Meet Grayson Hunt Reimers!

Edited to add - Grayson's surgery was a SUCCESS! This past week has been such an emotional rollercoaster so to get such good news was an incredible feeling! Hopefully he will be off the ventilator and breathing on his own soon, then he can try to eat...and then his Mommy and Daddy can HOLD HIM! He's still got a long road ahead but yesterday's surgery being successful will give him such an improved quaility of life for the next several years!

I am excited to introduce you to Grayson Hunt Reimers! Most of you know my best friend Erin. We grew up next door to one another our from when we were born until we left for college. I can't think of any major event in my life that she hasn't been there for. Having a friend who has known me my entire life is so special. Her son Grayson was born on Wednesday morning and is the cutest little boy I have ever seen!

Having a new baby should be a time of cuddles and hugs and burps and snuggles. For Don, Erin, Leila and Grayson this week has been anything other than ideal. Grayson was born with some serious medical issues and was transferred from Macon to Scottish Rite in Atlanta soon after he was born. This morning  (Monday) he has a very important and serious surgery at 10:30am. It seems like a lifetime ago that we were in the waiting room in Macon anxious for the delivery and to hold this baby boy. This has been an emotional and exhausting week for everyone who loves him and I know they would appreciate your prayers and kind words.

The Reimers have set up a CaringBridge page that they will be updating. Many of you have called/texted me for details  - please check out the CaringBridge page and please leave a note of encouragement for Erin and Don. They have been so touched by the love and support of friends and strangers. There is also a way to Donate through paypal if you'd like to support the Reimers financially.

Here are the links if you'd like to forward them

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/graysonreimers - CaringBridge

http://tinyurl.com/GraysonsMedical  - paypal donation

Test

Trying to blog from my phone. This is a test........and guess what?!?!? It worked! And I forgot to check it until now. Yipee, I can post pictures from my phone! Enjoy a green monster drink for now, girls coming soon!

phone pictures

I take pictures on my phone every day of the girls but I don't often download them to the computer. These are a few cute ones from the past few weeks.

MoMo was in town for a few days before she headed back to school. We got up one morning and had breakfast at Waffle House and then headed to find bookbags for preschool. This was a super day for the girls! Any day that starts at Waffle House has to be good, right? Matney eats Waffles and HK eats eggs, waffles and bacon.

HK is also sporting one of her favorite shirts - Spiderman. She also loves Tow Mater (from Cars) and Thomas the Train. We cycle through those 3 tee shirts every 3 days. There is a LOT of screaming involved when we make her wear anything else. See how proud she is of Mater?

This is Matney's response to Halle Kate's wild craziness. Sometimes it is my response too! Matney had her whole doll house set up and HK the tiny tornado came in and messed it all up.

We've also spent many weekends trying to avoid the heat. I joke with Jared that he is "Disney World Dad".  During the week we're running errands, cleaning house and taking naps. On the weekends though, when Jared's home, we go to the mall and ride the carousel (only on the bench still, "no horse"), eat ice cream, drive the car game in an arcade, get lollipops at the candy store....basically these girls have Dad wrapped around their finger and he is "the fun one". Not that anyone was questioning that!

Here's HK loving The Cat in the Hat in a ride at a mall.

I can't say that I'm sad preschool is starting in a month but we have had a really good summer. It has been hot and some of the day have felt extremely long but the weeks and months are flying by quickly!

Job Change

Today is Jared's second day at his new job! The man of this house has worked so so so many hours and so many days and nights since he graduated from law school four years ago. Last week he left the firm he started with and moved (all of 1 mile closer to home) to a different law firm. This is such an exciting move and will be awesome for his career. The new firm is more formal that where he's been so we've spent the past few weeks buying new clothes and altering suits. I went to the outlets and Jos A Bank was having an incredible sale on shirts and ties so I bought a bunch, brought them home and laid them out with the ones he already had...shopping is so fun even when it isn't for me! Here's Jared humoring my need to play dress up!

Jared started law school at Mercer University in Macon and finished his first year at the top of his class with honors. He won't tell it to you like this but I will because it is true. We met not long before he went to law school. We were both living in Atlanta and he moved to Macon after 7 months of dating. We soon became engaged and got married the week his first year of school was over. We planned on me moving to Macon but I ended up taking a new job back in Atlanta a  few weeks before we married. Then we spent the first months married with J driving back and forth to Atlanta from Macon for work...not so good for the beginning of a marriage. 

The week that school was to start back Jared called and said "I just quit school and I am coming moving back to Atlanta. I choose my marriage over school." Shock does not adequately convey my thoughts day! Jared packed his stuff, moved into our apartment and enrolled in GA State Law School with less than a week until classes started. That was the first of many many many times Jared has chosen his family over his career. Switching schools meant that Jared lost many of the honors that he'd worked so very hard to earn at Mercer. And on an attorney's resume those honors are very important. We've been married  6 years now and Jared has chosen his family over his job every day since then...and many times I've felt guilty because it was my selfishness that moved us back to Atlanta.

Again, Jared won't tell it to you like this but I will. In the world of lawyers he would have had lots better job opportunities over the past 6 years had he stayed at Mercer. Had that happen I don't know what our marriage/family would look like but it probably wouldn't be pretty and there's not much reason to spend time wondering. However, this job change for Jared is such an exciting move to a really great law firm. And, it is the result of 7+ years of hard work and sacrifice from him. I am so thrilled for him, so proud of how hard he works and so excited that after such sacrifice he has this opportunity. And I will tell you that he looks mighty cute wearing those new suits and ties! 

Apparently Jared stole the camera

Sometime in the past week Jared must have taken the camera because this is what I found when I started downloading tonight. I have such a crazy family!

Weekend Fun

We've been having lots of fun around here, especially on the weekends when all four of us are together! Matney is totally, totally, totally a Daddy's girl and she's always in a good mood when he's around. They are goofy together! Here's Matney striking a pose!

Jared smoked us some yummy chicken. I think I like smoked chicken more than any other meat. Unfortunately this picture was taken just before the chicken caught on fire. Bummer. The inside was edible but the outside was charred crispy.

Every day Halle Kate greets Jared at the door screaming "GIVE ME BACK MY IPAD". That girl is such a charmer. I keep telling her that she needs to work on her "sucking up to Daddy skills" or she's going to be wearing Matney's hand-me-downs forever.

Happy Birthday Unc!

Today is a very special day....Mr. Matney's birthday! All us Healds sure do wish we lived closer and could spend the day with you. We love you very much and hope that you have a great day!

The girls helped make a birthday sign - let me just go on and tell you that it says "Happy Birthday Unc! Love, the GA Healds" since you won't be able to read it. Getting them to sit still isn't going to happen until they are old enough to really understand a bribe!

State of the Household Address

Dead flowers outside can never be a good sign. Very inviting, aren't they? Sigh! It has been a long time since I updated the blog and a while since we have seen most of our friends. No worries, we are all still here. I just have been feeling like this dolphin....

That's not good either, is it?!?! Long story short I've been more and more tired for several months, started having migraines and some other random things so I finally went to the doctor. Turns out my iron level is way below low so there is a reason I feel horrible. I've gone from being the girl who is up, has worked out, showered/dressed and cleaned house before the girls are awake to the girl who goes to bed at 9pm, wakes up when the girls do and naps every single day...and I am still always exhausted and feel like crap. All that sleep has left little time for accomplishing much. If you are waiting on a thank you card, for me to return a phone call or email, or just wondering why we've become antisocial for a few months please know we love you! I've finally found an iron supplement that doesn't make me sick, I'm taking something for the migraines and am crossing my fingers that I'll be back to my old self soon!

Until then, I'm slowly but surely getting caught up thanks to my Stud of a house keeper....

This was Jared vacuuming on Father's Day. Poor guy - although the dog sheds like a woolly mammoth and was his Father's Day gift. Nothing like saying, "Hey Honey, here's your present, now vacuum up his hair!". After a total meltdown that I had (that probably scared him just a little!), Jared has picked up a lot of the slack around here and been very understanding of my inability to stay awake need to sleep.

So the moral of the story is 1-  treat your body well and don't run it into the ground because you need it.  And 2 - marry well enough that if you are dumb enough not to pay attention to rule 1 your spouse is a good guy who will take care of you until you're better. Thanks, Stud Muffin. The girls and I love you!

Halle Kate video

My brother got a video off my phone and onto youtube for your viewing pleasure! Halle Kate was wound up a few weeks ago and I taped her talking to my mom. She is so darn funny! Here's the link.
Halle Kate Monologue

Life these days....

Here is a picture that sums up life these days...HK being goofy, Max chasing a kid with food and the vacuum cord under it all because I'm constantly chasing a kid or dog cleaning up something. We're all in love with Max but he is one hairy dog. And my kids make one lots of big messes.