Ruggedy Man

So when we were coming home from the hospital with baby Wesley we were trying to think of nicknames for him and Mitch said how about Ruggedy, so then we would have a Buggedy (Addie) and a Ruggedy(Wesley). Well the name stuck so we have a little ruggedy man around the house now and of course he has to have a theme song so to the tune of spider man we sing "Ruggedy Man, Ruggedy Man. If you can't do it, nobody can. Ruggedy Man,Ruggedy Man." When Addie wants to sing it she asks for the "baby Wesley song". A few other nicknames we use are little fella, little man, duders and buddy. Wesley has started to smile and loves to look at all of our smiling faces and smile back. A cool thing I learned the other day is that babies actually prefer smiling faces not only because they are fun to look at but smiling faces apparently give them a sense of security. I'm sure the babies told the doctors this personally in so many words, but who am I to argue when the Wesley smiles back? If he's happy, he's happy!


This is Halloween, This is Halloween, Halloween, Halloween

We loved Halloween this year. Addie actually was a little more attentive to things this year than last, so it was a lot more fun. Our neighbors put up the fake spiders web in a neon green color and every time we went past it she would say, "see the spider web, mom?". She also loved a new story that we read called "Dorrie, and the Weather Box" which she still asks to read by saying when we're reading books, "Where's the witch mom?". One of her favorite things to watch is the Sorcerers Apprentice from Fantasia, starring as she says "Mickey O". So she dressed up as the sorcerers apprentice this year. There is a safe trick or treating event at the Medical College of Wisconsin every year that we were on our way to, but when we got there I turned back and Addie had fallen asleep, so we turned back toward home without going trick or treating, but with my sweet tooth, there was no shortage of candy this Halloween. We also got to go to Mike and Robyn Larson's home for a Halloween party. We enjoyed such fare as zombie skins and witch fingers and played some games. Mitch dressed up as a retro 70's man complete with polyester floods and toupee. Wesley was a little blue bunny and I was, well I was something colorful although it was said that I looked like a flower, a clown, a wood sprite or nymph etc. I'll let you be the judge. Hooray for Halloween!!

Pretties

Addie and I were playing with some pretties the other day and Addie decided that Wesley needed some pretties too. Although he didn't look to thrilled to have them on after she was done he didn't put up much of a fuss and I was glad she wanted to include him in our fun.

Mi Guapo



Mitch and I celebrated our third anniversary this week, and oh how the time has flown. Three years of marriage, two kids, two years of dental school, two moves and we've only just begun! Since being married I've learned a lot of different things, mostly that Mitch usually knows better than I do and that I should listen to him, even if I do it grudgingly. I've also learned that marriage is a lot different from what I expected. Do you find yourself quibbling over what drawer the utensils are going to go into? That was Mitch and I's first big argument and how trivial it is. Most things that I get mad over are very minor. A great thing I heard the other day was that Satan doesn't care why you are mad, he just wants you to stay mad. So I've been trying not to stay mad, especially trying not to stay mad at Mitch, because like I said he is usually right and I like Laman and Lemual just get mad, because I know he's right! Anyway, my man is awesome, that's all there is to it. He goes to school, comes home and helps with the kiddos, helps with household stuff and doesn't complain about his lot in life. What an example he is to me of fortitude and faith, and lots and lots of patience. I sure love you Mi Guapo. Happy Anniversary and many more to come.

The Long and the Short of it

There have been some that have been waiting for the story of little Wesley's birth. Well the short of it is this; He was born.
O.k. now to the long of it. Thursday the 19th my friend Jana Wells was nice enough to put a baby shower together for Wesley and I. Well after talking with all the girls, playing a fun charades game and eating some very yummy cake made my none other than Robyn Larson, I was tired, hot, full and ready to flop into bed when I got home. When I got home I started feeling really light headed and sick to my stomach. I laid on the floor in our dining room and didn't move for awhile trying to will myself to feel better, but soon I was up and vomiting. This went on the whole night, I was restless, nauseated, I couldn't even keep water down and on top of that was having little contractions, which didn't hut but we're just another annoyance on top of being sick. Well, in the morning I didn't feel any better and Mitch and I were worried about me being dehydrated, so we called the doctor on call and she had us go into the hospital so I could at least get an IV into me. We arrived at Community Memorial Hospital on Friday morning and the nurse put a very painful IV into my hand and started me on fluids and also put a stress test monitor on my tummy to see how baby was doing. They monitored him for 4 hours until my doctor came in and looked at the heart rate and what was happening. She told me that it looked o.k. but that she just had a feeling that something was up. She noticed on the graph of his heart rate that every once in awhile his heart rate would plummet, usually with a contraction, then would shoot up and stay up for a long time. So she gave us the choice to either go home and wait for labor to start or to just get it over with right then and there. We opted for the "get it over with" so they moved me into a labor and delivery room, connected me back up to the monitor so they could watch Wesley's heartbeat, gave me a little pill to get my contractions progressing and waited.
The nurse was saying that things might happen fast and if Wesley remained in the stressed out state that he was in that a C- section might be necessary in which case tons of people would come in, there would be little to no time for questions because they would need to get the little guy out. Thankfully, none of that happened, but Wesley's heartbeat continued to be high and sometimes irregular and on top of that my tummy was really hot. I didn't have a temperature, but my stomach was burning up so they knew Wesley must be pretty toasty too.
About an hour after they gave me the little pill the contractions really started in, but I couldn't be up and walking around because I needed to stay within reach of the monitors on my tummy. So we tried rocking in a chair by my bed, but that elevated Wesley's heart rate so the nurse had me lie back down in bed.My contractions were getting to the point where I couldn't handle them any more laying down, I couldn't control my breathing even with Mitch's help in trying to help me calm down and think of something else. I was hyperventilating and my hands were going numb because I wasn't getting enough oxygen, which freaked me out even more because I thought something was seriously wrong. I asked for an epidural and the anesthesiologist came almost right away which was awesome. As he was putting in the epidural I told the nurse I felt like I was going to vomit, and she said that was sometimes caused by the epidural. I threw up, and immediately felt better and my legs started to go numb. For the next hour I drank as much water and apple juice as I could get, I just felt so thirsty, even though they had had me on an IV the whole day, it was good to have something on my stomache. They put in a catheter and I filled the bag pretty quickly. Dr. Hasenyager broke my water and about an hour later I was ready to push. The epidural was wearing off by the time I started to push so I could feel when the contractions were coming and baby Wesley was coming out. At Push number 4 I yelled like a Banchee and Dr. Hasenyager looked up and said "the epidural must be gone, huh?". One more push and baby Wesley was here. Only five pushes and three hours of progressive labor, with an epidural and it's ll over, yeah!! Dr. Hasenyager said she was worried that I wouldn't be a good pusher and that she would have to use the forceps to get him out fast, luckily she didn't have to. After looking at the placenta it was confirmed that I had placental abruption which was causing Wesley stress and why my tummy was so hot, and probably why I was sick the night before.

He arrived August 20th at 6:03pm and weighed 6 pounds 11 ounces, and was 19 1/2 inches long.

The first thing I thought when I saw him was he had a lot of hair!! Baby Wesley had a temperature and they were still worried that he was having problems so I only got to hold him for a little bit before they took him into the nursery to hook him up to oxygen and heart rate monitors. His temperature went down by about midnight and he was off of the oxygen by 2:00am so that I could nurse him. He took right to it the first time, but after that he just was fickle and wouldn't latch on very well. And because he was really small when he was born the nurses and I were worried that he wasn't getting enough to eat. Luckily after the first night and a day of trying a bottle, a dropper, a nursing nipple, he finally caught on and started to nurse like a pro.We were discharged after 48 hours with a clean bill of health. Wesley did lose a pound while in the hospital but luckily gained it back plus some in a week.

We're so glad to have him in our family and he's been such an easy baby, he sleeps he eats, he barely fusses which has been so great. We sure love our little Ruggety Man.

Addie's Turning Two

So it's a little crazy to think of where the time goes. This month I turn 25, Mitch and I celebrate our 3rd wedding anniversary and our little Adelaide Anne turns 2. Those two years have gone by so fast. Last week Addie and I were not seeing eye to eye and I just had to remind myself that "this too shall pass" and that in two more years I'll be wondering where my sassy two year old went, ( and probably wondering where my bossy 4 year old came from.) But the good comes along with the bad and Addie sure has been a lot of good in Mitch and I's lives. It would hardly be the Oliver family without little Buggy and oh all the adventures we'd be missing out on! We sure love our little Addie girl and can't wait for all the years of birthdays we'll get to celebrate with her. Happy Birthday Adders!


A Wish, A Hope, A Prayer

During my parents visit this message was left on my desktop from my mother along with several songs that I had asked her to write down for me. I had not read it until today and it just happened to be what I was needing, a little pick me up and smile. The first paragraph especially hit me as I try to make good choices as a mother. Perhaps it will bring a little bit of cheer to the lives of others who read it too. There are great little tidbits of wisdom to ponder in it from the author Douglas Pagels and the feeling of a mothers love written in between the lines.


A Wish, A Hope, A Prayer

Imagine yourself to be serving the holiest of beings when you serve your family. Keep nothing back when you feel enlightened by love. Remember that there is an enduring worth to every positive step you take, that the good decisions you make will come back to bless you.
I wish that every one of your days will dawn with a sense of hope streaming in with the sunlight, a sense of strength woven into the winds, and as many things to be thankful for as there are stars in the evening sky.
I hope that the distance between where you are and where you want to be grows shorter every day. I’ll never stop wishing that your journey through this world will be touched by kindness, inspired by wisdom, graced with understanding, and kept safe from all harm. I hope you have a charmed existence, and that your heart will always be an open window to a joy so lasting and deep. Mandy I pray that you will always have an angel watching over you, there to trace on your wonderful face a smile that you can keep.
May you have a day whose moments unfold with peace, with promise, with doors that open on new beginnings, and with windows that look out on a world filled with dreams waiting to come true.
May today not only be a day of duty done and life’s little battles won; may it be a time of joy, of laughter, of memories made and faith renewed. May it be a time when feelings of closeness are sweetly conveyed, when truths are spoken, when smiles appear.
May today be a sweet success. Not in the form of furnishings and wealth, but in the much more dear and valuable ways; good family relations, good times, good health. May you and the loved ones in the circle of your life always know the treasure of togetherness.
May a gentle gladness remind you that there is never too little time to strive or too little strength to climb. May your joys be everlasting, and your beliefs stay steady and deep and true. -DouglasPagels-

. . .for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up. D&C 84:88

All My Love,
Mom
Sept. 3, 2010

Grant Park

We took the morning a few Saturdays ago and went to Grant Park, one of our favorite parks in the Milwaukee area. It's right on the shoreline of Lake Michigan, but has great deciduous tree lined trails, awesome cliff and beach views and a great playground for Addie. Here are a few pictures of our adventures. It was pretty cold that morning and it was the first time this season that it was jaw numbing cold out, at least for me. Mitch didn't think it was too bad. Fall has definitely come to Milwaukee, hopefully it stays for awhile before winter comes!

Wesley Robert Clark Oliver

Welcome to new baby Wesley. He arrived on Friday, August 20th at 6:03 pm and was 6 lbs 11 oz and 19 1/2 inches long. He had kind of a rough start with a temperature of 102.9, but that quickly went away and there was no infection associated with it so all is well. He's home with Momma, Papa and big sister Addie now and is acclimating along with the rest of us!





More Ultrasound Pictures

I went in to have another ultrasound last Monday so that they could measure little Wesley and estimate his weight. He weighed 6 pounds 4 ounces which is a little small, but still a good birth weight.Although I have a few more weeks so hopefully he puts on some more. The doctor has been doing non-stress tests on him every week I've gone in and his heart is really strong and he's an active fellow so she's not worried about him being under any stress. I'm hoping he comes soon because Mitch is off of school for the next two weeks and his help would be great! But if he doesn't come by then that's ok too, as long as he's healthy, I'll be happy. These are some cute pictures that the ultrasound tech got of Wesley's little face. A little creepy but you have to remember they are in 2-D not 3-D so your missing some levels there that would make it look a little less odd. We can't wait to you get here baby Wesley.


Flip- De- Do's

Addie recently taught herself how to do somersaults and it's been awesome to watch her progress from going sideways to going all the way over. She's gotten it down pretty good, I even considered a recreational tumbling class for her, but Mitch said that the class would be mostly for me and not Addie, and he's right of course. Maybe in a few years!CLICK ON THE PICTURE AND IT WILL OPEN ANOTHER WINDOW WITH A FULL VIEW.

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Jumping Beans

We got to have Sarah come play with us for about an hour or so the other day and there was lots of fun and play that happened in the house. They played with dinosaurs, read books, marched around the house, played hide and seek and jumped on the bed. Here are the two cute little monkeys.

More Summer Fun

Addie got her first haircut last week. The sides of her hair are straight and whispy but the back is curly so it always kind of looks, well cute but it was starting to bug her momma a little bit. So after having a great Relief Society meeting on how to cut hair I went for it and it no longer looks lopsided but still maintained it's whispy cuteness.



We got to go to the Fair with Papa too. We only go to see the animals, the horticulture and crafts and of course to get some roasted corn on the cob. Slathered in butter, yes please!Addie loved the animals and kept asking to go back to see the cows.



This is Addie strutting her stuff in the small animal barn.


Addie has been helping Papa reap the harvest the last couple of weeks. We have tomatoes coming out of our ears. Here they are showing off their prize winners!

Pyelectasis, Ultrasounds & Contractions

So baby Wesley has had some problems with his little kidneys being a little dilated so I've had to go in and get some extra ultrasounds done to see if there has been any change. All the measurements were "ambiguous" (which was the doctors favorite word every time we went in there) meaning they didn't say either way if it was above normal or if it was in fact getting better, so I went back for three ultrasounds to keep checking. On the last one because I am so close to my due date and the measurements were still "ambiguous", they are going to have little Wesley come in a little while after he is born to see what's happening. Here is some information about Pyelectasis if you'd like to learn more about it, if not skip down to the ultrasound pictures.


Fetal Pyelectasis (Pelviectasis)

Enlargement of the part of the kidney that collects urine (the renal pelvis) from 4 to 10 millimeters in diameter is called fetal pyelectasis or “renal pelvic dilatation”. Dilation of the renal pelvis to greater than 10 mm is called severe pyelectasis or hydronephrosis. The illustration at right shows a normal kidney compared to a kidney with pyelectasis.

Normal Pyelectasis
Pyelectasis is detected in 1 per 100 babies before birth, and is seen more commonly in male fetuses [14]. About 1 in 500 cases develops significant disease. Most mild cases resolve before birth or within a few months after delivery [1,2].
A fetus with severe pyelectasis or hydronephrosis is at increased risk of developing problems such as low amniotic fluid and kidney disease. In addition pyelectasis has a weak association with chromosome abnormalities, in particular Down syndrome [3,4]. The severity of isolated pyelectasis does not appear to increase the risk for chromosome abnormality [5].

What Causes It?

The most common causes of severe pyelectasis or hydronephrosis are a blockage of the ureter (the tube that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder) where it joins the kidney and backward flow of urine from the bladder (vesicoureteric reflux) [6]. Less common causes of hydronephrosis include posterior urethral valves, urethral atresia, ectopic ureteroceles, duplication of the collecting system, megacystis-microcolon-intestinal-hypoperistalsis syndrome, prune belly syndrome, and cloacal malformation.

Does Pyelectasis Need Treatment?

Pylectasis involving only one kidney does not need intervention, but requires followed up ultrasound evaluation after 28 weeks for possible worsening of the condition. Severe hydronephrosis involving both kidneys is associated with increased risk of poor outcome, and is monitored for the development of low amniotic fluid [11].

An ultrasound is usually done 5 to 7 days after birth to reevaluate the infant’s kidneys. Most cases of mild pyelectasis where the renal pelvis measures less than 8 mm and involves only one kidney tend to resolve spontaneously either in utero or within a few months after delivery. Pyelectasis greater than 8 mm is more likely to need surgical correction during childhood [7-10].


What are the Chances of Having Pyelectasis Again in a Future Pregnancy?

In a study of 64 women with the finding of pyelectasis in their fetuses, 43 (67%) had a recurrence of this finding in their next pregnancy [15].


What is the Risk of Down Syndrome in a Fetus with Pyelectasis?

Presently genetic testing of the fetus (amniocentesis) is offered if the risk of Down syndrome in the fetus is 1 in 190 or greater. For a 34 year old woman the isolated finding of pyelectasis at midtrimester increases the risk of Down syndrome from 1 in 365 to 1 in 192.

For a woman 34 years of age or less with a normal triple marker screen for Down syndrome the risk benefit ratio does not favor amniocentesis when the only ultrasound finding is pyelectasis [12,13].

These are some really cute profile pics. I love the one of him sucking his thumb.




Here are a couple shots of the kidneys. The two black areas in the middle of the white circle are his kidneys.


On Thursday night of this week I started having some Braxton Hicks contractions around 3:30 and although usually annoying and little painful after about an hour or so they got much worse and I started to wonder if they weren't Braxton Hicks anymore. I was doubled over and doing the contraction waltz while I made dinner. They lasted for two hours. Well luckily on Friday I had a doctors appointment so I told her about the contractions and along with some other info like I'd lost a pound and the uterus was measuring small at 33 1/2 cm instead of the 36 that I should be, she had a non stress test done on little Wes to see if he was doing ok. So in the twenty minutes that they monitor him he was kicking and rolling around and his heart rate was excellent and went up when he moved like it should, so he is doing just fine. I am a little anxious though that he might come early, although I'm totally ok with him staying in there as long as he wants to.

Some Cuteness

Here are a few cute pictures as of late.

Addie and Papa taking a Sunday nap together.


The other day we told Addie that we were going for a walk and so she went to get the essential, her backpack, her hat and her soft soft of course. She loves to wear her backpack just like papa does.



More Backpack fun!


Papa and Addie enjoying a restful afternoon on the deck eating some cold Popsicles.

Nesting Projects and Sad News

So I've been in a really big nesting mood lately and have gotten a lot of projects done or at least have tackled a few again because some projects seem like they are never ending i.e. scrapbooks. Today I totally cleaned out the kitchen and reorganized all the cupboards. I recently got about 20 free books of wallpaper from craigslist for free and decided to cover some journals that I had laying around that were a little passe. They turned out great but the four that I made didn't even make a dent in my paper collection.

I also found a little tykes picnic table on the side of the road that was in pretty haggard shape, but the week before I had found a pretty solid shelf unit that I wasn't exactly sure if I was going to keep or not. Well when I saw the condition of the picnic table top and seats I knew that the shelves would work perfectly for new seats and table. So I cut up the shelves, dismantled the table ( which took a borrowed saw from Sarah & Ben Ekstrom from our ward to get the rusty bolts out of it)then put it all together again and I'm really pleased with how it turned out. Addie seemed to like it too when I showed it to her, now maybe we could do some crafts outside!





Like I mentioned I've also tackled Mitch and I's engagement book that I started before we were married to use as a Guest book at our receptions. Well there are still tons of pictures that need to be scrapbooked and put into album, so slowly but surely the picture pile is becoming smaller and the book is getting fatter. I'm really grateful that all of our pictures are on the computer now and I can just do all this on the computer, it's much easier and takes a lot less time.

Now to some sad news. I was working on a big jean quilt the other night when as I was sewing along, my machine all of a sudden just stopped. I checked the cord connections tried the treadle again and nothing happened, I floored it all the way to the floor and nothing. I tried this over the next couple of days just to make sure it wasn't just a fluke, but finally took it into Bernina to see what the deal is. So my sewing machine is temporarily out of commission and I was 3 feet away from finishing the jean quilt top!! Doesn't that just frost ya? UGGGHH. So all the other sewing projects I had lined up are on the back burner as it were for at least two weeks until the technician at Bernina "gets to it", but it leaves room for me to do some other projects so I guess it's an o.k. trade off.

Independence Day

It was a busy holiday week for us around here. Mitch had the week of the 4th off from school so we planned some fun things to do together. Monday we celebrated Independence Day by going to the Wauwatosa street parade in the morning and then hurried off to our ward BBQ to get things set up for that. It was a great turn out and I think everyone had a good time, the kids especially loved the water balloons and pool.
On Tuesday Mitch, Addie and I went to swimming lessons then quickly came home and packed up to go to Point Beach State park to camp with some of our friends. Kristina and Nick Harker put it all together for us and it ended up being a lot of fun. The Schuyler and Marianne Sessions family, Dalin and Christin Ricks family and Landon and Erica Rencher family were also there with us and it was quite a crew. We took a lot of walks and played at the beach and around the campsite for two days. There was also a lighthouse there, which I was a little disappointed in because it looked more like a water tower than a lighthouse, but the history of it was cool I guess. We spent a lot of the time warding off mosquitoes because we were camped next to a swamp, but it did make for a good frog story. The second morning we woke up after a stormy night in which our tent leaked a little bit and there were frogs hopping all over the grassy patch where we had pitched out tent. We pointed them out to Addie and she followed them around for awhile until one stopped right in front of her. So I said, "Addie, be careful not to step on the frog." Through a small misinterpretation she must have though I said to "step on the frog" so she raised her little booted foot and squished the poor guy. It's kind of a haunting image to have your two year old do that to something that was living, of course she didn't understand that it was dead and although we told her it had a big ouie but she kept saying that is was still a "nice frog".
Down at the beach we played in the sand and built a big volcano and subsequent hole that the water could run into. The hole ended up being a burying pit for several of our company, although they all managed to get out of their sandy tomb without any harm, but perhaps a few extra grains of sand in places they hadn't expected them. Schuyler, Brycen, Macey, Thomas and Rylan all were buried and had a great time popping out of the sand. It was really foggy that morning and the fog turned into a light drizzle and then into rain, but at least the rain kind of kept the mosquitoes at bay. We had a lot of fun during our little vacation even if we did get lots of bug bites.

Swimming Lessons

Mitch was a lifeguard at the Snow College Activity Center for a few years and has a firm belief in starting kids out as early as possible to get them used to the water. Addie (whom has always loved baths) had no trouble acclimating to the bigger pool of the swimming lessons we enrolled her in this summer. The class is every Tuesday and Thursday morning and sadly is ending next week, but we've all had fun during the 4 week stint.
Last Tuesday Mitch happened to be out of school for the 4th of July holiday which coincided perfectly with the only visitor day they have during the session. So we packed up Buggie and her swimming suit and Papa got to do all the fun things with her while I took pictures from the viewing balcony above.
The class always starts off by getting used to the water temperature by putting water all over their bodies usually with a fun story like making popcorn, or a snack. This Tuesday just happened to start off with a bang of fireworks to get them all wet, well there were no real fireworks in the pool, but the grand finale was all the kids and parents kicking their legs in the water to make big fireworks! Mitch hopped in followed quickly by Adders and then it was time for the "BIG SONG SINGING CIRCLE" (yes that's the real name). They sang the "Wheels on the Bus", "Old McDonald had a Pool" and for lack of a better title, the shark song, do do da do! Addie loved the shark song which was one we hadn't sung before and she's asked for us to sing it a lot since then, but Momma can only have so many shark attacks in a day before exhaustion comes on.
After singing the kiddos always practice their "reach and pull" to try to get them to move their arms as if they were swimming. Tuesday they just happened to be going after colorful balls that floated on top of the water. Mitch motored Addie around the pool as she reached for the balls she wanted and even got her to float with him on her back which seems to always make her a little uneasy. They also blew some bubbles while holding onto the edge of the pool.Mitch did motorboat with her and I though her head was going to fly off her shoulders he went so fast, but he said she had a smile on her face the whole time.
They didn't have them go under the water on Tuesday but the week before they had us blow into their faces really hard so that their eyes closed, then dunk them under the water really quickly. I thought Addie wouldn't like it, but after doing it she asked to do it again. After the second time she was done, but I was sure proud of her for even doing it without so much as a peep from her out of fear or surprise.
I think Addie has enjoyed her swimming lessons this year and hopefully as per Papa's wishes has gotten a used to the water a little bit more.Some of the pictures are blurry, but what can you do when the lighting is horrible and everything is moving around?


Sheboygan!

Mitch had the opportunity to go to Mission of Mercy in Sheboygan, Wisconsin and we got to stay a night with him there and spend the next day on the beautiful beach there. Now, they do have a beach in Milwaukee, but the signs stating the toxicity level of the lake is a little deterring so we headed up north of here and the lake was wonderful! The sand was clean and so fine that we could even build drip castles with it, a technique learned from Grandpa "C" when my family and I lived in Florida. We all had fun playing in the sand and getting our feet wet although the water was still a little too chilly to get in all the way. Addie got buried in the sand by Papa and momma got to look for seashells. Mitch pointed out that the shells probably belonged to an invasive species that he learned about in his invertebrates class at USU. I just thought they were pretty, but he said they are pretty prolific in Wisconsin. Sheboygan was a cute little town with a great river walk and a beautiful hotel that reminded me of a large version of the hotel in "Somewhere in Time", unfortunately we didn't see Jane Seymour there but we still had lots of fun. Take a look!

Mission Of Mercy

Mitch was able to volunteer for the Mission of Mercy that the Wisconsin Dental Association puts together. This year they visited Sheboygan, Wisconsin and provided about a million dollars worth of free dental care to patients in that area. Mitchell was there for two days and helped translate for the Spanish speaking patients and also helped by giving anesthetic injections while assisting one of the 180 volunteer dentists.This article below was printed in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel about the services provided during the Mission of Mercy.


"Sheboygan - She arrived at midnight with blankets, chairs, four kids and a broken molar.

She camped out on grass, called it a safari. But instead of searching for big game, she was searching for free dental care.

"This is a godsend," Lisa Seil of Plymouth said Friday during the Wisconsin Dental Association's Mission of Mercy.

This was dentistry as charity, dentistry done on a grand scale at Sheboygan North High School, home of the Raiders.

Raider Nation was transformed into dental central by 953 volunteers, including 180 dentists, scores of dental hygienists and assistants, nurses, lab technicians, dental students, translators and escorts.

They were there to serve those who were uninsured or underinsured or unable to receive quality dental care.

There were no appointments. It was first come, first served.

By the time the event concludes Saturday, 2,000 patients are expected to have received an estimated $1 million in free dental care.

For that kind of crowd, you need a lot of stuff, beginning with 8,000 doses of Novocaine.

The school's smaller gym was turned into a reception area, complete with three X-ray machines.

The main gymnasium was outfitted into a giant dental suite, with 100 dental chairs arrayed on the basketball court. Areas were sectioned off for cleaning, filling and care for kids. Behind curtains, a dozen oral surgeons performed extractions. There was an entire section for sterilizers and sinks, an assembly line of workers putting in the hours.

The air was filled with the sounds of dentistry, whirring drills and slurping suction devices.

Dentists worked intently. Patients stared at the gymnasium's ceiling.

"A lot of people are having a hard time accessing critical dental care," said Eugene Shoemaker, president-elect of the Wisconsin Dental Association and chairman of the state's Mission of Mercy committee. "The people who do get care here are so appreciative of what we're doing."

At times, it was hard to tell who was getting more from the event, the dentists or the patients.

One dentist wiped away tears as he told about being hugged by a 7-year-old girl after he pulled a molar from her mouth. Other dentists said they were moved as they walked among patients who waited through the night. They were receiving thanks before performing even one procedure.

"A lot of people have lost their insurance, lost their jobs," said Janelle Stumpf, a dentist from Pewaukee. "There is a huge need out there, especially with this economy."

Seil, the mom on safari, broke her molar four months ago, lived with the pain, downing Tylenol like mints. She couldn't find a dental practice that would accept her as a new patient under BadgerCare Plus, the state's health care program.

This was her one shot to get her teeth fixed, the same for her kids. She needed four teeth pulled. Her 10-year-old son Brayton Zimmermann needed three cavities filled.

The kid was a trouper. He nearly fell asleep as the dentist, John Korolewski, put in the fillings.

"I was half-scared," Brayton said.

But for Brayton, it was over, new fillings and a new friend. He and the dentist talked about baseball.

Faith Olmedo of Sheboygan said her family lost its dental insurance three years ago. She and another mother camped out in a parking lot by the school, and their kids joined them in the early morning before the doors opened.

Olmedo had two teeth extracted. The Novocaine hadn't worn off yet, so she talked like she had a mouthful of marbles. Yet she managed a smile.

"I avoided the dentist as a child," she said. "Now, I just waited in the parking lot to see one.""

Brad one of the students from Marquette dressed up as the tooth fairy and cheered up the pediatric patients as they had dental work done.Another one of Mitch's class mates, Gretchen, was also there to help cheer up the patients and offer them a "bright smile" in hopes of cheering them up.


This is the packed gym they worked in shuffling 2,000 patients through over two days.


The line outside for treatment was staggering. I dropped Mitch off the second morning and the line looked like it curved clear around the corner of the school about a block away!

Happy Father's Day

So it's a week late but honoring Mitch as a father is something to be done year round and so an ode to Mitch is appropriate anytime. Mitch is one lucky man because he celebrates his birthday and father's day within the same week every year. Last year his birthday was father's day! Mitch also has a very special birthday because it is the summer solstice which means it's the longest day of the year, so he gets to celebrate with more daylight hours than the rest of us!

We celebrated his birthday with a little BBQ get together and on Father's day Addie gave him a little trophy proclaiming him as the "#1 Papa". Addie helped spray paint the trophy and although the trophy is silver (we didn't' have any gold spray paint) he still is worth more than gold in our hearts and could never be replaced. Us two girlies are so lucky to have him and "little Gus" I'm sure is happy that he was sent to this family so he could have such a wonderful Papa. Lately Mitch has been showing his fatherly ability to teach by having Addie practice some Spanish words like "besos"(kisses) and "playa"(beach)and "bola" (ball). Mitch felt like he was loosing his Spanish a little bit so he's been reading his scriptures out loud in Spanish and he's been teaching us a lot of new words. He is such a great example of diligence and hard work!
We also went on an outing down to the lake shore where Addie and Papa had lots of fun watching the waves and looking at the seagulls. Addie also picked up some "heavy rocks" which she quickly showed us that she was strong enough to lift. She takes after her Papa lifting heavy objects, they should work out together. You Rock Papa!
We love you Papa Luego!

Sis. Stephenson's Farm Day

Our ward play group always does some really fun and exciting things and this past week was no exception. Addie and I got to go to Sis. Stephenson's Farm for a day filled with animals, friends and a picnic. It was a little overcast and threatened to rain on us, but it turned out to be the perfect day to go so that we all weren't blistering in the sun. Sis. Stephenson teaches an institute class during the school year and invited our ward to come out to her home to enjoy the new little lambs and all of her animals. She had chickens, horses, goats, sheep, rams, and geese. Addie is starting to connect the drawing imitations she sees in her books to the real life objects so this farm day was especially fun for her because she knew all the animals already, but had never seen them alive before.
When we first got there the horses were the first animals that we could see so we walked up to them but they were on the other side of the paddock. Addie looked down for a minute and when she looked back up they were standing right in front of her which made her jump! Luckily there was a fence in between her and them. There were three geese too that came around the corner and Addie and her friend Marie Wells chased them across the grass for awhile until they bolted into the garden. We walked around the horses to the barn area where there was some sheep and little lambs along with some goats and their kids, and two rams back in the corner in there own paddock. The chickens were roaming around and one in particular came close enough to Addie that she could get a good look at him. She put here hands under her arm pits and flapped them up and down saying "bock bock" and "chicken".
We went into the barn and one of the bigger goats stuck his head through the fence and tried to take a nip at my ear. Some of the bigger kids milked the goat but Addie just watched and didn't want to try it out. I thought it would be the same deal for holding the little lamb too, but she sat right down and let the lamb lay it's head on her lap. She stroked its neck and said "soft lambie". Sis. Stephenson also helped her find an egg in the chicken coop.



Addie loved the tractor too and asked to go back to it several times. It was quite a popular spot for the kids to sit and play on. After we saw all the animals we spread out a blanket and had some lunch, it sprinkled on us a little bit as we were finishing up, but then stopped so we could end on a good note. It was a great day to go to the farm!!



Just Plain Cute

Don't think Mitch and I are bad parents for letting our kid put a bucket on her head, but she was being an "astonaut" and loving it. When she had the bucket on her head we pretended that we couldn't see her. Then she would take the bucket off and say "peek" so we could see her!


Addie loves ice cream cones like her momma, unfortunately for a one year old they are really messy.


Addie woke up from her Sunday nap with a grump face and crazy hair that just had to be captured in a photo.


I was making some fruit dip the other day and Addie was helping me mix it together. She got sidetracked though after she saw the marshmallow cream jar and of course I couldn't resist giving her the spatula to try and salvage the "clingys" that were still attached to the inside of the jar. I think she decided her hand worked better after awhile. Oh the sticky goodness of Marshmallow fluff.


Caldwell Vacation

Addie and I were lucky enough to be able to go to Caldwell for a little vacation before this next little guys comes in August. Mitch endured a whole week with us gone, but did pretty well considering we talked with him every night and left a meal plan for him to cook while I was away.
The flight was great! Luckily we sat next to two very nice ladies that were totally kid friendly and both very unique. The first lady didn't speak very much English and kept calling Addie "Bubka" which was very cute. She was on our second flight too although she didn't sit by us she did make a little slinky toy from some paper for her to play with. The second lady was headed to Notus, Idaho to compete in a period correct shooting competition. She had 45 revolvers (not that many,it's a type of gun obviously not with her on the plane), period dresses, hats, and even a fake name she goes by when she performs. Awesome. They were both very helpful!
We hung out with the family for a week and a half which was so much fun. My brother, sister-in-law and nephew were down for the whole week too so we did some fun stuff. We went to Zoo Boise on Saturday and although it was pretty rainy it was still fun and Addie enjoyed seeing all the animals now that she knows the names and sounds of most of them.she really liked the penguins, wallaby's and the baby goats that she got to feed, or rather watched Grandpa feed them. She practiced her roaring with Uncle B.J. and climbed into a groundhog tunnel with Tristan.

Addie loved the Discovery center, especially making echoes in a sound tube and watching a whiffle ball float above a stream of air.

We also got to play a lot in the backyard with Grandma, Grandpa and Tristan. She loved throwing the Frisbees and balls back and forth and playing soccer with Grandma and Grandpa. Grandma "C" also gave Addie a ride in the wheel barrow. My Grandpa Hart used to do this to us kids and it was always a treat when he let us ride around as he pushed. I'm sure Grandma "C" gives fun rides too that hopefully Addie will remember as she grows up too!



Addie loved playing the piano and singing "Jesus wants Me for a Sunbeam". She's getting better and better everyday at singing almost all the words to some of her favorite songs. Among which are the ABC song, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, the "horses" song which is the All the Pretty Little Horses lullaby ( which she sings to her ducky and monkey friend while rocking them back and forth), Popcorn Popping, 5 Little Monkey Jumping on the Bed, the "mr. Crocodile" song, I love to See the Temple and I Am A Child of God to name a few. She loves to sing with momma which makes me happy because I love to sing with her too.


We also got to go to Given's Hot Springs as a family which we hadn't done since we were little kids. We thought it was going to be packed because when we were little it always was, but when we went this time we had the pool completely to ourselves! Addie loved the water which surprised me because when we went to an indoor water park about a month ago she didn't want to get in the water or play or splash hardly at all. I think she liked that the water was warm so it made her a little more comfortable, like a bath would feel. Well she got a little too comfortable because when people would hold her she would want to escape and try to swim by herself. I think because she thought everyone else was swimming without help she could too. She was even brave enough to blow bubbles in the water which Mitch says most kids her age are not comfortable with. She loved trying to get Grandpa "C" and played a game with him for awhile where she would throw a little silver ring to the bottom of the pool and Grandpa would pick it up with his toes which she got a kick out of. There was a little shallow part of the pool where Addie could walk but still be mostly in the water. Here she tried to corral the balls and tried to let go of my hand so she could walk by herself, silly girl, I didn't want her to faceplant and totally wreck her pool experience so I held on to her. She liked climbing the stairs in between the little pool and the big pool, she would go up them then down into the big pool and visa versa. She did this several times, which was pretty tiring for momma. The pool was lots of fun but the warm water sure drains ya!

B.J. and Tristan really like the Birds of Prey that are in the Boise area so we went to the Center that they have there in Boise to see some of the cool birds. We saw a bald Eagle, a Peregrine Falcon and some California Condors. They also had several stuffed birds of Prey from around the world. Heather's favorite is the Harpie Eagle. I really liked the owls that they had there. They do a little demonstration with some live birds but the first bird was a hawk and was a little spooked by loud noises apparently so Addie and I had to leave. Luckily there was a little room that was for kids that had some fun beaks to try on, some books to read and some eggs to compare in size, shape and color! Grandma "C" came out to watch Addie so I could see some of the other birds they were showing. They only showed one other bird, and it wasn't even a bird of prey, it was a crow, I was a little dissapointed, but the bird did soem cool tricks and Tristan even got to participate! he put a piece of paper out for the crow to take then fly back to the trainer. He also gave the crow some money for the donation box, which the crow put into the slot himself.It was pretty cool.

These are some of the highlights of our trip with pictures for some of what I just explained. If you click on the scrapblog link in the lower right hand corner it will enlarge it in another window so they are a little easier to see.


Bread Question

Alright all you food gurus out there. I have a question about home made bread. I've only recently gotten over my fear of not being able to bake bread, but so far the storage of the bread has not been to grand. I don't mind my bread being a little hard, but Mitch prefers softer bread for his sandwiches. Does anybody have some recommendations on how to store bread so that it stays "just cooked soft" for longer than a day or two?


Apostle Islands

Mitch got a week off of school before the summer semester started, so we decided to do a little camping up at the very tippy, tip top of Wisconsin at the Apostle Islands. It was a 6.5 hour drive from Milwaukee to Bayfield, WI where we caught a ferry across to camp at Big Bay State park on Madeline island. Madeline island is the biggest island in the archipelago. To keep Buggie from going crazy we stopped in Steven's Point, WI and just happened to find this beautiful park that had streams and bridges, swings, slides, geese, and alpine slides even! unfortunately the alpine slides were closed but we loved walking around the big park and Addie loved following the geese around, she almost walked right into the water after them. It was a great reprieve for some pretty sore tushes.
After some more driving, a lot of songs and a short nap, we arrived at Bayfield to take the ferry. Addie as this point was very excited because we told her that we were going on a boat. She kept saying "boat" "water", "boat". As we crossed we pointed out the waves, seagulls and the island we were going to. After we got off she kept asking for the boat again, which she got a second chance on when we came home obviously. Mitch and I had planned the trip so that we would get there with plenty of time to set up camp. Our last camping trip we left too late and finally got our tent set up, in the dark, at around 9:30, hurriedly cooked dinner in a roaring fire, instead of good coals and so this time we wanted to make sure that we did not have this problem again. We got the camp set up and the logs burned down just in time for a 6:00 o'clock meal of salmon, corn on the cob, and asparagus, Yumm. The best camp meal I've ever made if I do may so so myself.

One of the purposes of going camping was to try out the emergency kit that we have been putting together. It had all of our warm clothes, camping equipment and a few other items that might come in handy if we were trying to live like nomads. I think we decided though that it was just too heavy to lug around (it's in a large rubber made container)plus there is a backpack for each family member that carries their set of clothes etc.
We tried to have a good look around the state park while we were on the island, although it was overcast and pretty cold down by the lake, it was very beautiful. We saw two blue jays, an owl, and two ticks which neither Mitch or I had ever seen so many. Needless to say we were pretty paranoid the rest of the trip about having one. We were the only people in the whole park which was good because Addie had a rough night, I think she kept waking up and didn't know where she was so she'd just cry and cry. Finally at around 3:00am Mitch got up and started a fire and took her out and held her so that she could sleep and be comfortable, and so that I could get some sleep, what a great Papa!! He said is was beautiful to be up that early, he heard the first bird chirp, saw the sunrise and saw some raccoons too.
Although we had reserved the campsite for two days when we woke up Tuesday morning it was starting to sprinkle, which didn't surprise us because the forecast said that is was supposed to have rained on us the night before, so we decided to leave a little early and head down to the Dells to do an indoor water park. The McAffee's had told Mitch that the Wilderness was a good resort to stay at so we went there for a night. We though since Addie likes parks so much that she would love the little kiddie water stuff, but she was more than a little apprehensive after a huge bucket tipped 1000 gallons of water down to the ground before she even got into the water!! After watching the bucket the rest of the morning here fears started to ease a little bit, but as soon as she heard the warning bell, she would find Mitch or I or stare at the bucket from the lazy river where we were floating, almost as if she expected it to dump on top of her even though there was plenty of space between it's cascade and us. The water park did wear her out though, so the ride home was peaceful, as she slept the whole way.

Sorry to say this is the only picture we have to verify that we went camping, like an idiot I deleted the pictures off of the camera before double checking to make sure that they had imported. This was the only casualty of the camping trip, Ducky fell into the fire and got singed. This is him even after a washing, Addie doesn't really play with him anymore. Every time we give him to her she say's "Ducky dirty" and gives him back to us. Luckily she has found a new lovey in her "monkey friend".

More Sleeping Positions

I went in to check on Buggie the other night and once again found her in a cute sleeping position. What a silly kiddo. Sorry the pictures are kind of dark.




Baby Boy Oliver

Warning, the following pictures contain images that may affect younger viewers. Viewer Discretion is advised. O.k. so not really just a few more pictures of our lovely baby boy. We are so excited to be having a little boy join our family!


The Gauntlet

So my sister in law Christy is due to have a baby boy a couple of weeks before I am and the challenge was set forth to post a belly picture, in a I'll do it if you do it type manner. So here is it Christy, I'm expecting one of you to appear soon on your blog!