So, I have been putting off writing on here for a couple months. I've thought about it several times, but hadn't been able to bring myself to actually do it.
Grandma and Grandpa Survis moved in with us about a year ago. Shortly after Grandpa had a heart attack. It was getting harder for Grandma to take care of him and since neither of them drove Dad had been taking them everywhere they needed to go anyhow and we were bringing them dinners on a somewhat regular basis. Also, we didn't know how much time Grandpa had left and Grandma Sharon didn't ever want to live alone. So we decided it was time that we all just live together. That was October 2012 - a couple weeks before we found out I was pregnant with Alison.
It's really made things work out a lot better. I'm not gonna lie, sometimes it's been a little rough. But all in all it's one of the best decisions we've ever made. Rex loved to go downstairs and visit Grandpa. He called him Ox-y Man because he was on oxygen. Rex would go down in the morning and help grandpa eat his cinnamon toast with peanut butter on it.He'd help grandpa all the time by making sure he had his oxygen on and would carry the line around for him and help him up and down the stairs. It's really heartwarming to see such kindness in a child. Grandpa loved baby Alison too, he would always talk to her and say she's so beautiful and such a good baby.
Grandpa did really well for the first about 10 months. But the last couple months his mind was really slipping and he wasn't able to get around as much and just was having a hard time in general. Around the 1st part of November he had some back pain and wasn't feeling well so Dad took him to the hospital. They said he had a kidney infection and sent him home with meds but also on hospice since it was increasingly harder for grandma to care for him. So they nurses would come over a few times a day to help him shower and give him meds and make sure he was doing ok.
On November 18th we came home from work and grandma said that grandpa had a small stroke so he wasn't really able to talk or to get out of bed. We had dinner and then daddy went and checked on him and he was peacefully sleeping. The next morning grandma came upstairs and asked dad to come check on grandpa again. He was still peaceful, but no longer with us. He had passed away sometime during the night. The days after are so much of a blur. Trying to tell our 3 year old that his grandpa ox-y man wasn't with us anymore was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. It took a few days for Rex to really "get" it. We were all able to say goodbye & Rex told him he loved him lots. We had a really nice party to celebrate his life and for people to talk and share stories about was a great guy he was. I hope Rex, being so young, will have a few memories of his Grandpa Ox-y Man.
This is what daddy had to say about his dad...
"Yesterday,
I lost someone in my life that I greatly respected and loved. While we
may have never done what many would consider normal father/son
activities, he was one of the greatest influences of my life, and am
grateful for everything that he has done for me and taught me. His
personality was magnetic, I have never met another person that people
gravitated towards more so than my father. He had
a charm about him that people loved, and would genuinely be happy to
see and talk to. I know many of my friends growing up considered him a
second father and I know he will be missed by them a great deal. I'm
very glad that he was able spend time laughing and playing with my son
and daughter over this past year and I know they will miss him very
much. One of the most important things instilled in me while growing up
was the importance of a family sitting around the dinner table sharing a
meal together. I will truly miss sitting around the dinner table
laughing, joking and discussing how the day had went. I love you and
will miss you so very much you will always be in my thoughts and heart." - Chad
Also here is the obituary...
Donald William Survis 8/6/26 - 11/19/2013
Don Survis, 87, passed away Tuesday, November 19 comfortably in his
sleep at his residence. He was the first of seven children born to
Charles and Mildred Survis of West Bend, WI.
Don joined the Air
Force and became a pilot in World War II. He loved planes and told great
stories about his time in the service. After he was honorably
discharged, he married Darlene and together they had six children;
Bruce, Cynthia, Karen, Trudy, Michelle, and Mary.
In May of
1979, he married the love of his life Sharon in Las Vegas, NV. They have
two sons; Cody and Chad. He enjoyed his family, painting, watching
football, and spending time at the casinos.
He is survived by his
loving wife Sharon, sons; Cody and Chad, and grandchildren; Jordyn,
Jadon, Aspyn, and Alison. He is preceded in death by his parents, three
brothers, one sister, and one daughter.
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Thursday, October 31, 2013
My thoughts...
First of all I need to say we have a new member of the family!! Michael and Simi's daughter Mersadie was born Oct 25th! She's adorable and we're so excited for them and I can't wait to get my hands on her and give her lots of love. It's fun that she and Alison are only 4 month apart! I'm happy with the decisions we've made, life isn't easy. Being able to be a part of Simi & Mersadie's lives confirms that and I'm glad I followed my heart by sticking by Simi when she choose to follow her own heart. I love Simi very much, and Michael and his whole family have been nothing but wonderful to us. I wish them all a lifetime of happiness.
This brings me to my next point. It's Halloween today, which means it's the start of the holiday season. It's such a conflicting time for me. There is so much about this time of year that I love but other parts of it just don't feel right to me. I love the weather changing, the smell and feel of a brisk morning. The fresh smell of rain on a winter day. Wearing comfy, warm sweaters. Cuddling close with loved ones. Spending lots of time and making memories with family and friends. Eating amazing meals and treats thoughtfully made by people close to us. Enjoying drinks, fun and laughter with everyone! It really is fun! Thanksgiving is my favorite, we all know that! After that it gets a bit tricky for me...
I do not look forward to the materialistic part of the holidays. I hate thinking we don't have enough money to buy things for everyone or that we can't buy enough "stuff" and really, why is it so damn materialistic?!? Also we are not religious so my views on Jesus and whatnot are totally different than the way Christmas is celebrated. I don't think Jesus would want us all pretending there is a Santa who gives all the rich kids everything they want but the poor children get very little or get whatever is donated. Such bullshit. And now there's this elf of the shelf who watches your kids and tells Santa if you're being good? Umm no... I can't bring myself to participate in it. I place a very high value on telling my children the truth, even if it's hard sometimes. So, we will not be having Santa or the stupid Elf thing either. My mom finds this appalling, she says we're taking the fun out of it. I say we're just going to celebrate in our own way. But we haven't came up with exactly how yet. I want our children to know the value of helping others in need. For several years we have participated in the Angel Tree program as a way to give to those in need. So I think if we explain to our kids that Christmas is about a really cool guy named Jesus who always wanted to do good things for people they will be ok with that. Maybe they can pick a tag off the tree and pick out things for the kids who don't have warm jackets or toys. And to be grateful for whatever anyone has given them no matter what the cost. I hug and a smile is a wonderful gift and doesn't cost anything. I want them to celebrate family, friends, happiness and love. Not an Xbox or whatever fancy new overpriced toy is out. I don't think this will screw them up or take the fun out of the holidays. At least I hope not. I hope my children will respect the choice we made and know it wasn't the easy way. By the way, this goes for the Easter bunny too... but that's for a different time!
Those are my thoughts! :-) I have a lot to catch up on, like our vacation! Woohoo!! And how fast my babies are growing baby chugalug is 4 months old already!! Ahh... ok maybe I can post that all soon with some Halloween photos!
Lots of love
D
This brings me to my next point. It's Halloween today, which means it's the start of the holiday season. It's such a conflicting time for me. There is so much about this time of year that I love but other parts of it just don't feel right to me. I love the weather changing, the smell and feel of a brisk morning. The fresh smell of rain on a winter day. Wearing comfy, warm sweaters. Cuddling close with loved ones. Spending lots of time and making memories with family and friends. Eating amazing meals and treats thoughtfully made by people close to us. Enjoying drinks, fun and laughter with everyone! It really is fun! Thanksgiving is my favorite, we all know that! After that it gets a bit tricky for me...
I do not look forward to the materialistic part of the holidays. I hate thinking we don't have enough money to buy things for everyone or that we can't buy enough "stuff" and really, why is it so damn materialistic?!? Also we are not religious so my views on Jesus and whatnot are totally different than the way Christmas is celebrated. I don't think Jesus would want us all pretending there is a Santa who gives all the rich kids everything they want but the poor children get very little or get whatever is donated. Such bullshit. And now there's this elf of the shelf who watches your kids and tells Santa if you're being good? Umm no... I can't bring myself to participate in it. I place a very high value on telling my children the truth, even if it's hard sometimes. So, we will not be having Santa or the stupid Elf thing either. My mom finds this appalling, she says we're taking the fun out of it. I say we're just going to celebrate in our own way. But we haven't came up with exactly how yet. I want our children to know the value of helping others in need. For several years we have participated in the Angel Tree program as a way to give to those in need. So I think if we explain to our kids that Christmas is about a really cool guy named Jesus who always wanted to do good things for people they will be ok with that. Maybe they can pick a tag off the tree and pick out things for the kids who don't have warm jackets or toys. And to be grateful for whatever anyone has given them no matter what the cost. I hug and a smile is a wonderful gift and doesn't cost anything. I want them to celebrate family, friends, happiness and love. Not an Xbox or whatever fancy new overpriced toy is out. I don't think this will screw them up or take the fun out of the holidays. At least I hope not. I hope my children will respect the choice we made and know it wasn't the easy way. By the way, this goes for the Easter bunny too... but that's for a different time!
Those are my thoughts! :-) I have a lot to catch up on, like our vacation! Woohoo!! And how fast my babies are growing baby chugalug is 4 months old already!! Ahh... ok maybe I can post that all soon with some Halloween photos!
Lots of love
D
Monday, September 30, 2013
Happy Birthday Rex!!!!
Rex knows his birthday is "September 6th" - he really probably has no idea what that means but it's cute he knows. And he knew he wanted a Micky Mouse birthday party. So when I was prepping things for Simi's Baby shower which was Minnie Mouse he would keep asking me "for my Micky Mouse birthday party?!" it was really funny.
Grandma and Grandpa Brogan had bought him his really cool big boy car bed a couple months ago as an early birthday gift. He LOVES his new bed, it's pretty cool! They still ended up spoiling him at his birthday party with a few little gifts and a couple outfits too.
We had the party at the Bunkerville park and splash pad again this year. All the kids love to be able to run and play in the water. It was pretty windy though so everything kept trying to blow away! Rex had a blast though and got totally spoiled! He loved playing with all his friends and eating fruit and cookies and then opening gifts.
Happy birthday to our big boy!! We love you so very, very much. You are an amazing person and we are so lucky to have you as our son. Thank you for bringing so much joy into our lives!
Oh the day before we went to the Dr to get both kiddos shots (Rex did amazing and didn't even cry!) so after the Dr we went to Olive Garden for lunch and they sang him happy birthday. It was really cute!
Grandma and Grandpa Brogan had bought him his really cool big boy car bed a couple months ago as an early birthday gift. He LOVES his new bed, it's pretty cool! They still ended up spoiling him at his birthday party with a few little gifts and a couple outfits too.
We had the party at the Bunkerville park and splash pad again this year. All the kids love to be able to run and play in the water. It was pretty windy though so everything kept trying to blow away! Rex had a blast though and got totally spoiled! He loved playing with all his friends and eating fruit and cookies and then opening gifts.
Happy birthday to our big boy!! We love you so very, very much. You are an amazing person and we are so lucky to have you as our son. Thank you for bringing so much joy into our lives!
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Happy Birthday Baby Alison!!
Dr Ofori had told me week ago that he's seen cases like mine go full term, so much so that they ended up inducing. We sort of laughed, we didn't think I would make it to term after all these weeks of contractions. But at my 38 week visit he stripped my membranes and streatched my cervix from 3cm to 4cm and we all thought we'd be meeting Alison soon! Then we waited, and waited and timed contractions (as I had done so very often) and did kick counts and I bounced on a yoga ball and tried to go for walks... NOTHING! Another week went by and I was 39 weeks 2 days pregnant and my appointment 6/25/2013. After my non-stress test Dr checked me and I was still at 4cm but baby was still high up and he asked me what I wanted to do. I said "I want to have this baby!" after so many weeks of bed rest, non-stress tests, Dr & hospital visits and endless worry this momma was sooo done being pregnant. So to our surprise he called over to the hospital and then said "Ok, head on over. I'll see you in a few hours!"
I was happy I had Chad put the hospital bag in the car before we left that day. So we got over to the hospital and checked in and went upstairs to L&D at about 10:30am. It was weird just walking in there and not feeling like I was in labor like I had all the other times! This also marked the 10th hospital visit for this pregnancy! I changed into my "pretty-pusher" gown that I had bought. It was super comfy and I was so happy to have it. I just wish I had ordered it sooner and could've worn it during other visits instead of their terrible gowns! Anyhow - it was about 11am when I got all settled in and they had my all hooked up to monitors and the IV of fluids and started the Pitocin. The contractions started up pretty quick, they were not too painful for a while. Our nurse Sally (total sweetheart!!) kept asking if I was OK or if I was ready for the Epidural. I waited it out for a few hours and they kept turning up the Pitocin. Eventually at about 2pm I decided it was time for the Epidural as the contractions were getting stronger and closer together. The Epi ended up in my veins on the 1st try so they had to redo it. Then it worked and I was a happy person. Sally checked me again at about 3pm and I was still at 4cm almost a 5. We figured it was going to be a long day. Then about an hour later (4pm) I was feeling a lot of pressure and my contractions were going off the chart so Sally checked again and to everyone's surprise I was complete at 10cm! She called Dr & I texted our photographer who was waiting for me to get to about 6 or 7cm before heading to the hospital. She told me there was no way she could make it in time. Dr said he was going to finish up seeing the patients and then be over to deliver.
At this point even with the Epidural I was getting somewhat uncomfy and was ready to push. But we had to wait for Dr. I asked Sally to call him again and tell him to hurry!! He came over right about 5pm. I was SOOO happy to see him. I knew we were very close to meeting this baby! My mom and Chad were ready to help me push. I was really concerned with Alison's heartbeat kept dipping and I was getting stressed. It was time to push and get her out and meet her. I pushed for about 15 min and at 5:17pm there she was, healthy, crying and beautiful. Dr put her on my chest and Chad cut her cord. She cried and even had tears in her beautiful blue eyes. The nurses took her away to be checked out and washed up. She weighed 6lbs 2oz and 19inches long. Happy birthday to you baby Alison! Welcome to the family!!
I was happy I had Chad put the hospital bag in the car before we left that day. So we got over to the hospital and checked in and went upstairs to L&D at about 10:30am. It was weird just walking in there and not feeling like I was in labor like I had all the other times! This also marked the 10th hospital visit for this pregnancy! I changed into my "pretty-pusher" gown that I had bought. It was super comfy and I was so happy to have it. I just wish I had ordered it sooner and could've worn it during other visits instead of their terrible gowns! Anyhow - it was about 11am when I got all settled in and they had my all hooked up to monitors and the IV of fluids and started the Pitocin. The contractions started up pretty quick, they were not too painful for a while. Our nurse Sally (total sweetheart!!) kept asking if I was OK or if I was ready for the Epidural. I waited it out for a few hours and they kept turning up the Pitocin. Eventually at about 2pm I decided it was time for the Epidural as the contractions were getting stronger and closer together. The Epi ended up in my veins on the 1st try so they had to redo it. Then it worked and I was a happy person. Sally checked me again at about 3pm and I was still at 4cm almost a 5. We figured it was going to be a long day. Then about an hour later (4pm) I was feeling a lot of pressure and my contractions were going off the chart so Sally checked again and to everyone's surprise I was complete at 10cm! She called Dr & I texted our photographer who was waiting for me to get to about 6 or 7cm before heading to the hospital. She told me there was no way she could make it in time. Dr said he was going to finish up seeing the patients and then be over to deliver.
At this point even with the Epidural I was getting somewhat uncomfy and was ready to push. But we had to wait for Dr. I asked Sally to call him again and tell him to hurry!! He came over right about 5pm. I was SOOO happy to see him. I knew we were very close to meeting this baby! My mom and Chad were ready to help me push. I was really concerned with Alison's heartbeat kept dipping and I was getting stressed. It was time to push and get her out and meet her. I pushed for about 15 min and at 5:17pm there she was, healthy, crying and beautiful. Dr put her on my chest and Chad cut her cord. She cried and even had tears in her beautiful blue eyes. The nurses took her away to be checked out and washed up. She weighed 6lbs 2oz and 19inches long. Happy birthday to you baby Alison! Welcome to the family!!
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Ohhh Baby Alison...
Oh my dear baby girl... you sure do like to keep us all on our toes!!
So Friday April 5th I was working and stood up from my desk to go to lunch and started to get some pretty bad pain all on the left side of my uterus. It made it hard to walk and was kind of weird. So I decided to just lay down for a little bit and see if it would go away. Well it didn't, the pain got worse and started to go around my back and down my leg and stuff and then I started to get contractions. Dr Ofori had just left the country on family business matters. He is the only OB/GYN in town and I was so scared and didn't really know what to do. Dr Dickens is my old OB and she works in St George as a hospitalist but only a few days a month so chances of her being at work were really slim but Chad had me send her a message anyhow to see and sure enough she was working!! I felt so much better. She told us to head up there and get checked out. So off we went. The pain subsided but I was still having regular contractions so they hooked us up to monitors, did some tests and took some blood. One of the tests is called a fFN which looks for a hormone that is released when labor is possibly coming. You want a negative result, if you have a negative result then the chances of you going into labor in the next week or two is only like 1%... well, we got a positive result and with the contractions that's made us all worry a bit so she decided it would be best to admit me for 24 hours and give a round of steroids to boost Alison's lungs in case she decided she wanted to come early. She also put me on meds to help control the contractions. We had a full ultrasound to check on her, she's measuring a little bit small but nothing too concerning. They estimated she weighed about 2lbs 5oz at that time. The meds worked and both of our stats were good the whole time so they released me. I have to take the pills every 4-6 hours and I'm on bedrest.
I had a follow up apt with the high risk Dr and Dr Dickens the following Thursday. They did another ultrasound and looks like she grew a little and gained 1oz (I had hoped she would've grown a bit more than that) they also rechecked my cervix length and it doesn't appear to be changing much which is really good. It's a little on the short side, it should be at least 3cm and it was 2.8 at the hospital and then 2.7 when I went in for the follow up so not too bad.
Yesterday (the 16th) I had my appointment with Dr Ofori. He and Dr Dickens are good friends and she had already spoken with him and filled him in on the happenings. He seems to think all of this is due to my uterus having issues and is pretty confident baby Alison is going to hang in there until full term. He said since Rex was full term that's good news and we should be optimistic. He still wants me on bedrest until 34 weeks. At 34 weeks they wont do anything to stop labor if I happen to go early. They'll just give me magnesium which promotes brain development and sent me to St George (we don't have a NICU here so if she's early we'll have to try to make it to St George otherwise the neonatal team will fly down and get her and take her to St George - that thought makes me sick, I cant imagine not being with her) BUT he doesn't think we should have to worry about that.
This whole bed rest thing is really taking some getting use to. It's really strange for me to not be able to do anything at all and be stuck in the house all of the time. Chad has been absolutely amazing. He takes such wonderful care of me and Jadon. It's been a crazy past couple weeks. His dad ended up in the hospital for a couple days but is home and doing well now. An at home nurse comes every day to help also a physical therapist and someone to shower him come a few times a week as well which gives Sharon a break so that's good too. My parents have also been a HUGE help. They take care of Rex a lot of times and my mom helps around the house and hangs out with me when I shower and stuff. I'm really thankful to have the people I have in my life to help me. Ivy has been amazing at being there for me even though she's far away. She lets me vent and always checks on me and makes me smile. Lots of love around me. Really helps me. Bed rest may sound like a lovely break to a lot of people, but it's really not all that splendid - first of all you're put on bed rest because something isn't going right, and that's the last thing you want when you're pregnant. Secondly, it can be frustrating and difficult to cope with not being able to do things on your own and it's hard when Rex wants me to pick him up or change his diaper or do things to for him that I just can't do and I have to tell him no. It's hard. Third, it's not exactly ideal to lose my income for several weeks. I have 3 weeks vacation which I had planned to use when Alison arrives but I'm taking that now and then looks like I'll be dipping into unpaid FMLA time for a couple weeks... I'll be on FMLA after she arrives for a few weeks. I'm thankful that I do have the vacation time and we have a little money set aside and Chad makes enough to cover most our bills, so although it might be a bit tight for a bit, we'll make it. In the end we know we're doing what's best for Alison. Every day she stays in me is important - I remind myself that right now I am the only one who can take care of her so although it's really hard to not help around the house and help with my little dude others can help with that.
I've got another Dr apt in 2 weeks. So 2 weeks of not getting out of the house, we'll see how bonkers I am by then haha!! My parents bought us a new patio set that is nice and cushioned so when the weather is nice I am able to go outside and sit for a little bit at least. So that's pretty nice :)
Anyhow, that's the happenings as of now... the babyshower is in 2 and a half weeks! I'm SOOOO excited. Nicole has put up with all my weird request and ideas and everything and she's made some super cute stuff. I helped her make the invitations that she designed... they are beautiful and everyone compliments on them. She's super creative and such a sweetheart. It's been fun planning and doing all this shower stuff with her. I know it's going to turn out super cute. It'll be a little odd not being able to walk around and mingle with everyone and stuff but it'll work out. That's definitely an outing I'm looking forward to!!
If my dang phone would email the photos I would add one of Rex having his mickey mouse in a diaper. He's really into "Baby Alison" he talks about her all the time and gives her loves and even makes his stuffed animals give her hugs and kisses. He really is the sweetest little dude ever!! He's going to be a great big brother :)
Wow that's super long, oh well, hope you all are doing really well!!
xoxox
D
So Friday April 5th I was working and stood up from my desk to go to lunch and started to get some pretty bad pain all on the left side of my uterus. It made it hard to walk and was kind of weird. So I decided to just lay down for a little bit and see if it would go away. Well it didn't, the pain got worse and started to go around my back and down my leg and stuff and then I started to get contractions. Dr Ofori had just left the country on family business matters. He is the only OB/GYN in town and I was so scared and didn't really know what to do. Dr Dickens is my old OB and she works in St George as a hospitalist but only a few days a month so chances of her being at work were really slim but Chad had me send her a message anyhow to see and sure enough she was working!! I felt so much better. She told us to head up there and get checked out. So off we went. The pain subsided but I was still having regular contractions so they hooked us up to monitors, did some tests and took some blood. One of the tests is called a fFN which looks for a hormone that is released when labor is possibly coming. You want a negative result, if you have a negative result then the chances of you going into labor in the next week or two is only like 1%... well, we got a positive result and with the contractions that's made us all worry a bit so she decided it would be best to admit me for 24 hours and give a round of steroids to boost Alison's lungs in case she decided she wanted to come early. She also put me on meds to help control the contractions. We had a full ultrasound to check on her, she's measuring a little bit small but nothing too concerning. They estimated she weighed about 2lbs 5oz at that time. The meds worked and both of our stats were good the whole time so they released me. I have to take the pills every 4-6 hours and I'm on bedrest.
I had a follow up apt with the high risk Dr and Dr Dickens the following Thursday. They did another ultrasound and looks like she grew a little and gained 1oz (I had hoped she would've grown a bit more than that) they also rechecked my cervix length and it doesn't appear to be changing much which is really good. It's a little on the short side, it should be at least 3cm and it was 2.8 at the hospital and then 2.7 when I went in for the follow up so not too bad.
Yesterday (the 16th) I had my appointment with Dr Ofori. He and Dr Dickens are good friends and she had already spoken with him and filled him in on the happenings. He seems to think all of this is due to my uterus having issues and is pretty confident baby Alison is going to hang in there until full term. He said since Rex was full term that's good news and we should be optimistic. He still wants me on bedrest until 34 weeks. At 34 weeks they wont do anything to stop labor if I happen to go early. They'll just give me magnesium which promotes brain development and sent me to St George (we don't have a NICU here so if she's early we'll have to try to make it to St George otherwise the neonatal team will fly down and get her and take her to St George - that thought makes me sick, I cant imagine not being with her) BUT he doesn't think we should have to worry about that.
This whole bed rest thing is really taking some getting use to. It's really strange for me to not be able to do anything at all and be stuck in the house all of the time. Chad has been absolutely amazing. He takes such wonderful care of me and Jadon. It's been a crazy past couple weeks. His dad ended up in the hospital for a couple days but is home and doing well now. An at home nurse comes every day to help also a physical therapist and someone to shower him come a few times a week as well which gives Sharon a break so that's good too. My parents have also been a HUGE help. They take care of Rex a lot of times and my mom helps around the house and hangs out with me when I shower and stuff. I'm really thankful to have the people I have in my life to help me. Ivy has been amazing at being there for me even though she's far away. She lets me vent and always checks on me and makes me smile. Lots of love around me. Really helps me. Bed rest may sound like a lovely break to a lot of people, but it's really not all that splendid - first of all you're put on bed rest because something isn't going right, and that's the last thing you want when you're pregnant. Secondly, it can be frustrating and difficult to cope with not being able to do things on your own and it's hard when Rex wants me to pick him up or change his diaper or do things to for him that I just can't do and I have to tell him no. It's hard. Third, it's not exactly ideal to lose my income for several weeks. I have 3 weeks vacation which I had planned to use when Alison arrives but I'm taking that now and then looks like I'll be dipping into unpaid FMLA time for a couple weeks... I'll be on FMLA after she arrives for a few weeks. I'm thankful that I do have the vacation time and we have a little money set aside and Chad makes enough to cover most our bills, so although it might be a bit tight for a bit, we'll make it. In the end we know we're doing what's best for Alison. Every day she stays in me is important - I remind myself that right now I am the only one who can take care of her so although it's really hard to not help around the house and help with my little dude others can help with that.
I've got another Dr apt in 2 weeks. So 2 weeks of not getting out of the house, we'll see how bonkers I am by then haha!! My parents bought us a new patio set that is nice and cushioned so when the weather is nice I am able to go outside and sit for a little bit at least. So that's pretty nice :)
Anyhow, that's the happenings as of now... the babyshower is in 2 and a half weeks! I'm SOOOO excited. Nicole has put up with all my weird request and ideas and everything and she's made some super cute stuff. I helped her make the invitations that she designed... they are beautiful and everyone compliments on them. She's super creative and such a sweetheart. It's been fun planning and doing all this shower stuff with her. I know it's going to turn out super cute. It'll be a little odd not being able to walk around and mingle with everyone and stuff but it'll work out. That's definitely an outing I'm looking forward to!!
If my dang phone would email the photos I would add one of Rex having his mickey mouse in a diaper. He's really into "Baby Alison" he talks about her all the time and gives her loves and even makes his stuffed animals give her hugs and kisses. He really is the sweetest little dude ever!! He's going to be a great big brother :)
Wow that's super long, oh well, hope you all are doing really well!!
xoxox
D
St Patty's to Easter
Well hello there!! I feel kind of terrible that I suck at keeping this blog up. I looked back when I was pregnant with Rex and I use to keep this thing updated a lot better... sorry!!
Anyyyhow - Chad had really been looking forward to St Patty's day. He wanted corned beef and cabbage for months now. So my mom had us and Chad's parents over for dinner. It was really yummy dinner as usual and Rex had a good time :) he's such a funny little guy!
We also had a nice Easter. The Saturday before Easter the city had an egg hunt at the park near our house - it was fun. He got some eggs filled with candy which made him a happy camper. On Easter he got a basket from us and one from grandma and grandpa Survis. We got him a little tool kit and he LOVES it and it's really cute to see how well he knows how to use the different tools. He goes around "fixing" things around the house with his screwdriver which he says like "goosedwiver" lol. Grandma and grandpa Brogan gave him a chalkboard which is pretty awesome until he decided drawing on the foyer floor was a good idea. At least it was just chalk and not markers or something like that!! Anyhow, Easter dinner was at our house and Chad made did a big BBQ and mom made some shrimp salad stuff which is always a hit!
Oh my parents also decided Rex should have his photos done for Easter - they bought him the cutest little suit and took him in for a photo shoot. He looked so handsome. They brought him by to see us while we were out for lunch - that's where i took this photo - don't mind the mouth full of food! He wasn't cooperating haha
hmmmm ok - well for some reason I'm having issues getting the photos to email from my phone sooo I'll have to add the rest later...
Hope everyone else is enjoying spring!!
Anyyyhow - Chad had really been looking forward to St Patty's day. He wanted corned beef and cabbage for months now. So my mom had us and Chad's parents over for dinner. It was really yummy dinner as usual and Rex had a good time :) he's such a funny little guy!
Oh my parents also decided Rex should have his photos done for Easter - they bought him the cutest little suit and took him in for a photo shoot. He looked so handsome. They brought him by to see us while we were out for lunch - that's where i took this photo - don't mind the mouth full of food! He wasn't cooperating haha
hmmmm ok - well for some reason I'm having issues getting the photos to email from my phone sooo I'll have to add the rest later...
Hope everyone else is enjoying spring!!
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Happy birthday Chadder... and some updates
Chad turned the big 3-0 last month but didn't really want to celebrate. However, the anniversary of when we started dating is just 2 days after his birthday and we do celebrate that. So the week before his bday and our anniversary we went to Vegas for the night. We stayed at Cesar's and went to see "O". It was AMAZING! We have previously seen Zumanity and Believe so we know that Cirque shows are awesome but O is really, really cool. I'd see it again. We also ate a couple cool places, once with Cody and the girls and his girlfriend and then with Derrick. He happened to be in town for work so it was good timing that we were able to see him for a bit. He also went to the show with us.
The following weekend. Which was Chad's actual birthday we went up to SLC for my Aunt Margret's 80th birthday party. It was so nice to see the family for a happy occasion. We got to meet my cousin Steven's new little baby, he's so cute and little. My pants didn't have pockets so I set my phone down which means no photos. Oppsies!
Ivy & Jeff were kind enough to let all of us stay at their house. It was so convenient and nice to just wake up and not have to drive to visit. The kiddos played well together and Rex even got to play in the snow. He said it's "messy alllll over" silly kid. He really makes me laugh.
My parents and LeeAnn hung out with grandma Lu and watched the kiddies while we went to a place called Brewvies with Ivy and Becky. It's a movie theater that also has a bar/restaurant in it. It's pretty cool. The food wasn't bad, they even had vegetarian options for me and Chad was happy because he was able to get a pitcher of Guinness. He also had a black & tan which he said was yummy. The best part about this place is you can bring your food and drinks right into the theater with you! There really should be more places like this. Oh and the prices were reasonable too... I suspect we'll be going back in future visits. Here's a photo of us before we headed to Brewvies
So all in all I think Chad had an OK birthday - Oh we also went out for his birthday dinner at a Mexican place while we were in Utah. It was fun. Chad had some margaritas and they sang to him and had him wear a sombrero. Good times. He said I'm not allowed to post the photos of him in the hat though so here's one with Rexy haha
In other news. I am now 6 months along (24 weeks)! 16 weeks to go!! We've decided her name will be Alison Juliet (or Juliette - haven't decided on the spelling yet). Rex will pick up anything that is hers and say "baby Alison" it's adorable. Dr Ofori says things are going well and we're right on track. I was worried before my last visit because she hadn't be moving much at all and I had been having some painful cramping. He said if I am ever concerned I can just stop by the office and they will make time to let us listen to her heart and make sure she's doing ok. I'm reallllly happy he is our doctor. He really cares about his patients and treats us so well. I haven't been taking a whole lot of progress photos this time... but I plan on having maternity photos done next month by Jackie :)
Carrie and Juan just had Aslyn 2 weeks ago. She's so tiny and cute! She was only 5lbs 12oz. We're really happy for them in this new adventure in their lives. She really is a blessing to them and they are so happy and lucky to have her.
OHHHH - I was going to mention this so we don't forget these days. Ever since we got back from Utah Rex has had imaginary kitties. It's just amazing how one day his imagination just sparked and all the sudden he's got kitties. He picks them up and brings them to you - we're not sure how many he has, he says there are 2 but he brought daddy at least half a dozen the other night! Theses kitties hid in the most crazy places - he's pulled them out of the walls, the fridge and windows. Apparently they even hid in the car. lol. Love this kid soooo much. He makes us smile all the time and is still such a big help every day. He's going to be a wonderful big brother to his "baby Alison"
We'll those are the updates. Next month is maternity photos and then in May is the baby shower and then June will be here and it'll be baby time!!
The following weekend. Which was Chad's actual birthday we went up to SLC for my Aunt Margret's 80th birthday party. It was so nice to see the family for a happy occasion. We got to meet my cousin Steven's new little baby, he's so cute and little. My pants didn't have pockets so I set my phone down which means no photos. Oppsies!
Ivy & Jeff were kind enough to let all of us stay at their house. It was so convenient and nice to just wake up and not have to drive to visit. The kiddos played well together and Rex even got to play in the snow. He said it's "messy alllll over" silly kid. He really makes me laugh.
In other news. I am now 6 months along (24 weeks)! 16 weeks to go!! We've decided her name will be Alison Juliet (or Juliette - haven't decided on the spelling yet). Rex will pick up anything that is hers and say "baby Alison" it's adorable. Dr Ofori says things are going well and we're right on track. I was worried before my last visit because she hadn't be moving much at all and I had been having some painful cramping. He said if I am ever concerned I can just stop by the office and they will make time to let us listen to her heart and make sure she's doing ok. I'm reallllly happy he is our doctor. He really cares about his patients and treats us so well. I haven't been taking a whole lot of progress photos this time... but I plan on having maternity photos done next month by Jackie :)
Carrie and Juan just had Aslyn 2 weeks ago. She's so tiny and cute! She was only 5lbs 12oz. We're really happy for them in this new adventure in their lives. She really is a blessing to them and they are so happy and lucky to have her.
We'll those are the updates. Next month is maternity photos and then in May is the baby shower and then June will be here and it'll be baby time!!
Friday, February 1, 2013
We're having a...
GIRL!!!
Go team pink! lol. Everyone had guessed this baby would be a girl and they were all right!
She looks healthy and was very active during the ultrasound. She had her feet up by her head the whole time the tech was doing the ultrasound. She decided to stretch out before the Dr came in though which was cool. He turned the machine to 3D and we got to see her move around and stuff. She decided to flip over on her belly when he was trying to get photos of her little face though. Here are a couple photos though. Last night I even got to feel her move against my hand. Rex tried to feel her move too but I'm not certain if he could or not :) So relieved that everything looks good.
As you notice, we haven't settled on a name yet. But as soon as we do I'll let everyone know!!
Go team pink! lol. Everyone had guessed this baby would be a girl and they were all right!
She looks healthy and was very active during the ultrasound. She had her feet up by her head the whole time the tech was doing the ultrasound. She decided to stretch out before the Dr came in though which was cool. He turned the machine to 3D and we got to see her move around and stuff. She decided to flip over on her belly when he was trying to get photos of her little face though. Here are a couple photos though. Last night I even got to feel her move against my hand. Rex tried to feel her move too but I'm not certain if he could or not :) So relieved that everything looks good.
Monday, January 28, 2013
WooHoo!!
Rex used the potty for the 1st time today!! Yay! What a big boy! He got Jr. Mints as a treat and after work we are going to take him to pick out big boy underwear. Sort of makes me want to cry - he's getting so big! Love my little dude! Way to go Rexy!!! Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
News is out :)
So we spilled the beans about the new addition in our holiday cards! And then we let everyone know on FaceBook at midnight on New Years Eve :)
Life has been pretty busy lately. Thanksgiving and the holidays were nice. Cody has had Jordyn & Aspyn here for the past week or so. It's been nice to see them and be able to spend Christmas with them too. Rex was spoiled for Christmas (yeah, shocking I know!) He loves to pay with all the new toys and hang out with his cousins. I think he's starting to "get" that there is a baby inside mommy. If we ask him to give the baby a hug or kiss he will hug and kiss my tummy, it's sweet.
We had our appointment with the specialist and everything looks good! We've got to go back for a follow up ultrasound at the end of the month to make sure everything is still ok and hopefully then we can find out if we'll be having a boy or girl! I can't wait to do a little shopping and planning for this new little addition!
Well sorry there isn't a whole lot of detail, but at least it's a post right!?!
Here's the photo's we included with our holiday cards...
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Hope all is wonderful in your worlds and that you've all had a great holiday season with people you love.
XOXO
D
Life has been pretty busy lately. Thanksgiving and the holidays were nice. Cody has had Jordyn & Aspyn here for the past week or so. It's been nice to see them and be able to spend Christmas with them too. Rex was spoiled for Christmas (yeah, shocking I know!) He loves to pay with all the new toys and hang out with his cousins. I think he's starting to "get" that there is a baby inside mommy. If we ask him to give the baby a hug or kiss he will hug and kiss my tummy, it's sweet.
We had our appointment with the specialist and everything looks good! We've got to go back for a follow up ultrasound at the end of the month to make sure everything is still ok and hopefully then we can find out if we'll be having a boy or girl! I can't wait to do a little shopping and planning for this new little addition!
Well sorry there isn't a whole lot of detail, but at least it's a post right!?!
Here's the photo's we included with our holiday cards...
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XOXO
D
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