Taking a time out today to show you Lyssi Lu's first barette...we love this girl soooo much!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
In sickness and health...
When I took my wedding vows 5.5 years ago to take D in marriage through sickness and in health I did not realize that we would not always be the ones getting sick and instead we would be holding each other up through our little one's illnesses. I didn't realize that by promising him my support and love through sickness that I was also promising our future children that by loving their Daddy I was diving headfirst into a future of colds/fevers/late nights and runny noses.
School has started hasnt' it!? Derrick called it and has reminded me of his 'call' a few times already. The start of a new school year almost undoubtedly means colds. I always smile while I roll my eyes reminding him that our kids aren't really in school and that they don't go to daycare but without fail they have proved him correct and once more, Daddy was right yet again.
Monday started a long week with Riley waking up sweaty, congested and crying with frustration over his inability to fall asleep due to fevers. Daddy took to the couch with him and I listened to his whimpers from our bedroom. I couldn't do it. I had to be near my sick boy. I traded spots with Daddy and listened to every moan and cough that came from our little guy. At one point he was so tired and delirious he asked to watch a special movie and eat ice cream, it was 3:20 in the a.m. and he quickly (thankfully) fell back asleep within minutes breathing deeply with crackles in his chest.
It was a long night but I awoke just under an hour later ready for work and regretting leaving my boy behind. He continued with his nightly routine of needing to sleep on the couch after a few hours of bed sleeping due to coughs and fevers and we switched on and off of who got up with him. There was no anger, no regret, only love and support. By Thursday he was starting to kick it and wouldn't you know that after an hour of sleeping for Lyssi Lu she woke up horribly congested, red-faced and hot like an iron. I cradled her in my arms and we finished up Grey's together. I put her back in her crib, mattress raised by a towel and prayed she would stay sleeping. 5.5 hours later she was still in my arms, Riley was on the couch with the last of a very loud cough and I had to call it quits and take a sick day. It was a miserable night. I hadn't done the all-nighter with my baby girl for months and this 28 hour stretch of awake took it's toll on me. After a few hours of rest I woke up miserably sick with a horrible sore throat, body aches and a fever. I was downright pissed. Seriously, it is not bad enough that I have to listen to my sons throaty coughs all night, my daughters cries because she can't understand why she can't breathe while drinking a bottle or trying to put herself to sleep with a nuk that someone thought I should be put in their tiny shoes? I drugged myself up, we picked each other up and we carried on.
I carried on with a wedding shoot on Saturday. 12 hours of on my feet, sweaty, hard work. Missing my babies, their Daddy and my bed dearly. Daddy carried on with 12 hours of sweaty, hard work caring for 2 sick babes.
I came home to a very tired Lyssi who just couldn't go to sleep. D told me she was waiting for me and indeed she was. I held her after being away all day and she melted in my arms and fell asleep instantly not waking until the next morn.
We looked at each other Sunday morning after a solid week of the serious sickies and we were thankful. Thankful that we had one another for support and help. Thankful that we had another set of arms to pick up and carry the poor baby girl who in her sickness didn't want to be put down. Thankful that we had each other. Thankful that we had made it the whole week, intact, fighting our way out of the illness and looking forward to what would hopefully be a healthier week.
Indeed it has been better already. Riley still has a few remnants from his sickness and Lyssi is still hanging onto a runny nose but she can breathe again without struggle and to just hold her, to just feed her without her having to pause every 2 seconds to breathe is heaven. Baby girl is back to sleeping all night and the towel has been removed from beneath her crib mattress.
A few weeks ago Lyssa was up for no reason wide awake at 9:00. We struggled with what was going on and prayed fervently that this was a fluke. The next night when the clock struck 9:00 baby girl was up and wide awake. We were frustrated. We had tried a bottle the night before with no sleep to follow so when D suggested a bottle again I snapped at him and said something to the effect like "yes, because that worked wonders last night." He sighed and I seethed and it got us nowhere. Somewhere between that first night and second we found ourselves again and carried on as a team. Around midnight I tried throwing her blankets in the dryer and finally the warmness carried her to peaceful dreams and she never awoke like that again. We finally fell into bed exhausted, said our "sorry's" and fell asleep.
It is in moments like this that I think of those vows we took, especially the ones about "in sickness and in health". Nothing tests your patience and resolve like sick kids. Granted our kids only had colds but it is not easy times 2. It is during these small, miniscule, problematic long nights and longer days that I am proud to look over at my husband only to realize that we are living out our vows, hand in hand, heart in heart. It gets me to thinking that we are so very fortunate to not be watching our children sleep in a hospital bed with a terminal illness, fighting for every tomorrow. In my tiredness I pray for those families and hold my kids just a bit tighter.
There is no one with whom I would rather live out this life with, colds, flu's and all-more than my husband, our rock, my soul and the Daddy of my two most precious gifts in life.
In sickness and in health takes on whole new meaning when you are talking about your little hearts being ill.
School has started hasnt' it!? Derrick called it and has reminded me of his 'call' a few times already. The start of a new school year almost undoubtedly means colds. I always smile while I roll my eyes reminding him that our kids aren't really in school and that they don't go to daycare but without fail they have proved him correct and once more, Daddy was right yet again.
Monday started a long week with Riley waking up sweaty, congested and crying with frustration over his inability to fall asleep due to fevers. Daddy took to the couch with him and I listened to his whimpers from our bedroom. I couldn't do it. I had to be near my sick boy. I traded spots with Daddy and listened to every moan and cough that came from our little guy. At one point he was so tired and delirious he asked to watch a special movie and eat ice cream, it was 3:20 in the a.m. and he quickly (thankfully) fell back asleep within minutes breathing deeply with crackles in his chest.
It was a long night but I awoke just under an hour later ready for work and regretting leaving my boy behind. He continued with his nightly routine of needing to sleep on the couch after a few hours of bed sleeping due to coughs and fevers and we switched on and off of who got up with him. There was no anger, no regret, only love and support. By Thursday he was starting to kick it and wouldn't you know that after an hour of sleeping for Lyssi Lu she woke up horribly congested, red-faced and hot like an iron. I cradled her in my arms and we finished up Grey's together. I put her back in her crib, mattress raised by a towel and prayed she would stay sleeping. 5.5 hours later she was still in my arms, Riley was on the couch with the last of a very loud cough and I had to call it quits and take a sick day. It was a miserable night. I hadn't done the all-nighter with my baby girl for months and this 28 hour stretch of awake took it's toll on me. After a few hours of rest I woke up miserably sick with a horrible sore throat, body aches and a fever. I was downright pissed. Seriously, it is not bad enough that I have to listen to my sons throaty coughs all night, my daughters cries because she can't understand why she can't breathe while drinking a bottle or trying to put herself to sleep with a nuk that someone thought I should be put in their tiny shoes? I drugged myself up, we picked each other up and we carried on.
I carried on with a wedding shoot on Saturday. 12 hours of on my feet, sweaty, hard work. Missing my babies, their Daddy and my bed dearly. Daddy carried on with 12 hours of sweaty, hard work caring for 2 sick babes.
I came home to a very tired Lyssi who just couldn't go to sleep. D told me she was waiting for me and indeed she was. I held her after being away all day and she melted in my arms and fell asleep instantly not waking until the next morn.
We looked at each other Sunday morning after a solid week of the serious sickies and we were thankful. Thankful that we had one another for support and help. Thankful that we had another set of arms to pick up and carry the poor baby girl who in her sickness didn't want to be put down. Thankful that we had each other. Thankful that we had made it the whole week, intact, fighting our way out of the illness and looking forward to what would hopefully be a healthier week.
Indeed it has been better already. Riley still has a few remnants from his sickness and Lyssi is still hanging onto a runny nose but she can breathe again without struggle and to just hold her, to just feed her without her having to pause every 2 seconds to breathe is heaven. Baby girl is back to sleeping all night and the towel has been removed from beneath her crib mattress.
A few weeks ago Lyssa was up for no reason wide awake at 9:00. We struggled with what was going on and prayed fervently that this was a fluke. The next night when the clock struck 9:00 baby girl was up and wide awake. We were frustrated. We had tried a bottle the night before with no sleep to follow so when D suggested a bottle again I snapped at him and said something to the effect like "yes, because that worked wonders last night." He sighed and I seethed and it got us nowhere. Somewhere between that first night and second we found ourselves again and carried on as a team. Around midnight I tried throwing her blankets in the dryer and finally the warmness carried her to peaceful dreams and she never awoke like that again. We finally fell into bed exhausted, said our "sorry's" and fell asleep.
It is in moments like this that I think of those vows we took, especially the ones about "in sickness and in health". Nothing tests your patience and resolve like sick kids. Granted our kids only had colds but it is not easy times 2. It is during these small, miniscule, problematic long nights and longer days that I am proud to look over at my husband only to realize that we are living out our vows, hand in hand, heart in heart. It gets me to thinking that we are so very fortunate to not be watching our children sleep in a hospital bed with a terminal illness, fighting for every tomorrow. In my tiredness I pray for those families and hold my kids just a bit tighter.
There is no one with whom I would rather live out this life with, colds, flu's and all-more than my husband, our rock, my soul and the Daddy of my two most precious gifts in life.
In sickness and in health takes on whole new meaning when you are talking about your little hearts being ill.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Picture this!
Let's start out by asking "What's wrong with this picture?" D and I are on the couch Sunday morning at 7:15 watching Dinosaur Train...the children are still sleeping.
One more.
I am super prepared for my first adventure as the 3 year old Sunday School teacher with bags packed full of snacks, supplies and props Saturday night. I alone get both kids out to the door fully clothed after a bath for both feeling extra proud and even more prepared. (D had a 9 a.m. appt.) I get to Sunday school, unpack and can't find my lesson binder or my notes anywhere...oops, last minute preparing led to me taking them out of the bag and never replacing them. Oh well, we got the gist of the lesson and when I asked Riley later what he learned he replied "When I am a bad boy, God still loves me." Epic success if I do say so myself : )! I am still singing "Jump forward, step back, wave your hands in the air and clap," over and over to myself though!
Picture this: To celebrate 1 whole year of a potty trained Riley we defy the weather and head to Como Town on Saturday with Riley's favorite person Owen! They have a blast together riding the rails, cars and chowing down. It was a special morning with just my little man and on the way home we had to make an emergency stop because the boy had to pee so we pulled over, pulled it out and peed. Boys are so easy like that : ) We also came home with a sucker and a 5 foot stuffed snake. He loves that thing. Walks around with it everywhere and keeps telling me "hank you mommy for mine nake, I just wove him so much." He also looked at D and said "Daddy me just so happy!" Doesn't take much to please this boy!
Picture this: My cute children, one blue-eyed, blonde beauty and my brown-eyed, brown haired handsome man. Swoon!
Picture this: D and I in Vegas in December alone for the first time in 3.5 years for more than a day. Eating without interruptions and sleeping like teenagers. Yay! We booked our Vegas trip and head out Dec 15th! Now do we sleep the whole 3 days away or will we get out and have us some fun!?
Picture this: Lyssa Lu loving on Deuce. She watches him like a hawk and just loves to touch him and get herself all full of his hair. It's sweet and weird to think back to not long ago when Riley was the same age with the same obsession!
Picture this: A Friday night out to dinner with margaritas for all, 'cept the littles. I was possibly, just a bit pleasantly buzzed up after so we had a dance party as desert and Lyssa Lu loves her some Fitty Cent circa 2001. (the edited version people!) I can see how with kids and work people like a glass of wine with dinner. I giggled and laughed the whole night off of one very yummy marg!
Picture this: After church Sunday both kids were exhausted. Riley napped for 2 hours and Lyssa Lu for 3.5. This means we watched/napped alone in the LR with the game on just like we used to when Riley was a newbie. Ahh, I love me some Sunday football!
Picture this: The horrible and ever spreading rash all over my hands and now my arms-diagnosed by D. He casually mentioned that maybe it was due to the Aveda (art and science of pure flower and plant extracts) that I use in my hair and low and behold a light bulb went off in my head. I am ALLERGIC to plants and flowers, stopped usage and the rash is slowly but surely disappearing.
Picture this: I finish one of the best books I have ever read in Goodyear while getting my oil changed. I look around to make sure I am alone as I hug my book at the end and smile at just how wonderful it was! I then stop by the library to get the 6th Harry Potter book cause Mama's got to have a book to read!
Picture this: Annie and me shooting our first wedding together this Saturday! EEK! What seemed so far off is now upon us and I am nervous and pumped up hoping to make all proud, plus I am really, really looking forward to Hotel Minneapolis and the sit down dinner we are going to be served. The extra 5 hundy makes it all worth it too! : )
Picture this: I spike Alyssa's hair out of habit from when she was an infant and I tried to make up for her little hair by mohawking it. Now at church everyone knows her by her signature mohawk. A friend/fellow preschooler Mom brought her to the nursery for me and just from seeing the back of her head my Mom knew it was her walking by from that blonde spike.
Picture this: Lyssi Lu just wore her first pair of skinny jeans...My gosh I love dressing this little love up. I have never cared what I look like but with her I just love the shoes, the skinny jeans, the cardi's and dresses! This could be dangerous people!
Picture this: Goodness, I am going to be 29 this year! I have big plans of living life to the max my last year in the 20's!
Picture this: My parents are cruising this February which gives me the perfect excuse to take that whole week of my little Lyssa's birthday week off! : )
Picture this: Riley had a blast at his second day of preschool and made us all hungry talking about the "cacker faces" they made for snacks. Ritz cracker, peanut butter, chocolate chips, and licorice. Yes, PLEASE!
Picture this: I am a hyper organized person and with my life planner it is all the more fun...notes, day to day calendars, fun quotes and pretty colors make this lady happy!
Picture this: Another week is upon us anew and I am keeping my fingers crossed for freezing temps...excuse me but my allergies are so bad the inside of me mouth itches something fierce. I might have had to use a fork to itch, that is bad! So spare the mellow drama about the frost. I need it and then the temps can go back up to the 60's maybe even the 70's but the frost is a necessary evil in my world!
Happy new week! Make it a good one!
and I don't know if this will work but see if you can watch this video...this boy of mine...sigh...is getting so big!
">
One more.
I am super prepared for my first adventure as the 3 year old Sunday School teacher with bags packed full of snacks, supplies and props Saturday night. I alone get both kids out to the door fully clothed after a bath for both feeling extra proud and even more prepared. (D had a 9 a.m. appt.) I get to Sunday school, unpack and can't find my lesson binder or my notes anywhere...oops, last minute preparing led to me taking them out of the bag and never replacing them. Oh well, we got the gist of the lesson and when I asked Riley later what he learned he replied "When I am a bad boy, God still loves me." Epic success if I do say so myself : )! I am still singing "Jump forward, step back, wave your hands in the air and clap," over and over to myself though!
Picture this: To celebrate 1 whole year of a potty trained Riley we defy the weather and head to Como Town on Saturday with Riley's favorite person Owen! They have a blast together riding the rails, cars and chowing down. It was a special morning with just my little man and on the way home we had to make an emergency stop because the boy had to pee so we pulled over, pulled it out and peed. Boys are so easy like that : ) We also came home with a sucker and a 5 foot stuffed snake. He loves that thing. Walks around with it everywhere and keeps telling me "hank you mommy for mine nake, I just wove him so much." He also looked at D and said "Daddy me just so happy!" Doesn't take much to please this boy!
Picture this: My cute children, one blue-eyed, blonde beauty and my brown-eyed, brown haired handsome man. Swoon!
Picture this: D and I in Vegas in December alone for the first time in 3.5 years for more than a day. Eating without interruptions and sleeping like teenagers. Yay! We booked our Vegas trip and head out Dec 15th! Now do we sleep the whole 3 days away or will we get out and have us some fun!?
Picture this: Lyssa Lu loving on Deuce. She watches him like a hawk and just loves to touch him and get herself all full of his hair. It's sweet and weird to think back to not long ago when Riley was the same age with the same obsession!
Picture this: A Friday night out to dinner with margaritas for all, 'cept the littles. I was possibly, just a bit pleasantly buzzed up after so we had a dance party as desert and Lyssa Lu loves her some Fitty Cent circa 2001. (the edited version people!) I can see how with kids and work people like a glass of wine with dinner. I giggled and laughed the whole night off of one very yummy marg!
Picture this: After church Sunday both kids were exhausted. Riley napped for 2 hours and Lyssa Lu for 3.5. This means we watched/napped alone in the LR with the game on just like we used to when Riley was a newbie. Ahh, I love me some Sunday football!
Picture this: The horrible and ever spreading rash all over my hands and now my arms-diagnosed by D. He casually mentioned that maybe it was due to the Aveda (art and science of pure flower and plant extracts) that I use in my hair and low and behold a light bulb went off in my head. I am ALLERGIC to plants and flowers, stopped usage and the rash is slowly but surely disappearing.
Picture this: I finish one of the best books I have ever read in Goodyear while getting my oil changed. I look around to make sure I am alone as I hug my book at the end and smile at just how wonderful it was! I then stop by the library to get the 6th Harry Potter book cause Mama's got to have a book to read!
Picture this: Annie and me shooting our first wedding together this Saturday! EEK! What seemed so far off is now upon us and I am nervous and pumped up hoping to make all proud, plus I am really, really looking forward to Hotel Minneapolis and the sit down dinner we are going to be served. The extra 5 hundy makes it all worth it too! : )
Picture this: I spike Alyssa's hair out of habit from when she was an infant and I tried to make up for her little hair by mohawking it. Now at church everyone knows her by her signature mohawk. A friend/fellow preschooler Mom brought her to the nursery for me and just from seeing the back of her head my Mom knew it was her walking by from that blonde spike.
 |
| The Lyssi Lu signature "spike" |
Picture this: Lyssi Lu just wore her first pair of skinny jeans...My gosh I love dressing this little love up. I have never cared what I look like but with her I just love the shoes, the skinny jeans, the cardi's and dresses! This could be dangerous people!
Picture this: Goodness, I am going to be 29 this year! I have big plans of living life to the max my last year in the 20's!
Picture this: My parents are cruising this February which gives me the perfect excuse to take that whole week of my little Lyssa's birthday week off! : )
Picture this: Riley had a blast at his second day of preschool and made us all hungry talking about the "cacker faces" they made for snacks. Ritz cracker, peanut butter, chocolate chips, and licorice. Yes, PLEASE!
Picture this: I am a hyper organized person and with my life planner it is all the more fun...notes, day to day calendars, fun quotes and pretty colors make this lady happy!
Picture this: Another week is upon us anew and I am keeping my fingers crossed for freezing temps...excuse me but my allergies are so bad the inside of me mouth itches something fierce. I might have had to use a fork to itch, that is bad! So spare the mellow drama about the frost. I need it and then the temps can go back up to the 60's maybe even the 70's but the frost is a necessary evil in my world!
Happy new week! Make it a good one!
and I don't know if this will work but see if you can watch this video...this boy of mine...sigh...is getting so big!
">
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Preschool Daze
First day of preschool down, only like 14 more years to mourn the first day of school come and gone for my Riley man. I had a nervous feeling Tuesday night. Possibly it was due to the fact that I never saw Derrick all of Tuesday thanks to work, a park playdate with just the kids and I and then softball games at 8 and 10...seriously 10 o'clock? But honestly it was probably just feeling the growing pains of my baby boy.
We did all we could to excite him for his first day and he always came back with "but I will just miss you Mommy," or a "you just stay in school with me Mommy." He went to bed a little somberly Tuesday eve and I could tell he had alot on his mind. We said prayers and read special books about going to preschool. Thankfully he woke up excited Wednesday morning and I was barely able to get both kids dressed and out the door since they woke up late (just when you expect an early alarm clock they sleep in until 7:15!). We made it to school early for the obligatory first day pictures beneath the sign, next to the pine tree (excuse my 'high as a kite' look) and then a few quick backpack shots. He was having fun finding his hook for his 'zebra', seeing his friends and hugging his teacher. I went to say goodbye and his little fist grabbed my jeans like a vice grip. He kept asking for one more hug and he kept repeating that he "not want to stay here, me miss you too much ready (already) Mommy." It broke my heart. I was able to make it out of the class and Mrs Penny his 2 yr old teacher poked her head into his classroom and said that he was doing fine so I left. I made it to the truck and I started crying. Derrick called to see how it went and when I told him what Riley kept repeating I almost thought he was going to cry too! I snuck home to cry it out before meeting the mommies for Caribou while we waited to pick up our big kids. The time went by fast and when I finally saw that it was 11:30 I couldn't get back to church fast enough. One by one kids were walking out with smiles on their faces and my Riley was sitting at the table waiting to catch a glimpse of me so he too could leave. Seeing his smiling face gave me such relief. He showed me the painting he had done and asked me to pick him up so we could go home. He didn't really want to talk about school except to say that "it not fun and me not go back again peese Mommy." He looked really tired so I figured the interrogation could wait. While we napped his teacher Mrs Jane called and made me the proudest mama. She wanted to let me know that Riley didn't stop smiling once, that he was a JOY to be around and that he was so sweet to all the kids especially when he decided to give up his swing and push the others instead. As soon as I told him she called he lit up with pride and asked ever so sweetly, "that was nice of me Mommy, that make you happy?" We spent the evening celebrating his first day with an expensive dinner at Culver's and a super fun park date feeding the ducks. He kept saying over and over again "Mommy, I just love you so much, this so much fun." He was literally squealing with excitement and I knew then everything was going to be just fine. I will never stop being sad at how fast he is growing up but my tears are always bittersweet. Bitter over letting go and leaving behind but sweet with happiness that he is surrounded by love and learning.
I will think of him every Wednesday at 9:00 as he walks into school with his sister and Nana saying goodbye's and going potty before entering his classroom to learn. I am so thankful for Mt Olive Preschool education and knowing that he is sitting in the same chairs and classrooms that I did 25 years ago.
We did all we could to excite him for his first day and he always came back with "but I will just miss you Mommy," or a "you just stay in school with me Mommy." He went to bed a little somberly Tuesday eve and I could tell he had alot on his mind. We said prayers and read special books about going to preschool. Thankfully he woke up excited Wednesday morning and I was barely able to get both kids dressed and out the door since they woke up late (just when you expect an early alarm clock they sleep in until 7:15!). We made it to school early for the obligatory first day pictures beneath the sign, next to the pine tree (excuse my 'high as a kite' look) and then a few quick backpack shots. He was having fun finding his hook for his 'zebra', seeing his friends and hugging his teacher. I went to say goodbye and his little fist grabbed my jeans like a vice grip. He kept asking for one more hug and he kept repeating that he "not want to stay here, me miss you too much ready (already) Mommy." It broke my heart. I was able to make it out of the class and Mrs Penny his 2 yr old teacher poked her head into his classroom and said that he was doing fine so I left. I made it to the truck and I started crying. Derrick called to see how it went and when I told him what Riley kept repeating I almost thought he was going to cry too! I snuck home to cry it out before meeting the mommies for Caribou while we waited to pick up our big kids. The time went by fast and when I finally saw that it was 11:30 I couldn't get back to church fast enough. One by one kids were walking out with smiles on their faces and my Riley was sitting at the table waiting to catch a glimpse of me so he too could leave. Seeing his smiling face gave me such relief. He showed me the painting he had done and asked me to pick him up so we could go home. He didn't really want to talk about school except to say that "it not fun and me not go back again peese Mommy." He looked really tired so I figured the interrogation could wait. While we napped his teacher Mrs Jane called and made me the proudest mama. She wanted to let me know that Riley didn't stop smiling once, that he was a JOY to be around and that he was so sweet to all the kids especially when he decided to give up his swing and push the others instead. As soon as I told him she called he lit up with pride and asked ever so sweetly, "that was nice of me Mommy, that make you happy?" We spent the evening celebrating his first day with an expensive dinner at Culver's and a super fun park date feeding the ducks. He kept saying over and over again "Mommy, I just love you so much, this so much fun." He was literally squealing with excitement and I knew then everything was going to be just fine. I will never stop being sad at how fast he is growing up but my tears are always bittersweet. Bitter over letting go and leaving behind but sweet with happiness that he is surrounded by love and learning.
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| so tired after a long day |
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