The Giz.

Gizmo.  Gizmo has been gone for one week.  I didn't get the door closed and he got out.

Gizmo had 9 lives.  I adopted Giz in 2002 when I moved to Atlanta for grad school.  I moved into an apartment by myself and NEEDED a dog.  I found him on the internet and I wanted him.  That dog.  They had him named Danny.  That's a ridiculous name for this dog.  He had been turned into the rescue 2x before I adopted him.  One person was keeping him in a cage like 18 hours a day and another person had an elderly parent move in and bring elderly dogs and lets face it--giz is kind of an ass.  Lets be honest... he was probably pissed if they were calling him Danny.

Gizmo became my dog.  He flew with me.  Traveled with me.  Would jump up on tables while you were gone.  Wanted to be with you 24-7.  By "you" I mean "me."  He loved popcorn.  He had the highest pitch screeching bark I have ever heard.  Ever.

Giz had some sort of terrible doggie leukemia (Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia.)  Aka, he had to go to dog ICU.  Twice.  For a couple of weeks.  This place had visiting hours.  It cost a million dollars.  He stole my trip to Italy.  But it was ok, because he made it.  I would never ever do this for another animal, but then again, I doubt I will ever love another one as much as I did the Gizzard.

We loved him.  We desperately miss him.  ALL of us.  Griffin keeps asking if he is coming back or if he has gone to doggie Houston (heaven).  Meyer occasionally in a high pitch voice says "WOO WOO WOO" which is his immitation of Gizmo's bark.  Breaks my heart to know he is gone and even more that it was my fault.  My 12 pound elderly dog didn't need to get out.  I pray that someone has picked him up, carries him in a baby carrier as I think he'd love, hand feeds him, and has taken him to an all inclusive adults only resort.  He doesn't love the kids.  To be honest, I hope that he is somewhere planning to take over the world.

Giz.  Gizmo.  Gizzimoto.  Gizard.  Screech.  Ta-ta.  Evil ruler.

We love you and we miss you and we will never love another quite as much.

stay-cay in the atx.

Ben and I had a staycay in Austin prior to the hospitalization business.  We had been thinking and thinking about a little trip.  We will be postponing our 10 year anniversary trip (due to baby) and so wanted to do something.  So we went while G was on the beach trip with my fam we had ben's parents come and keep Meyer.  We stayed downtown.  We ate.  We walked.  A lot.  We kayaked.  We slept.  Ben napped.  We went to bed relatively early.  It was glory.  I always love when we have get aways.  Reminds me that we have fun. And that I like to sleep.

Meyer Meyer Pants on Fire. 16 and 17 months.

You continue to grow cuter and cuter and funnier.  Your gap tooth smile is about the sweetest thing I've seen.  You want to do everything and anything your brother does.  You have a temper.  You hit.  You want to be held.  You have a new fake cry.  It's hilarious and sad.  You, until yesterday, had a mullet again.  Amazing because you don't have much hair.  What you do have is super duper blonde.  Any time you see my phone you start saying "CHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE" for your picture to be taken.  You like to hear Siri.  You love to call your bubba.  You hold up your hands in a "where did it go" fashion and I love it.  You still love balls.  You'd like to hold one while eating.  You like to hide them.  You like going up stairs.  You LOVE taking a bath.  Your cheeks are the most smoochiest.  You constantly have dirt in your neck folds.  It's a good thing you like a bath.  You also despise having your face wiped after eating.  You love to go to bed.  You'd like to go to bed at 5:30.  We don't let you.  We put you off for at least an hour.  You don't really want to snuggle, but I do make you.  You give kisses.  They are the sweetest and the wettest.  You love to be held.  You love to sit on Maggie.  grab her face.  You like to put your finger in your dad's beer (or cocktail.)  I keep waiting for a yuck face, but you don't give them.

Basically, my dear, you are adorable.  You are a dancer.  You are so cute.  So loveable.  We sure do love you.

A little Oliver Graham drama.

So, we knew for a while that my placenta wasn't attached in the best place.  However, we had HIGH HOPES that as I grew and Ollie G grew that it would move.  Unfortunately, it hasn't.  I have what is called placenta previa (I refuse to google research this.  My sister did tell me that my risk was increased if I did a lot of coke.)

Basically, my placenta is partially covering my cervix which means I will have to have a C Section.  I do not want this.  But, it is what it is.  What happens is also that randomly you bleed.  I woke up a few weeks ago in blood.  Check into the hospital.  They monitored me for 2 days.  OG's heart beat stayed strong.  I didn't have any contractions.  I was sent home on bed rest.  Some of that bed rest was lifted--I could pick up my kids.  Then, it happened again.  Back in the hospital for 2 days for monitoring.  Heart rate strong.  Some "irritable uterus".  No contractions.  Strict bed rest.

How do you do this?  I have two small children.  I am home with them.  How does one tell a one and four year old that you can't pick them up?  Tha tyou can't go play?  That you can't go to the pool?  or anything you usually do?

Thankfully, my husband is amazing.  My mom has come twice.  So generous.  My sister.  My friend Deana.  My friend Katie who brought me food.  My friend Cate who sent the BEST "get well" package--ever.  It had a book.  Shower wipes.  Dry shampoo.  lip gloss.  an arts and crafts project.  AND CHOCOLATE.  I'm sure I'm missing something.  It was so so kind.

So that is the update.  I'm sitting around waiting for this to happen again, and hoping that it doesn't.  I want him to stay in as long as possible.  I don't want to go back to the hospital until this baby is born.  The next time I have another "episode" I'm in for good.  Lets avoid that.  Because though I don't love having a needle in my arm 24-7, sleeping in a hospital bed, being away from my family (terrible), I want this baby to grow grow grow.  stay stay stay.  thrive thrive thrive.

So that's that.  He's trying to one up Meyer's drama of jaundice, extreme spit up for a year, a visit to the children's hospital, and helmet head.  Touche.

Griffin is 4.

On July 22, 2014 my big boy turned 4.  He has been talking about his birthday for the better part of a year.  He has been inviting people to his birthday party for about that long.  We were going to have a Firestation birthday.  But a lot has changed this last year so we changed our minds.  G was going on vacay with my fam the week before what would be his party and then they wouldn't be able to come AND we were going to be in town for camp and all together so why not celebrate early and with FAMILY.  Including Ben's grandmother, who we couldn't figure out how to get to Austin.  Anyway, so we celebrated about 4x for this four year old.  Once with Ben's family and Tabo at her home.  The boys were kind of a hit at the nursing home.  Our favorite pizza.  ice cream.  lemonade.  presents.  Then we headed to my parents house and did fireworks, had hot dogs, cheetos, cake, presents and legos.  It was perfect.

Once we had a few weeks for the lego obsession to sink in we decided to have a lego "party" at his school.  We brought pizza and cupcakes.  At home we had cake.  lego candles.  presents.  etc etc.  He was celebrated.  And he is worth celebrating.

He has gotten big.  He has lost his baby face.  He still talks more than any four year old ever.  His vocabulary is ridiculous.  He loves legos.  He still loves trains.  We got him two lego trains.  He brings joy.  Questions.  SO MANY QUESTIONS.  He doesn't nap.  "Not any day ever."  He is over watching tv.  He has made friends at school.  most of them are girls.  He makes paper airplanes.  He loves his bubba.  most of the time.  He loves his mama.  He has a LOT of sass.  He's going to make it big in this world.

Oh, and did I mention the trampoline?  Sweetest of sweet boys.  Best laugher.  Ever.  Compassionate soul.  Generous.  And Sassy.  I could not be more proud of you.

Meyer Boo 15 months old

You are the cutest, and almost, sweetest 15 month old I know.  You have your moments of temper and hitting.  Then you break down into massive tears.  It's still cute.  You have about 25 different smiles.  You still are (thank goodness) a good sleeper.  Pretty sure that by this time your brother had still not slept through the night.  You love to be held.  You are everywhere and in everything (like the toilet.)  You are observing everything.  Then imitate.  You can THROW.  You love balls.  If you see a ball you are constantly saying "ba-ba-ba- baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa."  You need all the balls.  I love when you do something that you aren't supposed to and get REAL proud of yourself.  Love that face.  You still have an awesome gap tooth smile that I can't get enough of.  You say lots of things.  Mostly.  Not as much as your brother, but really?  That one is a talker.

Mostly, Meyer boo.  We can't get enough of you.  It's love true love. (and you are now 16 months old.  oops.)