My Lifesaver

That would be my husband.  He is truely my lifesaver.  He knew that I was having a challenging and frustrating time with our children, so he arranged for me to go visit my friend, Christine, in Seattle. Whatta guy, huh?  On November 4th, I fly into Seattle and will stay until November 7th.  Christine as lined up a day for just us girls...a visit to the spa, lunch, shopping...sounds devine, doesn't it?  I'm going to get the Warm Shea Butter Melt & Massage which is described as this:

Your cares melt away with the ultimate in hydration and nurturing relaxation. A nourishing sugar exfoliation is followed by a full-body warm shea butter massage. Enjoy a gentle facial cleanse and pressure point face and scalp massage while cocooned in a luxurious wrap. Because this is extraordinarily hydrating, it is wonderful for those with dry or sensitive skin. This premium therapy includes a Vichy shower.

What is a Vichy shower, you might ask?  Here is the desciption:

Our exclusive Vichy shower, which houses a triple rain bar and 14 massage jets to improve circulation, and revive your body and spirit.

So, needless to say, I am so super excited to go visit Christine...not just for the spa day! :)

After a long day of trying to keep my kids occupied, Joe swoops in to take over, giving me a much needed break.  I am so lucky to have a husband that is on the same page as me.  We really are equals, and I love that.

I do have to mention that my parents are my lifesavers as well.  I really don't know what I would do without them.  They are always available to help me if I need to run to the grocery store or the doctor, or if I just need a few minutes to breathe in peace and quiet!  I am so grateful and blessed that they moved to be closer to us!

Migraine update:

I think the new medication is working!  I take 900mg of gabapentin at night, and 300mg in the morning.  It makes me a little drowsy, but nothing I can't handle.  My migraines are less frequent and when I do get one, it is less intense and painful.  When I do get one, I take sumatriptan (generic Imitrex) or Treximet.  My neurologist wants to repeat the MRI in 6 months to make sure the white matter lesions haven't changed.  I am planning on getting a digital copy of the MRI and sending to my friend Gretchen, who is an MD specializing in radiology.  Lucky me, huh?  Can't hurt to have a second pair of eyes take a peek.  So yay, knock on wood, things are getting better!!!



My Baby Boy Turns 3!

How did 3 years go by so fast?  A friend of mine told me recently, "The days are long, but the years are short."  Isn't that the truth?!? 

There is so much to say about Nathan...how do I even sum it up?  He's sweet (when he's not having a tantrum,) he's funny (when he's not whinny,) he's a good brother (when he's not hitting Ella,) and he's a cuddler (all the time!)

Nate speeds around on his Spiderman bike like there's no tomorrow, and kicks a soccer ball right on target.  I may be stereotyping, but he is "all boy!"  He's my boy.  My big boy.  Always my baby.

Milwaukee Area Moms Unite!

I am president this year of this wonderful club, Suburban West Newcomers and Neighbors.  It is an amazing group of women and I am so grateful to have found this group. 

When Joe and I moved to New Berlin, we were parents to only one child, soon to be pregnant with our second.  We were the first couple to have a baby in our group of friends, and we lost touch with many of them.  We were at a different point in our lives.  We couldn't go out at a moments notice anymore.  We felt kinda isolated.  So we started looking for a church that suited our needs.  We soon came across this beautiful church in Elm Grove, Community United Methodist Church.



We were immediately welcomed into the church family and were given a "mentor" couple.  Now, I'm not one to get too "churchy" on people, but I do think God paired us up with this couple for a reason.  We are very good friends with Leslie and Jake to this day.  Leslie introduced me to many other moms and we discovered that we lived right in the same neighborhood. (They have since moved to another house, but are still in the metro-Milwaukee area.)  And here's where the story all fits together...

Leslie told me about a club she belonged to...Suburban West Newcomers. (We just recently added "Neighbors" to the title so established residents didn't feel like they couldn't join.)  Leslie was the co-chair of the Kids Club portion of the group, and I quickly joined because of this.  I needed to get out of the house on my days off and meet new people, give my kids a chance to socialize with children their age, and just be around other mothers!

I became very involved in the club and the following year became co-chair of Kids Club, with Anne, a newer member of the club.  Anne and I had a wonderful year planning outings, parties, and play groups.  Anne and I are now close friends, and she introduced me to Mom-to-Mom, a large group of mothers that meet every Wednesday morning at Brookfield Lutheran Church.  I get two hours of fellowship, learning, conversation, etc. all while my children are being taken care of in another room!  But this is a whole other post! 

Getting back to Newcomers...so now this year, I am president of the entire club.  A daunting task, but one I'm willing to take on.  I want to see this club succeed and flourish.  I want other women to join and feel welcome, just like I did.  We do so many fun things!  Ladies Night Out, where we try new restaurants, go to wine tastings, explore the city, and so much more!  And now we have Ladies Night In, where we watch movies, play games, do crafts, whatever!  Once a month we usually have a couples event so we can get the husbands involved...sometimes against their will.  But secretly, I like the like being forced into having other male friends!  We have a gourmet cooking/dinner event called Bon Appetit, which is starting to get up and running again.

I'll say it again...I am just so grateful for the women I have met.  I look forward to all of the different events throughout the month.  I have developed many strong friendships because of this club! 

Just a few of the ladies at our annual picnic