Mountain Monday and More Pics!

The Mountains are monotanously beautiful right now. If you look really close, which you probably can't, because I didn't take any closeups, you can see some color changes on the flanks of this branch of the Rocky Mountain range. After our little scuffle with snow a few weeks ago, it has been just pretty darn warm here!

Jack the dog, being tortured.





Jack is such a good sport and he really likes getting treats after.

Little Man at the Autism Carnival. He is obsessed with Star Wars, so this part was his very favorite.









You know what was awesome about being at the carnival? Everyone was so cool with Little Man, no matter what he did. It was okay to do one thing over and over and over again. They were all used to the kids doing that, so it was just nice to be somewhere where Little Man was not the odd child.







They had so many fun things to do, the Pea had a GREAT time!







Today I got to tend my littlest sweetie, so I had fun trying out one of my new ideas. Hope you enjoy them!

Feeling Better!

Hmm, I guess I was tired! Today, I just couldn't go on after I got up this morning. I went back to bed about 9:30 and I slept until 1 oclock!!! OM goodness, I don't think I have ever taken a nap that long, but I sure needed it. Feeling much more human today.
Tomorrow we have an Autism Carnival we are taking Little Man to, so I hope he enjoys it.Sahara Cares.
I have some nice chocolate to eat, and things are looking up indeed. I always forget how blue I get when I am tired. Not as tired=sunny outlook. Funny that!
I will leave you with some cuteness to stare out over the weekend!

Mid Week Murmurings

Sometimes you have bad days, sometimes you have bad weeks. I think this is a bad week. I was going to say nothing BIG happened that was awful, but I remembered and then that would be a lie. So, big things and small. Mostly small. Foul little boys that I love with my whole heart, screamage at night, (not my own) and NOT enough chocolate or sleep. I suppose I could take care of that one today and I shall.
So the BIG ugly.
Just a few weeks ago, Bald Man and I decided to bite the bullet and get a smaller car. We haven't had a car payment in years and it is hard thing to swallow again. BUT, Bald Man's HUGE 8 banger work van was eating 160$ a WEEK in gas folks! That is a lot of dough. So we thought if we had Bald Man use my 6 banger Venture van for work and get me a small little 4 cylinder, we could use the money we saved in gas for the car payment. So I got me my Scarlet. Tiny, red Honda. Tues night, she got hit. It was the other person's fault, I was traveling on the main road, my light was green, the other driver decided she didn't have to wait til traffic cleared to turn left and well, poor Scarlet. They do say in an accident to make sure you get the other person's license. I did.


Scarlet is still drivable, although the driver's door is creaky, and it isn't the end of world, but you add it on top of other unpleasant goings on and really folks, I want to curl up in my bed and do nothing for like 3 days!
Tuesday Little Man had a visit with his shrink, Dr. Ruby, and well, as most appointments are with him, not very fun. We are messing a bit with his meds to try and lift the veil of foul that descended on our boy about 97% of the time. We are being very, very careful, but still, it scares me a bit. As I said, aside from my poor Scarlet's injuries, nothing big, but even though the house isn't flooded with raw sewage, the bits of poo that keep dropping on me are unpleasant, none the less. I think I shall go be nice to myself, so you don't have to listen to me whine anymore!

Camping Mountains

You know what? Autumn has arrived in the higher elevations! Complete with pretty fall leaves. See for yourself!










Camping was...okay. Some good, some bad. Little Man did not enjoy fishing. He also hated canoneing after about five minutes. You could never tell that from the picture though!



Little Man is a boy, without question. Throwing rocks in the lake.







Little Man's favorite part? The woodpile.



He found a rope and was able to wrangle himself some wild wood!




The moon at sunset and a bit later.








Little Man made a friend there and got to feed some horses. We also enjoyed some swimming until Little Man choked on some water and threw up in the pool. Then everyone had to get out of the pool. The other families there were soooo nice! They were very patient and understanding with Little Man, and that part was wonderful. Our boy was foul and impossible at times and by far and away the most difficult camper present. But, that did not stop the staff and the other families from being great with him.
The worst part for me was the night time. I am going to show you what happened. When we hook Little Man up for his night feeds it is supposed to look like this:





See that little cap (also called a med port) to your right? It is supposed to be closed like that.

BUT! Bald Man forgot to close the med port so it looked like this:



Know what happened? The sleeping bag Little Man and I were sharing got fed. Little Man's entire feeding went onto Little Man and the sleeping bag and some on me. His formula is sticky and stinky. Waking up cold, wet and without extra blankets and trying to be quiet so we don't wake up the other people in the cabin was, um, interesting. We managed to kind of mickey mouse another sleeping arrangement. Bald Man slept on and under the towels we brought and Little Man and I used Bald Man's sleeping bag instead. Bald Man felt bad, but I told him it wasn't a big deal. And it wasn't. Just one of those things.
Probably the biggest indicator that the trip wasn't a complete disaster? I am totally willing to do it again sometime. Not soon, like next week, but next summer for sure.

Here is my son with his two girls!



And here is our Squid at 12 days. Stay tuned, I have some interesting photo ideas I will be trying out in the next few weeks while Squidly is still tiny and cooperative.

Off To The Wild Woods

I don't remember if I mentioned Little Man's wish this summer. A few weeks ago, he was telling me how much he wanted to go camping. Little did he know how very much his sweet little wish hurt me. My other children, have spent their whole lives camping. I have pics of many a small babe, not even crawling yet, in my arms as we hoist the tent and enjoy the great outdoors. Campfire smoke, sticky, marshmallow-y fingers, brisk, cold mornings by the fire, laughter, dirty faces. So many memories slide into view when I turn my inner eye to the fun we have had camping. Not so much for us now. I think when Little Man was younger, we tried once or twice and then just never had the gumption to try it again. Our tent was lent out for a church activity and the high winds bent the tent poles into oblivion. I kept meaning to get it fixed, but it was never high on the priority list. Then, when we moved, we looked at it and said, never mind, and chucked it.
It hurt me deeply that our boy had to ask to go camping. Camping just was, when the other children were young. We are no longer a camping family I realized with sorrow. This new life, this one with our Little Man, struggles to just make it through day to day, much less adding the work of camping to it.
Add to it, our fear of Little Man falling to pieces and us being where a lot of other people are, and the possible repercussions from said falling apart, and well, you have us, this summer. A boy who wants to sleep in tent, and roast marshmallows and hotdogs over the fire and two tired and fearful parents.
But you know me, and I am not easily daunted in the face of something my child wants. So I began to call around and found, what I hope is the perfect solution. A camp run for people with disabilities and a family camping opportunity. No tent, but a cabin instead, but all the other things. Fishing, canoeing, swimming in a lake and best of all, marshmallow smores, roasted by the fire. The man I spoke with said if Little Man really, really wants to sleep in a tent, they have a tent we can borrow. Every single day this week, Little Man has asked if today, is today when we going camping? How many more days? This morning, as we do our ritual snuggle, I get to tell him, yes it is today, right after school, we are going camping.
It doesn't mean we aren't entering this experience with trepidation, we are. But, we are setting this up for the best success possible, and hopefully when we come home late on Saturday, it will be with pictures of grinning people, including one Little Man, who just wanted to go camping this summer.

Playing With Pixels

Not only are newborns delicious to chew on, incredible to snuggle, and delightful to hold, they are such good models for picture taking. If you get them warm enough and fed enough, they just stay where ever you put them. If you don't like cute baby pics, just skip this post. If you do, you are in for a treat!


























That shoot gave me an idea that I had to immediately act upon. Thank goodness Hobby Lobby is just a mile or two away and had my suddenly very needed supplies!




















And now, I have a BUNCH of ideas for photo shoots while my Squidling stays small and malleable.

It is Officially Autumn in Utah

It was miserable hot the last few days. Yesterday though, the clouds rolled in and so did the rain.




Today it was downright chilly when I woke up to greet the day. And this will explain the nip in the air!




Yup, peeps. It snowed here in the mountains. Thank goodness the darn snow melted by this afternoon. While I am grateful to have the weather cooling off, I am not quite ready for winter.



And now, onto my cuteness fodder!

Squeaky McSquiderson!










JuneBug is doing really well with being a big sister. She is sometimes unhappy that she has to share mommie's lap, but she loves her baby.







For some reason, Little Man is endlessly patient with babies. He loves his new cousin so much.



Junebug is endlessly cute, even when her new sister isn't in the picture.




Now there are FOUR littles to wrangle for a picture! It was as successful as you could imagine.





What can I say? I have been blessed.

Today

28 years ago.





















A very young Jo (19 years) and a very young Bald Man (22 years) joined hands, stood before their God, their family and their friends, and promised they would love each other forever. We were married in the Oakland Temple in California.



















28 years. Sometimes it feels as though I just blinked my eyes. How did we get here? I look at the young me I was, and I know I had no idea what was ahead of me. The lows, the tears, the heartbreak. My young self would have never discerned the joy that awaited us. That there would be times my heart would be so full of awe, gratitude and pure bliss that I would hardly be able to contain it, much less find words to explain it. We have three grand daughters now. Our children are going to start turning thirty in just a few years. I assume there will be more grand children to come yet. More highs, more lows. All I ask is that my best friend be beside me. Happy Anniversary Bald Man. I couldn't ask for more.

Introducing....

The Squidlet! She arrived at 10:14, after just 8 hrs of labor and one, just ONE push!
She weighs 7lbs 3oz and is 19 1/2 inches long. She is WAY more tempermental than her sissy, Junebug, but nursed like a champ from the word go. She is very, very vocal!
I feel so incredibly blessed.



It was awesome, both sets of grand parents were there right after the birth so we got to do some extended family bonding.



This is NOT my favorite picture of me, but, I love you enough to share.



Oldest Son, Girlfriend and the Squidling



Ooey, gooey and so brand new!



My heart is full. I have been abundantly blessed. Three grand daughters! God is good. I can't wait til tomorrow to go love on her some more!

We Are Definitely Having A Baby

We are at the hospital and Girlfriend is laboring. I will update when the Squid arrives. She is doing well.

I Might Lose My Mind

They (the hospital) sent Girlfriend home. False alarm. If she was leaking amniotic fluid, it resealed its self. Girlfriend came home pissed! Very grumpy, cause she, like all of us at 8 months plus, is tired of being pg and just wants to have the kid!
The check arrived in the mail at almost 5:30! The sad part? It is an out of state check, so they are holding it for 11 days! I wasn't expecting any money, so this little piece of heaven is just the thing for some cheery thoughts and some fun. And of course, some bills too. Maybe, just maybe, Bald Man and I will be able to get away for a weekend. We haven't had one since Little Man joined our family more than 10 years ago. I am not going to discuss any baby having until the kid gets here, I am tired of false blog alarms. I will post pics when the deed is done! Thanks for hanging out with me today though, it was fun, at least for me!

ARGH!

The waiting is killing me! And now I have TWO things that are killing me with all this waiting. First, of course, we have the Girlfriend and the Squid. She called a couple of hours ago and said her water was leaking and should she go in. Being a cautious retired midwife, I said, go! But, they haven't called. I am on the labor support team, so I am supposed to be there. BUT, they could have decided either she wasn't far enough along to warrant the team getting called out, OR, they decided they can do it on their own, which is fine with me too. I am all about the mom and dad getting what they want.
And to answer K and J's question about catching my own grandbaby, nope. Girlfriend's mom is a nurse, so she isn't into the homebirth thing, and I want to be able to actually pay attention to the new grandbaby when she gets here. If I were catching, I spend far too much brain time checking on vitals for mom and babe to actually be emotionally involved in the birth. So even for my homeborn grandbabies, (I am hoping there will be a few!) I don't plan on catching.
Second, my sister called and said there is a largish check in the mail for me from a very unexpected inheritance! I am dying here folks! A grandbaby and money on the same day!! Of course my mail doesn't arrive til later and my granddaughter either. What a day! Whoo hooo all around. If I drank, this round would be on me. Instead, go buy some Sparkling Cider and later, after Squid and the check arrive, we will all celebrate!

Not Tonight!

The contractions decided to peter out. I guess I will go to bed after all. I am a tiny bit disappointed, but hey, Squid-ling will be here soon enough. I will keep you posted and I promise, when Squid gets here, you will have your fill of pictures and videos, until you scream, "enough, I'm done!"

Maybe?

We might be having ourselves a new grand daughter tonight! Girlfriend just called and is marshalling the troops for baby having time. She was dilated to 5 on Monday, so it is looking like a fairly short birth. Wow. Prayers and good thoughts please!