Hans

It has been quite the stressful 4 months with starting up the practice and having a new baby. Hans has done a great job devoting time to the kids and being a great daddy. He spends lots of time helping me hold sick kids, cleaning up throw-up, late night runs for pedialyte and other stuff, and allowing me to get out here and there for some sanity. He's tired and stressed out though. He delivered my crown Friday. I am now officially 1/4 of the way done with all my dental work. UGH! His last day at Small Smiles is on the 31st and then he will open a half-day at the new place. He will hire a hygenist in May. So far so good. I did have a random person come up and say, "Hey, are you the person on the flier?" I guess I am. Advertising dental work. I never wanted to be the family posted to the park bench, but I think we are on our way:)

The Big Girls

I'm so grateful for Katelyn and Ashley. They are great helpers. They play with each other and with Justin and will get me diapers, medicine, wipes, and be understanding of the time I have to spend holding Mia and Justin. They are GREAT!

I'm so grateful for the time I get to spend with Katelyn alone every afternoon while Mia and Justin nap. We get close to an hour. We play games, read books, and do a craft. This day we frosted sugar cookies. She LOVES sugar cookies. She can eat.

Ready for Church. Katelyn is a sunbeam now! She loves being in primary with Ashley. I love that they look out for each other. I hope they can always be friends!

I lucked out at the Old Navy 75 percent off clearance sale. I got all of this stuff you see on them for 14 dollars. 7 dollars each girl. That's it! I got Justin's clothes for next year and Mia's. And a few new things for the girls for next winter, as well. Hooray for cheap clothes:)

We went to see a piano yesterday and the guy selling it brought his 10 year old daugher, who brought her American Girl doll. Now Ashley has been playing with hers from Grandma ever since. The outfits each have their own hanger and shoes, etc. She has been really really enjoying it. So, thanks!

Mia

My RSV gal. She also has bronchiolitis and an intestinal virus. She's pretty sick. She weighs in at 10 1/2 pounds now (we weighed her at the ER). I think she may be starting to get a little better? We're hoping.

She has the most pathetic cry. She lost her voice.

This was before she was too sick. Isn't she a pretty girl?

She now has a crib of her own.

Her very own nursery. I need to paint. But I found a crib set I like. Justin kept freaking out as we were setting it up, saying "my na night." I'm SO glad we have two cribs. The transition wouldn't have gone well. Justin is upset that Mia is wearing his diapers. She is in size 1 and he is in size 3, but they look the same. It was very distressing.

Justin

The poor guy has been SO sick. He had RSV followed by some sort of throwing up thing. He is still throwing up. He can still give a winning smile. He loves to sit in Mia's swing and "boing" he says. He got to go on a late night trip to Target last night with Hans for pedialyte. This is his 3rd day of vomiting. We are starving him today in hopes of it getting better finally.

CONLEYS ARE HERE!!!!

I am ridiculously excited that the Conley's are here. Cousins are a wonderful thing, and now my kids get to have some living close by. They all love each other. My kids love Melanie and Jeff and Justin is already bossing Melanie around like she's his mother. She says she only tolerates having a toddler in her house because he's so cute. Her baby is almost 3! My kids ask to see their cousins daily, and so far they have. They moved in to their house in -2 degrees. With their heater just barely turned on. Their house is beautiful and I am working to remember to enjoy what I have, rather than be jealous! They are about 17 minutes away. I want to move to Flying Horse so I am only 5 minutes away. Maybe when Hans strikes Gold.

So, HOORAY FOR COUSINS!!!! (And for Melanie and Jeff too)

RSV Week

UGH! RSV season is here, apparently. I was just gloating to someone that my kids hadn't been sick in a really long time. And, actually, Katelyn and Ashley are still healthy. It's just the babies. Justin picked it up last weekend. I kept him home from church and he's been ridiculous. But still cute. He still thanks us for bottles in the night and asks to cuddle. It's endearing, mostly. I didn't realize it was RSV until Mia picked it up and I took her to the ER last night. A chest x-ray and culture confirmed RSV. She is so pathetic. Her voice is hoarse and she needs me to hold her all the time. Hans slept holding her the rest of the night after I got home from the ER. I think we are lucky it's not worse, but please keep Mia in your prayers for us.

Pictures

Enjoy the pictures of my kids!

The Group

The Girls

Katelyn (Hans thinks she looks like a polygamist in this dress)

I think it's cute!

Big eyes for the flash

I look old and tired

My Handsome Boy

Gymnastics

The Girls are in gymnastics and love it. We practice at home. They use my yoga mat for a gym mat. I think I will keep them in classes and see how they progress. Katelyn is strong and coordinated. Ashley is flexible and listens. She learned how to do a back handspring (with spotting, of course!)
Katelyn

Ashley

Running Songs

So far:

Yellow by Coldplay
Just be your Tear by Tim McGraw
Waiting on the world to change by John Mayer
Happy Ending by Avril Lavigne
Joss Stone

I think I'm drowning

I seriously feel like I am drowning in small children. I can NEVER catch a break. And then I feel like maybe I should do something for myself, but how? Someone pooped through. I need to change laundry. Fold laundry. Stainstick something. Put the laundry away. Empty the dishwasher. Load it. Make food for hungry small people, who then look at me and say, "yuck. Do I have to eat this?" Make beds. Do hair. Get everyone dressed. Brush their teeth. Do homework. Remember teacher's birthdays. Then someone is sick. Needs to be held. And I'm up 4 times a night with a variety of different people. It's like I'm running from that wave that is just about to crash on me. Like I'm skating on thin ice. Like I'm pushing through a fog. There have got to me more cliches that fit. I have decided to embrace this stage of life and give up on the decorating that I want to do. And the orgnanizing. And the cleaning. And the doing stuff I would like to do. Like working. And taking up a hobby. I figure there will be a time in my life when I am alone. Right now someone, usually three someones are with me constantly. And no one naps at the same time. I have someone by me ALL THE TIME! So we play uno, candyland, dig dinosaur eggs, make play-doh, decorate sugar cookies, do crafts, sing songs, dance, build forts, ride bikes, make messes, go to kid places. I count my day successful if I read my scriptures, exercise, and try really hard not to lose my cool with the kids. Setting more reasonable goals for my days. Maybe I won't feel so down.

Ashley is 5 1/2

Ashley is officially 5 1/2 as of Sunday. She got to celebrate her half-birthday at school yesterday by bringing cupcakes, which she decorated beautifully. They sang to her and gave her a few presents and a fun balloon. She had a great day and felt special! She is growing up.

Cute Kids

Justin was happiest of all to be home. He has been wandering around giggling. And he gallops everywhere he goes again. It's nice for him to have his sparkle back. He had fun in Utah with all his aunts, uncles, and grandparents to adore him. I am grateful for him to be living his life this way - where everyone he comes in contact with instantly loves him. He has a charmed life. He almost forgot he had a baby sister while he was there. He remembers now, but seems to be dealing with it better now. He has been playing with his gorilla and reading his truck book daily.

The girls love their digital art studio Hans and I got for them. They are so into crafts anyway, why not add another element to the crafting? It's fun and keeps them occupied. They are so great at sharing. They are best friends. I love that. They walk around holding hands. Right now they are playing hungry hungry hippos together and Ashley has started reading books to Katelyn. It makes me smile to see how great they are for each other. I'm hoping Mia and Justin can have the same kind of friendship!

Katelyn is dying to take ballet lessons again. She loves to dress up and sing while I watch from the couch. She dances to the music she is singing, and I am sometimes called upon to add to the music. She has the whole thing choreographed. It is hysterical. I could do this for hours with her. She is tone deaf, which makes it so amusing. Although I'm not much of a singer myself, so while I am trying to sing classical music she will say "Stop it mommy." I guess it's not quite what she was looking for.

Mia is also happy to be home. She likes just going nowhere. She is a great baby and back to her happy self. She puts herself to sleep and smiles a lot. She is growing so big. She coos and says "ga" and tries to talk to us. She loves to be held facing out and made her baby bjorn debut fantastically. She likes to face out and wander around with me. She is so cute!


Hans has been crazy busy, as usual since we got back. He goes in before 7 and is home after 8 or goes back in around 8 for the later evening. I'm not sure how he is doing it. I try to be supportive, but I'm not sure how much longer I can take this kind of schedule either. He was supposed to be home at 3 to spend time with us, but didn't come home until 4 and then left at 4:10 to go back in. Crazy crazy! We're starting to forget we have a daddy and husband. He's trying. We are anxious for this stage to pass us quickly.

Back to Life

It was SO great to be in Utah for the holidays and spend time with family. The girls loved playing with their cousins. We are incredibly happy that Conleys are moving here in two weeks! Hooray for us:) And hopefully for them too. I am currently trying to figure out pictures and cameras, since our camera conveniently stopped working while in Utah. Hans bought two. Three, actually. One for his office and two for us to decide between. I want one that doesn't take blurry pictures! Any suggestions? Luckily, I did get some Christmas pictures on my mom's camera, but have yet to get them, since I forgot to burn them to a CD. I will post them when I get them. We went sledding, tubing at soldier's hollow, Hans skiied, and had lots of parties. It was great. The drive was uneventful except for the 3 hour stop in Rawlins thanks to 80 closing. Thankfully, it re-opened and we made the trip in 12 hours and 45 minutes. We made it home in exactly 9. That's much more bearable. I rejoined the YMCA. I love that place. I've already done a yoga class and run on their treadmill. The girls love the childwatch and Justin and Mia do great. I am hoping to win Moab's 5 mile race for my age group in March. I figure I need to run a 6:30-6:40 pace to be competetive. I have two months to train, but I've only been running about 6 weeks post Mia. We'll see how it goes. Yesterday I was able to average about a 7:30 pace. Not bad considering that 6 weeks ago I was averaging a 10 minute pace. It's the last minute that can get painful though. It's much easier to run with my new i-pod nano thanks to Hans. If anyone has any good running music, let me know. I have 20 more songs I can download from i-tunes. And right now I am running to children's music since that is what my computer has on it right now. Kind of frustrating to be running to i'm a little teapot.

My post has turned to rambling. Hopefully soon the camera will be figured out and I can post pictures!