I Want to Be Big!

On the way home Addison decided to tell Daniel and I that she wants to be big like us so she can reach the Lucky Charms!

Granny Has a What?!

The weather was so beautiful this weekend that we had promised Addison we were going to take her to the park. Her Granny and Papaw were supposed to go as well but her Granny got a sore throat and didn’t want to risk it. So when her Papaw showed up she asked him where her Granny was and he said “she stayed home because she had a sore throat.” Addison said “what made her throat sore” and Papaw said “She has a bug”. Addison then looked at Papaw with her concerned expression and said “Granny has a bug in her throat? Yuck!”

For Me?

For years, we have participated in the Operation Christmas Child program to give something to those in need since we feel we have been so blessed in our lives. This year is the first year that we felt like Addison would really get it and enjoy making the boxes for other children. So, we planned a trip to Target and talked to her about the program and how we were going to make shoeboxes for other little children like her. She was so excited! I put her in the basket part of the cart and we were on our way through the store. We picked out a couple fun items from the dollar spot then made our way to the health and beauty department. She was having so much fun picking stuff out and putting it in the cart. She would tell me “the little girls need this” or “lets get that for the boys”. We made our way back to the toy section of the seasonal department to finish off the boxes. At this point, I assume her generosity was gone because she put an item in the cart and said “this is for me” and I said “baby we aren’t here for you or mommy, we are here to get gifts for other little girls and boys, remember?” and she said “I do want to give to others but I want one for me too”! My heart is so full for this little girl!

A Smile for Mama

At the end of my second week back to work I was missing the little man and so excited to pick him up from daycare and have the weekend with our family. As soon as I walked into the room he saw me and a big gorgeous grin came across his face. He must have missed me as much as I missed him! I love you so much little man!!

Heaven, Florida?!

A dear friend of mine’s mother passed away and we were going to go to the visitation and were going to have to take the kids. We weren’t sure what Addison would think of the entire situation and how to explain it to her. So, Daniel sat her down and told her that Robin’s mommy had to go to heaven to be with Jesus. She then asked us if Robin’s mommy was sick and we told her that she was sick but that she wasn’t in pain anymore. Addison’s eyes lit up and she said “she is in heaven with God and not sick anymore, right?” and we told her “yes.” So, feeling like we had covered all the basic’s we left the table and went on with our normally night routine. The next morning we were heading to work/school and Addison saw the Geese in the sky and said, “Look, Daddy, Geese”. He said, “Yep, they are probably going to Florida” and our precious little angel said, “Is that were Robin’s mommy went?”

Your Little Pony

After a doctor appointment, I took Addison and Christian to McDonald’s. I ordered her usual Happy Meal and handed her the bag before we drove away. She found the most important part of her lunch, the toy, and proceeded to tell me that she had a “your little pony.” I glanced back and informed her that she had a “MY little pony” and she, in her almost three year old affirmation said “that is what I said, a YOUR little pony!”

Our First Trip to the ER

On my first day back in the office after 8 weeks of maternity leave I received a call from His Kids Academy. I assumed they were calling to tell me something about Christian since it was his first day in the nursery. To my surprise, they were calling about Addison. She had an accident and had a gash on her lip and they needed me to come look at it and possibly take her to the doctor for stitches. As if I wasn’t already enough of a emotional wreck from dropping Christian off for his first day away from me, now I had to take Addison to the doctor? I picked her up and proceeded to take her to her doctor’s office. They told me, over the phone, to go ahead and take her to Kosair instead of coming to their office. At that point, I lost it… and did what any emotionally loose mother would do… I called my mommy! Thank God nana was able to get away from work and come with us. We tried to stop by the doctor’s office but they still wouldn’t look at her (a whole other blog is needed for that one) so we went to Kosair Emergency Room. We waited for about 2 hours in the waiting room and about 45 minutes to see the doctor. She got to wear a green gown with a koala on it that she would have loved to take home and wear as pajamas. We listed to music, played games and just laughed to pass the time. Finally we saw the doctor and they decided to just let it heal on its own because putting stitches in would cause more damage than good. She was such a big girl through it all and I was so proud of her. I told her that if she didn’t want mommy to go back to work she could have just told me!

Watch Out Country Music

At the young age of two, my daughter has a slight obsession with Taylor Swift. It started with a simple request to “listen to Taylor” in the car and has escalated to “I want to be Taylor Swift when I grow up.” Since Taylor seems to be a pretty down to earth singer/songwriter we have embraced her obsession some and on this particular occasion I taped the Oprah show for Addison to watch later that evening. She was so excited to see Taylor perform that she had to get up and dance and I was able to capture it on video. So here is to the up-and-coming Taylor Swift backup dancer aka Addison Grace!

The Procedure

Our appointment with the ENT went well. He agreed with the lactation consultant that Christian’s tongue was tight and did the procedure right there in the office. There was minimal bleeding and he only cried for a second. I was able to nurse him immediately. It seems he has more mobility with his tongue already even though I cannot say nursing has improved greatly. I was told it could take up to four weeks for him to figure out how to use it so only time will tell. Even if it never gets better, I truly love the bond that nursing has made. Knowing that I, through the will of God, am responsible for his growth has been an amazing blessing all in itself.

Our Nursing Journey

For the last six weeks I have been nursing Christian and even though we can’t call our relationship a failure we definitely can’t call it a success. We have seen numerous lactation consultants and even made a visit to his pediatrician and my physician offices and no one was able to determine why nursing was painful for me. That is, until today. I assume our relationship started like any other since it seems a little pain and discomfort isn’t abnormal but with us the pain never went away. It actually probably got worse. We have an array of products from nipple shields to soothies to tubes of lanolin yet it doesn’t seem to be getting any better. I have researched every site possible and have been unable to determine what we are doing wrong. I have been on the brink of giving up more times than I am able to count but I have found support in people around me that have held me to a high standard to pull through because I told them I was going to succeed this time. Well, today we may have found the answer. I met with a new lactation consultant who believes Christian is tongue-tied. At first I was skeptical but as soon as I got home I did some research and it truly sounds like our situation. We have several of the “symptoms” that are associated with the diagnosis. So, we have an appointment with a ENT specialist on Friday for a second opinion.

A is for Attitude

When they asked me if I was interested in moving Addison to the preschool class six months early my response was “of course” like any parent who believes their child is a genius. Never did I expect, or even know to expect, that by moving her up to a class with three and four years old I was going to get a whole new level of attitude. It seems like everyday it is something new but the two phrases that surface most are “You’re not my best friend anymore” and “You’re not invited to my birthday party.” I have informed little Miss Attitude that if I am not invited to her birthday party then there will be no party as the mommy and daddy are responsible for putting the party on…to which she usually responds “Your invited then, but you can’t have any of my cake”. Seriously? Already?!? I can’t wait to see her teenage years!

Right There.... Yeah!!!

I have quickly learned that when you have more than one child it is very easy to compare the second to the first. In our case, some of the comparisons were very easy as Christian came out looking like a clone of his sister just 2 and a half years earlier. It was so neat to remember things she did when we would see him do them. However, from the beginning there was one thing that was unique to our baby boy… he loves having his head rubbed. He will sit still and even cock his head to the side to get a good rub in. It is adorable to see his expression when he realizes what you are doing.

Just Chillin'

Addison loves to call people on the phone and normally she will pick to call her Nana. The beginning of the conversation always goes as follows:

Addison: “Hi Nana”
Nana: “Hi Addison, Whatcha doin’?”
Addison: “Whatcha doin’?”
Nana: “Watching TV, Whatcha doin’?”

But this time her response was priceless:

Addison: “Nothing, just chillin’!”

He is Here!!

On September 4, 2009 at 1:13 pm, our newest little bundle of joy, Christian Daniel Snyder, made his appearance at 9 pounds and 21 inches long. He is absolutely beautiful and we are all doing very well.