Sick

I'm starting to sound like a broken record over here.

My kid is sick again. Ugh. It started 3 days ago and is progressively getting worse. He is coughing like crazy, super congested, lethargic, and today the fever showed up. I feel awful for my little guy. I am doing everything I can think of to help him. Extra probiotics, vitamin d, cool humidifier, saline/clearing him out with the snot sucker (which he hates!), coconut oil for the chapped face, Hylands Cough, excessive love and snuggles.

I am thankful that I'm healthy now so I can devote the necessary time and energy to helping him feel better. He has literally slept ON me the last three nights and is currently on my lap in the recliner. Honestly, neither one of us is getting much sleep.

There is some seriously nasty stuff going around. So many of my friends are going through the same as we are, some are even worse off. I am praying like crazy for this crud to pass quickly. I am envisioning a healthy, happy Landon returning very soon!

Resolutions

We are almost to 2013.

How about some resolutions?

Do you make them every year?

Do you keep them?

I almost always make at least one. Sometimes I am successful, sometimes not so much.

Here's what I have so far for 2013, in no particular order:

1. Feed my body better
2. Move more
3. Start writing my book!
4. Make more time for me
5. Make more time to nurture my marriage, my friendships and familial relationships
6. Decrease our debt and save more

I think that's a good start!

HAPPY NEW YEAR, Friends!

Christmas on a Budget

Our budget was a bit tighter for Christmas this year. So, we got creative. Some people got handmade gifts, like bath finger paints for the toddlers and scarves for a couple of the women in the family.

For Landon, we wanted to make this year really special. Even though we didn't have a lot of cash to throw around, we did have a willingness to make it great. You know what? Money doesn't equal great. Thoughtful giving however, always equals great!

We decided to convert our spare room in the basement in to a play room. This room was a hot mess when we started. It was basically a catch all storage room with nasty old carpet. We did this project (and by "we" I mean mostly Scott because I had some nasty sinus crud attach itself to me just days before Christmas) in 3 days. It included clearing the room, ripping out old carpet, removing old nasty window coverings, cleaning, priming and painting everything. It was a ton of work but completely worth it. We still need to choose some wall art but other than that, it was completed last night by 10:30!

This room only cost us $20, which is what we paid for the United States rug. We already had everything else around the house. We were given a couple of really great tower like toys so we set those up and they were new to Landon Christmas morning. He LOVES having his very own play room!

Check out the before and after pictures!

Helper

Landon loves to help. No matter what I'm doing, he is at my side. Here he is "helping" trim my nails. I adore this kid.

Cookies for Santa

Landon and I had a fun morning, which included making cookies for Santa. He is such a good little kitchen helper! Now, we have to try to keep Daddy from eating all of the cookies! Landon did say to me earlier, "I will tell Daddy these cookies are only for Santa!" Yeah, good luck Kiddo.

I am completely soaking up all of these fun moments and memories. How blessed I am to get to do these type of things with my boy. Today, I am one happy Mama!

I hope you all are enjoying this holiday season in your parts as much as we are in ours!

So I'm curious, do you put out cookies for for Santa? If so, what kind are on the menu this year?

New Perspective

Here I sit.  Thinking about the post I made last night.  How angry I was feeling about our current situation with Landon.  How I wished things were different and how I wished ulcerative colitis and Crohn's never existed.  

This morning, my perspective is much different.  I am thinking about how very fortunate I am to have my son, even if he does have health challenges.  I am lucky to be listening to his sweet voice this morning, to be able to hug and hold him.

I cannot even begin to imagine what all those Mommy's and Daddy's must be feeling right now in Newtown, CT.  How do you ever recover from something like that?  How do you wake up and function after such a tragic loss?  I am at a loss for words.  All I can do now is pray for all of those affected by the horrific events that took place yesterday.    

Boo Hoo Hoo.

I make huge efforts to remain positive and not complain. However, this day has not been an easy one. Landon's labs didn't come back as well as we expected. I don't want to go in to too much detail but I will say his inflammation is up again. UGH! They stuck him 5 times before finally getting an IV line for his infusion. I kept having flash backs to last year and our hospital stay. He was crying. I was crying. As they were holding him down today, he kept saying, "I want Mommy. I want Daddy. I want to hug and kiss Mommy." Talk about heartbreaking.

Being at Children's Mercy at this time of year brought up a whole bunch of emotions. When they told us his lab results I wanted to get the hell out of there as quick as possible. I wanted to run away and just go home. Rough freakin' day.

As I was crying earlier, Landon asked what was wrong. I told him I was just a little bit sad but I would be ok. An hour or so later, out of the blue, he gave me a big hug and kiss. Then he said, "I just love you, Mommy. You don't have to cry, Mommy. I love you, Mommy." Yes, I did tear up all over again!

There was good stuff in our day too. We slept in a little bit and cuddled a lot. Also, we were able to take a care package to a family whose baby just had open heart surgery. Then we got to see some of the nurses who took such great care of us a year ago. They all remembered Landon and were very happy to see us. It was incredibly sweet. Oh! His hemoglobin is still good so that's definitely positive!

I am going to try to get back to my happy place. I have to remember that Landon is still healing. He was a very sick little boy and it will take time. Blah, blah, blah. For real though, right now I am frickin' pissed off. I don't want Landon to have to deal with this. It doesn't seem fair. I want him to be completely healthy and well.

This too shall pass. Tomorrow is a new day. I am exhausted and hope a good night of rest will snap me back to where I need to be.

Dear Christmas... I Love You.

We are loving all things Christmas right now!

Over the weekend, we went out both Friday and Saturday nights in search of drive by lights.  Landon really enjoyed it!

Sunday afternoon we built a "Gingerbread Man House" (Landon's words) together, which was a first for both of us!  I wasn't sure how he would do with it but he really go in to it!  I had to tell him that the icing was glue so he wouldn't be tempted to eat it.  About halfway through, I looked over and saw him putting a gumdrop to his mouth.  I said, "Honey, you don't want to eat that because it will make your tummy feel really yucky."  He gave me a serious look and said, "I'm just dunna put it on my chin."  Then he put it on his chin.  About 2 seconds later I looked over to see him with his tongue sticking out licking the gumdrop!  I let it go, figuring a tiny bit of sugar surely wouldn't cause too much upset in his little system.  He is very proud of his house and it now sits in the middle of his table so he can look at it at all times.  

We also got some photos taken Saturday afternoon.  Landon did so great and I'm crazy excited to see how they all turned out!  I WILL get Christmas cards out this year!  The last family photo shoot we had was over a year ago.  Looking back on those, I can see how sick he was.  I'm ready to replace those photos with some of a very healthy looking boy!!  

I HEART Christmas!  

Last Year

First of all, I promise not to do a million of those "A Year Ago Today We Were {fill in the blank}" posts.  That being said, I want to talk a little about what the last year has been like for us.

December 6th, 2011.
Sad and terrified because we didn't know what was wrong with our baby.

Last year at this time, Landon was unexpectedly admitted to the hospital.  It was insanely terrifying for Scott and I.  We had no idea what was happening or what was even wrong with our son, other than he was excessively bleeding and his hemoglobin was critically low.  I remember the excitement I felt following one of his blood transfusions, when we saw his cheeks get the slightest pink tinge to them, because he had been pale for so long.  We spent two weeks at Wesley before being flown to Children's Mercy in Kansas City where we spent another week trying to get our son well.  We were released on Christmas Eve, thinking Landon was all better and on his way to full healing.  How wrong we were.    

When we arrived home the afternoon of December 24th, 2011, we were greeted with a clean house (THANK  YOU Lindsey Kay and Big Sis Shan!) adorned with many unexpected gifts under our tree (THANK YOU Lewis Family, Childs Family, Shope Family and many other anonymous generous people!).  It was supposed to be a really happy time.  We were HOME!

We usually have Christmas Eve at my sister's house but last year everyone decided it would be best for them all to come to us.  Within an hour of getting home from Kansas City, my family began to arrive for our Christmas celebration.  It was truly wonderful to be together and feel somewhat "normal" after 3 long weeks of hospitals, procedures, tests, blood transfusions, feeding tubes, pokes, prods, you name it.  I was trying to soak in all the excitement, love and good feelings that go with that time of year.  It was honestly very surreal.  Around 8:00 that evening everyone packed up and went home.  Then it hit me.  I was sad.  Very sad.  Landon went in to a Prednisone fueled fit which Scott and I could not get him out of for nearly 2 hours.  I ended the night on my knees at the foot of my bed, sobbing uncontrollably, praying for peace.  Merry Frickin' Christmas.

I still cry at times when I hear Christmas carols.  There are a few that take me right back to his hospital room.  Trans Siberian Orchestra will get me about every time.  I sometimes cry out of sadness but more often it's out of gratitude for where we are today.     

In the last year, Landon has made some serious progress!  Scott and I have learned more about IBD, proper nutrition and poop than we could have ever imagined!  I will seriously talk about poop to anyone, anytime and it's like talking about what we watched on TV last night.  It's such a normal part of our lives!  You wanna tell me your poop stories?  Go for it!    

If you've followed Landon's story at all, you know that we've seen some very dark times in the last year.  You also know that we've seen some miraculous healing happen as well!  I fully and completely believe our Boy Wonder will persevere and is paving the road for others in similar situations.  

December 5th, 2012.
At home with my darling Boy Wonder, who is healing!

December 5th, 2012.
Getting sweet lovin' from my darling Boy Wonder!  

Christmas 2012 is going to be awesome!  We have already been enjoying the season immensely!  Landon is reveling in the magic that surrounds us and we are loving teaching him about all the traditions we love most. 

Landon's FIRST Christmas.
I had to add this one because he's just too cute!

I am incredibly grateful to be where we are today and to have my son back.  He is happy.  He is whole.  He is healing.  He is awesome.

Merry Christmas Season to ALL!!!       

Raphael Has Arrived!

When Landon woke up this morning I told him we had a very special package that had arrived over night from Santa.  We rushed out to the living room and opened our package to find our Elf and the book that was sent with him.  We unpacked the box, placed our Elf on our shelf (HA!) then settled in the recliner to read all about him.

{ME}  "So, we really need to name him.  What do you think his name should be?"

He muttered something about a turtle.

{ME}  "Turtle?  You want to name him turtle?"

{BOY WONDER}  "NO!  Raphael!  Like the turtle."  

Yes, he's referring to the Ninja Turtles (which he actually calls the Engine Turtles).  I hear of other Elves named Chippy, Buddy, etc.  But oh no, not OUR Elf.  He will have a proper name.  

After we finished reading, Landon promptly got down, walked over in front of our Elf and said, "Raphael, I want Doggy Dreamlites!"  

I think he's got the idea.  :-)

Meet Raphael.  He arrived at our house this morning straight from the North Pole!  He sure is a dapper little Elf.

Moments in Time

As I was backing out of the driveway for work this morning, I looked up to see the face of my sweet boy in our picture window.  He was visibly upset and crying.  For a moment I thought, "I'm sure he's fine and Grandma will handle it" (which, by the way, I am confident she would have!).  However, I pulled right back up to the house and went inside.  He was upset because he wanted a minute to rock with Mommy before I left.  Something I promised him I would do but forgot about in the hustle of getting out the door.  I scooped him up and sat down in the recliner.  Within 30 seconds he was happy and smiling again.  We talked for a minute or so then he gave me a big hug and kiss.  He was once again content.  I left for work with a very happy heart.

It literally took only 2 minutes out of my day to reassure Landon of his importance in my life and in this world.  

Every single moment counts.  

Take those few extra minutes today to tell your kids you love them.  Give an extra hug.  Read one more book, even when it's time for bed.  Although you may think they are too small to remember, I promise those moments will remain in their hearts forever.   

This sweet face is the reason I couldn't leave the driveway!

Snuggles before getting out of bed this morning.  Love.

The Love 4 Landon Foundation

As many of you know, our son Landon was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and hospitalized for 3 weeks last year and for 2 more weeks the beginning of this year.  You can read more about some of that by clicking HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.  His whole story is yet to be written and I just cannot bring myself to do it yet.  Getting this much written has been incredibly challenging emotionally.  One day, when the time is right, I will finish it.  

Anywhoo, my main reason for his post is to introduce The Love 4 Landon Foundation, which is our non-profit organization we have started in honor of our sweet, strong Boy Wonder.  We hope to do some really BIG things for others who suffer from IBD.  You can learn more about The Love 4 Landon Foundation by visiting our WEBSITE and our FACEBOOK PAGE. 

We have a bunch of fundraising events planned in the coming months to help fund our 2nd Annual L4L Gala which will take place Spring of 2013.  There are many ways to help!  Check our website and Facebook page for opportunities.  

This is something I am passionate about.  I want to give back and help others in the ways we have been helped.  The last year has been incredibly challenging for our family and we've been blessed beyond measure by our family, friends and support network.  We would not be where we are today if not for all of the blessings we've received.

Landon is the reason for all of this.  He is awesome.  Period.

Farewell Diapers, Day 3

You know, this whole process has been incredibly challenging!  Landon has been congested, coughing and fighting a head cold since Wednesday-ish.  I took time off work to get him potty trained so I wanted to move forward with it.  I honestly think it may not have been so hard had he been feeling completely well.  My timing sucked but we made it through! 

Day 3 started at 5:40 in the morning to a wet bed and poopy pants. In my bed. Yuck.  We got cleaned up, put fresh sheets, big boy undies and jammies on and went back to sleep for a couple of hours.  I was wiped out from the previous day and from not sleeping well myself because of Landon's snoring due to his congestion.  I just kept reminding myself what I read in the book.... "Stick with it.  It works.  By the end of day 3 he will get it."

Let me tell you, on Day 3 he GOT IT!  Not only was he telling us every single time he needed to potty, he was actually running to the bathroom on his own and smiling while on the potty!  

Pooping.  Honestly, I wasn't sure if he was going to get it.  So many people told me that their boys took forever to poop in the potty and that it was just harder for boys.  I had kind of resigned myself and thought, "I'll just let Mom get him to do it when she comes Monday.  She has a special way with him and I know she'll be able to help."

At 11:28 Saturday morning (Day 3, Y'all!) Landon went in to the bathroom after telling us he needed to potty.  He sat there and I told him I would be right back.  As I walked away, he pushed the door shut.  Next thing I know, he hollers, "I'm all done Mommy!  I went potty and poop!"  And boy did he!  I nearly cried and you all are lucky because I almost took a picture of that poop.  We celebrated BIG.  Boy did we celebrate!  We danced and sang and spun around and smiled!  He was very proud of himself and we were crazy proud too.  I was honestly shocked!  He got a sticker for his sticker poster and he got Elmo slippers.  A BIG reward this time!  I had decided to give different rewards for poop.  He would get a coin to put in his special ceramic piggy bank that he doesn't ever get to touch, plus something else.  This time it was the slippers.  If you're wondering why he doesn't get to touch that piggy bank, you can read all about it right here.

The rest of the day was pretty good!  I'm proud to say he wore the same pair of undies all day because he didn't have any accidents.  He is a potty and pooping pro!  He's kind of funny when he needs to go.  He walks around on his toes and says, "Uhmmmm-hmmmm" over and over and also randomly say, "NO SIR!" as if telling himself he doesn't want to go just yet.  It's really cute.  We just keep reminding him to let us know when he's ready and that he is a big boy now so it's up to him to keep his undies dry and clean.

We spent so much one on one time together, which was really wonderful.  He would give me random hugs and kisses.  I know even though we were in a teaching moment, he thoroughly enjoyed this time and so did I.  We cuddled, read a lot of books, colored, did some crafts, played, laughed and even cried. 

We are now on day 4 and he's rockin' it.  He stayed dry all night and has always stayed dry through his naps.  I was really unsure about not using Pull-Ups and even had some on hand.  I just decided to commit to teaching him to read his body and those Pull-Ups are going to stay in the closet until we donate them.  This process has not been easy but it has been worth it.  I used very simple inexpensive rewards and it worked for us. 

Mama and Daddy are so proud of you, Landon.  Kid, you'll move mountains!  

Elmo slippers - Poop reward!

Moon Dough - Poop reward!

Loving his Moon Dough

Making a cotton ball Snowman

Snuggled up with his big boy undies on ready for a nap

Making a cotton ball snowman

Sticker Poster.  He gets a sticker every time he goes potty or poop and can put it anywhere on the poster he chooses.

One coin for each poop in the potty.  This was really motivating for him because this is a special piggy bank that sits high on a shelf.

One pom-pom every time he sits on the potty but doesn't potty or poop.  He gets to take one from the can and put it in the glass.  Landon thought this was super cool and liked watching the glass fill up.  We emptied it each morning so he got to start fresh every day.

Farewell Diapers, Day 2

First off, I feel like I need to talk about the afternoon of Day 1 for a minute. Remember that super upbeat, excited post when we were first starting? You know, all about how great Landon was doing. Well, it all changed after he woke up from his nap.   He didn't want to poop in the potty and instead popped right in his undies. Over and over and over.   It was a whole mess of accidents.  At one point, he was on my lap and just let loose.  Yep, I totally got pee'd on.  Also, every time he sat on his potty it was melt down city.  So frustrating!   That night we went to bed completely exhausted but I hardly slept because I thought for sure I was going to get urinated on in the middle of the night.

When we woke up, I was pumped because he slept all night and stayed dry. I had a renewed excitement and will to conquer this thing! You wouldn't believe how quickly that faded. The whole day it was accident after accident after accident. Oh, not to mention every time he sat on his potty he had a major meltdown with giant tears streaking down his cute little face.   You'd have thought I burned his blanket or something. Geeze. Oh. Em. Gee. What an insanely difficult day!! I seriously almost gave up today.

In an effort to get him to poop, I introduced the very special, Magic Poop Guitar. He was interested.  He would hold against his tummy and say, "This is my Magic Poop Guitar, Mommy.  It puts magic in my tummy to help me poop!"  At least he was talking about actually pooping even if he wasn't doing it yet.  He held the Magic Poop Guitar a lot and actually started to sit on the potty by the end of the day with only minor tears and cries.  At one point, he started to poop and we ran him to the potty and it actually fell in so he got a big reward!  It's a light up sword which he calls his "balloon whacker".

It was a tough, long, frustrating day so there are minimal pictures.  I promise, Day 3 will be happier!  :-)   

Balloon Whacker!

Magic Poop Guitar

I couldn't resist posting this one.  This was my cabbage patch bunny when I was little and he loves to wrap it in his blanket and give it kisses.  Very sweet.

Farewell Diapers



Today we all in full potty training mode around here!  So far, this kid is rockin' it heavy metal style!  We started the morning by throwing all of his diapers in the trash.  He was extremely excited about that!  Side note: I totally pulled them out of the trash when he wasn't looking so I can donate them to someone else.  I just can't throw them out when someone else could use them.  However, he thinks they are GONE and that's what matters most.

 

He had his first accident right away and he cried.  We ran to the potty chair and I reassured him that everything was ok.  He got a sticker to put on his "Sticker Poster" and he was happy again.  About 10 minutes later we were playing and he looked down and said, "NO!"  I asked him if he needed to potty and he said, "Yeah" so we headed back to the potty.  Nothing happened.  He got a sticker anyway for sitting on the potty.  10 more minutes and he had another accident but we ran to the potty and he sat on it.  This time when we were finished he got a pom pom to put in a glass.  So, he gets stickers when he actually goes potty and a pom pom anytime he goes and sits on it.  15ish minutes later, he said to me, "Mommy!  I need to potty!"  We ran to the potty and....success!!!  We danced and sang and celebrated!  He got a sticker.  We had a few more times of going and sitting without anything happening then he told me again that he needed to go and he DID!  After lunch I could tell he needed to poop because he was walking on his toes and making faces.  After many tries, we had no success.  He's napping now in his bed, with big boy undies on, and I am hoping we don't wake up to a big mess! 

 

All in all, I am very impressed with him!  Things are going pretty much like I thought only he's exceeded my expectations!  For those who know all we've dealt with in the last year, you know what a big deal potty training is to me.  There was a time when I was unsure how I would ever get him trained.  I'm so thankful to have the opportunity to do this with my little guy.  I know that might sound silly but it's really true.  Being able to help him tune in and read the cues from his body and guide him in the right direction is pretty darn special. 

 

I'm following the 3 Day Potty Training advice and doing what I feel is best for Landon.  I'm not amping up his salt intake, giving extra treats or rewarding with foods.  I am rewarding with stickers, pom poms (which for some reason he loves!), lots of praise and he will get new jammies tonight and tomorrow as a surprise.  Saturday, we will venture out for dinner to reinforce what a big boy he is and how proud we are of him!  I have a few rewards such as glow bracelets, a coloring book and special new crayons that he will get when he poops in the potty.  We are only on Day 1, which I have heard is the most challenging.  I'll post again at the end and let you all know how it goes!     



Big Boy Undies on and ready to face this day!

Coloring to help pass the time between potty breaks

Crayons.  Awesome invention.

Making his masterpiece

 

 

Slammin' that hat to keep him warm this morning.  He ONLY wanted to wear undies!  You see how purple those little lips are?!

Goodbye diapers!

Goodbye diapers! 

Goodbye diapers!

He was a very excited boy after throwing those diapers in the trash!

Chillin'.  Literally.  He was freezing but refused to put clothes on.  He is so proud of those undies!

TND15 - Inspiration

Let me tell you a little story about an amazing young lady.  Her name is Emily.  She is 9 years old.  Before she was born, doctors told her Mommy that she wouldn't survive outside the womb.  Her Mommy prayed and prayed.  Emily had to have surgery when she was a tiny baby and only has one functioning lung today.  She is strong and smart and social and kind.  You would have never known she had any health issues.  She is a thriving, happy young lady. 

Emily has family in New Jersey and wanted to do something to help all those who were affected by the devastation caused by hurricane Sandy.  On her own, Emily did some major fundraising.  She wanted to make sure all of the funds went directly to the people, not to FEMA or Red Cross, where it may not be put to use immediately.  With the help of her Mommy, Emily began making phone calls to friends and family members asking for donations to help the victims of hurricane Sandy.  On her own, she was able to raise over $800 and that was in just 2 weeks time.  All of those funds have been donated to a local church in New Jersey and will be used to restock their food pantry, which helps feed those who don't have enough money to purchase groceries.  It will also provide food for their annual Thanksgiving dinner that they put on every year for those in need.  You see, they had already purchased their food for this dinner but it was all lost because of the power outages. 

Emily and her family have also sent several care packages with canned goods, non-perishables and other necessities.  Emily herself decided she wanted to include a gift card for $25 that she had just received for her birthday because she thought maybe another child could use it to replace some of the books they may have lost in the floods.

This amazing 9 year old who doctors thought would not survive is now impacting this world in a BIG way.  If she can do it, can't we all?

I was so very fortunate to get to hear this story face to face from Emily and her Mommy.  If you feel compelled to donate in some way, please contact a church in the disaster area and send a check or your care package directly to them.  There are so many people who are still without power and have lost so much.  Some time has past now and they are feeling forgotten.  I am planning to put together a package to send on my own.  If you have anything you'd like to contribute please comment here and we can get together.

Inspiration comes in many forms and for me this week it was in the form of a beautiful 9 year old girl.  Thank you, Emily.  

TND14 - Work

Today I am grateful for the ability to work.  I'm thankful for my workplace and the wonderful people I get to interact with each day. 

Close Call

I have debated and debated with myself regarding whether or not to make this post.  This one here, I'm being very vulnerable.  I'm opening myself up to criticism and judgement.  I get that.  However, I decided I needed to post this because it could help someone else from repeating my horrible mistake in their own home.  If I am able to help even one other person, then it's worth all the judgement and criticism anyone can lay on me.

First off, we've had a somewhat yucky week in our house.  We're all coming off being sick over the weekend and then Landon came down with a fever Monday evening as well.  Thankfully, Tuesday, he woke up fever free.  I had a horrendous headache that latched on over the weekend and would not go away. 

We are preparing for Potty Training which will commence tomorrow morning!  When I arrived home from work yesterday, Landon and I packed up and headed to the store so he could pick out some new big boy undies.  He was VERY EXCITED as you can see by the video.  We were having a fun night!

We got home and I began to make dinner.  It was going to be a special night because we were all going to eat together as a family.  He had his special gluten free rice pasta and I was making some pasta for Scott and I too.  Fun night!  That's what we were having.   

Then it happened.....

I was taking the pot of boiling pasta to the sink to drain it.  Landon was right under my feet and Scott was just steps away.  As I neared the sink, I said to Landon, "Please move honey, what Mommy has is very hot!"  He started to move and I lost my grip.  It happened that fast.  Hot water right on my sweet boys head.  I believe it actually hit me first then fell to him.  Luckily, Scott saw it all about to go down and scooped Landon up very quickly.  Thank God for the quick actions of Daddy!  Very little of the hot water actually made contact with Landon.  We immediately applied a cold compress to his head and he honestly cried for less than a minute.  I think it scared him most of all.  We put a nice juicy layer of aloe on and then we all ate dinner together. 

Except for a little pinkness on his scalp, Landon is completely fine this morning.  Thank God.  Thank You, God.  Thank YOU.

I, however, am an emotional mess over this.  How could I let that happen to my child?  What a stupid mistake!  If he would have been looking up at me instead of at the floor this could have a much different ending.  I'm supposed to protect him, not be the cause of harm! 

I know my emotions will eventually subside but the lesson I learned will remain for a lifetime.  Never again will I have him, or any other child, at my feet when I have something scalding hot in my hands.  Message received loud and clear.  Lesson learned.  The hard way.  Oh yes, I'm innately aware, it could have been much worse.  I'm grateful for this lesson and that my sweet child is okay. 

Has anything like this ever happened to you?  Please tell me I'm not alone here!  What kind of close calls have you had that you're willing to share?

TND13 - Sisters

"Sisters function as safety nets in a chaotic world simply by being there for each other" - Carol Saline




From left to right:  Shannon, Me, Stefany, Kristi.  Sisters!


Not only am I fortunate to have some of the best sisters in the world but I'm also super lucky to be close with all of them.  When stuff gets tough, we are there to support each other and pick each other up.  I trust these women.  I look up to these women.  They all possess unique traits and characteristics which I admire.  Let me tell you a bit about each of them.  They deserve to be highlighted individually.

Kristi and Landon at his 2nd Birthday Party

Kristi - The leader of our pack, my oldest sister.  She has an infectious laugh and a way of making those around her smile.  She is an optimist and sees the good in everyone and everything around her.  She is highly successful in every aspect of her life.  She is there when times are tough.  No doubt that she will show up.  A lot.  She will offer advice when necessary but is very good at sitting silently and allowing tears to flow.  She gives awesome hugs.  She makes a mean banana bread and will rock your socks with some lemon bars.  

Aunt Shannon at Children's Mercy during Landon's 2nd hospital stay

Shannon - My protector.  She has been from the beginning and even now that I'm all grown up, she still wants to protect me from anything in her power.  Shannon is a giver and will help anyone in need, even if it means putting her own life aside.  There isn't anything she can't do.  Seriously.  She can cook any dish you could possibly want and will usually do it with what she has in her cupboards and freezer.  She's that good.  She is always there when I need her, even if it means driving to Kansas City or flying to Portland, OR!  There is no one on this planet like her.  I don't know how I would have made it through the last year without her.   

Aunt Stef visiting at our house the days after Landon was born

Stefany - She is loyal and dedicated.  When she sets her mind to accomplish something, she does it.  She loves her family and has been there during some of my toughest times in life.  Sending texts, calling, dropping by our house.  She is silly, fun and energetic.  She cares deeply for her loved ones and works her tail off to provide for her children.  If you want some killer chicken enchiladas, show up for Mexican food night at her place.  You won't be disappointed!  She's someone I'm glad to have in my corner.   

Angie and her family...before they completed it with the birth of Colby.  This is the most recent photo I have of her! 

Angie - My sister-by-love.  I got her when I married Scott and I couldn't have asked for a better gift!  Angie is so darn funny!  Anytime she's telling a story I promise you will be laughing.  She has a way with words and actions that will illicit gut busting laughter.  She is kind, generous and a loving Mama to our two nephews.  She has a knack for decorating, so much so that her home looks staged!  In a GOOD way!  It's beautiful.  She makes some seriously good cookies and her cupcakes are divine.  Plain and simple.  She's awesome.

Sister's, I love you all!  Thank you for being such a huge part of my life. 

"Sister to sister we will always be, a couple of nuts off the family tree" - Unknown