Trying Something New

For those of you who know me and have come to know Anne, you've probably noticed that I like smocked baby clothes.  I think they are the sweetest clothes and make babies, well, look like babies.  Growing up in the South, I'm used to girls AND boys in smocked clothes, day gowns, heirloom clothes and all things bubbles and jon jons.  However, living in Texas, those things don't seem to resonate with the majority.  I've learned that these things aren't Texan.  Strange, because when you ask most people, they seem to think Texas is in the South.  I've never thought that Texas is part of the South and living here for 7+ years, I've decided that Texas is it's own place.  It's not part of the Southwest, it's just Texas.

I digress.

Due to the unbelievably hard time to find any smocked clothes for Anne, I've turned to family, friends and online sites to help fill this shopping void.  Late last year, I decided to take it even further and try something new by hosting a clothing show for Shrimp & Grits Kids (S&G), a kids clothing line based out of South Carolina.  Now, that's the South, people!   

Early this morning, the Austin S&G rep dropped off samples of the clothes for guests to see.  As soon as the clothes came in my house, Matt knew that it was a bad idea.  Everything was precious.  I also think it caused me to pause and think how glad I am that we had a little girl.  If we had a boy, I have no doubt that every day would be a battle as I tried to dress our son in smocked clothes with Matt quickly changing him into some sort of Nike gear.

A great group of my friends and family stopped by to see the clothes and buy things for their children.  I'm so thankful for their support and glad that they were able to find a few things that they loved.  I'll be sure to post photos of Anne this summer as she tots around in her bubbles.

My tiny clothing model

Look at all of the samples!

Catching My Breath

It's official the restfulness of the holiday break is long gone and the real world has picked up where it left off and then some. 

Last week was a pretty emotional week.  It's no surprise that all of the information regarding Lance in the media definitely took a toll on me and my friends/co-workers.  During a team meeting early last week, someone pointed out that no one other than those I work with know what we have gone through over the past few months.  I felt like I was on a emotional roller coaster and I'm ready to move forward.  I'm fortunate that I work with great friends and these girls mean the world to me even though I am still on the fence. 

Matt was out of town last week and my friends were planning to come over on Thursday night to watch the interview.  We felt that it was something that we needed to get through together.  However, life had different plans for me.

I left Thursday morning and Murphy was not feeling well.  When I got home that evening, Mrs. Gladys mentioned that Murphy was extremely lethargic and  had been sick most of the day.  After seeing how sick he looked, I realized that something was very wrong and he need to go to the veterinarian.  After waiting an hour to see the doctor, we were called back and Murphy was examined.  Normally, he weighs around 15-16 pounds.  When they put him on the scale, he was 12 pounds.  The doctor said he was severely dehydrated and regardless of what was wrong with him, he would need to be hospitalized to treat the dehydration.  They wanted to do some tests and take x-rays to see if he had swallowed something.  After looking at the x-ray, it was clear there was a foreign object blocking his intestines.  They put him on an IV while talking with me because the doctor was more concerned about hydration to "save his life."  At that point, I was a complete mess.  I had no idea how he had become so sick in less than 24 hours or what he could have swallowed.

Since our regular doctor doesn't provide overnight care, Murphy and I left for the emergency clinic for treatment.     Once there, the doctor talked with me and said he would most likely need surgery and he wanted to give him a few hours on an IV before redoing his x-rays to see if the object had moved to the colon.  If it made it to the colon, he wouldn't require surgery.  At this point, Matt had made it into Austin and joined me at the clinic.  We signed the paperwork and decided it would be best for Murphy and us if we didn't go back and see him before leaving.  I knew that it would make him upset when we walked away and would only cause me further anxiety. 

We got home around 9:30.  I need to take a moment and say that Anne has the most incredible grandmother.  Mrs. Gladys is so great to us and when I rushed off to take Murphy to the vet, she gladly offered to take care of our sweet girl. 

Around 1:00 AM on Friday, the vet called and said the object had progressed to the colon and thankfully, Murphy wouldn't need surgery.  We went to pick him up at 6:00 AM and had to stay home with him that day to watch him.  When we picked him up, he was clearly feeling much better.  He was wagging his tail, his coat was much shinier and he no longer had sad eyes.  The doctor chose to leave his IV catheter in just in case he needed additional fluids. 

Late that afternoon, he was back to normal and we finally found out what the mystery object was....a pacifier. 

We're relieved to have our little guy back to normal and now watching every move he makes and every pacifier Anne uses.

Slow Down!

Shea says this to Anne every time we talk to her.  Like Shea, I can't get over how quickly Anne has grown and how she is constantly learning new things each day.  Anne got a walker for Christmas and we weren't in a hurry to see if she could walk with it.  One night, Matt called me out to the play area to watch Anne.  When I walked out, I found my baby girl walking towards me.  Naturally, I cried.  We caught it on video so that we could share it with others. 

Excuse me while I go and find a tissue.

Resolutions

For the past few years, a group of friends and I have set personal and group goals each January. To hold ourselves accountable, we meet monthly to review our progress. It's something I've come to enjoy and appreciate the support and reminders of things I need to do.

This year, I am working on a better me. After a year of focusing on family, I want to make sure I take time for myself by spending extra time to cook a healthy meal and also have a regular workout routine. I've also learned a thing or two about myself and realize I do well in sticking to these things when participating in some sort of challenge or group event. Starting this Saturday, I will be a part of "I Am Crossfit" an 8-week challenge that will push me to follow a paleo food plan and participate in regular crossfit workouts.

Tomorrow night, I am attending our goal setting meeting and on Saturday, we have our benchmark workout. 400 meter run, 15 pull-ups and 7 hang power cleans at 65 pounds. Ill complete this workout again at the end of the challenge to see if my time improves.

I hope that in 8-weeks you'll see a stronger and leaner me. Just in time for a girls trip to the Dominican where I am certain to spend a week eating, drinking and lounging.