Christmas and The Hospital

We had a great Christmas Week! At least I did! It was relaxing and Ryan waited on me hand and foot and cleaned my house. I was able to just rest. Christmas Eve we spent with Ryan's parents. Well...first we had to go to a doctor's appointment and non stress test. That was a bit stressful for me because Penny moves around so much, it is hard to register her heart beat and the nurses get attitudes. And we were late getting there because of a traffic jam....blah. I was eager to get out of there and to the Rowan's so we could just have some fun. And that we did. We all worked together.....well Parker and Grandma worked while we watched and supervised on building a ginger bread house. Parker enjoyed it very much. It took over an hour! And he loved every minute.
There was lots of good food that we munched on all day. We then opened presents. Parker got a couple of lego sets and a digital camera. The digital camera was a huge hit. He already has the memory full of pictures. And he's mastered all the games. He can do pics, games, videos....he loves it. I'm not so much of a fan as he loves to take my picture and well...I'm Mrs. Puff face right now and he gets really close up pics...blah. Good thing I have control over what gets downloaded and printed.



Then we did a Nativity Play. Parker and I were being poor sports and wouldn't dress up, but Ryan did. Here he is being Samuel The Lamanite prophesying the birth of Jesus. He really got into the part.


Christmas morning, my parents came down. I had to wake the boys up....it was after 9:00 am and they weren't up. Ryan was trying to get Parker up, I came in. I told him that Santa had come. He said, "Just ten more minutes." What kid asks to sleep for 10 more minutes on Christmas morning? Usually kids are up at the crack of dawn running for dear life to check out all the gifts under the tree. Not my child. Then when he woke up a bit more he was more worried about the ginger bread house from the night before and wanted to make sure daddy brought it in from the car. What a maroon. Finally he agreed to come out and check stuff out. Santa had brought all the things he asked for....simply because it was only 4 things and inexpensive things....I love this kid! I know the time is coming soon that more expensive things will be on his list. So he got his 2-wheeler bike. All of his friends have one on the street and it is the big thing he asked for from Santa. He loves it!
He also got the sled he has been asking for for a year now. Now we just need to figure out where there is a good hill close by. Anyone know where there is a good sled hill locally? He was in bad need of a Winter Coat too. My parents got him this awesome coat. It's so thick and warm. He is very happy with it. He was spoiled of course by grandparents. He got a game from my parents as well that he has seen on commercials and asked for. After opening it, he jumped to his feet and ran to hug his granny and papa. Santa also brought him some legos. After opening the Sponge Bob lego set plus lego bin, he said, "Oh i love a good lego." We laughed all Christmas morning...he's so funny with his expressions.

And of course, Patches was close by Christmas morning to be a part of the fun. The empty boxes and bows are her favorite thing. She was having a blast. Bibs perched herself under the tree and we just had a great family day. Ryan cooked breakfast. Then we just played with legos and played with all the fun toys with Parker. Then we had a big yummy dinner with my folks and my uncle that night.
Friday, we had a little party/reunion of Ryan's high school friends. One was visiting from out of State, so we got everyone together that was close. These guys have been a gang of friends....some from elementary and then Junior High through High School. We had 7 kids under the age of 6. Parker was beside himself with joy to have so many friends to play with. It was nice to visit and catch up with everyone and watch our kids play so nicely together.
Saturday, Ryan's parents came down to check out Parker's loot and just hang out. Ryan put together a beef stew and we baked some bread. I wasn't feeling good all day. I was very weak and tired. I had taken a pain pill to help with pain and it made me a little loopy and dizzy, but it passed. We ate dinner and then sat at the table to learn our new expansion game to Settlers of Cataan called Cities and Knights. Ryan was explaining the rules. I was totally feeling fine and paying attention. I was having pain in my stomach....but being pregnant and just eating....totally normal....not lady like....but normal. All of the sudden...without any warning....I felt the need to throw up. The room got dark and started to spin. I told Ryan that I needed to throw up or pass out. He just stared at me....waiting for me to take off to the bathroom. But I couldn't move. An intense heat came over me and I felt myself fall forward. My mother-in-law said.....catch her....which Ryan did. I knew my eyes were still open but I couldn't lift my head or respond to them....I could hear them calling my name. Then it went black and all I remember is facing Ryan as he called my name.....then I fell forward again....and he grabbed my face and told me to stay with him.....I finally was able to focus enough to come out of it. I had checked out for about 30 seconds Ryan said...but it felt longer. Sweat was pouring down my face and I felt so dizzy and weak. Everyone felt it was a good idea to take me to the hospital. We wanted to make sure my blood pressure wasn't too high. And since I have never ever passed out in my life, we wanted to make sure everything was ok. So we headed to the ER. My in-laws stayed with Parker and eventually took him home with them. I am grateful they were there to take care of Parker. At the hospital, they sent me straight to labor and delivery. They hooked me up to the monitors where....big surprise....she was moving so much...hard to get the heart beat. But everything looked fine. they were just about to send me down to ER to check me out when her heart rate took a big dip. So ....I had to stay longer to monitor just in case. Everything turned out to be fine. She is fine and healthy. Just a trouble maker.
So we headed to the ER. We got into a room pretty quickly, but then we just waited and waited and waited. It was cold and I was tired and hungry and thirsty.
Doctor came in and said that with what I explained to him...it sounded like a vasovagal episode. There is a nerve in your abdomen that sends the signal to your brain to send blood to the digestive system after eating. Somehow, this nerve got blocked or pinched, most likely from the chubby baby in my tummy, and it surged the signal to my brain and blood just rushed out of the brain to the stomach and down I went. They did an EKG and that looked fine. They took blood and that looked good. They did a blood sugar test and it was extremely low, but I had been in that hosptial for 6 hours without food or water...hello! They gave me a liter of fluid through and IV and sent me home. We got home around 2:00 am. Poor Ryan was so tired. We didn't go to church. Ryan didn't want me to push myself to get there. I was supposed to sing a duet with a friend and I'm so bummed because it's my favorite Christmas song and it sounded so beautiful. I just feel awful that I missed it. But I stayed in bed most of the day and got some good rest. My mom made our dinner which was so very helpful to both of us. I'm glad she lives close to help out. I wish I wasn't so needy and weak. But I'm so excited to have this baby and to know that she is healthy and strong. 4 more weeks!!!!! Well...hopefully if my body cooperates. I see Maternal Fetal Medicine doctors tomorrow and my OB Wednesday. I'm also doing a 24 urine test because they found some protein and want to make sure my kidneys are functioning properly. Man....I just sound like a hot mess don't I? Parker takes good care of me. He showered me with hugs when he got home from Grandma and Grandpa's yesterday. He wanted to make sure I was feeling better. He looks out for me.
He has a new love in his life. There is a little girl in my in-law's ward. He talks about her all the time and how beautiful she is and the pretty necklace she wears and her blonde hair. It's hilarious to hear how he talks. And he expressed to me yesterday that he loves the name Annie. And since we can't change Penny's name, I told him that some day he can get married and have a baby and call her Annie. He said, "well, I'm going to need a black shirt and the bow tie from my sock drawer if I'm ever going to go on a date." Oh it took all of my strength to keep a straight face....he was so serious about it.
It has been a blast reading about everyone's Christmas. Glad you all had a great day. We love you all!

um.....

So there haven't been any tantrums since last Tuesday! Hooray!!! We set some new morning rules, and he has been very obedient to them. So that has made the week wonderful.
Thursday, I had an NST (Non stress test) and OB checkup. There was quite the snow storm and no plows had been on any street including the freeway. So....I was white knuckling the whole way. It got scary the closer I got to Pleasant Grove (where my doctor's office is.) So, I was a bit stressed when I got there. And then I had to sit and wait for a long time for no reason. And then the NST nurses are not very kind and make me feel dumb....like I have any control over Penny's movement and heartbeat. They get mad at me because they can't get the reading they want. They tell me that I need more food and sugary drinks. Well...I have to travel to the office and that paticular day it took me an hour to get there.....so all of it combined sent me into an anxiety attack which I tried to hide, but once I got in to see Dr. Allen....he knew something was up. I was shaking and tearing up. I was scared at the thought of driving back home in the ice and I was upset by how I was treated by the nurses. Dr. Allen told me that my blood pressure was really high and that he was concerned. So I told him of my previous two hours and he checked my pressure again and it was better. He also wanted me to go on Zoloft....very low dose....to get me through the next few weeks. The anxiety attacks are getting worse and the depression is also starting to get bad again. Well...it's more of an unfeeling feeling rather than depression. The anxiety I know has a lot to do with the amount of pain I am in every day, but it is also just the nature of my beast....I have anxiety....I have for a long time.
So, since Thursday I have done well. I still take it easy, but I'm sleeping better and waking up better and getting through my day better. He wants to see me Christmas Eve just to make sure the meds are not hindering anything and to recheck my blood pressure. He did tell me also that if my body is ready.....he will induce me at 39 weeks. So that means.....5 weeks and 4 days!!!! roughly.
That is very soon. And I'm glad I'm ready....or am I ready? My whole world will change and it's scary, but we are so very excited to have her here. Parker's world is going to change and he doesn't even realize it, but I think he'll do great. He'll love the big brother role.
So, if she and my body cooperate, she will be born the last week of January.
Ryan is now off for the Christmas week. I'm excited that he'll be home. Gives us both a chance to get some much needed rest. He still is congested and miserable with that, but he is a trooper....much better than me. He is busy as we speak cleaning my stove and oven and replacing foil under the burners. It's his specialty.
For the first time, Parker got embarassed by a girl. My nephew and his girlfriend were in town for a day and we got to spend some time with them. Parker put on one of his "shows" using a plastic shovel for a microphone. He was calling volunteers from the audience and he chose Lacey to come up. Lacey being my nephew's girlfriend.
He asked her, "tell us about your greatest thing." so she responded by describing Parker and said, "It is you, Parker." He got the funniest look and grin on his face and turned bright red. Then he dashed off to hide. We all laughed so hard. It was so cute to see him blush because a cute girl said nice things about him.
Then he became the audience member who went up to volunteer. He was asked the same question. He described his greatest thing as ....she is wearing a red shirt, she is so nice to me....we all figured it was Lacey. But he said, "No...it's my mommy." AAAAHHHHHHH melt me into a big pile of butter. And he ran and hugged me. He just has a special talent of validating me especially when I need it most.
We are looking forward to Christmas. We have lots of fun plans with family and with friends. I can't wait for Parker to open his gifts. I just love watching him enjoy the day.
Everyone have a wonderful Holiday and be safe too!

My Funny Boy

Or is he?................Lately the tantrums have been more dramatic and loud and for the dumbest reasons. But the things he says and the way he does it makes us laugh through our anger and frustration.
Last Thursday, Ryan had to stay home from work because I was so fatigued and in so much pain I couldn't stop shaking. So I stayed in bed or on the couch to get some rest. Luckily he was home, because Parker right off the bat, had quite the episode. Parker loves his rituals and routines....even though he is pretty laid back most of the time...however...mornings he needs his cereal and a show and they have to coincide...meaning....if his show starts and the cereal isn't in front of him, something snaps inside his brain and all heck breaks loose. Sometimes it isn't so bad. He'll be ordering me to hurry because the show is starting and I promptly tell him he is not in charge and I'm going as fast as I need to and he can wait. But this paticular Thursday morning....wow....screaming, jumping up and down to get our attention....yelling at the top of his lungs things we couldn't understand. When this happens, he is ordered to go in his room until he can calm down. Sometimes he does, sometimes he has to be forced. After 20 minutes of not getting his way....(he wanted us to start the show over again so he could have his cereal and watch it from the beginning...we couldn't do that...we aren't magical.) he would run to his bedroom. Stand at the door and shout "That's it, I'm outta here" and slam the door and scream bloody murder and cry for a while. Then he would come back....do it again. Finally Ryan was at a point where he could go in and have the "TALK". Here is how part of the conversation went down.
Ryan : Do we need to call Mrs. Raleigh and tell her you won't be coming to school today because you are naughty?
Parker: What's her number.
I'm thinking most children would freak out at the thought of not going to school and get in gear and behave. Not my child.
He did finally calm down and apologize and went to school and had a great day.
So another tantrum ensued the next day....regarding a talk show I was watching. He needed to go potty and thought he had missed a funny picture that was showing. He didn't. I tried to explain...but here came the jumps and cries and hollars and yells. And there is nothing I can say to get him to calm down...he just has to get tired of trying. But I got so mad because he wasn't going to his room and he was speaking to me in a "TONE." So I thrusted forward off the couch....now I'm 8 months pregnant so it isn't as affective as I would like....but I said, "you better run" in a mommy tone and he started screaming..."Mommy don't kill me" And this was repeated at a high scream for 5 minutes. I sure hope the neighbors didn't hear. He's going to get me arrested with his dramatics.
One night I was on the couch watching TV. My legs were in a lot of pain so I had one up. My pajama pant leg had gone up a bit. Parker wanted to come over to help me with my pain....and he examined my leg closely and shouted with glee....yes...glee...."mommy, your leg is growing grass!!!!" so I'm not the best at keeping my legs shaven. Little did I know that growing grass on my leg is the coolest thing ever to my 4 year old son. I'm glad he appreciates it.
I've had so much on my mind lately. I don't know if the thoughts running through my head are from hormones or my weak body or what. But every day, I pray for help with my short comings and pray for understanding to the two plights that plague me right now. I want to stop being jealous of women who have healthy bodies and have so much energy and I want to stop being jealous of women who can have babies so easily. It's absurd for me to have these feelings and doesn't help me progress or get to an understanding of my troubled body. That certainly is my Christmas wish is to just remember my blessings and my two beautiful kids and remember the miracle that they are and remember that maybe I can't do most things other moms can do...but there are things I can. I need to be fine with the fact that if all I can do in a day is 1 load of laundry and keep parker fed and watered....that is a good day. I dont know...is it normal to have these feelings when going through a trial. And when should I start worrying that I'm being unfaithul or untrusting of my Heavenly Father because I can't stop the self loathing at times. Is there a time limit? I guess the fact that I know I'm bitter for no reason and I know that I wish I had a healthy body that will never ever happen until the here after and I'm striving to understand and be happy with how life has gone down for me. It's not that I'm unhappy by any means. I'm extremely happy that I have two kids, a wonderful husband, a nice home. so why do I get affected sometimes? All I can do is keep trying and hope that friends and family have patience with me and my craziness.
Ok...so I've said too much as it is.
With 7 weeks to go...I do weekly stress tests and biweekly OB check ups. Thursday, they didn't get the readings and info they wanted from the stress test, but said that it was a little early yet to get what they wanted. Apparantly when the baby moves, the heartbeat should go up and go fast for 10 seconds or so. That never happened...even though she was moving. But it was beating normal....the doc just said 32 weeks sometimes is too early for that kind of reading. So I'm sure they will be keeping a close eye on that once a week.
As for me, I just take it easy all day. I try to do one thing and I get so tired and my joints hurt so bad I end up in bed. So I just keep Parker alive and the day seems to go well. He has been so patient and good...other than the tantrums....he is happy to play with toys and watch shows. He will go hang out with my mom once in a while for treats and a change of scenery. He enjoys that. He was able to have a sleepover with Ryan's parents this weekend. He got to play in the snow and talk to his cousins over the web cam. He has had a blast.
Ryan has been sick and trying to rest. He has a lot of congestion and a bad cough. I had a low grade fever yesterday. I don't know how we get sick. We never go anywhere other than church and work. blah

A good Day!

I had an OB appointment today. I was looking forward to it because I had many questions regarding her being breach and all the constant contractions. He was going to check if I was dialating, but I quickly nipped that one in the bud....I can wait. But he, after checking the heartbeat and measuring, thought that she had turned. He was going to get the ultra sound machine for me, but I had just scheduled a 3D ultra sound for just after so figured I would know in a minute.

Now, 3d ultra sounds are expensive and elective and not necessary. But Ryan mentioned that he really wanted to do it this go around because we did it with Parker James. And the only reason we did it with Parker James is because my doctor only did 9 weeks ultra sounds not 20 weeks. And we wanted to know the gender. So anywho...last week we looked into 3D ultra sounds....but they were way too much money. But as I was at the Doc, I saw a flyer that the Doctor's office does it for only 80 bucks and you get pics and dvd with it. SOLD! However...i didn't have my cell phone on me and Ryan was so busy at work I knew he couldn't come on the fly. I asked about it and they had an opening right then and there so I made the decision and did it on my own. I had my check up and then went straight to do the ultra sound.

At first, she wasn't cooperating....just like her brother.....her legs were both straight up in the air and hiding her face. But.....good news.....SHE WAS HEAD DOWN! No more panic attacks about the idea of having to turn her....because everyone I've told tells me it's horribly painful and it has scared me to pieces. Now I can rest easy about this...unless she decides to get crazy and move again. We'll just hope she doesn't. But it does explain last weekend and the horrible painful cramps and contractions that had me in bed for two days:)

So...after a 16 minute session with the ultra sound tech, we got some great pics and a great dvd. she finally moved her leg and put her little arm up under the side of her face. Which is exactly the pose we have of Parker. She's also a chub a lub. Dr. Allen says she is going to be a big baby....close to 8 pounds just like Parker was. She is close to 4 pounds right now. she has the chubbiest cheeks....i cried and cried in the chair during the session. It was so neat to see her and see her perfect little lips and big cheeks and nose and eyes....it became very real for me and hit me like a brick that this miracle really is happening and my dreams have come true and she will be here in 2 short months....possibly sooner.

A Good Thanksgiving

Turkey day and weekend was great and relaxing. I had my ups and downs with being 7 months pregnant, but I got through it. I see the Doc this Thursday, so hopefully he can tell me why I am contracting so much and having so many cramps and severe pain. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that she is breach...I don't know....but it's a little scary. If I try to do the least little thing...it sends me doubled over with tightness and pain and ...well..I'm just looking forward to my appointment this week.

Other than that, we had a great meal. We had great entertainment from Parker James. He decided to put on a little variety show for us Thanksgiving night. I needed to present him and then he would come out and dance and sing and tell jokes. I got a few fun video clips of him...but I'll just share one....since it's probably only a video parents can love and adore and smile at because we think he is the funniest cutest boy ever! :)

I worked really hard the week of Thanksgiving getting ready for the new couches to come and to finish Penny's room. So I washed windows and painted some letters to hang her name on her wall. Parker was helping me paint the letters and doing pretty well, but it was getting everywhere and I wasn't using kid friendly paint, so he had to get down from the table....and he was needless to say....mad as a hornet about it. He spent time in his room crying. I felt bad, but I'm the mom and that was my decision....well he came out of his room after a while of crying and ranting words I couldn't understand due to the crying. He approached me and said, "mommy, I have something to say. You are mean, and you are fired." Biting my lip as hard as I could to stop the laughter.....because his eyes and face were so serious......I told him I was sorry and we hugged it out. But I chuckled after.

So Ryan finished the room as of last night. Although I am still waiting on one more valance for the window and that will go up and it will be complete complete. A few more toys and bottles need to be washed and we are set for this baby. I know that after Christmas, I will not be able to do lots of things on my feet, so it is important for me to get the leg work done in prepping for her before Christmas, and I can focus on it and enjoying it. And I'm completing that goal...by the end of this week.
Christmas shopping is done. I just have a couple of art projects to finish up. I only need to do one trip to the post office...well...maybe 2 trips....the cards may need more than just one stamp. Christmas cards are almost done. Now I just need to muster up some energy to get the tree and decor up. We had a small crisis with our outside house lights...part of a strand was out on the highest peak. Ryan wasn't about to get on the roof...it's all good...he has a horrible fear of heights....luckily his dad doesn't have the same fear and he dropped by and crisis was handled.
Thanksgiving was great this year. We have so much to be thankful for. This baby girl is bringing us so much joy. There is a long list of things on our list to be thankful for and we know that God's hands are in all things.
Here's to a great Holiday Season and a very happy New Year!

Happy Birthday to Amy!

I know....a shameless plug about myself. Today I turn 33 years old. It has been a good birthday so far. My mom made a wonderful dinner for me last night and I had my nephew and his girlfriend with us. My mom gave me a snowman nutcracker and gave me some money and a nice card. Today has been great. We went to the hospital for an ultra sound and got a great profile shot of Penny. Check out her lips. Sticking out for days. So the technician wrote "kisses" on the screen. But I do truly hope she grows into those lips....gad.

She now weighs 3 lbs and around 2 oz. So her measurements and weight are at about the 50 percentile. The doctor said she is growing perfectly. I am doing well too...all my blood work and glucose test and such look great. She is breach right now, but they figure she'll move. I hope so anyway. I'm not worried about it yet. I still have about 6 weeks before I need to start freaking out about it.

This is me in the 2nd grade. I had tons of gums showing....geez. Oh but those glorious days of being cute as a button.

So Ryan has been working hard putting up the moulding around Penny's room. Parker loves to get his tool box out and help too. although it didn't last long. The project wasn't going along fast enough and now Parker is perched in my chair watching Sesame Street.

After the moulding goes up, we will work on the wallpaper border. My father-in-law found this awesome dresser on the side of the road that said it was free. He repainted it, and it looks awesome and fits perfectly on the wall I intended it for. It even has some pink on the handles. I'm excited. They brought it down to us last night, so as soon as decorating is complete, I can get her little itty bitty clothes put away and we are very close to being all ready. I still have a bin of bottles, binkys, toys, bibs and such to clean up and get ready. I don't have an inch of space for bottles....so I have to figure that out. I need to freecycle some of my drinking vessels to make room.Later we are going to watch the 2 hour 24 show we recorded last night and have french toast for dinner. It's what I want to do. Ryan is going to take me out on the town this weekend when the movie I want to see comes out. Ryan also gave me a nice present by singing a duet with me in church yesterday. It has always been a dream of mine to be able to sing with my husband. It was his first time. I was so proud of him. We messed up tons, but nobody noticed. I was struggling getting a good breathe for nerves and this baby rumbling in my tummy. I was proud of us regardless. It's not easy to get up in front of people and sing like that. Ryan worked very hard on the song and he did really well. It was a wonderful gift for me.Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. Have safe travels and good food.

A Very Busy Weekend....but the best weekend

So we had a busy weekend and I'm so exhausted today...I don't know what's up or down. Yet it was such a good weekend.

Friday was spent cleaning. I was able to do a little, but Ryan did most. A lot of people think I have a clean house....so does Ryan....but it's amazing when you really dig down to clean the amount of dirt you find. My vacuum is the worst at showing me just how dirty my carpets are. But Ryan insists that it is mostly carpet fibers I'm seeing. My point is, it was nice having a clean house for a few days.

Saturday morning was last minute cleaning and welcoming visitors that could not make it to the baby shower but had gifts to bring. It was so nice of everyone to bring gifts even though they couldn't make the party. It was good to visit with them. And I like presents...so it was an added bonus.:)

M and J (M is the one who put the whole party together) came down early and we had lunch. Then we set up and prepared food and drinks. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to properly and sufficiently thank M for the baby shower and all the work she put into it. I hope she will always know how much I love and appreciate her for this party and for her friendship. she is only 7 weeks behind me in her pregnancy and I know that being on her feet all day was no easy task.

The food and drink were awesome....and M....I have had so many compliments about everything.

So we ate and opened gifts and visited and it was a lot of fun. I got some great stuff. Diapers, outfits, hair bows, head bands, socks, toys, blankets. Everything I need! Thank you to all who came and for M. I love you all and thank you for your excitement for this baby girl.
She is such a miracle and deserves this celebration and we are awaiting with excitement for her arrival. Just 11 weeks to go.

This diaper cake was made by M. It has everything...tons of diapers, soap, lotion, binkys, hair bows, binky clip (score) toys, towels, cloths...probably more....it is absolutely beautiful and amazing. Thanks again M!!!

Me and my loot! Look at all the stuff. Me and Penny are so very loved!

Ryan got to join in the fun and received a gift from my mom ....a pink BYU onesie. He was very excited.

Everything opened up and ready for Penny Ray. I just loved everything I recieved and everything will be well used and is so very appreciated. Thank you!

And then we got a call from someone interested in the couches. The sister came by to check them out and then they all came later that night to check them out and wrote us a check and hauled them off! What a load off my mind.....because we bought the new ones already. so we are two weeks without couches....but no matter. I will finally have comfortable couches that support my aching troubled back. YAHOO! We had to go way down on the price to get rid of them, but we did and all is well. Although, Ryan wants to have a BYU/UTAH game party here Saturday and well....we have no couches. People will just have to bring their own camp chairs.

Sunday morning came way too early. We got up to head to choir practice. That was great. We love choir practice. Then it was off to the hospital for my glucose test. I drank the nasty stuff which burned my throat all the way down. We sat there for a solid hour and then I had the blood drawn. OUCH! The only way to find a vein for me is through my hand. And the lady went in very very very very slowly which meant ouchie ouchie ouchie. Blah. So we hurried home. I fell asleep and then we headed for church. After church, we rehearsed our duet that we are singing next week and then headed straight for Ryan's parents house for a birthday/Thanksgiving Dinner. The birthday dinner was for me!!! Next Monday...write it down...memorize it. By the time we got home, poor Ryan was so tired. I was too, but I had a little nap so I wasn't as down trodden as Ryan.

Today I had to go back to the hospital for my Rogham shot since I am negative blood....because just having this child isn't an obstacle in itself or having lupus while pregnant...I have to add more obstacles and minor bumps too. It was no big deal. Other than having to drive to Provo and deal with it...I didn't feel a thing. I think the nerves in my hips are so damaged from all the Invitro injections...I just don't have any feeling left there anymore. I felt nothing. I ran some errands. I can't find sheer material for a descent price or lady bug patches to do some more curtain work that I want to do. Blah. Got some groceries and now I'm down for the night. My tailbone is sore...back and legs are sore. And I'm ready for a hot bath and bed.

The Boot To BYU

So all of you die hard fans of BYU...close your ears....cuz I have issues.
Ryan saw online that Tuesday night was the BYU Marching Band end of year concert. There was nothing on the website regarding age or price. Ryan figured it was free. He had his heart set on taking Parker to this concert....to share a piece of his history with his son. Ryan was a tuba player for the BYU Marching Band for 4 years...maybe 5. Besides, Parker loves Marching Bands and all instruments. He loves drums, tubas, trombones....anything really. So Ryan thought this was going to be a super fun outing.
Well, I felt left out and I wanted to go too so we drove to Provo and found parking and on in the HFAC we went. Parker was so excited. He could see the shape of the Y on the mountain since it was dark....he said all he could see was the shape. He pretended to play a trombone all the way down 900 East approaching campus. We go into the building and saw that it was $6.00 a piece. Well....that is quite a bit....but look at the magic in Parker's eyes....we couldn't say no. He was so excited to be at "BIU" and so excited to see all the instruments. And in his little mind....he thought he was going to a football game to see the band.. We waited in a very long line to get tickets. The concert was starting in just minutes. Ryan finally got to the ticket window. "Well sir, you have to be 6 years old or above to get in." HELLO! Ryan was angry. He wanted to talk to the supervisor but she was at another window and couldn't come. The teller said to go ask the usher but then he would have lost his place in line and made tons of people wait and ....blah. It's a marching band concert....not the Philharmonic. He motioned to me and told me what was up and I just said...they don't need our money and we headed for the door. So we took Parker by the hand and we were going down some hallways to find the best door with the least amount of stairs for me....and Parker says...."This sure is a long way to walk to see the tubas." Ryan and I looked at eachother in horror. I didn't want to tell him. So Ryan explained that we couldn't see the tubas because he was too little so we were going to go home. He cried. He was so upset. I was crying by the time i got to the car. I've never seen my littly boy so heart broken.
Ryan and I were trying everything to help him feel better. So we are driving back on 900 East heading home and we hear these whimpering quotes...."You guys just leave me home and go without me." "I don't want to go to BYU anymore and be a cougar." "I just want to paint the Y away." I don't like football or tubas anymore." all of these quotes breaking our hearts one by one. Ryan getting distraught by the thought of Parker not liking his BYU Cougars. So I said to Parker, "I bet the University of Utah will let us in their marching band concert." To which Parker replied, "Yeah, i just want to be a Ute." For those of you who don't know....The Utah Utes are BYU's biggest rival and my dad's alma mater.
That was very distressing for Ryan to hear coming from his only son. Yet, Ryan understood. Ryan, too was very upset by the whole thing. It was a loud marching band concert that promoted yelling and screaming and clapping and cheering. What was Parker going to hurt? And if the rules apply to each concert in that building, then specify those rules clearly on your website where you sell tickets and advertise.
I had luckily recorded Americas Funniest Home Videos...one of Parker's favorite shows. So we went home and watched that with him and it cheered his soul.
On the way home in the car...we were almost home at this point, I asked, "Are you still sad Parker James?" He said yes and asked me right back are you still sad mommy? I said yes. So he said, let's just be sad all the day.

This morning he came to wake me up. I told him I wanted to sleep for 10 more minutes. He agreed that that was a good idea. so he counted to 10 and said ok time to get up. I explained to him that for each minute, we need to count to 60. Each counting of 60 equals 1 minute. I figured this concept was too much for him, but I thought I would give it a go. So he thinks about it and then I hear him say, "Sixty, sixty, sixty..." repeated 10 times. Ok mommy I counted 60 ten times. He had me there!!! So I was up.

Article on LA Temple Riots

http://www.ldsmag.com/ideas/081110hate.html

This isn't a super long article, but it is wonderfully written by an LDS Police Officer in Los Angeles. Please read it!
This is in regards to the LA Temple Riots.

Stuff

Parker had his first field trip today at Preschool. I volunteered to go and help....since I got nothing else going on. and I'm so glad that I did. I had tons of fun hanging out with my friend...the other mom helping out....and watching the kids have a blast....and the simple thing making life so grand for them.....leaves.

I'm a dope however and forgot ....well decided not to bring my camera. huge mistake. So...hopefully it's ok....I'm using a couple of shots from my friends blog to add to my post.

Parker showing off the huge leaf he found.

All the kids pretending to be squirrels on a peanut hunt



All the kids worked hard raking leaves and putting all the leaves
in a big bucket. Then they would all count to 3 and the teacher
would dump the leaves on the kids. You can see my child running for
dear life.
It was a fun morning. I'm so glad I went. My first field trip as a mom, so that was fun.
My depression is coming back a bit. All I want to do is sleep and be sad and gloomy. I got a call from the patient representative from Maternal Fetal Medicine today and it was so nice to talk to her about everything and she said that it was very normal in the last trimaster for many woman and to just keep an eye on it. Which I am. I'm just not happy with anything these days and I'm not excited about things like I should be. I just want to stay in my house and have Ryan run all the errands and do all the work. And for crying out loud....I'm hoping that is hormones and not just plain laziness. I have been missing PA this past week terribly. I don't regret moving from there, but oh how I miss it and the people and the friends and the warmth and love it showed me. I'm sure it's all the hormones.
It was nice to talk to that lady though. She made me feel normal and helped me not feel so guilty for how awful I have felt and tired and lazy and sick. She was very, very sweet and something I needed today.
My baby shower is coming up Saturday. I'm looking forward to it. I have a lot of people that care about me and I'm sure it will cheer me up greatly to be with friends and family and celebrate this baby girl coming into our lives.

12 weeks to go and all is well

Well....I have a sinus infection. But yesterday, the Doc gave me some antibiotic and I should be back to my old self in a couple of days. I already feel a little better and I'm sleeping better. The baby is fine. The heartbeat sounded great. I am starting to feel the Braxton Hicks Contractions. Doc said that was normal for that to start now. She is still very active and doesn't sleep much. Parker was like that towards the end. She does sleep at night or is at least non-active, so maybe that is a good sign that she will come out on a pretty good schedule. I can dream. The Doc also said that I have only gained 9 pounds since my first visit....so that is cool. I didn't want to gain more than baby weight this go around. I gained 30 + with Parker. I had such an appetite with him. I ate everything in sight. But with Penny, everything tastes gross to me and I can only eat little bits at a time. So that is a positive thing for me. I certainly didn't need to gain any more weight than necessary and maybe this will be good motivation after Penny comes that i can do something about all the other extra weight I've been carrying around the last few years.
I don't have another ultra sound until November 24th.
We are still trying to sell our couches. It is very depressing. Everyone just wants us to give them away and not pay any money, but we just can't do that. BLAH!
Parker is still just plugging away with Preschool. He loves it. He is starting to do better with reading his numbers. He has his letters down....but we haven't worked that much with numbers, so we have been doing dot to dots and he is picking it up really well. Not that I care at this point how much he can recognize. He just loves to learn the stuff. Ryan was even reading him a book yesterday about telling time, and he was figuring out the basics really well.
My mom, ryan, and I made home made donuts last night. Yum yum. They are pretty easy to do and they tasted so yummy this morning all warmed up and covered in glaze.
Ryan got tickets to the BYU Game today. He was going to go with his boss, but the boss got better tickets, so he is going with his dad. So we invited his dad down for donuts, bacon and eggs and they are right now busy painting Penny's room. Ryan's dad is excellent at painting. He can do edges without tape or any guide...it's crazy. Parker also helped a little bit with the painting. He wants to help and be involved so badly. He even went through his stuffed animals this morning and picked out a bunny he could give to Penny, so Bunny is in Penny's crib waiting for her. He is a sweet big brother already. i'm sure that may change once she cries and poops. He'll be done with her.
Here are my boys hard at work.

Don't worry ladies, I held my breathe while taking the pic. They are keeping the door closed and I am not smelling any fumes. Ryan's dad said that you can stir a little vanilla extract in your paint and it takes the smell of fumes away and leaves you with a lovely vanilla smell.

We don't have much going on right now. Just trying to get rid of a bad cold or sinus infection and planning and prepping for baby girl to come. A very dear friend is throwing me a baby shower next Saturday, so that will be fun. I am very excited about it. I had 3 showers for Parker. I had two here in Utah and one in Pennsylvania.
It means a lot to me to have this shower and for this friend "M" to care so much about me to help make this baby such a special thing. Because to our little family, this is a special moment. I know that all births of babies are miracles and special....but with our circumstance...it take sit up a knotch for us and I like having that attention of something remarkable happening....so Thank you "M". I can't wait for Saturday. My birthday is coming up too. I love birthdays. I love the month of November. I love the colors of the trees and the crisp in the air. I love the smell of pumpkin goodness baking in the oven. I LOVE NOVEMBER!

Halloween Day at Preschool

Parker's Preschool Class all dressed up and having fun!

I don't know how long this will take to load, but you have to watch the whole thing because right at the end he falls...and he tries to get up, he gets caught and the way he falls with flippers out and right on his face....it's dang funny. If you listen closely, you can hear him chanting "march, march, march."


All the kids were so cute and had such huge smiles on their faces. It makes me want to be 4 years old again when things were so much fun and so exciting.

Then they played "Witches Witches Ghost" AKA "Duck Duck Goose" Here is a shot of Parker getting chosen as the ghost. It was so funny to watch him run and to watch him try to sit down in this costume. I can't even believe it is Halloween tomorrow. I don't feel ready. I'm usally more prepared. aaahhh....I so want to trick or treat with Parker, yet somebody needs to be here to pass out candy and I want to see all the kids in their costumes. Blah.

I do love Halloween. It's so fun to see the kids having so much fun and the tons of smiles. It's fun also to see the whole neighborhood out and visit with friends. I haven't even put my cemetary out yet. My mom and I are going to work on that this afternoon. I just keep thinking it is the beginning of October...not the end. Time is flying by. We are so not ready for Christmas. Yikes! But I do love the whole Holiday Season and it will help me pass the time waiting for Penny Ray to come.
Happy and Safe Halloween Every One!!! Please everyone....take pics of your kids and yourselves in your costumes and post them....I can't wait to see.

Back on Steroids Again!

The title should be sung to the tune, "Back in the Saddle Again...." So I saw my Rhuemotologist today....aka Lupus doctor.
They were all extremely thrilled that I am with child, but thought it best to get back on Prednisone for the miserable pain I have been in. The pain in my right knee is now keeping me awake at night, so....yeah.
Prednisone is completely safe to take....my OB Fetal Med Doc just need to know so that when I am in labor they can continue the steroid treatment for reasons I'm not sure, but I will know by the end of next week....since that is when I see my OB next. I don't see the Fetal Med Doc until my birthday.
I'm pretty much over my cold....just your basic sniff and fatigue after math. So...very grateful that it didn't develop into something worse and grateful for my family who took care of me and got me well again. So being on the Prednisone and Plaquenil...I should be feeling better by the weekend. Fingers crossed. I'm just really looking for some sleep. The pain is annoying, but it is the stiffness and grave fatigue that make me want to stay in bed at all times and poor Parker just gets hungry and thirsty...the darn kid.:)
Parker saw our neighbor's new baby today. He was very excited about it and told him that it is only 3 months until our baby comes. He said he is excited, but he doesn't want any crying and he is not dealing with any poop. That's what he declared to me. He said, I'll get her her bottle and sing to her, but I'm not dealing with her poop.....that is your job. Oh he's going to be great with her!
So Ryan and I voted last night. It's awesome to vote early and I recommend it to everyone. In this town, you can go to the Armory. It is on Main Street past the freeway and down a bit. You can't miss it. It's on the left. hours are 2:00 - 7:00 on weeknights. We only waited 30 minutes. So now that is done and over with.
I had an email and saw on the news about protesters and rioters at the Oakland, CA LDS Temple last week. It sure breaks my heart that those things happen. So, the Church might have some moral issues regarding prop 8, but there aren't people at their homes or places of worship with evil signs and screaming obsenities at them. BLAH BLAH BLAH. My friends mom was there and she said it was awful and very scary. Lots of people were crying and too overwhelmed to even go in and do a session. It's not like our Church isn't used to persecution because of what we believe and our standard of living, but if you have never experienced first hand, it really is scary and it's hard not to have it affect you personally.
I remember as a Freshman at Ricks College, a few of my roommates and I drove down to Salt Lake City during the October General Conference. We were on temple square....none of us were from Utah, so it was a pretty big deal to us being there and feeling the Spirit and such. Well, we didn't have tickets to get in the Tabernacle for starters, but we had faith and we approached the square. Walking the full block of the square to get to the gate to enter, there was nothing but picket signs and people screaming in our faces....horrible things. Now, we were 17 - 18 years old. We were alone...no grown-ups. No males with us. None of us had experienced this kind of hatred and demeanor before. They were screaming at us that we were going to Hell and asking us to show them our horns. We were all in tears by the time we got into the gates. It shook us up really bad. Now I'm all for freedom of Speech and all, but I fail to see the evil that is my Religion. I obey the law. I don't smoke, drink or do drugs. I sincerely try to be nice to others, but ....it slips away from me from time to time. I keep a clean house and yard, and contrary to some belief, there is only one wife to my household and that is wife enough....Ryan will attest.
I believe that families are forever. How is that evil? None of the things in which I've listed holds negative to any culture or society, yet we have horns and we're going to hell? SERIOUSLY!
If you don't like the LDS Religion, then by all means don't become one. But don't scream in the faces of innocent people and hold up your signs of evilness. And then claim that we aren't Christians. HELLO! This election has stressed me out to the max actually. If you don't like McCain or Palin, then simply vote for somebody else. But for the love of all that is right with the world....does it help to put him and her down constantly? I can't even watch TV these days because it makes me so angry.
Well...ok....certainly didn't mean to create my own little soap box this afternoon. Just had some stuff eating at me. It really bothered me about the Oakland Temple. It's a special place to my heart and the patrons that go there deserve to do so in peace.

I['m sick of it all

well....I'm just sick. It all started Thursday morning. I woke up feeling weird. Mind you, it had nothing to do with my sinuses, it was my stomach. I was dizzy and I felt horrible tightness in my tummy....maybe she (Penny) was in the middle of a spinning class or something. So I just felt very off and as the day progressed, I was incredibly fatigued and the tightness was so bad, I couldn't really move or get up from my chair. It got to the point that I had to call Ryan home from work...only about 1/2 hour early...not a huge deal. Parker, of course, stepped up to the plate. He takes good care of his mommy. I was so hungry and my blood sugar had dropped considerably. He went to find me a snack and came back with fruit chewies...which is all he could reach. He brought them to me with such pride and love in his heart. He really loves to be my super hero and take care of my needs....which are many these days.
By Friday morning, my nose and head clogged up like nothing else. I thought....well....it is just the change of season and my sinuses do this...no big deal. I ended up having to call Ryan home again. My parents were going to take us to dinner with them and I had to cancel that....you know I'm sick if I pass up a free meal at Olive Garden.:) My biggest concern was that this would develop into a trachea infection that I am prone to getting. It's a horrible experience and lasts forever and being 6 months pregnant...I wasn't happy about the prospect. So out came the humidifyer to try and keep my trachea moist and nip this in the bud. Saturday morning was the worst. Ryan went golfing, so he was in trouble....not for golfing, but for the way he approached wanting to go golfing and leaving me with a big load that morning very sick. anywho...I had to go to the church because Parker was at a practice for a program. I sat there the whole time miserable with stuffiness and blowing nose and feeling like death. I kept my hands sanitized every time I blew my nose, so hopefully I didn't spread it. But I had no choice....hence...the golfing. By the time I got home from that, I was pretty spent. Luckily my dad was around and he came and got Parker and I fed. By then Ryan was home and all was well.
I just kept getting worse and a fever broke out of 100 degrees. Tylenol has kept that at bay, but I missed Parker's program on Sunday at church....and this was his first one. Luckily i did see the rehearsals and I was proud as proud of him. For being 4 years old, he sat pretty well for the 45 minute program. Sources say he looked bored out of his mind, but he sat quietly. He loves to sing the songs and he knew his part very well. It broke my heart to miss it. Ryan got me some Musinex, because at this point, I was still scared that it was going to reach my trachea and become a huge problem. So I've been on that for two days, plus tylenol, plus sudafed....all which Ryan researched and are safe for me to take this late in the pregnancy. I've had some good sleep on Saturday night, but last night was bad again. I'm not sleeping for a combination of many reasons....not all about being sick.....but some good sleep would sure feel good. blah
So ryan had to stay home from work today. I'm still not able to take care of myself or Parker. Luckily though his project at work is building a database program for Division....so his at the office duties are minimal. So he was able to sit at the table with his computer and work while keeping me and Parker fed and watered.
Parker has been remarkable. He has acted at times a bit frustrated that I'm so sick and weak, but for the most part, he has taken good care of me. I've received 3 get well pictures and cards from him just today. He has also started to do something very sweet........now Ryan is not a cassinova romantic.....I know he loves me more than anything....there is no question. But he is not romantic. However, Parker has started to come to me whether I'm in my chair or my bed and he grabs my hand and bends down and kisses the top of my hand and says....."I love you mommy." Little romantic bugger. It melts my heart. He will still hug and cuddle with me, but it is getting less often, so now he does this kiss the hand thing. I LOVE IT! He has spent the day keeping my feet covered too so that I don't get cold. He's a good egg.
So it isn't developing into my trachea as of today. But I do still very clogged and fatigued. And this is such a big week it being Halloween and all and blah blah blah. I want to feel better. Parker has school tomorrow. Ryan said he would stay home again, but darn. I hate that I'm so needy right now.
So I found the couch of my dreams the other day at Ashley Furniture. I'm very picky about couches due to my back problems and short legs and big bum...it's a whole thing with me....but the couch has to be just right or I can't sit in it without huge amounts of pain. There are at least two gentlemen at RC Willey that hate me because I sat in every couch in the store and was not happy with any of them. They get very frustrated. But, at Ashley.....I found the mother of all couches and I sat for 20 minutes with no pain. I was able to lie down without pain. Fabulicious!
so I posted my couch set on KSL.com and Craigs List....and I'm getting no bites. Well I got one scary bite and then one woman that wanted the set for nothing and we need to at least have some money to pay for the new couch. I know that economic times are bad right now, but I really want this new couch.....to be able to come in from outside and my back is throbbing and to be able to sit and have the pain subside instead of getting worse from my bad chairs and couches. Now the couches aren't bad....they are just not "Amy fabulicious."
My L5 Facet issue in my lower back has my Physical therapist stumped. There is nothing on an X-ray or MRI that shows anything wrong with the anatomy, however, if I lay flat on my back without moving for more than 3-5 minutes, that L5 sticks and I can hardly move. The facet is the space you have between bones in your spine. It is crucial to have that space....well.....I don't have much space in the L5 therefore causing great pain and it happens to be right at the bottom of the spine and part of the hip to where when it catches....there is no moving my body. Yadda yadda yadda.....I need just the right couch and it is in SLC as we speak and I have to wait to sell this existing set before we buy it. (finger tips drumming on my desk ...waiting)
Other than all this negative ranting and venting, life is great. The pregnancy is healthy. she is still a mover and a shaker. I will be 27 weeks on Wednesday. ryan and Parker are great.
Parker and I have had so much fun going through his old bins finding baby toys, bottles, bibs, blankets, clothes that will be fit for a girl. He loves being involved with it and has already developed such a great love for this baby girl. Every picture of me he draws has a little tiny person drawn near the tummy. He has been very supportive and loving and patient since the day we started this procedure to get her back in February. Mommy has not felt good since those days and he has been great about it. I'm so very lucky to have him and to have Ryan who is so willing to do laundry and cook and scrub and let me just sit and relax and not worry about every day things.
I want very much to take my Parker James trick or treating on Friday, so fingers crossed that I will feel better by then.

Parker James

I finally got around to getting Parker's pictures done. They turned out great! They always do. He loves posing and getting all this attention. The photographer just loved him. I'm just excited to have a big portrait of him that is updated. It has been 2 years since I took him to get his pics done professionally. I got these done at Target. I really liked them. They were nice and quick and they turned out exactly like I wanted them to.

I'm not sure how we got such a handsome boy....other than he looks exactly like my brother Ed....and he's certainly the best looking in my family. :)

The Cooler weather is here YEE HAW

So I've noticed so many blogs that are so saddened that Summer is gone. I am so excited that it is gone. And I'll tell you why.....
1. It's easier to warm up than cool down
2. Not a fan of sweat
3. Electricity is more expensive than Gas. I run my heater far less in the Winter than I run my air conditioning in the Summer....therefore.....the City bill is easier on the pocket book
4. no weeds to pull and plants to water and lawn to mow.
5. have you noticed how expensive it is to water your grass and keep it looking somewhat green? Highly expensive. Looking forward to that extra 60 bucks.
6. Not a fan of the bright sun....it's a Lupus thing.
7. Have you ever gotten a good whiff of a sweaty hot 4 year old that has been playing outside all day? YIKES
8. I'm a big fan of snuggling in blankets.
9. I'm a fan of slippers.
10. I'm a big fan of being a home body
11. Less gas used in my car because there is less light during the day and cold and snow on the ground keeps you more at home.
So....to sum up....it's cheaper to have colder weather and there is less sweat and stink. Huge fan of all of those things.
Sure the flowers are pretty and the gardens are fun and playing outside for the kids is a blast. Oh but Fall brings beautiful colors and your harvest from the hard work of the garden and cooler temperatures.....love, love, love, love it.
any guesses on what my favorite season is? hee hee....oh excuse me lol. I'm still getting used to the computer lingo.
The weekend was great. It was cold outside....quiet....no yard work to do. So I put Ryan to work at cleaning out closets. Needed to be done in a bad way since the closet that is now considered Penny's was ....well....our storage and junk closet. And my linen closet was a big of a disaster too, so we got to work and it wasn't that bad. We got rid of some garbage and I freecycled some stuff and now all is well and that closet is ready. It still has some stored stuff, but I have room to hang Penny's clothes and have a few toys stored in there until she's ready.
I went through 3 bins of Parker's baby things to sort out what I can use and what I can't for Penny Ray. 3 bins and I already have a laundry basket full of stuff....toys, hats, bibs, blankets, clothes. The other things I sorted into bins by age and appropriate season in hopes to sell or let people borrow. Still not sure yet if we will need it.....can't decide just yet if those frozen embryos in Idaho are going to be used. Probably not the best time to ask me when i'm pregnant and feel huge and I'm just going to get bigger and crankier....gotta wait until I forget how hard this pregnancy has been.
Anywho....dumb tangent....
We are doing well at saving money in our "Decorate Penny's Room Jar."
We have really been focusing on getting ourselves some food storage and putting together a 72 hour kit. Never been interested in doing something like that, but this Economic Crises has me scared to death. Mortgage payments keep going up every year and 2 Invitro cycles in one year....we are nervous. So....every month we are bit by bit going to build those things up and see if we can at least have a month's worth of food and water at all times in our pantry. And have a 72 hour kit in our garage ready to go. Should have done it years ago, but just had than mentality of....oh it won't happen and we will be fine. Walmart is always open as well as IHOP. All is well. Well...it isn't and we are working on it.
Both Doctor and Hospital appointments went well this week. Penny Ray weighs 1 .5 pounds. Everything measures exactly what it should be which is good. Lupus patients ...it is common for the baby to be smaller than usual, but not my girl. All is well...heartbeat is good.....spine and neck look great. My mom got to go with me this morning. It was neat, because I didn't get to share with her any of my pregnancy with Parker since we lived across the Country. And she has never really been to a live Ultra Sound. So it was fun for her to see all her parts and make out her profile and such. It was a bummer that she was positioned weird, so it was hard to see and we didn't see all of her. Got a good bum shot though and it is still 100% girl.
I go again on my birthday, so that will be a nice treat.
So to all you Summer fans.....sorry for your loss. But I'm in my element of happiness now....as far as the weather and I couldn't be happier to say goodbye to the hot nasty weather and weeds and high utility bills.
Below is a pic of Parker James in his new coat that he got for his birthday and his new boots he got.....just becuase....he needed boots. Ryan finds this pic funny because when you look at my childhood pictures...this is the exact pose i do for every picture. Now Parker does it. I can't get him to stand up straight and give me a normal smile.

Fall Harvest and The Fun of it All

So my mom planted some carrots in her garden. And I'm thinking our Utah dirt is a bit hard. :)
The only thing I got from my garden I planted this year was pumpkins and a tiny bit of basil. It only lasted me one meal. But my pumpkins are great. I first got these two big beautiful pumpkins. My mom and I chopped one up and I cooked it and pureed it into baggies and froze some for my fall baking projects. And the other pumpkin was used for a Parker painting project. He has been begging me to paint and decorate his pumpkin so we did that this morning. He did very well and didn't even make a mess.

He wanted to do a Mickey face and a Parker face. So that is his pumpkin art.

Hopefully we can do some more work and have a better harvest with more variety of veggies next season. But it was sure fun to make my own pureed pumpkin from my own garden. I didn't save any money doing it, but I created it and planted it and grew it and cooked it and can make yummy desserts for my family with it. Parker and I have a date this week to make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. He won't eat them, but he'll love helping me make them.

I have four other pumpkins in my patch that will be done very soon. It will be a fun Fall season with our very own home grown pumpkins...that saved us no money at all...but it was a fun family project. Parker loved watering the pumpkins and checking on them all Summer. If a lesson was learned...then that is what is important...I guess.

Happy Fall Everyone!

Parker goes to the Doctor

I hate coming up with titles...I never know what to say.
Anywho...Parker had a doctor's appointment last week. It went very well until the nurse had to come in to do the shots. He was brave and got on the table , but the screaming was loud and horrifying to me the mom once the shots began. He had the worst red spot and bump on his leg that is still there a little bit.
He is 37 1/4 inches tall and 33 lbs 4 oz. ....to which his doctor described as a shorty....a heavy shorty.
He is still 15th precentile in height and only 25th percentile in weight. I can barely pick the boy up....I think he's pretty heavy, but the doctor said that is because he is so short....which is funny coming from Dr. Paxton....he's short.! Which I almost said, but refrained.
But he exheeds every other milestone as far as his vocabulary and sentences and such. I'm short and it has faired me pretty well, so we are good. The doc says that within the next year or two he might spurt.
We have just done a lot of hanging out at the house or playing with friends. I've been too tired to do much else. My body is really feeling a lot of pain lately and I can't decide whether it is the pregnancy or the Lupus. Probably a bit of both, but still hard since I just want to stay in bed. I haven't been good about taking my meds either, so that is my fault.
We had a good weekend watching General Conference and getting some cleaning done. Parker, being 4 doesn't really get into Conference, but he does enjoy the music. On Saturday there was a choir made up of primary children and he didn't miss one second of them singing. I would go in the kitchen to do a few things while they sang and I would hear things like, "wow....you guys sing so great." "Oh you boys are doing such a great job." I guess to him the girls didn't count, but he was funny at how he talked to them through the tv.
I just thought all the close up shots of the little boys were hilrious....some of them frowning and with their hands in their pockets like being there was the worst thing ever. It made me smile. And then one kid with his hands in pockets had a boy next to him drilling him with his gestures and eyes to look alive and get his hands out so his hands popped out of his pockets....oh I laughed. And the boy....who you know all the kids were told...if you see a camera....act natural and keep your eyes on the conductor. He totally froze and stopped singing and his eyes slowly moved toward the camera and you could tell he was trying not to laugh. I loved it. That was good television. Oh ...we enjoyed all the talks as well. It was a nice weekend. And I loved the rain and the cooler weather....so awesome! I'm a big fan of cooler weather.
Last week Parker had done his thing in the bathroom. As I was cleaning him up, he had to comment on "it" ....what is it with boys, huh? anywho he was saying things like, "Man, that was a big baby." And when he finally got a chance to inspect it....which he loves to do...again...boys...yuck.....he said, "That is a beauty." I have an odd child, but he makes me laugh really hard.
When we were in Colorado Springs, we went to lunch at an Olive Garden. He had spaghetti. He was getting frustrated at the noodles because they would drop to the table and he couldn't pick them up....so he declared...pretty loudly...and with Parker dramatic flare, "Damn you noodles!" It's hard to be mad when I'm laughing so hard I have tears.
My doctor's appointments are this week....Thursday and next Monday. I am excited to see her again and see how much she has grown....because I have felt that she is getting bigger...my tailbone can confirm.....so can the stretch marks. :) Which.....not complaining...it's all part of the experience and I love it. I don't take one day for granted. I'm enjoying it and look forward to the next 4 months.

Rocky Mountain High

So we went out of town for about 4 days. Dad and Ryan had a District Barbershop Competition/Convention. Now I'm kind of a fan of Barbershop because my dad has been involved in it ever since I can remember and he sings with my brothers. I was just nervous about bringing a four year old. And of course, he was bored and the only little kid there. Blah...I was stressed, but Ryan kept him out in the lobby the first night. Then we went to Ryan's and dad's concert/competition ...and then for the last show I stayed in the hotel with Parker. We rented a movie and just vegged. Not much else you can do in a hotel room. The swimming pool was closed due to a wedding.
There were 11 choruses that competed, and Ryan and dad's came in 6th. It made me mad, because I thought they did really really awesome. I thought for sure they would be 4th place. Oh well, they had fun and they always learn a lot from the judges. Another chorus from Salt Lake got third place and most improved...so it wasn't a horrible wash for the Utah chapters.
I wasn't able to get any pictures. There wasn't flash allowed and even though I turn my flash off....there is still a spotlight that comes on and I can't figure how to turn it off. And I would have gotten in trouble.
So I only have random pictures of Parker in downtown Colorado Springs at the Pikes Peak Events Center.

Parker was so very good on this trip. He has always been a great traveler, but he is put in the very very back of the car and he can't see anything and he just played or read electronic books or watched movies. And......he didn't have one accident! I was nervous about it....he's fresh out of the potty trained school for boys and being in the car all day with unscheduled stops and the fact that he refuses to potty in public restrooms...I figured pull-ups would be our friend. Well...we brought his potty seat with us and he did awesome. The whole weekend....not one in his pull up. And we told him could too....we told him the situation and that if he had to to go....I didn't want him holding it until he got sick. But he was a grown boy and responsible and only whined when he was tired which was twice and it lasted minutes and he would be asleep.
He behaved way better than I did. Pregnant...in an uncomfortable car for hours on end....blah.
So it is good to be home. I'm sure it will take me a week or so to recover from the early mornings and late nights and I did most of the driving because it was more comfortable for me. I'm beat.
Today is laundry and fully unpack and just sit in my chair and rest my back and tail bone.
I was proud of my husband and dad. They did a great job. They knew their notes and their dance moves. Ryan is really loving Barbershop and I'm glad....he needs a hobby. If we could afford it, I would join the Sweet Adelines (Girl version of Barbershop chorus) in Salt Lake. But it's a long drive and I'm a young mom of almost two and it cost money. Maybe when the kids grow up.
Props to my good friend Rebecca for taking care of my cats while I was gone. I was worried about them since I had to leave them outside because one cat gets defiant and angry when I leave and uses the house as a bathroom. The cats did great and they are very excited that we are home.
Parker ran around for 2 solid hours last night like a kid in a candy store...he was so happy to be out of the car and in his home.

We have a potty trained little Man....Finally

So...he has been just about potty trained as far as knowing what to do....yet I have had to constantly be on him about it or put him in a pull up to shop or go to bed.....even though he hasn't been wet in the mornings for over a year.
And there have been some intentional accidents that have thrown me into tantrums myself. But....he has been without pull-ups 24-7 since last Sunday. I have had to remind him, but he has not had one accident intentional or otherwise.
Well....the reason I feel he is fully potty trained is because today....just 20 minutes ago....this little man came to me while I was vacumming and said, "mommy, I have to go potty." Oh happy day in my heart and soul. Those words are just the epitome of happiness for me. I wasn't horribly happy in the fact that he was approaching 4 years old and not trained yet, but he did it and he just barely turned 4 and he has made a complete turn around from the beginning of the Summer. I think pre school has helped and I think the fact that Ryan has been gone so much and he has had the ..."you are the man of the house" talk a ton of times. Whatever it was....hearing him come to me instead of me hunting him down and telling him to go was music to my ears. He has grown up so much in just the last couple of months......even growing out of his clothes and shoes. It's amazing how the spurts can make such a difference. You can actually see his legs now when he wears shorts. And for the first time ever in his life, he is jumping off of the couch onto his little spider man couch as I type this. It is still a hesitant jump, but it's a jump. And as he jumps he says, "Watch out world, here I come."
I told him he is being so brave to jump.....and he says, "I know, and I really love it." Better late than never to discover the good times jumping off the couch can bring. ")
Do you think I have a chance at getting another subdued baby and toddler?

Parker's Clown School Party

Here are all the cute little clowns with "Clown Daddy" ....that is the name they called him. They made their own hats and they learned how to juggle. They played pin the nose on the clown and earned their noses. Then it was time for the popping balloon relay game. Clown Daddy decided to demonstrate how the game was to be played. All the kids watched with their hats and noses. He trotted across the room, and sat on the balloon to pop it. Well, it was a very huge pop and very loud and all the little clowns had their eyes bugging out. One cried. Parker said it was so loud, his nose fell off, and the rest of them came slowly towards me with looks of horror on their faces saying, "we don't want to play this game." Darn it all....I didn't have the video camera going. So we played basket ball with them instead and just ran around playing with the baloons.

There was much laughter and fun.

Then we opened presents and had cake. My mom decorated the cake for us. It turned out perfect! Parker loved every present he got. He enjoyed feeling like the big cheese and feeling special on his birthday.

The finale to the clown school party was throwing cream pies at Clown Daddy's face. Well...they had a blast, but clown daddy didn't get as dirty as I would have liked.")

We gave out circus bags full of caramel corn with a bouncy ball inside. The party was a great success and we all had tons of fun and good laughs.

Parker wants to give a big shout out to his Aunt Tracey and his cousins in Japan. He enjoyed the pictures so much and the candy! Thank you for thinking of him. He also enjoyed phone calls from his great grandma in California and his Uncle in Wisconsin.

Today was preschool and I went to do story time and share some birthday cookies. I had tons of fun. I hope I get to do it again. Parker got a snake sticker book from his teacher and got to wear a cool birthday crown. He has had so much fun celebrating all weekend. And it was nice to have his dad home for a couple of days to enjoy it with us. Ryan is gone again until Friday night.