Mommy.... It's my favorite name

  Today was a long day! Jimmy and I left early this morning to drive to Mercy Children’s in Kansas City, MO only to   return back home all in the same day. BUT…… Today is the first day in a long time that my favorite ten-year-old could hear ‘normal’ for the first time!   It was just Jimmy and me in the car for 10 hours and I would do it all again tomorrow to hear him say as we walked outside for the first time, “mom, I can hear you so well! Mom, I love your voice!” For anyone who has listened to my worry, my fears and my tears as I tried to work through what was the best path forward for my son, THANK YOU!!! Today was it!!! This all started 18-months ago when we received a note home from school saying that Jimmy had failed two hearing test and that we needed to see a third party audiologist. I truly thought nothing of this, ‘maybe he had an ear infection? Or likely just wasn’t paying attention because he’s an 8-year-old boy?’ But In June of 2020 (still the height of ...

 Signing my Last Baby Up for Kindergarten I just signed up my last baby for kindergarten. I was newly pregnant with her when I did this the first time with her oldest brother, and I blinked and she’s old enough to go.   She is beyond ready; I almost wish I could have sent her last year. But thankful for one more year of daycare, one more year to be insulated from the ‘real world’ Our schools are amazing, but it’s heavy on a mama’s heart to let them spread their wings a bit. The real world isn’t always kind. It can be unforgiving and ruthless. And while I continue to hope that our world evolves the obstacles that girls (and women) face is different than their male peers. The love I have for all of my children is the same, but as a woman I know the challenges that lay ahead. Addi Jo, I cannot wait to see what you do next! My prayer for you is that you maintain your powerhouse, bigger than life personality. It okay to be “too much” for some people, the right people will like yo...

Oh this little boy. A rare photo of him solo and WITH a real smile. My middle little, you’ll never know how much I have worried and worked to make sure you never felt “the middle kid syndrome”. And this is something I will continue to do for the rest of time. You have the kindest heart and purest soul, you’ll do anything for anyone without ever being prompted or asked. This is much like your dad, the two of you have a generosity that is hard to find. You have grown up so much this year, started kindergarten and (not surprising) made many new friends. To know you is to love you. You are authentically yourself in all you do and all you say. I hope you keep this trait, you do not waiver your decision based on others opinion and that makes me very proud. Whatever you say you genuinely mean, nothing is a ‘show’ with you or to be a people pleaser.   For being a six year old little boy your ability to go from wild and crazy to nurturing and paternal at the drop of a hat anyt...

I often tell the kids in a joking way to “stop growing up” or after they do something that is helpful or have good behavior I’ll say, “how did you get so grown up?” they usually just laugh and love the praise and acknowledgement, not really saying anything in return. It is no secret that Jimmy talks A LOT! (I mean he NEVER stops) Sometimes in the mists of dinner, bath, bedtime, homework, the dog, grocery shopping, trying to talk to the hubs, it can get frustrating to never have a moment of silence when that little dude is around. He often moves down on his discipline chart at school for that very reason. When I pick him up from school to ask what color he ended on and his eyes drop. “I was talking to much again.” It’s frustrating and slightly amusing, but I worry about him going to Kindergarten. He is SO much different than his big brother, and I hate when people compare the two, Jake is stereotypical first child (not that that also doesn’t have its downfalls) and aims to ...

I have been meaning to write down Addi’s birth story, mainly because I don’t want to forget it. As a little girl, and still now, I love to hear the little details about the day I was born. I realized the last blog that I wrote  was about Jimmy praying for his baby sister to be born. And it just so happened that the next day she was! Adaline Jo was born Thursday, November 3 rd , 2016 at 5:14pm. She joined us weighing 8lbs 1 oz and 19inches long. And just like it had happened the two times before, I heard those first cries and the world stopped spinning. There is nothing in my life that can top the moments in which each of my babies took their first breath, it has happened now three times and it was just as awe-inspiring and magnificent each time. I am a planner by nature (something that can annoy my husband with my lack of spontaneity and continuous list making), and with the end of pregnancy nearing I inevitably thought of when labor would start and what the “plan”...

Oh it has been far too long, and there has been a lot of change in our house! We are expecting baby #3! If you have read any of my last blogs you know that Jake prayed and prayed and prayed for a baby girl. From the second we told him mommy had a baby in her tummy he was adamant that it was a girl. Almost so sure it was a girl that I was nervous for the let-down if it was a new baby brother and considered not finding out. But alas my curiosity got the best of me and we had to find out!  Sure enough….a little bundle of pink was on the way! And when we told the boys Jake’s reaction surprised us, he was more excited when I told him we were having tacos for dinner. Mommy: Are you excited buddy? Jake: Of course! Mommy: I thought you would be a little happier. Jake: I am happy, but mom, I KNEW it was a girl. I have always known! To back up a little we found out we were pregnant in early March after moving my sister to Utah I just didn’t feel right, and those two little p...