Will Weekend

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This weekend Joe’s cousin Luke married his longtime girlfriend Miranda at the Enchanted Barn. Obviously I wanted to be there, but as I wrote last – I started a new job two weeks ago and spent the majority of last week traveling. So when the weekend rolled around the last thing I wanted to do was to get back in a car for another 10+ hours. Joe & Ella decided that they would make the trip alone and Will & I would stay behind. I was sad to miss the event, but it also offered me the chance to spend some rare one-on-one time with Will.

He’ll turn 2 in a month and I’m pretty sure rare doesn’t accurately describe our time, since it’s probably the first time he and I have ever been able to do something just the two of us. We’re always together but it’s usually with Ella and he never gets 100% of my attention.

We had such a great time! We spent the morning at the pool with our friends Theresa & Bex. We thought we were crazy to go since it was pretty cloudy all morning long but as soon as we arrived at the pool, the clouds parted and the day was packed with sunshine. I later learned that we should likely thank Ella for our good fortune, as she asked Mother Nature for some sunshine at that exact same time.

We played with squirt guns, practiced counting while jumping into the pool and ate our weight in snacks from concessions. After a long nap, we then headed to our friends Emmy & Seth’s for dinner and drinks. The sangria was almost as good as the company and Will loved playing with their visiting golden retriever, Barney. We came home late and snuggled until we both fell asleep!

When we decided we wanted a second child, I told myself I would never let Ella feel like she was being replaced by a new, younger model. I have been adamant about ensuring she and I get our “girl time”  but I have neglected to make sure Will gets the same treatment. After our enjoyable weekend, I have decided that from now on I will make sure to set aside some one-on-one time with Will too.
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P.S. Ella & Joe had a great time too!

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Adventure’s

Will – Will has experienced a couple of “firsts” in the last month and loved them both. We took him to his first Badger basketball game and he was thrilled with every second. He cheered the entire time and pointed out Bucky whenever we spotted him! We also took him to the circus and he loved all the bright lights & music, but was jealous of Ella riding the camel.

8211_10100661404003466_1433647811_nEveryone knows that Will is a smiley, happy man – but I feel like I have neglected to mention that he is also sensitive, has a terrible temper and HATES to be told no. Actually, you don’t even have to verbalize the word no – just think it in your head and he’s upset. You can say something like, “hey buddy, let’s not do that” as he’s throwing & breaking things and he reacts by hanging his head, sticking his lip out and throwing himself to the ground.

Some of it may be due to the fact that he’s basically had an ear infection since last October. You’re probably thinking we’re terrible parents but I have taken him in plenty of times. Unfortunately all of the meds they try to treat it with, just don’t work. The poor guy just had to keep enduring infection after infection before we were finally able to be referred to an ENT to discuss tube surgery. We have that appointment this week and while I don’t want to go through yet another surgery, this one is a breeze (in our books) and it will make him so much happier & healthier in the long run. Bring on the tubes!

Ella – Joe & I both grew up with team sports playing a huge role in our lives. We want our kids to experience the same thing so we signed Ella up for soccer! Our small towns didn’t offer soccer as an option so neither of us have played but jumped on the opportunity for her to meet new kids and run some of that energy off! She’s only had three practices, but seems to love it so far.

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I don’t know how it’s possible, but I also registered her for kindergarten in the fall. It’s crazy to think that she is 5 years old already! She is so clever & funny that I wish I could just keep her exactly as she is forever. Yesterday we played a memory game where each person takes a turn laying a card with one word on it, with the goal of crafting a story. With each card laid the story adds up.

I have always said that she has a fantastic memory but this game is a perfect example. The level of detail she has in everything she does is impressive. As the cards spread across our entire dining table, I was beginning to wonder how she would be able to remember all of the details and was trying to wrap it up. As I drew the next card with a clock on it I said, “then the clock struck 9:00 p.m.” Her face quickly grimaced and she said, “awww man, that’s bedtime!” She then drew her next card which was a hammer. As she laid it down and told her story I almost died at just how smart she is! Ella’s story:

Once upon a time there was a “owl” who lived in the woods when a “fish” swam by. It started to rain so he grabbed an “umbrella” and tied a “bow” on top. The bow belonged to a “teddy bear” who wanted to go on a “boat ride.” On the boat there was a “bike” and on the bike there was a “violin” with an “apple” stuck to the very top. They got hungry so they ate some delicious “pizza” but it was cold outside so they had to put their “socks” on. Then an “astronaut” came by so they watched the man putting the flag on the moon. Then the “clock” struck 9:00 p.m. ….so the bear grabbed the “hammer” and smashed the clock to pieces so they could go on their next adventure!

Speaking of adventures… This winter has been painful to say the least and with more negative temps upon us, there seems to be no end in sight! Obviously the only solution is to pack up and head towards warmer land, so next week we’re traveling to Jamaica! Our life is so busy that I haven’t even had time to get excited but I know it’s going to be a blast. At this point almost anything would be a welcomed change.

We spent a week in Costa Rica last year for our honeymoon, which was a bit too long to be away from the kiddo’s so we’ll be going for 4 nights/5 days.

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Oh Hey, 2014!

I have no idea how it happened, but a new year is upon us. That’s right, goodbye 2013 and hello 2014. Not only is it a new year, but we’re already more than halfway through January!

I haven’t wrote in a while, for a lot of reasons really. A lot of it has been due to writer’s block, some of it has been a lack of time, but it’s definitely not because I have nothing to say (cue the sarcastic comments). I could write a 2013 review or a positive, goal-filled outlook for 2014. I could share the story of Ella opening her Christmas gifts early or her amazing opportunity to be on television for Cleft Awareness. I could write about the fact that Will is no longer a baby and has an insane ability to repeat everything we say – I’m telling you, the kid’s a parrot! Let’s not forget our annual Packer outing, New Years Eve festivities and of course there are always a lot of home improvement projects happening.

For the sake of keeping it interesting, I’m going to talk about the most important things – our kids. We’ll start with Will first. For some reason from the time he was born, Will was nicknamed by everyone as “Baby Will.” Although the nickname has held, sadly he is no longer a baby. Almost 18 months already, he is doing new things daily. As I mentioned above, he talks all the time – it’s crazy. His vocabulary probably consists of 40 words and while it’s not always clear, he really has no limits. He says the usual things like, momma, dadda, ball, puppy, no-no, etc. He also says things less typical like, football, touchdown, cheese, adios, etc. The more impressive thing is that he says things in context – “thank you” when he’s given something he’s asked for, or “get down” as he’s climbing on all the furniture in the house.

1512597_10100634258613046_1604147836_nHis actions are no longer by chance, but definitely intentional. He’s a lot like Ella, but even more devious. He knows the difference from right and wrong, but that doesn’t mean he makes the right choice. I might be biased, but he’s extremely talented. It’s made me think a lot about gender differences, but he somehow has this natural ability to pick up a ball and accurately whip it at your head. He is still a picky little eater and definitely needs to work on his short temper!

Now onto Ella. I already spoiled the end of the story, but it’s still a worthy of documenting (to share with her when she has kids of her own someday)! We always set up our tree in early December and place the wrapped presents underneath as they are purchased. We’ve never had a problem in the past and it shouldn’t be all that tempting since we don’t even wait until Christmas to open (due to traveling to our families). This year should have been even easier since I didn’t wrap and place the presents until later than normal. Almost everyday after daycare she would ask to open, “just one” gift from the under the tree. Each time she got the same answer, “absolutely not” or “don’t even think about it!”

Regardless of all of those things, the temptation was far too much for her and she caved. On December 14th, we woke to find that not only had she had opened EVERY.SINGLE.GIFT from under the tree, she also found the stocking stuffers I had hidden in our spare bedroom. The scene was shocking and surreal! I was honestly surprised because behavior-wise, she was on a good run, she had been a really good girl. Just a few days prior during our bedtime conversations she said, “it’s ok if Santa can’t bring me what I asked for, maybe he’ll just bring me something small. I just cannot believe I’m on the nice list!”

Thank goodness she can read, that at least prevented her from unwrapping all of Will’s gift too. Her actions required a punishment that would hopefully set the tone for years to come. I thought about re-wrapping the gifts, but she was excited to help with that task and I didn’t want to do it again. We ended up settling on her gifts sitting under the tree, unwrapped to see everyday, but she wasn’t allowed to play with them. I also took her to Build-a-Bear to make an animal that we then donated to Toys for Tots. She did a pretty good job with both of those punishments, but the hardest part was when Will opened his gifts. She had to sit patiently and not help or touch a thing the entire time he opened. It took him about 30 minutes and drove her (and us) a little insane! The final punishment was in her stocking, which we opened after we returned home from the holiday travel. Will’s was full of gifts from Santa, he even had a gift under the tree. Ella’s stocking was empty – except for a note in the shape of a heart. It read, “Dear Ella, try harder next year and remember, don’t open your gifts until Christmas! Love, Santa.” She was sad, but I think the point was made. If she opens her gifts ahead of time again, she’s moving in with grandma & grandpa.

Now onto better things from Ella. Our friend Emmy Fink presented us with an amazing opportunity to share Ella’s story of Cleft Awareness on the CW Network here in Madison. When I first asked Ella if she was interested she was a bit hesitant, but then quickly turned into a diva – “I don’t want you to go on t.v. with me, I want to go myself – just like my last surgery!” I had to explain that it was important for a parent to tell their story too, so she said, “okay mom, just the girls will go this time. The next time I’m on t.v. I’ll pick dad!” That kid.

When people started to hear about it, I think they expected her performance to be loud and full of personality, just like her. In reality she was a little nervous and pretty reserved, but I couldn’t be prouder of her and the outcome! Hopefully as she gets older she realize what an opportunity it was.

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Thankful For

With November being the month of Thanksgiving, I see a lot of people on Facebook posting what
they’re thankful for each day. In past years I’ve tried to partake but always fell short by missing too many days.

That doesn’t mean I’m not thankful for all the amazing things in my life. I could likely post something every day of the month but when I really look at it there’s one day in November that I’m especially thankful for.

November 26th. The start of my life. On that day we welcomed our beautiful little girl into the world. Sure I’d done many things before that, but none that could measure up to that experience.

Already almost five years ago, that day set the stage for the rest of our lives. We didn’t plan Ella, but she had plans for us. She pushed us to buy our first home, to get married, to have another baby (our second blessing), to move to a better school (our second home), etc.

She has shown us there is more to life & has taught us to be selfless. Sure, if we didn’t have kids we might have enjoyed many other experiences. Traveled the world, purchased nicer things, paid more bills – but who would provide us with daily entertainment like this?

She has allowed us to be a part of something bigger. While we wish she didn’t have to endure struggles due to her cleft, as founders of Cleft Awareness, we’ve built a cleft community and made many new friends we never anticipated.

In a few short days we’ll celebrate her fifth birthday. I can’t believe it’s been five years already! Those five years have been rewarding, but definitely not easy. I suppose that’s all a part of her larger than life personality. Besides, nothing in life worth doing is easy.

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Boggling Bravery

Ella went into surgery around 7:45 a.m. this morning and as I sit here patiently (ha!) waiting for the next few hours, I cannot get over how brave that little girl is. It’s honestly mind boggling.

For those of you who have ever experienced surgery, especially for little kids, it’s typical for one parent to accompany them into the OR as they are put under. We have always chose to not go in because we felt it would be easier for both the kiddo’s and quite honestly, easier on us. Regardless of that decision, it’s normal for you to walk with the team down to the OR and then pass off your precious bundles to the medical staff.

Even though we’ve let Ella go in alone in the past, I thought today might be different since she’s older now and more aware of the situation. When the children’s coordinator (which is genius might I add) came in, I asked if she would like either Joe or myself to go with her into surgery. She quickly replied that she wanted to go alone. I wasn’t surprised but I thought she might change her mind. As it became time to make the trek to the OR we all prepared to walk together and she promptly said she wanted to go alone. I explained that she could go into surgery by herself but we’d like to walk with her. She caved and let us all go with.

As we walked down she was pretty quiet so I thought she might be starting to second guess her decisions. When we got to the dreaded double doors she met her nurses and it was time for us to part ways. As I went to give her a hug I could have sworn she was going to freak out at the last minute and instead she pushed me away mid-hug and was ready to go!

While I’m so proud of her and impressed by her courage, I just can’t believe there wasn’t a second in her mind that she might have wanted some support from her parents. Joe says it’s because she doesn’t fully know what’s going on, but I completely disagree. We have talked about this surgery for the last 6 months. She knows in depth everything that’s going to happen, right down to the scalpel. Even IF she didn’t realize the extent of what was happening, she doesn’t know a single person in that terrifying room. As someone who’s never personally experienced surgery, the OR is intimidating space for me and I’m an adult.

I started this blog to document our lives and I hope when Ella is big enough to read this she will look back a this post and know that she is my hero. She is by far the bravest, most courageous little person I have ever met. She is going to do great things and conquer the world!
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