The Cardiac Unit at Primary Children's Hospital

The title makes this post sound scarier than it actually is. Thank goodness.

Kate had her one year checkup a few weeks ago and the Dr was still hearing a heart murmur (they found it at her 6 month checkup), so he sent us down to a Pediatric Cardiologist down at Primary Children's. I had hoped that we had seen enough of the inside of Primary's to last a lifetime- but apparently not.

Kate had to have an Echo-Cardiogram in order for the drs to see if the murmur was benign or if it was more serious. So we stripped our baby girl and the nurse hooked Kate up to the machine and let it do it's tests. Kate was seriously ticked- and let the nurse know it. This however, was the reason that I brought my secret weapon... Tyler John. When Kate cried- he held her hand and talked quietly to her. When she was irritated- he made her laugh. There is something so special about that boy- he had the same effect on Ryan when Ryan was in the hospital. I am so grateful for him and his talent.

The tests were run, and the cardiologist came in and took a look at them and at her and told us that she would be fine. That in all likely-hood she would outgrow it and the murmur was no cause for concern.

YAY!! Way to go Kate's heart! I have to admit- I was worried. And I could have kissed the dr when he told us to go home and play.

Tornado Warning

We had a tornado warning the other night. Here. In Montpelier. We don't live in Kansas- we shouldn't be getting tornado warnings! I fully accept the fact that when Yellowstone blows up in a mondo volcanic eruption that we will be burned alive- but we should NOT be getting tornado warnings. I don't want to be sucked off to Oz.

Anyway- tornado warnings aside- we also had a crazy thunderstorm that swept through. Check out the size of the hailstones!

We are safe however- there was no tornado at my house and nobody was blown away.

Big Boy Bed No. 2

I know that I should be embracing each milestone that my children hit, because I know how excited each of them are to be getting bigger- it always seems to take soooo long to grow up when you are little. But I just can't. Each milestone reminds me that they are growing up and I am losing their childhood all too quickly. My nostalgia aside....Ryan was finally able to talk us into taking down his crib and getting him a big boy bed. He has been begging us each night to let him sleep in Ty's bed because it wasn't a baby bed. So we've been playing musical beds each night. We would put Ty to sleep in our bed, and Ryan to sleep in Ty's bed. Then once they were both asleep- we would move Ryan into his crib and Ty into his own bed. This was always fine until morning and Ryan would be sad because he wasn't where he wanted to be.

We gave in- and Ryan was so excited as we were taking the crib down- he kept bouncing around the crib trying to help so that it would "go away" faster. Shaun and I finally got the crib down and the bed up- and it was the first time EVER that Ryan was ready to go to bed before he actually needed to. He got his jammies on in record time and was sitting on his bed with a story. It took a few nights for him to get the hang of it- the first night he was in our room four different times during the night (I thought Shaun was going to hang Ryan from his toes out the bedroom window by 4:00)- but now- he's an old pro.

And I guess I'm happy if he is.

Another Visit from the Tooth Fairy

Thankfully- Ty finally lost one of his top front teeth. The one that came out was getting pretty gross- it was almost sticking straight out (you know- when they are just hanging on by a thread- how they just look soo gross). He looks so BIG now (I kind of hate that part) and it throws me off every time I see him smile. The story of how it came out was pretty funny... I had worked on it one morning and Ty's mouth just wouldn't give it up. So I told him that we would work on it again later. He jumped up and ran off to play- he came and found me about 15 minutes later with his tooth in hand. I asked him what had happened and he sheepishly told me that he had tripped and fell- and hit his tooth against a board game that was sitting in the middle of the floor and it knocked it out. I guess his stumbly moments paid off for him this time! He was so stoked in the morning when he looked under his pillow and I was pretty stoked that the dollar went straight into his piggy bank instead of a request to go to the store to spend it!

Boise

About the middle of June, we got a call from Shaun's brother, Chase and his wife Dani... Chase got a new job that was allowing them to move back to Boise!! Yay! While we're not super close- we'll at least get to see them a little bit now. So we told them we would bring Ty and come help them move into their new house. I was a little leery of taking Ty- knowing that the reality of him "helping" was probably a long shot- but it was a LOT of fun having some one on one time with him! I forget how much fun he is when he isn't being tormented (and tormenting) by his younger siblings. He was so funny though- we got to the hotel we were staying at and he walked into the room, grabbed the TV remote and climbed into the bed (it was probably 3 o'clock in the afternoon)- talk about making yourself comfortable!!

It turns out though, that I didn't have anything to worry about. Ty was an awesome helper- he helped Dani clean the new house by wiping down all the window sills and the baseboards- never once complaining when he was asked to do something. I love that kid- and the trip was a good reminder as to why you need to put some time aside for each of your kids.

Happy Father's Day Photoshoot... No Peeking Shaun...

For father's day this year- I thought I would get some funny pictures for Shaun of the boys being... well... boys and a cute picture of Kate. We went with a Super Hero theme...

Is it summer... finally!?

We have been waiting not so patiently for summer to finally arrive. Today was one of the first really nice days (no rain clouds even) and I snapped a picture of the boys' feet as we headed inside for dinner (Mesquite Barbecue Chicken Quesadillas... Mmmmm)- I think summer is here!! Nothing says summer like filthy feet (to me anyway)- it just embodies the spirit of warm days running around on the grass and tripping over the sidewalk- Ryan stubbed his toe late in the afternoon- he told me it hurt so bad that we better just cut it off! He's so funny!

Anyway- what do you think? Can we pull out the shorts and put away the coats!?!

Birthday Girl (Again)

I had a few more pictures that I have taken of Kate recently, and I thought I better put them on the blog for all to see! This is Kate right before her 2nd birthday party. She didn't like the cupcakes any better this time than she did the first time. Though she was excited to see the candle again.

I took the boys outside today to get some pictures for a Father's Day card and snapped this super cute one of my baby girl- she just sat in the middle of the lawn watching her crazy brothers.

Love you baby girl- here's to another great year!

12 Months

Did you know that my baby turned 1 today? I don't know that I'm all that okay with it. I understand that there is nothing I can do about it- time marches forward whether we're ready for it to or not- but, I just feel like we just had her- there's no way she can be 1 already.

I think I'm having such a hard time with this because I have in my head that she is our last one- and all of a sudden- my "baby" isn't really a baby anymore. She's moving forward into toddler-hood without even a glance back over her shoulder towards her baby days. It just feels like I'm trying to hang onto something that is determined to slip through my fingers. I wish someone could figure out a way to freeze time, so that these days could last longer, stretch this part out just a little bit more.

I remember last year, we spent a lot of time on the couch (not much else for a beached whale to do) under the air conditioning vent. We watched the NCAA Women's Softball Championships- I loved looking at the rosters and the players as they came up to bat because I wanted to see their names. We were totally at a loss for a name for our baby girl- so I kept playing with the names of the softball players, trying to see if there were any that kind of fit. I remember I liked Katelyn. And Kelsey. I did NOT like the name Taylor. Funny how you remember things like that. I was probably the least uncomfortable with this pregnancy than I was with any of the others, and I was soo excited to finally meet my baby girl. I remember how sweet she was in the hospital after we finally did have her. I couldn't let her out of my sight- I was just in awe at how beautiful she was. And her pretty pink bow that the nurse glued in her hair. She was so tiny. I think you forget how little they are until you are holding a newborn in your arms.

I remember watching her sleep one night- everybody had gone home and the nurses had already done their rounds. All was quiet. And she was sleeping so peacefully- I remember thinking that there was so much ahead of her. Like any story- hers has a thousand pages that I cannot yet read. It's just amazing to me that something so small can be greater than the sum of all its parts and that with the addition of each of my children- my heart becomes more and more whole- even though I never knew anything was ever missing.

Katie fills all of our hearts each day- her brothers love her more than she will ever know. They love to make her laugh, they love to bring her toys, they want so badly to share their snacks and treats with her- thoroughly convinced that she will love Cheetos just as much as they do. They love it when I put Kate in their beds with them. She snuggles right up next to them, and their noses come together- it's almost like there is a magnet hidden in the tip of each one, and the laughs begin almost instantly.

I wish that I had the words to better explain how much she means to us. Her spirit in our home has brought so much joy, and our lives will never be the same.

Love you Baby Girl!

Grandma Jacki

Birthday Girl

Kate turns 1 next week. Can you believe it?!!? Where did the year go?? And why hasn't somebody invested a potion to make them stop growing and have time stand still for a little while?? We had a little celebration for Kate on Sunday with Shaun's family- thanks grandma's, grandpa and Aunt Betty for coming out to it- we really appreciate it. And thanks to Jacki and Orllo for letting us totally take over the kitchen. And thanks to EVERYONE for helping us eat the cupcakes- I did NOT want to take them all home!

Anyway- Kate wasn't sure about the cupcakes- they were pretty sweet for someone who has only had fruit, veggies and bread up to this point!

And she was NOT a fan of the mess it made. She's a lot like Ryan in that she doesn't like her hands dirty.

Kate got the cutest little outfit from Grandma Jacki- and cousin Deja got a matching one! I thought I got a picture of the two girls in their matching outfits- but I guess not. I'll have to get one from Dani- I know she took some of the girls.

Kate was more impressed that night with the sucker that she found in my purse later that night. She pulled it out and got it unwrapped and in her mouth before I even realized that she was into my purse.

Crazy Cousins

We were joined this weekend by Shaun's brother Chase and his wife and daughter- which was so fun. They have been living in Colorado for the last couple years and are finally moving back to Idaho- so hopefully we'll be able to see them more often now! Anyway- Kate and Deja are only 6 months apart so it was fun to see how close they were in size and how far apart they were developmentally. We got out pajamas one night and laughed when we saw that they were the same ones! Gotta love WalMart and their $3 clearance rack! So we snapped a few pictures of them in their twinner jammies- I love their crazy hair!

Shoshone Falls

We went to Declo this last weekend for Memorial Day and spent some time with Shaun's family. On Saturday we were able to go to Twin Falls and do some shopping (you have to love Memorial Day sales) and stopped at Shoshone Falls on the way back. Shoshone Falls is the tallest waterfall within the United States- but it doesn't always have water running because it's usually such a dry climate up there. But because of the crazy winter we've had this year and all the stinkin' rain we've had in the last few weeks- the water was running like crazy over the falls. It was gorgeous- though it was raining and the spray from the waterfall was really high- we only stayed for a few minutes because we didn't want sick kids.

Goofy Smiles

Shaun and I have come to enjoy the time after the boys go to bed, because we get a chance to spend some one on one time with Kate. Kate's personality is so sweet- I know I've said it before- but it's true. She is so content and happy. And I think she likes the time at night to herself too. There's more room to play and no one is taking anything away from her. She was creeping around the couch the other night- she's not brave enough to let go of the couch yet and walk- so she goes all the way around the living room holding onto the couch, the piano bench, a table and a loveseat to stretch her legs and practice her balance. It's cute. She'll reach for her saucer (which is usually in the middle of the room)- but chickens out before she lets go of the couch. Anyway- she was so proud of herself and was just cracking herself up- so Shaun grabbed the camera and took a few pictures- what a cheeseball!

Ty's Graduation

Ty graduated from preschool last week (*sniff*sniff), and is officially cleared to go onto Kindergarten in the fall (not that we're surprised or anything- he's stinkin' smart!). His teachers did such an amazing job at getting all the kids ready for graduation and with the graduation itself. They sang songs for us and everybody got up and did nursery rhymes (Ty got to recite "Little Jack Horner"). And everybody had a turn to stand in the spotlight and say their names, their parents' names, their phone numbers, their addresses and what they wanted to be when they grew up. Ty only stumbled on his phone number and got a chuckle out of the audience when he announced that he wanted to be a grandpa when he grows up. It all was really amazing and I am soo impressed with Snuggle Bunny PreSchool- Ty knows all his letters and numbers. He can write legibly, and is reading second grade level chapter books. It's awesome and Shaun and I are SO proud of Ty and all the hard work he put in this year! Way to go Ty!Here's a picture of Ty with his teachers, Miss Joey and Miss Lauri. We love you guys!
And a snapshot for Ty's future wedding video. Ty and Alyssa are absolutely certain that they are going to get married when they get bigger. Though they have promised to wait until they get to college. Whew!
And we had to have a picture of Ty with his best friend Brig! These guys are inseparable and are constantly asking to play.

Beyond the Barre

I am so sad that my dance year is also coming to a close. I decided when I started teaching ballet last fall that I would just follow the school year and then go from there. Well- the school year is almost over and last Saturday we had our big dance recital with all my girls. We did it on a Saturday so that all the dads and families could come. I was planning on maybe 50 people, so we set up 60 chairs at the studio, and by the time 6:00 came around (when we started), there was standing room only. It was crazy!!

I wish I had more pictures to show- and I've been asking around to the other moms for more pictures, but here's what I have to show for the night. You can see what our costumes were from the girl on the left. It was so cute to see all 30 girls in the exact same thing as they were doing warmups and stretching.

The girls did amazing!!! I was so impressed with all of them and so sad to say good-bye for the summer!!

Mornings without Ty

The school year is almost over, which means that preschool is almost over too and we will soon be getting Ty back in the mornings. I have to admit- it's been fun having just my two little munchkins with me in the mornings. We usually are pretty slow to get started- we all eat breakfast early with Ty, but we usually stay in our jammies for another hour or so before we get dressed and wash faces. Then we'll do laundry together or get dinner started or go grocery shopping. The other morning, Ryan sat at the piano and played for Kate and I for about a half an hour. It was so funny- he sat and played for little bit, and then he would sing and play and then he would sing, play and dance. Kate and I got a kick out of it. Once in a while, Kate would join in and they'd both start bouncing to their imagined beat.

Old Lady

I bought curlers for Kate's hair when I was at the beauty supply store the other day to see if I couldn't help some of the natural curl that is in her hair. The top of her hair is stick straight and the bottom is curly... I guess she got a little bit of her mom and a little bit of her dad. So I sat and put curlers in her hair one morning and then sprayed some gel on them and let them air dry for a little bit. Kate hung out in her crib. She's pretty proud of herself for being able to pull herself up to a standing position now and walk the length of her crib and back- so she kept herself busy for the duration of her "beauty shop" experience. Though I will say that trying to put curlers onto a moving target is a little challenging to say the least.

I pulled them out and scrunched her hair and I was pretty impressed with how it came out! She had a lot of big curls that framed her little face so nicely! Too bad she squished them all when she took a nap... Oh well, next time maybe I'll make her sleep in her curlers. (Do you girls remember your moms making you do that when you were little? Obviously not as small as Kate- but when you were like 5 or 6? My mom had those little pink sponge curlers that she put in my hair on Saturday nights so that my hair was curly for Sunday at church)

Pink Toes

Ty (of all people) and my sister have been after me to paint Kate's toes. I thought long and hard about how to go about doing this since she's not going to sit still while I paint them. I got Shaun on board to help me distract her while she was in her high chair one night. We wheeled her into the living room and turned basketball on (she likes to watch basketball- I think Shaun is just beside himself with joy over this) and got her a snack.

Then I put toilet paper between her toes and got to work...

Here's our finished product! I love the color against her skin- pink is just so pretty with her skin color. I gave it some time to dry and then put her on the floor. She kept looking at and playing with her toes once she saw them- it was funny. It throws me off everytime I put her in the tub though... in amidst all the bubbles there are these little pink things just under the surface of the water.

Rough

It's a rough life when you're 5...

Piggy Tails...

Remember when I told you that I tried to keep the ridiculous girly things off of Kate... Yeah... I lied. I love them. It's not that I'm trying to make her look silly- but there are just so many cute things out there for little girls. I was totally content on the boy side of the store when I just had Ty and Ryan- it was a little bit of a challenge trying to find the things that weren't too cutesy or goofy looking for the boys. Now though- it's like the other side of the store is an explosion of, well... everything. So I go a little crazy sometimes. I think Shaun misses the simplicity of the boy section...

Anyway- my mom and I found this headband at a specialty store in Salt Lake a few weeks ago- it actually has fake hair on a headband to give little girls pig-tails. I was iffy at first, but bought it anyway- and I just love it!

My sweet Kate is pretty good to me- she likes to have her hair brushed, but gets pretty impatient when I'm trying to put in an elastic or play too many times with her headbands- but this makes it WAY too easy to look like we put some effort into her 'do.

Made

I have actually been sick these last couple of weeks, and so have my kids- so we've taken it pretty easy around here lately. Today the kids took a three hour nap, and I sort of cleaned a few things up, but then pulled out my sewing machine to do a few projects that I have been putting off- and then I got to do a few fun things.

I made matching Superman capes and masks for the boys- which they LOVED! Ryan ate dinner in the cape. Here's a picture of SuperRyan posing- SuperTy was too busy running down the hall to pause for a picture. Ty was actually a little disappointed right after I made his cape. He put it on and then jumped, and turned to me with a confused look on his face.

"Mama! Why am I still coming down? I thought the cape was supposed to help me fly!!" I told him I was fresh out of flying dust so he'd just have to use his imagination for now.

And I made a skirt for Kate! This is the first piece of clothing that I have ever made that actually came out looking like the pattern. Yay! And it's pretty darn cute if I say so myself. I didn't measure her before I started- so I'm just thrilled that it fit!

To Sleep Perchance to Dream...

I love bedtime. And not just because they are finally out of my hair for a few hours- though I will admit that it is a perk- I actually like the act of putting the kids to bed. Our bedtime actually starts right after dinner, because my family has a severe case of the "slowpokes", which is usually around 6 or 6:30. The boys will either take a bath or a shower (depending on their mood) and get in jammies. By this time they are "STARVING" and have to have a snack- which is usually strawberry yogurt or a string cheese, and then we'll either watch TV as a family or read a book. Ty is an awesome reader- he's reading chapter books now and we are currently working our way through "Dinosaurs After Dark"- which he is LOVING! I love listening to him read- it's so amazing to me that he is such a smartie-pants. He loves going to the library and would spend hours there if I'd let him. He's that way in a book store too. A few weeks ago, I took him into a Barnes and Noble with me and he ran ahead to the kid's section, and by the time I caught up with him- he already had a book wide open and was laying on the floor reading it.

Ryan loves to have stories read to him- and I love that he will now sit still while Ty reads to him. His favorites are "The Cat in the Hat" and "Skippy Jon Jones"- both of which he can repeat most of the story back to you. He is such a sweet little boy with the cutest little tongue- I love the things that come out of his mouth- because it's usually so unexpected, you can't help but laugh. And he's such a happy little boy, and always willing to help me. He saves me a thousand steps a day.

Anyway- I was talking about bedtime. The other night I went in to check on the boys and they had switched "lovies" for the night. Ryan had Ty's "Baby Hoohoo" and Ty had Ryan's cat "Skippy". I had to laugh- they are so funny after I put them in bed. I can usually hear them in there talking to each other for about a half an hour before they finally fall asleep- I sat and listened to them one night. They went on and on about Star Wars and which movie was their favorite and why. It was so funny. And in case your wondering- Ryan has a "Breathe Right" strip across his nose- he snores at night and these totally help!

And the bruise on Ty's cheek is from the dresser next to his bed. He fell out of bed the other night- and how he did it exactly is a mystery to me.
And then I checked on baby Kate- and she looked so stinkin' cute- I had to take a picture. She looks like a little stink bug in there with her butt up in the air. She is so sweet in the mornings when she gets up. She's always standing up at the end of her crib when I go in with the craziest hair! It's getting longer and it has a little bit of curl to it- so it goes totally crazy by the time she gets up.