Under Pressure!

A few months ago I was diagnosed with high blood pressure.  Hmmm, I wonder why...

In the last several months, we have visited the ER twice with Ella.  Both visits were for the same thing.  Croup? Broken bones? Stitches? Nope. Let's just say that my daughter is a pro when it comes to finding, opening, and taking medicine with record speed. Thankfully, everything is okay, no permanent damage done (at least to her).

"What am I ever going to do with her?"  I find myself asking that question on a daily basis.

I have taught special education for 10 years now, so I have had a lot of exposure to young children with special needs. You'd think I would be a pro at having one of my own, but I am definitely not.  I can't believe how much responsibility and stress comes with raising a child with disabilities. Thankfully, we are blessed with a very supportive family and educational team who work with Ella and help us through the tough times.

 I guess we'll just keep taking it one day at a time and hope that we all come out alive in the end!  Until then, every cupboard will be locked, every room blocked-off and everything placed up high on shelves. We can't be too careful around here.

I really needed this

My (our) life is always busy and hectic, but the last month or so has been especially nuts around here.  Rob just picked up a 2nd job at UNI and he has been working almost every night and November is always a busy month at my job.  As hard as I've been trying to keep it together, the stress of everything has gotten the best of me a few times...Okay, more than just a few times:) Even though I haven't been the best mom and wife that I should be, I came to my room yesterday and this is what I found waiting for me.

In case you can't tell, the smiley face is made out of "Bottle Caps", one of my favorite candies. Ian is such a good kid, I'm so blessed to be his mom.  I really needed a reminder of how lucky I am, and my soon-to-be 8 year-old did just that.

Super Hero

At the pool today, Ian did some pretty sweet dives and shared some thoughts on the subject of super heroes. His current Top 3 favorite super heroes are 1. Batman 2. Spiderman 3. Ironman. According to him, only babies like Super Man because his cape is the same color as a fire engine.
His random thoughts make me laugh.

"ee-ya"

It's official-- Ella is finally able to say someone's name! I think it's only fitting that the first name she says is her big brother, Ian's--or "ee-ya" as she says it. Ever since Ella has been born, Ian has put up with many nights away from us while we were at hospitals and Dr.visits with Ella, being woken up as his sister barges into his room early in the morning (Kramer-style), along with countless Lego creations and/or magazines destroyed by the "baby sea monster". Ian has handled all of this with only love and respect for his baby sister. Even though he may get frustrated at times, Ian is never embarassed of Ella and is is her biggest fan. Ella really looks up to Ian and loves him so much, as do his Dad and I.

At a family dinner the other day, one of Ian's cousins said that he wanted to buy Ella from us for $100.00. I teased and said that was a great deal and Ian immediately protested. He informed us that Ella was worth at least $1000.00. As the conversation progressed, Ian became pretty stressed until he almost started crying because he didn't want to sell his sister:) It really hit me how much he truly loves her. They are so blessed to have each other.

When I think of you...

I think of...
Homemade nightgowns with fancy pinafores; milk on the dinner table ONLY in a pitcher; homemade chocolate chip cookies straight out of the freezer; a bowl of shiny Easter eggs on the kitchen table; Sunday dinner on rosebud china; red carpet on the bathroom floor; snappin' green beans on the back porch; Easter walks to the "trees"; Christmas chocolates and fudge; tricot quilts; EXAMPLE.
A whole lot of LOVE, TALENT and STRENGTH all wrapped up in a perfect little package--That's what I think of when I think of my Grandma Mower.

I hope I can someday be half the person she was. I'll miss you Grandma Goldie.

A Mind of Her Own

This post must start with a little bit of back story...
In October, we celebrated Ella's 3rd Birthday with a big family bash at my parents' house in Moroni. At the time, Ella's favorite movie was "Princess and the Frog" and she loved Princess Tiana. So, we decided to have a classic Princess Party. The party was complete with a princess cake, plastic jewelry and all of the girls dressed like princesses. Grandma really got into the spirit of it all, and dressed up in Marianne's old prom dress--crazy woman! She also made Ella a fancy new gold princess dress to wear along with slippers, fingerless gloves and a headband--every little girl's dream. Well, let's just say that the dress, the party and all of the commotion and attention that a birthday party brings was more of a nightmare for Ella than a dream come true. She threw a fit when she saw Grandma looking so silly, she didn't like wearing the gold dress and she cried when anyone talked too loudly or laughed at her. Needless to say, her party was not a huge success, and I felt really bad about it all.
Since then, I have had Ella's fancy gold dress hanging up in her room, kind of like a decoration, in hopes that she would decide to put it on again. Low and behold, this morning she pulled the dress down, brought it downstairs to me and signed "open" (her way of asking, "Put it on"). We put it right on over her jammies and she twirled around to show me how cute she looked. It made my day (and it made Grandma happy, too). It may have taken 3 1/2 months to come around, but I always knew she would in her own time. Story of Ella's life: Everything on her time.

Then...

And now!

3 years

Three years ago today, my life was changed forever when I welcomed into the world my baby girl, Ella Goldie. The past three years have been filled with smiles and tears, doctors and therapists, hospitals and tests--but most importantly, learning and growth. It has been wonderful, challenging, and enlightening for me to be her mom.
Ella makes me laugh when she dances to Lady Ga-Ga. She makes me worry when she gets sick. She makes me proud when she meets new milestones that have been a long time coming. She makes me crazy when she climbs onto things and opens up every cupboard she can reach. She grosses me out when she plays in the garbage or the toilet (yes, I said "toilet"). She makes me smile when she throws her purse over her shoulder, holds her cell phone to her ear and blows a kiss like she's on her way somewhere. Most of all, Ella makes me BETTER--a better listener, a better teacher, a better parent, a better Person!
I love you more than words can say--Happy Birthday, Elle Bugs!