Barricks Birthday!

 Yes I know it is a few months late but here it is.  Barrick's birthday party was limited to one day in December.  The only Saturday Scotty had off work, and the only day it didn't interfere with ten other parties.  In planning it I knew it was a week after my surgery so I prepped and got everything done well in advance so I didn't have to worry about it.  Good thing I did because it was the same week I had all the complications from my surgery.  

All though it was crazy and I was on narcotics, It worked out great!  Yes the invitations didn't get out and our good friends who braved the crazy winter storm that day, and didn't stress when they got a frantic texted picture of Barricks invitation showed up and made the day a hit.  Don't feel bad if you were invited, technically nobody was.

 We had a polar express themed party with tickets that got a whole punch with each activity we did.  We started out with decorating cupcakes, breakfast and a hot chocolate bar.

 Lilly loved the cupcakes.

 Briony was just happy to be included with all the big kids. 

We then went to pin the carrot on the snowman.

 We also did a Santa pinata.  Yes it was probably the ugliest Santa.  It was originally a black bearded pirate that we used last year for birthdays and tried to make look like Santa.  Pinatas are expensive, and I did not want to buy another one.

 We did some snowball games and had a snowball fight.  Sorry to our pal Ike for the closed eyed picture, this was the only picture we got of Liam.

 Of course getting ready for presents.  He got some many great gifts!  Thank you so much to all of our friends!!

And of course the cake.  Barrick informed me that it didn't have a star.  I tried to make one out of fruit roll ups, but if you know me well you know I am not that creative:)

We are so lucky to have our little Barrick boy in our family.  Happy sixth birthday buddy!

No Good, Very Bad, Awful Couple of Weeks!

The Tuesday before Thanksgiving I had a surgery to have a cystoscopy with Lithotripsy to remove two large kidney stones.  I had things all set in place and ready to go, Scotty had half the day off to take me and bring me home from the hospital.  (Don't worry even though he wasn't seeing patients he got a bunch of training done at the hospital while I was in surgery, work for him never stops!  Poor guy).  Plus I had the kids all at different friends houses who were wonderful enough to watch the kiddos for us.

  The surgery went well, and other then the fact that I had a hard time coming out of the anesthesia (which I always do) things were great.  I went home a little sore and had wonderful friends show up and take my kids Wednesday so I could get a little more rest because Scotty could only take the day of surgery off.  The rest of the weekend was fine, off and on pain but nothing terrible.  The thing that made it the hardest is the stint they have to leave inside so you can pass any residual stones or fragments.  So I was looking forward to Monday to have that removed because they are very uncomfortable!

Well Monday came and I had it removed and felt like a different person, so much better!!  I was planning on going to the gym the next day because I had the okay to get back to working out.  Scotty happened to be working a 30 hour shift this day so the kids and I had a great night we got a lot of cleaning done and watched a fun Christmas movie.  Then after I put the kids to bed I started having some pain in my kidney which was totally normal, then it went from a little pain to EXCRUCIATING pain.  Pain I have NEVER experienced before.  I have a high pain tolerance so to feel like this really scared me.  It was so bad I couldn't drive myself to the ED so I called Scotty and the residents he was working with were nice enough to let him leave for a couple of hours to take me to the hospital. 

 Well, after pulling the stint out it caused my ureter to spasm and close off some basically making it feel like I was passing kidney stones, but it was constant.  I was then in pain like this until Thursday, and by Friday was feeling somewhat better.  Well to say I was in a drug induced state is an understatement, Percocet, Morphine, Motrin, and many more, made for a very long week! 

 On top of being in the worst pain I have ever been in Scotty had to work two back to back 30 hour shifts which basically left me all on my own. I honestly cant remember a lot of it, I am so sensitive to narcotics so it is all kind of a haze, but here are the highlights.   Two huge Lilly bloody noses, the kind where she walks down from her room and tracks blood from the upstairs corner of the house down the stairs and into the bathroom on the main floor. 

You also know it is bad when the Pajamas she is wearing is those that belong to a friend and I was forced to pull out of the return bag because you have no clean pajamas for her to wear. (Sorry Kristi, I did get all the blood out)   

 Also Briony got some stomach bug and I woke up to a very happy smiling baby but went to get her and she, her bed, and the floor outside of her crib was covered in throw up.  Another day Briony woke up in the morning and I got her out of her crib and she was playing in her room then I heard crying and she came downstairs and had an explosive diarrhea that was dripping out of her diaper as she like Lilly walked from her upstairs bedroom down to the main floor.  So to say our little Bissell was put to good use is an understatement. 

 We also had nasty colds, with goopy eyes, fevers, soar throats and a lot of sleepless nights.  Add two kids with asthma and a lot of breathing treatments and it is no fun!   

 This kid was the only one not affected.  Thank goodness. 

 Liam and I are going through the cold right now, no fun!!

 

But with all of these terrible things I cannot tell you how blessed I was.  When you don't live by family times like these are stressful but you are also reminded that the friends that we have  are our family away from family.  I cannot tell you the number of people who helped out.  Driving my kids to and from preschool, Liams speech, bringing dinner, getting Barrick on and off the bus, taking my kids and watching them so I could rest or go back to the ED.  Sleeping at our house and helping me get the kids ready in the morning.  I could go on and on.  I am truly blessed to have such amazing friends.  For all those that did help I had that many more text or call and ask to help out.  It really brought me (and my mom) to tears to see how many people stepped in and helped me during a really difficult time.  So to all of you THANK YOU so much we are so grateful for each and everyone of you.

 

To end on a positive note, on Scottys post call day he made ginger bread houses with the kids.  They had such a good time!  I was present but very drugged up so I don't remember much:) 

 

 Here they are with the finished product.  To say our kids have personality is an understatement.  They are a little crazy but that is how we like it!

 Close up of the house!

You cant forget about the S for Stewarts.  (Barricks idea).

 

So even though these past two weeks were bad, like everything in life the hard times pass and you look forward to good things!  (like Christmas and fun parties)

The cancelled weekend.

We had a weekend planned with lots of projects, shopping, and Stake adult meeting for church. We had a babysitter scheduled, then our plans were altered when a couple of these munchkins had a little stomach virus.  Nothing too terrible just the inability to be too far from the toilet, and yes the basement was too far!  So we decided to pull out the Christmas decorations and have a fun night with the family.

 We watched Planes and ate popcorn.  I adore these cute little ones! 

 It was so fun to watch Briony, she LOVED the lights and the sparkly decorations. She was pretty good at decorating the tree!  It made it especially fun with snow falling outside.

 We had a yummy dinner of Belgium chocolate chip waffles with strawberries and whip cream.  I love this picture because it describes Lilly and Liam as of late.  ATTACHED!  They are constantly hanging on each other and insist on sitting in the same chair for almost all meals.  They also love to make believe that they are a Mommy and Daddy and they not only act like parents but they call each other mom and dad.  Crazy kids!

 This morning we are still dealing with tummy issues so we have had a stay at home day.  We have had to come up with some fun things because Scotty is working a thirty hour shift so we are home all on our own.  

The favorite activity so far for the day is the Christmas chain.  Barrick was a big help and it has really got the kiddos excited for Christmas.  We love Christmas it is such a magical time of year!!          

Childhood Apraxia of Speech.

Definition

By Mayo Clinic staffChildhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is an uncommon speech disorder in which a child has difficulty making accurate movements when speaking. It's important to know that CAS is just a label for a speech disorder.
To speak correctly, your child's brain has to learn how to make plans that tell his or her speech muscles how to move the lips, jaw and tongue in ways that result in accurate sounds and words. Your child's brain also plans these movements so that he or she speaks with normal speed and rhythm.
In childhood apraxia of speech, the brain struggles to develop plans for speech movement. As a result, children with CAS don't learn accurate movements for speech with normal ease. In CAS, the speech muscles aren't weak, but they don't perform normally because the brain has difficulty directing or coordinating the movements.

This last summer we finally got a diagnosis for Liams speech, and as you can see he has CAS.  It is not very common and it didn't come as a surprise to us but was still very disheartening when we found out.

 From the time Liam turned two Scotty was convinced this is what Liam had but with his speech pathologist and teachers at preschool they told us we should wait till he was a little older and see if his speech picked up in the next 6 months or so.  He improved a little but I was having such a hard time because I could only understand less then half of what he was saying to me.  There is nothing more frustrating then not being able to help your child because you can't understand them.  And sadly even harder for him.  He thinks he is saying his words correctly and tries so hard but we were all struggling.  Then to see him to have a word mastered then the next day not be able to say it or form his mouth the right way was devastating.  It was also hard to hear that he would have years of therapy but we had an answer and a way to help him learn.  Of course what comes natural for kids as young as one, Liam has to memorize through repetition and practice to form his mouth the right way to say and combine every sound. 

After searching it online I quickly realized how blessed we are.  All though it is difficult it can always be worse.  There are kids who have apraxia not only with their speech but with the mouth movements.  There is another boy who goes to Liams speech therapy place with CAS who could not even open his mouth to form words.  Liam is motivated to get it right and works so hard.  He can say all of his sounds but has a hard time with the first consonant in words, but like I said wants people to understand him so works so hard. 

Of course with anything the success of the kids depends a lot on their support at home.  I adore this little boy and work every sentence out that he tries to tell me.  We have therapy sessions twice a day where we do drills, and Lilly and Barrick are a big help too. When Liam says a word the wrong way they help him correct it.  Also one perk about Scotty being a pediatrician is we have a lot of resources and we have found a lot of programs and apps that have done wonders for Liam and for us. 

It has been amazing to see Lilly and Liam together.  I think it is a twin thing but whenever I have a hard time understanding Liam I ask Lilly.  She understands almost everything he says.  Their little spirits came here together and they truly have a special bond and I am so grateful for that.  Liam protects Lilly and she helps people understand him.

 

 

 Despite this set back in his life nothing stops this little boy!!  He is extremely smart!!  He is such a sweet little boy and is a magnet for people.  I worry so much about what other kids will be like with him.  But his little spirit shines right through those stumbling words and he is loved.  I cannot tell you how many moms have come up to me and told me how their little girl in either his church or school class talk about Liam all the time.  He is so sweet and is so loving to everyone.  I feel so blessed to have him in our family.  We love you Liam BOY!!

Mom and Dad day!

At Barrick's school the in September and October they had a Kindergarten Lunch day, and a Moms munch morning for the kids.  Scotty was able to get off work for a bit so he could go eat lunch with Barrick. 

 This is when Scotty first walked up.  As you can see this little boy was pretty darn happy.

 They ate lunch with them and played at recess.  Scotty loved being able to go see Barrick in his element. 

Then a couple of weeks ago they had a Moms munch morning where all the moms went before school and ate doughnuts with the kiddos.  It was so fun to see Barrick with all of his friends.  He is so funny whenever he tells me who his friends are he always says their first and last names. 

Such a sweet little boy who makes us so proud!

Halloween Fun!

Well October is always a fun time of year for us!  The kids love the parties, costumes, and the candy, I mean who doesn't?  Well our weekend was full of fun and it started off with the ward trunk or treat.  I decided earlier in the day since the kiddos didn't have school I would go in and get all of our flu shots.  It was quite dramatic.  I had to hold every single child down and with four it was quite the process.  Of course they were fine 20 seconds later and they were great, but they were the most upset when it was Brionys turn.  Liam was started crying telling me "NOT BRIONY"  Lilly covered her eyes, and Barrick kept trying to pull her away.  They really did not want their little sister hurt.  If you cant tell she is adored!

With a promise of lunch at Chick Fil A after the shots they were very happy and excited.  We got there and it was CRAZY busy!!  We finally got a table ate lunch then went to play in the kid area.  About 10 minutes later Liam came up to me and wasn't breathing very well.  It came on so FAST and he wasn't following his typical pattern of an attack.  I gathered the kids up and rushed out to the car because I didn't have any albuterol with me and Liam needed it quickly.  For the first time ever I was really scared.  It kept getting worse and worse and he was getting to the point where he couldn't keep his eyes open.  I called Scotty in tears because I didn't know what to do.  I was closer to home then the hospital.  He calmed me down I got home gave him some albuterol and was doing okay.  The reason for this long story is because this kicked off our Halloween weekend.  A friend and coworker of Scottys happened to be home so he came over and checked Liam out and called in some oral steroids.  The day was busy and just got busier I had to make treats get costumes put together and get to our church.   

 

Here are the kiddos at the trunk or treat.  Liam was doing okay here by the time we made it outside for the trunk or treat he could barely breath so he spent the rest of the night in the trunk with me.  As soon as we got home we gave him a dose of steroids and he immediately threw it up because he couldn't stop coughing.  We were up all night giving him breathing treatments and holding him because he gets scared when he can't breath and just wants to be held.  Crazy day with a long night made for one tired mom!

 

The next festivity was a fun Family Home Evening where we carved pumpkins and had treats.  We had a long weekend, and with Scotty on a busy rotation we weren't able to get a pumpkin.  One of our friends took pity on us and let us carve one of theirs.  We had a great night! 

 

 

 Here is Barrick with our Pumpkin!  We won the award for the ugliest pumpkin!  Barrick was ecstatic!  We got these glowing rats and our kid loved them.  They played house with them all week! 

 Lilly wouldn't claim our pumpkin she preferred the most traditional. 

 Liam tripped and fell so he wasn't the happiest of kids.  Also why we were there Scotty was lifting kids up and ended up with a herniated disk.  Which has led to a lot of sleepless nights and a half functioning daddy!  It has been pretty bad, but has had some better days as of late.

 

Then Halloween day!  The twins each had a parade and party at school so first thing in the morning we headed to the school and watched as they paraded around the school in their costumes.

 Lilly was the prettiest little Princess there.  It was so fun to go in their class and see how they interact with their friends.  Lilly is actually quite the little leader and was so happy to show off her class.

 Here is Lilly with one of her friends from school.  She is one of three sets of twins that are each in Lilly and Liams classes.

 

 Then my little Pirate.  He was the leader of his class and looked so handsome. 

 We snuck Liam into Lillys class so we could get a picture all together.  After their parties we had the twins annual dentist trip.  The workers got a kick out of their costumes the kids LOVED having them on all day!

 

 

  After the dentist we got some lunch and did I mention how AMAZING Briony is?  Man alive this little girl is so good and easy going.

 We then headed to Barricks school for his Halloween parade.  He was so funny!  He barely waved to me but later when he came home told me he was so happy I was there.  Then we headed home I got things ready for the night and we headed out trick or treating.  Yes we were among the people who braved the weather for some free candy. 

 Scotty was great!  He was in so much pain with his back this night but he put on a happy face and made the night a good memory to look back on.

 Did I mention how good this little one is?  Seriously she just sat back in her seat waved at every person who walked by and had a smile on her face the entire night!

 It was quite a change for Lilly to be running and keeping up with Barrick and some of the big kids. 

 We could not go fast enough for Barrick!  He wanted to run and get his entire pumpkin filled.  Liam on the other hand was still having some residual asthma issues so just took it easy and after a full day they were all exhausted. 

With all the excitement of parities, candy, trick or treating and friends my kids favorite part is by far handing out the candy.  They each took turns running down to the sidewalk and yelling "COME AND GET YOUR CANDY"!!  "WE GOT CANDY HERE"!  It was a wonderful holiday full of fun memories!  

Birthday FUN!

After a wonderful week in Chicago we drove home the day of my Birthday so I could share my day with my family.  The drive home was wonderful I was able to talk to family and friends and enjoy spending the last quite moments with Scotty just to talk.  We enjoyed the driving as much as the trip because we were able to talk which is hard to do when you have lots of little people around.

 

We were pretty excited to come home to our kiddos.  My mom had to fly out the next morning so for dinner I wanted Mexican food the one type of food we didn't have while in Chicago.  As you can see on the drive there everyone but Barrick, my mom and I fell asleep.  I think we were all tired after a long week.

 

 We had a great dinner then it was home for some cake!

 The kids were a little upset, they were convinced we were having a party with party games, piñatas, and prizes. I think with some cake and the fact that they hadn't seen us for a week they were appeased with cake.

 I am so lucky I have these four little ones.  They make my life so wonderful!

 As you can see they were very happy about the cake!  We opened some presents and put the kiddos to bed. 

 Of course even though my mom had to be up at 430 the next morning she insisted on following the tradition of taking me out and buying some clothes along with everything else she did.  Like I said before there is nothing better then being able to leave your kids and not have one worry.  My mom is truly the BEST mom and more importantly LOVES my kids.  I am grateful she is the type of Grandma who gets down on the floor and plays with my kids.  They had so much fun!  They did Halloween crafts, painted finger nails, played board games, decorated cupcakes, and were just loved.  Thank you so much Mom for not only loving and playing with my kids but teaching them what is most important in life.  You are such a great example to me and my kids.  We love you!