More Gratitude Give Me

The gratitude continues.

I am thankful that when we need food, I can get in my car, drive five minutes, load a cart up with food, swipe a plastic card, and fill my refrigerator and pantry.  We are so so blessed.

I am enormously thankful for Aubrey's good nature.  Can she be naughty?  Yes.  Does she try my patience?  Everyday.  But Aubrey's greatest personality trait is one of happiness.  She lives to love.  She loves her brother.  She loves her dog.  And she loves Matt and I.  She is happy at school, she is happy at church, she is happy pretty much everywhere.  People notice, and everywhere we go she makes someone fall in love with her.

I am thankful for good health.  Knock on wood!

I am thankful for music.  Music has always been an important tool in my life.  And I find that music can always enhance a moment, feeling, emotion, experience.  I turn it on at lunch time when the kids are in a mood.  I turn it on when I take a bath, to help me relax.  I turn it on to dance, exercise, or be silly.  There isn't much that a good song can't help, is what I say.  Try this.  Or this.  This is our family theme song.  You're welcome. :)

I am thankful for my husband.  Matt is my rock.  Oh, he takes good care of me.  Of all of us.  I've never known anyone who works so hard and complains so little.  I will never stop being grateful that he is mine.

Now a few sillies...

Dry shampoo
Ice cream
Modern Family
Fresh pineapple
Harry Potter
My Phone
Swings
Birds
Guacamole
Downton Abbey
Tylenol
Horses
Super Why
Willow Trees

See you tomorrow!

A Heart Full of Thanks

This week I am trying to focus on the good and beautiful in my life.  It feels great.

I am oh so thankful that Aubrey sleeps well and a lot.  She always has.  I never fully appreciated this until Charlie came along.

I am thankful to have had a 5 month break from a church calling.  It was just what I needed, at the time I needed it the most.  And my new calling is EXACTLY what I need at this point in my life as well.  Perfect timing...it doesn't happen often, but when it does, oh boy.

Our new home, what a joy!  It feels so good here.  And the work that we have put into it makes it feel even more like home.  The storage, the layout, the yard...we needed it so bad, and now we have it, and I am thankful.  Plus, my bathtub makes me feel like a queen.

My Jilly.  Some friends are forever, and she is one for sure.  My girl has stuck with me.  We were only neighbors for a short time, but it was just long enough to form a friendship that has been a huge blessing in my life.  I am thankful for the laughs, the texts, the play dates and girl nights.  I'm thankful to have someone to share motherhood war stories with.  

I am thankful for my brother, Matt.  He makes me laugh, he is a fantastic listener, and he helps me feel brave.  I am proud of him, inspired by him, and jealous of his domestic skills (smiley face).  I am thankful he found his home in Seattle.  Even though it's far...visiting him gives me something to look forward to!

The mountains.  When Autumn comes I think they could not be more beautiful, and then the first snow of the season proves me wrong.  I am thankful for the escape they provide from the city noise, and inversion.  I think I should go skiing with Matt this year, don't you?

My Charlie boy.  He is so smart, it blows me away.  He mimicks everything we do.  Every sound, every gesture, everything.  You cannot imagine what joy it is to watch him learn so easily.  So maybe he has my temper, and my red hair to match.  He also has my heart.

This was fun!  Let's do it again tomorrow...same time same place:)

On The Lake

We spent the 24th of July up at the lake with Matt's family.  It is one of our favorite parts of summer!  I didn't participate in many of the water activites this year, being that I'm pregnant and all, but I did jump from the boat into the lake a few times for a quick swim, and man that felt good!  Matt did plenty of wake boarding and tubing (and is super sore to prove it), and Aubrey enjoyed tubing and playing with her cousins as well.  We all came home sunburned and exhausted.  Proof of a well spent summer day.

Thank again Jan and Eric, for an amazing day!

In Which I Gush Over My Offspring

I've been taking a lot of pictures of Aubrey the past few days (you know, because of the new camera) and the thing that keeps popping into my head when I look at all the pictures is..."She is such a big girl!"  I just can't get over how tall she is, and how long that curly head of hair is getting, and how mature she looks.  I have to keep reminding myself that in 6 months I will have a four year old.  It just blows my mind.

And also, can we just take a minute to notice the adorable-ness (is that a word?) of Aubrey's shirt?  I think it's pretty much the most gorgeous peice of clothing I've ever seen, and I kind of want a grow-up version of it for myself:)  Thanks Grandma J.!

She is so close!

I can't even begin to tell you how happy we are with Aubrey's progress lately. She is walking like Crazy! In the past 3 days alone we have seen her take more steps and use more balance than ever before. And the most amazing improvement is in her desire to do it...without needing to be persuaded. She actually wants to walk...which is something we battled for a LONG time. But, as usual, Aubrey has done things her own way and on her own schedule.

On Sunday we were at Matt's parents house for family dinner. We were in the kitchen, and Aubrey was standing up and holding my hand while we were standing around and talking. All of a sudden she let go of my hand and took about 5 steps across the kitchen to get to her cousin, Brynn. Just like that...of her own accord, she walked right over to her 4 year old cousin and gave her a hug. It was amazing! Just a few minutes ago I walked into the kitchen with Aubrey holding my hand. I decided to just let go and see what she would do. Sure enough, as soon as I let go and walked away she kept right on walking to follow me.

I know that I often use this blog as a place to write about our frustrations and struggles when it comes to Aubrey's delays...but I am so thankful for opportunities to share our triumph and gratitude for the progress she makes. We are so thankful to see her changing so much right now, and even though I know she still has a lot of work to do socially and cognitively, we're thrilled that we will soon be able to check physical therapy off of our list!

P.S. We'll try to get video soon so we can share it with all of you who have been so supportive during this process!

We're Baaack!

We had an absolute blast this weekend, but we're happy to be home with our little munchkin again. More pictures and details coming soon. Thanks again to my mom and dad for taking care of Aubrey this weekend!!!

Mom and Tots

Recently Aubrey and I have started attending a Mom and Tots class that is specifically geared towards kids with special needs. I can not begin to say what this class has meant for both Aubrey and I. It is such a blessing.

Each week class starts of with free time. All the kids are allowed to play with the toys and each other, crawl or walk around exploring the room, and get adjusted to the environment. During this time the moms just talk and watch the kids play. Then we all sit in a circle and have singing time. The teacher uses signs, and has the kids participate by also using signs or gestures. When singing time is over all the kids "walk" over to a table where they make a craft. This is where we practice fine motor skills. Then we clean up and have snack time. During snack time they address feeding issues, make the kids use manners (signing or saying please, thank you, and more), and work on self feeding. Then we blow bubbles and sing the goodbye song. It is the best hour of our whole week.

I think the reason we both love it so much is because it is such a safe place. And by that I mean it is a safe place for Aubrey to just be who she is, and a safe place for me to be who I am as her mother. There is no need to make excuses for her different behavior, or explain her challenges. There are no expectations for Aubrey to act "normal". It just doesn't matter to anybody there. All that matters is having fun and learning some things along the way.

I love that we all understand each other. We all get what a big deal it is when a child learns how to get the sticker off the paper and put in on a different paper. We all sing the praises for the child who says "mo mo" for more snack. And we all get so excited for the child who walks to the table by himself for the first time. We rejoice in these small miracle together. And we really get it. And even though I only know the other mothers by their first names, those women are my sisters. We are sisters because even though all of our children are different and have different challenges, we have one thing in common. We are all in a position we never expected to be in, and we're just trying to make our way through.

I will never stop being grateful for the amazing people that the Lord brings into our life, at just the right time.

Weekend Rundown

So, now that the fog of last week has lifted (and not a moment too soon!) I just want to say thanks for all of my mommy and non-mommy friends understanding comments. Virtual hugs to you all!

This weekend was just what the doctor ordered. Aubrey went to bed nice and early on Friday night, and then Matt and I ordered Chinese food and caught up on some of the shows we has missed during the week. (Did I mention we finally got a new computer? Oh, it is so nice to watch t.v. shows online!) Then we stayed up nice and late just talking about life, and the future, etc. It was so wonderful. Matt really is my favorite person ever:)

On Saturday we spent a good portion of the day catching up on some things around the house. We like to tag team so one person cleans while the other entertains Aubrey. At one point I left and went to the Library with Aubrey and when we came back Matt had cleaned and organized the laundry room, and was even cleaning out the junk drawer. Seriously! Favorite. Person. Ever.

Later that evening Matt's folks came over and sat with Aubrey so we could go on a date. We decided we would go and see Slumdog Millionaire. Now, as a rule we generally don't watch rated R movies...let alone pay $18 to see one in the theater. But a very reliable source highly recommended it to us, so we decided to take a chance on it. And I have to say, I don't regret it for even one second. It was probably the best movie I have ever seen in my life. I moved me and Matt so much, that we were both still talking about it all day yesterday. I left the theater feeling inspired and so blessed.

Sunday was good also. Aubrey still isn't a fan of nursery, but her special helper is certainly a fan of her, and she makes such a huge difference for our church experience (thanks Erica!). After church we went to Matt's parents house for Sunday dinner with the whole family, and had a delightful time. Aubrey loves to explore their house, open and close all the cupboards, and watch all of her rambunctious cousins run around. We're so glad we have family close by.

Then of course we came home, put Aubrey to bed, and watched the Oscars. It was so fun to watch Slumdog Millionaire sweep the show and take home the Oscar for best picture. Of course it was the only movie we saw out of the entire category...but we were still happy they won!

And now I am off to charge the camera battery, because I haven't posted any pictures for a really long time!

The Story

Despite all the awesomeness that has been going on around here, I just haven't been able to bring myself to blog the past few days. I think the reason is because I am so excited and happy about all of Aubrey's progress, that I don't really know how to write about it. How can I put into words how proud I feel, or how thankful I am, or how much hope I have for the future?

I guess I'll just tell the story of Bree's first steps. It happened on Tuesday when Julie the (blessed) physical therapist was here. After warming up, I was showing her how Aubrey has started learning to balance while standing up. She was so impressed, and said "Megan, she's ready." So we played a few games like Head Shoulders Knees and Toes to get Aubrey ready to balance. Then Julie had me sit on the couch. She took Bree a few feet away, stood behind her and put her hands under her elbows (just barely touching). I reached out for Aubrey and said "Come get mommy! Come get me!" Then Julie gently pushed her elbows one direction and the other so Aubrey get the hang of shifting her weight.

And just like that, she took 3 steps right to me!

I was so stunned when it happened that it took me a second to react. I looked at Julie and said "Oh my gosh...Aubrey just took her first steps didn't she!?" Julie and I jumped up and down and gave Aubrey so many kisses. Then we did it again and again and again, until Aubrey was so tired she laid down on the floor, rolled onto her side, and sucked on her fingers like she was going to take a little nap right there and then.

After she rested for a bit we got out the walker and started practicing with it. We shoved her little baby doll between the bars and said the baby wanted to go for a ride. Aubrey pushed the walker (with help) all the way from the stairs to the kitchen. It was such a high experience that I think we're still recovering!

Since then we've been doing a lot of practicing, but with all new things...Aubrey is nervous. Her low muscle tone makes activities like this so hard. She would always prefer to do something easier like crawl or let mom and dad carry her. But when she is ready, she'll get there. That's how it has been with everything. I know she'll get there. She is so close, but we can't force it.

The other day I was just thinking about how hard it is to remember what life was like before Aubrey could crawl. And now she is unstoppable. Watching her take those first steps helps me know that some day we won't be able to remember what life was like before she could walk.

I want to thank all of my sweet friends who commented on my last post. It is such a wonderful feeling to know that we have friends out there who are rooting for Aubrey just as much as we are. This blog really has become the place where I share the good and the bad of my motherhood experience, and the triumph and struggles that come with raising a child like Aubrey. I just really appreciate the people out there who care enough to cheer us on.

*blowing kisses*

The Little Things Make Life Great

Today was an awesome day. It was really the combination of several little things that made it so wonderful.

First, Aubrey slept until 8:00 am. And while this wasn't so convenient for 9:00 church, it was heavenly to sleep in that late. And we were only a few minutes late for sacrament meeting.

Then, Aubrey went to nursery...and she actually did well! Aubrey now has a special helper in nursery, and she has been such a blessing! I actually feel relaxed at church now. What a relief! And when I came to pick her up at the end of church, she was happily playing with two little girls. Then of course she started screaming her lungs out the instant she saw me. But that's OK. I can take her punishment!

After church I put Aubrey down for a nap with considerably less difficulty than usual, and then I promptly laid myself down for a nap and asked Matt to listen to the monitor. That was at 1:15. At 2:50 Matt woke me up so we could go to tithing settlement. Bree had been up for a while and Matt had let me be. I slept so hard during my nap that when he woke me up I was totally confused and disoriented about what day and time it was. I just remember saying, "What's going on? What am I doing?" I haven't had a nap like that in a long time!

This evening we were able to babysit for some friends of ours so they could go to the Christmas Devotional downtown. The kids were great, and we had a fun time getting a small taste of what life would be like with 3 kids!

Then after the kids were gone and Bree was in bed, we warmed up some cookies and watched the broadcast of the Christmas devotional by the light of our lovely Christmas tree (bought and decorated yesterday). It was so great! I love that every year when we watch it, I am reminded of the real meaning and purpose behind all the celebrations.

Today was a good day. I am ending this day with feelings of warmth, and love, and gratitude. I hope I have another one like this soon.

Giving Thanks

Today I am busy making these, but while I had some time I wanted to take a minute and write my annual thanksgiving post.

Like always, there are so many things to be thankful for this year. I have a truly blessed life, and when I really take the time to sit down and think of all the wonderful parts of my life, I am so overwhelmed!

This year I really want to focus on my gratitude for my family. And while I am so thankful for all of my family members, I want to specifically show my thanks for the family that Matt and I created together.

This January will mark five years since I first met my husband. I thought that I loved him when we were dating and engaged, but it turns out that I only had a small taste of the love that I would feel for him over time. We've been through so many wonderful and challenging things together, and through it all I've been amazed that our love has continued to grow and grow.

Last night my cell phone wasn't working. I could hear him, but he couldn't hear me. So we had this really funny conversation where he would tell me things, ask me questions, and have me press 1 beep for yes and 2 beeps for no. It was such a silly little thing, but it just made me realize how much the small things mean to me. I love that we can laugh together and be silly, I love that Matt thanks me for dinner every night even if it's grilled cheese and soup from a can, and I love that he still likes to call me during his lunch break just to see how my day is going.

I am also thankful that I can count on Matt during good times and bad times. We've had our fair share of trials over the years, and I am always amazed at Matt's strength, optimism, and faith. There have been more times than I can count where the day has ended with me pouring tears onto his shoulder, and dumping all my fears into his ears. What would I do without his calm reassurances and comfort? In short, he is everything I need and more!

And my little Aubrey. It's hard to remember what life was like before she was a part of our family. Being a mother is one of the most spectacular gifts that Heavenly Father has given me. Aubrey's spirit is so sweet and so strong. The spirit she brings into our home is almost tangible!

I am so thankful for the wonderful example that Aubrey is to me. Even at such a young age, she still teaches me things everyday. She is a wonderful example of determination, unconditional love, and happiness. I am so thankful for the privilege it is to be her mother and her friend. I am thankful for all the hugs and kisses she supplies me with. I am thankful for all the joy she spreads.

And even though this post is about my family, I couldn't finish without expressing the gratitude I have for my Heavenly Father. It is through him that all of these blessing are possible. More importantly, it is because of him that I know my family can be together forever. And that is the greatest gift of all.

May you all have a wonderful thanksgiving!!

Things Are Looking Up

Here are a few reason's why.

-Aubrey is taking a second nap right this very second.

-She fell asleep in my arms and let me snuggle her and kiss her neck.

-I had a very lovely 47 minute phone conversation with my mother this morning.

-We ate some delicious chocolate chip cookies with our lunch this afternoon (care of Matt's mom).

-A sweet friend wrote me a sweet email.

-I got ready for the day with no interruptions.

-And we got a preview of Aubrey's Halloween costume. It's so dang cute that I laughed out loud for about 5 minutes.

Warriors

Now that it's been a few days since Aubrey's appointment at PCMC I think I'm ready to talk about our feelings regarding the suspected diagnosis. The more research we do on our own, the more we feel that the doctors are right in their assumption that Aubrey has Sotos Syndrome. It just seems to fit. That has been a hard rock to swallow. Especially after visiting some support group websites and hearing of others struggles. However, we do find comfort in knowing that there is a wide range of severity within this diagnosis...so we aren't going to rule out anything in terms of Aubrey's development. There have been plenty of individuals with Sotos who have gone on to live normal lives. And with the progress that Aubrey has made over the past few months...well, we believe she will too.

We did get some really good news today. The results of Aubrey's bone age test came back completely normal. Now, we don't really know what that means yet in terms of her diagnosis because we weren't able to talk to the doctor today, but it has to mean something! And we take it to mean something positive. We still haven't heard back yet from the insurance company regarding the genetic testing, but we continue to pray that it will all work out.

I've been in touch with the early intervention program that we're working with to get things going for speech therapy and occupational therapy. We've decided we'll start things slow because we really don't want to overwhelm Bree, and make her feel like she can't just have some time to be a kid! I am so thankful for these wonderful programs and for the awesome people who support families like ours! They are real heroes.

A few days ago I sat down with Aubrey for a mommy daughter talk. I made her a promise that I would always be a warrior for her. I told her that I knew she was going to have to do some really hard work, and she wouldn't like it...but that I would work just as hard if not harder for her. If it means finding the best doctors/services/treatments etc. then I'll do it. I will always push her when she needs to be pushed, and hold her when she needs to rest. I will always believe in her. I will always love her. Period.

I think I needed to have that talk even more than she did. Now more then ever I am thankful for the God given drive that I have as a mother to know I would do anything for my child. I'm not afraid. I'm not sad or mad. I'm ready to get to work.

(And I don't mean to neglect Matt in this post either. He has been and continues to be my warrior/hero. He has enough faith to lift us all up.)

(Also, today Aubrey waved bye-bye to the cashier at Harmons! Rejoice!)

Here's To You

Kacy over at Light Refreshments Served wrote a funny post today in which she paid tribute to her family. She encouraged others to do this too, so here goes.


Aubrey is a busy girl. She likes to go here and there and everywhere. Her new favorite thing to do is pull over her toy box and take things out one at a time. It sure makes a good mess, but I think it's darn cute.


Also, Aubrey really loves going grocery shopping. She makes every person that looks at her fall in love with her. She in content to sit in the cart and hold something like a box of butter or a package of lunch meat the entire time, smiling at strangers and babbling to me.

Aubrey goes to bed at 7 pm, and I can't tell you what that has done for my life as a mother! To have my evenings to be alone with my husband, clean up dinner in peace, read a book, enjoy a show, etc...I think it is the only reason I am remotely sane.

She is also super flexible. She can do the splits, fold her whole body in half, and hug her legs.


Aubrey has physical therapy today, and she did so awesome! She only threw one little tantrum...and she was able to calm herself down without me picking her up. Yahoo! She did so good that I took her to McDonald's to share an ice cream cone.

And here's to Matt. He has the best sense of humor in the world. He knows pretty much every line of every Seinfeld episode ever. And he has the uncanny ability to recite whole monologues of movies he hasn't seen since he was 10. I'm not kidding.

Matt is also one of the few people I know that can laugh out loud even when he's by himself. It's not unusual for me to be upstairs and hear Matt busting a gut downstairs watching Wipe Out by himself, and running out of air. He loves to laugh.

And Matt gives Aubrey her bath every night. And he remembers to brush her teeth when I forget.

Matt is a very hands on Daddy. He's not afraid to change a poopy diaper, take Bree to Priesthood, clean the wax out of her ears, or clean up puke. I like that. A lot.

And while I'm at it...

Here's to my mom. She makes really good bread, and shares. She always does her visiting teaching. She exercises 3 days a week, goes to institute. She also spoils us whenever she can.

And here's to my dad who still thinks his jokes are funny. He still holds my mom's hand when they walk together. And I'm still his favorite daughter ever!

And for good measure...here is to my brother Matt. Whenever we talk on the phone the conversation inevitably turns to the topic of poop. I don't know how, but it does. Potty humor runs in the family. And he promised to teach me how to make pie!

Here is to Jake. Raising 4 little girls, getting a PhD., fulfilling church callings. The man does it all...and he's an awesome dad. Also, he does really good Beavis and ButtHead impersonations.

This was really fun! I suggest you do it too. Especially if you need a good reminder of why you love your family so much:)

I'm thankful...

-To have such awesome parents. In blood and in law.

-That Aubrey has so many people who love her and pray for her.

-For movies that make me laugh so hard I almost pee my pants. (2 words. Baby Momma)

-For a brother who has made it his life's mission to help me make good chocolate chip cookies. Seriously...If that ain't love...

-A husband who still makes me laugh on a daily basis.

-To have new friends.

-That I love my job.

-That I found a Ghiradeli (sp?) brownie mix at Walmart.

-For fall decorations and clothes.

-Long Sunday afternoon walks.

-A new shade of lipstick that really works.

etc.

My Girl

I swear, when Aubrey went to bed last night she was a baby girl. When she woke up this morning she was a new person. I spent my entire day today watching Aubrey master yet another important physical milestone. She has been pushing herself into a sitting position from her tummy all day! And I mean all day. She didn't even take an afternoon nap, because she couldn't stop pushing herself up in her crib!

This is one we've been working on for a loooong time, and one that she just wouldn't try. She fought it kicking and screaming...literally. And today she is an expert. Go figure! Learning to get herself into a sitting position from her tummy is a really important step towards crawling. You wouldn't think it is, but the way it strengthens her arms and her core will give her a new confidence, and soon she will learn to get from a sitting position into all four's. We're getting so close!

I can see this well of Independence filling up in her face, and I know that she knows that what she is doing is really cool! She is so proud of herself. If she is in the living room and I leave to go into the kitchen, it's only a matter of seconds until she rolls and scoots herself in there and pushes up to sit. And then she just laughs, because she got herself where she wanted to go, and she did it all by herself! It is amazing!

This journey as Aubrey's parents is unbelievable. It is a long windy road with so many bumps along the way. But every moment of impatience, every frustration, every desperate prayer, every tear shed, makes days like today even more triumphant. It is such a pleasure to watch Aubrey overcome obstacles, and weakness, and odds and figure it all out in her own way and in her own time.

She is such a gift. We are both so proud of her.

My cup runneth over.

We Are Blessed

On Thursday morning I woke up with some pretty bad neck pain. That happens from time to time, usually because I slept funny or something. I figured that as I got up and moving that it would loosen up and feel better. What actually happened is the pain got worse and worse as the day went on. And then I started having spasms. And I couldn't move my neck at all without making myself cry from the pain. (I swear I'm not a baby. It was really bad pain. Like pinched nerve pain.)

Anyway. As a result of this awfulness I was really limited in what I could do with Aubrey. We haven't left the house in 2 days because I can't look over my shoulder (no driving) and I don't even want to think about what it would take to get Bree into her carseat.

Now, you may be wondering why the title of this post is "We Are Blessed". Well, I'll tell you! Since I haven't been able to lift Aubrey very well, or bend down to help her and move her towards things...guess what? She has started doing a little army crawling/scooting!!!! It's amazing! There was a dvd case on the living room floor, directly in front of her. And I watched as she got really frustrated because she wanted it. She got up on her little elbows and started kicking her little legs like she was swimming...and before I knew it she had pushed herself to the dvd player!! Matt came home from work a little early to help me out, and we seriously spent an hour putting forbidden things (cell phones, my wallet, magazines, anything paper, etc.) in Aubrey's path to tempt her. We watched and watched as she pushed and struggled and kicked herself forward towards the desired objects. It was so fun. Now the poor thing has carpet burns on her knees, elbows, and chin:)

We have been praying and praying that we would start seeing more improvement in Aubrey's gross motor development. And I know without a doubt that this annoying neck pain was a factor in Aubrey learning how to do something on her own. We know that the Lord hears our prayers, and sometimes answers then in the strangest ways. We're so thankful.

Another blessing we've seen over the past few weeks has been noticeable changes in Aubrey's cognitive development. Her physical therapist commented at our last appointment that Bree is so much more aware of what is happening around her. She has been doing some really important things like turn-taking sounds (I'll make a sound, and then she'll respond with a sound), trying to communicate, following instructions, learning how to play with toys rather than chew on them, turning pages in books, etc. It has been such a delight to watch her learn! When we say "Aubrey, let's say a prayer" she'll fold her little arms. We've also been working on a little bit of sign language, and she has learned the sign for "more".

It brings us so much joy to see our little girl growing and learning and stretching herself. And more than anything else we thank Heavenly Father for blessing her and us at the times when we need it the most.

Must Have's

A few things I couldn't live without...

-The Public Library. Oh my goodness. Do you know what I love more than reading? Reading books that I don't have to buy!

-Chapstick. Seriously, I think that even though I've lived in Utah for 7 years now, my lips have never adjusted to the dryness. I need my burts bee's.

-So You Think You Can Dance. Let's be honest. There is nothing but a whole lotta crap on tv during the summer. And that's good...because who wants to be inside watching tv all summer long? Not me! But thank heavens for my Wednesday night delight of dancing. I can't get enough!

-The grill. Matt does the cooking when we grill. Enough said.

-Baby Tylenol. Have I mentioned that Bree has 14 teeth? Yeah, and pretty much the last 5 came all at once.

-Hobby Lobby. It's my new best friend, and worst enemy.

-My bath tub. Yeah, that's right. Even in the summer. Last night I soaked and listened to some music, and after 20 minutes I felt like a new woman.

What are your must have's?

Husband of the Year

I wish I could say that I haven't posted in a while do to all the fun things we did this weekend, but I can't. I can easily say this has been the WORST weekend we've had in a long time. It was so bad that I considered using "Shoot Me Now" as the title for this post. But rather than tell you all about the miserable stomach flu that plagued Aubrey and me over the past 3 days I'm going to tell you why I have the most wonderful husband in the whole world!

First, let me just say that Matt has been a busy fellow lately. Having just graduated and started a new job the poor guy has had a lot on his plate, and has been dealing with his fair share of stress. So when Aubrey woke up Friday morning having throw up in her crib, I said a billion prayers and got out the purell, hoping to avoid getting sick myself. Like Matt needed one more thing to deal with at the moment! No such luck.

So, on Saturday Matt spent the day caring for both Aubrey and me. He changed every juicy (sorry, there really isn't a better word) diaper, did about 7 loads of laundry, ran 2 baths for me, bathed Aubrey, put her down for every nap, fetched several glasses of water, rubbed my back while I heaved, and made a run to the store for popsicles (a must during a bout of the tummy flu). On top of that he also got everything together for an Elders Quorum cook-out, which he has to leave early on account of all the heaving at home. And all the while he was full of comments like "Poor Meggy! You are so sick!" and "What do you need, honey?".

Today while I was trying to recover my strength (I lost 6 lbs in 1 day!) he continued to care for Bree and give her lots of love and cuddles while I moaned on the couch. Not once did he complain about all of the stinky, messy diapers. He pressed forward with more laundry. He did all in his ability to get the "sick" smell out of our apartment. He loves us.

Despite how terrible things have been around here the past few days I am so thankful to be reminded of the phenomenal man Matt is. He is such an example of patience, selflessness, and unconditional love. How did I get so lucky?

So in conclusion, Matt wins the husband of the year prize.

Today I Am Thankful For...

-My husband who kisses me goodbye every day...morning breath and all!
-An uninterrupted night of sleep for Aubrey
-Early morning snuggles
-Watching Aubrey push herself up on her hands and knees!
-Sunshine despite the unseasonably cool weather
-Online television episodes
-Vacation anticipation
-The library
-Red fingernail polish