Tide Pools

This afternoon, B and I went and checked out one of our favorite beaches. We needed some more sand for his sand box and it was nice, though a bit chilly, to get out of the house. We were surprised that the tide was out further than it had been the other times we had visited and there were plenty of tide pools to explore. We saw tons of hermit crabs and some anemones.



After exploring the tide pools for a few minutes and showing B all the hermit crabs, I went back up to the beach and collected just a few shells. B joined me and noticed that there were quite a few broken pieces of the type of shell that the hermit crabs live in. So he started collecting those.



Then we went back to the tide pools to look around some more and I took a few pictures with my phone. Meanwhile, a few feet away, B was busy collecting more hermit crab shells in his little cup- only these still had the crabs! When I went over and noticed what he was doing, I explained to him that we couldn't take the crabs home with us because their home was the ocean; they needed it and they wouldn't be happy at our home because we don't have the ocean.



He argued only a tiny bit and then immediately seemed to grasp what I was saying. I was a little surprised at how quickly he agreed and began helping me gently return them to the water. It was a proud moment.

All in all, a good day.

Dinosaurs at the Aquarium

So, GH was desperate for some "alone time" this afternoon so he could get some work done at home...and B really needed some quality time outside our home. He just has so - much - energy!!! It is amazing really.

Anyway, we headed once again to the Aquarium. Our yearly membership runs out at the end of this month and we aren't planning to renew, so we are trying to pack in the visits.

We enjoyed a walk along the shoreline before we headed inside. The weather was just so lovely it was impossible to resist. Then we had to move our car because we were at a 2 hour meter- which also meant we had to find change - which in turn meant we had to find cash, something that rarely makes an appearance in my wallet.

This meant a lot of walking back and forth and back again. Advantage- used a lot of B's excess energy. Disadvantage- required a lot of energy that I was rapidly running out of.

Eventually, we made it to our original goal, with only one tear-shedding incident- that was me, when B mercilessly yanked my hair in both hands as he was "helping" feed the meter. Yeah.

Anyway, we made it, and I was mercifully not bald (I double-checked in the bathroom).

I asked what he wanted to see first and he immediately said "otters," so we headed that direction, with a slight detour at one of the large tanks that has several sharks, rays, tuna, etc. Very cool.

When we got over to the otter area, it was the end of their feeding/play time, so we watched for a few minutes. As we walked back downstairs, B said "Dinosaur!". Huh? I turned around and spotted this whale skeleton.




So I explained that although it resembled a dinosaur skeleton, it was actually a whale skeleton, all the while going over in my mind how he had even drawn that conclusion. He has never been to a museum with a dinosaur skeleton that I remember, certainly not in any recent months. The only dinosaurs he's ever seen that I am aware of have been either on "Curious George" - who does often go to museums with dinosaur skeletons - cartoon dinosaur skeletons, and on "Dinosaur Train," another PBS cartoon, but it does have a paleontologist at the end, and perhaps shows skeleton photos sometimes?

In conclusion, my mind was pretty much blown away by this little incident. It was without a doubt the highlight of the past 2 days for me.

Not so good start to the new year

So, I was hoping to shortly announce that we were expecting a little brother or sister for B, due in August. But instead I am currently going through a miscarriage. Ugh.
We had our first doctor appointment on Dec 9th and she didn't see anything in the embryonic sac. But actually, even before she looked she had said not to worry, because it was so early we may not see anything...but she had me go and check hormone levels. They seemed ok. The first day was 2400 and 2 days later, 4000. She expected to see the embryo by around 5000, and since the day we had gone to the dr was the 2400 day, things still seemed to be on track. I started getting the same symptoms I had had with our son and everything.
Our hopes and plans were blown apart however at our next visit. On Dec 23rd (really bad timing by the way), we went back and she still couldn't see anything in the sac. She started saying different things and then words like "blighted ovum" (which innocent me had never even heard of) and "miscarriage". What? No this can not be happening. I started to tear up but I was still in shock. I still had hope. Somehow.
Something strange that helped me was actually that the same tech was there that afternoon, right after we got that news, to take the blood for hormone levels. He had also taken it the previous 2 times, but at a different lab location. So I was shocked to see him, but we had shared small talk before, and now tears were just streaming down my face. I had to go to get the blood taken at the same hospital where we had had such a wonderful birth experience 2 years before with our son. And here was this stranger that I had only seen 2 other times. I told him, "It doesn't look good." Of course, he could probably tell that by the tears. Anyway, he took me back to draw the blood and he shared his personal story about how he and his wife had experienced the same loss and gone on to have 3 girls. I appreciated his kindness. That was the first thing that made me feel even slightly better.
I feel like God brought us together somehow. It was just a really strange coincidence to me that he was there at the other lab the 1st 2 times and then at the hospital lab that last time. Anyway, sure enough the numbers were high- 17000. Which was very bad news, since she still hadn't seen anything on the u/s.
During the next week, I had to go through the motions of the holidays without feeling like it at all. My parents were visiting. We all got sick.
But through it all I still had some crazy hope that my doctor, as much as I respect and love her was wrong somehow. I went back and looked at the early u/s pictures of our son. And I counted the weeks...the first one was at 6.5 weeks, and he was just a tiny dot, no heartbeat. On average, they expect to see a heartbeat on the u/s by 6 weeks. We didn't see it until the next u/s, which was at 9 weeks, 1 day. At the u/s on the 23rd, I was exactly 8 weeks. And my cycles are much longer than average, so maybe, just maybe I thought, she's wrong. I haven't had any cramping, no spotting, nothing. She must be wrong. I went over it, again and again. I googled "blighted ovum" and found stories of women who said they had had their doctors tell them the same thing only to see the baby at a later appointment.
We "celebrated" our 9th wedding anniversary on the 30th. Then, on the 31st, the spotting began. Just a tiny speck, but there. So I knew. No matter how exact my calculations, they couldn't change the truth. I just never thought this would happen to me. I have only been pregnant once before, and my son is healthy, the pregnancy was fairly easy- I did have gestational diabetes, but it was easily managed through diet. So how could this be happening?
I really couldn't talk about this with anyone at first, but when the spotting started, I decided to share what was happening on my facebook page and I have received so many messages of support and love and prayer. It has really helped me.
Writing this also helps I think.
I am slowly starting to have hope again. For the new year, that it may actually turn out decent after all.
I am never going to innocently trust the "pregnant" reading on a pregnancy test again though. In fact I was so angry at first that I told my husband I was never going to take one again because they just lied; that I would just wait and then make the appointment with the dr and see on the u/s what was happening. I may still do that actually. It is so painful to have been wanting this for more than a year and trying for several months, finally seeing that "pregnant"!! Only to find out weeks later that it isn't so.
We are going back to my dr on Friday. I have many questions, such as, can they tell the sex by what is left (chromosomally)? What does she think the chances are that the embryo had already stopped developing by the time I took the pregnancy test? When can we start trying again??? etc.
I will update hopefully with better news in the coming months...

Aquarium Saturday

So, we went to the local aquarium last weekend (and again yesterday, as a matter of fact).
B had an awesome time.
The admission fee however is outrageous! They wanted $60 for my husband and I for 1 visit!! Crazy.
The membership fee for one whole year for our family was only $120, so it wasn't a difficult decision to go ahead and do this. Thus the second visit yesterday- B and I went; what a great way to spend the day! Now I have another fun option to spend time with him.
The aquarium we visit is world renowned, thus eternally packed on the weekends. The trick to going during the week as I discovered by accident yesterday is to get there around 2-2:30pm (or around 1ish if you're planning to eat lunch there like we did). That way, the school kids on field trips are all headed out already. It seemed as crowded as on the weekends when we first arrived around 1pm, but by the time we finished our lunch, we had the place to ourselves!! We spent time at several exhibits completely alone; we absorbed all the fishy goodness at our leisure.
It also helps if you find a "miraculous" parking place like we discovered last Saturday. We happened upon a 12 hour meter only blocks from the aquarium (and hey I don't mind walking a little-nice bonus exercise!) that is apparently broken and is forever "green"!! Wow. And yes, it still worked yesterday. We paid not a cent for parking.
All in all, we have been thoroughly enjoying our watery outings, and highly recommend you go check out your local aquarium as well!

Cool Comet Will Be Most Visible at the End of this Month

Last night was particularly bad. B was up at midnight, 2 am, and I am not sure how often after that. We all got up at about 6:30 am, an hour earlier than usual. At least it's Friday. Also, breakfast has been almost impossible this week for him. No idea what the problem is. Is he not hungry? Does he not like any of the food choices offered? Blueberries were formerly one of his favorite foods, but lately he has shown a pickiness about food textures, and the skins of things like blueberries really seem to bother him. It has been very frustrating and I am hoping that good husband (GH) will handle breakfast this weekend (nice Valentine's Day present?)

Speaking of which, we each picked out our own presents this year. So much easier. Clothes for me, wine for him.
We both like what we got!! :)

In other cool scientific news, I read about this in our local weekly paper this morning:

Comet Lulin will be most visible near the end of February. It is interesting especially because of its greenish color.

Here's to good viewing (we won't be sleeping anyway, so why not try to see something unique while we're up)! ;)