Christmas 2016

This Christmas was a very different one for me. We had the blessing of Sweet Haven's first Christmas this year and Everett really being able to get into Christmas, in this sense it was such an exciting Christmas that I was really looking forward to. It was also the first Christmas with the exception of maybe one that I was not under the same roof as my Mom on Christmas Eve. Having moved Mom into Heartis Nursing Home at the end of August and her declining condition meant that this year we would have to change some of the traditions I was used to. My heart breaks with each new special occasion that is unfairly altered due to Mom's condition and not being able to celebrate with her the way we are used to. I am so thankful for the two sweet kids I have that I was able to focus and put my energy into this year and to making this a very special Christmas for them.

Patrick called me early December to tell me that He and Taren would like to come for Christmas again this year. I was honored to host their first Christmas together last year but that was when Mom lived with us, this year I honestly couldn't bear the thought of not having family around on Christmas morning so I was elated to hear of their plans. Shortly after that call I got one from Ryan telling me that Peyton, Oakley and He would like to come the few days before Christmas. All the better! More Family, More distraction!! I was a bit of a nut trying to get everything done and perfect before the boys arrived. Ryan and the girls came in on Wednesday and left Saturday. We went to see Santa, did some shopping and let the kids play together. Everett was a much  bigger fan of visiting Santa this year than in year's past.  It was so good to get to be together with Ryan and the girls for that time! Oakley and Everett walked the halls of Heartis together bringing joy to all the residents who saw them. Friday night Patrick and Taren arrived and for a few short minutes we all got to be with Mom together! It meant so much to me because I knew it would have meant so much to her! 

Christmas Eve Drew fried a turkey and we brought Mom over for a bit for dinner. Patrick and Taren worked on a puzzle while Drew and I got the kids ready for bed and prepared for Santa coming. Lots of egg nogg was drunk, Christmas Vacation was watched and quoted and gifts were wrapped and put together. It was a grown up Christmas Eve for us while we finished the night watching Saturday Night Live and playing Super Mario until 1 am.

Drew and I grew up with very different Christmas' I was used to a very big Christmas morning presents and he was not quite as much. It has become clearer to me that although my Mom absolutely went above and beyond each year to make our dreams come true on Christmas morning, she did so out of a desire to put smiles on her kids faces! This year as we thought through the perfect presents for our two kids we quickly found ourselves going over the edge of rational and into bigger is better. While out running around on Christmas Eve to come up with another present for Haven because Drew couldn't resist buying Everett a Thomas the Train trike I talked myself down from the ledge and recalled my sweet 9 month old girl already had amazing presents at home to open and she wouldn't realize if her brother opened one more than her ( of course she wasn't going to do the opening anyway). The distraction of going overboard, spoiling if you will, our precious children was such a thrill this year and the joyous look on Everett's face when he walked out to a mound of presents from Santa was worth every single bit!!

Everett has been in a habit of waking up insanely early, 5ish, and coming into our room. Since we had company he was already sleeping in our room and he woke up and crawled into bed with us around 6:30. We distracted him with shows locked in our room while I went out and started the coffee, breakfast and the Christmas music. Everett didn't remember that Santa came that night and he was easily distracted not caring about the music or the coffee but it was tradition! We finally went and got Haven up at 7:20 debating on if we should wake up Patrick and Taren or not. We tried to get Everett to go in and wake them up but he would only crack the door and shut it. After a group meeting between the four of us in the hall Drew and I decided that if they hadn't woken up with all the commotion we ought to just let them sleep. So we excitedly walked Everett around the corner to the living room where Santa had left his presents. I was sure the gits would elicite a "wow" or "whoa" from Everett but he just stood stunned. He would pick up a toy and say Dinosaur  or  Present but that was it. We had to prompt him to dive into his stocking. Halfway through he was way more interested in showing Haven her toys instead of discovering his own. Shortly he had dug into everything including Haven's toys and the living room was covered in wrapping paper and toy boxes while he played with his new toys. It was perfect!

Patrick and Taren eventually woke up and after eating breakfast we had our family tree together with them. Our house was to serve as the location for our big family tree later that day so  while the kids napped we picked up a bit and fell asleep for a little bit ourselves. Patrick and Taren went to pick up  Mom later and we opened her presents for her and showed her what she had been gifted. Around 6 Neeley, Lane, Norah and Merritt arrived for the family tree quickly followed by Doss and Charlotte. Nana, Aunt Tammy and Kelsey all came after a few minutes. We had decided to have Nana's waffles for dinner that night and sat down in shifts eating before we opened gifts together in our big family tree. Mom relaxed in the recliner for a bit before eating up a waffle. Patrick took her home before the tree because she was getting a little agitated. It was really a great evening spent with the important people in our lives celebrating getting to be together! I am so thankful for every person we got to spend Christmas with that day! I am not one to like change and this year was a little bit of old with some new and it was just enough of both for me!

2016 Christmas Photos

The kids and Drew tolerated me turning our living room into a make shift studio space for the afternoon to capture the perfect picture for our Christmas card this year. I did not achieve what I was going for but I think it turned out better than I could have wanted. Two sweet little babies (Everett is still a baby to me) in matching Christmas jammies on an antique sleigh in front of a Christmas tree looked pretty perfect to me! For memory sake here are some of the other pictures from our afternoon of hard work.

 

 

Haven's 9 month update

Before Christmas our sweet little Haven hit her 9-month-old mark! It seems unreal to me that we have been blessed with this precious girl for 9 whole months! 

Your smile lights up a round beautiful girl! When someone smiles at you, you quickly return it with a smile that shines through your eyes. Right now you have two sweet little teeth glistening in the front of your bottom gums that show when you smile big, which is just about every time. Your eyes have turned into a beautiful dark brown, much like your Daddy's. Your hair is coming in fuller and getting darker although I can still see hints of auburn when the light hits it. I am still holding out for it to be the color of your Nana's. 

You love to eat sweet Haven girl! Everything and anything you can get your hands on. We have to be very careful about what is within reach of you these days because before we know it you will have a handful of Salsa, beans or whatever is at your level. You have been eating a lot more table food lately rather than baby food and enjoying all of it. Mashed Potatoes and beans have been your favorite although you recently tore up some guacamole as well. Cheerios are a new hit with you and you have also tried gnawing on some animal crackers and most recently some noodles! 

For the past month you have been waking up around 4 AM every morning. I thought you were probably teething and finally just before Christmas I felt two teeth coming in on the top right side of your gums. You had been extremely fussy the two days before, very unlike you, and I was finally able to get you to let me feel around for a minute in your mouth. Once the teeth broke through you have been back to sleeping from when we put you down at 8:30 PM to about 8:30 AM. It is wonderful!! You also take a 2-3 hour nap during the afternoons. Sometimes you fight taking a nap but need a little one in the evenings of mid morning if you have woken up early. Chris Stapleton's song Tennessee Whisky is an automatic way to get you to immediately calm your self and close your eyes. Your Dad began playing you this song as soon as you were born and it has stuck ever since. It is a treat to get to rock you to sleep and hold you in my arms at night little love. You just stare up at me with those big beautiful eyes until you can’t keep them open any longer. During the day I don't for naps we usually just lay you in your crib where you cuddle with your bunny and blanket and drift quickly off to sleep. Your most favorite position to sleep in is on your tummy with your bottom up in the air. We had to lower your mattress down as low as we could because you are now an expert at pulling yourself up on things and would pull yourself up standing in your crib!

Haven you want to be where the activity is.  As I walk from room to room during the day doing housework you quickly follow crawling quickly behind. You are so fast! If you are in your walker and the carpet stops you then you immediately whine until I get you.  You do not like to be alone.  
For such a sweet little girl nothing at all scares you. You are fearless. Uncle Patrick was recently here with his big lab dog Whitten and although your older brother liked to view Whitten through a glass door you would go right up to him and let him lick all over you. You crawl to pull yourself up on everything. I am constantly worried about you falling and hitting your head on something you have fearlessly climbed to.  

We just came back from your 9 month wellness check-up with Dr. Fletcher. He told us you are absolutely perfect and ahead of the curve developmentally! You freaked out when he tried to listen to your heart with this stethiscope... he said well this is a little early for her to be acting like this but that just means she is ahead of the game. Your brother immediately started crying with you as a form of sibling solidarity. Haven you weighed in at 21 lbs exactly putting you in the 75-90%, you were 29 inches putting you in the 90% and your head was 18 inches also putting you in the 90%. 

You are babbling a lot more but you are still shouting "Dada" above everything else. I am working so hard to get you to say Mama but nothing yet! Haven you are doing amazing discovering with your hands. You are so quick to turn things around and switch them from hand to hand. Your pacifier is the first thing you learned to do this with and I watch you as you still do it lying in your crib.

Haven Molly my dreams of what a daughter would be like are nothing compared to the joy and happiness you have already brought your Dad, brother and I. We all adore you to the moon and back! Love you sweet sweet girl! 

8 Months of Haven's Joy

Oh my sweet beautiful girl how are you 8 months old (and two weeks but whose counting)??

Haven you are in to EVERYTHING! You have discovered drawers, cabinets, doors that I never thought would be an issue at this age. If you can get your hands on it then you grab it and put it straight in your mouth. You have successfully un-decorated the bottom of our tree twice!

You are on the move Sissy. Nothing can keep you still for long except your evening bottle. Otherwise you are squirming or crawling all over the house! You can always find me in the house in record time cruising on your hands and knees. With the new mobility you are finding lots of fun new toys your brother had previously kept out of reach and are loving getting to play with new fun things!

Haven you like to be where the commotion is and still can not stand an empty room. You particularly like to know that Mom is within eye sight of you and you are happy, If I leave a room you go into a dramatic meltdown. Other than these few cries and the ones you do when we don't get you a bottle fast enough you continue to be the happiest baby! I have carted you all over town, all over Nana's nursing home, all over store after store and you just ride and smile! When I make eye contact with you your whole face lights up and you let out a little giggle and it absolutely melts my heart.

"Dada" continues to be your first and only word and you love to just say it over and over and over again, rubbing it in my face. It is pretty sweet to hear you say that and your Dad just adores to hear it! You like to mumble a lot of other things as well but no other words have formed.

Haven you aren't drinking your full bottles right now which have still been 6 ounces every 4 -5 hours. We are giving you baby food and you are loving everything. We did discover that you have a peach allergy after you at them , twice, and both times your face immediately turned into red splotches. Your Dad let you try french fries while Mom was away for the day and he said you loved them!!

You are sleeping great at night right now! You love to snuggle your bunny stuffed animal we bought you the day you were born in the hospital. As soon as we lay you down  you immediately turn to the side or on your tummy with your bunny safe in your arms. It is really the sweetest thing! We are no longer using any form of sleep sacks and lay you down in your clothes with a blanket on top of you.

Haven you continue to get stronger and more agile every day as you make new discoveries. You are really sitting up on your own now and we are always worried about you hitting your head if you fall over. You are really good about catching yourself with your hands if you do fall over though!

Your brother becomes more smitten with you every day as he is discovering what a fun playmate you are. It is truly my absolute favorite thing to watch. He likes to go into your room in the morning at 6 am (way to early for me) and turn your lights on and wake you up. He then comes into me and says "Mama, Sissy up Pease" repeatedly until I come get you out of bed where then insists on giving you sugars on the head before I change your diaper.

Haven Molly it is safe to say we are all completely infatuated with you!! I love and adore you sweet girl!!

Alzheimer's Walk 2016

Last year we missed the Alzheimer's Association walk. I was a little overwhelmed with having just moved in with Mom and finding out I was pregnant. I didn't want to participate if we couldn't do it the best we could and ended up skipping the walk. This year was very different! I began thinking about the Walk months in advance. I knew that we would soon be facing changes with our living situation once again due to Mom's slipping farther into the holds of Alzheimer's. The walk meant something different to me this year. In the past my focus has been on representing a strong front for Mom, showing her that we stand with her and are fighting for her. Although this year all of that was very present for me I was also very aware of the fact that Mom isn't getting better. There will be no cure found in time to save her. That made it all the more important to me to help raise whatever awareness and money we could to help find a cure for the next victims. It could be me, my brothers or my children who find ourselves the next victims. Our world with Mom was so much out of our hands, her actions, her eating, her attitude, her movements that I was in a desperate need to do something.. anything to help fight Alzheimer's! I resurrected our Team Miles for Molly and was overwhelmed with the response and support we recieved. With the help family team members, especially Patrick we were able to raise the most money for Amarillo's walk. Our total came to $ , more than any other family team of cooperate team in the area. Although we were just happy for all the teams involved we were completely thrilled to have Miles for Molly announced as the top team and share the pride and love we have for our Mom. Not only were we humbled by the amount of money raised we were overwhelmed by the number of family members we had join us this year! We had our whole Amarillo crew including Nana, Aunt Tammy, Kelsey, Neeley, Lane, Norah and Merritt, Doss and Charlotte in addition to Drew, Everett, Haven and myself. Patrick and Taren drove in from Dallas. Pat, Paula, Stetson, Rebecca, Taylor, and their kids also came in from Ft. Worth. Cindy, Matt, Tenell and her boyfriend were there to join us as well! We had friends from church who love Mom come out to walk with our team. It was such a great time to bring awareness to this horrible disease that has claimed too many victims including my Hero. We had moved Mom into a nursing facility a few weeks before the walk. I was very emotional at the walk because I remembered it was just a few years ago that Mom stood up in front of the crowd holding a blue flower which represented someone living with Alzheimer's and vowed to fight this disease for all those suffering thinking of others and not of herself. I had hoped we could push Mom in a wheelchair this year, I knew she wouldn't have the energy to walk the whole way. When Patrick and Taren went to pick up Mom from her home she was very agitated and wouldn't leave with them so we decided it was better she just stay there. It was a heartbreaking decision for me, I desperately wanted her to be apart of this and to feel the love and support around her but ultimately it was the best decision for her. This year Patrick held the yellow flower which represented the caregiver because he has been such an incredible support for Mom and I though there have many miles between us. I am so grateful to everyone who participated with us this year either through donations or joining us in the walk. It was such an amazing year and time to rally and support my Mom!

 

 

Halloween 2016

We had two little dinosaurs that we took out Trick or Treating this year! If I do say so myself they are the CUTEST dinosaurs ever!! I had given Everett the option of "Buzz Lightyear" of Dinosaurs for Halloween and he choose Dinosaurs. I decided to take advantage of getting to dress the kids the same while I could so sweet Haven got to be a dinosaur too! Everett was a little nervous to trick or treat at first this year and wasn't too keen on walking up to stranger's houses even if it was for candy. He insisted on being carried and would eventually ROAR at the people giving out candy. After a while he got the confidence to walk up to the houses himself and immediately tried to consume his candy. We went out trick or treating with Lane, Neeley, Norah, and Merritt again this year pulling the Bigs along in the wagon from house to house and pushing the littles in the double stroller. Norah and Merritt were matching adorable kangaroos. Norah did really well trick or treating and was hand in hand with Mimi who joined us along with Kelsey and Aunt Cindy. Merritt and Haven kicked it in the stroller sleeping for the first part of the night and then just quietly and sweetly taking in the chaos around them. We started the night visiting Mom at her home and all the ladies loved to see the kids in costume even when Everett was roaring at them. Mom was a little overwhelmed by all the action so we didn't stay too long. From there we went to take the kids to see Doss and Charlotte, their neighbor Pat, and finally Grand- Nana. The kids got lots of little treats and we could have stopped there but Mom and Dad wanted some more candy. The night was long and we finished with a family dinner back at Grand-Nanas. Overall it was a successful trick or treating for everyone involved and a fun night full of memories!

We took the kids up to the local park to take their costume pictures. It was a little hectic but we managed to get some keepers in the end. This has been one of my most favorite traditions with Everett and I was so excited to get to have Haven join in on this. I love looking back at the costume pictures over the past two years of Everett and seeing how much he has grown and changed. Through it all our trusty Meyer bear has been with him!

The week before Halloween we coordinated the kids and took them to the pumpkin patch for our annual Fall Pumpkin photos. I looked back over these and couldn't believe we have two precious babies that we have been entrusted with. They are the most precious sweetest kids ever! I could seriously spend my whole day giving them sugars!