Ode to....the future!

It's been awhile since my last post. We were struck with the gastroenteritis at this house. It hit hard and lasted through the holiday. I will spare you the details, but lack of sleep and some vomitting have kept me from giving you our usual updates.

I feel like since it's the last day of 2009 that I should be doing some sort of "Ode to 2009" post...but, I just don't have it in me. I think back on this year and it was a time for much celebration and a little heartache. Of course we celebrated the birth of Julianna, Drew's first sight of himself, and Lily's ever growing independence. Our hearts broke at the loss of our first family pet, Coco. And my heart ached as I struggled through much of this year battling the beast of postpartum depression. However, all in all, it was a year of good times and much growth.

What strikes me the most as this year 2009 comes to a close is how my life has changed over the past five years. Right now, five years ago, I was very pregnant with my first child. I was single and working two jobs, plus some. I lived with my parents and I was just trying to make it.

During that pregnancy I thought much about what sort of life the baby growing inside me would have. I often thought about the year 2010 being the year that she would start kindergarten. I had no idea how we would get to that point. . .she didn't have a name, I didn't have a place of my own, and I had no idea what was really in store for me as I sat on the cusp of becoming a mother.

Lily never knew that struggle. She may have felt it, unknowingly, as she prepared herself for her grand entrance. However, she has never known the mountain that I climbed to get us here...five years later and ready to start kindergarten.

I have had the unweavering support of my parents, siblings and extended family all of my life and because of that Lily will never really know the struggle our lives could have had.

I also cannot finish this post without mentioning Tom. His unselfish love and commitment to me and our family are a big reason why Lily will never know the struggle. Tom and I's love for each other and the commitment we share to our family is the reason Lily will grow up with the same unwearvering support and love that I have been blessed with all of my life.

So, as 2009 ends, and 2010 begins, I can only think amazing things are in store!

Christmas Eve 2009

Wordless Wednesday: Matching Christmas

Weaning

When it's time to wean my children from the breast or bottle I always look to the Farmer's Almanac to check when the best time is. Sounds completely crazy, doesn't it? It's true though. When Lily was a year old someone suggested that I wean at the almanac's advice...we did it and never her a peep from her about the bottle. She did perfectly.

So, now that Julianna is nearing the one year mark, it is time to start thinking about when the best time to wean her is. Tom purchased the last of the formula last week and we're ready to check the almanac to pick the day of the last bottle in this house. Ever.

My family had their Christmas all together on Christmas Eve. My sister and I were chatting and she asked me, "Have you looked online to see when to wean her?" And I heard, "Have you looked online to Win a Wiener?" (Say the sentence 3 times fast and tell me you don't hear the same thing!)

I am still laughing every time I think of it!!

Wordless Wednesday: Clothing-less Drew

Special

Yesterday Tom and I took Lily to see The Princess and the Frog movie. On our way there, we stopped at the gas station to get some candy to snack on during the show. As she was walking in to the store she says to Tom, "I must be special. I am SO Special!"

I guess that was sort of the point of taking her to the movie, to give her time with us and make her feel important. I hope that she continues to feel like she is special...because she totally is!!

Christmas Letter

I thought that since I would never ever in a million years get it together enough to type a Christmas Letter complete with a family picture...I would do one via the blog. Here it goes:

Dear Family, Friends and Internet,

The Stivers Family has had another busy and amazing year!! It started with a bang because on the second day of the year this year Julianna Kate joined our family. She was induced nearly three weeks early because of an irregular heartbeat. However, by the time she got here she was perfectly healthy. She has been a joy since day one. She's so easy going and happy that seconds after she was born I was worried that she wasn't breathing because she wasn't crying!! In fact she didn't cry for a few hours! She continues to amaze us with her sweetness and she is a tiny ball of fun.


Drew has had a big year this year. We discovered that he is significantly farsighted. It was an amazing moment when they put his glasses on him. He was actually seeing himself for the first time. Since he got his glasses nothing gets past this kid! He notices everything and doesn't forget a thing. He will be starting preschool two days a week in January. I think he's looking forward to it, although he is a bit nervous about it all. I will be sad to see him go...but I'm sure it will be nothing but a good thing for him! He already has his ABCs down and can count to 13! It will be fun to see how he fits in with his peers without Lily there to order him around.


Lily is growing up fast! She will be FIVE in February!! I can't believe she is getting so big. We've kept Lily busy this year with preschool five days a week, swimming lesson and gymnastics. She has also had some of her artwork displayed in a local gallery. She is so artistic and creative...I always love to see what she's going to come up with next! She really loves her swimming lessons and has told me more than once that she thinks she ready to swim in a swim meet. I think we'll wait on that, but it's nice that she's found something that she really enjoys!

After a few years of bouncing around his company, Tom has settled into a job as the Division Estimator. For our family this means lunch at home with us and that he's home for dinner almost every night. This is a big deal, because for a long time we never knew when or if he would make it home before it was time for the kids to go to bed. There are more times in our marriage than I'd like to count that his boss has called and said that Tom would be back on the road and gone for days at a time. We are so grateful for Tom's new job!

As for me, the kids continue to keep me on my toes. We stay very busy with Lily going to school and keeping up with all the activities for Drew and Julianna during school hours. There are days that I want to rip my hair out, but the rewards that come with raising children and creating memories make all the craziness worth it. I can't imagine doing anything else!

I hope that this year has been a good one for you too!

Happy Holidays!

The Stivers Family

Tom, Taylor, Lily, Drew and Julianna

Coco

I've said it before and I'll say it again. I was never going to get a dog. However, Tom and I decided that it would be good for the kids, especially Lily, to have a one. We thought for a long time before making the plunge to actually get one. By the time we got Coco we were more than ready to add a dog to our family. She was a perfect fit. She was calm around the children but loved to run around the backyard with them. She liked to relax on the couch with Tom and I in the evenings and even went for runs with me sometimes. She hardly barked and never had so much as a near accident in the house. Within 24 hours of moving in, Coco was home.

Yesterday, I let Coco outside in the backyard while I ran to pick up Lily from school. It was only the second time I had left the house with her in the back rather than putting her in her bed while I was out. However, I was totally comfortable leaving her there. She hadn't even sniffed for the exit for awhile now. But when we got home the gate was standing open and Coco was nowhere to be found. (We're pretty sure that the meter reader guy must have not gotten the gate shut, because we never open the gate.) So, I called the vet nearest our house, and animal control to let them know about Coco's disappearance. She had a micro chip so I was confident that she would be found and we'd have her back by the next day. The kids and I drove around a bit looking for her, to no avail.

Yesterday evening at about 7, we got a call from the person that we adopted Coco from. The micro chip in Coco was still under her name so the animal hospital had called her when Coco was found. We were told that she had been hit by at least 3 or 4 cars but that she was doing okay. So, Tom's mom came over to our house that that we could get to the hospital. When we got there the doctor shared that he was pretty sure that she had some paralysis but that we could start treatment and do some x-rays and go from there. They gave her something for the pain and started an IV to get meds going, but it wasn't enough. Within 30 minutes of actually starting her treatment she stopped breathing. They brought her back twice, but Tom and I told them they should stop and let her go.

It's been so hard. I was really not about to let a dog into my heart but I had no choice with Coco. She was an amazing dog. She was kind hearted and loving to all of us. She really had become a member of our family. Coco had had a hard life before coming to us so I hope that the few short weeks that she spent with us were as lovely for her as they were for us. She will most definitely be missed.

Wordless Wednesday: Lily's First Christmas

Culture

My dad and I took Lily to the Prairie Nutcracker this Sunday. It is a local show, adapted from the original Nutcracker, that takes place in Kansas in 1863.

Prairie Nutcracker

I had never seen the show and was excited to share the new experience with Lily. She loves to dance and had a wonderful time watching the show. It was fun to hear her perspective. She was convinced that there was actual magic happening on stage. Despite Lily's struggle to sit in her seat during the show, I'm glad we went. I've been waiting a long time for her to get old enough to share these experiences with her.

In a couple of months she and I will be travelling to Manhattan, Kansas to catch the national tour of Annie. She will have just turned five years old by then. It's going to be awesome to watch her watch the musical live. She is already familiar with the music, and I won't be surprised if she stands up and sings along with the show! One of the coolest parts of taking her to Annie is that Tom's cousin, Lynn Andrews, plays Miss Hannigan!! It's going to be awesome!

Holiday Fun

We had another busy holiday weekend. This Saturday this is how we stayed busy:



First we made a stop at the Reno County Museum's Oodleplex. It's a free playroom with all sorts of period toys for the kids to play with.


Here's Julianna taking the boat for a spin.

Then we headed over to the Hutchinson Recreation Commission to decorate gingerbread houses. The kids love to COVER their houses in candy....knowing that when we get home they get to snack on them! I love this tradition.

Here is Lily checking out all her candy options!

Drew's finished product.

No Christmas season is complete without a visit to Mr. Claus himself.

Drew let Santa know that he'd like a dinosaur for Christmas this year.

Julianna was pretty excited about it.

Lily was too nervous to actually touch Santa. She told us that she'd rather sit on Daddy's lap. Although she didn't want to get to close she wasn't too shy to let Santa know her long list of wants. "Barbies, a camera, a Christmas tree all her own, and some decorations."

We finished our morning with a lunch at Burger King. We live very close to one and the kids have begged to go there for months. Today was the day and they were completely thrilled. It's the simple things.

Funnies

When Lily sings "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", it comes out: "Rudolph red-deer Name-o"

A couple of days ago I had a doctor's appointment and as I was loading Drew into his carseat I was explaining to him that he was going to Grandma's house while I went to the doctor. He asked me why I was going there and I told him that they were going to fix my neck. He wanted to know if they were going to use pliers to do that. I told him that I sure hoped not!

The night before last Tom introduced the kids to Pee Wee Herman on the computer. The next day Lily asked me if we could find "Sea Weed Playhouse" on the computer. :)

Both kids have been really into Toy Story lately. The funniest thing is that the call Buzz Lightyear "Buzz Light." It always make me think of Bud Lite beer. :)

Happy Happy Joy Joy

I've started a battle against the winter blues.

If you've been reading for awhile, you know that I had a pretty serious bout of postpartum depression after Julianna. With the help of medications and support from family and friends I'm out of the woods with that. However, I'm keeping my defenses up against the disease as we head into winter.

Typically, this is the hardest time of the year for me. The winters around here are pretty dreary. Also, I get a bit stir-crazy when I have to stay home for any length of time. I like to get out and about with the kids...and during the winter that's much more difficult. Anyway, I thought I would share here on the blog some of the steps I'm taking to stay on the brighter side of life. :)

Exercise
I've started running. For fun. Anyone that knows me, knows that I don't really run. Well, at least I didn't used to. I thought people were crazy for going out to RUN for SPORT! I had no idea what there was that could be enjoyable about such a crazy thing. I get it now. In fact, I'm addicted to it. The weather around here lately has been nasty. However, just a couple of nights ago, when it was 18 degrees, I went for a 2 mile run. CrAzY! Outside, today, it's 12 degrees. YES! TWELVE!! And I'm still getting the itch to get out my house and go for a jog. That's how I KNOW I'm addicted.

The running is such a good way to battle the blues. It gets me out of the house for a short time. It clears my head and makes me feel like I'm doing something for me. I love that I can walk out my front door and just start running. I don't have to load anyone in the car, drive anywhere, or put much thought into it. I can just go. It's awesome.

Happy Thoughts
Sounds so hokey. I KNOW! But, it's true. For me, one negative thought can get stuck in my brain. It starts a cycle of bad thoughts that I can't seem to stop. I'm sure if you've ever been depressed, you know that it's so hard to shut off that negative thought pattern. For me, it paralyzed me on some days. I would see the mess of my house, the piles of laundry, dirty dishes, and all the toys laying around...and I wouldn't be able to focus on anything else. I wasn't able to find the motivation to do anything about it....I would just think about how crappy I was for not getting it taken care of.

So, lately, I've abolished negative thoughts. My house is still messy. The dirty dishes still sit on the counter for a while before I get them loaded, and there is still a pile of dirty laundry waiting to be thrown in the machine. The only thing that has changed is the way I allow myself to think about these things. I used to walk by the dirty dishes and berate myself for not taking care of them. It was like they reminded me of what a failure I was. Not. Anymore. Now, I look at the dirty dishes and I think to myself..."I'll get to them. They aren't hurting anything. They WILL get done." And you know what? They do. My dishwasher is full of clean dishes right now. And the clothes? I'm on my second load of the day.

Let me be clear. The house is by no means company ready. I would STILL be embarrassed if any one of you came over right now. However, I'm not letting the mess get to me...I'm too busy playing trains with Drew; or playing patty cake with Julianna; or painting Lily's toenails, to get too worked up about it these days.

I will let you know how the battle is going come January. I have confidence that I'll be doing just fine.

O Christmas Tree (behind the fence, for safety reasons)

We had a good and very busy day yesterday. Tom and I finished up our holiday shopping, we all decorated the Christmas tree, and we had a movie night with a warm bowl of chili with cinnamon rolls on the side. I love days like these. Having moments like these are the reason I wanted to have children. I love creating these memories with my husband and family!

Everyone was into hanging ornaments on the tree, except Julianna. She was all about ornament removal. We could keep her busy hands away from the tree.

We quickly realized that we were going to have to set up a barrier to save all of our lovely decorations. I'm hoping to find a box to set the tree on so that we can see it better behind the fence. :)

National Public Radio Listener No More

I listen to NPR everyday. Well, I did. Until today.

Today Lily and I were munching on a snack in the van before running into the grocery store to get a few items. I was listening to a panel of experts discuss the war in Afghanistan. This is about how the moment went:

Radio Guy: "....he is a man that has been killing a lot of Shias......"

Lily: "Oh no, Mom! They said that there is a guy killing a lot of Cheetahs!!"

I guess that my children have been paying attention a little more than I thought. No more grown up radio shows for me!!

As cheesy as it sounds, I'd like to put time in a bottle!

Julianna is 11 months old today. I can't believe it's been almost a year since she joined our family. We are so lucky to have such a sweet and happy girl!! She's really starting to develop a loving personality...but she tells us when she's not having her needs met in a timely fashion. We're still waiting on her first tooth...but, we'll be patient. Who really needs teeth anyway?


Here are the three of us hanging out while Lily is at school. Drew will begin preschool in January and I will miss my mornings with him. He's only going two days a week...but, it will still be a change! We've gotten pretty good at keeping ourselves entertained during Lily's mornings at preschool. I know he'll Love school and his teachers are going to get a kick out of him, too. But, as hard as this stage of life has been (having young children I mean), it's sad to see it going by so quickly!