Grandpa Coleman's Visit

Grandchildren are Blessings

Since grandchild number five recently joined our family, Grandpa came out from Vermont to Utah for a few days.  My father finally met his grandson. While he was in town, we had a BBQ with Uncle Nate on Saturday September 7, 2013 and went for a drive.  Too bad it rained so much that day! On Monday September 9, 2013, we took Grandpa to our favorite places in Pleasant Grove. First, we went to Chubby's for dinner then went to Alisha's Cravings Cupcakes for dessert.  Afterwards, we drove to Manila Creek and watched the beautiful sunset.  The next day we spent some time with Aunt Karen at our house.  We had  fun getting out and doing things with Grandpa Coleman. I am certain he had a great trip!

Cravings Alisha's Cupcakes (Winner of Cupcake Wars)

 We got "Better than What Cupcake" and "Girl Scout's Samoas Cupcake"! They were delicious!
Manila Creek

Aunt Karen, Grandpa, and me!

Honey Boy is Four Months Old!

Honey Boy is Four Months Old!
On September 24, 2013, little brother had his four month old check up and shots. He is now 11 lbs. 12 oz., 25 inches long, and his head circumference measured 42 cm round. The doctor is a little concerned about his current weight and believes due to his recent surgery his body slowed down on growth a bit. Hopefully by his six month check up, he will gain more weight by eating cereal and increasing breast milk. His doctor was pleased that he  has accomplished most of his major four month old milestones! 

Milestones: Our baby is growing and accomplishing great tasks! He can hold toys in his hand, rollover from back to belly, loves tummy time, can eat 4-6 oz of breast milk during a feeding, and is finally eating rice cereal. He has great neck support, and can see me across the room. He is a happier baby since his surgery and smiles a lot. He has slept seven hours straight a couple times! Yay, hopefully Mom can finally gets a good night's rest!

Our Brave Baby Boy's Surgery

Our Brave Baby Boy's Surgery

When little brother was two weeks old, he was diagnosed with two hernias and an undescended testicle on the left side. At that same time, we were informed that he would need surgery in the future. From what we could physically see with our eyes and feel, our son had an umbilical hernia above his navel and a large rare indirect inguinal hernia on his left side. When our son would cry, the hernias would bulge. I believe he was in a lot of pain since we discovered the hernias especially with the large one that was probably pressing on his stomach. For instance, he would only eat 2 oz. of breast milk at a time and would hardly breastfeed at all. Within minutes after eating, he would scream in pain. I could physically feel the gas bubbles in his abdomen. I was constantly feeding him all day long because I was afraid that he was not gaining enough weight. Luckily, I had a great electric pump and milk supply. In the middle photo below, look on the right (his left) side was where the hernia bulge was located. It was more noticeable when he is crying or upset.

 The dreadful bitter/sweet day finally came!  On August 27, 2013, our three month old baby had a follow up appointment with a pediatric surgeon who works at Utah Valley Hospital. He weighed 10 lbs 14 oz and was 23.5 inches long. To our surprise, the doctor decided it was time to schedule his operation for Friday, August 30, 2013 at 7:00 AM. The day before his surgery the doctor ordered a MRI for our son. The MRI photographs were used to determine what needed to be done during surgery.  In order to do a MRI on my son, my baby had to fast four hours before the procedure because he needed to be sedated during the MRI.  That means no breast milk four hours before and he could drink Pedilite three hours before. I was worried because he had to fast two days in a row (MRI and for surgery the next morning). The nurse put an IV in his arm and he went to sleep. My son was sent home with his IV and we were instructed to flush it during the night that way they could use the same IV in the morning. My little guy was very groggy after his sedation. I had to wake him up a lot to make sure he was fed. I was confident that all would go well in surgery, but what scared me the most was the anesthesia. I had no idea what to expect how my son would react to it but he did great! What a strong little guy! 

The next day, we checked in the hospital at 6:30 AM. Our son was prepped for surgery and they carried him to the surgery room. He was in surgery for a total of three hours (was only intended for 1.5 hours). While our son was recovering from surgery, the surgeon reported to us that our son had an indirect inter parietal hernia on the left side, umbilical hernia, and inguinal hernia on the right side which the doctor found while repairing the others. He also fixed his undescended testicle. He had a total of four incisions. The surgeon explained to us that the he needed assistance from an adult surgeon to help him with repairing his indirect hernia because it is a very uncommon hernia found in infants and children. Indirect hernias are usually found in old men. In fact, the surgeon informed us that there is only one other child documented this May 2013 with this same type of hernia who is from Japan. My baby is definitely one of a kind!  We are so grateful for the wonderful surgeon Earl Downey and his awesome surgical team who took great care of our son! Little brother was very brave and my biggest hero!

 Our little boy was full of smiles two days after surgery thanks to many prayers, positive thoughts, and well wishes! He also received a healing blessing by his father the night before his surgery, which calmed my nerves. It is truly remarkable how quickly infants heal after surgery. I am looking forward to seeing him improve on feeding and sleeping better because of no more hernia pain! What a huge blessing to have modern medicine to heal us!

Our 2013 Summer Highlights

Big Sister went to Heber Girl's Camp

Big Sis went to Idaho with a friend.

The girls played in the summer rain!

We went up the canyon to explore Cascade Springs and had a picnic.

We went to the Redwood Drive-In to see Turbo

For our 16th Wedding Anniversary, John and I went to Firebird Pizza and Pasta and had cupcakes for dessert at Alisha's Cravings.

The girls went to Seven Peaks Water Park!

Milestones and Back to School

What a wonderful privilege to be a mother to three fantastic kids. I enjoy watching them grow up and learn new things. 

Little Brother at Eight Weeks Old

Milestones: He can almost lift his neck, smiles, sleeps five hours at night. At his two month doctor's appointment on July 30, 2013, He weighed 9lb. 15 oz. and was 22 1/4 inches long. He is slowly growing and is about 8% on the charts for his weight.
Little Brother at Twelve Weeks Old

Milestones: He is starting to roll all over the place and lifts his head up during tummy time. He is full of smiles for everyone especially for Mommy after he wakes up in the morning. He is starting to hold onto toys and focuses on our faces. He loves baths and music. He may look a lot like his Daddy, but he is a Mommy's boy!  He gets upset if Mommy is in the same room not paying attention to him. 

Back to School

We now have a Freshmen (9th grade) and 5th grader in our household! 
Big Sis-I cannot believe that she will be in high school next year. She is growing up to be an absolutely beautiful young woman. She is very helpful in cleaning the house, making dinner, and taking care of her little brother.
Little Sis- She is not so shy anymore. Her personality is blossoming! I recall last year she suffered with anxiety and so far no problems with it at all during her first week back to school. It could be due to having three of her best friends in the same class with her. Little sis loves being a big sister to her little brother. She enjoys reading and singing and to him. 

Happy Summer Days Scraps

Grandpa's Delight, 2004

Credits: The template is by Shabby Princess. I used "Happy Trails" kit and "Smarshmallows" kit by Shabby Princess.  I used the following fonts: I'm bored and Kristen ITC.

Slip n' Slide, 2010

Credits:  The layout is by me. The papers are by Amy Sumrall. The alpha and doodles are by Kate Hadifield.  I used grumble as my font.

Silly Sisters and Friends, 2012

Credits: The template and "Memory Lane" kit are by Shabby Princess.  I used the grumble font.

Little Brother's Blessing Day

Like father like son! John's grandmother Worthen made this adorable baby blessing outfit. My husband and son look like twins! I don't see an ounce of my features in my baby boy! He is definitely a mini John!

On July 7, 2013, we had little brother's baby blessing at our church at 6:00 PM. He was six weeks and four days old. At the same time, our nephew Justin blessed his precious daughter too! Nearly 50 people (friends and family) came and supported us. Afterwards, we served tons of desserts and drinks. Sadly, my son cried all during his baby blessing while his second cousin slept through hers. Either little brother had gas or was over stimulated. Poor little guy. It was a beautiful experience nonetheless and we are very grateful for our little man to be apart of our family! XOXOX

Lastly, this picture sums up how he was feeling during most of his father's blessing! LOL! 

Our Happy Independence Day!

First, we started off the day by seeing Despicable Me 2.  We didn't want to bring the baby so John and little sis went first then big sis and me went last. It was a very funny movie! I absolutely love the minion's quirky personalities!  Next, we took a nap for a few hours after the movie. Then that evening we went to a BBQ with some family and friends at a near by school.  Lastly, we ended the night watching the Pleasant Grove fireworks! It was a lazy and fun fourth of July! No stress and hassle free!  That is how we roll on Independence Day!

Little Brother's First Few Weeks

 Brother Loves His Big Sisters

Oh my goodness, how I love these precious children of mine! The girls absolutely love their new baby brother! They have been very helpful these past few weeks with bottle feedings, changing diapers, cuddling their brother, bathing him, etc. I love having my "live in" nannys! They are the greatest little helpers!

Brother's First Bath

Brother absolutely loved taking his first bath (in a chair)! However, getting dressed and lotioned after his warm bath was not very fun for him, but he was happy after he got his cute teddy bear and dog pajamas on. 

A True Red Sox's Fan!

Uncle Nate is a huge Boston Red Sox fan. He has bought his nephew a few baseball outfits!

Z Finally Met Granny and Papa Free

I went down to southern Utah with my sister in-laws (Marilee and Jean) to see my in-laws. My mother in-law was recently diagnosed with throat cancer. She had surgery to remove the cancer and will be receiving radioactive iodine treatments soon. We surprised Granny with my bundle of joy! It was the best medicine for Granny to hold her grandson while Marilee made tons of soft food for her to eat! Brother slept in a dresser drawer since we didn't have a pack and play!

Three Weeks Old

Aunt Jean bought this darling summer crab outfit and blanket.

Four Weeks Old

Five Weeks Old

Zach was caught sucking his thumb at five weeks old! Too cute!

All American Family Scrap Pages

Happy Fourth of July!

Stars and Strips Forever, 2009

Credits: I used the "Summer Cottage" kit by Shabby Princess and I used sabrina font and love ya like a sister font.

A Sparkling Good Time, 2010

Credits: The template is by  The paper and elements are from "Celebrate" kit by Shabby Princess, which is a free kit.  As for the fonts, I used arial and Catherine's college days.

My Son's Birth Story

My water broke at 5:30 AM on May 22, 2013. That was certainly a first time for me to experience and very unexpected since it happened right after I went to the bathroom. The funny thing is I knew right away what exactly happened to me (it felt like a balloon popped inside of me). Luckily, I had most of my hospital bags packed and ready to go (just had to put in a few last minute things). I called my doctor (Dr. Saunders) and he instructed me to head over to the hospital! John, girls, and I were at the hospital around 6:00 AM. I started feeling mild contractions while getting admitted. Then after they gave me some pitocin via iv to speed up the labor along, I felt some intense painful contractions that literally took my breath away. My baby's heart rate dropped during my contractions too(from 150 to 80). So they put an oxygen mask on me to help calm Zach down, which helped a bit.  To my surprise, the pre labor pain was nothing to compared to waves of discomfort that I felt from true labor, ack! I made sure I got on the waiting list as soon as possible to get my epidural(I was second in line that morning thankfully). The epidural gave me relief after a few minutes! At 11:00 AM they checked my cervix and I was a ten ready to push! They called Dr. Saunders and he was there in a few minutes(his office is a half a block away)! After three big pushes, Zach finally made his arrival to the world at 11:17 AM. To our surprise, he was 1,170 baby born at the hospital this year! He weighed 6 pounds 12 ounces and was 18 1/2 inches long.

After giving birth to my son, my blood pressure dropped dangerously low and I passed out. Apparently I lost a lot of blood too. My sister in-law Chiaki was coming in the room at that moment and saw me turning blue... They gave me oxygen and I was fine a few minutes later. I also had low blood sugar too and they gave me juice to bring it back up to normal. Poor Savannah (little sister) witnessed the whole labor and delivery.  I feared it was too much for Savannah to see the birth of her brother, but she was brave though it all watching all the bloody details. She seems okay now not too traumatized! Audrey (big sister) was a pro with the camera and didn't get grossed out at all from the gore. It was hopefully a beautiful experience for my girls to be apart of Zach's birth! I loved Zach the moment he was placed on my chest. He is a handsome little guy! I am overwhelmed with gratitude and thank my Heavenly Father for blessing me with the beautiful miracle of being a mother to  my three precious children.

Zachary is almost perfect! He has some strange lesions on top of his head and one testicle that has not descended yet, which the doctors are going to watch that closely and may need to see an urologist later.  We did a circumcision when he was a few weeks old. Around the same time, Zach was diagnosed with a hernia that needs surgery later when he is bigger (his testicle is in the middle of the abdominal/bowel mass). He had three ultrasounds and saw a pediatric surgeon.  As for the lesions on Zach's head, at first they thought the sores were like bedsores (pressure on his head from resting on my pelvis bone for several weeks).  Since the sores are near the mid-line of his skull, the doctor determined he has aplasia cutis congenita.  They believe his brain didn't completely form/close properly and it has been slowly healing on it's own. When Zach was one day old, he had an ultrasound at the hospital, which confirmed that he has a normal brain/etc. He passed every test for the doctor and he doesn't suspect anything else wrong with him... We are thinking the spots on his head could be similar to some red bald spots that John has on his head, which he also had at birth.  If that is the case, this issue is defiantly genetic and not a big deal at all... The sores are healing very well with vaseline and we need to follow up with a dermatologist in July at Primary Children's Hospital. I am not sure what they would want us to do. At this point, they are not very noticeable and almost completely healed.

Zach had many vistors come to see him at the hospital. Karen and Adam Smith, Chiaki and Matt Free, Marilee and Holly Nelson, the Merrik family, and Justin and Keli Silva. 

I am truly grateful for the privilege to be Zach's mother! I have always wanted a son and John is very excited to spoil him (take him fishing, hunting, play sports, etc). It was worth the long pregnancy, pain, wait, etc. He is a great blessing in our family and we look forward to watching him grow up into a wonderful gentleman! XOXOX

Roughing It Outdoors Layouts

A Camping We Will Go, 2002

Credits: The layout is by me. I used the "Happy Camper" kit is by Dani Mogstad and SBC Courtney's Journal for my font.

 Gone Camping, 2004

Credits: The template is by Cindy Schneider. The papers are by Kaye Winiecki and doodles are by Kate Hadfield. As for the fonts, I used pea amy sue and lima bean.

Eighth Grade Graduation and Awards Cermony

Way to Go A!

On May 29, 2013 big sister graduated from eight grade with two awards citizenship and good attendance!  She was a great student and we can hardly believe she will be a big 9th grader next year!

My Precious Baby Boy is Finally Here!

We are happy to announce the arrival of our handsome son!

 I used a free Baby Boy Birth Announcement Template.

His beautiful newborn photo shoot was by Bella Baby Photography!

Love at first sight! He is absoluetly adorable! XOXOX

Happy Mother's Day to My Guardian Angel Mother!

Yesterday my siblings and I went to the cemetery to place some pretty pink flowers on our dear Mother's grave to honor her on Mother's Day today.  Recently I was given an incredible baby shower gift from one of my dear friends. She gave me a beautiful framed poem about Mothers to hang in my home.  This poem brought tears to my eyes after I read it... Happy Mother's Day!

A baby asked God, "They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow, but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?"

"Your angel will be waiting for you and will take care of you."

The child further inquired, "But tell me, here in heaven I don't have to do anything but sing and smile to be happy."

God said, "Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you. And you will feel your angel's love and be very happy."

Again the child asked, "And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me if I don't know the language?"

God said, "Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak."

"And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?"

God said, "Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray."

"Who will protect me?"

God said, "Your angel will defend you even if it means risking it's life."

"But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore."

God said, "Your angel will always talk to you about Me and will teach you the way to come back to Me, even though I will always be next to you."

At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from Earth could be heard and the child hurriedly asked, "God, if I am to leave now, please tell me my angel's name."

"You will simply call her, 'Mom.'"

- Author Unknown