Valiant Updates

Eagle fair fun!

2008-05-16T22:42:00.009-04:00

Today was a jammed pack day for our family...I started the day off at TJ's school to help with his Eagle Run activites. But first, I got to show off Miss Frog for "pet day"...that was fun. Oh, and while on topic of the frog...the newbies arrived. I have decided to devote a whole post for them (with pictures and such:-) but I need help with names still-and sorry Kim, but Castro's out- because I can't say Castro without thinking Fidel Castro...but totally great idea and I need more.

Ok, back to the topic of the Eagle fair...it started off with a BEAUTIFUL day and a cute preschoolers parade.

Then my sis Heather surprised us and showed up right away so it was fun to visit and line wait with her. Our first activity was the rock climbing wall. TJ and Jake gave it a shot as well as my niece and nephew, Lindsey and Jonah. They were all troopers and had a great climb.

Then we headed over to the "concessions" area which, of course, was a weight watchers nightmare...thus, I abstained from eating (yea me:-).

but Owen enjoyed ice cream thanks to sweetie cuz Lindsey;-)

There was a fun Bean bag toss where if you got 2 bags in (of 3) you got a special prize...all kids got a basic prize regardless of bags in--but my point is, my Jakey got all 3 bags in and was so proud so here he is with his special prize:

We then let the kiddos walk or ride behind "Llamas" or Alpacas. The kids really loved that!

Oh and I have barely mentioned my Owen...well, the heavens opened and the kiddo sat in his "car" for seriously 3 hours!! Straight! It was unbelievable. He was delightful. I was AMAZED!!! He didn't want to keep the hat on but eventually, I think he forgot about it and just left it alone;-) I had a mom friend come up and ask me what he was drugged with to get him to keep it on...it was truly battle of the wills. Score one for mom.

My dear Uncle Steve even came...he made a generous donation to TJ's class (and many others who couldn't come also gave generously for th tuition assistance program-A HUGE THANKS!!!):

Then we geared up for....hold on to your seats-my first ever 5K!!!
For you "journey blog readers" I'm posting lots more about it over there (soon) but for now I will just say-it was grueling, I am glad I finished, I'm sore, etc. I finished in 43 minutes which I am very pleased with (14 minute mile and no walk in the park might I add;-).
I pushed Owen and had TJ and a school friend of his with me to about the half way point when I left the little whiners in my dust. Speaking of dust, Tim left us all in his dust-that maniac finished 1st place in his category!!!
He was also was in the top 13% of finishers and ran a pace of a 7:26 mile!!! WOW! He was impressive. His first (and only previous) 5k was last year. He did better this year than last and trained less;-) I'm very proud of him. TJ did finally cross the finish line. He did the 5K in 52:58 and I was VERY proud of him. He sprinted the last handful of yards and was a trooper by then. He was 15th-to last place;-) But he finished and in less than an hour...still impressive to me as finishing in under an hour was my only goal-other than finishing at all;-)

We finished up with a small awards ceremony (where Tim received his medal) and a National Guards T-shirt (the Guard was our great sponsor;-).

We then went and ate (don't worry I had a fiber one bar (and a diet soda;-) while Tim gorged on fish n' chips. Ok, so I had pink cotton candy too...and it was SUPER yummy! No regrets.

Now I'm home and in considerable discomfort, but it's in a good way as it was an accomplishment for me. I'm pooped.

Oh and I'm excited about the new froglets;-) So cute!

Finally...

2008-05-15T11:36:00.002-04:00

I just got off the phone with IUPUI/Riley Genetics department...would you believe that the results of Owen's skeletal survey are FINALLY in???

I'm nearly shaking and could just bawl my eyes out (and I have no idea why!).

Here is what the sweet Genetic counselor said (as much as I can recall anyway, in my disbelief that it was her calling).

She started off by apologizing as Owen's results were incorrectly filed and had apparently been in for "a while"-ugh.

So, she began by saying that this specialist who studied Owen's skeletal survey (which is a series of X-rays of his bones) did not find enough markers to definitively diagnose Owen with a skeletal dysplasia (what!!??!!)but he did find a few things that were abnormal...specifically 2. He stated that Owen has a few mild changes to his vertebral body (which is his spine) and to his iliac wings (abnormal rounding of his pelvis bones) and he came up with 2 diagnoses that would possibly fit these findings (don't get too excited, Owen doesn't fit the Dx) called N Syndrome and Lin-Gettig Syndrome. Now I only put the links in for those of you who can't help yourselves but to research this (like me:-) but I can save you the time and tell you both of these syndromes have some pretty crazy stuff at their hallmark (including profound mental retardation). So, it is safe to say Owen does not have these syndromes...if the doctor would have picked a syndrome characterized by excessive dancing, excessive tantrums, excessive cuteness, and being a picky eater, I'd be saying BINGO! So, I guess I'll have to make up the name of Owen's uniqueness and call it the O-E Syndrome (which I had to look up and make sure it wasn't some crazy ailment-it's not, so I officially declare that my Owey has OE syndrome-which is best noted by his cuteness!

All of that to say, we learned nothing-really. I bet if you took one hundred "average kids and did a skeletal survey, at least a couple would have some mild differences that could have a syndrome associated to them (all while seeming perfectly normal and healthy).

One more thing of interest, the genetic counselor did end our conversation by asking me about the placenta...ah-ha...now we're gettin' some where. I've always wondered if Owen's differences had something to do with my pregnancy (not that it's my fault) or the placenta or something (you might remember that his umbilical cord had the strangest look ever-it was very thick and SUPER coiled and even the Neonatalogist thought is was unlike anything she'd ever seen-I believe we were incredibly blessed there was no cord accident, which is when the cord get knotted off and blood flow ceases and the baby dies inutero. So, I did some fine Nancy Drew style detective work and they could be study the pathology report of my placenta this very minute! Which, I will confess-I believe will also end up in a dead end but deep down, I believe there was something not quite right there and thus, we have Owen who is quite PERFECT!

So, that's it. I feel better;-)

It could be that Owen is in bed and TJ and Jake are at school all day...wow, what a difference that makes;-)

Ribbet!

2008-05-13T23:38:00.009-04:00

Pet day is just around the corner and Tonya reminded me today that I made a not-so nice comment about our one and only pet, so, I decided to make a whole post in honor of our beloved Mr. Frog...

First, I have figured out the Mr. Frog is really a Miss Frog...it only took me like 3 1/2 years to figure this out. I have a weird history of getting a pet, giving it a very gender specific name and then finding out later (much) that it is not the sex I thought (Miss Kitty who was really Mr. Cat, which we finally stuck with MC).

Second, I have a renewed love for Miss Frog and I really don't want her to die...really. I'm just lazy...and pathetic...really. Plus, now that I know she's a girl-she may be the only girl I ever have;-) So, I'm gonna cherish her even more now;-)

Ok, so here's a few things I found interesting about my beloved pet, uh I mean my kids pet. She's a Pipidae frog-an aquatic species (kinda like a gold fish in habits) also known as an African Clawed Frog. She does have claws too-little black claws on her first 3 toes on each foot (this is normal, really).

I originally ordered her thru a great site called grow-a-frog. This company carries a really cool lifetime guarantee (which we used once in the beginning b/c our original tadpole died early on)-oh, did I mention I've (I mean my boys) raised this frog since it was a wee tadpole?

Ok, some more fun facts about Missy...she has no tongue. She makes no noise (but male frogs can). She can jump so we have to keep a lid on her tank so she doesn't jump out and die (she doesn't "want" out, she just likes to jump-but since she's aquatic, she would die quickly out of water). She has a really cool "stitch-like" pattern on her and it literally looks like she's had surgery with staple marks. Oh, and she has no eye lids, yet the info site I found said these types of frogs do sleep.

Here's another really cool fact about frogs...have you ever wondered what happens to frogs when it gets cold? I mean, it's not like they go south for the winter??? Well, they actually do something similar to how a bear hibernates. It's kinda detailed but the essentially slow down there body functions (after they cover themselves in mud) and then reanimate in the Spring (or warmer weather). Am I boring you? Oh well, more about Missy...

She's supposedly about twice the size of a male and she has gotten quite pudgy over time so she's been on a few calorie restrictive diets. The aquarium store I get her food from says she'll eat and eat if I let her and frankly, the bigger a tank I put her in, the bigger she'll get-so, I've left her in a little 1 gallon tank since it works so well in our kitchen on the counter. We don't hold her or anything. We just watch her swim. She'd actually as tall as the tank when she stands up and we've done our fair share of laughing when she "swims in place" against the side of the tank, but of course, doesn't get anywhere;-)

She also breathes air vs. having gills. So she must surface every so often to get a fresh breathe. She uses her hands to shove food in her mouth and we have to use sand (I chose orange) vs gravel or stones because she could accidentally ingest a small rock (and choke, and die;-(

While school is very hard for me at times, I'm so glad for these silly projects and "pet days" as they make me use my brain again and I truly hope some of you out there were enlightened by my frog report and maybe even will add one to your family:-) Ribbet!

PS She can lay eggs but without a male, no babes are in her future;-)

PPS All this frog talk has cost me...I've ordered 2 more frogs, one boy and one RARE white frog-oh la la! And a new orange habitat (and a few other accessories!!!). Thanks Tonya!

PPPS I found alot of this info here

What kind of shoes do frogs wear?
Open toad!

What do frogs do with paper?
Rip-it!

How does a frog feel when he has a broken leg?
Unhoppy.

What happened to the frog's car when his parking meter expired?
It got toad!!

What does a frog say when it sees somethin' great?
Toadly awesome!

And my fav:

What did the frog order at McDonald's?
French flies and a diet Croak

Oh and I'll need names for my new pets...otherwise they'll be Whitey and Boy...please don't let that happen.

I hope you don't have Batrachophobia- Fear of amphibians, such as frogs, newts, salamanders, etc. or Ranidaphobia- Fear of frogs.

This isn't normal...

2008-05-11T20:41:00.005-04:00

but it is very cute! Jacob has an ear infection. I had to take him to the doctor on Friday morning because his "ea-were huwts" which is Jake talk for his ear hurt. And the doctor said he DID have an ear infection and huge tonsils...so he was prescribed an antibiotic and has been pretty ok....until today. He's ok, but he said his "froat huwts" and he has a "weal bad cawf" so I asked him to get me a flash light so I could look in his throat. Exhibit A:

Ummm...yeah, this is the "flash light" he brought me. Hillarious!

And come to find out, I didn't need it because when I asked him to open up and say "Ahhhhh", here's what I see: (warning, kinda gross and graphic site)

They aren't supposed to be almost TOUCHING!!!

So, his tonsils are still huge!!! And I'm praying he improves...unfortunately, my throat is starting to hurt too-bummer!

Anyway, I really thought it was cute and funny of him to bring me a flood light from the garage to look in his throat-poor boy!

I believe I spent last mother's day in Urgent care too!

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-11T13:11:00.004-04:00

I pray all you beautiful Ladies have a wonderful day today from my home to yours!

Whether you've yelled at your kids (today or any other), spent nights worrying about their future, prayed for your family to be blesses with another child (and even for those who prayed for no more children;-), and for all moms in between today is a day for you and I pray it's extra special. Great BIG ((Cyber Hugs)) to one and all!

Today I am thankful for my own mother! My mom is a beautiful woman who loves her children and grandchildren so dearly. She's very generous and caring and is one of the best people on earth I can call for anything! I love you mom and I'm so thankful God chose you to be my mom!!!

I'm thankful for Tim's mom also. She loves her boys dearly and brought them up in a loving Christian home. She helped make him the man he's become and helped give him values and beliefs that he now passes onto our boys.

I'm thankful for all the moms I am friends with. Their love, support, and encouragement makes my daily life as a mom so much more bearable.

I'm prayerful for the moms of the children my children will come into contact with and especially for the mothers of my boys future wives (Lord willing). May the Lord bless them and guide them to raise their children with love, gentleness, kindness and discipline.

I'm so thankful I'm a mom...God blessed me with the ultimate job and chose 3 beautiful boys for me (who are fighting, crying, and shushing each other as I type). I love hearing their precious voices saying mom, mommy, and ma-ma (most of the time). I even thought I would splurge today and since my job as a mom is never done, I've decided to stay in my cute church clothes ALL day. Soo here I sit "indian style" in my skirt typing away basking in the aroma of Owen's poopy diaper as Tim changes it (no diaper changes for me today, right??? Actually, I already changed him first thing this morning;-) I even came home from church and vacuumed in my skirt (I felt so June Cleaverish;-). You should try it-it really does make house work more enjoyable!

Again, I pray your day is beautiful and you can celebrate being a lovely lady surrounded by those who love you!

PS Big shocker, but Owen wasn't so into my plan of the cute pink sign idea-I almost did a pictorial showing the number (vast) of shots I tried...but I figure you can tell from the crumpled paper of his opposition;-) Gotta love Owen!

The post with the most!

2008-05-08T21:07:00.013-04:00

"stuff" that is;-)

Where to start-so many things to report on and frankly, uploading pix is a hard thing to do-getting the right photo with the right story-such work!

And while I'm talking about work, my "blogosphere pal Beth" posted a great little ditty about why comments are so important to bloggers. I couldn't agree more and really feel that people leaving comments are my only "payment" for doing this. It means a lot to me that you read my posts and enjoy them. I do post primarily for the journaling aspect-it's my "cyber" scrapbook of sorts and someday, I believe my children will cherish this blog;-) But, I also love sharing our lives and appreciate knowing others stopped in-so, please visit Beth's site and read her post on commenting and then leave your comments here saying you stopped in-even if it's as tiny as "nice post"-I truly appreciate EVERY comment made here and am humbled that people visit my blog at all;-) I will do my best to do the same when I visit your blogs as I see the importance of commenting more so now than ever;-) Ok, so now on to the post with the most...

In no specific order:

Enjoying the nice spring weather-the boys have had a great time playing outside lately and they really do enjoy basketball...this little fisher price hoop has been a great find-I got it YEARS ago at a garage sale and it has had a well-loved life;-)

Notice Owen pushing Jacob on the little ride-on toy. Jacob is such a little manipulator;-)

Have I mentioned Owen's phone obsession yet? Even if I have, there's no way I have eluded to the mass scope of the situation. I think we need an intervention to break the addiction cycle. I mean, the kid is ate up with the phone. Thankfully, my gal pal Lindsay showed me how to "lock" my phone keys and that helps when his DT's go into full effect. Oh that boy-he is a very blessed kid-very blessed that I cried rivers of tears for his lil hiney...these days I've needed MORE than my fair share of mommy time outs from him-and trust me-no one is immune to his antics. He's shown his self in front of friends, family, strangers, his DT, PT and my how the list goes on-GEESH!

Oh, and have I mentioned-no phone is immune? He will swipe or beg for ANY phone he sees-yours, mine, strange men in the play area at the mall. Worst part? He's so darn cute people will hand their phones over to the kid! Ok, on with the count down.

Peanut allergies anyone? Thank God not Owen as he has PB&J from head to toe! This little (who am I kiddin' here) mess is compliments of daddy:-) Nice dinner da-da!

FYI-that was a new shirt-WAS, I said. It did say "my da-da is #1!"...I think it now says "da-da is mud!"

Spring program ALERT! Two programs, two nights in a row. Whew! What musical fun! At least they were cute;-)

Jake's:

TJ's:

Tball-Jake is playing in a big-boy 5 & 6 year old league (he's only 4 1/2;-) and he's having a good time so far, uh, kicking dirt and picking dandelions anyway;-)

He thinks he's pretty big stuff. And yes, that is Tim and TJ in the team picture as they are "coaches". Well, truth is, TJ is snack advisor (he lets us know if the snack was good or not) but Tim is coaching with lots of encouragement (as any man would need with 12 post toddlers to guide).

It's a bit blurry but Owen loves to put "things" on his head and walk around. This cute batman mask is frequently donned by the little terror;-)

Hmmm...what next? Oh, my new find: GLAM's...Greater Lafayette Area Moms. It's a great group that has tours and meet-ups and it's not your typical moms club as it's for SAHM's and Working moms and even for dads! We've done two tours now. An aquarium tour (just a small local one) and an awesome tour of our local Meijer store today! It was fun-here are some highlights:

Got milk?

Whew! Are you tired yet? I am. Hope you enjoyed our recent outtings though;-)

Hugs! ~Renay

Happy 18 months Owen!!!

2008-05-03T08:00:00.001-04:00

I can hardly believe 18 months have passed since you were born. Oh, what a ride it's been! You hardly seem like a baby anymore. You toddle around everywhere you go (that is, when you aren't spinning in circles and dancing). You've started walking backwards and trying to run. You have the cutest belly laugh, infectious giggle and naughtiest tantrums I've ever seen!

We love you so dearly-words simply can't describe our love for you in fact. Your big brothers think you're really great too! You love them so much you repeat EE-JA and JA-OB and my favorite is your Ma-ma that you say wit such an incredibly sweet and soft voice!

Your new favorite that has caused more than one tantrum is the cell phone (and house phone). I can't even pick up the cell phone to check the time without you putting your cute little hand to your ear and signing more and please. You love to hear daddy talk to you from work and you've even called Grama while I was working out (oops).

You're a finicky eater but you do like variety. Still not a big fan of fruit either. You have 7 teeth cut thru and one molar that has a tip cutting thru. You know the following signs: more, please, thank you, all done, bye-bye, drink, eat and you clap for "yea". You also wave and blow kisses at ni-night time. You go to bed so well. You love books and praying and singing.

You can destroy a room faster than a Kansas tornado. You love to try to type on the computer, dial numbers on the phone, and sneak things out of the pantry.

You're also master escape artist and could give David Blane a good run for his money. You love to explore your toys and play with toy food and such.

As spring is "here" it's a good thing as you are finally outgrowing your 6 month clothes. At your 18 month check-up today, you weighed 18 pounds 9 ounces and were 28 3/4 inches long.

Your head circumference is staying right on track just under the 25 percentile. You may be small but you are truly a mighty little boy. I hear comments all the time about how cute you are. People are always checking you out!

You sleep about 10-12 hours at night and take one good 2 hour nap each day. You love to go for bike rides and you spent you first time away from mommy and daddy-10 days with Grama Becca!!! You were so good for her!

Aside from your curiosity, phone fetish, and tantrums, I couldn't ask for a better 18 month old.

We love you! Hugs, kisses and cuddles, Ma-ma

Don't mess with Mr. Valiant

2008-05-02T14:34:00.004-04:00

I love my husband...I really do. He's fearless. I don't brag on him near enough, but today is a good day for a good story.

Today he called me with the following story (dramatic emphasis added by author;-):

A man walks into to his local Walgreens and ends up at the returns counter. My husband is blessed enough to be the transaction officianado at hand. The man proceeds to ask for a cash refund for a $20.99 power outlet thingy (not sure exactly what the item was but you get the drift). Anyway, my smart hubby, thinks to himself "hmmm....what's this guy up to?". So he starts (professionally) asking the gentleman about the items purchase history as he is typing the details of it in the system to check 1) when it was last sold and 2) their on hand count. The "customer" doesn't recall when he got it (of course) and has nor receipt. My loving spouse asks the gentleman to wait there while he checks the current price in the aisle to make sure he gives him the right amount back (tricky, tricky). So, he (Tim) proceeds to dash down the aisle to see that there is one on the shelf (interesting, the on hand count shows TWO). Then he dashes into the office to check the security tapes (yes, this all only takes moments, but what a moron to stand there and wait). Of course, the security tapes show this fella walking in empty handed and walking to the aisle and picking up the item and taking it to the register for a REFUND. The nerve!

So, my fearless husband calls the police to alert them that the man may put up resistance when he refuses the cash request. And the dept says they'll send someone over. Mr. V must now compose himself to face the perp. He heads back out to the register and explains to the man that he is not able to offer him a refund since he did not purchase the item. The man maintains that he did but is obviously afraid of my ferocious buff spouse because he puts up little fight and my husband persuades him to leave empty handed. (The man still maintained that he walked in with the item even when leaving). So my husband ESCORTS him out (so brave) and watches him get into his car. As the dude is backing up the polk show up and Tim POINTS TO THE MAN AND THEY APPREHEND HIM!!! With little interrogation he admits to the crime and Tim saved the day!

He's known for another event where he actually chased a guy who had stolen a bunch of stuff so his employees this day were glad to know he didn't have to run any.

Ahhh...my knight in shining Walgreens attire! Je t'adore

A picture of us at Walgreens in 2002ish...where he still works, but is planning to open a new store here in town soon;-) And he now wears a bright blue shirt instead of the "smock"--- way more intimidating;-)

Happy May Day!

2008-05-01T13:17:00.005-04:00

I can't believe it's May 1st already. This school year flew by! I am looking forward to the summer but I am sad that my TJ will be a 3rd grader (he can't be 8 1/2 already can he be?).

I have a cute story to share from earlier today. I went to Jacob's preschool to pick him up promptly at 11:30 and when I got to his class room, I didn't see him. So, I saw his lovely teacher (I'm serious she's truly a lovely lady and we are so thankful Jake has her as a teacher!) and said "is he in the bathroom"? And she looked at me like, uh, I'll check. So, when he wasn't in there, she promptly went to find him and I dumbly said, did you lose him? (I said it jokingly). She came back a moment later carrying my precious boy holding her tightly sobbing and she said he was already eating lunch with his school buddy Brock and she remembered sending him (accidentally) to lunch with the kids who stay all day. Jacob was of course crushed that he didn't get to stay and was so very sad. Mrs. Thomas felt so badly that Jake was upset. I was just happy he was "found";-) (and BTW, Mrs Thomas sent an email apology which made me feel bad, since I was seriously not upset about it-just sad for Jacob, but he needs to get used to disappointment, right?;-)

Anyway, in the van I asked him what he was eating for lunch and he told me pancakes and bacon and such (oh and BTW, the school offered to let him stay and eat, but the mean mommy I am said no-but they were great about the whole thing) and I told him I could make pancakes for him. He quickly threw in "and bacon?" and I said we didn't have any but I'd make pancakes. So I rush inside and start preheating the griddle.

I looked in the pantry and as you can guess...there was no blessed Bisquick. What would I do? Could Jacob really handle the devastation twice in one day? I had visions of having to go to Chuck-E-Cheese to make up this injustice to him. But, I came back to my senses and thought-how hard can it be to make pancakes. So, I opened my trusty Better Homes and Garden cookbook and voila, a pancakes recipe I could make.

Here's my happy boys enjoying their pancakes.

I love being a mom. Little things like this, I will miss greatly as little things turn into bigger issues than missing lunch at preschool. Speaking of "I'm gonna miss this" ...I love Trace Adkins (I loved him in the celebrity Apprentice)and he has a great song entitled your gonna miss this ... I know the song is more about a young girl wanting to be older and not an old mom wanting her kids to stay little a little longer but it still moves me. So, I added it at the bottom to my playlist and put it on as the first song for now.

Here's the lyrics:

She was staring out the window of their SUV
Complaining, saying "I can't wait to turn 18"
She said "I'll make my own money, and I'll make my own rules"
Mamma put the car in park out there in front of the school
Then she kissed her head and said "I was just like you"

You're gonna miss this
You're gonna want this back
You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna miss this

Before she knows it she's a brand new bride
In a one-bedroom apartment, and her daddy stops by
He tells her "It's a nice place"
She says "It'll do for now"
Starts talking about babies and buying a house
Daddy shakes his head and says And "Baby, just slow down"

Cause you're gonna miss this
You're gonna want this back
You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna miss this

Five years later there's a plumber workin' on the water heater
Dog's barkin', phone's ringin'
One kid's cryin', one kid's screamin'
And she keeps apologizin'
He says "They don't bother me.
I've got 2 babies of my own.
One's 36, one's 23.
Huh, it's hard to believe, but...

You're gonna miss this
You're gonna want this back
You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna miss this"

Just for fun (a meme???)

2008-04-30T20:13:00.002-04:00

Many of my blogosphere pals have done this already and I’m following suite. I hope you will too-if you do, please leave a comment so I can read yours and learn more fun stuff about you. You’re officially tagged, don’t let me down.

Where is your cell phone? Probably in the mud room.

Your significant other? He’s an amazing man. He’s My soul mate and a wonderful patient father. He’s a reader, a book collector, great teacher, brilliant financial whiz and dedicated Walgreens manager. He has a great sense of humor that many don’t quite get. He’s a staunch republican. He has bunches of quirks that make me crazy yet, love him even more. He’s also very fit and can run like lightening. I’m a huge fan and the president of his fan club.

Your hair? Is kinda short now and I’m just getting the hang of how to style it (I guess). I’m glad I have hair.

Your mother? Is the mom God chose for me and I love her deeply. She is a very giving woman and the best grandma ever. She’s also recently lost a bunch of weight and looks great. She has had an amazing life filled with challenges and health problems but has always come out a stronger person from it.

Your father? Is the dad God chose for me and I love him deeply. I know he loves us all very much too.

Your favorite thing? Um, other than my God, family and friends…I’m liking my bike and kid trailer, my computer, my new hair cut, and my plastic coca-cola cups (I have only 3 left). Oh, my other new fav thing is gong on cruises.

Your dream last night? I don’t remember any.

Your favorite drink? My new fav is ice water but my old fav is fountain diet pepsi.

Your dream/goal? Well, I would like to run a marathon. And I would like to lose weight and reclaim my body and health. But my ultimate goal is to be a Godly wife and raise my 3 boys (and any future children) in the discipline and admonition of the Lord. I pray we will be a healthy happy and above all Godly family and bring others to knowing the saving grace of Jesus.

The room you are in? My living room now (I started this in the kitchen).

Your ex? Which one? I’d rather not go there.

Your fear? I have many. I can't watch demonic or super scary movies as they give me irrational fears. I fear my family members passing on only because I am selfish and would miss them. I fear my childrem getting injured in a life altering (or ending) way. I fear automobile accidents and flying in small planes. I am completely public speaking phobic. I fear tax audits. I fear house fires. I fear what people think of me and worry they don't believe the best even though those are my intentions. I fear messing up as a nurse and causing harm to a patient or their baby. I fear someday the Lord will not say "well done good and faithful servant-I am proud to call you my daughter".

Where do you want to be in 6 years? Continuing on a healthy lifestyle path and possibly with one more child.

Where were you last night? I was on my couch watching AI, and House

What you are not? I’m not healthy but I am working on it. I am in pain from trying to get healthy, my legs are killing me.

Muffins? I’m not really a muffin girl. I could live without them.

One of your wish list items? Too many too list. I would like rocks for landscaping my yard and some pretty day lillies.

Where you grew up? Linden IN

The last thing you did? Talk to my sis on the phone while cleaning Owen off from his lunch, but we are about to head out to the mall for a play date.

What are you wearing? Jeans and a bright green short sleeved top

Your TV? Is a close friend. I love who my TV becomes when I turn it on. Another guilty pleasure and addiction. I love my DVR equally though. Deal or no deal is now on in the back ground (it took a while for me to finish this post).

Your pets? Just one, an aquatic frog that we rec’vd as a tadpole. He (or she) is like a fish since it lives in the water and people thnk we are cruel that we keep him alone in a small tank but it’s how he’s supposed to be raised. We’ve had him now for 2 ½ years. I cried once when I thought he was dying, now sometimes I wish he’d kick th ebucket since he’s a pain to keep his tank clean. But he needs to live thru next week so I can take him to TJ’s schoolfor pet day.

Your computer? Is a great Compaq Presario laptop and I would have it with me everywhere if I could, it might be a bit of a guilty pleasure (ok it’s an obsession, but whatever).

Your life? Is incredibly blessed and I am not always as grateful for it as I should be.

Your mood? Really great! (I’ve been heading downhill all day though with my legs hurting and I’m unusually weary.

Missing someone? I miss my kids when I’m away from them and I sometimes miss that all my grandparents passed away either before I was bornor when I was young.

Your car? Is a wonderful gift from my hub. I drive a 2005 Toyota Sienna and it’s cool.

Something you are not wearing? Socks nor shoes which is a huge preference of mine. I prefer sandals but the snow keeps that an impossible (or at least dumb) year round feat.

Favorite store? For what? I really like Target and try to say out to save money. Kohl’s, bath and body, and the hallmark store sometimes. I like shopping online and thru ebay.

Your summer? Will be laid back and lazy. I will just enjoy my boys being home with me.

Like someone? Of course, but I don’t have a specific cute answer here. I guess I like Carl Edwards the Nascar driver of the 99 Ford Fusion who does back flips when he wins. He has one in the cup series 3 times this year already. He’s on fire. And just seems like a genuinely good guy.

Your favorite color? Really girly pink. I love baby pink Gerber daisies too.

When is the last time you laughed? Hmmm…I laugh out loud at TV shows all the time. I can’t remember laughing really hard since the last time I had friends over and we played games. We always crack up till we near cry or pee ourselves (alcohol free ta boot;-)

Last time you cried? Oh my gosh, when we were on the way back from our Cruise and TJ and watched Bridge to Teribithia- I bawled like a BABY!!! It was a great movie but it moved me deeply!

Ok, now it’s your turn.

Bye, bye sanity...

2008-04-23T09:39:00.011-04:00

I was up early today, but the boys were up at a pretty normal time. Owen gleefully ate his powered donuts (obviously he's not on my diet) and then he was so messy I undressed him (well, down to his diaper). He quickly located his shoes and brought them to me-it was so cute, I thought, well, it will make a cute picture, so I put them on him. It was going great until I ran to the van to get the camera and UGH, he followed me! He must've thought with shoes on, we were going bye, bye. So, when he realized it wasn't so, he followed up with this... and this... and this... and it went on and on so I decided to record it so you can all see the head spinning from my last post. Yes, there is crying involved but I do talk to him some in it which is a bit comical-so if you can deal with it, keep the sound on for a good laugh. And finally, pray for me, as I am contemplating a psych ward admission (for me, not Owen;-). Oh and it's a little dark in the beginning but it lightens up;-)

Ok so I can't get it to work, so put it at the bottom as a you tube video called "Owen cries" -enjoy;-)

Major Meltdown

2008-04-22T09:53:00.005-04:00

Owen is a good baby. He is. Thus, he must have MPD because I swear to you yesterday I saw Linda Blair in her infamous role in the Exorcist come right out of Owen!

The kid is having major withdraw apparently from our binkie breaking addiction. So there we were, right in the middle of Chick-fil-A when the whole head spinning thing started-my oh my...what happened to my precious baby? I seriously contemplated shoving the binkie back in his mouth right then and there and just writing a letter to his future wife apologizing that we never broke the habit.

It was surreal.

I have to tell myself sometimes, this is the same kid I spent 12 weeks on strict bedrest for and rivers of tears on. Wow-was he something else.

So, I took him to the van and strapped him in-I would have used a straight jacket had I had one, but I settled for our overpriced Brittax carseat. He sat there like he was coming down from a haldol injection. He looked pathetic and worn out from his full body convulsions. I feel stupid that I tried to give him a mint or sip of lemonade to calm him down (prior to our exit from the dining area) so I could stay there chatting with a friend. No chance-any longer and we would've been kicked out.

Ahhh...and to think that was just the first of many, MANY tantrums-and he's only 17 1/2 months old. Ugh.

He is also doing another interesting thing...he's crying and screaming when his brothers take things from him. He's such a cry baby and tattle tell-already. I'm so calling Dr. Phil for an intervention-or maybe the Super Nanny. Jo, can you help?

Right now he is writing on a magna doodle and it's super cute, 2 minutes from now, his head may be spinning again...who knows. I'll take the bad with the good (if I have to).

Oh and back to the binkie breaking-I've also noticed he seems to be teething so of course this was the best possible time to rip away a source of comfort for my poor kiddo who is writhing in pain. Great idea, really.

Awww...he just clapped for himself in delight at his art work. Then I ruined it by grabbing the camera and he threw himself on the floor. Uh, yea...I think his 18 month pictures will be grand!

Ok, well, pray for me. I'm off to the yellow pages to search under E for exorcism.

Bye, bye binkie!

2008-04-20T23:36:00.002-04:00

I haven't posted in a while because we were-uh, well out of the country...a fabulous Cruise that I earned compliments of my pampered chef gig;-) We went to the Bahamas and it was so wonderful. TJ came along and Owen and Jake stayed with my mom (thanks mom!). I have tons of details to share (mostly just to journal the memories) but it's already late tonight so you'll have to wait. I will probably do separate posts for each day of our trip.

But, this post is to say that we are officially 36 hours binkie free. From the moment we picked Owen up yesterday from my mom, we have not given him his binkie (which he used mostly for naps anyway). It is going ok-really pretty well by most standards but for me I am sad since it is one more sign that I am losing my baby and he can be quite the whiner so I usually plugged him up when I tired of hearing him whine-no more of that lazy momming;-)

So, I guess that's it for this post-here's a few pics of the boys before they headed off to grama's for their 10 day stay;-)

Home stretch

2008-04-07T14:50:00.004-04:00

It's true, I am in the home stretch of my fund raising efforts for the March of dimes WALK FOR BABIES. I need to turn in all my donations to my team's leader this week (before we leave on vacation!!!). Our team once again is Lydia's Grace and is in memory of Lydia Grace Focosi who went home to be with our Lord on the day of her birth back in December. Her mom Amy is a dear friend who has worked tremendously hard organizing a team and collecting donations and this is the least I can do.

Lydia holding her daddy's hand

Lydia's feet nestled safely in mommy's loving hands

Amy, Mike and son Alex at the balloon release after Lydia's memorial service

Lydia and Mommy-hand in hand

As most of you know I also have had problems causing premature birth with 2 of my 3 pregnancy's and the March for babies is very near and dear to my heart. I am one of the fortunate ones to have 2 good outcomes with these very dark times of having a baby be born prior to full-term gestation-too many others aren't so fortunate and must cope with unexpected infant loss, and long term health problems.

Precious Owen Elijah born at 32 weeks gestation-just 2 pounds 13 ounces

Would you please join me in helping meet my final goal of raising $500??? If all my readers would give even a few dollars (it's super easy, just click the side bar and you can even give via secure cc transaction;-) we would easily surpass my goal which can go a long way to help others. Thanks for your consideration! Please click my sidebar link for March for Babies right now!

Many blessings to you all!

Happy 17 months old Owen!

2008-04-03T16:28:00.005-04:00

Today Owen turned 17 months old! I took him for the monthly weighing in and measuring and here's where he is now: he weighed in at 18 pounds 2 ounces which is GREAT weight gain (up 10 ounces from last month). His length was 28 3/8 inches (which is barely up from 28 1/4 inches), and his head circumference was up 1/2 cm.

So he is still pretty much on his same curve that is well below the "average" with no "catch-up" to the average growth curve. Oh, and he's around the 25% if you just compare him weight for height (which means a little scrawny even for his shortyness-another Renayism).

He's SOOOO active!!! He is walking everywhere, though not completely stable on his feet (thus easily falls). He tries to move around dancing but it really just looks like he is walking around in circles with his head high and a BIG goofy smile on his face.

He now has 7 teeth! 2 on bottom, the 4 in front on the top, and one top molar has cut all the way through:-)

The program that helps us make sure Owen is developing on track (First Steps) has reevaluated him and has qualified him for more therapies because of our difficulties communicating with him and his resulting frustrations. He does know a handful of signs and his latest to pick up is "please", though modified, as he just wasn't doing the traditional way. He does "sing" and says ma-ma and da-da on command, but not to get our attention per se.

Oh, and he's climbing! Everywhere! In fact, he just strategically positioned a toy so that he could climb up on the couch while I was typing this...and now he's crying since I foiled his plans. He also walks around with a toy phone to his ear all the time or if he sees me pick up the phone and his toy phone isn't close by, he'll raise his had to his ear for a "pretend" phone-super cute!

He's also quite the custodian as you can see from the pictures.

Enjoy!

Tricia's new lungs!

2008-04-02T20:13:00.003-04:00

Nate has updated and says it's a go and Tricia is in the OR! Isn't it amazing that I don't even "know" these people yet I am so pulling for them! Praise God in His faithfulness to give Tricia new lungs (a second chance and hopefully a good number more years to raise her precious newborn Gwyneth), Nate the most wonderful birthday present ever, and of course so much more! Pray hard as many things must go well from here on:) Follow Nate's thoughts through this emotional roller coaster by clicking here.

My first Marriage...

2008-04-02T15:28:00.003-04:00

Was to Tim and it was my only marriage;-) It's a joke between he and I where he has always said in the game "2 truths and a lie" that TJ is his son from his first marriage as one of his "truths" and of course, he is-both of us have only been married once, to each other, and only have the 3 kiddos:-) Apparently, not everyone gets my sense of humor-and that's ok:-) Apparently, there are also a lot of blog reading lurkers on here who NEVER leave a comment, and that's ok too but please know I do wish I knew who regularly (and not so regularly) checks in on us:-)

All in good fun:-)

PS No word yet about Tricia's new lungs;-(

A call to prayer!

2008-04-02T11:34:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone, I was just checking Nate's blog and they have gotten a call about a possibility of new lungs for Tricia! And it's Nate's birthday-wouldn't that be so amazing for her to get new lungs on his birthday??? Please pray that these lungs would be a perfect match and for the family of the donor, because obviously for her to get new lungs, someone else has passed theirs on.

Checking in pays off

2008-04-01T15:17:00.011-04:00

I have a proud mommy moment to share-but first a little background. We send our son TJ (you know the one from my 1st marriage) to a private Christian school. We love it at Faith and so does he. We've never had any problems. He's a pretty good boy and quite bright. Well, recently, he brought home his report card and he had all A's, except one B...not a big deal except something just didn't seem right. He is highly capable of straight A's and we expect it of him b/c of his capableness (new word??). In fact, he has always gotten straight A's -I feel very blessed to share that. I know many parents are pleased when their kiddos bring home C's b/c that is their best. We have the same philosophy so we will always celebrate our kids "best" whether it's A's or what have you. TJ has struggled with penmanship (which I think is nearly obsolete since computers are everywhere and going paperless is how I see our future) and has gotten B's in it (which may or may not have been his best, but his school does not count penmanship in GPA or honor roll, etc.

Well, this B was not in penmanship. It was in Bible. TJ always knows his memory verses-hands down that kid knows more verses than me. He has a really good memory-me, Momnesia. But, on his report card he had a B. Progress reports had not indicated that he was performing at a B level and he has never told me that he'd been missing memory verses but as a parent I wondered if maybe he was hiding it from me and had been slacking.
So, I wrote a "nice" note with his signed report card and low and behold IT WAS A MISTAKE! He was supposed to get an A+ not a B+!!! I have never been so happy to get a call from school in my life (and he's never been so happy to be called up to the teachers desk). His teacher was so apologetic and kind about the whole mix up. And I am so proud of my TJ! He got ALL A's -even in handwriting. I wanted to post a picture of him and his report card, but my little genius forgot it at school (and lost his lunch box) but it's still a red letter day because he got all A's!!!

We are SOOOO PROUD OF YOU TJ!