Flashback Friday

I'm never really good with keeping up with Flashback Friday, but I always think I will be. I start out being super motivated to make a post....& then it happens. I start going through my photo archives & I get lost in memories...for hours. Then I look at the time & it's 2AM & I'm too tired to put together a post & I can't even begin to choose one photo from the thousands on my external hard drive.

This week though....this week, I got smart. I started sifting through pictures on Monday. Then I stumbled on these freaking to die for pictures of five month old Collin taken exactly a year ago today. And I remembered that I didn't start blogging seriously until Collin was almost a year; which means you guys haven't seen much of baby Collin. So...duh...I'm sharing.

One year ago today, my little Monkey, BooBah, Goo, Munch....poor kid will never learn his name...was five months old & still in physical therapy. I haven't spoken much about Collin's condition. Partly because I don't even feel he has one & partly because after months of stressing & agonizing over it, I decided that I was done making it an issue in our lives....& that's exactly what I was doing, making it an issue.

Collin was born with torticollis, which is basically a fancy name for saying his neck muscles were uneven & one side was not developed correctly. This was mainly due to the fact that my freaking body refuses to carry a child properly, so not only was my cervix constantly funneling, but Collin's head was wedged in my pelvis from about 22 weeks until delivery, which meant no room to grow his muscles. In many of his baby pictures...& even some recent pictures, you can see that his head tilts to one side. It was much worse when he was born & has increasingly gotten better thanks to physical therapy & Mama's determination. I refused to be one of those parents I saw at PT who only completed the assigned exercises with their babies at the PT office. I have religiously completed Collin's exercises with him twice daily & it has made a ginormous (that's my medical terminology, for ya) improvement. No one notices....& if they do, no one says anything.

This day, one year ago, I was doing these exercises with my baby boy & being stubborn & refusing to let this stupid condition he had...that was my fault..get the best of either of us. I was so proud of how strong he was & how well he was lifting his head on his own. The very next day, I was told my son would need a helmet because his head shape was getting dangerously disproportioned & could cause some potentially serious issues in the future. The very next day, I had a mental breakdown & called my Mom weeping & seeking a solution. The very next day, after hanging up with my Mom & hearing her empowering words of advice, I decided to not let this condition own my son & I & our lives. The very next day, I got to work making sure my son would be happy & his Mama would be happy & stop allowing everyone else to tell us what was wrong with him. The very next day, I picked myself back up, wiped away my tears & looked at my perfect baby boy & I knew that even if he did need a helmet; that he would be the most perfect helmet headed little baby in this world.

The very next week, a specialist told us that Collin wouldn't need a helmet after all. Why? Because his Mama was persistent & strong & made sure she did Collin's exercises with him every morning & every night. Because his Mama never gave up.



Flashback Friday: Seester Trip 2008

My sister...or, as I like to call her, Seester...& I like to take trips together. We try to take one together alone. Just us. Once a year. I have been incredibly blessed to have a sister I am close to...I'm talking redonk close. Sometimes, we even text each other our bowel movements. Okay, maybe not that close. But she is my best friend (aside from Maria) & I love her so much. I believe we have soul mates in many different people. Seester is definitely one of my soul mates.

We took a week long cruise to Mexico together in 2008. We needed this week together. Alone. Seester had just returned home from serving in the Navy & a lot had happened during the years she was gone. I broke up with the only boyfriend she had ever known me to have...my high school sweetheart. I met Greg shortly after. I moved in with Greg. I married Greg.

We needed a soul mate reconnect. A Seester Trip!

I loved every single moment of our trip....



....our arrival & sheer excitement as we invaded our stateroom
with a balcony!

...watching the sun set on the endless ocean as we talked about

the adventures we would have.

...choosing & then rechoosing our nightly outfits & hair styles.

...drinking ourselves into a stupor of laughter that kept our neighbors awake until wee hours of

the morning. (..and my obnoxious pink tip manicure...hoootttttt!)

...endless cheersing for no reason other than to take pictures.

...crazy stupid drinks with obnoxious names like Miami Vice.

...sneaking into an empty bathroom for a necessary photo shoot.

...& a nod to white chicks& gang signs.

...parasailing in a dress because that sounded like a fantastic idea.

...helping Seester get over her first real heartbreak by raiding the

mini fridge & taking hot pictures in her hot dress.

...celebrating the end of our trip by opening a bottle of champagne. All by ourselves. Which neither of us had ever done before. And having a plethora of ridic videos like this to laugh at over & over again.

Did I mention Seester is a cop now? She will totally arrest you if you don't vote
for me. It takes two teeny clicks to save you 5-10 in the City Jail.

Flashback Friday

There is no doubting that Collin is Greg's son. I am constantly hearing how much Collin looks like his Daddy. "You don't need a paternity test on that one!" "Greg's got some strong Bolivian genes!" "Wow! He looks just like his Daddy! Has anyone told you that?!?" I love hearing this.

But I especially love how at just the right angle...Collin can look just like his Mama.

Do you have a few seconds to spare? It only takes two simple clicks!