1 year old

Little T had a magical 1st birthday!  Okay really it was magical in that he got to eat Gluten Free Spaghetti for dinner and had a GF cupcake. But here he is in all his wondrous messiness.

Before

During

After

Thankful for friends

Just reading a few friends blogs and really missing them.  Mind you these friends live in Sacramento, Reno, Arlington, and a bunch of friends from BYU-Idaho who live all over.  The odds of me seeing many of these friends in person anytime are slim.  Which makes me sad.

We've moved a few times in our marriage.  Moving is hard.  I always miss friends and places.  I used to have a really hard time making new friends.   Fortunately, I've realized I need to stick myself out there.  I try hard to sit next to someone different in Relief Society each week. I've also realized life with 3 kids makes it difficult to talk to anyone at church. But I'm still trying!   

Can I just say how thankful I am to have met so many wonderful people? No, really. I've met some ridiculously amazing people.  I love that we get to stay in contact whether it's through facebook or blogger.  I love knowing how everyone is doing and seeing their bright smiling faces. I love being inspired by your creativty, your spirituality, your maternal amazingness, and everything else!

Chad's Surgery

Chad has been having shoulder pain for the last 6 or so months.  It was sore at first and gradually got worse.  It got to the point that he couldn't lift up the kids.  We made an appointment for him to get an MRI.   But the soonest they could schedule Chad to see the Orthopedic surgeon here in Ogden was late November.  Not until after seeing him would we even be able to schedule a surgery. 

That was a bit too long of a wait.  I was able to get him in to see Dr. Bitner, an Orthopedic surgeon in Tremonton.  He looked at the MRI and said that Chad had a lateral tear in his labrum.  We were able to schedule the surgery for the next week on the 16th. 

They went in and found that Chad had ripped his labram in half.  They had to re-attach it and add some tissue from somewhere else. I did learn that Chad does not handle anaesthesia well. It took him 3 hours to be awake enough to leave. He was totally out of it. They brought him in to the room and he looked at me and said "Hey Babe!" and then tried really really hard to wink at me.  Oh Chad on drugs is just too much fun!

He gets to be in a sling until Mid-December and isn't allowed to really use his shoulder for another few weeks after that.  I just hope it doesn't snow a lot. Guess who'll be out shoveling the driveway? Oh and did I mention he cannot help me with Toby at all.  No diapers, no laying him down in his bed, NOTHING!  He's literally one handed right now.  I get to help him do a lot of things.  It's like having another kid as I cut up everyones' meat at dinner.

His recovery is going well.  He's doing Physical Therapy and slowly getting some strength back. Call me selfish, but I can't wait until he can change a diaper again!

Random pictures

Guess who got into the carmel dip?

Somebody loves spaghetti

Cowboy had crazy hair day for Red Ribbon week.  Mooch wanted to get in on the action.

Literally the best picture of Mooch I had.  He was a little excited to go Trick or Treating.

Bump in the road

I took Little T down to Primary Children's Medical Center on November 8th.  We went to their gastroenterology department where I was hoping they'd find out what is causing all the problems for  Little T .  They drew his blood and ran 8 or so tests to make sure everything is going okay.  One of the tests was an allergy test another was for Celiac disease. 

I finally got a call back from them and the Nurse said the tests all came back negative.  Which is great but it's also VERY frustrating.  He's not allergic to wheat and yet if he eats it he's up half the night screaming.  In the end is doesn't really matter that they came back negative, it just would have been nice to have an answer. 

He's on a Gluten Free diet and it's helping a ton.  He went from eating only 4-5 oz bottles to 7-8 oz bottles.  He's eating a lot more solid foods now too.  We're slowly figuring out what to feed this kid.  I've tried a few GF bread recipes and he gobbles them up. 

But I'm grateful that we've figured out that the Gluten was causing the pain.  I'm grateful that it's a "simple" fix.  Yes, it's been a tough year figuring all of this out.  But other than this little Gluten thing he's a very healthy and active boy. 

I've had a few things give me a little perspective over the last few weeks.  I was at Primary's to get some tests done and see a doctor, that's it. 

We have friends from college who are currently watching they're beautiful 5 year old girl fight cancer.  Reading their family blog is heartbreaking and inspiring all at the same time.  I just can't imagine having to watch your child grow through the things she's had to.  They are one tough little family. 
Walking through Primary's was also a smack upside the head.  I watched a little boy just older than Little T be wheeled down the hall in a hospital bed crying.  If that wasn't a slap in the face I don't know what is.  It seriously broke my heart to see so many sick children.  I just had a little prayer in my heart for them.
All of this is just a reminder to me that in the grand scheme of things, this gluten thing with  Little T  is a small bump in the road.

Little T update

Little T's reflux seems to be abating.  We've taken Little T off of all the medications for it and he seems to be doing fine.  YET the tummy aches at night and gas pains were still happening.
Chad works with a lady who has Celiac disease (a form of Gluten intolerance).  And she mentioned that it sounded like he might have some of the symptoms.  One of the symptoms just happens to be GERD.  So we decided to take wheat and anything else with Gluten in it out of his diet.  I mean what's the worst that could happen?  Little T doesn't get to eat the roll he'd been craving?

Guess who hasn't had any tummy aches the last 3 nights? Guess who slept from 9-6:30 last night?  Yep, that's right Little T.  We still have the appointment at Primary's on the 8th of November.  So he will actually get tested and we'll see what's really going on.  But I'm just happy we're no longer pumping him full of drugs.  I'm happy that he's no longer miserable.  But I'm especially happy that I'm getting 6+ hours of solid sleep a night.  Did I mention I'm happy?

Up ALL Night and I wanted to be

On Friday afternoon I got a phone call from a girl that Chad works with.  She played volleyball at U of U for four years.  She and Chad had talked about volleyball and he had mentioned I liked to play and coach.
Her co-ed team needed a third girl to play in an all night tournament in Layton.  I told her I would love to.

It was great and our team got 2nd place.  So I walked away with a T-shirt and a brand new set of bruises.  No really this is what my arms looked like a day later. There's even one at the base of my hand. The picture isn't amazing but I literally have bruises on both arms from getting hit by volleyballs.  Thats what happens when you dig hits from men who hit very very very hard.   

I had a blast playing until 2:30 in the morning.  It would have been a lot more fun if I was even remotely in shape.  Seriously, I had the reflexes of a sloth.  But then again who has quick reflexes at 2 in the morning?  I doubt they will ask me to play again unless they're desperate. 

Also I've been asked to come and help coach a club team here in Roy.  I'm just helping hit balls in practice but it would be nice to be able to keep up with some 14 year old girls!

SO.....now that Little T is sleeping better I no longer have the excuses to not exercise.  I would love to lose 10-15 pounds and be able to play volleyball like a used to.  I would love to look like I haven't had 3 kids.  Wish me luck!