Have you ever heard that shmaltzy, cheesy song that Barbra Streisand sings on one of her CDs? (Yes, I may own a few of her discs. Shut up, she's awesome). It's called "Children Will Listen" and there's lines in it like "Careful the things you saaaaaay, children will listen. Careful the things you dooooo, children will seeeeeeee, and leeeeeeeeearn". Well, turns out Babs knows what she's talking about.
Tate and I went out to run errands today and ended up at Wal-Mart since we had two birthday parties coming up and had to get gifts, cards, etc. I was cruising the parking lot looking for a kickass spot when I spotted a guy getting into his car in a primo location, so I stopped and waited. And waited and waited. Seriously, I think this guy got in his car, took a nap, contemplated the meaning of life, and then shaved his back or something. He took FOREVER. So this is what happens next:
Me: "Come ON, dude! How can you be taking this long?"
Little voice piping up cheerfully from the backseat: "...ya bastard."
Well, crap. I've already heard the kid start yelling at stoplights ("Come on! Turn green!") and just at the general population of cars outside his window when we've stopped for any reason ("PEOPLE! Seriously! MOVE IT"), but this bastard thing was a whole new trick.
I'm afraid he may get it from me.
Now, come on, I know you're all thinking there's no way that any such comments could ever come out of my mouth, but I do employ a healthy bit of road rage now and again. It's good for the complexion. I'm thinking I may have to start keeping it in check, though, before Nora starts spouting profanities at some little old lady in the Buick next to us. I can just see her flipping someone the bird.
Anyway, I realized again today that doing errands and stuff with only one kid as opposed to two is basically like a vacation. One is nothing, y'all. I don't know how I would get so stressed out just getting Tate out the door and to the store or playdates or whatever. One is just one! Tate and I have good times together when we do our weekend erranding. It's nice. We'll chat about the color of the cars in the road, and who his friends are, and laugh when he farts...all the good stuff. What was really fun today was taking him to Old Navy. We walked in the store and he pretty much took off at a dead run, cackling all the way. So I'm chasing after him as he's running through clothes racks and pulling mittens off the shelves, and I can't even do anything but laugh. Just hearing the sound of his sweet, gleeful laughter drifting back to me as he runs makese me happy. Other shoppers were getting a kick out of it too, which was nice. Better they laugh at my kid than glare at him as he tries to pull their kid's ear off the side of his head.
Finally, to end on a more somber note, my friend Jodi's beautiful baby girl Gabby has to go and have surgery to correct the shape of her head, because the plates in her skull didn't fuse correctly. I have cried for this sweet baby, and for her mother, because I cannot fathom what it must feel like to know that you will have to hand over your child to people that are basically strangers, and watch them take that child away from you to go operate. To open her skull. I have no doubt that any mother would rather go through the surgery themselves, ten times over, than to have to subject their children to it.
These doctors of course are extremely skilled, and apprently do one of these types of surgery a week on average, so everything will go well. But this is a baby, a precious little baby, and it's heartbreaking to just think about. So I will continue to pray for Jodi and Gabby, and will be there for them in anything they need. She has a blog of her own, which will chronicle their experiences leading up, during, and after the surgery, which you can find on my link list on the side of my blog. It's called "Gabrielle".
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1 hour ago
I have been following your blog through Alabastermom's link, you are very profound!
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to tell you I believe Jorge Posada from the NY Yankees son had the same surgery as little Gabby if you want to read about it. I wish your friend the best of luck. Laurie
Hope this info helps....
ReplyDeleteABOUT CRANIOSYNOSTOSIS
Craniosynostosis (CS) is one of the most common physical deformities of a newborn, occurring in about 1 in every 2,000 births. CS is a congenital birth defect, characterized by the premature closure of one or more sutures, which causes an abnormally shaped skull. The skull is normally composed of bones which are separated by sutures. These sutures generally close between the first and third year of age. As an infant’s brain grows, open sutures allow them to expand and develop a relatively normal head shape. When one or more sutures close early, it can cause the skull to expand in the direction of the open suture, which can result in an abnormal head shape. In severe cases this condition can cause increased and damaging amounts of pressure on an infant’s growing brain, and if left untreated, it may cause blindness, hearing loss, and/or cognitive problems. For this reason, it is imperative that infants are properly diagnosed and undergo treatment to correct the condition prior to 1 year of age*.
The cause of CS remains unknown. It can be hereditary, it can be caused by a genetic defect, or it can occur sporadically in a family with no other affected relatives, as in the case with Jorge Luis. The primary treatment for CS during infancy is surgery. There are three goals for the surgery: first, to relieve intracranial pressure; second, to assure that the skull has the capacity to accommodate the brain’s growth; and third, to attempt to cosmetically improve the appearance of the child’s head. While the deformity may vary from mild to severe, the psychological effect of a noticeable misshapen forehead, face and head can cause great problems and is an extremely important reason for seeking treatment.