Can't Help Myself

Here are some random pictures of Eden from this month, just because we think every little thing she does is adorable.

Summer with the Kids

This summer, we have been trying to think of fun things to do around the house that don't involve the TV being turned on all day. We have had fun trying some new projects. One day, we peeled a bunch of broken crayons that we had and put the broken pieces into mini muffin tins. We left them outside to melt in the sun and made "rainbow crayons" out of them.

We've also spent more time baking together. We've made bread, rolls, and cookies, among other things. The kids' favorite part is using the measuring cups and dumping the ingredients, especially brown sugar, in a bowl. I also found a recipe for homemade laundry detergent, and we made a couple batches of that. I've been trying to cut back on the amount of chemicals in our home, products, and foods, and the detergent has helped with that goal.

They also helped me make baby food for Eden. It was my 1st time making my own baby food, but it was super easy, much cheaper, and much more healthy. I will definitely be making most of her food myself.

I also bought Brynn a kid sewing machine for only $14, and we made some little "cozies" for their otter pops and frozen gogurts (did you know they make gogurts now without so much of the junk in them? They are called Simply Gogurt. Stonyfield also makes an organic version that my kids love.). Their little hands get so cold when they hold them, and we just used some felt pieces to sew little pockets for their frozen treats. Brynn was so proud that she made them with her own sewing machine.

I am not naturally gifted with domestic skills, but I have been making much more of an effort to learn. Its been fun to teach the kids along with me, and they have fun with it.

Quilting

Wow, I sure am creative with the post titles. Any way, a couple of years ago, I heard of someone making a quilt out of their child's baby clothes, and loved the idea. I decided I wanted to make one for each of my kids. The girls' quilts will have to wait until Eden outgrows her baby clothes, since she is wearing alot of clothes that were Brynn's. I don't have much experience with quilting, so I decided to make a smaller quilt with some of Collin's outgrown clothes as a practice run before I make his official bigger quilt. I made plenty of mistakes, but had fun making it. I finished it a couple months ago, and it has been fun to see Collin using it. He loves it. He has a special way of folding it and does it carefully and precisely. He loves to share it, and will cover me up with it or lay it out for Eden to play on. He can't pronounce "blanket", so he will ask where his "bankalette" is. The squares are all made from his baby/toddler t-shirts, baby sleepers and pjs, etc. The border is made from his crib sheet.

After I finished Collin's quilt, I didn't feel quite ready to tackle his "official" one, so I made another child-size quilt using purchased fabrics instead. Brynn helped me with this one by cutting the extra threads, holding the quilt while I sewed it, and helping with Eden while I worked on it. When she would ask who it was for, I would just tell her it was a surprise for someone special. When it was completed, I gave it to her and told her that she was that someone special. The smile I got in return made it worth all the work I put into it. She loves her quilt too. There are so many mistakes in both of the quilts, and they are far from perfect, but luckily they don't care. Now, I think I need to make one for Eden next (and yes, I am stalling big time on starting on the official baby clothes quilts, since it is an intimidating project).
The front:
The back has green fabric with tiny white polka dots on it and one row of the same prints:

Update on my Mom

Its been awhile since I posted something new. I have been putting off some posts for a couple of weeks as our family was hit with some challenges. My mom had a stroke almost two weeks ago, and we have been spending most of our free time with her as she goes through the recovery process. My mom is really young, and her stroke took us completely by surprise. The first 24 hours after her stroke were very scary and we weren't given much hope by the neurologist. However, the next morning, she started becoming responsive and made huge strides in her recovery. The nurses and doctors whose care she was under were very surprised, and one of them even remarked that it wasn't their doing that caused her progress, but the prayers of her family and friends. It has been a wonderful miracle to see.

After a few days in the hospital, she was transferred to a rehab center, where she has continued to progress. We know that her recovery will be slow, but we are all willing to help my mom along this journey. She is an amazing person, and the older I get, the more I realize how blessed I am to have her as my mom. She has always been supportive of me and had faith and hope when I sometimes had a hard time feeling it for myself, and now is my chance to do the same for her. Our family has really pulled together and grown closer through all of this, and I have seen qualities in my siblings and my dad that I might not have gotten to see otherwise. We have also been blessed by the family and friends who have been there for my mom and our family these past few weeks. She has visitors almost constantly throughout the day, and people have brought flowers, treats, meals, and cards.

This year has seemed like we have been hit with one challenge after another, and I can't help but think of where I would be without the gospel and my beliefs. It has given me the hope and perspective I've needed to get through. I am so grateful for the religious foundation that my parents have provided me with and for their examples of how to grow through the difficult times in our lives.

My Mom

As I mentioned earlier, my mom had a stroke recently, and we have all been really focused on her recovery and are just so grateful that she is doing so well. These are some of the pictures I took this month to help document her recovery.

For 24 hours after the stroke, my mom was completely unresponsive. It was so scary to witness, especially since I had just been at her house visiting the evening before. It took the doctors most of the day to figure out what was even wrong with her, and when they did the prognosis was not good. My brother Brian and his family came over from California and stayed with us for awhile so they could be near her during that time. I could hardly sleep that 1st night, and was so nervous when I saw my dad's cell phone # come up on the caller ID the next morning. I could hardly believe it when he said that she had just started to wake up a bit. I got to hear my mom's 1st sentence when she told me she loves me over the phone. It was one of the best things I had ever heard! After a visit to see her that morning, I knew things weren't going to be easy, but I felt so grateful and hopeful. She continued to progress and that evening, a physical therapist came in to evaluate her. They couldn't believe how well she was doing, especially when they don't see many people recover from a stroke like the one she had. After the therapist's evaluation, they brought in all the friends and family she had in the waiting area, and some of the nurses, and had a "champagne toast" (with sparkling cider) to celebrate. My mom was even able to have a sip of the sparkling cider herself. (One of the main problems she had after the stroke was with her eyes and her vision. She couldn't keep her eyes open too well for a few days.)


It was such a happy moment to recognize the miracle that we had witnessed. She spent another day or two in the hospital and received so much support. People brought flowers, cards, and food for her and the family. There were lots of prayers said on her behalf and lots of visits. It was so nice to feel the love and support we received and knew it was a big part of her recovery.



While my mom was still in a coma that 1st day, my Aunt Sandy made a banner for her that read "Wake Up Sleeping Beauty". Each visitor signed the banner and wrote their well-wishes to her.

Her granddaughters Brynn and Micaela wrote notes and drew pictures for her too.

My sister Alison and my mom

Alison, my mom, and I

My parents (I love how you can see the joy and relief in their faces that things had improved so much)

Alison and our mom

My brother Brian with our mom



News of my mom's recovery spread quickly on her floor, and all the other nurses who heard about it were so excited for her/us. She had many wonderful nurses during her hospital stay!


After being in the hospital for a couple of days, my mom was transferred to a rehab facility where she lived for a couple of weeks. This next photo shows my siblings and I with my mom just after she was settled into her room there.


Our family

My sister-in-law Natacha holding Eden, Brynn, Brian, Micaela, my mom, Camille, me and Collin


Micaela, Brynn, my mom, and my mom's friend Joanna

My parents with some of their grandkids


The kids loved to get into the bed with their grandma. They thought it was fun that she had a bed sat her up or back down. They were also curious about the wheelchair she used while she was there.

with Collin

with Brynn and MaJesta (the belt she has on is so that anyone assisting her in standing or walking could hold the back of it to help her from falling).

Trance, MaJesta, Brynn, mom, and Collin
For Father's Day, we go take out and ate together in the family area of the rehab center.

Several days after she was transferred to the rehab center, one of my mom's nurses (Jane) from the hospital came to visit her. Jane had been the nurse she had for most of her hospital stay and was so good to our family and my mom! (My mom had to wear an eye patch and switch it from one eye to the other every few days. She had to do this for months, because her eyes weren't working together, and they were hoping the patch would help strengthen each eye individually.)


We know there are alot of challenges ahead, but we are so thankful for the progress she has made so far. It has truly been a miracle!

Eden at 6 months

Eden, I can't believe you are 6 months old! You just keep getting cuter and more fun as you grow. At 6 months old, you:

--weigh 14 lbs, 14 oz and are 26" tall.
--wear size 2 diapers
--have started crawling now, instead of scooting everywhere
--have started teething, although non of your teeth have made their official appearance
--still cry every time we put you down for a nap, although you usually go to sleep at night without any problem
--are super wiggly. You aren't much of a cuddler, since you prefer to jump when you are held.
--had your 1st vacation (to California) and did surprisingly well for the drive.
--like to pull and even eat our hair (yuck!)
--have begun pulling yourself to sit on your knees, and have also started pulling up to standing right after you turned 6 months
--started eating veggie baby food, and like everything you've been given so far. You seem to be a much better eater than drinker.