School Picture

We got Annie's first ever 'School Picture' back today -- turned out pretty cute, although it would've been nice if they'd made her smile a bit more for it :-)
I may be biased, but she's one cute little Kindergartener!

Random Pictures and Proud Mama Moment

Greg was working late last week, so I threw a towel down on our bed and let the kids have a 'picnic' for dinner while we watched a movie.  Then they got to all take a bath together.  They had so much fun!

My little helper!  He's LOVING to wash walls and vacuum anything!

Mmmmm, cupcakes!  The kids were pretty psyched about the brownies and cupcakes at our Labor Day celebration at Grandma's house!

Isaac's becoming more of a bookworm by the day -- here he is reading on Labor Day with Aunt Talina and Uncle David.

Isaac and Ellie got a hold of one of Uncle Cody's old helmets.  Ellie is a tiny bit crazy.  :-)

Do NOT get between Ellie and her basketball -- she will take you DOWN!

The girls LOVE going out in the garden with Grandma!

Unrelated to our Labor Day festivities, this weekend has given me one of my great 'beaming with pride' motherhood moments.  Annie gave a talk in Primary this last Sunday.  We'd read through it a few times, she read it on her own, and we practiced it aloud.  I was a bit nervous though about it taking too long, since she was reading it a bit slow and about the kids not being able to hear her 'cause she was speaking so softly.  Primary came though, and with only one small stumble, my little girl read her talk from start to finish perfectly.  She spoke right into the microphone, at a perfect tempo and volume.  She's a born public speaker!  She'll also be singing a small solo in Sacrament Meeting in a couple weeks.  The confidence I saw in her as she got up and gave her talk was one of those things that made this Mom so happy I felt like I was gonna burst.  :-)

And if you want to check out Annie reading the talk she gave in Primary last week, it's posted on youtube now . . . at over 3 1/2 minutes long though, I'm guessing Aunts and Grandmas are the only ones who'll make it through . . . :-)  (While making the video she tried to do more from memory, which made her stumble a bit more, but it was so cute!)

First Day of Kindergarten

We woke Annie up a bit early, to the smells of her favorite breakfast food . . . which today was specially called "Kindergarten-Annie Pancakes", complete with pureed fruit and whipped cream.  

Isaac enjoyed them immensely:

 She was dressed and ready to go with plenty of time to spare.  She was so excited.

 

And even more excited as we met up with her fellow Kindergarten students on our way to the bus stop.

The three of them were giggly and excited and giddy with the sheer anticipation.

 And all the older kids at the bus stop were so cute with them -- promising the girls and their Moms alike that they'd make sure these three made it to their class room when they got off the bus.  

Here's the first graders, the newbie Kindergarteners and three younger siblings who were just wanting to be a part of everything:

Waiting in line for the bus:

Bye Mom! 

 

Annie seemed to have fun.  But, since I'm pretty convinced they have all kids sign some kinda confidentiality form the first day of school (since from the beginning of Preschool Annie has come home on the first day all, "I don't remember what we did . . . it was good," and has been unable to ever tell me more beyond that) we have not gotten a ton of info out of her.  She seems to have enjoyed it.  There is a drinking fountain INSIDE THEIR SINK.  That seems to have left an impression.  It was definitely the highlight of her day.  And the bus ride.  Both bus drivers seemed to get a bit lost (getting them to school a tad late, meaning they didn't get to line up with their classes, but instead make a mad dash to catch up with their classes who were already inside . . . and then they got home about 10-15 minutes late, which was making us three 'first time Elementary school' Moms just a teeny bit nervous.  Their normal bus driver in the morning is supposed to be back soon -- and hopefully the Kindergarten bus driver bringing them home worked out all the kinks on her route today). 

Unfortunately, the rest of the day Annie was a tiny woman possessed, screaming and flailing and freaking out left and right.  We will probably avoid playing with friends tomorrow after school and have a nice movie afternoon instead, 'cause I think someone is a tad overwhelmed and tired, even if she won't admit it.  Maybe a couple someones.

Only a Year or So Late . . .

Look what I finally scanned in and got on my computer!  Annie's dance recital pictures from May 2010! 
Marvel at my efficiency . . . and freakishly cute progeny . . .

Breakfast of Champions (or Birthday Girls)

Today is my little girl's 5th birthday. 

Happy Birthday Annie!

We had our traditional 'breakfast cupcakes' we get on birthdays -- which means we had them today for Annie's birthday and we'll have 'em again tomorrow for Ellie's birthday.

 I'm too tired and lazy to go through and pull all the old pictures of her on various other birthdays, but I did a nice little tribute last year, so let's all just go check that out instead . . . :-)

Annie is very bummed that Daddy works late tonight, 'cause we don't get to open presents 'til 6:30 tonight now . . . but I keep assuring her, it'll be worth the wait :-)

 Ellie was enjoying the cupcakes today too -- and she's pretty insistent today is her birthday too.

None of that waiting for tomorrow crap Mom keeps talking about :-)

Hospital, Again

Annie woke up in the early morning hours for the second night with a 102-103 degree temperature and very rapid, shallow breathing.  The night before we gave her Tylenol and a breathing treatment and she was doing better really quickly.  Well, not this time.  After breathing treatments and an extra dose of Ventolin, she was still breathing VERY rapidly and it was raspy.  So, I packed her into the van and took her to the E.R.  We got there and found she was around 90 on her oxygen.  So, they suctioned her out (the most horrible, evil thing ever -- it was BAD when they did it to Isaac, it was horrific when they swaddled Annie in a large sheet, the nurse and I held her down, and they shoved tubes down both nostrils while hooked up to a vacuum.  It makes me shudder just thinking about it again.)  Then gave her steroids, a dose of Motrin (since her temperature was still 101) some other drug and then hooked her up to another breathing treatment.  We then got chest x-rays.  At this point, because it was now morning, and children always seem to be their sickest during the night then suddenly seem fine during the day, she was perking up a bit.  Her oxygen stayed right around 93, but the asthma was cleared up and it was just the virus at this point.  She was also very happy about her TWO new teddy bears (one from the respiratory person who'd suctioned her, and one from our sweet nurse) and a new Winnie the Pooh book and several stickers and a coloring book.  She feels like she made out like a bandit, but since I had just signed a $100 bill, they just felt like very expensive cheap teddy bears to me.  :-)  But she was quite proud of herself, and would tell anyone who came in the room that she got a new teddy bear because she was so very brace.  Anyway, they came in after her x-ray and said it definitely looks like RSV and possibly some atypical pneumonia (something Annie's had in the past and cleared up fine with antibiotics).  They let us come home after the ER doctor talked to Annie's pediatrician this morning and it was agreed we'd bring her in to be checked out again this afternoon (or if she gets any worse before then). 

So, we're home now.  My Mom did my dishes this morning while watching my kids, which makes her awesome.  It cost me $100, but I did get out of dishes and she took out the diapers. 

We'll see how today goes, and in theory, we should be getting past RSV in our house sooner or later . . .

Story Time

Greg reads to the girls every night, usually while I'm feeding the baby. Recently though, Isaac's gotten really interested when I read to the girls during the day, so tonight Greg did books with all three kids. Everyone enjoyed it, although Ellie typically loses interest in the group's book about 3 minutes in, and bounces around with a book of her own while Greg continues to read to Annie (and now Isaac). It was all so cute, I had to get some pictures . . .

24th of July Family Party

Traditionally on the 24th of July, we get together at my Aunt Judy's house for breakfast, followed by my grandparents and a few others watching the parade on TV, and the rest of us tend to play ping pong or air hockey downstairs, or go swimming outside. My Aunt Sheri and Uncle Mike even drove down from Idaho to come for breakfast. This year was pretty similar, except that we also had our friend, Gianne, come out to Aunt Judy's house to get some baby pictures of Isaac. Star, Gianne, Isaac and I spent a couple hours posing Isaac for cute pictures, and trying to keep up with all his peeing (much of the photo shoot was nude and he's well hydrated). Annie, Ellie and Daddy (along with Aunt Lacy and Grandpa (or 'Bobby' as Ellie nicknamed him and almost exclusively calls him now)), went swimming in the pool outside. The old people (Hi Mom! Just kidding!) stayed inside and watched the parade. (She was being a good daughter and hanging out with her parents. She's not usually lame.) :-)

Before Gianne got there though, my Uncle Karl got to meet Isaac for the first time. Karl loves babies, and was so excited to touch Isaac's little feet and hands and to be able to hold him. Despite Karl not being able to talk very well, my Grandparents told me he's been happily chanting, "Isaac, Isaac, Isaac!" crystal clear ever since he heard I had the baby. Karl was thrilled to meet Isaac, and once he had him in his arms, he immediately started to 'eskimo kiss' the top of Isaac's little head. It was so sweet, and I took approximately 9000 photos of it.



After Karl got his chance to hold Baby Isaac, we headed in to begin the photo shoot with Gianne. I snapped just a couple random pictures, while Gianne was working.

Here's Aunt Star, calming down Isaac after one of the times he'd peed on himself (and others).

Isaac confused as to why we were putting him in a hat when it was 90 degrees outside.
And while he was nude.
'Cause it's freakin' adorable Isaac. That's why.

Star took a couple pictures of Isaac and me.
They make my heart melt.
And it makes me happy that I have photographic evidence that I did my hair. That's only happened like twice in the past 2+ weeks. :-)

This boy is my best sleeper. But, that's all relative. I think Gianne was surprised he stayed awake for so long for our photo shoot, being that he's still less than three weeks old. Especially since we were all so antsy for him to fall asleep to get some 'sleeping shots'. It took a nursing session, a bunch of rocking and cuddling, and a lot of his pacifier, but he finally fell asleep for the last part of picture taking . . .

Annie could've stayed at the pool all day, I think. After about three hours we made her come back in so we could get home.

I love her hair all natural and chlorine-soaked. :-)

Annie, not happy about something.

Ellie'd had fun at the pool too, but didn't quite have Annie's interest and came back inside anytime anyone accidentally splashed her. She had fun inside though, mugging for the camera.

And sucking up to Aunt Star for more of her grape lip gloss.

Just a couple more "Annie mugging for the camera" shots.
The girls also had their pictures taken by Gianne, for a few minutes. Annie was a perfect little model, happily posing and smiling. Ellie was not so cooperative.