For Mommy and Regan...

This past Saturday my good friends Kayla & Susie threw a FABULOUS baby shower for me (ok and Bill) at The Brown Palace Hotel downtown. Most of my (in state) friends and family were able to come and it was so beautiful! Now if you've never been to Denver or have been, but haven't heard of The Brown Palace, it is a Denver institution. It is over a hundred years old and was built during the gold and silver boom. Molly Brown stayed there for a period of time (you might remember her from 'Titanic'). Anyway, it is a spectacular sight and they hold high tea everyday, so the shower was done at high tea.

There were about ten of us, including my Mom, my sister Emily, my Grandma, my future sister-in-law Kristen, my best friend in town from the UK Tami and her Mom Fritz, a family friend Karen and of course the hosts Kayla and Susie. We had tea and finger sandwiches, scones with devonshire cream and chocolates! It was so much fun!

We got such wonderful gifts, pretty little girl clothes, books, diaper bags, a high chair and the ever functional diaper champ! I had such a great time and am so very grateful to Kayla and Susie for all the work they did. Regan is coming into one very loved world of family and friends! Below are some pictures from the afternoon. I would be the pregnant one in purple!

Thanks again girls!

Melinda



Kristen, me and Tami
Mom and Grandma
Susie and Kayla

Em, Me, Kristen, Mom & Grandma
Me and Tami
Yea presents!
Kayla and the blanket her Mom knitted
Mom and very good friend Karen

Green Eggs and Teeth!

Connor has been pretty sick this week. He doesn't come from those who have great lungs and got croup pretty easily as a baby. So it shouldn't have shocked me too much when he suddenly developed a bad case of bronchitis Tuesday, but it did. No parent likes to see their child sick. But he is a trooper! I dragged him to the doctor Thursday very early and he made it through two neubulizer treatments and after two days of doing them at hoome he seems better.

So Thursday night he HAD to have green eggs and ham! Well, we didn't have any ham and so he had green eggs and normal toast. I made them for him (completely repulsed- no one should eat green eggs) and he was so happy and ate every bite! Oh the small things that thrill children to no end!

Then Friday he lost his fifth tooth! So now he has no front teeth, too bad it isn't Christmas! So he looks a little funny, but he is still his cute self!


MMMM...........







The toothless wonder!

Tears and Autism..

So here is what I want to know, why is it that when you planned to have a baby and are so excited to have another little person, that you cry at EVERYTHING??? I love watching "Eli Stone", have you watched it? Well, the season finale is this week, so maybe you'll have to catch up online. Anyway, this show grabbed my attention from the beginning, maybe because it's controversial first episode was in which a jury awarded damages to a Mother suing a drug company for the results of their flu shot (I think it was a flut shot) on her son, who has Autism. I have never personally believed that is what caused Connor's Autism, I really think it has a lot to do with environment and genes. But hey, who knows.

Anyway, back to my point- this show makes me cry EVERY WEEK! But it is a good cry. I empathize so much with this character, maybe it's because I have never thought like a "normal" person and have had to deal with so much of my life not being considered mainstream. But it is not the only thing I have cried about recently, yesterday a little boy was baptized at church- tears. And Connor no longer wants me to walk him all the way to the door of kindergarten- tears. Heck, someone cut me off in traffic- tears. So again I ask- why all the tears????

And here's a slightly related thought, I watched an episode of Oprah a year ago, it had Jenny McCarthy who had written a book about getting her son with Autism through with therapy and Holly Robinson Peete was also on, her son is a teenager and has Autism. Now I consider myself fulling educated in the ways of Autism, maybe it's only in the ways of Connor's Autism, but I don't think I had ever heard until then about changing the WAY you talk about a challenge that someone is dealing with. And that is what it is, a challenge. Mrs. Peete was pointing out that we no longer should say the words "Autistic Child", we need to say "Child with Autism", because when you say it the other way you are implying that Autism has that child or that is what the child is made of and I know that Connor's IEP may say that, but Autism doesn't get the right to "have" ANY child. Just like cancer doesn't get to "have" my sweet friend Brandy. So it's just something for you to stick in your brain, no one deserves to be defined as the challenge they must deal with, because I guarantee you, Connor would never let anyone define him with one word.

Melinda

I really have pregnancy brain!

Ok, my dear husband pointed out to me that I said the links to The American Cancer Society Relay for Life, both Amy & Brandy's links, that I added to the blog were off the left and they are off to the right! I was thinking about what Brandy said in her blog and apparently kept that in my head while typing my own blog! FORGIVE ME BLOG GODS!

See ya, Melinda

Two relays for life!

If you look over to left side of our blog, you'll notice we have added two links for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. The first is one in honor of Bill's late brother Jim. His oldest daughter Amy, has a link to raise pledges for her relay for life which will be held June 6th in Portage, Indiana. Amy's goal is to raise $5000 for the American Cancer Society in honor of her Dad.

The second link is for my dear friend Brandy Vargas who is a survivor and praying to stay that way. Her relay will be held May 16-17 in Houston, Texas. Brandy has a modest goal of $100, but we all know she will be able to raise SO much more than that!! ;-)

And one more runner will be out there raising money to fight cancer as well. My friend and sorority sister, Amy Smith will be traveling from Chicago to Nashville to participate in a marathon to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in honor of Brandy. LLS has done so much to support Brandy in her fight. Amy has exceeded her goal of $3,400 and raised over $3800! RUN AMY RUN!!! We can't wait to hear all about it!

If you are able, please click on the links and donate to both of the teams fighting for those can't fight and honoring those who are and are not still with us.

Melinda

Observations of a six year old....

Connor is so very happy that we have a blog. Even happier that one of his favorite bands "The Fray" is on our playlist! So he took these pictures of himself and begged me to post them. Here they are, at least there is nothing in his nose. Isn't my son talented?

From Connor: Hello everyone! I am a very good goofball. I love my Abby, we are both goofballs. My brother Chasey drools when I feed him. Me and my Dad pretend fight, where was I again? This is my family and these are my pictures. That is all I've got. Bye, Connor

There is light at the end of the winter!

This past week fans looked up from their hot chocolate and realized baseball had begun again! And even though the 2007 NL Champs had a rough start, Connor was so happy and actually WATCHED a game, well most of it. Saturday he and Bill worked on his batting and throwing. Throwing, the child has no problem with. Probably all those hours spent in OT with his faithful therpist Kevin has really built up those little biceps! But batting is another story, he can't decide if he wants to bat left or right, Bill keeps trying to get him to bat right, but don't players get more batting left? What do I know....

And since I seem to have more trouble than most adding pictures from Picasa to our blog, I'll add more later. Is it only me that has trouble?? I seem to either forget how to do it or it really doesn't like me. But I am pregnant and blonde- double brain handicap!




I know this may end my marriage, but isn't this a cute picture?
Connor has soaked up baseball and is now working on his swing
CONTACT!
Would it really be a blog without these two?

Time off for good behavior

Connor told us the other day that he is seeing "medium". Does anyone know what that means? I've heard of seeing in black and white, in living color, seeing one way and another, seeing red and seeing blue and seeing eye dogs, but I never have heard of seeing "medium".

Fatherhood. I wonder why God waited so long to see me to this point? Most likely, I wasn't ready to be a Dad in my younger years. Who knows? However, I've learned more about our Heavenly Father through my experiences with Connor. Especially, all the times I have to say, "no", or to correct him. I don't find pleasure in doing it, but I know it is for his benefit. The other part is teaching him about baseball (the patient discipline I need to show him how to hold a bat and what is involved in a batters stance for the hundredth time), Mostly though, it is the times of closeness. When he shadows my every move, whether it be crawling underneath a car with me or picking up the dog mess in the backyard. I call it "palin" around. Do you think God gets any joy when we want to pal around with Him? Duplicate what He does?

If Melinda didn't tell you I'm 95% Irish and 5% Theologian. I also started a side blog titled, The Importance of Theology and other ramblings from a closet theologian.

Anyway, I told Melinda that I didn't want to post anything on the blog, because I had a sense it belonged more to her. But, alas, she is my wife and since she gave me a funny look at what I said about it was "her blog", I figure now it is share and share alike.

I will try and not add my music to her play list though. (Well, may be I'll sneak some John Denver on it with Rocky Mountain High, I think its fitting).

Thank you Adam...

So I added some tunes to our site, and I owe all to Adam. He is a semi-pro when it comes to blogs and I can only strive to be near his greatness. Calm down, calm down... don't you have a diaper to change with all of your time off?

I have only managed to add 2 songs as of now, but it's 9:30pm and I still have to put sheets back on our bed and Connor's. But there you go...... enjoy.

Melinda

Deep thoughts...

I was just thinking about relationships and all the people that we encounter on a daily basis and what they do mean and maybe what you need to take the time to realize what they should mean.

We live in Highlands Ranch, just 20 minutes south of Denver, and my parents live about 10 minutes away and both brothers are close, geographically, and my sister is about 30 minutes north. But we're all here, for now. But I feel very cut off most of the time, my friends live everywhere it seems. I have friends that live close by, but most that played a huge part in who I have become live far away and sometimes it sucks. I was never good at saying goodbye the "right way" and I get so upset about being apart from people that I just leave and that is that.

And I don't stay in touch sometimes, because it just reminds me of what was and what will never be again. Sometimes you have no idea what amazing experience you are in and what fantastic people you are near, until it's over. Now don't get me wrong, I love my husband, my son and my dogs and I am thrilled about having a new daughter in a few months. But lately I have had a lot of things that seem to snap me back into all those people and places that can make me miss who I was.

We all grow-up, we all change, we all make HUGE mistakes and we all make great accomplishments, I just don't think we should be so quick to pat ourselves on the back and maybe take a second to turn around and see where it is we came from and who it was by our sides that got us there. I miss you guys.

That it's for now. See ya, Melinda