What were you doing 30 years ago? I'll give you some help...the year was 1982...do you remember?
I don't remember what I was doing, but I do know I was seemingly content in the warm comfort of my mother's womb. I imagine I was as reluctant to come out of there as I will be to get out of my warm, comfy bed tomorrow! I imagine it was pretty crowded in there too, much as my bed will be in the morning due to my reluctance to get out of it. And though I obviously don't remember what my Mom was doing or thinking 30 years ago, I have kind of imagined the scenario...
See, at this very time 30 years ago, my Mom was pregnant with me, and going on 10 days overdue. 30 years ago, the whole "induce when you are a week overdue rule" didn't apply. I imagine my Mom was quite uncomfortable and probably didn't sleep much this night 30 years ago. It would still be about 23 hours before I made my grand entrance into the world. I had to wait awhile longer you see because it couldn't just be any old, dry, cold day in January. Nope, only the grandest entrance would do for me...I wanted the coldest, the snowiest...actually, just to make it unforgettable, let's have the biggest ice storm! Yep, that was the type of day I wanted to come out of my warm, comfy place! ;)
And that I did...on a bitterly cold January night, in the midst of an ice storm, I was born...30 years ago. A grand entrance I wanted & a grand entrance I got...not just with the backdrop of major winter weather...I also was born weighing in at 10 lbs. 1 oz. and measuring 21 and 1/2 inches long! My Dad always tells me I was born looking like a 3 month old...hehe! ;) My Aunt Mo always tells me I was the most beautiful baby and my Mom always tells me I was very good, & always a happy baby. So, all the drama created around the day of my birth was worth it in the eyes of those who love me!
I can remember being a child and thinking 30 was SO old...now I sit on the brink of turning 30 and think of how young I still feel! When my day slows down and I really think about my life, I think of all my years of grade school, I have my high school diploma, a bachelor's & a master's degree...I look at my handsome husband & my two beautiful boys and can hardly
believe this has all happened in only 30 years!
I look forward to my birthday every year & this year is no different despite the "milestone" year that it is. I know I will be showered with well wishes, gifts, treats, & more love than my heart can hold & that is something I will treasure no matter how old I get!
Friday, January 13, 2012
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Bailey
This picture is old but it will always be one of my favorites! Six years ago, Jim & I got Bailey, our French Bulldog, from a co-worker of his. I don't remember all the details of how we decided to get him but I remember when we went to pick him up & he was all of 3 months old, we just loved him. It was a cold, snowy, January day (much like today) & I remember holding Bailey inside my zipped up winter coat as he still shivered furiously. Then began the ever tedious process of training him, which we never really were good at. He was house trained pretty easily, it was more of the other commands..."sit", "stay", "come"...Bailey always sort of marched to his own drum. :). He was a pretty good puppy, and has always been a good dog. Really, I've never known a more mild-mannered dog in all my life!
He has always been great with the boys. From completely newborn babies, through curious toddlers, to demanding preschooler, Bailey has taken it all in stride. He has never been the most playful dog & he would prefer to lay in his bed and nap peacefully rather than play fetch. He has been a good dog!
On Monday, we got a call from the Pediatrician giving us the results of Brandon's allergy testing. Brandon has had episodes of asthma-like wheezing since he was about 6 months old, so the doctor suggested we try & test him though he's still a bit young and might not show any positives. Well, the nurse called with the results and he has a dog allergy. And not just any dog allergy...a bad one. The level that measures how much he is currently being bothered by the allergen (normal is 12 or lower) is over 800!! Yep, you guessed it...this doctor's office officially has me labeled "basket-case" as I burst into tears on the phone with the nurse. Not at the fact that we now have to find a new home for our dog, but at the fact that my poor boy has suffered (quite contentedly, I might add) for almost 2 years living with something he's very allergic to! I'm thankful we now have an answer as to why he's sick all the time & am glad the solution is as simple as some meds & finding Bailey a new home. The guilt & question of if I could have known sooner & prevented some suffering, lingers on and some days still shocks me to my core. But I know it will soon be better & am grateful for that.
Well, the shock has wore off a bit & it now sets in that Bailey will no longer be around us...and yes, I will miss him. He has been such a good dog!
This picture is old but it will always be one of my favorites! Six years ago, Jim & I got Bailey, our French Bulldog, from a co-worker of his. I don't remember all the details of how we decided to get him but I remember when we went to pick him up & he was all of 3 months old, we just loved him. It was a cold, snowy, January day (much like today) & I remember holding Bailey inside my zipped up winter coat as he still shivered furiously. Then began the ever tedious process of training him, which we never really were good at. He was house trained pretty easily, it was more of the other commands..."sit", "stay", "come"...Bailey always sort of marched to his own drum. :). He was a pretty good puppy, and has always been a good dog. Really, I've never known a more mild-mannered dog in all my life!
He has always been great with the boys. From completely newborn babies, through curious toddlers, to demanding preschooler, Bailey has taken it all in stride. He has never been the most playful dog & he would prefer to lay in his bed and nap peacefully rather than play fetch. He has been a good dog!
On Monday, we got a call from the Pediatrician giving us the results of Brandon's allergy testing. Brandon has had episodes of asthma-like wheezing since he was about 6 months old, so the doctor suggested we try & test him though he's still a bit young and might not show any positives. Well, the nurse called with the results and he has a dog allergy. And not just any dog allergy...a bad one. The level that measures how much he is currently being bothered by the allergen (normal is 12 or lower) is over 800!! Yep, you guessed it...this doctor's office officially has me labeled "basket-case" as I burst into tears on the phone with the nurse. Not at the fact that we now have to find a new home for our dog, but at the fact that my poor boy has suffered (quite contentedly, I might add) for almost 2 years living with something he's very allergic to! I'm thankful we now have an answer as to why he's sick all the time & am glad the solution is as simple as some meds & finding Bailey a new home. The guilt & question of if I could have known sooner & prevented some suffering, lingers on and some days still shocks me to my core. But I know it will soon be better & am grateful for that.
Well, the shock has wore off a bit & it now sets in that Bailey will no longer be around us...and yes, I will miss him. He has been such a good dog!
Monday, December 12, 2011
Mom's Lesson
I haven't updated this in....well.....what seems like FOREVER!! I'm still in the process of writing a pretty lengthy post about all that has transpired in our lives in the last 4 months, so I'll save that for later and share a recent story that I don't want to forget.
I am constantly teaching my children "lessons". From the simplest things like how to pick up a Cheerio when they are babies, to more complicated things like how to handle themselves when things don't quite go the way we wanted them to, as they get older. As I constantly teach lessons, I am coincidentally learning lessons as well. Like, don't leave a baby with a tray full of Cheerios unattended for more than 2 seconds or you will be finding them in various locations of the house for months. Or one of my very favorites, how NOT to speak to your husband when you are not pleased about things not quite turning out the way you wanted them to. ;) My husband has said that living with our almost 5 year old, Drew, is like watching your life on DVR and it is so true!
As I muddle through most days trying my best to teach my boys how to share toys, how to react in better ways than hitting or biting, how to respond to Mom's pleas of "HURRY UP! WE'RE LATE!", and to obey the first time, I often forget the ONE thing I am called to teach them about...God's Love! I pray with my boys before each meal, (granted often one or both of them are already done eating and we are praying over my 1/4 of a turkey and cheese sandwich and handful of baby carrots that I managed to scrounge up, but I digress...), pray with them before nap and bedtime, teach them the reason we respond certain ways is because that is how Jesus would and wants us to, etc. etc. Does it sink in? I pray it does! Do they get it? They will someday! Is it important? The MOST important!
When one of my lessons on obeying the first time, or choosing a different response than hitting doesn't sink in, I geta little upset! Ok, I get downright angry sometimes...it is not pretty when this Mom has to repeat the same request 3, 4, 5 times and more! Time outs are dished out...rewards are taken away...it's just not fun for anyone! Now, the lessons about God....well, I don't hand out multiple choice tests on the Ten Commandments and I don't ask for an exact retelling of the Christmas Story. So, I continue teaching them about God's Love the best way I know how and hope someday it shines through in their words and deeds.
One day last week, I was dropping Drew off at Preschool...Brandon in tow of course. We were running a tad behind (as usual) and I was recovering from my usual blood pressure spike resulting from my children doing everything EXCEPT getting dressed when asked, getting their shoes and coats on, and not going downstairs to get another toy to take in the car. Ironically, I always have the local Christian radio station playing, and this particular day, I'm getting more and more convicted about the fact that I should not start our day this way! We pulled up to the stop light just before we turn into the Preschool and at that intersection stands a big, wooden cross. I heard a small voice pipe up from the, up-until-that-point, silent backseat that says, "Hey Brandon. See that cross right there. Jesus died on that cross. Do you know that Brandon? Jesus died on the cross." Brandon, in his cute, almost 2 year old, accommodating way responds with a smile, and a "Yeah" (though he had no idea what he was agreeing to)! ;) And in that moment, this Mom lost it and looked like a blubbering fool dropping that sweet little boy off at school. Lesson learned, son. Lesson learned!
I am constantly teaching my children "lessons". From the simplest things like how to pick up a Cheerio when they are babies, to more complicated things like how to handle themselves when things don't quite go the way we wanted them to, as they get older. As I constantly teach lessons, I am coincidentally learning lessons as well. Like, don't leave a baby with a tray full of Cheerios unattended for more than 2 seconds or you will be finding them in various locations of the house for months. Or one of my very favorites, how NOT to speak to your husband when you are not pleased about things not quite turning out the way you wanted them to. ;) My husband has said that living with our almost 5 year old, Drew, is like watching your life on DVR and it is so true!
As I muddle through most days trying my best to teach my boys how to share toys, how to react in better ways than hitting or biting, how to respond to Mom's pleas of "HURRY UP! WE'RE LATE!", and to obey the first time, I often forget the ONE thing I am called to teach them about...God's Love! I pray with my boys before each meal, (granted often one or both of them are already done eating and we are praying over my 1/4 of a turkey and cheese sandwich and handful of baby carrots that I managed to scrounge up, but I digress...), pray with them before nap and bedtime, teach them the reason we respond certain ways is because that is how Jesus would and wants us to, etc. etc. Does it sink in? I pray it does! Do they get it? They will someday! Is it important? The MOST important!
When one of my lessons on obeying the first time, or choosing a different response than hitting doesn't sink in, I get
One day last week, I was dropping Drew off at Preschool...Brandon in tow of course. We were running a tad behind (as usual) and I was recovering from my usual blood pressure spike resulting from my children doing everything EXCEPT getting dressed when asked, getting their shoes and coats on, and not going downstairs to get another toy to take in the car. Ironically, I always have the local Christian radio station playing, and this particular day, I'm getting more and more convicted about the fact that I should not start our day this way! We pulled up to the stop light just before we turn into the Preschool and at that intersection stands a big, wooden cross. I heard a small voice pipe up from the, up-until-that-point, silent backseat that says, "Hey Brandon. See that cross right there. Jesus died on that cross. Do you know that Brandon? Jesus died on the cross." Brandon, in his cute, almost 2 year old, accommodating way responds with a smile, and a "Yeah" (though he had no idea what he was agreeing to)! ;) And in that moment, this Mom lost it and looked like a blubbering fool dropping that sweet little boy off at school. Lesson learned, son. Lesson learned!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
A Working Mom
Yes, that would be my new title! I have always desired to eventually go back to work someday, but never thought that someday would be right now. This is how I am sure that God is in full control of all things that happen in life. I was always told, "You'll find your husband when you stop looking for him". That was actually very true in my life, because I was not looking when I met Jim...in fact I was dating someone else at the time, but that's a whole other story! ;-) I think that statement is true for work in my life as well, "You'll find a job when you stop looking". Sounds silly, no? When I look back at my life and all the jobs I've held, there are just a couple that I actually was "looking" for, the rest kind of just worked the details out themselves and then kind of fell into my lap! Thanks God! :-)
To make a long story short, in the course of this past week, I inquired about a job a fellow Master's student told me about, scheduled an interview, sat in the interview for 10 minutes answering a whopping 4 questions, was offered the job on the spot, and accepted! :-D WHEW! Really?! Me?! I just did that?! The queen of anxiety...yep, I did and felt GREAT about it!
After almost 4 full years of being a stay-at-home Mom, I am re-entering the workforce and I am actually extremely excited about it!
How will I leave these two sweet faces every morning you ask??
Well, I'm sure it will be an adjustment for all for a little while, but what comforts me is knowing these same two sweet faces will be waiting for me when I get home each afternoon....and something tells me, they might just have these exact expressions on their faces! Yep, I think I can deal with that! ;-)
There is so much love between these two, sometimes I have a hard time believing one day they will more than likely have a wrestling match on my living room floor!
To make a long story short, in the course of this past week, I inquired about a job a fellow Master's student told me about, scheduled an interview, sat in the interview for 10 minutes answering a whopping 4 questions, was offered the job on the spot, and accepted! :-D WHEW! Really?! Me?! I just did that?! The queen of anxiety...yep, I did and felt GREAT about it!
After almost 4 full years of being a stay-at-home Mom, I am re-entering the workforce and I am actually extremely excited about it!
How will I leave these two sweet faces every morning you ask??
On a totally unrelated note, is this not the cutest thing you have ever seen??
There is so much love between these two, sometimes I have a hard time believing one day they will more than likely have a wrestling match on my living room floor!
Monday, November 8, 2010
"Real" Bowling
My brother, Joe (aka Uncle Stan) is the resident best bowler in our family so naturally we wanted him to be there to indoctrinate Drew into the bowling world. He drove all the way over from Lansing to meet us at Woodland Lanes in Livonia (side note: this is a WONDERFUL bowling alley). They had a special 4 lb. ball for Drew to use and they even gave him a Hot Wheels car as a little treat for coming to their alley. Very cool! We got all our stuff together, and put on our "special shoes"...
Brandon enjoyed himself too, being passed between me, Daddy, and Uncle Stan depending on whose turn it was to bowl. Before we know it, I'm sure he'll be begging to go bowling too!
Thanks for the SUPER fun time bowling Uncle Stan!!! :)
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Excuses, excuses...
I have none! Not one excuse that is worthy of writing down as the sole reason I have not updated this in almost 3 months...so, I won't even try...I'll just continue on like nothing was missed! (HA!) ;)
A lot has happened in the last couple months here, so I will try to condense it and make it readable...
Drew
The biggest change in life is that he is a Cubbie now!! I can remember when he was a baby thinking that dropping him off at Cubbies for the first time was SO far away...yeah, well it came quickly as all things in my children's lives do! He L-O-V-E-S Cubbies! He loves saying his verse every week (and he's actually pretty good at memorizing them!) and he rants and raves all the way home about all of the great things he got to do that night at church. Warms my heart to the CORE! :) His favorite activity thus far was when they got to go bowling for game time. He is in love with all things bowling right now...(I'm starting to believe there is something to the "Stanski bowling gene" we've always talked about in my family). He has recently discovered YouTube videos (he doesn't really know it's YouTube, he just knows there are videos of anything and everything he could ever want to watch!) Some of his favorites are bowling videos, monster trucks, trains, and Lightning McQueen. I have also recently introduced him to the wonderful world of PBSkids.com where he enjoys playing games from his favorite shows (Dinosaur Train, Super Why, and Sid the Science Kid)! Some days it is quite the battle to get him off of the computer, but I do enjoy watching him learn new things and develop interests. :) He is really starting to enjoy his baby brother. He has always loved Brandon and has always done everything he could with him, but as Brandon gets older and develops more, Drew has developed a whole new level of enjoyment with him. He enjoys playing with him, (we're still working on sharing) and providing him with plenty of selection of toys to play with. ;) He loves playing peek-a-boo with him and having tickle wars. He likes trying to teach Brandon new things and is SO encouraging when he does something! I cannot turn my back for too long when Brandon is in the high chair or Drew will likely feed him as many Puffs as he can put in his mouth (and eat some himself too!), though Brandon actually LOVES being fed by Drew. He is getting big SO fast, but we are loving every minute of it!
Brandon
Brandon is my little, almost 9 month old baby who likes to think he is 19 months old!! :) His budding personality just cracks me up. He is an energetic little guy who wants to always be "on the go"! There is no more sitting and holding him on your lap, he wants to be down and moving around any way he can. His favorite mode of transportation is up on two feet holding onto someone's two hands! :) He is so close to figuring out crawling that it's killing me, but much like his brother, he decides that learning to walk will just make everything faster. He is an eating machine now, eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner while still nursing 4 times a day! He loves everything so far that he has tried, just like Drew always has. I'm immensely grateful to have good eaters and I figure as they get older and need more and more food to fill up, it will just be a great "diet" for Jim and I! ;) Brandon loves to eat finger foods too...he had his first taste of lasagna the other day, as well as a piece of shredded up chicken! I can remember not being able to get Drew to eat finger foods for a LONG time, B has it all figured out though. Brandon loves playing with toys, anything and everything he can get his hands on, although his favorite toy is whatever his brother is playing with which, of course, does not appeal to Drew at all!! But, they do love eachother to pieces and most of the time Jim or I are around to be able to referee and teach them the all important lesson of sharing. Brandon loves playing peek-a-boo with a blanket, he loves when we sing "Splish Splash" at bathtime, and he loves getting and giving kisses! :) My favorite part of the day is when Brandon wakes up from a nap and finds Drew...his face just lights up and I just imagine he is thinking, "Oh good, more fun is on the way!" :) Just today, Brandon got all the way from his belly to sitting up all by himself! Fast, fast, fast....they grow so fast! :)
A lot has happened in the last couple months here, so I will try to condense it and make it readable...
Drew
The biggest change in life is that he is a Cubbie now!! I can remember when he was a baby thinking that dropping him off at Cubbies for the first time was SO far away...yeah, well it came quickly as all things in my children's lives do! He L-O-V-E-S Cubbies! He loves saying his verse every week (and he's actually pretty good at memorizing them!) and he rants and raves all the way home about all of the great things he got to do that night at church. Warms my heart to the CORE! :) His favorite activity thus far was when they got to go bowling for game time. He is in love with all things bowling right now...(I'm starting to believe there is something to the "Stanski bowling gene" we've always talked about in my family). He has recently discovered YouTube videos (he doesn't really know it's YouTube, he just knows there are videos of anything and everything he could ever want to watch!) Some of his favorites are bowling videos, monster trucks, trains, and Lightning McQueen. I have also recently introduced him to the wonderful world of PBSkids.com where he enjoys playing games from his favorite shows (Dinosaur Train, Super Why, and Sid the Science Kid)! Some days it is quite the battle to get him off of the computer, but I do enjoy watching him learn new things and develop interests. :) He is really starting to enjoy his baby brother. He has always loved Brandon and has always done everything he could with him, but as Brandon gets older and develops more, Drew has developed a whole new level of enjoyment with him. He enjoys playing with him, (we're still working on sharing) and providing him with plenty of selection of toys to play with. ;) He loves playing peek-a-boo with him and having tickle wars. He likes trying to teach Brandon new things and is SO encouraging when he does something! I cannot turn my back for too long when Brandon is in the high chair or Drew will likely feed him as many Puffs as he can put in his mouth (and eat some himself too!), though Brandon actually LOVES being fed by Drew. He is getting big SO fast, but we are loving every minute of it!
Brandon
Brandon is my little, almost 9 month old baby who likes to think he is 19 months old!! :) His budding personality just cracks me up. He is an energetic little guy who wants to always be "on the go"! There is no more sitting and holding him on your lap, he wants to be down and moving around any way he can. His favorite mode of transportation is up on two feet holding onto someone's two hands! :) He is so close to figuring out crawling that it's killing me, but much like his brother, he decides that learning to walk will just make everything faster. He is an eating machine now, eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner while still nursing 4 times a day! He loves everything so far that he has tried, just like Drew always has. I'm immensely grateful to have good eaters and I figure as they get older and need more and more food to fill up, it will just be a great "diet" for Jim and I! ;) Brandon loves to eat finger foods too...he had his first taste of lasagna the other day, as well as a piece of shredded up chicken! I can remember not being able to get Drew to eat finger foods for a LONG time, B has it all figured out though. Brandon loves playing with toys, anything and everything he can get his hands on, although his favorite toy is whatever his brother is playing with which, of course, does not appeal to Drew at all!! But, they do love eachother to pieces and most of the time Jim or I are around to be able to referee and teach them the all important lesson of sharing. Brandon loves playing peek-a-boo with a blanket, he loves when we sing "Splish Splash" at bathtime, and he loves getting and giving kisses! :) My favorite part of the day is when Brandon wakes up from a nap and finds Drew...his face just lights up and I just imagine he is thinking, "Oh good, more fun is on the way!" :) Just today, Brandon got all the way from his belly to sitting up all by himself! Fast, fast, fast....they grow so fast! :)
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
6 Months Old
Today my sweet little Brandon is 6 months old! I actually LOVE when my babies get bigger. Let's just say the "newborn" phase of life is oh so adorable, but not my favorite for sure! ;) I love when my babies grow up and can smile at me and laugh that cute, baby, belly laugh. I love when they can hold their head up and grab at my cheeks when I'm face to face with them. I love when they can play with toys and talk in their own little language. I do get a twinge of sadness when I think of how FAST the time goes, but I relish every moment I get to watch them grow and grow and grow! :) Here's how Brandon has grown over the past 6 months...
Newborn
1 Month
2 Months
3 Months
4 Months
5 Months
And truth be told, I actually have gotten behind on taking these pictures and don't actually take them until about halfway through each month, so the 6 month old one will come sometime later on this month! ;)
Happy 6 Month Birthday Brandon!!
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