How time flies!!

Last Sunday Macie was officially 6 months old. I can not believe this little girl has been with our family for 6 months already. Time has flown by with her. I swear Bridger's first year went in slow motion. We are so blessed to have these two wonderful children in our home. They are so much fun and make Brad and me laugh so much. I enjoy watching them grow and learn.

One of my favorite milestones during their first year of life is when they are able to start eating solid food. Macie has actually been eating solids since she was 4 1/2 months because my girl loves to eat. She would drink so much milk during the day I was having a hard time keeping up with her and had to start supplementing her with formula, even then she still wasn't full, so I started her on cereals. She started with rice cereal and liked it okay, but then once I have her baby oatmeal she would get so excited and kick her legs and she would eat the entire bowl then want more. Then when she was about 5 1/2 months I gave her squash (which was Bridger's favorite). She loved it, she has since then had sweet potatoes and tonight had carrots for the first time. She absolutely loved them. She finished the size one bottle of carrots and wanted more. She loves to eat and gets upset when we don't share our dinner with her. We now even mention the words bottle, food, or eat she starts kicking her legs and voicing her opinion about the matter. If we don't jump right up she gets her attitude going and starts to get mad. Nothing I mean nothing gets in the way of Macie and her food!

Windows

Even though owning a home is allot of work and very expensive it so worth it. We have owned our home for three years now, which is by far the longest we have stayed in one spot since we have been married. We love it out here! We bought the house in really good shape so we haven't had too many repairs to make, it had brand new paint, carpet and appliances. We have painted the living room just this past spring and have painted each of the kid's rooms. Brad because of the electrician blood (he is an electrician by trade) running through his body we have replaced several of our light fixtures and added can lighting in our living room (the only light use to be lamps). We also planted a new lawn, which wasn't too expensive but allot of work. Today we had our first major repair done. We replaced all of our upstairs windows. The windows we had were the original in the house, not even double paned. It started a couple months ago when I was getting Macie's room ready to paint and I kept hearing cars like the window was opened. Well further investigation led me to find a huge crack in the window. So we decided to replace all the upstairs for now. They are beautiful and we can already tell the difference as our house is staying cooler. Houses are fun!

How Time Flies When In Love!!!

So last Saturday, Brad and I celebrated our five year anniversary. When we first got married we said once we reach five we are going to Hawaii or Europe. Well five years is here and we aren't going to Hawaii or Europe anytime soon. I didn't even imagine in a million years that our lives would be guided to where we are today. We own our home and have two wonderful children. When we were out celebrating our anniversary we talked and I said "well, we didn't make it to Hawaii or Europe at five years, so should we shoot to go at ten years?" I am so happy and just as in love with him as I was when we got married. We have been through allot together during our time as husband and wife and we have managed to get through all the trials together, but with trials come blessings, and with blessings come happiness! I am so grateful that I am his and he is mine for eternity.

Insurance

I have been grateful that we have medical insurance through all we have been through with our Macie, they covered a huge portion of her $35,000.00 hospital stay. We have met all our deductibles and out of pocket portions so I thought, this helmet would be for the most part covered. Especially since when I called to get it pre-approved they seemed so optimistic. Well when we went to pick up the helmet the orthotics place told us that the insurance denied the claim. I expected this would happen but I wasn't prepared for the reason why and it made me so mad. They decided that they would only cover this as a postoperative procedure. That means she would have to go through the cranial surgery where they break the sutures (where the cranial bones fused together) open and reposition them. Then she would wear the helmet to help reform the head and protect it from further injury during the healing process. The main reason we decided to get this helmet is so we could avoid all surgeries. We have been through enough with hospitals. It made me mad that they were willing to cover this extensive surgery plus the helmet, but won't cover the helmet so we could avoid having future issues with her sight, hearing, jaw, etc that can be caused by the flattening pushing forward her facial features. I am going to appeal this but had to get how irritated this made me off my chest. I am not giving up easy on this. So even though insurance is great to have and so expensive some times it is irritating!

Helmet Update

So Macie has had her helmet since Friday. She has the strongest little spirit, and it is amazing to me how she learns and develops each day. She has been through allot during her short time here on earth and has fought her way through it all. Last night was her first night sleeping in the helmet and she slept all night long (Yeah for me and her). Today was her eight hours on and one hour off. She acts like it isn't even on. I am already seeing her head shape change I will have to post a picture of what it looked like before and how it is changing, so I can share this with everyone. I really didn't think it would work so fast that I can see improvement after only three days. Today at physical therapy the therapist told us that the helmet starts working right away and wasn't surprised to see a change after only three days. Her next appointment she said she would re-measure her head to show me that it is changing. She also told us how well she is doing and progressing, it is so nice to see the difference in her neck strength and body strength two weeks ago compared to today. He is starting to move more, sit up on her own, and reach for toys on her own. She still has a long road of physical therapy ahead of her. Plus like 2 months, 1 week, and 3 days until she could potentially get the helmet off. I am not counting or anything! :)

The Helmet Has Arrived

Macie got her helmet today, and surprisingly I haven't shed a tear. I am not sure if it is because I have been really sick with a sore throat virus this week or if I have become stronger coming through Macie and RSV. I am hoping it is the second. She looks so adorable in the helmet. They have a break- in plan for her. So today she wears the helmet for an hour then takes it off for an hour, then wears it for an hour, and so on. Luckily for me she doesn't have to sleep in it yet. Tomorrow she will wear it for two hours at a time then off for an hour through out the day. It progressively gets longer, by Tuesday she will be wearing it for twenty three hours then she will have it off for only one hour, long enough for me to give her a bath. She will sleep in it the first time on Sunday. I will have to wash her head every day and clean out the helmet with alcohol every day. So far she is grumpy with the helmet on and her smiley self with it off. I am hoping I won't have a grumpy girl for twenty three hours a day. We will get to do this routine for approximately three months. We need to get her Torticollis treated and her head rounded out and it all depends on how long that takes.

Macie is such a strong little spirit. I know this won't affect her as much as it is affecting me. Bridger thinks it is such a "cute helmet" and has asked me a million times when she will be getting her bike to go along with her helmet. I am waiting for him to hang out in his bike helmet. I see it happening any day now. I will keep it updated on how her treatment is going. Most of her pictures for the next three months will be sporting this cute helmet. I haven't decided if I will take her to get professional pictures in the helmet yet. Any thoughts????

The Boys Got His Own Style

Last night Bridger came out of his room in the funniest outfit. He had on his shorts and t-shirt but he also had my University of Utah beanie and my golfing glove on. He told us he was ready to go shopping. Brad told him that he wasn't going shopping with him until he took off the hat and the glove. Even though it hurt to laugh because of my sore throat, I laughed hard and I dealt with the pain because it was soooo funny. All I can say is the The Boys Got His Own Style!!!!!

Are we related or what?

I was looking back through pictures of Bridger at six months and to me I could see so much of Macie in him. They really look similar. You can really tell they are related.

GO Utes!!!!!!!

Hair, Hair, Hair!!!
My husband has a red wig that he likes to wear to University Utah Football games. Bridger thought it would be funny if Macie wore the hair. It was too funny so I had to snap some pictures of her and Bridger in the wig. We love Utah football but we love our silly kids more!

Family Dinner

My husbands family started the tradition of having a family dinner once a month. We take turns by birthday to pick what we eat and what movie we watch. It is so nice to get together and share this time with each other. I love having the opportunity for my children to get to know their Grandparents and Aunts and Uncle better. Bridger loves going over there to play with his Aunts and never wants to leave. I am grateful that they started this tradition. It is amazing how something as small as a Sunday dinner and movie is so meaningful to our family. I hope it continues on for years to come.

Hiding Place

So Friday morning we were looking everywhere for Bridger, he was being so quiet. Which is never a good sign in our house. I checked his room, no Bridger. I checked the Kitchen, no Bridger. I checked our room, no Bridger. Well need less to say we found him, but in the most peculiar place....... our linen closet. I was told by Brad's mom that when he was two she couldn't find Brad anywhere. Guess where he was??? In a cupboard. So now when I hear the saying "Like Father, Like Son" I take it to heart because, I am now seeing what my husband was like at this age!!!

Bumbo

We just bought Macie a Bumbo. You are probably all wondering what a Bumbo is. It is great! It is a ergonomic seat that supports Macie so she can be sitting on her own. I wanted one because it would allow her to spend more time sitting up and off of her head. She loves it. She can see so much more and loves to be able to watch her big brother. She also eats her cereal very well from it. I totally recommend this to all moms out there!

Macie is Getting a Helmet!

I took Macie back to the plastic surgeon today. He feels that it would be the best if she got a helmet. She has plagiocephaly (flattening of the skull) and Torticollis (her right neck muscle isn't as strong as her left, causing a slight tilt in her head). She will be fitted for the helmet tomorrow morning. I am not sure how long she will have to wear it but I have done some research and it is usually 3-6 months. I will find out more tomorrow at her fitting. I am actually handling this allot better than I thought I would. I guess after her RSV ordeal this is nothing. I will post pictures of her in the helmet once she gets it. I am going to make her look adorable in the helmet. I will make bows to put on it and head bands. She will be one styling baby!

Macie

I mentioned in a previous blog that Macie has to attend Physical Therapy. I thought I would share why in case anyone had any questions.

At Macie's 4 month check-up her primary care physician told me to take her to a specialist because he was worried about the shape of her head. She has a flat spot on her upper left side of her head. The flat spot has caused her forehead to be more dominate on one side and could lead to some minor facial deformity. Since she is a girl and we don't want her to have self esteem problems as she grows up we decided to take her to the specialist. The specialist diagnosed her with Torticollis which means that she has either a tight muscle or weak muscle on one side of her neck. This causes her to favor her stronger side and causes a slight head tilt. The specialist recommended I take her to physical therapy. She has gone twice and has made allot of improvement. She is starting to turn her head on her own to the right and left, not just to the left.

Unfortunately we will probably still have to get a helmet for her to wear to round out her head. We will find out more next week. Because her flat spot is on her upper left side, it hard for her to put pressure in the right spot in order to round out her head with out the use of the helmet.

We have been through so much with her, first the RSV and our week and a half stay at the PICU at Primary Children's and now this. We are grateful that she is still with us and she is truly a blessing in our home.

Kids Say the Darndest Things

Bridger my three year son has wowed me and made me laugh pretty hard at some of the things he says. Tuesday night he spent the night at his Grandma's so I could take Macie to her physical therapy appointment early Wednesday morning. Well Tuesday night I got a call from my mom who was laughing so hard because he got her tape measure and held it vertical to her and said "Yep your tall enough," then went to pull the tape measure horizontal and he said "Yep your fat enough." I laughed pretty hard, I don't think it would have been so funny if he did this to a stranger.

Some other things he has said:

- He brought us some honey out of our pantry and said " Mom and Dad we need to talk, this honey you have in the closet belongs to the bees. You need to give it back to them right now or they will be mad."

-He calls his little sister "My Princess" and tells everyone who comes near "go get your own baby this one is mine."

-I was leaving for work and we were walking down to the car and I said "Bridger I love you so much" and he said right back "Mom it is not the time or the place to be saying that to me." Ten minutes later when we were driving he piped up from the backseat "Mom I have thought about it, I really love you too."

- About a month ago Bridger was at my parents house helping them feed their chickens (that is a long story) but any way, he loves to help them. Well on this occasion he made the Rooster feel like he was taking over his territory and the Rooster started kicking him and scratched his elbow. Well for weeks after when he heard the word rooster he would say really really fast " Rooster, I was attacked by a rooster, it hurt my belbow do you want to see?"

-I bumped into him and he fell over, I told him I was so sorry. He turned to me and said "Mom, you just knocked me over like a bowling pin!"


I just love that he can talk to me, he is a sponge which makes me nervous, so we try really hard to watch what we say, and watch what he sees on TV, so he isn't in nursery and he says something not so cute. He makes me laugh daily.