Update!

Hey there!   Here is what we have been up to.  It is a long one-so have a seat, and enjoy a good read!  I almost have Christmas done-YEAH!  We enjoyed a great weekend with all of Ryan's family here for a cousins wedding.  The weather was nice, at least for us Utahns, it was still too cold for the Vegas folks.  We had yummy Texas Roadhouse (the best ribs ever) and enjoyed a fun girls only, no kids shopping trip.  

This pic kind of tells you where we have been with Ashton lately.  Sorry, I know it is gross, I have to wipe it.  Well this picture is actually from a few weeks ago after playing on the playground.  He got over this a while back.  However, last Tuesday morning he woke up with a little cough, and by the afternoon he had a horrible fever.  No medicine would get it down, so Wednesday morning I took him into the pediatrician, who checked the usual-lungs, ears, throat, nose.  Decides it is just a cold.  I take my child who screamed the entire time in the doctors office home-he knows what happens there (SHOTS!)  He rests, we still can not get the fever down, until Thursday night.  The medicine will at least take it down for a few hours.  Friday and Saturday were pretty good.  I got to go out with the girls for dinner and to see the movie Twilight.  I loved it!  I asked Ryan if he would go with me to see it again, I got a big fat NO!  Ash's fever is gone, especially when alternating Motrin and Tylenol, just a little cough and pretty happy.  I mean the few days earlier he would get mad if Annika even looked at his cars, so this was a HUGE improvement.  Sunday morning, the fever is back.  Still really high after doses of medicine, so I decide to take him into quick care that night.  She checks everything.  She even takes an x-ray of his lungs.  Have you ever seen how they do that for little kids?  He is literally stuck in a plastic tube with his hands above his head, screaming so they can get the most air inhaled to take the shot.  Meanwhile I stand there, wondering if I am going to lose it, or try to stay strong for my kid.  I survived!  She takes a look at the pics, and says he just has a little cold, he will get better soon, but will call if the radiologist sees something else.  Well, Monday I had an appointment at the car dealership.  We got our brakes done there in June, and they have been making noises ever since.  I have stopped by before, but they can not duplicate the noise.  Do they think I make this up, or what?  I have two kids.  Do you think I like to come to the dirty repair shop and sit around for hours and make up problems with my car?  Whatever!  This time, I decided to wait around until the hear it, me driving, them, whatever.  Well, the tech heard something-YEAH!  What a relief, I am not crazy!  I did make sure to find a seat right by all the service advisors for over an hour to let them know that me and my annoying toddler were not leaving until I was satisfied.  So, they replaced my brakes for free!  YEAH, finally got that accomplished.  Well, I get home and the fever is gone for Ash.  I think the cold is gone.  I decided to go to Grandma's party (more on that later) that night, but I did not want to bring Ashton because he still has that cold.  So, I was going to drop him off at Ryan's work and they would head home, and then Annika and I could go alone to the party.  Well, on the way there, I received a phone call from the quick care saying that the x-rays did show Ash has pneumonia.  It is almost a relief.  After a week of a sick, wining child, spending many nights in bed with him, I was kind of happy to have an answer and a way to get him better.  So, we started him on antibiotics last night, and today, the fever is already gone.  I am hopeful he will continue getting better, and that none of the rest us of get sick now, so we can keep our Thanksgiving plans.

This pic is for Papa, because he got Annika started collecting PEZ's and has bought most of them for her.  Except now he can not remember which one's she has, so we decided to take a photo.  On Sunday she laid them all out.  She had a blast sorting them all.  She is up to 78!  WOW!  I had parent teacher conference for her last week.  I have to brag-she is reading at a first grade level, and her teacher called her the sight word queen.  She did well in everything.  I am so proud of her.  She even said she did not talk too much in class, which made me very happy.  In her progress report, Annika said that her favorite part of school is recess, she is good at cleaning her room without being asked (most of the time) and that she wants to get better at ballet!  What a cutie!

The other night we wanted to go see a movie, but instead decided we should just buy one for the same price, that we could watch over and over again, and have movie night as a family on the sofa bed with popcorn (of course not microwave, for you Ken, although it was yellow kernels) and julius.  Ashton was too cute in front of the big bowl of popcorn eating as much as he could and getting even more on the floor.  We had fun watching WALL-E!

Annika and I had the chance to go to my cute Grandma's 88th birthday last night and see lots of family.  I never lived close to my extended family growing up, and we usually saw them on holidays.  But, after living in Idaho for 2 years, and now Utah, we get to see cousins, aunts and grandparents so much more.  Less, of our immediate family though, and that is sad.  This outfit is what happens when your dad is a sucker for his kids, a sweet girl becomes girly in a Justice store, and they are having a huge sale.  She turned into such a diva wanting to try everything on, and acting WAY too grown up.  Last night on the drive home, she told me about how her best friend at school gave another girl a ring and not her, and then told me about how hurt her feelings were, and that she never wanted to be friends with her again.  We talked it over, and they are still going to hang out.  But, it reminds me of how big she is getting.  I am trying hard to keep her little and innocent for as long as possible.  I can not stand the thought of my babies growing up.  

And today . . . I am conquering the laundry so we can get ready for Thanksgiving!  This is only 2 of the numerous loads I have to do and put away today, UGH!