We had a great month of November, or as I like to call it, the calm before the storm. We started out the month on the right foot with All Saint's Day, and the girls got to see the eighth graders dressed up as saints for the "wax museum" they do every year. The girls were off the 2nd and 3rd for parent/teacher conferences, which went fine. Anna went to play at friend Madeleine's house on Thursday and Erin had her friend Enzo play at our house. Saturday, Erin went to ballet and then she and I went to Concord for Erin and Cooper's super fun joint birthday party! Anna wasn't feeling well, so she stayed home with Bob. Erin and I returned Sunday morning so she could get to dance practice at noon.
The first week of the month was busy as usual, and Bob was not traveling. Anna ended up having an ear infection related to the cold/fever she had had the week before. She got some magic amoxicillin on Tuesday and bounced right back. Saturday was a fun day with ballet, Wolfpack football, a bike riding lesson (against the girls' wishes), and I got to go to a moms' movie night. Bob worked the pancake breakfast at church the next day and we ladies attended Erin's dance class. The next week was more of the same, plus the girls had the walkathon at school on Friday the 17th, which was a big success, beautiful weather, and lots of fun! Saturday, we all headed to Concord for Elliott's baptism, which was so nice. Then we all had a yummy lunch and family picture session that afternoon!
The next week was a nice short 2-day week of school...which turned into a 1-day week because both girls were home sick that Monday with a quick stomach bug. I must say that my favorite month of the year was quite tainted by illness this year! Then, it was back to school for one day, then off for Thanksgiving. We had lots of fun in Concord, came back Friday, and had a nice relaxing weekend. We decorated for Christmas except for the tree, which is forthcoming after our trip to Boone. Erin played at Enzo's house on Saturday while Anna and I ran some errands. Erin also had old friend Beau over on Sunday for a reunion/playdate, and they had a great time!
The last few days of the month were busy as usual, including Bob's trip to Las Vegas for a big conference. We all had a little round 2 of the stomach illness, but it was relatively short-lived. And that was pretty much November! Now we jump into the busiest month of the year...ready or not!
Monday, December 4, 2017
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
October!
Well, that month went quickly! October was a fun and busy month as usual. We started out the month with Bob taking a trip to California and we ladies handling the routine at home. Sawyer was tracked out the first two weeks of the month, so I was able to help more at school with proctoring the standardized tests the first week and some other stuff as well. I wish I could say I got more projects done while I was off, but I did manage to get some appointments done, planted winter flowers, prepped for Erin's birthday and Halloween, and steam cleaned the carpets. Those were the highlights (glamorous, right?!) above and beyond the usual. Anna was home sick on the 6th with a questionable stomach bug (meaning she threw up once the night before and was completely fine the next day). I guess I'll take that over the opposite end of the sick spectrum!
The following weekend, Anna got to go to a fun movie birthday party at Cinebowl, which was a great time for everyone. The week of the 9th was more of the same, except Bob had a shorter trip to Boston instead. The 14th was Erin's party/playdate and I got to go out for a fun ladies' night out that evening. We got our family pictures done on the 15th with wonderful neighbor Karen, and they turned out beautifully!
We checked out the newly relocated Mexican restaurant for dinner that day, and Bob was also able to catch up with college friends that evening. That week was more of the usual, with Bob leaving for Germany on Friday the 20th. He was able to leave a couple of days early to do some sightseeing and visiting with his friend in Prague that weekend before reporting to work in Stuttgart on Monday the 23rd. We got a fun visit from Grandma A. on the 21st-22nd, and we enjoyed showing her our new church and having lots of fun together.
Erin's actual birthday was the 23rd (see her birthday post), which was a great day! The rest of the week was the usual with some Halloween fun thrown in. Bob got home Friday evening, a day earlier than planned since some meetings were canceled on Friday. Anna went to Caroline Manning's (her first-ever friend!) birthday party at a fun art studio on Saturday, and then we all watched the sad Wolfpack loss to the Irish and had a fun impromptu s'mores party with the neighbors. Sunday was a busy day with church, a wonderful brunch with 2 couples from church, Erin's dance class, and the Hurricanes hockey game with the school! The Canes lost in overtime, though we only made it through two periods.
We carved pumpkins Monday night after tennis and dinner so we would be ready for the big day.
Tuesday, Halloween, was an extra fun day and I was able to go to Anna's centers to lead the popular Bingo center and then to Erin's 3rd grade Halloween party (I was on the toilet paper mummy center). It was a fun day, though we were all wiped out before trick or treating even started! We went up to the neighborhood pool parking lot for a fun and yummy pizza party, then hit the streets with a couple of short breaks at neighbor friends the Waltons' driveway party! Erin went strong for about 45 minutes with friends Ella, Nina, and Alexia, which was awesome, and Anna continued trick or treating with friends Caitlin and Kate for about another 45 minutes! Erin then came back with me and we sat at the bottom of our driveway and handed out candy. I think she enjoyed that as much as trick or treating.
So, October is over. I rank it up there with December and May in terms of busy months, but it is always a fun one. Our big girl is now 9, Halloween was a success, the weather is cooler, and my most favorite month of the year is upon us! Bring on November!
The following weekend, Anna got to go to a fun movie birthday party at Cinebowl, which was a great time for everyone. The week of the 9th was more of the same, except Bob had a shorter trip to Boston instead. The 14th was Erin's party/playdate and I got to go out for a fun ladies' night out that evening. We got our family pictures done on the 15th with wonderful neighbor Karen, and they turned out beautifully!
We checked out the newly relocated Mexican restaurant for dinner that day, and Bob was also able to catch up with college friends that evening. That week was more of the usual, with Bob leaving for Germany on Friday the 20th. He was able to leave a couple of days early to do some sightseeing and visiting with his friend in Prague that weekend before reporting to work in Stuttgart on Monday the 23rd. We got a fun visit from Grandma A. on the 21st-22nd, and we enjoyed showing her our new church and having lots of fun together.
Erin's actual birthday was the 23rd (see her birthday post), which was a great day! The rest of the week was the usual with some Halloween fun thrown in. Bob got home Friday evening, a day earlier than planned since some meetings were canceled on Friday. Anna went to Caroline Manning's (her first-ever friend!) birthday party at a fun art studio on Saturday, and then we all watched the sad Wolfpack loss to the Irish and had a fun impromptu s'mores party with the neighbors. Sunday was a busy day with church, a wonderful brunch with 2 couples from church, Erin's dance class, and the Hurricanes hockey game with the school! The Canes lost in overtime, though we only made it through two periods.
We carved pumpkins Monday night after tennis and dinner so we would be ready for the big day.
Tuesday, Halloween, was an extra fun day and I was able to go to Anna's centers to lead the popular Bingo center and then to Erin's 3rd grade Halloween party (I was on the toilet paper mummy center). It was a fun day, though we were all wiped out before trick or treating even started! We went up to the neighborhood pool parking lot for a fun and yummy pizza party, then hit the streets with a couple of short breaks at neighbor friends the Waltons' driveway party! Erin went strong for about 45 minutes with friends Ella, Nina, and Alexia, which was awesome, and Anna continued trick or treating with friends Caitlin and Kate for about another 45 minutes! Erin then came back with me and we sat at the bottom of our driveway and handed out candy. I think she enjoyed that as much as trick or treating.
So, October is over. I rank it up there with December and May in terms of busy months, but it is always a fun one. Our big girl is now 9, Halloween was a success, the weather is cooler, and my most favorite month of the year is upon us! Bring on November!
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Happy Birthday, Erin!
Our big girl is now 9 years old! Her celebrations are not over, but the actual big day is past. She started partying a couple of weekends ago, on the 14th, when she had her two friends Olivia and Enzo over for a birthday lunch playdate. They scarfed some pasta and cupcakes, played outside, painted beautiful masterpieces, and played Bingo! It was perfect for Erin and she had a blast.
Erin and Anna assisted with making the cupcakes:
Grandma A. came to visit this past weekend in honor of Erin's birthday, and we had a wonderful time making applesauce, going out to dinner, playing, going to church, going to Erin's dance practice, getting ice cream, and organizing Anna's Legos (not a small task). It was so great to have her visit!
Erin was happy to have her birthday off of school this year, since they were off for "Fall Break" the afternoon of the 20th and all day on the 23rd. We still had Sawyer come over, and the girls had to go to the dentist. Erin was not pleased about that, but she did awesome and got a great report. She also got to wear their birthday hat!
Before the dentist, she started her day with presents from us (Daddy was out of town in Germany for work, but we girls celebrated) and a surprise birthday donut breakfast and tea party arranged by Anna. Later that morning, we went to Enzo's house for a playdate. Erin loved it, but she was less than thrilled that Anna, Sawyer, and I stayed to play as well. Enzo's family had cupcakes for Erin and a birthday balloon, which was so nice! From there, we went to the dentist, and then to Mexican for lunch and then home for some playing and birthday cookies, then to Anna's tennis and back home for a pasta dinner. I think she had a great day.
The festivities continue next weekend when we will go to Concord for Erin's and Cooper's birthdays! So much fun!
She won't have her checkup until December, so we will have to wait on that. Erin seems to be healthy, happy, and growing! She is such a hard worker and tries so hard to do her very best. We could not be more proud of her for giving her all every day. She is doing wonderfully in school this year and is probably the happiest I have ever seen her. She loves the responsibility and independence at school this year, and her teachers say that she makes great use of her time. They have lots of homework in third grade, but they get time at school to work on homework. She usually only comes home with 1-2 short assignments left to do at the end of the day. She continues to be awesome at spelling, grammar, math, and religion...and is really enjoying learning cursive! Her handwriting is far better than mine has ever been. She is doing speech at school this year against her will and is working hard on reading comprehension and language. She has come so far!
Outside of school, she is really enjoying dance this year. She likes ballet and is also doing great with the modern dance for the Christmas show that she's in this year (she tried out and got a part in the holiday show!). She is our pianist and loves to play. In her free time, she still loves to play school. She's got a class going with neighbor friend Ella at her house and also a class at our house.
I hate to brag too much, but it's hard not to brag about Erin when we think back on how far she has come in her life. I usually tell people that she didn't talk until she was 4, because the noises she did make before that point were not purposeful or intelligible. So, for someone who got a later start with talking, she has sure made up for it! She used to struggle with fine motor skills, but she is now playing the piano beautifully, writes in cursive like a nun, and does crafts with tiny beads like a champ. She has made leaps and bounds socially - in kindergarten and first grade, she rarely spoke or made eye contact with anyone. Now she talks to everyone and strikes up conversations even with kids she doesn't consider to be her friends. She really amazes us in every way. We are so very proud of her, and most of all, we are thrilled to see her happy and comfortable in her own skin, something that did not come naturally to Erin. She is truly a special kid, and we are so grateful to be her parents.
Thursday, October 5, 2017
September
Well, that month went quickly! We had a really good month, getting in the swing of school. We had a really fun day on Saturday the 2nd, going out on Jordan Lake with two families from school on one family's boat. It was a beautiful day and not crowded because it had been rainy that morning. We all went tubing and had a blast swimming and enjoying the water! We had a nice Labor Day too, meeting Jimmy and Danny's family for a lunch picnic at Womble Park. Anna also got in a couple of pool visits that weekend to end the summer as well. The rest of that week was pretty routine, with the low point being getting flu shots for the girls and me. They powered through and enjoyed some yummy ice cream afterward. The weekend was busy with church stuff since they had the annual ministry fair , so Bob was helping with that. Erin also had fun at ballet class on Saturday.
The following week was fun and busy, including Lunch with Kids day on Wednesday the 13th. Sawyer and I definitely felt like third and fourth wheels to the friends!
That weekend, Bob worked at the Apex Music Fest with the Knights of Columbus while we ladies watched a Wolfpack win and also went over to neighbor friend Ella's house for a birthday playdate/movie party. Sunday the 17th, we helped collect food for a food drive and then had a fun afternoon watching Erin's BFF Olivia play soccer in Holly Springs. We enjoyed a yummy ice cream treat after that too!
The girls were off on Monday the 18th for a teacher workday, so we had fun with Sawyer, mostly playing outside, including a garage picnic.
We all went to Jump Street in Cary that afternoon for Anna's friend Mitchell's trampoline birthday party. Anna then had tennis after the party, so you can imagine how tired she was that evening! It was a fun day. Bob began the first of his 3-in-a-row trips to California that week as well. Erin was home sick that Wednesday and Thursday with some kind of mild stomach bug, but it wasn't too bad (thankfully), and, even better - no sign of SVT! That weekend was more Wolfpack football (at home - we have not tried to take the girls yet since those games are so long), and a fun dinner out on Saturday, complete with face paint. Erin decided on Sunday to try out for the Holiday Cabaret at her dance school. I tried to explain the process of trying out and that since she just started ballet and has not taken any other kind of dance, that she might not get a part this year. She tried out for all 5 pieces in her age group, and she got a part in one! We were proud of her because the tryout process was pretty crazy and overwhelming, but she seemed to enjoy being a part of it.
The last week of the month was more of the same, with Bob traveling to California and then on to New York, and we ladies holding down the fort. Sawyer's last day was Friday the 29th, and now I've got a couple of weeks to myself! We watched neighbor dog friend Bear Thursday-Sunday which hopefully helped Anna get a little dog fix in, since she is working hard every day to get a new dog. I will say that it is nice to have a cleaner house and not worrying about being home at regular intervals for potty breaks. I am sure she will wear us down eventually. Anna and Daddy went to paint pottery on Saturday while Erin and I went to dance. She is working on creating an army of porcelain!
So, September was a nice month. We didn't have much earth-shattering going on, but we definitely stayed busy. October, of course, is Erin's birthday month as well as Halloween, so we are excited for both of those fun things!
The following week was fun and busy, including Lunch with Kids day on Wednesday the 13th. Sawyer and I definitely felt like third and fourth wheels to the friends!
That weekend, Bob worked at the Apex Music Fest with the Knights of Columbus while we ladies watched a Wolfpack win and also went over to neighbor friend Ella's house for a birthday playdate/movie party. Sunday the 17th, we helped collect food for a food drive and then had a fun afternoon watching Erin's BFF Olivia play soccer in Holly Springs. We enjoyed a yummy ice cream treat after that too!
The girls were off on Monday the 18th for a teacher workday, so we had fun with Sawyer, mostly playing outside, including a garage picnic.
We all went to Jump Street in Cary that afternoon for Anna's friend Mitchell's trampoline birthday party. Anna then had tennis after the party, so you can imagine how tired she was that evening! It was a fun day. Bob began the first of his 3-in-a-row trips to California that week as well. Erin was home sick that Wednesday and Thursday with some kind of mild stomach bug, but it wasn't too bad (thankfully), and, even better - no sign of SVT! That weekend was more Wolfpack football (at home - we have not tried to take the girls yet since those games are so long), and a fun dinner out on Saturday, complete with face paint. Erin decided on Sunday to try out for the Holiday Cabaret at her dance school. I tried to explain the process of trying out and that since she just started ballet and has not taken any other kind of dance, that she might not get a part this year. She tried out for all 5 pieces in her age group, and she got a part in one! We were proud of her because the tryout process was pretty crazy and overwhelming, but she seemed to enjoy being a part of it.
The last week of the month was more of the same, with Bob traveling to California and then on to New York, and we ladies holding down the fort. Sawyer's last day was Friday the 29th, and now I've got a couple of weeks to myself! We watched neighbor dog friend Bear Thursday-Sunday which hopefully helped Anna get a little dog fix in, since she is working hard every day to get a new dog. I will say that it is nice to have a cleaner house and not worrying about being home at regular intervals for potty breaks. I am sure she will wear us down eventually. Anna and Daddy went to paint pottery on Saturday while Erin and I went to dance. She is working on creating an army of porcelain!
Sunday, September 3, 2017
August
August was a great month around here! I always love seeing the light at the end of the (very hot) tunnel of summer. We started out the week with Sawyer returning from his 3-week track-out. He adjusted back very well, and it was nice to still have the girls around to entertain him for a couple of weeks. We all enjoyed a trip to Pullen Park on the 1st.
Otherwise, we had a fairly uneventful first week of the month - the girls did kids' yoga at the Y that Wednesday and enjoyed it. We also had a super fun visit from Grandma A. and Ansley that Friday and Saturday! We did lots of cooking projects thanks to Chef Ansley, went to a fun Salamanders baseball game, gave them the grand tour of the new church, had a Mexican lunch out, and went to the pool twice! Bob also worked his first inurnment on Saturday morning at the columbarium, and it sounded like it went well.
Sunday, Erin and Ella had a fun trip to Stone's teacher store, which is like heaven on earth for those two. We then had Callie come babysit so Bob and I could go out for our anniversary, and we had a really good dinner at 42nd Street Oyster Bar - a place we have been trying to go to for 10-15 years! We also peeked in the new cathedral on our way home. It is impressive!
The next week was the girls' last full week of summer, and they enjoyed hanging out at home mostly, as well as some tennis and a park playdate for Anna, speech for Erin, and Sawyer was around. We went to Concord on Saturday the 12th to celebrate Aunt Maria's end of graduate school! She did it! They had a really fun party with the main excitement being Bob cutting 2 of his fingers pretty bad, but no stitches were required. We came back home on Sunday in time for the back to school mass and meet the teacher! Both girls seemed pleased with their teachers and classmates. Anna got Mrs. Agnew, who Erin had last year. We love her so much, and she and Anna are two peas in a pod. Erin has Mrs. Carter, who seems awesome - not too strict and not too nice. I think both kids will have a fantastic year. After meeting the teachers, we had a fun dinner out and then had Olivia come over to spend the night and play on Monday!
Wednesday the 16th was the big first day of school! Erin started third grade, and Anna started second grade. Both girls had a great day, and Sawyer did miss having them around (as did I).
We had a very busy day with Anna's tennis after school and then the open house at Erin's new dance studio. She was so excited to meet her ballet teacher! The second and third days of school went well too. The girls got haircuts on Saturday, nothing drastic, but they enjoyed going to the kids' haircut place this time!
We met Anna's friend Melanie and her family at their pool on Saturday and had a great time!
The next week was spent getting in the groove of being in school again. We all adjusted well! The kids got to come home an hour early on the 21st to watch the solar eclipse, which was pretty neat to see through the glasses we got. Saturday the 26th, Erin had her first ballet class and enjoyed it very much.
Anna also had a fun birthday party for her friend Annie at the new Flour Power cooking place, and then we all went to the neighborhood pool party and enjoyed free snow cones and two inflatable water slides. The rest of the month was back to normal, plus Bob helping to get the new chapel ready to go and two nights of back to school meetings. It was a really good month, and we are excited for a fabulous school year!
Otherwise, we had a fairly uneventful first week of the month - the girls did kids' yoga at the Y that Wednesday and enjoyed it. We also had a super fun visit from Grandma A. and Ansley that Friday and Saturday! We did lots of cooking projects thanks to Chef Ansley, went to a fun Salamanders baseball game, gave them the grand tour of the new church, had a Mexican lunch out, and went to the pool twice! Bob also worked his first inurnment on Saturday morning at the columbarium, and it sounded like it went well.
Sunday, Erin and Ella had a fun trip to Stone's teacher store, which is like heaven on earth for those two. We then had Callie come babysit so Bob and I could go out for our anniversary, and we had a really good dinner at 42nd Street Oyster Bar - a place we have been trying to go to for 10-15 years! We also peeked in the new cathedral on our way home. It is impressive!
The next week was the girls' last full week of summer, and they enjoyed hanging out at home mostly, as well as some tennis and a park playdate for Anna, speech for Erin, and Sawyer was around. We went to Concord on Saturday the 12th to celebrate Aunt Maria's end of graduate school! She did it! They had a really fun party with the main excitement being Bob cutting 2 of his fingers pretty bad, but no stitches were required. We came back home on Sunday in time for the back to school mass and meet the teacher! Both girls seemed pleased with their teachers and classmates. Anna got Mrs. Agnew, who Erin had last year. We love her so much, and she and Anna are two peas in a pod. Erin has Mrs. Carter, who seems awesome - not too strict and not too nice. I think both kids will have a fantastic year. After meeting the teachers, we had a fun dinner out and then had Olivia come over to spend the night and play on Monday!
Wednesday the 16th was the big first day of school! Erin started third grade, and Anna started second grade. Both girls had a great day, and Sawyer did miss having them around (as did I).
We had a very busy day with Anna's tennis after school and then the open house at Erin's new dance studio. She was so excited to meet her ballet teacher! The second and third days of school went well too. The girls got haircuts on Saturday, nothing drastic, but they enjoyed going to the kids' haircut place this time!
We met Anna's friend Melanie and her family at their pool on Saturday and had a great time!
The next week was spent getting in the groove of being in school again. We all adjusted well! The kids got to come home an hour early on the 21st to watch the solar eclipse, which was pretty neat to see through the glasses we got. Saturday the 26th, Erin had her first ballet class and enjoyed it very much.
Anna also had a fun birthday party for her friend Annie at the new Flour Power cooking place, and then we all went to the neighborhood pool party and enjoyed free snow cones and two inflatable water slides. The rest of the month was back to normal, plus Bob helping to get the new chapel ready to go and two nights of back to school meetings. It was a really good month, and we are excited for a fabulous school year!
Wednesday, August 2, 2017
July!
July was wild and crazy and lots of fun! We started out the month with Aunt Leslie's super fun baby shower in Concord that I got to go to alone (which made it extra fun for me!), and a fun weekend otherwise at the pool and going out to dinner with neighbor friends. We had Sawyer 3 days the week of the 3rd and Erin also had her first-ever paying job watering the neighbors' plants for the week, and we also had a very fun neighborhood cookout on the 4th.
We continued our streak of having never taken the kids to see fireworks, but there were some rogue ones set off in our neighborhood that were enough for us. Friday the 7th, we were treated to a really fun weekend in Indian Beach using neighbor dog Ruby's family's condo for 2 nights! We help watch Ruby fairly often, and they offered for us to use their place. We had never been to that area before (Emerald Isle, Indian Beach, and Atlantic Beach), and we really enjoyed it. The condo was beautiful, beach was great and not too crowded, and they even had a fun pool! We had a fabulous time at the beach, pool, sound, and also visited two yummy restaurants, a church in Morehead City, and the aquarium (where Anna discovered her love of river otters)!
The week of the 10th was very busy for Bob in the home stretch before the church dedication and opening. He took off from his real job that Thursday and Friday to be available to help tie up loose ends. Anna continued her tennis lessons on Monday and Wednesday. We ladies had a fun pool playdate with Jimmy and Danny on Tuesday and were thankful to have a good reason to get to the YMCA pool, where we never ended up going last year. The neighborhood pool is smaller but is just so convenient! They had piano on Wednesday and Erin had her follow-up with the cardiologist. She checked out great (they just did an EKG and listened to her, and asked if we have noticed any episodes, which we had not), so she was discharged from cardiology! Just like that, SVT is (or should be) a thing of our past. It's amazing how they can fix it this way now with such a minor procedure that has a very high permanent success rate. We had such a great experience with Dr. Ferns for Erin (and with Dr. Robinson for Anna) and with Carolina Children's Cardiology for both kids...they were terrific all around! Here is a short video with Dr. Ferns talking about the procedure that Erin had done, and you can get a peek at the high-tech electrophysiology lab at UNC that she uses: http://news.unchealthcare.org/uncchildrens/news/care-2015/issue-2/heart
Saturday the 15th was the big dedication at StMM. This church has been years in the making, and it was really wonderful to see Father Staib's excitement and joy after all of the hard work. We had a bishop-elect come do the dedication (he was ordained the following week and moved to Atlanta for his bishop assignment), and the whole day was just wonderful! Erin got to help with offertory as she was one of the kids who Father baptized at StMM as babies who also received their first communion this year. Very neat! After the dedication, we ladies made an appearance at neighbor Kevin's 50th birthday party while Bob handled the dedication after-party.
Sunday, the 16th, we got to go to Concord to meet sweet and adorable baby Elliott Summer! He was born on the 13th, just over 3 weeks before his due date. He is so cute and perfect, and he has 3 very serious bodyguards for siblings! Monday the 17th, we had some odds and ends - speech, piano, dog-sitting Ruby, and I got to go to a mom dinner which is always a nice time. Bob went to Boston for a quick trip on Tuesday and Wednesday, then got to have a nice quick visit with Grandma and Grandpa F. on Thursday! Friday, we were all happy to have Anna's little best friend Sarah come over to play all day. We were SUPPOSED to leave that evening to fly to Nashville for my cousin Doug and Christina's wedding, but storms near Minneapolis, where the plane was coming from, caused increasing delays for us, and then our flight was finally rescheduled for Saturday morning. That outcome was really ideal for us because the kids didn't have to say up super late and we still had plenty of time before the wedding. We left the airport after just a few minutes, rode back to get the car, stopped at Moe's for dinner, and were home in bed on time.
So, we flew out Saturday morning around 9:00am and arrived in Nashville around 9:30am central time.
We got our car and drove the 45 minutes or so south to Spring Hill and went to the hotel. The kids swam in the pool, we went to a yummy BBQ lunch with Cole and Cooper and family, and then got ready for the wedding at 2pm, which was so nice!
After that, we came back, rested, and then headed out to the reception which was at a beautiful farm in the area - but unfortunately it was over 95 degrees that day! We still had fun and enjoyed the wedding. Sunday morning, we got up, went to church, swam in the pool, got showers, checked out, and drove the 2.5 hours to Chattanooga. We didn't realize the time changed back to eastern just west of Chattanooga, so we were a little late to see Brad and Stephanie, but they understood. We had a super fun evening with them, Juliet, and Cece and loved spending time with them and checking out their beautiful house! Monday morning, we got up, loaded up, and did some sightseeing around Chattanooga. We saw Lookout Mountain, Ruby Falls (a really cool underground waterfall and caves), a carousel and splash pad area downtown, pedestrian bridge over the Tennessee River, had a yummy pizza lunch, and then headed back towards the Nashville airport, stopping off in Lynchburg.
Unfortunately, Bob didn't have time to do the full tour and they weren't offering the short tours that day, but we ladies got to have an ice cream treat in the old town area and Bob did get to check out the distillery. From there, we got to the airport, dropped off our car, checked in, hit the play area, got dinner, and boarded our flight in the very last row back to Raleigh! It was on time and we had no trouble. The girls traveled SO well that we are now thinking of all kinds of trips to take with them!
The rest of that week, we just did the usual and also got to dog-sit our friend Froyo from Thursday-Monday. He was very good! We had our church opening celebration that Saturday evening, and the weather was spectacularly cool and perfect...until it rained halfway through the party! So, it was cut short, but mostly everyone got to eat before the rain started, and kids got to play, so we called it a success. Sunday the 30th, we enjoyed a "normal" weekend in the new church and are still just taking it all in. We went to the pool that afternoon as well and have been really enjoying the "cooler" temps and lower humidity these past several days.
So, that was July! We knew it would be a little crazy and we even had a few extra fun things pop up, but it all went well and we had a great month. Now, we're in the home stretch before school starts on August 16th, not a minute too soon for our Erin. Fall weather also cannot come a minute too soon!
We continued our streak of having never taken the kids to see fireworks, but there were some rogue ones set off in our neighborhood that were enough for us. Friday the 7th, we were treated to a really fun weekend in Indian Beach using neighbor dog Ruby's family's condo for 2 nights! We help watch Ruby fairly often, and they offered for us to use their place. We had never been to that area before (Emerald Isle, Indian Beach, and Atlantic Beach), and we really enjoyed it. The condo was beautiful, beach was great and not too crowded, and they even had a fun pool! We had a fabulous time at the beach, pool, sound, and also visited two yummy restaurants, a church in Morehead City, and the aquarium (where Anna discovered her love of river otters)!
The week of the 10th was very busy for Bob in the home stretch before the church dedication and opening. He took off from his real job that Thursday and Friday to be available to help tie up loose ends. Anna continued her tennis lessons on Monday and Wednesday. We ladies had a fun pool playdate with Jimmy and Danny on Tuesday and were thankful to have a good reason to get to the YMCA pool, where we never ended up going last year. The neighborhood pool is smaller but is just so convenient! They had piano on Wednesday and Erin had her follow-up with the cardiologist. She checked out great (they just did an EKG and listened to her, and asked if we have noticed any episodes, which we had not), so she was discharged from cardiology! Just like that, SVT is (or should be) a thing of our past. It's amazing how they can fix it this way now with such a minor procedure that has a very high permanent success rate. We had such a great experience with Dr. Ferns for Erin (and with Dr. Robinson for Anna) and with Carolina Children's Cardiology for both kids...they were terrific all around! Here is a short video with Dr. Ferns talking about the procedure that Erin had done, and you can get a peek at the high-tech electrophysiology lab at UNC that she uses: http://news.unchealthcare.org/uncchildrens/news/care-2015/issue-2/heart
Saturday the 15th was the big dedication at StMM. This church has been years in the making, and it was really wonderful to see Father Staib's excitement and joy after all of the hard work. We had a bishop-elect come do the dedication (he was ordained the following week and moved to Atlanta for his bishop assignment), and the whole day was just wonderful! Erin got to help with offertory as she was one of the kids who Father baptized at StMM as babies who also received their first communion this year. Very neat! After the dedication, we ladies made an appearance at neighbor Kevin's 50th birthday party while Bob handled the dedication after-party.
Sunday, the 16th, we got to go to Concord to meet sweet and adorable baby Elliott Summer! He was born on the 13th, just over 3 weeks before his due date. He is so cute and perfect, and he has 3 very serious bodyguards for siblings! Monday the 17th, we had some odds and ends - speech, piano, dog-sitting Ruby, and I got to go to a mom dinner which is always a nice time. Bob went to Boston for a quick trip on Tuesday and Wednesday, then got to have a nice quick visit with Grandma and Grandpa F. on Thursday! Friday, we were all happy to have Anna's little best friend Sarah come over to play all day. We were SUPPOSED to leave that evening to fly to Nashville for my cousin Doug and Christina's wedding, but storms near Minneapolis, where the plane was coming from, caused increasing delays for us, and then our flight was finally rescheduled for Saturday morning. That outcome was really ideal for us because the kids didn't have to say up super late and we still had plenty of time before the wedding. We left the airport after just a few minutes, rode back to get the car, stopped at Moe's for dinner, and were home in bed on time.
So, we flew out Saturday morning around 9:00am and arrived in Nashville around 9:30am central time.
We got our car and drove the 45 minutes or so south to Spring Hill and went to the hotel. The kids swam in the pool, we went to a yummy BBQ lunch with Cole and Cooper and family, and then got ready for the wedding at 2pm, which was so nice!
After that, we came back, rested, and then headed out to the reception which was at a beautiful farm in the area - but unfortunately it was over 95 degrees that day! We still had fun and enjoyed the wedding. Sunday morning, we got up, went to church, swam in the pool, got showers, checked out, and drove the 2.5 hours to Chattanooga. We didn't realize the time changed back to eastern just west of Chattanooga, so we were a little late to see Brad and Stephanie, but they understood. We had a super fun evening with them, Juliet, and Cece and loved spending time with them and checking out their beautiful house! Monday morning, we got up, loaded up, and did some sightseeing around Chattanooga. We saw Lookout Mountain, Ruby Falls (a really cool underground waterfall and caves), a carousel and splash pad area downtown, pedestrian bridge over the Tennessee River, had a yummy pizza lunch, and then headed back towards the Nashville airport, stopping off in Lynchburg.
Unfortunately, Bob didn't have time to do the full tour and they weren't offering the short tours that day, but we ladies got to have an ice cream treat in the old town area and Bob did get to check out the distillery. From there, we got to the airport, dropped off our car, checked in, hit the play area, got dinner, and boarded our flight in the very last row back to Raleigh! It was on time and we had no trouble. The girls traveled SO well that we are now thinking of all kinds of trips to take with them!
The rest of that week, we just did the usual and also got to dog-sit our friend Froyo from Thursday-Monday. He was very good! We had our church opening celebration that Saturday evening, and the weather was spectacularly cool and perfect...until it rained halfway through the party! So, it was cut short, but mostly everyone got to eat before the rain started, and kids got to play, so we called it a success. Sunday the 30th, we enjoyed a "normal" weekend in the new church and are still just taking it all in. We went to the pool that afternoon as well and have been really enjoying the "cooler" temps and lower humidity these past several days.
So, that was July! We knew it would be a little crazy and we even had a few extra fun things pop up, but it all went well and we had a great month. Now, we're in the home stretch before school starts on August 16th, not a minute too soon for our Erin. Fall weather also cannot come a minute too soon!
Sunday, July 2, 2017
June!
Our first month of summer is behind us! It was quite an eventful month for Erin with 3 major events: First Communion, her procedure (see the story HERE), and dance camp. We started out the month with their last day and a half of school. We had a fun water balloon fight after school on Thursday and communion rehearsal that night, and a final half day of school on Friday, where we bid a bittersweet farewell to our beloved teachers and friends!
Saturday the 3rd, the girls had a mock piano recital in preparation for the big recital the following week, then Cole, Cooper, and their parents came up and we all went to the Wescott beginning-of-summer pool party! The girls had a fun sleepover with their cousins that night.
Sunday the 4th at 9:00am was Erin's First Communion. Our church has a few kids at each mass over 2 weekends instead of one big mass only for the communicants. We had maybe the smallest group at our mass, being at an earlier time and on the weekend following Memorial Day. It turned out that many families chose the holiday weekend for visiting family to have an extra day of travel. Anyway, it went very well and Sister Mary Erin was so happy. We had a fun spaghetti lunch and water fun back here afterward with cousins and Grandma and Grandpa!
The following week, we attempted to settle into a summer routine...also, Anna had her 7-year checkup (which went fine), Erin had speech, Sawyer was here 3 days, I had a moms' dinner at Brio which was very good, and the week culminated with the girls' first piano recital on Friday evening! It was at a piano store in North Raleigh that has a performance room. They both did a wonderful job, and we were very proud of them!
Saturday the 10th, Bob took the girls to Hanging Rock State Park for the annual Uncle Camping expedition. This time, they added a fun experience - river tubing! The girls really enjoyed it, and it sounds like lots of fun.
I took advantage of some time to myself to wash the windows and screens, cut the grass, run errands, and went to a very fun baby shower for neighbors Marc and Amanda. Sunday, the campers got back around lunchtime and we had Liz and David over for a cookout that evening.
Monday the 12th, Bob left for a week-long "internal meeting" in Key West........he does claim that some work happened, but they also got to do some fun things like snorkeling, a sunset cruise, and a dolphin experience! It sounded like lots of fun! We girls held down the fort with the usual events, including watching Sawyer, and we tried to go to a Holly Springs Salamanders baseball game on Friday evening with Bob's Knights of Columbus group (he was going to meet us there from the airport), but everything got messed up with some big storms. His flight was delayed, and the game never ended up happening. Alas, the girls got their unlimited hot dogs and popcorn, so it was probably the best-case scenario for them: snacks but no baseball!
That weekend, we mostly took it easy and enjoyed a leisurely Fathers Day at the pool with some neighbor friends.
Monday the 19th was Erin's procedure, which went very well. The rest of the week was pretty laid back, just letting her recover and we did a few small things around town. Saturday, we went to the NC Zoo with Olivia, her mom, and sister. That was so much fun! It was hot, though, and we only made it through the Africa section (about half of the zoo). The girls especially liked the car ride, lunch, and tram ride. Animals got an afterthought mention.
Sunday was more family fun at the pool, then some more kid torture at the Durham Bulls baseball game, supporting Catholic Charities. It was a beautiful evening with no rain, and I think they even managed to enjoy themselves with the help of lots of snacks and some coloring pages.
The final week of June was the much-anticipated, long-awaited dance camp for Erin. She had decided this spring to take a break from gymnastics after nearly 4 years and wants to try dance. She's starting a year-long class in August, but also wanted to do a half-day camp to get her feet wet and have a little activity this summer. It was a "junior ballet intensive" at Holly Springs School of Dance from 9am-noon Monday-Friday, and she LOVED it! They learned a lot and had a mini performance on Friday. Anna also started tennis lessons over at Sunset Ridge, which have also been a hit so far. She will have this coming week off, then 3 more weeks of lessons two days per week. Bob also was busy this past week with meetings regarding the upcoming dedication and opening of our new church. The clock is ticking now, and we are all very excited!
So, we had a good month of summer fun. I've spent a good bit of time grumbling about the hot weather, and I'm afraid I have rubbed my bad attitude off on the kids. Whoops. Regardless, we are having fun at the pool and braving the great outdoors when we can. When we can't, we've stayed busy playing inside, working on summer reading/workbooks, hit Marbles once with Sawyer, have been to the library, and have had lots of fun! We're looking forward to two short trips in July (a long weekend at the beach and Nashville for Doug and Christina's wedding), plus the church opening and party/picnic! It's going to be a great month!
Saturday the 3rd, the girls had a mock piano recital in preparation for the big recital the following week, then Cole, Cooper, and their parents came up and we all went to the Wescott beginning-of-summer pool party! The girls had a fun sleepover with their cousins that night.
Sunday the 4th at 9:00am was Erin's First Communion. Our church has a few kids at each mass over 2 weekends instead of one big mass only for the communicants. We had maybe the smallest group at our mass, being at an earlier time and on the weekend following Memorial Day. It turned out that many families chose the holiday weekend for visiting family to have an extra day of travel. Anyway, it went very well and Sister Mary Erin was so happy. We had a fun spaghetti lunch and water fun back here afterward with cousins and Grandma and Grandpa!
The following week, we attempted to settle into a summer routine...also, Anna had her 7-year checkup (which went fine), Erin had speech, Sawyer was here 3 days, I had a moms' dinner at Brio which was very good, and the week culminated with the girls' first piano recital on Friday evening! It was at a piano store in North Raleigh that has a performance room. They both did a wonderful job, and we were very proud of them!
Saturday the 10th, Bob took the girls to Hanging Rock State Park for the annual Uncle Camping expedition. This time, they added a fun experience - river tubing! The girls really enjoyed it, and it sounds like lots of fun.
I took advantage of some time to myself to wash the windows and screens, cut the grass, run errands, and went to a very fun baby shower for neighbors Marc and Amanda. Sunday, the campers got back around lunchtime and we had Liz and David over for a cookout that evening.
Monday the 12th, Bob left for a week-long "internal meeting" in Key West........he does claim that some work happened, but they also got to do some fun things like snorkeling, a sunset cruise, and a dolphin experience! It sounded like lots of fun! We girls held down the fort with the usual events, including watching Sawyer, and we tried to go to a Holly Springs Salamanders baseball game on Friday evening with Bob's Knights of Columbus group (he was going to meet us there from the airport), but everything got messed up with some big storms. His flight was delayed, and the game never ended up happening. Alas, the girls got their unlimited hot dogs and popcorn, so it was probably the best-case scenario for them: snacks but no baseball!
That weekend, we mostly took it easy and enjoyed a leisurely Fathers Day at the pool with some neighbor friends.
Monday the 19th was Erin's procedure, which went very well. The rest of the week was pretty laid back, just letting her recover and we did a few small things around town. Saturday, we went to the NC Zoo with Olivia, her mom, and sister. That was so much fun! It was hot, though, and we only made it through the Africa section (about half of the zoo). The girls especially liked the car ride, lunch, and tram ride. Animals got an afterthought mention.
Sunday was more family fun at the pool, then some more kid torture at the Durham Bulls baseball game, supporting Catholic Charities. It was a beautiful evening with no rain, and I think they even managed to enjoy themselves with the help of lots of snacks and some coloring pages.
The final week of June was the much-anticipated, long-awaited dance camp for Erin. She had decided this spring to take a break from gymnastics after nearly 4 years and wants to try dance. She's starting a year-long class in August, but also wanted to do a half-day camp to get her feet wet and have a little activity this summer. It was a "junior ballet intensive" at Holly Springs School of Dance from 9am-noon Monday-Friday, and she LOVED it! They learned a lot and had a mini performance on Friday. Anna also started tennis lessons over at Sunset Ridge, which have also been a hit so far. She will have this coming week off, then 3 more weeks of lessons two days per week. Bob also was busy this past week with meetings regarding the upcoming dedication and opening of our new church. The clock is ticking now, and we are all very excited!
So, we had a good month of summer fun. I've spent a good bit of time grumbling about the hot weather, and I'm afraid I have rubbed my bad attitude off on the kids. Whoops. Regardless, we are having fun at the pool and braving the great outdoors when we can. When we can't, we've stayed busy playing inside, working on summer reading/workbooks, hit Marbles once with Sawyer, have been to the library, and have had lots of fun! We're looking forward to two short trips in July (a long weekend at the beach and Nashville for Doug and Christina's wedding), plus the church opening and party/picnic! It's going to be a great month!
Tuesday, June 27, 2017
Erin's Ablation
Erin had her ablation last Monday, June 19th, so I thought I would recap the day for her future reference. We hope this was a one-time thing and will all be a distant memory very soon! It all started back in March 2016 when I took her in for a flu test when she was sick, and the pediatrician noticed her rapid heart rate. They sent us to the ER, but it had self-corrected by the time we got there. Fast-forward to September 2016: repeat performance, except the arrhythmia continued in the ER, so she got two rounds of adenosine, which converted her back to a normal rhythm, followed by a night in the PICU (September post). She was on oral atenolol between September and April at varying doses, and had two rounds of portable monitoring during that time to help tweak the dose, until she had a good checkup in April and was taken off of it. We spoke too soon though, because in May 2017, the SVT returned during a stomach bug, buying her 6 rounds of adenosine, an esmolol drip, another overnight hospital stay, and resuming the daily atenolol at home (May post). We had already decided to have the ablation after the April checkup, but she didn't quite make it to the scheduled date in June before having that one last hurrah in May.
Atenolol, the beta blocker she was on between September and April, basically slowed her heart down and made it less susceptible to being triggered into SVT. It did seem to work, as she had the flu in March and did not have an episode. However, she was on a very low dose and had been doing well, which prompted the cardiologist to discontinue it in April. The cardiologist explained the ablation in detail during that visit, and we decided to go ahead and try it during the summer, since the risks were relatively low and the chance of achieving a permanent fix to the SVT from the procedure was very high.
So, in we went, back to UNC (refer to Anna's story 2-1/2 years ago!), though this time to the Electrophysiology Lab, which is different from a regular cath lab. They still do procedures via catheterization, but it has different equipment. The lab handles adult and child cases. We arrived at 10am for the 11am procedure, got checked and prepped, and finally went back at 12:30pm. Erin handled the waiting and pre-op like a pro. The entire procedure lasted from 12:30-3:30pm, including putting her to sleep with the mask, starting the IV, etc. Dr. Ferns came out at 3:30 saying that she was able to locate and burn the tissue, but it was tricky because Erin was "very sensitive" to the catheter. When she would advance the catheter, even without doing anything, Erin would go into heart block, which is where the electrical signals literally get blocked and the heart rate slows down. It would resolve and she could continue, but the process sounded like it was pretty stop-and-go. The bad spot was very close to the AV node - I'm not sure if that's what made her so sensitive to the catheter or not, but she said this sensitivity only happens to her about once every 2 or so years. However, she was able to burn the site, which is preferred over freezing (freezing is necessary when the spot is too close to heart muscle tissue).
It took Erin a little while to wake up, but she did great once she did wake up. I'd say she started waking up around 4:00 (they gave her extra propofol to keep her sleepy since she had to lay flat for an hour after the procedure) and was nearly back to herself by 6:30 or 7:00. She had 3 tiny pin-prick-type incisions in each side of her groin without any stitches. She had a pressure dressing over each site - the right side had minimal bleeding that afternoon, but the other one didn't have any. We loaded her up and were home eating Chick-Fila by 7:30pm, she was in bed shortly after, slept great, and was back to herself the next day! We were able to remove the dressings Tuesday morning and she was clear to play other than no heavy lifting, running, jumping, baths, or swimming for 5 days. We were told to watch for signs of hematoma, infection, and/or skipped heart beats (that's normal). She also was supposed to keep moving gently when awake to reduce the risk of blood clots (no long car trips for a few days). She healed great, and so far, no signs of any SVT recurrence! She has a follow-up appointment 4 weeks after the procedure, and at that point, they'll be able to tell if there is any regrowth.
I'm not sure how long this link will be active, but here is a short article and video featuring the doctor who did Erin's procedure, where you can get a peek at the EP lab. The equipment can measure down to the tenth of a millimeter! http://news.unchealthcare.org/uncchildrens/news/care-2015/issue-2/heart
We aren't sure if Erin has had this her whole life and we just didn't realize it, or if it started recently. I know she's had rapid heart rate in the past when she's been sick, but I always chalked it up to dehydration. I know better now! I maintain that I have learned so much since having kids, and this is just another example. Modern technology is amazing, and so is Erin! We are so very proud of how she has handled all of this, and again, we hope this is soon to be a distant memory and a fun story to tell!
Tuesday, June 6, 2017
Anna Turns 7 (belated)!
Our baby, Anna, turned 7 last month! She had a month of celebrations fit for the princess that she is. The partying started on May 6th when we went to Concord for a bonanza of Ansley's First Communion, Logan's birthday, Anna's birthday, Leslie's birthday, Bob's birthday, AND Mother's Day! They had a super fun party!
The following weekend, she had a party at our house with neighbors and school friends. The weather was a little iffy for the mermaid water party, but we gave it a try anyway and most of the girls weren't too cold.
Finally, on her actual birthday, which was a Thursday, she got to have Grandma A. take her to school and sit with her at school Mass because we were with Erin at the hospital. She also got to wear her recital costume to ballet that evening and got her beloved ice cream sandwich cake. I think she enjoyed her birthday!
Her ballet recital was 2 days after her birthday, so that was kind of in there too:
She had her checkup yesterday and weighs in at 68 pounds (94th percentile) and is 51-1/2" tall (also the 94th percentile). She checked out good with vision, hearing, blood pressure, and on her physical exam. She got her yearly reminder to eat fruits and veggies and to get lots of exercise. She is excited to start tennis lessons this summer, so we think that will be more of a workout for her than ballet was.
So, Anna in a nutshell...she is delightful, intense, sensitive, and incredibly social. She craves interaction with kids and adults and feeds off of it. Being alone is a punishment for her. The other 3 less outgoing people in this house do not understand it! She is creative and artistic and always likes to have a project going on, with several more lined up behind it. She enjoyed first grade this year, though each year is less fun for her than the year prior (due to more work and higher expectations). She has a way of being a quiet leader - and sometimes a not-so-quiet leader. Even though she's younger than Erin, she definitely runs the show. She is always thoughtful and generous, and she really looks out for other people. Her emotions still sometimes get the best of her, but she just feels so much! We love her so much and are very, very proud of her!
The following weekend, she had a party at our house with neighbors and school friends. The weather was a little iffy for the mermaid water party, but we gave it a try anyway and most of the girls weren't too cold.
Finally, on her actual birthday, which was a Thursday, she got to have Grandma A. take her to school and sit with her at school Mass because we were with Erin at the hospital. She also got to wear her recital costume to ballet that evening and got her beloved ice cream sandwich cake. I think she enjoyed her birthday!
Her ballet recital was 2 days after her birthday, so that was kind of in there too:
She had her checkup yesterday and weighs in at 68 pounds (94th percentile) and is 51-1/2" tall (also the 94th percentile). She checked out good with vision, hearing, blood pressure, and on her physical exam. She got her yearly reminder to eat fruits and veggies and to get lots of exercise. She is excited to start tennis lessons this summer, so we think that will be more of a workout for her than ballet was.
So, Anna in a nutshell...she is delightful, intense, sensitive, and incredibly social. She craves interaction with kids and adults and feeds off of it. Being alone is a punishment for her. The other 3 less outgoing people in this house do not understand it! She is creative and artistic and always likes to have a project going on, with several more lined up behind it. She enjoyed first grade this year, though each year is less fun for her than the year prior (due to more work and higher expectations). She has a way of being a quiet leader - and sometimes a not-so-quiet leader. Even though she's younger than Erin, she definitely runs the show. She is always thoughtful and generous, and she really looks out for other people. Her emotions still sometimes get the best of her, but she just feels so much! We love her so much and are very, very proud of her!
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