2009

In 2009 we:

What's in store for 2010?

I was doing fine at keeping it a secret but Rich decided to tell the kids (essentially opening it up to public knowledge) Saturday morning that if mommy needed more help we all needed to help her because she is going to have a baby...yet no one jumped to help de-Christmas or do all the laundry...that pile of Christmas is still just to exciting.

This was all made around the dinner table as a family announcement and I was eager to hear their reaction. Grace thought it was a great idea to have a baby, she's "always wanted a sister" (ps: You have Kate, remember and this little one doesn't even have more than a spine). Kate wondered if it was "a girl baby or a girl/boy baby?". (I'm really hoping not to have a hermaphrodite baby.) James laughed and asked "you got a baby in there?" and Miles said he "yiked it" (liked it). So, since I have family approval I guess we are on our way. We hopefully will have the most boring SINGLETON pregnancy and have the most uneventful delivery sometime in August.

Sounded being the key word...

They sounded so angelic in there giggling together as they woke up.

Until I walked in and was greeted with the smell of sanitizer and a plethora of wipes.

just in case - Miles in Buzz, James in Mickey.

Thanks guys cause I was planning on getting the rest of the house presentable today.

Ben

This is Ben. Previously he was a Benji, but that's so cliche and the only other name in the running was Bolt (per Grace). My vote counts more than Grace's because I am still only the current 'no' vote and he's still in his foster phase. My number one rule is/was "no animals that poop", technically he has not pooped yet, but still I really have reservations about having an animal...as you can tell my mind has been changed for me. He has won over Grace, Rich, and James. Kate, Miles, and I are still in various degrees of conversion.

He didn't look to loved when we picked him up, his hair is nasty and ragamuffin so we hope to prove he has a current rabies shot and take him to a doggie day spa tomorrow and make him pretty. He rode around W Jordan for an hour running errands, visited a pet store and family and has yet to bark or get irritated with all the love he's receiving. He had a bath in the back yard and a trim ala Rich that seem to go positively. He seems very well mannered and patient. I hope that lasts.

For both of our sake.

31 Rocks!

We had pre-party fireworks... otherwise know as 4th of July sparklers and pops.

Then on my birthday, we had meat treats at Tucanos and Manda made me this awesome cake. At first I thought it was memorial cake but nope... it was my birthday cake. 

And under that creamy white facade it was black & white on the inside!!!

I got custom/ hand made sock monkies from my sisters! I love them. They are my new babies! Thursday we went swimming. (The tooth post below...that's scab not chocolate. ps: Don't dive in water that doesn't pass your knees.)

Friday, I the chance to meet a few more of my imaginary friends. This is part of the best group of women I know. Someone pegged us perfectly when they said ""Oh I get it, most Mormons would fast for each other, but you guys eat tots!" in reference to us getting together because one of us was diagnosed, this past week, with breast cancer. I have the best group of friends. These are some of my favorite ladies on earth.

then a couple of reasons to buy 5lbs of melting chocolate.

Your monthly dose of TTTS Awareness

"Twenty-two weeks into her pregnancy Kim’s ultrasounds appeared normal, but her gynecologist recommended that since she was expecting identical twins, she see a specialist. A second ultrasound revealed that the twins were in trouble."

"The disease can be fatal but prevention and being proactive with a pregnancy can ultimately prevent complications.

PS: Shreveport is in the Houston area. It's worth the drive once diagnosed.

Oquirrh Temple

We played with friends Monday and they had this awesome toy. We need one stat! Imagine that, they sell it at Costco.

Tuesday & Wednesday Dad did a two day production and brought home 4, 5, and 9 foot cardboard tubes. We played with them for hours. We have a ornery Grace in a tube.

And a crazy Kate in the tube.

Thursday we went to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house. It was beautiful. The girls wanted to be twins and the boys...well are. Grace and Kate loved the chandeliers. They were beautiful. One similar to the one in the Celestial room was hung at the 2nd floors eye level, over handing the stairs of the first floor. To be level with it, and to see how big it was, interested Grace. She later mentioned that "that thing was bigger than my mom". {Thanks Grace}

Then this little grouping is just for fun...from the van you can see the Oquirrh Temple,

  

then turning, faintly see the SL Temple.

Turning a little more you can easily see Jordan River Temple,

and a bit more and zoom lens, you can see the Draper Temple. 

Four temples from one spot isn't too bad.

Nakies

Guess what we found this morning while putting in a drip system? 

A snake. {Nakies per Miles} Eww.

 It's just an innocent garden snake?!?! Whatever, it's a snake. We all touched it. Took a picture. Accidentally flooded out his home.  Then transported him to a designated resettlement facility.{aka the other side of the fence} (2pts in you can name that movie)

{ The girl will pose with anything }

Pancakes

Hey next time you decide to make pancakes, let's involve mom, mkay?

Got Multiples?

Count Placentas.

TTTS AWARENESS

{Utah County March for Babies}

more pictures to come but here's a start

I'm one of those fun moms...

Ya know those moms that run all their errands then surprise their kids with Costco churros and stopping at the park? We did that today because the boys seem to be doing better. Aren't I a good mom? {looking around for approval}

 We get out and all but Miles runs to the play set. Miles runs in the opposite direction to the far playset. Do you chase the 1 or the 3? Do you trust the 2 to watch the 1? Do you yell to the 1 to come back knowing he will just laugh and run? I convinced the 3 (G, K, J) to follow me to Miles. Grace hobbles back with a bloody knee. (we've been here 10 minutes) 

We get to the big set and play about 10 minutes and I see mud all over Kate. I get closer, that's not mud, eww. I send Kate back to stand by the van, chase down Grace, then the boys. (another 10 minute process because it is fun to run from mommy, they don't understand my look of death, and those little stinks are fast.) They have also perfected to stiff/wiggle combo to get out of the arm they are in while being carried across the field.

Grace babysits in the van, at the park, while Kate and I take care of her issue. I go to the van to check the 3 and grab a plastic bag. Kate gets bored, exits the potty, running *free* at the park. How do you chase down a nekked 3 yr old at the park and not either a) laugh b)look like the windowless molester van in the parking lot does NOT belong to you c) give up, get in your van, and cry.(another 10 minutes) 

Sorry if you missed a hour of the Herdmans at Scera! There will not be an encore.

TTTS girls

Tonight I attended a meeting and was talking to a NICU mom about her baby, we talked about my boys then she mentioned she had a friend with TTTS girls. She could tell I was intrigued and she shared. My heart broke but I hope it didn't show. 

These little girls were found to be identical (from the fact that were monochorionic) at 20wks in May of 2007, medical standard for ultrasounds...in my opinion too late for multiples pregnancies. (Why is May of 07 important? That means she was on the timeline as me in the same county. I found out we were monochorionic at 17wks in April 07) She didn't have another ultrasound until a week before delivery, because of preterm labor and visable hydrops. After birth it was determined that they had TTTS. Both born at under two pounds, one grey (anemia??) / one red (polycythemia??) and now with a list of neurological challenges. They amazingly survived TTTS untreated...I guess they are one of those .05%.

Would early diagnosis have changed their outcome? I don't know but I'd lean towards yes. Would treatments have saved them from being born too soon and sick? I don't know. Would simply having insurance, that was in the network Dr Ball is in, made a difference? I don't know. It sure makes me grateful for the circumstances of my situation and keeps me actively asking mothers of multiples to count placentas, suggesting earlier than standard ultrasounds, and educate themselves. 

List of recommended  TTTS doctors. 

Look what I made!

Wood, screws, power tools ... miscellaneous tool stuff ... and several hours later, I* made shelves for my garage, and one day later they are filled with all kinds of junk. 

*Grace insists she helped, I used the sitting weight of her body a few times.

Nagging Clarification

G- Mom, can I play my blog?

L- After we all shower. (we built garage shelves and were d.i.r.t.y.)

G- Can I play my blog? (as she stands there nekked waiting for the water to warm)

L- After babe.

(immediately as the water shuts off)

G- Mom, can I play my blog?

L- Grace quit asking or I'm going to say no.

(a minute later in her robe)

G- Can I play my blog?

L- Grace when you ask something like 5 times that's nagging. If you are going to nag I will say no.

G- That angel said something to that boy four times.

L- Huh?

G- That angel that went to Joseph and told him where to find the Book of Mormon.

L- Moroni is not a nag. When Heavenly Father sends someone to say something four times it's ok. 

Lesson learned: The Angel Moroni is not a nag. Grace sometimes is.

Big Boys Beds...err bed?

Do we really need two beds?
Bed time

Naptime

March for Babies time

I already could tell them apart!

I did not need popeye eye (if you can't tell it's blue & swollen) to tell the boys apart. Remember Miles has 2 crowns, chubby cheeks, an inch taller; James has 1 crown, thinner cheeks, fading stork bite on his forhead... I already could tell them apart! 
After wasting all morning at Ikea we were in our last stretch, Grace, Kate, and James were in the stroller, and Miles was walking. He's been in shoes about two months and then only when he isn't at home, so I assume the shoes are what tripped him up. Dumb shoes! He fell and hit a display riser. It was one of those turn white....wait....wait... {it's gunna bleed right?} aggg, it's bleeding moments. He cut about 3/4 inch of his eyebrow and roughed up the rest. Thankfully we were with Kelly and Manda (sorry Abby it just happened). Manda took the {5} other children and Kelly was calm and thinking. I'm not calm when my babies are bleeding out their eyeballs, or thereabouts ... or really anywhere.  We received Ikea first aid, aka dirty ol cheep bandaid, then went and got stitches at our doctor. They thought he may need one, nurse came in and said two, doctor came in and said three. Yikes! They wrapped him in a velcro papaoos / straight jacket. That was too much for me so James and I tried to stay calm in the corner. We did ok. Miles was tough. His cries were so sad but as soon as he was stitched up, out of the papaoos, and being held he was calm. I know it's minor but these are my first stitches...in my 5yr, 4 kid momhood. 

Now What?

They have both perfected this. We moved Miles out of this bed two weeks ago, trying to stretch some time with James. Now what do I do?

1. wait for him to jump
2. put them parallel so he maybe fears the distance to the floor more than the distance to his brother
3. toddler beds
4. put them bars to bars so they can touch/play and not have need to climb out the end

I'm grasping for straws here. Multiple moms say the day you move to toddler beds, it's over. PARTY EVERY DAY & NIGHT!

ER Kate

We awoke to "Mom, Kate got red medicine on the floor." (7 something am)

Megan's last Poison Control situation prompted me to call. After giving her the details, and her mention of a probable lethal dose (wha' the freak?) we headed to the ER with "possible 125 mil dextromethorphan ingestion" in my head.

It seems Kate is one of those kids that can open child proof Tussin DM. Nice.  From what the bottle was and the bottle is now, not accounting for what was on the carpet, she had overdosed. She was hooked up to monitors for 4 hrs,  a little loopy, drank her weight in apple juice, watched boy cartoons (Cartoon Network) and enamored her nurse.

 Her heart rate is dropping and in a normal yet elevated rate. I doubt she drank the missing 125mil as Poison Control thinks, but she drank more than her body should handle. 

After this and the craisins stabbing, Kate is on heightened watch. My gosh kid

Kelly's Mardi Gras Party

We went to this great Mardi Gras party (at Aunt Kelly's house). Jambalaya, meat pies, king cake, french bread, sodie, crafts and a parade... what more could you need.

Kate in her mardi gras float
Miles in his,
Grace in hers,James in his,
Jake in drag.
Aunt Abby her her mardi gras mask,

Kate in mine,
Manda making hers ... and threatening someone about doing something with those scissors.
Mommy and James with her mask and beads, 
Grace and her beads...I think she learned fast the point of mardi gras.
Alex and Manda in their decorated eyewear
and the boys crashed post party.