Good-bye 2009

Wholly cow! Another year has flown by. It is New Year's Eve, and as I sit here, another year older. I am forced to reflect on the past year, both the good and the bad.
My children are growing at warp speed. Nathan just turned 5 and Lex is on the very edge of one...I can see 2 less than a month from today. They have changed in leaps and bounds this year. Both had surgery. Not my favorite portion of the year by far, but the outcomes have far exceeded my wildest expectations. Nathan, after having his tonsils and adnoids out in May, has become a champion sleeper. He can now sleep through the night in his own bed, by himself, without even waking us once. Nevermind that his recovery was some of the longest 7 days of my life....but I would do it again to have him in such a better place. Lex, after her 7th double ear infection, got tubes in her ears. Before we had them done, she would jabber, but there were very few words. And since the audiogolist told us she was suffering from mild hearing loss (!!!!!) I guess it was not too big a suprise, but has that changed since her tubes. I still think she is lagging in the speech department, but we are much farther than we were 6 months ago. She now calls herself by name (Ali) and call Nate by name too (Nakey). I am hopeing that one day soon she will just talk my ear off, so I can beg her to shut-up. On that day, I will both eat my words and be delighted! All in all it was far more than I expected when we started the year, but again, the results have been worth it.
Greg and I celebrated our 9 year anniversary in May. There was no big to-do, but I love cherish every day with him. Even the ones where I wish to run him over, I am always, with out fail positive I married the on man in this world who can and does put up with me. He is my rock and also my sounding board, and without him, I hate to even consider the pile at which I would be lying at the bottom of. More than once this year he has grounded me and made me see what was necessay and how to make it through. Which has been no small feat.
2009 also made us Aunt and Uncle and Cousins. We have many family members we have adopted as such, and by no means do we love you less, but we love the 2 little guys who stole our hearts on May 5th. Andrew Peter and Cooper Nicholl are wonderful little guys. They already drive each other crazy, which is a hoot to watch. Greg is convinced that Cooper hates him... I think nothing could be farther from the truth. And I get to hog them 3 days a week. I am forever in love with these 2 little men, and the fact that their parents trust me with them still makes me marvel. I must be doing something right.
I am intentionally avoid the low lights of this year. To put them in a solid form is too much for me to bear. I have had to watch some of the people I love the most, hurt the worst. And I pray for each of you peace and happiness in the new year. I will always be here to spport you no matter what. And you all know who you are.
So, 2009, I bid you farewell. I knwo this recap is by no means complete, but this is what you get. You have been a year of firsts, lasts, and good times. You also brought with you more heartache then I ever wish to face again, so let's be done with that shall we? In many ways I will look back with fondness, but for right now I say be gone. I have a new year to look forward to!

Christmas Letter 2009

I am posting this here, and have yet to mail my Christmas card, so if you should be lucky enough to read it twice I apologize now.


Dear family and Friends,
Another year has flown by, and here we sit looking at Christmas and the New Year of 2010. We hope that 2009 was good to all of you.
The year started with a birthday for us. Alexandra turned ONE. I have no idea how that happened, but it was a great day in which she proved that she is my daughter by having her first real swimming pool experience at a hotel. And, had to be removed by force. We are water babies! She has spent much of the year earning her nickname "Godzilla" by proving that what goes up will for sure come down, especially if she is around. In June after her 7th set of ear infections in a year, she got tubes in her ears. Her speech has improved a lot, and we are hoping the minor hearing loss she was suffering from will take care of itself. We also spent a good 6 months with no chairs in the kitchen since she would push them over to climb on any and everything in sight. The girl will do anything once and will probably be the death of me! I am so happy to have a daughter!
Nathan spent his year doing a lot of things he loved, among them, the zoo, dinosaur museum at Thanksgiving Point and pre-school. The one thing that none of us planned on was having his tonsils and adenoids out, which we did in May. Nathan has never slept well. After nearly a year of a child who was up anywhere from 4-10 times a night, Greg and I finally hauled him to his doctor, who sent us to a sleep specialist, who ran a sleep study and found out that Nathan was suffering from obstructive sleep apnea. It was a rough recovery, but it is a beautiful thing to sleep all night long and to have a much happier kid. All in all, we made it through and now we are able to focus on that he loves being a big brother and is everything I ever dreamed a son could be.
This year brought 2 more little people into our lives. My amazing sister-in-law Keanne gave us a run for our money on May 5th, when she gave birth to TWO beautiful boys. They were 6 weeks early (anyone heard this story before?) but healthy and strong. They spent 3 weeks in the NICU, and are growing like weeds. Andrew Peter Hadden and Cooper Nicholl Hadden are a wonderful addition to our family. And that is especially true since the boys spend some of their days with us while my brother and sister-in-law work to buy everything 2 at a time! I can only imagine! Greg and I love to be the Uncle and Auntie, and are so lucky to spend so much time with our nephews! And the kids adore their cousin’s.
Greg is still working at the Dan’s in Olympus Cove, and loves it. He is also proving he is quite the handyman, helping his brother and parents out with some small household projects. He went to Alaska with his dad and brother in July. But, mostly, he spends his days being a Daddy, which he loves. How many games of Candyland can one man play before he goes nuts? We shall one day know the answer. It was also discovered this year, that though a self professed DOG person, he is in fact a CAT guy. In June, our family was adopted by a cat, (he came wandering into our garage in the rain and has never left) we call him Smokey and he sleeps on the pillows above our heads. Smokey watches over the kids in the backyard as they play and likes to eat birds.
I get to spend everyday with my favorite people. Being a Mom is a wonderful job, and once in a while if I am really good they let me escape for a few hours to the Sandy Clinic to be a pharmacy tech. I have spent the past year learning from my children what life is truly about. And maybe, panicking just a little when the twins were born. My biggest of 2009 was buying a new car. I loved my Saturn, but with 4 car seats, when we have the twins, there was NO way! So now we zoomzoomzoom in our Mazda CX-9. I am currently looking forward to May 2010 when Greg and I will celebrate our 10-year wedding anniversary. We are talking about maybe going on a cruise and I am ready to go now!
Greg and I count our blessing everyday. We have jobs, our health and most of all each other. We hope and pray that you have a beautiful Christmas. That the New Year brings you peace and happiness and that you are safe and warm.
All Our Love.
The White’s
Greg, Joey, Nathan and Alexandra

Nathan is 5.

Wholly crap. My first born is 5. FIVE! 5! How in the heck did that happen? When did that happen? I am at a loss. I cannot believe that I have a 5 year old. A child who is learning to read. Who is right around the corner from Kindergarten. WOW!
I have loved every second of the past 5 years. We had a rough start, but I tell you what, this kid is a fighter, and I knew it from the time he was about 8 hours old, when they took him to LDS NICU and he extibated himself, despite sedation in the hospital parking lot as the ambulance pulled in to unload . He is stubborn as the day is long, and I cannot imagine where he got that from.......
I am so excited for the coming year for Nathan. We survived 4, which had it ups and downs. Namely the whole tonsil adventure. That was the longest 7 days I have had in a looooooong time, but we now have a much a happier, much less tired child on our hands.
So to Nathan, I love you my boy. You are my #1 son! And I cannot believe that you are FIVE!

A Look Back at 31.

Seems like every year seems to go faster than the last one. Not sure why or how that happens, but it sure seems to be the case. I am a little over 2 hours away from my 32nd birthday. As usual, my husband has to work. He will be off on friday, when we will be in full birthday mode.....for our son. I pretty much knew that once I had children, my birthday would get a bit lost in the mix. But I certainly did not plan on having a child with a birthday in such close proximity to mine. Oh well, I guess some where a higher power had other plans. So off to birthday weekend, it should be a blast.

Black Friday

If you really know me, there is no question where I was at 5 a.m. Tucked soundly in my bed, sleeping soundly. Whatever it is cannot possible be worth gettting up, freezing my butt off, and putting up with the insanity that goes with shopping the day after Thanksgiving. I have one time in my life been shopping on Black Friday, and it was NOT at 5 a.m. and that one time was enough. And, for the record, I am nowhere near as cute as this little guy.

Thanksgiving 2009

A lovely day at home, filled with tasty food, fantastic family, and for the husband-football! I could live without the football part, but I guess I can give him a few hours once a year. After all he is a wonderful guy that takes great care of me and the kids and all the rest of my family too. I am very THANKFUL today, because despite stting my alarm last night so I could get up this morning at 6am to put the turkey in the roaster, it was determined when I sat straight up in bed at 6:32 am that I clearly did not finish the job. I neglected to turn my alarm ON, but all turned out okay. The turkey was finished in plenty of time, and was divine! Wednesday night my mom came over and helped me make my grandmother's stuffing, my favorite Thanksgiving eat. As it turned out my Aunt was here from out of town and my brother decided to stay for dinner with his boys (who ate their first prunes!) so we ordered up some pizza and had a nice night before. After everyone left, the Hubs and I got to pie making. I am somewhat embarrased to admit we only had 2 kinds this year, but with only 6 adults and 2 kids, I just could not force myself to make 16 different pies. The pies turned out perfectly, in fact I think it was the most beautiful pumpkin pie I have ever made. Everything was so good, and we ate until we could eat no more. After everyone departed to their next dinner and/or dessert location we packed up our kids and went over to Grandpa-Greats for a looksee at his Christmas decorations that he and Grandma-great have spent much of the last 2 weeks putting up. To say there are a lot would be a huge understatement. I will have to take some pictures next time, so everyone can get the FULL view. But lets put it this was, there are probably about 50 8-10 inch houses, a full tree, 50+ nutcrackers, and everything ever made that sings or dances. The kids loved it. There is literally a small path to the couch and that is about it, so we did not stay long as there was no room to visit. All in all it was a lovely day. Quiet and peaceful, which is what I wanted.

More to be Thankful for....Days 12- 17

I will probably never catch up. It is the story of my life.

Day 12.
Car seats. This is one of those things that starts off as one thing and morphs into something totally different. I am greatful because they keep my kids safe, but even more than that, I am greatful it contains Lex in a manner of which she cannot escape. Giving me 3 minutes to put the frozen goods into the freezer while not having wonder if she is playing in the street or climbing under a moving vehicle. It also offers me the ability to secure all other riders with out having to wonder how loud the radio will be when I turn the car on.

Day 13.
Let's hear a cheer for the drive-thru. Without you I would be lost. I would have to haul all 4 kids out of the car and that is bad. I can get food, Caffeine, dry cleaning, return library books,and a plethora of other items at a good drive-thru. Many a day you save me.

Day 14.
and speaking of CAFFEINE. I would be more than happy to write you a long and glowing recommendation should you ever need a job elsewhere. but I can assure you that as long as I have children and things to be done that you will never be out of work here. So thank you my friend it whatever form you come to me that day, be it coffee or a good Dr. Pepsi. I promise to appreciate all you do.

Day 15.
For a cat with the patience to contend with a one year old who LOVES you, and to a fish who can go 2 weeks with out having his water changed. We may once in a while neglect you, but we sure do love all you add to our crazy house.

Day 16.
A good book. So probably I should say a great author who has written and published something for me, to take me away from everyday, to teach me something, or to just be. I am forever greatful for a book. Be it good or bad, sappy or totally unbelieveable. I am currently lying in wait for Sarah Addison Allen's new book that will be out March 16, 2010. (if you have never read anything by her, get busy. Sugar Queen and Garden Spells were both....dare I say magical?!?!)

Day 17.
My "real" job and boss. Everyday, for the rest of my life I will be a mom. But a few special times a month I get to do something that for many years I considering dreary. I get to work outside of my home. I love my job. I am very lucky to have a position and set my own hours or have the chance to just fill in once in a while. And since I am working for the same guy that I started with many years ago (like 12+), I am very blessed. He is a great guy, who probably knows me too well and likes me anyway. So to Rick, the man who helps me keep my sanity. I say thanks so very much for letting me work at such a great job.

Thankful Days 6-11

Okay, I fully admitted that I would probably get behind, so here is to catching up!

Day 6.
Today I am thankful for extended family. And not just the blood kind, though I have a good number of them that are fantastic. All those out there who are so good to me and that I love like family, thanks for being there for me.

Day 7.
Wonderful neighbors and neighborhood. We live in an amazing place. Our next door neighbors are a Godsend. I would not move unless I could take them with me. They are kind and helpful and their daughter Courtney is so amazing with my kids. Especially Nathan. They have a unique bond those 2 that I would not trade for the world. I do not know a lot of 19 year olds who will drop nearly everything for a 4 year old. And whose boyfriend is also so kind to my kiddies. Thanks "Egan". Our extended neighborhood is also great. They are kind and thoughtful. They are inclusive and for the most part do not spend their days judging us for being a family with more than one religious view.

Day 8.
Beautiful, healthy nephews that I get to spend alot of time with. I am so fortunate that my little brother and sis-in-law trust me with their boys. I love them like they are my own and cannot wait to teach them all the things their mom has specifically asked me not to, kidding Keanne.

Day 9.
The three best friends a girl could ask for. And you crazies know who you are....Amy (my sista), Katie (my voice of reason) and Heather ( my shorter and older twin) They are the most amazing women I know. And together we are nuts. I seem to do really dumb ( and I do mean DUMB) things when I am with them, but it is because I am totally comfortable with them. I never have to wonder if there will be cattiness or nastiness. There never is. And for that I am so very thankful. Now to just see them more often........

Day 10.
This may seem silly to some, but today I am thankful for an awesome foot doctor. When I first saw Dr. Elkins in Sept I was in pain every second of the day, not anymore, thank you very much. He is a wonderful Dr. who listens to everything I say, which I am sure half the time he wishes he didn't have to do. He is caring and funny. I feel like he is someone I can talk to and not someone there to judge me like some doctors I have seen. I do not dread seeing him, and would recommend him to anyone in need of a great podiatrist.

Thankful Day 5

Today, I am thankful for my wonderful Mom. She is one amazing chicky. She is stronger than she knows and has an ability to love that I find unbelievable. She has taught me so much about being resisilant, and picking yourself up when you get kicked in the teeth. She can make gold from straw. She is not only my mom, but one of my best friends. And, that is all I can type when crying.

Thankful Day 4

Okay, first let me say that these really are in no particular order. I am writing about things as I feel them, so if you think they maybe in a strange order you are probably correct.

Today I am thankful for a warm house, and the moula to pay the bills that keep us warm and in our home. (does that count as 2?) I know there are a large number of people out in the cold, for one reason or another. And I am greatful that we are not on that list. Greg has a good job, and we have tried to live according to our means. Some days that goes better then others, but I am happy that we are (both willing and capable to be) responsible for our financial decisions.

Baby Days!

I think it is safe to say that the baby days are over at our house. Alexandra is very nearly 2 years old. She long ago gave up bottles, night time wakenings, and the need for me to do all things for her. She has started to tell us when she has a stinky diaper. And she is already fighting naps. I look back with much love at the baby daze, but I don't think I am going to miss it. Which I find a bit strange considering how long I waited for the baby stage. I remember from the moment we got married I wanted kids. Hell, even before we were married, during the longest engagment on record, I wanted to have babies with Greg. When we did finally get married, I knew the waiting was not over. I knew that it was still not the right time....Greg had just gotten accepted into his professional program at then University of Utah, and that it was going to be 3 long years, and a lot of stress, before graduation would be upon us. So I put it all on the back burner and waited. And then we waited one more year after graduation just to safe. I remember finding out we were pregnant with Nathan, right before our fourth wedding anniversary. It was the most amazing, frightening thing ever! Having a pregnancy, that up until the 7th month was so easy, and then watching the whole thing fall apart in front of my eyes. Realizing that I was giving birth 6 weeks early, to a baby, who I knew was not ready. But giving all my faith to the doctor to make the right call, and to God to do what was necessary. I will save you all the tale of Nathan's birth and first weeks in the hospital. ( you can read about them in my May 2009 post titled "4 years ago...") And then, 3 years later, when I was pregnant with Alexandra and we all kept waiting for the other shoe to drop and it never did, except for the c-section at 11:30 at night becasue after 13 hours we were pretty darn sure that her head was never going to fit. I love my children. They truly are the best things Greg and I have ever done. They have made our family what it is, and for all that I am forever greatful. That said, it is somehow a little bittersweet to know that we are done. But I am very contented with that decision. Long before we had kids, we knew we only wanted 2. It didn't matter if they were both one sex or the other or whether we got one of each. As it turned out we got one of each for which I am still suprised. I was sure, despite being told she was a she, I had a nagging thought in the back of my mind that she was going to be a boy. Clearly I was WRONG on that one, but I am so happy with what I was given. As I sit here, now, and watch them 2 of them playing together on the family room floor, I am very content. I love a good baby as much as the next person, but I am happy my babies are now a toddler and a pre-schooler.

Thankful Day 3

Today, I, like the rest of the nation say "thank you" to our veterans. I am so greatful for my freedoms. I acknowledge the cost that many have paid and the sacrifice that they are so willing to make for me and my family. This is especially true of my two cousins, who are really more like brothers to me. I am delighted that on this Veterans Day they are both home in the United States. They have both been to some of the most frightening places I can imagine. I am amazed at their willingness to serve, but not suprised. I think we all knew in our early teens that these 2 were going to be army boys. So to all our veterans, but most importantly to Max and Zeke our active guys we say thank you!

Thankful Day 2

Day 2, I am on a roll now.

This day I am thankful for my kids. They are such wonderful little creatures. This one is especially profound for me at this time, becasue on Friday, I know a family who will be burying their precious little boy who passed away at 3 months old from a birth defect. My heart breaks for them, I am sick over the whole thing. I cannot and do not wish to ever understand their heartbreak. But, on a happy note, back to my kids......Nathan and Alexandra are by far the most amazing people I have ever met. Every day they do or say something that I find to be hilarious. Alexandra, every day is just as wonderful. Her new "trick" is to take something, that she knows she should not have and just as I catch her to take it away, she hucks it across the room. I am so tried of her version of catch, but she sure has an arm on her. And Nathan, has the most amazing imagination. The other day, just before bed, he got all his STARWARS guys out and had them arranged around the family room and the kitchen. When I told him it was time to clean up for bedtime, he looked me square in the face and said, "but Mom they are at their battle stations". Far be it from me to remove any one from their battle station just becasue of bedtime. I love those 2 kids so very much!

Thankful Day 1

So I am late to the band wagon, but I am jumping on all the same. I will (hopefully) post one thing every day for which I am thankful until Thanksgiving. Here goes:

Today on this first day, I am thankful for an amazing husband. Greg and I have been together for right around 15!! years now. I have been with him nearly as long as my life was without him. I am amazed some days that he puts up with me and all my craziness. He really took his vows to heart(smile and nod here if you must) for which I am so happy. I know without a doubt there are days I drive him up the wall (or possibly to drink) but he puts up with me and loves me no matter what, for which I am beyond thankful.

Halloween 2009

My mom asked me why Nathan thinks Halloween is so great. The answer is easy, around our house it is one big party. We have been so lucky for the past few years to have all our friends gather at our house for yummy homemade rootbeer (thanks, Loren!) and a tasty dinner and then we hit the town for some trick-or-treating. We live in a great neighborhood, and it is so much fun. Here is the whole bunch of kids on the stairs (the photo place of choice in our house!) before we hit the town. They are so stinking cute. We had things, princesses, zombies and part of the zoo, and a wizard and witch tooo!!



So thanks to all our guests. Family and friends. We had a great time!!! And hope you all did too.

Winco Foods

I made my maiden voyage to Winco Foods late Saturday night. I waited until 9:30 on Saturday night on purpose. I has heard rumor of the lines and seen some of the proof on the evening news. The mailman brought tell of the deals that were available. 12 pack pepsi for 1.98, carpi sun for 97 cents, and a few other things that I figured were probably worth the trip, but I was going to wait until the last possible second to go, which I did. The sale ended Sunday, I made it with a few hours to spare. First things first. The store was large and clean, well stocked and the isles looked nice enough. But it truly has a feel of a Costco or Sam's club, and they have this huge wall of product as you walk in that is reminiscent of the "wall of value" at Macey's that was awful and they finally took down....hint to Winco....follow Macey's lead here! That wall made it nearly impossible to get thru the freaks who apparently had never been to a grocery store before and had to stop and stare. Good grief! When I finally made it thru that stupid entrance, it opened up into a nice and bright store, lead by a fairly large produce department. It looked good, and I would have loved to have considered some of their products, but I had already done a real shopping trip this week and was not in need of produce. The layout of the store was kind of odd, and I really never made it to all of them. I had no desire to fight the people. I did notice a rather large bulk section, that under better circumstances, I would have liked to shop. They had the regular things like flour and oats, but also rice flours, cereal, and even cereal bars that could be purchased individually.But once again, the crazies were out and I was not about to contend with them. I got the items I was after and got out. There was a line to checkout, and so before I got into the line, I hit the magazine rack and picked up a couple of smut mags to keep me occupied. Winco did keep the line moving nicely. I only made it thru one magazine before it was my turn. And I consider that to be remarkable considering the uber dorks in front of me in the actual checkout line. There was one person having their groceries rung up, them and then me. They were a family of 5 and about every 30 seconds they came back with another arm load of &^%$. I bit my tongue until it bleed. Get the hell out of line if you are still shopping!!! Is it that hard......never mind I already know the answer.

So, my 2 cents on WINCO is this.....It was alright. You really have to watch things, because they have weird sizes and prices. I almost bought some fabric softener, it was 2.98...not bad until I realized it was only 26 loads and I usually pay 4.50 for 60 loads. And everything is priced and 2.47 or 98 cents. That can throw you off. My advice it to take a calculator and watch out. I might make a trip if something is on sale, but I won't be going way out of my way to shop there. Oh, and you cannot use a credit card! Cash, Debit and check only! And, you bag your own groceries.....a plus in my book.

Pumpkin Patching 2009

We have a favorite pumpkin patch. Mostly because it has a whole bunch of tractors all lined up the kids can sit on, but also because it is just fun. There is a fun little corn maze, awesome pumpkins and this year, a wagon ride. This year Lex was big enough to choose a pumpkin for herself, which was so funny. Every where she turned all she could she see was pumpkins(a new word for her) and she would jump up and down and yell PUMP!! PUMP!! It was great. Nate, loved the tractors and had to sit on all of them, run thru the corn maze 20 times and pick the perfect pumpkin for himself. This year he has chosen to carve......crap I forget. But I will fill that in when he is awake and can tell me. We all got our pumpkins and had a lot of fun hanging out, and having a little family time. Just the 4 of us, and the whole bunch of everyone else at the patch. wagon ride (the sun was in the west so we are all blinded)

stomping thru the corn maze, trying to find our way.

Go Lexi, Go!

"helping" Daddy push the wheel-barrow

catching a ride with the pumpkins, and "helping" Daddy with the wheel-barrow and the little sister.

Dip

We are now at a stage at our house when our kids love dip! Okay, they love to dip. More the verb tense than the noun. In ketchup. Maybe a little ranch on occassion for Lex, but mostly ketchup. This particular night, not only was the corn dog (it was a lazy dinner night....corn dogs are usually NOT on the menu) dipped, but also the apple slices and maybe worst of all, the green beans. Yack! We must have ketchup at any meal where there might remotely be something worth dipping. Namely meat. They most like to dip meat. And of course french fries.

Not long ago, we went to dinner with friends and we watched the girl spoon feed herself ranch dressing from the cup being held snuggly to her chest. Now, I do recall in the past saying that I did like Winger's ranch enough to drink it, but I never actually intended to ever do that. My daughter however, she apparently will not be holding back on that one.

Now to be fair I was and still am a big fan of the ketchup. I love it for french fries. And it is a must for pork roast (my mom and my brother HATE it when I do that) I also consider it manditory for scrambled eggs. Mostly because I detest eggs, and I have to hide what is on my plate. So I guess like most things that my kids do, they come by it honestly.

Crap, when are they going to get my good things....oh wait these are my good things....bigger crap!

can you help?

I got this off the Ronald Mcdonald House Facebook page.......

This just in from the Ronald McDonald House of Eastern North Carolina: Riley Philpot is a little girl who is struggling with a return of cancer. Make a Wish Foundation was contacted and Riley's wish is to have the mailman dump a bag of get well ...cards at her door when she returns! Please send a get well card to Riley! Here is her name and Address: Riley Philpot 206 Slaney Loop Rd. Winterville, N.C. 28590.

It would be great if you could send this little girl a card. The post has a comment that says that she is 9 yrs old. Way too young to be having cancer again!!!

One of Those Days.

I am having one of those days. The one where every time I speak I bite my tongue. The one where I am very inclined to speak my mind at any and every subject. These are not good days for me. I know myself too well, and know that ultimately I will probably say something I might later regret or more likely wish I had said in a kinder way. Even if it is the truth. I am one of "those" people. I speak my mind, and frankly do not necessarily consider whether what I say will hurt your feelings or not. I am frequently out-spoken. Ask anyone who knows me. I am agrivated by a number of things today, and still by nothing. I do not wish to out any particular thing or person for my feelings. In fact I am attributing at lot of this feeling to a major NYQUIL hangover....wowzer that threw me for a loop last night! But I need to put it out there somewhere, somehow, and so dear blog you get my rant. At least the worst of it for today.

Girls Weekend!

Oh, I needed it. I wanted it. And I LOVED it. I ran away for the weekend with my 3 best friends. It was so great. They are by far some of the very best women that I know. And when we are together, it is a riot. Friday night we checked in to a very nice hotel and made ourselves at home. It was comfy and plush. And there was not a child nor husband in sight! We went to a very tasty french bakery for dinner, went to a concert in the park, and soaked in the hot tub before turning in for the night. We woke up Saturday morning and headed up the canyon to an amazing breakfast at a lovely little diner with HUGE biscuits. Found a lovely spot for pedicures. Then hit another local landmark for a late lunch/early dinner. Some how we consumed a lot of hollandase sauce. We are affectionately refering to it as a TRIPLE D weekend. As in Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. We ate more than we thought humanly possible, laughed a lot. And really just enjoyed a great weekend when we could just be a girls. I love being able to hang out with my girls. They are strong and beautiful women, who are all amazing in their own right, so when you mix us all together, we are a force to be reconned with.....just ask the lady at Lane Bryant and Victoria's Secret.

Embryos implanted in Wrong Mom !?!

Infertility has never been an issue for Greg and I. We were able to get pregnant when we wanted with in a very reasonable amount of time. And while I have never had that issue myself, I do have a very close friend who has. More than anything she wanted to have a family, and deSpite the inability to have a child herself, she and her husband were able to adopt a wonderful child. Whom we all adore. Happy ending, yes, but I saw what her battle to get there was, and I will tell you now that it was a rollercoaster ride. Miscarriages and all, it took a heavy toll on her emotionally. I can only imagine. And on more than one occasion my heart broke for her.

So you can imagine the look on my face and I was watching the TODAY show yesterday, enjoying my coffee, waiting for Keanne and the boys to arrive. There is a couple back east somewhere who were implanted with frozen embryos so that they could have a baby. She was 14 weeks along when the clinic/doctor figured out they had implanted her with someone elses embryos! Wholly Crap...how in the hell do you make that mistake? But with much grace and dignity she has agreed to carry the baby to term and then give the baby boy to the biological parents (who were about ready to try again anyway, as it turns out). That is beyond amazing.

Someday I want to be that amazing. I want to be that thoughtful. I want to be able to be that humble and graceful. I have a long way to go, but knowing that there is someone out there that is that gracious inspires me.

Poor Blog

My poor neglected blog.....I do think of you, and really in a fond manner, but it is usually when I am up to my elbows in something else. Today it was changing Lex's diaper. Last night I even dreamed of you, and that I had a couple of hours to just sit and type. All for you. So, know that you are not forgotten my friend. Neglected, yes....but not forgotten.

Do you want me to make YOU something?

Free Offer Today. I found this hard-to-pass-up offer on my friend's blog:The first 5 people to respond to this post will get something made by me--my choice! This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:
1. I make no guarantees you will like what I make! (I can only hope!)
2. What I create will be just for you.
3. It will be done some time this year.
4. You have no clue what it's going to be--it may be cards, something delicious, a paper weight, or a complete surprise to you (and me)! Who knows?
5. Most importantly, you must offer the same deal on your blog.
The first 5 people to comment on your blog post get something made by YOU!I don't know how this will work, but I hope it will be fun for all(and that at least 5 people comment)I took her up on it, so here is my official "I'm in the game" post. It's the ultimate give and take!

So here we go, If you don't have a google ID and follow me, shoot me an email and I will add you thru the comment if you want to play. Hum, Iam curious to see who wants the goods. (or whatever it may be that you get. I have to think on it.)

First Day of School 2009

when you have a little sister, who is as big a ham as you are, it is nearly impossible to get her out of the picture.
Nathan's first day of school 2009.

Nathan is offically in the 4 year old preschool class and boy is he happy to be there. His teacher this year is Mrs. Francis and he is so excited to go to school 3 days a week. The preschool he is at focuses on a phonics based reading program and by the end of the year, he should be reading simple books. I am very happy with that, and look forward to a great year.

I sent Greg to school with Nathan for his open house, becasue I had to take my aunt to a Dr. appt. Greg filled out all his paperwork, likes and dislikes and such. He put on the paper that the name he goes by is Nate, not Nathan. Apparently Nathan spent all day Friday (the first day of school) correcting his teacher, telling her his name is Nathan not Nate. I cannot not blame his Dad, becasuse we do call him Nate alot. But when it come to school....he is Nathan. He started that last year, and I am sure it will change again before his school career is over. But whatever you call him, he is always my little boy.

My nephews!

My nephews are now 3 months old. Wow how time has flown by. Keanne will be returning to work the first part of September, and the boys will be with me and mine 3 days a week. My 2 are so excited to have their "new" cousins with them. Can't wait!

Alex is 18 Months!

Alright, I am about a week late on this, but better late than never.

Lex went to the dr. last week for her 18 month check-up, and all is well. Her tubes have given us 3 whole months without an ear infection. That is the longest we have gone since she was born. She had her first one at 4 months old and from there it was like clock work that she would have a double ear infection every 6 weeks or so. Needless to say we are super excited to be done with that.

She weighed in at 24 pounds. and that puts her in the 50% for that. The same was true of her head size....it put her in the 50% range. She is 33.4 inches tall which puts her in the 90% for height. Not really a suprise there. She is a tall cookie just like her big brother. She is following her established growth cruve nicely, and all her immunizations are up to date, and we are good until she needs her flu shot this fall.

So, despite our fondness for our wonderful pediatrician, Dr. Cox, you will have to find another family to pay for all your stiches in your nose. We are taking a break from sick kids. See ya in the fall for flu shots and then not again until 5 and 2 yr old check-ups!

Congratulations It's a .........Mazda?

So I finally got a new car. It is not at all what I thought I would get, but it was a screamin' deal and I am super excited. I got a 2008 Mazda cx-9, it is liquid silver....not my prefered color. But it was kinda the only option. We found it here locally, after it had been pulled from a lot in Utah county that (as they put it...had had some legal issues) it is a 2008 that had 58 miles on it when we drove it off the lot. Seriously it was brand new. And we got it for more like a used car price. SWEET! So now me and the kids are set. We can actually go places with people in only one car. That will be a totally new idea for us and I am excited.

Finally......

It is finally (nearly) over. My time as a single mom is coming to an end. The hubs will be home in less than 24 hours and I am so excited. The past week has been long, but luckily for me, and my kids, we have the very best family and friends. Saturday night was rough, Greg had not been gone 4 hours when Lex pooped in the bathtub! GROSS! I was not a happy girl and figured that must have just been the beginning, but really it wasn't. Sure we had our ups and downs, but we have made it through. On Sunday, Katie, Jared and Alyssa came up, hung out and made us a lovely dinner! Nathan got to spend Monday night with Grandma (Greg's mom). She took him to the new Ice Age movie and his favorite Mexican restaurant for dinner. Can you say spoiled? Lex had a Dr appt on Tues with her ENT to check her ear tubes (in which she got a clean bill of health) and we swung by Grandma's on the way home, hung out for a bit and stopped at Mc'd's for some nuggets on the way home. That night Courtney (my 18 yr old neighbor) came over to see if the kids could play on the front lawn with her. Yep, no probs...wear them out good. Wednesday we just hung out at home, Court did take Nate to get a Slurpee. Thursday, I had plans to get a pedi and some dinner with the girls, so my mom took the kids. They were both supposed to spend the night, but my poor step-dad totalled his motorcycle in Canada on the way back from riding to Alaska (he is very sad, but not hurt thank heavens) so instead of keeping them both, she only was able to keep Nate, because she had to pick the Dad up at the airport at 9:30p.m. But I did get to go out with Katie and Heather, and though we were missing the 4th musketeer (AMY!!) we did manage to have a very relaxing and fun time. Friday was technically a holiday, so we spent the whole day at my parents. The kids in the pool, me napping!! It was a good day. Saturday we got up early and Nathan rode his new bike (I told you he was spoiled) in the neighborhood bike parade. We had breakfast with our neighborhood (I love where we live!) and then headed home. Katie called and asked if she could take Nate to a movie with Alyssa (SPOILED AGAIN) and then we hung out and let the kiddies feed the horses. It also must be said that Nathan talked to his dad or at least left him a message EVERY night that he was gone. Which I think is part of the reason things went so well, but I am still ready for Greg to be home. And I am more than ready for the my girls trip this fall. And maybe a good back rub and a nap.

Soapbox (again)...

OkAy, so as I was blog surfing one night when I should have been doing dishes or laundry or whatever other mundane household duty that was calling my name, I came accross a post by a woman whose car had been stole out of her garage. Now, in and of itself, there is not a whole lot that can be done about that, per say. But the part that made me want to shake her, was the fact that she had made it the motherlode for the crook. Not only had she left her keys in the car, but her purse too. Seriously, I thought, people do that?

So one day as my friend (she knows who she is, and I will not reveil her here due to the following) and I sat at Mcdonald's while the kids played in the playland, I told her the story and I nearly fell off my chair when she gave me a sly smile and said she leaves her items in the car all the time so she doesn't forget them. SERIOUSLY! Now I am not a genius, but let us think this thru.....you just gave the theif, not only your car, with the keys, but also your house keys, your work keys (if you have such things), and ha yes, your wallet and all its contents. And maybe even a contact list or planner with your schedule in it. Now I am not trying to harp on anyone (okay, so I might be a little bit) but really are the 2 minutes you just "saved" by having your keys and purse in the car worth the problems that will come if they are stolen? I am thinking, not so much. I have neighbors down around the bend that this happened to, and they said the cost alone in having to change ALL the locks to their house, was not only expensive but also a pain in the hiney! So people PLEASE! Don't leave your crap in the car. I just want to save you from a worse headache than is necessary. And to my friend, you know I love you!

Summer Fun

We drug the pool out for the first time this year and the kids had a great time. Lex is a water baby. She climbed right up and slid down the slide no questions asked. Nathan and his friend Alyssa had a ball splashing and dumping buckets of water on the cat (the cat was not amused) and running around the back yard like the wild children they are. Nice way to make 100 degrees feel much cooler.

Single mom for a week

Every year the hubby packs up and heads to Alaska for a week of fishing and bonding (or what ever it is that men do) with his dad, brother, uncle and 2 close family friends. Well, this is that week. I am still trying to recover from having house guests (who are more than welcome again next year....if they want) and I would like to sleep for a week. I have a one year old who is teething, and a grumpy butt, but I am hanging in there. Becasue those things are just life. I spend most every day with my kiddies. I love them so much. And I just laugh t how funny they are, before Greg left Nathan said he was going to call his dad every night and I think he ment it. We called him last night, right before bed, even thought he was still on the plane and Nate left him the cutest message ever, Greg said it was great to turn on his phone and see and message and have it be from Nate. So tonight as we fininsh up our night time routine, he tells me we have to call Daddy. So in we go and dial him up. Greg was able to get some reception and it was fun to hear Nate tell him about his day. Love that kid. Last night Nate kept creeping into my bed. When I asked him about it this morning he said that he slept with Daddy while I was away in St George. I kindly told him NOT GOING TO HAPPEN! He will sleep in his bed and I will sleep in mine...............we shall see. So tomorrow he (NATHAN) has scheduled himself a sleepover at Grandma's and then a movie with her on Tuesday. Lex has to go to the dr to have her ear tubes checked so it worked out great for me schedule wise. And I think I may head to dinner with my mom. I can only hope the week continues on so smoothly and that we don't have any "I need my daddy moments", becasue he is far far away. Until next Sunday anyway.

What a week

So my cousin and his family have been here for a couple of days, and I am toast. I am pretty sure we have gone non-stop for 4 days, and I am really starting to feel like it, but instead of whining I will fill you in....

Sunday....arrival and family dinner with the Salt Lake crew. That would be me and my family (this makes more sense when you know that they are staying at our house) my mom, Rosie (the very best aunt) and my little bro Pete and his wife and of course my cutie twin nephews. We had crockpot lasagna and it was devine. I also snuck out to Sanctuary and had a pedi with Keanne...Good times.

Monday....We kinda just let the day lead the way. We went mellow. Paul (the cousin) went to the local carpenters union office. Greg worked half a day, and we all met for lunch at THE PIE! Yummy pizza. Then we headed to Kennecot to see the pit in all it huge old glory. It had been a long time since I had been there, and it was big and had a ton of neat information. We ended the day with my mom coming to watch the kids, and the 4 grown ups going out to dinner at Red Rock.

Tuesday.... Greg had to work all day, so we loaded the remaining 8 of us in to the cousin's 'burb and headed for the monastary in Huntsville. This trip is necessary, becasue we have an uncle who is a monk up there. It had been 10 yrs since they were there, not so long for my crew, but all good. The kids got to run outside on the lawn at the guest houses, something I remember doing when I was a kid, while the grown-ups had chat time with the old guy (and I do mean old...he will be 80 in October). We had a lovely visit and came down Ogden Canyon. After some dicussion, we decided it was to freakin' hot to go to the Eccles Dino Park, and instead headed for home, but not before stopping off at The Greenery for some Mormon Muffins....mmmm, yummy. We got home about 5:30 and I fixed us some dinner.

Wednesday....We split the morning up some. Nancee, Zoe and I hit the mall for an hour or 2, and the boys and Shannon and Lex stayed home in some sense. Nate had a hair cut and Paul built a cat scratch post. In the afternoon, we all joined forces and headed for Sweet's Candy Co for a factory tour. It was super fun. All 9 of us enjoyed it alot. Then we headed the other way and went to the Dino museum at Thanksgiving Point. We spent a couple hours there, before darting home for a minute to let everyone freshen up and then off to Rosie's for a tasty dinner. Turkey and burgers, and salad and all so good.

Thursday....I sent the 5 Moran's to Lagoon, and the kids and I tried to play catch up. On naps, and laundry and dishes, and all. I am currently baking a rum cake to take to Price tomorrow.

So I will have to post again, when all is said and done, and oh, did I mention that my hubby leaves on Saturday for his yearly trek to Alaska? I will survive.............

2nd week of July

As if things are not crazy enough around here, we have fam in from California. My cousin, his wife and 3 kiddies are with us for a week and we are giving them the whorl wind tour of SLC. I will get some fun pics up when I can. We hit the copper mine today and are dashing up Ogden way tomorrow to see the Uncle at the monistary. All in all it will be a trip to remember.

Marriage...

"Marriage is like a warm gas stove. Even if the burners aren't on all the time, you've always got to keep the pilot light lit. You have to go back to that, back to the beginning."

(that was said by Brian a 67 yr old guy when talking about making his own marriage work. He has been married for 40 (!!!!!!) years. and I full admit I stole the quote off msn.com)

4th of July

Happy 4th of July. I am a bit of a patriotic dolt. My kids are both wearing Old Navy flag tee's we are having a bbq with the fam this afternoon (even if the heavens open and we have a down pour.) and I will cry today when I hear the national anthem. My grandparents (on my mom's side) both imigrated to this nation in the past 100 years or so. We are still really new to this country by some standards. But the one thing the fourth always makes me think of is my cousins. Not becasue of some weird family thing, but becasue I have 2 cousins who have chosen to give it all to the ARMY. Max and Zeke are twins that are 6 months older than I, so needless to say they are like brothers to me. I think it was pretty clear from the time we were old enough to figure out that we had to have jobs when we were adults, that these 2 would end up in the armed forces some where, some how. I cannot help but worry about them and what they are up to. This year, on the 4th, I am fortunate to not have to worry so much. They are both stateside for a change. Max, the apache helicopter pilot, is back from a stint in Korea. While Zeke, the Captain, is back from a very long stay in Afganistan. Both in my opinion are home from very nasty places, at a very good time. They have both said that they envy me for my family. I always tell them that without them and what they do, my family would not be what it is, safe, happy and free to be together. I don't think they ever hear enough how much what they do means to anyone, especially me. I am so greatful, and more than that blessed that they are safe and unscathed. So to all those souls who have served out nation (that includes my step-dad the Navy diver, my step-brother the Navy man, my uncles who have served and even my cute dad-in-law, and anyone I missed) THANK YOU. Know that I appreciate you and what you have done.

Ear tubes!

Okay, I hope we are done. I mean I really like the ENT we use, but I really just don't want to spend any more time with him. And hopefully with Friday's events, pending one follow up appointment, we will have wrapped it all up. Alex got tubes in both her little ears yesterday. It went well (for the most part, we had a little issue with the nursing staff and Alex's red dye allergy) and she has bounced back to her good old self. She puked like a 2-headed monster in the car, all over herself and her carseat on the way home, but we made it in one piece. I am so excited to be hopefully be done with ear infections and a miserable child. Lex has had 6 double ear infections in the past year, and the last one was a doozie. She was miserable for days, and I felt so bad for her. You know if she stops moving and wants to cuddle up to you, then there is something wrong, because Iswear, She NEVER stops moving. And she gave up cuddleing at like 10 months old, as soon as she learned to walk. So, despite my affection for Dr. Child (the greatest ENT ever!! he also did Nate's tonsils and adnoid removal in May) I really hope that we can retire your telephone number for a good long time. We will be more than happy to refer you to him though, if you need a great ENT.

Smokey the kitten

Nathan and his Kitten

Alex and Smokey

Smokey the kitten (only you can prevent forest fires!)

So we got adopted by a kitten. We opened the garage last Sunday and it came running in and has hardly left since. As with all things, he came with a long story, so I will give you the cliffnotes version. He was a neighbors, but they had too may cats, so they gave him to our other neighbors who have ties to the humane society, so they could turn him in for adoption. We, by this point were ready to claim him, and Janette (our sweet neighbor) was able to make it so he was ours. Smokey is the sweetest kitten. He loves to lay ON you. He loves the kids. He even lets Lex pick him up. He uses a litter box like a pro, and has in 2 days not given us any grief. So not what I expected from a kitten. I thought we would be having poop issues and scratching issues, but we have not had any (yet!). I am so excited. Smokey even tolerates his moring baby wipe rub down, with out complaining. (they told us if you wipe them down daily with an unscented baby wipe it will keep their dander down and have less problems for people with allergies, such as my sweet hubby, who though to this point has shown no symptoms what so ever. It is awesome. I never expected it to be this easy. And I am so happy that my kids have a pet that they can love and be responsible for, I think it is good for them. So, only time will tell, but all the neighbors love him. Courtney, Nate's 18 year old girlfriend next door, would probably steal him if she could. But we will loan him for the loving. I swear he climbs on your chest settles in and purrs like a motorboat. So cute!

Sleep?!?!?

Oh, how describe the past weeek? I am really not sure. We have had our ups and downs. On Friday, May 22nd, Nathan had his first (and hopefully last) surgery.



We have spent much of the last 4 years getting the boy to sleep at night. We had created some bad habits (OOPS!) and had taken all the steps to rectify them. Nathan was going to bed by himself, following a great routine, and still getting up between 2 and 6 times a night. Greg and I were at a loss (of sleep and sanity), so we hauled him into his pediatrician (Dr. Cox is awesome) and started what would be a unique adventure. I am sure by now it is pretty darn clear that NOTHING with Nathan is ever quick or simple. Dr. Cox was really not sure what to do with his not sleeping. He had no clear or obvious medical causes, so the good Dr. recommended we see a sleep specailist and see what she had to say, so off we headed to Dr. Pfeffer. She rocks too. She listened very closely to what we had to say. Was a bit perplexed. How ca a child go to sleep so well and easily and be up anywhere from 2-5 hours later and not want anything but to be tucked in again. Greg and I felt there was something wrong with his sleep patterns, Dr. Pfeffer, was unsure and thought perhaps it could be a behavioral issue, but was not really sure about that. So she suggested a sleep study. Wholly Crap was that a process for a 4 year old. If I ever manage to get the pics off my cell phone I will post them, but needless to say he was hooked up to about 20 leds, 2 nasal canals, and chest and belly pressure bands. Plus he did not get to bed until at least an hour after bedtime, and we were in a strange place. When he finally did go to sleep, it seemed ok. He never got out of bed.....I am not sure he could have had he wanted to anyway. And a few short hours later they woke us, unhooked Nate and sent us on our way. Shortly after that we saw our pediatrician in a non-office setting and asked if he has seen or heard anything from the sleep dr. He said he had and since we would be in on Tuesday with Alex he would review it and talk to us about it then. Turns out that we got the results in the mail the very next day and talk about shocked. Turns out Greg and I have a 4 year old with sleep apnea! WHAT THE *&^%! How is that possible? Turns out that even though his tonsils and adnoids were not really large, they were causing a blockage in his breathing process, especially when he slept. So we had an appt with the sleep specailist to follow up with the sleep study and I thought she was going to jump out of her chair she was so excited to see the results. It was more than clear that Nate was have some major sleep issues and that they were medically caused. Nathan sleeps really well for the first 2 to 4-ish hours and then all hell brakes loose. His REM cycles are directly realated to his bretahing diffcilties. His legs twitch, and he really labors to breathe. Even though I was expecting a result like that when I saw on paper how bad it was, I about laughed and cried. He had something like 115 wakening episodes and of those 105 were realated to apnea with something like 90 of them directly realated to difficulty getting oxygen. I was astounded. As were both Greg and the doctor. The doctor really thought that we were probably having more behavorial problems with little intrinsic (medical) factors. And she was the first to say she was soooo wrong. But she was so excited at being able to help him. It was so nice to have her be so supportive and so willing to admit that her first impression was so wrong. So we got Nathan an appointment with the ENT and as it turned out we were able to schedule his surgery to remove his tonsil and adnoids the friday right after school ended. Greg and I tried to be really honest with him about the whole thing and answered any questions he had. Like, no they do not "pop" your head off to get your tonsils out. They put you to sleep and take them out thru your mouth. But by far one of the very best things we did was to take him up to the pre-surgery class at PCMC. Nathan is a very logical and tactile child. He loved the class, which walked him through the whole process as best as possible and he was very calm about the whole process. When we were getting him check in and changed into his "hospital pajamas" they asked if he needed the versed to calm him before surgery. So I looked at him and asked him if he wanted the medicine that made him really calm and sleepy . He looked me square in the face and said no, he wanted to go to the game and toy room and play video games. I said no he did not need the medicine, but could I maybe have a dose, to which the nurse got a good laugh. I was really not sure about how I was feeling about putting my little guy "under the knife". So the short verison is, all went well. Our ENT, Dr. Child, said it went greatand in less than a hour we were back by Nathan's bedside watching him in his groggy little haze. He woke up pretty well, but had to stay for a 4 hour observation. Nathan's nurse in the PACU was so great. Her name was Jane, and she was soo sweet to him and us. She brought him root beer slushees, and apple juice and sprite and jello and mac and cheese. Nathan was awake at first, but after drinking some slushee and some popsicle, the vast amount of sugar was too much for him and within 10 minutes of wanting it he was sick to his stomach. Luckily Dr. Child had prescribed some medicine for him, and soon he was not only was the nausea gone, but Nathan had drifted off to sleep for a long nap. During this time I ran over to the U, where my sister-in-law and nephews were, an checked in on them. When I got back Nathan was snoozing, and Greg was reading his book. It took surgery, but I finally managed to finish the book I have been reading for months. Sadly, I finished it in hour number 2 and then was left with some time to burn. We got to the hospital at 11:45 and we left at 7pm. It was a long day for all, and Nate, bless his heart, as we are strapping him in to the car, says "wait. we have to go see Aunt Keanne." We chuckeled at him and said no, he needed to go home and that Aunt Keanne would be okay without a visit from us. So now we are on the road to recovery. I have a feeling it will be a long road.

Coincidences?

Pete and KeAnne and their boys in their going home outfits

Okay for those not aware, my brother and I are only 11 months apart in age. Pete was born in November 1978, I was born in December 1977. So yes, my mom was pregnant for 2 years, nearly non-stop. We have always been pretty close. There are only 2 of us. We have spent most of our lives making each other crazy. And I love it. We have also both always been close to our cousins who are our age. But, our boys are taking it just too far. Here are the facts, as they stand today.

Nathan, Andrew, and Cooper were all born at 33 weeks (and some days). All three spent 3 weeks in the NICU. (Nate 21 days, Cooper and Andrew 20 days). All 3 boys came home from the hospital on a holiday. (Nate on Christmas 2004, Andrew and Cooper on Memorial Day 2009.), and last but not least, and this is the weird one, the holidays date was the 25th day of the month.

They are three unique little creatures. I cannot wait to see what Andrew and Cooper grow up to be like. (I am not trying to rush that at all!) Cooper looks just like Nathan...which is adorable! Andrew looks like Keanne's side of the family, so he is a darn cutie too. I am curious to see how these three bond in their lifetimes together. Hmmmmmmmmm.........

Mom Jeopordy

The Answer:

Things you never thought you would say.....

The Question:

What is "Alex stop dancing on the coffee table"
"I am so sick of seeing weiner, put on some underwear"
"If you do one more headstand on my couch you will not have a head"
"Stop chewing on your shirt"
"Yes you can have yogurt for dessert"
"Just because you are 4 and can use DAMN correctly in a sentence does not
mean you can say it"

I am sure there will be a part 2 to this. I swear that my kids do and say the strangest things.

NINE!!

Nine years ago today, I married my best friend, my love and my everything. We have been thru so very much together, but every day seems better than the last. I love everyday with you Greg. Every choice we make, good or bad, is made together. I enjoy our date nights, our giggles together, and all the fun we have. I love that you tend to make me laugh at the same moment that I want to kill you with my bare hands. You know me, and love me despite it. So today, forever and always. I love you!

4 Years Ago....

Flashbacks. They are an interesting thing. I figured that they would happen, and I had prepared myself, mentally, for them. But I was not really sure how I would handle the moment I stepped foot back in a NICU for quality time with a baby that I loved. It was a little over 4 years ago that my son was born premature. I, like my sweet sister-in-law, had no control over the situation. My doctor had to induce my labor at 33 weeks because I had incredibly high blood pressure, and it was no longer safe for me to be pregnant. For me or the baby. For me it was a very matter of fact thing. I was startled by the events, but I didn't really have time to be scared. I knew my baby was coming way too soon, and that his lungs were not ready. I could feel that in my gut, but I had no choice, I had to do what was best for both myself and my son. I remember a couple of things very clearly. First, it was December 3rd. Of course, one would assume that I would recall the day, but it was more than a day. December 3rd is MY birthday, and I was not ready to share. I looked at my wonderful doctor and said "I do not want him to be born before midnight!" with a cute little laugh, my OB informed me that the induction would take a good 12 hours. Secondly, my in-laws were a few thousand miles away getting ready to board a ship for a cruise through the Panama Canal. This is their first grandchild, and they were not here. I am not sure if I was upset by that, but I recall being a bit sad for them, strangely enough they called not long after the decision was made to induce me, and they called regularly over the next 2 weeks so we were able to give them updates on Nathan's well being. And lastly, I had to let my husband and my mom know what was going on. Those 2 phone calls were the most necessary and the least fun. I knew they would both be worried and probably freak out a bit, and they did. Not that I could really change what was happening. So, I was under way to deliver my first baby. My labor was not horrible, I was upset that the epidural won't work. I never planned on natural childbirth, but that is what I got. Lucky for me it was only 13 and a half hours long. Granted it was all night long, but I made it through and when they said I was ready I looked at the nurse and told her I had no intention of pushing for hours, so if he was not ready to not even call the Dr. She said we were good to go, and so we started pushing. I think I only pushed twice before he came out. They tried to whisk him out of the room, but I was able to stop them and at least see him, before he was off to the nursery. That was at 6:32 in the morning and had I know I was going to spend much of the next 3 hours knocked out I would have kept him there just a minute longer. With no epidural and a placenta that would not deliver, I was begging my doctor to stop trying to dig it out by hand. By the grace of God, the wonderful anesthesiologist who, despite 8 tries was unable to get the epidural to work, came to see what was going on since he knew the baby had been delivered. The last words I remember were "hand me that other bottle of versed off my cart will you" and then the pain that was worse than labor stopped. Next thing I knew I woke up some 3 hours later, and wanted to see my son. And even though I was insanely groggy and a bit dizzy I jumped into the wheelchair so I could go see him. He was insanely cute. By noon they were concerned it was taking too much effort for him to breathe, diagnosed him with RDS (respiratory distress syndrome), and they decided it was time to move him to a hospital with a NICU. So by 1:oo in the afternoon, my baby was packaged into a incubator, and loaded into a special ambulance staffed with a team whose job is to transports babies, and sent packing to a different hospital than the one I was left at. Let me say there is nothing worse than being stuck on the maternity ward without a child. I know my sweet husband was torn. He wanted to be with me, and I wanted him to be with Nathan. Nate's first visitors in the NICU were Greg, my mom and my brother Pete. Little did I know how significant that would turn out to be 4 years later. Nate had good days and bad days in the NICU. He was given surfactant when they got him there, and was able to be off all oxygen support within 24 hours of birth (thank you March of Dimes) but had to keep his little IV. It went from his hand to his head, before it was able to be completely removed by the time he was about a week old. All told we spent a full 21 days in the hospital with him. When Greg's parents got home from their trip they came straight from the airport to the hospital to see their new grandson. I don't remember being afraid of the equipment, but I know it was shocking to see it all, but I got used to it. And I knew it was taking care of my child. We could only have 6 visitors to see Nathan. Among them were my brother and sister-in-law. They both got the chance to hold him and love him while he was all hooked up. And I most certainly hope that it has made their adventures with their 2 little boys easier for them. I by no way want to take away from their experience. Every parent has their own worries and fears, but I hope that having had Nathan in the NICU and seeing him all hooked up to the oxygen and monitors and NG tube has softened the blow of having their own boys there. I got to go see Cooper and Andrew for the first time since their birth yesterday, and it was magical. I got to snuggle with Cooper and explain to him who his favorite auntie is (ME of course). And even though I teared up when I got there, I kept it together. Because I know what those 2 little munchkins are going to be like in 4 years, healthy happy little boys who are making their parents question every decision they make. And that is the very best part!

Baby Names

It is official......the boys names are Andrew Peter Hadden and Cooper Nicholl Hadden. Keanne and the boys are doing great. We went and saw her today, but not the babies. Nathan is so bummed out. He wants to meet his new cousins so bad. We showed him some pictures, but he is really ready to see them, He told us at lunch that he was really sad. Greg and I told him not to worry he would have a lot of chances to get to see them and to get to know them. But now I gotta get my butt in gear and find a new car that will hold 4 car seats at one time, cuz my sweet Saturn ain't gonna be able to pull this one off.

I am an AUNTIE!!

So we got a call from my brother this morning about 8:15 am. He said that Keanne's water broke that moring when his alarm went off for work (good grief what kind of alarm clock do you use!!) and that they were at Jordan Valley Hospital, but that because she was only 33 weeks and 3 days that they were going to stick her in a helicopter and send her to the University of Utah. Well hello!! So I ran Nate to preschool, took Alex to my in-laws, and since my mom was on her way home from Death Valley, I rushed up to the U. I was a bit of a mess. Suddenly I have a chance to think about what delivering at 33 weeks means and how truly scary it is. I didn't really have time to think about all that with Nathan when I was the one delivering, but I cried most of the way up to the hospital. My turn to freak out about it. I knew that Keanne had the steroids shots for the babies lungs, so that made me feel better, but I was still really anxious. So I get up there, find labor and delivery, and figure it is time to sit back. I thought surely she had already delivered. but NO. Right after she got there they got an emergency c-section, so they held her back. She didn't have to wait too long, but I saw how hard and fast her contractions were coming, and when the dr. decided to check her, she must have felt toes (baby "a" was breach) because her eyes got really big and she said "we are moving NOW" and away they went. They boys were born at 11:27 and 11:28 respectively and weighed in at 4 lbs 14 oz and 5 lbs even (again respectivley). All three of them are doing great. Keanne is a trooper, and I am so glad they are all well. Hopefully the boys will be able to come home soon, and then the madness will really get going. I will post some pics as soon as I can. And, I will list their names as soon as they are official. Keanne wanted to see baby "b" before she was sure of his name, and she had only seen baby "a" when I had to leave for Nathan's dr's appt.

Saw this on a friends facebook page and about fell over.....

MOTHERHOOD: the only place you can experience heaven and hell at the same time!!

Coming and goings....

I feel like I blog in bursts. Which I guess really is the case, so here is a burst...as to what is bursting that is up to you to decide.

My sweet sister-in-law has reached the 33 week mark with the BOYS! Poor Keanne has been on bedrest for about 3 weeks (maybe more I am not sure) and bless her heart she just keeps her feet up and minds her manners. I cannot put into words how amazing she is. First, she puts up with my brother. She deserves a medal for that, and now she is having TWIN BOYS! Good grief. I am going to have to loan her Alex from time to time just so there can be a little bit of estrgoen in that house. I can only imagine that much testosterone. But I am of course wildly excited for my nephews to make their apperance. Andrew and (insert name here) are going to be so loved it is pretty much gross. And with any luck, baby "B" will have a name! I know there are a couple up in the air, I have decided to not voice any further opinion either way. All I can say is glad I only had to name mine one at a time.

Nathan has sleep apnea. How in the world can a 4 yr old have sleep apnea.......seems that he had a problem with his tonsils and adnoids and after we meet with the sleep specialist on Monday, we are off to the ENT on Tuesday to see about a little surgery. I am not excited for him to have surgery, but if it needs to be done (and from the sleep study report it NEEDS to be done) I would so much rather have it done when he is still younger. It can be brutal when they get older. Nathan was a little freaked out at first, but once I explained that they will not pop his head off....his idea not mine.....and that he will get to have a few days of only eating ice cream, jello and icees, he was more than okay with the idea. You will notice I "forgot" to tell him it is probably going to hurt some too. I will come clean about that later.

Lex had her 15 mo. check up on Tuesday. She is growing well. She is in the 50% for weight and head size, and the 90+% for height. No suprise there. Nate has always been on the tall side, and since my brother is over 6 ft, and so is my father-in-law. I am not shocked to see that my kids are tall. I feel so awful for her though, because despite being fine on tuesday, she is now miserable. She has a fever and a nasty cough. I am sure it is just reaction to the shots. She has never tolerated them well, but I may have to take her to the Dr on Saturday depending on how she looks, and what her fever is up to in the morning.

I must say that I am super excited though......I am getting to go away with Greg for our anniversary. We are running to Vegas a little later in May and I am so ready. We have not been away since Lex was born and I am sure we will not be able to relax, but we are going to give it a whirl. I have a book I have been trying to read since Janurary and I am going to finish it!!! Boy NINE years has flown by.

So those are the comings and goings around here. I am currently working on my recipe blog, I hopefully will have a bunch of new recipes on there before long, so keep checking back.

Happy Weekend!

Ronald Mcdonald House Gala

I am so lucky to work with an amazing committee who has once again, pulled off the unimaginable. 4 years ago, my brother's MIL asked if I want to help her with a charity event. I figured why not. I had a baby, that was finally health and pretty content, and I needed to regain my sense of self. So May introduced me to the Ronald Mcdonald House. I knew of their existence, we had pod buddies in the NICU that used their services. I never had been to the house or had used them personally, but I loved their comittment to families and I KNEW how it felt to be the parent with a child who was not well and to watch his medical bills just keep growing, so I signed on for the few months she needed help.
What if you live in Utah and need to be at a hospital in California for your childs care...what would you do? where would you stay? I know we would all be out the door and say we will figure it out when we get there right?...that is where the House comes in. I had the chance to meet a mom from California who came to visit for a quick girls getaway when she was 30 weeks pregnant. She was here for one last hoorah before her (first) baby was born. The morning she woke up to go home with her friends, she figured out she was in labor. She delivered at a local SLC hospital and stayed at the house until her daughter was strong enough to go home. Can you imagine? And I can tell you first hand that NICU bills add up fast. My son was born six weeks premature, and is my $100,000 boy, and when you consider he had no big complications, that is a ton of cash. Not something I had laying around. I was lucky to live here, but the House serves families every night that live more than 35 miles away from here. So the bottom line, need a charity to support? What to do something great? check out the website...... http://www.rmhcslc.org/ and see what you can do to help. If you don't want to write a check, there are some great ways to help out and be involved. And by all meanss, find the local Ronald Mcdonald House in you r area if you aren't here local to me!
So Saturday is the Gala for 2009. We have had a difficult year, but have made it thru. Despite some rough economic times, we have 700+ silent auction items, plus some great live auction items too. We are expecting a full house, which is so exciting, and I cannot wait to see how we do....and to see if I can snag myself a little something at the auction too. I have my eye on a few items.......we will have to see. I'll keep you posted!

Happy Easter

So as I was trying to explain Easter to my four year old this morning, I thought about how truly amazing this season is. In short, I explained to Nathan that just like Christmas is Jesus's birthday, so is Easter in a sense. You must understand that he is a very logical, tactile child, and has yet to experience death, so I have not had to deal a lot with things that are really abstract. He seemed to take what I said at face value, and didn't even ask why Jesus got two birthdays and he only got one. So, despite, a very vague explanation, I was able to get the point accross that Easter is about a whole lot more that just a bunny and a basket of eggs. Which really is the point. Once again, Jesus is the reason for the season!

Boys will be Boys....

The living room from the stairs, if you look close you can see the THOMAS toys and train tracks underneath the SNOW!

Can you find the empty couch cushion in the above picture?

Just some more mayhem! Let it snow, let it snow!

Have you ever thought to yourself....."Self, I wonder what it would look like if a 3 year old and a 4 year old pulled all the stuffing out of couch coushion?" You no longer have to wonder, THIS is the result. Last week my friend Jannda, had a family emergency, and asked if I could take Mason for a couple of hours while she went and did what was necessary. I said sure no problem, drop him off whenever. She dropped him off about 1 just as Lex was waking up and deciding she was hungry, so I left the boys to play train in the living room, something they had done a million times before, and also the only place that Lex cannot go Godzilla all over the track and yank it apart. Lex and I are happily in the kitchen, she eating some leftover chili (divine recipe by the way it is on my recipe blog, check it out!) when Mason sticks his arms over the gate and says to me "Look Snow." I turn to see what he could possibly be talking about and I nearly fall over, where I ask myself, could he have gotten THAT! So I put the baby on the floor so she doesn't nose dive out of her highchair, and I make it to the gate in about 3 steps........pretty good for a 12 foot walk.....and I am met by the above sight. And my son saying "look Mom it is snowing" I am so far beyond speechless....hello, me speechless!!!.....I stammered for words and the first ones I found were "get in time-out NOW" and they looked at me, and suddenly the words came flowing.....

"what in the hell were you thinking".....

"TIME-OUT NOW, both of you! I said NOW"......

"don't move until I tell you.".........

"seriously whose idea was this"....

two sets of puppy dog eyes, Nate "Mom we just wanted snow" Me "there are a whole lot better ways then this..I had some packing peanuts in the garage you could have played with." Nate "Oh, go get those" Me "OH HELL NO!!!"

So I stuck both of the boys in time-out, cleaned up the mess (and to all of you who say I should have made them clean it up, all I can say is really, my pillows are having a tough enough life, the last thing they need it to stuffed half full, or one half full and one over flowing full, I just did it myself so I did not have to hurt anyone), had a little chat with the boys about what will happen to them if that were to ever happen again, and then took pictures and texted them to Mason's mom and my sweet husband. Both were surprised to say the least.....Greg asked if there was blood shed, Jannda just apologized over and over again. Seriously it took them 15 minutes to tear the place apart. But we all survived, and I learned that even the best of kids can work a wire lose and go NUTS!