School Program

So, I've always secretly mocked those "wimpy moms" who cry at dance recitals and whatnot. I never really understood. I've resisted admitting it, but I am one of those moms. Multiple times over. How do these kids grow up so quickly? Wahhh!

Yesterday was McKenzies preschool Christmas program. I wondered how she would do, because at other performances she's been a little shy, but she did great! She sang along and even did some of the gestures, too!

Smiling with Grandma Terri after the show

Last night before bed, McKenzie was snuggling with me, talking about our day. It was one of those peaceful, sweet moments that I love sharing with my kids. I told her how much I liked her program and how proud I am of her. She beamed with pride and quizzed me to make sure I paid attention during the show. Then:

Me: You are growing up WAY too fast!

McKenzie: I KNOW! Pretty soon I am going to be too big for you!

Me: Then what will happen?

McKenzie: I will leave. I will drive away in my car. My NEW car. My BIG NEW car! And you will boohoo!

Coming back to life

It's been almost six weeks since my leg was put through the grinder, and I'm finally starting to feel like a person again! The experience was a lot different (and harder) than I ever expected.

In surgery they drilled holes in my tibia (shin bone) and used a chisel to break the rest of the way through. Then they made a cut over my knee and pounded a 14 inch long, 1/2 inch wide titanium rod through the middle of the bone. They straightened my leg and put some screws in under my knee and above my ankle. The x-rays look like a case of metal shop gone wrong.

I had a block on my femoral nerve, but that didn't touch the pain. I'm usually quite a light weight with pain meds (I think I broke up and used 2 percocets for the entire time I recovered from child birth) so I was surprised at how much medicine I needed. Knowing how strongly the meds affect me, I asked to start with 1/2 a percocet, but soon needed needed more. I had taken as many as allowed and was still in agony, so I moved up to the oxy. Even then I was taking three every three hours and Tylenol in between. Much of the first two weeks after surgery is a blur.

After three days in the hospital I came home. My sister stayed here to help babysit me and the kids, and mom and dad were here a lot too. Even after they left "full time babysitting" I called my parents several times in tears. Each time they jumped right in the car and came to my rescue.

Cris has been a huge help. Working full time (and overtime) and keeping up the house hasn't been easy for him. But I love and appreciate him so much. We also had SO much help from other family members, friends and neighbors. Thank you everyone for the meals, the babysitting, being a taxi service and for your love. I don't know how we could have got through it alone!

I think I went into this a little starry eyed thinking that I'd have a broken shin, but could still manage around the house on my crutches just fine. But, it was a few weeks before I even moved up to the crutches! I started on a walker (insert geriatric joke here) and even then, leaving my place on the couch was painful enough I avoided it at all costs. McKenzie was a great help, bringing me diapers for Alli, or the phone, or whatever I needed. But, she also got tired of it too. One day I called for her and she told me, "McKenzie's not here right now! Leave a message!"

I've learned a few tricks along the way. Since I couldn't hold anything in my hands as I moved around with the walker I learned to shuffle a laundry basket in front of it to shuttle things around the house. Sometimes even Allison. (How else do you convince a 1 year old it's time for her nap when you can't pick her up and carry her?)

For the most part, I'm off the meds and am able to get around the house without the crutches. I just have a really nasty limp. I'm not quite able to drive yet, but am hoping to get there soon. It's a weird feeling being locked in your house and unable to escape! More than once I called people begging to take me for a quick ride anywhere. The park. Grandmas house. I didn't care! I just needed a change of scenery.

The bruises are nearly gone. At first my entire leg was a solid rainbow of black, purple and green. I thought the bruises may last for months, but luckily only shadows remain. And for the first time, when I lay on my back my toes point to the ceiling! It's been a weird feeling to get used to - before now my pinkie toe would lay flat on the bed!

So, I can see there is some improvement. And I know things are going to get even better. But, I think I'm going to fight like hell to avoid the surgery on the other two bones!

Pumpkin Patch

Grandpa Randy took us to the pumpkin patch in celebration of McKenzies actual birthday! Unfortunately it was a little cold and drizzling rain, so we had to hurry through, but we still had LOTS of fun! Pumpkins are one of McKenzies favorite things (fitting she's an October baby, right?)

Afterward, the Dew family met us at Applebees for some yummy dinner! Happy Birthday, Z!

McKenzies Birthday

McKenzie is now officially FOUR years old! It's such a fun age of excitement and magic! A few things about Miss McKenzie:

She is full of personality! There is no hiding if she is tired, or cranky, or excited! She is stubborn and can't be talked out of many things, but she's also sweet and compassionate too.

She loves to learn! School is one of her favorite things! She also loves to read and asks so many questions about how things work. Right now, she's trying to figure out driving, asking me why the cars drive between the lines and how they take turns at the intersections. It's amazing to see her little mind go (and how she picks up the little details!)

She is a ham! She loves attention and has a hard time sharing the spotlight! Even though she adores and protects her little sister (who idolizes her) she gets frustrated when Alli's the center of attention and does her best to upstage her.

She is currently in love with firemen thanks to a safety program at school. She knows how to stop, drop and roll, knows where to meet if there is a fire and will gladly demonstrate how to crawl below the smoke. Other potential careers: gymnastics - the girl cannot go an hour without flipping or somersaulting, chef - she loves to help in the kitchen and comes running when she hears the mixer turn on, photographer - she still loves taking pictures and 'scrapbooking', and artist - paint, markers, crayons, clay? She loves it all!

We love you, Z!

Birthday Party for Two

On Saturday we had a party for the girls' birthday. McKenzie put on her chef costume and made individual pizzas for everyone. I had put a sign up on the door saying "McKenzies' Pizzeria - Pizzas made the way I want them!" and that's exactly how it was! The pizzas ended up being 3" thick and didn't always have the toppings that were requested, but she had SO MUCH FUN making them!

For their cakes, I made two ice cream cake rolls - one vanilla and one cholocate. However, I didn't get any pictures of them blowing out the candles (daddy preferred video) so I'm issuing a plea to my wonderful mother-in-law and sister-in-law to share some of their shots with me! ;)

The girls were thoroughly spoiled by our wonderful family and it was a great evening!

Saturday was Allisons birthday. After I got home from work, we had dinner and some cupcakes McKenzie decorated for the big event! (She covered them in gum drops, but soon hated them after her first bite!) Alli got to open a few presents, but we are saving the rest for the girls party this weekend. (I'm such a mean mom, huh?) Anyway, here's a few pics of her big day!

Birthday girl wouldn't stand still for a photo!

She was hesitant about the cupcake at first...

But soon dug right in!

She kept touching it, saying "This! This?"

Happy Birthday, Allison!

Happy First Birthday, Allison!

Tomorrow my baby turns one! Already? It seems like the time has flown by in the blink of an eye, but yet I can't remember us not having her as part of our family. I thought I'd share a few things about her:

She LOVES to eat! Although her size may not reflect how much she takes in, our little girl is rarely seen without something in her mouth. She has refused baby food for months, but hasn't found a regular food she doesn't love. Her favorites are apples, ice cream, lasagna and celery.

She's very good on her feet! She's a great walker and chases her sister and I wherever we go.

She loves to hold her hand to her ear and pretend to talk on the phone. She'll say "Hi!" and "Daddy!" over and over again, all day long.

She loves to throw anything she can find into the bathtub, and say "Uh oh!" over and over again.

She loves the telephone and remotes, and we're constantly trying to hide them from her. She usually outsmarts us and we end up with a drool covered telephone.

She is a scavenger and thinks the world is her buffet. She'll run for the dirt as soon as we're outside and fill her mouth if I'm not quick enough. She loves when the garbage can is full enough she can reach inside for a "treat". She picks up bits of paper off of the floor for a snack. And yes, she has been found playing in the toilet - so the new catch phraze at our house is "Did you shut the lid?" I know it sounds like I don't watch her and my house is a mess, but this kid is good at her craft!

Her favorite things are two cheap pillows I bought at Ikea for a buck. She sleeps with them every night, carries them around the house, jumps on them and sits on them. It's adorable to watch her cuddle with them. They are threadbare and starting to fray, but I can't imagine throwing them out.

When we say "Alli Cat!" she can't resist smiling and comes running to us. Her one dimple shows with a smile, and her super kissable cheeks beg for some lovin'!

We love you, Allison! Have a happy birthday!

School Pictures

McKenzie brought home her school pictures yesterday. Not just any school pictures - her very first school pictures! They shouldn't have been a surprise because I'd filled out the order form and written out the check a few weeks ago. But, when I opened that envelope I got a little misty eyed! The pictures were a reminder of how big she's getting! She's in school now, has friends and functions very well without me - something she likes to remind me of everyday when she begs me not to walk her to her classroom. She can do it by herself, thank you very much!

The photograph may not have captured her best smile, or highlighted the twinkle in her eye. In fact, her hair is a little messy from playing on the playground and the photo is a little off center. But I LOVE this picture. For some reason it seems like an all important milestone. Or maybe a glimpse of whats to come. Here's to 14 more years of her school pictures to make me cry!

One day to justifiable crankiness!

Last call! Anyone else want to self torture?

So far there are five people giving up soda:
Kristy Langford Deans
Malory Madsen Moore
My mom
My hubby
and I

We're still open to more opponents, so sign up! We officially start tomorrow through the end of the year! Wish us luck!

Carbonation Challenge

I'm drinking too much Dr. Pepper.

Again.

And I'm trying to quit.

Again.

I'm lacking motivation to just quit, so I'm going to make a game out of it. Wanna play?

Anyone who wants to play needs to chip in $10 (a little added motivation). We'll go by the honor system, and the person who goes the longest without drinking soda (anything carbonated) keeps all of the money in the pot. I think 3 months is long enough for the contest, so if we don't have a winner by the end of the year, everyone who is still in the running will split the money.

I'm hoping for at least 10 people (then the pot is $100!) and have 4 signed up already. If you want to play too, shoot me an email or leave a comment!

PS - Can't decide if you want to play? Think of it as a savings plan. If you're like me, you'd spend way more than $10 on soda in three months! :)

The bionic leg

... is being installed October 27.

A whole month of waiting! Whaaa!

My heart is pounding a little faster...

and my leg is already starting to ache.

Some of you may know that I would be the perfect shoe model. If I had coordination, that is. You see, my right foot turns out quite far to the right - thus allowing you to see the front of the shoe on my left foot, while also seeing the side of the right shoe. Brilliant right? Think of it as half duck footed.

Anyway, we started to notice the problem about 14 years ago when my knee started to hurt. I was diagnosed with external tibial torsion and told that I would eventually need a knee replacement and to hold out as long as I could. My knee and hip have hurt every day since then. Pregnancy was a joy.

I'll spare you some of the boring details about a summer filled with tests, referrals and MRI's, and just tell you that they've made some advancements and I don't need a knee replacement. (Yay!) They just need to cut my tibia (shin bone), turn it, and put it back together. Unfortunately, the only doctor with experience is a pediatric orthopedic surgeon. So... I spent my day at Primary Children's Hospital with my new doctor, Dr. Klatt.

It was perhaps the most uncomfortable time I've ever spent in a waiting room. On one side of me was a beautiful clubfooted baby. On the other, an 8 year old who fell off the monkey bars and broke his arm. Kids everywhere. And me, the 28 year old partially duck footed woman hobbling into the children's hospital. I lost count how many times I was asked if I was Stacy's guardian. Not to mention they were running 45 minutes behind schedule.

But, Dr. Klatt was really very nice and I felt comfortable right away. He reviewed the MRI's and x-rays I brought with me, and did a few tests himself. He found that not only is my right tibia twisted, but so is my left. And my right femur (thigh bone). He said that if I were a child he would break both bones in my right leg now, but suggested we start with just the shin bone for now.

He is going to make an incision in the front of my shin, drill holes in my bone and break it the rest of the way through with a chisel. Pretty medieval right? The bone will be turned, a long metal rod will be put in from an incision by my knee, and screws will be placed by my knee and ankle. I'll spend 3 days in the hospital and can't put much weight on my leg for several weeks. Obviously, I'm too old for surgery at Primary Children's, so we'll probably have it at the Orthopedic Center down the road. I'll find out the schedule tomorrow.

The good news is, this diagnosis is MUCH better than what my referring doctor had braced me for. Dr. Klatt thinks I can return to work in 2-3 weeks if I want. And, there is a chance this surgery will alleviate the pain I've been having enough that I may not need the other two bones broken. (Cross your fingers!) Hopefully I'll be able to run without crying for the first time. Ever!

While I was walking to my car after the appointment, I had a bit of an inner dialogue:

• 3 days in the hospital?! What am I going to do? If I get woken up every 15 minutes and asked if I need something to help me sleep I'll walk myself home, thank you very much!
• Maybe I'll have to take the computer and blog to entertain myself. I can see the post now: "8:38 - moody nurse is back. HELP!
• I'm surprised there's a problem with my femur, no one mentioned that before. Maybe I don't really need that bone broken? Or maybe I do and I should just get it done now? Who wants another surgery, really?
• He said he'd do the surgery with an epidural; that went okay when I had the kids. WAIT! I was AWAKE when I had the kids! I hope he doesn't want me awake! I CAN'T HANDLE HEARING MY OWN BONE BREAK!

About then, I started to panic. A lot. And I know I wont be able to sleep tonight. When they call me tomorrow to schedule, there are definitely going to be some questions! Until then, I'm going to be pacing. In my own little partially duckfooted way.

First Day of School

I dropped McKenzie off for her first day of preschool a few minutes ago. She has been SO excited! She woke up early and begged to get her uniform on, wolfed down her breakfast, and waited rather impatiently to go! When we finally got to school she asked, "Is it time for you to leave yet, mom?" Sniff, sniff! My baby is growing up and doesn't need me! It made me a little teary eyed as I pulled away, but I guess it's easier than if she were bawling and had to be torn away from my leg.

Here's to a good year!

Dinosaurs!

I was feeling stir crazy, so I took the girls to the dinosaur museum in Ogden for the first time today. Even though I wrote down the wrong exit number, we eventually made it, and the girls were WONDERFUL! It was a peaceful (and long) car ride, Alli happily rode in her stroller when we got there, and McKenzie didn't run off or misbehave. What more could a mom ask for, right?

Here's a few of my favorite snapshots:

McKenzie and her typical goofy pose.

She thought she was SO cool when I took this picture!

The girlies riding a big lizard-dinosaur thing in the park.

Allison on a turtle. She was so proud of herself, isn't it adorable!

Ride 'em cowgirl!

I wish I had my video camera when we toured the indoor museum. But, to tell the story, I have to provide a little background... This summer, Cris and the girls toured the Dinosaur Museum at Thanksgiving Pointe with some of Cris' family. While they were there, McKenzie heard some of the dinosaur noises in the background and asked Aunt Ashli, "Did you hear that? Maybe some dinosaurs are still alive!"

So... today when McKenzie saw the animatronic dinosaurs that moved and made noise, she was a little frightened. She inched up closer and closer to the fence. Then, she muttered, "I told Ashli some dinosaurs are still alive!" I think I laughed the rest of the way through the park! I love that girl!

Chatterbox

Alli is becoming more and more vocal lately, which is so much fun! (Mostly because she hasn't learned to tell me 'no' yet!) She can mimic noises so well that sometimes it's hard to tell when she knows a word, or is just parroting it back! One of my favorite things is watching her hold her hand up to her ear and see her pace around saying "Daddy!" and "Hi!" while she pretends to be on the phone. Total girl, right? (And in case you are wondering, she adores jewelry and shoes, too. No joke!)

She also cracks me up when Cris is in the car with us. She can't stop saying "Daddy! Daddy! DadDEEE!" over and over again. I'm not quite sure if she thinks it's a game, or if she's frustrated she can hear him talk, but can't see him.

For my own documentation, here's the words she's been saying:

• Daddy
• Mommy/MomMom
• Hi
• Hello
• Bye bye
• Doggy
• Thank you
• Banana
• Kiss
• and today, she started pointing and saying 'This'

Unfortunately, she's also perfected a shrill glass shattering scream. It's the loudest, most horribly painful noise I've ever heard come from something so cute. Sometimes, she squeals when she's frustrated. Sometimes when her sister pesters her. And sometimes I have no clue what causes it! All I know is that I don't like it. AT ALL. That noise grates on my patience like nothing else. Mix that in with an almost-4-year-old who is overly anxious for school to start next week, and we've had a fun week at our house. And it's only Wednesday! Now I feel like I need to scream! :)

Digital Scrapbook

A few people have asked what program I use to design the mastheads on this blog, so here's the scoop! The program is 'LumaPix FotoFusion Scrapbook Essentials featuring SEI'. (Say that three times fast - go on, I dare ya!) It was a freebie I got at an SEI class at the Scrapbook Expo. I'm just digging in to digital scrapbooking, so there is so much I don't know about it. But, I do know that this program is EASY! If you want it, check out http://www.shopsei.com/, and while you're there, check out club sei - it's the mommy scrapbookers friend.

More Menzie-isms

The computer went back to the shop again, so I've been unable to blog for a few days. While I was gone, you missed a few funny conversations with my daughter. Here's a few to brighten your day:

"Grandma, sometimes does Grandpa make you go to bed when you want to stay up and watch tv?"

--------------


My sister was changing her baby boys diaper. McKenzie leaned over, opened the diaper back up, pointed, and said "Thats a silly one!"

Thats what Menzies do

We've been trying to encourage McKenzie to stay dry all night long. She's about at the 50/50 stage now where it seems like she could stay dry all night, but doesn't think it's worth the effort. We're trying to earn stars on a progress chart, but still lacking motivation. Any ideas?

Anyway, here's a snippet of a 'staying dry' conversation from last weekend.

Daddy: Uh oh! Your pull-up is wet! Why didn't you stay dry like a big girl?
McKenzie: (cocks her head to the side, thinks for a minute and shrugs) Thats what Menzies do on Tuesdays! (stops and thinks again) What day is it?
Daddy: Sunday.
McKenzie: Sometimes thats what Menzies do. Even on Sundays. Sorry Dad. I'll prolly (probably) be dry on Mondays!

Ga-Loon!

See Kenzie's stitches in the pictures above. She's refused to let me photograph it. Stinker!

I was able to sneak out of work a few Mondays ago, so Cris and I decided to take the girls to Lagoon (pronounced Ga-Loon by my oldest) We knew Alli wouldn't be able to do much and thought McKenzie could use a buddy on some of the rides, so we "borrowed" the daughter of a woman I work with. The girls are only a few months apart and have played together a few times - plus it saved her from getting a sitter that day. Luckily it turned out great! The girls were old enough to wait in line and go on rides in the kids area ALL BY THEMSELVES!, which was obviously a major accomplishment. Their favorite ride was the hydroluge - which meant Cris had to take them seperately at least 3 times. The older girls had an absolute blast. Alli, however, was not a fan of the heat. Still, the day was a success!

Tooele County Fair

My MIL and I took the kiddos to the county fair this summer. Although I wasn't entirely impressed, it was a wonderland for Miss McKenzie! Animals, snow cones, crafts AND rides?! She nearly passed out from sheer joy!

Later, as I related McKenzie's joy over the scrambler ride to Cris, he suggested she go back for a second helping. McKenzie got to go back for a date with mom and dad, and I sincerely wish I would have had a camcorder with me to document the pride in her step and she pranced from the parking lot holding her daddies hand on their "date". I just love how the little things are so exciting for her!

Back in the swing of things...

My computer was the unfortunate victim to a virus. I finally got it back last night (plus an extra two gigs of ram), and am working on catching up in life. How did I become so dependant on a computer, by the way? Banking and paying bills seemed impossible. I couldn't call anyone, because I think I may have forgotten how to use the phone book. And I had withdrawals when I could no longer stalk some of my favorite blogs. Hopefully that is all behind me now.

While I was absent, we've stayed rather busy. I've been working on the back yard, which now has 6 trees and a bunch flowers that are starting to fill in the flower beds. The kids play set "Dew-Hickey Park" received a fresh coat of stain. And, I made use of the tomatoes I grew by bottling my first two batches of salsa - without major incident! Wooha!

Allison is growing like a weed. She has some of the most kissable cheeks I've ever seen, however, she's learning to toddle away from me when I start looking like I'm about to devour them!

I signed McKenzie up for Catholic preschool, which should be interesting. More than half the students aren't Catholic so I'm hoping our religion won't be an issue. The program is highly recommended and taught by a family friend who is highly respected, so we are both excited about it. Right now, I'm not so excited about the uniform policy, but who knows? I may end up liking it.

McKenzie also received her first set of stitches. She was sleeping over and grandpas and fell on the frame of the trundle bed when she got up in the middle of the night. She came out of the bedroom saying "I think I'm bleeding" and never even cried (until the needle came out at the ER)! She ended up with about 5 stitches at the top of her cheek, near her eye. She had to be wrapped up and held down while they stitched her up, (which was hard for me) but otherwise, she hasn't been bothered in the least.

I've also had my share of doctor visits. I've been having problems with my knee and hip for 15 years, but this last year had really started to bother me. 15 years ago they had me expecting a knee replacement, but luckily thats not the case. My tibia (shin bone) is rotated more than 60 degrees, so they'll need to break and reset it. The problem? This surgery is usually only done on toddlers, so only pediatric orthopedic surgeons have expertise. The knee specialist I had been seeing pulled some strings and got me an appointment at Primary Childrens hospital next month. We'll see if the surgeon agrees to take my case from there. If he does, no walking for 8 weeks. Should be fun!

I've got a bunch of fun pictures to post, some funny stories, and other junk to share, so stay tuned! :)

A few pics...

9 month bragging rights

I thought I'd post this sooner, but someone has been a tad uncooperative every single time the camera comes out. I couldn't take it any longer, so I took pictures anyway.

Alli is officially 9 months old! She's a little over 17 pounds, and is at the 25th percentile for height and weight. Her heart is still sounding good, and everything seems just fine!

A few milestones:

• She can clap
• and wave
• and has finally gotten her first two teeth... with 2 more coming in soon!
• She's also learned a few new words! Her vocabulary consists of: Daddy, mamma, banana and hi. I'm loving her voice!
• However, to me the most exciting development has been.... WALKING! It's only 3 or 4 steps at a time, but she's moving on her own! As quickly as she's picking it up, I won't be surprised to see her running next week! ;)
  

Even though she's still a mommy's girl, it's hard to see her growing up so quickly. Don't forget Miss Alli Cat, your still my baby. I love you little girl!