Paige's Baptism

Can't believe this has really happened!!  

How did my little girl grow up and turn 8?

Paige Brookelynn Vincent was baptized by her father on Saturday, Sept. 4, 2010

 

Paige was lucky to share the day with two of her little friends, Madelyn Dobbins (on her right) and Julia Zeyer (on her left).  These little girls were so cute and SO excited!!  Paige was the last of the three to be baptized that day.

After Paige got out of the water, I met her at the top of the font stairs and took her into the dressing room.  She started giggling and squealed to me, "I can't believe I really just got BAPTIZED!!"  Paige had chosen her Grandpa Terry to give the opening prayer and her Aunt Valerie to give a talk on the Holy Ghost (who both did an amazing job!!)  She asked Grandpa Lynn to be a witness and also asked her cousin Brady, who she looks up to and just adores.

Paige with her "twin cousin", Katherine

Paige invited SO many guests and friends to watch her!  She wanted to share it with everyone she knew!!  After the ordinance, we invited all her friends over for a hot-dog barbeque.  It turned out great and she was just thrilled to be "Queen for the day".

Paige was super excited to be able to pick out her own set of scriptures and have her name put on them.  Unfortunately, they spelled her name wrong the first time, so they ended up replacing the first set with a much nicer, more expensive set because they didn't have the ones she had originally picked.

It is a tradition of Grandma and Grandpa Vincent to give each of their grandchildren a comforter when they get baptized to represent the Holy Ghost.  Aunt Valerie found this white fluffy one that truly warms you right up!  Looks like Paige isn't the only one that loves it!  Sadly for Bode, this is the last time he will ever be allowed to snuggle under it since he drooled chocolate and big sister has forbid him to ever touch it again.

We are so proud of our little Paige-a-Roo! 

Bode Vincent-VanGogh

It appears that Bode may have a future in art.  One might think that by documenting and photographing such a display that I encourage this behavior, or even tolerate it.  That is not the case.  This is simply a test of "one day I might think this was cute".  Today is not that day!

Sadly, this is not the first time Bode has tried to "express himself" in the art world.  His displays have been found several times in the past month or so.  You would think that big sisters would learn to put their markers away, especially after mommy has thrown so many of them away!  Bode's "works of art" have been found in purple on the entryway tile, royal blue on the living room wall and my bedroom door, pink on the toilet seat, red on the antique white buffet, black Sharpie on the basement fireplace, and today pink in his bedroom.  All markers have been disposed of in such a dramatic manner that the girls think they have "struck it rich" since I offered them a quarter for every marker they could bring me to chuck in the trash.  $11.75 later (plus the cost of 3 Mr. Clean Magic Erasers) I think we can FINALLY put this era to rest. 

Big changes for the Bod-ster

As sweet as Bode has always been, he has always been a sickly little boy.  It seems like he was prone to catching every little bug and it would take him weeks to get over.  At one of his recent sick visits, another doctor in the practice asked me if I was concerned about him being developmentally delayed.  I hadn't really thought much of it until that point.  To me, he was just perfect just the way he was!  But I scheduled an appointment with his regular doctor to discuss it.  I talked to Dr. Lash about how Bode didn't talk and I was concerned about him snoring.  Sleeping next to Bode had actually made me wonder on several occasions if he had apnea like his daddy.  Bode has had a positive strep test 5 times since Christmas so Dr. Lash sent us to an ENT to rule out tonsils before we jumped into sleep disorders.  I "self-chose" Dr. Garner Meads.  He was in my stake growing up and had taken Paige's tonsils out when she was just a few months older than Bode.  I was told that tonsillectomy's are no longer common in children under 3 or 30 lbs. due to scar tissue later in life that created problems.  But, he told me that Bode's adenoids were huge and needed to come out and that his ears needed tubes.  There is a fluid behind your ears that helps with balance and hearing.  Bode's was at a dead stand-still.  Dr. Meads told me that Bode wasn't talking because he wasn't hearing!  I was crushed!!  How was a mommy supposed to know her baby couldn't hear if he responded to my voice?  He rephrased...Bode couldn't hear clear sounds.  To him, everything sounded like it was underwater. 

Bode, just hours after surgery

We scheduled surgery as soon as possible, which was the following week.  June 25, we took my sweet boy in to have his adenoids removed at the South Towne Surgical Center.  The girls had spent the night at Aunt Marnie's so they could sleep since we had to check in at 5:30.  It went beautifully!  They were completely done within 40 minutes and we were able to just sit with BoBo while he woke up.  Dr. Meads told us that his adenoids were blocking more than half of his airway and were hiding severe infection underneath them.  He was put on antibiotics to kill that and we were told to let him rest for the day and he could eat and play when he was ready.  After picking up the girls, Bode and I went in to bed for a long nap, considering I had come straight from work to Bode's surgery.  He and I slept nicely for several hours before he wanted to get up and play.  They weren't kidding about kids bouncing right back from surgery!  That evening Bode played outside in the backyard with the girls and wanted Cheetos for dinner.  He was very tired the next several days and would nap for 4-5 hours every afternoon, but never acted like he was in pain.  Little trooper!

    

It has been several weeks since Bode's surgery, and his post-op appointment went well.  It took a second round of antibiotics to kill all the infection left behind from his adenoids, but he is one healthy, happy boy now!  We could almost instantly see a difference in him.  He has started saying a few words: Mom, Da-Da, Ba-Ba (bottle), HOT (every time we get in the car), help, more, and of course...ball.

Shortly into his recovery, I decided that the poor little guy had suffered enough and but his beautiful locks off!  With the heat of the summer, a full head of long hair was just making Bode sweat.  My cute hairdresser, CoriAnn was super excited to give him a makeover.  I know nothing about boy hair, so I gave her free reign.  It took a little getting used to.  He just looked like such a big boy!  But I absolutely LOVE it!

Bode is such a little comedian and has such a sweet little laugh!  He has his cute little quirks that we just love!  For example, he has to have his Dora pillow right in the middle of Steve's and mine, BUT our pillows are not allowed to touch his, and if anyone lays on his pillow, he pushes them right off.  He likes to be tucked in with his blue polka-dot snuggle blankie, which he will search out if it's not there.  He holds his binky in one hand while he drinks his bottle and does a quick change and hands the bottle off to you when he is done.  Bode is truly the product of two big sisters because he loves to push babies in the doll stroller and always wants to play with the shopping cart outside.  But yet, he is all boy in that he has quite a throwing arm, and LOVES to play with cars, trucks, trains and BALLS!  He will make "choo choo" sounds and wants to throw ANYTHING round.  I took him grocery shopping with me last week and the first thing he saw was a display of grapes.  He instantly pointed and asked for some "balls".  With a face like that, what mom would say no?

Where the Wild Things Are...

Wow, this seems like a long time ago!! I have always tried to avoid going to the cemetery right on Memorial Day, but this year we had to make an exception. Actually, I have been avoiding it all together since my favorite one-or-a-kind burger place, Eat A Burger, went out of business on my mom's birthday in January. That has always been a pick-me-up after visiting my mom's grave. But this year, we met my dad and Terry for french toast at Kneader's and then headed off to the cemetery. My dad decided to join us! Who knew it would be such a party there!

Yes, it was terribly crowded, and yes, parking was a nightmare, but there was also a HUGE Memorial Day celebration! There were hot dogs and soda, a bagpiper (Steve was in Heaven) and a face painter! The girls absolutely LOVED it! This lady was so fantastic and so quick!!

And just LOOK at the great creations she made out of my two little animals!
(And yes...I got her number!)

The Dancing Ladies!

This really is my favorite time of year. Not only is the weather FINALLY starting to warm up, but the girls have their spring dance recital!!

I think it's that overwhelming sense of pride I get as a mother when I see my little girls on stage, looking SO beautiful, performing something they have worked so hard on. I just LOVE it!

This year, Paige took a jazz/tumbling class. Although she is a really good dancer, I think she prefers the tumbling. She is getting "quite bendy" as she tells me.

Paige met her cute friend Camry in kindergarten last year. They have such a fun time playing together, but with the new school opening in our area, Camry moved to the new school for first grade. Luckily, she wanted to take dance with Paige so they still got to see each other once a week!

Claire took ballet/tap this year. I have been so impressed with how quickly she picks up on things in class and when she performs she is never the girl watching everyone else. She knows her moves!

Claire is in the same class with her friend Ali. I don't know if they love taking dance together so much as the tradition of our families going to kids night at Chick-A-Fila after class almost every week. Poor Claire had a rough recital day this year. There she was on stage in her cute little foam curlers for dress rehearsal practicing the finale when she started to feel sick. She stood up, turned around and went running for Paige. Suddenly I hear Miss Tiffany in the microphone yelling my name. "Brooke Vincent...Brooke Vincent!! She's puking!!!" So with all the grace an overweight mother could muster, I ran to the stage and since the stairs were flooded with dancing girls I jumped onto it, pulling myself up with my enormous butt high in the air. AHHH...a mother's love. Poor Claire had handfuls of vomit, dripping onto her feet and all over the stage. After a little cleanup (and a Coke slurpee on the way home) she was fine. Claire took a long nap that afternoon and was ready to roll by recital time.

Just LOVE these girls!! They danced so well, and looked so amazingly beautiful!

Another Golden Start...

We have another graduate from Miss Kathy's Golden Start preschool! My baby girl had her last day last month and was so excited to show us what she learned at her graduation program.

Granted it was the same program as when Paige graduated, but it was equally as special to me to watch Claire sing and dance on stage. I love Miss Kathy's rendition of the Three Little Pigs and in their nursery rhyme portion Claire got to play Old Mother Hubbard with her little friend Ella as her dog that didn't get a bone.

No graduation program would be complete without self-portrait's adorning the theatre and a slide show of the great year they had!

Thank you Miss Kathy! We are so grateful for everything you have taught our sweet girls. Can't wait until Bode's turn! But for now, we will just count the days until kindergarten!

Formal Night

Our last formal night on the ship was by far better than the first. Probably because no one was sick! During the past week, we had become very close with our waiter, Cupid from St. Vincent. Earlier in the week I had asked him if Creme Brulee was on the menu again during the cruise. We had it on the first night and I had been dreaming of it ever since! Tonight he showed up with a special surprise...Creme Brulee for everyone!! I couldn't have been happier! I actually think Steve got up and hugged him!

Kirk, however, was not so appreciative of the dessert. So, Steve began making jokes to Cupid about throwing Kirk overboard. He must have thought Steve was incredibly funny because he kept bringing other staff over, telling Steve to tell them about the "splash in the night".

Throughout the cruise, I was set on getting just one good picture of the two of us. Since it really has been since our engagement pictures over 10 years ago. So I dragged Steve to every photographer on the ship. I'm sure to Carnival's joy, we found several!! I think we spent more on pictures than tips!

Steve and I are so grateful to be able to spend the week together. It was so nice to get away and remember each other a little bit, since that seems to get lost in the shuffle of kids and daily life. And it was even better to have such great friends to share it with!