Valentine's Day 2009

So considering the fact that Travis and I have still not gotten to have a night out together for our ten year anniverary which was the day after Christmas...I didn't hold any high hopes that we would make it out for Valentine's Day. Factor in my crazy working schedule, a rampant stomach virus, a 17 month old with a 5 week bout of diahrea, two kids with food allergies who really can't eat at restaurants safely, we just can't seem to get a date night together. Oh and also, Travis has worked 19 days straight since the ice storm and has been putting in 70 hours plus at the office.

So, what did we do for the big day? Travis had to be at work at 5am that morning, so he was off and gone before me and the babies were awake. He did leave me a new book, some chocolate, and a lovely letter which has made me cry every time I've read it. He will probably kill me for posting this, but he has written me letters every Valentine's Day that we've spent together and they are really beautiful. He is not so much on sharing his feelings and all but I can always count on his Valentine's letter to be wonderful. I have kept every one of them, and wouldn't trade them for anything. He also left some goodies for our two little Valentine's as well. (Noah was psyched to realize that Valentine's day was another gift giving holiday and Nana as well as Pappaw Randy brought some goodies too.) I then spent the rest of the day working and tending to the babies. We had church that night, and we topped off the evening with a trip through the drive through at McDonald's. Thank goodness for apple dippers (no eggs, no nuts hurray!)

Sunday morning I had planned to cook Travis favorite dinner (Bar B Q ribs!) so I got up really early to put them on so they'd be ready when we got in from church. We then parked ourselved on the couch where me and the kids took an afternoon nap and Travis watched the Daytona race. We visited with both his parents and mine and basically had a wonderful Sunday.

After the babies went off to sleep I had to get in the office for some work time (which is hard to come by these days with Travis not being home to tend to the kids as much).

Anyway, I'm still hoping I get that date night out for my anniversary and maybe Valentine's Day too...maybe when the kids are in college...but our weekend home together was great too.

In Light of the Approaching Holiday....

As an at home Mom during the day time hours I've had a chance to see alot and I mean alot of Valentine's Day commericials this year. Most of which are aimed at men to try and persuade them to order their wives/girlfriends/etc 18 red roses, or to buy diamonds, or fill in the blank here (I know you've seen the commercials.) Flip the channgel a little and you will find channel after channel of daytime soap operas with romantic, gorgeous men whisking their ladies off to some deserted island or other such fairy tale stuff...

This crazy Valentine's Day marketing (which seems to be much aimed for the floral and greeting card companies) has gotten me to thinking about Valentine's past. Hmmm....not so many years ago I would have told you that the most romantic thing was roses, date night, a love letter, jewelry, etc. I must say, in the fourteen years that I've been with Travis he has managed some quite lovely gestures. Suprise roses, perfume, you name it.

However, let me tell you what romance means to me now! I'll let the soap opera ladies keep their tuxedoed men, cause my guy will come home from a 14 hour work day and still make time to sit in the floor and play Batman with Noah. Even when he's exhausted from working he makes time EVERY night to cuddle with Lil, give her a bottle and most nights she prefers Dada to get her to sleep. He is their hero and their favorite play buddy (especially if it involved outside and mud!)

Now don't get me wrong, I still love to get flowers, and to have a night out as much as the next girl but I can see a lot more clearly now. Any guy can pull out a few flowers and candy one day a year. I'll take mine anyday.

An add on to the food allergy post...a funny one

As Noah grows I try to talk to him about the importance of learning to carry our emergency medication with us, and being cautious about the food he eats...etc. (all in a child friendly way of course)

Today we are having just of those talks on the way home from a friends birthday party. Noah is thinking seriously about this and tells me, "Mom, when I am a grown up boy where will I put my epi-pens when I ride my motorcycle?" Umm...Mom doesn't know the answer to that question....

Anyway, just thought it was cute and that is just another reason I love boys!!!

Alarming to anyone Else but Me

OK so in my long and arduous journey as a Mom of a child with severe food allergies I have discovered many things along the way. Some of which I wish I would have known to start with. Some may have made a difference some maybe not.

Anyway, as everyone knows Noah has a SEVERE peanut and egg allergy and Lilly was recently diagnosed with a level 3 egg allergy as well.

Getting to my point...the MMR vaccine contains an egg component. Noah does not receive the MMR vaccine for this very reason. We (and his Physician) sign a medical waiver against it.

Lilly did receive her 12m MMR vaccine before she was diagnosed. Within days of receiving the vaccine she awoke with a fever near 105. We had to immediatly put her in a bath of lukewarm water, do Motrin and Tylenol for several days. She had no other symptoms. However, the child had never been sick before this vaccine and now has been sick on and off since then. She has also been diagnosed with an egg allergy and the child HAS NEVER INGESTED EGG OR ANY FOOD CONTAINING IT. I am not saying that her vaccine caused the allergy or fever....but I can't help but wonder what the connection is.

Anyway, I have spent alot of time researching the possible causes of the increase in food allergies and one theory includes (you guessed it) a link between vaccinations and food allergies. OK I am not totally against vaccinating kids. I realize the diseases they prevent are horrible. I'm just saying ome kids may need diffeent options.

Lastly, I have come across something that I had no idea about that is very startling to me. I am willing to bet that most of you are not aware either. There are at least three vaccines that are routinely given (the Chickenpox Or Varicella vaccine being one of them) that are formulated from cells from aborted fetuses. As a mom who is absolutely pro-life, this fact in itself is alarming to me as well. (Google it and see what you find...)

Anyway, just something to ponder. I realize that I may take a lashing for some of these opininions, but it is my blog after all...

Just because she's so darn cute...

OK I loved the pictures of Gracie in her coat that Terri posted on her blog so I was inspired to take some of Lil' before she outgrows her pink "fur". She is so funny and the last picture posted is of her giving me the typical Lilly look. She's like, "OK mom you have about 10 seconds to get this done and I'm laying in the floor and takin' my coat off and messing up my hair!

Motherhood...It's Not for the Weak Hearted (or Stomach for that matter!!!)

Attention Attention Attention...if you have a weak stomach stop reading right now...
OK I warned you...

I am a weenie...squeamish...whatever word you want to use...plug my name in and it describes me. Basically I passed out in Parenting Class in High school watching the birthing video...only we didn't get to the birth part. I blacked out at the nurse standing beside some peice of medical machinery. Yep things of this nature totally leave me weak in the knees (and not in a good way)

So fast foward to January 09. My poor little Lilly Grace has had a horrible case of diahhrea since New Years. We've tried everything, attributed it to teething, too much juice, etc and to no avail, she's still "going" 6 or 8 times a day. So Friday night she wakes us with a really high fever so it's off to the doctor on Saturday morning. Basically she has a ear infection, possibly the flu virus and get this...we don't know what is causing the digestive problems. But, could I possible bring in some stool samples on Monday morning to run some lab work? Of course I can....

So Monday morning bright and early I'm collecting the samples to take to the lab...dirty diaper...gloves...test tubes from the lab...the whole deal. I also am gagging my head off and trying not to puke in the test tubes...pretty sure this would mess up the lab results. I'll spare you the gory details...but as I'm driving my lovely specimens of Lilly's to Grave Gilbert Clinic on Monday morning I have decided that the educators that are trying to prevent teen pregnancy have it all wrong. They make girls take home those computer babies that cry and you have to carry them around and feed them and such...nope if they really want teenagers to prevent having babies at a young age...I feel certain that they should make them all get close up and personal with dirty diapers and a lovely fact of parenthood called "somebody's gotta do it and it's gonna be Mama..."

Anyway...love you all...hope you weren't eating when you read this...but all of you Mama's have probably done this or worse so I know you understand.

PS...Travis laughed his head off and entertained his buddies at the office with stories of my morning "duties" Thanks babe, keep reminding me that I wanted to stay home with the kids....

Just a quick post

Lilly Newborn

Noah Newborn

So sometimes right in the middle of my day...reality of how fast my babies are growing up hits me square in the face. Today, I'm going about my normal business, cleaning up lunch dishes and folding a load of laundry all while trying to change out Lilly's next size of clothing for storage. I came across a preemie outfit that she wore alot that somehow didn't get packed up with the newborn things. It is so so so tiny and I can remember very clearly when it was still a little big on her. Now she's 16 months old, 20 pounds and toddles all over the house eating everything in sight. She loves to wave "bye" points out her ears, eyes, etc, and she thinks her big brother is the greatest person on God's green earth.





While I'm being all sentimental over this tiny peice of cotton Noah saunters in to the room sighing and saying that he's bored. He says, "Mom come play a game with us." So I drop what I'm doing at 1 pm and we spend the rest of the day having a ball in our toy room. The laundry wasn't done, the totes were still out in the bedroom, but my babies are going to grow up soon enough. I want to enjoy every moment with them that I can. I know that one day soon, it will be me asking to spend time with him.