"The Brown Ranch"

Growing belly

2012-02-09T20:06:00.000-08:00

I decided to be brave and post a photo of what I look like at 30 weeks. I've felt big for quite a while, but my progress thus far is really redefining big! And to think..... I have two more months to go ... Lovely! Really, I'm not trying to sound ungrateful. I don't remember what it's like to be this far along in a pregnancy. The last time I got to this point was over five years ago. It's amazing the things you forget. She is definitely getting bigger and protesting her limited space. I'm at the point where we go in for a prenatal appointment every two weeks now. Before we know it she'll be here. I'm hoping she is a good girl and sticks it out like she's supposed to.
The differences I've noticed with this pregnancy, aside from all of my others (let's face it, I'm somewhat of a pro at this point)- ummm, nausea...what's up with that? Okay, okay it only lasted a very SHORT while, but nonetheless, it made it's presence!! Wedding ring not fitting....huh? sorry, never experienced that before either. But for some reason my joints are having fun swelling on me this go round! What else?? Oh that's right, looking like I'm ready to pop ..... now! I have TWO more months. Not sure how this is going to work out exactly.
But.....I'm really trying to take it all in and appreciate it. I have had a few bold people tell me what a lot of people might actually be thinking but too afraid to say. They can't comprehend my courage in attempting one more time given the circumstances with my last two pregnancies. I can honestly say I just knew everything would be okay. Not sure how, I just did. And if by chance things didn't turn out okay, I'm experienced in the field. Not that it wouldn't be hard, but I know I could handle it because I survived it twice before. I may sound like a glutton for punishment, but I just know there are so many things out of our control. I'm not one to not live my life because I'm afraid of what MIGHT happen. As hard as my past experiences were, they helped me to grow and appreciate the little things that much more. I followed my heart and that's all you can do!

Straight From Heaven

2012-01-24T12:31:00.000-08:00

I decided this a must post from my photography blog to my personal blog.....

Ok....I have been patiently waiting to do this post for quite some time now. I had to make sure I was in the clear with the parents before I posted their little angels photos. Thankfully I was able to square everything away today.

This whole thing started with the experience of me having my little babe at 28 weeks gestation. I was so genuinely grateful for everything the Newborn Intensive Care Unit did for us. They were so kind, gentle, quick to see our fears/concerns and were able to appease us as much as possible. They made us feel so special, as if our little guy was the most important baby in the world. We were able to see how each nurse cared for him and truly loved their job. They made it a point to express that their caring of our little angel was not just a job to them. They acted as if he were their own child.

I brain-stormed for days trying to think of a way to repay them. A plate of cookies along with a card just didn't seem to be enough. One night I awoke from a dead sleep. Somehow I had come up with this brilliant plan. I knew exactly what to do!! I could give back with photography. I had taken some special pictures of Lincoln when he came home from the hospital and then put together a birth announcement. I loved one of the photos so much I even had it enlarged and printed on a canvas gallery wrap that now hangs in his room. Lincoln's scar from his surgery was still visible on his head, but I didn't want to alter it in anyway. It was who he was....he wore his battle wounds proudly and I, as his mother, wasn't afraid to see them. I wanted other mothers to have the same experience I did. I wanted to be able to take pictures of the babies when they had freshly been released from the NICU and have them be able to display the great triumph these babies had finally achieved.

One of the guardian angels who took care of my Lincoln happened to also go to church with us. With her help, my idea was presented to the manager at the NICU. He immediately loved the idea and agreed that it was something he would love to have happen. It's almost been two years since Lincoln was completely discharged from the hospital, but I got a call a few months ago saying they wanted to push forward with the plan. I was super lucky enough to be able to photograph two babies who still resided in the NICU. Their photos, along with a few of Lincoln's and also others, will be displayed through out the halls and nursery of the Newborn Intensive Care Unit at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center. I am so elated that this gift I dreamed up has finally come true and is in the process of happening.

These particular photos may or may not be the ones displayed in the hospital. They are still in the selecting process!

And the two that will be displayed of Lincoln

Luke's First Basketball Team!

2012-01-05T17:22:00.000-08:00

Luke was super excited to get onto another sports team. This go round his sport of choice was basketball. He had his first game and practice last night. There was a range of emotions I was having, partially because I couldn't find my misplaced wedding ring, no worries I got it now! I was enjoying seeing his natural insticts kick in when put out on the court, but I was also feeling a bit of anxiety. All in all he did a really good job and was such a great team player. I think he tried to shoot it once, but was mainly awesome at attempting assists! Luke is probably one of the youngest amongst all these kindergartners. While a lot of them are either already six or will be soon, he won't be six until July. He was by far the shortest on his team. I was a bit worried until I saw the other team. They had a bunch of shorties just like him. Somehow our team got stacked with height, Luke being the exception...

I think the funniest thing I heard him say after he played was ..... "Mom, I stole the ball from a girl!" I had a good laugh, but told him that's what he was supposed to do. He couldn't give her special treatment because she was a girl, she wanted to play just like him. So, you gotta do what you gotta do!

Christmas 2011

2012-01-04T17:01:00.000-08:00

We had lots of fun this year with Christmas. Things were a little out of the ordinary, but much stayed the same. I bought a gingerbread house at the beginning of December and would you believe it's still sitting in the box on my kitchen table?? I really don't know how that happened. It was one thing or another....schedules conflicted, we forgot or there were too many things going on. We did make a trip to see Santa at the mall though.

And we most definitely got the house all decked out

Christmas sugar cookies......

Christmas Card

front

back

We usually spend Christmas Eve at Scott's cousins house along with many other family members. This year we had my Mom for Christmas Eve, made cookies for Santa, left reindeer food for the reindeer on the front lawn, watched our traditional movie "Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas" ....a tradition from Scott's childhood LOL, opened Christmas jammies, then got all tucked in for bed. My Mom spent Christmas morning with us then headed off to my sisters houses. Scott's family came a little later in the afternoon to open presents and have a Christmas feast.

Another Little Brownie

2012-01-03T16:31:00.000-08:00

I was at that point in my life where I needed to make some decisions. These decisions were big and would ultimately mean possibly closing one chapter only to be heading into another. After losing Colten and then having such a traumatic experience with Lincoln, I couldn't help but feel a little incomplete. I really felt robbed of not only a "normal" pregnancy, but birthing process and oh so many other things in between. I've always been told by many women that when that time in your life comes and you have to question whether you're done having children or not, if you're done it's really not a question. You just know. Well, I still had questions which led me to believe I probably wasn't done. I really couldn't fathom having six children, five here on earth to raise. I thought about this clear back in my early pregnancy with Colten, at least about having five. Obviously, we aren't the ones who choose our destinies. And it was no wonder I couldn't imagine it because I had no idea where the road would lead me in my future. They always say sometimes it's hard to understand your journey while your amidst it. Looking back now, a lot of things are much more clear and make so much more sense. I felt if I were to have another baby, this fall would be the last time to try for multiple reasons. Some may think it is a little too early having just been through what we have with Lincoln. But as I said before, to me, this timing made perfect sense. For one, I just turned 33. I'm not getting any younger and our original "plan" was to be done having kids by the time I was 30....hahahaha. I feel complete now. Trust me, I know we're not out of the clear quite yet. I just hit my 25th week and ..."knock on wood"....haven't had any complications thus far. I really couldn't believe how easily it all fell together. Honestly, we got pregnant the very first time we tried. I find it a miracle in itself because not only was I stressed out from a huge move, but I was just trying to finish up finals with my anatomy class at BYU, and was in a whirlwind of extended family problems. This little spirit was most definitely meant to make a presence amongst us! I tried to keep it a secret for quite a while. Even from most all of our family. I did inform one person early on, but this was actually after she guessed it. My older sister found out she was pregnant just a few days after I found out about myself. The ironic thing is we are technically due F.O.U.R days from each other. You couldn't plan that even if you tried! My mom guessed not too many days later, but we chose to keep the rest of the world in the dark. One of the biggest reasons was I just really wanted to make sure things went smoothly for awhile. And who can I kid, people were bound to think I was crazy for not only attempting to have five kids, but also attempt it after our last two pregnancies. Bottom line....You have to do what's best for YOU. And that's exactly what I did. Our new little princess is due April 16th. My technical due date is the 20th, but the ultrasound bumped it up to the 16th so you can bet I'm not going to let anyone rob me of those 4 days!!
I took a self portrait of the belly at around 15 weeks. I can not believe how fast I got BIG this go round. I guess it's only fitting since it is my s.i.x.t.h. pregnancy.

Yes folks, that is pregnancy at 3.5 mo's for me!!

We made the announcement on facebook the day I found out what we were having. I was hoping it would be a girl. Savana's so cute how could I have just one of her?? When we found out I cried. I couldn't believe it really happened.

We took a poll a few days before to see who would be right. It went as follows:

I thought it was going to be a boy. How could it be anything different? I have three boys in a row with an older one besides! Savana really hoped for a girl because she's wanted a sister for years now. Luke wanted a girl because he says we don't have enough in the family. Scottie wanted a boy because he likes to do anything to defy Savana. Scott revealed only that day that he thought it would be a girl (although he said twins for the poll). Scottie decided to say Lincoln, Koda, a Turkey, and Santa had an opinion. His logic was that when it was revealed to be a boy, only a very few of us would be right making his victory that much more sweet! Boy did he have to eat his words!

And this is how we announced it to the kids when they got home from school:

I'm trying to muster up the courage to take a 25 week photo. Gosh I'm HUGE. No joke either. I feel like people could mistake me for full term. I can't believe I practically have another 3.5 months!!
I feel so very blessed though. I don't think I could have asked for a better closing of this chapter of my life. I am able to appreciate every little kick, movement, milestone, ultrasound because I know it's my last. I can't wait to meet this sweet little spirit and introduce her to all of my other little blessings!

Luke and his scarecrow!

2011-11-30T15:16:00.000-08:00

I went in to Luke's class just before Halloween to help him construct a scarecrow! We had so much fun together and it was fun to see him interact with his classmates. We have given all of our children family names as their middle names. I have seen in each of my children how they have taken on traits of the person they were named after, it's amazing. Luke took on the traits of being a class clown. He loves to be silly and make people laugh. That could explain the picture process I'm about to show here. It's hilarious how it progresses. At first, it was just Luke. Then, as his classmates started to take notice, we had more and more of them wanting to be in the picture. Luckily we did this at the end and most of them had left by then. Your scarecrow looks good buddy....good job!!

A Wild Show

2011-11-29T16:05:00.000-08:00

Savana participated in a choir program where they put on a Jungle themed show. She was lucky enough to play the part of a giraffe....how ironic. I giggled to myself just about the entire time because she was one of the shortest kids there. Luckily we got a few peeks of her between all the other animals!

She did a fantastic job singing and is so animated. They were definitely lucky to have her apart of the show!

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-24T14:58:00.000-08:00

Well, I had very good intentions of taking pictures for Thanksgiving, but only a few made the cut! We had a very quiet Thanksgiving this year with the six of us at my Mom and Dad's house. My Mom made it a very relaxing day for me by taking on pretty much all of the cooking herself. My sister and her husband and their four kids paid us a visit later after dinner. The kids and their cousins can never get enough of each other! We celebrated Thanksgiving on a different day with Scott's family. The most important part about all of it is that we are all able to just get together and spend time with one another. That's what it's really all about!

Truly one of the Happiest Places on Earth

2011-11-22T12:30:00.000-08:00

We were somehow able to pull off a trip to Disneyland this year. We invited Grandma S and it just so happened the first day we paid a visit to the park where you never have to be a grown up was on Lincoln's second birthday! It was a bit rough since he isn't walking yet and there really aren't many places for babies to crawl around. He was super patient though and I think he just enjoyed the constant company of all of his family! The older kids were in heaven. I don't think we can ever go too many times!

I was the one who pushed for this trip even knowing I wouldn't be able to ride any rides because of our new package on the way. BUT....I just love the pure joy that comes from every moment of it...riding rides or not. It worked out great though, Lincoln is too little to go on most of the rides anyway. Luke even was able to go on most rides with an exception of just a few. The weather was perfect and the lines were unbelievably short. The only rides they didn't make it on were the ones either down for repair or remodeling.

My kids NEVER forget about the Jedi Training, so we usually head over for one of their scheduled shows in hopes that any if not all will be chosen. This year.....Savana was the chosen one!

On the first day I decided it might be a good idea to snap a picture with my phone really quick with each kid in case they got lost. That way we had a picture of exactly what they were wearing. The funny thing is, Scottie wore his BYU Jimmer jersey and you wouldn't believe how many people we saw pointing then whispering to the people they were with and saying "look, that kid is wearing a Jimmer jersey." We sat down for lunch and these two really cute teenage kids, brother and sister, came over and said "We've been watching you guys and noticed the Jimmer jersey. We're assuming you guys are mormon and so are we. We bought these cupcakes, but we're all way too full and my dad asked us to come give them to you." I think in any normal circumstances it may have been weird, but we got a good vibe from them and watched them for a little while as they sat back down with their family. We thought it was a sweet gesture for sure!

My mom was so sweet and wanted to make sure we had just a little something extra to make it special. She arranged for us to have a lunch where we were able to meet all of the Princess'. Scottie was not happy at first, but he warmed up to the idea when he realized he was going to be surrounded by a bunch of pretty ladies ;)

Me and my Prince Charming

Savana's favorite Princess Belle

And the rest is history.....it was a very needed vacation and I'm glad we made it happen. It sure was handy having three different cameras to help me to remember to take pictures: phone, point and shoot, & the big daddy!

Lincoln Turns Two

2011-11-18T20:21:00.000-08:00

Little buddy was not so happy to be involved in a photo shoot, but he warmed up pretty quick! We actually skipped out on an actual birthday party this year for Lincoln because we had something much bigger in store. We took a quick surprise trip to Disneyland....more about that in a later post. We've enjoyed our little angel and we're so glad he's doing so well. He is making a lot of progress, slowly but surely. He makes me more and more proud everyday. I love the little twinkle in his eyes when he's accomplished something and he sees our delight.

I think he was a tad overwhelmed that we were staring in his face singing and requesting he blow out the candles. He made sure to get the cupcake over every inch of his head though!

We'll just say I think Lincoln became someone's Prince Charming while in Disneyland

The words I can think of he is now saying:
dog, book, cat, cow, monkey, blanket, outside, cheese, hat, "wuke"-Luke, momma, daddy, down, all done, eat, ball, sissy, "cottie"-Scottie, what's that, tries to sing along to "on top of spaghetti", grandma, grandpa, mickey mouse, duck, shoes, nana-banana, "nana"-savana, cracker, night-night, bath, we'll say "say what" dramatically & he'll say "what" dramatically, peek a boo, back, finishes the phrase for us "oh my .....gosh", mmmm when he sees food, baba, uh-oh, apple, "mo"-more, oh toodles, football, kisses,kids, koda, Christmas, pizza, balloon, party rock, shake that, open, close, I love Scottie, bubbles, happy birthday, basketball, baby,
block, go, brush, pillow pet, dad poo, walker, walk & just about anything we say he will repeat!

The newest thing we've been working on is walking with a walker!!

We are so proud of you baby! You've come so far and jumped over so many hurdles. Keep up the good work little guy...you were meant to be here!

Happy Birthday!!

Scottie's #10

2011-11-17T09:12:00.000-08:00

Ten years! Really, that doesn't seen too much in the span of time, but it really is. To think I've been a mother for ten years now! I can't believe how fast he's growing up. It truly makes me sad. I will have him home with me for less than half of the time he's already been with me :( I was looking through one of his baby books the other day and I just started sobbing. Where does the time go?? He is so independent and most definitely has a mind of his own. Scottie is so talented. I am in awe of half of the things he is just a natural at. We have him in accelerated baseball and basketball right now. He excels at both of them. One of the things I love about him is that not only is he athletic, but he is super intelligent as well! The biggest thing I love about him though is his tender heart. He deeply cares for others and their feelings even if it's not so easy to show at times. Scottie, I hope I am everything in a mother you would ever want. I am so very lucky to have you apart of my life and I wouldn't be who I was if I didn't have you!! Happy Birthday Buddy!

We always like to make sure they get a cake of their own on the day of their birthday and this year I did a few little extras for Scottie. He loved it!

Scottie decided he was too big to have just a family party this year so he wanted to make it just a friend party. We sent out a few invites to a few of the boys in his class and they met at our house for cake and ice cream followed by a trip to Trafalga. The Invite:

And the cake we had with his friends before we took off for the party.

Halloween 2011

2011-11-16T19:15:00.001-08:00

This year we were excited to go trick or treating in our new neighborhood. That is, until my professor became a scrooge and decided he wanted to hold class on Monday night despite the fact that it was a holiday! ..... boo!! So, we came up with a plan to try to make it to Scott's parents, all of us go trick or treating for a while and then I could be on my way to class. Well, that didn't work out either. I ended up not going to class and we ended up trick or treating in his parents neighborhood anyway.

Really, it makes me cringe to have to include that last photo of Scottie. Not because of him, of course, but because it is out of focus! It was from their parade. I was in a tight corner and they were moving fast. So, unfortunately it is the only one I got of him in the parade!

After the parade, Scottie class had a Jungle Play. He played the role of the Lion.

Baby In A Basket

2011-11-16T14:30:00.001-08:00

......He wasn't too thrilled....

Pirate Play

2011-11-16T13:05:00.001-08:00

Scottie's music class put together a Pirate Musical. He was one of the two lead narrators. He was a little emabarassed at first when we showed up and I had my camera in tow. It didn't take long for him to get into it though. Lincoln was TOTALLY into it. He kept laughing, really loud and all the kids in the audience couldn't resist looking back to see where that sweet sound was coming from.
Good job bud!

Savana and The Lehi Pionettes

2011-11-16T12:37:00.001-08:00

We signed Savana up for a two drill team camp. She got to learn a dance and then perform it at the Lehi High School football game halftime. She was so excited. Sometimes she gets a bit nervous being asked to perform in front of people, but she did it and loved it! She really has such rhythm, it's amazing to watch how she gets into it and really enjoys it. It was raining that night and SUPER cold. The grass was wet, but she didn't complain when she still had to do some of her moves on the ground. .......Superstar.....

Ugh...this reminds me, I need a longer range lens!

Lehi Pioneers football 2011

2011-11-15T17:48:00.001-08:00

Scottie found a comfortable spot on his little league football team this year. He actually played many positions and spent the majority of games playing the entirety of the game. His coaches were awesome. They grew so much and learned a lot. It was definitely a good experience for him! The poor team didn't win one game through out the season, but I think the lessons they learned were much more valuable than any win ever could have been.

School Days

2011-11-15T16:57:00.001-08:00

Okay, really, I don't like to have to pay for pictures because I know I can take them myself and usually they end up being really nice photos. BUT seeing that it's a memory I love having from my childhood, I figured they would love the memory for themselves as well. I also want to make sure they can have a class photo to always remember their classmates by. Oh my....they're so cute! I could just eat them up!!

Scottie 4th grade.....10 years old

Savana 2nd grade......7 years old

Luke Kindergarten.....5 years old

Humor Me

2011-09-30T10:52:00.000-07:00

One of the kids brought this kazoo home the other day. I'm not sure if they taught Lincoln how to work it or if it's something he figured out on his own. He gets so proud of himself though when he makes those little lips hum. I love it....just hope he doesn't get carried away and make himself pass out!

Saving that for Later?

2011-09-30T10:43:00.000-07:00

Look.....

2011-09-30T10:32:00.000-07:00

Who can tie his very own shoes!!!

Sego Lily PTA Carnival

2011-09-30T10:19:00.000-07:00

The kids elementary puts on a carnival for the PTA to raise funds for the school. There was lots of stuff to do and the kids were in hog heaven. Scottie only got to stay for a tiny bit before heading off to football practice. The first thing they did was hit the dunk tank. We got there just in time for Savana to have a chance at dunking her teacher. She prevailed!

Savana and Luke were having a blast, running from ride to ride. They found this train ride pulled by a 4-wheeler. Lincoln and I joined them and he LOVED it!

Dinosaur Museum 2011

2011-09-29T18:15:00.000-07:00

We met my dear friend Michelle and her three kids at the Dinosaur Museum in Thanksgiving Point. We hadn't seen each other and were dying to get together. The kids love being with one another so it's always fun for them to reunite. Savana and Daxton secretly have a crush on each other, but it's very taboo so I mustn't talk about it LOL. We had a lot of fun and now I'm kicking myself in the butt for not getting a photo with the two of us! I have this little point and shoot camera so I don't have to lug around my big camera and flash all the time. I'm a little disappointed in the quality, but at least I have pictures, right?

I promise Lincoln didn't pee his pants....well, he probably DID pee his pants, he just DIDN'T pee through them. One of my kids had the brilliant thoughts of giving him a bottle of water all to himself. As you can see, the bottle of water won.

Luke had to get a picture of me with the Dinosaur trying to eat me. He thought that was pretty funny.

Savana and Daxton

Luke and Aty

The Good Stuff

2011-09-29T17:54:00.000-07:00

Yep, he knows where it is. The second we open the fridge we can hear the thunder of Lincoln's knees hitting the floor. He's so curious. Just the way I like it!

In a Pickle

2011-09-29T17:49:00.001-07:00

So, how do you get your mom to not feed you a pickle when you're just not lovin' it? I think he gave in with that old saying...."if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!" It was too funny watching all his sour faces. He wasn't sure about the pickle at all, but one thing's for sure....he loves to humor us. We tried this the other day with a lemon. He didn't love the taste, but seeing that every one of us giggled with delight, he kept doing it just to get us to laugh and get our attention..

mmmm....cereal

2011-09-29T17:47:00.000-07:00

Lincoln is really trying to be a big boy! He LOVES trying to eat his cereal with milk and a spoon just like the big kids. One of the funnest things he's doing lately is when he sees someone with food, he'll "mmmm" and crawl over to them like a speed demon.

Luke goes to Kindergarten!!

2011-09-29T17:10:00.000-07:00

I literally can't believe we did it. I was hesitant about putting him in this year because his birthday is July so that makes him the very youngest. I was pretty dead set on him starting next year, but ever since I started school it just became the right thing to do. If we would have waited another year, I know he would have been bored to death. He was really ready to start and he's loving it. He started a week later than the older kids. So, he got his own special day.

First day Frenzy!

2011-09-29T09:23:00.000-07:00

The kids started their first day of school on the 22nd of August. With it being a new school, I thought they would be a little more nervous, but they weren't! They're not very shy...more like social butterflies. It is comforting as a mother to know that.

Can you tell Scottie is WAY beyond the picture taking days on the first day of school? He cooperated, but wasn't about to put on a smile! And talking pictures of him in his class room was completely out of the question!

We had some of our family from Oregon come and stay with us right after we moved. Savana has a cousin that she is just a few months older than. When they're together, they're glued at the hip....virtually inseparable. Her cousin got this same cute little outfit while she was here and Savana added this to her list of school clothes and absolutely would not back down. Super cute! Can't wait until I can take a picture of them together when they're both wearing it.

Ch..ch..ch..changes

2011-09-28T17:45:00.000-07:00

We quietly made a big change. After renting our home for 2 years, the owner decided to put it on the market. Then....they chose to raise the rent on us. So lovely. They actually put the house on the market last fall RIGHT before Thanksgiving. It wasn't fun, let me tell you! It actually didn't show a ton and we hoped we'd be able to stay there as long as possible. After there wasn't a lot of progress they decided to get very aggressive with trying to sell it. I would say it averaged out to be one showing a week right before we moved. No big deal you say, right? .....Wrong! If it were my home and I were trying to sell it, I would have to suck it up and deal with the inconvenience of last minute showings, but....ding-ding-ding...it wasn't my house. Not only did I have to try to be cooperative about strangers walking through my house, but we were paying more monthly for the torture, and I hate (absolutely hate) when people come over to a mess. Believe me, by the end of it, I could care less if they walked through and it looked as though a tornado had hit just moments before their arrival (I'll admit, it was never that bad, but not as good as I would have wanted it to be).

I went through a CNA program January-April, then began physiology at BYU, and next onto Anatomy. So, to say the least, I had lot going on. With things being so up in the air we decided to start scouting around for a house this summer. We didn't want to be two months into the school year and be booted out of the house, and dealing with transitions.

Scott has done a little bit of work here and there for a bank who owns foreclosure properties. They hired him onto a job to gut and remodel a poor excuse for a house. He showed it to me and we discussed the prospects of moving in and renting it after it was finished. I won't lie, I was terrified. I know Scott is a miracle worker and I didn't doubt his craftmanship, but the house really just needed a match. He started the process of demolition and I really tried to convince him to look other places, but he was sure of his idea.

Fun things started happening. The neighbors immediately came over to introduce themselves after seeing Scott there multiple times. They were ecstatic that something was happening with the place and thrilled by the prospect of good people moving in. The bank gave us a lot of choices as far as wall color, carpet, tile, and we were able to customize a few things as well like the master closet. Because of school, I wasn't able to watch the complete transformation, but got a few peeks here and there. By the time it was done....he got my heart a fluttering (he's really good at that!!). We gave our notice to our landlords and quietly starting moving boxes.

There was too much going on in life to make a big production of it, so we went about our business and made it happen. I could say I was partially hesitant to announce it since it made me sad. The kids have been attending the same school Scott's mom works at. Not only was it somewhat of a safety net to have someone dear watching over your kids daily, but it came as a huge help and convenience as well. She would pick the kids up in the morning and bring them home when school completed. Luke started kindergarten this year, which is the grade she works with, and more than likely, would've been able to see grandma every day. Another thing, I have just LOVED Lincoln's therapists. Since we were moving 22 miles away we had to switch programs, which meant having to switch therapists. We did get to keep one of them, Terry our vision therapist. She's awesome and we're glad we scored with her.
The neighbors are wonderful. Let me tell you, I'm so happy with how we've lucked out. We've had multiple neighbors come to introduce themselves with a house warming gift in tow. Each Sunday since we started going to our new ward, we've had multiple people introduce themselves and new ones have continued since each time. It's been a big change, but we're enjoying it.
Lincoln's therapist have turned out to be wonderful! His PT is actually an old friend that we just happened to be assigned to. They've upped his therapy and we're now seeing a speech therapist as well. So, his sessions are as follows: OT 2 x per month, PT 2 x per month, vision 1 x per month & speech 2 x per month. It sounds like a lot because IT is. I've vowed that if it gets to be too much I will be cutting it back a bit. I don't want to get overloaded, but I don't want to pass up a window of opportunity which they think we are experiencing right now. More about him in a different post!
Lots has changed, but we're all healthy and happy so that's all that matters!

For some odd reason, the paint color in the picture in the kitchen & dining room look green. Rest assured, the paint was two-tone green & purple & I was NOT inspired by it. It's more of a tan. You can get a good idea of how it really looks in the master bedroom picture.

And who knows exactly why, but I don't have a picture of the front of the house. I'll have to put one on here, but it definitely won't be today! Ummm, I must mention, not only are we paying LESS for this house, but it has a GIGANTIC front/back yard, and a peach, nectarine, cherry and apple tree as well!!!

Water park ritual

2011-09-28T09:35:00.000-07:00

Luke is a lucky kid. When I was young (well, I still am, really...really?), I remember being envious of children who had their birthdays during the summer months, or the spring months, or really the fall months. My birthday is December 29th, so as you can guess, it went unrecognized in many ways.

I never had "happy birthday"sung to me by my classmates, and I never had the opportunity to bring in treats and be doted on because of my 'special day.' I'll tell you the one thing I got, every year, without fail....Since my birthday is four days after Christmas, the classic one liner: "Here you go, this is your birthday present AND your Christmas present :)" Very "unique", very "special", very.....disappointing! Come on now, I know you're thinking I should have just been grateful for what I received, and of course, we can all think that now with our adult minds, but as an 8 year old...10 year old.....12 year old child, I wasn't very happy about it. Not to mention the fact that I hardly had a real birthday party with friends because it's right smack in the middle of winter right along with right SMACK in the middle of Christmas break. It seems like it would be good timing, but most of my friends were usually busy with family events. Alrighty, I'll get off my soap-box. I guess where I was going with this whole tangent was that we've had Luke's birthday party at a water park, a reservoir, or something water related for pretty much the last five years. I love it! I think the fun has worn out for him though. He suggested somewhere else for his party this year, but I was able to talk him into it just one more time. Next birthday he's dead set on going to Chuck E. Cheese's. Sheesh....I guess I won't get to vicariously live through him anymore...hahaha. I'm okay with that, anything to make my little man happy!

Preemie Reunion 2011

2011-09-06T18:28:00.000-07:00

I'm sure I'll find plenty more photos in the next little bit, but these were the ones I was really keeping my eyes peeled for. We love going to the preemie reunion and showing all the people we grew very close to, how their hard work has paid off. I love to see them drool over Lincoln and watch his gaze as if he truly remembers each one.

This cute little lady holding Lincoln was one of the first angels to take care of him. Not only did she take care of him, but she took wonderful care of us as well. We have fond memories of Heather and could never thank her enough!!

And to be honest, the photo/post overload is due to me slacking a little too much. I looked at one of the past comments from a friend on the last post I did. She asked for an update....that was July 10th and the post was dated April 14th. We just recently moved and because of the distance, we were assigned new therapists. It's always a good and bad thing. Good because we can go outside of the box with the therapy we were receiving before and have a new set of eyes and bad because we loved our old therapists and will miss them dearly. We'll being doing an assesment in the next couple of weeks again to see where Lincoln is and where we need to go. The funny thing about both of our new therapists is our PT is actually one of our friends. We didn't put it together until she got here and we all recoginzed each other. Her hubby and my hubby worked and played softball together in the past. Now with my OT, I was told that she's good... really good....like Annie Miller good. Annie Miller was one of our therapists while Lincoln was still in the NICU at Utah Valley. We LOVED her and she LOVED Lincoln. We were so sad to have had to move on from her, but we still get to see her from time to time and hear about her. We've met with our new OT, Chris, once and so far she is wonderful. Now that I've caught you up just a teeny on Lincoln, I have a bit more detailed blogging to do on our family blog! .....maybe another day!

The Big 0-5

2011-07-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

My little guy isn't so little anymore! I can't even believe that five years ago today, I was in the hospital in Arizona, delivering this sweet baby boy! I can still vividly remember all the details of that wonderful day! He surprised us by coming three weeks early! When I went in for my dr's appointment that day, I was dilated to a 5 and my doctor told me to make my way to the hospital. We decided to run home and get a few things in order since we were caught off guard just a little bit! At home I picked up the house a bit, did the dishes and gave Scott a hair cut. We packed some bags for Scottie & Savana, then dropped them off at a friends house. By the time we got to the hospital, the nurses had been wondering if I truly was in labor since it took me so long to get there. Once they got me situated, we found out I progressed to a 6. And the rest..... is history!

Our nicknames for you:
Lukey, Lukers, ma-luker, buddy, bubba, Lukey-Lou

Luke....you're such a sweet little guy!
You're very loveable and you love to give it back in return!
You're still attached to your blanket!
You LOVE giving mommy kisses.
You LOVE your bike!!
You're obsessed with wearing basketball shorts.
You would choose chocolate milk for breakfast hands down!
You love to be a clown and make us all laugh.
You hate your hair long because that means you have curls, which you think looks girly (I love your curls!)
You're an awesome big brother and love to help with your baby brother Lincoln.
You are a very good listener and love to help when you can.
You thought you were ready to go to kindergarten, but today you weren't so sure.
You're a daredevil, we claim you to be the next X-games athlete.
You have an amazing memory.
You like to ponder your memories.
You can be my little teddy bear, but at the same time, run with the big boys!

I'm so glad you belong to me. You're rosy cheeks and big brown eyes make my little heart melt. We love you so very much Luke and are glad you're a part of our family!!

Happy fifth birthday buddy!!

Fourth o' July 2011!

2011-07-04T11:55:00.000-07:00

I'm so bummed! I took a ton of cute pictures with my phone of us at the derby, but a few days later I had to reset my phone because it was frozen. I lost all the photos I had on there. That's why it's good idea to back everything up ASAP! Here I go again being a Debbie Downer. Makes me sad I haven't had my camera in hand as often lately. I am a tad busy with school, but I don't want too many memories to pass by! For some reason these photos aren't the best quality, but they're better than nothing!!

Oh, how I wish I could zonk out anywhere like he can!

Mother's Day 2011

2011-06-26T22:46:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness! Forget about all the cards, flowers, and presents wrapped up in pretty little gift boxes. When I look at this photo, I truly see the gift for which I have received. Four beautiful little souls and one with wings, and the gift of motherhood. Although they keep me on my toes, I am so very grateful for each and every one of them. They make me see my purpose for life here on earth. I hope they will always know how very dear they are to me.

Easter Overload 2011

2011-06-26T21:52:00.001-07:00

We went camping for Easter this year. It was a tad cold! I'm not sure you can really call it roughing when you have a pimped out fifth wheel like my parents. Lucky for them, most of us used their accomodations for our camping needs!

My Cousins crazy hubby taking his toy up a steep mountain side!

Savana's Birth Day Party

2011-06-26T20:48:00.001-07:00

This years birthday theme was a little "wild!"

Some may say I can be a little "overboard" with the kids' birthdays, but my response would be I just really like to make them feel special. It's the one day of the year that all the attention & focus is on them and I want them to know how very important they are to me! .....Success!

Moab 2011

2011-06-17T11:26:00.000-07:00

I'm never able to capture all the fun we have on our annual Moab summer trip. I think next year I'll make it a challenge for me to document a little bit more. One of the favorite things to do is of course...swimming! That's pretty much the only event I took pictures of this time. The kids love it and it wears them out so it's good for all of us!

(love it....look at my Mother-in-law's face ^hahaha. she's a worry wart)

Memorial Day 2011

2011-05-29T11:05:00.000-07:00

Love the opportunity we have to go down and visit our baby Colten. Lincoln is getting to that stage where he's pretty curious and was a bit interested in the headstone. Isn't amazing how close babies are to the doorways of Heaven. I often wonder what they see...what they know. I'm sure Colten was one of the last angels Lincoln saw before he made his presence here on earth. I'm sure Colten has been Lincoln's guardian angel through out all of his struggles. How wonderful it will be to see these boys reunite! And really all of us for that matter!

Savana's Seven

2011-04-17T21:25:00.000-07:00

She's been counting down the days to her birthday and it finally came and went. I'm thinking overall it was a good day. We were out of town this weekend and at her request, we were able to grant her wish and take her to IHOP. She devoured her food!!

After I posted her video to facebook, she decided to write me an email, so CUTE! This is what she wrote: Thanks! I love that video. Your the best mom I ever had! When I was little I was cute. I love you. Love, Savana We had a nice quiet dinner followed by cupcakes and ice cream.

Today's presents were the Tangled movie and the barbie set Rapunzel, Flynn & the horse Maximus. Grandma and Grandpa Brown gave her a HUGE art set. When we would ask "What do you say?", she would respond with "I love it!". After that happened multiple times, Luke finally chimed in and said "What about Thank you?" They sure do make me laugh! Sweet Savana.... Thank you for being so purely sweet, kind, full of love & laughter, always willing to help me out, and writing your sweet emails. These are a few of Savana's favorite things right now:

Art

Writing stories

Laughing with Luke

Writing sweet emails

Math

Singing

Lucky Charms

Calling Aunt Ari

Playing at Grandma Brown's

Sleep-over's with Grandma Skeem

Kittens

I made this video especially for you, I can't believe seven years have flown by already!

Savana's 7 from Megan Brown on Vimeo.

A Few of These Birthday Wishes....

2011-04-08T21:53:00.000-07:00

........May be a wee bit hard to grant.....

Savana gave me plenty of notice of the things she was requesting for her birthday. I had no idea it would also include those things she does not want! Funny girl!!

He Crawls!!!!

2011-04-03T08:53:00.000-07:00

He's doing it!!! Did it just click?? Or did it help I had him in a diaper only on the cold kitchen tile floor?? Either way....he did it!! Let's just hope he keeps it up!

Get them there sugar bugs!

2011-04-02T16:24:00.000-07:00

We went in for a dentist visit last week. Good thing our dentist is our cute friend Tanya! (We're actually SUPER lucky and have two good friends that are dentists ;))She owns a practice down in Mapleton. If you need a good dentist, go see Tany Westmoreland at Maple Mountain Dentistry!! Anyway, my kids have had nothing but good experiences with the dentist so they actually get excited when we go. It probably helps they get balloons & fun prizes. I took a picture of each of them when they were getting the silly gas so they could see how they looked like an elephant. When it was my turn to sit in the chair(no silly gas here), Luke took a picture of me but I didn't know until we got home and he showed me the photo. Savana and Scottie were really tough and did great. Luke did really well for the majority of the time and tried to be really brave, but when it came down to the last five minutes, he quietly shed a few tears. I felt so bad when I saw that he was sad. I think his patience wore thin and he was just ready to be done. All in all.... It turned out all good. Guess we'll see how much they all like he dentist when we go back in six months.
We did find out through an x-ray that Scottie is probably going to get to know the orthodontist pretty well. He has a few adult teeth that won't come through without a little help, there's just not enough room. We'll know better on the 12th what the game plan is, but for now Dr. Westmoreland is thinking he'll need an arch expander and it's better that we get started now otherwise we could be looking at surgery in the future. She also noted that his wisdom teeth are coming in which is a little sooner than normal, but not a problem.
When we first went in for a cleaning & an exam, Savana's two front teeth were loose. By the time we went back in the next week for her to get a filling, she had lost one of her front teeth and was prouder than a peacock to show it off at the dentists. Tanya said she probably wouldn't have noticed if it weren't for Savana's huge cheesy smile and a silent but obvious pleading for acknowledgement of a missing tooth. These pictures are so funny!! Savana and Scottie have obviously taken part of the silly gas LOL. They aren't exactly staring off into space. They put on cartoons for the kids while they're working on their teeth, kind of a nice distraction!

2011-03-28T21:51:00.000-07:00

I went to parent teacher conference last Thursday. All I can say is, I am SO proud of Scottie & Savana. Both of their teachers had nothing but good things to say about them. For Scottie, I usually get a little bit of constructive criticism, but she had nothing but good things to say! In fact, she actually said 'if I could have a whole classroom of Scottie's, I would be very happy!' He also has been scoring at least 90% or higher in all of his subjects and testing. Savana's teacher goes gaga over her. She's so fascinated with the way her brain works & she happens to think Savana is gifted. She told me that as she's teaching, she'll notice that Savana is doodling in a notebook or reading a book. She said this might be a concern with other children but not Savana. The reason for no concern is that as all of this is going on, Savana is very quick to raise her hand and answer any questions and she answers them correctly. So, her teacher has just come to the conclusion that she is very good at multitasking. I'm very happy with what amazing little children I have!

Keep on Keepin' on

2011-03-28T21:18:00.000-07:00

I may be jumping ahead of myself here, but I think we're on the brink of a major break through. Lincoln has been able to get up on all fours for about six months now. Initially, that gave me a false sense of hope thinking he would crawl not long after he figured that out. I've seen some great progress from him and my expectations have been high. I felt a little discouraged after one of his PT sessions. We discussed what could be holding him back. He has some tone in his hamstring & hip muscles. It's something we're working on & keeping tabs on. BUT the last couple days, he has been making small moves in the crawling direction! I feel like if I can concentrate on giving him that extra attention a little bit everyday ..... It will happen!!
In other news, his eighth tooth just broke through, he is self-feeding really well, he's signing AND saying more, he's completely on a bottle, and the sweetest of all... He's started to give kisses when I ask for them!! He's sitting in a highchair and loving it!
Update from the follow up clinic: The only doctor we had to see was the opthamologist. It was a record-breaking follow up clinic visit. We were in and out of there in less than an hour. I let Dr. Larson know I honestly wasn't having Lincoln wear his glasses very often. I let him know it was very difficult with the stage he is in. He's not really sitting, he's not standing, so he's either always on his belly or occasionally on his back. Dr. Larson actually informed me if he wasn't really ever crossing his eyes there would be no need for him to wear his glasses. I let him know that I rarely, if ever, see him cross his eyes. He then examined Lincoln and then lifted a ton of bricks off of my shoulders by telling me he doesn't have to wear them anymore!!! YAY!! It's really hard to understand until you have experienced it yourself, but when they say having a preemie means your baby stays in that baby stage forever, it is SO true. It's been hard in some ways to see other babies surpass him or to not notice when he doesn't reach those milestones in the 'normal' range of time. But I'll tell you what, Lincoln is the most sweetest, most gentle, most loving, precious little soul. He is so patient, easy to humor, and so easy to love. The progress will come, the time will pass, he will grow and life will be good!

7 Years Young

2011-03-27T20:34:00.001-07:00

Okay, so she's not quite 7 yet, but these photos are from her 7 year photoshoot! I'm very happy with the way they turned out too! She's a photographer's dream. She knew exactly how to work the camera. I only had to ask her to relax on the last few photos. She's getting so big I can hardly believe it! This sweet daughter of mine is so very dear to me and holds a special place in my heart!! And let me just tell you....it's ALWAYS awesome to have lots of pictures that turn out, BUT it can make it that much harder to pick your favorites!! I put her birthday invite together, which includes two more photos that are not posted here. I made my hubby do the choosing though ;)

Funny story....These were the last couple of photos I took and asked her to get her wiggles out. She pulled the funniest face and I'm glad I was still snapping away! Guess it worked!

One Year of Pure Bliss!

2011-03-08T15:12:00.000-08:00

One year ago today we brought Lincoln home from the Hospital. I still can't believe everything that we went through. When I read through all of our experiences it truly sounds like it's straight out of a novel. I don't know if some people could even make these things up if they tried! With that said, I'm glad it's over. I'm glad it's a year behind us and all we have is the future. Lincoln is such a wonderful baby. He still sleeps all through the night, is trying SUPER hard to crawl, drags himself around the entire downstairs by means of the army crawl, finally has more hair sprouting all over his head, has seven teeth, and enchants me with his blue blue eyes! The kids call him baby blue eyes and it just melts my heart. He has them wrapped around his little finger about as much as he does me. He simply adores his daddy. I love to see his eyes light up, accompanied with a sweet sincere smile, as his eyes meet with his daddy's. And above all, I'm SOOO extremely grateful for a year of good health and no scary visits to the hospital.
We Love You Lincoln!!!

2 Years Without

2011-03-08T13:56:00.000-08:00

Believe it or not, in some ways more than others, two years have flown by! It was refreshing to go see Colten's little grave on his two year birthday. Because he's buried in Oasis, one and a half hours away, we don't get down to see him as often as we'd like. We left him a bird in a cage along with a gift from my mom and dad. Afterward, we had a family dinner at my parents. The whole turn of events with him is such a distant memory. I'm so glad I was able to record my feelings and everything that took place.

The Sweetest....

2011-03-03T12:54:00.001-08:00

Savana truly is the sweetest girl! She had been conjuring up this story for awhile. Last night she asked me a few questions here and there then presented me with this story.....

Busy Bees

2011-03-03T11:01:00.000-08:00

Life just keeps getting busier and busier and it's not even the peak of our sports season :(

Some things that keep me smiling and my heart thumping:

Lincoln is exploring ALL over the house. It used to be that he would just roll all over the living room, but he's definitely broadened his horizons. First it started with him making his way into the kitchen. While most parents dread the stage where their babies become mobile and find the dog food, we were elated! His other favorite place to play is the bathroom in our master bedroom. I don't see where the fascination is LOL. Note to self (and everyone else for that matter): keep bathroom door closed! He is not quite crawling, but has mastered the army crawl. He loves to get up on his hands and knees, then rock back and forth. We're gently encouraging the crawling...it will come! He now has five teeth and the sixth and seventh have broken through the gum! We made a visit to Dr. Berry for Lincoln's 15 month well-child check up. Things are looking good. We talked about how he is definitely behind in a lot of areas, but he is making progress and that is all we can ask for. Funny story, when Dr. Berry was doing the "diaper-area" check, Lincoln peed on him! I died laughing because it's one of those embarrassing things that is totally uncontrollable. Lincoln RARELY pees when his diaper is off! Tomorrow we're off to another neonatal follow up clinic. We'll get a better idea of where he is in general.

Scottie is busy with basketball, scouts, and after-school art. His last basketball game of the season is this coming Saturday. His team is undefeated and he often tries to emulate Jimmer of BYU..... I kid you not! He is doing well in school and was just signed up with another super-league baseball team.

Savana is also involved in an after-school art class. This is her cup of tea! She is constantly drawing pictures and writing stories. I just recently bought her a huge three ring binder along with a three hole punch so she can store and save all of her favorite stories and pieces of art. Her seventh birthday is coming and I'm feeling the pressure of preparing for photos, invitations, party and presents. She has mentioned a few ideas, but I'm the culprit for having the big ideas!

Luke is my little buddy! If he's mad at me, he'll threaten to withhold his kisses. He's become a little Wii addict and I occasionally have to take some time to sit down and play it with him. He loves to talk my ear off about it as well. He's pretty good and puts me to shame! We're trying to prepare him for kindergarten this fall. I'm really nervous and hoping it's the right decision! He will be five in July, so that will make him one of the youngest in the class. I had previously decided I would hold him back a year, but with me going to school, this seems to be the best fit! He gets to spend a couple of afternoons with grandpa through out the week, while I'm at school, and they are becoming pretty good friends!

Scott loves the Utah winters....not! No matter what, he gets a lingering cough & cold and it seems he can't ever nip it in the bud! That is definitely one thing he loved about AZ, he never had to deal with these nasty colds! He's actually not too busy with sports right now, surprise surprise. He has his weekly bowling league going on and then once in a blue moon plays a basketball game at the church.

I don't know if there's enough room on this blog to fill in all of the things that are keeping me busy! A few of which would be, school, kids, photography....life. I decided to go back to school because with Lincoln's situation, we desperately need good health insurance. Because Scott is self-employed, private health insurance is horrendous. I have thought strongly, for quite a few years now, about being and Ultrasonographer. There aren't very many places at all that offer the program. I have two choices: a) outreach program for Weber State University (Which you have to be a radiology tech before even applying to the program....not an option for me right now), or b) Salt Lake Community College who also offers the program. I was working on my last class for my associates degree when my water broke with Lincoln. Luckily it happened early enough in the semester that I was able to withdraw from the class. The pre-req's for the program are: 1)High School Diploma or Equivalent...check, 2)COMM 1010 or 1020 Communications(public speaking)....check, 3)MATH 1010 Intermediate Algebra...not checked...not so sure what I'm going to do with this yet, possibly test out:( (so sad because I completed Math 1050 in high school, but because it was over 5 years ago they won't take it!), 4)PHYS 1010 Elementary Physics....not checked I will be registering for this in the fall, 5)BIOL 2320/2325 Human Anatomy....not checked, but registered for summer semester at BYU, 6)BIOL 2420/2425 Human Physiology....not checked, but registered for spring semester at BYU. Other preferences, but not requirements patient care experience and a degree. The insane thing about the whole program is that it is only offered every other year with 16 spots available, 16!!!!
Along with having my degree by this fall, I am now enrolled in a CNA program and will hopefully have patient care experience to put on my resume. I have a lot to do in very little time. If I don't complete all of these things by this next coming winter, I won't be able to apply for the program for another two years. Wish me luck!!! In the meantime, besides my daily responsibilities that come along with being a wife and mother, I am still doing a few photo sessions here and there. I sure hope I don't get burnt out anytime soon!

We've been trying to keep it light around here with taking silly photos and, if needs be, recover with laughter therapy.

Thanks Hayley for the inspiration and the app! As you can tell, we'v been having a lot of fun :)

Christmas Celebrations

2011-01-08T15:14:00.000-08:00

Life is really crazy right now! I see how fully overloaded my life has become. The sad thing is that I'll try to organize my life and change priorities around, but once I've gotten rid of something that's taking up too much time, I'll fill that empty slot with something new. I just came to that conclusion this morning when I gave myself about 15 minutes to curl my hair, get dressed, put makeup on, and get the baby dressed. I can fully admit that I spread myself too thin. I can't sit still...it drives me batty, but the moments I allow myself to stop and breathe, it feels really good.
......and that's the explanation for this post being so late :)

Phew...now that I have that off my chest...let's get ready to rumble!

The season was filled with christmas tree decorating....

Gingerbread house decorating.....

School plays.....

School Christmas programs

Snowman building/more gingerbread house decorating.....

meeting Santa for the first time for one and sitting on Santa's lap.....

Shoveling LOTS of snow/making sugar cookies for Santa....

And last but not least..... Christmas surprises on Christmas morning and all through out the day....

It was definitely filled with fun and magic. They're already counting down the days for next Christmas!

Days Gone By

2010-12-10T14:03:00.000-08:00

Life just keeps happening all around me. I feel so neglectful to the blog, but it turns from doing a quick post into me being on the computer for an hour! It's what I want though. I love being able to look back on these memories. I've always talked about printing my blog into a book and I finally did it. That in itself takes time, but the results are beautiful!

The kids are busy as ever. Scottie, Savana, and Luke are all in a bowling league on Saturday's. They are really enjoying it. This last Saturday was the first time we all went as a family. All the other time's, either grandma and grandpa took them or Scott, something was always going on. I'll have to remember to take picture's tomorrow and post them.

Lincoln is doing amazing things (as always)! He is getting up on all fours! No crawling yet, but he's very eager to be mobile. He rolls ALL over the house, but no getting up into the sitting position as of yet. The therapists have us working on getting him to go from lying position to sitting position. He gets it, he just needs time to gain more strength. They also want us to have him rock back and forth once he is in the crawling position, so that his body gets the cues of his weight shifting. I'll say "rocky, rocky" and he rolls over and starts rocking on all fours! He'll sit pretty well if we put him there, but that's about it for now. I've seen that I should never limit my expectations with him and just understand it will all take a little extra time. I'll start to introduce vitamin d cow's milk pretty soon. We'll see how that goes!

We were all sick for the span of about two weeks. First the 24 hour flu hit everyone besides Lincoln and myself, then all of the kids caught a nasty cold with the croup. Lincoln decided he didn't want to eat any baby food when this all went down. I was a bit worried about him. He was still nursing and taking bottles so I knew he wasn't in any real danger. His poor gums have been swollen for about the last three weeks and yesterday one of his upper front teeth finally cut through his gums. Even having to go through all of this yucky stuff, he was still a little angel.

I never mentioned how Lincoln's latest neonatal follow up clinic went. It was a loooong day. We didn't even see everyone that he qualifies to see. First up the pediatrician, Dr. Bybee. He took his time assessing Lincoln and had nothing new for us. He took note that Lincoln is behind in size as well as with his gross motor development. He's still amazed with Lincoln. I love Dr. Bybee. There's something about him. He's so gentle and soft. Lincoln takes to him very well. Next we saw the nurse...she got all of his stats :S wish I had written them down! The nutritionist was next, she noted he's on a steady growing curve, but is still at the bottom of where he should be. She suggested that I add 1/2 tsp. of olive oil to his baby food to help plump him up. I've been doing that and it's not bothered him a bit! She also suggested to make sure we get in at least one bottle of 24 calorie formula a day. I've been trying pretty hard to make it two...just to be safe. I think I heard someone once describe the 24 cal diet as stuffing a bunch of donuts in his bottle (something like that). Last but not least, the highly anticipated, Dr. Larson. I had a bunch of questions for him about Lincoln wearing his glasses. I was a bit confused between the three different people we were working with, Dr. Hoffman, Dr. Larsen, and our vision therapist Terry. I learned that Lincoln wears his glasses more to correct his alignment rather than to correct his vision. That was comforting. He said as long as we're persistent in keeping them on, that would rule out any probability of surgery. It's so very hard to keep the glasses on him. Besides the fact that he tears them off constantly, I don't trust myself with them. They weren't cheap and I'm afraid it would be so easy for me to lose them! It's more of a habit, for both of us, than anything.

Life keeps evolving. It's almost Christmas and it will be a special one. This time last year, we had a little piece of us missing.....Lincoln was in the hospital. He'll get to experience his very first 'real' Christmas at home with his family.

Birthday Bash

2010-11-20T14:45:00.000-08:00

Scottie's birthday party wish was granted! We threw a family party for him and Lincoln. They had a blast and we loved all the company!

On Lincoln's actual birthday we gave him his own little cake and told him to dig in. He wasn't quite sure what to do with it.

At first, the slippery gooey mess in his hands was pretty foreign. Then, he really got the hang of it and was thoroughly enjoying himself!

Insert smiley face and ..... ta-da .... we have a happy baby causing all kinds of mischief!

Phew, he's not used to working that hard! It did exhaust him a bit, but it was well worth it for us to be able to see him enjoying his first birthday cake!

Happy Birthday Little Linc!

2010-11-09T10:00:00.000-08:00

Well, the day is here. He's officially one! He's still so happy, mellow, precious, and we all just want to eat him up! We'll have a little family celebration tonight. In the meantime, here is a video for you viewing pleasure of Lincoln's first year of life!

Lincoln's First Year from Megan Brown on Vimeo.

I made sure to take a picture of Lincoln every month on his birth day. The first couple of pictures were taken in the hospital, but from four months on we were able to take them all at home.

Birth

One Month

Two Months

Three Months

Four Months

Five Months

Six Months

Seven Months

Eight Months

Nine Months

Ten Months

Eleven Months

Twelve Months

More birthday celebration photos to come!

Halloween

2010-11-03T19:22:00.000-07:00

Halloween was a bit different this year. The clouds rolled in and it rained on our parade :( Well, the kids didn't take it too harshly. They decided to tough it out and go trick or treating anyway. Uncle Kevin and his girlfriend Ari were so kind to extend their trip through out the neighborhood to ensure the kids got more candy. Now that I think about it, Kevin and Ari had trick or treat bags as well that were got mighty full! Daddy got about two houses away from ours with Lincoln and decided to turn around.

Luke and Savana had fun with the pumpkin carving kit...they took pumpkin carving to a whole new level!

Since it was not good picture taking weather, we had a re-shoot the next day in our backyard. The kids enjoyed getting dressed up again....even if it was only for a few minutes!

Happy Number Nine

2010-11-02T10:13:00.000-07:00

Scottie turned nine yesterday! Oh, I can see the years contiuously whisking by. It makes me sad in one sense. In another, it makes me anxious to know my future. He is truly just maturing so abundantly. Don't get me wrong....he has his days where he acts like your typical third grader, but the wisdom in his youth out-weighs the too big for his britches moments.

This year is a little special. Last year his birthday had come and gone, then we threw him a birthday party the following weekend. The celebration was on a Saturday and two days later I had Lincoln. For ease of convenience, we decided to do a combination party for our out-of towners. But the main factor that won me over in this decision, is that Scottie first thought of it and requested it. I love that he adores his little brother SO much and is willing to share the spot light.

Well, what would a birthday party be without pictures and an invitation? I had to do my motherly duty in making sure those tasks were completed. And all I have to say is....Mission Completed! I love the way it all turned out!

Scottie had a fun-filled birthday. It started with school....come on now, we all know that is a party in itself! I thought about stealing him and taking him out to lunch, but of course... my brain works the best after the fact. I brought treats to his class and his classmates were definitely loving him for that. Afterward when he got home, we had some family over for cake and ice-cream and gave him a few presents. Scottie has been working diligently, trying to earn his Wolf in scouts. One of the last requirements, which we found out later is just an elective, is to attend a play or something similar. His grandma and grandpa planned a surprise to go to the play "Welcome Back Potter" at Desert Star on his birthday. I'm pretty sure he had a wonderful day and hopefully it will be a memorable one. Next we're preparing for his big party on Saturday.
Another year has come and gone. You're growing into a young man and soon I won't be able to call you my little boy anymore. Thank you for the gift you gave to me.... the gift of motherhood.
We love you Scottie!
Happy Birthday!

My Girl Does Tricks

2010-10-19T17:35:00.000-07:00

After patiently waiting for her brothers to have a break from sports, we were able to finally get Savana in gymnastics! She was sooo excited.

Maybe we've found her hidden talent. She's really good at it and has the build for it as well!

Fabric Flower tutorial

2010-10-19T12:20:00.000-07:00

Seeing all the cute headbands and barretts has made me want to make some of my own! I was able to figure it out by looking online, who knew? In the meantime, I decided to make a tutorial of my own....This was particularly fun because that meant I would be taking the pictures one handed. It was a bit of a challenge, but all in all I think it turned out alright ;) It was good to practice my photography skills and my first tutorial.

Material needed: fabric, scissors, and fabric glue

Step 1: Cut any choice of fabric around a little over 1 inch wide. Depending on how long you cut it will determine the size of your flower. For bigger flowers, I cut the length at 44 inches. The length for the smaller flowers is 30 inches. You can choose whether those sizes suit your needs.
The type of your fabric will also determine the size.

Step 2:
For a little added character, I like to fray the edges by pulling some of the loose thread.

Step 3:
Crease the piece of fabric in half.

Step 4:
Open the fabric back up and apply fabric glue a little ways down. I purchased Beacon Adhesives Fabri-Tac from Walmart for $5.97

Step 5:
Press the fabric back over the glue and hold it for a few seconds to adhere. After that, roll a little portion of the fabric.

Step 6:
Twist the fabric away from the roll while continuing to wrap it around the roll. As you keep doing this, apply a few dots of glue along the way to keep the flower secure and in place.

Step 7:
.....keep going. How often you twist will determine the appearance of your flower. Do it to your liking.

Step 8:
When you're coming to the end of your fabric, leave a little extra. The bottom of your flower will look like this. Apply a fair amount of glue to the bottom and secure the extra fabric to give it the finished look.

Step 9:
Cut off any extra fabric.

Step 10:
This is the finished product!

For Sale

2010-10-18T14:17:00.001-07:00

The fine print reads....

"Littl boy getting seld for 14 dollars and his name is Luke. comes with dump chruk."

Savana and Luke thought up a grand scheme the other day. I was quite entertained as I sat by and listened to their conversation, with an occasional question thrown my way. It went something like this:
Savana- Luke, we should put you up for sale.
Luke- Ya, that's a good idea.
Me- Why do you want to sell him?
Savana- Because he's always peeing his pants.
Luke- ya
Me- well, you better not put that on your sign or no one will want to buy him.

Savana- If someone buys you, you'll probably have to change your name.
Luke- Oh, okay. Well, maybe they can call me Scottie...or Savana...or Lincoln.
Savana- Mom, if we sell Luke, will you be sad?
Me- Ya, I think I'll cry everyday.
Luke- Mom, we should pack up my stuff so I can take it with me.
Me- No, if you get a new family they have to get you all new stuff.
Luke- I think they should just still call me Luke. I'll come back and spend the night so I can visit.
Me- How much are you selling him for?
Savana- $14!!!!!!

Luckily for me, there weren't any takers!

Thank Heaven,

2010-10-09T21:22:00.000-07:00

For eleven months, that is. All I can say is, I can't believe the vast improvement just a few weeks can make. I continue to watch him blossom right before my eyes. His newest trick, he loves to clap. It's all he does anymore, especially if we sing pat-a-cake, he hears someone else clapping, or we tell him to clap.

He finally has his first tooth! It came through on the 24th of September. I think he loves to show it off!

We'll put him in his bouncer and the boy goes to town. His jumps are accompanied by his giggles and our delight. When he's no longer in his bouncer, he continue to jump on our laps.

It seems he is much more interested in people. He makes eye contact with just about everyone who speaks to him. And he's always interested in what you've got going on with your hands if you're holding him at the same time.

His angelic demeanor is forever steady. He is so patient, and truly a happy baby.

Happy eleven month birthday, Lincoln. One more month until we celebrate the day you changed our lives forever!!

Blue 42...Blue 42...HUT!

2010-10-08T21:32:00.000-07:00

Scottie has been thoroughly enjoying playing tackle football. He's on a 3rd and 4th grade team. He's one of the smallest, BUT he's one of the most agressive. This has not gone unnoticed. He gets in quite a bit of playing time. He plays corner back on defense, wide reciever on offense and on special teams.

His dad is REALLY loving every minute of it as well. Scottie's team is named after and has played a few games at Scott's alma mater. I see my name on the dotted line, binding me-Scottie-& sports for a life time. Good thing I have Savana to keep me balanced!

Developmental Test

2010-09-27T11:17:00.000-07:00

At least a month ago or more, Lincoln's occupational therapist performed a developmental test on him to see if he's on track and where he is for his adjusted age (being 6 months). Today we received the results. Unfortunately they didn't have a copy for me right then, they'll be mailing it later on. In the meantime, I'll try and go off of memory...so don't quote me on this!

Gross Motor Skills....Lincoln scored at a 4 month level. To be expected for us. He is a bit behind and we knew he would score low here. He is barely now mastering the ability to go up on his forearms and lift his head while on his tummy.

Language....he scored at a 2 month level. This one is a bit hard for me to understand. Truly, if he was at about 6 months of age adjusted at the test, he shouldn't be saying much. He has communicative skills such as crying when he needs a bottle, diaper change, or sleep...Laughing when he's happy or someone is being silly...and just babbling like a baby would. I think where they were going with this one was he doesn't necessarily connect the name Lincoln to himself etc.

Cognitive...he scored in the 75th percentile. I am truly giddy about this!! He is above average for his adjusted age and doing things above his chronological age! I am super excited about this one because you never know with the brain bleed-brain injury how it will affect them cognitively. You don't know their capabilities physically, but mentally is also another big issue! So far, he's exceeding our expectations.

I'm going off of memory here and not all of it seeped in, obviously. There were a few more scores and only one more I remember vividly that he was above average on! When I get the actual score sheet, I'll make sure to clarify things.

We set new goals for Lincoln and checked off the ones he's achieved.
Some of the new goals:
Making more purposeful eye contact (this can be especially hard for preemies)
Getting on all fours with intent to crawl
Being able to name objects or people for him and for him to comprehend
Sitting unsupported

He's doing really well with eating....no issues there. That can be a hurdle with preemies as well.
The occupational therapist had been leery of some tone in his hamstrings. This can be indicative of cerebral palsy. When she came today, she said he felt differently and more loose than ever in his legs. We've been working really hard with his stretches.

I'm so proud of my little guy. Life with him was so uncertain and in some terms, it still is. A couple of things I have witnessed and will always believe in....

One....There is a God. We have a Father in Heaven whom is vastly aware of each of our individual situations....And He CARES. Second, I know we are predestined for the lives we have, it is our choice do with it what we may. Third, I KNOW these trials are given to us to help refine and mold our souls in combination of having the opportunity to be an example to others. Lastly, I firmly believe He will never give us anything we can't handle.

I also still, and forever will, believe in miracles. Sometimes when I have the conversation with other people about the experience I had with Lincoln, things seem knew to me. In the sense that, it's somewhat foreign and I never thought about it in that light. Like the fact that I was FOUR AND A HALF months pregnant when my water broke. That is just unbelievable. I always say I was 18 weeks along. Most people are just about to find out the sex of their baby at that gestation. And while most women have 2 maybe 3 ultrasounds through out the duration of their pregnancy, I was having an ultrasound once monthly from 9 weeks to 20 weeks, then twice a week from 20 weeks until I delivered him at 28 weeks gestation. Mind boggling. He was meant to be here and he's making his mark on this world. Ok, even if it's not a mark on this world, it sure is on me and my family. I look forward to watching his progress. I love how everything he does is so exciting and such a huge achievement to us. Even if it's clapping his hands, rolling around on the floor or even just smiling. We love this boy and we're oh so lucky to have him with us!

Bouncing Baby Boy

2010-09-26T22:05:00.000-07:00

So, I don't know if anyone else feels this way, but I think it is huge that Lincoln is doing this. We were having a hard time getting him to put any weight on his feet. He's not even always that willing to stand on your lap with assistance if you prod him.

My cousin gave this bouncer to me quite awhile ago. I brought it out from storage and got a little ahead of myself. The occupational therapist said she didn't think he was quite ready for it. About a month later, she thought it was about time. I started to put him in it. He was quite slothful. He was droopy and didn't quite understand the realm of this foreign object he was in. We gently bounced him a few times to show him what fun he could have. ...nada...

Finally, with one of our latest attempts, he caught on! He's been having SO much fun with it.

Not the greatest picture quality, but you get the idea ;)

Lincoln can now clap his hands, play pat-a-cake, shake his head when you say no no, dance if by shaking his head if you sing or if he hears music.

He loves his baby food...inhaling twice a day. He also got his FIRST tooth...it broke through his gums on the 23rd of September!

Without a doubt

2010-09-15T22:39:00.000-07:00

she IS an angel! Even though demands, shrills, and drama may be present....occasionally.

This girl wants to sing, she says she's just too shy. I remember the days she didn't think twice about the fear and just took a leap of faith. Somehow I'll instill that confidence right back into her. She has a pretty voice. You just can't make it known you can hear her.

What I would give for those eyelashes!!

One of the things we're working on

2010-09-15T22:28:00.001-07:00

.....is Lincoln being able to sit. He is getting stronger and stronger everyday! Things are improving on a continuous basis. Now, if I could only get him to keep his glasses on!! blech!

Auntie

2010-09-15T20:37:00.000-07:00

My great aunt Barbara came for a visit from Florida. It's been just a few years since we saw her last. I wish I weren't missing a few marbles because I would've thought of getting a picture of my children with their great great aunt. At least we made sure we got a few shots of just her and photos of her with my mom.

My mom has always felt a special bond with her. Aunt Barbara is my grandma's sister. My grandma passed away when my mom was ten. It's a bit comforting observing aunt Barbara and imagining what my grandma might be like. Aunt Barbara is one of those people that you may not see for years, but feel like no time has passed when you're apart. When my cousins and I were younger, and Uncle Bob and Aunt Barbara would come into town, we always had so much fun with them. We'd be silly and switch their names around then call them Uncle Barbara & Aunt Bob. They got a kick out of that and would play along with us.

I had the pleasure of Aunt Barbara staying at my house, along with my mom, for two days and we enjoyed every minute of it. Thank you so much for the visit!!!

Rest in Peace Uncle Bob!!! I really missed you this visit, but we'll surely see you again someday!

Labor Day Tournament

2010-09-15T17:34:00.000-07:00

Scottie was able to paricipate in his first tournament with his club baseball team. The first couple of games they crushed them (punn intended. their team name is North County Crush).

They got all the way up to championship, but were shut out with a score of 10 to zip. It was a good experience. He's really blossoming.

wow, blogspot slaughtered my pictures!

Proud New Owner

2010-09-15T17:18:00.000-07:00

Of a little dalmation puppy. When Luke came downstairs all spotted, my natural reaction was... "Luke!" But after questioning him and hearing his response, all I could do was hold back the giggles.

Me... "Luke, why did you have to draw all over yourself??"

Luke..."Because I wanted to be a dalmation, Mom."

After looking at this picture, I notice he went back for a second round to add more SPOTS.

Spread the Word

2010-09-10T13:33:00.000-07:00

Y'all ready for this???

I'm giving away a free photo shoot of your choice!!

How do you become the lucky recipient?

Here's the scoop..... (please read full details to qualify)

For multiple chances to win you can spread the word by posting about me on your blog, twitter, or facebook. Or simply "like" Photography by Megan Brown on facebook and suggest to friends. After doing any or all of these things, write a separate comment right here on my blog for each one. By writing multiple comments, you will have multiple chances to win. The deadline will be September 23rd, 2010 8pm. I will use random.org to choose the lucky winner!

**NO PURCHASE NECESSARY photo shoot of your choice...i.e. newborn, family(up to six people), engagement, individual, maternity, bridal (excludes weddings.) location of your choice within Utah County. you will also receive a disc with ten images from the photo shoot**

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at photographybymeganbrown@gmail.com

TwO away from tWeLvE

2010-09-09T22:56:00.001-07:00

Two more months until Lincoln's first birthday. He's ten months old today and growing ever more. It's hard to have a variety of pictures when he can't do much but lay on his back on sit in his bumbo. He is starting to do a little better on his tummy with lifting his head, but we still have a ways to go. He is a bit behind in that department, so we try to make sure to exercise him everyday. It's almost like he's stuck in the stage where they know they want to move around, but can't just yet. We had his nurse over today and she was happy with his improvements. He is now weighing in at 14 pounds 1 ounce. He's up 6 oz's in a 2 week period. His eyes are improving as well, but let me tell you what....It's a capital P.A.I.N to keep his glasses on! I will distract him, but the second he thinks I'm not paying attention he'll try to rip them off. I'm pretty quick at getting them on. Now it's just the leaving them on we need to perfect!

He fell asleep while having a little bit of tummy time! It's a lot of work you know! Nothing like my own little slice of Heaven right on my living room floor! Some good news is that he is sleeping THROUGH the night. Ah, thanks Lincoln, I really appreciate it! Bed time is 8:30pm and he's happy and awake at 7am.

^Bitter picture face^
Shame on me for not getting any pictures of the two of them together, but Lincoln was able to meet his great great aunt Barbara from Florida. She snuggled with him quite a bit. He was even so comfortable with her as to pee all over my sweet aunt!

TaDa...

2010-08-24T14:29:00.000-07:00

I told you there were a lot of changes going on around here. Look at little Linc. Isn't he so handsome? We've called him Dr. Brown before, but now I think he could be called Professor Brown.

Don't look so unsure buddy. Just kill 'em with confidence. Like I've been told a few times, you gotta fake it 'til you make it!

We made a visit to the opthamologist, Dr. Hoffman, up at PCMC on the 6th of August. He gave us some pretty good news. We had been told, at a previous eye appointment with a different doctor, that he had damage to his optic nerve. When Dr. Hoffman did a full exam, he said he saw no damage. He also never mentioned a word of seeing ANY CVI.. This is good news! Our vision therapist has been telling me, the last couple of visits, that she really didn't think he had it either. She said he did show some tendencies, but would be very relunctant to diagnose him with that, there are far too many things he does that would go against it.

However, Dr. Hoffman noticed he is having a hard time with focusing and his eye crossing. He also let us know he's far sided. All of this would conclude he needs glasses. I've had many people ask me, and I wondered myself, how they could tell if a baby needs glasses or not. I'm not going to get too technical here, but from what I understand, they first dilate the eyes. After that, they are able to shine a light into the pupil and depending on how the light reflects back will tell you what their eye sight is. Correct me if I'm wrong...please :) They used a few different gadgets and batta boom batta bing. Lincoln's prescription is +3.25 and from what I hear that's not too shabby.

So, after consulting with a preemie baby momma, I was able to make somewhat of an educated decision on which glasses to get. I'm glad I chose the glasses I did. There was another choice and after explaining the others to the vision therapist, she told me she HATED that kind.

He's supposed to wear these babies full time. HA...I say!! Okay, we'll try our best. He's just too mischevious. He keeps pulling them down and either gets the nose pad thingies in his nose or he pulls them down far enough to suck on them. Good thing they have a one year warranty :)

I tried a bit ago to feed him baby rice cereal, he wasn't so sure about that. I think I need to mess with the consistancy. If he's anything like his father, it's the texture that's getting him! BUT we did try sweet potatoes two days in a row and the verdict is in....

He liked it, it's written AND smeared all over his face!! Full tummy=happy baby

It's okay baby...there's always more where that came from!

Luke was eating his lunch at the same time. He wanted to be extra cautious and make sure he didn't get any food on his shirt.

Why use your hands ??

FYI...I stick by REAL close when he's eating these little pinwheels. And, he DOES use his hands LOL

Back 2 School

2010-08-24T10:13:00.000-07:00

Today was their first day back to school. I am officially a mother of a first grader and a third grader. Hard to believe! It was harder for me to accept the fact of Savana going into first than it was for Scottie going into third. Savana is now in full day and that means they're getting that much older. I've said it before, but it's bitter-sweet. Lots of changes going on around here.

Scottie's third grade teacher is Mrs. Stillson. She is a very unique teacher with a lot of drive. The kids do all of their work on the computers in the class and after earning it, they get to sit on exercise balls instead of chairs.

Savana has Miss Pothier. She is very warm and welcoming. It will be fun to get to know her better.

They were both extremely excited! I'm happy my kids love school. I couldn't imagine the struggle of sending kids who didn't want to go. My kids are way to social and love to be challenged and busy.

Kick it...buddy!

2010-08-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

#5.....he's mine! Luke played in his first soccer game and first organized soccer league. He was SO excited. I pulled a pair of Scottie's old cleats out of storage and he wore them everywhere for two days straight. The day of his game he kept asking me every couple of hours if it was time for his game. We practiced with him here and there, but I think he still wasn't sure what to do. It didn't take long for him to get the hang of it. When he first went in he kind of ran around, unsure of where to go, just following the other kids. We clued him in and told him to kick the ball down to the other goal and kick it in.

Scottie was his biggest fan on the sidelines. He kept cheering for him, trying to coach him. A few times when Luke was waiting for his turn to go back in, Scottie ran over and gave him some tips. It was truly fun

By the end he was all tuckered out. Not long after, he was asking when he would be playing his next game!

It aint so bad

2010-08-18T16:00:00.000-07:00

When I was trying to get Luke to pose for his 4th birthday pictures he wasn't havin' it! He would look at the camera for a SPLIT second then tell me the sun was in his eyes. EVEN if the sun was NO WHERE in sight!
Luckily I had a few good helpers. Scottie, and my nephew, Wylee, were more than willing to pose. Once Luke saw this he was on the boat. We had a good time and got some cute pictures!

I was happy to have the help! We got some cute birthday pictures and all these little treasures!

Reminiscing

2010-08-17T22:34:00.003-07:00

The other morning I was trying to compare my memories of what Lincoln looked like back then and what he is today. It almost seems like a different life-time, a different baby. He has a few set-backs, but for the most part he is doing really well. I can hardly imagine the child who was struggling and clinging to precious life. When we're in these trying, desparate, dark moments we think we may never survive. We don't know how they will ever pass and each moment...smell...sound becomes so deeply etched into our minds. I heard the perfect description before, but don't remember where I heard it from. They said "the pain I felt was as though my heart was literally breaking in half." I felt my chest caving in and I saw and felt so much darkness. Although, through the darkness there was always a ray of light. Things change, that is life, it's ever changing. And although I remember quite a few things vividly, the pain has lessened and we're in an awesome place right now.
I took Scottie to baseball practice tonight. The field they played on was right across the street from the hospital. I sent a text to one of Lincoln's primary nurses to see if she was working. The last time she took care of him was right before he got transfered BACK to PCMC due to his infection from his shunt. He spent the last month of his hospital stay at PCMC. It had been probably six months since she had seen him. She was one of our favorites too!
She was amazed at him. She couldn't stop drooling. When he was in her care, she would tease about taking him home in her purse. Tonight she commented that none of her purses were big enough for him to fit in anymore!

Our sweet respiratory therapist also bumped into us. Ryan teared up when he saw Lincoln. I truly believe these little spirits come to teach us a lesson. Whatever that may be for whomever may need it. It was very rewarding for me, to show those who worked so very hard to keep Lincoln here, the fruits of their labors.

We had SO many warm people who cared for not only Lincoln, but for us as well. That's why it was so easy to call UVRMC our 'home'. I walked into the parents lounge, the smell smacked me in the face like I walked into a brick wall. A flood of feelings, emotions and memories came back. I didn't cry though, I could smile. What a journey!

Seeing Double

2010-08-12T00:36:00.000-07:00

Little miss Kitty spent the night with Savana a few weeks ago. When they had their backs to me, I had a hard time telling who was who. They always have so much fun together!

Really...Nine?

2010-08-12T00:09:00.000-07:00

Ah-hem.....six months adjusted. I often get the statement, "He's nine months old??? He's so TEENY!" Then in my mind I think, "hello...he was a preemie and technically he's only supposed to be six months old!" But then I remember it's only natural to point out the obvious and it's not being said in a negative way. I could tell people he's only six months old, but I have a hard time with that because I know that he's not...!

This was his first time trying rice cereal.....ummm not so sure about this mom!

He's getting so BIG

Some of the funnest times we have with him are when we're all in the car together and the kids make him laugh hysterically.

All of his therapy is coming along well. They are wanting to see more from him, but feel he is still making great progress. The nurse was hoping he would have beefed up a little more. He only weighs 13 pounds 2 ounces which puts him up 8 ounces from her visit three weeks earlier. Also, he is now 26 inches tall. From his physical appearance, she has no concerns about his weight. So, now I have to figure out how to plump him up some more. I guess there isn't any vitamin D milk coming from this Dairy Queen.

Bubbles

2010-08-12T00:07:00.001-07:00

Ohhhh and how he was LOVING them!!

He wasn't too sure at first.

He had to test the waters and really discover something so new and different.

But it didn't take long to figure out how much he really liked them!

Silly Lincoln!!

Thanks Aunt Sarah!

The Tenth

2010-08-04T23:19:00.000-07:00

there was a young girl who believed in falling in love. She wanted nothing more than to find her happily ever after. She looked high and low. But somehow she let fear creep into her mind, convincing her maybe she would never find what she longed for. Her fate was unknown, but she went on hoping, dreaming, desiring, and trusting that she would watch and see her future unfold before her.

there was a young man full of spirit, ambition, and energy. He filled his life with work, friends, sports, school, and his religion. He too believed in love and knew one day it would find him, but didn't know how or when.

The fear I once had of never being able to find my true love was quickly distinguished. As I look back and see our fates inter-twine, I am amazed. If I only knew back then what I know now. Ten years have come and gone since we joined our lives forever. So much has come from it .... our five beautiful children is one of the first things that come to mind. I am so grateful for each event that took place to put the two of us in the place we needed to be in the time we needed to be to meet each other and create our very own Once Upon A Time.....

Scott was such an amazing person when I met him....he's even more amazing to me now. He is so very selfless. His children are the light of his life. He does whatever possible to make me happy and often puts my feelings above his own. There are so many memories we've shared that seem so distant, but that I hold so close to my heart.

The ending of this story? Well, it continues to flourish. Each day, each anniversary, each memory continues to create OUR story. Thank you Scott, for being my rock, my love, the father of my children, but most of all MY husband!

I love you SO very much......Happy tenth Anniversary!!

To Infinity

2010-08-03T00:17:00.000-07:00

And Beyond!! Luke decided he loves everything Toy Story, Buzz Lightyear in particular. The awesome thing about this.....Toy Story 3 just recently came out and it wasn't too hard to grant his birthday wishes!
We had a family birthday party at the waterpark. He had so much fun last year, he wanted to relive it. We had cake, ice cream and presents at our house then headed over to swim. This time it was a little unorganized compared to last years party, but everything turned out great.

This was the front of his invitation

and this was the back.

I wonder who had more fun on these slides, the grown-ups or the kids??

Luke was LOVIN' his presents!!

He had a memorable birthday....we'll do it again next year!

Past and Present

2010-08-02T23:05:00.000-07:00

Lincoln is such a little love. I've had SO much joy in watching him grow and blossom!

His itty-bitty feet compared to his cute piggies now!

He was NOT happy when we gave him his first bath at home. The second bath picture he wasn't necessarily smiling, but it sure beats him screaming.

Onesie on the left size 3-6 months. Onesie on the right size preemie

Here's the infamous preemie diaper next to a one dollar bill and his now size 2 diaper

And last but not least, he's comfortable doing our day to day tasks. We find lots of time to play and giggle!

Just keep swimming, Just keep swimming

2010-07-29T22:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, so we didn't exactly see Dori....maybe a few who may have resembled her though.

We were so excited to get out of the house and meet up with some sweet friends! We wanted to have something fun for the kids to do, but stay out of the heat. We went to the Living Planet Aquarium with one of my good friends Michelle and her children Tregan, Daxton, and Atley.

It was so good to see them!! The kids were really excited to see each other and connected again as though the year that had just passed, only seemed like days.

Gettin' the "talk" on how to feed the sting rays! Wasn't so scary, right kids?

You had to be five or older, so Luke had to stand by and just watch :(

ADDICT

2010-07-22T11:42:00.001-07:00

Mommy: Luke, what do you want for lunch?

Luke: Peanut butter and jelly

Mommy: Really?? You just had that yesterday. Why do you want it again today?

Luke in a sing songy voice: Because I love it...but I don't want to marry it...

I'm a Pirate lover, that I be!

2010-07-21T10:36:00.000-07:00

Luke's fourth birthday was on Monday. We decided to take him somewhere new. We took him to Pirate Island and I think he liked it! We're celebrating his birthday with a party at the Veteran's Pool like we did last year. He really enjoyed it so he wants a repeat!

Look at this cool mirror and chandelier!

Just Because

2010-07-21T10:05:00.000-07:00

Blog overload here...it's okay. It's really for my own personal journaling purposes. And one day when I stop procrastinating (maybe tomorrow), I'll print my blog into a book :) But for now, I wanted to add a few pics I took of Savana awhile back. They were for her six year old photos and I noticed I never posted them. So, here they are.....

Just Because

Swimmin in the Shadow of the Peaks

2010-07-20T23:25:00.000-07:00

We've been able to take a few trips to Seven Peaks. Luckily, we've had a few swimming mates go along with us! My nieces went with us another time, but I didn't take any pictures.... if I only had a brain! Oh, might I add.... I LOVE point and shoot cameras~NOT!

see...right there...that little spec?? That would be my Scottie! He braved the slide about five times so I could get a good shot.

Fourth of July

2010-07-20T21:26:00.000-07:00

This year the fourth was REALLY nice. Because it was on a Sunday, we got to spend extra time with both families. The parade & derby in Delta on Saturday and then the parade & family bbq in Provo on Monday. We had lots of fun and this continues to be one of our favorite holidays!

Oh and, my mom is pretty much amazing. She paper mache'd the Statue of Liberty, for the float for her job, ALL by herself. Didn't she do an AWESOME job!?!

Scottie with Big Buddha at the parade in Provo!

Playin' Catch up :)

2010-07-20T20:49:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day

We made a special weekend visiting a few loved ones.
It was nice to get a picture with all of the grandkids at once. That is a VERY rare occasion these days.

Got a picture with all FIVE of our babies. Wow, that felt nice to say!

BIG 4

2010-07-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

Seems like just yesterday I was at the dr's office, caught COMPLETELY off-guard being told it was time to have Luke. He was three weeks early. Even in the womb he wanted to do things HIS way.

That day is so vivid in my mind. When we were told to go to the hospital so we could have a baby, I just about freaked. I was NOT ready! We went home, I did some dishes, tidied up the house, cut Scott's hair, then packed some stuff for the kids to go to a friends. When I showed up they just about died. They wondered what took me so long and had been told I was in active labor. Lucky for me, I was not feeling any major contractions. At the dr's office I was dialated to a 5 and when I got to the hospital I was a 6. For some reason, probably because the dr didn't want to be up all night, they decided to give me petocin. That completely stopped my labor. The next morning at 8:30am they broke my water and I delivered Luke at 9am.

He stole all of our hearts from the very beginning and continues to do so everyday! Even when he crashed the tahoe into the neighbors house or put the goldfish in the deep fryer or closes his eyes thinking I can't see him because he can't see me or draws on the walls and claims it wasn't him or sticks an ENTIRE roll of toilet paper in the toilet then tries to flush.

He's our Lukie, Lukers, little man, lovey boy.

Who Luke is....
He LOVES chocolate milk in a sippy cup
Loves to bowl
Loves to ride his scooter or 2 wheel bike
Loves to play with his older sister, brother and baby brother
Luke Loves peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
He loves basketball shorts
He wakes up very happy wanting to cuddle
He's very sensitive to others feelings
Loves to give kisses
He loves to swim
He doesn't love his picture being taken

Happy Birthday Bubba

Love Mommy & Daddy

Lots to Show off...

2010-07-12T08:18:00.001-07:00

I have lots to post..But for now...I'll let you stare into these beautiful, deep, soulful eyes!

Doesn't he have a striking resemblance to the Gerber Baby? I think so!