Way Past Due

I look back over the last 6 months and am blown away that Thanksgiving is next week and Christmas will only be a month away. Along with the holidays, it blows my mind that Greyson is now 9 months old and we have been home for 7 months. And Ashlynn is now 8..YES 8. I have an 8 year old. Oh and we have made two house payments already, are all settled in but still have not painted. OMG!!! All these thoughts rambling in my mind could go on forever!! So much as gone on since I last blog backed in JULY! Gosh back then it was hot, we were so digging our central air and now...we woke up this morning to our first SNow and the heater is on all the time!! I guess I need to sit back and tell myself that it is not good for the soul and my readers that I throw so much out at one time because who knows is all this rambling is or going to make since by time I am done!!

First Topic of Business: House

We are loving our new house. We are pretty much settled in and are grateful to have a place that is ours. We were lucky that there wasn't a huge list of to do's with the place, but like all women, we have our own no matter what. Painting has been at the top of my list, but hasn't gotten done yet. I think I know what colors I want. I so want the job to be done, but not looking forward to the mess and hassle of getting it done. I would so love for someone to show up on my door step and get it done for me. It wouldn't be so bad, if the colors on some of the walls weren't ready for Christmas.(I will try to post a picture)

Topic Two: Ashlynn Paige

Who turned 8 years old on the first of November. I can so rem' the evening before my water broke the next morning. We lived in American Falls, Idaho, Jay was out on duty (we were in law enforcement in Idaho and Jay worked for the county as a road deputy...crazy law enforcement to mining!!) It was Halloween night, every foggy and cold as I was home alone watching TV thinking, so I am so glad that my little one will not be born on Halloween and that her birthday will be a few weeks at least from a holiday. My due date was Nov. 9th, but you always hear that your first baby is late. The next morning Jay is in bed and about 6 am I really had to go pee. I so got up and went and went and went and went.....crawled back in bed. Gosh, must not of gotten up 10 times that night like I normally did. By 6:30am I had to go again and I rem' thinking gosh Jimi....as I step the to the foot of our bed....GUSSSSSSHHHHHHH!! My water broke. I'm try shake Jay to get his attention as he is out hard core from a busy night at work. All in all, we got to the hospital about 9 am.....it was so foggy and the frost on the jeep was not in our favor, so we couldn't just get in and go. I hopped in the shower....Jay was freaking out..what if..what if!! I figured if I had to wait around I might as well be clean and since I wasn't feeling like I had to push I was good!! :)
8 years later we are so blessed to have our daughter in our lives. She is such a SUPER big sister. I could go on and on as I did about how she came into our world, but I am thankful that we have put a bigger grin on her face with a little brother. She adores him and most of all he ADORES her even more!! She is going AWesoMe in 2nd grade and working so hard. She had perfect attendance up until her birthday, which she missed her first day (and the next day) of school because of being sick. Not the best way to spend your birthday, but we were glad to all be home with her on her special day!

Business Matter Number 3: Sir Greyson

Mister Greyson Sir....there is so much to say about him. Amazing how much he changes week to week little lone month to month. It blows my mind that he is where he is today. At 9 months old, I would say he is close to 21 maybe 22 lbs and about 30 inches long. (I am buying at least 18 month old bottoms/one pieces to make sure they are long enough for him) Those are my guesses, whether I am on or off, all I know he that he is grow way to fast. I miss those days of just holding him and watching him sleep whether is was in his crib at the hospital or the ride home from SLC. Our roller coaster ride back in Feb. seems sooooo long ago and I wonder to myself if it even happened.
Greyson is starting to get very busy and if you blink your eye he is not in the same spot anymore. He has been rolling all over the place for the past few months and just the last week or two you see him doing the army crawl. He loves to be on the floor with is toys or banging on the kitchen floor. He will pretty much eat anything you give him, but seems to love mashed potatoes. He is so cute when he picks up a snack and puts it to his mouth, but misses!! So darn cute!! He loves to slash in the bath and is getting to be a wiggle worm when trying to change him. He is not sitting up on his own yet....but getting better in just the last few days. He would much rather be on his belly where he knows he can move faster. He is full of smiles and laughter!!
He is attached to his bottle when it is time to go to sleep and such a good sleeper he is. I can't even rem' those first months of being home and having to get up and feed him a few times during the night. He is on a schedule that I can't complain about at all. He is usually up at 6:30 am, down for a nap no later then 9 am for at least 30 minutes, down again by 12pm for up to 3 to 4 hours somedays, then ready for a power nap around 4 and in bed by 7pm, maybe 8pm the LATEST!! By all means he loves to snuggle, but most of the time he is ready for his bottle and blanket in his crib.

Next Order of Business: Jay and I

Jay has been busy at work and gearing up for the cold. Winter is never fun because he has to drive 40 miles one way to catch the van, then another 45 minutes out to the mine site. I am always worried about him with the weather getting bad even more then I do on good days. I am thankful to have such a hard working husband. On his days off, it seems like I have that to do list ready for him. It seems never ending and that time always seems to run out to get everything done.
I am busy with every day life of being a mom and wife. Now that to do list is truly never ending!! I am also working part time at the schools, on top of picking up a few sub days here and there. My job is only 16 hours a week, but seems to take more out of me, but I love it!!

Last Order of Business: Our family

We are gearing up for the holiday season. We will be having Thanksgiving with my parents at our place this year. What a wonderful memory it will be! Jay and I started to get the lights and decorations up outside last week while the weather was still warm and dry, but nothing seemed to go our way, so we only got a start. Ashlynn came home from school so excited to see decorations up, but wasn't happy when I told her the lights couldn't come on until December. We look kinda funny with pumpkins on the porch still but then Christmas decorations hung!! LOL I pretty much have all the Christmas shopping done and blessed that we will have Greyson's first Christmas in our house. I can hardly wait for Christmas morning!!

In closing:
I hope that everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving next week and are as blessed as we are.

Family Memories

We had our first family photos taken on Friday by Lexi Sandru, a girly who I grew up with. She now lives in Canada with her husband and five kids. She made a trip home (1000 miles) to see her parents and while home took on photo sessions. She did an awesome job. This is just a seek peek of what is to come! She took about 500 pictures of the four of us along with my brother's family. We drove out to a canyon about 30 minutes from town that had old builds from years past! It was such a beautiful night!! We are excited to see what other memories she saved for us!!

Holy Cow Batman

Wow...is it already the end of July or close enough?? This summer is flying by and that is not a good thing. I am enjoying having Ashlynn home, even thought some days I'm going a little crazy trying to keep her entertained. Hardest part is keeping that little brain going with reading and doing work pages.....we have time I guess!! I say that then before I know it school will be starting up and we'll be looking back! Oh well, at least I can say that I have all of her school shopping done besides school supplies. I did an awesome job this summer catching sales on and off line. She found a very cute bag, lunch box and lets not forget a water bottle that all match. She is way excited to use them and of course wear her new outfits that I have had sitting in her closets with a don't touch sign on them!! LOL :)
It has been busy summer with very hot days!! We have been home pretty much since we went to Idaho last month, which is a good thing with all else going on. We have decided to purchase a house..YEAH!! We have been house hunting for awhile now both here in BM or in Winnemucca which is about a 45 min. drive from here. It is a little bigger, but has a Walmart and a few other name brand places such as fast food, auto part stores, motels, ect. It would be closer to Jay's work which would have been nice. We really debated on BM or Winn, BM or Winn, BM or Winn. Each location had their good and their bad, but somehow we decided that BM was it and we found a house we are so excited to move into. We had a very long list of "must haves" and this places has more then we thought we would have in a house of our own. It is a little smaller then we would have liked, but there is room to add on if needed down the road. It was built in 2007, but looks brand spanken new! We should be closing on or before the 20th of August, but were told we could probably close before the 13th which is even more exciting. It has been a long time coming for us, but we are excited to have a place of our own!!
I am so slacking on post pictures from our trip to Idaho and just fun ones I have taken of the kids. I promise I will get some up........

Amazing......

We got a new camera, well I did as an early birthday present, but I will share with Jay!! Anyways, we gave Ashlynn our old camera but before we did we make sure there were no pictures that needed to be downloaded and this was one of three pictures on the camera still. It brought back so many memories, feelings, emotions and wonder! Greyson was only 3 days old....my handsome little man who made me realize there are miracles and that things happen for a reason in my life. It took Jay and I 7 years to decided to have another baby and it wasn't an easy choice to say the least, but I know we were meant to bring this baby, who we named Greyson James, into the world to make us smile, make our hearts warm and most of all complete our family...now a family of 4!
Even though I don't think about our roller coaster ride we went on almost 4 months ago every day I am still very thankful for everyone who made our NICU/SLC stay great! I keep in touch with Greyson's primary nurse, Rebecca and one of this other nurses Rachel on Facebook, which is just awesome. They are very special people who I hope we never loose touch with.
We meet so many families who were on a roller coaster ride just like us, some might of been spinning more or less then ours, but we were all on the NICU ride. We met the cuties couple, Sklar and Katie who were blessed with twin boys, Falcon and Pheniox, who became Greyson's roommates in Room 6. Twins did not run on either side of the family. They discovered they were having twins at their 20 week appointment to find out the sex of what they thought was only 1 baby!! We found each other on facebook and it has been great to see the boys grow just like Greyson!! We also met a set of TRIPLETS, Gabe, Christian and Sunshine who were born in January. I read their blog for the first time the other night and WOW!! Their parents Kara and her husband have done an amazing job keeping up with 3 babies!! Some days I think it is overwhelming taking care of a 4 month old and 7 year old, but triples....oh my! One person who I would of not been able to finish the roller coaster ride without is my new friend Tina, another NICU mama! Not only is she a NICU mama, she is a very strong willed experienced NICU mama. Her son Noah River...aka, Greyson's NICU cuz...was born on December 17th at 25 weeks and spent almost 4 months in the NICU going though so much more then we did AND it was her second preemie baby. She is a stay at home mom to her 3 boys, married to a hard working man by the name of Chase who runs their family business in Idaho...why couldn't we have know each other when we lived a lot closer!! LOL I admire her strength, knowledge and milk supply....sorry Tina...the picture of the bags full of milk cups came to mind!! :) Not only did we get to know each other in a short amount of time, but we also made time to laugh, smile, cry, shop, eat (Ohhhh Red Loster) and reassure each other it was okay to have another Starbucks!! I wish we lived closer but thank heavens for texting!!

Gone for a week.....

So I ran away with the kids for the first time this past week. We hitched a ride with a friend who is from BM, but now lives in Bend, OR, which is where Jay's mom lives. We arrived on Monday night and stayed until Friday, where then we rode with Grandma Kathy to Weiser, Idaho/Ontario, Oregon area where we met up with Jay for the weekend. We had already planned to met Grandma Kathy in Idaho for the weekend anyways so it worked out great. Jay had to work all week so it was a great week to escape from dishes, laundry, mopping...housework in general and Nevada HEAT!!Our plan for the weekend was to visit Jay's dad, grandparents and other family and friends so we could introduce them to Greyson for the first time and for them to see Ashlynn once again. We usually only get that way once or twice a year so when we do it is great to see everyone.(Great Grandma and Grandpa Newkirk with Ashlynn and Greyson)

Greyson is the 4th generation of Newkirk men and will be the last one on our side of the Newkirk family to carry on the name. When Greyson was born I thought that he looked like his Great Grandpa Newkirk, and after seeing them together I can see it even more!

(Jay, Great Grandpa Newkirk, Greyson and Ken)

I have more pictures to post of the kids with Great Grandparents but they are on Jay's phone, so I will get those upload here in the next couple of days.

4 months....

I took Greyson in yesterday for his 4 month old check-up and shots. He is now up to 13lbs 6oz and 24 inches long. We can try feeding him rice cereal, which blows my mind at 4 months old! We are also able put him on regular formula because he is gaining and maintaining weight as a full term baby would be...which will be nice money wise. The formula he has been on cost $16 a can, which doesn't even last a full week. Since we have been home, March 20th, we have gone through about 24 cans.
He is such a happy little guy!! In the last week he has started "talking" and within the last 2 weeks he makes cooing sounds and hands out wonderful heart warming smiles!! Sad to think that he is out growing 0-3month old clothing and that a size 2 diaper fits much better!! He is such a great baby!! By 11am he is ready for his nap which could last anywhere from 2 to 4hours. Then by 7pm he is ready for about an hour or two nap. Then depending on our night he is back to sleep about 9pm and wakes up roughly about 1:30am and 5am for a feeding. I remember a year ago or even the past 7 years since we had Ashlynn trying to decided if we wanted to have another baby I had a hard time thinking of what life would be like! Even being pregnant I was like oh my Jimi, what are you going to do??!! But now I know our family is complete!

Start of Summer

June has shown to be a busy month already. School is out and the weather is getting hot. I am glad to not have to get up and get Ashlynn to school, but not looking forward to "What can I do!" There is plenty to do around here, but not exactly what she might have in mind!! :)
Jay and I celebrated out 11th anniversary on the 12th. He had to work, so it was just another day for the most part. Greyson also turned 4 months old on the 12th and is such a happy happy little man! He loves to smile, wiggle and starting to giggle!! He mainly hands out lots of smiles and love to his daddy and sister! He lights up listening to Ashlynn...she could read the phone book and he would smile ear to ear. She is the best big sister. As I type, he is having boppy time on the floor in her room while she is cleaning it(her idea to clean, not mine!! LOL) She is not so into changing diapers or feeding..she is more then happy to get them started, but then passes the buck!!
We plan on making a few trips this summer and the rest will happen as it comes. Our first trip is to Idaho here in a couple of weeks to see Jay's side of the family. It will be their first time meeting Gresyon, which will be great to have memories of the great grandparents holding him for the first time. Then we are thinking about going to Sea World in San Diego, which Ashlynn is way excited for!! Me too, I have to say!!
This past weekend my cousin and his wife from Salt Lake City came down for a visit and..............this is the results of our weekend. I have thought about getting a tattoo before but never knew what I wanted or where to put it. I knew I wanted the kids one way or another part of it. My first one on my right foot has an A and G in it for the kids. Can you find the A and G? Then about 30 minutes after I got my first one done, I said now the left look looks too bare!! So the next day I got my left foot done. Can you find the J in it? I am still surprised that I did it, not only on the feet but BOTH!! Some parts where tender, but it must not have been that bad to make me thinking I needed one on the other foot. People say the feet can be a very sore place to get a tattoo and my cousin who has them all over, says he will never finish the one he has started on this foot due to it being too much for him.
We kept my cousin busy, my dad got one on each arm, my sister in law got a a dragonfly on each of her shoulder blades, then my friend Heather and her husband came over and got zodiac signs of their kids. Jay was not new at the tattoo world...he got his first one about 4 years ago and has wanted another one for a few years now. The cross was his art work from this weekend. We only live once!



Right Foot..1st Tattoo Left Foot...2nd Tattoo Jay's 2nd Tattoo
Can you see the A and G? Can you see the J?

What a busy crazy family we have been around here lately!!
Ashlynn finished her first season of softball off and did a great job. I know she is young but I wish she was more serious about playing and learning the game. I think she would really enjoy it and would be good. She is now a 2nd grader!! She had such a great year in 1st grade and did AWESOME!! We are so proud of her!! Now we will see what the summer brings for her and how we can keep her entertained!!
Greyson is still growing like a little weed. We had to take him back to the doctors this week for acid reflux..finally the doctor listened to me and didn't tell me again that we were over feeding him!! A mother knows best right??!! Poor little guy is not feeling well from the reflux and has a nasty sounding cough. He is up to 12lbs 9 oz and has to go back on the 16th for his 4 months...YES 4 months shots and a check up on the reflux.
Jay again is is busy working hard for us and we enjoyed having him off for his 7 days. He ended up having some dental work done so the last part of his 7 off wasn't much fun for the poor guy. My dad, brother and Jay finally all had the same days off to make a trip out on the 4 wheelers.
I am busy as ever!! I have been sewing...made Ashlynn a rag blanket like Greyson's, which I will have to post some pictures! Got material to make my niece one for her birthday!! Tonight I scrapbooked and made a few fun things for bonco. I miss being creative and you would think
I would have a time to get it done...yeah right!!
We have been looking at buying a house but can't decide if we want to stay here in BM or move to Winnemucca. We have looked at a few houses and of course the ones you really like are the more expensive ones!! Go figure huh!! Such a hard task!!

Just a few recent pictures of the kids!

I did it...but don't look too close!!

Back Side: Edges are ragged

Front Side

For those that know me I am crafty but sewing is not one of my top things to do when I am feeling crafty! For one I don't have the patience, the littlest things get to me. I hate it when the bobbin runs out of thread or I thread the machine wrong!! Ugggg! Second, I can't sew straight to save my life so my pieces are never even and perfect. Third, I hate instructions...I would rather do it my way,but with sewing I am not that talented to do it my way like I can with scrapbooking.
But now being a stay home mom who has gotten addicted to blog searching, running across cool things made with fabric and a sewing machine...I have had this itch to make something. A square rag quilt was on the top of my list. They are so cute and after looking them up, they look easy to make. Something I could make for sure. But then I ran across this straight stitch and cut rag quilt... I was all over it.
Don't look too close or you will bust up laughing at my skills. LOL :) I love being able to put the colors and designs of fabric together and looking at all the awesome fabric that is out there. I so could get addicted to fabric...it is like scrapbook paper...you want one of everything!!
It measures about 46inX36. Ashlynn says she gets one next, which should be pretty easy now that I know what the heck I am doing..or think I know what I am doing. :)

Another week gone

Now that I am a stay at home mom, my days and weeks fly by. It seems like I am rolling my eyes and letting out a sigh because tomorrow is Monday and before I know it, it is Thursday. For those that don't know, the kids go to school Monday to Thursday here and have a 3 days weekend, which I love!! Now if we could get Jay on the same schedule we would be set!! LOL
Ashlynn only has like 10 days left of school before summer break. It will be so nice not to HAVE to get up and going in the mornings, but I hope that we can stay busy enough that she does not become bored. I really want to work on math and reading this summer with her. I can't believe that she will be in 2nd grade next year...blows my mind. She tells me all the time, when I am 14 years old Greyson will be 7 like I am now. REALITY CHECK!! :)
I have been busy spring cleaning and making messes for myself to have to clean up. I just wish my house could stay organized! I have so many things I want to work on such as scrapbook and make a rag quilt for Greyson, but the thought of having to clean it up makes me pass on the idea of even getting started.
Jay is enjoying his days off with us and he is such a good daddy. Greyson just loves to smile at him! It is a wonderful sight to see. He has been busy at work and trying to fit in a few over time days, which I am very thankful for.
Greyson James is growing like a weed!! He turned 3 months yesterday and is close to 12 pounds I would guess. On top of school, Ashlynn has softball about 3 nights a week. I love to go watch her, but wish she had more drive. She enjoys it, but she doesn't ENJOY it! I have adventured out more with Greyson and her games give me the chance to get him out, but not too exposed!

Busy! Busy!

Greyon is up to 11lbs 3 oz + now!!


Ashlynn on the bumper cars. I finally gave in
and took her to the carnival. I just think they
are dirty, but she had a GREATTTT time!!


Halle, Brynnlee, Ashlynn, Jalen Devin and Gabe
The crew that was ready to hit the rides! They
had such a great time!!


This is my nephew, Rylan who I don't
believe I have posted a pictures of before.
He is 3 months older then Greyson and
is such a happy guy!


Ashlynn Paige...1st grade spring
school picture! I can't believe that
she will be going to 2nd grade next
year! Wow...they grow up too fast!

Quit & Simple= Wonderful Day

I am lucky to hear "mommy" from these two beautiful children of mine.


My Mother's Day consisted of the three of us hanging out at home doing nothing on the "to do list" or having to be here or there at this time. Jay was working graves so he was sleeping but wasn't they only one who got to catch up on sleep. Greyson and I took a good nap together with Greyson on my chest as Ashlynn played barbies. It was nice to just be home and most of all together with my two children!

4.2.10....Snuggling in Ashlynn's bedding!!

4.3.10.....one way to Greyson's heart is a warm bath!

Ashlynn is always by his side!

Greyson is starting to show his little self....he loves to look around and starting to smile!

Still loves to nap!

GJN

Greyson James
2.12.10

Our roller coaster ride began Super Bowl night, which seems so long ago. Monday morning we called the doctor office, which is an hour away from us, to find out if we could get an appointment to make sure things were okay due to having cramps that night. I never experienced strong enough contractions to know what they were with Ashlynn, so I was thinking this is what they feel like. I got to know the true meaning of contractions as we drove over to Elko when they got about 5 minutes apart. After experiencing contractions for a total of about 13 hours that day they ended about 2 to 3 minutes apart at a pain level 9 to 10.
We were care flighted to Salt Lake City, University of Utah Hospital on that Monday. They were able to stop the contractions about 11pm Monday night until Thursday night when they started up again. My family all came down that week while I was in the hospital and had just left Thursday. My mom was going to stay with me since Jay had to return back to work after being off a month for a minor surgery. Everyone headed back to BM on Thursday thinking we wouldn't have the baby for a few more weeks. About 11pm on Thursday, the contractions came back and a few hours later Jay and Ash were back on the road. We were not too sure if Jay would make it in time because things were happening so fast again. After many more hours of contractions, Jay and Ash got there just in time. We were off to the OR to have this little guy who had not missed a beat during the past week. His heart rate stayed strong and was large for a baby at 30/31 weeks. By the time I was taken to the OR and returned back to my room was only 45 minutes! Things happened really fast and went well. I was able to have him vaginally, which is not what we had planned since we were going to have him in Elko (they will not let you have a baby vaginally if you have had a c-section in the past).

(only hours old)

It was amazing...I gave birth to our son, a 4lb 4.5oz 17. 5in long baby boy, who was rushed into the NICU seconds after being born. Within 10 minutes, we were told he was peeing all over the nurses and scored 2 9's on the agar test (10 is the best score on each of the 2 test). They were amazed that a 9 week early baby scored so good on the test! Greyson James (James is after my dad) was born at 11:10am healthy and strong for only being 31 weeks. We were given such a blessing! Greyson made his home in room 6 star 38 in the NICU. This became our home, a home I was blessed to go to everyday for the next 6 weeks. We had wonderful doctors, nurses, staff that took pride in taking care of our son. Greyson needed no assistance as would be expected for a baby so early. We only needed time to grow.
He was dismissed on March 20th weighing 6lbs 9oz. On April 12th, he turned 2 months old weighing 8lbs 13oz. He looks like a newborn baby is all. He looks so big compared to what he started out at. He is so handsome!
My due date was April 16th (my brother's birthday), with our c-section date scheduled for April 12th. It is mind blowing to think he should only be a week old, not 9 weeks old. But we are very blessed to have a healthy little man who has warmed our lives!

there has been so much that i have wanted to write about, but haven't had the time to. so let me see how fast i can ramble and get it while i have a few ticks.
monday, april 12th was our scheduled c-section date to have our little man (i know i still need to brag and introduce him). crazy to think i know! it makes me realize how lucky we are to have been able to spend the last 8 weeks getting to know him and most of all love him. we are truly blessed! it was kinda of an emotional day for me in my mind. i really thought about the whole situation and was like WOW!!
tuesday, april 13th ashlynn and all the first graders that met their ar goals were able to load up on a bus and take a field trip to mill creek. they all were on their best behavior and had a blast. they were able to marshmallows, made rock creatures, learned about smokey the bear, went on a hike to learn about the different types of plants, ate lunch and met smokey the bear! jay stayed home with greyson and i was lucky enough to go with ashlynn. it was a lot of fun. my cell phone died so i was not able to get any pictures, which bummed me out!
duke also go a bath on tuesday...and wow! he looked so much better!! such a handsome dog!!
wednesday, april 14th ashlynn had her first practice of the season for softball. our plan is to take a snack and a sharp pencil so she is able to do her homework and have a snack out at the field after school so we are not going back and forth with the little bit of time we have after school before practice starts. even after one practice i am kinda missing not coaching. for those that didn't know i helped coach ashlynn and brynnlee's tball team last year!!
well this gets me caught up for a few days. there is so much else that happened this week, but time to go get in the shower and start our day! i hope you all have a wonderful day yourselves!

April 10th 13 years ago.....

As I sit here working on my blog today, with today's date staring me in the face....it finally comes to me. Today, April 10th, was the day that Jay asked me to marry him. I can replay the whole event in my head, he's not very creative so all the details are easy to remember!! LOL
We were living in Twin Falls, Idaho at the time in our apartment on Washington Street. We had been ring shopping earlier in the year and the ring sat in my "wedding planning box" until he was man enough to ask me. He thought that just because we bought the ring meant his job was done. All of us girls want the most thought out romantic proposal, right? Well I got a proposal, which totally fit Jay.It wasn't the most creative and thought about proposal, but he did get on one knee to ask.
We had an appointment that day to get our pictures taken and was looking forward enjoying the weekend with my brother and Kathy who were coming from Pocatello. As I was getting ready for pictures, I brought up the idea of how cool it would be for these pictures to be our engagement pictures...hint!! hint!! So Jay went and got the rind and placed the box in my hand and said said will you marry me.....WHAT? Come on Jay. So with this look of "okay" and a smile on his face he got on one knee. I knew that was the best he would do!! But I would take it!!
We will be married for 11 years on June 12th!

Look at that cute Bunny tail!!

I love these two so much! Their first holiday together!

Greyson's First Easter!

HOppY EaStER AsHlYnn

My beautiful niece, Brynnlee and my oldest newphew Jalen!

Where did it go?

Today is Saturday, which means back to reality on Monday. It always seems like your time off goes by so fast, but the work days drag on and on! It worked out well because Jay's 7 off hit during Ashlynn's Spring Break so we were all able to have a week at home together. Grandma Kathy, Jay's mom, came down from Bend, Oregon to spend the week with us and meet Greyson for the first time. It was nice to be home, but even though it was Spring Break and days off for everyone, I still had work to do. Housework such as sweeping, mopping, laundry, cooking, dishes all had to get done, so it wasn't much of days off for me. I enjoyed spending time with everyone, but look forward to the quit days of just Greyson and I!!

The Easter Bunny was very kind to Ashlynn and Greyson. I bought them bigger baskets this year and I think I got them a little too big. The EB had to have Jay run down to the store at 10pm to grab a few more things for Ashlynn's basket because it had a lot of empty space. The baskets did not look THAT big in the store, even thought I knew they were large. Oh well! I enjoy buying for their baskets and stockings at Christmas time. I love to pick up little personal items or things that just strike me. It will be fun buying for Greyson.
Ashlynn is getting at that age where she is questioning the holiday main characters. She didn't so much this Easter, but this past Christmas she really asked questions. I bought these glitter sticks from the dollar store for her stocking and a few months after Christmas she noticed a Made in China sticker on them. She drilled us about why is there a Made in China sticker on it, if Santa made it! No matter what, it has been fun watching her wake up with excitement on those holiday mornings and I look forward to many more with BOTH of my kids!!

RMH

When the social worker at the hospital tells you that there is a place by the name of the Ronald McDonald House, which will provide a roof over your head and a meal on the table, you might have mixed thoughts in your head. I know I did. I remember agreeing with her, thinking oh great! I had this vision in my head that was unclear as to whether I wanted to look into it more or just fork out bucks to stay somewhere else. I quickly asked people on facebook what they knew about the RMH and got nothing but good information about it, but was still like hum.....
It was not until that Sunday when I got discharged from the hospital that I had a chance to really see what a RMH is and what it provides and would be providing for me for how knows how many weeks ahead. Granted I knew it could not be picky especially when I was only paying $15/night or $105/week, but I was still questioning whether or not this was a good idea or not.
I quickly discovered that this place was clean, the people were nice and that I was not the only one who had a child in the hospital. Our room, 101, was this small bedroom across from the kitchen, with sage green walls with a closet, two twin beds, a nightstand and a bathroom with a stand up shower. That was it! It felt like a college dorm room and my mama was my roommate!! LOL Over time, it became my home. A place I looked forward going to each night to lay my head and rethink the days events. A place that welcomed me with open arms and was stable enough to provide me food each night along with any other meals I might have needed, a midnight snack, a pop for only $0.25 as I headed out for the day. THIS WAS MY HOME for 6 weeks and a place a I was sad to leave because I had needed it over this journey.

One way the RMH is able to keep the cost down is by donations such as money, supplies, food and pop can tabs. Yes, pop can tabs! Something so small and so easy to save helps keep the cost down for those families, such as mine, while in the time of need and so far away from home. I would ask for everyone to start saving the tabs after they enjoy a drink. It is such a simple way to give back to a place that helps so many families each day.
I have decided on saving Greyson's formula can to decorate and give away for saving tabs. It has crossed my mind to look into doing a tab drive at the schools next year or even to be able to place a can in the teacher's lounge or in your break room at work. I think of how many can a Bar tosses on a busy weekend....! I am willing to go around and collect the tabs from the cans and get them to a RMH. Or if you save them at home, give me a jingle and I will come grab them from you and get them to a RMH. I just think something so easy would be a nice way to give back.
If you have any ideas or would like a can (got to give me time to save them up) leave me a comment.

Who would have thunk it? I surly didn't!!

A New Title

As I sit her holding Greyson (who I will brag about soon) I am trying to watch all the episodes of Private Practice that I have missed over the past 2 months. Parts of the episode aired on 2.18 brings back so many memories of the roller coaster ride that I have recently come off of. What a ride it was and one that will be etched in my mind forever. The realization that I am (was) a NICU mom is a title I thought I would never add my list of names such as daughter, sister, sister in law, aunt, granddaughter, wife, friend and mommy.

My new title was given to me at the University of Utah on 2.12 when I was blessed to give birth to our son Greyson James. I worn my "Mommy NICU Crown" as I sat by his crib each day blessed to have a healthy little man who needed time... time to grow is all. For the next 6 weeks (2.12 to 3.20) I was lucky enough to be able to be present every day...to watch him grow, watch him meet his goals, watch him turn into the little man Jay and I have created together. I am lucky to have a wonderful husband who returned back to work Greyson was only 6 days old to provide for our family..our new family of 4!!

There is so much to be thankful for as I look back on the roller coaster ride we have been on. Most of all, Ashlynn, who is such a great big sister and a role she has been wanting to be for so long. She was so strong through this all and was so patient for the day she was able to see Greyson for herself in person and not through pictures. Ashlynn was able to meet Greyson for the first time the day (3.20) he was discharged from the hospital. She left a prayer in the pray box in the Hope Chapel on the second floor and her pray came true 6 weeks later. She told grandma, "This is the happiest day of my life!"

I am thankful for my family. My brother and his family for helping with Ashlynn as we rode this ride. I don't know what we would have done without their help and knowing Ashlynn was being take care of. The miles they traveled to support us before and after Greyson was here. My dad, who also helped with Ashlynn, but who is honored that Greyson is named after him. He lived bachelor hood for the majority of the time while my mom stayed with me. He also was willing to drive the miles to make sure everyone got to where they needed to be. My mom, who put in as many hours as I did at the hospital and away from home. Together we learned hospital lingo and how to get around SLC. She also took time to go home and take care of Ashlynn while Jay had the time off to be with me. Travis and Melanie, Jay's cousin that lives in Lehi, UT. They were kind enough to let me use their car so that I could get back and forth on my own. I don't know what I would have done without it! My cousin Billy and his wife Missy, who was willing to help us at any point, but also made us laugh.

There are so many people that work at the UofU that made this ride much easier then I could have ever imagined. Air Med crew were AWESOME and took me a ride in the beautiful sky that I don't much remember. The Labor and Delivery doctors and nurses that make me wonder how they are able to do their jobs. The care I received those 7 days I was in the hospital before and after Greyson was amazing!. A shout out to Starbucks there at the UofU.....we kept them in business...well maybe Tina did a better job at that then us...LOL!!
The staff in the NICU who in one way or another helped take care of Greyson whether we talked to them on a daily basis or not. To all of Greyson's nurses who spend 12 hours a day with our son and all the other babies doing what they do best. It was amazing the work they do each day to these little bodies that rely on them to make their days the best they can be.
Even though there are a number of outstanding nurses that took care of Greyson, his Primary nurses' Rebecca, Mairiam and Rachel are truly awesome!

Rebecca (pictured below) is this ball of fire who I was honored to have as his top primary nurse. She took pride in Greyson and looked forward to her shift knowing she would be with him (and the company of my mom and I..hehe :) She would get a kick out of the littlest things Greyson would do such as peeing on himself head to toe or laugh at his poor little cry when he would care to share it. Laughter was always in the air in room 6, which is something I wish every mom had with their child's nurse. If someone was going to know my child more then myself, I am thankful she was the one person who did. I was sad that I was not able to say goodbye and tell her how grateful I am that she was part of our journey.

Mariam was Greyson's second primary nurse who was a quite person with long brown hair who wore cute hair bands with a smile that refreshed your day. She also got to know Greyson very well and took great care of him. It is amazing that someone so young is mature enough to take care of these little babies including my son.
Rachel become a primary nurse at the end of our journey, so darn it enough, we only had her the one day. She has this spark that makes you smile and laugh as you sit by your child's crib that makes you forget that you are sitting in NICU. It was a joy to get to know her and also laugh with her just that one day. I wish we would have gotten to know her better, but thankful our journey came to an end with her in it.

I am very thankful for the Ronald McDonald House where we lived for the 6 weeks Greyson was in the NICU. I had heard of the RMH, but truly seen a place of hope after staying there each week. It cost us $15 a day with a nice fresh hot dinner each night provided by either a church group, family, business or some organization. It is amazing that these people took time to give us families a since of normal life just by cooking us dinner or providing lunch sacks we could take to the hospital. One way that the cost of the RMH is kept so low is by donating pop can tabs, which is something I will explain later in time.

There are so many people who have supported us just by keeping us in their thoughts and prayers, which means so much to us. We also would like to express our thanks to the Church of Christ and our friends Greg and Melissa.