Love her - love this story!

I have to admit I was a Hunger Games nerd and loved Jennifer Lawrence in the movie.  We recently saw Silver Linings Playbook and thought she was fantastic in that as well.  Now I really like her ;)

Save the Date!!!

The 2013 Omaha Buddy Walk will be held on Saturday, October 12th at Stinson Park in Aksarben Village.  Mark your calendars!

My Loves

I am a little behind on our Valentine's Day post because we left for San Diego a few days after and I was crazy, pre-trip mom for several days. (That post coming soon!)

Hazel & Wyatt had fun decorating their Valentine's for school.  Last year I got all "pinterest-y" and cut out 20 tiny capes and goggles for super hero suckers.  This year, I knew I would be SOO mad at myself when I was up at 2 am, the night before their school party, finishing their Valentine's by myself so I went a much easier route.  I ordered them from Shutterfly.  They were still cute and personalized but required very little work on my part.  I do learn some lessons....we will see what happens next year.

Checking out their loot from their school Valentine's Day party!

Luke and I had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, Le Voltaire - a fancy french place, a few nights before Valentine's day.  I don't have any pictures....which is unfortunate because I wore a fabulous new, red dress!  

On Valentine's Day, Luke and I gave the kids new super hero outfits so we had a "save the day" kind of morning.  

I was lucky enough to spend the rest of the day running errands and going to lunch with my favorite little man.  He was the best shopping buddy and loved strolling around Target, drinking his Starbucks (hot chocolate)...we are soul mates.

Much love to all!

Cute and CA-RAY-ZEE!

I have been wanting to take this picture since Clay turned one but it hadn't happened for many reasons.
1. Clay wasn't sitting unsupported until very recently.
2.  I REALLY wanted to take the picture outside.
3.  A picture attempt with all 3 kids takes a LOT of patience on my part and I just hadn't felt up to it, yet!

Today was perfect.  Clay is sitting up like a rockstar.  The kids had their Valentine's Day party at school so I had lots of treats for bribery.  The weather was BEAUTIFUL.  Luke came home early and I was able to go for a long run, which always puts me in a great mood.

Luke shot the pics and I sang Itsy Bitsy Spider.  Team work at it's finest.

I remember when I was pregnant with Clay, I was talking with my dad and said in a state of panic, "I am going to have a 1, 2, and 3 year old!"  My dad's reply was, "You realize that you will also have a 9, 10, and 11 year old...and 17, 18, and 19 year old!?"  It was like he was trying to make me cry!  ....well, so far so good; we are surviving!

"Mama"

Look who is saying "mama"!!!!  Clay has started saying "mama" when he wants me or something from me.  I did not expect this to happen for quite awhile so I am over the moon!

In other related news, Clay started speech therapy at UNO a few weeks ago.  It is basically "student teaching" for their speech pathology students graduating in May.  We are working on signing, having Clay mimic sounds that we make, and item recognition - such as Clay knowing which one is the ball when presented with more than one toy.  He has been a little shy so far but really likes participating in the interactive songs, especially Itsy Bitsy Spider.

Congenital Heart Defect Week

Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week is February 7-14th.  This just so happens to be the week that our sweet baby Clay had his broken heart fixed.  On February 7th, 2012, Dr. Hammel and his team at Children's hospital repaired Clay's atrioventricular septal defect (read about it here).  He was able to come home with us on February 14th - Valentine's Day! (read about it here)

Facts about Congenital Heart Defects:

• Congenital Heart Defect or CHD is the #1 birth defect and the #1 cause of infant death related to birth defects.

• 1 out of every 100-150 babies born will have a CHD.

• 1 in 10 of those born with CHD will have a fatal defect.

• Each year approximately 40,000 babies are born in the US with congenital heart defect.  Thousands of them will not reach their first birthday and thousands more die before they reach adulthood.

• There are at least 35 different heart defects.

• More than 50% of all children born with congenital heart defect will require at least one invasive surgery in their lifetime.

• Prenatal detection of congenital heart disease usually is the result of careful examination of the fetal heart during the routine 20 week ultrasound.

• Educate yourself!  What expecting moms need to know -  thebabyladies.com/congenital-heart-defect-awareness-week-what-moms-need-to-know/

It was the detection of Clay's congenital heart defect during our 20 week ultrasound that started what turned out to be a roller coaster ride of diagnoses, specialists, weekly screenings - and the reason for this blog!  (You can read about that here and here)

We are so lucky to have such a wonderful medical community here in Omaha.  The day Clay was cleared to go home from Children's, Dr. Hammel was in our room and we were discussing whether or not Clay was ready to go home.  Dr. Hammel said to us, "As much as I want him home, I feel better when he is here....safe.  You take care of MY baby..."

Clay has had several follow up appointments with his cardiologist, Dr. Danford, and we were told at his last appointment that his heart is functioning at or above that of a "normal" heart.

Just look at our little man now, with his "zipper" scar as a constant reminder of just how precious his little life is.

TGI Friday..and Saturday...and Sunday

I love the weekends.

For me they don't mean sleeping in late, working on home projects, or getting to watch Lifetime movies BUT they do mean daddy time!!!!!

The kids get to rough house and watch movies with dad while I get a break, we get to go out and do things together with daddy - two adults to three kids, this usually means I am less exhausted after an outing, and many weekends (including this one!!!) I get to go out with my husband!!!!  I love going out on the town with Luke.  It brings us back to those early days when it was just us and that was all we carried about.  These weekend "dates" often end with me nursing a hangover the next day but the chance to put on my sexy jeans, wear jewelry, and talk to Luke about something other than sippy cups and poopy diapers makes it totally worth it to me!  Do I feel guilty about that?  Not one bit.

Daddy time this weekend was especially awesome because Luke was out of town most of last week.

What is the expression?  Absence makes the heart grow fonder???  Well in my case, absence makes the nagging wife grow nicer.  I am totally guilty of feeling like I do everything sometimes.  Usually, it isn't even Luke's fault.  The kids WANT me to do EVERYTHING.  In their world, dad plays and mom takes care of business - meals, naps, getting dressed, buckling them in the car, helping potty....you get the picture.

Hazel sleeping in Daddy's spot while we was gone

Well, having Luke gone made me realize having "play daddy" is totally different than having NO DADDY!

First off, Luke cooks and damn well.  I ate a lot of PB&J while he was gone.

Second, adult conversation is not something to take for granted.  Either is having another person to answer one of Wyatt's 10,000 daily questions.

Third, Luke DOES help A LOT - he gives them a bath, he reads them stories, he plays Simon Says for an hour and successfully wears them out.

And last but certainly not least, he pours me a glass of wine at the end of the night and reassures me that I am doing a good job.

Eating dinner while watching Peter Pan because mom needed some quiet time!

A True Love Story

I wish for all of my children to be lucky enough to experience true love.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/liveblog/wp/2013/02/07/when-bill-met-shelley-no-disability-could-keep-them-apart/

More to come....

So,  a month late.  Not bad.  One of my New Year's resolutions is to blog more.  Hopefully February will be the start of new things.  I have decided blogging is the baby book/ diary of the future.  

Let's play catch up.

Wyatt.  Oh, my sweet boy.  Really, if he were my only child, I would look at all those - on their last thread of patience, pulling their hair out moms and think "you are being overly dramatic; toddler years are not THAT bad!"  Wyatt does not, and never has, thrown tantrums.  He is sarcastic, argues, and makes snide comments instead.  He is like a 40 year old trapped in a 4 year olds body.

He is SUCH a lover.  I hand him a PB&J. "Mommy, I love you."  We play dragon castle.  "Mommy, that was so nice of you to buy me this castle.  I love you."  All day.  Everyday.  I mean seriously, if I could bottle this sh*t up and sell it I would.  It is pure gold and I NEVER want it to end.

What is my Moose man up these days?  

Well, he LOVES him some super heroes.  We wear capes, rescue babies, fight villans, and have training sessions all day long.  He lines up all his action figures and we talk about who is good and who is bad, who would win in a fight, and who can die and who is immortal.

Wyatt has also found his competitive streak lately.  So far, it has only appeared during races to do pretty much anything - finish breakfast, brush teeth, put shoes on, you name it - and card/board games.  Wyatt dominates at Go Fish and asks at every turn during Candyland "who is winning?"  He doesn't throw a fit if he loses but does want to play again and again until he wins.  Ameristar would love him....

Only time will tell if this competitive edge will show through during spring soccer.  Last year he took a nap on the field - no joke.

Making our own board game

Princess Hazel is "spunkier" than ever lately.  Spunky is a nice word and I am trying to use nice words.  She throws enough tantrums for 5 kids - so she's got Wyatt covered.  

Girlfriend is VERY independent and I struggle to embrace this as a STRENGTH - which it is....right!?  Finding the balance of encouraging her independence while still maintaing my sanity is a daily struggle.  Like when we have to be out the door for school in the next 5 minutes and Hazel wants to put her socks and shoes on herself.  Get a stool out to get her coat down by herself.  Put the coat on by herself.  Go upstairs and get a new pretty because she is over the one already in her hair - by herself.  The girl knows what she wants and she is going to get it.  There is no lack of confidence.  You go, girl! 

Hazel loves all things girly - babies, shoes, clothes, princesses, Hello Kitty.  She also loves superheroes because Wyatt loves superheroes and she idolizes him.   

They really are great friends.  There is lots of whispering, giggles, teaming up to cause trouble, and parking lot hand holding - it melts my heart. 

....and then they start arguing...and hitting...and screaming and I start to question whether being a stay at home mom is really my thing!?

Building Forts

....more to come.  I hope :-)

AND we have a sitter!

Boom.  Just like that.  Clay is a sitter.

I hate to say this moment is more special than when Wyatt or Hazel sat, but....it is.

With them, it was like one day I thought, "wow, they are close to sitting" and a week later, they were sitters.

Then there was Clay.  One - he has low muscle tone.  Two - he HATES, I mean HATES to sit.  He crawled before he sat.  He stood, supported before he sat.  He clapped before he sat.  The kid eats more for lunch than I do...and feeds himself - before he sat.  Clay is SO stubborn and will back arch is way out of any move he does not want to do.  Sitting FOR SURE has fit into that category since day one.  Weekly occupational therapy has done little to persuade him otherwise.

BUT in the last few weeks, my growing, independent, stubborn little man has figured out how to put HIMSELF into sitting position and decided it isn't all that bad!  Check him out!  This mama could NOT be any prouder ;)

And now we are just showing off!