Can't belive it's been 2 years

As I climbed into bed last night, I couldn't help but think back to where we were 2 years ago.

At 11:30 pm I was being prepped for an Emergency C-Section.........I was about to deliver our son only he was joining us much earlier than we had hoped - 27 weeks gestation.

It brought chills to my body. Whenever I look at Bobby, I realize JUST how lucky we are that he is here. He's here and doing so well! Last night however I became much more emotional than normal. I was overcome with joy. Joy that not only were we celebrating our wonderful son's birthday but I was there to experience it.

I remember seeing my son for the first time and being COMPLETELY overwhelmed. He was so tiny, his skin was nearly see through, he still had his soft, fuzzy coat of hair (lanugo, I learned it was called), his eyes appeared to be unable to open.........but, what was the most alarming to me was his incredibly rapid breathing. He was working so hard to take what we know as a simple breath. It was pretty intense. Much more intense than I had imagined.

Then I thought of the strength our son had, the AMAZING Nurses at Cook Children's that cared for him, the wonderful Doctors at Cook's that treated him, the unimaginable love that family, friends and of course Stephen & I had for him.......

We believe that it was the power of prayer that gave our son his strength and fight to be here today. God blessed us in ways we never knew possible. He gave us our son. God had a lot of help - our friends and families.

So, as I began to drift off I thanked God for all of you - all of our friends and families that said one prayer, daily prayers, sent wonderful thoughts our

way, etc. We thank each one of you for those prayers. We had the most beautiful birthday with Bobby yesterday because of you and those prayers you said - God answered them....

That blessing is tucked into bed in the next room and is the joy of our life.

It's been WAY too long

So, it's been way too long since I last posted......have had a lot going on. Weddings, baby showers, and just trying to maintain sanity here at home.

Bobby is just adorable. He is growing like a weed. He is at that age where he is constantly doing new things. He can be adorable one second and then literally two seconds later he's being a holy terror. Regardless of the tantrums, he is so much fun to be with. I love that I have the ability to stay home with him.....he is such a joy!


My little sister is not so little anymore. Annie leaves for college tomorrow. I still can not believe time has gone by so quickly. It feels like it was just yesterday that I was in middle school & Annie wanted to follow me everywhere. (Middle School was definitely when I went through a nasty, mean, bitter phase - my parents and sister can attest to that!) Everyone said that we wouldn't be close until we were both much older because we were 10 years apart. Annie is without a doubt my best friend........although 10 years may separate us in age, we couldn't be closer. I'm so heartbroken that I can't be there to help her move into her dorm room....
It all goes by far too quick. I'm so proud of you Annie!


This year is my 10 year high school reunion. I was 95% sure I was going to go to reunion at the high school I graduated from.........but, lately I'm not so sure. I always thought I'd go to the Pius reunion.....but, as time has passed I have realized that I'm not too sure where I fit. I spent freshman and sophomore years at Bishop O'Connell - 2 absolutely wonderful years of my life. I was so happy there. I have some memories with people there that I think of quite often. Then, before my junior year, we moved to Atlanta. That was a very hard move. I was so happy in Virginia......coming into a school where most of the students had at least been together since freshman year (and many of them had been together since elelmentary school) was difficult. After I adjusted, I made some unbelievable friends. One friend in particular who I talk to at least 2 times a week. Some of these friends I was sure I would continue to have in my life.
While in college my dad got transfered again. This time to Fort Worth, Texas. This proved very hard for me. All of my friends I had graduated with would go home (to Atlanta) for the holidays and be able to see one another. Obviously, that was not an option for me. I'm only bringing this up because somewhere in there I lost touch with most of those people that I thought would always be in my life. I'm not sure if it was because we didn't get to see one another or that our relationships just weren't as strong as I had once thought. As someone who moved a lot, I certianly know how easy it is to loose touch with one another - I'm definitelyguilty of not always working hard to stay in touch.


I'm saying all this because I don't know which reunion to go to..........I have a few very close friends from both O'Connell & Pius that I have kept in touch with and have worked to keep in touch with me. I just don't know......sometimes I think, who really cares what I've been doing for the last 10 years? The ones that obviously do have kept in contact.......does anyone else understand my dilemma?


Was that a completely ridiculous little rant? Am I the only one who frets over this whole reunion thing? Ugh, I don't know.


On a completely other note, I am so greatful for facebook. As I have obviously stated, I moved a lot. I tried pretty hard to keep in touch with friends but, life happens. I have been able to get back in touch with people that meant so much to me and have wondered about on numerous occasions. I have been able to get back in touch with some wonderful people - friends from Evanston that I hadn't seen since 1992/1993! People I went to middle school with.........people from O'Connell...the list goes on and on. It really is nice to reconnect with long lost friends.

This sure has been a sappy entry. I promise the next one will be much more upbeat and maybe I'll even have a reunion answer.

Today was day 2 in the pool and Bobby did amazing! Yay!! For those of you who don't know, Bobby has hated the water from the moment he came home from the NICU. Bath time in our house is a dreaded event. Bobby refuses to sit while in the tub, screams bloody murder and hangs over the side with a kungfu grip. We tried taking him to an indoor pool a month or so ago and he screamed the entire time. All the while digging his nails so deep into my skin that he actually drew blood. Obviously, a joyous occasion for all involved.

My best friend Brandy (who is my next door neighbor - it's fantastic!) and I really wanted to lay out and get some sun this summer. Since we needed Bobby to spend time in the pool as well, we decided to go buy a very large inflatable pool. We put Bobby in for the first time yesterday and at first he screamed but, we kept at it. Every few minutes we would put him deeper into the water. By the time we got out, he was splashing everywhere. I thought that maybe yesterday was just a fluke. I was wrong! He did great again today! He didn't even want to hold onto me. Yay Bobby! Here's to hoping this sticks.




Bobby and I recently returned from a 2 and a half week visit to Ohio to visit my family. It was a much needed break from the normal routine. Sadly, Stephen was unable to join us because the Colonial Country Club PGA Golf Tournament was going on while we were gone. That is his busiest time of the year. We missed having him there to join in all the fun.

It was so wonderful to spend time with my parents & sister. Chagrin Falls has a festival every year over Memorial Day weekend. For those who aren't familiar with Blossom - well, it is a very big deal! Parties galore, the festival itself, and of course the parade. It is so much fun. We had a blast partaking in all the events. I think Bobby's favorite was watching the hot balloon race. They had an Energizer Bunny balloon. It was HUGE. He thought it was pretty cool. They gave away foam bunny ears to the kids - you'll see them in a few pictures. Bobby fell madly in love with my family's dog, Nola. Bobby decided Nola was not her name - Nola was Lilo throughout our trip. He enjoyed spending mornings with his Nona (my mom), Papa & of course his Auntie Annie. We drank wine, grilled out, and laughed. We laughed A LOT!!! Ahhh, to be back.

Towards the end of our trip was the big event we came for.....Annie Gabe graduated from Chagrin Falls High School, with Honors! I managed to hold it together during the graduation ceremonies but, the night before at the Baccalaureate ceremony, the tears fell. Annie was asked to speak at the Baccalaureate and listening to her filled my heart with such joy. My little sister who used to follow me everywhere and always wanted to be with her Katie, graduated. I was suddenly overwhelmed with emotion not only over Annie's accomplishment but, the fear that if I blink too long I will be sitting at Bobby's graduation. I felt what my parents felt with me and were feeling for my sister. I now really knew why mom's tears fell. Parenthood is such a gift - most of the time. :)

We had a great time and miss them terribly! Hope this post finds you all well. Here are a few pics from the trip. Enjoy!

XOXO -Kate

I am officially a "blogger" now. My friend Julia started her blog a month or so ago. I found myself loving to hear what she and her family were up to and couldn't wait to hear what was next. As someone who has family all over the states, I thought maybe having a blog the whole family could go to would be perfect. So, taaa-daaa.

I hope reading about the Preston Family fills you with joy, happiness, and life's most wonderful pleasure - laughter. Enjoy...there are many more posts to come.