how comforting

One of the most entertaining things - and, I say "entertaining" to avoid the possibly stigmatizing "absolutely bizarre" - we have discovered about Alexis is her unique method of comforting herself. Some kids use pacifiers; some kids suck their thumbs; heck, some even carry around a blanket or stuffed animal. What on the other hand does my daughter do?

Lexi finds comfort in her belly button...

I always know when she is feeling less than confident, because she has one hand stuck up her shirt and one finger in her belly button. I am certain that her belly button is comforting to her because on some level she realizes that is where the umbilical cord was giving her nutrients and sustaining her until she was strong enough to make it on her own... Thus, she feels more connected to me as her parasitic host. While I am deeply touched that she would go to such lengths to feel close to me, I wouldn't be entirely opposed to her just giving me a hug when she's nervous... I am more than a little curious how long this may last.
We have already started to ruminate on the possible ramifications of how this habit will effect her future life:

• It's her first day of kindergarten... the teacher is calling the roll... Lexi is nervous to be away from home and surrounded by a room full of little people... her finger immediately goes to her belly button... and, for the next 12 years she is forever know as "belly button girl" who likes to flash everyone.
• She's in college... her first speech in her intro to Public Speaking class... the class is oddly distracted during her speech because they are wondering why on earth her hand is under her shirt... consequently she drops communications as her major.
• She's on a date... she really likes the boy... he tries to hold her hand, but he has to move to her other side because the hand he is trying to grab is under her shirt...

Well, you get the idea - there could be some serious consequences! Everyone keeps telling me that habits that are cute when you are little may not be so cute in the future. I can only hope that Lex will be secure enough with herself to know she doesn't need to find comfort in her belly button. And, if that's not possible, I hope she can be secure enough ...

what a difference a year makes

I feel like I blinked, and I don't know where my little baby has gone...


But, she has been replaced by a toddler!


Now not only can she get around on her own, but she feels quite entitled to her own opinions and making her own decisions. I'm pretty sure she gets all that from her dad... I keep trying to tell her that one day she'll get her payback by having a daughter who is just like her... come to think of it, maybe that's what my owm mother has been finding SO terribly entertaining these past few months...

dance dance revolution

I don't know where she got her moves, but the girl LOVES to groove!

Each day it seems she comes up with new additions to throw into her routine... we have a little ballet, a little salsa, and a little break dancing. Trust me, it makes for quite the show.
she has a style all her own... why should a perfectly good spot as the center of attention go to waste?!?








sadly, when grandma went home, she took her phone with her so Lex no longer has her source of endless tunes right at her finger tips... way to go grandma!

One Down

As many know, Lexi's surgery has come and gone.


the week before the surgery was VERY stressful - in that, we didn't know if the surgery would happen at all. I received a call the Monday before the surgery from the medical center stating that our insurance denied the authorization for surgery. Oddly enough they approved for Lexi to see her Dr. Jones as her surgeon, but denied any coverage should a surgery actually need to take place. I'm still trying to follow their logic... and still coming up SHORT. Yet another reason i REALLY don't enjoy working with insurance companies.

Anyway, after a tense 4 days of wondering if both moms and flown in for nothing, we finally got word on Thursday morning that Lex qualified for CCS (California Children's Services). CCS will actually cover all the cost of treatment until the issue is resolved or she turns 18. Definitely a blessing!

The surgery was scheduled to begin at 8:30 so we had to be at UCI at 6:45AM. After arriving we spent a lot of time in the preop area to get Lex adjusted and comfortable. They gave her an oral sedation - after we begged - before starting an IV for full sedation. Come on, what 18 month old is going to lay calmly on a table surrounded by a room full of strangers dressed as ghosts, and breath deeply while a mask is placed over their face. I can hear it more than picture it, and it sounds something like, "no no no!".



The surgery was supposed to last about 2.5 hours but actually ended up taking closer to 4.5 hours. I was long over due for an update when the doctor finally appeared with his report. He stated that it turned out to be quite a bit more complex that he had originally thought. Initially we did the right hand first because he thought it to be the simpler and more straightforward of the the two. She had a fully developed 6th finger hiding in between her 4th and 5th fingers, and some extra bones had be left in in an attempt to not hamper future growth of her fingers.



As Dr. Jones was explaining his findings and all that he did, he was literally bouncing with enthusiasm. Usually he is VERY calm and almost appears perpetually bored, but not after conquering this challenge! He even pulled out a digital camera to show us before and after pictures (which I am trying to get a copy of... one day lex will thank me!). I think that my lecture before the surgery that we wanted her fingers to be "functional" and "pretty" motivated him to pull out all the stops... and he definitely did not let us down!

So to sum up: everything went better than expected and Lex is doing very well. So well in fact, that in the future I am going to request one of those medically induced comas for her... she may not need to rest, but I certainly do! She has adjusted to having a cast with no problems. She truly does not even notice that it's there. It was mere hours after surgery that she was dancing and running around the house like nothing had happened.

We have an appointment on Thursday July 2nd for the cast to come off - and hopefully that will be the end of work on her right hand!

Latest Lesson

While I was in Utah, i felt pretty guilty that David was home alone studying and taking tests. So to ease my conscious and even the score, I made it a point to learn at least one new skill from my mother - and when my mom is involved skill can also be spelled recipe.



So, we undertook chocolate chip bagels - if I can find an acceptable way of fitting chocolate into breakfast, you know I will. And, chocolate chip bagels are pretty much the best kind out there...
Anyway, it turned out to be quite the process. Again, having to be started the night before, allowed to rise in the fridge over night, boiled first thing, and then baked. BUT, man. oh. man...



if this face doesn't say it all... sorry Panera - move over Einsteins - now that I finally know how easy and cheap they are to make at home, my only worry is how much longer my Kitchen Aid is going to put up with my constant use!

Whirl Wind

What a month!
I looked at the calendar this morning and saw that it will be July by the end of the week, and I felt absolutely robbed. I have no idea where June went!
It has been a busy few weeks. Starting with an impromptu visit to Utah so that David could prep for and take the GRE as well as Spring finals. And then having both David's mom and my mom here for a week during Lexi's surgery. Not to mention the surgery itself...
Looking back I don't feel as though I really have been incredibly over burdened. But, at the same time it's not a period I would gladly relive (until November I guess).

thankfully we are on the downhill slide... things are getting back to normal... it's still up for grabs whether that is a good thing or not.

s.y.t.y.c.d.

Yes, in fact she does!

From the beginning Lexi has shown a great inclination towards music and dancing. She seems to need nothing more than a good beat and a captive audience; last night as we were catching up on So You Think You Can Dance, she really got into it!!

It was adorable to watch her twirl around the room. So much so that we forgot to watch the show and were all rivited on her. I'm sure that's not what she was going for at all... boy does she have us figured out.