Separated

Dearest Precious Children~

Well, after Grace and I finished her early morning feeding session, I went into the bonus room to check on the boys.  Joshua was still sleeping and daddy was awake but on the couch not feeling well.  Joshua had thrown up a little more during the night, so there was a little pile of contaminated items near the couch .... towels, snuggie, pillow case.  :-P

I quickly throw some clothes on and headed to the store.  Remember how I had drank all of Joshua's pedialyte when I was sick?  Well, I packed Grace up and headed to the grocery store to pick some more up.  I also got some ginger ale and saltine crackers.  It was cold and damp out.  All I had thrown on was a sweatshirt, sweatpants, and flip flops.  :-P  Grace was bundled though.  :-)

I had texted Penny early in the morning to let her know that the boys were sick and daddy would not be going into work.  She stayed home so she wouldn't get sick.

The rest of the day was spent keeping the boys separated from the girls.  :-P  Grace mostly camped out in the bedroom with me .... with little breaks downstairs whenever I went to get a snack or something to drink.  Joshua mostly camped out in the bonus room with daddy .... with little breaks downstairs to stretch his legs.  I set up a little drink and food station in the bonus room for the boys with the crackers and sippy cups.  Joshua, you drank some water and pedialyte as the day went on and ate a few crackers.  By the end of the day, you were playing more.  

We never had the two of you together except late in the evening.  Neither one of you had thrown up since early that morning, so Grace and I sat on one end of the bonus room and watched a little television with the boys in the evening. 

We still didn't want to chance anything with Grace, so we kept you two separated for the night again as well.  Daddy stayed with Joshua again in the bonus room and Grace and I took the bedroom.  Tomorrow, I'll take apart the bonus room and disinfect all the blankets, pillow cases, sheets, and whatever else I can find.  The weather is suppose to be cooler, but we'll try to open the windows for a few minutes to air the place out.  I've been spraying some lysol in there, but we need fresh air to blow through.  :-P

Glad Joshua and daddy appear to be doing better though.  These bugs just take some time to work themselves out of people's systems.  Hopefully, you two will be on the mend tomorrow and Grace will never catch it.  :-)

Sleep tight!

I love you both!

~Mommy

Feeling Better?

Dearest Miracles~

Well, I woke up feeling a lot better this morning.  I took my temperature at 2am (had to change Grace anyway) and it was 98.7 degrees.  I didn't throw up all night, which was an accomplishment!  I even got a little sleep.  ;-)

Today was cold with heavy rain!  Daddy went back to work and Penny came this morning to help out.  Needless to say, Joshua, you and Penny did not make it to the park due to the weather.  :-(  But, you all still had fun around the house with Grace and myself.  You and I had walked all around the house, started the laundry, loaded the dish washer, mailed the mortgage, and eaten breakfast all before Penny got here.  :-)

Penny played with Joshua and Grace a lot.  She brought over some hair bands for Grace so I had fun taking some pictures.  ;-)  Penny left before 1pm, when the two of you all went down for a nap.  I didn't nap though since I knew I would need to feed Grace.  Plus, Joshua, you didn't sleep for long.

Oh, Joshua, you had a good lunch for Penny!  You finished your container of beef and veggies and ate a whole container of yogurt.  You didn't finished your sippy cup though because you fell asleep.  But, you finished it once nap time was over.

Joshua, you were so sweet after your nap.  You woke up crying from the crib.  I picked you up, changed you, and sat with you on the couch as you drank your sippy cup.  I had just finished nursing Grace and she was napping.  Joshua, you curled up next to me on the couch so sweet.  You don't do that too often since you like to walk around and play with your toys now .... so I just held you and told you how much I loved you!  :-)

We all continued to play in the bonus room this afternoon.  Joshua, you ate another container of yogurt for me for dinner and then took another sippy cup in the evening.

However, when daddy got home, things changed .... daddy started to feel sick as he was driving home from work.  :-(  Once, he got home, he went straight to bed.  That left the three of us in the bonus room .... and for some reason, that's when you two both decided to get fussy!  Grace, you wouldn't let me put you down and Joshua wanted attention at the same time.  There were periods this evening when I had to just listen to both of you two cry and cry because I didn't have enough hands.  :-P

Finally, you two were winding down for bed.  Daddy went into the guest room so the three of us could be in the bedroom.  Daddy had already thrown up a few times, so we didn't want the stomach bug to hit you two also.  Trust me, it wasn't fun!

I put Joshua on the bed next to me and he curled up there as I nursed Grace.  Joshua fell asleep, and once Grace fell asleep, I put her in the bassinet and checked on daddy.  Then, I went down stairs to eat a cheese stick and crackers for dinner (at this point it was almost 11pm).   Needless to  say, I didn't even get a shower today.  :-P  As I brushed my teeth, Joshua began to stir and wake up.  He looked up, then sat up, and then promptly threw up all over the bed!  Ugh!

Daddy was awake in the next room so he was able to help me.  He stripped Joshua and gave him a quick bath.  I stripped the sheets and changed over the linens.  Then, I dressed Joshua because daddy got sick again.  :-(  I carried him back into the bedroom and sat down holding him on the bed.  He hugged me for a while and then quickly threw up again .... this time it got all over me and not the bed.  :-P

So, Joshua, you got changed one more time.  :-P  And, daddy and I had to change tactics.  Obviously he was catching whatever daddy and I had, and we didn't want Grace to get it .... at this point Grace was the last one 'standing' .... even the cat had thrown up!

Daddy and Joshua therefore spent the night camped out in the bonus room while Grace and I spent the night in the bedroom.  Joshua, you had thrown up one more time before finally going to bed just shy of midnight.  Poor little man!  I felt so bad for you.  :-(  I pray that you and daddy get better soon and that Grace doesn't catch it.

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you two very much!

~Mommy

So Sick

Dearest Children~

Today was not a good day .... I was so sick!  I started to not feel well around 11pm last night.  Since then, I pretty much threw up on the hour, every hour, until around 6am.  It got so bad that I just left a bin near me on the bed to throw up into.  :-(  I must have gotten some form of food poisoning, or some weird stomach bug.  Since I took the last tylenol last night, Grandpa Jim came over this morning to bring me some more to help reduce my fever.  I took one at 7am and was finally able to keep water down.

I hate being sick .... and it's even worse when you have to care for other people too while being sick.  Luckily, daddy was able to work from home today to help me out.  I don't know what I would have done if he couldn't stay home.  :-P

I kept taking my temperature throughout the day and it ranged from 99.5 degrees to 100.5 degrees.  Joshua, I ended up drinking what was left of your pedialyte since I was dehydrated when I got up.  Also, I drank some of your apple juice.  Thanks for sharing!  :-)

The weird thing that kept happening to me was that I continued to shiver as the day went on, but the house was apparently warm.  :-P  And, at times I could feel myself sweat, though I would be cold.  I continued to take tylenol throughout the day.  By the evening I was able to eat some saltine crackers and keep them down.

I tried to take a nap here or there, to rest, but Grace was so hungry and didn't want me to put her down.  So, I didn't get a lot of relief except in small doses.  Finally, you two both went down this evening, and I tried to go to bed a little early as daddy read.

I hope tomorrow is better.  Penny will be here to help out.  

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both very much!  :-)

~Mommy

Bumming Around

Dearest Angels~

Today was a cold day, so we all stayed inside .... except for when Joshua helped me check the mail.  ;-) 

I walked upstairs and downstairs with Joshua a lot.  He took a full sippy cup and half a yogurt for breakfast.  Also, I took more videos of him walking and talking.  He walked all around the bonus room in a complete loop (including all the turns) all by himself several times.  :-)  Good job little man!  I'm so proud of you!

Joshua also helped me move all the dishes over and we took out the Salisbury steak in the freezer in case we want it this week.

Grace helped me download a few more books for my ereader.  We downloaded some more classics since they're public domain and free.  ;-) 

There were no sewage workers today .... must have been too cold for them, though I didn't mind since they're loud when they're out there working.  

Oh, Grace, you ended up wearing three outfits today due to a big spit up .... the couch and my sweatshirt also caught some of your mess.  :-P  I put you in one of Joshua's old outfits.  It was the one with an alligator on it and says 'Later Gator'.  ;-)

Joshua, you ended up eating some saltines and cheerios with me.  I'm still trying to get you to eat more, but it's a slow process.  

I woke up with a headache this morning, but it started to go away once daddy got home and we ate some dinner together.  I took the last tylenol that I could find.  :-P 

Both of you two had big poopy diapers today.   Phew!  :-P

Daddy and Uncle Brennan had a soccer game tonight.  It was an earlier game that started at 8:15pm, so you both got to visit with them before they had to leave.  They won.  Yippie!

Joshua, you were so sweet tonight as I was getting you ready for bed.  We were in the bonus room and I only had a little lamp on.  Grace was napping and I played with you in your play area.  You started to rub your eyes a little, so I curled up on a pillow next to your blanket.  You saw me and crawled to the adjacent pillow.  You yawned and then fell asleep right next to me all curled up.  My headache started to come back, so I was glad you started to unwind at that time.  I continued to rest next to you until daddy got back home.  Then, we put you in some pajamas and put you to bed.  I nursed Grace right after.  :-)

Sleep tight little precious children!

I love you both!

~Mommy

Officially Walking

Dearest Blessings~

Hello little precious children!  We all got up a little earlier today than the past weekends.  Which, gave me some time to prepare the crock pot.  I cooked some ground beef and then put it all together with spices to simmer.  We were making meat for sloppy joes.  :-)  Yummy!  We made a lot though for lunches this week, or to put in some pasta sauce for a dinner.  

We also did a lot of chores around the house.  I took apart Joshua's play area and vacuumed the bonus room.  I found 12 cheerios on the floor.  :-P  Little man, cheerios are for eating .... not for throwing.  ;-)

But, here's the most exciting news of the day .... Joshua is officially walking!  He walks all around the downstairs and upstairs with no help!  I took some videos of him walking.  Eliza is going to be so proud of him at his next appointment!  It's so cute when he walks too, with his hands in the air!

Guess who came over for lunch .... our friend Allison!  Joshua, you've met her before but Grace never has.  Allison went to school with daddy and me .... we've all known each other for years and years!  She's the one who sent Grace that cute onesie that says 'Peanut' on it!  She was in town this week and wanted to meet Grace and see Joshua again.  Right now, she's living in West Virginia for school, but she'll be moving back here once she finishes.  :-)

Anyway, she brought over some chicken, rice, beans, plantains, and mac and cheese for Joshua.  He ate a little, but not a ton.  :-P  Once daddy picked him up from the high chair, he fell right to sleep on daddy's shoulder!  Daddy put Joshua in the crib and he slept for about an hour.  The rest of us visited in the bonus room. 

Afterward, Grace, you and I headed over to (Great) Uncle Laurence's house.  Your Great-Grandfather  from Tennessee was in town and wanted to meet you.  Joshua, you stayed at the house with daddy since Mimi and Grandpa Mike called and were coming over. 

Grace, everyone loved how I had spiked up your hair.  ;-)  You got to meet a lot of people too.  Gigi, Uncle James, (Great) Uncle Laurence and Aunt Marti, (Great) Uncle David and Kevin, cousins Erik and Mia, and your Great-Grandfather and Rosemary were all there.  You got hungry while there (which I was expecting), so I nursed you and then Gigi burped you and held you. 

We left right before halftime of the UNC game.  We played Kentucky today .... unfortunately, we lost .... so the season's over.  :-(  But, we did pretty well to make it to the Elite Eight with such a young team!  We start two freshman, two sophomores, and one junior .... I hope they all stay and don't go professional so young .... then, we'll have a really good team next year! 

The rest of the day we played in the bonus room together.  This week is the first week in a while where we don't have any appointments!  Woo hoo!  We can relax and play all week without having to worry about getting to a doctor's office!  :-)

Oh, I don't remember if I told you or not, we finished our book 'The Time Machine' and have now started '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea' .... this book is a lot longer, so I'm sure it'll take us quite some time to finish.  Especially since I don't get to read everyday!  ;-)

Sleep tight little precious angels!

I love you both!

~Mommy

New Foods

Dearest Miracles~

Well, it's that time again .... you both had baths this morning!  ;-)  You two were behind schedule with your baths, so I gave Grace a sponge bath on the changing table as daddy gave Joshua a bath in the tub at the same time.  Now, you two are fresh and clean!  :-)

Once you two were dressed, we ran your clothes in the laundry and then packed you all up for some errands around time.  We had to make a quick deposit at the bank and then we popped into Barnes & Noble.  Does this book store exist by the time you all read this?  Well, Barnes & Noble makes the Nook, the electric reader that daddy and I have, and I was looking for a case for it.  I didn't see one that I wanted, but we all still walked around the store to stretch our legs.  :-)

Afterward, we went to a BBQ place for lunch .... Shane's Rib Shack.  Joshua, I'm so proud of you .... you tried a little bit of BBQ, cole slaw, mac and cheese, potatoes, and grilled chicken.  You ate more of some things then others, but you at least had a bite of everything.

Target was our last place on our list of errands.  Joshua, you fell asleep in the car and Grace you were hungry.  So, I stayed in the car with you all and nursed Grace in the front seat.   Speaking of which, Grace, you were hungry all day today!  Daddy ran in the store and picked up the things that we needed.  I put some music on and we all just relaxed in there until daddy got back.

It was cold and wet today, so we spent the rest of the day in the house.  Joshua, you were a tad fussy this evening, but it might have been because your nap wasn't very long earlier.  You didn't eat much at dinner either.  Daddy and I made eggs, bacon, and toast.  You would rather have gold fish crackers and milk.  :-P

We played upstairs after dinner.  Daddy put a DVD on and I think it took us about 2 hours to watch 45 minutes since we had to keep pausing the show .... either one of Joshua's toys would go off and we couldn't hear, or we needed to change or feed one or both of you.  :-P

Tomorrow, UNC plays.  If we beat Kentucky, then we go on to the Final Four in the tournament!

Daddy clipped your nails this evening as both of you fell asleep.  Poor little Grace, you ended up cutting your pretty face with your nails. 

Oh, Joshua, you made it until 1am in your crib.  I know you can do better than that.  :-P

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Pizza Please

Dearest Blessings~

What a cold day is was!  We stayed in the house all day, except when we checked the mailbox.  :-P  The sewage workers were out there all day .... really close to our backyard.  The trucks were loud, but Joshua liked to look out the window at them.  

Joshua, you woke up early again today.  Grace, you slept a little better though I had stomachache all night.  Grrr!

Grace, you still have your umbilical cord stump.  I put alcohol on it every time I change your diaper, so I'm hoping it comes off soon.  I forgot to tell you, in the hospital, after you were born, daddy and I were told that you actually had a three vessel cord after all.  Remember at our 30 week untrasound they said you had a 2 vessel cord?  Generally, people have three vessels .... one vein and two arteries.  With a two vessel cord, babies are more likely to be born small or with kidney or heart problems.  That's why I had the extra ultrasound at Wake Med in September. 

Joshua, you and I walked all around the upstairs and downstairs today.  You're getting better but still fought me at times and wanted to crawl.  We also spent some time looking out your window in the play room.  We didn't see our neighbor's dog, but we saw some birds.  :-) 

We started a new book .... 'The Time Machine' .... this book is pretty short so I'm sure we'll finish it by the weekend.

Joshua, you ate better today.  I tried to give you mini meals about every 2 hours.  I gave you a sippy cup at 8am.  Then, you ate yogurt at 10am.  At noon you ate more yogurt and cheerios.  We'll see if you keep it up.  

You both had the hiccups today.  Grace, I'm use to you having the hiccups.  Joshua, you haven't had them in a while, so it was cute when you got them.

I sang the ABC song and rocked each of you to try to get you both to nap today.  I did it to Joshua after lunch while Grace was napping.  Grace, I did it to you in the afternoon while Joshua was napping.  It only worked on Grace.  :-P  She fell asleep on me.  Joshua, you acted like you would fall asleep, but then you started playing.  :-)  Eventually, you both fell asleep in the afternoon and I was able to nap for 30 minutes, which was refreshing!  :-)

Grace, you have blue eyes right now.  I wonder if they'll stay that way.  Also, I've noticed that the newborn diapers are getting a little snug on you.  That seems to fast!  You're almost a month old and we may have to change you to the next size of diapers soon.  You're growing up too fast!  Once you move on to size 1 diapers, I'll definitely be sad.  What if that's the last newborn diaper I change?  I know that sounds silly, but you two are getting so big right before my eyes!  When Joshua came home from the hospital, he was still in preemie diapers!  I don't remember how old or big he was when he switched to size 1 diapers.  I could look back on these letters to see.  You still have a box of newborn diapers, so we'll finish those and then see if the size 1 diapers are too big or just right.   

Good news .... we made a homemade pizza for dinner tonight and Joshua ate a lot of it for us!  Woo hoo!  We saved the last slice in case he wants more over the weekend.  :-)  Also, we watched UNC play tonight and we won!  Yippie!  We're now in the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament and play again on sunday.  :-)

Oh, we tested Joshua with a hard top sippy cup this evening.  We only put water in it, but he drank from it!  He still prefers the soft top ones, and we had to help him with the hard top, but he still drank water from it.  :-)  And, on a side note .... it has only taken 3 days for you all to fill the diaper container.  :-P

Tomorrow's saturday!  Woo hoo!  It's suppose to stay cold, so it might be a movie at home day.  ;-)

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both!

~Mommy

Talkative

Dearest Miracles~

Ok, so Joshua woke up from his crib at 1am this morning crying.  Daddy took you out of there, little man, and you noodled into our bed, as usual.  :-P  Then, I ended up nursing Grace at 3am.  To keep me awake, I've been reading a little during those hours.  So, I finished our book 'Around the World in 80 Days' at 3am while listening to a thunderstorm.  I liked listening to the thunderstorm.  :-)  Also, I've been giving you a little kiss during our early morning nursing sessions.  I use to kiss Joshua at these hours when he was a baby.  It made the early morning feedings more enjoyable.  So, each morning, little Grace, you get a kiss from me between the hours of 2am to 4am .... whenever you wake up.  :-)

Joshua, you woke up early again but wouldn't drink your sippy cup right away.  You were, however, very talkative.  You've been talkative a lot recently and I took a video the other day.  It was so cute!

Penny came over around 9am this morning.  We played with Joshua in the nursery and practiced his walking.  I played with Grace a lot and nursed her during this time.  Then, Penny took Joshua to the park before lunch.  Joshua, you're still not a fan of the sandbox.  :-P

Penny rocked Joshua after lunch and he fell asleep.  Penny placed him in the crib and he slept for about 2 hours!  Penny then left around 1pm.

I wasn't able to nap though since Grace was hungry all day!  :-P  I think I nursed you from morning to night.  I'm a little concerned that I won't be able to keep up with you.  I hope I can.  :-)  Perhaps you're going through a growth spurt?  ;-)

They're still working on the sewage pipes along greenway.  We watched and listened to trucks all day.  We could hear them with the windows closed!

This evening we played in the bonus room with daddy.  Daddy got home really late from work.  We already had dinner made though Grace got hungry when daddy got home.  So, daddy and Joshua ate together and then Grace and I joined them afterward.

Tomorrow is friday!  Yippie!  UNC plays at 7:15pm!  If we win, then we advance to the Elite Eight of the tournament.  Go Heels!

Sleep tight little angels!

I love you both!

~Mommy

Earlier Start

Dearest Joshua David and Grace Elizabeth~

Well, Joshua you made it all the way to 3am this morning before you woke from your crib crying!  For some reason you haven't made it past that time in a while.  Daddy picked you up and you noodled into our bed and fell asleep.  :-P

Grace, you also kept me up all night.  :-P  You didn't want me to put you down or else you would wake right up.  I finally got you to sleep early this morning, but I didn't get to rest much since Joshua woke up soon after.  

Daddy moved Joshua into the play room at 7:30am since I was in there nursing Grace.  Joshua, you haven't woken up that early in a while, so I guessed you would take an earlier nap for us.  You kept rubbing your eyes all morning but kept fighting going back to sleep.

Penny got here around 9am.  She played with Joshua and Grace and helped to entertain Joshua whenever I had to nurse Grace.  Today was a beautiful day, so Penny took Joshua to the park before lunch.  :-)

Oh, I almost forgot, Joshua, you spilled your sippy cup this morning all over the couch!  So, I ended up doing two loads of laundry and throwing the couch cover in there.  Good thing we don't have any 'nice' or 'expensive' things/furniture in this house!  ;-)

I also did two more thank you cards.  One was for the blanket that Grace got and the other was for a friend who got both of you all something over the weekend.  I think I used up all the remaining thank you cards.  :-P

I moved our second play pen bassinet into the play room for Grace to use.  Now, I can put her down to nap in there as Joshua play or practice our walking.  Also, I placed a box under a window sill of the play room so Joshua can look out the window at our neighbor's dog.  He likes to look out there and see the dog and birds.  :-)

Joshua, you took a nice nap after lunch.  Penny rocked you and you fell asleep on her.  She moved you into the crib and you slept for about 2.5 hours!  Penny then left at 1pm once she knew you were going to stay sleeping in there.  Grace, I had to nurse you in that time, but then I was able to rest for about 30 minutes.  :-)  Woo hoo! 

We all played upstairs until daddy got home.  Before he got home, Grandpa Jim came over after work to take our cardboard.  We still had cardboard on our porch from when we got carpet remnants.  He had to cut them in order for them to fit in the truck.  Then, he came inside and visited with us for about 30 minutes.  Daddy came home shortly after and we made some dinner together.  

This evening we all relaxed in the play room.  Joshua, you're getting a little better at being gentle with Grace, though I can tell you want to play with her.  Grace, I think you're getting more use to Joshua's loud toys.  ;-)

Oh, almost forgot .... I made an appointment for some haircuts!  Joshua, you and I have an appointment next week.  This will be your first haircut!  I wonder how you'll react.  ;-)  I don't even remember the last time I've gotten a haircut .... perhaps before Joshua was born!  :-P

Penny will come over again tomorrow morning to help out a little.  Tomorrow is suppose to be a pretty day so I'm sure Joshua will go to the park again.  Grace, you and I don't get out much .... except to the mailbox.  ;-)  But, you've never complained.  :-)

Sleep tight little miracles!

I love you both!

~Mommy

Headache

Dearest Gifts~

I have to tell you both .... you two can certainly wear someone out.  :-P  I'll admit, I was exhausted today!  It started out with Grace's late night and early morning feedings.  These nursing sessions at 2am, 3am, and/or 4am or starting to wear me down.  I remember being tired with Joshua at this age too since I was pumping at the same time.  I would feed him at these hours and then stay awake and pump right after.  :-P  Some times, little ones, I feed Grace at 4am and my stomach will start growling.  So, I've even gotten up and eaten a snack at weird hours of the day.  And, then try to get some sleep before daddy's alarm goes off or Joshua wakes up!  

Joshua, you then keep me on my toes as the day progresses.  I'm doing my best to walk you all around the house whenever Grace is napping.  Though, I have to admit, sometimes I just sit with you and play if I'm tired.  :-P  We'll be able to get out of the house and take walks once the weather gets nice, and Grace is better able to hold her head up (newborns are born with their heads not screwed on tight enough).  ;-)

Today was one of those days where both of you two were active.  Either Grace always wanted to be held or Joshua wanted to walk around everywhere and needed attention.  Because of this, I didn't eat a lot during the day.  I've started to just snack as the day goes on and eat lots of mini meals.  Today, I should have eaten more since I was tired as well.  By this afternoon, I had a big ole headache and was super excited to see daddy when he got home!  :-P

We cooked dinner together .... eggs, bacon, and toast .... and my headache eventually diminished.  I hate not feeling well with you two because I don't want you all to think I'm ignoring you.  :-P  

Daddy had a soccer game this evening .... it didn't start until 9:45pm, so we were able to hang out with him for a while before he had to leave.  And, Uncle Brennan came over too to visit with you all.  They won their game by the way.  :-)

Joshua, you have figured out how to turn on our cellphones!  It's so cute.  I'll have to get a video of you doing it. 

Oh, almost forgot .... the repair man came today and fixed our fridge!  It needed a new mother board in the back.  It didn't take him long to fix it and we had most of our food back in the fridge by the evening.  Yippie!  No more living out of coolers!  ;-)

Since daddy was gone, I was in charge of putting you all to bed.  Grace fell asleep after being nursed, so I had a little window to work with Joshua as she was in the bassinet.  Joshua, I turned off all the lights in the bonus room and we curled up together on some pillows.  I rubbed your back as you rubbed your eyes and yawned.  We did this for about 30 minutes.  I thought you would start dozing and I could move you into the crib, but you never did.  Then, Grace woke up hungry.  :-P  So, I brought you into the bedroom and you curled up next to me as I nursed Grace in the bed.  You eventually fell asleep at 10pm, but then Grace stayed awake.  :-P  The two of you were finally sleeping by the time daddy got home and Joshua, you were in your crib by midnight.  :-P

Tomorrow is a Penny day, so she's coming over to help out a little in the morning.  She's been getting here around 9am and leaving around 1pm recently.  Those few hours are helpful though since she's so interactive with Joshua and takes him to the park.  Joshua, I know you like playing in the swings!  :-)

Sleep tight little blessings!

I love you!

~Mommy

New Blanket

Dearest Miracles~

Hello precious children!  Today we had a few visitors and we all got out of the house!

First off, I had a quick post operative appointment with the OB to check my incision site.  Mimi came over in the morning to watch Joshua as I took Grace.  I was tempted to leave Grace home as well, but something inside me said no .... with my luck Grace would get hungry while I was gone.  Sure enough, as soon as I sat down in the waiting room, you began to stir.  Once I was called back, you were crying!  the doctor took a quick look .... everything was healing nicely .... and then I quickly nursed you in the exam room to calm you down.  :-P  I calmed you enough to get back in the car and make it home (the office was right around the corner).  I have one more check in about a month and then I'll be all done for a year!  Woo hoo!  

Joshua, you and Mimi were listening to music when I got home.  Once we got there, I continued to nurse Grace and Mimi and Joshua went to the store to pick up more ice for our cooler.  Our fridge still isn't working, and we're trying to keep Joshua's whole milk from spoiling.  While out, Mimi got Joshua a toy and picked us up an extra cooler.  :-)

Mimi left right after since she had some work to get done.  Joshua, you and I walked around the downstairs until Eliza got here.  You did really well for your physical therapy appointment again!  Of course, you always tend to 'show off' for her!  :-P  You took lots of steps again and stood for minutes at a time.  You still get down to crawl for the majority of the time, so we think it's your confidence at this point.  You have the motor skills and the control to walk .... you just want to crawl more.  :-P  Also, for the first time (at least that I've seen), you stood for us, bent down and picked up and toy, and then stood back up again with out touching someone or something for support!  You don't do it consistently, but it was impressive!  After the appointment I called daddy to let him know what you can do now!  :-)

We had a little bit of downtime after Joshua's appointment.  He drank some milk and then I rocked him to sleep.  You napped for a while as I nursed Grace.  As Joshua was napping, a friend from church came over, Jane Baker.  She made Joshua a blanket after he was born, and she came over today to give us a homemade blanket that she had made for Grace!  It's gorgeous!  The colors are beautiful and I was impressed that she had made it!  She got to hold Grace as we talked (Joshua, you continued sleeping upstairs).

Aunt Katie came over before daddy got home.  She got to play with both of you two and hold Grace as Joshua played in the living room.  Then, daddy got home and we all got to visit for a little while.  

We had lasagna for dinner, and Joshua ate some from daddy's plate!  Good job little man!  Perhaps you're getting better with food now?  

This evening we all played together.  Normally daddy would have a soccer game, but his game is on tuesday this week.  So, we got to spend the evening with him in the play room.  :-)

Tomorrow, the fridge repair man is coming.  I'm hoping everything is fixable!  

Sleep tight little blessings!

I love you both!

~Mommy

First Day Of Spring

Dearest Miracles~

Hello precious children!  Today is the Spring Equinox .... the first day of Spring!  I wish I could tell you Spring started out with beautiful weather and the day was relaxing, but instead, the day was a little chilly and we had some excitement.  

The morning started pretty typical with us eating breakfast together and daddy and I doing some chores around the house as you all played.  Since UNC was playing at 12:15pm, I went downstairs after 11am to go ahead and prepare something for lunch.  Well, I knew we had a pizza crust in the freezer and I figured a quick pizza would be easy to make before the game started.  However, when I opened the freezer I noticed water dripping everywhere .... never a good sign!  :-P  Also, the food in the freezer was thawing and the temperature wasn't holding.  I called upstairs to daddy and he took a look at it as well.  We tried a few things .... thinking something just got reset by accident .... but it didn't take long for us to realize that our refrigerator and freezer had died!  Ugh!  

Luckily, we have an extra freezer in the garage.  So, we were able to save some things in there.  But, we had nothing to put our milk in (and we had just bought a gallon for Joshua yesterday!).  

Anyway, we watched the basketball game .... UNC won but it was a very close game .... we're now in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament and play again friday evening!  Once the game was over, Mimi and Grandpa Mike were here.  They brought over a cooler and some ice.  So, now we have a cooler in the kitchen to serve as our fridge until someone can take a look at ours.  I called a few places, and a repair man is coming over tuesday (between 1pm and 5pm) to take a look at what's going on.  I don't know if it's fixable, and I don't know if he'll be able to fix it then or not.  We may be without a fridge for a while.  :-P  Daddy thinks it's the compressor, so we'll see.  

Once we moved things over to the cooler, Grandpa Mike and Mimi took Joshua over to Zebulon.  Grandpa Mike has an Aunt in a nursing home there and they wanted to visit her and show her Joshua.  Grace, you stayed here with daddy and I since I'm still nursing you.  Plus, we didn't know if anyone would be sick there .... your little immune system still needs to build up.  :-)

While at home, the three of us took it easy in the bonus room.  We watched a little television as I nursed Grace.  Joshua was back home by 5pm and then we made some dinner.  We cooked some chicken and pasta.  Joshua, you ate some of our chicken!  Good job little man!

This evening we all played upstairs.  I took a really quick shower, but I didn't time it right since Grace started to get hungry!  Daddy had to rock her for a little bit until I got out.  :-P

Tomorrow I have a post operative appointment with the OB to check my C-section incision.  I haven't had any problems, so I'm not anticipating a long appointment.  Joshua, you have a physical therapy appointment with Eliza.  Maybe you'll walk more?  ;-)

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both!

~Mommy

Out Twice

Dearest Blessings~

How are you all today?  :-)  We slept in a little bit this morning since no one had to go to work.  I fed Grace early in the morning and then went back to bed since I knew daddy would be able to attend to Joshua if he woke up.  :-)

After we all got out of bed, we went downstairs and had breakfast together.  Daddy and I tried to do some cleaning downstairs as well.  Joshua, the floor under your high chair gets so dirty now since you throw food around.  :-P  It's a daily chore to clean up after you, but I generally don't get to do a thorough sweep and vacuum until the weekend.  So, I try to wipe your hands each time we sit done to eat since you crawl all over the place.  :-P

Oh, Joshua, you noodled into our bed again last night.  But, you slept and didn't fuss.  You didn't try to fight sleep either. 

We started to get a little 'stir crazy' after lunch, so we all took a trip to Target for some groceries and to stretch our legs.  Joshua, you needed diapers and whole milk.  :-)  Grace, I carried you around in front of me in the infant carrier again.  You slept the entire time all warm and cozy next to me.  Joshua, you rode around with daddy in the cart.

This afternoon, we relaxed a little in the bonus room.  Then, after you two were fed, we all went for a walk.  The weather was gorgeous and we have an extra hour of daylight now.  :-)  We walked up to the park and then to the shopping center near our house.  We're thinking we walked about 2 miles.  Once we were back home, I nursed Grace and then daddy and I ate a late dinner.

Tomorrow is suppose to be a little cooler so we'll see if we're able to get out any or not.  Also, UNC plays at 12:15pm!  Woo hoo!

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both very much!  :-)

~Mommy

Healing And Gaining Weight

Dearest Angels~

We had a pretty busy morning today.  Joshua, since you didn't really sleep well last night from your crib adventure (and therefore we didn't sleep well either), I had to wake you to get ready for the day.  Mimi got here around 8:45am.  Joshua's post operative appointment with Dr. Ross was at 10:15am, so we needed to leave around 9:40am to get there in time and give us time to unpack you two.  Mimi got Joshua ready with breakfast and an outfit.  I nursed Grace and then got ready.

I'm able to drive now, so we packed you two up in my car and I took all four of us to Dr. Ross's office.  Joshua, you made a weird coughing noise in the back seat right when we were about to pull into the parking garage.  I thought I smelled something, but didn't say anything until I parked the car and checked on you two .... my guess was confirmed .... Joshua, you had thrown up in the car!  It mostly got on your shirt, jacket, and pants.  :-P  The car seat appeared unharmed.  Good thing I always keep an extra outfit in the diaper bag for you all!  We tried to clean you off as best we could.  You felt warm to me, but that was also because you were wearing a jacket.  I kept the jacket off of you for the rest of the day.  You didn't act fussy either.  Perhaps you felt sick from last night too .... being up and crying all night .... maybe you made yourself sick?

Anyway, once we got Joshua cleaned up and brought you all into the office, we were told they were running late.  Ugh!  Joshua, your appointment was at 10:15am and we didn't see Dr. Ross until 11:15am!  And, I hadn't eaten anything so far today!  I had no time this morning trying to get you two ready and fed.  :-P 

Once Joshua and I were in the exam room (Mimi stayed with Grace in the waiting room) Joshua started to get a little fussy.  Of course, it was getting late and you had thrown up, so I'm sure he was getting hungry!  Also, I had a feeling Grace was getting hungry in the waiting room.  :-P  Dr. Ross finally came in and took a look at your incision sites from your surgery.  She said everything was looking good and healing nicely!  She still wants to see you back in 6 months to make sure things are still going well.  I made that appointment before we left. 

Grace was getting hungry as we were leaving, so we quickly made it back home for lunch time.  Mimi ran out to pick up sandwiches for us as I nursed Grace at home.  Joshua, you fell asleep in the car so we placed you on a pillow to sleep as I fed Grace.  Once you woke up, you had some chicken with us. 

We had about an hour of down time before Grace and I had to leave for her pediatrician appointment.  Her appointment was at 3:10pm for her 2 week check up.  Mimi stayed at the house with Joshua as Grace and I went.  This appointment was a lot quicker, and they even took us early!  Grace, you now weigh 8 lbs 6 ozs!  And, your slightly over 21 inches long!  She said you're looking great and we can keep up the good work of nursing since you're gaining weight.  The only thing she recommended was to give you a little dose of 'Tri Vi Sol' which is a Vit D supplement given to babies who are breastfeeding.  Formula is fortified with Vit D, so until you're on formula or whole milk, I'll need to give you a little dropper of the vitamin at least 4 times a week. 

Dr. Medero's girl is almost 7 years old, so she wanted to hold you as we talked because she wanted some 'baby time' with a cute baby!  :-)  Then, she handed you back to me and said to 'enjoy her'!  :-)  I had to nurse you there since you got hungry, but then we headed back to the house. 

Daddy was already home and Mimi was about to leave as we pulled in.  We spent the rest of the evening playing with daddy and watching the UNC basketball game.  The NCAA tournament has started and UNC is number 2 in our part of the bracket.  We ended up winning, which means we play again on sunday. 

Joshua, you didn't take a nap this afternoon, so you were sluggish this evening.  You were calmer than last night and more mellow.  You actually fell asleep next to daddy in our bed as I nursed Grace.  We were all so tired that we let you be, though we'll need to put you back in the crib again at some point.  :-P

Tomorrow is saturday and it's suppose to be a gorgeous day!  Maybe we can get out and have a walk!

Sleep tight little precious children!

I love you both!  :-)

~Mommy

St. Patrick's Day

Dearest Blessings~

Happy St. Patrick's Day little miracles!  Penny and I dressed you all in green for the occasion.  ;-)  Also, you two are part Irish since I'm Irish.  :-)  Your Uncle James dresses like a leprechaun for the St. Patrick's Day parade each year.  One year I'm sure you'll be able to see his outfit.

Today was a fun day .... and it was beautiful outside!  Joshua, you and Penny had a nice long walk to the park.  You two played on the swings and met another child about your size there too.  Penny also sang and read to you.  We practiced your walking between us, but for some reason you'd rather crawl today.  :-P

I was also able to get some chores done around the house.  I did two loads of laundry and completed more 'thank you' notes .... we're still getting little gifts come in from people and I want to be be sure cards are sent out to thank people for their generosity.  And, I finally unpacked my hospital bag!  Ha!  It took about two and a half weeks, but slowly we're getting this place organized again.  ;-)

Joshua, you fell asleep for a nap after lunch as Penny rocked you.  She placed you in the crib and you stayed sleeping for almost two hours!  I nursed Grace and was able to 'close my eyes' for about 45 minutes as well.  :-)  Penny left right after Joshua fell asleep.

Grace, your hair appears to be getting lighter.  You still have a 'strawberry blonde' look and I'm hoping it stays that way.  Your hair is so pretty!  Joshua, your hair is pretty too!  ;-)

I read to you two this afternoon .... Grace, you ended up napping and Joshua got bored and played with his toys.  :-P 

We made pork for dinner.  It was pretty good!  We almost had it done when daddy got home.  We still needed to heat the sauce and make the cous-cous, but that didn't take long. 

This evening we all played together in the bonus room.  Once it was time for bed, we placed Joshua in the crib.  Boy, did you cry!  Daddy went in there a few times to try to calm you (I was nursing Grace), but you just kept on crying and crying!  Daddy and I were exhausted.  Eventually, you fell asleep .... it took you over an hour crying to do so.  At 11:50pm, daddy was snoring and I had just put Grace down.  I went into the nursery and found Joshua had fallen asleep in the crib in a weird position .... like you had fallen asleep due to exhaustion with one hand still up holding the side of the crib.  I felt so bad for you and moved you onto a pillow and placed a blanket over you.  You woke up very briefly and I rubbed your back. 

About every 2 hours or so you continued to wake up crying.  We let you be in the crib to see if you'd self soothe yourself.  I checked on you at 4am again and you had fallen asleep standing up in the crib with your head resting on your arms, which were hanging over the crib side.  Again, I felt so bad for you, so daddy ended up picking you up and bringing you into our room for the rest of the morning.  I hope you learn to sleep in there better.  It breaks my heart when you cry so much, but you need to learn to sleep on your own. 

Tomorrow, Joshua sees Dr. Ross for a post operative visit from his surgery.  Grace, you have a pediatrician appointment for your two week check.  Mimi will be here in the morning to help bring you two to the appointments. 

Sleep tight little angels!

I love you both very much!  :-)

~Mommy

Better Breakfast

Dearest Miracles~

Boy, did you two really keep us awake last night!  Grace, you would not let me put you down to save my life.  :-P  Every time I thought you would be good and fast asleep, you would wake right up once I put you in the bassinet.  And, Joshua, you weren't any better since you fought sleep until around 11:30pm!  My goodness, we were so exhausted with you by the time you fell asleep that we just left you in our bed and didn't even move you.  Of course, we paid for that later since you ended up kicking us all night as you slept. 

I was exhausted this morning when Penny came over.  I think I actually went to bed around 5am  (I think I was awake every hour before that either dealing with Grace or dodging Joshua's kicks) .... daddy's alarm went off at 6:30am .... daddy left at 7:30am .... and I moved you two into the bonus room after 8am.  Joshua, I put you on a pillow in there and you stayed sleeping as I nursed Grace.  When Penny got here at 9am, you were still sleeping!  

Penny was a big help though since she did a lot with Joshua as I tried to get some things done around the house and try to rest.  They always say to 'sleep when the baby is sleeping' whenever you have a child .... but that obviously only applies to single child families!  Whenever Grace is sleeping, I'm watching Joshua .... if Joshua takes a nap, chances are I'm nursing Grace!  Every once in a while you all time it just right that I can 'close my eyes' for a little bit.  :-P

Anyway, I did a few loads of laundry today as you all played.  Penny is a great nanny .... she never turns on the television and always has Joshua doing something engaging.  We practiced your walking and she even took you to the park for a little bit.  She brought over some of her papers from her conference about 'sensory processing' and children.  Oh, and you ate a good breakfast for Penny!  You ate cereal with whole milk and pears mixed in!  Then, you ate half a yogurt container and half of your sippy cup!  Good job little man!

We played with Joshua in the nursery for a while.  We're trying to teach you that it's a 'fun' room to be in so that you'll get more accustomed to sleeping in there.  We put stuffed animals all around it for you to play with.  

After lunch, Joshua took a little nap.  Penny placed you in the crib and you stayed sleeping for almost 2 hours!  Woo hoo!  Penny left after you fell asleep.  I nursed Grace and then was able to take about a 45 minute nap myself.  :-)  

We made another shepherd's pie for dinner and Joshua ate a good amount from daddy's plate.  :-)  He also had some of our cookie cake too.  ;-)  Then, we all played in the bonus room after dinner.  We tried to give Joshua some extra milk and snacks this evening .... perhaps you're not going to bed because you're hungry?  We did our normal bed time routine and you still fought sleep again.  Daddy even put you in the crib and played with you for a while (at this point it was after 10pm!).  Then, we decided to give you another 5 ounces of whole milk .... you drank it up and immediately went to sleep on a pillow next to daddy!  At this point it was 11pm and two of you all were snoring.  I, of course, was wide awake nursing Grace.  :-P  At least we got one to go to sleep.  ;-)

Penny's going to come over again tomorrow to help out.  Tomorrow's suppose to be pretty, so I'm sure she'll take Joshua to the park again.  :-)

Sleep tight!

I love you both!  :-)

~Mommy

Three Years Ago

Dearest Precious Miracles~

Three years ago today daddy and I got married!  Yes, today is our wedding anniversary!  Our wedding was so much fun and one of the happiest days of my life .... the other two days being when I gave birth to each of you.  :-)  Your daddy is so sweet .... he brought home three things after work to help us celebrate our anniversary.

1- The first thing, he said, represents my 'heritage' .... I'm Irish, so daddy brought home a St. Patrick's Day bouquet!  The flowers smell so good!

2- The second thing represents our honeymoon .... we went to Asheville together and visited the Biltmore House.  So, daddy brought home a bottle of Biltmore wine.  I only had one small glass since I'm nursing.  :-)

3- The third thing he brought home was something that reminds him of me .... a big cookie!  Yummm!  One of my favorite things!  ;-) 

We had dinner made by the time daddy came home.  We had some chicken with pasta.  Then, we had some chocolate chip cookie for dessert! Yippie!  :-)

During the day we played together.  Joshua slept in a little again, but he went to bed really late!  I was already up and nursing Grace.  Joshua, we need to get you on a better sleep schedule.  You need to go to bed earlier and wake up earlier.  We can't handle your bedtime routine of going to bed at 10pm or 11pm much longer.  :-P

Joshua, you and I practiced your walking.  You still let go of my hand every once in a while and want to crawl.  But, you're doing pretty well.

Grace, you had two blow outs on the changing table today.  :-P  Once, you peed all over yourself.  The second .... well, it wasn't just pee, I can tell you that!  It warranted a outfit change!  I did another little pump this morning.  Again, it was after I had nursed you so it wasn't a ton of milk, but it's still something.  Of course, with the way you've been eating I'm hoping I can keep up with you!  :-P

Joshua, you ended up taking a nap around 2pm this afternoon.  I was so tired at the time, and I was rocking Grace.  I was so glad you ended up slowing down then.  :-P  I did some quick chores and then I ended up taking a one hour nap as well.  ;-)  It doesn't sound like much, but man, that one hour was heavenly!

After dinner is when the real fun began .... we went upstairs to watch a little movie.  It was a cartoon called 'Despicable Me' .... it was cute and we started it early so that you two wouldn't be up all night.  However, you guys still managed to stay awake until almost 11:30pm!  Joshua, you were so fussy!  Daddy was practically wrestling with you to go to bed.  And, the fact of the matter is you were so tired you didn't know what to do with yourself!  You yawned and rubbed your eyes but continued to fight sleep!  Grace, you, on the other hand, kept falling asleep while I nursed you, and then would wake wide up when I put you down!  I ended up holding you for a long time before placing you in the bassinet.  It was very late before any of us got to bed!  :-P  The last thing daddy and I said to each other (at around 11:30pm) was 'Happy Anniversary!'  ;-)  Oh well!  I'm hoping we can get into a better sleep schedule with you two. 

Penny is going to come over tomorrow to help out a little.  She's planning on getting here around 9am.  I'll pick her brain on ways to get you all to sleep better.  ;-) 

Sleep tight little angels!

I love you both!  :-)

~Mommy

Daddy's Birthday

Dearest Miracles~

Grace .... happy two week birthday!  Wow, time has flown by!  You go back to the pediatrician's office this friday for your two week check up.  :-)  I wonder what you'll weigh then.

Guess who else has a birthday celebration today .... daddy!  :-)  Daddy turns 31 today!  It's ok if I tell you his age since I'm actually 3 months older.  ;-)  I bet you all think we're really old!  Also, today is 'Pi Day' .... you'll figure that one out when you're older!  ;-)

Daddy had to go to work today, so we spent the day together playing.  I was exhausted from last night and this morning since Grace was up.  Whenever I put you down, little lady, you wake back up immediately.  So, I have to hold you for a while to make sure you're sleeping.  There's even been a few times where I had to lay you on my chest to sleep and then take a little 'cat nap' myself briefly.  Anyway, as luck would have it, Joshua ended up sleeping in a little which was greatly appreciated! 

We went into the bonus room to organize ourselves for the day.  Joshua, I'm still changing and feeding you on the floor, so I know you're probably getting bored of staying upstairs all day.  But at least we walk all around the upstairs when Grace naps to stretch your legs.  I have, just a few times, had to 'lift' you small distances (like over the play gate or on the bed), but I try not to do it a lot to give my muscles a little longer to heal.  I have my 3 week follow up appointment with the OB next week.

After a round of nursing this morning, I put Grace in the swing and then fed Joshua while pumping.  I'm going try to do one pump in the mornings to build up a little supply of milk in the freezer for emergency.  It wasn't a lot since I had just nursed Grace, but I'm hoping it'll add up .... and something is better than nothing.  :-P

Oh, I got some icky news today.  Apparently, since I'm not full time, I don't qualify for short term disability.  Therefore, my maternity leave is leave without pay.  :-(  It doesn't effect the amount of time I'm allowed to take, but it's still a bummer that we'll be down to only one income for a while.  Daddy and I will look at our budget to see how long that will work.  Of course, the HR department at my work just now told me this!  How organized!  :-P

Anyway, the rest of the day was pretty relaxing.  We played together and both of you all went down for a nap around 4:30pm.  :-)  I started to read on my Nook the book 'Around the World in 80 Days' since I knew I would have to nudge Grace to eat soon after (or else I would have napped too!).  

Daddy got home early and Joshua immediately woke up to see him!  You two played as I nursed Grace.  Then, we went downstairs for some leftovers .... Joshua, you actually ate some lasagna for dinner!  And, we had a piece of ice cream cake. We even sang 'Happy Birthday' to daddy!  :-)

Daddy had a late soccer game tonight (it didn't start until 9:45pm!).  Uncle Brennan came over a little before to visit with you all.  Once they left, we stayed in the bonus room until Joshua got tired.  Then, I moved you all into the bedroom hoping you two would fall asleep.  Joshua actually woke back up and Grace started crying.  :-P  So, it took a while to calm you two .... but you all were perfect, sleeping angels by the time daddy got back home.  ;-)  Oh, and they won their game.  :-)

Daddy said that coming home from work and seeing you two was all the birthday gift that he needed.  And, I believe him!  We're so blessed!  

Tomorrow is our third wedding anniversary!  I can't believe it's already been three years!  :-)

Sleep tight little blessings!

I love you both!  :-)

~Mommy

The Park

Dearest Miracles~

Hello little angels!  Today was a beautiful day!  We had the windows open again and had a nice breeze go through the bonus room as we played.  :-)

Daddy made breakfast again!  Grace, you and I were up all night again, so I was actually 'going to bed' a little before daddy and Joshua woke up!  Once we took a little nap, we woke up to the smell of a homemade breakfast!  Daddy made pancakes and bacon.  :-)  Yummy!  Joshua, you still didn't eat much of the food, but you at least tried a piece of a pancake.  :-P

After breakfast, we got ourselves ready for the day and walked up to the park.  It was crowded!  Everyone was out there on the playground.  Grace started to get hungry, so she and I went over to a bench so I could nurse her.  Daddy put Joshua in a swing and pushed him.  We got back home in time for lunch.  We made a pizza and then headed upstairs to watch UNC and DOOK.  Ugh.  This game was painful to watch.  Our Heels didn't play very well at all and we lost.  :-(  But, we're still in the NCAA tournament and play on friday.  Hopefully we'll pick it up for that game or the season will be over!  

After the game, we had a little bit of down time before company came over.  Gigi, Uncle James, and Grandpa Jim were the first ones to come over.  Grandpa Jim and Uncle James took Joshua for a walk in the stroller.  Little man, you eventually fell asleep in the stroller and Grandpa Jim carried you in the house to sleep on the couch next to Gigi and I.  Gigi, daddy, and I visited with Grace when you all went for your walk.

Shortly after, Uncle Brennan, Aunt Katie, Mimi, and Grandpa Mike came over.  Mimi made a lasagna, salad, and bread for daddy's birthday.  Gigi, Grandpa Jim, and Uncle James brought an ice cream cake.  Everything was so good!  I think I ate too much!  ;-)  

Daddy opened his presents and liked ours!  We got him a grill accessory kit with a framed poem from the two of you.  The poem said:

Happy Birthday to our daddy

We hope you will enjoy,

These tools and utensils from

Your little girl and boy!

We know you want a grill

You’ve been looking for a while,

We thought about buying one

But didn’t know your style! 

So, we need your help in finding one

To make this gift complete,

Once you find one that you’d like

We’ll even buy the meat!   

Happy Birthday to the best daddy in the world!  We love you!

~Joshua & Grace

Daddy said he would help pick out a grill so we can get him the one he likes.  Now that the weather will be getting nicer, it'll be fun to have a grill and eat out on the screened in porch.  :-)

Oh, today is daylight savings .... so, we lost an hour of sleep.  That's another reason why we were so tired today.  :-P

Once company left, it was pretty late.  I put Joshua in some pajamas as daddy held Grace.  Then, we relaxed in the play room before going to bed.  

Tomorrow is daddy's birthday, but we won't see him until the evening since he has to work.  

Sleep tight little children!
 

I love you both!

~Mommy