One Year

My baby girl is one. I have already blogged about the day of her birth, and there are some days when I can close my eyes, and I am right back there in the flash of an instant. She truly has given us a year of joy, and despite the health difficulties she has experienced, I would not trade a single day with her, easy or rough. Let me be clear about something: I have three children, all of whom I love so deeply that it is hard to fathom there is an end to the depth of it, but the bond I feel with Scarlet is different than the bond I have with my boys. It's not better in any way, but having a daughter makes me, as a mom, a woman, more complete, and it's very difficult to explain. In the same way that I know being the mother of boys makes me parent differently and think differently, parenting a daughter has required more on my part because I can identify with who she may become, understanding her nature is like thinking about myself, and sometimes, it's difficult to explore the inner reaches of your heart and mind.

I never thought I would have more than two kids, even though I wanted more than that, and I didn't really ever consider the idea of mothering a daughter, either. But, here we are, and I am so excited at the possibilities for my girl. Those long-dreamed of days and weekends of hunting and exploring with his boys that Stefan has spoken of so often, most of the time as we lay in the dark, holding hands and talking about our family, are now much brighter for me as I think of the days Scarlet and I will have while they are out having so much fun. I can't wait to have a conversation with her!

Her party was a great success. We decided to invite some of our closest friends, along with family, and we rented a room at one of our local parks. The Lakeview room, aptly named, overlooks a pretty lake, and the big windows let in lots of sunshine. The party's theme was hearts (pink and purple, no less), for no other reason than the fact that I love hearts, and this was my chance to decorate to my "heart's" content before she can demand a Disney Princess of some sort! We ordered food from Chicken King (yum) and Gregg's Gourmet Cafe (yum), and cupcakes from Pete's Oven Bakery (yum), and I made Scarlet's cake (chocolate heart-shaped). She was very blessed tonight in the gift department. Our friends and family went way above and beyond, and she finally has some of her own toys now, as opposed to her brothers' cast-offs (which were just fine, by the way!). Thanks to all of you who lover her and us so much. We love you back.

I will post the wonderful pictures later this week when I get them from my mom and my in-laws, but I wanted to update the blog this evening.

Love is in the air

I haven't been posting an awful lot lately. Something of a writer's block. When your brain is too full, there should be typically more to say, but it doesn't work that way with me.

We had a low key Valentine's Day this year. Usually I try to buy all my kids something "lovey" to wear, but since Old Navy really doesn't have any good boy's $5 holiday shirts anymore, it's much harder to do as they have gotten older. There is no shortage of girl's stuff though, so I am sure Scarlet will be decked out each year

This is probably the only year that she and I will match. It wasn't quite intentional, but when I got to the store, it was all they had left actually. I think we look good together!

Starting with yesterday at the boys' schools, everything was pink and red and lovely. Both boys had a party...Slade's was more of an all-day affair, AND he was "Child of the Day", so he had a great time. He was so surprised that he got so many "Valentimes", as he calls them. Spencer's party was for an hour at the end of the day, so I was able to rush from work when my school day was done, and I made it there at 2:30 on the dot, when the party started. His was an ice cream social, and I was busy scooping ice cream and taking orders for the number of gummy worms each person wanted on top. Spencer decided to add some of his candy to his sundae. It tasted so gross after that so he didn't end up finishing it. We ended Friday the 13th with an early family Valentine's dinner at Longhorn because we thought it would be less crowded than trying to go out on Saturday.

Today, I woke up feeling yucky, and I had no voice and my ear was hurting, so I spent the morning in my bed with all of my kids piled in with me. We bought them each a little something, and they were happy to just chill out.


That is really what we did for most of the day, besides some laundry! Scarlet's gift also came with chocolate, and she has had tiny tastes before, but today I gave her a whole chocolate heart. At first she was unsure, but then she got it in her mouth and couldn't get enough. She kept reaching for more, and laughing, and then crying when we said no.
I can't wait for her party in two weeks. I can't believe she will be one on the 28th. Her party is heart-themed because that's what I love.

Stefan has been so great about making dinner, but he hasn't been making it on the weekends (I wouldn't either!), however, tonight he made dinner for all of us...garlic chicken spaghetti. It was yummy! Afterwards, we enjoyed brownies with strawberries and whipped cream (I made those). Check out the pretty pink roses my husband had waiting for me after work on Friday!

Our boys beg to sleep together whenever they don't have school the next day, so we just put them down and told them they could watch "Mickey's Three Mouseketeers" in bed with the portable dvd player. They think they have died and gone to heaven. I am so happy that they love each other so much, despite their three year age difference.

Lately, I have been thinking a lot about friendships. In college, I made some of the best friends I have ever had in my life. I am still close with many of them, but there are a couple that I could pick up the phone or show up on their doorstep tomorrow and stay for a few days, and the years between our last visit would melt away, and we would be totally comfortable with each other. I love them so much, and they know who they are. Besides my sisters, they are probably among the few people I would trust most with my secrets, my kids, me, and sometimes, I am very sad that distance keeps us from being immersed in each other's daily lives, and that our kids can't grow up playing with one another...hello Tennessee, New York, Ohio! However, I am longing for that kind of connection in my everyday life. I work with great people, some of whom I am getting to know better in recent months. I have great friends from church, but busy schedules and kids keep us disconnected sometimes. My sisters, it goes without saying, are always my best friends.

A friend of mine said the other day, "Friendships take work," and that is very true. I would like to be able to have the kinds of friends where our conversations can pick up as though we never had to cut them short days prior. I would like to have the kinds of friends who can come over at a moment's notice with their kids and we can enjoy doing nothing or talking or whatever while our kids have fun, and I won't care if my house hasn't been cleaned before they walk in the door. I would like to have the kinds of friends who know how to laugh. I would like to have the kinds of friends who don't have to make some excuse for not calling back or not keeping in touch because we would know it wasn't for any reason other than they absolutely couldn't. I would like to have the kinds of friends who know what my schedule holds for the next few days or weeks because we have communicated often enough for that to happen, and I would like to have the kinds of friends who don't need a background and a history of something to understand how a word, an action, a situation might impact me, good or bad. That does takes work. Time and work that I am willing to put in. So, my friends, are you out there?

Dumb, dumb, dumb

Today, I went rollerskating with my boys at a roller rink that hasn't changed in smell or sight in about the 20 years I was last there. That was the interesting part. The dumb part is that I laced up the skates and actually skated with my 7-year old and didn't expect to feel any worse for the wear. Well, I do now. Wish I had a picture to show you because judging from the laughter of Stefan from the sidelines, who, might I add, didn't even bother to THINK of putting skates on, I am sure it was quite a sight. I didn't fall though, and as I left Spencer in the dust a couple of times (he has a falling problem with the skates), I have to admit that I felt 12 years old again, because on a rollerskating rink, all persons are created equal in looking awkward unless you are under the age of 12!

A Diagnosis

I am sitting with a sleeping Scarlet in the pediatric icu right now. Dr. Doshi has just left after showing me pictures of Scarlet's airway. If I can scan them in later, I will because it is unbelievable.

She does have a clear case of bronchomalacia on both sides of her lungs, which if you have been reading for awhile, you will remember that I researched on my own and determined that this was a likely possibility for her based on her symptoms. Again, I am thankful beyond words that the Lord led us to Dr. Doshi and that he took the time to really listen to me in regards to Scarlet's condition.

There is always hope because we consciously serve the one great God who cradles us in the palm of his hand and upholds us before we realize we need Him.

Regardless of the report we learned today, we will continue to walk boldly in the direction of Jesus and trust that Scarlet is loved and protected by her creator more than we love and care for her. That's hard to fathom!

Please continue to pray for her. The next year remains a critical period of time for her particular diagnosis. When we clear the hurdle of this winter, we expect a terrific summer and then we have to make it through the next winter. Scary. After that, her growth should be the cure.

Possession

Okay, I've kept quiet for a very long time. Here is a SIMPLE grammar lesson we should all understand if we've graduated from high school (actually before that, but I'm being graceful).

To make something plural, just add an -s or -es to the end of the word. Plural means more than one.
For example: The Andersons (there are five of us).
The computer screen (there is just one screen).
DVDs, 1990s
Got it? I hope so.

To make something possessive (as in showing ownership), that's when you get down and dirty with the apostrophes. Yes, even if the noun has an "s" at the end of the word, you just add an 's, unless it's plural already. See the examples below.

Jesus's word (the Bible, if you didn't know)
Krista's family (the family belongs to Krista)
Krista and Stefan's family (the family belongs to both of them; only the last noun
gets the apostrophe!!)
Students' desks (more than one student and more than one desk)
The Andersons' house (the house belongs to the Andersons; there are 5 of us)
The dog's collar (one dog, one collar)
The dogs' collars (more than one dog, more than one collar)
The Hicks Family (Their last name ends in "s"; NO NEED for an apostrophe)

Contractions
You need an apostrophe for contractions, also. A contraction is two words made into one word. The apostrophe signifies the letter that has been omitted.
Can not = can't
is not = isn't
it is = it's
will not = won't

*** Its is a pronoun which refers to something that is not human (animal or object). It's not always a contraction. It's and its are two different words! You should probably learn the difference if you have a job or want a job.

Now, go fix your blogs.