How do I love thee?

Let me count the ways...













I have been going back and forth about how to catch up with my blog. There has not been so much happening necessarily, maybe just in my own head. But things have been improving lately so I almost hesitate to rehash the misery. It's kind of like Ava told me when I tried to bring up her experience getting a catheter placed for a kidney exam last year as an example of a time she was brave, "I don't want to talk about it, cause I go back there in my magination and I don't want to."

And I really don't want to go back in my magination to the unpleasant place I found myself recently either. At the same time I do want an accurate accounting of our life and our adjustment to our third child. In fact, I wanted to record some of the really special and precious things I have learned through the yuckiness, but when I try to write, they just won't come. I have decided I will just continue from here, and if things come up, they come up. But better to move forward than sit and wait to find the right words.

Last week I sat in the doctor's office with Luke who had croup again for the 2nd time this month. As we waited a young girl of about nine, with no warning, began puking in the waiting room.

Now I have totally learned my lesson about judging, especially in regards to other people's children. I'm sure it was one to many, "my kids will never do that...!" thoughts that got me where I am today. So it was definitely not with judgment that I held back my own vomit.

I simply thought, to myself, "I am so glad that Ava gives me some warning before she throws up. It really makes things easier."

But apparently that was judgment enough because two days later, as we were eating our traditional Saturday lunch at Sam's Club, Ava walks over to me and says, "I think I'm gonna throw up," and proceeded to do so all over the floor.

Thanks for the warning kid.

Then a couple of days later, Luke woke up with a swollen eye and another trip to the doctor confirmed pink eye.

We've been a little sick this past week.

Max made his first little giggle last week as well. He's either happy or sad, never much in between. He loves to be held by his Mommy and usually his Daddy and that's about it. But the voice who makes his little eyes light up the most is Ava.