July 25, 2010

July 25th, 2010

Dear Family and Friends,

We started off the week very strangely here. Monday morning B-man woke up very early. He had been ill the night before and had fallen asleep without dinner. He was asking for water so I ran downstairs and got a roll and a glass of water for him. J had also woken up so I took him out of the room. When I went back to check on B-man he was back asleep. He pretty much slept the rest of the day. He had a high fever and would only wake up long enough to go to the bathroom. At one point I got him to eat half a popsicle. It was such a strange day for him. I would have been more panicked, but my brother happened to be home (he's a doctor) and he was able to check him out a little. We mostly just let him sleep. He woke up eventually around 3:00 p.m. after nearly twenty hours of sleeping! I made a bed for him to watch movies on and try and keep him away from all the other people. He ate some dinner that night and seemed much improved.

Tuesday morning he slept in a little, and when I checked his fever it was only slightly elevated. I tried to keep him quiet for most of the morning, which worked until that afternoon when he started running around. By four o'clock he was complaining of a very stiff neck. I could tell his neck was hurting because he was walking around like a robot. I started to get really panicked, and after consulting with my brother we decided that it was better to be safe than sorry and he should be checked out to make sure it wasn't meningitis. I did some research and took him to the Urgent Care. I was so happy to be able to leave J with my mom while we went. We had to wait for a very long time, and while we were there poor B-man started feeling worse and worse. It was obvious that he was a sick sick boy. By the time we were checked he had a high fever again, although not as high as Monday's. After a thorough examination the doctor found that he did have some things going on that could be the culprit of the stiff neck. He gave us a prescription and instructions that if we didn't see him feeling much better by the next day that we should take him to Primary Children's to have a spinal tap done. But he was pretty sure that it wasn't meningitis. B-man was pretty tired at this point, but we still had to fill his prescription. I did get him some food so that he would at least not be cranky from hunger. We then drove home, after many hours, and put him to bed. He was so tired and wanted to be in bed so much. He was actually mad at me for keeping him up later than usual! (It was only like 8:30 p.m.)

The next morning when I took his temperature it was normal! Such a relief. I tried to keep him doing quiet things for most of the day, but it didn't always work so well. It was obvious by the afternoon that he didn't have meningitis. I was so relieved, although he did still have some residual symptoms.

Thursday was a fairly normal day. B-man took a huge nap spontaneously in the morning which had me worried, but once again he woke up without a fever and seeming fine. Although he was sad that he had missed a trip to the park with his Grandma and cousins. That night after the kids were in bed I learned how to play a new card game. It is the card game version of "Monopoly." It is a much faster way to play the game. My sister T is in town and taught us how to play.

Friday morning we had a big pancake breakfast with some guests that were leaving my parents house after a short stay. We then decided to drive up to San Clemente and spend the afternoon with Julie and her kids. We drove up and got the boys and then went over to a park near their house. The boys had a great time playing and the weather was beautiful. We then went back to Julie's house for lunch and got the kids ready for a trip to the pool. We all went to the pool and had a great time. I think my mom enjoyed not being responsible for anyone and being able to relax in the pool chairs. J loved the stairs, and B-man had a great time swimming. He was still recovering though and ran out of steam so we had to leave a little earlier than the rest of the crowd. We drove home and started working on dinner. We had pizza which was a big hit with the kids. That night we played a little more card "Monopoly." I have yet to win, but it is still fun.

Saturday morning I went with my mom, sister Jennifer, and one of her children for a very quick garage sale run. We didn't stay out very long but we found some fun things. I found a Lego mini-figure that is Obi Wan Kenobi. He was a big hit. When we got home we packed up and got on the road to Tucson, AZ for the blessing of my new nephew. The drive went pretty well. Sadly J's sleeping kept getting interrupted by gas stops, or other such things. But the boys did pretty well. The quote of the night came when my dad asked B-man what he wanted for dinner. After a nudge from me reminding about manners this is what he came up with "I'll eat anything... especially a hamburger from McDonald's." We drove straight to my brother's house to see their new little guy. While I was there I dropped the lightsaber that went with the Lego guy. I searched on hands and knees in their front yard rocks for a long time, and decided that I would just need to check again the next day when the light was better. I went in and shared the tragic news, and T and L's father-in-law went out with a flashlight and found it in less than five minutes. I was so happy! Prayers were answered. Eventually we had to get back to the hotel so that the boys could sleep. We had counted on the fact that the hotel would have a pack-n-play but they didn't. So instead I laid down a blanket in the closet and put J in there and closed the door hoping that he would sleep. It worked pretty well until four in the morning when he woke up ticked off. It was a pretty small closet, and I think he just wanted to be on his stomach. So he came into bed with B-man and me. I tried to move B-man but he was so asleep, and J had fallen asleep so quickly that I couldn't get up and move him. I we all snuggled together. Somehow I ended up without a pillow. I felt like that song, "There were 3 in the bed, and the little one said..."

Eventually that morning we got a great breakfast at the hotel. I ate in shifts so that it wouldn't be so crazy. First with J, then B-man, and then again with J. J eats a lot in the mornings... J took a random nap in the morning. T has some special powers with him. He looked so cute in the middle of a big queen bed all snuggled up. Eventually we packed up and headed back to L's house for brunch and more of a chance to visit before their late church. Then we were off to church for the baby blessing. It was a sweet meeting, and my brother and his wife are such a cute little family. After church we went back to their house to change and eat before heading off on the road again. J loved their little baby and would always try to get close to their little boy. It will be so fun that our boys will only be a few months apart and can be friends. The drive home went pretty well. We started off late, and so J slept a lot. The times he was awake he wasn't super thrilled, but we made it work. B-man drove with his cousins for half of the trip and then came into our car for the last bit. He slept great in the car. He would just cover his ears with his blanket when J started to lose it. We made it home safe and sound and quickly unloaded and put the boys in bed. It felt great to be able to stretch out. It was a very quick trip, but also fun.

(M had a mostly-uneventful week back home. A storm blew in Sunday afternoon that broke open one of our upstairs windows. M came home from church to find the window broken (no glass, just the casing), everything blown around the room, and water on the floor. Apparently there were 70mph gusts with the storm, and per the insurance agent there were a lot of calls that day.)

We love you all!
R, M, B-man, and J

July 18, 2010

July 18, 2010

Dear Family and Friends,

Monday started off as a slow day, but ended well. We started off working on some cleaning so that the house could be ready for a bunch of new visitors that were arriving at the end of the week. We decided to go to the Wild Animal park after my sister E finished her work for the day. When she got home we tried to quickly pack up and get out the door. There are always a bunch of things that slow us down, but we managed to get there. The weather has turned from very cold, to very hot and we were happy that we were at the Park in the evening. We first went and saw a new acrobatic dance show featuring some African dancers. It was a pretty impressive show. It even kept J's interest. The elephants were super close by and so we headed over to see them. There were three very new baby elephants in the enclosure and two juveniles. The babies were all very active and playing with each other. They were wrestling, head butting, and romping around. Eventually B-man convinced us to go see the lions. The lions were not as active but we did get a good a view. We then went on the train ride around the Africa enclosures. The weather was just glorious and everyone had a great time. We then started to walk back to the front. We tried to see the gorillas but they must have been taken in for the night. We loaded into the cars and then headed home with a stop for an ice cream cone on the way. Once home we had a very simple dinner and then put people to bed.

Tuesday we did more cleaning and organizing. I did take J and B-man to the beach. I was not expecting J to like the water or the sand. However, he surprised me and loved both. Even though the water was frigid he was super excited to "walk" around in it holding my hands. He didn't even seem to mind when the waves would crash into him. My sister met us there for a while and helped carry some of the things back to the car. Later that afternoon my mom and I did make a quick fun shopping trip in the afternoon. We then came home and tried a very easy but tasty recipe designed to help us use up the terrific amounts of yellow squash we have coming out of the garden. Summer 2010 is the summer of the squash. If you stop by you will probably take some home with you.

Wednesday must have been slow because I can't remember anything that happened. Sometimes that happens with me...

Thursday afternoon I drove up with the boys again to visit Jewels and her kids. The weather was so hot, and this time when we took the kids to the pool they didn't mind not having a splash park. The weather was so hot that a thunderstorm came through. That never happens here. I didn't mean to stay too long, but Jewels was very sneaky and kept convincing me to stay longer by feeding me dinner, and other such things. E came up and we crossed paths for about an hour before I really had to get home. While we were driving home B-man really wanted to go to sleep, but the rain on the windows was bothering him. He mentioned it and right after talking about it the rain stopped. He was so excited is convinced that it was a miracle from God. He has mentioned it a lot since then at random times too. Children have such great faith. Once the rain stopped he was able to go to sleep. It was a nice peaceful drive home. Later that night after my boys were sleeping my older sister made it into town from Utah with her three kids. It's been a long time since I have seen them and I couldn't believe how big they have gotten.

Friday was a busy, busy day. My mom and Sister drove up to Long Beach for a convention, and so I watched my sister's kids while they were gone. We had a good day, although the weather had finally turned very hot. (Making the house hot too.) In the afternoon when the weather had cooled down a little bit we went to Stagecoach park by our house. The boys had a great time, and J was so excited about the dogs that were there. He can spot a dog from far away! That night we had leftovers for dinner and then I put my boys in bed.

Saturday my dad was home and seemed to have a great time taking care of the kids. He even organized a trip to the beach with all the kids. Something that was WAY too daunting for me on my own the day before. The timing was bad for J's nap, so I went with my sister to make sure she didn't get eaten by a shark while she swam in the ocean. We then gathered the kids together on the beach and eventually had to head back home so that J could take a nap and E could get on the road. My dad only expected to stay at the beach for an hour, but they were having so much fun that they ended up staying much longer than that. Later that day he even turned on the sprinklers in the front yard so that they could go run through them again. B-man loves having so many people around to play with. He basically spends all his time either riding this silver tricycle that we've had forever (and is awesome) or playing with the Rokenboks. That night we capped off the day by letting the kids watch "Star Wars Episode 5." B-man was in heaven despite the intense scenes and has been really excited to watch the sixth one. He asks every day if he can watch it. My dad got pizza and right when the movie was over we fed the kids and then they went to bed.

Sunday was a crazy day. We made it to church on time, but not early enough to save enough of the good seats for our whole group, so we ended up way in the back in the cultural hall. I hate it back there. It is so much noisier and harder to do with kids. Oh well. I went to my dad's Sunday School class for about five minutes before J decided that he was too excited to be quiet. We spent the rest of the church time wandering the halls. He wasn't sad, just super loud and talkative. I felt like I needed to leave the building at one point... B-man had a great time in his Primary class. They did a bunch of Pioneer day activities, and he loved having his cousin Julia in his class too. After church we came home, and before too long Jewels arrived with her kids. We had a good afternoon all together, although B-man kept complaining of a headache and spent most of the evening lying down. I could tell he wasn't feeling very well, but he was being so good I mostly just let him lie down and didn't bother him. Dinner was very late because my dad had to take some people to LAX airport after church, so once he got home we ate dinner. All the boys were pretty rambunctious and excited to eat by that point. Poor B-man really wasn't feeling well because he fell asleep waiting for us to say the prayer. After dinner I eventually decided just to put him in bed and see what happened. I could tell he had a fever when I took him upstairs to bed. Poor guy.

We love you all!
R, M, B-man, and J

P.S. One of the days my mom and I teamed up to give J a haircut. We would take turns holding or cutting. B-man even helped by feeding him tiny pieces of chips. He looks so different, but so cute.

While we were having fun M was too. Note-able this week was that he finally finished his work trip and was able to spend two days in Hong Kong on a layover with his Grandparents. They are there serving a mission for our church. He had a great time

July 11, 2010

July 11, 2010

Dear Family and Friends,

We've been so busy here and out of our element that I am writing very late. Monday the 5th was SUPER busy. We were all up early and going. I ran to the store with my mom to get some last minute things that we needed for a big BBQ at the house. We then came home and got all the food ready. We ate the most delicious hamburgers. My parents make quite the team. My mom makes the patties, and then my dad grills them. It was so tasty. G, Jewels and their children also came down for the day. B-man was so happy to have his cousins around. They ran and played the whole time. After lunch we cleaned up and eventually went to the Del Mar Fair. This is a huge fair that comes every year. I have such fun memories of going and was excited to take B-man. We loaded up, went to a parking place where we then got on a bus to shuttle us right to the front gate. It was very convenient. Everybody from dinner came making the event extra fun. Once we were there we first went to look at the animals. I loved the turkeys they had out, but the kids loved the huge pigs and the petting zoo. Then we wandered through the exhibition halls to look at all the fun things that people were trying to sell. During this time it became clear that J was not feeling well. Although he had seemed fine during the day he now seemed feverish and uncomfortable. I was so sad for him. I ended up carrying him for the rest of the night because he was so tired and sick. After the exhibition halls Grandpa treated the kids to a few rides. They did the carousel and a few rounds on the bumper cars. B-man was in heaven he rode with Nathan, but got to be the driver. Nathan was very patient and helped him to not get stuck. We eventually decided the kids were toast and we all headed back to the shuttle. It was super late, but a great day. We pretty much collapsed into bed that night.

The next day was recovery day. Everyone (especially the parents) were super tired and so we didn't go anywhere. We were content to play at home. In fact the next several days were pretty quiet as we tried to get back on schedule and get everyone feeling better. The weather was really very cold for July, barely seventy degrees, and so it really limited what we could do. B-man had been so looking forward to the beach that we did go on Thursday despite the cold weather. I left J with Grandma so that he didn't have to brave the cold and could take a nap. I didn't really expect B-man to get in, and so I didn't wear my suit, but once we got there he played in the sand for a while and then found a friend in the water and so he ended up playing in the water too. The water was very similar to the air temperature, so it felt chilly when you first went in, but after a few minutes was "comfortable." I was still grateful to be wearing a sweatshirt...

Friday we drove up to Orange County to spend the day with Jewels and her boys. B-man was so excited because he was going to be able to spend the night at their house. We first went to the park where the sun FINALLY made an appearance. It actually got really hot and so we left before we melted. We then came home and let the babies take naps. The boys were playing so well together it meant that Jewels and I could actually have some time to converse. After the naps we took the boys to a community pool. B-man was thrilled that there were no lifeguards and a hot tub that he could swim in. I left the boys swimming at the pool with Jewels and then drove with J back to my parents' house. Once home I put J to bed and then had a quiet night at home.

Saturday morning I was up early to go with my mom (and J) garage sale hunting. We found a few little things, and J was a pretty good sport. Although he was also pretty good at letting us know when he wanted to be at home. The rest of the day was pretty quiet. We figured out about half way through the day that B-man was having too much fun and wanted to stay until Sunday and come home then when they came for dinner. After being reassured by G and Jewels that he was doing great and not being extra work I agreed. He even got to go with his cousins to tour the stadium where the All-Star game was being held. They had a bunch of fun things going on as part of the event.

Sunday morning we got up and got ready for church. Church was great, although uneventful. J did have a great time "chatting" in Relief Society and making a bunch of happy noises. After church we quickly fed ourselves and J and then went to clear out so that my Dad could take care of some church calling stuff. I think I even got a little nap while J was finishing his nap. After my dad was done we hurried to finish dinner preparations. B-man finally made it back to me. He got a glowing report, and was happy at first, but quickly showed that he had so much fun that he was also super tired. We made sure he got to bed early that night. It was so nice to have a great meal and then enjoy some adult conversation while the kids played in the front yard together.

M has been busy on this trip. It seems like a longer one than usual, but he has been to some interesting places.

We love you all!
R, M, B-man, and J

July 4, 2010

July 4, 2010

Dear Family and Friends,

What a week this has been. It was already pretty packed full of appointments and then I went and added in a few trips to the urgent care just for fun... Monday started the week off relatively calmly. We went to get a few things at the grocery store. We wanted to run out of food, but not too early. We probably hit the pool too. For dinner and FHE we went to a friend's house. She works in Young Women's with me. It was nice to have FHE with another family and see how they do it. The lesson was on God, and learning more about him.

Tuesday was our anniversary! We celebrated by being miles apart and having a very busy day. We had found out that B-man got into a "McGruff Safety Camp" put on through our Sheriff's office. It was so exciting, he had been on the waiting list, and apparently they had an opening. So Tuesday morning I dropped him off with his bike and helmet. He was a little nervous that he didn't know anybody there, but he did great in the end. While he was at the camp I went to my doctor's appointment. I had to take J with me. That wasn't really a problem, but having long arms comes in handy. My arms were just long enough to give him Cheerios while the doctor was listening to the baby's heartbeat. Sadly the appointment had gone much longer than usual, (all of it waiting) and so when I was done I had time to run one quick errand before having to go pick up B-man. He had a great time and was excited to tell me all about his morning. We came home for lunch, and then we got to take B-man to the dentist. He was having more cavities filled and there was a chance that he was going to need a root canal with a crown!!! I was so nervous for him. Thankfully he didn't need the root canal. We are seriously so thankful. There is a chance that he still may need one, but so far so good. I was so excited because he also finished with enough time for me to get to J's doctor's appointment. (Just a one year check-up.) We went straight to the doctors for J with B-man's mouth still numb and everything. As I was signing in thinking how great it was that the timing had worked out so perfectly the receptionist informed me that we were an hour late. Somehow I had written the time down an hour later than it actually was. For a few minutes we thought we just had to leave, but thankfully the doctor had a no-show and we were able to get in. Another miracle for me that day. J got all checked out and was doing well, although he then had to get four shots. He wasn't happy about that. He was 31.25 inches long (95%) and 22 lb 3 oz (40%). After such a long busy day we were very happy to come home and have a relatively quiet evening.

Wednesday was another busy day. B-man went to Safety camp and then I dropped off J at a neighbor's so that I could go get a sonogram. When I got to the sonogram place I tried to get M on the phone, but there was no cell service. I was a little nervous to be there by myself, but I was easily distracted by getting to see our new little BOY. He was so wiggly and cute, doing flips and moving all over. I think everything looked okay because I haven't heard from the doctor that anything was wrong. I will admit to being surprised about the boy, but we are thrilled. B-man has said all along that it was a boy. I called M the minute I left the office. I then headed home and put J to bed while I worked on a few things around the house before going and getting B-man. The rest of the day was pretty quiet. That evening I did get a babysitter and I drove up to Girls' Camp for the evening. I picked up a girl and drove with her. She had gotten sick and went home the first night, but then rebounded and wanted to go back. It was a good chance to get to know her on the drive. We arrived just in time for dinner. After eating and visiting we went to a big musical program. The program was wonderful, and then I drove over to the spot where all the girls were doing star gazing before heading home. The time went super quickly and it was fun to see all the girls up at camp. Our girls were all getting along and having a good time so that was wonderful. When I got home I was so thrilled to see that the babysitter had gone above and beyond in cooking and cleaning. It was so great, and exactly what I needed. I really didn't want to have to clean up dinner dishes before heading to bed.

Thursday was productive day. I got a lot done in the morning. That afternoon B-man to play at a friend's house. He was so excited to go over, and even more excited that they went to a water fountain nearby where the water squirts out of the ground. Within thirty minutes he had somehow tripped and fell splitting open his chin. My friend was so mortified that it had happened on her watch. After figuring out insurance I met them at their house to inspect B-man. His chin wasn't bleeding very much but there was a good chunk out of it. I decided that I had better be safe than sorry and headed off to the urgent care. I was very happy that we didn't have to wait very long and got straight in. Although if I never have to fill out the medical history forms while holding a wiggly one year old again, I would be very happy. After a quick exam they said it didn't need stitches and closed it up with a few butterfly bandages. B-man was very happy that he wouldn't need stitches, but he wasn't very thrilled that he couldn't go swimming. After the doctor we came home worked on cutting some fruit and then went back over to our friends that had him over to play. They very graciously invited us to dinner and it was much appreciated. It was great to not have to cook and have some people to chat with and pass the evening.

Friday was the last day of Safety Camp. They had a little graduation and explained all the things that they had talked about and learned. After the graduation we went to get the car's oil changed and tires rotated. B-man thought it was fun to have a little picnic in the waiting room while watching one of the World Cup games. The rest of the day we spent our time working on the house, and trying to get organized for our trip. I packed up a lot and worked on laundry.

Saturday I was up and going early. J had a pretty good runny nose and when I took his temperature he had a fever. That complicated things because I had already told B-man that he could go to our ward party for the 4th of July and participate in the bike parade for the kids. In the end we decided to go and not stay long. We loaded up, J was in his stroller which kept him from other kids and then B-man was in the parade. We ate quickly and then B-man stayed while I went home with J. J went down for a nap and I worked on more things that needed to get done before leaving. I got so much accomplished while B-man was gone that I started to feel too confident. B-man was brought home by some friends, and then J woke up a little later. Once J woke up I realized that he had taken a definite turn for the worse. His temperature had gone up a lot and he was breathing fairly quickly. After a lot of internal debate about whether I should take him into the urgent care, or just try to get him through until my brother could see him the next day. I decided that I had to take him in. So we loaded everyone up into the car and went back to the urgent care. I was not excited to fill out more paperwork while trying to keep J happy and contained. The doctor said that he had two infected ears. I was happy it was just ears, and that the rapid breathing wasn't more serious. Apparently when you have a fever that can cause you to breathe faster. We then were off with prescription in hand to get it filled before the pharmacies closed for the holiday. The first place we went to was already closed, I had just missed them, so we then went to another place to have it filled. Finally we went home for a dinner of leftovers and other things I needed out of the fridge. I got the boys to bed ASAP and then had to finish all the preparations for leaving. I got it all done, and finally make it to bed.

I didn't sleep very well, I was nervous about getting enough sleep and getting up early. I woke up before my alarm and finished loading the car and packing the treats. I then woke up the boys. They had both slept in their clothes so that we could just walk out the door. We picked up a very kind friend who then drove us to the airport. We flew out of DCA which is further away, but everything went super smoothly. I ran in and checked the bags, and then came back to get the boys and the snacks. We made it through security, although I did learn that yogurt is considered a liquid. They took two and let me keep one because they were nice and I apparently looked safe... I was really happy about the one. I hope they enjoyed those yogurts on their break. The flights all went really well. I couldn't have asked for better. It is still exhausting and a lot of work to fly with kids, but the ears didn't bother J, and he took two short naps during the long section of the flights. We even got in early and had all of our bags. I kept hoping that the people around me knew how lucky and miraculous of a flight we were having. I am not sure they appreciated it. But I sure did! We made it to San Diego by 11:00 am which left us with plenty of time to enjoy the 4th of July. My sister and her friend picked me up and helped me get the bags to the car. We then went home and I took it easy with J. B-man went to church with his uncle and when they got home we had a yummy dinner. I put the boys to bed early, and taped some fireworks on the t.v. for them to watch in the morning. At the last minute I went with my siblings to go watch some fireworks nearby. We stayed in the car, but it was still a fun show. I love fireworks. It was a long day, and I was so happy to be in bed.

We love you all!
R, M, B-man, and J

May The Force Be With You

This was the conversation that I had with B-man in the car today.

B-man: (holding down one nostril and breathing deeply through the other) Mom try this!

Me: (follow his example)

B-man: Feel the cold air?

Me: Yes!

B-man: It gives you... um... umm

Me: Energy?

B-man: Yes, more energy. And when you do this (continuing action) then it helps people that have the force, to get more of the force.

Me: Wow, I didn't know that...

He then continued to breathe deeply through one nostril for a while longer. I guess he thought a little extra access to "the force" would come in handy at Safety Camp.

Bring It.

We are having another boy!

Bring it on!

P.S. My sister reminded me of my enormous grocery bill that will be coming... I might need to start saving now.