The times have changed

In the recent days our country elected Donald Trump as President of the United States of America. Words cannot express my disappointment. It has motivated me to stop being idle and be more active in our democracy. It may be a small act for now, but I've started by writing letters to those who affected me most. Below you will find my open letter to Donald Trump:

Donald Trump
The Trump Organization
725 5th Avenue
New York, NY 10022

Dear Mr. Trump,
I know this is one of millions of letters you’ve received but please listen and do not dismiss my plea for unity. While you and I may disagree on a variety of policy issues, we also know that you will certainly fail as president if you do not bring our nation together. The responsibility is now yours to speak out loud, and most importantly often, denouncing the racism and other bigotries we are seeing across the country. This is something that can only be done by you, as the leader of the masses who now feel it’s appropriate to hate. You succeeded in winning over millions of voters (albeit the majority) and now have the privilege of being the face of America and listening to its citizens. Listen as the popular vote demands you speak out against such hatred. We will not tolerate it and if you want us on your side, you will agree and act as such.

Thank you for listening,
Rebecca Axner

Per Plan

The piece of advice I give to expecting mothers is "Have a birth plan and know nothing goes according to plan". My birth plan for delivering Kyra was simple, have Trevor in the delivery room. No birth plan existed for Zoey; maybe because how things went with Kyra, maybe because we knew what to expect, or maybe because we didn't have the time to create one. When we got to the hospital the nurse asked us what our plan was. We just looked at each other with question. She wrote down, "Healthy, Fast and Painless". She got it right.

After 6 hours of labor and 2.5 pushes, Zoey Emeline Axner was delivered at 6:41am on May 13, 2012, Mother's Day. She's been a joy ever since!

Turning two

Experiencing Kyra turn two was more a feeling of amazement than bittersweet, as was one. The child has turned into such a toddler! She struggles through wanting to be independent and needing the comfort only a parent can provide. Her personality has developed and she's found her own sense of humor. She can be shy but also loves to be praised in the spotlight. Daycare has provided her the knowledge to count to ten in Spanish and English as well as how to pick a fight. While she's not ready for toilet training, she has learned how to use the potty and now sleeps in a twin bed. She mimics most of what you say, so choose your words carefully!

We can't wait to see what a loving big sister she will become....any day now.

Cheek, cheek, nose

I was holding Kyra in my arms about to put her down for bed when she took her little hand and pushed my face to the side. I was about to yell at her for slapping me when instead she gave me a kiss on the cheek. She proceeded to mimic the action on my other side. Then she grabbed both sides of my face, said "nose" and kissed my nose. Where does she come up with this stuff? I love it!

3-for-1 Florida Special

With a touch of luck and a lot of coordination we were able to fit three visits to Florida within one trip. All we could think of while planning the vacation was how perfectly everything was fitting into place. After describing the itinerary to a friend, we realized that we may have gotten in a bit over our head's with the multiple cities, new faces and terrifying sand. Kyra was a trooper and the whole vacation ended with more smiles than tears.

Sarasota
It didn't take much time to assimilate to the warm weather and lack of agenda. Only with shoes on, Kyra ran free on the beach and chased after birds. She threw a fit leaving the heated pool, a sign of good times to come.

We met up with Wash U friends, some of whom we hadn't seen in seven years. It was great to catch up and reminisce about the college years. The 50 ft pool was heated to 85 degrees, just warm enough to keep Kyra from turning blue against the 65 degree weather. She continued to throw fits leaving the warm pool water and needed her shoes for the beach. Evenings were spent cuddling around the bonfire and roasting marshmallows. On the morning we left, Kyra learned how to fly and lose a kite. Luckily a fisherman about 500 yards out caught the kite to give to his granddaughter (or so we hope).

Orlando
We drove inland to spend some time with Mickey Mouse and Trevor's family. Rebecca was so excited for Kyra to experience the Magic Kingdom, she was sure there would be some let down. Kyra did not disappoint! She loved all the rides and characters Disney had to offer. The rest of the time in Orlando was spent eating delicious food and visiting. Oliver wanted to spend his first birthday feeding geese. The kids had a blast at the park even though one "bad duck" bit Kyra.


Fort Myers
The beach was calling so we drove southwest to the Goldberg's home away from home. The Ellweins were there to greet us. For four days we played at beaches, parks, and pools. Watching the big kids, Kyra learned how to jump out after hiding and enjoy the sand sans footwear! Another thoroughly joyful stop on our Florida adventure.

After many days of good food, Kyra sleeping in closets and having full days of fun, we needed to return. Thanks to all for a wonderful break from the cold weather. We very much enjoyed spending the time with everyone!

What they don't tell you

Nobody warns you how hard it is to watch your child turn one year old. They don't tell you how crippled you feel when you realize that the day is here and there's nothing you can do to pause time. Depressing.

We considered warning Sara and Scott about little Ada turning one. Then we thought, they have so much to look forward to. In those mere 5 months before Ada turns one, she will learn to hug and kiss, crawl and feed herself. While it's sad that Kyra has outgrown the fragility that Ada currently has, it's so exciting and wonderful to experience her ever-growing personality and skill set. Watching her learn and change just makes us more curious to find out who she will become.

So yes, you can't pause time, but you also can't speed it up. Maybe we'll just enjoy our little one year old. She is pretty great!

Sun Yea, Sand Nay - Take Two

Even though we had just vacationed in Mexico only several weeks prior, a trip to Florida was exactly what we needed. Work was overly stressful and with an upcoming major bathroom remodel, it was a well planned break before our lives would turn upside down.

We flew down to Ft. Myers to celebrate my dad's birthday. The only downside to the flight was that we didn't get the star treatment we received on our Mexico vacation. (What's up, Humphrey terminal??) While my dad may not have been too excited about turning 60, the rest of us were thrilled.

The sun, water and relaxation were marvelous! We stayed in next door two-bedroom condos on the beach. Kyra was a fabulous eater down south and devoured whole bananas and strawberries like she was an adult. We tried giving Kyra a second introduction to the sand but she remembered the "horrors" or Mexico. Being the brave girl that she is, she did take a chance to play in the ocean. Most of our time was spent swimming in the pool, walking along the vast beach and having dance parties in the living room. Kyra and Ada were adorable together. Watching them be so loving was incredible...and hysterical (photos pending).

Thanks, Dad! Can you turn 60 again next year?