Life Lately...

Where does the time go?!?!  I swear every time I try and sit down to write a new post, I get one word typed and then I have this 26 pound "small person" clinging to my leg.  I mean he never needs me when he is playing and I am milling around, but as soon as I call someone or sit at the computer, it's needy Nelly!

The past three weeks have BLOWN by.  And yes, being back in West Texas/Lubbock you just seem blow everywhere.  UGH.  We had very little wind in Louisiana.  Like none.  It was nice.  Hot as h%^^, but no wind.  

Tubes were a HUGE success!  Sleeping through the night like a boss around here.  Well, he was, but now we have a cough and we get to listen to that every night through the monitor.  AND twice this past week, Brad and I cleaned up vomit around 1:30-2:00 am, bathed a baby in the middle of the night, changed sheets, put a load of laundry on, and prayed hard that he would fall back into a deep trance.  Jealous I know...Darn day care germs and cough.

 Nothing like being at the hospital a quarter til 6!  Happy as a clam...

A little pre-surgery reading...

Pep-talk time...

The after math.... Screaming, wailing, and could not get enough water into his mouth fun!

The ride home at 7:20.  Can you say in and out?! 

Got him out of the care seat at home and that was the last tear he cried!  He was a CHAMP!

 Quickest 2K I have ever spent.  But at least Ledger got a free stuffed animal dog with the hospital's name on it. Sigh... :)

 Got to hang out with Uncle Cody in February...

And with this gorgeous, little girl at the park!  L was less than enthused with the toboggan in 65 degree weather, but Momma was worried about the tubes two days out.  

The house is slowly but surely coming along.  Leaving LA, I knew we would have to buy some more pieces of furniture, but LORD it has multiplied it seems.  But it has been fun, sometimes...  Just a couple of knock down drag outs, but still happily married I think.:)

 Built-ins are done...  Fun stuff first.

 Louisiana got a shelf!

We had a mid-week visit from Bob.  Daddy was back in New Orleans and I got sicker than a dog.  UGLY...  Bob saved the day!  

 Eric and Tara got to hang with Ledge while in town from Dallas!

AND Spring Break starts tomorrow...  WOOHOO!  I am going to take it easy and work on the house, have a play-date with the cousins, study for my Principal's test on Friday morning, and then head to Dallas for a much needed girl's weekend, while the hubs and Ledger have a boy's weekend here.  

A weekend that doesn't include a monitor or cleaning up vomit at 1:00 am...  Cannot wait.

Happy Spring Break!

Love,

~H 

 

Busy, Busy, Busy...

OH MY WORD... Where do I even start?!?!  The last month has been a whirlwind to say the least.  I have had zero time to tend to the blog.  Ledger's first birthday, starting my new job on the 19th of January, my birthday weekend complete with strep throat, Ledger's 12th ear infection with 103.5 fever for 2 days, and the BIG MOVE... 

GLAD this month is over and done with!    

I mean why not start a new job in the middle of the year and then move three weeks later!?!?!  I mean, sounds logical right?  But, oh how I LOVE my new school.  My team has been a GODSEND....  I mean I only ask about 50+ questions a day and they are all so helpful. And this is a new grade level.  I NEVER in a million years thought that I would EVER teach anyone or 'anything' younger than 3rd grade, but I guess God had other plans...  And these kids are the best.  So mannerly, eager to learn, and just plain lovely.  Now, I have had to limit a couple of them on their daily question asking to like 3 per day (OMG), but all in all just wonderful kids.  

We are officially in our house and out of the "lovely" corporate apartment.  I nearly shed tears of joy when Brad and I drove away from there last Sunday morning after loading up our last load of CRAP.  I mean where did all of this STUFF come from.  I swear it's 90% Ledger's. It's ridiculous the amount of "STUFF" he has...  And he would much rather play with an empty water bottle or cardboard box anyday; hands-down.  

We are thrilled to be in our new house. (Thanks Kent and Rendi!)  Now the amount of paper and boxes may send me over the edge, but when I laid my head on our King Bed Saturday night after sleeping on a used, queen bed for 91 days, I thought I had died and gone to heaven.  No married couple should ever sleep on a queen bed. NO.COUPLE.EVER.  Sooooo not good for a marriage, especially ours:)  

 This is what your bday looks like with no make-up, sweats and strep throat.  Not pretty!  But I'm always up for a red velvet cake.

And a CFS, mashed potatoes and mac and cheese.  Don't forget the white gravy!  Obviously my throat didn't hurt this night.  That is an insane, sick amount of carbs, but it was worth every calorie!

Love it that Steph came in from Dallas for a night!  Always fun with this girl...

 Checking on the painters at the house pre-move... Someone was throwing a fit.  Who knows why!:)

His last night at the A.P.T.  Can you say ECSTATIC!  He went to Bob and Bebo's for 3 days while we moved.  There was no way we could have done it with him.  Can't even imagine...

 One last glance at Apartment #1301!  Bye Bye!

Movers came bright and early Saturday morning and 6 hours later they were gone.  Brad and I just stared at each other in complete dread.  Where in the world do we start?!?!  

Everything, I mean everything was wrapped in triple sheets of paper.  Even a plastic tablespoon was triple wrapped.  And our plastic cups.  All individually wrapped.  We about died!  So funny.  

 Fun times...

AND....  My shoes made it!  Thank the Lord.  Haven't seen these babies since November.

Couldn't be more excited to be in our new home.  And my favorite part hands down in the closet.  Heaven...

 This pic just doesn't do it justice.  It is HUGE...  I guess Brad can put some of his stuff in here:)

 And we finally made it to the ENT this past Thursday and this little stud is getting "tubed" up Thursday!  Thank the Lord...  Hopefully this will eliminate most of the Wainscott frequent flyer miles at our pediatrician, Dr. Roger's office.  It has been nothing short of ridiculous...

So there you have it!  We have been a smidge busy.  We tackled the garage today and I can barely see straight right now I am so tired...  But it is CLEAN, I mean eat off the floor clean!

And my favorite thing about this past week with my 7 year olds...

     Girl versus Boy...  

Sleep and God vs. Mating

Somethings never change!:)

Happy Weekend Everyone!

Love,

~H 

 

 

 

The Big Party...

Well, we survived the one year old's birthday celebration...  Barely!:) 

Let me just tell you, the Little Gym is the place to do it.  Sure, it's not the cheapest, but they take care of EVERYTHING, except writing the thank you notes.  Shelby and her crew helped us set up, put out all the snacks, and corralled the 17 kids in an orderly fashion!  They were simply amazing and all 17 kids enjoyed the body flinging activities confined in one, large room...  And there were a lot of bodies flinging... let me tell you!  Shelby and staff even wrote down all my gifts and who they were from.  Felt like she was my BFF at my wedding and baby showers.  

And the best part....  NO CLEAN UP... Score!

 The morning of his party.  This could be trouble.  Mean mugging us all while rocking the Bill Murray hair...  Thank God he pepped up!  (Brad said he was ticked off at the lame penguin pj's his mother put him in...)

Ummmm.  Try again bakery.

Added the "d"!  Much better!:)

 Sugar cookie party favors for all the kids.  To die for...

"Where is everyone?!  Let's get this party started!!"

We love some shakers...

 Most of all the troops!  This was a crew!  They all played so well together...

Nothing says "party" quite like a rainbow parachute!  

(Bebo just supervised through the glass...  He did remind me twice that the Patriots kicked off at 3:30 and the party was over at 3:15. I told him that he would live if he missed the kickoff:). 

 Bob and the birthday boy...

 The older kids were sooo sweet to Ledger.  Knox, Emma Kate and Campbell were terrific helpers.  

Fun with Daddy.  And the shaker...  He was obsessed with those things. 

 Time for cake...

Nope...  Not having it!  Didn't eat one bite.  (Definitely doesn't take after his mother...)

Well folks, that's about all he did.  Slap it, stare at his fingers and then cry.

 Mommies friends and Ledger's friends!

 Uncle Slade, Aunt Lindz and the crew came!  We were sooo happy they came for the day!

Knox, Briggs and Ellis had a LARGE time!

Two tired Grandmas and one extremely over stimulated, delirious baby post party...

 

Uncle Chebe, Aunt Boppy and the Foster Clan!

 The morning after...  Ledger loves his DeDe and Grandma!

What a great party celebrating this little guy.  Loved every minute of it!

What a wonderful day with friends and family.  We were all exhausted and of course Ledger got his second wind about 8:00 pm Saturday night.  He had zero clue where he was, ran into multiple walls here in the a.p.t. and was up at 1:00, 3:00 and 5:00 am...  We both knew it was going to be a hellacious night after an all day party with two measly 45 minute naps.  But we survived!

And nothing like partying all day on Saturday and Momma starting her new job the following Monday.  And the Wainscott's are moving into our new house in three weeks.  

Can I get an AMEN!

  I mean, why not do it all at once?!?!  

Tears are sure to happen within the next 30 days.  Both happy and stress tears:)

Love,

~H 

Dear Ledger...

Dear Ledger,

WOW!  What a year this has been.  Everyone said it would fly by and some days I thought they were lying, but it sadly has.

From that late Mother's Day 2014 night, when it read positive on the fun, little plastic stick, I knew you were going to be the miracle that your Daddy and I had prayed for.  I was so excited that night I don't think I slept an hour.  I hid it from your Daddy, because I just wanted to make sure.  So after taking three more pregnancy tests the following Monday morning in the 3rd grade staff bathroom at Woodlake Elementary, I knew it was true and I wasn't crazy.  You were here.

When you arrived January 13th, 2015 at 12:32 pm, I admit I was PETRIFIED out of my mind.  I was scared to no end.  I like to be prepared.  There was nothing else I could have read, Googled, or asked/texted girlfriends about.  I thought I knew it all.  Well, boy was that laughable.  All that got thrown out the window the exact moment I heard your faint cries in the delivery room.  The next three days in the hospital were such a blur.  I just remember being so freaked out and not knowing exactly what to do.  I think I might have changed one diaper.  Your Daddy, grandmas, nurses and aunts sadly did them all.  I would like to blame it on the aftermath of the C-section, but I was completely overwhelmed. "I am a Mom", I kept thinking.  I wanted to be THE perfect mom.  I was literally scared to death.  Even on day two of your life, Daddy had to ask Mommy if I needed to talk with someone...  Brad was a tad concerned that he had forever lost his normal wife.:)  AND that honest, gut wrenching question from Daddy made me get a grip, put on my big girl panties and take the reins!   But, I do have to apologize about the time I was uncontrollably sobbing and begging Daddy not to go to work and leave me alone with you when you were about 2 weeks old.  I was extremely anxious, frustrated and maybe a tad "cuckoo"!  Nothing personal...

 

You are no longer a baby anymore.  You are a strong-willed, happy toddler that can now throw an epic fit when you have to put on your shoes, when you don't want to eat or be strapped in your high chair, or don't want to leave the Little Gym.   You are becoming so independent and on one hand it kind of breaks my heart sometimes that you don't need me as much anymore and sometimes it makes me cry happy tears that you can finally do somethings on your own without a death grip on my leg.

I don't mind picking up the tornado of toys, books, blocks, and fridge magnets at the end of each day.  I don't even mind picking out the endless trail of soggy crackers left embedded in the high quality apartment carpet at all (Not ours and not for long!)  I don't mind talking to you all day everyday in our baby talk dialogue, and the persistence of trying relentlessly to get you to say "Mama" instead of "that" guy's name.  I don't mind that ALL you want to eat is pureed baby food, but the recent discovery of Ritz and Lays has been great news; even though you really only lick the salt off of them.  And at the rate we are going, I won't mind packing your lunch of Squeezies when you are in 2nd grade, but you may get made fun of.  I really don't even mind our 2 am, 3 am, 4 am parties anymore; my body and mind are used to them after a serious lack of sleep for the past 365 days.  

I cannot get enough of your infectious giggle, sideways grins, and your teasing nature.  Or your love of people (you would gladly go with any child abductor), love of open-mouthed kisses, and your zest for life!

You have taught me that life is definitely an adventure and that as a Mom, you must be flexible... That is a tough word for this type A personality, but I have you to thank that it is getting better.  Slowly, but surely.  You have taught me to live each day to the fullest.  You have brought daily laughs and smiles everyday to our lives.  Just one of you shrillish giggles can make a bad day turn around in a split second.

You are a true blessing to our lives.  Your Dad and I sit around and talk about what we did without you; sleep a lot, drink a lot of wine, go out to adult dinners, take fun spontaneous trips, go to the movies and sleep more!  But we would gladly give up all those again and again for YOU.  You have taught us the true meaning of unselfish love.  You are undoubtedly the best thing that has ever happened to us.

You are special and unique.  God knew exactly 'YOU' so long ago; what your personality would be, your spirit, your quirks and he molded your laid back demeanor. Your Daddy and I are the blessed ones that get to call you ours.  Ours forever.  

I am already so proud of you it hurts. You are destined to do great things Ledger Cory Wainscott.  I just know it.  But for now, just stay Mommy's BFF.

I love you more than anything and nothing will ever change that.  

Love,  

Mommy