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Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Comfort in a book....

Holdyn wears his emotions on his sleeve. I have known this about him, and I adapt our life around it so we don't have any more unnecessary anxiety in this house! I know what upsets him, and I usually can prevent it, and I do so if possible. (Can't deny he is my child!) He is a very visual child. To help with Baily's passing, I made him the little 'photo book' (see previous post) of he and Bay. He has been sleeping with it the past few nights. Tonight I had to go to the airport to pick up MawMaw and Pops. It was past the kids bedtime, so a sweet neighbor, Mrs. M came and sat with the kids since it was a school night and Hadley would definetely already be asleep. Holdyn was wide awake (and so was Hyres... He has transformed into full time Alpha dog and is REALLY showing it trying to be a 'big boss protector' when people come over). I just told him an hour before about Mrs. M coming over so if he woke up and came looking for me, he wouldn't be scared to see her, and not me. Well there went all his worrying.... "Well what should I call her?" "Well what if I forgot what she looks like?" It will ALL be fine little boy! He got himself so worked up that he was wide awake. He remembered her as soon as he saw her, and he calmed down a bit. She went to lay with him and watch a movie as I left. After I got home, Mrs. M said they were watching a show and all of a sudden out of the blue he looked at her and said "Hey, wanna look at my book?" She said sure, I would love to. Guess what book he pulled out....... The photo book of he and Baily!!! How sweet is that little man?!! I guess it is really helping him visually.

This was a few weeks ago at a fishing tournament. We didn't take Hadley since it was a LONG day and it lasted well in to the night. Holdyn never skipped a beat and never slowed down. That child was still on auto pilot at the firework display at 9:30!! We ended up leaving around 10:30-11 after a sit down dinner. He was at 'mental breakdown' status at that point!

Small Things

It's the small things in life that make me smile :)
 
Finding this on my night stand.... A book I made for Holdyn and he customized the cover...
 filled with tons of pictures of him and Baily....
 A fire engine pillow in my bed....
 4 stuffed doggies and 1 koala bear, all neatly lined and covered up with blankie (LOL!)....
 The essential things that Holdyn brings to my bed that he must sleep with for our spend the night parties :)
 Sweet momma's boy!


Finding itty bitty shoes aligned perfectly with mine... Hadley is catching on that we don't usually wear shoes in the house. She has been taking hers off and leaving them outside. I guess today she decided to put them together :)

 


Monday, August 27, 2012

Manic Monday

Just another Manic Monday..... A rainy Monday at that and the forecast looks that way for most of the week... blah! Our 'punch card' at the ice cream shop was filled and our next one was free, so since I had to run by Publix, I decided to run in and let Hadley get some ice cream. She immediately said "I want the blue kind". I knew she was talking about the flavor "Spiderman" that she and Holdyn always get. It has bright colors and they obviously love it. It was a fun rainy day treat just for her! It got all over her and her carseat... lovely!! Looks like one more thing for me to wash while she is at school tomorrow!
 
When we got home, we checked the mail and there was a box addressed to Holdyn. I had a feelng I knew who it was from, so I just left it so Holdyn could get it when he got home. Holdyn LOVES getting mail. My grandfather and other various family members are awesome about sending him a short "Hi" letter and sometimes taping a penny to the note just so Holdyn can get mail. He hasn't gotten any mail in awhile and just this weekend he asked why he doesn't get mail anymore, so I knew this would be extra special for him.

 
He got home, and after having some help opening the box, we found a note inside.....

 
That sneaky Ms. Debbie!! Ms. Debbie was so sweet and was on stand-by last week and came over when we needed her to so Robbie and I could go to the vet alone on Friday evening. She has been so sweet to our family and always been there for us through the good and through the bad. We love her to pieces.
 
Holdyn opened it up and in shock he said "Is it Bay, mom?!!" I told him I didn't know, so open it so we could see.
 
He screamed "It IS Bay mom!!! It even has spots JUST like Baily does!!" I had to turn my head away. It was making my eyes fill with tears.


Hadley asked to hug Bay....
 
I know this is something he will cherish forever and I KNOW it will join the collection of 3 fire dogs that he sleeps with every night!
Thank you SO much, Ms. Debbie for your love for not only my family, but mainly my children.... who mean the world to me. They have been through an emotional roller coaster this week, and you have been right there by our side to help them heal and comfort them. This new "Baily" couldn't have come at a better time! We love you!!

Sunday, August 26, 2012

In the blink of an eye

In the blink of an eye, things can change. Your world can change.... sometimes for the best, sometimes for the worst. You never know what is going to happen in the next second, minute, hour, day, week, month, or year. In our case, it has been a week. Exactly one week ago I took this picture on Sunday night:
I had no idea the very next morning would be the begining of an entire week long of uncertainty and a roller coaster of emotions and multiple unexpected moments. I am so glad I took this picture. It was right before I went to bed. I always go and check on both kids before I go to bed every night. I have 10 million pictures of Holdyn and Baily and don't always go get the camera and take a picture when they are together, but I think I remember telling myself to go and take the picture cause Bay was sleeping on one of Holdyn's pillows and I knew showing him that the next morning would make him laugh.

Tonight Holdyn asked me if he could sleep with Baily's bed. It is what Baily slept on every night at home and in the doggie hospital and it is what she was wrapped in when she passed away. I will never get rid of it. I will eventually take the shell and fold it in a box in the attic. When we brought it home on Friday night, I immediately put it in the washer from all the germs at the vet. It came out of the dryer this morning, and tonight I was re-stuffing it with the bedding. I was going to leave it out this week to see if Hyres wanted to use it for the time being. Maybe that would keep him from darting under my bed... just maybe! Holdyn saw me putting it back together and I guess that is why he asked for it.

Here we are a week later, and things aren't the same around here. Tonight on Sunday night, Holdyn's sleeping arrangements look a little different.... there is no Bay, but he has the comfort of Bay's bed!


Baily was the 'alpha' dog. She would go out the doggie door first when she had to go potty then Hyres was 'allowed' to go. Well now Hyres just stands on the porch. It's like he is waiting for Bay to come out and go out the door first so he can go out and go to the bathroom. I am having to walk outside with him and make him go. Hopefully he will get over this soon. He used to go to our bedroom alone around 9 everynight for bed. It was like he was going to a certain 'spot' to sleep and he wanted to get there before Baily did so he could have the first selection. He hasn't done that all week. He lays at my feet and waits until I go to bed then he walks with me. There is no one to 'steal' his favorite sleeping spot anymore.

Hyres is wanting to go to bed now, and since he won't go by himself anymore, he is laying here waiting for me. I don't know if he looks tired, sad, or a little of both. I guess it's time to go tuck him in bed also!

Thursday, August 23, 2012

A visit with Bay

Hyres seems sad and a bit lost.
 
There are no words to describe our feelings tonight.

Pure unconditional love
 
Daddy and his 2 baby girls

 Our entire family together. Something we will cherish forever. This might just be Christmas Card worthy :)  Our builder and our very good friend works very close to the vet office and he came by on his way to work this morning to take some pictures for us while we were there visiting. Pictures we will cherish forever.
We are taking the kids in the morning to see Bay one last time. My heart physically hurts.
 

Wednesday, August 22, 2012