Humans

Fall 2006

      How do I tell you about what happened over the course of four months when that is an entire lifetime for my daughter Mira?!

     September highlights included Cayleigh riding in two horse shows on her favorite pony, 'Popo-puff' (Cocoa-Puff).  The first was just a normal one-day show at Folly Farm.  If was sunny and warm, and her cousin Addison came up to ride also.  The two of them competed in 'Lead-Line' division where they are led around the arena by a trainer (Becca for Cayleigh, and Maureen for Addison).  Mostly, this class is for beginning riders to show that they know the basics... walking, posting, trotting...how to hold the reins and how to sit on the horse.  In the case of Cayleigh and Addison, the class was entirely for looking cute!  The last minute I decided to put some green sunglasses on Cayleigh, so with her polo shirt and riding pants she was adorable (see the images to the left).
    The second show was the two-day Folly Farm Classic Horse Show.  This is a formal show where everyone has to qualify to enter, and they all come dressed in their most formal riding apparel.  Cayleigh and Addison were both in the show wearing riding jackets, shirts, collars, pants and boots.  They were, again, the cutest things ever!  The funniest thing was that as Cayleigh rode past the crowd of people at one end of the ring she said 'Hi, Everyone!' at the top of her lungs... and, of course, everyone said 'Hi, Cayleigh!'.  Now, remember, this is supposed to be a very formal event!  The next time around, Cayleigh repeats 'Hi, Everyone!'... but this time, the crowd tried to maintain decorum and only laughed quietly...until Cayleigh repeats, even louder 'HI, EVERYONE!' The crowd lost it and had to reply 'HI, CAYLEIGH!'.  There is a picture Cayleigh in her full riding formals to the left.

    In October, we went apple picking with Giggie, Poppy (Grandma and Grandpa Brady) and Titi Andrea, and Cayeigh, Mira, Mommy and I.  It was a good day!  We all laughed at Poppy, who was determined to go pick apples in the areas that were 'off-limits'.  Cayleigh enjoyed the wagon ride out to the apples.  We finished up by visiting the 'painted horses' that were scattered around Granby most of the summer.  
     Later in October, the same crew with the addition of Maureen, Tim, Addison, and Andrea's Cousin Antonella went pumpkin picking at Rosedale Farms.  It was a beautiful fall morning.  We arrived as the fog was burning off and were the first ones there.  We got to play in the corn maze while we were waiting for the Hay wagon that would take us out to the pumpkin fields.  The kids loved the maze and ran around calling to everyone.  At the end of the maze, there was a field of flowers that the kids loved.  Remember, all of this with the backdrop of a beautiful fall morning.  We picked pumpkin, took lots of pictures and the girls had a blast!

    November saw Halloween fading from memory and preparation for the holidays get into full swing.  Cayleigh was determined that for Christmas, she was going to dress as a butterfly (couldn't get the Halloween thing out of her head!).  We had a wonderful time at Giggie's house on Thanksgiving and saw Aunt Mary and Uncle Larry.  I took the week of Thanksgiving off from work and spent every available second cleaning up the yard, finishing the casings on the two breezeway windows that had not been finished before we moved into the house in the winter of '05.  I also put up the outside Christmas lights.  By the time Thanksgiving came and went... I was exhausted!!!  

    December was spent finishing preparations for Christmas.  We went to the mall and saw Santa Claus.  Cayleigh was fascinated with him...Mira thought he was hilarious!  She laughed at him, the entire time she was on his lap.  We got a Christmas tree at the end of one day and had a less than enjoyable experience trying to get it home.  Let's just say, we were in a rush, Becca was not happy about where I insisted we get the tree, and then we had the tree ties slip under the car and snap twice on the way home... we figured out how to tie the tree about halfway home!  We did manage to get the tree up that night and it is a beautiful tree.  Christmas eve was spent at Aunt Maureen and Uncle Tim's house with Meighan, Dave, Andrea, Antonella, Giggie and Poppy (and of course Addison).  They had their fire pit blaring, so we went inside to get food and outside to the fire pit to drink and talk.  We ate until we couldn't eat anymore and then rolled our way home with belts loosened and top buttons undone.
     We woke-up on Christmas day and Santa had visited.  Cayleigh came down after waking up late and was in awe!  We opened our presents and set-up some of the toys (Mickey Mouse Clubhouse was a hit!)...then noticed that Mira was getting a cold (sneezing and droopy).  We went down to Giggie and Poppy's house and had a really nice day.  The grandparents were, as usual, way to generous with the presents.  We ate and drank and got to say hi to all the relatives that come by to say hi on Christmas.  Tired, and with the knowledge that Mira was getting sicker, we drove home at about 10pm.  I was up again at 3am and slept little because Mira was so miserable.
      The day after Christmas (Tuesday) only saw Mira get sicker.  By noon, she had a fever of about 102F.  With drugs her fever went down in the afternoon.  By evening she had stopped sneezing, so we thought she was getting better. Unfortunately, that night, her fever went up and we noticed she was have trouble breathing.  After not sleep Tuesday night, Becca brought Mira to the doctor in the morning on Wednesday and I went to work.  The doctor measured her blood oxygen levels and listened to her lungs... and sent her to the Emergency Room at Hartford Hospital's Children's Medical Center!  I flew from UCONN to home to get formula, diapers, and a change of clothes (since when Becca left for the doctors she anticipated only being away for a few hours), and flew to hospital.  Mira was admitted at about 2pm into the ER and we spent the rest of the day and evening watching Mira on oxygen, getting two breathing treatments, and drugs...never knowing if were going to be staying the night or going home.  At about 10:30pm, the doctor decided that her oxygen levels, though still a little low, were stable. So we left for home.  Mira was diagnosed with Bronchiolitis, an ear infection and RSV (a virus).  With antibiotics, Tylenol, and lots of snot sucking and love and little sleep, it is now New Year's Eve and she appears to be improving!  The holidays have been exhausting!  But, at this point I can say that we are a happy and (somewhat) healthy family! 

HAPPY NEW YEARS
 TO YOU!!!

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