"You cut me open and I bleed"

Boring picture today. I haven't had too much time to get some photos up. Uncle is here (RKZ's little brother). RKZ and Uncle have been working on the backyard for 2 days. I will be sure to get some pictures just as soon as the swelling in my face goes down.

I had my two lower wisdom teeth out. At least there is no bruising. My face is a little swollen, but I'm really enjoying the pain meds - the surgery was yesterday morning and it was totally uneventful. The backyard is more interesting. I think RK and Uncle are just enjoying being together...and Buck and the dog are also enjoying all of this "manly work." Let's just hope it doesn't rain on them before the sod makes it in!!
Yikes!

"You'll be the finest fellow in the 'Little Britches' parade!"

The Maxwell kids and Buck at the Little Britches Parade

The Maxwells actually have a folding seat that has 6 places (numbered) which are all connected. Very cute.

The parade had some pretty good floats for a small community parade.

Made us miss Huntington Beach and the 4th of July. Got a lot of use out of the "leave it to beaver" parade story.

Emily Maxwell is the eldest in the family. She's an amazing babysitter and also a fun girl. Buck loves her.

Last weekend was really busy for us, so I forgot to post about the "Little Britches" Victoria Day parade that takes place annually about an hour from here in a town named "High River." High River ironically has a river flooding after the 7 days of rain we've just had. That doesn't have too much to do with the parade, but it's worth mentioning, I think. There is actually a lot of flooding around here which the farmers need but our 1/2 finished backyard does not.

I digress (don't I always?)...High River is also the town where a new good friend of mine was born and raised. She now lives here in Calgary with her husband and 6 children. The Maxwell family. My friend's name is Elizabeth and her family is the crowd I use to socialize my only child (ha. ha. Like he needs to learn any more social behavior!). Elizabeth is just a crazy, very fun person & RKZ and her hub are starting to become friends (golf is a God-send for men, I think). So, we went to the High River "Little Britches" parade with their entire family (minus one relatively crabby pre-teen son who had no interest in standing and waiting for candy to be thrown at him).

Here are the pictures.

RKZ's brother, Uncle, is coming at 2pm today. Get ready for pictures every day and the adventure to go with them. RKZ (and all of us) are really excited!

"You'll always be my baby'

2 main topics here: the first is that I was very excited that David Cook won American Idol. I know, it's stupid and a TV show and who really cares? But I loved the way he was able to take older songs and make them sound current. I'm shocked that he won, so I had to mention it here.

The second topic is an article I just read about the pain a fetus feels. This is obviously a sensitive (no pun intended) subject which I don't normally address on this blog. But when I read about the fact that a fetus can definitely feel pain at 22 weeks (this is a medical study, not a political one), I had to put it on the blog. It's important to me (and, I think, to fetuses), and it's my blog. The article is a bit long, but worth it.

Disclaimer over.

Neonatal Pain: Suffering, Pain and the Risk of Brain Damage in the Fetus and Unborn" (Springer) is edited by Giuseppe Buonocore and Carlo Bellieni, who are both members of the department of pediatrics, obstetrics and reproductive medicine at the University of Siena.

The contributions from the large number of experts who contribute to the book agree in affirming that a fetus can feel pain before birth, the two editors explain in their introductory essay. "Recognizing human dignity and human suffering from life in the womb is a clinical duty in the service of better treatment," they declare.

One of the contributions, a joint effort by nine experts, looks at the evidence obtained from ultrasound techniques. The introduction of three-dimensional and four-dimensional ultrasonography has enabled a far more detailed evaluation of the fetus, thus allowing the observation of how it reacts to specific stimuli, they observe.

The uterus is a protected, but not an isolated, environment and touch is the first sense that the fetus develops. By week 10 of pregnancy an unborn child can be observed bringing hands to its head, opening and closing the mouth, and swallowing.

As well, recent experiments show that newborns have functional memory, development of which began in the period before birth. The authors note that, in fact, newborns remember tastes and odors perceived in the uterus and these perceptions might have an influence on future preferences. Sounds, also, are heard by the unborn, including the mother's voice. Newborns have even been shown to recognize music that the mother listened to during pregnancy.

Protagonist

Another joint article examines the specific question of fetal pain. The team of medical experts who authored the piece starts by noting that the unborn child is a protagonist, promoting cellular traffic with the mother, and so the fetus needs to be considered a patient, whose well-being is taken into consideration by doctors.

There is evidence, they observe, that acute or chronic pain, or even prolonged stress, can be dangerous for the fetus, especially if it happens during a critical period of brain development. Possible negative effects range from a lower pain threshold to an increase in age-related memory impairments.

Based on experiments with primates, the article hypothesizes that fetal pain can even impair the functioning of the body's immune system, with long-term implications for infections and autoimmune diseases.

Regarding stress, the authors cite a study on a group of mothers who suffered stress and compared them to a control group. The babies of the stressed mothers were characterized by a lower birth weight, smaller head circumference and a lower gestational age at birth when compared with the babies of the control group.

The authors observe that some medical experts don't consider the fetus can feel pain because it is not conscious, and also because it is normally asleep in the womb. The article on neonatal pain in Buonocore and Bellieni's book reply to this by saying there is considerable scientific evidence showing that fetuses are sensitive to a variety of sensation in the uterus: sound, changes in light, touch and pressure, and changes in balance.

Moreover, even if a fetus were not to recognize pain consciously as we do, it still remains an unpleasant experience for the unborn, they add.

Stress effects

Another chapter of the book looked at other effects of stress on the fetus. Two members of the Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology at Imperial College London, Kieran O'Donnell and Vivette Glover, explain that maternal stress is very much related to the development of the fetus.

In addition, in cases of medical intervention carried out on fetuses there is evidence showing a response to an invasive stimulus from the age of 16 weeks gestation. Even at the age of 12 weeks a fetus will move away if touched. Nevertheless, O'Donnell and Glover admit that we still do not know exactly when the fetus starts to feel pain or when it becomes conscious.

In a concluding chapter, Marina Enrichi urges readers to value prenatal life. A better knowledge about prenatal conditions and the development of the fetus will bring with it a perception of fetal life as something precious, resulting in greater respect for the developing embryo and the woman bearing it, she argues.

One of the consequences of this, Enrichi augurs, is that all of us and society itself will begin to wish to create a more protective environment for the unborn baby and the mother.

Nervous system

The Italian medical experts are not the only ones convinced of the need to pay more attention to the pain suffered by the unborn. On Feb. 10 the New York Times ran a major feature article reporting on the findings of other doctors on this topic.

The article started by citing the experience of Kanwaljeet Anand, who while a medical resident in a British hospital saw the significant harm caused to premature babies when they were operated on without anesthetic. At the time, 25 years ago, doctors thought the nervous systems of the babies were too underdeveloped to sense pain.

Through trials, Anand clearly showed this was not at all the case and that once the babies received anesthesia the mortality rate dropped from 25% to 10%. Pain relief for premature babies soon came to be standard, the article said. Anand continued his observations in this area and noted that babies as young as 22 weeks of gestation demonstrated a reaction to pain even when pricked by a needle.

The consequence of this observation was the consideration that the fetus might feel pain. This became an important question with the development of fetal surgery, since whether the unborn feels pain is an important consideration for the surgeon.

Anand, now a professor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and a pediatrician at the Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock, told the New York Times that he believes fetuses can feel pain by the 20th week of pregnancy, and possibly even earlier.

The article also cited Nicholas Fisk, a fetal-medicine specialist and director of the University of Queensland Center for Clinical Research in Australia. Fisk has carried out research showing that fetuses as young ! as 18 weeks react to an invasive procedure with a spike in stress hormones and a shunting of blood flow toward the brain. This is a reaction also present in infants and adults and is designed to protect a vital organ from threat.

The New York Times article acknowledged that the question of whether the fetus does feel pain has obvious implications for the abortion debate. In fact, medical evidence is showing they do feel pain, and as time goes by researchers are pushing back more and more their estimation of the age at which the fetus is affected by pain.

"And I been working like a dog...."

Introducing, Max!

Max is a Boston Terrier/Lhaso Apso mix.

the word on the street is that he'll stay pretty small (let's hope)

A boy and his dog and his potty

Take 2

You know that first moment that you get a puppy, and you're all happiness and sunshine? One forgets that it will stay up all night crying because it's lonely, that it doesn't know how or where or when to pee and poo, that it chews on everything and jumps up on you with it's sharp little teeth for attention. That your toddler will fear the teeth while simultaneously wanting to constantly play with his new "best friend." One forgets.

One forgets that the same toddler will only want to sleep with the dog. He'll only want to pee and poop with the dog. He'll only want to go places the dog can go and will cry when the dog is "locked in a cage" while one goes out.

That same toddler with take a walk to the local pond, insist that he hold the leash, need to turn in about 20 circles (neither young animal will know how to walk with a leash), and then will subsequently pee his pants because "look, mom! I peed outside like a dog!"

One forgets that he or she (as a new owner) will go to sleep on the 10th night of having the dog and look at their spouse and say, "I was wrong to get a dog...I forgot how much work they are."

In our family, arguments usually end with "Look at how cute I am!" Now, we say that about Max.

"It's a little bit funny..."

Mommy and Buck before the 10K.

Daddy helps Buck see over the crowd (13,000 people!)

A little hug before the race.

Finishing!

Hey!!! We're done!

I know that I've already posted about the run...but here are some more pictures to prove it really happened :)

We are been VERY busy here at the Grady household. I will get some pictures of our finished backyard wall ASAP. The neighbors are calling it the "Great Wall of China." We have huge plans for our backyard - all of which we hope to have finished by the middle of June so that we actually get some use out of it. RKZ's brother, "Uncle" is coming the last week of May and has been "well" informed (according to RKZ) that he will be helping with the primary landscaping. Must be excited to spend a part of his summer doing manual labor with us! We are truly excited to see him. CONGRATULATIONS on graduating from University, Uncle C! You make all of us very proud to know you.

On other big news fronts, it has been in the 80's all weekend. It's Victoria Day weekend here - but everyone calls it "May Long" because there is an extra vacation day (3 day weekend). I like that Canadians use the month in the name because then you never forget when it is. We Americans are constantly forgetting which holiday is Labor (not Labour) day and which is Memorial Day (or maybe that's just me).

Another big piece of news is that we got a dog. See? Backyard=dog. We miss Bailey the Beagle (well, Shawn does) but we don't think he'd come back to us after living in the Shangri La that is the Duke and Duchess' world. I wanted to wait to post about Max until I could get a picture up, but that could be awhile as I have very limited time to grab my camera these days. Max is the puppy, he's 8 weeks old and a Boston Terrier/Lhasa Apso mix. He's tiny and already paper trained - which is more than I can say for Buck.

It's "summer" here now, so we've started down the slippery slope that is potty training. DANG, this is a pain! I'm sure you'll be hearing plenty about poop in the upcoming days. Hope I haven't lost a ton of readers with my delay in posting. I'm back now as the construction is coming to a close and the summer swings into gear.

Now, I'm just looking over my shoulder for a new baby to throw into this insane mix!!
Happy Victoria Day!

"What a wonderful world!"

Before the Mother's Day 10K

After - Still smiling!

We also saw Thomas the Tank Engine yesterday (in the afternoon!)

AND...they began work on the back yard yesterday!

We had a HUGE day in the Grady home yesterday!

First, I ran my first 10K yesterday. It was the "Mother's Day 10K" raising money for the Neonatal Units at the area hospitals. RKZ was our pace setter and we ended up running a 10 minute mile - 7 minute Kilometer. We finished at 1 hour 6 minutes. And the biggest accomplishment is that I didn't walk once (my greatest fear). It was a very fun race!!

In the afternoon, we took Buck to see Thomas the Tank Engine at Heritage Park. Buck loved it, but I'm starting to think that he just loves trains period...not necessarily Thomas as a celebrity.

And during all of this - OUR BACK YARD IS BEGUN! Our driveway is a pile of dirt and our back yard is a giant hole with a digger and a bobcat in it...Buck is in heaven and RKZ is having a great time drinking beers with the workers. I'm just so happy that it's begun and that we'll have a yard this summer.

IT WAS THE BEST MOTHER'S DAY EVER. Now, if we just get a call that there is a baby for us to adopt, I'll probably drop over of a heart attack :)

"A Sign of the Times"

We have the BEST THING EVER in our front yard - a giant digger (with a bucket). The men are in our backyard checking out what they should do and it looks like they'll be starting soon. They freaked me out because they just seemed to appear back there.

The promised start date is early this coming week - I'll keep you posted on our amazing backyard.

Also, we have a few new fun things to post about. Check back later!

"Quando, quando, quando..."

April 25, 08

April 28, 08 Good old Calgary

Happy Cinco de Mayo! If I were as bi-lingual as I want to be, I could write this post in Spanish and make you all look up each word in some dictionary somewhere. But, alas, I am not "bi" anything... :)

(This reminds me of a joke from Steve Martin - a relatively old joke - where he said, "She asked me if I was 'bi' and I said, 'Well, I took a little Spanish in college, but not enough be considered 'bi'." I love Steve Martin.)

Regardless, It's finally "warmish" here and I am still furiously "training" (a lot of quotes today) for the Mother's Day 10K run through downtown. All of those words together actually make it sound much more like a joke. The joke's on me for sure - we'll see if I don't have to walk 5K of it. RKZ is going to run it as well, but he's promised to stay with me, so the joke will really
be on him!! Buck's collar bone seems to be doing alright. He is fully compensating with his "good arm" (as he calls it). It only hurts when one of us forgets and picks him up under the arms. Bummer. Such nominal parenting all around.

"My achey breaky heart/arm/collar bone..."

Bummin' before trip to hospital.

"Arrgh, baby!"

"I broke my collar bone and all I got was this lousy hospital shirt!"

"I broke it right here."

Well, it's not every day that you get your first broken bone.

Clemmie and Buck were "riding" on the teeter totter/see saw. Clemmie doesn't like to push her feet off of the ground and let Buck come down. Buck gets mad and impatient and tries to move around to make the teeter-totter go down. Instead, he falls 3 feet onto his left arm.

Cries for 20 minutes (Buck never really cries when he is hurt).

Cue moms indecision - "do I go to the emergency room or wait it out?" Can move arm but not lift it - after 30 minutes gets up and plays (although whiney). Mom can't lift him up under his left arm. He shrieks and says, "stop! That hurts!"

So, as all nominal mommies will, Mom decides to go home and wait for dad (after calling the doctor who cannot get Buck in until 9am the next morning). Mom calls "health link." The coolest part of Canadian medicine - 24 hour nurses who can assess over the phone.

Nurse assesses "broken collar bone. Should go to hospital." Mom asks - "can I wait until tomorrow so that he can go in rested?" Answer? "no."

Dad comes home - off to hospital. 6:45 assessed by triage. See doctor at 11 pm.
What can they do for "broken collar bone?" Nothing - children's motrin and wait for it to heal for 3 to 8 weeks. Not even a sling.

We did get cool "insane asylum jammies," though. I don't think we were supposed to steal them. I pay enough in taxes for that one shirt, I tell ya.

To review: Buck broke his collar bone and we have to wait for it to heal. The end.