Cheeks

Little Lulu at 3 Months Old Lauryn has earned herself the nickname 'Cheeks' for obvious reasons. I mean look at her! I can't help but want to kiss all that cute, little fatness! I simply can't get enough of this baby!

Some Days...

As a parent, your children are always beautiful to you. Some days more than others, they pull at your heartstrings even more than usual. Brynna was out on the driveway the other day drawing with sidewalk chalk, enjoying a very ordinary moment. For some reason at that moment though, I was just in love with that little monkey. The sun was shining in her hair, her eyes were extra blue and as always she was saying the funniest things. I just thought to myself, "Man, I love being a mom."

For All You Parents Out There!

Folks, I about fell out of my chair, these had me laughing so hard!

Wanted...

...One little brown monkey.

I caught Maryn making and posting reward posters for Coco's safe return. She said, "Hey Mom, people put signs up when they lose their dogs. Maybe if we put posters everywhere, someone will find Coco and give him back to us!" I just love that kid.Nice likeness of him, huh? It's says 'COCO BELONGS TO BRYNNA' so in case you find him and were thinking of keeping him... don't!Actually Brynna has been doing okay. She's cried a few times, but she saw Laura and I searching our tails off and knows we looked as hard as we could. She found her Gracie, which is the dolly that was with her and Coco in her baby picture I posted. She's no monkey, but she's still snuggly!

The Great Outdoors

The girls were out of school this week for Fall Break. I have REALLY been wanting to take the family camping for a long time now and thought this would be the perfect opportunity. Then Justin got sick and I thought the whole thing had to be scratched. Justin however had another idea. This is his take on the whole experience...
"I can't breathe. My chest is filled with all kinds of nastiness. My head feels like a 1,000 pound bowling ball. Pink eye is in full force.

I've tried Mucinex. I've tried some other medicine that is quite foul to the taste. I've pounded ibuprofen like an addict in an alleyway. I've rested.

None of it worked. So I tried a new remedy.

I went camping.

I wanted to see if Mother Nature could nurture my sickness. Turns out her TLC didn't work but I sure had fun trying to find out if her touch would work.

On Friday, Sarah and I took the girls on a much anticipated camping trip. I know, I know. It doesn't sound right. We have a five-year-old, a three-year-old and a two-month-old. I know, I know. Stop shaking your head, you hater.

We packed up the van (and I mean packed) full of the finest camping gear that Target and Wal-Mart could provide. Keep in mind, we were only going 24 miles from home for one night. We had every base covered. Preparation is not a weak link in my lovely wife's life.

Our little family found a golden piece of land on a ledge that looked over a very full Allatoona Lake . It was a glorious space in our neck of Appalachia .

From the minute we parked the van until the minute we rolled out, it was plenty of work but plenty of fun. The highlights were, of course, revolved around food. The foil dinners were money.

Maryn was a quote machine throughout.

"This is no place for a little girl, dad," she told me when we were looking for wood to build the fire.

Truthfully, it was no place for a sick dad either. Nevertheless, I loved it.

I'm still sick. I still can't breathe. My chest is still full of nastiness. My head now weighs 1,250 pounds. I'm trying hard not to scratch my poor left eye.

I'm still sick. But I loved the new remedy even though it didn't shake the disease from my body."

If you asked Brynna to gather the tiniest, little stick she would drop it and say "I'm too tired for that hard work! Can I have a marshmallow yet?" Hopefully she'll grow into the whole helping around camp thing!

Maryn truly was a little helper bee and loved every minute of it! She kept asking "What can I help with now?!"

Lauryn was mad and fussed that I couldn't hold her while we were getting firewood and the tent set up. But she was still a champ and slept through the night as usual. A total super score since we were all in the same tent!

I had a great time and found myself falling in love with my husband all over again. Not only did he totally take one for the team when he was sicker than a dog and go, because he knew how important it was to me, but he made it fun too. The best part for me was last night when we sat out by our dying fire for hours after the girls had gone to sleep and just talked. I did good in the marriage department folks, that's all I gotta say. It was so, so nice to get back to basics, reconnect as a family and make some fun memories. I can't wait to do it again... only next time we'll make sure Justin is a bit healthier!

A Sad Farewell

Tonight I decided that parenthood has changed me. I guess I knew it before, but tonight it really made itself evident. I'm not big on tears. I grew up in a house full of boys where that kind of stuff could get you either pounded or made fun of. So over the years I conditioned myself keep any girly emotions in check. I remember being in labor with Maryn and feeling the pains of childbirth and being too stubborn to release some of the pent up pain and just cry. Over the years, I've softened a bit and am not quite so stubborn about holding my emotions in. But tears still don't come as easily as they do for others. So imagine my surprise tonight when I found that no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't keep a few fat drops from cascading down my cheeks. It was when I realized that Brynna had lost her most treasured friend Coco... for good. Go ahead and make fun of me, I know it's ridiculous. In my mind I know Coco was a stuffed animal, that he's made of cloth and fluff and doesn't feel or love. But he wasn't just a stuffed animal to Brynna and he wasn't that to me either. That tattered little monkey has been by her side constantly since she was three months old. If you look through family albums, where ever there was Brynna, there too was Coco. He was her comfort and her friend and as stupid as it sounds, he had become apart of our family.

My friend Laura who I was with when we lost him was so wonderful. She knew we had to do whatever we could to find him or we'd regret it later. So she led us on an exhaustive search for him that went from Woodstock, to Marietta, to Kennesaw, back to Marietta and then back to Woodstock. Can I just tell you what an awesome friend I have?! Not only did she give up her whole day, she used up all her gas, refusing to stop looking until we'd done all we could. We looked in bushes, under cars, scoured playgrounds, tore the car apart, checked offices and called around, I even looked in trashcans, but he was gone. I know Brynna is going to be okay in the long run. But honestly, that little monkey will be sorely missed... by us all.

You Can't Hurry Love

Apparently it's YouTube week for me. But my little Richard Marx memory the other day made me think of all the other songs I was obsessed with when I was little. When I was about seven or eight I LOVED this song! I remember stealing my mom's Phil Collins tape and the boom box and locking myself in my room and playing it over and over again. Listen, stop, rewind, play, listen, stop, rewind, play... you get the idea. I did it so many times my brothers were beating on my locked door threatening me within an inch of my life if I played it again. I just wedged my body between my bed and the door, so even if they could pick the lock to come in and beat me, I could just push the door shut with my feet for added security. So go ahead and try to break the door down stupid ol' brothers, Phil and I were going another round!

Capt. Huggy Face

I just got done watching Word Girl with Maryn and Brynna. I just love her sidekick Capt. Huggy Face! That monkey cracks me up! You know you're officially a parent when you prefer kids shows to the dumb, old, grown-up ones!

Weird, I know...

When I was about ten years old, and my peers were obsessed with New Kids On The Block and the like, I was in love with this. Now as an adult, listening to the lyrics and watching the video I think "Hmmm, murder, corrupted law enforcement, what a strange song for a ten year old to be obsessed with." But nevertheless, I was. I had long ago put Richard and his awesome hair on a backshelf in my memory. Then it randomly popped into my head as I was getting out of the shower this morning. What a strange little walk down memory lane.

Impossible

Brynna is a self-decided girly-girl. This morning when I got her dressed, she was mad at me because her outfit wasn't 'pretty' enough. If a pink, bedazzled, Hello Kitty shirt isn't pretty enough for her, then heck I don't know what is!

After putting about the girliest blue dress in the house on her, she still wasn't happy! Three year olds, there's just no livin' with them!

Cutest Baby Ever!

This one knows how to work my heartstrings!

Man that smile gets me every time!

Lauryn - 2 Months old

Shout Out...

Important people like authors and actors always get to give shout outs. It may be in a dedication on the inside cover of their most recent work of literary greatness. Maybe it's on a stage, glammed up and in a hurry to beat the 'get your butt off the stage we're cutting to commercial' music. Either way, they get to give their shout outs, and their peeps get to feel the love. I was feeling the love this morning, big time. A tiny piece of beloved technology totally changed my morning work-out and for that, I was grateful and happy and wanting to give credit where credit was due. So if you will for a moment imagine me jumping off the elliptical this morning, grabbing a mic and giving my shout out. It would have gone a little something like this...

To Forrest, my little, pink shuffle, I can't tell you how glad I am that we've reconnected. You being right there by my side this morning made all the difference in the world. In fact it made me wonder how I ever worked out and found meaning in it before you came into my life. Thank you to all the wonderful people you've brought with you along the way... Snow Patrol, what a great way to welcome the flow of blood into my atrophied legs and get them warmed up. The steady, building beat gives me that feeling of energy and anticipation. You definitely get my eyes open.

To Death Cab and the Fray, you kept it going for me. You let oxygen fill my lungs and made me want to sing along. In fact I wondered if those around me would fall off their bikes, treadmills and ellipticals if I burst into loud, spontaneous song. I didn't, but I wanted too.

Ahhh, K.T., Paolo, Jimmy and the rest of the world you've eaten, you crazy OK Go guys, you're awesome. But I really start feeling it, really want to push it out and sweat when my boy Citizen Cope comes on. Man you and you're brother named Lee have a VIP spot in my shuffle at all times. Totally wouldn't be the same without you. With that said, the same goes for the Killers. You've already been introduced to my extreme fondness of them. These guys are where all the sweat happens.

On a calmer note, Frou Frou... no better way to bring my heart back into my chest and cool it down. Imogen, your voice is like rippleless water. Smooth, airy, yet grounded and totally clears my mind. To Mister Kearney, you were an acquired taste for me. But it's amazing how much I love you now. I feel what you sing and it makes me want to turn my face to the sun.

All of you made me reluctant to leave this morning. I wanted to linger, to do more. But I had this other life calling me back. The one where my brain can hardly process a thought. But I want you to know, it was the best 45 minutes I've ever had on a elliptical and I know I owe it all to you. See you again tomorrow.

P.S. Man I was really sad playlist didn't have Citizen Cope's 'Brother Lee' or Mat Kearney's acoustic 'Girl America'. They're total jams.

And The Hits Just Keep On Comin'!

So in addition to my lovely kidney stone episode this week, I've also developed a really heinous sore throat. I haven't been able to swallow and eating and drinking have been really difficult. Not great for a nursing mom. I've been so thirsty, but it's been just too painful to drink! I thought it was probably strep throat. With both Maryn and Brynna in school now, I'm sure they are coming home with germs any petri dish would be proud to host. But when I went to the doctor today I discovered that I in fact dodged the strep throat bullet. However I discovered that instead I have giant, open, ulcers in the back of my throat! Ugh! What gives?! The doctor asked if I had scalded my mouth on something really hot. Confused as to why he would ask, I told him nope, nothing hot. He said the back of my throat looked traumatized like if I had fallen down and bloodied my knees. He said "Yeah, the ulcers are actually really big. Can you feel them?" Uh yeah! It's felt like I have a golf ball in my throat! So I guess that's why I haven't been able to swallow! I'm on a nasty antibiotic rinse until it can heal. Hopefully I can get past all this and JUST GET HEALTHY AGAIN!!!

Please, Just Shoot Me...

I think I had my very first experience with a kidney stone last night folks. It was just like back labor, without the anesthesiologist to come save you. Lucky me.