Kindness Day

Our Thanksgiving was absolutely wonderful.  5 straight days with the boys was just the pick me up I needed.  And by pick me up, I mean in the emotional/fulfilling sense, because Lord knows they completely wear me out!!

Before I get to Thanksgiving, I want to talk about the Wednesday prior to Thanksgiving.  You see, it’s very important to me that my boys learn the importance of being kind and giving back to their community.  With all the negativity in the world today, I’m a big believer in treating others as we’d like to be treated.  One of my greatest memories from high school is leading the food and gift drive for Student Council.  In addition to collecting canned goods, we collected enough money to provide a few families with Christmas gifts.  I imagined them opening all the wrapped gifts on Christmas and it brought me such joy.  My hope for the boys is that they’ll too be find joy in giving.  That they’ll be generous and compassionate individuals who want to help others.

With that said, I took Wednesday off and declared it Kindness Day and we set out on a mission to spread cheer throughout our community.  We started with our neighbors and brought over a plate of cookies.  We mailed a card to W’s friend in Georgia and we also left cookies and a Target gift card in the mailbox for our mail carrier.  Then, it was off to our favorite Starbucks.  We went through the drive thru and paid for coffee for the person behind us.  Our favorite barista happened to be manning the drive thru and we left him a tip.  Next, it was off to Target.  W helped me pick 4 cars in the parking lot and we taped Target gift cards to their windows with a note wishing them a wonderful day.  Then, we headed out to the fire station to drop off more cookies.  Scratch that.  We headed to 4 different fire stations.  The first 3 stations didn’t answer their doors??  The fourth fire station was the city’s headquarters and there was a receptionist.  At first she was confused that I wasn’t there to see anyone in particular, but I explained that we were just dropping off cookies as a kind gesture and she returned with a hat and goody bag for W. J  After that, we met up with A for lunch.  We ended Kindness Day with A bringing treats to doggy day care and W and I bringing flowers to my mom’s 80+ year old neighbor.  We had so much fun and I can’t wait to do it again!!

I should also mention that W has not been kind to his brother lately.  So I hoped that all of the spreading kindness would rub off on him.  He did have a good weekend, but was back to hitting and pushing this morning.  I suppose he IS nearing three years old and the hitting and pushing comes with the territory, but I’m ready for this phase to be over.  I know what you're thinking... they're little boys and they're siblings... this phase will NEVER be over.  I get that.  But I'm at least hoping that W will come to me when he gets frustrated or needs help instead of hitting as an immediate reaction.

This and That

I have not been very good about blogging lately.  Tis the season for lots of plans and little time.  Throw in some extra busy work days and time for blogging is nonexistent.

W has been in a funk lately.  I’m not sure if he’s not feeling well.  I kept him home from school on Thursday because he complained of a tummy ache and did his spit up thing.  He had a cold, but I thought he was getting over it.  So not sure if this is cold number 2?  Along with his symptoms, he’s not sleeping well.  Thankfully he had been sleeping great up until a couple nights ago.  There was a period of time when I didn’t think that would ever happen.  Hoping my little buddy feels better soon. 

Speaking of W, he has been really mean to S lately and it bothers me.  Previously he would say things… put S down, leave S upstairs.  But W’s starting pushing and hitting.  I’m assuming this behavior is typical, but it’s hard to deal with.  Lots of time outs and even some yelling by me, but the bad behavior continues. L

In other news S is working on tooth number 4.  He has a doctor’s appointment this evening and I’m looking forward to finding out how big he actually is.  Whenever we meet people, they assume he’s at least a year and are shocked to find out he’s nine months.  He’s crawling, climbing, and pulling up on everything.  Little guy will be walking in no time.

We got our first snow storm over the weekend.  Truth be told, I actually liked it.  We typically get a few snow flurries in November and the first snowflakes are always exciting.  Mother nature decided to skip the flakes this year and dumped a big old pile of snow.  16 inches to be exact.  I was excited and tried to get the boys out for sledding and snowman building.  S cried and W asked to go back inside.  Wimps.  Just kidding.  The snow was still falling and hitting them in the face while we were out and they were not having it.  So much for that.

The snow was so heavy that it broke power lines and our power actually went out for a bit – I’m assuming that’s what happened anyway  The thought of being stuck inside with no power and two restless boys made me anxious so we decided to head out and do our grocery shopping.  I was very concerned about all the frozen milk I had stored.  Luckily the power was on by the time we got home.

Sunday was our usual routine and we decided to start decorating the house for Christmas.  No tree yet, but it was fun to get out the rest of the décor.  I’m super excited for Christmas this year – W is really into it and it will be S’s first Christmas.  I can’t wait! J

And some randoms:

Stitch Fix number 5 arrives this week!  Woohoo!

I’ve declared Wednesday Kindness Day and the boys and I are setting out on a little mission to bring holiday cheer to a few people around town.  More on that to come.

I have W’s and S’s nurseries posted on Pinterest.  I realized over the weekend that someone copied W’s nursery almost exactly.  I suppose that’s kind of the point of Pinterest, but it caught me off guard.  Maybe I missed my calling as nursery designer – Ha!

I know of at least 4 babies born in the last week!  Holy baby boom!

There are conferences tomorrow at W's school.  Conferences.  In preschool?!?  I didn't know that was a thing.  Hoping for a good report.

I’m not sure if I’ll have another post before Thursday so Happy Thanksgiving!!  So very much to be thankful for!!

Are You Done?

Are you done?

If only I had a dollar for every time I was asked this question.  When people ask, it’s in regards to having more children.  I was even getting this question while pregnant with S.  My own mom has asked no less than three times – I think she’s just afraid we’d ask her to watch another child. ;) 

Most people don’t know our story.  Only our families and close friends know that A has CF and only a handful of that group knows that I went through IVF in order to have both boys.  It’s not a secret and I’m not trying to hide anything.  But it is personal.  In general, A and I are relatively private people (which may come as a surprise considering I keep a blog).  The way in which our boys were created is not exactly something that comes up in everyday conversation so I don’t feel the need to discuss it with most people.  I also think most people are clueless about IVF.  And finally, I’d like to be the one who tells my boys their story.  I’d like them to hear about IVF and our journey from me and not anyone else.

So for the majority of people who ask, “Are you done??”, my answer is simple: Probably.

But it’s actually a lot more complicated than that.  A and I agreed to discuss this very topic and our family plans when S is older.  As in closer to two years old.  I love my boys with all my heart, but they do require quite a lot of energy, time, attention, etc.  A and I did agree that I will not go through another fresh IVF cycle.  All those injections, appointments, surgeries, and procedures have taken a toll and I’m just ready to be done with that chapter.  Not to mention insurance will not cover another round of IVF (so thankful that it covered the majority of the 3 fresh cycles I endured).  We do have 2 frozen embryos.  But the reality is that these are not high grade embryos so the chances for success are very very low.  They may not even survive the thaw.

In my heart, I would love another baby.  For some reason I can’t explain, I just feel like I was meant to have 3 boys.  And let’s face it, if I were lucky enough to have another, he would definitely be a boy.  Truth be told, I’d like to give those two embryos a chance, even if the odds are not in my favor.  We’ve never had frozen embryos from previous cycles so maybe, just maybe, those frozen embryos are here for a reason.

We have a lot to consider.  First and foremost – A’s health.  I'm still scarred from the hospital stay and poor health he experienced last summer.  But we also need to consider our ages, our family dynamic, finances, etc.  My brain can think of so many perfectly logical reasons to remain a family of four – expenses, we all fit in one car, we can travel easier as the boys grow up, we have an extra bedroom that can be used however we see fit, we'd likely have to find child care if we had another, we aren’t outnumbered, a third would mean even less sleep, our house is loud enough already, W doesn’t seem to like the one brother he does have, etc…  But then there’s my heart.  And my heart would love another.

So are we done??  Probably.  But the truth is, I hope not…

Weekend Recap

This weekend was one big celebration.  Saturday was my nephew/godson’s first birthday.  I can’t believe he is already one.  I have no idea how that happened.  And I know I’ll be saying the same about S in a couple months.  Anyway, I love to see W and S interact with their cousins.  I was very close with my cousins growing up and still feel a strong connection with them.  I hope the same holds true for W and S.  It was a wonderful birthday party… until W fell backwards and smacked his head on the coffee table.  Sigh.  I’ve never known a toddler who injures himself as much as W.

Sunday was A’s grandma’s birthday party.  She turns 99 on Wednesday.  99!!  Isn’t that amazing?!?  S is her youngest grandbaby.  It was so fun to see the two of them next to each other.  99 versus 9 months.  There was a great turnout and I’m so happy we made the trip.

And I had planned to write about how we waited over an hour for pizza on Friday (what a disaster!) and how we tried to go out for lunch yesterday after the birthday party (another disaster!) only to have W sit on the floor under the table and refuse to eat… but S’s lack of sleep and our busy schedules are catching up to me so I guess I’ll just have to save those stories for another day.  Or never.  Because they really aren’t very good.  Yawn....

Back from TX and W Says...

Happy Friday!  I'm back from south Texas.  I didn't realize what a long trip that was.  I guess I should pay more attention to travel times... duh.  A total of 4 hours in the plane. There were no direct flights so I had to take a connecting flight from Dallas/Fort Worth.  So lots of time in airports and on airplanes.  Everything really is bigger in Texas - including the state itself and DFW airport.  Holy Moly.  Also all the stereotypes about Texas held true - LOTS of cowboy boots, cowboy hats, "y'all", BBQ, guns, and pick up trucks.  South Texas was different than I expected and a bit of a culture shock.  Completely flat, very rural, farmland.  Farmhouses were run down and there were lots of boarded up, deteriorating shacks.  It was sort of a sad little area.  But the people were all very kind.  Chicago could learn a thing or two about hospitality (I'm talking to you, parking lady!  I put my credit card in the slot to pay for my airport parking and it literally shot out at me and landed at the side of my car.  The parking attendant just stared blankly at me while people honked behind me.  My bad.  I didn't realize I was playing catch with the parking pay booth.)  Anyway.  I'm happy to be home, albeit, exhausted.

Also, pumping while traveling is really difficult.  I'll spare you my stories.  BUT here's the thing... workplaces are required to have a dedicated area for nursing moms.  So why the heck aren't airports?!?  Seriously.  It's ridiculous.  And it wouldn't even be difficult - a small, private area with a bench and an outlet.  That's it.

So how about a little edition of W Says because he's been cracking me up lately. :)

W:  What's this song called?
Me:  Umm, let's see... It's called 'Boston'
W:  Where's 'Ice Ice, Baby'?

W:  What are those birdies doing?
A:  They're looking for worms for breakfast
W:  I'm looking for breakfast!!

W:  Mommy, you need a shower tonight?
Me:  Yes, I'm taking a shower tonight.
W:  Are you stinky?

He often makes up stories about our dog... Dee Dee is in the vent, Dee Dee bit the mailman, etc.

W:  Dee Dee is in the recycling bin!
A:  How did she get in the recycling bin?
W:  I put her in there!
A:  Why did you put her in the recycling bin?
W:  Cuz she was empty.

Weekend Recap

Life has been busy, hectic, crazy.  I feel like I’ve been writing that a lot lately.  I didn’t even have time for a weekend recap yesterday.  It went something like this: Saturday – errands with W(bank, Target, shoe store), lunch at Sweet Tomatoes, haircut for W, and a date with A to end the day.  By Saturday evening, it was becoming apparent that W was coming down with a cold and by Sunday morning he was congested.  We still went to church because W was still acting like himself.  But then at Starbucks, W did his spit up thing.  As you can imagine, that was loads of fun.  I never realized kids did this with colds, but W does it any time there is extra mucous.  Sorry to be gross.  But this is completely new territory for me.  Yuck.  We had planned to go grocery shopping after breakfast, but we never made it.

Yesterday, S came down with the same cold.  As you can imagine, it was a super long day for Nani.  Both boys have been really cranky and not sleeping well.  And the icing on the cake is that I have a business trip this week.  I fly to Texas tomorrow.  And I’m sure the cold will hit me while I’m on the plane and A while he’s attempting to care for two cranky boys because that just seems to be our luck.  We’re in survival mode.

BUT I do want to highlight our date night because that was so fun and very much needed.  A and I don’t get out much, which is to be expected with two littles.  Our moms watch the boys during the week and we don’t really know anyone (or trust anyone) to watch them during the weekends.  Family and friends are busy with their own kiddos.  That means we never go out.  So as an anniversary gift, my mom offered to watch the boys and gave us a certificate to a new local restaurant.  A and I LOVED it.  I ordered wine.  A ordered a fancy cocktail that I can’t seem to remember the name of.  I had the brick oven mole chicken and A had a filet.  So so yummy.  Then we ordered the chocolate fountain for dessert.  It was so great to be able to relax and talk to one another without being interrupted 50393 times.  It was also great to be surrounded by adults and normal conversation (versus yelling).  I can’t even remember the last time the two of us went out for dinner.  And I’m not saying I don’t love the constant toddler chatter and baby babble – this was just a nice change of pace.  I’m happy we got some quality time together.

Friday Thoughts

I think this weekend is the only one until Christmas where we don’t have plans or some commitment.  Uggh.  If you know me, you know I crave “down time”.  So this weekend will be filled with random errands and all the “down time” (i.e. play time) I can muster.

I ordered two different styles of boots for fall and was really excited about them.  Then I received them and didn’t like either pair.  They’re both going back.  Doh.  I’m not really a boots girl – not because I don’t like them, but because I can never find a style that looks good on me.  I guess I should’ve known.

W lately is either as sweet as can be or a hitting tyrant.  I realize this is what toddlerhood is all about, but holy moly.  He keeps hitting S and it’s driving me crazy.  No matter how many times I talk to him about it, tell him to let mommy know if he’s upset, tell him to offer S another toy, send him to time out, the hitting ensues.  Last night, I had to be really tough on him and he was sent to bed with no bedtime story.  I struggle with discipline – figuring out what is appropriate and will provide a lasting impression is difficult. :\  And then five minutes later he’s telling me he’s loves me and that I’m soooo special.  Sigh.

On a related note, I asked A who he thought was the tougher parent.  He said me.  I would’ve said him.  So that’s a good thing I think?  We’re doing our best to raise respectful, well behaved boys, while at the same time recognizing that they’re young and appropriate behavior is a learning process.

Starbucks red cups have debuted!  They always put me in a festive mood. :)

Work sent out an email regarding dress code.  The gist of it was that they want us to be comfortable so we can now wear jeans every day (as long as we’re not meeting with clients).  YES!!!  I’m so excited!!!

Have a great weekend!