a year in review

This may take awhile: I need to update since Aug of '09. But after talking to my friend Tammi I was revived in using my blog to keep up on my family's to do's So this post may change over the next few days
LAST YEAR:
Regan and Jaden started school. Jaden started 1st grade and his first year of Chinese immersion with his school. I was so excited to have my boy defy the American standard of only knowing English. Regan started 4th grade and gilted me into being her room mom for her class. Ugh... Then in Late September I found out I was PREGNANT. I was not too sure this was for me. Bryson was in his last year of Preschool and I was on the path to freedom. Plus I swear I was fine until the moment that test says positive and then with in seconds nausea creeps in and I was puking my guts out for the next 4 months. Being 34 and preg is way too hard. Steve and I were experiencing serious financial hardship, for the second year in a row. Oh if I could just start again from 05 I would do it so much different. Depression set in as I came to realization that I was having another kid and couldn't afford diddly duke. Halloween came and I was so relieved when the kiddos chose to be $9.00 costumes from Target, that was nice of them. We had our traditional fire and hot dogs ala A-mart and our circle becomes a hub of excitement.
Thanks giving was in St George with Ian and his kids, my Mom and Dad and us. It was tight quarters but way fun, except the before mentioned constant puking, and tiredness. In December Steve said screw our bills and we provided the kids with a great Christmas. We did not get anything for ourselves and I really liked it that way. I love getting all the gifts out Christmas eve and then seeing their excitement in the morning. Love it. New Years came and went with us going to bed at 9:30...I think Regan was sleeping over at Marens so thanks to the Holmburgs for being the party place.
JANUARY:
We found out that we were having a girl. side note: When Jaden was around 3 months old Steve woke up in the middle of the night and thought he saw Regan coming into our room to crawl in bed with us. In his mind he thought she was a little to tall as her head came above the footboard of out bed. So he leaned up on his elbow to have her crawl in and there at the foot of our bed he said was a girl in a white nightgown, with long brown hair around 8 years old. Steve just looked at her for what was like 30 seconds and then she was gone. He thought maybe he was dreaming but as he layed there he was so impressed that she was a daughter that we have one day. At the time he thought her name would be Leah...but I had worked with a Leah and just didn't really like her so I was unsure if that would be her name... So when we got preg with number 3 Steve thought for sure It would be a girl because of this story, but we ended up with Bryson. Then I miscarried about 18 months later, and that really sent me for a rollercoster in the womanly areas, and since I had had cancer after Bryson I thought maybe my body was too messed up to get preg again. So when I got pregnant in Sept of last year I was shocked. And when we found out she was a girl Steve just knew it was the little girl that had visited so many years ago.
FEBRUARY:
I was put on bed rest this month and stayed that was for the next 2 months. It wasn't very good bed rest but I did use it to my maximum advantage. I didn't mop the floor again until sometime in June, I didn't clean our bathroom. not sure how many dinners i failed to make. Steve was such a stud and took care of me, the kids, the house, and his jobs. I 'm sure it was crazy for him.
My Thyroid levels went way crazy and I totally freaked out since the moms thyroid levels help in the brain development of the baby. Since I had thyroid cancer 5 years ago, the situation was a bit more serious. I got an appointment and saw an endocrinologist and IMC. She did an ultrasound of my neck and chest to make sure I did not have any new cancer growths. Luckily after a stressful 20 min ultrasound where the Dr didn't even say a word but was marking things on the ultrasound, measuring things....she said I was just fine. We bumped up my medication and all was right in the world. Other than I was going to worry about our baby until I saw her and knew she was fine
MARCH/APRIL:
Being Regan's room mom had caught up to me at this point. I don't think I did her teacher my best job. I was at school (it seemed) all the time. We were getting ready for our new baby girl. at the end of April I hit 36 weeks in my pregnancy and so I was no longer on bed rest. Dangit. My parents came and helped get the babies room ready. My Dad painted her room, and my mom and I painted her crib. We needed to shuffle the kids rooms around and we put the boys together, we got them a cool bunk bed from Ikea, I painted Regans new room and started cleaning the house like a mad woman.
MAY:
This month dragged on and on until May 17th when we had our new baby girl. She was 7lbs 6oz, 20 inches long, perfect. We held her for the first several hours debating on her name. We had made a list and had Lena, London, Dylan, and Leigha. Leigha was ruled out first I really liked Dylan and Lena, the kids wanted London, Steve wanted Lena. Since I had vetoed Leigha he vetoed Dylan. We both really liked Lena and thought she just fit that name. So we had Lena Susann Stookey. Susann came from my moms first name ,Susan, Steve's mom's middle name, Ann. We thought it was such a good tribute to them. I knew my mom hated the name susann but I thought the gesture would be great. Well both moms were underwhelmed. I think My Mom said " your not going to EVER call her that right?" Steves mom gave a polite "thats nice". We had to laugh. But we felt that one day Lena will understand she was named after her grandma's and that was what we were going for anyway.
We brought Lena home and began to readjust our lives to having 4 kids. Regan, Jaden, and Bryson just love her to pieces. They have been so great with her.
We celebrated Regan's 10th birthday on the 26th and Jaden's on the 28th. Regan had her friend party in April and I took them to see When In Rome, and to Applebees for dinner. It was a girls night out. Jaden had his party at then end of May, Steve took 7 little boys Regan and Shelby to Boondocks.
JUNE/JULY/AUGUST
Sleep deprivation is the worst thing of all time. I felt like I was loosing it. 34 and having a baby is too hard. Summer began, and the kids were overjoyed to be done with school. Steve was working like crazy and with the help of my Mom and Dad we invested in a candy company. Steve was now crazily going to be running from Integracore to Mrs. Calls candy daily.
We made one trip to the cabin during these months. That was pathetic. However, Lena was a wreak at the cabin. She knew she was not at home and she did not like it at all. Summer flew by in hindsight. We didn't do much as far as trips. Steve's parents came down to see Kirk graduate from High School. We blessed Lena the first week of June. I was panicked. I am a freak of germs until my babies are around 3 months old. So I was not quite ready to bless her this soon. But since Steve's parents were here it just made sense. We blessed her at home and just did a quick blessing treats and everyone was on their way. It was way nice to have everyone indulge my spastics, and not linger longer. During Lena's blessing the men where in the circle holding Lena, Steve was giving the blessing, Jaden and Bryson decide that the prayer circle looks like a cool fort. So the next thing I know they are in the middle of the circle squeezing their heads out cracks saying "Eric, Eric, look at us" (Eric being one our nephews) all the other kids thought this was too funny so as Steve is finishing up you have little snickers going on. I saw the funny in this but I also was so embarrassed. They for sure had a good talking to and time out after that one.
SEPTEMBER:
School started at the end of Aug. Bryson was sooooo excited to ride the bus and go to school with his big sister and brother. Regan started 5th grade, Jaden 2nd and Bryson Kindergarten. It was a blessed day. Bryson has struggled to follow the rules at school. Being Steve's clone inside and out. Bryson for sure has ADHD but we won't be able to do much with it until he is closer to 8yrs old. Kindergarted teachers are saints for sure. Bryson loves school despite his powermats and think times to get himself together. Jaden is not a fan of school, but he is doing great in Chinese and I love hearing him read his books, and I don't know but this kid is a whiz at math. I suck at math but he just seems to get it. I love the hope of my kids being better at everything than I was. Regan is an amazing writer. She loves writing stories, and drawing pictures. I think she just might make something of that one day.
OCTOBER:
I Made It!! We have now caught up to the present time. I stared volunteering in the kids classes this month. I love doing that. I am not a room mom this year and its heaven. I taught a unit of Art for Jaden, and spent time in Regan and Jadens classes. I love the month of October. The leaves begin their change. The mornings are crisp and frosty, and with any luck we will have snow by Halloween. Steve is running around crazy. I sometimes watch him to make sure he doesn't have an aneurysm or stroke. He is beyond stressed with his jobs, and taking care of us. We are still a mess financially but its getting a bit better. Our kids are hilarious