Mikey goes to Texas

My wonderful, loving, caring, selfless, handsome husband, who I love dearly, had quite an adventure last weekend.  My grandfather and his wife decided to move to an assisted living community in Peachtree City (yay!) and needed to have their furniture moved from McAllen, TX to here.  They planned to hire a moving company, but decided to ask Mikey if he'd like to fly out there and drive the moving truck instead.  They paid for all his expenses on the trip, and a bonus for arriving safely with all their belongings. :)  The extra money really came at a helpful time for us since we've been trying to get a strong handle on our finances and get rid of any lingering debts.  The $1,500 medical deductible from the kids' RSV and the $500 homeowner's deductible for a plumbing issue are going to pounce on us any day...but we will be prepared!

Anyway, I have to give a break down of Mikey's trip...for the record.

Thursday, 3/22
7:00pm - flight leaves Atlanta for McAllen
9:30pm - Mikey arrives in McAllen, grandpa picks him up from airport and he sleeps on the couch

Friday, 3/23
4:00am - Mikey leaves McAllen in the 16' Penske truck
5:00am - stops for coffee
6:00am - stops of bathroom break and to purchase gatorade....but they didn't have gatorade...so he didn't buy anything
8:00am - out of gas so stops at a "Love's" gas station to fill up
8:30am - been looking for wallet in truck for 30 minutes with no luck
9:00am - calls me and says he lost his wallet (with credit cards, ID, insurance)...spends next hour trying to figure out where he stopped for the bathroom break.  South Texas is flat and boring, and he has no recollection of what exit or venue he stopped for his bathroom break.  Never finds wallet.
10:30am - after 2.5 frustrating hours of trying to get the gas station to let him fill up, we finally get him some gas (I had to scan him a copy of my picture ID, our credit card and his picture ID...yes, I keep a backup copy of his driver's license since he seems to lose it more than any other human being on the face of this planet)
12:00pm - Gas station manager from "Love's" calls my cell and says "I think your husband was here and lost his wallet, one of my customers just found it."
12:01pm - ARE.YOU.KIDDING.ME?!?!?!
12:02pm - I call Mikey and tell him the wallet was right there in the gas station he had spent the 2.5 hours at thinking it was at his previous stop.  He calls the store manager, and the manager offers to overnight the wallet to his hotel in New Orleans...so Mikey decides to continue driving and get his wallet in the morning.  The shipment is scheduled to arrive by noon on Saturday.
2:00pm - I use price line to make a reservation and pay for his hotel room in New Orleans...and talk to the manager to tell him Mikey won't have an ID when checking in.  We are told it won't be a problem.
2:30pm - Mikey calls and speaks with the hotel to ask where he should park the giant truck he is driving (since New Orleans doesn't have much parking).  They tell him oversized vehicles are to be valet parked at the Hilton Hotel just a few blocks down.
7:45pm - arrives at Hilton and they refuse to park a vehicle for a non-hotel guest
9:15pm - after searching for parking for an hour and a half (he even tried a self storage unit and asked if he could pay for a one-month storage fee and just park overnight)...he was ready to drive into the lobby of the hotel, and pulled up to his hotel.  The valet ripped off a ticket and handed it to him, and said "we will park this on our offsite lot so just be sure to give us a few extra minutes when you need to pick it up"
9:20pm - gets to his room and is ready to melt down.  hasn't eaten because he didn't have money.  orders food from the hotel restaurant so he can charge it to the room and then heads up to his room to relax, finally, and watch some basketball.  TV is broken.

Saturday, 3/24
7:30am - wakes up and tracks overnight shipment with wallet...says it is in Jackson, MS, so he decides to walk around town a little bit since he has time to kill before the wallet is delivered at noon
10:30am - decides to track package again in case it is arriving early so he can get back on the road
10:35am - finds out package is delayed and will not arrive until Monday
10:40am - momentarily loses his mind
11:00am - gets on the road and struggles the whole way home every time he needs gas
9:30pm - pulls into the driveway in Peachtree City on fumes
9:45pm - snoring...zzzzzzzz


**I wonder if this will flip the lightbulb to take more precautions with his phone and wallet in the future?!?!  A girl can dream, right?

Thing 1 and Thing 2 Birthday Party

Last Sunday we celebrated Parks and Marlee's first birthday.  Even though I am not the most creative person, I am lucky to have creative people all around me.  My good friend, Jessica, saw the "Thing 1 and Thing 2" birthday party cupcakes online and suggested we try it.  I loved the idea, and we just ran with it.  I had so much fun planning and preparing for this party, and I was very happy with how it turned out.

Here's a photo journey...

Here are the pics Claire took.  I don't know where we would be without her phenomenal photography over the past several years.  She has documented our lives for us.  THANK YOU CLAIRE!!

Click here to view these pictures larger

1 Year Olds

**3/11/2012 (9:33pm)**
Our home on Welton Way

Parks and Marlee,
I love you both more than words can say.  I've never been that great with words anyway. ;)  We’ve now spent one entire year together as a happy little family of FOUR!  This has been the most exciting, scary, happy, difficult, interesting and wonderful year of my life.  You've each taught me so much and I am so in love with each of you and every little "ism" that defines each of you.  Watching other kids grow up and seeing how much changes so quickly makes me want to press pause for just a little while because if this next year is anything like this last year, it's going to be a blur.  I have so many thoughts I want to share with you.  I've been keeping a mental catalog of everything I wanted to write down at the 1-year mark, and now it seems most of it doesn't matter.  The only thing I really want to express today is that I LOVE YOU!  You both have blessed me beyond measure, and I am so excited for the future.


For my own memory, and to hopefully help me in the future (and maybe someone else who is as crazy as me...if such a person exists?!) I have a few thoughts to break down "the twilight days" as we call them.  This is not a reference to Stephanie Meyer's books...which were awesome...but an actual period of time where your Dad and I couldn't tell day from night, sanity from crazy, happy from sad.

To say you two "surprised us" when you arrived a few weeks early is an under statement.  We painted your nursery the day before you were born, and, shamefully, I have yet to hang a thing up on your walls (a year later).  We didn't have supplies...but the bigger issue was that we didn't have the mental preparation.  I don't think it was ever a reality in my mind that you two could be premature and spend time in a NICU until it actually happened.  Unfortunately, the shock and my own insecurities caused me to handle the first few months with very little, if any, grace.  I loved you both before you were born, but I didn't have the capacity to do much beyond loving you and caring for you after you were born.  All I could focus on was getting you guys healthy and strong.  I was basically obsessed with it.  We would take you to the pediatrician or the hospital every other day to weigh you and check up on you.  Paranoia?  A little bit.  A year ago I was emotional, stupid and shut down.  I was overwhelmed to the point that I felt I had no control, and the only thing that got me through each day was my determination to protect and care for you two.  I pushed people away...I basically pushed EVERYONE away.  I was completely closed off, and this is something I have a hard time looking back on.  I learned a lot from it, and I know God has used it and will use all things for His good, but it is still something that gets to me at times.  I feel that I hurt the feelings of the people I love most, and while I know that I was stretched thinner than ever before, and I was doing the very absolute best I could each day, I still regret hurting people.  Thankfully, those people love me back, regardless of my flaws, and life today is magnificent.

Enough with the heavy stuff...let's talk about how you two crack me up.  We have to do "the month-to-month list" one last time, so here it goes:

At 12 months 1 YEAR, Marlee is:
> Size 3 diapers
> Size 9-12 month clothes
> Walks very effectively!
> Makes blubber noises with her lips that sound like a horse, and if we do it, she will copy us and do it back for 30 minutes.  :)
> Still just has the 2 teeth on the bottom, but at least we've got something now!
> Holds her bottle by herself great, and feeds herself finger foods, but still prefers baby food
> LOVES Puffs
> Drinks 4 bottles a day and eats baby food or finger foods with each one (8, 12, 4 and 7:00...bed time at 7:30ish)
> Takes naps at 10 and 2 for about 1.5-2 hours each
> Has huge blue/gray eyes...we are counting on these staying this color now!
> Waves "bye-bye" to EVERYBODY...especially when we are out in public
> Says "Momma," "Dadada," "Baby," and "Apple"  (forgot "baby" recently, but she'll get it back ;) )
> Is so tough...this is bumps and bruises season, and she takes 'em like a champ
> Is going to have a best buddy in July, courtesy of Aunt Claire and Uncle Tony

At 12 months 1 YEAR, Parks is:
> Size 4 diapers
> Size 12-18 month clothes
> Has figured out he can walk much faster than crawling, and almost runs at times now
> Eats 4 times per day (8, 12, 4 and 7:00...bed time at 7:30ish)
> Holds his own bottle and feeds himself finger foods pretty well...we are kinda in "a phase" with food now...he doesn't love baby food as much anymore, but isn't a fan of real food either...just a fan of squishing real food in his fingers.  Mommy is NOT a fan of this.
> Takes naps at 10 and 2 for about 1.5-2 hours each
> Sooo happy in the mornings
> Has huge blue eyes...baby blue...gorgeous blue
> Momma's boy...love this!   :)
> Such a happy baby...rarely cries or fusses and laughs all the time
> Plays a game where we ask "How big is Parks?" and he reaches his hands high up over his head and we say "Soooooo Big"
> Says "Momma," "Dada," "Ball," and "Wuh-ta" (AKA "What's That").  He will point to things around the room and say "Wuh-ta" and as long as you keep answering, he will keep pointing to more and more things.  Hopefully this means he will be inquisitive and love learning.  :)
> L.O.V.E.S. bath time...and, thank goodness, he finally knows what I mean when I say "SIT DOWN!!! No standing in the tub"
> Has a mouth full of teeth...I don't even know how many right now because of the danger when trying to reach in their to count them
> Is going to have a best buddy in July, courtesy of Aunt Erin and Uncle T

Oh...and I will blog about your 1ST BIRTHDAY PARTY next...it was a blast.  :)

All My Love,
Mommy

Not cool

Party Planning Paranoia

The kids turn 1 on Monday.  We are having a birthday party for them Sunday.  I am super excited to have people over and celebrate the fact that we survived the first year (and eat some food, which is always important)...but I get nervous when I host people (other than family and tony and claire).  I know it will all be fine, but I am getting those jitters.

My friend Sean is going to bring over his gigantic inflatable slide so I am praying for NO RAIN NO RAIN NO RAIN!!  If everyone shows up who RSVP'd, we will have a crowd, so we do need the porch and back yard for space.

We are doing a "Thing 1 & Thing 2" Dr. Seuss theme, and I think it will be cute.  Pictures to come!
Can't wait!

A weekend away

For the past several weeks...months?...Kim and I have been walking (with some running mixed in) twice a week.  Recently, we ramped it up to three times a week, and have slowly increased the distance.  Our first walk was 3.2 miles.  Now we do loops at either 7.5 or 10 each time we go.  This is good progress for me, and definitely the most dedicated/consistent I have been with any form of exercise since I was involved in team sports.  Thanks for the accountability, Kim!  She gets major extra credit bonus points too, because she always drives to my house to meet me and we walk from there since I live on a cart path.  It definitely makes it much easier on me though since I don't have to pack up the twins in the car each time we go.

A couple of weeks ago we started talking about setting a goal to run a half marathon race somewhere fun later this year.  This includes, most importantly, that our husbands agree to take us away for the weekend (without kids) to do the race and spend some quality time.  As soon as we developed this plan I was 110% on board with it, and TOTALLY PUMPED.  Shoot, I will run to the race if I have to.  :)  I started looking online, and I know there is a race in Charleston (half trail, half road), one in Greenville and Kim found one in Nashville (I think?).  If anyone knows of a cool location within driving distance, please let me know.

B.C. .... Is that "Beaver Creek" or "Baby Crisis"??

Last week we went on our 2nd annual family ski trip.  Two years ago, we all went to Telluride, CO and had a blast.  My parents, Mikey's parents, Erin, Taylor, Patrick, Lucy, Mikey and me.  This year Lucy had school and couldn't make it, so Kenny subbed as Patrick's date, and we had two little munchkins join the crew.  I started packing several days prior to departure...I was nervous about taking the babies on their first plane ride.  Little did I know, the plane ride would be the easiest part of the trip....

Parks wasn't feeling well the day we left, and he threw up on the plane.  He had a fever and a really rough day (he just laid his head on my chest the whole time and I could tell he wasn't feeling good).  We arrived in Denver, and then drove 2 hours up to Beaver Creek to our lodge.  I knew he was sick, so Mikey and I took everyone's luggage and the babies and went straight to the condo.  

That night was probably the worst he has ever had.  He was inconsolable for hours that night, which I had never seen before.  There was always something I could do to get him to stop crying.  We went to Urgent Care in the morning...they checked Parks' and Marlee's oxygen levels, and both were at 82-84 (supposed to be 90+).  They immediately put them on oxygen and tested them for RSV.  Results came back positive, and the doctor sent us to the hospital in Vail to be admitted.

We arrived at the hospital Monday afternoon.  The nurses and respiratory therapists were all wonderful.  Mikey's favorite was one of the respiratory guys who had two full sleeve tattoos, neck tattoos and those giant earrings that stretch your ears out.  He was shocking the first time I saw him, but he was really good at what he did, was very attentive to the kids, and took his time to explain things to us.

Each day we thought they would be better, but it takes a while to get through RSV.  It damages the lungs, and being at 12,000 feet altitude...coming from almost sea level...was extremely bad timing.  I would have put them in the car and drove home if they would've been safe, but we needed the doctors and nurses to keep watch.

Parks was about 2 days ahead of Marlee in the virus, so when he would start to improve or change, we would look forward to Marlee doing the same.  They both stopped eating and drinking for about 2 days.  We forced a little bit of pedialyte into Parks, but Marlee completely refused it for about 36 hours.  She was on the verge of getting an IV for fluids (no wet diaper in over a day) and finally took 2 ounces of pedialyte mixed with rice cereal by spoon.  It was just so hard for her to suck from the bottle since she was so congested, so the spoon feeding helped.

My mom, Mikey's mom and Erin were incredibly helpful.  They came to the hospital and would stay with the kids while we went home to shower and get some things we needed.  Then when we finally took the kids home, they were right there with us helping with whatever Parks and Marlee needed.  I believe it when people say that God won't give us more than we can handle...and I know that I couldn't handle several of the phases of this last year without these women.  I am so undeserving, but I am so thankful.

During the stay, they were monitored with the pulse ox tags on their toes, and had nasal canulas with varying amounts of oxygen.  They monitors were eerily similar to the ones we watched for hours and hours in the NICU during their first days of life.  The alarms would sound (sometimes accurate, sometimes false) and my heart would stop until the nurse would check it.  The first night, we had false alarms about every 20 minutes the.entire.night.  It was awful.  Trying to sleep when an alarm that is probably false, but could mean your kid can't breathe is going off nonstop.  Terrifying.  We survived it though.  Thanking God for my incredible husband who refused to leave me at the hospital.  I tried to convince him to go back and get real sleep, but he wouldn't do it.  I am glad he stayed though...we are much MUCH better as a team.  Parks and Marlee received suction for their congestion, and Marlee had some breathing treatments of epinephrine and some other medicine I can't remember, but those didn't help much.  

It almost looks like Parks is smiling in this pic, but neither of them had smiled in about 24 hours at this point.

She was too weak to even get herself in a comfy position.
She would just fall asleep however her body was placed after the breathing treatments and tests.

This is the picture that breaks my heart.
Marlee was like this for 2 days...completely limp.
If you lifted her arm or leg, it would just fall back to the bed.
She wouldn't eat or drink or move.  :'(

On the bright side, the hospital room had a gorgeous view of the Vail mountains.

Parks had the "hood" on his crib, but they never had to use it.
He was a couple of days ahead of Marlee in the virus, so he recovered earlier.

FINALLY, that smile I so desperately missed.

our room.  mikey slept on the floor!!!!

Finally!!  She drank something!!

 We were discharged on Wednesday evening.  Parks was free of all oxygen and Marlee had to take a tank home with 1/8 liter of oxygen, which was tested on Friday and was then removed.  By the time of our flight home on Saturday, both babies were feeling much much better, and though weak still, they did great on the flight home and are doing excellent now.

Everybody has been asking if we got to do anything else on our "vacation."  We did ski a day and a half (Mikey's mom and Erin watched the kids for us, and we could pop in easily since our condo was at the bottom of the lift.)  Even though it was high stress and a scary experience, we did enjoy the last part of the week, and love being with all our family.

One night consisted of excellent pizza from the Blue Moose Pizza Company and then hiking up the ski run in the dark (really high...I had to lay in the snow several times to catch my breath) and then sledding down on your choice of a laundry basket, snowboard or sled.  Good times!

Parks and Grandpa Mike watching the game during the dinner/sledding

Wow.  What an adventure.  We sure won't forget this trip.  :-)

So thankful to be home, happy and HEALTHY now!!