Where Did My Babies Go?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GARRETT, JUSTIN AND HALLIE!!

I cannot believe you are now 8 years old. Each year on your birthday, floods of memories come rushing back to me. This year is such a big one for you, it seems the memories are even stronger. It seems not that long ago your daddy was rushing (and I mean rushing) me to the hospital because you three just couldn't wait any longer. Eight weeks early wasn't the scenario we had in mind but our plans didn't matter that day. Around 7:30 in the morning you all three came screaming into this world. It's hard to believe this is what you looked like then:
#1 Garrett on C-PAP

#2 Mommy's first REAL touch with Justin.
#3 Justin and Hallie w/ G-ma Beagley and Cheryl.
#4 G-ma Wimmer, Ashlie and Garrett (I think).
#5 Garrett's 1st kiss from his sister.
#6 g-pa Wimmer with Garrett

#7 Daddy holding Hallie

#8 Justin going home (first one)

How fast you grew up.....

.....and up and up. Now look at you!

Are We Better Yet?

As part of our history I thought we had better update Ashlie's recovery. Her incision is healing wonderfully; however her spirits are not doing so great. Don't know if it's normal post-operative blues (no appetite, bummed out all the time, emotional over everything and most of all, just can't think straight.) or something else but it's kind of getting old. She is struggling in school with subjects that were never an issue.

It's only been a month and I'm sure the doctors will say give it time but from a mom's point of view it's tiring. It makes me sad to see her sad. Thank goodness she has had some wonderful friends who have hung out with her and talked to her and not left her alone. Things would be much worse.

She officially is allowed to do PE and recess starting tomorrow. I think she is excited and at the same time cautious. She wanted to try basketball with Savannah, but maybe has decided that probably isn't the best thing to do. (It still hurts to get bumped.)

Not again.....

The big bad health bug bit us again. This time it's Hallie's turn. For several months she has had an awful cough, mostly at night that won't go away, keeps her up at night and eventually makes her puke. Sometimes it is also bugging her after playing hard. We've taken her in and been treated for different infections, but always within a couple of days that darn cough is back. Finally, after spending a few hours looking for a doctor that would see her in Utah, when we were there for Ashlie, we were given the advice that she needs to be seen by a lung specialist and figure out exactly what is going on. Soooo, a few weeks later, after a pulmonary function test in Idaho Falls we now know that she has ASTHMA.

She has been a little trooper doing breathing treatments in the middle of the night so she can breathe and sleep and not cough. She is on a steroid now through an inhaler (which she also does pretty good) and it seems to be helping. Dr. Daniels here in Rexburg so far is taking care of her since there is NO lung specialist around. (We would have to go back to SLC.) We have only had to do about 2 breathing treatments since starting the new medicine. We hope that this can get under control quickly and that the steroids won't affect her adversely in other ways down the road and that she can do everything and anything she wants to go with her fiesty little soul.

Halloween Time

This year's Halloween season started out being a dud. Unfortunately I don't think we have all recovered from being gone and getting healed. We are always just so tired.....BUT luckily for creative and excited friends, we got excited for costumes and had a blast with at least the boys. It really was fun getting together everything and making it, of course most of all seeing them in it.

Candy meter on empty it says! It's a quarterback, get it? Daddy is a "cereal-killer". Walmart loved it. He usually doesn't dress up. This is about as far as it goes.
We always do enjoy trunk-or-treat at our church. It goes fast, but I like that I feel safe letting my kids run around and have fun without me right along with them. It was wonderful weather, warm without the wind.You could actually see all the kid's costumes without being bundled up. Definitely not normal for Idaho.
We attempted jack-o-lanterns but discovered our pumpkins had frozen and were rotten. The kids had some fun drawing faces on them though.
We did go to the new straw maze down the street from us. Great big straw bales stacked, made the maze in a field by our house. Quite AMAZing if you ask me. Ashlie took her friend Savannah McDonald with us. The kids had a blast running on ahead of us and figuring out which way to go. We only had to go in once to get the girls who decided to try the maze from the exit to the entrance. Darkness does change how everything looks, right girls?

Crunching leaves under my feet

Soon it'll be time to trick-or-treat

Black cats at night care to scare you out of your underwear,

Owls at night might make you fright

Get ready for Halloween night.

.....Ashlie Beagley