TWO for Tuck

Sweet little Tucker.

TWO YEARS OLD

*******

I can't believe it.

His official birthday post is next... but here is his post...

commemorating all of Tucker's amazingness.

There is literally not a word that adequately sums up Tucker.

He is hilarious, and tiny, and smart, and mischievous, and sweet, and talkative, and adorable, and energetic, and easy, and hard, and so perfectly him.

I've said it before, but it still stands... there is no one in this world that Tucker loves more than his brother. 

He and Jack have recently just started being really great buddies that love playing together. 

This is a great example of Tucker's mischievousness.

One night, we left a small pillow in his crib for him because his nose was congested, and it helped him sleep to have his head propped up.  

20 minutes after putting him to bed, I heard him playing around in his room, only to find that he had ripped the pillow to shreds and left the insides scattered all over his crib and room.

Proud as a peacock.

Other than getting into things... Tucker also loves books, and coloring, and anything that is Jack's.

He is even showing some interest in Jack's underwear and bathroom ritual.

I indulged this interest only because I wanted to see his bite sized body in underwear...but, beyond that... there will be no potty training here for MONTHS!

Tucker has (finally) become quite the sleeper.

He's sleeping fantastic at night, and takes a monster nap most afternoons.

Most days in the late morning, Tucker pulls a major fade, and often will take a cat nap for a bit.

It is not uncommon for me to find him asleep in the car, or tucked into some nook of the house (by himself) for a brief nap.

 It is also not uncommon to have a hard time waking him up!

It's hilarious.

Tucker's body is probably one of my favorite things about him.

He is such a little midge.

He also refuses to take his jackets off all day...and that alone just makes me laugh.

His 2 year stats:

24.7 pounds: 23%

33 inches: 9%

head: 83%

These proportions are nothing short of amazing...

As demonstrated below:

Hahahahaha!

His tiny little physique fit perfectly into this carry-on bag.

Tucker loves his cousins... especially Sam.

They are always into some kind of mischief together, and I'm so glad they're so close in age.

Tucker's facial expressions are one of a kind and that dimple....

I swear.

It is one of my greatest accomplishments.

This little puppy is just a stud.

Meet someone who has met him that disagrees, I dare you.  

I love his little personality that is coming out so much as he gets older.

I love that even with a wicked original brother, he's still his own little person, incredible in all his own little ways.

Tuck loves his blanket and his bottle (don't tell... it's embarrassing) more than just about anything in this world.

Tucker talks all day long, runs...doesn't walk, and loves building, playing, wrestling, and keeping me on my toes.

He is my crazy little sweetheart.

And... he's 2!

The Rat King

Just a quick and random update on my crazy Jack.

Quirky, hilarious Jack.

Man... this kid never lets us down on the entertainment side of things.

In the past few weeks we have been on quite the ride of Star Wars...namely Darth Vader.

Jack tried pasta (still THE pickiest kid that ever lived) and was rewarded with a Darth Vader doll that turned our worlds upside down....

He also went through a bit of a vampire phase (again) and wore his (adult) cape EVERYWHERE we went.

Very dramatic, this one.

(I love Brett explaining to him here that there isn't enough wind outside for adequate cape blowing.  HAHAHA.)

Costco:

A little out of order...but, when we went to Hawaii...my mom bought this crazy kid a talking Darth Vader helmet and jammies...and , let me tell you, it is intense.

Jack also is obsessed with the emperor from Star Wars. 

He channels his freakiness and hand positioning perfectly.

The next kick Jack was on was the RAT KING.

(Such a fitting name for a toy Jack would want)

Another Ninja Turtles villain that Jack could not live without.

He earned 10 eating stickers (and it was paaaaiiiinnnnffffuuuul)...

and to say he was happy about earning it is the understatement of the year.

In other Jack news...

I've been able to spend a lot of time helping in his class at school.

Recently, we went on another field trip...

and here he is with a couple of his rat buddies.

He's learning so much, and is so smart and fun at this age.

He is just starting to read simple books, and is definitely the most entertaining kid in his class!

He definitely keeps us laughing!!!

A day rarely goes by where we don't end up on the tramp. 

Even when it's cold out... we've gotta JUMP

 

Good thing he's got a good dad to comply!

Sickness Strikes in a Big Way

I've got some SERIOUS catching up to do here on the blog!

We've had some major things happen in our family over the past two months....so, we'll start with the topic of HEALTH.

February 1st brought quite the unexpected turn of events.

I awoke around 5am with a completely numb right side and incredibly confused brain.

I was so confused and scared, and walked around for a minute to try and get my bearings.

I walked into our bathroom to grab a drink of water from the sink, and the next thing I know, Brett was holding me carrying and me to our bed.  Turns out, I had passed out... leaving a hole in our bathroom door... and an even more confused ME.

I had no recollection of the past few minutes and was still numb and very disoriented.

Brett rushed me to the ER while my mom came to the rescue to watch the boys.

The ER consisted of lots of labs, a CT scan, and the beginning of a rough headache that was treated through my IV.  Of course, these stroke-like symptoms are not new for me...but, the passing out element added an element of seriousness to the situation. 

Luckily, the CT came back ok... and they only found a UTI and incredibly out of whack thyroid?!?

Such a lovely picture taken by my sweetheart.

Following this episode, a crazy series of doctor's appointments and tests begun.  

I went to an idiot doctor, then changed doctors, and began a rat race of testing crazy theories to determine my problem.

In the meantime....

Jack got bronchitis.

And, then Tucker got an ear infection and the start of pneumonia. 

Oh... and Brett stepped on a nail and needed a Tetanus shot.

Such great times.

Three weeks after my initial episode, things got hairy again.

I found myself battling a different sort of headache I had ever had before.

For 4-5 days, I had a pretty good headache right behind my left eyebrow...and then, the headache escalated to the absolute WORST experience of my life.  I experienced pain I had never even come close to feeling, and absolutely nothing helped it.  No stroke-like symptoms... just excruciating pain.

This landed me back in the ER again...with more tests, and lots of pain management.

At this point in time... my level of fear was immeasurable.  

What was causing these episodes and me to feel so horrible?

Would they find something serious?

During February and March I endured the following tests:

CT Scan (2)

(brain)

EKG

(heart)

Holter Monitor of Heart

(heart)

EKG with Bubble Study

(checking for hole in heart)

Tilt Table Test

(finding cause of fainting)

EEG

(checking for seizures, tumor)

My tests always came back looking good.  This was frustrating as it seemed like we'd finally find a realistic explanation...only to be told that it wasn't my case.

Finally... after working with a neurologist... it would seem that we have a conclusion.

My heart is healthy.

My brain is healthy.

I have no seizures, no tumor, no cancer.

What I do have is chronic headaches... migraines, and what are called cluster headaches.

This is part of my genetic makeup...and our goal here is to manage them rather than cure them (since this isn't an option).

Another huge aspect to why my symptoms get so out of control is the fact that I have incredibly LOW blood pressure.  This explains my frequent wooziness..and my fainting.  It also contributes to my pain being magnified and my stroke-like symptoms.

So... we are managing that with medication and eating more SALT (who knew)?

So... at the end of the day....

I feel relief.

It's not fun to wonder when one of these episodes may strike...but, I have an incredible amount of comfort in now knowing what is happening to me, and the steps we need to take to treat it.

I'm not dying.

And, I'm really happy about that!

That Time When I Turned 30

In the midst of all of my health drama... a looming birthday was on the horizon. 

Thirty.

It alone made me feel sick.

And, feeling sick all the time was making me feel more like I was 90.  

An appointment with Candace led me to a spur of the moment decision to chop my hair.

TAKE THAT 30!!!

It felt so good...and was just the change that I needed.

A couple of days before my birthday... Brett and I got ready to head to a Rimrock party at Thanksgiving Point.  On our way, Brett had to stop at the church to get some stuff for a Court of Honor the next day, and as we entered the church... I got quite the SURPRISE!

Brett...along with some help from our families... had put together a surprise party for me that completely caught me off guard!

Friends and family all gathered to celebrate me... and it was sweet, and totally perfect.

My mom and Annie definitely put their decorative touch on the occasion, and Brett had done an outstanding job at putting together a delicious ice cream bar.

No one has ever done anything so thoughtful for me...and I will indeed never forget it.

Some of my party guests....

(man I love them all!)

The party itself was not the only surprise of the night...

Brett had the surprise of all surprises in store for me as they had me sit in front of everyone to open a series of cards.

One from my parents offering:

"2 days and 2 nights of babysitting"

One from my sisters offering:

"2 days and 2 nights of babysitting"

One from Brett's parents offering:

"2 days and 2 nights of babysitting"

One from Tiffany offering:

"2 days and 2 nights of babysitting"

What in the world? EIGHT days and nights of babysitting?????

The last card was from Brett...

A TRIP TO HAWAII!!!!!

I couldn't believe it!

First, how did he keep this party under wraps so well...AND plan a dream vacay without me even having the slightest clue?

I was floored.

Best birthday of my life.

(Just wait until you see my Hawaii post...coming soon)

The even better part, was that I still had more celebrating to do.  

The next day, I had a fabulous time shopping for my trip with my mom and sisters, and then a day later, was treated to a phenomenal dinner at my parents with the fam. 

Turning 30, was a bit of a punch to the gut for me, but man oh man... the people in my life sure eased the pain.  They're what it is ALL about for me... and they have all done so much for me the past few weeks.  I have never felt more support and more loved... and I don't care if I'm 80, as long as I have these people around me!