Back to Life.

I feel like I have received a small part of my life back. I found a terrific baby-sitter! (All you neighbor gals are beyond terrific, but I just can't use you when I want to hang with you!) She's an absolute doll and she actually asked if she could come back again! We used her for the first time Friday night and I came home to a clean house, Myka sound asleep, and Carsen tuckered out from playing games and basketball. (Of course she had given him the requested strawberry milk and popcorn. It just couldn't be the conclusion of another day without those two items for my little man!) My hair dresser referred this cute 13-year-old to me, and I feel like I could kiss both of them! Here's the start of a lot more outings (without having to rely solely on my sister-in-law Robyn!) For those of you who know where I live and what surrounds me, you realize how difficult it is to find a good baby-sitter. I think the average age for kids around here is like 5......Not quite baby-sitting material!

On a side note. I am ready for the month of January to be over with. I feel like this has been the "sick month" for my family. (We really are a very healthy family. I can't believe the illnesses that have been through this house this month!!! Yikes!) I am on the rebound today from Strep throat. The first time in my entire life that I have ever had this awful thing, and I hope it's the last. Eating, talking, sleeping and drinking are absolute chores (when normally they all come very naturally to me)! Thank heavens for antibiotics...I'm just mad I waited so long! Only one more day of this dreadful month!

Doing Better.

A week later I am happy (and very relieved) to report that Myka is back to her happy little self. It was a milk issue after all. I have switched her to a different formula (made of gold). I am sad to be finished with nursing, but it's time..... She seems very content with this new 'milk' and seems to be bulking up a bit! (At her 9-month check-up this past week she only weighed 16 lbs 9 oz.) Such a petite little Princess! Although, quite rowdy. Her Pediatrician even asked how I get her dressed and change her diaper. I replied, "It's a wrestling match."

It was also Carsen's 3-year-check-up. I must brag and say he "wowed" his Pediatrician with his skills and vocabulary. His latest thing is letter recognition. We will be driving down the road and he will say, "Hey look, there's a D" and he will point at the Home Depot sign. Last night as we were pulling into Costco he happily reported, "Costco has two O's......." He started Kindermusik on Wednesday's with his little buddy Bode. He was excited to have a backpack and told everyone he was in "Kindergarten." (not yet!)

Let Them Be Little....

Thanks to my cousin Jill for sharing this moving music video. I love it (in a motherly/parent sort of way). I found myself teary-eyed and vowing to be a more attentive, care-free mom. I'm sure you'll all feel the same way!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBu_yXGF2Uw

Good News....

After visiting 2 different Wal Marts this freezing January evening, I was able to receive store credit for the Shuffle. (Thanks for the suggestion Mimi!) Hooray and good riddance!

Shuffle Anyone?

FOR SALE
My thoughtful husband bought me an Ipod Shuffle for Christmas (I have a Nano...okay, well I took over his Nano. And I have an old model Shuffle.) I have no need for another Shuffle....

I am not a big fan of standing in a 2-hour line at Wal Mart to return items right after Christmas, so Saturday we ventured out to return Christmas items. Chad ran in the stores while I sat out with the snoozing kids......We were making good time and getting rid of the unnecessary. Then came Wal Mart. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Wal Mart known for their "excellent customer service?" Not so. Little did we know, they have a 15-Day Exchange policy on music players! (Saturday being mid January did not qualify for 15 days.) What a joke!

Now I am stuck with a fabulous Ipod Shuffle (never even been opened) and I really have no need for it. Any of you (or anyone you know) in need of a motivating work-out buddy or just something to tote around with all your great tunes? Shuffles really are fabulous and very practical, but I just don't need another one! This one is pink.

Here's the deal.....it cost $78.72--but I will sell it for $55! (What a steal!)

Good Luck Lou Lou and Nat Rat!

This is a little tribute to my running buddies of olden days.....Here we are the morning of the Salt Lake City Marathon 2006 (oh, how time flies....I've forgotten how miserable that Marathon was and am actually possibly considering another one. Possibly.)

Good luck on your 1/2 Marathon Saturday Leslie and Natalie---Just be glad it's not a FULL!

Milk Allergy?

It was a rough night...Actually, it's been a rough string of nights. (We're closing in on one week tonight!) Poor little Myka. First I thought she had the flu. Last Friday morning I went in to get her out of her crib and she was poopy....then I later saw that she had thrown up all over her blanket! (How sad is that?) As the day went on she seemed to be fine....then that night it was the same thing during the night. (She would wake up crying and I would go in and sniff her--learned this sniffing thing from my big bro Kye--and I would find she would be poopy again, and there would even be times she would be wet with throw-up. I felt like she was a newborn again waking up with her like 4 times in the night to change her diaper (and clothes).

As the weekend went on she continued to have the "runs". By this point I figured she had the flu, so we were trying to shove the fluids down her. (Bottle after bottle with some nursing intermixed). I also thought I had solved my bottle issue! (Hooray, but not for long).

On Sunday we went for a little drive to get some fresh air.....we got a lot more than that. As we were driving (and not close to home) Carsen says, "Ewww...Myka threw-up!" I hop back to the back and find Myka sitting in a pool of puke (lovely, I know). It was more throw-up than I had ever seen in one sitting (this would be all the bottles we shoved down her throat). It was so sad! (By this point I had started bringing extra clothes with me, because of the constant poop). We changed her clothes and Chad threw away the car seat cover. All the while I am sitting in the front seat trying to comfort her and give her some of my water bottle....next thing I know I am sitting in a pool of puke myself.... (Thankfully this one was just water)!

We make it home with Myka strapped in her car seat sitting on the foam part....(It was time for a new car seat anyways--just a little sooner than I had anticipated). That night was the same thing.....And by this time she is pushing away her bottle, which is driving me crazy because I am in the process of weaning!

The next morning I called her Dr.'s nurse and she told me she probably had the flu and to just keep fluids down her......so we tried to keep the bottles going. (Mind you this is Monday, which was the day I took to be sick. Chad followed me on Tuesday) That night was a repeat of crying, poopy diapers and waking up way too often. (Normally I would just let her cry it out, but she's my sick little girl!)

Here it is Thursday morning and late last night (after waking up and changing her diaper two times) I had an epiphany (or more accurately an answer to a desperate prayer). She has got to be allergic to milk! I was allergic as a baby, so she probably is too. I sat on the Internet and searched up everything I could find regarding milk allergies in formula:

• diarrhea (check)
• irritability/colicky (check check check check check)
• trouble sleeping (check check check check check check check)
• vomiting (check check)

I am hoping my discovery is right so I can put an end to these sleepless nights, out of control poopy diapers and vomiting. I kept calling Chad's cell phone to catch him before he drove home from the gym so he could stop and pick up some Alimentum.....Anybody heard or used this before??? According to all the posts on the product, it is a miracle worker in situations like this---now I just have to convince her to take the bottle again! (I am hoping the reason she didn't want the bottle was because what it was doing to her......)

Such fun to be a mommy!

A neighbor of mine asked Carsen to come and sing for a video she was putting together of little children singing.....She wanted him to sing "I am A Child of God." (He did such a cute job! We couldn't resist having him re-in-act the moment so we could have it on video as well) Such a little song bird---it's too bad he won't be able to show off his skills in Primary just yet--he's got another LONG year of nursery. (Missed it by 5 days!!!) Except, we aren't allowed to call it Nursery--he insists we call it "School."

Nap Justification.

Well, for those of you who don't know, I am a daily napper. Yup, I am admitting it to everyone who visits this blog. And guess what, I am quite proud of it! (I defend myself in saying that I wake up at approximately 4:30 every morning to go the gym. That may differ by about 30 minutes depending on the day. But at that early hour it's all the same to me!) I realize there are others of you out there who wake up at that disgusting hour as well, and you make it through the day just fine without a snooze.....But guess what I read today? People who take an afternoon nap have a better memory! It all makes sense now....I can recount any past event....(Chad will ask me what we did on this date back when and I can tell him....) it's all due to the daily nap! There you have it---I can justify my nap even more!

My favorite time of the day (besides my nap) is when I fetch Myka from her crib--she is all smiles and practically hyperventilating at my presence. I wish I felt that way when I woke up!!

Birthday Bliss....

Opening presents with Alli, Ashlyn and Myka.

Yummy!

I can't believe my little boy is 3! (Carsen was insistent Chad wear his Jazz jersey too. Anything for the birthday boy!)

It wouldn't have been a birthday for Carsen without candles and cake...We convinced Jason and Robyn and the girls that the pink eye was on the heal---and they were cool to come and join in celebration. Carsen loved having Alli and Ashlyn there to sing to him, and was delighted to open another birthday present. The best part was the Cold Stone ice cream cake...so much for New Year's resolutions.