Sweet Design Wednesday

I knew you were holding your breath waiting for this week's installment of Sweet Design, so here it is. You're welcome.

Every year in May, one of my biggest headaches pleasures is finding end of year teacher gifts. Between the two of my children, there are 9 teachers to buy for, not including our principal, music, art, gym, etc. And after this year, the nurse really deserved something special from my family.

Some years I have tried to make teacher gifts...but this year I decided to go easy...and cute! I bought these keylettes from an Etsy store called SewMuchDetail, and they are so adorable...and very sturdy. I wrapped them together with MercyMe's 10 CD (I get a really good deal on those too :) to make a really useful and meaningful thank you gift.

They came wrapped in cellophane with a cute little coordinating tulle bow and her business card on each. She does great work and her designs are...well, sweet.

Happy Birthday Caleb

Dear Caleb,

Ten years ago today, you changed my life. I never thought I could love another baby as much as your brother, but the day I found out you were growing inside of me, I fell in love with you and discovered just how much my heart could expand and grow.

When Cody was a little over a year old, your daddy and I started talking about having another baby. I was so close to my sisters and daddy was close to his brother, and we wanted him to have someone like that...someone he could depend on, be friends with, and of course, look after us when we got old. We really had just begun discussing it over a few weeks, when I started feeling a little different. My pants were starting to get tighter, and it was getting harder for me to breathe while wearing them.

I considered getting a home pregnancy test, but decided I would just go to the doctor and get a blood test...to be positive of the results. On the morning of October 27, 1998, daddy drove me to my doctor, they drew blood and sent me on my way. It would be later in the day, possibly the next day, before they would have the results. Daddy took me to work and I started my work day...trying to concentrate on anything but that test.

A few hours later, I received a call from the doctor's office telling me I was definitely going to have a baby in about 7-1/2 months. I was SOOOO excited...and surprised!...I guess that it happened so fast this time. Your daddy came by my office to get me for lunch. When he opened the door to my office, our eyes met...I smiled and shook my head yes...and he got the biggest grin ever on his face. We hugged and kissed for what seemed like eternity...and we began our journey of loving you and taking care of you. You were expected to join our family in person on June 24, 1999.

Cody was about 18 months old at this point, and although we told him about you, he really didn't understand. He couldn't understand why I kept telling him stories about my belly button.

On November 12th, you made me sick for the first time and as I got up from hugging the toilet, I smiled. I was happy as a lark that I was throwing up. That continued for about the next 7 weeks, and although it was kind of rough...I still loved it...because it meant YOU were there!

On December 31st, I heard your heart beat for the first time...and I smiled.

On January 27th, I felt you move for the first time...and I smiled.

On February 2nd, I saw you for the first time on a sonogram...and your heart was beating...you were growing...and we decided not to find out if you were a boy or a girl until we met you on your birth day...and I smiled.

In the next few weeks, my belly starts growing at a rapid pace...and we discovered you would definitely be a soccer player!...and I smiled.

On April 23rd, too early for this, I started having small contractions and vomiting. My doctor sent me to the hospital to be checked out and found out I had a virus that was making me have contractions and was slightly dehydrated. They gave me medication and sent me home to bed rest for the weekend...and as much as this scared me, I smiled because you were going to be okay.

On May 13th, I stopped being able to wear most of my shoes. My feet and ankes were so swollen, and wouldn't go down even after rest...but I smiled because I knew it wouldn't be long until you were here...and I always preferred being barefoot...and pregnant.

That next weekend, we painted your nursery...and when I looked at Pooh and friends and imagined you there...I smiled.

On June 8th, my doctor sent me for another sonogram because he felt like you were getting big...and when he found out that you measured 8 pounds, 11 ounces in that sonogram, he scheduled me for surgery the next week...and I smiled a really big smile.

On the morning of June 15th, I got up, showered, got dressed, put my makeup on, did my hair, got my suitcase, kissed Cody goodbye as Ne-Ne took him to daycare with her...and we left for the hospital. We got to our room, got prepped for surgery, and got anxious for you to be here.

At 9:00 a.m., they took me and daddy into the operating room. They gave me some medicine to numb my stomach and Dr. Kallam began the process of taking you out. Daddy talked me through the whole thing...step by step of what was happening...and at 9:40, Dr. Kallam announced you were a big, strapping boy! He took you out and you were mad and crying...and I smiled and smiled.

I watched them get you cleaned up while they were taking care of some other things with me...and I listened to your precious cries. The nurse held you up to my face and let me kiss you and tell you how much I loved you...and I couldn't believe how big my heart was right then and there.

In the last 10 years, you've amazed me at how different from your brother you are...yet how alike you are. I love how you are tender-hearted and caring...and how thoughtful of others' feelings you are. You've got the sweetest smile and the most infectious laugh. I love that you still like to cuddle and hold my hand, and I love that you are brave and protective.

And as much as I would like to keep you wrapped up in my little cocoon forever, I know that God has something much bigger in store for you...and I wouldn't want you to miss that for the world. You see, as much as I love you...it can't even compare to the love He has for you. And I smile when I think about where that love will take you.


Love,

Mama

I Know You Don't Deserve This

I know this is supposed to be Sweet Design Wednesday but I'm so behind on posts, I just decided to throw this one out there because something made me think of it today...and since for about the past 3 weeks I've been having memory issues probably related to this, but possibly related to menopause (since I'm blaming any shortcoming on my part these days on that even though I have no definite evidence that I am entering menopause), any time I think of something that happened in the past, I'm probably going to blog about it...even if it's not a great memory because it's a memory and one day I probably won't have any of those anymore... between the family history of Alzheimers and MS...I'm basically screwed...and yes that was the longest run-on sentence in history...so sue me...I wasn't an English major, but I always did really good in English...or is it 'did really well' in English?...I probably should have majored in it. So anyway, I was reading something today about "kids pooping in pools" and it made me remember the time when my kids were younger...and summers were spent just finding a suitable pool where they could play in the water without drowning and I could either play with them or play with the other mothers that were there because seriously playgroups are more about the moms than the kids...and if anyone tries to tell you differently, they're lying....I am not even kidding.

Anyway, this one day we went to a small community pool that was mostly 1-2 feet all the way through and had lots of things to play on for the kids...like this...

This is around the time Caleb had just finished potty training...so basically it was our first time at the pool with him wearing a swimsuit with no swim diaper. I think you can see where this is going...and it's not going to be pretty.

At some point during my in-depth conversation with my playgroup friends about politics or world peace or 'can you believe that Justin Timberlake left Britney Spears for Christina Aguilera...talk about moving from skank to skankee' and other important things like that, they started blowing the "get the heck out of the pool because someone pooped in the pool" whistle. I was ticked. Why would someone bring their kid that wasn't potty trained and let them loose in the pool when we were all enjoying such a nice play day with our friends and now we're going to have to listen to them all whine and cry because they have to get out of the pool?

I called Cody out of the pool, then picked up Caleb to take him to our chairs to wait out the "cleaning"...and I noticed his swimsuit was a little brown around the bottom edges. Oh my gosh...my precious little munchkin was the pooper! HE CLEARED THE POOL! Did I announce this? Did I apologize? Um, NO. I wrapped him in a beach towel...asked him loudly where everyone could hear..."do you wanna go pee-pee while we have some time to kill?" He was starting to say he pooped in his pants...but I started talking really loudly and walking very quickly toward the restrooms so he couldn't be heard. I would not be that mom. I got him cleaned up...but the evidence was still lingering...if you get my drift. We had to call it a day.

What did I learn from that experience? It was going to be a LONG time before I let the boys go swimming again without swim diapers. Caleb finally talked me out of them for camp last year.

Caleb's Got Mad Smarts

Monday morning was the 4th Grade Awards Ceremony and Caleb got to show off his smarts. He received not only awards in Social Studies, Texas Readers Club, and Citizenship, but he received...

*Special Recognition for being in the Duke University Talent Identification Program. This means that his grades are in the top 5% of students for his grade level...and

*Principal's Award for Outstanding Character.

I'm so proud of him for overcoming his anxiety he faced earlier this year to excel in all of his classes, getting Commended Performance on his Math Taks and ONE point shy of Commended Performance on his Writing Taks.

He's a great student...


...a great helper in class...


...and a great friend.


Caleb, I'm so proud of your accomplishments this year. I pray you will always believe in your ability to do great things through God's help. You are going to be an awesome 5th grader!

I love you...to the moon & back.
Mama

P.S. If this post sounds like I'm bragging about my kid...I am.