Spring Break and Easter

I cannot believe the whirlwind we've been a part of recently. We have been super active in a really enjoyable sort of way. Not too much of go go go, but planned out days of joy and activity. I'll start with Easter day and go backward to Spring Break.

Connor of course loved all of the goodies in his Easter basket. Last year he got fruit snacks, but this year, he got real candy. Jellybeans to be exact, and he was thrilled. We are still using the jellybeans as incentives and treats for good behavior....otherwise known as bribes. He got another cardboard book, and even a Veggie Tales movies in his basket. Church was wonderful, and Aunt Kaitlyn even performed on stage in 252. She didn't get to pick out an Easter Dress this year knowing she was volunteering on stage, but I think Connor looked Easter enough for all of us! I enjoyed putting his entire ensemble together this year, and didn't buy an already put together outfit. I like being "Stylist Mommy" just call me Kristin Zoe.

Connor LOVED finding Easter eggs. He didn't need them easily spread around the grass, he actually looked for the hidden ones, and wanted more when we were all done. I kept re-hiding the eggs in new places, and he was a very happy little boy. Our eggs are worth $$ in our family, and he made a pretty little penny to put in his piggy bank. Grandma Glenda really knows how to make things fun. She also gave Connor an Easter basket, and of course included presents! I think he was more thrilled with his basket from Grandma, but she found him a Little Einsteins Rocket and that couldn't have been any more perfect. She's the perfect grandma. 

 Spring Break was wonderful! For once we didn't have any major travel plans, and we were able to enjoy our time locally. Our church had Sunday School Easter Celebration to start the week complete with an egg hunt, bounce house, and tractor pull. Connor was THRILLED! I don't know what he loved more, but the squeals of delight on the tractor ride were hysterical. It was a good intermission from our trips to Disney. You can't beat the fact that "His Isla" was there, and followed her around like a puppy dog. 

 The next day we woke up and traveled to Tampa to see a Red Sox Spring Training game. Darlene always knows how much we appreciate the tickets to anything Red Sox. His first Red Sox game ever was because of Darlene. This was a treat for sure. We were in a box suite right behind home plate complete with all of the baseball food you can eat. Connor knew exactly who to cheer for, and "Go Red Sox" was a common phrase repeated throughout the day. Everyone thought he was the cutest Red Sox fan! It was so much fun! We even walked out of the tunnel with the players, and Connor walked right up to Xander Bogaerts for his autograph. We had no gate to stand behind, and the team was just there. It was surreal. You can only imagine how excited Tim was. Plus the Red Sox won! On our way back home that night we even stopped to meet brand new baby, Colton Stalions, and it ended the day perfectly!

 The rest of the week found us at TY park with friends, brunch at Cheesecake Factory, spent time with baby Miracle, and even got to see Aunt Heather and Uncle Josh. Connor was such a good boy the entire week with mommy, and it only makes me look forward to summer even more. He did transition well to being back with Grandma and Kaitlyn once the week was over, and even "misses" them when we are in the car just driving home from their house. His time at their house is his favorite. I love that it's his special place. I made him a Sight Word book recently on Shutterfly, and that has been our new goal. With as smart as he is, he loves learning new things. His book focuses on "I, see, my, like, and". Grandma started a few color words at her house, and he has mastered red, blue, green, and yellow. I included a video below just from tonight. Can you believe he's not even 2 1/2 yet? Smarty pants dance, smarty pants dance!!!

First ER Trip

Well, it finally happened.  After almost 2.5 years of Connor walking this Earth (and many close calls), we finally ended up in the Emergency Room.  Strangely, it had nothing to do with Connor acting out his boyish tendencies, he simply fell victim to a crazy-aggressive stomach bug.  I can’t help but feel some responsibility towards this unfortunate turn of events since it is highly likely that I am the one who passed it to my poor sweet little boy (with an assist from Disney World).  It all started last weekend.  The family took a weekend trip to Disney to celebrate Aunt Kaitlyn’s 13^th birthday.  The three of us remained at Disney for the weekend so Connor could visit with some of his favorite Disney Junior Characters (see last week’s blog).  Sunday morning, I (being Tim) woke up with the sudden inability to keep anything in my stomach.  It was terrible.  Not even something I would wish on my worst enemies.  We had planned the entire time to hang out on Sunday in Orlando and meet up with Heather, Josh and Hilary (who was flying in from VA later that morning) before heading home Sunday evening.  With me being sick, we talked it over and decided that we should just stick to the plan since it was probable just related to something I had eaten the night before and should pass soon.  Cue Connor’s introduction to the world of vomit. 

Keep in mind, not only had we not had to make a trip to the ER, Connor had never even thrown up to this point in his life.  That all changed, and it was not fun.  Long story short, we ended up making ourselves temporary houseguests at Hospital deRose where Josh took great care of us (it pays to know people in the health care world).  Kristin had not been infected by our nasty virus so she was able to enjoy the day the best she could with Heather and Hilary.  Finally, later that evening Connor and I were both feeling “ok” enough to make the trek home.  Though the car ride to the deRose house had many more stops, thankfully, we only had to stop twice to get home and Kristin drove the entire way,. 

By Monday morning, I was feeling run down, but for the most part I had gotten over the hump of the virus.  Connor was not so lucky.  Although his vomiting had calmed down, he was still having a lot of trouble processing anything that went into his mouth.  We tried out hardest to get him to eat anything and keep him hydrated but that proved to be difficult.  Tuesday morning this really began to get crazy.  I was feeling up to a full day at work so I was out the door early.  Kristin had been fighting flu like symptoms for a while and finally decided it best to take a day and rest so she stayed home with Connor.  Poor girl probably regretted that decision as soon as she made it.  On Tuesday alone, Connor (who is potty trained when healthy) went through over 20 diapers.  It was so sad.  Tuesday nights I facilitate a Bible study near our home in Hollywood.  Kristin stayed home I went with the understanding that I would come home right after it finished.  About 8:15, Kristin sent me a text message asking when I was coming home.  I texted back that we had just finished and I was on my way.  When I got home, I could see that Connor was not doing well.  He was screaming and clearly in a lot of discomfort.  Kristin and I talked and decided it best that I take him to the Pediatric Associates that is near our house.  It is only a few blocks away and we thought it remained open until 9:00pm.  We were wrong.  It closed at 8:30; I got there at 8:40.  So there we are, sitting in an empty parking lot with a screaming, sick child in the back seat.  I decided it might be wise to call the afterhour’s number and speak to a nurse about what was going on.  Can I just say that calling that number proved to be a waste of time?  They were no help and down-right rude.  As I sat there trying to get any information I could from this waste of a phone call, Connor proceeds to projectile vomit all over the back seat of the care (did I mention we were in Kristin’s car?).  I immediately hung up with the woman I was arguing with; I was ready to take him to the hospital.  Kristin had been ready to take that step a lot sooner but I resisted.  While Kristin was getting ready at home and grabbing some necessities, I decided it might be wise to take as much vomit soaked stuff out of the car as I could.  This of course included his box of toys, some jackets and his entire car seat that now needed to be completely cleaned.  We changed Connor, jumped into my car and were off.

Thankfully, we only live 5 minutes from a great children’s hospital (Joe DiMaggio at Memorial Regional).  We pulled into the emergency room and checked in around 9:15pm.  Connor was so spent that he literally crashed.  Glenda and Kaitlyn met us there for moral support but when it became clear that we were probably going to be in the waiting room a while, we convinced them that it was alright to go home (not to mention Glenda has started to come down with the same thing Connor and I had been fighting).  After about an hour and a half of waiting, we were called back.  They brought us to this cute little room where they had Connor lie on the bed.  They hooked the poor little guy up to all sorts of machines to read his vitals.  That alone was enough to break mommy and daddy’s heart and all the sensors were external.  After getting all the readings, the Doctor on call (Dr. Joseph) came in and checked him out.  She ordered an IV drip with fluids to rehydrate and Zofran to assist with his nausea as well as blood work to rule out anything serious.  They determined that the best mode of action was to put the IV needle in his right hand.  Connor is thankfully blessed with veins like his mommy so they didn’t have to work hard to find a good one.  I can honestly say, I am so proud of how our little guy handled the whole situation.  When it came time to stick the needle in his hand, Connor didn’t fight and only complained a little.  Far better than anticipated.  Thankfully, on the way out the door Kristin grabbed our Ipad so Connor had something to watch (Little Einstein’s) as his IV bag drained. 

The IV took a little over an hour but we still had to wait for the blood results.  Thankfully the results came back negative to anything bad.  They determined it was just a run of the mill stomach virus that he was having trouble shaking.  They wrote us a script for Zofran and probiotics and sent us on our way around 2:30am.  On top of all that, the car still needed to be cleaned.  Longest night we have had in a very long time. After he lived on Zofran for a few days, and introducing the probiotics into his system, he finally started to shake it by Saturday. The probiotics were probably the most difficult thing to find. Everywhere we went they were out. This bug is really going around. Whole Foods came through with Strawberry-Banana Probiotic Popsicles. He did lose a lot of weight from not eating for a week, but I’m sure he’ll gain it back. It’s hard to look at his little face and see how hard this past week has been on him.

I knew we would eventually need to make a trip to the ER.  Like I said earlier, with as hard as Connor goes all the time I am surprised it took this long and it was for something relatively minor but it was still nerve raking nonetheless.  As a parent, there is no feeling worse than the helpless feeling you get when you have to sit and stare at your child lying on a hospital bed hooked up to machines.  Our experience was as good as we could have hoped.  I am grateful that we live so close to such a great children’s hospital. I know that if we ever need to go back, Connor will be in good hands but it would not break my heart if I never have to see the inside of that building again. 

March Madness

 I feel like March has just flown by, and if I think about it, it really has. That's what happens when you have a full schedule and a million things on your plate. From opening and closing a show, to celebrating Kaitlyn turning 13 at Disney we've been busy bees.

 We opened and closed High School Musical Jr. March 5 and 6, and what a whirlwind it was. I think I have been eating, breathing, and sleeping the show for the past few weeks (though we have been rehearsing since October), and it was a joy to see it all come together. The kids did an outstanding job and I couldn't be any more proud. My mom was a godsend running sound (and a million other things), Kaitlyn helped with backstage, and Tim was my videographer. Connor was interesting through the entire process, and truly enjoys running across the stage during rehearsals, and being a good boy during show time! I can't wait to see him up on stage in his first performance. I know he'll be a natural. It was a blessing also to have such support from friends who came to see the show as well. You have no idea how much that meant to me, and it won't be something I ever forget. I am lucky!

 Kaitlyn is 13.......THIRTEEN!!! Can you believe it? Though the personality has been there, she is officially a teenager and a beauty at that. She is a joy, and we love her so much!

 For her special birthday we went where else, but Disney World. It was a gorgeous day, with perfect weather and we had a blast. She was certainly a princess for the day and we ate in Belle's castle for lunch and had reservations at Cinderella's castle for dinner. Who wouldn't love that? She got to pick what we did for the day, and of course she wanted a spin on the tea cups. Not only are they a favorite of hers by going super fast, but Connor loves them too!!! He squeals with delight at the slightest turn. He insists we go on them every visit!

Our evening at the castle was delightful and we even got a spectacular view of the Wishes Fireworks. The castle has always been a place we go for special occasions and this was the perfect opportunity. There was a huge hole with Casey not being there, but next year he will be. It's never the same if one family member is missing.  Kaitlyn was delighted none-the-less. Who could resist dining like royalty? The food was delicious, the company perfect, and Connor was even interested in the Disney girls. They couldn't get enough of him, and each requested special little kisses on the cheek from our little charmer.

 The princesses were great and all, but Kaitlyn really was the beauty of the evening. She is stunning inside and out. I can't get over the young woman she is turning into, and how proud of her we are. Connor can't get enough of his favorite Aunt, and we can see why. She is never above getting down on the floor and playing with him, and always knows just what he needs. She also knows exactly how to rile him up and make mom and dad go crazy. No wonder she's a favorite!!!

 After Kaitlyn's birthday we spent a second day at the parks. We got to dine and dance with some of Connor's friends from Disney Jr. including Oso, June, Jake, and Manny. Connor was on cloud nine, and I see us dining there often. It was perfect for him! To see his eyes light up each time a friend came by the table was wonderful, and watching him warm up and freely dance around the room with them was so endearing. Daddy endeared himself to the waitstaff by dancing with him at first to help him warm up.

 We spent some more time with our Disney Jr. pals and Connor even got some gold doubloons!! We missed the show when they were still performing his current favorite, Little Einsteins, but Connor loved it and didn't know any different. We got to see Apprentice Mickey and even Ralph and Venelope while we were in the area. He was in character heaven!

We spent the evening at Animal Kingdom and made the last Safari ride to see the animals. That's Connor's favorite. If I had to choose I think the first ride of the day is much better than the last ride, but he was thrilled since he loves it so much. It was neat seeing the trainers feeding the elephants these huge treats though. I appreciated that! No giraffes though, and those are Connor's favorite. He kept asking where they were, and we told him they went "night night". We caught the Lion King show, and Connor got to see his giraffe, sure it wasn't real, but it was huge!!! We had a wonderful day.

It has been a season for sure, and I'm ready to slow down a bit. I think I worked myself so hard my body finally said enough. I came down with a major cold Thursday, and am still trying to recover from it. Sadly, Tim and Connor caught a stomach virus while we were at Disney and were down for the count on Sunday. What a day that was. Connor's first experience with throwing up, and all he could say was "Mommy, my belly hurts". Poor baby. His stomach is still not right. I can't believe the affects the one virus has had.

I'm going to miss our rehearsal time. It was a joy to spend time and invest in these kids. Connor had fun playing with them too, and they couldn't get over how smart he was. He would spell his name, count, name his colors, and even tell them shapes if they asked. His verbal skills never cease to amaze me, and he talks so much. He is such a big helper, always wants to learn, and is full of energy. I have to admit though, my favorite is when he sings.

Click HERE to view the photo memory book I created for my cast. An insider view into our show!

Petersen Milestones

2 Timothy 4:7 "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

 Last weekend Tim ran in the Ft. Lauderdale A1A Half-Marathon for the second year in a row. He did outstanding! His goal was to break 2 hours, and his official time was 1:55:29!!!! What guy! We are so proud of him. You should have heard the shouting going on at the finish line. It was an unusually frigid February morning and we bundled up Connor under many layers to keep him warm. Grandma Glenda put him on her shoulders and I had my hands full with two cameras! Connor would say, "Race daddy, race!!"

 Daddy really is number 1! After he finished we went home, cleaned up, and off to church we went. I love that he sets such a good example for Connor. It helps that Connor now goes into his nursery easily and willingly. He loves his friends in his class and can't wait to see them now.

 Connor is certainly growing and maturing. He has spent most of this week in big boy underwear and is doing great!!! Grandma Glenda is so wonderful and makes him certificates, and gives him treats for successful days at her house. We tend to put him in a diaper to sleep but otherwise he's been living in the big boy world! Even if we are out and about when he tells us he has the urge, he is able to hold it until we find a potty, though it is usually Tim or I RACING to the nearest bathroom saying "hold it, hold it, hold it". It is a sight for sure, and a great parenting  rite of passage.

I have spent the better part of this month at stress level 10 in preparation for this year's school play, High School Musical. We have been working on it since October and we're in the home stretch. One more week of rehearsals and then on with the show. We are still polishing and working on sets, and we're about to start Tech Week. I see a million things that could go wrong, and a million things that still need work, and a million things that aren't ready for use, but I also see a wonderful accomplishment for my students, and I am so proud of them! If and when it all comes together we can all sit back with something to be proud of. In the meantime Tim is helping me find ways throughout the week to relax. He's even been doing an excellent job with dinners!!! I love my two boys, we'll finish this race together.

Disney....again

I know, I know, I know what you're thinking....didn't you just go to Disney World. Well, yes. And to be honest we've been once a month since November, and if you think about it we went to Disneyland in October. So, we're Disney people, no biggie. The first weekend of the month tends to be a good time for us recently.

 Connor has jumped right on board with our love of the Mouse. It is so sweet to hear him get excited about going to "Dinny Wirl". We have a plan in place with which rides are on the top of our list according to importance for our little big boy. We started our first day at Hollywood Studios, and ended the evening at Magic Kingdom. The next morning we went to Animal Kingdom and then got to enjoy a special lunch with Aunt Heather and Uncle Josh.

 We were so excited to take Connor to the Disney Jr Show at Hollywood Studios but sadly it was closed. We made sure to do Toy Story Mania, and Connor enjoys whirling around and watching the 3D images. At Magic Kingdom he is a huge fan of the Speedway Racers and the Airplane Choo-Choo otherwise known as the Barnstormer. He squeals on the Tea Cups and Dumbo, and this time even enjoyed some high flying on a Magic Carpet Ride. He always loves the Carousel, and this time the Electro-Magic Parade and Wishes (fireworks) were seen through the eyes of our enchanted 2 year old.

 We got to enjoy the Train at both Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. Both are always fun, but on Rafiki's Wildlife Express we got to enjoy special views of the Rhino's who weren't out on the Safari plains. That is another favorite of Connor's, the Kilimanjaro Safari ride. He goes bananas over seeing the giraffe's and this particular trip they were running around and playing. What a treat for all of us. I cannot express enough what a joy it is to experience Disney with our little boy. It was always special to us, but now it is magical. We did things this trip like watching Lights, Motors, Action, and the Backlot Tour that we haven't done in ages. Connor ate it up. I'm looking forward to our next trip where we will be celebrating a very special person's birthday...

Connor is very lucky because recently there has been a huge delivery from the stork of potential future girlfriends. All joking aside, even if there are no sparks later, it is so exciting to be meeting all of these beautiful little girls who I know will be play friends for Connor. I see years ahead of us of the joy and fun that will be had as they grow up together. Little Mackenzie isn't here yet, but Connor has been very patient with mommy as she and grandma sewed away to make her a very special quilt. Each of these gorgeous girls are so special, and we have prayed for each of them so much. What a miracle it is to watch life unfold before us, stitched together by an ultimate quilter. Each square of fabric working together to create a masterpiece.