Hard Life

Sarah last night: "You just don't get it. You don't know how hard my life is."

I guess being seven years old is much harder than being six!

Dear Grace and Sarah,

It's 11:16pm right now, and I was about to cozy up in bed after a really fantastic birthday with you. I looked up at the clock, and when I saw that it was exactly the time you were born seven years ago, I had to sit down and write to you. Seven years ago today, you were so cruelly pulled from my belly ten weeks early in the hopes of saving my life. My body was pre-eclamptic, and the doctors felt that it was too unsafe to leave you in the warm comforts of my belly. When they wheeled me into the OR, my blood pressure was 220/140, dangerously high. We didn't know if you were going to survive, or if you would have lifelong struggles due to your prematurity. First they pulled you out first, Grace, and the team of doctors and nurses immediately began working on you. You didn't cry. You had to be intubated and rushed off to the NICU. One minute later, at 11:17pm, they pulled you out, Sarah, and you surprised us when you let out a slight whimper. They brought you to me and you looked at me for just a couple of seconds before they whisked you off to the NICU. You could breathe on your own and only had to have oxygen coming through your nose. It was nearly two days before I got to see you both in person. You daddy was visiting you every couple of hours, and coming back and giving me updates. I wasn't able to visit you until my body stabilized. I barely remember the first time getting wheeled into the NICU, the first time laying my eyes on your precious faces and tiny bodies, but I do remember the profound feeling of love that I had never felt before. I wanted so desperately to hold you, to tell you I loved you, and to put you back into my belly where you would be safe and healthy. I was so afraid for the future, as we had no idea what it would hold for you and us. I wanted, dreamed of, and hoped for you to survive and be okay. And look at you today!! You two are the most amazing, wonderful, smart, sweet girls and I am so blessed to have you in my life. I will never forget your humble beginnings, and will forever be grateful for God's hand upon your development seven years ago. You are two miracles!! I love you with all of my heart, and can't imagine life without you. Happy 7th birthday, Grace and Sarah!!

Another tooth report! Tooth #2 for Sarah!

This evening, just as Grace and Sarah were headed for bed, I decided to give Sarah's very loose tooth a wiggle. Her tooth was almost literally hanging by a thread, and it was time for that puppy to go. Sarah doesn't like her tooth wiggled very much, but I persisted, and pulled it out! Yahooo! She was very excited and can't wait, in her words, "to be the first person on the February tooth chart!"

Another visit from the trusty tooth fairy coming tonight!!

Tooth #8!!

How many teachers are out there who enjoy pulling out a small child's loose tooth? Probably not many, and I for sure don't want to do that in my own classroom. Ewww. But Grace's first grade teacher, Mrs. Bastieri does! Today she happily tugged, twisted, and turned Grace's tooth until it came out. How cool is that?

That makes eight teeth that Grace has lost in the past year and a half. Current count: Grace = 8 lost teeth, Sarah = 1 lost tooth.

Half-Way Through First Grade!

Today marks the last day of the first half of the school year. It seems like yesterday when we were clothes shopping, shoe shopping, when the blissful days of summer were ending, when I was nervously contemplating Grace and Sarah being separated with their own teachers in their own classes. Now they are half-way to the end, and they are doing phenomenally well! They love having their own space and their own teachers, and they have made a lot of great friends. Their reading ability has soared this year, and their math and writing skills are great, too. I couldn't be happier with their success in school, especially given their rough start to life, and I have so much hope for their future. They are two sweet, loving, caring, smart, wonderful girls and we are so amazingly blessed!

Inauguration Day 2008

Today marks a historic day in our country. Barack Obama is our new president! WOW! I am hopeful for our nation's future, and although I think it will take a long time for our economy to recover, I have much faith. We are a great nation, and I pray that great things will happen in the next four years.

I got that from GJ

Yesterday, Mia was feeling under the weather, so we stayed home all day. In the mid-morning, I asked her if she wanted to paint, to which she quickly replied "Yes!" I went into her closet to get out the new painting pad that my mom got her for Christmas and brought it out to the kitchen. She looked at the painting kit, and said "I got that from GJ for Christmas!" I was a very surprised that she knew that, because on Christmas, she was bombarded with about 10,000 gifts from many people. How does a little three-year-old girl remember who she got what from? Every day she surprises us with what she knows, the vocabulary she uses, and the things she remembers. We think she's very smart and are continually amazed by our three-going-on-six year old little girl.

A baby?

So tonight, I picked up the girls from my mom's house, and on our drive home this is how our conversation went:

Sarah: Mom, how do you decide to have a baby when you grow up?

Me: Well, you grow up, get married, and you decide with your husband whether you want to have a baby or not. Then you pray to God about it, and if God wants you to have a baby, He will bless you with one."

(silence...thinking...)

Sarah: "What happens if you decide you don't want to have a baby, but then you get a baby anyway."

Me: Ummmmm.......Wellll.........Ummmm........

Change of subject.

Born in the 1800's???

Funny story from work today, my first day back after Christmas vacation. Today was a student's birthday, we all happily sang happy birthday to him, then I proceeded to ask him how old he is now. He quickly replied with "eight." Then another student, a smart, funny boy, said "How old are you, Mrs. Anderson?" I replied, "Old. Really old." He piped back, "Were you born in the 1900's or the 1800's?" I couldn't help but have a good chuckle right then and there. Some days I feel old, but not THAT old!!

Vacation over, going back to work!

Today marks the end of our Christmas vacation. It's been fantastic sleeping in and hanging around the house with Carey and the girls. We spent a lot of hours cleaning out the girls' toys and other meaningless crap (like those dumb toys that come with kids' meals) and it feels great! We did a great job organizing the toys into bins and labeled them with my handy dandy label maker. The job is not done, for sure, but we put a big dent into my quest to get more organized. Next up: cleaning out and organizing the garage (once that *#&$*# sailboat gets outta there!)

I have a very positive attitude about going back to work. I am very blessed and lucky to have the job I have. So many people in America lost their jobs due to the downturn in the economy and are really hurting for work and suffering financially. I have a great job teaching second graders, working part-time, have an awesome job-share partner, and have my mom to watch my kids while I'm working. I still have time to volunteer at the girls' school and do errands, go to Disneyland and the park. I am so thankful! So that's why I am going to have a smile on my face tomorrow when I return to work after a great, restful vacation!

One more resolution

Here's #5:
Live each day to its fullest and don't put off what I can do today. As Gene Appel said in church today: "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift...that's why it's called the present."

Happy New Year!

My resolutions this year:

1) Get in shape
2) Organize the house and garage.
3) Get Carey to get that *#$#!@*& sailboat out of our garage by the end of summer.
4) Read more novels.

I think that's a good start to the year!