Balancing out the estrogen...

My girls.

Lexi 5 months old!

Ooh, she's scrumptious!

Whidbey Island; We're here!

Finally!This has been the craziest 7 months, and unfortunately the next 7 are promising to be much the same... Still, we're here, and we are sooooo excited! While Dave and his brother drove our moving truck across the country, Paige, Lexi, and I vacationed with Dave's family in Vegas. The whole house was set up when we arrived. Paige ran from room to room yelling "New House! Oooh! New House! Look at that!Oh, New House!" I was scarcely less excited with my own shrieks of, "An apple tree! We have an apple tree!" And, " Wild black berries! Oh, and look, snap peas!" The house was beautiful, the weather exquisite, and everything just perfect. That evening we walked to the top of the hill and looked over the harbor. The air smelled of moss and moist earth and I was transported back in time to the summers my family spent at Priest Lake. We even saw a stag munching daisies in a nearby meadow. A few days later we ventured to

nearby West Beast. By no means the prettiest beach on the island, still, to us it was fantastic. I wish we'd had a set of binoculars to identify the massive creature swimming just beyond the surf. We'll just add that to our VERY long shopping list (the house is pretty sparse, we don't even have a couch, but at least we do own our own washer and dryer again! Oh, I missed having them.) Anyway, I need to vacate the computer so Dave can work again. Setting up a practice is MORE than a full tome job; he's conducting business all day, starting a 8am and sometimes not finishing until 1 or 2 in the morning! We are grateful every time he takes a break and ventures back to family life. i think it will be awhile before things slow down...

2 month old Lexi

How does the addition of one tiny baby increase the laundry x 10! This is my "To Do" list for the day. I just can't keep up.

When Kids find their own snack...

OK, so I know I probably should have cleaned her up immediately instead of filming, but... I didn't.

Our new baby is home!

Introducing Lexi Michelle Thuet. (My mom is Michelle, and my middle name is Michelle.) Born Saturday morning, March 24th at 4:57am. Weighing 6lb 13 oz. and 19 inches long.

We brought her home Monday afternoon.

We were a little surprised by her early arrival. Friday morning I had a doctor's appointment and was dilated only to a one. "Dave," I said, "Nothing interesting to report. I think we'll be safe going to the 10pm showing of the movie Hunger Games tonight." So we did. I don't know if it was the intense scenes, but halfway through the movie my contractions began.

"Don't worry Dave (hoo-hoo hee-hee). They're not real (hoo-hoo hee-hee). Remember, I'm only dilated to a one."

We finished the movie and sent our babysitter home at 1 am. At 2:30 we finally phoned our on-call sitter to come over so we could go to the hospital. Dave had wanted to go in sooner, but I had been stubborn and refused. My greatest fear was we would call and wake up our babysitters, they'd come over, just for us to return home and say "Sorry. False alarm. I'm still a one."

Finally, when the contractions were between 1 and 4 minutes apart, we went in (almost 3am.) Thankfully I was dilated to a 5. I had an epidural at 3:30 (which only worked on the right side). It takes one hour for an epidural to reach its full efficiency. That means it was fully working by 4:30, and Lexi was born at 4:57am. Again, I felt every contraction on my left side. Oh well.

As far as a "birthing plan" went, I only had one request: hold off on all tests, dry off baby, set on mom's abdomen, and allow baby a chance to initiate self-attach nursing. They honored my request, and it was amazing! It's called the "baby-crawl." It took about 20 minutes of her little face bobbing around missing the nipple, but eventually, and without any assistance, she found the nipple and latched on and began nursing. ALL BY HERSELF!

A baby's neck, shoulder, and hip muscles are strong enough for the subtle "crawling" movements necessary to adjust her position and find the nipple. I really wanted to give her this opportunity. And it worked! Nursing has gone soooo well ever since. This is such a blessing, considering nursing got off to a terrible start with Paige, and was a real struggle for many months after.

Anyway, everything went well. Lexi passed all of her tests, and I guess I did too, even though my ankles look like I have elephantiasis.

She is home now and we are just enjoying her. It's a little difficult for Paige, but Dave is wonderful and really trying to show her extra love. We are so grateful for our little family, and especially for the watchful care of our Heavenly Father whose blessings kept both mother and baby safe for the entire ordeal. We'll post more photos and videos soon. Thank you everyone who has called and written with their congratulations; we truly appreciate you and can't wait for the rest of our family to meet this little girl!

Paige's Heart Surgery

Well, it's done. Two and a half years after discovering a heart murmur, Paige's Atrial Septal defect is repaired.

Everything went beautifully. The surgery began at 7:30 am and took only 2 hours. By 10am the following morning, Paige was discharged from the hospital and we took her home.

The most difficult parts of the entire experience were going under and coming out of sedation, as well as our over-night stay.

Dave and I were allowed to take Paige into the operating room and stay with her until she was sedated with gas. This was the hardest part for Dave. Once Paige realized she was the patient, she became terrified. The doctors were wonderful, but she sobbed and her eyes begged daddy to protect her as they covered her face with the gas mask until she became limp.

This was the hardest part for me, seeing her tiny body on that operating table and having to walk away.

The procedure required a catheter to be threaded up a vein in her leg, through her abdomen and into her heart. Down her throat they placed an Eco cardiogram scope which is basically an internal ultra-sound that allows them to watch what they are doing. They measured the size of her hole (10mm), selected the appropriate size and type of device to use, and then released it through the catheter and into the hole. Once they were confident it was securely in place, they pulled back the catheter and the procedure was complete.

They gave us a pager and sent us updates throughout, and finally informed us it was over and we could come back. She was still unconscious but the catheter and breathing tubes were removed. Within minutes she was awake, although still pretty out-of-it and terrified and crying. All of the people in green, the tubes, the beeping, and especially the blood-pressure cuff and ear thermometer were keeping her in a state of high-anxiety. They weren't going to let her go to her recovery room until she calmed down, but thankfully they finally listened to Dave and me when we explained she wouldn't calm down until she was in a more calm environment.

She was still very upset in her recovery room while the nurses fussed around her setting up all her monitors, etc. It also didn't help that she hadn't eaten since 7pm the previous night and she kept begging for "crackers." At least they finally let us give her a little water.

Once all the nurses left and it was only Dave, me, Paige, and Dora the Explorer, life calmed down. They had warned us the 6 hours of laying flat on her back were typically the most difficult, but she was so exhausted she just laid there in a drunken stupor.

And indulged in more television than she has probably watched in her life combined.

At 4:30 they unhooked her monitors and let her walk around the hospital. She was a bit wobbly at first, but was soon galloping around the corridors.

It was a pretty rough night (I may have slept 3 hours.) I made the nurse silence Paige's beeping alarms because they kept waking her up, but unfortunately she still woke up every hour when they came to do their tests, check the site of incision, and tried to take her blood-pressure (man, she hates the blood-pressure cuff!)

Still, one night of misery. Can't complain. Dave joined us at 7am for breakfast and we all walked down the hall for her check-ups. By 10am they discharged her. She and Dave got on one elevator that took them to the car, and I stepped onto another that took me up for my appointment: ultra-sound and non-stress test. Busy morning.

When Paige walked into our apartment, she laid on the carpet and fell asleep. Dave picked her up and she just looked at him and said "Nap? Nap?" Ok sweetheart. You're home. You rest. And she did. We all did.

What could be scaring the ducks?

33 Weeks down...

We didn't teach her this - promise.

Update on Paige's heart surgery

Paige's heart surgery is going to be rescheduled. It was suppose to be this Friday, but now they want to test her and see if she also has the genetic blood-clotting condition I have. The verdict may play a role in what type of surgery they do: a catheter placed in her leg and threaded up into her heart where they'd place a permanent metal splint to close the Atrial Septal defect, OR open-heart surgery and stitching up the hole by hand. It takes 2 weeks to get the blood test results. I need to remember to breathe.

Perhaps we will wait a couple of years...

A holiday visit from General Samuel Hill

Christmas talent show...

Three Thuet sister-in-laws and our Oh-So-Trusting Mother-in-law...

Carried away with curlers...

(Another Facebook post. Gotta get it on here, too.)

Self-potty-trained? Really?

(I posted this on Facebook, but Dave reminded me many of our friends and family are sole blog-followers.) So here you go.

YESTERDAY I WROTE: This afternoon while washing my hands, Paige toddles in, looks up at me and says, "Paige potty?" Sigh. Sure why not? We haven't started potty training at all, but if she wants to pretend, I'll play along. I kneel in front of her and let her hold on to me. Suddenly she grunts a little and PLOP. I have to check just to be sure. Are you freakin kidding me!? No doubt about it. Then comes a bit more. "All done,"she says. We clean up, flush, wash hands, and she walks out like no big deal. I'm still speechless.

TONIGHT (ABOUT 20 MINUTES AGO): See! I told you! Dave didn't really believe me yesterday when I said Paige just 'out of the blue' decided she wanted to use the potty. So tonight, at bath time, Dave decided to give it a try. "Want to use the potty?" He sat her up there, let her hold onto him, and asked, "Do you need to go potty?" Her response? A little grunt and a splash. Then again. And again. He peered in and slowly turned his head to me, disbelief written on his face. As she continued her productivity, Dave just kept looking back and fourth, eyes huge, and silently mouthing "OH. MY. GOSH. OH. MY GOSH." I know. Seriously. I thought yesterday was a fluke. Two days in a row... shall we try for three?

Little Red Riding Hood

Once upon a time there was a little girl whose mommy loved her so much she made her a lovely cape of red velvet with red satin lining, and so she was called Little Red Riding Hood.

Unfortunately, Little Red's parents had to go out of town on the weekend of Halloween, and were unable to accompany her to the Church party and trick-or-treating. Some wonderful friends did that in their stead. It seems without parental supervision, Little Red, while traipsing through the woods, took the liberty of nibbling all of her Grandmother's treats, and so her poor Grandmother was forced to go hungry.

The End.

Hail the queen!

My own private lounge tub. (conveniently my cast can't fit, too.)

Tamale Pie

You wouldn't know it, but this recipe took hours to prepare. Almost 3 hours in the kitchen and then another 1 1/2 hours baking. Phew.

1st: browning the chicken, then cooking it in broth and shredding it.

2nd: Saute onion, garlic, oil, tomatoes, creamed corn, olives.

3rd: whisk milk and eggs. Add cornmeal. Pour this mixture into the onion and garlic mixture.

4th: crisp and cut up bacon. Add to cornmeal mixture.

5th: layer cornmeal and chicken.

6th: place in a boiling water bath in the oven. (It steam-cooks in the oven.)

7th: while baking, make sauce: brown flour on dry heat, stir in chili powder, cumin, and coriander. Stir in homemade broth and tomato sauce. Blend in Magic Bullet until smooth. Sever over pie and sprinkle with fresh cilantro.

Phew. It really was a lot of work.

5th:

Kernals Baseball Game

Hot and sticky. But enough funnel cakes, root beer, and hot dogs make even the most humid day bearable.

Stewed Berries with Ice Cream

Fresh raspberries and blueberries, water, and sugar. Boil them together until syrupy. Add a tablespoon of raspberry liqueur and more fresh raspberries.

Pour the hot berry stew over Hagen daz vanilla ice cream. Viola! Perfect.

Trip to the Emergency Room

How quickly a little game of "Toss Paige into a pile of pillows" can turn into so much more; 7 hours in the Emergency Room and a full arm cast. We finally came home yesterday morning at 3am. We're pretty exhausted.

How it happened? Pretty much like I said. Dave, Paige, and I were all playing on the bed, throwing Paige into a large pile of pillows. She, of course, was laughing hysterically, until one of the tosses went wrong and she landed with her arm twisted behind her back. For the next 20 minutes her arm was mostly limp, which terrified Dave as medical situations ran through his mind: partial paralysis, severed nerves, etc (I don't know them.)

We called our good friend who is head emergency room pediatrician and she walked Dave through a series of routine tests to determine if anything was dislocated. In the end her suggestion was the ER for radiographs. And so, for the first time in my life I found myself in the Emergency Room. Paige spent the 2 hours in the waiting room having a ball: laughing, twirling, and babbling to the other patients. I would have been tempted to take her home if not for the whimpering and refusal to put weight on her arm every time she fell down.

After several pointless tests and a lot of skepticism that anything was wrong, they finally made the radiographs and discovered she had fractured her left forearm in two different places. Seriously? It was a pile of pillows on a mattress for crying out loud!

Anyway, they had to sedate her to put on the cast (thus the first photo shows her still stoned) and I just cuddled her and sang to her the entire time.

The next morning, or a few hours later, whichever you prefer, I propped her up with pillows and let her have a luxurious morning watching Barney (2nd photo). I think she was entitled.

Family Reunion in Utah

Unfortunately I did not get much footage of the reunion itself, but I believe Emily took more. Em, if you send me what you have I will include it in mine and republish.

YouTube allows a maximum of 15 min. videos. Thus I had to publish this as two.

FIRST HALF:

SECOND HALF:

Seeing the Thuets in Utah

Motorcycles attract the chicks

Hey, it's me Paige. I've decided to become a biker babe; it's in my blood. I just think I look natural there (way more than mommy!) Thanks Uncle John for being super cool and bringing your toys over for me to play with. It was nice to see you all. If you come to my house, I don't have a motorcycle, but I do have blocks. We'll play with those. Next time.