Battle Wounds

His blood levels came back a bit lower today and his phosphorous levels jumped up. I'm not giving up on Saturday, but his levels have got to head in the right direction for 24-48 hours. During his nap today his IV came completely out. Hopefully he won't need it. They'd have to redo it for the 3rd transfusion if need be and I'd just as soon he not have to go through that.

The tape holding his IV in place really did a number on his hand. So far it doesn't seem to be bothering him, but it doesn't look to good.

Most of his "pinches" have been taken from his arms and each time it causes another bruise.

Paulette stayed with him last night while I stayed at Grace & Jim's. He was excited to have a bath this morning and got to shoot the water out of syringe while soaking me and the nurse. We played in the playroom a couple of times and watched a couple movies. He's had a few visitors today which has been nice and breaks up the monotony of the day for me.

He ate really well today starting with peaches & a Sprite for breakfast, 3 chicken nuggets for lunch & some fruit loops w/milk for dinner. It's been a long time since he's eaten something for every meal.

He's definitely feeling better. It's nice to have my Lucas back.

One Week, but Who's Counting

We've reached our one week mark since arriving here. I never would have thought we'd be here this long. I hope none of you ever have to go through this.

e.coli O157:H7 = bad news bears

Today has actually been the best day so far. He just barely fell asleep for the first time all day, which is pretty amazing considering the 2-3 naps he was taken prior to today. The new blood must have really made him feel good. The lab results today showed his blood levels were up which is good and to be expected after the transfusion. He kidney levels continue to go down, although the dr. made sure to point out that they are still extremely high for a 4 year old! His platelet levels are still really low, but continue to rise slowly. Everything seems to be moving in the right direction which is what we like to hear. The dr. today (our 3rd Nephrologist) thinks Saturday doesn't seem to unreasonable for a discharge date as long as his blood levels don't drop tomorrow. I'd even take Friday, but don't want to push my luck to much!

It was a pretty uneventful day, but we'll take it if it means things are getting better.

A couple funny things he said lately...

As he walks into his room last night from getting a movie he says "ahh, home sweet home". Um... lets not get to attached!

I had walk with me to the laundry room to get the laundry out of the dryer. While I'm folding the clothes he says "I'm thirsty of walkin".

Oh Happy Day...

We had the dr. stop by this afternoon he mentioned that he'll be for at least a couple more days. With the new blood transfusion they have to make sure that his levels don't rise and than fall again like they did last time. They also have to make sure that his kidney levels continue to fall. We don't necessarily have to be in the "normal" range but need to be headed in that direction consistently before they'll consider releasing him. He also mentioned that he'll probably need weekly blood draws once we leave to make sure everything is maintaining. He's going to love that!

I'm shooting for a weekend discharge date. I don't want to get my hopes up too high!

The resident that was with the dr. also talked about how they were doing everything they could to get the isolation ban removed. I wasn't to optimistic since they were pretty adamant this morning that there was nothing we could do until he poops. Although... I still pled my case... again! About 30 seconds after they left the room he came back in with some very good news... we no longer have a nice "contaminated room" poster adorning our door. The senior resident from this morning went to the top of the supervisor chain and they finally gave the go ahead. Apparently some of his stool had come back negative for shiga-toxins, but they weren't able to test for e.coli. Not sure why we didn't find this out two days ago... oh well.

We're Free At Last!

Tonight Jed pushed him down to the playroom in his car. He walked with me to the candy machines. And I pushed him again in his car to pick out a movie. I think he's enjoying his new found freedom. I know I am.
He and his dad enjoyed some playstation baseball and we all played a game of animal rummy, Lucas style.

His transfusion went well this afternoon. He slept through about 3 hours of it, although he was not cooperative during the vital checks. We're glad it's over and hope his body decides to keep these instead of destroy them.

Holding Strong...

I normally consider myself a strong person.

I'm not one who cries when my kids get their routine immunizations since I know it's for their own good.

I may have shed a tear or two during his first dr.'s appointment last Monday when I had to watch him in so much pain and go through his first blood lab.

I did have a slight break down the day after we were admitted.

But today... I lost it... over a stinkin' wagon ride! Infection control will not lift the isolation ban and therefore he's been confined to his room... again! Until they have a stool sample they won't consider it. He wanted to go for a car ride this morning and it broke my heart that he couldn't, especially since he got to yesterday. I'm upset because he could be off isolation but because of mix up at the lab they didn't run the two samples and now there's nothing we can do until he poops again. It's frustrating, but we'll get through it.

And... I had to say goodbye to Shara today since she had to fly back to "Sharizona". I've loved having her here to keep me company and to explain everything to me. I'm sure Abby has missed having her mom. Luckily we'll get to see them again next month when there original Utah vacation was scheduled!



P.S. They started the transfusion about 10 minutes ago.

Quick Update

He did so good last night. He must have really liked this nurse cause he let her do vitals all night without screaming or trying to attack her. They came to draw blood this morning and he screamed through that, but still laid real still. And he immediately stopped crying when I offered him a drink of Sprite!

FYI...

Blood levels: Low = BAD
Kidney Levels: High = BAD

The nurse came back in about a half hour ago and said his Hematocrit level dropped to 18.8 which makes him critical for another blood transfusion. When they gave the transfusion last time it was 20.1 so it's even lower this time. The resident will be around in the next little while to make the order.

It looks like the kidney levels have finally reached their peak. Today's the first day they are headed in the right direction. His Phosphorous also went down, still high, be did go down some. Some good news this morning. Although they are not in normal range yet, we hope to make it there sooner than later!

Dr. Nelson did say that his kidney's may turn around and be just fine and the blood issue might be what keeps him here... hopefully this transfusion will do the trick.

A Change of Scenery

If there is one person Lucas has missed during all of this, it's Kody. He keeps telling me how much he misses Kodes and and wants to see him. Yesterday Jed and my mom brought him up and it made Lucas' day. Kody wasn't quite sure what to think at first, but soon found it fun to push the bed buttons. I just love these two and can't wait until they can play (or fight) together again!




Yesterday his blood levels had risen a bit, which is what they were hoping for after the transfusion. They weren't in the normal range yet, but they didn't expect them to be. He looked a lot better also. He's sort of on a roller coaster ride with mood swings and I'm sure being confined to a room for 5 days hasn't helped much. His kidney levels were still slightly rising making his kidney function still low, around 35% (I think). Dr. Nelson came in and still gave us at least 3 to 4 more days. It was more of a quiet day, which was nice. Jed, Shara, Kody & I left around 3:30 for home and my mom stayed with Lucas overnight. I needed to get some sleep and I wanted to spend some time with Kody. I also needed to restock my bag before heading back to our luxury suite at the fabulous five star PCM this morning. He did have two bowel movements last night, but unfortunately there was a mix up at the lab and neither one of them was tested so he's still under isolation and they won't take him off until they get another sample. I wasn't too happy about it, but there isn't much I can do! He did eat two slices pizza and drank a can of sprite.



Today he's about the same. His blood levels did drop again so they'll be watching those and his phosphorus jumped higher. He got to go for a wagon ride this morning and his dad pushed him around in a car this afternoon. That put a smile on his face which was nice to see. He also got out of bed a couple of times to play Go Fish with Shara & I and play with some toys/books. This was good since he did it all on his own. I did have to force him to take a bath, but at least he's clean now! He's still not eating that great, but he's loving the Sprite! Hopefully his lab work will come back with some improvement tomorrow and we can begin the downhill slide to all of this. We met his new dr. today, but he didn't have much to tell us, but it still sounds like a few more days. I'm starting to wonder if we'll ever make it out of here. I'll let you know of any new news tomorrow.



After 5 days, he finally got to experience the life outside his room!



Our favorite patient & favorite nurse.

New Blood

They started the transfusion about 9:00 tonight. Here's a couple of pictures of Lucas showing off his new blood. It'll take 4 hours to complete the process.

A Little Better... A Little Worse

We're still here!

The pain is gone in his stomach and the diarrhea has stopped. If we can get two stool samples that are negative for the toxin then he'll be isolation free and be able to leave the room for walks. Of course after they tell us this, he decides not to poop at all today! Go figure!

Last night he was literally bouncing off the walls. He was talking non stop and had the funniest things to say. He thought he'd try a running leap for some balloons, but collapsed before he could get his feet off the ground. This was his first venture out of bed and apparently didn't know that running and jumping should come after you've been on your feet more than 30 seconds in 5 days! We all had a good laugh, including him!

Jed slept at the hospital last night with Lucas. I slept at my aunt and uncles house just a few miles from the hospital. I slept so good! I don't think I moved all night. It was nice to get some rest, but I still woke up tired. I think everything has finally caught up to me and I'm draggin' a bit. Jed said he didn't get much sleep, but Lucas slept good.

When we got over this morning, Lucas was still sleeping. He looked quite white/pale and slept until about 10:00. The poor kid had to have 3 blood draws this morning. They first 2 they did from his finger and both samples clotted. The third one they finally did through the vein. He's about had it with them taking his blood. We practically have to hold him down so they can take it. His levels from this morning did not shown signs of improvement. His kidney levels are still rising and his blood levels are still dropping. He pretty much spent the day laying around and sleeping. He didn't look so great which had me concerned. They did another blood test this evening and things continue to worsen. Tonight they decided to do the blood transfusion and will start that in the next hour or so. Hopefully that will give him the boost he needs. Of course after they ordered the transfusion he decides to get all happy and talkative again!

Dr. Nelson came in the morning to discuss his kidney levels with us. At first he thought he might need the dialysis, but he's hoping to wait it out a bit and see if they start to drop on their own. He thinks the trend shows signs of peaking in the next day or so. I would rather see him get over this on his own rather than have surgery and dialysis. We'll see what the dr. says tomorrow. Even after this is all over, they'll be doing follow ups on him to make sure the kidney's are still functioning properly.

I think that's about it for today. We'll see what tomorrow brings.


Now... as you may remember. We had the ultrasound yesterday and apparently there were more of you thinking blue than pink. Our little he looks really good. Because of his position they weren't able to get a good look at his heart so they may send us back in a couple of months to get a better look at that. Were very excited to welcome this little guy to our family.

Fifty Percent

Although there wasn't a lot of change in his blood work yesterday afternoon, it still did not show any signs of improvement yet. They've already come this morning to draw more blood and I'm anxious to find out the results in a couple hours.

The Nephrologist came by yesterday afternoon to take a look at him. He's been turned over to the kidney team now and they will be monitoring everything. As of yesterday he still had a ways to go before a blood transfusion or dialysis which is always good news. His kidney's are currently performing at 50% and around 15% is when they consider dialysis. They printed out the lab results for me yesterday and in my limited medical language (and some help from Shara), I can see why Dr. N talks as if it's going down before it'll go back up. His levels for kidney function are quite high so even if they reverse themselves, it may take awhile before they reach the normal zone again.

They would like to trace the E.coli back to something, but so far, we're all drawing a blank. Between St. George for Christmas, our house for a couple of days & Honeyville for New Year's we have a lot of ground to cover. Since nobody else has been sick, it's been hard to track, especially since so much of it was shared. The case has been reported to health department and they'll be talking to me soon.

He finally ate 2 bites of Cream of Wheat and about 5 grapes yesterday. Not much, but since he hasn't taken a bite of anything since Sunday, it's an improvement. He'll only drink water and apple/grape juice and unfortunately he's not drinking much of those either. He only wants "little sips"! He's been put on a dietary restriction with low potassium & low phosphorus so his choices can be limited a bit.

It's pretty much a waiting game around here. The Dr. did say yesterday to plan on at least 3-4 more days but more likely a few more. I've requested that Dr. Nelson come see me this morning before I have to leave for my ultrasound in Provo. I'm hoping they'll follow through with making sure he does. I'd rather be here when he comes.

Thanks again for all your love and support.

Lucas Update

Good News First...

His stomach, which has been so painful to touch, move, etc. is finally soft and not nearly as tender... yeah! He still complains of it hurting a little but as long as his lying down he says he feels good. It looks like the E.coli bacteria is finally deciding to leave... lets hope!

A funny story...
Nurse Brooke came in and asked him to point on the chart at which face he was feeling like. He was a little confused at first and wasn't quite sure what to do. Then he asked her "well which one gives me medicine, that's the one I am".

Lucas received a fun surprise present from the Beatty cousin's in VA. He was so excited and the little toy airplane hasn't left his side since he opened it. Thank You!


Bad News

This morning I received the news that his blood work was significantly worse than yesterday. This points to Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome which is a condition that can present itself after E.coli. It can cause Anemia and Kidney Failure, although rarely is it ever permanent. The dr. this morning said that she has seen patients with horrible lab work turn around within a day, others end up in ICU on dialysis. We, of course, are praying for the first. It looks like we'll be setting up camp for a few days here at PCMC regardless. He's had two naps today which were desperately needed. He was quite restless last night and even watched a whole movie during the night... I tried to sleep through it! They'll be doing more lab work in about 2 hours to see how things are going. I'll do my best at keeping you posted on any changes.


Thank You!

We couldn't do this with out all of your support. My mom has taken over the care of Kody and we really appreciate it... and I'm sure he's in heaven! Tawn was willing to come give me a little break on Tuesday (and brought us dinner) and then came right over when I needed her to watch Kody while I took Lucas to the dr. yesterday. Paulette is going to come sit with Lucas tomorrow while we go to our ultrasound for the baby (a bright spot to a rather bad week). My sister, nurse Shara, is flying in today to stay with me here at the hospital. I'm very excited. Especially since she can help me understand what they are saying and know the right questions to ask! Thank you to each of you for your phone calls, messages, thoughts and prayers. We know we have a big support group of family and friends and we appreciate each one of you.

If Lucas could type, I know he'd want to tell each one of you thank you and he loves you... and we do too!

The Power of Prayer

Why ease into the new year when you get start it off with a bang! It's been a wild week for us... to say the least!

As Tawn mentioned below, we've had a very sick little boy. He's finally been admitted to Primary Children's where they can keep a close eye on him. The poor little guy has had diarrhea for the past 5 days. His stool culture finally grew and it was determined later this afternoon that he does have E-coli... the very bad one that has to run its course on its own. He's been in a lot of pain the last few days and it's been really hard to watch. Especially when you don't know what's wrong and there isn't a whole lot you can do to fix it. Dr. B sent us to UVRMC for an xray and ultrasound because the pain was progressively getting worse in his tummy. The ultrasound was extremely abnormal which is why we were sent home to pack our bags and head to Salt Lake. He's currently being monitored for any sign of kidney problems or anemia. Some of the lab work has come back abnormal so they are a little concerned but are hoping that it's just because he's passed so much blood.
They'll run some more tests again in the morning. It's been a hopping place around here with nurses, techs, residents, attendings, med students, etc. He's currently sleeping (thanks to pain meds) and I hope that he's finally able get a good nights rest (so I can too)!

We want to thank everyone who has been sending thoughts and prayers our way. We can feel them coming in our direction. We were truly blessed today when the culture finally decided to grow and showed E-coli. Even though there isn't much we can do right now, it's better than the other options we were given of Crohn's Disease or Ulcerative Colitis.

I told Lucas that his name is in 4 different temples and he now thinks he should be able to see them! I think we might just have to take him to one of the temple open houses when he's all better!

Poor Lucas.

I'm doing this post without Katie's permission, but I just thought you all should know that Lucas is a pretty sick little boy right now. He could definitely use your prayers right now. They are at the hospital right now getting some x-rays and an ultrasound. They aren't sure what he has quite yet. They did some blood cultures and they all came back negative for e-coli and salmonella poisoning. He is in so much pain, it just makes me so sad. We are hoping to hear more results this afternoon and finally figure out what is causing this. I just love this little guy so much and it breaks my heart to see him so sick. Please keep him (and poor Katie) in your prayers! We love you Lucas!

Dixie Christmas

We loaded the car Christmas Eve morning and headed south. While stopping for gas, Jed noticed that the gas was coming out the bottom of the car... lovely! We detoured back to the car shop where they spent an hour fixing the problem and then we headed off again. A few hours past our originally scheduled departure time! We made it to Hurricane just in time for the Beatty Christmas party.


Jed presenting his "gold" to everyone... I'm sure Werthers would have been a big hit with Mary and Joseph!

Baby Jesus & the cutest young shepherd

CHRISTMAS MORNING

We could hardly get Lucas to wake up Christmas morning. He was asleep on the living room floor. Kody tried his darnedest to wake him, but with no luck! Once everyone arrived, we forced him awake which he, of course, didn't complain about once he saw the presents!

Lucas could hardly stand to wait his turn to open his next gift. It was so fun to watch his excitement with everything he got. Kody on the hand only wanted whatever ever Talon opened! Although Lucas didn't technically get "a long slide and Christmas lights" he still tells everyone that's what he got! It makes me laugh!

He did get to go to Jumping Jacks to experience their long slides! He and Kody had a blast and Jed got a workout!

We had a great time spending Christmas with Jed's family this year. We stayed up late almost every night... not good for someone who had to get up with two early risers! I had to take a few naps! We played lots of games and enjoyed seeing and visiting with everyone. We came home Monday morning. That night my parents stayed with us on their way back from Aaron and Shara's. We had dinner at the Tawnya's and played a little Rock Band.

We hope you had a very enjoyable Christmas this year too!

A Few of my Favorite Things...

In no particular order... I don't feel like moving the pictures around!





MY SAVIOR




With out him there would be no point. He is the reason we try every day. He knows that we will have good days and bad. He's the constant in our lives that never changes, as long as we let him in. He helps me to a be a better mom and make it through the tough days. He really is the reason why we celebrate this time of year.





FUEL PUMPS




Why do cars have to break? On Saturday we were driving down the free just before Bountiful when Jed says "I think our car just died". Hello... we're moving at freeway speeds, how can it just die! With no possibility of revival, we waited for Tawn & Landon. They were about 20 minutes behind us. (We were headed to the Nicholas Christmas Party/Grandma 90th birthday.) Landon towed** us to a Honda dealership in Bountiful where they were unable to help us... Honda Passport = Izuzu. After towing us around to two other places, he eventually towed us (really just Jed, me and the boys rode in the truck) to Provo to the Izuzu dealer. They fixed the car yesterday and it works like a charm.. it better after $700! Although we missed the Nicholas party, it was probably for the better. The weather was terrible in Northern Utah with lots of accidents.



**Towing on freeway is not my favorite thing to do!



GOOD BOOK and (hopefully) GOOD MOVIE





I've been reading this book in hopes that I can finish it before seeing the movie. So far I'm loving it. I love that it's book that can make me smile, laugh, and just feel good. I'm excited for the movie and it's only PG!




TOPLESS UNDERSHIRTS



Blush

I heard about these when I was at the tail end of nursing Kody. I knew on my next pregnancy I was going to get one. They are actually not maternity shirts, but can be used for a variety of pregnancy related issues. Such as...


Pants to tight but not quite into maternity pants? Fold it and use it as a band to keep up pants up!



Maternity shirts to big, but regular clothes are getting to short? Use it as a long undershirt... works like a charm!



Nursing and tired of showing everyone your belly? (because face it... it happens to the best of us at one point or another, even if we think we're covered!) Since it is "topless" you don't have to lift it up. It stays put while you are nursing, never to be exposed again! I for one am excited for this!



And just because you've had your baby and are done nursing, don't put it away. Wear it!



I only have one, but I think I need about three more!



SIMPLY OJ



As if you didn't know!




MY NIECES and NEPHEW

I love being an aunt and my kids love having cousins! Since Reese lives the closest, she's the one with the picture, but we love them all so much!

BEING A MOM

This little boy can us make laugh like no one else. He's growing up and getting smarter and smarter. He loves preschool and Ms. Heather. He still makes us laugh daily. He loves to help me cook. I call him my little chef Remy and he calls me Linguine. Our lives wouldn't be the same with out his constant talking and active personality. He can keep going from sun up to sun down without skipping a beat (and it makes me tired)! He's potty trained and has done so good in the last few weeks with no accidents. I love this kid more and more everyday!

Kody's new cheesy face gives us lots of giggles. He loves to run (or prance) as fast as he can on his tippy toes. It's hilarious to watch so of course, we ask him to run often! He's learned how to throw tantrums which we've never had to deal with before. He loves to give kisses on both cheeks. He's a delight to have and our family wouldn't be complete with his fun spirit.

We hope you enjoy your holidays!

As Lucas would say... Merry Christmas to all, and to all, and to all!!

Lots of smiling parents with cameras...

can only mean one thing!





Lucas has his first preschool Christmas program Thursday night. He was so excited! He worked really hard on having his poem memorized and singing the songs. Despite a little lecture on what to do with our hands during the program, the finger still went up the nose! Jed and I were in the back (hence the many heads in the photos) and just smiled! That's our boy...

His class performing the "Chubby Snowman"

There was a chubby snowman

He had a carrot nose

Along came a bunny

and what do you suppose?

That hungry little bunny

was looking for his lunch

he grabbed the snowmans carrot nose

nibble, nibble, munch!

Dear Santa...

Hi Santa,

I want for tris

I want tristmas lights and a long slide.

I hope to see you soon.

(Me in the background... "Love")

Santa

Bye!

(In the background... "I left a message for Santa!")

And then the nice Vonage people emailed the message back to me! Love it!

Welcome Jed...

to the 28 club!

I decided to see how well Lucas knows his dad...

1. What is dads favorite color? Blue
2. What is dads favorite movie? Star Wars
3. What is dads favorite food? Macaroni
4. What is dads favorite drink? Dr. Pepper
5. What color is dads hair? Short
6. What is dads favorite thing to do? Work
7. Where does dad work? In China
8. What is dads favorite song? I am a Child of God
9. How old is dad? 6
10. What color are dads eyes? brown or blue, wait... are they brown?
11. Who is dads best friend? Me, you mean Jake.
12. What is dads favorite game? Hide and Seek
13. What is your favorite thing to do with dad? I know... Shamu!
14. Who is dads hero? Me

Happy Birthday to you! We are really lucky to have such an amazing dad and husband. You work so hard for us and we really appreciate it. We love you so much and hope that you have a wonderful day.

A Few Pregnancy Updates...

I'm officially 16 weeks (starting 17th week) today. For some reason, that still doesn't feel very far along to me. Almost like it should still be a secret!

I can still feel this baby move every once in awhile... not consistenly, but definitely moving. Hopefully that doesn't mean he or she will be sticking the feet in my rib cage sooner!!

I'm still addicted to Simply Orange Juice with ice, every morning at 6 am.

I've had some pretty serious, daily, headaches associated with this pregnancy. So bad, that one morning I woke up crying because my head was in so much pain. I think I scared Jed. Sometimes they cause nausea. Luckily they are starting to be fewer and farther between. I've narrowed down the source to I think, sleep and eating. If I don't eat the minute I'm hungry, I can almost guarantee a headache. Having two very active children during the day has made me extremely tired at night. I could go to bed at 7 and not wake up til morning.

My pants are getting tighter, but not quite maternity tight yet. I'm sure it'll happen sooner than later.

We're excited to find out boy or girl in January.

And for your viewing pleasure, a picture of my progress taken today.



p.s. All pictures posted recently have been from the laptop with very limited editing features... therefore I have no tan and my hair needs cut really bad.

Visiting the Doctors

Monday we spent a good portion of the day visiting the doctors. While getting ready in the morning, Lucas asked me "Mom, is the doctor going to check my feelings?"

My appointment was first and everything seems to be on track. We'll find out what we are having in January. Jed met us there and afterwards we went for a guacamole bacon burger, cheese fries and the ultimate dipping sauce at the fabulous Training Table. Maybe not the healthiest, but most definitely the yummiest!

Next was Lucas & Kody's well check appointments. Lucas weighed in at 42 pounds & 44 inches tall. Kody was 35 1/2 inches tall & 24 lbs 13 ozs (I think). Both are doing great. We did end up leaving with antibiotics for Lucas. Apparently he also has a sinus infection which is doing much better since being on meds. Lucas was so excited to get his flu shot... funny kid! He was so brave and didn't cry. Kody had 4 shots and was less than thrilled about it. In general, he's not to fond of the doctor. Lucas on the other hand, loves to see Dr. B.

I did talk to the dr. about Lucas' random sick episodes. We can almost guarantee he'll get sick and throw up at least once a month (happened again last night). It usually happens in the evening and comes on really fast. He sleeps it off and is fine the next morning. Dr. B thinks he has something similar to migraines, all the symptoms minus the actual headache. Although he complains his head hurts during some of the episodes. When I was younger I use to experience headaches almost daily (they lessened when I cut my hair) and my dad still deals with them quite often. He said it may be something he's inherited. What a bummer thing to inherit!

I was also able to get my flu shot when they gave the boys theirs. This is the first flu shot I've ever had. Not to fond of needles, but had to be brave for Lucas!

I have a 4 year old!

Today is our Lucas' birthday! Now that the days pretty much over says it was a great day. We're winding down right now by watching "Kung Fu Panda" and eating Swedish fish! I have a feeling he's not going to make it far before we're carrying him up to bed (or they're carrying me to bed)!

I can't believe it's been 4 years since he surprised us by arriving 4 1/2 weeks ahead of schedule. I was in labor a good portion of the day that Sunday but didn't realize it. I thought I was having braxton hicks. It wasn't until about 11:00 that evening that I started to realize something wasn't right. Jed was already in bed, but I couldn't sleep. I started timing the contractions and I think they were about 3 minutes apart. I woke Jed up and we headed to the hospital. I was shocked when the nurse announced I was at a 9 and we'd be having a baby soon. Lucas Mark entered the world all wound up in the cord at 3:23 am, 3 hours after entering the hospital. It was a definite blessing in our lives to have him come when he did.




He came bounding into our room a little after 7 this morning. I told him happy birthday and he responded with "today is my REAL birthday.... but my feet haven't grown". Um... okay! We let him open his presents in bed. Grandma & Grandpa Valentine stopped by and he was excited to to see them and have more presents to open! We went to lunch at the Pizza Factory and they gave Lucas a pizza shaped like the number 4.

Tonight was our ward Christmas party. Lucas was quite impressed that all those people were there for his party. :) After a little program by the YM/YW and the primary, Santa made an appearance... the perfect present for the birthday boy!

Lucas... we love you and are so glad you are part of our family!

A Little Holiday Cheer

We put our tree up for FHE this week. A star did sit atop the tree at one point, but with Kody's help of redecorating all the time, the star has since toppled off and may or may not be put back on.

Grandma Valentine gave Lucas a gingerbread house kit that we put together this week after Kody went to bed! It was lots of fun and Lucas even decorated part of it by himself. He was more interested in eating the candy before we could put it in the icing.

Lucas' side...

Oh man... I love this boy!

And how would a holiday be complete without the eggnog. Not regular eggnog, but eggnot with sprite & vanilla ice cream. Yumm-o!


And here's the pictures of Lucas and Kody with Santa at Willard Bay during Thanksgiving. Lucas could hardly wait to finally sit on his lap. It's fun to live through his excitement over things like this.

Gramps & Lucas

Checkin' out Santa's reindeer.

And of course, not everything is hunky dory around here. Wednesday night I had to run Kody up to the doctor. He hasn't been feeling to good and that day he reached a fever around 103. Poor kid has another sinus infection. He's been on antibiotics and will be for another 7 days. I think he's finally starting to feel better tonight... lets hope!

December Already?

Sorry for the lack of blog posts... maybe one day the blogger in me will return!



We hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I know we did. This year we spent Thanksgiving at my parents. We started off the festivities with a birthday party Wednesday night for Reese, who is now 1.



Thanksgiving was delicious, as always! There were 19 of us which made for a cozy dinner. This year Jim, Melanie, Ty, Amanda, Jeff, CJ, Logan & Jeff's parents joined us. We had a great time visiting and enjoying some serious laughs over a came Jess was trying to teach us! Jed & Landon left later that night to head back home. Jed was going to California Friday morning with a few guys from work to the USC game. I missed having him spend the weekend with us, but he said he had a good time.



I'm normally not a Black Friday person, but this year my dad was in the market for a laptop. He woke Tawn & I up at 3:45 to head over to Logan. We had about a 15 minute wait before the doors opened at Best Buy. We didn't get one of the "golden tickets" for the laptops so we decided to try our luck at Walmart. That place is nuts! You have to be crazy to go in there at 5 in the morning!! While we were debating a guy came up and offered us his ticket to for a laptop at Best Buy. He wanted $50 for the ticket, but took $25. We then went back over to Best Buy and stood in line for 2 hours waiting to buy the it! I pretty sure my dad was happy with the outcome!



Friday night we drove down to Willard to visit with my grandparents. Afterwards we drove through the lights at Willard Bay and stopped to see Santa and his reindeer. Lucas, of course, told him the same thing he tells everyone... "I want Christmas lights & a long slide".



Saturday mom mom, Jess, Tawn & I along with Melanie, Amanda & Nancy went to see Twilight. My dad was kind enough to stay home with the 3 kids. We put Kody & Reese down for a nap before we left. The movie was okay, but I thought it was extremely choppy. I was disappointed in the character development and felt there as no rhyme or reason to certain parts. I hope the next one is better, although New Moon was my least favorite book!



The boys are in heaven when they are with their grandparents and could have cared less if I was there! We had a great time spending these last few days with family. I have the best family in the world and I'm so grateful for them. We love you!