Wordless Wednesday

A Serious Conversation

Last night I was putting Michael to bed when he started asking me some questions.

Michael : "Where is Grandee's (my mom) dad?"

Me: "He died a few years ago."

Michael: "Why did he die?"

Me: "Because he was old."

Michael: "Where is PopPop's (my dad) mom?"

Me: "She died when I was pregnant with you."

Michael: "Where is Grandaddy's (Todd's dad) mom?"

Me: "She died too."

Then he started crying and saying that he would miss his grandparents when he died. He said this about 3 or 4 times before I finally told him that he would see everyone again in heaven. I didn't have the heart to tell him that his grandparents would probably die before he would. He really took me by surprise when he was asking these questions. He was so sad that it made me start crying too.

It makes me wonder what questions he will ask in the future and if we will be ready to answer them. I guess we better start preparing now.

First Game

Tonight was Michael's first game of the t-ball season. He put his uniform on and we headed off to the field. Michael's team is the Lugnuts. They played the same team tonight that they played in the scrimmage on opening day.

The game lasted for one hour or 3 innings, whichever comes first. It was so cute to watch the kids play. The team is made up of 3 and 4 year olds who are playing for the first time. Michael's team was up to bat first and he was actually the first player up to bat. He hit the ball on the first swing and ran to first base. He made it all the way around the bases to home plate.

It was a lot of fun to watch them and at the end of the game, they shook hands with the other team. Then all the kids had a snack and we headed home. It was a successful start to the season and we can't wait to watch more games!

Good news

Katie had her annual cardiology appointment today. An echocardiogram and exam were scheduled. When Katie didn't want to get weighed at the beginning of the appointment or let the nurse listen to her heart, I wondered how the rest would go.

The doctor came in to examine her and she let him listen to her heart and breathing. Then we headed into the echo room. I came prepared with Tootsie Roll pops and candy canes. I gave her a candy cane to start with, followed by the pop. Katie was very cooperative and laid pretty still on the table while the technician got the pictures and measurements that she needed.

After the echo, the doctor came back into the room to review it. Katie had an ASD, which had closed significantly between her 6 month and 1 year checkup. Today's echo showed that the hole was now completely closed! She does not have mitral valve prolapse at this time either and her aorta measured within the normal range for a child her age. What a relief it was to hear this news!

We will go back in a year for another follow-up and also visit Johns Hopkins this summer.

Katie's 2 year checkup

Katie has her 2 year well visit yesterday. Everything went great and she didn't even have to get any shots at the appointment, which always makes it good. The 2 year appointment was when we noticed that Michael's spine was curved and we started going to the orthopedic doctor. Thankfully, everything looks good on Katie at this time.

She is 36.5 inches tall (97%) and weighs 28 pounds (79%). I looked back at Michael's stats for the same age and he was 2 inches shorter but weighed the exact same. The doctor told us that Katie is actually as tall as the average 2.75 year old. No wonder several people thought that she was going to be turning 3, not 2. It will be interesting to see if she continues on this growth curve or not.

All in all, a good visit. Next we have her annual cardiology appointment on Tuesday. I hope that one goes as well as this one did.

Birthday: Part II

Since yesterday was Katie's actual birthday, we celebrated some more. I made an Elmo cake for us to have after dinner. I had thought about doing an Elmo party for Katie since she loves him but decided against it. And since the cake was gone from the party, I decided on Elmo. I started making it on Monday and finished decorating it this afternoon with a little help from Michael.







We had dinner and sang Happy Birthday to Katie after that. She still didn't blow out the candle but Michael was more than happy to help with that. She opened up her cards with Michael's help. Then it was time for her present. We got her the Little Mommy play center. It has a changing table, feeding center, crib, bathtub and kitchen. I know Katie is going to have fun playing with it as she was so excited as we were opening it. She kept saying "oh, Katie". It was so cute!



Michael took this picture of the 3 of us and I love it!

Happy Birthday Katie!

2 years ago today, Katherine Marie came into our lives. It was love at first sight and she is the perfect addition to our family. In the time that has passed, she has grown from a tiny newborn to a walking, talking toddler.

This past year has brought a whirlwind of changes in Katie. She has all of her teeth except her 2 year molars and has grown several inches. I have also cut her bangs countless times since her first birthday as her hair grows pretty quickly. Katie has gone from saying a few words when she turned 1 to speaking in full sentences at age 2.

Katie is becoming very strong willed, which is no surprise as she is turning 2. I am hoping to start potty training soon as she always wants to be in the bathroom and will tell you when she wants you to change her diaper. However, I can already tell it's going to be on her terms.

She really loves her big brother and thinks that she is the same age as him. It's awesome to watch their relationship develop as they are able to communicate with each other. He is one of the first people she asks for if she doesn't see him when she wakes up. Listening to their conversations can be so cute.

Lately, Katie has been a bit more difficult to get to sleep for bed and naps. She sleeps around 12 hours a night and rarely gets up before 7:30am. And she hasn't tried to climb out of her crib yet (knock on wood).

Katie still eats a good variety of foods but will tell you when she is done now. She also asks for specific things to eat and will let you know if she doesn't want what you are offering. It's nice in a way because we don't have to play a guessing game about her meals anymore but she doesn't like for you to tell her that she can't have a "pock" (lollipop).

We are so lucky to have Katie in our lives and a part of our family. It has been a seamless transition since day one and I can't imagine life without her. We are truly blessed to have Katie as our daughter. Happy Birthday Katie.....Mommy, Daddy and Michael all love you very much!

Katie's 2nd Birthday Party

We had Katie's birthday party this past Saturday. We invited family and friends to celebrate the special day.

One of the neat things about having a girl is that there are so many more birthday themes to choose from. The theme we chose was a princess one. I got princess favors, decorations and party plates. We even had a princess banner. Katie wore a pink dress with matching pink shoes. The cake that I made was the princess crown.

Katie was much more into her birthday this year. We have been talking about how old she is going to be. If you ask her, she will tell you that she is going to be 2. However, when it came time to blow out the candle, she really didn't know what to do. So Michael stepped in and blew it out for her. She did eat the majority of her cake and it was not nearly as messy as her first birthday.

After playing outside for a bit, we opened presents. I had a lot of help from several of the kids who were attending the party, as well as Michael. Katie wasn't too interested in opening her gifts but enjoyed playing with what she got.

We had a really nice time and were thankful to have so many people to celebrate with us. Here are a few pictures from the party. Unfortunately we didn't get a shot with the whole family but maybe we can try again on her birthday.

Opening Day

Yesterday was opening day for Michael's t-ball league. Since we were having Katie's party at 3:00 and the t-ball wasn't starting until almost noon, I didn't get to go. So Michael went with Todd and my dad. They have been practicing for the past 2 weeks and games will actually start next week.

It was a beautiful sunny day and a lot warmer than Thursday night's practice. Team and individual pictures were first, followed by a scrimmage. Michael was really excited to get to the field and play some t-ball. He looked so grown up in his uniform.

Here are a few pictures.

Just one of those weeks

that it seems like we are so busy that we can hardly catch our breath. On Monday, Michael had his therapy appointment. Tuesday and Thursday night Michael had t-ball practice and we went to the library. Wednesday Katie and I met some friends at Barnes and Noble for coffee and train time. Michael and I went to church that night for Ash Wednesday. Friday we will be getting ready for Katie's party. Saturday is Michael's opening day for t-ball and Katie's 2nd birthday party.

I know that the coming years will just get busier and busier as Katie and Michael get older. And it will be a challenge to get everything done. Guess I better get as much sleep as I can now!

I don't know how they do it

I am talking about moms with 3 or more kids. Since I have started watching another child during the day, it takes me even longer to get moving to get out of the house. I guess that you develop a rhythm over time and become extremely proficient at multi-tasking. I only have 2 hands, which is a bit of a handicap when trying to handle 3 kids.

It's pretty funny because there are definitely some times when I feel like I have the entire situation under control. And then there are other times when I feel like if something could go wrong, it will. I try to keep things in perspective and realize that I have moments like this even when it's just me and Katie.

Someone told me that adding a third child to your family isn't that hard at all in most cases and that the hardest part is the logistics of getting someplace. I can see where they were coming from. But it's fun to have a playmate for the kids and another child to spend my days with.

Show Me the Mommy

After we took pictures of Michael wearing the Dr. Seuss hat, it was my turn to get some pictures taken in it. Unfortunately, the band was made for a 4 year old and I had to hold it on my head to keep it from falling off. Michael took a picture of me with it on though.

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss

Today is the birthday of Dr. Seuss. Michael's class celebrated with a special treat of Cat in the Hat cupcakes and juice. They read Cat in the Hat before the snack. After the snack, they were reading Green Eggs and Ham. Michael told me that the Cat in the Hat was looking in their window. He told me that they kept looking for him after that but they could not find him again. Michael said that he didn't know if the Cat in the Hat was real or pretend but it was a fun day!

Here is Michael with the hat he made for Cat in the Hat: