Long Time No Blog

As I sit here in my horribly messy cluttered living room, I am reminded why I have not blogged in weeks: LIFE sometimes gets in the way of, well, life! We've been hit with a few hard blows and many blessings in the past couple weeks since I last wrote.  I won't bother with the unpleasant happenings, what fun that would be to read! It really is amazing, just when you think you've had enough and can't take anything anymore, God reminds you that he loves you by sending you a special blessing.  Sometimes it isn't a big one, just a little something to keep you in the game, but other times it seems as if the flood gates open.  Our first exciting blessing came in the arrival of Kaisley Reese Hall, the most beautiful baby girl of our friends Michelle and Richard! I have felt the closest to her birth than any other baby I know, third only to the birth of my two, because Michelle and I did ALOT of talking about life & birth after a C-section. I became a little one woman cheering section for Michelle's quest for an all natural VBAC. I am happy to report that we are now sisters in the VBAC tribe! SNAPS for Michelle!  Our next blessing is the one that overflowed the cup: We are going on our VERY FIRST family vacation to Walt Disney World in May! I am very excited. So excited, in fact, that I booked our stay BEFORE our tax return (which is paying for it) has even come in! I've already got dining reservations for all of the 7 DAYS we'll be there! You read right, 7 DAYS! They have this amazing deal right now that if you book a 4 night stay, Disney will pick up the tab for 3 more nights! Whatever you book for those 4 days (room, tickets, meal plan), Disney gives the exact same free for 3 days! It is absolutely awesome and we are so excited. Since I told Ruby, every time she wakes up in the morning or from a nap she asks, "We go to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse today?" I've been meaning to make a calendar for her to mark off the days! 

Since I started this post (3 days ago. . .boy are we busy!) another thing has landed on list of blessings, we have finally got our mess of a house under control. It isn't perfect, but completely livable now! I actually feel like I have more energy since we cleaned & organized! 

I am hoping to get back to blogging every day or two soon! Check back for more about my little tribe and the keen things we do! 

xoxo

You gotta be kidding me! An award for MOI? Thanks Kim! 

The Rules:

1. Admit one thing you feel awful about (involving being a mom). Once you have written it down you are no longer allowed to feel bad! Remember you are a good mom!

2. Remind yourself you ARE a good mom by listing 7 things that you love about your kids, you love doing with your kids, or your kids love about you.

3. Send this to 5 other MOMS OF THE YEAR that deserve a reminder that they too are the best moms that they can be. Remember to send them a note that you have selected them and to include a link to your post that directs people back to the person that nominated you!

My Part:

1. I feel completely horrid whenever I lose my patience! 

2. Seven things:

1. I LOVE it when Ruby randomly says "I love you!"

2. I LOVE it when Elvis smiles at me when I'm not even trying to make him smile. . .like when I'm reading or just talking to someone on the phone.

3. I LOVE it when Ruby copies me . . . it reminds me that it is up to me to teach her how to "be"!

4. I LOVE the way Elvis's breath smells and the way Ruby's hair smells after a bath. 

5. I LOVE it when something suddenly 'clicks' for them. . .like Ruby saying her ABCs one day after months of me worrying I wasn't teaching her the right way or when Elvis started rolling over. 

6. I LOVE Ruby's hugs & kisses AND Elvis's "kisses" and super cuddliness!

7. I LOVE watching Ruby play by herself with Elvis watching her smiling.

3. My nominees: My Mom, Michelle, Nanny, Ami, & Marina

The Teenage

Last week while we were all really sick (we're all still sick, but 'go-out-able') my little sister turned 13 and we didn't have a family birthday dinner. Last night we all got together at first in honor of us being well enough to even hang out, but then realized we hadn't had a family round of "happy birthday" singing! Luckily we were at a Mexican restaurant that was fully prepared to embarrass the birthday girl with a lovely poncho and rockin' sombrero! It was really funny, they put it all on her to sing then LEFT IT ON HER! I so wish we had done the singing earlier so she could have worn them all through dinner, that would have been just fabulous :) ! Ruby was super excited about her Nana's new duds and got to wear them with her, but then became very worried that we had no birthday cake. She asked, "where is Nana's birthday cake. . .where is it??" I thought that was so sweet of her, looking out for her beloved Nana Becca! We love you, Becca! Happy Birthday, again. I was 15 when she was born, it's just another thing to remind me that I can't stop myself from aging. Getting old, another topic all together! 

xoxo

Chop Suey!

After nearly a week of refusing to eat more than 1/4 of a chicken nugget at each meal if anything, Ruby found her appetite this morning.  I told her last night that today we would be "going back to normal": that we would sit at the table for meals, run around like a normal kid, and not lounge watching movies all day! Breakfast went pretty well even though it was a bit strange. Ruby somehow was able to reach the leftover chopsticks from Sunday's takeout. That is what she chose to eat her yogurt with: CHOP STICKS which she ever so accurately calls "eating sticks."  Today Elvis joined Ruby for breakfast, eating some slightly paste like rice cereal made a more palatable by some 'mommy milk'.  Both kids got fed and practice eating in new ways. Something was off. OH! My oatmeal stayed in the Microwave until I found it at lunch time when I was reheating Ruby's Chick Fil A nuggets that caused her half hour temper tantrum which Elvis and I tried our hardest to ignore.  When I finally brought my lunch to the table after nursing Elvis, guess what. . .Ruby wanted my lunch instead. I know I shouldn't have, but I gave in to her politely asking for my sandwich. She actually ate it, though! It was her best meal in days! OK. So I also gave in and let her watch a movie while we ate lunch, too. But her couch lounging total for the day is only around 15 minutes! I gotta get a little more strict. It's really hard trying to get the babies back to normal when I'm just now getting sick! 

xoxo

This Buzz for You!

Movies we've watched over the past 4 days:

1. Toy Story (5 times as of this morning)

2. Scooby Doo 1 (twice)

3. Scooby Doo 2 (3 times)

4. Freaky Friday

5. Lilo and Stitch

6. Elf

7. Wall E

8. Hellboy 2 (Ruby did NOT watch this one, only Alex & I)

9. Your Baby Can Read (once, sometimes twice, a day...except today)

So, at roughly 1 1/2 hours per movie that's 22 1/2 hours of movie watching (not counting the reading vid or Hellboy).  All Ruby has done since she got sick is watch movies, go to the Dr's, and sleep. This is so much different from her being sick as a baby. A baby's routine doesn't change too much when they are sick, I guess because they normally sleep alot. But it is SO NOTICEABLE that she is under the weather, her feet haven't hit the floor but to walk from her bed to the couch in days! Poor baby! OH, excuse me! Poor big girl! 

On a more positive note, Elvis has been rolling over like a super champ. I haven't seen him in action yet, he's very stealthy, but it's obvious what he's been up to when I leave him on his back and he ends up on his tummy! SNAPS for Elvis! 

xoxo

Note the title reference: With our obsessive watching of Toy Story, Ruby has taken to calling it the "Buzz Light Movie" & Woody calls Buzz "Bud Light" at one point in the movie. Just in case you were wondering! 

Down with the sickness!

Ruby has been sick for 2 days now. It started at about 11pm on Tuesday night when I heard her talking in her sleep. When I went to check on her she was curled in a little ball shaking and completely delirious!  I took her temperature and she definitely had a fever. . .one that caused her to talk constant weirdness. She talked about things that had happened during the day, she assigned each of us a color ("Mommy Blue, Baby Brudda Green, Daddy White, Ruby is Pink" she said), she also pointed at random places asking if I was seeing what she was seeing (unfortunately she was totally hallucinating). After a pretty interesting night, she wasn't totally well but seemed OK. Her fever was only at about 101, which never really worries us. I let her veg as long as she wanted! We watched ELF & plenty of Nick Jr. So, with a sick one I am always taking temperatures (all of ours). Our new handy dandy Temporal Artery Thermometer got put to the test and FAILED MISERABLY! I ended up rushing Ruby to the Dr. yesterday afternoon because that new thermometer gave me a 107.4 reading on Ruby (I took her temp just after with our old thermometer which gave me a 103 reading, I still went to the Dr. just in case)! I made sure to bring the new thermometer with us.  It gave us another over 107 reading just before the nurse took her temp with their super expensive medical grade Temporal Artery Thermometer. . .it was 103 (the nurse checked 3 times!).  I have to retract my earlier raving about my new thermometer. . .IT SUCKS! Our visit to the Dr., though it gave me a little peace of mind, didn't come up with much. Flu test: Negative. Strep test: Negative. We just have to alternate Motrin and Tylenol until the virus passes. Ruby is as happy as ever because I've been letting her eat popcicles, drink large amounts of juice, and lay on the couch watching movies all day!~ 

Ruby eating on the couch (only on a SICK DAY!)

Other notables:

1. We went to the Dr for the 2nd time in 2 days today for Elvis's 4 month checkup! He's 17 lbs. and 27 inches tall! 

2. Elvis is totally going bald. Dr Hart called it the "monk" hairstyle! 

3. My sister turned 13 yesterday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BEX!

4. Cabin Fever should be completely set in by tomorrow! 

5. Even though we are confined to our house, I can't seem to get any house work done! Our house is a total wreck!!!

Hello My Baby

Michelle (with her Jayme Original)

Today was the long planned for Baby Shower for my friends Michelle and Jazmin! Everything went so smoothly this morning that I half expected my house to be blown away when I got back. We woke up around 8 (which is strangely later than usual), got dressed first, then ate breakfast, and were at Whole Foods to pick up the sandwich tray, a few last minute items and a coffee for me by 9:30 in the AM!!!! I don't know how I pulled that one off!!! 

Ruby and her boyfriend, Owen

On a side note: While we were getting ready I was telling Ruby that we were going "to the park to celebrate Ms Michelle & Ms Jazmin's new babies" and she replied to me in a very stern tone "Ms Michelle can't take my BABY BRUDDA!" I had to explain to her that Mommy's friends were going to have "new babies" which she replied "baby brudda is a NEW BABY, and they can't have him. . he mine!" It was like trying to cram an 18 wheeler into a compact car, but I finally got her to understand that they are going to have totally new different babies and won't be coming to steal her baby brother any time soon! 

Mommy and Elvis (who is not going anywhere)

Back to the party! We couldn't have asked for better weather, but could have asked for the presence of mind to bring sunblock! It was in the high 60s and super sunny, the perfect weather for running around the park and hurting yourself. Both of which Ruby did.  First, she walked in front of a kid on the swings and got kicked in the head. Then, she fell off a picnic bench and banged her head on the concrete.  I heard that one because I was a mere foot away from her. I don't know how I let it happen, the whole thing felt like slow motion but I was in slower motion. She's upstairs sleeping it off. . .no, I'm kidding! I kept her up the few hours you should be up after a head bonk (I'm not THAT terrible). Aside from the injuries (which are bound to happen to someone on a visit to the park) I think all of the kiddos and moms had a super time, I know we did! The food was great, the company was awesome, and the love overflowed. Now, we just can't wait to meet the two little girls we celebrated today!

Michelle and Jazmin (with their super awesome Kim Kreations)