"Not Me!" Monday ~ Stellan Style

As most of you know, "Not me! Monday" was started by my dear (blog) friend MckMama as a chance for us all to prove that we're not afraid to admit our imperfections. This week's "Not me! Monday" is in honor of MckMama's sweet baby Stellan who has been in the hospital for the last week battling SVT. We love you, Stellan!

As for me, I did not check MckMama's blog at least 35 times a day for the last 8 days. (I would just like to add that I still managed to care for my son and cook dinner in between all of my blog checking!) I did not take an unplanned hiatus from my own blog due to all of the time I was spending on following MckMama's blog and thinking of and praying for baby Stellan.

I did not have to explain to my Facebook friends that I don't actually know Stellan (or his cool mom) in real life after I requested prayer for the cute little dude.

I did not have to think hard about things to "tweet" because I found myself only wanting to type "thinking of/praying for Stellan".

I did not find myself checking MckMama's blog for any updates on Stellan at 4:30 am (before getting ready for work) because I didn't want to wait until 7:00 am (when I arrive at work) to see how he is doing.

I did not have more than three phone conversations with my sister regarding Stellan and whether or not one of us had read the latest post on MckMama's blog.

*** Please, please keep praying for dear baby Stellan and his family. ***

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

That's Just Really Sad!

You know what's really sad? The fact that I have not updated my blog since March 8th! That's 20 days ago. Do you know what is even sadder? The fact that after 20 days, I can't think of anything interesting to blog about! Things have been pretty status quo around here, not that I am complaining. It just makes for a boring blog! Nana did take pictures of B last week, so I will be sure to upload those on Monday. In the mean time, I'm just going to continue to pray for these sweet angels: Stellan, Gabe, Seth, and so on!

Good boy?!

Houston, we have a miscommunication! For some reason, Brennan confuses being a good boy, with being a big boy. I don't know why. A couple months ago I told Brennan that if he was a good boy while I shopped I would let him have some Pez when we reached the checkout. He proceeded to tell me "I'm a big boy!". No son, good boy not big boy! 

Well, tonight while eating dinner he made a little mess with his shredded cheese. He started flipping out because, fortunately for me, he likes things to be tidy while he eats. He wanted me to clean it for him and I said "No, you can do it. You're a big boy." To which he replied (with a sad, serious look) "No Momma, I'm not a good boy. I'm just little". 

That's my boy!

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)