Who is Tired?

Falling apart at the ripe age of....

Shan — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 20:09:00 +0000

As many of you know, I play hockey anywhere from one to three times a week, and I consider myself a pretty active person. For years I have been blaming my issues with breathing during exercise on "just being out of shape." Well I had a particularity bad episode a month back, where I played a game and we were unusually short handed. I was already having shortness of breath and coughing by the end of the first period, but I pushed on. By the time the game was over my chest hurt, I felt like I had water in my lungs, it was hard to breath and I had a wheeze that sounded terrible. The tight chest and wheezing lasted for a few days. At this point, I went into the docs, and they decided I had exercise induced asthma. This was quite a shock to me because I have been dealing with this since before high school. I always just thought I was out of shape and that is why my chest hurt.

I then ended up going to the allergist for further testing, and although I don't have allergies, (contrary to past diagnoses) he agreed that I do most likely have exercise induced asthma. They gave me a breathing test and my normal breathing volumes are more then they expect for someone my size, therefore, I don't show any signs of chronic asthma. This is the good news. The bad news is I have non-allergic rhinitis. No big deal, got some drugs that are helping with that. So I feel like a walking pharmacy with all of the new drugs I am on to deal with my lack of allergies but hypersensitive system, and the inhaler I take so I don't have an asthma attack when I am playing sports.

I can't believe the difference the inhaler makes I mean it is literally day and night between when I take it and when I don't. It makes me feel really dumb for not going in and dealing with it in high school when I started really being hadicaped by it. I just never imagined that my issues running and playing sports could possibly be because of asthma. You live you learn.

Update

Shan — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 18:55:00 +0000

My allergy may not be just an allergy after all. I had some lab work run and right now it looks like my thyroid is a bit off. How much off I don't know.... but my white blood cell count is high also.... I am concerned that I may have a hyperthyroid issue which would explain a lot, including the rash. I should know more over the next few weeks, and will keep everyone up to date.

So fricken itchy..........

Shan — Sat, 10 Jun 2006 19:01:00 +0000

So over the past week I have learned that I am now allergic to the sun. I have a ton of allergies and luckily most of them present themselves in a manner that I am able to live with. During the spring when the trees are pollenating, my eyes itch and I have a runny nose. I can deal with that. I am allergic to penicillin and sulfa drugs; when I take these I turn into a red, itchy, swollen mess, which is a pretty serious reaction. So to say the least, I don't take these drugs, and therefore I can deal with that. But to turn into a swollen itchy mess just because I took my kids outside to play, that is where I draw the line.

Apparently my snow white skin that I inherited with pride from my Scandinavian heritage, really doesn't like the sun much. I have always known that my skin was fair, so that really isn't a big surprise. I burn to a crisp in the time it takes to tie a shoe if I don't wear sunscreen, and for me getting a tan is a joke. I just burn, peal, and turn white again. But with all of this I never expected to be this sensitive to the sun on this level. I should have known it was going to happen since my mom is also allergic to the sun but I always thought she had more fair of skin then even I did. How wrong I was.

So where do I go from here........ will I finally turn into a vampire and curse the sun..... Unfortunately not. With Jas and Kai having so much energy to burn and a dog who needs exercise I will be braving the outdoors just as much as ever. I now just need to figure out how to still stay out of the sun at the same time. Sunscreen and big hats will have to become an addition to my checklist for leaving the house.

Oh My how did THAT happen

Shan — Tue, 09 May 2006 13:06:00 +0000

There was a women's hockey league started up this summer and I decided to play, although it came with great pain to do so. I, like my father before me and his mother before him, am an a-social person. In other words I am painfully shy, and don't like to be around people I don't know, so for me, to join this summer league was very tough decision. I was faced with two choices: First, I could choose not to play hockey this summer because the only other evening there was hockey available to me, Chris plays hockey at the same time and since one of us has to stay home with the kids that clearly wasn't an option. The second choice was buck up and join this league. So not wanting to have another summer where my skills fell further behind the rest of my team, I decided to bite the bullet and toss myself into the game.

I ended up being on team with three other people from the women's team I play on in the winter easing my stress levels a bit. I was very nervous the first game we played because I really have only been skating for two years and I had a break between those two years because I was pregnant with Kai at the time. The league includes women and some beginner men from all over Madison and the surrounding areas. By the end of the game I was in the rhythm of the game and enjoying it very much. I am glad I made the choice to play this summer. And even more exciting is that I am on a team that has won two games. You may be asking why is it a big deal that I am on a winning team. The answer to that is, although I play on a women's team during the winter that I wouldn't trade for the world, we have never won a game in the two years I have played with them. It isn't that we are that bad at the game, it is that almost everyone on the team hasn't played for more then a couple of years and all of the teams we play have fairly experienced players.

So to sum it all up, I am enjoying playing on this summer league with the added perk of actually winning a game or two.

Glutton for punishment......

Shan — Sun, 23 Apr 2006 14:26:00 +0000

I am really not a glutton for punishment, but it seems I always seem to act like one. Not only do I have a two year old who is in the full swing of the terrible two's, a ten month old who really hates to be put down or when he does want to be put down he wants to be free, but now added to all of that I have a 12 week old puppy who knows nothing. The puppy falls between Kai and Jasmine as far as understanding what he is being asked to do. Chris and I basically jumped into having another child when we decided to get this dog. I am not complaining but man I don't know how people with more then two children do it. Just when you get one of them set up the other is into something or wanting something. It is impossible to get anything done unless you do it when they all are sleeping....... but that doesn't work because you usually crash too from burn out.

Oh well what is one to do. We are starting the slow process of trying to make this house a home, banishing any white walls we can in favor of a color palette of earthy tones inspired by the rich teracotta colors of the western United States, and bright flowers from the garden. We have lived in dorm rooms, apartments, houses, and condos over the last seven years of our lives in which we were only allowed sterile white walls and I just couldn't do it any longer. Most people are afraid of color, they won't put it on the wall for fear they won't like it, and what I say to that: "paint is cheap."

At least spring has sprung here, although it has had a rainy start to the season. It is so nice to be able to get the kids out in OUR yard. OUR yard, OUR house, OUR garage, it still sounds very strange to refer to us owning this place. Spring and summer are always a welcome part of the year to me, not only because I hate being cold and that tends to be a constant state for me during the winter, but because it allows Jasmine to really get outside and burn off all of that energy a two year old has. Mom and Dad got Jasmine and Kai a swing set for a house warming gift and is she really loving it.

Well I suppose I should get unpacking since there is a plethora of boxes everywhere.

Current project

Shan — Wed, 22 Feb 2006 17:49:00 +0000

After 10 years of not picking up a paint brush, I decided to start trying my hand at watercolor
painting again. This is the resulting picture. It has a long way to go before it is done but I don't think it is too bad for my first serious try after that may years.

Chris and I are house hunting right now. Talk about a stressful adventure. I will just be happy when we get into something we can both live with. After seeing Jasmine with our cousins dog, Harley, I think we will be making that investment soon after we get a house. That dog actually wore her out and visa versa. Now we just have to decide what type of dog is right for our family.

I am just excited about getting into a house. It will be nice not to have to worry about how loud Jas is being and if she is disturbing the neighbors.

One down fifteen more to go...

Shan — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 18:37:00 +0000

Kai got his first tooth today....Yay. Jasmine also has a first to report. She got her first haircut/ trim yesterday. Her curls were getting into her eyes so they got a trim. And more good news Baby Leo may be able to come home today.

Baby Leo

Shan — Thu, 15 Dec 2005 15:14:00 +0000

My brother and Sister in law just had their second child last night. Leo was born four weeks early, and at just under six pounds he is just tiny. Because he was premature he is having breathing problems and is on a respirator. He will be transferred from Rhinelander to Marshfield today to be in an NICU (or IICU depending on what they call it there). Although he has had a little bit of a hard start, he should come out of this just fine and Kai will have a playmate as they get older. My thoughts a prayers go out to my brother and sister in law that they stay strong through this rough time.

Kai gets baptized

Shan — Sun, 13 Nov 2005 19:31:00 +0000

Today Kai had his baptism and a large amount of the family came down from Rhinelander, over from Milwaukee, and up from Madison and Chicago. I was pleased to see so many came to join us on this special day. Mom, Dad, Sean, Paula, David, Carissa, and my Aunt and Uncle all stayed in a hotel last night. We had a good time watching Jasmine, Mel, and Hannah all chase each other around last night. The fun started when we all went out to eat at the Log Cabin in Baraboo. David found an inch worm on his person and showed the girls and they were thrilled with the little creature. The worm was set free and we ran back to the hotel to get the kids in the pool. The girls all went for a swim and seemed to enjoy themselves. Jasmine is doing so well with the water; she can be dunked and doesn't panic about it, which will help when it comes time to teach her how to swim.

Kai took the baptism well no crying or fussing, just quiet observation came from those little blue eyes of his. Mom says he is an old soul like my father and I, but only time will tell if that is true. He is such a good baby. I can only hope that Paula has a boy in January so he will have someone to play with too, Jasmine and Mel are so close in age they play really well together. There will be the same age gap between the new addition and Kai, so I am really hoping she has a boy.

I spent the last week in Rhinelander while Chris got to go to his conference (vacation) in Vegas. I didn't get as much done as I would have liked to but so it goes when you have two children. I decided to leave our cat Tim there for my parents to deal with for the next week or so before we come back up for Thanksgiving. The cat is neurotic if we leave him alone for any amount of time and traveling is stressful for him, so we decided it would be best for him to visit his other cat pals for the two weeks we are gone. Hopefully he doesn't eat my parents out of house and home. He out weighs all of their cats by at least five to twelve pounds depending on which cat you compare him to.

Mom threw her back out at the beginning of the the week so she was in a large amount of pain the whole time I was home. I wish I could have been more of a help, but there wasn't much I could do other then try to keep Jasmine from killing her back worse. In the last few years almost every time my mom has been sick or hurt herself I have just happened to be home to help out a little bit. I suppose it is kind of like her coming down here just before I had Kai and then me going into labor. It was the best possible situation she could stay here with Jasmine and take care of her while we were gone. It is funny how it seems to work that way with my mom and I.

Upon Chris's Request

Shan — Tue, 15 Nov 2005 16:24:00 +0000

2 names you go by: Shannon, Momma

2 parts of your heritage: If by heritage it means family background then Danish and Scandanavian

2 things that scare you: Death of my children, or husband

2 things you are wearing right now: Monapoly pants, white T shirt

2 of your favorite bands or musical artists (at the moment): Revis, Shinedown

2 favorite songs (at the moment): There are too many to list

2 things you want in a relationship (other than real love): Humor, trust, and a list of other things

2 truths: Time goes by too fast, and having children is the hardest job you will ever have

2 physical things that appeal to you (in the opposite sex): Have to be taller then me, and better be stronger then me; I never wanted someone I could win a wrestling match with

2 of your favorite hobbies: Do I have to pick two? Cross stitch, and hockey

2 things you want really badly: A house and a house

2 places you want to go on vacation: I just want a vacation

2 things you want to do before you die: Retire with enough money to not have to worry about things, See more of the United States

2 ways that you are stereotypically a dude/chick: I can tell you two ways I am a tom boy: I play hockey, and I have little to no interest in make up or shoes or anything much that a sterotypical woman/ chick are interested in.

2 things you are thinking about now: What my daughter is into..... and whether she is going to hurt herself doing it or not.

2 stores you shop at: The food store, and the other store that also has food

2 people you would like to see take the quiz: I don't know anyone who blogs so no one else

Roll with it baby

Shan — Thu, 20 Oct 2005 13:38:00 +0000

Kai has started to roll from both front to back and from back to front, so he has an archaic form of moving from one place to another now. Yet another big milestone hits the dust....... it is funny to watch him because he doesn't always end up where he wants to go. You can just tell by the look he gets on his face if he has accomplished his goal or not.

Two years

Shan — Fri, 16 Sep 2005 13:48:00 +0000

Dear little Jasmine is two years old today. I am not sure where all the time has gone, just yesterday it seems I was cuddling a baby. She has already changed a lot during this time; counting, talking, and not just walking but climbing and jumping make her miles away from where she was even a year ago. Having Kai, who is at just the begins of awareness, and then seeing Jasmine who has come so far makes me appreciate where they both are. I savor Kai being a baby and look forward to the new developments Jasmine shows everyday. I miss Jasmine being a baby, who in comparison to a two year old, was easy in many ways. Of course I am rememering those days with rose colored glasses because Jasmine wasn't an easy baby and I don't think I was ever as sleep deprived as I was with her, so perhaps these days are easier in some ways.

Ah weddings with a baby.....

Shan — Mon, 12 Sep 2005 04:16:00 +0000

Chris and I attended My cousin David and his new wife, Carissa's, wedding this past weekend. It was a beautiful event that went off without a hitch. I wish them the best of luck in their joint journey through life. I can only hope they can make it through the rocky times that happen in any relationship. Chris and I enjoyed an evening with just one baby who I can' t part with for any amount of time not only for his happiness but for my own. Ah the joys of breastfeeding. But it was nice to have an evening where we didn't have to worry about our two year old and what she was into. A big thank you goes out to Chris's mom for that evening.

Kai was pretty good over all at the wedding, after a little crankiness he fell asleep so I could take pictures. He was also pretty good at the reception although we learned he doesn't like loud music, so we headed upstairs once the dance started and visited with my Uncle Mike and his wife Kathy. I enjoyed playing pass the baby because he is darn heavy after holding him all day. I think he weighs about 17 or 18 lbs now so he is getting to be much when I have to carry him all day.

It is funny to think that Chris and I got married that young. I actually think getting married young is an advantage as long as you can hold out the first few years. Being married young allows you both to grow up together, which I feel brings you closer together, but you have to be able to handle the stress at the beginning. Of course I am a little biased about it because my parents were married young and they are still very happy together.

On another note we are starting to move Jasmine into her own room now which is an interesting venture considering our spare bedroom has currently been used mainly for storage.

A week of Firsts

Shan — Tue, 30 Aug 2005 19:41:00 +0000

This has really been a week of firsts around this house. Jasmine started off the week by counting to ten all by her self while she was gathering her clay back into one pile. Each piece she counted carefully as she smashed it back in to the collective pile. Then today my little man Kai learned he could roll himself over from his stomach to his back and now he is having fun avoiding tummy time.

How big is he?

Shan — Mon, 22 Aug 2005 18:05:00 +0000

We took Kai to the doctor this morning for a routine check up and to get his shots and he is 24 inches long and 15 .5 lbs. That puts him above the 95% for both, which translates to he is a chunker. I can't believe he has grown that much already.

Jasmine has quite a love of her little brother. I have so many stories to tell about those two already it is scary. She is very protective of her brother as an older sister should be. If anyone besides family tries to hold Kai she often very firmly says "No don't touch". She wants to help as much as she can with little Kai, if he is crying in the car she tries to put his nuk in his mouth and if the nuk isn't around she is totally willing to donate her finger for him to suck on. Now I don't like this much but she thinks it is one of the funniest things in her little world. Unfortunately she has been totally willing to steal his nuk if her own isn't around.