10.07.2008
Growing up...
Bella brought home her school pictures yesterday and I almost cried when I saw them. Of course I'm her mom, so I'm a bit biased, but first of all, I think she is absolutely beautiful. Second, I just can't believe how grown up she looks. Enjoy...
9.24.2008
Picture Update...
I know I've been terrible about updating so I thought I would at least post some of the recent pictures I have of the girls. Enjoy...
And a quick note to demonstrate one of the reasons why I'm so behind on my blog. Chloe just walked up to me sucking on toilet paper that she had dipped in the toilet...yes, toilet water, and yes, this kind of stuff is a regular occurrence at our home these days. To say that our sweet Chloe keeps us on our toes is an understatement and like I said, a good part of the reason that things like blogging have taken the back seat! ;)
And a quick note to demonstrate one of the reasons why I'm so behind on my blog. Chloe just walked up to me sucking on toilet paper that she had dipped in the toilet...yes, toilet water, and yes, this kind of stuff is a regular occurrence at our home these days. To say that our sweet Chloe keeps us on our toes is an understatement and like I said, a good part of the reason that things like blogging have taken the back seat! ;)
Motorcycle Mama!!
Most of you know by now that Andy recently purchased a motorcycle. He has had it for about a month now and has enjoyed riding it just about everywhere he goes alone. It took me a while to come around to the idea of him owning a bike, but finally realized that I wasn't going to let fear be the motivating force behind my decisions. I still get the occasional wave of fear when I think about what could happen, but that's just natural and Andy has made me feel as comfortable as possible by giving me his word that he will be as safe as possible when riding and assuring me that he has no desire to do anything that could possibly take him away from our family. With that said, I personally have no desire to ride on a motorcycle...I'm the girl who doesn't even like the windows down in the car because it's too windy. ;)
Well, yesterday Andy called me at work and asked if I wanted to drop the girls off at friends and go for a ride and dinner. My first reaction was, "no thanks", but then I thought, "what the heck", and decided to break out of my shell a bit. I'll admit I was very nervous, but after a few minutes on the bike realized that it was actually kind of fun, and best of all, it felt nothing like driving with the windows down. We took the scenic way across town, had a nice dinner at Chili's and then made our way back to TCBY's for a treat. By the time we got back to the girls, I was ready to be done due to my sore butt and back, but other than that I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable a bike ride on a cool fall evening is. :)
I wish we had thought to take a picture, but we didn't, so you'll just have to use your imagination this time...
Well, yesterday Andy called me at work and asked if I wanted to drop the girls off at friends and go for a ride and dinner. My first reaction was, "no thanks", but then I thought, "what the heck", and decided to break out of my shell a bit. I'll admit I was very nervous, but after a few minutes on the bike realized that it was actually kind of fun, and best of all, it felt nothing like driving with the windows down. We took the scenic way across town, had a nice dinner at Chili's and then made our way back to TCBY's for a treat. By the time we got back to the girls, I was ready to be done due to my sore butt and back, but other than that I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable a bike ride on a cool fall evening is. :)
I wish we had thought to take a picture, but we didn't, so you'll just have to use your imagination this time...
8.06.2008
Friendship
I can't let the day end without mention of another very special Birthday Girl!
For those that don't know, Kendra and Bella share a birthday and even though the time that we lived close was short, there is a special connection between these 2 little girls. Just today Bella was telling me about her, "best friend Kendra" and if you ever ask her who her best friend is, she answers, "Kendra" without missing a beat. I'm not sure what it is that makes Bella hold Kendra so close to her heart, but it really is precious.
You can check out a picture of Bella and Kendra just before Kendra turned 1 and Bella turned 3 here, and here is one of them last year, shortly before they turned 3 and 5.
It's amazing how much they have grown and continue to grow and I pray that in the same way distance hasn't come between their mommies friendship, there's will remain the same as well. :)
We love you Kendra and hope you had a very special day today!
For those that don't know, Kendra and Bella share a birthday and even though the time that we lived close was short, there is a special connection between these 2 little girls. Just today Bella was telling me about her, "best friend Kendra" and if you ever ask her who her best friend is, she answers, "Kendra" without missing a beat. I'm not sure what it is that makes Bella hold Kendra so close to her heart, but it really is precious.
You can check out a picture of Bella and Kendra just before Kendra turned 1 and Bella turned 3 here, and here is one of them last year, shortly before they turned 3 and 5.
It's amazing how much they have grown and continue to grow and I pray that in the same way distance hasn't come between their mommies friendship, there's will remain the same as well. :)
We love you Kendra and hope you had a very special day today!
Happy Birthday Bella!
It's hard to believe that Bella is 6 years old already! We love her more than we ever imagined we could and are so proud of the little girl she has become!
Bella has had a full day of fun. She woke up to the house decorated just for her, had a special party at school with her classmates and now we are getting ready to head out to Claim Jumpers (her choice) for dinner and then to the movies to see Wall-E. Her actual party is on Saturday, but we've have enjoyed making today a special family day as we remember what a blessing she has been to us and so many others! We love you Bella! :)
8.01.2008
7.02.2008
Something to think about...
I've been very intrigued lately by the blogs of some of the staff members at Granger Community Church. I just read this and thought it was worth reposting...
Empathy is easy. Investment is hard.
I'm not so sure that's a bad thing.
When I'm pouring out my life, I'm exchanging my remaining days for some purpose or cause. My ability to stay engaged is in correlation with my conviction of it's worth. In other words, my ability to continue making a sacrificial investment is fueled by my sense of its importance.
I can say I care about our environment (remember, God's first directive mandated we "tend the Garden"), but if I don't care enough I'll toss trash out my car window.
I can claim I care about our new site in Elkhart (knowing Jesus commanded we "go make disciples"), but I'm not likely to offer prayer, time and money to the effort if I don't care a lot.
I might say I love Jesus (aware the most important commandment is that we "Love the Lord") but the investment of my life in worship, service and devotion to His Kingdom is unlikely if I don't care enough to act.
Whether we say we treasure children, care about the poor, love justice or cherish honesty the truth is obvious. It's easy to say we care. It's hard to care enough to act.
Our problem isn't that we care. Our problem is that we don't care enough to do something to make a positive contribution.
What we really care about, we'll support.
What we truly value, we'll give our lives to accomplish.
Supreme love empowers absolute devotion.
So today I'm praying I'll love what God loves, value what Jesus values, and cherish what our Lord declares worthy. Like the kids reading their Bibles in this picture, we need to read the scriptures to know what God values. Otherwise we might give our hearts to some cause that's simply not worthy of us.
There is a cost to caring.
James 2:14-17 - My brothers and sisters, if people say they have faith, but do nothing, their faith is worth nothing. Can faith like that save them? A brother or sister in Christ might need clothes or food. If you say to that person, “God be with you! I hope you stay warm and get plenty to eat,“ but you do not give what that person needs, your words are worth nothing. In the same way, faith that is alone—that does nothing—is dead.
6.18.2008
Chloe's One!
Happy Birthday to our beautiful Chloe girl! I'm finding it difficult to believe that a whole year has gone by since she was born! With the exception of the sleepless nights, everything else seemed to go by so incredibly fast and I just hope I didn't miss out on the opportunity to take it all in.
It's been so fun to watch Chloe grow from a sweet little 7 lb baby into the rambunctious (that's putting it lightly) little thing she is...I don't know if there's a word for what she is...not quite toddler, but physically far ahead of the typical 1 year old. ;)
She is such a precious gift from God, and when I think back on our journey to her, I see the ways in which God used our circumstances to teach us so much about Him, His love for us, and more than anything, His faithfulness.
I'm not sure if I've shared this before, but choosing Faith as Chloe's middle name meant a lot to us, but it wasn't until shortly after she was born that I realized the meaning of both of our girls names. Bella (which means beautiful) Grace...Beautiful Grace. We had no idea of the grace God was pouring out on us when I got pregnant with Bella. In fact, we really didn't realize it until several years later when we were told just how remarkable it was that we conceived her so easily. God's beautiful grace evident in our life through our sweet Bella. Chloe Faith. Chloe means "blooming"...Blooming Faith. When I realized this, it honestly took my breath away. The journey to Chloe, couldn't be more perfectly described than "blooming faith". The truth is, that there there were times where is was incredibly hard to have faith, but through it all, in the midst of our doubts, God remained faithful and in the end we can now see that the lesson through it all was "faith". The years leading up to Chloe contain some of the darkest times I've personally had, but in the end, I would change any of them for a moment. Beautiful Grace and Blooming Faith...the two most precious gifts we will ever be given in our life. Both in our children and through God's amazing love for us!
Okay, enough of the mushy stuff for now. I hope to finish up a slide show here in the next week that chronicles Chloe's first year of life. I want to finish it with her birthday party, so it will have to wait until we celebrate next week.
Happy Birthday Chloe! We love you and can't wait to see how you grow this year!
P.S. -- Chloe seems to have contracted some kind of nasty virus. Her fever started to go down yesterday afternoon and she developed a rash all over her body. Her doctor said it's a typical viral rash and usually the rash marks the last part of the virus. She did spike a fever again around 11:00 last night and still has the rash, but seems to be getting a little better.
It's been so fun to watch Chloe grow from a sweet little 7 lb baby into the rambunctious (that's putting it lightly) little thing she is...I don't know if there's a word for what she is...not quite toddler, but physically far ahead of the typical 1 year old. ;)
She is such a precious gift from God, and when I think back on our journey to her, I see the ways in which God used our circumstances to teach us so much about Him, His love for us, and more than anything, His faithfulness.
I'm not sure if I've shared this before, but choosing Faith as Chloe's middle name meant a lot to us, but it wasn't until shortly after she was born that I realized the meaning of both of our girls names. Bella (which means beautiful) Grace...Beautiful Grace. We had no idea of the grace God was pouring out on us when I got pregnant with Bella. In fact, we really didn't realize it until several years later when we were told just how remarkable it was that we conceived her so easily. God's beautiful grace evident in our life through our sweet Bella. Chloe Faith. Chloe means "blooming"...Blooming Faith. When I realized this, it honestly took my breath away. The journey to Chloe, couldn't be more perfectly described than "blooming faith". The truth is, that there there were times where is was incredibly hard to have faith, but through it all, in the midst of our doubts, God remained faithful and in the end we can now see that the lesson through it all was "faith". The years leading up to Chloe contain some of the darkest times I've personally had, but in the end, I would change any of them for a moment. Beautiful Grace and Blooming Faith...the two most precious gifts we will ever be given in our life. Both in our children and through God's amazing love for us!
Okay, enough of the mushy stuff for now. I hope to finish up a slide show here in the next week that chronicles Chloe's first year of life. I want to finish it with her birthday party, so it will have to wait until we celebrate next week.
Happy Birthday Chloe! We love you and can't wait to see how you grow this year!
P.S. -- Chloe seems to have contracted some kind of nasty virus. Her fever started to go down yesterday afternoon and she developed a rash all over her body. Her doctor said it's a typical viral rash and usually the rash marks the last part of the virus. She did spike a fever again around 11:00 last night and still has the rash, but seems to be getting a little better.
6.17.2008
8 years
Today, Andy and I have been married for 8 years! 8 YEARS! How did that happen?? ;)
Year 7 proved to be one of the more difficult ones for us. We started it off (literally) with the birth of Chloe and found ourselves struggling through months and months of sleeplessness, work demands and just life in general. All of this combined didn't always bring out the best in either of us, but through it all, we still managed to come back to what mattered the most...the fact that we really just love each other.
Looking back on the past 8 years, I wouldn't change a moment of our life together! All said and done, I am excited for another year of being married to my best friend! I love you Andy! Thanks for an amazing life together! :)
---------------
I hate to damper the mood with this, but if you get a chance, could you please keep Chloe in your thoughts prayers. She has been running a high fever (as high as 105.0) since Friday and we finally took her into the doctor yesterday. After a few tests (one of which they had to catheterize her for a urine sample) we still don't have any answers. Her Doctor is concerned and basically has us on a 24 hour watch to see if there is any improvement. She did have a small amount of fluid behind one of her ears, which she said she wouldn't even consider an ear infection, but decided to put her on a course of antibiotics just to be safe (which if you know me, just adds to my stress). We started them yesterday and are praying that for one reason or another, her fever starts to subside. Her Doctor said that by Thursday she either has to be markedly better or we will need to start doing more tests and such to figure out what's going on. That could possibly include hospitalization. :( We decided last night to cancel her birthday party that we had scheduled for tomorrow and are hoping that we can celebrate with a healthy little girl next week. I'm trying not to get too worried, but it's hard. Murphy's law usually sets in and as soon as you see the Doctor they get better...unfortunately Chloe woke up this morning still burning up from a fever. It's so hard to see your kids sick...especially when they are so little and can't communicate anything to you.
Year 7 proved to be one of the more difficult ones for us. We started it off (literally) with the birth of Chloe and found ourselves struggling through months and months of sleeplessness, work demands and just life in general. All of this combined didn't always bring out the best in either of us, but through it all, we still managed to come back to what mattered the most...the fact that we really just love each other.
Looking back on the past 8 years, I wouldn't change a moment of our life together! All said and done, I am excited for another year of being married to my best friend! I love you Andy! Thanks for an amazing life together! :)
---------------
I hate to damper the mood with this, but if you get a chance, could you please keep Chloe in your thoughts prayers. She has been running a high fever (as high as 105.0) since Friday and we finally took her into the doctor yesterday. After a few tests (one of which they had to catheterize her for a urine sample) we still don't have any answers. Her Doctor is concerned and basically has us on a 24 hour watch to see if there is any improvement. She did have a small amount of fluid behind one of her ears, which she said she wouldn't even consider an ear infection, but decided to put her on a course of antibiotics just to be safe (which if you know me, just adds to my stress). We started them yesterday and are praying that for one reason or another, her fever starts to subside. Her Doctor said that by Thursday she either has to be markedly better or we will need to start doing more tests and such to figure out what's going on. That could possibly include hospitalization. :( We decided last night to cancel her birthday party that we had scheduled for tomorrow and are hoping that we can celebrate with a healthy little girl next week. I'm trying not to get too worried, but it's hard. Murphy's law usually sets in and as soon as you see the Doctor they get better...unfortunately Chloe woke up this morning still burning up from a fever. It's so hard to see your kids sick...especially when they are so little and can't communicate anything to you.
6.14.2008
Flickr
It's been brought to my attention that the link in my last post for flickr.com doesn't give you the option to be added to my "friends and family" list (so you can view all of my photos). If you would like to see them, send me a quick email and I will send you an invitation through flickr. That seems to be the only way I can figure out to do it at this point. :)
Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!
P.S. -- Happy Birthday Grandma Morrow! We love you! :)
Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!
P.S. -- Happy Birthday Grandma Morrow! We love you! :)
6.11.2008
Graduation!
Bella graduated from Kindergarten last Friday! It's hard to believe that she is going to start 1st grade in less than a month. I know it's a bit cliche, but I really don't know where the time has gone. It feels like she was just born!
The graduation ceremony was so sweet! The kids performed a song from High School Musical which was absolutely adorable and Bella had her moves down and was singing at the top of her lungs. :) Grandma McMinn came over to help celebrate which was really nice. We had a fun dinner at Red Robin and then went home for some home made Chocolate Fondue.
Anyways, I wanted to get a few pictures posted before too much time goes by...
I've also started uploading my photos to Flickr, so if you'd like to see more, check them out. Just a note...some are set to private, so you will have to register and I have to approve you as friends or family before you can view them! I know it's a few extra steps, but I feel much better knowing that I can post certain pics of the girls without worrying about who may come across them. If you see Bella's dance recital pictures, you will understand exactly what I'm talking about. Something happens when that girls gets into "costume". Her posing is completely unprompted and I have NO idea where her "star" side comes from! ;)
The graduation ceremony was so sweet! The kids performed a song from High School Musical which was absolutely adorable and Bella had her moves down and was singing at the top of her lungs. :) Grandma McMinn came over to help celebrate which was really nice. We had a fun dinner at Red Robin and then went home for some home made Chocolate Fondue.
Anyways, I wanted to get a few pictures posted before too much time goes by...
I've also started uploading my photos to Flickr, so if you'd like to see more, check them out. Just a note...some are set to private, so you will have to register and I have to approve you as friends or family before you can view them! I know it's a few extra steps, but I feel much better knowing that I can post certain pics of the girls without worrying about who may come across them. If you see Bella's dance recital pictures, you will understand exactly what I'm talking about. Something happens when that girls gets into "costume". Her posing is completely unprompted and I have NO idea where her "star" side comes from! ;)
5.30.2008
THE BIG 3-0!
Andy officially left his 20's behind on Wednesday! We both managed to take the day off and we spent the first part of it hanging out around the house, taking a trip to Costco and just enjoying a nice day off together. I had been planning a bit of a surprise party for a couple weeks, but as expected, Andy caught on and by the time party time arrived, the surprise was nothing more than a nice thought! I did manage to surprise him by inviting a few people he didn't think would be there, so that was nice.
If you know anything about Andy, you know he loves to be around people and even more, be the center of attention, so a party just for him was the perfect way to usher him into his 30's! We had a lot of fun with everyone and both feel so blessed to have such awesome people in our life!
Here is a slide show I put together with a few pictures from the day...
If you know anything about Andy, you know he loves to be around people and even more, be the center of attention, so a party just for him was the perfect way to usher him into his 30's! We had a lot of fun with everyone and both feel so blessed to have such awesome people in our life!
Here is a slide show I put together with a few pictures from the day...
5.17.2008
Where does the time go??
It's hard to believe that we are almost half way through 2008! This has been our busiest year yet, and as much as I try to enjoy and take in each moment, they just seem to be flying by faster than I can keep up with!
Anyways, I'm sitting here early on a Saturday morning and thought I would take a few minutes to write a little something...
After much complaining on my part, summer seems to have finally landed in Reno. Of course it wasn't a gradual shift of seasons, rather an abrupt end to Spring and a very dramatic start to Summer. We have seen the temperature increase 30 degrees in less than a week and are it is supposed to be 95 degrees by tomorrow! Even though it's hot and I don't particularly like it this warm, I will take it any day over the bitter cold of this past winter.
With the warm weather came the realization that we have an extremely busy June. We have Bella's Kindergarten graduation, her final dance recital with the dance teacher she has been with since she was 3, Father's Day, our 8th Anniversary, and Chloe's 1st Birthday...just to name a few! ;) Bella starts first grade on July 7th so I really want to make this next month a fun one for her as well and am trying to plan in a few things for us to do before she's back in school.
Mother's Day was a special day for us because we had Chloe dedicated. I can still remember Bella's dedication and it was hard to believe we were actually having our second child dedicated. It was a very nice service, with great reminders on how to raise our children in a Christ-like manner. As much time and energy as I invest into my parenting, I can always use a good reminder! :) Here are a couple pictures from, of course by the time it was over Chloe was fast asleep.
Grandma Dean and Grandpa Mike were able to join us for this special day...
Everyone in this picture was a part of our Young Marrieds Group and we as crazy as it sounds, we have all welcomed little girls into our family in the past year (techinically it was 10 months from the first birth to the last) We are standing in "birth order"...Olivia, Kyra, Audrey and Chloe. It was really neat to participate in something so special with some of our closest friends.
Like I mentioned earlier, Bella's Kindergarten graduation is quickly approaching. I simply cannot believe that she is going to be in first grade. It doesn't seem possible for her to be that grown up, but she is! She is so excited for first grade and going to her new school. I on the other hand am a bundle of nerves. I am determined not to let her see my anxiety over the whole thing because I don't want to give her any reason to think that there is a reason to not be excited! Sometimes this mom thing is really hard!! ;)
As if Bella starting first grade isn't hard enough for me to deal with, the fact that Chloe will be 1 in a month is enough to send me over the edge! ;P To add to the fact that she is growing up warp speed, her physical abilities seem to have sped things up even more. Here she is, 11 months old tomorrow and she has been walking for 3 months already. She goes everywhere and sometimes I feel like I missed out on a little of my "baby time" with her because she's so independent. She has recently taken to giving "loves" and kisses. Her kisses are as sloppy and wet as you can imagine and her "love" is the sweetest thing ever as she cuddles up into your shoulder. She has quite a bit of spunk and while it honestly exhausts me most days, I can't help but love her for it! :)
Bella has been playing T-ball and is nearing the end of her season. Like Soccer, I have a feeling this isn't her "thing", but we'll just keep trying until she finds something she really loves. Here are a pictures from one of her games...
True to form, I started this post around 7:30 a.m. and am now just getting around to finishing it at almost 9:00 p.m. In the time that my computer has sat unoccupied, we had quite a fun day that started out with a T-ball game, a little shopping at Target and then a fun day in the yard, playing in the water and planting our garden. Here are a couple pictures of the girls from today...
My sweet hubby just returned from Marble Slab Creamery with a quart of ice cream for us to share, so I'm going to sign off so I can enjoy a little bit of time with two of my favorite things...my husband and ice cream! ;)
Anyways, I'm sitting here early on a Saturday morning and thought I would take a few minutes to write a little something...
After much complaining on my part, summer seems to have finally landed in Reno. Of course it wasn't a gradual shift of seasons, rather an abrupt end to Spring and a very dramatic start to Summer. We have seen the temperature increase 30 degrees in less than a week and are it is supposed to be 95 degrees by tomorrow! Even though it's hot and I don't particularly like it this warm, I will take it any day over the bitter cold of this past winter.
With the warm weather came the realization that we have an extremely busy June. We have Bella's Kindergarten graduation, her final dance recital with the dance teacher she has been with since she was 3, Father's Day, our 8th Anniversary, and Chloe's 1st Birthday...just to name a few! ;) Bella starts first grade on July 7th so I really want to make this next month a fun one for her as well and am trying to plan in a few things for us to do before she's back in school.
Mother's Day was a special day for us because we had Chloe dedicated. I can still remember Bella's dedication and it was hard to believe we were actually having our second child dedicated. It was a very nice service, with great reminders on how to raise our children in a Christ-like manner. As much time and energy as I invest into my parenting, I can always use a good reminder! :) Here are a couple pictures from, of course by the time it was over Chloe was fast asleep.
Grandma Dean and Grandpa Mike were able to join us for this special day...
Everyone in this picture was a part of our Young Marrieds Group and we as crazy as it sounds, we have all welcomed little girls into our family in the past year (techinically it was 10 months from the first birth to the last) We are standing in "birth order"...Olivia, Kyra, Audrey and Chloe. It was really neat to participate in something so special with some of our closest friends.
Like I mentioned earlier, Bella's Kindergarten graduation is quickly approaching. I simply cannot believe that she is going to be in first grade. It doesn't seem possible for her to be that grown up, but she is! She is so excited for first grade and going to her new school. I on the other hand am a bundle of nerves. I am determined not to let her see my anxiety over the whole thing because I don't want to give her any reason to think that there is a reason to not be excited! Sometimes this mom thing is really hard!! ;)
As if Bella starting first grade isn't hard enough for me to deal with, the fact that Chloe will be 1 in a month is enough to send me over the edge! ;P To add to the fact that she is growing up warp speed, her physical abilities seem to have sped things up even more. Here she is, 11 months old tomorrow and she has been walking for 3 months already. She goes everywhere and sometimes I feel like I missed out on a little of my "baby time" with her because she's so independent. She has recently taken to giving "loves" and kisses. Her kisses are as sloppy and wet as you can imagine and her "love" is the sweetest thing ever as she cuddles up into your shoulder. She has quite a bit of spunk and while it honestly exhausts me most days, I can't help but love her for it! :)
Bella has been playing T-ball and is nearing the end of her season. Like Soccer, I have a feeling this isn't her "thing", but we'll just keep trying until she finds something she really loves. Here are a pictures from one of her games...
True to form, I started this post around 7:30 a.m. and am now just getting around to finishing it at almost 9:00 p.m. In the time that my computer has sat unoccupied, we had quite a fun day that started out with a T-ball game, a little shopping at Target and then a fun day in the yard, playing in the water and planting our garden. Here are a couple pictures of the girls from today...
My sweet hubby just returned from Marble Slab Creamery with a quart of ice cream for us to share, so I'm going to sign off so I can enjoy a little bit of time with two of my favorite things...my husband and ice cream! ;)
4.28.2008
Quick Picture!
I know I've neglected my blog terribly, and unfortunately I still don't have time to actually write a post, but I do have a second to post this pic I snapped this morning. Enjoy!
3.26.2008
Someone save me!!!
*****WARNING: IF YOU ARE EASILY DISGUSTED BY STORIES OF VOMIT AND POOP, JUST SKIP THIS POST WHERE I SHARE WHAT IS PROBABLY WAY TOO MUCH DETAIL WHEN IT COMES TO OUR RECENT BOUT WITH THE STOMACH BUG.*****
If I seem to have disappeared over the last few days it's because I have been knee deep in vomit and poop since Sunday!
The little sweetheart that Chloe is, waited until minutes after the end of 2nd service on Sunday (I produce services, so I'm *very* busy on Sunday's...especially holidays) and then puked all over poor Terri in her nice Easter outfit. We quickly scrambled to get out of church and she threw up again on the way home. From that point on anytime the smallest amount of milk hit her tummy, it came right back up. It was so sad to see such a little thing so sick. :( She improved on Monday and I really thought she was over it...I was wrong...
The moment I heard Bella yell, "Mom!" at 2 a.m. yesterday morning I knew exactly what was coming. She tried to make it down from her bed but she couldn't and proceeded to vomit from her loft bed which left Andy and I scrubbing the carpet for a good half hour trying to get it all cleaned up. She was sick with the dry heaves all night and into the morning, but through it all she was such a trooper. We made her a bed on our floor, gave her a bowl and every time she had to throw up she would lean over her bowl and do her thing.
Of course we didn't sleep a wink for the rest of the night and so the sweetheart Andy is, delivered my morning coffee to my bedside and I sat up, kids cuddled up next to me, taking a few minutes to enjoy my coffee and get ready for the day I knew was ahead when all of a sudden Chloe started vomiting, literally soaking me in it. It was at that point that I just couldn't handle it any more and laid over, covered in puke, while she continued to vomit and started to cry and laugh all at the same time...I was having a true melt down. Andy heard the commotion and came out of the closet where he was getting ready for work and just stood there with a look on his face that said, "what is wrong with my wife??" After I composed myself Andy helped Chloe and me get in the shower so we could clean up.
Bella continued to vomit through the early afternoon and the worst part of it all was how bad her tummy hurt all the time. It broke my heart to see her in that kind of pain. :( Chloe on the other hand didn't vomit again, instead started with the diarrhea which was almost as messy as the vomit. ;)
We managed to make it through and as of this morning we haven't had a puke or poop in over 12 hours and I'm praying that we are done with it for a very long time. Of course neither Andy or I have had it and honestly it will be a miracle if we don't get it. The girls and I are staying home again today just to give them a little extra time to make sure their little bodies are back to normal.
I'm certain that this has been the toughest 3 days I've had as a parent in regards to sick kids. I know moms (and dads) do this and much more all the time and I have to say that there is nothing like the love a parent when they willing subject themselves to being vomited and pooped on. ;)
I also can't forget to say what an amazing help Andy has been through all of this. He is such a trooper when it comes to this kind of thing, never once complaining about scrubbing vomit at 2 in the morning, changing a baby who is covered in rotten milk puke, or simply going to the store for us to get soda and jello. I seriously couldn't do it without him and am so blessed to have a husband who is truly an equal when it comes to parenting!
Here are a couple pictures I snapped when I *finally* had both girls sleeping at the same time (what a glorious moment that was!!).
Bella on one side of the couch...
Chloe on the other...
I hope to have another post with Easter pictures up sometime this week, assuming we really are on the mend!
If I seem to have disappeared over the last few days it's because I have been knee deep in vomit and poop since Sunday!
The little sweetheart that Chloe is, waited until minutes after the end of 2nd service on Sunday (I produce services, so I'm *very* busy on Sunday's...especially holidays) and then puked all over poor Terri in her nice Easter outfit. We quickly scrambled to get out of church and she threw up again on the way home. From that point on anytime the smallest amount of milk hit her tummy, it came right back up. It was so sad to see such a little thing so sick. :( She improved on Monday and I really thought she was over it...I was wrong...
The moment I heard Bella yell, "Mom!" at 2 a.m. yesterday morning I knew exactly what was coming. She tried to make it down from her bed but she couldn't and proceeded to vomit from her loft bed which left Andy and I scrubbing the carpet for a good half hour trying to get it all cleaned up. She was sick with the dry heaves all night and into the morning, but through it all she was such a trooper. We made her a bed on our floor, gave her a bowl and every time she had to throw up she would lean over her bowl and do her thing.
Of course we didn't sleep a wink for the rest of the night and so the sweetheart Andy is, delivered my morning coffee to my bedside and I sat up, kids cuddled up next to me, taking a few minutes to enjoy my coffee and get ready for the day I knew was ahead when all of a sudden Chloe started vomiting, literally soaking me in it. It was at that point that I just couldn't handle it any more and laid over, covered in puke, while she continued to vomit and started to cry and laugh all at the same time...I was having a true melt down. Andy heard the commotion and came out of the closet where he was getting ready for work and just stood there with a look on his face that said, "what is wrong with my wife??" After I composed myself Andy helped Chloe and me get in the shower so we could clean up.
Bella continued to vomit through the early afternoon and the worst part of it all was how bad her tummy hurt all the time. It broke my heart to see her in that kind of pain. :( Chloe on the other hand didn't vomit again, instead started with the diarrhea which was almost as messy as the vomit. ;)
We managed to make it through and as of this morning we haven't had a puke or poop in over 12 hours and I'm praying that we are done with it for a very long time. Of course neither Andy or I have had it and honestly it will be a miracle if we don't get it. The girls and I are staying home again today just to give them a little extra time to make sure their little bodies are back to normal.
I'm certain that this has been the toughest 3 days I've had as a parent in regards to sick kids. I know moms (and dads) do this and much more all the time and I have to say that there is nothing like the love a parent when they willing subject themselves to being vomited and pooped on. ;)
I also can't forget to say what an amazing help Andy has been through all of this. He is such a trooper when it comes to this kind of thing, never once complaining about scrubbing vomit at 2 in the morning, changing a baby who is covered in rotten milk puke, or simply going to the store for us to get soda and jello. I seriously couldn't do it without him and am so blessed to have a husband who is truly an equal when it comes to parenting!
Here are a couple pictures I snapped when I *finally* had both girls sleeping at the same time (what a glorious moment that was!!).
Bella on one side of the couch...
Chloe on the other...
I hope to have another post with Easter pictures up sometime this week, assuming we really are on the mend!
3.17.2008
Lucky to be Irish...
Proud to be awesome!!
That's a direct quote from Andy's St. Patrick's Day Shirt and if you know my hubby, you know how fitting it is for him! ;)
Here are a couple pictures that I snapped this afternoon.
Morgan and Luke came over to play and after hearing about the silly little Leprechauns turning Bella's milk green last night, asked if they could have green milk too. I sent them upstairs while I prepared a glass of green milk for each of them...with a little help from my Leprechaun friends! ;)
And a couple more of Chloe and Bella just being the cute little girls they are...
We are headed over to Josh and Jessica's house for an Irish Dinner and green beer induced fun (okay, maybe not too much fun...we do all have kiddos to take care of). Hope everyone is having an awesome St. Patty's Day!!
That's a direct quote from Andy's St. Patrick's Day Shirt and if you know my hubby, you know how fitting it is for him! ;)
Here are a couple pictures that I snapped this afternoon.
Morgan and Luke came over to play and after hearing about the silly little Leprechauns turning Bella's milk green last night, asked if they could have green milk too. I sent them upstairs while I prepared a glass of green milk for each of them...with a little help from my Leprechaun friends! ;)
And a couple more of Chloe and Bella just being the cute little girls they are...
We are headed over to Josh and Jessica's house for an Irish Dinner and green beer induced fun (okay, maybe not too much fun...we do all have kiddos to take care of). Hope everyone is having an awesome St. Patty's Day!!
3.07.2008
Alaska bound and a mouse in the house...
How's that for a catchy title?? ;)
Many of you know that Jason left for Alaska last week to pursue his "Mountain Man Dream" as I like to refer to it as. When I first heard about him wanting to move to Alaska I thought he was CRAZY...I mean, why would anyone want to live in Alaska?? But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it was no different than if I had moved to New York City or pursued some other "big city" dream I had. So, with that, I'm proud of him for not just talking about it, but actually doing it and am praying that things work out great for him up there!
Here are a few pictures I snapped when we were heading out the door for the airport...
Chloe has this funny habit of sticking something in her mouth and leaving it there while she plays with another toy, crawls around, or does whatever else she feels like doing. One of the toys she frequently puts in her mouth is a wooden mouse. It strikes us as so funny to see her crawling around the house with a mouse hanging out of her mouth. I didn't catch her crawling, but did get a picture of her and her favorite mouse...
And just for the record, the first tooth is through and the second one should break the skin by tomorrow and we officially have a walker! She is comfortably taking 5 or 6 steps between things and getting braver by the day. It is the craziest thing to see such a little person walking. ;)
Many of you know that Jason left for Alaska last week to pursue his "Mountain Man Dream" as I like to refer to it as. When I first heard about him wanting to move to Alaska I thought he was CRAZY...I mean, why would anyone want to live in Alaska?? But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it was no different than if I had moved to New York City or pursued some other "big city" dream I had. So, with that, I'm proud of him for not just talking about it, but actually doing it and am praying that things work out great for him up there!
Here are a few pictures I snapped when we were heading out the door for the airport...
Chloe has this funny habit of sticking something in her mouth and leaving it there while she plays with another toy, crawls around, or does whatever else she feels like doing. One of the toys she frequently puts in her mouth is a wooden mouse. It strikes us as so funny to see her crawling around the house with a mouse hanging out of her mouth. I didn't catch her crawling, but did get a picture of her and her favorite mouse...
And just for the record, the first tooth is through and the second one should break the skin by tomorrow and we officially have a walker! She is comfortably taking 5 or 6 steps between things and getting braver by the day. It is the craziest thing to see such a little person walking. ;)
2.23.2008
So Close...
Yesterday Chloe was walking along the couch (for those of you who don't know we have a sectional) and when she approached the corner, she turned facing the other side of the couch and took 3 steps diagonally to the other side of the couch. I just happened to be standing there and started screaming when I realized what she did. ;) She looked up at me with a huge grin on her face, but honestly I don't think she had a clue what she did. She was going so fast that she didn't even realize she had taken steps without holding on to something. Andy and I tried to get her to do it again and of course, no such luck! ;) I don't know if this qualifies as her first "official" steps, but I have a feeling that she will be walking around here very soon!
I also noticed 2 little bottom teeth ready to pop through any day now. It seems like she has been teething since she was born and finally there will be something to show for the endless amounts of drool she generates! ;) Funny thing is, Bella's bottom 2 teeth came in together as well. :)
In other news, I've tried so hard to stay well in the midst of people dropping like flies from the nasty bugs going around, but unfortunately, one of them finally got me! It's the upper respiratory thing and it hit me pretty hard on Thursday evening. Yesterday I was miserable, and so far today I feel about the same. We are going to lay low today and hopefully I can get a little extra rest in. I'm hoping that I can do a little photo shoot with the girls today as well. I think these will be the last "toothless" smiles I get from Chloe and I want to make sure to get some good ones! :)
I also noticed 2 little bottom teeth ready to pop through any day now. It seems like she has been teething since she was born and finally there will be something to show for the endless amounts of drool she generates! ;) Funny thing is, Bella's bottom 2 teeth came in together as well. :)
In other news, I've tried so hard to stay well in the midst of people dropping like flies from the nasty bugs going around, but unfortunately, one of them finally got me! It's the upper respiratory thing and it hit me pretty hard on Thursday evening. Yesterday I was miserable, and so far today I feel about the same. We are going to lay low today and hopefully I can get a little extra rest in. I'm hoping that I can do a little photo shoot with the girls today as well. I think these will be the last "toothless" smiles I get from Chloe and I want to make sure to get some good ones! :)
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