my little tank is 9 months old today. it's hard to believe. he's old as the time it took to make him and he's so different than that little boy i met that first day.
although is pretty relaxed and chill most of the time, he is also the squirmiest baby ever! it is impossible to change him or change his clothes or get him to lay flat on his back for more than a second. he's hard to hold because he moves so much..plus, he's kind of heavy. we went to his 9 mth check up and he weighs 18.2 pounds, down a little from last time because he is more active now.
he crawls really fast and he pulls himseld up to stand. a couple days ago he figured out that standing leads to walking when he's holding onto something. landon walked at 10 months so i won't be surprised if he starts taking off pretty soon.
he still doesn't sleep all the way through the night and that is still really rough...on me..it doesn't seem to bother him.
he has the best laugh!! it's like a squeaky toy, just like how landon's used to be. he laughs a lot and mostly at landon..his brother tries to make him smile all of the time, well, most of the time.
his allergies are still a big problem and he breaks out in rashes, hives, runny noses and we are trying to keep in managed well but sometimes, nothing helps except taking him inside and giving him a breathing treatment and some zyrtec. poor baby.
he babbles and says 'mummum' and 'dada' and 'bubba' which is adorable and hard to resist picking him up when he's tugging on your leg. he loved having our family come to visit over the last couple of months and really loves his uncle kyle, just like his brother.
speaking of...
landon has been a handful lately. as he gets to the three year old mark he is getting more and more verbal and that is so fantastic considering his delay and hearing problems but at the same time, he says the things you don't want to hear...."no" and different variations of "no". it's so frustrating. he says "no" even to the things he does want sometimes. he is so curious and adventurous and it leads to lots of bumps and bruises. as for his health, he seems to be improving. we stopped taking him to all the doctors, took him off all the medicine and have making sure he gets some sleep, eats well, and gets lots of healthy exercise. even though he makes me crazy, he is the light of my life! he says "i love you. i missed you" and all the things that melt your heart. he loves to say prayers and is really good at reminding us to say them at dinner and breakfast. he is really athletic and is getting better with his coordination. i can't wait for him to be able to play organized sports!! it's gonna be awesome!
these boys...they are so much work and they take some much out of me but they give me so much at the same time...how this is possible, i don't know and i probably never will know. maybe we have some kind of solar rechargeable mom battery implanted in our bodies somewhere....it sure isn't sleep or laundry that keep us going so that must be some explaination.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Friday, April 16, 2010
so long 25
there is always that one person around your birthday that asks that same question, and i dread it every year......."so are you where you thought you'd be at 26?" i always wonder at what age this expectation was set at....am i where i thought i'd be at 26 when i was 10? 15? 25? so vague. the answer in the broad sense of the word is yes and no.
when i was seven, all i wanted to be when i grew up was a mommy...accomplished.
when i was age 8-25 all i wanted to be was a writer.....failed...i have all of these things that i have written and they are sitting around, collecting dust, benefiting no one. i always thought by now i'd be a moderatly successful writer, by which i mean that someone else than my mom owned a copy of something i'd wrote. bless her though that if i did and it made it to barnes and noble, she'd buy like 10 copies and have me sign them all. i never anticpated to become some famous writer, that people discussed in small book clubs over cucumber sandwiches but a mere positive review in a regional newspaper somewhere would have sufficed. i wish so badly that this could be something i could full time on....tracking down publishers, illustrators, and getting carpal tunnel syndrome from typing all day...sigh..i guess this is a new year.
when i was 22, i wanted to be wedding gown skinny my whole life..failed as a result of previously mentioned motherhood...i'll admit that for my age and for having two kids so close together the damage could have been worse but the damage has certainly been done
my whole life i wanted to be married...accomplished...one of the best things about my life
when i was 16 i said one day i'd find religion...accomplished...bringing great joy and blessings to our life right now
when i was 4 i said i wanted to be princess...failed...i am neither girly enough to be a princess or fictional
when i was 13 i swore i'd keep the best of my friends close my whole life...accomplished with shades of gray...i love and adore the ones i have and trying to make things better with the friends i had or am gaining
when i was 18 i said i'd get a college degree....failed, sort of...still in the works....longest associate's degree attempt ever
in all this reflection i realize that where i am is where i am and the age associated with it is going to change every year. all i can do is set the smaller goals..so next year, when that person asks me again, i'll say, "when i was 26, i said next year i'll be 27 and the rest is already in the past..all i can do is try and ask me when i'm 28"
when i was seven, all i wanted to be when i grew up was a mommy...accomplished.
when i was age 8-25 all i wanted to be was a writer.....failed...i have all of these things that i have written and they are sitting around, collecting dust, benefiting no one. i always thought by now i'd be a moderatly successful writer, by which i mean that someone else than my mom owned a copy of something i'd wrote. bless her though that if i did and it made it to barnes and noble, she'd buy like 10 copies and have me sign them all. i never anticpated to become some famous writer, that people discussed in small book clubs over cucumber sandwiches but a mere positive review in a regional newspaper somewhere would have sufficed. i wish so badly that this could be something i could full time on....tracking down publishers, illustrators, and getting carpal tunnel syndrome from typing all day...sigh..i guess this is a new year.
when i was 22, i wanted to be wedding gown skinny my whole life..failed as a result of previously mentioned motherhood...i'll admit that for my age and for having two kids so close together the damage could have been worse but the damage has certainly been done
my whole life i wanted to be married...accomplished...one of the best things about my life
when i was 16 i said one day i'd find religion...accomplished...bringing great joy and blessings to our life right now
when i was 4 i said i wanted to be princess...failed...i am neither girly enough to be a princess or fictional
when i was 13 i swore i'd keep the best of my friends close my whole life...accomplished with shades of gray...i love and adore the ones i have and trying to make things better with the friends i had or am gaining
when i was 18 i said i'd get a college degree....failed, sort of...still in the works....longest associate's degree attempt ever
in all this reflection i realize that where i am is where i am and the age associated with it is going to change every year. all i can do is set the smaller goals..so next year, when that person asks me again, i'll say, "when i was 26, i said next year i'll be 27 and the rest is already in the past..all i can do is try and ask me when i'm 28"
Friday, March 19, 2010
TMI maybe but....
...the dunn baby making factory, which was taken over by new management i.e. big huge, precancerous masses, has been shut down for the season.
After the surgery, I had a follow up visit with my doctor and he said that...and this is the part where it might be TMI but several people have asked me about it soo.......my ovaries aren't functioning like they should be. the normal egg follicle that populates every 28 days or so is instead growing into a huge cyst, which becomes a mass after 3 cm and it's extremely painful. during the surgery, 4 of them were removed. At my two week visit, I was already stricken by another one about 3cm in size...can't get a break!
What the doctor is doing is shutting down the egg production, letting everything settle and quiet down for awhile and then in 6 months or so, we'll kick start them up again. the hope is that they will react normally. here's hoping! if it doesn't work and it causes more problems, constant surgeries or trips to the ER, than they will have to come out entirely.
I was really sad when I heard the news and relieved at the same time...at least it wasn't the worse possible news...cancer or something terrible like that .... but it's upsetting to know that things aren't working properly and that my body turned on itself. I think it likes to be at the hospital....all that cleanliness and hypoallergenic everything and the good cubed ice...but i hate it. so for now, we're going to "wait and see" which is quickly becoming the catch phrase for everything in my life right now.
I was kidding around with my friend kami and told her "i'll be back just in time for the next baby"..meaning that dylan will be a year old by than which is when some people start wanting another baby...i was kidding, kind of...we're going to see what type of new toddler disposition dylan has first, and we're waiting to see if landon will ever learn how to use a quiet voice and that he doesn't have to run everywhere.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
it's been awhile...
goodness...it has been quite some time since my last blog..i didn't realize it..i've been updating our "status" and giving information on my facebook page but it's just snippets of what's going on with us.
where to begin?
well, we'll start with our ever growing frustration with landon's medical condition. after a second bronchoscopy at the children's hospital, they discovered that this wait and see approach they have been taking has been just that..a waiting game with no result. landon has a congenital form of the defect which after two years of poking, proding, doctor after doctor they are just now figuring out. the treatment plan of action....shocking...wait and see...the doctors think that landon will eventually outgrow it as his trachea gets more mature. for the meantime, landon will continue to struggle with his breathing, keep getting sick, and continue to br treated different than all the other kids...especially at daycare.. the parents are always on high alert for the corprut for the latest strain of whatever is going on..they hear landon's barky cough, maybe see him choke or throw up (not acutal vomit, contents of his stomach but fluid all the same) and the jump to their own conculsions..for awhile there, landon kept being accused of carrying the pandemic swine flu..oh brother...that was a fun few weeks. in other regards, landon is doing well. he is starting to talk a lot and sometimes, it's a good thing and other times..we kind of wish he still didn't talk. he hasn't mastered the concept of being subtle about his asking for things..he will ask you for juice 50 times in a row, no exaggeration. he is starting to have an interest in potty trainging which we are excited about. he has had some successes and it's a work in progress. he is sleeping in his own big boy bed now and does well most of the time..every once in awhile he ends up in our bed in the middle of the night.
dylan is a happy tank of a little boy. he is so delightful and such a wonderful addition to our little family. he is starting to be really expressive and he has the best little laugh. he still isn't sleeping through the night which is frustrating but it is because he was so congested at night. i have a theory that he is suffering from allergies....we've been trying to mimimalize his exposure to the dogs and cat and that has been helping, with small doses of benadryl when he really needs it...when i presented my information to the doctor, he said, "you made a compelling case"...i didn't realize i needed to take that approach to my child's healthcare in order to be listened to but in our experiences with the healthcare field, i guess the best thing for a parent to do is become educated and then present the best case for treatment...anyway..dylan is rolling over and trying to crawl, it's more like bodysurfing...he can sit for a little bit unsupported and he plays with toys. we are starting solid foods but he is a big fan of his bottle.
jordan has been doing well. right now, he is designing the map for our backyard as we venture into landscaping it. this will be the first house we've actually wanted to put in the time and effort and funds into doing....landon needs a yard...he is a liked a caged animal in the house all day; if he doesn't get out at least for a walk then he goes crazy. jordan is so smart..he has basically done the job of a landscape designer, with all the software and measurements...saved us a bunch i'm sure..work has been good for him and we're so thankful that in this economy he hasn't had to worry about losing his job. we just had his 28th birthday this month and it was a lot of fun. i planned a surprise party for him and all of his closest friends came and it was nice to see everyone. we got to see cara who lives close to us again but we hadn't seen yet and mark even drove in from california..it was awesome and he was really happy. we're looking forward to jordan's parents and sisters coming to visit..we can't wait!!
as for me, a lot has been happening. when i'm not racing from doctor's office to office with the boys, i'm having some medical issues myself...again! a pain began to develop in my abdomen and it wasn't going away, it just kept getting worse. finally, it got so intense that i couldn't take it anymore and went to the ER. they did a CAT scan and found a golf ball sized mass in my abdomen...great..at this point in time, we are waiting to find out what it is, if it will go away or if i need to have surgery again..the wait is killing me.. the pain was supposed to be subsiding with some medicine they gave me but it is actually getting worse. i fear that instead of improving, it's growing or even spreading..i tend to terrify myself by anticipating the worst possible scenario..at this point, i'm concerned that the surgery may require the extraction of other organs like my gallbladder or an ovary or my whole reproductive system, and as always, it is scary when your symptoms match up with signs for ovarian cancer...i'll just have to wait and see..i go to the doctor again on wednesday (if i don't end up in the ER again before that). the pain, little sleep, and my full time work schedule are really taking a toll on me...i'm trying to find some internal strength..which leads me into my next big development..
all my life, i was looking up, looking for a sign that there was someone up there, bigger than me, watching over me....i wasn't rasied in a religious home, we didn't go to church but i always had this faith..that i knew one day it was going to make sense and i would feel a void being filled..recently (after deliberation, debate, and some down right refusal at points in time) i've been meeting with the missionaries with the LDS church...jordan was raised in the church and for the last few years, i've been what they call a dry mormon (not baptized) in that we live the standards for the most part and go to church sometimes and have had our children blessed. jordan was inactive for the better part of a decade and when i told him that i wanted to take the discussions, i was delighted to hear that he wanted to sit in and take them with me..a refreshed course for him and although i knew a lot about the church, there was so much more to find out. we've been attending church on sundays, visiting with the missionaries and also meeting other families in our ward and our neighborhood...it was been an amazing sense of belonging for us...one of the best things is that everyone has kids our kids ages and they have lots of kids to play with and we don't ever feel like we have to make an excuse for them because no one seems them as an disruption...they just talk right over them and pretend that they aren't being loud or rude. a lot of quesitons have been answered for me and we've been really happy because we feel a lot closer together. there are some sad points in this trip though...realizing that the things i did and knew were wrong anyway are still weighing on me, that i have hurts that haven't been comforted yet and that there are people in our life that mean so much to us that we want to help and reach out to and know that we can't or it isn't the right time...i told my mom that i was thinking of joining the church which was huge for me because there was a lot of mumblings and grumblings from my extended family when they heard i was marrying a morman..she was so surprising in her understanding and supportivness....i really was nervous abouyt bringing it up to her and i'm so glad that she was receptive..she did have some questions which i answered to the best of my ability but i love her for being there for me always, no matter what...i told my dad (which i was even more nervous about) and he said that he would still love me but is wanting to have a more serious discussion than text messaging would allow for, which i can understand.
we've just been so thankful for so the chance to meet so many wonderful families and also to realize that we already had so many great examples in our life already in our friends the perrys, burninghams, and francis' and of course, my in laws. it's still a work in progress (as is a lot in our life right now) but it is a joyful work...
so that is pretty much our news for the first part of the new year...i'll try and be better about updating this thing..as i type, dylan is pounding away at the jeyboard and landon is running amuck in the bedroom. there is not a lot of time for leisurly writing but i'll try and sneak away more frequently..
where to begin?
well, we'll start with our ever growing frustration with landon's medical condition. after a second bronchoscopy at the children's hospital, they discovered that this wait and see approach they have been taking has been just that..a waiting game with no result. landon has a congenital form of the defect which after two years of poking, proding, doctor after doctor they are just now figuring out. the treatment plan of action....shocking...wait and see...the doctors think that landon will eventually outgrow it as his trachea gets more mature. for the meantime, landon will continue to struggle with his breathing, keep getting sick, and continue to br treated different than all the other kids...especially at daycare.. the parents are always on high alert for the corprut for the latest strain of whatever is going on..they hear landon's barky cough, maybe see him choke or throw up (not acutal vomit, contents of his stomach but fluid all the same) and the jump to their own conculsions..for awhile there, landon kept being accused of carrying the pandemic swine flu..oh brother...that was a fun few weeks. in other regards, landon is doing well. he is starting to talk a lot and sometimes, it's a good thing and other times..we kind of wish he still didn't talk. he hasn't mastered the concept of being subtle about his asking for things..he will ask you for juice 50 times in a row, no exaggeration. he is starting to have an interest in potty trainging which we are excited about. he has had some successes and it's a work in progress. he is sleeping in his own big boy bed now and does well most of the time..every once in awhile he ends up in our bed in the middle of the night.
dylan is a happy tank of a little boy. he is so delightful and such a wonderful addition to our little family. he is starting to be really expressive and he has the best little laugh. he still isn't sleeping through the night which is frustrating but it is because he was so congested at night. i have a theory that he is suffering from allergies....we've been trying to mimimalize his exposure to the dogs and cat and that has been helping, with small doses of benadryl when he really needs it...when i presented my information to the doctor, he said, "you made a compelling case"...i didn't realize i needed to take that approach to my child's healthcare in order to be listened to but in our experiences with the healthcare field, i guess the best thing for a parent to do is become educated and then present the best case for treatment...anyway..dylan is rolling over and trying to crawl, it's more like bodysurfing...he can sit for a little bit unsupported and he plays with toys. we are starting solid foods but he is a big fan of his bottle.
jordan has been doing well. right now, he is designing the map for our backyard as we venture into landscaping it. this will be the first house we've actually wanted to put in the time and effort and funds into doing....landon needs a yard...he is a liked a caged animal in the house all day; if he doesn't get out at least for a walk then he goes crazy. jordan is so smart..he has basically done the job of a landscape designer, with all the software and measurements...saved us a bunch i'm sure..work has been good for him and we're so thankful that in this economy he hasn't had to worry about losing his job. we just had his 28th birthday this month and it was a lot of fun. i planned a surprise party for him and all of his closest friends came and it was nice to see everyone. we got to see cara who lives close to us again but we hadn't seen yet and mark even drove in from california..it was awesome and he was really happy. we're looking forward to jordan's parents and sisters coming to visit..we can't wait!!
as for me, a lot has been happening. when i'm not racing from doctor's office to office with the boys, i'm having some medical issues myself...again! a pain began to develop in my abdomen and it wasn't going away, it just kept getting worse. finally, it got so intense that i couldn't take it anymore and went to the ER. they did a CAT scan and found a golf ball sized mass in my abdomen...great..at this point in time, we are waiting to find out what it is, if it will go away or if i need to have surgery again..the wait is killing me.. the pain was supposed to be subsiding with some medicine they gave me but it is actually getting worse. i fear that instead of improving, it's growing or even spreading..i tend to terrify myself by anticipating the worst possible scenario..at this point, i'm concerned that the surgery may require the extraction of other organs like my gallbladder or an ovary or my whole reproductive system, and as always, it is scary when your symptoms match up with signs for ovarian cancer...i'll just have to wait and see..i go to the doctor again on wednesday (if i don't end up in the ER again before that). the pain, little sleep, and my full time work schedule are really taking a toll on me...i'm trying to find some internal strength..which leads me into my next big development..
all my life, i was looking up, looking for a sign that there was someone up there, bigger than me, watching over me....i wasn't rasied in a religious home, we didn't go to church but i always had this faith..that i knew one day it was going to make sense and i would feel a void being filled..recently (after deliberation, debate, and some down right refusal at points in time) i've been meeting with the missionaries with the LDS church...jordan was raised in the church and for the last few years, i've been what they call a dry mormon (not baptized) in that we live the standards for the most part and go to church sometimes and have had our children blessed. jordan was inactive for the better part of a decade and when i told him that i wanted to take the discussions, i was delighted to hear that he wanted to sit in and take them with me..a refreshed course for him and although i knew a lot about the church, there was so much more to find out. we've been attending church on sundays, visiting with the missionaries and also meeting other families in our ward and our neighborhood...it was been an amazing sense of belonging for us...one of the best things is that everyone has kids our kids ages and they have lots of kids to play with and we don't ever feel like we have to make an excuse for them because no one seems them as an disruption...they just talk right over them and pretend that they aren't being loud or rude. a lot of quesitons have been answered for me and we've been really happy because we feel a lot closer together. there are some sad points in this trip though...realizing that the things i did and knew were wrong anyway are still weighing on me, that i have hurts that haven't been comforted yet and that there are people in our life that mean so much to us that we want to help and reach out to and know that we can't or it isn't the right time...i told my mom that i was thinking of joining the church which was huge for me because there was a lot of mumblings and grumblings from my extended family when they heard i was marrying a morman..she was so surprising in her understanding and supportivness....i really was nervous abouyt bringing it up to her and i'm so glad that she was receptive..she did have some questions which i answered to the best of my ability but i love her for being there for me always, no matter what...i told my dad (which i was even more nervous about) and he said that he would still love me but is wanting to have a more serious discussion than text messaging would allow for, which i can understand.
we've just been so thankful for so the chance to meet so many wonderful families and also to realize that we already had so many great examples in our life already in our friends the perrys, burninghams, and francis' and of course, my in laws. it's still a work in progress (as is a lot in our life right now) but it is a joyful work...
so that is pretty much our news for the first part of the new year...i'll try and be better about updating this thing..as i type, dylan is pounding away at the jeyboard and landon is running amuck in the bedroom. there is not a lot of time for leisurly writing but i'll try and sneak away more frequently..
Sunday, December 27, 2009
very busy christmas week
hello there! it's been awhile since my last post and it has been a week or so since i've been online..surprising, but we were so busy. the week before last kicked off the craziness.
landon went in for his second bronchoscopy. the doctors are still trying to figure out what is wrong with his breathing. they also did some other blood work while he was sedated. the results came back and said that landon is still aspirating into his lungs and he had an infection in his airways. they said just to keep waiting to it out to see if he'll grow out of it and to avoid him taking in lots of water ie submered in water or else he could drown with the all the fluid in his lungs...guess swim lessons are out for the time being.
on wednesday, jordan and i went to dinner with his boss and some people he worked with and it was an adult dinner...no kids. some friends we have babysat for us (gasp!)....in landon's two years of life it was the first time someone other than family had watched him. he did great though, there were lots of people there to entertain him. we also went to dinner with the perrys and the burninghams and all six of our kids in tow...it was interesting but not as bad as we probably all anticipated...they are getting older now and keep each other company, at least for a little bit.
dylan had his four month check up. he's in the 75th percentile for height and weight lol which is funny to us because landon never went through the chumky baby phase, but dylan is a tank of a kid. we have to take him to the ear nose and throat specialist (same ones that put landon's tubes in his ears) because they think dyl might have a deviated spetum or a collapsed nasal passage; he's always stuffy and his nose runs and he snorts a lot, sounds like a warthog....a cute warthog.
we had our version of christmas here before we left and it was nice...we didn't go too overboard with spending this year because we're saving up to landscape our backyard still .
then we braved taking both kids on the airplane to washington for christmas. with checked baggage as much as it costs, we were worried about how we were going to get stuff for 4 people for 8 days on the plane with us.....enter Space bags!! we packed all four of us in one suitcase and still made it under the 50 lb limit, just barely though. the boys did okay on the plane...it is difficult to keep landon contained to such a small space for any prolonged period of time. surprising enough, we werent' the mess you expect with two kids and two carry one items each. we made it through security, shoes and jackets off and all, in less time and with less hassle than most single travelers.
we got to washington and it was freezing! it was really cold but as soon as we got outside, you just breathed in evergreen trees and it feels like home again.
the first night we were there we went to a baptism for a friend of ours who has been a pseudo member of the church for a long time but finally took the plunge...pun intended. he had so many people there to bare witness to his committment, i told him he had the super bowlf of baptisms. it was really inspiring to watch; all those people having so much love and acceptance of his new life. you could really see it in his face too that he was changed instantly.
the next morning we went to church and dylan had his baby blessing; he slept through it but it was a beautiful blessing given by his grandpa dave. he gave dylan a blessing that he would be happy and healthy and strong throughout his life with strong faith....it moved us, just like when he did landons. it was the christmas prgram which is my favorite because i know all the songs and they are the perfect belnd of spirit, both in God and in the christmas sense which i guess is the more commercial sense of the word.
i got to go spend a little bit of time with my brother mikey and he got to see his nephews (meeting dylan for the first time). we did some christmas shopping and spent most of the rest of the day just hanging out, playing board games with the family and eating all the things you are expected to eat at christmas time but the kinds of foods your diet doesn't allow for....oh well....all in moderation which i did a good job with....no extra pounds gained..
i also got to see my very best friends tim and suzi!! they are the best kinds of friends because even though we go years sometimes before we see each other, we pick up right where we left off. we talk like we just saw each other the day before. i love them. i also got to see my friend nolan who had been serving in the armed forces, just got back from quatar and was back in town. he and i go way back and have been friends a long time and i'm glad he made it home safe and unharmed. we all had a good time and i hated not being able to see them more but when you want more time, it seems like it's always speeding away from you..
jordan and i got to spend a night together in seattle. we stayed at the edgewater hotel which is a rustic/modern hotel, makes you feel like you're in a ski lodge in the city, i loved it. we drive down with nayt and jaimie who were celebrating two years of marriage. they were a lot of fun to hang out with. we all went to dinner and the next day, we spent a good part of the day walking around pike place. we bought doughnuts that were the size of someone's head, we had fresh fruit that was delicious, we went to the first starbucks which i always wanted to do and we ate at this local cheese place for lunch. i got to do two things that i havne't been able to do in a long time.....take an uniterrupted nap AND and uninterrupted shower...it was divine!!
that night, we took the kids to the bellevue botanical gardens to see the light display they had there. landon wasn' in the best of moods but we made the best of it. it was insane the things they can do and make with christmas lights, i was really impressed... and i liked that it was free..most light displays were charging 10$ a person..no thank you..
on christmas eve, we had our christmas dinner with the whole family. kathy made chicken cord en blue (pardon the spelling) and lots of other yummy food and we ate until we were going to explode and then we played some more board games. p.s. i am awesome at apples to apples, just in case anyone wants to play against me....example. word was "innocent", i won with the card played of "adolf hitler".
the next morning was christmas!! we all opened gifts, exchanged thank yous, even landon said his. he suddenly has hit a language boom and will voice his wants and needs most of the time and copies what you say. i slept a good a good part of the day away after not sleeping at all the night before and then we just hung out the rest of the day.
on saturday we went to our friends mark and anne's house to have dinner and so landon could hang out with their daughter, the lovely and adorable miss gracie.they went back and forth from getting along to arguing to fighting to chillin on the couch....and only one head on collision that left them both in tears momentarily. mark and anne are always a source of entertainment for us and it's so easy to hang out with them because there are very few topics that are off limits or don't end up to be hilarious. last night, we spent our time packing. we had to leave the house at 330am to catch a 515 flight....ugh....we did it that way to avoid a layover.
we drug ourselves and our sleepy little ones through security and onto the plane for the 2 hr and 45 mins flight home. dylan slept almost the entire time, jordan and i kept drifting off and landon stayed quiet most of the time since brought the zune with us, loaded with kid movies...it's a handheld wonder!
today, we upacked, bathed the kids, showered, cleaned, went and finally bought landon's bed for his big boy room and put it all together. it was a very productive day (so far) considering that we only got maybe two hours of sleep. now we're home and it's bittersweet...both in that we are awar again from our family and we're back to our regular routine in the morning.
we had so much fun this trip and it is so awesome to see how close landon and his grandparents and uncles and aunts all are. dylan just loved and cuddled everyone and landon is getting to the age where he really can express how much he loves you and it just broke my heart when we left this morning and he looked back and at grandma and grandpa getting in the car to leave...the look on his face was so sad....but i know that we are going to see them again soon and he'll be even more excited, and so will we!
here is a link for pictures from our trip
www.picasaweb.google.com/dunnboy10
landon went in for his second bronchoscopy. the doctors are still trying to figure out what is wrong with his breathing. they also did some other blood work while he was sedated. the results came back and said that landon is still aspirating into his lungs and he had an infection in his airways. they said just to keep waiting to it out to see if he'll grow out of it and to avoid him taking in lots of water ie submered in water or else he could drown with the all the fluid in his lungs...guess swim lessons are out for the time being.
on wednesday, jordan and i went to dinner with his boss and some people he worked with and it was an adult dinner...no kids. some friends we have babysat for us (gasp!)....in landon's two years of life it was the first time someone other than family had watched him. he did great though, there were lots of people there to entertain him. we also went to dinner with the perrys and the burninghams and all six of our kids in tow...it was interesting but not as bad as we probably all anticipated...they are getting older now and keep each other company, at least for a little bit.
dylan had his four month check up. he's in the 75th percentile for height and weight lol which is funny to us because landon never went through the chumky baby phase, but dylan is a tank of a kid. we have to take him to the ear nose and throat specialist (same ones that put landon's tubes in his ears) because they think dyl might have a deviated spetum or a collapsed nasal passage; he's always stuffy and his nose runs and he snorts a lot, sounds like a warthog....a cute warthog.
we had our version of christmas here before we left and it was nice...we didn't go too overboard with spending this year because we're saving up to landscape our backyard still .
then we braved taking both kids on the airplane to washington for christmas. with checked baggage as much as it costs, we were worried about how we were going to get stuff for 4 people for 8 days on the plane with us.....enter Space bags!! we packed all four of us in one suitcase and still made it under the 50 lb limit, just barely though. the boys did okay on the plane...it is difficult to keep landon contained to such a small space for any prolonged period of time. surprising enough, we werent' the mess you expect with two kids and two carry one items each. we made it through security, shoes and jackets off and all, in less time and with less hassle than most single travelers.
we got to washington and it was freezing! it was really cold but as soon as we got outside, you just breathed in evergreen trees and it feels like home again.
the first night we were there we went to a baptism for a friend of ours who has been a pseudo member of the church for a long time but finally took the plunge...pun intended. he had so many people there to bare witness to his committment, i told him he had the super bowlf of baptisms. it was really inspiring to watch; all those people having so much love and acceptance of his new life. you could really see it in his face too that he was changed instantly.
the next morning we went to church and dylan had his baby blessing; he slept through it but it was a beautiful blessing given by his grandpa dave. he gave dylan a blessing that he would be happy and healthy and strong throughout his life with strong faith....it moved us, just like when he did landons. it was the christmas prgram which is my favorite because i know all the songs and they are the perfect belnd of spirit, both in God and in the christmas sense which i guess is the more commercial sense of the word.
i got to go spend a little bit of time with my brother mikey and he got to see his nephews (meeting dylan for the first time). we did some christmas shopping and spent most of the rest of the day just hanging out, playing board games with the family and eating all the things you are expected to eat at christmas time but the kinds of foods your diet doesn't allow for....oh well....all in moderation which i did a good job with....no extra pounds gained..
i also got to see my very best friends tim and suzi!! they are the best kinds of friends because even though we go years sometimes before we see each other, we pick up right where we left off. we talk like we just saw each other the day before. i love them. i also got to see my friend nolan who had been serving in the armed forces, just got back from quatar and was back in town. he and i go way back and have been friends a long time and i'm glad he made it home safe and unharmed. we all had a good time and i hated not being able to see them more but when you want more time, it seems like it's always speeding away from you..
jordan and i got to spend a night together in seattle. we stayed at the edgewater hotel which is a rustic/modern hotel, makes you feel like you're in a ski lodge in the city, i loved it. we drive down with nayt and jaimie who were celebrating two years of marriage. they were a lot of fun to hang out with. we all went to dinner and the next day, we spent a good part of the day walking around pike place. we bought doughnuts that were the size of someone's head, we had fresh fruit that was delicious, we went to the first starbucks which i always wanted to do and we ate at this local cheese place for lunch. i got to do two things that i havne't been able to do in a long time.....take an uniterrupted nap AND and uninterrupted shower...it was divine!!
that night, we took the kids to the bellevue botanical gardens to see the light display they had there. landon wasn' in the best of moods but we made the best of it. it was insane the things they can do and make with christmas lights, i was really impressed... and i liked that it was free..most light displays were charging 10$ a person..no thank you..
on christmas eve, we had our christmas dinner with the whole family. kathy made chicken cord en blue (pardon the spelling) and lots of other yummy food and we ate until we were going to explode and then we played some more board games. p.s. i am awesome at apples to apples, just in case anyone wants to play against me....example. word was "innocent", i won with the card played of "adolf hitler".
the next morning was christmas!! we all opened gifts, exchanged thank yous, even landon said his. he suddenly has hit a language boom and will voice his wants and needs most of the time and copies what you say. i slept a good a good part of the day away after not sleeping at all the night before and then we just hung out the rest of the day.
on saturday we went to our friends mark and anne's house to have dinner and so landon could hang out with their daughter, the lovely and adorable miss gracie.they went back and forth from getting along to arguing to fighting to chillin on the couch....and only one head on collision that left them both in tears momentarily. mark and anne are always a source of entertainment for us and it's so easy to hang out with them because there are very few topics that are off limits or don't end up to be hilarious. last night, we spent our time packing. we had to leave the house at 330am to catch a 515 flight....ugh....we did it that way to avoid a layover.
we drug ourselves and our sleepy little ones through security and onto the plane for the 2 hr and 45 mins flight home. dylan slept almost the entire time, jordan and i kept drifting off and landon stayed quiet most of the time since brought the zune with us, loaded with kid movies...it's a handheld wonder!
today, we upacked, bathed the kids, showered, cleaned, went and finally bought landon's bed for his big boy room and put it all together. it was a very productive day (so far) considering that we only got maybe two hours of sleep. now we're home and it's bittersweet...both in that we are awar again from our family and we're back to our regular routine in the morning.
we had so much fun this trip and it is so awesome to see how close landon and his grandparents and uncles and aunts all are. dylan just loved and cuddled everyone and landon is getting to the age where he really can express how much he loves you and it just broke my heart when we left this morning and he looked back and at grandma and grandpa getting in the car to leave...the look on his face was so sad....but i know that we are going to see them again soon and he'll be even more excited, and so will we!
here is a link for pictures from our trip
www.picasaweb.google.com/dunnboy10
Friday, October 30, 2009
my little boy is two today......
landon turned two today...it is a bittersweet feeling..maybe even more so than when he turned one. at one, he was still kind of a baby and now, he is becoming more and more of a big boy. we bought him a big boy bed for his birthday and soon, we will be embarking on the joyous event of pottytraining. looking at him, i can still his round little baby face with the perfectly chubby cheeks. those big blues eyes still steal my heart. i'm so blessed (most of the time, he is a toddler afterall) to have him. he makes us laugh all the time. for instance, today at the doctor, we were waiting to be seen by the nurse and he in his diaper. he got down in a bear crawl position and was doing this weird, interpretive dance kind of thing..i was in tears it was so funny. he makes us very proud of him as he learns and grows in his life. he is becoming a well rounded athlete, liking all sports. he loves to go watch his uncle kyle play softball...it's adorable. he jumps up and down and claps and cheers for him. he loves soccer and for his birthday, we got him a nerf football which he can catch pretty well and throw also. there are so many things i love about my little bubba....even when he is trying my patience and driving jordan nuts, it doesn't take much for him to win us over, a little bubba-chatter, a wide huge smile, and hug accompanied by a his "aww" sound of affection. the cutest thing is when he is being a big brother. i felt really guilty in the begining, having another baby. i felt like landon wouldn't understand or accept another child in the house. he has been great. he likes to feed dylan and hug him and he get upset if he thinks we are all going to the car without him. i almost cried the other day when i saw him sitting dy dylan's swing and patting him on the tummy because the baby was crying. dylan loves his brother. he laughs and smiles at him all the time. landon is still trying to figure things out about the world.....like candy is supposed to be a treat and not a diet staple; that steps aren't the only things to climb, that shots hurt, that a hug from daddy usually makes it all better and mommy makes the ouchies go away, that grandparents live far away and it is the best thing to spend time together with family, that a doggy doesn't like his tail pulled, that doors can lock behind you, that big boys use the big potty, balls aren't the only things you can throw, bathtime does equal playtime, and that you get places sooner when you run really fast.
so to you (landon, lando, landy pants, mr bubba, bubbas, bunkin, bucket) we love you! we love your blue eyes, your belly laugh when you're being tickled, your "boston" accent, your faux hawk, your inability to walk anywhere and how fast you are, your tip toe walk, your excity boy, your gibberish, your bedtime hugs and kisses for everyone, your desire to drink from the big cup with the straw, your dipping sauce addiction, your soccer ball kicking, your mean mugging, your kung fu master karate skills, your "ah man!", your chocolate milk obession, your binky addiction, your three blankies at all times, your cuddles, your not talking on the phone when someone is talking to you, your animal noises, your ears, big brother protectiveness, and everything else that makes you!!!!
so to you (landon, lando, landy pants, mr bubba, bubbas, bunkin, bucket) we love you! we love your blue eyes, your belly laugh when you're being tickled, your "boston" accent, your faux hawk, your inability to walk anywhere and how fast you are, your tip toe walk, your excity boy, your gibberish, your bedtime hugs and kisses for everyone, your desire to drink from the big cup with the straw, your dipping sauce addiction, your soccer ball kicking, your mean mugging, your kung fu master karate skills, your "ah man!", your chocolate milk obession, your binky addiction, your three blankies at all times, your cuddles, your not talking on the phone when someone is talking to you, your animal noises, your ears, big brother protectiveness, and everything else that makes you!!!!
Thursday, October 8, 2009
mommy duty
the day came...the day to go back to work. it hadn't really hit me until today. i was at work and jordan sent me a text asking me if landon had eaten breakfast. i replied with a snapshot of his day; carnation instant breakfast and mickey mouse clubhouse, breakfast about an hour later, nap around noon, lunch, then an afternoon snack about 4. it made me sad; having to run down the details of my child's day instead of being there.....the guilt only intensified when a text came later in the morning that landon was throwing up (which he never does) and had a fever. i've been beating myself up all day long because i can't be there with him, to cuddle and comfort him. we had so much time together that now, when i leave, i can't imagine what i'll do without him for 8 hours....add to that my little guy dylan. seeing them and jordan at the end of the day is what fuels me and keeps me going the rest of the day. after being home so long on bedrest and maternity leave, i will scream it from the rooftop that being a full time mom is the hardest full time job ever! being an insurance agent is nothng comapred to being a mom from sun up to sun down...now, i'm a mom and wife for a few hours in the morning, an insurance agent all day, a mom and wife at night...not to mention the times i'm a mover, a maid, a laundress, and all the other hats i wear during the day. mommy duty is hard work!!
now, i will leave my desk at work and go home to a little boy who has the flu, a little boy who is learning to smile (steals your heart) and a husband who has had a rough day dealing with everything else on top of trying to get some work done!! bless him!!
now, i will leave my desk at work and go home to a little boy who has the flu, a little boy who is learning to smile (steals your heart) and a husband who has had a rough day dealing with everything else on top of trying to get some work done!! bless him!!
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