Light of my Life

Whoo-Hoo He's 2!

2011-10-27T14:21:00.000-07:00

OK, chalk this one up to "bad Mommy". I'll take it. I have to own this one. It's not that I didn't think of writing your birthday blog on your actual birthday. Not that I didn't care. Of course I did. I just got sidetracked with all the ridiculous fun going on for 4 FULL DAYS in celebration of you. And the 4 days after that....yeah, I got nothin'. Just bad Mommy.

The two years of you have been delightful. You were an exceptionally good one year old, so I'm expecting big things for age two! You clearly have no idea that you are, in fact, two and not three like your brother. You two are inseparable. Whatever he does you MUST try and usually accomplish. You're doing gymnastics together. You play together. You potty trained yourself a few months ago simply to not miss out on something big brother was doing. You are unquestionably ecstatic about being Cade's {not so little} brother.

You are also quite possibly the best lover baby ever. You give (and give and give and give) the best sweet kisses. I also must confess that I may have never met anyone ever who gives better squeeze hugs. You have this amazing way of snuggling right in so your body fits just perfectly against me. I love those hugs. Love.

You have the sweetest heart. Of course you have your moments...and they are some doozies...but you are quick to apologize. You always share. Maybe not the INSTANT you are asked, but always within a few seconds, you will happily give whatever toy you are playing with to Cade if he asks. Almost to a fault. I love that you love him. I love that you share. I love that you do it with a giving heart and a smile. I just want you to know that you don't always HAVE to do whatever Cade asks...but you'll figure that out soon enough. I mean - come on kid...you don't always need to give away your last cracker just because someone ate theirs first. But it's sweet and it melts my heart.

You were much slower to talk than your chatterbox brother, but you have the cutest sayings and inflections in your voice. In the last 2-3 weeks you have started talking almost non-stop though. One of your favorite topics is of course horses. Specifically riding. And it goes something like this..."Mommy. Me. Ride. Mia. Fun." Except imagine it on repeat...again and again and again. It's darling. Exhausting. But darling.

And of course there is the spike. Now that you finally have hair our general hairstyle of choice is the "spike". It's been your nickname for a while. It's fitting for your personality and we all enjoy it. For a couple of days now you've been saying "mommy. no spike" which kind of breaks my heart. I've grown exceptionally fond of the spike. But that's OK. You have curls now too and they are just as cute. For now, we spike when you feel like it and we don't when you don't. We'll see where it takes us.

My sweet baby. I love you to the moon and back. You make my heart sing. I so enjoy watching you make your way through life...following your brother, yet making your own path. Part of my "pair" and still uniquely your own, perfect person. You make me laugh out loud and smile on the inside. You are all a momma could want and I wish you an amazing year of being TWO!

3???

2011-05-26T21:40:00.000-07:00

How can it be? I mean, really? How is it possible that you, my sweet, perfect, first born son are 3? I'm baffled. The past 3 years have been filled with so much love, fun, adventure, laughter and chaos that I must have missed that fact that time was flying by so quickly.

Sadly (this will totally annoy you one day), I'm one of those moms who likes to "relive" your birth every year...you know..the "I remember...blah, blah, blah...water breaking...blah, blah, blah...excruciating pain...blah, blah, blah...epidural...blah, blah, blah...talking on the phone while pushing...blah, blah, blah...perfect baby...you get the idea.

Some day soon you'll roll your eyes at me for this, but give me this one will ya? I loved that day. LOVED. You forever changed me for the better and watching you grow up is the most spectacular, bitter-sweet thing in the world.

I must admit that I have been doing a miserable job of keeping up this blog for you lately. I'd love to say it's because we have so much going on, but lets be real. Life is a lot. All the time. That's just how it is. That's not an excuse to stop documenting it for you. I want you (and your brother) to have a record of what was. How it was. How I felt about things...and you. I was doing really well with the picture thing for a while, but that too has all but stopped. I promise to get better. I have to. Because this birthday of yours has kinda thrown me for a loop. This time last year we were getting on a plane and moving to London. A YEAR! How can that be?

So Cade...on this...your third birthday - here are just a few of the things I love about you:

You start every morning with a smile and sheer excitement.

You have a truly sweet spirit.

You are quick to say I'm sorry.

You adore your brother.

Your hair.

You have no volume control (ok, this one is a love/hate for me but it's really cute).

You still snuggle me.

You are mine.

And really, that's the most amazing part to me. That God gave YOU to ME. To love and teach and nurture. It's the best job I've ever had. The pay is lousy. But the payback is immeasurable. I love you. I adore you. I cherish you. I just wanted you to know...

Happy birthday sweet boy.

Rant

2011-02-20T09:20:00.000-08:00

I admit it. It's true. I rant a lot. Usually about nothing - or everything. Guess it depends on your viewpoint. But today I have a good one. Actually it totally sucks.

What is this you ask? Did I spill something? Maybe the kids did it. Oh no. That would have been heaven compared to this...The abridged version of this story goes like this: I started noticing that my once beautiful hardwood floors didn't seem quite right and so I did some research (via Google) on the only chemical cleaner I had ever used on them - Orange Glo. What I found amazed and horrified me. Seems that this ever popular floor "cleaner" has wreaked widespread havoc on hardwood floors for countless users. Seems that it leaves some sort of wax build up that makes your floors look worse and worse over time and can only be removed by a combination of water, ammonia and scrubbing on your hands and knees. And I don't mean light scrubbing. I mean grunting, sweating, blistered fingers scrubbing. So far I've spend approximately 8 hours on the floor practicing my Cinderella act and I've cleaned about 30 square feet. That's somewhere in the vicinity of 3% of what I need to do. Awesome.

In other less frustrating news - my boys are all fabulous and wonderful and perfect. Ok, maybe not perfect, but pretty good. We went to the stock show last month and had a great time seeing the animals and paying...I mean playing at the midway.

And just a few because I think they are darling and I hadn't pulled my camera out in a while.

Smarty Pants

2011-01-03T19:01:00.000-08:00

I know they all do this...but I'm just so proud.

Cade - I'm in awe of you. All moms feel this way about their kiddos I'm sure, but you amaze me with how smart you are. How happy you are. How perceptive. How charming. How stinkin' cute. You melt my heart and I thank God EVERY DAY that I am lucky enough to be your mama. Keep being you. Don't ever let anyone or anything steal your joy. It's who you are and it's what I love most about you.

A Very Merry

2010-12-31T14:03:00.000-08:00

Christmas seemed crazier this year. Not bad crazy. Good crazy. I think. Give me some time to meditate on it...maybe over a massage. I'll get back to you.

Regardless of the crazy level, It's definitely more fun with all the mini people in the family. There are too many photo ops to catch them all, but I'm trying. Christmas Eve, the E clan came over for the traditional Christmas Eve dinner of pizza followed by a smashing rendition of "The Night Before Christmas" by the head Papa himself. Christmas morning was (of course) bacon sandwiches, presents and a little whining. After naps we made our way over the the E house for lunch, flag football and more presents. What a perfect day.

Jingle in the Trunk

2010-12-19T11:29:00.000-08:00

So we don't get to have too many "adult" parties these days. Last night we celebrated YaYa and PaPa's birthdays at their house. In an effort to entertain the troops, ZuZu and I raided the "minute to win it" archive of games and came up with a winner. Welcome to "Jingle in the Trunk". If you haven't seen this one on TV, it's a tissue box filled with 12 jingle bells, tied around your waist. You have up to 1 minute to jump and shake those bells out. I'm not sure who had more fun - us or the kids. You don't quite get the full effect with still shots, but it was hilarious. We also decorated gingerbread men and enjoyed homemade hot chocolate and homemade marshmallows. If you've never had homemade marshmallows, your missing out. They are totally worth it - nothing like the store bought ones.

The picture taking ended abruptly when I dropped my camera and broke my only lens. Not to worry - my favorite husband gave me the best early Christmas present when we got home...a new 50mm lens. I'm totally in love with it and Christmas morning will now be saved!

Only one more week until Santa comes and there are some very excited boys in our house. I sure hope it lives up to their expectations. I have loved all of the fun things we've been doing this year leading up to the celebration of our Savior's birth. Thanks Jesus for being born and giving us the best excuse to rock it out and celebrate! And Happy Birthday to my awesome P's. We love you so much!

Playtime

2010-12-10T11:23:00.000-08:00

So if you haven't noticed - I'm on a slide show kick. It's actually kind of convenient because I can stream them, music and all, to play on my TV. It also allows me to post all the pics instead of choosing which ones to email. Whatever - I don't know why I'm justifying myself to you people ;) You don't have to enjoy them, but we do so here's another one.

We took the beautiful Miss Em with us to Jump Zone this morning because baby Z had tubes put in his ears. We had a great time - despite the unbelievably rude kids (and moms)...who raises these hooligans? I can't tell you how fun it is to see them coming down the slides over and over with those huge smiles on their faces. Never gets old. C2 loved it too, although he's thoroughly annoyed that he can't get right up there with the big 'uns. Big thanks to KK who helped me wrangle all three so I could get so many pictures. A - Next time you're coming too ;)

Pancakes with Santa

2010-12-07T08:51:00.000-08:00

So this past weekend we got to combine 4 of Cade's absolute favorite things...The Fire station, Helicopters, Santa and PANCAKES!!! OK, so he's not actually that hot on Santa, but He's growing on him.

The Grapevine Fire Department hosts an annual pancake breakfast with Santa wherein the Big Guy arrives by helicopter along with the Mrs, his top reindeer and his good friend Frosty. After breakfast, you can wait in line to meet them...Rudolph is first, then Mrs. Claus, Frosty, then Santa. We only made it to Rudolph...
Regardless, we had a great time and can't wait until next year.

On the Move

2010-12-03T05:29:00.000-08:00

So, after months of casts, reverse last shoes, and 3-ish months where he wasn't even allowed to play on the floor (thank you London), C2 if officially a walker now. I was happy to keep him among the land of the crawlers - but nooooo. For some reason, both my boys feel the need to go and grow up on me. Way to go baby boy. Oh - and please pay no attention to the annoying girl in the pink sweater. We just cant seem to get her to shut up!

And I finally put together some pics from thanksgiving. Thanks C & T for hosting. It was a great time!

Birthday Baby

2010-10-22T10:57:00.000-07:00

Oh Coco-nut. I can't believe you're 1!!! My sweet, quite, not quite brooding - but always analyzing, serious, snuggley, kissy-face boy.

From the moment you entered the world you were very different from your brother. Your birth was an experience - face first and sunny side up. We had a room full of medical onlookers amazed at the position you had gotten yourself into and curious to see how you were going to make your way out. You were tough from the start. Battered and bruised in heartbreaking fashion. But still perfect. You were a tough nut to crack for me. It took me a while to figure you out, but once we hit our stride, we never looked back.
You are adored by your big brother. Cherished by your Mommy. Treasured by you Daddy. You have a HUGE fan in miss E and a built in bestie in baby Z. You, my sweet, are LOVED.
This year has been a whirlwind - with highlights including tiny baby casts and a summer living abroad. None of it phased you. Not in the slightest. As long as you had Cade - and the occasional nap - you were good.

There are no words to express how much love my heart holds for you. Snuggling with you is one of my all time favorite past times. You are maybe the single most kissing baby I've ever encountered and I love every single one. You are a treasure. You are a pleasure.
Happy birthday baby boy. I can't believe you're one already. I may have already said that, but it's true. This year I'm wishing on your candle and I'm wishing for time to slow down! I just can't seem to hold on to these baby years tight enough. Remember - Mommy love you most...and more than that.

Back

2010-10-01T18:33:00.000-07:00

So we ARE back...back to Texas. Back to our "real" life. Back to blogging. I'll admit I had to take a break for a while. It was hard work blogging every week. The stress of trying to be funny and witty and make sure I take enough pictures...whew - I'm tired just thinking about it. But seriously - we've just been enjoying ourselves so much we haven't had time for much else.

Since we've been home, we've been on the move. It's a big ego boost to come home after 3 months. We've felt very popular. Had lots of invites and and play dates and lunches with friends. We've had lots of visitors and visited lots of people. It's been a blast. If I didn't know better I'd say we were missed and it's been nice.

KK spent a week with us after we got home to help us adjust, but surprisingly, we needed no adjustment period. No one had jet lag and the boys settled right back in to life in the suburbs. Our first week back we battled the heat with a swim day which was lots of fun. Cade isn't really sure of the water, but Cole loved it. I have to admit though - my favorite part of it all was what the humidity did to Cade's hair...HOLY COW...I love those curls!

We've also started a gymnastics class with our cousin Emmy. They seem to really like it, but truth be told I think I like it more. I love watching him run and jump. He's quickly becoming much more coordinated and capable and I sit there beaming with pride and amazement at how he's growing. Emmy wasn't quite as sure as he was at first, but he was glad to take her had and lead (or drag) her in.

Of course the most exciting thing that's happened recently is that the final member of our foursome made his way home. We talked about it for 2 weeks straight. We made a sign and got Whataburger on the way since we knew he had been missing it desperately. KK came back and brought the great grandparents with her. It was a real celebration.

Unfortunately, Steve left his cell phone on the plane, but fortuitously, we had a new phone waiting for him at home that had been purchased for his birthday which was the next day. Cade was more than willing to help him open it.

Saturday we had a PARTAY! Lots to celebrate including Steve's birthday as well as KKs. Our fort was overtaken with crazy kiddos. You couldn't help but smile.

When we were in London we did A LOT if outings to parks, zoos and museums. I promised to try to keep it up when we got home and have done an okay job. We have already made one trip to the children's museum in Ft. Worth and today we went to the Ft. Worth Zoo. It's so nice to have our "runnin' buddies" back. Cade and Em are adorable together. They have their own special relationship and it's fun to watch it develop. We have a pattern every time we get together now. Em rides in Cade's stroller and Cade in hers. That's the way they want it, so that's what we do. The little munchkins (Cole and Zack) are still good as gold and are truly roll with the punches kind of guys. They just go and do whatever. Thank God for that.

Week 13!!!

2010-09-02T13:54:00.000-07:00

I can't even believe it. Here I am - sitting on my couch in TEXAS writing the final London Blog - week 13!! Looking back I can't even believe that we are here - home. I am in awe of the adventure that just 13 weeks ago we walked blindly into. Not having any idea of what would be waiting for us on the other side. I can believe how much we did. How much our lives changed. How much we missed home. And now how much we will miss London.

Our final week was a fun, busy ans wet one. YaYa was with us all week and we tried to squeeze in as much as we could. Monday morning we headed down to Buckingham palace. 2 Months a year, when the Queen visits Scotland, the palace is open to visitors and lucky us...it just happened to be that time of year. We raced through and finished the 2 1/2 hour tour in 20 minutes then made the long walk out and around the palace to catch the changing of the guard one more time. Cade even got to trade in his play police helmet for for the real deal thanks to a friendly officer.

Tuesday was a super fun day, but sadly there aren't many pictures. I finally got to go horseback riding in Hyde Park. I've never ridden "English" before and man is it different. It's really humbling to take something that you can do in your sleep and turn it all around into something that feels completely foreign. It was quite the challenge, but something I will never forget. I'm so thankful that I was able to do it.

The same day, Mom and I also got to go to Harrods for Tea and shopping, then on to see Wicked. I owe my mother in law a big apology for this because I know she desperately wanted to go to tea. Now, it wasn't as if KK and I didn't TRY to go, but we had at least 2 failed attempts due to restless little boys. It wasn't until Mom suggested that we get a SITTER to stay with them and go on our own that I realized that that was even an option. Sorry KK. Guess I should have though of that. I also, apparently should have though about going to a matinee...holy cow. I'm too old to be staying out that late. I was nearly asleep in the tube station before we made it home. Why, why, why did a matinee never cross my mind? Clearly I should think things through more.
Wednesday and Thursday were pretty normal days for us. We dodged the rain (mostly) and made it to the park for a few minutes. We also went to Gymboree, playgroup and the mall.

Friday we had big plans to go to the museum, but a flat tire on the stroller derailed us a little and we only made it as far as the park. It was fun though. We went to see the fountain, although seeing as though it was in the 60's, it was not a day to play in the water. We also did the Flower walk and took some super cute pics.

Friday was also a milestone for Cade as he finally mustered the courage to jump off the big block at Gymboree all by himself. It took a lot of coaxing, but after the first jump, I thought he would never stop. He was so proud of himself and I was so proud too!

Saturday we took our last big day trip and we did something we had never done before...we REPEATED a trip we had already done. We decided that we had to go back to Brighton one more time. Cade loved the pier so much we wanted to share it with Mom and let him ride his "fire truck" again. We of course took the train...

And this time, he climbed the big slide all by himself. We didn't even attempt it last time because we knew he wouldn't do it, but this time we thought - what the heck. We asked the attendant if we could get our money back if he wouldn't go up and he said yes so we really had nothing to lose. I never thought he'd get up, much less slide down, but again...I underestimated him. Way to go dude.

Then came the "incident". There was this other slide that said kids his size could ride with an adult. Steve was so excited, but slide rules said the child had to be in back...which I could have told you was a bad idea. Just before the end of the slide, he hit his face (going extremely fast) on the rubber edge. Steve was trying to slow it down, but wasn't able to help much. Poor baby...just can't catch a break.

Cole spilled his water all over him at lunch, so he made the train ride home in a jacket and diaper...oh - and Cade's shades. Cuteness.

The next morning was Sunday. We got up around 5 am to finish packing. Things went very smoothly and we were in the car and headed to the airport by 7:25. After about 4 security checks, them making me taste 5 of the 10 baby food pouches I brought and a quick (second) breakfast in the admiral's club, we made it onto the plane and headed home.

The boys did remarkably well. They each took about an hour and a half nap. Not nearly as much as I would have hoped for a 10 hour flight, but we survived. I think Cade ate an entire box of cheerios. Mom made me promise that I would let them eat as much as they wanted on the flight, but by the end she finally realized what I meant when I said my kids would eat themselves silly. They just have no off button. They ate nonstop the whole day.

We were greeted at the airport by Papa and KK. We then made the short drive to ZuZu's house to celebrate her birthday. Poor girl had to cook her own birthday dinner. She's a trooper though. We came, we ate, we left a huge mess...but we had the best time being home with family and friends.

I can't believe that we are here - at this point in time. 13 weeks ago I had a very grim outlook for the summer. We made the best of it though and have memories for a lifetime. I'm proud of my kids for being such troopers and taking whatever we threw at them. I'm proud of myself for stretching further than I ever thought I could and going against my grain to make lemonade. And I'm extremely proud of my husband for working harder than anyone should ever have to work. Ridiculous hours. Frustrating circumstances. No glory. No complaining. and to top it all off - he's still going at it. Alone now. And we miss him. He is a man to be proud of and I am so glad that he is the father of my babies.

So here we are with this story now...I mean - who do we think we are? We are definitely not cool enough to say that we lived in London...except we did.

Now just the countdown to Daddy coming home...22 days

Week 12

2010-08-25T02:08:00.000-07:00

So this week started out really fun with a visit to our friends, the Frailey's. Momma Frailey and I went to high school together. She and her clan have been living in London for about 3 years now I think and are here for at least another year. They have a very lovely house in Kew - which is just west of the city. It has a big backyard - huge by London standards really - complete with swing set and bounce house! I'll admit - it did take us 12 weeks to finally get together, but it was well worth it. My boys and her girls had a great time. They were wonderful hosts. We played, ate pizza, fought, flirted and had a most enjoyable time. Poor little Stella even got a bee sting on her tongue...ouch! It was really really nice to get out and play in a more intimate environment than play group - more like home. We loved it.

The rest of the week was more of our usual with the excited undertone of YaYa coming. We talked about it all week. We started counting down days until She got here as well as counting down days until we flew home to "Tess-ess". Not sure it's all sinking in, but we've been talking about the flight and how we have to sit in our seat all day. We have special treats that we shopped for that we can have on the plane and fun activities. I'm sure that since I explained it all to him so clearly that he will be good as gold. No? Logic and a two year old? This is going to be fun!
Saturday was Leeds Castle. Cade wasn't his usual self Saturday morning. He was noticeably tired and a little moody, but we aren't about to let that stop us. Throw 'em on the train and lets go...Now maybe two logical adults should have thought this through. 60 mile an hour moving vehicle. A two year old - who - lets just say isn't the most coordinated. Standing. On a vent. Oh Jeez. So down he goes and there is is. Our first chipped tooth. Now, not a bad chip by most standards. But I'm not most people. I'm...um...particular. And to me this is horrible. Enough to send me into a tirade about "what kind of idiots let a two year old stand up on a moving train?" Now I WAS referring to BOTH if his parents in this statement, but my poor husband looked over to Cade and under his breath said "I think your mom just called me an idiot..." Sorry. It's a character flaw. I'm working on it.

Leeds Castle was beautiful. We're pretty good at getting in a through castles these days. We don't waste our time on the audio guide...we have our own running commentary from the peanut gallery. And if they say it's a "2 hour tour" that generally means we'll have to rush through in about 30 minutes. Natives. Restless. You get the idea.

There is also a little village on the grounds with some places to eat, some shops and a dog collar museum (um, No. We didn't visit this one. I'm sorry, I know you wanted pictures). There is also a maze. We've done a couple of mazes before and they weren't really all that much fun. This one we decided to do a little differently. We split up. I took Cole and Steve took Cade and we set out to see who made it through first. After about 15 minutes and running back into each other 3 times, we teamed back up to make it to the center. Once you get there, you go up to a peak and you can look down on the maze. It was really cool. Then you walk through the best grotto. It was really really fun. The pictures don't do it justice. We really love it. By far the best one.

After the maze, we walked through the gardens and the aviary. I would post pictures of the birds, but apparently they all had a pact that none of them would look at me and under no circumstances would I be allowed to photograph anything but their backs...so fine, No bird pics.
We had to catch the bus back to the train station and while we waited for the other passengers, the bus driver let Cade "drive". Cutie. (Cade, not the real driver.) The day must have wiped him out because he fell fast asleep in Daddy's arms on the way home. It was a VERY quiet trip.

SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY...we went to get YaYa at the airport. It was hard waiting...mostly for me. Cade kept himself well entertained riding the foot rails like a horse. After about 30 minutes she finally came through the doors. What? Are you serious? You look that good after a 9 hour flight. I looked like the walking dead, but whatever. I guess I still love you.

We didn't do much else fun on Sunday. We made a few trips out for groceries, diapers etc. We hung out and played and napped (the boys, not us). Geared up for week 13...and our FINAL LONDON BLOG...

Week 11

2010-08-16T07:24:00.000-07:00

Well, I did a little better this week and got the boys out to the park playground and a quick trip to the fountain. Combined with daily trips to gymboree, Playing with out new helper, Claire, our Thursday playgroup, and one shopping trip that included getting caught in a downpour - it was a fairly full week. We had one Very bad day that included a super duper fat lip (Cade) and a huge blue goose egg (Cole). No - they didn't collide. They were two separate falls about 2 hours apart and just about pushed mom over the edge. But we made it through the week and headed, battered and bruised into a fun weekend.

Our plan was to go to Brighton on Saturday, but the London weather had a different plan. Since it seems as though Fall has come early this year (highs in the upper 60's and rain every day), Saturday was no different and since it was heavy rain all day, we opted NOT to set out for the beach, but rather head down to Madame Tussaud's. This was not originally on our list of attractions that we planned to see, but we have run plumb out of things to to "inside", so we decided to try it out. We got there just after it opened and the crowds and lines were unlike anything I've ever seen. Seriously unreal. Some of the figures were better than others of course. I thought it was fun to see. Not sure if it was worth the $90 for 2 tickets - but we didn't have anything better to do so why not....

Top row is Royalty - Henry VIII, His daughter Elizabeth I, Princess Di and I guess Hollywood Royalty - Nicole Kidman. Bottom row is what I like to refer to as the "Hot Mess" row - you can probably figure that out...

Sunday proved to be a much nicer day. While there wasn't really much sun, it wasn't raining and that's good enough in my book - so we headed off the the beach...Brighton. Here are our customary train pictures. Seems like I post ones like this almost every week, but we do love our train trips.

Brighton has more to offer than the Pier, but since we decided on a day trip instead of an overnight, we only made it that far. It's about a mile or so walk from the train station (and a pretty train station it is) and there's a lovely water view to accompany you most of that way.

The Pier is what I would assume is a very common set up. Lots of Carnival games, rides, food, arcades, and views of the water.

Cade was squealing with glee at all the fun to be had. He was totally overwhelmed and literally didn't know which way to look, much less what to head for next. We came upon this little gem of a kiddie roller coaster. We were sure that as soon as it started moving and he realized that mom and dad weren't there that he would break out in hysterics. It started moving and was going WAY faster than I anticipated. Much to my surprise though, he was in heaven. Who needs mom and dad? Bring on the coaster baby! There were tears though. Not because he got scared - but because he had to get off. Dad quickly got more tokens so he could ride again...sucker

There was also a bounce house and slide for munchkins just his size. At a $ a minute...I hope he enjoyed it.

Mom and dad were completely beat on the ride home...but not my boys...

Well, this was our last weekend alone with just the 4 of us. YaYa is coming on Sunday and we are all very excited. I'm starting to get nervous about leaving. The idea of being without Steve for another month after it just being US for so long...feels really weird and sad. I am super excited about coming home though. Here's to you Texas...13 days and counting.

Week 10

2010-08-09T01:45:00.000-07:00

Well, I have to admit, there's not a ton to write in the blog this week because after 2 fun filled weeks of guests, mommy took a week off from fun. I totally fell down on the job this week and we didn't take one trip to the park or a museum or anything! We did, however make it to Gymboree all 5 days and we scored a new and Oh-So-Fabulous babysitter. Her name is Claire and she works at Gymboree. She's about to go on holiday to Croatia and needed a little extra money - which is great since I needed a little extra help ;). She's 28, an actress/singer and super, super, super, sweet. She's thoughtful and helpful and responsible. We really like her. So lets see - since I don't have any interesting stories of what we did this week, maybe some stories about Cade and his adorable-ness.

A few weeks ago, I noticed that every time Cade would get hurt, I'd say to him "I'm sorry", and therefore, he too would start saying it to me as soon as he would get hurt. And sometimes, when I bring the buggy up the stairs, I jiggle the boys a little hard and I say "I'm sorry boys, that's my fault" So now, whenever something "undesirable" happens, Cade says "I'm sorry, that's my fault" and I say "No baby, it's not your fault". To which he almost always replies "It's Mommy's fault". Well - looks like I can check the lesson in blame off the list. Seems like we have that one pretty much covered.
And Cole - Cole signed "more" Saturday morning. Now, I can't guarantee that it was on purpose, but it was the correct sign and it was while he was eating so I'm goin' with it.

This weekend we went to Hampton Court which I was really looking forward to. It's the most famous of Henry VIII palaces as well as where sis son, King Edward VI was born and his mother and Henry's 3rd wife, Jane Seymour died. It is really beautiful - and BIG. We of course took the train there. Cade is loving trains these days and there were lots of smiles from my boys on the way. We had most of the car to ourselves and didn't have to worry too much about keeping them quiet which was nice. Oh yeah - and Cade jumped for the first time. He's not the most coordinated kid in the world, but man he has fun trying.

The gardens were really, really beautiful. We also went through the hedge maze (in the rain) which is suppose to be the most famous of it's kind in the world. I didn't get any pictures since it was raining and also since...well...you couldn't really tell it was a maze unless you were shooting from above.

Sunday we visited the Royal Mews or stables. This is where some of the horses are kept, but also where the royal coaches and limousines are. There wasn't a ton to see there, but it was interesting nonetheless. Steve wasn't too impressed, but he did say "well, it was the coolest horse stable I've ever seen". Touché.

Two weeks until YaYa comes. We are very excited, but I'm starting to get uneasy about leaving London without Steve. He still has a lot of work to do here and seems no closer to the end despite 70 hour work weeks. Although I understand our reasoning for the boys and I coming home, I can't help but feel a little like we will be abandoning him. I will be praying that things start falling into place and that he will be re-joining us in Texas sooner rather than later.

Week 9

2010-08-03T01:30:00.000-07:00

It was a fun week here. There were some very happy Hiltpolds - enjoying time with KK. On Monday we finally went to Kensington palace - which I had really been looking forward to. It was a ROUGH morning. The exterminator came so we had to be out of the house at 9 for at least 4 hours. I was running late and so the morning got off to a bumpy start from there and just kind of kept sliding downhill. We put Cole in the buggy for his nap and he proceeded to scream...not cry - no, there were no tears...just screaming for the next hour. I swear I though they were going to kick us out of the cafe at breakfast. People staring - me staring back. It was lovely. I finally gave in when we got to the palace (after I spilled hot chocolate all the way down my pants and on my cream colored sweater). I took him out of the "lay down" part of the buggy and sat him in the seat in the back. He was asleep - hanging over the edge strangling himself with the strap - within 3 minutes. Sheesh.

So, I was really looking forward to Kensington palace, but it seems as though they have changed the tour/exhibit recently. Gone are the Princess Diana dresses and debutant exhibit. Now it's...well, I can't even explain it. It kind of defies comprehension. It's a modern art/creepy haunted house kind of. It's got graffiti on the walls and weird recordings in the background and mannequins suspended above beds. Weird. Disappointing. Sad really. Still scratching my head trying to figure out what the heck happened.

KK was really keen on having "tea" in London, so we headed to the Orangery for that, but Cade wasn't into that and they don't serve a proper tea until 3 pm and it's only like 11:15 at this point, so we get up from the table and head for a walk in the park. This is when it starts to rain. But do I have the rain cover for the buggy? Nope. I do, however have 1 umbrella which is nice, but surely not enough for 4 people. We went and stood under a tree and waited for it to let up. When it did, normal people would head home - but wait - we're having a carpet beetle treatment, so we can't do that. We walked about 1/2 mile in the sprinkles to the mall across from our house. I gave the boys lunch at Starbucks and we walked around until it was time to come home. Oh - did I mention that at this point I'm sick? Yeah...fun day. We finished up with Gymboree in the afternoon which we seem to be doing most days. It's something we all look forward to.
Tuesday we went to Harrods and spend a couple hours, but not much money which is good. Our sick count now is up to 5 - KK and the boys have it too. There are such copious amounts of snot here it's ridiculous...

Wednesday we went to the zoo.

At this point Cade is getting really spoiled with taking taxi's and whenever he sees one he says - "we get in that taxi". Oh how quickly they learn.
Thursday we did play group and music class.
Friday we went to lunch at The Wolseley, then walked to Buckingham palace, then up to Oxford street.
Friday afternoon we went back to open gym and Cole officially started crawling!!! I tried to keep him from doing it as long as I could, but he's a man on the move now.

Saturday we visited the HMS Belfast. Cade is getting so big, climbing those steep stairs all by himself. He does seem a little weary of the creepy mannequin staring down at him in the "sick bay" exhibit though.

In the gift shop at the exit, KK bought the boys hats. How cute are my little captain and first mate???

Down on the pier, we saw the "invisible man". Cade gave him some money...then tried to walk off with the can while the whole crowd laughed.

Sunday was sad. KK left early - about 7am. We all said our goodbye's and Cade cried a little when we said he couldn't get in the car with her to leave.

We headed in to get ready for the day and go get pancakes to make him feel better. After that, we walked to the science museum where we saw lots of fun stuff.

We even went to the Imax and made it about 20 minutes into the movie before Cade was done and said he wanted to leave.

We headed home to rest from the busy week. It was so much fun having KK here. We are sad the 2 weeks went by so quickly. Now we are on countdown to YaYa coming...19 days!!!

Week 8

2010-07-27T06:16:00.000-07:00

YAY!! This has to have been our best week so far! Not only did I get my mew computer (praise the lord), but we had visitors! Yes - more than one!

On Monday, my cousin Erin came to spend the day (and night) with us. She's a captain in the US Air Force and by chance, got sent to Swindon for the Royal International Air tattoo. We didn't make it to the show, but she took the train to London on Monday and we got to spend some time together. It wasn't until after she left that we realized we hadn't taken a single picture. I know - impossible. Sad, but true. But trust me, she was here and we had a great time.

Tuesday we set out for the airport to meet KK. Cade was really glad to see her and boy does he have her number...immediately he started asking for presents We got her settled in and on Wednesday we went to the park. It was fairly warm and very sunny. We had a great time.

Thursday we went to ply group at the church in the morning and Gymboree music class in the afternoon. Cade is not totally into the following directions and participating as this mother would like, but he enjoys it so we will keep going. And it's paid for...so he better get with the program. Friday we went to Westfield and did a power shopping day. It was lots of fun for the girls. The boys - well, they played along. Then we went to open gym at Gymboree in the afternoon. This is much more Cade's speed. No rules - just run and scream and do whatever you want. I sat in the corner with Cole and bit my tongue.

Saturday we took the train to Windsor and toured the castle. It's really really big and you can't take buggys inside, but we managed and it was interesting to see. We also got to see Henry VIII burial place which is pretty cool since Steve and I have been watching the Tudors box set, so are learning about his reign (from the highly historical showtime channel). Nonetheless - cool.

We also got to see the changing of the guard again. This by far is my favorite picture of the day...

Sunday we went back to Westminster and did the London Eye.

We didn't do as much this weekend as we have in weekend's past, but we did enough to tire everyone out seeing as though 1)Karyn isn't use to the crazy that is London in addition to the crazy that is C squared.

2)Steve and I were sick.

Steve's project is hitting full tilt and work days extend to weekends now as well as late into the night. I'm so glad to have someone here to help out and share my days with. I can tell already that it will be hard on all of us when she leaves. The boys are pretty much sick of spending all day with me and love having other people to terrorize. We are trying to fit as much into her visit as we can, but more and more days without naps are leading to crankier spells, so we'll see how long we can keep this up.

Week 7

2010-07-21T06:15:00.000-07:00

So this week kind of a lot happened - although it wasn't all necessarily stuff that we were planning on or appreciated...

My phone broke, which wasn't a huge problem, more of a minor inconvenience. Had to send it in for repair. Got a loaner which was a downgrade...from the $6 phone...so you can imagine what a gem that was. Whatever - it was fine. Then. Um. IT happened. I dropped and killed my computer. Dead. No bueno. Panic set in. Thankfully, my generous hubby agreed to buy me a Mac which was awesome. But it's much cheaper to buy one from the US than the UK. Problem is - they won't ship it here. So we decided to ship it to his mom who was leaving at 4:00pm on Monday to come here...Perfect. So we overnighted the computer to her and the Mac web site said that it should be there either Friday or Monday. But on Friday, we got an email saying that it was going to ship and should be there by Tuesday. Um...wait - that doesn't work. So I called Apple and kind of went on a mini tirade. I asked to speak with a manager. They put me on hold for 20 minutes and never came back. Well, I guess that was kinda fair. Anyway, we finally got a shipment notification and it said it should be there by 3:00pm Monday. Whew...lets hope. So we squeaked in just under the wire. I got my new baby when Karyn arrived this week...but more on her arrival in the week 8 blog. Lets remember that I'm a week behind here due to this little set back ;)

It rained a lot this week, so incidentally, we didn't go out much. So - for the enjoyment of all in their cushy houses back in the big TX...I decided to hit on a few highlights of our home here in London. Working our way across row 1 of pictures from the upper left corner...This is our living room. It's the biggest room in the flat if you don't count the impossibly long hallway (to the right). It's decor leaves something to be desired. Yes, that sofa probably does belong to Austin Powers. I mean...what were they thinking? The next pic down is a view fro the opposite side of the living room into the dining room. Since we do so much entertaining. It seats 10.

2nd row of pics starts with our bedroom. Yes - the drapes match the chair. If you look very closely at the end of the bed you'll see a throw rug. That is the extent of the "carpet" in the flat. So - carpet beetles huh? And never in this room. Weird. The blue tiles are from our master bath. I especially love the 1x2 holding up the corner of our sink. And the 4 tiles that totally don't match. Finally, we have our microwave that is no lie older than me. It has a lock people. never seen anything like it. Yes, I am certain it leaks radiation. And finally is our dishwasher. No - I didn't open it to show you how lovely it is. This is as far as it opens and thus this is as far out as the bottom rack slides out. Sweet. No, this isn't all of the loveliness that this apartment has to offer. I just picked some of my faves. Those of you who come visit get to see it in all it's glory.

Saturday we visited the Churchill War rooms. Much more interesting that I though. How would you like to use a "chemical" toilet instead of a flushing one? Um, Ewww.

After the war rooms, we headed to Trafalgar Square. It was super busy, so we kept walking. We came upon this HUGE parade. Probably about 5000 people - and worship music. Wow - maybe this is why it was so busy...

Next, we headed on to Picadilly Circus,

up to Oxford Street, back through Hyde park and home. Another full day.

Sunday, we did our usual breakfast then on to HP. We went for a stroll along Kensington High street, then back through the park for another carousel ride. At home, we started preparing for our company...TWO visitors this week! More in the next blog, but for now, just this ;)

Week 6

2010-07-12T02:45:00.000-07:00

Wow - 6 weeks. So long and yet not quite 1/2 way through. This week we are finally feeling like our much awaited company is getting closer to arriving. KK will be coming for about 2 weeks beginning next Wednesday. We are so excited to see her and have someone else here. We have really been missing our family - we are a REALLY close family. So it's hard to not see everyone so much. And lucky for her - we had the exterminator come back this week - twice! Both the mice and the carpet beetles are under full attack and should be gone shortly. The Exterminator said how unusual it was - or seemingly unheard of as he made it sound - that we had so many beetles in so many room, yet no carpet. He was confused as to what they could be feeding on. Said he'd never seen it before. Sigh...why would I be the slightest bit surprised?
We had a pretty laid back week. We were going to join a second play group on Monday, but the forecast called for rain all day and Mom didn't want to walk over a mile there and get stuck in the rain, so we opted out. We went to the park a couple of days and we went back to playgroup on Thursday. Allie is now with us 3 nights a week since Steve almost always works until 8. She and I have settled into a routine for dinner baths and bed. Pretty much It's still me doing everything and her checking her text messages, but an extra body is still a help, so I won't complain. Friday we were going to try to meet a new mom's group at the park. We got there about 10 minutes early and instead of finding the group, we met another Ex-pat mom with 2 girls ages 1 and 3. She was very friendly and shared their sand toys with us. We played for about an hour and a half then she asked if we ever wanted to play again. I'll probably call her this week and set up a time. Nice to finally have someone we can get together and play with.

We left there and headed to the fountain to enjoy the 80 degree weather (and lets be honest...to wash off the sand). After 25 minutes there, we headed home for lunch and naps. It was a very successful day.
We are getting to the point now on the weekends where we have seen mostly all of the London tourist sights and are having to look a little harder for things to do. We headed to St. Paul's Cathedral Saturday morning. It was beautiful, but I was disappointed at the no photos policy. I look forward to taking pics to share with you all back home. I did snap one "illegal" photo while I was feeding the baby. Shhhhh...don't tell. Steve and Cade actually walked all the way to the top of this dome. You can't even see the balcony, but it's above the windows, around the very highest center point. He said it was quite the walk. The spiral staircase was apparently very very narrow and the ceiling very low. At one point we heard someone yell "he's lost a shoe" and sure enough, Cade's shoe had come off and tumbled down the stairs. Thank goodness the kind people passed it up to him...does this sound familiar to anyone??? Ski...ski lift? Anyone???
After the cathedral, we walked another 1-2 miles to Covent garden. This place is a mad house on the weekends. We found a pub and at lunch outside - enjoying the people watching. After lunch, we hit the transport museum and learned all about the development of the public transport system in London from 1800 - now.

Sunday we did out usual breakfast at Costa and then headed to Hyde Park again. We got to see up close and personal two of the helicopters arriving and then leaving again from Kensington palace. It was a lot of fun for Cade (and I think Dad too). Then we spend a few minutes exploring the pirate ship at the playground.

Next we walked to the Serpentine and the "big boys" took a paddle boat out. Unfortunately, Cole was too young to go, so he and I stayed behind.

Finally, we grabbed a picnic lunch and went back to the memorial fountain, Cade loves this place. I think he could play there all day every day.

And once again, I want to post some pics of CoCo just to show he's actually here...he doesn't seem to be part of the action most of the time and since he's usually stuck with me (behind the camera), he doesn't get as many pics. But nonetheless, he's enjoying himself immensely - especially if his brother is around. He's getting cuter and cuter (if that's possible) and I just love getting close ups of that little face.

Week 5

2010-07-05T12:45:00.000-07:00

Well, Happy 4th of July (a little late) from a country that surprisingly doesn't seem to celebrate that holiday...huh.

So this week I tried really hard to do some fun things. We went to the Zoo which was a big hit. The Zoo here is small compared to Ft. Worth. Not as many "big impressive" animals (no elephants or silverback gorillas), but you can get closer to a lot of the animals here, so that was fun.

We also joined a play group. Yes, Mom went way out of her comfort zone and walked a mile and a half each way to join a group that meets at a church. There were a lot of kids and parents. Not a ton of people talked to us, but a few did. We met a little boy named Thor who is 2 weeks older than Cade. Really, the most interesting part of the kid is his name - but whatever. But hey - how many times in your life do you get to ride a scooter up the center aisle of the church?

This was another "close to home" weekend. No beach trip yet, but we did do a TON of other stuff. We took a boat ride down the Thames to Greenwich - home of zero degrees longitude (which separates the eastern hemisphere from the western). If you ever worked with computer programming you may have had to work in Greenwich mean time - voila!

Cade LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the boat ride. He kept saying to people in the boat "I'm on a boat". Bless him.

We also visited the National Maritime Museum - which - gotta be honest...not all that interesting. Sorry Greenwich.

One funny thing happened on the way home. TWO different people came up to me and asked me which train to take to get to their stop and I actually knew the answer. Not sure how this happened, but apparently, I look like a local.

Sunday we went to the London Aquarium. I thought it was really fun and Cade like it too. He got to see lots of "fishy's". He even touched a starfish and got his face painted.

After the aquarium, we headed out and got sushi for lunch - appropriate I would say. In case you were curious, Cade likes curry rice. Then we headed over the bridge to Big Ben and on to Westminster Abbey. Truly beautiful and hard to believe almost 1000 years old!

I just can't believe how grown up Cade seems this week. Maybe it's the haircut - I don't know, but he seems to have become a "big boy" right before my eyes.

They boys are getting closer every day. Cade's answer when you ask him who his best friend is is "baby Cole'. Even when prompted to say mommy or daddy, he says "baby". Love. These. Boys.

Week 4

2010-06-28T02:12:00.000-07:00

Well - can you believe it? We've been living and London for almost a month now! I believe that summer finally arrived this week and that my friends is wonderful. It's still cool in the mornings (maybe in the 60's) and all this week it was in the mid 70's with the exception of Sunday where I think it reached the low 80's. I have to admit it's a very welcome change to a Texas summer.

This week started off with one very bad haircut which has since been through at least 3 iterations with mom fixing here and there. I think we are satisfied that it is as good as it's going to get and we are just waiting it out. We also got the news that we have carpet beetles. Don't ask. Just google it. I can't even talk about it. Treatment is $500. I'm waiting for an answer from the agent on if they will cover it. You can imagine my mood. These pictures were after only 1 revision of the hair.

I was finally able to meet up for a play date with a friend of a friend in Hyde park. Cade and I both had a great time (Cole mostly slept). It was nice to talk to another mom and get some weekend travel ideas. We hope to be planning a trip to the beach soon.

I also took Cade to his first Gymboree class. Not what I was hoping for. I was the only "caregiver" there who spoke English as a first language. C showed little to no interest in the class. He wouldn't participate. He threw a couple mini fits. He just wanted to play on the toys. When it was over, however, he promptly asked if we could go back and "play kids" again. Oh sweet child - you sometimes wear me out.

We stayed a little closer to home this weekend and visited the Tower of London as well as the Tower Bridge. Most people actually call this the London bridge, but in fact the London bridge is just up the river and completely unremarkable. The Tower bridge is quite beautiful and ornate - makes for much better post cards. Here my friends is your history lesson for the week. Study it - there will be q quiz when I return.

The Tower of London was also fun. Really interesting. Really Really old. We got to see the Crown Jewels. Wow. But this is also where both of our kiddos started to melt down, so we kind of rushed and didn't get to absorb as much info as we could have. Sue me.

Saturday night we did our best to make a "home style" meal. We made fajitas and black beans. Not the best we've ever had, but it certainly wasn't bad and it's nice to have something to remind you of home. We also watched the US lose in the world cup. Boooo.

Sunday Sunday Sunday. Sunday we went for pancakes (as we have made a habit of doing every weekend morning per Cade's request). We headed down to Hyde park...again. It seems like we go there all the time - and we do. It's just so big and there's so much to do and see it's just always a good option. We were planning on going to the Princess Diana memorial playground (you know Di - always for the kiddos), but it wasn't open yet so we headed over to see about paddle boats on the serpentine. Instead, we got sidetracked by our new favorite find - the Princess Diana Memorial fountain. This thing is so cool. It's a fountain/river/play pool/picnic area thingy. Clean, fun, super family friendly, Cade had the BEST time. I wasn't sure we'd ever get his to agree to leave. Cole even got to take his shoes off and dip his feet, but it was REALLY cold and he wasn't a huge fan. I'm sure we will spend much more time here in weeks to come.

And this little munchkin. I just can't get enough of that sweet face...or the scowl. I kinda like that too. He's a roll-y one, this boy. Starting to scoot. Eating me out of house and home. just want to Eat. Him. Up.

Not sure about next weekend yet. Maybe the beach? Not sure. But I promise there will be pancakes ;)

Week 3

2010-06-20T12:31:00.000-07:00

Well, let's see. This week was some of the same and some new. The weather was good for most of the week, so we made a couple outings to the park - one with our new sitter Allie. We saw Kensington Palace

And lots of beautiful flowers.

Thursday I took the boys to the Natural History Museum. Cole did his normal thing and slept a majority of the time. That could have to do with the fact that I schedule most events like this during his nap time as to minimize my chances of being out numbered in a "cranky" situation.
Cade and I enjoyed much (but certainly not all) of the fun finds here. He loved the animals, but kept asking to go back to the zoo - Guess we need to work on some concepts here.

When we got home, we discovered that our baby Cole has not one, but tow new teeth!

Friday night was also eventful, but NOT in a good way. Friday I walked down to our bedroom just in time to see a mouse scurry behind the radiator. What? Um...Steve...head to the store. Do something - fix it - I don't care what! So Steve headed out at 10:15pm and came back with the only thing they had...so now there is a bowl of poison sitting on the floor...seems safe enough with two little one don't ya think? UGH!

Saturday we headed out on another train trip. I'm growing quite fond of them to be honest with you. We headed to Bath.

We of course saw the Roman Baths - which were amazing.

We also saw the fashion museum which was a display of over 400 years of fashion. Very cool.

We saw the Royal Crescent - beautiful and fairly spectacular.

Bath Abbey

Beazer Maze

Pulteney Bridge and the river boat tour

We also enjoyed much more that what you will see in the pictures. Bath is a small town, but really, really charming and beautiful. It's super easy to get around with lots to see. Shops all around, good food and treats. Entertainers in the streets. Very, very fun.

We are very thankful for our time together as a family on the weekends and feel lucky that we get to do things we would never have done otherwise. We are becoming quite seasoned at getting around with the boys and are getting use to walking everywhere.

We are still aching for home. Anxious for our own comfortable surrounding and our "real lives" back. The week days are harder, longer and lonelier than the weekends. We look forward to family and friends visiting in July and August. Miss you all and hope to see your faces soon.

Week 2

2010-06-14T01:45:00.001-07:00

So this week, there's no great need to go day by day. As anticipated, this week was much M-U-C-H slower than last week. Most of the settling in has passed and now we are onto more day to day activities. I'm doing some searching for a play group or friends of some sort. I haven't had a ton of luck yet, but I'm still working on it. I did get a recommendation for a babysitter from a friend of a friend and I'm VERY excited to say that Allie will be helping us out a few evenings a week. Steve has been working pretty late leaving the witching hour, dinner, baths and bed all in my court. Having Allie will make for a much less stressful night.

This week it rained a lot. It's not like Texas rain - Git 'er done kinda rain. You know, where it pours for a while then you can move on with your life. Nope, this just comes and settles in for a few days. Kind of like a comic strip where that black cloud just hangs over your head and rains on you. Except here it's drizzle. Not enough to require an umbrella all the time even. Just enough to make you stay in and wish you had bought more cookies.

So, 5 straight days of...whatever this rain is and the boys (and their mama) hardly made it out except for a few quick trips to the store. Finally Friday we said forget it and headed out in the gray mess for an afternoon at the park. There is a fantastic playground at Hyde park - complete with the largest beach/sandbox area you've ever seen at a park, lots of fun play stuff and even a huge ship! I would have taken pictures, but due to the weather, I left the camera at home, so I'll have to post later. Cade opted to swing for about 45 minutes straight which was perfect with me. I don't really dig sand anyway - so messy! Oh, and we were practically carried off by the birds wanting our sandwiches. One even landed on Cade's leg and tried to take it right out of his hand. Needless to say, Cade isn't a huge fan of birds anymore. All the way home he said "mommy, birds scary" Indeed Cade, Indeed.

Saturday was our big adventure for the week. We got up early for a pancake breakfast courtesy of McD's, then headed to the airport via the "Heathrow Express". It's the rather pricey new train that gets you to the airport in a little cushier style in 1/2 the time. There was no one on the train at 8:40 when we left, so they put us in "first class". Nice.

Next, we catch a shuttle to the car rental place. Isn't it always the case that 3 hertz shuttles pass before 1 alamo? Guess which we rented from. So we get there and the line is HUGE and not moving at all. We ended up spending an hour waiting for our car (so much for my master planned schedule).

So finally at 10:35am, we get everyone strapped in and begin the adventure. If you know me, then you know about 2 minutes in to this road trip, my armpits started itching. I've never been so nervous in a car in my life. But Steve did great (only hit the curb a few times) and we are all still in one piece!

So off to Stonehenge we go. It took about an hour and 45 minutes. Lots of highway, but some scenic English roads too. A fun drive. Really pretty. Unfortunately, all of my pictures are through a car window, but you get the idea.

We got to Stonehenge around noon. There's simply not a ton to say about the rocks themselves. They're rocks. Big ones. Cool to think about and hypothesize on how and why they are there. But still. Rocks.

The flying/attacking beetles however...now I have A LOT to say about those. I mean - what the? They were everywhere. You couldn't escape them. They were all over our clothes. In our hair. On the babies. Horrifying. I just. I'm glad it's over (the bugs I mean).

We decided to add a way point on our trip back to the airport. Windsor Castle. Unfortunately, our GPS can't read signs - like the one on the street it told us to turn on that says "no motor vehicles". So we could never figure out how to get "to" the castle. Just this pic from a distance will have to suffice.

We made it home about 4:30. Took short naps, dinner then bed. Allie came to babysit and Steve and I enjoyed our first night out....possibly ever since C2 was born. We went to a pub to watch the world cup - US vs England. It was utterly uneventful. The game ended in a tie. The food was mediocre at best. And we enjoyed every minute of it.

Sunday we trekked to Oxford street. Whew - what a busy place. Too much shopping even for me, so you can imagine what Steve felt like. I'm not sure, but one time I think I caught him trying to jam a fork in his eye to alleviate some of the pain. And by the way - if anyone who was part of the design of the London tube system is reading this blog - I have some serious bones to pick with you! Really London? Really? Even your stations with lifts (which are NOT MANY) have stairs too. It's impossible to travel with a stroller if you are by yourself. What about wheelchairs London? Crimmany.

So all in all, another great weekend. We'll see what this week has to bring. Cheers!

Week 1

2010-06-06T12:03:00.000-07:00

So I'm going to try to keep more of a daily/weekly diary of our trip. Mostly for my own records, but you are welcome to keep up if you are interested.

Day 1 (May 29/30) - We had a 7:35 flight out of Dallas direct to Heathrow. Dad suggested that we get to the airport around 4:30 to we could try to get a bassinet for Cole (which I was informed by 2 AA agents were available on a first come first serve basis). Mom and Dad would take me to the airport and help me give the boys dinner (our dinner time is 5:30 - I mean, if you were someone who followed a schedule or anything). Of course Dad suggested this at 4:15...so we didn't actually get there until 5:00, but close enough.

Fist things first I go to check in. Lets see - there is only a bassinet available in row 20 which is coach, but since my husband so lovingly used ALL his miles to fly us business class, no bassinet for me. That's ok, surely I can hold a 7 month old for 9 hours straight - no problem.

Next...oh what? you dont have a return ticket because you don't have a return date set in stone yet? Well you have a visa then right? NO!!! If we will be gone for under 6 months we don't need one. But according to the airline, no return trip means a visa - so I have to buy return tickets...and thus the crying starts...

OK, so I get out of having to buy the tickets by making a reservation to buy tickets and aparently my fragile state has thankfully persuaded the gate agent to break the rules and allow my mom to accompany me through security. Thank GOD! Cole's "special" shoes set off the metal detector and we spent the next 20 minutes dealing with that. Where's Cade - with YaYa of course. What would I have done if she hadn't been there??? I don't even want to answer.

So on to the gate and immediately they call for boarding. I can't even breathe I'm so stressed, but as soon as I get settled on the plane I can relax. 9 hours. Overnight flight. Already past the boys bedtime. Piece of cake. Uh huh.

So of course the shortest version is Cade screamed for 4 hours straight. Then finally fell asleep. 30 minutes later Cole woke up and was up for the next 4 hours. So 1 hour before we landed everyone was asleep finally. Except me. Joy.

Customs was a welcome suprise as I wheeled my stroller and 3 carry on bags, wearing Cole (which I have been doing without respit for 10 hours now). A nice girl motioned me past the 500 person line straight to the front and I was through...how did that happen? Don't ask, just be thankful. I went to gt our bags (all 5 huge suitcases) and they were already off the carousel and waiting for me. WOW!

We get our porter and go to meet Steve and our car...oh wait...no car. So apparently, the reservation was lost and no one showed up to get us. The company sent someone "right away". 45 minutes later, a station wagon showed up. Not a van. No car seats. Hell, I don't care anymore...shove everything in and take me somewhere to lie down!

Aparently my flight information was wrong and we showed up an hour earlier than posted, so the realor wasn't at our apartment to meet us. So we just hung out on the street. For 45 minutes. Suitcases. Babies. And all.

And oh the apartment....there are just no words. Just. No, Words. Lets just say that a working oven, dishwasher, washer/dryer, a single faucet in the house without a leak...aparently not part of the ridiculous rent we are paying. So then I LOSE it. The tears turn into sobbing. The sobbing into hyperventilating....you get the idea.

Day 2 - After a little rest, I'm starting to pull myself together. We tool around our new neighborhood. Stop in at McDonalds. Get some groceries. I ordered a crib and stroller and am anxious to get them, but it's a bank holiday here and nothing is going on. We try to get me a cell phone (which is called a mobile here...MOW BILE...get that straight!), but the network is down, so no luck.

Day 3 - Rain. I wait at the flat all day for my deliveries, but nothing comes. Except the plumber who confirms that my washer is dead, my oven doesn't work and our sink is leaking. He "repaired" my sink with a 2 inch wide strip of caulk. Did you know Caulk is not waterproof? I did. Maybe they don't teach that in plumber school. Whatever...except my small leak is now a BIG leak. Oh, and to make my dishwasher work, he's run an EXTENSION CORD from the dishwasher under my LEAKING SINK and to the wall. Huh. What could possibly go wrong there? Dont' worry - We'll be back tomorrow to bring you a new washing machine...

Day 4 - Crib and stroller delivered - Eureka! So happy to be able to get out of the house. Still no work on my oven and suprise suprise...no washing machine today. Who needs food and clean clothes? Apparently not the Hiltpolds. But I got a mobile finally. Back in touch with the world.

Day 5 - Hyde park part 1. After naps, I packed lunch, a blanket, a soccer ball, the camera...oh yeah, and the munchkins. We headed to the park where I laid everything out and we had the BEST 5 minutes...Then Mr. "I just turned 2" threw his first public tantrum and boy was it a doozy. So I repacked the 40 pounds of stuff and 2 kids and we marched back home. I need a nap.

Day 6 - Hyde park part 2. Exactly like part 1 but sans tantrum, so we stayed about 2 hours. We rode the carousel (which is WAY to fast by the way). We saw the swans. We napped really well. YAY - Our toys have arrived! Finally, something other than light sockets to play with...Oh - and a new washing machine. Which overflowed within 2 hours of having it...of course it did.

Day 7 - It's Saturday and Daddy is home. This is the BEST! We started out with breakfast. Hmm...baked beans are on the menu for traditional english breakfast. We were hoping for pancakes, but baked beans it is. Then over to Whiteley's (the mall) for a run in to H&M and Gap. POW! What? A gun shot? No...That was the tire on our brand new stroller blowing out. Good times. Now we only have to get a 45 pound stroller, picnic stuff, camera, and 2 kids 1/2 a mile to the bike shop to get it fixed. Thank goodness for Daddy.

OK, stroller fixed. Off to Hyde park again. Same fun.

Home for naps (all 4 of us). After naps, we set off again and end up at Portobello market. Very interesting. About a mile of street market. Cool shop at the beginning with "sewing machine walls".

Day 8 - OK, we are going to find some pancakes in this city. Wolseley's! Yum! We took our first taxi and thoroughly enjoyed this breakfast! A must do! Then a walk through Green Park to Buckingham Palace. A tube ride home, more naps and a quiet afternoon at home.

It's been quite a week! I can't even imagine what's to come. I miss Texas, but I am determined to make the most of this once in a lifetime experience. Here's to you London!

How did we end up HERE?

2010-06-06T11:40:00.000-07:00

And by Here, I mean London!

About 3 months ago, Steve had a business trip to Seattle. He was leaving on Sunday and Saturday he said to me "hey, do you and the boys maybe want to come with?" Um - No! I mean, everyone knows the saying "nobody likes change", but I take that to a whole new level. I don't do change. Not even a little. I shut down. Panic. Throw my hands up and shout to the world "I can't do this!!" So, no, the idea of getting myself and the boys ready to go to a city I don't know in a matter of hours with no PLAN was not on my agenda.

I was recanting the story to my sister kind of like "can you believe he'd even ask me that" when she responded in her usual optimistic way "why not, It would be fun". So it got me to thinking - maybe I should be more like Amy. Go out on a limb every once in a while...

Then last month, the question came again..."I think I'm going to have to go to London for work and it could be about 4 months...what would you think about all of us moving there?"...and with Amy's voice shouting in my head, my mouth blurted out "sure" before my brain could stop it. And here we are...Holy Cow.

It was a whirlwind 3 weeks. I started looking for apartments and planning every last detail before I even had final confirmation that we were going. When the call came in though, I was no closer to having a place to live and panic took over. I gave up sleeping. Got up at 4 am Texas time every morning so I could start calling estate agents in London. Every nap time was spent online - searching searching. Then Steve boarded a plane and I was on my own to get myself and two boys to London...with 4 months worth of stuff. Oh - and STILL no place to live.

So we finally settled on a place to live - which I, of course, had never seen. 2 days later the boys and I got on a plane (which was no easy feat..eh hem...security) and the adventure began.

Oh, and just for those who missed it, Cade turned TWO in the middle of this mess and I didn't even blog about it! Here's the cutest invitation ever (thanks Amber) for the party that wasn't really a party, but I needed an invite for his baby book.

Best Week EVER

2010-03-26T19:26:00.000-07:00

So this week was unlike any week since the inception of our household. This week, Steve took the whole week off...well, it was suppose to be the whole week. He actually had to go into work Tuesday, but lets not split hairs...My point is that he took the week off and we did NOTHING! OK, also not entirely true. We did a lot actually, but nothing of consequence. We didn't travel or have company. We just spent the week as a family. AMAZING!

This week we did a few things worth mentioning. We planted flowers, put up and took down a shed (long story - ask me about it sometime, but only if you want an ear full), did yard work, visited the fire station, went shopping, went to the doctor (twice), got x-rays (more to follow), and today we went to the zoo.

So, I totally failed as a mom on the fire station thing. Cade love firetrucks ("whoo whoo" - the sound effect he makes every time he says the word), so we made a trip up there. They were so, so nice. They gave him a hat, badge, stickers and coloring book. They turned on the lights and let him sit in the truck. It was amazing - and I don't have a single picture of it. I know, I know - I totally dropped the ball. I have no idea what I was (or wasn't) thinking, but I forgot my camera. Please don't dwell on it. I can't believe I failed so miserably. Live and learn.

Steve also took Cade to the mall one morning without me. No, seriously...my Steve...went to the mall...voluntarily...without me...no lie. He took Cade to buy a baseball cap. It's so cute - his little curls sticking out from underneath. He looks so grown up. Only the sippy cup reminds me that he's still my baby.

And today we went to the zoo. It was laid back and fun and just the best to see all my boys together. Cole pretty much slept the whole time as he had a long morning. He had to get his hips x-rayed this morning per his pediatrician. She has some concerns about his feet/hips. We don't know much yet, but we have an appointment with a pediatric orthopedic...no, no...not Cade's - that would be too easy...another one. I'll update when we know more. But for now, just Zoo pics.

Broken Boy

2010-03-18T08:29:00.000-07:00

So we slammed head first into a parenting milestone this past Friday. At precisely 5:30pm, my big boy flipped himself over the arm of the couch and broke his sweet little arm. It's been quite the experience, but we are all doing remarkably well.

So the most common question (other than what happened) is "how did you know it was broken"? The answer is - I really didn't. He cried his normal "I fell" cry, but it lasted longer this time. When I asked him what hurt, he kept saying "elbow" and reaching for him arm. He cried when I took his shirt off and on and he was not as active as usual. He was, however still smiling and laughing, so we did what any stellar parents would do - we gave him Tylenol and put him to bed.

The next morning he again had issues with his shirt and was still saying "elbow". He was also having trouble getting himself off the floor (with only one arm) and just wasn't himself. I called the pediatrician and they suggested I take him to the after hours clinic, but after much internal debate, I opted for the ER. All of us went - yes, all 4 of us. We got there about 8:30 and by 9:30 we had a diagnosis: a spiral fracture of the Humerus bone (between the elbow and shoulder). When they showed me the x-ray of his little arm with that so obviously broken bone I lost it. My sweet baby was broken and in pain and there it was - right in front of my face. Horrifying. My heart was completely broken.

It was a full but clean break. They doped him up, gave him a splint and told us to call the pediatric orthopedic on Monday. We got a 10:00am appointment on Monday. They told us that this was an "interesting" break because it was so big - stretched a good portion of the bone. Also surprising that it occurred from such a seemingly benign fall. They assured us that these things happen and he probably just tried to catch himself with that arm, then twisted and "presto"!

Jennifer put on his cast. She was great. She let him pick his color and was super sweet. She also informed me that the hospital didn't do a very good job with the splint since it was much too short and was hitting him directly in the break. My poor baby! He's such a trooper. So, they built in a "loop" which allows for a sling that is connected to the cast that he has to wear all the time. It's kind of funny looking and makes dressing even more difficult, but it serves it's purpose. Dr. Capelo (who we also loved) says he will wear this for approximately 5 weeks then hopefully we will be free again - just in time for swim season.

Everyone has been so wonderful. KK came right away from Houston (even though she was just here last weekend). Papa came on Sunday to check in. Aunt Brenda and family sent a cookie bouquet that he is LOVING and for those if you that have seen the video from a few blogs back...mom made him CAKE!

Thanks for all the well wishes and prayers. He's doing absolutely fantastic. He doesn't seem to mind the cast much at all. He's not in pain and he's getting back up to his normal speed very quickly.

One? Two!

2010-02-22T17:53:00.000-08:00

I just don't even have words...We've been having this conversation for at least two months. He's not budging! Regardless, I could eat him up!

Cake

2010-02-07T19:04:00.000-08:00

When I watch TV, I mostly watch TLC and HGTV. This means that I often get "inspired" to take on home decorating and home improvement projects. Lately I've gotten the itch to try something new - cakes. Too many Cake Boss episodes I guess, but regardless, the itch has taken hold so I had to run with it. I'm dragging Amy down with me, so we went to the store this week, bought some new supplies and embarked on our cake masterpiece.

First, we decided to try homemade fondant. The first batch went horribly awry, but a different recipe proved to be a wild success. Who knew? Next came the actual cake baking. So...did you know that if you have a pan deeper than 2" that you need a heat core so the center of the cake will cook correctly? Neither did we.

So two batches of fondant and a couple of salvaged cakes and a ridiculously delicious bowl of chocolate buttercream later, it was time to create our masterpiece. How hard can it be? Looks easy enough on TV.

OK, so it wasn't as easy as I had though. In fact, the cake was fairly unattractive. I did, however learn a lot, have a super fun time with my sister and challenge myself to try again. Hope you all like cake - because there are going to be a lot.

Oh, but have no doubt...ugly or not, it was DELICIOUS - and isn't that what matters most?

Bubba

2010-02-02T08:04:00.000-08:00

His real name is Truman, but since Cade started talking, he's usually referred to as "Bubba". For 6 years he was our baby - before we had babies. He went everywhere and did everything with us. He lived like a king and we saw nothing wrong with that. But sadly (for him), things change. Since the boys were born, sweet Truman has taken a back seat. He no longer travels with us. Heck, he hardly even gets walked. He gets yelled at a lot more and appreciated a lot less. I'm the most guilty. And I feel badly about it. He doesn't love us any less though. He's still always there, tail wagging when we get home. Still sleeps by our bed. Still watches over our babies. His babies.

I knew Truman would be good with the kids. He's so gentle and kind. I never doubted. When Cade was 2 weeks old, Amber took this:

Now I could understand - I mean anyone will sit still for a sleeping baby. It's not like it was really disturbing him...Then when Cole was born:

But today I was getting ready, heard some "rustling" and...

(here's a reason to keep your camera with you in the bathroom)...

So, evidently, a 20 month old using him as a jungle gym is ok in his book. Love this dog. Cade loves him too. Good Bubba.

Cole

2010-01-21T13:22:00.001-08:00

So I haven't done many blogs about my sweet baby Cole. Our first month was a little rough until we discovered that he had a dairy intolerance. That basically meant that he felt bad all the time. Now that we've got this worked out (mom has cut out dairy...now that's love), he's an unspeakable joy. He's calmer, he sleeps great, he's happy. He's not as smiley as Cade was (and still is), but when he does smile it's intoxicating. He's the miraculously perfect follow up to precious Cade.

This is also a test of my new video function on my new camera. I think the quality is pretty good - and this is at the lowest setting. I'll try to do a higher resolution one, but I'm having a problem with upload time, so we'll see. I also stretched this one to be bigger so I think I distorted the quality a bit. Oh well, I'll figure it out eventually.

New Toy

2010-01-18T12:53:00.000-08:00

No, No...not for the boys - you know how I feel about kids toys. This one is for Mommy! Steve got me the BEST birthday gift - a new camera. This means lots of pictures. One might think that would translate into more frequent blogs - I have the best of intentions, but I make no promises...but today you can enjoy lunch with us....mmm, yogurt!

Christmas

2009-12-27T14:29:00.000-08:00

So it came and went in all it's splendor. Christmas was spectacular this year. I mean it's great every year of course, but this year was special. This year was "white". This year we were a family of four and therefore much more "real" in my mind. I grew up in a family of four. So did Steve. So somehow this felt more grown up to me. I can't really explain it, but it was there.

We played in the snow. I baked brownies. We had a great family dinner. The boys got their matching Christmas pajamas just as my sister and I use to.

I tried to take perfectly posed pictures - you can judge for yourself how that went...

It has been quite a year for the Tedesco branch of the Hiltpold tree. There have been 2 babies, a bout with cancer, 2 extensive hospital stays, work woes and of course everyday challenges. 2009 has been one for the books. We are looking forward to everything 2010 has to offer. I selfishly pray that maybe it doesn't stretch us quite as much as 2009 - but whatever God has planned we will do our best to take on with grace.

Merry Christmas. Happy New Year. May you all feel as blessed as we do.

SNOW(man)

2009-12-26T15:37:00.000-08:00

What a delightful suprise. This Christmas eve brought us unexpected snow and a white Christmas! This also meant that because of the hazardous driving condtions, Yaya and Papa came to spend the night with us (as not to miss Christmas morning). We had the best time enjoying the "frightful" weather and building our first snowman. Mom and dad seemed to be a little more excited than Cade, but that's to be expected since he went tumbling face first into the snow within he first 10 seconds he was out there.

Dad braved the cold for well over 30 minutes all alone building the snowman while mom, Cade, Yaya and Papa cheered him on from the warmth of the fire inside. Cade had his first hot chocolate and we all had a great time! Who could have asked for anything better?

Dancing KING

2009-12-26T13:15:00.000-08:00

OK, so the song isn't perfect, but work with me here.

Lately Cade has taken to dancing. He dances whenever he hears music - and sometimes when he doesn't. He'll dance anywhere. Anytime. Even on command. It's darling. He's darling. And I had to share - because soon enough this too will end whether I want it to or not. We started with the simple "hip shake", but about a week ago he added the "arm swing". Not sure if it can get much cuter, but I'll let you know.

He's Here!

2009-11-07T13:16:00.000-08:00

In the very early morning hours of Oct. 22, 2009, Steve and I welcomed our second baby boy - Colten Michael Hiltpold!!! The story goes like this...

I had been oh so antsy for WEEKS waiting for Cole to arrive. I had been dilated for over a month and quite honestly I was annoyed that I had 2 weeks left until I was actually due. The morning of Oct. 21st, we had a brunch at the hospital (where Amy is unfortunately spending her time these days). About noon, our Dr. came in to check on her and I mentioned that I was really ready to have him - and even asked if she might break my water at my appointment the next day. I also mentioned to her that I would really like to have him that day (Oct. 21st) seeing as it was 10 years ago that day that Steve and I met. She just laughed and said that I had 12 hours left in the day and she would be happy to deliver him.

I headed home, played with Cade, vacuumed, picked up - the usual. About 4:30 I had a contraction - not uncommon. I noted the time just in case - although I had been 'noting times' for a month to no avail. About 8 minutes later I had another...and 11 after that one more. This went on for about an hour. I felt good otherwise and the contractions didn't really hurt, so I wasn't too concerned. Steve and I had plans to go to the movies - and that's where I figured we would end up for the night.

At 5:30, Steve called. He was on his way home and stuck in traffic. I decided not to worry him since I wasn't really sure I was in labor. I figured I would just wait until he got home and would be more sure then. I called Mom and told her that I wasn't sure what would happen, but if she wanted to take a shower or something to go ahead...while I was on the phone with her, the contractions went from 8-10 minutes apart to 4 minutes apart...uh oh.

So now I'm pretty sure I'm in labor and I needed to tell Karyn. She was fixing dinner for Cade, but I really had something more pressing - I had to change the sheets on my bed. Don't ask - I'm just a freak like that. So contractions are 4 minutes apart, Steve isn't home yet and We're trying to change bed linens...seems normal to me.

Steve got home about 6:15. I said "Hi, change clothes we've got to go". And he said "To the movies?" and I said "no, the hospital" and no lie...he says "for what?" Oh my dear sweet husband. I love you!

So we get in the car, swing through Whataburger and head to the hospital. When we get there, my doctor just happens to be there with her partner Dr. Walters. She said "what are you doing here?" I said "well, I think I'm in labor, so I thought I'd stop by". Dr. Walters evidently said to her "She doesn't look like she's in labor." My Dr's response - "No, that's just how she is." Not sure what that even means.

They take me to triage where they check you, monitor you for an hour, check you again and if you have made progress, they admit you. On my first check, I was 6 cm dilated, 90% thinned...so they skipped the rest and admitted me. By this time, it's 7 o'clock and the last thing I want to do is have a baby at 11:55 and have that count as my first night in the hospital so I ask my Dr. if we could drag this out until after midnight (ie: no pitossin). She said "Not if you want me to deliver him. I'm breaking your water and you're having him tonight." OK then.

So right away I'm asking for my epidural because by this time the contractions hurt and I can't talk when I'm having one...every 3-4 minutes. They tell me that I have to have my labs run, anti-nausea medicine and 2 bags of fluid first...geez, we better get a move on because that seems like it could take a while...and it did! 2 hours later I'm still waiting and when I ask where the anesthesiologist is - they say "he's doing a c-section."...Awesome.

So finally I get the epidural which is great - at least on one side. I can still feel every contraction on my left side even though my right side is so numb I can't move that leg. But hey - it's better than it was and it's the best I've got so here we go...or..um..not...

So there appears to be a slight issue that my son is in the wrong position. He's belly up (instead of down) and has his head flexed all the way back - so he's coming out face first! Now, it becomes apparent to me by all the extra people in the room that this is a reasonably big deal. It also comes to light that I could be having a C-section if I can't push him out. Although they seem to think it might take 2-3 hours of pushing to determine this...what the????

So we start to push around 11. But then we stop - because my Dr. is doing ANOTHER C-section...good lord! So we start again around 11:55. Ah ha! I DID make it past midnight!! 45 minutes later - at 12:39 in the morning, he popped out. And I mean that literally. In fact, it was one big push and he popped out so quickly that the Dr. wasn't ready and everyone was yelling "stop - don't push!" Seriously?!?

So he was bruised and battered and really unhappy. The swelling was rally bad. He couldn't open his poor eyes for 24 hours. But they had warned us that face first babies (which evidently are not very common) have this and that he would heal up nicely in a week or so. He did. He's a delight through and though. Just as sweet and good tempered as C1. All we could have hoped for. It was a rough start, but totally worth it. We can't wait to share him with you all.

Welcome baby Cole!!

At Delivery

24 hours after delivery

What a difference a week makes

LIFE

2009-10-12T08:10:00.000-07:00

So this is my first and hopefully one of my only blogs ever that will not be accompanied by a single picture or video! Here's what's going on and my excuses for not being better about updating the blog...

Steve has been busy with work and on the road a LOT - which leaves me to handle everyday life around here by myself for the most part.

Cade is getting HUGE (for those of you who have seen him). His very curly blond hair is long and out of control and I'm in LOVE with it!

About 2 weeks ago I went to the Dr. for my 34 week check up and to our surprise I was dilated to 2cm. We made the trip to Houston to celebrate with family Maddy's upcoming wedding and thankfully made it through the weekend with no baby.

This past Thursday at my 36 week check up, I was dilated to 3cm and 60% effaced. The doctor "guesstimated" that I wouldn't make it 2 more weeks.

Sunday I spend the day at the hospital with my sister who is only 26 1/2 weeks pregnant. She has placenta previa and started bleeding. While the bleeding stopped, the condition does not look like it will clear up on it's own. Monday morning the bleeding started again and it looks as though my sweet sister and best friend will be spending the remainder of the pregnancy in the hospital. This is a tough pill to swallow as her three babies at home already miss their mommy. We are all trying to make plans and shuffle schedules so this blip on the radar of our life is as manageable for everyone as possible. Oh - and did I mention that the swine flu is trying to take us all down...never surrender!

So right now, I'm trying NOT to go into labor so we can get some details ironed out on that side. Oh - and because my husband will be out of town Tuesday and Wednesday. Gotta love that! Prayers are appreciated. We'll make it through - we're tough. And we've got lots of great support.

Boys at Play

2009-07-26T08:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a fun lazy day. We didn't have anywhere we needed to be or things we needed to do. Just a day at home...together. Steve and C where running around and making a lot of noise and I wasn't really paying attention to what the game at hand was - but when I tuned in, this is what was happening. Now keep in mind this went on for a long while before I ever got the camera out and ended only because Daddy got tired. Can you guess what time of day this was? 5:30-ish anyone???? Check your mouth about 1/2 way through this video...you know you're smiling. How can you not? I also especially like how he gives me a courtesy acknowledgement on every other "pass".

These days are fleeting. May we treasure and remember them.

Challenges

2009-07-20T19:35:00.000-07:00

So ever since the fourth of July, I've noticed some changes in C that are difficult for me to handle. That trip was a challenging one. He was moody and clingy and cranky. I blamed it on the circumstances and assumed it would return to "normal" when we got home. Now don't get me wrong - it has gotten better over the past couple weeks, but we've been struggling with attachment issues and teething and now a cold. It's just been hard. And I've been tired. And my rope is short. And I'm feeling big and pregnant and missing my husband - who seems to be travelling 100% of the time instead of 50%. It's just a lot.

So Friday and Saturday Steve and I went to a conference and our good photog friend Amber was gracious enough to sit for us. Part of me was happy to get a break for a few hours, but mostly I was sad to be away from C for multiple hours 2 days in a row. Even though it's been a hard couple of weeks, he's still my munchkin and my heart aches when I'm away from him.

So the thing I love best about Amber and her camera is how her lens sees him the way I see him. How she catches the cute stuff he does when he and I are here alone all day together. The stuff I WANT everyone else to see, but most people don't get the chance to. These pictures were a great suprise to me. I didn't know she took them. They weren't planned. And choosing just a few was nearly impossible. Enjoy!

Loosen up

2009-07-01T16:01:00.000-07:00

OK, so I've been accused on occasion (by people who shall remain unnamed) as being uptight. In fact - just yesterday I was accused of getting "wound tighter and tighter by the day". I like to think I'm Organized. A Planner. Clean. Orderly. Heck, I don't even mind being called borderline OCD. But uptight??? Please!!

To all you people who fly willy nilly through life - playing in the mud, letting a one year old feed themselves applesauce with a spoon, having a "loose" nap schedule etc... I say to you - I am not (that) uptight. See for yourself.

Ok, yes, I stripped him down first. And yes, it was bath night. And yes, I was having heart palpitations...but I did it. I survived...and he had such a yummy fun time! And for the record - this picture does NOT do the mess justice...it was WAY saucier!

Party Time

2009-06-02T08:52:00.000-07:00

Sunday we celebrated Cade's
1st birthday. What a day! There
were horses, a clown, a face
painter, a pinata, hot dogs,
cupcakes, friends, family and
lots of fun!

Oh how time flies. I can't believe a whole year has passed. I can't believe you are so big. So smart. So handsome. So smiley. So easy going. So everything I never knew I needed. I'm just so in love.

Day of Fun

2009-05-27T19:56:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Sweet Baby

2009-05-27T04:50:00.000-07:00

When I was younger, I remember mom saying at some point on my birthday every year..."lets see, at this time xx years ago I was..."

I understand this phenomenon more now. I guess as a mom that is one of those days that never really starts to fade from your memory. I mean - for me, it's only been a year, but I remember it with the clarity of yesterday. It was probably the ultimate life changing day that I've had to this point. It was wonderful and fun and full of joy and love and I wish I could re-live it often.

I can't believe it's been a whole year since you came into to my life - forever altering it in unimaginable ways. You have brought me joy (and personal challenges) beyond words and I can't imagine a world without you. You are the light of my life. You are growing up so quickly. I really wish you would stay my baby forever, but that seems unlikely so we'll just go with it. I love watching you grow and learn every day. There are no words to express how happy I am to be your Mommy. You are my perfect angel. Whatever did I do to deserve such a gift?

Happy Birthday Son. I love you always and forever no matter what!

First

2009-05-07T12:17:00.000-07:00

Here they are...

Vacation - part 2

2009-05-07T11:59:00.000-07:00

Vaca video

Vacation

2009-05-06T13:00:00.000-07:00

OK, so because I'm still too tired from the vacation to write a whole blog about the vacation...
We'll just say it was a memorable adventure =)

boys on a slide

2009-03-23T17:52:00.000-07:00

Not that it needs a lot of explanation...we went to the park and Truman didn't want to be left out. He followed them up the stairs then right on down. Too cute not to share.

treasures

2009-03-19T16:07:00.000-07:00

So as far as friends go, I hit the jackpot about a year and a half ago or so...
I won't go into the story of how she came into our lives, but she did. She's sweet and kind and thoughful and loving and above all, she loves my family and she loves my kid(s). Oh - and did I mention that she's a professional photographer. So if you happen to read Amy's blog as well, you'll see a similar post from this same splendid day when sweet Amber took pics of our kiddos. Cade's 9 month pics and Em's 1 year. Words can't express how happy it makes me that she captures him. His moods, his faces, his personality. She loves him and it shows in every picture she takes. Not a million thanks would be enough. How can I ever repay for these treasures she give us?

Extraordinary

2009-01-11T18:44:00.000-08:00

My precious son,

I've been thinking a lot about you lately. I mean - of course I think about you almost constantly, but I've been thinking on broader scale maybe. Now I'm sure that my feelings for you are not all that different from every other mother out there, but they are are different for me. Different because I have loved before, but never like this. I have been thankful before, but never like this. I have been in awe before - but never like this...never until you.

You are amazing to me. How happy you are. How genuine your smile. How your eyes shine. The way you squeal with delight at the mere sight of Truman. The way you cry when you see me after I've been away from you. (YaYa says it's not an "I'm unhappy to see you" cry, but more of an "I missed you so much" cry).

I love the fact that you get tired and lay your head on my shoulder. I love that for the most part you trust me when I say it's nap time and go right to sleep. I love that you look so flippin' cute in your little hats. I love that you love to be in your sling and that everyone we see comments on it when I "wear" you out. I love every hair on your head and every breath that you take. Sometimes I feel like you are the reason my heart keeps beating.

You are learning new "tricks" every day. You'll be crawling in a few days. You're trying to talk. We're working on our sign language. And then there's this...

So the story behind this video goes like this...you have this habit of leaning forward when you eat and it makes it hard for me to see your mouth - and therefore get the food INTO it. So I started telling you "back" and trying to get you to set back against the seat so I could get a better angle at your mouth. After a couple of days, you obviously caught on because this is what happens when I say "back" now. I'm going to have to put a pillow back there so you don't get dain bramage.

I love you punks - Mommy

Back to Blogging

2008-12-28T14:46:00.000-08:00

OK, so the holidays are OVER!!! And while I enjoyed Cade's first holiday season immensely, I have to admit the huge sense of relief that it's finally come to a close. Back to slower days, no place to go, nothing to buy and not nearly as much to clean! With all that said, I have a lot of pictures to update and blogging to do.

We got to see almost all of our family this holiday - a special treat. There were a ridiculous number of presents, an even more ridiculous amount of food and terrific memories of Cade's first Christmas.

W e also went to see ICE at the Gaylord Texan. It's an exhibit of ices sculptures kept at 14 degrees. They give you a parka to wear because it's so cold. You can see for yourself the results!

Trick or Treat?

2008-11-01T18:45:00.001-07:00

I think he's a TREAT!!!

when did it happen?

2008-10-26T15:22:00.000-07:00

Tell me little one - when did you magically stop being my baby and start being my little boy?

This morning at church there was a little baby in front of us. I mean little - brand new. Probably a couple of days old. I found myself staring at her in amazement over how small and fragile she looked. Now if my memory serves me correctly, we took you to church when you were 5 days old, but already I can't remember you ever being that small.

But now, you are this beautiful little boy with the sparkling blue eyes and the intoxicating grin. You were putting on a show for the people behind us. You were smiling and attentive and they were all watching and talking about you. And when we got home, I was putting you into your bouncy seat at it struck me - like a ton of bricks. You didn't even look like a baby anymore. You looked like a full fledged little boy.

Then we got on the floor and here it is - caught on film. These baby days are all but over.

I so wanted you to stay my tiny baby forever, but it seems that I'm losing that battle. I treasure our time together. I thank God every day for wonderful you. I KNOW I haven't lived a good enough life to deserve you, but thank goodness that God doesn't give us what we deserve.

You are my angel. You are the light of my life. You are my treasure. And you will ALWAYS be my baby.

Love you forever and always no matter what.
Mommy

good or bad

2008-10-23T16:16:00.000-07:00

So today was a good day...but then again, it wasn't. Today Cade sat up on his own for about 8 seconds. That's long time when you're not even 5 months old. Then I put him on his tummy and he played and got his legs going like he wanted to crawl and then he rolled over. I was proud of him and HE was proud of him and we were happy together - but there was someone missing. Daddy. And that sucks.

We love you and we miss you and we wish you could have a job where you were here more. We'll try to do it again this weekend and just pretend it was the first time. Everything is better when you're here. We hope you know that. And we know you would be if you could. Thanks for being such a great dad!

make mama proud

2008-10-20T17:58:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago, the one and only Amber (she's my favorite today...ask me why later) took pictures of our whole family. I was so excited. I thought about it for weeks - what we would all wear, poses I wanted etc. That morning, however Cade was NOT the smiley, uber happy boy that he usually is early in the morning. The plan I had in my head began to unravel. An hour into the shoot he came completely unglued and and I just knew there would be no good pictures. I found myself wanting to scream - NO, NO, NO - I SWEAR, HE'S SO GOOD AND HAPPY, THIS JUST ISN'T RIGHT.

That night, I decided to take a video of the happy boy that had returned just to prove he does exist.

But this past Saturday, my angel made me so proud. Our friend Sarah had her baby shower and I really didn't know anybody there except Sarah and Amy. I took Cade with me and hoped he would be good, but knew it was risky because he wouldn't get his big morning nap. To my surprise, he was FABULOUS!!! He was happy and smiley and flirty and just perfect. Everyone was taken with how good and easy going he is. And THAT'S the baby I know that I have that I wish everyone could see. I don't know how I got the BEST BABY EVER - Just lucky I guess.

Oh - and as you can see, either it wasn't as bad as I thought, or Amber is really the best photog ever!! A little of both I think.

My Best Girl

2008-09-09T13:45:00.000-07:00

If you've been reading this blog, you've probably noticed that everything I write is about my son. Not this one. This one is about my girl. My best girl to be exact. Except she's not anymore - now she's someone elses.

It breaks my heart, but Mia now belongs to someone else. For reasons we just won't get into, I've decided it was time to let her go. Let someone else love her. Someone who has more time. There will never be another Mia. Never. I love this horse in a way I'm not sure it's normal to love an animal. Because of what she was when I got her. Because of what she has become. Because of what I taught her and what she taught me. Because of how she took care of me (and Cade) the whole time I was pregnant. You think I'm crazy - but she knew. She knew she had to be good and gentle and safe and dependable. And she was. I NEVER doubted her.

This is the best thing for her and me right now - no matter how much it hurts. She will always me "Mine" - that's why I named her "Mia". Here's to my BEAUTIFUL girl...

Swimming

2008-09-09T13:24:00.000-07:00

So people keep commenting on the fact that I haven't been very good about updating the blog. I completely agree and I apologize. My only excuse is that my spare time is a little lacking - what with a full time job, a 3 month old, a weekend gig, a husband that travels etc. etc.

Do you feel sorry for me yet???

So on labor day weekend Steve went hunting and my friend Shanon graciously let us come use her pool and hang out. It was Cade's first time in something more than a bath. I had this grand illusion that he would squeal with joy over his first swim, but as you can see, my laid back little baby was not all that impressed. Either way, I had a great time.

I'm surprised too

2008-08-22T18:30:00.000-07:00

I was talking to Steve on the phone tonight about what our Saturday was going to look like. I was thinking of going to the barn in the morning. Steve had an invitation to go to the lake in the afternoon. The conversation went something like this...

Steve: "I'll watch him while you go to the barn - I don't mind"
Molly: "No, it's fine if you go to the lake, I'll take him with me - It's really OK"
Steve: "No, I'll watch him, I don't mind - besides, you are with him 24 hours a day - you need a break"

After we got off the phone, I started thinking about that statement and realized that before he was born, I probably would have thought that same thing. I think I even put those thoughts in Steve's head before Cade got here. I was sure that spending all your time with a baby would drive someone insane. But then it occurred to me - I don't feel like I need a break. I actually LIKE to be with him - ALL THE TIME. I know - it surprised me too.
Ask me again when he's 2.

That Smile

2008-08-17T18:02:00.000-07:00

is the reason I get up in the morning

is what makes my bad days good

fills my heart with joy

has changed my life for the better

It's Time

2008-08-17T12:14:00.000-07:00

OK baby boy. It's time. Time for me to let go a little. Time to do something that not one fiber of my being wants to do. Time to justify a room full of expensive furniture. It's time for you to start sleeping upstairs.

I have no justifiable reason to NOT want you up there. You're sleeping through the night. We've got every monitor known to man. You've got a beautiful crib and we won't have to worry about waking you up when we're getting ready for bed. With all of that said - I still don't want to do it.

I don't mind sharing with you that prior to your birth, I had a LOT of trepidation about motherhood. I was worried about my lack of patience. My need for quiet. My personal time. While I still value those things - they all pale in comparison to being with you. Watching you. Holding you. Just being near you. It's not like I hold or watch you all the time when you're sleeping down here with us - but I know you're close - and I like that.

Anyway, this is something that has to happen eventually, so tonight is the night - wish me luck.

I love you peanut - more than words.

Schedule

2008-08-07T07:26:00.000-07:00

Cade,

All the people around us have started taking notice of how adamant your mom is about your schedule. I've even joked- I live and die by the schedule. I even bought a new watch to help me since our schedule has become the cornerstone of our new life.

They can joke all they want - I LOVE our schedule. I love it partly because I need order in my life. I love it partly because you need order in your life. It helps us plan our days - and sleep through the night. It fits my personality and you don't seem to mind it. Mostly, I like our schedule because I can be assured that at least 2 times a day - I get to put you on my chest and shush you to sleep while I try to get some work done and type on the computer.

This is how our day goes...

sometime between 7 -8 am (see, I'm flexible) - you get up, eat and play

Usually round 9:30 you get tired and fussy and this is the first time of the day I put you on my chest to sleep. It's the only thing that calms you down. It's where you want to be. It's where I want you to be. It's where you are right this minute as I write this.

Afternoons are similar - you eat, play, sleep. Unfortunately, work is busier than I'd like and taking a lot of time. Thank goodness for Yaya and ZuZu. They spend at least some portion of every day watching you so I can work. I'm trying to make it better. Work harder, smarter, faster - I want to spend ALL my time with you. I'll get there - I'll figure it out. Please just don't grow up while I'm not watching. It will break my heart.

Evenings are a continuation of the eat, play, sleep cycle. Usually around 6 or so, you get tired and fussy again and the sleeping on the chest trick come into play again. Again - I'm typing, you're sleeping. It's just what we do. Every other night you get a bath. We finally figured out the trick to get you to stop crying - put a wet washcloth over your entire front. This tackles 2 issues - the "spraying" and the crying. You like your baths now - thank goodness. So, bath around 8, dinner at 8:15. Then it's right to bed. You don't fuss anymore. When you were 3 weeks old. we put you down one night and let you cry it out. Ever since then - no crying at bedtime. It's really amazing. You are a REALLY, REALLY, REALLY good baby. But you don't get off the hook that easy - keep it up little boy. I have big dreams for you.

So, this weekend we are going to visit the whole gang in San Antonio. I'm of course worried (because that's what I do best) that you are going to get off your schedule and be cranky and fussy and won't sleep. It's a long drive and there will be a lot going on. I want everyone to see the happy, easy going, well adjusted baby I see every day. Prove me wrong little one. Be the perfect little boy that you are. But remember - even if you cry the whole time - I'll be there to try to make it better and I'll still love you just as much.

Forever and always - no matter what.

Mommy

Almost Twin

2008-07-27T10:04:00.000-07:00

Most people know the story about my friend Crystal How we got pregnant at the same time. How we had the same due date. How our waters both broke within 2 hours, and how our children were born the same day - just 3 hours apart.

Crystal and her husband Jeremy came out here for dinner Friday. At the end of the evening, we tried to get pictures of the kids together...I guess we should have tried earlier. Together, we took almost 20 pictures and NOT ONE had both kids content. Cade screamed in 90% of the pictures and Cayli in the other 10%. Either way, this is my favorite picture from the night - it pretty much summed it all up. I like that Cayli looks terrified of the screaming baby next to her...sorry baby girl!

When we were at the restaurant, some lady came up and asked if they were twins. As Jeremy says - he's her 'brother from another mother'...Cutie Pies!!!

Good Morning

2008-07-27T09:49:00.000-07:00

My family will attest to the fact that I have never really been a morning person. Waking up is hard for me - I'm always still tired and it doesn't matter what the day holds - it just doesn't seem worth it. I'd ALWAYS rather stay in bed.

That has all changed recently. Mornings are the BEST. Mornings are when unending smiles happen. Mornings are the end to our time apart. Mornings give me this...

Cowboy Cade

2008-07-26T14:26:00.000-07:00

Even though he's been "in the saddle" since before he was born, today Cade went for his first "real" ride. In case anyone is wondering...he didn't even wake up.

FINE

2008-07-25T14:25:00.001-07:00

OK, OK..So I'm finally giving in and doing the blog thing. Not so much because I have a burning desire to share, or because I have Amy's eloquence with words or Amber's wit, or because I have too much time and not nearly enough to do. Mostly because I have cute pictures and stories about my son and videos that are too large to e-mail.

Well, last night we hit a major milestone in the mommy/baby realm. Cade slept through the night - totally and completely by himself...in the closet. Now, before you get offended that I put my baby in the closet - let me explain.

He's been sleeping through the night with a little help from me for over a week now. About 3 times a night I give him his pacifier when he starts to stir and once a night I turn him over so he can change positions. After a solid week of this with no middle-of-the-night feedings, we decided to roll the bassinet 15 feet away to the bathroom and give it a go. That night was hard - maybe not for him, but for me. You see, on that night he cried - a lot - and my heart ached. As you might imagine, a bathroom echos and magnifies the sound and it sounded like my precious son was heartbroken that I wasn't there to comfort him. Now, of course I can't prove that he actually was - but that's how it felt. So, I did what any loving mother would do. I put a pillow over my head! Why you ask? Because the wisest woman I know (and you know who you are) gave me a snippet of information on my new job called motherhood. She told me that my job is to work myself out of a job. That over the next 18+ years, I was to make my son strong and independent and self reliant. That he should be able to take care of and comfort himself...eventually. So, no better time than the present.

Anyway, we made it through the night in one piece and even though I was sure that he was "eyeing" my the next morning - annoyed that I didn't come to his rescue - I decided that I was no quitter and we were going to do it again. Only this time he was going to have to cry in a room that didn't echo and make me feel so guilty. So when Steve got home around 10, we wheeled our sleeping son another 10 feet past his previous night's resting place to the quiet, carpeted closet. I left the door cracked and retreated to bed - prepared to be woken up by his cries in just a few short hours. But to my surprise, nothing. He had slept through the night with no help from me. A milestone in his development and twinge of pain in my heart. For the first time - he no longer needs me.

At 6:15, when Steve got out of the shower I said "Is he breathing?" and he said "yeah, he's just lying there awake and smiling". So I asked him to bring Cade to me so I could feed him...the next 3 minutes proved to be some of the most pure joy I've ever known.

Now, please remember that Steve had been out of town since Monday morning at 5:00am, so Cade hadn't seen him or heard his voice in 4 full days. I heard a baby shriek followed by a belly laugh from dad. When Steve leaned over the bassinet to pick him up, Cade looked right at him and smiled his "big" smile and shrieked. This went on for a minute until he brought him over to me in bed. Cade was just looking at him and laughing and thrashing his arms. He was SO happy to see his daddy. We sat there as a family and all laughed.

It made my heart happy.

Sweet baby boy - you're already growing up so fast. I'm amazed by you and how EASY you are making this journey on me. You are the light of my life. I want to hold you in my arms forever. - Mommy