Memorial day

So sad to have loved ones gone.

I miss you everyday Nanny. Especially when the sky is painted pink. Thanks for keeping "you" so close !
You too Papa Bunn! We all love and miss you both!

Fruit Snack Facial Hair

Decorating the face with fruit by the foot! A mustache and a beard... So utterly Kate. She has the funniest personality!

My Favorite Hair Style!

This is my favorite Kate hairstyle. If I could stand it... this is how I would want it everyday. She just cries when it gets combed after a day of hair like this. Especially after a sleep!!! It is sure cute, though. So... somedays we endure it! Now, I try to ask her what she wants. She has to deal with the snarls if we leave it down but she likes it down too. She is pretty good at picking and then tolerates the repercussions better. This is straight out of the tub!

It is so long. I love it when it surrounds her little smiley face.
My silly girl!

Look at all of her ringlets. Kate says her hair makes circles. She is right. After combing her hair, there will be little circles on the bathroom counter. They are so cute!

Kate and Mama

I hate to have my picture takem but I try to deal once in a while for Kate's sake. My Mom made us matching clothes. Mine is a shirt that I love and Kate's is a darling dress that I adore on her. We happened to match this day. Kate was being a nutcase as usual so getting a picture is tough.

My sweet darling baby girl. Words cannot express my feelings for this kid!! I love you Katie-bug!

Sugar Lips

My daughter and her face. Love the sugar lips. She cracks me up! She does love to taste things.

What a dolly!!!

NICU 30th Reunion

Tonight we had our 30th reunion for the NICU. Dr. Stephen Minton started our NICU back then and he was the only Neonatologist for a long time. He spent every moment in the unit and when he wasn't there, he was doing rounds and writing TPN over the phone.

I started there 15 years ago and I have amazing memories of our early docs, Dr. Minton, Dr. Ronald Stoddard, Dr. Dale Gerstman, and Dr. Les Lang. We have grown over the years and we now have Dr. Wyc Cheatham, Dr. Anna Cheatham, Dr. Susan Morelli, Dr. Erick Gerday, Dr. Linda Adams as well as Dr's Minton and Stoddard who are still at the foundation of our unit.

I remember the day Teresa Latta started as our 1st Nurse Practitioner. In fact, I opened her letter of licensure while she was in Prague. Now we have Allison Showalter, Jennifer Smoot, Brenda Smith, Tawny Thornton, Wende Prince, Charlene Pollan, Jennifer Hall, Jennifer Whitehead, as well as Teresa Latta.

I have been so blessed to work with these amazing people, as well as many others. We have the world's best Respiratory Therapists, Nurses, and ancillary staff! We ,as a team, have come together to do what we love... to take care of tiny infants that are struggling to stay on this earth. Some are in our unit for such a short time (As little as an hour) and some have stayed as long as 1 week shy of their first birthday. I know that there have been others that have stayed even longer but not since I have been working there. We have loved and cared for these babies in the best of times and the worst of times. We have laughed with the families and cried with families. We have seen families come back for multiple children. Sometimes in 1 visit and sometimes in several. We have held dying babies as they leave their earthly existence and we have held babies as they head out of our unit to the big bad world that awaits them. As we place these babies in their carseats and subsequently in their cars to leave us, it is with tears of joy that we have succeeded in making another family.

Today, we had the opportunity to celebrate these incredible moments. We had a huge party in the cold, wet, rainy park to reunite with the families and the babies that we loved and cared so much about. We were able to see children that were in our unit 20+ years ago. One, at 26, just graduated Magna Cum Lade. We were able to again wrap our arms around the children that we were a part of and let them know that we loved them. We celebrated their lives and the families that love them.

Life Flight made an appearance with the helicopter much to the excitement of the young children and the older ones like me. I still get a knot in my stomach when I see Life Flight planes/helicopters/ambulances. We played games, ate, and rejoiced in the children that have passed through our unit. Some are running, walking and playing. Some are in wheelchairs and laughing as we greet them. We love the 1000+ people that showed up to our wet, rainy party. Thanks for the sun finally showing up. These familes were there to celebrate and they braved the awful weather.

I must say, after 15 years of working in the NICU, after 9 managers (stick with it Jerold), and thousands of infants that have passed through our doors, I love my job today as much as I did 15 years ago. It is an exciting place with terrific co-workers and a team that I can call family! I know that on my worst days, they support me and move me along. On my best days, they laugh with me and move me along. It is a rewarding job. I love it and all that I do. I love the families but most of all... I love the babies.

Happy 30th Birthday!!!!!

Alegria - Cirque du Soleil

For Mother's day, Ali and I gave my mom tickets to the Cirque du Soleil show in Salt Lake City. Today was the show. It was so much fun and the performers were amazing. We went to the matinee and there sure were not many people there. I hope that more are there for the night performances. We talked about it after. If the E Center would charge less, they could fill the seats and make money on the junk they sell there. Instead, it is half empty or less. I pulled these pics off of the website.

These were the nostalgic birds. They were on stage a lot!

One of the nymphs.

Fleur.

The White singer. Amazing!! She had the largest role.

The black singer.

Some of the clowns.

Another clown. He was hysterical with his counterpart. Laughed till my sides ached.

These I took there. Right before showtime. So empty. I felt bad for the performers as it is hard to perform to an empty arena.

The spinner. He spun around all over the stage in this ring. Did lots of cool tricks!

This is the classic Cirque du Soleil aerialist. So talented!

Spinning in the air.

These acrobats were so cool. Bounced on a bar and did flips and landed back on the bar or on another one. WOW!!

In mid air!

Flipping!

The ensemble finale! Great Show!!!! Standing ovation well deserved! We went to dinner and were on our way home around 7:30. This held us up. It was raining and this Fed Ex truck either lost his breaks or control. Went across the freeway and up the hill. His second trailer rolled over and landed on another car. Killed the occupant. So sad.

Great Day!

Today I went to visit some people that are dear to my heart! This is the family that I babysat for when I was a teenager. They became my second family and helped me through the rough times of teenagerhood when your family just does not understand. Jeannie and I have been close since Andy was a baby. He and Casey were like my own kids. Heather was like a little sister that I had always wanted. Here they are today. Saydria was born in January and this is a picture of them with her on her "birthday"!! Saydria is Casey's first daughter and I had never met her. In fact it had been quite some time since I had spent any time with them. His oldest (now 9) was a baby.

Kiri is Saydria's mama. We had a great time talking and laughing and just enjoying other and our girls. Yes, Kate came along adn was pretty good. (Thanks for tolerating her guys!)

Saydria is a living doll. She smiles with the world's biggest dimples and has her daddy's bright blue eyes. She sucks on her binky like she is trying to suck the plastic right off.

I take all credit for this picture though I had nothing to do with it. I used to take Casey and Andy to Disneyland so I take credit for his love of the mouse and everything Disney... thus, it has been passed down to Saydria and ta da. My doing!!! Is she not a dolly!!

Saydria as a ballerina. Amazing eyes!

Casey, Kiri, and Saydria, a darling partial family. They have 3 boys as well but they were not there to meet. I am hoping to get back to visit soon. Thanks for a great day! You are loved beyond measure!

Shalena's Birthday Party

Kate in her new Party Skirt.

I took the girls shopping today and they wanted these. Are they not the cutest skirts?
Kate and Zella together. Kathy and Zella.
Kate being the center of attention! She danced for everyone.

Susan, Kathy and Zella.

Shalena opening her gifts. She had 2 amazing helpers to assist int he opening of the gifts!

Zella eating the butterflies off the cake. Make her mouth black but boy were they YUMMY.

Kate eating Choc cake.

Happy 19th Birthday Beanie Bop!

The Witches of Oz

Tonight Kate, Ali and I went to see Jen's daughter, Ashlyn, perform with a group called UpWith Kids. This is a group that builds confidence and character. The show was called The Witches of Oz and the kids did a great job. Ashlyn has found her love.

"Flying high!"
Jen and Kate watching the show. Kate did a pretty good job. I was impressed (depsite 3 trips to the potty).

The tornado girls.

Ashlyn had multiple parts but her biggest role was as the scarecrow. She wanted to be Dorothy but I think this was a fun part for her!

The main characters.

Kate being silly.

Sign language finale.

Kate and Ashlyn after the show.

Ashlyn with all her flowers. Great Job Ash!

After the show, Ali, Kate and I went to dinner at the Spaghetti Factory. Delicious!