Back to the surgeon

Muffin was born at 35 weeks gestation. We were very lucky because he had no problems at all. As soon as my epidural had worn off I was able to hold him in my arms. Apart from a few hypoglycemic episode the day following his birth due to my gestational diabetes, this was a healthy and normal baby.

When he was about 2 months, his dad started commenting on how little his weewee was. On closer inspection it was actually his scrotum that was overlarge. We didn't think too much of it attributing it to lingering pregnancy hormones but when he turned 3 months we could see that something was definitely not right: his right testicle was 3 times the size of the left one which itself was very much enlarged.

During a trip to the ER for a respiratory infection, the doctors diagnosed 2 hydrocele cysts (one in each hemiscrotum) and an inguinal hernia which they pushed back in. They told us that Muffin would need surgery within a week. When we returned to the hospital a few days later, the surgeon said that he could no longer feel the hernia and that they woudn't operate the hydrocele cysts until Muffin was a year old because most resorb by themselves within the first year. He said we could come back when Muffin turned 6 months for a check up if we wanted.

Hydrocele cysts when fluid pools around the testicle. During the eighth month of pregnancy, the testicles move from the abdomen into the scrotum. When the testicle travels downward, it brings a sac with it. The sac allows fluid to surround the testicle. This sac usually closes before birth, and the fluid is absorbed in the body. Sometimes the sac doesn't close, or it closes but the liquid doesn't get re-absorbed.

For more info you can go to:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hydrocele/DS00617/DSECTION=3
http://www.childrenshospital.org/az/Site867/mainpageS867P0.html
http://www.embryology.ch/anglais/ugenital/patholgenital04.html#hernie

It turns out that hydrocele cysts are extreemely common in premature boys and even though my little Muffin was born weighing 9 lbs 10 oz he was still 5 weeks early. Over the past 6 weeks the cysts have grown. His right testicular sac is now close to the size of a tennis ball. The right cyst extends all the way back up the inguinal canal but it is the non-communicating because it does not shrink when you press on it.

We just got back from his 4 month old well baby appointment and the pediatrician says that in his 40 years of experience he has never seen such a large cyst. He actually called the surgeon directly and insisted that he see us as soon as possible. So we are going back to the hospital next Tuesday morning.

Honestly I am very torn about this issue. Part of me wants the surgeons to operate asap so my little boy can go back to normal as fast as possible, but part of me would much prefer to avoid surgery with its nasty anesthesia chemicals and inevitable fasting. I guess I will have to wait and see what the surgeon says on Tuesday morning.

The Evolution of Toddler Tornadoes

Why do toddlers and preschooler have so much energy?

I mean if I was designing things I would give super energy to mothers in their 20s and 30s who have to deal with a husband, multiple kids, a job, a house to take care of, etc...

I look at my 3.5 year old running circles around our kitchen island in the morning. As he slows down I encourage him to run some more (I know it's mean but hey that's the only way I get to have my tea). I keep wishing I could just harness some of that energy for me. Somehow balance things out so that he has less and I have more... and then my mind wandered....

... and I thought: maybe there is an evolutionary advantage to having hyperactive toddlers. Maybe the only toddlers that would survive would be those that were active enough to keep up with the moving tribe on their little legs. I know Espen sometimes wishes that Kitten would stop jumping everywhere and I can easily imagine 100,000 years ago Cave Espen trying to leave Cave Kitten behind. Even as Kitten's mother I have to admit that sometimes I have moments where I also wish I could leave him behind (fleeting moments but still).

But of course this Cave Kitten could definitely outrun and outlast all of our Cave family: he definitely is my Energizer Baby :-)

Fortune Cookies for Mothers

As I was putting Kitten to bed while nursing Muffin last night, I was thinking about fortune cookies (don't ask me why). You know the ones with the universal truths which are applicable to pretty much anyone (yes yes the ones which become a whole lot funnier if you add "in bed" at the end of them). Well I was thinking that someone could make some specially designed for mothers since I know that mothers experience some of the same things regardless of where they come from.

Here is an example:

"You will feel inadequate"
"You will wonder why you can't figure out why your child is crying hysterically"
"You will wonder whether you could have done things better today"
"...whether you could have given your kids more attention"
"...whether you could have raised your voice less often"
"...whether you have scarred them for life"
"...whether they will end up being mass murderers and blame it all on you"

As for the last one we all know that we will get blamed (well hopefully not by mass murderers). That's because no matter how hard we try we cannot perfectly meet everyone's needs at all times simply because this is impossible. Such as when you are reading your preschooler a bedtime story and your infant keeps unlatching from your boob and screaming bloody murder. It is simply impossible to meet the needs of both kids at the same time in that situation so you end up sticking your youngest's face in your boob (he misses the nipple and thus latches on with the strongest suck you can ever imagine on another part of your boob causing you to scream out in pain), you then fumble and close the book, losing the page you were reading so your oldest then screams out in indignation because he can no longer "see the story" (like he hasn't memorized each image of the book since this is the 468th time you have read this story in the past week!). So basically you end up with 2 frustrated kids and feeling completely inadequate and guilty... in bed ;-)

Maybe one day you will find a grandmother fortune cookie which will tell you:
"You will find peace with all your parenting flaws because you will see your children going through the exact same things. It's called LIFE." I wish all of us that wisdom, I just have a feeling it does take a lifetime to get there.

Only in Womanland

Only 2 women could have the following conversation:

Woman #1: Happy New Year! How have you been?

Woman #2: Actually I had the worse stomach flu: I lost 7 lbs in the past 2 days.

Woman #1: Wow! That's great. I wish I could have caught it.

One of the most popular New Year's resolutions is to lose weight. Of course it is one of mine too: to try to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight... that would be the weight I weighed before Kitten was born, though I would be happy if I can be back to my pre-Muffin weight before our beach vacation in May.

Yes I did have a small bout of a stomach flu over the holidays and was very grateful since it did help me lose 4 lbs very rapidly. I mean honestly what's a little pain and discomfort when it gives that kind of result. It certainly has advantages over sweating it out at the gym or starving yourself on yet another salad: it has quick results and you don't have to do much apart from lie around and not do much (ok so maybe not the easiest with a 3.5 year old and a 4 month old but still). Maybe I should start a company: Lose weight fast: Send now for a sample to contaminate yourself with a benign gastrointestinal virus. Garanteed results in 24 hours!

However disturbing that may be I know quite a few friends who would probably jump at the opportunity... including the friend above with whom I had a conversation this morning ;-)

Happy New Year!