all so big, do I even dare? Look at me, here at last I just have to do it. Should I stop? No. Here I go!"


The world is there for you. To jump in and enjoy and change. Don't halt wondering what anyone else thinks. Dance when you feel it. And I hope you feel it often. Make your own mistakes. Love your mom! :)

Love,
Your Mom

Our beautiful little girl turns 5 today. She sprang out of bed, just happy to be 5. She's been counting down the days for her BIRTHDAY! Here's a little photo flashback from the beginning to now. I'm totally in love.

Could I be any more specific and exciting?  I've had a bit of blogging block so I thought tonight I would just do a general update of all things and happenings here with us.

We've moved, again.  My husband pointed out we've moved 6 times since 2005.  Scary.  But this time it feels really good (even if it is quite a bit colder).  We just moved down the street closer to the village part of Brooklyn which has been really convenient for getting the girls to school and kindy.  We walk each morning and it feels so liberating not to have reason to get in the car for a couple days at a time.  The walk to school and kindy is a very social time and Sophie explained that it makes her "all shaky" with excitement each time we are ready to walk to school.  So many of our friends and her classmates walk to school that it's rare for us to arrive at school with less than 5 other people.

The new house is also considerably smaller than our last view filled casa.  Three bedrooms and one bathroom.  I said to my father in law the other day, nothing brings a family together like one bathroom.  It's true that we all have less, how should I say it, personal time.  However, I think Jake and I are the only people who notice.  :)  We have a beautiful back garden that is very nicely designed to be just jam packed with fruit and vegetable bearing plants without seeming crowded.  The girls have a playhouse with a slide and a wooden swing on the tree.  It's got a great kitchen with a "professional" oven.  It's got a spit with built in motor for roasts.  I made a chicken on it the other night and it was fabulous! I am so much more at ease in this house.  It feels like me and everyone seems more relaxed.  Or maybe I am projecting.

Sophie has started children's choir this term and really enjoyed her first session.  She is a natural performer and is frequently asking us to be an audience for her dances.  

Annoyingly, she's had the same cough for about 17 weeks!  I've taken her to two doctors and she's had antibiotics twice (for things other than her cough) but nothing kicks this cough.  Her lungs sound clear and she has no other symptoms but man, we all feel sorry for the kid.  

She continues to be a texture eater.  Each day after we arrive home I unpack her lunchbox and will ask her how her lunch was and why she did or did not eat a certain item.  I've been mentally noting her descriptions of what is wrong with various foods.  On various days things have been ishy-squishy, spongy, soggy, sloppy, too soft, too crunchy, a little wet, not fresh and wonkey.  I pack the kid nearly the same lunch every day!  Peanut butter and jelly with either orange slices or apples, then crackers and either carrot sticks or pepper sticks plus a treat of some sort.  Ah ha!  I just realized the treat NEVER gets any of those nasty texture descriptions.  Hm...  Looks like the joke's on mom.

Josie has a couple themes going on at the moment.  First, she is in love with mirrors.  Actually, it's probably more accurate to say she's in love with watching herself in the mirror.  Our new house has several full length mirrors (which on a side note are a big motivator for exercise) and Josie never passes up an opportunity to practice over-acting in front of one of them.  She cries, laughs, sings, dances, shouts and jokes all just to see what it looks like.  She's pretty hilarious unless of course you need her to pay attention then she very quickly becomes not hilarious.

She has also created an alternate family.  "My other mommy.  Her name is Brandie."  The first time she tried this I was trying to explain that I was Brandie but she was pretty certain that it was her other mommy.  She comes up with stories about her other family all the time.  "My other dad, Mopey, he lives at my kindy."  I was really hurt at first.  Is our real family so bad she needs to create an alternate one to escape us?  Then I thought of a way to use it to my advantage.  I tried telling her that her other mommy wanted her to tidy up her room.  Well, I crossed the line because apparently only Josie can talk to the other mommy.  Not me.  Ever.  Good times.  I wonder what other Brandie thinks about this?

Lastly, Josie is no longer being carried.  Yes, I realize she is four years old and why the hell was I carrying her in the first place?  Well, she's my youngest and gets tired easily and walks really slow and and and it was just easier for me.  Until I realized that she always wanted me to carry her.  It just stopped being feasible.  So I really had to suck it up and start leaving the house earlier to get to school or pick Sophie up from school.  She put out a valiant effort the first day I made her walk at school.  We'd discussed it before leaving the house but when it came time to walk up the hill at school you would have thought I was putting screws in her eyes.  "Maaaahm!  I just caaaaaan't waaaaaalk!  Uuuaaaghhh! It's tooo hard!  It's tooo steep!"  Oh, hi there, tons of other parents.  Just don't mind me torturing my child here.  No, I don't need to be reminded that it's a big hill.  I am very aware of how long this is going to take.  "Come on Josie, you are doing great!  No I am not going to pick you up."  Phew.  We made it to the top and collected Sophie.  Then, repeat crying and screaming for the entire way down the hill.  Thank God that just happened for one day.  She put up a little fuss several times over the next week but nothing on the Oscar winning scale of that first day.  I needed a stiff drink after that performance.  Chilled me to the bone.  She does get the odd piggy back now and then but has mostly embraced her new independence and won't ask to be carried.

Is this starting to sound like a family Christmas letter?  I was about to write a little note about my arthritis and Jake's awards but I'll save those tasty morsels for a more appropriate time.  

Just wanted to say, we're still here and plugging along.  Hopefully more updates and recipes will be posted soon.

A few weeks ago Josie had a routine followup visit with her pediatric neurologist, Dr. Sadlier at Wellington Hospital. We are feeling very grateful that we can leave her office with smiles on our faces and "thank yous" being exchanged.

She confirmed through an epilepsy research group that we joined (and had blood tests done by) that Josie has the SCN1 gene mutation. We can't remember if it is A or B or if that makes a difference. We don't know why but are somewhat relieved that we can point our finger at something and say, "This is why Josie has epilepsy."

At any rate, Josie continues to be seizure free, 1 year and two months now! The doctor has decided to leave her on the current doses of her meds (Lamictal and Epilim) for at least the next year. We'll see her again in 6 months and if all is still going well (fingers crossed, knock wood, legs crossed) she will schedule another EEG then discuss weaning her off of what she is on.

This is all fine with us as Josie continues to be bright, sassy and herself while on the current doses. The doctor also explained that as she grows and the doses stay the same she is essentially very slowly weaning herself already. All very exciting news.

Today we had a bunch of friends over to celebrate Josie's birthday. It was cold and raining when we woke up, but the sun started piercing through while we were getting ready and by the time everyone arrived it was a gorgeous morning.

After months of deliberation, Josie had finally settled on a Hello Kitty theme for her party. Brandie & I decided to try making Hello Kitty-themed cake pops after seeing them on Bakerella (amazing stuff on there, if you've never been!) They turned out to be really easy and as usual fun to do a project like that together - plus they seemed to be a hit with all the kids today (click on the picture of the birthday girl above to see them).

We also had a dance-party theme to the party, inspired by the dance parties we had with our cousins during their visit. On today's playlist:

Jack Rabbit Slims Twist Contest - Various (Pulp Fiction)
Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It) - Beyonce
So What - Pink
Don't Stop Believin' - Glee Cast

It was really a fun day, thanks all who made it out (and to everyone we wish were there!)

The Juice turned 4 today.  She got all dolled up in a new outfit from Uncle Jesse and carried her new Hello Kitty backpack in to school today, proud as a peacock.  As soon as I walked out the door I wanted to run back and stay with her, as if that would keep her from getting older.  I can't help myself.  She's my baby.  

Now that she's 4 she's started in the 4 year old Kindy (preschool) class on Monday.  This means she'll be attending 5 mornings a week.  She was very excited and proud to see her teachers that morning.  Giving her best smile to each of them as they greeted her.  I picked her up from school, happy as a clam at high tide.  We came home, had a nice snack and a nap.  Then headed off to her new swimming lessons.  I was concerned as her last lessons consisted mostly of her waiting her turn and during the waiting time she would cry for me.  This time she hopped right in, her swim cap and goggles accentuating her cheeks, and did everything the teacher asked her.  Smiling all along.  We stopped to get fish and chips on the way home to celebrate our first day back at school and Josie's first day at 4 year old kindy.  As we drove up the hill she exclaimed at the top of her lungs, "My name is J-O-S-I-E Josie and I'm a big girl now!!"  She was so proud.

We're proud of you too Josie.  Keep growing up even if mommy tells you not to.

I am super stoked to announce that Josephine took her last dose of Clobazam yesterday!!  After 16 weeks of weaning her 1 mg per day with no negative side effects or break through seizures, she is now on two medications rather than three.

To celebrate, we took the girls down to Frank Kitts Park for a bungy jump and gelato!  Josie loved going high and at the very end of her time, the attendant asked if she'd like to go "Really high?", she agreed without hesitation.  As she soared 20 feet in the air, I broke into a cold sweat.  All I could hear was her delighted laughter ringing through the park.  The child has no fear.

Thanks to everyone for supporting us through this.  We are so lucky to have good news to share and hope the trend continues.

We are super happy to spread the good news that Josie is continuing with her seizure freedom!  

She had an EEG to monitor her brain waves and the neurologist has decided she is ready to start weaning off one of her medications!  Yay!  It's a long process and will take at least 16 weeks to get her off of the medicine completely but we are just so happy that she is stable enough for this to even be a consideration.

She's doing great and developing normally.  We love her heaps!

I escaped last weekend with two wonderful friends to a spa in Martinborough, the wine region near Wellington. It was wonderful, relaxing, healing and full of laughter. All made even better by the fact that Jake had an entire weekend off (GASP!) and spent it with the girls so I could get away, anxiety free.

Everyone had a great time free of separation anxiety and full of Star Wars! I came back to a Star Wars focused family. Many discussions were being had about "RDD2", "the guy in the tree with the pointy ears", "the two guys fighting with flashlights", and "the walking guys getting closer and CLOSER AND CLOSER!".

Jake had apparently been searching around town to get the girls some action figures that would work for the girls. R2D2 was specifically being sought. Sadly, we couldn't find him anywhere. Josie picked out a Clone Wars cell phone which I think is totally lame. Not one authentic Star Wars sound effect included! Josie however, is in love with it! Sophie scored a C3PO figure and instantly made a bed for him in a paua shell, complete with tissue pillow and blanket. She took him to nap with her, happy as a clam, er, paua. ;) When she woke up, she staggered out, forgetting, I think, that she only had her pull up on. This is what was written on her leg.

 

In case you can't make it out it says "Sophie loves C3PO". I called Jake and we both had a good chuckle about it.