The Green Folder

While out to eat with friends a while ago the topic of this blog came up. One of our friends chirped up, "What's a blog?" I think he was semi-kidding. At least I hope. But, how exactly does a blogger answer that question to a non-blogger/non-blog reader?

I wasn't sure how to answer the question. Naturally, I did what any blogger does. I kind of skirted around the inquiry and we went about dinner.

It was while we were opening Christmas gifts with my family that the answer to the "what is a blog" question came to me.

One of the last gifts to be opened was from my dad. It was a thin package, roughly the size of a standard sheet of paper and no thicker than a half an inch. After the wrapping paper was removed I saw a simple, green folder. A bit confused I took a closer look and opened the folder.

For almost four years my dad had worked on and written his life story, right up until the moment we opened gifts.

As our night quietly came to a close I opened the folder again and began reading. There were so many stories from my dad's childhood that I had never heard. There were stories that I remember being told at family gatherings. And, there were stories of my brother and me, as told by my dad, that I had never known. I read his story, cover to cover, and savored every written word my dad had left me.

That simple, green folder is priceless. It is by far the greatest, most treasured thing I have ever received.

After I closed the folder it dawned on me… This blog is my green folder to Marcus.


In related news: Does anyone know if there is a way to print off the blog posts without using a screen shot, or "file" + "print"? I don't like how either looks when printed… Thanks in advance!

Kansas City

Four years into living in the Land of Fruits and Nuts you would think coming back to L.A. after a trip home (home being Iowa/Kansas) would be easy.

It's not. 

In fact, I think leaving home gets harder and harder each time. 

While Iowa is where I grew up, and will forever be my home state, there is something about Kansas that tugs at my heart. 

Maybe it's because Kansas City was where I moved after college. It was where I landed my first real job. It was where I found myself. Everyone seems to think they find themselves in college - I did a lot of searching, and it wasn't until I graduated that I realized who I was, who I wanted to be, and who I wanted to become. 

Kansas City was also where I fell in love.

Each time we go back our schedules are full, and we are hopping all over the city, cramming in as much as we can during our short visits. There is family, and friends, and BBQ, and the Plaza, and a million other places that always make our "must see/do" list. 

Then there is Shawnee Mission Park. It's my favorite park, and possibly one of my favorite places of all time. I go there each time I'm home, no matter the weather. It's the park where I decided I wanted to become a runner. It's the park where I spent endless hours and miles hitting the paved trails, clearing my head, soaking up the wonder of nature that is snuggly nestled among the hustle and bustle of the city. It's the place that helped me in my search for myself, and the place that aided me in finding me. 

Our visits home are usually long enough to leave me satisfied, but always left wanting more. It's a vicious cycle of falling in love when we arrive and heartbreak as we leave. 

Someday we will be back for good. 

Someday.

The ER

Saturday evening we had an uneventful flight from KC back to L.A.. Marcus was such a good traveler we had passengers compliment us on how well Marcus did - that is monumental! I figured the rest of our weekend would be smooth sailing.

That night we followed our regular routine of putting Marcus to bed at 7:30. The next thing I know it's midnight and we are woken to the ever familiar sound of the "seal bark" cough, also known as croup. This time it was different, it was worse than we'd ever heard. Scott went to check on Marcus and in a blur we were rushing out the door headed to the ER.

Little man had such labored breathing he was visibly working to catch a breath. His chest was heaving and the sound escaping his mouth was indescribably terrifying.

Watching my poor baby try to get a few precious gasps of oxygen, and there wasn't a single thing I could do for him, was the scariest thing I've ever experienced in my life.

Upon our arrival to the ER we were quickly admitted. I was relieved, as the waiting room was full and I was certain we would spend a great deal of time there.

Marcus was beyond petrified of the place. Due to the amount of stress Marcus was in, it was near impossible getting all of his vitals. However, the nursing staff was great, Marcus was assessed, and it was quickly determined that the croup was simply a severe case. Thank you Lord.

After a nebulizer breathing treatment followed by a dose of cool, moist air, as well as a steroid to open up his airway, our little man could breath a little easier.

Here we are, three days post ER trip and his breathing doesn't sound so scary. The tell-tale "barky" croup sound is gone. But, Marcus is left with a nasty cough that hasn't done a whole lot in the way of getting any good sleep.

Little man is on the road to recovery, and after the terrifying trip to the ER, that is more than enough to be thankful for.

Happy Marcus Monday!

What is cuter than a baby giddily running around before bath time in nothing but a diaper?

Nothing.

Happy Monday!

Getting Ready to Go Home

It's been a crazy week. Marcus and I have been finding ways to keep busy here in KC, but I think he and I are both ready for warmer weather.

That leads me right into this Fridays's high-fives. 

1. Tomorrow we head back to LA, and Marcus and I are excited to see this guy!

2. This was taken last week, and I hadn't had an opportunity to share.

As much as I love the weather in LA, there is nothing more magical than the Plaza Lights. The lights are even more enchanting when it's snowing, which is exactly what we were treated to.

3. One of the many reasons leaving KC will be so hard are these gorgeous ladies.  

Luckily, we were able to get together last night. No matter how long we go without seeing each other we never miss a beat and pick up right where we last left off. 

4. Going out for a girls' night is so much easier when you know your little is have a blast with Grandma and Grandpa. 

That giggle. It gets me every time. 

5. I thought Marcus and I were going to have to tackle flying home alone. A task I've done, but it's still daunting to think about. However, my mom so graciously offered to fly back with us. She's pretty much awesome. 

Well, those were kind of all over the place, weren't they? 

Happy Friday!

I Caved

Since our stay in KC I've been finding it difficult to keep Marcus entertained while staying inside. At home if we're cranky, or antsy, or just need a change of pace, we go outside. We're outside a lot. But, with sub-zero temps simply going outside is pretty much out of the cards (Momma doesn't do cold). I've been scrambling, scouring, and searching for fun things to do.

Just when I thought I was running out of options Sarah depicted a place of wonder. This place spoke of games, food, prizes, and fun. She spoke of a place I'd *never* been. Where is this magical place that seems to be just perfect for those insanely cold days? Why, Chuck E. Cheese, of course.

So I did it. I caved. I brought Marcus, and convinced my family to bring all of Marcus' cousins as well (aunt of the year, right here!).

Warning - picture overload ahead.

From a distance the mouse was pretty cool.

The little guys took to the riding attractions right away.

Oh, the cuteness. I die!

Marcus could have stayed on the fire truck all day long. No shocker there.

We were able to persuade the little guys to try their hand at a few games.
Don't they look like old pros?

I kept bringing Marcus back to this game. It may or may not have been my favorite.

While the two toddlers navigated rides and kiddie games, the older kids won copious prize tickets and did a good job keeping Marcus in awe.

My favorite arcade game is skee ball (isn't it everyone's?!). I attempted to show Marcus the proper way to play... Clearly he didn't get the memo.

Just over an hour of play and we had four happy boys on our hands.

While we didn't eat any food (except for the cotton candy) I'm pretty sure none of us would have had a difficult time consuming a couple of slices of pizza.

Maybe the best part? For $5 we were able to get out of the house, have some fun, and blow off some steam.

We'll be back Mr. Cheese!

Extended Stay

In the last few posts I've eluded to the fact that Marcus and I are still in Kansas City, while Scott is back in LA.

During our holiday tour of the Midwest, Scott caught the flu. He then proceeded to pass the bug to me, the *day* we were to fly back to LA. Within 12 hours of me getting sick, Marcus also came down with the sickness. Nothing says Merry Christmas, Happy New Year like the flu.

Needless to say, for a good three day stretch things were interesting, and messy, and zero fun. Because of all the flu-bug joys Marcus and I weren't able to fly back home with Scott.

About the only good thing about a sick baby and mommy is all the extra sleep and snuggles (because we are clearly not winning any beauty pageants). The rest of the sickness is for the birds!

Thankfully, we are all now back to 100%.

Marcus and I are enjoying our extra time in Kansas City, soaking up the extra love, attention, and additional help. However, it is safe to say we both miss Scott, and are ready to get back to SoCal where 'cold' weather equates to 55 degrees.

But for now our arctic fun continues.

Checking out one of Kansas City's frozen fountains.
Water still spouts out in some places, creating cool cracks, crevices, and formations in the ice.
There was an attempt to color the water red before freezing. Can't say I'm a huge fan of the color.

Freezing Hot Water

A few days ago I read a post written by my cousin that really struck a chord (you seriously need to read her post, it's beautiful and amazing, and makes you want to call every last loved one you know and tell them how much they mean to you). After an unexpected week in Kansas, I decided we were going to make the most out of every minute here, cold weather and all.

So, yesterday, with little persuasion I was able to convince my Father-in-law to go out into the arctic temps, at 6:00AM, and see if we could freeze hot water.

It might have been cold, but it sure was awesome.

It is really easy to get caught up in the hub bub of life. We have routines we follow, schedules we keep, and a pace we like to maintain. Sometimes it's difficult to take a break and enjoy the little things.

If you have a minute (and it's cold enough), slip outside and see if you can freeze some hot water.

Happy Marcus Monday!

I can't do a Christmas recap. I just can't. There was too much fun, too much food, too much stuff, and lots of love, to pack all into one big run down. Rather, I'll leave you with a few (24 equals "a few," right?) photos that pretty well sum up our 2013 holiday season.

Back tomorrow with our regularly scheduled programming.

Happy Monday!

Happy Marcus Monday!

Marcus must have been on Santa's 'Good List' this year. The kid made out with some pretty sweet stuff.

Left: Wagon the converts to a bench, courtesy of Grandma and Grandpa Macke.
Center: Jeep, courtesy of Grandma and Grandpa Dudding.
Right: Tricycle, courtesy of Mom and Dad.

Please excuse our absence for the next few days as we continue to enjoy our families during the holidays. 

Happy Monday!

Floral Fanfare

While I love the traditional holiday decor that can be found in many homes this time of year, our home included, I felt we needed something a little different to bring us some holiday cheer. We needed something fresh, something beautiful, something unique.

With the help of David Goldstein at My Beverly Hills Florist I found an absolutely stunning floral arrangement that has made our home feel extra merry and bright this season.

Browsing through My Beverly Hills Florist I found I loved every single one of their bouquets. Each floral arrangement presented something elegant and charming, something that would bring instant beauty to any room, home, office, or event. Selecting just one arrangement to call my own was difficult! Ordering and checkout were a breeze.

The delivery of our bouquet was prompt, and to my door within one day of ordering.
When our arrangement arrived I was flabbergasted. The grandeur of it took my breath away.

As I was trying to find the perfect place to showcase the flowers I kept thinking that I'd never had such a gorgeous floral arrangement grace my home.

With huge hydrangeas, bursting rose buds, my favorite - calla lilies, and lambs ear sprinkled throughout, it was love at first sight. And the aroma that softly filled the air was intoxicating. I kept walking past the bouquet to catch hints of the light and fresh scents.

The next time our home needs something fresh, bold, bright and beautiful I will be heading straight to My Beverly Hills Florist.

To add a fabulous arrangement to your home, office, or event, be sure to visit David at My Beverly Hills Florist.

I was compensated a floral arrangement for this post, however all opinions are my own.

21 Months Old!

Dear Marcus,

Hear we are again. Another month has gone by, and another month where I'm left scratching my head wondering how the time slipped right by me (especially with all those sleepless nights you gave us).

This month has been a whirlwind. Between trying to keep up with you during the day, and trying to keep you asleep at night in your own bed, I wonder where you find all this energy?!

Unofficial Stats
Height: 35 inches (95th percentile)
Weight: 32 pounds (95th percentile)
Teeth: 17
Clothes: shirts - 2/3T, pants 2T, shoes 6/7
Diapers: size 5

On the Go
You are a bundle of non-stop motion. If it were up to you we'd be outside running laps around the town all.day.long.
Recently you've discovered how to jump, for real jump. Your little feet get about an inch off the ground and you are so proud of your new found ups. It's hilarious to watch you stop in mid-stride to show off your jumping skills.

Vocabulary
I was truly worried you would never speak. I had enough concern to start looking in to speech therapy. However, your vocabulary is expanding by the day. You'll say a new word all day long, and then I won't hear it again for weeks. I am a little concerned you think the cat's name is "IzzyNo!" Apparently we are often scolding the cat… You love to chase the cat around shouting out her name.
Your word count is probably between 20-30 words. Some of your favorite words include: "what's that?", "oh no", "oh my", "oh man", "up", "Izzy", "button", "boom", "beep", "ding", and "no" (this one is your all time favorite I think).

Food
If we could PLEASE get past the love for macaroni and cheese that would be great. I'm certain you would swim laps in mac and cheese if I let you. You'll occasionally try new foods, but if we were smart we would buy stock in Kraft foods. Other foods you'll eat on a constant basis: bell peppers, blueberries, Goldfish, string cheese, yogurt, yogurt balls.

Sleep
Oy. Sleep. Before this month you were a pretty good sleeper. Then that all went out the window. We even had to go through another Ferber sleep training cycle. And, even that hasn't solved all of our issues. You will go to bed all on your own at night, but inevitably you will wake and want nothing more than to sleep while your dad or I rock you. Thankfully you no longer want anything to do with sleeping in our bed. However, it'd be great if we could all have an uninterrupted night of sleep.
You still take one nap a day, and it ranges anywhere from 1.5 to 3 hours.

Play
Lately you've really gotten into stacking/building, and putting like-shaped toys in their correct/assigned spaces. In typical boy fashion, you love trains and big trucks.

Affection
In the mornings you and I still snuggle up and watch an episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while you drink your cup of milk. It's our quiet time to slowly wake up. When you are upset, hurt, or simply frustrated you find comfort being held. Your sweet little self loves to give Mommy and Daddy kisses, especially right before bed.

Little man, I'm sure I've said it a million times, but this stage - though trying and exhausting - is so much fun.

Baby boy, for this next month I only ask two things: less sleepless nights and more kisses.

I love you to the moon and back, twice.
~Mommy

Happy Marcus Monday!

In case posting this on Instagram and Facebook wasn't enough…

These two cuties had a festive little pajama party this weekend.

Happy Monday!

My Wrap Job Stinks, But at Least I Can See

Though Scott would disagree with me, this week has FLOWN by. It's probably because we're less than a week away from Christmas. We are also this close to going home to be with family and friends - CAN.NOT.WAIT!

Jumping right into this week's highlights:

1) My Christmas shopping has been done for ages. But, it took me until Wednesday to get everything wrapped and under the tree. Albeit, my wrap jobs this year are sub-par, I surprisingly don't give two hoots. I'm just ready for Christmas, bring it on!

A mishmash of paper, no bows, no cute-sy wrapping theme, no worries!
The best part of it all may be that half our gifts aren't even under the tree, they're already in Kansas/Iowa. 

2) I don't want to jinx it, but I think Marcus' terrible sleeping habits and early mornings are going by the wayside. In the last 10 days there hasn't been a morning he's been up before 5:30. Little Man has been sleeping all night, in his own bed, and we've even had a few rare gems where he has slept in until 7:00. Fingers crossed this trend continues. Forever.

Sweet dreams sweet boy.

3) This may be the total geek in me, but yesterday I picked up my new glasses. Fricking LOVE them.

Contacts and me clash, so I primarily wear glasses. There's something kind of exciting about a fresh pair of specs.

4) Call me crazy, but taking a look at the weather between LA and KC in the next week and I'm actually kind of looking forward to the cooler temps. It doesn't *feel* like Christmas when you're not all bundled up (but let's be honest, now days we bundle up if it drops below 70 - I'm not even joking).

So long as there is no sleet or snow those temps will be welcomed… For about a week.

5) Last night Marcus and I started watching The Polar Express. I fully expected him to lose interest after 24 minutes (which is the exact duration of one episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse). To my pleasant surprise, Marcus sat still for an entire hour. I'm convinced he would have watched the whole movie had it not been bath/bed time. Guess what I'm downloading for our flight home?

It's a Christmas miracle!!

Have a great weekend!

Holiday Lights

As mentioned in yesterday's post we opted out of Disney in lieu of more financially, *ahem* free *ahem*, responsible fun.

After a whirl wind of cliffs, beaches, and trains we decided to head to a neighborhood that is known for going ALL OUT with their Christmas lights. Candy Cane Lane, as it is affectionally referred to, has one of the largest holiday displays in the country, and it does not disappoint.

We're talking block, after block, after block of homes decked out with Christmas lights. A good six block span participates in this yearly tradition.

10,000 lights? We (read: Scott) puts up two strands and call it a day!
The electric bill is $200 MORE than usual?! That's holiday decoration dedication at its finest.

Each home has a big Chinese Elm Tree in their front yard, and each tree has multiple lights strung loosely, creating a very simple yet beautiful look. Looking down each block and seeing all the lights hanging from every tree is such a fabulous sight.

No photo can do all these lights justice.

On top of the decorated Chinese Elms some houses go all out with lawn ornaments and lawn displays.

This is just a TINY sample of all the different displays we passed.

Marcus quickly took to the candy canes that lined many of the homes sidewalks and driveways.

And I spotted a lawn ornament that quickly became my favorite.

I wish this picture did this the justice it deserves. It twinkled and sparkled and was gorgeous! 

Some neighborhood kids were selling popcorn, baked goodies, freshly made waffles, and hot chocolate. The atmosphere of it all was exactly what Christmas should feel like.

Even though we were surround by hundreds of other gawkers everyone was in such a great mood. There wasn't a single Grinch or Scrooge to be found.

And though we didn't get to meet Mickey this weekend we *did* see him!

Marcus was SO excited when he spotted Mickey. I couldn't get Marcus out of his stroller, and closer to Mickey, fast enough.

It was a little disappointing to skip over Disney Land this weekend, but after all the fun we had, and listening to Marcus continuously "ooooh" and "ahhhh" over the Christmas lights I know our little man had a pretty magical weekend.