Lara's Going Away Party

I'm catching up on our posts here... Some friends were so sweet to throw me a little going away get-together in May about a week before we moved. We met at Mimi's Cafe and had a great time talking and eating! Thanks for coming everybody and thanks for the gifts for me and baby! I honestly miss seeing you guys already!

Shaun's Graduation

Shaun graduated from the University of Colorado Denver CHA/PA program on May 22, 2008. We are so glad to finally be done with school! It was great to have Shaun's parents and my parents fly out to celebrate with us. The weather was great...not too hot, not too windy, and it didn't actually rain on us (just a minor sprinkle).

Way to go Shaun! We are so proud of you! Its been a very long road and we're so glad you stuck with it!

Our First Trip to Labor and Delivery

Saturday morning I woke up feeling a bit "off." Then I noticed I was having some contractions, and after a while I figured it was definitely more than 4 an hour (a magic number for preterm labor) and getting a bit painful. Luckily my mom and dad were already on their way over to Logan, so when they arrived they were able to stay with Ben and Erik while Shaun took me to the hospital to see what was going on. It was actually validating to see the contractions on the monitor...I thought at first it was just in my head since I just turned 35 weeks on Saturday and Erik was born quite suddenly at 35 weeks and a few days. But they were real and at first they weren't going away. They were coming every 3 minutes for a while, but finally after a few doses of Procardia they stopped, and they sent me on my way 6 hours later.

Baby's heartbeat was strong the whole time, so now we wait...

We Made it to Utah

It was a very hectic week, but we did arrive safely in Logan on Sunday May 25th. The drive went well and now the unpacking begins! Still so much to do...we're hoping the baby stays put for several more weeks so we can get organized!  So far it looks like he might...?

Right now my email access is sporadic at best. I'm now one of the people at the library using the computers to check my email (Hi to everyone at Aurora Central Library!) Hopefully we'll be hooked up from home early next week so check back then for pictures and updates!

Thanks to everyone in Aurora who helped in any way with our move...we miss you all already!

The First One to Bite the Dust

Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew this day would come....

Wednesday afternoon was supposed to be a simple day of grocery shopping before picking up Ben from school. Erik took off running down the hall at our apartments testing his "speedy shoes" like he always does. Unfortunately this time he only made it half-way to the elevator before catching his toe and crashing to the floor. I knew immediately by the look on his face that he had really hurt himself. I caught up to him (waddling with my big belly of course) and asked him what hurt. I couldn't tell what had hit first...his chin? his knee?

"My hand hurts at the bending part," he said, which translates to "wrist."

So we walked back down the hall to the apartment and scrapped the plans for grocery shopping. Nothing looked obviously broken at the time, and I was very relieved. I tried to have him hold his wrist on a bag of peas, but that didn't go over too well. I gave him lots of sympathy and transferred him to my bed because he wanted me to lay down by him. He fell asleep after about twenty minutes.
Shaun looked at it when he got home and wrapped it in an ace bandage for the night. He was wiggling his fingers fine, but not using it for anything weight-bearing. Thursday morning he was still very sore, and kept saying "don't squeeze my arm." (which we weren't) and "it hurts right there...so don't touch it." Shaun noticed that it looked a bit angulated through the ace wrap, so we decided to call for a Dr. appointment to get an x-ray. I was still in denial that it was actually truly broken, but I wanted to be sure. Luckily we were able to get in in the morning, and the Dr. took one look and said "its broken." We went across the hall for an x-ray, then back to the Dr. for a referral to an orthopedist (ironic, since Shaun will be an orthopedic PA in a few months!!). So we drove two blocks down the road, where we were seen right away by the orthopedist for a cast. No waiting anywhere!!

Green was not available, so Erik picked red for his cast. He was so brave and cooperative the whole time! He explained to the nurse that he was running "250 miles per hour with his speedy shoes." They gave him a big red Tootsie Pop sucker at the orthopedist's office, and he was so excited. He kept talking about how big it was and asking if it was a lollipop. He even generously insisted that Shaun and I taste it.

He asked us to take the cast off a few times after we got home, but quickly got used to the idea that it is there to stay for a while. By day two he was running and dancing with it like nothing had happened, even banging it against the wall a bit to show us how hard it is. And, he's testing his speedy shoes in the hallway again! Now I'm worried about the other arm!

The Camping House

So, this little house in Logan, Utah has been in my Mom's family for decades. Its tiny, its old, it has no dishwasher, it is rumored to have exactly zero insulation and has seen renters come and go. But, it has also come in handy for several family members over the years who needed a place to "crash land" for a while, just as we will be doing when we move in a few weeks.

My mom's family has always called it the "Camper House." From what I understand, my grandfather bought it many, many, many years ago from a family who's last name was Camper.

Shaun, Ben, and I stayed in the house for about a month back in December of 2003 while the only bathroom of our real house (also old and tiny, but with a dishwasher and slightly more than zero insulation) was completely demolished and rebuilt by my dad and Shaun. Ben was almost three, and Erik was in utero at the time, set to join us 2 months later. We were, quite literally, "camping" in this house during the month. We took only bare necessities...some pots and pans, a recliner (good to have at 7 months pregnant...wish I had it now!) a folding camping chair, the TV and VCR. We ate meals on a card table and slept on an air mattress on the floor. So, Ben naturally thought we were calling it the "Camping House" and that name has stuck in our family.

Ben says he remembers staying there (and knowing his amazing memory, I fully believe him!) and is looking forward to revisiting it. Erik seems most excited about the yard and the grass. I anticipate spending every single day outside in the yard this summer, rain or shine, as my boys need lots of fresh air and room to run around after being cooped up in an apartment for three years. I even bought a swing-set while Shaun was out of town to be unloaded first from the moving truck and set up ASAP when we get there!

Our 9th Wedding Anniversary

Shaun here, using my posting privileges to sneak a bit of mooshiness into Lara's otherwise moosh-free blog (I may be losing my privileges after this, but it will have been worth it).

Lara and I were married 9 years ago today. Circumstances related to family, work, school, finances, etc, have prevented us from properly celebrating our past anniversaries together. And, alas, this one is no exception. I find myself in Utah finishing a surgical PA rotation while Lara and the boys are back in Colorado. It's past 11 pm, and I can't sleep. This day represent the most significant and joyous decision I have ever made (mooshiness, like I said) and it has almost passed me by. So, before the clock declares the start of another day, I would like to tell the story of when Lara said "Yes" to my most paramount of questions.

The event happened in February of 1999 (I think it was the 10th, but Lara may have to correct me). Lara had just returned from her 18-month mission to The Netherlands, during which we had stayed devotedly in touch through letters (I had made my mind up long before she left that I wanted to marry her, and I was not going to let a little thing like a "mission" get in my way).

Lara knew I was going to pop the question sooner or later, and confidently declared that I could not surprise her when the time came. I smelled a challenge, and immediately began developing a proposal so stealthy that Lara would never see it coming...

O.K. So that last line is a lie. I'm a guy, and guys don't typically plan for anything beyond their next meal. Instead, I grudgingly accepted that Lara was probably right. After all, by the time I earned enough money to buy an engagement ring, we would be a common-law married couple and a proposal would be mute.

On Februry 9th (or whatever day Lara deems correct), everything changed. I had just arrived at my work as a Central Sterile tech at Logan Regional Hospital. One of my coworkers needed that evening off and asked if I would be willing to work it alone. In exchange, she would work my shift the next evening. At first, I thought,"Ooo! A night off! I'm going to call Lara for a date!" But then, my Guy Brain fell silent. Romantic Brain had snuck up from behind and throttled Guy Brain unconscious. With Romantic Brain now in charge, a sneaky new proposal strategy began to form. Within an hour, all the details were finalized and I was ready to wow Lara the very next evening. Here's how it played out:

2/10/1999
3:30 pm: Lara dropped me off at the hospital to start my "shift" (She still thought I was scheduled to work and, by dropping me off, would never suspect me of being anywhere else).

3:45 pm: Marilyn, my department's motherly secretary and co-conspirator, drove me to Fred Meyer Jewelers at 7th and Main in Logan. There, I purchased a simple silver band to be used as an engagement ring (the simple band was Marilyn's idea, as she preferred the "big ring" for wedding days).

4:15 pm: Via Marilyn's car, I arrived at Tanpopo, an authentic Japanese restaurant on 1000 North and 100 West. I was escorted to a private room in the back of the restaurant by some college friends who worked there (Craig Randall, my MTC companion was one of them). Once inside the room, they handed me a porcelain doll, which I had given them earlier that day at school (so Lara wouldn't see it when she took me to work). I had purchased the doll years before with the very intent to use it in a future marriage proposal. I wrapped the newly-purchased ring in the doll's handkerchief and returned both to the dress pocket. I then handed the doll back to one friend with the instructions for a later time.

5:00 pm: Lara arrived at Tanpopo. Before leaving the hospital, I had called her and told her that I had forgotten some class notes. I explained that a friend from class worked at Tanpopo and I had arranged with him to meet her there to pick up a copy of his notes.

5:05 pm: Lara was brought back to the private room, where she was SURPRISED to find me! After the initial shock wore off, we both enjoyed some delicious Japanese cuisine and pleasant conversation.

About 30-40 minutes later: Lara was stuffed (or grossed out, I could never tell). I asked for a "box" to put the food in. With that cue, my friends returned with the doll wrapped in a box. They handed it to Lara, who was thoroughly SURPRISED (and possibly a little bit confused)! She opened it and began admiring the doll while I pointed out all its miniature details, including the curly hair, the hand stitched clothing, and the cute little handkerchief. Lara nodded and said they were all really nice. Then I emphasized how I especially liked that handkerchief, to which Lara concurred. Finally, I pointed to the handkerchief and asked if she wouldn't like a closer look. Lara carefully removed the cloth and was KIND-OF-SURPRISED to find a ring inside (my persistence was less than subtle)!

Sometime during the blur that followed: I asked Lara to marry me, to which she replied"YES!" Then, as the British so eloquently put it, she "snogged" me.

And there it is, one of the greatest moments in my life. If anyone had asked me then where Lara and I would be 9 years later, I wouldn't have had the foggiest idea. Well, that's not entirely true. I would have known one thing: I would be with Lara. She is my most beautiful companion. She organizes me, inspires me, and excites me like no other can. I love her.

The mooshiness ends here. Now I can sleep.