Front Yard

This month celebrates 2 years in our home. In the past 2 years we have brought in 5 loads of dirt, 2 loads of AB (for the driveway), moved the culvert, extended the culvert, and moved the driveway to the other side of the house making room for our garden. Last fall we started building our rock wall seperating the front yard and the driveway. For one reason or another it turned into an unfinished project. My dad and sister Hanna have been here visiting and with there help the wall is nearly finished and the landscaping has once again began. On monday with everyones help the wall was dug out. Cement was poured,

rocks were placed,

more dirt dug out,

and many, many more rocks were placed.

Tuesday and Wednesday the yard was leveled, plastic layed and rocks were purchased.

Kory's truck being parked in the middle of the yard prevented from taking some good picts. Tommorrow morning one more load of AB will be brought home for the driveway. Rocks will be brought home during the lunch break and another load after work. 2 more loads should about cover the front yard. Once the driveway is leveled again we can top the rock wall and then that will be completed. All I can say is it's really looking good. Being our monsoon season has begun it will be great not having so much mud being tracked into the house. Thankyou Dad and Hanna for all the help you've given us while you've been here.

Hunter's Graduation

I've downloaded these pictures twice now and did it backwards. So this time we'll tell the story backwards. After the kindergarten ceremony everyone was invited to the cafeteria for cake and punch in celebration. Hunter recieving his graduation certificate.

Hunter's class singing and dancing for the parents. Hunter really got into the dance part. Hunter is on the front row 2nd from the right. You can see his full body!

Hunter wainting patiently for the ceremony to begin.

He is so excited to be in 1st grade. He's really looking forward to the part of eating lunch at school. I'm going to miss him being gone all day. I'm so glad he enjoys school and looks forward to going back.

Maddie's Kindergarten Shots

It seems like I just did this with Hunter. Several weeks ago I registered Maddie for kindergarten for this upcoming year. 2 weeks ago Maddie received a letter from her future school welcoming her and reminding her that she needed to get her shots before school started.

My sister Hanna is visiting with us so I made Maddie's appt with her being here. This way I won't have to take everyone with us. I was quite nervous for this appt. beacuse the last time I took Maddie in she *FREAKED*. Emily was with us and I had her got 1st. When Maddie realized she was next she ran out of the room and down the hallway screaming all the way. I had to chase after her and literally drag her back to the room. I have *NEVER* been so mortified and embarrassed in my life. Hince why I was so nervous about this appt.

I didn't tell Maddie what we were doing. I just asked her to come along with me. When we pulled up in front of the building she asked if we were there for Brayden. I told her no we were actually there for her. She just stared at me and after a few moments she said," I'm getting my kindergarten shots". I told her she was and that she needed to be really brave and strong. If she didn't get these shots she wouldn't be able to go to kindergarten. She said she could be brave and do this. Since she told me she would be brave I told her that if she was I would take her to Claire's at the mall and give her $5. She was quite excited to hear this. After waiting 30min. in the waiting room we were finally taken back. The nurse commented on how slow Maddie was walking and how she must be a little nervous. We get in the room and the nurse tells us that Maddie will be recieving 4 shots. She proceeds to fill all 4 syringes in front of us. (Can this not be done before we get to the room!) Finally the nurse is ready, she has Maddie climb up on my lap and wrap her arm around me with me holding her other hand. The nurse lifts her sleeve up pulls out the alcohol wipe and cleans the area. The nurse picks up the 1st syringe, she pinches Maddie's arm and her phone rings. Can you believe she says, Oh just a moment, puts the syringe down and talks on the phone for a few minutes. (Can we prolong this anymore? I mean seriously I wanted to beat the nurse over the head with her phone.) After her phone conversation Maddie finally received her 1st 2 shots. It was at this point Maddie started to cry and didn't want anymore. Can you blame her? I flipped her around and as quickly (NOT!!) as this nurse moves we finally got the last 2 shots. I told Maddie she did a wonderful job and I would take her to Claire's. I thought Maddie would choose a necklace or bracelts but the Princess Sunglasses won her heart. She told me she liked wearing them on top of her head just like Grandma Christensen.

She loves the glasses. She's taken them off long enough to have her bath and go to sleep. Other then that they've been glued to her face. You did good Maddie. Thankfully your done until you turn 11. 2 children down just 2 more to go. Unfortunately I'm just starting with one of them.

Brayden's 3 week old

Monday was my due date along with Brayden's 3week check up. Where has the time gone by???His lungs are remaining clear which is such a relief. He now weighs 9lbs. 20z. and is 22 inches long. Some of his newborn outfits are getting a little snug.

It's a little different having 4 now but we are all adjusting well.

Brayden's 1st Photo Shoot

This morning I took Brayden to a very good friends house for his 1st photo shoot. April did an amazing job. I wasn't sure how well Brayden would be with us squishing him and constantly changing his position. To our delight he did an awsome job and was quite cooperative. These are a few of my favorites. O.K so there's more then just a few.

The above is one of my absolute favorites. I love the way he's curled up, just like newborns do.

The outfit above was one of the few I saved from Hunter. I had to get a picture of Brayden in it. It's also one of the few that his eye's are opened.

I love the way the above turned out. He looks so small.

All that hair!!

Isn't he cute!

I am so glad this picture turned out. Even though he now weighs over 8 lbs and is 21 inches long it shows his size compared to a baseball mitt. He will be 2weeks old on monday.

I saved his hat from his 1st and hopefully last helicopter ride. We had to get a picture of him wearing it without all the bells and whistles that came along with it. Thank you again April for such a great morning.

To see more pictures of Brayden you can go to my side bar of friends and click on Schultz family. From her blog click on A.S Photography (on the right hand side right above her buddie list) and then on Brayden's name.

Brayden's Stay in the NICU

Friday morning I drove myself down to Phoenix to spend the weekend with Brayden. When I arrived I just wanted to cry. His IV in his leg didn't last 12hours and so being he had already had an IV in both hands they put his new one in his head. Being I myself had just had 2 IV's while in Prescott I felt for him. They hurt going in, they hurt when meds are given, they ache continually and I think the worse is when they undo the tape and pull the dang thing out. Throughout friday the oxygen that was given to him was slowly being lowered. By saturday morning he was just receiving air and by noon the tubes were taken out.

I was able to nurse him for the 1st time friday late afternoon. I was once again able to nurse him saturday morning. By saturday evening he was doing well with the nursing that they took his feeding tube out.

On sunday another chest x-ray was taken and showed that his phnemonia was improving and that WE should be able to come home sometime on wed. Feeling disapointed that it wasn't going to be on tuesday like I wanted I came home that evening to spend some time with my other kiddo's, sleep in my own bed and be able to pump in my own house. During the evening when I am not there Brayden is fed through a bottle using the milk I bring to him.

Sunday before leaving the hospital Kory and I were asked to leave his car seat so that a car seat test could be performed in the next day or two. He has to be able to pass this test before he is released. He's strapped into the car seat and then sat on the floor. He's hooked up to more wires that monitors his heart beat and oxygen levels. Being we live where we do instead of the test lasting for 30min. like for those who live near the Valley his test lasts for 1hour and 15min.
When I arrived at the hospital monday morning I was told he had been tested during the night and failed. Talk about FRUSTRATION!! Mid morning the nurse practioner came in to talk to me. She talked about the car seat test and wanted to try it again that afternoon. She said the nurse that did the test during the night started it about 30min. before his next scheduled feeding. He only lasted 40 minutes. This time she wanted the test done right after a feeding. So after his next feeding I strapped him in and the nurse applied all the wires. He lasted an hour in a half and was still doing great. YEAH!!! The nurse said all we're waiting on now is for the last of his meds to be given. Instead of having to wait until wed. we had a good chance that we could come home on tuesday. Yeah! Not wanting my hopes to be dashed again I didn't let myself get too excited.

Late monday afternoon as I was getting ready to head home for hopefully my last night without my baby, Brayden' doctor came in to check on him. His doctor just happened to be the same doctor that was visiting the Prescott hospital right after he was born. She and Brayden's current doctor had many consultation's on what was best for Brayden before he was flown away. After flipping through his chart like a maniac several times she finally stopped on a page and said, "When do you want to go home?" I replied, "since I'm starting to commute every day now I'd love to be able to take him home tommorrow instead of wed." She then replied, "why wait until tommorrow? If you can stick around for his last dose of antibiotics tonight, make him an appt. for tommorrow with his pediatrican I'll start the discharge papers and you can take him home tonight." YIPPEE!!! I stuck around for as long as it took and was able to bring my baby home monday evening. Thankyou Heavenly Father. My mom was the only one who knew about this sudden change. When I got home I unloaded all of my stuff and then the girls came out to the van with me to "help" with what was left. I wish my camera had been working to catch the expressions on the girls faces when they saw Brayden buckled up in his car seat. Maddie went running inside telling Hunter he had to come see what was in the van. Needless to say the kids were thrilled to be able to touch and hold there new brother for the 1st time.

Beisde having a horrible 1st night home I am so grateful that we were able to come home when we did. I feel blessed that being born 3 weeks early he did weigh 8 pounds, phnemonia was the only thing we had to deal with. It was a humbling experience sitting in the NICU over the apst several days talking with a few parents and learning about there story. We were truly blessed with not having to face a possible fatal illness. We knew that sometime "next week" we would be bringing Brayden home. There were several parents there that have had their child there for several weeks and still had several weeks ahead of them. Just going through what we did this past week I will feel so much more sympathetic to those in the future that end up having an experience with a child in the hospital.

When the batteries are charged again I will take some pictures of the newest member of the family without all the bells and whistles he's been attached to for so many days now. Stay tuned...