Family Clown

Aani is our family clown. She is genuinely funny. She was born a happy girl. She was the happiest baby and hardly ever cried. She started smiling socially at two weeks old- really! It was crazy. She's a normal little stinker of a two year old, but she's a happy stinker- not an ornery one.

We were driving home the other day and she put her sunglasses on and started talking in a low voice saying, "Hi, I'm Daddy." Then she put her sunglasses in her ears like a stethoscope and said, "Hi. I'm a doctor." She had me cracking up. What would I do without this girl? How I love her.

The Power of Advertising

I bought a Baby Bjorn today off of KSL, because Ava has to be held all the time by yours truly- exclusively. I can't blame her, since I'm so awesome and everything, but it's making it a little difficult to get anything else done.

The kids had no school because of a teacher professional day, and I made them clean their rooms. Then I made them drive to Highland with me to pick up the Bjorn. I felt like they deserved a little sumpin sumpin, so we stopped and got some ice cream. We were sitting in the booth eating ice cream, and Addie kept dragging her sleeve through it. I told her she had ice cream all over her sleeve.

She looked at her sleeve and said, "Too bad we don't have any Oxi Clean."

Anders said, "Yeah. It really cleans."

Addie said, "It gets the tough stains out."

I put my head in my hands and moaned, and the kids were like, "what?"

P.S. Rest in peace, Billy. I loved Pitchmen.

Yaaay! She's home!

I got a much anticipated phone call from Katrina today, letting me know that they had the all clear to head home. Ava is off oxygen and ready to join the madness that awaited her at home. She spent four full days in the hospital and poor Katrina hardly saw the outside world. When I went to pick them up, it was so great to see Ava with nothing attached to her. She had leads on her chest, some glowing thing on her foot, the oxygen and the IV. I must say, the nurses that helped were great and all of our friends and family have been fabulous.

On that note, we want to send a big shout out to everyone for praying for her and thinking of her. Your prayers were noticed. I gave her two blessings as well and we feel like she just got better and better and did so more quickly than the doctors anticipated. We're so grateful for that. Here are some other pics from the last four days.

Thanks again to everyone!

Where Hospital Gown Meets Cute

She's the only person I've known that can make a hospital gown cute.Ava is doing well. She's had a couple of scary episodes, but now is looking better and feeling better. I had a little chat with her and promised her a pony if she'll do her best to bust us out of here soon.

We have felt the prayers that have been offered for her, and she's improved much faster than anyone expected. What a blessing. We're very grateful, so thank you all.

We're at the hospital

Hey everyone,

If you have a little extra room in your prayers, please remember Ava. She's a very sick little girl and was admitted to the hospital this afternoon. She's having to work really hard to breathe and her oxygen saturation levels have been scary low. I'll try to keep updating as the days pass. Hopefully she can get rid of this awful stuff soon.

Thanks so much!

I've seen better days

Ava has been congested all week, and it's just gotten worse and worse. I took her to the dr. yesterday and was told she had a bad cold, but to watch out for rapid breathing, chest retractions and difficulty eating.

Today she had rapid breathing, chest retractions, and has eaten a total of 3 ounces. I took her back in this afternoon and it was determined that it is RSV, which isn't like the hugest deal or anything, but it scares the crap out me to have my little 8 week old struggle to breathe. N'stuff.

They sent us to the hospital so she could get the official "RSV Test" and to get her nose and lungs suctioned out by the respiratory therapist (who sticks a tube up her nose and down her throat to get all the junk out).

We did that, which was dandy, and I got her calmed down and buckled in the car seat, when I started feeling quite unwell. Oh, I forgot to mention that Nils met us at the hospital and took A's 1,2 &3 home. Merciful heavens that I didn't have all four kids with me.

So, ya know how before you throw up you get all hot and clammy and weak, and your mouth starts to produce obscene amounts of saliva? I started feeling all of these things, so I went into the bathroom which was situated right by the waiting room. All I could think of was barfing in the echo-ey bathroom, being loud, walking out of the bathroom and having everyone look at me, possibly seeing someone I know, etcetera, etcetera. I deluded myself into thinking I could make it home before tossing my cookies, so I went out to the car, put Ava in, and threw up in the parking lot for the next five minutes.

There's really no point to all of this, I just thought it was ironic.

And for the record, it wasn't the hospital experience that made me throw up. I had a stomach ache before we got there. Also, while I was vomiting in the hospital parking lot, I was thinking, "this is something that would happen to me, isn't it?" I've been known to christen a parking lot or two in my time. I guess the glory days ain't over yet.

Aren't you glad you read this?

My Socks

Dear Mary Ann,

I ran outside today in bare feet to get the mail, and my tootsies got a wee bit cold from the snow and all. When, what to my delight- a package from my friend in Rochester! Little did I know how my feet and heart would be warmed.

Thank you for the socks. They really are so me, and I love them. And could they be more appropriately named? Seriously! Of all the friends I've never met, you're the best. Next time I'm in Rochester, we should really get together. I do believe it will happen one day.

Love,
Katrina

P.S. How are your teeth?