August 2013

We had a busy summer! We've been in our house 8 weeks today - August 12. And these are the things that have happened since then.

Selling an old house and moving into a new house

Fourth of July holiday

Katie's appendix lasted 1.5 weeks 

Flu for 1 week

Alisha here 2 weeks

Evans reunion weekend

Elayna's 5th birthday

Bowman reunion weekend 

Soccer camp week

Summer classes

Elayna's 5th Birthday

Birthday cupcake from Irma!

Pretend Phones

"My Little Pony" figurine, and 8 puzzles

Katie, Celeste, Anna, and Elayna at GG's house

"My Little Pony" Figurine

GG and Grandpa Joe

Elayna's beautiful dress

Opening Presents at the Bowman's

Hugging Gracie to thank her for her present

Hugging Sadie

Hugging Celeste

Snacks at the party

Ice cream with Craig and Paula

Poor Katie!

Wednesday, July 3, Katie started complaining that her stomach was hurting. It didn't seem to stop her from doing what she wanted, and she still ate relatively normal. This continued throughout the week, off and on. Saturday, we went to Palmer's cabin in Fairview canyon. She had fun catching frogs and playing with friends. She had diarrhea a couple of times, but still, it didn't stop her from playing.
On the way home, blocks from our house, she started really complaining. And then Elayna said, " I think Katie is going to throw up!" Sure enough, as I turned to look at her, Katie's cheeks puffed, and she exploded. All over the van. Most of it landed in her skirt, but she was completely soaked. Later, since there was a bucket on the floor beside her, we discussed the proper way to throw up in a car--use something! 
We pulled over and tried to clean her off a little, but since we were right in front of yards of people we know, and because there was nothing else to do, we put her back in the car, drove home, and cleaned everything off there. We put her in the bath, Ryan and I cleaned the van, and put her in bed.

Sunday morning, Ryan and I both had queasy stomachs, so we all stayed home from church and rested. Katie didn't seem to act unusual, as far as we can remember.
Monday morning at 7 am, Katie came in and said she was sick and throwing up. She threw up all day Monday. She couldn't keep anything down. I would try 1 tsp water every 1 minute, but she threw it up withing seconds of swallowing it.
I called Michael because I was worried about her getting dehydrated. He suggested waiting 5 minutes between doses, but said maybe we should go to the doctor to get some nausea medicine. I tried the 5 minute method, but she still couldn't keep it down. I made an appointment with the doctor in the early afternoon.
By this point, Katie was completely listless. She wouldn't talk, or even move. She just lay on the couch, arm around a garbage can, looking awful. She didn't have a fever, or any other pain than in her stomach.
Dr Bott, after hearing her reactions, and observing her, put her on the examining table and felt her stomach. She was tender in the lower right area, which is where the appendix is.
Dr Bott felt that, considering the nausea and diarrhea and family members feeling ill also, she probably had a bad stomach flu. He ordered a white blood count though, just on the off chance it might be the appendix. If the count was high, we would need to do an ultrasound to look at the appendix.
We got some Zofran for the nausea, but she still wasn't keeping even water down. She wouldn't even want water or anything at this point, because she didn't want to throw it up. She was lethargic the rest of the night. She slept in my bed, and Ryan slept on the floor so she could rest.
The next morning, Tuesday, I woke up around 730, got showered, read scriptures, prayed, and got dressed. I got a phone call from the clinic around 830. They wanted to schedule an ultrasound for Katie.  (I knew right then that she had appendicitis and we would be at the hospital all day, getting it checked and removed.)
I told them to schedule it as soon as possible. I got off the phone, and started straightening the house. I put Katie in the tub, so she would feel clean. The clinic called back and said we needed to be at the Payson hospital (about 15 mins away) at 11:15.
Thankfully, Elayna had spent the night at Bowman's with her cousin Jasmine. I dropped Annalisa off there also, then we headed to the hospital. Ryan was able to take work off, thank goodness.
They did an ultrasound, which was very painful for Katie.  The technician and radiologist discussed something they saw, which, when they told us in English, was the possibility of being appendicitis. So we went back to the waiting room, until Dr Bott called. He told us the radiologist was 70-80% sure it was appendicitis, but of course they wouldn't know until they operated. Dr Bott referred us to Dr Hill, who was just in the building next to the hospital. We went over there immediately, and they saw us right away.

Wes, Dr Hill's PA, talked with us first, then Dr Hill came in. They both thought it was very likely it was appendicitis. Dr Hill said we could do a CAT scan, which would give us a better idea. Ryan and I both felt that it was appendicitis, so we just wanted him to go take it out! So on Tuesday, July 9, Katie had her appendix removed. Ryan and I bought "My Little Pony", the first season, on DVD so she could watch it while she was recovering.

It turns out that they think the appendix burst sometime over the weekend. When the surgeon got in, he said there was inflammation and infection all over. Katie had to stay in the hospital for 4 days. She was discharged on Friday, July 12th.

840 am Tuesday 

103.4 temp

White blood count

Monday-18.4

Thursday -7

Friday -6.5

May 2013

Our ward was split in April. We were put in the 5th Ward. On the 2nd Sunday there, Elayna knew the Bishop's name. Bishop Hoschouer. (Hoe shower) I could barely remember it, I have no idea how she could.


Mom was asking Anna where Elayna was, and Anna said "I don't know". Then mom said "Home?"
Anna- "No! .(thinking hard)......cool!!"
That's the first time I've heard her say school.
We Drove up to Wendy's.
Elayna said "I missed Wendy". Katie said, who? 

 Elayna said Wendy..in the moon?

I told the girls that I loved them so much, it felt like I would burst! Elayna said, "burst into candy!"

Anna says I'm a cheetah and she's a bunny. I started eating her, and she said, no, only monkeys. I clarified, only monkeys eat bunnies? Yes. 

I told Anna that we were going to her dad's work. She said will the bad men be there? I said what bad men? She said the ones with the swords that kidnapped Katie and Elayna. She seemed so convinced that it almost made me worry.

Anna:

Brave and strong because of our elbows

Taste it off? Lick the spoon. 

Dressing up as "Fiddler On the Roof" characters: 

Playing in the sand box with Irma

Elayna posing in a new outfit in front of Mom and Dad's house. 

Katie's new outfit: 

Playing at the park by the elementary school. 

Ryan built the water fountain for his Eagle Project. Also, my Grandpa Charles  helped build the bowery (covered picnic area).

Anna's hair, all curled:

I was doing work in the back yard, moving dead leaves and such. I found this little guy. We held him for a bit, but he never moved much, I think he was too cold and/or scared. 

Anna and Elayna in the swing on my parent's porch. 

Our house sold! It had been such a bother with listing it and having people come look at it. But when I saw this sign, it really hit me that we were buying our dream home! And now we needed to move all of our stuff! Agh! Panic! 

While we were showing the house, we put the girls' beds on the floor, with blankets on it, to make the room feel bigger. Elayna was very proud that she had made her bed all by herself. 

Anna sitting with me on the bleachers, while we watched Ryan play softball. Katie and Elayna played at the playground just around the corner.

Elayna reading Amelia Bedelia at Irma's house

Katie taking a nap

Anna playing on the floor

At Wendy's

My summer girl

Elayna and Anna on the back steps

Elayna, Anna, and Sadie, "painting" in the dirt

Fun and crazy hair for Anna

Play-dough "food" that Katie made for me

School stuff

Katie's class had a "Talent Show" where some children performed, and others had artwork up. This is one Katie did:

She loved this hairstyle and wanted a picture of it:

Katie's class went on a field trip to Fairview. There is a museum there with a full mammoth skeleton. It is very impressive. You can see Katie at the bottom of the picture for scale comparison:

The Fairview Museum also had a communications display. There were old phones and phone booths. Here, the children rotary-dialed the number, watched the connections being made in the glass case, and then Katie is answering the phone on the other end. The kids loved it!

Sitting in an old dentist chair.

There was a room full of displays like this. Miniature horses and carriages. This was Katie's favorite:

We also visited a fish hatchery in Fairview. There were long troughs of fish, then the guy gave each child a handful of pellets to feed the fish. The fish went crazy! The kids all started screaming too, so it was chaotic for a couple of minutes.

Elayna graduated from Preschool. She is so happy and cute! I love her expressions.

Before they graduated, they visited the Santaquin Fire Station. They got to sit on the big fire truck. 

Katie's class did some performances for her Graduation program. It was so fun and cute. I love watching my children perform.