Autumn Update

We're well into Autumn now - snow caps the mountains around town, there's a familiar chill in the air, and everyone is shifting to snuggly indoor activities - but It's been a great Summer! Fiki and I got to visit Chicago in July to see my family, and we all went to Phoenix for Ofelia's birthday. Although we enjoyed the "Fiki Fete" when she turned one, we decided her second birthday should be a bit more low-key. It was different, but very fun! My mom came to visit us the week prior, and we enjoyed her company and took it easy. Immediately upon dropping her off at the airport, we continued on to visit Ty's family. In Phoenix, Mike and Lottie organized a family get-together that was intimate, relaxed, and very fun. Ty stayed on and visited with the San Diego clan while I returned home to enjoy some "Mommy Time" and take care of home projects that seemed to be hounding me all summer long. The big one was re-organizing Fiki's room:  Fiki - who is a self-proclaimed "big girl" - now has a real bed, no longer a crib.

In August, Ofelia "matriculated" to the Caterpillar room, the third-level classroom at the daycare. It took about a week to get adjusted - at first she was just a little shy and intimidated - but then the strings of words really began to flow. They really work on language skills, colors, shapes, and numbers (which Ofelia is grasping readily, to my delight). We now communicate quite well, although much of her speech is still... well, her own. Sometimes she tries to tell me something and I have no idea for the life of me what she's trying to pronounce - she patiently repeats it over and over until she grows frustrated with me (this must be the early start of "You just don't get it, Mom!").

It's a lot of fun these days! A big load of the work has been taken off of me as Ofelia gains independence of being, and I can step back and enjoy a lot more. We're not quite as exhausted as in months previous, but she definitely still draws a lot from us both. Ty feels it strongly now - he says it's gotten harder for him, which is in accordance to advice we've received. Most women tell me "It only gets easier from here on out", while the men sigh that "It only gets more difficult from here on out". I can deal with that ;)

We still spend the bulk of our fun time outside, and I don't anticipate that changing a whole lot during the winter - we stocked up on our cold weather gear and we're set to go! All I'm missing is a pair of snow shoes for when it gets deep. Fiki will most likely be taking her first slippery steps on skis on the mountain this year - we're excited to see how it goes!

Only the nose knows...

This entry is intended as a reference point for information regarding Ofelia's ongoing respiratory puzzle - it is not intended to alarm or freak out the overly-worrisome ;) Interested family members are welcome to comment and contribute resources and ideas.

History

Fiki started daycare at 3 months and soon after began contracting colds, as expected. Of the vying points of view, we chose to accept that this would ultimately help her immune system develop, as exposure was inevitable sooner or later. The first Winter was difficult, as she was "snotty" most of the season and into the Spring. Her pediatricians assured us that this was common and she would eventually "grow out of it". We experimented with diet for a period of about 6 month during this time. I found that cow's milk contributed to her mucus production, soy milk (at the time) contributed to constipation, but other dairy products (specifically, cheeses and yogurt) had little effect. We have been successfully nourishing Ofelia with almond milk since that first year.
Her colds became less frequent that first summer, but as autumn came along, she began suffering a continuing string of colds, during which mucus build-up eventually led to ear infections, which were treated with antibiotics (azithromycin or amoxicillin, the latter generally working more effectively). To date, she has been on antibiotics 5 times. The second winter was very worrisome, as she was continually congested. Again, pediatricians reassured us about "daycare nose" and explanations that as she developed, so would her respiratory organs, tissues, passages, and immune systems.
As the weather warmed, her body did seem to become more resistant to viruses. She stopped contracting colds frequently, and through the Spring, Summer, and into Autumn of this year (2011), Fiki has been actually sick only 3-4 times. Nonetheless, she remains frequently congested with no other symptoms. I often consoled myself with the hope that teething was a major contributing factor to the general irritation and ensuing inflammation in the region, and that this led to excessive mucus production.
In recent weeks (since late August or early September), we noticed that there must be something else going on, since she was no longer even congested, yet continued to exhibit struggled breathing. This is particularly apparent when she sleeps, chronically mouth-breathing, snoring, and showing mild signs of apnea due to some constriction or blockage. We had this tested immediately after her birthday (around which time her night-time symptoms peaked). A pulse-ox test showed dips close to 70%, which resulted in her starting from a deep sleep in order to "catch" her breath and resume a normal pattern. It is not clear how this remittent lack of deep sleep affects overall physical, mental, and emotional development.
Our goal is to help her to breathe and sleep normally: meaning soundlessly, clearly, and peacefully.

What we're doing

The Ear-Nose-Throat specialist confirmed swelling of her tonsils, (most likely) adenoids, and nasal passages, but did not recommend T&A (Haha! sounds funny but it's not: Tonsillectomy and Adendoidectomy) at this time. He stated that she is still too small and too many things in her system are still changing. The general age for the procedure is 3-4 yrs. We were given Nasonex to try. I have to follow up regarding recommendations for continued usage. When I asked what is causing the swelling, the reply was vague: it could be anything, previous infection(s) may have started a process of irritation.
I also sought advice from a chiropractor, hoping to arrive at a "cause". Their focus is the nervous system, for which the spine is the "highway". I was told there are tensions in key areas of her spine that may be causing obstructions. The exact connections/correlations between these points of tension in her spine and her nasal cavity were not clearly explained, nor was the chiropractor's ability to detect them - it's just what they're trained to do.
Neither practitioner mentioned much about diet or allergies (although the ENT performs full-fledged allergy testing). The chiropractor recommended removing dairy, especially pasteurized dairy products, but stated that it would be best to observe whether several weeks of chiropractic care alone showed any effect.
So, our course of action:

1. Solicit recommendations from pediatricians: test oxygen, see ENT, see chiropractor
2. Solicit recommendations from ENT: try nasal spray (after three nights of treatment , it does seem like her nasal passages are more open, like she has "more room to work with". At the same time, she is still congested, and the mucus is still making it difficult for her to breathe. we will continue clearing and spraying her nose and watch for signs of apnea. After a couple of weeks, I will request another oxygen test).
3. Solicit recommendations from chiropractor: bring her system out of its current, albeit mild, "crisis reaction" through chiropractic adjustments (Ty has rejected this course - I'm on the fence)
4. Renew dietary experimentation:
   
   1. Remove all dairy
   2. Re-introduce slowly to confirm effect
   3. Repeat with other commonly allergenic food groups

Resources

Here is a list of articles I'm finding helpful (many out there that are not, they only add to the complexity and confusion of the problem):

• http://www.webmd.com/allergies/features/the-truth-about-mucus
• http://allergies.about.com/od/noseandsinusallergies/a/pnar.htm
• http://www.mysinustory.com
• http://ezinearticles.com/?Sinus-Pressure-and-the-House-Dust-Factor&id=3618983 (same author as above)

Thank you, Babcia Cecylia, for the following info:

• http://www2.cochrane.org/reviews/en/ab006286.html
• http://www.childrenshospital.org/az/Site1380/mainpageS1380P0.html

We will also look into the benefits of iodine on the respiratory system.

To Concerned Parties

Fell free to read through this documentation. Are we on the right track? Are we covering our bases? Please contribute your experiences, other knowledge, or ideas by commenting or contact us directly.

Moje swodkie dziecko, dzieli sie...

(my sweet child, she's sharing)

This was today at Vallecito lake after we took a ride...
We're getting better at these family days!

Summer's here!

The past couple of months have been a time of lengthening - days, joys, and Ofelia's body! She's moved from the 6th % of her age group to 26% in height! She's such a little girl now. Still fascinated with rocks and all things outdoors, Fiki loves to hike and discover, play in her sandbox, go to the park, watch the river, and observe any sort of living thing. We went camping for the first time Memorial Day weekend and she had a blast. We saw a horned toad (which is actually a lizard) sunning on a rock; he let me pick him up and while Fiki was very excited to see him and screamed Hiiiiiii!!!! at him repeatedly, she would not pet him with her hand. For that purpose she employed a leaf. I wonder if she gets this natural caution from her Grandma Lottie? We went again with Ty the following weekend and this was even more fun! We plan on continuing going on adventures together and watching Fiki learn from these experiences. The great thing about Durango is that there's so much right here. There's a tendency to seek distant and exotic places on our time off, but Fiki gives us the opportunity to explore the great terrain so close to home: while it's still cool, we can have fun scoping out dessert sites, and when it really heats up we head high!

Ofelia still loves school and socializing. She is especially fascinated with older children, as is the norm for her age. The one kid I really get a chance to observe her interact with is our friend's daughter, Ayla. Ayla is 4 months older and runs fast. I cannot yet tell who will be the "bad influence". They are a couple of lil ladies together and it's super sweet.

One obstacle that's been challenging is this teething phenomenon... Molars breaking gum make Fiki all kinds of irritable. Literally, she gets uncomfortable, at times whiney, can't sleep, drooling, fever, congestion, indigestion, unexplained restlessness... oh boy! Through it all, she is still a mild-mannered and pleasant child, and fun to be with. She loves to climb and does so every chance she gets, and she's paying more attention to her baby doll, which she calls "my baby" and repeatedly wraps in her snot towels. Other words in her vocabulary include:

• Hi
• Bye, see ya
• Mama, mommy
• Tata, daddy
• choc (Polish: come)
• zaba (Polish: frog) interchangeable with English: shovel
• bucket
• the beloved: shoe & jacket (signal going outside)
• tak, yeah
• doggy, piesek
• puppy
• ptak, birdy
• cat 
• rock
• daj (Polish: give; pronounced d-ah-y, as in "Mama, daj")

As well as a growing number of mimicked words, but fortunately no cussing thus far.

Miscellaneous extras

Some have been patiently waiting... Here are some catch-up photos!

I have a new phone number: (970) 317-1053.
My 773 Chicago number is no more...

mOlar

Oh yes, we have a new tooth!

(Can you see it? It's way back there on the right, all cute and pokey... Made Fiki wake up at 1:AM last night and she wouldn't go back to sleep; Papa Bear had to play with her for almost 3 hours!)

New games and attitude

This weekend Fiki "noticed" her Cabbage Patch Kid for the very first time. She picked up the baby, carried it around with her, then found a small towel and proceeded to make a bed. I suggested a pillow; she liked the idea. She lay down her baby, covered it with the towel, and gently patted it on the chest. What a wonderful mommy! I think this is the time to upgrade some of her toys (yay Ayyam-i-Ha, a time of giving and hospitality!) and next time I have the chance I'll find her a little buggy for that baby and a kitchen set. My girl is a real girl, not a tom-girl like her mommy.

She is also very strong willed and knows what she wants. She asserts herself when she doesn't get it. She looked me straight in the face and slapped me when I told her we couldn't leave the doctor's office, clearly showing her displeasure. She is going to give me a run for my money... Not that I'm indulgent, but my own will is not always so strong, and boy does she pick up on it if I'm questioning myself! Thank goodness Ty can back me up - he don't stand for nonsense. Moreover, he has the delicate skill of making things fun. Fun!

new digitalocale

We're now on Facebook! I recently posted a few pics of Fiki's 16th month.

Backtrack one winter: 100K

Fiki doesn't know yet just how cool her dad really is... Last year at Zumiez 100K conference (party), Ty got this amazing footage. As usual, it's taken me forever to get it together, but as he left for this year's 100K today, we managed to edit the raw goodies into something watchable.

It's basically the greatest gift of the winter. Not the kind of stuff you'd expect to find on this lil' blog, Ty gets baby props from some of the top pros in skateboarding and snowboarding. Like who, you ask? Christian Hosoi, Rodney Mullin, Mike Carroll, Danny Cass, Cara-Beth Burnside, Bob Burnquist, and others (Spanky, I don't hate you!). The video documents the Zumiez goings on and general hob-nobbery of the industry.

Here's the video (it's a huge file, give it time to load)...
Thank you, Ty!

Post Script: What I hear, the night didn't end well... Ty got caught peeing on a plant in the hotel lobby, and was peaceably detained in the "deviant employee" room. Better luck this year, Poppa Bear!