Happy Birthday, Kaleb!

I can't believe you're going to be two tomorrow! Olivia and you have grown up to be good friends. I think it's so nice that you always share the shopping cart and stroller with her for your game of chase! It's so cute to watch you two together! You are definitely Olivia's favorite younger cousin. . okay, so you're Olivia's only younger cousin, but I just know you'll always be friends!

Christmas Morning

We had a great Christmas and I hope all of you did too. Olivia hasn't yet grasped the meaning of Christmas and who baby Jesus is or why there were presents under the tree. . . .but, she loved every minute of it. This was the first time that she unwrapped her own presents. She squealed with joy upon opening them. It made Christmas so fun this year and we didn't even unwrap presents until after 10 am! That will probably never happen again. :) Olivia just makes everything about life that much more joyous!

Merry Christmas!

Twas The Night Before Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas
and all through our home
hmm. . .I am way too exhausted
to finish this poem.
So, I will just post these pictures instead.
Merry Christmas to all. . .I am headed to bed.

Christmas #1: Grandma and Grandpa Glunt's

What a pretty baby doll!

Cousin Kaleb

Cousin Aidan

Cousin Rebekah

Cousin Katie

Not quite sure what was going on here. . .LOL

Olivia unwrapped her own presents today like a big girl!

Playing good gift/bad gift.

I can't believe someone called this a "bad" gift!

Christmas #2: Grandma and Grandpa Sailing's

Hello cuz!

Our attempt to get them to pose together.

Psst. . .what did you get?

My brother and his wife, Shelley, and daughter, Izzy.

My dad and husband on their new step stools.

Dora!

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

Tuesday, December 8, 2009 - Update

What a boring day! The weather has been bad, so Olivia and I stayed home all day. Boy, how did I get through 2 winters of being holed up in the house? No wonder I was so horribly depressed and tired. I contemplated giving Olivia a Christmas present just to have something else to do. We've read books, done puzzles, played Little People, watched Praise Baby, watched Elmo, colored, listened to music, danced, ate snacks, destroyed the house, cleaned up the house, destroyed it again. . .I'm out of ideas. And, we didn't even nap, which would have sped the day up nicely. And, it seems there's going to be more of this tomorrow.

Saturday, December 5, 2009 - Update

Trying on my Christmas bow. My mom is hoping I'll keep it on for Christmas pictures.

We're all feeling better today, thank goodness. My husband actually took me to see New Moon today while my mom watched Olivia (thanks mom.) It was nice to get out of the house and I've been dying to see that movie. Funny story. . .while Ryan was in L.A. he saw a scene for a movie being set up at a restaurant. He knew that Pierce Brosnan was in the movie, but didn't know what the movie was. We saw the preview today of a movie called Remember Me and Ryan recognized the restaurant. Sure enough. . .it had Pierce Brosnan in it along with Robert Pattinson a.k.a Edward Cullen (for you Twilight fans.) So, my husband kinda/coulda/almost saw Edward. Ryan did later eat at the restaurant that they had been filming in. Hey, we live in Kansas. . .we don't often come that close to celebrities. Well, unless you count my daughter. :)

Fatherhood

You know you're a dad when. . . .

Thursday, December 3, 2009 - Update

When I took Olivia into the doctor on Wednesday, I also asked them about the cyst on her neck. They believe it is a keloid cyst (and not a sebaceous cyst.) Keloids are formations of scar tissue that grow because the body over-defends itself as a result of trauma or surgical incisions. As you know, her skin was extremely underdeveloped at birth (even more than Logan's.) I believe the cyst was caused by her central line that went into her neck. . .something that was needed to help save her life. The problem is that the removal of keloid cysts can cause more injury to the skin which can further exacerbate them. And. . .having one keloid cyst increases her chances of developing more, so they don't recommend ANY elective surgeries. . . not even ear piercings. Yeah, try telling that to a little girl! Anyway, I have to take her to a dermatologist to get their professional opinion and a plan of action. I'll probably wait until spring to do something. Sometimes cortisone injections are recommended alongside surgery. I don't want my sweet girl to have to go through anything else. She is already facing a possible second eye surgery.

In other news, Olivia is still sick. . . as is my husband. Both have a pretty bad cough and I've been bothered by sinus pressure and a sore throat. We just can't seem to get healthy around here. I guess that's what happens when you open yourself up to the outside world. :) We still try to be careful with germs, but Olivia needs social interaction with other kids for her development. She has been thriving because of it. I had to let her run around with two boys at the doctor's office because she couldn't stand to watch them play and not be a part of the fun. Thank goodness she didn't find the slide in the play area. Olivia now makes friends everywhere she goes and it's such a blessing to watch.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009 - Update

Well, I ended up taking Olivia to the doctor today because of her cough and the fact that she woke up with hardly a voice. They think she has croup and was started on steroids. Her lymph nodes in her neck are swollen as well. She's handling it like a trooper and doing fine. Don't tell her that she is hoarse, though, or she'll say "Neigh!" And, she was supposed to meet Santa Clause on Saturday. . . .

Happy Birthday, Aunt Roara!!

Tuesday, December 1, 2009 - Update

What a helper!
Olivia loves to clean.

Olivia always wants to help me. . .no matter what I'm doing. Recently, she has started vacuuming alongside me. She tries her hardest. How can I get mad at her for unrolling the toilet paper when she does it so that she can clean? And, she takes the clean clothes and puts them in the hamper. I tried to explain that the clothes go in the drawers, so she took the dirty clothes out of the hamper and put them in the drawers. Everything may take twice as long, but what a joy it is to see her trying to help out so much! It makes my heart smile!

In other news, Olivia made it to 21 lbs last night. Hopefully, we continue to grow. She is eating really well since we've got her reflux back under control. I stood her up next to the growth chart today and it looks like she is over 32 inches. She was only 30 inches 3 months ago, so maybe a growth spurt is in store. Keep your fingers crossed. She also has developed a bit of a cough today. I'm hoping it doesn't turn into anything.

Monday, November 30. 2009 - Update

I like to wear hats sometimes.

But, sometimes I don't like to smile.

When did it happen? I'm trying to put my finger on it. When did my daughter start speaking in sentences? When did she start singing songs in the car? When did she start having her own opinions and thoughts? When did my baby girl grow up? We waited so long for her to do so many things. . .and she's doing them. It's amazing! Thinking back to the NICU days. . .we didn't know how much she'd ever be able to do. We weren't being pessimistic. . .we were being realistic. She continues to surprise us and learn and grow and blossom. It's amazing to watch. . . .I'm just not sure when it happened.

An Afternoon of Opera

Kim, Me and Alex with Julia. . .the star of the show.

Ryan with niece, Rebekah

We saw Amahl and the Night Visitors this afternoon. My niece, Julia, did an awesome job as Amahl. I didn't know she was quite that talented! Of course, my sister-in-law, Laura, did an amazing job as Amahl's mother. What an amazing voice she has! If I could sing half that good or even a quarter. . .or 1/100s, I would be happy. My other niece, Rebekah, was the best shepherd ever. I loved watching her dance. It was a great day and I was so proud to watch them perform. They are the ones moving to California after Christmas. I just hope they don't forget us when they make it big in Hollywood.

Ah, Christmas.

I don't know why there's a tree in our house, but I know that it's special.

Putting on the first ornament.

I Believe

The reason for it all.

Our decorating is complete.

Amahl and the Night Visitors

I wanted to encourage all of you to see Amahl and the Night Visitors presented by Opera Kansas. Why? Well, for one. . .it's a great Christmas story. And, my nine year old niece, my beautiful niece, Julia, is the star of the show. She will be playing the part of Amahl!! My sister-in-law, Laura, will be playing Amahl's mother and my niece, Rebekah, is a shepherd. I am so excited!! I can't wait to see it! I'd love for all of you to come out and see it too.

'Amahl and the Night visitors'

What: One-hour opera by Gian Carla Menotti

Where: Miller Concert Hall, Duerksen Fine Arts Center, WSU campus

When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday

How much: Tickets are $12, discounts available. For more information, call 316-978-3233.