Post-Op Pros

September was quite the month for my family. I don't even know who to start with.

My mom was working out with her girlfriends about a month ago. Their trainer had them doing some new jump thing on a step stool or something. Whatever it was, ended up throwing my mom to the floor in pain. She knew she hurt her knee but didn't realize how bad it was at the time. She of course continued the workout while limping. She called me on the way home and was in tears because her knee hurt so bad. Long story short, she completely tore her ACL and tore her meniscus, requiring surgery. I felt so bad for her. She is so active with her friends and this was going to put her out for a while. She was so bummed. Her surgery was set for the first week in September so for her birthday we went with a recovering theme. I wish I would have taken a picture of the basket my sister and I put together for her. It was full of magazines, books on how to crochet, how to paint, yarn, watercolors, drawing books, bed tray, laptop tray, a bell and whistle to call my dad when she needs service help, medicine bottles full of candy, and a homemade pillowcase by Ella and McKenna. I don't think she has jumped into the self-taught books yet but otherwise she is getting great use out of everything. My dad would say too much use out of the bell.

A week after her surgery she was getting pretty bored of watching tv all day long and just sitting in the same spot. I know the feeling much too well and tried to think of something fun and different she could do. I thought of a great idea but knew I couldn't make it happen because of money so I made it sound like it was from my dad and then put it in his hands. I wrote her a online shopping scavenger hunt poem and told my dad to print it off and give it to her with a visa gift card. I'm not sure if she completed each task on the hunt but it was fun to make for her. Here is the poem.

I know you're tired of the pain in your knee

and would much rather be shopping with Kathy, Carroll and Dee.

Since all your time is free

how about trying an online shopping spree!

I'm no rich guy

so here are some rules to abide by.

This is a scavenger hunt

with all the money given upfront.

You have _____ dollars to spend

in hopes that buying these things help you mend.

Start off by picking your favorite hue

and then buy a little something for you.

I would like something pink

just make sure it doesn't make the boys wink.

Get a new toy for the girls when they stay here

something they will love and always hold dear.

Find you a scarf with polka dots

to help get your neck out of those knots.

A good pair of sweats that cover Anna's butt

while she recovers with her jaw wired shut.

You're sure to hear no gripes

if you get Allison something with stripes.

It won't be long till you are ready to use

a really good pair of new walking shoes.

Happy Shopping!

My mom is on week 3 of recovery and doing better each day.

Speaking of
"A good pair of sweats that cover Anna's butt
while she recovers with her jaw wired shut."

Here's what's up with my sister Anna. Poor Anna. She has always had problems with her jaw and thought everything was fixed with braces in high school. The last serval months she has been having a lot of pain and popping. Turns out she needed major jaw surgery. She was put back in braces a few months ago and had the surgery 2 weeks ago. Her and my mom's surgeries being so close together was not ideal but they both had to be done. My dad and Tyler (Anna's fiancé) get an A+ for nurse duty. She has literally had her month rubber band shut for the last week. This Thursday they take those off but she is still on a liquid only diet for 6 weeks. Doesn't that sound miserable?! I feel so bad for her. We went to my parents this last weekend and it makes your jaw hurt just to see her. She is pretty swollen but still looks stunning! For real. I made her a little get well basket with some stuff I thought she might need over the next couple of weeks. A dry erase board for when she can't talk, some mints to suck on, super cute plastic mason jar with smoothie sized straws to drink her meals away with, some homemade emoticon hand signals for when she doesn't even feel like writing, scratch and sniff stickers, homemade pillow case and shirt.

Who wouldn't want to sleep on all this?!

I knew her cheeks would be pretty puffy so I thought I was so funny to give her an Alvin and the Chipmunks shirt. (maybe more funny to me than the actual person who feels like a huge chipmunk) 

Then there is my sweet McKenna. She got tubes in her ears last week. She has had more ear infections than I can count so this was a much needed procedure. Compared to my mom and Anna, it was nothing recovery wise. She was gone for maybe 10 minutes and just after one day I can already tell a difference. It's amazing! She was very hard to understand and I think a lot of that had to do with how she was hearing herself talk. She repeats things I say so much clearer than she did last week. I am so excited for her. Since I have been on a homemade pillow kick this month, I made one for McKenna to take with her to the hospital. I covered it with pictures and she seemed to love it.

She was never nervous leading up to her surgery but once we got to the hospital she seemed very unsure. The nurse gave her some medicine to calm her nerves before they took her back for surgery. I wish we had the whole thing on video guys. I was dying! It was so funny! She was just sitting in my lap and you could tell the second that medicine kicked in. I started laughing which then made her start to laugh and I could barely breath I was laughing so hard. I am so glad Bob got a little bit of it on video.

Here's to a surgery free October! 

Volleyball and Soccer

This is definitely a year of firsts for us.

Ben played soccer for the first time and avery played volleyball.  Sassy said she may play something when she "is 6".  Her shyness tends to take over her desire to play, but she has been the most supportive cheerleader for both of them.  Ill let her remake her sporting decisions whenever she is ready.

Ben did so great and just loves soccer and avery loves volleyball.  It has been such a blast watching them and seeing them improve.  Sass also loves to make them little pins to wear and give to their teams to inspire their athletic ability.  Love her.  And I love to buy glowstick glasses after practice that ben breaks and gets the goo in his eye...win some/lose some.

My Bday

Well. I'm another year older. And sportier. Obviously.

My parents got me a super cool purple bike for my birthday. I was beyond surprised. I opened a gift from them and it was a pair of sunglasses and a helmet. I was so confused and kept asking, "why do I need a helmet?" Then I hear my dad coming down the hallway pushing a bike. It was such a flashback to my 2nd grade birthday. I'm pretty sure my bike was purple then too. 

I haven't riden a bike in forever. Ever since my accident, my balance is a little off. I have been on roller blades a few times and it's a sight to see. I was nervous about the bike. It took me a few minutes to get used to the feeling and I was definitely shaky but I love it! Not sure if we are all ready for a family bike ride yet, but maybe soon!

I also got to see Kristen and Lindsay during my bday weekend! It was so wonderful! I'm bummed I don't have any pictures of me with Kristen and Linds but at least I got a few cute ones of the kiddos.
We got to see Kristen and the kids at a family picnic and they had so much fun together.

We played over at Lindsay's house and McKenna and Ty were adorable together as always!

It was such a great weekend and my actual birthday on Monday was awesome too! Kristen's post made my day. It was the sweetest thing I have ever heard and I am so blessed to have such amazing friends. Life is good. 32 is good.

Late Last Night

Late last night, (while watching Parenthood) I kept hearing Sass coughing.  You know, the croup kind of cough that everyone has right now and is just so hard to listen to because you know there is really nothing you can do about it.  She has reactive lungs (pre asthma?) and has had breathing treatments since she came out in all her glory via emergency c-section.  It has been a nightly or daily routine most of her life during the fall and winter, and very often it is late at night when I get her up and she falls asleep on my chest.  It is always pretty fast, and I always treasure getting to hold a half asleep baby in my arms and then carry her back to bed, hopefully a little better than before.  

I dont think that she even really needed a breathing treatment last night, but we decided we would do whatever we could to help her get a little more sleep.

So, I carried her downstairs after I had gotten the whole set up out, and while I was trying to maneuver her onto my lap, it just hit me like a ton of bricks.  She didn't fit.  She was way too big, and sometime since the last breathing treatment, (and obviously much earlier than that) she had grown up. With tears just rolling down my face, I held her and tried to remember what it felt like when she fit so perfectly under my arm and in my lap.  And, simultaneously, tried to enjoy the feeling of holding the new big girl that she had become right before my eyes.

I know I wax on and on about this, so one would assume that I have come to grips with this growing that happens so constantly, but I guess I really haven't.  I have watched them go to school this year and be so so brave.  So much braver than I could have been.  I have watched our weekends go from plans around naps to plans around bike and scooter trips at the park.  And I have loved every single minute.  Which, I know, really should go without saying. But, my anxiety about this year, and all the changes that it brought, was so heavy that every time I was having fun, I couldn't help but be surprised.  Every. Time.  Talk about short term memory loss.

So, I guess, late last night when I couldn't go back to that moment where I held my baby late at night, and that baby smell was replaced with a big kid smell of pencils and glue, and the carrying back to bed was replaced with her walking herself back up, I finally got it.  

There are no more surprise- they are so big! moments.  I mean, I know they will continue to change and grow and that will surprise me, but the new normal is here and there is no going back.  They are people now- and the moments of babyness that I could catch glimpses of and hang on to, are now just memories.

I dont know what it was about last night exactly that made it all real, but in its bitter bitter sweetness, I am thankful for it.  I am thankful for the eye opening reminder that it gave me to hold on to every minute and enjoy every second.

Because it's just gone before you know it.

The big 3-2

I would say the number one question I get about allison from people that don't know her that well (or actually do know her) is "is she really that amazing in real life?  How does she do it?"  And the answer, from someone who talks to her sometimes 15 times a day, is always a resounding YES.  She is actually more amazing in real life. She often holds some things back that she just does for her kids, friends and family that she never mentions because they are so normal for her, but incredible to everyone who sees it.
Allison is the real deal.  I have known that since 7th grade in our matching outfits.  She is so beautiful on the outside that you would think she would not have to be kind and generous and thoughtful.  I mean, she could go anywhere with those looks.  But she is the exact opposite.  She is so kind and so thoughtful and so generous that sometimes I forget that she also looks like a supermodel.  And she is so self effacing and aware that she will talk about a bad hair day or tight jeans and I actually go along with it.  Then, I realize how incredible even her bad hair days are.
But, aside from her outward beauty, she has the most kind and real and genuine heart of anyone I have ever known.  Her sensitivity to others and love for encouraging everyone she meets with homemade card or package is unmatched.  And her creativity is something so innate and unique, but so simple and thoughtful every time.  Every single time she outdoes herself.  I am just like you guys, always on the edge of my seat waiting to see what she does next.  Her thoughtfulness knows no bounds and she is ready with a care package or just a listening ear anytime you need her.  She never wants to be the center of attention, but has the quiet confidence of someone who sits back and lets those around her shine.  She is always willing to be the first to laugh at herself too.  She may be sensitive to others, but she is always quick to play herself down and is not sensitive for herself.  It is the most incredible combination.  She takes things for what they are and doesn't turn them into all sorts of things by over analyzing like I do.  On one hand she is the most senstive and sweet and innocent and easy to please, and on the other she is strong and confident and ready for whatever fun lies ahead.
I can not tell you what a privilege it is to be one of the lucky few who have a front row seat to watch and get to be a participant in her kindness, creativity and love.
To say that she is better than she is on this blog is an understatement, but her heart is so pure and her creativity so big that I cant do it justice.  I hope you have the best 32nd bday al.  We all are inspired and encouraged and have been changed simply by watching how you live your life.
Thank you.