Lighten Up!

I've slightly brightened up the blog format and fonts (without making it flowery and girly. I am seriously outnumbered by boys here at home ya know.) and have decided I need to post on this more. I have not been doing it because it seems like I complain too much and who wants to hear that? Nobody wants to hear me complain about my woes when they've got their own to deal with. I can go down the list of people/families represented on the links on the left- well, the right side of the screen now that the formatting has changed on this blog. I can go through the list and like a checklist say,"Oh, in the last year or 2 that family had this and this happen. That one had _____. That one....." and on and on, and why should I think our issues are any more important? Thus, the silent reluctance to blog anything.

I decided if I was gonna get back to this blog thing I'd lighten up the navy blue backdrop and do a post on what I'm grateful for, no complaining allowed. So here's the "Lighten Up" post. Mike, Grant and I are going back to San Diego Monday for a checkup. Just fly in Monday morning and back to UT Monday night. I'm gonna make a top 10 list of what I love about San Diego. With pictures whenever possible.

(Not in order, just as they occur to me.)
#1: San Diego Temple!


BIG picture of a BIG temple!!

Last time I went to a session it was in January at this temple. I love them all, but this one is exceptionally gorgeous. Fortunately, the Shiley Eye Center is only a few minutes away from this magnificent building so its hard to miss at least doing a drive-by of it while in town. Unfortunately Dr Brown only does regular appointments/clinic hours on Mondays and all LDS temples are closed Sundays and Mondays. Not condusive to Mike and Grant and I flying in, going to an appointment, one of us going into a temple session then flying out all in one day. Oh well!

#2: Dr Stuart Brown

Infant cornea transplantation is not a commonly attempted surgery (and, thank goodness, infants are only rarely born needing it. Most are born with completely functional healthy eyes.) and is known as a risky and difficult procedure for an opthalmologist to perform. Then there's all the complications and typically low success rate for infants, it makes it a thankless and rarely rewarding endeavor. But he did the first successful one ever, in the 70's. He's done about 200 on infants with about a 70-80% success rate. Only does one or 2 a year at this point though. As is evident from the picture, he's not a young man but still works really hard running the Shiley Eye Center, his charity 4Sight4Children, professor and head of the opthalmology department at UCSD, travels a lot and stays really busy. Still made time to do 2 transplants on Grant in January and a couple weeks of post-op care and suture removal, even dealing with overanxious parents (Mike) and gave me the # of an auto body shop in San Diego when I needed it after the accident. With his age and how busy he stays in this demanding job, I can't really fault him for... well sometimes acting like Dr. House from the show House. We are grateful to him anyways so very much for helping God perform a miracle.

2b: Monya

No pictures of this girl, but his assistant just can't go unmentioned! She is such a sweetheart. Made arrangements for Grant and I to stay at Bannister House for January, has helped arrange an zillion office visit times, relays messages.... on and on. Dr Brown may be one of the best surgeons in the world for this, but it seems she is the legs he stands on at times. In the month of January her office # is on my cell phone records more than anybody else for ingoing and outgoing calls, and she's called me from home before and over holiday weekends and everything. She's awesome!

#3: In N' Out

I love this food. Did you know one will be in Draper in a few months? Until that sweet day, Vegas has the closest locations of this. OK so its just burgers fries and simple stuff but I like it OK?

#4: Ratner Children's Eye Center

This is right next to the Shiley Eye Center. There's a long story behind it you can google it up if you're interested. Short version is Dr. Brown and others thought it unfortunate that there's a bunch of vision problems adults have that could have been fixed in infancy/childhood but after a few years of life and visual development are irreversable. (Yes, Grant's corneas are fall in that category.) So Dr. Brown founded this center, Dr. Granet runs it. I've never really been in there before, besides the times I've ducked in the back entrance to use their bathroom with a changing table in it. I've done that A LOT of times. But Monday will be Grant's 1st appointment at that building. He's having some unique testing there to measure infant visual acuity and how he can see colors and contrasts.... something like that. It should be interesting. Then we meet with Dr. Granet, then with Dr. Brown. Then back home!

Here's a video of those 2 doctors doing an interview, it's really cool.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR4VyUcJiEg&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.uctv.tv%2Fsearch-details.aspx%3FshowID%3D12320&feature=player_embedded

Ocean and Beach




Do I really need to post a pic? You know what it looks like. I love the ocean and the beach. Unfortunately Grant should stay away from sand and salty water. Probably forever. So it's fortunate I don't live closer to a coastline, or I'd be tempted to spend lots of time away from my baby! We will admire it from afar.

#6: Sea World

That place really is fun. Expensive, but my mom bought a year long pass for me and Lincoln in case we get to go again on a trip to CA. It was the same price as a day pass. Lincoln esp. loves it and babbles on and on about Dory and Nemo while we are there (even more than he already does).

#7: Bannister House

It's not a 4 star resort or anything but it's nicer than I thought it would be, a great place for people to stay together while their family members are going through something. Also was good to remind me not to complain, some (most) people there had family members in real medical crisis. Whining about zillions of eyedrops and post-op care of a baby who is otherwise healthy and happy seemed very petty in a place like that. Now is not the time yet, but someday I am gonna do something nice for that facility in return.

#8: Tiffany's!

Isn't that just breathtaking? For $85,000, it had better be! I tried that on one day, with Grant sleeping obliviously in a stroller beside me. Just like a man, can't appreciate how incredible it was to have that on my dry tired unmanicured dirty mama hands.
I really thought the only location of this was in NYC. No, there's just none in Utah. It's an amazing store. I could spend hours there trying on things I will never get to wear outside of those walls. Ahhh...

#9: Sephora

Its like a candy store! But it's all makeup and skin care. You can try a sample of ANYTHING! Don't have this in UT either, I don't know why not. Oh, because I'd set up a sleeping bag in the back and they don't want that? Yeah that's probably it.....

#10: Steve and Lori

I don't have a picture of them? Weird, I'm gonna have to tell her to email me some. Anyways, that's my dad's cousin and her husband. Just so helpful to a lonely weary mother while I was there. They're out of town (In Utah. Strange. We are switching states for a day.)Monday so I will have to see them next time I'm in CA.

That's 10! And I could put out a few more if needed, and that's not even at home. At home I'm grateful for lots more things. Millions. With that much to be happy about, I should not get sad.

So I'll keep tweeting and even do a real post next week about the trip. And bye!
Juliet