Happy New Year

I specifically planned on NOT writing an end of year post and here I am.  2016 had it's share of ups and downs, but it was mostly a great year.  In February, S turned one and since then, it seems he's been on a mission to grow up FAST.  As soon as he surpasses one milestone, he's on to the next, never turning back.  In March, we all traveled to Florida.  While the trip started out challenging, by the end, I wasn't ready to leave and vowed to go on as many family trips as possible.  In June, I traveled to Ohio for a business meeting.  In July, it was off to Maryland and Pennsylvania.  It was such a fun family trip, as always.  It was our first time visiting Pittsburgh and I loved the city.  Lots of travel in the first half of the year.  In August, I celebrated my birthday and it was one of my favorites.  My guys spoiled me and even made me a cake.  It will go down as one of the best birthdays EVER.  November brought a Cubs World Series victory - something I never ever expected to see.  I still can't believe it!

And a few not so great moments... Work proved to be more challenging than I expected.  Looking back, I think (and hope) these were just growing pains.  The company has grown incredibly fast and that doesn't happen without conflict.  There was a cancer scare for my mom in late summer.  Thankfully, all is well at the moment.  I was supposed to travel to Switzerland for work and that trip was cancelled.  S caught a very bad case of HFMD.  Then there was the presidential election.  If you've read this blog, you know my feelings.  No explanation needed.  And finally, our failed FET.  Not how I hoped the year would end.

I'm not sure what to think about 2017 and I'm a little nervous about what the year will hold.  I have a business trip at the end of January - back to Ohio I go.  A and I had originally planned on a spring break trip, but we've decided to hold off until next year.  We're hoping it will be a little easier since the boys will be older and we won't have to bring a stroller and worry about sleeping arrangements (S is too big for a pack 'n play, but too little for a bed).  We're planning another trip to Maryland in July, but beyond that, I'm not sure what 2017 will bring.  I'm hoping we'll get to do something really special for our 10 year anniversary - maybe even an anniversary trip!  Here's hoping for an incredible year.

Happy New Year!!

Friday Thoughts

With the exception of Christmas, the last few weeks have not been my favorite.  I'm still coming to terms with our failed FET and on Tuesday, we found out that Addie's doggy day care is closing.  We've been taking her there every week for 7 years and it's also where she goes when we travel.  It's not easy finding people you trust with your fur babies.  Even tougher when you have a rescue dog with separation issues.  I'm incredibly sad.

Since our failed FET, I have not been very kind to myself.  I've had more Diet Coke than ever and I've consumed more cookies, candy, and cake than anyone ever should.  Also, holiday dinners.  Yikes.  My self deprecating philosophy was, "Well, I'm only hurting myself and not my future child so who cares..."  As we approach a new year, I'm ready to get back on track and feel better about myself.  I got my hair highlighted and cut yesterday - it's darker than I'm used to, but I like it.  I also made myself an appointment for a pedicure.  I haven't had one in years so I'm excited.  A little pampering goes a long way.

A and I got out for a much needed lunch date.  We both had a chance to talk about the failed FET that is still so fresh in our minds and our hopes for the future.  He's always been someone I can vent to and not feel judged.  I love that about him and I'm so grateful for his support.

I am so proud of W.  He's been mostly potty trained for awhile, but we've had him in Pull Ups because I was fearful of accidents while we were out and about (which I know is stupid).  He's been wearing underwear all day every day and we've even ventured out of the house with no accidents.  Yay!!

The Cubs won the World Series, but aside from that, the second half of 2016 had quite a few set backs.  I'm so ready for a new year!  Hoping 2017 is a good one!

Christmas 2016

Christmas 2016 is in the books!  We had a wonderful three day affair and I'm sad it's over already.

My extended family celebrates Christmas Eve every other year and this happened to be the off year.  A suggested making a big meal and inviting my mom over.  I loved the idea!  We basically had a second Thanksgiving complete with turkey breast, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, corn, and stuffing.  Giving ourselves props for cooking a big, yummy meal because chefs we are not.

A and I had so much fun setting out presents after the boys went to bed on Christmas Eve.  Playing Santa is the BEST!!  For the most part, gifts were wrapped, but we left out W's critter house and S's ride on toy and Anywhere Chair.  Both boys were so excited when they woke up and as W walked in and saw all the presents, he said, "Holy Moly!".  W wanted to play and it was difficult to get him to church, but we eventually made it and then stopped at Starbucks for bagels, coffee, and juice.  Soon after, it was off to Nani and Papa's for another delicious meal of ham and beef tenderloin (sooo good!) and more presents.  I was a little disappointed that S was not interested in opening presents.  He was a bit overwhelmed and when a present was opened, he wanted to play with it.  We eventually headed home with two tired boys.  Before bed, we emptied out stockings.

The day after Christmas, my mom, brother, and brother's girlfriend came over for brunch.  I made a breakfast casserole and once we started eating, I realized I forgot to add the potatoes to the casserole.  Can't believe I did that!  But luckily, it still tasted great.  We also had cinnamon rolls, pancakes, bacon, and sausage.  After brunch, we finally got around to opening all the presents under the tree.  Again, S was not really interested and just wanted to play with the toys that were opened.

I love stretching out Christmas over 3 days and I hope we'll continue to do this.  It's such a magical time, I'm all for anything we can do to extend it.  I also think the boys appreciate their gifts a little more - instead of opening all the presents at once, they get to experience a few at a time.

Our favorite gifts this year: W loves playing with the Calico Critter House he requested many times and a toy cash register.  S's favorite gift was a new blanky (his previous one had ripped in half).  The boys received a trampoline that W had requested multiple times and that was a big hit, but I'm skeptical about how much they'll play with it once the novelty wears off.  A's favorite gifts were a photo calendar I made for him (it turned out awesome if I do say so) and a Cubs World Series Lego set.  My favorites were two pairs of slippers.  I know most people might think two pairs is crazy, but I live in slippers (even during the summer) and I'm obsessed with both pairs.  I wore my previous pair so much they had a gigantic hole.  I also received a big Philosophy gift set from my mom that I can't wait to use.

Ready for 2017...

FET #1 - BFN

Spoiler alert:  Our one and only FET was a failure.  I debated whether or not to share this, but ultimately it's part of our story and that is the point of this little blog.


8/1/2016 - A and I have talked extensively about adding another child to our family.  Should we give those two remaining embryos a chance?  Despite our concerns about the future, our answer was a resounding yes.  Those embryos deserved a chance.

There have been a few particularly tough days with the kiddos lately.  Nothing major - just your typical 3 year old "why" questions for every single minor decision made throughout the day and your 1 year old temper tantrums because you can't go outside when it's 100 degrees.  After these trying days, I repeatedly ask A if he's changed his mind, knowing full well that if both of us aren't completely, undoubtedly, 100% on board, we won't move forward.  His answer is always "No, I haven't changed my mind".

I've been putting off making the phone call.  Mainly because I know this is our last shot.  If it doesn't happen, then our quest for a third sweet red headed babe is over.  Ignorance is bliss at the moment.

I finally made the call on Friday.  I talked to the nurse today.  I wear my heart on my sleeve.  It's easy to predict how I'll feel about something.  It's easy to tell myself to react a certain way and keep my emotions in check.  But I often can't help myself and react in whatever way my heart feels.  And as I talked to the nurse today, the most prominent feeling was excitement.  I really hope one of these embryos decides to stick around.  I can't imagine it right now, but I'm hopeful.

It was wonderful to talk to the nurse.  The same nurse I had two years ago.  She remembered me and my boys' ages.  And I can't put into words how appreciative I am for that.  At my previous clinic, no one knew who I was, no one knew our story, I did not have "my" nurse - just whoever was on duty at the time.

We discussed the process, the timeline.  Right now, we're aiming for a December transfer.  She gave us a 40% chance with one embryo.  Not excellent.  But better than 39, 38, and so on.  I'm to call her back in October to discuss upcoming appointments...

8/31/16 - As we begin to think about FET more, I'm getting very anxious.  Last night I had a bit of a break down.  The odds for baby number 3 are not in our favor.  I'm really hoping the odds are wrong.  And then last night, I allowed my mind to wander.  I was home with the boys while A was at a school event.  We were having so much fun - we went for a walk, played, and I put them both to bed rather easily.  The night couldn't have gone better and I thought, how wonderful it would be to have one more.  And then I thought, BUT WAIT.  How exactly would we do this?  I mean logistically, how would we make it work?  Right now, I take W to school Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  I pick him up on Wednesday and Friday and Nani picks him up on Monday.  She can do this because she has two car seats.  Her car would definitely not fit a third (even she'd even want to keep watching the boys).  Next year, S can also attend the same school.  But the 2 year old class is Tuesday and Thursday from 9-11, while W's class is Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8:30-11:30.  See my dilemma?  My company allows me to work from home 2 days per week (Wed and Fri), which is very generous and I can't ask for more.  So how will this work?  Even without a baby in the mix, I'm not sure how it will work.  Now S doesn't have to attend preschool, BUT I'd like to provide him with the same opportunities as W.  And W could attend a 3-5 year old class on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but I think he definitely needs more than that to prepare for kindergarten.  There's also the option of sending W to all day preschool at the school he will attend kindergarten at, but I'm not sure he'll be ready.  In that case, A could potentially pick him up.  We've also thought about A pursuing a job sharing stint, but that did not work out this year and the chances of it working next year are slim to none.  I can't stay at home because I'm the primary breadwinner.  A would lose his valuable insurance benefits if he stayed home.  I have no idea.  I'd like to think that if we are lucky enough to be parents for a third time, we'll find a way to make it work.  But I'd also like to have a plan in place. :\

9/19/2016 - I was closely monitoring the weather on Friday because we had outdoor plans.  I noticed that there was a 40% chance of rain and couldn't help but think, "hey, the same odds for our embryos.".  And then I thought, "maybe if it rains, that's a good sign!".  It didn't rain.  There have been quite a few times lately in which I've had the overwhelming feeling that this just isn't going to work and it's heartbreaking. :(

The odds for baby number 3 are against us, but I'm really hoping that our embryo will defy the odds.  I've mentioned previously that I just feel our family isn't quite complete.  I can't explain it.  And I know I may be wrong.  Baby 3 may not happen and I may have to accept that my family IS complete despite my feelings.  But I also can't ignore my heart.  It's something I've felt since the arrival of S.  I told myself he was my last baby and then found myself asking my OB at my 6 week postpartum check up if there were any concerns about me having more children.  Obviously, this is something I've been considering for awhile.

10/10/2016 - Well, things just got real.  I talked to the clinic today and I'm to start BCP soon in preparation for a December transfer.  There will be a few appointments along the way including the saline sonogram/hysteroscopy (I think that's what it's called - for some reason, the name is escaping me.  And yuck.).

10/13/2016 - Starting BCP tonight.  I also need to be better about taking vitamins.  I really want to feel like I'm at my healthiest prior to transfer.

10/14/16 - We have a tentative transfer date!  12/14/16 - which I just realized is exactly 2 months away.  I also have a date for the dreaded hysteroscopy.  I asked A if he'd considering taking a half day to go with me for moral support and he said he would. :)

10/24/16 -
W: "Mommy, you used to pump milk for S.  Why don't you do that anymore?"
Me:  "S can drink cow's milk, the kind we keep in the refrigerator, so I don't have to pump anymore."
W:  "Oh, we should give the pump to someone else."
Me:  "Well, what if we have another baby?  Then I would use the pump again."
W:  "I don' think we're having another baby."
Me:  "You don't think so, huh?"
W:  "No, we have enough already."

:\

11/1/16 - I had the hysteroscopy performed this morning.  The bad news:  It was very painful.  Some people experience pain, while others do not.  I'm one of the unlucky ones here.  I need an overfull bladder and the way my organs are situated/shaped makes the procedure tough.  There was another doctor observing who held my hand and my husband came over to hold my hand too, which was really sweet.  I'm so glad A was able to attend with me.  The RE performing the procedure asked me a few times if he needed to stop, but I just wanted to get it done with.  I've never actually had tears during the procedure before so that was a first.  My blood pressure was also high for me.  No one was concerned and I suppose it wasn't at all surprising given the aforementioned scenario.
The good news:  Everything looked great and we're on track for December.  Everyone at the office was so kind, welcoming me back, and asking to see photos of the boys.  I love this office.  And the hardest part is over.  The transfer will be uncomfortable, but not as painful as this - thankfully.

One funny thing to mention - While we were headed to the RE's office, A got a text from one of his fellow teachers.  She's one of the few who knows about both A's CF and our IVF journey and I really like her.  We haven't told one single person that we're preparing for FET.  The text said something along the lines of, "preparing for baby 3?".  WHAT??  When I got to work, I went to the coffee bar for a drink and a coworker asked if we would have more children.  Are we that transparent??  It was a  crazy coincidence.

I wish I could shake the feeling that this isn't going to work. :(  I keep thinking I'm doing these procedures for nothing.

Goals for the next month are to try to eat healthier, remember to take my vitamins, and get some exercise.

11/14/16 - 1 month until transfer day!  The clinic called to tell me I was low in vitamin D (again) and needed to begin supplements.  I ordered the brand they recommended, but have been taking what I had in the house until they arrive.  I don't know that I've been eating better, but I have been exercising more, taking my vitamins, and drinking more water.

11/28/16 - I'm not going to lie - I'm feeling pretty sorry for myself today.  I'm sure cramps and hormones have absolutely nothing to do with it <sarcasm>.  I had to go in for an ultrasound (not the fun kind), blood draw, blood pressure check, and weight check.  Seriously?  A weight check right after Thanksgiving?  The automatic blood pressure cuff repeatedly suggested I was dead while trying to cut off all circulation in my arm until the nurse finally went and found another one.  I also had to pay $430, which stinks.  I shouldn't complain because I'm lucky insurance covers anything.  But medical expenses suck.  On the bright side, everything looked ok.  I start estrogen patches tonight.  I also was supposed to start low dose aspirin on 11/26 and somehow missed that.  I'm beating myself up because I'm usually so good at keeping track of medications - hopefully 2 days late on a less significant medication won't make a huge difference.  I had to drop W off at school so I ended up being way late to work.  I also found out a relative is expecting.  Though I'm happy for them, I could've done without that announcement while I was on my way to the fertility clinic.  I know I have a whole lot to be thankful for and I am, but every time I go through this process, I can't help wishing I didn't have to.  Blah. :(

11/29/16 - Patches are on, baby aspirin has been consumed.  My sweet husband knew I was having a rough day yesterday and brought flowers.  I don't know what I'd do without him.  He is the very best guy I know.

11/30/16 - I had a headache for two straight days and it was awful.  Finally, when I woke up this morning, I felt like myself.  Maybe a side effect of the patches?  Uggh.  Starting to feel a little less hopeless about the process... maybe... trying hard to keep my emotions in check.

12/2/16 - I think it's safe to say that these estrogen patches are working.  I started crying yesterday for no good reason (we were talking about the election - maybe that is a legitimate thing to cry over, but normally that wouldn't bring me to tears) and it seems anything can make me teary.  Poor A probably thinks I'm crazy.  Ugghhh.... I feel like I need a sign.  Proceed with caution, hormones in use.

12/7/16 - Had another blood draw and ultrasound today.  Everything seems to be on track.  I begin PIO shots tomorrow (my absolute least favorite) and also need to inject an HCG shot tomorrow.  And because IVF/FET is never straight forward, I need to make a decision about a scenario that I never considered.  We decided to transfer one embryo.  So best case scenario, one embryo is thawed and viable and it is transferred.  If the embryo thaws and it is determined that it isn't viable, then they'll thaw the second embryo and hope for the best.  Now the complicated scenario:  If they thaw the first embryo and determine that it IS viable, but that the chances for pregnancy are very low, what do we do?  We could transfer it anyway and hope for the best, though with my history, that seems very unlikely.  We could thaw the second embryo, and if it is viable, transfer that one and discard the other.  Or we could thaw the second, hope it looks good, and transfer both.  I'm not sure what we'll do and throughout the process, I thought that if this time didn't work, hopefully we'd have another chance, but this may be it for us.  I'm extremely torn.  Praying hard. :(

12/8/16 - A and I talked through our options yesterday.  I'm still feeling very anxious and not optimistic about this transfer.  Here's the thing...  I've had 3 transfers thus far.  In each transfer, one embryo was larger and more developed than the other.  The smaller embryo lagged behind.  I've got to believe that my two pregnancies were the result of the stronger, more developed embryo.  Our frozen embryos were slower and didn't meet freeze criteria until day 6.  I find it hard to believe that these could result in a successful pregnancy.  I'm not completely hopeless, but trying to be realistic.  Knowing that, we decided we would go ahead and transfer both embryos if one was not looking promising.  We want to give ourselves the best chance for a pregnancy and we both agreed that there was no way we could discard an embryo.  I'm also feeling very selfish.  I have two perfect boys, what business do I have agonizing over a potentially unsuccessful cycle?  And why do I feel that my family isn't quite complete? :(  PIO shots begin tonight. :(

12/9/16 - The PIO injection wasn't too horrible last night.  I am a bit sore today, but thankfully, it wasn't as bad as I remember.  On the down side, I also had to do an HCG injection and that left behind an itchy, red welt.  Apparently it's not unheard of, but I've never experienced that.  Boo.  I'm a bit down on myself because I forgot to take my vitamin D two days in a row and nearly forgot to take my antibiotic this morning.  I'm usually great at staying on top of medications.  Ugh.

12/12/16 - The PIO injections continue.  I'm only on day 4 and already hate them.  Some hurt worse than others.  I didn't think last night's was too bad... until today.  It feels like I was kicked in the back and I have a really painful knot under my skin.  I don't remember this happening at all last time. :(  Still feeling very pessimistic about the upcoming transfer.  Now I'm convinced our embryos won't survive the thaw. :(

12/15/16 - Transfer was yesterday!  The instructions I received were to arrive at the clinic at 9:30 with a full bladder.  I was supposed to drink 24-32 ounces and be done drinking by 8:30.  A and I arrived a bit early - by 9:15.  I was already uncomfortable and had to pee!  We waited about half an hour and then I had an ultrasound to make sure my bladder was full enough.  It definitely was and the nurse asked if I wanted to pee a little.  What?!?  During the hysteroscopy, I was told that I needed an overfull bladder so I was afraid to go.  And also afraid I wouldn't be able to stop once I started!  Sorry.  TMI.  Anyway, I finally got to a room and waited there for a long time.  By 10:30, we got to the transfer room.  At this point, I had had an overfull bladder for well over an hour.  Sooo uncomfortable.  I should also mention, the entire time, I was convinced that someone would stop in and tell us to go home because both of our embryos hadn't survived the thaw.  Once the doctor came in, we learned that one of our embryos did in fact not survive the thaw so we only had one opportunity at FET.  That's still sinking in.  We were told the other embryo looked good.  I didn't ask about grading and I didn't want to know.  The transfer went relatively smoothly, no pain like I experienced during the hysteroscopy.  After that, I had to lie down for an hour.  My awesome nurse knew how uncomfortable I was - I had to pee so badly.  She told me I could have a catheter or wait 15 minutes for a bed pan.  So awkward and not one of my finest moments.  I told her I could wait the 15 minutes.  A and I did a crossword together while we waited.  Happy for his company.  And that was it.  Feeling totally fine and normal today.  Now we wait.

12/20/16 - Today is W's birthday.  It's also happens to be the day I'm certain we won't be adding a third child to our family.  I'm heartbroken, but reminding myself that I can't be too sad on W's birthday and I also have two amazing boys.  Things started out promising.  I had cramping (likely just the result of the procedure), nausea (likely a side effect of PIO shots).  I was also tired and achy.  I was very achy during my pregnancy with both boys.  However, when I noticed the achy feeling, I also came down with a nasty cold so now I'm certain that achy feeling was the result of the cold (or another side effect of the evil PIO shots), which just seems cruel.  I think the exact words I used were 'bull shit'.  It makes me so angry and frustrated.  The two week wait is hard enough, but then I had to get sick on top of it and the symptoms were similar to those I've experienced when pregnant.  That's an awful coincidence. I was lacking some additional very telling "symptoms" - bloating and further cramping.  Naturally, I over-analyzed every feeling, every potential sign and while I never felt confident, I held out hope.  I Googled everything constantly like a crazy person.  I like when problems have solutions.  I like answers.  And I don't understand what the point of all this was.  Why did I even have two frozen embryos if one wasn't going to survive the thaw and the other wasn't going to result in a baby?  And why do our embryos always turn to crap.  A total of 7 embryos transferred and two babies to show for it.  While I'm so thankful for those two, those are not very good odds.  I cried this morning and hugged A tight.  I knew in my heart that test was going to be negative this morning, but I hoped that somehow I was wrong.  I pleaded for it to be positive.  This is certainly not how I wanted our infertility battle to end.  I had all these hopes and dreams - I really wanted to experience S as a big brother.  I know he would have been awesome.  I felt like my dad was with me during this struggle and hoped to use his name as the baby's middle name.  I thought about who would have what room and the relationships each child would have.  I thought about making the big announcement and feeling like our family was truly complete.  I thought about how I might do things differently this time around in the hospital.  I tried very hard to be realistic and protect my heart, but it's impossible not to dream.  And now I have to let go of all of those dreams.  I'm grateful for what I have, but devastated for what I've lost.  And now I sit here at work trying not to cry, trying to make sense of it all - why do some people try so hard to expand their family and have nothing to show for it, while others don't try at all and oops...???  Just trying to get through the day so I can cry at home.

Lately

I've been neglecting the blog lately.  I came down with a cold and S stopped sleeping through the night so A and I have both been sleep deprived (moreso A since he's been getting up with S while I battle this cold).  S is sleep deprived too, but you'd never know it!!  He'd give the Energizer Bunny a run for his money!  I've just been trying to make it through the day and counting down the minutes until bedtime.

Our previous weekend was a good one.  Saturday was W's preschool pancake breakfast and then A's teaching assistant came over to watch the boys.  I just love her.  We hoped to go to a movie, but there was a snow storm looming so we decided to grab lunch and run a bunch of errands.  It's amazing how much faster you get things done without two little boys in tow! ;)

Sunday was our usual.

Other than that, I can't wait to be done with this awful cold.  My latest Stitch Fix arrives today - yay!  I'm really looking forward to Christmas with the boys.  W is very excited and I love experiencing his enthusiasm.  S isn't really sure what's going on, but I know he's going to be thrilled to see presents on Christmas morning.  W officially turned 4 and I just can't believe it.  How have four years passed??  I had a (very) personal setback that I'll discuss later (also why I've been absent) - I'm still processing it.  We're all mostly healthy (except for the cold I'm battling and a mild ear infection for W) and I'll be ok eventually.  But suffices to say, I'm looking forward to time off of work, spent with family.  A and the boys definitely lift my spirits - so grateful for them.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all.  Many blessings to each of you and your families.

Weekend Recap

Hello from cold, snowy Illinois!

We had a great weekend!!  As I mentioned, we celebrated W’s 4^th birthday on Saturday.  He was SO excited and had been counting down the days to his party all week.  It was garbage truck/recycling themed, but I didn’t go crazy.  A banner, balloons, and a few decorations were enough.  We picked up mini sandwiches from a local deli, I made mac and cheese, and we had lots of yummy appetizers.  I have 2 nieces and 2 nephews and our friends came over with 4 of their kids so we had a house full of kiddos, which was lots of fun.  W did a great job thanking everyone for his gifts and it was a perfect day to celebrate my biggest boy.  And after everyone left, I barely saw W because he was so busy playing with all of his new toys.  S, the party animal, fell asleep on me by 6pm. :)

I actually got out the camera for a change so these are the only party pics I have.

The sandwiches and mac and cheese went in the open space

 Saturday night, the snow started falling.  We got about 2-3 inches of snow, but it stopped long enough for us to attend church and Starbucks.  Then we headed home to await the next snow storm.  S has always been independent, wanting to do things on his own and keep up with big brother.  At one point, he asked for something in the pantry and I said no.  Next thing I know, he opened the pantry door, pushed a chair over to the pantry, climbed up and grabbed whatever it was he wanted.  Ugh.  W got a train set for his birthday that S also loves.  The thing is, S doesn’t understand being careful or gentle and constantly knocks over the bridges and disconnects the tracks.  I’d fix the bridge for him and a short time later, it was knocked over again.  At one point, I fixed it and went into the kitchen for something.  I hear S say uh oh and I asked if his bridge was broken again.  He went to the drawer and grabbed the Scotch tape. :)  He also spilled some juice and went to the drawer for a towel.  Nearly 2 going on 5?  Then W.  Somehow he found my Christmas hiding spot – a closet in the basement that no one ever opens (until now).  Luckily everything was in boxes except for a couple cups I had planned to put in his stocking.  He comes running up the stairs yelling, “Look at this owl cup I found!” and proceeded to take off the wrapper, pull a chair up to the sink, and wash it in “hot” water so he could use it.  I’ve got my hands full with these two.

We stayed inside all afternoon as the snow fell.  It looked so peaceful and beautiful outside.  When I was a kid I used to hope and hope for a white Christmas.  There’s a good possibility this year!  

Friday Thoughts

Tomorrow we're celebrating W's 4th birthday.  I can't believe it.  4!!  Where does the time go?  4 just seems so old.  W asked for a garbage/recycling truck themed part so that's what we'll have, though, I certainly didn't go overboard.  Pinterest party planner I am not.

One of W's favorite things to say lately is "we haven't done that/seen that/had that in like one hundred years..."  It makes me laugh every time considering he has no idea how long one hundred years really is.

Winter arrived seemingly overnight.  I realize it is December, but it seems like it went from temperatures in the 50s to temperatures in the 20s!!  And we're supposed to get lots of snow starting Sunday.  I'm a little excited.

A and I have been catching up on This is Us.  I love it!!  And I love that we found a show we both like.

That's all I've got for now.  Happy Friday!

Weekend Recap

S was a bit under the weather yesterday so I stayed home with him.  He ended up sleeping for over 12 hours last night and we’re hoping he kicks this bug quickly.

We had a good weekend and even got a couple of inches of snow on Sunday.  It looks so pretty and festive outside!

One of the highlights of the weekend was the pancake breakfast on Sunday.  Santa happened to be there.  S wanted nothing to do with Santa and W asked for a trampoline and garages for his town and then asked for garages for S so that he could play too!  It was a nice change of pace from hearing, “I don’t like him” and “I don’t want a brother…”  He’d never admit it, but I know W loves and looks out for S.

After that, it was time to drop off gifts for our adopted family.  I love, love, love doing this every year.  Seeing the multitude of gifts for needy children and all the cars lined up to drop things off restores my faith in humanity.  It always brings tears to my eyes.  As we dropped our gifts off, the snow was falling peacefully and it was just a beautiful sight.

This week, we’re hoping no one else catches whatever bug S has and preparing for W’s 4^th birthday party on Saturday.  I can’t believe he’ll be 4 soon!!  Where does the time go?!?

Friday Thoughts

I thought I had the perfect Christmas gift selected for A.  We have a little tv in our bedroom.  I think I’ve had it since college.  It’s a tube tv and given our love for sports, that’s typically what we watch on it.  It’s become increasingly more difficult to see the puck or the ball or whatever sport we’re watching as the technology just isn’t current.  I had this great idea that I would gift A a new tv for Christmas so that we could actually see what we were attempting to watch.  I received an email that the tv I selected would be delivered on Wednesday.  I was working from home and checked throughout the day.  No tv.  I was upstairs getting the boys ready for bed when W said that he thought he heard a delivery truck.  Sure enough, a few seconds later, A said that a package arrived and it was for him, something he had ordered.  I assumed that the tv I had been waiting on was just delayed since it’s such a busy time of year.  We got the boys to bed and I had another email.  A delivery confirmation indicating the tv had been delivered at 8:04pm (really late, no??).  I asked A if he was certain that the package that arrived was his.  He said yes.  I told him I was going to go outside and look for my package, but also mentioned it was odd that he didn’t see it because it would be in a big box.  He said that his package was also a big box.  We both looked at each other skeptically…

A: “My package is something we can both use.”

Me: “So is mine.”

A: “My package was something for our bedroom.”

Me: “Yeah, so is mine!”

A: “My package is something with two letters.”

Me: “SO IS MINE!!!”

We got each other the same present!!  Same brand, same size tv.  I can’t believe it!!!!  I guess we’re made for each other. :)

In related news, I’m getting more and more excited for Christmas.  There is nothing better than experiencing Christmas with your children.

PSA:  You know that little screen on the back of your hair dryer?  Clean it out!  I knew this, but I guess I sort of forgot about it.  In my defense, my blow dryer actually has two screens so the buildup was somewhat hidden.  Anyway, I was drying my hair the other night and it was taking FOREVER!!  I realized the screen was completely clogged and after cleaning it, it’s a whole new dryer!!  Such a difference!

It's been rainy and gloomy for the past week it seems - I'm ready to never get out of bed again. :P

I'm still loving Lipsense and this Boden sweatshirt that I got for 30% off and then another $25 off is perfect for a cold, gloomy day.

Happy Friday!!