Talk About Disappointment...

I can't believe I have neglected my blogging duties for so long...how very sad. I would love to tell you all that I have every excuse for being neglectful, but that would be a lie. Truthfully, my life isn't any more hectic or crazy than normal (not that my life has ever been 'normal', I truly don't think there is such a thing). However, I have allowed myself to get preoccupied with other things and have simply set aside the blog, promising to get to it 'later'.

Well, it's 'later' (much later), so here I am!

In the way of news, we've had lots going on the past few months. Clay got pneumonia, a pretty ugly case of it. I didn't realize it for a few weeks and didn't think to take him to the Dr until he was coughing so bad and said he couldn't go to school. Clay hates to miss school, so I knew things were worse than I had first supposed. Sure enough, instead of a common enough cold, he had a lot of junk in his lungs and an ear infection. He was put on some antibiotics and Musinex, but when I brought him in a week later, he wasn't better. They had to put him on another, stronger, antibiotic, more doses of Musinex, an inhaler and I've got to take him to get the pneumonia vaccine because his case was bad enough he will be very susceptible to getting pneumonia again for the next year...ya! The inversion here in Utah didn't help because it was REALLY bad then and Clay was prohibited from playing outside (which put a very large cramp in his after school social agenda). He also had to quit Karate for two months while his body recovered its proper lung capacity. All in all, he didn't much enjoy January and most of February.

I was sick as a dog for the month of January and most of February as well. It's been a record two weeks since I last threw up and for that I'm grateful. I'm hoping the morning sickness phase is in the past and I can look forward to the back pain, leg cramps and labor to come. I decided to forgo Karate as well for the past two months while I regained control over my stomach...running to the restroom during class didn't appeal to me much. I'm a bit worried about going back this month now that I've nearly doubled in size...I pretty sure my sense of balance is going to be a bit off and that will only make it more difficult to complete the forms without falling on my face. Oh well, I suppose my deficiencies will, at the very least, provide everyone else in class with a bit of entertainment!

Jacko has been having trouble breathing at night for the past month or so. I've had to schedule an appointment with the ENT to have his airways checked. He with take a few breaths through his nose (while he's sleeping) and each breath becomes more and more shallow until he finally has to take a huge breath of air through his mouth. It's really nasty to listen to and he often wakes himself up because he can't get enough air. Tragically, if I bring him to bed with me so he'll go back to bed, I can't sleep because I can hear him breathing (or not breathing, in this case) and it keeps me up all night because I'm worried he's going to pass out in his sleep. I've noticed that his tonsils are HUGE and I'm wondering what else is swollen or blocked that I can't see. His appointment is tomorrow and I'm very anxious to find out if they will be able to do anything for him. It's really getting out of control and I'm worried that he's frying brain cells in his sleep because he isn't getting enough oxygen.

Quin is doing awesome. He is really doing a lot better in school and his teacher is very pleased with his change in behavior. He told her the other day that he liked to do his work slowly because he did a better job and that it made his work perfect, so it was ok to take his time. His teacher and I got a kick out of that. He is ALWAYS the last kid out of the classroom and sometimes I have to go into the school and get him because (after waiting for ten minutes) he wasn't finished with a project so he just stayed behind to finish it. He is very dedicated to doing his best though. I am grateful for that. He is very thorough and I'm glad his work means enough to him to do it well.

At parent teacher conferences, Clay's teacher said he is doing really well. He is WAY above where he needs to be for reading by the end of the year. She showed me the graph they use and he exceeded the reading requirements for 2nd grade months ago. He really loves reading and spend a lot of time doing it. He is currently working on the Narnia boxed set I bought him for Christmas. He is really enjoying them. He has been getting really good scores on all his tests and his teacher is very pleased with his work so far. Other than being a bit TOO social during class on occasion, he is really excelling and that makes me glad.

We signed him up for Rookie League baseball this year. He starts on his birthday and he's really excited about it. He's been practicing with Ben, Phil, Joe and my dad the past few weeks and he's got some great potential. He hits 4 out of 5 balls you throw and he's got a really great arm. I'm excited to see how well he does.

The house is coming along really well. Ben's almost done laying the tile in the basement apartment. We've bought all the furnishings and the walls have all been painted. Once the floor is finished they'll be able to put in the cabinets and all the bathroom fixtures. It's looking really nice and we're all excited to have it finished. Ben and Karin finished painting the family room and kitchen while we were out of town last week. It looks really good. We still have to finish painting all the upstairs hallways and the front entryway. Those won't be a priority until the apartment is finished though. I'm glad we're making progress though and it's turning out really nice.

My little brother, Ben, got married on the 12th of February. That was really nice and it was fun to see family while they were in town. We also got to go to Idaho when my brother, Henri, blessed his new little boy, Titan. he sure is a cute kid and he's so darn little. He was born the end of January. We spent four days up in Idaho last week while Joe was up there working and got to spend a lot of time with Gunner and Titan. They sure are good kids, and my kids had a great time playing with the baby.

We had a slight scare with this pregnancy the beginning of February. I had some spotting and the Dr put me on bed rest for a while until they could do an ultrasound and make sure my placenta hadn't torn. The ultrasound looked good, so did the baby. He (they are 80% sure it's a boy, but he was so small they couldn't be sure) is measuring just right and everything appears to be healthy and in good working order. I am most grateful for that news and I'm hoping things continue to go well. Anyhow, I spotted off and on for a few weeks, but haven't had anything since then and the Dr is pretty sure it's nothing to be overly concerned about. I got a Rhogam (sp?) shot (because of the bleeding - Joe is 0+ and I am 0- so if the baby has + blood my body could reject it without the shot), and they did some extra blood work to make sure my previous blood work wasn't effected by the bleeding. I am feeling a ton better now though, especially since the morning sickness passed, and I'm hoping to catch up on a few neglected project (like blogging) with my new found health!

Oh, Joe and I are heading to Vegas tomorrow! I'm very excited about it. Maggi and Phil (my knights in shining armor) are watching the kiddos for us so we can take off for a few days. Joe has to work during the day Friday, but then we'll be able to see some shows and eat some good food, and perhaps even get in a session at the temple (because we go so very often to the one just a stone's throw away from out house). We'll have to get back Saturday night, but it will be a nice little get-a-way to rest and relax and enjoy some sunshine!

I'm sure we've had a lot more going on, but I can't think of anything...nothing that wouldn't bore you all to tears (worse than the nonsense I've already written). So, with that I think I'll end.

Here's to hoping I stay on top of things and keep you more frequently posted on our super exciting lives. If not, I'm quite sure you're not missing out on much!