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. :(

Friday, July 9, 2010 - Update

Been busy with playdates, trips to the park, gymnastics, occupational therapy, Jazzercise. . .and finally getting to see Eclipse and my dear Edward. :) What a fantastic movie, but I can't brag about the movies without saying to read the books first. It's been 2 years since I've read them and I think I am going to have to re-read them. Amazing books!

I was a little bummed to find out that the site I got my blogger backgrounds from is no more. So, I'm back to thecutestblogontheblog.com. If anyone has another that they recommend, let me know!

Potty Training Day One

I guess she wanted a little more privacy. . . .

No success yet, but Olivia is now sitting on the potty for more than 5 seconds at a time. With her newly created hideout, she would be content to sit there all day. If only she understood what she was supposed to do while sitting there. . . :)

Heather's Fight

Many of you have asked how Heather is doing and her fight with melanoma cancer. Well, my friends, she is still fighting hard. I thought I would share the news story about her that was on last night. She has an amazing story and has done a lot to spread awareness of this fast-growing cancer.

Beauty came at high price for Derby woman

To follow Heather and her story, you can visit her cancer blog here.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010 - Update

Olivia has started enjoying not only pedicures, but manicures as well. Today, she wanted her nails painted red. I've only painted them one other time and that was a clear color. Now, it looks like I am the one in need of a manicure. :)

P.S. Just an FYI for my out of town friends. . .fireworks are legal where we live. Actually, they are huge here and you can watch several professional-like shows from your driveway. I didn't want anyone to think we were breaking the law. LOL.

Fourth of July

We spend every 4th of July (at least for the past 5 years) with Ryan's brother's family. They are the ones who moved to California this year and we thought our tradition had been lost. Thankfully, they are back in town. . .for good. We all had a great time together and Olivia thoroughly enjoyed the fireworks this year. Thanks for a great evening!

Ring around the rosie. . .

Olivia, Rebekah and Julia

Olivia even lit some of her own fireworks.

Olivia and Aunt Laura

The smoke balls (smokey smokeys) were Olivia's favorite!

Happy 4th of July from our family to yours.

Saturday, July 3, 2010 - Update

With all of this rain and humidity, I've started wondering if my girlie is going to have curly hair.

Friday, July 2, 2010 - Update

Cousin Julia and Olivia

The three Glunt girls

Wednesday, June 30, 2010 - Update

Izzy and Olivia at their first slumber party
Izzy

Last night, Olivia and I had a slumber party with Shelley and Izzy. We painted t shirts and had a pizza party. It was a lot of fun. Olivia is not used to sleeping with other people as she loves her little bed, so every time I moved I woke her up. So, I felt like I could barely move all night long. It was nice to feel her snuggling up with me, though. Thank you, Shelley and Izzy, for having us over. I'm sure Olivia will get the hang of slumber parties and there will be many more in Izzy and Olivia's future (and they won't want us around for them!) Sadly, these are the best pictures that I got.

Ryan and I took Olivia outside tonight to familiarize her with fireworks. She is now a pro at snap-n-pops and loves smoke balls. . .especially because she gets to pick which color to use. She doesn't even seem too afraid of the loud noises when you tell her they are fireworks. . .pop, pop, pop. Hopefully, she'll have a good time on the 4th!

My perfect kitty