Mother (Auntie) of 7

Well my friends, today was a doozy of a day. I spent all day down at the gym from 9:30-7:30 figuring out W-2's and wrestling my children, trying to keep them occupied, and forgetting to feed them a few times and myself, but I am proud to say that they are all done! (With the exception of one gal whom I have hit 7 dead ends trying to find her! Argh! I currently left a message with her estranged daughter who lives on the East coast  to tell her mom that she probably hasn't talked to in years to give "AIM Gymnastics a call..." Hmmm, yeah, something tells me that that's a dead end too!) But I finished, it's done and I left the gym and headed straight to Othello to become an Auntie Mum of 7 (including my 2) while I watch my sister-in-law's (and bro-in-law) kids while they vacation away (lucky ducks!) until next Monday. Man, I am using lots of ( ). Wonder what's up? Maybe I am typing like I think when I say stuff and leave it in my head.... There have been a few times when I have had to open mouth and insert foot, so maybe the ( ) are helping me. :) Tomorrow is a Gym meet at AIM and I am missing it. I feel terrible for leaving, but I had agreed to watch my nieces and nephews a long time ago. I am going to try and drive in to watch Hanna and try and help for a bit because I left my phone at home anyways, grabbed the sewing machine, but left my phone. I know where my loyalties lie I guess! Last night was the quilting class at the church that I have been so excited about. And it was a great success, I really had good fun. We are making a block a month and then putting it together at the end of the year. It will be a "sample quilt" and I LOVE my material. I wish that I had taken a picture of my finished block.

Happenings

This my friends is my daughter's new face. She loves to scrunch up her nose and make these funny breathing/panting sounds. She is also convinced that it is quite funny. This was her first sippy cup. She always tried to steal Beck's, so I gave her a go with her own and well, she threw it on the floor.... repeatedly.AS bad as a parent as I am, I need a moment every now and then and with Beck's new "room" as he calls it, I get just that and then some. Stephen finally got his dream TV, so I convinced him to move the old entertainment center into the dining room to use as storage for all of Beck's toys and then Stephen decided that Beck could also have the old TV in there and I finally said OK, so now Beck hangs out there all day. I finally got it all organized a week or two ago and he does really well cleaning it up and he knows where everything goes. I also use my dining room table to sew on, so we actually do spend a lot of time in there. Now if I could just get Pais to stop hanging onto my feet....

Stephen is outta town and I made it to 8:30 church only 7 minutes late ALL BY MYSELF! WHoo hoo for me! On Monday and Wednesdays when I teach school we are out of the house by 7:35 am, but sometimes not looking so hot and breakfast is in a baggie to go, but look out how adorable I made everyone this last Sunday? There's Pais's funny face again. Beck DID NOT want his picture taken! Also on Sunday we got a call from my little brother, Kalan, so me and the kids drove out to Othello to meet him while he was driving through back from Seattle on his way back to school in Boise. I had locked my keys in my car last week and left the Impala out there, luckily I still have my Mazda (anyone gonna buy it ever?) so I was able to go switch cars, and have lunch at Grandma Ann's and see everyone before meeting my little brother. But then I was on my way into town and I ran out of gas and while waiting for my brother-in-law, Ruben, my battery died. Then I had brought my camera out to take a picture of Kalan and the battery was dead. Yeah, not so hot of a day.... Today I subbed for a class as well as teaching my own and today was rough too, but tomorrow is a new day!I have a friend down the street that has a daughter who really wanted a Mermaid tail and this is what I came up with. The little girl's turned out so cute (although roughly made) that Alizah wanted one, and I finished it last night, but she wasn't here, so I made Beck try it on.....She was pretty excited and played "I am home in the ocean" all day today....

Very Concerned Mr Beck

While Beck was sitting in the bath tub and I was painting my toenails sitting on the floor, trying to keep the fingernail polish away from Pais, with a very concerned voice Beck says, "mom, what's happen to me?" I said, "what? what's wrong?" as I peek over the tub and see Beck looking very closely at a mole that is above his left knee. "I have poo on me," he says. I could barely control my laughter as I told him that he was ok, that nothing had happened to him, it was just a mole. Silly kid....pretty cute though....

There's Hope

There is hope in the world still. Read this article and you'll know what I'm talking about. I found it blog hopping through this gal Heather's blog. I pray that maybe I can find ways to keep pushing forward and making people smile and making live beautiful....The way our Father in Heaven intended it to be.

Paisley

Paisley had her 9 month well child check up (She is actually 9 1/2 months) but it has been concluded that she is well, small. :) Here's her stats:

16 lbs 7 ounces; 5-10 percentile

26 1/4 inches long; 5-10 percentile

head circumference is 18 inches; 75-90 percentile

Bigger their head, the bigger their brain right?

At this stage she can crawl, and is getting faster

Pull herself up next to the bathtub, coffee table... etc...

Say mama, dada, and babble a bunch of other incoherent things

Eats and loves food; tried spaghetti noodles for the first time last night

Has two teeth on the bottom

Drinks from her bottle and loves it

Sleeps all night (finally!)

Really loves Cheerios

Beck Fell....

Beck was leaning on the baby gate and it fell with him tumbling over it down the first flight of stairs. I saw a gash in his lip and blood flowing down his throat and down his mouth, so I rushed to the clinic and they got me in. I dropped Paisley off at Jessica's (Gracias!) and I was back in a flash. Dr Beaubian took one look and pretty much laughed me out of the office. I say that you can never be too careful. :)

and meanwhile, Pais loves her Cheerios.....

Plastic Bags

I resolve for the New Year to stop forgetting to use my fabric bags at Wal-Mart....

Gracias!

Here's little Beck with his red cheeks and chapped upper lip from wiping his nose every 10 seconds. Poor kid, I sneak in at night and put Vaseline on his poor lips. He can't stand his nose to be running, but he won't actually blow it, so he's just constantly wiping it and it's so raw. They both seem to just be about the same. I finally put Paisley in her room tonight and I just finished listening to her scream for 30 minutes, hopefully I leave her in her crib, so that I don't have to start all over again tomorrow night! Thank goodness for good friends! I have had quite a few friends call me and ask what they can do or what I need. Friend Kellee was at Safeway and called and asked if she could get me something one night and then picked me up some enchilada seasoning, another (JESSICA!!) brought me some "groceries!" Dinner was pizza, french bread (yummy!) a 12 pack of MOUNTAIN DEW! Potato soup.. you name it.... and some chocolates from Kathy.... Good friend are hard to find, so happy I've got quite a few around! We've been pretty cooped up, being sick since New Year's Eve, but my sister Kortni has watched them while I taught school, so I haven't gone too stir crazy. It's just so sad to see their little boogery faces and I can't do a darn thing, curse this RSV, although I count my blessings we are not in the hospital! Whoo hoo!

In fact I even made a quilt for the AIM competitive meet on the 31st to be included in the raffle... Weird pattern, huh? I just cut and sew and see how it turns out.... My friend, Kellee, doesn't necessarily like quilters like me; the ones that just "make it work." haha! You see that? I called myself a quilter.... I got a long way to go, I wonder who I think I am? :)I stole this recipe, Mandarin chicken, off my friend Bethany's recipe blog, and WAY YUMMY! I felt like I was eating at J's Teriyaki here in town. I did leave out the almonds and actual mandarin oranges. I actually kind of felt like I knew what I was doing in the kitchen. A little frustrated when I sat down to enjoy the fruits of my labors because the two sick kids wanted my attention and Beck spit out the chicken and all I wanted was to enjoy my chicken I slaved over and wash it down with my Mountain Dew..... But Pais was crying, Beck was whining, so I gulped it down, but I bet that if I were able to savor it, it would have been delicious! :)

Beck has RSV now and a "raging ear infection." Pray for me. :) I am so tired! Wish I was smart enough to take a nap....

Last Night

Last night sucked, I mean like really sucked. I lost count, but then I was trying to recount it in my head because I was so upset. I went downstairs like 4 times to get things, I woke up maybe 13-14 times to calm Beck down, wipe his nose, make sure he didn't throw up from coughing so hard, get Pais her binky/bottle and/or convince her to take one or the other instead of cry, I switched beds a total of 5 times... all in all it was just a no good, terrible, bad night.

Pais Update

We went to the Dr again on Friday just to be sure before the weekend came. She is still a sick little gal, but her lungs are clear, so that is way good. We just really haven't gone a whole lot of anywhere, just a few gym and school meetings, and Pais just likes to be held by her mama. :) In the meantime I finished a blanket that I had started making while up at the cabin over Christmas break. Thanks mom for all the material! This is my 2nd quilt, but first one that I've actually finished and am keeping! Paisley's big Twin size one is still in the works, and I have two more tops that I need to get backs on and also start cutting out Beck's. In the meantime my wonderful friend Jenn hooked me up with some new yarn and some circular needles for knitting that I am way excited about! Did you know that there is a knitting store here in town??? I about died! To think that I have been going to Wal-Mart all this time.... Makes me nauseous..... This month I am passing on all the payroll and taxes stuff for the gym, whoo hoo! I hope that I never have to deal with it again! Lots of training and meetings, but hopefully it will be done soon. Then there will be more time for sewing and my babies and knitting and scrapbooking and blogging, oh yeah and cooking dinner and all that dreaded cleaning.....

My sadness

I didn't want to post this on the "world wide web" for the whole world to read, but I did want to record it, so I am just going to save it in my drafts and publish it later when no one will read it. :) I quit nursing my baby girl and I am having a hard time. I had a blister on the same side for a month and 1/2. It's the same side and the exact same spot that gave me all those problems while nursing Beck, and well, I just gave up. We were at the cabin it was a few days before she turned 9 months and I just quit. I wanted to nurse for a long time. I wanted to have that closeness, that "bottle on the go," I wanted her to get all the nutrients and smiles and drunken breastmilk looks, but I guess we're done. I am still fighting a little engorgement, but it hasn't been too bad. The blister cleared right up and Paisley is doing fine on formula and takes it all like a champ. I think that she likes that she doesn't have to work as hard. I am still a little torn, but my body is feeling better, but now she has RSV, and a bunch of little infections all over her body and I can only think to blame myself....

Sick , sick, Baby Paisley

I took Pais to the Dr on Monday and they thought she had croup and the beginnings of an ear infection, so she got a steroid shot and put on Amoxicillin. Today I noticed a bad diaper rash which Kortni pointed as a yeast infection and some thrush in her mouth and I just didn't think that she was getting better, so I went in and nabbed an open appt again with her Dr. Turns out her ear infection was getting worse, she does have a yeast infection and thrush and RSV! Yikes! So now she's on 2 prescriptions and Buttpaste and I have to "watch her closely" and her Dr "won't be surprised if she she's us on Friday." I guess that they caught the RSV pretty early by me not waiting to come in, so the antibiotics should help, but if she is not feeling any better or gets worse they need to see us before the weekend. Every time I hear about RSV I hear that the poor babies have to stay in the hospital, so I am praying that that is not us, or that Paisley will get better. She is a snot nosed, teething, infection, raspy breathing mess and yet at times SHE STILL SMILES!

Beck

Looks like he's enjoying himself doesn't he?

The long lost pictures from the last few posts...

On our way up to the cabin on Tuesday the 23rd we were packed to the brim. I took this picture before we had even made it to Costco and stashed in some more groceries. If my husband wasn't the Tetris "master packer" champion there is no way that we would have made it.The day after we arrived we went sledding. We were the only ones up there until later that night when Stephen's sister, Tiffanni, her family and Bob and Ann arrived. Paisley just stared at the snow, I don't think that she could move very well anyways with all her snow stuff on. Beck only sledded like 4 days of the 2 weeks we were up there. He didn't like it as much as he did last year. It was nice because we didn't have to drive anywhere to find sledding hills, we made some right by the cabin.Beck and Paisley Christmas Eve 2008
My little snow baby, Paisley Yes, Paisley did go sledding and Beck held onto "my baby" very tight.

Christmas morning we woke at 7 AM because Kylee and Josh (niece and nephew) couldn't wait any longer. I admit that it was not very early and was quite happy with the wake up time. Pais liked her Cabbage Patch doll that Santa left for her.Beck was pretty awnry at first, he doesn't like to get woken up, mostly he didn't want to stay in his pajamas, but I wanted Christmas morning pictures of him in his new jammies, so now I have Christmas morning pictures with frowning faces, but cute p.j.'s. hmmm. my bad.
This is what Paisley looked like after a few presents, like, "hmmm, what is all this? Why is everyone so loud? This paper tastes good...."After a bit Beck sure did warm up and really LOVED ripping open the wrapping paper. When it was all over he kept looking for more presents to unwrap.Paisley in her Christmas morning elf pj's. Cutie-pat-tootie. Paisley and her very first Christmas!
While there Paisley got her VERY FIRST TOOTH!This was the first time that I actually referred to her as cranky. She is getting the 2nd one as well and she has continued on in her crankiness.New Year's Eve Beck had a temp of 103. Way to bring in the New Year huh?Our cute little family and the New Year 2009. Yes, I said cute, minus, Beck's mean face and my helmet hair (yes, I need a hair cut)Now that we are home and unpacked and I need to get downstairs to get the tree undecorated and down, not to mention school tomorrow, pay roll due, Christmas decor down, switch car stuff( Stephen bought a new car and I am going to have his) clean, clean, clean, Dr appts this week and Beck to the dentist again, wish us luck!!!! Yesterday Paisley turned 9 months and here is her cute little always smiling (unless she has teeth coming in) face.

*Crawl (slowly, but surely)

*two bottom teeth growing in

* first word; dadadadadad :)

* loves to be carried around

* wants to eat what the big kids are eating

* is always trying to steal Beck's sippy cup

Following are some videos from the cabin of Paisley crawling, Stephen singing with the game RockBand, and Stephen sledding

GoodBye to 2008

2- 2 new cell phones to replace the old "lost" or broken ones of Korbi's
0- zero cats that have stayed through the year at the Ashton home
0- zero new cars, but trying to sale my red mazda (any takers?)
8- 1. new addition: daughter, Paisley Marion 2. painted 3 rooms in the house 3. planted a garden 4. 2 new callings in the ward: Stephen; Stake Young Men's and Korbi; Activity Days Leader 5. Beck learns to talk and hasn't really stopped since 6. Paisley gets her new tooth on New Year's EVE! 7. Korbi gives up on excercising 8. Twilight series took over my life for 2 weeks