Sunday, March 13, 2011

"You Never Know How Strong You Are...

...Until Being Strong is Your ONLY Option!"

On April 17th, we will be walking with Central Dupage Hospital for the 3rd year in a row for the March of Dimes walk.  By this point, most know our story with Abigail being born 2 months early weighing 3lbs and our experience with the NICU at Central Dupage Hospital  We are forever grateful to all those involved in the healthy arrival of our daughter. 

This year we have decided to make our donations more personal to our own story.

Rob and I donated $60 because 60 was the number of days early Abigail was born.

We do not ask our family and friends for donations. It's just not our thing. 

But if someone is interested in donating to the cause, we are asking that you donate $29 because 29 is the number of days Abigail spent in the NICU.  It's in honor of our little fighter, Abigail, and the nurses and doctors who spent 29 days watching over our daughter!

March of Dimes affects so many people.  We have met GREAT friends in the NICU.  I also have some friends from college who also have had extremely early preemies.  One of my friends, Erin, had twins 2 months early.  She is a big supporter of March of Dimes and it was actually her idea that I "borrowed" with making our donations more personal. 

We look forward to the walk, to seeing old friends and some of the nurses who watched over Abigail, and to celebrating our 2 beautiful, healthy girls!!!!

M of D walk, 2010

Our friends the Wittmans, who we met in the NICU

And below, Abigail's very first 2 friends...both in the NICU with her:
Abigail and Cally


Abigail and Luca

Friday, March 11, 2011

Abigail Grace-3 (and 1/4)

It's time for an update on what Abigail's up to lately!!!! 

First, a few pictures off my phone!

She had SO much fun splashing in the puddles!

Abigail is a GREAT big sister.  She always wants to hold Caitlin's hand!

My silly monkey jumping on the bed couch

My favorite new picture Abigail drew!  I LOVE her people!!!!!

What's new with Abigail at 3 (and a 1/4):

*She continues to be the sweetest girl!  She LOVES everyone...her parents, her sister, her dog, her grandparents, her aunts and uncles, her teachers, her friends!  One of my favorite times of the day is during prayers when she prays for EVERYONE (although it may be a stall tactic, but it's too cute to cut short) including every aunt, uncle, friend at school, Santa, his reindeer, her toys, the single ladies (I laughed at it once so it comes back nightly), etc....

*She can an amazing way of making you feel better if you are having a bad day.  For example at dinner she'll say "Thank you mommy for making this meal.  It's so good!" or today she was drawing and said "This is a surprise for someone I REALLY love...I really love you mommy!"  I also love at dinner time when she'll say to Rob "Daddy, how was your day?"  She really melts my heart!!!

*She loves school and is doing really great!  She's made a lot of new friends (and has her first playdate today with her friend at school).  She has learned a lot...my favorite is listening to her sing the songs the teachers sing.  She will often sing them to Caitlin, especially the welcome song when Caitlin gets up.  She also has the cutest song about "God is listening when we pray" that is adorable!

*She liked ballet and tap, but is ready to move on to gymnastics.  She is starting swim lessons next month and it will be the first time she does them with a swim teacher and not me.  She is also saying she wants to play soccer (may have been influenced a little by me)...

*She LOVES to wear dresses and tights.  She dresses herself most mornings when she wakes up and has a few standard dresses/tights or she gets dressed in her Belle Dress.  She's a girly girl!  She loves everything frilly, pink, and sparkly!  She does NOT like jeans..in fact her teachers are helping me by encouraging her to wear jeans!   :)

*We have been working on writing her name, which is confusing to her because after she does A and B, she wants to do C...makes sense!   But she is getting better at writing all her letters.

*Her people are the cutest ever!!!!!!!!  (see above)

*She is not too picky of an eater, but she still loves her fruits and vegetables the most!

*She has the most AMAZING memory!!!  She doesn't forget a thing!!!  It's almost eerie how much she remembers.  She remembers what everyone eats at meals, what happens at places, who comes with us to places, and most important things that I tell her we will do, get, etc!  Just last night I told her this weekend she was going to see dolphins this weekend and she went into a story about the time mommy and daddy took her to see the dolphin show and they did this and then mommy did this and then we ate this...it went on and on...and it happened like 9 months ago!  

*She is a great big sister.  She doesn't show any signs of jealousy, just love for Caitlin.  She wants to help all the time (and usually does).  She is always worried about her and thinking of her.

Abigail,
Daddy and I love you so much!  You teach us more than we can ever teach you!  It has been amazing to watch you grow, change, and develop your own personality!  You are such a beautiful girl...but you are even more beautiful inside than out!!!!  We love you and know you are going to do amazing things in your life!
Love, Mommy and Daddy

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Caitlin Elizabeth - 16 Months

Our baby is 16 months old.  She's getting so big!!!!

Everyday I realize more and more that she's less of a baby and more of a "kid"...and it's sad because she's my baby, but it's been so fun!  With Caitlin, I think I'm able to appreciate a little more all the little milestones she meets.  I also am much more relaxed with Caitlin (I think most moms are with their second) and able to enjoy the present a little more!

Caitlin is such a fun baby to be around!  She makes me laugh so much, even when she's making me crazy at the same time!  I think that's something she'll pride herself on when she's older. If this girl doesn't get "class clown" in high school, I'll be shocked!  She's so funny, usually without even trying! 

I LOVE MY BUG!!!!

Here are some pictures of her the past few months....random ones taken off my cell phone...and then an update!


So beautiful!


Her cheesy smile.  When I say "Caitlin, smile" she makes a "Cheese" sound and makes her silly face!

This picture of Caitlin cracks me up because this IS Caitlin.  This pictures sums up her personality!  She NEVER stops moving...she never stays still.  And she makes everyone laugh around her!!!

Caitlin and I went on a shopping spree for a new movie for her (she had to exchange a repeat movie from Aunt Katie) and we had so much fun shopping together!

Her choice:  Elmo!  She LOVES Elmo so much!!!!  He's funny....like her!

We went to Cosley Zoo on a warm, rainy day to see animals and splash in puddles.  (More on that below)

Looking old to me this day!  (16 months)

Caitlin at 16 Months:

*At 15 months, she weighed 18 lbs and was 30.5 inches tall.

*She has a bunch of things she sleeps with.  Her #1 thing she can't sleep without is her glow worm.  She also has a satin blanket, a woobie, and her Olivia doll.  She also uses her twilight ladybug and a sound machine to sleep....GEESH!

Snapped a picture as I opened the door this morning.   This is how she stands waiting for me.


In her crib (with Olivia)


Caitlin and all her sleeping goods. 

*She goes to bed between 7:00-7:30, and usually wakes up at 7am, but likes to play in her crib for a while before I get her.  She usually plays for like a half an hour and I get her at 7:30.  I listen to her on the intercom and hear her playing the music from her glowworm, but she doesn't fuss or cry.  I think she needs this time to wake up and get ready for the day.

*She really only needs one nap.  I have tried to transition her to an afternoon nap, but she usually still needs the morning nap.  The only downfall is then she usually won't nap in the afternoon.  She'll often lay in her crib in the afternoon for like an hour or so quietly, but not sleep.  We are hoping to get her to an afternoon nap by this summer because we have BIG plans of playing at the pool every morning!  :)  So for now, she will usually sleep 2+ hours in the morning if I let her....which I usually don't because of trying to transition.

*She still sleeps with her paci.  I wanted to get rid of it at 12 months, but she's so happy with it.  We spoke with her dentist and pediatrician.  They said she's okay with it now but we should drop it by 2 years.   I want to wait till she's talking more before I take it away...and after our family road trip this summer.  So when we get back from our family vaction in July, we'll take it away!

*She has this funny walk when she's on a mission.  Her head bobs up and down and she walks head first like her head weighs 100 lbs.  It's hard to explain, but it's adorable....

*I go back and forth if she's a picky eater or not.  Usually not, but she'll definitely get in a phase where she is. She LOVES bananas, macaroni and cheese (or any noodle, pasta, etc), cheese, yogurt, edamame, any fruit or vegetable.  She won't eat eggs or most meats (chicken, ground beef).  She still drinks 3 cups of whole milk a day and water the rest of the day.  Her favorite snacks are cheerios, goldfish, or pretzel rods.

*She HATES her potty!!!  HATES!  HATES!  HATES!  She will NOT sit on it, no matter how many books I put next to it, how many stickers I put on it, and how fun I make it look by sitting on it myself (and that's a lot of fun!!!!!).  Luckily we have a long time, but I was hoping she'd like sitting on it and reading on it so by 2 years, we can start potty training.  It's a theme with her...she likes to do things on her own time!

*She's afraid of things with fur.  Horses, Cows, Sheep, Raccoon hats!  Cosley Zoo was an "experience" because she screamed everytime an animal looked at her!  But she did it in a way that had everyone laughing!  She warmed up towards the end...and really loved the bunnies...so there's hope!

*She is starting to like books much more...but she likes to be in control of picking them out!  If you pick it out, she'll fight you to listen to it.  Her favorite books are :  Brown Bear, 5 Monkeys Jumping on the Bed, Baby's First Words, Moo Baa LaLaLa, and anything with "textiles" in it (usually a library book we rotate every 2 weeks).

*Caitlin isn't talking yet, but I've seen a big burst in her expressive language in the last week.  She is repeating sounds and even words when I say them.  She likes the "p" sound so sort of says "up" and if you ask her how the bunny goes, she'll say "hop, hop, hop".  She also makes a "d" sound for daddy and doggie.  We are working on words everyday through books, puzzles, and play (bubbles, dolls).  Like all other things Caitlin does, she does things when she wants!

*She loves games like "So Big" and "Peek-A-Boo".

*She loves music, but not singing!  She will dance and dance all day....but doesn't like to be sung to at night.

*She knows point to most of her body parts (eyes, ears, nose, mouth, toes, hands, hair, head).

*She gives the BEST hugs and kisses!



And finally....the answer to my last post (which I should have made more clear):
Where's Caitlin?

Yes, she's against our new painted walls (which I need to post about) but that wasn't the answer...

the correct answer is time out! 

Miss Caitlin's favorite game is "feed Kramer".  She drops all her food to Kramer.  So we had to start doing time outs when she drops food because when we say "no", she laughs and laughs and laughs! 

How are time outs going?  Just look at her face.....not so well.  She things they are pretty fun! 

You should watch Rob and me give her a time out...we try so hard not to laugh because she's so darn cute sitting against this big wall...she always leaves her legs straight out and just sits there...she never tries to get up....but the look on her face makes it hard to keep a straight face!


Caitlin,
You are the joy of our lives! 
You bring a smile to our face every day! 
 We LOVE you so much!!!!!
You amaze us with your ability to make those around you smile and your carefree attitude!
We can't wait to see how you change and grow over the next few months!!!
We love you so much, Caitlin Bug!
Love, Mommy and Daddy 


Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Name the Place....

1st, Happy 97th birthday to Grannie Frannie today!  She's so special and I love her so much!!!!

Second, we are starting today with a game....Where's Waldo Caitlin????

Can you guess where Caitlin is?????? 









I'll post the answer tonight!  Caitlin Bug is 16 months old today and needs an "update" post!

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Happy 97th Birthday!

Tuesday is my grandma's 97th birthday!!!!

We headed to where to she lives to have a party with the whole family!
It was a great sunday celebrating a really wonderful and amazing woman!!!


The birthday girl looking wonderful at 97!

The "buddies"

They've always had something special

Rob and his beautiful, party animal, goddaughter Lucy

Sisters getting down!

 
The boys (did I mention my parents brought wine and beer to my grandma's "home"...it's a wild and crazy party at the retirement home)

Lucy and her aunt Katie....they have a special bond!!!!!

Great Grandma and Grandma
(Great job mom on the party!  It was perfect!)

Giving Great-Grandma the card she made her

The best part...cake...and Rob with front row viewing

"What's going on???  Who's stealing my thunder?"

Make a wish....maybe for good weather????

Grandpa and his granddaughters

Caitlin was in a hugging mood...her and Lucy are so cute together.  It's going to be so fun to watch them grow up together so close in age.

More hugs (poor lucy)

More hugs

Lucy doing her new trick...sitting up!  Good job Lucy babe!!!!

Our beautiful goddaughter.  She's so special!!!!

Happy 97th birthday, Grandma!  We hope it was a special day surrounded by your family!!!  We look forward to the next one, the one after that, and then the BIG one!  ;)  WE LOVE YOU!!!!

Friday, March 4, 2011

Quote from Abigail


(As Abigail is pushing her doll in her shopping cart)
"Look Mommy, we are both mommies, but I'm the pretty one!"

(New post below)

GIARDINIERA

Last weekend we headed up to Bass Lake for our annual Giardiniera-making weekend.  Every year, the process gets LARGER but easier!  This year, our friend Lukas (Mr. Lukas as Abigail calls him) joined in on the fun!

The weekend began with a couple of "projects".

Fixing something in the basement...not sure....

No more yellow wall!  We did a blue strip, and the rest of the wall will get painted next visit.

Then, the fun began!  The boys had to head to the "store" and returned 2 hours later with lots of stories from the local VFW and an invitation to attend a fundraiser that night....

Papa and the girls enjoyed Snow White, and more Snow White, and more SnowWhite!  Big Hit!!!

This bug just makes me smile!!!!

Time to start making giardiniera...which means time for mommy and auntie mo mo to walk across the street to the local drinking hole...we left before the first cut and returned to a clean kitchen....that's the "deal"....

Auntie Mo Mo and Uncle B

The finished product...don't even ask about the clothing...I know it involves fishing vests, belt buckles, and a racoon hat....

Men at Work

That's a lot of giardiniera!  I know a lot of people are going to enjoy the guys hard work!
(Ha Ha...as I reread this post, I saw Kramer made the picture)

Nana made a GREAT dinner of macaroni (that's pasta in the Italian family) and then it was time to play....

Auntie Mo Mo is so fun

Airplane rides

Nana and Papa stayed home and watched the kids (Thank You So Much) while the rest of the crew faced the smoke (you can still smoke in Indiana bars and I am SO SO SO grateful Illinois changed that law) and LOUD music for a fundraiser.  It was a live auction and classic rock bar mixed together...always interesting.  Always more interesting when my husband walks away from the auction with a Jeff Gordan ride-on car for the girls, ORANGE ORANGE ORANGE sweatshirt (and comment by girl that Rob won't get shot on accident with it...so we've got that going for us), and Lebron James basketball jersey (because we are HUGE NBA fans...or NOT) that luckily some guy bought off of Rob on the walk out (for less than we paid, but so happy that didn't come home).  Luke left with some Irish Whiskey, gift certificate for the bar, and RANDOM tae kwon do lessons in Indiana....can't wait to hear about those!

It was a hilarious night (as bars in small towns usually are)...

The  next day, before we left, Rob measured the girls as he always does.  He started this tradition with Abigail's first visit to the cabin so we can watch the grow (shed small tear)...and I realized I never documented it.



Abigail's side



Caitlin's side  (Caitlin's first visit was giardiniera weekend last year...so you can see how much she has grown in 1 year...again, shed small tear)

It was a great weekend. Rob has had some really long weeks at work and really needed the weekend to just unwind!  As always, thank you Nana and Papa for EVERYTHING!!!  We appreciate it all so much!!!

We can't wait for our next trip up there....and we hope it's warm enough to go swimming because Abigail was very confused where the "lake" went.....