This day was a reminder that the day will never go as you think....
I woke up with all 3 kiddos in bed with me, lots of elbows, knees and toes jabbing me through the night, so maybe I shouldn't have said that I "woke up". I was awoken several times during the night, but the true calling that it was 6:30am was Jack grabbing my face and saying "Hi Mama.." Who needs an alarm clock when you have that!
So we started our day and everyone was in a good mood! Excellent, church should be a breeze....why I allow this thought to cross my mind is ridiculous. Oh well, we tried it and we made it until the homily, which in Jack's defense was a line by line description of the financial report of the parish. I think if give the opportunity I would have thrown my raisins too, but I'm sure I would have gotten a bill! Anyway, we didn't even make it to communion, but what are you going to do....sorry God, catch you next weekend!
Luckily we made it home, had lunch and both Brendan and Jack went in for a good nap, which allowed Rory and I time to hang out and do our thing....which normal involves a craft, popcorn and a movie of some kind.
Later we had our own little concert..we rocked! Thankfully for my crock pot, which I love and adore, dinner was ready and on the table at 5:15pm, no stress, no meltdowns. I swear I don't know what I would do without that thing!
Anyway, it is Sunday night, the Pats game is on, Rory's backpack and lunch box are packed and ready for the morning, the boys diaper bag is ready to go, and clothes are all laid it. Time to call it a night, settle into bed and turn on my latest addiction, Studio 60.
Since I've been slacking, or you know just too busy...
November Challenge:
1. I am thankful for having some alone time with Rory this afternoon, she is quite an amazing little girl. She cracks me up when she starts a conversation with "Mama, you know what I'm thinking about?"
2. I am thankful for Skype and how it keeps us all connected to Bryan no matter how far away he is. I love seeing the kids faces light up as soon as they see him.
3. I am thankful that another week is upon us, and looking forward to what it holds.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Thursday, November 11, 2010
What is a Veteran?
He is an ordinary and yet an extraordinary human being - a person who offered some of his life's most vital years in the service of his country, and who sacrificed his ambitions so others would not have to sacrifice theirs.
He is a soldier and a savior and a sword against the darkness, and he is nothing more than the finest, greatest testimony on behalf of the finest, greatest nation ever known.
So remember, each time you see someone who has served our country, just lean over and say Thank You. That's all most people need, and in most cases it will mean more than any medals they could have been awarded or were awarded.
Two little words that mean a lot, "THANK YOU".
"It is the soldier, not the reporter, Who has given us freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, Who has given us freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, Who has given us the
freedom to demonstrate. It is the soldier, Who salutes the flag, Who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protestor to burn the flag."
Father Denis Edward O'Brien/USMC
He is a soldier and a savior and a sword against the darkness, and he is nothing more than the finest, greatest testimony on behalf of the finest, greatest nation ever known.
So remember, each time you see someone who has served our country, just lean over and say Thank You. That's all most people need, and in most cases it will mean more than any medals they could have been awarded or were awarded.
Two little words that mean a lot, "THANK YOU".
"It is the soldier, not the reporter, Who has given us freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, Who has given us freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, Who has given us the
freedom to demonstrate. It is the soldier, Who salutes the flag, Who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protestor to burn the flag."
Father Denis Edward O'Brien/USMC
10 years ago if someone had told me that I would be an Army Wife picking up and moving our home every 2 years, struggling to learn this new Army language of endless acronyms, enduring months upon months of deployments, birthing a child without my husband by my side, being a single mom more than I would like, I would have told you that you were nuts. This is the girl who went away to college in West Virginia and after freshman year came right back home. I never like being far from the comforts of home, of family and friends, and I still don't.
You can't help who you fall in love with. There is that person out there who when you meet them, they make your heart skip a beat, the butterflies start flying in your stomach, and you just can't stop smiling. That's what happened the very first time I met Bryan, and still happens every time I see him.
He was an officer in the Army just out of OBC (Officer Basic Course, I told you it was a whole new language). We were both dating other people at the time, and please, he was in the Army, nothing I would ever involve myself with. Funny how life laughs at you when you think you have it all figured out.
Bryan was an Officer in the Army, and I fell in love with him. September 11 had just happened, and I don't think we all knew exactly what was going to happen. I knew that he would be leaving for Kuwait on a regular 6 month rotation and then he would be back. I didn't know that I would lose my job in Boston that I loved so much, I certainly didn't know that I would be offered a job in the city where Bryan was stationed in Columbus, GA, and I certainly didn't know that I would be moving down there without him there, and only knowing one other person.
Things happened, we were going to war and Bryan's brigade was first up on the deployment list. I had no idea what is was to marry someone in the Army, I didn't know what it was going to be like to send my brand new husband off to war, and yet I knew I had to do it. I loved him, he loved his career in the Army and we were one now.
Combat deployment number 4 is 25% complete, and each deployment it is harder for him to leave, and it's incredibly hard to say those final goodbyes before he gets on the plane. It is painful, heart wrenching, but you don't let it show. You know that the other person is dying on the inside too, but as soon as you both turn away and head in opposite directions you let the pain wash over you for 5 minutes, and then you pull it back together and start the countdown.
On this Veterans Day I pay homage to my husband and my best friend. He gives up so much to do what he loves, for the country that he loves, and the family that he loves. He is the veteran, and I am the wife who loves him.
You can't help who you fall in love with. There is that person out there who when you meet them, they make your heart skip a beat, the butterflies start flying in your stomach, and you just can't stop smiling. That's what happened the very first time I met Bryan, and still happens every time I see him.
He was an officer in the Army just out of OBC (Officer Basic Course, I told you it was a whole new language). We were both dating other people at the time, and please, he was in the Army, nothing I would ever involve myself with. Funny how life laughs at you when you think you have it all figured out.
Bryan was an Officer in the Army, and I fell in love with him. September 11 had just happened, and I don't think we all knew exactly what was going to happen. I knew that he would be leaving for Kuwait on a regular 6 month rotation and then he would be back. I didn't know that I would lose my job in Boston that I loved so much, I certainly didn't know that I would be offered a job in the city where Bryan was stationed in Columbus, GA, and I certainly didn't know that I would be moving down there without him there, and only knowing one other person.
Things happened, we were going to war and Bryan's brigade was first up on the deployment list. I had no idea what is was to marry someone in the Army, I didn't know what it was going to be like to send my brand new husband off to war, and yet I knew I had to do it. I loved him, he loved his career in the Army and we were one now.
Combat deployment number 4 is 25% complete, and each deployment it is harder for him to leave, and it's incredibly hard to say those final goodbyes before he gets on the plane. It is painful, heart wrenching, but you don't let it show. You know that the other person is dying on the inside too, but as soon as you both turn away and head in opposite directions you let the pain wash over you for 5 minutes, and then you pull it back together and start the countdown.
On this Veterans Day I pay homage to my husband and my best friend. He gives up so much to do what he loves, for the country that he loves, and the family that he loves. He is the veteran, and I am the wife who loves him.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
3 years ago.....
Three years ago yesterday I thought the most memorable thing about Brendan being born was the story we would have to tell about how he was almost born in the front seat of new car! We all know that story is sometimes forgotten in the real details of the day.
Three years and 2 days ago Bryan had spent all day on post at the gym getting his battery ready to deploy to Iraq. They were all getting on the plane without him, but just for a little while. The plan had been that Bryan would be able to stay with us until Brendan was born and we are able to get him home and set up with Early Intervention. So we had about 2 weeks, or so we thought.
Brendan was already 4 days overdue when the contractions started just after midnight on November 6. I toughed it out until about 2:30am when the contractions got to be about 5 minutes about for an hour, that's when I woke Bryan up, got Rory up and in the car and off we went to our friend Kate's to drop off Rory.
We got to the triage room in Labor & Delivery and they hooked me up to all the monitors, and we waited. About 30 minutes later some little Dr. who couldn't have been more than 21, told me that my contractions needed to be stronger and more regular before they would admit me. Mind you, this kid Dr. had never had a contraction in her life, and I doubt she even knew what a bad menstrual cramp felt like, but OK.
After they gave a shot to "take the edge off", whatever that meant, we went back home. Bryan went back to bed and I hung out on the couch because I was horribly uncomfortable, and my Little Baby Cousin Tom was going to be on the Today Show with Ann Curry in Antarctica...couldn't miss that! I kept dosing off and on for a few hours, and then around 10:30am I remember the contractions changed, they hurt so much I couldn't speak or think or move. I got Bryan up and told him to get ready because this was it.
I tried to walk to the car but I could only make it a few steps at a time before the contraction would come back, and poor Bryan wanted to help but I screamed at him not to touch me..poor guy! So we are finally in the car and on our way and now the contractions are coming every minute, or faster. All I kept thinking was that once we get to the hospital all I needed was an epidural and everything would be fine. Ha!
Bryan dropped me off at the door and some poor soldier with one arm in a sling held the wheelchair while Bryan helped me in as I'm having a contraction. Next thing I knew the one armed man whisked me inside and down the hall the elevator...I knew he was thinking "No way I'm delivering this baby". In no time we were through the doors of labor and delivery and into the first available room, and all I can really remember is a nurse calming saying "We need the next Dr. you can grab, she is delivering now" I thought to myself "Surely she must be talking about some poor other woman, I just need an epidural and I'll be fine." All of a sudden there were maybe 6 nurses and one midwife and me, and those words, "The next one and the baby will be out". Oh dear God, Bryan isn't even in the room, and this is the only reason they let him stay off the plane, and he's going to miss the second birth of his kid! Then the door opened, there was Bryan, and about 5 seconds later, there was Brendan.
The midwife had told me about 3 seconds after Bryan walked in that there was meconium and that the wouldn't stimulate the baby to breathe, and I have to say that about 2 weeks before Brendan was born I had told Bryan that I thought that would happen...hmmmm. Anyway, so Brendan was born, I didn't hear him cry, and I didn't really worry about it. Bryan left my side to go and see him, and I remember asking if I could get my epidural now.
The moments after that are pretty much a blur, for a number of reasons. The thing I do remember is I was able to look over at the warmer where Brendan was, and there were a lot of people around him and I couldn't really see him much. I could see one foot, and it was blue, a purplish blue, not good. Then I recall a team from the NICU coming in, and then leaving really quickly. It took a few minutes to settle in that they had taken Brendan with them. I sent Bryan and I said "Don't leave him".
The midwife and two nurses stayed with me, I was never alone, and I had no idea what was going on. Bryan and a NICU nurse came back, and I have no idea what they told me. Bryan didn't look really worried, so I wasn't going to worry. I knew that Brendan weighed in at almost 9 pounds, and that was it.
A little while later my perinatologist came in, and I knew the look on her face wasn't a good one. She said she came up because she heard that I had delievered, and then she told me "I'm sorry, but it does look like there is something wrong with his heart. They are going to MedFlight him to San Antonio. I'll ask when you can go and see him." The rest of the conversation doesn't even register, all I knew was I had to go and see him.
Bryan was with me, as was my friend Denita who had come straight over from yet another send off at the gym that morning for another Squadron. We all went in together and I was so scared for what I was going to see, and even that couldn't have prepared me. They wheeled me as close as they could to his bed, and then I had to have help to stand and walk over to him, and there were so many many many machines and tubes and wires and monitors. He had heart monitors on his chest, he had IV lines in his umbilical cord, he had a tube in his mouth and his eyes were puffy and shut, and for as scared as I was it went away, because he was mine. This was my son, whom I carried and prayed for for 9 long months, he was ours and I loved him, and I was his Mom and I was going to be strong and brave and I was going to make everyone do what they had to to make him OK.
Three years and 2 days ago Bryan had spent all day on post at the gym getting his battery ready to deploy to Iraq. They were all getting on the plane without him, but just for a little while. The plan had been that Bryan would be able to stay with us until Brendan was born and we are able to get him home and set up with Early Intervention. So we had about 2 weeks, or so we thought.
Brendan was already 4 days overdue when the contractions started just after midnight on November 6. I toughed it out until about 2:30am when the contractions got to be about 5 minutes about for an hour, that's when I woke Bryan up, got Rory up and in the car and off we went to our friend Kate's to drop off Rory.
We got to the triage room in Labor & Delivery and they hooked me up to all the monitors, and we waited. About 30 minutes later some little Dr. who couldn't have been more than 21, told me that my contractions needed to be stronger and more regular before they would admit me. Mind you, this kid Dr. had never had a contraction in her life, and I doubt she even knew what a bad menstrual cramp felt like, but OK.
After they gave a shot to "take the edge off", whatever that meant, we went back home. Bryan went back to bed and I hung out on the couch because I was horribly uncomfortable, and my Little Baby Cousin Tom was going to be on the Today Show with Ann Curry in Antarctica...couldn't miss that! I kept dosing off and on for a few hours, and then around 10:30am I remember the contractions changed, they hurt so much I couldn't speak or think or move. I got Bryan up and told him to get ready because this was it.
I tried to walk to the car but I could only make it a few steps at a time before the contraction would come back, and poor Bryan wanted to help but I screamed at him not to touch me..poor guy! So we are finally in the car and on our way and now the contractions are coming every minute, or faster. All I kept thinking was that once we get to the hospital all I needed was an epidural and everything would be fine. Ha!
Bryan dropped me off at the door and some poor soldier with one arm in a sling held the wheelchair while Bryan helped me in as I'm having a contraction. Next thing I knew the one armed man whisked me inside and down the hall the elevator...I knew he was thinking "No way I'm delivering this baby". In no time we were through the doors of labor and delivery and into the first available room, and all I can really remember is a nurse calming saying "We need the next Dr. you can grab, she is delivering now" I thought to myself "Surely she must be talking about some poor other woman, I just need an epidural and I'll be fine." All of a sudden there were maybe 6 nurses and one midwife and me, and those words, "The next one and the baby will be out". Oh dear God, Bryan isn't even in the room, and this is the only reason they let him stay off the plane, and he's going to miss the second birth of his kid! Then the door opened, there was Bryan, and about 5 seconds later, there was Brendan.
The midwife had told me about 3 seconds after Bryan walked in that there was meconium and that the wouldn't stimulate the baby to breathe, and I have to say that about 2 weeks before Brendan was born I had told Bryan that I thought that would happen...hmmmm. Anyway, so Brendan was born, I didn't hear him cry, and I didn't really worry about it. Bryan left my side to go and see him, and I remember asking if I could get my epidural now.
The moments after that are pretty much a blur, for a number of reasons. The thing I do remember is I was able to look over at the warmer where Brendan was, and there were a lot of people around him and I couldn't really see him much. I could see one foot, and it was blue, a purplish blue, not good. Then I recall a team from the NICU coming in, and then leaving really quickly. It took a few minutes to settle in that they had taken Brendan with them. I sent Bryan and I said "Don't leave him".
The midwife and two nurses stayed with me, I was never alone, and I had no idea what was going on. Bryan and a NICU nurse came back, and I have no idea what they told me. Bryan didn't look really worried, so I wasn't going to worry. I knew that Brendan weighed in at almost 9 pounds, and that was it.
A little while later my perinatologist came in, and I knew the look on her face wasn't a good one. She said she came up because she heard that I had delievered, and then she told me "I'm sorry, but it does look like there is something wrong with his heart. They are going to MedFlight him to San Antonio. I'll ask when you can go and see him." The rest of the conversation doesn't even register, all I knew was I had to go and see him.
Bryan was with me, as was my friend Denita who had come straight over from yet another send off at the gym that morning for another Squadron. We all went in together and I was so scared for what I was going to see, and even that couldn't have prepared me. They wheeled me as close as they could to his bed, and then I had to have help to stand and walk over to him, and there were so many many many machines and tubes and wires and monitors. He had heart monitors on his chest, he had IV lines in his umbilical cord, he had a tube in his mouth and his eyes were puffy and shut, and for as scared as I was it went away, because he was mine. This was my son, whom I carried and prayed for for 9 long months, he was ours and I loved him, and I was his Mom and I was going to be strong and brave and I was going to make everyone do what they had to to make him OK.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Birthday Cookies..
That's right, birthday cookies. This is the tradition in our house, when school allows you to bring a treat into the classroom to celebrate your birthday we make cookies cut out in whatever shape is wanted. As you can probably imagine, Rory has had Princess Tiara cookies for her past 2 birthdays, and no, that wasn't an easy cookie cutter to find.
Since Brendan's birthday is this weekend, and he only goes to school on Wednesday and Thursday, you guessed it...tomorrow is cookie day. Why couldn't I have anticipated this happening? Well, I didn't so I don't have a Dora cookie cutter, or a car cookie cutter, or a train. You know what I have...Santa Claus, pumpkins, witch hats, flowers, bunny rabbits and of course the tiara. Well, that won't work. Then there it was.....the CIRCLE!!!!! I can do baseballs, or soccer balls, or I could just use a stencil and put a letter B on them for Brendan's Birthday! Wicked smart if I do say so.
Yes, I know that he will probably never remember or care about the cookies that he had in his classroom for his birthday, but I will. He is in a classroom, and personally, I thought there should have been a full marching band leading the way for him on his first day of school! Since there was no marching band, the cookies are what I can do to let him know, and let everyone else know, that I am proud of my son and I'll celebrate him in whatever special way that I can.
My November Challenge:
1. I am very thankful that I had the chance to talk to Bryan today
2. I am thankful for laughter that Jack and Brendan filled the house with this afternoon...those 2 are something else
Since Brendan's birthday is this weekend, and he only goes to school on Wednesday and Thursday, you guessed it...tomorrow is cookie day. Why couldn't I have anticipated this happening? Well, I didn't so I don't have a Dora cookie cutter, or a car cookie cutter, or a train. You know what I have...Santa Claus, pumpkins, witch hats, flowers, bunny rabbits and of course the tiara. Well, that won't work. Then there it was.....the CIRCLE!!!!! I can do baseballs, or soccer balls, or I could just use a stencil and put a letter B on them for Brendan's Birthday! Wicked smart if I do say so.
Yes, I know that he will probably never remember or care about the cookies that he had in his classroom for his birthday, but I will. He is in a classroom, and personally, I thought there should have been a full marching band leading the way for him on his first day of school! Since there was no marching band, the cookies are what I can do to let him know, and let everyone else know, that I am proud of my son and I'll celebrate him in whatever special way that I can.
My November Challenge:
1. I am very thankful that I had the chance to talk to Bryan today
2. I am thankful for laughter that Jack and Brendan filled the house with this afternoon...those 2 are something else
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Ahh....Hanging onto Summer just a little while longer
Yes, it is November....I know, but the weather here in Kansas was a true late summer day. After the boys and I picked up Rory from school we played outside in the front yard with sidewalk chalk, bubbles and our neighbors. There were no jackets, just lots of smiles and laughs and running around! Brendan had so much fun he had a true "boy" moment....
I think the last bit of summer like evenings inspired our dinner tonight.
Nothing says summer to me more than tomatoes. Disagree if you like, but to me picking the tomatoes out of the garden with my grandfather Bart, and taking the salt shaker with you, then eating them like an apple is what summer is to me. It also reminds me how much I miss my grandparents, and it reminds me of how grateful I am to have had them, gotten to really know them and to have such wonderful memories. I know they are looking down on us and watching us and their great grandchildren from their Recliner chairs with the candy dish on the table between the chairs, and watching with great pride.
My November Challenge:
1. I am grateful for the 2 hours of pure playtime with Brendan and Jack this morning.
2. I am even more grateful for the 2 hour nap they took after!
3. I am grateful for the gift of patience..
4. I am grateful for the wonderful conversation with 2 pretty cool ladies today
(Tortellini Salad with Roasted Tomatoes and Green Beans)
Nothing says summer to me more than tomatoes. Disagree if you like, but to me picking the tomatoes out of the garden with my grandfather Bart, and taking the salt shaker with you, then eating them like an apple is what summer is to me. It also reminds me how much I miss my grandparents, and it reminds me of how grateful I am to have had them, gotten to really know them and to have such wonderful memories. I know they are looking down on us and watching us and their great grandchildren from their Recliner chairs with the candy dish on the table between the chairs, and watching with great pride.
My November Challenge:
1. I am grateful for the 2 hours of pure playtime with Brendan and Jack this morning.
2. I am even more grateful for the 2 hour nap they took after!
3. I am grateful for the gift of patience..
4. I am grateful for the wonderful conversation with 2 pretty cool ladies today
Being Grateful
So it's November 2nd and we're almost at the 3 month mark of this deployment. The holidays are right around the corner, and things are getting busy in the house. I think now is the time to reset myself a little bit.
Being a single mom for the time being isn't easy, it is challenging, but it should be. Being a parent is a privilege, although some days I wonder what exactly that is! I have realized after a very long weekend of everyone battling the stomach bug that I need to stop for a moment and take stock of my life, at the moment.
Having Bryan deployed is awful, there is no other way to put it. We have been so luck to have had him home for a little over 2 years, and that is a really long time for us. We found our groove as a family, we settled into the role and we love it! We did fun outings, we had our things special things that Mommy or Daddy did, and now it's gone....but just for a little bit. So with these changes of Mommy taking care of everything, and the big changes of Rory being in Kindergarten and Brendan recently starting preschool, I've decided that instead of dwelling everyday on the long of list of things to do, or worrying about the things that didn't get done I have to stop and think about the things that I am grateful for at the end of everyday.
My challenge to myself for this month of Thanksgiving, is to be grateful for at least one thing everyday. Yesterday I was thankful for 3 healthy children that were able to go to school, and I was very thankful that I was healthy as well and able to get a few things done around the house to get us back to the way we were before our pre-illness weekend!
Let's see if I can actually keep this going....you should try to!
Being a single mom for the time being isn't easy, it is challenging, but it should be. Being a parent is a privilege, although some days I wonder what exactly that is! I have realized after a very long weekend of everyone battling the stomach bug that I need to stop for a moment and take stock of my life, at the moment.
Having Bryan deployed is awful, there is no other way to put it. We have been so luck to have had him home for a little over 2 years, and that is a really long time for us. We found our groove as a family, we settled into the role and we love it! We did fun outings, we had our things special things that Mommy or Daddy did, and now it's gone....but just for a little bit. So with these changes of Mommy taking care of everything, and the big changes of Rory being in Kindergarten and Brendan recently starting preschool, I've decided that instead of dwelling everyday on the long of list of things to do, or worrying about the things that didn't get done I have to stop and think about the things that I am grateful for at the end of everyday.
My challenge to myself for this month of Thanksgiving, is to be grateful for at least one thing everyday. Yesterday I was thankful for 3 healthy children that were able to go to school, and I was very thankful that I was healthy as well and able to get a few things done around the house to get us back to the way we were before our pre-illness weekend!
Let's see if I can actually keep this going....you should try to!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month
What better way to celebrate people who have Down Syndrome and those who love and support them, than the Step Up for Down Syndrome Walk! For the third year team Brendan's Bears participated, and for one day Disney World was not the happiest place on earth, the parking lot at Arrowhead stadium in Kansas City was....
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