Today I'm thankful for...
1. 4 months. Liam is a third of a year old! We'll see how much the little chunker has grown when we weigh him in at his well visit tomorrow. These days he's all smiles and giggles and he squeals when we find his extra-ticklish spot on his back. He loves to kick his legs and grab things. He's getting to know his reflection in the mirror and he tries to mimic our baby talk. He has the biggest, cutest fat rolls on his legs that I just have to squeeze every time I change his diaper. He rolled over once for Grandma, but he hasn't shown off this new talent to anyone else yet. He drools, he chews his fingers and he sucks his thumb when no one is looking. Overall he's a cute little guy and we love having him around. ;)
2. Gelato. My sister came over tonight and brought some delicious gelato to share. She also brought beautiful gifts from India- bracelets for the girls and a shawl, notecards, and a shirt for me. I'm so glad she came over and hung out for a little bit. She's been checking in on me lately and I really appreciate it.
3. TurboTax! My mom had a play date with the girls so I could crunch some numbers and get our taxes done. I don't know how I would do it without TurboTax- and our return is looking good this year! :)
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Today I'm thankful for...
1. No training wheels. Lillian has been asking for weeks to take the training wheels off her bike. Today was finally the big day! Bobby took Lillian for a ride around the block without her training wheels. She's starting to get the hang of it- as long as she remembers to keep pedaling! I'm so proud of her!
2. Four new teeth. While Sydney and I were playing dentist I discovered that all four of her 2-year molars are coming in! That explains why she's been more clingy, temperamental, and dependent on her ba-boo the past few days. I thought it was just the terrible two's, but it must be her new teeth (at least I'll keep telling myself that to make me feel like there's an end in sight...haha).
3. 80 degrees. That's how warm it was today. In the middle of March. Crazy. This time last year there were still piles of snow all over the place. We went to the zoo this afternoon, grilled hamburgers for dinner and watched the sunset on our little patch of grass that we like to call a front yard. I could get used to this kind of March weather.
4. Memories. My father-in-law passed away last week and we attended his funeral this past weekend. I've been thinking about him a lot. It makes me sad to know that my children will not grow up with one of their grandpas. And it makes me sad to know that my husband doesn't have a father he can talk to anymore. However, I'm very grateful for the memories we have and I hope we can use them to help our children remember him. Things like this- how he liked his watermelon ice cold and his grapes frozen in the freezer; he always brought back soap and lotion samples from the hotels on his business trips; traveling to England, India, Australia, Germany, PEI- he was always going somewhere; books- LOTS of books; silver spoons, little toast holders, sovereign cases, antique bags and suitcases that he would collect during his travels; how he has his mouth open in every picture we have of him because he was always in the middle of saying something; the beach- he loved the beach and horseshoe crabs and the little purple and white shells called wampum; how he would take the time after Thanksgiving dinner to pick through the turkey to get all the good meat out so nothing would go to waste; the heart-felt email he sent to Bobby when he didn't match into residency; how he always told me that he prayed for me my children by name every night; the way he shared his raspberries and strawberries with Sydney and that's how he gained her trust; the photo at Christmas of three generations of Williams- William Dennis (grandpa), William Robert (father), and William Thomas (son); how he came to Liam's baby blessing a few weeks ago even though he was really sick and had to leave right after; the picture that I found in his room the night before he passed away that was taped to his mirror- it was a drawing that Sydney and Lillian had made for him and he had attached two photos of the girls to it....all these little thoughts and memories make up who he was. And there are so many more. I appreciate the person he was, especially for raising his son who became my husband and father of our children.
5. Picking up where I left off. The past few weeks have thrown us off our regular schedule. I'm grateful that we can now focus on getting things back together and getting into a good routine again.
1. No training wheels. Lillian has been asking for weeks to take the training wheels off her bike. Today was finally the big day! Bobby took Lillian for a ride around the block without her training wheels. She's starting to get the hang of it- as long as she remembers to keep pedaling! I'm so proud of her!
2. Four new teeth. While Sydney and I were playing dentist I discovered that all four of her 2-year molars are coming in! That explains why she's been more clingy, temperamental, and dependent on her ba-boo the past few days. I thought it was just the terrible two's, but it must be her new teeth (at least I'll keep telling myself that to make me feel like there's an end in sight...haha).
3. 80 degrees. That's how warm it was today. In the middle of March. Crazy. This time last year there were still piles of snow all over the place. We went to the zoo this afternoon, grilled hamburgers for dinner and watched the sunset on our little patch of grass that we like to call a front yard. I could get used to this kind of March weather.
4. Memories. My father-in-law passed away last week and we attended his funeral this past weekend. I've been thinking about him a lot. It makes me sad to know that my children will not grow up with one of their grandpas. And it makes me sad to know that my husband doesn't have a father he can talk to anymore. However, I'm very grateful for the memories we have and I hope we can use them to help our children remember him. Things like this- how he liked his watermelon ice cold and his grapes frozen in the freezer; he always brought back soap and lotion samples from the hotels on his business trips; traveling to England, India, Australia, Germany, PEI- he was always going somewhere; books- LOTS of books; silver spoons, little toast holders, sovereign cases, antique bags and suitcases that he would collect during his travels; how he has his mouth open in every picture we have of him because he was always in the middle of saying something; the beach- he loved the beach and horseshoe crabs and the little purple and white shells called wampum; how he would take the time after Thanksgiving dinner to pick through the turkey to get all the good meat out so nothing would go to waste; the heart-felt email he sent to Bobby when he didn't match into residency; how he always told me that he prayed for me my children by name every night; the way he shared his raspberries and strawberries with Sydney and that's how he gained her trust; the photo at Christmas of three generations of Williams- William Dennis (grandpa), William Robert (father), and William Thomas (son); how he came to Liam's baby blessing a few weeks ago even though he was really sick and had to leave right after; the picture that I found in his room the night before he passed away that was taped to his mirror- it was a drawing that Sydney and Lillian had made for him and he had attached two photos of the girls to it....all these little thoughts and memories make up who he was. And there are so many more. I appreciate the person he was, especially for raising his son who became my husband and father of our children.
5. Picking up where I left off. The past few weeks have thrown us off our regular schedule. I'm grateful that we can now focus on getting things back together and getting into a good routine again.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Today I'm thankful for...
1. The 3 P's- Pee, Poop, and Puke. On Wednesday Lillian puked on me. On Thursday Liam pooped on me. And today Sydney peed on me. She was sitting on the big potty going tinkle. I was too busy applauding her accomplishment and wasn't paying attention when she decided to lean back mid-stream, which sent pee sprinkling over the pee-guard and all over my pants and the bathroom rug.
2. My sister's photos on Facebook. She's in India doing free clinics for livestock and pets- doing pregnancy tests, testing for parasites, taking care of goat pox (who knew there was such a thing??), trimming hooves, cutting off horns, taking fecal samples (fun!), giving vaccines, getting spewed all over by elephant snot, eating good Indian food, watching beautiful sunsets every night, exploring old Portuguese fort ruins, and just being the awesome person that she is. I'm so grateful for all the pictures she's taken to capture her experience and share it with the rest of us!!
3. Elefun and Curious George Discovery Beach Game. We had an early dinner (on the floor picnic-style because Daddy is on call), so we had time before bed to play some games together. It was so much fun!! I would be so lonely and sad without my kids on nights when Bobby is gone. Sure, it's not always easy to feed them dinner and put them to bed by myself, but I'm so grateful for their company. I'm glad I'm not in a house all by myself, and I'm glad one of them usually ends up in bed with me before the night is over. :)
4. The silver lining. Dealing with depression and anxiety is not my idea of a good time, and I would never wish it upon anyone else. However, I'm grateful for those who do know what it feels like. They help validate my feelings and make me feel like I'm not a crazy person who is dealing with it all by myself. As my mom put it tonight, the silver lining to having these issues is being able to help others through it. So true. And so grateful for that.
1. The 3 P's- Pee, Poop, and Puke. On Wednesday Lillian puked on me. On Thursday Liam pooped on me. And today Sydney peed on me. She was sitting on the big potty going tinkle. I was too busy applauding her accomplishment and wasn't paying attention when she decided to lean back mid-stream, which sent pee sprinkling over the pee-guard and all over my pants and the bathroom rug.
2. My sister's photos on Facebook. She's in India doing free clinics for livestock and pets- doing pregnancy tests, testing for parasites, taking care of goat pox (who knew there was such a thing??), trimming hooves, cutting off horns, taking fecal samples (fun!), giving vaccines, getting spewed all over by elephant snot, eating good Indian food, watching beautiful sunsets every night, exploring old Portuguese fort ruins, and just being the awesome person that she is. I'm so grateful for all the pictures she's taken to capture her experience and share it with the rest of us!!
3. Elefun and Curious George Discovery Beach Game. We had an early dinner (on the floor picnic-style because Daddy is on call), so we had time before bed to play some games together. It was so much fun!! I would be so lonely and sad without my kids on nights when Bobby is gone. Sure, it's not always easy to feed them dinner and put them to bed by myself, but I'm so grateful for their company. I'm glad I'm not in a house all by myself, and I'm glad one of them usually ends up in bed with me before the night is over. :)
4. The silver lining. Dealing with depression and anxiety is not my idea of a good time, and I would never wish it upon anyone else. However, I'm grateful for those who do know what it feels like. They help validate my feelings and make me feel like I'm not a crazy person who is dealing with it all by myself. As my mom put it tonight, the silver lining to having these issues is being able to help others through it. So true. And so grateful for that.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Throw-up, Puke, Vomit, Ralph, Up-Chuck, Spew...
Today I'm thankful for...
1. Netflix Watch Instantly movies. It's the only thing getting us through the day. Lillian woke up at 2:00 a.m. throwing up. Thankfully Bobby heard her before I got out of my sleeping stupor and got her to the bathroom and cleaned up. Then he made her a little bed on the floor next to his side of the bed. Lillian threw up off and on for an hour before settling down and going back to sleep around 3:00. She threw up every half hour until 6:00, and Bobby was so nice to take care of her until he had to leave. She's been a lot better, but is still throwing up every couple of hours. She's all set up on the couch with towels under her, puke bowl nearby and a bottle of grape Gatorade (thank you, Jeni, for dropping it off!!) within reach. She perks up every now and then but overall seems pretty miserable. If it's what I had a few weeks ago I know it's not fun. I only hope it's the same thing that Sydney had last week and not a new bug that everyone else will get eventually. However, if it weren't for Netflix and Balto III we would probably be feeling a bit worse.
2. Hot showers. Since Lillian threw up all over her bed sheets I decided to wash them in the hot water cycle. Normally we're cheap and we use cold water, but this was a special circumstance. Being the genius that I am, I decided to take a shower at the same time as all the hot water was being used in the washing machine. The warm water in my shower lasted about thirty seconds before it started getting cold. It made for a very fast, brisk shower. And it left me feeling very thankful for the hot showers that I normally have.
3. Hardwood floors. Speaking of puking, Sydney threw up on the floor a couple of days ago because she was crying so hard. She went into a fit of hysteria (also known as a terrible-twos-temper-tantrum) because I wouldn't let her have her ba-boo while she walked around and played. She gagged on her tears and puked up her sandwich all over the bedroom floor. It was gross to clean up, but at least it was easy. Our wood floors may be horrifically refinished, but at least they're not absorbent.
1. Netflix Watch Instantly movies. It's the only thing getting us through the day. Lillian woke up at 2:00 a.m. throwing up. Thankfully Bobby heard her before I got out of my sleeping stupor and got her to the bathroom and cleaned up. Then he made her a little bed on the floor next to his side of the bed. Lillian threw up off and on for an hour before settling down and going back to sleep around 3:00. She threw up every half hour until 6:00, and Bobby was so nice to take care of her until he had to leave. She's been a lot better, but is still throwing up every couple of hours. She's all set up on the couch with towels under her, puke bowl nearby and a bottle of grape Gatorade (thank you, Jeni, for dropping it off!!) within reach. She perks up every now and then but overall seems pretty miserable. If it's what I had a few weeks ago I know it's not fun. I only hope it's the same thing that Sydney had last week and not a new bug that everyone else will get eventually. However, if it weren't for Netflix and Balto III we would probably be feeling a bit worse.
2. Hot showers. Since Lillian threw up all over her bed sheets I decided to wash them in the hot water cycle. Normally we're cheap and we use cold water, but this was a special circumstance. Being the genius that I am, I decided to take a shower at the same time as all the hot water was being used in the washing machine. The warm water in my shower lasted about thirty seconds before it started getting cold. It made for a very fast, brisk shower. And it left me feeling very thankful for the hot showers that I normally have.
3. Hardwood floors. Speaking of puking, Sydney threw up on the floor a couple of days ago because she was crying so hard. She went into a fit of hysteria (also known as a terrible-twos-temper-tantrum) because I wouldn't let her have her ba-boo while she walked around and played. She gagged on her tears and puked up her sandwich all over the bedroom floor. It was gross to clean up, but at least it was easy. Our wood floors may be horrifically refinished, but at least they're not absorbent.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Today I'm thankful for...
1. Juicy oranges. I peeled and ate an orange on the way to church this morning. I put the peel in the trash bag between the front seats. I got back to the van four hours later and when I opened the doors it still smelled like a fresh, juicy orange inside! That's way better than the stinky old diaper smell that's usually in there.
2. Compassion. When we got home from church everyone went into melt-down mode. Sydney was crying because she was exhausted and because she's severely addicted to her ba-boo (aka pacifier), which she wanted but I refused to give to her because she would not stay in bed (the rule at our house is she only gets it when she's going to sleep). Meanwhile, Lillian was having an emotional breakdown because none of her pants fit her right. She tried on every single pair in her drawer and the poor girl was nearly hysterical because none of them felt good enough to wear. I suggested maybe the problem was her sensitivity and not the pants, but that didn't help much. Liam was ok for the most part, but I think he would have preferred to have nursed in peace and quiet instead of listening to his two older sisters wail about their woes. What changed the tide and prevented my own personal melt-down was compassion. I rocked Sydney and wiped away her tears. I sat down with Lillian and and sympathized with her about not having anything to wear. In the end I think we just all needed a little bit of undivided attention. I'm glad I was able to find the compassion I needed to help instead of getting overwhelmed with frustration and irritability.
3. My marriage. As I'm typing this I can hear our neighbors arguing through the wall. I'm glad Bobby and I don't do that. I'm not saying we never disagree, but we definitely don't yell at each other or call each other names. Yesterday I read an article in the NY Times that stated that for women under 30, more than half of all births occur outside of marriage. For so many women marriage has been reduced to a financial matter and children have become a byproduct of noncommittal relationships. I'm grateful for the value that Bobby and I place on marriage as an opportunity to grow together and to raise our children in a loving, nurturing environment. [Read the article here.]
4. Cupid. He delivered some sweet treats for Lillian and Sydney on Tuesday! Then he stayed for a bit and played "Fairytale Dress-up." He was a Mexican poncho-wearing king who had to bravely fight off baby-snatching dragons and evil witches. He played his part well, and Princess Sydney and Queen Lillian were glad to have such a fun and willing-to-play-along playmate.
5. Sydney's Helping Hand. When I go to the YMCA Sydney and Liam stay in the Kid Watch room with all the toys and the nice ladies who work there. This week they said Sydney was such a good helper with all the babies that every mom who came in thought she was the big sister of each baby she happened to be helping at that moment. She was such a good helper in fact, that they gave Sydney her very own name tag. I'm not talking about a chintzy sticker name tag that says "Hello My Name Is..." Oh, no. This one is an official YMCA-issued hard plastic employee name tag with a heavy duty magnetic attaching device. Sydney was so proud to wear it that she showed it everyone she saw. She can't wait to wear it this week when we go back.
6. Liam's grip. He's starting to reach for toys and grab them! He's also grabbing hair, shirts, fingers...anything within his reach!
And grabbing Syd's shirt
before she got away.
7. Dr. Bobby. Lillian is learning all about the body and being healthy at preschool. The other day she came home and said, "Elvis shakes his pelvis!" Anyways, Bobby volunteered to do a "doctor presentation" for the class. The only time he has off during the week is when he's post-call, which is the day after he worked an all-day and all-night shift...usually 24 hours without any sleep. So after working one of those on Wednesday, Bobby went straight to Lilly's school on Thursday morning to teach her class about going to the doctor. Sydney, Liam and I stayed to watch as well. Although he was slightly sleep-deprived, Bobby did a great job engaging all the kids and teaching them about the different tools doctors use, like stethoscope, reflex hammer, and otoscope. The kids loved it all, especially Stan the Skeleton and passing around his bones. Lillian was so proud to have her daddy in school!
1. Juicy oranges. I peeled and ate an orange on the way to church this morning. I put the peel in the trash bag between the front seats. I got back to the van four hours later and when I opened the doors it still smelled like a fresh, juicy orange inside! That's way better than the stinky old diaper smell that's usually in there.
2. Compassion. When we got home from church everyone went into melt-down mode. Sydney was crying because she was exhausted and because she's severely addicted to her ba-boo (aka pacifier), which she wanted but I refused to give to her because she would not stay in bed (the rule at our house is she only gets it when she's going to sleep). Meanwhile, Lillian was having an emotional breakdown because none of her pants fit her right. She tried on every single pair in her drawer and the poor girl was nearly hysterical because none of them felt good enough to wear. I suggested maybe the problem was her sensitivity and not the pants, but that didn't help much. Liam was ok for the most part, but I think he would have preferred to have nursed in peace and quiet instead of listening to his two older sisters wail about their woes. What changed the tide and prevented my own personal melt-down was compassion. I rocked Sydney and wiped away her tears. I sat down with Lillian and and sympathized with her about not having anything to wear. In the end I think we just all needed a little bit of undivided attention. I'm glad I was able to find the compassion I needed to help instead of getting overwhelmed with frustration and irritability.
3. My marriage. As I'm typing this I can hear our neighbors arguing through the wall. I'm glad Bobby and I don't do that. I'm not saying we never disagree, but we definitely don't yell at each other or call each other names. Yesterday I read an article in the NY Times that stated that for women under 30, more than half of all births occur outside of marriage. For so many women marriage has been reduced to a financial matter and children have become a byproduct of noncommittal relationships. I'm grateful for the value that Bobby and I place on marriage as an opportunity to grow together and to raise our children in a loving, nurturing environment. [Read the article here.]
4. Cupid. He delivered some sweet treats for Lillian and Sydney on Tuesday! Then he stayed for a bit and played "Fairytale Dress-up." He was a Mexican poncho-wearing king who had to bravely fight off baby-snatching dragons and evil witches. He played his part well, and Princess Sydney and Queen Lillian were glad to have such a fun and willing-to-play-along playmate.
5. Sydney's Helping Hand. When I go to the YMCA Sydney and Liam stay in the Kid Watch room with all the toys and the nice ladies who work there. This week they said Sydney was such a good helper with all the babies that every mom who came in thought she was the big sister of each baby she happened to be helping at that moment. She was such a good helper in fact, that they gave Sydney her very own name tag. I'm not talking about a chintzy sticker name tag that says "Hello My Name Is..." Oh, no. This one is an official YMCA-issued hard plastic employee name tag with a heavy duty magnetic attaching device. Sydney was so proud to wear it that she showed it everyone she saw. She can't wait to wear it this week when we go back.
6. Liam's grip. He's starting to reach for toys and grab them! He's also grabbing hair, shirts, fingers...anything within his reach!
Holding a favorite toy.
And grabbing Syd's shirt
before she got away.
7. Dr. Bobby. Lillian is learning all about the body and being healthy at preschool. The other day she came home and said, "Elvis shakes his pelvis!" Anyways, Bobby volunteered to do a "doctor presentation" for the class. The only time he has off during the week is when he's post-call, which is the day after he worked an all-day and all-night shift...usually 24 hours without any sleep. So after working one of those on Wednesday, Bobby went straight to Lilly's school on Thursday morning to teach her class about going to the doctor. Sydney, Liam and I stayed to watch as well. Although he was slightly sleep-deprived, Bobby did a great job engaging all the kids and teaching them about the different tools doctors use, like stethoscope, reflex hammer, and otoscope. The kids loved it all, especially Stan the Skeleton and passing around his bones. Lillian was so proud to have her daddy in school!
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