Ten on Tuesday: The Perspective Edition

1. I had a crummy day today.

2. Mostly due to the appointment I had with the allergist. I was there for 2 1/2 hours with Brady and Lucy. They were troopers, so good, both of them. Brady especially. We were in an itty bitty tiny room for that entire time. I was ready to lose it but Brady was well behaved and didn't seem to mind one bit. I learned that I'm allergic to every grass out there, a few trees, cats and dust mites. The doc says, yes, you need allergy shots but oh you will have to come in twice a week for at least 6 months before the shots will do you any good. Seriously? Twice a week for 6 months? Forget it. In 6 months it will be September and I don't have allergies in September.

3. All of this seemed like a big deal to me. Obviously allergies are silly and not a big deal at all but I had wasted a large chunk of my day and lost all my patience while I was there. So to me, it seemed to be a big deal.

4. I came home and my house was a mess, I had no idea what to make for dinner. Brady got cranky, Lucy woke up. I wanted a nanny. I wanted a maid. I wanted a nap. Really and truly, I wanted to run away.

5. Then somehow I stumbled across this story Then my day changed. I cried for a few hours. Because I was being selfish. Because I forgot what was important in life. Because my heart ached for this family. On January 22nd they found out their sweet little girl had cancer. And on February 8th she passed away.

6. So I read on and found out that I could help them in an itty bitty tiny way. Visit this link to see all the things available on etsy (over 300 items) to help this family remember their sweet, precious 11 month old who was taken Home all too soon.

7. You can visit this link too.

8. This made me think of all my THON friends and the THON families and the amazing, unbelievable total that THON raised this past weekend. $7.49 million for pediatric cancer. It's remarkable, it makes my heart swell. Want to learn more about THON? Visit this link. GO STATE! BEAT CANCER!

9. I held Lucy extra tight the rest of the day. And I hung on to every word Brady spoke the rest of the day. And I should do this every day. And I don't. I take too much for granted.

10. Hug your babies, or your spouse or your friends extra tight tonight. And tomorrow. And always.

Monster

I've created a monster. A sleeping in my bed monster and her name is Lucy. It all started when I came home from a trip to Pittsburgh a few weeks ago. She was fussing in her bassinet and wouldn't fall back to sleep so I picked her up and put her in bed with Mike and I because I was so exhausted. She fell asleep and we all slept peacefully for several hours. And of course, you know how stories like this go....it kept happening, night after night and I would put her in bed with us and now it's like she expects it! Can you believe it? Some nerve! LOL When Brady was a baby, he never slept in bed with us. I followed the rules and never even thought about letting him sleep with us. So why the heck is Lucy in bed with us?!?!? Last night I said to myself, ok, she is going to sleep in her bassinet and that is final. So she did from 9pm-1am. She woke up for a bottle and I put her back in her bassinet. She was thrashing around in there for almost 20 minutes and then....I gave in....I picked her up, she smiled at me (of course), I put her in between Mike and I and she was asleep....in, I swear, 30 seconds. This girl has me wrapped around her little finger, just where she wants me.

No unsolicited advice here please, I know, I know, it's going to become a habit and we'll never get her out of our bed, blah blah blah. I don't want to hear it :) Right now I'm in survival mode and this is what it is taking for me to survive. Please and thank you!

Taking her morning nap in my bed.

Just had to throw these two pictures in just because! How 'bout that dimple?

Weekend Wrap-Up

Lots of randomness in this post but I had some things to share!

* On Saturday morning I ran my first organized "race". It was just 2 miles but that's a big deal for me! I have no picture proof of this happening but you can go here to see that I did in fact run it in a time of 20:44. Will move on and run a 5K in March! I really loved participating in this event and I can't wait to do more!

* Lucy is growing way too quickly. I'm going through the "please stop growing, this is the best stage ever" syndrome. I think that happens to every mother during every stage! She was 11 weeks on Friday. I'm saying today is the first day where she really did some of those great big belly laughs. It made me smile with glee and I belly laughed right with her. She loves to suck on her fingers, not her thumb, just fingers. Mostly on her right hand. Her index finger is raw because of it! We tried to get her to take the pacifier and sometimes she'll take it but she prefers what she has right there at her, no pun intended, finger tips!

* This little one, our friend Katie, turned 3 and we went to her party yesterday. The kiddos had fun together, as always.

*Our Gracie Girl turns 3 on Monday and she had her party yesterday. Makes my heart ache that we couldn't be there. We were at her first two birthday parties, her 1st bday here in Dayton and we flew out to California for her 2nd bday. Now they are in Las Vegas! Oh the life of a military family!

*That's all the randomness for now, more to come later perhaps or tomorrow!

Ten on Tuesday

1. I am wearing three layers of clothing today. A cami, a long sleeve shirt and this awesome hoodie my sister got me for Christmas from J.Crew. All three layers have spit up on them thanks to Lucy who all of a sudden has become a spitter. She still comes no where close to her big brother who was the king of spit but all of a sudden, spit everywhere, always. Thankfully my mother-in-law has made me some cute burp clothes so at least I can be fashionable with spit up on my shirt!

2. I call Lucy several things. Lucy obviously. Lucy May, Lulu and Lu. And the one that I call her the most, my Mom started...Lulu Lemon. Which by the way is apparently a brand of yoga clothing that my sister wears! LOL Anyways I say Lulu Lemon in this sing song-y voice that gets the greatest smiles from her. I'm looking for some fabric that has lemons on it so I can make some things for her that I will have embroidered to say Lulu Lemon. If you come across any lemon fabric, let me know!

3. My Mom (Mema) sent Brady a seed starter kit in his Valentine's Day package. It came with sunflowers and zinnias. He was all about it and the seeds have already sprouted and well he is very proud of himself. Waters them every day but keeps asking "when will the sunflowers bloom?" and of course I have to tell him that it's months away which means nothing to him.

No pants of course. Are you surprised? I wear 30 layers of clothes and he has no pants on or socks. How is he warm?? I do put pants and socks on him, I swear. He just takes them off though while I'm not looking!

4. Mema also sent him these crayola bath fizz things that turn the water different colors. He's really into it but of course it has to be BLUE every time. Everything has to be blue.

5. We took Lucy on her first walk on Friday. She rode on my belly but out facing the world in the Moby Wrap, which is such a lifesaver by the way...she seemed to love looking at the big, beautiful world instead of at my chest!

6. Here is one picture I got of Brady today. And of course he was trying to hide from me. So this is the best I could do.
7. And one of them together.

8. I miss my Holloman friends. TERRIBLY. My heart aches.

9. I can't wait for the conclusion of the Grey's Anatomy Private Practice CROSS OVER EVENT! So dramatic and intense!

10. A lady at Wal-Mart told me today that Lucy was "All eyes"




Or is she all cheeks?
Happy Day friends and loved ones.
xoxox

Happy Birthday Laura!!!

We love you Laura!

Snow bunny

I am aware that Valentine's Day is actually the nearest holiday however Lucy has all these adorable sweaters that have bunnies on them, all from Mema. Today she is sporting a snow bunny sweater. It is sunny out and there is no snow in sight but she still looks pretty cute, don't you think?

P.S. Brady won't look at my camera this week so it's all about Lulu by default! Maybe next week I'll get a glimpse from big boy.

Tummy time

Someone asked me the other day how Lucy does on her tummy. I laughed and said, well I don't really know how she does on her tummy because I think we have put her on her tummy...ummm.....once. She lies on her tummy on my chest or on Mike's chest but she hasn't really experienced true "tummy time". She actually stayed this way for close to 15 mins. without complaining. She was just talking to herself and fairly content. Until she wasn't and then, wow, she was mad.

Heart Day

The playgroup came over today and we celebrated Valentine's Day with some yummy food, impromptu craft and well, just lots of playing. We had a new friend here to play too, Katie's new little brother, Daniel.

Isn't she cute? What a smile!

Katie, Brady and Hannah putting on a show. Those tinker toys are the microphones and they are singing the ABC's. 20 times in a row. Maybe 30.

Brady and EJ, rare to see them anywhere but playing with the trains.

Katie and Brady working on some Valentine's.

Lulu and Daniel, (born on January 24th), sleeping. For two seconds. Then they both woke up at the same time. Figures.

Two months young

Sweet little Lucy May, today you are two months.

At two months, you are very peaceful and content. You only like to sleep in arms of those that love you, where is it warm and cozy, smart girl! You have the most stunning blue eyes that I hope you keep. You weigh a whopping 12 lbs (95th percentile) and are 23 inches long (75th percentile) You are a little butterball. And we love every little bit of you.

Legendary

The story goes like this. The 1978-1979 Steelers won the Super Bowl, the year I was born. The 1979-1980 Steelers won the Super Bowl, the year Mike was born. The 2005-2006 Steelers won the Super Bowl, the year Brady was born and now....the 2008-2009 Steelers won the Super Bowl, the year our little Lucy was born. Pretty neat, huh?

Super Bowl Sunday was a great day to be a Steeler fan. What a game, what memories, we'll be celebrating this one for a long time. From Six-Burgh to Dayton Ohio to cities all over the world, Steeler fans will be celebrating this amazing, legendary team.

If it wasn't for that NBC logo in the top corner of this picture, I think it looks like I was right there, I think Ben is looking right at my camera :)

Without my permission....

....Brady turned 3. I kept telling him he wasn't allowed too. But he just didn't listen. He sure had fun doing it though. And here are the pictures from the day (and the day before) he turned 3.

The lego table that Mike built for Brady for his birthday

And here is the table with the "top" on it, Mike put a rod on the end that has craft paper on it for coloring.

Lucy at the party.

January 25th, 2009. The morning of his birthday. Eating cake for breakfast.

Here We Go....

It's a great day to be a Steeler fan!!! GO STEELERS!!!!!!