Smile for the camera, 'mon!

Told ya I'd be better about posting more frequently!

Anyway, on Easter Sunday, I did Emma's hair in a "fancy" way...basically, I did a half French braid across the top of her head and down the side to keep the little hairs out of her face. That night, before bed, we took the braid out and she was so impressed how "curly" the hair was that was in the braid. I told her that one of these days during her spring break, after her bath at night time, I would put a ton of little braids in her hair and then in the morning her whole head would be like that! She took me up on it! Last night, Wednesday night, is also ganaxis (gymnastics) night...so by default, Emma gets a bath (to get all that chalk and sweat off her little body!). I called my sister, Karyn, who came over to help me put braids in Emma's hair. She also got her toe nails painted! She's ALL girl! :)

This afternoon, since I had to work, Karyn came over again to take all the little braids out and do something with what was produced! Her hair turned out so cute! I was wavy, but not too puffy like I expected it to be! She just LOVED it! Of course, after Karyn did Emma's hair, Bradlee needed his hair "done", too! Creative Aunt Karyn combed his hair and sprayed a bit of hairspray in it and he was better. What lucky kids Bradlee and Emma are to have their own "hairdresser", Aunt Karyn!!

After work, I met Tony, the kids, and a friend of mine, Susan, with her two kids at Safari Playground in Holly. It's an indoor playground, and also where Emma had her last birthday party. Susan and I went to grade school together and have recently connected again through church and such. Her daughters are Evelyn (4 years) and Isla (8 months). Evelyn and Emma have become good friends through play dates and church and they took a ganaxis class together as well. We met them for a play date, since ALL the kids were missing their

school friends! What a great afternoon! Safari Playground is a great place to go. The doors are locked so the kids can't get out, they have AWESOME pizza, and it's a place where Tony and I could just sit and talk with Susan and not even worry about Bradlee running around and playing on the slides and such. It's a really neat place, and we'll be going there quite a bit! Bradlee LOVES Isla (and calls her "Lila")...as you can see, he loves to flirt! :) Susan and I joke around and say they are already betrothed! They're all so cute to watch interact with each other. Such great fun with great friends!! Tony and I are so fortunate to have such great family and great friends!!!

Still Alive!

I know, two weeks is a long time...but to be honest, there hasn't been much to blog about! I'll try to be better, I promise! :)

It's been a busy few weeks, but to be honest, I can't remember a thing we've done! Must be a sign of getting old! LOL We had a wonderful Easter weekend with our families...starting on Friday when we were trying to get Bradlee to SMILE for a picture! Here, he's wearing some super-cute pj's that Emma also used to wear! Now, when I try to take his picture, he will put his fingers in the corners of his mouth and pulls to smile! What a goof!

Saturday, we had the 4th Annual Easter Egg Hunt and Pancake Dinner at our friends', Matt & Desiree, house. What a great time! This year was the biggest yet, with over 25 kids running around! Unfortunately, just in time for the hunt, it started raining, so the kids got a little wet, but fun was still had by all!!! Here's Emma and Bradlee in the car afterwards!

Tony read for the Easter Vigil mass at church, so I took the kids to Walmart for some last minute shopping and then home and to bed. We had a nice evening together. Once they were in bed (by 8:30pm), I baked a coffee cake for breakfast in the morning, cleaned up the house (especially the living/play room!), and then started on a treasure hunt for the kids to follow the next morning to find their Easter baskets! What a great time I had planning it, and then watching the kids follow it!!! It started with a letter from the Easter Bunny, explaining what to do and for Emma to make sure she took Bradlee with her! There were clues at each spot that she had to figure out where to go next. For example, "You will find clue number four, with something you and Bradlee drink that's kept in a door!"...Emma heard that, put her pointer finger in the air and exclaimed, "WE DRINK JUICE! IT'S IN THE FRIDGERADER!" And down we went to the fridge! I had us going upstairs and downstairs! There were plastic, candy (or gummy bear)-filled eggs at each spot as well, so Bradlee was highly interested in that....here's Tony reading the letter and first clue to the kids and Bradlee checking out one of the eggs!

Ten clues later, they found their Easter baskets! Emma was ECSTATIC about "The Princess and the Frog" and Bradlee was highly intrigued by the gummy Lifesaver "bunnies and chicks"...

Tony started not feeling well, so he stayed home in bed while the kids and I went over to my parents' house for Easter dinner. My in-laws, our friend, Paul, and my grandparents also joined us!

Oh, I forgot....on Saturday, I took some of the hard boiled eggs Emma had colored and made some "debbiled" eggs for Emma. She ate 3 halves, and after the 4th one, asked me if she could call Aunt Kathi. I dialed the phone and let Emma have it...she waited for the voicemail "beep" and said, "Hi Aunt Kathi. This is Emma. Mommy made some debbiled eggs wrong, so I was wondering if you would make some good ones for me when I see you tomorrow. Thanks. See you tomorrow! Love you! Bye!" Gee, thanks, kid. Apparently, I put too much mustard in. So, Sunday afternoon, Emma and Aunt Kathi were making "real" deviled eggs...and, of course, Bradlee had to help, too! Here they are peeling the shells off the eggs...

While we were waiting for dinner, Uncle Garrett and Aunt Kathi took Emma for a ride in "Scarlett" (Aunt Kathi's red convertible)!! She LOVES putting her hands up and "the wind in my hair"! LOL Here they are!!!

After dinner, we were able to get some cute pictures of me with the kids...we're still working on Bradlee's smile! :)

Tony started feeling better, so he was able to come over later into the evening. Unfortunately, before we thought of it, my grandparents and Paul left before we got this great group picture!!!

March Madness!

First thing first, I'm feeling tons better! It's been a crazy few weeks here, but we're all doing well, except for the kids having stuffy noses...but that's what happens when it's spring (ish) in Michigan, right?

March has been kind of crazy already...I can't wait until it's over! Unfortunately, the next 2 weeks will probably be the busiest of the month! But first things first...we had some beautiful weather last week. So nice, that even though there was snow on the ground, I took the kids outside to play. We got out the sidewalk chalk and just played and played and I even took the kids for two walks!! Bradlee gave me a sneak peek of what this summer's going to be like with him. He had a BALL outside! Last summer, he wasn't even walking, so I think it's going to be a fun and exciting summer!

Playing with the sidewalk chalk (on the deck)!

Emma realized that the chalk could turn the snow the same color!

Checking on the "oof oof"s next door (he wasn't too fond of Boomer - a boxer, or Foster - a greyhound-mix --so he wanted to make sure they wouldn't sneak up on him!)!!

This past Thursday, Tony and I took Emma to (are you ready for this?) Kindergarten Round-Up...wow. I can hardly believe it! It seems like just yesterday I found out I was pregnant with her (on a side, and probably "too much information" note...we conceived Emma this coming weekend 6 years ago!). LOL Anyways, we went right after work, which I thought would put us in prime "kindergarten round-up" time, but we were the only ones in there! So the principal of Davisburg Elementary (where the nursery Bradlee goes, about 6 miles south of Holly High School), the office secretary, and one of the (3) kindergarten teachers was in there giving their undivided attention to us! Emma was quite shy, so I went with her and the teacher to the activity tables they had set up while Tony talked to the secretary about all the paperwork we had filled out. Emma drew a great picture of herself with Minnie Mouse for them to hang up and had a great time playing with some of the toys. She talked with the teachers and principal and really seemed to feel comfortable once we were there for a bit (and she realized that she wouldn't be starting kindergarten the next day!)!! Here's a picture of my BIG girl at Kindergarten Round-Up!!!

Some of the best news of the past week doesn't really involve me at all...but my best friend, Julie. She's been expecting a little girl (due March 17th)...and Scarlett Vivian arrived on Friday, March 12th at 7:49pm! She was 6lb 6oz and 20 inches long. She is a gorgeous little girl!! Here she is in the hospital! I was fortunate enough to be able to be there when she was born...It was one of the best things I think I have experienced in Julie's and my 25+ year friendship!!

This past Friday, Scarlett was a week old. Something Tony and I like to do for our friends who have babies is take them dinner. We had it done for us when Emma was born by some people at church and it was awesome, so it's a way for us to say congratulations! Friday was the day we were going to take dinner and dessert to Julie, Scott and Scarlett...Bradlee came down with a really stuffy/runny nose, so Tony decided to stay home with him and Emma and I headed down for pizza and peanut butter pie with our friends and their new addition. Emma drew and colored several pictures to help decorate Scarlett's room, and we had a great time just sitting and talking and visiting...something we haven't been able to do in quite a long time! Emma was excited to hold Scarlett as well...

We are so happy and excited for my "oldest" friend!!! (Julie, I know you just read that and went, "Oh my God!"....you know what I mean! LOL)

Some other great news is that my other friend, Lauren (whom I lived with my lst year at CMU), and her husband, Scott, found out that they will be having a boy in August!! What a great year of excitement we have!!

This coming week we have a lot going...I have jury duty Tuesday-Friday...the last time I had jury duty, I not only had to report, but I was seated on a jury! Unfortunately, the first day of the trial, I started having morning sickness (I was pregnant with Bradlee) and was excused! Bummer...this time, I'm actually hoping I don't have to report...even though it was a really cool experience! Thursday, Tony leaves for Lansing with his Dad and the High School Boy's basketball finals...something they have done for the last 26 years!! That leaves me and the kids! A few years ago (the first March Tony and I were married), his mom and sister and I decided that if the boys can go have fun, so can we! So now, the girls all go up to Frankenmuth to the Bavarian Inn Lodge and swim, shop and just hang out...usually watching the college basketball games!! This year, I am selling things at a Mom-2-Mom sale at our church, so I will be getting up early on Saturday morning, going to the sale, then back up to Frankenmuth for more swimming and dinner! Whew! What a week we have ahead of us! Plus, Tony and I joined a gym, so I'm really into getting in there and working out...I hope we make it to next Sunday! If you never hear from me again, you'll know why! LOL ;)

Long, sick week...

Wow, what a week it's been. It all started heading downhill last Friday when I started getting a headache right around the time I got home from work with the kids...then, by 3 hours later, I had a migraine like you wouldn't believe. I got Bradlee to bed and let Emma watch a few movies (short Looney Toones ones) before I got her to bed. Then I just went to bed, too. The three of us were in bed and asleep by 8:30am. We all slept until 8:30 or 9 the next morning! I think we were all wiped out! The best part, though, was that my migraine was gone!

Sunday, I went to the dress store with my sisters and mom to look at shoes for Kat's wedding. That night, I had a back ache and my legs ached...I assumed it was from the ridiculous amount of shoes Kat made us try on! LOL (Let's put it this way, Kat's a shoe person...I am NOT.) :) The next morning, my glands were swollen, my throat hurt like the Dickens, I was achy and I had a 101.6 temp! Tony took the kids to school and went to work. I got up and moved around a bit, tried to get into the doctor with no luck, and then just went home and slept. Tony came right home from school and took me to the clinic. I was congratulated with a temp and really, really bad strep throat...especially on the right side! So, I got my antibiotic and went home to sleep some more. Oh man, did it hurt...the kids ended up staying at Tony's parents' house the rest of the week...'cause by Wednesday, I had white patches on my tonsils (that weren't there on Monday) and still REALLY sore! We called my doctor at home and she scheduled me in for the next day. My mom took a half-day so she could take me in, and my throat was so swollen, that I got a 2-gram shot of some shot (it was HUGE), a new antibiotic, and sent to an ENT to make sure I didn't have an abscess in my throat. UGH. Over to the ENT we went (the same one I take Bradlee to!), and he LAUGHED when he saw my throat. Said it was pretty bad, but no hospitalization would be needed. Agreed with the new antibiotic and was actually kind of convinced that it was mono, not strep! So, my mom took blood and ran the mono test on it. Negative. Whew!

By the next day, I had a voice and was actually feeling so much better! I talked to Emma, finally, since I actually had a voice and she was so awesome and cute. She told me to feel better. I told her she could come home on Saturday and she got so excited that she dropped the phone and Bradlee caught it....that was entertaining!

I've always know and continually am grateful for all the family and friends I have in my life that help make my life that much easier. This time, I needed help, and I was able to get it for me, too! I am so grateful for my family, who was able to rearrange so many things to help me get better! I'm not 100% yet...so I'm now going to go to bed! :) Prayers are always welcomed, and much appreciated! :)

The Future of Emma's Eyes...

Oh, what a week! I took Emma to the eye doctor on Friday...the wait is always so long...especially for a 5-year old! We got there about 15 minutes before her appointment, at 2:05pm and didn't leave the office until 5:00pm! CRAZY! This was considered her "annual" appointment, so they did all the basic measuring, examining, measuring, dilating, waiting for the eyes to dilate, measuring, examining, waiting, then FINALLY get to see Dr. Chris. What a pain! Fortunately, I was unhappily expecting all this waiting, so I brought paper and a pen (which Emma drew some FABULOUS pictures of our family and a family of butterflies and ladybugs!), her Ariel (Little Mermaid) barbies (two of them), and then when that was boring her, I had games on my cell phone she played with.

So once we got to see Dr. Chris. I pulled out these pictures. Contrary to what they look like, they are NOT mirror images! They were taken one after the other...this is what her eyes do! Once I showed them to Dr. Chris, he totally agreed with me that they have not gotten better and we are at the end of the list of ideas to try to help her eyes correct themselves on their own. So, we talked about surgery. He said it's a fairly simple surgery, only taking about an hour. It's a bilateral medial rectus recession....which basically means he will "loosen" the medial rectus muscles on both of her eyes. He said she'll be asking for pizza by the end of the night...kids are so resilient to this surgery! He couldn't promise that this would be the last surgery, since no one can predict what the eyes or brain will do, but he has a patient who had this surgery at age 14 and then again at age 58! So, she may or may not need her glasses afterwards and her vision is still excellent...but, as Dr. Chris said, the goal of the surgery is not to get her out of the glasses, it's to get her eyes to be straight! The surgery is scheduled for the morning of April 28th and we have the same types of procedure as we did for Bradlee's tubes surgery! Call the day before for the times, outpatient surgery, etc. etc. We've talked about it quite openly around Emma, and she hasn't asked about it yet, so I'm not going to really talk about it until it gets closer. By the time this one's done, we will be pros at this outpatient surgery stuff!

Our "no-ma"!

We got a "butt-load" of snow Sunday night/Monday morning, causing the kids and Tony to have a snow day! When I got home from work (someone has to bring home some money! LOL), I took the kids outside while Tony shoveled. We had a great time, and although I was concerned about Bradlee getting fussy as soon as we got out there, he was SO excited to get his "booooooo"s (boots) on!! We got outside, and aside from having trouble trying to stand up, he had a great time crawling around! I even put him on the little sled and had him slide down some of the snow that had built up around our back deck. He LOVED it! He even allowed Emma and me to build a snowman (or in his words, "no-ma"!)!! Here are some shots...

18 month update!

Well, it's probably closer to 19 months, but Dr. Banerjee was out of town the whole month of January (he was visiting family in India!)....so Emma and I took Bradlee for his 18 month check-up this afternoon. He weighs 24.6 pounds and is 30 3/4 inches tall...solid. :) This is below the "average" (whatever "average" is...), but doctor says he's growing well...he even showed Dr. Banerjee his "sweet eyes" (see previous blog!)!!! It was great.

Bradlee got 2 shots today (dTap and Polio)...Emma told Dr. Banerjee, "I don't think it's fair that Bradlee has to get shots today. He's just a little boy!" Dr. Banerjee giggled and looked at her and said, "Do you want me to give them to you instead?" "Uh, NO!" LOL

As she watched us hold Bradlee's legs and hands to give him his shots, she started getting tears in her eyes! What a sweet big sister! Dr. Banerjee said to her, "Emma, you are a great big sister!" My little boy AND my little girl are growing up!!!