Yesterday we were all piling in the car to head out for a birthday breakfast of blueberry pancakes at Midtown Cafe. It is an old faithful for Josh and myself, we shared many pancake breakfasts when we were dating. Now we are +2 little boys and a trip to Midtown requires more than just a wallet. As Josh ventured back into the house to grab more diapers (mind you we already had pull ups, blankets, burp cloths, diaper cream, size 9 shoes spilling out of the doors and onto the driveway and lifesaving PFDs you know, just in case) Jonathan piped up with his invariable stream of questions.
Jonathan: Mama, where is Daddy going?
Hannah: Inside for more diapers.
Jonathan: Whaa-aat?
Hannah: Pañales. Más pañales. (translation: Diapers, more diapers.)
Now let me insert here that Jonathan does not like it when I speak Spanish. He usually retorts with, "Mama, talk words." I, however, am determined to give him the elaborate gift of a second language daggumit, and sometimes I slip it in almost without thinking about it. This was one of those times, and as I spoke I rifled through the piles of necessary items to make sure they were in order. As I rifled, Jonathan started to frown.
Jonathan: Mama, that is not very nice to me and to William.
I had no idea what I had done. How was fiddling with junk bothering them?? They are the reason for all this paraphernalia in the first place!
Hannah (whips around): Jonathan, WHAT is not nice? I have not done anything to you.
Jonathan: You are stressing. me. out.
At this point I could not help but laugh.
Hannah (through stifled giggles): Why am I stressing you out Jonathan?
Jonathan: Don't. speak. Spanish.
Ay caramba, honestly, ay caramba.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Thursday, May 5, 2011
The silly little things in life
Last night we ate like royalty. Allow me to be clear: I have not made dinner but once (and maybe you can count the sandwiches I may have made) since William was born. We are blessed by friends bringing meals, parents cooking, and the existence of Chick'fil'A and Papa John's. It's not so much the cooking I am avoiding, but the making time for it, and for shopping, and for thinking at all. Thinking about something other than a nursing schedule for one child, a potty training schedule for another, and a red wine schedule for myself. With a brain monopolized by milk, underwear, and alcohol there is little room for anything else right now.
However, I am woman hear me roar. At least that is what seems to be the expected mantra of mothers (or any woman for that matter) and I was determined to rise above. I fished out frozen meat (a combination of chicken and tilapia) from the freezer and pumped myself up to make a trip to the grocery store for salad ingredients. Arriving at the grocery store, I was overwhelmed by the produce section (see notes of brain monopoly above) so instead settled for spindly asparagus. Not willing to make my second dinner as a mother of two an utterly bland and unplanned disaster, I snagged our favorite topping, blue cheese, from the expensive cheese section-- I was too stressed (see note again) by the size of the supermarket to traverse it for cheaper fromage.
Instead of cooking each meat and vegetable in its appropriate pan and therefore accruing a sinkful of sticky dishes, I announced that we would be throwing everything on the grill. I slapped bbq sauce and balsamic on the chicken and passed it off to Josh, threw the partially thawed fish on too, and tossed olive oil doused asparagus in with the mix. I mentally wiped my hands of the meal and sipped my red wine while Josh tended the Weber.
Soon I ventured out to see my delicacies being cooked to delicious perfection. What I saw was less than impressive. Skinny sticks of asparagus were roasting next to bite size portions of chicken, and we both had to laugh because my less-than-thawed fish was so mushy that the lion's share was falling through the cracks and leaving a doozy of a mess on the grill racks. I had been concerned that I was using up too much meat for one meal, but now it appeared we'd all be two bites in before dinner was over...
You know the crazy part? I couldn't have been happier. It was just all too fun. Dinner smelled good (who cares how it looked-- I was cooking, hot damn and hallelujah!) Instead of kicking myself for halfway thawing fish I was giggling uncontrollably with my husband, who hugged me and laughed too. I was drinking good red wine and you know what, that blue cheese afterthought sprinkled on top of everything made the whole meal taste like the finest gourmet.
However, I am woman hear me roar. At least that is what seems to be the expected mantra of mothers (or any woman for that matter) and I was determined to rise above. I fished out frozen meat (a combination of chicken and tilapia) from the freezer and pumped myself up to make a trip to the grocery store for salad ingredients. Arriving at the grocery store, I was overwhelmed by the produce section (see notes of brain monopoly above) so instead settled for spindly asparagus. Not willing to make my second dinner as a mother of two an utterly bland and unplanned disaster, I snagged our favorite topping, blue cheese, from the expensive cheese section-- I was too stressed (see note again) by the size of the supermarket to traverse it for cheaper fromage.
Instead of cooking each meat and vegetable in its appropriate pan and therefore accruing a sinkful of sticky dishes, I announced that we would be throwing everything on the grill. I slapped bbq sauce and balsamic on the chicken and passed it off to Josh, threw the partially thawed fish on too, and tossed olive oil doused asparagus in with the mix. I mentally wiped my hands of the meal and sipped my red wine while Josh tended the Weber.
Soon I ventured out to see my delicacies being cooked to delicious perfection. What I saw was less than impressive. Skinny sticks of asparagus were roasting next to bite size portions of chicken, and we both had to laugh because my less-than-thawed fish was so mushy that the lion's share was falling through the cracks and leaving a doozy of a mess on the grill racks. I had been concerned that I was using up too much meat for one meal, but now it appeared we'd all be two bites in before dinner was over...
You know the crazy part? I couldn't have been happier. It was just all too fun. Dinner smelled good (who cares how it looked-- I was cooking, hot damn and hallelujah!) Instead of kicking myself for halfway thawing fish I was giggling uncontrollably with my husband, who hugged me and laughed too. I was drinking good red wine and you know what, that blue cheese afterthought sprinkled on top of everything made the whole meal taste like the finest gourmet.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Sunday, April 17, 2011
A few good shots:)
Dad and the boys
Mama and her fellas
Little Will, squish faced and asleep:)
"William I'm warning you, it's a crazy world out there.""Really? Oh, ok, you got my back though, right?!"
A favorite new outfit. Ah yes, his casts have been decorated (by Mama and Jonathan).Wednesday, April 6, 2011
On an adventure of sorts
As many of you know, William was diagnosed with a condition called "club foot" when I was about 20 weeks pregnant. We were directed to wait until his birth (we then did not even know he was a boy) for a complete diagnosis, as ultrasounds can sometimes be deceiving. With help from our outstanding pediatrician and a good friend it was decided we would see Dr. Frino at Baptist Hospital. Today Josh, William, and I drove to Winston-Salem and I was eager to find out about this doctor and William's treatment.
The passage in Matthew was playing in my mind as we rode home today:
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable they they? ... See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. yet I tell you that no even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ... Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (taken from Matthew 6: 25-34)
From the doctor's tender demeanor to the orthopedic tech's capable hands to the nurse's joyful (and hilariously quirky) personality I could not have felt more assured of my son's well-being today. While today marked the first day of a new challenge, and while I certainly was caught a bit unaware by the enormity of William's fragility, God's promise to take care of all the "tomorrows" to come is real.
As I know that it is nigh impossible to know about these things and not do, I will give you an assignment-- pray. Please pray for Josh and me as parents that we would be tender, consistent, and dedicated to partnering with the doctor.
Finally, don't worry about Jonathan-- following a moment of confusion when he saw William's casts, I told him they were just like big band aids and he smiled. I think he will be no less than a fearless protector;)
Treatment details: William will wear "soft" casts for a week at a time for six weeks, which will gradually rotate his feet enough to be braced. Following this he may have a little surgery on his achilles tendon, after which he will have "hard" casts for three weeks straight. Then he will be put in braces (removeable) to wear all the time for 3 months. Then he will wear the braces only at night and naptime for two to three years. Dr. Frino says he has a very mild form of club foot and the treatment should go very smoothly!
Here are the little casted feet. (He will wear casts like these for 6 weeks for the beginning of treatment.)
Here we are with friends Emily and her daughter Ella when William was two weeks old.
2 1/2 weeks old
3 weeks old
Brothers (and Wake Forest fans)
The passage in Matthew was playing in my mind as we rode home today:
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable they they? ... See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. yet I tell you that no even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ... Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (taken from Matthew 6: 25-34)
From the doctor's tender demeanor to the orthopedic tech's capable hands to the nurse's joyful (and hilariously quirky) personality I could not have felt more assured of my son's well-being today. While today marked the first day of a new challenge, and while I certainly was caught a bit unaware by the enormity of William's fragility, God's promise to take care of all the "tomorrows" to come is real.
As I know that it is nigh impossible to know about these things and not do, I will give you an assignment-- pray. Please pray for Josh and me as parents that we would be tender, consistent, and dedicated to partnering with the doctor.
Finally, don't worry about Jonathan-- following a moment of confusion when he saw William's casts, I told him they were just like big band aids and he smiled. I think he will be no less than a fearless protector;)
Treatment details: William will wear "soft" casts for a week at a time for six weeks, which will gradually rotate his feet enough to be braced. Following this he may have a little surgery on his achilles tendon, after which he will have "hard" casts for three weeks straight. Then he will be put in braces (removeable) to wear all the time for 3 months. Then he will wear the braces only at night and naptime for two to three years. Dr. Frino says he has a very mild form of club foot and the treatment should go very smoothly!
Here are the little casted feet. (He will wear casts like these for 6 weeks for the beginning of treatment.)
Here we are with friends Emily and her daughter Ella when William was two weeks old.
2 1/2 weeks old
3 weeks old
Brothers (and Wake Forest fans)Saturday, March 26, 2011
It seems right
More and more I feel like something is missing. I am not joyful enough in the circumstances, the cake didn't come out just like I had wanted it to, I didn't fully wrap my arms around a Saturday and squeeze the juices out of it...
Every now and then, however, life feels right. My muscles relax and settle around my shoulders and I feel like I've found the perfect spot on the couch-- the spot where there are no creases and I am not sliding into the middle or off to the side and my pants are not bunching around my knees and I can just enjoy a moment. William feels like this. His quiet presence just feels good, and it is almost as though there was a him-sized niche in our home and now he is there filling it up.
He is so peaceful and wonderfully unaware of anything outside the world of soft blankets and being held in the cozy nooks of arms that I'm sure some of his innocence will rub off on you and leave your tee shirt smelling like Spring.
Every now and then, however, life feels right. My muscles relax and settle around my shoulders and I feel like I've found the perfect spot on the couch-- the spot where there are no creases and I am not sliding into the middle or off to the side and my pants are not bunching around my knees and I can just enjoy a moment. William feels like this. His quiet presence just feels good, and it is almost as though there was a him-sized niche in our home and now he is there filling it up.
He is so peaceful and wonderfully unaware of anything outside the world of soft blankets and being held in the cozy nooks of arms that I'm sure some of his innocence will rub off on you and leave your tee shirt smelling like Spring.
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