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Monday, November 4, 2013

Thankful days 3 and 4

Day 3 and 4 kind of run together for me.
First I am thankful for my parents. They help us out in so many more ways than I could begin to list. There's not even a starting or stopping point. 
Most recently they stayed over night in SLC with the kids and I for Quinn's appt when Matt couldn't come. They were on their way back from a wedding in LA and stayed there to be with us and help me with the kids.
Which brings me to Shriner's, who I'm also very thankful for!  
Quinn had his pediatric neurology appointment last Tuesday afternoon. We drove down on Monday and spent the night. The kids and I went alone and we made really good time and it was fine!
Monday night Quinn did NOT sleep at all. He cried and cried all night long. I thought he was having trouble because we weren't home, but around 5 am he started telling me his ear was hurting. Later, it started oozing blood and yuckies, so I knew he had an ear infection. We spent that morning waiting at a Primary Health to be seen and sure enough, he had ear infections and a ruptured ear drum. Poor guy was just miserable.
Monday before we left I took Paiton to the pediatrician - she had an ear infection and a sinus infection! Yikes, tis the season I guess! 
Anyway, Tuesday was Quinn's appointment and the kids were really excited to show Nana and Papa the cool hospital with all the toys, etc. :) 
This firetruck was staying at the hotel, needless to say Quinn was very, very happy about it!
 In N Out, of course!!
 Poor baby, telling me "My ear! Ow! Put a band aid on it!" He kept asking for a band aid to make it better. It BROKE my heart!
 He finally slept for about ten minutes on my lap waiting for the doctor. This is SUCH a sad picture to me! :(



 The view out the window of Shriners.

So here is my update on Quinn's appointment:
We really didn't learn too much. She took some measurements and noted that Quinn had a huge head, haha. She did some testing on his motor skills, etc. Quinn was obsessing over Fireman Sam while we were there and she noted his obsessing. We talked about his sleep, etc. She said she obviously sees some things with the right side of his body, but she didn't feel comfortable saying it was or was not Cerebral Palsy. She said if it was it was mild and not worth wasting money on an MRI to see if it could determine one way or the other. She did bring up her concern though - that Quinn falls on the Autism Spectrum. I had this concern with him previously before he would talk much. He used to be kind of quiet. He's an excellent talker now, and she was very impressed with his verbal skills. He has full sentences, is able to articulate and tell you what he wants, he tells us he loves us, he missed us, etc. He's affectionate and funny. He makes eye contact and laughs and interacts with kids. Because of all this (which is NOT typical of kids on the spectrum) she said she doesn't feel comfortable diagnosing him at all at this time. 
Basically, she got a baseline on Quinn. She took a lot of notes and he will go back in March. She will compare what she has written down to what changes and progress he's made in that time. He will also be seeing a developmental pediatrician as well that time to see what she thinks as far as Quinn being on the Autism spectrum goes. He does have sensory issues and outburts that we experience and deal with regularly, but that's just Quinn to us. We will see what comes of it. For now we are working on our patience with him, and just loving him to pieces. He will continue getting his physical therapy as he is now, and other than that we will just wait until March and watch our little man grow! :) Thanks everyone for your positive thoughts. Obviously this is not what we want to hear, but we know that Quinn is perfect no matter what. He is the most special kid, and the SWEETEST kid I've ever seen. We wouldn't trade him for the world. He makes us all better people. :)

Saturday, November 2, 2013

Day 2 Thanks

Today I am thankful for this guy. This is the picture I got when I told him he would be my blog post today. 

I love this man so much. He has been my other half for ten years now. He's funny and awesome. He had the patience I lack. He was just in Colorado for four days and I'm so glad he doesn't travel because I missed him A LOT. When I picked him up today I felt like the college kids we used to be before we could see each other daily. I was so excited. He completes me. 

Friday, November 1, 2013

{30 days of THANKS}

I've been a horrible blogger. Any takers on a bet of whether I can blog daily for November? 
Ha. 
I can't even take my own bet. 
First, some pictures of the 6 cutest kids on Halloween. 
Paiton was a girl ninja turtle. She was Michaelangelo, but a girl, so obviously we had to a tutu and some glitter!


 And Quinn, of course, was a fireman. :) 
 Before the real trick or treating had even begun, Quinn was shoveling chocolate in his mouth by the handful. He was completely in a chocolate coma by 6 pm.


 This is all I got of these guys. They were chomping at the bit to go trick or treating. Quinn refused to look at me and said "No look at you. Look at pew pew." So, there you have it.

Next, day 1 of what I'm thankful for in November.
Today will be, patience. I'm thankful some people have it. I am NOT one of them. I want things done quickly, I want them done my way, I want people to listen and children to mind. Obviously this is not how life works. Especially life with Quinn. We joke that we should have a reality show called Life With Quinn. This was reiterated to us last night during Trick or Treating. Holy cow, that child. He is HILARIOUS. Seriously, he is stinking funny. He loved trick or treating. He would run up to the door and say "trick or treat! Thank you!" But his bucket was very heavy, so he would drop it on the ground and leave it for Uncle B to pick up! He would then take off in the opposite direction, into people's garages, back yards, the darkest corner of the yard, etc. It was a chasing game all.night.long.
Luckily for me my mom, Titi Carissa, and Uncle B were all there (Matt's in Denver) because he was exhausting!
Tonight, Quinn had an epic meltdown. These are still new to me, Paiton misbehaves in other ways, not like this. He cried so hard that he threw up all over himself and his stuffed animal. All because I wouldn't let him tear apart something at a craft show. Quinn is very, very, very trying on my patience, which is already lacking. It is really hard for me to not just burst into tears and run away when he starts acting that way. It's usually completely out of nowhere and completely horrific. He has a lot of sensory issues that we work through, and mainly, he needs patience and love. He broke my heart tonight when he had a screaming meltdown, throw up fit, and then I took him to the bathroom and he patted my cheek and kissed me and said "I sorry mama. I not mean to." (One of his newest phrases - I not mean to. When he spills something, breaks something, destroys something, etc.)  
He is a SWEET, sweet baby. He is such a good boy and he is so very caring. I know he doesn't mean to. Sometimes life with Quinn feels like life with 14 other kids who all run in different directions and have different emotions, but all wrapped up in Q. 
So tonight I'm thankful for patience. I'm thankful that my mom took Q to play on the stairs for five minutes so I didn't cry and run away. I'm thankful that tomorrow my husband comes home because he is much more sane than I am. And I'm thankful that Quinn was given to our family, to teach me the thing I most lack. Patience.

Monday, October 21, 2013

Apple Picking 2013

We did our yearly apple picking trip a couple weekends ago. 
This is easily one of my very favorite family traditions!! We've been doing it since we moved here and were in elementary school!
We head out to Emmett, pick apples, and then get ice cream at Arctic Circle and hit up Kings and Bi-Mart! It's SO fun!
It was the first year this stud could walk!! Yay!!



 Mr. T, I mean Uncle B, and Quinny


 Can you see the unibomber photo bombing this picture!? 

 Then it was Mr. T's turn to photo bomb.

 Air guitar on the apple picker.





 Quinn was obsessed with these ladders!!


Friday, October 11, 2013

Professional Pre-Schooler

Paiton started her 3rd year of preschool this year!
We are super proud of her. She LOVES Miss Carolanne and is already talking about how sad she will be to have a different teacher next year. She is totally a professional preschooler by now! :) 













She is doing awesome as always. She is reading like a champ and being so big. She loves school and all her friends, though a lot of them left for Kindergarten!
She is also in her 4th session of ballet which she LOVES. She wants to start clogging, much to my delight, but she also wants to do gymnastics and swim lessons as well. We need to find a money tree and some more hours in the day! ;) 
She's an awesome kid and I'm already dreading that first day of Kindergarten next year!!!

Here are a few random pictures that I had used to start a blog post, and never finished!
Q and I floating in the lazy river.
P and I on the swings at the fair.


Fair fun! I do love the fair!
Quinny driving me around at the fair.