Lake Powell 2010

We went to Lake Powell at the end of June beginning of July, but I am finally catching up on the blog. We had so much fun! The first few days, it was just Mark and LaFaunda, me, Stu and Abby and Tim, Holly and Marky. Those days were nice and relaxing and quiet minus Abby. Then Michele and Dan and there fam joined us then the next day, my parents, Emily and her fam joined us. It was a party! All of the kids loved being together and Abby loved watching them. It was nice to have some kids (and more grandparents,) to entertain Abby. Abby had a rough time sleeping there. We were up between 5:30am and 7:00am every morning which is not like her. She usually sleeps until at least 9:00am. So, Stu and I spent a lot of the trip a little tired. Abby loved playing in the sand, she wasn't quite sure about the water. It wasn't quite warm enough for her. Her favorite thing was climbing the stairs in the house boat. She became quite efficient at climbing. Thanks to Grandma Lafaunda we got to go out on the boat a few times with out Abby since she hated her life jacket. We had a great time with family and friends, but we were excited to come home and get Abby back on her schedule and take a real shower. Here are a lot of pictures, and these are just a few of them.
Abby driving the house boat!
Don't take a picture of my crazy sunscreen hair!!!
It was too much work to put a swimsuit on Abby for the five minutes we were outside so there are a lot of nude pictures!
The boys tuckered out!


The crew playing Monopoly Deal. That was played a lot on this trip.

Abby and Josh

The four amigas
Grandpa Ron going for a tube ride with the four girls.
The Grandpas making sure princess Abby is shaded and comfortable during her nap on the boat.
The Grandmas playing bingo with the kids.
Mmmm, Otter Pops
Grandma gave Abby licorice. I think here was more on Grandma than Abby when they were all through.
Abby loved Otter Pops too.
Every night Abby got a bath in the sink because she had watermelon for dinner and always made such a mess.
Me wake boarding.
Stu Wake boarding.
My sister Emily and I tubing.
Our excursion to see Rainbow Bridge.
A cute picture of my parents.

Abby's First Birthday Party!

Abby had a fun birthday party despite what happened earlier that day. We had Michele and her kids, Emily and her kids, Grandma and Grandpa Jensen and Grandma and Grandpa Curtis all over for a little party. Abby loved having all the kids there. She loved playing in the helicopter with girls and eating at the big kids table. Now that she is 1 she thinks that she is a big kid. She loved getting new toys, but most of all I think she liked eating her cake. Thanks everyone for helping throw her party together at the last minute.

WOW!





I am stuffed!

Abby's 1st Birthday

Our favorite thing...the wagon!

Get me out!

Who did this to my finger?

I am exhausted!

Bundled up ready to go!

The sign that was hanging on our wall when we came back from a walk.

Abby's 1st birthday didn't start out so well. Once again we were awakened at 5:30 am by the lab coming to draw blood. Then of course she didn't want to go back to sleep, she just wanted to leave the hospital room. I distracted her for a while watching Mickey Mouse Club House and playing with toys in her crib, but that didn't last long so I had the nurse get a wagon for her and we started walking the halls of the hospital. I felt so bad that this was how we were going to spend her birthday. I had already planned for our families to come up to see her and we would have cake and ice cream there, but I was really hoping to be able to leave and have a party at home that I had already planned. After were came back from our walk, the resident came and took a look at her. I let her play in her crib for a minute while I was washing out some of her bottles and all of a sudden she started screaming and the poor things IV was stuck in the crib. Ever time she pulled it would get more stuck. Then she tried to sit down which only made it worse. I kept yelling for help and finally some one came, but she had already pulled her IV partly out. So the nurse just finished taking out the IV then told us some awful news... she told us that the resident had written in the chart that because she may have MRSA she would not be allowed to leave her room. I almost started crying. Wagon rides were our only saving grace. Abby was exhausted so I just cuddled her in my arms and she took a nice long nap. Stu arrived shortly after she had fallen asleep and went out and talked to the nurse to see if there were any updates. Thank goodness they had found out that she just had a staph infection. Since we could leave the room now we put Abby in the wagon and took her down to the cafeteria to see if we could get her to eat. Because she hadn't eaten in three days the doctor said if we could get her to eat some what normally for the next few hours we could take her home. She ate a pretty big meal. Yahoo! We were so excited. I left to go home and take a shower and Stu bundle Abby up in the wagon and they went for a walk to see if she would take another nap. When I got home Stu called and informed me that they had given us the okay to take Abby home. I hadn't been that excited in a long time. I was so sick of that place. I arrived there and Stu and Abbs were listening to the piano player on the third floor waiting for the discharge papers to all be done. Then we loaded everything up and went home! We got home around two, ran a few errands for Abby's Birthday party and the party guests showed up at 6:00 for Abby's party. So, there was a happy ending to the story. Abby is doing great now. She is happier than we have seen her in weeks. She is a whole new baby... skinnier too. It is so hard to see your child sick, hurting and in the hospital. I just wanted to take it all from her. We are so thankful for all your prayers and thank you Stu for the beautiful blessings you gave Abby. I am also so thankful for all the prayers that were answered while we were in the hospital.

Happy 1st Birthday!

Happy 1st Birthday baby girl!
Having you in the hospital on your 1st birthday was not how I pictured it, but we will move the party here! Hopefully we will get to go home soon. I can't believe it was a year ago that we got to meet you for the first time. You were such a bundle of joy. Now we can't imagine life with out you. We love you so, so much!

Love,

Mom and Dad

Never A Dull Moment

She started screaming when she saw this on her hand. Stu and I couldn't stop laughing at her reaction.
Daddy loves!
I never thought I would see one of these on my own kids door.

All of her Grandparents came to visit!

This is when she started to feel better... right before surgery. (Of Course)
One of our many wagon rides.
Just making herself at home.

Yea she is eating!

Here is the lasted news in our life... On Saturday night we brought Abby up to Primary Children Medical Center to have an abscess on her leg looked at. We had taken her to the pediatrician a couple times, they had tried to drain it, but it was getting worse and spreading fast. She had also been very lethargic all day long, would not eat anything and would throw up any time we tried to give her any kind of medicine. When we got to the hospital she had a temperature of 101 and we could tell she was in a lot of pain. They checked her out, hooked her up to IV fluids and an antibiotic. They decided to keep her over night to monitor her. Around 2:30 a.m. they moved us to a room out of the ER. I stayed with her, there wasn't enough room for Stu and I. All I have to say is it was a long night. Abby was awakened at 5 and wouldn't stop screaming poor Stu got 6 am phone call from a very frazzled mommy and a very tired and angry baby. That morning the abscess was getting better the redness had gone down and we were hoping to go home. Of course that would be too easy. The abscess started to spread again and she still had a fever of 101 so they admitted her. We spent the day at PCMC. Poor Abby hates it here. I don't blame her. Every time we get her down for a nap they have to come in and check her vitals or give her meds. No one is getting any sleep. Around 7 pm that evening after talking to a Doc, resident and a Med student they decided surgery to drain it was the best thing. We had to keep Abby NPO for the rest of the night which wasn't too had since she wasn't eating much any ways. They took her into surgery about midnight and it only lasted about 20 min. Just enough time for my mom and I to go to the cafeteria and buy a whole load of junk (nervous eaters, he he). We got to our new room on Infant Med/Surg around 1 am and Abby was hysterical. We had to get a height and weight before they could give her any pain meds. I sent my mom and Stu home and we finally got to bed around 3am. Then once again at 5 am the doc come in to look at her leg and she freaked out then we had to draw blood and Abby just screamed at the top of her lungs for a good hour or two. Then they gave her two different pain med and she drifted off to sleep. The nurse hung a big sign on the door that said DO NOT ENTER, so we could get some sleep. Her leg is looking so much better. She has been a lot happier today, that is as long as she is in a wagon being pulled around the hospital. She hates all nurses and doctors, except for her pediatrician that stopped by. She spent a few hours will her daddy today while I went home and took and nap and showered. Stu is the master at putting her to sleep. She loves her daddy. She started eating a little more today but still not what she used to eat. Grandma Lafaunda came up today and took her for a ride in the wagon. They ended up hanging out in a little nook because Abby fell asleep. Then later Grandma Jo and Grandpa Ron came to visit and Aunt Emily, Addie, Hallie and Josh. They brought her a book, a little toy, and a BALLOON! We love balloons. She has a really hard time going to sleep she just wants to be held. Poor little thing. Well it is 2:05 am and I really need to tried to go to sleep once again. There will be more up dates and pictures later.

Good news and bad news!

We got the toxicology report back on our Suby and there was so much Meth in the car they totalled it. We are happy about that I just didn't want the car back after those freaks had been in it smoking who knows what. But we are sad too, we loved that car. It was the first car we had bought together and we had just payed it off. It was a beautiful car. Hopefully we will be able to get a new one soon.

Curtis Look-alike Meter

I don't know I think she looks more like Stu!

Caught em'

At 4:30 this morning we got a phone call from the Utah Highway Patrol asking if our car was still stolen, and of course Mark said yes then they call again at 5:30 am and said that the car was towed to Springville and that they arrested the two people that stole it. We are so happy they are behind bars!!! So we got are Suby back, but they had trashed the inside. They were smoking a crack pipe so it reeks inside, they put out their cigarettes on the back seat and burned it, they slashed three of the seat belts, cut our moon roof cover and bent it (it looks like they punched it). There where little cuts in the dashboard and center console and small chips in the paint all over the outside of the car. It is absolutely disgusting, stains, wrappers and stuff spilled everywhere. The way they were caught was they cut someone off down by Springville and hit them so the people in the other car call the cops. So the back bumper needs some work done to it also. Our poor Subaru that we have had for 11 months that didn't even have a door ding. Why are people so inconsiderate and stupid. Well, at least we got it back, hopefully they can and will fix everything and that they can get the smell out. There was no baby stuff in it, thank goodness, I wouldn't want it after that, I want all new. There were some nice golf clubs that were not ours, a camera, that may be ours that they used to take pictures of the girl behind the wheel of our stolen car (smart), and an ipod that they claim was the third persons, that some how got away, but I think it might be mine by the way the officer described it. Everything else is gone. There was also a curling iron, a check and a note written to an inmate with very poor grammar. Sounds like they were quite the couple. The girl that they arrested is the same girl they got on the security tapes using LaFaunda's credit card at Target. She is really busted! Thanks to everyone who was looking out for our car!

Our Mystery

My cute six year old niece Addie prayed last night that our mystery would be solved.

So cute! Thanks Addie!

Grrrrrrrr!!!

What a first Fathers day for Stuart! We woke up this morning to find that someone had broken in to our house while we were asleep in the basement, stolen my purse, my phone (so don't try to call me) 4 ipods, our camera, Lafaunda wallet, Mark's gold watch and worst of all OUR CAR! Yes our Subaru that is not even a year old yet! I hate thieves. Grrrrr! So we spent our morning with the Cottonwood Heights Police and all the credit card companys canceling our credit cards.

So, if any one happens to see a White Subaru Outback with a Tan Britax carseat in the back with the license plate number
B95 6BB
...please call the police. Thanks!

Happy Father's Day Stu! Thanks for being a wonderful husband and father. Sorry about the crappy Father's day! We love you!

11 months old!

Abby is 11 months old now! Once again I can't believe how fast time is flying bye! She is such a doll. I love my little shadow that follows me around and copies everything I do and every sound I make. When I cough she coughs, when I make any noise with my mouth or lips she tries to imitate it. I love it, she keeps a smile on my face. She is such a helper too. When I am loading the dishes in the dish washer she is right there standing next to the dish washer helping me, or if I am folding laundry she is right there pulling clothes out of the laundry basket faster than I can fold them. Yesterday I needed to wash her bedding so I pulled off the bumpers mattress pad and sheet and put it all in a laundry basket to take up stairs. I knew I couldn't leave her down stairs by her self so I loaded her up in the basket too. She just laid on all the bedding thinking she was a queen as we went up the stairs. It was pretty cute. To night we were putting her to bed, as we were going down stairs Stu was holding her and I was following pretending to get her and she was just giggling and squealing. We couldn't stop laughing ourselves. Her laugh is so contagious! Life would be so boring with out that little upside down beaver grin and those big blue eyes.

Things Abby likes at 11 months...

• Still LOVES her daddy!
• to be outside!
  
• the bike trailer, wagon and the swing (which she easily falls asleep in.)
• all music - still Josh the best.
• showers (with Daddy), Baths (with Mommy)
• TO EAT! She is such a social eater. If others are eating she needs to be also.
• OREO Cookies and Nilla Wafers

• to have some one read to her, also to take my finger and point at things in the book and have me say what it is.
• to unload her drawers - really likes to get out her swimming suit.
• to unload the Tupperware drawer
• to sleep on her tummy with her bum up in the air.
• Dolls
• meat of any kind
• watermelon!!!
• my brush
  
• Just being out and about!
  

New things she has learned this month...

• to clap when we say Yeeeeaaaaa!
• getting better at waving bye, bye.
• She has a new interest in stairs and tries to go up them. (She doesn't get very far - up the first step)
  
• sometimes she will stand on her own for a few seconds.
  
• She stands up and walks around everything and has finally learned how to sit back down.
  
• I still think she says dog when she sees a dog put it is still not totally consistent.
• to unroll the toilet paper
• she tries to put her bows in her hair when she finds them on the floor, but pulls them out the second I put one in.
• tries to put her shoes on her feet
• she understands NO and is pretty obedient.
  

I'm Stuck!

Need I say more!