Monday, February 22, 2010

Happy 41 Years

...o stylish ones...





...here's to 41 more...

Love you parentals!

Sunday, February 14, 2010

To my Valentines...

To my husband...
You are my true Valentine. I am thankful you did not go with the majority opinion back in our dating/breaking up/dating/breaking up/dating/breaking up years and "get over her". I remember thinking on our honeymoon, laying on the hammock in St.Lucia, that I could not possibly love you anymore than I did at that exact moment.

Boy, was I wrong.

I love you more now today than I ever have. I am amazed at how much one's heart can grow and expand to fit in so much love. With every child we've had, my heart has grown. For the child, yes. For you, more.

Thank you for being my perfect partner in life. You put up with A LOT and still manage a smile on your face when you enter our home after a long day of work and no down time to recharge.

I love you, my handsome husband.

To my first born...
Until you have a child of your own, you will never fully grasp how much you changed my world for the better when you arrived nearly 5 years ago. You are hilarious. You are brilliant. You are my biggest helper and if I was 27 years younger, you would be my best friend. I love every second I get to spend with you.

To my oldest son...
Thank you for ripping my heart out and turning me into mush the moment you were born. Boys mess up their mamas. You are a flirt and you know how to work your eyes to make me swoon. You are the cuddliest child of the bunch and every day when you wake up from your nap with your bed head, I melt again. You've got me.

To my baby girl...
Your personality has grown and developed more in the last month than ever before. You are crazy adorable and I just want to squeeze your chubby cheeks all day. I wish I could keep you 10 months old forever because I can't get enough of your baby-ness. Dancing with you is the highlight of my day, everyday.

To my baby boy...
Though you've turned the hairs on my head a lighter shade of gray, you are the reason I get out of bed each morning. You smile wider, laugh harder, and love louder than I've ever known in a baby. I will chase you forever, my little runaway bunny. Your sloppy kisses and cuddle growls are my daily medicine.

My heart is full to overflowing today, and always. Happy Valentine's Day.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

And I thought Stomach Flu '10 was bad...

Let me just crawl out of my hole of self-pity for a moment.

Wait, whoops, I fell back in.

So it all began with SF'10 (we all know what that is now). It was violent. It was prolonged. It owned me.

As I crawled out of the depths of Hades, Mr.Bronchitis wrapped his tentacles around me and didn't let go for 2 solid weeks. I have used the term "coughed up a lung" on many occasions prior to the last 2 weeks. I now know what that phrase looks like.

And it ain't pretty.

So in feeling some sharp pains in my side, I decide it's well beyond past time to go to the doc (obviously my least favorite thing to do on the planet). They do some x-rays, tell me my lungs look fabulous but I've torn some scar tissue.

Ouch.

3 c-sections in the same spot? Not good for scar tissue. Ripping scar tissue apart? Not good for living and breathing.

Get some meds, go home, then experience tremendous chest pains. SWEETNESS. I wanted something else to ache.

Dealt with it for 2 days, called the doc again, got immediately in, got immediately sent to a lung doctor, got immediately sent to the hospital for a CT scan, then sent for more chest x-rays.

All this time I'm thinking I'm gonna die and Carter's gonna be mad and my kids are gonna have to get a new mama and this is just NOT WORKING OUT FOR ME!

Until doc #2 calls me at 8pm with the results.

His words: "Suzanne? Hi, this is Dr. Lung Man. You're not gonna die."

Suz: "Really? Well, that's good news."

Doctor: "So do you have all the kids in bed yet?"

Suz: "Seriously? Did you just ask that? RESULTS, LUNG MAN, RESULTS! No small talky talky."

Doctor: "Cracked rib. It's gonna hurt, like bad, real bad, for a long time."

Suz: "Long? How long? Like a couple of weeks?"

Doctor: "I wish. LOOOOOONG time."

And all I could think about was my ruined softball season that hasn't even started. Somebody call me a waaaaaaambulance.

So he gives me meds. Serious meds. S.E.R.I.O.U.S. meds. I go down for another 24 hours to visit the friends in Hades with, yet another, violent reaction to the meds. SF'10 Part II.

Finally, I am back among the living. Not so much the living AND breathing though, since I'm trying to withhold breathing as much as possible to keep the rib from busting on outta my skin.

But hey, at least I'm drug free.

In the words of Dominique Wilkins, Atlanta Hawks superstar, circa 1985, "Give hugs, not drugs."

Hugs.

Not drugs.

Just don't hug too tight. Hurts the ole ribaroosky.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Long Overdue

So I got the Dynamic Duo's nursery to functional status prior to their arrival and had many ideas to complete the room, but instead let it sit and get on my nerves for nearly 10 months. FINALLY, I sat in there, made of list of projects, and COMPLETED A ROOM.

It's a miracle.

I have a great knack for getting rooms to functional status and then leaving them for bigger and better (and free) projects. That is why there are curtains in every room on the front of the house and none in the back. Also why there is NOT A SINGLE picture in our house of the Duo, and barely any of Buster. Obviously, I developed pictures about 4 years ago and haven't since.

That's my next project.

So, take a tour. It's my favorite room in the house now. I go in there just to sit in the rocker and relax and marvel at the fact that I HAVE TWINS!

That little fact will never cease to blow me away.

"Yo, this is Tiny Miss....welcome to my CRIB!"

Buster peeking out from the rocking chair...

Hunka Chunk's side of the room...

The changing table is in the closet. We removed doors and can keep it mostly hidden with the curtains...

My favorite part of the room...

View from the door...

"Hope you enjoyed a look at my CRIB too!!"


*Edited to note that I did not paint the canvases with the R and H. I arrived home from the hospital to see these - a gift from my sweet friend Rebecca knowing my nursery walls were sadly bare. They are perfect!