MMM

There is something you should know about my Dad.  He loves music.  Singing it especially and has even taught himself to play the guitar some.  Over the years he has evolved into a huge cowboy music fan.  I am not talking about country music, although it probably falls into this category, I am talking about the kind they sing sitting around a campfire.  The songs that truly tell stories about the West and ranching.  Songs about doggies, not the cute little furry kind but the kind that moo.  Songs Taylor Swift doesn't understand.  True country music.  His favorite artist is hands down Michael Martin Murphy.  He is a fantastic singer and story teller and has a way of pulling you into his songs.  My Dad will tell anyone he knows about Murph.  We joke that if Murph is within a 400 mile radius of my Dad, he is there!  This past weekend, the Prairie Rose had their annual Western Days and we took the kids over to experience a little county.  Mr. Murphy was there putting on concerts all weekend.  I kept my eye out for him and spotted him wandering around the grounds.  I knew if my Dad had a picture of Michael Martin Murphy with his grandkids he would flip.  Wyatt was headed to take a train ride - AGAIN so Lorelai and I set out to catch him.  It took some courage on my part but I asked and he was gracious enough to let me take their picture. 

Lorelai and Michael Martin Murphy

I called my Dad who could not believe what I was telling him.  You would have thought Lorelai took a picture with the Pope!  It was so fun to surprise him!  I was so grateful that Mr. Murphy did this for my Dad.  If he only knew what it meant to him and that it probably means my Dad will attend a million more of his concerts!  Thanks Murph and love you Dad!

If you want more information about Michael Martin Murphy check out his website: http://michaelmartinmurphey.com/

Wyatt riding the train with me.  He must have done this a million times!

Here we go again!

Little Fish

Wyatt started swimming lessons this week and I can't tell you how proud I am of him!  The first night he was so excited to go.  He was having a hard time understanding that a swimming pool was indoors so when we walked in his face lit up like a Christmas tree.  We took him into the shop and let him pick out his goggles and fins which are required for his class and then marched around the big lap pool to the waiting area.  As names were being called out and the kids were leaving with the different instructors, I noticed he was really listening to what was being said.  As they got down to the last few instructors he looked at me and said, "Mom, they aren't calling my name!".  It amazes me how fast he figures things out sometimes.  His group was the last to be called.  When his name was called Wyatt hopped off his chair and followed the instructor out of the room without a second look at us.  Amazing!  Parents are asked to stay back and not allow the kids to see you in order to help get them used to the water, etc.  Apparently they think we will want to swoop in and rescue them. :)  Night two, I peeked.  He is way outside his comfort zone and when I am peeking in the window watching him, he just pushes through the tough parts.  Some have more trouble than others.  Wyatt seems to be somewhere in the middle.  He tells us after every class he doesn't like to go under water but we knew this.  He doesn't throw fits in the bathtub when we wash his hair for nothing!  I am just so darn proud of him.  He is growing up fast and I just want to hold on to all the times he is in complete bliss.  There is nothing like seeing your kids face just sparkle with excitement!

THE Dress

Most of you might think I am talking about a wedding dress.  Afterall, most refer to their wedding dress as THE dress.  In our family, my Mom's side, THE dress refers to a very special baptismal gown.  My Great Grandma Ida Hulsing made with her own hands a beautiful little white gown for every one of her children.  All 13 of them!  All four of my Grandma Kohake's girls wore the dress given to her.  If you are ever in my house, there is a picture of my Mom wearing the dress on my wall.  This makes our family dress 65 years old. 

My Aunt Monica in THE dress

My cousin Emily (Aunt Monica's daughter) in the slip that goes under the dress.  You can see THE dress on the left side of the picture.

All of the granddaughters have worn the dress and now Lorelai is the first great granddaughter to wear the dress.  So special that she has a worn a piece her Great Great Grandmother made!

Lorelai in THE dress

THE dress encompasses many generations and an obvious love of Great Grandma Hulsing.  I am so honored that Lorelai was able to wear the dress and I hope that one day her daughter will get to wear it too. 

Out of the House

Today I loaded up two kids (wow it feels strange to read that in print) and we went to a friend's house for a play date.  Wyatt really needed to get out and play with a friend for a while and I needed the girl time.  The boys had a blast and even got to play outside for a while since the weather was so nice.  They loaded up their dump trucks with pine needles and pine cones for a good hour and drove them all over the yard.  I love watching these two interact.  They have truly been buddies since they were old enough to know the other existed.  The boys aren't the real reason for this blog, it is friendship.  Yes, the boys are great friends but I am talking about us girls.  I packed up all my things, baby and big kid, today and left the house without one important thing.  An extra outfit for the baby.  Yep, I am an experienced mom who should know better and knows that as soon as you forget something for your kiddo, they need it.  Lorelai had one of those diapers today.  The kind that requires an extra outfit.  My friend, without hesitation or a second thought, helped me clean her up and went right to the closet and got her something to wear.  I know it might not sound like a huge deal to you, but to me, it really meant a lot.  Afterall, how many people do you know would just drop everything and help you change a dirty diaper?  I am not always the best at relaying my appreciation for things.  I always get home and then wonder if they really understood how grateful I was.  I had a lot to be grateful for today.  I was grateful for the opportunity to get out of the house for a few hours, grateful for the happiness I saw in my son as he played with his friend and grateful for the friendship I received too. 

Welcome to the Big Wide World

I have been waiting for the better part of a month for her to arrive since labor the first time around.  At 4:30am on March 19th I woke up not feeling very well and after getting up several times to walk around, started packing my bag for the hospital.  Not sure yet whether or not I was in labor, but I had a hunch.  Mike was of course sleeping through it all and I finally woke him up.  I hadn't been timing contractions, mostly because it was dark and I couldn't read the clock on the wall in the bathroom but also because I kept telling myself I wasn't in labor.  I don't know why but with each of my kids I have this phobia of getting to the hospital and the nurses laughing at me and sending me home with indigestion!  My Mom had been here for a couple of days helping me catch up on house work so I woke her up.  She started timing my contractions and they were 3 minutes apart and I have to say, quite painful!  Mike was outside moving Wyatt's car seat from our car to my Mom's and of course taking his time (or so it felt like) and my Mom was getting more and more concerned her granddaughter was about to make an appearance.  She got Mike back in the house where he got his coffee and a donut and we loaded into the car.  I just about socked him one when he sat for a minute and calmly munched on his donut and drank his coffee but I told him to GET ME TO THE HOSPITAL and I think he got the point!  We arrived there around 7am, I was dilated to a 6 and moving right along so phew, no chance they are sending me back home.  I had my epidural, which by the way did not have time to work, and Lorelai Viola was out and breathing at 9:11am.  Fast and furious!  There was a bit of drama in the delivery room when they discovered her head was laying over to one side and she was stuck but after much pushing on my abdomen by the doctor they got her free.  Her poor little head was completely black and blue but the rest of her was nice and pink.  She was the most beautiful little girl I had ever seen.  Tons of dark hair and a pretty little face.  It felt so good to have her here and healthy.  Instant love.

Black and blue but beautiful!

My Mom brought Wyatt by to meet his new sister shortly after she was born and if there was anything that melted my heart more than seeing Lorelai for the first time it was watching Wyatt love on her.  It was so amazing!  He instantly took to her and is as much in love as the rest of us. 

I now have two beautiful children and can't quite believe God has blessed me so wonderfully. What a journey this pregnancy has been but I have a feeling the journey of a lifetime is just beginning.

Kisses

To Labor or Not to Labor

Saturday I started to not feel so hot. I finally got myself to bed but woke up on Sunday morning and I was at it again. I knew in the back of my mind, I was having more contractions than I should have been but we had family in town and with a three year old running around, I just kept going as best I could.  By 4:30pm I knew I better call the dr.  With contractions every 1-5 minutes all day, I had a feeling I would be headed to the hospital but even as we were driving there, I kept telling Mike we would be home in an hour.  They always send you home when you go in early, right?  Well, that hour turned into 24 and the waiting game begins.  There were two times her little heart rate dropped and that brought in what seemed to be the entire floor of staff but eventually they got her rate back up to normal.  I went from thinking I would be home in an hour to discussing emergency c-sections three hours later.  It was all so scary and fast.  I just kept telling Mike how it didn't seem possible we were even there.  We are 34 weeks and counting.  At 33 weeks, they stop labor.  At 34 weeks they let you go, but don't give you anything to encourage labor.  So, I labored away, exhausted from the last two days.  I am now dilated to 3cm and holding so they sent me home to wait it out.  

I will be the first to tell anyone, I don't like gray areas.  I do much better operating under black and white.  I am now living in a gray area.  Resting as much as possible so we can at least get to 35 or 36 weeks but selfishly hoping I am not waddling around with contractions every 10 minutes for the next 6 weeks.  I truly hope to have a very happy, healthy baby.  One of my biggest worries is having to leave the hospital and leave my little girl in the NICU.  I just don't even want to think about it.  I never thought I would ever be in a situation like this.  We are saying our prayers and hoping for the best outcome. Happy. Healthy. Baby Girl.

Another Snow Day!

Yesterday we had another day full of snow.  This time it wasn't blowing straight to Oklahoma and was able to pile up nicely on everything.  It was quite pretty!  If I looked out my back window, I could imagine I was in Colorado with a mountain view, a big roaring fireplace going and my knitting by my side.  Ah...........  I guess I shouldn't forget about my son and hubby who would probably be outside my window in the middle of my mountain view having a snowball fight!  Now that is a perfect daydream! 

The sun is out now so we decided to do something fun and made snow ice cream!

Snow Ice Cream:
1 Cup Milk
3/4 Cup Sugar
1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla
Whisk all ingredients together and add fresh WHITE snow until mixture is stiff and resembles ice cream.

I personally love the reference to using only white snow!

It is so fun to pass along fun childhood memories to Wyatt.  It is the little things in life that matter.  He thought it was so fun to bring snow in the house!  I think I will put my daydreams aside for a while and just live in this moment with my family.  Afterall, vacations come and go but I get to spend the rest of my life with this little boy and who could truly ask for more?