---I updated the previous two posts with the pictures I had been neglecting to post, so feel free to scroll down to those posts to see more picture!---
This week I felt like I was going crazy. Finding out about Lila needing cavities filled, not finishing that English paper I've been working on forever, Darren working extra late, making decisions about health insurance during open enrollment time, and other events (detailed below) from the last week just left me wondering about my life. I hope someday that I can get it together and feel like I have things under control. For now I'm just trying my best to do what I can now...and that means my house remains undecorated, I still don't have a weekly schedule, the meal planning doesn't happen every week, and I'm still trying to figure out how to finish my last two online BYU classes. I hope to look back one day and see how far I've come. Anyway, here's the things I found to be thankful for this week:
Monday
I'm scratching my head trying to come up with something to be thankful for today...it wasn't a bad day, just a long one. Darren worked downtown until the wee hours the morning trying to get a demo together for the CEO of a big company who he's meeting with on Tuesday. I suppose that makes me thankful for all the nights that we're together and I don't have to do dinner and the bedtime routine alone. I'm so glad I'm not a single parent; I don't know how anyone can raise a child by them-self for very long!
My ramblings remind me that I was thankful for my sweet baby who had his naps like clock work today! He woke at 7, napped at 10, 1, and 5, then went to bed at 9. This was all by his own choosing, if you will, and precisely on the dot each time. He is quite often like this, and I'm still amazed. He seems to be a different sleeper than his sister was as a baby, and I'm not complaining!
Tuesday
I randomly decided this morning that we were going to the park. We haven't been in weeks, because we're not exactly early risers around here and it heats up quite early outside. Today it was mostly cloudy and hovering around 80 at 10am, so to the park we went. We invited my friend Sarah and her children to join us on our spur-of-the-moment outing, and they came and played with us. It was a great start to our day.
Walt was admired by the sweet woman working at the post office who could hardly believe how big he is for his age. Only once in your life are you so admired for your adorable rolls of fat :)
I feel like the incredible shrinking woman! I put on my favorite Gap seer-sucker shorts today and they fit just like they did when I bought them two summers ago. A few weeks ago I couldn't even get them closed around my hips! I am amazed at what incredible bodies Heavenly Father has created for us. I just had to put in a little effort and patience :)
Wednesday
I'm thankful that I can manage two kids at the store by myself. First thing I do is scout out a parking spot near a cart. I found a shaded spot today and got Lila into the cart first, then, since Walt was awake, I put him in the sling on me. When you're buying a carseat and half a dozen jugs of water on said shopping trip, all while wearing the baby, this officially becomes your workout for the day! I have tried on previous shopping trips to put Walt in the sling or Ergo first, then get Lila into the cart (because she couldn't be convinced to walk). This method is far too difficult though--we're talking about nearly 50 lbs. being lifted at once! The other thing I've done is, of course, putting the whole baby seat with Walt in it, into the cart. This becomes less than ideal for one of three reasons: 1) I'm too short to see over the baby seat when it's sitting in the front of the cart. 2) I have no room for items in the cart if the baby seat is all the way in the basket. 3) Walt wakes up and/or starts to fuss before our shopping trip is over.
This evening we picked up Darren from his allergy appointment and went to dinner with him. During dinner he started feeling terribly. It ended up being a close call, but I'm glad I did not have to use the epi pen on Darren.
Thursday
We got Darren to the train on time with only seconds to spare. We were glad he didn't miss it!
Me and the littles went to the pool with some of our friends. It was perfect weather for it and lots of fun for Lila (except for the sunburn, which left me feeling like a bad mom).
I made Lila a dress for my sisters wedding in 2 weeks. It took twice as long as it should've, BUT I did make the pattern myself AND it was the first time I've made something with lining. Since I finished the dress while Lila was sleeping, I'm crossing my fingers it fits!
Friday
Where do I begin with the blessings I've recognized today? We were at pool day with some ward friends at a neighborhood pool having fun. Then the atmosphere changes as a woman carries a lifeless boy out of the pool yelling out to find the mother, 911, and anyone who knows CPR. My heart races and I set Walt in the stroller and I nervously hurry over to where the boy and the first responder are. "I'm CPR certified," I say and begin pumping his chest. I'm holding it together, just barely, but my mind is racing and I'm not remembering all the CPR steps quickly enough. Thankfully, a young twenty-something comes over and says he knows CPR. I'm glad to hand over the job to anyone more capable, so I step away and go hold my baby tight. The young man and the woman who was the first responder continue to administer CPR and rescue breaths while an older woman gets 911 on the phone and the mother of the young man runs down the 100 yards it is to the fire station. The boy starts to breathe, the ambulance, fire truck, and police arrive. Eventually the boy is taken away in the ambulance, and he is conscious and breathing. Wow. I'm still reeling from the whole thing. The poor mom. The poor boy. The poor little children watching and worrying and not understanding. I felt inadequate, although not quite helpless. But I still wonder at this moment: if it had been my own child, could I have saved him? I think I might be just as panicked as the mother of this boy was. She could hardly watch and she was calling out his name. I just don't get my wits about my quick enough to take action fast.
After the ambulance left I was speaking with the young man who performed CPR on the boy. I thanked him for taking over and doing what needed to done in the moment. His mom said 19 years ago she had lost his brother to drowning. He said he could remember that day. I immediately was aware why this mother and son were so quick to lend a hand. I was talking to Lila afterwards and mentioned that we could say a prayer for the boy. The mother of the young man asked us to join in prayer right then and there, and we did. I am just humbled and grateful today for the kindness of other people. And more determined to learn how to respond to an emergency correctly.
Just two nights ago Darren was really close to needing the epi pen. When he told me I needed to be ready to go get the epi pen my mind started racing. I just really feel like its not enough to be CPR and first aid certified. I need to review what I've learned on a regular basis and be ready when the need arises to respond.
Needless to say, I'm holding my babies a little tighter today.
Here's the link to the news story http://www.kvue.com/news/local/Navy-veteran-saves-3-year-old-from-drowning-in-Cedar-Park-163342356.html
In happier news, Walt finally rolled over!! He went from tummy to back twice when we weren't looking :)
Saturday
I'm thankful for a husband to lean on and share my joys and my sorrows with. Darren stayed up late with me Friday night, into Saturday morning listening and discussing with me all the things I'd been feeling this past week. I got a good cry out and felt better. Sometimes I just need to take the time to drop everything and have a real conversation with my spouse. The kind of conversation that heals my heart and reminds me that I'm not in this alone.
The events of Friday morning and my emotional day led me to make some positive decisions for Saturday. I arranged for babysitting at the gym in the morning and got a babysitter for the evening so Darren and I could go out. It ended up being a great day! Darren and I played racquetball and climbed the rock wall at the gym, which was so much fun. Later, after we put the kids to bed we went on a date and went go-cart racing. That was fun too, and just the way to end my week.
Today
It's Sunday and I'm thankful it's the Sabbath. And that I got to sleep in until 9 :) Walt was great (as usual) for church, and the Relief Society lesson was on two of my favorite April conference talks.
The day isn't finished yet, but I'm looking forward to playing a game with Darren and Lila and maybe introducing Lila to "Mary Poppins" for a family movie night.
I almost forgot to mention, but I heard from one of my friends at church that the little boy who nearly died on Friday made a full recovery. I was very grateful to hear of this miracle.
I hope everyone else out there had a good week! Here's some pics from our week.
This week I felt like I was going crazy. Finding out about Lila needing cavities filled, not finishing that English paper I've been working on forever, Darren working extra late, making decisions about health insurance during open enrollment time, and other events (detailed below) from the last week just left me wondering about my life. I hope someday that I can get it together and feel like I have things under control. For now I'm just trying my best to do what I can now...and that means my house remains undecorated, I still don't have a weekly schedule, the meal planning doesn't happen every week, and I'm still trying to figure out how to finish my last two online BYU classes. I hope to look back one day and see how far I've come. Anyway, here's the things I found to be thankful for this week:
Monday
I'm scratching my head trying to come up with something to be thankful for today...it wasn't a bad day, just a long one. Darren worked downtown until the wee hours the morning trying to get a demo together for the CEO of a big company who he's meeting with on Tuesday. I suppose that makes me thankful for all the nights that we're together and I don't have to do dinner and the bedtime routine alone. I'm so glad I'm not a single parent; I don't know how anyone can raise a child by them-self for very long!
My ramblings remind me that I was thankful for my sweet baby who had his naps like clock work today! He woke at 7, napped at 10, 1, and 5, then went to bed at 9. This was all by his own choosing, if you will, and precisely on the dot each time. He is quite often like this, and I'm still amazed. He seems to be a different sleeper than his sister was as a baby, and I'm not complaining!
Tuesday
I randomly decided this morning that we were going to the park. We haven't been in weeks, because we're not exactly early risers around here and it heats up quite early outside. Today it was mostly cloudy and hovering around 80 at 10am, so to the park we went. We invited my friend Sarah and her children to join us on our spur-of-the-moment outing, and they came and played with us. It was a great start to our day.
Walt was admired by the sweet woman working at the post office who could hardly believe how big he is for his age. Only once in your life are you so admired for your adorable rolls of fat :)
I feel like the incredible shrinking woman! I put on my favorite Gap seer-sucker shorts today and they fit just like they did when I bought them two summers ago. A few weeks ago I couldn't even get them closed around my hips! I am amazed at what incredible bodies Heavenly Father has created for us. I just had to put in a little effort and patience :)
Wednesday
I'm thankful that I can manage two kids at the store by myself. First thing I do is scout out a parking spot near a cart. I found a shaded spot today and got Lila into the cart first, then, since Walt was awake, I put him in the sling on me. When you're buying a carseat and half a dozen jugs of water on said shopping trip, all while wearing the baby, this officially becomes your workout for the day! I have tried on previous shopping trips to put Walt in the sling or Ergo first, then get Lila into the cart (because she couldn't be convinced to walk). This method is far too difficult though--we're talking about nearly 50 lbs. being lifted at once! The other thing I've done is, of course, putting the whole baby seat with Walt in it, into the cart. This becomes less than ideal for one of three reasons: 1) I'm too short to see over the baby seat when it's sitting in the front of the cart. 2) I have no room for items in the cart if the baby seat is all the way in the basket. 3) Walt wakes up and/or starts to fuss before our shopping trip is over.
This evening we picked up Darren from his allergy appointment and went to dinner with him. During dinner he started feeling terribly. It ended up being a close call, but I'm glad I did not have to use the epi pen on Darren.
Thursday
We got Darren to the train on time with only seconds to spare. We were glad he didn't miss it!
Me and the littles went to the pool with some of our friends. It was perfect weather for it and lots of fun for Lila (except for the sunburn, which left me feeling like a bad mom).
I made Lila a dress for my sisters wedding in 2 weeks. It took twice as long as it should've, BUT I did make the pattern myself AND it was the first time I've made something with lining. Since I finished the dress while Lila was sleeping, I'm crossing my fingers it fits!
Friday
Where do I begin with the blessings I've recognized today? We were at pool day with some ward friends at a neighborhood pool having fun. Then the atmosphere changes as a woman carries a lifeless boy out of the pool yelling out to find the mother, 911, and anyone who knows CPR. My heart races and I set Walt in the stroller and I nervously hurry over to where the boy and the first responder are. "I'm CPR certified," I say and begin pumping his chest. I'm holding it together, just barely, but my mind is racing and I'm not remembering all the CPR steps quickly enough. Thankfully, a young twenty-something comes over and says he knows CPR. I'm glad to hand over the job to anyone more capable, so I step away and go hold my baby tight. The young man and the woman who was the first responder continue to administer CPR and rescue breaths while an older woman gets 911 on the phone and the mother of the young man runs down the 100 yards it is to the fire station. The boy starts to breathe, the ambulance, fire truck, and police arrive. Eventually the boy is taken away in the ambulance, and he is conscious and breathing. Wow. I'm still reeling from the whole thing. The poor mom. The poor boy. The poor little children watching and worrying and not understanding. I felt inadequate, although not quite helpless. But I still wonder at this moment: if it had been my own child, could I have saved him? I think I might be just as panicked as the mother of this boy was. She could hardly watch and she was calling out his name. I just don't get my wits about my quick enough to take action fast.
After the ambulance left I was speaking with the young man who performed CPR on the boy. I thanked him for taking over and doing what needed to done in the moment. His mom said 19 years ago she had lost his brother to drowning. He said he could remember that day. I immediately was aware why this mother and son were so quick to lend a hand. I was talking to Lila afterwards and mentioned that we could say a prayer for the boy. The mother of the young man asked us to join in prayer right then and there, and we did. I am just humbled and grateful today for the kindness of other people. And more determined to learn how to respond to an emergency correctly.
Just two nights ago Darren was really close to needing the epi pen. When he told me I needed to be ready to go get the epi pen my mind started racing. I just really feel like its not enough to be CPR and first aid certified. I need to review what I've learned on a regular basis and be ready when the need arises to respond.
Needless to say, I'm holding my babies a little tighter today.
Here's the link to the news story http://www.kvue.com/news/local/Navy-veteran-saves-3-year-old-from-drowning-in-Cedar-Park-163342356.html
In happier news, Walt finally rolled over!! He went from tummy to back twice when we weren't looking :)
Saturday
I'm thankful for a husband to lean on and share my joys and my sorrows with. Darren stayed up late with me Friday night, into Saturday morning listening and discussing with me all the things I'd been feeling this past week. I got a good cry out and felt better. Sometimes I just need to take the time to drop everything and have a real conversation with my spouse. The kind of conversation that heals my heart and reminds me that I'm not in this alone.
The events of Friday morning and my emotional day led me to make some positive decisions for Saturday. I arranged for babysitting at the gym in the morning and got a babysitter for the evening so Darren and I could go out. It ended up being a great day! Darren and I played racquetball and climbed the rock wall at the gym, which was so much fun. Later, after we put the kids to bed we went on a date and went go-cart racing. That was fun too, and just the way to end my week.
Today
It's Sunday and I'm thankful it's the Sabbath. And that I got to sleep in until 9 :) Walt was great (as usual) for church, and the Relief Society lesson was on two of my favorite April conference talks.
The day isn't finished yet, but I'm looking forward to playing a game with Darren and Lila and maybe introducing Lila to "Mary Poppins" for a family movie night.
I almost forgot to mention, but I heard from one of my friends at church that the little boy who nearly died on Friday made a full recovery. I was very grateful to hear of this miracle.
I hope everyone else out there had a good week! Here's some pics from our week.
My two favorite boys.
And my favorite girl :o)
We got out the high chair last week so Walt could sit closer to us during dinner. We'll wait until he's 6 month to start giving him food, but for now he's still adorable as he plays in his seat.
Here's the dress I made Lila; I still need to add the bow and making Walt a matching tie.
Lila has been practicing her scissor skills. She's gotten pretty good! (Thanks Grandma T for the activity book :)
Photos of our favorite little man.
I thought I was having a good hair day, so I thought I would work on my self-portrait skills. I don't think this picture says "good hair day," but this photo shows the way I like to view myself: slightly out of focus. The imperfections aren't evident when we're slightly out of focus.
Comments
Ps. I wish I was as imperfect as you are. : )
I'm also so glad you didn't have to use the epi-pen on Darren - allergies stink, that's all there is to it. Is there anything new going on with his allergies? How is the tree allergy? What about your kids - do they have food allergies too?
And of course, the kiddos are cute and Walt is super cute with his chubs! It's true - being a baby is the only time being chubby is just adorable. I'm glad you are doing well!