Gymnastics

We have missed a few days of gymnastics and they allow you to "make up" your missed days. We decided to go tonight so that Olivia could take a class with her cousin and best friend, Izzy. We had the added benefit of my brother being there to take pictures. I finally have pictures of Olivia in gymnastics class! Thanks Donnie!

Izzy made sure Olivia felt welcome in her class.

Olivia stepping over the teddy bears. Occasionally, she had to bend down and give them a nice, loving pat.

And she rode the pulley!!

Yay Olivia!!!


Her favorite part of all, however, is singing the bye bye song.

Here's a short video of Olivia and Izzy practicing the snake.

Sunday, August 1, 2010 - Update

My beautiful miracle.

Saturday, July 30, 2010 - Update

Today, we celebrated my nephew's 10th birthday and my niece's 8th birthday. It was great to have the family all together. . .especially since learning that Ryan's sister's family will be moving to Arkansas within a matter of weeks. We are happy to hear of Kris's promotion, but saddened nonetheless that they will no longer live 10+ minutes away. It made get togethers like today that much more special.

A gift for me?

Friday, July 30, 2010 - Update

Around here, we do whatever it takes to get Olivia to eat a good meal. Today, it happened to be eating at the table with a big giraffe. Whatever it takes. :)

Notice how well she is using her spoon. Yay!

Cheese!

Playing in the sink. . .one of her favorite things to do.

Thursday, July 29, 2010 - Update

After a short hiatus, I am back. I have not felt well the past 2 weeks. . .extreme anxiousness and an inner restlessness that only allowed me 1-4 hours of sleep per night. After two visits to the doctor. . .I think I'm doing better and actually able to write an update tonight. Things are going well. . .except my grandpa has been in the hospital and instead of returning home, he was moved to an assisted living facility. My grandma will join him there next week and leave the house they've lived in for 30+ years. My grandpa has Alzheimer's and as some of you might know. . .that's a tough thing to watch. Please pray for my grandparents and my mom and her siblings who are dealing with a lot right now. Other than all of that. . .we're doing well.

I got Olivia's picture taken today. She does not do well with things like that and I was a bit worried. But, the photographer was great with her and even got a smile. I don't get the pictures back for 2 weeks or so, but I'll be sure to share! I'm definitely taking her back!

Monday, July 26, 2010 - Update

My goofy girl :)

I haven't been able to get a good picture of Olivia lately. She's hard to capture. . .always doing silly things. She has such a joy about her that pictures can't show. Right now she is laying in bed singing Scooby Dooby Doo. Olivia always keeps a smile on my face. :)

Sunday, July 25, 2010 - Update

I found this old picture of Olivia today. . .it was taken in July 2008. . .about a month before her first birthday. I don't remember her having such cute, chubby legs. :) I can't believe she is going to be three next month. She has been growing up so fast lately. She speaks almost in full sentences, uses utensils really well, and puts herself to sleep at night. That's been the biggest thing and one of the greatest and hardest, as silly as it sounds. I used to have to rock her until she was asleep and then quietly tiptoe and lay her down in bed being careful not to make any noise. That was exhausting every night, but it was also such a special time between us. Now, she wants me to cover her up, give her a kiss and leave. She sometimes falls right to sleep. Other times she sings and talks with her stuffed animals and babies for over an hour. . .crying for mama only when she misplaces one of them. It feels like the end of an era and such a big girl thing to do. Today, she told us she was going to take a nap, walked back to her room and shut the door. Really? My no nap little girl is putting herself down for naps now too? She's starting to make it too easy on me. LOL. Just don't grow up too fast, my sweet little girl. My niece, Katie, turned 8 years old today which doesn't seem possible. A Happy Happy Birthday to you!

Saturday, July 24, 2010 - Update

We spent the day painting our living room. Baby steps is our motto and someday we will have painted every room in the house. Someday. :)

Early Birthday Surprise

Olivia managed to get her birthday present from Grandma and Grandpa Sailing over a month early. Not quite sure how she managed that, but when she woke up today. . .she got a big surprise!

Wow, is this for me?

It's spacious, yet cozy. . .

Making herself at home

Gotta call grandma and grandpa

Thank you for my playhouse!

Logan

Sometimes. . .out of the blue. . I think of Logan. Not that I don't always think of him, but there are times when he is at the forefront of my mind. He was such a cutie. . I often wonder what he'd look like today, what he would be like, how Olivia and him would interact. . . I can think of him now without feeling myself falling into a deep depression. There is often sadness and even tears, but I am thankful for the pictures and the memories. . .even though there aren't many. I had a son and his name was Logan and nothing can ever take that away. Time goes on, but he will never become just a faded memory. He'll always be my precious Logan. . .

Thursday, July 22, 2010 - Update

Olivia LOVES music. She loves listening to music, singing to music, playing the piano, anything that has to do with music. She has always been that way. . .when we sang to her in the NICU, all of her stats would improve. It was always interesting because Logan's oxygen saturation would go down whenever we sang to him. I could just see him now, "Mom! Tell Olivia to stop singing." :) Olivia sings and claps her hands all the time. She can sing amazingly on pitch. My hope is that her love of music will help her through any other areas where she has difficulty and that she finds great joy in it.

Ambien

Wow, so I took Ambien last night and I don't think I'll ever take it again. For one, I woke up feeling awful (headache, upset stomach, tired) and two, I couldn't remember anything that happened. According to my husband, I knocked over the kitty's cup of water, fell twice, asked him to go sleep on the couch, posted comments on facebook. . .none of which I have the slightest memory of. How scary is that? If I ever do take it again, I'm going to have to ask my husband to lock me up before I go to sleep and hide my computer. Scary. Maybe my doctor will prescribe Lunesta. . .the little butterfly seems harmless enough.

Monday, July 19, 2010 - Update

When Olivia was a baby, she went through a brief period where she would cry when I left the room. She has been through with that for at least a year or more. Usually, I can leave her somewhere and she doesn't even care to say good-bye or give me a hug. Recently, she has started crying and clinging to me when I leave her. It's breaking my heart. I know she only cries for a few minutes after I leave, but I'm having such a hard time with it. She wouldn't even let daddy put her to bed tonight without tears and cries of "Mama!" Kids sure know how to tug at your heartstrings. I can't say that I'm not enjoying all of the extra hugs and cuddles, though.

I've been having a tough week and averaging 1-2 hours of sleep per night because of awful insomnia and restless legs. I finally went to the doctor today because I can't continue to run on such little sleep. I was prescribed Ambien. Has anyone had luck with that? For restless legs? I'm down on my knees praying for a good night's sleep. My friend, Amanda, heard about my rough week and sent me a care package. You wouldn't believe everything that I received!!

What an amazing friend she is!! How do you even go about saying thank you for something like this? I really needed a pick-me-up today. Did you know that we met through my blog and have never actually met in person? She is stunningly beautiful with an even more beautiful heart. Thank you, Amanda, for always brightening my day! :)

I have been blessed with wonderful friends and family who have helped me every step of the way. For that I am forever grateful.

Sunday, July 18, 2010 - Update

Playing with dad

Thanks for letting me share the story of my dog, Tyrone. My hope is that Autumn becomes Olivia's Tyrone. It makes me smile when I see Olivia playing tea party with Autumn. Poor kitty has cups and plates and food all around her and looks up at me as if to say, "What is going on here?" But, it's as if she knows it makes Olivia happy. Both are so gentle with each other. Autumn will not get close to any other child. . .she runs and hides anytime someone under the age of 10 comes to the house. She's a little afraid of children, but with Olivia it is totally different. Some days when I have to wake Olivia up early, I send Autumn in and she tickles Olivia's face with her whiskers. It always brings a good morning smile to Olivia's face. I look forward to seeing their bond grow as they get older. You may be wondering why we don't have a dog? To explain that, you have to know the story of Brady. . .maybe I'll share that at a later date.

Tyrone Part Three

As we grew up. . .so did he. I remember talking to Tyrone a lot, so he must have been a pretty good listener. I'm sure he heard all about my first day of kindergarten, junior high and high school. . . . . my first crush, my first heartbreak, my first car. . .he was there for it all. We moved the summer before my 8th grade year. He was my friend when it seemed I wouldn't make any. Actually, he helped me make new friends by going on walks around the neighborhood.

He was there to witness all of the changing fads like stone washed denim, french rolled jeans, perms, parachute pants, ridiculously high bangs. . .and he never judged me at all. LOL!

During my senior year in high school, Tyrone's health began to decline. Honestly, I don't remember what was wrong, but his age was catching up to him. He struggled to perform the simplest of tasks and would often just sit and stare into a wall. We soon made the decision to have him put to sleep because the quality of his life was quickly declining. On March 9, 1996, I was working at Best Cleaners. I came home for lunch and I remember saying my good-byes. Boy, that was a tough day. I wasn't ready for him to be gone. I had so many experiences ahead of me that I wanted to share with him. I couldn't remember a day in my life when he wasn't there. I came home that evening and I was hoping everyone had changed their minds. Maybe the vet decided that he would actually make a full recovery and be fine. But, I came home to a very melancholy house. . .without the jingle of his tags, the warmth of his eyes, the softness of his fur. We lost a part of our family that day.

Fourteen years later. . . I still think about Tyrone. He taught me a lot about unconditional love. My life would have been so different had we not been blessed with this dog who someone had literally thrown away. I wrote a poem about him soon after he died (but, what didn't I write a poem about in those days?) I won't share the whole thing. The last verse, however, still rings true today:

I loved my pet, my friend, my own

I loved my wonderful dog, Tyrone.

Tyrone Part Two

Tyrone and my Cabbage Patch doll, Agnes

Tyrone's first haircut. They always put bows in his hair and I'd get mad because he was a boy!

Celebrating his first birthday

My very first memory, I believe, was of my dad bringing home our new puppy, Tyrone. It truly was love at first sight. To me, he was almost like another brother. That sounds silly, but those who grew up with an indoor dog will understand. When he got his first hair cut, I thought he "grew a snout" because his face wasn't round anymore. All four of us had our separate relationships with him and he treated all of us in our own special way. He matched his mood to whatever we were feeling. He was happy when we were happy, playful when we were playful, sad when we were sad and he hated when anyone got upset. He would immediately run and hide under the bed if anyone raised their voice. We would always say, "Well, now you've just upset the dog." Tyrone didn't know any tricks. . .I don't think he knew how to sit or lay down or shake or anything fancy. I don't know that he ever really learned to walk on a leash. I always got the comment, "Looks like he's walking you!" But, he knew how to love and that love is one of the great memories of my childhood.

To Be Continued. . .

Tyrone Part One

Meeting Olivia's cousins' new dog, Kaiser.

Earlier this month, we met Joel (Ryan's brother) and Laura's new dog, Kaiser. It reminded me of how amazing and therapeutic animals can be. Autumn has been such a perfect fit for our family. As I type these words, Autumn is faithfully at my side at 1 in the morning (I'm having awful insomnia again.) I truly feel like I have the best kitty in the world. I grew up with the world's greatest dog and have been wanting to do a post about him for some time. My dad found him and brought him home to our family when I was only 4 years old, so the beginning of the story is best told by him. . . .

Actually, I didn't find him.....he found me. For, you see, I believe it was an amazing act of Divine intervention that brought us together.

Almost everyday I went for a lunch hour run. Once in a while, I just simply didn't feel up to it, and I wouldn't go. But on that fateful day in June of '82, even though I really didn't want to, I decided to go. So, I headed out on the dirt road west of the shop where I worked. I had gone one mile to the first intersection when I heard a dog barking. I looked up ahead in the ditch to find a small white and gray puppy. There were no houses nearby, and I had run that stretch many times....so I knew he must be another "abandoned" dog....dumped by someone that just didn't want him. Looking closer, I also discovered two little kittens. I remember saying out loud.... "If you're still here when I come back, I'll pick you guys up." So, I proceeded down the road. Then I remembered a stray dog that we found by the shop a few months earlier....a cute puppy that the boss named "Tyrone". He became the shop "mascot". We enjoyed "Tyrone" for a while at work until he was unfortunately ran over one evening in front of the shop. I vowed to take the next stray that I found. So... what was I thinking? "If you're still here when I come back?" No.....I wasn't going to chance it.... today was the day! So, I turned around and sprinted back to the shop to get the truck. When I sped back, they were still in the ditch. I took all three animals back to the shop. The puppy was shaking uncontrollably....scared to death....but at the same time, he seemed so concerned about his two friends....so, I could tell he had a good disposition. We gave the kittens to a neighbor, and I claimed "Tyrone" for myself! That's right.... it somehow seemed appropriate to name him Tyrone II. My boss had a cousin who was a Vet in a nearby town, so after work I took Tyrone there to get him checked out.

The next day after work I couldn't wait to pick up Tyrone and take him home to the family. My kids were so excited to pet this wiggly, cuddly, soft and furry puppy. It definitely was "love at first sight". They made a bed for him on the back porch to sleep in after they literally wore him out.

Tyrone

A really long story short......he was one of the best things I ever did for my kids...he was right in the middle of everything we did....always in the way.....and we loved it! Every birthday party....every Christmas morning....every family meal....he was there.....for almost 14 years! It wasn't just "chance" that he found me.....I almost didn't run that day, and if I'd started running even five minutes earlier, he might not have been in that ditch. And, fortunately for me, his owner chose that moment....that day....that location.... to dump the Greatest Dog in the World!

To Be Continued. . .

Tuesday, July 13, 2010 - Update

Monday, July 12, 2010 - Update

Ring around the rosie with daddy and Lily

Movie night

Olivia has done so many big girl things lately. Olivia has always been a good sleeper, but I've always done the big no-no of rocking her to sleep. It's the only time of the day that she lets me really cuddle with her. They say if you rock them to sleep, they will rely on it to go to sleep. Well, my big girl now tells me she's ready to go to bed and I lay her down, still awake, with her Gogum and Lily (of course) and simply leave the room. She goes to sleep on her own. She doesn't need me to rock her to sleep anymore. Luckily, she still cuddles with me in the rocking chair beforehand and we laugh and sing songs together. I may need that more than she does. :)

Yesterday, my dad brought out the old projector and we watched family movies. It seemed even. . . neater (that's the only word I can come up with at 4 in the morning) watching my own 3 year old birthday party now that I have a daughter turning 3. Olivia really enjoyed watching me unwrap the Fisher Price dollhouse that she now plays with and seeing the rocking chair that is now hers. It was quite a trip down memory lane. Seeing my own parents younger than me. . .that was just frightening. LOL!

Happy Birthday Grandpa Sailing!

Saturday, July 10, 2010 - Update

As some of you know, we've been wanting a patio for some time. Awhile back, we got some bids on a concrete patio, but it was more than we wanted to spend. Today, Ryan got a wild hair and decided to start building a patio out of paver stones. He got the grass all dug out, borrowed a rototiller and then we headed to Home Depot. Of course, they only had sand in tiny little bags that cost $4. And, if you put down the crushed stone underneath. . .those bags would have cost us over $500! So, now we have a 20 X 20 area of dirt and aren't sure what to do.


I'm sure a sand pit would deliver sand to our house at a cheaper price. Then after all of that (I'm sure I'll laugh about this later) we had a pile of dug up grass to dispose of. We don't have a wheelbarrow (I know. . what homeowner doesn't have a wheel barrow?) so we carried these huge chunks of grass from our backyard into Ryan's pickup. Later we got smart. . .we may not have a wheelbarrow, but Olivia has a sled. LOL.

And, yes, I grabbed the camera to get out of a few minutes of real work. So, after 1+ hour, we got all the grass loaded into the pickup and Ryan found a place to dump it. Whew. Maybe we should have gone with the concrete patio. All this work and still no patio. :(