Nate News

We have some exciting news. Well, it's Nate's news but we are excited for him. Last spring he and a classmate did a case study for a conference of sorts at Weber State University. Well, he submitted it to the NATA (National Athletic Training Association) and it was accepted. He will be presenting it in San Antonio in June at the NATA Annual Meeting and Clinical Symposium. It will also be printed in their clinical journal. This is a big thing. I will be joining him on his trip while his parents watch the kids. We are so proud of him. He also has applied to be kind of like an intern with the Ogden Raptors AA baseball team this summer. We hope he gets it.

We are also going to be watching the girls I used to nanny for a week in April while their parents go to Singapore. Rob is going to have so much fun playing with the girls and playing in their yard. I am excited to get to see the girls and spend time with them. I miss them.

I guess I should update on Nate's aunt. She started chemo this week and so far is doing well. The doctors are still really hopeful she will make a full recovery. That is great news for our family. I think that's about all for now. I will keep everyone posted on the Raptors.

Rob did not want to sit still for this picture.

Don't you love the look on Bella's face? We went to Target and got their picture taken in these shirts. They turned out way cute.

Rob's new favorite thing....the movie Cars! He even has Car shoes.

He likes to play with Nate's hat and keys.

The beloved kitty.

Being a goofball.

He LOVES playing with his Hershey kiss ball that Grandma C got him. Thanks grandma!

Playing with the laptop he broke.

This is the only way we can get him to leave the new one alone.

Bella has a natural curl to her hair that is so cute.

The pictures really don't do the curls justice.

They are really curly right after her baths.

Our smiley girl.

Isn't this a cute onsie?

She has found her thumb.

Go Cubs Go!

Go Jazz too!

My Funny Boy!

So not much is really too new with us. It has been a tough two weeks or so for me. Both Rob and Bella have been really fussy and demanding my attention all the time. They also have been really bad at night. Once I get one back to sleep the other one wakes up crying. I am very thankful to be on Zoloft or I would not have made it through it all. I know my limits. There have been some good times though through the midst of tears and screaming (from both the kids and me). For Valentine's Day we didn't do much. Nate worked Friday night and the kids were up a lot with me so Nate's parents watched the kids while Nate and I slept. We didn't get up until 2 pm. It was really nice. Then we got ready and took the kids with us to dinner with the bishopric. Nate is an assistant ward membership clerk so he is part of the bishopric. We went to Texas Roadhouse and it was soooooo good. We only waited like 5-10 minutes because we called ahead 2 hours. Everyone was amazed at how good Rob was since we waited a long time for our food. He is good when we go out. Then when we got home we went next door to see our friends who were in town for the weekend. They hadn't seen Bella yet. It was nice to catch up with them. I would say it was a good day.

Rob still does not talk. He has no words at all. Not even mama or dada. He can sign the word for eat though. Trying to teach him sign language has paid off a little. Now we are working on "all done" and "more." Some of the new things he loves to do are ringing the doorbell and opening and closing the garage door. He will stand at either door and scream until you let him do it. He has also discovered light switches and has to turn off and on any switch he sees. Every Tuesday and Friday night I have been taking the kids to see Nate while he gets clinical hours at Syracuse High School basketball games. The trainer he is with doesn't mind us going. She actually likes it because she likes to hold Bella. Rob likes to go and watch the game and dance to the music. Ah yes dancing. Rob loves to dance now. Anytime music is on, no matter where we are, he starts dancing. It is really cute and funny.

Bella continues to grow. She smiles a lot, especially at Nate. She goes 5-6 hours between feedings now and drinks 4-6 oz each time. She, like her brother, loves the shower. She also loves the bathtub too. She is very strong and can hold her head up really well. She has been doing that for a while now. Overall, she is a good baby like Rob was.

Every dish goes on his head now.

Chillin in Bella's chair with his sunglasses.

Doesn't that face say "up to no good?"

He loves to wear Nate's hats.

Playing with bear and Nate's Weber hat.

Bella on Valentine's Day.

I LOVE this picture of her.

Rob went and layed down next to her. They are watching The Price Is Right.

It kind of looks like he is holding her hand. Too cute!

This and That

Not much is new with us. I just took some cute pictures this past week and thought I would post them. Bella smiles now. She loves to smile at Nate. It's really cute. She has started having 5-6 hours stretches during the night, but that is only after going to bed at 11-12. Rob continues to make us laugh. He loves to dance and starts dancing whenever he hears music. Nate's aunt had a scan the other day and the results showed there was no sign of cancer anywhere. We are all very excited about that. She continues to recover well. That's about all for now.

Rob got in this the other day while I was on the computer.

Yes, that is the fuzz he is holding.

Bella smiling at her daddy!

She is so cute!

Rob's crazy hair after his bath.

Pregnancies

So I saw this on a friend's blog and thought it was really cool so I thought I would do it too.

1. Where were you when you first found out you were pregnant? At home in our apartment in Ogden both times. With Rob it was Super Bowl Sunday.

2. Who was with you? I was alone for Rob and Rob was home with me for Bella.

3. What was your first reaction? Rob-very, very excited and could hardly believe it. Bella-"oh wow that happened fast" but also very, very excited.

4. What was your husband's reaction? He was excited. I texted him a picture of the stick with Bella since he was at work.

5. Who was the first person you told? I texted Lisa a picture of the stick both times but then it was our parents after that.

6. Was the pregnancy planned? Yes and yes (That's right, Bella was planned.)

7. Was everyone happy for you? Yes and yes after the initial shock of it being so fast.

8. What was the sex? Boy then girl

9. Did anyone throw a shower for you? Yes both at home in Chicago and here in Utah. I missed the one here though because I was in the hospital and ended up having Rob that night!

10. Did you get any outfits you wouldn't use? No we hardly got any clothes but we used the ones we did.

11. How much weight did you gain? Rob-I think it ended up being 60 lbs (mostly baby and water) Bella-30 or 35 lbs (mostly baby)

12. Did you get stretch marks? YES and more YES

13. Did you crave anything crazy? Nothing crazy. Rob-dum-dums, oreo blasts from Sonic, Taco Bell, Subway sandwiches. Bella-apples with peanut butter, pringles, Taco Bell

14. Who or what got on your nerves the most? Um I don't know. I guess just the complications I had with both and my diabetes.

15. Where were you when you went into labor? I never went into labor with Rob and the one time I did with Bella they stopped it.

16. Did you have any complications? Yes pre-eclampsia with Rob and my diabetes with both.

17. Did your water break? No

18. Who drove you to the hospital? Um, with Rob I was already in the hospital (I had been there for 5 days) and with Bella it was Nate.

19. Did you go early or late? Rob 5 weeks early. Bella 3 weeks early.

20. Who was in the room? Nate, a few doctors, a few nurses, anesthesiologist for both

21. Did you videotape it? No

22. Did you have any pain medication? YES I had to be numb. It was not managed well AT ALL after Rob though. I don't think the epidural was placed right.

23. Did you have a c-section or natural? C-section for both but Bella's went a lot better than Rob's. His was kind of an emergency thing.

24. What was your reaction to the birth? It went so fast for Rob and he had a hard time breathing when he came out. Bella came out screaming. I cried for both of them.

25. How big was the baby? Rob-9 lbs 3 oz 20 1/2 in Bella-11 lbs 9 oz 21 1/2 in

26. Did your husband cry? I don't know. I was kinda out of it.

27. When is the next one coming? Not for a long time if there is even going to be another one!

28. If you could do it all over again, would you? YES YES YES. I love my kids! They are the best things that have ever happened to me (other than Nate).

Bella is 2 months old!

So Bella just turned 2 months old. We took her to the doctor on Monday for her check-up and stuff. She weighs in at 14 lbs 9.5 oz and 23.7 inches long. That is not a mistake, she is really that big. We can hardly believe it, although she is in 6 month clothes. I also took some funny pictures of Rob today. He does the funniest things. He loves anything with hair/fuzz. His "lovie" is this little purple stuffed kitty (Wildcat) he got from a Weber State football game. My mom actually bought him a second one while she was here in case the first one gets lost. It has a little mane of hair that he likes to play with. He also has this giant stuffed lion his cousin Ellie gave him that has a huge mane. He likes to put the hair/mane of anything under his nose. It's weird but cute. When he was a baby he used to play with my hair while he was falling asleep, but he never put it under his nose. Now it's kitty's hair he plays with. We love our crazy little guy.

Our big beautiful girl is 2 months!

I tried to get one of her smiling but I couldn't.

He walked around most of the morning like this. Everytime I took it away, he managed to find some more.