Welcome Baby McDonald!

Just wanted to note that my friend Karen had here little girl, Kiera Elizabeth, last Thursday. She weighed 9 lbs 4 oz, even more then Kyle and Karen had no epidural! I really don't even have words to express how impressed I am. She will make a great mom and I am so glad to have her in the club. Karen lives in Houston, but was in KC to visit her family the weekend before Ryan's surgery and she graciously came to the hospital to sit with me for awhile on Sunday, the day before Ryan's surgery. It was then that she told me she was pregnant. They had been trying for some time, so it was such great news, a much needed bright spot in that dark day. I can't believe enough time has past that the baby is now here. I saw the nurse practioner that took care of him in the PICU at the school carnival. I see her every once in awhile at school, her daughter is in Kyle's class, and I always feel so nervous. I'm not sure why, I guess I just feel humbled and grateful and I want her to think I am a good mother and doing everything right. It was a good weekend for Kyle, Grandma took him to the carnival while I worked a volunteer shift in the bounce house (just doesn't get more fun the herding kids in and out of a noisy inflatable in a packed gym). Grandma let him pick out a skateboard with his tickets, yes a skateboard for a 6 year old. He had a banner day at skating lessons on Saturday, he learned to skate backwards AND won the limbo. It was a rare moment of joy for him, he is so often obsessed with some unachievable level of perfection. Grant had fun at the carnival as well, scaling the wall in the obstacle course right along kids 2-3X his age. Right now he is curled up in my office chair sleeping, he has been having so much trouble falling asleep in his bed and I have just stopped fighting it, I am generally right here after I put them to bed either working or doing house computer related stuff. Nothing like the path of least resistance method of parenting, especially with Jason working so much. I am certainly not going to begrudge his job in this economy and I am truly grateful that he is working, but I miss him and I feel like I get nothing done. There are many things I want to do, finish blankets for CHD Families, work with Kyle on reading, help him learn his magic tricks and do the science experiments he love, organize our video clips into a dvd, the list goes on and on, but I just can't seem to get to any of it and I am not even working that much. He worked basically all weekend on top of the 10-12 hours per day he puts in during the week. His work ethic is amazing to me. I am just so tired and I wish he had more of himself to give the boys, they need a break from their cranky mother. He also has a trip scheduled in March and I was just asked about attending a kick off meeting for a project of my own which I will now have to pass on. I keep saying it wasn't meant to be and I am sure things will work out, but it is disappointing.

• I don't still have Merry Christmas window clings on my back door, it is February after all.
• My 3 year old doesn't now call you in to get him situated on the potty then declare "I need you to get me a book then get out and shut the door".
• I didn't let my 6 year old wear a grey shirt with silver track pants because I am again behind on laundry and his "there is nothing else clean" argument was surprisingly valid. I wish he would wear jeans, he looks so cute but hates them.
• I am grateful for my mom, the worlds most active and amazing grandmother. I don't know many grandma's that take their grandkids to the park and actually play on the eqipment with them. I hope I can be half as integral to my grandkids lives as she is with my kids. Since I started (and finished) the process much later then she did, I need to get back on the wagon, lose some weight and start exercising so I stay healthy.