Flashback Friday: Jen and Nicole

Could this have been what Nicole and I looked like at 9? My oldest girl Sadie and Nicole's daughter Emma are practicing to beat their mommies at air hockey! Since I am the air hockey queen Nicole and Emma better watch out for Sadie and I!

Flashback Friday

It's July 31, 2004....

The night before we plan to leave our comfortable home in PSL and life as we knew it - childless...

Although you might think this flashback is about our journey into parenthood and traveling 1/2 way around the world to meet our children for the very first time.

It's NOT.

Instead it's about my man...and his decision to quit smoking in mist of all of this stress, uncertainty, change and sheer chaos.

He had been smoking since before we meet. So 10+ years. And he was a serious smoker too - 2 1/2 packs a day. He had tried to quit many times and each and every time he failed miserably.

Until July 31, 2004 that is. He went outside for his very last cigarette. Probably enjoyed every drag and upon extinguishing the filthy stick he made a vow that that would be his last.

He quit. Just like that!!

I would have thought he picked the worst time EVER to quit and I would have thought all the nagging I did years prior would have motivated him. But nope - I was wrong in both instances.

It was his detemination to make a scarfice for his children with out any nagging, prodding or *help* from me...

It's been 4 1/2 years and he is still a non-smoker.

Way to go babe!!

Flashbak Friday- Sadie's Cleft Surgery Part 2

A few weeks back I promised you folks "the rest of the story" regarding Sadie and the repair of her cleft palate.

After 2 years at Miami Children's Hospital we felt lead to visit Shands Medical Center in Gainesville and can I just say WE HAVE NO REGRETS!

We met Dr. Seagle in August of 2006. It was at that appointment that he told us he could close Sadie's palate. He told us it would be complicated and that Sadie would need approximately 4 procedures and a weeks stay at the hospital.

So in September of 2006 we packed up our family and drove to G'ville. Brian's parents meet us there (from GA) to help with Madison and Ethan while we took care of Sadie.

Below are my actual journal entries from that unbelievable season in our life....

9/18/2006
God is soooooooooooooooooooo good! Sadie's surgery today was indeed a success! Dr. Seagle was able to close her ENTIRE cleft palate! He did this using only one procedure not the multiple procedures that he was prepared to do. In addition he did the surgery in 2 hours NOT the 4 he anticipated. He said Sadie was an excellent patient and that he was very pleased with her results. As soon as soon woke up in recovery she requested the ice cream and apple juice we promised her. She ate the ice cream and drank 2 glasses of juice. Once we were in her room she requested MORE ice cream and also some Gatorade. Within one hour of being in her room she was begging us to get her out of her bed. She wanted to walk around and check out the hospital.

...Madison & Ethan are having a ball with Pop Pop and Grandma.

9/19/2006
Did I mention that GOD WAS SO GOOD?! Sadie's docs discharged her today. She has a smile and puppy dog eyes that NO ONE - not even a professional - can refuse. Each time the doctors and/or nurses came into her room Sadie would ask "can I go now" and when they would say "not yet" her reply was always "can you take this out then", referring to her IV. Shortly after noon today she convinced the entire staff at Shands Medical Center that she would recover better & faster out of the hospital than she would in the hospital. All I could think was you guys know she's just 4 right??? She sure has the power of persuasion. Look out world!

Her doctor has requested we remain here in Gainsville until Thursday "just in case". Our plan for now is to hang low key here until mid-Thursday and then head back. We're gonna take our time and once home remain "low key" for the remainder of the weekend. Sadie will be home from school and speech therapy for 3 weeks to ensure total recovery.

We are Soooo Blessed.

Now the photos - everybody loves the photos:


Sadie and Daddy saying a prayer before surgery.

Sadie in recovery - with her purple ice cream.

Sadie walking the hospital floors 1 hour after surgery!

This "get up" is what Sadie had to promise to wear if the docs let her leave the hospital. The mask was of course to protect her from germs and the arm boards were to protect her from putting her fingers in her mouth. She wore it the entire week without ONE complaint.

Such a trooper.

We were then and we are now SO proud our little girl!

Flashback Friday - The Arrival of Baby Chason

It's January 2008....only 9 short months ago:

My sister is very pregnant and calls with news of a "scheduled delivery". This is SO unlike my sister. She is a no meds, no docs, all natural with a mid wife kind of mom.

SO although this news was shocking it was SO exciting because I actually had time to get there!! I was so caught up in my selfish desire to see my nephew come into this world that I hardly took time to console my sister during this truly traumatic time in her life. (I'm still sorry Steph!)

My mom, my dad (have I ever mentioned just how GREAT they are) and I all hoped on a plane and made our way to PA.

BTW, a little OT side note here - I HATE THE COLD!!!! But God loves me and chooses to bless me over and over in really neat ways. Like, when we arrived in PA in January He kept the temp in the high 60's and low 70's. It was unheard of!! Oh and another side note, FL had record lows the week I was in PA! How Mighty is Our God?!

Ok, back on topic - we get to PA. The weather is beautiful, my niece and nephew are thrilled we are there. We go shopping , eat dinner, my dad starts his nesting immediately - cleaning and fixing every thing he can, my mom can't wait to get the kids all dirty and messy. And my sister and I get caught up as she prepares for her big day. Oh and my brother-in-law, Curtis is in the mix of all this somewhere.

We get up early (5am-ish) and make our way to the hospital. Shortly after arriving my sister is induced and we all eagerly await the arrival of Chason Michael Stumbaugh.

Hours go by, my sisters pain increases tremendously, her breathing becomes short and difficult. The entire morning comes & goes and my sister doesn't dilate AT ALL!! The doc comes in before lunch "just to check on her" and discovers the baby is coming - he is actually coming! And the docs lunch will have to wait!

My sister pushes just a few times and out comes the most beautiful thing I have ever seen....










A happy, healthy, plump baby boy.

This my friends is by far the coolest thing to ever witness and I will cherish that memory for as long as I live!!

Thank you for joining me on another GREAT Flashback!!

Flashback Friday - Sadie Surgery - Part 1

It's November 29, 2004 - Sadie and Ethan had been home just 3 short months. We were still VERY new to this thing called parenting and our daughter needed MAJOR surgery to repair her cleft palate!









Here she is with daddy just moments after surgery. Both are completely wiped out!













ALL her meals came through this syringe - for 2 weeks!!










After snuggling and eating she was bored stiff. She begged us to walk the hospitals floors. The docs and nurses were wildly impressed. Here she is just hours after her surgery.










Notice the arm bands - those were to keep her from putting her fingers in her mouth. And look closely at her face - you will notice the string on her left cheek. They sewed her poor tongue down :-(

The first surgery was only a partial closure of her cleft palate. Later in 2006 we made our way to Shands Medical Center were she had the remainder of her cleft repaired. (BTW, if ANYONE has a child with a cleft I HIGHLY recommend this hospital and our surgeon. Both are truly magnificent!)

I don't want to give too much of another Flashback away though - so stay tuned :-)

Happy Friday all.

Flashback - Livin' the dream

(flashback idea borrowed from http://storinguptreasuresinheaven.blogspot.com/)

...it was September 2003. Brain I were just about to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary and we were DINKS (double income no kids). I had my series 7 and was thriving in my career at a well known investment advisory firm. Brian was peaking in his career as well. We were traveling, eating out, spending time on our boat.We had a cute townhouse sitting on a pretty pond with a jaw dropping LOW mortgage payment of just $400 a month -including taxes and insurance. We had a fantastic dog, 2 cats and we were indeed living the dream...only it wasn't our dream!

We wanted more...SO MUCH MORE....we wanted in kids!

So we sold the cute townhouse and the boat, we built a home and in July 2004 I resigned from my potentially prosperous career, hopped on a planed, traveled 1/2 away around the world and became mommy to two of the most amazing children. Sadie and Ethan enriched, challenged and changed our life in SO many ways - for the better.

In 2006 we were once again living the dream...

We were happily married, in a comfortable home, I was a SAHM and drove a minivan. We had the "perfect" family 1 boy, 1 girl and a dog...What more could we want you ask? Well another child of course.

So in August of 2006 we added to our family again. A beautiful little girl named Madison...

Today our life is busy, sometimes chaotic even, usually loud, a little messy, a lot of fun, NEVER dull and if you ask me we are LIVING THE DREAM!

Thank you Courtney for inviting me to take this flashback. I wouldn't change a thing!!