The Lords' Humor...

Out of Focus...

2012-01-26T10:16:00.000-07:00

I don't know if you've noticed, but I've felt "Outta Whack" for a while. Thankfully, I think things are coming around...but I was worried for a while that I wouldn't snap out of it...

I lost my blogging happy too...

I wanted to, and still thought about doing it all the time...but just couldn't bring the determination to the surface. It just faded into nothingness...obviously...!!

Well, I miss it. I miss talking about my day. Recording my feelings...but mostly...I miss REMEMBERING!!! I love looking back on my posts, and laughing, and crying, but mostly feeling!!

And there it is...I wasn't feeling...I was floating. So to speak...

Do you ever feel like that...that instead of swimming in life, you are just seeing where the current takes you?? Sometimes, I am sure it is a good thing...for a while it was...but then I realized that I had to swim...

I know...analogies..

I have a problem with it...

but you'll get over it...

Because this is my blog, and that's how I am!!!

Well, I am so glad that my life seems to be coming back into focus. Things are clear. I can see each leaf on the tree again, and not just the general object....and that feels good!!

THE MORAL OF THE STORY: Life will continue whether you know how you want it to go or not...you have to make the choice to sink or swim, cause floating gets you nowhere...

I choose to swim...

I need the workout anyways ;)

Cast away...

2011-10-19T21:17:00.000-06:00

Sometimes I feel that I should be "cast out" of the blogging world.

My daughter got her cast off today...!!!

She had it on for FOUR WEEKS.

I used to be good at this...

Frequent.

Blogging was my outlet, my journal, and my inspiration...

What has my life come to??!!! AHHHH!!!

Well, here to make the best of my lameness, I thought I'd let you in on my little "fanCASTical" adventure...yes...I am totally witty...

Anyways, long story short, Romy had a stroke as a newborn. Her right side nerve system is affected, making is hard for her to use it in a controlled manor...and sometimes at all. Our therapist of a year now suggested a treatment in which you cast her good arm to encourage....well, lets be honest...force her to use her "bad" arm.

IT HAS BEEN AMAZING!!!
Our journey to the cast was exactly that...or more an experiment. We tried much less invasive attempts first.

Constraint Attempt #1: A molded half cast velcro-ed and ace wrapped.

FAIL...it was so bulky, it was like a paddle, and she couldn't function, as a growing baby...

Constraint Attempt #2: Ace wrap.

FAIL...no matter how well we tried to wrap it...she would crawl out of it...

Constraint Attempt #3: Ace wrap with Coban over top.

FAIL...this worked great...only...the crawling caused serious blistering on her fingers, and lots of pain for the little sweetness.

Constraint Attempt #4: Cast of her lower arm.

FAIL...yep...you heard me...FAIL. We tried doing a cast from just below her elbow through her hand. She somehow wiggled out of it within 24 hours...

Constraint Attempt #5: Cast of her WHOLE ARM

SUCCESS...FINALLY!!!!

Before the cast, she couldn't pick up a fruitloop and get it to her mouth. Before the cast, she could pick up certain objects if VERY PERSUADED to do so, and immediately her left hand would take it out. She had a hard time extending her arm to reach for anything, because lets face it...why reach with Righty when the Left likes doing all the work??

WELLLLL...I am happy to report that the constraint therapy has done wonders. She can now hold things intentionally, put food in her mouth, she can drop objects into a container at the right time, she can even stack a block on top of another block, which takes TONS of control. She still struggles, and has difficulty turning her arm, and reaching all the way, but is not refusing to use the arm like she did before...

So pleased with the results...

She was so cute with her cast. She crawled all funny, because her arm was bent at all times. She sounded like she had a peg leg. She also would bang on her crib in the morning to alert the family that she was ready to be up. On a few occasions, she did realize that her cast was a total weapon...she may have injured few...but no permanent damage to report :)

The first thing she did once her cast was of was try smacking her arm on the wall. She laughed when it didn't make a huge clunking sound. I have to say that I am SUPER happy that I can put normal clothing on my daughter...and season appropriate!!! It's getting cold, and the only thing I could put on was what was big enough to fit over the giant cast!!

NOW...if only she'd realize that her left arm still works...Here's to more therapy!!!!!

Hotel Party...!!

2011-09-28T22:52:00.000-06:00

My sweet Oakley is a patient one...good thing too...look at her procrastinated mother...

SOOOO...I'd like to take you back to a time...oh say a few months ago...

My daughter turned 8, so I wanted to do something super fun and special...we decided on a hotel swim party...YES...with a sleepover...SQUEAL!!!

She was so excited, and didn't even mind that we waited until after school was out to hold it...her birthday is in May, and man, the end of the school year gets crazy...!!

I let her choose a few of her closer friends, and I also chose one of my closer friends to man the chaos with me...there was no way I was going it alone...not to mention she had twins that were gonna be there anyways...! I like to tell myself she woulda helped out anyways...:)

The girls all enjoying the view from their balcony :)

Anyways, I got the conference room all set up for a little "surprise" dinner with cake and presents. They were all so excited to be at a HOTEL...!!

SURPRISE!!!

Dinner, cake, and a lighter app later...we were well on our way to the swimming portion of the night...

This is the "Seriously??!! You forgot candles and now you want me to blow on a phone that has a fake lighter and make a legit wish??" face

Please insert deafening swim party here...

IT WAS SO LOUD...

The girls seemed to have a blast, and I loved that once we got back up to our room, they all snuggled in together and munched their candy, giggled, watched a little TV, and eventually drifted off...

Alli and I on the other hand...we stayed up talking for a little while...I totally couldn't sleep cause I didn't bring my pillow, and there was only one...I am a total pillow hog...I need my pillows people...preferably three, but come on...at least two...

It was around 2am, and I hadn't fallen asleep yet, and I hear Alli tossing around...she was awake too...so we chatted until 4am...

Next thing I know Alli is telling me that she is going to go ahead and take the girls down to breakfast. I thought she was totally crazy...for heavens sake...it could only be like 6am...

NOPE...she proceeds to tell me that it's 8:30am...what a bum...here I am the host of the party, and I am dead to the world, and hadn't even heard the girls get up...OOPS...

We took the girls to breakfast, and again to the pool, had a nail painting party (of course) and finally, we made our way back home.

I have to say that it was a really cute little adventure. I will have to do it again. She had a blast, and come on...who doesn't like to stay at a hotel??

Ready or Not...

2011-09-03T18:03:00.000-06:00

I'll tell ya...I was definitely not ready for this last week...

SCHOOL...ALREADY??!!!

BUT....BUT...

SIGH...

Well, ready or not, it comes anyway. I just really felt like I needed just ONE more month of summer. We really were jipped this year with all the surgeries. I guess there's always next time right, and hey...my kids can breathe...

Well, most of them can...

School Started Tuesday. I definitely thought school starting would mean getting in a better routine. Getting organized...you know, all that good stuff...

I was wrong...at least for now.

I got the older two off to school. I had an appt that morning to get my hair fixed...cause I messed it up...cause I think I can do these things Nemo, but you just cant....

Mostly cause I couldn't see the back of my head...and bleach plus no vision equals not the best scenario

Anyways, I have a head full of foils, a daughter who has to go to therapy, and my Parker boy starts Kindergarten this year...OH, and my sister was over with her little man getting ready for work too... ;)

Luckily Brian got there in the nic of time to get kids to where they needed to be. I was running all over the house (with my foils) getting Parker ready, Romy ready, and getting them out the door. I was sad that I missed Parker's first day. There are only so many firsts...but Brian was super cute and took some pictures

I had to go to school early to pick the kids up because Oakley had another dr appt...she still cant breath through her nose...that's generally a problem I guess. :) So after an hour and a half with five kids at the doctors office, we headed out with steroid treatments, and we were off to my dads to wish him a QUICK Happy Birthday. It's about 5:30, and I had a preschool meeting at 7. So I hit my kids through the 1/2 price Happy Meal line at McDs, and head to my dad's in Eagle. I couldn't even give him his birthday present because it was stuck on our old hard drive from our computer crashing...so I showed up empty handed...

We came. We ate. We left.

BUT...hey, at least we sang him the Birthday song...sigh...

On to the next adventure. I drop the kids off at home with the sitter, and took Blazer to the meeting. I am glad that we found a preschool for him...he will need it with the kids being gone so much!! When we were done, we had to find Carter a backpack. I had been to four stores already, and didn't have much luck. Another 3 stores later, and we FINALLY found something that wasn't super spendy, or super dorky...

I finally got home about 10pm to a house full of kids that hadn't gotten to bed yet...on a school night...

JOY

I put them to bed...and finally sat down...at around 11pm...

So that was our FIRST day of school....who's up for round two??!!!

Find a Penny, Pick it Up...Or do You??

2011-08-29T23:50:00.005-06:00

It's been a crazy day...let's just face it...I am a procrastinator...

It's not always on purpose though, sometimes it's a matter of balancing a budget, or surgeries, or family...you know...life in general...

So I was running around crazy all day...therapy, house hunting, shopping, teacher meeting, schedule changing, hair cutting, school prepping...

Just another lazy day at the Lords' house...

Anyways, I had to go BACK out this evening to find just a few more things that were out at other stores ( big surprise...hello, the day before school) and by the time I'd left the second store after 9:30PM, I realize that I hadn't eaten dinner. I'm walking through the parking lot, and low and behold

A shiny penny.

I was going to reach down and picked it up, but kept walking...

I NEVER DO THAT...I'm weird about superstitious stuff...don't ask me...like I said...I'm weird...

So I'm walking along, and think to myself...it's okay, I can still have good luck because instead of giving myself good luck, I am being selfless, and letting someone else find it...

YES...this is really going on in my brain...

So I decided to stop for a bite at Arby's...I haven't been there in FOREVER!! I LOVE their roast beef sandwiches, and it's not too far out of my way...

I drive up, and the first thing the girl at the mic says is "Just to let you know, our slicer is broken, so the only thing we can't serve is our roast beef"

I then whine out loud, because that is why I went there...that is the only thing I order there...other than their Jamocha shakes, which are DIVINE...but not exactly "dinner food"

After much murmuring, I settle for the shake.

As I'm driving up to the window, I am thinking about that darn penny.

Should've picked it up.

Dang it.

I begrudgingly pull up to the second window as instructed, all the while thinking about how I didn't pick that stupid penny up, and was even planning to tell the cashier about my "mishap" too...

She opened the window, and began speaking...

She says how the crew felt so bad that I came there just for a roast beef sandwich, and they didn't have it, and so as a group they made the decision to give me the shake for free.

Shame on me.

I felt bad...

Here I was trying NOT to pick the penny up so that I could give someone else good luck, then the FIRST opportunity of adversity hits, I immediately wish I had taken the selfish route, and then I'm rewarded in the end??

SIGH...

I offered to pay anyways, they insisted I didn't...

I drove away with my free shake...confused.

Is it good luck to pick a penny up...or to leave it for someone else...???

The moral of the story: In times of adversity, sometimes, you just have to wait for the blessing, not assume it isn't there...OH...and Arby's Jamocha Shakes are THE BOMB...and they really are "Good Mood Food"

The Lords go Marching on...

2011-08-14T03:45:00.000-06:00

This is from a recent status update on FB that I will get to in JUST a moment...I feel like if I don't record THIS week...of all weeks...than I might as well be done with blogging forever...

It's been crazy town...

to the max

BUT...the good thing, is that SOMEHOW...through it all...I am surviving...although, I look forward to a time where I am living, or even thriving...but we'll get there...for now...let me just tell you about my past week...

Shall we??

SAT: Oakley was baptized. She was beautiful. It was a perfectly crazy day filled with last minute dress shopping, ice cream, cooking, and getting ready. It was hectic, but we still made it on time. I surprisingly wasn't feeling terribly emotional or stressed. I was enjoying it, and was super proud of Oakley. She was beaming. Once they greeted her with a towel, I went back there...I immediately gave her a huge hug, in which case...I could not let go. I held on tight, because I was holding a perfect angel...and I felt it. We both cried, and the words we exchanged are mine to cherish, but it was a moment not expected, but I will remember always...

We then had a BBQ with friends and family. It was a nice evening...no drama...we were unable to confirm her that day because there wasn't a bishopric member in town, so we were planning on doing it the following evening...

SUN: Day of confirmation. ALSO, day dishwasher floods EVERYWHERE in the kitchen...NO GOOD. We sopped it up and texted the landlord...

Later in the evening it is about 7:15, and most of the family is to the house, and the counselor to confirm her is to be at our door any minute...but wait...we are missing a crucial element...BRIAN!!! After several phone calls, and different routes, I find that he is getting off work late. There had been a miscommunication somewhere...SIGH...in the hustle and bustle, and the craziness, I decide to step outside, and get some fresh air where no one can see me fall apart...I am just a little overwhelmed in life trying to organize schedules for 7 people, and many times, I have to reschedule these schedules...it's very consuming...

While out there, family members had come out front to express their frustration not knowing I am there as well. It was just too much. I walked away. I didn't want that spirit in my home on the night my daughter was to receive the spirit...so I left.

MON: I was a big fat mess. I am evaluating and re-evaluating in my head myself, my life, just everything...I definitely try super hard to keep up. Romy generally has 3 appts a week...but most of the time it's more. She goes to three days of therapy, and then sees an ophthalmologist, neurologist, cardiologist, ENT, GI specialist, and her regular pediatrician. This is just her...we have four other children that have their own needs...and a house, that has it's own needs...I was just feeling the stress of this, and the stress of my husband who works SO INCREDIBLY HARD seven days a week.

TUES: Oakley and Parker have surgery. Oakley was oddly excited for it. It quickly faded into a poor lifeless recovering girl. She was miserable. Parker on the other hand was feeling good...he was weak coming out, but by the time we got home perked up and wanted to play his DS. Oakley laid lifeless on the couch. I had to keep telling Parker to relax, that doing to much would not be a good thing. I was so lucky to have a friend from high school come and help me. She had seen me post about the kids, and wanted to help...I know it was answers to my desperate prayers for help. With Brian gone, I needed another set of hands...and I am so thankful for her...!!

Later that night, Oakley was just so miserable...in pain, and we felt helpless. We had our home teacher come over and we gave her and Parker blessings...

WED: I wake up sick. I had a cold already, but this was a stomach thing...I felt awful. There should be a rule about parents getting sick that have to take care of sick kids...or ones that have just had surgery for that matter!! Just as I come out of the bathroom from loosing my guts, Oakley is standing weakly crying in my room saying she threw up and Blazer was jumping and playing in it. I just wanted to cry. I wish it ended there. She couldn't keep anything down that whole day....including pain medicine. I could tell we were in a bad downwards spiral....

MEANWHILE...we have a guy in our house tearing out our kitchen. Remember that dishwasher that flooded?? SIGH...

By about 3pm I call in to the Dr office to see what I can do for Oakley...they told me to take her to the ER. So I packed up my poor sick girl, and took her in. They immediately gave her fluids via IV, but didn't give her anything for pain or nausea. Her oxygen levels were low, so they did an xray to make sure she didn't have fluid in her lungs. Finally after about an hour and a half after the bag of fluids had gotten in her, they ask her to take a couple sips of water...she IMMEDIATELY threw it up. They realized how bad she was, and gave her nausea meds, and morphine. I was annoyed that they let her lay in pain for as long as they did.

Once she was stable, we took her home. She seemed better, and even asked for Popsicles. I was relieved.

The neighbors' kittens serving as pet therapy...so cute :)

THURS: Our dishwasher guy is tearing out the floor, but is only tearing out a 2'X2' section...I was concerned and called Brian who does this type of thing for a living, expressing that I could see moisture on both sides where he was tearing it out, and the section he was tearing out was awful, he was scooping it out like butter...and it was covered in mildew on its way to molding. We tried expressing the dangers to the landlord who had full confidence in this guys' experience. We were mortified. We sent out our own guys after he left to get second opinions, and took some moisture readings...they were up to 50% about two more feet on each side of where he had torn out. On top of that all of the interiors of the cabinets were saturated. This was a disaster cleanup project, and more importantly it's a health hazard. Without drying the floor out, it will be mold in a week. We aren't sure what to do at this point, because our landlord won't listen to our concerns. We took pictures of everything, and are just trying to figure out if moving is the best idea or not...

Oakley was feeling better, but Parker is now going downhill. He did too much that first day...!! He threw up a couple of times, and we just couldn't seem to keep his pain away. He luckily didn't get to a point where he couldn't keep anything down, but he wasn't doing good at all.

Thursday nights are my nights. Brian was home early for once (early being 9pm) so I thought I would go to volleyball like I do most Thursday nights. It was such a great release until....BAM...ball in face. One of the girls served the ball, and the one receiving it kicked it for some reason, and I took a direct hit to my eye...

IT SUCKED.

My eye blacked out and lost vision on half of it, and my pupils went crazy...one was huge, and the other was small. The girls around me had the "this looks serious but we're trying to stay calm" voices, so I knew it didn't look good. It sure didn't FEEL good either!! They got me ice to put on it, and we decided to see if my pupils would even out. After about 15 minutes, they seemed to go back to almost normal...so I decided to go to Denny's like we do every night after volleyball.

My eye HURT...I was getting concerned because my vision seemed extra blurry. I decided to google it, and everything that I saw said to go in immediately in case there was a torn retina. I called Brian, and let him know what was going on, and he wanted me to go in.

SO, for a second day in a row...I was BACK to the ER.

JOY

They checked my eye for immediate and obvious damage, and luckily I didn't have anything emergent going on. So they sent me home with the advice that I be seen by an ophthalmologist within 2 days unless my eyesight changed, in which case I should go in immediately.

When I was going to bed, I noticed that something seemed weird. The part of my eye that had visually blacked out seemed to be coming back. It was almost like when you look at a flash and then close your eyes...the negative light feeling....only with your eyes open. I called back into the ER, to make sure it wasn't something to be concerned about but they thought it could have been the drops they put into my eyes.

FRI: It wasn't the drops...after flushing my eyes out the night before and sleeping...I still had this weird vision thing...So I went in to the DR. He found that my retina had been pulled. He explained it as being similar to pulling a ligament. He also found some nerve damage in several places on the right and in the bottom of my eye...which is explaining the vision disruptions. We are hoping that it heals itself and my vision returns to normal in several weeks...I'm not going to address the "if not" scenario here...

This is about when I write my FB post I referenced in the beginning of this post...it went like this..." Mine eyes have seen the coming of the glory of the ball...well, maybe not...if I would have seen it I'm time I would have ducked and avoided the nerve damage and pulled retina...oh what fun...the Lords go marching on..."

Sometimes I feel like that is what we are doing...just marching on.

The moral of the story is: No matter what happens...you just have to get through the day, because tomorrow will be a new one...and even though I wonder many times how I will get through tomorrow....some how....some way...I make it through...

Dear Blog...I'm Blah...

2011-07-27T18:01:00.000-06:00

Dear Blog...I feel blah...

Actually, that's not exactly what I feel, cause to me blah is just kind of a down -slash- indifferent -slash- slightly bored with the situation -slash- maybe tired feeling...

I feel OVERWHELMED...ya...that's it...

Do you ever stop and think...I WISH I WAS BORED??!! Today is that day...I wish I were bored. Just a little. Don't get me wrong...I still have days that I don't get out of my pj's AT ALL...but it's still filled with...what do I have to do tomorrow, what am I not getting done today, what am I forgetting to do...ETC...

The two younger boys had ENT appts today to see if they needed to have tonsils and adenoids removed. Oakley already had her appt, and has to have hers out, along with something done with her sinuses, I'm not even sure exactly what it is at this point..some surgical procedure.

Parker has to have his tonsils and adenoids out...and to top it off, I had been noticing that he asks "what" a lot, and even when I whisper in his ear, he tends to not hear me. Well, an hour later after doing a thorough hearing test, we found out that he doesn't hear at a certain frequency. We don't know what has caused this, and his prognosis is to just watch and wait...thankfully...

Blazer doesn't have to have his out...YET. He has trouble breathing through his nose, and is complaining of his throat hurting a lot, but he is only 3. The longer we can hold off...the better. And frankly, the thought of shoving meds down his throat doesn't sound that appealing post surgery...give the guy a couple years...

So in the meantime, since I have NOTHING better to do...Romy still has all of her appts, and will start her constraint therapy soon. This is where we will cast her good arm to encourage her to use her "bad" arm. This will consist of six hour a day treatments for two weeks.

If anyone knows how to do this and the surgeries, and keep my other children entertained, keep up on my businesses, and keep my brain from exploding...the advice would be greatly appreciated. I am out of ideas. OH, and suggesting husband helps is out...he works 7 days a week...the poor guy....

WELP...that's a wrap. If you don't hear from me in a few weeks...or so...please send help STAT....

Where in the World is...US???!!

2011-07-12T21:22:00.001-06:00

It reminds me of that show I used to watch as a kid "Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego" (or something like that)

We really do exist, and I really have WANTED to post on my blog, and kick myself pretty much daily for it, but what I have come to the conclusion is that I am not going to feel bad for not blogging...I will post when I can...it doesn't matter that my daughter's birthday won't be ON (or close) to her birthday...as long as I get things up, I am fine...or something...

On to the REAL story...

What have we been up to...?? Well, our summer has been CRA-ZAY!!! Our little Romy has had some surgeries. We finally got into the ENT back in May where we learned that she isn't hearing out of her left ear, and she has some breathing and throat problems...So as of a couple weeks ago today, my little sweets had some surgeries...Tubes put in her ears, Adenoids and Tonsils taken out, she had to have her Cleft Larynx repaired, and then she had a bronchoscopy with biopsies in her lungs, esophagus, stomach, and intestines.

Before her surgery, we were feeling bad, like we were just going to ruin our happy girl...it was kind of depressing...This was her the night before...

We got to the hospital at 6:30 AM...I am NOT a morning person. Romy on the other hand was in a delightful mood even though she was STARVING...we had to bring her current meds, and she looked like she was self medicating for her impending doom...don't worry...the lid was ON... ;)

She ended up having a huge infection in her tonsils and lungs that we weren't expecting to find, so we were thankful the surgery happened when it did...it was rough on her...more so than I was expecting...but really, how do you plan for something like that with a baby?? When she comes out of anesthesia, she is a thrasher...I learned this on her two previous MRI's...well, add a misplaced feeding tube, and four surgical procedures, and you have one UNCOMFORTABLE child. She was extremely upset for about two hours, when suddenly bright red blood came streaming from her feeding tube. They Xrayed her to find out that they had put so much tubing in her that it looped right back up into her esophagus to her surgery site...which is PAINFUL...sigh...here is what happened right after they took it out...she was exhausted...

She stayed in the PICU most of the day, and then we went to the regular Peds floor. She didn't sleep well, and due to the infection in her lungs had to have several treatments throughout the night so that she could breathe...it was really rough. We really didn't sleep.

The next day was filled with wagon rides. It was the only thing (other than Nubane) that would keep her calm, and not crying. When we'd stop, or go back to the room, she'd fuss...so we spent most of the day walking her, and only went back to rest or plug her IV's back in...She really was just miserable. I hated seeing her this way.

We were discharged late that night, and this was one of the worst nights...her first one without the nubane. She was so uncomfortable. She screamed for a few hours, and Brian just walked and walked her. We put her down to bed, and she was up several hours at night in pain, and crying...it was so sad...so exhausting...Her first week, we had to give her 7 different medications, and we were on a three hour schedule...and that included through the night.

The nice part was having her on a feeding tube...the bad part, was having her on a feeding tube. We could tell that it bothered her nose, and wasn't comfortable, but it also made giving her meds so easy. No fighting or holding her down to take them...

By the second week, her spirits were a little more perky. She was still miserable, but not lifeless and sad...so it was better. We had one of our babysitters come and stay with us for about 5 days, and she was the BIGGEST help!!! Brian has been working his tail off...7 days a week...I don't know how I would have survived the second week without help...I barely managed the first week...and it was just Brian, Romy, and I...the kids were with Brian's parents, and with my SUPER AWESOME friend...who took them for a few days...and spoiled them!!! What would I do without my amazing support system...I have a lot to learn from those around me...!!

Romy is doing okay now. She still seems to get uncomfortable. She is HAPPY to report that her feeding tube is out...not before she pulled it out, and I had to put it back in of course...but it is gone for good, and she LOVES her food. We have to use a product to thicken all of her liquids, but she isn't complaining. :)

As far as her biopsies go...we did get results back. Her lungs did not show any signs of her reflux damaging them, so we are thankful for that. This should mean that having her tonsils out, and her cleft fixed, she will not aspirate as much, which will greatly minimize her chances of pneumonia. We will do some swallow studies to be sure though...

On a lesser note, we got back results from her other biopsies showing that she does have a condition called Eosinophilic Esophagitis...basically what I know is that something is causing these Eosinophil cells which are like white blood cells to form around the base of her esophagus...it can be dangerous, and is what's causing her to have GERD, or her extreme reflux. It's usually caused by an allergy to something. I don't know what kind of road we are going to be on trying to fix this condition...for now, she is on yet one more medication...

Prettie Birdie...

2011-05-03T14:42:00.000-06:00

Well, I told you I would take a picture of my girls in their cute little easter outfits that I made....

SHOOT....I LIED....

Mama always says to do the pictures BEFORE church, and I SHOULDA listened...

Romy Lin annihilated her dress with nilla wafers and the nasty church carpet...seriously...they need a good carpet cleaning over there...we should get right on that...

ANYWAYS....luckily Oakley kept hers nice and clean, so here you go world...the cute little outfits...and by the way....Romy's is the same, so just picture it smaller!!!!!

Such a Model...LOVE HER!!!

It's a Small World...Do I know you???

2011-04-29T11:41:00.002-06:00

Yes...that's about as funny as I get...what can I say??

Welp, this is the big D-LAND post!!! It only took me TWO MONTHS to post the six pictures I actually took. I had ONE goal in the whole trip...to get a picture of the group which consisted of our ~~little~~ family, my mom, and my grandma. I also would have loved a four generation picture, but I wasn't going to get too ambitious...

People...I suck...I didn't get EITHER!!!

BUT...I am happy to report that we had a marvelous time none the less. The weather was anything but perfect...cold really....here's a little synopsis of the event....

FEB 14th: Happy Valentines Day...lets leave at night so the kids sleep through it. It worked for the most part, but we all went a little nutty when we arrived and couldn't check in for and hour or so because we got there too early. There may or may not have been crying by MUAH....

FEB 15th: CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE DAY...oh, and rain and wind...thanks. The nice thing about the day is that we did not wait at ALL for rides!! It was fabulous!! The only problem was that many of the shows, and some rides were CLOSED...wish I would have known more about "OFF-SEASON"...we had a pretty fun packed day though, but were so frozen that we left by 6PM...and we're Idaho people dang it!!!

Assume the position...

Ya...I'm "Special"...

The only pictures we got with my Mom and Grandma...you can kinda see the side of their heads....SIGH...

Oakley cried when she got off this, but once she found out Carter was going again...of COURSE she loved it and HAD to go again..."Mommy, I'm not scared anymore...I LOVE this ride!!!" Kids are so funny!!

FEB 16th: DISNEYLAND!!!!!!!!! The ONE sunny day we had...it actually was fairly pleasant weather!!!! I have to say that is was such a great experience being able to spend the time with my mom and grandma...what a bonding time!!! They were such troopers!!!! I was surprised at all the rides that my kids were big enough for...Blazer could do the Matterhorn...(not that he did it) We got a fair amount of the rides in (again, that were open) and my mom and grandma took Romy to the hotel a little early to warm up, and we ran to get every little ride we could squeeze in. It wasn't until it was CLOSED that we realized....OH CRAP...we hadn't taken ANY pictures ALL day....!!!! UGH....!!!! I was so hoping to see Fantasmic too, and they didn't do that show. They closed at 8!!!! I was super bumbed that we didn't have more time...!!!

Yes...we're white and nerdy...

It's a Small World...One of the best....!!!

You gotta click on this picture...I designed these, and even my mom and grandma wore them...They say "We Match Cause We Cool..." (yes, there is a dot dot dot at the end too,,,) cause dang it...WE ARE COOL....!!!! We actually got a lot of compliments on them...people thought "I" was funny...go figure...

FEB 18th: BEACH!!! (no pictures of course...whaaaa!!!!) It was the most stormy day of all. It was monsoon raining...heavy winds...and it was GREAT...!! No, we didn't go take a dip in the ocean, but my kids found a TON of seashells, we got to watch surfers, and boats, and of course, we still got massively wet....mostly due to the pouring rain that was flying in heavy drips sideways...!!

FEB 19th: DRIVE HOME....I don't want to talk about it...

FEB 20th: STILL DRIVING HOME.....I REALLY don't want to talk about it now....lets just say that blizzards, and white out conditions were not expected....nor enjoyed...

BUT...we made it...and have many memories...even if I didn't capture them all!!!

I just want to send out a special thanks to my Mom and Grandma...It was so neat being able to spend the time together...reconnecting and bonding...I sure wish I saw them more...Thank you for all your help...we could NOT have done this without you...!!! We also could NOT have done it without the help from Brian's parents and my other grandparents...they really helped our kids have such an amazing Christmas present that they'll NEVER forget!!! We hope we can do this again someday...and maybe even take a few more pictures!!!!

Eggggggcellent....

2011-04-25T17:31:00.001-06:00

Easter is one of my favorite Holidays...it's so cheerful, colorful,and just reminds me of things "new". This year I decided I was bound and determined to make the girls outfits, and holy crap...I did...I'd post a picture, but I want to do them "professionally" first...so you'll just have to wait...hmmf...

I was looking forward to them wearing their adorable outfits to church until Brian mangled up his ankle playing basketball. He was shooting and came down on it wrong....ALL wrong...we're still not sure how much damage has been done, and he doesn't want to have x-rays done...whatever...needless to say I didn't go by myself with the five kids...

Anyways, I absolutely LOVE hiding baskets...or finding them...sounds pretty pathetic I know...but even as a teenager, I was excited about it...!! It's fun seeing it through the kids eyes too...just pure genuine excitement.

Once the baskets were all found, the gorging ensued. They all piled into the living room together with their baskets, and just ATE....

Romy didn't know what it was all about...she was just watching the kids at first. Next thing you know she ripped a Reeces egg out of Parker's hand, and the realization hit...YUMMMMMM!!! She then began scavenging the floor for jelly beans, spare chocolate, doughnuts, and finally peeps....the kids were cute...she had her own basket, but they didn't mind that she was all over theirs...by the end, she just laid there like she had just partaken of an entirThanksgiving dinner...meanwhile, I am just hoping and praying she doesn't have some kind of allergy to anything...LOL!!!!

Yes...this is my three-year-old in a rash guard and underpants...you choose your battles people...

I had just enough time to get the hurricane cleaned up, and vacuumed, when Papa and Grandma came over with their Easter goodies for the kids. They hid their Easter bags, and the fun began all over again. We can always count on laughter, yelling, and now farting noises when Papa is here...they thought they'd bought play dough for the kids, when in fact it was flarp....Farting play dough I guess...the kids have been...ahem...farting ever since...it's quite hilarious to be honest...the kids feel so accomplished by making such a nasty sound...and of course the uglier the better...

INTERMISSION.....(insert short nap here)

Finally we had family over for dinner and an Easter egg hunt. It was fun to see the cousins all together and enjoying the holiday....

I have to say that this is such an extreme difference from last year...A year ago Romy was still in the hospital during Easter, and it was so hard on us all. I left for two hours to run over to the inlaws to see the kids and decorate eggs. Then I hurried back to the hospital for Romy, I remember it was the first time they were going to let me bathe her, and I couldn't miss it...then I went back to the inlaws for two more hours to do Baskets, and see my kiddos. It was hard being away from the hospital, and it was hard being away from the kids...no matter where I was, I felt torn...not to mention I had medical issues of my own!! It is so amazing a year later to spend the holiday whole...healthy...complete...and blessed...

Americas (not) Best...Meaning Worst...

2011-04-13T19:35:00.000-06:00

So I go into that "first room" where they have you stand on the line and cover your eyes. The tech is going through the routine questions when she asks how long I wear my contacts. I said two months, and a bomb went off in the room...she started at me, going on about how irresponsible I was because they are only approved for a month, and how I run red lights at 2 in the morning, and one of these days it's going to catch up to me, and I'm going blind...because she has had 12 people go blind in December, several in March, and already 2 this month...!!! (I can't believe this isn't on the news...hmmmm) Anyways, I told her that I don't wear them day and night, like they are approved for, and that is why I extend them, and that I've been doing it for years...but apperantly that only made me that much more insane, just because you are doing something for years, doesn't make it RIGHT...(sigh)

I finally turned it back to her and told her that the way she was delivering her information was abrasive and attacking. If it truly is an important matter, then by all means, be aggresive, but not at MY fault...I have been going there for six years, and this is the first anyone has said anything about my two month contact wearing problem...I think I need to go to therapyor some kind of support group for my obsurd habit...(???!!) I mean afterall "I am playing the lottery, and this is NOT one I want to win.." She admitted that she was harsh, but that she just didn't want to see my demise...whatever chick...just let me see the "real" doctor...

OR NOT...

I get in there, and he asks me the same question, as if he already knew what was going on, and then told me that he'd have to give me the "speech". I assured him that I had the speech, and that she was very thorough...lol...He went on to say that she has to be the bad cop for him, cause he's a big dude, and he would scare people off...I told him I was scared anyways...

After that he asked if I wanted to just keep my prescription...I was thinking HUH??? Arent YOU the doctor??? He said that based on the first exam I could read the letters on the wall fine, so why don't I just keep my prescription. Well, why don't I just pay a real doctor, who will actually DO the exam...WOW...I told him that I had been using a different prescription on my eye because I tore a lense, and that it was slightly stronger...he looked at my eyes for maybe five minutes, and then put me back in my old prescription...

Whatever...

So that is my FUN hour and a half long adventure at Americas Best....we will never go there again...cept to get my money back for the contacts I ordered...

Put your Best Butt Forward...

2011-03-14T12:15:00.001-06:00

I don't know if it's just my kids, or if this is a normal thing, but they seem to sleep with their little bums in the air, and personally, it's my favorite. I think I have pictures of almost everyone of my kids sleeping this way....

Here's the most recent kids we caught doing it!!

Romy Lin

Blazer...

He actually slept there for at LEAST an hour...!! Nursery is rough on a kid!!!

And then there's the random "fell asleep while I was playing" pictures that we all love...sweet girl...!!!

Gotta love kids...they make my day!!!!!!!!!

Procrastination Makes the Heart Grow Fonder...

2011-01-28T09:27:00.000-07:00

I don't know why, but I haven't been able to bring myself to blog lately. I am pretty sure it's due to how far behind I am...cause I'm pretty sure a TON has happened in the last few months...(big fat sigh)

I realized I missed posting about the "Party of the Year"...at least the one hosted at our house every year. The Annual Halloween Party (a.k.a. Parents Gone Wild) We always have such a blast. This year we rented Karaoke, had tons of food, a great costume contest involving movie tickets and a dinner gift certificate....Oh, and Brian and I dressed up as Party Poopers...We have an awesome group of friends!!

So really I guess the only other thing to report is our change of address...we MOVED....but hold on...let me clarify...we moved the day before CHRISTMAS EVE. Folks...I don't recommend that one. We had originally planned to move the week after Christmas, but when I went to church for the last time, I sadly had three breakdowns...it was SO HARD realizing that these people who have been there through it all, wouldn't be coming with us. It was heartbreaking. I wanted to enjoy Christmas, and feel happy about it, so I decided to just MOVE...and get it over with. I am happy we did, but it was definitely stressful, especially RIGHT before Christmas.

The new house is lovely, or as my dad would say "now that's a classy home". It made me smile. We are getting to know a few people, and we are loving that we are closer to parents, and other family. Its been great for our kids to get to know some of their cousins better!!! It's not our house forever, but it's our house for now, and we love it. We want to stay in this area, so hopefully in a couple years we'll find the forever house...

Well, we are just settling in...new school...new ward...new year...new life it seems...hopefully I'll be a little more vigil about posting...I do miss it...Hopefully you've missed me!!!!!

Build-A-Baby...???

2010-12-12T02:35:00.000-07:00

I just love Oakley. She is really great when it comes to her sister Romy. She has fed her, changed her, held her of course, and even gets short little "babysitting" assignments when I need to do things like...oh, shower...!! One of her favorite things to do is get her dressed. The other day, she was playing with her in her room, and brought her down to show me what she had been doing...

Playing Dress-up...with Build-A-Bear clothes...HAHAHA!!! Why play with stuffed animals when you have the real deal??? And of all the cute outfits, she picked the crop top and shorts...my little baby looks like "Redneck" Build-A-Bear!! Don't worry, I didn't tell Oakley that...!!! But, I HAD to get pictures!!!

She didn't like the outfit either...lol...

I'm Thankful for Not Being Bored...

2010-11-27T03:05:00.002-07:00

Life seems so crazy lately, and I feel like I haven't had time to even stop to smell the roses...in fact...come to think of it...there aren't any...maybe I can stop to smell the fallen leaves...that are frozen. HMMM...
Well, I have been keeping busy with all kinds of things...birthdays, photo shoots, Holidays, family, friends...the list goes on...and on it seems. This last week I think I made the trek to Boise at least seven times...twice in one day...(40 minutes each way mind you)!! Between doctor appointments, cheerleading, businesses, family, I just can't keep myself here in Caldwell much!! Luckily between it all, cute little moments like these happen...

Does this look a little familiar to you?? How bout instead of a cute baby girl, its a mischievous two-year-old boy (also amazingly adorable might I add), and instead of dirt....NOPE....it was dirt too!! What is it about my kids and potting soil??!!! YUMMM....????

Another one of our fun adventures was Romy getting her x-rays. I figured they would lay her on a table, and shoot a few pictures, and we'd be outta there...

Ya...not so much...ever seen one of these???

Now, this isn't Romy, and this baby actually looks about 100% more comfortable in this contraption than she was...you see they actually have to put this thing on so tight that if they move or scream (which inevitably they will cause it really is awful) their little bodies wont budge and ruin the x-ray picture. She was so crammed in there she couldn't even move her arms that were jammed so tightly by her head that I thought they might be stuck there forever. She was scared and screaming (told you), and just looked at me like "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME??!!" I was sad. I had to keep from losing it over x-rays...

Now...this would be the "PG-13" section of the story. Proceed with caution...I wouldn't normally post my...ahem..."bosom containers" on my blog for the whole wide world (the whole 20 people that actually look at it) to see...but, frankly, it is unrecognizable anyhow!!! This is a trick Blazer learned when a babysitter mistakenly let him sleep in mommy's room...don't worry, she learned you can never trust a two-year-old too...check it out...

He really does look quite remorseful in this last one...or maybe its the look of GUILTY!!!

Today, I am thankful for new make-up and an awesome husband who cleans carpet like it's NOTHIN'!!!

Somewhere in this whole mess of chaos my oldest son turned 9!!! I can't even believe it...SO CRAZY!!! We took him to Pojos as a family for his birthday...first time we've ever done that, and it was fun. He then got a super cool tank cake, and some even cooler presents!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY SON...you are amazing!!

Oh, and P.S. If you're ever at Pojos, and your kids wanna use one of their tokens for a giant gumball the size of a tennis ball...be prepared for this...

And maybe a slight sugar high??

Well, I hate to go so soon, but really, I have a lot to do...I mean it's 2:29AM, and I still have to squeeze some sleep in here sometime!! But I thought I'd leave ya with a little face that I like to call "Popeye" (the cutest darn one I ever saw!!!)

I'd kiss this Popeye ANY day!!!

She's actually ambidextrous with her face...she can do this too...

She likes to suck up her bottom lip when she's eating her food...and don't ya love that little orange nose and orangy cheeks from all the orange baby food?? Do you think she bleeds orange?? How does that work?? Cause that color is comin' from the inside!!

Pumkin Bust...

2010-11-09T12:35:00.001-07:00

Does anyone else have a hard time with Sunday Halloweens?? It really makes life awkward!! We figured we would make Saturday a total candy fest...

We started at our Ward Trunk-or-Treat...well, it was two wards in fact...which made it difficult to eat. When we arrived the entire gym was packed, and there wasn't even room for the homemade chili I slaved over...(oh well, more for us). After waiting almost 20 minutes in hopes that someone would finish and stand up, we went into the hall to wait where we could sit down. It wasn't looking so good, so we decided to take our chili home and eat it real quick, and go back for the Trunk-or-Treating. We got there 20 minutes before it was supposed to end, and there were cars piling out of the parking lot...our kids were crushed...!!

On the way though, we had spotted a huge Halloween Party put on by D.A.R.E., which was free, so we thought we'd take them there...They had a lot of fun carnival-like activities...only...you had to stand in line for 30 MINUTES for EACH activity. After an hour and a half, our poor kids only had six pieces of candy in their buckets, and that was only because the Mayor was handing some out in the enormously long unorganized lines...it COULD have been an awesome activity...they set it up ALL WRONG though...maybe next year they'll ask me??

SO, we decide to take them Trick-or-Treating. After driving the neighborhoods not seeing ONE kid on the prowl, we called it a night...

Talk about a series of unfortunate events...maybe we should have dressed up as Lemmeny Snickets...hmmm...fabulous idea....

All the way home, I had the kids yell "Trick-or-Treat!!" and I just threw candy into the back seat for them. It wasn't exactly what they had in mind, but hey...they FINALLY got some candy...!!

We ended up going Trick-or-Treating on Sunday. It is a GREAT family activity anyhow!!! We go to my dad's neighborhood...we LOVE it there...!! The whole neighborhood just really gets into the Halloween spirit!!! It ended up being the BEST night ever!!! We all had so much fun...AND...their buckets were FULL...!!!

Our family...the "Party Poopers"(we forgot our party hats), Pirates of the Caribbean: Davey Jones, Jack Sparrow, and Elizabeth Swan, a monkey, and and Owl...

I made the Owl!! And even though I had NO idea what I was doing...I love it!!!

Parents Gone Wild...

2010-11-01T09:47:00.001-06:00

Well, we always have SUCH a blast with our Annual Halloween Party. If you haven't been yet...you are MISSING OUT!!!! Where else can you get a ton of adults together to dance, limbo, karaoke, party, and make FOOLS of themselves and not be all liquored up??!! Nowhere...I'm telling ya....

I think the best part is seeing everyone's costumes. People put so much time and effort into it...and it is AWESOME!! We're talking hand painted shirts, Men sewing, custom tattoos, hair in places I didn't realize there could BE hair, hundreds of safetypins....It really is SO COOL!! I for one stressed about ours for weeks...I just couldn't get the picture in my head to come to life...until...BOOM it hit me...and I came up with this...!!

Yes, it was PERFECT. The ULTIMATE Party Poopers, and although we didn't win, we sure had fun wearing them...I mean, how often in life can you say you were So crappy, and feel good about it?? LOL...it was the joke of the night...we kept waiting for someone to call us a sh**head...but luckily...we weren't THAT crappy...!!!

And the winners of the night were...Yes...Caveman, and HOT Cavewoman...!!!

Oh ya...AND...

2010-10-20T11:54:00.000-06:00

Oh ya...and did I mention that I make stuff too?? Cute stuff...Stuff people keep telling me..."You should sell that"....SOOOOOooooooo

I am.

Come on over to my little shop...OH...and tell your friends...and their friends....and their friends, friends...

okay...click the picture...!!!

I know...I've been a VEEEEEERY busy girl...

Well, what can I say....I DO BUSY!!!!!

As if...

2010-10-20T01:00:00.001-06:00

As if I don't have enough on my plate...!! This is something I have been doing for years...in fact over 9 years...!! I guess I have just been "quiet" about it. One could say I'm coming out of the closet so to speak???

I started my training at Kiddie Kandids as a photographer for a couple years where I worked on my professional certification. From there I pursued my abilities on my own where I have captured the people and events around me...

I definately have a love for shooting infants and kids...but I have shot several families over the years as well...

ENJOY!!!

http://synergygirlshots.blogspot.com/

The Tale of Two Boys...

2010-10-14T02:31:00.000-06:00

I've been kicking myself lately because when havoc rains upon our household...I haven't grabbed my camera for visual record of our great catastrophes...instead, you will have to visualize this chaos with me....are you ready...I mean....REALLY ready...???

A lot goes on in the Lords house...here are a few incidences from the past couple of weeks...

We'll start with Parker. He thought it would be a FABULOUS idea to shove a tree seed INTO his ear canal. This seed is roughly the size of a pinto bean (are we visualizing??). He shoved it SO FAR IN that I couldn't pull it out with tweezers as I have in the past...(yes, these things DO happen more than once unfortunately...) SOOOOO, we get to go to the ER. LoVeLy.

MEANWHILE...Blazer at some point during the day while playing outside decides that he will shove a rock up his nose. Now I am thinking I have to take TWO boys to the ER to get foreign objects extracted from their faces. I'm sure that will go over well....LUCKILY, I have had EVEN more practice with this, and I was able to get it out...PHEW!!! Only one boy in the ER today!!!

Back to Parker...Upon looking at his ear, the ER doc states that it is all the way into his middle ear, and such cases generally call for an ENT to get it out, but that he'll try once just to see. They hook Parker up to this minuscule vacuum and try sucking it out of his ear...SUCCESS!!! Luckily we did not have to see a specialist, and we retreated blissfully to our home...

I hate to say that the remainder of the post focuses on Blazer, the impossible two year old...but what can I say...he just likes to keep life interesting...

If you ever wondered what would happen if you ate one those packs that come in shoes and whatnot to keep the moisture absorbed...well, I can surely tell you!! YOU WILL BE FINE. In fact, thanks to Blazer, we now know that you can eat the WHOLE PACK and be in good health. All those shiny little clear silica gels are non toxic, and harmless...the warning is more for the choking hazard...thankfully...he didn't choke...

Also, if you EVER feel like you need a make over for your make-up collection, I'll send Blazer on over to your house. All you have to do is keep the door unlocked to your bathroom. When you are tending to the baby or other needs you may have, he will gladly EAT all your lipstick, SMEAR your concealer into the counter, JAM objects OTHER than the wand in your mascara, shake your mineral foundation all over the carpet as if it were winter falling over a tiny village coating it like the first snow fall...all the while you THOUGHT he was playing happily in the playroom...LUCKILY, lipstick is harmless to consume as well...

How are the visualizations going...would you like to borrow him yet?? He really is super adorable...and I love his little face!!!

In fact that sweet little face of his LOVES to chew gum!! Today, he came inside chewing a piece of gum. I asked him where he got it and he pointed outside with the biggest grin on his face...cheeky...Carter then proceeds to tell me that it was the gum that fell out of his mouth outside several days ago...he looked and looked and couldn't find it...Blazer took care of that one...YUMMMM...that gives a whole new meaning to "Lost and Found"!!!

Do you find it ironic that I found this picture and there's gum in Blazer's mouth??

Well...I hope that you enjoyed the small glimpse into our world over here...it is a crazy one...full of excitement and awe...!!

Moral of the story?? I definitely think that God has a real sense of humor...and I love that he shares it with me most every day...!!!

Dear Doctor...

2010-10-12T01:38:00.000-06:00

Thought I'd share the letter that I wrote to our former pediatrician. I thought he might be interested to know why out of the blue 5 of his patients switched practices...I sent it last Saturday...I don't expect a response, though I do wonder if I'll get one...here it goes!!!

Dear "Doctor" (I won't use his name for the sake of it...),

I really felt like I wanted to express my reasoning for switching practices, as it was not an easy or fast choice. I have always loved having you as a doctor, and felt like you have treated me and my children with care. I was especially impressed with the care you gave Oakley when she went through so many UTI’s, and your persistence in finding some answers for us. It meant so much to me!!!

When we had Romy, I felt like she didn’t get quite the same treatment. When I had concerns, I felt like they were not addressed, but brushed off. This is not entirely your fault because many times I called in and could only speak with your nurse. On one occasion I had called in because Romy had been overly fussy for 5 days straight. I had tried everything it seemed. Chris suggested that maybe she had gas, and needed me to play “motor boat” with her legs amongst other basic suggestions. If I am calling in, this means that I have tried EVERYTHING else, and I am out of ideas. I also called in about her anisocoria, and was told it was not a problem she needed to be seen for. It wasn’t until I had an actual appt that I was able to bring it up and get her to a specialist.

It was beginning to feel as though my concerns weren’t being addressed, and my biggest concern had yet to happen. In July, I began noticing that she wasn’t using her right arm. She moves it, but she doesn’t use it. When I spoke to you about it, you thought that maybe she was showing a hand preference. I was disappointed when you didn’t examine her. I was so torn. When seeing some of her specialists, I brought up the symptom with them, and they told me that children do not have hand preferences until about the age of 2, and that I should bring this up with my pediatrician. Imagine my discouragement when I had already done that. Our ophthalmologist decided that it was concerning enough along with her anisocoria that she wanted to find out more. She went on to order an MRI on her head and shoulder. Thus beginning a battle between offices for me.

When central scheduling called me, the tests had been changed from MRI’s to CT scans. I was frustrated. Why put my child through anesthesia and un-necessary radiation because it was “cheaper” as Chris explained to me. I tried to explain that if we DIDN’T find something wrong, I would demand an MRI to find more information because I felt like my daughter had a real symptom going on that needed to be addressed. If the CT scans DID find something, you would want an MRI done for her to find out more…so either way, she would have ended up in an MRI and it would not be cheaper. Chris proceeded to tell me that you did not feel like it was necessary, and that you had no ability to change the tests. So I called the ophthalmologist back and discussed my concerns with them. They agreed, and called and talked with you. The test STILL remained CT scans.

The decision to leave finally came down to feeling that my intuition and concerns did not matter. I needed to find someone that would listen and validate. I understand that you may deal with some moms that are new that will jump at everything, but I have been doing this for nine years, and feel as though that should earn me just a little credibility. I have children that were never even seen other than shots…so it isn’t like I have made a reputation of un-necessarily seeing the doctor.

I really didn’t want to leave. I didn’t. It was such a hard decision. You really were a good doctor, and I really wanted you to hear me. It took four months to make the decision to find another doctor, and took having someone I knew to make that decision. I didn’t just go to anyone…they had to be just as good.

I just wanted to let you know that Romy did have her MRI’s done. We got the results back yesterday, and found out that she has had either a stroke or a brain bleed (corona radiata) on the left side of her brain explaining why her eye and arm are affected. They aren’t sure yet how much damage there has been, and we will be seeing a neurologist to begin her journey.

I don’t want this to be a hate letter, or a finger-pointing letter, but maybe just an eye-opening letter for you. Please, please just listen. Sometimes it may be nothing…and sometimes it may be something. I thought it would feel good to be right about this after everything that had happened…but sometimes, you don’t want to be right…because it’s not about being right…it’s about being heard.

Thank you for all that you have done for my children. I really appreciate it all. I really do. I think you are a fine doctor, and I really wish that things would have been different.

Take care,

The Lords Family…

Sweet Romy Lin at the hospital getting ready for her MRIs!!!

A new road for a tough little girl...

2010-10-06T02:27:00.000-06:00

I wish I had some fancy pictures, or some cute little story to tell, but this is just not that post...

Romy Lin had some MRI's done last week on her head and cervical spine. She hasn't been using her right arm and that has been kind of a red flag...

It started in July, I started noticing it..I talked to my doctor, and he didn't seem concerned by it at all... "maybe she's left handed" he said. I wasn't convinced, so at her next opthamologist appt, I brought it up. She told me that babies don't have a hand preference, and that I should talk to my pediatrician about it...she got involved at that point since he has more or less brushed off the subject. She had some MRI's ordered but when scheduling called me from the hospital the tests had been changed to CT scans. I was bugged. I called the pediatrician to find out why, and the nurse told me that CT scans were cheaper. I was "rather mad". MRI's show so much more, and are less risky to infants. CT scans subject her to a ton of radiation, and doctors are finding that babies who have had the procedure are high risk for cancer by the time they are 20...!!! Either way she would have to be put under...so lets get the MOST information possible...

I tried explaining my case that it wouldn't be cheaper because if they DIDN'T find anything...I would want an MRI because I really felt strongly that we needed to find more out...

If they DID find something...They would want an MRI to FIND MORE OUT...so either way she would have ended up in an MRI...

They didn't feel it was necessary...

So I called the opthamologist and stressed my point there...they agreed, called the pediatrician, and the pediatrician STILL didn't change it....

FRUSTRATION.

Luckily, I have a good friend who has an AWESOME brother who is also a doctor. She helped me to make that step in changing pediatricians...and I'm SO GLAD I DID!!!

Within the first appt, he addressed ALL of my concerns, and validated them, told me NO WAY did he want CT scans...they were TO RISKY, and ordered her in for MRI's. He talked about how mothers have intuition, and he listened...!! I really feel like doctors SHOULD listen to moms...I understand that maybe first time moms might jump at every little thing...but come on people...I've been doing this for NINE YEARS...give me just a LITTLE credibility...it was so refreshing when someone did...

Which brings me to today...we got the results of the MRI's...Romy Lin has suffered a stroke or brain bleed on the left side of her brain. We don't have a ton of answers yet, but her right arm, leg and possibly the vision in her right eye will most likely be affected. I am anxious to meet with the neurologists for more answers and a real prognosis, but we are staying super optimistic...why wouldn't we??!! She is really a happy girl, and even if she has a hard time with these things...she is healthy. She is strong. This girl has been through SO MUCH in her little life already...and this won't change that at all...she's a tough little cookie...!!!

I thought it would feel good to be right...but sometimes you don't want to be right...because it's not really about being right...it's about being heard. This doctor listened to me...and now my daughter can begin her journey...

Deja Vu...

2010-09-15T15:43:00.000-06:00

Member that one time with the one thing that I thought could NEVER happen in the first place...but definately couldn't happen twice???

I must have some SERIOUSLY MAD SKILLS....

So I decided to go to Wendy's and grab some lunch before heading to Ontario for some couponing, since for some reason people here aren't "coupon courteous"....On my way in to Rite Aid, there were two women on their way OUT with several cart fulls of the stuff each that I needed...I get it...get some great deals...but come on...save some for the rest of us...!!

Anyways...Wendy's...I pull up to pay, and somehow when I take my debit card out of my wallet to hand it to the cashier....it falls here....

HOW THE HECK do I have the luck that my card would jump out of my hand, do a double axle reverse group dive INTO the TINY crevice next to the cup holder....

Seriously people...

(see how SMALL this thing is??!!!)

So I can't figure out what the heck to do!! I start trying to pry up the entire center console of my rig. The fast food guy is telling me to be careful, and finally tries to just give me my food free...

Why do these random acts of bizarre coincidences happen to me??

I didn't make him give me my food for free...I gave him a different card, and went on my merry little way...completely perplexed...

When I got home, we had a "car cleaning party", and Oakley was able to slide something through the back of the console under the seats to get my card back....SMART GIRL!!!!

Moral of the Story: If you think something couldn't happen to you...chances are, THEY MOST SURELY WILL........TWICE...!!! OH...and I am a genius...ya...

Fix it Friday...

2010-09-10T13:46:00.000-06:00

As if I have nothing better to do....Oh well, I enjoy editing pictures...even if I have NO IDEA who the people are.

Here is the BEFORE:

And here is my AFTER:

If ya wanna try your own editing, head on over to i ♥ Faces

Happy Friday Everyone!!

Testing...Testing...Can you hear me...??

2010-09-09T04:07:00.002-06:00

Sometimes I am wondering if I am the only one who understands me...!! Maybe I can get some insight from the masses out there...here's the scenario:

My husband wanted me to go watch him play football. It was a damp, chilly evening, I had no notice, it's a school night, and I have 5 kids to "entertain"...one being a 2 year old (and we all know how WONDERFUL he is) and another being nearly a newborn...he didn't understand why I thought staying home and getting them to bed sounded like the more enjoyable option..."Just come watch, and let them play" was his attitude...

(Go Husband...this is FUN!!! YAY...!!!)

In my head I am thinking, okay, I JUST found out about this, and I need to bundle up 5 kids, load up the stroller, chairs, drive 40 minutes both ways, and then figure out how to be everywhere at once. If Romy gets hungry, and Blazer runs off, how is that going to work...?? I could just picture myself running into the field nursing Romy in one arm and dragging a crazy two-year-old off with the other and just hoping we don't get tackled...! I think that might fall under "public indecency" (or would that be "public nudity"?? Not real sure there...hmmm...maybe I could just wear a snuggie...) Then what if one of the kids has to go to the bathroom?? Then someone trips in the mud and is whining because they are soggy and cold...by the time I get home, it is an hour and a half past bedtime, kids still need to shower, eat snacks, brush teeth and finally go to bed....

and I am pooped...

exhausted...

done for....

Am I being pessimistic??

I thought I was being realistic...weighing the options...

My husband thinks I am being negative...that I am ruining the experience before even trying it...I should just come and enjoy the game...

I am not sure why I couldn't see it that way and I was frustrated that he didn't understand...

What about you??

I don't like to look at myself as a negative person...but maybe I am not seeing what others see...maybe I am over thinking what 5 kids at a football game would be like...would they have really "just played?" I would have loved to go and watch him play...and I hope to be able to at some point...but hopfully not with the kids...at least...not all of them...

P.S. (Added Later) Just to clarify this post...I don't want anyone to think that my husband sucks...cause he surely does not!! This post to me is the difference between Men and Women....Dads vs Moms...Dads: Just pick up and go, we'll figure it out...it will be fun!! Moms: Thinking of every little detail, needs to know how it COULD play out, every little what if or what not....that night...I weighed my options, and felt like it was WAY too much of a hassle...so I bagged the idea. He didn't quite understand, but that doesn't make him a bad guy at all...!!

WWJD....??

2010-09-06T03:12:00.000-06:00

Okay, the real question at hand is "What Would YOU Do???"

I need a little help here...

So my daughter comes home from school the other day and insists on me taking a picture of her so that she can give it to her "adult friend." It's right about here I start feeling weird about the whole situation...and of course ask "Who is your adult friend???" It's her friend-at-the-bus-stop's grandma, and Oakley said that they are good friends and that she thinks she is so cute that she wants to have a picture of her...

huh...

huh...??

It's a grandma of a fellow schoolmate....it's harmless right?? Right...?? Rrrrrrrright....

What the heck do I do...??

Should I give this "adult friend" a picture of my daughter??!! What Would YOU Do??!!

Es for Fun...

2010-09-03T09:37:00.000-06:00

Well, I had a few spare moment this morning...so...WHY NOT??!! It's called "Fix it Friday"...I made this photo...

From this photo...

If ya wanna join the fun, check out I ♥ faces !!

Discovery Channel...

2010-09-02T00:45:00.001-06:00

We have a live discovery channel going on at our house daily. Carter made an insect cage out of a large water container, and since then he and the other kids have filled it with 2 butterflies, and 4 grasshoppers. Unfortunately, the butterflies didn't survive, and I have since banned them from catching them, but amazingly enough...the the "hoppers" have survived for quite a while...

that is...

until...

Carter's uncle found this and added it to the collection. Carter has been charting his observations as if he were a scientist doing some major research. The praying mantis has eaten a couple of the grasshoppers, but leaves the head and legs, at which point the grasshoppers become cannibals, and work on the rest. It was weird that they were all living peacefully until the Mantis showed up and made everyone crazy!! I guess it gives him plenty to document...!!

Well, Carter sure has a love for this stuff, and his favorite channel is the Discovery Channel...he could watch that for hours, and not get bored...I start hearing the narration, and find myself drifting off while he is riveted and focused...

That's my boy...

Every Good Thing....

2010-08-28T02:11:00.001-06:00

Comes to an end...right...?? NO. Summer, yes...summer has come and gone...as if the "fall" breaker was turned on. The nights are cooler, the days are shorter...and I SWEAR that just last week the sun was still up at 10:00 at night...WEIRD...Well, the fun summer times may have come to an end, but these moments won't ever end...

Seeing all the younger cousins trying to be master rafters, and building lasting friendships...

Seeing your husband hold your child, and knowing that they won't be small enough to hold forever, but they will always be your baby...

Building traditions with family and friends...

It ALWAYS feels SO NICE to shower when you have been outdoors for SO LONG...

(really Romy...someday, you'll agree...)

Seeing your husband camp so hard that he crashes with your sleeping girl, and realizing that he will be this guy in 30 years, a little older, in a different chair, in the same position holding his grand daughter...

Knowing that the important thing is that a little (or a lot) of dirt up your nose isn't gonna kill ya...

Doesn't matter if you're 3 or 30...it's always fun to be a kid!!!

The small things in life get the biggest reactions...(he's looking at a fish papa caught)

Looking out onto the lake at your husband's parents, and seeing that all good things can last forever...that this could be you in 35 years...and that would be amazing...

Turn That Cheeky...

2010-08-24T21:43:00.001-06:00

I will admit...one trait that I hope to work on better is being more humble...turning the other cheek so to speak. I have always wished I was the wife that was just sweet and did her duties with a smile. I wish sometimes that I was soft spoken, and gentle. If you know me...you know that's not me. I am more like the spaz with an opinion. I am not sure where the spaz comes from, but the opinion comes from my dad...which is a good thing...sometimes. Love you Daddy...!! Anyways, school has officially started. First day was a breeze...things went smoothly, and they came home happy.

Today, they still came home happy, but I wasn't when I found out that Carter was sent to the Principal's office for breaking the uniform codes. Well, EXCUSE ME!!! This would be that part where I should turn the other cheek...but I am a little irritated...the dress code states:

Collared long- or short-sleeved shirts. No T-shirts. Clothing must be free of large logos. Shirts must be solid colored and not match the bottom. Shirts can be any color but Red, Navy or Black.

The shirt my son was sent to school in was a collared short sleeved shirt, free of logos, in a solid color that did not match his bottoms. Apparently when they sent the fliers, they forgot to put the part about the shirts not having a trim around the collar. YES, they are freaking out about a trimmed collar. Am I the only one who finds this rediculas?? They threatened that if he wore it again, he would be sent home.

UGH...seriously...so, I wrote a letter to the principal expressing my issues. Tell me if you think it was too harsh...

Dear "Principal" (I used his name in the letter, but I figured I'd leave it out here...dunno why exactly...hmmm...anyways...)

In regards to my sons shirt yesterday, we were in compliance with the information that was given to us via a flier. It reads:

Collared long- or short-sleeved shirts. No T-shirts. Clothing must be free of large logos. Shirts must be solid colored and not match the bottom. Shirts can be any color but Red, Navy or Black.

The shirt my son was sent to school in was a collared short sleeved shirt, free of logos, in a solid color that did not match his bottoms. If this is unacceptable for you, then I suggest a couple of things. First, you need to send home more specific information stating that sleeves cannot be trimmed in a different color. His shirt had very minor trimming at that. Second, if you feel it was so out of character, I suggest that you offer to replace the shirt. I paid my money for clothes that I did not physically agree on, that complied with the standards that I received, and now he is being sent home with papers stating that it isn’t. The tags are off of the shirt, and it is un-returnable in its current state. This is my money going to complete waste because I would never purchase this clothing for my children to wear.

Furthermore, I find this whole uniform policy very frustrating. The few colors that are not allowed, red, navy, and khakis are not only the most accessible to find in the stores, but are the colors that represent our country and the freedom that we have. I do not find any reason why these colors shouldn’t be allowed on our children. If it is for gang related activity, then you are just acknowledging them and their behavior. We should be able to put our country’s colors proudly on our children, and state loudly why these color will continue to be used. I had to go to multiple stores just to find the colors that I did.

Finally, the uniform situation seems to be a budget waste. There are so many things that could be used as a better focus for our children than worrying whether or not their sleeve has a trim on it. How many other children is the district having to provided “supplementary” shirts for?? This is a huge waste of money and time having to send all these children to change into different clothing, having to spend the money to launder them, and the money to provide them in the first place.

I am not attempting to be rude in the situation, I just feel that these are young children and that the rules are “over the top” so to speak. I bought only enough shirts for my son to get through the week. I will not be purchasing another shirt for my son, as I have spent plenty of money on this already. I feel that my son was dressed more that appropriately, and will be sending him to school in this shirt once a week as planned. If you have any questions you may contact me at 841-8600.

Thank you for your time,

Tamra Lords

Mother of 5 children

First Day...

Second Day...

I could see how this would be so out of line...sheesh

Rare moments...

2010-08-19T20:17:00.000-06:00

They were sitting watching a show together, my two small boys, and I just LOVED how they decided to sit. It was like they loved each other or something...instead of wanting to steal the other's car, or kick the other in the shin. Pretty soon, I will just have them and Romy at home most the day...Carter and Oakley will be off to school...I am still not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing. Oakley is my "live-in nanny" so to speak. If I need a shower (or lets face it, a break), she will hold Romy, change her diaper, play with her...etc....it is SO NICE!!! Carter is good at cleaning. He will do his chores quickly and not whine about them...well...usually. So, we'll see how it goes...either way...I won't mind being stuck with this all day...

and of course this...

Filling in ___ Blanks...!!!

2010-08-17T01:05:00.000-06:00

I just realized that I haven't posted many pictures of Romy in the hospital, I did post about it, but I didn't have a way to put the photos on my blog...so I thought I would go back and kind of "fill in the blanks" so to speak...

Romy on the ventilator...

Sick little girl...

Momma and Daughter had IV's

The very uncomfortable CPAP, but an improvement from all the ventilators

This was the first time I got to really hold my daughter...it was so emotional for me

I remember I almost jumped up and down when I saw Romy's face for the first time like this...

no tubes going down her throat...

This was the first bath I got to give her...they actually thought I was weird

for wanting to bathe my daughter, and not just let the nurses do it...

Her fuzzy hair right after her bath...and before the tubes had to go back on...

Too bad most of it's gone now... ;)

Amidst everything going on...it was EASTER!!

So I left the hospital for a few hours to have a fun Easter afternoon with my kiddos...

If only I had all the time in the world to post all of my feelings, and what all went on in that hospital those five weeks. It was such a crazy time...for all of us. I have such a strong little family, and I am thankful that things have been going SO WELL since then.

As an update, Romy is now 10lbs 6oz, and is 23" long. She has still had NO EPISODES since returning home. She is on regular medication around the clock, and will be for the next couple of years. Though her heart is doing awesome, we are watching her for other things. She has Anisocoria, which means her pupils dialate differently, and she is only using one of her arms for the most part. She will go in for some testing in a few weeks, but we aren't stressing about it...we are thankful for her, and we are confident that she will be healthy...we'll keep ya updated though!!!

Our Blessing was Blessed...

2010-07-31T00:33:00.000-06:00

Man...I am NOT keeping up with my blog the way I once was...it's like I have five kids and it's the middle of summer or something...WEIRD...

Well, we blessed our little miracle girl...She is doing SOOO SOOO good...!! We really have been so blessed!! She may have had a rough start, but you really wouldn't know it looking at her...well...other than the fact that the sweety is still wearing newborn clothes...!! She was a whopping nine and a half pounds at her last appointment...I have to say...I love that it feels like my baby is a baby longer...I can savor the flavor...

Well, here are some pictures of her little outfit...and the bracelet that her Grandma gave her...and her sweet little smile...so cute!!

I wanted to put a little side note in here about my mom...she was also in the hospital while Romy was...for congestive heart failure. It is the first baby she hasn't been able to come for. I sure wish she was able to meet her and hold her. My mother is amazing, and is such a selfless person. I love her!!! I can't wait until she can meet Romy Lin...they are like heart buddies....!! I think about those generation pictures you see...well, we had all three generations in the hospital at the same time...it was such an experience I'll never forget...worrying for two really important people in my life...

OH FUDGE!!!

2010-07-19T13:02:00.001-06:00

Hahaha...leave it to my little man...!! I thought for SURE he wouldn't let one DROP of chocolate fudge bar escape his mouth...well, not only was I wrong...I was REALLY, TOTALLY, WAY, SUPER...wrong. But that's what happens when you're a mom...your kids show you that you are not on top of it, and that you do need to keep yourself on your toes...

It must have been hot outside, 'cause he sure preferred to bathe in it over eat his fudgesicle...

He sure keeps me on my toes...!!!

Red Red Wine...

2010-06-28T10:52:00.000-06:00

More like purple sharpie...or at least that's what it looked like!!

GOOD IDEA: Treating your daughter for Thrush with Gentian Violet...it really does work well...

BAD IDEA: Treating your daughter, and then yourself...and then feeding her. Seemed like a great idea at the time...until.....

Ya...this would be AFTER I tried washing it off....I didn't think that one through much!! Gentian Violet is seriously like painting your kids mouth with a sharpie...it stays for a day or two...so you can only imagine how she looked for a while...it worked though...

What can I say...I'm brilliant...!!! She didn't mind much....

Announcing....!!!

2010-06-16T21:09:00.000-06:00

Well, I really HAVE had these done for a while now...I have just been a LITTLE busy lately...!! Okay, for heavens sakes...I am a mad woman who can't seem to keep up on anything, and especially blogging lately...but just so ya know I'm still here, and still care HIGHLY about comments...enjoy what I have been enjoying for three months now...!! YEP, I said it...she's THREE MONTHS...okay, not quite...Friday is THE DAY, but pretty much anyways... Romy Lin is weighing in at 8lbs 8oz, and she is cooing and smiling...every mother's dream!!! She has still yet to have an episode, and we have been home for nearly two months. We are definately counting our blessings!!

(make sure you click so you can see ALL the cuteness...)

This and That...

2010-05-26T11:34:00.000-06:00

I don't really have any "earth shattering" news to share...which frankly, is a really good thing I suppose!! So here's a little this and that of the happenings at The Lords House...

Carter and Oakley had "Hawaiian Day" at school. They were insistent that they dress up, and so would everyone else. So, Dollar Store...here I went...DANG...for about $3, I think they look pretty flippin’ cool!!

Come to find out, they said hardly anyone dressed up. After school I asked them how it went, and Oakley said "Mom, do you know what happened to me??"

ME: silently gasping hoping she wasn't ridiculed at school....

Oakley: "Everyone told me I was beautiful"

PHEW...she IS beautiful!!!

So, Parker is our funny man. He found daddy's work boots and started stomping around in them. OF COURSE I thought...HOW CUTE...and wanted to capture it. What I didn't realize was how FUNNY he poses....what a goof ball!!!

Blazer thought Parker was hilarious...In fact Blazer LOVES Parker...he calls him "GUYS"!! The last few nights, he has abandoned his own bed, and slept in "GUYS" bed. It is rather cute!

Finally, we have become SO MORMON that we outgrew our minivan....!!! WHAT??!! Yep, you heard me. It only was a seven-seater, and even though we have seven, we must have chosen the one van that was so darn small, because Carter couldn't even sit straight in the back seat!! He had to sit sideways...and we went to Utah this last weekend, and decided...that CAN'T work anymore...SOOOOO....here's what we did...

I have to say that I was not thrilled about getting a "big vehicle". You see, I am a short person, and I really don't feel the need to "compensate" like a guy would...BUT, I liked how much room it had in the back, and we found this Yukon Denali for a STEAL!!! Luckily our van was paid off, and so our trade made for an even sweeter deal...!! We really didn't want to strap ourselves with a new vehicle, so we were blessed to find this...It is definitely not new, but it is definitely what our family needed...!!!

Litte Romy is still growing, and we are starting to wonder if her little heart was just tricking us, because she still has yet to have an episode at home. We were so prepared to be making at least two trips a week to the hospital because IN the hospital she was having a minimum of two episodes a week...!! GO FIGURE!! We really have been blessed!! She was 7lbs 12oz at her appt on Thursday...and she is a sweetie!!

Why not Challenge myself???

2010-05-17T09:34:00.004-06:00

ell, I do say that this challenge couldn't have come at a better time...!! The challenge this week at I ♥ Faces is "Faces and Flowers"...I happened to capture BOTH without even knowing!! See, I got this whim just on Saturday after my daughter's birthday party, to use the extra tulle and flowers we used to make fun flower veils to make my newborn a little tutu and headband...you can only imagine the fun I had making it into a little photo shoot!! Here is my 8 week old sleeping angel!!!!

(click to see the full image!!)

Wish me Luck!!!

And hey...if you want to enter this week's contest too...here's the link...it's pretty fun!

While I should be sleeping...

2010-05-17T09:18:00.000-06:00

ou know what I love about the world today...?? Technology!! Seven years ago, if I wanted cute pictures of Oakley...I had to take her in to a Studio...luckily, I worked at Kiddie Kandids, and they would let me do the pictures, but I did still have to pay for them!! Today, when I want cute pictures of Romy, it is ALL too convenient! I say TOO convenient because I have this slight tendancy to spend WAY too much time taking pictures and editing...it's almost dare I say...an obsession??!!

Well, either way, I am proud to show ya my daughter, and how beautiful I think she is....here she is at 6 weeks old:

Brian teases me because I LOVE sleeping babies, and I take TONS of them sleeping. I just think it is so much easier to get a good shot...they are comfy, and aren't aware of all the moving and positioning...PLUS...they look so Heavenly!!

Oakley's Birthday was this last weekend. I will post pictures of it soon, but they made the cutest little flower veils, and I happened to have some tulle and flowers left over, and got myself a little idea....here's what happened to that little idea....

Doesn't she look SO angelic?? I sure thought so!! See...sleeping babies...I just can't get enough!!

For the records....Romy is 8 weeks old in these pictures, and she now weighs 7lbs 6oz. That was the size of Oakley, who was also my smallest full term baby!!!

It's a Family Affair...

2010-05-07T14:25:00.000-06:00

I was SO EXCITED to go home so the kids could FINALLY see their baby sister. I mean it was really like telling them they get to go on some super exciting trip, OH, but by the way, you are gonna have to wait 5 weeks to go. I am sure I am not the only one who doesn't tell their kids until it's time to pack...even ONE NIGHT is an eternity for them!! I have to say, I must have THE MOST patient kids on earth. They were such good kiddos...and they were SO HAPPY to finally meet little Romy Lin...

Parker got to hold her very first. He and Blazer were the only ones home since the older two were at school. He just looked so darn proud!!

Blazer didn't know what the heck was going on. He would point to the carseat, and gasp, and then point again and then gasp. He did that several times like "Hey mom...did you know there is a THING in there??!!" I would say baby, but he really seemed to think she was an alien at first. He sure was excited to hold this alien, and even gave her the cutest loves!!!

Oakley was who I was the most excited to see a reaction from. Every night before bed, she insisted on kissing my belly, and although we hadn't named her yet, would kiss "Little Romy Lin" goodnight by name. Everytime I talked to her on the phone in the hospital, she would ask about her, and want me to kiss her. Even before I was pregnant, she would cry in her room at night saying "I am the only one who has to sleep alone!! Why don't I have anyone to share a room with??!!" I always felt bad that she seemed left out. Well, her wish came true!! I hope she still feels like this in five years when "Little Romy Lin" is getting into all of her stuff...

She may seem somber...but she is in utter awe of her little sister...just precious!!

I know what you are thinking...HEY, you forgot about Carter!! NOPE...Carter really was excited to meet her, and even thought she was the cutest thing, saying "Mommy, she is really beautiful"...but when I asked if he wanted to hold her he replied...

Nah...

HAHAHA...BOYS!!!

The Final Walk...

2010-05-06T09:51:00.000-06:00

After being in the hospital for so long and the emotions, the experiences, the tears, the joy, the people...just everything, I couldn't believe that it was finally time to bring my sweet baby home.

Brian was able to stay with me that last night, and while he and Romy Lin were quiet, I decided to take a walk down the hallways to just reminisce about the whole 5 week experience...Here is a small glimpse into the life I lived...

I guess we'll start at her room. Room 17. I can't tell ya HOW MANY TIMES...I went to this room...It always lifted my spirits to see Romy...

She was givin several cards and animals, so OF COURSE...I put them up for her to see!!

I spent the majority of my stay in Guest Quarters. It was a small little room that I could get away from all the doctors and nurses...and gather my thoughts. It was at the opposite end of the hospital down an long hallway....and it always seemed SO FAR to have to go...and everytime...I had to be wheeled in a wheelchair. By the second week or so, everyone on the transport team knew who I was...

I don't know why, but from the very beginning, as soon as I turned the corner, and saw this...

I thought to myself "DISNEYLAND!!!!!!" I had so many complications with my c-section, infections, hematomas, muscle tearing...no matter how much pain I was in, I would turn that corner, and instantly feel a little excitement. Sometimes, I left Disneyland in tears, because my ride would be broken, or wasn't working properly at the time, but other times, I left so happy, and fulfilled...

This is the lobby going into the NICU. I loved how when I would come, all the doors would open letting me in to this new world....

This is the mural I saw just before getting to my daughters room....

These are some of the doctors that worked on my girl. I owe them everything for helping my daughter to live...because without them, I would be without....

Finally, my walk took me back to the room where I would sleep the last night at the hospital...I felt so much emotion durning this walk I took by myself. Thinking of all the experience I had gained, thinking of all the emotion I had felt. I was almost going to miss this place...this place that saved my life...this place that gave me a daughter healthy enough to bring home...this place that almost seemed like a hell some days...I was really going to miss it....almost...

The next day, we really were leaving. We still weren't believing it, but I think the doctors were just as excited to get us out the door as we were!

This is her monitor...finally showing NOTHING...!!

My sweet baby in her big girl seat...

And us...leaving together...to go complete our family....!!

Of course, I was emotional all over again leaving...but I really was elated to go.

This trip to the hospital has changed my life forever...

Forgetfull Lucy...

2010-04-03T07:46:00.001-06:00

Through all this going on with our little girl...there have been moments that almost stood still...moments that I don't want to forget...because they meant something to me...

~The moment I looked up after hearing the fasted heatbeat imaginable, and seeing the look of concern on my doctors face...that look I will never forget, nor the feeling in my gut that something...just wasn't right...

~Since Parker, I have been very worried about having another c-section, because I had such a bad recovery and was hospitalized twice after he was born. When they told me this time I was having one...I wasn't even worried about that. I was almost numb. I really didn't have a whole lot of fear, just numbness. Everyone rushed around, and next thing I knew, I was in the operating room getting my spinal. The anesthesiologist doing the procedure had a reassuring voice, and talked to me the whole time. Once I was numb...physically, they had me laying on the table and I remember just feeling vulnerable. I really hadn't cried, or freaked out, or anything...I just lay there in utter shock. He stayed with me and was talking to me about different things, trying to distract me, I can remember nodding blankly, and then he asked me..."do you have a name picked out for her?"

For some reason it was this point that I lost it. It was real. I just layed there with tears streaming down my face. The next thing I knew, there was a tissue silently wiping each one of my tears. It was the most compassionate thing I have ever experienced. It was as if Heavenly Father was saying to me "I am here." I have always known that He watches over us, but in that moment, I felt Him there. All because a perfect stranger wiped my tears...

~The first time I held my sweet precious daughter in my arms, and her little heart crashed in my arms. They took my baby from me...and began treating her. I will never forget what it looked like when they gave her the medication to restart her little heart....the shudder of her little body...the small helpless whimper that came from my suffering baby....

~The "Girls Night In"...my sisters brought Twilight to the hospital, and treats, and we had a girls movie night. I had all my sisters in one room with me, and they will never know how much I needed that distraction...even if the movie did take five hours to complete!!

~The night I was alone at my daughters bedside. Her little body shaking from the oscillator. She held my hand. I was exhausted, and had to finally pry myself away from her. I told her I loved her, and she sqeezed my finger three times...as if to say...I LOVE YOU...it sent tears running down my face...

~All the visitors...you can't imagine how lonely it gets here...but one time in particular stands out. The time I came to my room and there were two girls from my ward sitting in my room waiting patiently for me to get back from the NICU. They brought goodies for me, and stayed for over two hours, talking and laughing...it was solace to my heart. They also brought with them polish, and painted my toes. It was such a selfless service that was so touching to me. The love that people have shown and offered has been so overwhelming to me...

~Brian gave me a Willow Tree figurine "Angel of Mine". It is a mother holding her baby. It was so thoughtful and really sweet! I loved it!! Then looking at it again later...I realized it couldn't have depicted little Romy Lin better. With her picc line, she couldn't have any clothing on her one arm, so it was always sticking out. On this figurine...one of the baby's arms is sticking out naked...just as Romy's did. Now I sit in my little hospital room, and look at that figurine constantly thinking of my baby, just wondering when I will get to take her home with me...

~My brother. He has been a huge support to me. Sharing his experiences with his own son, who didn't make it after being in the NICU for a month and a half, taking me to breakfast, calling me, giving Romy a little crib friend, a buffalo beanie baby named "Roam"...and so, so much more. I will never forget the new bond that we share...

~The sweat pouring from the Respiratory Therapist's face as he extubated our little girl. To see such dedication and focus, in a tense moment was amazing...

~The first time I saw my baby. She was always there, somewhere, but the day she actually "came to life"...it was almost as if you could see her little spirit entering her body saying, "Now, I am here..."

~Luguya - the nurse that got me through the hardest times. So much compasion, reassurance, so much love. It was almost like having my mom there with me...I needed her

~Barb - the nurse that I connected with the most...AND the one that knew how important having a cute little bow in my daughter's hair every day was... ;)

This is going to have to be a "never ending" post. There are so many moments that I am sure I have forgotten. So many people that have made such an impact in our lives these last few weeks...And so many experiences I have yet to encounter...I may have to continually update this post, so that I "never forget"...

Technically speaking...

2010-03-25T08:22:00.000-06:00

Okay, I am posting this MOSTLY for myself. I went through the "NICU" book that they gave me, and they had all the "proper" terms for what all they are doing, and have done for my baby. I wanted to "put them down on paper" so-to-speak, so I can remember it all. I will TRY and go in alphabetical order...good luck Tamra...

Acidosis: High acidity of the blood. Romy had this. They first tried to give her fluid boluses (bolus: lots of fluid given in a short amount of time) but it wasn't working. They then put her on dopamine a blood pressure medicine. They were tentative about doing that because the side effect of dopamine is tachycardia(tachycardia: fast heart beat), which is what got her delivered early in the firstplace. She was on this for five days.

Apnea: pauses in breathing lasting more than 15-20 seconds. Romy has had one episode of this, which caused a brief episode of bradycardia. (bradycardia: slowing of the heart rate to less than 80 beats/minute) This is about the time they decided intubating (intubate: placing a small tube called and ET tube through the mouth into baby's airway connecting to a ventilator) her and putting her on a ventilator was neccessary (ventilator: a maching that helps the baby breathe by giving pressure and oxygen to the lungs).

CBC: Complete blood count/ a test that measures red and white blood cels and platelets. She has had SO many heel sticks checking her CBC levels. (heel sticks: pricking a baby's heel with a small needle to collect drops of blood) This is how they found her infections and put her on two different antibiotics on two different occasions. This is also how they did dextrostix (Dextrostix (d-stick): a test requiring a drop of blood that determines the glucose level in the blood)

Containment: Helping baby to calm and feel safe by placing your hands to hold baby in a flexed position. We learned quickly that we couldn't "stroke" our little girl. She was too sick. When you have a tiny, you have to put your hands in certain positions, which is kind of like swaddling her without the blankets. Hey...I will take ANY touch I can get!!

CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure): provided by small prongs and a mask inserted into baby's nose. These provide oxygen and pressure to help keep the air sacs open. This can be used after the breathing tube is removed and before a baby an breath on their own. Before Romy could be on this device, she was first on an oscillator. (Oscillator: a type of ventilator that keeps the baby's lungs inflated all of the time by giving tiny amounds of air at very fast rates) I hated seeing her on this machine. It would just shake her. She had to be on this for a couple of days before she graduated to a conventional ventilator, and then eventually to the CPAP.

Echocardiogram: A painless test using sound waves to produce a picture of the heart. Romy had several of theses test while trying to diagnose her. They also did several EKG's (EKG: a record of electric current produced by the heart muscle from which certain things can be learned about the heart's structure and function) to find out why she had tachycardia .

Extubation: removal of the ET tube. She had this done twice. The first time she was showing false signs of recovery. She then plumited severely for several days with her SVT, (the diagnosis that they came up with for her heart), fluid and infection in the lungs, and hypotension (extremely low blood pressure). The second time, her scores were boarderline, but the RT (Respitory Therapist) felt she would be ready to try the CPAP. Her blood gas levels threatened a re-intubation, but she saved herself at the last minute with a normal count!!

Nasogastric tube (NG tube): A tube that is passed through the nose into the stomach. Romy had this to vent air out of her stomach while she was on her ventilators and CPAP. They would periodically pull air out of her stomach...it looked SO uncomfortable.

PICC line (percutaneously inserted centra catheter): A special longer lasting IV. It is a soft, tiny tube that is inserted into a blood vessel. A speciay trained group of nurses or doctors put them in. They use x-rays to guide them and use a sterile room.

RDS (respiratory distress syndrome): This is the most common lung disease of premature infants. It is caused by not having enough surfactant (a substance that coats the airs sacs in the lungs). Surfactant helps keep the air sacs open. The air sacs must be open for the baby to get oxygen in and carbon dioxide out of the blood...which is what Romy struggled with for days. She had SEVERAL surfactant treatments because her x-rays were continually showing hazy, fluid filled lungs.

Tachypnea: breathing faster than normal. Babies generally greathe approximately 40-60 times a minute. When Romy Lin was first put on her canula (small tubes delivering a small dose of oxygen) she would breath up to 90 times a minute. It was hard for her to figure this whole "breathing business" out!!

UAC (umbilical artery catheter): A special kind of IV placed in one of the vessels of the umilical cord. Fluids can be given, and blood can be drawn for lab testing. The doctors put one of these in Romy, and then ended up taking it out when they thought she was doing fairly well after that first night. I wish they could have kept it to save her poor heels that now look like she was stabbed repeatedly...oh wait...SHE WAS...poor baby...! It would have also saved her from having NUMEROUS IV's blow. It seems like everytime I go see her, her IV is in a different spot...! Not to mention she has that PICC line as well...

I know this couldn't have been the MOST EXCITING POST EVER...but I don't want to forget all these technical things she went through. So, I undersand if you didn't make it this far through the post...and if I get super low comment feedback, but hey...this is my journal...take it or leave it.

Things can change in a moment...

2010-03-24T10:01:00.003-06:00

I know it's taken six days to get this out...but I am sure you will be understanding...right??

It was last Thursday, the 18th of March. I had my 36 week appt. I was feeling so uncomfortable...just swollen, and just felt so OFF!! Of course, I am pregnant, so what could I expect? Anyway, the doctor asked me how I was feeling, and out of nowhere, I start crying and tell her how painful the last week has been. She reassured me that I only had a few short weeks left, and that I wouldn't be pregnant "forever", and then thought that she should check me for dialation to see what kind of progress we had made.

skip forward about 10 minutes...I HAD made progress. She could feel the baby's head, and I was more dialated than the week before. SIGH...maybe the end WAS in sight. She then got the doppler to measure the baby's heartbeat. As she put it on my stomach, I wasn't sure at first what we were hearing. It was SO FAST. That couldn't be the baby's heartbeat...could it?? I looked up at the doctor, and saw the concerned look on her face. She just kept listening.

"I don't like that...I don't like that at all...I am gonna send you over to the hospital to have you monitored."

I then asked her if I should be concerned, and she said it was pretty concerning...and I asked..."concerning like I should call my husband concerned?"

She then said that I would probably want to call him, but that she didn't think that I would be delivered today. She wanted me to be monitored, and then possibly get medication to the baby to slow her heart rate down.

I texted Brian who was in school and said..."Going to the hospital!!! Call me!!"

I then took the LONGEST ROUTE imaginabe to the hospital, got to L & D, and checked in. Before I knew it there was a high risk OB doctor and a cardiologist discussing a c-section. The baby's heart rate was reaching the 280's. On the ultrasound that they brought into the room, you could see that her heart wasn't really beating, it was more like "quivering." They decided that at 36 weeks along, the best and safest route for her would be to deliver her so that they could treat her heart directly, instead of trying to give me medicine, and then have it go to the placenta, and then finally to the baby, which could take a whole day.

We didn't have a day.

Once the decision was made, I was rushed back to the OR. Brian LUCKILY got my text, and made it to the hospital in time to be briefed and get scrubs to go back for the delivery.

My doctor's appt was at 2:40, and Romy Lin was born by 4:20...!! She was 5lbs 14 oz, and 18inches long.

It was all so surreal. I was scared for sure...but I think my biggest feeling was numbness. I was in total shock!! So many questions going through my mind...and so many fears.

They took her to the NICU and Brian went with her. He came back with a report that they had to treat her twice for her rapid heart rate, but that they were able to stabalize it. She was in need of oxygen though, so they kept her in NICU to get the extra help. I got to go see her once I was stable. They wheeled me in, and she was in a bed that had a dome over her face that was just giving her some extra oxygen. I layed there and held her hand...at which point her saturation levels dropped to 38%. They immediately wheeled me out so that they could stabalize her once again. They ended up intibating her for the night.

(in the dome)

(crashing)

The next day she was doing much better, so they took her off the ventilator. I got to go down and see her in a wheelchair, and they even let me hold her. It wasn't 5 minutes, and she was crashing again!! This time it was her heart rate soaring into the 250's. It was so scary!! We sat back as doctors rushed around getting her the meds she needed. When they give her the heart medication, Adenosine, it is almost as if they are using paddles. It stops her heart temporarily, her whole little body shudders, and then it resumes beating. It would resume at the proper rate...and then go balistic again. They did this three times before I couldn't stand it and asked to be taken out. I requested that the NICU call me when she was stabalized again. Luckily I didn't have to wait TOO long.

By Saturday morning, her lungs were beginning to fail her. One of them collapsed, and both of them were full of fluid. She was completely intibated again. This time, she was on and oscillator, a machine that holds her lungs open so that she doesn't have to breathe. It completely shakes her whole little body. She also started antibiotics, and surfactant treatments for her lungs. This little girl is so sick!! It was excruciatingly painful to see her for the first time. How could I have complained about being so uncomfortable while pregnant, when I had to see needles and tubes sticking out from every limb of my daughter. I would have gladly taken 4 more weeks of pain, than to have seen her for one minute like this...

Saturday night she began having problems keeping her blood pressures up. They tried different ways of getting it up that were less invasive, but finally had to give her dopamine. The problem with this drug is that the side effect is that it can speed up the heart rate...which we have finally gotten under control. Luckily the meds didn't affect her, and her blood pressures were stable once again.

Romy's has a heart condition called SVT. They don't know why she got it, but the good news is that her heart has no abnormalities. For some reason it just triggers wrong. The medicine she has been put on has been working great, and the cardiologists say that she will be on it for a year, maybe two. We are just thankful that it is something that can be controlled, and that there is a high possibility that she will just grow out of it. If not there is surgery to fix the condition.

Each day now is a waiting game. She is healing, and we are waiting for her to heal....we are looking forward to seeing her little eyes open for the first time...to hear her little cry...to hold her...and of course...to take her home so that we can be a family.

It is day 6, and I haven't seen any of my other kiddos. It is rough, but I know I need to be here for little Romy now, and that my kids are strong and know that I love them.

Thanks to everyone who has been praying for little Romy Lin. She is such a trooper, and I know she will get through this...but it is through everyones prayers and hope that she is!!

Heads Up...

2010-03-16T17:26:00.000-06:00

I know I am a week (or two) behind...but thought I would post none the less. Here is the BELLY at 34 weeks!! As an update...She has finally turned south!! YAY!!! For ten weeks...she was flip-flopping from one transverse position to the opposite...head on the left...head on the right...head on the left....welp folks, her head has finally landed....lets hope she stays that way!! It has been fun getting so many ultrasounds though!!

What's White, Greasy, and Spread all over...??

2010-03-12T15:29:00.002-07:00

DESITIN...That's what...

Leave it up to Blazer...just when you think he is playing contently, you realize that he may be, but not the way ya want him to be. For some reason, these messes always seem harder to clean up when you are 8 months pregnant too...go figure.

Here's to you Blazer, and all your craziness....we love you kid...you stinker!!!

Is it just me or does that first picture resemble "Wilson" from that movie "Cast Away"....hmmmm

If you give a Moose a Muffin...

2010-03-10T12:34:00.001-07:00

Have you ever read the children’s book "If you Give a Moose a Muffin" or "If you Give a Mouse a Cookie"...?? Well, short story shorter, if you give a moose a muffin, he will want some Jam to go with it...he ends up eating all the muffins, and wants to go to the store to get more muffin mix, but somehow gets side-tracked and does a puppet show, and a whole lot of other silly things...

You get the idea...

This is about how my morning started off. I was reading a blog and saw this cute idea I wanted to make...

before I pulled out my sewing machine, I decided I needed to wash my kitchen table off so I didn't get any of my "crafting" stuff all cruddy. While I was wiping the table, I noticed "crunchiness" on the floor, and wanted to vacuum, but the I realized my vacuum was upstairs. Since the vacuum was already upstairs, I decided to vacuum the up there, and then work my way to the kitchen. Ambitious...?? YES...35 weeks pregnant...vacuuming anything these days seems ambitious...

Anyhow, I begin vacuuming the upstairs. As I get to my room, I realize there is a bunch of laundry baskets that need to be moved. Moving the laundry reminds me that Brian and I have been talking about re-arranging our bedroom to make it more accessible for a basinet and our new baby...who will be here before we know it. I decide to move the room around. As I am moving the room around, I realize that not only can I NOT move my bed...I probably shouldn't. So I call the neighbor over to help me. He was super nice, and came and helped me!! SWEET!! I give him some cake, a doughnut, and some milk, and then go up and finish vacuuming my room at which point Brian comes home for a short break...

He sees the room, and is not sure about where the bed has been placed. He comes up with a better solution, and I talk him into completely re-arranging the furniture all over again while he is home on his super short break. He was THRILLED...let me tell ya...I re-vacuum again since the furniture is ALL in a new and different spot, and put all the laundry in a better spot...

Doing all this reminds me that I am 35 weeks pregnant, and my legs are REALLY swollen, and now I am having darn contractions...well, I always have them, but they are seemingly more frequent....so I decide to take a break from my projects and sit down and write about my morning...and how side-tracked I got, because it reminded me of a couple of my favorite childhood books...

As I sit down to blog, I notice that I have left up the instructions to that super cute idea I wanted to try....I am now wondering if I will be able to get to it today...I still have to vacuum downstairs...!!!

Two-Two....

2010-03-10T08:54:00.000-07:00

(I call this...The many faces of Blazer...)

You guessed it...little Blazer man turned TWO!!! Holy cow...!!! I am STILL flabbergasted at how with each child the time goes faster and faster...it's like I am spiraling down a tunnel of inevitability...!! I am going to wake up tomorrow to teenagers...the next day to grandkids....gasp....sigh...

JUST BREATHE...

So Blazer's Birthday.

I wanted to get "on top of things" and baked his cake in the morning. I was feeling so...ambitious!! As I set them out to cool, I decided to go up and finish getting ready...during this 10 minutes...Blazer did this...

Of course you did!!

Well, I decided to scrap the "Mickey Mouse" cake idea since I had a million things to do, and wasn't in the mood to bake another set of cakes....so he got this:

and this:

FABULOUS??? YES, I KNOW!!! Hey, he didn't mind...SEE???

MMMMMMM....Still tastes good...plus, he got his own cake...

(the kids thought the second one looked gross...WHAT???)

We didn't go all out, but we did take all the kids to Primos where they get to eat all the pizza they wanted, and mom didn't have to cook. They probably thought we were spoiling them...we won't tell them that I loved the idea too...!!

Sunday, we did his actual "Birthday Party" and invited the family over. Here was the "REAL" cake I made while little Blazer the destructo was napping.

He was SUPER excited to see his favorite movie star in a cake...in fact, the first cake he got (you know, the FABULOUS one) he knew exactly what to do with the candles. This one, he just kept looking at the cake, and eventually stuck his hand in and grabbed some frosting to taste....after much coaxing, he blew out his candles....well, I am still not entirely sure it was him....coulda been Papa....we'll never know...

But he had a fabulous time, and ended up with a few great gifts as well...

Happy Birthday Blazer...Lets hope you can make it safely to your 3rd one!!!! We all love you!!!!

"REAL" work....

2010-02-26T10:59:00.000-07:00

So I thought I would teach my kids the meaning of "real" work. You know the kind I did as a kid. The kind I am thankful my dad taught me as a kid....AS MUCH AS I HATED IT THEN...we knew how to work. Really work. We would get up and have to rake our entire yard...(dad...I still don't understand this, why didn't we just mow the leaves again??) and we also had a dog, an apricot and apple tree that we had to clean up after...which wouldn't have been so bad except for all the squirrels...they would take ONE bite and then chuck it on the ground...and try another...and another...and another...as IF the next would taste better or something...!! I remember it would make my dad SO MAD!! But seriously...it made us mad too when we had to pick up these NASTY rotting fruit from the ground....so gross...especially as a kid...

RIGHT....kids....that's what we were talking about...MY kids...teaching them work...!!

Well, we have a pretty huge yard, and we have a couple PRETTY huge trees that hang over into our yard...which in the summer we are thankful for. These trees however in the fall drop these big brown seed pods ALL OVER THE YARD. Last year Brian decided to just mow them up....BAD IDEA. He was allergic to them, and had some serious eye and nasal problems for WEEKS. Sooo....this year...we have basically neglected them hoping that the backyard fairy would magically come clean it all up...oh ya...and all the dog poop too...!! HE NEVER CAME. ( I say he...cause I think a girl fairy woulda come...girls have much more intuition you know...)

Well, I got all "motivated" one day and decided to get the kids all pepped up and let them clean it up. Even if it took them hours....I remember being out in the yard working from morning till it got dark....they could handle it right?? Well, I did give them incentive. I told them they could earn a dollar per black trash bag that was filled. They were ready to go...mom doesn't offer money...well...hardly ever...! I was going to just let them pick it up one by one...but then I got raking...and raking...and raked several piles for them to work on.

I even picked up a trashcan full of poop. While I was out there, they were VERY productive. Once my back hurt so much I could cry, I told them that I had to go in, but that they needed to keep working and hurry to get it done to surprise daddy when he got home.

Their work habits are not so good I'm afraid. Oakley was the best....filling twice the bags that Carter did. Parker was just plain useless...he did fill one bag, and then came in for a nap...(there were consequences for not working too). I had to keep going out there and hassling them because they would be jumping on the trampoline...or playing on the swing set...they just couldn't focus.

Eventually, Brian came home...and he basically saw numerous piles of pods all over the yard. I was so BUMBED. I had such high hopes that the kids would just work, and get it done. Luckily Brian was just impressed that ANYONE went out there in the first place to work on the yard....and he decided to go out and help them finish. Luckily he didn't have a problem cause they weren't being ground into the air for him to breathe...and the kids DID help him.

SO, the moral of the story is: If you want your kids to work...you have to make it a family affair...at least at my kids ages. Or maybe you just have to invest in shock collars with remotes so every time they stop you can zing em'...

Heartfelt and Fabulous...

2010-02-23T19:17:00.000-07:00

We had a seriously action packed Valentines!! I wish I could say it was serene, romantic, maybe even a bit sexy...but hey, with the lives we live...what can you expect?? I can say however that it was fun!!

I really wanted to be involved at the kids school...cause I NEVER am...so I put together some little treats and took them. I had to make FOUR different trips to THREE different parties, at TWO different schools...but hey, I did it!! I also made a little "something something" for their teachers...

(heart-shaped poptarts)

That night we went to Brian's brother's house for a couples night of "LOVE". They had some tables beautifully decorated and did a sweet formal "sit-down" dinner. After dining we all played the Newly Wed Game...Brian and I were SURE we would win it...cause we played it once...and did....

This time...not so much. Not only did we lose...we lost MISERABLY...!! We decided that it just meant that we weren't "Newly Weds" any more, we had graduated to "Better Weds" (HA!!)

Finally we finished up the night with a super white elephant gift exchange...!! The theme was "LoVe"...I thought this could be really bad...or really funny...I prefer the "really funny" end of the white elephant exchange (go figure)...some of the gifts were massage oils, candles, a GIANT teddy bear holding a big heart, spin the bottle (married style...ooo la la), sugar daddy boxers with sugar daddy candy....and more...Brian and I brought just a couple simple gifts. One was the BIGGEST pair (like...way huge...) of SEX-AY lacy panties I could find surrounded by a whole bunch of heart shaped DOVE chocolate...!!! I thought it would be easy to find the darn things...but I had to finally go to a "special" store to locate them....the other gift we brought was this:

HAHAHA!!! Yes, these ARE wearable, and YES I DID make them, and YES I will take orders for these MOST comfortable slippers...hehehe...I did put a pair of "real" slippers with them...I think these have GOT to be WAY more comfortable...and absorbant...haha

So that was Thursday....

Friday, Brian and I decided to go out on a date just "us"...so he took me to Red Lobster (our fav) and we shared a dish, and then ended the night with a romantic movie...Sherlock Holmes...(you had to know Brian wouldn't put THAT much money into a chick flick...) (Dang...) (We loved the movie though...)

Saturday, one of the youth in the ward asked if we wanted to go to a fundraiser dinner they were putting on, so we did. It was super nice. They decorated the whole basement of a church, and had their orchestra and choir serenading us as we ate. All the students were dressed formally in Tuxes and served us. It was really neat, and I did enjoy it for the most part...but call me weird, I felt kinda awkward!! I am just not a "serious" type of girl, and when we walked in, they asked us if Brian wanted to buy me a rose...I just grabbed his arm and kept him walking...I don't know why "stuff like that" makes me so weird...anyways...I just have a hard time acting prim or proper...I am just not classy like that I guess...!!

Sunday...THE BIG V-DAY...We did NOTHING. WHICH WAS TOTALLY FINE!!

THE END

What's in a name...??

2010-02-06T16:32:00.001-07:00

The weeks are going by quickly...It seems like I just posted pictures from being 26 weeks...now I am already 30!! Wow...!! It's funny how it can feel like it is taking for-e-ver, and yet it is approaching so fast. By the way...I love my photographer...Oakley...she does a great job, and I can just be myself with her...!! ;)

We STILL don't have a name picked out. I like Romy Lin, Brian likes Camry, and we also like Berkeley and Bentley. What do you like?? Doesn't mean I will pick it, but it is always fun to hear what everyone thinks...OH, and if you tell me you hate it...that's fine too...!! After we named Blazer it was funny how people would STILL tell us how much they didn't like the name...TOO LATE...but we love it, and it fits his personality to a "T".

So that's an interesting question...did we create this extreme crazy of a kid (of whom we love to death by the way...don't get me wrong!!!) by giving him such a bold name?? If we name our daughter Berkeley...will she be so smart and ace college?? If we name her Bentley...will she be financially set or spoiled for life?? I definately don't know the answer, but I do know that Carter fits his name...he cares about how he looks, and likes to "match". Oakley is very athletic prone, and seems to pick up quickly on things!! Parker is the "class clown." He makes us all laugh!! And Blazer, well, we already talked about that...or you can just check out my previous post for more in depth detail....

BY THE WAY...he struck again...found a bead...and the bead found his nostril...seiously kid!!

Tongue twisters are easy compared to this guy...

2010-02-02T09:54:00.001-07:00

The tales of a twenty-two-month-old terror who tries terrifyingly to test me to my tightly twisted end....

This is Blazer.

Blazer is SOOOOOO cute.

and naughty.

Once upon a time, he got into the kitty litter, and threw it all over the bathroom, kitchen, family room, and couches..."clumps and all".

Mommy cried.

One day, he got into the toilet and thought he would plunge it. This doesn't work when you don't know what you are doing. BUT it WILL get water and "toilet juice" all over your clean floors and carpet.

He is also a master at disassembling things, such as the holder for said plunger. Mommy found this in many pieces.

Once, he wanted to color with his brothers and sisters. Mommy thought wash-able markers were a "good idea".

Mommy forgot who she was dealing with...

When you are almost two, you learn new and exciting things, such as getting in and out of the tub. Naked and wet is always best, so as you can soak the carpets all the way through to the floorboards.

That is unless you have a brother or sister showering who didn't shut the door. THEN, you can go ahead and jump in fully clothed...cause you ROLL LIKE THAT...

Then there was the time when you decided you were too big for sippy cups. You have dumped plenty of milk, juice and what-have-you on the floor this last week.

Did I mention that ALL of this has occurred in just the last week??

Yep all that...Oh, and can't forget about the time when we came home and he didn't want to get out of the car. So I grabbed the mail and came in...I left the door open of course, so he could "come in too." Parker said he would get him for me. I realized after opening one piece of mail that it seemed awfully quiet. I went out front and yelled for the boys...hmmm...silence. I walked out to the sidewalk to see my neighbor in a full sprint after both boys who were already crossing the busy intersection to the park. I went into a sprint...or the closest thing to it for a seven month pregnant mom.

I should win an award for almost killing my kids.

I have AWESOME neighbors!! Who HAPPENED to be checking the mail at the very moment my "Almost-two-year-old" decided to live life on the edge..

Yep, just another day at the Lords House...

with this guy...!!

Just Say it...No, DON'T...

2010-01-28T16:57:00.000-07:00

You know those times when you want to swear at the whole world...this would be one of those times...well, not neccessarily the "WHOLE" world...I may just be exaggerating out of utter shock...

I really was trying to have a good day. I may have had a slight breakdown when Brian left for school after his morning break...but hey, it's been a LONG week, and I haven't seen much of him...then I start to feel like we are living two worlds, and maybe he will come home and realize that this girl he married is fat, old and pregnant, and didn't shower yet...!! YIKES...luckily, he is a sweetheart and reminds me that everything he does is for me and the kids...so that we can all have a better life...together...sigh...

Moving on...

I did finally shower...and then took Parker to preschool, and on my way home I thought I would stop in to have a house key made for Brian...since he lost his keys over a month ago, and STILL hasn't found them.

Blazer is being quite pleasant, chattering about, and I am waiting in line to have a key made.

Enter: "Poodle Hair" (lady who is buying paint who looks to be in her late 50's and has blondish-gray hair resembling that of a poodle)

So the register is like one of those back-to-back ones so when you are in line, you are directly facing the person who is standing in the opposite line purchasing their items (Poodle Hair). There wasn't a cashier in mine because I was just waiting for my key to be made...

Poodle Hair exclaims to the cashier: "Wow, that is the sixth pregnant person I have seen this week!!"

Me: Smile

Cashier: Smile

Poodle Hair: "Oh, I know why....UNEMPLOYMENT." She then goes on about it, but I couldn't listen anymore...

Cashier: Listens quietly...not saying anything...

Me: SILENCE...this is seriously a huge thing...I was so mad that I was almost shaking. I could TOTALLY feel my face getting hot. I had lines popping in and out of my head such as "Just for your information, I own a dance studio, and my husband runs a carpet cleaning business that services the whole bleepin' Treasure Valley...." and "Who are you to make an ignorant judgement such as that...you and your poodle hair??!!" or "Excuse me miss, HOW many kids do you have??"...there were other things that came to mind, but I would rather not say them out loud...

It seriously took all of my willpower not to say something snappy or rude to her. As I walked out to our car, she was still getting in hers, and I paused briefly thinking I would put in a "LAST WORD"...and then just stomped off to my LOGO-ED car where we make no money, but pop out babies like they are free and are money-enducing products of unemployment...cause we have NOTHING BETTER TO DO...right??

Moral of the Story: "If you can't say somethin' nice....Don't say Nuttin' at all" (Thumper from Bambi)

At least ONE of us understands this concept...psh...

Did you stuff...???

2010-01-15T12:57:00.004-07:00

Okay, I am ONLY doing this because someday, my daughter might appreciate what I have put myself through. I look like I have stuffed my shirt...(amongst other things...) with a giant pillow...and as you can see, this was taken a week ago...when I was a week smaller....AHHHH!!! I am feeling rather LARGE...!! It didn't help when I went into my doctors office and the nurse did my vitals and such, left the room, and about 15 seconds later she bursts back into the room to say "Wow...I thought you were farther along then you are!!!"

and then walks out...

And then there was this time at the grocery store...THE SAME DAY...I went to pay for my groceries, and when I took my card out of my wallet...I fumbled...and it fell. NO, that is a HUGE understatement...It didn't just "FALL" ...it EVER-SO-CONVENIENTLY went BETWEEN the crack of the register and the "turning bagging thingy" (ya, I have NO IDEA what those are called) What I DO know is that they are BOTH bolted, glued, or welded to the floor. AHHHH!! What the heck was I gonna do?? I tried to get it out with my hands, but of course, they were too big to get back in there to get it. I could see it but couldn't reach it. I also made the mistake of doing this at a "high traffic" time of the day. LOVELY. So the checker turns off her light....(SORRY LINE BEHIND ME!!!)...and she grabs a folder for me to try and dislodge the card....doesn't work. She calls a manager over all the while telling me how this has never happened before...YA, I KNOW...He goes off to fetch a hanger. Just before he returns, Carter realizes that maybe HIS hand is small enough to reach it. After much effort, he finally dislodges the card so that I can pay for my groceries...!! I go to put the thing back in my wallet and what do I do...

I DROP IT AGAIN...

Seriously people...!!?? LUCKILY it didn't fall into the crack, but it was sitting right next to it laughing and taunting my stupidity of dropping it again...UGH.

I quickly blame the whole scene on my being pregnant (cause that is what you do...right?) and the checker says "Ya, you look like you are ready to POP!! How far along are you??"

I LIED...

I told her I was 7 months along...hoping that would make it better...

I dont know that it did...I guess that wasn't TOO far fetched of an answer anyhow...I am close to that...

Which brings me to my last (not neccessarily best) "big belly" story of the day...which happened several weeks ago at church.

I was taking Parker (4 years old) to the drinking fountain...he couldn't reach, so I picked him up. One of the women in the ward exclaims:

"Put him down!! You can't be carryin him nine months pregnant!!"

"Oh, don't worry, I am not even close to that...I will be fine..." (I did say it with a smile, don't worry, I didn't bite her head off...)

Well, I guess the moral of the story is: If you are short, your belly will go on for miles...and people don't say things to make you feel HUGE, they think they are telling you that you are "CUTE"....

at least...that's what I THINK is going on....
I can't be positive...

DISCLAIMER: Though I may be sarcastic...I definately don't feel sorry for myself!! I do love being pregnant, and enjoy feeling the life that is inside of me...

What do you get when...

2010-01-13T10:59:00.002-07:00

What do you get when you send your hubby off with the kids for a few hours to a friends house...??

This...

I think the bright blue eyeshadow on Parker adds a nice touch...dont you??

(you may want to click to make it bigger...just to get a closer look )

HAHAHA....and of COURSE it would be on a school night!!

I love my man...

Is it Catsup or Ketchup...??

2010-01-07T20:55:00.000-07:00

Well, either way you spell it...I have been feverishly working on "Catchup-ing" my blog for the year of 2009....and I am super proud to say...I DID IT...yay for me...

I posted them during the times they happened so when I finally do put the year into a book...it will be in the right place, so here are all the new posts that you haven't seen yet!!!!

CHECK THEM OUT!!!

Merry Stinkin' Christmas...

Birthday Express...

2 Men and a little party...

Parents Gone Wild...

Happy reading...and commenting ;)

Nobody Nose...

2010-01-04T15:28:00.000-07:00

Well, I thought it was weird when my now four year old had an odd obsession with putting foreign objects up his nose beginning around 18 months...but apperantly, this is a trend at the Lords house...

I have tiny ziplock baggies with Parker's name and age containing the contents that we have found up his nose (well, only the non-perishable ones that is)...ranging from buttons, to beads, to a chewed off plastic fin of a toy shark...ya, that one was jagged and big, and put him on antibiotics when we didn't find it for three days....AHHH!!!

Blazer has graciously stepped into this roll, and I found two beads up the kids nose recently. I thought there was only one, but NOPE...he HAD to jam two up there...!

First bead...

White bead...look WAY up there...

LUCKILY I was able to remove them with our needle-nose pliers, otherwise, it would have been yet ANOTHER trip to the doctor for such incidences...

SILLY BOYS!!!

Merry Stinkin' Christmas...

2009-12-30T17:17:00.009-07:00

Oh, I really do love the holidays, in fact I leave the lights to our Christmas tree on 24 hours a day until the tree is so dead it has to be drug out because it is sagging to the floor and the ornaments can't stay on...

HOWEVER the title to this post IS fitting for this Christmas...

Every Christmas Eve we all open one present which is...SURPRISE...Christmas jammies, we all change into them, and then go over to Brian's Parents for games and Pizza. Once we are done there we are off to see Christmas lights, and then home to wrap for hours because we are NEVER ready....

THIS year...we actually had all of the kids stuff wrapped early, so we thought to ourselves...what will we do Christmas Eve after we get home....??

Well, I had read a story for a lesson in church which brought meaning to all of the material things of christmas...like the tree, lights, presents, etc....so this year, we all sat around the tree, and started our first year of interacting this story. If I knew how to put it on here...I would, because I really love it!! We had gotten home pretty darn late, so the kids didn't get to bed until after 11PM. We couldn't work on Stocking stuff until we knew for sure they were sleeping, so Brian and I worked on our presents for each other. Mine happened to be at the neighbor's house, so I called over there and he helped me lug the thing in so I could wrap it...all the while Brian had to hide out and keep watch of any potentially wandering children.

Once I finished, Brian had to wrap mine, and I decided to go ahead and get all the stockings ready...NEEDLESS TO SAY...by the time we went to bed...it was 2AM anyways...UGH....So much for the "what will we do when we get home" theory...

Our children are SOOOO patient on Chistmas. We tell them that when EVERYONE is up, we will go see if Santa came. We finally decided to get Blazer going at around 9:30... The kids were just so cute Christmas morning...as always...!!

Sitting in front of the tree...taking it all in and waiting for that first present...

I think this is the FIRST year that both Brian and I had NO IDEA what each other was getting...so it was really fun to watch each other open our presents...

BAND HERO!!!!

This is something that I really wanted, but NEVER expected. He had secretly been saving money for it...WOW!!!

A TOILET!!!

Okay, I can explain...First of all see how his face goes from silly to SHEER HAPPINESS?? hahaha!! He is the hardest darn guy to shop for. Every time I ask him what he wants....I get an "I dont know"...THANKS...well, when you don't know...YOU GET A TOILET!!! No really, he is always cursing our hubble home toilets, because even the kids clog them half the time...he had even made a comment at one point that he just wanted to get all new toilets....I guess he didn't realize I was listening...!!!

This must be his "practicing" face...ew babe...

We had planned a Christmas breakfast with our Friends/Family next door. It was SUPER yummy....Just when we were finishing up eating...Christmas Round 2 began. Brian's parents came with gifts galore...

Just when we thought Christmas was going to be "wrapped" up...(yes, I do know how hilarious I am) my dad came with presents in hand...!! We sure have lucky kids!!!!

After all was said and done...it really wasn't...we had planned a Christmas dinner with the same neighbors/family next door, and their brother's family. We cooked ham, fruit salad, green salad, and they all brought food, and we all ate and were SO FULL!! I wish I had taken pictures...it was such a nice dinner!!

Once we got the kids to bed...the Petersons (aka neighbors/family) came over so that we could try out my AWESOMELY FUN Christmas present....

It really was a great "stinkin" Christmas!!!

A moment in time...

2009-12-22T22:24:00.000-07:00

It happened...My son turned 8!! I really never thought the day would come...I lived in a dilusional fantasy world I guess...cause those events were just things that "would happen someday" but not REALLY...!! I guess I panick because I feel like before I know it he will be going off on a mission...can't time slow down...just a little??

We had a really great week. Carter had so many people that were supporting him. His cousins and grandparents even came all the way up from AZ to witness this awesome occation. It was almost like Christmas before Christmas having family around so much!

The day of his baptism was full of family, preparation, and happiness. I wasn't so happy that I was called the night before to give a talk...I have a great fear of getting up in front of the masses and sharing "wisdom." Ask me to get up and dance or make a fool of myself...I AM ON IT...but say something "meaningful" or "smart"...sigh...I regret to say that I am not a professional!! Well, with the help of some prayers and my sister, I was able to come up with one, and I was surprised that standing up there in front of my son and husband all dressed in white...I didn't lose it. Then I sat down, and the beautiful viola music started. I was overwhelmed with joy and the spirit, and I was so proud of my son in that moment. He REALLY understood the choice he was making. He knew more than I did as a child...It was such a surreal moment in time to see him be baptized by my husband...one that I hope is engrained in my memory forever!!

We waited for what seemed like FOREVER for the confirmation to take place. There was a little girl baptized by her grandfather AFTER Carter, and she came out BEFORE the boys did...THEN, the grandfather came out. What the heck took them so long?? We had a couple people go check in on them, and all I had to say was that now everyone knows the REAL reason that we are late all the time...!! Anyways, they did finally make it out, and he was confirmed a member of the church. Yay Carter!!! Now...I am left feeling really satisfied but also REALLY old!!

And the Winner is...

2009-12-21T00:38:00.000-07:00

You didn't REALLY think I would just blurt it out did you??? WELL, no, not at all!! I have an order of operations here people...Firstly, I started this blog as a journal, and though it is still 96.7% that, the other 3.3% loves the fact that other people relate to, comment, and compliment my blog...it makes me feel like my bloglife is worthwhile!! Everyone loves to feel "needed" right?? Second of all congrats to Kristi M...in a completely annonymous drawing format, known only to be my writing everyone's name on little pieces of papers, in the appropriate amount allotted, and then holding and shaking the container vigorously in the air as my husband drew out the name....

YOU ARE THE WINNER!!!

I really wish I could just give everyone who commented on my post a prize...but obviously, I can't...BUT, I love every single one of your comments, and I love reading all of your blogs as well!!

Okay...here's to the next 100 posts!!!

Birthday Express...

2009-12-20T00:41:00.004-07:00

Well, if Christmas isn't hectic enough...we have a little birthday boy a little over a week before it!! It hasn't been too hard making it special as he has been so young, but I am sure as he gets older, our creativity will have to get wiser!!!

This year, we lucked out and were able to go on the Polar Express train ride. Brian got up at 7am to stand in line for two hours at a bank in another city, but we got the tickets for a fraction of the cost, and were able to do something really cool for Parker's birthday!! The ride is a three hour tour consisting of riding on the train to the "North Pole", meeting Santa, singing some carols, and then riding back. This would be one of those "fun for the kids...not so much for the parents" type of events. I don't mean to sound all "bah humbug" or anything, but the "idea" of a train ride sounds magical...but essentially we drove for an hour and a half to get on a trian that really just felt like you were just sitting on a bus for an hour, while your kids are wrestless wanting to see Santa...then you get there, and it turns out to be the middle of the forest with some picnic tables, and Santa is sitting at the end. You wait for 45 minutes in the FREEZING COLD to see the guy, and then re-board the train where you get to sit for another hour, but now said children are tired and cold...and when the train ride is over...you then drive the hour and a half home...

So...who wants to go next year?? Okay, so maybe I didn't paint the prettiest picture, and the good news is that even though our kids realized that it was DEFINATELY NOT the North Pole...they did really enjoy the experience and asked if we would continue to do it every year...("yippee" she exclaimed sarcastically...)

It really does LOOK fun...see??

The kids on the train...

They all sat on Santa's lap...

The only way to keep a tired baby occupied on a bu....train...

When we got home, I made Parker a cake, and we had a mini party. I didn't finish the cake until the next day because there was just not time in the day, but he blew out candles and opened presents REGARDLESS!!

We had our family over the day after his birthday, and Papa made him his R4 cake that he requested...what would we do without PAPA??!! Well, he would just be stuck with his snowman cake that I talked him into...cause I think they are cute...!!!

Well, the moral of the story is...sometimes life is not all about you, it's about your kids...and watch out...if you tell Santa it's your birthday, you may end up with questionable photos....!!!!

100th Post...!!!

2009-12-14T14:42:00.001-07:00

Holy Moly, I can't believe I have made it to the "100 post" mark! What started as a journal, is turning into a book!! Me thinks it's time to CELEBRATE!!!! SOOOOOOO....here's what I am gonna do....

a GIVE-AWAY!!! Cause isn't that what you do on your 100th post??

Well, I thought about it, and decided I am gonna give away is a baby sling!! These are great people! They work from newborn up to 3 years old!! It's the fashion accessory that you actually NEED!!! Here's a peek at a few:

Okay, so here is what YOU have to do to get in on the action!

1. Leave a comment here - 1 entry

2. Follow me - 1 entry

3. Blog about my give-away (link it back through comments)- 1 entry

4. Read one of "My Favorite Posts" and type the 8th sentence into the comments on THIS post - 1 entry

Okay everyone...GOOD LUCK!!! You have until Saturday the 19th!!!

Here are my THREE FAVORITE POSTS...there really are so many more...I just HAD to narrow it down....!!

What The??!!

The Lords Humor...

My Fabulous Day...

Baby, It's cold outside...

2009-12-07T09:24:00.001-07:00

One of the things Brian and I try ALWAYS to get done once a year is a family photo...We generally do this in the early fall, but this year do to a "camping accident" I was barfing for three months straight and missed out on that "great fall weather". By the time we could even think about it, it was already November!! WELL...long story short...one of Brian's high school friends happened to be a photographer, and offered to do our pictures...he was a generous friend, and did it for next to nothing!! WHOA!! Here are some of the cool shots we got...it was SO cold, and the poor kiddos just had puffy vests to keep warm, so with that said, I think we got some great shots anyways...take a look-see...

Make sure you click on them so you can see them "Life-sized"...I love them, and I am glad we got some great shots in the cold weather! If ya wanna check out our photographer Jed Davis...go HERE

P.S. I added all of the text to the pictures...in case you wanted to know...;)