Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness

Since my last post from about a month ago a lot has happened. First, I am REALLY trying to post sooner it usually takes me at least a week to make one post.

Ok so here we go.....
Halloween was so much fun, we did however have an exciting experiance with Max's costume. We bought him a Dinosaur outfit from Costco in September. It was SOOO cute it had a puffy tummy and a tail I totally loved it. He had to wear his costume to school the day before Halloween. We kept the costume hidden until Halloween so he wouldn't play with it and ruin it. So Wednesday night I get it out of the closet to try it on him ( the size was 2-4 yrs.) to see if I needed to hem or tack up the legs, I put it on zipped it up and as I was putting the head/hat on and he started screaming. I thought it was just because he didn't like the hat on for some silly reason, so I kept putting it on, he kept screaming. I thought he was just being a pain, I took him into the bathroom so he could he see the costume and he still freeked. It wasn't until I took it off him and calmed him down and he finally told me it was hurrting him ( he never mentioned this before ) the legs were 3 inches to short and when the hood was on it was cutting the poor boy in half. I felt SO bad, so Max and I went to Wal-Mart at 8:00pm to find a costume... NOTHING! We went across the street to K-Mart...NOTHING for little boys. I needed to take MAx home so Mike could put him to bed while I went to Target. BINGO they had 2 Isles both side full of all their stock of costumes. It was really hard to find a costume for him most of them were way to old for him and scary. Until I found a Mater costume the problem was that it was size 6-7. I looked at it and didn't even take off the rack I was really starting to get bummed and severly depressed. I was talking to my mom at the same time telling her about Mater while I heard a person behind me say "She said Mater, find it and run!" What the crap... grow the freak up lady. What kind of example are you! So me being the very mature person that I am... I grabbed it and ran. Come to find out it was on the wrong hanger and was the right size for MAX YEAH !!! I got him a brown sweat pants and jacket and an orange and brown stripped shirt that helped him look rusty. He loved it. Michaella was the worlds cutest Utah cheerleader, oh my heart melted. Abbey and Rusty were Orange pumpkins and had Bat hats.
So that was Halloween
Our ward had our annual Chili cook-off. We made our new family recipe for award winning chili. That's right AWARD WINNING we took 2nd place. The first place winner deserved it, it had really expensive sausage in it. But still we did awesome!
We had a nice visitor come to see us, my Dad's friend Southen. Well his name is really Dave Gibbons, but he's from the South and we've always called him Southern. He worked with my Dad at the Airport. I was ELATED!!! I love Southern.
Then for the Most Exciting News was..... We had to take Abbey to the Hospital. She had diarrhea and vomiting and a fever of 102. We took her to Primary Childrens and were put through the ringer. They drew blood and a lot of it. They did a CBC ( complete blood count), BMP ( Basic Metabolic Panal ) and Blood cultures to check if she was septic ( infection inher blood) a Urine Analysis and my personal favorite a LP or Lumbar Puncture ( Spinal Tap) come on in my 2 month old. The night before ( Friday the 7th) I didn't get more than 2 hours of sleep because I was SOOO cold. On Saturday, we had the chili cook off and a friends bridal shower. That day as well as friday I noticed that Abbey was not herself. All she wanted was to be held and sleep. She was eating ok, just lethargic. All day I couldn't find the thermometer, finally after the cook-off Mike found it, I took her temp and it was 102. I called the Dr. to get the dosage for her weight and he told me to go straight to the hospital, so at 9pm out the door we went. We were admitted to the ED ( emergency department) immediately. I was having a hard time keeping things together because of the lack of sleep. My mom was working as well ( she's a nurse at PCMC ) she was able to come down for a few minutes. At the perfect time I might add, just as they were catheritizing Abbey for a urins sample, Abbey was looking up at me crying and I just new she was just asking me to stop the pain, I was crying a little myself until I saw my moms face at that point I was so relieved and exaugsted I lost it. They did the LP next and my mom and I went on a walk ( I emotionally couldn't ne there ). My mom only had one patient so she was able to get off early. Thank goodness. So at 3 am we were admitted to the Infant Unit. The Spinal Tap came back positive for Enterovirus Meningitis. She got Miningitis from a stomach bug ( the diarrhea and Vomiting). In babies under the age of 90 days the blood brain blocker ( meningies in your neck and base of your brain) are very underdeveloped, like a tube of toothpaste. In an adult the cap is screwed on tightly, so when you squeeze it nothing comes out, but in a newborn the cap on the toothpaste isn't screwed on thightly so when you squeeze it toothpaste leaks out. Meaning the infection was spread into her spine. SHe is now over the headache and pain is gone. Her fever is broke, the vomiting and diarrhea is gone. She was admitted on Saturday night and discharged on tuesday. The results were empty, nothing grew meaning she didn't have bacterial meningitis.

So now we are trying to keep everybody healthy and get life back to normal. But I think normal is only something people tell others to make them selves feel better about their lives being so hectic. There is no such thing as normal.
I will try to blog more often I 've gotten to the point that I am not napping anymore, so I'll try to blog while everybody else is. Although now I am tired and I've missed my chance. Oh well today I am going on an outing I'll have to let ya know how it turned out. Me, Myself and I are going to be taking all 4 kiddies to Costco all by myselff. I hope all goes well

The Life is crazy, Liberty is being home from the hospital and the Pursuit of Happiness is what I do all day everyday!!!

Tags !!!

FACTS:

1. I am scared to death of Snakes, Spiders and Bees. Yep, I almost asked Max to kill a spider for me once. I just "locked" in the bathroom under a cup until Mike could come home and kill it for us!
I can't even watch anything on T.V. with snakes. When a snake comes on I freak! I run as fast as I can away from bees, I'm allergic to bee stings and I'm terrified of them.
2. I have OCD - I'm not really bad, but I do have it.
3. I love to Swim, Springboard and Platform Dive, Boat and anything relating to water.
4. You can't tell by the looks of my house, but I love to have EVERYTHING organized and put in it's place.
5. I am dyslexic or as I say Lesdyxic.
6. I am a perfectionist.
7. I am madly in love with Mike
8. I want 2 more kids - 1 boy and 1 girl.

I now Tag...
Stasha, Marianne, Rhonda, Mikelle and Nat


MICHAEL PAUL WYNDER

~Where did you meet?
College of Eastern Utah
~How long did you date?
We met Aug. 22, 2002. Our first date was Sept 6 and we talked about getting married Sept. 19 and called the Temple on Oct. 30 and Mike "Officially " Proposed on Dec. 6
~How long have you been Married?
5 years, 5 months, 11 days and 4 hours and 3 minutes. We were married at 11:19 am.
~What is your favorite feature of his?
Physical - Legs and Butt ( hey I'm just being honest)
I love when he giggles and smiles
~What is your favorite quality of his?
He is such a hard worker, has SO much love to give. He can make my worst days into the best. He dedicates 100% to anything and everything he does, He can make me laugh at any given time. I could go on forever, but I'll stop.
~ Nicknames for you?
Pookey, Honey Bunny, Schmoopsy poo ( off Monsters Ink) to name a few.
~ Favorite Color:
Purple
~ When and where was your first kiss?
SEptember 19, 2002. He came to my parents house to see me, we went on a walk around the block and stopped half way where we could see the stars between the trees and we kissed. I left out a few details, but most of you would think they are sappy anyways.
~ Favorite thing to do as a couple:
Snuggy ( Snuggle)
~ Favorite vacation spot?
Jackson Hole
~ Any kids?
yes! 4 Max(3), Michaella ( 20 mo.), Abbey and Rusty ( 2 mo.)
~How old is he?
He will be 28 on Dec. 5, 08
~ Who said I love you first?
He did
~Favorite type of music?
Classic Rock and Roll
~What do you admire most about him?
I could go on forever, but he is my hero. He is working full time going to school, taking care of a large family. Everyday he spends special time with each of the kids. He makes me laugh everyday and fills my day with uplifting thoughts that make me feel like a million dollars. He loves me unconditionally, and does little things to make me feel and see his love. How many men do you know of that stay up wiht their wifes EVERY midnight feeding just to keep her company and help with anything he can! He did this with Max and Michaella too!
Mike~
I love you with everything I am and ever will be. I love, honor and respect you, because you are my eternal love and my best friend and my super hero. You brighen my days with every phone call, kiss and " I love you". You work so hard just to make me happy. I don't know of anyone else who would work an 8 hour day followed by 3 hour class come and do all the house work while I am in the shower. Just to make my day a little better. I love you more today than the day we were married, I'll love you more in 50 years than I do today and I'll love you for all eternity!
~ Do you think he'll read this?
Yes, mostly likely because I'll make him ;)

I now tag anyone who wants to

I know I am :

I know I am cheap when I will grocery shop at 2-3 different stores judt to get the best deals.
I know I am succesfull when at the end of the day I have taken a shower, the kids have eaten 3 full meals and 3 snacks bathed and dressed and in bed asleep. I have done at least 1 batch of laundry from start to finish and put away. When we are sitting down to dinner and MAx askes to say the prayer and he says it by himself.
I know I am old when my oldest baby is in preschool, and when somebody askes how old I am I have to think... wait how old am I? I'm not 21 anymore.
I know my husband loves me when in the middle of the night while we are asleep he gives me kisses or runs his fingers through my hair. And when he stays up with me in the middle of the night while I am feeding the babies and we just talk.

I now tag:
Everybody! It makes you think about the positives about yourself.

Busy Life

Life has been very hecktic around here. To be honest that is a MAJOR understatement. Mike's younger brother got married last week, the day after the wedding we had everybody to our house for Max's big 3rd birthday party. Before the wedding we went to the zoo with the out of towners, had family dinners, and tried to keep somesort of a routine with 4 under 3 years old and even more so keepp them happy and the babies healthy. OH VEI !!!

To explaine some of the pictures in the slide show, we went on a family/Elders Quarem outing to This is the Place State Park. That was really fun we rode on 2 trains, the big one to take you around the park and the little on around the pond. The kids rode the horse while I stayed in the train and fed the babies.

We went to the Zoo with Marybeth ( Mike's mom), Jake ( mike's oldest bro. ) and his kids Adam, Lauren, and Todd and Missy, and of course myself and my 4 kids.

We visitied Max at school for picture day and Michaella sat on the circle with them and played on the play ground equiptment.

Michaella got her 1st hair cut at Cookie Cutters ( I love that place)

Max had his 3rd Birthdat party - that was really fun but we were SO exausted from the week prior and the wedding the day before we weren't able to go all out like I usually do.

We made a card for my Grandpa who is ill and not doing so well. We got 2 peices of posterboard taped them together and just went crazy painting , coloring and all of that fun stuff. We did hand prints from Max and Michaella and foot prints of the babies.

I'm really trying to blog more than once every week, but things are so busy - hopefully they will start to calm down a bit now.

Tomorrow I am determined to add another blog, I've been Tagged twice now and am excited to do them and send the Tag along.

So check in soon!

Relief At The Pumps !!! aka resolution to a big delema

Well, since my last post a lot has happened. I went to the Dr. and got some medicine to fix my allergic reaction that I can take while I am still nursing. Good News! So that is slowly getting better thank goodness. Everybody is getting over their colds, Abbey and Rusty are taking the longest to get over it. That is because they can't blow their nose so I am still having to suction them, and of course they love that so much.

The big DELEMA
My big delema was about nursing. With babies if you ever want them to take a bottle you need to start it before 6 weeks or it's much harder and with my other 2 they wouldn't take it. For most it's no big deal all you'd do is just pump one extra time a day. With twins I don't have enough milk to pump. Just enough to feed the babies, if your a mom you'd say if you pump your body will produce more. True but if I pump I am taking milk from the babies - your body only produces enough milk to replenish every 2 hours . Anywhoo I really didn't want to give the babies formula because I am dense and emotional. Formula is just fine - What in the world is my problem... I'm a real work of art sometimes. So what is the resolution you ask????
To stop being stupid!!!!!
At the middle of the night feeding Mike bottle feeds the babies 4 ounces of formula each and I pump the same amount. Interesting fact: The babies are now eating about 8 times a day at 4 ounces each that's 64 oz. I really am a cow now hehehe
Ok so back to the story, now we have a freezer full of milk ( and it's only been a week ) and now I feel more comfortable leaving the babies to go on a date and leave the kids and the babies, if they get hungry no biggie there is milk in the freezer. But the resolution creates another problem - freezer space. Thank goodness my parents as well as Mike's both have deep freezers. YEAH I can turn their freezers into a dairy freezer, hehehe I'll just have to make a little space and come up with a funny saying so everyone will know what is in there. Any ideas?

Last Tuesday was Picture day at Max's school and you could take siblings. Max took the bus to school and thanks to the High Heavens for moms and grandma's I wouldn't have made it with out my mom, oh by the way it was Max's turn for show and tell of course he wanted to take the babies and Michaella - that morning my mom came over and helped. We bathed Michaella and the babies. First Michaella got in the tub with Abbey. My mom washed Abbey and handed her out to me I dried her, lotioned her and dressed her while my mom was washing Michaella. Then I handed her a naked Rusty she washed Rusty while I dressed Michaella and did her head. Then Nana handed me Rusty to dry, lotionand dress. While my mom got up and dryed herself off. If you've ever bathed a 2 year old you know your just as wet as they are.
We went to Preschool, as soon as we got there Max sharted to go crazy and act out, I started to stress out until Miss Theresa ( his teacher ) said that was totally normal. We did the whole show and tell thing then finished class with them. Then we went to get Michaella's pictures taken. IT was 12:15 at this point. We stood in line had everything ready including a happy smiling Michaella. When it was our turn I was excited to see how she'd do. Ok here we go ...... NOT
the photographer said we had to wait until 1:30 for siblings. There was no word of that!!! AAHH are you kidding me. I just about died, so we waited and waited and waited. One of the longest hours of my life trying to keep everybody happy and quiet. I ended up having to feed Abbey and Rusty while we were there as well. I would have TOTALLY died with out my mom. I really hate having to ask for her help so much, she doesn't get to enjoy being a grandma because she is having to be a mom the Max ans Michaella, but the end of that is coming soon ( Todd's wedding is the LAST day ) that's a whole nother story for a different day.
Well this has been a long blog. I'll have to post soon because I have more to tell you about :
Our outing to This is the Place Monument, Michaella's first haircut, Preperations for Todd's wedding and the everyday craziness of our new lives.
Oh by the way, We got our family pictures and the newborn pictures of Abbey and Rusty done. Check them out at www.melissapapajphotography.smugmug.com Gallery Twins Password wynder They look really nice I love them.

Well I'm going to go give Max and the babies a bath and then maybe I can take one myself andmaybe if I'm lucky I'll be able to wash my hair and even... ( are you ready make sure your sitting down) Shave my legs. GASP!!! I know can you believe it. I can actually reach my legs to do it mow, I just haven't had the time maybe if I am lucky today will be the day.
I'll keep you posted
HeHeHe

ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME ???

On Monday night I satrted taking my new Birth Control, the "mini-pill " , it is the only Birth Control you can take other than having an IUD while nursing. Anywhoo, i have started taking it to hopefully take control and wait a few years before having another baby. Want to hear the great news....
I'm having an ALLERGIC REACTION to it. Can you believe it, we are trying to be responsible adults ( there are a TON of people who have told us that they think we aren't being responsible ...l ike it's any of their business in the first place!!!) we do want 2 more kids but we definately want a break and my body NEEDS a break. But come on an allergic reaction ,now what am I suppose to do?
ALL of our babies were conceived while I was on birth control, so what's the deal . And yes we were using it correctly, it worked just fine for almost 2 years. Everybody tells us to use "other " methods as well, but obviously those don't work because we were using them as well.

So why not get an IUD? Because insurance doesn't pay for it. We are going to start taking up a collection . HE! HE! HE! Now what are we suppose to do, don't answer that.

AAAAAAAHHHHHHH !!!!!!!!

This is totally killing me. Sorry if this is a little to personal for people but I really needed to get this off my chest and I'm so frusturated. This isn't something people should be worrying about with 4 week old twins and 2 others under 3 at home!

This is just too much to deal with. This really Sucks!

I'm waiting for the Dr. to call me back and I'm dieing waiting, I'm SOOOO itchy and have welts ALL over my body. I wish the Dr. would call. This is totally rediculous.

I'll keep you posted.

I guess that's just my luck!

Not So Good News

Last week we got the not so good news that my Grandpa was diagnosed with Multiple Mylenoma ( cancer of the Bones). This is a very serious type of cancer it's almost untreatable. The Doctor wants to start radiation and Chemo. But as he is 86 this December, we are hoping that he doesn't do the treatments. That may sound bad, but having radiation and chemo will more likely make him very sick and (since there is no other way to say this ) they will probably kill him. He isn't in any pain or having any side effects, he is better off. this has been such hard news to take in, but at the same time it really explaines a lot of his past health problems. He has really bad back problems and had surgery putting 2 rods in along side his spine (quite a few years ago ) as well as bad knee problems.
As you can imagine it has been a very stressful and emotional time for my family. Expecially for me, my Grandpa is the only one I know. My Dads parents died when he was 13 and 15. So my grandpa has been double special to me. It's been hard for everybody in my family of course. We aren't even sure exactly how severe of stage it is, but I'm sure the news will not be very exciting. The worst part of everything is that my mom went down to Price last Wednesday through Saturday. That was the first time my mom went to Price without me since the day she drove down to pick me up from school in May 2002. Crazy Huh!!! The hard part of that was that was that I wasn't able to visit and support my grandparents. Mike and I are going to be planning a trip down soon, so grandma and grandpa can meat Abbey and Rusty.
This has been a very hard 2 weeks for me. My emotions are a mess, I am crying a lot more than I ever did with Max and Michaella . I think the reason for that is they were sleeping in there own rooms and through the night by this time and I'm not expecting Abbey or Rusty to do that anytime soon, because they are so small still. And the news with my grandparents is hard as well. I am just so very grateful for the blessings of the gospel and knowing that we are going to see grandpa in the eternities eases the pain, but it's still hard to remember that there is a season and a time for everything.

On a lighter note,
Max is doing a very good job at school. He loves it and doing a better job getting on the bus.
Michaella is really loving him being gone, she loves having mommy almost completely to herself.
Abbey and Rusty are doing well, they are sleeping in 4 hour blocks through the night- very good news for mommy and daddy. Except Abbey grunts like crazy and Rusty Squeks just as bad. We love it during the day, it's totally hillarious to hear them "talking" to each other. But at night oh my gosh it's so loud and I'm ready to have them sleep in there own room. PROBLEM with that though. They are going to be sharing a room with Michaella, but i don't want them keeping her awake. Hmmmm we'll have to figure this one out. We'll just have to wait until they are a bit bigger to go in there room.

Here's a peice of news ...... I think I'm getting sick. UGH I can't afford to get a cold or the flu. I have a sore throat and lets hope it stays that way. Well that's all that is new for us.
Oh by the way Mike went back to work.

Max's first Day At School !!!

Can you believe it Max is already going to school my baby well... ok so he's my almost 3 year old, potty trained and oldest of 4 baby, is going to preschool. His first day was Sept. 11, he took the bus all by himself today. How in the world did he get old enough to go to preschool and take the bus. :( mommies sad !!!

Max didn't want to look at the camera and smile.

He was acting shy for one of the first times in his life !!!

What a time to be shy.

Not to sure about this whole on the bus alone thing.

Max and his cute bus driver, getting buckled in.

Wanting Mommy to sit and come with him.

If you look very close in the second window you can see

Max's eyes and forehead.

He's too little to get in the bus and go to school,

He's only baby !!!

Nana and Michaella waiting on the Big Rock for Max

to come home.

The day Max went to school Mike ansd I took him to the bus stop ( I cried all the way there trying not to let Max see ) I put him on the bottom step of the bus stepped back to take a picture, the second the picture took he jumped off and ran to me saying he didn't want to go alone. I was devastated. I really want him to like going on the bus ( I don't need to worry about school, He LOVES going to school !!! ) I think the airbrakes scare him. I got on the bus with him sat him down on the seat while his bus driver buckled him in and Max kept saying Mommy sit, mommy sit. He wanted me to come with him because he was scared. I was crying the WHOLE time trying to hide behind the camera - not to well I might add. Then I Leaned over kissed him, told him I loved him and we would be here to pick him up after school turned around got off the bus and cried even harder waving and saying goodbye. He was SO tiny, he could barely see out the window. Oh man I'm crying as I'm writting this. I was and am such a mess. I blame it all in the post-partum hormones and emotions - All though we all know that it wasn't completely the hormones. As the bus drove away I died. When we got home I tried to get life back together and do something, the phone rang. It was Max's bus driver calling to tell me he was ok, she had dropped him off at school. She said he didn't cry at all, and when he saw the school he got a HUGE smile and he was just fine. When we picked him up after school, my Mom had come with us. When the bus pulled up and the doors opened I heard Max yell at the top of his lungs NANA !!! He jumped off the bu sran passed me and ran straight to my mom. I don't mind that much because I love my mom so I didn't mind, but he didn't even care that I was there. I was just happy he was happy.

Just a quick note - I cried the WHOLE time Max was gone, what a dork I am!!!

WELCOME HOME MAX !!!

Just look at that smile.

And here he comes

What a big boy he is !!!

Max, Michaella and Nana walking ack to the house

after getting Max from his first day at school.

The rest of life is going well. Max has continued to go to school and doesn't have a problem he does still get a bit nervous to get on the bus but he does well. Michaella is LOVING Max going to school because she gets more time with Mommy and Daddy.

The twins are doing well. We went to the Dr.'s yesterday:

Abbey weighs 6 lb. 6.5 oz. YEAH !!!! and is doing wonderful and we have medicine for her acid reflux.

Rusty weighs 5 lb. 2 oz. YEAH again !!! The Doctor was so pleased with their weight. The best news is the breastfeeding is enough and for now we don't need to suppliment with formula. We are very excited.

They both are getting closer to sleeping in there own room and through the night. The sleep in our bed against the wall on special pillows with a body pillow between the babies and myself.

I'll take a picture tonight and post it tomorrow so you can see.

They are only waking once a night to eat. They usually eat around 9 or 9:30 p.m. then they wake between 2-4:30 to eat and then between 7-9am. Overall I think they are doing very well.

Mike went back to work 2 days this week. Both days my mom was here with me - I would have died with out her here!!! The first day i was a mess the second i did better and ok I think.

He goes back 3-4 days this comming week and I'll be on my own for 1 of those days - so maybe the older kids will get to have another play date with our neighboor. I love her by the way Jennifer has saved my life so much lately!!!

Sorry, It has been a while since I've posted, but life is really starting to come togehter now and hopefully I will be able to post more often now.