Happy Friday!

Well, I’ve been a terrible blogger lately.  My excuses are: work is crazy busy, A had conferences, coworkers from out of town came into the office, I had 5+ hours of meetings on Tuesday, A wasn’t feeling well, and the list goes on.  The good news is today is Friday and I think we’re all doing well.  And we avoided the 10+ inches of snow that fell just to the south.  So there’s that.

I did want to pop in today to say that tomorrow is A’s birthday!!  Yay!  He turns 36, which is pretty darn amazing.  I’m so proud of him for taking such good care of himself.  He’s so meticulous about doing his vest every day and keeping up with his meds.  We’re celebrating by going out for pizza with the whole family.  And because A no longer reads my blog (not sure why since it’s so riveting), I can tell you that I spent way too much money on Cubs tickets for him.  Actually I used his credit card so he spent way too much on Cubs tickets for himself.  Just kidding. I’ll pay him back.  There was a presale and he was the only one with the type of credit card required for the sale.

On another note, something has been on my mind quite a bit lately.  The idea that not one person has it all.  When I was younger, I assumed some friends had such easy lives.  They either had the perfect family, the latest gadgets, or they went on the best vacations.  But I now realize that everyone struggles with something.  It may not always be apparent, but that doesn’t mean some battle isn’t occurring.  And even if life is easy one day, it may not be the next.  I don’t mean this to sound as pessimistic as I’m making it out to be, but I am realizing more and more each day that it’s important to enjoy the happy days and not take them for granted.  A couple nights ago, we were all in the kitchen and A told W, “Enjoy today – it’s the only today you’ll ever have.”  Such a profound statement and it hit me like a ton of bricks.  He meant the statement to be lighthearted, but it made me sad.  Things are good right now.  I’m happy.  I’m thankful.  Today is a blessing. J

Friday Thoughts

A little life update because I haven’t done one lately.

My baby is officially walking!  That’s right – S took several steps two days ago and since then, he hasn’t stopped.  He’s my little dare devil.  Constantly climbing over and through things, up the stairs.  The other day, W was taking a bath and S was reaching in, grabbing toys and splashing.  Next thing I know, he dives face first into the tub full of water.  And it didn’t even phase him.  He was back up and ready to do it again a few seconds later.

Work has been crazy and stressful lately.  My boss has been constantly checking in and that’s making a stressful situation even worse.  Uggh.  I’m hoping things settle down soon.  It’s our first time working together on a major project and I think we’re both learning how to deal.

Have I mentioned we’re going on a little vacation next month?  We’re heading to Florida with A’s side of the family.  I’ve been finding items to keep the boys busy on the airplane, researching rental cars, and trying to figure out how to best navigate the airport with two toddlers.  Eek.  Hoping for a fun little adventure!

I’m off to visit a friend and her new baby tomorrow.  I have no doubt I’ll be leaving with baby fever.

The temperatures were in the 50s today!!  I don’t think we’ve experienced that in over 3 months.  So exciting!  The boys were able to get lots of fresh air.  I think it’s supposed to be nice again tomorrow so I see a long walk in our future.  Come on, spring!!!

Preschool has been going great for W!!  He had an assessment a couple weeks ago and scored really well.  I’m so proud of him!!  On another note, I don’t really fit in with the other moms.  They are all stay at home moms and have play dates at each other’s homes.  I’ve never been invited and I’m fine with that (we couldn’t make it anyway unless it was on a weekend).  I’m usually rushing out of preschool in order to call into a meeting or get back to my computer.  The mom who organizes the play dates has the kid who’s constantly hitting, knocking down others’ block towers, and taking the toys from other kids.  I’ve actually seen him slap another kid in the face repeatedly.  Now, I know it’s normal toddler behavior to hit or take a toy occasionally and it’s part of the learning process.  BUT the way she talks to her son in that sing songy baby voice after he’s acted inappropriately has no effect whatsoever.  And there are really no consequences for his actions.  I’m trying not to be judgmental, but the less W is exposed to that, the better – we have enough trouble with him being mean to S.  So I’m ok with not being included in this little preschool clique.  Anyway, another mom, also not privy to the play dates, friend requested me on FB last night and I was so happy to know that not all the moms hate me.  Lol. (Perhaps I’m being a little dramatic)

Our Valentine's Weekend

I just realized I never wrote a post on our weekend.  Saturday I had lunch with a couple girls I’ve known since junior high.  We lost touch for awhile, but recently reconnected.  Both are teachers and I love hearing their stories.  These girls are the types of friends you can go awhile without seeing and then just pick up where you left off.  There’s no drama, no strong personalities, just sweet friends and good conversation.  I hope we’ll get together more often – it was just what I needed. J

After that, the boys, A, and I all headed to the grocery store and then picked up Chinese for dinner.  I think we unintentionally have Chinese food every Valentine’s Day.  We finished off the night with a fire in the fireplace and an episode of New Girl.  A perfect day!

Sunday morning, I received flowers, truffles, and gourmet taffy apples from A.  My favorite favorite things and I couldn’t have asked for a better Valentine’s gift.  I gave A a framed picture of himself with the boys, a giant bag of gummy bears, and a McDonald’s gift card (his favorites).

We ended up being late for church – I think both boys were up in the night and it was just a hectic morning.  Once we got to church, we couldn’t sit with my mom because there wasn’t enough space near her.  This really annoys me by the way – we’re at church every single week and always sit next to my mom.  I feel like people should know that… and I think most do… grr.  So we sat a couple rows behind my mom and I knew W was disappointed.  I lifted him behind our pew (we were in the last row) and told him to walk around to where my mom was.  He wouldn’t and kept saying he wanted me to come with him.  I was sandwiched between two groups of people so that wasn’t happening.  One of the ladies we see every week was in front of me and volunteered to hand W over to my mom.  So we were essentially passing a 3 year old over church pews. J  It was funny and another reason why I love my church and the people we see every week (aside from the people who sat next to my mom… just kidding… I know there isn’t reserved seating at church, but still.).  From there, it was off to Starbucks.

The rest of the day was spent inside watching the snow fall.  It was low key and peaceful.  A perfect weekend!!

An Update on A

I meant to post sooner but busy work days and a cold have left me in survival mode.  Today I’m really feeling the effects of this cold and sleepless boys (who’ve also been hit with the same cold).  Anytime, the boys are sick, they’re up multiple times in the night and since they’re both not feeling well, you can imagine how our nights have been going lately.  I’m so over winter and cold viruses.  But I do have some good news to share…

A had his CF clinic appointment on Tuesday and it went very well.  It was a huge, huge relief.  If you remember, at his last appointment, A’s lung function was down significantly.  His doctors were a little concerned and mentioned an IV if things didn’t improve by the next appointment.  Of course, that sent me into panic mode because we thought A’s appointment was right before S’s birthday and when A is on IV medications he’s not at all himself.  He sort of turns into a zombie – tired, weary, listless.  So it turns out that we were a week off and A’s appointment was actually after S’s first birthday.  A was up 4 pounds – his highest weight EVER and his lung functioned has improved.  It wasn’t up as high as it had previously been, but still, it was up.  So all in all,  a really great appointment.  We also got to see A’s favorite doctor and the nutritionist (is that her title?) who we both love.  I had the psychologist put a note in A’s file in case anyone ever wants to speak to us about the process of starting a family.  I want to make sure other couples affected by CF know that there is hope and that it is possible. 

We went out to lunch to celebrate after A’s appointment and I somehow lost my debit card – fail.  And we also picked up paczkis and an owl cookie for W at a nearby bakery.  Side note: I thought W would be so excited about the cookie because owls are his favorite.  Well, he told us he couldn’t eat the cookie because the owl didn’t like being eaten and would get hurt.  He went on to say that the owl wouldn’t be able to hear or talk and wouldn’t be able to say Who Who.  Wow.  So we won’t be buying any more owl cookies.  Also, I’m not sure why he’s worried about hurting an owl cookie, but has no trouble pushing and hitting his brother.  Sigh.  Anyway, it was a great day.

And I guess this is worth mentioning since I’m talking about A… A put in a request for job sharing at his school.  I was so hoping it would work out.  Basically, A would teach part time and be home with the boys part time.  We crunched the numbers and decided that if the opportunity presented itself, we’d make it work financially.  The boys will only be little for a short time and the part time schedule would offer a perfect work/life balance (and provide a bit of relief for our moms).  Sadly, one of the most important criteria for job sharing is finding someone to share with and A couldn’t find any takers.  I’m disappointed it didn’t work out, but proud of A for trying.  Maybe there will be another opportunity in the future. :\

S's First Birthday Party

And just like that my baby is one.  I can’t believe it.  I can’t believe how quickly this year passed.  I think about maternity leave and it seems so long ago and like it was just yesterday.  It’s such a strange feeling.

A and I debated several themes for S’s first birthday party and nothing seemed right.  Some of our ideas were outer space (like his room), Valentine’s Day, ABCs, and we even joked about Wheel of Fortune because S is enamored with the game show.  Then I suggested teddy bears.  A liked it and it was a perfect fit for our cuddly boy.  I didn’t get too carried away, but we had teddy invites and décor.  I chose red and light blue as the colors.  Nearly all of the photos are on the camera and have not been uploaded yet, but I do have a phone photo of our dining room.

 I spent all day Friday decorating and cleaning.  Nani and grandma helped so much.  Nani watched the boys for me and Grandma helped clean.  At the start of the day, I didn’t think I had much to do.  Boy, was I wrong.  Somehow, each little task and decoration took way longer than anticipated.

Saturday, we had 25 people over to celebrate our littlest man.  I underestimated the amount of food and drink needed.  Luckily, I think we just barely had enough.  We served salad, fettuccini alfredo, and mostaccioli from one of our favorite restaurants for the main course.  There were a few different appetizers including bruschetta and tomato and mozzarella skewers prepared by Nani.  Everything was delicious.

Now let me tell you about my experience with cake.  I have the absolute worst luck.  For W’s first birthday, I ordered special cupcakes.  The vendor cancelled on me 2 days before the party.  Then, for W’s third birthday, I ordered a fancy school bus cake.  A friend of a friend prepared it and I had tried her cake before - and liked it.  Well, this particular cake tasted horrible.  And I didn't request anything special - yellow cake with chocolate buttercream filling.  It was really dry and tasted awful.  This time around, A and I agreed we didn’t want to spend a ton of money on cake based on our previous experiences.  We ordered one from the local grocery store and explained that we wanted a bear or bear head drawn on if possible and a red boarder.  So what did I get?  A blue border with roses and a bizarre, sad looking bear printed on.  I nearly cried when I picked it up and had to tell myself it wasn’t worth it to get upset.  On the bright side, it did taste good.

The party was wonderful with one exception.  A worked hard on preparing a video with photos from S’s first year and we completely forgot to show it.  Still sad about that.  S also refused to nap and ended up crashing around 5.  A and I debated waking him, but we knew he was exhausted.  So he woke sometime around 9 and was awake until 11:30pm.  I don’t think A and I have ever been so tired.  We had gotten between 5-6 hours of sleep 3 nights in a row due to the boys waking and preparations for S's party.

Oh!  (Sorry this post is all over the place)  We got S a play kitchen and both boys really love it so far. :)

W Says

"I love hugging with you."

A: Tomorrow is Friday!  The best day of the week!
W: Yes!  It's GARBAGE Day!!!

"Nani needed to go home and take a break."

"The downstairs smoke detector is beeping.  The handicap man will have to fix that one too!"

Our bedtime conversation:

W: Do we have Rex-tris-ree?
Me: I'm not sure what your saying?
W: Rex-tris-ree
Me: ummm... Where would I find it?
W: In the house.
Me: ...
W: Rex-tris-ree makes lights work.
Me: Oh!!! ELECTRICITY! Yes, we have electricity. Anything you plug into the wall outlet uses electricity.
W: But the kitchen lights don't plug in?

#genius

W's version of Goodnight Moon: Goodnight walls, goodnight smoke detector, goodnight humidifier, goodnight potty...

W: Aidan wasn't at school today. Maybe he gots an ear infection.
Me: Maybe. I hope he feels better.
W: Mommy, I don't want to give my friends ear infections.
Me: You won't, kiddo. You've been taking your medicine.
W: I think Jaxon lives in Chicago and Aidan lives in February.

Me: Hey, W, you have red hair just like that little boy.  What color is mommy's hair?
W: Looks at me... "Gray!"
In case you were wondering, I may have a few gray strands, but my hair is definitely NOT gray!

Weekend Recap

Busy weekends seem to be a theme lately and this past weekend was no exception.

It started Saturday morning when both boys thought 5am was an appropriate time to wake up.  On the bright side, A and W headed out for donuts and Starbucks.  Yummy!!  The rest of the day is a bit of a blur.  We did get out for a walk since temperatures climbed into the 40s and that was wonderful.  So refreshing!  We also went grocery shopping where S was super crabby and I couldn’t wait to get out of the store.  Little man needed a nap pronto!  I don’t remember much else.

Sunday was our usual morning routine.  After that, we headed out for an annual get together at Dave and Busters.  I was a little nervous.  Every time we’ve had one of these reunion outings, it seems that someone is sick or W is especially cranky or we’re hours late because W is napping.  This year we were actually on time and the boys were really good.  Halleluiah!  I think it helped that the restaurant had games and the boys liked their chicken strips.  It was so funny watching W play the games.  He was too little for most, but insisted on doing Skee Ball by himself.  After throwing the ball down the lane about 594 times and having it roll back at him because it didn’t make it over the ramp, he finally got one.  He also played a Plinko type game.  I LOVE Plinko!!  W somehow hit the jackpot and scored 400 tickets.  It was a fun, albeit busy day.  We finally arrived home sometime after 6 and I was exhausted.

This week is all about preparing for S’s first birthday party on Saturday.  I have so so much to do and I’m running out of time.  I figured no one would show up because it’s Superbowl weekend and I think everyone I invited is coming.  Holy Moly.  It’s awesome and I’m so happy everyone will be there to celebrate my baby boy, but I’m a little overwhelmed.

In other news, W has been especially defiant lately.  He’s been on amoxicillin for an ear infection and has not been sleeping well since starting the medication.  I feel like the meds are making him crazy.  It’s probably just a coincidence and has more to do with his age, but blaming the meds is easier. ;)  Saturday he told me to go downstairs and get his juice.  I fought the urge to exclaim, “oh hell no, you did not just tell me to go get your juice like I’m your darn maid” and calmly told him that he needed to ask nicely and also if he wanted something, he needed to go get it.  So bonus points for me for remaining calm… just kidding.  W has also been saying mean things about his brother – more so than usual, and I need to figure out an appropriate discipline for that.  Geesh.  Life with a threenager.