Clothespins and Rice

Walking to Church

Ice cream

Tonight we went for ice cream with Grandpa and Grammy Fox.  Cedrik got his own bowl and chose peanut butter+ dulce de leche, banana and chocolate.  He put blackberries, these fruit ball things and cookie dough on top with chocolate sauce. He ate the whole thing and then had a sugar rush followed by a sugar crash.  He got some balloons, a Thomas book and a Thomas swimsuit.  He was wound up!

Credrik is Three

Today Cedrik is three.  He is an amazing boy.  He is very sensitive to people's emotions and when someone is sad (especially Freddie) he wants to make them happy, usually by giving a kiss on the mouth.  He loves to kiss and hug his friends and we have to remind him to kiss on the cheek.  He has a really great memory and remembers things that we have completely forgotten.  He loves to sing and listen to music. He really wants to play the violin/cello/bass and loves to watch videos of people using instruments.  He knows the first three articles of faith and he can also sing them (his preferable way of saying them).  He likes church and last week consoled Freddie in nursery (with kisses on the mouth).  He loves books. 

Today for his birthday he wanted to open presents early. So first thing we opened presents, and I made chocolate chip pancakes (his request) and then he helped to make his birthday cake, chocolate.  He got a new shirt that he wanted to wear today.  He also got some fun matching games and books, a bike, a new Book of Mormon and a new "Sunday movie."  He watched his new movie for a little bit while the cake baked and then we went for a drive with Jordan.  While we waited for Jordan we got to see a train and it blew its whistle (this was probably the highlight of the whole day).  We ate lunch out and had naps.

For dinner he requested beans and rice.  I let him get a fancy drink, Izze, and he thought that was amazing.  We topped the cake with chocolate mint coconut whipped cream.
Tomorrow we are going for frozen yogurt with Grandpa and Grammy Fox after dinner. 

I can't imagine having Cedrik be any more exciting than he is and we are lucky to learn so much from him.

Baby Girl

Their Father

Our children are lucky.  They have the most amazing dad.  He works hard every day so they can eat and sleep comfortably.  He takes Cedrik to the car wash and leaves Freddie home (because Freddie hates the car wash).  He sits and rocks Freddie and they bond (fyi he and Freddie are so much alike they can really get on each other's nerves--basically like Cedrik and me).  He has patience and funny voices and funny jokes that make our home full of happiness.  Most people see the quiet calm Jordan.  But at home he wrestles, tickles and chases.  He flies the boys like they are airplanes, throws them high in the air and is a human jungle gym.  He is the example of a righteous father who willingly goes to church, watches conference, takes care of his body and family and prays.  These are characteristics that one day they will recognize as admirable traits. He is the balance our wild days need. He can calm us all down.  I'm so glad he is my husband and the father to my children. There isn't anyone better.

My little introvert

Our "Montessori-Learning-Play Room"

Jordan decided that he wanted his office moved into our bedroom. The office gets hot during the day, even with ac. I agreed because it gives the boys a space that we can do activities in.

It isn't set up quite how I want it to be, but it will be a work in progress for awhile. They are very happy to have a room that is for them to play in. I brought back in the radio and have a few cd's to choose from. This has been the main attraction this week.

Today we did a bean transfer activity and Cedrik played for an hour and a half. Wow.

I've been reading Raising Your Spirited Child. It has already saved so many melt downs this week. I've been able to better recognize when Cedrik is starting to lose it and calm him down. He now has a "special spot." This sounds cheesy, today it worked! Instead of "time-out" (Jordan can't stand that term) I came up with special spot. It is the spot where he can go when he feels his body starting to get mad. I sat with him for a few minutes today, it was the first time he has had to go there. He got to pick the spot and I've been explaining that when we get mad we need to go to our special spot to let our bodies relax. That seems, so far, to be a positive way of doing it and positivity goes a long way with him. He shuts down when we are at all negative (which sometimes just has to happen).

This book has given me so much to think about. So many things that just needed to be brought to my attention. AND it makes me feel like a better mother. I don't have to worry about looks or "helpful suggestions" from people who are trying to be nice. I also don't have to wonder what I'm doing wrong when I see and hear how well behaved other kids are! Nothing is wrong with my child and now I'm learning the tools to teach him how to use his strengths and turn his weaknesses into strengths. What a relief!

He is an intense, spirited extrovert!

"Is this the boy with the battery in him?"

On Friday afternoon, 5pm to be exact, Freddie came up to me rubbing his jaw and looking sad. I immediately knew he swallowed something and then I realized it was a battery. I had just bought these submersible led lights and Cedrik had unscrewed one and the batteries were on the floor on their little room. I had noticed them earlier but really didn't think too much of it, neither of them really puts things in their mouths, let alone swallow anything but food.

Anyway, we tried to see if he would throw it up, he didn't. Jordan gave him a blessing, called the battery/poison control number and they told us to get an xray immediately and told us not to try to make him throw it up. Lovely.

We hurried to St Al's in Eagle because the main one was very busy (Jordan had called them on the way). We were almost the only people there and didn't have to wait too long for the xray. Donna came to get Cedrik (very good idea) and he got to have Mexican food and spend the night. He was pretty happy.

A couple of minutes after Cedrik was picked up the Dr came in and said "Is this the boy with the battery in him?" We said "Potentially." He said "oh, no, it's in there." He showed us the xray and it was lodged in the esophagus right by the collar bone.  He said we should try to, well, basically hang him upside down and see if he spits it out while patting his back. This very aloof nurse said this was the poor man's way of getting it out and it works 50% of the time. We let her know that although we were poor we are expensively poor so it probably wasn't going to be that easy for us.

Freddie just wanted to be held, mainly by me and whimpered a lot but didn't cry.

I left the room while they held him upside down and no shock, it didn't work. So he suggested we let him drink some juice and try once more before transferring to have someone remove it. He drank all the juice he was offered and it didn't work again.

There was a Haitian man who was there to start the iv before the transfer and he informed Jordan that in Haiti they would stick a tube down there and just pull it out. I'm glad we are here...maybe, it sounds a lot faster and cheaper. ;)

Since we were transferring to St Luke's and they let us drive him we didn't start the iv there.  It was after 7 and we were starving. We grabbed food quickly and Freddie threw up twice on the way. It was the first, and probably last time in Freddie's life that he didn't beg for food.

At St Luke's we were checked in and sent to a room where another nurse wanted to take his blood pressure etc, even though we told her we were supposed to go directly to pre-op and the Dr was meeting us there. She didn't listen and about 2 minutes later another nurse came in and told us we were going to pre-op.

The Dr met us there and went over everything. He was very kind. He is one of two Dr's that works on kids in the state (a pediatric gastroenterologist?). He seemed confident and calm. They took Freddie in and about an hour later we got to go into recovery. He was so zoned out and even after waking more, he didn't want any juice. He just wanted me to hold him. We waited for awhile and got to go home at about 10:30. The Dr came out after and showed us the battery. It had already started leaking acid and he was really glad we brought him in when we did. It stuck to his throat a little but he said it should heal in a couple days and that he wasn't at all worried. So even with acid in his throat he wasn't even crying!

He was such a trooper and did really well. We were both happy with how nicely we were treated and how well he was taken care of.

Today he is sad and tired. He doesn't want to walk; he only wants to be held. He has drank quite a bit and eaten a little.

Colorado