MYSTERY MAIL

Dearest Readers:

I'm assuming whom ever sent me the following mysterious letter that arrived in my ever grateful hands today, is one of you. I'm hoping the sender is in the small crowd that reads my daily musings. My most sincerest thanks and heartfelt gratitude for this most generous gift. It couldn't have come at a better time, as we've exhausted a chunk of our small nest egg of savings since being here at the "Rents" in order to pay for the miraculous arrival of our sweet Ohwee and Rider.  So on a week where I was feeling like I was at square one financially and worrying about providing a future home for my kids.... I know that prayers are answered. I  sincerely hope the sender of this letter is reading this. It would be impossible for me to feel like I was never able to thank you for your generosity. 

All my sincerest thanks and love,

Sday

The below letter was sent anonymously and with it... a very generous gift card that will be most useful for our ever growing family.

LUCKY #7.... ALMOST

Dear Time:
Please slow down. I want my babies to be babies forever.

Me Monkey will be seven months old on Thursday. Seven! I barely remember any details of the first two months since we were in the process of moving. Then the holidays steam rolled past with my lack of sleep due to my ever growing belly. And with the new year came a new brother. BREATHE.

A little about my Monkey at this stage:

He loves to cuddle.

But me and his Grammy: aka, Rita are the only two that can get him to fall asleep on us.

Loves the outdoors. 

Loves walks and watching Layla play at the park.

He thinks he's pretty hot stuff with his baseball cap on.

Always, always, always smiling and drooling. 

He just discovered his tongue and it's constantly sticking out.

Wasn't a fan of solid food at first (despite his rather large stature :))

But he LOVES his rice cereal and banana's now.

HA! Fooled ya! This is a picture of Layla at 7 months! 

Could these two possibly look more alike considering their genetic differences!?

Rider and Layla are practically inseparable.

He loves bath time and he loves his sister even more.

Just started saying "ba ba ba" today.

He has a wicked bald spot on the back of his head.

He's a mover and a shaker and his legs stop only during nap time.

His hair is whacky because I cut it... for the 4th time. It was getting too long but now it has a "feathered" look about it. Not cool.

He's the easiest baby in the universe. Sleeps great, eats great, naps great and plays great.

And he's as smart as a whip.... see for yourself

He started picking up signing "more" at mealtime this week.

HER NAME IS PRISCILLA

You know my weirdness about each of my kids having their own specific scent of lotion and their own individual "life song." As I've told you before, this one is Layla's.

In 2010, after our baby wedding to Layla, Kday decided to write to the singer-songwriter of Layla's song. I don't still have the email, but he wrote to Priscilla explaining to her all about the story of how Layla came to us. And how her song played in our home, our headphones, and our hearts for months before we found our special girl. Kday wrote the details how the song played as we picked up our precious package from the Modesto hospital and we drove tearfully home.

This what Priscilla's response:

From: Priscilla Ahn <ahn.pri@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Feb 8, 2010 at 4:51 PM
Subject: Thank you
To: kdayracing@gmail.com


Hi Kevin,

I am so touched by your story, and honored that one of my songs, holds such a dear and special place with you and your wife, and your new baby daughter.  Your story is so beautiful, and I am so happy for you and your wife that you were able to find a beautiful child to have in your lives!  I hear stories of how hard it is to actually find a child to adopt in the U.S.  You are so blessed!  

And it means so much to me personally that it was with that particular song.  That one is actually one of my favorites.  It was a song I wrote after I first met my boyfriend (now fiance), and it comes from a place of true happiness and love, and also, the beginning of my most cherished relationship, friendship, and strongest and purest love.  

I am sure that this is just the beginning of one of your most important relationships and loves in your life.  I'm happy that this song can be that for you too, as it was, and still is, for me.  

Thank you for reaching out, and sharing your story.  I'll never forget it.  Again, I am so honored, and humbled by it.  

I wish you and your family only good love, and so much happiness!  

love,
Priscilla :)

This past month, two years after we last wrote to the amazing artist... Kday wrote again.

Here is what he wrote:

From: KDAY <kdayracing@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Mar 9, 2012 at 11:04 PM
Subject: Re: Thank you
To: Priscilla Ahn <ahn.pri@gmail.com>


Priscilla, 

I wrote to you a little over two years ago with little story about my family. My wife and I became very attached to your song "A Good Day" as we struggled with infertility issues and trying to start a family. After seven years of failed attempts we were blessed with adoption a beautiful baby girl from California. It was an amazing experience to say the least and A Good Day was playing through our speakers, headphones and in our heads the entire time. 

Now, Layla is two-and-a-half yeas old. She's truly amazing and has a real love for music. Nearly every night, as my wife and I lay her to bed, we dance to A Good Day. I promise her that it will always be her song and on her wedding day, we'll share one last dance together. 

Just the other day, we were laying her in bed and she began to sing the words to A Good Day. It was wonderful. I tried to record as much of it as possible and though, maybe you'd like to hear it. 

Here's the link to the recording on my Sound Cloud account: http://soundcloud.com/kdayracing/layla-singing-priscillaahn

Thank you for you beautiful song and all of your amazing music. Maybe one day, we'll be able to experience it live.

Best of luck to you. Keep up the wonderful work.

Kevin and Shannon Day.

And again... she responded. 

From: Priscilla Ahn <ahn.pri@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Mar 25, 2012 at 9:30 PM
Subject: Re: Thank you

To: KDAY <kdayracing@gmail.com>


Dear Kevin, Shannon, and Layla,

I cannot tell you how touched I am by all of this.  The fact that my song would travel with you in all your adventures in finding Layla, and then to hear her sing the song with you!  

You are so sweet to share this with me.  It brought tears to my eyes.  In fact, your email brought tears to my eyes even before I heard it the song.  Because you are saving this song for your dance together on Layla's wedding day... I know how special that "dance" is and will be for you both.  I feel so honored to have my song be a part of that.

I hope to one day meet you and Shannon and your beautiful Layla.  I am so happy for you and your family...  Your story gives me inspiration to keep singing and writing.  It's a dream of mine to write and record a children's album when I have a child of my own.  Hopefully it won't be too long, so that Layla can enjoy it too!  

Lots of love to you all,

Priscilla

We feel so lucky and we're so happy to let her know what an amazing artist she is and how deeply her music and talents have touched our lives.

My cheezer girl: Almost 3 years to the day that I had a confirmation that she was coming and that she would be wonderful... while listening to her song

TEMPLE TEASER

Got the pics back from our baby wedding. They rock. All except the ones with me in them. Cuz my body doesn't rock right now. It jiggles. But as for all the good looking people in my family... well, they look wonderful. Here's a little teaser - see for yourself!

BABY BOOGERS

id love to tell you all about my 2nd post-baby run... but I'm busy making these tonight. The boys have been sick and I'm covered in dried snot and spit up and if you look hard enough you could probably find some crusty boogers on my shirt sleeve too. super.
So i needed a little alone time with the sewing machine to clear my mind and rest my ever baby cradling arms for a bit.

SDAY GOES GREEN

A few weeks ago my friend across the world challenged her readers to 30 days of this. As you can see, she's teeny tiny, itsy bitsy. And although I can sit around and day dream about drinking my way to a size zero, I know better. I know how much work is involved in my upcoming battle against the bulge. But alas, I've decided that the green challenge would do my body good. I'm a few weeks late but in my own time - I've learned is the best time. I've eaten nothing but junk and bounteous proportions of it since my run in with the double pink lines 11 months ago. And it's time to make the change. It's time to challenge my body to regain control over itself and over it's cravings. I've lost 70 lbs before... and as much as I've been dreading it - It's time to do it again.

Naturally, my weight loss has been the last on my priority list. Sleep and finding balance and control over my surroundings have been number one. And surprisingly, I haven't been panicked about where my body is. I'm disgusted by it yes, but panicked that it will stay this way forever.... no. I know that the desire to change HAS TO COME FROM WITHIN. It can't be forced, coerced, or even challenged by anyone but yourself. I know the change will come from within and I'm certain the time will come when I feel like training for races and counting every single calorie that enters my body. But right now I need to take baby steps. I don't have the energy - emotional or physical to push my body back into a daily running routine, or to dive in head over heals into the weight loss journey.... yet. My body and my mind tell me "I will get there. Just give me time." All things come when the time is right.

So as for baby steps - this one I can handle. A 30 day challenge from D and from myself. I plan to replace 2 meals a day with a green smoothie. I've configured the ingredients to add up to either 200 calories for a breakfast smoothie or 400 calories for a lunch or smoothie. In conjunction with 100 calorie protein based snacks and a healthy 3rd meal.... I think I will be on my way to kick starting my body back into the place I know it wants to be. I can already tell you that I won't follow it every day - I know what you're thinking "why challenge yourself to something you know you can't do?" Because that's the purpose of a "challenge" to me, to try to do my best at something that seems unattainable. And my best is what I can do.

Wish me luck. My 30 days starts today.  And because I'm a little crazy in the head - I'm even debating posting my weekly weight.
Wait. That might just be a little too crazy for my liking. We'll see. Let me sleep on it.... rather - let me wake up all night with sick kids and attempt to sleep on it :)

A BIG BOY BED FOR A BIG BOY

In an attempt to get a little more sleep around these parts, I decided to bunk my two best sleepers together in one room. Layla and Rider go to bed at 7:30 every night together now and although we've had to lay out a few ground rules for the big sis... she's loving having herself a new roomie. One of the rules is that no matter how loud Rider "talks to her" (he hums himself to sleep) - she is not supposed to talk back until morning. And once he's up in the morning then she can sing songs and talk to him all she wants.

I have heard her on occasion in the baby monitor saying sweet things to her brother when he wakes in the night. Last night he woke up around midnight and was finding himself humming back to sleep. She quietly said "It's ok baby brother... go back to sleep. Rider it's bed time don't be scared." It was possibly one of the best Mamma Moments ever. I sat up in bed with the baby monitor on my pillow and I listened for more sweet whisperings from one sibling to the other. They both lulled themselves back to sleep before anything more was exchanged.

In the mornings, I am awakened by Layla excitedly jumping up and down in her crib as she peeks across the way to see her brother and welcomes him into the morning with her favorite greeting. "HI BUDDY!" And if only you could hear it in person, the way she says it is hilarious. It sounds more like "Hiiiiiii Buuuuuuuuudaaaaaayyyy." It's my favorite. And Ride-iz can't seem to get enough of his big sis, his legs pounce for joy as he slams his feet against the mattress in excitement.

They are two of a kind.

And this way, we had room to slide Ohwee into the bassinet and wheel that little ginger out into the hallway where I can't hear his every stirring breath. Ahhhh, peace at last.