If you want to make God laugh,

tell him your plans.

My mom recalled that quote as I sat by her hospital bed and we waited for the morphine to kick in (my mom has sciatic nerve pain that over the weekend kicked into high gear). 

Nope, this wasn't how we expected to spend the weekend!


Last week as Chris and I excitedly anticipated our boys turning one year, I couldn't help but picture them in their cute little '1' t-shirts, eating cake and laughing. Then on their birthday last Thursday they woke up sick as I've seen them. All had colds, two had fevers, one threw up, nobody slept well. Our amazing Amelie showed up that day with cupcakes but they never got to enjoy them. If you can believe it, they were disinterested in all food! Their big activity of the day was taking a bath with the humidifier steaming in front of them. We did manage to put them in their highchairs and sing "Happy Birthday" followed by singing, "Happy Big Brother Day" to Colin. The babies gave Colin a "Thanks for being an awesome big brother!" gift after which Colin said, "Thank you babies. I like it!"  Then they went to bed.


Two days later Colin and I embarked on an unexpected trip back home to Michigan because my mom ended up in the hospital. She will be okay but man oh man has it been a long year for my parents. Seems like one health issue after another keeps happening and it totally stinks.


We like to picture ourselves on our family vacation, slated for August. God willing, my brothers, sis in law and parents will all have our toes in the sand watching the kids play along Lake Michigan. I picture my parents there warm and healthy. Imagining that day helps make these tough days more bearable. 


In the meantime, no birthday celebration yet for the boys. When they are healthy we'll take their "one year" pictures and feed them the obligatory cake! Also, we'll have that family party, but I'm not having it until both my parents can be there. They (like so many of our friends and family) have been such a critical part of this past year. Specifically, I can't see how I would have made it through hospital bed rest and those early days without my parents help and support. 


So we'll wait and someday in the near future you'll see pictures on this blog from a great family party with everyone present, celebrating these guys: