Please forgive me if I go silent for a few days. This last post...well...it deserves attention for a little while longer. I am thinking I'll be back as we get closer to the weekend.
If you have no idea what I am talking about, please see below.
I hope you can find it in your hearts to donate to this wonderful and meaningful charity.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
March for Babies
Recently, I attended the funeral services for a beautiful little girl, Madeline Alice Spohr, born just two weeks after the boys. She was 17 months old.
Just like our boys, she was extremely premature--a 29 weeker, and like our boys, she struggled with all she had to come home to her loving parents. Although her parents were told a number of times that her prematurity was too severe and she was close to death, she managed to come home long before the boys did.
She fought with everything she had, and she was winning! Thriving! Laughing...loving...enjoying life to its fullest! It was inspiring to see how she was doing. That is, she was thriving until she developed a cough one Saturday. Three days later, on April 7, she had passed away from pneumonia, a condition she was prone to due to her prematurity.
As you can imagine, the news of Maddie's death has hit us close to home, especially in light of the fact that our boys had a lot in common with Maddie. We were so close to losing our own children at various times--the time we were told that Jason had just had a grand mal seizure and had to be bagged (because he stopped breathing on his own) for 15 minutes until they could intubate him and everything that sweet Shawn endured during "the very dark days" last year are just a few examples of that. The pain and fear surrounding those moments are still very fresh in our minds. We tend to think we are safe now that we are so far away from the NICU and the "very dark days."
Maddie's passing reminds us that in reality we are not. Things can still happen. And for families like Maddie's, things still do. (now you can understand my neurotic diligence throughout RSV season)
While I try to keep the tone of the boys' blog light, it is important to recognize the fact that we are fortunate the boys are here to be the light of our lives today. There was a time in the not too distant past when babies born at the boys' gestational age would have most certainly died. Without advancements in neonatal research, made largely from the efforts/support of the March of Dimes, and the care of the wonderful nurses and doctors at CMH, the boys would not have lived. There really is no other way to look at it.
One day, when I am strong enough mentally, I plan on walking in the March of Dimes, March for Babies. It is the least I can do to give back to the organization greatly responsible for my sons' lives. Until then, please consider supporting Isaac's coworker, Kathy Jo, as she fund raises for our local March for Babies event. Her pledge site is here: March for Babies. She has pledged to walk for her premature nephew, as well as for Shawn and Jason. Please support Kathy Jo as she fund raises for this important event.
...to help find a cure for prematurity so another family won't have to face the pain of losing a child.
...for beautiful babies like our boys, Kathy Jo's nephew, Isaiah, and for Maddie.
Thank you, Kathy Jo. It really means more than you could ever know.
Just like our boys, she was extremely premature--a 29 weeker, and like our boys, she struggled with all she had to come home to her loving parents. Although her parents were told a number of times that her prematurity was too severe and she was close to death, she managed to come home long before the boys did.
She fought with everything she had, and she was winning! Thriving! Laughing...loving...enjoying life to its fullest! It was inspiring to see how she was doing. That is, she was thriving until she developed a cough one Saturday. Three days later, on April 7, she had passed away from pneumonia, a condition she was prone to due to her prematurity.
As you can imagine, the news of Maddie's death has hit us close to home, especially in light of the fact that our boys had a lot in common with Maddie. We were so close to losing our own children at various times--the time we were told that Jason had just had a grand mal seizure and had to be bagged (because he stopped breathing on his own) for 15 minutes until they could intubate him and everything that sweet Shawn endured during "the very dark days" last year are just a few examples of that. The pain and fear surrounding those moments are still very fresh in our minds. We tend to think we are safe now that we are so far away from the NICU and the "very dark days."
Maddie's passing reminds us that in reality we are not. Things can still happen. And for families like Maddie's, things still do. (now you can understand my neurotic diligence throughout RSV season)
While I try to keep the tone of the boys' blog light, it is important to recognize the fact that we are fortunate the boys are here to be the light of our lives today. There was a time in the not too distant past when babies born at the boys' gestational age would have most certainly died. Without advancements in neonatal research, made largely from the efforts/support of the March of Dimes, and the care of the wonderful nurses and doctors at CMH, the boys would not have lived. There really is no other way to look at it.
One day, when I am strong enough mentally, I plan on walking in the March of Dimes, March for Babies. It is the least I can do to give back to the organization greatly responsible for my sons' lives. Until then, please consider supporting Isaac's coworker, Kathy Jo, as she fund raises for our local March for Babies event. Her pledge site is here: March for Babies. She has pledged to walk for her premature nephew, as well as for Shawn and Jason. Please support Kathy Jo as she fund raises for this important event.
...to help find a cure for prematurity so another family won't have to face the pain of losing a child.
...for beautiful babies like our boys, Kathy Jo's nephew, Isaiah, and for Maddie.
Thank you, Kathy Jo. It really means more than you could ever know.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Happy Birthday to Me! :-)
My birthday was a wonderful day--so much better than last year's day spent in the hospital. We went to the zoo and had a great time. The boys refused to sleep the entire day (Shawn took a 10 minute cat nap), but you wouldn't have known it by how they acted. They were so GOOD! (Why does this always surprise me?)
Here are a few pictures of our day:
Here are a few pictures of our day:
Here we are at the zoooooooooo!
Me and my little men
Isaac and the boys.
My mom and me with the boys.
Feeding the giraffes...
Giraffe tongues are super long and are really coarse. I didn't know that. Probably because I haven't spent much time sticking my hand in giraffe mouths before Saturday. I had to take a picture of this gibbon. He was too funny hanging around like this pretty much every time we passed him.
Shawn was all smiles all day long.
Jason and daddy. Doesn't Jason look so innocent here?
Shawn's limited down time just before we left. (my favorite moment of the day)
But he woke up just as we were actually leaving the zoo. (and stayed awake for another 3 hours!!!)
Jason as we were leaving the zoo. (a new favorite picture of him)
Jason could hold out no longer on the way home...
I just love days like this. (contented sigh)Friday, April 17, 2009
All Good Things Must Come to an End :-(
The last activity of the night was our celebration dinner. First, we ordered up some pizza. The boys played with the new combs while they waited for the food. After dinner, we had our Hats Off Day cookies. They were a huge hit with the dynamic duo. :-)
But, all good things must come to an end, so I am sorry to say that Hats Off Day is finally winding down. The boys are in their pjs, ready for bed. They have a big day tomorrow, too. We're going to the zoo to celebrate my birthday. (yeah me!)
Thanks to all of you who helped us celebrate this special day. We hope you had as good a time as us!
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But, all good things must come to an end, so I am sorry to say that Hats Off Day is finally winding down. The boys are in their pjs, ready for bed. They have a big day tomorrow, too. We're going to the zoo to celebrate my birthday. (yeah me!)
Thanks to all of you who helped us celebrate this special day. We hope you had as good a time as us!
And Then...
You know, it has been really fun celebrating Hats Off Day today. We've already done so much, but the festivities are still far from over!
We thought long and hard about what to do next on this momentous day. And then it hit us. Of course! The thing we did next was so obvious. Can you guess what it was?
Now that there is nothing to block that gorgeous head from sight, we had to get ourselves to the salon for haircuts! Jason and Shawn had their first haircuts today! Once again, the boys outdid themselves and worked their charm on the poor unsuspecting stylist. If you can believe it, there was only a minimal amount of tears (which came only because I had to hold Jason's head so the stylist could use the clippers around his ear). Way to go big guys!
Here are my men after their cuts.
We thought long and hard about what to do next on this momentous day. And then it hit us. Of course! The thing we did next was so obvious. Can you guess what it was?
Now that there is nothing to block that gorgeous head from sight, we had to get ourselves to the salon for haircuts! Jason and Shawn had their first haircuts today! Once again, the boys outdid themselves and worked their charm on the poor unsuspecting stylist. If you can believe it, there was only a minimal amount of tears (which came only because I had to hold Jason's head so the stylist could use the clippers around his ear). Way to go big guys!
Here are my men after their cuts.
Jason's turn was first.
Shawn was next.
Here are the rest of the pictures...enjoy! (Finally they get a haircut. I was starting to worry they'd be bald!)
Tah-Daaaaah....
Here we are, the morning of Jason's Hats Off Day appointment. Can you feel the excitement in the air?
Even Shawn is feeling the excitement because he knows that, no hat means that he and Jason will be on equal head butting ground. No more helmet advantage for Jason. YAY!!!
Jason is checking out his Hats Off Day presents. All the things that a young helmetless boy needs to look good.
Shampoo, sunscreen, and OH BOY!!!.... Jason's first hair gel!!!
We think that he is reading the ingredients in his hair gel. "hmmm...alcohol free, yes that's good, kiwi scented, uh huh, nice, paba free and dolphin safe, yep, this is good stuff."
Ah Ha! a comb to style that gel. Jason was already practicing by combing over his helmet.
Here we are at the Hats Off Day Dr. appointment. Jason doesn't like this place and the look on his face shows it.
Helmet Place, yucky! Helmets stink! Boo Helmets!
Off we go! Inside the helmet doctor's office for the LAST TIME!
Right before they go in, mommy takes one look back. The next time you see Jason, he will be helmet FREE!
One last look at the helmet......here he comes!
Who's that guy..... where did he come from......Who's that guy..... where can I get one.....
Let's set Jason down for a minute so that he could do a Toyota jump, "Oh What A Feeling!" YOU DID IT JASON! You can finally say good-bye to that nasty old helmet. Happy Hats Off Day has officially begun!
Time out for a little siesta. All this partying really makes a guy tired. We shall be back with more fun in a bit!We're Off...
We're off to say so long to the helmet for-ev-a! Here's a little something to keep you occupied until we return...
Happy Hats Off to You, Jason!!!
Welcome to Jason's virtual Hats Off to You party! Thanks for stopping by on this momentous occasion! We've got a lot of things planned today to celebrate, so come by throughout the day to check for updates. We don't want you to miss a thing! :-)
Now, wouldn't you know it that the star of our little party is still sleeping. (I'm lucky, I know.) So while we are waiting for the main man to wake up, I'll start by explaining Jason's Hats Off to You presents...
HeHe. His gift is a survival kit for this new world without the helmet.
Now, wouldn't you know it that the star of our little party is still sleeping. (I'm lucky, I know.) So while we are waiting for the main man to wake up, I'll start by explaining Jason's Hats Off to You presents...
HeHe. His gift is a survival kit for this new world without the helmet. - several hats - now that he no longer has a helmet to wear around, he's going to need something to keep his head warm and protected. (don't worry Shawn, Jason is going to share with you, too)
- suntan lotion - again we've got to keep that handsome, round head looking nice.
- eyeglass wipes - I figure now that Jason will be helmetless, we're going to have a lot more trouble keeping those glasses on his head. (he already likes to take off Shawn's) So the eyeglass wipes are there in anticipation of all of the times he's going to be sticking his glasses in his mouth throughout the day.
- baby shampoo - the helmet was a stinky apparatus because it is worn 23 hours a day (it smelled like dirty feet!), so the shampoo will help him wash that helmet right out of his hair!
- hair gel - when you wear a helmet, you don't really have to put a lot of effort into a hair style...the gel is to help him find a new "do" to wear on the playground.
- combs and brushes - yeah for combing his hair! Finally!
Stay tuned for the next update when the dynamic duo finally wake up today! (my guess is in about an hour or so)
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Hats Off to You, Jason!!!
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Just click on the invite above to find out the details. No need to RSVP...just remember to check on the fun happening throughout the day! We'll see you on Friday!
But...feel free to leave good wishes for Jason! (and give him lots of complements on that round head of his)
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Look Out Internets...
future bloggers in the making. Where could they possibly get that trait from?
:-)
Hey there, mom! I wasn't doing anything!
:-)
Hey there, mom! I wasn't doing anything!
Ummmm....Hi!
(look at that round head!)
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Happy Easter!
Happy Easter, everyone. We hope you had a wonderful day! We had a nice day here at Casa Lopez.
It was Isaac's turn to sleep in this morning, so the boys and I got up and had a little breakfast. We had yummy toast with strawberry jelly, oatmeal, and yogurt. (One of their all time favorite breakfasts.) They topped the meal off with a little Cocoa Pebbles cereal.
Ahem. What? Cocoa Pebbles are good! Plus, this way I got to eat my breakfast without my little men begging for some food every two seconds. :-) (Yes, I eat Cocoa Pebbles in the mornings!)
Then we spent a little time at the park (man, was that place busy) and walked around the neighborhood.
He kept following my plate around the room trying to get at the pie. It was hilarious!
It was Isaac's turn to sleep in this morning, so the boys and I got up and had a little breakfast. We had yummy toast with strawberry jelly, oatmeal, and yogurt. (One of their all time favorite breakfasts.) They topped the meal off with a little Cocoa Pebbles cereal.
Ahem. What? Cocoa Pebbles are good! Plus, this way I got to eat my breakfast without my little men begging for some food every two seconds. :-) (Yes, I eat Cocoa Pebbles in the mornings!)Then we spent a little time at the park (man, was that place busy) and walked around the neighborhood.
**Note to self: the hats are a little on the small side, as evident in these pictures. It's a good thing I just bought some new ones.
After our walk, we came home, gave the boys a quick snack and then put them down for a nap, which looks a little somethin' like this...
They are my boys, after all. Of course they'll read a good book when they get the chance. :-) This is actually Jason in the picture. (notice the title...what can I say?)
Then it was time to open their Easter baskets!
Here is what they looked like afterward...I forgot to take a picture of them before the boys got to them! Shawn's is the turtle basket; Jason's is the monkey basket. They got some books, bubbles, goldfish crackers, some markers/paint brushes (the fat egg thingies), and a little car.
Jason digging in...
Shawn playing with his book...
Mmm...chocolate flavored goldfish crackers...
I like my car, mommy!
We had a nice dinner made by Isaac and played the new family tradition--Wii. All in all, it was a great day!
P.S. Just wanted to send out a Birthday wish to my dad. We miss you. We had lemon meringue pie in your honor, and boy did Shawn like it...
He kept following my plate around the room trying to get at the pie. It was hilarious!
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