Quinn's 3rd Birthday!

Well we are done with the celebrating for Quinn's 3rd birthday! He turned 3 9/17 and we had his party today (Sunday). It was a great party with lots of friends, good food and of course some awesome gifts! It is still so hard for me to believe my little man is 3yrs old, seems like just yesterday I was bawling my eyes out b/c I had to leave the hospital w/out him. He was born 5wks early and spent a week in the NICU. I realize that a week compared to what some families have to go through is nothing, but I believe no matter the amount of time, when you try for a child as long as we did, any time away hurts.

On his actual birthday on Thursday we got his older 2 brothers for a couple hours and everyone went out to supper at a pizza buffet place here that has an arcade. Quinn was a bit testy and did not want to wait for everyone to be done eating before playing games, but we made it and the boys had fun playing games and winning tickets...ok daddy and mommy and uncle Ben won most the tickets and WE had fun doing it! lol

Quinn choose the Pirates for the theme of his party this year. I made a pirate ship cake, I'm glad I practiced a month ago b/c this one turned out pretty darn good, if I do say so myself! We also had cupcakes and ended up with so many that the cake is still untouched! lol Oh well, we can enjoy it just the family the next few days.

Quinn made out like a lil bandit again this year! He's a spoiled little guy! I took a bunch of pics and still need to get them all uploaded and then added to the blog so I'll add them in a day or 2...hopefully! My week off has come to an end, always goes so fast. Back to work tomorrow and right into my long week w/only Wednesday off.

Thanks for reading!
Don't forget to check out our home-preschooling blog @ www.ourkookieskool.blogspot.com
~Holly~

Just another weekend off...or is it

So it is Labor Day weekend and we planned nothing special. I am even working tomorrow night when it's normally my night off. Hey holiday pay can never hurt! :) Been doing my best to keep busy, its been rough. We're still waiting and almost dreading the call from Aberdeen. But I hope it will help mom out a bit when we are able to finally go up there and lay dad to rest the proper way. Well, for us at least.

Quinn has been a holy terror! We attempted to start potty training about 2wks ago and it started fairly well with some interest on his part but as time went by he just got less and less interested and started to actually fight us when taking him to the bathroom. So needless to say we've stopped and plan to start again in a month or so. Whenever we even bring it up now he yells "NO"! Gotta love those independent toddlers! Other than that and his typical meltdowns he's been good, he brings up papa once in awhile, kinda nice to know he hasn't forgotten him and misses him in his own lil way.

In 2wks we will be celebrating this little guys 3rd bday! I can't hardly believe we ares here already! Where has the time flown to?! And the thing is, it doesn't seem to slow down but keeps going at this fast pace. Time is too precious, too bad we don't realize that til we are older when most of our good years are done and gone.

I'm going to be starting a homeschooling blog for Quinn. I am going to start working on things with him at home since he doesn't go to daycare and looses that learning their. I've got a blog and once it is set up will be posting our sessions there. That is my hopes at least! lol I have started printing off some great info and toddler/prek based learning material and even ordered a few things. He will be getting some stuff for his bday too! I'm excited to start and hope he enjoys it too!

We were supposed to have Ian and Jacob this weekend, but because of some drama in their moms life they were being punished and not allowed to come over!!! I could hardly believe that when Scott told me that yesterday! I just hope she realizes that if she is going to start this it will only lead us to court to get a set visitation and then she will have no say in when they come and can't come see us. Scott is really upset by it, can't blame him a bit. Ian also wants to move in with us, he has expressed this interest a few times now and Scott and I are just waiting to be sure that's what he really wants. So far he really seems to and dislikes being at his moms more and more. He will be 12 in Feb. so I think that is the age that a judge would listen to him and take what he wants into consideration. I just hope it doesn't have to go that far, she could be smart and do something for her kids for once and allow him this. But that will be a surprise if she does. She already said she wouldn't b/c she'd loose foodstamps....not that she'd miss him too much...but b/c she'd loose foodstamps!!! I just can not believe that woman!

Well that is a good catch up for now, oh and Happy September! Fall is just around the corner, my favorite season....but that means my least favorite soon follows...winter!

Blessed Be

Not really ready but here goes...

Yes it has been a bit since I've updated the blog here, I'm not sure that I'm really ready to do so now even but figure I better.

On July 15, 2009 my father passed away. Loosing his long going battle with many illnesses. May you rest in peace daddy, I love you and miss you so very much.

That was a very rough day, I was the one to see him in the ambulance while my mother waited for news at the hospital. She'd gone ahead of the ambulance and he passed shortly after she left. He went into cardiac arrest and they were unable to bring him back. His heart was just too tired and suffered too much stress in his life. May he no longer suffer. I don't think that I will ever get the image of him in the ambulance out of my head.

We had many friends and family come to help us through the difficult time. My fathers sister Melvina came from CA and my moms brother Donald came from AZ. Jessica, my lifelong friend came and stayed with us. She considered dad to be her 2nd dad since hers passed at such a young age and then at the Prayer Service an old friend showed up, Hilary, and we've been able to pick up where we left off some 8yrs ago. I'm so glad to have them both in my life. Our good friend Ben also came down from Pierre and stayed with us for a week to help us also. We do have some wonderful friends! I love them all!

The past month has been kind of a blur since then. We are still waiting to be able to bury him also. Aberdeen has gotten so much rain this summer that the ground in the cemetery has been too wet and moist to bury anyone. So he is in the mausoleum until we are finally able to put him to rest in his final resting place. That doesn't help a thing, we know that at any time we could be called to Aberdeen to go up for that and that will be like the funeral all over again. Just not fair to any of us.

I can't believe he is gone though, it still doesn't feel real most days. Like he'll just show up with his big smile and say it was all a big joke or something. I wish it were that easy. The only thing is that at least he is no longer suffering, he suffered so much the past few years, I'm at least glad of that. But so sad that he will miss so much of our lives and Quinn's life, I truly hope that Quinn doesn't forget his papa or how very much he loved him. He was the apple of his eye, he really was.

Happy 4th of July!

So it's actually the 5th now but hey it's an entry! lol Did a bbq with all the kids and Doug and Sierra, friends of the family. It was fun. Then we went out and shot off a bunch of fireworks, it was a blast and after worrying all week long that Quinn would be a naughty handful, he did great! Loved watching and listened to us to be careful! It was a blast and all the boys, Ian & Jacob included! I'll update more with pics later.

Today is Scott and I's 2nd wedding anniversary and since we've never set up a 'dating since' date we're using this as it also, 9yrs together! It's a very long story that I'm not sharing here! lol I can't believe it has been 9yrs already! Crazy!!! We've been through so much together and I can honestly say I love him more everyday. Grandma is watching all 3 boys tonight so we can go out for dinner and a movie. And I think I've gotten him really close to start working on baby #2, I really hope so, being 31 I don't want to wait much longer otherwise we may not have another together and I really want to have a 2nd child.

Ok, that's all for tonight, was just a quick check in.

I'm Baaack!

I've made it back sooner this time around! :) My dad is back in the hospital due to shortness of breath. They did another angyogram this morning but found nothing so they are going to check his defibulator and his lungs to see what is causing all the problems.

We are in the middle of Ian & Jacob's first 2wk long visit! We haven't been able to do as much as we'd have liked to. Did get to the zoo on friday before it got all cool and rainy. Been cool and rainy now for about 3 days and will be till wednesday supposedly. So what fun is that. NOT just supper annoying! Quinn is enjoying the visit, he sure loves his brothers! :) We are trying to teach them how to be responsible and take on some chores while they are with us, they are not too good at listening sometimes, more interested in playing their games...go figure.

So that's about it for now. Would include some pics but blogger is acting up and not letting me.

Ok I kinda suck at this!

LMAO So it's been almost a month since I updated and here I was doing oh so good! lol Oh well, at least I'm back now! No pics in this post though b/c I've been slacking there too and also my main computers power source went out and I just got it back from the shop today and have to get it set up, thanks PC Gold! :)

So, the one big thing that has happened was my dad suffered a major heart attack on 5/18. What appeared to be very low blood sugars were actually the late results from the heart attack he had and didn't even know he had! Love those side effects of diabetes, like silent heart attacks! So he was taken to the ER that night by ambulance and his blood pressure was 235/140!!! If he'd stayed home, as he wished, he probably wouldn't have made it through the night. So, a little over a week later and after an angyogram and then a 2nd to place a stint in his heart he is finally home! YAY He is home-bound though and we have an occupational therapist, physical therapist and nurse checking in. Hey, it's better than the original idea of him going to a rehab facility aka nursing home for a couple weeks! He actually seems to be doing pretty well though, no worse than he was before the attack and maybe even a bit better.

Quinn is being a butt these days. Won't sleep or nap for us, seems to think he gets to decide when he does these things now! Potty training just isn't happening, he hasn't had any interest up until last night while I was at work Scott sent me a text saying he'd asked to use his potty chair all on his own! So, maybe this will be the start. He is ornery and sassy! I miss the no talking kid I was actually worried about last year b/c he hardly spoke! NO worries anymore! He repeats EVERYTHING!!! lol

Tomorrow starts our first 2wk long visit with Ian and Jacob. Will be interesting to see how this plays out. I hope all goes well. We have a few things planned to do, like the zoo, mini-golf and go-carts, parks etc. So wish us luck! :P

And I'll try to be back sooner than July! hehehe

Hello there!

Getting ready for another weekend with Ian & Jacob! Since I last posted we haven't had too much going on really. Last week was the annual kingswood rummage sales here in Sioux Falls and for once I was actually able to find the main things I wanted to! I got Ian & Jacob a bunkbed complete with mattresses! Awesome buy there! :) Got them some shorts too. For Quinn I was able to find a sandbox/picnic table combo that comes complete with an umbrella for the table! It's really cute and plan on getting the sand for it this weekend while it's on sale at Menard's!

Mostly just been working and keeping busy. I was a project and 1/2 getting things moved and reorganized to get the bunkbed set up but we got it up and except for getting the sheets on it's all ready for them for tomorrow night! I've still got to finish organizing the backroom/laundry area from that but I got alot done and was happy about that! Have another big box for Goodwill too! I'm getting better and better at giving away our crap! lol We don't have the space for a rummage here in this house so whenever I come across things they mostly get put into a box for Goodwill. But at least I'm getting rid of stuff and that's the main point! I'm such a pack-rat! lol

Been working on my digital scrapbooking kits and getting them into my store, no sales yet but I was told it could take some time so that's ok. I just want to focus on getting them made and uploaded and then work on advertising! Hope it goes well!

That's all for this update, told ya, not much too interesting! :)

Time to Catch Up...again!

Ok, so I started out pretty good, now...not so much! Oops! Oh well, I'm still here and going to play catch up again. Just got done with another weekend with Ian & Jacob, was a great weekend with the exception of a rainy saturday and being all cooped up. But they lived, we lived and Quinn didn't get hurt! What a PLUS! lol

Let's see, Easter was good, we didn't do much. I worked all weekend and grandma made an AWESOME ham! YUMMY!!! Quinn got a trike from the easter bunny along with a bunch of summer clothes and of course some little toys and candy! He thought that was GREAT! lol He is doing his best to figure out how to peddle the trike but mostly he will walk it. I'm sure by the time we get it outside on a nice sunny day he'll have it mastered! :)

And we have offically become parents! Quinn had the flu for the very first time starting the night of 3/28 and lasting about a week. This was also the first time for him to every throw-up or have diarreah that badly. It sucked and he was miserable but we all got through it. It stareted just before I was heading to work the night of 3/28, daddy and gma took care of him and I got calls to update me throughout the night, I think at final count he threw-up about 9x in 12hrs!!! That morning when I got home the temp. started and continued through the day and topped out at 103' around 1am. I stayed home that 2nd night with him and between myself, daddy and gma he was closely watched while he slept. I was worried about the temp. so I wanted someone with him and he slept on the couches when he did sleep. Which was about an hour or 2 at a time, then up for 1-2 then sleeping again. Fortunately he never got dehydrated and was feeling better in a couple days. The diarreha lasted about a week and his appetite didn't come back full force til after that even but he's eating fine now!!!

On to the pictures!

4/12/09

Mommy, Quinn, Daddy, Grandma & Grandpa

Easter Day 2009

Our Family!

4/11

Dying Easter Eggs!

The shirt says it ALL!!!

4/08

Snow!

4/05

Hiding

3/30

My sick little man

3/29

Naptime

3/25

My 365 Project update

Ok this will be a post of mostly pictures to get caught up. Enjoy.

3/22

A 5wk old puppy friends brought over to the baby shower last week. Quinn LOVED it!

3/21

Playing catch with daddy.

3/20

This is THE MAN around our house! lol

3/19

My External HD...that I just learned is FULL!!! ACK!!!

3/18

Gaming with daddy..again. lol

We've been lucky...

...till now that is. Quinn has never really been sick other than having a slight cold here and there, those not even that bad really. But Saturday night at roughly 9:45pm my sweet little man threw-up for the very first time! :( My poor baby didn't know what to think or do, he'd had some milk about an hour before...this is what he said..."Mommy, I frew-up cheese." :( lol Poor little guy of mine. Then to top it off of course it is my weekend on at work so I had to go to work after all this started. I got a few calls throughout the night from daddy giving me updates, basically that he wasn't sleeping well and how many more times he'd thrown-up.

So I get home on Sunday to a little boy laying in his grandpa's chair, he'd thrown-up 2x since waking at 7am. This was a little after 8am. Now all through this he'd not had a temp, now he starts to get warm. So we watch him. He throws-up for what will be the last time around 9am but then the temp starts to rise and rise and rise. He is clingy and sad and just plain ol sick. He lays with me or daddy most of the day. By about 4pm I decide that I am staying home with him so I call into work, something I hate to do but I'm not leaving him again a 2nd night in a row when he's so sick, just not happening, tore my heart up Saturday night to be sitting at work while he was suffering so.

Now his temps are averaging between 100-101 and not letting up, he is so hot to the touch and I'm getting worried. I call the Ask-A-Nurse line and they go through all their questions and refer me to calling his Dr or the on-call. I do, again get another nurse and go though the 20 questions, again. This nurse tells me they don't worry unless the fever hits 105!?!?! I'm still a little shocked over that and don't see how I could let my child get THAT feverish! But she tells me to keep doing what we've been doing, pedialite and the good 'ol BRAT diet as long as he's no longer vomiting and then if he doesn't get better or starts vomiting again to call back. Fine, whatever. Around 10pm my poor baby falls asleep on the couch and I'm fully prepared to leave him their for the night. I make up a 'bed' for myself on the floor by him and lay down to sleep. NOT! lol

He starts to fuss a bit and I reach up to him to find his little hand just burning hot to the touch. So I grab the thermometer and check his temp...103'!!!!! I'm a little worried now and not able to sleep. So I finally give him some Tylenol, he'd not vomited for over 12hrs, kept a couple crackers down and frankly I'll take the throwing up if the Tylenol will help with the fever. Grandma is back up at this point and gets the cool rag for his head, we decide to do shifts b/c I'm not comfortable with leaving him alone like that. Grandma, bless her heart, says she will stay up for awhile and send me to bed. The first time since a couple hour nap earlier in the afternoon and I'd worked the night before. I check his temp again before heading to bed and it's down now to 102.3 at least it's coming down. I let daddy know what's going on and lay down.

Back up at 4am. Daddy is on shift now and Quinn's recently spit-up/thown-up again. :( BUT the fever is down!!! YAY for that! Obviously he's also had diarrehea with all this also. So, I am up at my computer and Quinn is sleeping on the couch, grunting now and again. He's been asleep for about 1.5hrs...will probably be awake again soon.

I know it's been a bit since I last updated and this is just our last 36hrs or so, I will update more later. Oh and besides me having been sick with a terrible head cold, we have no clue as to where this has come from! But thus far this is our first adventure in flu-ville.

Happy St. Patty's Day!

And a Very Happy 2 1/2 Birthday to My little Man Quinn!!!

That will be an easy 6mo mark to always remember for him, his 1/2 bday is on St. Patrick's Day! lol

Ok, been a bit since I've checked in here and I do have pics to share, think I missed maybe 1 day in this last set.

Let's see what else do we have, not much really. Working and getting ready for our next weekend with Ian & Jacob and hoping the weather holds nicely in the 60's and dry so they can play outside especially Sunday since I'm throwing a baby shower! Gonna be a housefull that day! As long as it's fun though, that's all that matters. More later on to the pics! These are unedited, I just wanted to get them up!

3/17/09

Playing Ball outside

3/15/09

The Falls

3/14/09

Rubber Ducky

3/13/09

Kind of a blury pic sorry. It just occured to me that he wore the same/similar color for at least 4days in a ROW this week! LMAO

3/12/09

Yes, that's the same shirt lol

3/11/09

PEEK!

3/10/09

Mommy & Quinn

3/9/09

My fairy windchime

Time for a check in

Been a little bit since I've updated. Been a crazy couple of weeks. At least I got some pics posts though! That in and of itself is good for me! :) Let's see, we had Ian & Jacob this past weekend and for the whole weekend, fri - sun. It went really well! They seem to enjoy their time with us and I'm happy of that. Scott enjoys the much overdue time with them and Quinn loves it when they are here. So far so good! lol

Saturday night I got called into work though so that sucked and cut my weekend with them a little short. I'd been up since 6:30am Sat. morning b/c for some ODD reason Quinn woke an unusually 2hrs early! So, when I got the call at almost 12 midnight, I was about asleep! When I got home Sun. I had to lay down for a nap and then by the time I got up it was about time to take them home. So, I just hope the next weekend will go better. BUT the sunday of the next visit I am hosting a baby shower for my BFF Jessica who is due in April with baby #3!!! I'm excited to have the shower since I didn't get to do much for Chance or Morgan when they were born and she did so very much for me when I was pregnant with Quinn. She really is the sister I never had, well I guess then I did and do have that sister! ;)

Ok, I think I may have a couple more pics to add, the rest are awaiting upload time. Oops! lol

3/8/09

Climbing between table and cedar chest.

3/7/06

Quinn got hold of a feather duster and needless to say some of the feathers got loose!

Here he is with daddy floating some of the feathers.

3/6/09

Mommys favorite coffee mug! Too cute!

3/5/06

Busy coloring

3/4/09

Hanging out with daddy on the couch.

3/3/09

Playing with his Blocks...wow he looks really happy! lol

Ok more of my daily pics.

3/2

Playing with playdoh.

3/1

Gaming Daddy! haha

2/28

Applesauce & Grapes, YUM!

2/27

First morning in our toddler bed!

Time to Catch Up!

Well, after the crazy last 2 weeks I didn't really get a chance to update here or my pictures. So, this will be a post for a picture update. We've got the boys again and this time it's for the WHOLE weekend!!! I'm still in shock! So here are the pictures to catch me up...hopefully! lol

2/23

Playing peek-a-boo under his train table!

2/24

Hiding from Daddy! lol

2/25

Lining up all the pillows...that he could find at least!

2/26

Look at my new bed! We switched his crib to the toddler bed and so far it's been going good with the exception of a couple of nap times.