Updates!

I said it before and I'll say it again: May is one BUSY month for my family.  We've already covered Mother's Day and Lucy's Birthday, but next came Piper's surgery, our Anniversary, a nasty stomach bug, Memorial Day, our Anniversary weekend celebration, another family trip to the Seattle area, and lastly, Coby Boyce's 7th birthday party.  Now it's June 1st and if I don't blog about the May events now I'll never get around to it; we have another crazy 2 weeks ahead!

So I'll just write a brief summary of each of the events that passed in May so it doesn't draaaaag on for you all, but I want to remember this stuff for my future.  So here goes:

Piper had a very thick Frenum under her top lip.  Too thick for a dentist to just snip after topical numbing.  She had to go to Kootenai Hospital to get "put under" and get it cut and stitched (frenectomy or frenulectomy- all the doctors said it differently...).  It was the saddest moment of my life, watching the doctors put the gas mask on her and see terror in her eyes at all the confusion.  She fought it like crazy, but it only lasted about 40 seconds.  The harder they cry, the faster the gas mask works.  Anyway, they brought her out to recovery and she screamed so hard that she split her lip and they had to rush her back to the OR and put her under again (this time without me holding her- HEARTACHE) and restitch her.  The next time that she woke up in recovery, they brought me in and she was mad.  They warned me that would most likely happen.  She was inconsolable and threw her apple sauce and Popsicle across the room.  Haha, it's funny now, but at the time I was stressed when the apple sauce blew up everywhere!  Anyway, we got home and she had a swollen lip, a HUGE appetite and was a little cranky, but after her nap, she woke up like nothing had even happened! The worst part was not letting her eat all morning before her surgery.  But after that, she was happy and playful.  I'm so glad it's all over with!   The doctors were also looking at putting tubes in her ears after a pressure test showed fluid in her ear, but once she was under, they realized all the "fluid" was actually only earwax packed in, so they cleaned her out and no tubes were needed- thank goodness!

 

 
 

 Shawn and I celebrated our 4th Wedding anniversary.  4 doesn't sound like a lot, but any amount of time being married is an accomplishment in my book.  So we felt great about our small number :)  Shawn and I don't get each other Anniversary presents because to me that seems a little silly (unless diamonds are involved.  In that case, I don't think I'd object!).  An anniversary is meant to celebrate your love TOGETHER, right?  So we spent our money on dates out.  We were able to go to the movies one night and The Cellar in downtown CDA another night.  The Cellar was a BLAST because it was a dueling Piano event and they always play the classics!  Shawn had them dedicate Frankie Valley to me ("You're Just Too Good to be True") and we got up and danced during a Garth Brooks song.  We sang loud to a Journey song.  We ate curry Pizza and a salad with delicious croutons, and went home....TO NO BABIES!  My Mom came all the way up from Boise to CDA just so she could watch our girls overnight.  I don't think I could ever trust anyone to take our kids over night....Ok, maaaybe Nana Smidt and Tiff as well.  But my Mom is number 1 on my list because she knows my girls so well and they just adore her!  It was the first time I've ever spent a night away from Pi and the first time in 3 years that Shawn and I have woken up late....we slept in until almost 10am!  It was heavenly.  Seriously, I woke up and saw the clock and was shocked at how late I was able to sleep.  Oh my goodness, it felt good.  I could definitely get used to that....But then we felt a little guilt and missed the girls so we headed up to Nana's to scoop them in our arms and kiss them :)  I am so thankful that my Mom took her long Holiday weekend to come up and help us.  She took time away from my Dad for me- she knew I needed a break and I really am touched at how sweet she is.  It was just a  REALLY nice night with Shawn.  Lots of laughs and practically the first time we were able to celebrate "Us."  Our first Anniversary was spent ogling our 4 day old newborn, our 2nd was met with company in town and no way to really have a date-night alone, and our 3rd was the day after Shawn was laid off in Denver, so celebrating was far from our minds.  This last year has been the absolute HARDEST year of my life for many, many reasons.  So to forget about it all and laugh, sing and dance with Shawn was 120% needed!  Man, it felt good to be alone with him all night and talk about everything and nothing.  There isn't an adequate way to thank my Mom, so I just hope she knows how thankful we are!

(Ok, didn't I say I was going to be brief?? Shoot, I totally just bombed that idea....)

NEXT:

Memorial Day.  We dressed the girls up in the cutest Rompers EVER from their Aunt Christa and had a traditional BBQ at Nana Smidt's.  Yum. (That was brief enough to make up for the last story, haha!)

 

A few nights before Memorial day, the girls had the most horrible stomach bug!  Lucy threw up 11 times, and Piper 6.  How awful is that???  Lucy would tell me when she had to throw up and then when she was done she'd go back to sleep.  It was a long night and it was heartbreaking for me to see my girls so miserable without understanding why it was all happening.... Anyway, we thought it was done....but they spread it to  just about everyone who came to the Memorial Day BBQ.  Me, Noelle Ball, Holly and all her kids, my Mom, Nana and Pops, Jim and Kelsey, and Shawn.  It spread like wild fire....

So after the no-kids-slash-sleeping-in-extravaganza, we high-tailed it to Seattle.  The first day I was there was when the lovely stomach bug hit me.  Shawn left for work and I had the kids all by myself in a hotel room.  All day.  I was throwing up and had the sharpest stomach pains ever- and the girls had no toys.  All. Day. Long.  I took them to breakfast in the lobby and promptly ran to the nearest bathroom to puke up everything I ate from he day before (lovely picture, I know).  In those 5 minutes when I felt better after the throwing up, I cleared the girls plates, grabbed some fruit and bagels and we ran back upstairs, where the throwing up began again....after lunch they took an extra long nap (thank you, Jesus!) and then I ordered them a pizza for dinner brought up to our room....it all worked out, but it was tough!  They were actually really good though; those sweet, beautiful angels of mine!

The next day I was 100% better and we spent the day at Redondo beach collecting Sea Shells and enjoying the sounds and smells of the Ocean!  When was the last time I was in the Ocean?  I don't even know.  (NYC last year doesn't count because I was on a boat the whole time!)  But it was Piper's first time!

Later when Shawn was off work we all walked along the boardwalk and watched the Sunset over the Ocean on the Pier.  Picture perfect....

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 Our final day was spent in Seattle at Alki Beach.  It was soft California-like sand with beautiful blue water.  The beach is the happiest place on Earth (for me) and there isn't anyone I would have rather spent the day with than my 2 leading ladies, Lucy and Piper.  They loved sitting in the world's largest sandbox :)

 
 

 


 
 

 
 

 

Finally, we spent the last day of May celebrating the girls' cousin Coby's 7th birthday!  It was a good old fashioned Pool party and they had so much fun.  Holly actually made a pinata with her kids and it held up really well!  All the kids got some good hits and we saved Dainen for last because, well, he's the toughest.  He marched right up to that Pinata, all business-like, and smashed it like it was nobody's business!  We love those Boyce kids!

 
 
 

 

 

Ok, am I done?? I think So! Phew.  Hey June, we welcome you!  Not a bad way to start the month off with an Ice cream truck cruising down our street.  It was Lucy's first time visiting the truck and when I told her she could go get  ice cream, the look on her face was absolutely priceless!!  Why did I ever want to grow up?!?