New Baby Cousin

Monday night the kids and I went and visited their new baby cousin in the hospital. They are not real interested in him at this point, although Ryan is excited it is a boy! Megan is never real happy when her mom is holding another baby, she is 5 but I think she gets a little protective cuz she is my baby. I just want to say congratulations Nick & Cara on having such a beautiful little guy!! Jaxson Hunter Morris - 7 lbs 7 ounces, born Monday March 23rd.

"she isn't sick Mom"...

Last Monday my mom and I took Megan to our first Alopecia support group meeting in Omaha. We really went with no expectations, we just knew no one personally that had Alopecia Areata and thought this would be a great chance to meet some people and talk and if anything get some more information. I also really really wanted to let Megan meet other little girls that had Alopecia. I had talked with the lady thru e-mail that runs the Omaha meeting and she had mentioned a couple other girls in the group that were 7.

Well, we got there and at first were a little let down that there were only 4 other people there. Once we started talking I was so happy we went. It was kind of a family, everyone knew everyone. There were no girls there that night but one of the little girl's father was there , and she has about the same amount of hair as Meggy so it was nice talking with him. I even talked with a lady that initially went to the same dermatologist as Megan's first appointment and had the same horrible experience as we had. Well within three days after the meeting, Ross the guy that lead the meeting that night had e-mailed me 3 moms names that have little girls all around Megan's age, and had contacted The National Alopecia Areata Foundation and had them send me some information and a GREAT video. The video is kind of set up for a child's classroom and it is called "Why does my hair fall out". It is 9 minutes long and will be a great tool for us to use and take to Megan's classrooms when she is in school. We sat down and watched it Sunday night after we had our evening bath (since they were really really dirty from playing outside all day :) ) - Megan sat on my lap and my oldest Ryan watched it also. He really seemed really really interested in it. I know I am cheesy but I silently cried the first 3 min of the DVD!!! We have lost alot more hair this week and I must have been releasing some emotions I guess???

So over the weekend I had taken Ryan and Tyler shopping with a friend and her son who is close to the same age. Megan stayed in Fremont that night and had a date with her daddy. The whole purpose for shopping was to get Megan an outfit for her soon to be photo session and maybe get the kids some spring clothes. Well my little "cool" kid Ryan went into Gap kids and wanted everything. Which I did buy the boys some stuff (couldn't resist), and then I told Ryan that we came shopping to find Megan an outfit so I wasn't gonna get him anything else (which I did...) and he whined and made the comment "why is everything always about sissy anymore". I knew that he was being a typical 7 year old that was not getting his way BUT I could also see where he was coming from. So then on Sunday we had watched the program and I had noticed Ryan staying in the room for it. Later when I took Ryan to bed and we did our - snug as a bug routine I told him that I was sorry we had been wrapped up in Megan lately and I would try and be more aware. He looked at me and he said " she isn't sick Mom she just has Alopecia Areata, so it's okay"!!! I was sooo proud of him for saying that I am surprised I didn't cry. That was exactly what that DVD had taught them, that these kids were not sick that they just had Alopecia and should be treated like any other kid!!! If the one kid that is annoyed by Megan the most can learn that watching the DVD then hopefully all the other kids that Megan goes to school with will as well!!

T-bone

So as much as I try and give all of my kids the same attention and love them all the same, I think I have been focusing so much on making sure that Megan is happy and comfortable with herself that I forget that there is this sweet little boy that has to come along for the ride!

Ryan my oldest gets one on one time with me a couple times a week after school and we have kind of a best friend relationship. He is also at that stage where as long as he has his Wii or grandpa's computer is a happy camper. Well then there is Tyler or T-bone as we call him. He is Megan's twin brother, he has always been my child who is content with everything & happy to go along with what the other 2 kids want to do. He is also happy to sit with a box of legos by himself for hours. Not to mention that he is the only one of my children that remotely looks like his mommy!! Of course he will have those morning where he is a little dramatic and need us to turn off the lamp or give him his sunglasses so we don't BBQ his eyes, but for the most part he is usually happy.

The last few months we have been so wrapped up in Megan and getting a wig, making sure she doesn't get bullied or picked on in school, making sure she knows how beautiful she is. In all of this I failed to see that maybe her twin brother was feeling a little left out. Tyler has always got along with everyone, well in the last month he has been coming home saying that he is getting picked on in preschool. He will cry that they are bullying him and he doesn't want to go back. I had been worrying that this will happen to Megan I didn't worry about my poor T-bone. At first I was so annoyed with school, but maybe I should do more too!! Maybe my husband or I should start giving Tyler a little one on one attention. Usually if Matt takes a boy, Ryan will have Tyler say he wants Ryan there too (he usually does want him) and then I will have Megan by myself. Tyler usually never gets his own time. He has even started acting up at other times. Tyler has always been my best shopper, cuz he is just so darn good.. My mom took Tyler and Megan shopping after preschool the other day and he would sit in the middle of the aisle . She said he was just such a little bugger.. Then you ask him about and say he hurt Grandma's feelings, he says "She didn't give me time to say I'm sorry" in such a sweet voice - it is just so hard to stay mad at that!!!

So, I had a talk with the school and we are gonna watch it. I have told myself I am gonna give more time into giving T-bone more one on one attention. A couple times Tyler went to school w/out Megan because I had appointments and things with her. They have their own friends but most of the time they stick together. Maybe I need to take a morning off and just hang out with him. I don't know, I just think maybe giving him a little more attention will help the problems that he has been having! I guess for T's sake it's worth a try!!