Yuck

Didn't want to write about the test, but I said I would...

MRI and CT scan in the morning to look for anything that could have caused her forehead/nasal bones to not close all the way.

We go in at 6:30 and tests begin at 8:00.

Please pray for:
- no abnormalities shown on either test
- Elise to handle sedation fine and have no adverse effects
- this to be purely cosmetic

Thank you for your prayers. They have truly kept me from having a break down (well..you know) thus far. I am so blessed to have so many powerful prayer warriors in my life and it is quite humbling. Love to you all.

Waiting

My Dearest Elise,
Yesterday's appointment was tough. I wanted the doctor to dismiss us and exclaim that there was no need for any further testing and send us on our way. However, I knew deep down that he wouldn't and even through the tears, I am glad that he has ordered the MRI and CT scan so that we can make sure your brain is as perfect as Mommy knows it is. You charmed him of course, flashing that traffic stopping smile. We are not sure when you will have your tests but many people are praying for great results with no abnormalities so we can put all of this behind us. We are so thankful for the faithful prayer warriors in our life.

I have been very upset and comforted at the same time.

I am upset because I don't ever want you to have to go through anything or ever be in any pain or have anything "wrong" with you. I don't want anyone to make fun of you or for you to feel less than the most beautiful girl in the world. None of these things are preventable and this is just a big reminder of such. Your dad prayed a beautiful prayer last night and it reminded me that you are God's child and he loves you even more than we do. Crazy that someone could love you more than me, huh?

Comfort has come in the form of hugs, texts, emails, and phone calls. It has come in resting in Him. It has come in the sun shining this morning and a full day of playing ahead of us.

You are my special girl and I am your biggest fan. Love you so much.

Mommy

Brave

I said as soon as I found out I was pregnant that I would NOT be taking two tiny kids to swim in the summer without someone to help me. However, Casiee convinced me it was doable and that I could just leave if I felt overwhelmed and so, feeling a stroke of bravery, I headed to the pool for a swim with both my blue eyed babes.

It was toddler time, so I didn't have to lay the smack down on any "big kids" causing a ruckus. Whew. There was a big shaded pavilion right in the pool. Whew. The zero entry made it easy to let the girls play while we held our little ones. Whew. See where this is going? We had a fabulous morning playing at the pool and I was so glad I braved it.

Didn't take any pictures once we got in because I had my hands full, but here are a few I snapped while we were waiting on them to blow the whistle for everyone to get in.
Amelia minded SO very well and Elise was a champ being toted all over the place chasing after her fish of a sister. We finished out the afternoon with the park and some ice cream before nap.
Have I mentioned we are loving summer at the Halsted house? Hope you are loving yours.

Pictorial

Derek feeding preggers, my Rosebud and I, Hard Rock couple, dollar bill ceiling, and the models. In that order.

Eat Your Heart Out

The restaurant selection on our trip was stellar. We had wonderful dining experiences every night. And there were no interruptions or little blonde angels "finishing" their meal within two seconds. We sat and talked just as long as we pleased. We ate as late as we wanted. Oh it was great. On the last night we decided to rank our restaurants using the following equation: food + restaurant atmosphere = rating. We took this very seriously, discussed it over Starbucks, and here are my results.

Hog's Breath Cafe--Rank #4. Delightful. I had the blackened chicken pasta and I loved it. We had a scary lady sit next to us and as she ordered yet another glass of wine, we contemplated how much wine she had already consumed at home. She was so loud and random. Oh, and the group ordered Crab Cakes as appetizers and I hate seafood.
Bonefish-- Rank #3. I loved our waiter. Robby. He was hilarious and flamboyant and Ross obvioulsy doesn't have a gaydar. The Chicken Marsala was so yummy and I wish I could make garlic mashed potatoes that tasted half as good. I got left out of the appetizer again--Bang Bang Shrimp. The food was all displayed so beautifully. This was the fanciest restaurant we went to.

McGuire's Irish Pub-- Rank #2. Ohmyword. This was so fun. We sat upstairs in the open air dining room. The ocean breeze was delightful, but the DD boobs that were popping out of the lady's dress beside us were not delightful. They were very fun to laugh at though. All nineties songs were playing and for just a minute we thought we were all back in high school. The thing that made my night was that they had brown bread. Very few restaurants serve this and I was losing it when they brought it out with gobs of butter drenched in a honey glaze. Steph and I split a filet mignon and I cannot even tell you how insanely tender it was. LOVED. Ross had a burger with Gouda cheese and the rest of the night he "Gouda Bombed" us with the most horrible smelling gas. I don't know who coined that phrase, but I am cracking up re-reading it. Later that evening at the condo, he clogged the toilet. Some things never change, even on vacay.Hard Rock Cafe--Rank #1. This place won it for me. It was their 40th Anniversary celebration and they were blaring 70's hits and everyone was singing and the attitude was so laid back and vacationy. I ordered the most delicious meal. As in, I could eat it every single night. Twisted Mac N Cheese. A chicken breast on a bed of spiral mac n cheese with a garlic/parmesan/red pepper seasoning. Ahhh, loved it. Derek was convinced he got two 40th Anniversary glasses and we were trying to tell him that he only paid for ONE. There was a questionable moment there where I thought he was going to take two, but as Steph said, he made a, "Good choice."I can't stop doing vacation posts. More coming.

Just Beachy

We had insanely gorgeous weather. I have been to the beach several times, including my honeymoon, and it always storms/rains, and often blows up a shower every day. We had rain one day, very briefly and other than that we had perfect sunny skies. Ahhhhh.
The water was the most wonderful, refreshing temperature. Very little seaweed. No jellyfish in sight. I'm not making this stuff up--it was awesome. Steph and I are both cold water wimps, but it was no problem for us to jump right in. The guys went way out snorkeling one day, but we stayed closer to the shore. It was fun just riding the waves (and I may or may not have completely lost my bathing suit top one day). There were a lot of walks along the beach, watching people and contemplating that ever popular question, "How are they together?" We made friends with a little family and loved us some Patrick and his little girl Anna Grace. I chatted it up with a mom from Oklahoma.One day I read the entire novel The Help. Which is most definitely one of my new all time favorite books. A fabulous read. I do mean faaab you lus. I also finished The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Non-fiction is harder for me to get through, but I am glad I read this. Really eye-opening.

We dozed. Sat by the water. Talked. Relaxed. Yep, pretty much heavenly.

This picture makes me laugh so hard. First, I seriously cannot believe I wore a bikini. Second, I have on enough suncreen for five people. It is literally pooling on my chest.

Ross talked me into renting a jetski. My legs are still sore from trying not to fall off. My arms almost ripped into pieces trying to hang for dear life. I should add that I have only ridden a jet ski one time and it was on the lake. Despite the fact that we went airborne when we hit the waves, it was honestly a blast. A very scary blast. I kept screaming, "Be careful. I have two children." As if he didn't know... I rode thirty minutes then swam to safety and Ross picked Derek up to ride.

We stayed on the beach one night until seven and played bocce ball. Steph and I lost, but we gave it a good effort. Fun times were had. Ross broke the law. I fell in the sand and almost peed my pants, err suit. Oh Destin, you were good to us.

Tomorrow the pics shall continue.

Thug Life

The above picture cracks me up. The boys are "resting" in their shades and Derek is using a towel as a blanket. Hehe.

Florida was spectacular. I was sad to leave the girls. So sad. However, once I walked out on our balcony and saw this sight...I got over it.
And I saw so many little kiddos that were scared of the ocean, sand, waves, etc. It only confirmed that I made a good decision in leaving them with Mom and Dad. That and the fact that they did so many fun things with Amelia that she wanted to make sure she got to stay another night. SHE HAD ALREADY BEEN THERE FIVE.

Anyway, we peered out at the beach and after driving all night decided we immediately needed to hit the sand. The boys were all too eager to pose for the camera.
Busy, busy day today. More Florida tomorrow.

Day of the Dads--Times Three

Amelia is now obsessed with the word father. She has called Ross father all day and her toys only had fathers, "NOT dads." It is hilarious.

Times One: Ross is a fabulous father. Yes, I chide him for not watching closely enough at times. Yes, I tell him to hold on to her tightly when doing silly spinning games and balancing her in the air. Yes, I ask him to help me more often with the mundane diapers and laundry. And, I will continue to do all of those things because there is and always will be a massive difference between mothers and fathers. And, that is the beauty of it. In fact, when he isn't watching her "carefully" enough, she is bravely trying new things. When he is balancing her in the air, she is feeling free of fear and knows her daddy is keeping her safe. Amelia counts down the minutes until he is home from work and that little blonde girl squealing at the window melts my heart.And I know it melts her daddy's heart too. Because no matter how little sleep he has had or how hard he has worked or how many people have demanded something of him during the day, he leaves it at the hospital and he plays and plays and plays. He rocks Elise every single night and as I get Amelia ready for bed, I hear his calm voice over her sleepy little cries and he is softly singing her to sleep.He knows the importance of bows and dresses and flip flops and I tear up just thinking about how genuine he sounds when he tells Amelia and Elise they are the prettiest girls in the world. I am so thankful for him and his presence in their lives. Happy Father's Day Ross. I love you and I am so grateful for how hard you work to provide for our family and that it allows me to stay home. Our children are truly blessed to have you as their dad.Times Two: Today in church the preacher said something that really sums my dad up. "Real dads don't stop fathering at 18 or 21 or 30. A dad is forever." I immediately started bawling because my dad lives this out. He has moved me FOUR times (not counting college dorms) since I left home. He fills my car up with gas because he knows that at 29, I still hate doing it. He makes sure I have special Crush drinks in the glass bottle because I love them, but I am too cheap to buy them at home. He gives the best silent hugs there are. I feel just as loved, encouraged, accepted, and adored as when I lived right under his roof. He is the epitome of loving your child no matter their age.
I still sit in his lap and he still tells me not to worry about the little things. I love him. I love when he calls me, "Beanhead," and when he pretends to slam his head on the cabinet. I love that Amelia worships the ground he walks on and that Elise lights up when he enters a room. Happy Father's Day to the man that has always made me laugh and feel special.


Times Three: Ross's dad is a hard worker. As in, he cannot sit still unless he is sleeping and he doesn't even do that well. I so admire the fact that he has instilled his work ethic in Ross. He will help you build/fix anything you need help with. He has loaned us money (some we have repaid and some we haven't) and given us advice and helped us make wise financial decisions. Darrell is a tough guy, a man's man, yet he is just as precious as he can be with Amelia. He is a smitten Pa and totes her around the farm like she is his prized jewel. I am very lucky to have such a great father-in-law. He is way too busy running his business or hauling hay or feeding cattle to read this, but I just wanted to wish him a Happy Father's Day. Glad we got to spend the day with you!

Baby Bragging

Thought I would take a minute to brag on my girls. Amelia is doing amazing playing by herself lately. I love to play with her and the whole time I have stayed at home, I rarely have her play by herself. This is mostly just because I have always enjoyed how well she plays and it is fun. However, I have read quite a few things on self-directed play and its importance (plus, I now need time to do a few things with Elise) and I have been more determined for Amelia to realize that she is perfectly capable to entertain herself for a few minutes. She has been doing wonderful and I find myself standing at the door (not getting things done) spying on her as she is playing with her dollhouse. By the way, dollhouse is what she always picks to play. I love watching her create games as her dolls march up the stairs to get ready for the zoo or run back down to go potty. Her imagination is so amazing and it tickles me watching it in action. I am so proud of her and cannot believe how big she is getting. My sweet firstborn.

And little Elise is sitting up on her own!! Not for very long and not without some wobbles, but she is definitely sitting up by herself at five months. She is such a sweet little thing, just toted all over the house and outside and to gym and playdates and storytime and she just smiles and goes with it. I love her with all of my heart and I am so proud of her latest accomplishment. She also gets up on all fours (toes and hands) and rocks back and forth like she is getting ready to take off. My precious secondborn.

Fancy Schmancy

I am trying a new thing where I make a post and it posts it when I tell it to in the future. Cool, huh? Well, it will be if it works anyway. We shall see if this randomly appears on Sunday when I am in Destin on the beach :)

This is mainly for you Amy Jo. You know, so you won't be anxiously awaiting a post for days. Hehe.

We had Family Zoo Night on Thursday and it was so insanely fun. It was a special event for zoo card holders and thanks to G, we are!!

The girls started out in the double stroller and we saw the giraffes, elephants (they had a special watermelon feeding for the elephants and it was so neat), goats, and camels. Notice Amelia is chomping on the free popcorn and Elise is chomping on Flower Girl.

We took a break to eat some supper. They had grilled hot dogs, chips, and a drink for only two bucks and I packed Amelia some cheese and crackers and fruit. It has been so hot and muggy at night but the breeze was perfect for Zoo Night!


Elise decided she needed in the backpack and promptly fell asleep as it was time to ride the train. We never let Amelia ride because it is so expensive and always crowded and we thought she would hate it. She begged to ride it and the rides were just a dollar for this special night, so we went for it.

She loved it!! Clapped the whole way and said she was on The Little Engine That Could. It was the highlight of her night for sure.



Elise loved it too...



This tiny most precious little owl was out for you to talk to and Amelia loved him. But, I loved him the most.
It was getting dark and way past bedtime, but we fed the fish anyway. And fed them, and fed them. She loved it. We finally peeled her away at nine. A very late bedtime for everyone, but a fabulous evening.



And in the spirit of keeping it real: 1. I got in a fight with a lady about cutting in line/line merging and embarrassed Ross to death. 2. I got in a fight with Ross about leaving us at the elephants to "check on the hotdogs" and being gone fifteen minutes. :)

A Day In The Life..

Me: Amelia, that is sweet, but please look at the camera.

Amelia: Hurry mom, me is smiling.
Me: But you aren't looking at the camera.

Amelia: Elise is kiiiicking me.
Me: Let me sit her back up.

Amelia: I will just hold her.

Me: Okay, but hold her tight.
Amelia: She's falling and she likes it.
Me: Don't let her head hit the...too late.



Me: You are right, she really thinks it is funny.
Amelia: Because I am her sister.

I leave for Florida tomorrow. I will miss these two so much that my heart is aching. Amelia said she would LOVE to see the beach. I told her next year she would be older and have more fun. She thought a minute and said, "Ok, but bring me a purple, black, and white shell."

You better believe I will.