Package of Cheer

My birds of change came today - and it couldn't have been better timing. Just what I needed, really. They are each so cool in their own way. I photographed them hanging on a picture mobile, but I think they will eventually find their own special place around the house. Thanks mostly to Regina for creating and organizing this exchange and to everyone who participated.

This painted wood bird is from Amy Lyons at aplcreations.com.

These are paper clay sitting on a cast pewter branch, from Schlovonne (I'm sorry I don't have a link!)

Regina's painted and embellished fabric.

Cotton and felt from Arte da Luluzinha.

Embroidered felt from Affectioknits.

What One Does...

when one is supposed to be putting together a resume.

One knits fingerless gloves.

One draws a ladybug with watercolor pencils.

The resume writing is incredibly s-l-o-w, but necessary. I haven't had to do one since 2000 so I'm having to dig deep.

We Survived

Other possible titles for this post: Not My Favorite Week, "You're in the Right Place" - Really?, and How to Traumatize a 4-Year Old.

But first, the fun stuff! Maia's birthday party was great. We had a big crowd of family - all the grandparents! - an aunt and cousin, a couple of our best friends, and our neighbors. Sofia led the scavenger hunt for the fairy pieces of clothing, and the little fairy guests were just precious.

We brought the fairy clothes, wings, and hats inside to complete our fairy clothespin dolls, and here is how they turned out...

Then we had cream cheese and jam bagels, strawberries, and of course woodland fairy mushroom cupcakes.

Then came Monday. Luckily Grandma (my mom) had offered to stay and help out with the whole treatment thing and we gladly accepted, not knowing what to expect. I suppose Monday was the hardest. They tried putting the IV in Maia's right arm (she's a leftie) and got it in, but while they were wrapping, taping, etc. it slipped out of the vein. Meanwhile Maia had completely lost it and was trying to crawl up my face to get away from the nurses. So we did it again on the other side. This time, Grandma held her and I put my head against Maia's and sang Twinkle Twinkle Little Star in her ear, over and over, until they were done. I couldn't think of anything else. After that, she was pretty calm. She had expended most of her energy. We held her, watched a video, and finally got to go home.

Thankfully, we managed to keep the IV in and functional for the three days so Tuesday and Wednesday were mainly mellow. At this stage Maia is traumatized by any sort of poke and she needed one more on Wednesday. This will be a weekly shot and they suggested that we give it to her at home. Um, really? Because that wasn't on my list of things to do before I turn 38.

When we first met the rheumatologist a few weeks ago, she spent a lot of time with us, listening to our whole story of how Maia's condition had progressed over the last year, including some of my commentary about all the missteps (in my opinion) by our former doctors. She said to me, "You're in the right place now." At the time it was comforting because I knew that she felt confident that they would be able to help Maia. But this week, I couldn't help but feel like, "What the hell am I doing here?" All the sick kids, all the supporting family, the toy cabinet for the kids when their treatment was done, the nurses coming in to check blood pressure, temperature, etc. - these things were not part of my life. But they are now.

I have a good friend from work who's daughter has an ongoing medical condition that has required similar drugs and various treatments and hospital stays since she was 7 months old. She knew exactly what I meant, which made me feel better. All those people who seem so comfortable there, or seem like they are supposed to be there, feel just like me, they don't feel like they should be there either. And they are going along, just like us, fumbling through, feeling sad and sometimes crappy that their kid has to go through this. I'm sure I'll eventually get over this, and Maia will hopefully get better at all the pokes, but for now we are going to whine and complain about it, just a little.

Here's the little trooper after the first day. Thank goodness for Hello Kitty bandaids.

When It Rains It...

is pouring... I'm up to my eyeballs in life going on. The good news is that it is raining. Finally.

I've got Maia's birthday party mostly under control, but I did have to scale back a little. I'm fine with it. We're still going to make fairy clothespin dolls, and they are coming along nicely. Here's a preview:

More bad news from work. Ugh. Less work will be coming my way due to v-e-r-y slow economy. I guess it's the risk you take being a casual part time employee.

Maia's treatment starts Monday. She'll get IV steroids for two hours, 3 days in a row. I really don't know what to expect. She's already resisting physical therapy a bit - it's just not fun. Sitting with an IV stuck in your arm, three days in a row - not fun either. But I'm working on a doctor/appointment bag that will contain special fun things she can do while at our not-so-fun appointments.