Mama Boo and Papa Visit Minnesota

This post is a little late; we've been busy here at the Andrews' household.  Kip crawls faster than I can walk, he scales two flights of stairs in under 30 seconds and love to play with anything and everything (his favorite toy being the pups' water bowl), to say the least, we are always on our toes! 

Two weekends ago Kip's Mama Boo and Papa came to Minnesota for a weekend visit.  All I can say is that Kip is soo incredibly blessed by his grandparents.  

All four of his grandparents are so hands-on and parallel Kip's energy.

Kip was in his element and loved laughing all day long with Mama Boo and Papa.  I also feel so blessed to have such encouraging and joyful in-laws.  We always have incredible conversations and glean so much from them.  I love how we can spend hours at the dinner table talking or a whole afternoon on the floor playing with Kip.

I will always remember my first Mother's Day, it was an incredibly special day spent at church and with family.  Braydon treated his mother and me to a pedicure and a wonderful lunch in Excelsior (if you haven't tried Lagos Tacos...go, now.  Wow, its amazing).

Kip had his baby dedication at church on Mother's day (post to follow), we were thrilled to dedicate ourselves to raising him up in a Christian home with family values and a life centered on loving Jesus.

Braydon and I were commenting last night on how much we learn from watching our parents interact with our child.  They have so many creative ways to teach him, make him laugh and just love him in the best way possible.

Below, Kip with his two grandfathers....what a handsome trio!

And a few of my favorites from the past week:

During a barbecue Braydon decided to take Kip for a hammock ride and it ended like this,

Good save, dad!

And splish splashing in his new turtle pool...this kid loves the water.  He would spend all day in this pool. Of course, his brothers had to join in the fun :)

Have a great week!

Happy Nurses Week

I've met a lot of interesting people in my life, a lot of inspiring people, a few prominent leaders and even a couple famous people.  But the most amazing people I've met are nurses.  Words cannot begin to describe the perfect balance of empathy, loyalty, advocacy and genuine care of my nursing mentors.

This weekend marks the end of 'Nurses Week,'  a one week national appreciation and recognition of the nursing profession.

I never knew I wanted to be a nurse.  Growing up I thought I may be an art teacher or a journalist, maybe a social worker or an animal trainer, but a nurse? No way.  I didn't have a single  nurse family member or role model, I fainted at the sight of blood or needles and hated hospitals or doctor's offices.

But I loved the idea of intimately caring for someone; the thought of being apart of people's defining life moments enlivened me.  I wanted to be apart of people's crises; I wanted to mediate, care, love and just be there for them.  I was always inspired by the way Jesus cared for the sick and the dying, he gravitated to the most weak people in a crowd, and provided encouragement where it was needed most.

I made a relatively quick and spontaneous decision to be a nurse in college.  I wasn't confident I'd make a good nurse, I didn't know if I was cut out for the profession but I trusted God and hoped he would guide me along the way.

Nurses go to school for a number of years, they take microbiology, go to the skills lab and take the nursing boards.  They are taught how to give medications, to start IVs, insert catheters and draw blood.  But nursing is so much more than textbooks and physical skills; nursing a sisterhood, a body of nurturers that teach each other, they bestow their wisdom from generation to generation.  

How do you help someone understand a terminal diagnosis? What do you do when someone stops breathing?  How do you facilitate a discussion about the end of life?  When is it okay to question a doctor's decision? When is treatment ethically wrong or right? These questions would have stopped me in my tracks five years ago but today I am confident.  I don't know all the answers but I've had some incredible mentors.  They've challenged me, made me uncomfortable, pushed me, trusted me, encouraged me and in the end have made me confident.

I foremost give glory to God for providing and guiding me as a nurse and then I am indebted to the nurses who have taken time to teach, mentor, and inspire me.  To the nurses who love the unloveable, care for the incurable and who go above and beyond everyday to nurture our world...thank you, we would not be the same without you.

Happy Nurses week.

10 Months

Top 10 Kip Quirks at 10 Months

1.  Dropping anything and everything in the toilet; Tiger's toy squirrel even went swimming this morning.  

2.  Feeding himself.  Kip loves, loves holding his own spoon and attempting to feed himself.  Its become quite the show and the ends up looking more like a food fight than dinnertime.

3. Paper. This kid is obssessed with paper.  Like he actually starts screeching when he sees it.  One morning when he wasn't feeling so hot so I let him play with some toilet paper, oh gosh I think he is still dreaming about it.

4.  Moving. All the time.  Kip has wheels.  Whether its crawling on his knees, crawling on his feet, scaling his crib or pulling himself up on any and every piece of furniture...this guy always has somewhere to go and something to do.

5.  Watching out the window.  Kip will sit in front of our glass door with a pup at both of sides; they'll sit and watch all the happenings outside for  hours.

6.  Loving anyone and everyone.  Kip does not know the first thing about stranger anxiety.  He could care less where he is or who he's with, just as long as he can move around and play.  Sometimes I wish he would miss Braydon and I just a little bit ;)

7. Hoarding and hiding.  I cannot begin to tell you all the random things I've found in random places.  There's been a pacifier in the dishwasher, a bottle of lotion in my sock drawer, a dirty running shoe in the clean laundry, and cookies in the dog bowl.

8.  Following commands: How big? Clap your hands.  Don't touch it. Waving hello and goodbye.  Pointing to his brother (aka the pups).

9. Laughing so hard that he can't catch his breath.  Sometimes I tickle him just to hear it.

10.  Wearing his baseball hat.  He'll actually put it on himself and keep it on all afternoon.  I think he likes covering up his bald head :)

10 months down and so many more to go.  Kip, you just get sweeter and sillier everyday.

We love you!

Only in Minnesota...

 Only in Minnesota does it go from snow to sun in about one week's time...

I'm pretty sure the entire state of Minnesota was outside this weekend getting sunshine, warmth and sun burns (our fair skin hasn't seen the sun in a very long time!).

We couldn't wait to get Kip outside.  He was so curious, crawling everywhere and exploring all the new textures and (ugh) tastes.  He actually ended the day with red, scratched, swollen knees from crawling in shorts.

 Kip opened his 1st birthday present a couple months early.  He just couldn't wait to test out his new wheels....and we couldn't either.

 Cruising around the 'hood, saying hello to all his neighbors.

 Radio wagon now comes equipped with a cup (bottle) holder and an extra seat for friends.

 Kip will throw his hands in the air while wagoning, I'm not sure where he got that from but it looks pretty good. And yes, that's a bungee cord securing him (thank you, Braydon the handy man).

 And our first visit to the park....cannot get enough of that little smile.

So much to be thankful for today.  

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever."

-1 Chronicles 16:34

Boston

We were supposed to be there.

That's the thought haunting me this week.  Actually the entirety of the Boston Marathon events are haunting me this week.  And the thought that Braydon, Kip and I were planning to be there...well, the thought is one I just try not to think about....but alas I've thought about it, a lot.

The Boston Marathon bombings were devastating on so many levels.  It touched our nation as yet another act of terrorism, it was destructive, senseless and evil.

And to the running community it was deeply personal.

See, runners depend on their spectators.  Running can be a lonely, grueling sport.  It tests the body, mind and soul, and we need our spectators to achieve our best.  Running is a simple sport but we are complex and needy people all at the same time. 

To be our best we need encouragement.  Whether its our coach, our loved ones or a stranger, the people watching us feed our minds and move our legs. 

Throughout high school and college I needed my parents at my races.  Yes, I could run without them.   But to truly race, to pour out my heart and soul, I needed to know they were there, ready to wrap their arms around me and tell me, "I love you, job well done."  I needed the cheers of my teammates and my coaches.  Their words and presence translated to my strength and tenacity.
That's why Braydon and Kip were supposed to be there, because I needed them cheering me on, hugging me at the finish.  

So when I heard the bombings struck spectators, my heart stopped.  Those were my people.  They were the selfless ones giving up their time and energy to support our goals.  We are dedicated to running but they are dedicated to us, to our hopes and our dreams.

Instead their world was rocked. They lost limbs, their mental stability, their peace and even their lives.

That's why this is all so personal to runners.  They took away the people that matter most to us, the ones we depend on, cherish and love.

To all those hurt, wounded and killed this past week, thank you for supporting us runners, we will never forget you.

Dear Matthew

Dear Matthew,

You are one year old this week.

I was thinking about you today.  I think about you a lot of days and your not even my child, I never got to meet you. 

I think about the way you would be playing with my son, the way that you could teach him how to walk, stand and share toys.  I think about what you would look like and the way your mother would hold you and love you.

It seems like yesterday you graced this Earth and made your way so gracefully to heaven. There is no easy way to re-live your life, the pain and heartache your parents felt is unfathomable but you wrote the most beautiful story while you were here.  God says He has a reason for everything, a season for everything, that He loves us and has a plan for us.  Its so hard to understand and comprehend sometimes.  Especially when God designed your life to only last an hour long with us.

But you made such an impact on thousands of people through your journey, you strengthened people's faiths, gave people hope and helped them to understand God's ultimate plan.
Your mother shared this verse with me over the weekend and I love it, I know your mother has prayed it to you over and over...
"The Lord your God has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy.
The Lord God is with you, He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing."
-Zeph. 3:15, 17
We mourn your loss but rejoice your birth.

Matthew, you are cherished and loved.

Happy Birthday little one.

9 Months: My Tall Boys

Do you ever wonder what your child will look like when he grows up?

And whose personality he will resemble?

I'm hoping my son will be just like my husband, both inside and out.  At nine months, I'd say Kip's doing a pretty good job of taking after his dad so far:

Those big blue eyes

The height

Kip was in the 99.5th percentile for height at his 9 month doctor's visit!

Loving Animals

 Kip loves to play with Tiger and Bear (yes even in a laundry basket).  While Braydon is allergic to most furry friends, he's awfully loving to those that don't make him sneeze.

Relaxing after a hard day's work

Nothing like working hard all week to relax and watch basketball together on a Saturday afternoon.  (I promise Kip actually loves to be in the laundry basket...and he can get out whenever he needs to :)

 The open-mouth smile

And, of course, the toothy gap smile too (look closely)

Nothing some braces can't fix, right?

And they always put a smile on my face....

I came home to these two after working the weekend shifts.  That would be a JCrew one piece pajama suit on both of my boys.

From Kip's joyful, easy going character to his determination and relentless energy, I see so much of Braydon in him.  Everyday I find a new similarity between the two and every time I praise God for bringing these two tall, smiley, active, blue-eyed blessings into my life.