Happy Day!

We got to go to the temple together. What a wonderful day. I will never forget how cute my two little guys looked all in white... and for a few minutes... I saw Mr. K... not crazy, not loud... just calm and tranquil and happy. What a perfect day!

Finally Final!

Little I is now officially part of the M Clan. Judge Lindberg asked a lot of questions and even Mr. K got a turn on the stand.... but I is finally LEGALLY ours!

Gingerbread....

K made a gingerbread train this year. He decorated it all by himself and was sooooo proud. Love my two monkeys!

What is Christmas.....

...Without a little dark Chocolate?

My Santa Babies....

Merry Christmas!!!

Just Have One Thing To Say...

GO UTES!!!!!!!

Happy Halloween!!!

One Fixed Muffler, Check!

One Fixed Starter Moter, Check!

Two Running Cars, (thanks Jerry), Check!

Lawn Mowed, Check

Two Adorable Halloween Costumes, Check!

Grandma's Homemade Soup, Check!

Carmel Dipped Apples, Check!

Lot's of Candy, Check!

One Major 3 Year old Melt-Down, Check!

A Little Trick-Or-Treating, Check!

A Fun, Adventure-Filled Visit From Aunt Feesha and Daniel, Check!

Two Bathed And Sleeping Babies, Check!

A Great Productive Saturday, Check!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

(I love it when this holiday falls on Saturday!)

Remembering The Hard Day...

Today is a hard day. Today, 5 years ago, Dave and I heard the hardest truth I hope we ever have to hear and made the hardest decision I hope we ever have to make. Today, I miss my Angels. Today, I want to hold them close. Today, I want to introduce them to thier brothers. Today, I long for them to be near. Today, I am so greatful for eternal families. Today is my hard day.

Sickies....

Hubbs has the flu, Mr. K a ridiculous snotty nose and Little I? Well, he has a horrible case of diarrhea. It is a sweats and no bra type a day for me!

Momma's Happy Boy!

This smile melts me! Wouldn't it you?

Horrendous Bald Spot = Horrendous Mistake!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Little I had a HUGE Bald Spot on the back of his head and it was driving me crazy so I decided to give him a trim.... Well, a little more than a trim later and I am in tears. Apparently so is Little I.

Miss his curls already. I know they will grow back but I must say I have officially made my first big 2nd time mothering mistake.

I also just found out that there is an African American tradition of getting a boys first haircut at the age of 1 in a barbershop. (Did you wait until JJ was 1 Liz?) Blunder number 2 already.

Heaven help me!

Sorry Tyhese!

Fall?????

Today,

Big Cottonwood,

I think Mother Nature forgot a Season!

Brotherly Love.... And a Book...

Keanon loves to read and now he has a pupil to teach. They are both just chilling in Isaiah's crib

reading

Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See?

Too good to be true?!?

It is 8:30 PM and both boys are in bed!

It is the small, simple victories that replenish us, right?

Mommy, you scare me...

This is K's Scared Face... The one he uses when he see's a car coming or when Mommy threatens to put him in timeout if he doesn't eat!

Feelin' The Love....

as I opened the door to find the UPS guy holding a package from Amazon.

It turned out to be this page-turner pre-ordered just for me by the hubs.

Made my day!

Love the little suprises that come when most needed.

Thanks for knowing me so well bates.

I love you!

PS. Already at chapter 11 and LOVING it!

Smiles and Gratitude...

I Love You Momma Tyhese!

Ropin'...

Anything in sight. But mostly Cats, Dogs, Cows and Mommy!

Love....

Those beautiful eyes!

Story Time with Daddy

Nightly occurrence at our house.

Love it!

Frosting Away....

K and I made sugar cookies the other day. He loved helping me "break" the egg and cut out the cookies. But I think his favorite part was the chocolate frosting! Can you tell?

Chillin'...

Little I has such a laid back, (refreshing) personality. This picture would totally sum him up if only he had a smile on his face. Love my content little man!

PS. Look at those Lips!!! So Kissable!

Backyard Adventure....

I have been wanting a fire pit for our backyard for the last 2 summers. Dave came home from work on friday with this little gem so we decided to go "camping" in our backyard. Dave put up the tent and we roasted Hotdogs and had Tinfoil Dinners and then later my parents came over to roast marshmallow and have smores. (Thanks E for the new Smore ideas.... They were DIVINE!!!)

Then at midnight it was off to sleep in the tent and I must say it went much better than I thought. Little I slept from midnight until 8 AM!!! UNHEARD OF!!!! So maybe he and I will be sleeping there permanently. Wouldn't you?

To screen or not to screen, that is my question....

Not that I have any say in the matter... I am only the Mother you know....

Now why, you ask, would I be against Newborn Screening?

First let me clarify, I don't think they should eliminate it entirely just be more selective on which tests they include.

My Argument:

Aside from the fact that the lovely PKU is oh so fun for our little ones, the results can be very unnerving AND ambiguous...

About a week ago I received a letter from the Health Department informing me that Isaiah had an elevated IRT for CF. Does this mean he has Cystic Fibrosis? No, it just means he MAY have it.... Talk about worrisome... so they have to his blood for DNA analysis. They tested his blood for the most common gene mutations (alleles) know to cause CF in Utah... He came back negative.... Good news right? Well it would be but I is from Florida... They have an entirely different set of "common alleles". And even if he tested negative for those there are still the other 1500+ alleles that can cause CF to worry about...

So what does this all mean?

Well it means for a week I have researched CF and it's symptoms... read into every "might-be symptom" I has, called the Health Department twice (oh so helpful, but that is another story) and waited to hear from my Pediatrician on what the next step is.

He most likely DOES NOT have it but I am still worried. 1 in every 3500 Caucasian babies is born with it but only 1 in every 45,000 African American babies have it.

So why I wish the CF screen (which only started being include June 1st of the year)was NOT included in little I's newborn screening?

There are many false positives (especially in the African American Population)

Most babies who have an elevated IRT do NOT have CF. (so we all get to worry together I guess)

It is unknown if early detection can even help with the prognosis

And Finally....

Unless they are willing to run all 1500 + alleles, not just the "Common Utah" ones, The test should not be included....

I just worries parents for a 5 % chance there child may have CF.

So what do you think?

I's Birth Announcement....

Yummy......

Why I Love My Job.... (Most Days).

Just had to share... 

K was reading stories to baby I

Lonely....

Missing my better half....

Have fun...

Without me....

Day-Dreaming....

I wish it were so....

Right now...

Is this to much to ask?

-sigh-

Spicy Tradition.....

We have this tradition in our family.

 My Mom has a picture of my little brother Steven wearing this outfit 27 years ago. She has kept it all these years and when my sister Angel had the first living grandson, Scotty, we took a picture of him in it. Since then we have taken a picture of all 5 of my Mom's "boys" (grandson's) in it. 

My Salt and Pepper.....

 

Man how I love the spice in my life!

The ironic thing is that without even trying, I took both pictures while K and I were 3 weeks old. 

Our little bundle of Joy....

Love the Hair!!!

Ironic.....

You would think with a baby who spends 18 hours a day doing this I would be well caught up on my sleep... but alas...

 I have been this grateful to be sleep deprived only once before and I must say that little I is just as worth the lack of shut-eye as K was....

 I LOVE my BOYS!!!!! 

Even during the 1, 3, and 5 AM feedings.

Oh and FYI: Mr. I's skin is getting darker.... It will for about the next 6 months.... LOVE IT!!!!

K's 1st Fish

Here is a picture of K with his first fish. Yes, he reeled in this bad boy by himself. I am a proud father and glad that my boy will be a fisherman for life. He'll just have to learn to not be afraid to touch the fish after catching them. I also figured it was a little too early to teach him to gut them with a knife.

Video of K reeling in his 2nd fish. Sorry, missed the 1st fish due to too much excitement.


And here are fish numbers 3....4....5....6....7....8....9....10....11....12....13....14....15....16....17....

Man, K was pulling them in like crazy.

Just kidding, he didn't catch all of these. He did catch a few though and kept saying, "Dad, I want to catch another one."

I and K meet....

Even though Dave and I got to spend time with little I at the hospital, since it was an adoption we were not allowed to bring K to the hospital so he had to wait until I got to come home. The funniest part of the whole reunion was K yelling... "My Chocolate baby, My Chocolate Baby Brother Isaiah". He then proceeded to try to lick him.... we had to explain that he wasn't really "Chocolate" . I hope K wasn't to disappointed. You tell me... What do you think?