NICU Reunion 2013

Each year there is a NICU reunion at the hospital where all my children have been born.
This reunion is wonderful...a great time to reunite with nurses who cared for my sweet babe.

The children can dress up in costume and they have a costume parade at the end through the L&D hall and the PP hall. So, I get to show my kids the room where I stayed and the NICU and where I delivered them. Very cool.

A Special Day for Me

If you are a friend or if you follow our blog, then you know that I share a birthday with Rosie and that means that my husband tries to make extra effort so that I get a day or some time to myself to celebrate.

My birthday used to be a big deal to me. I didn't really want to share it with anyone. I was even uncomfortable with FJ's being 3 days before mine and then Rosie was born on the day and then ended up in the NICU on the same day. That will take any kind of attachment out of a day and will make you really change your perspective.
Now, I actually don't mind sharing and like that I can focus that day on someone else. This year, we had a party on that day so even better...it really took the focus off of me!

I have some really great friends...some dear friends...friends who are truly family to me...when I am with them, I take a deep sigh of relief because I know I am in a safe place and I feel like I am home. I can let down my hair, be myself and know that I am well loved. I could not thrive here without them. They love my children and are here to help any time my husband is out of town, I have sick children or I am feeling under the weather myself. They are selfless and giving and...I could keep going.

These friends knew it was my birthday too and happily wished me a happy birthday as well as my children as they arrived for the party.

These friends also know that I LOVE getting gifts/cards for my birthday. So they decided to wait till we were getting together the next day for dinner so that I could focus on those things.
I just love those ladies.

 The day after my birthday, the ladies and I met up in downtown Leesburg to do some shopping and then some eating.
We ended up at Palio and had a fantastic dinner and a delicious dessert-

 The lighting was not great at all so this picture does not do their beauty justice-

The next weekend, we continued to celebrate my birthday and E took me out to downtown Middleburg..more shopping and eating.
We ended up at the Red Fox Tavern/Inn which has been around since 1728!

My husband had given me some great gifts for my birthday, including the shirt I am wearing below, a new pair of jeans, some new Toms ballet flats, and a denim jacket. He rocks.

 The fab rose ring I am wearing was a birthday gift from Carrie. My friends know me so well.

Then the next week, my sweet friend, Kristen, wanted to treat me to dessert for my birthday so we hit up Clyde's in the middle of the week...can you believe people are out at 7:30 at night on a Tuesday? You mean they aren't all home putting children to bed already in their pj's themselves?

I felt loved and celebrated. Thank you my dear husband for a memorable birthday and birth month and thank you to my friends who took me out, thanks to my friends and family who sent gifts, cards, texts, phone calls, and emails.

Two and Four

Rosie is 2 and FJ is 4. How is it that it's been two years since Rosie was in the NICU and we had to live through that extremely rough and scary time? And that it's been almost 3 years since I was pregnant with her?? WOW!

Rosie is absolutely adorable when she tells you to "shhhh"-

 FJ chose to wear a gabillion clothes this day after he slept in them the night before-

 She got a bilibo for her birthday from us...this is a fun, toy that has many functions...all depending on the mind of the child-

 Books are always a hit in our house, especially books from Aunt Sharon-

 She loved wearing these stickers the last few months we used them-

 FJ in his bed the last night of being 3-

 His birthday morning...in our room sleeping-

 His birthday morning-

 Birthday waffle with Cool Whip and sprinkles...courtesy of Miss A's idea-

 We had Community Bible Study that day so his whole class sung to him too-

 I read this awesome verse in Nehemiah (New Living Translation) the morning before his birthday and was astounded on what a momentous thing to happen on his day of birth. Loved the timing of me reading this-

 FJ napping on his birthday-

 Smoothies-

 We topped the day off at Chuck E. Cheese! A little much perhaps but fun and no cooking or clean up for dinner!

 Here's Rosie the day before her birthday...still 1 but trying on mommy's shoes...she's hit the shoe phase which may not actually end since she is a lady-

 Their gifts ready and her monthly photo banner up-

 The morning of her birthday and their party-

 Her birthday waffle-