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!

One Busy Saturday....

Saturday was a busy one for us. We had a wedding to go to and a sibling (mine) moving. Of course these 2 things, must be scheduled for the exact same time, because what fun would it be if they were not?
I started the day earlier than desired and rack with guilt by running to the grocery store to make up a goodie basket for my brother and his cute wife and their moving crew, as we were not able to really be of much help. I stocked a cooler with water, vitamin water and a few sodas. I also packed up some apples, chex mix (store bought....much as it is a shame to admit) and some cookies. Oh, and because I knew the guys helping him move, a 12 pack of Budwiser. Got home, got Alex and myself thru the shower, got ready, tried on 2 different skirts (could not decide which one I liked better...finally settled on the khaki linen one) and got the kids packed up and out the door. My mom had been kind enough to take Nathan so that he would not have to sit and be bored thru the wedding, we took Alex with us. We ran to my brother's old house to drop off Nathan (my mom was helping him move, of course) and the goodies, already way later than I wanted to be. My in-laws called as we were leaving there asking where the heck we were.....I love them so much, but they should know by now we are always late. Greg said we were 10 minutes out, then he and his Dad debated who's time was right, my cars, or his watch. I had no desire to be late for the ceremony, but it is not like we were part of the wedding party! As it turned out a member of the brides family had car trouble and so we arrived in just the nick of time, with a 1 year old who did not get her morning nap. As luck would have it Alex, was so good. She crawled all over her Grandpa and just as she was about to get restless, the ceremony was over and we were headed down the hallway to the luncheon, where she was able to pig out on strawberries and chocolate.
So once that was done, and by the way, we wish Bryan and Heather many happy years to come, we dashed home, changed clothes and headed over to "the new house" to help with the unpacking. While on the way over (yes, I talk and drive...hello I am a Mom, multitaking is my midlle name) I called my mom and she said that my aunt had taken Nathan to her house "the farm" and that we could pick him up there later. We went and helped as best we could with the unpacking, went home and changed AGAIN, and went to get Nathan (who had an awesome time at the farm...he fed the chickens, the cows, collected the farm fresh eggs, and made cookies with Rosie.) and went back to the wedding reception. We had also made plans that night to go to dinner with friends (more about that in a sec). At the reception, we handed both little ones off to their Grandma and Grandpa, with the passing notion that they were hungry and needed to be fed and also to be bathed ( Nate apparently had a good time in the grain bin at the farm), and dashed back home one more time to find our friends sitting on the couch waiting for us....thank heavens for coded garage doors so they could get in.
We had a great dinner with 2 of our most wonderful friends. Greg and Jared met at Snow College when they lived in the dorms there together many moons ago. Katie and I met at their wedding reception in 2001. I cannot tell you how great it is to have such awesome friends. We can (and do) talk about everything, and mostly agree, but it is okay if we don't too. We have kids that are very close to the same age (Alyssa just turned 5 and Nate will be there is Dec.) and our kids get along pretty much like siblings. Last time we had them together they were agruing about the road work on 10600 South. Nathan said they were widening the road and Alyssa was insistant that they were building a town. I think we were about 10 seconds from hair pulling when Katie and I had to set the record straight that, they were in fact, widening the road. Much to Alyssa's dismay. After dinner we came home, and the boys introduced Katie and I to the finer side of Youtube (if there is such a thing) and then we had to go our seperate ways to reclaim our children or really rescue the grandparents. But it was a great end to a day of craziness.
And as I lay in bed, next to my cute hubby, I am so aware of how great our life is. Sure it is chaotic, busy and non-stop, but it is full of great people who love us and that we love, and there is not much better than that.

Baby Update

I talked to Keanne the other day, just after her dr's appointment. All is well and the boys are growing really well. She is now 25 weeks along. I think we are almost to the point we can start counting down. To say that pregnancy has been good to Keanne is an understatement. She looks amazing, truly she has the pregnancy glow. She certainly is round, she is carrying twins for goodness sake, but she looks amazing. She and Pete sold their house in Kearns last week and are closing on their new house this week and will be moving this weekend. The best part of them moving is that their new house is a whole lot closer to me! Yahoo! Nathan is so excited to have new cousins. Alex could care less. I am sure she will love them, but right now all she cares about is the horses across the back fence. So ya for Keanne and her babies. We are so glad all is well and that we are getting closer to the boys arrival.

My Husband....

So I found this on a friends FACEBOOK page and decided that it might be a fun thing to do about my sweet husband. We have been married for 9 years this May and I love every year with him more than the last. He is so amazing on so many levels....mostly becsause he puts up with me and all the crap I throw at him. So, I love ya Greg, and now I will reveal all your secrets.
1. He's sitting in front of the TV, what is on the screen? Scrubs or Ghost Hunters
2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad? NO SALAD
3. What's one food he doesn't like? watermelon
4. What is his favorite drink? Mountain dew
5. Where did he go to high school? Hillcrest High
6. What size shoe does he wear? 9 1/2 usually
7.If he was to collect anything, what would it be? wow.....uhm......movies
8. What is his favorite type of sandwich? Not a fan of sandwiches
9. What would he eat every day if he could? oreos and milk
10. What is his favorite cereal? fruity pebbles
11.What would he never wear? a thong
12. What is his favorite sports team? MIAMI DOLPHINS
13. Who did he vote for? No one in favor of Nationalizing health care
14. Who is his best friend? ME
15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn't do? Not enough room here.....more dishes.
16. What is his heritage? European
17. You bake him a cake for his birthday; what kind of cake? Yellow cake with chocolate frosting....if he is in a cake mood, if not just good vanilla ice cream
18. Did he play sports in school? yes, for a bit
19. What could he spend hours doing? like if he had time alone? He has a book he has been trying to finish and I think he owuld love some time to play the Wii with out a 4 yr old helping.
20. What is one unique talent he has? trying anything once....except food.

Tagged....

Okay so I have about 50 other things to do, but I am going to sneak this in. Jannda tagged me with 6 Random things/quirks tag. So here goes.



1. I have huge feet. I wear a size 11. Thanks Nate and Alex, before you I was a nice normal size 9 and a half. but no more.

2. I am game to try any food once, and I like most things, but I despise BRUSSEL SPROUTS! And I will not make my kids try them either.

3. I have "nighttime tourets" that is what my husband and cousin call the state of repeated twitching I go thru before falling asleep. I have been told it is a riot to watch.

4. I thought it was easier to recover from a c-section then a regular birth.

5. I always put veggies on my kids plates. They may not eat them, but they are there staring them in the face.

Years and Years....

20 years ago...
1. I was starting 5th grade.
2. I met the other Joey that would make school interesting.
(We had the same last inital and up closer looking also the same middle inital which lead us to be Joey boy and Joey girl. We ended up following each other all the way thru high school.)

10 years ago....
1. I was engaged (still)
2. I was trying college for the 2nd time.
3. I had recently embarked on my career as a pharmacy technician


5 years ago...
1. My hubby had just graduated from the U.
2. We bought our truck
3. We took our first real vacation since our honeymoon

3 years ago...
1. Nathan was 1yr. old
2. We were settled in our new house (now just our house)
3. I learned how much cereal and popcorn one man can eat (JASON MARSHALL)

1 year ago...
1. I had a 1 week old
2. I was recovering from a c-section (makes sense with #1)
3. I gave upsoda for a long 6 months (Alex didn't like it!)

Alexandra is ONE!

My very last baby is ONE! I am not sure where the past year has gone. Alex is so much fun and so wildly different that Nathan was that I am seriously shocked every stinkin' day. Her new feat is to climb up on the kitchen table, via the kitchen chairs, so needless to say the chairs legs are now lapped over the base of the table. I am lucky my Grandmother's table has rungs on the bottom be able to hook the to. She also has figured out that she can push things over to an item to be able to climb up onto things. Like her brother's toy box is one of her favorites, and nothing is safe from that child. She has go-go gadget arms, that I am pretty sure could reach to the moon. Last week she reached up on to the table (from the floor) and pulled down a melted frosty (MESS!) and a full cup of yogurt. It was such a mess, plus the yogurt was a Trix Kids yogurts so it had red dye in it and she ate the whole thing with her hand and got a huge stomachache from the coloring in the yogurt. I swear I am still finding and cleaning up frosty splatter.

Alex On Christmas Day in her frilly dress, and her pedal car.

Babies, Babies, Babies

So the ultrasound machine has spoken, and it has told us that KeAnne and Pete will be having........TWO BOYS! I am so excited for them and their growing family. The doctor said all looks well, which I am so happy to hear. The boys are growing well, as is KeAnne's waist band. But I must say, pregnancy has been good to her. She looks amazing and certainly has a "glow" to her. We hope and pray that all continues to go well, and that they all endure in this healthy and happy state.

Along those same lines, I am thrilled to find out that my girlfriend Jannda is having a girl She is due around the 19th of May and seems to be adjusting to the idea of having a second child. Trust me when I tell you that level of adjustment will still kick you in the teeth once the little munchkin has arrived. My girlfriend Carrie, is also having a girl, and seeing that this is her 4th, I am going to consider her a seasoned pro at this point.

My very best wishes to all the babies and their parents. I am praying for you all to be healthy and happy.

The Happiest Place on Earth and The Year of a Million Dreams

Disneyland was great. I was a bit skeptical of taking a 9 month old, but Alex had a ball. Nathan loved just about every second. Greg and I got to have some fun too. Nathan loved that we caught up with his cousins. That ment that he did not have to be stuck with his parents the whole trip. He got to go on rides with Riley and Jack. Which was more that icing on the cake. We literally shut the park down every night riding Buzz Lightyear Star Command. We would ride-run-repeat until they literally locked the doors. It was so fun. We got to ride the monorail into the park everyday, and then Nathan always wanted to walk back to the hotel.....just to keep the magic alive, most nights we had to carry him he was so beat, but he never feel asleep until we got to the room. Of course I can safely say I have never in my days seen that boy put on his pj's so fast and climb in bed. Most nights we could hardly keep him awake long enough to feed him, so we started each day off with breakfast and made him eat becasue he would skip food all day long just to ride the rides. He is a nut. We had great flights both ways. The Long Beach airport is not as big as my yard, aside from the runways. I was shocked at just how tiny it was. I learned some very important lessons on this trip. Such as when traveling with 2 small children, a stroller and all the luggage it is so very worth it to get a car and driver. It was fantastic to have them waiting for us, put all our things in to vehicle and drive us to our hotel and then unload all our things. Worth every penny. When flying with childern you can haul juice/formula/squishy food through airport security with out any problems. So nice to know that. Really a great trip, Nathan is already asking to go back. Maybe next year Nate, let me catch my breath.

The view out our hotelroom window.

We stayed on property this time at Paradise Pier.

Nathan and Minnie Mouse during breakfast at Goofy's Kitchen.

Alex was NOT afraid of the characters. In fact she was ready to love on them all.

Christmas Letter 2008

This is the letter I sent out with our Christmas cards this year. I am sorry if I some how missed you on our list. I sent out so many, my brain turned to mush. But if I did miss you, for which I apologize profusley send me an email so I can make sure I get you next year! We hope you all had a great Christmas and are looking forward to a wonderful New Year!

December 2008
Dear Family and Friends,
2008 has been an amazing year. We started things off with a bang with the birth of our baby girl. Alexandra Catherine White was born on a snowy Monday, January 28th, at 11:27 pm. She weighed in at 8 pounds 12 ounces (for those keeping track that is just shy of DOUBLE her brother’s birth weight) and 21 inches long. Alex was born healthy and happy and has, by the grace of God, mostly remained that way. She is now 10 months old and pretty much crazy. She insists on putting EVERYTHING in her mouth and will climb anything (stairs, toy boxes, laundry baskets) that she sees. She has been crawling for almost 4 months now and is taking more steps everyday. Near as I can tell, She is going to make Nathan look mellow……I am in so much trouble.
Nathan, aside from becoming a big brother, started preschool this fall and amazes me everyday. The preschool he is at starts off with teaching them to write their names right away. So at 4 years old, Nathan can write his first name. He also has mastered his months of the year and days of the week. He is eager to learn to read, and can identify most of his letters by sight and can tell you what sound they make. I am a strong believer that if you teach a child to read, the rest will all come so much more easily. Nathan still has a love of all things trains, and to his Dad’s delight Star Wars. He has his own lightsaber (okay 3 of them) and after many nights on his uncle’s (30 yr old) Star Wars sheets, he got a brand new set of his very own from Pottery Barn Kids.
Greg and I are still making each other crazy after 8 years of marriage and neither of us would change a thing. We are so happy that we can watch our children grow and learn everyday. We have been blessed with fantastic family, amazing friends and so much love. We are truly blessed.
This year brought us the usual challenges, with a few that we never planned on. My mom had her hands full with my Aunt Mary Ann, who, as it turned out needed major heart surgery. We are so glad that she has recovered so well, and that her time in SLC, lead her to an extraordinary relationship with Nathan. She started out in April not being able to hold Alex on her lap and now she bends down and picks her up. Thank you modern medicine. Greg’s Grandpa and Grandma have given us more than one stress filled moment this year……..but all seems to be good now.
The coming year is already full of excitement and wonder. My brother Pete and his wife KeAnne are due with twins in June. Greg has booked his yearly adventure to Alaska for July, and I intend to take a break this fall and will try to escape on a girl’s only trip. I am sure that Nathan and Alex will provide us with a lot of laughs and love, for it seems everyday is more entertaining than the next.
We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Healthy and Happy 2009. We are going to take everyday that we are given and make it wonderful. We hope that you are able to do the same!
Greg, Joey, Nathan and Alexandra White

Happy Thanksgiving!

In honor of this Thanksgiving day, I am now going to list five things that I am thankful for.....I know I will ultimaltey forget something huge, but none the less here I go......

1. fantastic family......I have amazing parents, crazy brothers (Pete and Mike), in-laws who love me as their own (so more craziness) and extended family that never ends.

2. babies, oh babies! I would be remiss if I did not mention (with a giggle) the Hadden babies. May they get here safe and sound and not give their mommy too much grief while in the womb.

3. My husband has a good job that continues to provide for us every day. (at least until Obama screws things up with his socialistic view of medicine)

4. My babies. I have to list them. I grow everyday because of them. Granted that I am usually growing more tired and more frustrated. But in 2 seconds they give me more joy than I ever imagined possible.

5. Those who keep us safe. Undoubtly this means our troops (M & Z) but I (stealing from Amy) also adding those who keep us safe around home....police, UHP, firemen, snowplow drivers (look we need them alot and their hours are just as bad as the other 3)

There it is, ponder your own list. And I hope you all have great things to be thankful for!

Say Thank You to Our Troops!

Hey everybody, I got this in an email, and in honor of our two guy in the Army, I signed in and sent a card. It was super easy and fast, so zip on over and send a card to our troops!

A Cute Little Family Grows (NOT MINE)

So it is out there for the world to know.....my little bother is going to be a daddy! Yahoo! Oh, but does it every get better than that.....He and his adorable wife KeAnne (the good Lord knew what He was doing when He gave her to Pete) are having TWINS! Ha! I know I am so bad, but I have been laughing and giving him crap since the day he called to tell me about their first dr's appt. Pete always loves to tell me how crazy my kids are and laugh at their, shall we say quirks. You know the little things like the fact that Nathan had had stitches 3 times by the time he was 2 years old, the fact that Alex eats EVERYTHING in sight and that Nathan has, on more than one occasion, run smack into a wall he was staring at. So I absolutley cannot wait to see how he deals with TWO little crazies running around at the same time. But there is one thing I know for sure, these two new little ones (whom we are affectionatley refering to as hockey puck and hockey stick) have two amazing parents who will love then and care for them so much. And at least Pete and KeAnne have somewhere to turn.....Max and Zeke are no longer our only set of twins.

Twilight The Movie....

Okay, so I am here to admit that I was not all that excited about Twilight being made into a movie. I truly enjoyed the book and have seen many books slaughtered in the name of making a movie out of it. But I have to tell you that I am pleasantly suprised. I was able, thru some friends to get a ticket (or 2) to an advanced screening of the movie.....I am writing this after having seen the movie at 7pm and it is not in full release until midnight tonight. So I am feeling pretty ahead of the game here. I have to tell you, I was NOT a fan of the guy playing Edward, but after seeing the movie I think he was great. I am speechless over the guy who played James....wholly HOTTIE! too bad he dies.......if you didn't know that, have you been living under a rock? So, it is not a five star work of art, but it was a ggod movie I would be more that willing to see again. Oh, and just let me say that the kid who plays Jacob....again HOTTIE!

Happy Halloween

Braxton (Spiderman), Alyssa (Halloween Minnie Mouse), Nathan (Luke) Skywalker and Mari (scary/sparkley witch) not pictured..Alex as Princess Leia

We had the greatest Halloween ever! I decided since the day was so close to our little trip to Disneyland that we would have the party at our house. It ws great! Mari came and brought her parents, Heather and Loren. Alyssa came and brought her parents, Katie and Jared, and also her friend Braxton. And both Gran and Grandma came over too. Gran even stayed home with Alex while we all went out becasue she was having a lovely reaction to her flu shot. We had sloppy joe's, homemade mac and cheese, dirt cake and homemade root beer that Loren tried to blast all over the kitchen. We tried in vain to get the kids to eat much before we went out knocking on doors, but they gobbled a few bites. They hit about a street and a half in our neighborhood and made the hall. There was LOTS of chocolate and other good stuff. Nathan has something like 15 packs of skittles, he really likes those. So as you can see we have great neighbors. After trick or treating, the kids came back to the house and played mix up the playdoh colors, but had a ball so who cares! I love that we have such great friends. (those of you who came to our little party and those who didn't too) Happy candy eating!

The Cousin's (at least the 4 big ones)

Alex and Max are missing, but here are the Marshall/White clan at their finest! In order from left to right....Jack (with his stunning glasses), Madison (cup in hand and Nate's "twin" they are 27 day apart), Nate, and Riley (the oldest and the bestest)

Hamming It Up....

Okay so I have to admit that my children see a camera and run to be in front of it. Truly they do. And my son doesn't say cheese, after a very unfortunate experience at "Rosie's" he now say cow poop instead.....really there is a story there that will take a bit so you will just have to live with the anticipppppation. (hey, its the season for Rocky Horror). I finally went back to work for my first real shift since Lex was born and I knew the girls at the clinic would want to see a current photo and since I did not have one, I threw them on the stairs real quick and took this one. And by darn if it didn't turn out soooo cute. Aren't they photogenic!?!

Sink Tub

So despite the fact that she is almost 9 months old (I have said that once or twice haven't I) Alex recently had her first "sink tub" or for all you normal folks out there, her first bath in the kitchen sink. Now please understand that I am part fish....that is I LOVE water. I would have a swimming pool or hot tub if I wan't so damn cheap. And apparently Alex got the bug from me. The girl will sit and enjoy a good tub far past the point where all sanity screams at you to get out becasue the water has gotten cold, but since her brother is the same way what, truly, can I say. So here she is in all her sink glory, wet and oh so cute!

Baby Food and Strange Food Allergies...

So since Alex is almost nine months old (where did the time go..really I would like to know) we have certainly been down the path of commercially prepared baby food. And thank God for Gerber and Beech-Nut because without them it would probably have been a rough start if I had to make her food for her in those early solids days, but now I am about at my wits end with the lovely people who make baby food. I know that food allergies are pretty common stuff.....we have a good chunk of them on both my side and Greg's side of the family. We both have family members with severe Celiac's, also a few lactose intolerants, and Greg's dad can't do strawberries or nuts, so this is not entirely a new route for us. This particular food though sure is, and from what I can find....which is not a whole lot, it is not very common. First let me offer you a brief education on food allergies. There are 2 types of reactions, the anaphylactic kind (hives, swelling, trouble breathing) and then there are the GI type reactions (bloating, heartburn, diarrhea) I think most people percieve the anaphylactic reaction to be more severe, but I am here to tell you that either way is nothing but trouble. So back to my poor kid....we have always been careful with nuts and berries because of Dennis, but this one hit me out of the blue. I was not even aware that a person could be allergic to carrots and squash. But Alex sure has shown us the she is. And boy do I feel like crap, for some 6 months I thought the poor kid had a wicked case of reflux. Oops, Mother of the Year! So okay, now that I have figured it out, and also how to treat her when she does get a tasty morsel of orange, I am about to scream at the poor baby food companies, and anyone who lists natural coloring on their labels. First, if you have never read a baby food label for stage 2 or higher jsut know this.....there are very few that do not contain carrots in the savory dishes. Even some companies mac and cheese dishes have carrots in them. It pretty much sucks. Carrots are a great filler food. They are also handy to use as coloring in, oh about anything orange, red or purple (yes, there are purple carrots) especially when a company is trying not to use anything artifical in their products. So here is my new challange...to prepare food for the WHOLE family that everyone likes and can be eaten by all. Seriously, I would possibly have better luck with world peace at this point. I used to sneak a can of V8 into anything possible..chili, spaghetti sauce, stews, whatever, not anymore. I also am really nervous to buy commercially prepared sauces, like marinara or the like. Most types of vegtable soups are out, oh and watch out for fruit snacks. I have to be super careful with the words "natural coloring". It is a good thing I like to cook. Because I have a feeling we are going to be eating in ALOT. So, off I go to figure out what my daughter can eat for dinner tomorrow. Beech-nut has a new salmon and sweet potato flavor out.....I am not sure I can stomach feeding it to her. The one nice thing is that both baby food companies have been more than happy to talk to me and see what they can do to help. So I say thanks for the awesome customer service lines. It was so great to have someone at the company to talk to...a real human voice.

We are going to DISNEYLAND!

All 6 covers

The 4 Marshall's covers

Nathan and Alexandra's covers

So we are now in major count down to DISNEY. Nathan is so excited, the topper being he gets to go with his cousins. So I put on my craft hat and made all SIX kids autographbooks. It took a couple of hours (and to be fair I did this last time we went but not in such a large scale....I did 2 last time) and a couple of $$ but I am done. The covers are ready to go to the laminators and then be hooked back on to the book. Here is how they turned out.....

It's time to IMMUNIZE

Hey, watch me as I jump up on my soapbox.....Please get your kids a FLU SHOT! There are more children under the age of 2 who are hospitalized and die from the flu than elderly people. That is just plain scary. Also if you or any member of your family plan on spending ANY time at all around our dear little MAP, please make sure you get a flu shot. Her recent open heart surgery puts her at a HUGE risk should she get the flu....she will be getting her flu shot soon, ala Greg. Nathan and Alex had their this past Wednesday. I get mine around the 20th and Greg, I am sure will stab himself. I will now step down.

Alexandra at Seven (almost eight) months

does it look like it tasted good?

Two lumps on a log taking a nap....Uncle Jason is good stuff.

too darn cute.

SMILE!

the newpaper doesn't stand a chance with this munch mouth

Our little girl is growing like a weed. She is so funny. Still adores her brother and anything he does, like to crawl like a crazy woman and has recently (like in the past 2 days) discovered the stairs. Good greif. I thought it was drastic when Nate could crawl at 8 months old, but really she was barely seven months old when she up and took off. I knew it was coming because she had started to use the army crawl and was trying so hard to get mobile. The past month has kept her plenty busy. She has done the whole moving thing, broken thru 2 teeth (bottom center), the stairs, in late August she finished up her 2nd ear infection, and now is pulling herself up on any and everything she can grab. And we still have a major case of the "eat its" as in if I see it I eat it. Doesn't seem to matter what it is, she tried to munch an entire Salt Lake Tribune a couple of weeks ago. I am majorly out of practice for this, as Nathan was not an everything in the mouth kind of kid. Oh well, she is healthy and happy and I will not ask for much more than that. The rest I willl endure with a smile and a chuckle.

My Babies.....

I am not sure there will ever be a day when these 2 are not my babies. They are amazing little people who make life all the better and I am sure they will HATE it when they are 20 something and I am still calling them my babies, but as the mother I reserve the right to call them that forever and ever.

School and so much more...

Nathan's first Day of School (ever!)

So Nathan has been in preschool for 2 weeks now and he could not be happier. He enjoys his teacher, loves his class and has a real urge to learn. The class has been working on colors and handwriting and he is very happy to almost be able to write his own name. His teacher was pretty much blown over by the fact that he can hold his pencil so well. I have to say it did not suprise me, seeing that it was one of the first things Greg insisted upon....if he is going to hold a crayon he is going to hold it right. So far I am very happy with Learning Dynamics and their program. Nathan is thriving, which considering his desire to learn is not really suprising. He wanted to write a note to his friend yesterday and has a note all ready for his Uncle Pete that he will write out later today.

Where Does The Time Go?

Seems like just yesterday Greg and I decided it was time to grow our little family, with Nathan. And now he is staring preschool. The boy is so amazingly eagar to learn, I felt it must be time. Nathan will be attending Learning Dynamics Preschool in Riverton this year. It is new to the Salt Lake Valley, but I love that they teach phonics. I firmly believe that if you teach a child to read, the rest is cake. You can learn nearly anything if you can read. My girlfriend Katie had here daughter in their Orem school last year and she will be continuing on this year. She has said they are a great school so I am excited for Nathan to start attending the school. But it is truly still a bit of a slap in the face as to how fast they grow. It is unbelievable to look back at his first photos, such a tiny baby.....4 pounds 7 ounces, all hooked up in the NICU and now people want to know if he is 4 or 5 and I want to scream HE IS 3! Greg and I know that we are so amazingly fortunate that Nathan is healthy. We know how easy it would be for things to have gone the other way and we try our vey best not to take him for granted. So here is to my baby boy.....the world had better watch out, because whether I am ready or not.....You are on your way.

Funny! and yet so sad!

Wal-Mart Cake
It took me a second, but make sure you read the story under the picture.
Keep in mind this actually really did happen.








Okay so this is how I imagine this conversation went:

Walmart Employee: 'Hello 'dis be Walmarts, how can I help you?'

Customer: ' I would like to order a cake for a going away party this week.'
Walmart Employee: 'What you want on the cake?'

Customer: 'Best Wishes Suzanne' and underneath that 'We will miss you'.

STOP LAUGHING! You can't fix stupid


.....As much as I would love to claim this one it came to me in an email and i nearly pee'd I was laughing so hard. So enjoy, and think twice next time you order you kids birthday cake.......some day I will tell you about Katie and the Target bday cake.

Wholly S*#@!

So as many of you are aware my husband is on his yearly jont to Alaska for his fishing expedition. I am here at home with the kids literally counting the days until he is home and some degree of my sanity can return. But last night may take the cake and I tell you now, being a mom is one thing, but I think this one earned me a day at the spa. On Friday. Nate and his Gran took a trip to the Museum of Natural History at the U of U, they had a great time, and I sent him a can of apple juice in case he got thirsy after the adventure. He drank the juice straight, which he NEVER does, but not like my mom had a lot of options. So yesterday we headed to the zoo with Katie and Alyssa, we had a ball but after 2 hours it was beyond hot and as we finished our train ride Nate asked me to refill his sippy cup, which i did but again I gave him straight juice. All was well we had lunch (with A/C thank heavens) and headed for home, we got here, had a good poop (him not me) a nice nap (all 3 of us) and later that evening he started saying him tummy hurt, well you must understand that the boy loves TUMS (I cannot say why) so he ran upstairs. I was on the phone with my mom when he was upstairs and I was just about to go check on him when I heard the loudest and longest fart ever (and if you know my hubby that is saying something) and then the yelling started "get the poop off me" so I told my mom I had to go and ran upstairs to find my son literally dripping poop in his bathroom and the hallway right outside the bathroom door. It was past gross. I had to take care of him, hope Alex was going to be okay (as it was nearing bedtime) and clean things up big time. I got him out of his poopy socks, shorts and unders (seriouly was had a brief moment where I missed pull-ups and diapers), put him of the toilet to let him finish the explosion, and then thru him in the shower. He was so upset, more that his shorts could not be put back on than anything, but still. I got him cleaned up and dressed again, the bathroom cleaned, the hall carpet cleaned and the clothes in the washer in less then an hour. I was impressed with myself. I can safely say I now totally understand the term "blowing it out your ass". My hubby owes me big time because this is his weekend off work so he should have been home to help clean up......next time it is all his. (Who am I kidding, Greg has such a major gag reflex if I had left him to clean it up, I would have been cleaning up throw-up too!) The joys of being a mom!

A Blessing and a Bounce House

So I finally managed to get everyone together and all my ducks in a row and got Alex blessed on Sunday, July 13th. It was a super nice day and we had a great turn out of family and friends, including some we had not seen it quite some time. Grandpa gave Alex a beautiful blessing and from what I understand, she tried to eat the microphone. My mother-in-law (who is the very best, just in case you were wondering) bought all the luncheon goodies, so I had some crazy monies floating around that I had budgeted for the meal. After some consideration, I realized that I had 10 children under the age of 10 to entertain. Talk about madness. So as I pondered this, I had a dream that we had a bouncy slide and that it went over so good. My husband swears I got the idea from TV, but I really didn't. Well, it was no bouncy slide, it was a castle and double slides, and to say it went over well would be a major understatement. The kids (and a few adults) had a fantastic time jumping, fliping and sliding. I would rent one again in a heart beat and the company we rented from was great too. So thank you to allinfun.biz for the great bouncy. Here are some pics from Katie....the photo queen. I will post more when I have a bit more time.

A bunch of the kids on the bouncy.



A very tired Alex in her blessing dress.

Happy Birthday Greg!!

Today is my cute hubby's birthday...the big old 29! This is the first time in 3 or 4 years that he is home with us on his birthday. So Happy Birthday Greg....I Love you.

We must be parents...I could not find a picture of just Greg!

A Rough 72 hours.......

So we had a great adventure this past few days. Alex and I got to spend a few days at PCMC. It all started when she got quite fussy Sunday night at her grandparents house. We didn't think too much of it and came home, she went to bed just fine and slept pretty well. The next day, Monday, she woke up happy as a clam, but got crankier as the day went on, by 3 p.m. she had spiked a fever of 102.7. I was a bit alarmed so I hauled her little hiney in to the docotr's office. Since she had just finished a 10 day course of antibiotics for her ear infection, we figured she would be okay and that it would all pass. The doctor told us to call back or even that night if we had any further problems and sent us on our way, after taking a urine sample just to be safe that she did not have a UTI. By 11:30 when we tried to put her to bed (way past her normal self-imposed bedtime of 8:30) she was absolutley livid and there was no calming her down so after she had cried herself silly for well over an hour, I called the on call doctor, luckily the same doctor that we had seen that afternoon, and presented her with this new develpopment. She was as lost as we were and told us it was probably best to take her up to Primary Childrens. So that is what we did. I got to take her, mostly because she is still nursing, so we packed her up and at 1 am we headed on our way. She cried nearly all the way to the hospital. She had no little voice by this point. It was so sad. So we got there and they got us all checked in, she was still running a fever and we started running tests, they tried the easy stuff first.....ears, nose and throat, but all were clear, so then we moved on to the bigger and yuckier notion of what could be the problem. We got blood work, started and IV (her Blood Pressure was low, but after some fluids it came up nicely) and told me they wanted to do a lumbar puncture to check for bacterial menangitis. Not a lot of fun. She has a stiff head and neck, so we had to rule out all the bad stuff. I thought Greg was going to cry when I told him they were going to do a spinal tap, and to be honest I did not hang out to watch them do that, though they said she did just fine. So with no real answers, 6 and a half hours later the admitted us to the RTU (a unit that is an outpatient service not quite like being admitted to the hospital) and we started our first dose of big gun antibiotics. After about and hour we say the doctor in the RTU and she informed us that she was admiting Alex to the hosptial. SHe has no clue what was going on and wanted to be able to have her have a bit more attention, so we got more doctors. Within about 6 hours of the first dose of antibiotics she was starting to perk up , but still not 100%. Her little head and neck still seemed to be bothering her. So we stayed some more and by Wednesday AM it was decided that she was really getting better despite no real diagnosis, so we were sent home about 2 in the afternoon, but it was a long 36 hours in the hospital. Alex is still very hoarse. Her pediatrician said it may take a week or so to get ther voice back ,but that all looks well. So thank you to all who prayed for us, and sent us good thoughts. Hopefully in a week or so this will all be in our past.

Wrong, Just wrong!!!

Created by OnePlusYou

Nate's Medicine Craziness

I am a total flake, the reason I am chasing Nathan around the house trying to give him medicine is because he has a secondary sinus infection. A result of some fantastic summer allergies given to him by his loving Daddy! I am sure it will not be the least or last of the things we will find that we have shared with him. Poor kid I hope this doesn't become a spring/summer ritual for us. The up side is he is starting to feel better. I can tell and he has his work cut out for him this weekend becasue his cousins are coming for a visit......bring it on Riley, Jack, Madison, and Max. Give me all you got kiddies!!

Craziness!!

I have reached the state where I am not only questioning my sanity, but suffering from major guilt. I nearly laughed myself silly while fighting with Nathan to give him his antibiotic. I have been a pharmacy technician for more than 10 years now, so I totally understand how terrible the medicine tastes, but after I had to chase the child around the kitchen table at my mom's house for 2 doses it was funny to see him give his dad a bad time. Nathan stood there and just started screaming at the sight of the oral syringe with the medicine in it. After I recovered from my giggles, I finally had to hold him in my lap to get him to take it. It is so crazy. It was so funny. I feel terrible guilt for laughing, but what else is a mom to do. On the upside there are only 10 more days of twice a day dosing to go! Yehaa!!

Alex's Ears

My baby has an ear infection. This is ruff stuff for a 4 and 1/2 month old. She has been pretty crabby for about a week, but I contributed it to teething. The drool factor at our house is reaching epic proportions. But today I decided it was time to haul her little hiney in to the peds office after she spent an hour yelling at me. She yelled if I held her, she yeld harder if I laid her down. It was insane, especially when you consider that she is a fairly mellow baby. So after digging the ear wax out the Dr. decided that yes, she did have a nice ear infection....Not a terrible one, just a miserable one. So for the next 10 days we will keep our little bottle of Amoxicillan near by, and the tylenol even closer. Wish me luck.

Summer Round 2

So we are hoping that the nasty weather is gone and in that, we drug the pool out of the garage....the one bought on clearance last year at the end of the season...and blew the sucker up. My cousins's daughter informed me that I had a lot of air in me to get that pool blown up. I neglected to inform her that to most people I am in fact full of hot air.....she is only three I am sure she will figure me out soon enough, but I digress, So it was nice and warm outside and since we had not planned for a pool party and my cousin and her children live some 120 miles away it was not possible to run home and grab swim wear, so we compromised,and I am not about the photos in any sort of public forum...I am not crazy, so you will simply have to take my word for it that there is some serious blackmail available on all 4 of them.

Day Out With Thomas!!

What is a boy to do when his best friend comes to town....why head up for a visit. Nathan was so excited that he got to ride with Thomas the Tank Engine. I think we may have made his year. He LOved the whole adventure. Greg and I took Nathan for an afternoon up to Heber to ride with his friend Thomas. Despite the fact it is the Thursday of Memorial Day Weekend, it was rainy and pretty darn cold. (We left Alex home with my girlfriend Jannda....big thanks to her!) But Nathan did not care at all, he had a great afternoon meeting Sir Toppam Hat (sp???) and having his picture taken with both him and Thomas. But of course the best of all was getting to ride on the train pulled by Thomas himself. Nathan choose to ride in the tanish-orange cars, because he said that they must be Annie and Clarribel (Thomas' coaches, for those not in the know). We enjoyed our ride, purchased a new Thomas shirt and slippers (no more sore toes from the too small pair we had) and a story book full of all the original Thomas stories. And lest we forget the huge Thomas mylar ballon that 9 days later is STILL floating around my house! All in all a wonderful afternoon.....and a little boys dreams made real.

Summer...for a minute

So we finally got some sun for a minute. And since we had sun we had to get out in it. We threw the kids in the car and headed up to Vivian Park and the little 12 and under fishing pond and had a ball. Our friends Jared and Katie and thier little girl Alyssa met us up there and we had lunch, caught a few fish and let the kids run wild. It was so nice and, of course, over too soon. I am proud to say I out fished them all and caught two nasty slimy fish which my sweet hubby de-hooked and threw back for me so I didn't have to touch them. Good Hubby. Yucky Fish.