Under Construction

This site will soon be under construction. It is a good thing, do not fret. I have decided it is time for a makeover. I hope the results are fabulous. I have asked Nikki from blogs for a cause to help me with a new look. Nikki helped my mom's blog with a new look and it turned out great. So please be patient and stayed tuned. Mean while life is busy busy. My baby (almost 6 months) is sleeping like a newborn or should we say not sleeping, my husband is feeling sick and finally going to the doctor today and I am tired and a bit over whelmed. But we will make it!

We Did It

We did it! We have changed over to cloth diapers.

Aren't they cute on my boy? I looked into cloth diapers before and the ones I saw were so bulky they were horrible. I also thought to myself "I am too busy to mess with cloth diapers." With two kids I now do laundry every few days anyway so why not throw in a few diapers. I have a patient that wears g diapers and so I was able to check them out first hand. I went to the website and read everything and then I bought two pair at Babies R Us along with the throw away inserts. I love them. I talked with our daycare to make sure they were on board and they are so I went ahead and ordered 6 more paints and a total of 24 cloth inserts. The throw away inserts are more expensive so we plan to use cloth. They are great.

I just ordered a wet/dry bag from diaper junction and also two drawstring bags. I am going to send the wet/dry bag to day care and keep a drawstring bag at the changing table downstairs and one upstairs. So easy and so great for the environment. Also cheaper once you have made the investment. Griffin seems to love them!

Photos

My mom was just here for a week to help watch Sydney while she was home recovering from her surgery. They had a great time playing, reading books, going on walks, finding flowers, making projects and of course my mom was taking pictures. Actually I think I have taken maybe 10 pictures in the last week or so because my mom was here taking so many. Click on over to her blog and check out some amazing photos of Sydney. We went to a follow up appointment at the ENT and Sydney is doing great. Her throat is 90% healed, tubes are looking great and her hearing is perfect. In fact since she had the tubes put in she has put her hands over her ears a few times when Griffin has been crying and she complains he is too loud, something she has never done before. Yeah.

Just Me and My Dad

Bye Bye Buggey

Griffin on the bye bye buggey at daycare. He does not look super happy here but he loves to go outside. So cute.

Dreaming

I am day dreaming and planning in my head how I am going to plant my garden this year. These pictures were taken of our garden in Indiana.

Just the right size to grow tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, beans, lettuce and herbs.

Growing up we always had a garden so naturally I wanted to have one after Bill and I got married. It took a bit of convincing but he finally agreed. We enjoyed a garden every year we lived together in Indiana.

When we moved to North Carolina the first summer I decided to plant tomatoes and peppers at the back of the yard along the fence, well it was a flop. So last year I really wanted raised beds but Bill was so busy with other projects and work that we never got to it. Well he has promised me raised beds this year. I am so excited. I know Sydney will love helping me water and watching things grow. I come from a long line of gardeners and it is actually one of the things I hope to pass onto my children.
Will you be planting a garden this year?

Happy Birthday Carson

Today is a very special little boys birthday, Carson!!

This is Bill with Carson and Ireland the summer of 2006 when they came to visit.

Before we moved to North Carolina we were able to see Bill's kids and grand kids all the time and now it is a rare treat. The only con associated with us moving is not being close to family and friends.

Bill is crazy about this kiddo.

I miss going to their birthday parties and sporting events!

Little Bird

This little bird some how found his way into our sun room last weekend. I was cleaning out the sun room on Saturday and he was not in there and yet Sunday morning I looked out and there he was. We had to prop open the door and he eventually found his way out.

Attitude Adjustment

Do you ever need an attitude adjustment? Have you ever heard the expression? It seems I heard this expression a few times growing up and I use it myself from time to time. Some days I think to myself wow I need to do something about my attitude. Do you ever have a day when your attitude is so bad you do not even want to be around yourself?

Well I will be the first to admit I have these days. I know my limits and when I am at the point where I cannot take it anymore I just get the essentials done and go to bed as early as possible. Of course it is not always possible with two little ones around but you know what I mean. I am amazed at the things that I can do to help my attitude turn around. I have found that if I listen to Christian music in the car versus the news or a secular station I am in a much better mindset. I also found that having a scripture verse on the dash really helps.

Sydney and I are working on memorizing scripture. The verse this particular week was Psalm 118, verse 24 "This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." I cannot remember the day of the week when this happened but we had had a morning. Sydney was not cooperating, we were having to push her to do anything, hair, brush teeth, get dressed. Finally out the door with several instances of raised voices and angry faces. I of course cannot leave well enough alone and I lecture her on the way to school. We take Griffin to the baby room and Sydney is again arguing with me, not wanting to put on the booties then playing with toys that a baby had and not giving them back. Yes, I know little things but I could feel my anger inside just boiling up. I take her to her classroom and ask her to put up her things in her cubby, still not listening and playing with toys in the room. I then take her next door to a room she stays in until her teacher arrives. I ask her to wash hands, she stands there and will not more. I physically move her to the sink and put soap in her hands and turn on the water. She refuses to rub hands together. I wash her hands for her not so gently. I give her a hug and kiss and try to leave. Of course she is hanging on my leg. I leave the school with her crying and myself close to tears. Then I see the verse on my dashboard. I realize I could have done so much better. Yes, she was being difficult but I am the adult and I should set a good example. I need an attitude adjustment. I thank God for the opportunity to start over and that He does not require perfection. A scripture verse I am working on now is Proverbs 15:1 "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." What can I say I am a work in progress.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Griffin 5 months





Sydney 4 months

A friend

This lovely bird lives around the golf course. Sometimes it can be found on the pond close to our house and other times it is on the pond that is closer to the back of the course. Where ever it resides it is beautiful.

BIll's Birthday Party

Bill celebrated his birthday in February and we had a small gathering with a few of our closest friends. Here are a few pics. I made Bill's favorite German Chocolate cake from scratch. I do not make cakes often and when I do it is usually from a box mix but I had made this cake one other time for his birthday (7 years ago) and I decided to do it again. Yummy.

Some little guests, Sam, Syd and Nate

Wade with Griffin

Ellie, Garret and Charlie

Missy with Griffin

Yes, I was there but behind the camera. We had a chili bar, appetizers and of course cake, ice cream and coffee. It was a great time to celebrate Bill and how much he means to all of us.

Time for New Shoes

Popsicles

Sydney ate Popsicle....

after Popsicle...

after Popsicle....


and then another Popsicle...

you could hardly keep her from eating more Popsicles

Can you tell which color was her favorite? Look who came to visit.



Sydney did very well with her surgery. When we first got to see her she was still waking up and was rather irritable. She only wanted momma to hold her and did not know if she wanted to lay down or sit up and just kept saying "I wanna go home". After 30-40 minutes she calmed down and took some apple juice. She stayed awake all afternoon watching cartoons and eating Popsicles, I lost track of how many. We left the hospital at about 6:30 pm and she did well once we got home. Today she is doing better than we expected, up playing in her kitchen this morning. I got her in the tubby to fresh in up and then talked her into some soup. She does great until the pain medication starts to wear off and then she is whiny and irritable but that is to be expected. We are so thankful that everything has gone well so far and the surgery was a success. Gotta get back to my patient.

Syd's Surgery

Sydney and Bill prior to her surgery, reading books to pass the time.

She was as happy as can be and had no idea what was about to happen. We read books about surgery and talked about it but we were so positive when discussing it that I do not think she realized she was going to be in pain.

The surgery went well and we are home. I will post more tomorrow.

Popovers and Jordan Pond

A walk down memory lane. Bill and I honeymooned in Maine. My sister and Derek had recently moved out there and my family was going to be in Maine visiting so we headed that way after our wedding. We spent 2 nights I believe at the Graycote Inn and then stayed at my sisters and also a condo where my parents and two little sisters were staying. I would show pics but this was prior to our digital camera. While in Maine we went to Acadia National Park and spent the day hiking and driving around. We stopped at Jordan Pond Restaurant and had lunch. We both experienced popovers for the first time. The batter reminds me a bit of crepes and they are hollow. Very light and so delicious with fresh Maine blueberry jam. My mouth is watering just writing this post. I recently saw a cooking show and the lady was making popovers! I have not had a pop over since that day on our honeymoon (7.5 years ago). So last Sunday Sydney helped me make them. It is a great recipe to let kids help with because it involves the blender which is always fun for kids and Syd loved watching them pop up. Ours did not turn out nearly as big as the ones at the restaurant because we used a regular muffin tin but they were still yummy. I happened to have some Maine blueberry jam (thanks Amanda) so it was just like old times. Here is the recipe. So yummy, basic ingredients and very easy.

Griffin Sawyer 5 months old

Griffin Sawyer is 5 months old, wow how did that happen. I cannot believe how quickly the time has passed. I just want to stop the clock and hold both my babies and keep them from getting bigger. Griffin is such a little snuggle bug. He is a very happy guy, waking up with a smile and so content through out the day. He has adjusted very well to day care and loves the girls in the infant room. He is still nursing but has had a few formula bottles to fill in when my milk is low. He loves his cereal. So far he has had store bought peas and green beans and homemade sweet potatoes, butternut squash, carrots, applesauce and peaches. He loves everything! Griffin adores his big sis and thinks she is rather humerous at times. He is still momma's boy but is getting more attached to daddy. We think he is the cutest thing ever and cannot imagine our lives without him.

A Request

I have a request for you....please just consider sponsoring a child through Compassion International. A fellow blogger MckMama and her husband are in Kenya right now meeting the child they sponsor and many more children who need a sponsor. As I have been reading MckMama's blog the past week I felt my heart softening. Bill and I discussed it at dinner Sunday and we are now the proud sponsors of a 5 year old girl named Astride. We will introduce you to her in another post. I read through Compassion International's site and I feel they are an excellent organization doing amazing things in the lives of the children and families around the world. This is not the first time I have sponsored a child. When I was in high school I sponsored a little girl named Liniah through World Vision. My income while in high school was meager compared to our income now however I now have more responsibilities and bills. Part of me kept thinking I should wait until I have more things paid off and one instant later I think that is crazy children are hungry and living in despicable conditions, how can I wait to make a difference in their life. We are so fortunate to have been born into the country and families that we were and to have had the opportunities to bring us to this point in our lives. I feel sponsoring a child is one small thing we can do to share our blessings with others. I could go on and on but honestly I am tired and still have laundry to fold. Please click here and go on over to MckMama's site and read through some of her recent posts and look at the pictures and consider sponsoring a child with Compassion International. If you are reading this post and you also have a blog I ask you to write a post about Compassion International and the children around the globe who need a sponsor.

Embarrassing

I cannot believe I am going to admit this but I am. Not Me Monday is all about admitting the things we do that are a bit silly, crazy, or embarrassing. This is definitely embarrassing. This past week when I took Syd to the ENT again. If you have not read about her upcoming surgery read this post. So Sydney gets her vitals taken and then we are waiting in the room for Dr. W. Of course Syd is sitting on my lap because she is a bit scared and really does not care for male physicians. Dr. W comes in and we talk about how she has been, he looks in ears and throat and then we discuss the particulars of her upcoming surgery. We discuss biofilms and a few things that he probably does not go in to detail about with the average parent but me being a PA we can have these conversations. Then I fill out some paperwork with the nurse while trying to keep an eye on Syd who manages to get into a few things that I specifically asked her not to touch! Why my child has to act up when I am trying to make a good impression I have no idea. We then proceed to the front of the office and pay our bill. I get out to the car and put Syd in the car seat, yes strapping her in this time. Then I get in and realize my zipper is undone! Are you kidding me? I think I actually said this out loud. So now I am thankful Syd was on my lap the whole time hopefully hiding my hot pink underwear. How embarrassing!

Sydney's surgery

Sydney had another appointment with our ENT this past week. She is scheduled for surgery next week on Thursday. I am not a fan of surgery and medication (sounds a little odd coming from a PA who writes scripts for meds everyday) but this is necessary. Let me give you a little background info. When I was 7 years old I had to have a tooth pulled and I did fine during the procedure I really do not remember anything before or during the procedure but afterward there was a tornado and we were not able to leave the oral surgeons office. I believe we had to go in a inner room and wait out the storm. Well then we went home and my mom had changed the gauze in my mouth and got me settled back on the couch and I had a seizure. I do not remember the actual seizure but I remember my mom being upset and then we had to go to the doctor to get checked out and there was another tornado. Overall it was a bad day. From that point on I have avoided xylicaine because we thought I might have an allergy, what is more likely is that I was given a toxic dose (I was very petite). When I had both Sydney and Griffin Sawyer I refused all pain meds because I would rather deal with the pain and avoid the unknown effects of medications. So I am a bit nervous about Syd's surgery. I trust her ENT, I refer to him weekly and I am pleased with the care we have received but I am not looking forward to her having to be in pain. Sydney will be having a tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy and also tubes. Syd has had strep way too many times in the last year and has fluid in her ears that is affecting her hearing. Bill and I are both ready for her to be well and to be able to hear us without us yelling. Her surgery will be Thursday morning and we would greatly appreciate your prayers. My mom is coming next week to stay with Syd because she needs to be home from day care for 2 weeks so we are looking forward to her visit. Sydney is already talking about all the things she is going to do with Grammie la la.

Traditions

Does your family have traditions? Silly question, every family has traditions, ...right? Well growing up my family had many traditions. I had actually forgotten all about this until a few weeks ago when I saw an advertisement for a pageant (Miss USA or something). I then remembered how my mom and my sister Amanda and I (little girls were too little) used to watch the pageants and keep score. We would guess who we thought was going to be eliminated and so on. It was so fun! When I saw this advertisement I almost called my mom and Amanda and told them to watch and we could call each other and guess who would win but then I forgot or got distracted with one of my children.
What fun or silly or serious traditions did your family have growing up or does your family have now?

New boots

I bought Syd some new rain boots at Target the other day and she decided to try them on after her tubby the other night.

Warmer Weather Brings

Warmer weather brings opportunities to go to the park! Two weekends ago it was in the mid to high 50's so we went to the park twice!

Sydney and Sam climbing on jungle gym.

Charlie swinging

The kids and I having a picnic. It was a bit chilly under the pavilion since we were in the shade.



Here she comes! The twisty slide is her favorite slide.

Griffin Sawyer snug in the Moby wrap.

The swing is here all time favorite, it is very difficult to get her off.

We had a great weekend. Bill had to work at a convention all weekend which was a bummer but I decided I was not staying in and that I could handle two kids at the park. The first day it was just us and then our friends joined us the second day. We enjoyed the warm temps and the bright sun shine. Have you been to the park lately?

Not Me Monday

This actually happened several weeks ago. Sydney had an appointment scheduled with the ENT. I was feeling bad all week, nauseous and weak. I work with sick kids all the time plus some of our office staff had been sick so I figured I was catching a bug. It was my half day so once I wrapped up seeing patients I ate a bit of lunch while driving to the day care to nurse Griffin. I then headed home for an hour or so before it was time to go back and pick up Sydney. All I wanted to do when I got home was change into pajamas and lay down and take a nap. But being me I got myself together and sat down at my desk to pay bills and get organized. Bill was supposed to meet me at home to drive together to Sydney's appointment. Well Bill called and said that he was selling a bathroom and was running late but would be able to meet us at the appointment. I had actually considered just having him take her (this is how bad I felt) but I really wanted to be at the appointment to discuss Syd's health issues. So I left home and got to the day care to pick up Syd. Since her teacher knew I was coming early she had her up from nap and ready to go. Well not exactly... I have had an issue lately with Syd's face being clean when I pick her up. I just cannot handle snotty noses and dirty face. Part of the reason for the ENT visit is that Sydney has had repeated infections, strep, ears etc. So when I pick her up I see that her face is not clean to my standards and also that her hands are dirty. I have the lady from the office look at Sydney so she can see why I recently complained. She agrees with me and this issue has been resolved. But on this day I am changing her clothes from school clothes to good clothes in the lobby while talking to the lady. Then I set Sydney into her car seat and begin to clean her hands, it takes 3 wipes to have her clean. I am then trying to fix a pig tail and finally I feel like she is presentable. I drive to the ENT and get a call from Bill needing directions and 1 block from the office I look back at Sydney and discover that I never buckled her in her car seat. She is just sitting in the seat. I am trying to talk her into buckling her seat but by this time we are at our destination. I have never done this before and I am so thankful that we were safe during the short drive. My excuse is that I really did feel horrible that day and I was half in a daze but whew I cannot believe I did that.