Nostalgia

Today I went to our old house on 28th Street to meet with our realtor. I pulled into a driveway that I had driven up to hundreds of times, stepped out to a flower bed that I remembered seeing next to my high heals all the time, and walked up to steps that felt all too familiar. Goodness the memories in that house. What is funny is the things I think about most that make me sad about leaving that house are actually our day to day routine. Nothing overly out of the ordinary that stood out. It is the morning and evening walks we would take Cooper on. It is walking in to that familiar, cozy smell of our house. It is remembering the constant leaves we needed to rake up. The house was so small you knew where everyone was and what everyone was doing at any given moment. Thinking about the three of us there reminds me of our original family unit. It is like looking back at High School days and thinking how "simple" it all was, even though at the time it didn't feel simple at all.

The pang of nostalgia. I remembered coming home and talking to Michael on my walks about something crazy that had happened at work that day. I would have been totally consumed and overwhelmed and he would calm me down and give the most basic advice. It often times was very common sense, but it took it coming from him to remind me of what the right thing was to do. These are the same talks that made us the best of friends before we started dating. His honesty and genuine idea of what is right always is refreshing to hear.

So much has changed in a year. Obviously in the best ways because we have someone else to love and incorporate into a whole new routine. Still the start and ends to my day are always the best part. It kind of reminds me of a sandwich. You can always pick what you want to put in the inside, but you shouldn't take it for granted that a sandwich isn't a good sandwich without the bread on either side.

Rock Me Momma

I thought I would share photos of the room that is:
a) most complete in our house
b) we spend the most time in

In true form and fashion, the room most complete is Jack's room. During this photo shoot he was chilling in his crib. I suddenly looked over and he was peaking at me. Such a silly boy!

Some of my favorite touches all come from two of my favorite people. Of course they are my favorite touches because hard work and love went behind them. Often times when I am rocking Jack in the middle of the night or day, since we like to rock, I think about these two people when I am gazing at their handy work. Michael did all of the walls just the way I wanted them, which seemed like a major risk but they turned out just perfect. We have old baseball tokens from Michael's collection, which I always think will make him follow in Michael's footsteps. The amazing quilt you see is a product of Krissy's quilting skills. I could go on and on about ALL of the things she has created for Jack that are amazing, but that is an entire other post. The dog image on the quilt is actually an image of Cooper from a photo. Talk about perfect!

The bumper shown is not Jack's real bumper, but one of the new safety bumpers you put on when they really start rolling and moving. It is mesh so he can still breath if he puts his face against it. Modern moms have to think of everything...

Books, baskets full of toys, a closet full of clothes, and a cute dog to boot. Not to mention a basket full of so many kinds of lotion for his skin that you would think his nightly moisturizing routine could put any aging woman's to shame. He must feel like a king in his room.

I hope you enjoy this special little space for our handsome boy.

Bluebell Blues

So when I was pregnant I used to tell people that I could always make Jack move if I ate Bluebell. Interesting to think that now he is allergic to dairy....maybe he was kicking me telling me to stop! Chalk that up as mistake number 1.

Michael and I have been blessed with the ability to eat tons of different foods. We walk and work out to stay in shape, but we have not been required to have a strict diet for food allergy or other reasons. I've always been raised to eat at the dinner table with my family after school and want to provide that same environment for my children. In fact the vision of missing out on this important time for the family to commune together has been a driving factor in many recent decisions in our life. 

I always have loved fruits, vegetables, and well pretty much anything you put in front of me. Michael....well we all know he is a meat and potatoes guy as they say (shhh don't tell Jack his Daddy doesn't devour fruit and vegetables). At first I thought Michael and I were not good cooks, but I actually don't believe that is true. We have whipped up some pretty excellent meals when given the proper ingredients. The grocery shopping is our major sticking point. Did we make an effort to grocery shop every week in the past...the answer is "no" because one if not both of us were working late or conveniently located by great restaurants. Now that we have Jack, and he will be eating our meals soon, we are about to experience an overhaul. 

Some research I found on Harvard's website. Interesting where dairy stands in importance on this:

Jack was tested for the following allergies:

Environmentals-

D. Farinea (mite)

D. Petronysssinus (mite)

Cockroach Mix

Cat Epith

Dog

Dog AP

Food-

Egg White

Milk

Peanut

Soy

Wheat

While I continue to research and learn more about a better lifestyle of eating, please share with me your plans to. I know our MiMi has always LOVED vegetables and look at how great she is doing. 

Okay. I don't believe the majority of you read this blog to hear what I have to say. It is more for the family photos. Here are some token ones to make this post worth it!

The Cow goes moo...the chick goes cluck!

Life with Price Jacque is always a puzzle. Luckily today we may have completed the entire edge of the puzzle and we get to start filling in all the pieces in the middle. As many of you may know, Jack has had a tough go with reflux and eczema. The most troubling thing about it is seeing such a high spirited child constantly feel uncomfortable. Although the allergy appointment today was a tough one to say the least, we finally have some answers. Jack is allergic to dairy and egg whites. You may think to yourself right now..."but hasn't dairy been the one thing he has been consuming since the start of this life?"

The answer to that is..."YES".

A dear friend of mine reminded me this weekend that courage and faith can get you through anything. This momma may have stumbled along as a first time mom, but by golly I am going to do my very best to make sure we take good care of him and keep him smiling.

Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain

Someday when we meet up yonder,

We'll stroll hand in hand again.

In a land that knows no parting. 

Blue eyes crying in the rain. 

Goodness we miss you already, PawPaw. When I write my blog there are certain people I always imagine reading it, and you had always been one of them. How cool it was to have a hip PawPaw with my blog as a "favorite" on his IPad. I picture you watching us in "real time" now, so you see what is happening in our little family every day. I miss you dearly!- Baby Kate

Jeu De Vive

Translation in English..."cheerful enjoyment of life."

Weird week already.
Although my PawPaw is a fighter, it appears he may choose not to fight this fight. We all have to pick our battles and I respect that. There are so many cycles of life that are surrounding me. My grandfather's body giving out at his age, I'm turning 30, and Jack turns 6 months old. Wow time is so precious and every moment really does count. How do we live it to the fullest? How do we make each moment count?

I believe I received the "jeu de vive" from my grandfather. You see I have this desire to make something happen that I have envisioned. If someone tells me of an emotion they want to feel during an event, I like to think of all things and experiences that I can make happen to give them those lasting memories. That is what life is. Snapshots of memories that all evoke this amazing feeling of love. "Events" can be small. They can be two people taking a dog to a dog park. They can be a man throwing you as hard as you can in the air so you come crashing down on waives in Galveston. They can be rocking a baby small enough to fit in both your arms. All of these things you envision doing before you actually do them. Having the determination to see your intentions through is another.

I can guarantee you my PawPaw will never say:
"I wish I could have gone on this trip"
"I should have taught my children this lesson"
"I wish I had built stuff with my own two hands"

He. Made. Things. Happen. Period. Exclamation point.

Please take the time to call someone today and tell them you love them. Just that and nothing else. I am sure you have at least one person who needs to hear those three words today.

Don't Count Your Chickens...Count Your Blessings!

Easter is a blessing in so many ways. You get to be around family and you also get to celebrate Jesus. What more could you ask for?

Krissy came to visit earlier in the week because it was her spring break. She also got to share with everyone their wonderful news that they are expecting a baby in October. I can't express enough how happy I am for my sister and John. She is going to be the best mom. Seriously, she really is natural at it. Her visits always go by too fast for me. I miss having her at home all the time, but enjoy how she and I can hang out like we never had a day apart. We have a few adventures up our sleeves this summer. They can't come soon enough!

Friday we had a little scare on the Thompson side of my family and my PawPaw went to the hospital. We all rushed to go see him and luckily the "spring chicken" was talking and fighting the fight. He reminds me of Jack in that they don't care what people think, they love spending time with family, and what they really need to focus on is eating and sleeping. Why do we seem to make things so difficult by worrying about the small stuff in the middle part of our life? I guess someone has to. Oh adulthood! Please continue to say prayers for he and my family. We all know he is a tough cookie but your support is greatly appreciated.

Good Friday at the Preisler's house in E.B. should really be called fabulous Friday. Michael and his dad cooked crawfish. Yum! The usual crew came over for laughs, good eats, and our usual debates. If I ever had to wonder where Michael gets his honesty from I don't have to travel very far.

Saturday was a rough day for Jack. His eczema was finally under control but his sleep schedule was not. What a joy! Somehow we managed to catch the few good hours he had with the Easter bunny.

Sunday we went to church and Jack behaved himself. We normally are bouncing our crying baby in the foyer, but this time we had a cooing and smiling baby that was charming his fellow parishioners. Look at that little Easter bunny just a smiling! Once again, eating and sleeping make Jack and PawPaw happy boys.

Taking a moment to enjoy the open sea is something that refreshes the spirit. We took Jack out sailing and he continued to be such a trooper. We feared the lifejacket would make him upset, but instead it was like he was stuffed in a little cocoon and the ocean rocked him to sleep.