Camping at Wolf Creek Park 2009

Every Spring Break we have the tradition of camping with friends at Wolf Creek Park. This year was our third year and it seems that each year gets better and better. We probably had twenty families filling the loop we camp in. The best part is after you set one or two rules you can let the kids roam free because you know everyone in sight. Our good friends the Richards actually started this tradition twelve years ago...thanks York and Stacy we can't imagine Spring Break any other way!!

I love this little bum...

and, this sweet girl...

and, these two boys even when they're sad...

I also love this sight...it's probably the only time in life that I get a break from cooking

One happy baby, but are we surprised??

The boys always made time to stop by and visit Scarlet...

Even her love...Jake

Niko and Kai doing the chicken dance...

Taylor Bachrach and McKenzie Jenkins set up a face painting booth. It was a hit with almost every kid in the loop. Brandon made the comment at one point that if they set up a booth down by the marina they could charge $2.00 a face and walk away with a fortune. :-)

The rest of our days were spent going running, eating, and playing games...

Quite a few of the kids really got into making their own fires. I am not looking forward to the year my boys start this craze. Our first night camping Kim walked up to find Cubby telling ghost stories to all of the little kids around a fire pit minus the fire.

Most days I found Kai sitting around other peoples fires especially the Schroeder's...

Getting snow cones at the local convenience store...

I think the husbands might possibly have had the best time this year. Blue (one of the guys) brought a satellite and York brought a fairly large flat screen so they could all watch the BYU/AGGIE game. When they realized they couldn't get reception because of the large trees they took off into town to some small diner where they pretty much ate everything in sight for six bucks and watched the game all at the same time. The rest of the trip they either played basketball, baseball, and even raced at one point

Each night got warmer and warmer but the first night was a freezing 46 degrees. Kai's favorite part of camping was sleeping in the tent...

My 'lil' snow bunny. She woke up once the first night and slept through the night the rest of the time. What else can you do when you are this bundled up??

Poor Kai is allergic to fire ants and not a year goes by that he doesn't get attacked. Luckily we were able to medicate the bites on his back but, missed a few on his hands causing some pretty uncomfortable swelling.

And last but not least there were Jedi's on this camp out...

Hats off to another great camping trip!!

happy st. patricks day!!

This morning we woke up to a trail of gold (Rollo's) and little foot prints leading up to our kitchen table where a St. Patties Day Leprechaun had left Lucky Charms and a Happy St. Patricks Day card. This is the first time the kiddos have tried Lucky Charms and they said after eating three bowls each that it's the best cereal in the whole wide world. Afterwards we headed to the gym for some St. Patrick Day festivities.

Ever since I was in Kindergarten I have loved this holiday. My teacher Mrs. Furner got into this holiday as much as any other holiday. I remember stepping off the school bus to find little green foot prints leading all the way up the steps into our classroom where a rainbow that we had painted as a class was hanging and a pot of gold full of treats. Ever since I have dressed in green,decorated, and celebrated this holiday.

Two months old

I love the little marks left on her arm by her bracelet...her arms are the chubbiest part of her body and I know those little marks will one day remind us of that. :)


It has been quite the month for little Scarlet. She was blessed by her dad on March 8th, 2009 and has been laughing, cooing, smiling, has rolled over, and is happy as ever. A few weeks ago she was referred to our ENT because of some breathing issues she was having. Take a listen:

Sorry, the video is so dark. I had the light off because she was trying to go to sleep. Sometimes she sounds better than this while other times she sounds worse.

After having a fiberoptic laryngoscope inserted in her nose, down her throat, and into her stomach it was discovered that she has a breathing disorder called Laryngomalacia and GERD (Stomach Acid Reflux Disease) commonly confused with Acid Reflux or GER. The interesting part is that she showed very little symptoms of GERD like no vomiting and never spitting up but, according to the scope definitely has it. I feel really bad because the only symptoms she really ever showed would be during one or two feedings a day where she would choke and cry. If I sang to her while she was eating she would kind of bite the bullet and try to stay calm and not cry. I feel really bad now knowing that she was suffering and I was trying to quiet her up. The ENT says, that GERD is more serious than GER because the infant never vomits or spits up causing the acid to sit in the throat constantly burning the esophagus. When the scope was performed they filmed it and showed me the damage to Scarlet's esophagus but, thankfully medication can fix all of that or at least most of it.


As for the Laryngomalacia it is the most common cause of really noisy breathing in an infant. In fact the ENT told me when I presented him with the video up above that he did not need to view it he could have diagnosed her just by listening to her on the phone. Laryngomalacia occurs as a result of a floppy portion of the larynx (voice box) that has not yet developed causing obstruction of the airway therefore making a narrower breathing passage. The obstruction is the source of the loud, whistling, wheezing, breathing sound. Usually this condition peaks around six to eight months and goes away on its own when the child is between one and two years of age.

In 10% of infants that have Laryngomalacia surgery is performed due to poor weight gain or lapses in breathing which Scarlet has struggled with both. She usually only has lapses in her breathing when she is eating or sleeping. The good thing is is that her breathing is so loud that even when Brandon and I are asleep and she stops breathing we immediately wake up because it's suddenly quit. The ENT is giving her two months to gain adequate weight and to start decreasing the number of times she stops breathing in a given day before he decides if she needs surgery or not. The great part is is that they put her on a compounded dose of Previced in hopes that medicating the GERD would help the Laryngomalacia...and it has. She is eating better, breathing loud but not lapsing as much, and is gaining quite a bit of weight.

At her two month check-up she was:

24 1/2 inches long putting her in the 97th percentile
weighing 12lbs. 3 oz putting her in the 90th percentile
her head circumference was 38 1/2 cm putting her in the 50th percentile


I'm positive that her ENT will be happy with these results making it less likely that she will have surgery. :-)

As for her brothers...they are still in love with her. Kai's nick named her Scarley and Jace claims he is going to marry her one day and calls her "girl". When he walks into the room he says, "Where's my pretty girl, or there's my girl, is my girl awake yet, I love my girl, or hey girl." One day we were driving to school and I heard him say, "Scarlet I have something important to tell you...welcome to earth." I love how much they love her and how much she loves them. She cries when they leave the room and puts on the hugest smile as soon as they come back. Brandon and I also love her to pieces and feel so blessed to have her with us and that she is a happy healthy little one. :-)

Grandma Comes to Texas

We were so blessed to have our grandma (B's mom) come help us for three weeks after my parents left. She had originally planned on staying two weeks but, when unexpected complications came up from the delivery and Brandon decided to meet a few investors at the Super Bowl she changed her flight and stayed another week. Thank you so much grandma you helped us more than you'll ever know.

A little grandmotherly love goes a long way...

Siblings...

Since grandma grew up with two parents that were Librarians and had Brandon reading by the time he was three years of age Brandon had one requirement when she got here. That she help Jace brush up on his reading skills and that she start Kai on his way. To my surprise she did a great job and indeed Kai was well on his way by the time she left.

Daddy picking up where grandma left off...

While grandma was here my good friend Lindsay who owns Banner Boutique sent a box full of beautiful headbands...

Yes, she already has the force with her and Jace says, that the blue light saber is her seat belt that is added protection to the force. :-)

Grandma and Jace at Jace's basketball game where he made two baskets!!

And, of course the trampoline that I am quickly starting to regret purchasing. Brandon loves to jump off of the roof onto his back. The worst part is is that his back actually touches the ground as he lands on the net. I usually go inside when this starts to take place because I get so upset.

No worries, Jace is only trying to get a ball. He promises he will never jump like his dad...ya right!!

Kai working on his back flip and a few other tricks (he has names for them I just don't remember what they are considering they are made up and not your traditional trick)...

The fatigue is starting to set in with daddy either from the active boys in our house, the presence of a newborn, or most likely BOTH...

This is a rare commodity around here but, we'll take it whenever it presents itself...

Our grandma is definitely amazing. Every time a grandchild is born she makes them a blanket. The craziest part about it is that she didn't like the one she made Jace when he was born so she made him a new one but much larger. It fits his "TWIN" size bed.

Grandma, Jace, and his blanket

Grandma, Kai, and his blanket

Grandma, Scarlet, and her blanket
Grandma, the kiddos, and all of their beautiful blankets...

Thank you grandma for everything. We wouldn't have been able to get through these past three weeks without you. We love and miss you!!