Dr. Gabriel

Noah had another follow up visit with the Neurologist in LA. He loves to go to Dr. Gabriel, mainly for the camouflage balloon afterwards. But, Dr. Gabriel is really good with him. He's an older doctor and kind of different, like most neurologists are, but he's a good doctor. He has an old black doctor bag, and lots of older looking things he uses inside, it's kind of funny. But, at the appointment, he did give a little hope that there could be an end to his medicine. Which, could mean that he could grow out of his seizure disorder. Right now is a time that kids usually grow out of a childhood seizure disorder. Usually about now they are growing like crazy and they just grow out of it. And then again around puberty. So, I'm hoping on the sooner one! So, if Noah can stay seizure free for an entire year, they will do a 24 hour surveillance on him in a hospital, hooked up to all of the EEG monitors and everything, and see how his bran waves are firing and things. It's a pretty intense testing. I'm just worried that it wouldn't show anything...he's never had an EEG, MRI, or Cat Scan that actually showed anything abnormal. That is why he was diagnosed with Generalized Epilepsy, that's what they diagnose when they can't pin point what it actually causing the seizures. It's very frustrating. We are just so grateful for modern medicine.

I know I post a lot about it, but it's an important part of our lives. I look at Noah as a miracle child. His seizures aren't life threatening, so he's not a miracle child, per say. It's really just an annoyance in normal everyday life. But after seeing his face blue, and seizing, not knowing what we could do for him. Hoping he'd be okay, and knowing that his seizures don't actually harm him, it's still hard. And then having to hold his lifeless body until he finally tenses up and starts crying as he comes out of the seizure, it doesn't get better. I rememeber a time in Rexburg after he had been hospitalized for about a week. He was having about ten seizures a day at that time. And each one is like a marathon for anyone's body, so you can imagine the toll it took on a little 20 month old body. But, we took him home and he was still just out of it. He wasn't my Noah. I would sit and cry, thinking that this time it effected his brain. I was so worried that he wouldn't ever be the same. He acted just so offish, and didn't want to interact with us. But, time and time again, he did return to his same self. The Noah we all love came back. And it happens every time. The "what-ifs" are always in the back of my mind, though.

I am SO grateful for the modern medicines we have today. At first I didn't like the idea of having him take medicine twice a day. I thought it was horrible that this little guy would have to that. But, having him not have to go through the seizures totally outweighs the negatives of having to take medicine. If it's there to help him, he might as well take it! Like an epidural. I'm SO for all of the drugs they give you to have a baby. If they are there, why not take them? We have been so blessed with good doctors to take care of our Noah. He's a newer medicine now. It still gives him an occasional headache, but we know that it's working for him. I can't imagine what life would be like if he didn't have it. Anyway, I'm grateful for drugs...I'm grateful for Doctors...and I'm grateful for Noah. He's a great kid.

Noah's haircut

Noah has thick hair. He has a TON of hair. I don't know why Macie can't get some of it! And it grows so dang fast! We know that he needs it cut when he wakes up with crazy hair. He's been waking up with crazy hair for a long time now, but we couldn't find the clippers. I haven't actually cut his hair in a while. I've had a friend do it. She's a lot better than I am. But, someone had to do it, and I didn't think Anniece would want to drive 3+ hours to cut his hair! He was excited about it a first, and liked the tickling of his head, but then he didn't like it. He was afraid I would cut his ears off. We didn't get to finish it completely, he still has stragglers here and there, but I don't think it turned out that bad. He was excited when he looked in the mirror because he said it looked like Skyler's hair. Skyler is his best friend here in Santa Maria. He talks about him all of the time, it's so funny. They are the only boys in their Primary class, and they play really well together. So, he was just happy that now he looked like Skyler. Funny kid. When we were done, we once again had a dust pan full of his hair.

Happy Grandparents Day!

I'm a day late on this...but who really know what Grandparents Day is anyway? But, I just wanted to tell Momo and Pa, Nana and Papa, and Great Grandma and Grandpa Ludlow a Happy Grandparents Day! My kids love all of their grandparents, and talk about them on a daily basis. We are all so grateful to have all of them in our lives. They really mean so much to us. Especially to Noah and Macie...they adore each and every one of them. We can't wait to see you all again! WE LOVE YOU.

Happy Birthday, Adam!

Adam is officially an old man. He's 31. I can say he's old, because he'll always be older than me! He was feeling a little bad because it was his first birthday without any family or friends. But, we invited some people from the ward over for pizza and cupcakes, and it was pretty fun! We ate, played the Wii, and I made peanut butter chocolate cupcakes. And they were pretty good. And very easy to make. I was surprised. Adam loves anything peanut butter and chocolate, so they were the perfect choice! Noah insisted that Adam open his presents early, so he really opened his presents a few days before. The day we bought them. Noah really wanted him to open them, and Adam wasn't going to complain!

But, even though he's old, I still love him! He's a great dad and husband. The kids adore him, and can't wait to go pick up Daddy everyday from his office. They ask numerous times a day if it's time to go get Daddy, I guess I'm not good enough for them. They must get bored of me all day long. I hope that he had a good birthday. We love you, Daddy!

Cory's all grown up?

I called my mom, like I pretty much do everyday...multiple times a day...and she was in Rexburg at Cory's apartment. It was the strangest sounding thing. Cory's apartment? Holy crap, he's going to college! I can't believe it. It doesn't seem like very long ago when he came home from Kindergarten to tell my mom that he heard a very bad word at school that day. She dreaded knowing what he learned. And he refused to tell her. He said it was very bad, and it started with a "b". My mom was pretty sure she knew what it was, but she wanted him to tell her so they could talk about it. But he didn't want to say it. He finally whispered it into her ear. He said, "It was brat." If only that was the worst "b" word there was! But he he was so innocent and so cute. And now he has an apartment, and living away from home, and going to college? Okay, he's still pretty cute, but do old! Good luck, Corihor. Have fun at school.

Macie Von Trapp?

I've been feeling quite crafty the past few days. I even unpacked my sewing machine! I don't know where this craft urge came from. And it probably won't last very long, but that's okay! I was looking at a blog from a girl in our ward, and she had made a doll from Martha Stewarts website. I had actually seen it a while ago, and thought it was cute, but had no motivation to actually make it. But I thought I'd give it a try since Macie's birthday is coming up. So I made it. I'm going to make Macie a coordinating skirt as well, so watch for the birthday post in a few weeks. I haven't added eyes yet, either. I can't decide if I want to dry just little slits or sew on buttons. Adam said buttons, but I don't know if that would look weird? Any thoughts on the matter?



And then the next project. I made Macie a skirt. It's nothing fancy. Not a dress or anything cool like that, just a skirt. I bought her the cutest little red ballet flats the other day, and found this fabric in my fabric box, and thought it would be perfect. But, the funny thing is, I used this fabric for curtains in my kitchen when we lived in Palmdale.

So, my Macie is a Von Trapp child from Sound of Music. Oh well, I think it's cute. She wasn't being a very good model, but who is when they first wake up? I couldn't wait for her to wake up to try it on. I'm not a very good seamstress. I don't use a pattern, and I can't really sew a straight line. It's usually all messed up, and I usually have to unpick everything I sew at least once. So don't look too closely. I'm sure there are strings hanging off and we'll probably find a pin in there somewhere. I even had to use ribbon along the bottom to cover up a crooked seam. One day I'll be good like my mom! She used to make us dresses all of the time. She was always sewing. And then her daughters...not so much. But, I'm trying.

the BOB

I just had a friend call me to ask me about my stroller. It made me laugh. Why would that make me laugh? Well, Adam makes fun of me all of the time, because I have very strong stroller opinions. I seriously have spent hours upon hours researching strollers. I had stroller envy for months. I spent so much time searching craigslist for the best deal. And, just recently, he made fun of me for making a comment on another friend's blog about my stroller. Oh man, strollers are a very important! But, I had a friend call about my stroller to ask if I would recommend the type. Okay...YES. The BOB Revolution Duallie is the BEST stroller there is. Sure, it's pricey, that's why you scour craigslist and other classifieds until you find one. If you find one for a good deal, you have to buy one. We had another double stroller, and it was stupid. My kids aren't the littlest kids there is. They aren't huge. But, they aren't little. One thing is, they are so tall! We bought our first double stroller when Macie was like 1 month and half old. It moved great, it wasn't a train like other double strollers, so I liked it. And it was fairly cheap. But then Macie grew. And she grew. And then she grew some more! At like 8 months she already weighed 28 pounds. She was a big girl. That stroller wasn't so easy to push anymore. And neither kid was comfortable. Noah's legs dangled over the edge, dragging on the ground as we went. It was a pain. And so I found a single BOB Revolution for a smokin deal. I bought it. Yes, I know it was a single...but I knew that I could find a double eventually and then sell the one I bought for more than I bought it for, it was that good of a deal. About a month later, I FINALLY found it. The stroller I had been envying for months. When you go to Disneyland, you want a good stroller. We lived pretty close and had annual passes, we went a few times...we wanted a good stroller. And I told myself that I would be really good and actually jog with the jogger. Ha...that worked a few times!



Let me tell you what is so good about this stroller. Okay, to start, it's a double stroller, it is wide...but it still fits into all doors. It has two separate sunshades, so if one is sleeping, the other doesn't have to be covered. It has lots of storage room underneath. And two cupholder pockets in each seat, for sippy cups and other treasure little kids need while in the stroller! Not only does it have a swivel wheel, so you can virtually go anywhere, it has a lockable wheel too. I was skepitcal about getting a swivel/lock wheel. I had heard many stories of people with other brands that would be running along with their swivel/lock wheel, and it would all of the sudden become unlocked, causing the stroller to go everywhere...probably not a good thing. But, the BOB has the coolest wheel, it has the best locking feature out of all of the strollers. I've done my research. I've tested out many many strollers in stores. This one is by far the best. The kids fit in it and look pretty comfortable. Macie, however, HATES strollers. But she hates any stroller, or any cart, anything that confines her, she's not a fan of. But, this stroller has gotten a lot of use out of it. We even hiked up a mountain with it! It may be wide, but it's still able to go lots of places you wouldn't think it would.

I would see people with this stroller and just wish I had it...and now that I do, people actually ask me about my stroller. Yes, I am a stroller snob! I didn't even pay half of what the stroller sells for, gotta love craigslist...and that's an entirely different post for another day. But, seriously, if you are looking for a jogger, you HAVE to look at a BOB. You won't regret it. I love you, BOB.

It's still a boy.

I had another ultrasound yesterday with a tech, to do all the measuring and everything. And it is definately still a boy. And quite a boy at that. And once again Noah was a little upset that we didn't get to take Baby Jacob home with us. He didn't throw as big of fit this time...but was still disappointed.

Everything looks great with the baby. He was sitting criss-cross, with his arms up, like he as praying. It was pretty funny. He's got a cute little profile already. I don't think I'll do the 3-D or 4-D or whatever they have now. I can hold out until the baby is actually born. What am I going to do decide not to have the baby if he's ugly? Just kidding...he won't be, look at the other two kids. I'm pretty sure he's going to look just like the others! My due date is December 10th still. Hopefully he'll come early. People are always asking me when I'm due, and when I tell them December they are shocked! I feel like I should have the baby any day! I'm tired, sore, uncomfortable, and just plain huge! We'll see how the next three months go!



(I debated putting this picture up, as to not offend anyone. But, just in case you were wondering...it's a boy! And he's not shy.)

The Happiest place on Earth.

And then it was Disneyland time. Noah became an Annual Pass holder and was pretty proud of his ticket. We watched a few parades, rode on a few rides. I couldn't go on much with a pregnant belly, but we did quite a bit. And we weren't there that long, either!

It was a long day, but we made it back to the hotel safely. The kids slept very well. And then it was Day 2 of Disneyland. Macie had been talking about wearing her Belle dress forever. She was so excited to see the princesses. She looked so cute, with her hair all braided and everything. But she wasn't such a princess on the walk to Disneyland. She HATES...absolutely HATES her stroller. She is a little Houdini and can get out of the the buckles no matter how tight or how far up on her chest, she'll find a way out, and then she just jumps out. She screamed bloody murder for about half hour. It seemed like A LOT longer, however. But we finally made it there.


And then we waited in a line to see the princesses. A LONG line. Only at Disneyland will you wait in line to get your picture taken. Macie was pretty good. We waited. And waited. She talked about the princesses the whole time. But then, started to fall asleep. When we finally got up in line and it was our turn, she didn't want to have anything to do with the princesses. She could have cared less, but she looked pretty darn cute in that princess dress. We went on a few more rides, Macie took a nap, and we headed home. It was a fun day. A friend in our ward let us use their leftover day on their Disney pass for free, so we didn't have to pay much, so it was great! The kids loves Disneyland. Adam thinks we're crazy, but he has fun when he goes too! Afterall, it is the happiest place on earth.

Choo Choo

My mom and brother came to visit for one last harrah before Cory started college. We decided to go to Disneyland and take advantage of their annual passes before they expired. But, since we don't live as close, and with gas so much, I took the kids on a train ride to Fullerton, which is very close to Disneyland. Noah and Macie were so excited to ride on the train, they talked about it for days! I was a little nervous since I'd have the double jogger, two car seats, a baby in my belly, a toddler, and a preschooler running around. But, we managed to get on the train with the help of Adam!


We got on the train at 7:10 AM. We didn't get to Fullerton until 12:55. It was a LONG ride. But it was fun. The tracks run right along the coast, so for the majority of the ride we were watching the ocean, or what we could see of the ocean through the morning fog. But, Noah informed me that I brought all the wrong toys and books. But, it was a fun experience.



When you are on the train, they give you like 20 minutes notice before your stop, so you can gather your stuff and get off the train. They run on a pretty strict schedule. So, I told the train guy that my stroller was below with the bikes if he could make sure it was ready. He told me he would. No one told me that I had to enter the train at a certain door, and then get off on another door. So, I put the carseats on the luggage rack at the door I got on. I couldn't get that way on the way out. So I had to lug two kids out and then get back on the train to get the carseats, they weren't happy with me. And on my way out the first time I had them make sure to get my stroller. They said it would be waiting for me. And then the train left. My stroller wasn't there. I was DEVASTATED. That stroller is like my pride and joy. I love that stroller. And pretty much all they told me was they weren't liable for lost things. They said it wasn't on the train, and I was just out of luck. That was a $500 stroller. I sobbed. A guy came from the background of it all and felt bad for me, I guess, and told me to meet him at the ticket office, and they would have someone look through the train again to find it. LUCKILY, they found it! The BOB wasn't lost after all. I'll post about the BOB another day, but it's the BEST stroller around, if I would have lost it, I would have been very sad. We had to wait about an hour for the stroller to get on another train back to the station. But, we were reunited, and it felt so good.