Kierstead Family: January 2011

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Jr. Jazz '11

Corbin waiting for the rebound.

I'm not sure who his team mate is but I like how they're walking backwards the same way.

Going for the layup. He made two baskets this game. I'm so proud of him!

Taking a break. I wonder what he's day dreaming about?

I like how he is not intimidated by this kid. No fear!

Another steal! He stole the ball three times in this game. He's a very good defensive player!

Yes, Colt is coaching again. And yes, Corbin is #17 again. He get's to keep this jersey so he'll be 17 (in honor of Austin Collie) for the rest of the season.

Joey (a boy in our ward) and Corbin.

Briton and Corbin. Briton is the son of my high school friend, Angie.

Basketball is going good so far. I'm so proud of you, Corbin!

Friday Family Fun Night

Jan. 14, 11

** Warning: A couple of awkward pictures below. **

Our new tradition that we started is Friday Family Fun Night and what a blast we had! We rented the movie Ramona and Beezus. If you have kids our age it was a really cute movie.

Corbin and me being a little... strange. I guess we're showing off our talent.

Corbin brought out his blanket and made us all lay on it. This was after the movie was over. Marley was acting a little emotional because she was, well, emotional. The movie made her cry a little - happy tears, I think - and she was embarrassed. Just like her mom, poor girl...

Just having fun. Marley is missing because she was... being emotional, still.

When she realized we didn't care she was crying she came back. Still a little emotional, though.

Happiness!!

Family photo of our First Annual Friday Family Fun Night!!

Emma Girl

Jan. 13, 11

Emma singing to her baby... so precious.

sisters

Jan. 7, 11

The girls watching their new favorite movie - The Sound of Music.

hair

FINALLY!! Marley let me do her hair a little different. She's gone through this faze for over a year where her hair had to be two (maybe three) certain ways. This particular day we were able to go "out of the box" a bit. What a relief!!

Jan. 4, 11

*sniff*

I think it helps her when I do Emma's hair first. Emma is usually so good about it that I think Marley wants the same attention and cute hair. Thank you, Emma!! :)

Cheese!

Marley Jo

"Look, Mom! I made a SIX!!"

Monday, January 24, 2011

~journal entry~

~ Sacrifice ~

Yesterday in Relief Society my mother gave a lesson on sacrifice. While the lesson was good there were a few things that stuck out to me - probably mostly because I had been thinking about it a couple of day prior to this. Nevertheless, I'm sharing my thoughts. Mom had asked us ladies what experiences (in a round about way) we had relating to sacrifice. Ironically it had been on my mind.

On Thursday, while dropping off Marley at dance, she asked me to go in and talk to her teachers (which were mine ages ago). While talking with Debbie about the upcoming schedule she had mentioned how mothers were complaining about this 20 dollar fee that we will be paying to rent the high school to get ready for performances. She continued on to talk about different complaints about this or that and it took me back to my days of dance.

Not only did my mom and dad pay for myself to dance but - at the same time - two of my older sisters. With monthly payments, competition fees, dance shoes, team sweat outfits, pictures, and costumes this couldn't have been cheap. Plus throw in the crazy schedules and extra practices and far away competitions. It couldn't have been easy for a full-time working mom.

With this being said, not ONCE did I ever hear my parents complain. Not once did I hear my mom complain about another payment, another practice, another competition. Not only did she have checks waiting on the kitchen counter for me to take to dance but I always had a ride to and from dance. Except that one time I was left at the studio but eventually I made it home. But that was just one time. Anyway, I was always taken care of without a word of complaint from my busy mom.

It's at this time I want to thank her. We had some great memories which makes it so fun for me to take my daughter back to the same place. I hope I can do as well as you and enjoy the ride. I want these memories for my girls to be happy ones. Thank you for your example. Looking back and knowing what I know now, it couldn't have been easy for you. Yet you sacrificed for myself and my sisters so we could have the experiences that we did.

I truly appreciate you and what you did for me. I hope I can be that kind of mom to my kids.

I love you, Mom.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Emma's Tonsils

12/27/10

The surgery went very well. The doc came and told us that her tonsils were huge and how good this will be for her to have them out. What a relief!! While she was in the first recovery she seemed to be doing fine until they brought her into us for the second part of the recovery.

I can't even clearly explain the sounds she was making but they made me sick. I knew something was up when the nurses were rushing around us hooking things up around us. We had three nurses by our side plus the CRNA (who he was completely amazing!!... though the nurses were great, too) and they stayed with us until she was a little bit more situated. She had aspirated and had fluid down into her chest so they were suctioning it out before they brought her to us.

I was so scared because she was making nasty noises (due to the fluid in her throat and chest) so when she was breathing it sounding like she was about to throw up or something. (Which would be the reason the nurses were covering me with towels and blankets.) Then the sound would stop because she'd stop breathing for a second. It really freaked me out, that and the oxygen mask that they were putting on her mouth, and the suction tube they would stick down her mouth trying to get the extra blood out. It all made me sick, I about passed out.

Needless to say the CRNA hurried and took her from me and I all of a sudden had a can of Apple Juice and a cheese stick. I was so relieved it made me feel better, it was no time for me to pass out.

At that point Emma's oxygen level was lower then it was supposed to be, even with the help of the oxygen mask. She was supposed to be at least at 90% and she was floating from the 60's to the low 80's. They brought in the x-ray machine and did a chest x-ray on her and everything looked good so we just waited and continued on with the oxygen.

Eventually, with the mask, it stayed up where it was supposed to be but when we took the mask away her levels would drop again. It took a few extra (four) hours longer then we thought but she eventually kept them up on her own. We were happy to be able to go home instead of staying the night there with her.

The hospital staff was so amazing. The people that were working with us were great but there were also a couple that weren't working directly with us (Britt and Candice, our neighbor) who stopped by frequently to check on us. They were all so kind and took great care of all of us. Even though Emma gave us a little scare it was such a good experience being at this hospital and with these people. The doctor even gave us his home and cell number and told us to call him while he was in Texas with his family if we needed anything. How many doctors would do that???

We didn't get a whole lot of pictures during the after process - for obvious reasons. It was crazy and hectic and we had other things to worry about.

This is when we got there first thing in the morning. We're in the waiting room and Emma was just barely waking up.

I'm getting Emma into her robe. She looked so cute in it. At this point she was awake and hungry, she found a granola bar in my purse and wanted it. It made me sad I couldn't give it to her.

This is her goody bag. She got a book with bubbles, she was very excited about the bubbles. They also gave her a new blankie when we left, pictured later.

Bubbles!

The tonsils. By the time I took this picture they had shrunk a bit. Seriously gross. They said we could take them home, I just took a picture and left them behind. A picture is enough, right?

Waiting to go home. She was still so pale, I knew she was at the time but then I look at the pictures and I think "Oh my..." My poor little baby.

Resting at home. This is her blankie she got from the hospital, she really likes it. Her poor mouth is swollen, and believe it or not it is what was hurting her the most.

Late that night she ate some pudding and some yogurt. She was doing pretty good.

You can kinda tell in this picture how she's a little swollen. She did so good that night.

After the first two days (a little sad with some high fevers) she has recovered so much faster then her big sis and big bro did. She's done remarkably well. I was so sad for her but also so happy that it's over and that she's doing so much better now. We've also seen an improvement in her speech, she's said a few new words, too. We love our little Emma!!!

Christmas 2010

Christmas with the Kiersteads

Grandma and Grandpa Kierstead came up to spend Christmas with us and we had a great time. Colt made some really good food, we played, and had a lot of fun.

Grandma brought some Capri Suns for the kids - guess who drank most of them? I don't think she was feeling all that great but she sure enjoyed the drinks.