every single time

no matter how many times I pull up the webcam, Nahshon is always amazed he can see himself!

Did I really just do that?

I took the five oldest kids swimming today.  We had planned to go to the super cool new pool in Lynnwood, but we got there 15 minutes after the open swim session had started, and they were already at capacity! My kids have been looking forward to trying out this pool for almost a year, and they looked so heartbroken, so I rushed them back to Everett to hit up the pool at Forest Park.  I was feeling frazzled trying to get there as fast as possible so we could at least have an hour to swim.  When we walked in, the lady at the register asked how old Nahshon was, and I said 3.   Yes, 3!!!   Genna piped up behind me and said, "no he's not, he's four. Oh wait, no, you're right, he's three." And so we went with three.  It wasn't until hours later that I was really questioning it. I actually looked at my Facebook timeline to see what I had posted on January 21st, and here is what was written:

Happy 4th birthday Nahshon! You make my life fun, little man :)


Well crap.  I don't really feel that bad about the pool thing because he never went passed the stairs (apparently 3=free, which I did not know at the time, and there were only about 8 other people at the pool, so it's not like him being there kept someone else from being able to come in and swim), but seriously, I forgot how old my kid is? Not cool.




*for the record, my kids had a great time at the Forest Park Pool.  One of the lifeguards brought out the rope swing, and Genna, Elijah, and Isaac all tried out the diving board. They were so happy to go swimming they didn't hold a grudge for a single second that we weren't at the cool pool. And next time we try Lynwood, we're going 45 minutes EARLY!

Thank Heaven For Little Girls

friends

Carly Patterson!!!!!

Tonight the girls had the opportunity to meet Olympic Gold Medalist, Carly Patterson!  She's in town doing promotions for the Pacific Rim Games here in Everett.  While Bella isn't familiar with Carly, Genna watched her in the 2004 Olympics.  She was three at the time, and doing gymnastics at The Little Gym.

In case you don't remember Carly, here's a photo from her time in the Olympics:

We've been really lucky to watch a couple of the competitors from the Pacific Rim, practicing at the kid's gymnastics gym. What a neat experience for my little gymnasts!

sometimes it's just tough to be me

I really love this little girl

I guess macs really are easier to use

A couple weeks ago I finally got my own computer (been waiting a very, very long time- even had to rent a computer from my college for one of my classes!), and I opted for a macbook.  I've heard people say macs are more user-friendly.  That actually wasn't one of my considerations when I picked it, but the other night while I was in the shower, Noah was in my room doing this:

First, I'm not sure how he even managed to get into my room because I've never seen him be able to open my bedroom door.  But once he did, he managed to open and turn on my computer, open the photo booth, and snap a picture of himself! Bella heard squeals of excitement from my room, and came to check it out just in time to make a cameo in Noah's photo session. Guess I'll have to be a bit more careful where I leave my laptop from now on.

weight loss update

As of today, I am down 21 pounds since January 1st!  Jeremy is down....................... 3 pounds! So far I'm feeling good about winning our bet   :)

And the award goes to.....

Abigail is home!  She's still sick, but doing much better.  I can tell she's pretty worn out from the whole ordeal, but she's also much more at ease now that she's home- surrounded by the people that love her most and sleeping in her own cozy bed. It's amazing what a night or two away in the hospital can do to the parents in a situation like this, so I would like to take a moment to thank everyone that gave us a helping hand.  In no particular order:

My dad, Jed- Jeremy took Abby and Micaiah to Swedish in Everett to get checked out. When we learned Abigail had to be transported to Children's in Seattle by ambulance, my dad went over to take the ride with her.  This allowed Jeremy to bring Micaiah home, and gave me time to pack a bag.

My mother-in-law, Ann- She came over and stayed with our sick crew while Jeremy helped get me and Abby settled at the hospital. (and he had to drive my dad home)  Ann also came to the hospital and stayed with Abby for well over an hour so Jeremy could take me home.

(I hadn't slept in three days and was already sick when Abby went in.  By 8pm last night, I was done. I knew if I didn't get home and get some rest, I was going to be a patient right along with my little girl)

My brother-in-law, Greg- He brought me coffee at midnight, and again the next afternoon.  He was even willing to pick up fresh clothes for me (we didn't know Abby would be staying more than 1 night), despite the fact that by doing so, he would be giving up his time to rest before going on a 16 hour shift.

My friend, Rachel- She called me while I was in the ER at Children's with Abby, waiting to be taken to our room.   It reminded me of when my friend Stephanie called when Micaiah was at Children's for surgery; those little acts of friendship are never forgotten.

Technology- Without smartphones, webcams, and Facebook it would be so much harder for me to give everyone that cares about Abby, quick updates on her condition.  Likewise, it allows all those people to show their love and support easily.

Friends, family, and strangers- there were many people sending love and prayers to Abby, some who have never even met her. Every single person who gave her a thought, we are thankful.

My husband and kids- a baby landing in the hospital can be chaotic, even in the best of times; throw in the fact that I had 7 other sick kids (4 with ear infections) and it's enough to make your head explode.  As always, everyone pulled together  and worked hard to make sure Abby had whatever she needed to be well.

Welcome home, baby Abigail!

girl time at the hospital

feeling a bit better this morning

watching her stories

no more tubes in her nose!!

Hopefully the next photos I post will be of her at home, feeling all better

hospital slumber party

Me and Abby are crashing at Children's Hospital tonight.  This afternoon Jeremy took Micaiah down to the new Swedish Hospital in Everett because Cai woke up screaming and pulling at his ears. (that'd be ear infection #4 for my crew this week) I told Jeremy to just take Abby also because 1.) in case she ends up with an ear infection, we might as well have her ears checked while he's there to save us the trip. and 2.) Abby has a cold and I noticed last night her breathing was rather labored. Turns out Abby has Bronchiolitis, which is a viral infection in the lungs and airways.  They are suctioning her every few hours, and having her wear a nasal cannula; As you can imagine, she just loves having little tubes shoved up her nose. (little miss smarty pants has already figured out how to pop them out, even after the nurse double taped them in place) I'm really hoping she'll be well enough to go home tomorrow, but it's really up in the air at this point.  Unfortunately I'm sick too, but since Abby is still nursing, I'm the better choice to stay with her. Her oxygen levels go up and stay up when I hold her, so I'm doing my best to stay awake and keep her close; hopefully it'll help her recover faster.  Thankfully, I have an awesome brother that lives in Seattle, and he brought me a giant coffee at midnight; thanks Greg!! I'll post an update when I have one. Until then, please keep little Abigail in your thoughts.