Build-A-Baby...???

I just love Oakley. She is really great when it comes to her sister Romy. She has fed her, changed her, held her of course, and even gets short little "babysitting" assignments when I need to do things like...oh, shower...!! One of her favorite things to do is get her dressed. The other day, she was playing with her in her room, and brought her down to show me what she had been doing...

Playing Dress-up...with Build-A-Bear clothes...HAHAHA!!!  Why play with stuffed animals when you have the real deal???  And of all the cute outfits, she picked the crop top and shorts...my little baby looks like "Redneck" Build-A-Bear!!  Don't worry, I didn't tell Oakley that...!!!  But, I HAD to get pictures!!!

She didn't like the outfit either...lol...

I'm Thankful for Not Being Bored...

Life seems so crazy lately, and I feel like I haven't had time to even stop to smell the roses...in fact...come to think of it...there aren't any...maybe I can stop to smell the fallen leaves...that are frozen.  HMMM...
Well, I have been keeping busy with all kinds of things...birthdays, photo shoots, Holidays, family, friends...the list goes on...and on it seems.  This last week I think I made the trek to Boise at least seven times...twice in one day...(40 minutes each way mind you)!!  Between doctor appointments, cheerleading, businesses, family, I just can't keep myself here in Caldwell much!!  Luckily between it all, cute little moments like these happen...

Does this look a little familiar to you??  How bout instead of a cute baby girl, its a mischievous two-year-old boy (also amazingly adorable might I add), and instead of dirt....NOPE....it was dirt too!!  What is it about my kids and potting soil??!!!  YUMMM....????

Another one of our fun adventures was Romy getting her x-rays.  I figured they would lay her on a table, and shoot a few pictures, and we'd be outta there...

Ya...not so much...ever seen one of these???

Now, this isn't Romy, and this baby actually looks about 100% more comfortable in this contraption than she was...you see they actually have to put this thing on so tight that if they move or scream (which inevitably they will cause it really is awful) their little bodies wont budge and ruin the x-ray picture.  She was so crammed in there she couldn't even move her arms that were jammed so tightly by her head that I thought they might be stuck there forever.  She was scared and screaming (told you), and just looked at me like "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME??!!"  I was sad.  I had to keep from losing it over x-rays...

Now...this would be the "PG-13" section of the story.  Proceed with caution...I wouldn't normally post my...ahem..."bosom containers" on my blog for the whole wide world (the whole 20 people that actually look at it) to see...but, frankly, it is unrecognizable anyhow!!!  This is a trick Blazer learned when a babysitter mistakenly let him sleep in mommy's room...don't worry, she learned you can never trust a two-year-old too...check it out...

He really does look quite remorseful in this last one...or maybe its the look of GUILTY!!!

Today, I am thankful for new make-up and an awesome husband who cleans carpet like it's NOTHIN'!!!

Somewhere in this whole mess of chaos my oldest son turned 9!!!  I can't even believe it...SO CRAZY!!!  We took him to Pojos as a family for his birthday...first time we've ever done that, and it was fun.  He then got a super cool tank cake, and some even cooler presents!!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY SON...you are amazing!!

Oh, and P.S.  If you're ever at Pojos, and your kids wanna use one of their tokens for a giant gumball the size of a tennis ball...be prepared for this...

And maybe a slight sugar high??

Well, I hate to go so soon, but really, I have a lot to do...I mean it's 2:29AM, and I still have to squeeze some sleep in here sometime!!  But I thought I'd leave ya with a little face that I like to call "Popeye" (the cutest darn one I ever saw!!!)

I'd kiss this Popeye ANY day!!!

She's actually ambidextrous with her face...she can do this too...

She likes to suck up her bottom lip when she's eating her food...and don't ya love that little orange nose and orangy cheeks from all the orange baby food??  Do you think she bleeds orange??  How does that work??  Cause that color is comin' from the inside!!

Pumkin Bust...

Does anyone else have a hard time with Sunday Halloweens??  It really makes life awkward!!  We figured we would make Saturday a total candy fest...

We started at our Ward Trunk-or-Treat...well, it was two wards in fact...which made it difficult to eat.  When we arrived the entire gym was packed, and there wasn't even room for the homemade chili I slaved over...(oh well, more for us).  After waiting almost 20 minutes in hopes that someone would finish and stand up, we went into the hall to wait where we could sit down.  It wasn't looking so good, so we decided to take our chili home and eat it real quick, and go back for the Trunk-or-Treating.  We got there 20 minutes before it was supposed to end, and there were cars piling out of the parking lot...our kids were crushed...!!

On the way though, we had spotted a huge Halloween Party put on by D.A.R.E., which was free, so we thought we'd take them there...They had a lot of fun carnival-like activities...only...you had to stand in line for 30 MINUTES for EACH activity.  After an hour and a half, our poor kids only had six pieces of candy in their buckets, and that was only because the Mayor was handing some out in the enormously long unorganized lines...it COULD have been an awesome activity...they set it up ALL WRONG though...maybe next year they'll ask me??

SO, we decide to take them Trick-or-Treating.  After driving the neighborhoods not seeing ONE kid on the prowl, we called it a night...

Talk about a series of unfortunate events...maybe we should have dressed up as Lemmeny Snickets...hmmm...fabulous idea....

All the way home, I had the kids yell "Trick-or-Treat!!" and I just threw candy into the back seat for them.  It wasn't exactly what they had in mind, but hey...they FINALLY got some candy...!!

We ended up going Trick-or-Treating on Sunday.  It is a GREAT family activity anyhow!!!  We go to my dad's neighborhood...we LOVE it there...!!  The whole neighborhood just really gets into the Halloween spirit!!!  It ended up being the BEST night ever!!!  We all had so much fun...AND...their buckets were FULL...!!!

Our family...the "Party Poopers"(we forgot our party hats), Pirates of the Caribbean: Davey Jones, Jack Sparrow, and Elizabeth Swan, a monkey, and and Owl...

I made the Owl!!  And even though I had NO idea what I was doing...I love it!!!

Parents Gone Wild...

Well, we always have SUCH a blast with our Annual Halloween Party.  If you haven't been yet...you are MISSING OUT!!!!  Where else can you get a ton of adults together to dance, limbo, karaoke, party, and make FOOLS of themselves and not be all liquored up??!!  Nowhere...I'm telling ya....

I think the best part is seeing everyone's costumes.   People put so much time and effort into it...and it is AWESOME!! We're talking hand painted shirts, Men sewing, custom tattoos,  hair in places I didn't realize there could BE hair, hundreds of safetypins....It really is SO COOL!!  I for one stressed about ours for weeks...I just couldn't get the picture in my head to come to life...until...BOOM it hit me...and I came up with this...!!

Yes, it was PERFECT.  The ULTIMATE Party Poopers, and although we didn't win, we sure had fun wearing them...I mean, how often in life can you say you were So crappy, and feel good about it??  LOL...it was the joke of the night...we kept waiting for someone to call us a sh**head...but luckily...we weren't THAT crappy...!!!

And the winners of the night were...Yes...Caveman, and HOT Cavewoman...!!!

Oh ya...AND...

Oh ya...and did I mention that I make stuff too??  Cute stuff...Stuff people keep telling me..."You should sell that"....SOOOOOooooooo

I am.

Come on over to my little shop...OH...and tell your friends...and their friends....and their friends, friends...

okay...click the picture...!!!

I know...I've been a VEEEEEERY busy girl...

Well, what can I say....I DO BUSY!!!!!

As if...

As if I don't have enough on my plate...!!  This is something I have been doing for years...in fact over 9 years...!!  I guess I have just been "quiet" about it.  One could say I'm coming out of the closet so to speak???

I started my training at Kiddie Kandids as a photographer for a couple years where I worked on my professional certification.  From there I pursued my abilities on my own where I have captured the people and events around me...

I definately have a love for shooting infants and kids...but I have shot several families over the years as well...

ENJOY!!!

http://synergygirlshots.blogspot.com/

The Tale of Two Boys...

I've been kicking myself lately because when havoc rains upon our household...I haven't grabbed my camera for visual record of our great catastrophes...instead, you will have to visualize this chaos with me....are you ready...I mean....REALLY ready...???

A lot goes on in the Lords house...here are a few incidences from the past couple of weeks...

We'll start with Parker.  He thought it would be a FABULOUS idea to shove a tree seed INTO his ear canal.  This seed is roughly the size of a pinto bean (are we visualizing??).  He shoved it SO FAR IN that I couldn't  pull it out with tweezers as I have in the past...(yes, these things DO happen more than once unfortunately...) SOOOOO, we get to go to the ER.  LoVeLy. 

MEANWHILE...Blazer at some point during the day while playing outside decides that he will shove a rock up his nose.  Now I am thinking I have to take TWO boys to the ER to get foreign objects extracted from their faces.  I'm sure that will go over well....LUCKILY, I have had EVEN more practice with this, and I was able to get it out...PHEW!!!  Only one boy in the ER today!!!

Back to Parker...Upon looking at his ear, the ER doc states that it is all the way into his middle ear, and such cases generally call for an ENT to get it out, but that he'll try once just to see.  They hook Parker up to this minuscule vacuum and try sucking it out of his ear...SUCCESS!!!  Luckily we did not have to see a specialist, and we retreated blissfully to our home...

I hate to say that the remainder of the post focuses on Blazer, the impossible two year old...but what can I say...he just likes to keep life interesting...

If you ever wondered what would happen if you ate one those packs that come in shoes and whatnot to keep the moisture absorbed...well, I can surely tell you!!  YOU WILL BE FINE.  In fact, thanks to Blazer, we now know that you can eat the WHOLE PACK and be in good health.  All those shiny little clear silica gels are non toxic, and harmless...the warning is more for the choking hazard...thankfully...he didn't choke...

Also, if you EVER feel like you need a make over for your make-up collection, I'll send Blazer on over to your house.  All you have to do is keep the door unlocked to your bathroom.  When you are tending to the baby or other needs you may have, he will gladly EAT all your lipstick, SMEAR your concealer into the counter, JAM objects OTHER than the wand in your mascara, shake your mineral foundation all over the carpet as if it were winter falling over a tiny village coating it like the first snow fall...all the while you THOUGHT he was playing happily in the playroom...LUCKILY, lipstick is harmless to consume as well...

How are the visualizations going...would you like to borrow him yet??  He really is super adorable...and I love his little face!!!

In fact that sweet little face of his LOVES to chew gum!!  Today, he came inside chewing a piece of gum.  I asked him where he got it and he pointed outside with the biggest grin on his face...cheeky...Carter then proceeds to tell me that it was the gum that fell out of his mouth outside several days ago...he looked and looked and couldn't find it...Blazer took care of that one...YUMMMM...that gives a whole new meaning to "Lost and Found"!!!

Do you find it ironic that I found this picture and there's gum in Blazer's mouth??

Well...I hope that you enjoyed the small glimpse into our world over here...it is a crazy one...full of excitement and awe...!!

Moral of the story?? I definitely think that God has a real sense of humor...and I love that he shares it with me most every day...!!!

Dear Doctor...

Thought I'd share the letter that I wrote to our former pediatrician.  I thought he might be interested to know why out of the blue 5 of his patients switched practices...I sent it last Saturday...I don't expect a response, though I do wonder if I'll get one...here it goes!!!

Dear "Doctor" (I won't use his name for the sake of it...),

I really felt like I wanted to express my reasoning for switching practices, as it was not an easy or fast choice. I have always loved having you as a doctor, and felt like you have treated me and my children with care. I was especially impressed with the care you gave Oakley when she went through so many UTI’s, and your persistence in finding some answers for us. It meant so much to me!!!

When we had Romy, I felt like she didn’t get quite the same treatment. When I had concerns, I felt like they were not addressed, but brushed off. This is not entirely your fault because many times I called in and could only speak with your nurse. On one occasion I had called in because Romy had been overly fussy for 5 days straight. I had tried everything it seemed. Chris suggested that maybe she had gas, and needed me to play “motor boat” with her legs amongst other basic suggestions. If I am calling in, this means that I have tried EVERYTHING else, and I am out of ideas. I also called in about her anisocoria, and was told it was not a problem she needed to be seen for. It wasn’t until I had an actual appt that I was able to bring it up and get her to a specialist.

It was beginning to feel as though my concerns weren’t being addressed, and my biggest concern had yet to happen. In July, I began noticing that she wasn’t using her right arm. She moves it, but she doesn’t use it. When I spoke to you about it, you thought that maybe she was showing a hand preference. I was disappointed when you didn’t examine her. I was so torn. When seeing some of her specialists, I brought up the symptom with them, and they told me that children do not have hand preferences until about the age of 2, and that I should bring this up with my pediatrician. Imagine my discouragement when I had already done that. Our ophthalmologist decided that it was concerning enough along with her anisocoria that she wanted to find out more. She went on to order an MRI on her head and shoulder. Thus beginning a battle between offices for me.

When central scheduling called me, the tests had been changed from MRI’s to CT scans. I was frustrated. Why put my child through anesthesia and un-necessary radiation because it was “cheaper” as Chris explained to me. I tried to explain that if we DIDN’T find something wrong, I would demand an MRI to find more information because I felt like my daughter had a real symptom going on that needed to be addressed. If the CT scans DID find something, you would want an MRI done for her to find out more…so either way, she would have ended up in an MRI and it would not be cheaper. Chris proceeded to tell me that you did not feel like it was necessary, and that you had no ability to change the tests. So I called the ophthalmologist back and discussed my concerns with them. They agreed, and called and talked with you. The test STILL remained CT scans.

The decision to leave finally came down to feeling that my intuition and concerns did not matter. I needed to find someone that would listen and validate. I understand that you may deal with some moms that are new that will jump at everything, but I have been doing this for nine years, and feel as though that should earn me just a little credibility. I have children that were never even seen other than shots…so it isn’t like I have made a reputation of un-necessarily seeing the doctor.

I really didn’t want to leave. I didn’t. It was such a hard decision. You really were a good doctor, and I really wanted you to hear me. It took four months to make the decision to find another doctor, and took having someone I knew to make that decision. I didn’t just go to anyone…they had to be just as good.

I just wanted to let you know that Romy did have her MRI’s done. We got the results back yesterday, and found out that she has had either a stroke or a brain bleed (corona radiata) on the left side of her brain explaining why her eye and arm are affected. They aren’t sure yet how much damage there has been, and we will be seeing a neurologist to begin her journey.

I don’t want this to be a hate letter, or a finger-pointing letter, but maybe just an eye-opening letter for you. Please, please just listen. Sometimes it may be nothing…and sometimes it may be something. I thought it would feel good to be right about this after everything that had happened…but sometimes, you don’t want to be right…because it’s not about being right…it’s about being heard.

Thank you for all that you have done for my children. I really appreciate it all. I really do. I think you are a fine doctor, and I really wish that things would have been different.

Take care,

The Lords Family…

Sweet Romy Lin at the hospital getting ready for her MRIs!!!

A new road for a tough little girl...

I wish I had some fancy pictures, or some cute little story to tell, but this is just not that post...

Romy Lin had some MRI's done last week on her head and cervical spine.  She hasn't been using her right arm and that has been kind of a red flag...

It started in July, I started noticing it..I talked to my doctor, and he didn't seem concerned by it at all... "maybe she's left handed" he said.  I wasn't convinced, so at her next opthamologist appt, I brought it up.  She told me that babies don't have a hand preference, and that I should talk to my pediatrician about it...she got involved at that point since he has more or less brushed off the subject.  She had some MRI's ordered but when scheduling called me from the hospital the tests had been changed to CT scans.  I was bugged.  I called the pediatrician to find out why, and the nurse told me that CT scans were cheaper.  I was "rather mad".  MRI's show so much more, and are less risky to infants.  CT scans subject her to a ton of radiation, and doctors are finding that babies who have had the procedure are high risk for cancer by the time they are 20...!!!  Either way she would have to be put under...so lets get the MOST information possible...

I tried explaining my case that it wouldn't be cheaper because if they DIDN'T find anything...I would want an MRI because I really felt strongly that we needed to find more out...

If they DID find something...They would want an MRI to FIND MORE OUT...so either way she would have ended up in an MRI...

They didn't feel it was necessary...

So I called the opthamologist and stressed my point there...they agreed, called the pediatrician, and the pediatrician STILL didn't change it....

FRUSTRATION.

Luckily, I have a good friend who has an AWESOME brother who is also a doctor.  She helped me to make that step in changing pediatricians...and I'm SO GLAD I DID!!!

Within the first appt, he addressed ALL of my concerns, and validated them, told me NO WAY did he want CT scans...they were TO RISKY, and ordered her in for MRI's.  He talked about how mothers have intuition, and he listened...!!  I really feel like doctors SHOULD listen to moms...I understand that maybe first time moms might jump at every little thing...but come on people...I've been doing this for NINE YEARS...give me just a LITTLE credibility...it was so refreshing when someone did...

Which brings me to today...we got the results of the MRI's...Romy Lin has suffered a stroke or brain bleed on the left side of her brain.  We don't have a ton of answers yet, but her right arm, leg and possibly the vision in her right eye will most likely be affected.  I am anxious to meet with the neurologists for more answers and a real prognosis, but we are staying super optimistic...why wouldn't we??!!  She is really a happy girl, and even if she has a hard time with these things...she is healthy.  She is strong.  This girl has been through SO MUCH in her little life already...and this won't change that at all...she's a tough little cookie...!!!

I thought it would feel good to be right...but sometimes you don't want to be right...because it's not really about being right...it's about being heard.  This doctor listened to me...and now my daughter can begin her journey...

Deja Vu...

Member that one time with the one thing that I thought could NEVER happen in the first place...but definately couldn't happen twice???

I must have some SERIOUSLY MAD SKILLS....

So I decided to go to Wendy's and grab some lunch before heading to Ontario for some couponing, since for some reason people here aren't "coupon courteous"....On my way in to Rite Aid, there were two women on their way OUT with several cart fulls of the stuff each that I needed...I get it...get some great deals...but come on...save some for the rest of us...!!

Anyways...Wendy's...I pull up to pay, and somehow when I take my debit card out of my wallet to hand it to the cashier....it falls here....

HOW THE HECK do I have the luck that my card would jump out of my hand, do a double axle reverse group dive INTO the TINY crevice next to the cup holder....

Seriously people...

(see how SMALL this thing is??!!!)

So I can't figure out what the heck to do!!  I start trying to pry up the entire center console of my rig.  The fast food guy is telling me to be careful, and finally tries to just give me my food free...

Why do these random acts of bizarre coincidences happen to me??

I didn't make him give me my food for free...I gave him a different card, and went on my merry little way...completely perplexed...

When I got home, we had a "car cleaning party", and Oakley was able to slide something through the back of the console under the seats to get my card back....SMART GIRL!!!!

Moral of the Story:  If you think something couldn't happen to you...chances are, THEY MOST SURELY WILL........TWICE...!!!   OH...and I am a genius...ya...

Fix it Friday...

As if I have nothing better to do....Oh well, I enjoy editing pictures...even if I have NO IDEA who the people are. 

Here is the BEFORE:

And here is my AFTER:

If ya wanna try your own editing, head on over to i ♥ Faces

Happy Friday Everyone!!

Testing...Testing...Can you hear me...??

Sometimes I am wondering if I am the only one who understands me...!!  Maybe I can get some insight from the masses out there...here's the scenario:

My husband wanted me to go watch him play football.  It was a damp, chilly evening, I had no notice, it's a school night, and I have 5 kids to "entertain"...one being a 2 year old (and we all know how WONDERFUL he is) and another being nearly a newborn...he didn't understand why I thought staying home and getting them to bed sounded like the more enjoyable option..."Just come watch, and let them play" was his attitude...

(Go Husband...this is FUN!!!  YAY...!!!)

In my head I am thinking, okay, I JUST found out about this, and I need to bundle up 5 kids,  load up the stroller, chairs, drive 40 minutes both ways, and then figure out how to be everywhere at once.  If Romy gets hungry, and Blazer runs off, how is that going to work...??  I could just picture myself running into the field nursing Romy in one arm and dragging a crazy two-year-old off with the other and just hoping we don't get tackled...!  I think that might fall under "public indecency" (or would that be "public nudity"?? Not real sure there...hmmm...maybe I could just wear a snuggie...) Then what if one of the kids has to go to the bathroom??  Then someone trips in the mud and is whining because they are soggy and cold...by the time I get home, it is an hour and a half past bedtime, kids still need to shower, eat snacks, brush teeth and finally go to bed....

and I am pooped...

exhausted...

done for....

Am I being pessimistic??

I thought I was being realistic...weighing the options...

My husband thinks I am being negative...that I am ruining the experience before even trying it...I should just come and enjoy the game...

I am not sure why I couldn't see it that way and I was frustrated that he didn't understand...

What about you??

I don't like to look at myself as a negative person...but maybe I am not seeing what others see...maybe I am over thinking what 5 kids at a football game would be like...would they have really "just played?"  I would have loved to go and watch him play...and I hope to be able to at some point...but hopfully not with the kids...at least...not all of them...

P.S.  (Added Later) Just to clarify this post...I don't want anyone to think that my husband sucks...cause he surely does not!!  This post to me is the difference between Men and Women....Dads vs Moms...Dads: Just pick up and go, we'll figure it out...it will be fun!!  Moms:  Thinking of every little detail, needs to know how it COULD play out, every little what if or what not....that night...I weighed my options, and felt like it was WAY too much of a hassle...so I bagged the idea.  He didn't quite understand, but that doesn't make him a bad guy at all...!!

WWJD....??

Okay, the real question at hand is "What Would YOU Do???" 

I need a little help here...

So my daughter comes home from school the other day and insists on me taking a picture of her so that she can give it to her "adult friend."  It's right about here I start feeling weird about the whole situation...and of course ask "Who is your adult friend???"  It's her friend-at-the-bus-stop's grandma, and Oakley said that they are good friends and that she thinks she is so cute that she wants to have a picture of her...

huh...

huh...??

It's a grandma of a fellow schoolmate....it's harmless right??  Right...??  Rrrrrrrright....

What the heck do I do...??

Should I give this "adult friend" a picture of my daughter??!!  What Would YOU Do??!!