This and That...

I don't really have any "earth shattering" news to share...which frankly, is a really good thing I suppose!! So here's a little this and that of the happenings at The Lords House...


Carter and Oakley had "Hawaiian Day" at school. They were insistent that they dress up, and so would everyone else. So, Dollar Store...here I went...DANG...for about $3, I think they look pretty flippin’ cool!!

Come to find out, they said hardly anyone dressed up. After school I asked them how it went, and Oakley said "Mom, do you know what happened to me??"

ME: silently gasping hoping she wasn't ridiculed at school....

Oakley: "Everyone told me I was beautiful"

PHEW...she IS beautiful!!!

So, Parker is our funny man. He found daddy's work boots and started stomping around in them. OF COURSE I thought...HOW CUTE...and wanted to capture it. What I didn't realize was how FUNNY he poses....what a goof ball!!!

Blazer thought Parker was hilarious...In fact Blazer LOVES Parker...he calls him "GUYS"!! The last few nights, he has abandoned his own bed, and slept in "GUYS" bed. It is rather cute!

Finally, we have become SO MORMON that we outgrew our minivan....!!! WHAT??!! Yep, you heard me. It only was a seven-seater, and even though we have seven, we must have chosen the one van that was so darn small, because Carter couldn't even sit straight in the back seat!! He had to sit sideways...and we went to Utah this last weekend, and decided...that CAN'T work anymore...SOOOOO....here's what we did...

I have to say that I was not thrilled about getting a "big vehicle". You see, I am a short person, and I really don't feel the need to "compensate" like a guy would...BUT, I liked how much room it had in the back, and we found this Yukon Denali for a STEAL!!! Luckily our van was paid off, and so our trade made for an even sweeter deal...!! We really didn't want to strap ourselves with a new vehicle, so we were blessed to find this...It is definitely not new, but it is definitely what our family needed...!!!

Litte Romy is still growing, and we are starting to wonder if her little heart was just tricking us, because she still has yet to have an episode at home. We were so prepared to be making at least two trips a week to the hospital because IN the hospital she was having a minimum of two episodes a week...!! GO FIGURE!! We really have been blessed!! She was 7lbs 12oz at her appt on Thursday...and she is a sweetie!!

Why not Challenge myself???

ell, I do say that this challenge couldn't have come at a better time...!!  The challenge this week  at I ♥ Faces is "Faces and Flowers"...I happened to capture BOTH without even knowing!!  See, I got this whim just on Saturday after my daughter's birthday party, to use the extra tulle and flowers we used to make fun flower veils to make my newborn a little tutu and headband...you can only imagine the fun I had making it into a little photo shoot!!  Here is my 8 week old sleeping angel!!!!

(click to see the full image!!)

Wish me Luck!!!

And hey...if you want to enter this week's contest too...here's the link...it's pretty fun!

While I should be sleeping...

ou know what I love about the world today...??  Technology!!  Seven years ago, if I wanted cute pictures of Oakley...I had to take her in to a Studio...luckily, I worked at Kiddie Kandids, and they would let me do the pictures, but I did still have to pay for them!!  Today, when I want cute pictures of Romy, it is ALL too convenient!   I say TOO convenient because I have this slight tendancy to spend WAY too much time taking pictures and editing...it's almost dare I say...an obsession??!!

Well, either way, I am proud to show ya my daughter, and how beautiful I think she is....here she is at 6 weeks old:

Brian teases me because I LOVE sleeping babies, and I take TONS of them sleeping.  I just think it is so much easier to get a good shot...they are comfy, and aren't aware of all the moving and positioning...PLUS...they look so Heavenly!!

Oakley's Birthday was this last weekend.  I will post pictures of it soon, but they made the cutest little flower veils, and I happened to have some tulle and flowers left over, and got myself a little idea....here's what happened to that little idea....

Doesn't she look SO angelic??  I sure thought so!!  See...sleeping babies...I just can't get enough!! 

For the records....Romy is 8 weeks old in these pictures, and she now weighs 7lbs 6oz.  That was the size of Oakley, who was also my smallest full term baby!!!

It's a Family Affair...

I was SO EXCITED to go home so the kids could FINALLY see their baby sister.  I mean it was really like telling them they get to go on some super exciting trip, OH, but by the way, you are gonna have to wait 5 weeks to go.  I am sure I am not the only one who doesn't tell their kids until it's time to pack...even ONE NIGHT is an eternity for them!!  I have to say, I must have THE MOST patient kids on earth.  They were such good kiddos...and they were SO HAPPY to finally meet little Romy Lin...

Parker got to hold her very first.  He and Blazer were the only ones home since the older two were at school.  He just looked so darn proud!!

Blazer didn't know what the heck was going on.  He would point to the carseat, and gasp, and then point again and then gasp.  He did that several times like "Hey mom...did you know there is a THING in there??!!"  I would say baby, but he really seemed to think she was an alien at first.  He sure was excited to hold this alien, and even gave her the cutest loves!!!

Oakley was who I was the most excited to see a reaction from.  Every night before bed, she insisted on kissing my belly, and although we hadn't named her yet, would kiss "Little Romy Lin" goodnight by name.  Everytime I talked to her on the phone in the hospital, she would ask about her, and want me to kiss her.  Even before I was pregnant, she would cry in her room at night saying "I am the only one who has to sleep alone!!  Why don't I have anyone to share a room with??!!"  I always felt bad that she seemed left out.   Well, her wish came true!!  I hope she still feels like this in five years when "Little Romy Lin" is getting into all of her stuff...

She may seem somber...but she is in utter awe of her little sister...just precious!!

I know what you are thinking...HEY, you forgot about Carter!!  NOPE...Carter really was excited to meet her, and even thought she was the cutest thing, saying "Mommy, she is really beautiful"...but when I asked if he wanted to hold her he replied...

Nah...

HAHAHA...BOYS!!!

The Final Walk...

After being in the hospital for so long and the emotions, the experiences, the tears, the joy, the people...just everything, I couldn't believe that it was finally time to bring my sweet baby home. 

Brian was able to stay with me that last night, and while he and Romy Lin were quiet, I decided to take a walk down the hallways to just reminisce about the whole 5 week experience...Here is a small glimpse into the life I lived...

I guess we'll start at her room.  Room 17.  I can't tell ya HOW MANY TIMES...I went to this room...It always lifted my spirits to see Romy...

She was givin several cards and animals, so OF COURSE...I put them up for her to see!!

I spent the majority of my stay in Guest Quarters.  It was a small little room that I could get away from all the doctors and nurses...and gather my thoughts.  It was at the opposite end of the hospital down an long hallway....and it always seemed SO FAR to have to go...and everytime...I had to be wheeled in a wheelchair.   By the second week or so, everyone on the transport team knew who I was...

I don't know why, but from the very beginning, as soon as I turned the corner, and saw this...

I thought to myself "DISNEYLAND!!!!!!"  I had so many complications with my c-section, infections, hematomas, muscle tearing...no matter how much pain I was in, I would turn that corner, and instantly feel a little excitement.  Sometimes, I left Disneyland in tears, because my ride would be broken, or wasn't working properly at the time, but other times, I left so happy, and fulfilled...

This is the lobby going into the NICU.  I loved how when I would come, all the doors would open letting me in to this new world....

This is the mural I saw just before getting to my daughters room....

These are some of the doctors that worked on my girl.  I owe them everything for helping my daughter to live...because without them, I would be without....

Finally, my walk took me back to the room where I would sleep the last night at the hospital...I felt so much emotion durning this walk I took by myself.  Thinking of all the experience I had gained, thinking of all the emotion I had felt.  I was almost going to miss this place...this place that saved my life...this place that gave me a daughter healthy enough to bring home...this place that almost seemed like a hell some days...I was really going to miss it....almost...

The next day, we really were leaving.  We still weren't believing it, but I think the doctors were just as excited to get us out the door as we were! 

This is her monitor...finally showing NOTHING...!!

My sweet baby in her big girl seat...

And us...leaving together...to go complete our family....!! 

Of course, I was emotional all over again leaving...but I really was elated to go.

This trip to the hospital has changed my life forever...