Who Needs a Doctor

While taking a walk with Piper in Arkansas, on the 4th of July, my knee started hurting. Darn wandering so far from the house! At the time, I just kept walking and eventually it was fine again. When we arrived home from our trip, I got out of the car and noticed it was swollen. Each time I took a step there was a double pop. Uh oh!

During my high school days, I had to have surgery on my knee. My knee cap would slide out of place occasionally, so the doctor tried to prevent this from happening. Too bad it only sort of worked. Thankfully its been several years since this happened.

Last week, I had to deal with a swollen, pop, grinding knee. Stephen made a doctor appointment and told me I had 5 days to either get better or I was going to the doctor. I was hoping for the getting better option. By the time my appointment rolled around, I decided I was going.

I would have been better off staying home. At the office I filled out 35 minutes worth of paper, had my knee x-rayed, and had the doctor tell me things looked good. And if I wanted, I could have an MRI. No thanks! Here's to hoping it gets better on its own.

P.S. Stephen loved my x-ray shorts SO much he just HAD to have a mugshot of them for keepsake purposes.

P.S.S. It's fabulous going to a doctor appointment with Piper. All she wanted to do was what she shouldn't be doing. Such as: stealing an old ladies cane, trying to escape into the women's bathroom, taking people's phones, and playing with the hazardous waste basket. Yep, whoever said having a kid was easy was lying!!! Somehow we left that doctor's office unscathed, hopefully to never return.

A Mattress Party

College Days:
While living in Rexburg, Stephen and I would occasionally pull our queen size mattress into our front room. We loved watching movies on our comfy mattress, especially since we had the most awful, uncomfortable couch ever! Unfortunately, mattress movie parties didn't happen very often since it was a pain to move the mattress through our tiny apartment.

Present Day:
Piper loves it when you lay a blanket on the ground. She rolls and twists and turns all over it, flipping from her front to back, and over again. Don't even think about sharing a blanket with this girl! It makes me giggle every time I see it.

Last week we decided to re-visit our mattress party days just for kicks and giggles.

This girl loves to climb! It doesn't matter what it is. We've started taking the couch cushions off and letting her climb over the couch. It keeps her entertained for a short while and us happy.

When we pulled out the mattress and took off the cushions, Piper was in heaven! She had so much fun. This was most definitely a mattress only built for two one. I'm surprised she let Stephen have enough room to lay on it. Someday we might have to grow a bigger mattress.

Those mattress in the front room days just may have to be re-visited more often now.

A Party to Remember: 4th of July

The day before the 4th, we left bright and early for Arkansas. For years, I have been told about the 4th of July party the Sitton's have at their house. At the party, Wally flies his Piper Cub overhead and throws candy out the window. Before Stephen and I were married we planned on flying out for the party. I was even told I could throw the candy out of the plane that year. Things fell through and we didn't end up going. This year, Stephen's parents made sure we were coming. They even promised if we came I could throw the candy out of the plane.

When we arrived at the house we found bags and bags of candy and streamers. It was like Halloween on steroids! Each candy had to be taped and then wrapped with a streamer.

We spent several hours wrapping the piles of candy. Good thing there were lots of helping hands!

Of course, how can you possibly wrap that much candy without a little sampling? We wouldn't want to hand out any bad candy. I gladly took one for the team by sampling the first one. Thank goodness it tasted ok. Piper even tried to help out with the sampling! I think some lucky people ended up with smooched candy!

Because Piper loves Signing Time so much we decided everyone needed to watch it while we finished wrapping. Stephen's cousin, Chris, loved it SO much he decided he was done rolling candy. It was a good distraction for the baby monster but not so much for the grown-ups. Oh how we love Signing Time!  

The 4th of July started early for Piper and I. Instead of waking everyone up, we decided to go for a walk. In Arkansas there's lots of hills so we had a good walk. During our walk, we walked right past the cemetery so we stopped to visit grandpa, grandma, Scottie, and Marie.

By the time we got back from our walk, people were starting to wake up. On our drive to Arkansas, Piper looked so uncomfortable in her little baby car seat. I've been meaning to get her a new car seat for awhile but hadn't gotten around to. We went to Walmart, found one we liked, and tried to pay for it. Unfortunately it was on recall for buckle problems so the store wouldn't sell it to us We were sad to walk out of the store without a new car seat.

On our way out, we had to stop by the garden section to pick up some flowers and try out their nifty wagons. Pretty sure we need one of these at home! Piper had so much fun being pulled around. I was surprised she didn't try to stand up.

When we got back home from the store, people were starting to set up for the party. There were tons of people setting up all the fireworks, getting the grills and food ready, and setting up tables and chairs.

Before too long everyone from the ward started showing up for the party. There were games, yummy food, singing, the candy drop, and fireworks planned for the evening.

Piper loved having little kids around to play with. There were a bunch of bats and balls laying around to play with. She had no idea what to do with a bat but she carried it everywhere with her that night.

A mini table and chairs were setup for the kids. We sat Piper in that chair and she could have sat there forever. The little kids liked feeding her and Stephen chips. It was kind of cute!

Before dinner started Piper and I were playing on the side of the runway. A bunch of missionaries were tossing around a football and ended up throwing a bad pass. Piper and I were in our own little world and didn't realize what was happening. The ball ended up hitting Piper right in the stomach and knocked her over. I think I was more scared for her than she was. She didn't even cry! I think a little bit of the mama bear in me showed up. This girl is physically strong. I've seen many times before she got hit with a football. Many times people have commented how strong she is. I sure believe it now!

Soon after, it was flight time. Wally, the boxes of candy, and  I made the long walk down to the end of the runway where the Piper Cub was waiting for us.

How I love flying! I love the feeling as the plane begins to pick up speed and the wheels begin to lift off the ground. Its absolutely thrilling. Being in the air lets you see the miles and miles of rolling hills covered in trees.

As I would get ready to toss out handfuls of candy, the streamers would catch on my fingers. The second I put my hand out the window the wind would rip that candy right out of my hand. Ever since Piper was born my wedding ring has been pretty loose. I don't wear it much because I'm afraid it'll slip off my finger. Its the worst when my hands get wet. I know, I should have my ring re-sized.

While flying with my hands out the window, I was afraid the intense wind would rip my ring right off my finger. I put that little beauty in my pocket and luckily nothing happened to it.

After we finished throwing out all the candy and landed the plane, Wally handed me all the candy that was in the back of the cab. With all the candy he handed me, he must have looked like a mummy wrapped up in candy and streamers. That's a picture I wish I could have seen! I had enough candy to fill both of my vest pockets.

Once it got dark enough, the fireworks started.

There were some pretty fantastic fireworks. I was quite surprised. I was expecting cheap, little fireworks not the big 'kaboom' ones. Surprisingly Piper did really well with the fireworks. She was more than ready for bed by the time they were done.  

Saturday morning, Stephen, Piper, and I visited the lake early in the morning. It was so pretty with all the steam coming off of it.

While we were on the dock, Piper walked right to the edge and tried to walk off. Good thing I was holding her hand! This girl has no fear.

Later, we went out on the lake for a boat ride and some cliff jumping. The lake was super nasty green but it sure felt refreshing to get in.

Even though Piper was uncomfortable in her baby seat, she did super well on the drive. Armed with some music on Stephen's phone and her milk, we had a semi-happy girl. Thank goodness she FINALLY fell asleep!

We had a fantastic 4th of July spending time with family and friends. I sure hope we get to be there again next year! 

A Rude Awakening

Three weeks ago, Piper, Stephen, and I were woken up at 1:30 a.m. by a loud noise. I thought someone had hit the building. After Stephen put Piper back to sleep, he told me he thought a gun had gone off. Minutes later someone started banging on the door. Stephen found the police standing there knocking on our neighbors door. They asked him about our neighbor then told him to get back inside. There were bullet holes all around our neighbors doorway and the siding on the building had been shot.

The pictures don't do it justice. Later we found out the police had picked up 10 bullets. No one knows who the shooter was aiming for, but all the neighbors have their suspicions.

 The following week, we heard a loud bang and lots of people shouting outside. We looked out the window and saw a guy choking a girl. Stephen went outside to see what was going on. After talking to some guy, he found out the boyfriend was choking his girlfriend. After trying to stop the fight, Stephen called the police. By the time they got here, the couple and their friends had split.

These two incidents sure don't make us feel as safe as we used to. We live in a gated apartment complex, but in reality the gate is just an illusion of safety. Last week, two of the apartment tenants in our apartment hallway moved out and the other was evicted. We're hoping with the evicted tenants gone we'll see a lot less action around here. Stephen and I are ready to say goodbye to this apartment!

No Need For a Recipe

Whenever I make dinner I know if its a good meal within seconds after we sit down to the table. If its a good meal, Stephen moans and groans and tells me how good of a cook I am. I have to admit, those meals make me feel pretty spectacular at cooking. However I always just tell him I'm not a good cook, I just follow a recipe. On occasion, Stephen will attempt to make a meal, usually with no recipe. He's always frustrated and disappointed when it doesn't turn out right.

Throughout the week, I've watched our bananas start going bad. I figured I could make banana bread pancakes with them this weekend. We can never eat our bananas quick enough.

Lately Stephen has been helping me fix dinner, because by the time he gets home I'm barely hanging onto my sanity. Piper is usually screaming at the top of her lungs hanging on my legs while I'm attempting to make dinner. I'm always so grateful when he walks through that door.

On Saturday I decided to make our favorite omelet while Stephen made the pancakes. With the last pancake cooking, I sampled the pancake batter. It had no taste! Usually the batter is my favorite part of the pancakes. I love it so much I'd rather eat it than the pancakes. I tried the pancake and it tasted like flour. After confronting Stephen we figured out his problem.

#1 problem: Stephen goes through these phases. He usually eats pretty healthy but then he gets into these phases where he's extra extra healthy and wants absolutely no sugar in his diet. Last week was one of the extra extra healthy phases. The pancakes called for brown and white sugar. So he thought he'd use less than what was called for.

#2 problem: Stephen read the recipe wrong! The recipe called for a tablespoon of brown sugar and 1/3 cup white sugar. He thought it was ONE tablespoon of brown and white sugar. What a difference it made!

During breakfast discussed why its important to follow recipes and how said recipes have be tried and tested before people publish them. Yes, I was also talking to myself. Our favorite omelet didn't turn out either because I too didn't follow the recipe! Needless to say it was not the best breakfast ever. 

A ONE Year Old Visit to the Doctor

Last month, Piper turned ONE! I keep wondering where the last year went. It seems like just yesterday we were just bringing our newborn baby home from the hospital. Its hard to believe how much she's changed in a year. It makes me sad to see my baby girl growing up so quickly.

During June, Piper went to the doctor's office for her checkup. We went to the appointment expecting Piper to be taken off formula and walked out the door with things exactly the same. She can't be taken off the formula yet because without it she would be missing all the nutrients she's missing from dairy.

When Piper was a newborn, we found blood in her stools. We found she's allergic to the protein found in cow's milk. I cut out all dairy and soy in my diet to keep breastfeeding. Nothing fixed the problem so eventually we switched full time to a special "liquid gold" formula. Ever since, she's been great! At her one year old appointment, the doctor gave us the ok to start introducing dairy. Over the next few months, Piper gets to try yogurt, eggs, cheese, and cow's milk.

Weight: 20 pounds 4 ounces
Height: 30 inches
Head: 48.5 centimeters

When Piper was born, she had a big head compared to her body size. She's always been at the top of her percentile. In the past 3 months it grew enough that she is now off the chart. This worried the doctor. She told us when a child has a large head it can cause swelling in the brain, which leads to developmental delays. If Piper's head doesn't slow down in the next 2 months, we might have to get a MRI of her head to make sure everything is ok. It scares me because she would have to be put to sleep. We hope her head slows down!

Sleeping:
Piper still takes two naps a day, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. We still put her to sleep with a bottle. I am terrified she's never going to be able to put herself to sleep. I've tried letting her cry it out but it never seems to work. The minute I say the word 'milk' she knows its her nap time and she becomes super whiny. As soon as I pick her up to put her on my lap, she flings herself backwards in my arms. She's a little impatient for her milk. 

Walking:
Right before Piper turned one, she started to walk. For weeks she had been trying. There were days she would do really well and the next day she wouldn't try at all. For her birthday, we bought her a little cart. This made a huge difference in her gaining the confidence she needed to walk. She is now a professional walker. Sometimes I have a hard time keeping up with her, especially at church.

Teeth:
Piper has 7 teeth, 4 on top and 3 on bottom. She gives the best cheesy smile. When she gets excited her eyes show it. When she gets mad or she's told no, she sticks out her bottom jaw and starts breathing heavily. It's super funny!

 
Loves:
Piper LOVES watching Signing Time. The minute she sees Rachel's face she gets the biggest grin on her face. I think this girl could watch her show all day long if I let her.

Whenever I walk into Piper's room after her nap, she's pacing around her crib. The minute I walk in she looks to the bookshelf for me to get her dog. She gets so excited to see him and gives him lots of hugs and kisses.

During the day we move from one room to the next playing. On the back of our bedroom door there's floor length mirror. Piper loves looking at and talking to herself, while occasionally giving herself kisses. I can often find her hiding in the bedroom curtains and spinning in them.

When Stephen leaves for the day, Piper and I walk outside with him. While Stephen's hops in the car, we walk the parking lot, waiting for him to drive past us. The minute Piper sees Stephen driving towards us, she gets so excited and flaps her little arms like a bird. We then have to go through another round of hugs and kiss. This girl loves her dad! One of Piper's favorite things to do is have Stephen chase her around the apartment. She giggles and squeals as he tries to catch her. Sometimes I think she intentionally gets caught. I love hearing her sweet little laugh!  

She loves reading books. During the day she'll empty out her basket of books and many times I can find her sitting on the floor looking at the books by herself.  These books are definitely well loved. I've read them so many times I could recite them in my sleep.

This girl is a pro at making messes and spreading it from one end of apartment to the other. Piper is extremely determined and isn't easily stopped, especially when she wants something. We've had to tie the cupboards under the TV closed but that doesn't stop her, even if it means she slams her hands in the drawers.

I never realized the impact music would play in this little girl's life. Piper loves it when she gets to listen to music on our phones. If she listen's to music, she also likes to dance with you. I love doing this with her because the majority of the time she hates cuddling with you but while the music plays she'll lay relax and lay on my shoulder.

Food:
Piper is still eating pureed baby food but is starting to eat a lot more of what we have. She is stubborn when it comes to trying new food. She pushes her tongue to the front of her mouth so you can't push it in. Some of her favorite snacks are: animal crackers, graham crackers, cheerios, and yogurt melts.

Words:
Piper goes through phases. At times she'll say words extremely well then we won't hear the word for a few weeks. She can say: dad, mom, dog, side (outside), bye, hi, baby and yeah.

Sign language:
After watching the same episodes over and over for months she finally did her first sign. Cheese! Last week, she did her second sign, wash hands. I love seeing her be able to use her hands to do different tasks.

Piper is usually pretty easy going and follows me around. We always use the buddy system around here. I love having her with me. She makes my life complete. I cannot imagine what life was like before she came. I'm so grateful for the opportunity I have to be her mother. It's amazing how much love I can feel for this little girl. Baby girl, we sure love you!!! Please don't grow up too quickly!

Stains be Gone

Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Piper. Each time Piper ate, she would contently leave her bib alone. In fact, she had no desire to even touch it. One day, Piper decided that pulling her bib off would be fun. She thought that silly bib hanging around her neck was pointless.  Surely that piece of cloth wouldn't keep the stains away.

Unfortunately, Piper was misinformed. Oh how her mama misses those days when the bib stayed on! Luckily, her mama had an informant who warned her many years ago that this would happen. The informant gave her a vital piece of knowledge .... bibs with long sleeves, or what Stephen likes to call the poncho!

This magical wear keeps all the stains away and best of all, little Piper can't pull them off. Thank goodness for that heavy duty velcro. She might look silly and look like she has puffed sleeves, but we'll take this bib any day over stained shirts.

Since that special day when the magical bib arrived in the mail, my scrubbing the stains days are long gone, or so I hope!

Bye bye stains. Please stay away. Thanks for coming for only a few shorts days!