White Stuff?

And so it begins... another Ohio winter. Who would have thought this year would be worse than the last.  Here are a couple pictures of the Little Girl and I during the very first snow. November I think. She loved it! We made a few snow balls to throw which she found to be hilarious.

Amazing how something so cute and small, like her, can melt your heart.

Helloooooo 20 14

MY OH MY! what a crazy fall/winter it has been!!!

   Itty E is approaching 2 and becoming a true toddler. She talks up a storm, which I absolutely love! I have great conversations with her mostly about Dora, Teddy, purple kaka, and Denny the landscaper. She knows her colors, shapes and learning numbers, ABC's and singing any song at the top of her lungs. I can't believe she will be 2 in just a few more weeks, honestly where has the time gone?

Getting ready for baby's arrival

  We had a new addition join our family December 1st. A precious baby BOY, WB3. He was born for a full head of dark hair and a dark completion. Complete opposite of his big sister. He eats, sleeps and poops. He and I have truly bonded over the last two months and he knows I am a sucker when it comes to holding him. Hold a sleeping baby for 90 minutes and not do any other work? SURE! Your parents will understand!   My little buddy has put his parents at easy with just how well he has taken to me. I mean, it really has no choice. Itty E hasn't been phased by her baby brother all too much. She cried because he cried the first time we changed his diaper. She isn't afraid to tell you to put him down when she wants her full attention.

69 going out with a BANG

  Well...  the second half of the summer has been very exciting for my family and I. My dad had a nurse visit the house who noticed his left carotid artery was blocked. She advised him to see his doctor who confirmed it was blocked and needed surgery. Next was a stressed test that came back positive. His doctor then sent him to his cardiologist for a heart cath. My brothers and I knew what was going on but weren't really fazed by anything. He called me Monday at work to tell me he was having a heart cath done the next day. What does this mean? "Well, they can clear me for surgery, put a stint in, or I will have open heart surgery."   Open heart?? NOPE! Not my dad! Not The Sarge! My dad goes to the gym 3 days a week, golfs as much as he can, watches was he eats (but doesn't skimp out on the chocolate and peanut butter ice cream at night). I was confident the "worst case scenario" wasn't going to happen.

The picture my brothers & I received out of ICU.

   Tuesday while having lunch with Itty E I received a text from my mom that my dad was going in for his procedure. Nap time my mom called. "Well... your dad is going to.....'' CALL WAS DROPPED!!!!!!!!   I immediately started balling my eyes out!! Poor Itty E had no idea what was going on. Freaking out I called what seemed like a million times and finally my mom answered (stupid hospital cell service) and in a calm voice she told me that my dad had been admitted into the hospital and was still waiting to hear when he would be having surgery.

36 hrs after surgery.

  After what seemed like the longest work day, I ran to my apartment to get clothes then it was straight for hospital. My dad needed to see his "precious baby"!!   If Jim Woofter was at all nervous about this operation he didn't show it one bit. Surgery was scheduled for early Wednesday morning which meant little sleep for me, and next to nothing for my mom. We were with him as he was wheeled down into the OR, I was able to meet the surgeon and his staff as my mom walked my dad into the room. From there my mom and I, along with my uncle and cousins, grabbed our pager and sat in the waiting room for hours. Three hours after we received an update that the artery was done, dad was on the bypass machine and all was going good. Half Way! I called back to make sure the doctor wasn't tired and he was feeling ok. I mean, if he needed Starbucks or a snack I would have gotten it for him!

  After seven hours everything was complete and surgery went great. Thank You, Jesus!! The doctor came out to tell us his artery was blocked 80% and he did 5 bypasses. After my mom made it well known that "your father is VERY lucky to be alive. He could have had a stroke or a heart attack at work, playing golf, at the gym..." YEP!! You know, that is what every only daughter wants to hear as she is holding her dad's hand in the ICU with tubes in his mouth.  I called at 5:30AM the next day and the tubes were out, at 11AM he was in a regular room eating lunch, and by 6:30PM he was walking down the hall when I went to visit. Jim Woofter was so ahead of the game he actually came home just 3 days after surgery! AMAZING!

Lots to celebrate this year!!!

  Being "The Sarge's" only daughter, I took things into my own hands to call, text and email family and friends the whole way through. (Something I have inherited from him
I suppose.)  I talked with his nurse giving her a few "daughter's orders" that if he was overdoing himself he needed to rest, and no visitors other than family. (YEP, I was that child!! Call me crazy but in my eyes he needed to be strong enough to come up, not entertain company.) She was very confident that he knew what was best for him and that he wasn't going to push himself.


   Well.... here we are 47 days after open heart surgery and has nearly fully recovered!!! He was walking around the block just days after, cleared from his doctors and celebrated his 70th birthday after 3 weeks, was putting around the golf course after 4 weeks, and played a full 18 holes "and won money" after 5 weeks. ( That 18 holes nearly put me over the edge making me nervous wreck!) He knows his limits and has been feeling great. It is truly amazing on what doctors can do in this modern world. And I know first hand that all of the thoughts and prayers from our family and friends made this recovery that more easy for my dad!!

one month after surgery.

One Year Down

We have officially been a family of four for a year now. WOW! The year has flown by. My eyes tear up almost every day when I rock Itty E before her nap. She no longer fits in just one arm. Her legs stretch across me as I hold the bottle she is drinking. This little girl is such a joy all the time! She laughs when I try and scare her after waking up from a nap. She laughs at me when I ask what she and Teddy dreamed about. And she looks as me like I'm crazy when I ask for advice of my life problems.
 
  The boss people and I often reflect on what the last year has been like. When we all first met and how they knew I was "the one" as soon as I walked in the door. It is fun thinking back to our beginning after the hell I was in. We chat about how much our Little Girl has changed in such a short time. She isn't talking but she completely understand EVERYTHING you say to her. We started sign language at 6 months, and now she knows Please, Thank You, All done, More and Teddy, which for us are the key words. I've taught her to stomp around the house like a dinosaur, flap her arms fast like a hummingbird (which she laughs at). She loves to be outside smelling and picture flowers, popping bubbles, playing at the park. As Itty E gets older the seasons and activities will only be more fun for all of us!!

  In a conversation about parenting I always say "Never having children...," the boss lady stopped me and said "yes you do. You have Little Girl" which is completely correct! I have a beautiful little girl who will eventually pick up on some of my behaviors (uh oh!) and mannerisms. I have a beautiful home to work at which has become my second home. And I am happy to report that I am "pregnant" with my second child due in December. We are a family and laugh about not liking outsiders in our little circle. No one truly understands but we love it!!

Hell Calling

I have kept in contact with the nanny who replaced me in South Carolina. Her last day was the end of April due to moving to Chicago with her fiance. She filled me in that going in to her final 4 days they still had not found a nanny. Around that time I received a random phone call which I was hesitant to even answer only because it was registered to an area where I lived in SC. But I answered it anyways. Heart beating all fast, it was a telemarketer selling life insurance. Very fitting considering how I refer to that job as Hell.

Sneaky Sneaky

Little guy was spotted behind the lamp while hanging art on the wall.

In my shower which I didn't find until 5:30 the next morning

This guy was returned to work hiding with the coffee cups.

 My boss people are quit funny. Nearly every day they give me something to laugh about. They had half of their belongings in a storage unit while living in their apartment. My job recently was to open them up and organize what to keep, what to go. There was lots of odds and ends, just random things. When they went through the Goodwill pile the each insisted I need "this special treasure for my apartment. To always remember us." Oh what a good laugh!!! They came over that night for dinner and were insisted ( just like my mom)  to not bring any of the useless crap over. ( I promise I said it nicer) They literally ate and left because of the little girl. While I was busy fixing dinner, the boss lady was busy putting her "treasures" all over my apartment!!!!!! I noticed a few of them before they left but didn't say anything.  This definitely had my roomie and I laughing.   GAME ON!

Sight Seeing

In the last month or so Itty E and I have done plenty of watching out the window.  Landscape is still being worked on, driveway was put in, dirt yard was smoothed out. One morning as little girl was sleeping in, I heard a noise. Sounded like a truck dumping a load of rocks. The guys were working on the front walkway so I didn't think much of it. Itty E woke up, on my way up to get her I peeked out the window to see how they were coming. TO MY SURPRISE I found a car crashed into a trailer. OH MY WORD!! First things first, ran to get my phone to take a picture and send it to boss people. They both responded instantly. Get the little girl out of bed, changed her then we headed outside to see if the driver was ok. We walked out to 3 cops, fire chief SUV, and 2 ambulances. The driver was ok, she spilled her coffee shortly after leaving her driveway.... yes, that's right! She lived next door!