Pancakes Anyone?

Today, I joined 2 Million fellow Americans, and stood in line for a FREE Grand Slam Breakfast from Denny's Restaurant.  I met a couple of friends at the local Denny's at 11:30.  Oh Boy, was that a joke.  There was a line that literally wrapped around the building.  I had heard on the radio that they were getting people in and out of there with in 30-40 minutes.  I asked some one at the front of the line how ling he had been waiting, and he said it had only been 25 minutes, so we decided to wait it out...for a while.

We stood in line for 20 or so minutes (luckily it was a beautiful day), and decided that we weren't getting free pancakes anytime soon.  Our time was worth more then free food.  So we decided to go to 

our place and make pancakes and eggs instead.  It turned out pretty fun!  And they probably tasted just as good.

Happy Birthday to my Sister

Today is my sister, Charis's birthday.  In fact, it is her golden birthday (when you tun the age of the date you were born).  She is 27 on the 17th.  Pretty cool!  

I just wanted to let her know how much I lover her, and how grateful I am that she is my sister.  Yes, we have had our ups and downs, but she truly is one of my closets friends, and I know that I can go to her for anything.  

She is one of the most selfless, caring, strong willed people I know, and I totally look up to her.  I can be like her when I grow up (that is if I grow up).  

I love you!!! You are the best sister I have ever had!!!!  Not to mention the only one. 

A Quote from her favorite cartoonist: 

"Big sisters are the crab grass in the lawn of life."  ~Charles M. Schulz

14 Days of Valentines

My mom is the cutest, sweetest, most creative person I know.  When we were little, she would always think up cleaver ways to make each holiday special and unique. But most creative holiday of the year, has and will always be VALENTINE'S DAY.  My mom goes over the top for Valentine's Day. Through out the year she looks for ways to tell and show my Daddi-o how much she loves him.  Some of her ideas are so cute and cleaver, that she saves them up for Valentine's Day. 

You have hear of the 12 Days of Christmas, well, my mom takes that 2 steps further every year with the 14 Days of Valentine's.  Starting on the February 1st, my mom starts showering my Daddi-o with a slue of Valentine's.  Every day from Feb 1 to Feb 14, my mom leaves some sort of Valentine for him to find.  Some are more extravagant then others, some are silly, some are mushy, and some are risque, but they all have one purpose, to let her Sweat Heart know who much she loves him.  

I know that my mom loves doing this, and we (all her children), love it too.  It was fun to see what she would come up with each year for her Valentine marathon.  Some years there was a theme, and some times not, but it is always fun.  And I think each of her kids have carried this tradition into there marriages.  It is fun to play this game, and spend 2 weeks showing your spouse with Love.  I think every marriage needs it.  As does my mom.  She has started a blog, posting some of her greatest Valentine ideas.  So if you would like to do something special for your Honey this year, and need some inspiration, feel free to check out her blog.  

Let Me Count the Ways (http://cutevalentines.blogspot.com/)

And don't feel like you have to do 14 Days of Valentine's, but you definitely can.  Or you could get some fun ideas for Anniversaries, or romantic nights, or for just because, or what ever.

Owen Update: A Day at the Hospital

Well today was, for the lack of better words A DRAG. Owen woke up around 4:00 am, gasping and wheezing for breathe. Tom and I had decided enough was enough. It was time to take him to the Emergency Room (not my favorite early morning activity).We got to the ER around 4:45 am. They listened to his lungs, and his cough, and sucked his nose clean, and ran a whole bunch of tests.  His Blood/Oxygen levels were staying between 87% and 91%. I guess they need to be above 90% for babies. So they did some chest x-rays, and tested him for RSV.  Turns out that he really does not have pneumonia, or RSV, but his Blood/Ox levels were so low that they admitted him anyway, and told us to plan on staying at least one day. I asked them what they thought it was, and they said they had no idea, so they called it "Respiratory Distress."

We were at the infant/toddle floor of Emanuel Children's Hospital. I had never been in an Infant wing of a hospital before, so I did not know quite what to expect. I don't know why, but, I was really surprised that everything is just like a regular hospital room, only for babies, right down to miniature hospital gowns (a baby bum hanging out of the back of a hospital gown is a lot cuter than an adult's back flapping free).  And the cribs there are just like real hospital beds with a cage around them. Owen thought that it was the coolest crib he had ever seen. Every time we put him in there, he played and laughed like it was the best playground ever.  His room was being pumped with pure Oxygen, which was really the only treatment they gave him.

We were put in a double room. The poor baby that we shared with had been there since last saturday, with the same symptoms as Owen. She spent 3 days in the NICU. It turns out she has an underdeveloped trachea, and has to have surgery one it tomorrow, poor baby.

Tom had his 9th quarter OSCE's today (which is a huge test that his school does to make sure they have learned enough to progress in the program; super stressful test). So after waking up at 4, and spending the morning with his sick boy at the hospital, he left around noon to go take this test. I hope he did ok, he sort of had a lot on his plate.Anyway, while Tom was gone, Owen's Blood/Ox levels started to increase. By 4:00 pm he was consistently Between 94% and 97%!!! They came in around 7:30 and said he was looking good, and asked if we would like to go home. Woo-whoo!!! So what started out looking like it was going to be a long couple of days, just turned into a one day adventure.

My Poor Sick Boy

I have spent the last couple of days cooped up inside.  Not so unusual in the middle of Winter right?  Except that the sun has actually been shining this week.  It is beautiful out, and we are stuck in.  Owen is sick, and not just running nose sick, I am talking big time sick; like lungs full of fluid, can't breath, sleep all day, vomit all night, and no wet diapers sick.  We have been to the doctor twice this week (three times in the past two weeks).  They have told me that he does not have pneumonia, no strep throat, no more ear infection, and they doubt that it is a gasto problem.  So then, what is it?  I have no idea, and I honestly don't think that the doctors do either, because they did not test him for anything.  They just look at him and say, "Well he seems to be doing ok." 

 

"Ok?"  I don't want him to be doing "ok."  I want him to be doing better.  I want to figure out what the heck is wrong with him, so that I can help him get better.  If you have ever had a sick baby, I am sure you know what I mean.  It is the hardest thing to watch your baby suffer.  He just wants to be held all day and sleep in my arms.  But he never really sleeps, he just moans, while he tries to rest through his labored breathing.  It breaks my heart to helplessly watch him, and hold him, and know that there is nothing more I can do. 

I can tell you that my testimony has been growing through this all.  The longer I am a parent, the more of an appreciation and understanding I have of the atonement.  I am so grateful that our Heavenly Father loves us enough that he sent his Son to atone for us, and suffer with us.  What I great comfort that is. I am grateful that Tom has the priesthood, and has been able to give Owen a blessing.  I know that Owen is going to pull out of this, maybe not as fast I had hoped, but he will get better.  

Definitely Our Boy

When Owen was first born, a lot of people told me that he looked just like Tom. Except for one lady who tried to tell me that he looked just like Matt Damon (honestly, this lady was convinced that Owen was Matt Damon's child, and could not figure out how the press did not know about him). Well, he is Tom's son, and he looks like Tom's son. But it is fun to watch him grow up, and see him develop some of our characteristics.

For example, We all know that Tom was a cheerleader.  Well the other day Owen found a mini Megaphone, and started chanting in it.  He seriously looked just like Tom when he was a cheer leader.  It was so unreal.  He is definitely Tom's boy.

He is also starting to develop some of my traits!  I love OREOS.  They are my happy food. I don't know what it is about that white cream sandwiched between those 2 chocolate crackers that tastes so good. It is just magical.  I have been trying to hold back the supper sweet treats from Owen until he is a little 

older, so he has not yet actually had an

 Oreo, but the other day I was feeding him dinner, and he grabbed the package of Oreos of the table, and held onto it like it was his new favorite toy.  When I took the package away he cried like I was taking way the his favorite thing in the world.  What can I say? He is my boy.  

I don't know, maybe does look a little like Matt Damon.  What do you think?

Reflections of the Year

So I have seen a couple of Tributes to 2008 on other people's blogs, and I decided to do it too:

January

Mostly, We waited for me to pop.

February

After 2 weeks of daily contractions, 1 1/2 of contractionless Labor, and 3 days late, Ammon Owen Fullmer was born on February 20.

March

What a big month.  I got laid off from my job, which allowed me to stay home with my new little man.  And we went home to Utah to bless Owen.  

Oh yeah, that is when I started this blog.

April

This picture was taken the day I started feeling super sick .  Two days later, we were in Preston Idaho, and found out I had an Appendicitis.  Not fun.  I ended up having an Appendectomy and had to stay in the hospital for three days.

May

May was busy.  It started out with me having the opportunity to escort one of my best friends through the Temple.  Congrats Linds.  I celebrated my first Mother's Day.  We moved in 2 days, and started managing GlenFair Apartments.

June  

I turned 24, and Tom celebrated his very first Fathers Day!

July

July was the month of Parties.  I think we had 8 in all.  First one was to celebrate that Tom's mom and step dad were sealed in the Logan Temple on July 1st.  After that, there were family parties, birthday parties, 4 of July parties, 24 of July parties, ext.  You get it, Lots of parties.

August

Two Years of Marriage!!! GO US!!!  My Family also came up to Oregon to visit.  This is a picture of me and my brother Cuyler at Timberline Lodge.

September

To celebrate his 30th birthday Tom decided that we should go on a long hike up to Punch bowl falls, and he should climb up a 60 ft cliff and jump into the water below.  That is exactly what happened.  

October

Tom started his eighth quarter of Chiropractic School. 

November

Tom's parents came out to visit us for a while.

December

We have now officially lived in Portland for 2 entire years.  Wow, it really does not seam that long.  Crazy we only have one year to go.