I survived!

M was away on business for a full 7 days, 6 nights and got home last night *WOO-HOO* Luckily my Dad came over for an hour in the evening to help with bath/book/bed time and the kids stayed healthy. All I can say is I don't have any idea how single parents or parents who have a spouse that travels a lot do it. It's TOUGH!  A few quick shots from our week:

It was COLD here, like setting records at -14 cold. So we had to come up with a lot of indoor activities.

Here's my Dad watching a movie with them while I do dishes =)

We had a b-day party to go to. I love C playing with the pink balloon in his skull shirt!

Halloween!

Two years ago on Halloween day C was just a little embryo being thawed and put in my belly...now he's a rough and tumble toddler running anywhere and everyone. How life can change!  Here's the little guy as Sven from Frozen. He had a good time collecting candy and unlike his big sister he already knows what candy is at 15 months, apparently that's a "benefit" of having a big sister =)

K had a great time on Halloween, we got this Elsa costume, complete with wand, tiara and braid and she was over the moon about it. She is getting more and more energy to run from door to door and now starts the bargaining over how much candy she can have a day. We're trying to stick to one piece after dinner. At that rate it'll last until New Year's (without M and I helping of course, which will never happen!).

Here's the pumpkins M carved for them. It's a good thing one of us have enough skill and patience to do this. Ok, I could probably pull of the one on the right.

We just carved them last weekend and last night the Elsa pumpkin had this in it, YIKES! The true horrors of Halloween.

Hope everyone had a great Halloween!!!

Pumpkin Patch

This time of year is so fun! The holidays come one by one, the trees change and the air gets a bit brisk. Love it =) Sunday we made it to the pumpkin patch and the rain drops started falling as we left...but not before some photo ops!!!

Arriving - they aren't quite sure about it yet

Petting zoo

First pony ride

Sibling love...creepy pig

Finding the PERFECT pumpkin

Why is trying to get a picture of two kids looking the same direction and smiling so difficult?

Try #2. They look grumpy but they did have a good time.

I couldn't resist including this from outside her dance class this past weekend =)

Walking!

C has really taken off. He took his first steps right before his 14 month b-day (9/16) and is now walking pretty much everywhere and anywhere.  He walks about 80% of the time and still crawls some when walking seems like too much work. Here is some of the first video evidence we got =)

Wish I could say that the tubes cured all his ills but he is sick once again with a cold...and he's getting all his 1 year molars. He's having disrupted sleep and has been crabby. This was taken right after his tube surgery though. I can't help but think he's hearing better now and is starting to babble and talk more.

K is doing great. She's had four ballet classes now and is really enjoying it. We don't get to watch until the very last class so we aren't sure what she's learning but that she's having fun is the most important thing. Her pre-k class is going really well. She practicing writing all her letters and loves telling us what words start with by sounding out the letters.  She is the sweetest big sister on earth, she is patient, kind and care taking of C. It seriously makes my heart smile! 

Work has been crazy busy for me and it's seriously cut into my blogging time. I'll try to get here more often!

Post Op Report

Thank you for all the good wishes =) The short story is that yesterdays surgery went well and our little man is back to his happy little self!

The long story: I woke him up at 11:45 the night before to nurse since he had to go without food after midnight. We got him up at 6:30 am to get dressed and then loaded him up in the car. When we arrived at 7:15 the front desk lady acted slightly annoyed as they thought we'd be coming in at 6:45. I told her the ENT had said 7:15 was fine since he wasn't getting an IV.  Then it was a flurry of activity in getting him into a gown, leads placed, signing consents, etc. I asked the anesthesiologist if I could be with him when he went under.  She said she didn't have a problem with it, this was a big relief to me. I didn't want him entering the cold surgical room without a comforting face. I held him in a bear hug while they put him under.  He flailed his arms and legs and gasped a bit. Then he went limp. I had to lay him out on the surgical table and walk away. This was the hardest part of the day for sure. Then it was the longest 25 minute wait ever in the waiting room. The nurse came and got me and I could hear him crying as I approached his recovery room. They pretty much let me nurse right away and he calmed down some but as soon as he finished he went back to screaming.  It was a combination of an angry and pain cry. It took about 20 minutes for me to finish the paperwork, get discharge instructions, etc. At 8:35 we were headed home and he fell asleep on the way home. I let him sleep in the car until 9:45 and when he woke up he was a little groggy but pretty much back to normal. He wanted to go play, eat, etc. and hasn't had a cross moment since. He is on 2x a day antibiotic and steroid ear drops for a week and has his post-op appointment on 10/7. 

This was taken around 11 am yesterday.  Can't even begin to tell you how relieved I am to have this over and have our happy boy back.  Hope this brings much healthier times ahead!

Need Good Thoughts

C is having tube surgery tomorrow morning.  I know it's quick and routine but this mama is nervous...general anesthesia is just scary. All P&PTs welcome!

Birthday Weekend

My birthday was Saturday and we've had a really nice weekend =)  M let me sleep in both Saturday and Sunday so I'm feeling more rested than I have in quite some time.  That's love right there!  

Friday night M and K made me these adorable rice crispy treats.  After singing to me K declared that I could have any of them except the ones with sprinkles *LOL*

Saturday we enjoyed a picnic up on Flagstaff which overlooks Boulder.  So pretty and the kids had a great time!

Wishing I would have remembered to take off my darn sunglasses in this picture!

Before our picnic we had gone to buy K's new ballet outfits and slippers, here she is trying them on. Her class starts on the 14th, I can't wait for the cuteness overload!

Outfit #2.

In the evening my parents brought over take out from my favorite BBQ place and a DQ cake.  YUM!  It was a really nice day spent with the fam =)

My wish was for everyone to be healthy for a change.  For the most part that happened, at least for Saturday.  C finished his antibiotics for his latest ear infection on Friday and we were doing pretty well Saturday and Sunday morning but Sunday afternoon C started going downhill.  As of today (Monday) it looks like C is sick again.  Disrupted sleep makes me suspect yet another ear infection. That makes two days free of the darn things.  At this point tubes can't happen quick enough, looks like it's time for mama bear to push the issue with the ENT!