Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from the Capps Family!

We will be attending the Briarwood Boo Bash before heading back to practice this evening at 6:30 pm. Good thing Charlie is still too small to trick or treat ... I would really be sad.

Eliot

Two nights ago, I was lying in bed having just put Charlie to sleep upstairs. I was watching television and much to my delight, the Oprah show came on (it is replayed each night at 9 pm on one of the NBC stations). I was able to catch part of the show that night and it was on "Miracle Children." This morning, then, I saw this clip on YouTube and was so excited as I wanted to share the story and message.

One of the features on the show was about a baby named Eliot. They showed a video and it brought absolute tears to my eyes. Seeing this baby with tubes connected to him and knowing that he was fighting an uphill battle, the parents celebrated every moment of this child's life. It was inspiring. The showed this clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th6Njr-qkq0 to explain Eliot's journey and there was not a dry eye in the house. In a way, it reminded me of our start with Charlie. The tubes, the NICU, the weeks before he was born of the "unknown."

I could not help but think about how lucky we are to have Charlie and how blessed he is to be so healthy as I watched this video. We had a rocky start with him, but he is HEALTHY and HAPPY! I can't imagine (and hope that I never do) how these parents feel knowing they gave birth to a baby that is not going to be on earth very long. Putting their own feelings aside, they formed such a strong bond with this little boy and celebrated every moment of his life. I am sure that is why this littly guy lived so much longer than most babies with this condition -- many never even make it through birth.

Eliot's short time on life was planned by God. It was his way of reminding people to be thankful for what they are given and to slow down and celebrate the small things in life. Most of us are guilty of now celebrating the small things. We are so busy with our jobs and other things in life, we forget to celebrate small accomplishments or to enjoy simple pleasures ... a dinner with a loved one, a hug from your child, a smile or note from a friend. Charlie is teaching me so much about my own life. It is not about me ... life is about him and what I can do to help him grow. Things that I have stressed over in the past seem so stupid now considering what we have been through in the last year. Finding a balance is so important to living a happy life ... I am really trying to work on that. We only get one chance at this and making sure that you take full advantage is so important.

Every Woman

'MAYA ANGELOU'S' BEST POEM EVER

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE . enough money within her control to move out and rent a place of her own, even if she never wants to or needs to...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE . something perfect to wear if the employer, or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE . a youth she's content to leave behind....

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE . a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to retelling it in her old age....

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE . a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE . one friend who always makes her laugh.. and one who lets her cry...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE . a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE . eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal, that will make her guests feel honored...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE a feeling of control over her destiny..

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... how to fall in love without losing herself..

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... how to quit a job, break up with a lover, and confront a friend without; ruining the friendship...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... when to try harder... and WHEN TO WALK AWAY...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... that she can't change the length of her calves, the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... that her childhood may not have been perfect...but it's over...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... what she would and wouldn't do for love or more...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW.... how to live alone... even if she doesn't like it...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW.. whom she can trust, whom she can't, and why she shouldn't take it personally...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... where to go... be it to her best friend's kitchen table.. or a charming Inn in the woods.... when her soul needs soothing...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW.. What she can and can't accomplish in a day... a month...and a year...

In Full Swing!

I have tried to remind people as much as I can that basketball is in full swing. As a result, I have not been very good at returning phone calls and emails the last couple of weeks. I am SOOOOO sorry if this is you! I promise that I will get to all of them, but please be patient.

I am still getting used to juggling work and home now that Charlie is part of the equation. No longer do I sleep in just a little later and get to work on time .... now I find myself packing the night before to make sure I don't forget anything (especially now that it is getting cold!) We are usually out the door no later than 8 am (which yes, is a few minutes later than some of you), but I make up for it on my nights and weekends.

My evenings go just as fast as the mornings ... practice is usually over around the 6 pm hour so I get home somewhere around 6:45 or so and then have until 8 pm to play and spend time with Charlie before putting him off to bed. I am trying to make the most of the time when Charlie is awake so the cleanliness of our house has suffered a little bit. Don't worry -- it is not gross or anything. Eric helps out quite a bit so we are able to do it all. It is not perfectly kept, but gosh, with a hubby, drooling baby and drooling bulldog, that is almost IMPOSSIBLE! To me, it does not have to be perfect .. there are more important things going on right now.

Sunday Night Thoughts

HaHa!!! I have gotten several emails from friends and family telling me how "sad" Charlie looks in his Halloween costumes. You all -- I promise that he doesn't hate them. I will admit that I like dressing Charlie up (for Halloween or just going to the grocery store), but I don't "torture" him with it. Theresa took those pics of Charlie last weekend and he was just over us and the noises we were making and the TONS of pictures we were taking.

Nothing too exciting this weekend to report. I was in the gym most of the day today as I ran our Coaches Clinic. I had to be there shortly after 10 am this morning to make sure everything was ready to roll and everything ended up there about 5:30 this evening. Eric and I had a nice dinner then before heading to the grocery store. The temperature has dropped and the wind has increased. I will admit ... I was impressed to see that Eric had actually packed a winter hat for Charlie to wear while we were out this evening. He stayed home with Charlie all day as I was at the gym. Even managed to get Charlie to nap, get him dressed in a "cute" outfit and get him to dinner without getting cold! Yeah, Eric :)

Tomorrow is our "day off." We are required to give our players one day off per week during the season. These will usually fall on a weekday so it is not really a day off for us as we are in the office most of the day. But, we need to win ballgames so that is the way it is.

Option #2

Maybe he should be a pumkin!!!

Little Monster!!!

One of his Halloween Costumes ... he also has a pumpkin and a Tigger outfit!!

Can't you tell how excited he is???

Late Night!!

This weekend was a busy one!! Friday marked the first official day of practice and at KU that means Late Night in the Phog. It is a CRAZy celebration in which the men and women perform skits and then scrimmage to get fans ready for bball season. This year was really fun and I thought our players did a GREAT job.

My younger sister came out for the weekend. She has been to games and other KU events, but never to Late Night. She arrived early in the afternoon on Friday and then left early this morning so she got some quality time with us. Unfortunately, I had to be gone quite a bit as I had recruiting responsibilities much of the day, but she was able to tag along on some things. During the other time, she hung out with Charlie and worked her majic to make sure Charlie sees her as his favorite Aunt :) He loves her that is for sure .... she loves to spoil him and was able to give him LOTS of attention. Theresa also took lots of pics of Charlie this weekend .. especially some of him in his Halloween costumes.

Free time for me will be scarce for the next several months. We get off one day a week now, but most of our days off from practice are during the week so we are still in the office. This year might be a little bit easier on me now that I am not pregnant ... we will see :)

The talking has begun!

Charlie has really started to use his voice! Only problem is that the one who get to hear it most is HUEY, our bulldog!! Everytime Charlie sees Huey now he wants to carry on a "conversation." Huey will sit there with him and just look while Charlie tells him all about it. When in his exersaucer, Charlie also likes to "pet" Huey and give him the occasional tug of the jowl. It is certainly cute to watch!

This morning, however, was hilarious. While I was getting ready, I put Charlie in his exersaucer, which was in front of the bed. Like normal, Huey will roam around it just to check out what is going on and to keep an eye on things. This morning, he decided to sit there and just listen to Charlie "talk" for about 10 minutes. Finally, Huey got bored and went and laid down in the closet. Charlie was devastated! When he realized Huey left him, he started to scream bloody murder ... waterworks and all. I, of course, was trying to figure out what he had done. Was he caught somewhere? Was he hurt? Did he hit his head on one of the toys on it? What?!?!? Then, sure enough, Huey made his way out of the closet to see what the commotion was about and when Charlie saw Huey, the racket stopped!! Charlie was fine ... no more tears. He started his conversation again like Huey had never left.

Eric and I had discussed the possibility of getting another dog so that Huey has a buddy since we spend so much time with Charlie. But, Charlie has made it CLEAR that he plans to befriend Huey whether he likes it or not. This poor pup is not going to know what hit him.

I am going to get the video camera out tomorrow morning and see if I can catch the "chat" on camera!!

Lil Punkin!

We had a great weekend ... very relaxing and lots of family time! On Saturday, Eric got up and worked on the yard for a little while. Charlie and I took advantage of the time and made our way to a local dog show so that we could check out the Bulldogs in the ring. It has been a long time since I attended a dog show -- gosh, the last one I remember was when we got Rudy in Michigan. We had to PLEAD with my parents to let us get him, but we all agree, he was an awesome dog. Saturday, though, I wasn't puppy shopping --I just wanted to see some of the different dogs. Charlie got a kick out of it too as we were able to sit fairly close to the ring. He sat and just cooed at them before falling asleep.
Saturday afternoon, then, we made our way to the Pumpkin Patch here in Lawrence. We went with some of our neighbors (whose kids are older than Charlie). There wasn't much for Charlie to actually do, but he enjoys people watching and there were LOTS of people to check out. It was fun and it got us into the Fall season! We did go out into the "patch" and pick some pumpkins for our front porch. We got a big one, a white one, and two small ones. Last year was the first time Eric had ever carved a pumpkin so maybe we can get a repeat and see another of his "creations." Charlie was asleep in his stroller before we even made it back to the car so I think it is safe to say that we wore him out. I am excited to see how his reactions will change to as he gets older and we take him on "fieldtrips" like this.

Today, then, we spent most of the day at home. We did venture out to return a couple of movies and grocery shop at Wal-mart. The rest of the day was spent at home cleaning and enjoying some time off. This was my last "free" weekend for awhile as basketball season starts on Friday and from now on, I will be in the gym most weekends until March Madness.

Charlie -- 6 Month Update

Charlie with his Uncle David getting ready for the wedding!

We ventured to the doctor earlier this week. Charlie weighed in at 18.5 lbs and measured 27". He is in the 67th percentile for weight and the 75th percentile for height. The doctor is very happy with his progress and is astounded at how "fast" he has caught up! We are looking at some things to try and help prevent RSV (as is it really bad for infants -- especially premature infants). Other than that, it was a great visit.

I wish that I had my camera on me when we went because Charlie was FASCINATED with the mirror that was next to the doctor's table. It was right at his level and at one point, he had his head sideways trying to get "closer" to that face looking back at him! It was really cute.

Speaking of my camera, it came back from the repair shop. It last about one picture and then broke again. So, it has been sent off yet again to be repaired. This happened with our computer a few weeks ago too. It took 2x as long to get it fixed because DUMB customer service people did not want to listen to the full extent of the problem I was telling them. Frustrating!! Eric lets me handle that type of stuff as he knows I will get what I want (most of the time).

No big plans this weekend! We are going to try and make it out to the pumpkin patch tomorrow and pick out some pumpkins for the porch. I think that some of our neighbors are going to join us so it should be fun!

More on the wedding!

Well, I am happy to say that the new bride and groom, Alisa and Bobby, are enjoying their honeymoon in Costa Rica. It has been nearly a year in the making, but the time has come for them to enjoy all the planning and headaches that go into putting on such a big event. There wedding was a bit "different" than they expected, but absolutely unforgettable!! We all had a great time at the reception and are glad to see them FINALLY married :)

Their photographers also do a BLOG and here are some of the photos they have shared. I am not sure if the bride and groom have seen these yet, but I am sure they are anxious to share them with everyone. They are great!!

http://rbrownweddings.com/recent/?cat=1

Six Months Old!!

Our little man is getting BIG!! Today marks six months old for Charlie. He actually goes to the doctor tomorrow for his six month check-up and shots so I will have more "stats" then, but for now you can enjoy his ever-thickening hair and that sweet smile.



You will have to excuse the "crumpled" sign. Charlie has found paper to be a fun toy lately. He loves the sound of it as he crunches it and tries to tear it to pieces.

Wedding Weekend!!!

I have lots of stories to share from the wedding this past weekend ... those of you who were in attendance know exactly what I am talking about. Overall, though, it was a BEAUTIFUL day and Bobby and Alisa are now officially married. We had a great time and it was wonderful to be part of their day. I am back in the office now and have lots to catch up on!! More soon, I promise!