Ever had one of those weeks?

You know, the kind where you feel like all you do is spend time doing laundry and scrubbing things with bleach and yet somehow your house is still a disaster? Yeah, me either :o) 

Oh wait, that sounds a lot like me this past week! Poor B spent the better part of this past week throwing up, taking baths, and laying on the couch. I'm fairly certain I did 5 loads of laundry on Wednesday alone just to wash his soiled clothes & blankets, oh, and don't forget the bath mat (which, by the way, had already been washed on Sunday when B's friend had an "accident"!). 

Poor B has a double ear infection and I'm not a doctor but it would appear he has some type of stomach virus on top of it. Just when I think he's feeling better, he gets that "leave me alone and let me lay on the couch with my bucket" look in his eyes. Poor thing. He only weighs 25.3 lbs fully clothed (per the ER scale on Wednesday night). I'm pretty sure that his 6-month old cousin Jonathan is going to out weigh him soon (if not already!). 

Needless to say, I've been reminded this week that I am truly blessed with many things. I'm blessed with a child who is, for the most part, healthy & happy. Who hasn't had to spend the majority of his little life in a hospital bed fighting every day like poor Gabe and Abby. And with a job that provides leave to allow me to stay at home with my sick child, and even let me work from home when he is resting. I have definitely been given more than beyond measure and way more than I deserve. But I guess that's GRACE - God's Riches At Christ's Expense.

Wordless Wednesday (Maybe)

Can you guess who has been fighting a stomach bug since yesterday evening? Poor little bunny!

You've got a friend in me...

B and Abby

Is there anything greater than a good friend? Last night my awesome friend Michelle kept B for us overnight so that my hubby and I could escape for a romantic getaway. Josh and I had planned to go to Ruth's Chris on Saturday (today), but it seemed like everyone we knew had plans which made finding a sitter difficult. But after Michelle happily agreed to keep B for me on Friday night, I got to work planning a little surprise night away for Josh and  I. Michelle picked B up after she got off of work yesterday and I got all dolled up and surprised Josh when he arrived home from work. He was a little shocked at first because he thought we were going out on Saturday night, but he was thrilled to have some stress-free time away from work. 

We checked into an awesome hotel in NW Washington, DC (not far from the White House), and the nice clerk upgraded our room to a king-size corner suite on the 12th floor with gorgeous views of the city. Then we took a taxi to the restaurant. I work in the city, so I'm a little more accustomed to the hustle and bustle. It was fun seeing Josh enjoy his time out of our more rural community. Dinner was amazing! It was so refreshing to have a meal without saying "Sit in your chair...Eat your dinner...Ssshhhh! People are trying to eat!". 

Oh, and did I mention the ten hours of uninterrupted sleep we got last night?! 

It was a little chilly in the city this morning, but that didn't stop us from taking a stroll just to see the sights and enjoy each other's company. We definitely needed some time away just to regroup. 

As for my super-cool friend Michelle, she happened to have a surprise party to attend this evening for her grandfather, so I happily agreed to keep her youngest daughter Abby for the night. (And I was worried how I would be able to repay her for keeping B for me so I could whisk Josh away for a romantic getaway!!)

Happy 3rd Birthday, Brennan!

I can't believe that it has been 3 whole years since I brought my precious little guy into the world. He didn't come willingly, he fought the whole way, and he's been a fighter ever since! Always aware and curious of what is going on around him and always looking for adventure. My mom used to joke that she would be amazed if my younger brother (Uncle B, Brennan's namesake) made it to school age. Now I think I understand what she meant :o) I don't know what I was expecting when we named B after Josh and my brother - both are quite the adrenaline junkies! 

Brennan has a smile and a personality that can light up a room. He never ceases to teach me new things, mostly patience :o) He is very mechanically inclined and always on the move. He started walking at 10 months and hasn't stopped since. He could climb out of his crib before his first birthday and would move toys/step stools to open doors and reach things on countertops by the time he was two. Now, at three, he knows how to use a screw driver; takes batteries out of EVERY electronic controller/remote/device we own; can unlock doors; he can ride a scooter; jumps off of our 2 1/2 foot deck; etc.

I could ramble on and on, but in short - I love my baby big boy and I feel so blessed that God chose Josh and I to be his parents. 

Happy Birthday, Brennan! 

Photos from the Poconos!

Finally! I finally got around to uploading the pictures that we took last week while we were on our little retreat to the Poconos. We had a lot of fun on our trip. Brennan did not really enjoying skiing, but he definitely loved seeing all of the snow and liked the change of scenery. We did a lot of swimming in the indoor pools - I think that was B's favorite part of the trip. Here is a few of my favorite pictures:

Trying to ski with Daddy.

Enjoying the heated pool. Fun at the Crayola Factory (where I did not lose him!).

"Not me!" Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I don't care what anyone tells you, I did not lose my son for about 8 minutes in the Crayola Factory while we were vacationing last week. I would never allow such a thing to happen, especially when there was a 2:1 ratio of adults vs. child. Upon finding him unharmed and completely oblivious that there was two adults frantically searching for him, I did not grab him by the arm and threaten him within an inch of his life scold him for running away.

I am not now sitting here wondering what in world I would do if I had two kids to keep track of!

My brother-in-law may say otherwise, but I did not fall twice just getting to the ski lift and off of the ski lift at the bunny slope while visiting Shawnee Mountain. I was not embarrassed to watch five-year-olds conquer the lift (and bunny slope!) with style and grace!

I did not post a "Wordless Wednesday" post on Tuesday last week because I honestly thought that it was Wednesday. I just wanted to see if my readers were paying attention!

How about you - anything you care to admit?

You might be a mom if...

You totally get your days confused, and you don't realize it until the end of the day :o)

Not-So-Wordless Wednesday :o)

Catching snowflakes (that are so tiny you can't see them!)

Climbing on the deck (see, there's a snowflake!!!)

mmm! Thanks for the candy necklace, Uncle B! (I wonder why he never eats dinner?!)

Out for the count!

ABC's of B

I just realized that B's "birth month" is upon me. My baby will turn 3 years old in just a few short weeks :o( In some ways it seems like the last three years have flown by, but in other ways, it seems like he has always been a part of our life. I can't really remember life before him. I'll save the mushy stuff for his birthday post though. For now, I thought it would be fun to have some fun with his name. Can you tell I have some free time on my hands while we wait for him to wake up from his nap?!

B - Bold

R - Radiant smile

E - Energetic, to say the least

N - Nana's boy

N - No fear

A - Awesome kid

N - Ninja Turtle lover

J - Josh's son

A - ALL boy

M - Momma's baby

E - Excellent ball thrower

S - Scooter rider

Laughter Lives Tuesday

This post is part of "Laughter Lives! Tuesday" on the Riggs Family Blog. Check our their blog to read everyone else's "Laughter Lives!" posts.

"I love you back."
One day, while enjoying some snuggle time and a book together, Brennan turned to me and said, "I love you, Momma". To which I replied, "I love you back". Several days later I said, "I love you B.", and he quickly turned to me with his charming little smile and bright blue eyes and said, "I love you back". It's "our thing" now :o)

Squeeze three times...
Way back when, before we were married, Josh told me that when he was a little boy he and his dad would say "I love you" by either 3 hand squeezes or 3 taps, etc. One squeeze for "I", one for "love" and one for "you". After he shared that story, we were holding hands in the car and he squeezed my hand 3 times. It's been "our thing" ever since!