Abby bday!

Here are just a few pics from the party. Abby had a great day and I will post more on it later. I had oral surgery today so am too drugged to write much now. Enjoy photos for now!

Because I am blessed.....

Last week was a truly difficult week for us. Last week brought the illness of a dear relative of ours. Jamy's grandpa is not doing well. As I watched Jamy sitting by his bedside for hours and hours struggling with the very real possibility of losing a man he respects and loves, I was reminded of why I love my husband. Jamy's loyalty to the people he cares about is unmatched in anyone else I know. That loyalty is part of what has carried us through the years.

Most of you know that we began dating when we were very young, only fourteen. Twenty-two years later I can honestly say that I love him more today than I ever thought possible. The years have brought us amazing memories, challenges, joys, and some heartache. We are who we are today because we have shared so much of our lives together.

I like to think that our children will benefit from the relationship their parents share. It isn't perfect. Like so many other things in our lives, though, that imperfection is what makes it perfect. No matter what, somewhere in the back of my mind and always in my heart I know that Jamy and I share a bond that can't be described.

Last week, we cried together and held each other always knowing that no matter what the other one was there. I was strong when he was not and he was strong when I was not. That is how it should be. Together then we are strong.

This morning I was thinking about how lucky I am when he called at 7:30 am as usual just to tell me good morning. I was reminded of our wedding day. I had always had a song in my heart that I felt described us perfectly. I wanted it to be our first dance. He wasn't crazy about the song because he doesn't like Kenny Rogers. He had a beautiful song in mind as well. At the time I didn't realize how perfect his choice was. In the end, he let me have my way because he saw how much it meant to me. We used his song for the dance with our parents. This morning, I listened to both songs again and realized just how perfect they both are. I have included videos of both here if you would like to listen.

The point today is that I have realized over the last two decades that the times I grow closest to Jamy is the times that are darkest for us. I don't know what will happen with Grandpa, but I do know that we will face it together and it will be okay.


My choice:



And his:



And now here is a new song out by Brad Paisley that I think also is perfect to describe our lives.

Infinity Nine

Abby's class has been working on numbers lately. A couple of weeks ago she asked me what was the biggest number I knew. I told her I didn't know and then asked her the biggest number she knew. Miss Smarty Pants popped up with "infinity, because its the biggest number there is." Of course, she then proceeded to begin to count to infinity. The joys of motherhood! It is mind-numbing sometimes, really.

Pretty soon she tells me, "Mommy, I love you. Wanna know how much?" Of course I say, "Sure, how much baby?" She smiles and says,"Infinity nine because that is even bigger than the biggest!" Cute, huh? So since then instead of telling me she loves me, she tells me she loves me infinity nine.

Tonight, I was tucking her into bed. We read, we sang, we snuggled. Then she says, "Mommy, I love you and Daddy infinity nine. And I love all of my grandmas and grandpas infinity nine, too. I love Aunt Beth, you know Hannah's mom? I love her infinity nine, too. But Hannah's dad, I love him infinity, because he is a little scary sometimes."

I had to work not to laugh at that one. Poor Uncle Terry, he tries so hard. I guess being loved infinity is pretty darn good. What's that extra nine anyway?

Kids, you just never know what they will say, do ya?

The end of an era......

A seven year cycle ended today. It has been a crazy, fun, emotional bonding cycle. One I never expected myself to be a part of, but there I was none-the-less. I am excited for today, but sad to see the cycle end. There has been some comfort in this recurring sequence of events. It is probably what has kept me from single- handedly carrying the responsibility of populating the world.

About seven years ago, I was working at KU when low-and-behold I discovered I was pregnant. Excitedly, I shared the news with a colleague of mine. She had become a close friend and she actually knew that I was confirmed pregnant by my OB before Jamy did. Throughout my pregnancy, she was there watching and marveling right along with me at the crazy changes in my body. We would sit distracted in meetings watching Abby move across my belly instead of listening to what was going on.

I gave birth to Abby and she was one of the first ones there at the hospital to welcome her into the world.

Just not long after Abby was born my friend found herself pregnant with her first child. I couldn't wait to hand over my maternity clothes and marvel with her as her precious baby boy grew in her tummy.

She had him early one summer and what do you know, I got all knocked up with Weston. I was bursting with the news but didn't want to tell Jamy over the phone so I called my friend from the stall of the public bathroom at KU where I had anxiously peed on the stick. We swapped maternity clothes again and the cycle started all over. I had Weston, she got pregnant with her second. Back went the maternity clothes again. She gave birth to a beautiful little girl.

Well, we just had to do it again right? I got pregnant with Skylar, we swapped maternity clothes yet again. Skylar was born. Jamy and I decided she was our last. It was sad, but that was okay because I just knew if I ever had baby fever my old friend would come through for me and have another. Sure enough, just about the time I was getting sad that I was never going to have a baby again I got a phone call from my friend and she was expecting.

Today, my friend welcomed another baby boy into the world. I am so excited for her and her husband. Even though we now live an hour apart and don't get to see each other as much, my recent bout of baby fever has dropped off a little.

I think I am so excited for my friend because of this crazy cycle we have found ourselves in. It seems just about the time one of us would catch baby fever the other would get pregnant and we would be good for a couple of years.

We swapped clothes, advice, baby gear, joys and frustrations. We have seen each other at our highest and our lowest. Because we were also both breastfeeding mothers, we have also seen way more of each other than most adult female friends do. We know WAY more about each others' posteriors that friends really should. Whenever I had a pregnancy moment she was there if I needed her and I hope she always knew I was here for her.

I believe this is the last one for her as well so the cycle has ended as all good things must. So to my friend, Dawn, congratulations. It has been fun. We have lots of good memories of our pregnancies. When I think back to the time in my life when I was having babies, you will always be there in my memory. Distance has taken us apart in the last couple of years, but you have still been there for me as only a true friend could be. I have two girls and a boy and you have two boys and a girl. What a perfect set, don't ya think?

So now we move onto the next phase. We get to sit back and enjoy watching each other raise the families we have created. I just know this next phase will be an even bigger adventure than the first. Snuggle that new baby boy for me and I will see you soon, my friend.

The girls are riding in luxury.

For all my dear friends who have been very concerned about a certain part of my wardrobe that has not been updated for about 6 years, the situation is under control. A quick trip to Penneys and $50 later and the girls are happy again. So thanks for all of your concern and offers of hand-me-downs. It is good to know I have girlfriends who would give me not just the shirt off their backs, but everything under it as well.

And so it begins.......

Raising a boy is a wondrous experience. The world is different from the perspective of my little man. He sees things the girls don't. He wonders about things that the girls couldn't care less about. Dirt is not just his friend, it is an essential part of every outing.

Here lately, we have also begun to notice that raising a boy is different because of his unique body parts. Sure doesn't take boys long to discover they can pee in whatever direction they want, now does it? Or that certain parts of their anatomy seem to have a mind of their own.

Take for example this morning. I came into the living room to find Weston in the chair looking wide-eyed. He says to me, "Mom, watch this!" Then proceeds to pull his pants down where it seems his boyhood was wide awake and standing at attention. He then says, "My wiener is HUGE!" Trying not to laugh I calmly asked him to pull his pants back up. He keeps talking saying, "But look I can knock it down and it pops right back up again! Cool, huh?!" Ugh, yeah cool. A talent you will be very thankful for later in life but let's not start so young, huh.

We had a nice talk about our private parts and times and places it may be appropriate to discover what our body can do. My living room chair? Not one of those places.

So, it seems raising a boy is going to have some unique challenges. I am not sure I was quite ready for needing to teach him to keep it in his pants.