Date Night

Last week, Troy and I got some much needed time alone. We left a sleeping baby girl and a fussy little boy (temporarily satisfied with a Happy Meal) at home with the in-laws and headed to Chick-fil-a and the movies. We sat in Chick-fil-a's outdoor seating. The mild fall night air was wonderful, and most importantly, it was peaceful. We had nice adult conversation over sandwiches, waffle fries and sweet tea (and a side salad, if you must know!).

Next, we went to see Julie & Julia. I haven't seen a movie in the theaters since "UP" at the end of May. Needless to say, I didn't want to waste my time on any bad movies. I was so glad we decided to see Julie & Julia! We really enjoyed ourselves, and I walked out of the theater feeling like cooking a really good roast and giving my husband big, long kiss. There was a lot of cooking and romance in the movie. It was a very pro-marriage movie. Julie & Julia showed the good, the not-so-good, and the simply realistic side of new and older marriages. And there wasn't any shortage of mouth-watering footage of good food!

Overall, Troy and I had a wonderful time to ourselves. I have seen the importance of alone time (aka without kid time) with my husband. I honestly can say that each time I go on a date with my hubby, I feel our love is a bit renewed and refreshed! I also discovered that going out without the kids renews my love for them as well. I come home from date nights feeling that I can handle the somewhat sleepless nights and extremely busy days with a little more sanity!

Oh, and by the way, does anybody have a good recipe for Beef Bourguignon?

Big Boy Potty

A few days ago, I bought Jackson a book called My Big Boy Potty by Joanna Cole. I read it to him twice, then asked him if he wanted to use his big boy potty. He said "Yes!" and ran off. Before I could catch up with him, he had pulled the stool to the toilet, lifted the seat, and was standing in front of it in position to go pee. I encouraged him to sit on his special potty seat and he did. We brought him books to read and toys to play with and he sat there for a little bit. The next thing we knew, he had gone potty in his potty chair! My little boy is growing up!

Me and My Boy!

I always have the desire to spend time with Jackson. I don't get to spend every moment with him like I used to be able to. He watches more TV now than he ever has! I can't stand how it always works out that way. I want to be able to take care of Madelyn AND play with Jackson, read with Jackson, cuddle with Jackson....etc. I feel torn sometimes! I know that this is just a season, and it will get easier to balance the different roles of motherhood, but sometimes, I just miss my boy! I heard a mother at MOPS today talking about how she goes on "dates" with her little boy, so she can give him the attention he needs. Perhaps I can do that with Jackson. I am sure he misses being with just his mommy and his daddy as well. Although, he always includes Madelyn in everything. He always asks if Madelyn in coming. He is such a good big brother!

Desert Dinos!

On Saturday, we took Jackson to the dinosaurs out towards Palm Springs. You know, the ones in PeeWee Herman? He absolutely loved them! We were only able to stop by and take pictures, but we are definitely going to take Jackson back to explore the place a bit more. We got a great photo out of this trip, though!

I love him...

It has been exactly 5 years since Troy first told me that he loved me. I recently found an excerpt from my journal about how much I loved him, written a few weeks before we actually told each other, "I love you." It reads:

...There are so many things I love about him and I am going to attempt to list some of them. I love the way he holds me in his arms. I love the way he prays almost every time we say goodbye. He prays that above all, our relationship would glorify God. I love the way he calls me beautiful. I love the way he looks into my eyes as if nothing else exists at that moment. I love the way he desires to learn more about God. I love the way he puts his arm around me every chance he gets. I love the way we both can talk about our faults. I love him. I think I seriously do. And I think he loves me.

Reading this little bit out of my journal reminded me of how good it felt to be newly in love. The romance of it all is incredible, isn't it? It also was a challenge for me to cherish those same things about Troy---to not take them for granted. It may be five years and two kids later, but that love is still there, and it is stronger than the day we first said "I love you." I have to admit, though, I sometimes forget how nice it is to ALWAYS be able to hold Troy's hand in public, or for him to always be able to have his arms around me. That isn't possible, for the most part, with two kids in tow. I want to remember to take every opportunity I can to hold his hand or put my arm around him, even if it is just while sitting on the couch watching TV, or for a moment before we get the kids out of the car.

I will also admit that I think I can get into a rut of saying "I love you." I will say it, and I mean it, but I may not think about it because saying that to Troy now comes so naturally. So, tonight, when Troy gets home from work, I am going to look him in the eyes, like nothing else exists ---no kids, no chores, no to-do list, just him and I---just for a moment, and tell him wholeheartedly that I love him.

The Tradition of Disneyland

At just 5 1/2 weeks old, Madelyn made her way to Disneyland. We took Jackson when he was 6 weeks old. For Troy and I, it was a time to escape to the life we knew before our life got really hectic a few months ago. Jackson had been asking to go for weeks! So, we made our way out to Disneyland on a Friday evening. We took note that we would never do that again in October. Everyone was into going because of all the Halloween decor and rides, but we aren't into that. It just made for a VERY crowded night. We also decided we are going to go during the day next time! We did get to ride one of Jackson's favorite rides...The Jungle Cruise. Madelyn didn't have a reaction yet, but someday very soon she will appreciate all the festivities of Disneyland!Our first family photo at Disneyland! It is right outside of the Jungle Cruise, if you can't tell!Jackson waits in line to ride the train. He loves the dinosaurs he gets to see on the ride!This is Jackson reading in the Baby Center at Disneyland. This was the first time I used this facility and I absolutely loved it! Troy was able to change Jackson's diaper while I nursed Madelyn. They have a private room for nursing mothers. On the other side of the wall is a play area with where Jackson and Troy read books while they waited for me to finish feeding Madelyn. I love when places make it easy to have a young family!

"CHEESE!!!"

Birth Story

Madelyn at 5 weeks old.

Okay. Here it is. Madelyn's Birth Story! It all started on a plan trip up to Sacramento. It was Troy's birthday and we were heading up there for his Grandma Edith's funeral. She had passed away a week earlier. On the plane trip up there, I got a headache. The next day, I still had the headache and tried everything I could to get rid of it. Never the less, my head was still throbbing. I had remembered that my midwife told me if I got a headache that wouldn't go away, I needed to see a doctor right away. So, after 30 hours of this headache, I decided I would go to the doctor, specifically, Labor and Delivery. Troy and I headed to a hospital in Roseville, just east of Sacramento. I was checked in and they started doing a bunch of tests for toxemia. The results were not looking good. My liver enzymes were high, my blood pressure was high, and my blood platelets were low. That was pretty much the equation of toxemia. The OB/GYN was talking of inducing me. WHAT?!?!! I couldn't have a baby 450 miles from home! Troy and I were worried. I was glad that there were a few other doctors there who insisted that they watch me overnight and re-take all the tests. They also gave me several very strong pain meds via IV to take my headache away. By the morning, all the tests came back normal but my liver enzymes. They let me go on the condition that I would go back to L & D if the headache came back. Phew! Close call! Troy and I decided to high-tale it out of Sacramento ASAP. We took the first flight we could get back home. The day after we flew back home, the headache came back. Like I promise, I went back to L & D...but this time, it was in Riverside. That was WAY more comforting! This time around, I did some more tests. I convinced them to send me home the next night, before the test results came in. My liver enzymes had elevated once more, but my blood pressure was normal. I just wanted to stay at home with my little boy! He wasn't liking all these nights away from his mommy! The doctors sent me home knowing that I had an appointment with my OB/GYN the next day. I woke up that morning with a headache again, but decided to try and get rid and it and wait for the appointment with my doctor. It was 4:30 by the time I saw her, and I have to let you know that I felt like CRUD. Pure CRUD. I had the headache still, but my muscles ached, and I just felt week. Well, you know, like crud. The doctor noticed that I looked like crud as well. She said she wouldn't let me go home without stopping by L & D. I knew the routine by now. I got more lab tests done and within a couple hours, I was diagnosed with HELLP Syndrome...if you don't know what that is, read about it here. The doctor said we would have to induce. She also turned off the lights and the tv, and allowed me no visitors to avoid stimulation (which could have caused me to go into seizure). By 9:00 that night, I was hooked up to Plutocin and the process began. Twelve hours later, Madelyn's heart rate was going down every time I had a contraction. The doctor noticed I was dilated to 10, and asked me to push. Every time I pushed, Madelyn's heart rate nearly stopped. The doctor decided really quickly to get her our via cesarean-section. Hearing her heart rate nearly stop was extremely scary for me. I admit, I started to cry. They wheeled me into the operating room, and within a few minutes, they had Madelyn out of me. It was incredibly fast! Madelyn was born on August 26th at 9:38 a.m.
After the birth, I was put on Magnesium Sulfate, which has got to be the WORST drug you could possibly take. I am convinced of that! I was put on this drug for 24 hours to prevent me from going into seizure. That was worth it, of course, but the numerous side effects were absolutely horrible! I am glad that is over with! And, I have a beautiful baby girl to show for it! :)

Troy's Birthday

On Troy's Birthday, we went to Disneyland really, really quickly to snag the free money they give on birthdays. What a great deal! We rode the train and then left to catch our flight to Sacramento. Jackson liked most of the train ride, but got scared on some parts (which explains the look he has on his face in the photo below!). I was 35 weeks pregnant on this trip.

Jackson's 1st Corn Dog

Need I say more? :)

Jackson's 1st Ball Game

At the end of July, we took Jackson to his first baseball game. Of course, it was an Angels game! He absolutely loved it and still talks about it months later! The Angels hit 3 home runs, and it was a Friday night, so he got to see a lot of fireworks. Jackson pretty much sat in his seat the whole game, and throughout the game pointed at the field and exclaimed, "Ball! Bat! Hit! Run! Baseball!" I love seeing him have so much fun at something Troy and I enjoy as well. I suppose we have a little Angels fan on our hands!

Recap of Baby Shower

Just to catch up on things, I was blessed to have several friends and family pitch in and throw me a baby shower for Madelyn in July. Here are some pics to sum it up!There was a huge amount of food served there! The decor was beautiful as well!We were so blessed to have so much provided for us through peoples' generosity! Thank you all!My favorite part of a shower is the friends, family, and fellowship. I saw friends who I hadn't seen in ages, and family I hadn't seen in a while, and was able to share the joy of expecting a little one with them. In this photo is (R-L), my Grandma Fran, Me, Jackson, Troy, and Troy's Grandma, Edith. Edith passed away less than a month later on August 12th. I was really glad she got to come to the shower and meet my grandma!