Merry Christmas

Here's Ry's Christmas photo. If you didn't get one in the mail, don't be offended... we just got too busy to send lots of them out. Merry Christmas to you all.

He's on the mend

And we're so thankful. He even gained a pound even though he was sick. Ryan's been a bit crabby today, but he's at least playing and his fever is so slight I'm feeling way better.

Yay!

Ryan goes to the ER

He's fine now, but it was scary at first. The kid was fine yesterday, but when I put him down for a nap I noticed he was a little warm. He woke up screaming, had a fever of 101.8 and wouldn't eat.

The the throwing up started. It wasn't pretty, but he'd only had one sippy cup of milk and a mini blueberry muffin all day.

Then he was vomiting clear stomach liquid and choking. I called Adam. Then I called the doctor.

And so began our seven hour stay in the ER where Ry's temp spiked to 103.2, they poked him three times before getting blood and starting an IV (he wasn't happy) and discovered that maybe he just has a GI infection.

There's nothing worse than having your kid in the ER and not being able to be in the room to comfort them when they need you. I don't do needles. When I get IVs or blood drawn I have a system that works for me, but if I had to hold him down like Adam did last night I'd been sobbing and most likely pass out.

They put a little cast like thing on his arm to keep him from getting the IV out. He tried to get it out before crying himself to sleep.

We got home at 1:30 this morning.

Good news is he's had all the blood work done and all came back with good results, well except for the thyroid one which we don't have back yet.

We saw the doctor today and she's happy that he's better. He's laughed a little today. Adam stayed home with us for most of the day, but is at work now.

I just wish little kids never had to get sick.

Of cookies and snow

Here are a few photos of Ryan in his big brother t-shirt with cookies and the in the snow. I promised a photo of LM2 in the womb... we need to find the scanner. It's packed and I'm just not sure where it could be.


Ryan loves baking cookies. He is skilled with the rolling pin.
Who knows what happened to the cookie cutter?
Getting ready to go out in the snow Friday.
Both dada and Ryan all ready.

And the two playing in the snow, which Ryan thought was fun with dada. And there's more snow predicted for Sunday. Afterall, it is Maine.

Medical Update

Thank you all for your prayers and well wishes. My cyst has decreased 45 more percent since my last ultra sound almost four weeks ago. Yay! No surgery! *doing happy dance*

We even brought home photos of LM2 who has a big head just like his/her brother did! We were in the room and Adam looks at me and says, "I have bad news for you. This kid likes touching his head too." It's kind of funny now, but it wasn't when Ryan was born. He came out with his hand on his head and Adam was telling me he thinks this kid will be the same. As long as he/she is healthy, I will eventually forgive them for coming out that way, if that should happen.

Ry also had a well baby check up today. He's still 21 pounds. He's been 21 pounds for a LONG time now. He eats just fine, though if there's something on his plate he loves like meat, pasta or bread, he'll eat more of that than say vegetables. He has to go for fasting blood work (poor kid) soon. They're checking for a lot of things mainly diabetes and thyroid problems (we knew there'd be a chance he'd develop a thyroid problem because of mine and me taking drugs while pregnant). For now we'll start him on PediaSure to see if that will help him gain weight. And no juice. The doctor said he may be filling up on that, which I doubt. Most days he only drinks two to four ounces of it, but we'll do what she says.

We also think he has a UTI, which isn't going to be fun to actually diagnose. Tonight we have to adhere a cup with a bad attached to it for him to pee in while sleeping and then bring that to the dr's office. This kid is going to hate us!

Anyway, thanks again. Photo of LM2 and some of Ryan to follow this week.

The day before the big test

I feel like it's the day before a really big exam... one you just cannot fail. Tomorrow morning is my thrid ultra sound of this pregnancy. The results will determine whether I need surgery while pregnant or if life will continue as normal. There are days when I feel very positive about this experience. I feel like the reduction of the cyst by 20 percent in two weeks (between weeks 7 and 9) mean the cyst will be gone and no surgery will be needed. Then there are the days when I have a complete meltdown because I really can't imagine surgery while pregnant. Well, I cannot imagine surgery period.

Today I am nervous. I cannot prepare as if this were an exam. It's more like a pop quiz. I'll show up and the results will be what they will be. I'm still nervous. It's going to take a long time for 9:30 tomorrow morning to get here.

For now I wait and hope to pass this test.

Did I mention...

that Kyle and Sarah visited in November? Well they did and it was great. Here's a photo of us together. Sarah's due in May for their first baby. I already have a small baby belly. The morning sickness has not yet left, which is so disappointing. I was having a really good week and then this morning things were bad possibly because I went to be hungry... not good.

The man in the bedroom and other stories

There was a man in our bedroom last night. I don't expect anyone to believe me especially after the last time I saw a man on the couch and he was just a sweatshirt and guitar case (see my post from May).

But there was a man standing at the door to our bedroom last night. Adam's convinced it's the new headache medicine my doc gave me. It's a narcotic. It can cause hallucinations. That's his theory. It could be right.

My mother-in-law, however, believes in spirits. I don't mean wine and spirits, though I'm sure she likes those too. I mean the ones that visit you. Once she claims to have seen angels guarding her room while her husband was away on business. My father-in-law has seen a lady in a blue dress walk in our living room. My grandmother used to tell us that my grandfather would come and sit on the bed and talk to her after he had died.

I didn't hold a conversation with the man in the doorway, instead I tried to call for help. Hello, there was a strange person standing in our doorway. I don't know if I believe in spirits the way these other people in my life do, but there was something in that doorway, real or imagined last night and it freaked me out.

In other stories, I am anxiously awaiting my ultrasound next week. I just want to know if I'm having surgery while pregnant or if the cyst has disappeared. It's exciting that this will be my third ultrasound and that we get to see baby again. There have been a lot of people who've sent encouraging messages about this whole situation. I've needed those. Thank you.

And one last pregnancy thing. I'm hungry all. the. time. Someone help me please! I was not this hungry with Ryan. I'm sure that had something to do with being miserably sick until seven months. This time, while sick, I'm not nearly as miserable as with Ry. Having my thyroid under control probably has something to do with this. I refuse to gain one more pound in the two weeks remaining in my first trimester!

Ryan bakes more cookies

This was the finished product. Notice the very green cookie. He worked on that one for a long time.

He's eating and working at the same time!

The post I've been wanting to write

As the title suggests, I've been waiting to write this for awhile, but I've had to wait for the right timing.

McGee's three will become McGee's four in June 2008... we are expecting again!

I feel I should be more excited, but this pregnancy hasn't been any fun so far. The excitement ended the day after the pregnancy test was positive in the Babies R Us bathroom. (I couldn't bring the test here for the in-laws to see it!) The happiness ended because of a yeast infection. Just not nice.

Then there was morning sickness at week five! Week FIVE people. GRRRR! I went to work and quickly came home. Went to the doctor who wanted me to go to the hospital, but I managed to hold that water in until the parking lot! We got our prescription and it's been better, but not the best.

Then there was the UTI. Can things just stop going wrong down there? Please? Pretty Please?!

Oh no. That would be too easy. Pregnancy always has to be complicated for me. Last time it was my thyroid which made my pregnancy high risk because it's easy to miscarry. We made it though. This time, thyroid problems do the same thing, so I had an ultra sound at seven weeks. Baby's heart rate was fine and things seemed fine.

But the doctor and the ultra sound tech had a conversation in whispers... and I wondered, but she said nothing. Well, until this week when she informs me I need another ultra sound because, "you have a really large ovarian cyst that can cause complications in later months."

Okay don't panic because doc says this can be taken care of early and early is better than too late.

Ultra sound number two lands me in an office with a specialist who explains that during the first trimester most women develop a smaller version of the cyst that I have because it keeps the pregnancy viable until the eighth week when the placenta takes over. The problems is that mine is still the size of a baseball at week nine.

So now we wait until week 13 when we do a third ultra sound. If the cyst has gone away, no need for surgery. If it's still there I get to have surgery while pregnant. Fun, huh? And in the meantime if I feel like I might be miscarrying, I.E. in a lot of pain, get to the ER because it's something to do with the cyst!

So begins the life of Little McGee II. While we're feeling excited about giving Ryan a brother or sister (and we aren't finding out the gender until he or she enters the world...much to my sister-in-laws frustration) we're nervous about the whole cyst thing.

Ryan has no idea about baby, though he puts his head on my stomach and listens sometimes. I think he mostly hears gas or other tummy rumblings. Speaking of tummy rumblings, I've been more hungry this pregnancy than the last. More hungry is not good when you are also not keeping food in most mornings and sometimes in the evenings.

And this, btw, was the secret that my dear friend Sarah leaked to co-workers of Adam's. We didn't want family finding out through them and had planned to wait to tell my in-laws last this time (my parents first since they visit this weekend) but that ruined that plan. Oh well =-)

Now to tell my parents tonight. Maybe I'll take photos and post them here later this week.

Ryan goes trick-or-treating




Ryan went trick-or-treating last night, thanks to a borrowed costume from our neighbours. He really enjoyed getting the treats. He went at Squirt from Finding Nemo. Dada helped him knock on doors, though he is really good at it himself. It was fun and he was just so cute. This is my second attempt of this post. The first one ended badly when Ryan pressed some button that made it all go away!

And then it got around...

Last night we had a lovely dinner with our friends Marie and Mike. It was really nice to see them and their new apartment.

Then we got home.

And there was a message on our answering machine from Adam's newest employee (who is so wonderful) that revealed that someone told another employee something that was supposed to be a secret.

I know I had only told one person. ONE person. And somehow this bit of information had leaked out to one of my husband's employees who was gossipy enough to share with new employee boy who thought we should be aware of such a situation.

I was so mad, but I didn't believe my trusted friend, Sarah C., would not keep a secret. Then dear old husband reminded me that her mother had been nearby when I told said secret and probably missed the part where I said, "but this is just between us, okay."

A little investigation today and we find that it was most likely Sarah C.'s mother-dear.

But still... can't people mind their own business? I'm still in fear that the secret has been told to millions!

USS Albacore

We took a field trip this weekend to the USS Albacore in Portsmouth New Hampshire. The sub was a test ship from 1953 to 1972 and was built at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. We had fun and are glad we decided to go.

Fall Photo



So many photos of Ryan... I picked this one to share since it's nice and fall-like. He loved this day. We went to Punkin Fiddle and saw lots of animals... he called them all dogs, but hey, it was fun!

Baby Rhyme Time

Ryan went to his first Baby Rhyme Time today. At first he held on for dear life and didn't want to do any of the songs or anything. Then we did some rhymes that involved being bounced on my knee and tickled in the tummy and hew as very much into it then.

The toys came out later and he was very much delighted. Only thing is, being an only child so far, Ryan just walked around and stole toys from other babies, even when he already had a toy. It was kind of funny, but at the same time we'd love for him to learn to share.

And he didn't want to leave, mostly because of the toys.

I am glad we went, even if it took a half hour to get there!

Ear infection and Strep

My ear hurt so bad on Sunday that we went to the urgent care place in Wells. Not only do I have an ear infection, I also have strep. I swear if I get in a 50 foot radius of someone with strep, I get it! My ear hurt so bad that I didn't notice the pain in my throat. My ear still hurts today, but at least I only have one prescription for both ailments.

We moved yesterday too. It's nice to finally be done, but I hated every minute of the move. Ryan is outside with his grandmother laughing right now, so he's happy, and that's good.

Now just to find where we packed everything =-)

My ear hurts and we're moving

This week I've been really tired. Ryan keeps waking up for the day at 5:30 a.m. - not good. Some how it was okay when he was ity bity, but now it's just not fun. This morning he climbed over me, grabbed my hand and took me to the fridge for his milk. He drank it in our bed and then went back to sleep. I am still awake. I think I have an ear infection. It REALLY hurts. It's also Saturday, which means I'll have to wait till Monday to see the doctor. Sigh.

We're also in the process of our big move to the in-law's basement apartment.... well that's what it will be once the living room and bathroom are done. Right now, it's just two bedrooms. We were supposed to move Thursday, but there were some finishing things to do and yesterday I worked 9-6. We're going to move our stuff tomorrow after church.

I know this move will be good for us in terms of getting out of debt from when the newspaper job when south, but I'm not ready for it. I like our house. I don't want to rent it out to strangers (no one wants to buy it, apparently).

Then I read Kathleen's post and thought, maybe my attitude needs to shift from one of grumpiness, negativity, and complaining (and thinking that this won't work out) to one of peace and of 'the hope of the glory of God.'"

In separate news, my friend, Sarah "six months" (so nicknamed because she didn't know she was pregnant with baby number dos until she was six months pregnant) is expecting baby number three. This time, she's just 12 weeks along. We're really excited for them. They're great parents to Trevor and Madison.

In other news, I had wicked cute photos of Ryan to post, but the usb cord that connects from my camer to the computer is not working. Sorry.

Must go take asprin for ear. Will write more after the move.

K-12

I got this idea from my friend Gillie

It's a really neat way to remember life a long time ago... at least it seems like a long time ago.

Kindergarten: My teacher's name was Miss Courtney and she had this puppet that came out on rainy days.

First Grade: Mrs. Cooper was my teacher and I remember my cousin Gina and this boy, Pete sitting at the back of the class. We also wrote really small in this grade. I remember she liked small, neat handwriting.

Second Grade: I had an awesome teacher, Miss Jenkins who married high school P.E. teacher Mr. Fretz. Anyway, I discovered some of my favorite books in her class during reading hour. They are, James and the Giant Peach, Mr. Popper's Penguins and The Mouse and the Motorcycle. Also, we did a play and I had the role of the teacher.

Third Grade: Mrs. Malcolm was my teacher. She had a paddle named Big Ben. You never wanted to get hit with Big Ben for being bad in class. I also remember this kid Arthur wet his pants a lot.

Fourth Grade: I had Mr. Tatum for a teacher. He was from Texas and loved to talk about it. I mostly remember spelling bees where he would call out a word and two people would be at the chalkboard. First to spell it right got their team points. Katrina and I used to be paired against each other. We were the fastest.

Fifth Grade: This was a fun year. Nashika came to our school that year. She was cool. Jaton, Nashika and I were really good friends the next two years. Mrs. Hannah had a sleep-over for all the girls and several pool parties for our entire class. Such fun!

Sixth Grade: Jr. Girls Softball Championship lost. Class trip to Orlando. Awesome.

Seventh Grade: I remember a lot about the seventh grade. I could write a book. The thing that stands out most is that there were a lot of teachers "from away" (as they say in Maine). I had to get used to Jamaican, British and several other accents. Miss Neita was a crazy teacher. It was the first year I met Tom Barkley, my math teacher and friend. This was my second year playing Jr. Girls Softball.

Eighth Grade: Hatchet...that book about a boy that gets stranded on an island.... we read the same chapter over and over in Miss Burrows (aka Rummy) class because the woman could not remember anything! We were convinced she was drinking...hence the nickname. She also saved a special seat at the front of the class for the Holy Spirit.

Ninth Grade: Bahamas Junior Certificate Examinations. Miss Button was my Math teacher. She was awesome. This was also the best year in terms of friends from church. We had an awesome group that always hung out together. Good times.

Tenth Grade: Miss Smith was one of my homeroom teachers. I'm not sure if it was this year or the year before, but at some point she painted her VW Beetle (the old school one) like a purple zebra. Senior Girls Softball Team wins championships. I was the catcher.

Eleventh Grade: Long evenings with Jaton and Mr. Brown working on yearbook.

Twelfth Grade: Softball team sucked this year, but I played anyway. I also remember our coursework for BGCSEs (another national exam) where I made a vest and school bag. The two pieces ended up touring the Bahamas.

More Photos


So this was one of three dolphins we saw while boating. The first day I just thought it was a shark, but that it was still cool. We circled around and it came up for air again. I tired to get photos that day, but no luck. The second day there were two. I managed to get a photo of the baby one.


One of the big crabs we caught.


Ryan learns to drive.

Abaco

Our trip to Abaco was wonderful. Adam got lots of rest, which he really needed since he works so hard. His rest included finishing the HP books 5 and 6. He is on to the Deathly Hallows now!

My mum watched Ryan each morning so that I could go fishing with the guys. I really love to fish so this was just wonderful. On Thursday and Friday we caught a lot of fish. Thursday was my lucky day as I pulled in 75 percent of our catch. Oh what fun!

It seems the days went by too fast and we did so much. We have LOTS Of photos. I'll try to post a few here, but they are already up on facebook for those who use that internet tool.


The three of us in the water. We swam just about every night. So relaxing.


My favorite photo from this trip. Ryan explores the water by himself. Then runs to dada because he has sand in his shoes =-)

Another fav of my little boy.

More photos tomorrow.

Trip

We're visiting my parents this weekend (a nice gift from them). Packing stresses me. I've been packing since Monday... I do this before I travel. I'm still worried we will leave something we need for Ryan or something really important like bras or something. Other than that I am really looking forward to the time with my family, days spent exploring the island with Ryan and resting!

Look for photos next Monday.

Counting my blessings

Today I recieved a great surprise in the mail. Dear friends of ours sent is a gift card. It's enough to cover our groceries for almost a month. I cried when I finally figured out what it was. At first I thought there was a mix up at home office, but then it all became very clear.

In addition to this wonderful blessing, I recieved a long e-mail from a long lost friend. His words were very uplifting in a time when things aren't so great. He suggested I count my blessings. He reminded me that while our situation right now seems bleak I have a loving husband, a handsome son, great friends and family and we aren't living on the street!

I counted a few more blessings. Our repairs to the bathroom didn't cost us a lot. My in-laws brought us a pot roast for dinner on Sunday along with lots of goodies that actually helped us make it through the week in terms of lunch food. We are going to visiting my family this weekend.

This list could go on for a long time, but making it lifted my spirits. Yay!

Facebook

So when I started a blog I figured that would be it for me. It's not every day I get to post and I often have to think about what to write or where I stored those photos so I can put them here.

Then an old friend, Scott, invited me to join facebook. At first I was just going to delete the e-mail. I mean I already have a blog that I have a hard time keeping up with and I stink at writing email to friends. Why sign myself up for more failure?

Then I decided to poke around.

And I signed up.

Now I'm addicted.

Did I mention it was just yesterday that I signed up?

Let me tell you what I love about it.

You can find people you haven't heard from in ages... like high school ages. It's really nice to see what people are doing these days. I'd only kept in touch with one high school friend and now I get to see what's happening in so many other lives. People are getting married, having kids, building houses. And you can just post one line-ers on their facebook page... nothing complicated like a long e-mail. You can just say, "hi."

It's easy. Fill in some blanks, add some photos... piece of cake.

I also played a cool game or two.

I just like the site... check it out sometime.

The Peabodys and a butterfly

Here are a few photos from when Marc and Robin visited this past week. I was horrible at taking photos... and we went places together... like Shaines (Sarah, there's a huge sign outside that says "Open Year Round." No need to worry about November) and to Old Orchard Beach... and I have just two photos. I think it's safe to say their most memorable moment of the trip was when Ryan threw up all over the backseat of the car... just kidding! It was great to see them. Reunion in Greenville next year all Greenville-ites from our years there? Anyway there's also a photo of a butterfly that frequents my garden.

Essay Contest

How winning this contest would impact/change my life? (www.metrocast.net/~winmyhouse)

Our friends are in the same situation as we are in terms of owning a house they’d like to sell in order to get a fresh start on life. The only differences are that their house cost way more and they have two children and one on the way.

Last year they tried to sell their home the conventional way. This year, they’ve opted to try something new. They’re holding an essay contest. Write a 250-word essay or less about how winning their wonderful home could change your life and pay an entry fee of $100. If 3,000 people enter they pay off their mortgage and the best writer gets the house.

I told my mom about their creativity and she suggested we enter the contest (she’d give us the $100). Her reasoning is that we have nothing to lose and maybe this is God’s way of helping us out.

Thing is, I don’t know what to write. They want witty writing. They want good grammar and punctuation. They want something so good it would beat out 3,000 other people’s reasons for a house. They don’t want an essay full of clichés, which is what I feel I could give them (maybe that could be witty?).

I’ve started an essay about ten times already (essay deadline: Nov. 30), but I cannot commit to any one of those beginnings. For example: “Winning 28 Park Street would give my family a new lease on life and allow us to spend more time together raising our family the way we feel is right.” That just seems too boring. They want catchy.

So this is our story in the best way I know how to write it.

A young man has always had one dream: to have a family and be the sole provider for his wife and children. While attempting to achieve this dream in the overtaxed and underpaid state of Maine that young man has instead worked so many hours to barely get by that he doesn’t get to spend time with his family. With ever-increasing debt the young man realizes that his dream may never be fulfilled the way he had hoped.

That young man is my husband, Adam, and winning the house at 28 Park Street would make his only dream of providing for his family on his income alone a reality. In addition, it would allow him to spend time with the family he loves so much. Instead of working 12-hour shifts to pay off debt, Adam could work nine hours a day and spend evenings and weekends with his family.

Adam would not miss out on silly events like seeing his son run around the house with a little red cape on his back screaming, “subah man!” Adam and I would get to spend quality time together instead of sleepily telling each other important things about the day as we go to bed at night. Debt would be paid off so we wouldn’t be going to live with our parents in their basement with our one year old. We’d have our independence, we’d have our family and a longtime dream would be fulfilled.

Too redundant? Got any suggestions?

We have time to re-write it. We just want to win!

FAUCET UPDATE

A quick update to the pouring faucet incident. The part cost $35... it's fixed... well mostly. It still leaks a little, but we think we have it figured out. Adam's dad is coming to help us on Sunday. He was supposed to come this eveing, but that didn't work out. Plus our friends Marc and Robin are visiting and we've been spending late evenings with them. For now, the water isn't gushing and the basement is again dry! And $35 is do-able, though still not in the budget. I guess we should count our blessings!

LEAKING FAUCET

Ever have one of those nights that just makes the whole week stink? Well that was last night.

We had a leak in the bathroom faucet. It wasn't so bad a few weeks ago then last night it was just bad. So, Adam said tightening a screw would help. Oh no! It did not help. The water just started POURING out. Then we shut off the valve to the bathroom and the water started pouring in our basement. After 15 minutes we finally discover the well hidden valve that turns off the water from outside. GRRR! We really have no spare cash to fix said mess, but let's face it... we need to shower, do dishes... all that stuff.

So at 9:30 last night Adam's dad came to help us see if it was a simple fix. No such luck. Today we go to purchase parts with no money to spare. I swear we have the worst luck with this stuff. A month ago it was our car that we absolutly need to fix, but didn't have $800 to fix it with, but had to anyway.

Our house is on the market, but has only seen one couple who aren't ready to buy just yet. The money situation stinks right now. Adam works SO MUCH. I work, but ony days he doesn't work because we can't put Ry in day care nor can we afford another car. It just sucks. We just want a fresh start and it's not happening.

Now to go help fix the mess that happened last night!

RYAN LEARNS TO BAKE

On rainy days I wonder what to do with Ry. He loves to be outside so these days are difficult if they cannot be broken up with time at the park or in the yard. Today was one of those days. He was being so good until about 3 p.m. I decided to let him learn to bake. I watched his every move, of course. He helped put the flour in the bowl, put the cookies on the cookie sheet and begged to take them off when they were done, but that was my job! He loved standing on the chair next to me (we've done this before when I've had to cook or wash dishes and he wants to see what's going on)and thought it was cool to move the cookies into one large cluster on the sheet. We really had fun.

In addition to baking, he's learned how to put shoes on and so he brought Adam's shoes to me and put his little feet inside and sat around for a little while just looking at the shoes.

Enjoy the photos!


Wearing dad's shoes.


I like putting the cookies on the cookie sheet.


I'm so strong I can pick this up and give it to mum to put in the oven.


Ryan waits for the cookies to get out of the oven. (He was not allowed to take them off the cookie sheet... he had to watch mum do that job.)

On motherhood and Harry Potter

Warning: random ramblings about being mommy and Harry Potter

A long time ago I made a post about being a mommy It was May 24... about a week after my doctor gave Ryan to Adam and said, "This is your son; he's yours for a lifetime." Being a mommy then was hard. I had no clue about what lack of sleep can do to a person or how difficult breastfeeding can be if you have no support from family or friends.

A year later I can say that there are still days when being a mommy is tough. Like this week for example... Ryan decides to scream in church (once) and we promptly took him out. The guy behind us says, "Geez it's about time!" This is the time in mommyhood when you want to punch someone, but can't because you're in church. Then Monday, he was a whinny boy. Just whined the whole day. I know he wanted to go outside, but it was raining and no matter what cool game or activity I came up with, he just wanted to be "owsie." Then Tuesday he was an angel. He got to go outside. The rain had stopped. Yay! Today he wanted to climb the stairs at Aunt Vanessa's house without anyone watching him and he didn't want to go to bed. And the kid never listens when I say no, but listens to daddy.

While there are days that are tough and make me want to pull my hair out, I wouldn't want to trade them for anything. He's so precious when he takes his two little hands and holds my face and gives me really wet kisses, over and over and over again. He laughs after every kiss. And I love it when he comes over when I'm reading a magazine and gently closes it to remind me I'm supposed to be playing with him instead (not that I've forgotten, I just thought I could sneak in some reading really quickly). I love it when he runs to the door when Adam gets home and claps his hands and squeels with delight. He's my sweet baby. A treasure sent from heaven.

Sister-in-law is experiencing the new mommy blues like I did. It wasn't easy, but we made it through. Her circumstances are different, but it's still tough. Babies don't come with instructions and they are all so different. What may work for one doesn't necessarily work for the other. This too shall come to pass and she will look back and laugh at thinking how complicated baby seems now. I do. I laugh thinking that I cried becasue Adam went to work and I was left "alone." I confessed this to my doctor at our two week check up and at six weeks she confessed that she was afraid I was in for some serious post-partum depression. We can laugh at it now, but back then it wasn't funny.

I've said it a million times, but I wouldn't trade being mommy for anything else. I love watching Ryan grow and learn. I especially love when he calls socks "shoes!" and tries to put them on our feet. I love when he's so brave and runs across the bridge at the park all by himself.

So this has nothing to do with Harry Potter, but I did finish book seven. I won't give anything away, but I will say I loved it. Adam had theories about Snape and he was right. And there was a theme running through them all, which I cannot discuss now, but at some later date. I think J.K. Rowling has grown as a writer and that her work has been clever. It'd be nice if she created another world for us to escape to sometime, but if not, maybe there will be other writers who write original things (not additions to Harry Potter or copycats!) that will be just as clever and continue to get children and adults alike reading.

She's here!

Here are two wonderful photos. One of Madison Lucy born Sunday, July 15 at 9:30 a.m. weighing 6 lbs 2 oz and 18 inches long. I am a proud aunt who hasn't seen her neice yet... Adam took these photos... I was at work yesterday afternoon when he visited.

Also here's one of my handsome Ryan playing in a drawer that I was cleaning out. He's hugging his buddy Paws.

Another baby update

Sister-in-law will be induced today. She was having contractions last night and they watched her all night and decided to induce today. They think she'll have baby sometime late tonight or very early tomorrow morning.

Sister-in-law's father is still in hospital. The stroke did most of the damage on the right side of the brain. So he's loosing speach, memory and balance. He's starting some therapy today and they are also watching him because he has been having seizures.

Thanks again for the prayers. I'll post photos of Madison when she arrives.

Update

Seems like sister-in-law and baby are okay. She had an appointment with the doctor today.

As for her dad, the news is still sketchy. It seems as if the stroke could have been fairly bad, so continue to pray for him.

Prayer Request

Hello all...

My sister-in-law is 37 weeks pregnant and found out that her amniotic fluid is low, which is not good for baby. In addition, she found out today that her father had a stroke on Saturday. Apparently they were keeping the information from her so as not to worry her. She's a wreck now, as I can only imagine. Her parents live in New York so she's hoping for the OK from her doc to travel. Her name is Vanessa and her dad's name is Frank. I'll update when I know more.

Thanks again. It's so nice to have a wonderful extended family in Christ.

A 7/7/07 Wedding

We attending a wedding yesterday. Here are the two best photos. It was a nice wedding, but the long drive has me tired today.



Chris and Sarah


Ryan and Dada at the table waiting for our food.

More photos



Playing dress up with dada's tie.



Dada and Ryan sleeping together on Sunday.


What a mosquito bite under the eye can look like.

Lots of Photos


Us with Marc and Robin outside of Red Lobster. We were so happy to see them. It had been way too long!

Can you hear me now? Probably not since I am talking into the wrong end of the cell phone.

Ryan running to the dance floor. He can really shake his booty.

The group of friends we travelled with to Melissa and Tony's wedding.

Ryan sitting in his own chair that he got for his birthday.

Having some birthday cupcake. Ryan thought it was just okay. He likes things like pickles and chips (which we try not to give him) more than cake and cookies (which we also try not to feed him).

On Memorial Day, we celebrated Ryan's birthday with a party. We first took a trip to the parade where he put his foot up on the stroller. It was too cute.

Grandma Grabianowski

For those of you who have been praying and keeping up-to-date on things... my grandmother passed away this afternoon. My mum and dad visited with them last week and just left on Saturday. So, now I ask for prayers for my grandfather who, after 62 years of marriage, is having a hard time dealing with this and will need to make some tough decisions in the next week.

Thanks again to those of you who have been praying for us.

Crafty

I've been reading this book, "The Friday Night Knitting Club," by Kate Jacobs and it's inspiring me. I do want to learn to knit better than I can now, but need a tutor, I think. So, I've been doing other crafty things. I've been working on two crocheted rugs for our bathroom. The first is complete and looks wonderful. Now, to just get the second one done. Then, I plan to crochet two sweaters for two babies on the way. Oh, and then there's this purse that I want to crochet for myself and the top that I saw in the same magazine. The list is almost endless.

I'm also working on a surprise for sister-in-law for her baby. That seems to be a bit more challenging than I had expected. It's a sewing project and it's cut out, but that's as far as I've gotten. It's easier to crochet with Ryan around in the evenings than to get out the sewing machine to sew. He's too interested in where it plugs in and the parts that make it go.

But the project I should be working on is scrapbooking. I really want to display the entire first year photos of Ryan at his first birthday party (btw, he turned one on Tuesday, had no clue why were singing to him and just wanted his bottle) but I'm so far behind. We're doing the party on the 28th so that sister-in-law, who missed his birth, won't miss the first party. We're keeping it simple, some food, some cake, some fun watching Ryan. But, that darn scrapbook is not up-to-date! I need some motivation... any books about scrapbooking clubs? =-)

They called in "Sick"

It's a nice day outside today. The sun is shining, it's hot and there's not a cloud in the sky. It's the perfect day for someone to call in "sick." While I have never done this some people do, like the people who work for my husband.

See, today started out really good. Ryan woke up at an hour that I felt was acceptable (i.e. not 5 a.m.) and husband was off to work. Ry has already taken two naps, which is great because earlier this week he wasn't really interested in napping at all. The ironing is done and the house isn't looking so bad.

Husband was going to come home from work, we'd get the grocery shopping done, take a walk, watch a movie. But that's going to be another night because someone decided to call in "sick." You know, they're a mother and I bet they call in "sick" tomorrow too.

I'm really po'd about the situation. I knew when husband took this job there would be days like this, except I thought they would be when people were really sick. In addition to him arriving home around 8 p.m., I also decided not to take the car today. I mean, he'd be home at 4 p.m. and we'd get to do things together so it wasn't a big deal.

So, if you're the type to call in "sick" think about the other people missing out on time with their parent or spouse because chances are they aren't going to like you very much anymore.

The man on the couch, gram and Kathleen

Last night I got up to go to the bathroom and there was someone sitting on our couch. I went back into the bedroom and said, "Adam, I hate to sound stupid, but I think there's someone in our living room." He quickly got out of bed, pushed me further into the room and went to investigate.

There was no one sitting on our couch, but we both thought it coul have been a person. It was just the guitar case and a sweatshirt. The two items were placed in such a way that it really looked like a person sitting there.

In other news, my grandmother is slowly getting worse. I've expressed to others that I'm not sure how to feel about this since we weren't very close. I'm sad she's dying, but know that she's been suffering for the past eight years with strokes and heart attacks.

I ask prayers for my mum. I can't imagine what it's like to watch you own mum slowly die.

I'd like it if you guys kept my friend Kathleen in your prayers. She recently had a miscarriage.

Update

Mum made it to be with grandma. All of her siblings are also there. I can only imagine that this is a hard time for them and for Gram who knows that she has a week to live... well less now.

Just thought I'd give an update.

Grandma

My grandmother is dying. She and my grandfather live in Ohio. My mum is rushing to meet them today and we're praying she makes it in time for one last vist with gram. It's a tough thing when you know someone has been suffering for so long. You want them to be at peace, but you want one last time together. My mum is a wreck, as she should be.

Prayers greatly appreciated.

We're back!

We had a lovely trip in the Bahamas. My dad was very surprised to see us for his birthday. When we arrived he was cleaning fish in the kitchen and when I walked in he asked what Ry and I were doing there. He was very glad to see us. We had a lovely trip that included spending Papa's birthday with him. The flights there were wonderful and I thought it would be the same on the way back, but alas I missed my connection (due to no fault of my own, only the unhelpful people of a certain airline) and had to purchase formula from a CVS which I had to get to by cab. I didn't get home till midnight with no suitcase because I ended up having to get a flight to Portland and not Manchester. Suitcase came in last night... late... like when no one should ring your doorbell. But I have it back!

A few photos of our adventure...



Ryan and Muma pose with the Junkanoo man.



" I don't like the sand. It's icky!"



In the big Atlantis chair.



Ryan looking at fish in Atlantis on Papa's birthday.



Ryan on the plane playing with his new toy.

Random Stuff

I promised myself I'd find time to make more than one post this month. I don't want anyone to stop checking because I haven't made a post in a month!

I've managed to get some sort of cold. I thought I'd dodged the bullet, but I guess I was bound to get this cold since Adam, Ryan and little Allison all had it.

Easter

It doesn't feel much like Easter here. We'll still have snow on the ground tomorrow. I'm longing to see tulips and other such flowers dotting people's lawns and there are none. While it may not feel like Easter, it is. Church happenings point that out very much. You can't go to Good Friday service and not be aware that tomorrow is the day we celebrate Christ's resurrection. He gave us this spring.

I read a wonderful line in my devotional today. It was talking about how easy it may be for us to point our fingers at the phariseees and say how horrible they were for getting Jesus hung on the cross. BUT "There are no good guys and bad guys, just a race of sinners who are passionately loved by their heavenly Father and who have been undeservingly redeemed by his beloved Son."

Passinately loved -- loved so much that He would die for us. We who turn our backs on Him and shake our fists when the going gets tough were undeservingly redeemed. Hallalujah, what a Savior!

Traveling

If Ry's passport makes it in time, we'll be leaving for beautiful Nassau next weekend. I'm excited about going. I will miss Adam not traveling with us. I will worry that he won't wake up in time for work and eat very unhealthy meals while I'm away. I will worry until we get there that Ry will be a horrible almost one year old... kicking and screaming to get down. But when I am there, I will relax and enjoy my dad's 62nd birthday (it's a surprise) and I will let Nana and Papa spoil my little rascal to death. I'm excited to see friends I haven't seen in awhile and just be at home in the warm weather. Should be fun.

Packing

And because of said trip I have already started packing. I hope to bring everything we may need that dear old mum doesn't have. Ry has helped with the packing, mostly closing and opening the suitcase.

So there's my post. I've enjoyed reading yours (if you have a blog). I'll be back soon. Promise

Last night we had another crazy bit of snow. It's April! Make the snow stop! Last week we had some nice spring weather and now it's like winter again. Good news is that Ry hadn't played in the snow yet, so he got his chance and here are some of the photos.