New layout

I am going to give this whirl, I think I like it but I lost my links, counter and the picture of my kids. I can add all of these things back later when I have more time. In the meantime, enjoy the change. Have a wonderful Tuesday.

More tears-some happy, some sad

I read this blog in my blog hopping today and it moved me to tears. The faith of this family is unbelievable. Please take a few minutes to read about Audrey Caroline and her family's amazing journey at http://audreycaroline.blogspot.com/.

Also, for those of you who follow my blog regularly. Another baby blog I have been reading for months has great news to share. Baby Sully is off the vent as of Friday and is doing great! Please read more about him http://sullivanfarrar.com/updates.htm. He is one special little boy, his 1st birthday is on Thursday. Happy Birthday Sully! Please continue praying for him and all the children at St. Jude.

Happy Monday. I will post more later this week about our crazy weekend and hope to get pictures up as well. (As long as Brandon uploads me, I'm completely inept at this)

My friend, Trish

Here is the picture I promised of my friend Trish. She was a promising free lance photographer. Her husband took this picture of her with our kids. She also took the picture of Parker kissing Grant that we used for our Christmas cards last year. Here is a link to her photography website, you can see some of her other work http://www.tlolsonphotography.com/-/tlolsonphotography/.

It still seems surreal to me thinking about it. When I came to work today, I had to tell several people about it, everyone had the same reaction -- "Are you serious?" There are no words to express the loss of 38 year old in the prime of her life. I hope everyone reading this counts their blessings today.

Click here to see what an impact she had on others and more about her health struggles although she had been doing well recently. http://www.helpmyhurt.com/2008/04/21/help-my-hurt-lost-one-of-its-own-today-rip-tricia

Life is too short

I have just found out my friend Tricia Olson-Giles passed away last night. She was only 38, just one year older than me. Her husband called me a short time ago to give me the news, I think I am still numb trying to grasp how someone my age could die of an aneurysm? It just doesn't make sense. I feel terrible because when he called, I asked him if he was serious, like anyone would joke about his wife dying. I have only met him a few times but they did come to our house in December to take pictures of our kids. I have these pictures on my drive at work, I will post one tomorrow of Trish and my kids. She didn't have any children of her own but she loved all her OPK's (other people's kids). Trish thoroughly enjoyed watching my ever expanding waistline when I was pregnant with Parker, I think that was the first time she had seen someone every day who was expecting. At the time we worked together. I am through rambling tonight, I will do my best to post more tomorrow but work is insane right now.

Monday potpourri

A couple of pictures from San Antonio

Brandon at the Pep RallyBrandon and Blake

Grown men acting like teenagers

My funny Grant story... he does not like putting on shoes, he is okay once they are on but getting them on is challenging. One day in my morning struggle to put his shoes on, I made up the following for entertainment value. I tell him we need to put his 'pigs' (toes) in a blanket (sock) and then get the pigs in the barn (shoe) and tie them up tight! This seems to work, he thinks its hilarious and it allows me to get both shoes on without breaking a sweat or trying to hold him down. This morning, he picked up his shoe and said "barn," I hope he doesn't think his shoes are really barns? Also he now says "yashe" which is yes in Grant-ese. It is so darn cute!

Now for my funny story. I fell yesterday over Grant's ride-on toy and broke not one but two of my toes! I was holding Grant when I tripped, we both crashed to the floor. He bumped his head but I think I broke most of his fall. Yes, he is okay, he barely cried over it .. I however am in a great deal of pain.

I hope everyone has a great Monday!

Prayer requests

I made back to the office today. So far, so good.

A friend of mine from work sent me a link to this website http://sullivanfarrar.com/. This little boy is very sick and at St. Jude. I have been following this for a few months now and thought this would would an excellent way to share his journey with you. Like all the children of St. Jude, he needs extra prayers. Please stop by to read about Sully and his amazing journey. I just noticed he is on our Church prayer list as well.

Happy Monday!

Back to work tomorrow

I intend to go back to the office tomorrow. I am feeling much better today after not doing so hot yesterday. Tomorrow will be a long day with Brandon still out of town, I will have to get Parker to school by 8 am. Sounds easy, right? Not for me, I don't have to be in the office until 9:30 most days so it turns our mornings upside to leave an entire hour earlier. The good news is I will be in the office really early because Parker's school is next door to Grant's daycare. I will be all done dropping kids off by 8:15, Grant and I usually leave around then. My plan is to get to bed earlier tonight than normal for me so I can beat the kids up in the morning. Wish me luck, I am not exactly a morning person.

Of course, I have to say something about the Memphis Tigers! What a great game last night, I am looking forward to being National Champions and proving all the naysayers WRONG!

I wish everyone a great week!

Dr. Mommy just knows...

Yesterday we only waited 2 hours at the Ped's office. I guess it improved. I am up to about 7 hours in Doctor's offices this week between me and the kids. Grant does indeed have an ear infection, one in each ear. The ped. gave him a shot and a round of antibiotics. I am starting to feel more like my self every day but still have little energy. I am hoping to go back to work on Monday. It is very hard for me to stay home and be idle. I have so much to do around the house but can't and it is driving me crazy. My plan is to catch up on some on-demand movies and maybe a pay-per-view movie while I do nothing and rest. I will say I have enjoyed being able to read the paper everyday again and do the crossword. I love crossword puzzles but don't usually have time to do them.

My hat's off to single moms in blog world. Brandon left this morning with his brother to go to San Antonio to watch the Final Four games and hopefully the championship on Monday night if all goes well for the Tigers. I know my mom raised us alone and many of you do this everyday as a way of life but I am used to the help.

I wish everyone a wonderful weekend!

T-I-G-E-R-S! Tigers!
GO TIGERS GO!

What a week!

We have had a fun filled week of Doctor's in our house. First I had to take Parker to walk in Monday morning feeling pretty awful myself. She was not sick but had a personal problem we needed to see about. She is good as new after 3 hours there, we spent most of it in the waiting room. I took her on to school and headed to work myself. I had the bright idea to stop and get soup and a Coke to take with me to work. I think I managed to eat 4-5 spoons of soup and nurse the coke for hours. Usually I can down a coke just like water. I was freezing too, which is very unlike me. I told my Mother I don't ever remember being that sick. After a fretful night of up and down, I called my Asthma/Allergy Doctor for a work in appointment. They got me in at 9 am. I was called back within 5 minutes and they did every test you can imagine. After a couple of peak flow tests, a breathing treatment, CBC to check my white count, a chest x-ray confirmed, I have pneumonia.

Today, Grant got sent home from daycare with a fever. We are pretty sure he has an ear infection because I most likely have bacterial pneumonia and not viral. We are headed back to walk-in tomorrow at the pediatrician's office. Please send good thoughts, the wait will not be as bad as Monday.

Tonight we had a catastrophe -- we couldn't find Bunny. You might be wondering who is Bunny? Bunny is Parker's lovey, she has had since she was 3 months old. We have infant pictures of her holding Bunny, always slept with her. I spent 45 minutes looking every where for her, I turned this house upside down looking. Our bedroom looks like someone ran-sacked it. Brandon had class tonight so I sent him a frantic text message for assistance and immediate call. As you can imagine, Parker was hysterical but she trying so hard to be a big girl. We have many impostor bunnies but only one real one. Parker took one of the others but with her sad blue eyes said "that is not my Bunny" I told her I know and I would do everything I could to find the real bunny. I looked everywhere, I started thinking maybe she got thrown away. It was not until I literally threw everything in the floor that I found her. I was never so happy to find a stuffed animal in my life! By then Parker had cried herself to sleep, I woke her up so she would know Bunny had been found. She said "Thank you Mommy" her eyes still wet with tears. I have tear filled eyes just typing about this. It was an awful, terrible thing to her. It tells us she is not ready to give up Bunny. Thankfully, Grant is not attached to anything. Bunny is thread bear and we pray every time she goes for a swim in the washing machine, she comes out okay. I put her in a lingerie bag inside a pillow case on the delicate cycle and air dry her. Oh and why this happening poor little Grant was screaming in his bed because he just wanted his Mommy to hold him because he is sick too. When Brandon called, I had already located Bunny.

And before you all ask why we don't have a back up Bunny. My mom bought Bunny in Florida at the Carter's outlet, we have searched eBay many times and come up empty. The company who manufactured her is no longer in business. This is the reason for our collection of impostor bunnies, many similar but none the same.

Please forgive any spelling and/or grammatical errors. I am on many meds and now recovering from this catastrophic event that happened in the middle of this post. Now I am off to try and repair some of the madness in our bedroom. I will update on Grant tomorrow.