Happy Easter!

Happy Easter from Us!

Symi modeling her Easter Dress.

Ben modeling his Easter Outfit

An attempt at getting Symi to look and smile, and Ben to stop being silly.

It finally worked! (i just won't mention how many pictures I took.)

Finding Hard Boiled eggs.

Success!

Here's another!

Oh right here!

Symi looking at her new "Pretty-Pretty"!

Wearing their new CTR rings!

Ben was thrilled to get Tangled! He couldn't wait to watch the "lizard", horse, and bad guys fight! Along with trying to sing along to songs he doesn't know yet, but soon will. Symi will watch the first few minutes and is done.

New Princess kite!

Ben was excited that he got an Angel Jet Kite!

So I was up all night with spuratic contractions. I was so tired when the kids woke up that I forgot it was Easter morning. Dane was up most of the night with Symi who wasn't feeling well. The kids woke up bright and early. So while I tried to roll over and go back to sleep Dane sent the kids down stairs. We heard lots of squeals and excitement followed by rattling eggs. Suddenly it dawned on us that they were in their Easter stash and we were still in bed. I don't know if anyone's ever seen an 8 1/2 month pregnant woman get out of bed so fast. And move like lightening down the stairs. We got a few pictures, after we put everything back together. It's a memory I hope we treasure. :)

Dying Easter Eggs!

Daddy helping Symi.

The kids with the final product!

Mommy with the final product.

Daddy thought they looked good enough to eat right away!

Ben so excited that he could do it by himself! He cruised through his stash of eggs and was disappointed when it was all done in 5 minutes.

Over all we had a wonderful Easter together. We enjoyed talking about our Savior, attending our wonderful meetings, and coming together with a small nice dinner to share. We then went to the Temple to enjoy some time together and chat about what Easter really is all about. It was a perfectly beautiful day.

More Memories

First time Ben smiled. He had just had surgery about 10 days before and we'd only known him to cry all the time. It was 3 am and he was cooing, smiling, and so SOO happy. Dane and I were in tears and couldn't go back to sleep even though we were exhausted.

February 2011
Just vegging early in the morning.

Peek-A-Boo to the Birthday Girl!

Happy 1st Birthday!

Lady Bug Cake!

January 2010 (6 months)

Sept. 2010 (14 months)

September 2010 (14 months)

Cheese! (13 months)

Happy Girl!

1 year and busy!

Still Busy!

The tongue was a constant thing as she was learning how to walk.

Kids and Mom Summer 2010

11 months (and not wanting to be held anymore)

10 months

May 2010 (10 months)

I actually caught her giggling and smiling!
(normally she has a silly straight face in all her pictures. No matter how hard I tried.)
(9 months)

April 2010 (9 Months)

November 2009 (Symi 4 months old)

Ben and Symi (2 1/2 months old) October 2009.

Cute Ben!

Symi a month and a half old.

February 2010 (7 months old)

March 2010 (8 months old)

Memories

Ben (3) and Symi when she was just a few weeks old.

Nursing

I guess I should just go into nursing! I'd probably have my degree by now for all we've been through medically. Sigh.

Symi has been a trooper! She loves being able to go outside and enjoy the fresh air. It always helps her fevers and her attitude. I'm sure she's tired of being cooped up in the house, and now loving the freedom of the "Great Outdoors"! She gave me a scare today. :(

I laid her down for a nap and she slept for about 15 mins and started to scream! I panicked because I've never heard her scream like that! :( I ran to her room and scooped her up out of bed. She was clammy and sweating all over. She wouldn't look at me and was ridged as a board. I tried to wrap her up in a blanket and calm her down. Didn't work. It tired give her a pacifier. Didn't work. She wouldn't keep it in her mouth. I tried to give her a bear. Nope. Talking to her. She still wouldn't look at me or acknowledge me. For 30 mins I debated on taking her to the ER or waiting to see if it would pass. Ben was napping in the next room, and I was worried about waking him too. Finally she stopped crying on her own. Hopped down off my lap. And picked up a toy and started chatting at me like nothing had happened. I was shook up. Whatever happened was NOT normal and scared me to death!

I immediately called the Dr and asked what I should do, and if I should be worried. He asked if she had a fever. Well for the first time. No. If she does it again, or spikes a fever, or has a seizure to take her to the ER right away. Boy that helps me feel so much better. :( He also said to keep a close eye on her for the next 24 hours. So far she's acting and being normal. Except the sudden excessive thirst. She's drank over 6 cups of water and juice in less than 15 mins!! Not long after her "episode". Weird. I guess I'm still shaken.

Anyways, despite the moment, she is doing well. Fevers are coming and going, and she is dealing with them like always. I haven't had a kidney stone pass in about a week!! Yeah!! Celebrating! And am feeling much better. But just very tired now. Between Symi, my health, and being at the end of a pregnancy . . . I'm just tired. But grateful to feel better, and Symi to be able to get outside to play!

Ben is doing well too. Happy and also enjoying the weather. He told me today,"Mommy, I just wish Spring could come. We missed it over Spring Break and I don't know how to get it back! I was just hoping to pick you a flower so that you could smell Spring." Such a sweetheart. Yesterday he found the tiniest flower and was so overjoyed! So was I. :)

Dane is feeling much better and grateful that the infection didn't go far. Glad to have sicknesses gone and my family feeling better!

Happy Spring!

Medical Updates

Symi's blood test results came in. They were all normal. We are being referred back to our Primary Care Physician. I was hoping for some different news. This is our new life. We just need to learn how to deal with it I guess.

I am still continuing to pass kidney stones. But I can feel that they are much smaller, still uncomfortable. But passing. For which I'm grateful that none of them have gotten stuck yet, or needed surgery!

Ben is still growing and doing well. Since his "bad virus", surgery, and then pneumonia, he has finally caught back up to his original weight. Which isn't much, but good for him. (31 lbs) During that time of illness he lost almost 8 lbs. (Poor kid didn't have 8 lbs to loose!) We are hoping that he'll grow this summer and get out of 2T underwear. Poor kid will get mocked in Kindergarten when there is only Thomas the Train, Diego, and Wonder Pets to choose from?! He would much rather have Camo, Race Cars, or other "Cool" things to wear. He is still so smart and LOVES preschool!!

Dane is working on applying for his Master's Program. He is down to one more final exam, which will either allow him into the program or else he has to wait a whole year to reapply again. We're praying, he's studying, and all of us are hoping he'll pass and get started this year! Recently he had a bad, bad cold! He was concerned that he was getting strep again or Sinus Infection. Both of which are hard on him. He got to the Dr, antibiotics, and rest. And is now starting to get better.

Looking forward to warm spring and a baby coming soon!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Who knew that "green pancakes" tasted SOO good! Along with Green Kool-Aid.
Ben made sure that we were all dressed in green too.
He didn't want anyone to get pinched!

Yummy!

Delicious!

For dinner we had Green Chicken Enchiladas, with "Rainbow" salad that Ben made, more green Kool-Aid, and dessert of Grasshopper Pie.
(Ben was worried that we were going to eat Grasshoppers.)

Red Strawberries, Orange Oranges, Yellow Pineapple, Green Kiwi, Blue Blueberries, Purple Plums, and soft White Banana clouds!
(We didn't even have to have Skittles to taste the rainbow!)

Daddy and kids in green. (Symi was giggling so hard.)

Mommy and the kids in green.
(The picture was taken really fast and none of us were ready.)

Daddy always like to pull faces. Here's a classic that he taught our kids!

Hope your St. Patrick's Day was full of fun memories and green!
Because ours sure was!

To Family & Friends:

Symi spiked a fever of 101.3 and holding since yesterday evening. We are taking her in this afternoon for her blood work! (because the Lab is closed on the weekend, we wanted to get it done before it dissipated by Monday.)

She is acting like she does with fevers. No appetite. Sleeps awful and restless. Grumpy and cries over every little thing. I noticed yesterday that she felt warm, but not feverish yet. She certainly started the day out by being such a good little girl!! Full of giggles and smiles.

But by the afternoon she started to go down hill fast. We are grateful to have them coming again. (Most mother's want fevers to go away and for their kids to get better. And at our house we've been praying for them to return!) We are hoping to get some more answers and maybe some relief.

Looking Through Our Window

Ben doing his chores. He loves to vacuum under the table, stairs, and in his room.

Just can't seem to get him to do it without the tongue thing. ;)

He told me,"Watch out Mom! Or I'll suck you up into the vacuum!"

Whenever Symi get's fevers her little lips crack, peel and bleed so bad. So I taught her to put on some chap stick.
She's all girl because now she's obsessed and I have to hide hers and mine or she'll put it on all day long!
When she's done she always smacks her lips and says, "Ahhhh".

Doing it all by herself!

And putting it on again, taking the lid on and off, and apply yet another coat!

Enjoying Valentines Cupcakes! They were so yummy and WAY too much fun to decorate!

Ben was a little upset that decorating cupcakes was messy.
He did get into it and eventually didn't mind that he got sticky as long as he got to wash when he was all done.

We invited our neighbor over to help us! We all had a blast!

Family Home Evening on Nephi's Bow. Ben thought it was awesome and wanted to go hunting like Nephi. He shot this little bow several times in the house. Enjoying every minute!

Symi didn't want to shoot the bow. But really wanted her picture taken!
She loved watching Ben, Daddy, and Mommy shoot! She even clapped for us.

Their new favorite way to watch "Movies". I don't get laundry folded very well. But that's ok because they both won't fit in that basket together for much longer.

Ben has been praying for snow since Christmas. We had a big storm that we missed during Christmas because we were in SV. We've been wearing jackets and watching our grass turn green! Finally a few weeks ago snow came. Aunt Shawnee took Ben outside and helped him make a Mini Snowman with his name on it. (done with raisins) He was so excited and loved being out in the snow!

Despite all the rough news we've had these last few weeks there is still "Sun shining through our window and giving us joy and light". So grateful for all the help I had while on bed rest. And grateful to have 2 wonderful kids that make being a sick Mommy so easy. We're blessed.

Today.

Symi is doing very well. No fevers and she is eating, sleeping, and acting like a typical 18 month old. I couldn't ask for more! So now we wait. Will she get fevers again? Are they going away? I really don't know. But it's so wonderful to have her spunky personality coming back!

They finally diagnosed me with Kidney Stones for the last 2 weeks. I've been lucky and have been able to pass them all. I think. I hope. And I'm starting to feel much, much better. I don't walk like a crippled 100 year old women. It's wonderful to finally get comfortable in bed and get some sleep. And so great to be pain free!

Today I took the 4 hour glucose test. It wasn't a fun experience and I would much rather recommend a cruise to anyone! I'm hoping for good news. I think after these last few weeks to find out that I have gestational diabetes would put me over the edge. I might cry. But hopefully learn quickly how to keep myself and baby healthy.

Thank you so much for all your thoughts, prayers, and comments! They sure brighten my day and help to ease some of the pain.