Little Miss

We hear it over and over, everyone is saying it... but seriously, where does the time go?? My mind immediately travels to one of my favorite sayings, "life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes" (Andy Rooney).

One of my best friends told me after having his second baby that it isn't twice the work, it's quadruple the work. Little Miss has been home with us for one month already (today was her estimated due date), and although it's been a crazy-busy month, it has been fantastic. We're all getting to know Little Miss; and her us. Bubba (who is in need of a blog name change) has been so incredibly sweet to her... it's heart-melting for this momma.

And here she is. Little Miss!

Born almost 6 weeks early, 8/3/10 at 7:20 a.m., 5 lbs 11 oz, 19". She stayed in the Level II nursery for one week... all hooked up and unhuggable. :-(

Bubba and Little Miss' first meeting 8/10/10. Bubba wasn't able to go in to meet her in the nursery so, prior to this, one viewing through a door's window had to suffice.

BigCat's tiny pea 8/13/10

Peaceful pea 8/14/10

Fuzzy Miss 8/23/10

Doin' the wave 8/25/10

We like hoodies 9/3/10 (One month old)

Still sleeping lots 9/4/10

My girls 9/11/10 (the furry one seems to be on watch for the other - but don't tell her I notice).

Chaos Chronicle

Since our wee baby girl arrived on August 3rd, life has been nothing short of incredibly hectic. I need to document it here, in no frilly fashion, before I forget it along with the many other things (like where I put her blanket) that vanish before I realize. There is not a single doubt in my mind that this post will be long, but it needs to exist for our personal remembrance more than anything else.

August 3: a supposed 6 weeks early (I believe we were actually further along than my due date suggested), our 5 lb 11 oz, 19", baby bundle arrives. Being she is so early, she is an automatic admit to the Level II nursery. We are already familiar and comfortable (as much as one can be in this situation) with this scenario being Bubba found himself here in his first days of life as well. Other than a bit of a respiratory diagnosis - albeit one without need of any help - she looks pretty good. However, there are many milestones she'll need to pass before she is released. There is no telling how long she will be in, how long we'll be without our complete family at home, but we know she is in great hands.

August 5: I am released from the hospital but given a room for boarding being the wee one is still a patient. However, I decide later that night not to take advantage of this room, for a variety of reasons, so I go home after spending time with our babe and taking part in a couple of feedings.

August 6 - 8: Each day revolves around hospital visits. I would go to spend 3 feedings with her, each spanning 3 hours apart. We are able to cuddle and bond amongst the beeping monitors and nurses. To pass the time in-between, which only ends up being about 2 hours, I pump, eat, talk, shop, etc. Always running.

August 9: After a few days of a pain shooting up my back, leading to tightening of my chest and back, in turn lowering my pulse to the low 40's and raising my blood pressure, I find myself in the emergency room (first time ever!). An EKG and CT scan were done immediately to rule out the upfront life threatening issues. Throughout the next 6 hours more tests are completed and it is decided that I am to be admitted to the cardiac unit. Scary. More tests. More pokes. More tears. I tell everyone I talk to that my baby is going home the following day and I plan to be doing the same... so figure this out! That night, I developed the worst headache of my lifetime. Keep in mind I have regular migraines so I'm already familiar with horrible headaches and this is much worse. All of my heart tests come back looking good, which only confirms my own suspicions that this is related to the epidural. The epidural in which the doc took two swipes before getting it right, then managed to numb one of my legs beyond any one's belief, including nurses who see this done all of the time. Every doc I suggested this to bocked at my idea, but in the end the anesthesiology department was involved. That was as much of an admittance ever received.

August 10: I am discharged from the Cardiology unit mid-afternoon, with blood pressure meds and pain killers. By 3 we are on our way to pick up Bubba with baby girl in tow. Good day.

August 11: MIL comes over to help organize baby girl's room... it is a complete catastrophe due to the early arrival and chaos of the previous days. This takes most of the day. I'm exhausted. I've yet to relax much less take a nap like I think new mamas should.

August 12: First follow-up appointment for baby girl. All looks good. She's gaining weight (which is almost all that is checked). Somehow this quick follow-up appointment ends up chewing up a good portion of my day.

August 13: Friday... need I say more? BigCat ends up home due to rain so it's another day of getting stuff done on top of preemie caring. Note: preemie caring is indeed different than regular newborn caring. More rules, more feedings (whether she is wanting them or not), etc. The OB home nurse also visits and does the many things I feel our life has encompassed as of lately (blood pressure checks, questionnaires, temperatures, etc).

August 14 - 15: We are prepping for Bubba's 3rd birthday party. The families are coming out Monday night to celebrate. Shopping, cleaning, wrapping, etc. He isn't sleeping well so BigCat spends much of his nights with Bubba.

August 16: Carpet installation in the downstairs bedroom is completed 5 minutes after I need it to be... Baby girl hasn't pooped since Friday morning, so they suggest she comes in and create an opening for her appointment before the doc technically starts her day. This whole debacle ends up taking 3 hours, leaving me with little time to finish prep for Bubba's party. In the mean time we receive a call from Bubba's daycare provider that he is complaining of his throat hurting. Nothing else seems to be going on (and we're not sure if it's for attention, a common act since baby girl arrived) so she keeps him. I shower only after the first guests arrive.

August 17: Bubba is continuing at daycare for these first weeks... it's best for everyone involved. In an attempt to drop him off, he bawls like never before saying only "I want to go home". So, he gets just that. He remains in relatively good spirits but nonetheless adds quite the dimension to being home with baby. That night, a couple of hours after he goes to bed, as we're heading there ourselves, I check on him and find blood spots all over his pillow, from his mouth. We take peeks inside the sleeping, and now crabby, boy's mouth and don't see much besides a blood clot. Let the insane worrying begin. BigCat spends another night sleeping with Bubba and I spend the night hardly sleeping.

August 18: Bubba has his 3 year check-up (thank goodness after the previous night!). All looks well... except that he has Hand, Food and Mouth Disease! What??? Get home from the doc and have a message from my daycare provider that another case was reported just a of couple hours ago. Nothing we can do about it and he seems to be doing relatively well in comparison. I am in complete amazement at how much a doctor's appointment can impact a day... almost the entire day! Getting 2 children ready and out the door, picking up prescriptions, etc. and it's suddenly mid-afternoon. Yikes. I don't know how mamas with more kiddos do it!!

August 19: This is the day I've been waiting for. One in which I can just snuggle with my baby and do nothing else... well, almost nothing. I don't mind those other little things throughout the day, as long as I get some bonding time in with my baby girl. This is long overdue and honestly, I feel a bit robbed by this fact. For her first week of life, she was in the hospital where I had very little time with her. And the second week was filled with complete chaos. I have no clue what it's like to have a baby and get to go home and bond, cuddle, rest, enjoy. So, forgive me, but I am taking some days to do this now. I need to do it before I share her with more people. I need to do it for her sake (keeping her environment somewhat womb-like a little longer). I need to do it before my body repays me for the lack of rest. I need to do it just because I do.

Baby Bingo

If you haven't already heard, check out the ticker above... We're having a baby girl! I couldn't be happier, and BigCat is darn pleased as well. Good job Daddy!

Another mother told me not very long ago that she considers one child of each gender a baby bingo, and it has stuck with me since then. I truly feel like I've won. In either case, I'm quite sure we were done, and we certainly would've been content, but this just feels so very right. And getting rid of the baby stuff once she's done with it will be much easier because of this bingo!

We feel very blessed and can hardly wait to meet her. Although, I will gladly take the time until then as there is more than plenty to be done before she makes her appearance!



And here's her first unofficial appearance...

Weekend of the Free

A fun and free (in the responsibility sense, not so much financially) weekend indeed! Bubba went up to Gramma R and Papa Jim's for the weekend leaving BigCat and me to our own devices. Friday night we went to BigCat's aunt's 50th birthday party... and let me just say, she still knows how to party! Good food (especially delightful for yours truly), beverages and a DJ to boot! I was surprised, and impressed, with myself when I made it til about midnight!

Saturday, BigCat and I made our way to our first Target Field Twins game. BigBro was generous with his season ticket pack and gave us a set for Christmas last year. What fun to go cash that one in! We took the train down - also a first for both - but that wasn't nearly as impressive as the field itself. We really enjoyed the new experience, seeing the players close-up and watching the Twins play in the sunshine!


Not a bad view of Morneau.


A broader glimpse of Target Field.


My baseball boyfriend... Cuddy. Yep, BigCat is aware.

Back to the Blog

Not going to lie... I feel a little lost being here. It's weird, too, being this once was a place I turned when I really was feeling lost, or angry, or happy in life. It was where I went to share news, voice an opinion or look for guidance. Although a lot has been going on in the Larsen household, things within yours truly have been pretty even keel. Depending on how well you know me, this is somewhat hard to believe.

This levelness is especially weird because there has been plenty to be worked up about. For one, being pregnant with baby number two! However, in reality I think this is the sole reason for my relatively consistent mood... I think the hormone changes have made this change within me. However, don't get me wrong, I still have an ample amount of the emotions and anxiety that sometimes take control.

There are a couple of other large elements playing a role in our home. For one, the IL's (in-laws) have been living with us since mid-December when they sold their home. They have since had an offer accepted and will be moving out the end of next week. The other large element is that BigCat is still laid off. This is the longest stint since I have been with him... I think we're going on 7 months. Not good, but we can only hope for the best. He has been taking care of Bubba, doing small projects when he can and helping to relieve his pregger wife of household duties (this is my favorite!). So, although being unemployed is quite unfortunate, I am still trying to see the positives... it's just unfortunate those don't pay the bills!

Well, I think that's plenty an update for now. However, I am going to attempt the return to blogland. You see, with baby number one, all the books were completed to track the experience... this time that isn't happening. My hope is that I can capture some of it here for looking back on in years to come.

Happy Hump Day

For once it almost seems as though Mother Nature got hold of our calendars, noted that Autumn had begun, and shaped the weather to suit. Although it looks nice out, it is quite windy and chilly up in Z-town. Burr. Maybe it just seems colder, and too early for the chill, because summer seemed to slip by with little overheating to complain of.

Today has been our lil' family fun day. The three of us are home together on this sunny hump day. BigCat was laid off beginning last Thursday, so again we are becoming accustomed to a new, but familiar, routine. There is no word on when the work will pick-up (isn't that just the story of today??); our hope is no later than next spring. So, in the mean time, if you know anyone that needs some handyman work done...

With so many things in life, there is an upside and a downside to this development. Although there is plenty to worry about, my hope is to focus on the positives for as long as I can... little housework on the weekends, cooked dinners at my homecoming, my bonding boys with a side of me on Wednesdays.

Happy fall to all!!

Turning In

I'm not sure why this has been so difficult, to get back into the swing of the blog, but it has. Maybe it's the two-year-old Bubba constantly on the go, or the complete busy-factor of summer, or very possibly the lack of brain power to do it after the usual day. Whatever the case, I know I put too much pressure on myself - to post pictures, share detailed excitement or edit and then edit again. Well, this one is off the cuff.

Tonight we had a nice night at home to start off our quietest weekend in months yielding few obligations or schedules to follow. We enjoyed a fabulous grilled meal - chicken and veggies - one of my summer favorites as the season technically comes to a close. Like most other nights, we dined, played, turned around and it was time to start the bedtime routine. Time races. But unlike most other nights, Bubba had the option to bypass the books and watch Cars in mom's bed before hitting the hay. With mom. And the pup. He couldn't have been happier... well, until dad joined, too. Bubba went to bed smiling. Days that end like this... are good. and happy. and sweet. special. memorable. scarce. not to be taken for granted. loving.

Everything is not always perfect at one precise moment, but to have it so good in one place when turning in for the night... well, that's a really good start.

The Camera's Take

Wah?!? Two posts in one day?? I know, but this time, I let the photos speak.

Long Lowdown

Where has the time gone? The good news is that the faster it goes now, the sooner vacation gets here. As you can see (since it's in blaring white!) I have added a countdown to my most coveted time of year. Lake Edward vacation. It's what gets me through so much of the rest of the year, and thankfully, as life gets busier and more stressful it seems the R&R of that week comes around again that much faster.

Oh, where to begin... With the little guy. He's cutting his eye teeth, but has been a complete champ. He's starting to talk quite a bit more, although still on his terms. He LOVES being outside and makes a loud fuss every.single.time.we.go.in. Whether we're leaving daycare or coming in from a bike ride, he's mad. Real mad. I like to refer to Bubba as 'strong-willed'.

BigCat is getting all geared-up for Mother's Day, uh, I mean, opening fishing this weekend. It looks like the weather will be nice, and better yet, dry. I consider the latter to be quite important although some may say that's when the fish bite.

School continues to go very well (not gonna brag, but I got an 'A' in my first class). Of course there are days when I'm stressed, but overall I am enjoying the challenge and the learning. So, I figure I must make some time to kickback and relax!Like a Twins game filled with Dome dogs and jumbo pretzels (last Saturday), a wedding and the play Legally Blonde (this coming weekend). Thankfully, both my hubby and family help to make these outings possible. Thank you!! :-)

In our down-time (ha ha), we're just watching our sod turn green, looking forward to having a real yard for the first time in 4 years! It's a very exciting time.

Poor Baby Bubba

Sometimes, life takes a course of its own regardless of the plans that have been made. This weekend is a prime example of this very thing, albeit in small form. All week, Bubba had been succumbing to a nasty cold. Finally on Friday we went for a visit with the doctor. Some poking, prodding, nebulizing and xraying later Bubba was diagnosed with Bronchilitis, which is an infection of the lungs' airways (the radiologist may still diagnosis it as pneumonia). We were sent home with a nebulizer of our own, which is a thrice-daily experience, and some antibiotics to ward the infections of his lungs and left ear. This has been a weekend full of firsts for all of us with Bubba the sickest he's ever been. And needless to say, most of the plans we did have were put aside for more important things - being there when Bubba really wanted, and needed, some rest and TLC from us (especially mom :-) ). However, along with the love we're feeling from Bubba we're both feeling the cold as well.


All comfy and cute, what a sad lil' tot he was. Thankfully, his fever broke during his nap today... we're on the road to recovery.

As John Lennon stated in "Beautiful Boy" and my mom has reiterated uncountable times, "life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans". After a busy week with little - to quite little - time together as a family, we are making up for that... and it just so happens to be what we all need.

Beautiful Birthday

It was not a usual day, it was a special day, just as it should be.

DMV~nothing like waiting until the last minute to renew, but I only had to wait 10 minutes.
Breakfast with Mom~Consensus: one of the best breakfasts ever, both food (3 Squares) and company (it began with us discovering that my mom woke last night at the same moment I was praying, thanking her for life... this was all at my exact birthTIME).
A bit of shopping~found a fun store in MG, can't wait to go back (Lavish)
Massage~enough said... except I was also given a gift bag with some of my favorite Aveda products (after mentioning I was celebrating).
Home-to many birthday wishes~cards, calls, texts, emails... gotta love the love!
Nap~I debated sleeping mid-birthday - you never know how many you'll have - but the nap won and it sure felt good.
My Boys~some QT accompanied with pizza and cake.



Days do not come a whole lot better than this. I am so thankful for my life and everyone in it. I am truly blessed. Here's to year 29!!

Sarammary

Pronunciation: \ˈsā-rə-mə-rē\
1: covering the main points of Sarah's life expeditiously
2: coincidentally misinterpreted as Sarah Marie

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I've been at a loss for blogs lately, but not due to a mundane life on the couch. In the midst of my chaotic week, I attempted to write a couple of times, only to be left with scattered, disconnected sentences and an overwhelmed feeling from facing the many stories I wanted to share. Now, it's been long enough that I could never go into great detail about everything without boring any reader to sleep. Instead, I present a small slide show summary to recap. It's really the only reasonable way to get caught up, and it's important that I do so with the upcoming happenings.



Not pictured: A working BigCat (as of a week ago), Aegis Girls outing (always goes too fast), The Big T-Oh T-Party (our friend T, turned 30... get it? {birds chirping}), Superbowl sleep (I just didn't care), success with stress at work (being a little anxious prior seems to help with the task at hand).

Birthdays, Bucks & Bubba

We are in the midst of birthday season for our families... SIL, Jimbo, FIL, yours truly and MIL - in that order. Most recently was my dad's when we went to one of my fave restaurants. It was as entertaining and scrumptious as ever; I must note their delicious shrimp sauce and gratuitous group photo.

Last night we discovered - well, BigCat discovered - the 'big buck' out back grazing our feeder, with a smaller one (6 pointer) standing guard. In an attempt to obtain evidence we snapped a few photos of the larger one tonight. If you look real hard, you can see the antlers... 10 pointer!!

Bubba is 17 months on Friday... where does the time go? After a cute lil' sneeze tonight I uttered "God bless you baby", then thought 'where did my baby go??'. Now he's a running toddler investigating everything.all.of.the.time. Moments like this one are short-lived... Grammy, MIL, was quick enough to get this precious shot.

And here, after only a few minutes - along with my notice of the sudden quiet - I turned to find Bubba sitting in the coveted couch spot with table access, remotes, recliner. The funniest part is that he never watches tv, just observes us sitting in that spot. He flipped on Seinfeld and kicked back for a few minutes. What more could a guy want?

Twilight Calls

Finally, some time to blog before I turn in to my book for the evening. The past week has been a complete whirlwind filled with Christmas festivities, health scares (thank goodness MIL is okay), cubicle fun (note sarcasm), and as much Twilight as I could fit in (I'm totally addicted).

Mostly we enjoyed watching the Bird learn - in all seriousness (see pics)- to love Christmas; such a special time with many of the most meaningful people in his life. We truly are blessed. Thank you to everyone who helped to make our holiday's, and our lives, brighter.

Upoem *

Pots of soup, boiling atop the stove

Help for earaches, fever and colds

Juice, naps, it should do us some good

Low-key weekend, thankful we could

Pass the bugs round, back and forth

Grateful one could tend to the hearth

Soon we hope to all be well

In time for parties and silver bells

Until then, we'll get some rest

So when we see you, we're at our best



* Upoem = update + poem

Mr. Mom

At first thought, and overall, a job loss in any family is a difficult time. Thus far, my conclusion is that the financing will be the hardest part. However, in our household, there are many pros that come with it as well:

- A clean and picked-up house, everyday
- Bonding for BigCat and the Bird, Momless
- Home cooked meals ready and waiting following my work days
- Tuesday night parties
- 3 days a week are ours, they do not belong to the employer
- Not writing a weekly check for someone else to care for the Bird
- I am only responsible for getting myself ready and to work on time in the a.m.
- BigCat realizing how much work running a household is, even without being paired with "work"
- More family QT, thanks to everything BigCat gets done during the day
And, last but not least:
-We are growing stronger as a family unit - it's either that or falling apart... and, well, the latter is not acceptable for us.

However, do not be mistaken, I hope that he's back to work sooner than later. But, as long as this is where we are in life, I am going to enjoy the positive effects of Mr. Mom.

Amy's Day

9 years ago today, my dear, dear cousin Amy passed away. Anyone near and dear in my life knows how much this girl meant to me. We were more than cousins, closer to sisters, just the kind that didn't get to see each other enough.

Although it is a very sad day, it is also a special one. It is a day to remember her and how she impacted every one's lives she was a part of, in her extraordinary way. I awoke this morning with only thoughts of her, and although it was 9 years ago that she was taken from us, I remember the day like it was last week.

I was at a boyfriend's house when I received the call from my mom. I can still clearly picture myself sitting on the edge of the bed in complete shock, disbelief, bewilderment. I wasn't able to drive myself, so he brought me home. There stood my mom in the kitchen, waiting. There was nothing to be said. All we had were questions, and unanswerable ones at that. We curled up in the living room being sleep was not conceivable and watched Forrest Gump. I haven't even peeked at the movie again since then, nor do I believe I ever will.

There are no words to describe the loss we all feel. I am grateful we're able to talk about, remember and appreciate Amy with her parents, siblings and son. To this day, I still feel her presence now and then, and am thankful for the connection we continue to have.

Amy, you are always missed, remembered and loved and will continue to be until we see you again.

Family Pic

It seems rare these days that we get a family picture, let alone a decent one. Last Thursday, the family enjoyed a delicious dinner out at Benihana. To some's dismay, I announced to our waitress that we were celebrating a birthday or two, and lo and behold they were presented with ice cream and a Polaroid picture. This was our end result.



We had a busy weekend which included some more birthday celebrations with my momma. So many good meals, card playing, and fun. BigCat had been set all week prior on "dominating" in a 500 tourney, and he did just that. He left with a large bag of trail mix but an even larger head... oops, I mean smile.

Mom, I hope you continue to live up and enjoy what's left of your birthday month! I am so happy we were able to make it up this weekend.

October Ninth

Happy Birthday, BigBro. I know life has thrown you a curve ball, but I also know you're really good at hitting the ball... especially when it counts. You have a lot of people behind you and here for you on your birthday, and always. I hope you have contentment and whatever else you need on this birthday. Lots of love ~ LilSis

Soderama

Having a nice big yard was our first reason for moving out to Z-town and after a little over 3 years since the big move, we finally have it! I couldn't be happier about this.

Thank you to everyone who helped us with this considerable project (although I know they're not all avid LL readers). It literally would not have been possible without the help we received from family and friends. And not only did they provide excellent help, they made the day a much more momentous one for us.

BigCat finally has a happy wifey with her long awaited lawn. I'm feeling revived and much less overwhelmed by the yard tasks up next. I think the following projects will be more fun and rewarding. It's amazing the difference a zillion green blades of grass make... check it out!!