April In The Burbs

A week ago today, Dottie went into surgery to correct her Lambdoid Craniosynostosis .  Craniosynostosis is a condition where one or more sutures of a baby's skull is partially or completely fused at birth.  Dottie happened to have Lambdoid Craniosynostosis, which is the rarest type. Of course she's got to have the rarest of everything! That's our girl. My mama always said, "If you're going to do something, do it right!". I guess Dottie took that piece of wisdom seriously!  During surgery, which is called Cranial Vault Reconstruction , or CVR for short - her head was cut in a zigzag from ear to ear (zigzag scars allow the hair to grow back in a normal pattern and cover the scar), and the fushion is broken. In Dottie's case, a dissolvable plate and rivets were put in to hold her skull in the correct shape until her bone heals in about 4-6 weeks.  Surgery went fantastic, and our baby girl was moved to a regular room on the sur...

Since Dottie had major cranio surgery this past Wednesday, I thought I'd talk a little about having a stress free hospital stay, so here's my top 5 tips for a stress free hospital stay for you or your kiddo.  Dottie with her Nana Kathy before surgery.  1. Bring all of your meds. You'd be surprised how many times you will forget the dosage or name of your medicine, so just bring it all with you so the medic staff will have a clear idea of what your prescription and OTC needs are.  2. If your kiddo is in the hospital, be sure and bring their favorite toy or blanket. This will go far in helping them to relax and feel more at home.  3. Chargers, Chargers, Chargers. Bring them, bring extras and also grab your power bank if you have one. There are typically long hours of doing absolutely nothing in hospitals, so you want your iPad, cell phone or laptop to have plenty of power to get you through your stay.  4. Advocate for yourself/loved one. If you're unsure as to wha...

Since it was our first visit to Universal Orlando Resort in Florida, I had no idea what to expect. I was pleased to find attractions and rides for every age range!  Here are some of our highlights from outer day at Universal Orlando Resort.  First was CityWalk , which is basically an outdoor mall, with tons of places to eat and shop.  There's even a tattoo parlor, Hart & Huntington, where I got my Florida tattoo. It's tradition to get a tattoo at every new state I visit, so Florida as no exception!  Here's my lovely new palm tree, thanks to Ryan Eternal at Hart & Huntington.  Besides the obvious (rollercoasters), one of the things I really loved about Universal Orlando, was all of the awesome photo-ops!  Like these:  These are just a few of the great pictures we took on our outting that day.  There's still so much to share and show, so keep an eye out for my next post about our Florida adventure!  What are some of your favorite thing...

Since I just came back from a wonderful visit to Florida, which included visiting Universal Studios with my mother and a toddler, I thought I would give you guys a list of the top 10 things that I found to be most useful to have to get the most out of your Universal Studios adventure. 1. A poncho. It rains a lot during the summer in Florida (I learned this the hard way). While Uni. Studios sells them in most gift shops for $8 for adults & $6 for kiddos, you can get them at Walmart for .89.  2. A comfy stroller for baby/toddler. One that's a step above an umbrella stroller. Uni. Studios have strollers for rent, but they are all plastic and aren't very comfy for long periods of time.  3. Sunscreen. It's hot and sunny in Florida, so use your sunscreen and don't forget to reapply often.  4. Dry clothes. Either on a ride or when it's raining periodically, you will get wet. Bring something you can change into for the ride back to your hotel.  5. Hand sanitizer. Rides ...