A Pink Ballerina

Happy Halloween!

Since illness kept Alexa from participating in Halloween festivities last year, she was extremely excited to celebrate the holiday this year.  She had been plotting her costume for at least two months!  This year's costume request was a lot simpler than last year - - a pink ballerina outfit is a lot easier to find than a purple mermaid.  NeNe had the year off from making Alexa's costume, as I was able to buy the ensemble from online dance supply stores.  I wouldn't let her wear the tutu before Halloween, so she'd been waiting patiently for several weeks while the tutu hung in her closet.  The anticipation finally ended today, and she began dancing and prancing around the house as soon as she put on the tutu.

Alexa's excitement only grew when we met up with BFF Gabriella to go trick-or-treating....candy and reuniting with her BFF - it doesn't get much better than that!  We met up with Gabriella and her family (Damon was working and was disappointed that he missed the festivities - - especially when he found out Gabriella's dad was there!) in a very kid-friendly neighborhood that was perfect for an efficient night of trick-or-treating.  It was a ton of fun to watch the two girls together and catch-up with friends as we made our way around the neighborhood.  We trick-or-treated for an hour or so, but I knew Alexa had amassed a significant stash when she asked me to carry her bag because it was too heavy.

The one-sweet-a-day rule is going to be a challenge to enforce...she made quite the haul tonight (I was excited to snag a full-size Twix for myself!).  If she adheres to the rule, I think the candy will last her until February...

The prima ballerina...
I'm sure the request for dance classes will be coming soon.

It wouldn't be Halloween without our little Superman!

A Brief Hiatus

Whew!  Three late nights (relatively speaking when compared to my normal 10-11pm bedtime) in St. Louis were not too conducive to updating the blog.  Although we wish the outcome of two of the three games had been a little different, we had a wonderful time in St. Louis!  This was an extremely quick trip - I could have used an extra week to there.  It will always be my hometown, and I love visiting there.

Aside from the Cardinals games, Damon and I were able to eek out a few shopping trips (for Damon's Cardinal apparel collection - it's a bummer being pregnant when it comes to clothes shopping), visit with friends (albeit too briefly) and Damon even met our niece Alana for the first time.  We packed a lot of activities within the 2.5 days we were there....

Alexa didn't go to the baseball games with us, but she had a great visit and were it not for Alstott, I don't think she would have been too eager to return home today.  One of the highlights of the trip for Alexa didn't even involve Damon or myself.  My friend Molly knew I was working remotely Monday and had a lot of conference calls in the morning, so she graciously offered to take Alexa to The Magic House (St. Louis Children's Museum) for a members-only morning at there.  I showed Alexa some pictures from the website, and she was beyond excited to go with Molly and her sons Patrick (4) and Charlie (2)...there was zero separation anxiety when Damon dropped Alexa off.  Alexa and Patrick hit it off well, and from the reports I heard, they visited as many exhibits as they possibly could during the time they were there - giant bubbles, a play grocery store, sand table, static electricity display....  I was bummed to have missed it!  The Magic House is a must-do on our next visit to St. Louis!  To top things off, Alexa got to play in piles of leaves when they returned to Molly's house - heaven for a girl growing up in the desert with no leaves.

The cliche "There's no place like home" does hold true....I'm already looking forward to the next visit (probably Spring)!

Enjoying herself in the play construction site at The Magic House.
(In addition to being an amazing friend, Molly's also a phenomenal photographer!)

Eleven Months

Another 25th of the month....another dreaded anniversary.  It's hard to believe it has been eleven months since Granty passed away.

Last night was another sleepless night for me - - the past few months have not been the most restful.  I find myself waking up in the middle of the night (dang pregnancy bladder), and I cannot get back to sleep - my mind races with thoughts of Granty and the experiences of a year ago.  In so many ways it is still a surreal experience; it's difficult to grasp what happened to our lives in the course of just a few months.  My little guy is always at the forefront of my mind....something I don't see changing anytime soon.

When Damon and I last went to the World Series, I was in the first trimester of my pregnancy with Granty.  In a rather appropriate coincidence, Game 4 of the World Series will include a Stand Up to Cancer tribute with placards honoring loved ones who have battled cancer - - I have a feeling there will be a few "Grant Hovannisian" placards in Busch Stadium on Sunday night.  :)

I wish he coming to the World Series with us again...
(kids under 3 are free at Busch!)

The Sparkly Armenian

Tomorrow is International Day at Alexa's school, so each child wears an outfit that represents their culture and also brings a food dish from their culture to share with the class.  Rather than try to encompass Alexa's Dutch-Swiss-German (me) and Armenian (Damon) roots, we always go with the highest mix and her 50-percent Armenian roots.  Who better to represent Armenian than a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes?!?

Alexa is excited to bring Armenian string cheese as the cultural food, but the outfit has been a completely different story.  She has two Armenian flag t-shirts, but she absolutely despises them and refuses to wear them - - they don't meet her criteria of "pretty."  I didn't want a battle tomorrow morning, so this morning I negotiated a deal that I would add sparkles to one of her Armenian shirts if she promised to wear it for International Day.  Deal!  So between conference calls today, I found myself at Michael's buying iron-on rhinestones in red, blue and orange.  The project was not nearly as easy as I had hoped - it's a pain in the neck to line up those rhinestones! - and took up a lot more post-conference call evening than I anticipated.  Poor Alexa could barely keep her eyes open, but I managed to finish the project before she fell asleep.  She knows me too well; as I was trying to line up the rhinestones, she saw me getting frustrated and let me know, "it's okay if it's not perfect, Mommy."  It's definitely not perfect, but it did garner Alexa's stamp of approval...whew!

There's no doubt that Alexa will be representing the Armenian culture.....only an Armenian girl would request a be-dazzled flag t-shirt!

The Before.....

...and the After.
It passed Alexa's sparkle test and met the criteria of being "pretty."

Unexpected Sentiment

Game 1 didn't turn out as I had been hoping, but let's hope the Cardinals worked out their nerves and kinks tonight.  Today was a rough day all-around (the game was just the icing on the cake), as it was one of those days where I missed Granty more than ever.

I was on the treadmill tonight and found myself staring at the poster-sized picture of Granty that hangs nearby; his absence hit me like a ton of bricks.  The picture [the one of Granty in his monkey bouncer wearing his Cardinals bib and onesie] has always been one of my favorites - it captures the sparkle in his eye and joyous spirit.  Granty had such a vivacious personality, and I miss those grins he used to shoot my direction every time he heard my voice or saw me enter the room.  Even though nearly eleven months have passed, I continue to miss my boy each and every day....there's a void in my heart that will never be filled.  I'd give anything to have my baby boy back.

As I began packing for our upcoming trip, I pulled a laundry basket from my closet that held a lot of my "winter" (per Arizona standards) clothes.  Buried in the bottom of the basket, I found one of Granty's onesies and couldn't hold back my tears, triggering a chain reaction from Damon.  The onesie was an emergency purchase from a day that Damon had taken Grant to the restaurant with him and forgotten to pack a spare outfit in the diaper bag.  Thank goodness he works near Fashion Square, because a hostess was able to run to BabyGap and pick up a newborn-size onesie (he was probably eight-weeks old).  As I pulled the onesie out of the basket, it was dual reminder of how tiny our little guy was and also the vivid memories we have of so many moments of his life.  Who knew a Gap onesie could trigger such sentiment?

Here's hoping tomorrow is a better day...for the Cardinals too!

Sporting the Gap onesie I found in the laundry basket....
There's no denying the love between these two kiddos!

Social Lunch

As I unpacked Alexa's lunchbag today, we had our normal nightly discussion about her day at school, the lessons she completed and books she read.  She also gave me the rundown on the social scene in Ms. LeAnna's class, letting me know with whom she ate lunch and played during recess.  Tonight, she decided to turn the tables on me, asking me about my day at work and whether I completed any "challenging work" (a reference to the more difficult activities at her Montessori school).  I don't think she was too impressed when I provided her with a recap of my day, as she described my conference calls and meetings as "boring!"  Uninterested by my workday, she decided to take a different approach and ask about my lunch....little did I know that the conversation would spark controversy with Alexa.

"What friends did you eat lunch with today, Mommy?"  I explained to Alexa that I don't usually take a break for lunch and work in my office while I eat.  She responded incredulously, "By yourself!?"  I reminded her that I have to pick her up from school by 6pm each night, so I work through lunch to make sure I can get all of my work done.  "That's so sad, Mommy.  I eat lunch with my friends at school every day."  Great....my four year-old thinks I'm pathetic.  Something tells me I'm going to hear this a lot more from a teenage Alexa.

I redeemed myself slightly when I told her I ate my one sweet for the day at lunch (sweets aren't allowed at her school), as she was impressed that sweets are allowed at my office.  Whew - at least there's still hope for me!

Always up for social eating!

Jam-Packed

It was a whirlwind weekend, as my in-laws came to Arizona for a visit.  From the moment they picked Alexa up from Aftercare on Friday night (allowing me to squeeze in some extra time at work), it was a weekend full of activities.  Alexa had been anticipating their visit for weeks and created a long to-do list of things she wanted to do when Nana and Papa Hovey were in-town.  She took full-advantage of her time with them, as even their trip home from school was eventful - - the three of them came home after a quick detour toting a huge pumpkin and Halloween decorations for the house.  Not a bad start to the weekend!

Over the course of the weekend, Alexa engaged her grandparents in a variety of activities - from swimming in the pool to bike rides (even Nana Hovey rode a bike!) to pumpkin carving to a Sunday afternoon barbecue, there was not a dull moment to be had.  Damon and I could not stop laughing on Sunday morning, as before 9am, Alexa and Vernon had each eaten 1/4 of a chocolate Look! bar (that was Vernon's idea), gone for a bike ride and taken a dip in the pool.  I was not surprised when I found Alexa curled up in her bed at noon, "just taking a little rest."

When I picked up Alexa from school tonight, it was pretty obvious that she was a tired little girl.  She exclaimed, "I am so exhausted, Mommy...I didn't get any rest this weekend.  I need a break!"  I don't think I have ever heard my personal Energizer Bunny make a statement like that - - she must be tired.  It also sounds like she's been hanging out with her pregnant mom a little too much...lol

Alexa and Papa Hovey show off their pumpkin carving handiwork.

Time to Break Out the Shoes....

Damon will need to dust off his lucky World Series shoes because we'll be headed to St. Louis next weekend!

The rainy, not to mention freezing cold, weather of the 2006 World Series forced Damon to buy a pair of shoes while we were in St. Louis for that WS, and after the Cardinals won the series and game we attended, Damon declared, "It's gotta be the shoes..."  The shoes once again proved to be lucky in 2011 when we were able  to attend Games 6 & 7 and saw the Cardinals win again.  We'll be flying to St. Louis to go to Games  & 5 of this year's World Series, and I can guarantee the shoes will be the first thing packed in Damon's suitcase.

Alexa likely won't attend the games with Damon and myself, but I know she will be ecstatic to go to St. Louis.  Several days ago I mentioned that we might be taking a trip to St. Louis for the World Series, and she asked if she would be able to play in the leaves there.  It turns out, her razor-sharp memory recalled our trip two-years ago, and one of the highlights for her was playing in the leaves during a neighborhood Halloween party.  Simple joy for a girl growing up in the desert!

Our little Cardinals fan...rooting from above :)

Spoiled

As January approaches (and my bump seems to grow daily), the reality of another baby is starting to sink in for Damon and myself.  Baby #3 will never ever replace our beloved Granty, but we are becoming excited about the joy this little girl will bring to our family.  Alexa especially will benefit with our newest addition, as she enjoyed the big sibling role with Granty, and now that she's older, I am sure she will cherish the role even more.  Alexa is definitely not cut out to be a pseudo-only child....

Tonight I was making a stir-fry noodle dish for dinner, and Alexa of course was in the kitchen, monitoring my every move.  She peered into the wok as the meal cooked to ensure everything was to her liking, and she gasped in horror as she saw red peppers in the vegetable mix.  Much to my dismay, the little girl who used to try everything has slowly become a picky eater over the past year or so.  I'm convinced it's purely a mental/visual aversion, and I'm still trying to figure out how to work through it with her.

I tried the "you used to eat them" tactic tonight, reminding Alexa she used to sample foods at her NJ Montessori school (her toddler classroom had daily food tastings) and has eaten peppers many times.  She begrudgingly put a pepper in her mouth and spit it out within two seconds - Alstott hastily grabbed the rejected pepper from the floor, so at least it didn't go to waste.  Alexa noticed my frustration and tried to explain her food aversion, "I used to try foods before, but now I'm spoiled so I don't anymore."  Oy...we've got a big problem if Alexa's classifying herself as spoiled.

Yep - it's definitely time for Alexa to have another sibling and break out of the only child mode to which she's become accustomed during the past 11-months.  It might be a little bit of a shock when she realizes that she has to share the spotlight and my attention each night.  Something tells me she won't be referring to herself as spoiled eight months from now :)

The crib will be a little tighter squeeze for Alexa this time around....

Vast Interests

Tuesdays have quickly become one of Alexa's favorite days of the week - - she actually looks forward to swimming lessons (what a change!) and the television show she's been waiting months to see finally began its new season tonight - 'The Biggest Loser.'  I don't know of too many four year-olds who enjoy watching adults lose weight, but Alexa absolutely loves "The Treadmill Show."  The two of us completed a workout while we watched the show, so it proved to be a nice bonding experience.  She had me cracking up as she noted, "They cry a lot on this show!"  Fun times with my mini-me!

After the show, I noticed she was petting Alstott and poking around his neck...hmmm.  "I'm trying to find Alstott's clavicle; I can find his cranium and femur but I cannot feel his clavicle!" After getting over my shock that Alexa knew the proper names for components of the skeletal system, I realized I didn't know if dogs have clavicles.  Thank goodness for the Internet!  Alexa and I spent the next few minutes reviewing pictures of canine skeletons online, as she tried to find the corresponding bone on Alstott.  After finding seven specific bones on Alstott - for the record, dogs do not have clavicles - he made it clear he'd had enough and gave a warning growl.  Looks like our stint as pseudo-veterinarians was done for the night.

From a personal trainer to veterinarian...you never know what to expect with Alexa.  She definitely keeps me on my toes!

Alstott....always a good sport (for a limited duration)

A Must-Have

I've noticed the toy sections in the weekly ads are getting more expansive over the past few weeks, so I decided I need to take a proactive approach to the holidays this year.  I made a deliberate decision to delay getting the nursery ready until after November 25th.  It seems silly, but I'm just not ready to move Granty's stuff until one year has passed.  Consequently, I figure the more Christmas shopping I can get done prior to November 25th, the better.  I decided to broach the subject with Alexa today, not knowing what type of response to expect.

Alexa has seen a few of the Toys-R-Us and Target circulars, so I wasn't sure if her list would encompass everything she has seen advertised....I remember I had a few lists from my childhood that were plucked directly from the pages of the Sears Christmas catalog.  I was pleasantly surprised when Alexa rattled off a surprisingly tame list - - a hula hoop, new dive rings for the pool, Easy Bake Oven....not too bad.  However, there was one item on the list that I immediately volunteered to buy for her instead of waiting for Santa - she asked for a picture of Granty in a sparkle frame for her room.  She has a few picture of Granty in her room already, but I am more than happy to accommodate her wish for another.  I'll be searching for the most gaudy, glitter-covered frame I can find :)

Over the past year, like all of us, Alexa has had her ups and downs, but I feel like she's finally hit her stride and adapted to our new normal.  She's a typical four year-old, but the experiences of the past year (and loving memories of her beloved baby brother) will always underlay even the most mundane situations.  We encountered our neighbor walking her dog, and she casually mentioned the dog is getting older.  Alexa innocently responded, "Is he going to die soon?"  Thankfully our neighbor handled her question with ease, but situations like this are a reminder that Alexa has experienced something well-beyond most kids her age.  However, as evidenced by her Christmas list request, it's not always a bad thing...our Granty will live on for the next 90+ years thanks to Alexa and her memories.

I'll be searching for another priceless photo like this one - -
a perfect match for a glittery frame.  lol

A New Tradition

Fall has arrived, as evidenced by the cooler temperatures and rain we've had during the past two days.  Yesterday morning was rainy and dreary, jeopardizing the afternoon trip to the park with her Aftercare class, so I expected Alexa to be in a grumpy mood when she woke up.  Instead, she was in a great mood, excited about the prospect of rain for the the day.  Not at all the reaction I expected.  She explained, "It's raining so this means we can go and get hot fudge sundaes when you pick me up!?!"    

Wow - talk about a good memory.  Rainy days are few and far between in Phoenix, especially at this time of year, but apparently the last time it rained, we took a detour to the McDonald's drive-thru on the way home from school to pick up a hot fudge sundae.  I think the sundae was more driven by a pregnancy craving than anything else, but Alexa made a distinct associate between rain and ice cream sundaes.  Not a bad combination.....we just can't move to Seattle any time soon. :)

On our way home from Aftercare, we made the requested detour where we picked up a hot fudge sundae, with nuts of course, for Alexa.  She generously shared one spoonful - yes, just one - with me.  I'll have to keep my eye on the weather forecast to find out when to expect our next indulgence!

One way to make a rainy day better....
Alstott was scavenging for some of the nuts she spilled.

 

A Great Start

What a great Game 5 win for the Cardinals tonight!  I had a conference call rescheduled from 6-7pm tonight, so I was trying my best to focus on the call while I periodically checked the score of the game.  Needless to say, after the call wrapped, I turned my attention to the game and couldn't help but think of the 2012 NLDS Game 5.  Last year, my parents were in town for the dramatic come-from-behind victory versus Washington, and I remember little Granty, who had just come home from the hospital, watching the game from his bouncy seat.  I'm not a normal proponent of babies watching tv, but I was more than willing to make an exception for Cardinals baseball.  :)

My focus on the game caught up to me later tonight, as I had an obligation to make blueberry muffins for Alexa.  Since Damon has been out of town since Sunday, I had to pull double-duty, getting Alexa ready for school and picking her up in the evening.  Normally, I am out the door just as she's waking up in the morning.  I think she decided to take full-advantage of the change, as her breakfast choices shifted from the normal cold cereal she eats with Damon.  Rather, I was making Cream of Wheat each morning, and she even asked me to make waffles for her this morning - thankfully we were very low on the Bisquick.  However, she quickly negotiated having a blueberry muffin tomorrow morning as a substitute for not having waffles this morning, and I hastily agreed.  That 7:30am agreement led to me browsing muffin mixes in the baking aisle of Safeway at 9:15 tonight.  The things I'll do for my kids....I hope Alexa really appreciates these muffins tomorrow morning!

Damon returned today, so our morning routine will return to normal tomorrow.  I will miss Alexa's chipperness and good moods in the morning.  Today she was extremely excited to wear her uniform shirt to school, as she was going to the park with her Aftercare group this afternoon.  She made my day when she selected a huge giraffe bow for her hair to complement her beloved purple polo.  Her rationale? "I want to think about Granty today and pretend he's going to the park with me."  Yep - that put an immediate smile on my face...I knew it was going to be a good day!

Sporting a thoughtfully selected bow....
(Were it not for the Park today, she would have been wearing Cardinal red!)

Bad Timing

In everyone's life, there are moments when you just have to shake your head and say, "Really!?"  Unfortunately my "Really!?" moment came after a very long day during an especially tough time of the year.

Tonight when I grabbed the mail after Alexa and I came home from swimming lessons, I had a bad feeling when I saw an envelope from Phoenix Children's Hospital - Physician Revenue Cycle.  During the past two months, Damon and I have discovered that our insurance company and PCH are not on the same page with monies owed (we obviously met our deductible last year), so it appears that I will have to function as the middle man to provide the explanation of benefits to settle this remaining $5k balance.  Ugh - - I can only take consolation in the fact that we will not owe anything.  I can manage the financial aspect without a problem, as I did become the queen of EOB's and medical billings over the past year, but the content of this envelope was a harsh reality check for me tonight.  

The mailing contained only four pieces of paper, but each sheet was simply a list of medical service codes, descriptions and charges for Grant's final stay in the PICU.  Each sheet had 42 lines of codes detailing the services Grant received....seeing the 160+ lines detailing what Granty endured in his final nine days of life is a very tough pill to swallow.  Every test, pharmaceutical dispensed and procedure is detailed, serving as a way too vivid reminder of that last week.  It's hard not to get sad when you realize everything that my little guy went though, but at the same time, I'm reminded of what a trooper and a fighter we was.  He personified perseverance.

At least United Healthcare opens at 5am PT tomorrow - - I'm hopeful that I can have everything resolved by 9am...once and for all!  

My consummate trooper....a fighter to the end.

In the Spirit

Several weeks ago, Alexa and I were at Michael's buying a birthday gift for her friend, and the Halloween display caught her eye.  In particular, she was fascinated by a Halloween-themed gingerbread cookie kit - I think she saw it as her opportunity to imitate Buddy Valastro (aka - The Cake Boss).  Since Damon and Alexa have a shared interest in cake decorating and 'The Cake Boss,' I figured it would be a good opportunity for them to live out their cake decorating dreams together.  I was able to defer her request to buy the kit for a few weekends, but yesterday she decided she could wait no longer and begged to make the kit today.  Unfortunately Damon left for Las Vegas this morning, so their shared decorating experience will have to wait until the Christmas gingerbread house; the Halloween house is a nice practice run.

I was very pleased to find the kit included a pre-assembled house, eliminating the toughest part of making a gingerbread structure, so I was more than happy to let Alexa indulge in her decorating dreams.  I began to read the instructions, but quickly realized they were moot for this activity.  I simply dumped the decorating candy into bowls, stuffed the piping bags with icing and left Alexa to her own devices.  For nearly 60 minutes, Alexa worked diligently to decorate the house, tossing aside the examples on the box and using solely her imagination as a guide.  The piping was obviously her favorite part, as demonstrated by the heavy piping on the roof and globs of piped "bushes" next to the house.  This was the perfect Sunday activity for her.

When Alexa proudly showed me her finished product, I made the mistake of calling it beautiful.  She immediately corrected me, telling me the house isn't beautiful at all...it's spooky and creepy.

Hard at work piping icing onto the front of the house.

Very proud of her finished work - a "super-creepy" house.

Diagnosis Day....One Year Later

Today marked the one-year anniversary of Grant's exact cancer diagnosis...a day Damon nor I will ever forget.  After what seemed like the longest few days of our lives - the time between the biopsy and meeting o Phoenix Children's "Tumor Board - the two of us sat in Granty's room on the eighth floor and listened to the Chief of Oncology (a neuro-oncology specialist) explain Grant's condition.  I don't think the two of us have ever been so attentive to someone in our entire lives, as I took meticulous notes and Damon recorded the conversation on his iPhone.  I'm sure delivering news like that is one of the most difficult aspects of an Oncologists' job, but Dr. Etzl's delivery attained the perfect balance of information and the human element of the situation.  We immediately knew Grant was receiving the best care possible, a nice feeling of reassurance in a difficult time.

Soon thereafter, I quickly assigned myself with the task of attaining as much information about pilomyxoid astrocytomas as I possibly could.  I tried to follow the advice of the Oncology team - stay off the Internet! - and relied largely on scientific articles and medical journals for information...my sister Terri (with her PhD in Genetics) was a big help.  When I began college, I had intentions of becoming a neonatologist, so this was my opportunity to dabble in the medical field; it was unfortunate the situation was so close to home.

One year later, I can say that this was one of the most eye-opening experiences of my life.  Until I was personally affected by cancer, I had no idea about the prevalence of childhood cancer and, sadly, the limited research and resources to understand and cure the disease.  

The past year has been a learning experience that has profoundly affected my life in a positive way.  Good things have and will continue to happen because of Granty's life and ordeal....

Bright-eyed and alert after meeting with Dr. Etzl.

Happy 16-Month Birthday!

Today marked Granty's 16-month birthday, so once again he was on my mind a bit more than usual.  However, unlike the normal sadness that sets the tone on the 3rd of each month, today was a pretty good day and was more upbeat.  I'm sure the St. Louis Cardinals 9-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates contributed to the tone of the day, but some happy reminders of Granty also improved the mood.

Since Alexa's swim class is now on Tuesdays, our Thursday nights are completely free....it's kind of a nice change!  Damon also had the day off today, and when he called me at 3pm to ask about dinner plans, I quickly made the decision that the three of us would go out to eat tonight.  Even though Alexa no longer has swim, I will continue to take Thursday nights as a cooking night off :)  We quickly settled on The Cheesecake Factory for dinner, a nice option when we're not craving anything in particular and an easy place to take Alexa.

While we were driving to dinner, the song "Gone Gone Gone" came on the radio, and as usual, Alexa squealed and began to belt out the words.  I know the thoughts of all three of us immediately drifted to Granty and what "should've been" today.  When the song concluded, Alexa poignantly said, "I think Granty's waving at us!"  What a perfect thought......

Her simple statement and imagery of our little boy helped to set the tone for an enjoyable evening - I know Granty was looking down and smiling upon the three of us, knowing he's constantly in our hearts.

Happy 16-Months, Baby Boy!
(He always sported a Cardinals onesie on playoff days!)

Sleepy Genes

Apparently sleepy-looking four year-old pictures run in my genes.  When Alexa brought home her school pictures, I could not stop laughing at some of the similarities between our pictures.  We both have the sleepy eye look, complete with undereye bags, nailed....although I will admit my eyes had bigger bags.  Alexa was pretty entertained by the comparison, but she was quick to point out that her dress is "way prettier" than the 'Little House on the Prairie' dress that NeNe made for me.  Nothing against my mom's handiwork, but I would agree that a Nordstrom dress trumps the homemade frock.

Although I cannot deny Alexa as my daughter in the looks department, she inherited a lot of Damon's facial features....Granty on the other hand was a lot more Niehoff.  He was a skinny little guy, but he had a lot more roundness to his face and eyes.  Alexa is a mini-me in the personality department, but I think Granty would have been "boy Connie."  I distinctly remember a PICU doctor commenting one time that Grant's eyes looked a bit sunken, to which I quickly defended, "They're not sunken - they're just deep set!"  Only a mother would jump to her son's defense (and quite frankly my own!) like that.

It'll be interesting to see how baby #3 looks - - I know Damon's hoping his Armenian genes (excluding the hairiness - haha) finally come through in his offspring.  As we jokingly refer to Alexa and her Armenian cousins, we could have our own little "Salt & Pepper" set!

Only a few more months until our newest little girl makes her appearance.....I'm just hoping she can avoid the fateful four year-old sleepy school picture!

Future blackmail photo?
We'll see if her high school friends make fliers with this picture...lol