http://www.blogit.com/Blogs/Blog.aspx/cling/I write and have always written...short stories...started a few books. This article is a very personal experience of dealing with my 4th child that was born with a rare birth defect. When I write I tune into what I'm really feeling and the paper seems to fill itself. This article is one of many that is helping me to deal with this unfair situation. I'm not really asking for sympathy, just understanding...hourly12000-01-01T12:00+00:00http://www.blogit.com/Blogs/Blog.aspx/cling/358398This morning Zarrah and I are leaving for Toronto Sick Kids Hospital where she will be undergoing more surgeries on Wednesday morning to try and fix her stomach and bowels. The anxieties waiting are the hard part. We just need the surgeries to be done and the recovery process started. There's no...http://www.blogit.com/Blogs/Blog.aspx/cling/357330I know Zarrah is a strong child, she's been through more already that most of us medical wise. But how much of this will Zarrah remember? I know we don't know for sure but who's to say that it doesn't subconsciously affect her more than we'll ever know? Is it better for me to agree to have her...http://www.blogit.com/Blogs/Blog.aspx/cling/356065I can't believe Zarrah's surgeries are only a week away. Still not sure how I'll manage to get everything together, but I'll try. Unfortunately I'm still feeling like crap because of the next little one, I'm usually way past it by now. It sure doesn't help! I've got anxieties about my prenatal...http://www.blogit.com/Blogs/Blog.aspx/cling/354876Cute little Zarrah has been stumping the doctors since birth. Her latest 'baffling' incident involves her feeding tube. She's currently on antibiotics for an ear infection and tube site mess. Well now for some reason unbenounced to everyone Zarrah is able to push draining liquid and partially...http://www.blogit.com/Blogs/Blog.aspx/cling/353887I know my guilt levels are slowly rising because I'm starting to 'spoil' the kids a little. I'm a firm believer in kids earning their privledges and treats. Whether is be through chores or good behavior. Yesterday on a whim I took the kids to McDonalds for supper and let them have a bowl of chips...http://www.blogit.com/Blogs/Blog.aspx/cling/353274Did you know that with an ear infection the ear drum doesn't fully heal until about two weeks after you've taken 10 days of antibiotics? Wow...that's a long time. Poor Zarrah has a tube site and ear infection right now. She hasn't been overly miserable but I see why she was sleeping more. It took...http://www.blogit.com/Blogs/Blog.aspx/cling/352137Last night the strongest man I know (father) and I talked about little Zarrah's upcoming surgeries. It was hard but necessary to talk about the good, bads and everything inbetween. 1. We know there is a chance that surgery may not 'cure' Zarrah of her issues and she will have a feeding tube and...http://www.blogit.com/Blogs/Blog.aspx/cling/351736Zarrah has decided in the past few days that she really doesn't want to eat very much at all. She used to drink 4 x 120 ml bottles of milk a day and about 1.5 cups of baby, along with a few crackers and maybe a little apple. A lot less than she should but it would do because she was also being...http://www.blogit.com/Blogs/Blog.aspx/cling/350511I've been pretty good the last while but now I'm starting to get a bit anxious, it comes with the territory. Zarrah goes to Toronto for her surgeries in less that 3 weeks. For me that's the point of no return. If everything works then we're all heros. If not then the guilt starts taking control,...http://www.blogit.com/Blogs/Blog.aspx/cling/349344Wow...with this moving and everything it's so easy to put Zarrah down for her naps because I just pop her into her infant car seat and that's that! It's much easier for her to adapt to change when being in her familiar car seat environment. Most kids venture into the front facing seats around 6-8...