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! |
