Beloved Hunter

As many of you read in my previous post we were having some health concerns with Hunter. We thought we had identified the problem and were solving it. However after being on the medication for over a week he was still getting worse. Not eating or drinking and having a hard time going to the bathroom. He was hiding out from us, which is not is usual behavior. He is usually all over us and always with us. Brad called the vet yesterday to discuss what we were seeing and the vet said we needed to bring him in right away. Basically we would either have to put him through very extensive testing to find out what was going on, which was most likely something very serious. As the vet said this is going to be something more than just a "band-aid" or we would need to put him down. This was such a hard decision, but we tried to remove the emotion from the situation and focus on what was best for Hunter. That being said we knew we needed to put him to rest. Putting him through all the testing, having him be miserable and at his age it just didn't seem humane. We put him to rest last night at my mom and Tim's. They have a flag pole, on a hill, on their land that has other beloved pets by it. Hunter was a wonderful cat and we will miss him dearly.

When we picked up the girls I told Kaylee and at first she asked if he had gone with the monster, and that she doesn't like monsters. I said no, Hunter was very sick and he died so he won't be at home anymore. She asked where he went and I said to heaven. That was it until we were on our way to mom's, which we didn't say we were burying him, we stayed up by the house while Brad and Tim did that, she brought it up again. Here's how it went:

Kaylee: I think he will come back home.
Me: no K-K he is gone and won't be home because he died and now he's resting in Heaven.
Kaylee: why?
Me: Because he his tummy was very sick
Kaylee: Who put something in his tummy?
Me: No one did, it just happens sometimes when animals get older
Kaylee: I didn't mean to hurt him
Me: (Trying to hold back the tears) You didn't hurt him, you took very good care of him and he loved you very much.
Kaylee: I want my kitty back
Me: I know but he is resting in Heaven now

That was pretty much it. When we got out of the car at mom's she ran over to mom and Tim and said that Hunter died and then just kept running around and didn't say anything since. I'm sure there will be other times she will bring it up. So far it's as good as can be expected. but he was definitely a part of our family and we will all miss him dearly. May he rest in peace.

Poor Hunter

Our cat, Hunter, or Hunter B as he is affectionately called, went to the vet last week. It's the time of the year for both animals to go but Hunter was having some other issues as well. When we lived in Chicago he had some stones removed, and while he has been fine for the last 5 or 6 years he was starting to show some signs of problems. Fortunately it is just a minor infection and he is on some medication to clear it up, but there weren't any signs of stones.
What I wasn't expecting was Kaylee's reaction. Brad took Hunter dropped Hunter off on Wednesday, on his way to work, and Kaylee was very concerned about where he was going and making sure he was coming back. When Brad brought him home that night Kaylee anxiously wanted Daddy to "give her back the cat". I started thinking it will be a difficult day, for both obvious reasons and newly realized reasons, when Hunter and Abby aren't around.
Since having kids I always get excited about sharing in the happy and fun experiences in life. We've been very blessed that we haven't had to introduce any of the not so fun experiences in life, as when they've happened the girls have been to young to really understand anything going on. As Kaylee is getting older she's showing how much more she understands and it will be a sad day when she realizes that some parts of life are sad. But I have faith that whenever that day comes for her, and Ainsley, they will persevere through those experiences with love and support from family and friends, just as Brad and I have been blessed with.

1 Year & 3 Year Results

Friday Brad and I took the girls to the doctor for the annual yearly physicals. This is another nice thing about their birthdays being close together! I would like to say it went smoothly however that would not be true. Kaylee, while physically is fine, she was not very happy to be there. From the moment they asked her to take her shoes off to be measured and weighed it was MELTDOWN OVERLOAD!

Now let me just say I love Kaylee more than I ever thought you could love anyone. She is extremely smart, creative, and can tell jokes like no other. But she is also very Type A and high-strung, very high-strung. So when she is stressed or has anxiety it comes full-force. We were able to get her height, weight, blood pressure, and temperature and she was able to put her shoes back on. After that she mellowed out and was her normal talkative self. However she had to take her clothes off for the rest of the exam and it did not go well. We got everything accomplished but Brad ended up taking her all the way outside to get her calmed down. YIKES! She's doing well about taking deep breaths to calm herself down but it's definitly a work in progress!

Ainsley on the other hand was just fine and even did some of her tricks, like making her fishy noise when asked what a fishy says. She got 3 shots and she didn't cry after the first, she did after the last 2 but I think it was more of a "stop poking me already". We are blessed and thankful to have 2 healthy and happy children, even if they may get a little too close to the edge sometimes!

Here are their stats:

Kaylee McKenna Busing: 38 3/4 inches tall and 35 lbs. She is 97% for height and 90% for weight. She is long and lean and is basically physically and developmentaly a 4 year-old despite only being 3. We were very proud that Kaylee impressed them inspite of her best efforts.

Ainsley Isabella Busing: Our peanut! She is 19lbs. 4oz. and 29 1/2 inches long. This puts her at 60% for Height and 15% for weight! Now she turned 1 on May 1, so we are almost out of May, I can't imagined what her stats would've been if we would've gone closer to her birthday. I'm sure pretty close to what they are now, but I at least thought she would be 20lbs. They said she would probaly always be on the smaller side, although she eats like a horse (she ate 3 graham crackers just waiting for her exam), but that it's mostly just her genetic make-up. No concerns as she consistantly grows.

It's so interesting to have 2 very similar, yet very different children. I think I tend to notice the developmental differences more because they are almost exactly 2 years a part. I think they are a good mix and there differences will able to them to stand on their own and allow them to have a better relationship together.

Beauty- A Poem by Audrey Hepburn

I came to know this poem through a meeting I went to at work. Audrey Hepburn wrote it and years later it was read at her funeral. Some of you may have heard this before, however it was the first time I had ever heard this poem. I think it speaks volumes about what is really important when talking about "beauty". Many people in society would agree with my thoughts and the meaning within the poem, the sad part is somehow society won't change. Having battled a self-esteem and "beauty" my whole life, and now having 2 daughters this seems like a much bigger issue then ever before. I suppose in life that is how it works, when something seems to only be an issue for you, not as big of a deal as when it becomes a potential issue for someone you love.
I find myself constantly telling my girls I love them and how pretty they are, but I also make it a point to tell them specific reasons why I am proud of them. When I taught I always thought it was important to do the same with students and their parents. Instead of just saying "Joey is doing a great job" I wanted to be specific about what he was doing "great" in. After all when someone is doing something wrong we are very quick to point out what exactly it is they are doing wrong.
I want my girls to know specific things they do that make them "beautiful" (notice I stated things they do, not features they have). I want Kaylee to know I appreciate her ability to remind me of things and her seemingly photographic memory, her willingness to share and how she wants to make Ainsley smile. I want Ainsley to know I appreciate her laid back attitude, her ability to make us laugh, and her willingness to to always go with the flow. As they get older and continue to grow and develop it's attributes such as the above that I want them to be proud of and that I want them to strive to do well in. Yes, grooming and being presentable is important, but I don't want the importance of what society places on a person's looks dictate who they are and what they strive to be. So I will get off of my soapbox and give you what Audrey Hepburn wrote when asked to share "Beauty Tips":

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.
For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.
For amazing hair, let a child run his/her fingers through it once a day.
For poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never along.
People even more than things have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed and redeemed: never throw out anyone.
Remember that if you ever need a helping hand you will find one at the end of each of your arms. As you grow older you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself and the other for helping others.

One last thought on this; we all know people who truly show this "beauty", make sure you let them know how truly "beautiful" they are! Specifics always mean more then generalizations!

Are my pants....?

This is just a quick post for a quick story. Kaylee loves to change her clothes, mostly into pajamas.
Side note: In fact she does a jammy day to the sitters almost once a week. I have to say at first I was a little reluctant to this. I think I thought "how lazy, just send her in her pajamas", but actually she puts new pjs on. Anyways Brad one day questioned my reluctance to this and didn't see the issue with it, and stated she's a kid how often in her life will she get to wear pajamas during the day, especially once she starts school? Might as well let her live it up. So I caved and you would have thought I told her we were going to Disney (which she does frequently ask when we will be going there...how do they pick it up so soon?), so I realized I was being unreasonable and loosened up.
When she is not in her pjs she will go upstairs, after we get home, and change. (This could also partly be her seeing Brad and I change out of our work clothes when we get home.) So the other night, right before dinner, she informs us she needs to go change her clothes, and comes down in the shirt she was wearing with some pj pants. Here is how the conversation went:

Kaylee: Hey guys I'm back
Kaylee: Mommy, do you like my pants
Me: Yes, Kaylee they are very nice
Kaylee: How do they look
Me: They are beautiful!
Kaylee: Are they distinctive?
Me: Yes, they are very distinctive....(while trying to hold back my giggle)

I don't how she retains all of this and I am thinking I need to read up and sharpen my vocabulary because she is just improving hers by leaps and bounds daily!

Quick post of Pictures

Last Thrusday, May 1 (Ainsley's Golden Birthday), we went to have pictures done. We got an updated family one, which has been posted, and the girls 1 and 3 year birthday pictures. I thought I would have them posted before now but I guess it's only been a week so it could be worse. I realize there are a lot of photos below but I figure since it is a blog about our family most people would expect a lot of photos. Besides it could have been more, we had 107 to choose from! :) Here are my beautiful girls, Kaylee McKenna-3 (will be on 5/17), and Ainsley Isabella-1, enjoy:

The above photo, the last one of the bunch, just makes me laugh evertyime I see it and thought it might bring a smile to others too! On a side note I would like to wish all the Mom's Happy Mother's Day! May you all get to sleep in!

Then and Now

Here is the photo that was used on Ainsley's birth announcement. This was taken the week we brought her home last May. I have to say when I look at this photo it doesn't seem as though we are now in May of 2008. In fact in the exact same week a year later (this I know because she was born on the 1st and we brought her home on the 3rd and was playing "photo shoot" for her announcements a couple days later).
Here is a photo, of Ainsley, that we had taken on her first birthday, May 1. I have to say I still see her as a baby. In looking back on Kaylee's photos I really saw her change a lot, but when I look back through Ainsley she seems to have stayed more consistent.

Party Time!

So we had Ainsley's first birthday party on Sat. April 26th at our house. I typically would do their parties the weekend following their birthday, however since we have 2 May birthdays in the house I wanted to separate them a little more since I was doing 2 parties this year. While most of you know I don't do as big of a first birthday as many people do (I know I'm such a mean Mom...) I still thought they should be separate the first year. After this year they will have joint family parties and Kaylee will start having her own "friend" parties, as we've sort of already incorporated that for this year, but that's a different blog.

We did a ladybug theme. I'm not sure why but when I see cute ladybug things I think of Ainsley, sort of the way butterflies have always made me think of Kaylee. The weather was really nice and I was so thankful for that! The kids got to play outside and the bouncy house got to be used for the first time this year...OH HAPPY DAY :)

Ainsley did so well. She just sat on my lap during presents and let everyone help her open them and just quietly observed, she danced in her high chair while we sang Happy Birthday and gobbled down her cup cake. Below are some photos of the big day:

Here's the birthday girl, ready to party!

Here's my attempt at a ladybug made from cupcake...what can I say...it was made out of love :)

This is a collection of photos, 1 from every month, to see how Ainsley has grown. I'm going to hang it in her room. The little flower pots next to it were placed around the house. They had M&M's with sunflower seeds in tooling, tied with a red and black ribbon, with ladybugs on Popsicle sticks in the middle. I was going to put a creative tag on there but it just didn't get done! This was one of the gifts Ainsley got, from Grandpa Bentley and Grandma Ginny, it's a Leap Frog Alphabet Train. Ainsley really likes this. I wasn't surprised at how much she enjoys this as Kaylee has a Pooh ride-on that Ainsley is always going for that when we are outside.

This is one of my Grandma Schelle's famous quilts. I love these and feel so blessed that my girls have them too, and also happy I don't have to share mine :) My grandma also made the girls doll carriers and diaper bags (I'll be posting those soon in a tribute post on her talents :) )

The birthday girl after enjoying her cupcake!

A big thanks to everyone who came and helped us celebrate this special little girl's first birthday! Thanks for all of the wonderful gifts and wishes! Thank you cards to be coming soon. I just ordered them...I was waiting for the b-day pictures to be taken....