On September 16, 2000 we began our roller coaster ride together. We hope that you will join us through the highs and lows, and ups and downs. So, keep your arms and hands inside the vehicle at all times, fasten down any loose items, and enjoy the ride!!
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Well, we've made it through an entire week of having both boys home from school. I love them, but thank goodness they go back to school tomorrow!!!
This past week was very tiring. After the Dedication on Sunday(see previous post w/ pictures), we geared up for Layla to have her surgery on Tuesday morning. She had a tonsilectomy, another adnoidectomy(some of the tissue had grown back in the last year!), and her tubes were replaced (her left tube fell out prematurely). We had to be there at 6am and her surgery was at 7:30am. She did amazingly well. I prayed very hard that she would come out of the anesthesia okay. Her last post-surgery experience was just awful. She screamed for an hour and was thrashing around so much that she ripped her IV out of her foot. So, this time, she didn't cry at all and just wanted to be held. I sang to her and she fell asleep on me, which I really loved. It's been a LONG time since she's done that. She was in her room just after 9am and had some ice chips and popsicles, and even some chocolate ice cream and pudding. I had to leave around 2pm because Olivia was done for at that point. She would not stay asleep in my arms. So, I said goodbye to Layla and Matt and headed home. I had been up with the baby most of the night and was beyond exhausted. So, my mom, who was at our house with the boys, let me take a nap, which was WONDERFUL. I haven't had a nap in ages. Then she made us spaghetti and stayed until I had the boys bathed and off to bed. Thanks mom!!
Poor Matt and Layla didn't sleep much that night. They were giving her Tylenol with Codeine, and she is apparently like me, in that it kept her up all night. Anything that is supposed to make you sleepy, keeps me awake, and she is the same way. So, Olivia and I got to the hospital at 8am with McDonald's breakfast for Matt and Layla and they were just taking her IV out and she had been discharged. We got home at 9:30am. I ran out and got her prescriptions and we spent the rest of the day trying to keep her comfy and rested, and keeping the boys from aggrevating her. We just gave her regular Tylenol so that she could get some sleep.
Matt went back to work on Thursday, and the kids and I just hung around the house. My mom was off of work and helped me out for a few hours, which was great. Friday was my 31st birthday, so the kids and I went to my moms so that they could help her make brownies and birthday cards. Then I came back with Olivia to put her down for a nap and my mom kept the other three and fed them lunch. I got 45 whole minutes to sit down and enjoy my lunch and watch part of a TV show. Joy of joys!! I put Nicholas and Layla down for a nap, and Layla decided that she wasn't tired and that she would much rather JUMP OUT OF HER CRIB. YIKES!! I have never had a kid do that, so I was a bit shocked to say the least. Matt was in our room changing his clothes and out comes Layla. Oy. She is definitely keeping me busy. So, we went to my parent's house at 5pm for dinner and dessert. I requested "Make your own sub" night, and chips and dip. Then we had hot fudge brownie sundaes, also per my request. They were delicious! Then I opened presents. I got some great comfy clothes and socks and a nice shirt for church, and some money and a beautiful silver cross from the kids. It was very nice.
We brought the kids home after that and I got Olivia in bed, then I went back to my moms for our Friday night Gilmore Girls night. We haven't been able to get together in 5 weeks, and it was so nice to relax. Matt called at 10:15pm to tell me that Olivia was awake already and screaming. All good things must come to an end.....
Saturday was just hanging out around the house. After I got Olivia down for the night, I headed out to finish up Nicholas's birthday shopping and I picked up a few other choice items. Totally not needed, but there were some great sales and I had some coupons. I did get some summer things for Layla and a pair of sandals that are actually named "Layla". How could I pass that up?! I got home around 10pm and then Matt and his cousin Dan headed out for some male bonding time. I watched a bit of TV and then headed to bed.
That brings us to today. We've done nothing. Absolutely nothing. Layla's health isn't quite up to church and germs yet, and Olivia slept right through church, so we just stayed home. I will be so glad when we are healthy again so that we can attend regularly!!
Speaking of Olivia, she is up every 2-3 hours ALL....NIGHT.....LONG. I am so tired and therefore have no motivation to do anything. She is constipated and teething and is sleeping just horribly. She is eating her veggies and fruits well though, and is okay with cereal now if we mix it up with fruit juice. We are trying to figure out some way to help with her constipation. None of our children have had this problem. Actually she really is unlike any of the others. She has had more issues than all of them put together!! I really am trying to enjoy her, as she is our last baby, but some days, and nights, I am just thinking ahead to when she is three. lol.
Kenny has been extremely bossy and cranky for the past few weeks, Nicholas is constantly jumping around, despite several requests for him to stop, and Layla is as fun as she is frustrating. Ah, the ages and stages. No wonder I collapse at the end of the day. I don't know what I would do without them though. Their hugs and kisses are priceless and I would not change a thing.
Until next week, I'll leave you with a picture of Olivia. She tried chocolate pudding for the first time. Yummy.
This past week was very tiring. After the Dedication on Sunday(see previous post w/ pictures), we geared up for Layla to have her surgery on Tuesday morning. She had a tonsilectomy, another adnoidectomy(some of the tissue had grown back in the last year!), and her tubes were replaced (her left tube fell out prematurely). We had to be there at 6am and her surgery was at 7:30am. She did amazingly well. I prayed very hard that she would come out of the anesthesia okay. Her last post-surgery experience was just awful. She screamed for an hour and was thrashing around so much that she ripped her IV out of her foot. So, this time, she didn't cry at all and just wanted to be held. I sang to her and she fell asleep on me, which I really loved. It's been a LONG time since she's done that. She was in her room just after 9am and had some ice chips and popsicles, and even some chocolate ice cream and pudding. I had to leave around 2pm because Olivia was done for at that point. She would not stay asleep in my arms. So, I said goodbye to Layla and Matt and headed home. I had been up with the baby most of the night and was beyond exhausted. So, my mom, who was at our house with the boys, let me take a nap, which was WONDERFUL. I haven't had a nap in ages. Then she made us spaghetti and stayed until I had the boys bathed and off to bed. Thanks mom!!
Poor Matt and Layla didn't sleep much that night. They were giving her Tylenol with Codeine, and she is apparently like me, in that it kept her up all night. Anything that is supposed to make you sleepy, keeps me awake, and she is the same way. So, Olivia and I got to the hospital at 8am with McDonald's breakfast for Matt and Layla and they were just taking her IV out and she had been discharged. We got home at 9:30am. I ran out and got her prescriptions and we spent the rest of the day trying to keep her comfy and rested, and keeping the boys from aggrevating her. We just gave her regular Tylenol so that she could get some sleep.
Matt went back to work on Thursday, and the kids and I just hung around the house. My mom was off of work and helped me out for a few hours, which was great. Friday was my 31st birthday, so the kids and I went to my moms so that they could help her make brownies and birthday cards. Then I came back with Olivia to put her down for a nap and my mom kept the other three and fed them lunch. I got 45 whole minutes to sit down and enjoy my lunch and watch part of a TV show. Joy of joys!! I put Nicholas and Layla down for a nap, and Layla decided that she wasn't tired and that she would much rather JUMP OUT OF HER CRIB. YIKES!! I have never had a kid do that, so I was a bit shocked to say the least. Matt was in our room changing his clothes and out comes Layla. Oy. She is definitely keeping me busy. So, we went to my parent's house at 5pm for dinner and dessert. I requested "Make your own sub" night, and chips and dip. Then we had hot fudge brownie sundaes, also per my request. They were delicious! Then I opened presents. I got some great comfy clothes and socks and a nice shirt for church, and some money and a beautiful silver cross from the kids. It was very nice.
We brought the kids home after that and I got Olivia in bed, then I went back to my moms for our Friday night Gilmore Girls night. We haven't been able to get together in 5 weeks, and it was so nice to relax. Matt called at 10:15pm to tell me that Olivia was awake already and screaming. All good things must come to an end.....
Saturday was just hanging out around the house. After I got Olivia down for the night, I headed out to finish up Nicholas's birthday shopping and I picked up a few other choice items. Totally not needed, but there were some great sales and I had some coupons. I did get some summer things for Layla and a pair of sandals that are actually named "Layla". How could I pass that up?! I got home around 10pm and then Matt and his cousin Dan headed out for some male bonding time. I watched a bit of TV and then headed to bed.
That brings us to today. We've done nothing. Absolutely nothing. Layla's health isn't quite up to church and germs yet, and Olivia slept right through church, so we just stayed home. I will be so glad when we are healthy again so that we can attend regularly!!
Speaking of Olivia, she is up every 2-3 hours ALL....NIGHT.....LONG. I am so tired and therefore have no motivation to do anything. She is constipated and teething and is sleeping just horribly. She is eating her veggies and fruits well though, and is okay with cereal now if we mix it up with fruit juice. We are trying to figure out some way to help with her constipation. None of our children have had this problem. Actually she really is unlike any of the others. She has had more issues than all of them put together!! I really am trying to enjoy her, as she is our last baby, but some days, and nights, I am just thinking ahead to when she is three. lol.
Kenny has been extremely bossy and cranky for the past few weeks, Nicholas is constantly jumping around, despite several requests for him to stop, and Layla is as fun as she is frustrating. Ah, the ages and stages. No wonder I collapse at the end of the day. I don't know what I would do without them though. Their hugs and kisses are priceless and I would not change a thing.
Until next week, I'll leave you with a picture of Olivia. She tried chocolate pudding for the first time. Yummy.
Spring is here!!
So, this morning I questioned if spring was really here. There was a lovely dusting of white all over. But now the snow is gone, the sun is shining, and there are warmer temperatures in the forecast. Spring is always a time of new beginnings, and that is certainly in order for us this year.
I'm going to do a separate post for Olivia's Dedication, as there are so many pictures.
We had Olivia's Dedication last Sunday and it was just wonderful. We had the perfect amount of people and I got to talk to everyone, which usually doesn't happen. Olivia slept through all but the first 25 minutes of the luncheon at our house. Oh well. A few pictures from the day:
I'm fairly sure that you will never see this again. Nicholas is actually being nice to Layla and KISSING HER ON THE CHEEK. Something strange was in the air that day. lol.

At church. The actual Dedication was at the end. This was towards the beginning and you can already see that she is tired and her eyes are red:

Joanne (my step mother-in-law), bought Olivia this dress. It was GORGEOUS!

The actual Dedication. My mom had tried so hard to keep her from crying hysterically through the whole thing. She was beyond the point of needing a nap.



Joanne and Olivia after the Dedication:

Her cake:

When she finally woke up after everyone had left. This is the same outfit that Layla wore for her Dedication:

The gorgeous bracelet that my friend Brenda made for her on VERY short notice:

Okay, back in a bit with more.
I'm going to do a separate post for Olivia's Dedication, as there are so many pictures.
We had Olivia's Dedication last Sunday and it was just wonderful. We had the perfect amount of people and I got to talk to everyone, which usually doesn't happen. Olivia slept through all but the first 25 minutes of the luncheon at our house. Oh well. A few pictures from the day:
I'm fairly sure that you will never see this again. Nicholas is actually being nice to Layla and KISSING HER ON THE CHEEK. Something strange was in the air that day. lol.

At church. The actual Dedication was at the end. This was towards the beginning and you can already see that she is tired and her eyes are red:

Joanne (my step mother-in-law), bought Olivia this dress. It was GORGEOUS!

The actual Dedication. My mom had tried so hard to keep her from crying hysterically through the whole thing. She was beyond the point of needing a nap.



Joanne and Olivia after the Dedication:

Her cake:

When she finally woke up after everyone had left. This is the same outfit that Layla wore for her Dedication:

The gorgeous bracelet that my friend Brenda made for her on VERY short notice:

Okay, back in a bit with more.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
So, this week has had it's ups and downs. Monday was the visitation for Matt's dad. There were hundreds of people there in those 6 hours. It was mind boggling really. There were pictures of him all over for everyone to look at. He really lived a good and full life, even though it was cut short at 59. Olivia was amazing during this time. She just got passed around and did her smiling and giggling for everyone and when she found a comfy shoulder, she would fall asleep. Tuesday was the funeral. Adolf, who is a friend of Matt's grandpa's did the funeral message and did a phenomenal job. I left there with a lot to work on and ponder. Then the luncheon followed and was very nice. After the kids were in bed that night, Matt and I watched "Bridge to Tarabithia". It was really a great movie and had a lot to do with moving on after the death of someone close to you, and using your talents to get through hard times. Matt had Wednesday off and it was nice to just relax a bit. We went to the grocery store with the girls in the morning and then picked the boys up from school and sat around. I cleaned up the fridge in the laundry room and we put all of the Christmas decorations in the attic. Yes, I said Christmas decorations. All in all a productive day.
So, today was back to normal for the most part. Nicholas had Kindergarten testing and did very well. He got 71 out of 81 points and is more than ready for Kindergarten. Tomorrow is Olivia's 6 month well visit, and I have to stop at GFS to get the meatballs and sauce for Olivia's dedication luncheon. Saturday will be cleaning, cleaning and then some more cleaning. I need to pick up Olivia's cake also. I need to have Matt replace the screen on the porch door as well. It ripped 7 months ago and just makes our house look "not very nice". Then Sunday is Olivia's Dedication. It is supposed to be 60 and mostly cloudy, which is nice. I am hoping that some of the mud will dry up so that the kids can play outside if they want to. Though we have quite a bit of mud right now because of the addition. I cannot wait to get the brick pavers put down next month!!
That is it I think. Next week is spring break and Layla's surgery. I am dreading both. lol. I'm going to try and get some video up of Olivia. She is getting up on all fours and rocking!! I can't believe she will be 6 months old tomorrow. Amazing how fast it goes. Love to all.
So, today was back to normal for the most part. Nicholas had Kindergarten testing and did very well. He got 71 out of 81 points and is more than ready for Kindergarten. Tomorrow is Olivia's 6 month well visit, and I have to stop at GFS to get the meatballs and sauce for Olivia's dedication luncheon. Saturday will be cleaning, cleaning and then some more cleaning. I need to pick up Olivia's cake also. I need to have Matt replace the screen on the porch door as well. It ripped 7 months ago and just makes our house look "not very nice". Then Sunday is Olivia's Dedication. It is supposed to be 60 and mostly cloudy, which is nice. I am hoping that some of the mud will dry up so that the kids can play outside if they want to. Though we have quite a bit of mud right now because of the addition. I cannot wait to get the brick pavers put down next month!!
That is it I think. Next week is spring break and Layla's surgery. I am dreading both. lol. I'm going to try and get some video up of Olivia. She is getting up on all fours and rocking!! I can't believe she will be 6 months old tomorrow. Amazing how fast it goes. Love to all.
Saying goodbye....
It's interesting saying goodbye. I never placed much thought into it really. Goodbye, see you later, adios. Just words right? That is until you say goodbye to someone that you won't see on this side again. I said goodbye to someone 6 days ago, and it took on a whole new meaning. My father in law passed away Saturday morning, March 29. He was laying in a hospital bed in the house that he built for his family with his own two hands, looking out onto the property that he had walked on, worked on and loved for so long. It was a beautiful, crisp morning with a beautiful blue sky and the sun rising up. There with his wife he took his very last breath and left this world to move on to his final destination. It was a beautiful morning for flying.
It was only 10 hours prior to that, that I had stood next to him, told him I loved him, that I was proud of him, that everything would be okay. I said goodbye to him knowing that there would not be another hello. That I would never again hear him say "Hi Millie". I would never again see his eyes nearly disappear because he was smiling so big at his grandchildren. And most importantly, I would never again see him in pain. He endured so much these last few years, and when he took his last breath, his pain ended. Ours has just begun.....
It was only 10 hours prior to that, that I had stood next to him, told him I loved him, that I was proud of him, that everything would be okay. I said goodbye to him knowing that there would not be another hello. That I would never again hear him say "Hi Millie". I would never again see his eyes nearly disappear because he was smiling so big at his grandchildren. And most importantly, I would never again see him in pain. He endured so much these last few years, and when he took his last breath, his pain ended. Ours has just begun.....
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