Eight Months.

By now, I think it's obvious that I cannot get enough of this baby.

No need to explain the plethora of photographs that I HAVE to put on this blog of her. 

Like Braden put it a few days ago:

"She is just so lovable!"   

She is not just lovable but squeezable. 

I literally just want to squeeze her all day long.

She had a 'birth-month' last Sunday. 

She is eight months.

She has a tooth now. 

We shall see how this goes...since I'm still nursing her...I haven't experienced nursing a child with teeth until now...

I stopped nursing Brielle and Braden before they got any teeth...

With those eyes, though, I think she can get away with anything. 

She started army crawling a few days ago. 

I don't know if I should celebrate that she's hitting that milestone or cry because she is now most definitely getting into mischief. 

This little baby is as busy as ever. 

She is still definitely a keeper. 

Happy 8 months Brookie! 

Easter 2012

We are already half way through April!!!
We had a great Easter this year,
although Scott had an awful schedule with this emergency medicine rotation.
The children and I tried to keep busy and make the best of it.
We had a little Easter Egg Hunt with some of our little friends from Church.  

We are so lucky to have made good friends here. 

We are definitely going to miss them all.

Brielle and Braden had a fun time finding eggs.  

Candy overload FOR SURE!

It's seems like when you have kids there are so many 'holidays' that involve candy.  

After Easter, it seems like we get a break from all the candy until Halloween. 

Thank goodness.

Lilly and Brielle.

These three little girls are full of spunk. 

Genevieve, Lilly and Brielle.

Braden with our old neighbors, Alex and William...they moved away a few months ago to a nice house with a yard!!!:) Andrea, (their mom) and I became really good friends.   I miss them.

It seems like there are always pictures of children but not enough of the moms.  I'm so glad I took this one! 

I love these ladies.  They are all amazing and such good mothers.  

I'm so grateful to be surrounded by virtuous women that are good examples.

The kids LOVED playing in the sand after the Easter Egg Hunt.  

My children are going to miss their little friends...they are already sad...

Scott got home at 8:30am from an over night shift at the hospital on Easter Sunday...as he was walking in, we were walking out to head to Church.  Poor man, also had some kind of stomach virus AND had worked all night at the hospital.  Talk about a TOTAL BUMMER!!!! We all felt so bad for him.  

He slept all day.

Our meetings were great and very uplifting.  

I love Easter.  

It is such a wonderful reminder of our Savior and what He did for us.  

I'm grateful that we get to celebrate his resurrection.

After Church, we headed outside to have a little Easter photo shoot with the kids.  

As we were walking to the spot where I wanted to take the photos, we saw this little bunny!!!! 

Isn't that the cutest little bunny? 

He held still for a few seconds...

...and then he started to ran away!!! 

Taking pictures of children has to be the most challenging thing ever...

They just don't hold still and they WHINE the WHOLE time!!!! 

I think I got a few good ones though...like this one.  

I am the mother of these three children...sometimes I have to pinch myself. 

I am a mom? 

wow...

I think I freaked a few people out with my last post and the picture of Brooke when she got her EEG.  

I guess, I've become a little desensitized...since I'm a doctor's wife...(in a month).

I'm sorry if I freaked you out!:)

I thought twice about writing about it and sharing the picture...

but since I keep this blog as a family journal, I figured I wanted it here.  

I have done a lot of reflecting about this, since this short trial came upon us...I guess, in life there has to be opposition in all things...sometimes we get too comfortable with our daily life and routine...I feel like this happened so I can love deeper everyday and have a deeper resolution to live a better life. 

I've been humbled and brought to my knees. 

As you can see, Brooke is fine.  

I am so grateful. 

All is well my dear friends and family.

Thank you for praying for her. 

She is a healthy baby and my heart gives a prayer of thanksgiving to our Heavenly Father every day. 

She's happy and joy to be around.  She's curious and learning so much every day. 

Later on Sunday, we dyed eggs.

It was fun, but not as fun, since Scott wasn't there to join into our festivities. 

That man just makes our life exciting.

The children had a good time, nonetheless, and I'd say that we had an enjoyable Easter. 

March in Review│Post-Match Day

Right before Match day, I noticed Brooke doing a weird head nod only when she'd look up, it didn't happen any other time...but it really freaked me out.  It was like she would lose control of her head and it would just nod forward.  What got me worried is that it looked completely involuntary and it was sometimes repetitive.  Scott and our good home teacher John gave her a blessing.  

I took her to the pediatrician, and to make the long story short, our pediatrician referred us to a neurologist, with a suspicion of a seizure disorder.  

When we got there for the consult with the neurologist, I showed him a video of an episode...I tried to find a few words of reassurance from the neurologist but he didn't give me any. 

He really didn't know.  But I wished he could just tell me and reassured me that everything was okay.

The neurologist was amazing and got us in for an EEG at the hospital the same day. 

Scott and I had some very worrisome days... 

...days of pleading with Heavenly Father that everything would be fine.  

Days of uncertainty, wondering if this was anything of serious concern.  

The EEG tech gelled all those little wires on my baby's head.  I felt so heart broken inside while I was holding my little baby in my arms trying to calm her down and hold still.  

I somehow held it together and didn't break down.  

The day wait for the results felt like an ETERNITY.  

The neurologist kindly called on a Sunday to inform us that NO seizure activity was found and diagnosed her with benign head nodding.

I said a prayer of thanksgiving in my heart after that phone call. 

Amazingly and interestingly, she hasn't been doing it anymore.  I found comfort that she's been hitting all of her milestones and is a very alert baby.  Scott was very comforting too.  I'm grateful I have him, to give me comfort.  But he was even worried too.  

Our families had been praying for this little girl and I feel like everything happened the way it did because of prayers. 

Our prayers were answered. 

...and this baby is becoming a busy, busy little girl! 

She rolls all over the place and there have been some signs of crawling but she's not quite there yet. 

I'm so grateful that everything is okay with her.  

It is amazing how much one can love a little human being so quickly.  

The love that a parent feels for a child is so deep.  

No words really, can describe how deeply one can love a child.  

It is the kind of love that makes your heart full. 

...and makes you crazy about them!!! So crazy, that I take a picture of my child in the middle of business...if you know what I mean!!! You can see the difference between the first picture and the second one can you?

Oh man! So funny!!!! 

I don't think she is going to think this is funny later...

...for now I can get away with posting this to the world...

I get to witness some tender moments every day...

Brielle has become quite the little reader and now that she is reading so well, the other kids love to sit and be read to.

So many other toys around Brooke, but what does she love to play with? 

An empty water bottle...

Why do kids even need toys when a water bottle will do the job much better than one!!! 

Honestly!

*****

My favorite guy had a birthday.  

He turned 31 years old! 

He loves Mexican food and so we went to Guapo's to celebrate!

Poor guy has been on his Emergency Medicine rotation and got home at 3 in the morning from his shift the day before his birthday.  That means that he was exhausted on his birthday.  He slept most of the day.  I had all of these awesome plans, but they all fell through...

Guapo's didn't disappoint! Those fajitas are to die for!

Those guys sang to him with so much feeling!!! Look at that guy!!! ha ha!

It was awesome! 

We all got try on the mariachi sombrero. 

I love my Scottie for so many reasons.  He's good to us, he's a good dad and good husband.  

He can always put a smile on my face, he knows just what to say to make me laugh. 

He caught up to me...now we are both 31...

wow!

******

The District has been calling my name every day! 

I think it knows that I won't be walking its beautiful streets for too long. 

How sad is that? 

Like I have said before, this move will definitely be bittersweet for me. 

Does it get any better than this? 

We had plans to go to the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing and take the tour to watch how they make money...but when we got there the tickets were gone for the day.  We were pretty bummed but decided to make the best of it and walk around the Washington Monument. 

It was an amazing day...we sat on the lawn and enjoyed the concern that was going on for the Cherry Blossom Festival.  

Brielle danced to the beautiful music like no one was watching.  

I wish I could have done the same...

but I'm afraid people would have thought I was nuts...