Beach Vacation

At the end of July we went on a family camping trip. We were all looking forward to this trip so much- it really was a much need getaway. We left of Thursday evening after work and that proved to be a little stressful. We didn't take the dogs on this trip because Alice had gotten pretty sick a week before so she still needed her rest at home. We took the three hour drive and it turns out Lyla won't sleep in her car seat no matter how tired she is. She was pretty fussy by the time we arrived. Once we got there though everything settled down and we were pretty happy. Lyla laid right down in our camper for the night and Matt and I promptly built a fire and sat and talked and relaxed.

The next day was my birthday and it was a fantastic day. Lyla slept in which meant we all got to have a relaxing morning. Matt gave me beautiful ring from Tiffany once we got up. Since I am pregnant I can't wear my wedding ring right now so he got me another ring to wear that fit better. It was one of the most thoughtful gifts and truly special to me. After a delicious breakfast, we went out the beach for the morning. We have taken Lyla to the beach many times, however this time she decided that she didn't like walking in the sand. I mean, not at all. She would stand there frozen and refuse to move if we put her down. That meant a lot of carrying her but that didn't dampen our spirits.


After nap time we went down to the historic district in town and walked around- it was such a beautiful afternoon. After a lovely birthday dinner in town we headed back to the campsite for cake. Lyla has never been a dessert person but not this time- she was a little cake monster- and I loved it.

The next morning Lyla and Matt chatted over coffee...

... and then it was time for family picture time...

... and then we headed to the playground for a little playtime...


... and back to the beach we went...


By Saturday night Lyla was getting done with camping. We were supposed to stay until Monday but after a very long night of no sleep on Saturday we decided to come home and day early. That was the best decision ever because we were able to finish the vacation on a high note. This was a fantastic little family getaway and it was so fun to spend all that time with Lyla and Matt. So many special memories.

Happy Day!!!

This past Tuesday my sister was released from the hospital. I could not be more thrilled with this joyous event. This has been one of the most intense journeys for our family as we have watched a person that we love lay helpless in a bed to now being able to talk on the phone, tell stories and begin to lead a normal life. The strength and perseverance she has shown is so admirable- but I can say I am honestly not surprised in that she has always been a strong woman. Please continue to send strength her way as she works on her outpatient rehab.

Naked.

Lyla's new favorite past time is being naked. Perfect timing considering that it's summer. We usually just put shoes on her and open the back door and let her roam the yard naked. She is happy as can be.

It's a girl!

We found out today that we are having another little girl. I am so excited to have another baby girl. It'll be fun to watch Lyla and our new little one grow up together. Everything looked great with the ultrasound. It's so nice to have that little piece of mind because lately I have been overly worried that things are amiss. Don't get me wrong, I have nary a symptom to indicate this convoluted thought process, just a wild imagination. I feel much better after seeing her today.

Matt and I always laugh because Lyla is one active little lady. She NEVER stops moving. Today, the ultrasound tech kept making comments about how active this baby was and how she couldn't get a good picture and how she "just couldn't believe how much this baby is moving". Matt and I just looked at each other and smiled- we might have another little mover on our hands.

Sister Update.

My sister continues to move forward in her journey. She has woken up and does know a lot of things but at the same time doesn't know a lot. She has moved to the in-patient rehab part of the hospital. Day by day it becomes more apparent that her path to healing is going to take a tremendous amount of time. However, I also know that my sister is one hell of a determined and strong minded woman so I have no doubt that she will impress us all with her perseverance.

My little avacado!

I am 17wks and just had an appointment yesterday. The heartbeat is 140bpm which is exactly what Lyla's was when I was pregnant before. I am not necessarily predicting another little girl, though I do find the similarities between these two pregnancies really interesting. They are almost spot on the same. All in all the doctor said everything looked great. I will be having an ultrasound in the next few weeks to determine whether it's a boy or girl. I of course will find out- how else would I be able to plan the nursery and get all those cute little outfits I have been eyeing?

Sister Update.

Things are moving forward slowly but surely with my sister Jennifer. She is just on pain medicine at this point and they have removed all monitoring devices from her head. They did discover that she has a staph infection in her blood but they have a pretty good handle on that with antibiotics and continual testing. She moved her hands and feet on the left side by command only once. She only has pain responses on her right side which essentially means that if they pinch her she pulls back. She has opened her eyes here and there but still is tracking very little. This is how they can tell whether she is starting to become more aware. As one nurse said, "The lights still haven't come on upstairs yet." They are going to start to lower some of the medications so that she can begin to hopefully wake up a little more. That really is the next step in order to determine functioning levels. She is still on a ventilator but she is initiating the breaths rather than it breathing for her. This step forward will more than likely prevent her from getting a tracheotomy but we will know more in a few days. Each day is another tiny step forward and we have been told that based on the severity of her injury she is right on track and showing all signs they are expecting at this point. More to come...