exercise

Cheer camp has been good for Marlee. She’s really liking dancing and cheering. She’s in the pink tennis shoes and pink capris.

Man oh man, I’m still not walking as well as I’d like. Just look at how worn the right shoe is, compared to the left one. I got these tennis shoes after my left hip replacement.

art, Costco & ear

Porter brought home lots of his art work from the last semester, he’s beccoming quite the artist.

military guy

Probably my favorite one is the bear and on the back it said to Mom.

I love Marlee’s little story about her family.

“My family is the best. We love to go sledding. We like each other (I love that she spelled it EChuthre). We love snow.”

Carter is mom and dad’s little bud, especially with all his siblings at school. He’s always up for a Costco run.

His incision is healing.

Poor boy, we took him to the doctor since he kept pointing to his ear and saying ow, and he’s got an ear infection. I’m happy to see him smiling despite his ear and hip pain.

Where’s Carter?

I went in to check on Carter sleeping in his play pen, or so I thought. I couldn’t find him, but then I spotted him in Marlee’s bed, he was under the blanket and everything.

Marlee started mini cheer camp today at Spanish Fork High School. She was nervous and excited. She’s on the right side, in pink tennis shoes. She learned some cheers, played games and had a great time. She has 2 more practices and then she gets to preform with the cheerleaders at the SFHS basketball game this Friday.

Carter

Today was MLK, so the kids were all home from school, which Carter loves.

I think it’s one of the cutest things to see Carter in the office with his daddy.

 

We went to Cabella’s, which is probably Carter’s favorite store ever.

It’s hard to get a good picture of Carter’s hip, he moves so much. It is looking a lot better today. The swelling keeps going down and the brusing isn’t too bad. The string hanging out is his disolvable stitches.

family time

I love Sunday’s because we have lots of down time to visit and eat meals together.

Carter and Porter were lifting weights…Carter likes the new Zumba weights I got, since they are lighter and make noises.

I realized that I never got a picture of the awesome Ariat boots Laun got me for Christmas.

We made cinnamon and orange rolls tonight. Porter and Marlee were kind enough to deliver some to people in our ward.

soccer & awesome kids

Carter and I got home from the hospital around 2:30 am and I got to sleep around 3am and woke up at 5am, so I got a whole 2 hours of sleep! That’s ok, my baby is alright and that’s what matters.

Today was exciting. Too bad Laun had to work, but the rest of us watched as Clayton’s team got 2nd place in the futsal championship! They lost by only 1 goal and there was some bad ref calls near the end, but they came so far! I’m so proud of these young men!

Clayton earned another medal, I like how he takes a picture of it near his indoor soccer shoes that he loves. He picked the shoes out himself and payed for them with money he earned from mowing Launs, so I don’t blame him for being proud of them.

Then I sat down with these cute kids to watch the movie Pan and eat a treat I made for Clayton’s awesome season. Carter and I didn’t make it through the movie, we took naps.

This evening was great. Porter had his first futsal game of his team’s season. He got a double hat trick, scoring 6 goals. During the game Laun and I kept looking at each other, like holy cow, this boy is on fire!

And tonight I tried to put the ice pack on Carter’s hip again, but he just moves like a fish. The swelling is going down already, so I am happy about that.

ER scare

Things seemed great tonight. Clayton and Porter had friends over. They had pizza and were watching a movie. Who knows what these weird boys are doing.

And then Carter came up from the basement, where he had been playing, crying and saying owie. The worst part was that before I even unzipped his pajamas, I could see that his hip was swallon. As I took off his pj’s, I sort of flipped out and Laun didn’t like what he saw either. His left hip (where he just had surgery 9 days ago) was swallon, almost like a goose egg. It was hard and red and massive. There was a little blood coming out of the bottom part of his incision. I felt sick. I changed his diaper around 4pm and then I think just around 8pm is when he started crying. Did he get an infection that fast? Was he going to lose a limb, get sick or even die from the infection. Did he just get hurt somehow and brake the bone where he just got his hardware out? The problem with Laun and I having already experienced having a baby die, is that sometimes we go to the worst possible outcome, because we’ve been there. Right away I called and the doctor told me to come to Primary Children’s hospital, I don’t think Shriner’s has an ER. I had to drive Carter there by myself because Laun had to stay with the pile of kids at our house. I had a hard time holding it together for that hour drive to the hospital. By the time I got there and ran Carter in to the ER. I sat down and started crying, not knowing what was going on with my precious baby, who’s already been through so much. As a lady came over to check us in, I had a panic attack (1st one ever) and was afraid that I would pass out. The lady said she was going to put me on oxygen and then take care of my baby and I guess that was the reality check I needed. I don’t want to have a mask on (talk about PTSD) and I want the attention on my baby! I was really glad she said that (and she was so nice about it) because I think it made me realize how bad I was doing and calm down. I went to the bathroom, splashed some water on my face and got it together to avoid being a patient myself. She gave me some apple juice and I calmed down. Carter was looking at me confused and sad, poor guy, he’s used to me being so calm in medical situations. They got him in a room real quick. The doctors were worried that if it was an infection, that it came on that fast. They did an x-ray and thankfully his bone looked great, even where the hardware had been taken out (9 days ago).

A sweet nurse let Carter play with these duck and pig toys and he stayed entertained.

I tried getting some pictures of this boy, but he moves so much. The pictures don’t even do justice for how awful his hip looked. Besides taking these pictures, I tried not to look at it, because it hurts my mom heart.

They put an IV in and drew blood for 3 labs. While we waited for results I walked him all around in the stroller for probably 2 hours and he never fell asleep, but he ws so content. I’m so glad I brought his stroller! I was impressed with how little he touched the IV, I was worried he’d try to pull it out.

Carter must be clapping for joy! The labs came back great and showing zero sign of infection, so I’m grateful for answered prayers. If he had an infection they would’ve operated and cleaned it out. I’m so glad they let me know that losing a limb is very unlikely and I’m thankful we avoided yet another surgery. The doctor said he must have hurt it somehow and that it swelled so badly since he is only 9 days out from surgery. He also said that Carter possibly could’ve popped some internal stitches, but that the outside incision looks good. He should be ok, it will just take him longer to heal and take awhile for the swelling to go down. This boy is a trooper! I sure love him.

parent teacher conference

I met with Marlee’s teacher today. Marlee has been enjoying 1st grade. Her reading has really come along, especially over the last several weeks. That’s when things all clicked for Clayton, too. I’m so proud of how well she’s doing. She seems to have a Math mind.

She was happy to have Carter come along and to show us her penguin. This girl loves creating things.

I loved looking at all the different penguins. It just reminds me of how we truly are individuals. 

just cute

Whoever knew peakaboo around ranch dressing could be so darling.

 

My view from our home office tonight. Marlee reading to Carter, my heart could burst.

Marlee is seven!!!

I made Marlee’s cake yesterday. She requested pink, purple and blue frosting (her fav colors) and she wanted princess stuff, what I found actually goes in cupcakes, but she loved putting them all over that cake.

Breakfast- crepes (what my kids almost always request)

The traditional cream cow milk pouring.

Laun took Marlee out of school for lunch at McDonalds. Our kids love this birthday lunch with dad tradition.

I don’t know how Laun gets anything done in the office with Carter. This boy loves books.

Dinner: steak, mashed potatoes, corn and salad with croutons, cranraisins, pear and apple (she asked for all those salad toppings) and Dad’s blueberry lemondade.

This girl loved her cake, even though I’m not that good at frosting, especially with more than one color. She is so easy to please and grateful.

Yes, she has a black eye. She fell earlier this week and hit a wooden banister-ouch!

Marlee picked at her frosting yesterday and then Carter finished the job. This poor cake was almost bare by the time he was done.

Marlee loved her gifts. This lady in Spanish Fork sews these darling dolls. I took fabric that matches Marlee’s pillowcases. I love how the doll has a pocket, which Marlee and I will use to leave notes to each other. The princess art therapy book is like a fancy coloring book, which she’ll love.

I bought these skirts from the same lady who sewed the doll.

Grandma Lucy sends a box filled with all sorts of goodies that Marlee always looks forward to.

Happy 7th birthday to our only girl!

7 thinkgs I love about Marlee:

1. Her smile, it’s contagious.

2. Her singing voice. She can often be heard singing at home, in the car or to help Carter fall asleep.

3. She thought it was unfair that Clayton and Porter share a room and she had her own room (someday she’ll realize how funny that sounds), so she requested to share a room with Carter and loves it.

4. She is like a second mother in the home. She’ll come find me and tell me when Carter needs something.

5. She has become a great little reader and student.

6. The way she talks. I love how she words things, she is so funny.

7. Her kind heart and beauty inside and out.