On My Own

So I have been on my own for a few days now. It was quite scary to wake up Monday morning and realize that I was the only home with the kids. The kids were great for me, we had a great breakfast, got ready for the day, Ted left for school and I got Alex to school. It was weird to drive this morning, it had been over 5 weeks since I had last. Monday afternoon went by just a smoothly. Tuesday went just as easy and smooth as Monday. And today was great too. My back get sore and my muscle get tight really fast. So I have been laying down when Sierra goes down for her two naps and trying not to carry Sierra around. So far so good!!!

Goodbye Auntie Jennifer!

So my sister, Jennifer, had to leave today. We all had such a good time and are going to miss her very much. But Jen has been missing her hubbie, Aarron, and her kitty, Lily. Thank you so much for all of your help and company!!! We love you and will miss you!!!

My First Day Out...Thanks Jen

So today was my first official day out of the house (for more than 15 minutes or a doctors appointment). My sister, Jennifer, and I went and got pedicures. It was so nice to sit and enjoy myself, without worrying about hurting. Then we went next door and got the last few things we needed for dinner. We came home and I laid down for a few minutes. Then we went out to Red Robin for lunch, I love their fries! We left RR and went down the street to Target and got the boys their curtains and a basket for Sierra's toys. We came home and I was back in bed until dinner time. Then I got up and helped Jen make her fabulous Salsa Verde Lime Chicken Enchiladas. They were sooooo good. I had a wonderful day....Thanks Jen!! I love ya'!!!

Post-Surgery Appointment

This morning Brad drove me to my doctors appointment. I had to have my two week post-op visit. Dr Naini removed my stitches, asked if we had any questions, showed me how to pick up Sierra safely and gave me the all clear starting next Monday!!! So on Monday I can drive, pick up Sierra and do a little bit more than I have been doing. I am also supposed to do a little bit more each day leading up to Monday, to get me ready. But I also have to be very careful and not over do it and I had to promise to lay down when Sierra is down for her naps.

Goodbye Grandma...Hello Auntie Jennifer

Today my mom had to go home. She was up here for almost 5 weeks, helping us out. THANK YOU MOM/GRANDMA! She and my sister, Jennifer, overlapped at the airport. Brad dropped my mom off and about 40 minutes later picked my sister up. The kids were very sad to drop Grandma off, but were so excited to pick Auntie Jennifer up. Jen will be up here helping/visiting with us until Sunday. We haven't seen her since February, so we are all excited to have her up here.

Butterflies and Ladybugs

This year I decided to reorder some butterflies and order ladybugs for the first time. Two years ago for Easter we did butterflies and triops, and the boys loved them. I was going to do it last year, but with two kids, a baby, a c-section and not a lot of time, it didn't happen. So after the boys asked a few hundred times if we could do it this year, I caved and order them.

The butterflies come as caterpillars in an enclosed container with food. So we watched them get bigger and bigger and bigger. Then they climb to the top and form their chrysalis (cocoon). Once all of the caterpillars are in their cocoons you remove the paper and pin it to the big butterfly enclosure and wait. Once the butterflies emerge you feed them flowers, sugar water and oranges. We released them today so that they could live longer (they have a very short life span in captivity). With my back/leg hurting and then the surgery I totally spaced getting pictures of the caterpillars and butterflies before today. I found a few good pictures online of what we had (see above)

and here are the pictures of us releasing them today.

We also ordered a ladybug enclosure and ladybug larva. We got this little dome and a tube of ladybug larva/food. All I had to do it pour the larva and food into the enclosure and add a few drops of water to the sponge pad. I didn't know that ladybugs laid eggs, hatched larva, turned into pupa (cocooned) and then emerged into ladybugs. It was very cool to watch. Once again I didn't take pictures during the process, but I found some online to show you and some pictures of us releasing them.

Grandma and Sierra

Grandma is doing Sierra's hair (because I am really bad at it, I need practice). Sierra loves to have her hair combed.

Sierra is helping Grandma.....by eating the comb.

Look how long her hair is getting.

She loves her hair and the camera!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter everyone!!! We had a very small uneventful Easter this year, mostly due to my back surgery and bed rest. My dad was able to come up and join us, which was really nice. The Easter Bunny hid all the eggs inside for the kids (because of the rain) and filled the basket full of fun and yummy things. The kids all had fun finding the eggs. Ted and Alex both got remote control trick cars from the Easter bunny, books and some small things in there baskets. Sierra got a book, some fruit puffs and yogurt melts, new sippys and a rubber ducky. With my back/surgery we didn't dye eggs this year, or make anything fun, or make cookies, or a big Easter dinner. We did how ever have BBQ baby back ribs, rice and green beans for dinner, which was GREAT!!! I felt really bad for the kids, but they told me this was one of the best Easters ever! So I guess I didn't have to feel bad after all. My kids ROCK!

The Boys get a New Bedroom and Bathroom

Lately the boys have been wanting to play in their room more, but they really couldn't because there was not enough room. Alex's toys were downstairs in the family room with a few in the living room upstairs. Ted's toys were downstair in the family room and upstairs in the hall closet. So they didn't really play with any of their toys and when they did it wasn't in their bedroom. Ted and Alex asked for a bigger room so their toys could be in it and they could have room to play. So we decided to move them into the downstairs bedroom, which is where the guest bedroom was. And move their bathroom downstairs also (also the former guest bathroom). The guest bedroom is going to be moved upstairs in the boys old bedroom. And the main bathroom upstairs will be for the guests and Sierra. Before my surgery my mom, Brad and I were playing with a few different ways to put the bedroom together. My mom made an excel graph (to scale) and we were able to decide on a layout before the big move.

So today I layed in bed and watched Brad, my mom (Chris), my dad (Gary), Ted and Alex move the two bedrooms and bathrooms around. It was so hard not to jump up and help/watch. The boys love their BIG new bedroom; all of their clothes, beds, toys, books, etc fit perfect. Once I am up and feeling better we will hang up posters, pictures, and really decorate the room. And the bathroom is perfect for them.

This is what you see when you first walk into the bedroom.

The bookcase you see when you first walk in and Alex's costume and toys.

Alex's bed and costume drawers.

Ted and Alex's beds (in the corner between the beds we are going to get/make a table for a lamp, cd player and clock to fit on).

Ted's bed and bookcase.

The closet with all of their clothes (and now all of their toy bins are in the bottom).

Their bathroom when you first walk in. They wanted red and blue in the bathroom also.

The boys love their new bathroom.

Boys will be Bats!?!?

So tonight at the dinner table Ted and Alex were eating tortillas. Ted had his folded up in fourths and when he unfolded it. This is what it looked like....

Alex wanted his picture taken with his tortilla also, we are still trying to figure out what it is....

Sierra and Her Chair

Sierra loves the new chair that Grandma and Poppi got her for her birthday. She play in it all the time. But today she was being super cute for Grandma and so my mom decided to take some pictures.

Hamming it up for Grandma

Eating her phone Talking on her phone, I she the future in this picture, can anyone say teenage years?!?

Just chillin'

I am Home and Still Pain Free!

I am at home and still doing great. Last night was wonderful I only had to take pain medicine once last night and I was able to get up and go to the bathroom with very little pain. Brad said that my incision is only 2 inches long and very low (below my tattoo). And everyone said that the incision looks great. Dr Naini came in early this morning and asked me if I wanted to go home and I said "YES!" (I hate hospitals), so he discharged me. I was up, dressed, packed, had my prescriptions and was in the van by 11am! The car ride home was fine. I got home and had to go right to bed. Now I am working on laying down like the doctor told me to and finding enough things to do so that I don't go crazy.

All Done and Out of Pain!!!!

So my surgery is over and I am in my room eating dinner. (I know I can't believe it either.) So my surgery started late, I didn't go back until 1:30pm. I was in recovering by 3:30pm and really awake by 4pm. I woke up and my mouth was so dry and my incision felt like it was on fire and I was nauseous but I had NO back or leg pain. I laid there and kept moving my leg just to make sure. I was so scared that I would throw up after surgery, like I always do, so the anesthesiologist gave me a lot of different nausea meds to prevent that from happening. And once I was awake my nurse had me sniff alcohol wipes, I know weird huh, but it worked great!! The nurse asked if I wanted pain meds and I told her just enough to help with the incision pain, she looked at me like I was crazy! I was in my room by 5pm and wide awake with very little pain. And I was up to go to the bathroom by 7pm, also with little to no pain!!! I am on cloud nine right now and for once it is not the drugs! I am kicking myself for not having the surgery a lot sooner. But I was really scared to have my back operated on, the complications, the surgery not working, the throwing up afterwards and the restrictions after surgery. And so far everything has been great!

Surgery Day

It is finally here.....SURGERY DAY!!!! I am so excited I can hardly stand it, of course at this point I can hardly stand. I have been counting down the days and hours until I can have surgery. I can't wait, I am getting ready to head to the hospital. I have to be there be 10am for check-in and my surgery is at noon. I will write later (or Brad will) and let everyone know how things went.

Playing Around

Ted and Alex love to play video games and Sierra loves to play with the controllers. Of course she doesn't want the one we gave her, you know the one with the cord cut off, she wants the ones her brothers play with.