No snow photos for us

Miss K was fast asleep when Daddy brought her home last night. It was too dark to take her out once she woke up. Guess we'll have to wait for the next snow! 

Snow, snow, snow

It's Snowing here in our hometown! I can't wait to get home and hope there is still some on the ground for Miss K to see for the first time. Pictures to come! 

Family photos are fun

After 7 months we finally took an afternoon to get some family pictures taken.

Of course we went to Evee Images and they didn't disappoint. We only had one tiny spill that kept Miss K pretty sad for the last set of pictures but she still did great!

Such a big girl

Right before a little spill

Not a happy camper

My little lady

Daddy's girl

Santa Baby

The Karr family

Little lady

Happy again

Sweet baby

LOVE this little girl

Our first family picture

Nana Vicki is fine!

After a rough weekend of being sore in the hospital Nana Vicki is home and resting.

They got everything out and the doctors said she was a perfect patient. 

She is still VERY sore but is moving and able to chat. Thanks for all your positive thoughts, we are very blessed to have this part behind us and are looking forward to spending Christmas as a family at home!

Cancer can have second base- Nana Vicki will win the whole damn ballgame!

Nana Vicki has cancer. Let's just put it out there. There's no tiptoeing around the subject, there's no maybe about it. It's there, it's small, it's real, it's going to be gone tomorrow.

That's right. Nana Vicki doesn't mess around. She's not one to hold a pity party, she's not one to put it off- she's pissed and ready to kick it out. This is one resident of Casa Vicki that's getting evicted and evicted quick. No two weeks notice, no shape up or ship out- just plain old get the F out now. Seriously, it's been a week and a half since we met with the doctor to decide her options.

The month of November was interesting to say the least, lots of appointments, extra mammograms, an ultrasound or two, a biopsy and the final news- the big old C word. December is shaping up to be just as interesting. When I went with Mom to the doctor we thought they'd give her a month or two to prepare. We were both stunned when the doctor said "my calendar is open, let's get this done in a week." So tomorrow Nana Vicki will undergo a double mastectomy. I should say the cancer is small and caught VERY early and after tomorrow she will be FINE. She won't require any radiation or chemotherapy. I'm 100% on board with her decision to do it all at once and never have to worry about it again. Plus- here in a few months she'll have a better ahem- set- than most 20 somethings.  In all seriousness, we are very lucky and so happy this was the diagnosis.

So here we are- a week and a half later. Ready to go. Is she nervous? I'm sure. I know I am! This is my Mom. The woman I've looked up to my whole life. The woman I've hated at times (for stupid, adolescent reasons of course), the woman I've been embarrassed of (for actual REAL reasons- showing up to my 8th grade Halloween party in a hospital gown with a fake butt), the woman I've admired for not going to college but having more brains and knowledge of things like your basic English language than most graduate students and the woman I owe my family to (she was the one who took me to lunch the day I met Geoff). She's Mom. She's been here for me in the good times and bad. She's taught me what it means to be a strong, independent, sometimes bitchy woman. I'd be lost without her sarcasm and freak mind of knowing EVERYONE'S phone number and address. But now she is more important to me than ever. Because now she's not just Mom- she's Nana Vicki. Now she has one more person depending on her.

She has loved Kennedy longer than I have I think- long before we even knew Kennedy was coming. I remember the time we went to Disney World in 2010 when she was crocheting a baby blanket on the plane and a woman asked her who it was for. Without blinking she said- "my grandchild". For those of you that can't do math- Kennedy was born in April of 2012.  Once I was actually pregnant I couldn't wait to tell her the news. Geoff and I had her come over to "look at our computer". That computer happened to be in the junk room aka Miss K's room. We just needed a reason to get her in there. I'll never forget the moment when Geoff asked her what we should do with the room if we couldn't fix the computer. She thought it was a crazy question. But then she got it. Her back was to us but when she turned around you could see the excitement in her eyes. She was put on this earth to be a Nana.

She's been there every step of the way since. She kept the house clean while I was pregnant. She kept my husband fed when I was too tired to cook. She kept me sane the day I was in labor. After Geoff, she was the only other person I wanted to see once I became Kennedy's Mommy.  She loves that little girl and that little girl adores her. In fact, the first three months of her life I think Nana Vicki didn't see her a total of 4 days. Even if it's after work and late, she'll stop by just to get some snuggle time in. She literally can't go a week. I know the next few weeks will be hard for her not being able to hold Kennedy. But I think Kennedy will be good for her. I'm so glad she's here and I'm not still pregnant. It's just one more thing to help Mom get better faster.

Everyone keeps asking me if Mom is ok and I keep saying a firm "yes." Because she is. It may be happening fast but I'm glad. I don't want her to have a chance to be nervous or sad. I don't want her to sit and stare at a calendar for weeks at a time just counting it down. I want it to be over and done with and something we look back on that happened in 2012 instead of something we are dreading at the start of 2013. A new year is a chance to start over and look forward to what the year holds. Thanks to finding this sucker early- we are going to be able to do just that. So instead of starting the year off with a surgery, Mom will be celebrating a successful one in the happiest place on earth- DISNEY. She's taking Blair in January. I'm still trying to find a suitcase big enough to sneak Kennedy and myself.

Nana Vicki will be just fine thanks to a mammogram. So here's my tiny soap box moment. Get one. If you are of age get one. If you have a mom or aunt or grandma or sister or friend- tell them to get one. I hear they're scary, I hear they kind of suck. You know what sucks more? Cancer. They save lives. It's the reason Kennedy will have a Nana Vicki. And I know when she's older she will appreciate it. I know I do.

I'll make sure to check back in tomorrow to let you know how everything went. We're lucky because Kennedy has an angel up in Heaven watching over her Grandmas and Grandpa- we know her Grandpa Gary will be with us tomorrow!

Our very first Christmas Card

We finally did it- we finally made a Christmas card. Now- the real challenge will be if I actually label and mail these puppies... Enjoy a sneak peek!

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0EYs2TZu4YtXMA&cid=SFLYOCWIDGET

Santa? No thanks.

Every mom has their dreams. What their child will be when they grow up, what sport they'll play in high school, what their prom dress will look like (is that just me?) and so on. One dream I've been waiting for since last Christmas was Kennedy's first meeting with the big guy himself- Mr. Santa Claus.  I imagined what she'd wear (an adorable red dress with a sweet bow because she'd have SO much hair, little white tights and black shiny shoes). I imagined how she'd react to him once she saw him (she'd look up into his face and tug on his beard and just laugh). I imagined the first Santa photo (perfect lighting, perfect pose, perfect Santa, perfect picture). It was beautiful. I couldn't wait. My dream couldn't be any farther from the reality that was the nightmare of meeting old Kris Kringle.

Let's start with Miss K's day. I'd been so excited all day knowing we were going to meet Santa. The day was SO slow. When Geoff brought her home I knew we weren't starting off on the greatest foot. Her report card from "school" said she hadn't napped all day and the last time she ate was 12:30. Really? I pay what I pay for that place and they either A: hadn't feed her in 5 1/2 hours or B: forgot to write down the last time they fed her and since she can't tell me I had to go ahead a feed her before we left. So that was fun. By the time we finished eating Grandma and Grandpa were here so we had to rush getting changed.  It was COLD so bye bye dress- we settled for red pants and a cute Christmas tree sweater. No bow because Kennedy doesn't have enough hair yet so we used a headband and we tried shoes but she doesn't have her Momma's love for them and is constantly kicking them off (tear).

She cries the entire way there (yay) something she never does in the car and I just know- this is going to be awful. By the time we pull up she is sound asleep and we have to wake her up. We walk in the store and head to the magical land. I've heard nothing but great things about this Santa so I'm pretty excited. We reach the big guy and there is no line- awesome- so we head on up to him. The second Geoff put her in his arms all hell broke lose- I mean she lost it!

We took a couple photos but girlfriend was game over. At this point a good mom might've picked her up and left but no- I took a few more pictures and laughed. I'll be real honest in saying Santa wasn't a big help. He didn't talk to her or smile or laugh- he just kind of sat there poor old guy. After trying a second time I sadly picked up my screaming child and walked away moping more than she was. Her first time meeting Santa was nothing what I'd imagined. So I did what any mom would do- I picked the worst picture of her possible.  

It's not the end of the world I know- it's just the end of me believing I have the perfect child (but really I do). So she wasn't smiling like a perfect angel, oh well. We have a great story to tell her over and over and over. Plus- I have it on good authority that Santa Claus will still be making a grand stop at the Karr residence come Christmas Eve. And I did get one of my dreams right- Grandma happened to catch the only instant where Miss K wasn't crying but tugging on Santa's beard. So there's that.