Denver-revisited

Okay, so I posted a while back about our trip to Denver and how much I hated the traffic, but never told about our reason for making that trip. The reason was I wasn't sure of the outcome. But after last night I know the outcome and it doesn't change the status at our house one bit. You will have to bear with me as I have to tell it from the beginning, so I have to go back to July. In July, Bethany turned 5 and I took her in for a well-child check and so that she could get her shots to be able to go to school in a couple of months. At that visit it was discovered that she hadn't really grown much since last year (height or weight). So her doctor recommended that we have a weight check in three months and see what happens. She really wanted her to gain about 3 pounds in that time and told me to load on the food. Actually what she said was to load the calories....instead of giving Beth a plain piece of bread, put peanut butter on it type of things. So we went home and didn't really change her diet, becuase she is a good eater and we were doing those kinds of things anyway. So 3 months passed and I took her in Sept for the weight check. She had only gained 1/2 a pound. So the doctor asked for us to run some tests to see if there was something medically wrong with her, specifically looking at her thyroid, but also doing a bone age test. So I took her to the hospital where they drew blood for the tests and did the x-ray for the bone age test and went home to wait. The doctor called and told me that the blood tests looked fine, that her thyroid was working great ect, but the bone age test was the one they were concerned about. They told me that her bones looked like that of a 3 yr old (remember that she is 5), and this is indicitive of a growth hormone deficiency. So they recommended that we see an endocrinologist in Denver and check things out with him. I left that conversation feeling like she had a diagnosis and that we were just headed to Denver to confirm and get the proper treatment. When we get to Denver the doctor tells us that it isn't sure that she has a growth hormone deficiency, they will run more tests and that she may have Turner Syndrome have a nice day and we will call you with the results. (That is almost as fast as they did that too). So we come home wondering what Turner Syndrome is, what does that mean for Bethany and for me really stressing about what I am supposed to do now. I will admit that the internet is a great source for information, but can be bad when you are unsure if you really have that condition. Try it, look up what Turner Syndrome is and then put yourself into my shoes. We waited the time frame that they gave us before they should know the results, and still no call. The doctor had given me an email address, so I emailed her to ask about it....only to discover that they hadn't run all the tests that they needed to, and we had to have MORE blood drawn. Fortunately they could do it here at the local hospital and we wouldn't have to drive to Denver again. So they drew the blood and we waited some more. And finally last night, she called and gave us the results. Bethany does NOT have Turner Syndrome nor does she have a growth hormone deficiency. Essentially she is a perfectly healthy 5 yr old girl, just tiny for her age. So now what.....we are going to continue to monitor her with the specialist, but won't have to go to Denver, only to Casper as they do clinics every 3 months there. There may come a time where we might have to do more testing, but for now it is just a wait and watch her growth. It is hard as a parent to know that your child isn't growing normally (they told me that in Denver) but I know that she is perfect for her size (they told me that too). These past months have caused me to reflect on my actions during her pregnancy and after to wonder, could I have done something different?, but in my heart know that she is perfect and nothing is wrong with her, other than she got the raw end of the genetic battle and got Gabe's short side and mine too, and is therefore going to be really short. But for any and all who have met Bethany, you can astest that this little girl is little in body only.....she has personality and spirit that people twice her size don't have. I am so thankful that the tests right now have fallen in our favor, but still pray that she will be the child that she was meant to be.

Jacob and the Magic Clippers

What is a child's facination with sharp objects? Why do things that can cause bodily harm have such a draw to little fingers? I don't know if any parent can answer these questions, but I am sure most of them have a story to back them up. I now have 2 stories. Last year it was Wyatt and Amanda, this year it is Jacob. With all my kids you would think that I would have more....I am just biding my time I guess. So here it is for your entertainment "Jacob and the Magic Clippers" (okay so the clippers aren't magic, but I thought that would make a great title).

Saturday evening we are getting the children their baths and getting them ready for bed. Wyatt gets into the shower first and when he comes down I notice (again) that his hair is getting long and he needs a hair cut. Actually the top of his head is fine, it was just getting long over the ears. So I get the hair cutting supplies out and proceed to trim over his ears. Then I look at Jacob, who also has the same problem. I trim his hair and then think that I am great. By then it is time for me to start helping the littles to get their baths. I send Jacob upstairs to put the haircutting stuff away and ask who it first. No one wants to be first so I think, Jacob is upstairs, I will snag him and get it done. Besides I need to make sure that the stuff is put away in the proper place. So I go find Jacob in the laundry room with the clippers out by the outlet. I help him put them away and into the box. As I am doing that I notice some hair on the floor. I don't think much of it because I just cut some off his head. When I take him into the bathroom and start taking his shirt off, more hair falls off. It is then that I notice the neat cut in his hair, that is still parting with some of its buddies. It is then that my heart sinks and I wonder how can I fix this so no one will notice. Unfortunately I am not a wiz with scissors, so that was out of the question, it was Saturday night no one was open to do it and Sunday was out of the question. So Monday morning after dropping Mariah off at school we start looking for a place to have Jacob's hair fixed. I went out to the styling place in Walmart and in waiting for it to open spend 20 mintues roaming the store. When I get up there the stylist tells me that it would be another hour before she could get to him.......I am thinking can he wait another hour wandering through Walmart???? No dice. So we head home and I call Gabe's aunt (she is an actual hair stylist---just doesn't work on Mondays) and we get an appointment for today. Thankfully she was able to mask the diaster until it grows out and hopefully he won't do it again. So enjoy the before and after pictures----then go hide all the sharp cutting objects from the little hands. And learn from my mistake of letting a helpful child put something away.

Birthday and concert

We have had a busy week with Katherine's birthday and Wyatt music concert falling on the same day. We decided to have cake and ice cream today for the birthday as the concert was a must do and we didn't think we could do both. Wyatt did a really nice job at his concert. They sang all patriotic songs and it was fun. He didn't have a special part this year, although he did help the music teacher in moving the microphone. He was excited as his grandparents were able to come and see him. (Thanks for coming and we hope to see you soon)
We had a fun time celebrating for Katherine and she looked like she REALLY enjoyed her cake (see the picture). As per being a year old she wanted to play with the packages more than her toys. And as for having older siblings she didn't get to play with her toys much the first little bit. We had a good turn out and don't have much cake left, YEA (for some reason I don't like left over cake). Thanks to all who made it over--we had a nice time.

Time

You know the saying "time flies when you are having fun"? Well I really have to disagree with that. I have found that time does what it wants and when it wants. It will slow way down when you are looking forward to something, like Christmas, so that it seems to take forever to come. Or it will speed up so fast that you can't remember where it has all gone like when you are spending time with family. Or it just passes without any sort of acknowledgement. So as I am looking at the date today, I realize that this time time really has flown. My littlest daugher, Katherine, is now a year old. It doesn't seem like it has been that long since we brought her home, but that is time playing tricks on us again. She is indeed a year old and growing bigger everyday. She loves to love on the other kids, blow kisses and give hugs---if you get close enough. She is learning to walk on her own, but doesn't feel that she needs to because she has others willing to carry her (and crawling is faster anyway). She will laugh out loud, especially when others around her are laughing. We are celebrating her birthday on Saturday, because Wyatt has a music program tonight, and I will post pictures then. But I wish that time hadn't flown and that I still had my newborn, but yet I am enjoying watching her grow and progress day by day. She is such a sweet little girl that I can't imagine not having her a part of our family.

Pie Maker

Last night we had a mother/daughter Young Women's activity learning how to make pie crusts. I left most of the children with Gabe, but Katherine. He was planning on helping out his brother and wouldn't be able to watch her well, so I took her. It was a fun activity, but I think that I have a budding pie maker on my hands. Amanda made the whole pie herself with supervision from myself and her leaders, but she was the quickest at it. She had her bottom crust rolled out and in the pan before anyone else, filled and the topped before you could bat an eye. She made a peach pie (just for me) and was thrilled with her accomplishment. One of her leaders told her that she was an expert pie maker, but I just think that she is a natural. We still have to sample the pie, that will be our dessert for tonight, but she did a wonderful job. Now I know who to call on when I need a pie made from scratch (I can't do the crusts worth beans).

Happy Birthday!!

Okay, so when you get as old as I am you really don't want to celebrate any more birthdays, but this one is not mine. Today is Gabe's birthday. I didn't realize how hard it was to buy presents for him until a good friend of ours called to find out what he wanted for his birthday. Gabe is a firm believer in getting things that you need for any gift giving occasion. (that is why the kids gave him socks, a belt, and some aftershave lotion.) But when he has everything that he needs, what do you get him?? I even asked him about making him a cake--doesn't want one. I asked about a special dinner (we have the tradition of the birthday person choosing the meal for that night) and he just said he wanted something to eat. But I think that he really enjoyed this morning. I woke all the kids up a litte early and then took them into our bedroom (as Gabe was still sleeping) and then the all climbed up and wished him a happy birthday with hugs and kisses. I am really thankful at this time though for his companionship, his ability to fulfill his duties as a father and at times his sense of humor. (Ask mom about this because she doesn't like that about him sometimes). So Happy Birthday Gabe, your family loves you a bunch.

Trunk or Treat

This years winner. And the whole gang.

Last years winner.

Every year for the longest time (actually about 13 yrs now) our ward and/or wards has hosted a Trunk or Treat party for the kids on Halloween. I love it because it gives my kids a chance to go trick or treating without the worry and hastle of actually going trick or treating. They have games for the kids to play along with dinner and a costume contest. Then after it gets dark, we retire to the parking lot and pass out candy from the trunks of our cars to all the kids. They tend to get a lot of candy and it is fun for them to do it. This year was no different. At the appointed hour our family appeared, had the dinner and then they judged the costumes. We had a winner for the 2nd year in a row for our family. The funny thing was it was the same costume that won last year, just a different person wearing it. Mariah won for her LadyBug costume. We had a fun and safe Halloween.