Clinging to the Wall

So these pictures are from last September. Obviously before the baby bump made its appearance....

For one of our youth activities we took the kids rock climbing combined with the Spanish Branch. Not too many people know about my LOVE for rock climbing. It's been one of those things that has been put on the back burner since having young kids. Which the more I think about it really isn't an excuse at all. I started climbing back in 7th grade. I love the challenge physically and mentally. I wasn't planning on climbing but we had time to fill and the kids kept bugging me to climb, so I did. And something like a hibernating animal leapt out of my chest and clung to that wall and didn't want to let go. So once again after this little girl makes her appearance, I plan on clinging and scaling walls once more..... and hopefully won't ever let go again!

For those of you who climb, the route I did was a 8.3 which wasn't too shabby for my first time back after 4 years....

We're Back......

Most Likely it's been so long since I've blogged that I'm sure all of our friends and family have stopped reading. I have a really good excuse though. Actually lots of really good excuses. I looked at my last post, August 14th hmmm...... a few months before that I was called to be our ward's Young Women's President, so that started to suck up my extra time and energy (which I'm totally okay with). I love my girls and love my calling. So this is going to be one super duper catch up entry since I really don't want to leave anything out.....

Fast forward to October, we made the trek to Surprise Arizona for a month to live with my best friend from high school while Shane started his first Physical Therapy rotation at a Concentra Clinic connected to an Urgent Care.

Two days after being there Colson was hospitalized with Metabolic Acidosis. Luckily he was only there for 2 days. The day after Colson got out of the hospital I was feeling a little weird. I had had this weird feeling 3 other times before in my life. I swore to Shane that I was pregnant. He laughed at me and told me I was being dramatic, paranoid and that I was nuts. Well, he was eating his words after that little stick lit up like the 4th of July. Me dramatic?!?! NEVER!!!!!

Feeling much better towards the end of his hospital stay.

The rest of that month was truly awful. Car problems and unexpected trips back to Vegas. And I was sick. Very, very sick. All day, all night. The worst I've been during any of my pregnancies. The sight or smell of feeding Kellen and I'd be running for the bathroom, which in turn would make Kellen scream and cry due to the "scary" nature of bowing down to the porcelain gods. There were only two great parts of the month. First, that I got to spend lots and lots of time with my bestie. Poor Janelle having to deal with my sick self day in and day out. I seriously love that girl. She was my saving grace during that month! I will forever be indebted to her! The other best thing.... we got to see my Grandma several times while we were there. It was such a treat to get to visit and talk. My boys loved seeing their GG. Colson is still asking me when we get to go back to Arizona to see GG again.

At the train park in Scottsdale

Me and the boys with GG. We love her so much!

Helping dad cook breakfast. 

Kellen did not like the pigs or any of the animals at the petting zoo at the Arizona state fair.

Janelle snuggling with  Kellen.

With Shane and Katie one of Shane's classmates at a Cardinals game.

November brought continued sickness. Our house turned into a big black worm hole, and it had seemed that my children were transforming into the Wild kindergarteners from the Disney cartoon Recess. I finally got some relief with prescriptions from my doctor for my nausea. But after I hit the 2nd week of my 2nd trimester, I was feeling great!!!! I was honestly a little surprised because with my boys I was a little sick all the way through my second trimester. But hey who am I to look a gift horse in the mouth?

Me and my friend Jess. We went to the last Twightlight movie with 30 of our girlfriends. I really am not a huge fan but it was a nice to just get out of the house for a few hours with my friends.

I was still super busy. It felt like once I had one thing under control another mini emergency or difficulty wiggled into our lives.  December, things started to get even crazier. This whole time, Kellen had not been sleeping through the night and was now over a year old. Being pregnant and tired and dealing with normal life, plus a child who doesn't sleep AND is constantly mauling at his head and legs and feet because he was super itchy made for quite a grumpy mommy. Plus he acquired projectile vomiting on command as one of his skill sets. Now looking back I realize that others have to go through so much worse, but it's really all relative. I was OVERWHELMED to say the least.

December through January we've started having at least 3 doctor's appointments each week. Blood drawn, allergist, pediatricians, chest X-rays, home treatments. I still have a stack of blood work that I need to go and take Kellen in to do. But they need so much blood I have to space out the timing of the labs. But yet I'm so grateful for competent doctors that are helping our family. Our pediatrician gave us a referral to see the top Allergist in the area. He's wonderful! With his help, we found out that Kellen has atopic dermatitis, which never goes away, and a nut allergy. Kellen gets two baths a day with layers of ointments and creams right after. He's our greasy little piglet! But oh the change we've seen in him! You can't even tell he has atopic dermatitis anymore (even though he does).

He LOVES his baths 

Christmas in Island Park at the cabin!

Poor Kellen in the middle of his 2 month sickness bought with an awful cold and flu plus his other illnesses....

We love riding bikes outside, A LOT! We're always outside. 

On top of Kellen's appointments, I am now in full swing with lots of appointments myself. My OB sent me to go see a high risk pregnancy center in addition to my regular OB appointments. I seriously love my doctor! He doesn't leave anything up to chance and I love that. He's easy going and laid back, but he's blatantly honest at the same time. I have my babies early. And before I have them early they TRY to come even earlier. I've been really nervous with this one. I was starting to feel braxtin hicks at the beginning of January. Which braxtin hicks are normal, but usually you don't start feeling them that early.
And even more recently I've started to have slightly painful contractions.





So long story short, my body is awesome at contractions! Maybe a little too awesome! At my first appointment everything looked fine. This little GIRL is strong and healthy so far..... but it looks like I have to get "peanut butter" shots in my backside weekly. They call them "peanut butter" shots because they're thick. And they hurt.... for two or more days after. So they alternate every other side every week. These are shots of progesterone. The progesterone helps to relax my uterus and "keep" me pregnant. I was having to go into the doctor each time to get these shots, but like the little miracles I see everyday, home health is starting to come every Friday to our house to give me my shots. Soooooo nice not having to load the kids up and drive to my doctor! And yes this whole process is such a pain, but I'm so thankful that my doctors are doing all they can to keep me and our baby safe. I'll get shots until I'm 36 weeks (fingers crossed I make it that long) There's a good possibility that I might make it full term with this little one!!!! (They consider full term 37 weeks)

15 Weeks

On a super exciting note, Shane is finishing up his 2nd year!!!!! We found out that for his senior project he is in a group with five other classmates in his year heading up and running the student run free clinic at the university that he's attending. After this semester he has one 3 month semester left then his three last rotations. We are so excited, but once again a little overwhelmed since learning that Shane's first of the three rotations will be at Portneuf Hospital in Pocatello Idaho. I'll be honest I've had major hesitancies since finding out. We've discussed it over and over again and have decided that the kids and I are not going with him for multiple reasons that have been hard to sort through. It will be difficult no doubt about it, but like my mother is quick to remind me, I'm an Army brat, and stronger than I think I am. (Thanks for the confidence Mom) We have a tremendous support system here. We have wonderful friends. And I have my Aunt here as well. Our ward family is fantastic, and our front door literally faces some wonderfully close friends that just happen to be our home teacher and my visiting teacher. And my sister is only 5 hours away if I get really desperate!


These last months that I have been missing from our family blog I've felt like I'm a single mom a lot. Shane is at school 6 days a week and comes home to eat dinner then leaves until late at night. Sunday when we sit next to each other at church is basically the longest I get to see him in one big chunk, because we both have meetings and whatnot during the day. And even though it might sound like it, I'm really not complaining.  I love that we're in school and Shane's working so hard at something he's wanted since before I knew him. And I love that I have two wonderful energetic kids soon to be three. We have the best of times together. But sometimes I just think seriously? But this too shall pass, and I'm sure one day I'll look back on all of this and miss it terribly. We always figure out a way to adapt to whatever has happened and continues to happen.

This kid loves to stuff anything in his mouth!

Love My Boys

I love being a mommy and having the funnest, cutest little boys!

Good Bye and Hello!

When we sold our Jeep we ended up inheriting Shane's Grandmother's car. It was an okay car. It got us from A to B. But it was sort of a lemon to the fact that the gas mileage was bad, really bad. In fact it was like driving an SUV. So Shane and I took Dave Ramsey's advise and saved and saved so we could pay cash for our next vehicle so we wouldn't have a car payment. This weekend we bought a (New to us) Honda Pilot. It was a blessing because Friday we listed the red car and 3 hours later someone called me wanting to buy it. 

Good-Bye!!!

Well, Hello!!!!!

*On a side note, I LOVE my new car. I am so grateful for it. It is so much easier to put the boys into and it fits 8 comfortably!!!! And a huge trunk! I feel like I'm in a dream! 

When it Rains it Pours

 It's Monsoon Season here in Vegas and we're loving it. It's cooling us down a little, but then when the sun comes back out it makes it hot and humid! It will be in the 100's this week! But we sure do love the rain! 

This was right after church. It started to rain on our way home and by the time we got home it was in full down pour so we quickly changed and went out to get a little wet.

 Poor Kellen stayed in the garage with mom watching everyone else play in the rain. Maybe next year little buddy!

Playdate

The Vegas heat can make for cabin fever during the hot summer months. recently we made a trip to a local indoor playground for some much needed run around time.  My friend Anna introduced us to this wonderful place! Not only do my boys love hanging out with her cute little dude, but I get to have some normal adult conversation with another mommy! 

Colson was rocking that Giraffe toy.                                                     Kellen had fun too. 

 These slides might look innocent, but they were no such thing. Colson had me side down on the slide next to him at one point and let's just say I won't repeat the words that flooded into my mind as I rapidly flew down the slide, hit the middle bump and then went soaring down the rest of the way. After talking it over we're highly convinced this place waxes their slides! No exaggeration!!!!!! And yes I might have wet myself a little because let's face it that's what moms do. 

 Colson just loves his little brother. He even came over to play in the little kids ball pit to be with Kellen 

"Holy Moly!!! Look at all of these balls I get to slobber on!!!!"At first he wasn't a big fan but once he got used to the idea and feeling of sitting on all those balls he had a blast! 

Thanks Anna and Easton for making our day just a little more bearable and fun in all this heat! 

Lake Powell

Well, we have a habit in this family that whenever we go on a big trip literally hundreds of pictures are taken. You can imagine the difficulty when it's time to blog...... Lake Powell was no exception! The day before we left we stayed in St. George and managed to catch the movie Brave with all of our cousins that we there. Shane and I thought it was quite a cute movie! But Early the next morning we were off after all of the crazy packing and grocery shopping the night before (1 week of food and provisions for 20 people) we were off. There were quite a few glitches in our trip. Some pretty big some smaller, and I really don't want to address them because I want to remember this trip for what it really was when you get down to it, absolutely wonderful. Here are a handful of pictures. 

 At the movies

 Getting ready to go

 Grandma and Kellen. Kellen did so great the entire time.

 Relaxing at Gunsight this is where we docked the first night.

 I found this picture with many others like it after we got home. Practicing his funny faces. 

 Let's get this show on the road!!!!

 Kellen even helped when we were wake boarding

Lounging on the top deck after dinner on the 4th of July.

 Excited for the fireworks!!!!The boat next to ours set off a full on show. They must have spent at least 5 Grand on the show. We were more than lucky that we beached next to them!

 Soooooo exhausted!

 Kellen was not a fan of the hiking backpack at first! 

 On our way to Rainbow Bridge

Colson was dragging his feet all the way back to the boat after the uphill hike to Rainbow bridge. We perked up his spirits again by letting him climb a little under this hanging rock and show us his Big Guns.

 Me, Krew, Lincoln, Kinsley, Melissa 

 So I'm not quite sure how I should tell this next story so that all parties involved come off looking innocent and a finger not pointing at anyone..... We were exploring all the fun little passages in Cathedral Canyon, and Grandpa being the daredevil that he is got us into a tight spot despite the yells and hollers from his daughter in laws and sons that maybe we should reverse because it looks like this is the end of the road. Yes, the boat got wedged on its belly on a rock. We all jumped out and clambered up this really steep rock. The boys finally got the boat out. Here's Shane having a grand old time at the front of the boat while they were trying to get unstuck.

 Kellen and Daddy

 So pooped out, the rule was life jacket on at ALL times! We prepped him a month in advance. He did pretty dang good. 

"Ey, ey captin!" 

Colson was wearing the captin's hat everywhere.

 Me wake boarding. It's been like 2 years since I've got to go since I was pregnant last summer. It was so much fun! And we got a girls board so it was a lot easier than having to use the boy's boards.

 Colson tubing with Aubrey and Kinsley. He loved it! 

 Shane doing a back flip whoop whoop! 

 Every time Shane did a cool jump or flip Colson was in the boat giving his daddy thumbs up! He's a very supportive child.

 Tayson and Colson hiding from the cool morning air on our wake boarding run. Personally I thought it was wonderful! 

 Kellen getting his bath! 

The grandkids and the adults had so much fun on the slide off the boat. One time grandpa decided that he was going to slide off it head first on his belly. Well, Mr. Colson saw grandpa do this so up he went by himself before anyone could stop him (which we really didn't need to) and off he went head first. That kid is a fish! 

Colson playing on the turtles with all of his cousins and Grandma in her sweet hat.

All of us were without service the entire week. Which was really nice having a break from technology. But last minute we decided to stay one more day, So we traveled out onto open water to get a signal and make arraignments for those of us who had family member watching other children that didn't come and substitutes for Sunday. 

 At Dangling Rope. It's a little store that floats out in the middle of Lake Powell where you can buy all sorts of things. Specifically ice cream! Shane has fond memories of feeding his ice-cream to the fish you see here. Colson on the other hand will have memories of trying to feed his toes to the fish! FYI I was totally discussed by those fish. 

 You can't go to Lake Powell and not cliff jump, am I right?! We set out looking for a nice spot with the sweet depth finder on the Cobalt. We were quickly joined by 3 other boats filled with families just like ours. 

Here is Shane cliff jumping, he's mid jump. All of the boys and kids were jumping while all us wives were in the Colbalt with Richard and Kathy. Colson kept begging me to go and I couldn't take it, so I had Richard get a little bit closer and I threw Colson in and he swam to the side of the rock and started a little cliff jumping himself with Shane's help. I had jumped out of the boat with Colson because honestly, why should the boys get to have all of the fun? Jocylyn also got out and jumped. So much fun! After talking to our oldest niece and her cousin we all agreed that the worst part is when you jump and you have time to think to yourself "Oh crap I haven't hit the water yet!!!!!!!" 

 This is what happens when you cliff jump and hold your nose. I jumped without a life jacket because the last time I went cliff jumping I got bad whiplash from the jacket, so I thought I would be injury free this time.... guess not. I didn't feel it at first but as I got out of the water everyone was quick to point out that I was bleeding. I'm sure the water mixing with the blood made it look worse than it really was. One of our nieces pointed out "Heidi you look like you have half of a mustache" Why yes I do, and I'm going to rock it! 

The Captin taking us back to the marina after a week of fun!