2010 what a year

Well 2010 has not been our year at all.  We had a very rough start to our year then it evened out for a while only to give us 1 more big blow at the end of the year. 

January :  Always seems to be a month of illness for us.  Between three kids we had strep with scarlet fever, bronchitis (x2 kids), ear infections (2 for 1 child), and pneumonia.  We did celebrate our 7 year anniversary and got to spend a weekend as a family at Splash Universe in Dundee.

February:  We went through Ear tube surgery with Arianna, ambulance ride with Arianna that was struggling with breathing.  Spent the last week of February at doctors offices.

March:  Was a pretty good month.

April:  My niece had surgery to fix her heart on April 1, Braxton fell and broke his collar bone on April 1.  We were able to spend Easter as a big family! 

May:  My baby girl turned 2.  We opened up the cabin!!  Makenzi started her 2nd season of t-ball.

June: Arianna had her big fall.  I spent a weekend in Chicago for a bachelorette party.  My best friend got married.

July:  We spent a week camping at the cabin for our vacation!  We had the kids big triple birthday bash that we do every summer.

August:  We just relaxed and enjoyed the rest of our summer.  Started getting the kids ready for the school year.

September:  Makenzi started first grade.  She got a wonderful teacher!  Braxton started preschool and also got a wonderful teacher!  I celebrated my birthday!  We also got to celebrate the 2nd birthday of a very special little girl!!

October:  We had an awesome time trick or treating!  Scott was able to be home with us and we had a couple extra kids along for the fun!

November:  I got to spend a girls day with my mom, and two sister in laws.  We spent the day shopping and just having fun!  Thanksgiving was a wonderful time.  Spent time with family.

December:  Is always an exciting time of year at our house.  We have a nephews birthday, a niece's birthday, Makenzi's birthday, and Scott's birthday.  We had our big family Christmas party on Saturday which was fun.  We discovered that Arianna wasn't very fond of Santa until he gave her a candy cane and a present.  12/11/10 we got news that no family every wants. Our 2 year old niece has been diagnosed with leukemia.  Please pray with us for to have no side effects from any of the drugs and that she responds quickly to chemo. 


WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO 2011 AND PRAYING THAT IT IS A MUCH BETTER YEAR FOR OUR FAMILY!  WE WISH EVERYBODY A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!! 

Welcome December...

December is here already and it doesn't feel like it should be.

My husband calls me a scrooge.  I love the reason of Christmas I just hate all the "stuff" that comes with Christmas.  I even enjoy getting together with family and having parties...it is just the shopping, the tree, the baking, the school parties, etc etc etc. 

Scott and the kids put the Christmas tree up the day after Thanksgiving...while they did that I locked myself in the bedroom and wrapped a few family presents.  Now that the tree is up it looks great and I don't mind it as much. 

I thought I had my shopping done until I remembered a few people to buy for, and realized a certain person in the family was going to be shorted unless I did some more shopping for her.  I hate shopping after November because the crowds are horrible and people are rude. 

I put a few outdoor decorations up and that is all that will go up.  We already start with Christmas parties next weekend, then we have birthday parties as well!  December is always a busy month for us but we have a lot of fun too!

My 30 Thanksgiving thankfuls

Well, I have come up with a list of 30 things that I am thankful for...instead of posting one a day (which is just way to hard to do) I am just posting one big list.

1.  My husband:  He is loving, caring, a good listener, a problem solver, has a great sense of humor, a hard worker that supports his family.  He is my best friend who I love more and more every day.

2.  Makenzi:  My first born who opened my eyes to loving a child so much.  She is my easy going, relaxed child who strives to please everybody no matter how much work it takes.  She is such a loving child.  She loves people with all of her heart, she loves school just as much.  Makenzi is a true daddy's girl. 

3.  Braxton:  My second born child who made me realize that I could love him just as much as my first born...my heart just grew.  My son who would make me realize the differences in children.  He loves to please everybody as well but isn't quite as hard on himself about it.  He loves to play, be rough and loud.  He is a Mama's boy but even better than that he is a Papa's boy.

4.  Arianna:  My last born and man is she the baby of the family.  All attention must be on her.  Ahna is the destroyer...no pleasing anybody.  Arianna is the life of the house...well with her brothers assistance.  Ahna is always doing goofy stuff, she has a sense of humor already.

5.  My mother:  My mom is amazing.  She is the best woman I know.  She helps us out so much and always does it with a willing heart.  She loves her grandchildren more than anything! 

6.  My Father:  My dad is awesome.  He would do anything to help us out.  He is a gread Papa...all the grandchildren love him to pieces. 

7.  My house:  I am so thankful to have the roof over my head.  It is the perfect house for our family.  We have a yard that the kids and dog can play in...what more can I ask for?

8.  My husband's job:  My husband has a great job that supports our family.  Yes he may be gone all week every week but we have food on the table, roof over our heads, and clothes on our back.

9.  My brothers:  I have two great brothers.  They are always willing to lend a helping hand if we need help on a project, or a vehicle to borrow!

10.  My sister in laws:  Michelle and Sheryl are the best sister in laws I could ask for.  They are always willing to have a good time and help out in any way possible.

11.  My van:  For a dependable vehicle that can get me where I need to go and I don't have to worry.

12.  The kids school:  Makenzi and Braxton both have great teachers this year.  It is going to be a great year for them.

13.  The school bus/bus driver:  I am so thankful that the school bus picks Makenzi up right at our house every day.  It saves me a lot of hassle.  The bus driver is awesome too.  She takes care of all the kids so well.

14.  For my Miracle:  This year I am very thankful for the miracle our family received on June 3rd.  We had the miracle of our daughter surviving a fall that could have been tragic.  Our daughter walked away with not 1 injury, not even a bruise or scratch.  That I am thankful for.

15.  Extended family: We are lucky enough to live by most of my extended family and it awesome. 

16.  Friends:  Our best friends are the best.  We enjoy spending time with them and hanging out.  They love the kids and don't care of if my house is spotless.

17.  My nieces and nephews:  They brighten the days and it is so much fun to see them play with their cousins and grow up...man they sure are growing up fast.

18.  My Grandma:  She is 94 years old and absolutely amazing to me.  She is thankfully healthy and active in this world.

19.  The internet:  I am thankfully that I can get on the internet and keep in touch with friends and family that are all over the United States.

20.  Pepsi:  this beverage can get me through some of my sleepiest times and just makes me comfortable at times.

21.  Hot Water:  A nice hot shower/bath is the best.

22.  Microwave:  to warm up leftovers, make fast meals (oatmeal especially).

23.  Washer and Dryer:  It is so nice to be able to throw clothes in the washer and dryer through out the day instead of loading baskets and going to the laundry mat.

24. Our Church:  For our faith and to help us build our children's faith.  Makenzi and Braxton have grown so much in their faith and Arianna is already learning lots too.

25.  A working furnance:  it has been a little cold lately so I am very thankful to have a working furnace.

26.  The cabin:  Our family cabin makes so many wonderful memories and experiences for our family!  It is so much fun to go back there all year and hang out.  Cousins playing with cousins and exploring the outdoors.  Swimming, campfires, ice skating, fishing etc.

27.  Television:  It helps keep my kids entertained on rainy days or just when nobody is fully awake yet.  It is teaching my son all about dinosaurs right now too...which is awesome!

28.  That all 3 of my children are completely potty trained!  It is so nice not to have to worry about any of it anymore. 

29.  That my family has their health and are happy. 

30.  Family Gatherings:  to spend all the time with family and extended family.  Making memories to last a life time.

Goodbye October....Hello November

I can't believe we are into November already.  Time sure is flying by.


October was a good month around here.  The kids enjoyed Halloween.  Arianna loved going to get treats at all the different houses.
My Cheesy smile Cow

 My little Fireman

 My Witch...

Braxton and Makenzi enjoyed their Halloween parties.  Makenzi had to miss hers last year due to the flu, so she was super excited about this one.  Friday night we took the kids on a hayride at the local orchard.  They were able to pick their own pumpkins that they wanted to carve.

Makenzi with the pumpkin she carved!  Each child got to pick their pumpkin, eye shape, nose shape and what kind of mouth they wanted.

 She likes the goop inside the pumpkins.

 Braxton digging the goop out of his pumpkin.

 Arianna enjoyed carving pumpkins too.

 Arianna and her scrunchy nose smile with her pumpkin.

 Braxton was very proud of his pumpkin.

Unfortunately our Halloween ended with a sour note...Arianna came down with the flu that night.  She was sick once Sunday night and then not again until Monday.  She was so tired though.  She had a mild case thank goodness.  Although last night around 10:30 Braxton came down with the flu and unfortunately it had a much harder case.  We were up all night.  Every 15-30 minutes Braxton was getting sick from 10:30 until 5:20 this morning.  I am exhausted and so is he.  Now I am just hoping and praying that Makenzi manages to escape this.  She has a field trip on Friday and she will be devastated if she has to miss it.  I am also hopeful that I won't get it.  Scott already got it to so it is just Kenzi and I that are hoping not to get it. 

Hoping to get all the sickness out of the way so we can go on and enjoy the rest of the year...that is filled with holiday and family fun.

Busy life

Wow the last month has been busy...

September pretty much flew by.  We spent some time in Jackson with my sister in law and her two little girls.  The kids love playing with their cousins and we enjoy seeing our nieces.  It is a win win situation all the way around.  My class is pretty intense but I am happy to announce that I am doing very well in the class which makes me extremely happy.  Makenzi is having a great year, she loves her teacher and her classmates.  Braxton is really improving in his academics.  He can now spell and write his first name, and he can write his last name.  He knows what the letters A, B, F, and S say and he knows how to write them.  This is such great progress.  He also loves his teacher and begs to do homework.  Arianna is doing well, she has quite a personality.  She doesn't want to be a big girl, she tells everybody that she is a baby.  She is such a goofy little girl.

October is going to be just as busy.  Our weekends are pretty full already.  I can't wait for Halloween this year.  I was kind of bummed about it since Scott has to work on Halloween so I was going to have to take all the kids ToT by myself but I have made plans and have a friend and her kids coming with me!  It will be lots of fun.  We are going to have a witch (K), a cow (A), and her kids are going to be a frog and a poodle, and my boy has no clue...maybe a farmer (again), or a cowboy, or maybe a race car driver...the possibilities are endless.  It should be a fun night...can't wait to see all the kids dressed up.

Why

Why do we always tend to take on so much at one time? I was just looking at my calendar for the rest of this month and I have no idea why I let myself take on so much.

I have a class that takes 8 hours of my week to be in class, that doesn't count for the 3 hours of commute a week to class. Then they say for every hour you are in class to plan 2 hours of study time outside of class...that is another 16 hours of work. UGH. So far it hasn't been that bad but I know once we get in deeper it will.

Then I get to take the "triplets" to preschool 2 days a week which isn't a huge deal but it is just one more thing to think about. Also have to keep Braxton's school stuff organized.

Makenzi is in first grade and I swear has just as much work as I do in college. Spelling test every week, math and reading homework every night.

I also signed the oldest two up for a 1 hour Religion class a week, which I feel is important for them but it also takes up another hour of my week.

I guess I work better under stress...although I try to remain calm about it all. My house won't be spotless for the next 13 weeks of semester. We will spend time together, we will succeed in class, and just enjoy life together. That is my goal.

My Preschooler!!

Braxton is a big bad preschooler this year! Today was his first day. This morning took a little bit of convincing until about an hour before school started, then he was ready and I had a hard time holding him off on going. I am anxious to see how his day went.

Here are some of his pictures:

My First Grader...

I am not sure where the time has gone but it is gone and I have a first grader on my hands. Makenzi's first day of school is today and she was VERY excited. Last night Makenzi took her shower and was running off to bed at 7p.m. She had her clothes all picked out for the first day of school, her back pack ready to go, she knew right where her shoes were and what she wanted for breakfast.

Well I wasn't quite as ready as she was. See, her sister had me up at 2a.m. because she needed a drink. Well then she laid in her bed for almost 1.5 hours talking. Braxton woke up during that time and had me up for 2 hours. I finally went back to sleep around 4:30a.m. and the loud annoying beeping (aka alarm clock) sounded at 6a.m. sharp. I slowly rolled out of bed and got dressed for the day.

At 6:30a.m. I quietly walked up the stairs for fear of waking Braxton up. I turned Makenzi's bedroom light on and she JUMPED out of bed so fast. I quickly told her to go down stairs very quietly. Makenzi had her breakfast served, clothes on, hair brushed all by 6:37a.m. So she had about 20 minutes to just kind of ease into the day. At 7:05 her and I wandered outside to wait for the bus. It came within just a couple minutes of being out there. I watched as she climbed on the bus, found a sit and away she went. The whole time she had a smile from ear to ear on her face and not a moment of hesitation.

I can't wait to hear all about her day. Her teacher, her classmates, her schedule, etc. I am sure she is loving her day, I just hope she loves all the homework that comes with first grade.

Labor Day Weekend

This long weekend went extremely fast! I would like a few more days please. Friday I spent the day at the doctors office and labs with my husband who was getting a checkup and had to have blood drawn. It just made for a long day!

Saturday we had a birthday party to go to. We had tons of fun! Hanging with the birthday child and family! We laughed, we talked, there were some tears from all the children, and a peaceful ride home with sleeping children!! When we arrived home our best friends were here!! We haven't seen them in a month because our schedules just didn't click! So it was nice to hang out again!

Today we spent most of the day with Scott's parents before they move out of state. The kids took it really well knowing this would be the last time they see them until they come back to visit us. We came home and I took a short nap because the nasty cold I have is kicking my butt.

Tomorrow we are going to a BBQ at my parents house. It should be a lot of fun. We might spend some time hanging out at the cabin if the weather cooperates. Only time will tell.

My classes are going well, although it is a lot of work! I love the anatomy part of it, but the chemistry part is a little tougher and more mind boggling.

Makenzi is so excited for school. Should be a fun year for her!

The craziness

It starts again, starting tomorrow morning at 545am. My semester starts tomorrow morning and I have to say that right now I am DREADING it. I have to have myself and 3 kids out the door and to my mom's house by 645am. Then I have to head to school for the morning. Anatomy and Physiology class from 8am to 12pm. Then I get to rush home to get the kids! Thankfully it is only 2 days a week and those 2 days Makenzi is able to get on the bus at my parents house. I definitely owe my parents big time.

Makenzi starts school on the 7th. She is so excited to be going back to school. We are still waiting to hear who her teacher is and if she will be in a straight 1st grade classroom or a multi-age classroom with 2nd graders too. I can't wait to see all the progress she will make this year! Little girl loves school..

Braxton starts school on the 9th. Preschool time and he is also DREADING it. His aspiration in life is to complete kindergarten...oh boy I think my hands are going to be full with him. Braxton went to preschool last year and loved it ONCE he got into the routine, although we still had days he didn't want to go. On Wednesday of last week he got to go and meet his teacher and see his classroom. When he met his teachers he wrapped his arms around my legs and buried his face into my legs...ugh. But once we got to his classroom he took off running for the blocks and smiled. The teacher commented that she would try to remember to have the blocks out on day 1. I am hoping he loves it..

Arianna is going to get to spend lots of time with her mommy this year. She will love all the one on one attention...we tease her that she should have been an only child! She thrives when there are no other kids around! I am looking forward to spending the time with her! She is growing up so fast.

The craziness is beginning and I have tried to prepare. I have 2 gallon bags of french toast in the freezer for school mornings that I made up today, I have a bag packed for the 2 days a week at my parents house for the kids, my school bag is packed and ready, and I found all of the fall coats, back packs, etc for the kids school year. I cleaned the house like crazy this weekend with hopes of it not getting out of control during the week when I bring home a ton of school work. I guess I am as ready as I'll ever be!

Tallon Family Photos

Well we finally got updated family pictures! The last time we had family pictures was 2008. I found a photographer that I know through a mom's board that I am on. We went to MSU gardens for our pictures and I was very excited.

Our photographer was great, very willing to do poses we wanted. The kids cooperated some of the time and other times they were silly and goofy and just having fun! Those pictures were great as well. I love all of the pictures.

Here they are:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamieolger/sets/72157624669776408/

Let me know what you think and if you have favorite ones!!

Family Pictures

Who knew that finding clothes for 5 people for family photos could be so dang challenging. The worst part was the kids clothes were bought by a family friend for their birthdays...so I really just had to find clothes for Scott and I. I had a certain look I was going for and it was a challenge to find that look. I *think* I have finally accomplished it.. Then throw in the fact that I want pictures of just Scott and I, and each child individually.

We are trying a new photographer this time and I am very excited about it. Plus we are doing outdoor pictures this time as well. I am looking for Creative, Fun and Unique. Hopefully we can accomplish that and the weather is nice.

We haven't had family pictures taken since 2008, and it is time to update them. As soon as they are done I will be sure to post my favorites here for all to see.

July

Well we are 11 days into July and having lots of fun. We spent 4th of July weekend camping at the cabin. The kids love it there. We have a private beach, a big ole swimming hole, fishing access, swing set, paddle boat and a whole woods to explore. The best part is that it is 3 miles from home so when we forget something we can run back home for it, when we run home to feed the dog. It is heavenly.

We spent this past Friday there as well with my Aunt Terrie, her grandson Jared and his friend Lane. The kids had a blast. They went fishing and caught a bunch of fish, they got to swim and just have fun.

Saturday, Makenzi was able to spend the day at her best friends house. She had a blast. They went to the store, went to the park twice, got ice cream and played with all of her toys. The rest of us headed to the race track to watch my brother race. Braxton loved to watch the cars but wasn't so fond of them starting up right next to him when he was expecting it. Arianna also enjoyed watching the race cars. She would scream go, go, go when they were staging. It was so cute to watch. What they enjoyed the most though, was playing back at the motor home with all the kids.

Scott goes back to work for 5 days and then he is home for 10 days. We can't wait. We are having a staycation. Trying to plan lots of stuff to do during that time. The kids have VBS that week in the evenings, with the big end of the year party on Thursday. We are having the Triple Birthday Bash on Saturday so that will be fun. Otherwise we are going to be relaxing and enjoying time as a family.

July is turning out well...although I don't want it to go by too fast, because I am not ready for the school year to start yet.

Goodbye June, Hello July

June sure flew by and I don't have to wonder why. Every weekend we had something going.

The first weekend we spent at Covenant, the second weekend I had a bridal shower and lots of stuff to get done around the house, the third weekend I spent Saturday and Sunday in Chicago, and this past weekend I spent the weekend at my best friends wedding.

The wedding was beautiful, and the rain held out for the ceremony and the pictures. Congratulations to Kristi and Kyle P. Thank you for the wonderful time and I am glad I could be there for both of. It was an honor to be your Maid of Honor!

I spent 2 nights a week at the ball diamonds watching Makenzi play t-ball. They are so much to watch at this age because they really have no idea. T-ball ends on Wednesday.

July should be a fun and relaxing month. Lots of camping is planned. Scott has his week long vacation coming up and I can't wait. The kids have Vacation Bible school that same week and they can't wait.

Not much else has been happening around here, just going day to day. I keep hoping our luck is turning around and then something else happens. The first 6 months of 2010 have been rough, so I am hopeful the next 6 months are better!

Begging and Pleading

with all of you who read my blog. Please share this post with anybody and everybody you know.

If you read the story below this post you will know more, but I have been trying to figure out why or how this happened to us. Having a child fall out of a window is something that *most* of us never think of or never think will happen to us.

I honestly never thought of it. I have heard of it happening to other children but I always assumed that it was out of old windows or windows that had no screens. Well we put brand new windows in, in September of last year.

I can try to figure out how it happened with some speculation, but I do know why it happened. It isn't because of some faulty window/screen, or my child not having supervision (since I was in the same room), or anything else that I can think of without believing in higher powers.

I HONESTLY believe the reason this happened to us, and had such an amazingly positive outcome. It is so we can save some other child out there. If I can share my story and prevent one other fall or close call I will be happy. I live in a awesome community and word has traveled fast and it doesn't bother me at all. I have had so many people tell me that they have checked their windows/screens and rigged them up so their children can not fall out. I had nurses and staff at the hospital tell me they ran home after their shift and checked their windows.

PLEASE check your windows, call the manufacturer and ask if they have window blocks that make it so they only open so far, or rig it up yourselves. I don't care if you have 1 story, 2 story, live in an apartment, rent a house or whatever! Take action and check it out.

When we came home we rigged ours up but I called today and was informed that yes they do have this device that only lets them open so far, so a child can not fall out of the window...oh how I wish I knew about that when we put them in.

Had my daughter fallen out of any of the other upstairs bedroom windows she would of had serious medical issues or we would not have our daughter with us anymore. She would have hit cement, the deck for sure, or a bunch of rocks.

Guardian Angels

I believe in Guardian Angels and Miracles.

I received a miracle yesterday that I will never forget or take for granted.

Arianna fell out of the second story bedroom onto the ground beneath. She missed the deck and the row of rocks. She crushed part of my peony plant but we know that is what helped break her fall..although I am certain she had guardian angels holding her back to slow her fall and break her fall as well. We rushed her by ambulance to the hospital, where she was awake and crying the whole time and moving all 4 limbs.

A quick scan was done along with a head to toe cat scan. Not a single bruise, cut, scrape, or major injury showed up. She had no injuries at all. She was admitted to be watched though but she is perfectly fine and should come home within 48 hours after the accident.

Here are the photos of the recreated accident scene.









PLEASE CHECK YOUR SCREENS, CHECK FOR WINDOW SAFETY FEATURES, TEACH YOUR KIDS TO LEAVE THE WINDOWS AND SCREENS ALONE. LEARN FROM OUR MISTAKES. THE THOUGHT OF WHAT COULD OF HAPPENED IS SO SCARY AND NERVE WRACKING, I NEVER WANT ANYBODY ELSE TO EXPERIENCE THIS FEAR, PANIC AND UNKNOWN.

The family is growing...

Not by any new feet though...just in inches and years.

May has been a big month for us! Our baby turned 2 years old and along with it came the awful 2 year old attitude. Arianna is a piece of work. I can say that she makes us laugh every day though!

Braxton graduated his first year of preschool today... It has been a bitter sweet moment though. He is very excited to be done for the summer but at the same time he is very angry with me. I am switching him to a different preschool come fall (just for convenience for myself) and he is not happy with that at all. Braxton loves his preschool teacher and all the friends he made and he doesn't want to have a new teacher or school. He is okay with making new friends though. He told his teachers today that he is mad at me and that he will miss both them. He also asked if he could come back and visit them...they said of course. I really hope he forgets soon and goes on to enjoy his summer and his new school.

It also hit me that Makenzi is going to be a big bad 1st grader come Fall. Where has the time gone? I already miss her being a little toddler. She was such a sweet little baby/toddler that has grown into a very sweet little girl.

Our lives are changing and are actually becoming easier as our children get older. It is a fun journey...that is always changing.

2 years ago today

After 22 hours of labor at 3:18 pm Arianna Mary Tallon joined our family. Arianna joined our family 4 weeks early due to medical complications of me and her. We had to have the NICU present for her birth because of her being a preemie. They suctioned 10cc of fluid off of her lungs at the time of her birth but then she did great. Arianna weighed 6lbs 11oz and measured 18 inches long.

Here is Arianna right away:





1 year old:


2 years old: Check out all those curls on her head! I love them and was so hopeful she would have some curls since the other two didn't.

I survived

my final exam that was supposed to be over 23 chapters. It was worth 200 points so I was thinking it would be be 50 to 100 questions...nope 26 questions. Each question was worth at least 6 points. I feel pretty confident but am anxious to get my final grade for the class.

Braxton went to the orthopedic surgeon follow up. The doctor was very happy with how he was moving and using his arm so he didn't do any xrays. Braxton was happy about that. The doctor said that Braxton is about 90% healed so we have to be cautious the next two weeks.

Arianna is completely potty trained! She goes in and goes all by herself. She finally learned to pull her pants down by herself and then we setup a step stool to the potty and she can do it all by herself. We are very proud of her and happy to not clean up any more pee/poop accidents. She is my youngest one yet at 23 months to be potty trained. No more Diapers, although we still do pull ups at bedtime (not naptime though). Although she is starting to wake up dry in the morning as well! This morning she was awake in her bed for 30 minutes before I got her out (she was just playing), since I forgot that she would need to go potty. When I went in I figured she would be wet for sure but she was completely dry and ran to the potty.

Tomorrow is the day...

Tomorrow morning I head to my math class to take my final exam. Then I am off for the summer. I can't wait. I am taking Allied Math which is Medical math. I do not like math and it isn't my strong suit..or so I thought. It isn't my favorite subject but I have done very well in this class. As of last week with only my final and my internet project not graded I had a 97%. I am excited to see my final grade. I didn't think I would ever say that.

Tomorrow afternoon we head back to the orthopedic surgeon with Braxton. I have no concerns about him. He thankfully has healed wonderfully. He has full range of movement and doesn't complain about anything hurting unless he is in a mood and remembers it hurt before. The surgeon told us that as long as Braxton was moving it and using it he wouldn't even do an xray when we come back unless I wanted him to. No thank you, I don't want to rack up our insurance cost and our medical bills...if it was necessary that would be a different story.

A very busy day...time to study tonight though.

The differences in the kids

Well I have decided to do this post again now that Arianna is older and can participate in it better. Personalities amaze me because they develop when the child is so young. Arianna has such a huge personality that started developing when she was just little. Here is my first post about it. I hope to be able to add on some now that the children are all a little older.

Makenzi Anne: was so quiet and content from the second she was born. I will never forget when she born and they laid her on my stomach, she never cried but her little eyes just scanned the room. When they took her from me she screamed bloody murder. Makenzi talks a lot but she isn't loud, she loves to read, write, draw, color, and do crafts. Makenzi has some anxiety issues that she has to really work through especially when they flare up but overall she is easy going. She is a child that will use her words to express her feelings. She isn't one to hit, push or be mean in general. She is very sensitive to what others say about her family and friends. She is so easy to discipline because is so easy to reason with.

Braxton Charles: is a child that is completely opposite of his sister. Braxton was never very content when he was a baby. I remember when he was born he started crying before he was fully born and the midwife laughed that they rarely see that, he must have been mad to leave the warmth. Well Braxton was mad from that day forward until he learned to crawl at 9 months of age. He is loud all the time, he never sits still. He always has a plan in action whether that is a good or bad plan. He is always thinking and trying to figure stuff out. He is a major story teller. Stories that you can tell are totally made up but he has an amazing imagination, right now stories are okay. Braxton loves to play jokes and be teased. That is his favorite thing ever. He teases everybody. He loves tractors, trucks and getting dirty. He is extremely hard to discipline because he is stubborn. We always joked that he was made from a different mold...then came the baby. Braxton loves school but could care less about learning his letters, numbers, etc. It just isn't his thing.

Arianna Mary: well this little girl a different make. We joke that God needs to send us the manual because we don't know what to do with her. Arianna was so quiet and easy going when she was little, up until she could walk. She got her legs under her and she totally changed. Arianna grew a voice box at this time as well. She became extremely loud and mouthy. She screams as she runs through the house, you say something to her and she will turn around and sass back. Arianna is extremely stubborn and hard to discipline. She is very emotional as well. If she is in the wrong mood and look at her she breaks out in big ole alligator tears and will sob for an hour because of it. Arianna is 23 months old now and has a 5 mile long list of words she can say but she refuses to use them...she would rather just screech at us. Ahna thinks she rules the house. She is very quick to start kicking, hitting, pushing, and biting others when she wants something and they have it. She will stand up for herself though unlike Makenzi who will let everybody run right over her. Braxton was also quick to hit but not as bad as Arianna.

I love to see the kids personality to develop over time. How they are different in so many ways yet similar in many ways as well. Arianna and Braxton are the most similar to each other, and Arianna and Makenzi are so different from each other.

Tallon Update

Well life is busy but going great. Here is our family update.

Arianna: is potty trained. We started at 22 months, my earliest one yet. It has been great. She still will have a bad day here and there but a lot of that is that is tired, I get lax in remembering that she is potty trained, or I am not watching her close to see her run to the bathroom. Arianna has also become a bitter lately. She has even drawn blood on her brother a couple of times. Now all she has to do is show her teeth and the older two scream and run. Ahna can say lots of words but she just doesn't use them much. We have to force her to talk in order to get what she wants. She is stubborn.

Braxton: is doing very well. He is almost 2 weeks post accident. He still asks to wear the sling which I am shocked about since the surgeon told us we would be lucky to get him to wear it one full week since that bone heals so fast. I think that Braxton is afraid to use that arm for fear of it hurting, or for fear of losing sympathy from everybody. we have caught him carrying a bucket full of water using both hands, he can now use the bathroom without assistance (that one made him angry but he couldn't hold on while sitting on the potty), he can buckle into the van by himself again (which really bugged me since he has been able to do it for a year now). I am glad that he is still wearing the sling because it just helps stabilize it and help it heal better. Braxton is loving preschool this year. I am debating on where to send him next year. I would like to get him into a 4 day program but I have to figure out transportation 2 of those days since I won't be here to do it.

Makenzi: is glad that Spring Break is over and back to school. Over Spring break her anxiety was at a major high. She had horrible trouble going to bed (some nights it would take up to 5 hours). She would scream, kick the walls, come down stairs. It was awful. As soon as school was back in session she was fine. What will summer break be like? I am scared actually. Makenzi is going to be starting T-ball here soon and she is very excited. I will be spending my nights at the ball fields. Hopefully we will have great weather and be able to enjoy it this year.

Me: I am busy with the kids and school. I got into my Anatomy and Physiology class that I need to validate into my PTA program come fall. I was excited about that. My math class is almost over with this semester. I am happy about that but thankfully it wasn't horrible. I am seriously considering double majoring because I am going to have a long waitlist and need to do something. I also plan to take a Health Unit Coordinator class so I can always do that while I wait too and if I wanted I could do that on an occasional or part time base if I want to. Scott is keeping busy at work as well.

1 week update

Well it is now 1 week and 2 days after Braxton's accident. He is doing extremely well. He uses his left hand a lot actually even with it in the sling. The doctor had warned us that he would do that and it was okay for him to do it. He wants to see Braxton using it since that means it is healing. Braxton is in no pain with it at all anymore which is great. Although he is still very nervous about us doing anything with that arm. Dressing him is still scary for Braxton because he is afraid we are going to move his arm. Thankfully he doesn't fight us on wearing the sling either, he just does it.

How blessed are you?

I know that I can take for granted how blessed I truly am. It is easy to forget the blessings we have when life gets busy.

My life is busy..3 children ages 6 and under, one is in kindergarten, one is in preschool, and the third one is a totally different mold. I am back in college all while my husband is driving semi. Yet I am so thankful for all of it, yet at times I forget the blessing it all is.

This past week was very rough...so was our February and beginning of March. It is our year but I am hopeful the rough patches are done for the year.

This past week my 3 year old niece had heart surgery. She was born with a hole in her heart that never closed off. She went and had all of her tests done on Wednesday and everything went as planned. On Thursday she went into surgery at 730am, was out of the OR at 9am, and was awake by 10am. She did so well. Josie was discharged by 2pm and on her way home. We are so blessed that she came out of surgery so well and will be 100% before we know it.

Then Braxton's accident and we are so blessed that he had no life threatening injuries. His accident could have been so much worse yet he walked out with just a broken collar bone and lots of bruises and abrasions. I am so blessed to have my son alive and with us. I kept thinking over Easter weekend how blessed we were not to be spending our time at the hospital.

I am blessed that my husband has a job, that we have a roof over our heads, clothes on our back and food on the table. We are very blessed and thankful for it all.

So my question to you is how are you blessed?

Another Scary day...

This time it was Braxton. On Thursday, we were at my parent's house for the afternoon. It was beautiful out and we promised the kids we would go to the cabin once the girls got home from school. The girls arrived at my parents around 330 and we headed out on the four wheelers right away. My mom was in front of my with some kids with her and I was on the next four wheeler with Makenzi. As we were driving we came up to the cement on their property and I noticed one of the boys started to lose their balance. It happened so fast I had no clue whichboy it was. I watched the boy start to fall but he couldn't catch himself. He seemed to pick up speed as he fell off but I couldn't figure it out. He flipped end for end through the air and came down hard onto the cement. I bailed off my four wheeler to hurry and get to the child...at this point I realized it was Braxton and the adrenaline was running full speed. My four wheeler was still rolling but Makenzi was able to stop it. My mom screamed back to me that he hit his head really hard. When I got to Braxton he was sitting up so I did a quick exam and scooped him up. My parent's neighbors came running to see if they could help.

Once I had him in my arms I started asking him what hurts. All he could do was cry and scream. We quickly noticed he was holding his left arm perfectly still. He had several abrasions on his knee and toes (the first day in shorts and barefoot of course). His arm was turning black and blue quickly. We put him in my dad's truck and had my dad take him back to the barn. We were hopeful this would calm him down so we could do a full assessment on his injuries. It didn't work. We decided at 415 it was time to take him to the hospital for evaluation. At this point we knew he broke something in his arm/shoulder area.

About 2/3 of the way to the hospital Braxton vomited. My mom was driving so she threw on the four ways and picked up speed. We were now afraid we were dealing with head and internal injuries. We got to the ER and we were taken right back. Our pediatrician was actually doing an ER rotation so she came in and evaluated him. She felt he definitely broke something in his shoulder area so xrays were ordered. She was confident that there was no head injuries but we needed to observe him for awhile. She checked him for internal injuries as well but felt he was okay but would observe him. During the exam we quickly discovered that Braxton had marks all over his chest where we feel the tire of the four wheeler actually grabbed his shirt and helped him pick up momentum before in slammed into the cement. We also discovered he had a big abrasion across the side of his head. He had it from his forehead to 3/4 of the way back his head. His hair covered that one up.

Braxton was dosed with an extremely high dose of Motrin so we could do some xrays without causing a lot of pain. He had xrays done and was back to his room by 5:50. They were moving fast to see what exactly we were dealing with. After his xrays he was able to nap for over an hour..with being woke 2 times during that hour. At 7pm he was discharged with orders to go see the Orthopedic surgeon the next day. They gave him Tylenol with Codeine which did not agree with him at all..he ended up getting sick on the way home.

We arrived home at about 845pm and I got Braxton snuggled in on the couch for the night. My mom brought the girls home from my sister in laws house to see Braxton along with his cousins who witnessed the accident. We had some scared kids. They knew that Braxton was hurt bad and they wanted to see him to make sure he was okay. My brother stopped down that night to see him and actually got Braxton to laugh and smile. That was a huge relief to me, it confirmed that he was going to be just fine. Before that Braxton wouldn't even walk or move...everything hurt. Scott got home about an hour after us. He headed home from Ohio when he got the call because at that time we had no idea the extent of Braxton's injuries.

That night Braxton slept like a rock. He was so tired. I woke him every 2 hours to check him and every 6 hours to give pain medicine. He did great.

On Friday we took Braxton to the orthopedic surgeon. He was awesome with Braxton and totally understanding that accidents happen. The ER staff wasn't so understanding...they made us feel horrible. He showed us the xray of Braxton's clavicle (collar bone). It was snapped right in half and the bones were laying on top of each other. He informed us that Braxton would not need surgery but would need to wear his sling for the next 3 weeks or as long as he would wear it. No running, jumping, or rough housing until it is healed. They also checked his shoulder and the rest of his arm for any injuries but everything checked out great. The doctor informed us that in 1 week Braxton would be acting 100% better. Well we are 2 days in and besides him wearing the sling you wouldn't know anything was wrong for the most part.

Today Braxton was sitting on the floor playing with his trucks and he tipped over (balance must not be very good..hehe) and landed on his shoulder. He screamed bloody murder and asked for pain medicine right away..too bad he couldn't have any. He is doing better though after that fall even!!

We are EXTREMELY thankful that he only has a broken collar bone. It could have been so much worse, we are truly blessed. Accidents happen and they happen fast but I am so glad his guardian angels were working over time Thursday and I am sure all the prayers we got helped as well. Braxton Charles we love you!!

Just Another Day

In the Tallon House. I have decided that life is good when every day is different but man I sure don't like the days when they are against us.

Monday
I had school on Monday so I went and things went well. I left school and go to the corner of Bay and Tittabawassee and stopped behind the other cars at the light. Watched the car behind me stop and watched a police officer pull up next to us. Then I felt the car jolt because the guy behind me rear ended me. The police officer watched it all. I got out to tell the guy to pull into the Kohls parking lot...he didn't want to. The police officer than got out and told him to pull over. Thankfully there was no damage to either car so I just let it go. The guy got off with out a ticket and the cop told him he was lucky that I was doing a good deed. Then the guy lied right to me and the police officer. He told me somebody hit him...well there was nobody else in sight and the police officer witnessed and said that nobody hit him. I am just glad nobody was hurt and no damage was done!!

Tuesday
It was such a beautiful day out. When Makenzi got home we decided to head outside for the afternoon/evening. I set up a couple chairs outside on the sidewalk to watch the kids ride their bikes. Everybody was having lots of fun. Last year we put down crushed asphalt in the driveway to cover all the mud. Well the kids have not rode their bikes on it much so they needed to get used to it. I had been working with B to try and ride with 1 training wheel but it wasn't going well so I put his training wheel back on and just sat down. I watched Makenzi slide off her bike and hit the ground. Makenzi is our drama queen. She instantly was screaming, jumping up and hopping around. She lost her shoe, so I thought she hurt her foot/leg. I told her to get her shoe and that she was fine. She sat down to put her shoe on and I could see a pool of blood forming above her eye. Reminded myself to remain calm and to get a clean towel to apply pressure before looking at the wound. I ran for paper towel. By the time I got back Makenzi had blood down her face, all over her shirt and hands and was in freak out mode. I applied pressure, checked the wound which was laying open and deep. I ordered Makenzi to apply pressure and for the kids to get into the van. I ran in the house grabbed my bag of steri strips and we headed to my mom's house (she is an RN). I was hoping for steri strips but knew our chances or stitches were great, since the cut was right at the eye brow and a steri strip may not be possible. Makenzi calmed herself down on the ride over. My mom looked at it and we debated which way to go but we also knew that stitches would be very traumatizing. Thankfully my mom was able to get the steri strip to work on the second attempt. Her eye was a little puffy but nothing too bad, until Wednesday morning. She woke up with her eye almost completely swollen shut. That is very annoying to her but she isn't having any pain. She was nervous to go to school though for fear the kids would tease her.

We are hoping for a much better Wednesday.

My niece (Josie) is headed to Ann Arbor today for her procedure. Today she is having all her pre op tests and tomorrow is the actual procedure. Please keep her and her parents (my brother Joe and my sister in law Sheryl) in your thoughts and prayers.

Spring Break

Is fast approaching and I can not wait. Do we have anything planned...of course not but that is the best part. I am so excited to sleep in. My youngest two are finally learning how to sleep past 6 and that is a great thought. The best part is that Braxton is finally learning how to stay in his bed all night as well.

Over Spring Break I hope to get Makenzi together with her little friend Abby. Makenzi is going to have a special day with her Grandma which she is very excited about.

Braxton is also hoping to have a friend over but we have to wait and see if that will work out.

I still have class on Monday which bums me out but the kids will get to go play with their cousins so they will enjoy it.


This week I am asking for prayers for my niece. She is having heart surgery this week in AA. She has a hole in her heart that has been there since birth and it is time to fix it. Her surgery is Thursday at 730am and if all goes well she will be home that night. That is just crazy to me but I am glad to hear it is an "easy" procedure".

Is pondering...

I am pondering a couple different things. One I am not ready to share yet but I am asking for prayers that I see the door that is open and the right decision is made. It is a life changing event but it would all be good and exciting. I also ask for prayers that my family (husband, children, parents, and siblings [both my side and Scott's side] are open to the idea) Scott does know my idea of course and is on the same page of checking it out and seeing where we are lead.

The second thing I am pondering is double majoring at school. I am really enjoying being in school (crazy thought in its self). Right now I am majoring in Physical Therapy Assistant. I have one more class to take in the Fall and then I am in a 6 year waiting game to get into the program. I am now considering during that 6 year wait list to and take my classes for Registered Nurse. Once I finish all my book work for that class it would be in plenty of time for my PTA clinicals and then I would finish those just in time to take my clinicals for RN. I would come out with 2 Degrees in the same amount of time pretty much.

I also plan to take a Health Unit Coordinator class next Spring as well. This way if I wanted to or needed to work I would have a degree to help me get in to a hospital or doctors office. It is a lot to take on but I am excited and determined to further my education and help my family out to the best of my ability. My goal is to do all my schooling while the kids are still home but once Ahna starts Kindergarten I would love to start working some...at least part time.

I think...

I can officially say that my baby is no longer a baby. She is officially potty trained. She went all day today with no accidents and even told us when she had to go! We even went into town again and she did great! Success...now just hoping I didn't jinx myself.

Awesome Day...

Well today was a wonderful day. I got up with Kenzi and got her on the bus this morning. The youngest two children slept in until 730 (Ahna) and 750 (Brax). It was so quiet in here the first 30 minutes without the kids. That never happens.

When Ahna woke up she was screaming...momma, momma. When I got in there she started yelling...potty, potty. So we took off running to the potty. She had a wet pullup but she sat right down on the potty and peed and pooped! I was so excited. Pooping has been hit or miss the last several days. This was the second day in a row of going on the potty. I stuck her in undies right away and we went about the day.

Breakfast was served and then onto cleaning. I got the house picked up, vacuumed and mopped and a few loads of laundry done. I made the kids a snack. My mom called and asked if we wanted to ride into town with her and do some shopping.

I stuck Arianna in a pull up for our shopping trip. Messy pants didn't sound fun when shopping. I made her go potty right before we left at 11. We got into town and did a little shopping...where I got Kenzi a winter coat, snow pants (that don't have straps on them, that is very important to a 6 year now, because all the friends have that kind), Scott a pair of jeans and myself a pair. It was great.

Then we went to lunch and Ahna had to use the potty again. It was now 100. She finally went more than 20 minutes without using the potty. She was dry still!! At 130 I made her go potty again before we hit the next store. She was still dry and went again! We arrived home at 245 and Arianna was snoozing. I thought for sure she would wake up wet. She woke up at 4 and was dry. She ran to the potty so fast though. Another successful trip!

We then headed outside for the next couple hours. Ahna told us everytime she had to go potty without an accident. Not one accident all day! I am so proud of her progress.

We had such a fun day. I love when my house feels so clean and nice, when the kids get to play outside and see their grandparents. The weather has been so beautiful and it is so refreshing. I love it. I can't wait to be outside all day every day.

Another day

I should have known today would be a tough potty training day. Within 15 minutes of Ahna being awake she pooped and peed in her pullup. Ugh. Got her cleaned up and set her on the potty for awhile...nothing. A little later (30 minutes about) and she told us she had to go potty..yes, looks like it is turning around for the better. She peed on the potty, then got off and within 15-20 minutes she peed her pullup. 15 minutes later she told us she had to go potty and peed on the potty again. Looking like a long day ahead. She only had a small cup of milk too.

I decided to put her in undies and try that route. As I was getting the undies around, she peed on my living room (the only room on the main floor with carpet). We put the undies on her and continued to remind her to tell us when she had to go potty. Before long she told Scott she had to go potty. He took her in and she pooped and peed on the potty! Whoo hoo! She peed on the potty a couple more times at her request.

Then she peed her pants right after us reminding her. Hmm. A couple more times of peeing on the potty. Then she peed her undies again. Although she was standing at the bathroom door waiting for us to let her in.

We put her back in a pullup for now since she is going to be napping and we are leaving the house tonight.

Even though she is having several accidents, I am so proud of her progress. She is amazing us. Hopefully soon the accidents will decrease and we will be out of pullups except for nap/bedtime. Then we will tackle that hurdle.

Potty Training fun....

Well we have started working with Ahna to go potty. Arianna started a couple months ago with showing great interest in the potty. I just let it go because I wasn't ready...I mean I did just finish potty training the boy child in October. A break was greatly needed.

Well my break is over and potty training is in full swing. Monday I decided to try her to poop on the potty. When she showed her signs of having to go I grabbed her up and took off to the potty. She went poop on the potty. Lots of cheering and excitment. Tuesday I did the same thing. I decided if I could even poop train her I would be thrilled. On Wednesday I decided to go full strength and try to pee train her as well because she loves the potty.

On Wednesday, Arianna had 4 pee accidents. I was happy. Today we decided to go right back at it. My mom was watching her this morning because I went on Braxton's field trip. I was gone from 8am to 1pm. Ahna had 1 accident (pee and poop) but peed on the potty every other time. My mom felt bad because she missed the signs of her having to go poop though. Arianna is very proud of herself. She is starting to say "Pot" for potty so hopefully soon she will be able to tell us when she has to go. She definitely has full control of it.

I will be thrilled if she potty trains so easy and before her 2nd birthday. My goal is to have her completely trained before the end of April. I want to be able to go outside and to the cabin without packing diapers and wipes and such. I can't wait.

Arianna is no longer a baby...she is getting so big. It makes me kind of sad to see her growing up so fast but so happy to be saving on diapers.

It is OVER!!

Well our awful ride is finally over. Today we went to the cardiologist with Arianna. The staff and doctor was amazing. Ahna was upset as soon as she seen the exam room.. The nurse worked her butt of to win Arianna over...it never happened. She took down the family history, she then did an EKG, a pulse ox, and her weight! Thankfully she had bubbles and played with her. Arianna wasn't happy at all.

Then we went into the next room to meet the doctor. Arianna really liked him (he was very quiet and calming to her). He rubbed her feet (trying to get her pulse) she thought that was great, he listened to her heart, and just talked to her and us. He said her heart sounded great but he wanted to do an ultrasound just to make sure we weren't missing anything.

As soon as she seen the bed in the ultrasound room she freaked out. The screaming started and it didn't stop until she was fully dressed again. The doctor was very calm and never got upset when she was all over the place. I actually was pinning her down and trying to hold her still..not very successful though. He laughed and said "Ahna has 2 arms and 2 legs and she isn't afraid to use them for self defense". Ahna was hitting and kicking him, trying to roll away and screaming at the top of her lungs. My mom was with me so she was trying to help side track her but we didn't get far, then he went and got a nurse to blow some bubbles for Ahna...that worked for a nanosecond. Finally the ultrasound was done (probably only took 15 minutes).

He said her heart looked perfect..whoo hoo. He figures she has vasomotor response which is where the heart can not keep up with the circulation that she needs. It is not life threatening and does not require any treatment..eventually she should grow out of it. The only other thing he wants us to watch is when she has a blue episode is her heart rate and rhythm. If her rate his high we need to call him or if it happens to be irregular we need to call him. Otherwise it isn't a big deal and we just need to keep an eye on her!

We are very relieved to get this news. We will definitely be watching her close but it sounds like is no big deal. Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers...they are greatly appreciated.

One thing leads to the next...

Well Ahna went back to the doctor again today...and the ride continues. Arianna is headed to the cardiologist on Tuesday. They took away the pneumonia diagnosis so we are starting over. If the heart is the problem it would explain the mottling, O2 stats. The doctor listened a couple times to her heart and then asked if her inutero ultrasounds should anything on her heart. Unfortunately they did but we were reassured it was nothing...maybe that reassurance wasn't 100% or maybe it was and we are dealing with something else.

Another possibility is Asthma. It could have been an asthma attack that day. Only time will tell.

Please keep praying for my sweet baby girl and me. This last week and a half has been the longest of my life. Unfortunately I have to wait to end this crazy week. I honestly have a gut feeling that there is absolutely nothing wrong with her and we are just racking up the medical bills...but I am afraid not to go through with it all because if something is wrong I would hate to have missed it. Stinking instincts sometimes.

Wrong again

The ride is not over yet...I think we are right smack dab in the middle of the ride.

Back to the doctor today. Ahna's hands, feet, and lips were purple this morning. Another chest xray done...perfectly clear. Labs ordered...CBC with Diff and Blood culture. Very long ordeal to get blood drawn...2 labs, 3 pokes and barely enough blood to complete the tests. Then the blood clotted in the CBC test so we get to do it all over again tomorrow. Lots of crying today from the baby. Doctor is wondering if she is Sepsis. Hopefully we get some answers soon.


Keep praying for my sweet baby girl please. We need all that we can get.

Wild Ride

I can definitely say the wild ride began on Wednesday but I am happy to announce I am exiting the wild ride and hope to never return to it.

Scott was able to come on Thursday night to help me out with the baby, which I was in desperate need of. On Friday, Arianna was stable and did really well. She acted like she was improving...whoo hoo.

Saturday came and she took a bad turn. By early afternoon Arianna was retracting (suprasternal) by her collar bone. I grew concerned and took her shirt off her so I could watch her chest, ribs and stomach. At 5 I decided to call my mom (an RN) who is in FL. She told me to call the doctor and be prepared to head to the ER. Scott didn't think it was necessary so I waited to call the doctor for an hour. Finally I called the pediatrician on call...who thankfully was the one who seen Arianna on Thursday. She agreed that any retracting isn't good but since it was just in 1 location that we could watch her, increase breathing treatments, and she was going to call in an oral steroid. Any more retracting (new places) and we were to head to the ER, any color changes and we were to call 911. I went for the steroid. When I got home Arianna was still retracting but now she was retracting between her ribs on her back. I dosed her with the oral steriod and we did a breathing treatment that was due. An hour after the oral steroid and breathing treatment she was back to just retracting by her collar bone. I watched her extremely close over night, with several breathing treatments being done.

Sunday she was still retracting by her collar bone but was stable otherwise. Thank goodness.

Today we have turned the corner. She isn't retracting at all anymore and she is eating again!! That is a sign of health coming back to her.

Tomorrow we go to the ENT for a follow up on her Ear surgery. I do know that the tubes look good...they have been looked at a lot this week.

Thursday we go to the pediatrician for a follow up on this week. Hopefully she checks out well.

Today I had the kids help me make thank you cards for everybody involved. TTA, Aunt Sheryl and Uncle Joe, Aunt Shelly and Uncle Jeff, Dorothy and Larry, Rodney and Karyn, and the neighbor. I wouldn't have survived this week without all of them.

The ride is over, and I hopeful that it was a once and a lifetime ride.

A ride of a lifetime...

that I never want to get on again and that I hope nobody else ever has to take. This is the story of our night last night.

Wednesday February 24, 2010.

Arianna was extremely out of sorts yesterday but I figured she was up early, has a cold nothing out of wack. I pushed fluids since she didn't want to eat much.

Makenzi came home from school and we ate dinner. Kenzi begged to go to the book fair at her school because she wanted the Olivia book so bad. I caved and took the kids to NL so they could each get a book. I grabbed Ahna out of the van to head in and I thought she sounded funny. I have a horrible time hearing if my children are wheezing or struggling to breathe. We went in and Kenzi grabbed the book she wanted and Braxton grabbed the book he wanted. I got to the desk to checkout and Ahna was coughing uncontrollably. I was informed she didn't sound and sound really congested.

I decided to take her to the ambulance base to see if I should take her into the after hours clinic or if her lungs were clear and just to watch her. We got there and the paramedic came out. She listened to Ahna's lungs and informed me that all four lobes were wheezing really bad and we needed to test her O2 levels. Mary (the paramedic) ran Ahna to the ambulance and got her on the O2 stat machine. Ahna was O2 stating in the low eighties. They advised me that she needed to go to the hospital and it wasn't safe for me to take her. Makenzi and Braxton were in the office with the staff member. She treated them great...they each got a teddy bear and a sucker. I had to make some quick phone calls to try to get to get somebody to come get Makenzi and Braxton. I called my sil at home, no answer, called her cell, no answer. I called my other sils cell phone, no answer. I called my sils mother and was able to reach my sil. She was on her way, they also called my sils brother and he came as well...he lives right down the road. I jumped in the ambulance and off we went.

The experience in the ambulance was like nothing else I have every done. First everything was backwards. I was on the gurney and strapped down. I then had to hold Ahna. I just prayed we would arrive at the hospital safe...no accidents. They attempted an IV and missed the vein because Ahna was flailing everywhere. The second attempt would have been successful had she just held still for another few seconds. The ambulance was stopped so we could get assistance from the driver. It was no good. A third attempt was made in the hospital parking lot with no success as well. Arianna recieved an albuterol breathing treatment on the way along with oxygen. Her Oxygen levels were up to the low 90s upon ER arrival.

In the ER we had a chest Xray done which came back with no pneumonia but not clear. She recieved another albuterol breathing treatment, a dose of oral steriods, and lots of rest. Her O2 stats were all over the place. We were released at 915 or so. We made it home around 945 and I was exhausted. I didn't get much sleep last night either.

Today I woke up and my legs were extremely sore and I couldn't figure out why...well I quickly remembered...it was from pinning Ahna down with my legs while trying to hold her still. I felt bad because Ahna has a nice big ole bruise on her leg that I am sure from my pinning her down. So sad.

We went to the pediatrician's office today and Ahna was diagnosised with pneumonia in the lower lobe of the right lung. She ordered Zithromax, and Albuterol treatments every 3 to 4 hours. If she shows any signs of breathing trouble we are to call them and head straight to the ER to be admitted...pray she stays stable.

That was a ride of a lifetime and I hope it was a one time in a life time ticket. I don't ever want to do that again.

Happy 4th Birthday

Braxton Charles Adam. It is hard to believe it has been 4 years (and 2 days). 4 years ago today I brought home a new little bundle that wears blue. It has been an amazing yet challenging 4 years. Going from 1 to 2 children was a huge hurdle for me. I had a hard time with it. There were many days where I wasn't sure how to handle both kids demands at the same time. Plus returning to work was a hard time for me..I really didn't want to go but I had to.

We started with specialists at 2 weeks of age and haven't stopped yet. We have been to 2 Urologists (one in Kalamazoo and one in Ann Arbor), a pediatric surgeon, ENT (many times), Eye doctor, A dietcian, 2 Gastroenterologist. Plus we did Ear tube surgery. We have really been across the board with him. Thankfully none of his issues have been real serious.

Braxton is so much fun to have around at the same time. His laugh is contagious. He laughs from his toes all the way up. He has so much love for his sisters it is amazing to me, don't get me wrong they fight but they love each other as well. Braxton is a mommas boy but I refuse to let him be a wimpy boy...he will be tough and strong. Braxton has his future planned like no other 4 year old boy I know...he plans to be a farmer that has tractors, plows, planters, combines, wagons, cows, pigs and big barns. That is his dream and I know he will achieve it.

Here is my little guy not long after his arrival


Coming home from the hospital


Braxton 2 years of age


Braxton at 4 years of age with his kitty Diesel

What a day

Well today my baby learned to climb out of the crib. I had planned to keep her in her crib as long as possible since I had no need for her to move out of it. Makenzi moved from the crib at 19 months of age when we found out the next baby was on the way. Braxton moved out the crib at 18 months of age when we found out Ahna was on the way. I was so excited this time because there was no rush to move her out and I had decided I would do it in the summer so in case the nights were long I would be able to sleep in. Well Ahna had different plans.

I put her down for her nap at 12. I heard her playing in her room but before I knew it she was banging on the door and I could see her feet under the door. Went in and there she stood looking at me. I brought her out and hoped that when I tried naptime a little later she wouldn't remember how she did it. Well I put her back to bed and she was out of her crib before I ever got out of the hallway. I immediately put her right back and she was out instantly. I took the crib down and brought the toddler bed up. I tried naptime again and that was a waste of my time. She just climbed, jumped and ran out of the room. I gave up hoping that with no nap she will go to bed easy tonight...might be wishful thinking though.

My little girl is growing up way to fast.

My Ahna Girl

Ahna had her bilateral ear tube surgery on Thursday. I wasn't extremely nervous yet still nervous. I remember Braxton's surgery very well. He had his done 3 years ago so I remember the process. His went great as well, with the same doctor but a different hospital. Ahna's surgery was scheduled for 830 and was the first one of the day. We had to be at Saint Mary's Surgery Center at 7am, and Ahna couldn't eat or drink after midnight. I was concerned that she would be totally hateful. I woke her up at 10pm and gave her a sippy cup of milk and prayed she would sleep through the night. My mom was going with me and Scott was going to take Braxton and his two cousins to school for me. I woke Ahna at 6 and quickly changed her into a clean diaper and new pajamas. My mom arrived and we headed out. Arianna was a champ...she entertained the waiting room full of people and was just super happy. We were called back to the room and got Ahna weighed and changed into her gown...which she thought was cool.

The nurse anethesist came in to tell us what was going to happen. He took such good care of Ahna and Ahna warmed right up to him...it was great. He informed us what would happen in the OR and promised to take good care of her. He was also going to be the one to come get her from us.

Then the anethesiologist student came in and she also was amazing with Ahna. She played with Ahna and Ahna's baby doll. She was also very thorough and made us feel comfortable.

Then the "real" anethesiologist came in....we weren't so confident any more. First he went to the room next to us and told that child who was about 8 that she was having ear tubes and called her Arianna...hmmm when he was informed that he had the wrong patient by the anthesiologist student he got the right patient name but still used Ahna's procedure. This girl was in for a tonsillecotomy and adnoids. He was told again by the student that he had the wrong procedure. He laughed and said "I thought she looked big for a 1 year old". Yikes. Then he came into our room and had the right procedure and patient...I was very nervous after that...was afraid she may come out with no tonsils or adnoids.

Our surgeon came in and he cleared the air and said to us "don't be nervous, I am the surgeon and I know your little princess is here just for bilateral ear tubes". What a relief. When the nurse anthesist came in to take Ahna he confirmed it was just ear tubes and took off with her. She never even cried. They wrapped her in a nice warm blanket and sang songs back to the OR. I on the other hand was a nervous wreck. My mom and I walked to the waiting room where there was absolutely no clocks that were visible...there is a good reason for this..patients family don't realize how long the they have been seperated. Before we knew it (actually 15 minutes after they carried my baby away) the doctor was standing in front us and informed us everything went well and it would only be a couple minutes before we were called to recovery.

15 minutes went by before we were called. She took a little longer than "normal" to wake up and was extremely groggy when I got to her. she actually just laid in my arms like a rag doll. She perked up though when they brought her a cup of juice though, then a popsicle and another cup of juice. We were kicked out of recovery at 920...20 minutes after waking up from surgery.

She was funny to watch the first day...she was super tipsy..we called her a drunk skunk. She wasn't totally thinking clear either. Her reflexes were really slow as well...she couldn't catch a ball or pick anything up without falling over. She was uncomfortable the first day so we had to keep her on tylenol and motrin around the clock but today she has been pain free. Overall it was successful and not to nerve wracking.

Busy week ahead

This coming week is going to be busy. Tomorrow I have class and we have a test over 8 chapters...yuck. Then I have to run home and get B and head back to Saginaw. I have to go pay our pre-surgery bill at the ENT's office, then I have to go to the hospital and drop off pre-registration papers, then B has his appointment at the eye doctors where they will be dilating his eyes....yuck again.

Tuesday B has school in the morning, then K and B have Atrium class that night. Then B gets to go spend the night at grandma and papa's house for his special day to celebrate his birthday.

Wednesday, Kenzi has school and B will be gone all day so it will just be A and I to hang out all day.

Thursday...this is the crazy day this week. Scott is coming home. I am taking A to the hospital to have surgery...my mom is going with me. Scott will be home to get K on the bus, then he is taking the triplets to school, he will come home and then go back for B's daddy and me day at school. I will be home hopefully before Scott and B. Plus we should have our contractor coming to put the trim up in the house. If it works he should be here that morning and then again on Friday.

I had to try to squeeze as much as possible in this week because next week my mom and dad are going to FL. I am just glad it was all able to fit in.

I still can't believe that B is going to be 4 in 1 week...where has my little guy gone. My kids are getting old. I will have a 6 year old, a 4 year old and an almost 2 year old...yikes.

What a rough week

This past week has been rough. We noticed on Saturday that Braxton was really out of sorts. His hands were freezing at all times and he was just grumpy. Sunday B had a low grade fever or 100.2. He had a cold the week before so we figured it had settled into his chest. On Monday, I called and got the kids an appt after I was done with school. I called my mom who had them to let her know so they would still be awake and ready to go. She informed me that Braxton and Arianna had fevers of 100.4 and 100.6. We headed to the doctor and waited forever. Arianna was diagnoised with a very nasty ear infection and bronchitis. We got a referral out to the ENT. We head to the ENT on this Wednesday. Then onto mister Braxton. His lungs were clear and so were his ears. His diagnoises was a cold. He has also been doing something weird with his eyes so I had the doctor check his eyes. He will focus on something and then blink and hold his eyes shut for a couple seconds and then refocus. We are being referred out to a pediatric eye doctor to get his eyes checked and have his droopy eye lid looked at. We go there on the 8th of February. We left with the understanding that if B still had a fever on Wednesday we were to bring him back since it would be day 5 of a low grade fever.

Tuesday came and went with a low grade fever and B never moved off the couch from 330 until he asked to go to bed at 630. His appetite was gone, he was drinking just enough to go to the bathroom 2 times a day. Wednesday came and he woke up fever free so I was hopefully. At noon his fever was up to 100.8 so I called and schedule him an appt for that afternoon. The doctor informed me that nothing was wrong with him. I raised hell and told them that I refused to leave the office without further testing. They ordered blood work and chest xray. They wanted blood work ran first but I refused to put him through that when the chest xray could show something and be less invasive. (I should add 2 of his cousins had bronchitis 2 weeks prior, his other cousin had pneumonia the week prior and his little sister had bronchitis 2 days earlier). We proceeded with the chest xray and it should that my little guy had pneumonia. It was a crazy week but the kids are feeling better.

Ahna was doing better for the first 4-5 days of her antibiotic but she is now waking again during the night and just hateful all around. This was the same thing that happened when she was on the last antibiotic 2 weeks ago for an ear infection...the first 4 days went great but then she was miserable again. Darn ear infections are miserable and just won't leave.

7 years

Scott and I have been married for 7 years. It has been a great journey. This journey has seen many ups and downs. Thankfully the ups outweigh the downs. Scott and I have had 3 healthy and beautiful children, many job changes, bought a house, and just enjoyed life. We are looking forward to many many more years together.

Wonderful Weekend!

This weekend was our weekend away. For Christmas I asked for a trip away with just the five of us. Scott planned a trip to Splash Universe in Dundee. We ended up leaving little Miss Ahna behind and it was a good decision. She wouldn't have tolerated being in the pools all day and then sleeping at the hotel well either. We had tons of fun. We pulled Kenz out of school early on Friday and ended down. We checked in and headed straight to the water park. It was perfect size for our family...not sure kids over the age of 10 would enjoy it so much though. It wasn't real big but was perfect for us. The kids were very brave and did very well in the water. Braxton jumped right in and had a blast. We took a break mid day and had some snacks and then hit the park again. We took the kids to eat at the Treehouse Pub and Grub, and then to the arcade. They were exhausted but they had a hard time going to sleep. For some reason our children hate sleeping at hotels...grr. Saturday they spent some time in the water park again but not for long...they were too tired. We then headed over to Cabelas to walk around and check it out. The kids loved seeing all the displays but didnt' last long...they needed a nap. The weekend was great.

January 2010....

has been pretty good to us so far. On January 2nd we had all the children baptized at St. Michaels (see the post about that down a little farther if you haven't already). That night Makenzi's hands and feet started peeling in sheets. We couldn't really figure it out but figured it was part of the virus she had before Christmas.

I enjoyed the last of my break from school. The children returned to school and were pretty happy about it...well except Braxton. Braxton had a rough first day back. He actually had to come home early. I got a call after being home an hour. The teacher informed me that B was sick and needed to be picked up. I took off and got there to find B sitting in a chair next to a garbage can...until he seen me. He lit right up and was so excited to be going home. We were barely out of the school when B informed me he had to go potty and couldn't use the school potty...and that he was hungry and wanted lunch. I brought him home, let him use the bathroom and fed him. He was fine but I sure was glad to have the teachers call me. They were so apologetic but I just laughed and said it was no big deal. Little stinker is a game player. Needless to say he hasn't tried it since.

A week ago little Miss Ahna wasn't sleeping well at night and I just relayed it us having 2 weeks off routine and daddy being home more. I took her to my mom's house on Monday...after being up all night with her. I had to go to class. When I got home I was telling my mom that I was exhausted because of Ahna not sleeping and my mom told me to look at Ahna's ear. Yep my baby girl ruptured her ear drum due to an infection. I took her into the doctor and got her an antibiotic. I mentioned Makenzi's peeling issue from 2 weeks prior and they decided to treat her for Strep based only on symptoms since her strep tests were negative. They told me she wasn't contagious anymore but could be harboring the bacteria which could cause issues to her organs later. Well we are 1 week into both girls antibiotics. Miss Ahna still isn't improving...she keeps grabbing at her ear and WILL NOT sleep through the night. It is very frustrating. Now the boy and the baby have nasty coughs only at night so that helps keep us all awake. It has been a rough month on sleep. I have a feeling a return to the pediatrician's office is neccessary. I also plan to get a referral out to an ENT...time to discuss ear tubes. Way to many ear infections in her short little life for my liking.

I am taking a Math class this semester. I dread math, since it is not my strong suit. We are two weeks in and so far so good. I hope it continues to go this well. The class is Allied Health Math. Lots of medicine dosages and such.

We have a special get away planned for this coming weekend. We are taking the older two with us but little Miss Ahna is being left behind. She just won't enjoy the trip like the rest of us. I will post more details when we get back. Plus I will post lots of pictures. I am so excited about this. Our little family has never been on a vacation/getaway without extra family members going. We love to go with family and friends but this will be a nice treat. Scott got me the best Christmas present.