Basketball, Birthday & Baby Bumps

Parker can't quite sit up by herself yet, but she likes to sit up and play. So she spends a lot of time in the walker or in our home made play pen. Hey it works, right?

Gideon's party was a big success. It looked very festive (thanks to Eden's great decorating job.) And all his little friends showed up. So we had lots of food and presents.

Well anyway, the birthday boy seemed quite happy about it.

For being abou 15 weeks pregnant, Jesse looks fantastic. This is how she looks normally. In the picture below she's really pushing her stomach out.

Sunday was my boy's 3rd birthday. I woke up so sick I could barely move. I seriously felt like I'd been run over by a truck. So the munchkin pretty much had the best birthday ever because I was too tired to be a good parent.

Since he had a cough and runny nose, he stayed home from church with me, while daddy and sister stayed as far away from us as possible. So he had birthday cake for breakfast, stayed in his pj's all day and ate cheetos and watched cartoons while I vegged on the couch.

That evening I felt guilty for my poor parenting, so we had a picnic on the living room floor consisting of sandwiches, broccoli salad and orange slices. (Thank goodness for all the leftover party food.)

Other than the birthday and trying to get over the colds we've caught, we've been watching a lot of basketball (of course!) Naturally we're all in the spirit!

Oh yeah she's a Tarheel fan too!

Last night we went swimming at Green Canyon with Grandma & her church. Eden came along so Gideon had a great friend.

I somehow don't have any pictures of Parker in her darling swimsuit. But she had a great time splashing and playing in the water. And that's the update from here for now.

Trying to make sense of the Madness!

Okay its now official. I hate the ncaa selection commitee. Most years filling out a tournament bracket is fun and challenging. This year it's just flat frustrating. I have spent the last three hours pouring over box scores and replaying highlight reels and scouting injury reports. But no matter how I break it down the Southeast region just does not make any sense at all. Seriously it's a huge mess. Pitt as the 1 seed is hardly a clear cut favorite. Sure they were the Big East regular season champions but their tournament resume is fairly weak in the modern era. Florida has no business being a 2 seed they were much more deserving of a 4 or 5. I have them packing in the 2nd round. BYU would have been a great pick to dominate this region but since the controversial suspension of Brandon Davies their play has been somewhat erratic and much too dependent upon Jimmer and his scoring super power. Butler is a sentimental favorite having come so close last year. Although the Bulldogs are good, this is not the 2010 squad. Utah State could prove to be a giant killer. Since December they've lost only one game and are, in my opinion, severely under seeded. The whole region is murky at best and leaves one with more questions than answers. I guess I'll have to just make my best guess and wait to see what happens like everyone else.

On the other side of the bracket the East regional is just an absolute minefield. I get so torn anyway because I'm obviously emmotionally involved where North Carolina and Duke are concerned. With any other team I can objectively review scores and performances and pretty well predict how they might fare in the tournament. But when it comes to UNC and Duke I somehow can't bring myself to be objective. I always want UNC to win and I always want Duke to lose. Actually I'd be okay with the Tarheels only winning it all about every 3rd year as long as Duke never wins again. (See I can be unselfish.) Anyway back to my conundrum the East regional is absolutely stacked with talented teams. I naturally want UNC to win but I can be realistic enough to admit that it will be like running the gauntlet for the Tarheels to get to the Final Four this year. Not that it's impossible and not that Carolina is incapable of doing it. It's not going to be a cake walk. That's all.

As for the other 2 regions: In the west I want to see Duke lose early but realistically I have to give them credit. They have talent and experience and loads of confidence as the reigning national champs. Still I can dream and right now my bracket shows San Diego State sending them packing in the Elite 8. Although the prospect of a Duke and UNC rematch in the Final Four is enticing to all basketball fans, I would rather see Duke make an embarrassing early exit. Over in the Southwest the only question that looms is whether or not Ben Hansbrough can capitalize on being the baby brother of Psycho-T. I think Notre Dame is every bit as good a team as Kansas or Purdue, the only question is which of those 3 teams can string together four wins in a row. All of them are certainly talented enough.

The funny thing is that I sit here stressing myself out every year for what? Just to beat my mom.

Surgery

Saturday it got a lot warmer (like 40s) so we had a lot of snow melt. Gideon couldn't stand it, he had to play outside. He got absolutely filthy and muddy, but that' s okay, he had fun. Then it snowed again that night. Go figure.

I got a call last week that Gideon's surgery was being moved up a month. So this morning we were up much too early and at the surgical center before six. Gideon was in a pretty good mood. He kept saying, "Go to the dentist. Fix my teeth."

He was having fun playing in the bed this morning especially when they gave him a new stuffed dog.

Then they slipped a sedative into some tylenol and he got really relaxed. He just zoned out until they wheeled him back. The Dr. said all went well, but they just had to extract those 4 front teeth. So he'll be toothless until his grown up teeth come in.

I have no pictures from immediately after surgery, because he had some delirium coming out of the anesthesia. Basically he FREAKED. He screamed and kicked and thrashed and cried and clawed for like an hour. Seriously he beat up on both me and the nurse. It made me want to bawl. He wasn't totally cognizant, so nothing I could do would calm him down because he wasn't even truly aware it was me. Even after he knew it was me, he sobbed and screamed and cried for another hour.

It took a good hour after we got home before he stopped having meltdowns. He's still pretty sensitive, both physically and emotionally. But right now, the silliness has taken over. I hope he takes a nap this afternoon. I'd really like to go for a short run. But we'll just have to see.

Our first attempt at solid foods...

...was not at all a success. She continued to make faces, spit out the cereal and eventually cry. Oh well. We'll try again some other time.

In other Princess P news, we've had some exciting developments. She's discovered her feet and learned to blow raspberries. So that's all really fun.

She continues to be the happiest, most content baby ever, so we just thank our lucky stars we were blessed with her!

My little Potter

Isn't he so stinkin' cute! Seriously!

But....this poor little guy has to have surgery. Remember last year when he knocked his teeth crooked & his mouth swelled up and stuff? Well, he basically killed the teeth. And since last summer they've just been decaying nad have started breaking off and rotting out. I was hesitant last year to put him through oral surgery, but as his teeth have detoriorated, we've decided that it can't be put off any longer. So on April 4th they're going to go in and dig out all of the decay. If there's enough good root, they can do caps on those four front teeth. If not, well then, he'll be toothless until his permanent teeth grow in.

I'm Looking Forward To...

Getting a NookColor. Don't know exactly when this will happen, but it's on the wish list. I want to read Agatha Christie's entire library in order of publication and since a lot of books and plays are out of print (but available in electronic format) this seems to be the best way to accomplish that. I'll never give up books, I like the tangible things about books. The smell, the feel, being surrounded by them. But there's something to be said for being able to carry around an entire library at my fingertips.

Running the half marathon in SLC on April 16. I had signed up last year, but due to the knee injury I sustained in Myrtle Beach, I couldn't run. It will be fun to actually do it.

Our 9th wedding anniversary (March 12.) Hopefully Travis will be home and we can go to a fancy B&B for the night.

Gideon's 3rd birthday. He's really into the Backyardigans right now, so that will be the theme of is party. Plus for the first time we're not just inviting family for cake & presents, we're going to have a few friends over and play games. I've been having fun putting together goodie bags & prizes.

March Madness (of course!) So my Tarheels have lacked chemistry this year, but make no mistake, even though they're currently ranked 19th in he Top 25, they're still one of the most deeply talented teams in the country. Plus, there are other reasons to watch. Jimmer Freddette (above) for one. He's last year's Gordon Hayward, only with a way more fun name!

Spring! I'm so tired of ice and wind and snow. I'm ready for warm weather. And to be able to take my kids outside and play in the sunshine. It's hard living here this time of year! Serious cabin fever! Plus, I miss my tulips!

The baby showers I get to throw this summer for Jesse & Ashlynn. (I love planning parties!) And the new babies we get to add to the family in September!

Deja Vu

So here we are again. We spent a wonderful week at home, during which time, Travis got a call about going back to work, at least for 2-3 weeks. (It's not much, but after a two month layoff, you take what you can get.) Amidst the stress and worry of getting him packed & ready to go, Princess Parker started to sound congested again. Wednesday was bad and that night was AWFUL!!!!!!! By Thursday morning it was obvious that she was having trouble breathing so I called the doctor's office as soon as they opened & they were able to squeeze us in 45 minutes later.

Long story short, he said he hated to do this to us, but she needed to go back to the hospital at least for overnight. He hoped she'd only have to stay a day or two this time, but until they could get her breathing without working so hard, he didn't feel comfortable sending her home. So we came back to the hospital. So far it's been about the same. It's just been a little more of a juggling act with Travis gone this time. Fortunately, she's experienced a quicker turnaround this time. She's off oxygen already today and if she can stay off all night, we can go home tomorrow. YAY!

In other news, so we found out a couple of weeks ago that my sister Jesse is expecting her first child on September 7. We're all super excited for she and Kelly. And then my sister Cami informed us today that she's pregnant with number 3 due September 8. So now we only need my remaining 3 sisters to get pregnant this year and my parents could add 5 new grandbabies. Hey, it could happen.

My New Mantra

I've always been a big believer that having a positive attitude can affect everything in your life. Moreover I love being surrounded by positive and uplifting sayings and quotes because I've seen in my own life how repeating positive phrases to yourself can not only affect mood, but also an entire situation.

A couple of months ago Runner's World magazine ran a story about developing a mantra to use during races (and even in life) when things get tough. I've thought about this a lot over the last weeks trying to develop a mantra that would fit every aspect of my life. I could think of great words like "Powerful" and "Strong" but I couldn't seem to weave those into a short saying that seemed to fit me. I guess the trouble is that I have a lot of confidence and I already know I'm powerful and strong and capable so repeating those words just seems empty and even trite.

It wasn't until this last week that I came across an old WWII poster issued by the British government that I found my perfect mantra.

I now have a bookmark with this phrase on it and have doodled it at least a dozen times in notebooks, on letters and in txt messages to friends. I even shared it with the nurse in pediatrics before we left.

It applies perfectly to me for several reasons 1. I tend to be a little bit high strung, so a reminder to stay calm is always appropriate. 2. Because I have a lot of confidence I don't need to be reminded that I'm strong or powerful, I just need to be reminded that I'm already doing what I need to be doing, I simply need to keep going. 3. It's short enough that it's not easily forgotten. 4. It applies to any situation, weather I'm dealing with an out of work husband and two sick children or I'm hitting the wall at mile 18 of a marathon. I simply need to remind myself to "Keep Calm and Carry On" and suddenly it's like I've hit the reset button. I take a deep breath to stay calm and reconsider what I'm doing and why I'm doing it.

It may sound simple and very cheesy, but I swear it's helped me get through the last few days. And now that we're back home trying to keep kids healthy and sink back into real life, I find myself repeating those words over and over again, "Keep calm and carry on" as I deal with a fussy baby, a mountain of laundry, stress over the job and bills, an active 2 year old, my jobs at church and a million and other things. And it helps. It always helps. It might not work for everyone, but at least I've found a mantra that works for me.

And again...

You know that saying "Life isn't about weathering the storm, but rather learning to dance in the rain." For some reason I really feel like that applies to me lately. It's just been one thing after another lately, but please don't think I'm complaining. In fact, it all seems kind of comical if you ask me. Travis being laid off has really been a blessing in disguise this last week and a half. With Gideon so sick I've been grateful to have extra help around the house. And even more so when Parker started getting sick on Thursday.

So once again we find ourselves at the hospital with one of our sweet babies. We took Parker to the doctor yesterday morning because she had a terrible cough and was having trouble breathing. They diagnosed her with RSV, gave her a breathing treatment and sent her home with strict instructions to us on what to watch for. By 8:30 last night it was clear to us that her condition was worsening. So we brought her to the ER. They gave her another breathing treatment and said they wanted to observe her for a while before sending us home. After an hour they moved us from ambulatory over to triage just to "keep a closer watch" on her since she seemed to be getting no better. Another hour passed and they informed us that she was "just having to work too hard" to get air, so they wanted to keep her over night. By the time they got us up to Pediatrics it was around midnight and her condition had deteriorated to the point that they decided she needed oxygen.

Despite being beat up on, and not feeling well and hating the tubes in her nose, she's been in a pretty good mood about the whole thing.

It was yet another sleepless night in a fold out chair for me, but with the oxygen Parker got a few hours of uninterrupted rest, which was good.

And this morning when the doctor came by, he informed us that her condition was still pretty bad and so it's going to be a couple of days before we get to come home.

Grandma Cindy came up and visited as well as Aunt Jesse. And we're expecting a visit from Nana and grandpa sometime this afternoon. Gideon is being shuttled between grandparents houses for the next couple of days and with any luck, we'll get to home maybe by Monday.

In the meantime, we're just hanging out at the hospital, watching movies and using the free wireless internet. It's not so bad. But to be honest, I'd rather not spend next weekend here. Let's just go to a movie instead.

NOT FUN!!!!!

So I have more Florida pictures I've been meaning to post, but given our hectic weekend, it just hasn't happened yet. See we got home really late Wednesday night. I had been nervous about flying by myself with 2 babies, but actually it worked out okay. They really are pretty good travelers and I was fortunate on our long flight to be seated next to a lady who loves kids and actually asked to hold the baby. (Which was a blessing when I had to change Gideon's diaper.) Anyway Thursday Gideon had a cough and was kind of cranky, but I chalked it up to us traveling and coming back to the cold, dry climate. Friday morning he woke up at 5:30 just burning up with fever. (103.1 actually.) So I gave him some tylenol, which brought it down to a lower grade, but didn't really get rid of it. I had to babysit on Friday, so I sent Gideon to Nana's house for most of the day hoping to keep him from getting the other kids sick. Friday night was bad. He woke up again burning up with fever and all day Saturday all he did was sit on the couch in my arms, crying "Owie, Owie, Owie, it hurts!" At that point I figured he had fever aches as well as a headache. He was so listless and every 3 or 4 hours his fever would spike above 103 and I'd give him more Tylenol. Finally we decided to take him to the doctor. Fortunately our pediatrician's office is open on Saturdays, so we took him in around 4 pm.

After 2 hours they'd tested him for everything they could think of and everything came back negative (Flu, RSV, Strep, Kidney Infection, Bladder infection etc.) Getting a urine sample was the worst, because he was so dehydrated he couldn't give a sample, so they had to use a catheter to get one. Poor baby! I think it traumatized me and Travis as much as it did him. Still having a significant temperature and a lot of pain, the PA sent us over to the ER for x-rays and scans, believing that it could be appendicitis. (He was complaining of a lot of abdominal pain.) Of course at the ER there were more tests. This time an IV (which was good because he really needed fluids anyway) and a blood draw and x-rays. Poor baby felt like a pin cushion! After 2 more hours they came in and informed us it was pnuemonia and they were going to keep him at least overnight. Because of the sever abdominal pain he was having they weren't willing to rule out appendicitis just yet. So they decided to keep him, get him started on an antibiotic and do another blood draw in the morning to check the white cell levels, which would tell us if it was an infection (aka appendicitis) other than the pnuemonia.

He DID NOT like having the IV in. In fact, shortly after this he started kicking and screaming and trying to tear it out, so they had to re-wrap it more like a cast so he couldn't get to it.

The popsicle helped a little, but he was still crying "It hurts!" and "Owie!" so much that they gave him a little morphine to help him calm down.

By the time we got up to pediatrics, the painkillers had definitely kicked in and he was being quite funny. Singing little songs and acting silly. They put him in some pj pants, made him some mac & cheese, gave him a juice box and turned on a Disney movie, so he was totally Chillaxed!

Finally sleep! It was after 10:30 before he finally dropped off. He was so exhausted he actually slept good for quite a while. (Until they came in at 5:30am to draw more blood!)

I sent Travis home and this is where I slept. It's good that they have those chairs that will fold all the way down, but they really are not very comfortable. And between the stress and the worry, I wasn't sleeping that well anyway. And then of course I was up every hour when they came in to check his temperature and his vitals. His fever finally broke around 4:30am so that was a relief.

Breakfast was good. He didn't eat much, but nibbled on a few things and watched cartoons.

Man he was so happy to get the IV out! As soon as it was gone, he jumped out of bed and started running in circles. Amazing the difference 12 hours of IV fluid and antibiotics will make!

We got to come home yesterday around lunch time. He's still not totally back to himself, he still doesn't feel perfect, but it's definitely an improvement. He'll be on antibiotics for 10 days, but at the follow-up at the Dr. today he said we're definitely progressing in the right direction! Thanks to all those who were praying for us over the weekend. I know it helped!