Blah, blah, blah- excuses.

Sorry that I've been absent lately. I've just been crazy busy in the last week or so. Fortunately, most of it has been fun and positive.

Last week, on Tuesday I met up with my mom friend, Emily, and several of the moms from Owen's class. We took all of our kiddos to Jump and Play for a great afternoon playdate. It was really fun and it was great to see all of the kids playing together.

Wednesday, I had T&Q all day- and then that night I went to Ash Wednesday services and RCIA while Matthew took Owen and Eli to gymnastics.

Thursday, after I picked Owen up from school, we headed down to S. Indiana to spend some time with Mom/Dad, Grandma/Grandpa Gessner. We went sledding, and FINALLY got to build a snowman. We had a wonderful time, and I actually WON at scrabble against Mom Gessner!! That NEVER EVER happens!

Unfortunately, we didn't get any pictures while we were there. (Boo Me)

Friday, on the way home, the boys and I had lunch with my friend, Noelle, that lives in Lexington. We went to the Claudia Sanders Dinner House. (Colonel Sanders' wife) The restaurant was located inside the Sanders' home, and it was really neat. It was super fun getting to meet up with Noelle as well!!

Saturday found us trying to have a "date" night WITH our boys in tow.

Sunday, we had to be at an early mass for the Rite of Sending and then we had to be downtown at the Cathedral that afternoon for the Rite of Election.

Sunday night-Monday- Matthew and I caught a stomach bug and moped around the house pathetically.

So- there's our last week in a nutshell. Mostly just my lame excuses for not blogging in forever.

What Big Boys!

Would you just take a look at these two big boys?

Eli decided this week that he's big enough to sit with his brother at the table now. It's so cute to watch them sit together.

Dear Cheetah

Dear Cheetah,

I don't think that I've taken the time to properly thank you for all that you do. You are my little boy's best friend, and for that, I could never fully express my gratitude. Who else wouldn't mind being strangled during long car trips? Who else would watch Owen go potty, take a bath, and brush his teeth with such an attentive nature? Who else could I count on to be there for him through vomit and the subsequent trips through the washer and dryer?

The answer is no one.

Owen loves you with all that he is, and because of you, he loves all things cheetah. His current favorite color is orange, the color of your fur. He also knows all of your favorites. According to Owen, your favorite color is yellow and your favorite things to play with are "toodles". He acquired a cheetah blanket this Christmas which he found and fell in love with because of you, and his little eyes are so sincere when he tells me how beautiful I'd be in the cheetah print dress that he spotted (no pun intended) in the junior's section of JC Penney.

Cheetah, I have to tell you, I love that Owen loves you. I love that he shares his snacks with you, plays games with you, reads to you, and worries about your feelings. He shows true empathy when he's concerned about your well-being. He calls you his baby, and he has even tried his hand at breastfeeding you :) I hope that you realize how much you're loved.

I worry about the day that Owen will outgrow you. The day that he'll decide that he's too big to sleep with a stuffed cheetah will break my heart. I know that you'll just roll with the punches. Perhaps you'll even enjoy your retirement- and not having to take any more trips through the washer and dryer. But that day will change my life. I'll always think of you fondly, and I'll always appreciate all that you were to my little boy, but I'll miss the days that he was little enough to snuggle you in his arms.

But for today, you are Owen's best friend, and for that, I thank you.

Sincerely,

Owen's Mommy

Chicago: Part Two

Thursday brought the second part of our trip. We decided to take the boys to Shedd Aquarium, and it was AWESOME! Both boys loved their day at the aquarium. I had wonderful memories of Shedd from my childhood when my dad used to take me to Chicago to his rehabilitation appointments, so I was excited to be able to share that with my boys. Shedd totally lived up to and exceeded the memories that I had. They've expanded and added so many new features and exhibits- it's just an amazing place to visit.

Owen and Eli were both totally enamored with the Beluga Whales. (So was their mama!!) This particular Beluga kept coming up and smiling and waving his fins at us. He even spat water up at us a few times!! Isn't he the cutest??

Owen of course, loved the dolphins and fish. Eli, true to form, LOVED the penguins! It was such a fun time, and I can't wait to go back! I'm also looking forward to experiencing the other Chicago attractions with my boys that I shared with my dad when I was a child. It is such a neat city!

Chicago: Part One

A confession.

I've never had a ton of girl friends. I'm fortunate to have the best friend ever, Sara, as well as some other wonderful mommy friends that I enjoy spending time with. But I mean, I never even considered joining a sorority in college because spending *that* much time, with *that* many girls was a downright frightening prospect to me. So what I am about to tell you is still a surprise to even me.

I belong to a group of 15 girls. I talk with them every day and enjoy their "company" more than I can say. I've known them for about two years now, and they are just amazing people. Each of these girls brings something special to my life.

Here's the other side of the coin.

I've only *met* two of these girls. Some of you know about this situation, others don't have any idea what I am talking about, but I figure that it's time to come clean. Two years ago, after my miscarriage, I reached out. I looked for others were experiencing or had experienced the kind of pain that I was feeling. I found a message board online where all of the women had experienced pregnancy loss. We were all trying to regain our footing, we were all trying to start again. 6 of us got pregnant again near the same time and we had our babies within weeks of each other. (Eli is the oldest). Because of our connection, and the friendships that we had formed, we went on to form our own private website where we can talk, and share our joys and frustrations without the prying eyes of the rest of the internet.

I've not told a lot of people about the friendships that I have with these girls or how important they are to me out of fear that someone wouldn't understand. I finally realized though, that in a day in age where people meet their spouses online, why should it seem strange to have found a group of girl friends on the internet?

Now, back to the subject of my post: Chicago. The main reason that Matthew and I decided to make a trip to Chicago on a random Wednesday in February, (Other than the gorgeous winter weather in Chicago!) was to meet up with a couple of my friends from online, Jen and Joell. I've actually met Joell before, but this was my first time meeting Jen as well as the rest of Joell's family. We went to Rainforest Cafe, (Which was AMAZING!!)

Joell and I

and then Jen and I went out for drinks at our hotel. It's funny because it felt like sitting down with old friends. I'm 100% sure that no one on the outside could have guessed that it was our first time spending time together!

Jen and I

Jen. Me. Joell.

You often hear that blessings come out of tragedies and that is so true for me. I honestly can't imagine my life without these girls in it. I don't know if we'll ever all be in one place at the same time as we are spread from coast-to-coast, and across three countries, but I hope that one day we will. I would love to be able to hug each and every one of these girls who have forever touched my life.

To Jen, Joell, Emily, Michelle, Kyla, Leeta, Megan, Kimberly, Sara, Jac, Jacki, Chi, Noelle and Kelli- I so hope that we can all finally get together one day. I treasure each of your friendships, and am so thankful to have you in my life. You helped put me back together, and you're forever a part of who I am. Thank-you for always being there for me. I love you all!

Monster Truuuccckkss

Last weekend, we took Owen to Monster Jam, and we had such a fun time. We were a little bit mad because several of the trucks were pretty "weak sauce", but it was still a nice evening. Owen enjoyed it, but was a little confused because he didn't think that the trucks were very "monsterous". We were up in the top of Lucas Oil, and from up there, those trucks look like toys. Owen couldn't understand why the trucks weren't jumping very high- even though they were jumping like 15-20 feet in the air, it only looked like inches to him. That's when we learned that 3-year-olds don't have perspective! :) To make matters worse, he's already been to monster trucks once with Grandma & Grandpa M, and he sat in the front row. He had in his mind how this was going to be, and section 639 didn't quite meet his expectations.

I really think that he enjoyed getting to spend the evening with just Mommy and Daddy. We certainly enjoyed getting to spend some two-on-one time with just him.

Big things

There are fun things happening around this joint. The boys are recovering nicely, we're getting out of the house- despite the cold, and the bathroom is all but done... Good things my friends, good things.

Yesterday, the boys and I went to meet up with my good friend Emily and her little ones N and O. Owen and N have been buddies since birth. Their birthdays are 9 days apart, and they slobbered on the same toys as babies. I met Emily in breastfeeding support group, and we developed a wonderful friendship over the year that we attended the group together. Now, three and a half years, and one kid later, we still love getting together and letting our hoodlums run amuck. One of our favorite haunts is Jump and Play in Avon, because we can sit and chat while the boys act like crazy people.

Then, last night Sara and Todd came over for dinner and I have to tell you, I made a MEAN lentil soup! It was agreed by all that it was delish. Even Owen ate it- so there's the real proof of the pudding! We also had gelato and blueberries for dessert. mmmmmm.

Tomorrow, brings with it another big event; we're taking Owen to see Monster Jam downtown. He couldn't be more excited! He's actually been to a monster truck show before with Grandma and Grandpa M, so he's really looking forward to this! Our bestest friends, Sara and Todd, are coming over to watch Mr. Eli since since he is incapable of being appropriately appreciative of monster trucks. We decided that we would make it a special night out with Mommy and Daddy for Owen, so we asked him where he'd like to eat. I gave him options such as McDonalds and Pizza King- which are some of his favorites.

You want to know what he picked??

SUSHI!

That's my boy! :)

The kid absolutely LOVES sushi. (He eats crab rolls, which are fully cooked- for anyone who was planning on advising me on the safety of feeding my three-year-old raw fish.) Not only does he love sushi, but the child can pack away the sushi. It's fun to watch people's faces as O devours his weight in crab roll. So, being the nice mommy and daddy that we are, we're obliging and joining our little epicure in a meal of sushi before Monster Jam. (Don't those two things just seem to go hand-in-hand?)

We're also pretty excited because we're going to spend a night in Chicago on Wednesday of this week. One of my girlfriends is flying in from Texas and we're meeting up with another friend that lives in Chicago. I'm sooo excited, I CANNOT wait! Matthew and the boys are going to hang out at the hotel pool while I spend the evening with the girls. Then on Thursday, we (Matthew, the boys and I) are going to spend the day at Shedd Aquarium. I remember going there several times as a child and it is amazing! I can't wait to share it with Owen and Eli.

Finally, here is the promised picture of my beloved bathroom. Like I said, it's not *quite* done, but it's very close. We're down to the finishing touches.



Isn't it lovely?

Who's in bed?

It's 12:03 am. Who is in their beds? Nobody! The boys are sleeping, but not in their room. Neither of them. Owen went to bed first, but still wasn't asleep when we brought Eli in. The second that Eli's head hit the bed, he started screaming. Pick him up- stop screaming. Lay him down- screaming. We tried to let him cry it out for awhile, but Owen wasn't able to sleep so we let him move into the spare room for the evening. The crying didn't work for getting Eli to sleep, so I went in to get him and he immediately stopped crying. I figured out that it was hurting his ears to lay down. He was lying there, pulling and digging at his right ear. I brought him out, put him in the swing, and that's where he fell asleep. The poor little soul.

Matthew is putting finishing touches in the bathroom, and I just finished my workout. Now we're commencing the nightly clean-up, get-ready-for bed ritual.

Good Night Moon.

P.S. I'll post some AWESOME bathroom pictures tomorrow night (or possibly Friday. We're having S&T over for dinner tomorrow night... Lentils and Blueberries!! YUM!)

Bad Mommy :(

I feel like the worst mom ever today! I called the doctor this morning about Eli's cold and scheduled an appointment for this afternoon. I took him in, and she took one look at him, and said, "Wow, he's one sick little boy!" He was just lying lifelessly on my lap. I knew that it wasn't good when she started listening to his lungs because she listened, listened, listened, and listened some more. Normally it's a pretty quick procedure, but this time, she took forever. He had fluid on his lungs, and he wasn't saturing oxygen very well. They did a breathing treatment in the office, and said that he needs to do his at-home treatments every four hours. He's on the verge on pneumonia, but she wants to try to treat it at home first with the nebulizer.

As if that wasn't bad enough, then she looked in his ears. As soon as she looked in there, she said, "Oh my gosh, that's terrible!" She let me look in there and his ear was flaming red and the ear drum was bulging. She said that I needed to get some strong antibiotics in him quick because his ear drum was about to rupture. He has a double infection, but the right ear is really severe.

She kept assuring me that it wasn't my fault for waiting so long- she said that ears can change within the course of hours, but still I felt awful for not bringing him in sooner.

You want to know what the kicker is?? I called to get him appointment before he woke up this morning. When he did wake up and I went in to get him, he was in a great mood. Smiling, laughing, acting fairly normal. He ate breakfast, played with Owen, and acted like he was feeling much better. I *almost* called and canceled the appointment because I thought that he must be getting better. Boy am I glad that didn't!

Please say a prayer that Eli responds quickly to the antibiotics so that his ear drum doesn't rupture.

Guess What!

We've got TWO, count 'em, TWO working bathrooms now!! Yee Haw! I'm talking toilet, sink, shower- THE WORKS!! There's still some work to be done, but we're close enough now, I can taste it!! Friday night, Matthew and I grouted the tile. I manned the grout bag, and Matthew floated the grout with the trowel. That's right, I have renovation tool words in my vocabulary! I honestly can't remember what all has been done this weekend, but it was a lot!! I'm so proud of my husband's diligence with this task, all while working full-time!



Eli is pretty sick again. He was fighting a cold all last week, and I kept not calling the doctor, because I kept thinking that it would run its course. It's been one week now and he's still running a pretty high fever (102-103), and he just acts miserable. On top of that, he now has a really congested cough. We started him on the breathing treatment this evening, but if he's not significantly better tomorrow, I'll be calling the doc.

We had a birthday party for my Grandpa today, he turned 89!! It was nice to be able to spend the day with my family and enjoy the Colts' win! I'm just tired and run down after a day of cooking and taking care of a sick baby. But seriously, How 'bout them Colts?!?!?! Can't wait for the Super Bowl now! (normally I couldn't care less!) We will be having chicken wings and nachos on Super Bowl Sunday- Come join us if you'd like!!

Another random thought for the evening- Is anyone available to babysit next weekend? It will just be for Eli. We're taking Owen to Monster Jam, but we want him to be able to enjoy it without his squriming, doesn't appropriately appreciate monster trucks, brother. If anyone is free Sat, Jan 30- let us know!

Well I apologize for my incoherent train of thought this evening. I think that my body is fighting off Eli's germs and not up to its full thinking/writing capabilities! (That's my story anyway!)