August Update

August has been filled with ups and downs ... from stressful work days to exciting milestones like Gabriel turning five years old and Giselle beginning to army crawl all in the same day. My kids are growing up and make our days joyful, interesting and of course hard on occasions.

Gabriel loves Chuck E. Cheese's and tells us "It's not just about cheese you know." However, he will most likely be an inventor or baker when he grows up going by what he is most interested in right now -- not counting his Bakugan's and cars of course. His latest invention is the "Super Double Scizor" - scissors with three blades. Not sure that would work, but love that his mind is always thinking. He says he's the "Ideamaker!" I guess he thought it was a good idea when he made "water art" as he called it on my kitchen walls. I'm just thankful it wasn't markers or water colors. He's full of ideas...and questions....one morning he crawls into bed with me and asks so randomly, "Mommy, what would happen if people's feet were on backwards?" I've never thought of this, but I guess we would all fall down. He also hides things in interesting areas. We found all his little soldiers stuffed into his golf club cover. One day Jim couldn't find his keys and wallet -- Gabriel had placed them into a kitchen drawer. Now we ask him when we can't find something because who knows if he has strategically placed them into something.

My favorite day of the week is Saturday mornings when our little hyper active tornado runs into our room to come snuggle with us. He immediately goes to Giselle's crib to see if she is "waked" up yet. We put the smiling baby between us and the four of us have a good laugh with him jumping, kissing her feet and her smiling and laughing at him. I keep thinking he will scare her, but he hasn't yet, in fact, she finds him endless entertainment.

Giselle is doing great and is just the happiest baby on the block -- and I didn't even have to use Dr. Karp's five step approach to calm fussy and colic babies..the author of "Happiest Baby on the Block". She smiles at everyone and only fusses at night when she has trouble settling herself down to sleep. But when she does cry, we just want to pull our hair out -- it's so hard to listen to a baby cry. I tell people the government should use that as a tactic to have enemies listen to a cry in a small room and they'll start talking in any interrogation situation. She's eating solids now, army crawling, puts everything in her mouth and is still a slobber goose. We all still call her Gisellie and we love her so much. She is such an added joy and blessing to our family.

I know, all this sounds good, right? What about the down part of August's ups and downs? My former boss, Critt Graham died on August 1st. He is the reason I am where I am in my career and he was such a great man. He has had a tremendous impact in the design community in Atlanta and will be greatly and deeply missed. Recession has hit hard and we're all working harder for less money, but I suspect that things will brighten up in the next few months if we can sustain. But the added stress has taken a toll on me and I'm trying to find ways to deal with it. Coupled with sleep deprivation and it makes it difficult, but I did manage to make it to a dance class twice and hope to take up yoga. Then, we were to head out to the beach for my birthday weekend -- we were all packed up and instead of driving to FL, we drove to the ER for Jim's stomach pain. They are running more tests and now that we have a new doctor who is willing to explore alternative solutions they will do a colonoscopy instead of rushing into a third surgery. So we stayed home and once he got out of the hospital, he and Gabriel baked me a brick, I mean, cake. I felt bad because it took them four hours, but I guess it's the thought that counts. (Addendum: Jim wanted me to add in here that the cake was overbaked due to the recipe being wrong...hehe. He's been on a quest ever since to make the perfect cake - yes I married a perfectionist!)

I'll end on a good note, and that was Gabriel's birthday party. It was the highlight of the month -- and we all have been enjoying Pirate cake made by Publix (leave the bricks to Jimmy).