Wow! NASCAR

Noah has been wanting to see a NASCAR race for quite awhile now and has said that he would like to be a NASCAR driver when he grows up (mind you, he knows nothing about NASCAR or any of the drivers, but it all sounds very glamerous and exciting to him). With the track in Phoenix so close, I figured I should give Noah (and myself) the chance to experience it.

So, Noah, my dad and I went to a 500 kilometer race last Saturday night and all we could say was "WOW!" The amount of spectators, the noise of the engines, the speed of the cars, the organized swiftness of the pit crew - it was all more than I had expected.

Since we had no idea what we were doing, we got there just before the race began and ended up parking about a mile and a half away from the track (no exageration) and had to walk to our seats. (Now if this was a Disney sponsored event we would have had a very organized tram to pick us up at our car and get us to the gate and back). Anyway, by the time we got to the track, the race had started and the noise was unbelievable. I knew enough to bring earplugs, but I had no clue! We sat for three and half hours watching the cars go round and round in a deafening roar 312 times. I kept praying for an intermission just so I could hear myself think. Even the constant screaming of Reese for the past two months could not prepare a person.

I think it cured Noah of wanting to become a NASCAR driver when he grows up. I would definitely do it again!

This is us about half way to the track from the car.

This is the only picture Noah would let me take of him.

This video gives you a very slight idea of the noise and speed.

Chihuly - I love it!

I got to go to a Chihuly glass exhibit at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix last Friday and it was incredible! For anyone who has never seen Chihuly glass, you must go if you get a chance. I know that in downtown Salt Lake City, there is a glowing red sculpture in one of the music halls that is spectacular. I am so glad I did not let this go by without seeing it. My pictures do not do it justice, but it gives you a taste.

Disaster Easter

For Easter this year, we decided to go to Phoenix on the Friday before to spend the night with Grandparents and decorate Easter eggs with the cousins.

Dave did not go with us because of work and because he had also come down with the flu and was very sick. All went well with the decorating, however, Reese got a fever during the night. We went throught the next day just letting her rest and had plans to head home that evening. When I called Dave to let him know, he consulted a book that told us we should call the doctor because of her age (under two months). When I called the on-call doctor, she told us to go straight to the ER! Noah stayed with my dad while my mom and I went to the emergency room with Reese.

Because of her age, they did not make us wait long and when we got into the room, they imformed us that they were going to have to do several tests to find the source of the fever and rule out everything they could. They drew blood, gave her IV fluids and antibiotics (as a precaution), took x-rays (for pneumonia), did a catheter for a urine sample, took a nose swab and did a spinal tap (to test for menangitis)! It was so awful to see her go through all of that! They then sent us by ambulance to another hospital that had pediatric rooms, where we stayed for two nights while they waited for the menangitis culture to develop and gave her IV antibiotics the whole time. In the end, they determined she had gotten the flu from her father and sent us home with Tylenol and rest! I have had such a hard time letting go of the fact that I put her through all of that for nothing. I know that if she had had something more serious I never would have forgiven myself for not taking her to the hospital. It's a hard situation. I am so thankful that it was not something worse and I pray that we all stay healthy for awhile now.



Thankfully, we have such wonderful help around us. Parents that take care of Noah and drive from Tucson to Phoenix to get him home for school, other parents that stay with Reese and I in the hospital and take care of us when we come home sick, neighbors that take Noah to school and pick him up and friends who fill in for Dave when he can't preach. It was a wonderful Easter lesson in appreciation, humility and extreme gratitude that we will never be able to repay.

Here are my nieces in their very pretty Easter dresses. Reese and I missed the whole thing, but got to see their pictures.

Turning 9

Nine years old just sounds so grown up to me. No longer a child - now a young man.

Noah (and Dave) begged me not to do a big production of a party this year - I guess Noah has outgrown them - just in time to do them for Reese! For his party this year, Noah came to me and very tactfully asked "Mom, can I have some friends over and just play this year?" I was disappointed, but, of course I said yes. He chose to have just a few of his best friends over. There was no plan and they had an awesome time doing whatever they felt like doing. We had ribs, mashed potatoes and mac-n-cheese for dinner (all Noah's favs) and Cold Stone cupcakes for desert. The boys played video games, nerf guns, legos, and more video games. They all slept outside in a tent with Dave and froze, but they all stuck it out the whole night. Reese screamed the entire party, which just added to the raucaous nature of it all. Thank goodness for my mother who came to help and took care of her during it all.

Noah got a new bike for his birthday that he loves to ride. I am so happy about this. It's a very long story, but his previous bike was no good and caused his to not want to ride a bike. I hated that he didn't like bike riding - I remember as a kid riding a bike is so freeing - your first set of wheels. I still love to ride a bike - we rode all around Logan when we lived there. It has been a couple of years sisnce he has tried to ride a bike so, Dave ans I encouraged him to ride his friends bikes so that he would see that it was not him that couldn't ride, but his bike that was preventing him form having a good experience. So, he did and decided that he could ride a bike very well. So, Grammy and Pop took him shopping and they picked out this very cool black one. I'm now excited for Reese to get a little bigger so we can put her in the trailer and we can all go bike riding again.

Happy Birthday to my big man!

It's back!!

Just when we thought that the science project was all done, it went and earned a first place ribbon in his school competition so the project came back home, where we had to make some modifications and get it ready for the regional competition. This is a picture of half of the projects entered for the region. Noah ended up getting second place in the region for third grade on his project. It was held during spring break and Noah was in Phoenix with his grandparents, so Dave, reese and I went to the awards ceremony to accept his prize. We are very proud of him and the work he did. (and don't tell him, but I am so relieved that there are no more competitions to enter the project into. Maybe next year we won't encourage him to do such a great job!)

Finally, more pictures of Reese

How pathetic am I that Dave had to take Reese for the day so I could catch up on the blog pictures? It has been two months!

Reese's first months of life have been full of screaming days. I took this video as proof because everytime someone would come over to see her she would be asleep and no one could believe what a terror she was.There were very few moments of awake-and-happy until the last few days. I think we finally have a baby who is glad to be here. We found out, after trying everything we could think to do, from a chiropractor, that her intestine was very blocked with a hard lump of crap and she was having difficulty and pain whenever she tried to poop. After lots of massage, warm water and several explosions we are on the road to happiness these days. Halleluah! The lump is gone! Here are various pictures from the last couple of months.

She loves her food - just like her mommy - and has almost doubled her weight at her two month checkup! She now weighs 12 lbs 15 oz! Here she is in a milk induced coma - with the evidence on her face.

Daddy is teaching her to play internet chess. She loves to walk around the house with him and bounce and listen to him sing silly songs to her about what they are doing.
Everyone loves to hold her - Grandpa, Uncle Tate, Grandma, Aunt Heidi and especially her two cousins. They want to help with everything and love to "pet" her head and give her kisses.

A bath was sometimes the only way to get her to quiet the screaming for a few minutes.

Happy days are hear again. I think it will be smooth sailing from here on (until of course she turns two, then three, then 13....)

Reese Anaiah

She has arrived and is doing great. She was 7 lbs 12 oz (small for this family) and 21" long. Everyone was very excited to meet her and at the top of thelist were her two cousins. They love "petting her head" and watching her move and make sounds and faces. Noah is a wonderful big brother as we knew he would be. He tries to act cool like he doesn't really care, but he is always making sure she is ok and sufficiently taken care of and that Dave and I are doing what we need to do - paying her the proper attention, holding her head correctly, etc.

She had jaundice when she was born and so we had to stay in the hospital for a couple of extra days and stay under the billi lights to get rid of it. Here she is basking in the glow and gettin' her tan on.

She is sleeping all the time and when awake, always wants to eat. She is definitely my child!

Here is a rare picture of her with her eyes open and no boob in her mouth.

Diamond was less than thrilled about this new thing we brought home. She barked at Reese everytime she made a noise or moved, but was skiddish of getting too close to her. She is now ok with Reese being here, but still not pleased that she is no longer the attention getting queen - someone has taken her spot in mommy's lap.

We are all doing well and adjusting to life at home with a new family member. I will be glad when we can get a routine established, but until then, we are taking one hour at a time and being grateful for it.