style.

ashley has always had some pretty awesome style.

loved coming across this old pic of her from fall of 2008.  she was almost 4.  this is such a fun age!

(still looking at those hello kitty knock-off crocks, trying to figure out if they are on the wrong feet, because the usually were..)

the other most awesome thing about this layout is the stitching.  I LOVE lives stitchies series.  hello, I do have ALL of them, and they are usually a staple on just about every page…

I sent her a special request to create some in whites, black, brown, and especially jute.

she totally delivered!!

(LOVE YOU LIV!!!)

(click on the layout for full list of the goodies of liv’s I used.)

thanks for all your well wishes for the sick man of the house..  still waiting for things to get back to “normal”.

to top it off, I spent the day with lynn at snowbasin.  her first time and she ROCKED IT!!

(but it has been 4 years since I have gone snowbaording..  I am a little sore today.)

(I love advil.)

oh, and I just got the cute little girl in the above layout from school.  seems we might have strep in our home to go along with everything else. :/

not a pity party.

just a list of excuses for why I am behind two days. :/

merrill has a bad sinus infection, and by “bad” I mean horrendous. 

he started feeling it the end of last week, and by saturday, he was ready to go to the doctor. (!!!!!)  really.  this guy, asking to go to the doctor?  it MUST be bad.

too bad for him, the instacare had closed, he got to wait until the next morning.

two antibiotics, a prescription for loritab in hand, the kid was still struggling.

we have tried EVERYTHING.  by everything I mean EVERYTHING..  well, except for this one drink I found on pinterest.  we are not brave enough to try that.

(for the curious:  water, apple cider vinegar, cayenne pepper, honey, and lemon.  in my experience, ingesting apple cider vinegar ends in vomit.)

we have tried just about every decongestant, steam, oils, reflexology, moist+heated washcloths, then graduated to a rice bag that we have been spritzing and heating.  the loritab didn’t help.  we have already gone through a bottle of advil.  neither of us have gotten a full night of sleep since…  thursday?

it’s awesome.

I really can’t stand to see him so sick.

but, I have accomplished a few things, and as time (and my new nursing schedule permit) I will post all of my accomplishments and fun finds.

for now, here’s two layouts brought to you by the goodness at AC Digitals.

first up is new product, “Dear Lizzy Spring”.

(you can get it on sale this week!)

other goodies on this page:

stitching- anna aspnes
frame- liv.edesigns
photo corner- splendid fiins
background paper- amy tangerine “ready set go”

 

this loveliness is from crate paper “fourteen”.

 

I had to laugh at myself while saving off this layout.  I have a lot (A LOT) of layouts titled “sisters”.

that’s what I get for having 3 girls.

also used on this page:

stitching- anna aspnes

buttons- crystal wilkerson

paint brush and brown paper for the letters- liv.edesigns

font- “burvetica thick nc”

basic frames: my need + want

and liv made the dream come true!!

these are just what I need so often when I am scrapping a page.  sometimes, you just need a simple, sweet frame, nothing to detailed and crazy, just enough of something to set the photo apart from the rest of the page.

they come in black and white, basic and keylined.

(I would suggest you just go for it and get the pack with both!!  or regret it later…)

(as per usual, click on the layout for full credits.)

you even get a bonus on this one: a recipe!!  these cookies are delicious.  the recipe has replaced our standard “go-to” chocolate chip cookie recipe, the one I have memorized and have made pretty much my entire life..

that says a lot.

another bonus, you get staples with these frames that are perfect for either the white or the black frames.

(liv thinks of EVERYTHING!)

here’s the basic:

and here’s the keylined version:

we are spending this snowy utah day inside, with pillows + blankets, ibuprofen, a lion king coloring book, a stack of disney flicks, a good book (for me), and lots and lots of liquids.  you can rest assured that there will be plenty of snuggling going on.  I am even plotting a nap.

all of these things are a sure-fire cure for the ailing five-year old in my life..

the top of the dislike list.

there are a few things i can honestly say that i dislike.

the top of that list:

- dishonesty in all forms.
- clowns.

the third item:

- vomit.

now i know that vomit certainly has it's purpose and all, but the smell of it..  and what's worse, at my house, it usually makes a very unwelcome appearance while people should be sleeping.

yesterday was tuesday.  a busy day for us.  it went something like this:

- get the girls to school.
- doctor.
- store.
- lunch with merrill.
- chores.
- get the girls from school.
- after school snacks and a little homework.
- tumbling.
- dinner.
- soccer.
- baths/showers.
- teeth brushing.
- prayers.
- bed.

i was very happy that peyton was more than happy to go to bed.  no arguments.  no "one more drink" routine.  she was out when she hit the pillow.

i was very proud of myself when i got to bed before 11 (!!!!), but was really confused to be woken up an hour later to peyton, crying and covered in stinky vomit.

the poor kid.

when these things happen, i get crazy compassionate.  seriously, who wants to be vomiting?  she needed extra love.

she was concerned about her bunny who fell victim to a generous coating of the smelly stuff, and her sheets.  i put her in the tub and set to work cleaning and getting messy stuff in the washer.

the thing i can like, is that my kids are old enough to know to get to the toilet when they feel it coming, but a surge in your sleep is "a-hole nother" story.

after the tub, and pulling her wet hair back, so as to keep it away from another tummy assault, we set up camp on the couch.  "e.t." was the movie of choice.  we both tried to fall asleep.  i was a little jumpy.  every little cough or throat-clearing, and i was up, ready to present the barf bowl if needed.

as i lay there, thinking about how this sucks for her, i saw a bright side to this situation:

we get to spend time together,  just the two of us, totally uninterrupted.  and she is pretty darn sweet when she is sick. 

it would be so much funner if the vomit didn't smell so bad.  seriously.
if vomit smelled pleasantly, then the alarm clock or poop (because i dislike them equally) could claim the #3 spot.

this cold/allergies/cold/flu/plague/cold i have is not allowing me to sleep, or maybe it is the residual guilt i feel from my mother's chastising phone call?

it is true, the delirium is driving me to compose record-breaking post titles.

so here's the craps on the haps:

last weekish, i started to feel a little sore throat coming on.  it made it rather difficult to sleep.  i decided i was getting a cold and then the next day, it was gone.  the the sneezing/runny nose phase set in, so i decided well, what with the crazy utah weather we have going on, warmth, blooming, wind, it could really just be allergies.  but the same night the sore throat decided to come back, with glory.  i had merrill and his healthy self go and procure me some nyquil (so i could get some zzzs).
that is when hell made an appearance, not that i can recall, cause nyquil messes me up, but the next two days were pretty awful.

i have learned that i cannot take nyquil if i am needed, at a functioning state, before 2 pm.  seriously.  not even if i take it with dinner..  it messes me up kids.

that was when i decided that this was no cold, it was "the plauge".

the girls were home from school on friday, that was one of the days i was not functioning properly, but my best friend forever, called and told me to send my children to her house for lunch and to be around someone who is capable of being a mother-type figure instead of a blob on the couch who is under the influence of nyquil.

(okay, so she didn't say all of that.)

she did feed them and even entertained them for a while.

i decided friday night, that there would be no more nyquil in my future.  "the sauce" was not good for me.

saturday looked much better, still not feeling 100%, but i was functioning by 11 am. (!!!!!)

i was determined to go to church the next day.

merrill was starting his downward slide though.

oops.  i had been so careful!   no kissing, no sharing drinks or food.  washing hands and junk.  (do you know what it is like to have a sick husband?  yeah?  so you can understand that i was super careful.)

sunday morning (very early) he resorted to the couch.  and then hell set in for him (and me, for a second round, because he was sick, get it?)

church was great, until the plague told me it wasn't anymore.  that is what the plague does, you see?  it tells you when you feel good, and then suddenly, it's like "not anymore, punk!!" because the plague really talks like that.  i am sure it is getting back at me for every time i have said "dude" or "punk" whether affectionately or sincerely to another person.

needless to say, me and the two oldest kiddos high-tailed it back home.

and such has been my health these past days, resembling a pendulum.

merrill, on the other hand, is dying, i am sure.
(sarcasm.)

the weird bit, like super weird (don't make fun of my lack of vocabulary skills, they are currently stuck, held captive by copious amounts of snot stored somewhere in my head.  like seriously, there is a lot, and i have no idea where it is located, or where it comes from, there is an obscene amount of it.  sorry for the image.), is that we cannot sleep!  i have not allowed my poor self a nap in days, because my body takes that time i spent napping, multiplies it by 3, and then puts off my bedtime by that amount in hours.  it sucks.  but for some reason, i can't sleep?

dude.

not fair.

neither can merrill, which makes it that much worse.  our house is handicapped with two junked-up parents.

(not that we were exceptional to begin with.)

so here comes the part where my mother calls me and chastises me.

it's good, it involves facebook.

i mentioned the aforementioned "handicap" existing in our household on the old social networking site, and received both sympathies and interesting offers.  apparently, my mom, didn't see it until today.

(insert a janet-sized chastisement here.)
(just teasing mom, i love you.)
(but really, it's not so much teasing as it is sleep-deprivation.)
(or maybe the violent amounts of snot.)

she wished that i would have called her to tell her i was sick, so she could help and so forth.  in all honesty, i don't think i was capable of calling her.  that nyquil messes me up!  besides that, if i did call her, it would have been to whine, and i tell you, she doesn't need to hear my stuffy-nosed voice whine. 

it's not attractive.

so she found out that her most favorite daughter was sick, on facebook, which led us to a rather interesting conversation that ended with the topic of snot, wouldn't you know.

and now, let me tell you of the things that are entirely too annoying when one is not feeling well.

- the menu music, that plays over and over when a child leaves a dvd stuck on the menu screen with an unconscious parent in the room, on the couch, stuck there, unconscious.  listening to it play  over, and over, and over...

- while extracting compressed files, they keep opening, one right after the other, right when i am ready to click extract.  i know another one will open right when i am ready to click "extract".  it is most definitely going to happen, but it buuuugs.

- hearing merrill clear his throat.  bless his heart.
- children who run around, screeching, giggling, and tattling.  sure, it is an everyday occurrence around here, but those copious amounts of snot, really leave little room for the ordinary things to be tolerated inside my crowded head.

and last, and most perhaps least in the categorizing of annoyances would have to be the many political candidates calling, reminding responsible citizens about voting and caucus (giggle) meetings and so forth.  seriously, i can't wait for this election season to be done and gone.  the phone ringing and interrupting my nyquil coma for this, is not cool.

sorry about the snot imagery and all.

my mom will probably call me and chastise me again for that...
(but really mom, love you.)

gunning for “mother of the year”.

I might just totally get it too.

so we had a little cold floating around our house before thanksgiving.  it went from peyton, to me, to ash, and it was fun!

so when december rolled around, and some of us were still suffering from some cold-like symptoms, still, I thought it was just that, the cold.

then ashley started to complain that her head hurt (here’s where “mother of the year” comes in).  complaints would start rolling in as soon as it was bedtime, and being the night-owl she is, I thought it was all a ruse so she would get to stay up late.  but the complaints stayed consistent, and being the great mother I am, I drugged her up with some good old tylenol.  I thought that perhaps, she wasn’t getting enough hydration, enough sleep?

so this goes on for a week, maybe more.  face it, I am running for “mother of the year”, I really didn’t keep track.

then one night, I start to realize that my head has been hurting too. 

(I was sure it was a result from the complaints and lack of sleep on my end of the deal.)

then my teeth start to hurt.

there was junk in my throat too.

then the pieces (the first ones anyway) fell into place.

I had a sinus infection!

then a light bulb went on in my little noodle; and it sounded like gru from “despicable me”.

“yight bulb.”

ashley had a sinus infection too.

so I took us, and our twin sinus infections to the doctor, to pay twin co-pays, and twin doctor bills soon as well, and got us a couple of prescriptions.

then I went and stocked-up on more drugs, cause that advil congestions relief is awesome.

things got better, kind of.

then ashley got all itchy.

ashley is allergic to penicillin.

so fun!

so our christmas break consisted of her, getting in her three doses of azithromycin, and ensuring that the doctor noted her new allergy on her chart.

I am so thankful thankful that I am able to instant message my doctor!

(and not have a new co-pay to pay…)

see, “mother of the year” material here.

The happiest puke-face in the world.

I got my due punishment for taking Ashley to lunch at McDonald’s (or as I have so appropriately re-named them “Yak-Donald’s”) yesterday.  You see, there were basically no groceries in our little house.  I fully intended on procuring some while Ashley was at kindergarten (because only one child makes that errand MUCH more enjoyable), but instead, got caught up at Costco, two fabric stores and one thrift store.  Oh, and a book store.  No groceries were purchased (other treasures were), unless you can count the three bricks of Tillamook colby jack I bought at Costco a meal.

So we picked up Ashley at school, and went to that “one place” for lunch.

(It helps to go shopping with a full stomach.  I know, I have had experience shopping with an empty one.  I almost bought a cake at Sam’s club because I skipped lunch one time.)

We had a great lunch, and even greater lunch conversation.

“Mom, I have to tell you something, and I don’t know how I am going to tell you this…”

“Just tell me.”

“But it is something serious and I am not sure how you are going to take it.”

“How about telling me, and seeing how I take it.”

“Okay….”

(Deep breath followed by a sigh.”

“You know that kid from PBS kids, Calliou?”

“Um, yeah.”

(I am thinking about that annoying kid.  The show I dislike SO much because he is ALWAYS whining about something…  why did I ever buy that DVD?!?)

“Well mom, he’s bald.”

I’m laughing.

“Seriously mom.  He has NO HAIR.”

“Well (more laughing) that is usually how one looks when they are bald.”

Holy crack me up.

Then, while shopping, she brought up an un-finished conversation that started during sacrament meeting. 

“Mom, does your middle finger really mean a bad word?”

(See why it was left unfinished during sacrament meeting?  I seriously prayed that she would forget entirely about it.  That seemed like an appropriate thing to do during sacrament meeting, pray, I mean.)

“Yes.”

“What bad word is it?”

“I will not say it.”

“Why not?!  Tell me!!”

“No.  It is the worst word ever.  The finger is an obscene gesture, it is basically telling someone: ‘Forget You”, and that just isn’t nice, we don’t want to forget people.”

“So we shouldn’t show people our middle finger?”

“No.”

Later on, she got a paper cut.  The only reason why I knew was because she was trying to swing (in the nanosecond of actual spring weather we had yesterday..) with a Kleenex wrapped around her middle finger.

I asked if she wanted me to put a band aid on it.

“Yes.  I am tired of holding my bad word finger.”

See, funny.

But now I get to the follow-up to our little trip to “Yak-Donald’s”…

I get her up to get ready this morning.  She doesn’t feel good and proceeds to throw up.  (I am blaming “Yak-Donald’s only because the food is gross and the place is a breeding grounds for all sorts of communicable diseases.) 

But get this:

She is the happiest, cutest, sweetest puker in the whole world.

(Of this I am completely sure.)

“I love you mommy.”  she said after I wiped her face.

“Thank you mommy, I love you.”  she said in between heaves while I held her hair out of her face while it was in the toilet.

“I love you mommy.”  she said again while I pulled it into a ponytail while she threw-up in the barf bowl.

And after every session of heaving, there would be a little, weak smile on her sweet face.  I wouldn’t be smiling if I were barfing the day away.  I could learn something from this kid.

Later on, after a bubble bath in my tub, she thanked me again.

“I love you mom.  I am sorry for giving you attitude and not being nice or making good choices, and you love me anyway.”

That is my job.  To love her and take care of her no matter what, and sometimes she gets it.

She really is the sweetest, happiest, cutest puke-face ever.  I am glad she is done puking though.

Taking an inventory of sorts.

There are 3 sick kids at my house.

We have been dealing with all different levels of sickness for roughly 35 days now.

(On and off, of course.  It feels constant though..)

2 fevers (currently).

3 trips to the doctors.

(One of those was for a dislocated elbow.)

2 prescriptions.

3 co-pays.

2 boxes of Kleenex.

2 containers of Clorox wipes.

Who knows how many rolls of TP.

Lost count of how many doses of cough meds/Tylenol/Ibuprofen have been administered.

Infinite amount of nose wipes.

1,462 cries dealing with boogers falling out of a nose.

Too many hours of missed sleep.

Too many hours to count for snuggles and movie-watching.

Not sure how many books have been read either.

Ounces of liquid are not able to be counted right now.

The humidifier has been filled about 9 times.

Bubble baths happen, on average, about twice daily.

Gallons of soup.

Dozens of grilled cheese sandwiches.  (A few loves of bread worth.)

Caffeine consumption is at least one can a day (depending on how many lost hours of sleep there were the previous night).

Not sure how many cans/bottles we have gone through, but I do know that we (I) have used one large and one small bottle of vanilla syrup.

(It goes well with the caffeine.)

4 days of school missed (between the two school-aged girls).

Naps..  seriously, I can’t count those.  I know that I haven’t gotten my fair share though.

Model magic has been really cool here. Yup, model magic, pipe-cleaners (or chenille covered wires if you want to be fancy), and markers are cool things to be played with.  I’ve gone to JoAnn’s twice now (armed with coupons) to buy the stuff.  This last time, I bought the big guy of model magic.  Hopefully it will last us a while.

2 weeks of church have been missed.

I have a feeling there will be one more.

(At least.)

2 parents who are reeeaallly starting to feel it.

Good news

I got a phone call today from the doctor’s office.

The swab they took, of Lynn’s throat the other day has no sign of strep in it.

That means things are looking up around here and hopefully the virus is on it’s way out!

We have had “the grumpies” here as I have not let the girls out to play or any friends in to play. 

Peyton has been acting like she doesn’t feel too well.  She has had some fun diapers to change, been pretty clingy, and hasn’t been sleeping well.  When all of those factors are added up it equals mom being tired.

Tylenol and her sippy cup are her two best friends, well, after my hip, of course; but tonight she’s been in better spirits.

I am just thankful to have a reliable doctor nearby, the technology that we do to know what’s going on, and that the girls have each other.  They have enjoyed their time in together playing American Girls non stop.

Lynn was actually hoping that there wasn’t any school on Monday..  that is not like her, she loves school!  She must really be loving this time with Ashley!

Doctor's visitS...

Emphasis on the "S" there..
It's no secret, I haven't been feeling well lately and just to prove it, I went to the doctor twice, in two days.
It has been a puzzling illness..  but as I researched my symptoms repeatedly (until my computer decided it didn't want to anymore..) it kept coming back to me that it was something with my ears.
I kept brushing it off, because some days, I would wake up, and despite a little dizziness, I would feel fine.
Other mornings, I would get up, and feel awful.
It was quite puzzling.
I really wanted to just get back at life, and I think that was part of the problem, I was pushing myself into it.  I confirmed I was not preggers, and went on wondering what would make me feel this way.
After missing church the previous Sunday, I decided I was not going to miss it this last Sunday.
That was bad.
Sitting in RS for that 45 minutes was awful, but two (three now that I think of it) separate conversations there, again pointed to something with my inner ear.
Julie kept the girls there, and Merrill took me to the doctor.
We got to wait 45 minutes to see our favorite (read the major sarcasm here) doctor, and was basically told that I had what I originally though I had, Benign Positional Vertigo, this decided after making me prove how off my balance was during a bunch of ridiculous tests.
His remedy, the aforementioned Meclizine and get this, PHYSICAL THERAPY.
That would require both time and money, two things that are not in abundance this time of the year..
Not to mention, that had nothing to do with what my gut was telling me.
I kept bringing up the possibility of an infection, to which he basically brushed off, and told me there was no way to tell unless they did an MRI (cha-ching!)..  I was near tears. 
Before he left the room to get the prescription, he asked if I had hoped the outcome would be different, if there was anything that I had thought was lacking.
Why does he open the door for me to tell him he is an idiot?
I didn't say anything.
I will accept the pats on my back...  now.
He came back and handed me the prescription, Merrill the referral to the physical therapist, and again asked why I looked so sad.
Um..  could it be because I have been dealing with this for over a week, and I feel like I am not being listened to, instead brushed off?  Oh, and by the way, I would like to have my life back, instead of appointments with a physical therapist to teach me exercises on balance and to make sure I hadn't had a stroke.
His words.
It didn't look like I had, but it wasn't entirely impossible at my age.
Does he KNOW what he is doing?
After getting me home, and in bed, crying, Merrill left to take care of the prescription.  He got back just in time for Julie and Nate as they dropped the girls off and I got some food and drugs then was wiped out.
That is one of the major side-effects of the Meclizine, drowsiness.
How am I going to get better with that?
I wasn't.
The next day, I woke up feeling dizzy, drowsy, and still that nausea.  The Meclizine is supposed to take dizziness and nausea away.
I was also feeling frustrated, did I mention that?
I called to get an appointment with anyone but HIM, and managed to get an appointment with a doctor that was in the same office as my primary doctor.
The receptionist asked what I was being seen for, and when I told her the brief overview, she said, "Are you serious?" 
Yup.
Needless to say, I got in, had this doctor spend more time than ANYONE ever has with me, going over every possible reason this could be going on.  My ears have never been examined so much in my life.  He suspected an infection, sent me with a couple of different prescriptions and hope.
With some more inside information from my mother-in-law as to the wonders of Advil Cold an Sinus, information from her ENT (NOT a physical therapist...) I am doing SO much better today.
I am back at life, FINALLY, and able to function.
I am thankful to have my crappy insurance, thankful that I listened to the promptings I was given, and thankful to those who have been so helpful.
Now can anyone help me with all the laundry I need to catch up on? ;)

History Repeats Itself..

And I hate it.
I am still dizzy, not wanting to throw up anymore, thanks to some help from Brooke..
As I have spent most of the last three days, horizontal,and sipping Sprite, and thinking, trying to figure out what this nasty thing is.
In my reflecting, I realized that this has happened before.
Two times before.
First, the day after my 15th birthday.  We were playing a basketball game for Young Womens when it hit.  I don't remember much, but I do remember running into Crystal Howe, then going to my mom, and then being carried.
I was put on Meclizine and  it helped,  and I was in bed for a few days.  I remember Kevin telling me that everyone thought I was faking it.  I got so mad, I stabbed him in the arm with the cordless phone that had a telescoping antenna.
(Sorry Kev..)
The second time was after we had been married, in the old house, no kids yet, I was working at Sears.  I had to go to the doctor because it was interfering with work..  it was awful.  They took blood and ran a bunch of tests only to come back to a form of vertigo.  I was put on the same stuff but don't recall how long it took for life to resume it's normalcy.
So here we are now..  repeating the history of dizziness.
My sister-in-law, Brooke gets terribly motion sick, and has an arsenal of tried and true (and some not so true) remedies.  She was my go to girl last night when I realized all that was going on this week, and needed something to help me, fast.  She was kind enough to share her patches that were hunted-down and procured in the wonderful country of Canada.  They have helped immensely.
I love Brooke..
And Canada.. 
I am dizzy, but no longer horizontal, or running to be near the toilet.
I accomplished just about all that I needed to get done today..
- Birthday shopping..  we are threatening her with underwear, and that's it.
- Cake baked..  decorate it tomorrow.
- Groceries done..  we are having Thanksgiving TWICE this week.
- Eye doctor re-visited..  they messed-up my prescription.
So this is what it is all about today:

Thank you Brooke!
And another thanks goes out to my doorbell-ditcher.

Thank you!  :)

At 5:30 am..

At 5:30 this morning, I had been asleep for approximately 2.5 hours.
I had gone with my 5 sisters in law to see the 11:59 pm showing of "New Moon", and arrived home around 2:30 am.
It was awesome, by the way.
Shortly after 3:30 in the am, Peyton woke up. 
Due to past 3 in the am experiences, I was a little on edge, but was already not sleeping well due to the continued dizziness. 
Peyton was sleepy, but restless.
At 5:35, and I know, because the clock was the first thing I looked at, Peyton started "the cough", you know, the one where you feel their little stomach muscles going, ready to throw up...
Yes.
That was oh, so fun.
After she finished throwing up all over my side of the bed (which Merrill slept so soundly through..) I took her into the bathroom and began pouring a bath, and stripping her down.  She was happy as could be.  I was dizzy and feeling like I was going to throw up.  I was sure it was just because the smell was everywhere..  but no.
A load of laundry was started and the dizziness only got worse.  Pretty soon, I was throwing up, trying to remember the last time this had happened.
When I was preggers with Peyton, I did.  But that wasn't because I was sick.  It was because I had taken a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to remedy my heartburn, because I was out of my medicine, and it was the Sabbath..
I will never do that again.
So the time before that was the one that would really count, was when I was pregnant with Ashley and I got a stomach bug.
It's been a while.
It has been a pretty lousy day, not quite feeling well enough to do much.  I kept both girls home from school, because I don't know what it is that we have, and I don't want to spread it, and I also didn't want to get a call telling me that one or the other has shared breakfast with their class, and have to go get them.  Have you ever tried driving while dizzy?  Not a good idea.
I think I freaked Merrill out a bit..  he was trying to call, I was was trying not to fall over running to answer the phone, also had Peyton asleep in my arms, so I didn't rush to answer either phone.  He came home, and I could tell he was a little panicked.  I am thankful that he is close enough, and able to run home if need be though.
I am starting to feel a bit better now.
And my kitchen is clean. :)  That makes everything better.
Thanks are owed to Wheatables, Sprite, and good neighbors and family who have helped.
Hopefully the barftasitic part of our weekend is now over.
Wish us luck...

Today..

It seems like it's been all about her lately...


With all the sickie stuff going on around here, it seemed that she by far, got the worst of it. The diarrhea cha-cha-cha has been the one last thing hanging around here the longest, and I can say it has not been as bad as it was, but still.. it's not fun for her, or me, the one changing her and doing all the laundry.
While playing with her this morning (tickling is so fun!), I noticed that her eye teeth are cutting their way through those gums.. and if I remember correctly, those were some of the hardest on the girls.
I think I have just solved this mystery.
Maybe this end part, isn't a lingering stomach bug.
I was bummed missing stake conference today.. there is always something there that makes you want to be better, do better, do more, but with her bum situation, and the fact that Merrill got home last night, we didn't go.
That's okay..
With this view, I feel close to my Heavenly Father...

I promise I am laughing hysterically inside..

And outwardly at moments too.
Last night, we had our own little horrific moment at the Pitcher household..
It was after family prayers.
Peyton has still had a touchy little tummy, and yesterday, after two diapers that resembled something more like dirty water rather than the regular, stinky poo, I had to warn Merrill that swinging her, upside down, might not be the best idea.
"But look at her!! She is loving it. She doesn't seem sick.."
"She throws-up, YOU clean it up."
My simple warning went unheeded.
I was in the hallway, right outside the girls bedroom door, giving Ashley a breathing treatment (yes, it is that time of the year..) and Merrill was in the doorway, swinging the time bomb.
All in less than a minute, there she blew... just like a swinging fountain.
With each swing, she covered a different quadrant of the immediate area.
IT GOT ALL OVER.
All over Ashley.
All over Merrill (he totally deserved it). I got to take the newly cleaned pants BACK to the cleaner today..
All over the floor, both carpeted and hardwood.
All over.
Ashley began crying, "She got me!!" like she had just been shot in a drive-by.
Poor Peyton kept gagging, back on her two feet, on solid ground. She gave a little shudder because some had gone up her nose, she was upside-down after all.. poor thing.
I was having a little pity party, because the newly cleaned floor, and barely bathed children, needed another cleansing.
And guess who got to do the cleansing.
The third child in my brood began to wail as well, as soon as I reached for the nearest absorbent object, Lynn's pink hooded bath towel.
"MY PINK TOWEL!!! Not my pink towel.. oh no!! I can NEVER use it again.. IT'S RUINED!!" Sob, sob, soooobbbb!
It was quite dramatic.
The two youngest were re-bathed, and the older of the two, sent to bed. I went up to the loft with poor little Pey, her sippy cup full of ginger ale, ready to cuddle and recover from this traumatic experience.
Only to re-live it two more times, but not quite as bad.
With another bath, and a priesthood blessing (I am SO thankful for that!), she was finally able to find rest, until midnight when she woke up.
She was restless, and I snuggled her back to sleep, fearful that she would wake up for round three, she and I stayed up in the loft for the rest of the night.
Three am came with a still restless Peyton waking up and crying for a drink. I put it off, not wanting to upset the gods of vomit, but gave in. She quickly chugged more than half of the cup, and was back to sleep.
As I lay, not quite sleeping, but very tired, I ran through the events of this last week, trying to add it all up. I realized that she hasn't had very many wet diapers the last few days, and her eyes weren't looking very good either. Fearing but trying to have faith in the blessing Merrill gave her, I settled on taking her to the doctors if she had another horrific diaper today.
She did.
But thankfully mom was the babysitter, and she got to deal with that. :)
I got to deal with the laundry. :(
The doctor noticed my eyes first, they are more red than white these days, Visine is my best friend, and he questioned (and teased) me about that, then we got to the main issue.
Let me take a little tangent and tell you how the nurses seemed to be so haunted by the events across the way at the InstaCare..
Swine Flu is upon us.
Scary.
Basically, he believes she has a virus, and isn't worried about her being dehydrated, showed me other signs to look for, and sent us on our way.
I sure hope this ends soon.
I think I am starting to smell like vomit.
I just might throw up myself if I think too much about how much our little field trip cost us today...

3 am-ish...

It's a fun little bug going around, and I have lovingly dubbed it the "3-5 am barf bug".
Sounds like a great time, don't you think?
I have had the pleasure of going the rounds with this bad boy 3 times now, not personally, but with each one of the girls.
Last night was, hopefully, the last bout with it.
Lynn came down with it first, as you might remember.. then Peyton a few nights later.
I was sure that Ash had her bout with it between the oldest and the youngest of my children, but I should have known better.
Her little bout of vomiting was in the later am. Around 9 to be exact. Hers was also more coughing/reactive airway/asthma related.
I was so silly to think that that might have been it.
I was notified of my silliness early this morning, about 3:04 am to be exact, when Ash woke up crying, and coughing.
I tried to dismiss it as just that, a cough, getting her a drink of water and propping her head up better, tucking her back in to bed; but my mind knew this pattern all too well. The timing was no coincidence.
I crawled out of my comfy, warm, soft bed, to get her from her own. As we headed to the loft, I grabbed extra blankets, towels of various sizes, and the febreeze air spray. :)
See, I have a method to this.
We found that nothing was on, except for Disney, and settled in.
Like clockwork, at 3:30, it began.
Just like it did with Lynn and Peyton.
It stopped and resumed various times until the last little bout at 5:30, when Ashley curled up comfortably on the floor (?) with a blanket and slept until a little after 9... just like Lynn and Peyton.
I am hoping that this is it for us. I do know others who have it far worse and am praying for them.. ;)
Bright side: I got some good one-on-one time with little Ash. No one else was there to take my time or attention from her and we enjoyed some funny cartoons on at a ridiculous hour.
Another bright side: I have a very valid excuse to take a nap today. :)
After

4th and such..

We celebrated the fourth, at home, under self-quarantine. :)
We had a simple fireworks display, Merrill was so impressed with my selection from Target.
(Read that with much sarcasm.. they were all pretty much duds.)
It came complete with parachutes..


Sparklers.. and other fun fire-worky things..


Even Peyton joined in..
See the look of panic on her face?


Hot metal stick, shooting sparks.. Yeah..
She dropped it in my lap, and I opened my lap up onto the blanket..
A new memory is born.


Here's my Merrill (heart)..


We ate cupcakes and popcorn (as shown below)..


The awesome selection of fireworks really meant nada..
We just had a good time being together!


Sunday, we sluffed church, again..
Well, I shouldn't say "we", me and the kiddos. Merrill was playing the role of "responsible adult". ;)
Ashley slept, coughed, and then coughed some more so hard that she vomited during the night. Needless to say, I didn't get much sleep..
What is sleep anyway?
Last night was a re-run of that episode.
How do you say that strange word? Slll-eee-P?
Her inhaler is nearing empty; how I wish it actually had a gauge, like my gas tank. :)
I decided to take her into our doctor today.
Then sleep depravity kicked in, and another voice told me I was overreacting.
Then I decided that I really should.
This morning I found that, I had indeed, missed the last refill on her inhaler by less than a month.
I was taking her.
Luckily I was able to get into our physician this afternoon annnnd....
Our little mystery is solved!
Her fever was indeed "something", not Roseola. An upper respiratory infection, perhaps? Anywhoo, the virus ended-up settling in her sinus, to develop into a lovely, snotty, sinus infection.


3 bottles of Amoxicillan, and my refrigerator looks like it is ready for an outbreak.
Looking forward to doing that one thing tonight, where you lay down on a nice, soft bed, then you close your eyes and relax, recharge your batteries and so on.. I can't seem to remember what it's called..

Hello, again..

We took another trip to the InstaCcare last night.. made our hectic evening that much more..
I had a bridal shower to be to.. I was one of the hostesses, kinda had to be there.
I was gathering everything, needing to get there to help set up.
Ashley had been on and off with a fever for the last day, so Merrill was going to stay home with her, but he calls, he's locked his keys in his office. I have to run him the extras.
I am gathering kids, rushing to get everything done, and there on time... find Ash, asleep, and wake her up. She is hotter than hot. I take her temperature. First shot, the digital thermometer reads 106.8?!
Another try.. 104.9, still, not good.
I give her Motrin, and get on our way.
Merrill takes her to InstaCare.. I take my stuff to the shower and he promises me with updates.
Now let me back up to a couple of very important points..
1- Merrill HATES the doctors, hospitals, etc. He gets so ill.. that might be a contributing factor in the size of our family. It was such a miracle he was up to taking her himself instead of substituting for me at the shower!
2- Ashley had said, this whole time that she's been running a temp., that she feels "fine". She is totally herself, nothing hurts, she's running around and playing, but somehow, needs an afternoon nap... she was getting so annoyed with me, repeatedly asking her if she felt okay, if anything hurt.. "NO mom.."
So we are at the shower, just getting into a game, and my phone rings.
"They have been running tests, they can't find anything, they need to draw blood."
Merrill + needles + blood + the subject being one of his offspring = a gihugant disaster... his family knows this. HIs mom keeps Lynn, Peyton is a whole other ball game, she comes with me, after she's covered me with something black.. oh, and her too.
I speed.
I get there right after the blood was taken.. they are both doing fine. :)
Ashley is just laying there, with her hot pink bandage, making fishy lips, giggling. She tells me every detail.
"I had to go tinkle in a cup, but I couldn't go, so they gave me apple juice, and after I drank it, I went tinkle.. then, they took the shot needle, and it kinda hurt, but I didn't cry.. I didn't even say ouch mom!"
She is so tough!!
Merrill was pale. He just nodded his head.
"I was trying to distract her, keep her focus on me, but she wanted to look. She seriously didn't even say 'ow'."
She is amazing... this is proof that she really is mine, despite who she physically resembles.
The doctor basically said that she has a "fever without a focus". They couldn't find anything wrong. The only diagnosis we got, was that it is probably Roseola..
I am amazed at Merrill, that he held a cup while his daughter peed in it, that he was well enough to relay information to me, and to the doctor, and most importantly, that he didn't faint, when the needle came out, or when it went in.. love you Mer!!
As for the diagnosis, we'll just have to wait and see.
Blotchy rash, anyone?
Until then, we'll just be kicking it at home, quarantining ourselves! :)
We've already gone through two bottles of ibuprofen between little miss "P" and Ash..
Good times at the Pitcher's!

** Lynn and I went to my softball game last night, after all was well. Lynn sat, bundled-up in the dugout, while we played our game in the on then off again rain, and the thunder, and the lightning... that was fun!

Panic mode..

Peyton was a little "off" Saturday.
She didn't eat much.
She slept a lot.
She wasn't interested in swimming.
She just wanted me.
I wasn't thinking anything of it until I got her out of the tub. Pool water and sunscreen make a tub mandatory. Come to think of it, she didn't enjoy the tub as much as she usually does...
While getting her dressed, I noticed she was quite warm.
I took her temperature and it was nearly 102.
This is not normal, as you should know.
I gave her Tylenol, and nothing happened. Okay.. it lessened her temperature by MAYBE a degree.
I took her to InstaCare only to find that they were closed.
Really? 6 pm and they are closed?
That made me second guess my feeling that something was wrong.
There was this one time, I learned a great lesson about the power of Prayer and Motrin. I quickly prayed, and waited the little bit to give her Motrin.
My little girl was back.
We enjoyed South Ogden Day's fireworks seated in our traditional spot on the hill of the Catholic church, watching the girls run around and play.
After the show, I didn't expect Pey to go to sleep very soon, she had had 3 naps during the day. Four if you count the partial nap on the way to the pool. But she zonked.
2 am came with Peyton calling just for me.
Her temperature was back. A screaming 102.9.
All she wanted was to be held. I got her to take some Motrin, she talked to me while I got her a drink, which she downed, and then we went to the basement to cuddle.
She fell right back to sleep.
I couldn't.
I hopped on the Internet, because that is what a mom in this century does.. that and because I didn't have a doctor economically priced and available at that particular time.
The CDC's website and a 2 am wake up call by a sick baby are things that mix together to incite panic.
Have you read the symptoms for Swine Flu?
Maybe it was just the hour, or that she's my baby, but I was sure she had it.
That was an interesting night of what someone might try to call sleep.
I had to remember Merrill's prayer that night as we put the children to bed..
"Bless Peyton that all will be well with her."
I slept after that.
She woke up early, thirsty, and hot, again.
We went to the InstaCare.
Many questions were asked. As soon as the question about Daycare was answered in the negative, the doctor was quite confident that it was not Swine Flu.
He listened to her breathe, checked the nose, mouth, left ear, then right ear...
And that's where he found it.
An inner ear infection.
His diagnosis was that she was at the end of an upper respiratory infection, the ear infection sprang from that fountain of illness.
She never let on for ANY of it.
Well, besides the slight runny nose..
I am reassured that she really is mine. My mom tells me that when I was the same age, I had similar symptoms. Slight fever and acting fussy. She took me into the doctor to find that my ear drum had burst from a wicked ear infection. I had never cried, never indicated that my ear was even bothering me.
Yeah, she's part me, despite who she physically resembles..
Dad tries to reassure me further, as he chuckles while watching Peyton suck on her fingers and twirl a pig-tail.
I used to suck my thumb and twirl my hair.
I have only myself to thank for the orthodontist bills that will one day come for both me and her.
I sucked my thumb incessantly, sucked the nail polish-like deterrent that would be brushed onto my thumbs that was supposed to keep my from sticking them in my mouth in the first place.
I am also to blame for my un-repaired overbite because I refused to wear head-gear for most of high school..
Needless to say, I need to get Peyton off those fingers.
Our second ear infection EVER in this household of little girls is doing better..
I am still being taught lessons on the power of prayer.

Sick baby..

Despite the cute pic, this kiddo isn't feeling too swell. It has been a storm that's been brewing for quite a while She has a nasty cough now..
Poor thing..
I don't know what's worse, the cough or the multiple nose-wiping sessions.. both make her terribly uncomfortable!

Inside fun for a snowy day..

Currently, we are watching "Anne of Green Gables", the perfect flick for a snowy Utah day, well first in line right after "Lonesome Dove".
Lynn woke up this morning telling me her legs didn't work. That is a pre-cursor for nauseous tummy, or in other words, her being sick. Luckily, we haven't had any occurrences to prove her illness, just a pale little face, and not so much energy.
That means, my plans to go out to lunch with a dear friend, were nixed..
But if Lynnie not feeling well hadn't done it, I am positive the snow would have. Merrill shoveled this morning before he left. I was wet and heavy, made his back sore.. I think he cleared a good 5-6 inches. It has been coming down steadily ever since. My two sweet neighbors have cleared the sidewalk and driveway a second time. They are so sweet!
My deck is nearly 3/4 of the way up to the railing.. my picnic table which was cleared off the other night by the girls who were playing out there, has nearly 12 inches on it!! Underneath the table is this really cool snow cave.. the snow on the ground surpasses the benches, and the snow on the benches surpass the tabletop.. all making a pretty cool place to play. Now if I were only small enough to play in there ;)
I have a confession to make..
I LOVE IT!!!
I love the storminess, the way everything is so white, peaceful, and clean.. the coziness of being cooped up all warm and snuggled inside. I would be totally content to get snowed in!
So you all who hate this white stuff, can totally blame me!
I have figured my taxes, and have learned many things in the process. A few that I thought I might share.
- You must have a Federal copy of your W-2, even if you e-file. Audit anyone?
- You may qualify to e-file and have a professional prepare your taxes and e-file for free if you meet a few requirements, one being that you make less than $56,000 a year.
- H&R Block's Tax Cut is awesome!! They found $2,000 more in refund (cha-ching) for me on Federal and $30 for state... yay!!
- If you e-file for the first time, you need not track down a PIN you use your AGI from the previous year's return.
Hopefully this saves you some time on hold with the IRS listening to the hold music (Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker score..) on repeat.