The Big Bump

Around Halloween Doug & I noticed that Dallin had a pocket of swelling on his neck.  It was small, but after Christmas break I took him to the Dr to find out what the problem was.  His Dr had no idea and make us an appointment to have an ultrasound done.  The appointment wasn't for another 2 weeks, but we weren't in any big hurry because the Dr wasn't too concerned and it wasn't getting any bigger.  Well, within 48hr it grew to twice the size & then three times the size later that week.  He started having trouble eating & drinking, and he couldn't turn his head. After 4 days in the hospital they discovered that he has Macro cystic Lymphatic Malformation.  So...sometime while he was developing in the womb his Lymphatic system on his left side didn't quite develop right and as a result fluid starts to pool in those channels.  It has been a very crazy and stressful month as they have watched it and tried to figure out how to handle it.  We finally went in and spent another two days at the hospital and had sclerotherapy done to help reduce the size and close up the channels.  I've never had to deal with anything like this and it has been a bit overwhelming.  They had to put him completely under and after about 2 hrs I finally received a call that he was out of surgery and in the recovery room. Everything went really well.  There was a risk of nerve damage to his arm because several nerves were running through the mass.  There was also a risk that the muscle tissue would be damaged, which would mean he wouldn't be able to lift his arm.  I was so relieved to find that after 2 days he passed all the feeling and movement tests and we were allowed to go home. Dallin has been such a trooper through the whole thing.  He had a sore throat from the breathing tube, and had a little bruising, but seems to be doing really well now.  They expect to do about 3 more procedures before the process is over, but so far so good.  We are so thankful for all the love, support, and prayers that we have received through these past two months.  It's a blessing to have a healthy little boy again!

Kaitlyn

Our little Kaitlyn is growing up way too fast.  She loves Dallin & Brooke and thinks that she is much older than she is.  She will be 1 in April and time seems to be passing us by.  She has been so much fun for us and we have been enjoying all of our moments so much that I have been terrible about stopping to capture them on camera.  I hope to start doing a better job.  Here are some of my favorite shots of her...actually the only ones really.  

Brooke has been taking a few bites of her apple & giving the rest to Katie.  She loves it!

Katie can't get through a single meal without sticking her foot out & onto her tray.  It doesn't matter how many times I stick it back under, she always pulls it back out before she'll continue eating.

Katie has discovered her tongue and loves sticking it out all the time. She has also learned how to scream & grunt to get Dallin & Brooke to do what she wants. She rules this house!

Brooke turns 5

I can't believe that Brooke is 5.  The years keep going by so quickly and the kids are getting so big.  Since we let Dallin have a party, we decided we needed to stay consistent and let Brooke.  She decided she wanted just girls and a princess party.  We had fun playing the Wii, eating cake, and hitting the pinata.  She had a great day!

Brooke insisted on wearing her "princess dress".  It's actually a devils costume!

Christmas

This year we decided to travel back to Utah for Christmas.  We realized that it had been over 3 years since we had all gone back and we were very excited.  It turned out to be a great Christmas.  We spent a few days with my parents and then headed up into the mountains to spend Christmas morning with Doug's family. It was so great to see everyone and the kids had a blast with their cousins.  Katie was shy until the plane ride home.  Of course she wouldn't let anyone of our family members even look at her, but the minute she got in the plane she was content to go to complete strangers.  The little stink!  I hope she's a little more friendly the next time we go home.

We obviously were having too much fun to take pictures...these were the only 2 on the camera.

First Snow

We have loved the fall, but the first snow was so exciting and even more so when we discovered that the kids were going to get a snow day.  It hasn't been nearly as cold this winter as our first and the kids are finally getting used to their winter clothes and have left the flip flops behind.

Pathfinder

When we went down to Florida for Dental school we purchased our Pathfinder for a couple thousand dollars.  It made it through those 4 years of school and this fall it finally died.  Doug was really sad and it took him 2 weeks to finally come to terms with the fact that he was going to have to buy a new car.  It was a sad day for Doug, but I'm sure anyone who has driven in that car is thankful.  It was a little scary and I'm happy to know that we'll be finding something a little safer and more reliable.

Off to the junk yard.

Perfect Weather

The weather has been perfect lately and we have really enjoyed being outside.  We've been going to parks, playing tennis, and hiking.  I'm thankful that Doug has had a little extra time to come and enjoy it with us.

Fall

I love the fall!  With Katie being so small it was tough to get a lot of camping in this year, but that hasn't stopped Doug from building a few good fires.  He took Brooke out and collected a ton of wood and then came home to rake leaves with her.  It's been such a beautiful fall and we've been looking forward to Thanksgiving.  My entire family was able to come down and we had a blast.  Doug's turkey was perfect and we had a great feast.  We took family pictures and had a lot of fun playing games, making caramel apples, and talking until all hours of the night.  It was great to be with family! Dallin loved it and still talks about the feast that we had.  Grandpa even made all you can eat pancakes the next Saturday and Dallin was thrilled.  It's amazing how Grandpa can make pancakes and say that it's all you can eat and Dallin gets so excited.  I don't remember ever cutting my kids off at any meal...I thought it was always all you could eat.  I have little eaters most of the time and it was good to see them get their bellies full and enjoy it!

Halloween

I think the kids have been in costumes all week!  They have been so excited for Halloween and it has been extended this year.  Dallin had his school party that we went to Friday, the ward Trunk or Treat was Saturday, and then we went trick or treating around the neighborhood on Monday.  The kids had a great time and it was a fun holiday for all of us.

Dallin turns 6

Dallin had a great birthday.  He is like his dad and always wants a big party with lots of people.  I think we give in because we usually are burned out from big BBQs from the summer by August, but when October rolls around we are all ready for another get together.  We headed to the park with all of Dallin's friends for cake and games.  Doug bought a can of silly string for each kid and that seemed to be the highlight of the party.  Of course Doug had just as much fun as the kids and Dallin was thrilled to turn 6!

Tooth Fairy

Dallin lost his first tooth!!  He was so nervous. Everyday he would ask Doug if it was going to fall out and how much it would hurt.  It was really loose for several days and I'm surprised it didn't come out in his lunch.  It was bleeding a little one night and while I was dabbing it a little to help stop the blood, I gave it a little pull and it came right out.  Dallin didn't even realize it and since then he has allowed me to pull the other one that was starting to wiggle right next to it.  Somehow I gained his trust, but he won't let Doug get close to his mouth.  It bothers Doug quite a bit, considering he's the dentist.  We took the kids in for their 6 month exam and Brooke did great, but before Doug even put his hands in Dallin's mouth he puked all over him.  Dallin has a super strong gag reflex and it gets the best of him quite often.  We are hoping that changes as he gets older, otherwise Doug's going to end up having to refer him out for all his dental visits.

That night I told Dallin to put it under his pillow and the tooth fairy would bring him some money.  He was too scared of a strange fairy coming into his room and refused to put it under his pillow.  Finally after 3 nights the fairy gave up trying and put a dollar on the dresser next to his tooth. That ended up being a smart move because he toughened up by the second tooth and was brave enough to put it under his pillow!

Balloon Fiesta 2012

This year for Balloon Fiesta we had Doug's parents with us.  It was so much fun to be able to share such a fun event with family.  Last year it was just us and it was impossible to describe the excitement in the air around this time of year.  It's like Christmas comes early and the whole city gets excited.  It was hard to believe that this was our second time and that last year we missed most of the events because I was so sick during my pregnancy with Katie.  We all enjoyed it a little more this year...especially Katie.  She loved the balloons and lights!

Camping

 We finally got a chance to get away and go camping over Labor Day weekend.  It was so much fun and great to have a break and spend sometime outside.  The kids had so much fun and actually slept pretty well even though it was freezing that night.  Next year we'll have to start a little earlier in the season and get several camping trips in!

Back to School party

Dallin's elementary school had a back to school party and we headed down for a few hours to let the kids play some games and eat some junk food.  They had a blast and Dallin was so proud of his school.  The favorite booths of the night where the face painting and hair painting.  Dallin saw some kids from his class and was excited to introduce us.  With any luck this little party will help him go to school without so much complaining on Monday.  It's been a rough go for him.  He likes being at home with the girls and he's always afraid that I'm going to forget to pick him up.  It has been an adjustment for all of us and I know that this year is going to fly by.