Rainbows, Apples, and Cookies

Still slow in updating here, sorry. Well, we're doing well. Mondays this year though have been busy. Dave and I enjoy our weekly Monday date night ..or more like date day. We usually go out to see a movie, dine out for lunch, or both. Then in the evening while Dave is at work, the kids and I have Family Home Evening (spiritual evening.. prayer, lesson, activity). In due time, Dave will join us as well. :)

The weather was shady today. Looked like it would rain cats and dogs but ended up a drizzle here and there. The kids saw a rainbow and came to get me. They were so jazzed and S&S couldn't help but play in the rain (drizzle). Then, later the kids and I worked on their Valentine cards for their classmates. I also put together a small treat for their teachers inpired by a Pinterest.com "pin" (is that the term?). Man, I can browse Pinterest all day! I'm not ready to join yet. I'll never see my kids if I do! ;)

View from our backyard

Another view

Here's the teacher's Valentine treat.

In the jar:

caramel -cream cheese mix topped with caramel and toffee bits

Extra picture treat for you, taken almost 3wks ago.

Steven enjoying what he calls a yellow cookie (Mexican bread cookie)

What a cutie!!

By George, he's got it!

(source: google image)

It's about time!  Steven has finally gotten the hang of the potty!!  It's day 5 today and only 2 accidents ..luckily they happened at home (the first couple of days).  Anyway, it all started over the weekend when he screamed in pain from a wet diaper.  I checked him and saw nothing significant.  Then when I washed him (running water and soap), he screamed even harder.  Goodness, what the heck was going on?  The next day, the same thing happened.  I'm thinking doctor time again then I finally got him to explain to me where it exactly hurts.  My best guess was that he scratched himself raw (finally detected small skin abrasions) on his scrotum so whenever it got wet (even water), it hurt.  I suspect that it was the new diaper brand that made him itchy.  We're a Huggies diaper family but last week I saw a box of 130+ Pampers diapers for sale, no biggie I thought.  Well, probably coincidental, but now I do recall David and Sophia having problems with Pampers when they were babies so maybe not.  Anyways, if that's really the case, I'm sure glad I bought those diapers because by George, he's got it!  He's doing #1s and #2s in the toilet!  By day 3 (day 1 and 2, I put diaper swimmers on him..only ones that were not Pampers), I put him in chonies even at night and when we were out  of the house.  Yeay!! 

Bittersweet though come to think of it.  All my kiddos are growing up!  In fact, another milestone this month was all three kids are in Primary (children's program in LDS church) now.  Steven graduated from Nursery to Primary this year.  He cried and clinged to me at first but I told him that now he'll be with his sister for part of the program so that helped to calm him. 

Wow, I've really been awful at keeping up with this blog.  So many wonderful things have happened but I didn't make the time to share it here.  Bummer.  I'll do better this year. :)

We need to get out more!

Steven is turning 3 years old in a couple of days.  I asked him this morning where he would like to go on his birthday and his reply was ... yep, you guessed it!  Target!  Perhaps Disneyland last year wasn't fun enough!!  He cracks me up!!!  :)

Darn stomach bug!

I had about five hours of sleep this morning so I already started my day feeling tired.  Just before lunch time, Steven woke up from an early nap crying out ... another episode of diarrhea that leaked down the side of his legs.  A routine for a week now but this was a whopper!  So much from a little guy that already lost so much and now a mere skin and bones.  I felt helpless so I called the doctor's again and they were able to fit him in the afternoon ... his second trip to the doctor's this week. 

So after picking up David from school, he ate lunch, and off the kids and I to the doctor's.  This time the doctor ordered blood tests, prescribed antibiotics, and the lovely homework to obtain stool samples.  Fortunately, the lab was conveniently around the corner so we didn't go far for the blood tests.  Steven was such a brave boy.  He watched the whole procedure being done to him while he sat on my lap.  He didn't cry at all.  By that time the lab was near closing time so no time to get "homework" done today and was informed that the only lab open on Saturdays is 35 miles away (from 6am-12pm) ...added joy!

After lab, we went to the pharmacy to fill the prescription ... a 35min wait turned an hour.  We browsed the store and the kids had a soft pretzel snack.  Then forgetting to pick up milk we stopped by the supermarket on our way home.  Of course we found other things there ... cookies, ice cream, Dave's soda, Redbox, etc. 

That was a five hour adventure from picking up David to finally getting home.  We were all tired.  Of course I had the added bonus of crankiness, being it's the time of the month!  I seriously wanted to cry but too tired to.

This unexpected doctor trip postponed my lunch date with my bff and a visit to my brothers.  Birthday celebrations will have to wait until next week!  ~I'm glad it's General Conference this weekend and I can stay home and watch it on TV and won't have to rangle up the kids to church ...happy birthday to me! (oh, my birthday is on Sunday)

By the way, Steven is doing fine.  He hasn't given me the opportunity to complete my "homework", yippee!!  He even has a bit of his appetite back.  The poor little guy.  Tired but still happy and playful as much as he can.  Sure love that little booger!!

P.S.  The antibiotic that was prescribed didn't come in liquid form so I was instructed to cut the pill in half, crush it, and mix it in applesauce or pudding.  Thinking the pill would be hard to crush, I asked the pharmacist for a pill crusher and he said, "We don't have any but you're a mother, you'll think of something.".  So I got home, cut the pill and found it quite soft and easy to crush ...whew, I didn't have to use my mommy powers!!  :)

Birthday catch up

Steven's birthday celebration lasted about a week and a half! Been quite busy with that and other things so I haven't been able to make time to blog as they came. So here's my attempt to update his birthday adventures. Making collages seems to be the simplest way to showcase several pictures at once.

This was on his actual birthday. Little David had school so he wasn't in the blowing of the cake pictures. After David's school the kids and I went to Chick-fil-A for lunch and play (Daddy went to work). Later that evening we went to David's swim class.

This was a combination birthday celebration for Leno (my nephew, 15yo) and Steven at my home. We did the usual: food, socializing, pinata, cake and ice cream, and opening of presents. I dropped the ball and seriously forgot games and party favors!! ... I don't know where my head went! But we had fun nonetheless.

One day I had a girl's day out with my friend Jackie (dropped the kids off to my sister's) and she sent me back with a gift for Steven. He loved his Leap Frog fridge phonics and especially his card ... can you tell by the tight hugs? Thanks Auntie Jackie and Uncle John! --Then on another day, my youngest brother and his kids came over since they weren't able to make it at Leno/Steven's birthday party. Always a treat to see them!! Thanks Uncle Joey and cousins ... don't know yet what to do with the boatload of money!! :)

Extra, extra, read all about it!

27 lbs, 33.5in tall

Our little guy made the local newspaper today (Daddy's traditional gift to his family)! Wow, he's two already? What a cutie pie! Well, he's quite the talker now. My back of the burner fear has been relieved. I came across his baby blessing a couple of months ago and found particular comfort in the verse, "We bless you with a physical body that will develop without imperfection." I can't believe I missed that the first time .... as some of you may recall, in utero he was suspected to be a Down's syndrome baby. Anyway, he's one happy kid! He loves to mimic his brother and sister. He adores his daddy but still appearing to be a mama's boy (yeay!). He loves being outdoor and has the cutest bright eye, one dimpled cheek, big smile that will melt your heart! His every moment is a treasure to us!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEVEN!

We love you,

Daddy, Mama, Kuya, and Ate

**btw: the gentleman that gave Steven his baby blessing was not aware of his in utero condition.

Steven's new 'do

Steven went with his Daddy today and got a much needed haircut. Oh, how handsome is this little guy?! Outrageously handsome, I say!!! Can't believe he'll be 2yo in 3 months.

before: front view

side/back view
here we go! ...cool riding in Dad's truck

after: what a stud!

my lil princess wants her pic taken too

time to pick up Kuya already?!

killing time

brothers forever

Growing tight

Because David goes to school, Sophia and Steven end up spending a little more time together and therefore growing tight. Being only 19mos apart doesn't hurt as well. Anyway, here's just a few captured love moments.

Steven's stats

This active 29lb, 32.5in cutie pie sure has had quite a month! A trip to the ER, 4 doctor visits, 2 shots, 2 fairly major asthmatic attacks, and a bizzillion minor falls and bumps! At 19.5mos none of those slows him done (okay, maybe the asthmatic attacks). He continues to climb, run, and tinker at everything in sight! His bowleg is straightening out, his speech is improving, and he is incredibly more lovable! Knowing this sugar booger will want you to have kids!! He's still in a stage where his active antics does not irritate, but find incredibly adorable. I want 10 more of him again! Love you my darling!!

ER adventure

Steven has been suffering some of the normal cold symptoms ... runny nose, stuffy nose, coughs, and low grade fever for a few days. Yesterday evening he was showing signs of labored breathing. Initially he was short of breath from a stuffy nose and active play. I gave him Motrin for his fever and he fell asleep peacefully, but checking up on him often. In the mean time, Sophia also suffering from a cold, added the complaint of ear ache. By that time Dave was getting ready for bed since he had to wake up early for work; gave Sophia to me to tend. Shortly Steven woke up asking for milk. Dave tended to his needs. Dave told me that he was breathing heavily. I took Steven to lie with me and Sophia. There lying with my two sick little ones around 9pm I saw that Steven's short of breath had progressed enough that he was using his accessory muscles to breath. I took my stethoscope and took a listen to his lungs and heard wheezing and rales. I carried him in my arms and told Dave that he needed to go the the hospital. Dave said to take Steven while he stayed with the other two. Before leaving we asked Sophia if her ear still ached because I might as well take her too. She denied anymore pain so off Steven and I to the ER. There, we were quickly seen after the triage nurse had assessed Steven. It was the wait in the room for a doctor that actually took awhile (20-30min) and at that time Steven was wide awake happily wanting to get into stuff. When the first doctor finally checked on him, she had ordered treatments and tests. The next couple of hours was spent getting those orders carried out. Oh, when staff started to approach him, ER was no longer fun! The pulse oximeter bothered him, he cried through the mask breathing treatment (at that point, I was feeling as if he's saying to me, "Mom, why are you helping them do this to me?" --horrible feeling!!) and oral steroid medication, no picnic at the nose swab either, but the chest xray turned out to be alright for him ... I told him to look at the light and say cheese as if posing for a picture (just wasn't the kind of picture he thought). In between treatments he was restless so the staff brought in a soft toy monkey, coloring book/crayons, and baby talk but they didn't satisfy his need to want to get into all those medical gadgets around him! Then, the final doctor assessed Steven, read results of the tests, and gave discharge orders. Steven was diagnosed with acute bronchitis. So the final ER adventure was the wait for discharge instructions which took a little over a half an hour later. During that wait, we resorted to watching TV to make the wait bearable. Finally, with discharge instructions provided, we headed home! But the adventure wasn't quite over. I had to find a 24hour pharmacy to fill the prescription. So, I dropped off Steven home to Dave and off I went to the pharmacy only to have to wait another half hour while the pharmacist's took a lunch break (12:50am-1:20am). I browsed the store (CVS) to kill time. Then finally with medications at hand, I went home and prepared the "stat" one for Steven to take. Finally, I got to bed just before 2am ... only to awaken again an hour and half later by Sophia wanting a drink. Took a quick admiring look at my 2 little ones in bed with me and dosed off for almost 4hrs ... awakened again by Sophia telling me, "Mommy, I'm hungry." My new day then began!!

15 month old check-up

24 lbs, 32 inches long, 3 shots

HEALTHY!

WOOHOO!!

My booger monkey!

My little Steven is mellow no more! The little baby that I wanted ten more of is out of the calm and easy phase and into the curious and adventurous stage. He is getting close to being as handful as his sister! Yeap, Sophia is still the queen of "gulu gulu" or "malikot" ... don't know the exact translation to English, maybe ... pull out your hair, drive you crazy, super monkey active. Anyways, here's just one of many monkey things Steven gets himself into ... runny nose and all !!

Steven's 1yo portrait

This took awhile! Steven turned one year old on the 9th of last month (this was taken little over 3weeks ago) ... better late than never! Of course, this is the first plain pose before the other embellished ones. I held off on them because I wanted one with the three kids together (I only took Steven that day). Anyway, having the kids' picture done is on my ever-ending list of things to do!! But, even plain, Steven's still a cutie pie. :0)

Just because she's ...

... so stinkin' CUTE !!!

... and so are these two !!!

Oh what exquisite joy my little munchkins give me. I am so thankful and blessed to have them in my life. They are my best accomplishments. May the Lord bless me to continue to raise them to be wonderful, noble, exceptional, confident, positive, happy, ... individuals.

Mama loves you forever, my darlings !!!

Wii fun with Uncle Joey & cousins

My brother felt bad about missing Steven's birthday party last week so he, along with Ryan and Kaelyn, came over today to visit him. It's been a long while since we've seen them. We don't live too far from each other but we seem to be playing "visit tag" lately. Anyway, my kiddos enjoyed spending time with their uncle and cousins (Aunt Tricia was at work and Ate Tia at her grandma's). The kids had a ball playing Wii! Ryan got into the boxing and broke a sweat, so cute! Of course, Uncle Joey didn't come empty handed. He brought presents for the birthday boy and his siblings (also for Sheil's boys) ... how generous! Thanks Uncle Joey!!

P.S. Steven is getting a better handle at walking! He did about 4ft today, several times. Oh no, before I know it he'll be running!! Yikes!!!

Happy Birthday again Steven!

I didn't plan well for Steven's 1st birthday bash (shame on me!). I procrastinated and threw a last minute birthday party for him ... just family. Our cozy Curious George themed party was full of fun none-the-less. We enjoyed some Mexican food and the classic cake and ice cream. The kids played party games and had a ball running around. Here's just a few captured moments (the better shots are in Aunt Tish's camera):