First family trip to Disney.  This was Zoe's first ride ever and was so much fun.  More pics to come later but wanted to share this.

Reaching with your mind

And literally, not in the Jedi sense (sorry, honey). Zoe was drawing on her easel tonight and wanted me to draw something for her to color. So I drew a big tree. I'll admit, I drew it big to keep her busy so I could hopefully hear the end of my TV show. No such luck, but listening to her was better.

I hear her saying "MOM! I can't reach the top of the tree to color it". So I made my way to the kitchen, and see that she's added to the picture.

"What is that, Munchkin?"
"It's a ladder, Mommy"
"What is it for?"
"To reach the top of the tree to color it."
Even though she's only 4, I'm pretty sure the "DUH" was implied.

Thrift stores

Pinterest is the new addiction of just about everyone I know, you can find ANYTHING there. I have been looking into a lot more repurposing old clothes tutorials. And I've been hitting our local Goodwill stores which, oddly enough, have become my new favorite shopping location. Even if I "splurge" and buy everything I want, I'm out like $15 bucks. Love it.

And I have 2 dresses and 2 shirts to work with. The dresses I bought for the fabric only, to deconstruct and do something else with. The shirts I will be using the bones of but turning them into dresses for Zoe. Oh, I also bought 2 ties to use as belts/ribbon trim. SO can't wait to get sewing.

Did I mention I only know how to sew straight lines? Feel free to laugh, I'm off to spend about an hour fighting with the bobbin and shuttle!

Fairy party

Pictures to follow, when I find my stupid camera.

Zoe had a ball at a friend's Fairy Fabulous Party. Really, if anyone is looking for a good place for a girl's party...The Klumsy Moose in Chesapeak really cannot be beat. They do EVERYTHING. On the agenda for the party:
1.Paint fairy wand, complete with glitter
2. Get nails painted
3. Pick out fairy dress
4. Dance and sing while waiting your turn
5. Get face painted
6. Get hair put into fairy updo
7. Eat CAKE, drink party punch from disposable wine glasses (for 4 year olds! And no one spilled a single drop)
8. Got her fairy name and wings, sprinkled with fairy dust.

All that in 2 hours. These girls rock!

She's being chased by a bee

I keep hearing her say:

"Mommy, help me! There's a bee chasing me, it's going to get me!"

So I go to the kitchen to prepare for battle, thinking "bees in February??" She's running around the kitchen, and now the living room, holding a yellow letter B behind her and running from it!

"Hurry, mom, I'm allergic to bees!" She's not, don't know where she picked that up, and even if she was, pretty sure this one won't hurt her!

Just laying around

Zoe's got the "big TV" watching Olivia On Demand. She just randomly says "I'm SO proud!!!" And I asked her "What are you most proud of baby".

"You".

Gulp. Honey, I'm most proud of you.

The loop

It's been too long. Lots of changes. Just the girls lately and all is going well on the facial graft front.

I have stopped physical therapy...once the muscle and nerve officially made friends, it wasn't necessary. I forgot for awhile, but I am a clencher/grinder at night. So, pretty much, the muscle was getting 6-8 hours of exercise a night just from my sleeping. I would wake up in the morning looking like the Joker...face all jacked up on one side. About a month or two of that, and thankfully it has subsided some.

I have learned how to get the muscle moving even when I'm not "gritting my teeth". Pushing my tongue against the inside of my teeth will activate it. Yawning will even activate it. I don't know how I'm doing it exactly (and it sure would be fascinating to understand) but I can smile and slowly get the graft to respond without clenching my teeth...at least I don't think I am. I am activating the same muscles somehow...just not actually pressing my teeth together.

So, most recent followup with my surgeons is done. He is thrilled. He breaks into a huge grin whenever he sees me. And a bonus, today, I got to see one of my other surgeons who hasn't seen me since the week of surger. HUGE grin from him as well. Some doctor to doctor congratulating...totally expected and I laughed. They both agreed this is THE way to do it. Remember I was their guinea pig with this method. It wasn't totally out of the box, but they hadn't done it in this way before.

I am released from followup unless there is an issue. I have my main doc's email. Sadly, he is retiring from service and we lose him to the North (so, people DO retire North? Odd.) But he has been adamant that I keep his contact information and keep up with him. He said I am one of the patients he will truly miss. Gets you right here.

He did say the tearing/pain in my lips with a full press smile is normal, and that it should fade in time. Remember, they over tighten the muscle knowing it will stretch into normal activity later. I told him the true test of how happy I am with the results is the fact that I'm getting vain about other parts of my face. Like how my eye looks (we're discussing that, I am to email him with my thoughts about an eye tightening procedure) and how heavy the right side looks due to a deep nose to lip crease that I don't have on the graft side. I had already been scheduled for Botox of the forehead next week, now we are adding in more Botox for that muscle (maybe) and possibly Juvederm to bump out the crease and balance out the face overall.

LOL, and I used to be SO against cosmetic surgery! You'd never know it now. Shoot me, stitch me, plump me up! Will have to add more pictures later, but things are going well!