Daybreak Dwellers

A day at the sleddin' hill

2009-12-26T16:58:00.000-08:00

Look at those baby blues!

All bundled up and ready to sled

Cold Cold Cold

Sleddin' wih G-pa

Yes, MORE pictures!

2009-11-28T21:15:00.000-08:00

I finally have a picture of him smiling with me! Usually he will smile and laugh and all that cute stuff, until I get the camera out, then he gives up. Not this time! I got'm!!!

What a cheese-ball!!

He carries his toys around like this most of the day. He'll put them in the pantry and the cupboards also.

Spending some time with Dad at the Ranch. Hmmmm.....who did Jack get his eyebrows from???????????

Jack's version of sticking his tongue out.

If only I had that kind of zest at 6:30 in the morning!

This is his thinking face. He's thinking about what naughty thing he's gonna do next!

"Reading" books is hands-down his favorite thing to do. He'll sit quietly like this for a very long time. He's got a bin of books in every area of the house. I'm hoping he'll stay a book nerd.

Spooky Halloween

2009-11-01T13:34:00.001-08:00

We waited until Halloween Day to go to the Pumpkin Patch to get a few pumpkins and a wheelbarrow ride. Jack really liked the tractor.

He really did not like the hay. He's not crying, he's throwing a tantrum. He figured out how to do that last Monday. Yipee!!

Cute! Cute! Cute!

I couldn't get ONE dang picture of him smiling in his costume. So this is what he looked like. Still adorable though.

My little spider. Spider-Monkey!! We Trick-Or-Treated in my parents new neighborhood. Neighbors hooked us up!! I'm telling you East Lake is where it's at! Most of the houses were handing out candy bars. Next year we're gonna Trick-Or-Treat a lot longer! We only went to like 15 houses and we've got mass amounts of candy. Good thing I'm hitting the gym now!

My First Triathlon

2009-09-20T14:52:00.001-07:00

Transition from running to biking (notice there's hardly anyone left..haha) I must be cheering myself on for not giving up! I was sicker than a dog the whole day before. I'm just glad I completed the race. I started training about 9 weeks ago and stopped training about the same time. Next time I'm going to train better so I can actually enjoy it! They cancelled the lake swim portion of the race because they found roundworm in the lake so they bussed us all in waves to the pool and we swam a measly 75 meters and then ran a mile to the transition area where we then biked about 12 miles and then ran 3 miles around the lake. I'd like to thank all the roundworm peeps for which I was able to complete this race. If it were not for their roundness I would have had to swim WAY more than I was in shape to do. So thank you roundworm!

My photographers for the day!! Gooooooo MOM!! Thanks Mom and Dad for coming out and cheering me on! And thanks to Andrea for volunteering! Next year you're gonna be swimmin' in that lake I just know it!!

11 months and counting

2009-09-10T12:43:00.000-07:00

The blessed day I got to bring Jack home from Primary's.

Newborn pictures taken at 3 months!! At least they got done!

First Mother's Day

My sweet wonderful child

So I have been a mom for 11 months now. Time flies when you are having fun! My favorite part about being a mom is that no matter what I look like (sans shower) or if I make mistakes, that Jack still loves me and thinks I'm the coolest thing that ever happened to him. I know he's the coolest thing that ever happened to me! I hope I can continue to be as good of a mom to Jack as he needs and that I can continue to LOVE being a mom. It's hard to believe that 11 months ago we were on our way to be induced. If I had to do it over again I'd definitely get the epidural BEFORE they started pushing the Petosin, not 6 hours later, but hey, you live and learn. This is typically a post moms do on or around their 1st birthday, but I like to do things backwards, and I figure I'll be pretty busy right around his actual birthday. I'd just like to say that I love being a mom, I love my Jack and I can't wait to see what kind of person he grows up to be.

Found this Old Video of Jack at 4 Months Old

2009-08-03T09:26:00.000-07:00

Fun Summer!

2009-07-16T17:03:00.000-07:00

My mommy makes fun of me because whenever I sit on the floor I have to have my ankles crossed.

Vegas, Baby, Vegas!!!

Me and Mommy in Vegas at our pimpin' hotel!

We picked up this snake at the Rainforest Cafe and it really likes me, I think it wants to eat me!!!!!

Me all bundled up in my puppy towel late tat night at the pool.

Making a big baby mess of the hotel.

Playing in my Einstien

I LOVE BATH TIME!!! BUT I LOVE MY PEE PEE THE MOSTEST!!!

cute poses and a pool expedition

2009-06-11T20:40:00.000-07:00

So I am thinking that my child is OCD. Because EVERY time he is in his jogger he has to have his "stearing wheel". He is NOT happy unless he has this exact wheel. He will not settle for that cute (and available) toy to his right. AND if you try to take it from him he will put up a struggle and if you succeed he will cry until you gibe it back! See his worried eyebrows??? He thinks I'm bending down to take it! TOO FUNNY!!

This is a pic of Jack and his Grampa Val at Murray pool for his cousins b-day party. Jack didn't like it at first, I guess he thought it should be warmer, like the tub.

Again at the pool jsut getting all lotioned up. Don't want to burn that baby white skin....or Jack. Hee Hee. I DO need a tan!

Jack really likes to play at his storage bin in his room. I just put all his random toys in there and he likes to pull them all out.

Maybe one of the cutest pics of him yet!

More fun pictures of Jack

2009-05-27T07:46:00.001-07:00

Baby Jack loves to ride in his bike trailer. He falls asleep every time we take him out in it. We've gone all the way around the lake (even North Shore) and it is so beautiful. They have created beaches in a couple places on the lake's shore that we can't wait to use!

One of Jack's funny faces. He has MANY!! These are his two pearly-whites.

Does it get cuter than a baby bathing?????? I think not!

Mmmmm PRUNES!!

Crazy baby!!!

Jack loves to drink from big cups...and he knows how to do it too. So smart!

Mother's Day

2009-05-11T09:56:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day was pretty fun. Joe had to work, NOT fun, and I had to teach Gospel Principles, but all-in-all we had a good day. My mom came to church with Jack and I so she could watch him while I taught. It was fun to have my mom with me on Mother's Day. She's a good little mom. After church Jack and I took a fatty nap and when we woke up we headed over to my mom's to have dinner with my grandparents and Joe showed up at 7. The cake we had was to die for yummy and the day was beautiful!! Any day that I'm a mom is beautiful!

MOAB

2009-05-02T10:51:00.000-07:00

This little guy is an awesome traveler. When he wasn't sleeping he was playing or looking out the window. Such a good baby. So, in this picture he looks sleepy..................

and lights out in this one!!!

This was a really fun hike we went on when we first got there called Corona Arch.

The parents... A.K.A. the "olds". Also, that is NOT a Dingo, that is Hailey, their crazy mutt.

Jack held onto Joe like this every hike we took him on. H-ya Daddy! Getter goin'!!

My step-bro, Braden carrying Cohen, and that's his wife Teryl. They also had their dog, Anna but she's not in this pic.

CORONA ARCH........................beautimous!

This hike is called Bill's Canyon and it has LOTS of water for the dogs to swim in. Shhh nobody tell our pugs we went there without them or they'll never speak to us again. Jack slept this entire hike!

Biking Klondike Bluffs with Joe and my Dad. This is a really fun trail with lots of Slick Rock on it so you can get going fast on the downhill and your tires just grip to it like crazy. Sooo much fun.

Daddy Val climbing the heck out of that hill. It doesn't look steep but it is.

Joe and I taking a rest and a picture.

( I couldn't figure out how to get this to the top)

So we went to Moab a couple weeks ago with some family. It was my first trip back since being prego. I don't know if I would even consider the last one fun considering i had morning sickness like crazy and was just getting over pneumonia. This trip was soooo much funner!! We took Jack on two hikes and Joe and I and my Dad did some mountain biking. I haven't biked since i sold my Cannondale Jekyl more than 3 years ago to get carpet for our town home. So, needless to say I was a little rusty and saddle-sore. But this chick can still bike baby! My step-bro and his wife and kid, Cohen, came also. We had great meals and LOTS of great memories. Here are some (a lot) of pic's......................

Easter

2009-04-24T08:02:00.001-07:00

First of all Joe got a fabulous, long-over-due-haircut!! Doesn't he look so great! Thanks to his sister Meg!

Squishy got lots of cool stuff from the Easter bunny. Grandpa got him a kid's Nalgene water bottle for hiking in Moab. Thanks Grandpa!!

Me and Squishy....who now is back in love with binkis....but not the big green ones, just regular ones. Too bad, I liked the big ones, but these are cute too. He started liking them just in time for teething and a road trip to Moab!

The old people with the young. Pretty good looking grandparents! That's Jack's cousin Cohen. What cuties!

A family photo op......Jack would not look at the camera this day....what a STINKER!

Lots of random pic's

2009-03-30T09:28:00.000-07:00

Baby Jack loves to sit in his pod and play. The thing he loves most of all is pushing all his toys off the edge.

I just had to put this cute picture of him sleeping.....Aaaawww!!!!

Daddy took this picture of Jack's little grin.

This is Jack's surprised look...ya, I don't know what he was doing??

Jack also really likes to play in his Little Einstein bouncer. He's getting really good at standing.

Cuddling with Otis, which is another one of Jack's favorite things to do.

Jack discovered his toes a few weeks back and I was soooo excited for him. Now he has something to do while he's in the tub!

I'll post some funny videos of him in a few days.

Baby Jack eating mush

2009-03-09T10:09:00.000-07:00

A long awaited hike in Millcreek

2009-02-22T12:10:00.000-08:00

So, we finally got out of the house to go for a hike. We were getting a bad case of cabin fever. This winter has been hard for us because we want to get out and do stuff with Jack, but with the weather, we can't. We had Jack so bundled up that he looked 10 pounds heavier than he really is.

Towards the end of our hike he fell asleep.

The parents and their crazy dog Hailey!!

His hat looks like a bike helmet. He was not this happy when we started out on the trail, in fact, he screamed for over 10 minutes. I don't think he liked all the layering of the clothing.

Yes, we still have/love our pugs. We don't blog about them as much because we have a WAY cuter person to blog about.....and he's more photogenic.

A cute little hiking family!! When the weather gets warmer Jack and I will be doing more of this during the week for exercise. By then Jack will way a billion pounds, and that will be great for my bum, since I'll be the one carrying him!!!!

Jack's first photo shoot........

2009-02-10T08:41:00.000-08:00

4 MONTHS OLD AND STILL KICKIN'

2009-02-09T19:28:00.000-08:00

Jack's new favorite thing is to have his hands in his mouth at all times while he grunts and growls.

Doing tummy-time.......getting much better at it I might add.

Super-cute-chair-snatcher!! We got the pictures back that our fabulous neighbor, Stephen, took of Jack and we'll put a few on here when we figure out how to. Jack will be 4 months old tomorrow!! He gets more shots at his appointment in the morning.....always a fun experience! Can you say Tylenol!!!!! For baby AND mom! We are still loving being parents and we don't know how we ever lived without baby Jack. He smiles every time we look at him. That smile of his is just too much. We are so relieved he's done getting transfusions and M.R.I.'s. Well, he'll have a few more M.R.I.'s but, we're done with them for now and that's what matters.

The Latest and Greatest

2009-01-28T15:40:00.000-08:00

Jack is all bundled-up because we went for a run this day. He was happy for most of the run but got really cranky towards the end. I've never ran so fast...trying to get him home.

This is Jack's monkey. Jack takes him everywhere.

Just got this little dangly thing for Jack's play mat and he loves to pull on it. When he does pull on it and lets go it vibrates......way cooool!

Sleepy head. "Hey, does this shirt make my cheeks look big?"

Doing some tummy-time. I waited too long to go get the camera and he got tired of holding his head up high....soooo it looks like he's not doing good, but he really can hold his head up high.

Just chillin' in the bebe pod.

Surrounded by monkeys....a little boys dream! This kid's gonna like monkeys whether he wants to or not!!!

Biggest Boy!!

2009-01-20T07:16:00.000-08:00

This is our biggest boy!! He is starting to sit up in his bebe pod. We used to try to get him to sit in it but he didn't like it. Now he likes it and will sit in it for 10 minutes or so. On Sunday this little dude had a photo shoot with our uber-talented neighbor, Stephen Phung. I'm so excited to see the pics. Hey, newborn photos can be done at 3 months, RIGHT!?? Well, at least we finally got them done, that's what matters.

3 months old (young is more like it)

2009-01-13T07:38:00.000-08:00

This little boy is starting to stand. He thinks he is soooo big. I can't believe how fast they grow up and change. He looks different and does something different everyday. Now that he's done getting transfusions we don't know what to do with all our free time.

Doing tummy-time with dad.

Bath time is Jack's favorite time of the day. Good thing bath time is every night!! He lays in this little hammock thing and he wraps his little feet around the back of it, so when you go to take him out of his tub, his feet are stuck around the back. He's starting to laugh every once in a while. He was laughing at Joe the other night while I was vacuuming the house. I could hear it over the vacuum noise even. Now that he's three months old, I asked him what his favorite things were so far, and this is what he said:

1) Mommy and Daddy

2) Grandparents

3) Baths

4) Being naked (woo-hoo!)

5) His horse that makes music

6) Smiling

7) Eating

9) Peeing in the bath tub (goes with #3)

10) Last but not least....and MY favorite thing too.....SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT!!!!

All-Done!!!

2009-01-05T08:41:00.000-08:00

This little boy is ALL DONE getting platelet transfusions. About a week and a half ago we took him to get his hill pricked, for the bazillionth time, and it came back at 233,000 (compared to 9,000 when he was born). Well that just had to be a mistake I thought. So they ran it again, and sure 'nuf it said 233,000. I really wanted to be excited but I didn't allow myself to be. The hematologist says, "one time is not a pattern." So, we took him back 5 days later and pricked his little heel, and it still said 233,000. Okay, I got a little excited!! Then 4 days later we checked it again and it said.....................................................................................286,000!!!!! ALLLLLLLL--------DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!

And that's all I have to say about that!

Talking baby

2008-12-28T09:24:00.000-08:00

Hangin' out in the bouncer.

Mommy and baby.........watch this video below......................................

Christmas and other pics

2008-12-26T12:23:00.000-08:00

This is the cutest picture of Jack. Such sweet and innocent eyes.

This was sooo funny!! Jack's cousin Cohen came dressed like a reindeer and Jack kinda looked like Santa. So we had "Santa" ride the "reindeer". Hilarious!! I've got video and I'll put it on later.

Little chair snatcher once again....

Christmas morning. He likes to lay under the Christmas tree and look at the lights. He smiles at the lights and sometimes laughs at them too.

Starting to look like Dad now.

Jack's little church outfit. Dad tied the tie (it's not a clip-on).

Cute boys ready for church.

Little Chair Snatcher

2008-12-16T08:23:00.000-08:00

Crazy Jack!!!

2008-12-16T08:02:00.000-08:00

This is our crazy little Jack. This is actually my new favorite picture of him. He's sitting in the glider.

At the heme/onc clinic last Wednesday getting a transfusion. The nurses ALL love Jack. He's famous up there.

His little I.V. We LOVE I.V. team!! Especially Eliza and Dave! They get it in one poke.

Going out into the cold weather

Sitting in mommy's glider

Gelly holding Jack. This is one of the little girls I nanny. She's a good big sister!

Jack always falls asleep doing tummy-time.

Asleep again!

Update

2008-11-30T18:56:00.000-08:00

"My mom makes me turn my head this way because I'm getting a flat spot on the other side of my noggin cause I like to ONLY lay on that side. Mean Mommy!!"---the Doctor says it's normal for babies to prefer one side over another. Didn't know that!

"This is my SUPER handsome Thanksgiving outfit. It has lots of give in the waist so I can scarf down on the nummies Grandma makes".

"Need I say more?????"

"This is my cousin Cohen. I like him very much. When we get older we are going to cause trouble together. Until then we'll just hold hands."

Jack has been doing well with the transfusions. I can't wait until we're done with them! Who knows when that will happen. We thought it would have slowed down more than it has. We were there Friday night/Saturday morning until 1:30 am. The nurse we had was not the brightest crayon in the box, therefore, it took FOREVER!!! Grrrrrr....... What can ya do but just keep on trekin'. Jack weighs (drum roll please)..........10 pounds! He has his 2 month appointment on the 10th and I'm anxious to see what percentile he is for weight and height. He also has an MRI in a couple weeks. The neurologist wants to get a better look at where the clot was now that there's not so much blood surrounding the area. They'll have to sedate him for that and we'll probably spend the night at Primary's. They like the babies to wake up and eat before they go home. Well, Squish is waking up now so gotta go!!!

Busy Busy

2008-11-19T08:02:00.000-08:00

Jack had his follow up neurology appointment yesterday. We will be scheduling him for another MRI of the bleed that was in his brain. She checked him out and said he looks good so far, but with these kinds of bleeds, strokes, blood clots, whatever you want to call it, you wont see the effects of it until they start using that side of the brain. But I still think he will be just fine.

Still loves his binki.......and so do I.

He went in to the RTU again Monday for another infusion. He looked especially cute that day. He's starting to grow out of his newborn stuff and into his big boy stuff....super cute!!

Aaawwwww.....precious-nous!!

2008-11-13T13:00:00.000-08:00

That must have been a really good dream! Squish has been sleeping now for 2.5 hours. This is a record for him. The past couple days he has not slept more than 2 hours in the day (cumulatively). He has discovered sleeping in mommy and daddy's bed. SPOILED!! Ya we need to put that to an abrupt stop! Aaahhhhh......I always said I'd never put my baby in bed...but just look at how happy he his on daddy's pillow!!! How can you say "no" to that???? Oh he's such a squishy!!

More pic's of Squish

2008-11-12T12:25:00.001-08:00

Cute!!

Way Cute!!!

He's got his BIG BOY pants on!

Luv my Squish

2008-11-12T10:07:00.000-08:00

Every time I see Jack with that binki I just laugh because it's soooo BIG! This is Jack's Pod Bouncer that you hook your I-pod up to and it plays music for him. So far we've listened to John Mayer, Elton John, and Paulo Nutini. He's had a couple more transfusions since I last did a post. One of the times they couldn't get an IV in any of his extremities so they put it in his head. Didn't really want a picture of that. Also we've discovered that he is immune suppressant. He's got 1000 nutrifills and a normal person has 12,000. So we've got an appointment with his hematologist tomorrow at Primary's to see why. Hopefully it's not a whole new problem!!

Squish LOVES to play under his activity mat. Joe swears Jack hits the dangling things on purpose. Like he aims for them or something!! Ya right!!!! Oh, and he's wearing his "FUTURE MOUNTAIN BIKER" shirt I had made. Joe's favorite shirt. I'll probably have one made in every size possible until he actually starts biking. Then I'll get one that says "I CAN BIKE FASTER THAN YOU". Joe would love that one too. Jack has been so much fun and brought so much love into our home. I can't imagine not having him. It's been an interesting start to parenthood but I have enjoyed every minute (except the IV's). Joe is an awesome dad too. Most nights he'll take a turn with Jack. He feeds him, burps him, changes his diaper, and some nights he'll be up for a couple hours playing with Squish until he falls asleep again. Awesome dad!

better blog to come.....Sorry

2008-11-09T15:34:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't blogged for a while. With doctors appointments and transfusions (oh and not to mention the sleepless nights) we have been busy. I totally have pictures and I will do a better post later, but Joe took the camera to Moab and I don't know where he put it now that he's back. (I can't find out because he's at work so when he calls I'll ask him).

Sleeping "Squishy"

2008-11-01T17:49:00.000-07:00

This is my sleeping Squishy. I call him Squishy because he makes really funny squishy faces all the time. And he makes squishy in his pants. He has to have his hands by his face and somehow this afternoon he got his one hand wedged under his cheek. (Don't worry I tuck that blanket really well underneath him so he wont pull it over his head). Anyways, there you have it, my sleeping Squishy!!

"JACK" - O - Lantern

2008-11-01T13:49:00.000-07:00

I can't figure out how to get the pictures you want in a certain order. I wanted the Halloween ones first. Oh well! This was Jack getting another transfusion on Thursday. We did it in the hematology/oncology clinic in Primary's. Very sad place. There was a 6 year old getting infused with her chemo and on the other side of us was a 17 year old getting platelets and a blood transfusion because her chemo treatments made her anemic. Jack was a super star that day! It took 3 tries to get an IV started and he cried so hard that he slept the rest of the day (6 hours).

Jack sleeping in his car seat waiting for lab results. He's soooo cute! And his cheeks keep getting bigger and bigger.

Grampa holding his boys. Cohen is Jack's cousin who is 5 months old. He was a bat for Halloween but pooped on his costume. So he just came as a Sumo Wrestler!!! J/K! He so chubby! Jack was not happy about his costume and every time I put him in it he would poop. So I don't have many pics of him in it.

Our first Halloween as parents. If you couldn't tell, Jack REALLY likes his binki!!

Walks and Transfusions

2008-10-28T18:00:00.001-07:00

This is Jack getting his first transfusion since leaving the NICU. I take him up every 4th day to the Rapid Treatment Unit. It is a very long day for both of us. My mom, Grandma, went with me to help and we're going again tomorrow.

Daddy Joe walkin' his boy.

I LOVE my jogger! Hopefully I'll be able to actually jog with it soon.

Another picture of little man getting his transfusion. He's such a trooper! He only cries while they put the IV in and right afterwards he's happy again. As soon as they alcohol prep his arm for the IV he starts to cry because he knows what comes next. OUCH!

Jack loves to hold his face. His little hands are always at his face. He's such a good baby. Last night he slept for 6 hours! We are so lucky to get such good sleep.

"Elvis" has left the building!!!!

2008-10-23T06:08:00.001-07:00

He is HOME!!! We got the ol' boot yesterday around 4 pm. During rounds the doctor said he could go home. It took us 6 hours to go through all the paper work and passing things off to go home. Oh, and a hearing test.

He LOVES, LOVES, LOVES his swing. The nurses found him one to use next to his hospital crib and he sure loved that one too.

Doing his car seat test. He ended up being in it for twice the amount of time because they did his hearing test in it as well. The first hour he was awake and looking around, the second half he just slept and slept. I guess he doesn't mind his car seat. Vacations here we come!!

He also likes to hang out under his play mat and look at all the cool stuff that hangs.

Needless to say we are ecstatic to have our little boy home. Thanks to everyone who helped us during these two hard weeks.

He is still going to have to have his platelets drawn every 2 days. His pediatrician is 3 minutes from our house and that's where we'll do it. Once a week he'll need a transfusion, so we'll have to go back to Primary's for that. We also have to follow up with neurology with an another MRI for his brain bleed in November. We are so blessed to have him and cherish every second!!

Day 11

2008-10-20T18:59:00.000-07:00

Seriously the cutest baby ever in the whole world!!!
Grandma loves to hold baby Jack. She'll even change his diaper.
Daddy "pope" kisses are the best!!
That binki is bigger than he is.
Today was an uneventful day, which is good, his platelets barely dropped. At rounds they said if he keeps gaining weight and his platelets come back in the morning and they've stayed around where they were today that he could come home tomorrow or even the next day for sure. He didn't do too good on his feedings today because he was very sleepy. Tomorrow I'm taking his car seat to do a "test" run beside his crib to make sure he keeps his heart rate normal and his breathing normal. They have this long list of things you have to pass off before you can take your baby home.

*has to hold temperature with a night gown on.
*has to be in a crib
*has to pass the car seat test
*parents have to watch a movie on "shaken baby syndrome"
*parents have to watch a video on infant CPR
*parents have to certify at infant CPR
*has to gain weight every day for 5 consecutive days

I'm sure I'm missing one or two. And for Jack his platelets have to drop at a slow rate or grow on some days. When he does go home I'll be bringing him back to Primary's every other day to get his platelets checked and maybe get a transfusion every 7th or 8th day depending on how quickly he drops down below 50,000. Today was a good day!!

Jack Day 10.......Has it been that long?!!!

2008-10-19T20:48:00.001-07:00

Daddy and baby are tired. Joe is very patient when feeding Jack. Jack is a slow eater because he really likes to look around and be burped every 2 minutes. The nurses kind of give up on him too quickly and so they say he's falling behind on his feedings. If he doesn't keep up on feedings they'll have to put his NG tube back in and force feed him. I know he can do it on his own. He's such a big boy!
Poor Joe had a rotation shift he had to work today. He was bumbed and only got to spend a few hours with Jack today. (those are not the scrubs he did surgery in today, he changed into clean ones before he left)
Aaawwwwwwwwww....................... CUTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lookin' around.
Lookin' at me.

Today was a good day at the ol' NICU. Jack didn't have an IV in and it was easier to pick him up and not worry about it getting pulled out. His platelet count went down to 82,000 from 112,000 this morning. But this afternoon it only went down to 78,000. So hopefully they will start dropping slower and we can take him home soon and come in on an "out-patient" basis and get his platelets drawn every other day and get a transfusion every 7th or something like that. The Attending Doc said they are pretty sure that he's got the HLA version of thrombocytopenia. Which is so rare that even his nurse today had never heard of it. And the Attending couldn't remember what HLA stood for. He says that Jack can go home when the platelets start dropping less and less. I'm shooting for Saturday!!! GOOOOO JACK!!!!!!!

"Jack, Day of Life 9"

2008-10-18T19:53:00.000-07:00

This kid is always smiling, he doesn't mean to, but he does it all the time..........
This is another Jack face that we see on a daily basis.................
and another....................
and another! Lots of cute faces on one little boy.
Whenever the doctors do rounds they always say, "Jack, day of life...(whatever)". I think it sounds so formal and goofy. Today while Joe and I were there he got his blood drawn for his twice daily platelet count. I never asked how they did this. I just assumed they drew blood out of one of his IV's. NO, they stick his heel and squeeze it and drops of blood come out. SOOOOOOO sad. But he's such a brave boy that he just kinda squirms around. He hardly ever cries. We were still there when the findings of that test came back and his count had gone up 5000. So that's good! But I'm not going to hold my breath that they will raise again the next time they do the test. I'll find out when I go tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. Today was a good day!!

Baby Jack Day 8

2008-10-17T22:36:00.000-07:00

This is what Jack Jack does best!! SLEEEEEEEEP!!!!!
He is our little Jedi Warrior. He is soooooo tough! But this one sleeps on the job.
He's so used to us taking close-up photos that he's starting to get brave and reach at the camera (the best a 7 day old can)
So, I originally tried to post this when we got home from the hospital at 11pm last night, but I fell asleep holding the laptop. Thursday I think I mentioned that he had to get another platelet transfusion. His count went from 47,000 to 42,000. And you think, hey, that's lower than what he started at, that's not right. Well, you ARE right!! So, we're thinking that MY blood (antigens) pretty much don't like anybody's platelets! Rrrreeeer!!! Hisssss! I have angry blood!!! So, he needed another platelet transfusion immediately following that one Friday morning. Which they added something to it that either protects his platelets from mine or it fights against mine to make the transfusion work better. His count went back up to, I think, around 152,000, which is a good range to be at, and it's 4 am and I just called the nurse and they had only dropped to 147,000. Sounds like they might be dropping at a slower rate now. We'll see......... Tomorrow....(technically TODAY)....is a whole new day.

Jack Day 7

2008-10-16T21:21:00.000-07:00

Joe thinks he's a photographer now. He takes the funniest close up shots you've ever seen. Most of them get deleted.
Jack really dislikes getting bugged. Especially to get a blood pressure reading or to take his temperature. He just cries and cries.
Jack holding Daddy's finger.

So little baby Jack's platelets are not cooperating. He had to get another transfusion this afternoon and they said he can't go home until his platelets stay at 100,000 for 5-7 consecutive days. They had dropped to 42,000, which is VERY low. When he was born he had 9,000 which is CRITICALLY low. A normal person has about 150,000 to 250,000 platelets. They are doing a lot of blood work and tests on him all the time. When he was born Friday and they had taken him to Primary's, the pediatrician had my blood drawn to run some tests on me and my platelets. They told me today that my blood makes anti-bodies against his platelets and basically has been eating them my whole pregnancy. He also might have a problem in his bone marrow where platelets are made. He's making red and white blood cells, but they are not sure if it's making platelets. He could possibly have Hemophilia. Or some other coagulation problem. It could honestly be about 100 different things so it may take time to pin it down. Until then we'll continue to drive up there everyday, and sometimes twice, until we can take him home.

Jack Day 6

2008-10-15T22:24:00.000-07:00

Now that he's done being jaundice, and out from the lights, we can finally dress him in some onsies. This one is my favorite because Grama bought it for him.
BIG YAWN!!!!
What a funny face he's giving.......
Joe gave him his bath tonight. As you can tell Jack didn't like it. But he sure is cute when he cries. He has gained almost 5 oz. and now weighs 7 pounds 5 ounces. What a fatty. He is still doing really well and they did another CT scan on his brain this morning, and the neurologist says nothing has changed, which is good, cause that means he hasn't had another stroke. His darn platelets keep dropping though and he might need another transfusion. Hopefully his little body will start making its' own platelets. We'll see tomorrow if they've gone down any more in the morning. Jack sure likes to eat and tomorrow they will let him eat a little more.

We sure love this guy and thank our Heavenly Father for giving us such a gift. What an awesome responsibility. We can't wait to bring him home!!!!!

Jack Jack Day 5

2008-10-14T19:27:00.000-07:00

Our first family photo. Complete with I.V.'s and everything.
This kid LOVES his Dad. He only stares like this at Joe. Do ya like Jack's HUGE double chin?
Awwwwww........CUTE
Jack just chillin' in his "crib".
Jack had a busy day today. He had his MRI/MRA done today at 9am. They had to sedate him for the exam and he slept the rest of the day until we fed him at 5pm. Don't worry he didn't starve he's on TPN which means he gets his "cheeseburgers" through his I.V.. This afternoon we got the results from the MRI/MRA. The neurologist said that he had a blood clot in his right temporal lobe of the brain and that it bled behind the blockage. The good news is is that where it happened is not a vital part of the brain. It controls his left arm and hand. He's been checked out and tested by the neurologist many times and she can't find anything wrong with his motor skills or his reflexes. He moves both arms the same. She said that it takes time to see a disability, if there's going to be one, and to start lookig for differences in his strength between the arms at about 6 months of age. If there is a big difference than we would do another MRI. If not than at one year old.

Jack Day 4

2008-10-13T22:09:00.001-07:00

A proud Grama. Today was a good day. They put off doing the MRI/MRA until tomorrow. That ment we could play with him all day.
They also allowed him to start eating today. It was soooo funny because he was so excited to eat that while he was eating he forgot to BREATHE!!!!! SOOO funny!
Little Buddy
Daddy feeding him. He's gained 2 oz since he'sbeen there.

Jack Day 3

2008-10-13T05:48:00.000-07:00

My little boy is very particular when it comes to sleeping. He HAS to have his little hand fanned out on his cheek like that. OR he has it in a fist up against his cheek. If you move it he puts it right back. So yesterday, and Joe could explain this better than me, because he is not eating, doctor's orders, they started him on TPN. Which is food through the vein. They ruled out that he has a bacterial infection and discontinued his anti-biotics. They are 99% sure he has a virus. So we are still waiting on lab work to find out which one. He gets an MRI/MRA of that spot on his brain Monday afternoon and that should help them figure out what virus it is.
Joe and I went back last night around 9 pm and he was getting his diaper changed and he was awake and looking around. Joe and I got to hold him and play with him. I can't wait to bring him home bacause this little guy is going to breast-feed VERY well. He's only 3 days old and has mastered the binki and opens his mouth REAL wide when you give it to him. He just goes to town on it. He sounds like Maggie Simpson on the Simpson's. Pretty funny!
Oh ya, and in that first picture he has a faux-hawk. He's got such cute hair. He's gonna need a hair cut in a few months!!!

Update on Jack Taylor

2008-10-11T19:55:00.000-07:00

I am tired. I can barely keep my eyes open. I think I've slept 5 hours in the past 3 days..But I don't know for sure...What day is it by the way?

I (Joe) spent all day at Primary Children's with Jack. They ran multitudes of blood studies, took a spinal tap, did a ultrasound and a CT scan of his brain, did an X ray of his abdomen, and have 2 I.V.'s, an art line, a ng tube placed in his stomach, and an ekg and pulsoximeter hooked up to his little body. They've had him under a light for a lot of the day to help prevent jaundice, from bilirubin in his blood stream...So here's what we know. Not much.. The don't know list would take up the rest of this post, so I'm not going there.. The Ct scan revealed a little lesion on the right side of his brain. They cant tell us exactly how big, or how he could be affected by it. His platelet count was 300 after his transfusion yesterday, and it stayed there, ruling out most autoimmune disorders we were worried about. So most likely its some kind of a virus they think.

Jack acts like a normal super smart, super cute baby! He doesn't seem to have any brain damage, but you can never really tell until later in life. I find myself staring at this little angel with such intense love, that I never new a love like this could exist for a person that Ive only known for 24 hours. Absolutely AMAZING!

Mom (Megan) was able to come over to Primary's and see Jack for a few hours today. She was ecstatic to see him, and finally see his face without his eyes swollen, and all washed up and clean. It was a fun couple of hours, until alas she had to go back to Alta View for some pain meds.

We still don't know how long Jack will stay in the hospital for, but a week is what were kind of thinking. He ate a little of moms milk today, and seemed happy ... He is a very mellow kid (thank goodness)hardly cries, and snorts when he does cry. We both just cant wait to get him home..Megan will be released tomorrow from Alta View, and we'll head strait up to Primary's...Keep little Jack in your prayers...Thanks to all of those that have helped us thus far.....

What A long Strange Trip Its Been!!

2008-10-10T20:19:00.000-07:00

On 10/10/08 at 8:00 Am we were happy to see the arrival of Jack Taylor Gardner! Megan gave a vaginal birth after being induced 16 hours earlier for decreased fetal movement. She had an epidural soon after her water was broken and she started to have some really painful pitosin induced contractions.
We are so excited to finally see our Jack!! We think he is the cutest baby in the world! He has megans eyes and mouth, and his dads nose and HAIR!!! Lots of it. He is 7 lbs and 20 inches.
Soon after he came we recieved a phone call from his pediatrician. Jack was being prepared to be sent by ambulance to primary childrens. He had a cbc and his platelette count was 9..Normal is 200. He was in big danger of bleeding to death. So I went with him to primary's, they couldnt get access, so they had to use the vein in his ambilical cord to give him platelettes.
After talking to the neonatologists, thye dont really know whats wrong with him. He may have an auto immune dissorder, a virus, or bacterial infection. Either way our little guy si gonna be up at Primary Childrens Hospital for at least a week. What a bummer, we just wanted to take him home to his nursery and hang out :(

2008-10-05T20:12:00.001-07:00

STILL NO BABY!!!!!

Just a little hike

2008-09-28T19:12:00.000-07:00

We went to Millcreek Canyon tonight for a little stroll in the Fall foliage. It was absolutely beautiful. We haven't been up on the Pipeline trail since May. Pretty sad! It did my spirits some good to be in nature. Sitting around waiting for Jack to come has become taxing on my mental well-being. As I'm sure everyone out there who has been prego knows what I mean.
Me and Joe (and Jack).
I had NO idea that my belly was that out-of-control. Why didn't someone tell me?! Oh ya, Joe did. Only everyday!! You kinda loose perspective after a while. You just think, "Oh, it can't possibly get bigger than this". Then it does. So sad! What's even worse is when you grow out of your maternity clothes. I've resorted to wearing Joe's biking t'shirts that he's gotten at races. Oh well. Soon I'll be wearing all my normal clothes. RIGHT??!!

Another false alarm!! Grrrrrrrrr!!!

2008-09-23T07:44:00.000-07:00

We had another false alarm Sunday evening. I had contractions all day long and by 7 pm was having them every minute. So we loaded up the puppies, dropped them off at "grama's", and flew to the hospital. (Joe was really upset we couldn't drive his car to the hospital because his goes REALLY REALLY fast and mine doesn't). When I got there they hooked me up to the machines like last time and started to monitor me. Well wouldn't ya know that as soon as we get there my contractions kind of stopped! Little Jack is playing tricks on us! So the nurse checked my cervix when we got there and once more an hour later after walking around a bit. NO CHANGE IN THE OLD CERVIX!! So all these contractions I've been having for three days did nothing to my cervix. LAME!!!!!! So I might have cried and cried out of frustration (oh and the checking of the ol' cervix isn't pleasant either). The nurse suggested I get a shot of Morphine and Phenergen to go home on. I really didn't want to but she said if I was in true labor it might bump it up to active labor, if I was in false labor it would make my contractions go away. So I thought I'd try it out. I went into the bathroom to get changed into my clothes and when I came out the nurse proceeds to tell me that she needs a butt cheek! "HA HA jokes on me, alright here's my arm". Joe says no really honey they need your butt. OUCH!! I have a small bruise there now. So Joe drove me home all "morphed" out and hysterical because I was convinced I was going to be allergic to it and was going to stop breathing any second. Joe was so awesome about the whole thing and kept reassuring me that I wasn't going to die. He helped me wash my face and brush my teeth and put me to bed. He's the best. Well, hopefully the next time I post will be the real deal.

In Labor (kind of)

2008-09-19T17:16:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been having fainting spells and I've lost some weight. So I called my doctor this morning and told them all my symptoms and they told me to go to Alta View hospital and be admitted to Labor and Delivery to be monitored and have some non-stress tests done. So I drove myself there and got admitted. They hooked me up to the machines and I hung out for about half an hour. In the mean time Joe had come from work and my parents were there too. After being monitored for a short time the nurse came in and said that I was having contractions every 2 minutes. I said, "oh that's what a contraction feels like, well I've been having those all week". Pretty funny I didn't know what a contraction felt like until someone told me. So they checked me and I was 50% effaced and dilated to a 1. So they had me walk the halls with Joe and then they checked me an hour later and no change in my cervix. So they sent me home and said if my water breaks or the contractions get so bad I can't stand, then to come back. So I'm kinda in labor and kinda not! We'll see. But I think he'll come some time this weekend. Oh, and I'm only 36.5 weeks along!! Yikes!!!!

Random pics and thoughts

2008-09-11T17:39:00.000-07:00

So this is Jack's shelf that hangs on his wall. It has all the essential things a kid could want. It has monkeys hanging around, biking books, even better there is a book about a monkey who bikes (Curious George).
We finally put up Jack's name on the wall. We don't know how to hang things straight so we purposefully hung them ski-wom-pas. Under his name there are some dolls called "Ugly Dolls". Each one comes with a story about them and they are so ugly that they are cute, sort of like our pugs!
This is my nursery chair that we have out in the loft and the fat pugs seem to think that it is solely THEIR chair. That's why I have a blanket up there because they shed. Whenever I can't find them I just come up stairs and low-and-behold, there they are, sitting in MY chair!! FATTY'S!!
Last, but not least, here is the beast itself, my belly. It's so big that it has its' own zip code. Over the last few weeks I have, as so my husband has, developed insomnia. I'm usually up around 2 am and go back to sleep around 4-ish. What do I do you wonder? Well, I have arranged and rearranged Jack's room, closet, and drawers many times. I put together cute outfits and lay them in his crib. I read my book on nursing. But my FAVORITE thing to do is lay in bed and listen, AND LAUGH, at Joe talking in his sleep! Oh man! One night I almost wet myself laughing at him, which woke him up, then he was up for a couple hours with insomnia.

I am currently 35 weeks and some days. My doctor says when I'm 37 weeks I can start walking again. I can't wait!! Fall is my favorite season and I haven't been able to do anything but sit in my house or on the porch. Also, at my O.B. appointment on Monday my Doctor "checked" me to see if I was dilated. OH MY GOSH!!!!!!! That hurt so bad I thought I might pass out!! I feel REALLY good about my decision to have an epidural now and I hope the next time he "checks" me I'm on drugs or unconscious! Love my doc, but I think I'll have to hurt him if he does that again.

Another Shower!!

2008-08-27T02:05:00.000-07:00

This was a funny game we played. There were 10 diapers filled with melted candy bars and you had to guess what they were. They looked like real poopy diapers!!! (as you can see)
One of the only pictures that looks good of me and it's from the side! You don't realize how chubby your face gets until you see photos! And my cute husband keeps reassuring me that I don't look bloated in the face. Cute husband, I think I'll keep him!
This is a sock monkey that my cute cousin Liz made for me. I love monkeys and Jack is going to love them whether he wants to or not!!!
Here be all my loot! Man I got good stuff! My aunt and her daughters did such a wonderful job putting the shower together and it really was an unforgettable night. They put a lot of time and effort into making it perfect for me. Thanks guys!!!!!

P.S......I am doing this post at like 3 a.m. because I have insomnia. So you cute girls out there who have yet to get to that wonderful 3rd trimester, just wait! I guess this is preparing me to be up all night with baby Jack.

Can you say HORMONES!!!!! Wa-Hoo!!

2008-08-22T07:11:00.000-07:00

Last night the neighborhood girls, that are all prego, threw a baby shower for each other. Well, mostly it was Kacey, thanks Kacey!!!!! She did really cute invites and brought party favors. We all went out to Red Robin and it was funny to have 6 prego's at one table and I don't think our waiter knew what to do with us. Afterwards the girls came over to see Jack's room and that's where that picture was taken. It was a fun night and I can't wait until all our little ones come and we can all play together all day long!!

Whoa Nelly look at that Belly!!!!

2008-08-20T20:54:00.000-07:00

Megan's belly was looking particulary large this evening. I just had to snap a few pics of this thing!! I do have to admit though, I've seen a lot of pregnant women in my day, and my Meg is by far the Hotest looking pregnant woman I've EVER seen!! Keep it up hun...What do you all think about her Tummy???

BABY JACK!!

2008-08-05T18:41:00.000-07:00

Here is our little Jack Jack. We just got back from Fetal Studio where we got to watch him move around for a while. He wasn't very active but he did yawn and move a little. He weighs 3.34 pounds and has lots of dark hair and BIG chubby cheeks. He is so stinkin' cute. He looks like Joe. When he finally gets here I'll have to compare these photos to what he really looks like.

BABY SHOWER!

2008-07-30T06:08:00.000-07:00

Here be all my loot!! I got all kinds of cool stuff! We played this really fun game where we had to answer questions that Joe had been asked earlier, by his cute sister Meg, and we had to guess what his answers were to each question. The funniest one, I thought, was when Joe was asked what would be the hardest thing about having a new baby? And we all thought he would say, "Having more patience", or "Not being able to bike when I want", but no, his answer was......"Getting a babysitter so we can go to a movie!!" FUNNY JOE! Joe's mom did wonderful food and I am so greatful for the gals that put it together for me. Thanks!
This is my pimpin' jogger/car seat combo I registered for. My cute mommy got it for me. I am super spoiled!! Yay!! I can't wait to use it. LIKE THE BELLY?!!
IT'S A BOY!!!!!!

Random Pictures

2008-07-25T06:29:00.001-07:00

Our pugs are super naughty all the time. They love to wrestle and make alien noises while they do it.

Here is my cute family snuggling on the dog bed. Sooooo CUTE!!!

Joe and I went to the Days of '47 Rodeo the other night. We were hoping to get a picture of the background but it didn't work. But if you look closely you can see a man in a cowboy hat. It was such a riot!! They had really good hot dogs and Coke! Mmmmmmm....

I Like Big Bellies and I Can Not Lie!!!!

2008-07-20T09:54:00.000-07:00

Here is an update on "the belly". I am almost 28 weeks. I can't wait to see the little guy. Joe had a dream last night that he did my c-section and that he made a really weird incision. He said that if I really need one that to NOT have him do it! Ha Ha!!!

The Perfect 10 Bike Race

2008-07-13T09:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Joe had a bike race up in Park City at the Silver Lake Lodge in Deer Valley. It went for ten hours and which ever team did the most laps would win. It was a 7 mile loop with 1000 feet elevation climb every loop. Joe's race partner was Mike (the one in the fancy pink jersey) and they came in 8th place!! It was so much fun to sit under the canopy and watch the race, and people, and eat lots of yummy food!!! My parents came up and Joe's brother, Jason, was on another team with one of his buddies. The boys got massages after they were done too. Lucky!! It was a GRAND ol' time!!!

Sun Valley on the 4th of July

2008-07-07T16:28:00.000-07:00

For our trip of the summer Joe and I went to Sun Valley Idaho with my parents and the dogs. One of the days we drove to Red Fish Lake and walked around and the boys fished and the dogs fetched for sticks in the lake. The lake is the clearest blue and the cleanest lake I've ever seen. One of the other days the boys took the ski lifts and biked downhill. After their first run we met them at the bottom and we all rode up the lift together to where there was a restaurant and had burgers with them for lunch. Then my mom and I rode down the lift and the boys continued on their bikes down the mountain. The night of the 4th of July we watched the fireworks from our hotel and they were amazing! My mom and I did a lot of walking around and going in the shops and we all did lots of eating at yummy places for dinner!! My favorite thing was when just Joe and I walked around town Sunday morning before we left and started planning our next trip. This has always been one of our favorite trips to take and we can't wait to go back with our baby next year.

The Gardens at Thanksgiving Point

2008-06-28T15:01:00.000-07:00

Today Joe and I went to see the gardens at Thanksgiving Point. I highly recommend going. It was so beautiful! And hot!! We got lots of ideas of what we would like to put in our yard next year. They have huge waterfalls there at the end and we got a few good pictures of them as well as the rest of the gardens.

North Shore Opening

2008-06-27T18:10:00.000-07:00

We went to the grand opening of the North Shore development in Daybreak today. It was very hot and food was the only thing on our minds. We decorated cupcakes and had cheesecake and also a yummy salmon Cesar salad. Mmmmm good! The houses are pretty cool and it might have been more interesting if we were actually in the market for a new house. But it was still fun(and hot; did I mention that??)

My Belly, The Dogs and Joe's Bike

2008-06-26T17:05:00.000-07:00

That's what my belly looks like today. Also, Joe got his beloved Jeff Jones bike today. He didn't think he'd ever get it, because it costs as much as a Harley Davidson, so he's pretty excited! I'm excited because I can stop hearing about it every 5 seconds. Yay!!

OUR FUTURE MT BIKER!!

2008-06-24T08:34:00.000-07:00

Here is the 2D ultrasound of our baby we had done at 15 weeks. Joe and I are so impatient that we went to Fetal Studio the second we could to find out what sex the baby was. Also, here are some pictures of what his room looks like as of now, we still have a lot to add but it's cute already! We can't wait to be parents!!! Oh and that's what he looks like inside my belly!

Our Home

2008-06-24T07:37:00.000-07:00

This is our beautiful house that we moved into last December. Great Christmas present! The yard is bigger than our last home so we had to buy a lawn mower, finally, (no more push mower for us). They just got done building the park in front of our house and I can't wait 'til our little guy gets big enough to play on it!!

A Daybreak morning stroll

2008-06-22T10:23:00.001-07:00

This morning we took our pugs Mugzie and Otis for a morning stroll. Even though it was only 70 degrees the pugs thought it was 100!! We really love the trails here in Daybreak, the trail starts around the corner from our house and goes for miles all the way to the new under construction temple and all around the lake which they are extending even more. The pugs played in the sprinklers and rolled around in the grass and they are sleeping and snoring now. There are tons of beautiful wild flowers all over the trails(we were bumbed because they had the water feature turned off so the pugs couldn't play in it).