Paul and I have been adventurous this summer! Two fun trips sans kiddos!
This past weekend we went up to Philly to go to a Phillies/Nats baseball game with Paul's cousin, John, and his wife, Anna. We had great seats and had a blast eating John's delicious cheesesteaks. We spent the night in downtown Philly and then went to visit with Paul's grandmother for lunch. It was a quick trip, but nice to get away for a night. Thanks to Oma & Pa for watching the boys!
(And yes, I wore a Phillies shirt and Paul wore a Nat's shirt... don't ask.)
A couple weeks ago, Paul and I went with a group of friends (including Paul's two sisters -- Gretchen & Allison) to the Green Day concert at Jiffy Lube live. Great weather + even better company = fantastic time. Listening to Green Day brings back a lot of really fun high school and college memories (probably for most people of my generation). And a thanks to Nana for watching the boys!
Enjoy slideshows below....
Friday, August 27, 2010
Fun in the Sun!
Slideshow below of pictures from Jake's 3rd birthday party at Splashdown Waterpark! We lucked out with great weather and Jake had an absolute blast!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Blessings
The second you become a parent, your entire world changes, and the unconditional love that you feel for your child is unlike anything that you could ever imagine. In that instant, you know that you will spend the rest of your life doing anything in your power to love, protect, and comfort that sweet baby.
In this time of great heartbreak from the passing of baby Declan, I am reminded of all my blessings and to never take a moment with my babies for granted. Emotions can never be more raw than those for losing a child. I didn't know Declan personally but I knew his story and I knew his and his family's pain. I cried along with them and prayed along with them. I think that is an ultimate testament to Declan's legacy; his life and his Mommy's words have touched so many people.
I have taken some time to reflect over the last couple of weeks and remember that even in the midst of stress and chaos and the difficulties of life, that nothing can or will ever compare to the nightmare that Declan's family is living. I find myself taking the extra 10 minutes to linger at home in the morning before heading to work to give my boys a huge hug and kiss and tell them how much I love them. During a hectic day at work, I stop and take a deep breath and remember that whatever problem is going on is not going to be the end of the world, and at the end of the day, I have a happy, loving, and healthy family to go home to. What true blessings.
I am thankful for everything that this sweet baby boy has been able to teach me and remind me of. While his time in this world was short, it was purposeful, and we should all be so lucky as to be touched by his journey.
An excerpt from the eulogy given yesterday at his funeral by his parents --
My son, your life was not in vain and albeit short, it was filled with so much more than we ever could have imagined for you. Your little life touched more lives than we will probably ever know. Son, you made a difference. Your ability to smile in the face of horrible pain and months of being away from the family that loved you so, made people (including us) stop and reflect on their lives. To look at the world around us, see all the blessings we have been given and maybe for the first time, really and truly appreciate them. YOU did this. You reminded parents what a gift it is to be allowed to be a Mommy or a Daddy. You helped us all slow down and appreciate the little things in life …like the smile of a little boy from Ashburn …and to remember no matter how bad anything in our life seems, if you keep a smile on your face, you can do anything, be anything …even impact a world. We are so grateful to you for all you taught us. We are so proud of you and to be your parents.
RIP sweet baby Declan.
http://declansjourney.com/
In this time of great heartbreak from the passing of baby Declan, I am reminded of all my blessings and to never take a moment with my babies for granted. Emotions can never be more raw than those for losing a child. I didn't know Declan personally but I knew his story and I knew his and his family's pain. I cried along with them and prayed along with them. I think that is an ultimate testament to Declan's legacy; his life and his Mommy's words have touched so many people.
I have taken some time to reflect over the last couple of weeks and remember that even in the midst of stress and chaos and the difficulties of life, that nothing can or will ever compare to the nightmare that Declan's family is living. I find myself taking the extra 10 minutes to linger at home in the morning before heading to work to give my boys a huge hug and kiss and tell them how much I love them. During a hectic day at work, I stop and take a deep breath and remember that whatever problem is going on is not going to be the end of the world, and at the end of the day, I have a happy, loving, and healthy family to go home to. What true blessings.
I am thankful for everything that this sweet baby boy has been able to teach me and remind me of. While his time in this world was short, it was purposeful, and we should all be so lucky as to be touched by his journey.
An excerpt from the eulogy given yesterday at his funeral by his parents --
My son, your life was not in vain and albeit short, it was filled with so much more than we ever could have imagined for you. Your little life touched more lives than we will probably ever know. Son, you made a difference. Your ability to smile in the face of horrible pain and months of being away from the family that loved you so, made people (including us) stop and reflect on their lives. To look at the world around us, see all the blessings we have been given and maybe for the first time, really and truly appreciate them. YOU did this. You reminded parents what a gift it is to be allowed to be a Mommy or a Daddy. You helped us all slow down and appreciate the little things in life …like the smile of a little boy from Ashburn …and to remember no matter how bad anything in our life seems, if you keep a smile on your face, you can do anything, be anything …even impact a world. We are so grateful to you for all you taught us. We are so proud of you and to be your parents.
RIP sweet baby Declan.
http://declansjourney.com/
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
We Like to Talk, Talk, Talk!
Given that Jake didn't call me Mama until he was almost 2 years old, I didn't quite believe it when Josh started saying mama and dada a couple of weeks ago.... I chalked it up to baby babble. Then I started to notice that he would try to repeat single words that one of us would say, or even that he would hear Dora say on TV ("backpack" = "back pfth"). Now he repeats Mama and Dada almost on command (but still mainly when he feels like it) and is beginning to recognize Paul and I with those names when he sees us or wants us. He's also referring to Mosley as BoBo (which is what Jake calls him) and asking for his baba (bottle). It's really exciting for us to see him repeating the sounds that we make and watching his speech blossom.
Jake continues to make incredible strides with his speech as well. He talks in mainly complete sentences and uses his expressive language skills very well. The trouble is that people (other than me and Paul) have a difficult time actually understanding what he is saying. At this age, strangers should be able to understand at least 50% of what he is saying and we're not quite there... This translates not to a speech delay but to an articulation disorder. He says all the words and knows their meaning (expressive language) but has difficulty making some of the common letter combination sounds (ones that by this age he should be able to make). At his 3 year check-up, his pediatrician encouraged us to seek out speech therapy for him for the articulation issues through Prince William County public schools Child Find program. This is different than the Early Intervention program we had him in before for his speech delay. The Child Find program is for children ages three and up and is coordinated through the school system. We have an initial screening this upcoming Friday and we'll learn more about which programs for which he qualifies given where they evaluate his articulation problems to be. At the end of the day, this isn't anything to be concerned with and is something he will easily overcome with time, but getting him involved in a program now will ensure he is ready for kindergarten in two years (hard to believe!!).
Jake continues to make incredible strides with his speech as well. He talks in mainly complete sentences and uses his expressive language skills very well. The trouble is that people (other than me and Paul) have a difficult time actually understanding what he is saying. At this age, strangers should be able to understand at least 50% of what he is saying and we're not quite there... This translates not to a speech delay but to an articulation disorder. He says all the words and knows their meaning (expressive language) but has difficulty making some of the common letter combination sounds (ones that by this age he should be able to make). At his 3 year check-up, his pediatrician encouraged us to seek out speech therapy for him for the articulation issues through Prince William County public schools Child Find program. This is different than the Early Intervention program we had him in before for his speech delay. The Child Find program is for children ages three and up and is coordinated through the school system. We have an initial screening this upcoming Friday and we'll learn more about which programs for which he qualifies given where they evaluate his articulation problems to be. At the end of the day, this isn't anything to be concerned with and is something he will easily overcome with time, but getting him involved in a program now will ensure he is ready for kindergarten in two years (hard to believe!!).
More Birthday!
I haven't had a chance to upload the pictures from Jake's birthday party at the waterpark, but below are some more pictures from our family celebration on his actual birthday.... complete with green cake and yes, of course, Jake opening his presents with a saw :-)
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Thank You, Great Nana!
Great Nana,
Thank you so much for my birthday gift! Ilove my camo lunch bag and I plan to use it for storing all sorts of fun things, including food! It was so thoughtful for you to think about me on my special day and I really appreciate it!
Love,
Jake
Thank you so much for my birthday gift! Ilove my camo lunch bag and I plan to use it for storing all sorts of fun things, including food! It was so thoughtful for you to think about me on my special day and I really appreciate it!
Love,
Jake
Birthday Surprise!
Jake's final present/surprise for the evening was awaiting him in his bedroom. We caught his excitement on video, below... brand new Handy Manny comforter and bright green sheets for his bed! He says he is very excited to sleep with Handy Manny now :-)
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