PCMC ER

It is bound to happen, I just didn't think it would be at 10 months old. Yesterday Baby Bear earned her first Emergency Room visit.
Papa Bear and I are the type of parents that try and use the "let them cry it out method." We usually let Baby Bear fuss or cry for about five minutes to see if she can calm herself down and go back to sleep before we go and check on her. Yesterday, at about 5:00 am, she started crying, and wasn't able to calm herself. I got up out of bed and started towards her room when I see her fly over the side of her crib and land on the floor. Oddly, she stopped crying. Papa Bear and I looked all over for injuries and checked that her eyes looked okay. Her arm was a little scraped up, and she broke Sister Bear's princess chair. But, she seemed to be really happy so we both thought she was fine. We put her back down in our bed and she went back to sleep.
When she woke up she was really irritable, even towards Brother Bear, which is very uncharacteristic. I put her down and she tried to walk , but had no balance. When I tried to give her some breakfast she refused the solids, and gagged on the liquids, only to spit up what little she got down. So with a call to the pediatrician, Baby Bear and I were off to Primary Children's Emergency Room.
They monitored her heart rate and blood pressure and tried to get her to take some liquids. After that they sent her in for a CAT scan of the brain. The wrapped her up like a little burrito. That feeling of seeing your child wrapped up, crying, and pleading with those little eyes to make them stop... I hate that feeling.
She was diagnosed with a cerebral concussion. The good news is that the CAT scan came back normal, no swelling or bleeding. However, it took us until about 12:30 until she finally kept some gatorade down. And, the only way they could get her to take the gatorade? Not a bottle, not a sippy cup, she would only drink it from a juice box with a straw. Silly girl, how big does she think she is?
The instructions from the ER docs were to take her out of the crib, because if she climbed out once, she will do it again. However, she is not big enough for a toddler bed. So I guess we are putting her mattress on her floor. I don't know how we are going to keep her in bed all night.
I am just so thankful the injuries weren't serious. I just wish this little girl would quit growing up so quickly.

First, 9 Months, Fun, And More

I realize it has been a few weeks since my last post. It seems like we have just been really busy living and enjoying life. In addition to riding bikes, playing slip n slide with all of the neighborhood kids, and having some fierce competitions on our new Wii, here is a quick update of what has been happening.

Brother Bear has started first grade! He is attending the brand new school in our neighborhood. His teacher seems to be a really good teacher. He likes school so far, but hates having to read and do homework every night.

Sister Bear has been on her best behavior since Boston has gone back to school. She is anxiously counting down the days until PreSchool begins.

Baby Bear hit the 9 month mark on the 3rd. Cody took her to her well child check up and reported her height as 28 3/4 inches (70th percentile), and weight as 17 lbs 6 oz (8th percentile.) Baby Bear has started to do lots of fun things this month like: climbing on top of everything, playing peek-a-boo with the blanket, clapping and playing patty cake, getting into everything including purses and toilet paper, and showing us how big she is!

And believe it or not, she has taken her first steps and is starting to walk more and more everyday. ( I will post some video of those cute wobbly steps soon!)

This weekend we took the kids to Boondocks with Papa Bear's family.

Here are all the girls and baby C2:

And the guys:

The first thing we did was try out the bumper boats. Papa Bear got soaked by everyone. Then we tried the Go-Karts. Sister Bear and I chose a super speedy green car and passed everyone! I realized both of us have a need for speed and can be super competitive. Sister Bear squealed the entire time and kept encouraging me to drive faster and pass everyone. The second time we rode, we didn't do as well, and she was really bummed!

GpaA, Aunt J, Aunt and Uncle JJ, Brother Bear, and I also played laser tag. I made Brother Bear play even though he was crying and didn't want to. (Sara, I too am one of "those" mothers.) In the end he loved it and wants to play laser tag for his Birthday. Our team got killed by the red team! But it was still pretty fun. We also played the arcade games and let the kids buy some little goofy prizes with their tickets, and then the guys had to try out the batting cages.

After Boondocks, we went to see Papa Bear's Grandpa at the hospital. He had a heart attack last weekend, and we are hoping for him to head home tomorrow. He looked really good, but seemed a little disoriented-- who can blame him with all of us crazies in his room. Grandma was kind enough to buy us dinner at the cafeteria, and we got to catch up with Cody's Aunt and Uncle.
Last night we took GmaShopper to dinner at Rodizio's to celebrate her 60th Birthday. Happy Birthday GmaShopper! We had a great time, and hope you did too!

I think that about catches me up! We are heading camping at the end of the week, but will have more adventures to post soon.

Food and Fun on the Fourth

Do you know what I love about every single holiday? Good Food! And the Fourth of July was no exception for us with a yummy fish fry. Let me introduce to you our personal chef....

My dad!

With a little assistance from my Little Bro (M Fatty) and Mom of course!

Dad cooked up blue gill and bass, as well as GpaW's most delicious french fries (which are Baby Bear's new favorite food), and onion rings. Yummy!

Not only did we have good food on the Fourth, but we had some good times swimming with the kiddos in Gma's pool and then enjoying some good ol' traditional street fireworks.

(Gotta Love the Post Swimming Hair-DO!)

(My cousin Amanda has a couple of fun pics on her website... http://www.mandapalooza213.blogspot.com!)

Friday morning before the fish fry we took the kids to see Wall-E. It was cute... but, there was hardly any talking during a good portion of it, so, Sister Bear had to commentate.

"Oh, Wall-E is trying to clean his trash."

"There goes Wall-E to his station." (Station is what she calls his house)

"Wall-E ran over his Pet!"

I swear, the little girl could not keep quiet. I'm surprised we didn't get hushed right out of the theatre. But the kids had fun and really enjoyed it-- It's not often that we take in a movie at the theatre.

Then on Saturday night we headed to the Bees game (along with 13,100 others) to enjoy the most boring baseball game I have ever watched- the Bees got killed. (Even Papa Bear said it was boring-- so you know I was bored out of my mind!) But, it was fun to be with the Papa Bear's Fam and the "Big Fireworks" were well worth the admission to the game. Sister Bear loved the "Big Fireworks." Brother Bear enjoyed the Fireworks too, but between us, I think he goes to the games for Nachos and a Pepsi. Baby Bear , on the other hand, fell asleep during the middle of the fireworks. I guess the noise didn't bother her at all, but I guess it really shouldn't considering the big brother and sister she lives with.

Speaking of Big Bro and Sis, they are out of town for the weekend visiting Grandpa and Grandma, and Baby Bear seems somewhat lost without them. I thought she might enjoy the peace and quiet, but I think she really misses them. She seems really grumpy, but that may be due to the little tooth that has pushed it's way through! Who knows? If she doesn't miss the two of them, I know that I sure do!

And since the kids are out of town, mom and dad invited Papa Bear and I over on Sunday for dinner. Dad barbecued steak, and while Papa Bear can cook a pretty good steak, there is still nothing that tops my dads barbecuing!

Happy Eating!

June Photos

June Update

June was a very busy month for us.
Brother Bear graduated Kindergarten and was awarded a gold medal for reading, and got a perfect report card. Cody and I are so proud of him.
Sister Bear had her dance recital and did a great job. She danced tap to Hey Hi Ho, and ballet to Sad Giraffe. My favorite part was the facial expressions she had during Sad Girraffe- a pouty face that turned into a beautiful, big, smile.
Baby Bear has been learning new things too! She crawls everywhere, pulls herself up to everything, and then cruises as fast as she can. She also loves to play cars with Brother , knock over blocks, and is starting to experiment with finger foods. Lately she makes this squinty eye smile that just plain makes me laugh.
Over Father's Day weekend, we went camping and fishing with my Dad, Mom, GpaW, Aunt LoLo, and UncleC. We had a great time. We caught quite a few nice fish, but Papa Bear made the catch of the weekend when he was able to snag and reel the umbrella that the wind had blown into the lake. We drove up to the snow and had a snowball fight, and even got the kids to go to bed after GpaD thought he heard a young bear near camp (which we actually think may have been coyote pups.) And Brother Bear did a really great job at spotting deer out on our drives. We can't wait for the next camping trip.
We also took the kids Lagoon. They were so brave and rode everything their height would allow them to, even some rides that Papa Bear wouldn't. At the end of the day we let them run in the fountain- Sister Bear was soaked in a matter of minutes and Brother walked out of there without a drop of water on him. It is so funny how different they are. Baby Bear didn't get to come, but got to spend the day with GmaC.
We also went to the annual W Family Reunion at Kelly's Grove up Hobble Creek near Springville. It was fun to see and play games with all of my cousins. The kids had a great time playing water games and making new friends.
I think that is a quick little blurp about our month of June. Enjoy the pics- afterall, we know that's all anyone wants to see anyways.

So Close, So Gone

Baby Bear is so close to crawling....

And Brother Bear's Tooth Is So Gone....

He pulled it out on Monday. He was just wiggling it and it popped out. His eyes got so big! I will never forget the look on his face. And he was very happy that the toothfairy found him without any trouble. I think Sister Bear was more excited though. She keeps asking when she will get a loose tooth. I told her when she was six. Her response, "I'll be three, and then I will be six, and then I will be twenty." That's Sissy, Three-Going on Twenty!" Heaven help me!

Lessons

I am not a big fan of Mother's Day. For some reason I always focus on everything I am doing wrong while rasing my kids instead of the things I am doing right. However, this weekend, I took the opportunity to teach the girls a few important lessons....




You can never have enough shoes!









Kisses, Hugs, and Pretty Pleases, will get Daddy's Girls (almost) anything their heart desires!









A Bubble Bath and a good book can be the perfect ending to any day!









I love my kids. They are the greatest joy of my life. I really did have a wonderful - relaxing- Mothers Day! The girls and I had a lot of mom and daughter time this weekend. Brother Bear and Papa Bear went to Brother Bear's Hit-A-Thon for baseball (Brother hit 19 out of 20- Great Job Buddy!) and to team pictures. Then Papa Bear took me and the kids to lunch- and then gave me some down time - he took Brother to the Bees game. That's when the girls and I learned a few lessons from each other...

Here is Sissys first attempt at makeup while playing dress up-- (Ignore the shadow- Not the greatest pic) I hope you can see the bright blue eyeshadow, and the lots and lots of blush- but she didn't do as bad as I thought. And we had lots of fun!

Today Brother Bear gave me a bookmark that he made out of popsicle sticks, and he wrote me a clue to find my gift. He wrote the clue all by himself. It is so fun to see how he spelled the words, he is getting so big! We also cheered on the Jazz today, and then went to my GmaW's for dinner. I love being a mom, and I am so grateful to my mom. She is the funnest mom a girl could have. She taught my me how to camp, fish, shoot guns, catch frogs, and pull the legs off of Daddy Long Leg Spiders (They wiggle even when they are off!), put on makeup, bath babies (she has given each of my kids there first bath),and so many things I just can't list... but most importantly, she has been taught me how to be a wonderful wife and mother. She is my example, and I appreciate her more every day that I raise my own children. I love you mom. Happy Mother's Day!

Ready, Set, Go

Determined...













Ready...













Set...













Not Going Anywhere...













And Mad About It...













Baby Bear is 6 months old today. I can't believe she is getting so big, so quickly. She is such a sweetie and has brought so much happiness to all of us. She has pretty well mastered sitting up, and can even get to a sitting position from her tummy. She wants to crawl, but can't quite figure it out, I'm sure it won't take too much longer. She is a little Miss Piggy- pears are her fav, and she likes cereal, apples, and bananas, and tolerates carrots.
We love you little one!

New Rule in the Bear Den

There is a new rule in our Bear Den...
No screaming at the television after 8:00pm.
Any Jazz fans know that the playoffs have arrived.
Last night I was rocking Baby Bear, and had just gotten her asleep for the night. Then the Jazz made some all important play that got Papa Bear up off the couch and cheering at the television. (Ummm... I don't thing they can hear him.) His cheering not only woke Baby Bear up, but scared her half to death... 45 minutes later she stopped screaming... but there will be no more screaming at the television after 8:00. (Unless the Jazz win the NBA Finals--- Go Jazz!)

TTA- Collections

I am a collector! I have been collecting thimbles since I was one month old. Santa put my first one in my stocking - and another one each Christmas until I married. I have all kinds. I try to get one from every vacation I take. I even have friends and family who pick thimbles up for me from various locations. I also collect glass figurines that are from my Great Grandma B, and Madame Alexander Dolls from GmaE. One day these will be passed on to my girls.



Sister Bear also collects thimbles, as Santa has carried the tradition on for her. She has a baby girl thimble, a Raggedy Anne thimble, a Pooh Bear thimble, a Cinderella thimble, as well as thimbles from Sea World, Glacier National Park, and Yellowstone. Sissy also likes to collect rocks. Uncle Darryl gave her some coal, some little blue rocks, and some other shiny quartz type rocks. She also has a heart shape rock.



Brother Bear tries to collect pocket knives from vacations, but we can't always find them. He also has a collection of baseballs, decorative and foul balls.

Tiny Moment Day 11 - The Poop Chair

The poop chair... Everytime (well, almost everytime) that we put Baby Bear in her bouncer, she poops! I don't know what it is about the bouncer. (The picture is of the bouncer without Baby Bear for good reason-- it is clean, for a minute!)

Tiny Moment Day 9 - Sunday Stroll

The weather has warmed up a little. We can finally start going on walks. Yeah!

Tiny Moment Day 8 - Matching PJ's

Here are the girls in their matching PJ's GmaE made for them

Tiny Moment Day 5- Dr. Harris

Baby Bear had a well-child check with Dr. Harris.

Here are the stats from the appointment:

Height - 26 inches (95th percentile)

Weight - 14 pounds 2 ounces (60th percentile)

Tiny Moment - Day Four

When they are all sound asleep, Mom gets some quiet time to study!

Tiny Moment Day 3- Four Months

Baby Bear is FOUR months already! Does anybody know how to slow time down? Baby Bear is getting really good at holding on to everything. She tried her first taste of rice cereal on the 24th of February, and really likes it! She also loves to sit in her saucer and is already trying to figure out ways to make the seat spin around. She also has really good balance and can sit by herself, she just leans over and tries to eat at her toes. But, no rolling yet. She has no interest in rolling from belly to back. I try to bribe her (with her favorite toy- a stuffed pink horse that vibrates when you pull the tail) to roll from back to belly. She can get about three quarters of the way over, and then gets mad, and screams (a high pitched girly scream) until someone hands her the horse. Yes, she is a little spoiled.

Tiny Moment Day 2- First Ponytail

Baby Bear's hair is finally long enough on top to pull it in a little ponytail with a little curl. Isn't she cute?

90 Years Young

The Girls-- 5 Generations!

Great Grandma B turned 90 on the 16th. To celebrate we had a little party at Aunt Sharon's, where we were lucky enough to snap some 5 Generation pictures. How lucky are my kids and I to have a Great- Great-Grandma?! Love you Grandma!

Mama Bear, Sister Bear, GmaW, Great-Grandma B, Baby Bear, GmaC, and Brother Bear.

There was a little girl....

My great grandma was famous for teaching poems to all of the grandkids. I recall one that she would recite quite often. "There was a little girl, who had a little curl, right in the middle of her forehead. And when she was good, she was very very good! And when she was bad, she was horrid!" I think this perfectly describes both Sister Bear and Baby Bear.

Oaklie really is a good baby. It seems like she is all smiles lately. She has been sleeping through the night (9pm to 5am) since the 19th of December. She loves to "talk." And she is trying to grab at everything and put it into her mouth. Legos and Barbie Shoes are going to be lots of trouble soon.

Papa Bear blessed Baby Baer on the 3rd in our home. We woke up Sunday morning to horrible snow drifts, and found out church was cancelled! We had Papa Bear's family in town , and 12 pounds of chicken in the CrockPot! So, after a little bit of pleading to the Bishop, we were able to bless Baby Bear at home. What a wonderful experience. It was so intimate, and you could hear everything Papa Bear said, and feel the Spirt. When I first found out church had been cancelled, I thought we were so unlucky. But as it turned out, we couldn't have had better luck. There was one downside, LoLo and UncleC got stuck in the snow at the end of their driveway and couldn't make it. (We missed you)

Here are some pictures of her blessing. GmaE made her dress, and it couldn't have been any more perfect.

Enjoy!