What a week! I feel like I say that every week, but it's true!
Last Wednesday Christian (who was here if you recall for a week long conference) got off at noon and she, William and I went shopping at Lakeline Mall. We had fun although we got caught in the rain on the way back and came home to two very wet and very upset puppies. That evening William and Christian had a BLAST! So much so, that when I came to join after cleaning up a bit William took one look at me and said with a huge smile, "Get out! Go! Bye bye!" and pointed to the door. What did I do? I let Christian babysit and got out. Francis picked me up and we went to dinner to celebrate 10 years of being together. We had steak and it was delicious. Christian and William had fun while we were gone. Win win!
Thursday William and I did The Little Gym and story time at the library and I spent the rest of the day pack, pack, PACKING! We all headed to bed early to prepare for our early morning.
3:45 Friday morning rolls around and Francis's alarm goes off. I get up, finish packing for myself and William and then help load the dog kennels in Christian's car (she took the dogs back to Dallas with her) before we load William in the car and head for the airport at about 4:30. When we arrived, the airport was packed and the airport staff seemed unprepared for the crowd. We waited in line to get checked in (we had to as William was a lap infant traveling internationally) and then waited more than 45 minutes in line for security (which is super long for Austin, usually takes 10 minutes max), and walked straight on the plane as they closed the jet bridge after the people that boarded right behind us. It was a close call! We landed early in Chicago with enough time to have a meal and then finally made it to Montreal where Francis's Uncle Jim picked us up. We made it to Nana's house around 2:30 or 3 and were greeted warmly. William lit up when he saw Nana Phillips, and after a short period of acting shy, he quickly warmed up. William got a new quilt from her and we got to pick out Robert's baby quilt. William's is made of scraps and is super cute, while Robert's has monkey's on it and matches the nursery. Anyway, a short time after we arrived, a sound as loud as a cannon went off and all the power went out. A transformer had blown. Francis's Aunt Melo, Uncle Vic and his cousins Sarah and Matthew (who live in the house that is joined to Nana's) arrived a short time later and all of us had a BBQ dinner and played games by candle light for the rest of the evening. It was very fun and certainly an adventure!
We got up bright and early Saturday morning and visited Francis's other grandmother. After taking a Ferry across the rivier, we arrived about 10:30. We chatted the morning away (in French) with her, her husband, Francis's Aunt Johanne and her daughter Valarie. They all thought William was very cute. I am so glad he made a good impression! After having poutine at one of Francis's favorite restraunts, we headed over to Francis's grandfather's house and were met with quite a surprise. When we arrived, only his grandfather, his girlfriend, and her brother were there. We talked for a moment (also in French) and they mentioned we got there just before everyone else was due to arrive. For what, we wondered. Then we headed downstairs. Everything was decorated with "Bonne Fete" (Happy Birthday). Apparently we had arrived just in time for his grandfather's 80th birthday party! Some of his siblings came as well as Francis's Uncle Michelle, Aunt Linda and cousin Sebastian. William got to meet them all. I will admit I felt a little lost in all the French, especially with multiple people asking me questions simultaneously while Francis was otherwise occupied, but I survived. We spent the rest of the afternoon in downtown Montreal taking in the sights. We walked along the water and boat pier, wandered through a street fair, and took pictures outside some important buildings. William got a good taste of Montreal's culture. He even got to eat a Beaver Tail (cinnamon sugar bread). I'm so glad! That evening we headed back, had dinner and went to bed early. It was a long and productive day.
Sunday was equally enjoyable. We went to church with Nana and once again I was surrounded by the beautiful French language. Thankfully many of these people spoke slower and more clearly, so I was better able to answer what they asked. Everyone said Francis looks just like his dad and also commented on how cute William is. Nana was positively beaming as she got to show William off. Made my heart so happy that we came. We had lunch with Nana, Aunt Melo, Uncle Vic, Matthew, Sarah, and Francis's cousin Tim.It was fun, and William even got to pretend to drive Tim's new car (which he LOVED). We then took a tour of Francis's old houses nearby including one in Ile D'Bizard and one in Pierrefonds. We also got to see the old hockey rink where he played. We stopped in the parking lot and took a picture. We drove near his old elementary school and Francis pointed that it was on the other side of a hill. He didn't even bother to drive by. Lol, I know what his priorities are! We finished off the day with swimming in the backyard, smoked meat Pizza from Bravo's, and more card games. It was so fun, and I wish it could have lasted longer.
We headed back the following morning to the airport and after two flights and some driving, we made it home about 9 pm. It was a long day, but totally worth the trip.
William has had a persistent cough, and by Tuesday it changed to sound much wetter than it had. I took him to the Dr. and she sent him in for a chest X-ray. He was a trooper and did so well! They discovered he was at the beginning of bacterial pneumonia, and put him on a bunch of medication. I am so glad we caught it early and he is already doing 100 times better than he was. He's playing normally and hasn't let it slow him down. Dr. said he should be nearly healed in the next couple of days.
Robert has been growing! His movements are now slower and much larger across my stomach. A casual observer can see him move. Only 7 1/2 more weeks before he is due. It's coming up so quick!
This coming Saturday we will be heading to Dallas to pick up our dogs from my parents' house and celebrating Christian's birthday. It should be great, and it is my last trip before the baby comes. I am just praying my back and body will hold up and that William will be fully healed! Keep us in your prayers!
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
July 17, 2013
The Phillips' hotel is still in full swing. My sister Christian is here for the week for what she calls "baby prosecutor school. William has really enjoyed having her around in the mornings and evenings. They dance and play and generally have a good time. It's so cute!
Last Tuesday, my grandparents. Jamama and Japapa, arrived without getting lost in the mid afternoon. We relaxed and I made lasagna for dinner. My mother, Danielle and my cousin Summer did not get home until very late that night (due to the late vote in the Texas House) so they did not get to eat with us.
The next morning, Summer left for New Mexico and my mother and Danielle went back to the capital for the final vote in the house. Fortunately, the vote was over by 11 and they were able to join William, my grandparents and I for lunch at Chick-fil-a. It was quite a celebration! After lunch and a nap (my mom and sis headed home from lunch), I took William and Jamama and Japapa on to The Little Gym. They got to experience what William does and see just how strong he is. I think they were impressed (I always am!). We went straight from TLG to my Dr. appointment with Dr. Brown. My grandparents got to see Robert live on the sonogram. Dr. Brown explained everything they were looking at. This is great grandchild #12 for them, but they've never seen a live sonogram before. It was very special for them. Robert is now head down (Dr. confirmed she thinks I have dropped) and his heart was beating big and strong. After the appointment we had dinner at Souper Salad and then met back with Francis at the house.
Thursday morning Jamama and Japapa headed on after taking a few pictures with William. It was nice to have them here and William now LOVES his "j'papa". He spent the whole rest of the day asking where he was. It was adorable! After cleaning yet again, my mother and Danielle came back Thursday evening for the anti-abortion vote in the Texas senate. They babysat while Francis and I went to dinner at Cheddar's and then saw Despicable Me 2 (super cute!). A great time was had by all.
Friday mom and Dani spent 7am until 1am Saturday (mostly without food, water or a bathroom break) waiting in the gallery for the Senate vote. I am so proud of them for doing this and I respect them so much! Friday I went to the mall with William where he was an absolute angel while I shopped and found what I needed. He has a new word: "quart" which is quarter. He kept saying it while pointing to the slot in the rides at the mall. Little stinker wouldn't give up. I had to bribe him with a cookie, which ironically cost more than the ride would have. Thanks, Sweetie (Mom), for showing him how that works. We also wen to target that afternoon where William picked out a new playdoh set on clearance. He loves his playdoh!
Saturday my mom and Danielle left just as Francis, William and I went to get professional photos taken. We did William's 2 year photos (a couple weeks early), maternity photos and a few family photos. They turned out awesome and I had a very difficult time deciding what to choose! After pictures, lunch and a nap, we all headed to Willliam's friend Jackson's 2nd birthday party at The Little Gym. It was fun and gave us a good idea of what to expect when William has his party there in a couple weeks. All in all, a great day!
Sunday we cleaned the house again after church in preparation for Christian arriving around 7:30. Exhausting! Monday after Chrissy left for her seminar, I took William to the doctor to help him manage his allergies. He's been coughing at night. He's doing much better. It's been raining the past few days and William has been loving it! I am ready for it to be a little less, though I am loving the temperature.
Yesterday marked 10 years of Francis and I as a couple. Ten years ago, Francis asked me to be his girlfriend at the end of the movie Italian Job. I'm so glad I said yes and I love the time we've had together so far. I can't believe it has been a decade, but I'm looking forward to what the next decade will hold for our little family.
Francis, William and I leave for Montreal on Friday to visit his extended family for the weekend. William has not been to Canada and has not yet met most of Francis's Canadian-dwelling relatives. It should be fun, but I am a little anxious about the flight. We will be bringing the TAB, the Kindle, the laptop, and William's phone (Francis's old phone with no service, but a lot of games), so hopefully William will mostly be willing to stay seated while we travel.
Well, Christian is on her way back from her conference today and we are going shopping. Tata!
Last Tuesday, my grandparents. Jamama and Japapa, arrived without getting lost in the mid afternoon. We relaxed and I made lasagna for dinner. My mother, Danielle and my cousin Summer did not get home until very late that night (due to the late vote in the Texas House) so they did not get to eat with us.
The next morning, Summer left for New Mexico and my mother and Danielle went back to the capital for the final vote in the house. Fortunately, the vote was over by 11 and they were able to join William, my grandparents and I for lunch at Chick-fil-a. It was quite a celebration! After lunch and a nap (my mom and sis headed home from lunch), I took William and Jamama and Japapa on to The Little Gym. They got to experience what William does and see just how strong he is. I think they were impressed (I always am!). We went straight from TLG to my Dr. appointment with Dr. Brown. My grandparents got to see Robert live on the sonogram. Dr. Brown explained everything they were looking at. This is great grandchild #12 for them, but they've never seen a live sonogram before. It was very special for them. Robert is now head down (Dr. confirmed she thinks I have dropped) and his heart was beating big and strong. After the appointment we had dinner at Souper Salad and then met back with Francis at the house.
Thursday morning Jamama and Japapa headed on after taking a few pictures with William. It was nice to have them here and William now LOVES his "j'papa". He spent the whole rest of the day asking where he was. It was adorable! After cleaning yet again, my mother and Danielle came back Thursday evening for the anti-abortion vote in the Texas senate. They babysat while Francis and I went to dinner at Cheddar's and then saw Despicable Me 2 (super cute!). A great time was had by all.
Friday mom and Dani spent 7am until 1am Saturday (mostly without food, water or a bathroom break) waiting in the gallery for the Senate vote. I am so proud of them for doing this and I respect them so much! Friday I went to the mall with William where he was an absolute angel while I shopped and found what I needed. He has a new word: "quart" which is quarter. He kept saying it while pointing to the slot in the rides at the mall. Little stinker wouldn't give up. I had to bribe him with a cookie, which ironically cost more than the ride would have. Thanks, Sweetie (Mom), for showing him how that works. We also wen to target that afternoon where William picked out a new playdoh set on clearance. He loves his playdoh!
Saturday my mom and Danielle left just as Francis, William and I went to get professional photos taken. We did William's 2 year photos (a couple weeks early), maternity photos and a few family photos. They turned out awesome and I had a very difficult time deciding what to choose! After pictures, lunch and a nap, we all headed to Willliam's friend Jackson's 2nd birthday party at The Little Gym. It was fun and gave us a good idea of what to expect when William has his party there in a couple weeks. All in all, a great day!
Sunday we cleaned the house again after church in preparation for Christian arriving around 7:30. Exhausting! Monday after Chrissy left for her seminar, I took William to the doctor to help him manage his allergies. He's been coughing at night. He's doing much better. It's been raining the past few days and William has been loving it! I am ready for it to be a little less, though I am loving the temperature.
Yesterday marked 10 years of Francis and I as a couple. Ten years ago, Francis asked me to be his girlfriend at the end of the movie Italian Job. I'm so glad I said yes and I love the time we've had together so far. I can't believe it has been a decade, but I'm looking forward to what the next decade will hold for our little family.
Francis, William and I leave for Montreal on Friday to visit his extended family for the weekend. William has not been to Canada and has not yet met most of Francis's Canadian-dwelling relatives. It should be fun, but I am a little anxious about the flight. We will be bringing the TAB, the Kindle, the laptop, and William's phone (Francis's old phone with no service, but a lot of games), so hopefully William will mostly be willing to stay seated while we travel.
Well, Christian is on her way back from her conference today and we are going shopping. Tata!
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
July 9th, 2013
What a jam-packed week and a half this has been. I am not even sure where to start.
Last Monday, William and I made it safely to Plano and got to spend Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday with my mom and Danielle before my dad arrived back in town from Europe. In that time we went to the mall, William played at Kid Mania, I had lunch with my old friend Candace Campbell, and we all had dinner with Christian and Chad at Red, Hot and Blue. KidMania is a place with a three story high, mesh structure that has ladders, trampolines, tunnels, bridges, zip lines and so much more. They have a small area for kids under three to play, but after about 10 minutes, William zipped right into the big kid area and was quickly as high as he could get on the third floor. I watch, took pictures and hoped he could get down by himself so I didn't have to send another kid after him. He made it our just fine, and went back in a couple more times. After his two growth spurts the week before, his new long legs come in handy!
Wednesday night, after my dad got in, my parents, Danielle, William, my in-laws and I went to Olive Garden together. It was fun having almost the whole family together and William LOVED the attention. Francis got in late late Wednesday night, but we didn't see him until Thursday.
Thursday was Independence Day! We got up early and set up camp outside the Senior High to wait for the morning parade. William had his R2D2 chair set up right by the curb so he could get all the candy as the people passed. Francis and his parents rode their bikes to the parade and took William around in the trailer while we waited for it to start. My Dad, Danielle, Christian and Chad were also there. My mom was in the parade and I got a fun video of her as she passed by. Can I just say how much I love my family?! I wish we lived closer so these times could happen more often. With the exception of Christian and Chad, we all went and had lunch at my in-laws house and spent the afternoon swimming in their pool. We all met up for fireworks at the community college and were rejoined by Chad and Christian. We also got to see Francis's Best Man Brandon and meet his lovely future bride Bethany.they are scheduled to be wed March 22, 2014 and Francis will be in the wedding. Anyway, the fireworks were spectacular. I cried (as usual) as I held my William in my arms and held Francis's hand. For a bit the world stopped and I would not imagine any place I would rather be. I just held myself in the moment and drank in the memories. It was beautiful.
Friday we celebrated Danielle's 22nd birthday out at Lake Lavon. William and Francis got to go out on the inner tube. William was hesitant at first, but he had a great time! He loves Papa's boat. We had to go out on one last ride after dinner or we would have never heard the end of it. After missing so many years of Dani's birthdays, I am glad I got to spend this one with her. I love you, sister! Happy Birthday!
Saturday, Cyndy, Abby and Chris came into town and we celebrated my mother-in-law's 28th (give or take) birthday. We started off the morning by the women getting mani/pedis and the men riding their bikes to a playground with the kids in the trailer. Fun was had by all! We had Chick-fil-a for lunch and after a nap, we headed to a nearby pool that had water slides and a good sized children's area. Brandon and Bethany came too. It was fun, but it boy did it make my hungry! We all went back to the Phillips' house for dinner, did cake and presents and played in the pool in the back yard. The men and Bethany played volleyball in the pool and the rest of us played with the kids until it was past their bed times. Which brings me to a funny story. We gave Abby and William a bath in the tub that has jets in my mother-in-law's bathroom. She turned on the jets and added soap. Well, the tub got so full of bubbles that we got to where we could only see the kids' eyes. I We turned off the jets and emptied much of the water. The kiddos just played and painted the walls and themselves with bubbles to the point we couldn't tell them a part. It was so cute!
Sunday I headed first thing to San Antonio (after very little sleep), and Francis, William and the dogs headed back to Austin. I made it to San Antonio in time to help Rachael Heard set up for her sister Rebecca's baby shower. We got to celebrate Becca and sweet baby Jonas as well as shower them with gifts. I wish I could see those ladies more often because we always have fun! I headed back to Austin and arrived about 5:30. Francis, William and I went out for dinner and then frantically cleaned as much of the house as we could before my cousin Summer, my mom and Danielle arrived at our house after 7. You see, the Texas legislature is meeting to try to ban late term abortions and they all are here to support the bill. We stayed up a while talking before I finally was able to put my head on my own pillow for the first time in ages.
Yesterday and today, all three of them had been at the capital while I have been grocery shopping, cleaning and trying to get back into the swing of things. My grandparents (Jamama and Japapa) are due to arrive any moment and so I will have 5 house guests tonight. Not the most I've ever had, but it is still a large number. My grandparents are coming to spend some time with William and will be here until Thursday.
Ok, and for the update on William. We found out last week that he not only knows all his letter sounds, but he can name all his letters and point them out in different places. He knows his numbers 1 to 10 and can count to 6 unassisted. He has also started to call family members by their names without any prompting including Walther (my mother's dog) and Christian's beau Chad. He is getting so much clearer in telling people what he wants and even throws in a please without prompting now and then. I love to see how he is growing!
Last Wednesday, Robert dropped into place. Within a 24 hour period my stomach (and my center of gravity) became significantly lower. I can breathe again, but he is pushing so hard down low, he feels like he will fall out. Still 10 more weeks to go and I don't anticipate him coming early. My doctor can confirm tomorrow, but I am pretty sure he is head down. All I feel up high anymore is feet. We'll just have to wait and see!
That's all for now!
Last Monday, William and I made it safely to Plano and got to spend Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday with my mom and Danielle before my dad arrived back in town from Europe. In that time we went to the mall, William played at Kid Mania, I had lunch with my old friend Candace Campbell, and we all had dinner with Christian and Chad at Red, Hot and Blue. KidMania is a place with a three story high, mesh structure that has ladders, trampolines, tunnels, bridges, zip lines and so much more. They have a small area for kids under three to play, but after about 10 minutes, William zipped right into the big kid area and was quickly as high as he could get on the third floor. I watch, took pictures and hoped he could get down by himself so I didn't have to send another kid after him. He made it our just fine, and went back in a couple more times. After his two growth spurts the week before, his new long legs come in handy!
Wednesday night, after my dad got in, my parents, Danielle, William, my in-laws and I went to Olive Garden together. It was fun having almost the whole family together and William LOVED the attention. Francis got in late late Wednesday night, but we didn't see him until Thursday.
Thursday was Independence Day! We got up early and set up camp outside the Senior High to wait for the morning parade. William had his R2D2 chair set up right by the curb so he could get all the candy as the people passed. Francis and his parents rode their bikes to the parade and took William around in the trailer while we waited for it to start. My Dad, Danielle, Christian and Chad were also there. My mom was in the parade and I got a fun video of her as she passed by. Can I just say how much I love my family?! I wish we lived closer so these times could happen more often. With the exception of Christian and Chad, we all went and had lunch at my in-laws house and spent the afternoon swimming in their pool. We all met up for fireworks at the community college and were rejoined by Chad and Christian. We also got to see Francis's Best Man Brandon and meet his lovely future bride Bethany.they are scheduled to be wed March 22, 2014 and Francis will be in the wedding. Anyway, the fireworks were spectacular. I cried (as usual) as I held my William in my arms and held Francis's hand. For a bit the world stopped and I would not imagine any place I would rather be. I just held myself in the moment and drank in the memories. It was beautiful.
Friday we celebrated Danielle's 22nd birthday out at Lake Lavon. William and Francis got to go out on the inner tube. William was hesitant at first, but he had a great time! He loves Papa's boat. We had to go out on one last ride after dinner or we would have never heard the end of it. After missing so many years of Dani's birthdays, I am glad I got to spend this one with her. I love you, sister! Happy Birthday!
Saturday, Cyndy, Abby and Chris came into town and we celebrated my mother-in-law's 28th (give or take) birthday. We started off the morning by the women getting mani/pedis and the men riding their bikes to a playground with the kids in the trailer. Fun was had by all! We had Chick-fil-a for lunch and after a nap, we headed to a nearby pool that had water slides and a good sized children's area. Brandon and Bethany came too. It was fun, but it boy did it make my hungry! We all went back to the Phillips' house for dinner, did cake and presents and played in the pool in the back yard. The men and Bethany played volleyball in the pool and the rest of us played with the kids until it was past their bed times. Which brings me to a funny story. We gave Abby and William a bath in the tub that has jets in my mother-in-law's bathroom. She turned on the jets and added soap. Well, the tub got so full of bubbles that we got to where we could only see the kids' eyes. I We turned off the jets and emptied much of the water. The kiddos just played and painted the walls and themselves with bubbles to the point we couldn't tell them a part. It was so cute!
Sunday I headed first thing to San Antonio (after very little sleep), and Francis, William and the dogs headed back to Austin. I made it to San Antonio in time to help Rachael Heard set up for her sister Rebecca's baby shower. We got to celebrate Becca and sweet baby Jonas as well as shower them with gifts. I wish I could see those ladies more often because we always have fun! I headed back to Austin and arrived about 5:30. Francis, William and I went out for dinner and then frantically cleaned as much of the house as we could before my cousin Summer, my mom and Danielle arrived at our house after 7. You see, the Texas legislature is meeting to try to ban late term abortions and they all are here to support the bill. We stayed up a while talking before I finally was able to put my head on my own pillow for the first time in ages.
Yesterday and today, all three of them had been at the capital while I have been grocery shopping, cleaning and trying to get back into the swing of things. My grandparents (Jamama and Japapa) are due to arrive any moment and so I will have 5 house guests tonight. Not the most I've ever had, but it is still a large number. My grandparents are coming to spend some time with William and will be here until Thursday.
Ok, and for the update on William. We found out last week that he not only knows all his letter sounds, but he can name all his letters and point them out in different places. He knows his numbers 1 to 10 and can count to 6 unassisted. He has also started to call family members by their names without any prompting including Walther (my mother's dog) and Christian's beau Chad. He is getting so much clearer in telling people what he wants and even throws in a please without prompting now and then. I love to see how he is growing!
Last Wednesday, Robert dropped into place. Within a 24 hour period my stomach (and my center of gravity) became significantly lower. I can breathe again, but he is pushing so hard down low, he feels like he will fall out. Still 10 more weeks to go and I don't anticipate him coming early. My doctor can confirm tomorrow, but I am pretty sure he is head down. All I feel up high anymore is feet. We'll just have to wait and see!
That's all for now!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)