James, Camilla, Jay, Leslie, Ashley, and Carter Thomson

Baby Carter Slide show

2011-10-08T14:35:00.000-07:00

I finally got this put together. Enjoy.

Newest Family picture

2011-10-06T15:04:00.000-07:00

Baby Story

2011-04-06T16:43:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know it is a little late, but I have been crazy mom, trying to be the mom of four (Who signed me up for this anyway? =). As it turned out, Carter James Thomson decided he wanted to be around for the joint birthday party, so I went into labor early Saturday morning, and spent part of my labor (after the epidural) rescheduling the birthday party. Carter was born Feb. 5, 2011 at 12:55 pm. He was 8 lbs. 9 oz. and 20 1/2 inches long. The first thing he did (before he even cried) was pee on the nurse. We had a bit of a hard time getting him to cry, and his skin had a bluish tint to it until he was under the heat lamp for a few minutes. He is definately an Arizona baby if he gets cold that easy. After a little while he was the right color and crying just fine. We left the hospital the next day, everything looking normal. I was very lucky to have a mother in law "on call", and she showed up to help (from Utah) before I got home from the hospital. She stayed for a week, doing everything she could to help. It was wonderful having her here. I don't know what I would have done without her. Two days after she left, my parents came to help for a few weeks. They also helped with the cooking, cleaning, laundry, watching the kids while I slept, etc., and I was sad to see them go. Since then, I have been doing well, but still wonder how I am going to get everything done. Some days are better than others. As Carter gets older, it is easier to get things done because he doesn't feel the need to be held all the time, but he wants to be held now, so I am finished for now. Pictures will follow soon (I hope).

The waiting game

2011-02-03T18:53:00.000-08:00

I hate this part of pregnancy. Not only am I huge and unwieldy, but I can't stop thinking about having this baby. I had an ultrasound today which showed the baby at 8 lbs. 10 oz. I don't want to think about delivering a bigger baby, but I need to wait for a few more days (until Sunday). Jay and Leslie have a joint friend birthday party Saturday afternoon and James is doing an extra shift Saturday night, so the earliest I want to go into labor is Sunday afternoon/evening. It is a good thing it is only a few days away, or I might go crazy with the anticipation. I have my next appointment on Tuesday, and if I make it that long, I will post what the plan is. I am sure the doctor is going to want to induce me, or do a c-section, but I will let you know. Otherwise you will get pictures and a birth story.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-29T18:54:00.000-08:00

We are finally back from Utah, and getting settled back in. The kids were very excited that they had more presents to open, and a little impatient for dad to get home from work so they could open them. Jay kept going around the tree identifying who each present was for. By the time we sat down to open them, Jay already had a pile of presents all addressed to him, ready to open. It was a great sucess. Santa brought the girls a bounce house with a ball pit and slide that barely fits into our front room, and Jay got a 20' bike. They are all thrilled, and I am happy to be finished with Christmas for another year. Now I have 10 days to get ready for Ashley's birthday, and then I am off the hook for a few weeks. I am planning to book a joint birthday party for Jay and Leslie a few weeks before the baby is due, so that Leslie doesn't feel gyped when I am in no condition to throw her a big party. I am hoping the baby doesn't decide to come before/during the party.

Leslie has decided that she doesn't like having her own room, so she has moved back in with Ashley, and that leaves us an empty bedroom. We are thinking about turning it into an office/spare room, but that will have to wait until James has the time/energy to move everything around. Jay wants to move his bed in with the girls because he doesn't like sleeping alone, but we told him he was too old to be sleeping in the same room with girls, and now he wants the baby in his room. We will see if he changes his mind in March.
I am going to try to keep up on news, but I'm not making any promises.

2010-06-15T20:27:00.000-07:00

2010-06-15T18:07:00.001-07:00

It has been so long since my last post, I almost forgot how to create a new post. Thank goodness for user friendly websites. We have been in Mesa for a year now. I can't believe how fast it has gone. I have been busy being a mom and trying to keep the house clean. I have decided that the whole house will never be clean all at the same time like it used to be, and I just have to get used to it. Jay and Leslie will help me if I push the issue, and they have had the job of picking up toys, and Jay has started helping me clean the kitchen. Soon I will teach him to vaccuum. I am sure he will love that. I have been working on a slideshow that hopefully will show up soon. Again, it is a matter of putting things together the way I want them, and getting them that way onto the post. Sounds easy, but I am a slow learner.
James has had a very busy, but very productive first year, and is now excited to be a big, bad second year. Actually he is a little apprehensive, since some of his safety net is disappearing. He will now be in charge of making sure the new first years don't make too many serious mistakes.
Jay (6) just finished kindergarten, and is looking forward to first grade. He is reading well, adding, subtracting, grouping, and everything else in math that he is supposed to do. He also has some good friends that like to come over and play. He likes to swim, ride his bike, play with friends, play video games (any will do), and teach his sisters new things. He is very patient with them, and loves showing them what he can do.
Leslie(3)is as cute as ever, when she smiles. We are still working on talking instead of tantrums, but that is coming right along. Leslie doesn't think it is fair that Ashley can whine and cry when she wants something, but I make her talk instead of whining. She has started putting her face in the water at the pool, so I am hoping she will be more amiable to swimming. She seems to do better with someone other than me helping her. I will be enrolling her in swim lessons starting in July after we get back from Utah.
Ashley 17 months)is doing everything she thinks a big girl should do. Once she decides to do something, she works and works until she has it right. For awhile it was stairs (going down forward instead of backward). THAT scared me to death for a few weeks. Especially the day she tried to push her doll stroller down the stairs. I was folding laundry in my bedroom and she was playing in the playroom. I heard her grunting and panting, so I stepped to my bedroom door to find her three steps down and not holding onto anything except the stroller. I watched her go down one step, and it was too much for my nerves. I picked her up and carried them both to the bottom. She was a little put out. Lately she has been working on swimming. She is fearless when it comes to water, and it doesn't bother her when her head goes under, so I have to stay pretty close, or she will step off of the platform, or walk too deep, or jump off the edge. I have started putting water wings on her, and she is learning to kick around the pool in them, but she still finds it funny to flip on her back. She will also be starting swimming lessons, purely for my sanity and peace of mind.
That is all for now, I am going to return to my slideshow and see if I can figure out how to get it onto the post. Wish me luck!!!!

Teeth, Teeth, Teeth

2009-10-16T15:05:00.000-07:00

Jay just lost his first tooth. He is so excited. I told him that I would call the tooth fairy, and he said, "What, you have to CALL her?" It will be a chore getting him to sleep tonight.
Leslie is working on her 2 year old molars, and Ashley is working on her upper front teeth. We have teeth coming in everywhere.

Kindergarten at last

2009-08-19T12:55:00.000-07:00

After months of waiting, Jay finally started kindergarten. He was so excited, and has loved it. He already knows over half of the curriculum, so he is able to enjoy it without stressing over it. He has already made several friends, and has tons to tell me when I pick him up. Leslie loves to pick up Jay. Everyday she tells me "After naps we will pick up Jay. Good Idea!!", and everyday when she wakes up from her nap she tells me it is time to pick up Jay. Fortunately, she is usually right and she doesn't have to wait. The school is only a few blocks away, so I load the kids in the stroller and walk. Jay uses the walk home to tell me everything that happened that day. We are working on writing his name and reading, and he loves pointing to words and telling me what they say. I am very proud of his hard work. He is also infecting Leslie who is learning her letters so she can read like Jay. She has no intention of letting him outdistance her like that =).

Pics of the kids

2009-08-18T13:29:00.000-07:00

I finally found the cable that connects my camera to my computer, so as promised, here are some updated pictures of the kids. I tried to get one of all three, but it was a futile effort. By the time I got all of them sitting together, Ashley was struggling to get away from Jay, and Leslie was crying because I wanted her to sit down next to Jay instead of half a room away. I bagged it at that point.

2009-08-18T13:22:00.000-07:00

Mesa Arizona

2009-06-22T15:14:00.000-07:00

How in the world does anyone have more than two kids and keep their minds? I hit the ground running every morning between 6 and 6:30 (when Leslie wakes up), and don't stop running until I go to sleep at night about 10:30. Still, I can't keep up with the laundry, cleaning, and playing that I am supposed to be doing. Every time I turn around, Leslie is telling me she is hungry, and I feed her at least 7 times a day. She must be growing. Jay is all about friends. He has made some friends with some of the boys in the ward, and is constantly nagging me to call one of them to play. Ashley is a very happy baby. THANK GOODNESS!!!!!!!!! She will lay and play all day. She loves it when Jay and/or Leslie comes over to play with her. She is always happy to see and talk to someone, but plays well on her own. She will roll onto her stomach and play, and then forget how to roll back. She puts her arms to her sides with her head lifted up and she looks just like a baby seal. She only does this when she is tired of being on her stomach, and inevitably, this is when she gets upset. I roll her over several times a day, and Jay also rolls her over. She will get the idea eventually. Leslie finally got to open her big Christmas present from Grandma Thomson. It was a play kitchen that was too big for our apartment in New Jersey, and Grandma Thomson had one at her house, so we left it in the box until last Sunday. It was in our spare room, and Leslie went in there to put her baby down for a nap. She saw the box and immediately wanted to play with it. She supervised the construction and was ecstatic when it was finished. She is turning into quite the little lady. Now that she can talk, her tantrums are diminishing, and she is more pleasant to be around. She has also started telling me how she wants things done. For instance, "Mom, I want to watch a movie, then I will take a nap". She is also good to tell me when I misunderstand her, and is usually very patient with me until I figure it out. She is learning how to kick around in the pool with her arm floats, but still likes me right next to her. We go to the pool almost every day, and she is improving all the time. Ashley also is getting to like the pool. At least she doesn't scream when I take her in anymore. I still have a lot of organizing to do, but most of our stuff is out where we can get it (or mess up the house). I still have to figure out what I am going to do with Jay and Leslie's room though. It is filled with toys that they aren't playing with because they are in boxes and totes. Eventually, I am going to go through them, pack away half of them, and organize the rest so that they can be played with. The other area that needs to be tackled is the room under the stairs. I want that room for food storage, but it is currently filled with boxes (mostly books and decorations yet to be hung) and some totes that still need to be unpacked. One of these days when I have nothing better to do (Ha, Ha, Ha) I will pull out all the pictures and start decorating. The books are going to have to wait until we get a bookshelf.
Speaking of the house, it is a wonderful house. It is 2600 sq. ft. with 4 bedrooms and 2 1/2 bathrooms. The bedrooms are all upstairs with 1 3/4 bath also upstairs. Downstairs (the main floor) has a nice entryway and formal dining room, kitchen, family room, laundry room, and powder room. It is also nice to be able to park in the garage, and have storage space. I am also excited to have an extra room that JT can sleep in after he has been on call, so the kids and I can have access to my room and the computer. That was a complete novelty that I hadn't even considered before he brought it up. He is doing his last day of orientation, and will be starting in ernest on Wednesday. We are both excited to be moving on to the next step. The internal medicine department sent us all to the Phoenix Zoo last Saturday, and fed us lunch in an airconditioned pavilion. We went early and left about 1:30, but it was fun to see the animals. I was suprised to see that the Phoenix Zoo has not one, but two splash parks, and the kids had a lot of fun playing. The fun ended abruptly when I was reaplying sunblock, and Leslie rubbed it in her eyes. Oh well, it was nap time anyway. Speakin of naps, it appears they are over. Will write again as I can.

MOVE IT!!!

2009-03-30T13:37:00.000-07:00

We have officially moved out of New Jersey. We are temporarily in Utah, but have already started house hunting, and are hoping to be on our way to Phoenix in May. The drive from New Jersey to American Fork was long, but not too bad. We had slow going the first day and a half because our trailer wasn't loaded very well. We started to fish tail as soon as we hit 55 mph, so it took a lot longer to make it to our planned destinations. We stopped at our friends house in Ohio and repacked the trailer, and it pulled much better after that. On our third day we stopped early in Nauvoo, and spent a few hours looking around the city and enjoying the history. Jay liked going to the Family Center where they let him help make a rope and showed him how to make candles, rugs, and bread like they were made in Old Nauvoo. James and I enjoyed going to the print, brick and gun store. It is amazing how much history was left behind when the saints moved on. When we somewhere in Nebraska/Wyoming we came across thousands of ducks migrating North for the Spring. It was amazing. They filled the whole sky for miles.
It was about 6:30 Friday evening when we pulled up to the Thomsons' house, and we were very grateful to be able to get out of the car, and not get in the next day.

Night in the ER

2009-01-28T09:16:00.000-08:00

Monday night I had my first experience in an emergency room. I had been experiencing severe abdominal pain all day, and it was getting worse, so after consulting a few people, we decided to have me checked out. We arrived in the ER at about 9:30, and it was FULL!!!! It is a good thing JT just finished a rotation there, because a 4-5 hour wait was reduced to about 15 minutes. After blood and urine tests, it was determined that I had a urinary tract infection, and I could go home with a prescription. We were very relieved. We went home at about 4 am. I was astounded that it took so long, but considering how many people were there, I shouldn't have been suprised. The other thing that suprised/annoyed me was that it took two hours to get a breast pump, and then when it came, I couldn't use it becuase none of the attachments were with it (like the suction cups and bottles). I don't understand why they would send the pump without the attachments to use it. I was sent home before they got there, and was more than a little annoyed since I was 3hours past time to feed/pump, and was VERY uncomfortable. To top it off, we were pulled over less than a mile from home because one of our break lights on the van was out. We didn't get a ticket, but I wasn't in the mood to be charitable. JT will be fixing the light before getting the van inspected on Friday. I spent most of Tuesday in bed unable to move. I was taking the antibiotic, but it hadn't had enough time to take effect. By Tuesday night, I was able to roll over and sit up on my own, and now I am mostly functional, with just a little pain. Poor JT was running on no sleep for over 48 hours before I was able to function enough to take care of the baby/kids while he got some sleep. It is a good thing Ashley is getting better at sleeping at night, or he would have had a REALLY bad time of it. As it turned out, he still slept until almost 11 this morning. That's okay, he deserved the rest. Speaking of the baby, she wants attention. Will keep posting as things stay interesting.

Arizona here we come

2009-01-28T09:12:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note to inform everyone that JT has signed with Maricopa Medical Center, and will be starting his residency there in June. We are currently looking at houses (I can't wait to live in a house), and thinking about all of our moving options. It is a lot to think about, but we can't do a whole lot except pack up things that we want to take, but are not currently using. We want to move in the middle of March. More detalis will come as events unfold.

Details

2009-01-20T06:03:00.000-08:00

A few people have asked for more details on Ashley's birth, so here they are. I woke up at 6:30 am a little uncomfortable, but nothing big. I felt a thump that I have previously associated with my water breaking, but I only got a big wet spot on the towel, and then it stopped. JT thinks it was a high break that let out the surrounding fluid, but then the 'water' was below the break, so it stopped. I ate a little and got a drink, and decided to go back to bed. After 30 minutes and increasing contractions, I decided it was a lost cause. I got up and got in the bath. I took the cell phone, just in case I needed to call JT. At 8:10, I called JT to see how close he was to home. I had expected him by 8, and was getting nervous about the frequency of the contractions. He was only a few minutes away, so I waited. Jay and Leslie woke up at 8:30, and Leslie decided she wanted to get in the bath, so I got out just as JT got home. I called our friend, Terri Thomas, who had agreed to watch the kids when I went into labor, and gave her the heads up, that we could be leaving for the hospital soon. 30 minuted later, I was in bed with regular contraction, and JT decided it was time to go. I called Terri, who came over right away, and JT got the kids dressed. As soon as Terri arrived, we left. By the time we got to the hospital, I couldn't walk upstairs, so JT took me in through the ER. He had to park the car, so he took me in to check in, and then left to meet me in L & D. After I checked in, an orderly took me upstairs. JT showed up right behind me. He knew most of the doctors, residents, and nurses because he did his OB rotation there. As a result, as soon as he showed up, we got some attention. Unfortunately, there wasn't a room available, so I had to wait about 20 minutes while one was cleaned. In the mean time, I was sitting in a chair in an exam room while my contractions got harder and more frequent. A nurse took my history and left the room. JT was in the lobby area talking to the residents and nurses. I was in a lot of pain and right on the verge of a major temper tantrum when the nurse came in and asked for a urine sample. I made it into the bathroom, but couldn't get anything into the cup. I gave up just as I got a hard contraction and my water broke (messily this time) into the toilet (mostly). I reached for the toilet paper only to realize that it was out. I sat there for a minute debating a course of action. When I got another hard contraction, I decided to pull the tab for the nurse. She came in right away, and found me unable to move myself to the delivery room. They helped me into the wheelchair, and took me to the delivery room, lifted me onto the bed, changed me into a gown, and started an IV. I didn't notice very much at this point. After checking me, (I was 9 cm dilated and 90% effaced) I was told that there was no time for an epidural. JT wanted to get the camera out of the car, but the nursed told him he would miss the birth if he did. They were right. Ashley was born 15 minutes (or so) later at 10:33. When JT tells the story he tells people that I only pushed once, and the baby was out. He obviously wasn't paying attention =). Despite the fast delivery I was kept in the L&D room for several hours because I was bleeding so much, they wanted to keep an eye on me. When the bleeding slowed to normal levels, they moved me to postpartum. Because Ashley was so big, they wanted me to feed her every 2 hours to keep her blood sugar up. They were checking her blood sugar every 3 hours the first day, and every 6 hours the second day. It never got below normal levels, and they were happy with it by the time we left the hospital on Saturday afternoon. I hope this satisfies every ones curiosity, because my computer time is up.

She has arrived

2009-01-11T09:26:00.000-08:00

Ashley Jane Thomson decided to make an appearance at 10:33 am on Jan 8, 2009 at Newark Beth Israel Hospital in Newark, NJ. She weighed in at 10 lbs. 1 oz., and was 19 3/4 in. long.

Ashley was a little anxious to come, so my labor was only four hours. The downside to this is that there was no time for an epidural. I was only in the delivery room for 15 minutes before she was born. It was very fast, but I wouldn't do it again that way if I had a choice. JT had just come off the night shift in the ER. He had just enough time to grab some breakfast, help get the kids dressed and reassured and take me to the hospital. Our friend, Terri Thomas came and took care of Jay and Leslie all day while we were at the hospital, and then later while JT got some sleep. Jay and Leslie came to visit that night, and were happy to see me and the baby. Leslie didn't want to bring the baby home though.

Speaking of the Ashley, she has decided it is time to eat. More details to come.

Baby Ashley

2009-01-11T09:22:00.001-08:00

Not Dead Yet

2009-01-01T20:01:00.000-08:00

I realize that it has been months since my last post, so here goes a quick catch up. I am very uncomfortably pregnant, and can't wait to have this baby. Intellectually, I want to wait one more week so that JT can finish his current rotation, but physically, I want the baby out NOW!!!!! That about sums it up for me. JT has one more week of his Emergency Room rotation before taking a few weeks off to help with the baby. He will then finish up his last five weeks, and be done until graduation (Oh Yeah, Oh Yeah, (This is me doing the celebration dance)). He has had a few interviews for residency, but we won't know where we are going to end up for a few more months.
Jay is growing up so fast. He is learning so fast. I can't believe he will be starting Kindergarten this year. He is a pro with any game you give him with minimal practice, and is an excellent big brother. His current problem is how to deal with Leslie's bad moods. She is in the hitting stage, and he won't hit her back, and gets very upset when she doesn't understand that he doesn't like to be hit. He is working on different methods of helping me teach her. He is also very excited about the baby. He loves babys, and loves to see and feel my stomach move.
Leslie is also growing fast. She is always suprising me with new words that I can understand, and is usually willing to help me do little things (like pick up her toys) if I give her good instructions. She suprised us last week by walking into the front room where JT was watching football, and pointing at the tv and saying "football". She is getting very good at telling us what she wants/needs without throwing a fit. Her new fun thing to do is to run from wall to wall in the apartment as fast as she can. She is finally able to do this without falling over her feet, and she is proud of herself. She is dealing with the anxiety of seeing my tummy grow, and wondering where that will leave her, but she has been doing better the last few days. I have been sitting down a lot and holding her, or spending extra time with her, and I think it has helped.
Sorry this has been so short after so long, but it is late and JT has to get up early, but check in the next few weeks for news and pictures of the new baby.

Results

2008-09-25T10:26:00.000-07:00

According to the poll (with 4 votes), we are having an alien. However, we are waiting for the actual birth to determine if the baby is an alien, since those things don't show up on ultrasounds. Girl came in second with 3 votes, boy and both tied at 2 votes each. The ultrasound showed that the baby is most likely a girl. I tried to get the pictures on a CD, but they wouldn't do it. I did get a few print outs, so I will scan them into the computer and post them as soon as I figure out how to do it. What I really mean is, it will have to wait until Saturday, when JT can help me. Jay is super excited, and Leslie has decided that some babies are okay to have around. This is progress in the right direction for her, so I am happy to see it. I was suprised with the results, and JT should have been sitting down when I told him, but we are both happy and excited for January. Everything else on the ultrasound showed that the baby is healthy and happy, and no problems are expected. Yeah!!

Tell me how

2008-09-07T20:20:00.000-07:00

I was trying to put these slide shows on the side where their other pictures are. If you know how to do this, please let me know.
Thanks

Pics of Jay

2008-09-07T20:19:00.000-07:00

Pics of Leslie

2008-09-07T20:08:00.000-07:00

Bunk Bed

2008-09-07T19:05:00.000-07:00

Now that the bed bug issue has been resolved, we decided to get a bunk bed for the kids. Jay didn't like the idea at first. He thought it would be too scary to sleep on the top. James asked him who should sleep on the top, and Jay said, "Leslie!!" After thinking about it for a few days, he decided that it would be fun, and was excited when we went to pick it up last week. Leslie wanted to sleep in the new bed until she rolled into the space between the bed and the wall. That was not the side of the bed I was worried about. She was moved back into her crib at 1 am for the remainder of the night. That was the end of the crib use. The crib is still set up, but Leslie is more than happy with her new bed that she can get out of. We were going to keep the crib up for a little longer, but since she has adapted so well, I am going to have James take it down this week. It is only in the way anyway. I have been putting the crib mattress on the floor by the open end of the bed, so that if Leslie were to roll off, she would land on the mattress. I push it under the bed in the morning and pull it out for naps and bedtime. So far, I have only found her on the floor once, but it was in the morning, she apparently didn't notice that she fell out of bed. I am looking at getting a bed rail, but haven't picked one out yet. If you know anything about them like what not to get, please let me know. Today was the third day she has gone to bed in her new bed, and it is the first day she didn't try to get out of bed. I am hoping this is a trend. Jay took about two weeks before he realized that just because he could physically get out of bed, he wasn't supposed to. I am also hoping that Jay's influence on Leslie will help keep her in bed. We will see.

Same old stuff

2008-09-04T08:12:00.000-07:00

Not much has been going on here that is new. Jay has started picking out his own clothes, and even though I fold shirts and pants together, he doesn't always go with my choice. Sometimes the results are funny. Today for instance, he wants to play soccer, so he has to wear his soccer shirt that Grandma brought him from Italy, and silky shorts. The shirt has red and black vertical stripes (and he has to wear it backwards so he can see the number), and the shorts are mostly black (sounds okay so far doesn't it), with baby blue and bright yellow running down the sides. It looks very funny, but if he is willing to dress himself, I can live with it.

Leslie also likes to pick out clothes, but instead of wanting them on, she will unpack her drawer, dance among the clothes on the floor, and then put them back into the drawer. She will continue this until she is distracted by something else. Jay has taught her to run from diapers and clothes, so as soon as she sees the clothes in my hand, she will laugh and run away. She has also started saying a few words. She has been saying ma and da for a while, and signing more, please, and thank you. Yesterday she said baby, and she keeps trying to say Jay, but nothing recognizable has come out yet. She has also decided that it is okay for me to hold other babies. This was a problem for a while, and I am glad she is starting to get over it.

JT has had the week off due to a scheduling difficulty, and we have enjoyed having him home. He has been working on everything that needs to be done that he hasn't had the time to do. The office space for instance, and getting a bunk bed, and finishing up paperwork for residency applications. All in all, we have had a productive week. He will start up again on Monday.

I will also start teaching my cooking class again on Monday. I have put together a ten week plan of successful projects, and am going to stick to it until the baby is born. That way, whoever fills in for me won't have to do much in the way of planning. I will also be participating in Joy School for Jay, and will be teaching that every five weeks. I am excited, but not as excited as Jay is. He will be going Tuesday and Thursday for two hours, and knows all of the participating children from church. He is older than most of them, but will have fun socializing with them anyway.

So cute, Leslie had left me to 'babysit' her doll, and she just came to pick her up. She took the doll from me, gave her a big hug, and walked out of the room singing to her.

It has been two weeks since our last bedbug treatment, and after throwing away a couch that I found them in, we haven't had any more problems with them (knock on wood). I have started putting back everything that was misplaced because of the problem, and I love having things back the way they should be. I now know the true meaning of the word infestation, and I hope never to have to deal with it again. That is all for now, I will try to keep up as events unfold.

Give your opinion

2008-09-04T08:03:00.000-07:00

I have recently added a poll (look on the right) to see if anyone is guessing on the gender of the baby. I will get an ultrasound on Sept 23, and will post the correct answer, provided the baby cooperates. I have my own suspicions, but don't want to cloud your judgment.

HE PASSED, HE PASSED, HE PASSED

2008-08-11T18:25:00.001-07:00

I don't sound excited or anything do I? The title says it all. James has passed the written portion of step 2. He is not as stressed about the 'hands on' part. He will take that in Philadelphia in September. I will update later, I am being paged.

Happy 4th of July

2008-07-04T12:47:00.000-07:00

Happy Independence Day!!! I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday. We have been playing/picnicking with my family in the area, and plan to see the fireworks at Thanksgiving Point later tonight. It has been fun to catch up on the news with my sisters. My family is currently in Utah on vacation since we will be unable to come at Christmas (due to the baby's impending birth). JT is studying like a crazy man trying to internalize everything he has to know. He will take the test on July 9, and then he will be more or less back to normal for a while. We will be in Utah until July 31, so he will have a few weeks of vacation before returning to work. Leslie has had a hard time adjusting. She has had two viruses, and has been miserable. She just started acting like herself yesterday, and today has been good, so we are hoping this is a trend. Jay has loved seeing all of his "new" cousins, and has had endless fun playing with them. My sister, Adrianne, went with me to see my parents last weekend, and brought her two children. Jay said this of her 4 year old. "When I met her, she was just my cousin, but now she is my friend." They spent the whole weekend playing, and were upset when they had to go to their own houses. Anyway, time to stop playing around and get to work. Have a happy day!!!

Time flies

2008-06-24T09:54:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it has been over a month since my last post. Time has been going too fast!!! James has been busy with his pediatric ER rotation and studying for Step 2 of the board exams. He is scheduled to take it on July 9 in Taylorsville, UT. Jay has been spending as much time as possible outside with friends, and we all have nice tans to prove it. On a good day, he will spend up to 4 hours outside. Leslie also loves to be outside. Every time I feed her, she points to the swings outside our window. She has also figured out how to climb the stairs at the playground and make her way to the slide. With a little help getting into the slide, she goes down and starts over. Monday, a few weeks ago, completely out of the blue, she walked 5 steps from the kitchen table to the sink. The day before, she wouldn't even do one. Ever since then, she has decided that walking is the way to go, and has been improving every day. She also likes to maneuver stairs, but she doesn't like to crawl down them. She hangs on to the railing with both hands while getting her feet to go to the next step. It is more than a little scary to watch, but she refuses any help, so I just hover. So far there haven't been any accidents, but she is not good enough at it for me to be completely comfortable yet. I have been doing very well with my pregnancy. I was sick for a few weeks, but decided it was due to the prenatal vitamin. I have stopped taking it, and am doing good again. The only side affect is that I am tired all the time now, but that is a trade I am willing to make.

Yesterday, June 23, the kids and I had a flight to Salt Lake with a 30 min. layover in Cincinnati. We got to the airport in plenty of time and went right through security, so we had an hour and a half to kill before we could board. I was walking around with the kids, killing time before heading to the gate. We got to the gate about 30 minutes before boarding, and I noticed that the flight was going to be 3 hours late, thus stranding us in Cincinnati. I got into line (there were 5 or 6 people ahead of me), but the line wasn't moving. All of a sudden, the gate next to us announced boarding on a flight to Salt Lake. I waited in my line for a few more minutes before deciding that I wouldn't make it on that flight unless I got into a different line. I went straight to the other counter, and they were able to get us on the direct flight to Salt Lake. Only one bag made it with us, but I am grateful we were able to get on at all. Leslie was a bit of a pill for a while, but Jay was great, and the man sitting next to me was a big help, and was constantly telling me not to worry about it. Long story short, we did make it to Salt Lake, and are enjoying our visit. I will add more posts and pictures as time and activities permit.

One little, Two little, Three little Indians?

2008-05-27T07:56:00.000-07:00

I am now working on my third little "Indian". I am six weeks pregnant, and due on or about Jan. 18. So far, this has been the easiest pregnancy yet. I have not been sick, which is a complete novelty. I have been more irritable some days, but not everyday, and am usually just tired. I feel great most of the time. I would have a dozen kids if all of my pregnancies were like this (just kidding). Jay is ecstatic. He has been wanting a baby at our house since my friend, Crystal, had a baby (about three months ago). He keeps telling me that he needs a little baby to hold because Leslie is too wiggly now, and she won't stay on his lap. Never was a truer word spoken. Not only can she get off his lap, she can get on and off the couch he is sitting on. He is not strong enough to keep her there, and it would only make her mad anyway. She has finally decided that using her feet as a means of transportation is not such a bad thing after all. I still have to hold one hand, but she doesn't really need it. I have seen her take two steps without help, but as soon as she gets the feeling that you are going to withhold support, she sits down. She will stand without help, and it won't be long before she decides that mom is too slow, and "move back, I will do it myself". Right now, her fastest means of transportation is her power crawl. She puts her head down and takes off like a shot. She has only run into a few things, and is always very upset that the wall (or whatever) got in her way. If she bumps her head, she cries for a minute, and goes back to whatever she was doing. She is very determined to do whatever Jay is doing. She goes up to the top of the slide, and then changes her mind. JT has sent her down a few times with me at the bottom, but she isn't a big fan of that yet. She prefers to be on a lap. She has also started to feed herself with a spoon. The food gets in her mouth half of the time, and she eventually gives up and goes back to the old standby, her hands.

Jay is playing everything he can get his hands on from the computer to baseball. He loves it when JT comes home early (before the sun sets) and can play outside with him. He has a few friends that live close, and can always convince them to come and play with him. He hasn't yet discovered that his friends don't always want to play the same game that he wants to play, and we have had a few discussions about making choices, but he has yet to grasp the concept. Jay is so cute with Leslie. He will always check on her for me, and loves going in to 'rescue her' after her nap. She is always glad to see him, and greets him with a huge smile and a squeal. He also takes care of her in the car. If she is tired of sitting, or just bored, and starts to cry, Jay will put his fingers in his ears (so he can't hear the crying) and sing to her until she stops. It usually works very quickly, and we sing all the way home. He also lets me know if she is getting into something that she shouldn't be (aka: the garbage, DVDs, whatever he is playing with, you get the idea). He has started helping her walk. I will have one hand, and Jay will hold onto the other one to help her. This usually doesn't last long, since he doesn't have the patience to go her speed.

JT has just finished his third year, and his last medical school test. All he has left now are the board exams. He has this week off to study, and will start a four week pediatric/ER rotation on Monday. He is going to be spending most of his free time for the next 4-6 weeks studying for the United States Medical Licencing Exam (USMLE) Step 2 exam which he is planning to take in July. I might take the kids to Utah for a few weeks to give him uninterrupted study time, but we haven't made any plans yet.

Piano

2008-05-19T10:01:00.000-07:00

About 4 weeks ago, a friend called me up announcing a free piano on the side of the road close to our apartment. I walked over to see it, and called JT to help me load it into the car. It was sitting in our apartment for the last month waiting for the piano tuner to come. He wanted the piano to become acclimated to its new environment, so it would hold a tune better. He finally came today, and the piano is finally playable. He had to tune it to itself, which means it will sound okay to play, but won't sound good with a recording and won't work to tune instruments. I choose this option because the tuning nobs are loose, and it would be more money than I want to spend on an old piano to permanently tighten them. If we end up keeping the piano for more than a year, I will think about it. For now, I am ecstatic to have a piano to play.

Check out my Slide Show!

2008-05-01T11:59:00.001-07:00

Catch up

2008-04-28T09:53:00.001-07:00

I can't believe everything that has happened since my last post. First things first, we still have a bed bug problem, but it is diminishing. We had to take Jay's bed out of his room, but that seemed to do the trick. I am looking at bunk beds, but I don't know what we are going to end up with. Jay is only getting one or two bites an night now, instead of dozens, so we are headed in the right direction.

Next, I can't find the cable the connects the camera to the computer, so I can't post any new pictures, but as soon as I can put everything away (as soon as the bed bugs are gone) I am sure I will find it.

We took a short trip to Washington DC with Debbie, my mother in law, during the cherry blossom festival to pick up Nate, my brother in law, who was there on choir tour. We did a quick run through of some of the Smithsonian Museums. We saw the Aerospace Museum, the Museum of Natural History, and the Zoo. Leslie wasn't happy during most of the trip because she wasn't getting a good nap, and not sleeping well at night; but she liked the birds at the zoo. We spent close to 30 minutes in their walk in exhibit so she could watch all of the birds. Jay liked the Aerospace museum and the Zoo, but wasn't excited about the Natural History Museum after the dinosaur exhibit. He was glad when we stopped 'wasting time' and took him back to the hotel to swim. I will post pictures as soon as I can.

Spring is in full swing, and it is beautiful. Two of the trees right outside our front door are full of pink blossoms that smell wonderful. Jay was very disappointed that the blossoms weren't white. He told me that they didn't look like popcorn at all. The grass has finally dried out, so we can play baseball, frisbee, soccer, etc. Jay also likes to ride his scooter and bike around the front yard. Speaking of bikes, it is also the season for yard sales, and I was able to pick up a good bike on Saturday for $5. I am excited to have a bike again, but now I have to find a trailer so I can ride my bike. The big yard sale of the season is coming up this weekend, and I am hoping to find some good stuff..

Leslie is all over the place. She is under the impression that Mom's new full time job is to walk her around, and gets upset when I have other things to do. She loves walking around outside while Jay is playing. We will chase birds, squirrels, Jay, and anything else that moves. I am trying to get her to walk with just one of my hands, but she isn't excited with the prospect.

JT likes to tease Leslie with her blanket. Leslie loves her pink blanket, and will not go to sleep without it. I have even started taking it when I am working out, or someone else is watching her, because it helps calm her down. Yesterday, JT grabbed the blanket, put it up to his face, and said, "My blanket". Leslie knows this trick, and just laughed. Jay grabbed the blanket from his dad, and Leslie immediately yelled and started pointing at the blanket. She wasn't counting on Jay to tease her too.

Is this post long enough yet? I have been so busy with life, I had forgotten how long it has been since I have written anything. I think I am almost done. A few of the ladies in my ward have decided to do Joy School next year, and I am going to include Jay. He is so excited to go to school, but the preschools want up to $5,000 for the year. YIKES!!!!!! Hence the Joy School. We haven't worked out the details yet, but we have all summer. I had one more thing I wanted to say, but I can't remember what it is, so you will probably see another post soon.

Update on bed bugs

2008-04-17T08:58:00.001-07:00

The exterminator came as scheduled, and sprayed the room. He found a big nest in the baseboards by Jay's bed. He also found a small nest in the picture above Leslie's bed. He was suprised that she hadn't been bitten yet, and thought it would only be a few days before they came down the wall into her bed. The exterminator sprayed everything: Jay's bed, the wall, the baseboards, the ceiling, the window, and our room. I did seventeen loads of laundry in four days. I also put pillows, stuffed animals, shoes, and anything else that can't go in the wash, through a dryer. We thought all was well, but Jay is still getting bites every night he sleeps in his bed. The exterminator will be coming back today (I think) and he wants to pull up the baseboards in Jay's room. I am not sure if that is going to happen today, but I hope so. I want these bugs OUT!!! In the mean time, Jay is sleeping in the front room.

Don't let the bed bugs bite

2008-04-08T07:36:00.000-07:00

Jay has been waking up for the last few weeks with red spots all over his arms and legs. I took him to the doctor, and was told that they were flea bites. Upon further examination we determined that it was bed bugs instead of fleas. I also found evidence of them in my room, though JT and I haven't had any bites yet. I called the apartment manager, and the exterminator is hopefully coming tomorrow. In the mean time I have been cleaning up my room (Leslie is sleeping), and soon I will be cleaning Jay's room. I will be washing all of the clothes not hanging in the closet, and moving most of the toys and furniture around to make sure all of the bugs and eggs are poisoned. Any advise in this area would be appreciated, since I have never had to deal with bed bugs before.

Let them eat cake

2008-04-04T14:51:00.000-07:00

I have had a lot of fun making new and unusual cakes lately. For Jay's birthday I made a pirate cake. For Leslie it was a party hat, and James got a campsite. Today I made a duck cake for my friend, Crystal's, baby shower. I am sad I don't have any events coming up that need a cake. Oh well, I am sure I will think of something. Jay loves to watch the cakes 'come alive', but he likes eating the frosting even more. He has been learning that when you mix colors, you get new colors, and enjoys watching me mix them together. He found a game on PBSkids.org that lets you mix colors and then add them to the picture. He is slowly getting the idea. I am so grateful for the learning games that are so plentiful on the internet, and glad that Jay likes to play them. He is constantly suprising me with what he knows. A while ago, as we were returning from the hospital, Jay told me we needed a BPS. I asked him what a BPS was and he said, "an electronic map". "Oh," I replied, "a GPS. Where did you learn the word electronic?" It turns out that Diego, from "GO, Diego, GO" has a GPS in his watch, and that is where Jay picked it up.

Leslie also amazes me. She doesn't feel the need to talk, she just points and grunts. I can usually figure out what she wants, and she giggles as I get closer, probably to encourage me. She is also at the 'I want mommy all the time' stage. Speaking of which, I am being paged. Talk to y'all soon.

All Better

2008-03-27T08:49:00.000-07:00

We are all feeling much better now, and can get back to our usual routine. Cleaning, messing up, cooking, playing, eating, more playing, and sleeping in no particular order. My house is one big mess. I spent the morning cleaning the kitchen, and am moving on to the front room this afternoon. Hopefully I will make it all the way to my bedroom before James gets home. I also get to engage in one of my favorite past times, shopping. Unfortunately, I have to take the kids, so it will be a short expedition. All in all, life is finally getting back to normal. Will post some pictures soon.

Sickies

2008-03-22T15:46:00.000-07:00

This week has been a miserable one for me. I started coughing Thursday morning, and by that night, I didn't even want to move. I suspect the flu or a really bad virus. Jay and Leslie have been sick as well, and the only person not sick, JT, is the one who deals with sick people all day. Go Figure. He has been great. He has put me to bed early every night, and put the kids to bed. Jay usually lays with me until he goes to sleep, or until Leslie is asleep. Last night, she cried, and cried, and we couldn't figure out what the problem was until JT gave her Jay's 'blue soft blanket'. She had thrown up on her pink blanket, and didn't want to go to sleep without it. As soon as she got Jay's blanket, she stopped crying and went to sleep. I think I need to take up stock in these blankets. JT has also been keeping the house reasonably picked up. I can't complain, I'm not cleaning up either. I was so dizzy Friday, I could barely stand, so cleaning has not been high on my priority list. Today has been better, as long as I keep up the Tylenol Cold. It doesn't get rid of the symptoms, but it dulls them. Right now I am thinking about easy dinner ideas. Let's see, McDonalds (I'm not sick enough to go there), Ravioli (nope, had that last night), soup and sandwiches (that was lunch). I guess I have to go look in the fridge to see if there is anything left over (there isn't). Oh well, I suppose whatchagot stew is on the menu. Everyone at my house is going to be praying for a quick recovery. The pictures are of Leslie eating the top of her party hat birthday cake, and Jay and Leslie at the playgroup easter egg hunt. I will figure out how to do this better.

Onward and upward

2008-03-08T08:15:00.000-08:00

I am slowly learning how to use the blog site. Hopefully it won't take too long before I am comfortable. I have to battle two kids for the computer, so learning is slow. This week has been a long one. James has started his OB rotation, and is gone most of the time. The first day of his rotation he was glad to have been at the birth of our children, and didn't go 'green around the gills' like some of the other students. The kids and I have been hanging around at home a lot due to the inclement weather. We are very much looking forward to warmer and dryer weather. The grass out here is swampy. It looks okay until you step on it, and then you sink an inch into the mud. Leslie wants to get down onto the grass, and I am hoping it will dry out soon.
We have found a few inside fun places including Time In, which is a two story play gym, and several Childrens museums. There is also a trail side center close to us that Jay likes to run around. It has a few live animals, like turtles and snakes. His favorite is the anaconda. Soon we will be able to hike around the area and see more. Leslie is learning to sit on my shoulders, so hiking with her should be no problem.

I finally did it!!!!

2008-02-29T09:57:00.000-08:00

After months of thinking about it, I finally decided to put together a family blog. Hopefully additions won't take that long!!!