Pa Pa's Birthday Dinner

We took Grandpa out for a belated birthday dinner to Carino's, and he loved it!!

He's not planning to share that strawberry shortcake...

Pa Pa loves a Blu-Ray movie...

Great night! And happy birthday again Pa Pa !!!

Great-Aunt & Uncle

This past weekend, we went to West Texas to visit 2 of the sweetest people you'll ever find, my Uncle Don & Aunt Wilma. As if one couldn't tell, he is my Mom's older brother. (They have the same face... family resemblance runs strong in that family for sure!!) We saw them a whole lot when we were kids, but haven't seen them in years and years. They were actually more like grandparents to us than Aunt & Uncle. I'm really sad and ashamed to say that they have only seen our children in pictures!

It was a pleasure to share our sweet little ones with them, they got a real kick out of 'em! We enjoyed a delicious dinner together at Skeet's Grill- best chicken quesadillas in the universe, mark my words. That Aunt Wilma is so precious, she sends a sweet card for each and every birthday and anniversary... never misses a single important date. The most thoughtful person I can think of, and I have actually tried to model myself after her in that respect. Failed miserably, but the good intentions were there. :)

It was also a "first" for our family of 4 to stay in a hotel together. Reilly's previous hotel experience was Great Wolf Lodge last year, but this was Avery's first time. We have this specific rule in our house, "We don't jump on beds unless they're in a hotel." So, we took full advantage and bounced till we were silly. (Okay, that was mainly the kids.) LOVED it.

Looking forward to our next visit!!

A Runner??

"If you run, you are a runner. It doesn't matter how fast or how far. It doesn't matter if today is your first day or if you've been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run."
--John Bingham

"Running long and hard is an ideal antidepressant, since it's hard to run and feel sorry for yourself at the same time. Also, there are those hours of clearheadedness that follow a long run." -Monte Davis

Never thought I would be counted as one of those crazies. But, here I am. And loving it. Really. But my parents are still laughing about it, I'm sure, as they've heard me say way more than once, "Running is the worst. Who would do that if they weren't being chased?"

Well, I began by walking on my parents' treadmill about a year ago, when I started my "lose the baby weight and get healthy" deal. Around summertime, I thought "this walking thing is too easy, maybe I should try running a few minutes." That "few minutes" turned out to be 10. Pleasantly surprised, I challenged myself further. That 10 minutes turned into 30, 45, and finally up to an hour. Before I knew it, I was running 4 miles twice a week.

Which brings us to now.... and running between 5 and 6 miles a day- 4 times every week. That's almost a marathon per week, people. Unbelievable. And I love it. Even more unbelievable. I actually miss it on days when I don't run. It makes me feel strong. Powerful. Like I could do anything.

And my children see. And absorb. Reilly likes to get on the treadmill to walk and run, like his Mommy. He "builds" his meals with healthy components, like his Mommy. All of the hard work is paying off huge dividends... in the fact that my lifestyle is actively and positively shaping who my children will become. And that, is something worth running toward.

"I run because it's so symbolic of life. You have to drive yourself to overcome the obstacles. You might feel that you can't. But then you find your inner strength, and realize you're capable of so much more than you thought."
--Arthur Blank

Commit to Memory

I always think that I'm going to remember each and every precious thing my small ones do. But the truth is, as time marches on... the memories fade and become fuzzy in my memory. I am forced to rely on pictures I've taken, and am so thankful for the anecdotes that I've jotted down in my journals to remind me of their sweetest moments.

But here are some things that I'm going to MAKE myself remember. Things I just couldn't bear to become fuzzy in my memory.

Storytime...

Before each and every naptime and bedtime, I have read to both of my babies. Lately for Avery, there is Fancy Nancy and ONLY Fancy Nancy. She especially loves this "tiny Fancy Fancy" book, "Pajama Day".



And with Reilly, now he is the one reading to me. I can't fully express how strange and wonderful that is.


Pigtails, Dolls, and Footie Pajamas

Is there anything sweeter than a baby in footie pajamas???

I think not.

Her Hair...

I remember so vividly, brushing the hair of all of my dolls when I was a child. (And much later than that, truth be told.) I could pretend so easily that those dolls were real. And I remember daydreaming about what the little girl I just knew I would have someday- would look like. I have looked forward to doing this forever. It brings such joy to my heart that Avery's hair is long enough for this!!!




It's also bittersweet, because I see how much her hair looks like my sister Melissa's did. Having children has made me miss her even more, because no one understood and enjoyed children more than she did. And my children would have been over the moon for her. I'm so thankful for the "Melissa faces" that she sometimes makes.

The things I imagined myself doing with the son I knew I would have, and now cherish doing with Reilly are things like playing with cars and shooting guns...

but I never imagined things like this:


He has discovered Beyblade metal fusion. (Which is essentially just spinning tops.) And I don't think he's ever liked anything more. I have a sneaking suspicion this is going to be on his birthday wish list. :)

I thank God for the blessing of growing up in a nurturing family, one that would perfectly prepare me to be exactly the Mother these precious ones would need. I had an amazing example to learn from...


I'm not pretending that I'm perfect, or have much of a clue at all about this crazy adventure of raising children... but I am certain that God has equipped me for this task and I am honored, humbled, and awestruck by it's enormity and the fulfillment it brings. I pray for the strength, wisdom, patience, and courage to do this most challenging of jobs- to safeguard the hearts and minds of my charges with grace and godliness. Taking the precious memories of the sweetness of their baby days and toddler years, and keeping them close, so that I can do my best to keep from pinching their heads off as teenagers. ;) I pray this not only for myself, but for all the incredible women in the trenches with me!!!

Recovery

This is how our Reilly Bear can be found lately, recovering from his tonsillectomy/adenoidectomy. Resting on the couch in his pajamas, and watching all kinds of cartoons on Netflix. (Nickelodeon's "Avatar: The Last Airbender" had been his favorite, then we introduced him to "The Littles" and "He-Man".... children of the 80's rejoice!!!)

The first 2 days post-op were a breeze, thanks to the heavy medication given to him after his surgery. After that burned off, however, it was quite a different story. The short version being, lots of crying and lots of vomiting. Poor, poor baby. He's definitely had it rough. He improved a great deal thanks to anti-nausea medication, thanks for picking that up Mimi & Grandpa! Hopefully, we're on the up-swing here. Updates will be forthcoming.

Happy Birthday "Pa Pa"

Happy Birthday to the best "Grandpa" in the whole wide world!! We love you so much & hope you enjoyed your homemade strawberry cheesecake!!!


And Avery said to tell you that she really loved rocking with you in Mimi's rocking chair!!

"Happy Birthday Cake" to Pa Pa... and many more !!!!

Goodbye to Reilly's Tonsils !!!!

Reilly has "ginormous" tonsils. Or, at least that's what each and every doctor has said each time he's opened his mouth for an exam. Then they would always say that they wouldn't need to be removed unless they started causing problems. This past year he had 6 throat infections.... let's just say their problem-causing days were numbered after that.

So, we found a fantastic ENT who removed his tonsils and adenoids, which were both blocking 85% of his airway. Poor baby. No wonder he's had such restless, noisy sleep lately. Also, the doctor told us that since his sleep had been so poor, his growth hormone production has suffered. And that now, we should expect him to grow 2-3 inches this year!!! WHAT?! The kid is already huge! I don't really need my baby boy looking like he's 13, thank you very much. But, he is going to be 6 foot 2, so I suppose it makes sense for him to get going on that.





He was in good spirits before the surgery, although he did admit he was a little scared. We had him laughing right before they wheeled him back into the O.R. which helped a bit. Watching them take my little boy away to be operated on was something very difficult indeed. Painful. Heart-wrenching even.

Glad Joey was there beside me.

For about 3 minutes until he fell fast asleep. Oh yes, did I mention snoring?? Thanks Joe. :/ Glad he could be so calm and relaxed at a time like this.

I couldn't get to Reilly fast enough when they told us that everything had gone perfectly, and he was all done. He was so cute- loopy on medication like that, by the way. He was so tough and brave, a real champ. All the nurses, the anesthesiologist, and even his doctor said so. (Which was a shock, since he usually brings the drama!)



The nurses told us that it was quite likely that he would be nauseated, and possibly vomit on the way home, but he sure didn't !!! SO GLAD! His doctor told us to start him on real food ASAP, as in- a big sandwich on the way home. Reilly opted for a Smokehouse Brisket sandwich from Firehouse Subs for his early lunch. He ate the whole thing!!! The nurses told us to just let him sleep when we got home, but he didn't even need to. We actually had to keep reminding him to sit down and be still. They told us that kids bounce back fast after this kind of stuff, but seriously??? Doesn't the child realize that he just had SURGERY this morning??? I believe that children are mostly made of rubber... or at least mine are. :)

He had lots of visitors today too. Both of his Aunts, Mimi, Nana, Granddad, and our best friends all came by to bring him books, movies, popsicles, works of art, and even his favorite ice cream! (Braums' blue birthday cake ice cream, that is. Thanks Aunt Honey!)


We're praying that the rest of his recovery goes as smoothly as this first day!!! Although, I have no idea how I'm going to keep that child (relatively) still for the next 13 days!!!