mystery poop

It was a lovely day today, and we spent the afternoon on the patio.  We live in a townhouse type of setting, and our neighbours to the right, who got piss drunk yesterday and had a big fight during dinner (our dinner, that is, that we like to eat on the patio) were much more sober today, and a lot quieter and more pleasant.  I managed to burn the chicken, but even that was ok because it turned out crispy and nice.

Emma had a good time playing and laughing with the neighbours' kids.  As the night came to an end and I picked her up to go inside, I noticed that she was munching on a round blob of poop.  Yuck indeed.  This is not the first time I notice my child eating poop, as she has done it before when I leave her without a diaper.  It is, however, the first time that she is eating somebody else's poop.  Because I swear I have no idea where that pebble of poop came from.  She was wearing her diaper, which was clean.  There was no way this poop would have come from the neighbours' kids, as they were on the other side of the fence, and too old to do this kind of stuff.

So I am sitting here, scratching my head, whose poop was it? As in, what germs and parasites might it harbour?

The only explanation I can come up with, and it is pretty farfetched, but at least it's a start, is that the cat must have sat on her litter box, and a piece of poop got stuck to her fur.  She might have sat on the patio afterwards and the poop fell off.

Yuck.  yuck. yuck.  Toxoplasmosis.  Giardia.  Tenia.  A whole bunch of other cat parasites that I know nothing at all about, not being a vet.

In Romania we say that if the kid eats poop, he or she will be wealthy (or was it lucky? can't remember).  If it is true, Emma is destined for a life of greatness.

update

Emma took her first step today, as the babysitter tells me... it figures, even working part time, my kid will choose to meet a major milestone when I am away and unable to express my awe.  I did see her take a step today though, and even if it was a small one, and after the first one seen by the nanny, I was still pretty happy.  She is doing well and impressing me with how athletic and busy she can be.

On the news side:  I went to Vancouver to talk to a local specialist in transabdominal cerclages, and after a nerve wracking interview (for both of us, I think) he told me that although he has no clue what could have happened to my old cerclage, nor can he tell me that it will not happen again, he thinks I should get the cerclage replaced via an open procedure and pre-pregnancy.  So, on August 9, he is doing it (and the medical services plan of BC is covering it, yay!).  So, alas, no dr. Haney for me.  I would have liked to see greatness, but will settle for free-and-decently-good.  I think this guy has enough experience to make me want to give it a go.

Still no periods.  Emma is breastfeeding ad lib, and I am quite certain that my prolactin level is still high.  So, we are still far away from attempting another pregnancy.  However, I am preparing for another IVF, whenever it might be.  Part of the preparation was supposed to involve a hysteroscopy, done at the IVF centre in Vancouver.  Well, they tried... and tried... to do an awake office hysteroscopy on me, and could not do it.  It hurt so much that I nearly passed out.  I think the threat of barfing on them made them stop.  I should dedicate an entire post to that one, but essentially know that when they give you a rubber squeeze ball to hold during the procedure, it ain't gonna be pretty, despite all the lovely warm packs that you get placed on your abdomen.  In fact hey, if they place a warming pack on your abdomen prior to the procedure, RUN.

'Nuff said.  I am getting a hysterosalpingogram instead.  There was no entrance to my uterus awarded at this particular time, hence no hysteroscopy.

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Emma eating vines

spiritual life

A friend invited me to a crystal healing workshop.  I don't know much about crystals in terms of spiritual link/healing properties, so I figured I'd check it out.  I enjoyed the crystal teachings as far as allegoric symbols go, objects that are representations of something desired, or reminders of states of mind and spirit that we seek.  I enjoyed even more the meditation that accompanied the workshop.

I used to meditate a fair bit, and I found it very healing in the stage of my life where I was struggling with infertility.  I was spending lots of time reading about meditation, practicing, and even went to a three day workshop on lovinkindness meditation.  (I spent the first two days plotting how to get out and go shoe-shopping.  On the third day, I finally stood still and meditated).

The workshop reminded me, more than anything, that I am seeking that spiritual side of myself again.  I miss it.  I am so caught up in the happiness of being a mother, the fullness of having a child, and the busyness of everyday life, that I forget to connect with that side of me for which I do not have a name.  I need it.  I also need to connect more with my husband.  Emma is good at taking all of my attention, but it is my job to balance out my time and energy between all sides of me, and not just pour it into the mother-role.

All this in just one hour of meditation!  I am going back for more, probably every Saturday morning if I can wake up, and also will restart my own program at home, depending on how I feel inclined.

Are any of you into meditation?  What forms of it? what about other forms of spiritual practice or beliefs that are different than the mainstream?

Progress

Emma is standing and my parrot Max can say "mama".