One last summer getaway

We decided to go to Connecticut for the weekend to visit DeeDee and PaPa. We left Thursday after Julian's football practice and around bedtime. It seems to be the best time for us to travel these days. The kids did great on the way there and we made great time. it was soooooo nice to just get in the car for 3 hours when we are used to 12-15 hours. The kids are getting a little older and able to reason with them, and they knew they were going to deedee's and wanted to go.

We had a great time visiting papa at work, eating out, going to Essex to the boat, and taking a boat ride to Greenport, Long Island for lunch. We are so happy that our kids seem to love the boat and water as much as we do. They got on the boat and had a great time, and took a great nap as soon as the engines were going good. It brought us back to when Julian was little and we would take him on the boat. He always slept great with the sound of the engines.

Dee Dee and Lilly

Feeding the ducks. Hard to get all 3 to cooperate for picture.

Day 1 naps on the boat.

Day 2, naps on the boat. All 3 are out.

Lilly fell asleep in PaPa's arms while driving the boat.

Alex fell asleep in Daddy's arms.

Lilly enjoying driving the boat with PaPa and wearing papa's hat.

Daddy and his boys

Lilly enjoying the bunk beds in the boat. Acting like a big girl.

Alex's turn to help Papa drive.

Dee Dee and the babies

DeeDee and Alex at lunch.

Attempting another family photo. We were having a great day together. Love being away from home.

Papa's boat

merry-go-round in Greenport, Long Island. Lilly not too sure of what was going on.

Alex and Julian having a good time.

Happy Anniversary!

I can't believe it's been 12 years since this picture when Chris and I got married. We look so young. We've been through so much in the past 12 years. I'm sure as with most marriages we've had our ups and downs. I think it shows a true love that can make it through difficult times and rejoice in the good times. We've grown so much as people, partners and parents through the years. Our family has grown from just the 2 starting our life together in Virginia , to a family of 5. My life is exactly what I wanted when I said "I do" on July 31, 1999. We are parents to 3 beautiful children and we have family that love and support us. I look forward to what the next 12 years of our life will become.

Julian's surgery

Last Thursday we finally went forward with having Julian's surgery. It was something that had been on our back burner for 3 years and I was not looking forward to it. We had even had it scheduled once in Canada, and then complications arose with my pregnancy so we had to cancel. Julian had a hernia/hydrocele that needed to be repaired. This is a defect in the muscle in the groin that allows bowel/abdominal fluid to dip out of the abdomen. We found a really nice pediatric urologist in the area and scheduled it for this summer. We were trying to work around the doctor's limited surgical times, vacations, and fall sports starting in August. The date was July 21st. We lined up Aunt Anne to come up the night before to be here with the babies all day. I knew it would be a longer day because we decided to have the surgery done at the children's hospital in Philadelphia. The doctor highly recommended it, and the date worked well for us. Julian did great waking up early and not having anything to eat or drink. We made it to the hospital in good time, and he seemed ok. The minute we walked in the front doors, Julian got an upset stomach. He was worried he was sick and wanted to go home. Chris and I tried to comfort him and tell him he just had a nervous stomach. We had some tears for about the next hour. A nurse practitioner talked to him and explained everything and he seemed to be better. With Stanford luck on our side, the doctor was running about 3 hours behind which made the wait a little hard for him and us. We tried playing as much as we could and watched tv. Finally, they came to get us around 12:30 for his surgery. The versed they give helps with the separation and he went off. About 2, the doctor came out and said he did great and everything went well. I went back shortly to the PACU to see him. He was crying again, but quickly calmed down when he saw me. We made sure he was good and comfortable before they sent us home due to a longer ride home. Glad we did because we left right at rush hour and it took 3 1/2 hours to get home. Poor baby slept in the back seat and would wake up occasionally with a bad sore throat. Thank goodness Anne was home with the babies and I didn't have to worry about needing to get home quick for someone to have to leave. The day was out of our control, but finally we got home and put in bed near us.

Recovery for him went really well. The doctor said kids recover much better than adults do with the same surgery. ( I was a little worried since we've been through this with chris and he was in a lot of discomfort). Julian didn't complain of any pain hardly at all. I gave him a couple doses of the good pain medicine to ensure the first 2 days but then he really didn't need anything.

I think he's ready to be up and going again. I'm so happy this is now behind us. Hopefully, it will be a long time before any of my kids will need surgery again. It has to be one of the worst things for parents to go through, even though you know it is necessary. Being a nurse, I do have a control issue when it comes to my kids healthcare and trusting others isn't that easy for me. Unfortunately, with the babies prematurity I have had to do this way too much. It still doesn't get any easier.

sitting in our pre-op room. Feeling a little better at this point about everything.

In the car, on the way home. You can tell he doesn't feel great.

Day 2 post-op. Feeling much better.

GI appt for Lilly

Last week, Lilly had her GI follow up appointment. Overall, it was a good appt. She weighed 22.2 lbs. She gained 5 gms/day since the last. Normal weight gain for this age and a very active 2 year old is 5-8 gms/day. So, she actually gained the minimum of a normal amount. We will take normal for my little peanut. We still aren't doing anything to "catch up" from being born a 2 lb baby, but she is following still a 2 lb baby growth curve. We had hoped that by 2 she would start to jump up a curve or two. I try really hard not to obsess over her weight because she is a perfectly normal 2 year old by every other standard. And she has gained 20 lbs in 2 years. If she had been born 7 lbs, and gained 20 lbs that would be a very average child. So we still just have the difference to gain from being born so small. So, we left with just keep on keeping on. Which is better than the alternative.

Last of vacation

I had a few more pictures to add from our summer vacation. Our last day in Seabrook, we took a boat ride to a little island to find seashells. The kids all really loved it. We were a little worried how the babies would do, but they did great. I think it is a requirement for a member of this family to like the water and boats. So glad they didn't disappoint us.

Alex having a great time and big smile

Dee Dee and Julian

Lilly searching for seashells.

Alex helping PaPa drive the boat.

After our boat ride and a nap for the babies, we went to the beach club for our last dinner at the beach. We had a great dinner sitting overlooking the ocean and watching a storm roll in.

Julian , Alex, and Lilly looking at the ocean during dinner.

We hated leaving but we had a wonderful family vacation together. Chris and I think it's important to make great memories for our children to look back on and to spend special time away together. We couldn't have asked for a better trip. Then back home to reality.