Tuesday, December 18, 2012

My poor son's crazy mother

I did one of the worst things a mom could do to her child yesterday.  I'm feeling a little bad.  Okay, no i'm not.  Let me paint you a little picture here.  Mornings are crazy at the Wright house.  Most of you have learned by now that I am slightly OCD.  I like things done in a specific order each morning.  Everyone gets up at the same time, except nate who just can't manage to drag his butt out of bed with the rest of us.  He thinks he needs that extra 15 minutes more than I do. Whatever.  So all the kids get up, I have to make sure everyone, including the two little ones who aren't going anywhere, get dressed before we eat breakfast. If I would just let them stay in their pj's until after we eat it would save a good 10 minutes but I can't, it drives me crazy. Breakfast is a mad scramble of who wants what to eat, kids fighting over who gets to sit on what chair (after just fighting over who gets to sit on the "favorite" heat vent), carb counting, shoe tying, teeth brushing, hair combing madness (oh who am I kidding?  I don't comb my kids hair. That's why I had boys).  In all the chaos yesterday dilon forgot to pack his insulin.  I called nate to see if he would come get it but he couldn't because he was too late for work already (give up that extra 15 minutes and we wouldn't have this problem). So that means I have to take him his insulin pack.  Well as crazy as I am with getting everyone else ready, I don't get myself ready before breakfast.  I have to exercise and clean the house first.  So I debated, do I throw off my day, get dressed and deliver his medicine?  Nope, I can't throw my day off.  So I load the two littles in the car, put on a coat and head to the school.  He is playing on the playground with his friends and I can not for the life of me get his attention.  Dax had no shoes on so he couldn't take it to him.  So in all my glory, wearing capri sweats with long white socks pulled half way up my legs (but still showing about 2 inches of pasty white, unshaved skin) jump out of the car.  Imagine the horror my poor 9 year old felt when he saw me running across the field wearing what I was wearing with no make-up, crazy hair and waving as big as I could.  Bet he doesn't forget it again.


Sunday, December 9, 2012

Tis the season

Well it's that time of year again. Tree decorating, stocking hanging, present wrapping, money spending, caramel making time of year.  Let me give you a little glimpse of how the holidays appear in the Wright house.  Our tree for example, tree skirt is a mess, no presents underneath because I do not want to wrap them for a second time if baylor gets his hands on them.  They are just piled in nate's chair next to our bed.  He loves that. Back to the tree--the ornaments are broken, big holes between the branches, and one little man who likes to rearrange it all daily. Definitely a kid decorated tree and I love it!  If you're looking for beautiful you are looking in the wrong window.  However, it is beautiful to this mom, does that count?



Next we have the gift wrapping.  I rock at that.  Here is a sample of my mad wrapping skills (not to be confused with my mad rapping skills because I have those too).  

I will now officially proclaim myself the world's worst wrapper.  Do they make a medal for that?  

Next we have those blasted caramels that nate insists we make every year.  He has the easy part of making them.  I have to cut and wrap about 1000 caramels every year.  I just love, love, love it (can you sense my holiday cheer?).



My caramels end up being a bit like my presents.  My wrapping sucks.  But don't forget what your mama taught you, never judge anything by the outward appearance.  What may be lacking there makes up for it by the (almost fat free) goodness on the inside.

Notice the one on the left.  I sorted through 175 caramels to find one that was wrapped good enough to take a picture of.  Couldn't find one so I had to unwrap one just to re-wrap it for this.  So while my intentions are to have them all look like the one on the left, reality is they will all look like the two on the right.  Don't judge me, just Enjoy!

All of this caramel wrapping fun would be so much easier if I didn't have a tiny little helper
 So close, yet so far.


Finally, success.  I decided to stop being mean and let the poor kid have some caramel for the very first time.  I think he liked it.

So here's to wishing you a very Merry Christmas from our ugly tree decorating, gnarly gift wrapping, caramel cutting home to yours!




Friday, December 7, 2012

I need a moment

This post is just me needing to vent.  Just a warning I am having a bit of a pity party so you probably  want to stop reading now.

I know I have talked a lot lately about Dilon and his diabetes.  It is funny how one thing can change your life so much.  It is constantly on my mind.  I worry all day when he is at school.  I worry at night when we put him to bed.  I wish I had more faith that things will be okay.  I know they will.  Everything always works out the way it is supposed to.  It is just so overwhelming to know that we will always be fighting this.  He will always have to count carbs  and give himself a shot to eat instead of just sitting down and digging in like everyone else.  Yesterday was a crap day with it.  His numbers were all over the place.  Really high one minute then an hour later really low, then normal, then super low again.  So what am I doing wrong?  I swear I am doing what the nurses and doctors have advised us. The last few times he has gotten low he is shaking so bad he can barely give himself his shot, yet he refuses to let me or nate do it anymore.  We have been added to a group on facebook for families who are dealing with this.  It is horrible to hear the things that are happening to these kids at school.  Or to read about families that have been fighting this for years and are still feeling the way that I am now.  Yesterday dilon asked me if his diabetes will be gone forever when he is resurrected.  Do you know how that makes a mom feel to know her 9 year old son is thinking like that?  There is a great peace knowing that the answer to that question is a big fat YES.  One day everything will be perfect. Our bodies will be whole and our trials in this life will be a very small bump in our journey through eternity.  I know I need to just shut my mouth.  There are so many people going through way worse challenges in their lives and still I complain.....time for me to jump off the pity train now.

Friday, November 30, 2012

Just a little randomness

Let's start by saying Merry Christmas to me.  This is my early and unwanted Christmas present....I sound ungrateful, not that I am trying to be.  I just didn't want to pay for a darn computer right now.



You see when Dilon was in the hospital a couple of weeks ago I was missing my other kiddos.  Aunt Karissa took pity on me and brought them to the hospital. Well me being the smart one that I am set our laptop on the floor of the hospital room.  Next thing I know Baylor was break dancing on it -or just standing on it, either way little chubbers broke the screen. Nate has been trying to do homework on a computer that is all distorted.  It doesn't look that bad until you stare at it for 10 minutes then you end up in some sort of a trance that leaves you with double vision and a headache from hell for a week.  That's what I get for missing my kids and thinking they need to visit me, uh I mean dilon, at the hospital.  

Speaking of dilon, he has become quite the little pro at giving himself his own shots. 



 I really am super impressed with how well he is handling this.  Better than me most days.  He has had a couple of tough moments when he wants to eat without having to have a shot, but sorry little dude, life has changed and unfortunately that can't happen.  The trick to his shot is being able to pinch enough fat somewhere.  The kid is 9 and weighs 49 pounds.  I will gladly give him a handful or two of my fat.

He has caught on to carb counting super fast and remembers insulin doses much better than I can at this stage of the game.  I am still completely overwhelmed with the forever aspect of this.  If I take it day by day all is well.  When I picture him doing this forever my heart hurts.  I feel like I still have so much to learn, so much I don't understand about diabetes.  I will learn....eventually.

I am grateful that he is old enough to (somewhat) understand what is going on.  I don't know how parents who have really little ones with diabetes do it.  I keep thinking, what would I do if this were Baylor or Dax?  Look at Baylor for example:

How do you ever keep up on insulin for a kid who lives in the fridge?



Tuesday, November 20, 2012

and so begins our journey with diabetes



There is one thing I need to learn to do in life.  Keep my mouth shut.  I was so excited when nate finished up all his math in school.  When we saw his last passing grade the first thing out of my mouth was "no more math EVER!  Hallelujah".  Now his math is all screwed up and he will most likely be retaking some.  I always make comments about no one being sick then without fail someone will have the flu the next day.  I will say I love my calling in church so what happens?  I get released into a challenging one.  The most recent was this weekend.  I very clearly remember the day we walked out the doors of Primary Children's Hospital with Baylor for the last time.  I remember saying out loud that would be the last time we had to do that.  Someone please kick me for saying it.  We just spent this last weekend there.  You know, we were bored and didn't have any plans for the weekend besides Nate getting caught up on homework, so we decided it would be fun to go back for a little visit.  We found out Dilon has type 1 diabetes.  

Let me rewind a bit.  About a month ago dilon stared wetting the bed (it would probably be best if no one mention to dilon that I just shared that little tidbit of information.  It might not make a 9 year old very happy to know his mom is over sharing).  Anyway it kept happening over and over.  Then I started paying attention to how much he was peeing during the day.  Insane amounts of urine were coming out of the boy.  He was drinking water by the gallons like it was nothing.  Then I noticed he really looked like a skeleton.  I mean the kid is skin and bones anyway so when he loses even a quarter of a pound (i'm sure there's some better weight term to use there but don't know what it is right now so i'm going to stick with quarter of a pound) it is noticeable.  I kept bugging nate, should we take him to the doc?  Do you think something is really wrong?  Am I overreacting?  Will you call them because the people at the doctors office are sick of me. I am there too much.  etc etc.   Finally on Saturday he was sick of listening to me and called the doc.  So in we went.  Obviously they had him pee in a cup.  As soon as the doc walked in he wanted to know if dilon had any pop for breakfast.  Now, I know I am a cool mom but pop for breakfast....no.   He took one look at me and said I am positive this is diabetes.  His urine test was reading as high as it could.  He told us he could ship us to the hospital and have us sent by ambulance to Primary Children's or I could walk out the door and head straight there.  Since we know just how much fun it is to pay for life flight I figured I would save a few pennies and not opt for the ambulance ride.  Plus dilon heard ambulance and started to freak.  

As great as Primary's is, I was not thrilled to be back there.  They admitted him for a couple of days to get him back to par and to give Nate and I a crash course in diabetes.  By Sunday dilon was giving himself shots.  He was also asking questions to the nurses that I would have never even thought to ask.  I keep telling myself if this had to happen to one of our kids it happened to the right one.  I can't even imagine trying to have grif give himself a shot.  This ended up being like a mini vacation for him.  He wasn't feeling sick so he thought it was pretty awesome that cute nurses were waiting on him hand and foot, that he had his own playstation in his room, and people were bringing him presents. 

 Download 2012-11-18_17-35-02_273.jpg (1161.7 KB)


I have to give a big shout out to all of our great family who, again, helped out with the other boys, came to visit, called 100 times a day (yes mom, that would be you) and my favorite, bought me and nate food.  Anyone who will bring me food is a friend for life.  I don't know what I would do without such great people surrounding us.  Life is good.

I know this will be challenging.  It is all so overwhelming right now. I worry about what dilon will face in the future.  I just have to keep repeating "The future is as bright as your faith"..... and I want our future to be blinding.


Thursday, November 15, 2012

good old homework

So i'm the creepy neighbor lady that just sits and stares out her window.  You can usually find me there at about 2:45.  I'm not trying to be a creeper, although those driving by may think otherwise,  I am just anxiously awaiting the safe return of dilon and grifin from school.  Funny thing is in the morning I am anxiously watching the clock waiting for the time I can shoo them out the door to go to school.  The point to this is by the time 3:00 rolls around I am ready for them to be home.  Then we sit down to do homework and I wonder why I was waiting so anxiously.  This is pretty much what it looks like everyday


No, that is not homework that just fell off the counter.  That is what happens when Grif doesn't know the answer to something.  He decides to just throw everything around him (usually directly at me).  

Good times at the Wright house.  Who's jealous?


Sunday, November 11, 2012

I knew this post was coming.....round 4

It was bound to happen sooner or later.  It is dilon's turn now.  Well dilon and grif...again.  Grif has been throwing up and has had a fever on and off for two weeks.  When does it get to the point that I should really be concerned and take him back to the doc?  I hate going there.  I feel like we live there because we go at least once a week.  I'm being serious.  We have to go get Dilon's allergy shot once a week.  I feel like when we actually need to go because someone is sick that all the nurses think I am that mom.  You know, the mom who has her kid at the doc for every little thing.  I can't help it if my little ones get strep throat, or ear infections, or decide to put rocks down their ears too far for me to fetch out.

And why does the puking always happen in the middle of the night?  Is it just revenge on the kids part for when parents tell them "no" to something they want.  Okay, my mom won't let me play the wii so next time I have to throw up I'm going to do it at 2:32 a.m. and make sure I miss the toilet on purpose just so she has to disinfect the bathroom in the middle of the night. 

It's funny how kids are so different when they are sick too.  Grif just passes out on the couch like a dead fish, dax doesn't even act sick, and dilon has decided to whine and moan and cry loud enough to make sure everyone in the house (and on the block) can hear him.  He takes after his dad. 

Speaking of nate, that guy does not do throw up.  He won't go near it.  I had finally crawled back into bed at 6:30 this morning just as nate was getting up to go to church meetings.  Dilon came crawling up the stairs with a bowl of puke while nate was eating breakfast and he wouldn't even help the poor kid.  He told him to go in the bathroom and clean it out. So once again I got out of bed to help clean it up.  I can't harp on him too much though because we made a pact.  He hate's throw up, I hate public bathrooms.  So I have promised to clean up the throw up and he has promised to always take them to the bathroom.  I think I got the raw end of the deal on that one.  Oh well, if it prevents me from having to take them into a germ infested public restroom it's worth it.


**how many times do you think I have said throw up/puke in the last few posts?  Probably enough times that if I actually had anybody reading this blog they have probably stopped by now.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Round 3

Here we go again.  About 4 a.m. I heard that dreaded cough followed by a gag, right next to my ear.  When the heck did a kid climb in bed with us?  I don't know.  All I know is that as soon as I heard it I was wide awake with one hand catching puke and the other hand dragging a half sleeping sickie into the bathroom.  Poor dax got hit again.  Last time it was double ear infection, tonsillitis, bronchitis, and some type of the flu (at least that's what the blood work said) with no throwing up.  This time he told me his stomach wasn't working.  With what I have seen come out both ends today I am going to say he's right.  Am I sharing too much again?  Sorry.

I've decided that hearing throw up hit carpet instead of the toilet has to be on my top 5 4 list of things I wish I never had to hear.  In fact just for fun I will go ahead and share my list (I was going to do 5 but there are kind of a lot of things that I can't stand to hear and I couldn't narrow it down.  Maybe I should work on that):

4:  People blowing their nose-- it totally grosses me out
3:  Nails on a chalkboard --I have goosebumps just thinking about it
2:  Throw-up hitting anything but the toilet
1:  Other people eating

I hate to see my little ones sick but there are so many people out there who are going through trials with their sick kids that I can't even begin to understand.  I am so thankful to know that this will pass and he will be healthy again soon.  Plus I am so fortunate to be able to stay home and take care of my little sickies.  Life is good.  Wish I could remember to appreciate it more often.

Thursday, November 1, 2012

I hate the day after

I hate the day after Halloween.  All this deliciousness surrounds me (159 pieces of deliciousness to be exact).  Remember how me and that will power guy are not friends?  It is taking all I have to not sit here and eat piece after piece like a little kid.  I have only had 3 so far today.  I am doing pretty good considering most years I have eaten at least a dozen by now.  I keep walking by the bowl touching it thinking that somehow that will satisfy my desire to devour it all.  I did find something to do to distract me for a minute.  I organized it.  That's right, I organized my kids' trick-or-treat candy.  I'm super busy today.



Dax was happy with the outcome and I haven't eaten any more so score two for me!  Who knows how long this will last.  Maybe when my next urge to start ripping wrappers off hits I will sort it by color or size or tasty goodness.  So many options. 

You see that mischievous grin on Dax in the picture?  That is his I keep taking candy without my mom seeing me look.  Like I can't see him run into the kitchen, grab a treat, and then run as fast as his little legs will go so he can hide and eat it.  Who knows what he has eaten today.  Until he throws up i'm not really going to worry about it.

Really I should get to eat what I want.  I have shed some extra calories today chasing this little man around.  That has got to count for something.  Seriously, when did he get so big?

Notice poor grif still sick on the couch.  This mean mom is making him take a break from cartoons and actually read.  Oh the horror.  To be sick AND have to read.  How much worse could this day be for him?  I think he's perking up.  Fingers crossed that he will be up and going soon.  He is turning down candy though so who knows. 

All this hard work of typing has made me hungry.  I guess I better go grab me a treat.

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Not so happy halloween

 Poor grif is stuck home on the couch with the flu instead of trick-or-treating.  We are making progress though, he got from the bed to the couch without having to stop and rest.  I'm pretty sure he is even giving a little smile in the picture.  dil is sponge bob, dax is a dragon, and baylor is a skunk (lil' stinker).  His cute little tail isn't showing but it was all I could do to snap this one photo of all 4 of them. 



Somebody found the treat bowl. 

Round 2

We just got done with Baylor and Dax being sick, now it has moved on to Grif.  What is strange is they have all had something different.  Grif has been puking and had a fever for the last two days.  Happy Halloween to him.  Poor kid can't go trick or treating and right now doesn't even care, that's how sick he is.  He laid in bed all morning and when I asked him if he wanted to go up to my bed to watch cartoons this is what happened:

He made it half way there and just gave up.  I tried to lift the boy but that didn't work out so well.  I'm going to go ahead and add push-ups to my to-do list.  Notice the cute little feet above his head?  Baylor is standing there trying to cheer him on, or thinking about jumping on him, i'm not sure.  It took a good ten minutes for him to get to my bedroom.  Then he laid on the floor for another ten before he had the strength to pull himself up on the bed.  Poor kid.  He is the only one who has gotten the flu shot already and he has been hit the hardest.  So much for me trying to be on top of things.

On another happy note I got my first ever "I hate you mom".  I thought I was hearing things because seriously what kid could hate me?  I'm the coolest mom I know.  Nate turned and said "what did you just say?" followed by another "I hate you mom".  What the heck?  I don't even know what I did.  Seriously I can't remember at all.  Dilon is 9 and has never said it, Grif is 7 and i'm sure has thought it many times but never actually said it.  It came from the 3 year old.  Not cool Dax, not cool.  I just walked away and let Nate deal with it. 

Here's to hoping the pukes and the "I hate you's"  will go far far away and never return again.  A mom can wish, can't she?

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

poor little sickies

We've had a bit of a bug going around the Wright house this last week.  Poor Baylor has been the worst trying to fight off croup.  I thought he was getting over it and he actually slept 12 hours straight last night, much better than the 3-4 hours of interrupted sleep the 3 nights before that.  I hate sick kids.  Maybe I should rephrase that, I hate it when kids are sick. I try to get things accomplished but never can.  When I tried to get on the floor to exercise this is what happened:  






He decided for me what the most important thing to be doing with my time is.  He doesn't care if I am packing a few extra pounds or not, he just cares about his mom loving him.  I need to remember that.  


Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Burpee or silvermint......tough choice

I attempted my first burpee today.  Glad no one was around to see that.  I long so badly to get rid of this baby belly and I have good intentions of doing so.  Then I go ahead and do something stupid like a burpee and I'm defeated once again.  I opt for the elliptical.  I feel like it is the lazy mans workout and it suits me just fine.  Plus I can watch TV while I am doing it.  Multitasking at its finest.  

I have always felt like I have a runners soul as well.  I get all gung ho and know I can go run a mile or two without a problem.  How hard is it really?  We have all been running since we were 1.  When I actually attempt it I make it about half a block before I remember why I don't do it.  Plus I'm sure I look like Phoebe from Friends when I run (seen that episode?  it's a good one). 

So what's the trick to getting in shape?  I'm pretty sure that box of silvermints from Schwann's I devoured last week didn't help, but I was in Heaven.  So darn delicious.  This week someone brought us a big ol tub of ice cream.  I can't let that go to waste. Waste not, want not.  Then next week is Halloween.  Four kids trick-or-treating means the jackpot for me.  You know you are out of control when you dream about eating a pan of brownies while on the elliptical and truly believe the calories won't count because you are just burning them right off.  I also remember, when I was eating all those silvermints, that I thought my pants were feeling a little loose lately.  It is totally cheaper to buy silvermints than new jeans.  Who wants to argue with that logic?  



Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Boys will be boys




Anyone enjoying Fall Break/UEA (which one is it called now days?) as much as I am?  
It's the first day and all of my kids have been grounded already.  In fact they were all grounded by 10:30 this morning.  I've decided that punishing them only punishes me.  I took away all things that have to be plugged in plus any kind of treat whatsoever. Now they think they have absolutely nothing to do and it's driving me crazy. They can play outside, read books, or play with their toys.  I don't think they even know what toys are anymore, they haven't touched them in so long.  I'm sitting here doing my best to ignore all the begging to play the wii or watch a movie.  I'm getting pretty good at it really.  I've heard a lot of "please mom", a lot of crying, and a lot of screaming but i'm going to be strong.  I'm not going to cave.  I took the wii away for a whole week.  I'm wishing myself good luck with that one.  I'm a pushover and I know it.  This time I am serious though, I am not going to cave.


I thought they were finally playing good together and went to go bask in the glory of my great mothering skills when this is what I found.  They had been boxing for a good 20 minutes, serious boxing, and I hadn't noticed.  I'm very observant.  There are no broken bones or blood stains on my couch though so I'm going to go ahead and call it a successful bonding moment.




 Then there's dax.  He is probably the worst one when it comes to minding me. But he just flashes me that little smile with those sparkling blue eyes and I give in.  What's a mom to do?


I love this picture

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I went to Idaho to visit my grandma and turdhead yesterday (that really is a term of endearment for my grandpa, he calls me one too so really it's fine.  I promise).  I had to go out to my car to get something and when I came back in the house my turdhead was rocking my Baylor.

Not the best quality picture here (darn cheap cell phone) but I love this photo of Baylor Von and his namesake.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

my wiggly butt on the wiggle car

Looked out the window the other night to see the boys having a demolition derby on their wiggle cars.  I decided to step in and show them who's boss.  As soon as I sat down Dax told me my butt was too big.  Thanks buddy, I hadn't noticed.  


Right now I am pondering why my butt is still larger than I would like it to be because every time I sit down to eat this is what happens:


They are like flies on a pile of.....well you know what.  I never seem to get a full meal to myself so you would think the pounds would just be melting away.  Not happening.  It's okay though, Nate likes me better thick.  Yep, he has actually said that to me before.  My self esteem is just shootin through the roof right now.  

and yes I am sitting on the stairs eating my bowl of cereal.  I figured my butt was too big for the kitchen chair so I had to resort to the stairs. 

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Ah Saturday! We meet again!

I love me some Saturdays.  Days of the week never seemed to matter to me, until football started.  Did those words actually just come out of my mouth?  I find myself talking about football all the time now.  Don't read too far into that.  I'm not talking about your big barbaric NFL (did I use the right letters there?) teams.  I am talking about youth/college ball.  I love watching dilon and his team play.  They had their last game of the regular season today.  They lost. Their first loss on the last game. So sad, but really the refs were not playing nice. Shame on you grown men dressed in stripes that are ignoring obvious calls that even this old lady could make. Doesn't matter, they are in the playoffs.  I can't wait until next week.  I am a little sad to know it will be ending soon.  I have loved our little family outings to the ball field each week.  Does that make us totally lame?  Our great outings are heading to Logan/Brigham/West Haven to go to a game.  Who needs to go cool places when you can go sit on grass and yell half the day? 

Then Nate and Dilon ditched the rest of us-so rude- and headed to Logan for the Aggie game.  I'm sitting here all sad and alone.  Okay, not actually alone, the other kiddos are in bed.  I should be enjoying this peace and quiet but I can't seem to get my butt off the computer.  Shouldn't I be eating chocolate or sleeping or taking a bubble bath or something? What do women do now days when they don't have a kid hanging on their leg wanting to climb on their lap just to climb back down again. Then repeat 110 times just because.  Okay, I think I may have ADD I just got sidetracked again there.  That happens to me a lot.  So many thoughts and nothing to do with them.  So how about them Aggies.  They are awesome.  Nate also scored tickets to the BYU/Aggie game next week.  Oh I so want to go.  Probably won't happen but doesn't a cougar tail sound delicious.  I skipped dinner.  I am really wanting that cougar tail.  Again, sidetracked.  The point to that was I have never wanted to go watch a college game and now I do.  What happened to me?  Am I so desperate to get a date with my super busy hubby that I would resort to a ball game or have I actually become a football fan?  When I actually start cheering for the pros then I will know something is very very wrong with me.  I hate watching football on Sundays.  Hate it.  Nothing ruins my nice Sabbath day more. 

So to my new bff, Saturday, this week was great (except for that darn loss that ruined a perfect season for those awesome boys).  Until we meet again.  My countdown has already begun. 

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Oh what a difference a year makes

Just a bit of a heads up, this will probably be a long post.  Too many memories......
 
Today is my little miracle mans birthday.  It has brought back so many memories it is crazy to think a year has already gone by.  But at the same time it feels like it was forever ago.  Here's a bit of a back story on my little Baylor boy.  I know I have already blogged about his story months ago and I was going to just attach the link to it but technology hates me.  I seriously have no clue how to do it.  

Anyway, when I was prego with Baylor we were told at our 20 week ultra sound to prepare for the worst.  Something was wrong with our baby.  They didn't know what but IF he survived he would have a genetic disorder.  I was heartbroken but was trying to prepare for whatever would come our way.  Two weeks later we went back for the test results and another ultra sound and there wasn't a thing wrong.  The docs couldn't believe it.  I can't even begin to explain the feeling you get from hearing them say everything is okay.  So we did our little happy dance and were so thankful there weren't going to be any problems.

Oh we were so wrong about that.  It's funny how you plan on everything in life working the way you think it is supposed to be.  I wonder what Heavenly Father thinks when we sit down here and talk about our plans.  I wasn't even the least bit prepared for what was about to hit us a year ago.  The day after Bay was born they whisked him away on life flight because they knew something was wrong with his belly/bladder/intestines they just weren't sure what it was.  So off he went to have emergency exploratory surgery.  They found a hole in his bowels, patched it up, gave him a colostomy, and admitted him to the NICU at Primary Children's.  We spent the next three weeks going back and forth everyday to see him in the hospital. 

When we finally got the all clear to go home I was so excited I couldn't stand it.  Then we actually got home and I had a baby with a colostomy bag.  I didn't know what to do.  I couldn't even look at it without wanting to pass out.  I'm not lying when I say that.  For the first couple weeks it took all I had not to hit the floor when we had to clean it and change it...every.single.day!  It sure was a struggle then but I look back now and think I could totally do that again.  If that was the worst we were going through I need to just shut my mouth and say a great big thank you.  My baby was finally home.


However, it was awkward trying to snuggle him when I was afraid I was going to pop the bag open. I was so excited to get it off of him even though I dreaded taking him back to have his second surgery. 2 1/2 months later off we went.  I knew he would have to stay in the hospital again and no kid should ever have to be there.  The nurses and docs were so fantastic (really I can not say enough good things about Primary's) but it is just not the place I wanted him to be.  But we made it through another hospital stay (only a week that time, yay!).


Taking him home for good, healthy and happy, was one of the best things I have ever experienced.



Fast forward a year and this is what we have:  a healthy little monster who is walking (sort of, he can't go too far but he is going), talking, eating like crazy, pulling everything out of drawers, screaming at everything, biting, slapping, eating, loving, cuddling and eating (did I mention that yet?).  What would I do without him? 









This is all that is left of the scar on his belly.  Barely noticeable.

I am grateful we are past that.  I appreciate healthy kids so much more now than I ever did before Baylor came along.  I often wonder about the other little ones that were there when we were.  My heart still breaks for the families there who didn't get to take their little ones home.  We are blessed beyond measure.

Like I said at the first of this super duper long post (sorry), I have so many memories.  Some I hope I forget and some I hope I never forget.
 
Some things I wish I could forget.......(by the way, isn't it funny how I can't remember to take the keys out of the door after I unlock it, but I can remember every detail of stuff like this.........)
 
**Seeing the surgeon dig into his infected wound and hearing his little screams as he was doing it.  The nurse finally looked at nate and told him to take me out.  
 
**Those families in the hall crying and knowing their outcome was not going to be the same as ours.
 
**That darn drive to Salt Lake every day for a month.
 
**Leaving a crying Dax at home every morning.
 
**Leaving  a sick baby in the hospital every night.

**That darn cafeteria food.


Some things I hope I never forget........
 
**The incredible support we had from family and friends.  It is absolutely humbling what others do to help.

**How strong Nate is.  When I couldn't even look at bay's colostomy he stepped right in to learn what we needed to do to care for it. Plus he couldn't be there everyday because of work and I know that killed him.  

**After an extra hard day I had a stranger in the elevator put her hand on my arm and ask me if I was going to be okay.  

**I had super awesome grandma's, volunteers, and nurses holding and loving my baby when I was at home holding and loving my other babies.  

**Most importantly I hope I never forget how fortunate we are to have such great medical help at our fingertips.  


I love you Baylor.  We were told you weren't supposed to be here but obviously the Lord has other plans for you.  I'm sorry you had to go through what you did but you are one tough little stinker.  You are such a little fighter.  
Happy Happy Birthday Bay!!!

Sunday, September 16, 2012

hitchin a ride


I asked dilon if he could watch baylor while I mowed the lawn.  Some days (most days) he is a better parent than I am. 

Monday, September 10, 2012

I got schooled

I tried to teach Dax a lesson tonight.  Didn't work so well.  The little stinker has a strange obsession with thinking he has to salt and pepper his own food.  We are constantly grabbing the salt shaker out of his hand.  Tonight, when I wasn't looking, he snatched it and covered his plate.  I often state what a great mom I am -note the very thick sarcasm there- tonight was another classic example of just how great I am.  I made him take a big old bite of his newly salted dinner.  Next thing I know there is puke all over his plate and chair.  So much for me trying to teach him a lesson.  Looks like i'm the one that got schooled.  You know you've pretty much seen it all as a mom when you can still sit there and finish eat your own dinner because you just don't have the energy to do anything about it right that moment.  Plus I was still hungry, nothing-including a plate full of puke-will keep me from eating when i'm hungry.

Monday, September 3, 2012

Worth the wait

Do you love how great the picture is of my cute little family at the Brigham City Temple?  What?  You don't see a picture?  Oh that's right, we didn't get one!  After spending 4 hours at the open house just to go inside and see we opted out of trying to take a family photo afterwards.  It was exhausting.  Beautiful, but exhausting.  Turns out everyone was bored on labor day and decided to go check it out.  We got our tickets for today because Nate didn't have school or work so we thought it would be perfect.  Nate was even told at church yesterday that there were still tickets available today so it should be a good time to go.  Nope.  It was a long, long wait in a hot, hot sun and then when we finally got in they were just rushing everyone so they could keep the line moving.  Kind of sad and disappointing.  But understandable.  The good news for us is that we will be able to see it all the time.  The poor boys had tons of questions and we couldn't stop to show or tell them much of anything.  Thank heavens grandpa Bernie took pity on us and kept Baylor.  It would have been a whole different ballgame if he was there.  It will be great when it is dedicated and we can go back.  Dilon and Grif are already talking about going back so that makes it all worth it.  I can't touch my lobster looking arms because they are so crisp from the sun, but it was worth it.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

I opt for velcro

My dear, sweet, loving, caring, very strong willed Grifin is trying to kill me.  I am going to have a heart attack from lack of patience with that boy.  Let me start by saying I love him with everything inside of me.  I don't know anyone with a presence like his.  He can entertain groups of people, including adults, without a problem.  He is confident and smart and he means the world to me. With that said, he is the most stubborn person I know.  One day I think this will be a great trait to have but when you are seven it just gets you into a lot of trouble.  Nate and I tried and tried and tried to get him to ride a bike without training wheels this summer.  Epic fail!  That's fine, we can wait until next summer and try again.  No biggie.  Yesterday as I was sending them off to school I realized he can't tie his shoes.  His last few pairs have been velcro.  So I got all gung ho about teaching him today.  After 30 minutes of shoes flying across my house I decided that learning to tie them is overrated.   It's not terrible to send your kid to high school with velcro is it?

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Off they go.......



I don't know who these kids belong to.  They can't possibly be mine.  I'm not old enough to have a fourth and second grader.  They sure do look cute though.  

I LOVE the first day of school. I really do love my kiddos but I LOVE the first day of school.  It was definitely time for them to go back.  We have had non stop fighting in this house for the last couple of weeks.  Well actually the last several years, but the last couple of weeks have been torture.  Maybe now that they are back in school Dax will stop randomly punching Grif in the head for no reason.  And maybe Dilon will stop thinking he is in charge of everyone in the house.  And maybe Grif will actually go outside and do something that may cause a little butt sweat.  

Me, Dax, and Baylor walked them to school today and I basically skipped all the way home.  Plus they were excited to go back so it makes it all that much sweeter.  There is a bit of a bitter that goes with the sweet.  When the boys are back in school that means Nate is back in school.  Booooooooooooooooo.   We are still kicking ourselves for not doing this ten years ago.  I say "we" because this is totally a joint effort.  I may or may not help him more than I probably should with his homework.  But it is so time consuming for him.  Between work and school I am basically a single mother until the semester is over.  It will be worth it, it will be worth it, it will be worth it.  I have to keep saying that to myself.  He is being super awesome and taking 17 credits this semester.  No that is not a typo.  17 credits and 50+ hours a week at work.  He is awesome.  Or crazy.  I haven't decided yet.  9 of those are actually an internship that he can do at work so it really isn't as bad as it sounds.  Happy New School Year to all.  Have I mentioned I LOVE the first day of school?

Sunday, August 26, 2012

I have some exciting news!!!!

Did you think I was going to say we are expecting?  Did the thought even cross your mind?  If so, go put yourself in a time-out........ right now.  No more little bambinos at this house.  We are complete with our four little men.  The super exciting news is that Dilon got to play soooo much more in his football game this week than last week.  Mama bear has calmed down.  The news probably isn't that exciting to you but it is to me.  And it most definitely is to Dilon.  I'm super proud of that kid.  Who knew it could be so stressful to watch 9 year old's play ball.  I love it.  The sad thing was the family next to us was complaining about their little guy not getting to play.  Those poor little first year players.

Even more exciting news, I made my moms caramel dumplings for the first time today and they were deliciously awesome (yep, i'm patting myself on the back again.  I like to do that).  Anyone want some?  Oh wait, this piggy ate them all.  That is why i'm wearing my sweats tonight (I'm looking smokin hot right now).  They were so worth it.  I may not agree with that in the morning but right now I am on a sugar high so I don't care what the scale says.  My lets all eat healthier kick will officially begin tomorrow.  Well, maybe next week.  I have a bunch of fresh peaches sitting in my kitchen (thank you wright's) and you can't have peaches and not make a peach pie. Happy eating to all!  

Saturday, August 18, 2012

are you ready for some football?

I thought I was.  Ready for some football that is.  This is going to be a very hard post for me to write without saying some words that I know I shouldn't say.  Mama bear is a bit angry tonight.  And hurt. Mostly angry.  Let me give you a little back story on Dilon and football.  The kid has wanted to play since he was about three.  He used to talk about it ALL the time.  Last year was the first year he was old enough to play and he chickened out because he had to get a physical.  His buddy told him that they check his goods during it.  That was enough for him to say forget it.  Do you blame the kid?  Then he was all bummed out when it started and his friends were playing and he wasn't.  So this year he put on his best brave face, puffed up his chest and walked into the doctor to let him take a look around.  He signed up a few months ago and has not stopped talking about it since.  He was soooooo excited to start.  He has been practicing every day in 90+ degree heat for an hour and a half and has loved every minute of it.  Today was his first game. He has been looking forward to it for years.  Seriously, years.  This has been better than Christmas for the kid.  Lets just say he walked away from the game heartbroken.  He's the smallest kid on the team, the most non aggressive kid on the team, and the newbie.  Most of the other kids have played 2 or 3 years.  He barely got to step onto the field.  Do you know how heartbreaking it is to watch your kid stand next to the coach for 2 hours looking at him with those cute little blue puppy dog eyes just waiting to get put in.  I know he's not the best at it but he didn't even get to play much.  All 5 coaches kids got to play pretty much the whole game.  Funny how that works out.  That's where the mama bear comes out.  I know they want to win.  Of course they want the best players out there.  But these kids are 9.  I didn't think this would happen for at least 3 or 4 more years.  He walked away from the game looking like he was going to cry.  Thankfully by the end of the night he was pretty dang excited because they won 24-6 (go bears!!).    I hope he doesn't get discouraged and sticks with it.  I like watching my kiddos play sports (even though today broke my heart). 

I asked Grif if he was going to play football next year.  He has a great build for football and he has the anger/aggression issues to back it up--that's got to be a plus.  His response was "nope, I don't want to get butt sweat".  What?  Where does that even come from (not the butt sweat.  his response)? 

Here's to hoping next week dilon will get to see a little more action.  I don't know if I can handle a whole season of seeing him look so sad.  I'm as proud as a peacock but I don't think he cares.




Monday, August 13, 2012

stupid lists

I'm very much a creature of habit.  I like order. I like a schedule.  Basically I like things done my way.  My to-do list is the same every day of the week.  For example:  Mondays consist of laundry, scrub bathrooms, vacuum the entire house, mop.  Tuesdays is dusting day.  So on and so forth for the whole week. That way I know each day what is on the list and what exactly needs to be done.  I have always liked to do the grocery shopping on Monday so I can have all my meals planned for the week and be done (I still know I'm crazy, you don't have to think it too).  Since school has been out I have still been trying to take four kids grocery shopping on a weekly basis. Heaven knows I am not leaving them home alone.  You would think I could change my routine but I can't bring myself to do it.  I have done it a couple of times at night and I hate it.  It throws everything off.  And when I say everything that means absolutely nothing.  I just hate not doing it when I think I am supposed to do it.  Okay, I am rambling here.  I did have a point to this....I think.  The point is why can't I realize it is easier to throw of my routine than juggle all the kids by myself at the store.  Baylor is good for the most part except for today when he was screaming at the top of his lungs (why are my kids such screamers?) because I took away the shopping list that he had already eaten half of.  Dilon and Grif spent the entire time running and hiding from each other so they could shoot each other with their finger guns.  Sound effects and all are super awesome.  And dax, well today I caught dax licking broccoli.  I hate it when I have to buy something that isn't on the list because my kid licked it.  I spend triple the time necessary at the store because I am constantly trying to find a child, when I should be trying to find the best price on food.  Today I cried in the frozen food aisle.  I'm not kidding.  I called Nate to see if I should buy toaster strudels and he said he didn't care.  He didn't care?  It is a yes or no question.  I need a yes or no answer.  I told him that and his response was "I still don't care".  So I lost it.  He told me I just needed to leave the shopping cart and go home.  Are you kidding me.  I had already spent an hour in hell, there was no way I was leaving it just to go back again later.  So my goal for next week is to shop at night with no kids.  It may mean I throw off my schedule and my to- do list but i'm going to give it a try.  I'm making progress.  I already mentally crossed of my list for tomorrow and penciled in REFILL BIRTH CONTROL!!!

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

HaPpY BiRtHdAy DiL!!!

Happy Happy Birthday to my favorite 9 year old in the whole wide world.  Nine years ago today I got up, went to work, had  a fellow employee walk in and say they had a dream my water broke at work, then a couple hours later it actually did. Don't worry, it wasn't like there was a water puddle in the middle of Taco Time.  But it was enough I knew I had to leave.  Went home, showered (nobody wants to smell like a taco the first time they have a baby), went to the hospital and had me a baby.  Dilon decided to come 3 1/2 weeks early.  He always has been such an agreeable kid.  He must have known I was ready to be done.  He was healthy and strong and everything went so great.  Dilon is the little peacemaker in our home.  He has such a great heart.  Love this kid!



Birthday Boy



This was the first picture I took when he woke up.  Notice anything strange about it?  That's right, there's grif being a creeper in the background........with his hand down his unders.  Why?  I don't know why they always have to be fishing for something.  I know it's a guy thing but why does stuff like that always end up in my shot?  More importantly, why do I think I have to share it with the world?  Because that's life at the Wright house.  No sugar coating here. 

Here's the new --no more creeper-- pic.


This is how I know dax is absolutely my child.  It was 8:30 in the morning and he had to clean up the mess the crepe paper made.  LOVE this!  He even made sure he got all the tape off the walls.


and Baylor is just so blasted cute I had to throw this on here too.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

so sorry

I would sincerely like to apologize for my previous post (run rudolph run) if anyone was offended.  I was told it was a bit mean making fun of people.  In fact i'm pretty sure someone, and by someone I mean nate, called me a rude a$$.  I think he was kind of kidding so I guess I will forgive him.  Really though I was doing it all in good fun.  I'm sure there is plenty about me that people like to make fun of as well.  I guess they are just not rude enough to say it out loud.  Here's to me working on my Christlike attributes.

Monday, August 6, 2012

run rudolph run

I'm in one of those moods.  I saw something that I thought nobody should ever do.  Then once my crazy mind starts turning I just can't shut it down.  I started thinking about a bunch of things that people should never do.  Here are a few. (and yes, I am slightly ocd so I like to make lists)


**Never eat rudolph.  This is what started the whole thing.  I turned it to a cooking show, thought it was interesting, then I found out the host was eating reindeer meat--who does that?

**Never wear spandex in public unless you are going to the gym.  Even then it's iffy.  When we went to Disneyland I could not believe the number of people who showed up in spandex.  It is the happiest place on earth people.  Lets keep it that way.

**Never play peek-a-boo with a kid in the back seat while stopped at a stop light.  Other drivers may or may not think you are crazy.

**Never mop the kitchen floor right before lunch time.  It has been proven (at this house) that every single child eating will spill something on it.  

**At the risk of offending many people with this one I am still going to say it -- never drive a mini van unless you have 3 or more children.  Why would you want to drop your coolness level down ten notches just for the practicality of van.  Ok, secretly I really do want one.  I just can't afford to lose any more of my coolness.  I'm teetering on the edge of extreme nerdiness as it is and that would just push me right over.  Am I already over the edge and I just don't know it?  Come on--someone tell me the truth.  I can handle it.

**Never tell your mom you're not scared of her.  If she's anything like my mom, I guarantee you will be scared of her after saying it.  Learned that the hard way.

**Never blow your nose in a restaurant.  It kills me how many people do that when others are trying to enjoy their slimy clam chowder.  gag!  The only thing worse is when they follow it by sticking their kleenex covered finger up their nose, all the way to their knuckle just to fish out what they couldn't blow out.  You know who you are.  Stop it!

**as long as I'm making you gag, please never ever pick your scabs off your neck in public and eat them.  Yes, I have actually seen this--more than once.  Do you think I could make this stuff up?

**Never let other people see that you still know how to do the Macarena.  It wasn't okay then.  Not okay now.

**Never get in line behind an extreme couponer.  If you see someone holding a pen and folder turn around and run baby.  I repeat, turn and run.  I think stores should have designated hours for those who have more than 3 coupons.  Let them all wait behind each other.  I'm all about a good bargain but come on people, it's getting annoying.

**my kids should learn to Never keep going into the pantry during dinner time.  I know you are in there spitting your dinner in the garbage.  What you don't know is I am just putting more right back on your plate.  Don't mess with me.

**Never challenge your grandma to an arm wrestle.  She just might win.   In my defense, I can't help that she is freakishly strong.  She is married to a farmer and raised nine kids.  I should have known better.  Well played grandma, well played.

**Never ask a stay at home mom what she does all day.  You may not live to see the next sunrise.

**Never bite off more than you can chew.  Literally.  It's not attractive to see what is going on in there.

**If you are an adult male Never admit to loving the Twilight series.  Always, always say that your wife made you go.  All of you adult females who go with your girlfriends and wear "team edward" shirts like you are still in high school, it's time to stop doing that now. 

**Never try to teach your kid to ride a bike, without training wheels, in the path of a mailbox.  Actually, if you have a tough kid, go ahead and try it.  According to nate it is quite hilarious.  

**On a similar note, Never get in the path of the before mentioned bike riding kid unless you want to look like you are dancing on hot coals in front of your neighbors.  Do I go left?  Do I go right?  Left? Right?  Left? Right?  (it's a hard decision when you are about to get plowed over.  Who knows what direction they are going to take.)

** Never wear shin high socks with capri pants.  Actually, if you throw on a fanny pack and a visor it's okay.  You go ahead and rock that look.



Wow, I apologize for that long post.  I extra apologize if I have offended anyone.  But that sure felt good to get off my chest.

compromise is a beautiful thing

Nate wanted to have a lazy Sunday and relax. 
 Dax wanted to play.  
This was their compromise.



**Notice nate's purple ankle.  That is his good one.  Since the ankle he had surgery on is finally almost healed he thought it would be fun to roll the other one at work.  At least he didn't break it.  That would have been super fun to have him back on crutches.
I'm thinking about getting him a walker to use on a daily basis.

Sunday, July 29, 2012

LET'S MAKE A DEAL--the WRIGHT way

So we headed to Heber this weekend for the 2nd annual Scott Wright Family Reunion.  It is so awesome that they have to have not one, but two fun filled days of festivities.  Josh and Jami were in charge this year and decided to play a little game of let's make a deal.  If you didn't come dressed up you didn't play



Scott and Karen--I think Karen looks great in red!


 No matter how hard I try, I still cannot control my husband.  Trust me when I say this hillbilly costume is better than what he was going to be.  He wanted to support the opening night of the Olympics and go as Michael Phelps.  Lucky for you, we couldn't find a speedo.
I think karissa and micah are trying to look away but can't quite do it.  He had a bit of a hypnotizing effect on everyone that night.


 There are just no words to describe uncle andy.  What would we do without him?


 Josh and Jared told us a pretty great bedtime story


Dax is the cutest lil pirate i've ever seen


 Don't worry, Melissa really was excited to play the game.  She must have just caught a glimpse of Nate.


 Grif trying to make a deal with Wayne Brady (aka Josh)


 Pick me pick me pick me (seriously though, look at andy the polka dot man.  He is hilarious)


 Dax makin a deal


 Staci, stacey, stacy....shoot, I really should learn how to spell my family members names.


 Should I be concerned that my child is surrounded by choking hazards?


Pizza anyone?


Nate even walks like a hillbilly.  A little too naturally I think.


Pretty sure he is pulling his shorts up higher.


 I knew you all wanted to see just one more shot of him.  Jami  thought she was giving him a zonk of spam and sardines but nate thought he had won the big deal of the day.


 David....it's not that hard of a decision



I'm always an angel.  The closest I could come to the devil was to be a deviled egg (thanks for the idea linsey, even though your egg was way better than mine.)


 Sorry I didn't get a picture of everyone.  I tried to get a group shot and there are still several missing from it.  So many Wright's, so little time.


Those Wright's will wear ya right out