Monday, September 26, 2011

Piano Man


My Izzy has been taking piano lessons since August. It is about time I share what hard work and practice has earned him after only a couple of months. 

I am one proud Mommy! 

 

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Mom Duties.

Being a Mommy is hard work, yo.

Take for instance, my little Lovey. In two days he was completely potty trained. Easy. Peasy. *screeeech* Hold up. Then came the dreaded #2. I assumed it would be just as easy and seamless, because once Izzy understood one, he understood the other and he was potty trained in 4 days. After 4 days at home, I could take him anywhere and he never had a single accident. Lovey, however, is a mule. His stubbornness and will power can not be tamed. There is no currency large or shiny enough to entice my mule and he has decided he doesn't like poop. I said it, it's out there now. He believes that if he holds it long enough, the problem will just go away. We can't talk about it, ever. If you do, it is a catastrophe of epic proportions. He turns red, starts to sweat and shakes a little. He gets really nervous and then cries, "NO Mommy, No! I scared! I scared!" When he starts sweating and crying, then I start sweating and want to cry too. Why is this hard?

Last week, he had made himself so sick by holding it, he literally was turning yellow, had a low grade fever, and couldn't stand up or sit down. Late one night, I had to do what I had been trying to avoid-suppository time. Ugh, it is just as horrible and traumatic as you imagine. It is torture!!!! My sweet baby who is sick and in pain needs to feel better, but the one thing that can bring instant relief is just so awful. He looked at me with his big brown eyes and BEGGED me to not do it. But, being the Mommy, I knew I had no choice. Within seconds, it worked and while I held my sweaty, hysterical baby on the toilet, I finally let it out and cried with him. I felt so sad that he was in pain and so sad that he doesn't understand he can make it so much easier on himself. Since then we have had to replay that situation 3 times. Every time has been just as awful and just as quick as it is all over, he is a new boy, happy and well.

Then it happened....

I taught in his class at church today and I noticed he just wanted to lie on the rug and read books and a few times he asked if we could go home. Not big signs to anyone else, but Ash is OBSESSED with church. He asks me every day if it is "Church Day" and when it finally is Sunday morning, he rushes me to get ready so we can hurry up and get there. So when he asked to go home, I knew what the problem was. The dreaded #2 was up to no good. I did a lot of self talk on the ride home from church today. "You can do this. It will be 30 minutes of torture for a day of a happy boy. DO. NOT CRY." I'll be honest, it is heartbreaking and gross. Not how I want to spend any moment of my weekend. When I asked him to come to my room, he knew exactly what was going on and started to fuss. Then it got louder, and he got red...and sweaty. I decided to just try without any medicine and while he fought me the whole way, it finally happened. He was able to go without any help and that is a HUGE accomplishment. You have to understand that this kid is newly trained, and has held it through the night and until NOON before without peeing one time because he didn't want any poop to come out. Do you know how small a 3 year olds bladder is? OMW I didn't think it was physically possible, but he willed it to be. So the fact that he went without help is so major in my life right now, while gross and possible TMI, it deserved a spot on the blog. There is bound to be more crying and sweating over this issue, but I will take it if it means he is learning how to listen to his body's cues and follow through. Some day we will look back and laugh about this and I will remind him that this is just one of many reasons why it is his turn to take such good care of me.

Then, there is my Bobo. Izzy has been working so hard this week and some of the things he was struggling with he has made BIG improvements and I am so proud of him. It is a hard transition from non-stop vacations this summer back to our non-stop school schedule. It took a couple of weeks, but he is in full swing now and instead of being down about all the responsibilities he has, he is looking in a more positive light and working hard to earn rewards at home and at school. So glad it clicked! My Bobo is growing so fast and it is ripping my heart out. He is 6 and almost as tall as his teacher. Not joking. Last week they measured, and he said, "I am as tall as my teachers neck!" He is up to my shoulders already and I fear that by second grade he could be taller than me. That is going to make discipline difficult. :) Izzy is wearing a size 4 shoe and size 10 pants. People: TEN. Like for 10 years old!!! I can't handle this. In the midst of PoopGate:2011, he informed me he has his first wiggly tooth. Of course you do, next you will be shaving and picking out a corsage for Prom. If you know me, I am not a "body" person. (can you tell from my earlier story?) I don't like blood, or gross things. The thought of pulling my son's tooth makes me want to throw up. What did I do? I told him, his tooth will fall out when it is ready and to just let it happen naturally. Why might I say that? Well, lets go back to the 80's, shall we? Back in the day, my Mom, who is the complete opposite of myself-loves all things bloody and disgusting, tied all of my loose teeth to my bedroom door and slammed it. I watched as my baby teeth flew across the room and I wailed as blood poured from my wounded mouth. (Dramatic? Probably, but let me have my memories.) My mom found a weird delight in this. She could barely contain herself until my next tooth was loose, so she could do it again! This is why, I can't handle my baby losing his tooth. I don't want anything to do with it and I have already warned him of Grandma's weird love for pulling teeth and to steer clear of her in this time of his life.

Tonight, he complained that his tooth was hurting while eating an apple, so I sliced it for him, and just thought it is getting close to falling out. No big deal. Baths and bedtime, and as I am kissing him goodnight, I ask to see his wiggly tooth and he says, "MOM I have 4 teeth!" He opens up and I find 2 adult teeth have popped up behind his soon to be gone baby teeth. I. could. cry.

I had made peace with that first baby tooth leaving the nest that is his mouth, but really 2 at a time and the flippin' adult teeth can't give me a month of mental transition time? Come ON! Tomorrow, I am calling the pediatric dentist for a visit. I have a feeling it might be another situation where I am holding a red, sweaty boy on a chair.

And again I say, being a Mom is hard, yo!

Side note: Pray for beautiful adult teeth for sweet Izzy. So far, they are looking good. But we don't need any of this...



Monday, September 12, 2011

Best Moments

Hubby and I will be celebrating our 11th wedding anniversary in less than 2 weeks. Life gets hectic and crazy, and around your special days you start to think about all that you have experienced and shared together. So I thought I would share some of our very best moments in our years together.

Our wedding was a blur, as I am sure most would agree. Our honeymoon however, was like a dream! We traveled to St. Thomas and proceeded to spend several days in swim wear, lounging the beach with umbrella drinks and avoiding iguanas at all costs. I took naps in a hammock on the beach, while my sweetie snorkeled. We shopped, we ate way too much, but my most favorite memory is how much we just enjoyed each others company, completely relaxed. No decisions to be made, no jobs or families to think about. We just laid in our lounge chairs and soaked up the sun and loved being near one another. It was perfect, exactly how a honeymoon should be.

When we returned, we came back to our newly built, apartment. Both of us had only lived at home with our parents (we married at 21) and although we didn't have much to fill up our new pad, we didn't care. When I think back, we had a full sized bed, a 13 inch tv, our clothes and wedding presents. That is it. We had the best time just lying on our living room floor eating chicken because that is all I knew how to cook at the time and talking for hours. We shopped often and picked out pieces that we dreamed of filling our new place with and it was such an exciting experience to feel like a real adult. We had our own place! It was amazing!

Hubby and I both had great jobs and while our apartment was brand new and in a new trendy part of town, we knew our next move was to our first house. I searched with my Mom for fun and when I felt like I found a great deal, I set it up so Hubby could walk through it with me. It was a 3 bedroom ranch with all hardwood floors and an unfinished basement. An older couple had built the house together and shortly after, the husband passed. It was an older house at the time, but it felt barely lived in. We both saw the potential and decided to put an offer in. Next thing I know, we are moving our stuff (I say this lightly, because I think we only added a couch and a huge tv to our list to this point.) into our very own house. We had family over for a painting and pizza party and spent all of our time making it our own. I loved that house.

Something about owning your own home makes you feel like you need something. We weren't quite ready for babies, just yet, but a puppy? Yes! One day, I came home with a 8 week old Brindle Boxer puppy. He was adorable and my very first baby boy. We named him Pele'. He was a perfect fit.

This house is also where we conceived our first two boys. We never had the chance to bring Judah home, but one of my best memories, is bringing my itty bitty Izzy home. Born at 32 weeks, 8 weeks early, we were able to bring him home at the 35 week mark. I was scared to death and didn't know how to care for a preemie. I remember walking in with our little carrier sitting him in the living room and Hubby and I staring at each other like, "What do we do now?" Don't worry, it only took us a few minutes to figure it out. Soon enough the house was overflowing with baby stuff. My favorite picture of all time is when Izzy was probably 10 lbs (around 3 months) and sitting in the front yard in the grass. He looked so tiny and now when I drive by that house I just picture my little baby feeling the sunshine and grass for the first time at that house.

Remodeling... it was a tough job, but after months of hard work, Hubby and my Dad finished off the basement into an amazing area. We had a room for storage and laundry, a 4th bedroom and bathroom and a large entertainment room. It was so fun to have friends over to hang out and we really enjoyed that space.

Before you know it, we've been married 7 years and our little Izzy is now 18 months. Grammy came to visit to stay with Izzy while Hubby whisks me back to St. Thomas for a second honeymoon. It was just as glorious as the first, but we were even more in love. We visited St. John, snorkeled a underwater trail, shopped til we dropped, enjoyed boat rides, kayak trips, hiking, delicious food and each others company. It was wonderful.

A few moves and years of pre-med schooling later, we find out we are pregnant with our third little boy. I remember being hugely pregnant and potty training Izzy who was 2 at the time, sitting in a chair in the driveway watching him ride his tricycle and snuggling extra during the day since Mommy had no energy to do anything else.

Last year we took our first family of 4 vacation that wasn't to visit family. It was all about the kids and we did so many things. In St. Louis, we visited the children's museum, the arch, did some shopping and spent some time downtown. Then we finished up our road trip in Chicago where we hit everything you can imagine. It is our favorite and I could totally see us living there some day. I love those memories. Two little guys with no pressure, time line and only focused on fun. I will never forget the four of us in the giant Ferris Wheel overlooking downtown Chicago. I didn't want it to end!

We have made so many great memories since Asher was born. Family vacations, Friday family movie nights, sports outings, nights with friends, but my most favorite are the moments he doesn't know I see. Catching him go in after the kids are asleep to give them one last kiss. Reading them stories or teaching them something only a Daddy can teach.

I love picturing Hubby and Izzy holding hands as we walked him to his first day of Preschool. Then Kindergarten and now First Grade. OH it is going way too fast! What better highlight in marriage, than watching the babies you made together grow? Um...nothing.


Over the years he has given me so many things I didn't deserve, trips and hugely expensive presents that he had saved for months for. Fancy steak dinners at Mortons or surprise overnights at our wedding night hotel, and of course the 2nd trip to St. Thomas. I don't think there has been a single anniversary that he didn't completely blow me away. Oh I forgot to mention the one with a tiny blue box and white ribbon with TIFFANY DIAMOND EARRINGS! Oh yeah...he is that amazing. Even more than all of that, the best gift he has ever given to me is his faithfulness and love. We have been through a lot. A. L. O. T. over our 11 year marriage. I love that I still get love notes left for me in the bathroom randomly and thoughtful gifts of things he heard me mention months before (he does listen!) One of my most treasured gifts, a love note he wrote to me and framed. Or maybe it is the photo book he made for me with all three of my boys inside and sweet sayings fill the page. Or maybe it is the large photo canvas he gave to me of my pregnant belly with my Asher. Then there was the NYC trip, (a trip we have discussed for years) that he planned as a surprise with our amazing friends and handmade a card with clues as our Mothers Day gift.

Hubs is an excellent at fulfilling my love of surprises, gifts and affirmation. God truly knew the kind of man I would need to get through this life and I am ever so grateful that he created him just for me.

Eleven years, it's been a flash in one sense and in another I feel like we have been joined for a lifetime. Hubby, I love you with all of my heart and I am thankful for each and every day I have spent with you by my side. Happy Anniversary!

Time to Freeze.



Life is insane right now. I am officially a soccer mom. Now both boys are playing on teams and that consumes 3 nights a week. Add in school, events, friends, church, piano lessons my weeks are becoming so hectic, I am finding dinner to be a difficult task. Izzy doesn't get home from school until 4 and 4 days of the week we are going straight from one thing to another no time for me to prep dinner. The last two weeks we have just kind of "winged" it, with a few crock pot meals in between which were a complete life saver. Other nights it was a free for all. Boys ate "packed lunches" in the car and Hubby and I grabbed a sandwich after they were bathed and in bed. While it works, it leaves me feeling overwhelmed and unorganized. I. Can't. Like. That.
Izzy ready for a full night of Piano & Soccer, dinner in hand.

Mondays for me always bring me a fresh wave of creativity and organization. I like the feeling of a fresh week with a new plan. Today I sat down and wrote out my
To Do list for the week, updated the family calendar, updated Izzy's calendar, and made a list of 6 freezer meals that if I can carve out a few hours this week I plan on making to help - future me out.

Here are my ideas:
*Breakfast Casserole- Breakfast Burritos
*BBQ Pork Tenderloin- Pulled Pork Sandwiches
*Chili
*Spaghetti
*Beef Pepperocini Sandwiches
*Honey Garlic Chicken

After spending just a short amount of time making all of those PB&J's and prepping Izzy's lunch, I have found out how WONDERFUL it is! So dinner, that has to be even better, right?

The only downfall....this forces me to clean out the freezer (ugh) and organize it (double ugh). While I love organizing anything, it is cold in the freezer. I hate being cold. I am just going to suck it up and get it done so I don't have to rush our nights anymore than they already are.

My question to you... Do you freeze? Hit me with your best freezer meal ideas. Go!

Happy Freezing to me and hopefully a much happier family at dinner-time!