Three's Company

Layla's Legs

2011-10-25T16:18:00.000-07:00

Layla has been doing amazing lately! She started weekly physical therapy a few weeks ago and thats when things got exciting. She has been walking on her knee's for a little while and can take a few steps at a time with her brace on. After several weeks of physical therapy Marie (her PT) noticed her right leg is over compensating for the left leg and the strain in turning her right leg in (pigeon toed) and her left knee was locking causing damage to her joints. SO, today Layla was fitted for two new braces, one for each leg. The right leg to continue strengthening and supporting, the right leg to take the pressure off and help her walk properly. Now, for a bit of funny news, Layla will be getting knee pads! Since the world is meant for be walked on with shoes not knee's her poor little knee's are getting beat up so she is getting specially made knee pads to protect them. Between the pads and the braces all she need is a helmet and we will have our own little hockey player!

Oh ya baby! She can walk!!!

2011-10-05T10:36:00.000-07:00

Phineas and Ferb Party!!!

2011-10-04T14:51:00.001-07:00

The men of the party

the bowling area

Making their own goody bags

Face painting station (thank you kristen)

Alligator/Dinosaur

Gage ate his pizza on the coffee table, still can't figure out why

Scavenger hunt!

Pinata time... it was halarious

Rett's paints fell down, and I forgot to switch to video mode :(

Happy Birthday Gage

Lily wearing the top of the pinata (they completely destroyed it)

Happy Birthday Gage!!!

2011-09-25T14:38:00.000-07:00

Gage loves pizza! We had a rocky start this morning but lunch was great!

His "birthday pose"

Three little pigs eating pizza in the backyard

It is alomst impossible to get a picture of all of them looking at the camera!

She loves pizza too, and her big bro.

Who Let the Pigs Out???

2011-09-11T18:36:00.000-07:00

I let the boys play with their guinea pigs on Saturday morning and left the room (mistake number one) to get breakfast ready. Gage came running at me yelling " the pigs went under the green couch!!!" (mistake number two) and I told him it was fine and to let them play for awhile (mistake number three). I didn't give the pigs a second thought until that evening when I cleaned out their cage and decided it was time to put them away... that proved harder than I thought. I tried to catch them but they weren't cooperating so I went to bed knowing they couldn't leave the loft (mistake number four). Where is all of this leading? Well Sunday night comes along and I go crazy because I can not catch the little rodents (yes at this point I'm ticked). I destroy the loft (AGAIN) trying to get them. I set traps. I block their favorite hidey holes. Still nothing. So I go on a run to vent and when I get back the pigs are in their cage and all is well. Ry takes complete credit but I claim all of my work just made it easier for a fresh set of hands to catch them.

Who knew guinea pigs like to chew wires? I didn't!

I moved the couch, the chair, the entertainment unit, blocked the desk, and tripped over a ton of toys

under the hutch in the desk where nothing can get him... this is Rex

Under the green chair where if I moved it he runs as fast as possible. This is Pig

Layla's Back Scans

2011-09-10T13:47:00.000-07:00

I recently received the last two scans Layla had done on her back and I thought I would post them because whenever I am asked whats going on with her back I never know what to say. At this point, pictures definitely speak louder than words. Not sure if this is the right sentiment, but, enjoy...

Taken April 29

Taken August 23

Vinyl Crazy

2011-09-10T13:16:00.000-07:00

Finally stepped into the world of vinyl cutting with my Cricut. I have done Layl's door, the boys door (which says Gage & Retts Dungeon of Doom), and the downstairs living. I'm looking for more ideas so if anyone has some good phrases let me know!

Its time...

2011-09-07T09:13:00.000-07:00

Well its time, time for me to get back to blogging. Time to start taking pictures, documenting the craziness of my families life, and giving the masses what they want... more me ;). Why this sudden decision? Gage is in 1st grade! I now have a full day with only two kids and I have so much more time (AMAZING). So be prepared for the Michaelis come back, and wait for the crazy stories that only happen to me.

Anyone Can Help, They Just Have To Choose To Do It!!!

2011-06-08T12:35:00.000-07:00

I am currently hosting a fundraising through two different companies, the first being Scentsy, the second being Lia Sophia. The commission from both fundraisers will completely go to Layla to pay for her current medical bills and treatments that we have been saving for. We aren 't asking everyone to open thier wallets just their minds. Please take this flyer and send it to everyone you know or e-mail me at kirstymichaelis@gmail.com and I will e-mail you more details and the direct file to the flyer. If you would like to host a Scentsy fundraiser of your own PLEASe e-mail me and I will set it up. Anything is possible if we all work together, to lets work for Layla!!!

Lia Sophia Fundriaser for Layla!!!

2011-06-08T09:31:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine who sells Lia Sophia has jumped on my fundraising band wagon and we are hosting a Lia Sophia Jewelery Party in Layla's honor. All of the commission made from this party will go towards Layla's medical bills and the treatments she needs. Even if you not in Vegas you can order on-line!!! So jump on my train and support Layla by getting yourself some beautiful jewelery and helping us may for her medical needs!

Proof that Doctors Can be WRONG

2011-02-26T09:24:00.000-08:00

Weight Loss Help

2011-02-22T07:29:00.001-08:00

Alright friends its time to band together and come to my rescue! As you all know after Layla was born I was ont he weight loss train and I was moving fast! BUT at 5 months when she had her surgery I jumped the train and never went back. I have been talking about it but was not motivated. I started avoiding mirrors and the fact that I was unhappy; well NO MORE! My sister and I (who have the most competitive nature out of any two sisters who ever existed) have joined together to make our weight loss goals happen. She is going on a cruise with our family for her 25th birthday and I am taking my family to Disney land in April. We both want to look good for the pictures and we definitely need to be bathing suit ready! SO, I need everyones support. Ask me how I'm doing, remind me to work out, take the yummy donut out of my hand! Anything to get me Disneyland ready! We started yesterday and our end date is April 15th so I can go shopping before we will on the 19th. Ok here is the scarey part... my weight. I weighed myself this morning and wanted cry, I'm sad to say I am once again 185 :*(. I could blame in on stress, Layla's surgery, and being a Mom of three but its really its my fault. SO I AM TAKING RESPONSIBILITY and MOVING ON! Yesterday was day one of p90x today is day 1 of calory counting. Wish me luck, keep my in your prayers, and if you want, jump the on band wagon. Love you all!!!! Oh ya, I will be having weekly weigh-ins if you want to keep track of my progress... pictures will be posted once i get a little more comfortable with this whole thing.

My Sweethearts this Valentines Day

2011-02-11T20:18:00.000-08:00

Kiddies

Gage:

Rett:

Layla:

Mommy I hold baby Layla!

2011-01-27T18:09:00.000-08:00

Most morning while I'm trying to get Ryan out the door and breakfast on the table Gage says "Look Mommy, I hold baby Layla!". He loves her so much and she just adores me. She is all smiles when Gage is playing with her and with such a strong bond now I know when she turns 16 Gage will be chasing all the boys away from his little sister.

Oh Baby!!!

2011-01-13T11:25:00.000-08:00

This is my baby girl Layla and Jean and I can not explain how much I love her!!! She is gorgeous and there is no other way to explain her.... by the way, SHE IS CRAWLING!!!!

Merry Christmas

2011-01-02T14:52:00.000-08:00

I will be the first this year to admit that I was not my usual holiday spirit self. On the first of December I usually start playing Christmas music, decorate the house, and make my first batch of Christmas cookies. Unfortunately, this year was nothing like that :(. I think most of lack of spirit is due to the odd year I've been having with Layla's medical problems. I just couldn't get myself into the spirit so when Christmas rolled around there wasn't much planned but that didn't stop the kids from having fun. On Christmas eve the boys each got to open a gift (their Christmas pj's) and went to bed awaiting Santa's arrival.

And Santa did come!!!

Tent from Santa

Pillows from Baba and Papa Michaelis

The kids had a great time opening presents and playing with their new toys. Layla thought it was hilarious to watch the boys rip the paper off the presents and throw it around. Hopefully 2011 will be less adventurous for us and more normal with a Mom full of Christmas spirit.

Pizza Anyone?

2010-12-28T16:32:00.000-08:00

I have a kookie friend named Kristen who loves Layla and feeding her new things. Here's Layla's first taste of pizza.

Tickle Tickle Tickle

2010-12-23T10:06:00.000-08:00

While I clean one mess...

2010-12-23T10:01:00.000-08:00

While I clean one mess, Everett makes another...

Everetts New Sitting Position

2010-12-23T09:55:00.000-08:00

If the TV is on and Everett is watching this is how he "sits"

WAHOO!!!

2010-12-19T20:57:00.001-08:00

OMG(osh)!!! I could not have expected a better appointment for Layla in Salt Lake City. Now, there was a bump or two in actually getting to SLC BUT I got there, made it to the appointments, saw some friends and family, and made it home safely :).

Now for the news on the appointment. On Thursday afternoon I procrastinated getting ready as much as possible (nerves got the best of me) but we made it to the appointment just on time and went straight in to see the doctor. I gave them Layla's new urology report and they said they this this a lot with children with Spina Bifida so it wasn't anything to be too worried about. After checking out her surgical site they told me everything looks great, in fact, beyond great. There is no water being retained in the surgical area, her incision site has healed wonderfully, and he movement is still beyond what they ever expected with her "condition". So here is the super dooper wonderful news... Layla is DONE with Dr. Neuro! We decided that since Layla is apart of the Spina Bifida clinic hosted by Primary Children's that she no longer needs to go to SLC for yearly check-ups with Dr. Neuro. He will follow her progress through the clinic and if anything catches his eye he will contact me for another check-up. So, I am happy to say good-bye to Dr. Neuro... and HELLO to Dr. Bone.

That's right, close one door and open another. Dr. Neuro wants Layla to be seen by the best orthopedic surgeon Dr. Smith (aka Dr. Bone). He is a very busy man and therefore hard to get into but with the referral from Dr. Brockmeyer were immediately given an appointment... April 22nd. Like I said, he is a busy guy. So there it it... my wonderful news. And here is the best part, Layla has no doctor appointment until April 22nd! My life if living in medical offices and driving all over the city (and i-15) is over for a little while. So maybe a normal life is coming my way, at least for a couple months.

Gage Loves His Layla

2010-12-13T20:44:00.000-08:00

The Michaelis' visit the Michaelis'

2010-12-12T10:29:00.000-08:00

Over Thanksgiving week Jacob, Ashley, and not so little William came down to visit! It was a lot of fun and we really enjoy having them here. The week went by super fast and we can't wait to see them again!

Little Layla and Big Willie :)

Gage loved playing with William

Ashley and her two favorite babies

William the sitter and Layla the imitator

I love this boy, he is so adorable!

Jake and Ash watched our kids while we went on a date for our six year anniversary

Ryans On Going Project

2010-12-11T18:56:00.000-08:00

A little while ago Ryan and I realized that we need more storage space in a house that is very lacking in storage space. A couple weeks ago Ryan made a whole in the wall that leads to under the stairwell and discovered that there is nothing but space under there! So we went to Home Depot (of course!) and went to town...

There is still more to be done of course but it has come a long way! Ryan is going to finish putting in the "walls" and then he will attach shelving and put in carpet. More pictures to come soon :)

Christmas Tree

2010-12-11T18:13:00.000-08:00

And the family tradition continues. Every year the Saturday after Thanksgiving we get out all our Christmas gear and set up our Christmas tree. Ryan and the boys put together our fake tree (which is starting to look rather ragid) and Ryan strings the lights while I get the ornaments ready for the kids.

I'm not sure why Rett is crying but the other two are cute :)

Rett sat in my lap while Gage and Bean continued to smile

Ornament time!!!

And the stockings make an appearance

Dr. Pee aka Layla Update

2010-12-10T10:49:00.000-08:00

I took the month of November off when it came to traveling and doctors. We needed a break to get the family settled and back into a schedule. Yesterday was Layla's first day back to the doctor since we got home. I've decided to take page out of my friends book and instead of naming all the doctors by their actual name calling them by their profession so lets say that yesterday Layla say Dr. Pee :)

Dr. Pee administered the second bladder pressure test to see if anything had changed since her surgery. The first run went by without any problems but the second run was more complicated and is pronounced what the doctor saw in the first... a highly pressuized bladder.

It looked like during development the nerves that take messages from the brain to the bladder didn't form properly and the bladder is a little confused! Luckily the sphincter is working properly which is good but it is also causing some issues. The job of the sphincter is to stay closed until the bladder is full and then to open and release the pee. As we all know the bladder is a place for the fluid waste to collect. Once the bladder is full is contracts the sphincter opens and all is well. Unfortunately with the mixed up signals in the bladder this is now how it works in Layla's case.

Layla's bladder isn't getting the signal to stay relaxed until the bladder is full but it is constantly contracting which causes several problems. The sphincter is getting the correct signals and staying closed while waiting for the bladder to fill BUT the bladder is still pushing creating a pressurized environment which is not good for the kidney's because it could send pressure or urine back into the kidneys. The final complication is that by constantly contracting her bladder isn't growing (its still the same size as when she was born) and if it never grows she will never get out of diapers (so not looking forward to that option!). SO, the first step is to try a medication that will essentially paralyze her bladder so that it will fill properly and once full the sphincter will get the signal and open allowing her to pee at a more constant rate and making it less painful. While her bladder fills it will stretch and grow hopefully making so that when she is older she will be able to potty train and control her bladder (this all depends on the nerve development or lack there of). She will be on this medication for 6 months and then we will go back to Dr. Pee and he will run a bunch of tests to see what is happening. The first round of tests will be ultrasounds on her bladder and kidneys and another bladder pressure test. Once those results are back he will decide what else needs to be looked at and we'll go from there. Most likely what will happen is in 6 months I will have to learn how to insert a catheder and Layla will require a catheder several times a week. But lets hope it doesn't come to that!

Anyway, Dr. Pee wants to take an aggressive approach in order to give her the best life possible. By pushing now we can give her the best outcome in the future!

So there's the news from Dr. Pee. Not exactly what we wanted to hear but at least its something we can take care of now and hopefully it will be a memory of the past in a few years.

Some of my favorite from our family photo shoot

2010-11-16T15:56:00.000-08:00

Layla's back at 2 weeks post surgery

2010-11-14T13:35:00.000-08:00

This is what her back looked like 2 weeks after surgery. More pictures to come soon. She is doing great!

PBTK Picnic

2010-11-09T15:19:00.000-08:00

At Ryan's company picnic there was a photographer who took cute pictures of the boys after they had their faces painted!

Holiday Scentsy Open House

2010-11-09T08:57:00.000-08:00

So I wasn't sure if I wanted to use our blog to advertise but then I thought, why the heck not?!?! So here it is, I am having a Holiday open house at my house all day on Saturday. It starts at 10am and goes to until I go to bed! My goal this month is to meet new people in order top open up new circles of friends that I can introduce Scentsy to. So if your in the Las Vegas area and you have time stop by my place and take a look at the wonderful Scentsy product. Scentsy makes is a wonderful gift to give and with the holidays quickly approaching now is the perfect time to order and get your Christmas shopping out of the way! So take a look at my website ( www.kirstymichaelis.scentsy.us ) and come by on Saturday for some girl time and Scentsy fun.

As an added bonus my friend who does "waxing parties" will be available starting around noon to do facial waxing. She is amazing and very reasonably priced, cheaper than most salons!!! Even if you aren't interested in Scentsy but need a wax come by, she truly does a great job.

Halloween

2010-11-02T12:04:00.000-07:00

This is the first year we haven't been together as a family for Halloween and I was sad to miss it but Ryan did a great job with the boys! I accidentally kept the camera in my bag when Ryan left so all he had was his phone to take pictures. Here is what he got...

Surgery Day 3

2010-10-28T05:55:00.001-07:00

Layla continues to do well, we have had only one post-surgery issue. Layla has always had some bowel issues and in the last couple weeks we have been trying to resolved that problem but not with a lot of luck. As Layla has been on a lot drugs (mostly morphine and lortab) she hasn't has a poopy diaper since Saturday and her stomach was distended and rigid. Finally after 3 enema's and 3 suppositories things started working again and Layla has been cleared to go home! I posted som picture below of her day. Again I warn those who do not want to see her incision the last picture on this post is her what her back looks like 3 days post-op.

Playing with her magic want made by great-grandma Carol. When she waves it it makes everything better :)

First time being help by Daddy

Being held by Mommmy

Feeding herself

We went for a short walk to get her out of her room and let her look around but after a few minutes her back started bothering her so we went back to our room.

The morphine and lortab make her face itchy and she has got lots of little cuts because she figure out how to take the socks and gloves off her hands by biting them off!

Incision post-op day 3

Surgery Day 2

2010-10-26T09:43:00.001-07:00

Layla is doing GREAT! Yesterday once she got out of surgery it was really rough. It took about 6 hours to get her pain under control and her comfortable. She got a little sleep last night and started eating. Baba Michaelis took the first night with her so Ryan and I could get some sleep and get a little emotional break. When we got her this morning she woke up and talked a little and played with us. Her surgeons say she is doing wonderfully and if she continues on this path she will be released tomorrow!!! Thank you for all your prayers. I have posted pictures below but I must WARN you, the last picture is of her surgical area and there are lots of stitched. No blood or ickyness just stitches. I know some of your are interested :).

Baba and Papa Michaelis

Sugery Day (part 1)

2010-10-25T11:13:00.000-07:00

Here is Layla bean right before surgery in her spiffy hospital clothes. We've had one update so far... She is doing really well. SHe went straight to sleep and there have been no surprises so far. They decided to just do the first part of the surgery today (de-tethering the cord) and will do the rest of the investigating at a later point. They want to have a orthopedic surgery team there to help stabalize everything. More info later!

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving

2010-10-11T21:14:00.000-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving! As you can imagine with all I have going on I didn't have time to make an actual Thanksgiving dinner but it was still yummy :). Hope all you Canadians had a good and yummy day!

Layla's Surgery

2010-10-09T15:00:00.001-07:00

It has been an extremely long and draining week so I'm going to keep this post short for now and I will expand on it once I get home and "recover". Layla saw the neurosurgeon's at Primary Children's Hospital this week and her original diagnosis of a lipo myle meningicele was confirmed and expounded upon. Layla has something call split vertebrae which is extremely rare and has no technical/medical name and is boggling the surgeons minds. Dr. Brockmeyer also found two other masses in her spine that he is unable to define until he actually takes a look inside. She also has scoliosis but they are not sure what came first the scoliosis or the spina bifida (chicken and egg situation) SO, her first surgery will be October 25th in Salt Lake City with Dr. Brockmeyer and an orthopedic surgeon will be watching the spinal canal to make sure everything is stable. Once the tethered cord is fixed Dr. Brockmeyer will be doing an exploratory surgery to figure out what is going on with our little girl. It is going to be a very long surgery so please keep her in your minds and prayers. I have learned a lot this week which I am grateful for and I am extremely happy with the doctors at Primary Children's Hospital. It was a wonderful experience and we know our little Layla is in good hands.

A day in the sun

2010-10-06T20:03:00.000-07:00

This is what happines looks like

New Discovers

2010-10-06T19:49:00.000-07:00

Every week I take an entire day to do all the laundry in the house. As it would have it last week I was running behind and the laundry was still not done by the time I had to start dinner. I could hear the boys laughing upstairs and I was happy they were not screaming. When i went to get them for dinner I found them "helping" with the laundry.

Now don't worry. I have talked to them and they know its not safe and not a toy, but i just had to take pictures of it!

I got a job, well, kind of.

2010-09-28T10:37:00.000-07:00

As you all know by now, Layla has spina bifida and with the cornucopia of doctor appointments that comes along with that condition I have been racking my brain for a way to take the stress off our family budget. Several times I contemplated getting a part-time job but with Ryans work hours being so sporadic it really wasn't a possibility and most the of stay-at-home jobs on the Internet are scams so I was at a loss. That is, until I went to my friends "waxing party" and met Sarah Irvine. Not only does she wax eyes and lips (yes I am now mustache free and have nicely shaped eyebrows) but she also sells Scentsy. Ryan and I love candles and are always looking for new ways to keep the funky smell of two little boys and two big dogs away but we have yet to be successful (fire is one of Gages fascinations). So when I heard of Scentsy and their wickless candles I was so excited. After talking is over with Ryan and lots of personal reflection I decided not only to buy Scentsy products but to sell them. That's right, I have jumped in network marketing *sigh* and will now be pestering you all to buy my products! No, don't worry, no bugging will happen. I personally believe that everyone loves a good smelling home and Scentsy gives us that with the bonus of peace of mind. No more worrying if the kids are playing with the fire or that the dogs will knock over an open flame! YAY!!!

SO, here is my plea to you all. PLEASE check out my website and learn more about this amazing product. If your interested in purchasing you can order directly from my site or you can message me and I can make the order for you. Here is my website www.kirstymichaelis.scentsy.us

I'm sure some of you already have a consultant and some of you are consultants so I won't be offended if you don't order through me. But for those of you who are "free" please keep me in mind the next time you want a candle or pass my information onto your friends. At this point, everything helps and hopefully I can successfully build this so that we won't have to worry about our little Laylas bills!

Gage Turns 5

2010-09-26T14:50:00.000-07:00

Its odd to say I have a five year old and often I end up telling people my age (25) after I tell them my son is in kindergarten, I'm sure it has to do with some unconscious need to let people know I'm not "old" yet.

With his 5th birthday came a recognition of friends, presents, aging, and scariest of all the fact that he is no longer my little boy but indeed he is a "big boy" and growing up. We threw Gage a party at a park down the street and for the first time we had very little set up and almost no clean up! Gage had a blast and loved having all his friends at the park to celebrate his birthday. I didn't get many pictures of this years birthday festivities but lots of video. The day after his party (his actual birthday) we had a family day of playing with toys and relaxing at home. Thanks again to all our friends (and Gages) who came to play and for the awesome gifts! We love you all.

The cake

Everett DEVOURING the cake

presents at home

opening them... obviously

Side story: Gage loves taking pictures and has broken two of our cameras in the last 3 years so it was time to get one of his own. He takes it everywhere and takes pictures of everything. I have already had to replace the batteries! Its great knowing I picked the right gift for my little man :)

A couple videos of Gages birthday weekend.

We thought we put them to bed...

2010-09-25T18:43:00.000-07:00

The other night we went through the routine of putting the kids to bed. About an hour later we heard loud noises coming from the boys room and Ryan went to investigate, he found a "clean" room and a very proud Gage.

Layla's Baby Announcement

2010-09-22T15:23:00.001-07:00

Here it is, the amazing baby announcement my cousin made for us. Because of the stinky economic timing and Layla's medical bills we are not able to print enough announcements for all our friends so if anyone wants a digital copy leave me a message and I'll send it to you.

As for the amazing woman who put this together for me (Liz), she is extremely talented and I love everything she does. If anyone needs anything type of announcements done or if you are in the SLC area and want photo's taken check out her website: www.tizstudios.com

Enjoy the cuteness that is Layla!!!

Basketball in the backyard

2010-09-22T14:46:00.000-07:00

Rolling Rolling Rolling

2010-09-19T20:14:00.000-07:00

With Laylas condition the extent of her progress when it comes to moving her own body are totally unknown. She has a physical therapist and a child development specialist who come to our home monthly to help her. She has been behind developmentally for her whole life and then all of a sudden she decided to catch up. In 5 days she went from simply laying flat on her back to lifting her head up when placed on her stomach, pushing up on her arms, and rolling over both ways! It was a huge relief to see all that she can do and now we know we have a fighter on our hands :).

I have only been able to get a picture of her rolling over one way but she usually rolls across the room to get what she wants or chase her brother.

LOL... lots of laughs!

2010-09-19T20:05:00.000-07:00

I have not been blogging much due to my hectic schedule, my three children, and my messy house. Usually by the time I get the kids in bed and time to breath I am so exhausted I fall asleep with out even knowing it. BUT it has been an amazing four months and our family is happier than we knew possible. I spend most of my day laughing and so do the kids...

We have lots to laugh about and that makes my heart warm and my body strong!

Morning at the Park

2010-09-13T20:57:00.001-07:00

One of the great benefits to Gage being in afternoon kindergarten is that we can go to the park in the morning before it gets hot. I have really enjoyed the new freedom and I think the boys have as well. We go at least twice a week, enjoying the cooler weather as the fall begins

Layla update

2010-09-08T14:50:00.000-07:00

I must say my escape to Pennsylvania was amazing in many ways but one of the best was not having to drive across the city through traffic a couple times a week to take Layla to all her different specialists. Although I escaped reality for a few weeks we jumped right back in as soon as we got home and there is much to update on.

A little over a week ago Layla had another set of MRI images taken of her spine and the surrounding area. Dr. Blum needed new images so that he could actually see what is going on and also to see how the fatty tissue has grown. Although not a very fun morning (lots of needles, drugs, and long waits) it was important and I was anxious to get the results. After a very long week we had our appointment with Dr. Blum yesterday and we finally have a definite diagnosis of spina bifida, the cord is tethered, and Layla will be having spinal surgery in October.

Dr. Blum has been great to work with and has bent to our hectic schedule at every appointment and he once again is giving us exactly what we need. Ryan is very busy at work and will be until the October 15th tax deadline and Layla and I are going to Pennsylvania for Thanksgiving so we had a specific week we wanted to get the surgery done and it looks like we are on our way to it working out. As of right now we are waiting for approval from our insurance and then we will schedule an exact date for the surgery, as of right now we are hoping for October 19th or 20th.

As for the surgery itself Dr. Blum explained that it will be a longer and more detailed surgery that we originally talked about. The fatty mass has grown in size and also gone deeper into her spine and up under the vertebrae that developed correctly. He also is not sure he will be able to get all of the fatty tissue but is going to do his best. His main concern is detaching the part that is tethered to her spinal cord and making sure that the surrounding area is also cleaned out.

I am actually relieved to finally have the surgery set for October. For the past four months we have been living our lives by this surgery schedule and wondering if it was ever going to happen and the time has FINALLY come. I know when the day comes I will be terrified but for right now I'm just happy that we are doing everything we can to give Layla and happy, healthy, and normal life. AS the time gets closer and we have an exact day I'll give you all more details. For now keep her in your prayers and stay positive! We are all happy and know that she has a long life ahead of her :).

A Gift from Daddy

2010-09-05T11:27:00.000-07:00

In August since the kids and I were in Pennsylvania Ryan had a lot of time and during one trip to Wal-mart he found the cutest bench for the boys. The boys love their bench and it fits perfectly on our back porch giving the kiddies a place to sit and relax :).

Every time the flash went off Rett looked at Gage but...

he is very excited to have to have a bench his size!

First bowl of cereal

2010-09-05T11:19:00.000-07:00

Layla started cereal about a month ago and is still trying to figure out how to keep it all in!

First day of Kindergarden!!!

2010-09-03T12:52:00.000-07:00

Pennsylvania 2010

2010-09-03T12:21:00.000-07:00

In July my mom and I started talking about how great it would be for me to come visit for the month of August. Ryans 2nd busy season of the year starts in August so he isn't home very often and it is beyond hot in Vegas. The more we talked about it the better it sounded and eventually we figured out how to make it happen. On August 1st I picked my brother Grant up from the airport and on the 2nd we jumped in the car (yes the car) and left for Baba and Papa Hopkins in Pennsylvania. The first day we drove to Sterling Colorado where we hit weird weather (the hail storm video below) but besides that the day was flawless. The kids were great, the company was better, and there was no one on the road but us. The 2nd day we drove to Storm Lake Iowa and stayed with the Grant family (not grants family but my mom's brothers family) and took a day and a half to relax and recoup. At this point we were half way and excited at the prospect of the end of the trip (side note: who knew that storm lake Iowa was the half way point from Vegas to Philly?!?!). We left bright and early on the morning of the 5th and headed for PA, a 19 1/2 hour drive! After a very long day and night we made it to my parents in 21 hrs at 7:30am (who knew that was possible... very few stops were made!) and Grant and I were EXHAUSTED. My siblings graciously took my children so I could sleep, by the way Grant and I also arrived just in time to start throwing up from the flu, and the "vacation" started. Too much happened to tell it all but I really enjoyed myself. My brother Scott had arrived from from serving a two year mission for the LDS church in Sacramento California in April and this was the first time he was meeting Everett (2) and Layla (3 months). My sister Dee was also home so for the first time in 3 years the entire family was together and home! We played lots of games (mostly Settler of Catan, the new family obsession), turned mopping the floor into a sport (another video posted below), and simply enjoyed each others company. The boys loved being with their aunts and uncle as they were taught new things like video games and how to play pool. Layla stole the hearts of my entire family and had everyone at her beckon call, she is now called Bean because she is so small and cute. I couldn't have asked for a better reunion and hope that the next one is just as amazing. We took family portraits and as soon as we have the rights to them I'll post them. As for the rest of the pictures I took, they don't really make sense unless you know and love us all so I will spare you the confusion. The trip home was uneventful except for our surprise arrival on Ryan. We arrived almost a day early at 1am to surprise Ryan (and be done with the trip). It was a wonderful reunion and as much as I love my family I don't think I will be leaving for an entire month again!

Is it mopping or curling?

2010-08-18T18:35:00.000-07:00

What the... HAIL!!!

2010-08-07T06:21:00.000-07:00

August 2nd, somewhere in the middle of Colorado while driving to Pennsylvania...

It never occurred to me that I would be caught in a hail storm in August... go figure!

70!!!

2010-07-29T10:56:00.001-07:00

I've decided to post everytime I drop 20 lbs. Those of you who know me well know that I tend to gain an insane amount of weight when pregnant and my doctors have finally figured out why and how I can lose it after the baby is born. Well Layla will be 3 months next week and I am already down 70 pounds!!! Here's hoping that the next 40 comes off just as easily :).

Bumbo Baby

2010-07-29T10:09:00.000-07:00

Bear Lake 2010

2010-07-28T19:54:00.000-07:00

Our favorite place in the world is Bear Lake, Utah. The Michaelis family has a cabin right on the lake and for one week every summer we go to enjoy the cool weather, the quiet area, and family. This year was like every other, full of crazy stunts, lots of laughs, and wonderful memories. Here are a few, well a lot, of my favorite pictures.

Day 1: Drive to Provo

Well behaved boys watching movies all the way to Provo

Day 2: Provo to Bear Lake

They fell asleep 20 minutes before we got there!

Day 3: Bear Lake!!!!

My sister-in-law Ashley and her sweet boy William

Jake making Layla smile

Before

After

The After-shock!

Layla and William (they are 7 days apart)

Our rough and tough boys

He's one bad boy! lol

sweet smiles

Day 4:

Jake watching both babies... Layla looks SO small

The park at Grandma Carols condo

Two very tired and happy dogs

Cuddle time with Uncle Andy

Day 5:

I LOVE this picture

Look at those big blue eyes!

Down at the lake

Ryan took some AMAZING pictures of a sunset from the backyard...

Almost every night looks likes this and it reminds us how lucky we are to be at the cabin, enjoying life

Day 6:

A thunderstorm came rolling through and the dogs couldn't have cared less

Rett slept through the storm

COUSINS!!!!

These are from my camera but I still have a ton of pictures to go through from the rest of the family so I'm sure I'll be posting more later. We had a GREAT time at the lake and can't wait to go back next Summer.

Sticker Baby

2010-07-27T20:56:00.000-07:00

We asked Gage to watch Layla while we unpacked from our trip to Bear Lake, this is what we found...

Wrestling Michaelis Style

2010-07-14T10:12:00.001-07:00

New Camera

2010-07-12T07:44:00.000-07:00

Well it seems like every two years something happens to our camera and we have to replace it, and low and behold the kids got a hold of our camera an broke it. Last weekend we decided we need to get a new camera before we headed out to Bear Lake for our family vacation so we went to Best Buy. After looking at all the camera's and talking to the camera guy at the store we chose the new Sony that has the panoramic picture capabilities (you know, the one where Taylor Swift is in the commercial?!?! :p). We spent the weekend trying to get use to the new camera and learning how to use it.

SMILE!!!

I love this picture of Ryan

Gage saying "cheese"

Rett laughing

Finally pictures of Layla smiling!!! Well they are small smiles, but its hard to get pictures of a 2 month old smiling so I take what I can get.

Her favorite game is sticking her tongue out a Ryan because he sticks his tongue out at her.

Finally Some Good News

2010-07-12T07:21:00.000-07:00

I realized the other day that I've been completely falling behind on the blog front and since this is our main source of documenting our family events I would be remiss if I didn't try and catch up, I also promised an update on Layla after her ultrasound and neurosurgeon appointment which happened weeks ago so here is the update.

Layla had her ultrasound at UMC Hospital and although she didn't seem to enjoy it very much (who would, seriously all the ultrasound gel in your hair? GROSS) the results were good... she does not have hydrocephalus. We had an appointment with the Dr. Blum the following week to give him the ultrasound results and also to schedule her surgery. I was anxious for the appointment so when it finally arrived I couldn't wait to schedule everything so I could stop putting our lives on hold in the month of August. Well after he looked at the ultrasound and did a quick check-up on Layla he said something I never thought I would hear... SHE MAY NOT NEED SURGERY!!! She is showing no symptoms and since her MRI's and ultrasounds where so hard to see last time (because she is so small) he isn't sure she will need surgery! Instead of just scheduling surgery in August he decided she needed another MRI so that he could get a better look at what is going on. There is a definite abnormaility with her spine (you can feel it if you run your finger down her back) but if there is no intrusion into the spinal canal than there is no need to open her up! At first my hope was that she didn't have spina bifida but I've come to realize that her "condition" will never go away because of the malformity but at least I can be happy knowing that she will most likely never develop hydrocephalus (another sigh of relief) and that she may not need surgery. SO, for the first time in two months I am not scheduling tons of doctor appoitnments and running all over the city trying to get her to a different specialist every week. In fact, this week if the first week since she was born that I have NO appointments! YAHOO!!!! I am relieved and happy and hopeful but at the same time I don't want to get too excited because at the hopistal they definately saw a tether and that usually doesn't just disappear. So, please keep her in all your prayers and maybe we will get away with not having surgery :).

Layla stats: 2 months old

Height- 22 in

Weight: 9lb 12oz

Percentile: 25% on both accounts...she is one small girlie :)

Summer Fun

2010-07-11T12:42:00.000-07:00

Weird Sleeping Places and Positions

2010-06-24T09:27:00.000-07:00

Rett has been channeling his inner baby and decided he wanted to take his nap in the bassinet.

Layla slept with her arms straight out and rigid for over an hour!

Off the to Circus We Go

2010-06-22T20:28:00.001-07:00

The circus came to Vegas and we found some really cheap tickets so we decided to go! With all the craziness that has happened in the last couple months it was nice to do something as a family. It was my first time going to the circus (I think) and as I'm scared of clowns there were a few tense moments (almost had an anxiety attack... tears were seriously in my eyes) but besides that it went very smoothly and it was a successful trip! The boys absolutely loved the show and all the snacks we got them.

All three of my boys enthralled

I swear Gage tried his hardest not to blink so he didn't miss anything

The elephants were my favorite!

After the show we bought each boy a toy of their choice. They both chose the same toy...

I learned one thing... the circus isn't for adults, I was bored after 10 minutes but who cares when your kids are so happy! My favorite part was when they brought out the animals and did a cow boy theme routine and Gage took off the cowboy hat (it came with his cotton candy), stood up and said "yee-haw cow boy" while twirling his hat like the cow boys on the floor. Watching Rett laugh and jump up and down was also another favorite moment, especially when he would squeal with delight.

An Update on Layla

2010-06-17T21:04:00.000-07:00

We added a new doctor to Layla's ever growing list of specialist's today. While receiving her first ultrasound in the hospital the doctors noticed an abnormailty with her kidneys, the right kidney was .2cm larger than the left (this is called hydronephrosis) . Due to the spina bifida and the abnormality in the kidney's I was told to set up an appointment with the urologist in a month. It took some time but we finally got the appointment scheduled with the urologist in which I was expecting a ton of tests to be run and more scarey things thrown at us. LUCKILY, that was not how today went. Our newest doctor is Dr. Feng and he has been the best specialst I've met so far. He remembered us from the hopsital and he already contacted our other doctors to get caught up on Layla's condition. He did a quick evalution of Layla and then just sat and talked with me. He explained that in most cases when it comes to spina bifida if things are changing (getting worse) the first thing it affects is the urinary system, so a urologist is critical in the treatment of spina bifida. I was shocked by this but I was relieved because as Dr. Feng kept talking he was explaining things Dr. Blum (neurosurgeon) had explained weeks before, which reassured me that he (Dr. Feng) knows what he's doing when it comes to children with spina bifida. At the end of the appointment we scheduled a test for the end of July that will give us the amount of pressure in Layla's bladder, and then we will run the same test after surgery in August to make sure that no nerves were damaged and that everything is still working properly. Before leaving I asked what other tests he wanted to run and he just smiled and said none. Since Layla has been filling lots of diapers and hasn't been in any pain there was no need to fun more tests on her kidney's! It was shocking to meet a doctor who didn't run lots of tests but it made me like him even more. So for now the only tests Layla has scheduled are an ultrasound of her brain to check for hydrocephalus (excess fluid in the brain) and on her back to check the tether, also the pressure test on her bladder. We still don't know when here surgery will be because it won't be scheduled until Dr. Blum looks at the latest ultrasounds.

So thats it for now. When you look at all the tests she has had and everything that needs to be done its easy to think of Layla as a sick child but believe me, you would never know there is anything wrong if you didn't know her. She is happy and developing right on schedule, if not a little ahead ;). I will write another update after her ultrasound, if she does have hydrocephalus she will have a shunt inserted into skull to drain the excess fluid so please keep her in your prayers that everything will come back "normal" like it has been for the past 6 weeks.

Little Miss Layla Jean

2010-06-17T20:53:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I have been very lucky when it comes to babies. All of our kids have been good sleepers who don't need to be held all the time. Layla has been the best out of them all and even though she doesn't need to be held she always seems to have a member of the family with her.

I put Layla down on the bed to fold laundry and Colbie jumped up and almost wrapped herself around Layla.

What can I say, I wasn't ready to wake up and either was she.

Layla is almost a carbon copy of Rett.

Brothers and Friends

2010-06-15T08:41:00.000-07:00

At night before we go to bed, we always check on the boys. More often than not, this is what we see...

Layla's First Sunday Dress

2010-06-14T09:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was our first Sunday back to church since Layla was born. Adding another member of the family to be fed, cleaned, and dressed will take some getting use to! Layla looked absolutely adorable in her church dress and we had to take pictures.

Ryan is a very proud Daddy, and loves Layla more than he thought possible.

A New Morning Ritual

2010-06-14T09:24:00.000-07:00

Every morning after Ryan leaves and we are all fed Layla wakes up and is ready to play. While I get her bottled ready Gage always asks if he can feed baby Layla. The first time he asked I didn't let him but when he asked again the next day I realized how much he really wanted to feed her so I told him to sit in the chair and set it up as best I could. I hovered over them every second but Gage did a great job. He talked to her and made sure she was ok and watched as the formula disappeared. When she was done he said "Baby Layla full" and handed me the bottle. I took Layla and off he went happy as could be. The next morning he again asked to feed Layla, this time with Everett in toe. I have a feeling this is going to our new morning ritual...

Side Story: I told Rett to take his finger out of his nose because it was yucky...

and in true two year old fashion he then stuck a finger in each nostril and then started laughing. Its a good thing he is so darn cute or he would not make it to three!

Layla's Blessing

2010-06-09T13:26:00.001-07:00

Layla's blessing was at our church on Sunday performed by Ryan and a few close friends. I tried to get some nice pictures of Layla in her blessing gown but she wasn't very cooperative. I'm going to try again in a few days when I have help from Ryan, and maybe I will do it when she is sleeping :)

The Three Kiddies

2010-06-07T14:43:00.000-07:00

Beautiful, even in her sleep.

Story time... we moved a bookcase upstairs and while Ry and I cleaned up downstairs the boys brought the books upstairs. They got really quiet after awhile so we went to check on them and this is what we found! They pulled themselves up onto the shelf but couldn't get down so they just say and watched cartoon.

Happy Gage with his baby Layla

Playing together while I clean my room

I wanted to get a really cute picture of all three kids but as soon as I got the camera out Everett grabbed the pillows to hide himself. This is the best picture I got. It is my new mission in life to get a good picture with all three of my kiddies.

Bath Time

2010-06-07T06:41:00.000-07:00

She LOVES baths, and who can blame her? Floating in warm water and being pampered.

Her eyes fluctuate between green and blue so I'm getting my hopes up for blue eyed girl :)

She really hates being cold!

Way happier after I warmed her up

Pool Time

2010-06-04T10:24:00.001-07:00

The boys first time in the pool...

Its full!!!

Waiting oh so patiently for the water slide to be blown up and attached

Happy Birthday Everett!!!

2010-06-04T10:09:00.000-07:00

No it is not Everett's birthday today, in fact, his birthday was a couple weeks ago but I'm a little behind as I'm sure you all can understand. His birthday was on a Sunday and only a few weeks after my surgery so we didn't have anything huge planned, to tell the truth Ry and I forgot it was his birthday until late in the afternoon when I checked my blog and the little ticker at the top REMINDED me that it was his birthday (how sad is that?!?!). Luckily, I had already bought his gift the month before and I had a cake mix in the cupboard so all was well :).

The traditional pancakes made in the shape of your new age

Rett helping me make his cake

Singing time!

Cake time, YUM

Icing time, yummier!

A pool! Thats right, now that the backyard is complete we got Rett a pool for his birthday. He caught a glimpse of it in the garage a couple days before his birthday so he was thrilled when we finally gave it to him.

Happy Birthday to my insane 2 year old!!!

Layla's Secret

2010-06-03T07:44:00.000-07:00

For the past 4 weeks Ryan and I have been holding onto a secret about Layla that very few of you know about. At first we just didn't know how to accept it and then once we accepted it we weren't ready for the hundreds of questions we knew would be coming our way. But, now that its been a month, I feel I have enough of a grip on this that I can take whatever comes my way... Layla has spina bifida.

Before I go into the details of the whole situation let me reassure you all that Layla is ok. She has a very mild form of spina bifida called a lipo meningocele which if your kid has spina bifida it is the kind you want. She is in no pain and unless you know her diagnosis you would assume she is a perfectly healthy little girl. So, take a breathe, lower your blood pressure, and don't worry. What is going on inside Layla is that there is a piece of fat at the bottom of her back that has attached itself to her spinal cord and has created a "tether". It is pulling the spinal cord out of the spinal column which could create a whole host of problems as she gets older if it is not corrected. Actually, there are a lot of people in the world who have this condition, are never diagnosed, and never have any problems! Which blows my mind and give me hope all at the same time :). Anyway, as for "correcting" the spina bifida, Layla will be having spinal surgery in August to release the tether to allow her spinal cord to go back into her spinal column. I know it sounds horrible but believe me, compared to what it could be, its really not that bad.

Now as to why I am writing about this now...when Layla was born we had no idea anything was wrong. The surgery went great and we were so happy to have one delivery that was as planned and to have a healthy child, so when they told us she had spina bifida my world shattered. Most of you know that my pregnancies are not easy and my deliveries are horrible but once they are born things are usually ok. Due to the normal ultrasounds and blood tests I had never considered that there would be anything wrong after she was delivered. SO, it wasn't exactly something I could freely talk about to anyone. There was a lot of anger and tears, a lot of worry and frustration, a lot of prayers and in the end comfort. The reason I am now writing about this is because most of you who read this blog are our close friends and we love you all. We feel that you have a right to know what is going on in our lives because of your love for us and your concern for our family.

At this point in time there is nothing we can do for Layla because its almost as if there is nothing wrong. She has been seeing a neurosurgeon since she was born and she still goes to a pediatrician for the normal baby stuff. She is eating a ton, gaining a good amount of weight, and she is definitely a happy little girl. So, please don't worry! Now that I have myself and my emotions under control I will keep on writing about her condition until there is nothing to write about.

As a side note, I wanted to thank all our family and friends who have supported us through the last couple weeks as we have tried to wrap our brains around this. Your kind words have meant the world to us.

50?!?!

2010-05-28T22:36:00.000-07:00

Good news of the week... I have LOST 50 pounds!

Just thought I would brag a little :)

Last Night with Baba Hopkins

2010-05-23T11:38:00.001-07:00

The night before my mom left or as my kids call her "Baba" Ryan lit a fire in our fire pit and we roasted marshmallows and spent our last night together as a family.

Mom helped the boys; Rett was inpatient and Gage simply wanted to catch them on fire and watch them burn.

Rett ate as many marshmallows as we let him

Gage fed his partially burned marshmallows to the dogs

Stuffing his face :)

Mom held Layla

And Gage kept on burning things

Oh, and Duke followed Mom the entire time she was here. He was very sad the day after she left.

Layla's Nursery

2010-05-22T13:22:00.000-07:00

Well my mom is gone, but she left behind a part of herself and a gift for Layla. For the last week she was here she painted a mural in Layla's nursery to go along with the bedding and artwork I had already purchased. Along with the mural we also put up the artwork and put the new bedding in her crib. I LOVE the nursery and couldn't imagine it any better, the mural is definitely my favorite part (THANKS MOM!!!).

the left side of the wall, Mom did the painting and I made the letters for her name

the right side of the wall

butterfly 1 close-up

flowers close-up

butterfly 2 close-up

the cutest bumble bee!

After we were done painting I opened the bedding set and we put everything together

The changing table I refinished along with the new baskets and diaper holder

The new bedding. I didn't have the time or strength to refinish the crib but I think it still looks great :)

Layla in her crib for the first time. She laid in there for over 30 mintues and didn't make a sound!

An old entertainment center that we use as a dresser along with the rest of the wicker basket set.

Finally, the artwork that goes along with the bedding set.

It took a long time but it is done and we all love it. Now Layla just needs to get older and sleep through the night and we can put her in her new room.

The Story of Layla's Arrival

2010-05-20T12:06:00.000-07:00

So I know I have been partially behind on blogging; there have been lots of pictures but no stories. Sorry, but a c-section delivery is nothing like a normal delivery and until today I have been doped up, sleeping, and hanging with my mom. Anyway here is the story of Layla's arrival...

EARLY in the morning (5am) on Tuesday May 6th Ryan and I got put my bags in the car and headed to Valley hospital for my scheduled c-section. I had already pre-registered so we were hoping for no paperwork and a quick admittance, which is exactly what we got. We got to the maternity wing, they looked at us, and said "Kirsty Michaelis?", we smiled and said yes. I signed some forms and I was in pre-op in less than 5 minutes. I was the only patient there so all of my blood work and tubes were in before we were even there for 30 minutes. When I realized this I was amazed! We were told to be at the hospital 2 hours early in order to get all the paperwork and tests done for surgery. A part of me was relieved that I had an hour and half to close my eyes and relax. When Everett was born we hadn't even gotten past the blood work phase of pre-op before the whisked me off for an emergency c-section so there was a HUGE sigh of relief so have nothing to do but wait for Dr. Groom. The time went quickly and I actually got to walk to the OR. I hopped up on the OR table and did my best to stay calm. My anesthesiologist was amazing and very funny. He was making jokes the entire time and kept me very calm while doing my spinal block. For those of you from my home town he reminded me of Brett Smith, which was funny in its self, imagine getting a spinal block from Brett!!! Anyway, I laid down (with some assistance from the nurse) and wait for surgery to begin. Ryan and I chatted with Dr. Groom and the anesthesiologist (whom I will refer to as Dr. Brett because I can't remember his name) while everything got set up. The big drape was put up so we couldn't see anything and Dr. Brett asked "What do you think? Are you ready to start?". I tried wiggling my toes and I couldn't feel a thing let alone wiggling toes so I looked at him, smiled, and said "Yep! Let’s get this over with". He laughed and said "Good, because they started a few minutes ago!". I couldn't believe it! I looked at Ryan and he had the same shocked face that I did and we just laughed. At that point on Ryan kept my mind off of the fact that I was being cut open by talking football (it always seems to be the topic of conversation when we're having a baby) and before we knew it the nurse said "Look at those cheeks!" and then there was a cry. It was a HUGE relief to actually hear one of my babies cry and know that everything was going smoothly. Once Layla was ready for the nursery the nurse took Ryan and Layla away while I got closed up. This was going to be a lengthy process because we asked Dr. Groom to look around and make sure everything looked good for another baby (yes, we are planning on another baby) and to do a few extra measures to make sure that my uterus and surround tissue healed quickly and strong. Since my distraction (Ryan) was gone Dr. Brett took over and explained everything to me that he was doing and what the surgeons were doing. At one point he got out my Dr's iPad and we played scrabble (us against the surgeons), it was all very entertaining. Since I have a good relationship with Dr. Groom he talked to me while doing his work and even allowed me to make some of the smaller decisions (like staples or stitches). All in all it was a great experience, certainly the best delivery I have had yet. I went to post-op for an hour and then to my recovery room. I wanted Layla there as soon as I got there but we were told babies have to stay in the nursery 3-4 hours after birth (which I thought sucked) but they would bring her to us when they could. So Ry and I tried to relax while waiting for Layla. As for what happened next, I really don't remember. By that time the morphine they inserted in my spine kicked in and the next 24 hours are foggy. I know my mom and the boys came to visit (in which I got sick and they had to leave), Layla eventually got brought to us, and I did a lot sleeping. I remember being really thirsty but not being allowed to drink or even have ice chips (I was not happy about that) but I made it through. Layla and I stayed in the hospital until Sunday and came home to a wonderfully clean home making it a great Mothers Day.

Love at First Sight

2010-05-15T10:59:00.001-07:00

Gages Baby Layla

2010-05-15T10:52:00.000-07:00

Well Worth all the Hard Work

2010-05-11T06:39:00.000-07:00

This morning when I woke I found Gage on the side of our bed asleep, cuddled under the quilt I made him! It was a very big moment for me so of course I took a picture. After spending months on the blankets for the kids I was convinced they would love them as much as I do but I guess I worried for nothing :).

Gage this morning

The boys watching cartoons

Rett snuggling and staying warm

Home at Last, Home at Last!

2010-05-11T06:37:00.001-07:00

Layla's first afternoon at home

Gage couldn't wait to hold her!

Colbie was extremely interested but also cautious

Duke also took a look, and got comfortable

The boys love watching her!

Big Brothers and a Little Sister

2010-05-08T07:24:00.000-07:00

Baba holding her first granddaughter for the first time (I got a little teary eyed)

Two big brother and one sweet little girl

Everett was a lot more excited than I thought he would be, HUGE relief.

I LOVE THESE KIDS!!!

They weren't sure what to think at first, but I LOVE this picture!

The boys call their stuffed animals "babies" so these are new babies from the Baby Layla (thats what Gage calls his little sister!).

Layla Jean: First Pictures

2010-05-06T17:36:00.000-07:00

My brain is still foggy from all the drugs and the surgery so enjoy these pics for now and I'll do the full story later along with more adorable pictures.

Gages Quilt

2010-05-04T13:15:00.000-07:00

This post is a little late but I've been a little lazy lately (I'm sure you all understand). I picked up Gages quilt a little over a week ago and that concluded my never ending circus of making three quilts in 3 months!

Its really hard to see but the pattern I chose was dogs chasing bones.

Baby Appt. #11: The Last One!!!

2010-05-03T16:18:00.000-07:00

Well of course this last appointment couldn't be in and out, it has to be another adventure! It started off by the doctor forgetting I was there... well more like he thought his PA Stephanie saw me and she thought he saw me but it was finally discovered that I was sitting in the backroom with the little piece of paper over (all you women know what I'm talking about) over my lap waiting to be done with this appointment. The normal questions were asked and the facts of the c-section gone over. Then a not so normal question "so are you and your dogs getting along better?" I looked at him, laughed, and said "yes, no more tripping over them". He then continued, "So her activity picked up? More kicked and moving?". I thought about that for a second, see, Layla has actually gotten less active since my last appointment and although it worried me I attributed it to that fact that she is getting bigger and I was out of room. He looked at me, with a not so happy face, and I explained that I made she she moved every 2 hours and my reasoning's for not coming in earlier (bigger baby, smaller me). Anyway, I didn't convince him that all was well and he hooked me up to the fetal heart rate machine again. He did check my cervix before starting the test and I am 50% effaced and 2 cm dilated! If I was delivery normally I would be super excited but now I just hope I DON'T go into labor before Thursday morning. Oh, and my uterus didn't shrink in the past week but popped up to where its suppose to be so I'm measuring at 38 1/2 cm (1 cm for every week). Back to the fetal heart rate monitor, after about 40 minutes of laying down hooked up to a machine and drinking apple juice (to keep Layla awake) it was decided she is stable enough to wait until Thursday for the c-section. If anything seems off between now and then I'm suppose to call right away and go into the office. Can you tell he is a little worried? I can't blame him, my history doesn't exactly inspire the "everything will be fine" mentality. I am extremely grateful for a good doctor, even if he sometimes worries too much. Honestly, I am glad he is taking good care of us and although it would have been nice to have the c-section today I know its better to wait until the scheduled time. So for now I'm going to be a good little trooper and stay calm (i will do my best with that), take it easy, and not doing anything that could cause labor.

So there it is, my last appointment for my third pregnancy! A little drama but then again, it would be my life (especially my pregnancy) if there wasn't a little drama and flare at the end :).

Backyard Fun

2010-05-03T09:31:00.000-07:00

Daddy Son Time

2010-05-02T20:25:00.000-07:00

With Layla's arrival right around the corner Ryan and I have been trying to spend as much time as possible with the boys. Lots of cuddling, reading, playing, and very cute pictures :).

Summer Buzzin'

2010-04-29T07:59:00.001-07:00

The boys got their Summer haircuts... a nice short buzz!

Jurassic Park 3

2010-04-26T18:43:00.000-07:00

"Roar Roar! I wanna watch dinosaur, I want to see it eat the man!" (Gage to Ryan after dinner)

Yesterday afternoon Gage and Ryan watched Jurassic Park 3 from beginning to end with no editing and Gage LOVED it all! Not exactly the movie I would have chosen but Ry knows his boys. Now Gage is obsessed with Dinosaurs and how they eat people!

Baby Appt. #10

2010-04-26T17:25:00.000-07:00

Well these posts are getting a lot more common! I actually thought this was going to be my last appointment until the c-section next week (YAHOO!) but no such luck, I have another appointment on Monday. I tried my best to get out of it but they were very stubborn so I gave in and accepted my fate of one more appointment. Now I know that may sound odd but by your third pregnancy you know what is going to happen when as in the last couple weeks as long as you feel good and the baby is still giving you good strong kicks all is well in the world. Up to this point I was able to avoid weekly visits so really I'm lucky that I put it off this long. Anyway, my appointment was pretty standard... in the beginning. Ryan decided he wanted to be there so he met me at the doctors office and we got lucky, the appointment before me cancelled so there was no waiting!!! Which was serious miracle because I usually end up waiting at least a half an hour (between the waiting room and the back room). Dr. Groom went over the c-section procedures and made sure we knew we knew we needed to be at the hospital at 5:30am on the 6th (that is so incredibly early). Then the question came, how are you doing? Well looked at Ryan and he said "she fell last night", well of course that needed to be explained!

See last night I was getting ready for bed, putting things away, and shutting everything down for the night. Of course being 37 weeks pregnant and HUGE i can't see much in front of me and I tripped over Duke. Luckily I have had enough experience with tripping while pregnant that I caught myself and didn't fall belly first but rather landed on my hands and knee's. Ryan helped me back up and I got in bed and all was well with the world. I was a little sore but Layla was moving (not as much as usual but still moving) so I went to sleep. Layla was still moving this morning (still less than usual) so I knew it would be brought up at the doctors appointment. So, as soon as I explained all of this to Dr. Groom he said "well that's it, we need to run some monitoring tests". He then measured my stomach and I actually shrunk since my last appointment...by an whole centimeter! This is so not cool considering I should have grown but he said its normal at the end because the baby can drop and also the size of the fundus depends on what position the baby is in. I was still shocked to here that I shrunk. Ryan wanted to tell him that I'm not eating enough (according to Ryan) and if that would contribute to the shrinking but he didn't get a chance. We got moved to another room to monitor Layla's heart beat which was really because she was asleep and they had to keep waking her up to make sure they were getting an accurate heart beat. After it was confirmed that her heart was ok (which took an hour and usually only takes 20 minutes) I went and got an ultrasound to make sure that the placenta didn't tear away from the uterus during my fall, and that there was enough amniotic fluid. Now after all of this craziness it was confirmed that I'm ok and so is Layla. I am suppose to take it easy for the next 10 days and do my best to watch where I'm going so I don't trip again. I find it all very entertaining and I'm glad that all is well, even if I do have to go to the doctor again in a week. So, one more baby update with a generic picture and then we will have actual pictures of my baby girl!!!

Landscaping the Backyard

2010-04-25T15:22:00.000-07:00

For over a year now we have been planning what to do with our backyard. After several ideas, estimates, and designs it all came together this weekend and Ryan "put in" our backyard. Our original plan was to put in sod but after dealing with the HOA and the water authority it was simply easier and made more sense to put in AstroTurf (fake grass).

Being the avid Home Depot fans that we are we got all the supplies we could from them, including the actual AstroTurf. For those of you who have no idea what goes into laying AstroTurf here is a list of supplies
1. AstroTurf (we needed 470 sq. ft)
2. 1 yard (ton) of top soil to even out the ground
3. 2 tons of gravel for drainage and to further even out the ground
4. 1 box of 6 in. nails and then several 10 in. and 12 in nails (to stake the turf down)
5. Seaming tape
6. Glue (for the seaming tape)
7. Bags of tiny tire bits

Now for the pictures...

Day 1: Friday April 23, 2010

Friday afternoon the top soil and gravel were dumped in front of our house.

Ryan cleared as much of the post construction junk as he could and started hauling the top soil into the back

After several loads it looked like I had monstrous groundhogs digging in my backyard!

I told Gage he would watch Daddy but he had to stay out of the way and sit in the yellow chair. I didn't think he would stay long but was surprised me was he stayed even after Rett ran out and started playing in the new dirt.

Ryan used the boys as his own personal compacting system and had them jumping all over the place to help compact the top soil.

Duke wasn't sure what to think of all the new activity and dirt.

Oh ya, and Rett wants to be a big boy like Gage so he puts underwear over his diapers :)

Ryan got a lot done really fast. He had to put over 12 inches of top soil in the back corner to get it even with the rest of the yard.

Day 2: Saturday April 24, 2010

Ryan the farmer

A little more evening was required

Ryan enlisted the help of our friend Devin to lay the AstroTurf. It came in a 600lb roll!

They laid the middle section first and Gage enjoyed watching everything happen

Rett took a spot against the wall

He didn't stay there very long...

The boys were very helpful, always bringing nails when needed.

And bringing lots of smiles and laughter

Colbie and Duke took to the turf very well. As soon as it was laid and nailed down they settled right in for a good nap.

Devin and Ry pounding away trying to find spots that weren't covered with rock and cement. It was a harder task than expected.

Once lunch time hit it got warm out and everyone was tired so Ryan and Devin taped and glued down the seams (they cut the roll of turf into three sections in order to lay it properly and to make it fit to our exact needs). The patio stones are on top of the seams to make sure that nothing moved them or ripped them up.

Of course after lots of hard work there has to be a little time for play. We put the boys slide together and Rett and Ryan took turns sliding!

View from the back door

Another view

I started putting all the toys together and moving things around but I didn't get very far. More to come soon once everything it put together and placed where its suppose to be!

Everett the Fireman

2010-04-22T09:58:00.000-07:00

All is Bought

2010-04-22T09:46:00.001-07:00

For about 5 months I have been saving all I could to buy the new things I wanted for my little girl (new bedding, a swing, bouncy chair, etc) and to redecorate Everetts old room into an actual nursery. Well after months of comparing prices, customer reviews, and designs I have finally purchased everything we will need (and I want) for Layla. I haven't opened anything yet (that will happen when she gets home and we know all is well) but its nice just to know that I have everything and its ready to be set up. I will take pictures of her nursery once we have everything set up, painted, and looking nice. One of the fun things about buying new stuff was having Gage open all the packages that came in the mail...

(her bedding set!!!!)

Every time a package came Gage would ask who it was for and he was very accepting that they were all for "baby Layla". After each one is opened he takes them to her room and finds a spot to put it away. I say this all the time but he really is an EXCELLENT big brother!!!

Bows Bows and More Bows

2010-04-22T08:39:00.000-07:00

I have an amazing friend who makes BEAUTIFUL bows (yes she made all of these) and she sent a little care package for Layla! I must say, one of the best parts of having a little girl are all the accessories I now get to buy and play with and bows are my favorite! Now you may be wondering "Why is Gage (your 4 year old BOY) wearing a bunch of bow???". Well, that's a very good question, and here's the answer... because he thought they were pretty!

When I got the package out of the mail Gage asked to open it and like every other package we get I let him. He carefully cut open the envelope and looked at all the pretty bows and said "Baby Layla's hair?" I laughed and confirmed his suspicions and then he asked me if he would wear them. I couldn't stop laughing as he put all the bows (that weren't already attached to head bands) in his hair! He is such a silly boy and I love him to pieces. Once he was done we took a few pictures and then he gently took them out and put them in the nursery with all the other bows. I think he will be an excellent big brother to play dress up with :)!

Thanks again Katy! They are beautiful and I can't wait to start using them. I will definitely be bring Layla home with a bow in her hair :). If you want to learn how to make bows on your own Katy has set up a blog; www.bedrestbows.blogspot.com!

Silly Mommy and Daddy

2010-04-18T19:31:00.000-07:00

With the end of tax season comes lots of home improvements projects and family time. Ry and I spent the weekend cleaning up the backyard, running errands, and installing/fixing lots of little things. Along with all those little things was the BBQ that I made explode and catch on fire last year :)! This afternoon we (and when I say we I mean Ryan) made tin foil dinners and enjoyed a warm Sunday afternoon. While Ryan was prepping the grill Gage ran inside and locked us in the backyard! He ran up the stairs and sat on the landing laughing as Ryan and I tried to convince him to come down and open the door! All three of us were laughing and after a few minutes of pointing, laughing, and begging Gage came own the stairs and unlocked the door. He thought he was hilarious and that Mommy and Daddy were silly!

Baby Appt. #9

2010-04-12T16:38:00.000-07:00

It now occurs to be me that I missed my posting appointment. #8, sorry about that!

Now, onto today's appointment! I haven't exactly been looking forward to this appointment as it is the not so fun checking the cervix for dilation and effacement. I know, I know, TMI but its true, that's what happens at the last couple appointments and I am so not a fan. Lol, anyway, I am not dilated but I am soft and ripe (just like good fruit ;p) which if I was delivering naturally would be great but since I'm having a c-section it really doesn't mean anything.

As for Layla her heartbeat is still good and strong and she is growing right on schedule. I am measuring at 36 weeks (which I will be on Thursday) and there is lots of good movement. I was given the option to go to weekly appointment or to stick with every other week and since I'm not worried and finding a babysitter is not always easy I decided that every other week is fine. So I two more doctors appointments (one of the 26th, and one of the 3rd) and then little miss Layla will be here with us! I am so excited that this pregnancy is finally coming to an end and all the wonderful things that come along with it (a new baby, family visits, and lots of pampering from my hubby)!

Question

2010-04-10T12:02:00.000-07:00

Question: Will I ever stop being tired???

Answer: NO!

After almost 9 hours of sleep last night (yay me!) I still fell asleep on the couch while watching Pokemon with Gage...when I woke up Gage looked at the dogs said "Mommy sick", looked at me and said "You sleepy".

I never sleep alone

2010-04-06T15:48:00.001-07:00

Courtesy of Ryan one early morning while he got ready for work

Easter Portraits 2010

2010-04-05T07:22:00.000-07:00

Every year Ryan and I find a pretty place and on Easter we take the boys out take portraits. It always and interesting experience but luckily we usually get a few good shots. These are some of my favorites:

Gage has "issues" with smiling these days, he always scrunches up his face and closes his eyes! Getting an actual good picture with a good smile and open eyes may not happen for a few year :).

Look Mom! Water!!!

I don't know why he opened his mouth but its really funny!

I was trying to tell him how to smile without scrunching his face!

He didn't want to take any more pictures

Either did Everett! I love these two pictures together, it truly shows how alike they are.

We promised Gage if he let us take a few good pictures in pretty places we would let him run and play for a whole hour! But he wanted to choose the pretty place, this is what he chose.

NO words, just laughter

So handsome

And cute

Pretty place #2, he looks like he is in pain!

We took a break, Gage tried to push the tree over.

Everett laughing at me.

I really wanted a good picture of both of them together but we weren't really successful...

This is the best of the two

Thats what we got! It was a fun afternoon and maybe a little frustrating but totally worth it.