Owen's Birthday Celebration

Owen had such a great birthday this year!! We didn't plan a big party because we wanted to stay healthy for his big trip to Stanford next week. Then we all went and got sick and had to postpone his trip anyway.   His cath is scheduled for mid March at Stanford and it worked out perfectly during Spring Break.

Owen woke up on his birthday and said "ok.. I'm four.. can I open my presents?"  So downstairs we came to open his gifts.

Owen really wanted this "joker puncher" car and asked for it weeks prior to his birthday.  He was so excited to play with it!! 

Owen also asked for Donuts for breakfast and we haven't had them in forever!  Daddy got up early and went to pick up his favorite Albertson's donuts with sprinkles.  We sang Happy Birthday and as we ate way too much sugar, Owen ate only the sprinkles dipped in milk.

I signed up through Icing Smiles for a special birthday cake!  They contacted a local baker, Carmen, who made Owen the most amazing cake!  I told her he likes chocolate and superheros.  I could have never imagined the cake she thought up.  Owen was in awe and loved it so much!!!

I took some pictures of the detail she put into the cake so I could submit it to Icing Smiles for their website.  There was so much detail in each character. 

After playing with all of Owen's new birthday gifts, we decided to head outside!   The park was beautiful and the ducks were as friendly as ever.

Owen decided he wanted to have a mini birthday party that evening, so we called up my family and invited them all over for Chicken Noodle soup and salad, per Owen's request.  We all sang Happy Birthday and he blew out all FOUR candles!  We had cake and ice cream before opening presents.  Owen was so thrilled with each gift. 

We still can't believe our boy is four.  Each birthday is such a blessing!!!

Happy 4th Birthday Owen!!

Happy Birthday to YOU..

Happy Birthday dear OWEN..

Happy 4th Birthday to you!!

Dear Owen,

You are one incredible little boy! You make everyone around you happy and you brighten our days!!

You are smart, silly, and have the biggest heart. 

You love to play superheros, everything is a weapon and you love to be the 'bad guys'.

You love video games, gymnastics, cuddling, watching movies and reading books.

You know your ABC's, a bunch of numbers, and you are starting to recognize sight words.

You are the toughest, bravest guy we know.

You make friends everywhere you go.

Your are your sister's biggest fan and love everything about her.

You have taught us what life is really all about.

One of your favorite songs to sing...

"don't worry.. about a thing.. cause every little thing.. is gonna be alright!"

Love you buddy. 

Happy 4th Birthday!!

Owen's Birthday

1/28/08  

 One year old Two years old

Three years old

Four years old



Rescheduled Cath

Owen and I both feel a little better today! Finally I feel like the worst is over. I talked to the cardiology team at Stanford today and we both agreed it would be best to reschedule Owen's cardiac catherization. Anesthesia thinks he will do okay, but we are more concerned about his pressures. If you remember, the only thing keeping him from the Fontan is his borderline high pressures. Respiratory illness can cause those pressures to increase and we want his pressures to be accurate. We decided, together, to wait at least four weeks before doing his cath.

  I love Stanford. They called me ten minutes later to reschedule. She gave me my choice of cath lab doctors, times and dates. My problem is that I have too many choices and I can't pick one. I told them I'd pick a date and get back to them tomorrow. Meanwhile.. I cancelled all of our February reservations today.

Owen's birthday is in two days!! I didn't plan a big party this year because we were trying to keep him 'healthy' for his cath. Major fail. He now says he wants a Batman party, chicken on the bone (drumsticks), and to play at the park! I might just have to throw something fun together last minute.

Kamryn is getting this gunk in her chest and so now we just need to enforce germ control so we don't pass it around again. I did take her in to get her braces tightened today and it's amazing how quickly her teeth are moving into place! Dr M. put a figure 8 rubber band on her two front teeth to close the gap and she is feeling the pain! :) Speaking of pain.. in the next few weeks, she has to go in and have FOUR more baby teeth pulled. That brings the total to 12 baby teeth pulled!!! They just didn't want to come out on their own.

I'm off to enjoy the last day and a half with my 3 year old.

Icky.. Ooey.. Virus.

A nasty virus has welcomed itself into our home. Ugh.  It all started last week with Daddy drowning in mucus goo.  On Friday, Owen and I were exhasuted and slept most days until Sunday.  We had a fun family birthday party and felt fine.  Owen showed signs of nasal congestion.  On Monday, we woke up drowning in our own mucusy goo.  It's nasty stuff. 

I called Stanford yesterday to let them know of Owen's ickness because he has a cath scheduled in two weeks!  They wanted us to take him to the pediatrician and have her contact them with her opinion.

So today we had a not so well child visit.  Why does that always happen a week after the "WELL" child visit?  Anyway.  Kamryn decided she was missing out on the fun and woke up this morning with a sore throat so I took them both in to see Dr Robin.

Kam's strep test came back negative, but she has to take it easy and be super careful not to catch this guck.  Owen is stuffy but his lungs sound "as clear as can be!"  No fever.  Nothing junky in his chest.  Dr Robin is going to fax her note to our NP at Stanford and I guess we'll find out later if we are going to postpone his cath or keep the date. 

We have a lot of this going on the rest of the week!! 

Kam and Owen are totally chilling today.  I am disinfecting my house with Lysol and washing all the sheets to keep these germs from spreading.  Mister Owen has a big birthday coming up this weekend!! 

Goodnight Kiss (video)

The last couple of days have just melted together into one.  Carson had a bug this week, now Owen seems to have something brewing.  There are actually very few symptoms, no fevers, just total exhaustion.  I showed Owen how I can hook the laptop up to the Master bedroom tv and we can stream Netflix while laying in bed.  I have watched more Spiderman, Johnny Test and Curious George!!  It is really nice to lay around the house in our pjs all day, cuddled up under the covers. 

I asked Owen if he wanted a drink of ice water last night and he said "No.. I'm fine.. I just want your love (cuddles)."  He seriously cannot get any sweeter.

With all our downtime, I have been busy talking with Insurance companies and planning our upcoming trip to Stanford.  I have also been working on getting some type of reimbursement for Owen's oxygen.  It's a long story, but with secondary insurance, we may be able to get them to cover the cost of a portable oxygen concentrator for travel.  It's just requiring a lot of leg work on my end.  If you've ever had to call insurance companies for anything.. you know what I'm talking about!

Tonight we had a family get together at Gpa Todd and Gma Monica's house to celebrate January birthdays.. Kam and Owen!  Owen was so thrilled to get his first birthday gift and said "Thanks for all of these things!"  He fell asleep holding one of his movies. 

I'm tired and about to pop a Nyquil and call it a weekend.. I am feeling the makings of a cold coming on.

Enjoy this sweet video of Owen tucking his Sis in to bed!  He cannot go to bed until he tucks Kam in and I think it is the sweetest thing!! 

Well Child Check-Ups

I just got back from taking my kids to their well child visit with Dr Robin.  It's always nice to go to the doctor for something other than "illness".

I'll start with Kamryn's visit.

Height: 5'4" (95%)
Weight: 106lbs (75%)

Kamryn grew a whole inch in six months!  We estimate her height to hit 5'8".. lucky girl! She is as healthy as can be and extremely fit. 

Now onto Owen's visit.

Height: 39.5" (25%)
Weight: 32.5lbs (25%)

Owen is just hanging out at the same height/weight ratio for a while.  It's time to up his caloric intake to 1500cals.. we'll see if that will put some meat on his bones.  I'm adding more healthy fats (avocado, olive oil, nuts) to make up for the extra calories!

We talked about our failed attempts at potty training.  He is motivated to go and does fine with his business but he has never been able to drain his leaky faucet in the potty.  He is on a hefty dose of Viagra three times a day, plus two large doses of diuretics daily.  I might just be making excuses here, but I think he's a bit sensitive and it's hard to hold it to make it to the potty.  We'll keep trying every month and he'll get it when he's ready.  As long as he doesn't lose interest, I'm okay with taking time to figure it out.   On a positive note.. I just found out our insurance will cover the cost of diapers.. wahoo!!

We are getting ready for Owen's cath in exactly three weeks!!  I am totally anxious this time around as we will find out if all his increased medication and oxygen are actually helping his pressures.  I am putting aside my worries by focusing on his 4th birthday coming up and redecorating his bedroom. :)

I am so grateful for Kamryn's amazing health and Owen's developmental growth!!

Cabin in the Snow

We just got home from a fabulous weekend trip up North! Uncle Rog reserved his company cabin for the weekend and we were so excited to get away from the city and enjoy the fresh pines.  I love Arizona so much and never want to move!  On our drive out of the city we saw a lot of mountains and cacti.

Another hour up north and we were in the pines.  It was chilly, but not too cold, and we just soaked in the fresh air.

When we approached Mormon Lake, we saw snow!!! YEAH!!  This was only the second time that Kam has seen the white stuff and Owen had never seen snow before this weekend!! 

Most of my family arrived the day before, so everything was unpacked and ready for fun!  The kids bundled up in their snow gear and we headed out to play.  Owen was rockin' Livvy's pink boots until we found some in his size.

Gigi and Kam had so much fun jumping around and throwing snowballs.  They played outside the entire weekend!!

Owen stayed put in one spot until we moved him to another.  The piles of snow were way too hard for him to walk through. 

Snow also makes a great oxygen tank holder.  :)

Yeah.. daddy found boy boots in the cabin boot closet.  Owen played with four big snow balls for the longest time.  He can stay entertained so easily and had a blast!

Kamryn made snowballs for Owen because his "globes" were too big and we couldn't fit his fingers in. 

Owen wanted to jump around and play with the girls, but he kept sinking.  Daddy was trying to help him get the up on his feet.

Livvy came out to play too.  She hated to wear her mittens, but her little fingers were frozen. :)

Here's my Man.. looking all mountain man with his beard.

After about an hour of snow play, Owen had enough of the cold and went inside to read books and play. 

Carson played pool, or "bowling" as Owen called it.  Owen would line up the balls and then roll the white ball until it knocked the rest into the pockets.  He played this "bowling game" a million times this weekend!

The kids slept so good at night and it was fun for them all to wake up in their jammies together.  We made a big breakfast, then Rog and Grandpa came back from Flagstaff with Donuts and Oreos.  Nothing like sugared up kids in the morning! 

After getting dressed, the girls went with Chris down to clean the snow out of the fire pit.  They were getting the fire started for S'mores!!  The girls only made it about 30 minutes before they were back at the cabin getting warm and cozy.  I love this picture of Kam and Livvy..  I love that my kids have so many cousins to grow up with!!

After realizing there is no way I could hike up to the fire pit in the snow, carrying Owen with his snow suit on, and lug an oxygen tank behind us... I decided to take the stroller.  Thank goodness for our super baby jogger deluxe.. it cruised over most of the snow! It was also nice to keep the stroller at a far distance from the fire pit... darn oxygen. 

The kids roasted marshmallows, ate chocolate and Owen froze.  He couldn't wait to go back to the cabin and get warm again. 

Livvy was cracking us all up.  She ate a million marshmallows and kept coming back to the bench "Nanny nanny?  Where da cocolate?"  She is such a great eater.. I keep thinking it'll rub off on Owen a bit.

Kelli (my sis), Gi Monster and Kam were roasting mellows.  Well, Kam was posing as always!

Uncle Larry.. this one is for you.  My pops and his big bro (Uncle Rog) at the campfire.   My dad is known for his crazy food concoctions... he taught Kam to take two marshmallows on a stick and smash the chocolate between them before roasting... then he had her eat it right off the stick. 

We didn't last long at the fire pit before Owen and Liv were ready to get warm.  Owen said.. "lets not do that again.. I don't like the cold!"  We warmed up inside and played blocks.  These two are a year apart in age and they bicker like crazy.  99% of the time it's Owen pestering Liv because she's the only one close in age to him.  Ugh.  Someday they will be best friends I just know it!

We ate some hot soup for lunch and packed up our bags.  My mom was so tired on this trip and rested a ton, while I spent all my time behind the camera.  Gigi has some fantastic pictures on her iPod touch, so I will update those later!! 

It was late afternoon when we packed up our cars and hit the road back to the valley.  The road trip home was so beautiful and quiet. 

We had such a great time getting away and enjoying nature.  While the snow is really fun, we are glad we only visit it once every eight years!!   We are definitely desert dwellers that prefer flip flops over snow boots!

Kamryn's New Room

Since Kamryn just turned 12, she really wanted a bedroom makeover for her birthday.  She has had a Luau themed room since she was six and her room was full of hot pink, turquoise and lime green.  She was more than ready for a change and something a little more grown up. 

We hit the Internet in search of inspiration and it didn't take long before she found a perfect room in Pottery Barn Teen. The price tag was entirely over budget, so we started bargain hunting. We found most of the items at Target, Walmart and Amazon for a steal!!

Kamryn is thrilled with her birthday present and can't wait til her birthday party so she can show it off to her friends! 
Here is the final result!!

I don't know what I want to do with this large wall yet.  My grandma bought her this super nice mirror with black iron work around it for her wall, but it hasn't arrived yet. 

I also ordered her a large pink CozySac bean bag chair for the empty corner left of her nightstand.  There is another large window on that side of her room and it's great for reading or just listening to her iPod. 

Kamryn loves her new space and even though she's growing up, she still has us tuck her in every night.  She doesn't even mind us jumping in bed with her to cuddle and chat. 

Happy Birthday Sis!!

Ramblings

Owen has been feeling crummy this weekend. 

His only symptoms are exhaustion, moody, and he says "I feel sick!"

We spent our weekend lounging around the house.  We attempted lunch at Kona Grill, but it was train wreck.  Owen was cranky, it was freezing cold (and we weren't dressed for it) and the food was just bleh.  You win some, you lose some.

Kamryn is back to her first full week of school and I have a feeling it's going to be a long one!

I bought Owen a new car seat, a five point harness that turns into a booster at 65lbs.  Turns out it was listed as a "Do Not Recommend" by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety.  So, it's going back. :)

Now I am on the hunt for a new car seat.  I want a five point harness that converts to a booster, and safety is important, but I don't want to spend a small fortune either.  Any suggestions?

Potty training has once again, been paused.  Owen got sick and that ended his desire to move off the couch, making potty training near impossible.  We'll try again next week!

Kamryn's bedroom makeover is almost complete and I will post photos tomorrow!!  It turned out perfect for her!

Owen's bedroom makeover can now begin, but first I need to clean out the den that currently occupies his room.  Everything is ordered and on it's way to make his Superhero bedroom surprise!!

Owen has a cath at Stanford in four weeks and I have been a nervous wreck about this one.  This will be his 8th cardiac catherization and they never get easier.  When I told him about our upcoming trip to Stanford.. he said "I really hate the mask they use to put me to sleep, but I don't like the IV either.. it locks my arm (the arm board)."  It breaks my heart that my (almost) 4 yr old knows what he is about to endure.  With that said.. he will tough it out and be brave.

Winter Break

We have had the best winter break ever!! Kamryn had an extended winter break this year, as she only attended three days of school in December! The rest of the time was Disney World, and then winter break. We have been spoiled having her around so much!!

  We have been super busy playing video games. 

Chilling around the house in our cozy sweats.. doing absolutely nothing with our time.

You probably already read in my last posts, but Kamryn turned TWELVE on the third!!  We celebrated with my family on New Years and it was a great time!  Look at all those candles.. right next to the oxygen.. we should have thought that out better.

Since Daddy had the 2nd off work for the New Year, we went to a local tattoo shop to get Kam's ears pierced (just the lobe).  Turns out they can't pierce ears until they are 14.. "it's the law!"  So.. I called around to pediatricians and can't find one that pierces ears.  Looks like we might be visiting a store in the mall, which I was trying to avoid, due to possible inexperience of the "Piercers" there.  

After our failed attempt at ear piercing, we took Kam out to lunch for BBQ and then a quick shopping spree for some new clothes.

Kam's other big surprise for her birthday, was a bedroom makeover!!  We are almost done and I will dedicate an entire post for that soon.  We are waiting on one mirror to arrive and then I will post pictures.  Her new room is perfect for her!!  I love it so much, I wish it was mine!! 

Her last birthday celebration will be later this month when she has a small sleepover party with friends. We like to keep parties small around here, but we party all month.  When her birthday festivities are over, Owen's begin!! 

Speaking of Owen.. the big boy is potty training (again!).  He started going potty a few months ago, but just couldn't go pee in the potty.  He is on an insane amount of Lasix (diuretics) twice daily, so he is a leaky faucet.  This is a known obstacle, but I am trying to overcome it.  I gave him a few months, we got past his trip, and now we are trying again.  He can do his other business in the potty just fine.. it's just the leaky faucet that doesn't ever make it.  Today has been a bust so far, but we keep setting the timer every fifteen minutes in hopes that we'll have a little success!!

I had him sit on the potty for about 30 min earlier to see if he could go while playing.  That didn't work. ;)  Ha.

While we are stuck at home and trapped by the timer and a toilet, Kamryn is off to her first day back to school!!  We love her so much and miss her.  She was a bit late as we ran some errands and attempted to drop off her boundary exception form at her Junior High of choice.  Junior High.. yikes!!  She is so excited to try out Volleyball team, Dance Team, and Orchestra next year!!  She is going to love it so much!  We just have to get through the last two quarters of Elementary. 

Our new year has started perfectly.  We are relaxed, my house is getting organized, the kids' bedrooms are getting full makeovers.  The closets and toys are getting purged.  We have a month full of well doctor checkups, birthday parties and getting back to reality!!