Vacation

Brook and I travelled to Florida at the end of January for a little vacation.  We needed to get away.  Haven't had a vacation - just the 2 of us - since 2009.  We used Orlando as our home base.  No Disney this time, although we did go to Downtown D!sney one evening for dinner.  It was unseasonably warm - mid 80s during the day - when we were there. SOOO wonderful!  I started getting excited for summer . . . then realized we had about 5 more months to wait.  ;-)  We took nice long walks each morning and did something different each day.  The first full day we were there, we went to this shrine, did some shopping at an outlet mall, laid by the pool, went to dinner at Joe's Cr@b and played at Dave & Bu$ter's in the evening. 

 

 

I had never eaten crab from the shell before.  I needed an adjustment from a chiropractor afterwards!  Haha!  Brook, on the other hand, was a pro!

 



 

The second day, we went over to Daytona Beach.  Brook stayed just north of there every year with his family while he was growing up.  It was fun to see where they used to camp and reminisce about playing on the beach for hours and eating pecan spins for breakfast.  Those are really great memories for him and I hope to do something just special and memorable with our family each year.  We walked on the beach, ate some good food and relaxed in the sun, soaking up some vitamin D. 

 

We splurged and rented a convertible.  YOLO, right?  Ha

 

 

The last full day, we went over to the gulf side.  We had dinner plans with my cousin, Phyllis; so, we decided to spend the day in Bradenton.  Again, more time in the sun and taking in the beautiful scenery.  We did a little shopping before dinner (outlet malls everywhere!) and then, met Phyllis and her fiance' Will.  We spent hours talking and catching up.  It was wonderful to meet Will and get to know him a little before their big day!  She asked if Max would be a ring bearer in their wedding.  It will be interesting to see if he can make it down the aisle! 

 

And then, it was time to come home.  It was the perfect amount of time for us.  Max stayed with my parents and Veronica and Brandon and did great!  And it was good for me to see that we could go away and Max would survive.  I am already planning our next trip.  ;-)

 

 

Rejuvinated

I just went back and was re-reading some of my old blog posts.  They made me chuckle - some at how my life has changed in 5 years (no more dollar beer nights at Griffin games!) and some at the pics of all the wonderful kiddos in my life.  I love this blog for the scrapbook it creates for us; yet, I have been really horrible at blogging lately.  I want to continue preserve memories and share stories/life happenings with friends and family near and far.  So, I am determined to do better in the future!!  Here's to a new start!

Big Shoes to Fill

One of his favorite things to do.  What a goofball!

Max at 19 Months

Well, I had originally started this at 18 months . . . I'm a little behind.  ;)  He is a solid boy!  Stats at his 18 month wellness visit:

Height:   33 1/2 inches  (82nd percentile)
Weight:  28lbs, 5oz  (90th percentile)

2T tops and 18 or 24 month bottoms. 

He loves to use eating utensils.  He was eating garlic bread the other night with a fork!  And he has to do everything himself.

A few days before Christmas, he got the flu - as in the respiratory flu.  Other than a lingering cough, he is fine now; but every time he gets sick, his taste buds seem to change.  This time, how he eats changed, too.  Instead of eating the entire grilled cheese, he leaves bits and pieces behind.  It's like this with almost everything.  Strange.  His food favorites right now seem to be (block) cheese and pretzels, muffins of any kind, sausage and various fruit.  He eats other things more as picking here and there.  Maybe eggs.  Maybe a carrot. The other night, he downed an enchilada like nobody's business, though.  Then, last night, he wouldn't touch the lasagna. 

He understands, "If you do X, you get Y" now.  Like, "One more bite and you can get down."  Or "If you want a snack, you have to pick up your toys."  It's a wonderful thing.

He loves anything to do with Dora or Diego.  Movies, TV shows, books, you name it.  He says, "Da Da Da" for Dora.

Speaking of speaking (haha), he FINALLY says, "Mommy!"  It's amazing, b/c it's clear as day, too.  Nothing better than hearing your child sqeal with delight "Mommy" when they see you.  He says, "Please, cheese, keys, potty, Brady, baby, grandpa and Grandma (in his own way), Jesus, change it (when handing us the remote - see below about who's in charge!)," as well as some others I'm sure I've forgotten.  He mimics lots of things we say.

The kid loves to dance. Anytime music comes on, especially his singing Elmo, he starts jumping around. When we were at my parents' recently, he pulled my dad off the couch to dance with him to a bear that sings "What Makes You Beaut!ful."  Watching my dad and Max jump around was quite funny!

I don't know if I've written about this in the past, but last April, I went part-time and work Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Brook still stays home with him on Tuesdays and, since September, he has gone to a friend of mine's on Thursdays.  It has worked out great!  She has a little girl who is the same age as Max and they get to learn how to share with each other.  :-) 

He continues to be strong-willed and we continue to teach him who's in charge.  ;-)  Somedays, it's a battle, but he's learning.  After going through everything we have over the last few months, I look at Max as my little miracle.  Being a parent stretches me more than anything else in life, but it's wonderful. 

Rejoice Always

I haven't been posting much, b/c shortly after my last post in October, I found out I was pregnant.  I actually found out October 25th, which is the same day I found out I was pregnant with Max!   We were so excited - another baby to love and a brother or sister for Max.  Around 6 weeks, I began getting nauseous, just like with Max.  Luckily, it wasn't quite as bad this time.  I was still able to somewhat function, which is highly necessary when having a rambunctious toddler!  :-)  At our 10.5 week pre-natal appt on December 14th, I expected to hear our new baby's heartbeat and post exciting news.  It just wasn't meant to be.  After not hearing the heartbeat with the Doppler, which is common at 10.5 weeks, I wanted an ultrasound.  I knew something was up.  We had easily heard Max's at 10.5 weeks.  Yes, this was a different pregnancy, but I didn't care.  As soon as the US started, I knew.  There was no heartbeat.  The tech told us our baby had died at 9.5 weeks.  She was so kind and even printed a picture for us to keep.  It's little things like that that mean so much.  I thought I was prepared for the news, but realized one can never prepare for such news.  It was heartbreaking. 

When I was pregnant with Max, I didn't want to get too attached "just in case."   I have a lot of regret because of that.  Before I got pregnant again, I told God if He let me get pregnant again, I would love the new baby with "reckless abandon."  (I remember specifically using those words.)  And I did.  I have absolutely no regrets.  It is very important for us to recognize this baby as a real person and not just a blob of cells.  He or she is just as much our child as Max is.  So,we named the baby Francis, after one of our favorite saints - St. Francis of Assisi, and take solace that we have a child in Heaven.  After all, isn't that our goal as Christian parents?  There is something so special about knowing we have a child waiting for us after we finish our earthly journey.  It makes Heaven so much more real.

Everyone handles miscarriage differently.  I haven't been shy in talking about it.  (Obviously, since I'm writing about it here.)  Sharing is helping me heal.  The love and support we have received from so many of our friends and family members has been overwhelming.  And it's almost as though I can feel their prayers.  The grace has been so tangible. 

So, here we are at the beginning of 2013 - How are we doing?  Well, the end of December really stunk for our family . . . miscarriage, respiratory flu, transmission going out in our vehicle, work stress.  It was a lot to handle all at once.  So, I was relieved to say good bye to 2012.  Our hearts still hurt for the loss of our baby, but I feel like the new year brought a clean slate and am trying to look forward to all the wonderful things this year will bring.  God has a plan and it's far better than anything I can imagine.  I HAVE to hold onto this.  Again, I know this strength and peace is coming from the multitude of prayers being offered up for us. 

Two of the scripture reading from Mass the Sunday after finding out we lost our baby . . . I almost lost it when they were read, but it's not a coincidence to me that they both talk about "rejoicing" and "being glad."  Even in our sorrow, we rejoice. 

"Shout for joy, O daughter Zion!
Sing joyfully, O Israel!
Be glad and exult with all your heart,
O daughter Jerusalem!
The LORD has removed the judgment against you
he has turned away your enemies;
the King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst,
you have no further misfortune to fear.
On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged!
The LORD, your God, is in your midst,
a mighty savior;
he will rejoice over you with gladness,
and renew you in his love,
he will sing joyfully because of you,
as one sings at festivals."
-Zep 3:14-18

"Brothers and sisters:
Rejoice in the Lord always.
I shall say it again: rejoice!
Your kindness should be known to all.
The Lord is near.
Have no anxiety at all, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God.
Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding
will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
-Phil 4:4-7

15 Months

Stats:
Weight:  25.5lbs   (83rd percentile)
Height:   32.25in  (82nd percentile)
Shoe Size: 6
Clothing Size:  18 months pants, 24 months tops

(I was in disbelief at his weight and height!  He has always been in the 50th or 60th percentile.  He really took off over the last 3 months!)

Here he is inspecting his band-aid, after getting his finger poked at the dr

 

It is almost unbelievable to me that I have a 15 month old!  It is amazing to watch him develop into a little person, who has his own very unique personality.  In some ways, it makes me happy, in others, it makes me sad. I think there is always a special place in a parent's heart for the oldest - they are the ones we learn on.  (And, oh boy, do I have a lot to learn!)  Poor kids.

Max knows what he wants and he definitely makes it known.  He is a strong willed little boy, who loves to push limits.  Most toys don't hold his attention for more than 2 minutes. He loves to get into / do things he knows he shouldn't. (This is common, I guess, right?) The two biggest things right now are turning the TV on and off and climbing behind the couch (to play with the computer printer). There are tons of other things he likes to get into (phones, computers, daddy's glasses, cameras), but those are the newest and most common at the moment. 

He seems to be very independent and secure. He started going to a baby-sitter's house once a week and has no problem at drop off - or all day long, for that matter.  He goes in the nursery to play while  I help out with religious education at church. He barely even notices when I leave. When I come back to pick him up, the ladies tell me, "He's the only one who didn't cry." I am so happy about this! It's great to be able to leave him and not worry the whole time I'm gone. 

Max signs please, thank you, hot and all done.  For "I love you," he blows a kiss.    

His vocabulary has really picked up over the last few weeks.  He says, "Dada, Hi, Bye, Pa (Paws and Pumpkin), Ba (Bath and Ball) and Jesus on his own.  He has started copying a lot of the things we say recently (uh oh!)

He regularly says "Hi" to Jesus when he walks by a crucifix in our home.  "Hi Je-sus," with a wave.

He likes to "read" the Brown Bear book.  He will sit in the recliner and say "b b b b," with the rhythm we use in reading the book.  He is quite the dancer.  He really has some rhythm.  ;-)  I walked into the church nursery last week and Max and his buddy, Charlie, were having a little dance party.  Hilarious!

Having fun with Julia at Notre Dame!

 

He is doing pretty well on the food front . . . getting less picky, but as I'm learning, the pickiness comes and goes. Some of his current favs: pb and grilled cheese sandwiches, hot dogs, cheese quesadillas, pizza, strawberries and applesauce. Still doesn't like pasta or many veggies.  I know, healthy, right?  Hey, you do what you can . . . and then fill the rest with a multi vitamin!

He loves the vacuum / broom / rake.  ( I hope this love doesn't stop. Haha!)  Yesterday, he helped unload the dishwasher by taking the plates out and handing them to us.  He tries to be such a "big" helper. 

We try to get him outside at least once a day to run around and get some energy out.  With the cold weather coming, this is going to be more of a challenge.  I think we are going to join the Y soon, so he can run around there and we can take advantage of the pool.

When we ask him if he wants to go to bed or take a nap, he runs to his room, we put him in his bed and he goes to sleep with no fuss (usually).  Part of the reason he does this is because we have this.  It was a gift our friends, the Parrotts, gave us before Max was born.  He loves it!  I only let him turn it on when he's going to sleep at night, so it's a novelty.  He sleeps about 11 hours at night and still takes 2 naps a day, usually 1-2 hours long.  He is a busy kid when he's awake, he needs his sleep!

Riding for a Cause

This morning, we rode in the R!de for Refuge, which is "a family-friendly cycling fundraiser that supports the displaced, vulnerable and exploited." It's a really cool event, b/c we could choose what charity we wanted our money raised to benefit. Our team (Brook, Hannah, Max and I) rode for the Lakesh0re Pregnancy Center. This is an organization we are passionate about. So often, the pro-life side is ridiculed for being against abortion, but forgetting the babies once they're born. Well, this center helps babies before AND after they're born. It also helps their moms and dads. It provides counseling, parental education, clothing and food to families that need help.  The small paid staff and many volunteers are incredible.  They are some of the most loving people I and know and they honestly care about their clients and want to give them hope.  I just love them!

So, when Hannah formed a team and asked if we would ride for the Center, we were "in."  We raised $2000 over the last month, thanks to some very generous family and friends.  Before we knew it, the event was here . . . I have to admit, I wasn't too excited about riding with the forecast I was seeing - 50 and possible rain.  Let's be honest, I'm not quite the serious biker.  I mean you would never know that by seeing my $40 garage sale find beach cruiser, right?  ;)  Oh well, we signed up and it was only 5 miles, so we were doing it.  The starting point was a church in Spring Lake.  As we drove in, I was overwhelmed with emotion - there were hundreds of people who came out to ride in the rain for their respective charities in our little community!  There were avid bikers and there were amateurs, like us.  There were solo riders and there were families.  There were tons of volunteers!  And every one we encountered was so kind and truly had a servant's heart.  The organizers of the race were SO thankful we were there and made it known.

The ride began and so did the rain, it even hailed a little, but we had fun.  It was actually a pretty ride along Spring Lake with all the fall colors.  Max did pretty well in the bike trailer.  As long as he had food, he was happy.  :-) 

When we got back to the church, there was a delicious lunch waiting for us, prepared by this new bakery in town.  The food was amazing - soup bread bowls, sandwiches, salads, make your own pasta and, of course, wonderful baked desserts.  They donated much of the food.  Again, overwhelmed at the generosity! 

All morning, I felt like I could cry.  I'm not sure why it affected me so much.  I guess, with so much bad in the world, it's wonderful to know there are so many good people who truly want to help those in need.  It was refreshing to be surrounded by some of those people today.  This will definitely be an annual event for our family!

Lookin' good!  (Don't be jealous ;-)))



 

 

Eating animal crackers and sporting the Dora helmit (Thanks, Sophie!)

 



Post race - we made it!