littleinsights.com

Yesterday, I needed to stop in at our local Super Target(Who doesn't love Super Target?) and pick up a few items.  Fortunately for me my husband was with me soI was able to leave the girls with him to wait in the car, while I took the boys into the store with me!

Because I digress...

Because I get sidetracked....

Because...

OOOOoooo, was that something shiney?.....

Because of my personality my husband decided that he'd call me to make sure I'd stay on track while in the store!

As we pulled into our parking spot we took note of a rather strange looking man...long-ish, overgrown hair and facial hair, parking in a handi-capped spot, although he was moving with great ease.  As I get the boys out of the car and head into the store I hear my husband chatting with Hannah.  This man spotted a frog hopping in the median, walks briskly over to the hopping frog, captures it, returns to his parked car, opens the rear passenger door and tosses the frog right on in!

Pet?

Dinner?

Catch and Release?

What is wrong with some folks?

Internet....what was this man planning to do with this little frog?

 

Just around the corner from our house, and on our way to run most of our errands there happens to be a small pasture that is home to two mini horses, one that appears to be the Mom and the other who we are assuming is her foal.  Every time we drive by we slow down just a bit because we all get a huge kick out of seeing the two mini-horses.  For some reason we have always referred to the foal as a, "he".

Today, as we were running errands this conversation took place...

Me-"Look, look, look...there he is!  There's the little baby horse."

Hannah-"Yea!"

Hayden-"Yea!"

[About two minutes later]

Hannah-"Hey, Mom....how  can you tell the difference between a girl horse and a boy horse?"

Me-"The boy horses have a penis." [Look at me being up front and everything!...What was I thinking???]

......

Dear Hayden,

My little monkey....three years ago today our lives were made even sweeter as we welcomed you into this world and into our lives!  Your dad and I could not imagine our lives without your sweet smile, your curiosity and wonder, your yummy cuddles and the sweet sound of your laughter!  It seems like just yesterday that we brought you home from the hospital for the very first time!  I cannot wait to see all of the growth and change that your third year brings!  You are such an amazing blessing in our lives and we couldn't be more proud of you and thrilled to be your mom and dad!

Happy Birthday, my little monkey prince...my little cuddle monkey....my little Schmagooglypoo!  We love you, Hayden!

Love,

Momma and Daddy

XOXOXO....

Dear  Andrew,

Eleven years ago today we welcomed you into this world. 

Eleven!

Eleven years ago!

 That just seems so crazy to type that!  My baby boy is ELEVEN!

Those years have flown by.  I must say that your dad and I are so very blessed to be your parents.  It is our honor and privilege to raise such an outstanding, loving, caring and bright young man!  When you were a little baby, your dad and I always wanted to make sure that whatever we did we made sure that we raised a happy, healthy baby who would one day be an amazing man!  You are well on your way to becoming the man that we know you will one day be. In the meantime we cherish every moment that we get to share with you on your journey!  We love you very much!  Thank you for always being my baby, regardless of how old you are!

I love you,

Mom

xoxo.... 

One year ago today I received a phone call from my sister.  Our dad was in the hospital. He had suffered a heart attack.  I prayed like crazy that night.  I prayed for healing for  our dad.  That healing never came.  In fact it was just the opposite.  That heart attack took his life.  At only sixty years old, our dad had passed away! 

I cannot tell you how hard it was to receive this news.  My dad and I had made amends just over a month before his death.  Even though our relationship had seen its fair share of hurdles I never stopped loving him.  I was sometimes hurt, sometimes angry....but I always loved him. 

I am still just as shocked and saddened on this one year anniversary of his death as I was when I heard the news!  This isn't news to those people that are close to me.  I have never handled loss very well.  In fact, when my Auntie died (when I was a young girl) I pretended that she had taken a long vacation that was far, far away! I didn't accept the fact that she had died for many years!  Somehow it was just easier to pretend that she was partaking in some fantastic adventure versus facing the reality that I would not see her again in this lifetime.  (Because even as an adult I still like to believe that one day I will see my loved ones again)

I don't know how or when it ever really gets any easier....or even if it ever really gets any easier.

I do know that I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to make amends with my dad before he passed away.  Each and every day I cherish my family even more than I did the day before! ...And I know that while my dad wasn't really ready for his journey in this life to be over, he is at peace. 

Whooooo boy!

The last several days Hayden has done his very best at challenging us.

Well.....

Challenging everything!

"Brush your teeth."

"NO!"

"Time to take a bath!"

"NO!"

"Let's have ice cream!"

"NO!"

"Let's buy twenty gazillion little tiny mini-horses!"

"NO!"

You get the idea, right?

Even simple things like, changing his diaper (because he still hasn't given those things up yet), changing his clothes, putting on socks, or shoes....all of it is labor intensive!

A battle!

A meeting of the minds!

I think this particular age plagued each of our kids in a very similar way, with the exception of Tori.  Each day he tests us and each day we put our foot down!  Firmly down!

With all of the testing and, "No's!" also comes a whole lot of personality and charisma.  Every day I amused and amazed by this little boy of mine! I am impressed with his vocabulary and just how quickly he absorbs new things! ...How he recalls things from his first year of life! 

Are they supposed to remember so many tiny details to a tee?

...Hayden, that is!

Dr. Seuss books have been favorites of our family since my sister and I were little girls.  We carried on the tradition of passing on those beloved stories and books of their like to our children.  I remember my Grandma reading the Dick and Jane books along with the little Golden Readers to us when we were little. I loved that time that we spent with my Grandma and wanted to make sure that my children have those memories with us.  We make it a point to read to them, even when they are more than capable of reading independently!  There is something about that relaxing time as a family, listening to a story being read aloud that is just magical.

I think that Hayden's love for books is absolutely amazing.  He will trot over to my desk with a stack of no less than ten to twelve books in hand.  "Mommy, read to me!". he says with a smile and a grin.  "Well, which should we read first?", is my usual response.  He will scroll through his selections, pull out the book of his choosing and tell me the name of the book before requesting that I read it.

When I pause in the middle of a sentence he usually fills in the blanks for me with such enthusiasm!

I love that!

Several days ago the kids were playing with a few neighbor children and along with playing picked up a few mosquito bites.  The next day the mosquito bites were bothering Hayden.  To express himself he quoted a line from a Dr. Seuss book, "Icabod is itchy, so am I." he said. 

I don't know that I was quoting lines from books before my third birthday?!

 

Before I begin, I must say that we have always told our kids a few things...

1) Two wrongs DO NOT make a right!

2) Do unto others as you would want them to do unto you.

...Of course there are other rules that we choose to live by, but as you might have suspected this post revolves around these two.

* * * * *

A few nights ago the boys were in their room, Andrew being a totally awesome big brother and laying with Hayden to help him fall asleep more quickly!  Out of nowhere I hear Drew crying so of course Carlos and I head in to find out what happened.

Me- "Drew, honey...what is the matter?  Stop crying and talk to me."

Hayden- "Me bit Anjoo (Andrew)!"

Me-"You did what?!"

Hayden- "Me bit Anjoo!"

[Andrew nods his head, agreeing that in fact Hayden had bit him]

Internet!  This is not the first time this has happened!  Time out has not worked!  A spanking has not worked!  Taking away his books and toys has not worked!

I can understand biting...when babies are babies, but not at his age, and definitely not with the vocabulary that this kid has!

I could hear my inner dialogue, and before I could contain it I spewed out, "That's it!  Drew, bite your brother back!". I continued, "Go ahead Drew, bite him!"

[Drew looked at me as if I had lost my marbles....and perhaps I had!]

[Drew shook his head, NO]

He stood firm in his decision to NOT bite his brother back!

This was a proud moment for me.  Even those his brother bit the crud out of him he chose to take the high road.

Suddenly a voice chimed in...

Hannah's voice!

"I'll do it! I'll  bite him!", she shouted from her room!

All I could do in that moment is look at Hayden and tell him how very lucky he was that his brother had mercy upon him and that he hadn't chosen to bite his sister!

In the end we all laughed...

And I left the room realizing just how different my children's personalities are!  They have all been raised just about the same way...other than family dynamics as we added another little one to our family.  Each one of them has been raised with the exact same beliefs, morals and values!  I suppose Hannah proved that everything is subject to one's interpretation!

As for Hayden, he has yet to bite again! Now, let's just hope it stays that way!

Recently my kids were challenging me!

...Challenging my abilities!

And, hey...I can't blame them for wanting visual proof of my abilities!

If my mom told me that she could still do the splits, cartwheels, round-offs and back bends, I'd be the first one asking to see it with my very own eyes!

Bring it on, Mom!

BRING!  It!  ON!

And I did!

I brought it like you wouldn't  believe!  Largely in part to the fact that I really think my husband was doubting my mad skills!

That night I must have done a dozen of each....just to drive the point across!

My children sat in awe!

My husband sat in awe!

And....me, well I went to bed feeling like a super hero...minus that whole super cape business!

As you can clearly see, the abuse continues....



THE  sheer TORTURE!



Oh, wait...Saphira looks relaxed!  Could it be that she enjoys this madness?



How about now?



Uhm...Perhaps she is spoiled rotten...NOT abused???

Just look at her eyes.....



Certainly her puppy eyes don't tell lies!



Saphira- "Now listen here!  You might be larger...you might be older....but you remember one thing...I am the puppy around here!"
Hera- "Woof!"



Hera- "Apparently you are sticking around.  I kind of like you, but we need to get a few things straight!"
"Now you listen here pip-squeak, stick with me, follow all of the rules and you'll score big around here!"
"One day, you might even end up sleeping in the bed with the two-leg-eds just like me...ONE DAY!"
"Another thing....no stealing my bones!  I don't like my bones pre-chewed, I am plenty capable of making light work of my own bones, thank you very much!"
"Are we clear?"

Saphira-"WAG!"



 Eating BONES!



Eating bones while wearing a tutu!



...And there was this one day....
that the people took me to this office, where they talked of shots, weighed me, talked about how large I'd get....and....uh...some lady stuck a stick in my butt and said that I was the prefect temperature!
S-O-S!  Somebody please get me outta here!



Why is that kid smiling?  He must not have seen all of the terrible things that they did to my little ten pound self!!
Just wait until I tell him!!

Ingredients:

Uncooked black beans or pinto beans 1lb bag (Will serve about 12)

1 jar of your favorite (non-chunky salsa), or:

1 large tomato, 1 large onion, 2 jalapenos (all finely chopped)

Fresh garlic (to taste)

Season All or Cajun Seasoning (to taste)

Pepper (to taste)

Extra Light/Extra Virgin Olive Oil

 

Directions:

Rinse beans in a strainer (and soak overnight if desired in cool water)

Place beans in a large pan (or slow-cooker), submerged with water over a medium heat, add in the other ingredients, minus the olive oil.  Cover and allow to cook until beans are tender.  Stir occasionally and add water as needed to ensure that the beans stay covered.

In a skillet, place a thin layer of olive oil, additional garlic and salt to taste.  Allow to warm over a medium heat, without allowing the oil to burn.  Using a slotted spoon, add in small amounts of prepared black or pinto beans, less their juices.  Using a potato masher, mash the beans until they are the desired consistency that you enjoy for your refried beans.  If you notice that the beans become dry, add a little more extra virgin olive oil while they are in the skillet.  Blend well.

Remove from heat and ENJOY!!

 

XOXO,

Stephanie

[Hayden...walks to me, smiling with a diaper and wipes in hand]

Me- "Hayden, what are the wipes and diaper for? (because, duh...he should totally be in big boy undies all the time by now!)"

 

Hayden-[Grinning over his shoulder] "Because me poop-ed in me diaper!"

Me-[mouth agape with a look of shock on my face] "What?  Why did you poop on yourself...AGAIN?"

Hayden-"Me didn't want to poop-ed on you!"

 

So, internet...it looks like I am the potty alternative.  Either he poops in his diaper or on me! 

YEA DIAPERS!!!

Wah!

Wah!

Waahhhhhh!

Seriously!  Stick a fork in me....I AM DONE! 

So done, in fact that if I were a steak I'd be charred!

I love the sun...I mean really, really love the sun, but I cannot understand how people love the feeling of being baked to a golden crisp, their skin aging before our very eyes!?  Wrinkled, leather-like skin forming at a records pace!  I love sun-kissed cheeks, but beyond that, no thank you!  (And especially no thank you while I am STILL taking the antibiotics that clearly advise you to stay out of the sun!)  That is one warning that I will adhere too!  Even if it means I sit inside, peering outside, wishing it were a cooler day!

...Which reminds me!

Bring on fall and winter, already....Ppppplease!!! 

I am ready to feel the crisp breeze sweep across my face, my hair blowing about crazily.  I am ready for the mosquitoes to take a long walk off of a tall pier!  I am ready to see the beautiful fall leaves and watch as they fall gracefully to the ground.  I am ready for the first cool front to breeze through, our swing beckoning us to swing on it!  I don't care how old I get, I will always love swinging....the freedom of flying through the air....and that feeling when you are flying through the air as you dismount....just praying and praying that you land on both feet!

Wait, zoom out....



She is CLEARLY not enjoying this, folks!!!



Here, I am pretty positive that her family was singing,
"I'm a model you know what I mean
And I do my little turn on the catwalk
Yeah on the catwalk on the catwalk yeah
I do my little turn on the catwalk...."

Saphira's  thoughts- *SCOFF* ...I am a fine puppy, not a pesky feline!!!  What is all of this catwalk nonsense?



Forced into taking naps with large dogs...much larger....like eighty pounds larger!
CRU-EL!!!



Awe, look at this sweet little girl, pausing for a photo-op while taking her dollies for a stroll...
WAIT!
Zoom In.....



This looks cruel...unusual...peculiar....her baby appears to be very puppy-like!!!



And this poor little ones belly is so tiny....as tiny as they come, I'd say!!
This is an open and closed case of puppy cruelty....
Or is it?

BUBBLES!!!



And Giggles!!!!

A friend of ours recently dropped by for a visit with a little surprise for the kiddos...

Hayden's surprise happened to be a brand new tool set....and what little boy doesn't love tools?

He is at this great phase in life where his little personality just shines, he hears everything, picks up everything, taps into everything that is going on around him.  His reactions are beyond amusing at times....and...well, I literally can't get enough of them!

That being said....

When Hayden saw the tools he immediately began tearing into the box.  One would think that he didn't already have two or three sets of tools, three hard hats, tape measures, pliers and the whole work bench too!  He was so excited, so for the fun of it my friend says, "Ya know....I just don't think that Hayden likes tools!"

Very quickly we all heard a very big, "Yes me-do!" ....as he continued pulling each and every piece out of the tool set!

Little Saphira is a fabulous subject, except for....



when she hops ship and escapes the washtub or when....



her reflection in the washtub is so gorgeous she can hardly stand to look away, or when....



she decides to sniff the wash tub 'til no end....
But it is moments like this.....



her succumbing to the kisses from "her boy"......and....



nibbling on his ears that remind me of the many,many reasons why puppies are just so stinking yummy!

After about a month and a half of feeling pretty darn crappy, (let's see, I've had walking pneumonia, bronchitis and a terrible sinus infection...oh...and my first EVER nose bleed) I finally threw in the towel and headed to the ENT this morning.  (Thankfully the bronchitis and walking pneumonia were taken care of with antibiotics and medications via our nebulizer.)

I decided to check out a new ENT today after being less than pleased with the office staff of our last ENT!  This doctor was well experienced which left me feeling comfortable and certain that he'd be the man to fix me! (I had already been to the Urgent Care Clinic and through almost an entire Z-pack before deciding that it was time to see a different professional).  Since the Z-pack hadn't done the trick the Clinic felt that it could be something viral or fungal!  ICK!

Of course we went through the whole rigmarole of the new patient history stuff before we got into the actual exam part.  Ladies, you are probably familiar with the speculum that is used during well woman exams!  Who knew that there were speculums for checking the inside of your nostrils too!  After taking a peek, I was informed that he'd need to use a decongestant spray to open things up a bit so he could send a little scope into my nose.  I've had my throat scoped before, along with my throat numbed for my EGD, so I kind of knew how this whole thing would go....

They insert this little nozzel-y thing into each nostril and spray the decongestant, have you lie back while it works it's magic (along with trickling down the back of your throat, causing your throat to become numb....and let's not talk about the gross taste that it leaves behind).  After a couple of minutes he inserted the scope into my left nostril, which feels nothing short of what I would imagine a rogue worm would feel like running amuck inside of your nostril!  Overall it didn't hurt, but there were some directions that he maneuvered the scope that were a bit uncomfortable...and the feeling of the scope backing out of my nostril was totally weird feeling!!  Of course the right nostril was next, which felt equally as strange as the left nostril!

After removing the scope I got the great news that there were no signs of any fungal infections.  He did however determine that I needed a 10 day course of a different antibiotic, coupled with prednisone to help boost the healing process.  He felt certain that this combination would do the trick, however if for some reason I am not feeling perfect in 10 days I will have to have a CT scan of my sinuses!

As for now, I am optimistic that I finally have my hands on the right medications!  Fingers crossed and prayers said, I hope to be feeling back to my usual self very soon! (And sinus headache free!)

....As for all of the possible side effects of the medications....let's just say they freak me out!!!

Before I even begin this entry I must give kudos to those of you set your alarms and wake up before the rooster crows each and every day!  My morning began when the alarm first went off at 5:30am.  It is now 8:30 pm and I am finding my eyelids growing quite heavy!  By quite  heavy I do mean that I am fighting them closing so that I can type this post with as few spelling errors as possible.

That's the price I pay for not having an editor here at camp Little Insights!

I'm a one man show!!  Or, well, I should say a one woman show!!

We arrived at the hospital valet parked our car and headed in for Tori's Upper GI that was scheduled for 8:00am.  We waited for maybe 15 minutes [my tummy churning the entire time as my nerves got the best of me] before being called back.  The tech asked us a series of questions, then went to speak with the radiologist. Upon her return she told us that Tori just needed to lie back for a few X-Rays before they gave her the barium and gathered more images as the barium passed through her system.  Although it seemed clear that Tori would not have to be sedated, I had to question, because each person I had spoke to before said to plan for several hours of waiting, including recovery from the anesthesia. 

Thank GOD!  We all know I wasn't hip on the anesthesia aspect of things anyway, so it was relief to my ears that she would not have to be sedated!  (Although I am a little perplexed that at least four people I talked to hadn't a clue about what was going on!?)

For a portion of the test the barium was delivered via her gastrostomy button.  The radiologist stopped and asked if there was any way  that I thought Tori would take some of the barium by mouth.  I have only ever had one experience with barium when I was a small child....and let's just say that junk was rough to get down!  I mean ROUGH!!!  i kind of looked at the radiologist and said, "We can certainly try!".

Try!?

TRY!?

Tori did more than just try, she actually drank enough of the barium for the radiologist to gather the needed images!!! 

Uhm....can someone please tell me the secret recipe for barium, minus whatever the bad stuff is that you aren't supposed to drink on a regular basis!  Apparently that is the secret flavor, texture, temperature that is Tori-approved!

....And now we simply await the results!!

 Tomorrow Tori will be having an Upper GI, with a small bowel follow through...with [shudder] sedation! Something about sedation always freaks me out!!!  ALWAYS!  I know that she is in well-skilled hands.....  And I know that these people do this all of the time.  As a worrying Momma , however I can't help but be nervous.  It is the kind of nervous that you feel on the first day of school,  and with each procedure my kids have ever had to go through I feel that exact same way.

A few things that they should be checking tomorrow is how well her Nissen Fundoplication has held up since it was first done when she was four months old.  They'll be checking for reflux, amongst other things. 

I know that it is necessary for this procedure to take place, and we have successfully put it off for a year now.  Please keep my little princess pea in your prayers tonight and tomorrow!  ...and like everything I shall keep you posted here!

XOXO

 

In case you aren't familiar with a Nissen Fundoplication here is a helpful link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissen_fundoplication

It's no secret that a gaping hole was left in our hearts in January when we had to put our sweet Raven to sleep.  We all took her death hard, but I think it is safe to say that Drew and I were just devastated!  I mean we wept over this dog like crazy!  As I type this portion of this blog entry I find myself filled with emotion. 

Several months ago we brought Hera inside, to live out her remaining years in the lap of luxury....to be doted on all of the time, sneak a few leftovers here and there (maybe even a few more than a few at times)!  Something happened that we never really expected.  Hera and Hannah bonded like never before.  Those two are virtually inseparable...including the fact that when Hannah goes to bed, Hera goes right alongside her.  LITERALLY!!!

There has been buzz here and there about searching for another puppy.  Usually those thoughts a brief and quickly dismissed.

Until....

UNTIL.....

Until my Mom called and told me about a dear friend of hers whose dog was expecting a litter.  My mom told me that he would sell us  one of his puppies at a deeply discounted rate.  We still felt very un-ready to bring that new little life into our home.

It was just way too soon!

My mom called again in the last week and told us that nearly six weeks had already passed since the puppies had been born, and that soon they'd be ready to go to their new homes. 

We talked!

....And we talked!

I knew that as gaping as the hole was in my heart, Drew's hole was just as empty.  I,however have four babies and another dog, and a husband, and countless other things that keep me occupied.  For Drew however I think that Raven's absence was even more noticed for Drew, who every night sees the bond that Hannah and Hera have formed.

....And we talked some more.....

....And we plotted....

....And we planned....

The more we all thought about it the more it seemed like the right thing to do....to fill that gaping hole in our littleboys heart.  My Mom graciously offered to buy the puppy for Andrew for his birthday.

Yesterday her friend drove over two and a half hours with this precious little cargo for us to meet her, for  Hera to meet her and decide if she was a perfect match for our family.

My heart melted when I saw her....but, then again this shouldn't surprise you!  I am a softy after all!!!

When Carlos met her she took to Carlos immediately...and he to her.

When she met Hera she immediately took to Hera,licking her face....And Hera took to her.

My mom stood there.  We all stood there.  My mom then said that, "with our permission she would love to buy that gorgeous little puppy for Andrew.".

We all agreed that it just felt right!

The final step was introducing Andrew to his new little girl....(His Grammy did the honors!)

Let's just say that he was over the moon, headover heels in puppy love!!