How I Love Thee
Tyler…my wonderful son! You have been such a joy to watch and love every day. I want to write down my thoughts and document the feelings as much as I can so one day you can read about how much we adore you. I hope when you are older your father and I can still show you this amount of love, devotion, care and entertainment that we give you today!
You are so funny, smart, curious, adventurous and daring! You climb everything and test your limits (as well as ours!). You are beautiful and perfect in our eyes, as well as many other strangers who have stopped us to tell us how cute you are! Even though just last week a lady still called you a girl (while you had a car on your blue tshort). You have very pretty blue eyes and blond hair, but you are all boy!
We love you so much! You are my life long achievement that I will never be able to trump.
Much love always and forever!
Mom
Rough End, Rough Start
What a turbulent and trying end to 2011…and start to a new year. Lee and Tyler were both sick the week after Christmas. Tyler with a stomach bug and Lee with what we thought was a flu. Starting with a fever of 102.9 we quaranteened Lee away from Tyler and to self medicate and sleep it off. 3 days later and now with liquid in his longues, a cough and barely able to walk, we drove Lee to the ER. They immediately saw him and diagnosed him with Pneumonia.
He stayed overnight and then moved floors as he needed a bigger dose of Oxygen that the highest floor could supply. Another day later, they moved him to ICU where he would stay nearly a week. His pneumonia continued to spread and his breathing more labored. That night they had to put him in a medically induced coma and on venilator as his lungs were too weak and he wasnt getting enough oxygen in his blood. 2.5 days in this state his vitals improved. They suctioned his lungs and got the mucous out that was festering there.
While on a ventilator, I would visit him, hold his hand and simply pray that I didnt lose my husband. What a scary time asking for any prayer I could get to save my husband. I feared becoming a widow and what life would be like without Lee.
I am blessed to say after 9 days in the hospital, 5 of which in ICU and 2.5 of which were in a state of coma, Lee made a great recovery and is at home by my side.
Situations like this put life into perspective and make you appreciate life, family and those you love and are a part of your life. Life is precious and could end in a blink of an eye.
Be kind to others. Appreciate others. Love others. And live life happily and with no regrets.
Blankenship 2011 Year in Review
1. January – Recovered from our first holidays with Tyler!
2. February –
· Trip to Aruba for Lee’s birthday. Tyler’s first trip and happened to be out of the country! He didn’t care for the ocean…so big and scary!
3. March –
· Trip to Alabama to see Grandpa and Grandma Susan
· Tyler sat up for the first time on his 6 month birthday!
· Tyler’s Baptism was a wonderful celebration
· We had a 6 month photo shoot for the handsome man in our life
4. April –
· Tyler learned to crawl!
· Lindsay and Tyler flew down to Venice, FL to see GG Rinehart and Derek, Romain and Uncle Steve!
5. May –
· Lee and Lindsay went to NYC for a quick trip (first time away overnight from Tyler!) where we left our luggage in the taxi cab at our first stop! Luckily we got it back many hours later while at a bar in Soho with friends.
· Mother’s Day Weekend with Jogging for Jugs – Tyler joined us this year for our 4th annual Atlanta Race for the Cure with team Jogging for Jugs!
6. June –
· First Father’s Day weekend and Grandpa babysat Tyler so we could attend a neighborhood party
· Trip to Hilton Head with the Blankenship family to celebrate Nelson’s 60th birthday!
7. July –
· Trip to Cleveland for Grandma Rinehart’s 90th birthday surprise party!
8. August –
· Summer fun with Tyler and the pool. We hosted a pool party with many kids and enjoyed popsicles on the porch…very funny pictures!
9. September – a BUSY month!
· Tropical Storm Lee (of Xbox Fruit Ninja) ravaged Atlanta
· Trip to Alabama to see Grandpa and Grandma Susan
· Celebrated our 4th anniversary, wow time flies!
· Lee’s company officially and publically announced the launch of their new technology, Satellite at a Google Analytics Certified Partner Summit it Mountain View, CA.
· Tyler turned 1! We had a fantastically fun birthday with a Very Hungry Caterpillar themed party with friends, family and kids. Tyler loved his bright red cake!
· I took a few days off to hang out with my little man
10. October –
· Jenny, Nelson, Audrey and Calvin visited for a long weekend. Always fun to be with family!
· Halloween fun at the Zoo and neighborhood party with “Ty-Monster”
11. November –
· Wonderful Thanksgiving at home and Nelson returned to Atlanta. Lee cooked his first turkey and it was delicious!
· Lindsay was honored with the Search Marketer of the Year Award from the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG).
12. December –
· Lindsay’s low-key birthday was surrounded by holiday parties and dinners galore!
· We celebrate the holidays and are blessed to have an abundance of love in our lives. Thank you all who have enriched our lives. We look forward to 2012!
Note to Tyler, From Mom
Tyler, My precious little dude. You have brought so much joy to my life, I can’t even describe the amount of love I have for you! You have brought me so much happiness, love, pride and did I mention LOVE into my (our) life over the past year+ – you are a blessing!
I am such a proud Mother of you. You are perfect. You are smart. You are beautiful!
Always know that Mommy loves you. I will do anything for you. You are my world.
Love always
Mommy
Goodbye Sweet Emma
This weekend we had to put my brother’s dog to sleep. Emma developed a tumor in her nasal passage and got progressively worse. She was a GREAT dog. Lived a happy 12.5yrs with our family and was well behaved, calm, great with the babies and very loveable. We will miss her. 
