The Family

BIG

2012-01-31T01:34:00.002-05:00

adjective

large, as in size, height, width, or amount: a big house; a bigquantity.

of major concern, importance, gravity, or the like: a bigproblem.

outstanding for a specified quality: a big liar; a big success.

important, as in influence, standing, or wealth: a big man inhis field.

grown-up; mature: big enough to know better. (dictionary.com)

1) BIG = me! this picture was taken last week - so only at 36-weeks, now I am 37.5 weeks. Yikes! Could I stretch anymore?

5) BIG = Marcus. How is it that this little boy is already in a Science Fair? So proud of him. He worked so hard on creating his project. Dedicated to the cause, he spent the majority of the night standing by his display board so he could explain the project to fellow students and parents that walked by. We all had a good time helping him create this. Way to go Marcus!

***side note: thanks to all who suggested boy names, we have a few hopefuls!!***

Snow!!

2012-01-20T01:00:00.000-05:00

I've decide maybe it doesn't matter which coast we live on, January proves to be a month that will deliver snow storms in abundance! Don't get me wrong, the amount of snow (a few inches) we get here in Bellevue as compared to Brighton (a few feet) is not the same, but w/ out proper snow removal equipment and icy conditions coupled with many steep hills makes driving and getting around quite treacherous. The kids had a late start to school today. Luckily yesterday was already a planned MLK holiday off of school, so we could enjoy the snow. I kind of miss it (not shoveling though).

Happy Snowy January!

Update since I wrote this on Tues: kids have been out of school Wed, Thurs and yep, tomorrow Fri due to snow. Kind of fun because Aaron has also been off school Wed & Thurs (no decision yet about tomorrow). We made a giant snowman, and the boys (Aaron, my Dad, brother-in-law Kris, and Marcus made a huge snowball in the front yard...bigger than Marcus). We haven't left our house since Tues evening when the snow started - I'm scared to drive on the icy roads in a non-4WD. Hopefully we'll have a weather reprieve tomorrow as I have to go in for a DR. appt.

Baby Names

2012-01-13T22:02:00.001-05:00

Help! We need some input. I am 35-weeks pregnant (yeah baby for staying inside so long)! We still do not have a name selected.

Our children have suggested:

Mack (by Marcus)
Drew (by Marcus)
William (by Brooklyn)
Elf on a Shelf (by Zachary)
Santa Claus (by Zachary)

We've used two of the names already for previous children's middle names. And clearly Elf-on-a-Shelf and Santa are out - but thanks anyway Zach. : ) Any brilliant boy names, please, please send them our way. After naming 3 boys with first and middle names we're feeling fresh out of good ideas.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-26T14:38:00.000-05:00

On the 24th we had a little nativity program with the kids, my sister and my parents. My sister posted it on her facebook, and I on mine. It's long, but there are funny parts toward the end. Here's the link:

Nativity Video

Enjoy!

Merry Christmas!

Gratitude

2011-12-04T00:52:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving this year was amazing! We felt fortunate to spend it with some of our family for the first time in 5 years. We had delicious food, warm company and an actual "break" from school for Aaron. We spent the weekend on San Juan Island - it was beautiful, quiet, and relaxing.

Some things I am grateful for this year: a wonderful husband, spunky and lively children, eternal families, Grant, our baby who is waiting patiently (past 25-weeks...hooray!) to be born, family that lives so close, family that lives so far, friends on both coasts and in-between whom we LOVE dearly (and miss daily), our many opportunities and blessings, the gospel of Jesus Christ.

ferry ride up to San Juan Island --sunset and no rain!! (Oreo on kids' faces)

Some enjoyed the hot tub (not the pregnant one though).

All enjoyed some musical sing-along Xbox style!

The Thanksgiving Toast and Feast

Christophers, Cleggs and Plowmans

No meal complete without the pies...best ones ever!

fall fun with Nana and Poppa

2011-11-28T13:57:00.001-05:00

Aaron's Mom and Stepdad came to visit earlier this month. The weather was beautiful. We enjoyed a picnic at Gas Works Park, and then a little tour of Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle. We even saw fish being thrown. : ) Glad to have them so close. Only wish the visit could have been longer.

Can I be this happy throwing and jumping in leaves? : )

Pumpkins - Patches and Carving

2011-10-31T17:04:00.001-04:00

Family Outing to Pumpkin Patch

This pumpkin patch was pretty cool. You could launch mini pumpkins at targets in the field. Who's having more fun here? : )

Lots of Big Trucks and Tractors! Zach was in heaven.

We ran into friends there and had dinner afterward at this burger place XXX. If you know Aaron at all you can guess whether or not he ate all his giant hamburger!

Brooklyn's Pre-School Trip to Pumpkin Patch

Hayride. Animal feeding. Class pictures!! Maze. Fun.

(2 preschool classes with their teachers - Grandma Plowman is on the right in black coat)

Carving with extended family

A Pirate ship, a Witch, a Brain oh, my! (And a huge haunted house)

The men...hard at work. Only a dentist would use a dremel to carve a pumpkin, right? He said it's like using a handpiece. Look at that serious face. ha ha.

Three happy kiddos.

Me & my sister @ the Ward Halloween Party. Aaron stayed home with Zach b/c the night before he got croup and I had to take him to the ER (difficulty breathing). After a dose of oral steroids and continued nebulization with albuterol at home, he was fine. Scary though! Poor kid.

The Flintstones! Aaron and classmates dressed up for his orthodontic clinic on Halloween. Perhaps next year we can go to a party together. : )

Happy Halloween!!

2011-10-31T16:55:00.001-04:00

Love,

Spiderman, A Nice Witch and A Froggy (half-dressed)

crafts and couches

2011-10-15T17:12:00.000-04:00

I love Fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving...and all the decorating, crafts and great food that goes along with it!

We've been busy around here trying to re-create the Fall feeling that so easily came living in New England when all you had to do was walk outside, gather an armful of colorful leaves and there you had it (or go for a nice run along the Charles river)!

So, to cheer myself up from the missing-New-England-this-Fall blues, we have been making crafts, going to pumpkin patches and making special treats.

CRAFTS: We made these playdough pumpkins and Brooklyn made her own witch to occupy our time before dinner. We collected chestnuts on our walks home from the bus stop and finally had enough to make these wreaths.

Next week we're making Q-tip skeletons, a witch door hanger and glitter pumpkins (if time allows).

TREATS: If you ever wanted a true sugar high, just add some candy corn to your rice krispie treats for a festive addition (+ loads of sugar, one small square will suffice).

(no complaints here!)

COUCHES: What does this have to do with Fall? Nothing. But we finally have living room furniture and are so happy about it. There's also an arm chair not pictured. We're working on getting a new rug, but at least now we have something to fill our giant living room.

Pumpkin patches will have to be in another post! Happy Fall.

A 4-Year-Old

2011-10-11T00:06:00.000-04:00

I just realized with the whirlwind of a summer we had I never posted about Brooklyn turning 4 (come to think of it, I don't think I noted her b-day last year either...sorry sweetie).

Well, here she is - 4-years-old and loving life. Brooklyn has a fun-loving personality, she is all about singing, dancing, laughing and making others laugh. She has become quite the good buddy to Zachary and the two of them will often have tickle wars or be engaged in high-speed chase games that end with giggling. She is very loving to her brothers, and is very excited to welcome another baby (although she was wanting a sister).

While sweet and caring, Brooke can also hold her own with the boys. She can have "attitude" when she wants, exerting her independence to do everything from putting jeans and a T-shirt on to go to church, or making her own sandwich for lunch, or walking away from mom (aka "getting lost") at Target to find the toys. Even though this independence can at times be challenging for us as parents, it is one of her qualities we admire most. I know it will take her far in life - she definitely will not be deterred from her course.

It's been so fun recently to watch Brooklyn develop and grow in other talents/areas of her life. She will be starting piano lessons this week, and has really thrived in her new pre-school environment. Almost every night at dinner we are blessed to hear a new song she has learned at school that day. She is so sweet and we are so very glad she is in our family. We girls have to stick together!! I love you Brooklyn.

Plus One

2011-09-28T01:18:00.002-04:00

Due to increase our family size by one on Feb. 18, 2012.

First Day of School

2011-09-27T01:48:00.000-04:00

Yes, I am only running about a month (or more) behind here. : ) Guess that's pretty good all things considered.

Marcus started FIRST grade. I can't believe he is so big. He really loves his teacher, and is thrilled he gets to ride the bus home from school (I think that was more exciting than school itself). We are liking the atmosphere at the elementary school, his teacher is wonderful, and the school staff and parents are very supportive. Overall a good school community.

Brooklyn started Pre-School. And boy is she loving it. She goes 4 mornings a week, and after only two weeks has learned 4 new songs - about traffic lights, frogs and apples. She works well with the other girls in her class, and is excited that her Grandma is one of her co-teachers. We are loving it.

Aaron is still in school. Not much new to report there. *wink wink* He is seeing more patients in the clinic though and hopefully this quarter we be a little less stressful class-wise. Jury still out on that one.

That leaves me at home with Zachary 4 mornings a week and it has been very nice. He gets some one-on-one time. I get to go to the grocery store and other errands with only 1 child, making my life so much easier. Now, we'll just have to find some classes/social groups to hang out with to also add some fun into the mix.

We're enjoying it! Now if we could only do something about all this rain. . .

She's Married

2011-09-17T14:08:00.004-04:00

Congratulations to my beautiful little sister Mehren and her new husband Kris!! What an amazing day yesterday. We are so, so, so happy for you.

Grandpa with cousins Claire, Brooklyn, Zach and Marcus.

More pics and details to come soon. . .

sneak peek

2011-09-15T02:12:00.003-04:00

My fab sis-in-law took my kids pics last month while she was here.

http://www.melissasuephotographyblog.com/2011/09/marcus-brooklyn-zach-children.html

Melissa Sue Photography is the best!! : ) And we love her too.

Sorry, not much time for posting, my sister gets married on Friday - so we have been inundated with last-minute wedding stuff, not to mention 3 people in our family starting school last week (Aaron - back at it, Marcus - 1st grade, and Brooklyn - pre-school). I will get those pics up soon. Probably not until after the wedding and after all the company has left - more to arrive tomorrow. : ) It's fun, busy and crazy at the same time. Isn't that always how life works though. Just trying to enjoy the ride.

Happy 2 Zach

2011-08-31T23:59:00.003-04:00

Today marks two years since we were able to bring this joyful little guy home from the hospital.

All I can say is that he is a miracle baby. Certainly we have things we are following with him, but considering he was a 25-week premature baby, I would say he is pretty healthy, vigorous and happy. Each day I am amazed at his growth and development. We consider ourselves pretty lucky he is here and doing so well.

He is a typical two-year-old. Favorite word is "No" or "I do it" or "mine". He likes to do things himself - including getting into the car and in his car seat, getting undressed, picking out his own books to read. Just this week he has learned to climb out of his crib...his very tall crib. I don't know how he does it, but he is NOT sleeping because he thinks it's fun to climb out and walk out of his bedroom. : ) Toddler bed? Cage?

Note the butterfly bandage right on his forehead. Only a week after we got here he decided to stand on Grandma's piano bench and fell off hitting something on the way down, splitting it open. Luckily Dr. Aaron could shave his head and put on a butterfly bandage so we could avoid going to the ER (since of course it was a Saturday). : )

Bumps and bruises aside, I think our little Zachy-man is going to be just fine. And we love him for it. Happy 2 years at home my little baby boy!

Playing with Cousins

2011-08-17T23:23:00.003-04:00

What a fun weekend! Love you guys.

{photo by Melissa Sue Photography}

We're Back. . .

2011-08-09T13:41:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the long blog hiatus...between moving (from Boston, and then into our new rental house three weeks ago), family reunion, Aaron's busy school schedule, summer swim lessons, etc. there has been little time for blogging. But, I am excited to get back on a more regular schedule. And will hopefully be posting about some of the fun adventures we've had so far in Seattle very soon.

Stay tuned. Now, if we can just find our camera cord we can add pictures too! : )

A Breakfast Conversation

2011-06-28T10:44:00.003-04:00

This morning while eating with my kids Brooklyn said,

"Mom, I want to visit Boston today."

"Why?"

"I want to play with my friends."

Marcus interjects, "she means the Spragues."

Brooklyn replies, "all my joy school friends, Thomas, Stuart, Evelyn."

Then Marcus and Brooklyn start listing ALL their friends they want to see. The list is long!

I get sad. We miss everyone. We miss Boston.

Seattle is wonderful, but I don't really feel settled in yet or like we have lots of people to hang out with. Guess that kind of takes a while. . .

Presenting

2011-05-27T08:44:00.015-04:00

Aaron B. Christopher D.M.D.

Graduate of Harvard School of Dental Medicine

Thursday, the 26th of May, 2011

It was a perfect day (w/ exception of some bus/T transport issues and worn out kids). : )

Love you Aaron. So, so proud. You did it!!

Aaron's Mom Vikki and Brianne at Morning all-Harvard graduation. A ceremony steeped in tradition, acknowledgement of God, latin speeches and thousands of students and proud parents --all watching as degrees were conferred upon graduate and undergraduate students.

Brooklyn and Marcus enjoying the graduation luncheon on the Harvard Medical School Quad. Love the cupcakes!

Aaron and classmates preparing to march in for Dental/Medical graduation ceremony.

This is how Zach spent the majority of Aaron's Dental Graduation ceremony...marching up and down these stairs (while I watched). Zach did get the honor of walking across the stage with Aaron to receive his diploma! I wish I had a pic, but because I had to hand-off Zach I wasn't able to get a picture.

Sweet Brooklyn - worn out!

It's official...he is a dentist.

The whole family-Brianne, Aaron, Zachary, Vikki, Brooklyn and Marcus.

Aaron with classmates and post-graduation dental reception.

Dental/Medical School Graduation Tent

Farewell to Longwood. Farewell to Harvard. Farewell to the dental school era.

After five years we are saying good-bye to Boston.

Off to Seattle, UW and orthodontics. . .

Sunny Day

2011-05-21T23:13:00.009-04:00

What are the chances of having such a sunny day today, despite the cold/rain/cloudy weather all week (OK, all month)?! We consider ourselves very lucky. For such perfect weather, and for such wonderful friends who came together for our Boston farewell celebration.

I can't even type this without getting emotional. It was such a great day and such a great time to reconnect with special friends and people that have meant so much to us here. Thank you everyone for coming and thank you sweet Pugh family for planning and organizing.

I know we would not have survived our time here in Boston without these amazing people who have lifted us, carried us, cried with us, laughed with us and consoled us when we thought we could go no more. You are our family. We love you. We will miss you so much.

[I didn't break out my camera until most people had left, but caught a few lingering shots toward the end. Hopefully I'll get a few more pics from others to post. ]

cute, messy girls!

The men. Talking the talk.

Esme, Marcus and Jack trying to tag Doug Flandro (who gets the super Dad award - he played hard with these kiddos for a long time!)

Zach having fun!

Party Planner Mary (my Boston sister & friend for life)!

Pugh & Christopher kids being themselves (crazy)!

Smiley bunch.

HSDM Class of 2011 - Graduation Dinner

2011-05-17T19:03:00.005-04:00

On Saturday we were fortunate enough to take part in this lovely evening at the Top of the Hub (Prudential Tower) with Aaron's graduating class. Lovely view. Lovely food. Lovely company.

Now, only one more patient and a meeting with the review board until Graduation. Fingers crossed all goes well on Friday!

Congrats Aaron. You have worked so hard. Love you and we are so proud.

(future ortho residents from HSDM class of 2011)

(HSDM Class of 2011)

Catch

2011-05-16T22:18:00.002-04:00

Zach's favorite game.

Joy School

2011-05-09T21:57:00.007-04:00

I have been working on preparations for Brooklyn's Joy School graduation; and in doing so ran across some pretty fun pictures. I feel "joyful" that Brooklyn has been able to have some of these experiences this year - making new friends, learning many new things, setting goals, doing service, presenting a Christmas Program at a rest home, using her imagination and problem solving skills. The moms and kids have all been amazing. It's been a busy, at-times-messy and all around fun ride. We're grateful to have had joy school with Brooklyn, Evelyn, Stuart and Thomas this year. : )

Dr. & Mrs.

2011-05-07T23:49:00.003-04:00

We received our first piece of mail today addressed to Dr. & Mrs. Christopher.

Kind of cool. Dr. Christopher. Who would have thought? Only a few more weeks (and graduation requirements until it's official)!

Grant Remembered

2011-04-27T07:53:00.004-04:00

It's hard to have two such conflicting feelings on the same day. Yesterday, we chose to focus on celebrating Zachary, his life here on this earth, and the joy that he brings into our lives.

Aaron and I had the unique opportunity to visit Grant's gravesite (just the two of us) on Saturday. Thank you to dear Brittany for watching my other kids. It was really special - really hard - but much needed. We spent as much time as we wanted, standing in the rain, talking and crying, focusing on what a special little spirit Grant must have been. Looking forward to the time we can see him again one day.

{This picture was taken a few months ago - I didn't have my camera w/ me on Sat.}

Happy Easter

2011-04-26T12:14:00.003-04:00

Zach-Attack is 2

2011-04-26T07:53:00.007-04:00

Today Zachary is 2. I can't believe it.

He is hovering around 23 lb. and is about 30 in. tall (I'm guessing).

Things he likes to do: play catch; throw things (including balls, food at the table...last night at dinner he threw a piece of ham and hit Brooklyn square in the eye...luckily she started laughing as did the rest of us, but then he did it again - he can aim); knock things over; do wooden puzzles with handles; smile; laugh; be thrown around; copy his siblings, especially Brooklyn; try to jump with 2 feet off the ground; read stories; climb on things.

Talking: Saying "Ya" instead of "No" for everything...

Dada, mama, nana (banana), nose, eye, belly, head, lots of animal sounds

Why We Love Zachary: Because he is a sweet, sweet boy with a friendly, loving spirit. He is adventuresome, daring, courageous, determined and a fighter. Despite his many doctor appointments, follow-up visits from occupational, speech and developmental specialists, he constantly is in a good mood. His ability to thrive continues to amaze me.

We are lucky to have him here. Very, very lucky.

(One of my favorite videos - not only is the dancing stellar : ), but you can see how much Zach loves his siblings and enjoys being around them).

Good-bye Swingset

2011-04-17T08:49:00.011-04:00

The kids watch from the front windows as. . .

. . .their swingset is being loaded up.

Thank you wonderful swingset for many, many wonderful hours of fun and play for the children.

It was a tearful good-bye this morning as some nice folks drove off with it. Luckily, our Dad (who built this one) is already making plans to build a new one at our next house.

We've had some amazing things happen on this swingset, like:

Marcus learning how to pump himself
Brooklyn learning to climb up the slide even before she could walk
All our children learning how to climb (fall), and climb again
Pretend play for hours in the castle, house, dragon's home, bear cave, pirate ship, fire truck or whatever they wanted it to be

I'm sad too. : (

Brooklyn - Oct. 2008 (about 26-months)

Marcus - Sept. 2008 (3 1/2 yrs.)

January 2011 (M - 5, B - 3, Z - 1)

Brooklyn - April 2011 (3 yrs)

Marcus - April 2011 (6 yrs)

Zachary - April 2011 (23-months)

Countdown

2011-04-11T10:33:00.002-04:00

Isn't it sad that the countdown for departure has begun?!? I don't know what's worse, the fact that we're leaving Boston, or the fact that I base my countdown on how many Dr. appointments Zachary has left. : )

Only 4 to go!

(This is aside from his regular weekly visits from a Developmental Specialist and Occupational Therapist - two separate days). If you ever wonder what I do with my time aside from make food and clean-up - it is making appointments and taking Zachary to them. Happy to do it though....look at that adorable smile.

2 pieces of good news

2011-04-05T10:48:00.005-04:00

#1 - Aaron passed his WREB exam. Yahoo!! Congratulations honey.

Now, finish up those case completion requirements and we're on to graduation. : )

#2 - We found a place to live in Seattle (actually on the Eastside).

Visitors welcome after we move in and settle in July!

[ignore the blur in the middle - someones' kids I didn't want to post on my blog w/o permission] And, just as a side note it does not usually snow that much in Seattle. Maybe once or twice a year they get a few inches.

My Sister is Engaged!!

2011-03-24T23:17:00.002-04:00

Last night. At Greenlake (Seattle area). White lights. Music. Fireworks!

We're really happy for you Mehren & Kris. Love you both!

Photo by: Melissa Sue Photography (my sister-in-law...she rocks)

And He's Back. . .

2011-03-19T17:15:00.003-04:00

Yeah! Aaron was discharged today around noon and is back home with us.

He is a little tired, but otherwise doing well. Glad the hospital stay is over - for both of us.

(Although the kids will miss the "cartoon watching" when we visit him and Aaron will miss the March Madness action : ) ).

Thank you to everyone for the meals, offers to watch kids, help with whatever. We are blessed to have wonderful friends that love and sustain us. Thank you - couldn't have survived this week without you!

Aaron update

2011-03-17T19:50:00.005-04:00

Aaron is still in the hospital.

He was working out (doing pull-ups...something he regularly does) last Friday and a few days later was not able to straighten his arms - was in extreme pain and very swollen. I made him go to the doctor, who basically said it was 2-day-after-a-workout-soreness and told him to keep icing. They did a blood test, and the next day realized that Aaron has rhabdomyolysis.

defined:

Rhabdomyolysis is the breakdown of muscle fibers resulting in the release of muscle fiber contents (myoglobin) into the bloodstream. Some of these are harmful to the kidney and frequently result in kidney damage. (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000473.htm)

Basically a certain creatine (creatine phosphokinase (CPK)) that resides in muscles is now in his blood stream because he burst open his muscles. What a strong guy, right?!? Normal levels are around 200 - 400 (I think?), and he's now at 30,000. He is hooked up to an IV at the hospital to flush him out and protect his kidneys (which amazingly seem to have no damage). He can come home when he gets below 5,000. Pray that goes quickly. Aaron is getting bored in the hospital - and I'm going crazy at home with 3 kids, one also having had surgery this week. Thank you though to wonderful friends for providing dinners and moral support.

Moral of the story - intensity can be dangerous. Who would have thought?

I picked the wrong major in college...I should have studied medicine! : )

The Day of Injury

2011-03-15T20:35:00.003-04:00

Zachary fell down the stairs this morning...thank you older siblings for leaving front door open.

Marcus fell off the monkey bars at school --luckily only emotional and temporary physical pain (visit to school nurse + ice = cured).

Aaron checked into the E.R. today for exercise-related injury. He is on IV fluids and will be there over night.

Tomorrow Zachary will go into Children's Hospital for minor surgery to put tubes in his ears.

The day after that Mom will check herself into a mental institution for having to deal with the stress of all this stuff. Why does it always happen at the same time?!?

When Ye are in the Service of Your Fellow Beings...

2011-03-10T10:53:00.007-05:00

My kids thought if would be a fun and good idea to send some gifts and cards to this special little boy who is currently battling cancer. [you may want to have tissue handy when looking at his blog - he is a brave little boy]

Can't say what is in the box - don't want to ruin the surprise. But know that a lot of love and thought went into the contents.

I'm so thankful my children are willing to give of themselves and their most special toys, to help someone they've only met once when he and Brooklyn were about 6-months. I am grateful that we can serve others and remind ourselves of just how precious each of Heavenly Father's children are.

Mosiah 2:17

Standardized exams: sucking our money away

2011-03-03T09:58:00.003-05:00

I don't know how the rest of you feel about standardized tests, but personally I feel like they have turned into one giant money-making scheme!! What are we testing here...our ability to give money away faster than we can get it? Not only do you have to pay the fee for the exam, but the cost of the test-prep books, classes, note cards and more.

As Aaron has advanced in his education so have the tests and costs! This year he has been lucky enough to take 3 exams - the GRE, National Dental Boards Exam Part II (NDBE II) and tomorrow will begin the Western Regional Boards Exam (WREB). Of course you have to pay for the test itself, but this last one also had a computerized exam component a few weeks prior (with additional fee), and he has to pay a separate clinic fee for the actual test (not to mention find his own patients and assistant if he wants one). This is crazy. I hope he passes (and his patients show) so this will be the last one. My checkbook can't handle anymore. : )

{note: I'm glad Aaron isn't going the oral surgeon route - testing would be far from over...way to go Fillmore and Loveless Family for handling this. You are my heroes.}

A Pirate Party, Yo Ho!

2011-02-28T15:13:00.011-05:00

To celebrate this big man turning six we hosted 6 pirate boys, 1 pirate sister and 1 pirate little brother for some shiver-me-timbers fun!

At the pirate cove we adorned the little pirates with an eye patch, sash, some scars and a wee bit of facial hair. Each pirate made and donned his own pirate hat.

All geared up, we began the festivities ----"Walking the Plank" while the other pirates tried to throw balls at your feet.

And pinning the eye patch on Captain Black...Arrgh!

We had a fierce-some bunch who enjoyed the pirate ship cake (thanks Nanna & Jess for the idea).

Ending our pirate adventure with some presents and a treasure hunt to find the hidden gold. Captain Black hid it in a tricky spot - but these boys who can now read easily uncovered the clues.

'Twas a pirate party to remember.

Happy Birthday pirate Marcus. We love you and can hardly fathom that you are now six...reading, tying your own shoes, going to kindergarten and acting all grown-up. When did this happen? You truly are a joy in our home and we are lucky to have you. We love you!

simple

2011-02-20T19:51:00.004-05:00

Does life ever get that way? It's just after 8pm and I'm still hearing screaming, giggling, laughing, kicking coming from the room where three kids are supposed to be sleeping (over an hour ago). {grumble, grumble} I don't care - as long as they let Zachary sleep - which is hard to do when they are all in the same room.

I'm excited for life to get a bit simpler. Maybe another bedroom. Maybe a husband who is home more (maybe, maybe not?). Maybe having my parents and sister super close will be my saving grace.

Maybe at some point I will learn to accept that once you have children there is really not much that is simple in life anymore. : )

(Thankfully Zachary has learned to adapt! Bless him - third child.)

Things We Love

2011-02-14T19:55:00.008-05:00

1. My husband

2. Our children

3. Our family

4. Friends who are family to us

5. Flowers that Aaron sent to me today!! (how sweet)

6. Really good pizza for dinner

7. The fact that is was above 50 today and I walked to pick-up Marcus from school

8. When Brooklyn asks, "Mom, what are we doing for Happy St. Val-em-times day today?"

9. When our kids tell Aaron, "You're the best Dad we've ever had!"

10. A new haircut

11. Our kids are friends

12. Zachary is unable to hold still for 2-seconds

13. Taking sugar cookies to friends

14. Our camera has a timer

Happy Valentine's Day!

Birthday Season is here

2011-01-30T22:46:00.005-05:00

(Aaron eating his delicious, best-ever Candy Bar Explosion Cheesecake - recipe HERE. If you like chocolate and cheesecake, this is quite possibly the best dessert ever invented).

(Cute Zachary with his untouched crown cake! no love).

(I do exist, just not in pictures apparently, not even on my birthday - sad). :(

Yes, right after Christmas we begin the Birthday fun at our house.

We celebrated my 31st and Aaron's 33rd B-day in January. We also realized that we never really got around to celebrating Zach's 1st Birthday last year (too hard on that day, we had a devotional for Grant instead), so we made him a cake too. Although he wouldn't even touch it. He's going through a non-eating phase and it's driving me crazy! He's pretty much been at the same weight for the past 2 months.....grrrr. Who doesn't like cake?

And, Marcus' b-day is right around the corner in February. . .

Snow

2011-01-27T22:02:00.007-05:00

Did I mention it has been doing some of that in January? (for those that don't watch the news).

I think this was our 4th big storm this month. Not that I mind - snow is fun. Marcus has had a few snow days off of school, we've done several crafts and fun projects at home, and of course outside snow play is super fun with the kids. [I might add we did have to make a trip to the ER one snow day to get Marcus' head glued together - he slipped on our back porch and cut his head open on a planter box. Doing fine now though.]

Minor complaint: shoveling out our car. I'm running out of room to pile up the snow - the mounds are now as high as my head - I can't even get the shovel that high. Good work out though - 1.5 hrs of shoveling today to get around our car, sidewalks and a path from the back of our house to the front. : ) Aaron's been at MGH most the month, so I've done the shoveling on the last few storms. He & Josh braved the first one though.

(Aaron & Josh shoveling us out after the first storm)

(kids doing what they love - eating snow!)

(Zachary - still laughing despite the cold & being thrown into Brooke's old snowsuit...what a trooper!)

(We piled up the snow into a snow mountain and the kids have been enjoying it ever since. It's going to be there a long time).

Love Boston Winters!!

Grandkids

2011-01-19T10:16:00.006-05:00

My sister-in-law is an amazing photographer. We were lucky enough to have her shoot some family pics while together in California over Christmas. This is the first time all the grandkids have been together since the additions of Zachary and Luke. As you can see they were thrilled to be taking so many pics. : )

Visit Melissa's blog for more "real" photos - they are great: CLICK HERE

Or this link:

http://melissasuephotography.blogspot.com/2011/01/p-family-utah-extended-family.html

If you are ever in Utah you should book a session with her (she's talented, nice, and married into the best family in the world). I can brag since I'm related. : )

Posts from our Christmas vacation coming soon. . . We've all had the stomach flu (except Zach), so things have been kind of disorderly.

ONE

2011-01-12T08:10:00.002-05:00

1/1/11

ONE day of joy school teaching with 4 eager 3-year-olds and talk of tremendous goals.

Only ONE nap for Zach today. : (

ONE new Massachusetts license to last me for five months...grrrr.

An excited Brooklyn with ONE new pair of fancy black church shoes.

Dishwasher run only ONE time today (still catching-up from lack of hot water for 4 days last week).

ONE load of laundry (times 5). : )

ONE flippity-floppity Marcus at gymnastics class today.

ONE tired husband on rotation at Mass General Hospital this month for oral surgery.

ONE impending snow storm.

School cancelled ONE day for Marcus & Aaron.

ONE happy, busy family.

[Thank you for indulging my need for creativity for yesterday. I meant to post last night, but literally fell asleep trying to fold laundry.]

when you are tired

2010-12-16T12:07:00.002-05:00

Do you do things like:

only put mascara on one eye before going to a church function?
forget to brush your teeth before leaving the house?
wash a "clean" load of laundry that you had just washed the day before?
put some clothespins away for a special purpose and can't recall where you put them?
repeat everything to your husband about 50 times?

Not like I do these things (ha ha)...well, maybe. : )

A Word

2010-12-13T22:37:00.005-05:00

About these kiddos . . .

Brooklyn - ever full of personality and charm. This little beauty likes to tromp around in my shoes. I often find them in her room, under the bed or in her closet - everything from rain boots to these red heels. She's so silly, loves to be "fancy" and have fun. I believe the picture below says it all.

Today some friends dropped off some Christmas goodies on our porch. As we found these treasures and were carrying them upstairs Brooklyn asked, "What are these Mom?". I replied quite happily, "Looks like yummy chocolate dipped pretzels to me." "With cheese!" Brooke quickly added. Yes, Cheese or Coconut - whatever you prefer. Tasted great either way!

Marcus - is growing into quite a young man. Now, he is very concerned about how his hair looks and we have to style it most mornings before school. He is absorbing many new things at school - even started learning about syllables.

Last week at a parent-teacher-conference his teacher informed me that Marcus can count to 109 without any help. She had asked him to count as high as he could. He got to 109 and then said, "a gazillion, a gazillion and one, a gazillion and two." Ms. Mann had to stop him as he informed her he was counting to infinity. What a smart boy!

Zachary - could possibly win for the happiest boy ever! Despite all that he has been through and continues to go through, his spirit can not be dampened. Sure, he cries with the best of them, but generally speaking is a happy, smiley, energetic young toddler. His walking has brought new found independence. He is becoming a bit more vocal, and even signed his first word the other day "more".

Winter season means an onslaught of respiratory difficulties for Zachary. We spent 2 hours at the Doctor's office on Saturday. He has been nebulized several times a day with albuterol and steroids consistently the past 5 days or so, even adding a dose of oral steroids because of consistent wheeziness). And he still smiles, still is happy and still wants me to hold him and pick him up (even though I'm the one to put the mask to his face which he hates and restrain him for the average of 10 min. it takes each time to nebulize).

You will see in the picture Marcus and Brooke are fighting and Zachary will no doubt be clobbered momentarily. He is just enjoying life and enjoying the ride. What a special child to have in our home. We are so lucky he is with us.

Aaron has been matched to. . .

2010-12-01T10:36:00.001-05:00

the University of Washington

in Seattle!!

yeah! Congrats babe and thank you for your YEARS of hard work.

You deserve this.

You are going to make a wonderful orthodontist.

I love you! (Go Huskies!)

tomorrow we will know

2010-11-30T10:06:00.002-05:00

Match date is tomorrow - and we will know where Aaron has been accepted to an orthodontic program for next year. Exciting!!

Could be one of the following places (from East to West):

Minneapolis, MN

Dallas, TX

San Francisco, CA

Seattle, WA

I can't believe this day has finally come - it's been a while in the making. With this huge change though comes lots of transitions. I feel eager to move onto this next phase in our lives, but at the same time very conflicted about leaving Boston - a place that has meant so much to us over the past 5 years. I'm pretty sure I will be crying tomorrow-joyful tears and tears of sadness about leaving such a special place. A big day...

Stay tuned - I will post tomorrow with the results.

Grateful For

2010-11-28T22:15:00.007-05:00

* Wonderful friends who support and sustain us

* Active, healthy children (aka Pilgrims and Indian)

* Eternal Families and one beautiful baby Grant who is patiently waiting for us on the other side

* Opportunities: for an unknown future filled with many great choices and options

* A Living Christ who loves us and cares for us in times of need and in times of joy

Thanksgiving Feast

2010-11-23T13:44:00.005-05:00

Check out the cool hair....And the cool decorations....

Marcus' school holds and annual Thanksgiving Feast with all the kindergarten classrooms (and their families). I was asked to do the decorations - about a week ago. So not much time, and not many resources on my part. But, amazing what you can do with posterboards - 6 black, 1 white, 1 yellow; some glue, tape and brown paint. Special thank you to Megan Turnbull for helping me finish these last night. I made 6 Mayflowers, 6 pilgrim hats & a sign. Table cloths from the dollar store, assorted pumpkins I had or borrowed from friends, and leaves/pine cones collected by my kids.

Unfortunately I forgot my camera while I was setting-up. I'll have to get a picture from one of the Teachers of the room pre-children. It was fun!!

I should be cleaning, but I'm not...

2010-11-12T14:05:00.004-05:00

so, here are my kids in costume.

One princess, one not-so-happy pirate and one happy pirate.

And Zachary started walking Wed. Nov 3rd, 2010!! 18-months old. Way to go buddy! We love you.

10K, Harvard Football, Water Fight

2010-10-11T15:24:00.010-04:00

TUFTS 10K
This year's time: 54:04 (2:30 faster than last year!!)

8:42 pace - I can go faster and I will next time. : )

There were 8,000 entrants this year - it was pretty much like playing a video game the whole time trying to pass people and dart through holes, lots of elbows and lots of running on/off sidewalks - tricky business for establishing a decent pace.

(Mary, Brianne, Brittany, Jenn)

(Keyla, Brianne, Brittany, Jenn, Erica + some kids; our regular Sat. morning running group - minus the kids of course)

(My cheerleaders, Marcus, Brooke & me)

Harvard Football Game

Brooklyn's favorite part: the bands at 1/2 time. Cornell's was huge, took up the whole field. The kids loved it. When my parents asked Brooklyn what happened at the football game on the field, she said, "the guys fall down and roll over". Ah, the perspective of a 3-year-old - so simple and so true.

Harvard won! Go team.

Water Fight

Marcus & Mom vs. Dad

We all got a little wet, and our house got a LOT wet! You can see the water dripping off the door behind Marcus. Our accuracy and duration between refills was great with the spray bottles, but Dad had the squirty toy which packed much more of a punch with larger volumes of water. He did have to reload in the bathtub often though (great time for sneaking in and attacking him). Zach was taking a bath and Brooklyn was going potty, so they too got a little wet from the misfires! From the giggles though you could tell all had fun.

(note the water spraying into Aaron's face - he was pretty soaked)

First & Last Time

2010-09-16T13:35:00.010-04:00

I can't help being a little sad because this is our last year in Boston. We've had many fun adventures here, and are constantly finding new and fun things to do. Recently, there have been many new places we have explored. While excited, I can't help but think this is our FIRST and LAST time to do these things. I don't have pictures of all, but here are a few of our latest finds:

*Morses Pond, Wellesley, MA - fun bike riding paved trail to small beach with play toys for kids. I wish we would have known about this place earlier in the summer - would have been fun to swim and slide off the dock into the pond.

*Magazine Beach Swimming Pool, Cambridge, MA - All of us took a dip the day before it closed, super humid that day so the cold water felt nice. And it was FREE (thank you Mass DCR)!!

*Wiscasset, Maine - stayed with friends at a house right on the water, engulfed in woods. Quaint, quiet little Maine town. Enjoyed visiting Boothbay Harbor, and driving up the coast of Maine to ACADIA National Park for some hiking, sight seeing and dinner a la campfire!! Absolutely beautiful. I loved Maine. It felt fresh, uncrowded and reminded me of the Pacific Northwest. Thank you Perrinos.

Marcus & Brooklyn also experienced their first bee stings while in Maine. Unknowingly Marcus walked through a hive area under the porch of the house we were staying at - one or two stings later he was quite overwhelmed. Brooklyn - not 5 minutes later - walked down the same path. You can guess what happened. Well, now they know what NOT to do! : )

* Lowell, MA - Annual Banjo and Fiddle contest: seriously super cool. We also checked out the Textile Museum - fascinating (& loud), they actually still make fabric there, and have all the machines hooked up (although not powered from water like in late 1800s/early 1900s). Thank you Pughs for a fabulous day.

*Decordova Scultpure Park , Lincoln, MA - Super cool hidden treasure, near Walden Pond area. Lovely drive out there, beautiful settings, amazing outdoor sculptures and room for kids to run. Nice late-summer activity. Only thing wish I would have known in advance - pathways not stroller accessible to all sculptures - baby back pack would have been better than stroller for Zach. Thank you Bank of America for free museum weekend.

*Crane Beach, Ipswich, MA - Ok, so we've been here lots before, but we LOVE it! Our family does great at the beach - and the last few times we went the conditions were ideal. Sad this may be our last time there. There is something so refreshing about digging in sand, playing in water and feeling the ocean breeze on your face.

(Marcus discovering how to make Drip Sand Castles!)

(Zachary un-doing whatever castle building that was going on)

(Marcus with our neighbors- The Turnbulls...isn't he so tan!?!)

*Marcus started Kindergarten - of course this is his FIRST and LAST time to do this. It puts me at awe though, because when we moved to Boston just over 4 years ago he was only 18-months-old...and now he's in school full time. Where does the time go?

(November 2006 - little Marcus - in our first Boston apt)

Back To School

2010-09-16T13:19:00.008-04:00

Welcome to Kindergarten Marcus!!!

Welcome to Joy School Brooklyn!!

Welcome back to school Dad (did you ever leave?). : )

One Year at Home

2010-08-31T14:44:00.009-04:00

One year ago today we brought our sweet miracle baby home from the hospital to live in our house. What a year it has been. There have been many doctors appointments, one trip to the ER, lots of giggles, laughs, tears, poopy diapers, scrapes, bruises, and above all lots and lots of love.

Zachary's tender spirit is so peaceful and joyful. He brightens any room with his ear-to-ear grin. He smiles easily, is curious about everything, and wants to romp and play with his older siblings.

I can't help but think of his fiercely courageous character which has carried him through so much medically and emotionally. To think that when he was born he weighed 1 pound 11 ounces, and now is tipping the scale at 22 pounds I can hardly believe it. We truly have watched a miracle unfold before our eyes. We are not passed all the hurdles yet, but simply knowing I can hug my chunky little guy anytime and feel his sweet presence close to me is enough.

I look forward to the next year to watch and marvel at all the growth and development that will take place in his little body. We sure are glad to have him in our home. We love you Zachary! Happy one-year-at-home sweetie!

A Publication

2010-08-18T20:06:00.002-04:00

Aaron's publication is in press with Microbiology.

Here is the online abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20705665?dopt=Abstract

Congrats babe! So proud of you.

To Blog or Not to Blog?

2010-08-16T13:20:00.004-04:00

I had a few conversations recently with people regarding the "virtual" world that we live in. Why do we blog? Why do we facebook? LinkedIN? Etc. Are we doing it for us? Are we doing it to show everyone what we can do/handle/capable of? Or, are we really doing in to keep in touch with friends and family - which is why I started doing it in the first place.

I worry that I spend more time thinking about how something will appear on my blog, instead of just enjoying the moment. So that's what I've been doing lately - just enjoying the moment - camera and internal blog text writing optional. I've been really trying to integrate into my kids' lives and exploring/discovering with them new loves and passions. It has been great to reconnect.

I like the concept of blogging though - and if I can stay true to it - as purely a method of sharing with loved ones near and far what we are up to - then I think I can continue. If not, well the blog may have to take a back seat for a while.

That being said, here are a few choice moments we have enjoyed the past little while.

micro managing

2010-07-09T13:30:00.002-04:00

With this incredible heat & humidity lately and the very close quarters in our 2-bedroom apartment (we've been inside a lot this week with the AC), I have come to realize I do something that I always detested in former bosses: I am a micro-manager. ugh! How did I get here?

My kids are wonderful - they are just learning and exploring and how can they do that when Mom is lurking around the corner with a watchful and correcting eye on every situation. I'm sure Aaron doesn't appreciate either when I'm directing every move of him getting Zachary ready for bed after I've asked him to do it. I need to realize that other people are capable of taking care of things and probably doing them just as well as I would, if not better.

I realize the situation may be a little different if we had a little more space. But still, I could be better. If you have any tips of how to NOT MICRO MANAGE your family, please send them my way!

June

2010-06-27T21:28:00.007-04:00

Oh where did the month go? Time has flown and we have been busy. What have we been doing you ask?

Marcus' first walk-a-thon at school: he walked 9 laps around the school (well 8 laps according to his arm, and 9 laps according to his sheet?) to raise money to keep their Friday Arts & Enrichment programs. Their K1 class raised the most money and won a pizza party!
Zachary falling down 1/2 a flight of stairs (because an older sibling left the door open - don't worry, I bought a baby gate and promptly visited the Dr. that morning to reassure me Zachary was OK). My first kid to fall down stairs, not fun, especially since it was Zach.
Zach starting to pull himself up on furniture and "cruising" around his crib and other furniture.
We celebrated our 6-year anniversary! Hooray. We actually did something this year...our neighbors watched our kids and we went to dinner/movie/shopping. It was a well-needed break. Love you Aaron-can't believe it's already been 6 years!
Aaron took his GRE (yeah!!), had his big 3rd year case presentation, not to mention keeping up with the workload of patients/exams/a-million-other-things.
Marcus graduated from K1 with a nice ceremony, slide-show presentation and a few songs the class had prepared for the audience. He was thrilled.
Brooklyn & Marcus finished up their classes: Dance for Brooke, Swimming for Marcus, and gymnastics for both.
Summertime fun: a little wading pool for the backyard, a few trips to the Artesani waterpark, Popsicles and planting ourselves in front of the AC tells me the humid Boston summer is here! We've also been to see the animals at Drumlin Farms and to the Children's Museum. Next week: Frog Pond/Swan Boats and trip to Plymouth Plantation & hopefully Duxbury Beach.
A New Stake Center!! The Cambridge Stake has been waiting 12-years for their own stake center and today we witnessed the special dedicatory prayer/service for this magnificent new building. Since we've been in Boston the past 4 years we've seen the tremendous effort and work put into securing the land and getting approval for this building. All the events leading up to the Dedication (special musical performances, speakers, lunches) were amazing. Today was really special and we're so happy that we could be a part of it.

(our last Sunday in front of our old building, the Binney St. Chapel - 6/20/10)

Ragnar

2010-05-31T21:36:00.005-04:00

Aaron and Dental School classmates - the Dental Dozen - ran the Ragnar Relay last weekend from New Haven, Connecticut to Boston, Massachusetts. Approximately 200 miles over a 24 hour period. Each team member ran 3 different legs of varying lengths. Aaron ran about 17 miles in total. We were able to drive down and catch (just barely) the last part of his last leg. The kids were so excited to see him from the car...we rolled down all the windows and cheered for him. At one point we stopped on the side of the road and were out of the car. Marcus was so excited, jumping up and down, frantically waving his Harvard Crimson hand, and yelling "Go Daddy, Go!" Hopefully our cheering helped. Aaron finished strong. We are very proud of Aaron (and all his teammates) for completing this race.

The car.

Guess you get to know your teammates pretty well when you spend about a day with them in a car - post run - sweat and all. Sounds fun!

Tiger!

2010-05-20T20:31:00.002-04:00

Need to Baby-Proof

2010-05-19T13:39:00.003-04:00

. . .because this little man is crawling all over the place! Yeah!

Now, if my kids would only keep their little toys/crayons/pieces of paper picked up, we wouldn't have such issues with everything ending up in Zachary's mouth. : ) But I guess then they wouldn't really be acting like kids, now would they?!

Graduation & A New Baby

2010-05-11T19:55:00.006-04:00

What a lucky weekend to be attending my sister's graduation at Utah State. While there, my sister-in-law went into labor (almost 2-weeks early) and had her baby boy on Sunday. I was able to hold and meet my new nephew Luke! He's adorable. Way to go Nate & Mel. Only wish we were closer to help.

It was so fun to spend time with my family. I loved introducing Zachary to everyone - most all of my dad's side of the family and even some of my mom's side. He is such a miracle baby and everyone could not get over how big he was and how great he looked.

(four generations of Plowmans: Great-Grandpa Ronald Dean Plowman, Grandpa Stephen Jay Plowman, Mother Brianne Plowman Christopher, and baby Zachary Drew Christopher)

(Zachary with Grandpa and Grandma Plowman)

Being there to support Mehren, especially after all her hard work (OK, well sometimes hard work) the past few years, was very meaningful. I felt honored to witness this major milestone in her life.

Ah, if only every weekend were as fun as this. My only regrets - wishing the other 1/2 of my family were with me; and missing mother's day with my kiddos back home. Although gifts and a card awaited me on my pillow upon my return. Sweet Marcus- always so thoughtful.

2 more days...

2010-05-04T21:09:00.004-04:00

Until I fly to Utah for my sister's graduation. Congrats Mehren on finishing your last final!

Go Aggies!

(Last summer my sister stayed with us for 6-weeks and took care of my kids so I could go to the hospital and be with Zachary in the NICU. She is so great and we are forever grateful for her service to us. We love you Mehr!)

April 26

2010-04-27T21:09:00.002-04:00

The one year mark. A bitter-sweet day for our family. A celebration of Zachary and his health and progress; and, an honoring of Grant and his short little life on this earth. We decided to wait and celebrate Zachary's birthday a little later (maybe the day he came home from the NICU).

Yesterday we focused on Grant, remembering him and his spirit what little time we knew him. As we discussed his life with our children I was reminded of so many things - feelings and emotions, details of our experience with him, the love and peace that we felt as we held him. Aaron recalled when we were first introduced to Grant in the NICU that Aaron was allowed to reach his hand in the incubator and put his index finger on Grant's tiny palm. As he did this, Aaron felt Grant's hand squeeze the tip of his finger as if to say "hello". You can only imagine what love a Dad would feel for his son at that time. I am grateful to share these memories, to remember the tender moments that we did experience despite the hard moments that were to follow.

I can honestly say I have felt my Savior's love surround me as I have struggled through this. Yesterday, I felt so loved by all that remembered Zachary & Grant's birthday and reached out to tell us that they cared about our family. I feel blessed to be supported by such compassionate, sincere friends and family.

To my twin boys - I love you both with all my heart.

1/2 Marathon This Morning

2010-04-24T13:19:00.003-04:00

Thanks to all my Saturday-morning running buddies! (And thanks to HBS for putting on this race). I was actually able to finish the race (my goal). Considering we only "trained" about a month, I was so proud of all of us to even attempt!

(at the Harvard track around 6:30am for a sprint workout:

Tiffany, Brianne, Birgit, Alicia, Britt, Jessica)

It's In

2010-04-11T23:34:00.001-04:00

Spring Break

2010-04-11T22:42:00.012-04:00

March 2010: Road trip to Myrtle Beach, SC...were we crazy? Yes! But, we did have fun. There were definite "moments" during the 16-hour drive. Luckily, I have a sweet cousin in WA DC (technically VA) who let us crash at her place on the way down and back. We also saw our dear friends the Thompsons in NC on the way down - thanks for letting us come play.

Once in Myrtle Beach we played at the beach, spent quality time together and just relaxed. It was wonderful. A perfect escape from our crazy reality here these days. I only wish it could have lasted longer!

We found some amazing sea shells, became quite good at digging large holes, burying our kids in the sand, and we even tested our luck at mini-golf (a first for our kids - they enjoyed). Wish every day could be a vacation on the beach. One of my favorite spots.

(too bad the whole road trip wasn't this quiet - Zach was sleeping too, just couldn't get all 3 in the photo)

(We tried to see some of the WA DC sights and take in the beautiful cherry blossoms before our approx. 8 drive the rest of the way home. The kids were tired and worn out from a week of vacation and all that driving. It was actually quite cold, and of course the kids were fighting. When it started to rain we decided to pack it up and drive home. : ( Maybe we'll go back when the kids are a bit older and can appreciate it.)

(note the crazed look in Marcus' eye as Brooklyn tries to push him from the pillar - definitely "too much vacation" for these kiddos. The cherry blossoms were AMAZING though! We lucked out and caught most of them in bloom.)

Lucky Day

2010-03-18T14:05:00.006-04:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day (yesterday)!

We consider ourselves lucky for so many reasons.

1) A leprechaun came to our house and brought presents and footprints. : )

2) Zachary cut his first tooth - lower left central incisor (thank goodness - he's been unusually cranky and not eating/sleeping well)

3) My good friend M.L. had her b-day! We love you.

4) My other good friend M.P. had her baby girl. Hooray for baby Lucy!

5) We went to the aquarium with dear friends on a gorgeous Boston spring day, and Marcus was even out of school and could be with us.

6) Just so lucky to have these sweet kids with me all the time. Love them!

Follow the Prophet

2010-03-14T22:51:00.004-04:00

Our funny little Brooklyn decided she didn't want to go to bed tonight. After the door was closed (post-stories, songs, scriptures, brushing teeth, potty), she was still screaming, "I need water!". After a few minutes I could tell she wasn't going to give up. 2 drinks of water later (of course Marcus had to have some too) she was back in bed. Still more yelling. This time Aaron went in and laid down the law - I could hear something about it was bedtime, no more coming out, no more asking for things. Quiet. Yeah! She was finally asleep, or so I thought. About 15 minutes later as I scrubbed the dishes, I could hear more noise from the kids' room. Listening at the door, I heard Brooklyn crooning, "Follow the Prophet, Follow the Prophet, Follow the Prophet; he knows the way." I smiled. Only Brooklyn would be belting-out this Primary song an hour or so after bed time. Everything her way, on her timetable, including sleeping, or not. . .

first glasses

2010-03-10T11:48:00.003-05:00

Look at this handsome 5-year-old with glasses.

We picked them up on Saturday and Marcus has been very careful and responsible with them.

Unfortunately, his 2-year-old sister is not careful or responsible...and she snuck into their room this morning, climbed on top of the dresser and grabbed his glasses. Yes, the frames are bent to the point of not being able to wear them!! Grrrrrrr. It's not really fair to Marcus who has been so careful and excited to wear them. Back to the glasses shop I guess?!? I think we will be buying a 2nd pair (again, grrrr, 2-year-olds make me crazy)! : ) Please tell me I am not alone on feeling like this.

crafts, crafts, crafts

2010-02-25T22:21:00.009-05:00

Oh what to do in the wintertime?

Yes, if you are me and love to do artsy stuff, this is what I inflict upon my children...

APRONS

Materials: fabric paint, aprons, ribbons

Beware, this paint stains clothes though (obviously), but just be mindful when kids are helping. I sewed on the ribbon with a sewing machine. I painted the names & date with the same fabric paint used to make hand prints.

FRAMED FEET

Materials: b&w copy of footprints, fun scrapbook paper, pen, frame

Little time for this project, just cut, glue and put in frame.

VALENTINE HOLDERS

Materials: paper plates, staples, ribbon, paint/markers/stickers to decorate

Cut about 1/3 of the top of one plate off. Turn the plate around and staple it to the other plate. Have your kids decorate their own holders...then stuff with fun, homemade valentines.

VALENTINE WREATHS

Materials: cardboard, egg carton, cardstock, yellow tissue paper, red/purple/green paint

Cut circle out of cardboard using razor blade (posterboard or heavy card stock could work too). Cut hearts and leaves out of cardstock. Cut "iris" flowers out of egg carton, make 4 slits a little ways down so it opens a little - one individual egg holder per flower. Have kids paint wreath and leaves green. Paint the hearts red. Paint the flowers purple, front and back. Once paint dries, glue leaves, flowers and hearts on wreath in any fashion you choose - I left it entirely up to my kids, but you could be more symmetrical about it if you wanted. We used white school glue. Once set, twist yellow tissue paper with an eraser from the end of a pencil and glue it to the center of the flowers. I tied green string around the wreath to hang it on my wall.

We did this project in two days. Day 1 - Cutting/painting all morning, gluing after nap time. Day 2 - tissue paper and hanging on wall.

VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLARS

Materials: egg cartons, dot paints, pipe cleaners

Cut 1/2 an egg carton to form a narrow, caterpillar body. Paint with Dot Paints (good for kids and quick clean-up for me). I poked holes in the head and inserted various colors of pipe cleaners. I also drew a face with black permanent marker.

Very fast and very fun!

Don't think I'm crazy, we did all these over several months, although Feb. harvested a lot of crafts - I think due to the mid-winter lulls. : )

Someone Had a Birthday!

2010-02-25T21:43:00.009-05:00

We took cupcakes in to Marcus' school class. Marcus and his friends enjoyed the chocolate cupcakes after a chorus of Happy Birthday in English and Spanish, and blowing out the big 5 candle. Brooklyn, Zach and Mom were there to cheer Marcus on.

Marcus got to watch his favorite movie...Cars! And pick out his favorite dinner, pizza obviously.

Rounding out the night with some present opening. The clear favorite: Rokenbok, which he has requested to play with every day after school and every morning before school.

We love Marcus because of his capacity to care for and about others, his ability to be a wonderful young man and his way of teasing and being a loving big brother at the same time.

Happy Birthday to my big 5-year-old! You are my favorite Marco-man. I love you!

9-months (or 6?)

2010-02-07T21:33:00.007-05:00

Has it been this long? Yes. Zachary is now 9-months-old by the calendar, but by his adjusted age (from his original due date) he is 6-months. He is a chunky, solid boy now....eating solid foods and trying to manage his limbs. He can roll from tummy to back and is working on the reverse. Still pretty unsteady in the sitting position, but also getting better every day.

This little guy is 16 lbs. 14 oz. now, wearing 6 - 9 month clothes and is the happiest little thing you have ever seen. He really is so cheerful.

Poor guy had an illness last week - fever for a few days and lots of congestion - after a trip to the doctor we're still working through it. Waiting for a culture to come back on Monday to determine what he had/has.

My house is consumed by baby equipment: bumbo, swing, infant chair, jump-chair, exersaucer, play mobile toy. He loves them all (and so do his siblings)! We're excited about his continual progression and meeting milestones. As long as he's moving forward it is good news for him and us! We love you little Zach-attack.

(special thank you to Aunt Mehr for the "sexy" onesie)

30 Things You May Not Know About Me

2010-01-14T13:51:00.002-05:00

1. My favorite color is blue

2. I prefer cats to dogs

3. I like vanilla ice cream over choc. (but all ice cream is good)

4. I have 4 kids

5. I graduated from Utah State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism (emphasis in PR and a minor in marketing)

6. I worked for 5 years at a private bus manufacturing company as a Marketing-Communications Manger

7. I am an avid recreational runner

8. I have climbed to the top of Mt. Rainier (in WA. state) with my Dad when I was 17

9. I was born in England

10. I have been to 13 countries outside the U.S.

11. I was on swim team for about 3 years - and was never very good - but it was fun

12. I have run 2 1/2-marathons, 1 10-K, and several 5-Ks

13. I did a study-abroad in college and lived in the UK for about 5 months

14. My favorite children's book (lately) is Bear Wants More by Karma Wilson

15. I know most the lines to the movie Dirty Dancing

16. I was homecoming princess in high school, and homecoming queen in college

17. I had a 4-year full-tuition scholarship to Utah State

18. I love to do art projects/craft projects, especially with my kids

19. I married Aaron because he is my best friend and I love him more than anything

20. One of my favorite scriptures in the Book of Mormon is Mormon 9:21

21. I do not like salsa or spicy food

22. I have two fake teeth

23. My favorite book series is Anne of Green Gables (as a kid), Harry Potter (now)

24. I would love to learn how to sew

25. I played softball, volleyball and was on drill team in high school (yes, over-achiever)

26. The hardest moment in my life was last year in April when I sat helplessly watching my body go into labor and deliver my twin boys at 25-weeks gestation

27. The best moment since then was when we brought Zachary home from the hospital and our family was together under one roof (except Grant, who was there in spirit)

28. My favorite times of day are when everyone wakes up in the morning (if we are all happy that is)...and full of energy, and of course the end of the day when everyone is back in bed

29. I like any meal - especially ones I don't have to cook

30. I am 30 today! Boo...Hooray...not quite sure how to feel. Thanks to all my friends and family who have helped me get here. Love you all.

2009 - Quite a Year

2009-12-29T22:09:00.009-05:00

{family photo generously taken by R Seely}

As the year is wrapping up I thought it might be nice to give a little update on everyone.

Aaron - Studious. Hard-working. Fun. Teaser.

Aaron is mid-3rd year at dental school and is treating patients about 3 days a week. He is becoming very skilled at oral examinations and dental cleanings. On the side, he finds time to wrestle with the kids and tease them into a frenzy. Aaron exercises at every opportunity, and spends a great deal of time in his volunteer position of ward executive secretary at our church.

Brianne - Organizer of chaos. Spit-up cleaning machine. Dish washer. Dedicated.

Busy with 3 kids and all their needs, rarely is there spare time to do anything else. Enjoys running/exercising when time permits, dabbling in painting/artwork again, occasional blogging, creative felt projects and reading. Brianne ran a 10K this year, and plans to run a few more races next year - maybe even another 1/2 marathon if feeling ambitious enough. Honestly, just happy to have all the family under one roof and generally healthy at this time.

Marcus {4} - Devoted. Obedient. Tender-hearted. Caring.
Started pre-school full-time and is loving it. Can sound out words, write his own name and draw excellent pictures of his family. Loves reading, playing with legos, using his imagination, practicing acrobatics on our furniture, and being a big brother. He is very helpful with new baby Zachary and also trying to guide a sometimes-less-than-obedient sister into doing the right thing.

Brooklyn {2} - Spunky. Vibrant. Giggly. Willful.

Turned 2 and is fully embracing her independence. She picks out her own clothes, dresses herself, goes potty all by herself on the big toilet, and even tries to pour her own cereal and milk (some days more successfully than others). Brooke loves singing and dancing and playing with Marcus.

Zachary {range of 4-8 months - if going by birth date or gestational age} - Smiley. Sleeper. Easy-going. Most-improved.

Zach is 8-months old, corrected age about 4-months-old. He is a mellow, roll-with-the-punches (literally) kind of kid. He admires and carefully analyzes Marcus and Brooklyn's busy activities around the house. Zachary loves to be part of the action. He likes sitting in the Bumbo chair and jumping in his bouncy chair (which attaches to the doorway). Recently, Zach began to eat solid foods, no clear favorites yet, but Butternut Squash is definitely one to spit out! He can roll from tummy to back and has now discovered that putting toys in his mouth is fun. Zach can also find his toes with his hands - fun new skill.

Grant - Always in our hearts.

We felt his sweet spirit touch us, especially this Christmas season as we spent a quiet morning with Grant at his burial site. The kids wanted to sing him some Christmas songs, so amid snow, we softly sang Silent Night and Angels We Have Heard on High. I know he felt us. We are grateful for the strength he adds to our family, even if only in spirit.

Many ups and downs this year for our family. We believe in miracles. We believe in families. We believe in the strength and power of God.

We are looking forward to a hopefully uneventful 2010.

We're Excited for Christmas....are you? : )

2009-12-23T20:29:00.002-05:00

How Sweet Is Marcus?

2009-11-15T23:03:00.004-05:00

Last Sunday our whole house woke up sick...blah! I was awakened by Brooklyn's usual plea "Mom, I have to go pee". Still rubbing my eyes I walked into the kitchen to find Marcus making breakfast for the whole family. Sticky table/chairs/jelly jar aside, it was pretty magnificent. He had toasted bagels and spread jam on each for every family member (that can eat solids) and he even set the table. What a sweet example he is to me. I learn from his tender heart and service every day!

We love you Marcus!!

Superheroes Unite!

2009-11-01T20:43:00.009-05:00

Hope your Halloween was as super and spooky as ours. We enjoyed a ward Halloween party and some trick-or-treating with friends. The kids liked wearing the capes and pretending to have super powers (like super jumping abilities, invisibility, flying and running super fast). : )

And a funny quote from the evening. All the kids with costumes were asked to stand in front of the party to receive a special prize (sticker). The woman in charge said, "All the superheroes step forward. Are you guys the Incredibles?" Marcus responds without hesitation, "No, we're just generic superheroes"...apparently he had overheard me saying that to a family earlier when they were asking which superheroes we were. I'm so glad he felt the need to announce it to all the party-goers.

(I needed to throw a picture of Zach in there as he isn't really part of the trick-or-treat action...I forget to take pics of him when he's in the stroller).

6-Months-Old...sort of

2009-10-27T13:47:00.008-04:00

Yesterday marked Zachary's 6-month-out-of-the-womb date. Adjusted age, he is really only about 2 1/2 - 3 months. The past two weeks have been filled with appointments, but I'm happy to report that it appears (for now) that he has no major heart or neurological issues. We are working with an occupational therapist (through an Early Intervention program) on a weekly basis to manage his tone and muscular deficiencies. Our next follow-up appointment with neurology is in 6-months and with cardiology in 1-year.

Zach weighs 12 lb. 7 oz. and is 23" long. That may not seem like a lot, but starting from 1 lb. 11 oz. and 13.5" long--I consider this to be excellent progress!! In fact, this week I'm bringing out the 3-6 month size clothes. Huge milestone. : )

He sleeps A LOT. He smiles now, and has started to follow his siblings with his eyes. I can tell he's ready to play.

His personality is pretty chill. He's a mellow kid. Rarely cries (aside from when he needs something), tolerates occasional bonks on his head from older siblings quite well, loves to cuddle/be held and will fall asleep instantly if you put him upright over your shoulder. He smiles when you kiss his face or neck and makes "caaa" "gaaaa" "ohhhhh" sounds. We're so pleased with his progress and so thankful everyday for the miracle he is.

We're working on holding his head up--almost there.

Of course Zachary's progress is thrilling, but I can't help but think of Grant in all this and wonder if he is watching over his brother and certainly cheering on his every progression. Some days I just wish I had two babies to hold and to love instead of one. Knowing that when I look at Zachary I am seeing Grant is some days reassuring and comforting, giving me some connection; other days it is painful and bittersweet.

I am grateful for the blessings we have and for each of my children individually.

TUFTS 10K

2009-10-12T16:39:00.005-04:00

(post-race with my cheer-squad!)

The weather was perfect today for a little 10K run along the Charles River. There were over 7,000 entrants in the TUFTS 10K...it was inspiring to be there, lined up on Beacon St. with all those other women. The race started and finished at the Boston Common/Public Garden. I ran it in 56m 32s. I was hoping for 54 min total, but with a few side cramps during the race just couldn't muster it today. Honestly, I was just happy to finish. Now I have a time to beat for next year. Maybe not getting up at 4:30am the night before the race would help too (thank you Zachary)! : )

(Zach's half-smile...please ignore the toothpaste on Brooke's chin and Marcus' possessed face...getting all three to look decent at the same time, yeah right!?!)

Oh, and Zachary started smiling just a few days ago. I'm trying to capture it on camera, but not having much luck.

Happy Columbus Day!

One of Those Days...

2009-10-01T22:44:00.006-04:00

Zachary has his first cold. We were so careful with hand-washing and limited exposure to people, but with one sibling in school and the other attending nursery on Sundays, I guess it was bound to happen. Poor Zach is very congested and wheezy and has been since Monday - he has a hard time eating and breathing at times because there is so much junk in there, he can't get his airway cleared. The visiting nurse came by this morning and after listening to him and recording a slight weight loss for the week decided he should be seen by the pediatrician. Easy to do since my other two were already scheduled for flu shots today...so all three kiddos and I went to the Dr. for a nice long visit. none too pleased about their shots, but all survived. No real treatment for Zach, just wait it out and pay close attention if any symptoms worsen.

After our trip to the Dr. I thought it would be fun for the kids to help me make pumpkin bread...which they did enjoy...of course leaving a giant mess to clean up. While the bread was baking and i was trying to clean the kids were doing their own thing. Brooklyn, however, was tormenting Zachary who was trying to sleep in the swing. She kept trying to pick him up or was pinching his hands. Finally I had to give her a time-out, my distraction methods weren't working. She was in her room for maybe a minute when I heard a loud THUD and then wailing...hurt wailing. I rushed into the room, and she was already on her way out bleeding all over the place. It was coming from her mouth, so I ran her into the bathroom, put a wet wash cloth on her face and tried to see where all the blood was gushing from. She had split her chin open and was also bleeding from a giant cut inside her lip. Blood was all over me, her, about 3 wash cloths and the floor. I immediately called for Marcus and had him run downstairs to get our neighbor Megan. Sweet Megan came immediately to our aid, we tried to call Aaron, but no answer. I called the pediatricians' office which had conveniently closed about 1/2 hour before. The pediatrician returned my page and told me to take Brooke to Children's Hospital for stitches. So away we went, leaving Marcus and Zachary in Megan's capable hands until Aaron got home from school (only about 1/2 hour later).

Brooklyn was a bit traumatized and was crying/screaming. Poor girl. I don't blame her. I'm not so good at looking at blood or any part of the body that is cut open, so luckily it was under her chin and not highly visible. We made it to the ER around 6pm and were seen right away by the triage nurse. She put some numbing stuff on Brooke's chin. Then we waited for about an hour until they had room in the surgical area. Sweet Brooke was really good. Once she calmed down after the initial shock, she was pretty mellow, just asking what everything was and she kept saying "I all done" or "I go home" or "I want my milk" (translation - I want to drink milk and go to bed). They had bubbles, coloring and some TVs in the waiting area, so this helped distract her from her chin. Although she kept tugging at it (the numbing agent and adhesive bandage) asking "what's that?". I tried to help her stay calm.

Finally we went back to the room and had another nurse take a peek, and then another 20 minute wait and finally the dr. came in. He was very kind, had 3 daughters of his own, so was very understanding about Brooke and her behavior at the age of 2. She was pretty defiant, reluctant to have him look in her mouth and put pressure on it to stop the bleeding. He decided she needed stitches inside her lip as the cut was pretty long and kept bleeding. Clearly the laceration under her chin needed stitches as well. Unfortunately the local doesn't work really well inside the mouth (maybe just for this age group?), so she just had to kind of bear it for 3 stitches...and he was fast. I think the worst part was how they had to hold her down....they swaddled her mummy style with a sheet and then for added protection to keep her arms and legs down they have this board with velcro straps on it that they put on top of the sheet. I felt awful, but i had to, there's no way she would hold still. the nurse held Brooke's head still for the doctor, so I held the only other thing sticking out...her toes and turned my head away because I couldn't watch. But I didn't want to leave the room and let Brooklyn think I left her. so I stayed and talked to her and tried to soothe her when she cried. I could tell it hurt her. She was even saying "that hurts me", and begging to be "all done, I all done." I wanted to cry. Brooke was a trooper and now has 6 stitches under her chin and 3 on the inside of her mouth. Luckily they are self-dissolving. Some instructions, a balloon and a short drive home; we made it back by around 9pm.Brooke was starving since she hadn't had dinner. I gave her some milk and then she wanted crackers and cheese, but as soon as she tried to bite/chew the cheese she burst into tears and yelled "my mouth, my mouth". Ugh! I'm sure it's very tender and painful. We opted for applesauce instead and she was able to get a few bites down.Now it's 11pm and I should be sleeping, I am exhausted, since getting up at 4 this morning to feed/take care of Zach, I haven't been back to sleep.

And did I mention that when I picked Marcus up from school early to get his flu shot that his eyes looked puffy and red. Pediatrician examined him and said it looks like early stages of conjunctivitis. He recommended not sending him to school (of course). So looks like banged-up Brooke, congestion-loving Zachary and pink-eye prone Marcus and I will be hanging out tomorrow...sounds like party....you better stay clear or you too could end up in the ER or pediatricians office. : )

**side note** I do love my children with all my heart and am so happy to take care of them. I don't mean to complain about today or our general luck with health issues--I'm just feeling the frustrations of being a parent of three - hard work and tiring!

A Big Week

2009-09-16T10:35:00.008-04:00

Marcus started school this week! He's in the pre-K program at a local elementary school, but it's all day 5-days a week. I am missing him so much. He seems to like it though--

with recess being his favorite activity so far. They've already been drawing pictures of people and are discovering all about themselves this week. I just can't believe he is in school full time. Maybe he's ready, but I'm not. How is he this old?!?

Of course our dear little Brooklyn has been keeping things interesting this week with a few new tricks; including walking down our front stairs opening the front door, walking out of the house and down the steps onto the sidewalk. I've caught her twice outside (usually she utilizes this escape plan while I am feeding Zachary)! She also cleverly discovered how to open the fridge. Normally that wouldn't be a big deal, except she likes to get things

out (again while I'm occupied feeding Zach). Yesterday she walked into the living room holding a cube of butter - greasy! She also likes to take out the milk carton, remove the lid and pour herself a cup of milk (clearly with some spilling onto the table and floor). I applaud her sense of independence, and sometimes it's very funny, other times a bit frustrating. Her last trick is using the toilet (this is a good thing). Some days she wears underwear and other days pull-ups, but she has decided to stop using the potty seat and just sits on the big toilet. If I try to help her

response is "my do it"! What attitude.

Zachary has been home with us for 2 weeks now. Yeah! We're so glad he is part of our family. He has gained some weight again after having a slight loss last Friday. Not quite in the heavy-weights yet, but up to 10 lb. 6 oz. today. He sleeps sooooooo much. Still a grunty/snorty boy, but a cute one. He does most of his smiling while falling asleep or passing gas. I'm still waiting for him to smile at us! Soon I hope.

Dr. Aaron did his first fillings this week (successfully I might add). Hooray!! The patient is even returning next week to get some more done. We're so proud of Aaron--he works so hard for us.

Brianne is trying not to have an emotional melt-down with Marcus starting school, not getting any sleep and learning how to care for 3 kids at home. We have managed to get Marcus to school and picked-up from school on time so far this week (no small feat when trying to get 3 kids dressed and ready by 8am). We walk Marcus to school thanks to our handy double Phil & Teds stroller (not the stolen double jogger-a different one we bought for this purpose). I also started my training for a 10K in October. It won't be pretty, but at least I have a goal to shoot for.

Hope everyone has a good week and is enjoying the Fall.

Zachary's Home

2009-09-01T10:45:00.006-04:00

Welcome Home Zachary!!

We love you so much!!

Tomorrow is THE DAY!

2009-08-30T21:28:00.003-04:00

Zach - displaying his boredom of the hospital!

We are holding our breath and keeping our fingers crossed that little Zachary will be residing in our home starting tomorrow. Discharge time will be sometime in the afternoon.

I spent the night at the hospital last night with Zachary. We were roomies...no monitors, no beeping alarms, no nurses, no doctors. Just me and my little boy, and he is so sweet. I felt like a Mom, taking care of him, feeding, diapering and just watching him sleep and listening to him breathe. (Obviously I was a little nervous too, as this is the first time after 4-months of scrutinized care that he has been off the monitors). Once I adjusted to his quite frequent grunts and little squeaks I was able to get a few hours of sleep.

We have witnessed a miracle. What started as a 25-week 1 pound 11 ounce little human has grown into a 43-week 9 pound healthy-baby. I am eager for the unity and joy we will experience as we bring Zachary home to our family. No doubt it will be a difficult day, realizing again the loss of Grant as we leave the hospital where his short life was lived. But, we are hopeful and faithful that we can have a loving, close relationship with all of our children, including Grant.

More tomorrow. . .

Discharge Date: Next Monday

2009-08-25T08:38:00.002-04:00

Zachary is slated to come home next Monday. We were expecting this week sometime to be the day, but he had another little spell on Sun. which included spitting up through his nose and a de-sat and bradycardia. Hopefully that was the last one.

Now we have to wait for a period of 5-days with no spells. If all goes well that should be on Friday. Saturday night I will stay the night at the hospital with him rooming-in with me, and then Monday will be his discharge date. Let us hope it goes according to plan.

Zach's doing well though...he's up to 8 pounds 10 ounces. Aside for the occasional spit-up episode there are no major problems (thankfully). He's a little cuddler and loves to snuggle. I can't wait for him to be home.

Who Steals a Double Jogger Anyway?

2009-08-22T12:58:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I took my kids to the Artesani water park in the morning to experience some relief from this crazy humidity. We opted to drive instead of walk (we normally walk with the double jogger) because the weather was so unbearable...like an oven...and I didn't want anyone passing out from heat exhaustion - including myself. We were only gone for a few hours. when we returned home my double jogging stroller was no longer on the front porch where I had left it. What!?! Yes, that's right, someone took it right off our front porch. They left two other strollers that were there, but just took the double jogger. I am so bummed. It wasn't the best stroller in the world, but it worked...and I used it quite frequently to go running with my kids along the river. Now what? We're obviously not going to get it back. I'm just so upset since we can't rush out and drop a few hundred on a new one. Why do people take things that don't belong to them?

If you know of anyone wanting to get rid of a double jogger for really cheap (or free) please, please let me know. I will use it.

One Day at a Time

2009-08-18T20:22:00.002-04:00

Originally, Zachary was planned for discharge this Wed. or Thurs. BUT, he had two little spells -- one yesterday and one today -- meaning he can't go until he has 5 more days of no spells.

A spell is when his oxygen saturation dips below the 90's (normally we are saturated at 100%), or if his heart-rate drops (bradycardia-slowing of the heart rate), or if his respiratory rate drops (apnea - stop breathing).

I know his spells are related to his reflux. He's been struggling with this issue for a while. They had his crib bed raised slightly and he was doing better, but then they had to put it flat again so that he could prepare to go home. Now Zach seems to be having problems, and lots of spits, usually around 1/2 hour to an hour after he eats. I'm not a doctor, but I say just keep him upright (either holding, in a swing, baby seat, etc.) for 1/2 or so after he eats. Wouldn't that help?!?

I just want him to come home. 116 days is a long time to be at the hospital and at home at the same time. We are ready to be a family under one roof. Let's hope for Monday or Tuesday of next week then. . . I'll keep you posted.

Rock Climbing

2009-08-16T22:56:00.006-04:00

We attempted on Saturday to do some rock climbing in Quincy. Aaron and I had not been in MANY years. Our showing wasn't that great, but it was fun! Our friends the Perrinos were nice to put up with our inexperience, and nice for providing all the equipment. : ) Marcus & Brooklyn got in on the action too!

"Look Mom, No Tubes"

2009-08-03T12:52:00.003-04:00

Camping & Red Sox

2009-08-02T11:56:00.007-04:00

Aaron is brave and took both Marcus and Brooke to our ward's Father-Toddler camp out this weekend. The kids were ecstatic and had been "packing" for days prior to the trip. They went despite the rainy weather we had on Friday. I've been told that our kids don't like s'mores, Brooke likes to wander off in the woods in the pitch-black night, and Marcus enjoys staying awake until 3am - kicking the tent, scratching it with his fingers, doing acrobatics on the air mattress and steam-rolling Brooklyn. Let's just say that Aaron had a 3+ hour nap when he came back on Saturday. Sweet man...I love him.

Last weekend (7/25) we went to the Red Sox game for LDS night! What fun. They won and we even got to see a homerun hit over the Green Monster. Go Sox. This was Marcus' first baseball game. He stayed awake the whole time and I think was more entertained by the big screen than the actual game. Marcus liked singing "take me out to the ball game" and "sweet caroline" (a Boston tradition apparently).

2 weeks - maybe!

2009-07-30T14:11:00.002-04:00

Yesterday the Dr. told us that Zach might be ready to come home in about 2 weeks!

We are so happy. Could be sooner, could be later...but either way this was good news.

A light, finally, at the end of the tunnel.

He's over 6 lbs. now and just moved up to taking 4 bottles a day. Slowly but surely.

Brooklyn is 2

2009-07-19T20:03:00.005-04:00

Happy Birthday to our little Brooke.

Brooklyn is so full of personality and life! She brings joy to everyone by her contagious giggle or her hilarious dance moves. Brooke does have an independent streak that is now coming through quite strong...dressing herself, saying "no", and everything thing is "I do it" or "do myself". She's funny. We love her so much and are so happy she is part of our family.

We celebrated on the 18th with a party, cake and presents (her actual birthday is on the 17th). She was tuckered out by the end of it all. I'm still in shock that she is this old....does this make me old?

Double Chin

2009-07-16T08:44:00.005-04:00

No joke. Our little Zachary has reached 5 lbs. Yeah! Isn't he cute.

So what do you think....looking more like a Christopher or Plowman?

I can't decide yet. His face is still a bit puffy from all the air-pressure support. He kind of looks similar to Marcus' baby pics. Hopefully all that stuff can come off very soon.

(Wed. 7-15-09 at 11-weeks-old/36-weeks corrected gestational age)

(Wed. 7-8-09, 10-weeks-old. During a trial run off CPAP)

Happy 4th of July!!

2009-07-05T21:21:00.007-04:00

Enjoying his freedom, Zach made the move to an open-crib over the weekend. Zachary is tipping the scales at 4 pounds now!! Way to go buddy. : ) He also enjoys the pacifier, which Aaron is holding in his mouth. We're so pleased with his progress.

We took in a fireworks display in the nearby town of Newton. This was Marcus and Brooklyn's first experience with fireworks. We had prepped Marcus for this and he was very excited the whole day leading up to the fireworks. He and Brooklyn were practicing the firework sounds all day: "Boom - Sizzle - Sizzle - Sizzle"! When show time came Marcus was thrilled (and very effective at covering his ears--almost). Brooklyn, on the other hand, was not so sure about the whole situation. She spent most the show sandwiched between Dad's lap and Mom's back, but still peeking out to see the fireworks.

Happy Independence Day!

Zachary's Face

2009-06-30T13:55:00.003-04:00

Drum roll please. . . the first picture of Zachary without anything hooked up to his face! Since he makes a usual habit of pulling out his CPAP they have to re-do it about once or twice a day. One night I was there while this happened and I also had my camera (luckily). Here is our sweet little man.

(6-23-09, 8-weeks-old)

When it is wet & rainy...

2009-06-30T13:33:00.008-04:00

this is what we do for fun:

Fall in mud puddles (on accident),

Jump in puddles (on purpose) & make our friends join us,

(You can't really tell in the picture, but the kids are soaked through...they had so much fun).

& Paint our bodies and sometimes pictures. : )

Wearing Clothes

2009-06-22T13:07:00.005-04:00

Some new/recent pictures of Zachary...

Sat. 6/20/09 - started treatment for eye infection. Zach's new bed by the window provides much better lighting for pictures, and for him. : ) Doesn't he look big?

Wed. 6/17/09 - Brooklyn visited Zachary with Mom & Dad. She is giant by comparison!

Mon. 6/15/09 - Dad doing some Kangaroo care, which Zachary loves by the way!

Mon. 6/15/09 - Zachary attempting to wear premie clothes (up to 5 lbs.).

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-22T09:49:00.003-04:00

To our wonderful Dads, Grandpa, Poppa and Great-Grandpas!

We love you!!

3 pounds!

2009-06-11T21:50:00.004-04:00

(sorry about the blurry photo. I don't use my flash as it reflects off the plastic, plus his eyes were open and I don't want to blind the poor kid.)

Zachary weighed in tonight at 1360 grams! 3 pounds. Way to go buddy. We love you so much.

Happy 5th Anniversary!!

2009-06-05T14:39:00.003-04:00

I love you babe!