So here’s the deal, I went to the doctor last Tuesday to see what the hell was going or not going on. My doctor (love him!) was keeping his fingers crossed that a blood test would come back positive even  though two hpt’s were both negative.  So the news comes on Friday morning with the friend and no kidding, it’s a negative!  Then some lovely news to go with, my thyroid is jacked up!  My T3 and T4 levels are “way out of whack” according to the nurse and a follow up visit is required.  Not only required but mandatory. 

Let me give you the back story on the old thyroid.  After Ace was born, my thyroid swelled and my T3 and T4 levels went crazy, but this is “common” I’m told, after childbirth.  It’s called plain and simple, inflammation of the thyroid gland.  This is caused by my own immune system basically attacking my thyroid gland.  It is causing my levels to go sky high and then drop, and because of this, I cannot be diagnosed either hypo or hyperthyroid.  So when Ace was about 4 months old I started going to see a really great endocrinologist, one of the best in Columbus.  Here’s how that went:

Visit #1: Draw some blood, feel my throat, tell me things don’t appear to be that bad. (Leaving me with the hope that my PCP is just checking all the bases; my initial complaint was for dizziness and lightheadedness.) Follow up phone call: Ms H, your levels are not right, you must go see this specialist.

Visit #2: Draw some blood, go to the hospital for a scan.  The scan consisted of taking radioactive iodine laying on this bed and taking pictures of my thyroid to check for any abnormal growth.  Follow up phone call: Ms H, your levels are different than last time, but in the opposite direction, oh yeah and your thyroid is very enlarged, does this effect your swallow pattern? (Well now that you mention it, yes it does!)  You see, the average size of a thyroid gland is about as big as a guitar pick, mine on the other hand covers the entire front of my throat from left to right and top to bottom, this is problematic.

Visit #3: Draw some blood, go to the specialist again for an ultrasound of my thyroid gland to check for goiters and tumors.  Follow up phone call: Ms H, no goiters or tumors were found, just a very large gland, but we’ll continue to do blood work to figure out the next step.

Visit#4: Draw blood

Visit #5: Draw blood

Visit #6: Draw blood

Okay so all this happened over a period of 9 weeks, and what were the results, nothing, every-time they check my levels they are different and no where close to creating a pattern.  So the endocrinologist suggests drawing blood every 3 weeks indefinitely until they can decided what to do.  What momma suggested was to stop going to the doctor.  So this puts us at the end of September.  What does this have to do with getting pregnant?  Obviously everything!  My crazy thyroid is causing me to have very irregular cycles and from the home ovulation kits I’ve used, (2 months worth) it’s keeping me from ovulating.  No egg, no baby.  What now!  Well I have another doctor appointment on Monday, during which I will suggest just removing my gland (we’ll see how that goes over) and then I suppose I just sit and wait, what choice do I have!

3 comments | Categories: Family, Getting Pregnant, Health, Misc Ramblings, Momma Monday, Pregnancy

In the past year I have acquired an 87 Chevy Blazer, a 77 Honda motorcycle, and 4 old push mowers that I didn’t pay a penny for. The free “junk” is piling up behind our shed at amazing rates! (If I don’t stop bringing home so called “junk”..I may just be found mangled in the “junk pile” behind our shed. )

Guess what…none of the free “junk” ran when I got them. (and most of them still don’t…but they will).

My most recent score was a 1970’s something model John Deere 56 riding lawn mower…yes…for FREE! I found it on Craigslist and was all excited! I am tired of push mowing our yard. I knew it didn’t run, but I know that almost anything can be fixed. I was really looking forward to kicking back, with no shirt, catching some rays, with a beer in one hand, and the steering wheel in the other as grass clipping flew all over the place.

So I picked it up and brought it home, but guess what…not only did it not run, but it had no mowing deck. That means no blades. That means it is not mowing crap

Momma asked, “What the hell are you going to do with it if you can’t mow with it?”

Well, a few weekends ago I managed to get it started and actually move under it’s own power. Amazing huh? While most people would have taken this old worthless pile of junk to the dump for a proper burial, I found a good use.

Quit snickering at my oh so cool camo hat and good jeans!

Now I just look forward to kicking back, with no shirt, catching some rays, with Ace in one hand, and the steering wheel in the other as we zoom around the backyard dodging the land mines and annoying the neighbors with the rumble of a 6 horsepower engine running beneath our seat!

Screw mowing…let’s just ride!

By the way…I just realized that if I do things right, you can click on the picture and actually comment on the picture alone. Expect all pictures on DadThing to be like this for now on.

11 comments | Categories: Family, Funny Stuff, Like Father Like Son, Pictures

• Climbing a fence because a snake chased me up there.  I yelled for my Mom until she came out of the house and chopped the snake up with a shovel!  She saved my life!  She was my hero!
• My parents owned a junk-yard when I was very little.  I remember watching my Dad working on cars all day every day.  I wanted to do my part, so I would go around to some of the cars and take off the valve stem caps (ya know the little black caps where you put air in your tires).  Then I would have to put them all back on different cars. (A 2-3 yr old’s form of customization)
• Sitting on my Dad’s lap while he operated the crane at the junk yard.  I faintly remember watching the wrecking ball come crashing down and crushing the cars.  I have always liked demolition…
• Riding in a race car.  My Dad used to build and drive race cars.  I remember riding around the track during warm up laps with his friend. (Of course he didn’t fly around the track at full speed, but to a 2 or 3 year old it was an unforgettable experience!)
• Riding in my Dad’s “Stinky Truck”.  My Dad was a big hunter/trapper.  And along with the hunting and trapping came all sorts of stinky things.  Dead animals, blood, guts, urine, feces, and bait.  His “stinky truck”  was rank!  I will never forget the smell of that thing.
• Seeing my brother fall into the 8 ft end of the pool underneath the solar cover.  Neither of us could swim yet, so I was scared to jump in after him.  I could just see him sitting there at the bottom of the pool not knowing what to do.  My grandma came running up and she couldn’t swim either.  We both just sat there helplessly as my brother slowly floated back to the top and my grandma could pull him out.  Luckily he was OK…just a little cold.

Thinking about things like this make me wonder what Ace’s “early memories” will be?  Will having me catch him inches from the floor be one?   How about the scary car wash?  Maybe his first birthday party?

Who knows if he will remember any of that stuff, but I know I will!  I’ll just keep on doing my best to provide him with fun experiences that hopefully someday will be included in his list of “early memories”.

What were your “early memories”?

10 comments | Categories: Growing Up, Looking Back

With the weather getting nice we could finally take Ace outside to play.  He digs the outdoors, probably more than me!  Of course, as Ace learns to do new things, I learn new things as well…like performing the Poop-endectomy!

While traveling down to Louisiana for work, one of my favorite drinks was infested with fowl!  Luckily I survived to tell of the experience, and also remembered to thank Katy at AdventuresInParenting for the wonderful award she so generously gave me!

Momma walked in the March For Babies!  Her goal was to raise $125 and she did it!  Special thanks to Grandma and Grandpa S, Amber, Angela, Kim, and Greg for the donations!

Uncle Brandon came up one weekend and we worked all day long putting in new plumbing, a bathtub, and hanging drywall!  The bathroom is on it’s way to being finished (finally)…and Ace is grateful that he no longer has to take a shower with me.

I posted three awesome pictures for Wordless Wednesday!

And last, but not least, my niece Olivia told me where my arm hair comes from.

Top Referrers:

I would also like to showcase the top 5 bloggers who link to DadThing.com and send some mad traffic.

1. Frugal Dad - An awesome blog written by a Dad that is helping us all get control of our finances.  With the help from Frugal Dad you will be able to eliminate your debt, abolish credit cards, and actually save for your child’s future!  And all of this advice is coming from a real life Dad…just like you and me!
2. Busy Dad Blog- Hang on and join BusyDad and his son Fury for a ride you’ll never forget!  This dynamic duo never ceases to amaze me with their adventures!
3. Sarcastic Mom - This mom is one of my favorite reads, because she has it all!  From funny, to serious…from poetic, to down right rude…this mom is exactly as advertised…Sarcastic! (And an awesome photographer )
4. Dorky Dad - Parenting with a dorky twist!  How can you not read a blog filled with flow charts, pie charts, and cool diagrams illustrating the humorous aspects of being a parent!
5. Mommy Daddy Blog- Up until recently their blog has been about getting ready to be a parent…that is until April 26th when they gave birth to their son Jayden.  Go check out the cute baby pictures when you get a chance!

Who Makes This Possible:

If no one ever commented on my posts I would have quit this blog a long time ago!  So without further ado, I wanted to give out special thanks to everyone that commented on DadThing.com during the month of April…sorted by number of comments

• Joe (9)
• Ashley (8)
• Kim (7)
• Momo Fali (6)
• Xbox4NappyRash (6)
• CableGirl (6)
• Honeybell (5)
• katy (5)
• BusyDad (4)
• Jon D (4)
• Greg (4)
• dette (3)
• Angela (3)
• Ed (zoesdad) (3)
• Jason (3)
• Jeremy (Discovering Dad) (3)
• Tyler @ Building Camelot (2)
• Bob O (2)
• Frugal Dad (2)
• Bernard (2)
• tanya25m (2)
• IDad (1)
• Tiff@Three Peas in a Pod (1)
• zoeyjane (1)
• PG (1)
• Elaine (1)
• Dad Speed (1)
• Paula (1)
• Michael (1)
• Rachel (1)
• Meg (1)
• Allison (aka AngelGal) (1)
• Derek (1)
• kspin (1)
• Jeremy Neal (1)
• praisefiddler (1)
• bisdak’s footprints (1)
• {Ãñgê£}ä (1)
• Christine (1)
• Holly (1)
• Cecily (1)
• dorky dad (1)
• Nicole (1)
• marcia @ joyismygoal (1)
• snippets (1)
• Chuck (1)
• Mike @ FromMike.com (1)
• dadshouse (1)
• Cami (1)
• ResilientMonkey (1)
• Jenny from Mommin’ It Up! (1)
• marsha (1)
• Elliott - 21st Century Dad (1)
• renee - 21st Century Parenting (1)
• Brandon (1)
• Tink *~*~* (1)
• JLow (1)
• abie (1)
• Meeya (1)
• Joyful Days (1)

Thanks again to everyone who reads, comments, and links to DadThing.com!  It wouldn’t be possible without all of you!  I have a feeling May is going to be a fun month!

20 comments | Categories: Links, Monthly Review

13 comments | Categories: Funny Stuff, Pictures

Since Ace does not talk yet, I rely on pictures, videos, and the cuteness factor!

However, I was hangin’ out with my three year old niece, Olivia, the other day when she said something to me that rang the “I gotta write a post about this” bell. Let’s call it good practice for when Ace starts talking…

Olivia: Uncle JoJo, what is this on your arm? (Petting my arm)

Me: What? Where?

Olivia: Right here… (gently tugging on my arm hair)

Me: That’s hair!

Olivia: Where did it come from?

Me: (Trying to think of an answer a 3 year old would understand, I resorted to…) I don’t know.

Olivia: I know where it came from!

Me: Really? Where?

Olivia: The top of your head!

Nothing makes you feel like a crippled old man like having a three year old let you know that you are going bald!

At least she patted me on the top of my old bald head to make me feel better afterwards.

17 comments | Categories: Funny Stuff, Ignorance Is Bliss

See, we bought our house and planned to renovate every single room. However, due to some unexpected problems with the renovations, we ran out of money and time. We had the downstairs bathroom complete, which had a fully functional shower, but the upstairs bathroom, which had a bath tub, had been put on the back burner and never got finished. (or started for that matter)

I ripped everything out of the bathroom, including the walls. It was nothing but a floor, ceiling, and some studs. (Puffing out chest: No I’m not the only stud in this house )

This was fine when it was just Momma and I, (except for when Momma was pregnant and wanted to do nothing other than take a bath…oops my bad), but when Ace arrived we realized that the upstairs bathroom would eventually need to be finished…for the simple fact that a bath tub would eventually be needed.

However, Ace has been taking a bath in the sink since he was born. He fit…with room to spare! It was a perfect little baby bath tub at just the right height. No bending over and cramping of the back. No wet knees from kneeling on a wet floor…life was good.

Then one day Ace grew up. No longer can he stretch out in the sink. He is just a bit too big now. So, Ace either got a bath at Grandma’s house or I bathed him in the shower with me.

Well, with special thanks to Uncle Brandon (my extremely skilled bathroom renovating brother), we have a fully functional bath tub…in a bathroom with walls!

It is not finished yet, but this is a huge step! Hell, nothing has been done in that room for six months, and in one day Uncle Brandon and I installed a new bath tub, with new plumbing, and hung drywall on ALL the walls. It almost looks like a bathroom now! (minus a sink and a toilet…and paint…and some kind of flooring other than a throw rug)

So, now Ace can get a bath at home…without looking up and seeing my junk…here’s proof:

5 comments | Categories: Growing Up, Pictures

12 comments | Categories: Pictures

When Momma was pregnant with Ace, we had a 3D / 4D Ultrasound performed at 29 weeks along.  I wrote a post about the 3D / 4D Ultrasound back when we had it done, but I only posted a few pictures.

I was looking back some of the old pictures and videos we have of Ace and I came across his 3D / 4D Ultrasound video.  The video was a recording of our entire 20 minute session.

I reduced the 20 minute video down to about 2 minutes of the cool stuff.  You know, like moving around, making faces, and of course showing us how he can kick the crap out of Momma. (Not literally )

Anyways, I hope you enjoy, and if you decide to have another baby definitely consider having a 3D/4D Ultrasound done.  It was something I will never forget…

15 comments | Categories: Health, Videos

13 comments | Categories: Pictures