Where the heck have I been. Working on some big this for this blog… and then I completely changed my mind! So I have been in limbo…
I will share more of what I have been working on tomorrow.
Then I will play catch up…need to be back on track! We have a huge Month ahead of us.
For now I will leave you with a few pictures!
In addition to this blog we have a few other outlets we use to rally support for Katy Girl. One of them is a Facebook Page Prayers For Katy Murphy which was so kindly set up by a great friend of mine, back when our future seemed so unknown and downright SCARY.
Here we are 10 Months later and our future is still very much unknown but, not as SCARY as it was back then. We have just been going about our life… still waiting for THE CALL, while driving from play dates, and trips to the zoo, and the weekly Dance Class that KATY LOVES and anticipates in weekly.
I was reminded of how very long we have been waiting when I got a message from Facebook telling me that the Prayers For Katy Murphy prayer page was going to be archived. Even Facebook thinks that wait has been to long and that it’s old news.
It feels like old news… I sometimes feel that it’s been so long, that people have forgotten about it. Maybe it’s because Katy is doing so well, we aren’t in clinic weekly, and have been without an admission for a long time ( fingers crossed we continue on this path) then I see a Katy Band on a complete stranger or am sent a kind email from someone telling me they added Katy to their churches pray list, or I see another donation made in Katy’s honor to our Children's Hospital Walk and I am reminded that we have so many people praying for us and especially for Katy each and every day!
So I took Facebook’s reminder and I rallied… I posted on Katy’s page an update and asking for some activity on her page, and you guys BLEW HER PAGE UP!!! Mike and I both enjoyed reading all your kind words, and it was just the pick me up we needed. I have been busy printing off the pages to save for Katy. She is a bit young to understand all your prayers or all that has been done for her, I want her to have them when she is older, so she can see how wonderful you all are.
Katy is getting older and starting to understand more, lately she has been telling people who ask how she is that she needs a heart transplant. She doesn’t know what that exactly means but, she knows she takes medicine to keep her heart healthy, and that Children’s is her hospital! She is amazing!
Thanks for following us on this journey! Thanks for your kind words and prayers.
Naptime:
Kate: Mommy…
Patrick: Daddy…
Kate: Mommy…
Patrick: Papa…
GIGGLES!
They love their papa!!!
DISCLAIMER: Huge Mommy brag…borderline OBNOXIOUS Mommy blog. Please DO NOT READ if you are sensitive to potty training or blogs about POOP!
Patrick is potty trained!
Just like that. I can’t hardly believe it. I never would have guessed it would be this easy. We are officially done with diapers (except bed time).
My budget is happy!!
I had decided not to push the issue with Patrick until July. In July he would have been two and a half and that seemed like a good time to start trying. I never thought that my two year old baby boy, would decide that he was ready to potty train himself one Saturday while I was at school. I called home to check in as I do every Saturday, and
Mike said “You’ll never guess what I am doing!”
Me “What?!?”
Mike: “Sitting with Patrick, while he tries to poop on the potty!”
Me: “STOP IT!!!!! What do you mean?! How did that happen?”
Mike: “ He wanted Big Boy underwear on.”
My little man has been sporting Big Boy underwear since. Get this… he has only had one accident! ONE! He holds it, (if we are in line checking out at the grocery store), he is just rocking it… no potty charts, no prize boxes ( he is happy picking a treat from his Easter Candy!)
I shouldn’t be surprised… it’s just who he is. So laid back and mellow… doing his own thing at his own time.
So proud of my little man.
8:50
Patrick: Help Me dada… Help me dada… DADDY HELP ME!!!
Mike: Not Happy…it’s bed time
Patrick: zipper me
( Patrick strips down to his diaper the second we close the door)
Mike: You want me to cover you?
Patrick: Jammies ON!
Mike: Ok Buddy…
Patrick: GIGGLE! GIGGLE!
Mike: your not going to be happy once you figure out what’s going on
Me (downstairs listening to the monitor) Laughing because I know Mike is putting his jammies on backwards.
Mike: Night buddy, night little girl I love you! See you in the morning.
Such a great daddy!!!
First I want to wish all the amazing moms in my life a very Happy Mother’s Day. This is the hardest job we’ll ever have but, it is with out a doubt the most rewarding, fulfilling, fabulous honor in the world.
I had a wonderful day. It started with the most beautiful babes in the world knocking on my door…(there awesome daddy…let me sleep in.) and shouting “Happy Mother’s Day!!!” Music to my ears. They had made me cinnamon rolls and cards with lots and lots of hearts. We kissed and cuddled and had a great morning.
Unfortunately I wasn’t feeling so great this morning. I had a killer headache and was not feeling up to making our traditional trip in to the Boston Commons. Hopefully, we will head in there this week.
So I settled for an early afternoon nap and a trip to the local park.
Thank you to all the important ladies in my life… who help me be the best mom I can be. Who have dried my tears, supported me, reassured me. I am proud to mother alongside you, and couldn’t do it without you.
To my husband, my rock. THANK YOU! For EVERYTHING! There is no one I would want by my side on the crazy, wonderful journey of parenthood. Thanks for supporting me and help me be the best mom I can be.
Katy, thanks for making me a mom!! Reminding me to enjoy each and everyday. I love you to the moon and back!
Patrick, I love you to Infinity and Beyond. Thanks for reminding me not to be to serious, and to laugh each day.
Lastly, I want to recognize all the women who for this day brings so much heartache to, who long for a child, who want so badly to be a mom. Please know from the bottom of my heart, I know the emptiness, a hallmark holiday like today can bring and I am so sorry. The pain that is caused by infertility is a pain like no other. I pray that your dreams come true.
Poem written by fellow heart mom Stephanie Husted reminded me of my girl!
I tucked her into bed tonight
(And adjusted her pillow and blankie)
It's been a long exhausting day
(And she sure has been cranky)
She threw every toy from her toy box
And she tossed all her lunch on the floor
She begged me to go out to play
(She just wouldn't let go of the door)
Most people cannot comprehend
The things she has been through
They tell me... "I just can't imagine..."
"How you do all the things that you do."
I sigh... just because they don't realize
How could they ever know?
Just what a precious gift it is
To watch my child grow.
I still remember clearly
Our days in ICU
Hoping, praying, wondering
What were you going through?
Stroking your hand...feeling helpless
Whispering words in your ear
"It's alright my baby"
"Mommy is right here".
Helpless...scared...bewildered
Wanting to just see you smile
Thinking..."I"m not strong enough"
To make it through this trial.
Knowing that... not all children
Survive these surgeries
Day by day...with patience
Constantly praying...for peace.
And so...that is the "secret"
To doing the things...I must do
There is no perfect...inner strength
I guess God brought us through.
And so...when I see... footprints
All over my freshly mopped floor
Or gooey dried banana's
Smudged on the living room door
I wipe it off...with just a smile
Just praying for more to appear
These are my reminders
I'm blessed to have her here.
I tucked her into bed tonight
And as I walked away
I looked up for a moment...and said
"Thank you...for "today".
~Stephanie Husted
We hear lots of funny things over the baby monitor. For the most part it’s just singing and giggling, but sometimes it is down right funny conversations between Kathryn and Patrick.
Kate: You call mommy, and I’ll call daddy.
Patrick: OK
Katy: DADDY
Patrick: DADA
Katy: No, Patrick you call mama
Patrick: Mommmmmmy
Katy: Daddy
Repeat.
Ahh… here it is a Tuesday at nap time… been far to long since my last blog. Sometimes there is so much to share…others I am struggling to find something to say.
I have been busy. I am slowly catching up on the books… scrapbooks that is. Decided to do a different method of scrapbooking for our 2011 Family Album. I am doing my version of Becky Higgins’ Project Life with a lot of Ali Edwards’ influence.
I wasn’t sure I would like it… Mike was even less sure…turns out we both really like it. It’s more like a blog then a traditional scrapbook… it highlights the ordinary every day things, that I don’t want to forget. It gives me lots of freedom to add items, (notes, cards, calendar pages etc.,) I love it! I love that it is representation of our life right now. A busy family of four. Our daily grind. 10, 20, 50 years from now I will be able to look back in that album and be transformed to the 30 year old mom with two babes, a husband and dog and cat. Who liked to scrapbook and knit, sip wine with friends, shop at Target… I will really see what was important to me then (now)
I don’t think it will take the place of our yearly albums… but, it’s a fun project right now. It also gives me the opportunity to get “caught up” Stay caught up. The pictures in that album are current… pictures from Easter are already printed and in an album on my shelf…begging to be looked at!
In addition to that I am working on Katy’s 1st year (traditional scrapbook) and 3rd year digital scrapbook.
I have also been busy working on orders for grads, communions and another wedding! Yay for working doing something I love!!
So Katy has been listed for 9 MONTHS… that is 5 months longer then I expected. We chatted with the team regarding how long its been… they agree its been a long time. They are also so pleased with how well our little girl and her oh, so special heart are doing. So we continue to wait, and its amazing how we have just adapted to this life. It’s not until a new person learns of our story, that I am reminded of just how incredible and life altering our life is. That we could not be any less normal….yet is just that our normal. But, when the phone rings at 10:15 pm on a Thursday night with an anonymous private number in any other household the mom doesn’t get a lump in her throat…while yelling to her husband that the phone is ringing afraid but also excited to answer the phone thinking that this could be THE CALL… the call that will forever change our life and the life of our little girl… and then in the seconds from when you say hello… to when you realize it’s the wrong number… your hopes and dreams and fears all come crashing down, you realize that there is nothing normal about this life.
Normal or not… it’s a wonderful life and I wouldn’t change it for a thing!
I was reminded once again how selfish and useless some people are… and I made the decision to let them go… not an easy decision but an overdue and necessary decision. Our time is precious, I want to only surround us with people who are loving, caring and understanding to our very unique situation. Some people will NEVER get it… that’s their issue. I will not spend anymore of our energy on them. There are so many things that are more important.
So that is that…naptime is almost over and I see a trip to the park in our future!
