But we did. We left them with a college girl who lived down the street. Fast forward a year....
My boys love Bailey....and her whole family has become a part of ours.
Monday, May 7, 2012
I'll Have Another
Who doesn't love Derby? We don't usually go to the the track on Derby, it's much more economical fun to go to parties and cheer on the horses from the comfort of somebody else's couch. Where there is no need to find the perfect hat and at the end of the day my feet aren't hurting from the heels that I walked in for hours. That being said, each year we do get invited to a very big and fancy Derby party. The attire is formal, the food is delicious, and....the drinks are endless:) Last year was the very first time I had left the babies. I was so nervous. They were so little and I was in complete awe of their newness. Reluctant to leave them. EVER.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
a really good day
For the past year, Blake has been involved in First Steps. It's an early intervention program for children with special needs. Blake qualified for both occupational and physical therapy. Occupational therapy focuses on fine motor skills, ie: feeding yourself, holding two toys at the same time, stacking blocks. While physical therapy focuses on gross motor skills, ie: rolling, sitting, crawling, walking. Back in January we had an evaluation to determine whether or not Blake still needed both therapies. He did. However, our occupational therapy was decreased from twice a month to monthly. I was ecstatic. Blake had occupational therapy today with Miss Kim. We love Miss Kim. Therapy went well. Actually, he rocked it out. Not only was he stacking two blocks, he could stack three. Oh...and puzzles, well he could put a square back into its place (which is a 21 month old skill)! So as therapy was winding down and Miss Kim was packing her bags to leave, she turned around nonchalant and said she needed to tell me something. What?! I felt panic begin to lodge in the back of my throat. But Miss Kim, took my hands in hers and said, "Well, I don't think there's anything else I can do for Blake. I'm discharging him. Keep up the good work." Then she gave me a hug and kiss, while tears poured from my eyes. And just like that....he graduated. One chapter is completed, but oh, how I can't wait to see how the rest of the book unfolds.
Did you ever notice how much more beautiful the sunshine is after a storm?
We are SO blessed.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
15 months
And today...he walked. Blake. His little feet took two small steps and my heart took one giant leap. It happened during therapy. We were at a gym and I had gone to change Beckett and was walking back into the play area when through the windows...I saw. And I cannot begin to put into words the myriad of emotions that flooded my senses in that single moment. Time stood still. In fact, the world ceased to spin when I saw his feet move. I wanted to run into that room, scream at the top of my lungs that my boy did it! He did it! For so long, so very long, we doubted. As I reread over his initial prognosis, the one that I keep tucked away in a drawer so as not to be reminded of those dark days, I realize that we were not the only ones that doubted. There are scary words littering the page: delayed; sensory and tactile overstimulation; hearing impaired; cerebral palsy. Words that can not only devastate, but define. I haven't looked at that paper since his initial evaluation. Until today. When I saw my boy take two steps. And while he may just be getting his footing in this world, as I walked back into that play area, I acknowledge the fact that I could be losing mine. For the past 15 months, I have been his advocate. His most valiant fan. His champion. And now I see, that he will not need me, for he will triumph on his own. And so I walked back in, willing the tears not to fall, and scooped him up. Held him close to me. Inhaled the scent that is Blake. And I whispered into his ear, "You did it, son."
And the weak shall be strong.
Beckett: 21 lbs (25% in weight)
28.5 inches (3% in height)
You are still very sensitive. You cry easily, but laugh more. You are a great sleeper and get somewhat annoyed when Blake wakes you up. You are becoming a much better eater. Just the other day you tried cranberries and loved them. You are very industrious. Everyplace you go, you go with purpose. Your little body scoots (quickly) all over the house determined to get from A to B. You are a great climber. You have mastered going up the stairs. Once at the top, you will turn around and holler as if to say, "Look at me!" You are nowhere near walking. Your scoot is very efficient for you and if you aren't scooting, you want to be held. You love to be outside. You are very content to scoot around the deck or crawl up the stairs and watch the airplanes. You love Zoey. You will scoot right up to her and offer her your face and wait for her to kiss you. You are very serious. And very intense. You have the cutest gap between your two front teeth and you still have a dimple in your left cheek. You are beginning to find out that you can be funny, and so you repeat over and over again whatever it is that makes me laugh. You love to push things. Anything with wheels doesn't stand a chance against you. You will push and scoot and push and scoot until your mother makes you stop. You get frustrated easily and it breaks my heart. I so badly want to be able to just "do it" for you, but at the same time I like watching your little brain work to figure something out. You love books. You will sit on the floor with an open book and just babble. (I like to imagine that you will become a great novelist one day). You can say, "Zoey, wow, momma, daddy,oh oh and no." Sometimes I look at you and can't believe that you are turning into a toddler, but for now I will relish in the fact that your favorite place to be is still in my arms.
Blake: 23.2 lbs (50% in weight)
29.5 inches (5% in height)
You are a happy baby. You are content to play by yourself but thrive off attention. You are an early bird. You are the 1st one in the house awake. You talk to yourself until you wake up your brother. When I open the door in the morning, your smile lights the whole room. You love to eat. Not necessarily sweets, like your momma and brother, more meat and potatoes. You love chicken and cheeseburgers and pizza. You are a quick learner and mimic most everything we do. You are much more accident prone than your brother. So far you've fallen off the changing table and the bathroom counter. You've slammed your finger in the door and pulled the fireplace grate over on your head. Yet you still calm easily. You have had a rough couple of weeks and will probably take after your momma with allergies and asthma. Your favorite toy is a ball. From the moment you wake up you start saying, "giye" which is your word for ball. Nothing makes you happier than playing ball. But if I'm too busy to play with you, you have learned to throw the ball against a wall and catch it yourself. Which I think is nothing short of GENIUS! You are very friendly and will wave to anyone. Even when you are in your carseat, I will look in the mirror and catch you waving out the window. You have beautiful blue eyes with think long lashes, and when you cry, big teardrops fall making your eyes even more blue, and I just want to scoop you up into my arms and get lost in the ocean of your eyes. While you are more independent than your brother, you still love to cuddle. You do the most amazing thing, you sit on my lap and lean your head into mine, and we touch foreheads. And for that moment, I feel the world stop. You can say, "dada, momma, oh oh, hi, guck (duck), and giye (ball).
And the weak shall be strong.
Beckett: 21 lbs (25% in weight)
28.5 inches (3% in height)
You are still very sensitive. You cry easily, but laugh more. You are a great sleeper and get somewhat annoyed when Blake wakes you up. You are becoming a much better eater. Just the other day you tried cranberries and loved them. You are very industrious. Everyplace you go, you go with purpose. Your little body scoots (quickly) all over the house determined to get from A to B. You are a great climber. You have mastered going up the stairs. Once at the top, you will turn around and holler as if to say, "Look at me!" You are nowhere near walking. Your scoot is very efficient for you and if you aren't scooting, you want to be held. You love to be outside. You are very content to scoot around the deck or crawl up the stairs and watch the airplanes. You love Zoey. You will scoot right up to her and offer her your face and wait for her to kiss you. You are very serious. And very intense. You have the cutest gap between your two front teeth and you still have a dimple in your left cheek. You are beginning to find out that you can be funny, and so you repeat over and over again whatever it is that makes me laugh. You love to push things. Anything with wheels doesn't stand a chance against you. You will push and scoot and push and scoot until your mother makes you stop. You get frustrated easily and it breaks my heart. I so badly want to be able to just "do it" for you, but at the same time I like watching your little brain work to figure something out. You love books. You will sit on the floor with an open book and just babble. (I like to imagine that you will become a great novelist one day). You can say, "Zoey, wow, momma, daddy,oh oh and no." Sometimes I look at you and can't believe that you are turning into a toddler, but for now I will relish in the fact that your favorite place to be is still in my arms.
Blake: 23.2 lbs (50% in weight)
29.5 inches (5% in height)
You are a happy baby. You are content to play by yourself but thrive off attention. You are an early bird. You are the 1st one in the house awake. You talk to yourself until you wake up your brother. When I open the door in the morning, your smile lights the whole room. You love to eat. Not necessarily sweets, like your momma and brother, more meat and potatoes. You love chicken and cheeseburgers and pizza. You are a quick learner and mimic most everything we do. You are much more accident prone than your brother. So far you've fallen off the changing table and the bathroom counter. You've slammed your finger in the door and pulled the fireplace grate over on your head. Yet you still calm easily. You have had a rough couple of weeks and will probably take after your momma with allergies and asthma. Your favorite toy is a ball. From the moment you wake up you start saying, "giye" which is your word for ball. Nothing makes you happier than playing ball. But if I'm too busy to play with you, you have learned to throw the ball against a wall and catch it yourself. Which I think is nothing short of GENIUS! You are very friendly and will wave to anyone. Even when you are in your carseat, I will look in the mirror and catch you waving out the window. You have beautiful blue eyes with think long lashes, and when you cry, big teardrops fall making your eyes even more blue, and I just want to scoop you up into my arms and get lost in the ocean of your eyes. While you are more independent than your brother, you still love to cuddle. You do the most amazing thing, you sit on my lap and lean your head into mine, and we touch foreheads. And for that moment, I feel the world stop. You can say, "dada, momma, oh oh, hi, guck (duck), and giye (ball).
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Some Days the Dragon Wins...
Growing up I had a picture in my room with a fire breathing dragon, (even though he was pink and outfitted in lace) with the caption "Sometimes the dragon wins." Today... the dragon defeated me.
Where to begin? Blake is battling an ear infection. Yesterday he ran a low grade fever and we started him on an antibiotic. However the medicine didn't help the fact that unless he was attached to my hip, he would scream his blood blond head off. His fever broke last night and I went to bed completely hopeful for that today would be a good day. I was WRONG.
Chris got up for work early, and as always, checked on the boys before he left. He walked back into our bedroom and said, "Beckett feels really hot." Hmmmm.....
He was right. Beckett was a little furnace. And a very irritable furnace. So I give him some Motrin and put him back to bed. He sleeps for another hour, while Blake scoots all around the house. Relishing being an "only child" for the moment. When Beckett wakes back up...he feels cooler. His fever has broken and he's even smiling. Great. Maybe this day will still be good. I shower and we all go downstairs to play outside. Blake is standing at the dining room door. I open the door...abruptly. And slam his pinky finger in the door. And he screams. LOUD. And I fall to the floor, scoop him up and curse myself. I am crying now too. Oh...and so is Beckett. I calm down enough to look at his finger. Ouch! It's red and swollen. And he won't let me touch it. In fact if I try to look at it he screams and begins to flail his arms wildly. I call Chris, thinking that he will put me at ease and say no big deal. He tells me to bring him in. What?! So we head downtown to Chris' office. He takes one look at his finger and says we need to go to Kosair for an Xray. At this point, I am crying. Sobbing really. Blake has cried himself to sleep and Beckett is in a Motrin induced coma.
Thirty minutes later we are registered and waiting in radiology. When it's Blake's turn, Chris goes in with him, to keep him calm. Clearly if I couldn't calm myself down, I wouldn't be able to calm Blakey. Blake was a rock star...and his finger was not broken!! However it has extensive soft tissue swelling. I'm supposed to ice it. Really? Keep ice on a 14 month old?
So we get home and we all take a nap. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out. Until Beckett screams woke me up. His fever was now at 101. And we're out of Motrin. And my husband called and said one of his patients was coming by to pick up some clothes. So after I put cool washcloths on Beckett's head, the doorbell rang. Zoey, the dog, darted out and scared the crap out of a little girl. Beckett began screaming and just for giggles and grins Blake puked.
Where to begin? Blake is battling an ear infection. Yesterday he ran a low grade fever and we started him on an antibiotic. However the medicine didn't help the fact that unless he was attached to my hip, he would scream his blood blond head off. His fever broke last night and I went to bed completely hopeful for that today would be a good day. I was WRONG.
Chris got up for work early, and as always, checked on the boys before he left. He walked back into our bedroom and said, "Beckett feels really hot." Hmmmm.....
He was right. Beckett was a little furnace. And a very irritable furnace. So I give him some Motrin and put him back to bed. He sleeps for another hour, while Blake scoots all around the house. Relishing being an "only child" for the moment. When Beckett wakes back up...he feels cooler. His fever has broken and he's even smiling. Great. Maybe this day will still be good. I shower and we all go downstairs to play outside. Blake is standing at the dining room door. I open the door...abruptly. And slam his pinky finger in the door. And he screams. LOUD. And I fall to the floor, scoop him up and curse myself. I am crying now too. Oh...and so is Beckett. I calm down enough to look at his finger. Ouch! It's red and swollen. And he won't let me touch it. In fact if I try to look at it he screams and begins to flail his arms wildly. I call Chris, thinking that he will put me at ease and say no big deal. He tells me to bring him in. What?! So we head downtown to Chris' office. He takes one look at his finger and says we need to go to Kosair for an Xray. At this point, I am crying. Sobbing really. Blake has cried himself to sleep and Beckett is in a Motrin induced coma.
Thirty minutes later we are registered and waiting in radiology. When it's Blake's turn, Chris goes in with him, to keep him calm. Clearly if I couldn't calm myself down, I wouldn't be able to calm Blakey. Blake was a rock star...and his finger was not broken!! However it has extensive soft tissue swelling. I'm supposed to ice it. Really? Keep ice on a 14 month old?
So we get home and we all take a nap. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out. Until Beckett screams woke me up. His fever was now at 101. And we're out of Motrin. And my husband called and said one of his patients was coming by to pick up some clothes. So after I put cool washcloths on Beckett's head, the doorbell rang. Zoey, the dog, darted out and scared the crap out of a little girl. Beckett began screaming and just for giggles and grins Blake puked.
After a dinner of Little Debbies, Oreos, and applesauce, (it's the only thing he would eat) we are all in bed. I am exhausted. Mentally drained. Emotionally spent. And so while I acknowledge that the dragon won today, I'm still blessed to be able to fight her. Parenting ain't for the faint of heart.
sweet Blake
(notice the ID band on his right ankle)
Sunday, April 8, 2012
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