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The Kids are Alright

When I say kids here, I am referring to a lot of things...Adam and I, the girls, my hamstrings, my eyes...

I haven't mentioned my tendonitis in a while because...it's all better!  I finally realized that after my initial improvement following the cortisone shots, I began to decline again once I started doing hill walking workouts.  Sigh!  As much as I love them, they just don't work for me anymore.  The awesome news is that I am now able to run without any knee pain!  I still limit my running, but a few runs under 30 minutes a week are not bothering me at all. Seems my second physiotherapist was right about the physio addressing my runners knee (too bad he was wrong about the physio helping my hamstring tendonitis).  So I vary my cardio between stairmaster, running, and Insanity DVDs at home, and teaching spinning at the gym.  I don't actually miss my hill walking anymore, I'm having so much fun.  Also, I am now capable of doing strength training exercises that target my hamstrings, so I'm hoping I can get the area strong enough that I can avoid any future problems.  The absolute best part of all this is simply that I am no longer in chronic pain.  I can sit, I can stand, I can walk, I can run and...no pain!!!  I had literally given up hope that I would ever see the day.  Just goes to show that you can NEVER give up hope.  It took me a lot of trial and error with treatments to get to this place, but I finally did.

Since taking the advice of my eye doctor and using moisturizing drops at least once a day, and removing my contacts before showering, my eyes have stopped their constant watering.  I also get much less irritation from my contacts.  Yay!  Definitely worth the little extra time involved every morning.
I am proud to say that as of May 19th, Adam and I will have been married for 10 years!  I can't believe it, it really doesn't feel like it's been that long.  Looking back, we were so crazy young when we met (me 25, Adam 23) 12 years ago.  We have both done a lot of growing and maturing since then, and, of course, produced to crazy, wonderful girls. That's not to say that - like any couple - we haven't had ups and downs and some difficult times and challenges, but I feel so incredibly fortunate to have found a soul mate, someone who is loving, and supportive, understanding, responsible, reliable, thoughtful and generous.  I am aware that many people never find this in their lifetime.

Perhaps it's premature to make this call, but I think we may be through the worst with Little A.  Things have improved significantly over the past week.  Of course, everything is relative.  For example, she still pitched a fit when I said she had to share the apple and plum slices with Big A that I brought for their snack when I picked them up from daycare yesterday.  She screamed hysterically for about 3 blocks yelling, "I don't want to share!"  She also melted down when Adam called from Ottawa last night and Big A got to answer the phone and talk to him first.  Then while I was putting her to bed last night she began fussing because she claimed that Big A promised her a special sleep toy.  Neither Big A nor I had a clue what she was talking about.  Just when I was ready to start stabbing myself in the eye, Big A - bless her heart - offered Little A her beloved kitty pillow for the night and this settled her down.  Little A is also still very impatient with us when we do not understand what she wants right away, something which happens often.  Her pronounciation of certain words is rather ambiguous, leading to frequent misunderstandings, and this leads her to start screaming at us. 

Inspite of all this, she is STILL behaving better, overall, compared to a week ago.  She has also settled into daycare.  I am so glad we didn't pull her out!  All of a sudden, she seems to be enjoying it, only occasionally shows resistance to going, and more often than not, doesn't want to leave when we come to get her because she is having so much fun.  Go figure?

Big A is doing alright, though she continues to have frequent tearful outbursts over the most minor things.  Even her kindergarten teacher mentioned this to me the other day.  We both agreed it is likely in response to the extra (negative) attention Little A has been getting lately and will hopefully settle down when Little A settles down.

This is a busy week for me.  Adam is away and I've got a lot to do before the weekend when we have Little A's birthday party on Saturday, and are hosting friends for dinner on Sunday.  Monday I leave for New York, to visit my grandma Ruth - it's been a year since she moved into the home, and not much has changed with her condition -, and then April 30th, after many delays, I officially began working at the fertility clinic.  Lots to look forward to, but lots of things making me anxious too.

As always, I find gratitude is essential to survival and well-being during stressful times, whether or not the stress is due to positives or negatives.  And life is usually full of both.  As I get older I am increasingly aware of how fortunate I am.  Sometimes I wonder about my deservedness of all my fortune, but no matter whether it is merely due to luck, chance or perseverance, I am appreciative of all the love and blessings in my life.

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