Baby Girl Turns 12!!!

My baby girl, my only girl, my first born...Sydney is 12 today. Where has the time gone? I'll never forget the day I found out about her. Sydney knows this story. I tell it to her all the time. Not to show her that she technically was not wanted, ha! (so we thought)...But to show her that what we thought was our biggest mistake turned out to be our biggest blessing. My doctor who told me I was pregnant came out to the waiting room, as I sat there crying, and handed me a pink carnation and said "here...maybe it'll be a girl"...and guess what...9 months later...I got my baby girl.

I cried for 9 months because I didn't want to have a child and then after she was born, I cried for another 9 months because I couldn't believe how special and beautiful she was and that I actually thought that I didn't want her in the first place. She changed my life!

At 11:59 p.m., 12 years ago today, on her due date...(with only a minute to spare)...Sydney Rayne came into this world. And ours lives were never the same again.

I couldn't believe how beautiful she was. While I was pregnant with her I used to cry all the time because I thought she was going to be ugly. I still crack up that I was so worried about what she was going to look like. I know, I'm shallow like that, but come on now...who doesn't worry about that, right??? Scott pulled her out and laid her on me and I couldn't believe it...she was GORGEOUS!!

When she was a baby, I would hold her all day and all night. I never wanted to put her down. To this day some time I catch myself staring at her in amazement. She is truly unique and awe inspiring to me in so many ways. She's so beautiful inside and out. Having her in my life has changed me forever! I know I am a better person today because of her!

Sydney has 3 little brothers and everytime I got pregnant and had another, she would just cry because she wanted a sister so bad. That is my ONLY regret to this day....that I never gave her a sister. But she has PLENTY of cousins to keep her occupied.

She's kind and caring and loves life! She likes to shop. She is definitely going to send us to the broke house with her love for all things Juicy Couture. The funny thing is this is what I love about her probably the most. I love how she can hang with the boys but then can totally get all diva'ed out.

She also loves to cook and will try ANYTHING I make...which of course makes her a keeper, in my book!

She works so hard in everything she does. She is a straight A student in an accelerated class. She gets her own talks up for the meeting and does a GREAT job. We are so proud of her for doing her best in everything she does.

She loves to hang out with her friends and chit chat and design clothes on the internet. She loves to read and play her viola. And if she had her way...she would still be sleeping in the same bed with me and Scott. Just this morning she quietly strolled in and crawled into bed with us.

I'm so glad she was a girl and that I get to experience having a daughter. It's fun to go shopping or lay in bed and read a book or a magazine with her. Words cannot describe how my heart melts when I see her all dressed up for the meetings and her bags and books ready. I never have to tell her twice. She knows when I'm stressed out and will jump right in and help me out. She's so grown up. I can't believe it's been 12 years already.

She's also star struck and loves to meet and read up about famous people. She's alot like mommy in that way.

Did I mention, she loves to shop, oh, and have LOADS of clothes. She's alot like daddy in that way.

Even though I tremendously miss her being a little girl, I can't wait to see what she accomplishes in her life and to see the wonderful woman she becomes. She brings us so much joy and even though we are tough on her at times, I think she knows it's because we love her and want only the best for her.

Dear Squidney, you were absolutely GORGEOUS when you were born and you have only gotten more beautiful with each passing day, inside and out. Daddy and I are so very proud of you. You are growing up to be quite a little lady. You make us so proud and we love you very very much!!! Please don't ever stop loving us...it would crush us. So if you could please not turn 13 and just stay 12 forever...that would be great!

We're Better...Now Time to Catch Up

So we're all feeling better after I doused the house with Bleach and overloaded the fam with Vitamin C. But life is still so crazy and exhausting. I have so many backlogged posts...CALGON, take me away!!!

Because I keep this blog as an online journal/diary for my kids, I need to do some catching up. We had a very full summer so this week, I'm going to try and recap.

What to look out for:

Dilly Bar gets a haircut

Gavin gets railroad tracks (braces)

2 week trip to California (never again!!!)

Dear John letter (Dear shower chair)

2 year mark (the date no longer defines me)

Stay tuned!

It Never Fails

The start of a new school year means GERMS, GERMS and more GERMS! Before school began, I started pumping my kids with Vitamin C. Well, it didn't work. First it was Gavin...first week of school, he's sick to his stomach, throwing up and a head cold. He missed school the first week.

Next it was Luke. Fevers, coughs and sneezing. Then Dylan...again!! And baby + mucus = Pink eye! Gross!!! Then it was Sydney. Fevers, head cold, sneezing, etc. She has now missed 2 days of school. This does not look good! These schools are nazi's when it comes to missing. They will send truancy officers after you mid school year. I hate it!

Then I started running around the house with Clorox bleach wiping everything down and spraying Lysol all over the place. And guess what...now I have it! UGH! I felt like I was going to die yesterday. But my sweet hubby Scott, came home early from work, made chicken noodle soup for his sick girls (me and Sydney), unloaded and loaded the dishwasher, bathed the kids, brought me dessert and even put Dylan down for bed. I'm pretty fortunate to have a hubby that can cook but last night he went above and beyond. Thanks Scooter, your wifey loves ya!!! I needed the rest.

We've been taking the Vitamin C, but if anyone else out there knows of any other good immune boosting concoction, I'm all ears!!

#3 Starts Preschool...Double Hallelujah!!

Luke started preschool this week. For weeks I told him that he was going to go and he was insistent that he was NOT going to go. He would even cry and tell me he's too smart to go to school. He would point out colors and shapes and say to me "See mom, I told you I was smart, I don't need school, or "I already know everything, I don't need to go" (OMG, this already?? I thought this only came with teenagers in high school)

But then as it got closer and closer he was starting to get excited. He would tell me "mom we gotta get my school stuff together". He even wanted me to pack him a lunch. When I told him that he didn't need to bring a lunch because he was only going to be there for 2 1/2 hours, he was pretty ticked off. On the way to preschool that first day, he was excited but when Gavin asked what Luke had to bring, Luke abruptly pointed out "Yeah, but I don't get to bring food!"...The whole way there the first day he kept saying to me "what kind of snack am I getting?" "Can I pick out what I want?" It's all about the food with us!!!

This is the coolio vintage spider man backpack that I got him at Pottery Barn Kids for $12. I won't even tell you how that transpired, but let's just say "it's great to have connections!"


Because he has a reputation to uphold, he says to me, while taking his pictures that morning, "Mom, now take a picture of me with a mad face, like I don't want to go to preschool!"...OY!!!

Gavin wanted to go with us the first day to see Luke off. When Gavin walked in to the classroom, he told me later that he got all teary eyed. He said it looked so fun and that he missed preschool. I'm telling you folks, Gavin is going to make a GREAT husband!!! So sensitive and emotional but in a quiet way. Back to Luke: When Luke walked into the classroom, his eyes lit up. He couldn't wait to get started. He walked right over, sat down and didn't look back. His attitude: "don't let the door hit you on the way out".

I'm kinda sad that he's already 4 and ready to go off into the world but I can see so much Independence in him. A lot of folks ask me why I put my kids in preschool. Sydney and Gavin's birthdays are in September and November, so they missed the August cut off and were so much older than most kids in their class so I enrolled them in preschool. Both Gavin and Sydney have done exceptionally well in school and I owe a lot of it to them being older than most of their classmates and preschool. Luke's birthday is February so it probably wasn't necessary to put him in preschool, but I want to give him the same opportunity that Syd and Gavin had. I'm glad I did. He is so excited about preschool and has already mastered writing his name. But then again, it's only 4 letters.

When I picked him up after preschool, he ran up to me and said "That was fun!". Then he tells me that he didn't make any friends and that he asked a boy to be his friend and the boy said "No, I have a girlfriend". What in the world???? Scott told him to tell that boy (while looking at the girl), "Not for long!"...HA!

The second day I picked him up. He ran up to me really excited and said "Mom, I made a friend!" I asked him what his friends name was and he says "I don't know, but I asked him twice to be my friend". I then explained to him "Honey, don't look needy, one time asking is more than enough!".

The 3rd day I picked him up, he ran up to me and says "I know he's name now" and I said "who", he said "my new friend...he's name is Parker"...then I said to him "What's your teacher's name"...he hesitated and looked across the yard and yelled at the teacher at the top of his lungs..."What's YOU name again"...she just cracked up. "Miss Tiffany, remember?"...then he laughed and threw his head back "Oh yeah, I forgot!"

All and all, it was a good week and Luke is ecstatic about preschool! I think I'm getting him ready and giving him a jump start for school.

But man, preschool is EXHAUSTING!!!