Friday, July 3, 2009

Kid update

Wow looking at this picture is so crazy it was only 3 months ago. Caleb has been the best, my angel. He loves to sleep, eats well, and just happy, loves to smile and just look around. He is sleeping good at night with just one feeding usually around 3 or 4. His sister just adores him. So he went from this :

To this is 3 months. He is my big boy- 16lbs -96 percentile, and 25 1/2 inches-98 percentile
We keep telling liz she better not pick on him, cause he will be bigger than her soon, and be able to retaliate. (she doesn't listen)

He loves his swing, sometimes hours go by and he is still loving it!


Lizzy loves holding him and trying to get him to smile. Sometimes she gets upset when he doesn't smile at her. She calls him her best friend forever and says she is gonna keep him....i'm so glad



As for Lizzy, she hit her 4 month mark on the study (for her arthritis) this last week. She has improved drastically. She is looking so good. She has improved 100% in some areas, and no less than 75% in others. So we are still in the study, but it remains blinded, which is good for us right now. She most likely has been on only the one drug(methotrexate) but has responded very well to it, and we don't have to go on the steroid. She has been a trooper through it all, and the best investment we made was 'hello kitty' bandaids. So we move on, and hope she out grows it someday, but at least it seems to be getting under control.

showing off 'hello kitty'


Before, feb 2009, her left knee is much bigger here, as well as her wrists.
today...her knees look normal, kind of hard to tell in pictures, but we are excited about the improvement.


And a few pics for the road.......















Following in the Lord's way

As a parent I often worry about this horrible world my kids have to grow up in. I know it was bad as i was growing up and pretty sure that was nothing to what my kids will have to deal with. I try not to let this get me down, but sometimes it is hard to not wonder if my kids are going to be able to choose the right, when there is soooooooooo much wrong around them. I feel very lucky to have made it through as well as i did, and be strong in my faith and true to the gospel. I just hope and pray that ALL my kids will do the same. I take comfort in the Prophets counsel to fortify our homes. To make them gospel centered, with scripture study, prayer, family home evening, going to church each week, and teaching the gospel in our home. We are by no means perfect, and we have to always work on it, but I want to do all i can to protect my family.




Lizzy has a great Love for the temple, she was so excited to go for her primary activity. She loves driving by on the freeway and says it is her temple! (she is in the far right in the blue dress)

She got a pamphlet, and we caught her reading on the way home. She learned that Grandma and Grandpa Daltons temple (Oakland, Ca.) was on the front as well as her temple (san diego) She carried this pamphlet around for days


Family Home Evening, Lizzy has been into crafts, so she wanted to make necklaces and bracelets with hearts. What a great idea Liz! So this is us showing them off.

We have a long road ahead, but these types of moments give me hope. Good luck with your families too!


Sunday, June 14, 2009

2 months flying by

I knew once Caleb came time would fly, and it has. We have been very busy with feeding and normal baby stuff, but also have had a couple adventures out. When Caleb was 4 weeks i decided to meet my parents at Pismo beach and camp (in a nice trailer, so no dirt and bugs we couldn't get a way from. It was awesome.) We walked the pier and roasted marshmallows, did little nature hikes, and saw the biggest frog I've ever seen.
A shot of Pismo Beach and me, It was beautiful and a lot like a Florida coast beach, with long flat sand forever, cars driving on the beach, and a lagoon inland a tad. The water was colder though.

My parents were great with taking lizzy for walks and climbing trees, so i could get a nap or rest here and there.
There were these giant geese that roamed the campground. Very loud, but luckily no attacking of small children, Lizzy loved to chase them off.



A beautiful, warm, and exciting day at the beach, okay not warm, it was very windy and my dad found warmth within.

Caleb's perch. He pretty much lived on the couch, but he was happy as could be. The campground was right on a lagoon, and covered from the windy beaches by trees, which was nice, but resulted in lots of mesquitos, so caleb stayed in doors most the time and we sprayed off on the rest of us, and surprisingly came away with no bites.
Lizzy and Caleb showing off for the camera
Enjoying the outdoors! WE love camping with grandma and grandpa.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Caleb's baby blessing

It was a little early, but worked out to have His blessing on April 26. In our church babies are given a name and blessing, and this was Caleb's day. It was a sunny, but very windy day. Lots of family and friends joined us. Thanks to all who came and traveled to do so.

Our happy little guy in his blessing outfit.

Our friends that came, the Johnstons (sorry we missed a pic with the Hansens, but thanks for coming, and Emily for trying too!)
The Uncles and Great Uncles who blessed Caleb with Dad.
All the family that could make the blessing. To all that couldn't we missed you.
Our wind blown family pic with Grandma Mary.
It was a beautiful sabbath day and a beautiful blessing Caleb will always have. Sure grateful for the gospel and the peace and comfort it brings in just a horrible and unstable world around us.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Easter Fun and more

okay i started this post a while ago and finally getting around to finishing







Okay so we are trying to get back in the swing of things around here. I thought it would be fun to enjoy easter celebrations and especially wanted Lizzy to know we hadn't forgot about her and she deserves to enjoy holidays!. So we painted eggs, crashed our old wards easter egg hunt, even though there were as always tons of kids and lizzy didn't even get one egg on the hunt. But her good friend Emma came to her rescue and shared some 'treats' with her, because that is the only thing she cares about. Then we did an easter egg hunt at home! i think overall we had a nice weekend, and even got my sister-in-law to take some pics of my kiddos! Thanks Brookie! and i know trying to get a 3 yr old and newborn to look at the same time let alone smile or have eyes open is extremely challenging.


Monday, April 6, 2009

Caleb Christopher is here!






Hard to believe it has been almost a week since he came. WE wait and wait and wait, and then he came and time has flown by. Caleb arrived Tues. March 31, 2009 at 4:46am. He weighed 8lbs and 9ozs. 20 inches. dark blue eyes and light hair like lizzy had. So he is probably gonna be another toe head. He is adorable and just perfect! WE are SOOOO excited he is here.

Okay i have to give some details of his arrival, so fair warning to skip this paragraph if you don't want to know the "details". So i had been having braxten hick contractions all weekend, so going to bed Monday night i was having a few contractions that were stronger than they had been, but not regular at all. I'd wake up every couple hours, or 30, 20, or 15 mins. but never constant. I'd wake up and wonder for a minute if this was it, but fall back asleep. So figure it wasn't gonna happen too soon. (However my last dr. appointment on the 26th i was dilated to a 4 and the dr. said she thought i'd go fast, so not to wait to long at home. Not more than 10 min contractions for an hour. So i was kind of waiting for that gauge. It never came I went from sporadic to waking at 3:30 with constant pain. It wasn't a contraction that let up so i wasn't sure. i just felt like i had to go to the bathroom, but i couldn't sit or stand. i called the dr. but she said it was up to me. So i waited another 10 mins or so and decieded it was time, meanwhile Lizzy came in asking for her binky and then wondering why all the lights were on. Cj went to get Lizzy's glasses and I went to sit on the toilet and felt a bulge, which i'm sure was the water sac, but freaked me out completely. So we hurried a little faster, I called my sister(who happened to be sleeping in her car, another long story) but a blessing cause she was able to meet us at the hospital to take Lizzy quickly. So the timeline was we woke at 3:30, decided to go to the hospital just after 4. On the was to the hospital my contractions became normal and i was having them 2 to 3 minutes apart. So even the first time it stopped i felt fine and questioned myself, but then it hit again of course no doubts. in the car i really was tring not to show too much pain, but nearly impossible, Lizzy kept asking what was happening and if the baby was kicking too hard, and would tell the baby to stop hurting mommy. (so sweet of her) We got there in 10 mins arriving at 4:35, i walked into the ER.(in between another contraction so i felt fine and asked for OB and they took there sweet time getting someone down there. Well it seemed like forever, when the contraction hit again. So she wheeled me up to OB which was a very painful ride, that Cj says i was screaming in the elevator, i just recal groaning very loudly. So they took me in the room, told me to put a gown on, i barely could throw my clothes off fast enough. Then i got on the chair, the nurse checked me, and didn't say anthing. So i was like what am i, then she responded," Oh you're a 10 and ready to have this baby." So they kept saying page the dr. (thankfully she was already at the hospital) and Cj remembers it taking forever and nurses bumping into each other. I just wanted it to stop! So the dr. got there, gloves on, water sac exploded (i'm serious) I was laying on the bed and saw Water go flying, then the dr. saying okay water broke and you can push the next contraction. Now i guess i have to admit, I screamed! I'm not usually a screamer, but there was no where else for the pain to go, i had to let it out. I think Cj was a little shocked, I think i was too, but after a looooong push or two He came out.And then it is just amazing, to have that little guy there, real, crying, healthy, a relief for sure!!! Okay so a few days before i have to admit, I told Cj i was curious to know what a natural birth would be like. So i guess i asked for it, but i'm just glad it was fast. Pain can be endured quickly, but if i was in labor for hours like that, wow that is a whole different ball game. The pros were definetly that it was fast, (relative i guess)
no needles (iv or anything) I HATE NEEDLES.
I didn't feel drugged after, and actually felt pretty good, the pain hit the next day more.
CJ was home and not working far away,
Lizzy woke on her own right when we needed to go. i may have tried waiting till Misty got to our house.
Misty was sleeping in the car that night and got there fast.
MOST of all Caleb is perfect, a sweet baby, that is so far sleeping and eating fantastic.
And quick delivery means no birth canal deformaties. He does have smashed ears(on the top of each ear, the pediatrician thinks is from being squished in there so well, but will eventually be normal.

Well that was definetly the long version, but i had to make sure i got it in writing.
My parents came wed. night and were sooooo helpful. With food, taking Lizzy out and chasing her (her favorite game that she NEVER tires of)
Lizzy LOVES her brother. Always wants to hold him and help change him. She took the role of picking out his clothes, which i have a feeling may never stop. As long as she helps him look good, i guess he'll love it. (i'm a little jealous though cause she never lets me pick out her clothes and now i don't even get to pick out Caleb's either.
We are all doing great, i'm starting to feel fairly normal and able to move around better. We are just trying to digest that we now have two kids and have changed forever. We are so grateful for this change and just so excited for the future. I guess i need to change my blog title... i'll have to think about that for a lilttle bit.

Sunday, March 29, 2009

a little update

... well first of all....still no baby, guess he is taking his sweet time, probably hears the tantrums his sister throws and isn't sure he is ready for that yet. Although Lizzy says she is, everyday or multiple times a day i hear, "i'm ready for your baby to come now" like i need a reminder. I"M READY TOO. (actually its really cute to hear her say) i had high hopes yesterday after having contractions for 4 -5 hours , but i guess those darn braxten hicks, cause they never got worse or real regular, and eventually went away. although the plus was i think after not sleeping well the two nights before and my body working that hard for pretty much nothing, i was sooooooo tired, so i slept soooooooooo good last night. and so we wait.. (by the way all you that have your babies weeks early....or even days....well you are lucky!...i'll leave it at that) the mental game is the most difficult, every moment i wonder..is this it ....NOOOOOOOOO


middle of march (9 months)

Okay as for lizzy update, she is in the study and the drugs seem to be leaving no side effects yet at least. We think we notice a difference in her joints, but are anxious to hear what the docs say on thurs. She of course hates the shots, she gets two, once a week. but each week is better. she didn't cry at all on one leg last week, we were amazed. she she usually asks every day if she is getting her shots, which i respond, "no not today", and she quickly jumps up and down yelling "yeah!" (unless its thursday then its, "noooooo how bout later." But she is tough and is doing great. so thanks for all your sweet comments, emails, and prayers. they have definetly helped!


Lizzy trying out the baby carrier!