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!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
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
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
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
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!
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!
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
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.
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