End of Summer

Being 4 is off to a great start for Sarah! PreK has started, and I know it's going to be another great year for her! She's going to start reading this year, and I can't wait to see the adventures she goes on once she knows how to read. She's going to love it! She has also started piano lessons and has memorized Hot Cross Buns. Watching her learn knew things is such a precious gift.

Sarah got to do two day camps at a local farm park this summer and loved it. So much of motherhood feels like survival mode, but occasionally I get a boost of energy and live it up and play on the playground equipment even though it's wet from the rain! It was such a fun time!

We took our annual trip down to Alabama to visit Robert's family in August the week before school started. I can't share many pictures because most of them have Baby in them, but the week included lots of swimming (beach and pool), catching up with family, people meeting Baby, and fun adventures.  Of course we had to make sure the hotels had pools for our little fish!

Sarah had a good 4 year old checkup and is 42" (75%) and 42lbs (90%). I took Baby to the doctor today, and of course Sarah wanted to be weighed too. She had on her shoes this time, but she weighed 44lbs. She's definitely been going through a big growth spurt. You know you have a spitfire when the pediatrician describes your child as "precocious." The nurse was a good sport and gave Sarah's unicorn a well check as well.

First day of PreK

I'm afraid 2019 will be looked back upon as the year of the wrist. In July I slipped and fell after getting out of the shower. I was banged up and in quite a bit of pain but just figured it was bruises. After two weeks my wrist still hurt so I visited my primary care physician. He figured it was sprained and gave me some gel to rub on my wrist to help with the pain. Two weeks later it still hurt so he ran an x-ray. I found out my radius had been broken for a month. He referred me to an orthopedic hand specialist, and I got this spiffy thermoplastic cast. It works like a plaster cast, but it's waterproof which makes showering easier. He scheduled an MRI which took two weeks to get me in.

Five days after the cast I started having excruciating pain in my left shoulder and went to urgent care and got diagnosed with tendinitis which was caused by not using my right arm and overdoing it with my left arm. And now I bring you...the sling.

I went two weeks with the sling. I got a cortisone shot in my shoulder and iced it multiple times a day. I finally got the MRI of my wrist.  A few days later I found out I had a tear in my triangular fibrocartilage complex, a body part I never knew existed. I needed to schedule a follow-up with my ortho to discuss the torn TFCC, and they originally said he couldn't see me for three weeks!!! I was pretty upset, and they were able to get me in five days later. I told the ortho that I have constant pain in my wrist/arm and am not able to do normal tasks for my job as a stay at home mom. No one seems to understand that a stay at home mom with a four year old and five month old can't just take it easy for 12 weeks. He said that cartilage doesn't heal on its on and needs to be removed through surgery but that he wants to wait one more month to see if the pain stops. He gave me a cortisone shot a week ago, and I haven't noticed any decrease in the pain. After taking it easy for a month my left shoulder feels quite a bit better, but when I start to overdo it I can tell. Thankfully Robert's dad came to help a week ago and has been able to help with lifting kids and house work. I obviously don't want to have surgery but would rather get it over with now if it's inevitable. The recovery time for the surgery looks like it's about another 6-12 weeks which will put this whole thing at six months. UGH.

We enjoyed a trip to Silver Dollar City, and Sarah was able to ride a few rides for the first time - Fire in the Hole and The Great American Plunge. She had a blast!

Sarah and I had a girly morning together and painted pottery, rode a unicorn, and got our hair cut.

My parents and I all celebrated our birthdays, and we enjoyed getting to celebrate with family.

Sarah had an absolute blast going to a dance clinic with the high school dance team. We enjoyed getting to watch her at the football game.

Robert has finished one full year of doctoral classes and is 3/10 of the way done with his classes. He's in his fourth class now and spends every evening reading and writing. I have a serious question. Wives who have husbands that study or work at night, what do you do in the evening besides watch TV? I'm tired of watching TV by myself. Tired enough that I've literally googled cheap hobbies. What do you do when you don't want to exert a ton of energy or spend much money but want to do something besides watch TV? I already read as well. I like crocheting but am out of commission with my arms.

Sarah is 4!

Sarah turns 4 years old today! I am very thankful for my daughter, and it's been a great year! When I think of Sarah I think of energy, curiosity, beauty, kindness, and humor. I think the gift of being a mom to a baby for the second time now has made me cherish my time with Sarah even more. I'm realizing more and more how fast they grow up. The days are long, but the years are short.

Sarah will be starting PreK in two weeks.  It's hard to believe that this is our last year together before she's in Kindergarten.  She enjoyed her year in Preschool, and thinks that she's nearly a teenager since she's going to PreK. This year she learned how to identify all of the lowercase and uppercase numbers, because even more curious about numbers, became obsessed with rhyming, started writing letters, and made lots of new friends at school.

She loves junk food.  What 4 year old doesn't? If she had her way she'd eat waffles and cake for every meal, but she also likes some really healthy foods like peas and asparagus. She still isn't a huge eater most of the time, but manages to be a very healthy, growing girl.

She's about 42 pounds and 42" and is so excited to finally be riding in a booster seat! I am also excited. :)

She enjoys helping in the kitchen, playing outside, playing Barbies, and doing arts and crafts.

I don't feel old enough to have a four year old, but ready or not, here we come!

Dear Sarah,
I love you so much. You made me a mommy, and you're my sidekick.  We've spent more than 1400 days together at this point, so I think it's safe to say that I know you more than anyone else does. I know that one day you will use your incredible mind to change the world whether it's by being a urologist or a stay at home mom (or both!), and I love getting to see you use it now to explore the world. When you crawl onto my lap and say, "I need a MiMi snuggle," I melt every time. You will always be my baby even though you're such a big girl and remind me of that daily. You are everything I ever could have asked for in a daughter and more. You have a way with words and use that ability to make me laugh, smile, and think deeply. You feel your feelings so strongly and aren't afraid to express them. That inspires me. You aren't afraid to be yourself whether it's expressed through dancing on a table, picking out an incredible Sarah fashion outfit, or singing in the bathroom. You propel me to be myself. I love being silly with you and having inside jokes that only you and I understand because, after all, "We're the girls!" I am thankful for the privilege of being your Mommy. You are my favorite 4 year old in all the land.

Love,
Mommy

Life Lately, June 21

Now that I'm back to blogging, here's a recap of our spring and summer.  You know we went on a big trip to PA. 

I don't think I ever mentioned that Robert started a PhD last August, so he's almost finished with his first year!  He's studying Pastoral Ministry at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.  It'll be a long road since he is continuing to be a full-time pastor while in school, but we think he has about two years of class left followed by working on his dissertation for two or three years.  He's doing great!  For each class he goes in person to KC for 40 hours of seated time, and the rest of the class he completes from home.  When he goes in person he gets to stay with his mom and her husband which is really nice! He even made his own "Cloffice" (closet office) for studying at home.  I'm so proud of him!

Sarah had such an amazing year at preschool.  I couldn't have asked for a better experience for her.  She went two mornings a week, and next school year she'll be in PreK three mornings a week.  She learned how to identify all lowercase and uppercase letters, improved in her counting and handwriting skills, made news friends, and enjoyed the special Spanish and Stretch and Grow classes.  She's so sad that school is out for summer which is absolutely precious to me. 

Sarah had her first haircut in March, and she loved it!  I had the same lady who gave me my first haircut do it for Sarah.  My mom still gets her hair done there, and she got to come too.  Sarah got her hair washed, cut, and styled.  She wants to go back every day!

My mom retired in May, and we're so excited to spend more time with her! 

Sarah says the funnest and most adorable things regularly.  Here are some examples:

• She made up some verses for Hush Little Baby: Hush, little baby, Mama's gonna get you a heart, and if that heart should break she'll put it in the trash, but she'll have to sweep it up first. Mama's gonna buy you some hairspray, and if that hairspray runs out Mama's gonna buy you some hair gel.
• If you don't poop for a long time it can causes problems.
• What does my soul look like?
• It breaks Jesus' heart when we fight
• That's a pretty house.  Maybe when I get married I can buy it and we can be neighbors.  That'd be fun!
• Thank you for not making me ride in my stroller.  Dad makes me, and it's so embarrassing!
• Can you please contact Ms Sandy and tell her I won't be at preschool any longer?  I've grown up and will be going to high school.
• Do you know who the king is? Jesus!
• Remember that gross McDonald's in West Plains, and it had a lot of flies?  Yeah, at least there weren't any bears.
• What was it like when you were pregnant with Mittens?
• When I'm holding a baby, he's so warm and cuddly that it feels like he's holding me!
• God, please help Taylor Swift to become a Christian.
• Mittens turns 7 on Saturday.  Is she old enough to go to college now?
• I'm good at practicing being 4!
• The top of my feet are cold, and the bottom of my feet are warm just like how some planets in the universe are hot and some are cold!
• I'm allergic to dust so I'm never going to the moon since it has so much dust! (Robert says you'd wear a helmet and have oxygen so the dust wouldn't bother you.) Okay, if I go to the moon Dad can come with me to keep away the meanies.
• I heard there are streets of gold in heaven.  I can't wait to see them.