Leap Day

Dearest Blessings~

Happy Leap Day!  This is the first leap day for both of you!  Every four years we gain one entire day to play!  Ha!  Actually, here's the definition of the leap day ....

'Although most years of the modern calendar have 365 days, a complete revolution around the sun takes approximately 365 days and 6 hours. Every four years, during which an extra 24 hours have accumulated, one extra day is added to keep the count coordinated with the sun's apparent position.' 

So, this year will have 366 days.  :-)  Grace, if last year had been a leap year, you could have been a leap day baby! 

Joshua, you woke up at 1am this morning and Grace, you woke up at 3am.  I guess you two couldn't wait to get started with your extra day.  :-P

Joshua, daddy changed your diaper this morning before heading to work.  Your diaper apparently fell apart on you over night and when he took it off you, you ended up peeing on the living room rug!  Good thing we didn't get anything expensive!  Ha!

You all had fun with Penny.  You all had art time, music time, story time, and play time outside.  Joshua, Penny said you ate well for her.  Yippie!

You two played your 'scream game' some and ran around the downstairs as daddy and I ate dinner.  Daddy had made a pizza.  

This evening we watched another UNC basketball game.   While the game was on, Joshua played his ukelele and sang for us.  It was cute.  I ended up putting Grace to bed during halftime and then took a shower, so I missed the second half.  But, I know we won.  :-)

Tomorrow is suppose to be a gorgeous day!  I know you two will have fun with Penny.  I'll come home as fast as I can!

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Happy First Birthday

Dearest Joshua David and Grace Elizabeth~

Happy Birthday to you ....

Happy Birthday to you ....

Happy Birthday dear sweet Grace ....

Happy Birthday to you!!

Happy first birthday to our sweet little angel Grace!  I sang to you this morning and you smiled!  We are so blessed to have you and Joshua in our lives!  We love you so much!

Also, you have the same birthday Dean Smith .... you're such a Tarheel!  ;-)  You opened a birthday card from Great Grandma and Great Grandpa this morning.  I put it on the mantle so you could enjoy it all day long.  :-)


We all got ready in the morning and then headed to Joshua's appointments.  Joshua, you saw Mary Beth for occupational therapy and Kim for speech therapy.  Everyone said 'happy bithday' to Grace since I dressed her in a pink 'birthday' dress with a cupcake and candle on it.  ;-) 


We're still working on consentents and vowels with Kim.  Mary Beth said that you may graduate from occupational therapy soon!  How exciting!  :-)

You two were impressive at lunch today.  Grace, you ate 3oz of a Gerber pasta primavera and some hotdog pieces.  You also had some gold fish at the therapy office.  Joshua, you ate 3/4 cup (6 oz) applesauce (fed you straight from the measuring cup so I could see how much you ate) and then had 3/4 hotdog!  Whoa!


Grace, we got some more information on your eye procedure.  You are going to have done a 'probe and irrigation of the nasolacrimal duct with balloon dacryoplasty' .... what a long name for a 15 minute procedure.  :-P  Dr. Board's office sent us the information package in the mail today, so we have the date, time, and instructions. 

We got to talk to Great Grandma and Great Grandpa on the phone after lunch.  They sang 'happy birthday' to Grace.  We'll see them in about 2 weeks!

You two were napping by 2pm.  Since you two were napping to nicely, I ended up closing my eyes too!  ;-)


Daddy said we could have a 'fun' dinner to celebrate Grace's birthday.  So, once he got home, I picked up some bojanges for dinner.  Woo hoo!  Then, you both had a birthday cookie.

Everyone called you for your birthday little lady.  You're so popular.  ;-)  Oh, and you like to play with socks now.  It's cute.  You wonder into our closet, take my socks, and then wander around the house with them in your hands.  Too funny.  :-)


You two had nice baths this evening before bedtime.  And, we cut Grace's nails.  Tomorrow is a workday, but I'll rush home as fast as I can!

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY to my little, precious, sweet Grace!  I love you so much!

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both!

~Mommy

Good Eating

Dearest Gifts~

Well well well .... this was my due date for little Grace last year.  We all know what happened though .... tomorrow is your first birthday sweet lady!  Are you excited?  ;-)

You woke up crying and screaming at 12:45am this morning little one.  I picked you up and nursed you back to sleep.  You were up again though at 4:45am.  Again, you were crying and screaming.  We had another nursing session and I was not in a good mood.  I had to apologize to the rest of the family later in the morning.  :-P

This morning was pretty busy.  Joshua had a speech therapy appointment at 8:30am and then a feeding team appointment at Rex.  So, we were out the door at 8am.  Kim was so happy to see Joshua.  We have some more flash cards and words to go through.  I do hear some improvement so I know he's making some progress.  :-)  I nursed Grace in the car while Joshua was inside.  I wanted to make sure she would be content for the rest of the morning. 

From there, we went across town to Rex Hospital for Joshua's feeding team appointment with Krista.  Little man, you surprised us all!  You ate 4 oz applesauce, an entire hotdog, and 4 pepperonis!  We were SO impressed!  Wow!  You then took a sippy cup on the drive home and you were snoring by 11:30am!  I put you on a pillow in the playroom and I nursed Grace and we played.

Joshua woke up around 12:30pm since Grace was climbing all over him.  :-P  I did some laundry as you two played.  I also had some music on. 

I spoke to UNC.  Joshua, your GI endoscopy biopsies came back normal.  You have no inflammation or signs of damage.  Woo hoo!  Now we know that part of your 'eating issues' is just behavior.  Though, today you're doing really well!  We continue to pray for your eating and health (and Grace too).  :-) 

I got to workout after snack time this afternoon as you two played.  I did another 30 minutes and 4 miles on the elliptical!  Woo hoo!

You two had a good dinner.  Joshua, you surprised us again!  You had a tablespoon of sausage, a tablespoon of chicken, a fair amount of crackers, and one cookie.  Grace, you had some chicken, hotdog, crackers, and Gerber food.

I vacuumed the kitchen when you two were done.  I cut the dinner nursing session and tried to give Grace some milk in a sippy cup instead.  She took a little but preferred water.  As long as you're not dehydrated I guess that's fine, but it had no calories.  You have your one year check up on Friday.  I still can't believe tomorrow is your birthday!

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Removed A Nursing Session

Dearest Joshua David and Grace Elizabeth~

Grace, you woke up at 2:20am from your toddler bed.  I nursed you back to sleep and then left you next to me.  Oh, by the way, you're starting to bite when nursing now.  Just a little.  We're starting to wean though.  I can't believe you're almost a year old!  Joshua, you slept in your own bed all by yourself all night long!  You didn't wake up until 7am!  Whoa!  What a big boy!  

I swept and vacuumed the downstairs as you two played this morning.  Daddy cleaned the kitchen and did the dishes.  We also saw some deer in the backyard.  Oh, and you two played your scream game this morning.  :-P

We unfortunately didn't get ready in time for church .... we would have missed the sermon.  So, we went to Target for our weekly grocery run.  I carried Grace on my back and Joshua sat in the cart and ate a cookie.  We were back by lunch and had some leftovers.  You two ate well.  :-)  After lunch we relaxed a little.  I played with you two and daddy trimmed some bushes outside since the weather was nice.  Grace, you had the hiccups.  ;-)

We had an afternoon adventure.  We decided to try out a new store called Carolina Pottery since they have all sorts of things for the house.  We got a few things to share.  Grace, you slept on my back and Joshua rode in the stroller. 

When home, you all had snack time with daddy as I cooked sausage, veggies, and pasta.  Then, I put it all together to bake a casserole for dinner.  :-)

Grace, I removed a nursing session today for the first time.  It was very hard for me to do emotionally (and slightly physically).  But you will be 1 in 48 hours (wow .... I still can't believe that!).  It's just so hard to wean since we've come this far!  It's such an accomplishment.  I talked to Gigi about it since I was feeling sad, and she said "Everything will be ok.  Celebrate what a great job you both did for a whole year.  Time to move on to a new phase.  Awesome team work."  That made me feel better.  :-)

Daddy and I were in a cleaning and organizing mode this evening!  Daddy hung 6 photo frames.  I dusted and vacuumed the upstairs floorboards.  We did another load of laundry.  And, you two helped me organize my camera bag/purse!  Now I can go out a take photographs in style!  ;-)  Of course, we couldn't have gotten all that done without the help of you two!  

Tomorrow we have a busy morning.  Joshua has speech therapy at 8:30am and then he sees the feeding team at Rex at 10am.

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Early Birthday Fun

Dearest Blessings~

You two were sleeping by 10pm last night.  It was hard for me to fall asleep, so I didn't go down until closer to 10:30pm.  Grace, you slept in your bed until 5am!  Then, I nursed you back to sleep while sitting next to Joshua.  I heard daddy get up in the middle of the night.  He felt better once everyone was awake this morning.

We did some laundry this morning and watched all the trees blow.  It was so windy!  We also cleaned the downstairs this morning to prepare of Grace's birthday party.  You two helped us organize and clean the kitchen.  We also cleaned the downstairs bathroom.  Then, we all got ready for the day.  We played a little before people came over.

For Grace's birthday lunch we saw Gigi, Grandpa Jim, Uncle James, Mimi, Grandpa Mike, Aunt Katie, and Uncle Brennan.  Grace, you got books, a red 'radio flyer' wagon (perfect for the state fair, beach, or the park), pajamas, and a ladybug nightlight!  You both ate well too!  Joshua, you ate 3/4th of a hotdog!  You both had some birthday cookie.  I took some photos of you all and a little video of you two in the wagon.  Before people left, we called Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa so you two could talk to them as well.  Grace, your birthday is actually on tuesday, but we decided to have a little cookout today since it was the weekend and nice weather!  ;-)

The party wore you two out though .... you were both were napping by 2:30!  And whoa .... you both napped for 2 hours!  Daddy and I were so tired that we actually slept with you two!  I took an hour nap!  Thanks!  :-)

Once everyone was awake, we watched the UNC basketball game!  We recorded it since we slept through the first part of it!  Ha!  We won!  Woo hoo!

Our celebration continued during dinner.  We had a fun dinner at Shane's Rib Shack.  :-)  Joshua, you ate a LOT of mac and cheese!  And, you fed yourself with a spoon and fork!  You also ate some fries.  Grace, you tried some fries, corn, and some chicken.  Joshua, you sat in the booth next to daddy like a big boy.  ;-)  We got home late, but we had fun together! 

This evening for bedtime we used the ladybug .... you two love it .... thanks Gigi!  ;-)

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Tornado Watch

Dearest Miracles~

Grace, you woke from your toddler bed at 2am this morning.  I nursed her back to sleep and then left her in my bed next to me.  I was too tired to move her back to her own bed.  ;-)

Once people were up, the three of us went to Target.  I picked up everything we'll need to have a cookout tomorrow for lunch.  We're doing a birthday lunch for Grace, and since she's been eating hotdogs, we decided to grill hotdogs for everyone.  I picked up the hotdogs, buns, side dishes, chili, drinks, cookie cake, ice cream .... hope we have enough!  ;-)

Once home, we had lunch together.  Joshua, you ate pretty well for me.  I did not start you on a sippy cup this morning.  You ate some crackers for me at breakfast (as did Grace).  Then I gave you the milk.  At lunch, you ate about 2.5 ounces of applesauce and some more crackers.  

Once everyone was done, I swept the vacuumed the downstairs.  We'll have to do some more cleaning before everyone comes over.  Today was such a beautiful day that I opened the windows so we could enjoy the fresh air.  I was going to take you all out to the park, but Grace fell asleep nursing.  So, Joshua and I played in the bonus room as she napped.  :-)

I took photos of you two this afternoon as you all played together.  It started to get really windy, and then I realized we were under a tornado watch!  Yikes!

Joshua, you were napping by 2:30pm.  You took a pretty quick nap though.  You were up by 3:30pm.  I played with Grace as you slept. 

After Joshua woke from his one hour nap, we went downstairs for snack time.  As you two snacked, I cooked dinner.  I made potatoes with some veggies ..... onions, corn, broccoli, and spinach.  I cooked some bacon and some eggs.  Joshua, you ate an entire bacon strip and a little extra!  And, you ate some of the potatoes!  Woo hoo!

We did some phone 'face time' with Gigi this afternoon before dinner.  You two played and 'talked' to her.  You also saw Grandpa Jim.  :-)

Daddy came home sick, so we let him rest in bed as we played in the bonus room.  We had some art time with the markers and relaxed.  He appeared to have a fever.  He was having chills and it was 75 degrees in the house!  I was burning up and little Grace was sweating.  I put the fan on for us.  

I got you two ready for bed and the three of us slept in Joshua's room.  Grace, you were in your bed and I slept next to Joshua.  I had you two laying in bed a little before 9pm but everyone was still awake at 9:40pm.  :-P  I ended up trying to nurse Grace to sleep while Joshua tossed and turned next to me .... this might be a long night.  :-P

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Science Center

Dearest Gifts~

Little man .... you woke up at 11:30pm last night.  What's up with that?  Grace, you slept all night, but you noodled into our bed next to me.  I had a huge headache last night, so we both went to bed early.

I don't think you two heard, but we had a big thunderstorm really early this morning.  It woke me up and daddy.  It was all gone by the time we were getting ready for work in the morning.  Grace, you slept in to 6:20am!  I was actually leaking through my shirt, which hasn't happened in a long time.  :-P

Penny created a 'Science Center' for you two.  We've been saving the jars that Grace's baby food comes in and you all have been collecting things to put in them.  You all have some bugs and rocks.  I don't like bugs, so I shy away from those jars.  :-P

I was able to make Grace's appointment in March for her eye procedure.  Your left eye is still teary and red, so Dr. Board recommends the procedure to unblock your tear duct.  It'll be on a friday morning.  Daddy will watch Joshua that morning.  Grace, we have to be at Rex Hospital so early that day!  But, since it's a quick procedure, we'll be back home around 9:30am. 

Also, UNC and I have been playing phone tag about Joshua's GI results.  I called again today and now the nurse who has your information is out of the office until monday.  Ugh.  I left a message and I'll try again on monday. 

I got home late this evening.  Daddy already had a pizza waiting.  Oh, Joshua, you apparently ate well for Penny again today.  I hope that continues!

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both!

~Mommy

Ash Wednesday

Dearest Angels~

Happy Ash Wednesday!  Today is the first day of Lent.  Soon, it will be Easter!  He is risen indeed!  :-)

Joshua, you were up early little man!  You woke at 1:30am!  Whew!  Grace, you woke up at 5:30am.  I nursed you and then stayed up to get ready for work.

Today was such a beautiful day!  I hate that I had to spend it all inside .... but you two had a blast with Penny!  You all went to the park and had so much fun in the sun!  

You two ate well for Penny today.  She was so impressed at Joshua that she took a photo of his clean plate and sent it to me at work!  Wow!  I'm so proud of you man!

I was busy at work today, but I was still able to get home by 6:30pm .... I left some progress notes open but I'll finish those at work tomorrow.  ;-)

Joshua, you kept stealing toys away from Grace this evening.  You really need to learn to share.  You kept pushing her all around.  You know, she's getting stronger .... it won't be long before she can push you back!  :-P

I'll rush home as fast as I can tomorrow!  

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

One Week Until ....

Dearest Joshua David and Grace Elizabeth~

Today is one week until Grace's very first birthday!  Woo hoo!  Do you know what you want yet?  Have you decided?  Are you excited?  I am .... I love birthdays!  ;-) 

So, I stayed with Grace in the toddler bed until she fell asleep last night.  I then slept next to Joshua on his mattress across from Grace.  We were all roommates.  :-P  I wanted to make sure Grace slept ok in the toddler bed by herself since this was her first night in there.  Joshua, you snored next to me.  ;-)  Grace, you woke at 3:30am to nurse.  I ended up holding you afterward since I thought you would wake up if I put you back down in the toddler bed.  I napped next to Joshua on his mattress and held Grace on my chest until 6:30am. 

We didn't have a lot of time to play this morning.  Joshua, you had a 9am feeding team appointment at Rex Hospital.  You now weigh 24 pounds and 10.9 ounces.  You've increased since the scope!  Speaking of which, one of the people on your case has left UNC, which is why it's taken a while to get your scope results back.  Krista gave me the GI department number, so I'll try to call to get some information. 

You ate a lot for me and Krista little man!  I didn't give you a sippy cup this morning until after you ate the solid foods.  That worked a lot better!  You ate all the applesauce, chicken, hotdog, pepperonis, and fries that I brought!  Since part of your lack of eating is behavior, we're going to be a lot more aggressive with your 'behavior management' over the next few months.  I made more appointments (8) for the next two months.  We'll be busy on Monday's and Tuesday's during March and April!

We were home by 11am.  I changed everyone's diapers and then nursed Grace.  You both ate a good lunch.  Then, we played downstairs until we had to leave again.  Joshua, you had an occupational therapy appointment with Mary Beth this afternoon.  You did well.  You went through the tunnel, did finger paints, used the therapy ball (you had good protective responses today!), and you're starting to put your arms out to catch the ball now.  :-)

Afterward, we made a quick Post Office trip.  We here home by 4:30pm.  I did another 30 minutes and 4 miles on the elliptical as you two played!  Wow!  :-)

You two played a lot of the 'screaming game' today.  You yell back and forth while smiling and giggling. Good thing I didn't have a headache today.  :-P

This evening we watched another UNC basketball game.  We played NC State.  We won, but I'm sure Penny will be sad tomorrow .... she's a State fan.  ;-)

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both!

~Mommy

Nearsighted

Dearest Blessings~

Yuck .... I had a monster headache at 3:30am.  I went downstairs to take an extra strength Tylenol.  Grace was next to me in bed.  Joshua had already woken earlier and daddy was with him.  I saw only a little bit of snow on the ground.  By 5am, we were nursing.

The snow melted pretty fast this morning, though lots of places were on a delay.  Joshua had an eye exam this morning, but since it wasn't until 11:15am, the weather didn't effect it.

This morning we all played until we had to leave.  The eye office was running late and didn't call us back for 20 minutes.  They dilated Joshua's eyes and we waited again.  The actual exam only took about 10 minutes, though we were there for over an hour.  :-P

Joshua you have a slight nearsightedness and astigmatism.  Dr. Board wants to see you again at age 3.5.  You may need glasses for school.  You got to wear some cool sunglasses home because they dilated your eyes though. 

While there, I showed Dr. Board Grace's red left eye lid.  It's still goopy, so he recommends the tear duct procedure for her.  I will call this week to make the appointment.

In the waiting room, we met a deaf little boy not that much older than Joshua.  He was signing to Joshua 'fish' and 'airplane' as they were playing with puzzle pieces.  They were too cute together!  

We all got to with Aunt Katie briefly after lunch.  She had off for President's Day so she came over to play with you two.  :-)

Afterward, we swept and vacuumed downstairs.  Then, I was able to get on the elliptical for 30 minutes and go 4 miles as you two played!  Woo hoo!  Thanks for being so cooperative!  :-)

I took some photos of you two playing with blocks this afternoon.  I also cooked some chicken nuggets, fries, and tater tots for this week.  Grace is eating more solid foods, so I figured she might eat some of those too.  She ate a lot of pepperonis at dinner.  

This evening we got to play around before bedtime.  Tomorrow we head to Rex for a feeding team appointment and then we see Mary Beth for occupational therapy in the afternoon.

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

First Snow

Dearest Angels~

Little lady .... you did pretty well this morning.  You didn't wake up until 5:10am to nurse.  Yippie!  

Today was a cold and wet day!  We had a 20 degree drop from yesterday's weather!  Wow!  Since it was such a yucky day, we stayed inside and did some chores.  We did the laundry, organized the play room, prepared a casserole for dinner, and we took the crib apart from our room (Grace doesn't sleep in it anyway) and converted it into a toddler bed in Joshua's room.  We're going to see if you two will sleep better if you're in the same room.  Maybe you two just need a roommate.  :-P

You two ate more hotdog at lunch!  I'm glad Grace is eating solid food more.  Gigi and Grandpa Jim stopped by briefly after lunch.  They were out looking at houses since they're thinking of moving over the next year or so.  They're just seeing what's out there and what part of town they'd like to live in.  While they were out, they came by to use the rest room, take a break, visit shortly, and see you two.

By 2pm, we were back upstairs folding laundry.  I finished putting Joshua's bed and Grace's bed together.  You two are now roommates and everyone has clean sheets and pillowcases.  The toddler bed is across from Joshua's mattress.  We'll see if you two sleep better.

All four of us were laying down by 3:30pm.  It was a good afternoon to be lazy.  It got colder and wetter by late afternoon. 

You two got bathes this evening.  We put lotion on both of you two.  Grace's skin is still dry and red.  Daddy also tried to cut Joshua's hair while in the bathtub. 
 

Daddy made a little birthday photo invite for this weekend.  We're going to have a birthday lunch for Grace at our house on saturday.  Daddy wanted to make a little invitation for fun.  :-)

Guess what .... it started to snow as we were going to bed!  We all looked out the window to see it!  Grace has never seen snow!  This was her first time!  You two were so excited!  So cute!

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

56

Dearest Miracles~

Our whole house was awake at 2am this morning.  :-P  Joshua came whimpering into our room at that time and then Grace woke up.  Daddy put Joshua backed to sleep and then I nursed Grace back to sleep.  

Once people were up for the day, daddy made bacon and pancakes for breakfast!  Yummy!  You two ate a little.  Grace also had Cheerios and gold fish.  Afterward we had some play time downstairs.

Grace, you must have bit your tongue during those tumbles this week.  It's really bruised .... I see a little black and blue mark.  Poor little thing!

By mid morning we were on our way out the door.  We made a trip to Target for some groceries.  Joshua ate 3 cookies!  I carried Grace on my back in the carrier and she fell asleep.  On our way home, we picked up a sandwich for lunch and Joshua ended up eating a lot of turkey from daddy's portion!  Wow! 

After lunch, we went to Gigi's house to visit.  Daddy stayed at the house to do yard work .... it was such a beautiful day!  You all got to see Gigi, Grandpa Jim, and Uncle James.  You two got to visit since you all hadn't seen them all in a while.  You two stacked blocks with Uncle James and Grace ate some Cheerios with Gigi.  You all had a lot of fun!  ;-)

We got home around 4:40pm.  It was halftime during another UNC basketball game.  Joshua fell asleep in the car so he continued to nap while home.  I nursed Grace and then she played.  We played Clemson.  Clemson has never won in the Dean Dome.  They've played 56 games there .... and have lost 56 times .... including today's game!  Ha!

We had a really good dinner!  Daddy grilled steaks and hotdogs for us.  You two stayed inside with me and helped me cook a potato/veggie side with some garlic bread.  We chopped potatoes, spinach, onion, carrots, broccoli, and corn.  Everything was so good and healthy!

Grace, you surprised us .... you ate a lot of hotdog and some veggies off my plate!  Joshua, you ate some hotdog but a lot of cookie too.  Yummy!

We played downstairs a little afterward.  Tomorrow is suppose to be cold and wet, so we'll likely stay inside.

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both so much!  :-)

~Mommy

Mall Run

Dearest Blessings~

Grace, you woke up cranky at 4am this morning.  I nursed you back to sleep, but it took me a while to get back to sleep myself. 

We played downstairs after breakfast this morning.  I swept and vacuumed the downstairs while you two played.  Then, we relaxed around the house. 

You two surprised me at lunch.  Both of you two did pretty well.  Grace, you ate pieces of beef, corn, and cheese from my plate (I was eating a taco).  You also gold fish crackers.  You poo poo'd the apple sauce I tried to give you though.  Joshua, you had some chicken, fries, goldfish crackers, and cheese.

We really cleaned the kitchen after lunch!  I wiped down the table and the counter tops.  We vacuumed all around and took apart Grace's chair since food was everywhere.  You two can make a mess!  ;-)

I put some music on and we continued to play downstairs once things were cleaned up.  I must have hurt my back yesterday at work.  I had to take motrin all day.  I tried to rest it this afternoon though.  I hate taking medications.

Joshua, you fell asleep before 2pm with a stuffed animal in your arms.  It was too cute!  I nursed Grace as he napped and then she played.  It was a quick nap though.  Joshua was back awake at 2:45pm. 

The three of us made a trip to the mall later in the afternoon.  I have a confession .... remember how I said I got another lens?  Well, I traded my flash to off set the cost, but I still went a little over on my budget.  So, I sold some stuff to make up the difference.  We met the buyer at the mall.  :-)  Since photography is a hobby for me, I want to make sure I'm not taking away from the family.  So, if there's something that I want, I'm trying to make a conscious effort to sell things that I'm not using and putting that money towards photography.  That way I'm not just spending money frivolously.  If there's something that I want, I'm going to have to earn it!  ;-)

Daddy got home from work before we got back.  He made us a pizza for dinner.  :-)  Then, we got to visit with a friend on the phone (Stephanie Dove .... Joshua's Godmother).  She's expecting her first child (a boy) in April.  You two talked on the phone to her.  :-)

Tomorrow should be a beautiful day!  

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Rose

Dearest Angels~

Little man .... you came whimpering into our room at 3am this morning.  Daddy put you back to bed and then fell asleep next to you.  Grace, you woke up at 6am.  I nursed you and then got ready for work. 

I got to play briefly with you two before heading out though.  Yippie!  You two had another daddy day today.  Today is the funeral for Penny's sister.  We said a little prayer for her and her family today.

Grace, perhaps you're accident prone.  You fell again and caused another bruise on your lip.  My oh my!  At least you bounce back pretty fast.  ;-)

I brought a rose home from work today.  It was from Valentine's Day, but I was at home that day.  I put it in some water and placed it on our kitchen table.  :-)  We had another quarterly Provider's Meeting after work this evening .... but, don't tell .... I skipped out this time!  Dr. Rickert (the other dentist I work with) had off today.  So, since she wasn't going, I took the opportunity to come home!  I would much rather be home with you all!  ;-)

This evening we trimmed everyone's nails and then relaxed.  I'm so glad it's almost the weekend!  

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Split Lip

Dearest Gifts~

I slept with Joshua last night until Grace woke at 4:15am to nurse.  Joshua played with my hair (calmed him) until he fell asleep last night.  I ended up falling asleep next to him. 

I played with you two before I left for work this morning.  Work was busy and we had a staff meeting during lunch.  I was really tired this afternoon.  Lunch plus a staff meeting will make anyone sleepy!  :-P

You all had a daddy day.  Grace, you fell asleep while helping to fold the laundry.  Daddy took a picture and sent it to me while at work.  It was pretty funny!  ;-)  Grace, you didn't eat a lot of solid food today for daddy.  We're in the process of weaning (since you're almost one year old), but if you're not eating we need to change something.  :-P

Grace, you also took a tumble today.  You came running around the corner at one point (chasing Joshua .... you two were playing) and you fell against the ottoman downstairs and split your lip.  Poor little thing.  I checked your lip and teeth this morning.  You're bruised, but fine.  Daddy said you screamed and cried!  I'm glad my ears weren't around for that.  :-P

We watched another UNC basketball game late this evening.  We ended up recording it since we had to get you all to bed.  I know we won though.  ;-)

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Saint Valentine's Day

Dearest Joshua David and Grace Elizabeth~

Happy St. Valentine's Day!  You two and daddy are my Valentines!  ;-)  This is Grace's first Valentine's Day.  I dressed you two in red for the occasion.  Grace, you had little hearts one.  ;-)  Also, it's only two weeks until Grace's first birthday!  Whoa!  You're getting old little lady!  Have you decided what you want for your birthday yet?  :-)

Grace, you woke up at 3:30am this morning all fussy.  I nursed you back to sleep around 4am, but I was wide awake until around 5am.  Ugh.  :-P

Kim was still out of town today so Joshua didn't have speech therapy.  Mary Beth was there, so he had occupational therapy this morning.  We made the appointment a little longer since we didn't have the second one right afterward.  You did well today little man!  You had shaving cream messy play.  You also practiced with a spoon and practiced your fine motor skills.  You also had some art time with some markers.

We did a quick Target run for milk for this week afterward.  We also got a few little things for the house.  We were home before lunch.  Then, we made some brownies for daddy.  We decorated with M&M's and spelled out 'Happy Love Day' .... but there wasn't a lot of room for the words, so it just looks like a colorful design.  ;-)  Then I prepared a veggie quiche for dinner as you two played.

I took some photos of you two playing upstairs.  We're working on new time lapse photo project.  :-)

Afterward, we had snack and playtime downstairs.  We baked our quiche and laid everything out on the kitchen island for when daddy got home.  We put out the quiche, the decorated brownies, a box of chocolates, and a Valentine's Day note.   :-)

Joshua, you fought your nap today.  You fell asleep after 4pm.  I nursed Grace and then read while holding her. 

Daddy was surprised by our box of chocolates, brownies, and quiche!  He surprised us with a cookie cake with flowers on it!  Best flowers ever!  ;-)  We finished watching the Grammy's this evening and relaxed.  :-)

Tomorrow is a work day, but you all will have a Daddy Day since Penny will be gone.  Our prayers still go out to her and her family for the loss of her sister.

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much my little Valentines!  ;-)

~Mommy

New Play Room

Dearest Angels~

Daddy left by 6:15am this morning for work.  He had to be in Greensboro by 8am.  We put Joshua in our bed with Grace and I as he was leaving.  I napped with you two after he left.  :-)

Kim is out of town this week, so Joshua didn't have his speech therapy today.  We used that extra time to organize the house more.  :-)  We put a table together downstairs and then worked on the front bedroom upstairs.  We moved a rocking chair in there and another CD player.  We vacuumed, dusted, and made it into another play room!  We found the CD player in the garage.  The previous house owner left it.  It was dirty, so we cleaned it up before bringing it upstairs.  We had some music on as we were working.  ;-)

You two impressed me during snack time this morning.  Joshua ate pepperonis and gold fish.  Grace ate spaghetti with beef and gold fish.  Wow! 

Daddy was home by 1pm.  We worked from home the rest of the afternoon.  He had some conference calls, so we did laundry upstairs and played together. 

Joshua, you took a late nap.  You didn't fall asleep until 3:45pm.  I nursed Grace to sleep and then read beside you two.  Grace, you woke up grumpy.  :-P

Joshua, you ate well for dinner.  We had leftovers and you ate a good amount for us.  I still haven't heard back from UNC.  I may have to call them if I don't hear by the end of the week.  It's so hard to get a person on the phone, so I'm hoping they just call me. 

This evening we watched the Grammy's that we had recorded last night.  We didn't care who won the awards, but we wanted to see the performances.  :-)  You two also liked to watch the singers.  

Tomorrow Joshua has occupational therapy with Mary Beth.  Kim still won't be there, so it'll be a quick appointment.  

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Organizing

Dearest Miracles~

Whoa!  Good job you two!  You both slept past 6am this morning!  Yippie!  Grace, you're still noodling into our bed, but at least you slept.  :-P  Joshua, daddy took you downstairs for breakfast when you woke as I was nursing Grace.  You slept all night in your bed and didn't come into our room whimpering in the middle of the night.  Good job little man!

This morning we cleaned and vacuumed the playroom.  It's been a while since we've vacuumed the playroom.  :-P  We also took out all the trash in the upstairs.  We had trash in both bathrooms and the playroom.  Then, we ran some laundry. 

You two both got bathes this morning.  And, since we had some extra time before lunch, we made two casseroles.  One, we made for our neighbor Sarah.  We prepared a pasta, sausage, and veggie casserole.  Hope she likes it!  She liked our lasagna from a few weeks prior.

Lunch was spent downtown.  We got to visit with Mimi, Grandpa Mike, Aunt Katie, and Uncle Brennan.  It was a Valentine's Day lunch, so Joshua got to make a Valentine's Day card for me.  ;-)  I put it downstairs for all to see.  :-)

It was very cold today.  You two fell asleep in the car ride home.  But, once we got home, you both woke up.  So, you two didn't really 'nap' today.  :-P

Once home we cleaned out the front bedroom.  We were basically using it as storage and kept the door shut all the time.  We tried to organize it so it will be more of a functional space for us.  As we did that, we baked our casseroles and then swept and vacuumed the kitchen.  We were also successful in hanging some photos, moving some furniture, vacuuming the upstairs, and dusted.  Whew!  ;-)

We gave Sarah her casserole before dinner.  She's still fighting for custody of her kids.  I can't imagine what she's going through.  I miss seeing her kids playing in the cul-de-sac too.  You two got to pet her dog, Buddha.  :-)

Joshua, you ate some casserole for dinner!  You must like sausage.  You also ate some chicken and fries.  Then, we relaxed in the playroom after a long day of cleaning.  ;-)

I do have some sad news .... I heard from Penny today and her sister passed away last night.  She was sick and battling her illness for a while.  She has gone to be with our Lord.  We won't see her this week.  Please keep her and her family in your prayers. 

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Cold Front

Dearest Gifts~

Wow little man .... you woke up whimpering at 4am.  I wonder why you woke up in the middle of the night?  Grace, you and I were nursing at 5:30am. 

Once people were up and moving, we did some chores this morning downstairs.  You two played as we worked on the kitchen and living room.  Daddy also trimmed Joshua's nails.

By mid morning we were at Target for our weekly grocery run.  The bakery didn't have any cookies for Joshua, but he did eat a cupcake.  ;-)  We were back by lunch time.  We made some chicken nuggets, fries, and veggies.  Joshua, you ate some chicken and fries for us.  :-)

Right after lunch was another UNC basketball game.  We won this time!  Woo hoo!  Hopefully we can turn it around after that heart breaking loss a few days prior. 

Grace, I put lotion all you today.  Your skin is dry again.  I also placed a warm compress on your left eye today.  It's starting to clear.  I hope your blocked tear duct is getting better.  I'd hate it if you needed that surgical procedure to open it. 

I played catch with Joshua this afternoon.  Your good at throwing the ball little man.  However, you're not that good at catching it.  ;-)  We'll have to continue to work on that. 

Joshua, you took a late nap after the game.  I read and sang to you and you eventually fell asleep.  I don't know why you fight sleep so much.  When you're older you're going to wish you had nap time!  :-P 

It got colder and very windy as the day went on.  A cold front from the north is coming through.

We made a good dinner this evening .... tacos!  Yummy!  Afterward, we vacuumed and cleaned the kitchen.  You two had some playtime downstairs after dinner too.  :-)

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Confession

Dearest Blessings~

Whoa Grace .... you were up at 3:50am this morning!  At least wait until 4am next time, ok?  :-P

We had a lot of play time this morning.  I put the basketball game on from the other night .... so disappointing.  :-P  While it was on, we played with blocks and had some art time together.  We used crayons .... until Grace tried to eat them.  :-P

Joshua has been saying 'mama' for me today.  Sometimes it sounds like a 'p' or 'b', but I'm happy either way!  ;-)  Woo hoo!

By mid morning it was snack time.  I cleaned the kitchen afterward and then we played downstairs.  I put a CD on so we could have some music.  :-)

By lunch time Grace was napping.  You must have been worn out from waking up so early.  ;-)  I took Joshua downstairs and we ate together.  Joshua, you sure like cheddar cheese now.  You kept signing 'more please' over and over!  Joshua, also helped me run the dishes. 

Ok .... I have a confession!  I bought another lens!  I bought it used to save money and I traded in the flash that I got last week to also cut down on the cost.  Hence the UPS store run last Friday.  ;-)  I took some photos of you all with the new lens this afternoon as you all played.  I experimented with different settings.  We were playing with blocks together.  As you two were playing and I would snap a photo every so often.  So, now we have an ultrawide angle, a fast prime 'walk around' zoom, and a telephoto lens.  :-)

By mid afternoon I was singing to you two for nap time.  We all crawled into Joshua's bed.  I nursed Grace and sang to you both as Joshua put his head on the pillow.  Joshua, you were napping by 2:30pm.  Grace, you ended up not falling asleep so we played as Joshua rested.  You helped me organize my camera bag.  ;-)

Once everyone was awake, we cooked a good dinner.  We made eggs, potatoes with onion, corn, spinach, and some bacon.  And, Joshua actually ate a few bites!  Yippie!  We didn't hear from UNC today, so perhaps early next week we'll have his biopsy results.

This evening we relaxed in the play room with daddy.  I'm so glad it's almost the weekend!

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Paintings

Dearest Miracles~

Well .... eating that extra food apparently didn't help little lady.  You were still up nursing at 4:20am this morning.  Whew .... I was so tired!  I still went to bed late even though I didn't watch the game.  I checked my phone as I was nursing you and saw that we had lost by a buzzer shot.  Ugh.  How disappointing.  We play DOOK one more time .... hopefully we'll beat them the second time.  

Grace, you ate well again today.  Joshua, not so much.  At work, we saw another little girl who's having feeding difficulties.  She goes to our pediatricians down the hall, so I pulled her chart.  She one month younger than Joshua and weighs 24 lbs.  She was full term too!  So, for what it's worth, Joshua was 10 weeks early and barely weighs more than her (he was 24.3 lbs on monday).  I still continue to pray that you're eating and feeding improves little man.  We want to make sure you're healthy!

Joshua, you're still biting!  I hope you grow out of it, or else you're going to get a lot of spanks.  You bit Grace on the hand today in front of Penny.  

After dinner there was such a mess downstairs that we had to vacuum the kitchen.  :-P  We'll organize tomorrow.  

Oh, you two made cute Valentine's Day paintings for us today during your art time!  How cute!  They were hung up on the wall when we got home.  ;-)

My goodness .... it's 10 months until my birthday!  Ha ha!  Just kidding .... it's almost Grace's birthday though!  Your very first birthday!  Are you getting excited?  When you figure out what you want, go ahead and tell me or daddy!  

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Mama And Dada

Dearest Joshua David and Grace Elizabeth~

Little lady .... you were up and nursing at 4:40am.  I rested a little bit after you fell back asleep, but then I had to get up to get ready for work.  :-P  I got to play with both of you and kiss you all before having to leave though.  :-)

You two had fun with Penny today.  You all had art time, story time, and music time.  Grace, you ate a lot today too!  I wonder if you'll sleep through the night better after eating more.  I guess we'll see.  :-P  Joshua, you did not, however, eat a lot today.  We're still waiting for the biopsies from UNC.  

Joshua, this evening you were repeating 'mama' and 'dada' for us!  It was so cute!  You two also got to 'face time' with Aunt Katie and Uncle Brennan this evening before the UNC basketball game.  Then, you all had some art time with daddy.  :-)

This evening's game was on late.  It didn't start until 9pm.  Once we got everyone ready, in bed, and sleeping, it was almost half time.  We recorded it, so we'll likely watch it friday morning though daddy watched it once you all were sleeping.  It was a big game against DOOK .... they're so snobby!  And, we especially hate their coach.  :-P

Tomorrow's another work day.  I miss you two every time I leave!  I'll come home as soon as I can!

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both!

~Mommy

Quiche

Dearest Angels~

Somehow during the night everyone had managed to noodle into our bed.  I woke with Joshua next to me, Grace next to him, and daddy on the other side!  What a full bed!  Grace, you were up and nursing by 5:30am.

Joshua, you did well at occupational and speech therapy this morning. You did more art time with Mary Beth and worked on your fine motor skills. You've getting more confident with noises/sounds for Kim. I've noticed this at the house too.  I played with Grace in the waiting room, but she kept trying to run over to the door to go back to where Joshua was!  Everyone in the waiting room kept commenting that Grace was too young/small to be walking.  You were very busy and active this morning!  :-)

Afterward, we went to Target really fast. We needed some cereal and milk for this week. We were home by lunch and then I did your laundry.

By mid afternoon we were playing downstairs.  I made a quiche for dinner.  I cut up spinach, sausage, corn, broccoli .... I made up the recipe!  ;-)  You two helped me make my lunches for work and then we had snack time after we loaded and ran the dishwasher.

We went upstairs for naptime.  I read to Joshua and then nursed Grace while siting next to Joshua in his bed.  Everyone calmed down and Joshua was napping within minutes!  Little man, you fell asleep with a teddy bear in your arms!  Too cute!  ;-)

Daddy was home late this evening.  He loved the quiche we made! It was really good for making up the recipe!  I will write it down so we can make it again.  :-)

We all relaxed in playroom this evening.  Tomorrow is a work day, so Penny will be here.  I'll rush home as fast as I can! 

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Endoscopy

Dearest Gifts~

What a tiring day .... Joshua, you were up at 2am this morning.  Grace, you were up at 3am.  At 5am, our alarm went off.  Whew .... we were so exhausted.  :-P

Gigi got to our house by 6:15am to watch Grace this morning.  Daddy, Joshua, and I left the house at 6:30am.  Today is Joshua's upper GI endoscopy at UNC hospitals.  We were at the hospital at 7:15am.  We were checked in and waiting for the nurse and Dr. Freeman by 8am. 

Before the procedure, the anesthesia team and Dr. Freeman (the pediatric GI specialist) came to talk to us.  The nurse took your stats too.  Your oxygen saturation is 99%.  Your blood pressure was 92/44 (they used the smallest cuff I've ever seen).  :-P  Your temperature was 98.9 degrees and your weight is 24.3 pounds. 

Dr. Freeman explained the procedure to daddy and myself.  Joshua, you would be sedated, and once under, she would place a camera down your throat to see your esophagus, stomach, and upper part of your intestines.  She would also take some biopsies while in there to check for inflammations and receive a diagosis.  

They took Joshua back by 9am.  It was an overcast day, so daddy and I went to the cafe and then back into the waiting room.  You were done by 10am and we left UNC at 10:45am.  You did great during the procedure man!  They had to give you a puff of albuterol since you've been so congested recently.  Dr. Freeman didn't 'see' anything, so now we just have to wait on the biopsies.  I got to hold you while in recovery.  You slept on me.  :-)

We were home by lunch.  We ate with Gigi and got to visit for a little bit.  She and Grace had fun at the house, but you two were so excited to see each other.  :-)  Joshua, you were playful at that point and even ate some fries for us. 

Joshua was napping by 3pm.  Grace was wide awake and playing around.  Daddy and I were so tired!  Grace, your left eye lid looks better.  Hopefully it will be cleared up soon.  :-)

We had leftovers for dinner.  Grace, you actually ate some 'stage 3' gerber foods .... spaghetti with meat sauce!  You ate half a container!  Wow!  Then, we vacuumed the kitchen and cleaned the downstairs.  After dinner I gave Grace a bath.  Uncle Brennan called daddy and you all got to 'face time' with him and Aunt Katie on the phone.  :-)

After dinner we all watched a movie together .... Gnomeo and Juliet.  It was cute.  Then, we all crashed since we got up so early.  :-P

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

XLVI

Dearest Blessings~

At 4:40am we were nursing little lady.  We were back nursing at 7:30am .... we could hear the boys snoring in the other room.  :-P

Today was a cold and rainy day.  So, we all stayed inside.  I boiled the last of our eucalyptus leaves and prepared crock pot for our dinner this evening.  We made a pot roast with potatoes, apples, corn, broccoli, carrots, and peas.  :-)

We saw deer in backyard during lunch.  They're so pretty!  I started to pack our bag for tomorrow.  Joshua has his upper GI endoscope at UNC tomorrow morning.  We have to be at the hospital at 7:30am, so we'll leave here around 6:30am.  Gigi is coming tomorrow morning to watch Grace at the house.  I wonder what the MD will see little man.  Perhaps we'll finally have some answers on why you're not eating.  I swear some days you live strictly on a liquid diet.  I wish you'd eat better.  I pray we get some answers.

Oh, Grace .... this is your birthday month!  What do you want for your first birthday?  How exciting!  You're getting so old!  Ha!  I can't believe how fast this year has gone!

We all played some Wii video games this afternoon.  We haven't played in a really long time!  I took some photos of you two.  I got a photo of Joshua pushing and biting Grace!  Little man, you'd better learn to stop that!

Joshua, you were napping a little after 3pm.  I nursed Grace to sleep and all four of us ended up taking a small family nap!  We all needed the rest though!  Oh, Grace, your left eye lid is starting to look better!  Yippie! 

Guess what .... Joshua ate some of the pot roast and veggies for dinner!  Wow!  I was so impressed and happy since I made it!  :-)

This evening we watched the Super Bowl.  It was the 46th Super Bowl against the Patriots and the Giants.  The Giants have the only former UNC player, so we routed for them, though we aren't really huge fans of either team.  :-P  The Giants ended up winning though.  Madonna did the half time show and you two were both dancing to it!  It was too cute!  It was the only part of the game that the whole family was watching and paying attention to!  Ha!

Joshua got a spanking this evening for biting Grace's leg .... Daddy could see 'teeth marks' on her leg afterward!  I never told you all this, but when I was little I use to bite Uncle James.  :-P  Joshua, you'd better grow out of this or Grace will start to bite you back or you'll be getting a lot more spankings.  :-P

I said a prayer for Joshua as I was going to bed last night for tomorrow's upper GI endoscope.  I pray things go well. 

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both!

~Mommy

Growing So Fast

Dearest Miracles~

At 2:30am, Joshua woke up coughing and came into our room.  You were coughing so much, little man, that you ended up throwing up.  You won't drink the water or pedialyte that we try to give you.  And, I know it would have made your throat feel better.  Poor little man.

Grace, you woke from all the noise.  I nursed you back to sleep and daddy put Joshua back to bed after we changed him and cleaned the floor.

I stayed up and couldn't sleep.  I finally went to bed after 4am.  Grace, we were nursing again at 6:30am and I had a splitting headache.  Ugh! 

Once people were awake for the day, I boiled some more eucalyptus leaves.  It smelled pretty good.  I'll thank my coworker for the leaves on wednesday. 

Oh, Joshua, you're starting to indicate to us when you need a clean diaper because you're stinky.  You'll bring us a diaper, or you're walk up to us and point at your bottom.  Much better than sticking your hands down there, but we've also been putting you in overalls.  :-P

We all relaxed and did a few chores this morning.  I ran some laundry and we all organized a few things.  After lunch we all relaxed in the play room.  Daddy played some guitar for us.

Joshua, you woke up crying from your nap.  Daddy took your temperature and you had no fever.  But then you coughed so much that you threw up again.  Daddy gave Joshua a bath while I cleaned the floors.  I had to put Grace in the crib while we were cleaning, which she didn't like.  :-P  Joshua, you were playful after your bath and was fine the rest of the afternoon.  I wonder what was wrong. 

We all ended up relaxing and watching the UNC basketball game late in the afternoon.  It was over at dinner time.  Joshua, you ate some sausage at dinner!  Woo hoo!  We ate breakfast foods all day today!  Ha!  Oh, I also started to give Grace some whole milk today .... just a small amount.  You're almost one year old so we're starting to wean.  I have mixed emotions about that, but I'm also impressed we made it a full year!  You two are growing so fast!

After dinner you two helped flip our bed mattress and put new sheets and pillowcases on.  Then, we cut everyone's finger and toe nails.  It rained this evening as we were falling asleep.  :-)

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Biting

Dearest Joshua David and Grace Elizabeth~

Wow little man .... you were still sleeping in your bed all by yourself at 6am this morning as I was nursing Grace.  I did hear you coughing throughout the night however.  :-P

This morning the three of us watched the recorded UNC basketball game from the other night.  We won!  While the game was on, we had some art time.  We used crayons and markers.  Joshua, you can take the marker caps on and off by yourself and turn the cap over to put it on the end of the marker when not in use.  Good job man!  :-)

By mid morning we were downstairs for a snack.  I swept and vacuumed the downstairs as you two played.  Also, I boiled some eucalyptus leaves from a coworker to help with congestion.  It smelled nice.  I saved some so that we could boil more over the weekend.  I hope we all feel better soon!

Joshua, you were very uncooperative when we did our speech therapy flash cards.  You just cried and cried!  I ended up telling you that you were tired so I had you lay down on a pillow as I nursed Grace.  Joshua, you were napping by noon and Grace wasn't that far behind.  I ended up taking a little nap on the couch with you two!  That was greatly appreciated!

Everyone was awake with clean diapers by 3pm.  Then, we made a quick trip to the UPS store and were back home by 3:45pm.  I'll tell you what the UPS trip was about later .... I did some trading with another Canon camera user.  We'll be getting another lens in the mail soon!  ;-)

After daddy got home we made a quick trip to Target for some groceries.  Joshua, you ate three cookies while there!  Whoa! 

Joshua, while you and Grace were playing downstairs this evening, you ended up biting your sister!  She cried and cried!  Little man .... you'd better be careful .... she's getting a lot of teeth so she'll be able to bite you right back soon! 

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Daddy And Groundhog Day

Dearest Angels~

Happy Daddy Day and Groundhog Day.  Just so you know .... the groundhog did see his shadow, so I guess we'll be having another 6 weeks of winter! 

Grace, you were nursing at 5:15am this morning.  I was still very congested and had a sore throat, but I went into work knowing that you two would be in good hands with daddy.  Grace, you left eye lid is still red so we'll have to see if it starts to clear up or if you need to see the pediatrician.

I asked daddy to write down a few things from the day and he decided to write you two a sweet letter.  Here it is ....   :-)

"I always cherish my ‘daddy days’ with you kids, since I get so few opportunities to actually stay at home during the week with you all.  Unfortunately, this week has been a “perfect storm” at work.  So, I tried to wake up before you all this morning to get a few projects done for work in hopes that we could just play together the rest of the day.  Lesson learned that I should never turn on my work computer with the expectation that I can quickly get a few things done, as I had about a half dozen pending notices of meetings with senior executives that needed immediate attention.

Grace played while I started working on charts for management and by 7:30am Joshua was awake (you were the last one up little man – I could hear you coughing upstairs; poor little guy!).  After changing everyone’s diapers and getting people fed, I was back on my computer trying to meet a 9am deadline.  You two just played downstairs while I looked on and were perfect little angels!  As soon as I got my charts sent off, I locked my computer and we all headed upstairs for some playtime.  I knew I still had plenty of work ahead, but decided it could wait until after lunch.

This morning, your Grandpa Mike was in the hospital having lithotripsy to break up a kidney stone.  Everything went well and Mimi called to update us around 10:30am.  Since Grandpa Mike was fine and resting comfortably at home, she volunteered to come over and play with you all since I had more work deadlines looming this afternoon (ugh).  In the meantime, Grace took a nap on Joshua’s pillow in the playroom while Joshua and I watched a couple of Scooby-Doo episodes.  Josh, I’m glad someone else in the house likes Scooby-Doo and will watch it with me!

By 11:30am, we were all back downstairs for lunch.  I had some leftover casserole mommy made the other day (your mommy is quite the cook!), 

 Note from Mommy .... yes, I am quite the cook!  ;-)

but neither of you were very cooperative with your eating today.  Joshua, you had some goldfish and cereal, but that was all – you even refused cookie (you must really be sick!).  Grace kept batting away the spoon when I tried to give her solid food, but she took 4 ounces of mommy milk and almost an entire container of crunchies. 

Mimi arrived while I was feeding Grace and she was also unsuccessful with the spoon feeding.  I was back at work on my computer, but sat at the kitchen table so that I could at least watch you all play.  Grace, you were so funny!  Mimi tried to distract you so you would eat your food by shaking her head back and forth and making faces – you would mirror her perfectly and just giggle.  Not to be outdone, Joshua you stood right beside them and mirrored along too – adding your own silly faces and cracking everyone up.  Josh, you are such a ham!  You are always making us laugh and it is a true blessing!

After lunch, Mimi put you all in some fresh clothes (we were all still in our PJ’s) and you went outside on the porch to play.  Even though it is early February, the sun was out and the high today was in the 60’s.  I checked on you all periodically and was jealous of all the fun you were having – you played in your sandbox, took a little walk around the cul-de-sac, checked the mail, and even visited with the UPS man who brought mommy a package today (what did she order now?). 

 Note from Mommy .... I ordered a camera flash.  ;-)

I did manage to get outside for a few minutes with you all – Grace, you were on the swing with Mimi looking very tired and, Josh, you had a mischievous look on your face as you hit a bush with a stick.

By 3pm, everyone was back inside with fresh diapers.  Joshua, you fell asleep on your pillow (all that bush hitting wore you out I guess).  Grace, you decided to nap on Mimi.  Once everyone was content, I went back downstairs and finished up my charts – managed to get everything in by the deadline (whew)!  About the time I hit ‘send’ on my final chart, I heard Grace crying upstairs – why do you wake up so grumpy?  A little more mommy milk and a bunch of crunchies settled you down!

Mimi headed home to check on Grandpa Mike and take him a milkshake for dinner (now I see where you get it from Joshua!), while I played with you two until mommy got home.  Mommy picked up a sandwich on the way home for our dinner – even good cooks need a night off when they are sick!

Note from Mommy .... it is nice to have a night off.  :-)

I’m sorry I couldn’t really enjoy my daddy day with you two and promise I won’t make a habit of putting work before family.  It was nice though when the stress of the day felt overwhelming that I could look up and see you all playing together so nicely – you two truly are blessings and I love you both so, so much!"

This evening we all played together in the bonus room until bed time.  I'm happy this 'work week' is almost over so that we can just relax and try to get better over the next few days.  I'm so happy you all had fun with daddy today!

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy