The Intruder

I arrived home from my mom's house after dark, and had forgot to turn on a light. I hate coming home to a dark house! I came in and switched on the living room light, the kitchen light and proceeded down the dark hall way toward Ella's room. She was wet and needed a change. As I approached her bedroom, I glanced into the guest room right next door. There, crouching in the corner was a figure!! AAAAHHHHHH!! Actually, I managed not scream and played it off. I said, "Oops Ella! We forgot your diapers in the car!" I hurried to the car, keys in hand, 911 dialed on my cell phone. I opened the garage and buckled Ella into her car seat. I put the keys in the ignition. But I was angry!! How dare someone sneak into my house! That is the room I keep all my Christmas presents! I keep my finger on the send key on my phone. I leave Ella safely in the car and the drivers side door open for a quick escape. I lock all the other car doors.
I go back into the house humming. Acting as though nothing is wrong. I step into Brent's computer room where our shotgun is housed. I keep chatting on like I'm talking to Ella. I grab the gun and creep silently down the hallway. I spring into the room, simultaneously cocking the gun, and flipping on the light. In the meanest voice I could muster I shout, "Don't move." I figure at this close of range, the spray of the bird shot will hit something!

And here is who I nearly blast away.....

I forgot I had pulled him out to store something else in the closet.

(Insert shaking of head here) I really am an intelligent person.

The Weekend

This week has been so busy! I went to St. George on Thursday with my mom and Ella. Ella is an awesome shopper. She likes to stand in the big part of the basket and wave at everyone and shout in her own crazy language. (We think she sounds like an angry German) She loves to eat out with us too. Whether it's rice, mashed potatoes or french fries, as long as it is in steady supply, she is very happy! She is a really good eater. She is willing to try anything at least twice before she rejects or accepts it.

Friday was the craft fair, and I had crazy errand day. I was in the car for over an hour paying bills, bank stops, post office stops and the all-dreaded Lin's visits.

Saturday it was back to the craft fair to show Brent how cute several items were, that I would not be able to live with out! We didn't feel like spending the day at home, so we went to Vegas to do some early Christmas shopping. I like to be prepared! The last time I was not prepared a month in advance for an occasion, my sister didn't get a birthday present until December.

Above: Ella's darling tutu my sister made. She wore it for the party!

Below: The above mentioned reindeer I couldn't live with out!

AND THEN we went to my sister's for a yummy dinner and Jack Jack's birthday. It was a beautiful night and we ate outside. Ella chased her cousin, my sister's nephews, and some other friends around all night long. It was lots of fun!!

Jack Jack is one year old! YAY for cupcakes!

Ella's New Friend

I'm holding him still for the picture. He doesn't need to be restrained or anything!

Ella is generally afraid of dogs. Every time my dad's dogs start barking, she buries her face in my neck and shakes. It's the same when our neighbor across the street, who has a hound dog, gets going. She just shivers to pieces. But this little guy is the exception! I think his name is Andy (or sandy, or candy, or randy) but we just call him wienie! Ella occasionally watches a cartoon on Sunday mornings called Oswald and his little dog is named wienie. And he looks just like this one! Ella loves him!! He belongs to the family in back of us. I'm hoping they don't care when they see their dog on our back porch in my lap, fast asleep, while my daughter mauls him to pieces! He is really lovey too, and doesn't seem to mind that she pets his fur the wrong way or pokes him in the eye! She gets SOOO excited when she sees him. She holds her foot up in the air so he can sniff it, and then laughs hysterically. I keep telling Brent she needs her own puppy...... but Daddy hasn't given.....yet.

Happy Halloween!!

My niece's birthday party is tomorrow and my sister decided to have a Halloween party today. It was a costume party, but Brent and I were lame and didn't dress up. Brent said he was an off duty cop and I said I was a witch. Ella was a unicorn!!

These are our awesome pumpkins!! Brent took over an hour to intricately carve a pirate ship. I made a kitty cat for me and an Ella pumpkin.

My niece was a very cute bunny rabbit.

Ella looks like a dragon, which would probably be more fitting, but she's a unicorn. It was warm so I took her 'head' off.

My nephew was a super cute turtle. Actually he was a tortoise and she was a hare.

My day was AWESOME and came as Sasquatch. He had a face too but he didn't wear it the whole day.

We had so much fun! We had lots of good food and pretty cake. I do love Halloween but I am more excited to take down my jack o lanterns and put up my turkeys tomorrow!! November and December are my FAVORITE months of the whole year.

New Baby.....

Ella's new favorite food: potato chips.

She has also learned to climb. Great.

Note: She is usually dressed a lot cuter than this, but both these pictures were taken right before bed.

HAHAHA!! I bet you all thought I was referring to myself, but I tricked you all!! My sister in law just gave birth a few days ago and it has started me thinking, when will Ella get her sister? (I am convinced I will only give birth to girls, as I was cursed by my mother to do so. Don't laugh, the curse is powerful. I also do not plan on having more than 2 children.) I have been asked the "when is the next one coming" question since Ella was blessed at the ripe ol' age of 5 weeks. Isn't it interesting that in the LDS community the anticipation of the arrival of the NEXT child is so often speculated on! I remember at Brent and my wedding reception, we were asked when we were planning on having a baby. I looked at that person and with a naughty smile said, "Well, there is a very important step that has to come first, and we can't leave here for 45 more minutes." Said person was embarrassed. I was delighted. BUT, back to my original question: when is Ella's little sister coming? WHEN THE SHOCK FROM HAVING HER WEARS OFF.

Oh good Grief....

Everyone should feel very bad for my daughter. Come to find out, Ella not only suffered from strep throat BUT she was ALSO cutting her front tooth, AND had a urinary tract infection. (Mother of Pearl!!!) No wonder she was so miserable!! I received a phone call from the doctor, and she said that a urine culture they took grew ecoli.... WHAT!! I instantly thought of mad cow, bad ice cream and the 15 teenagers that died from it in Minnesota a few years back. The lovely medical assistant assured me it was not the same but still not good. So now my poor daughter has to have a serious of tests performed on her to make sure her kidneys and urinary track are not...well....screwed up. I think (I don't remember the details) it involves running dye through her urinary track to make sure it is running properly and then an MRI (or an x ray or something else. I don't remember) Yeah, this is going to be great.
1st: There is no way in hell Ella is going to be docile during these procedure. She is going to FREAK OUT ROYALLY!!!
2nd: I get the opportunity to be the one to watch her get tortured. She won't understand why she is strapped to a table and stuffed in an MRI (or x ray or whatever) machine, alone and terrified. She will wonder where her mommy is and why I am letting them do this to her.
Well, there is something to look forward to. (note: sarcasm)
Oh why can't my baby be healthy?

(Note: self pity and pity for my little girl)


It seem slike its been forever since I had a HAPPY post!! Sorry.....

Sick Again!!

Warning: The content of this post contains scathing anger directed towards medical personal. If you, or a loved one a is a medical person, please do not be offended. I am ANGRY at a certain person, not all doctors in general.


Ella woke up on Monday morning at 5am with ANOTHER high fever. (Insert expletive here) I made an appointment right away for the following day. The doctor is only in on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We suffered through a sleepless night and showed up for our appointment the following day. I explained that she had a very high fever that I was having a hard time controlling and her urine smelled really strong. She also refused to eat. The doctor tried and FAILED to collect urine, did not have the equipment to do so, so sent me home with a PLASTIC BAG and some tape to try and tape to Ella to collect a sample......okay...... She looked in her ears. Tried to look in her throat. Informed me there wasn't anything in there to worry about and sent me on my way. It took until the next day to collect said sample. When I took this tiny cup full of baby pee back to the clinic, I was greeted by some silly, empty head girl who said "like, umm" EVERY OTHER WORD. She told me I would have to wait for the doctor to call me because she didn't know what she was supposed to do with it. Lovely.
SOOO, I wait all day for the doctor to call me and say she didn't know what was wrong but it was probably just a viral infection and she would prescribe me some antibiotics.
I called a doctor in mesquite and went the next day to see her. Nothing wrong with a 2nd opinion, right? Dr. #2 takes lots of time asking questions, looking in nooks and crannies and pronounces her tonsils are extremely swollen. Strep test.... POSITIVE!!!!!!!!!!! I am PISSED because she was at a doctor 2 days before and no one did a strep test. NOT A HARD TEST TO DO, MIND YOU!! So she had to suffer 2 extra days with a raging fever and practically starving to death. Dr #2 also confirms she is WAY below weight and I should start pedisure immediately. Dr #1 told me it was no big deal. In actuality, it WAS!! SO, I am currently ANGRY at stupid doctors who don't give a FLYING FRISBEE and just rush through everything. It was an awful, infuriating experience. I am so sad for my daughter who has been sick for, I swear, a month. She feels awful, no one would help her and I have to watch her burn and starve to death.

Am I being over dramatic?.....MAYBE!! I have slept since Saturday and that is NOT AN OVER DRAMATIZATION!!!!