Just Because He's Cute...

Our future rock star!

Looking out the window for the trash truck is one of Nolan's favorite pastimes. He always hears it LONG before he sees it, but waits patiently til it arrives. He's such a boy!

What's Up With This Flu?

No more than a half hour after my last post Todd started retching. So much for the "It's a new week!" thought. Todd has had more than his fair share of stomach issues over the course of his lifetime (for those of you who don't know his story, he's had over a dozen abdominal surgeries in his life), but this was the worst bout of his that I have ever witnessed (we've been together five and a half years.) He lost 9 pounds in 2 days. He was sick...VERY sick! A few hours after he started running to the bathroom I found myself running for our other bathroom. Fortunately my case was nowhere near as severe as his, but nonetheless it was wretched. This flu is vile! We are so glad to be on the road back to good health. It's easy to take feeling well for granted until you get sick!

What A Week!

This week was one of the craziest we've had in a long time and I'm glad we're starting a brand new one! First off, Nolan and Todd were both sick. Nolan vomited for a couple of days--his first bout with a stomach bug. I can handle icky poops and I can handle blood, but I can NOT handle vomit. Vomit makes me squeamish like nothing else. Just thinking about it makes my skin clammy and my insides churn!

While he was sick Todd had to be out of town for a business trip. It's awful being sick, but being sick and away from your own bed is like a kick in the head when you're already down for the count. To top it off, within minutes of Todd walking in the door I left him and Nolan together so I could go to the hospital to be with my mom who was having surgery. Her double mastectomy was successful and she is healing better than the doctor could have imagined. We are grateful to the Great Physician and to her surgeon, too!

So far this week has all the potential of normalcy since everyone's pretty much back to health. Only time will tell!

Big Day For Baby!

Nolan is FINALLY cutting his first tooth! Most 16.5 month olds already have a mouth full of pearly whites, but not our Nolan! Whenever he seems excessively drooly or more cranky than usual Todd and I have facetiously joked with each other "Oh, he must be teething!" knowing full well that there was not a tooth, nary a swollen gum, in sight. We resolved ourselves to the possibility that our child would soon be the recipient of "baby dentures" and bemoaned the thought that dental insurance surely wouldn't cover such an extravagance. But this afternoon, when Nolan was splashing around in the bathtub, I saw the smallest shimmer of something white. At first I assumed it was leftover cottage cheese from lunch...but it was a tiny tooth bud! I just about fell into the tub in disbelief! There's really nothing yet to take a picture of, but once this tooth fully comes in I will proudly share the evidence of this milestone with the world. It's been a long time in coming! I'm off to get the orajel!

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things...

Books, books, and more books! Here are ten, in no particular order, that I think everyone should read at some point in life.

• East Of Eden, John Steinbeck A moving story of family and forgiveness you will never forget.
• Les Miserables, Victor Hugo A journey inside the mind and heart of one of the greatest literary characters of all time, Jean Valjean.
• To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee Poignantly asks "What is justice?"
• Incidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl, Harriett Jacobs A memoir written by a learned slave girl in the 1860's.
• Knuffle Bunny, Mo Willems An adorable children's book that depicts the great lengths a parent will go to for their child's happiness.
• The Bible I believe it to be the inerrant, inspired Word of God...and a great piece of literature!
• A Severe Mercy, Sheldon Vanauken A love story on earth that speaks of heavenly love.
• Roots, Alex Haley Amazing history right at your fingertips!
• In The Name Of Jesus, Henri Nouwen How to be a servant leader.
• One Hundred Years Of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez Magical and mystical adventure.

More installments of my favorite things to come! Now go get reading!

Hallelujah For Naps!

My 16 month old has been on a nap strike. The last nap he took was on Superbowl Sunday, February 3...until today! Eight napless days are eight too many! Babies are supposed to sleep and he is still very much a baby to me! He finally napped again today and in my mind it was akin to a much needed thunderstorm in a parched desert. Thank You, Lord!