SAM (2007-2011), IN MEMORIAM

Our Sammy passed away last night, and it is every bit as awful as I always knew it would be.  I don't have the words right now to express what this cat meant to me.  To us.  I will give him a proper eulogy when I can, but for now I'm just trying to hang on.  There isn't a square inch of this house that Sammy hasn't put his stamp on.  It's going to be difficult road to living without our buddy.  We miss him and loved him and are so thankful that he was ours (for however briefly).

Rest in peace, Sammy.  Thank you for loving us so completely.  You were the best -- the absolute best.
xo

FROM THE LENS OF MITCH

"My little student" - Mitch Weathers

HALLOWEEN PREVIEW

To infinity, and beyond!

*note the jumping towards the end - (and see last post :).

LEAPS AND BOUNDS

Here is Vivienne rocking a jump off of our deck the way she does most things.  Fearlessly.  Jumping is the thing right now.  She prefers jumping over walking.  She "jumps" up from the ground instead of standing up.  Whenever there is any lip or ledge or slight elevation in ground level, you can bet she's jumping it.  If you ask her to get up, hurry it up, or move over or anything AT ALL, she replies "I bump!" (Viv speak for jump).  When I go to pick her up, she "bumps" into my arms.  I've grown accustomed to watching her jump to and fro, witnessing her leaps and bounds.

The last several weeks of life around here have been tough.  I could see it all over Mitch's face last night, and I knew that he was staring back into the same expression on mine.  Sheer fatigue and pure survival.  Ever since my miscarriage (of sorts) last month we've been struggling to get some resemblance of normalcy in our home -- to make some sense of it all.  Then three days ago we took our cat in for leaking pee everywhere and it turned out to be a BAZILLION DOLLAR surgery that drained us financially and emotionally.  And we still don't really know what's wrong with our Sammy, if it could happen again, what is causing him to grow these massive amounts of bladder stones, on and on and on...test after test after test...dollar sign after dollar sign after dollar sign.  We've got one cat who is scared out of her mind and hides in the garage all day long in constant fight or flight mode -- and the other who is constantly trying to kick off his fentanyl patch taped to his leg, with a massive surgery wound in his gut, and a post surgical collar that he has to wear for two weeks that does not allow him to lick himself after he goes to the bathroom, resulting in a very frustrated kitty.  Between all the medicine doses, the separating of the two cats, and oh yeah! A TWO YEAR OLD, I am one minor life event away from a nervous breakdown.  At this point, my stack of laundry will reduce me to tears.  All kidding aside, it's a freak show over here, and we need a break.  Can we just get a break?

Funny thing about life (and growing toddlers) is that it doesn't care about your issues.  It just keeps right on going whether you like it or not.  While all of this other stuff has been going on these last weeks, Vivienne has just exploded with her development.  And it's such a beautiful thing!  I wish sometimes that I could hit the pause button so that I won't forget to soak it all in.  I have to remind myself sometimes that "hey look! you have a toddler who is talking and dressing herself and super independent, and she jumps!"... life is as it should be and it is good.

Leaps and bounds people, leaps and bounds!

VIV BITES THE DUST

That last one looks like it hurts!

COOL TRICKS, COOL TRICKS!

This morning as I was getting ready and Vivi was taking her bubble bath next to me (our new routine, don't ask), I heard her humming Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.  I looked over and saw what is in this video above -- her eyes closed while pretending to hand fart the Twinkle song.  Seriously?  The adorableness and proud parent factor was off the charts!  Pretending to hand fart?!  Her sweet little face as she did it, exactly like the Yo Gabba Gabba episode where a man (Digital Unicorn's Adam Deibert) performs this song with his hands.  And his expression, oh his expression.  Viv copies it perfectly!  What skill.  She. kills. me.  I laughed for ten straight minutes while she stared at me like what's your problem?

Click here for the link to the real deal, you won't regret it!

INSTA DAYS

Reading to Mama

Reading to Mr. Fox

Popsicle!

24 Month Photos round 1

Bubble Beard

By Vivi

Downtown Library

A SUPERHERO BIRTHDAY (in photo booth style)!

As promised, here is Vivienne's 2nd birthday party in photo booth pictures.  Thank you, Peter, for setting this up for us and making it all professional and awesome!  We all had a bit too much fun with the props and the kids went crazy with their take home capes!  The birthday girl had the time of her life and that was the point.  Thanks to everyone who was there, it made Vivi feel special, and made us realize how much she is loved (not just by us;).  Special shout out to Talia Demello (and all the Demello girls really) for babysitting Vivi the whole day and letting her tag along and feel like one of the big girls.  She couldn't have picked a better way to enter year three.