I miss you mom.

Obituary

Mom and Bob, April 2009
(retouched)

Christopher and Grandma sharing a juice! Cheers!Grandma with her 8th grandbaby (Carson)

Heart broken

I have started this blog so many times and erased it trying to find the right way to start all that I have to say. So I will just start it.

We (me and the three boys) drove down to Iowa last Thursday to get a good visit with my mom and family and to support my little brother when he gets married on the 21st! We spent the last week with my mom and stepdad helping (sometimes getting in the way!) preparing juices, helping with clay packs and trying to keep the house clean! So on Wednesday I took my two nieces and the boys and drove down to KC to visit my sister Connie (and fam), go to Worlds of Fun & Oceans of Fun, get some school haircuts and shopping done and then have Colton in Omaha on Monday night to visit his dad in central Kansas for a week.

Well on Thursday, we got a call from my stepdad and sister Carrie saying that my mom was acting strangely, slurring her words and not being able to keep food down. Friday morning it only got worse and her dr. said that he wanted a brain scan immediately. The results showed that one of the tumors was causing bleeding on her brain and needed to be removed and drainage for the bleeding. We threw all of our stuff in the car and drove like crazy (my 7yo niece was carsick the entire 5 hours) back to Iowa, hoping and praying that we would get to see her one more time.

Arrangements were made on the road for the kids and my 15yo niece, Carson and I made it up to the hospital in time to join my family to hear the neurosurgeon say that the operation went well and that he hopes that she will make it to the wedding. She is doing well and has even been cracking jokes about the "hole in her head". She still has limited function with her left side, but that may get better now that the pressure is off of her brain.

(Funny story: while Connie, John and I (along with our familys) were racing to get back to SC, my oldest sister Carrie would call Connie, Connie would call me and I would call John and so the chain of command would go. Well, my mom kept asking to "talk to John", so John gets up to the hospital "what did she want to say to me" and everyone gave him a puzzled look, then laughed realizing that she had been saying that she wanted some "Taco Johns" and the message got lost in the chain of calls!)

Right now I am in one of the hospital "quiet rooms" that we have claimed for our family. Connie and I stayed here last night, so I am just waiting here with Carson until she comes back down with news after the dr makes his rounds.

And more pics

So I had a session booked with Ali for Christopher's 2nd year pics, Carson's newborn, and some "brother" shots, but then Jesse and I talked and I really wanted to get some nice family pics for Christmas. So what is my alternative? Yup Wally world! I don't think they turned out too bad for cheap, "studio" style pics. (Although I did have to Photoshop the group pic since it is hard to get all 3 to look good in one shot!) And my childrens' lives have been properly documented. At least until Carson's turns 3 months, 6 month and a year, oh and then school pics, and Christmas, and...!

Family Pic

This was taken back in Easter, but just got copies from my sis and had to Photoshop a different Colton in. (He was being naughty and the majority of the pictures had him making goofy faces-grrr! We didn't know that he was doing that!)

Carson is doing really well in his first two weeks of life! He passed his hearing test, weighs 9 lbs, and last night slept from 12:00 to 6:00 (which makes it a nicer day for everyone)!!!

I'm still trying to figure out life with three kids- how to get in/out of the car, running errands, nap time schedules, breaking up fights while nursing, occasionally giving kids cereal for dinner... you know, my new "normal"!

4th of July

For our 4th of July festivities, we went downtown to enjoy the parade, had a bbq with my dad, Connie and Evan, lit daytime fireworks, which turned into a water balloon fight and ended the day with the grown ups and Colton lighting the cool night time fireworks.

Firework mishaps: (to let you know that this is in the presence of three highly responsible, completely sober adults -one being an ultra cautious nurse!) One large one fell on it's side and shot numerous fireballs in a circular radius-under the car, under our neighbors 40 ft evergreen, one coming within inches of Jesse's leg to knock a glass off of the bumper of our car and shatter on the ground. Then, a piece of Colton's sparkler went flying and landed right on the bag of fireworks, starting a small fire, luckily we threw the bag into the damp grass, putting out the bag before any fireworks were lit. And finally Connie got a little singed on her leg from a small fleck of firework hitting her!

Enjoying the parade
Colton and Carson (looked like) covering their ears

Colton lighting a firework

Christopher and Jesse

Connie
Evan- not liking the ones that make noise.

Christopher followed Colton out to the field every time!

Evan returning with his prize!

Caught in the air!

Improvising a shield!
Christopher just walked around with the same balloon!

What comes around, goes around!

Our little firecracker!

Happy Fourth of July everybody!
Apu (from the Simpsons) said it best "Now go celebrate your country's independence by blowing up a small part of it!"

Candid pics & the shirts

So you can't take this many pictures of an event and not have some funny ones come up. So for my amusement (and hopefully yours too), I thought I would share. Oh, and there were a few comments about the shirts that I "made" so I added those! Enjoy :)

What!?! It's coming home with us?

Jesse's bed (not funny, kinda sad)

Cheetos, what cheetos?!

Baby checklist:
ten toes, check... ten fingers, check...
one brain, check!

Ahhh, elbow room!

Drugs are fun!

Pictures of Carson

So here is a quick post (with pictures, hooray!). Connie took Colton and Evan down to my dad's house, so we could have a quiet weekend with the two little ones. Around here we have been "sleeping like our baby", meaning up every 2-3 hours and not very deep sleep. :) and since Connie already posted Carson's stats, this will be more of the story in pictures!

Arriving Thursday morning to be induced!

Hooray for anesthesia! We're ready for you!

5:10 pm Carson Robert arrives into the world!

Instant love

Happy dad!

in awe!

Proud Auntie!

Clean up and a check up

All scrubbed up!

Hmm... not quite sure about baby, but I'm not leaving mommy!

He's already hooked!

My three sons...
(you knew it eventually had to be said!)

Welcome Carson Robert!!

This is Connie...

We welcomed Baby Carson today at 5:10 pm!! He weighed 8 pounds 8 ounces and was 21 inches long!! He is absolutely beautiful...Cortney did such a wonderful job during labor (especially after the epidural was working!) We only had my camera and I left it at the hospital so she could take pics tonight, so I do not have any pics to show you! Sorry! They should both come home tomorrow evening, so I would imagine she will post pics soon!! They are both doing great and Jesse is so proud!!

Eviction notice has been issued

After going in last night with contractions 2-4 minutes apart for over a couple hours, then being sent home (walking the hall of shame) because I was still only at 1 to 1 1/2 cm and not progressing, my CNM decided that it was time to get this little guy out!!!

We go in tomorrow at 8:00 am to induce labor (Angels singing in the background)!!! Hopefully we will have him in our arms by dinner tomorrow night!

Connie may try to post a blog (pictures will be a bonus) if she gets a chance (and is adventurous enough to give it a try after my 5 minute Blogging 101 session).
Otherwise check out my Facebook account or the Benefis hospital pics.

Pic: (Oh my gosh I am HUGE! 39 weeks- this is the "most pregnant" I have ever been and I feel like he is bigger than Colton and Christopher)