A month of birthdays and hockey!

 A month ago we were celebrating two boys growing another year older.  It's crazy to think its already been a month since Declan turned 8 and Connor turned 5 and it's even crazier knowing I have an 8 and 5 year old!  I feel like they are still should both still be my babies instead of becoming big kids.  Declan is doing amazing in 2nd grade and at JET and Connor is thriving in his last year of preschool and is more than ready for kindergarten.  We didn't plan birthday parties for the boys this year because of their hockey schedules and the fact that many of their friends share birthdays around the same time and had scheduled parties, leaving us with no open weekends to have family and friend parties.  We did celebrate the boys with a small party at home and they took treats to hockey and school.  Also, we celebrated my dad's birthday a few days later at a Mexican restaurant so the boys got to see some extended family and celebrate with them as well.

A few weeks after birthday celebrations, Declan had a hockey tournament here in town.  The team finished 7th out of 8 team but he got to play at The Barn at the Centene Community Ice Center.  It was fun to see him play in an outdoor rink and with the weather not as brutal as Kinderhook last January, watching the game was actually comfortable as well.

Connor had a field trip to the pumpkin patch with his preschool class and had an absolute blast.  The pumpkin patch had corn bins, animals to feed, tractors, hayrides and of course, pumpkins.  He got to ride in a mini school bus and learn all about bus safety and preparing for elementary school.

Halloween this year was a bit different for us.  For the first time ever, we were not home for Halloween.  Since my kids are social butterflies (unlike their mother), they were invited to a Halloween party and trick-or-treating with their friends.  Declan had two friends (twins) in preschool that he absolutely adored, Margot and Harper, and Connor is best friends with their little brother, who is the same age as Connor, Danny.  So this year, we opted to attend the Halloween party and let the boys trick-or-treat with their friends and they enjoyed the night immensely!  

This weekend, we had more hockey.  Today Declan had two games in Granite City, Illinois.  With the location being between our house and my dad's side of the family, we invited everyone to come see Declan play.  Unfortunately, most of the family had other plans, but my dad and step-mom were available and came to watch Declan.  This was extremely special, mostly because my dad is not in the best health to be able to attend such events.  I don't believe I've mentioned it, but my dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer's almost 2 years ago and we've seen a real decline in his health.  Sometimes he doesn't know who we are, where he is or how to do the simple things he's done for so long.  It hurts to see his decline.  But, we've talked to him about both boys playing hockey and he wanted to try to make it to at least one game.  Since this one was close enough to his house, my step-mom drove him to catch the games.  My dad's vision isn't the best anymore due to the type of Alzheimer's he has but he was there cheering on my kid and it was the sweetest.  I don't know how many more games he will get to attend for my boys but I'm so glad he was able to come today.  Ironically, when my dad was much younger, he played hockey with some of his co-workers at the Granite City rink so it was a good to get to reminisce about his younger days.

Other than that, we're headed into the holiday season and full on hockey season.  It's super crazy and super busy and I'm just trying to get through it all without losing every brain cell.

As always, here's a photo dump of our fun.

Declan is THREE!!!

Declan turned 3 one week ago today.  It's beyond hard to believe that my first born is now a 3 year old and a big brother.

Because Declan's birthday fell on a weekday and we were so close to Connor's arrival, we decided to postpone a big birthday party and just celebrate Tuesday night with my mom and Michael and us. We woke Declan up Tuesday morning excited for his birthday and made it a point to make it all about him.  He said the most precious thing when we went to get him up though....he asked if baby Connor would be here for his birthday.  It was the absolute sweetest and while I knew we still had a few more days for baby Connor's arrival, I told him Connor would celebrate Declan's birthday in my belly. Declan went to school on Tuesday and we sent treats to celebrate with his class.  After school, we let him decide what he wanted to eat for dinner and had a mini party.  

It is so funny when it comes to asking a 3 year old what he wants for dinner.  The weekend before we started prepping him asking him what sounded good for his birthday meal.  He would say, "I don't know" or "french fries and tator tots" or "Old McDonald's".  We couldn't get a straight answer out of him and it was constantly changing.  We figured we'd ask again after school on Tuesday to see what his final decision was.  I picked Declan up after school and told him we had to figure out dinner so he could have his birthday cake for dessert.  His final request for birthday dinner was teriyaki chicken from Panda Express.  It's hilarious because there wasn't one point in the week/weekend before that he even mentioned Panda but we know he loves it and it was one of the very first restaurants we took him too once he started eating table food so it ended up being the perfect birthday meal for him.

After dinner with Nana, Papa and us, we sang Happy Birthday and enjoyed the orange cake Declan and Nana baked for his birthday and Declan opened his birthday gifts. Declan is currently obsessed with Hot Wheels and got plenty of them for his new car case and track. He also got kinetic sand, wooden blocks, books, coloring books, a spelling and numbers game, an LED writing board and from "boring mom and dad," new fall clothes.

I created the collage below for Declan's birthday and I had so many emotions when going through the photos. It is still so hard to believe that Declan is three and no longer a baby.  The time has passed so fast and I adore all of the memories we've created with him so far and can't wait to see what else the future holds for my sweet boy.

Declan excited for us to sing Happy Birthday to him!

Declan showing off some of his many Hot Wheels cars. He's so smart, he looked at each car and then told us the make and model. He amazes me every day with the things he knows!

Overall he had a great birthday and we're working on a time to celebrate with the rest of our family in the upcoming weeks.

38th Birthday Recap

Yesterday was my 38th birthday.....38 whole years old.  I'm a middle-aged mom and I'm enjoying every minute of it!

Unlike last year, I didn't get to take my birthday off from work.  It was month-end and the deadline for getting documents to our auditing firm for our year-end review, so instead I opted to take off Tuesday for my birthday comp day. It actually worked out better since I needed Tuesday off for my FET anyway (sometimes things work out in my favor!).  It was a LONG day at work though with me going in a bunch of different directions trying to get everything done.  Finally at 5:30 after 10 hours in the office, I made my way out the door to enjoy a birthday dinner with my family.

We went to my mom and Michael's for a delicious steak dinner.  We picked up some steaks at Sam's Club last weekend since we knew going out to dinner would not be an option for us this year and mom cooked them up along with baked potatoes, cauliflower casserole, salad.  For dessert, we had a turtle cheesecake dip mix that she turned into a yummy pie.  Declan absolutely loves birthdays, no matter who's it is, and enjoyed helping me open my presents and blow out my candles.

After dinner, we started putting together the puzzle we ordered.  Over the last few weekends, we've really gotten into puzzles with Mom and Michael.  We finished the 2000 piece puzzle of Italy we had been working on and decided to start working on the 1500 piece puzzle of Las Vegas we picked up.  It's definitely been nice to have a hobby that doesn't involve our phones or the TV all the time.  We ended up working on it until 11 pm and got the border completed and by that time, my eyes were tired and I decided that I needed to get home and get to bed.

Overall it was a great day and I wouldn't have wanted to spend it any other way (well, maybe a bit less work would have been nice!).

Here are a few pics from my day --

Declan helping me blow out my candles.

This boy is such a ham and the best kid!

Dustin made me a collage on Facebook and Instagram and chose the most awesome pics!

And just for fun, a picture of our new puzzle.

Declan is 2!!!

 Never in my wildest dreams think I would have a two year old but here we are one week after his birthday party and my little boy is TWO!!

Declan's actual birthday was on Monday but we celebrated last Saturday with a small party with our families.  Declan requested a tractor themed party with tacos, cupcakes and ice cream and this mama tried to fulfill those wishes.  After taking a few minutes to warm up to everyone, Declan had a blast playing with his cousins and being the center of the day.  Mommy and Daddy surprised him with a bike, Nana and PaPa surprised him with a Jeep and he also got a tractor trike from Steve, Kathy, Nicole and Matt along with a lot of other fun books, clothes, money and toys from everyone else.

He enjoyed his tacos and got he biggest kick out of us singing Happy Birthday to him. This year, unlike last year with his smash cake, he actually dug into it and enjoyed every bite.  We also taught him how to blow out his birthday candle which he thought was the coolest.

One other highlight for Declan's day was that Uncle Paul and Aunt Judy drove down from Chicago to attend the party. Declan talked about "Uncle Paul and Judy" for about a week before his party and was so happy to see them. We showed him a video from Christmas where Uncle Paul pushed him on an ottoman and he got the biggest kick out of it.  In fact, we had to keep watching it over and over again. I think he really wanted to recreate it too but unfortunately we don't own an ottoman.  Overall it was a really fun day and I'm so glad that in spite of all of the craziness in the world, we were able to come together to celebrate our miracle!

On Declan's actual birthday on Monday, we had a fairly normal day. Declan went to school and we went to work. D had a work dinner so once I picked up Declan from school we headed to Nana and PaPa's for dinner and more cake. We had chicken parmesan, spaghetti and cauliflower casserole to celebrate the night.  Luckily D's dinner got over early so he was able to join us for cake and Nana made Declan a special green cake to match his tractors.

Tuesday afternoon I took Declan to his two year checkup at the pediatrician. Going to the doctor is definitely different due to the pandemic. We had to sit in the car until they called us in for the appointment. We had to answer all of our questions via a telephone call with the nurse and then we wore our masks and headed directly back to a room for the checkup. This was only the second time Declan has worn a mask and I was nervous he wouldn't keep it on even though it was required. He got through it like a champ though and even got his flu shot for the year.  When we got home, we spent some extra time outside enjoying the weather and playing in the rocks in the front yard.

This week at school they also started transitioning Declan to the two year old room. He got to spend a few hours each day making new friends and getting to know his new teacher. I know he'll miss some of his friends in the toddler room (he talks about Margot and Leah all the time!) but he's ready to move on  and I'm excited to see him continue to grow and learn.

Speaking of learning and growing, Declan has become a sponge at learning new tricks and is talking up a storm. He has started putting words together to make sentences and let's you know exactly what he wants. He's at such a fun age and each day is a new adventure.  It's so exciting to see what new things he will do and what he will say.  I'm so lucky to be this little guy's mama!

This is 37

Today is my 37th birthday!  I'm off of work today celebrating, actually, no I'm just home trying to catch up on chores here (and writing a 2nd blog post for 2020!).

I wasn't planning to taking the day off but it's one of the perks of having 10 years of service in at my company -- you get your birthday off of work.
It was up in the air until yesterday if I was even going to get the day off.  We have our auditors in this week reviewing financials for 2019 and of course, my birthday would happen to fall during the visit. Thankfully I worked my butt off to get enough done ahead of time and the auditor was confident that I wouldn't be needed today....so here I am.

So what can I say about turning 37 --
I never imagined being at this point in my life.  I started this blog back in 2005 at the age of 22 and had no idea of what was in store for me. I went back and read old posts over the weekend of the birthdays in my 20s -- what a difference life is now.

My 23rd birthday I was a single gal all about going out dancing with my girlfriends from work.

I dreaded my 24th birthday because I thought I was old *eyeroll* and hadn't accomplished enough in my short life.

My 25th birthday was on the heels of being promoted and being happy my car insurance was going down because I hit a milestone being in my mid-20s.

26 was another birthday extravaganza where I spent a lot of time enjoying karaoke and a night out with friends and was excited for a home-cooked pork steak dinner with my family.

10 years I celebrated my 27th birthday and checked off pole dancing lessons from my bucket list.

My 28th birthday was memorable with our girls dinner at Kobe and night out in Westport dancing and celebrating life.

I celebrated my golden (29th) birthday having a blast with both my family and friends with a happy hour and more karaoke and while I was going through one of the harder years of my life, I was glad to have such a great group of friends and family to celebrate with.

In 2013 I turned 30.  I have to say my 30th birthday is one I will soon not forget. My work fam decorated my desk and this was the year I introduced my family to D.  We had been dating about a month and I thought it was the best time for them to get to know him. I remember being nervous that they would grill him but he was so genuine and personable they couldn't help but love him.

My 31st birthday was another memorable one but for all of the wrong reasons. This was the year I was stranded in NOLA because of the ice storm that hit the south.  I remember just wanting to get home after a 1 day work trip turned into 3 days in a city that was shut down because ice just isn't something that happens there. We found a flight out the night of my birthday and my brother graciously picked me up at the airport and we all had a home-cooked dinner and dessert at the loft prepared by Chef D Flay.

For birthday number 32, D again made me dinner and we had gumbo (reliving my 31st birthday in NOLA) and unlike my 20s, this was another low-key birthday at home with D and Kinny.

My 33rd birthday was the first in our new house and I decided to have a fun night out with my coworkers listening to one of my favorite cover bands.

34 hit me that I was starting to get old but I did get my mechanical pencils that I asked for from D.

Birthday #35 will be etched into my mind until I'm no longer on this earth. Just 6 days before my 35th birthday, we had the embryos implanted from our IVF cycle. I was in the middle of my two week wait praying that I would be pregnant. I remember going out to lunch with my family and celebrating but not being able to tell them about all of the stuff (stims, retrieval, implantation) we had gone through in the month of January and hoping that we could tell them in 13 weeks that we were having a baby.

My 36th birthday passed in a blur. It was 4 short weeks after going back to work full time after maternity leave. I was either sleep deprived or in over my head at work (or both!). Looking back at Declan's first year calendar, I do know that D had to take off of work and take Declan to the doctor as daycare illnesses started setting in.

And that brings us back up to today -- at 37, I am married, living in the 'burbs with my husband, almost 16 month old son and 12 year old kitty. Unlike my 23/24 year old self, I do know I've accomplished a lot in my life. Right now, I'm a successful Senior Accountant with a future ahead of her.  I've managed to move up with hard work, perseverance and dedication.

I may not always be the best wife, but I try my hardest to support my husband in all of his endeavors and try to keep my nagging down to a minimum.
As a mom, I'm learning every single day what it takes to raise a smart, caring, successful son. I know he doesn't quite understand but everything I do each day is out of love and to make his life better.

At 37, I know now I don't have to be the best at everything in life but I will always give what I can for those who mean the most to me. I've realized what is important and what can wait until tomorrow. I'm trying hard to live in the moment and enjoy the little things life has to offer. I have no crazy bucket list I need to complete just taking life and experiences as they come.

So here's to 37 -- I hope I can make it my best year yet.

Day 22 -- Still in the 2 week wait and someone's having a birthday

We're up to day 22 and 5 days into our two week wait but I'm feeling really really good! We received one final call from Ryan, the Embryologist on Wednesday afternoon who gave us the final word on our last 2 embryos. As expected, one embryo failed to continue to progress and had to be discarded but the other embryo progressed beautifully and we were able to freeze that embryo. It was also rated as a BB, which was music to my ears.
Right now the anticipation is keeping me going and I'm so hopeful that our two implanted embryos continue to grow. I've tried to maintain pretty much the same schedule as I had before the transfer with just a few slight adjustments. We're working out 5-6 days a week, mostly cardio but I'm not going as intense and weight lifting as much as before. D has still banned me from the squat racks due to my daily progesterone injections but I've still managed to use some of the weight machines at the gym. Overall, I'm also listening to my body and if I need to rest, I'm taking the time to do so. I've heard that the progesterone injections can make you tired, so I may be sleeping a bit more than normal, like going to bed at 8:30 or 9 at night. Of course, if you talk to D, this is normal every night Lindsay behavior, so he doesn't truly think we're seeing any of the side effects from the progesterone.

I'm really looking forward to filling everyone in about our journey but it's also one of those things that I want to make sure of our progress before telling both our families. I debated about telling my mom and step-dad today about our past few months since we were celebrating my birthday today but we held off. Ultimately, if all pans out, I'd really like to surprise all of our parents and this was my main reason for staying quiet today.
So my birthday....tomorrow I turn 35!!!  35, what the heck!! Where are my 20s, where are my early 30s?  I'm now at my mid-30s and I just can't believe it. We had a great time celebrating today. D and I got up early to give me my progesterone shot and then went to workout. We stopped for groceries on our way home so that D could pick up a few ingredients to make me breakfast.  Chef D made pancakes and sausage for us.

We went to HuHot Mongolian Grill for lunch with my mom and step-dad, where I loaded up on veggies and lean meat and had it all cooked in front of me on the teppanyaki grill. We came back to our house for cake and to hang out for a bit. I also got to open my card and birthday present, which was a gorgeous magnetic bracelet that is also known for keeping you healthy.

Thank goodness my mom didn't add 35 candles!

So pretty and 2 of my favorite colors!

Overall we had a great day and I'm ready to spend the rest of my evening catching up on some of the shows we missed throughout the week and getting ready for my work week ahead. It will be the first week in a few that I should be there all 5 days and I've got auditors visiting as well as month-end close and my birthday so it will be a crazy full week!