What a Wednesday! (please read to the end!)

So... I woke up this morning, checked my e-mail and found out that I'd won this great little travel tissue cover by entering a contest on The Etsian - a blog from ktpapercrafts at Etsy.

In addition to creating beautiful specialty paper crafts like the ones seen here, Kristina does an amazing job of promoting other shops on her blog, as well as hosting giveaways such as the one I won! I love the colorful selections of note cards, greeting cards and gift tags that are available in her lovely little shop!



And I can't forget the shop that sponsored this great giveaway either! My adorable little travel tissue cover was created by fabric4u, another great Etsy shop that specializes in supplying crafters with a great assortment of fabric, notions, patterns, and craft books as well as a limited selection of handmade items like her adorable tissue covers. Here are some examples of the goodies you'll find in her shop as well!



So, that was the start to my day! Not too shabby! Since then, it's been a bit of a roller coaster ride!

I accompanied my daughter and granddaughter to see a pediatric gastroenterologist since the baby's not outgrowing her "spitting up" and it's actually been getting worse and she's been fussy and acting decidely uncomfortable, although she's a little pudge, so we're not too worried about whether she's getting enough to eat! After the exam (and the dr getting some first hand experience with Cheyenne's problem!) an initial diagnosis of esophageal reflux was made, although they're going to schedule an upper GI series just to make sure there no underlying structural defect (like a hiatal hernia) causing the problem. They'll also be changing her formula to one with a rice starch thickener and putting her on the pediatric equivalent of Zantac

Two things about the visit really surprised me. One is that when my daughter was asking about possible side effects with the meds, the dr mentioned that over 1 million babies had been treated for the same symptoms with the same drugs with very little adverse effects. Wow... one million little ones fussing from heartburn. Who'd a thunk it? Perhaps the days of having to deal with babies that are "just normally fussy" are coming to an end, and maybe a fussy baby isn't just something parents have to "deal with" with no help in sight. I was never one of those moms who let my babies "cry it out" unless I knew that they absolutely were not in pain or sick or just in need of some soothing. I'm glad doctors are beginning to acknowledge that our little ones can suffer some of the same ills that were previously reserved for us "old folk".

The second thing that amazed me was finding out that my granddaughters' other grandparents haven't really made an attempt to disclose their family medical histories to their own children. My daughter was at a loss to be able to tell the dr whether or not the disorders he wanted familial history on, existed on the paternal side of the family. I guess I've always been a stickler for making sure that my kids were aware of any problems on either side of the family, but I know that for some reason, some parents don't feel the need to tell their children about illnesses. Some decline to tell them to spare them the worry, some because they're ashamed to admit that they're "not perfectly healthy", and some because they just don't feel their kids need to "know their business". I think when it comes to matters of health, there should be open disclosure and parents need to swallow their pride and make their (grown) children aware of such issues. Even young children need to be aware of what to do if a parent is say, diabetic, or epileptic and an emergency arises. Scary for them? Maybe a bit, but imagine how much more scarier it would be if they had no idea as to why mommy had passed out. Even pre-schoolers can be taught to call 911 in such an emergency, and I believe they should be

I think the other consideration is that many disorders, even if there is a genetic predisposition, can be avoided by avoiding lifestyles that could bring them on. For example, if you're diabetic, you should know that proper diet, active lifestyle, and monitoring of symptoms can go a long way in keeping the disease at bay, and if your child isn't aware that the disease has occurred in the family, chances are he won't understand why you want him to eat well, get exercise, or tell you (or his dr if he's an adult) if he's tired, unusually thirsty, or has any of the other symptoms that go with the disease. Chances are good that he'll ignore the symptoms until they become severe enough to warrant immediate care - and often by then, the treatment, which could have been as simple as watching carbs and exercising a bit more, involve much more intensive regimens and his mild symptoms will be much more frightening, if not life-threatening

I guess my point is, if you have any medical problems that could affect your children, let them know. Make it a point to put together a family medical history file and make sure your children have copies of it. It will help them to make good lifestyle choices, be aware of what they should or shouldn't worry about, and it's an invaluable tool for any dr when he/she is asked to make a diagnosis in an emergent or urgent situation...it gives them an incredible starting point to know what to look for and what to rule out

Now for perhaps the most exciting news of the day... In a couple hours, I will be heading to the hospital to attend the birth of my newest grandson! I received a call from my son that the dr has decided to go ahead and start stimulating the contractions that have been part of their world for the past couple of weeks. Needless to say, with temps in the 110's lately, mommie is ready for her baby boy to make his appearance! Hopefully it will be a short, uneventful labor - although right now, the little guy is still a bit transverse breech, so a c-section could be an option as well. I'll plan on being around here tomorrow (with baby pictures!), but in case I'm not, you'll know where I am! Hope you have a great day!