runlindsayrun

Friday Smile

Two smiles, actually - both compliments of my brother :)

1.

2. Before I go to bed tomorrow, I'll have another sister!

Labels: Family

posted by Lindsay @ 8:29 AM 1 comments

Thursday Smile

Yep, it's a day early, but I needed one today.

Here's the video. Enjoy!

In other news... It appears that there was no permanent damage done by my fall yesterday - just some inflammation and tendon issues behind/underneath my kneecap that should correct themselves and a minor rotator cuff injury to my shoulder (plus some scrapes and bruises). YAY. Today was rough, but Geoff was able to take a 'family sick' day to help out. It was a total lifesaver because I could not have lifted Briony today. Here's hoping tomorrow is significantly better, because I'm going to be largely on my own and out in Kleefeld getting ready for the wedding.

Labels: Arthritis/Fibromyalgia, Friday Smile, Stuff I Found Online

posted by Lindsay @ 4:50 PM 1 comments

Stupid

Okay, I don't even want to talk about this, but here it goes.

Today was a no good very bad day. My flare continues, and it led to a little incident this morning - specifically, I fell. It hasn't happened in probably two years, but sometimes when my fibro is especially bad, my leg muscles just kind of stop working. This time was bad, and it was while I was taking a step in a freshly re-gravelled parking lot.

I'm okay, I think. I'm pretty scraped up and I did something bad to my knee and one shoulder (I have an appointment to get that checked out tomorrow morning). I feel incredibly sore, like the aftermath of a car accident piled on top of everything else. But more than anything, I feel stupid.

My scraped-up arm and bruised, scabby knees are going to look FOXY in a sleeveless dress at my brother's wedding this weekend... Sigh. Good thing it's not about me :)

Labels: Arthritis/Fibromyalgia, Can You Handle The Truth?

posted by Lindsay @ 7:03 PM 4 comments

Sleepless in River Heights

UGH. Nothing worse than the point in a fibro flare when I can't sleep anymore. Okay, there are probably LOTS of things that are worse... But right now, I'm feeling pretty frustrated. I have a very full week to get through still - and hopefully even enjoy a little bit. I have visions of not being able to walk at my brother's wedding this Saturday... But that's in God's hands, I suppose.

Labels: Arthritis/Fibromyalgia, Family

posted by Lindsay @ 1:22 AM 0 comments

Cutest Thing EVER

Briony seems to learn something new every day lately... Today's new trick is seriously the cutest thing in the entire world - I think even those of you who are not Briony's parents will agree :)

I've rubbed noses with her since she was little (we call it a 'nose kiss'), and she's started actually coming at me or Geoff for nose kisses, and then smiling and giggling when we oblige. My heart is all melty and happy. I literally had no idea how much joy our baby girl would bring into our lives, even in these tiny little everyday moments.

Labels: Briony, Cool Tricks

posted by Lindsay @ 8:09 PM 1 comments

Babelicious

This past weekend marked the launch of the ChronicBabe Forum, an extension of the website for young women with chronic illness that I've grown to love and rely on for encouragement and inspiration. We now have a space to talk about our experiences and connect with other women like us - which, granted, is not totally unique. What makes this forum special, though, is that this is *not* a place to bitch and whine about being sick, but a place to be positive and share ideas. YAY!

I am so excited. I'll even admit to tearing up as I clicked and browsed some of the profiles of other early forum members... It's such an incredible experience to see evidence that I am *not* alone. Not even close.

If you're a ChronicBabe, be sure to check it out! ChronicBabeClub.ning.com

PS - I found it incredibly strange that, out of the profiles I browsed, SO MANY of them are freelance writers, graphic designers, or something related. Kind of makes you wonder about links between personality and illness, and also about the ability for a woman with chronic illness to manage a full-time office job. Just something I'm thinking about... :)

Labels: Arthritis/Fibromyalgia, Chronic Babe, Stuff I Found Online

posted by Lindsay @ 12:17 PM 2 comments

I &$*#ing Told You So!

Okay, this article is one of the funniest things I've read in a long time. Click to be enlightened on the topic of swearing and its effect on a person's pain threshold.

(This one is for you to remember next January, Nicole... hehe.)

Labels: Stuff I Read

posted by Lindsay @ 11:07 PM 1 comments

Bonus Smile

Today was new MacBook day at the Wright residence. Woohoo! Even this blog looks prettier on a Mac :)

Labels: Nothing Important

posted by Lindsay @ 8:47 PM 1 comments

Monday Secret

Labels: Monday Secret

posted by Lindsay @ 8:06 PM 0 comments

Four Down

Two to go.

I knew when I met him that Geoff was a nurse, and that his job required him to work shifts - always long and sometimes nights. I chose him, and I chose this life. So this is *not* complaining.

Most of the time, it's absolutely fine (actually, now that I'm not a traditional Monday to Friday worker, it's *so* much better than 'fine'). But every once in a while, there's a stretch that gets really tough for me. We're in the middle of one of them... Geoff is working 6 out of 7 nights this week, while Briony has been teething and I have been dealing with a moderate flare-up of my RA/fibro symptoms.

Today was a good day, all things considered. Briony officially has two teeth now, and she was happy and fun again today - and she's managed to sleep really well all the way through Teething Week. But I've been dealing with a base pain level of seven, and that's only sustainable for so long... After more than a week of it, I start to crumble a little bit and lose some of my ability to just power through. I managed to accomplish things today - namely, I cleaned the bathroom, tidied up the kitchen, made a proper dinner, and got some of my homework done. But that was only half of my list, and I'm TIRED. And we still have two more nights (and then a catch-up sleep day) to go.

Okay. Got that out of my system. Now I'm going to go and be happy again - happy and non-productive. I'm thinking about DVD reruns of Arrested Development. And popcorn :)

Labels: Arthritis/Fibromyalgia, Bitching About Nothing, Briony, Can You Handle The Truth?, The Boy

posted by Lindsay @ 8:27 PM 4 comments

Baby In The Mirror

Briony could entertain herself for hours and hours and hours in front of her closet mirror... We missed the part where she was giving the baby in the mirror kisses and rubbing noses with her, but we did get some chatter (and her famous signature dance move about five seconds in).

Labels: Briony, Video

posted by Lindsay @ 3:45 PM 4 comments

Briony & Grandma At The Lake

This one makes my heart smile - two of my favourite people just hanging out and loving being together at the lake last weekend. Watch for the little head dance that Briony does when she's especially happy... And her attempt to tickle Grandma near the end of the video.

Labels: Briony, Family, Video

posted by Lindsay @ 3:41 PM 3 comments

Friday Smile(s)

It's been a tough week. This flare-up has been really rotten, and Geoff is working 6 out of 7 nights in a row. Briony's been working on teeth (two so far!). And I just feel like I'm behind on life in general, with a to-do list that is miles long and unnervingly stagnant. It is Friday, however, and I'm determined to come up with a list of smiles - because even on a tough day, life is so good.

1. Briony woke up happy today. It's been a few days since I've been greeted to happy chatter vs crying in the morning. I'm scared to hope, but maybe we're getting a little break from teeth. I miss my baby.

2. Geoff was home sleeping yesterday, but he totally rearranged his schedule so that he could help me get groceries and get to a meeting in my nasty, flared-up state. And then he watched Briony so that I could get out of the house for a much-needed girls night. Awesomeness.

3. I got to spend yesterday evening checking out Amber's cute new condo and then just hanging out and talking (and talking and talking) with the girls. It was exactly what I'd been needing. And to top it off, they surprised me with gorgeous birthday flowers, which are now sitting on my table and making me happy every time I shuffle through :)

4. My new computer has apparently made appearances in New York and Ontario, and is now officially in Winnipeg. I am *so* hoping that today might be MacBook Day here...

5. For some reason, this cake wreck of Thomas the Train has been making me giggle. A lot.

Happy Friday!

Labels: Amber, Briony, Friday Smile, Going Rogue, My Friends, Stuff I Found Online, The Boy

posted by Lindsay @ 8:29 AM 0 comments

Welcome To Holland

This arrived in my inbox today, and I thought it was beautiful (typos and all). I'm not a parent of a child with a disability, but I am a parent and I was a child with a disability, and I can't imagine how my parents got to be so strong.

-

WELCOME TO HOLLAND

By Emily Perl Kingsley

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."

"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.

But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.

Labels: Arthritis/Fibromyalgia, From My Inbox

posted by Lindsay @ 2:23 PM 5 comments

Because Babies Like To Say Salsa

In another inspired last-minute decision to be brave, I took Briony to Salsa Babies yesterday morning. Yep, Salsa Babies. I know... The idea of ME in a DANCE CLASS is hilarious to me too.

We spent an hour with a bunch of other mommies and babies - our little ones safely strapped into baby carriers and equipped with baby maracas - learning steps to some basic latin dances. SO FUN. And Briony literally could not have enjoyed herself more. She shrieked and squealed her way through the entire class, kicking her feet and giggling at her favourite moves. Our Cuddly Wrap carrier made it really easy, too. I can't believe I could carry all twenty wiggly pounds of her comfortably for an hour.

It was a fun workout for me and an absolute party for Briony. I think we might need to try to scrape together the cash to sign up for a proper six-week session later this summer...

Labels: Briony, Exercise, Mommy Stuff

posted by Lindsay @ 11:18 AM 7 comments

Sale @ Lux

Ooh, looks like Mama's going to be doing a little bit of online shopping today... Lux for Sprouts (my favourite baby store in Winnipeg) has launched their new website - and they're having a sale on baby & toddler clothes this week. Procrastination clearly pays, because Geoff and I were planning to pick up this super-adorable hoodie for Briony last week but hadn't gotten around to it yet. And now it's on sale! :)

Labels: Briony, Great Baby Stuff, Stuff I Found Online

posted by Lindsay @ 10:41 AM 0 comments

Like Waiting For Christmas

Okay, so I'm about to confess a new obsession. This week, my first order of business every morning has been skipping downstairs and checking the UPS website. I'm tracking the delivery of my new laptop - currently scheduled to arrive on my doorstep this Friday. It was in Anchorage, Alaska this morning (I have no idea why), which is not exactly *closer* than its original location of Shanghai, Connecticut (seriously, WHERE?!), but it's on the move and that's what I care about.

It's seriously like waiting for Christmas...



UPDATE 15:35 - Apparently, my laptop is now in Kentucky. What?!

Labels: Going Rogue, Nothing Important

posted by Lindsay @ 9:38 AM 2 comments

Monday Secret

Labels: Monday Secret

posted by Lindsay @ 6:23 PM 1 comments

Not Quite What I Had In Mind

Back in the day - sometime in high school - I can remember having a birthday party that lasted until the wee hours of the morning. As we sat and watched the sun rise on the day after my birthday, I can remember declaring that someday I wanted to be awake for the entire 24 hours of my birthday, to soak up as much birthday awesomeness as I could possibly soak up.

(Erin, does this sound familiar to you at all? I'm pretty sure that you were there. It sounds like an idea just birdbrained enough that we likely cooked it up together - hehe.)

Anyway. I came damn close yesterday, completely by accident. Two rotten nights in a row with a teething baby bookmarking my birthday, plus the addition of a flare-up... Not *quite* what I had in mind :)

Labels: Briony, Erin, Nothing Important

posted by Lindsay @ 3:49 PM 2 comments

Eighteen Candles Later

It doesn't really matter how great your attitude is, or how well-adjusted you are to your situation, or how many times you've been around the block - it is always, always, always hard to deal with a flare-up on your birthday.

I saw this one coming a week away. It was a slow build, and then the downward spiral began as the week progressed. You know that the battle has been lost when you hit that point where you aren't sleeping well at night because of the flare-up insomnia, which in turn causes pain during the day that keeps you awake and unable to nap to catch up. This one has left me feeling exhausted, emotionally spent, and achy from head to toe.

The funny thing is that it never matters as much as I think it will. The weekend arrived and I felt like total crap on the outside, but I was surrounded by friends (the awesome kind, who totally don't care that you're sick). And I was at the lake, which always helps. Geoff and I packed up Briony and headed out there on Wednesday after a quick stop at Assiniboine Park in the morning - Briony's first official trip to the zoo, and our first little Canada Day adventure as a family. We spent three days doing very little other than going for walks and sitting in the sun. I didn't crack the cover of my textbook, but I read an entire 'fun' book from cover to cover. Awesomeness.

On Saturday, my parents showed up for the weekend, and friends arrived in the afternoon to help celebrate my birthday and join us in doing very, very little. We had a great barbecue for dinner and then sat around the campfire before jumping onto my dad's boat to watch the fireworks from the lake (a life experience not to be missed). It was a great birthday party. Geoff had to leave on Saturday after dinner so that he could work today, but Briony and I stayed at the lake with my parents until this evening.

Today was my *real* birthday, and we enjoyed another lazy day, and spent hours laughing at Briony's and all her babbling and giggling. My baby girl was especially silly today. But after we got home, it all devolved into what I can only assume will mean a new tooth in the morning... Just a little reminder that the world doesn't stop just because it's your birthday :)

And here we are, twenty-eight years old. A wife, a mommy, and a woman who is learning a little more every day about who she is, what she is capable of, and what she can contribute to the world. A pretty far cry from the sick little ten-year-old girl who had no clue what her future would hold, and was more than a little scared to even imagine it. I'm pretty sure those dreams involved pain-free birthdays... But I don't think I could ever have predicted so much fullness and joy.

-

In no particular order...

Briony and her grandpa, chilling out at my birthday barbecue. She's always especially thrilled when she does something that makes her feel like a Big Girl :)


Swinging at the beach with mommy.


Asleep during our morning walk on the boardwalk. Add it to the list of beautiful places she's slept. Fortunately, this is one spot that she gets to see awake a lot.


Camping!


First trip to the zoo on Canada Day.


My delicious birthday cake! Not quite the cake wreck I'd hoped for, but it still made me smile :)


Finishing up a feeding with a game of Grandma Peekaboo. Briony *loves* playing with her grandma. Either that or she is just incredibly enthusiastic about eating organic squash ;)


Unbelievably, the best shot I have of Geoff and my brother from the entire day...


A few friends sitting around the campsite, helping me celebrate 28 years of Lindsayness.

Labels: Briony, Family, My Friends, Stuff I'm Thinking About

posted by Lindsay @ 11:21 PM 2 comments