Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Taylor Nicole

Well, my sister-in-law Lisa did in fact deliver early this morning. She had a healthy baby girl weighing in at 7# 7oz and 19in long. We can't wait to see her. My mother-in-law says she looks a lot like Lisa. I hear that mom and baby are doing good, but all three are pretty beat today.

Congrats and welcome Taylor!!

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

New Baby?

We just got a text that my sister-in-law was at the hospital. More than likely we will have a neice tomorrow sometime. I have my fingers and toes crossed that she has an easy labor and can't wait to see what she looks like.

Good luck Lisa and G! We are thinking of you guys!

Trip to Tucson

So today we took Erynn to Tucson to meet with the a Pediatric Nephrologist, Dr. Apostle. He was very nice and explained Erynn's Kidney Reflux to us. He also said that there is a 80-90% chance that her right kidney will grow out of it on it's own and a 50-75% that the left will by the age of 5. It looks like we have a few years of watching Erynn closely for any sign of infection. We are just so happy to hear that there is a chance.

We already made our 1 yr follow-up appointment with Dr. Apostle (he is already scheduling 4 months out) and have to follow-up with the nephrologist here in Safford. He suggested Dr. Killion or Dr. McDonald. He said that if for any reason Erynn has to have surgery, it would be a good idea to already be working with these Dr.s because they would be the one performing the procedure. It will be nice to follow-up with Specialists here in town and not having to drag Erynn to Tucson every six months.

She was such a trooper. She did such a good job letting him examine her. She was kicking and smiling at everyone. She couldn't have been happier. I am praying that she just learns that this will be a part of her life for awhile and get used to the prodding. The Dr. also informed us that when we have other children, that there is a chance they may have similar problems. We think that it is so crazy to think that Andie and Avery are totally healthy, yet here is little Erynn with kidney issues.

We were told that because of her first infection, she may already have some kidney damage, but that it is too early to know that for sure. He suggested a kidney scan at 1 yr, after everything has healed and she was a little older to see if there was any damage. That makes me really sad. He also told us about the signs to watch for in case of an infection. He said that as she grows older she might have issues voiding or that it might be painful. He said to watch for signs of fussiness when she voided or that she might not void because of the pain. I had this really sad vision of my little Erynn not wanting to pee because it hurt or having accidents because she was afraid to pee. I think that potty training will be interesting. I can only hope and pray Lucas and I do all that we can to keep her healthy and infection free.

For now we are just amazed at how sweet she is and how fast she is growing. Last week I posted that she was 23 3/4 in tall, well this week she grew another in and is now 24 1/4 in tall. I tell Lucas all the time that I wish I could freeze time and enjoy each day a little more.

I've been jogging in the mornings and find myself just so grateful for my wonderful family. It is amazing what a little time alone and fresh air can do for the mind and body.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Trivia: Hit Songs

So my good friend Janel was looking up songs that were popular when you were born. I found out all the songs for my little family and thought that it would be fun to blog about so that I could remember such vital information down the road, ha ha.

  1. Lucas: 12/28/79 - "Escape (the Pina Colada Song)" Ruper Holmes
  2. Erica: 11/09/81 - "Private Eyes" Hall and Oates
  3. Andie: 2/14/01 - "Ms. Jackson" Outkast
  4. Avery: 5/27/05 - "Holla Back Girl" Gwen Stefani
  5. Erynn: 2/08/09 - "My Life Would Suck Without You" Kelly Clarkson

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

4th of July

In case you didn't know, I have an addiction, an addiction to bow making. I have found that it is a great way to unwind. I do it at night while the girls are sleeping. I have so much ribbon, I could probably make bows for my girls until they are out of school, that includes the baby as well, LOL!!

Lucas is always telling me that I should try to sell them. I know that there are a ton of moms out there that already make their little ones bows, but there are a few as well that don't. So, I have made some for the 4th of July. I found some adorable ribbon and decided to make some for my girls and while I was at it, I made a few extra. If it looks like people ARE interested, then I will probably do the same for all major holidays and for local school, you know to show off your schools spirit. Even if you don't want to purchase a bow, I would love to hear what you think about them. I am still learning new techniques.

3" Stacker bow, with 3 different ribbons. $2.00

3" Stacker bow, with 3 different ribbon including satin, $2.00


2" Stacker flower with star, on covered alligator clip, $3.00 for set


3" Stacker bow, with 3 different ribbon including satin, $2.00


4" Stacker bow, with 3 different ribbon, $3.00
Any of these bows can be worn individually or with a headband. I can do any combination, like I said, I have a ton of ribbon. If you would like to buy one of these bows for your little darling, email me at emj11812000@yahoo.com.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Erynn's 2-Month Check-up

Can you believe it, Erynn has already had her 2-month check-up. I took her to the Dr. today. She weighed 12.6 lbs
was 23 1/4 in tall.
She had to get her immunizations of course and was not a happy camper after that. I had to get some pics up to remember the day.

Here she is after a long nap and some Tylenol.

It never fails, her sister can always get her to smile.


We are all very impressed with her cheekies, they are getting so round.

Getting Older

I have recently had to deal with the loss of one grandparent and the deteriorating health of another. My grandmother fell shortly after Erynn was born and has since been living with my parents. She really doesn't want to be staying with them and to be honest, hasn't really made it very easy for them.

This past weekend, she stayed at her trailer by herself. I went over yesterday to help her get cleaned up and to get some stuff done around the house. I think that it is starting to sink in that she can no longer be alone. Not only is it even more of a possibility she could hurt herself, but she is much weaker than before and her vision is really bad. She had to ask me to put some of her groceries and dishes away, because she couldn't lift them up, they were too heavy. We are talking about a box of crackers and a casserole dish. I asked her how she was going to get them down and she said she wouldn't be using them anymore.

At one point in the day, she said that she doesn't mind getting old, she just wishes that it was with my grandfather. My grandpa passed away early January after a fall. It makes me so sad to see how depressed my grandmother gets and how she just gets through the day. I try to get my girls over to see her as much as possible, but lately I wonder if that is even helping.

We all miss grandpa very much and couldn't imagine life without my grandma. I know that growing old is part of life, I just wish that I could make this transition a little easier. My grandmother lost her life partner and is now more fragile and stubborn than before. I am just so grateful to have had both in my life and cherish every day that I have with my grandma. It feels good to me now to be able to help where I can. My grandmother took care of me and my sisters growing up while my mother worked. I am glad that I can give back or at least help where I can.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Easter

We had a good Easter, unfortunately my wonderful husband didn't take any pictures of the girls before they went off to church with my mother-in-law. I had to work both Sat and Sun night and was not able to go. When I woke up from my nap I found out some disturbing news. It turns out that Avery was quite a little hit at Primary. My mother-in-law had taken the girls to her ward and so Avery was making all new friends. Well, Lucas tells me that my three year old got her first kiss that day, her first kiss on the lips. I couldn't believe it. Apparently, there was a little boy in her Primary class that came up to her and kissed her. He also told her he wanted her to be his girlfriend.

I knew that Avery was going to be my headache, boy crazy child, but she is not even four. I am so scared to see how she is going to be when she gets older. Lucas and I are already preparing ourselves. We love her dearly, but she is a challenge. She did tell Lucas that she was not going to marry that boy and that it was not O.K. for him to kiss her, because she was allergic to boys. She is a handful, but a cutie pie too.

Andie on the other hand, the little sneak, was trying to catch the Easter Bunny in the act of leaving her her basket. I hurried home on Sunday morning and set the baskets on the dinning room table, then went to feed Erynn. Well, Andie walks into the living room with this pouty face and says to me, "The Easter Bunny didn't come." I was like what do you mean. She then explained how she heard the garage door open and decided to check and see if there was anything for her. She then looked at me accusingly. I explained that I found the baskets on the front porch, but then she said that she looked and didn't find anything, drats. I guess she is a smart cookie. Well, Avery was so excited with the "Bunny's basket". A little later that day I made cookies and cut then into egg shapes. Andie was like, why did you only cut eggs, there are other things like Easter Bunnies. She then said, "Oh yeah, there is no Easter Bunny, Easter Bunny." The way she said it was funny. She was accusing me of being the Easter Bunny. Oh well.

My parents came over that evening and we hung out before I had to go to work. Erynn was so sweet cuddling up with my dad. I actually do have a pic of that and will post it later.

Anywho, I hope that everyone had a good Easter. I can't believe how fast the year is flying by. Before you know it, I will be blogging about Christmas!

Friday, April 10, 2009

Two Months

Our precious little Erynn is two months old now. She is getting so big! She is so much fun! She is definitely getting more "social". She smiles and talks to anyone that will listen, including the ladies at the scrapbook store and her sisters. I couldn't be happier with the way that Andie and Avery have taken to Erynn. Andie loves to hold her and can get a little crazy with the kisses. Avery is always saying how much she loves her and how cute she is. I love my three little girlies. Lucas loves to "try" to get her to say Dada. I am sure that "will" be her first word.
What you looking at? Erynn just before bed.

Like the shampoo job. This lets you see how much hair she actually has.

Sleeping Beauty, with a mohawk.

A little grin during playtime.

She loves this mat.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Evening of Bows

Well, I have to admit that I haven't been in a very good mood today. I think that it is just that I know I have to go back to work tomorrow. I have really enjoyed being home with my kiddos and hubby. I know that the next few weeks, until May at least, will be very busy for us. So this evening I decided to make bows with Andie. She really had a fun time picking out her outfits for the rest of the week and picking out the ribbon to make bows. I will let her use the glue gun for some things, but did most of the put together work myself. I think that they came out pretty cute.
Wednesday's outfit
Tomorrow's outfit
Thursday's Easter picnic outfit

Here is my Andie modeling one of her outfits. She really liked all the pink in this one. I am really starting to see just how much older she is. I am just so happy that she is still O.K. with mom putting big bows in her hair.
Avery had to get in on the action as well. She was walking around with this disposable camera snapping "pictures" of everyone.
And then there is Erynn. I am sure going to miss her. Luckily, I only work three days a week.
Can you believe that she is already able to hold her head up so well. It makes me happy to see her growing stronger and healthy, but at the same time she is growing so fast, it makes me sad.

Paying It Forward

I got this off of a friend from HS's blog and thought it was a really cute idea.

Paying it Forward...The Rules:1. Be one of the first THREE bloggers to leave a comment on this post, which then entitles you to a handmade item from me - something crafty or yummy, who knows?! 2. Winners must post this challenge on their blog, meaning that they will Pay It Forward, creating a handmade gift -anything!- for the first THREE bloggers who leave a comment on their post about this giveaway!3. The gift that you send to your friends can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make/ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your gifts. And, remember: It’s the Spirit and the Thought That Counts!4. When you receive your gift, please feel free to blog about it, sharing appropriate pictures and comments! If you are not one of the Top Three Commenter's on this post, you can still play along. Go ahead and start your own Pay It Forward chain, and encourage your blogging friends to do the same!!So who will the lucky three be?? And hopefully you won't be to worried for whatever I decide to make for you or someone in your family!

For me, it will probably be a bow, ha ha!

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Another Video

Since my last video actually worked, I decided to add Avery's ballet dance as well. I think this is a really good idea. She watches herself and does the dance along with the video. I think this is the best way to get her to practice at home.

Madilyn

This post is for Cassandra. She is making her daughter's Easter dress this year and doing an amazing job. I sew once a year, Halloween. I am still very much novice and am so impressed with how great her daughter's dress is coming out. I saw her dress the other day and told Cassandra that I would make her daughter bows for her hair, since mom can now put it into piggies. Here are some pics of the bows so Cassandra can tell me what she thinks.

I personally thought they came out cute. I love making bows for my little girls. It is so much fun getting them dressed up and matchy matchy. Let me know what you think Cassandra. Do you think the color will go? I hope so!

Friday, April 3, 2009

Avery at Dance

We went to go watch Avery at her dance class this last Wednesday. I taped her class, so here is my attempt to upload it.

Avery is dancing to "Under the Sea". "The Little Mermaid" is her favorite movie and Ariel her favorite princess. She has so much fun at dance and I am so glad that I can share this with others now!!

Anxious for Summer

My Avery got herself in the bathtub today. She called me and told me she was a mermaid in the tub and that she had her suit on. This is what I found.

Avery loves the water and I guess she can't wait to start swimming. She actually wore her swim suit most of yesterday, until I made her take it off and get dressed.

I too can't wait for the weather to start warming up. Not much longer!!

Thursday, April 2, 2009

New Blog

So I have decided to start a new blog, one to chart my progress on my way to a healthier lifestyle. I have mentioned that I started WW and my new blog is dedicated to the ups and downs of losing weight. Here is my link if you are at all interested, it is really just to help motivate me through the next few months to year.