I am trying to update my links to the side. I've removed some and will add others. If you are not listed and want to be let me know! If you are not listed but used to be you'll be added again. Some of the links I had were bad and I have to go back and redo many of them. You haven't been taken off for any other reason than the links were bad. Many of you have changed your sites and I never updated my links. I'm sorry! Please make sure you leave a link to your site if you comment. I would love to add as many of my friends as I can!
Just thought I'd let you know that way if you went to look for yourself and didn't find your link you'd know I am working on it!
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Quote of the Day
"My bedroom is not a playpen!"
Said by my very tired husband this morning while running off the 4 children who were either laying or jumping on our bed.
I didn't want to be the one to break the news to him (and you'd think by now he'd know!) but unfortunately in this case he's wrong... our whole house is a playpen!
Said by my very tired husband this morning while running off the 4 children who were either laying or jumping on our bed.
I didn't want to be the one to break the news to him (and you'd think by now he'd know!) but unfortunately in this case he's wrong... our whole house is a playpen!
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
And A Generation Passes On
I got an email yesterday from my aunt saying my grandmother, my last living grandparent, had passed away yesterday morning. She had lung cancer and passed very peacefully in her sleep. I'm very thankful that she was out of pain and very content. She died with her daughters by her side. She just slipped away. You can't ask to go in a better way.
I'm very sad that she died. She was one of the last links to my father that I have. My father's two sisters are still living so I have a link still but they are really the last to really know him. You see my father died when I was 2 years old. He developed brain and lung cancer from exposure to Agent Orange while serving in Vietnam. I have but only two fleeting memories of him. I have always felt that there is a hole in my life where he should be. My grandmother was always so good about trying to fill that void.
When my mother remarried she didn't keep in touch with my father's family. They were afterall across the states from us. I did get to write to my grandmother and my aunt so I did try to connect with them as much as possible. It was only when I was pregnant with Isabella, my 5th child, that I finally was able to meet not only my grandmother but my father's oldest sister (yet younger than him). They traveled to Georgia for another reason and we were able to finally meet! It was an amazing experience. To finally realize why I do some of the things I do and how I resemble that side of the family, well, it was almost overwhelming. Some of the pieces to the puzzle fell into place. I got to meet with my aunt and grandmother one other time while after Anna was born. I'm happy we got to meet but wish for more time together!
I wish I would have done better about keeping in touch. I called periodically and wrote sometimes. I sent pictures of the kids and me and tried to keep our relationship going. I could have done better though. I realize that life happens and things come up but it shouldn't be an excuse from keeping us from people who are important to us. And she was very important to me.
I have always longed to know my father. I know he would be proud of me. I would love to see him holding one of my little ones. Perhaps I have an idealized version of him in my head but it's the version I love to think about and the one that my grandmother told me about. I know he wasn't perfect by any means but I like to think that he is the great man that my grandmother, my aunts and of course my own mother loved so much.
With the passing of my grandmother I feel like I've lost a tiny bit more of my father. I feel this intense need to hold on to what I've been told and to perserve it somehow. I just don't know how to do it. I feel like I need more information but worry that my aunt won't be able to give me the information that I want to know. I fear it has gone with my grandma. I pray that it hasn't. I've learned that we can't take anything for granted. Life is too short, even if you live to be 92 like my grandma. You have to love like you've never loved before and live like there's no tomorrow. My grandma did this. I hope that is a family trait that I inherited.
I'm very sad that she died. She was one of the last links to my father that I have. My father's two sisters are still living so I have a link still but they are really the last to really know him. You see my father died when I was 2 years old. He developed brain and lung cancer from exposure to Agent Orange while serving in Vietnam. I have but only two fleeting memories of him. I have always felt that there is a hole in my life where he should be. My grandmother was always so good about trying to fill that void.
When my mother remarried she didn't keep in touch with my father's family. They were afterall across the states from us. I did get to write to my grandmother and my aunt so I did try to connect with them as much as possible. It was only when I was pregnant with Isabella, my 5th child, that I finally was able to meet not only my grandmother but my father's oldest sister (yet younger than him). They traveled to Georgia for another reason and we were able to finally meet! It was an amazing experience. To finally realize why I do some of the things I do and how I resemble that side of the family, well, it was almost overwhelming. Some of the pieces to the puzzle fell into place. I got to meet with my aunt and grandmother one other time while after Anna was born. I'm happy we got to meet but wish for more time together!
I wish I would have done better about keeping in touch. I called periodically and wrote sometimes. I sent pictures of the kids and me and tried to keep our relationship going. I could have done better though. I realize that life happens and things come up but it shouldn't be an excuse from keeping us from people who are important to us. And she was very important to me.
I have always longed to know my father. I know he would be proud of me. I would love to see him holding one of my little ones. Perhaps I have an idealized version of him in my head but it's the version I love to think about and the one that my grandmother told me about. I know he wasn't perfect by any means but I like to think that he is the great man that my grandmother, my aunts and of course my own mother loved so much.
With the passing of my grandmother I feel like I've lost a tiny bit more of my father. I feel this intense need to hold on to what I've been told and to perserve it somehow. I just don't know how to do it. I feel like I need more information but worry that my aunt won't be able to give me the information that I want to know. I fear it has gone with my grandma. I pray that it hasn't. I've learned that we can't take anything for granted. Life is too short, even if you live to be 92 like my grandma. You have to love like you've never loved before and live like there's no tomorrow. My grandma did this. I hope that is a family trait that I inherited.
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Follow the Yellow Brick Road
Tonight we were watching The Wizard of Oz. We haven't watched it in a long time because we only have it on VHS and our VHS player was broken. We've only been watching DVDs for the past 9 months or so. But we got a new player so the kids watched some movies today that they haven't watched in a long time. It made them feel like they had gotten a whole new set of movies!
Anyhow, as we were watching the show Garrett asked what year it was made in. I told him that it was released in 1939. We talked about how long ago that really was and how most of the people who starred in the movie were now dead. We were talking about how if they weren't dead that they were grandparents and great grandparents now, and really old.
Upon hearing this Emma asked, "Who's dead?"
I replied, "Well, pretty much all the people in this show."
Gasping in horror, eyes opened as wide as they could be, Emma said, "DOROTHY'S DEAD???!!!"
Realizing what I had just done to her I lied to her and said, "No, not Dorothy, but many of the others. Dorothy is probably a great grandma by now!"
Sighing with relief and smiling from ear to ear Emma replied, "Oh, good, I don't want Dorothy to be dead."
Bless her heart, if she only knew that Dorothy died in 1969 at the tender age of 47 she would be devastated. Thankfully she won't know. I'll be keeping that information to myself for a long time. I want her to feel like Dorothy can live forever. Perhaps that's a childlike dream to have, but afterall, there's no place like home to be a child with dreams of something great waiting for you over the rainbow.
Anyhow, as we were watching the show Garrett asked what year it was made in. I told him that it was released in 1939. We talked about how long ago that really was and how most of the people who starred in the movie were now dead. We were talking about how if they weren't dead that they were grandparents and great grandparents now, and really old.
Upon hearing this Emma asked, "Who's dead?"
I replied, "Well, pretty much all the people in this show."
Gasping in horror, eyes opened as wide as they could be, Emma said, "DOROTHY'S DEAD???!!!"
Realizing what I had just done to her I lied to her and said, "No, not Dorothy, but many of the others. Dorothy is probably a great grandma by now!"
Sighing with relief and smiling from ear to ear Emma replied, "Oh, good, I don't want Dorothy to be dead."
Bless her heart, if she only knew that Dorothy died in 1969 at the tender age of 47 she would be devastated. Thankfully she won't know. I'll be keeping that information to myself for a long time. I want her to feel like Dorothy can live forever. Perhaps that's a childlike dream to have, but afterall, there's no place like home to be a child with dreams of something great waiting for you over the rainbow.
Monday, November 13, 2006
Almost 6 months?
I can't believe that it is November. It's not just the start, we're getting on to mid November! How in the world did that happen? I guess time gets away from you when you are busy. Well, that's my story anyway! :)
We got some test results back for Ben. We did some blood allergy testing. Seems he is allergic to milk, soy, eggs and nuts for sure. Since I am nursing him it's hard on me to keep track of everything in my diet so that none of that sneaks in. Not only that but I have to keep a close eye on the little kids to make sure they don't try to feed him any of their food too. It's been a struggle but one worth making. Poor baby is normally broken out on his face. It hard for him.
Ben is starting to crawl. As crazy as it seems I guess he feels he has too much activity to try to keep up with. He is 5 1/2 months now. Crazy! It seems like just yesterday he was so tiny and sleeping in my arms.
In the last week we have started to have him sleep in his own bed. He has done amazingly well. Several of the nights he has slept straight through. This leads me to believe that the only reason he really wakes up while sleeping next to me is that I am fitful or out of habit. I guess being nuzzled next to my breasts also stimulate him awake to eat. He does love to nurse! Mike calls him the booby bandit because as Mike puts it he "steals all the boobies!"
He is slowly growing and is only in the 10% for height and weight. He is going to a gastroenterologist for his bowel problems. They think that is part to blame for his slow growth. Still he is growing. He is also finally starting to be a much happier baby. For so long he cried and whined all the time. But about 3 weeks ago he started smiling and laughing much of the time. He giggles a lot and kicks his feet like crazy when he's happy. It's amazing what a few short (but feels like forever) months will do for a baby!
Funny how he's only just under 6 months but it feels like he's been here forever. I just can't imagine our lives without him.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)