Marshall-"Everybody Dance Now!"

I thought I'd share this video of Marshall. He is so funny. I took this several years ago. Do you see how busy he is?? He's ALWAYS busy, sometimes even more. He's a cute little handful! Also, on the sidebar of my blog there are other videos from YouTube that are of my kids.

52 Blessings Project, Week 13

This week I am grateful for Poison Control centers. I called them last night after Marshall sprayed air freshener in his eyes. I was in the kitchen reading The Ensign, when Marshall came in rubbing his eyes and kind of whining. He started crying even more so I picked him up and noticed he smelled VERY strongly of Lavender. I knew immediately what he had done so I ran him to the sink and started trying to wash his eyes out. He kept crying harder, telling me they were really hurting. Brian grabbed the bottle of air freshener to see what ingredients were listed. Then he took Marshall to the bathroom and got him in the shower while I called the doctor (who said to call Poison Control). Poison Control told me to spray water in his face for about 15 minutes and try not to drown him.(Oh, really??!!) After that was all done, I got him in his jammies (this was now 7:30pm) and had him lay on my bed with Nathan and watch a movie. Then I finally grabbed dinner and ran out the door to go Visiting Teaching, (a program in our Church where every month you visit a few women in the church and share a gospel message). When I got home, Brian said Poison Control had called back to check on Marshall and since he was fine they closed the case. What a crazy night!!

The Song Running Through My Head

I've been singing and whistling "The Flowers That Bloom In The Spring, Tra La" ever since I posted it yesterday. So, if you have never had the privilege of watching The Mikado, you can read a synopsis of the play here and listen to the song and read the lyrics here. If you have 5 minutes to spare (which I normally don't when reading blogs), you can pause the music on the sidebar and watch this video clip from The Mikado.

The Flowers That Bloom In The Spring, Tra La

I have been thinking about flowers that bloom in the spring because my sister Stefanie is getting married in May. Every time I say "Flowers that bloom in the spring", I can't help adding...Tra La. Then my head is filled with the wonderful music and hilarious lyrics of the Gilbert and Sullivan Operetta, The Mikado. I once performed in that operetta and had a blast!! It's very challenging music but for me, the more challenging the better. None of this unison stuff...give me the songs with different harmonies going all over the place. I wish I could give you a sample of this song but I have yet to figure out how to put it on my blog. Until then, think of Stefanie getting married in the Spring and I'll sing, "The flowers that bloom in the spring, tra la." You should really watch the movie sometime. It's so funny. Nate and I love to watch it.
Speaking of flowers..does anyone have any suggestions for Stefanie on what flowers to use at her wedding? We can't spend too much money and she is getting married May 16th. We want to use real flowers.

The Shopping Gene is Missing!!

See that woman in the picture above? Doesn't she look happy as she swings her shopping bags? Well, I had to shopping today. Now, while I love to buy stuff for others, I absolutely DETEST buying things for myself...especially clothes. The only thing that can make me face the misery of shopping for myself is my husband threatening to buy me a pink tutu if I don't go. Every time I hear the total, I cringe and call Brian and immediately start thinking of what I can take back. He just laughs because he knows I don't splurge. I just buy things we need. Brian has decided I am missing the Shopping Gene. Good to know. As Popeye would say:"I am what I am and that's all that I am." It's so great that Brian loves me even if I am missing the shopping gene because I'm not planning on changing any time soon!

Who Said 30 lbs Was BIG?!

Marshall weighs 30 lbs (on a good day). My darling little 3 yr old boy just can't keep on the pounds. Boy, I wish I had that problem. He rarely eats much at all so it's not surprising. Today we have a really warm sunny day so I decided to break out the shorts. It's time to go through the summer clothes and see what still fits him. Sadly, his shorts that are size 12 months still fit him!! Yes, this is the first year I haven't had to roll the waistband and not have them fall off him every time he runs (which is constantly). So he weighs 30 lbs and we are so THRILLED that he does. I wonder if he will be able to wear his size 12 months shorts next summer too?
Here are a few pictures of the boys enjoying the Spring weather and getting the wiggles out on the trampoline. I love having a trampoline!! It helps the boys calm down after a while. It will wear Nate out eventually but never Marshall! Enjoy the pictures. The boys sure are having fun!

52 Blessings Project, Week 12

I express myself in no better way than through music. So, here is my song for today. It's a Primary Song (Primary is the program for the children in our church).
On A Golden Springtime
On a golden springtime, Jesus Christ awoke
And left the tomb where he had lain; the bands of death he broke.
Awake, awake, O sleeping world!
Look upward to the light,
For now all men may live again.
Look upward to the light!

Fun With Family, Part 3

Everyone has a different point of view. I wanted to write about what happened after the 4 little ones left the houseboat.
I had been swimming in the back of the boat and on the side with the
kids for hours. We had been having a wonderful time. Marshall and Brian
had gone with Mack on his boat so were gone for a good chunk of the day.
After they got back, I changed my clothes and got Marshall ready for
bed. As I lay on the bottom bunk near the bathroom, I noticed my head
was hurting really bad but I thought nothing of it. It had just been a
long day and I thought I was tired. Nathan was complaining of being
tired too. He didn't want to take his medicines, he just wanted to go to
sleep. I made him get up and take his medicine and brush his teeth. I
was trying to calm Marshall down when I heard Angie call for help. I
thought she just needed help because the kids were being difficult. They
had been crying a lot while they were in the back room. I had my hands
full with my kids so I decided someone else could help. I did not know
what was about to happen. I heard someone say "Can we turn off the
generator? It's pulling fumes in here!" Someone killed the generator
while others grabbed the little children and got them to the front of
the houseboat. Brian told me he ran back and grabbed Lydia. She was
still conscious when he got back there and he told her to crawl to him.
He could see he wasn't going to get to the front with her very fast if
he waited to get through the hall so he ran around the side. As he got
near the front of the boat, she started passing out. He passed her off
to Brandon. As I stood on the front deck of the boat, I could see Angie
and others yelling the kids' names and yelling "They're passing out!!"
The next thing I knew, the kids were gone and the rest of us were told
to get off the boat. My head was hurting so bad I couldn't see straight.
I also felt really dizzy. Nathan was crying and saying he felt dizzy
too. Someone in the family got some chairs out to the beach for us to
sit on. I had someone else take Marshall down to the beach since I felt
so unstable. Once everyone was out on the beach, we decided to have a
family prayer. Brian said the prayer and he pleaded with the Lord to
help Lydia, Benson, Aubrielle, and Emmaline. Peter was on the radio and
asked if we needed the National Park Service to come check on the rest
of us. I knew my head was spinning but I thought I would be fine. It was
Angela Plaster I was worried about. Not only were her only 2 children
rushed to the clinic but she was feeling nauseous and had a headache
too. She is pregnant and due in October so I knew it was very important
that she get checked out. I have first hand experience with having a
premature baby and I wouldn't wish that on anyone!! When the NPS Rangers
finally arrived, they started checking everyone out. We all insisted
Angela be checked first and they immediately put her on oxygen. I
remember Ashlee had taken a really long nap earlier that day and so it
came as no surprise when she was put on oxygen too. Dallin was tired. He
told me he was going to take a nap and then wake up and play again. I
remember thinking it was strange that a child would WANT to take a nap
but I figured maybe Dallin is different than my kids. They checked
several others before they checked Nathan. He has asthma and he was
falling asleep sitting up. They immediately got him on oxygen as well. I
was shocked when they said he was 3rd priority. I didn't think he was
that bad off. One after another we were checked and the Ranger said
"You're going with us" over and over again. So we started getting
everyone on the Ranger's boat. I looked around at Ashlee and Abriana who
were crying and I could tell they were really scared. Stefanie and I got
them singing "I Am A Child of God." I knew we had to keep their minds
off what was going on. I felt it was important that we stay calm. It was
so hard ot sing that song without crying. I was so worried about the
little ones who had already been taken as well as worried about Angela.
My head was still spinning but I kept singing anyway. We sang other
primary songs and then our "family song". Nathan kept falling asleep so
I made him keep singing. It was a fast, scary ride on that boat in the
dark. Marshall was on my lap and screaming because the wind was getting
him. When we got to the dock, I had to pass him off to someone else
(which of course made him extremely upset) because I was feeling more
dizzy. When it was my turn to get off the boat, I had to have help
because I felt like I was going to fall over. Two people were helping me
walk up the doc but I kept feeling like I was going to pass out any second.
When I told the Ranger this, she made me sit down and got the stretcher.
The whole time, I was praying that the Lord please bless the children.
Both the ones who had come earlier and the ones just arriving. Once I
got on oxygen, I started feeling better but still sleepy. I kept asking
about my children as well as the others of our family. Nathan was in the
clinic receiving treatment so I could stop worrying so much about him.
Marshall had been tested and his Carbon Monoxide levels were low enough
that he didn't require treatment. After a while, I saw Lydia come out of
the clinic with a member of her family. I can't remember who it was but
I think it was her Dad, Jason. She was smiling and happy as she came
outside. What a wonderful relief to see her walking around. Once inside
the clinic, I was directed to sit on a bed next to Diane. I looked
around the room and saw all my family in there. After everyone had been
on oxygen for a while, it seemed like things settled down and we were
able to relax a little. I heard the nurses say that Kim was too happy to
be in need of oxygen so she got tested again and was released. It was
good to hear people laughing. Sometimes I think that's the best thing to
do in such a situation. If you can laugh, you can stop being so afraid.
If you can laugh, things must be better than they were when you arrived.
Maybe it means we were all in denial. Yes, we probably were. But that's
OK. We had just been through a major ordeal! We did not k,now if those
first 4 children were going to live or die. Oh, what a tragedy it would
have been to lose those precious children. Heavenly Father saw fit to
bless us with their presence a little longer and I am so very grateful
that He did.
As the days passed and we kept talking about what happened, Brian told
me something very interesting. The Ranger who came to investigate the
houseboat and the people at the clinic had said that the symptoms Lydia,
Aubrielle, Benson, and Emmy were having are not normally seen until the
levels of Carbon Monoxide in the blood are much higher. So why did they
react that way? I'm no scientist but I believe it was a miracle.
Sometimes miracles are not quite what you think they should be. I was
getting ready to go to bed when all this happened. Actually, we were all
getting the kids ready for bed. Had those children NOT shown the
symptoms they did, how would we have known we were all being poisoned?
There is a reason that Carbon Monoxide is called the silent killer. We
would have all gone to sleep and never woken up. I am SO VERY grateful
to Heavenly Father that the children got sick enough that we were able
to figure out what was going on and get everyone the help the needed. We
are TRULY blessed. It was not a stroke of luck. For me to call it luck
would be denying the miracle that God performed. Why do you think we
were watched over and cared for? I think it's because we always say our
family prayers asking God to protect us. We also had family members who
were not there who were praying for us. My mother-in-law, Judy, always
prays for her family. She also has been keeping our name on the prayer
roll at the Idaho Falls, Idaho temple. I am so grateful that we had
people praying for us and that God saw fit to protect us.

Fun With Family, Part 2

The following was written by my cousin about our Carbon Monoxide scare.
On July 10, 2007 we were only two days into another joyous Grubbs family reunion when a series of blessings began to take place. This particular night we were attempting to put our children to bed as usual. Camron's family and mine were sharing the back bedroom of the Pueblo house boat. We had closed the back door of the boat and the pocket door leading to the front of the boat. Despite these efforts, people were still walking through off and on which meant the back door would open then close then the front door would open and then close again. Camron had gone into the bathroom which had been closed for a while and he came out with a headache and was nauseated. He laid down on the bottom bunk for a little bit until Angela suggested that he go to bed up on top of the boat. I sent some Gatorade up to him thinking maybe he was suffering from some heat exhaustion.
Angela and I then continued to try to put Lydia, Emmeline, Aubrielle, and Benson to bed. They seemed beyond tired and were fighting the whole process. Angela told Aubrielle to drink some water, but she wouldn't. Angela asked her why and she told her because she didn't feel well. Todd and Jason came through and asked if we smelled anything, but we didn't and about 15 minutes later I told Angela it was getting quite fumy in the room. (It smelled strongly of exhaust.) Benson went to sleep and Angela went to the front of the boat with Aubrielle. Emmeline immediately went to sleep and Lydia was almost asleep 5 minutes later when Emmeline screamed out in pain and then Benson screamed the same way just a few seconds later. I was trying to comfort them both when I realized that Emmeline was going to throw up, so I took her into the attached bathroom. She threw up and seemed to still have some in her mouth so I tried to finger sweep but her jaw locked and I couldn't get my finger out. Her eyes were rolling into the back of her head and she was very limp. She was not responding to me. (The park service rangers later said it sounded like the children were all having a carbon monoxide induced seizure.) I threw the pocket door open and yelled that I needed some help. (Somehow I knew that Todd would be the one to respond.) Todd came running and said to take her to the back of the boat. I told him I didn't think she was breathing but he assured me that she was. I asked what was wrong with her then, and before any response was uttered I suggested that we get her to the front where Grandpa had his oxygen. I believe the Lord prompted me to know that we were dealing with Carbon Monoxide poisoning and that she needed oxygen. I ran her to the front of the boat and two people grabbed Lydia and Benson as we passed through the back bedroom and brought them to the front of the boat as well. We must have all received the same inspiration that we were dealing with Carbon Monoxide poisoning because I do not remember that term being uttered at that time. We all seemed to be of one mind.
At the front of the boat I tried to get Emmeline on Grandpa's oxygen but someone informed me that it was not on. (I think Todd had already shut the generator off.) I looked around me and all four of these children had the same limp bodied look with their eyes rolled back. They were all non-responsive and it was hard to tell if they were still breathing. Todd dashed for his boat and we carried the four children to the boat. We got the boat going quickly but only had two small flashlights to see where we were going in the pitch black night. I yelled for everyone to pinch the kids and make them cry because if they were crying we would know they were breathing. (Again, some inspired tips. I don't believe these were my own thoughts. When they began crying I began to feel less panicked as a sense of peace came over me and I sensed that it would all be alright and that we were in the Lord's hands.)
I guess Aunt Kaye had radioed to Uncle Mack that we had an emergency and he headed back from the boat slip. He met up with us and turned around to guide us with his spotlight to the boat launch where medical help was waiting. Suddenly Todd's boat died and we couldn't go anywhere. The outboard had gone out. (This was a boat that Todd had not planned on bringing but he put the engine in it just for this trip.) Mack came back around and we transferred the kids and those holding them to Mack's boat. At this point we thought Benson had stopped breathing, so Mack ran to the back of the boat and dunked him three times until he started screaming again. (Later I learned that Mack had cracked some of his ribs doing this.) Lydia and Aubrielle began to respond to us a little bit. Lydia said she wanted her mom and I was sitting right next to her. Aubrielle wanted us to stop pinching her and she told Camron she was alright.
We arrived at the boat launch and were met by the park service rangers with an ambulance and a van. (I have since been told that they were there and ready for us because Peter radioed them. He asked Lindsey if she had told him to radio, and she told him it was not her. He says he heard a very distinct voice tell him to go and radio the ranger station.) When we got to the ambulance I began to feel dizzy and thought I was going to collapse. I sat down next to the front of the ambulance and smelled exhaust fumes so I had to move to the side steps of the ambulance. Benson and Emmeline were put in the ambulance and hooked to oxygen. Camron rode with Benson and I held Emmeline. Jason took Lydia and my dad took Aubrielle, they were taken to the Bullfrog Clinic in a van behind the ambulance. I believe Mack went back to the houseboat to check on everyone else. The rangers were also in route to the houseboat and had already given instructions that Angela was to be put on Grandpa's oxygen if he could go without it for a while.
When we got in the clinic they hooked the four children, Camron, and I up to oxygen. Lydia and Aubrielle were awake and responsive by now. After being on the oxygen a while they tested our CO levels with a breather thing. I was a 12.6%. They said they couldn't test the kids' levels because they didn't have the right equipment. Lydia and Aubrielle were very responsive at this time and seemed to be doing much better. Emmeline and Benson continued trying to go to sleep on us so we kept pinching them to keep them awake. At one point they thought they would be life flighting Emmeline, Benson, and Angela to Paige, Arizona but through further discussion with Dr. Weaver at LDS Hospital they decided our levels were coming down fast enough with their oxygen treatment.
Shortly after Lydia and Aubrielle were taken off their oxygen the rest of the family began to arrive. They had tested everyone on the beach and decided anyone a 10% or higher would be taken to the clinic. Those who still had high levels and had headaches or nausea at the clinic were brought in and put on oxygen. (Kim took pictures with her cell phone camera!) They told us they treated 22 with oxygen that night.
After our treatment was complete they helped transport us back to the houseboat where we had decided to remain. This boat ride was another scary event. You definitely have to have faith in your instruments to go that fast in the dark. We did not use the generator the rest of the week. It was a wonderful reunion! We enjoyed visiting, swimming, seadoo riding, wakeboarding, tubing, treasure hunting, and eating!

Fun With Family, Part 1

Sunday I posted a picture taken at our last family dinner and a friend commented at how huge the family is. SO, I decided it was time to show just how big the family is getting. I don't have a picture of just my own brothers and sisters and their families but I have one of my extended family..or most of them. Here are a few pictures from our last Family Reunion. Each summer we have a family reunion with my Dad's side of the family. My Dad's parents had 5 children. Those 5 children got married and had kids. My Dad is the oldest and he and my Mom had 6 kids. My Uncle Mack and his wife had 5 kids. My Aunt Debby and her husband had 5. My Aunt Tammy had one and Uncle Tommy had 3 (I think..I don't see them that often). SO, now my Dad has 5 grandkids, Uncle Mack has 10 (almost 11 now) grandkids, Aunt Debby has 7 grandkids but one more on the way, Tammy has one Grandchild and I don't know if Tommy has any yet or not. :) So, as you can tell, we've grown. I love big families! This is a picture of the houseboat we all stayed on. It's called The Pueblo.
Here is a picture of all the family (with the exception of 2 who left already) that stayed on the houseboat that week.
This still isn't all the family. My older brother and sister and their kids are missing and one of Uncle Mack's kids and his family couldn't make it either. I have a really big family! Isn't it great?! We all stayed on the houseboat for a week and it was quite an adventure. We made the newspapers because of our eventful Family Reunion. This is a little bit about what happened. My Uncle Mack answered some questions he'd been getting about our reunion. This is just a little bit about what we went through. The rest will be in Part 2 of Fun With Family, or, I Survived My Family Reunion!
Questions & Answers about the Reunion

How many were on the houseboat when the carbon monoxide poisoning occurred? There were forty-two people at the reunion at the time of the incident but not all were on the houseboat. Leslie and Ty had not arrived with their three boys the next day our total number was forty-seven. Some of the group including me were away from the houseboat at the time the children were discovered in the back bedroom.
What was wrong with the houseboat that caused the CO poisoning? The National Park Service (NPS) discovered no abnormality with houseboat equipment. The investigation the following day concluded that the generator was the source of the CO but it was functioning as it should. The general circumstances of the situation were as follows: The air outside was dead calm. There was an atmospheric low pressure from an impending storm that we were as yet unaware of. (That storm would hit while the family members were at the clinic being treated) When the rear door of the houseboat was opened the fresh air return to the air conditioning system would draw in high levels of CO and distribute it throughout the houseboat, the highest concentration being in the back bedroom where the four small children were sleeping.
How far away from help were you when the problem was discovered? Thankfully not very far at all. It seemed a long way when trying to get the children to the waiting ambulances at the dock.
I have read several different accounts in newspapers. How many of the family were actually treated for CO poisoning? Thirty-two were transported with significant levels of CO. With additional evaluation at the clinic twenty-two were actually treated.

52 Blessings Project, Week 11

I am grateful for family dinners! The 2nd Sunday of the month, everyone in my extended family gets together. Usually the dinners are at my Uncle Mack's house. Sometimes we get to have our out of town family members join us but it's usually just the ones who live in Utah. Last week the dinner was at my Dad's house. This is a picture of everyone who came. We had a great time visiting with our family. I love my family and I miss the ones that live in other parts of the country. This time Diane's parents joined us too. My Dad's parents live in Texas and didn't join us this time. We will get to see all of the Grubbs family (or at least more of them) this summer at the Grubbs Family Reunion.

Nathan's Certificate

This is what he came home with today. I am a proud Momma! Nathan, I mean Nate (he's going by Nate these days), is such a smart boy who loves to learn! His teachers all love having him in class. He is a great kid!

The Utah Flash Game

Tonight I took Nathan and 2 of his friends to a Basketball game. They had a BLAST! I got free tickets from Marshall's school and a generous person offered me 2 more so we all went for free! That's the best way to go. So many of the boys that I am Cubmaster to were there. It looked like everyone had a great time. I enjoyed it too! I think it would be fun to go again as long as I don't pay for the tickets! :) The boys had just as much fun beating each other with the noise makers as they did watching the game. I got the beating started though. :) I decided to have a sword fight with the noise makers. Also, the Flash Fox (the mascot) squirted silly string ALL OVER Nathan!! It was great...he went above us and squirted it down directly on Nathan. We had a great evening!!

Conversations With a 3 Yr Old

Marshall LOVES to talk. He is usually talking non-stop. I have put many things that he says on the sidebar of my blog but I can't always remember them all.I try to write them down as soon as possible but most of these conversations happen while I'm in the car with him. Most of our days are spent fighting "bad guys" and shooting dragons. Yesterday while we were eating lunch he told me, "When I finish all my jobs then I will die and go to the Spirit World." I told him that I would really miss him. He said "When I am done teaching the kids then I will come alive again and you can see me." He tells us things like "When I am big like Nathan, then I will sleep on the top bunk and my sister will sleep on the bottom." Hmm...a little sister?!? Does he know something I don't know?? Probably. He always likes to tell me that his cousin James has James (the train from Thomas and Friends.) He says "Mom, did you know James has James and James has James??" Nope, I didn't! Wow! I learn something new every day.
His prayers are also quite interesting. He asked Heavenly Father to please bless Brandy (my best friend who was in the hospital for internal bleeding)"that she will not die again." He is such a thoughtful little boy! :)

52 Blessings Project, Week 10

Today let me express my gratitude for this wonderful man and the blessings given to me because of Him in a song. It is called If The Savior Stood Beside Me. The Primary Children in our church (kids ages 3-11) will be singing this in Sacrament Meeting (the main meeting of our Church) in the fall.
If the Savior stood beside me, would I do the things I do?
Would I think of His commandments and try harder to be true?
Would I follow His example? Would I live more righteously,
If I could see the Savior standing nigh, watching over me?

If the Savior stood beside me, would I say the things I say?
Would my words be true and kind if He were never far away?
Would I try to share the gospel? Would I speak more reverently
If I could see the Savior standing nigh, watching over me?

If the Savior stood beside me, would my thoughts be clean and pure?
Would His presence give me strength and hope, and courage to endure?
Would His counsel guide my actions? Would I choose more worthily
If I could see the Savior standing nigh, watching over me?

He is always near me, though I do not see Him there
And because He loves me dearly, I am in His watchful care
So I'll be the kind of person that I know I'd like to be
If I could see the Savior standing nigh, watching over me.

Sleep Study Results

I got the results in the mail today. The doctor wants to talk with us about the results so we're going to make an appointment. The simplified result is that he is still suffering from Obstructive Sleep Apnea. The report from the doctor said he had 146 arousals or 18 an hour. Sixty-seven were respiratory related. Does that seem like a lot to anyone else?? Now, how tired do you feel?? Imagine how tired Marshall must be. He's always going a mile a minute and JUMPS all over the place. I'm not kidding, he jumped through the mall tonight when we went there to spend our gift card. He's a busy body who can't slow down even in his sleep. He also has a problem with periodic limb movements which is basically lots of twitching in his sleep.

I'm a FLYBaby!

"Are YOU living in CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome) like Franny in the pink sweats? Do you feel overwhelmed, overextended, and overdrawn? Hopeless and you don't know where to start? Don't worry friend, we've been there, too.

Step through the door and follow FlyLady as she weaves her way through housecleaning and organizing tips with homespun humor, daily musings about life and love, the Sidetracked Home Executives (SHE) system, and anything else that is on her mind. "
That was what I read when my friend Kristin sent me to the FlyLady's website. Step 1 is shine your sink. I was doing a pretty good job of this when I first started. I kept my sink shiny and clean. I always made sure the dirty dishes were in the dishwasher instead of the sink. Then all of us got sick and I slacked off. So, I'm starting again. You might find the FlyLady's plan easy and helpful. I know I like it but I'm not buying all the stuff she recommends. I just use her free ideas! :)

Marshall's Sleep Study

Well, we survived Marshall's sleep study. Last night, Marshall and I spent the night at the sleep lab in West Valley City, Utah. It's about a 45 min drive from our house and we had to be there by 8:45pm. I wish I had thought to take my camera! He looked cute even with all the wires on him.
Poor little Marshall was NOT a happy boy and who could blame him?! He had to have "stickers" put all over his face and some behind his ears, a few on his back, and one on each leg. He was very angry at the Technician doing this to him but he didn't yank at the wires. He was very brave. After she got him settled, he finished watching a story on his Thomas and Friends DVD. Then I read him a book and we settled down for bed. He was in a bed that had rails that come up to help him not fall off. I was in a cot next to him. I took his "crickets" (sound machine), and his music that he always listens to all night. He kept talking to me and I had to tell him about 5 times to quit talking, hold his Monkey and Puppy, and go to sleep. After he quit talking, I fell asleep too. I remember hearing him wake up a few times and tell me he did not like the stickers that were on him. The Tech woke us up a little before 7am. WOW! I GOT TO SLEEP IN!!!! Then we got dressed and headed home. Here is what he looked like when he got home. He was happy to see his Daddy again!
After he ate pancakes (his favorite), it was time to wash the stickers off. Marshall was so scared and wouldn't get in the tub. Once I got him in the tub he wouldn't sit down. Poor kid was just so freaked out. Here is what he looked like with all his stickers.
The stickers were not falling off in the water so Daddy had to pull them off. Poor Marshall was so upset. I don't blame him one bit. It was a rough day for him!!
Thankfully he got over it and was a happy boy tonight. This was taken after his evening bath. Yeah, he took 2 today but he needs a bath at night to help calm him and get him ready to sleep. That and his meds make him sleep better.

52 Blessings Project, Week 9

I am grateful for doctors. Actually, I'm most thankful for Marshall's sleep doctor. Dr. Pfeffer specializes in Pediatric Pulmonology and sleep disorders. She is trying to help us get Marshall to sleep through the night. He takes a medicine called Rozerem now. We have tried LOTS of meds on this child to try to get him sleeping through the night but nothing has worked consistently. Rozerem does the best of anything so far and Marshall slept through the night 2 nights in a row this week!! I think that's some kind of record!! Tomorrow night he has another sleep study so we will see what the results of that tell us. I know I'm so tired but I also know that Marshall is ALWAYS tired. It's hard on a little body to not get enough sleep. He has only slept through the night maybe 30 times in his 3 yr old life.

My Sister Stefanie Is Getting MARRIED!!!!

Here she is, the beautiful Stefanie, the baby of our family. Stefanie will be getting married in May. She called me tonight to tell me and I am SO thrilled for her!!! I told Marshall and he laughed and said "Stefanie, you're a genius." Haha! Stefanie and Will got a kick out of it. I'm SOOO excited for my little sis! This is not their engagement photo..just one that was taken at a family dinner.