Heath Family

One tired Angel!

2012-01-15T16:27:00.001-08:00

I just thought this picture was so sweet. Jenna was so tired at physical therapy the other day that she just fell right to sleep in the therapists arms! She works so hard during these sessions, such a trooper!

2012-01-15T16:02:00.001-08:00

Well it has definitely been a while since my last post!!! I had a few comments left by people I didn't know and so I didn't post for a while, well that and I don't have the Internet at home anymore.

We had a great Christmas that was busy and fun! We had parties and Santa visits and such excitement we could hardly contain it. Gavin is at the perfect age for Christmas, he loved EVERYTHING about it! He could hardly wait for Christmas day! He was so excited to see what Santa had brought him, and as he opened every present he would say THANK YOU SANTA! He is the most grateful kid I know! He loved helping Jenna open her gifts too! We were completely spoiled this year!

2011-09-17T10:49:00.000-07:00

This handsome man turned 28 yesterday! Due to our current living apart situation we didn't get to see him for his b-day...I was bummed! I spent about 4 hours making homeade oreo cookies...that is all he ever wants for his birthday. Easy request! I am so thankful for all he has accomplished in the last year...he is such a great father and blessing to me! I love him and I am thankful he works so hard for our family! Love you!!

Jenna is 2!!

2011-09-17T10:39:00.000-07:00

This little angel turned 2! I just can't believe it! She is such a sweet blessing in our lives. She is getting stronger and stronger every day! She is now sitting and wanting to stand so bad. I honestly can't imagine life without her.. she has taught me so much! I love this little girl so much! Happy Birthday Jenna!

Preschool

2011-09-17T10:28:00.000-07:00

Gavin finally started preschool this year! He has been so excited about going to school. He has a late birthday so he will most likely not go to Kindergarten until he is 6. He is so big and such a smart boy...we will see if we hold him back or not. I just love that he loves school so much. The first day I picked him up he said he was so tired he couldn't even climb into the car. I had to pick him up and put him in his seat. It was hilarious! He loves to learn and can't wait for Tuesdays and Thursdays!

4 Years Old

2011-08-27T08:24:00.000-07:00

Gavin turned 4 on the 24th of August! I just can't believe he is this big already!! He was so excited for his birthday, he had told me what presents he wanted about 2 weeks ago. This was the first year that he really got excited for his birthday. He wanted a bumblebee mask and a captain america action figure. I let him open the mask the morning of his birthday and then we headed up to Layton to see Kurt. We stopped at Chick Fil A in American Fork and had lunch with Nanny Bart and Grandma Seals. He got spoiled there too! We were able to go school shopping for him and get him some clothes and toys with the money he got for his birthday. His request for dinner was either Disneyland or Pizza Hut. So we went the pizza route and took him to Boston's in Layton. They had the best Mac and chesse ever! He was also really excited to sleep in the trailor that Kurt has been staying in. He was thrilled to go camping in Layton for his birthday!! We love this little boy to pieces! He is growing faster than I can keep up with! He weighs 43 pounds and is 43 1/2 inches tall... he wears size 5/6 clothes and is in a size 13-1 shoe!! He is going to be a giant by the time he gets into Kindergarten! We love you Gav!

Fishlake

2011-08-27T08:17:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Kurt's parents rented a cabin up at Fishlake for all of us to go spend the night. Gavin was so excited! He loves to be outside,and he couldn't wait to go fishing. We went night fishing around 10pm the night we got there, and Gavin was so excited to go! He kept casting his line out and reeling it back in the second it landed in the water! I tried to help him and he said "Your not the fisherman, I am." So I guess he knew what he was doing. He also referred to the cabin and a cabinet....to cute! Jenna enjoyed herself too, she loved the cabin and all the bright lights that were there. She was such a good girl! We ate yummy food and enjoyed being together! Gavin even caught a real fish right before we headed home! Thanks Sally and Terry!!

Steel Days

2011-07-29T14:59:00.001-07:00

This year my family got together for Steel Days, this is a celebration in American Fork. We used to go to this every year when I was younger so it was really fun to have the whole family together again. We started out with a 5k, Kyle, Amy, Dad and I all ran. We all finished and with good times. Kyle litteraly flew the 3.2 miles! After the race was a parade that lasted 2 hours, the kids loved it! It was a really fun parade, lots of candy and good floats. We had a BBQ at mom and dads house and then later that night we went to the car show and carnival. Gavin loves rides and carnivals, so he was really excited about that part! It was an even better day because Grandma Johnson was in town from CO. We all miss her tons, so it was great having her in UT for 3 weeks. I love summer and family time!

6 years old

2011-06-11T10:00:00.000-07:00

Feel free to roll your eyes over this post. Yes it is about my dog!!

This cute little guy turned 6 years old yesterday!! I really do love this dog, even if my neighbors hear me cussing him out for running through the garden or barking at the neighbor kids! You love your kids right?? Roy really is just another member of the family!! So Happy Birthday to Roy!

Roys birthday is the day before Kurt and my wedding anniversary. So today marks 6 years that Kurt and I have been married!! YAHOO!! We have had some crazy years and some really great years and I look forward to many more of each!!

Family News

2011-06-11T09:23:00.000-07:00

The last few years at the Heath house have been...somewhat...well down right crazy! We have had lots happen in our lives and our most recent happening is that we are moving. Kurt left AT&T the end of January and was hired on with Express Locations the first of May. He will be working as the store manager in the Layton Hills Mall selling T-Mobile. He has already been working up there since May 1st and really likes this new company and the people he works with. I am so proud of him and thankful for all he does for our family! I have stayed in Richfield, trying to sell our house. Which is proving to be a huge task! I just keep praying that it will sell so we can get moved and be together as a family. Gavin mainly wants to move so he can go to "bagoon" or as most of us call it Lagoon. He said that the for sale sign says "for sale to go to bagoon." He cracks me up!

We are really excited about this new adventure and we really need it. I think this will be a good move for us and bring us closer as a family.

Bye Bye Bottle

2011-06-11T09:12:00.000-07:00

It seems like since we have fixed Jenna's aspirating problem, she has just grown and developed so much more! Her little personalitly is shining through so much lately, she laughs so much more and is babbling a lot more too. On Thursday Jenna sucked through a straw for the first time and has been ever since! No more bottle!!!! I am so proud of her. I know it seems like a small feat to most of you, but for me it was like winning and Oscar! I think I texted and told everybody I could think of. She is also eating table food with out me having to puree it!! Double woot!

I am so amazed at this sweet little girl...she teaches me a lot!

2011-06-11T09:05:00.000-07:00

Wow...it has been a while.

About a month ago I took Jenna to see a pulmonologist up at Primary Childrens to see if we could find out why she keeps getting pneumonia. I loved this doctor, he was awesome (as are most the docs there). He gave me some information and wanted to start Jenna on Prevacid just in case she was silently refluxing and also a steroid inhaler for asthma. He said a lot of times if they do these two things it helps the lungs to be stronger. He also ordered a swallow study for the next week. My mom came with me and we took Jenna. It was very interesting, they had Jenna drink and eat different consistency of food including fluid all while watching her on x ray to see where the food went when she swallowed. Every time they gave her liquid it dropped right to her trachea and then into her lung. She was aspirating...silently. More than likely on every bottle she has had in the last year or so. She did fine with all the other food though. So now we have to use this stuff to thinken her bottles to the consistency of nectar. Easy fix!

Easter Fun

2011-04-28T15:28:00.001-07:00

We had so much fun coloring eggs this year, Gavin absolutely loved it! He wanted to color all the eggs we could find! Jenna loved looking at the bright colored eggs and got a little frustrated that she couldn't get a good grip on them. Both kids got spoiled by the bunny and ate way to much candy. Oh well, they had fun and loved it. We had family over for dinner and enjoyed being with everyone!

2011-04-02T10:27:00.000-07:00

Well Krista's blogging skills are worse than mine, so I feel a need to blog about this sweet little pumpkin that came into the world on March 15. She is just so stinking cute! She was born with tonz of black hair, so cute! She spent a week in the NICU but she is now home and doing really well! We just love her, welcome to the family Tessa Lynn, if only you knew what you signe up for:)

2011-04-02T10:15:00.000-07:00

Wow....what happened to my blogging skills? I used to blog all the time...I guess life has been busy.

I thought I would take a moment to update about my cute kids. Gavin has been so hilarious lately, almost everything he says makes me laugh or at least smile. He is so full of it! He is so very smart too! He asks questions constantly! He currently knows all his numbers 1-10, knows and can identify the letters in the alphabet, and he can spell his name and is trying to write it. He loves to be read to and he likes to listen to books on CD. Whenever we stop at a stop sign he yells "SIGN STOP S T O P!" He makes me laugh. He can not wait to go to preschool in fact he talks about it almost everyday. I just love him!!

Jenna is doing so well! She is trying so hard to gain the strenght to set up! It has been a challenge for her. She currently gets herself into the splits and then tries to set up from there. Her therapist said it isn't how he typically teaches a child to set, but whatever works. She is EXTREMELY flexible! She is in the splits most of the time. Maybe she will be a gymnast:) She is doing really well with her hearing. You can definitley tell that she hears. We are working on training her to turn to the sound. Right now she will hear the sound and just not really know what to do with that. It is amazing how much work goes into hearing....she is a smart little girl and will catch up soon.

Yesterday we were able to take her to a Down Syndrome playgroup here in Richfield with all the other downs kids around town. There are three of them right here in Richfield and 2 more in Sanpete county. It was really fun to meet the parents and share different experiences and form somewhat of a support group with each other. She will go to this playgroup every Friday. It was also great for Gavin to go and meet other kids like his sister. He was so proud of her when she sat up like a big girl in the chair, he said " mom she is doing so good!" He loves his sister and protects her very well!!

Kuddos to Walmart

2011-03-04T07:24:00.001-08:00

We went to Walmart the other day and I was so excited when I saw a new shopping cart. Yes...shopping cart. Crazy to get excited over that, but let me explain. Jenna is still not setting up, she tries hard, but it just is not working for her yet. So finally at 18 months we took her out of her baby carrier because I just couldn't carry it anymore. IT was killing my back. But then brought the dilema of grocery shopping. How was I going to take a 3 year old and a baby that I have to hold and push a cart at the same time? I am sure mothers have gone through worse than this but I was worried. So my plan was to always go shopping when Kurt could go with me. Problem solved. So we get to Walmart and what do we see. A NEW CART! It has a baby seat of to the side and still a place for my 3 year old to set! Oh I was so happy!! So thank you Walmart, you made me happy!

2011-02-01T13:08:00.001-08:00

I realized I haven't posted about Jenna for a while so here is a little update.

Jenna is doing really well with her hearing. She is right on track. The hardest thing for others to understand is that she hears equivilant to a 3 month old baby. People will yell her name at her expecting her to respond, and she doesn't. The doctors know her chronilogical age (17 mos) and also her hearing age (3 mos.) She is hearing for sure, we are working on teaching her where the sound is coming from so that she will start to turn her head to the sound. She wears her implant pretty well, it is hard to keep it on her all the time. Mainly because she is not setting up yet. So when I am doing something she is sometimes on the floor, so the implant can fall off easier. Her favorite thing to do is to pull it off her head and use the magnet as a chew toy! Poor girl is getting a lot of teeth right now and will chew on anything, there are even bite marks on it:) That is one expensive teething toy!

Jenna has started to smile a ton lately. She likes to cheese it big time! It makes me laugh! She is also the worst picture taker ever! It's like she knows what you are doing so she does the exact opposite of what you want her to do! Makes me frustrated! Oh well, she is so stinkin cute I will let it go! Here is my attempt at her smiling!

2011-01-07T14:56:00.000-08:00

Oh this boy just kills me! He is so hilarious lately! Sally gave me a snowman kit that was to be used on a real snowman. It had a scarf, hat, pipe, carrot nose, buttons and the whole nine yards. Well, Gavin loves it! Monday we weren't able to build a snowman because the snow is hard as ice. So Gavin decided to wear the attire. We went to get my hair cut and he had his hat (3 sizes to small) his scerf (scarf) and yes he had the pipe! Is it wrong for a 3 year old to have a pipe? He also added his goggles that came with his power tools. He wore it everywhere. He just cracks me up lately! I love him to pieces!

Goodbye 2010

2010-12-31T11:23:00.000-08:00

Well, I am sure I am not the only one that has been reflecting on the last year. After the roller coaster ride I was on in 2009 I was really hoping for a mellow 2010. However, I think I must have bought a 2 for 1 ticket to the roller coaster, because 2010 has been just as crazy! We have had many ups and downs, but I am thankful for them all. I think we truly learn about our strengths as we go through trials. We learn about the depth and strength of our Faith and just how willing we are to accept things and try to move forward.

Jenna has had a pretty good year I would say. She is one tough chic. She had her eye muscle surgery that worked like a charm, and she also had her cochlear implant surgery. She is rolling over like crazy, she knows how to get where she wants. We are working so hard on her muscle strenght, the goal is to get her setting up as soon as possible. I can't carry that car seat any longer! She is smiling and laughing much more lately. She is the sweetest the little girl ever! Her implant was a success, and she is hearing new things every day. It is an amazing miracle for her to be able to hear. I am so happy that she was able to recieve this implant. We are looking forward to the next year with her and what new milestones she will hit.

Gavin is my precious boy. He turned 3 in August, but he seems bigger to me. He has such a tender heart and is so loving. He loves Jenna with all his heart and you can just see the love at he has for her. He is so gentle and kind to her. Gavin is going to be a Sunbeam on Sunday and is looking forward to it. He keeps telling me not to cry, but I will. He loves Micky and Toystory. He loves to watch movies and play with his toys. He is also excited to go to pre-school this fall. Once again I will cry!

I am excited to spend a new year with my family and hopefully strengthen my relationships with them. It has been a rough couple years and I think we are finally getting back on track. You know the poem "Footprints" the part when he looks down and sees only one set of Footprints and the Lord says " it was then that I carried you." I am pretty sure the Lord has carried me for the last two years. I have relied on Him so much, I sure am sorry if I took up all his time:) That is the great thing about our Savior, He is with us all! We just need to rely on him and be intune!

My goal this year is to just be present. Be here for my kids and family. I want them to be my main priority. Sure I would love to loose 20 pounds, but why set myself up for failure? I just want to be with those I love and be the best me that I can.

I hope you all have a wonderful and safe New Year!

Finally!!

2010-12-02T12:28:00.000-08:00

Jenna has been teething I swear for like 6 months. I kept thinking any day there will be a tooth! And FINALLY her first tooth has broke through her gums!!! I am so happy for her! She just keeps getting bigger and bigger! We are so excited for Tuesday we can hardly stand it!!

Days 21-30

2010-11-27T08:55:00.000-08:00

Well lets finish this bad boy up! Note to self NEVER DO THIS AGAIN!

Day 21

A picture of something that makes me happy

Zumba makes me very happy! I really love it! I have really enjoyed working out and having an hour to just focus on me! Moms need that!

Day 22

What makes you different from everyone else

I guess it is our personalities that really define who we are. I like to think of myself as a very strong person but very weak at the same time. I can be so tough when it comes to Jenna and her issues, but the littlest thing can make me crumble! I am typically a very happy person, and I like that. I enjoy life and I enjoy living my life to the fullest. My dad would probably say that I am tender hearted, which I am. I have a big heart and I enjoy loving!

Day 23

Something you crave

I love these little babies! I have consumed 3 boxes in the last week!! Good thing I go to Zumba huh? They are just perfect.....

Day 24

A letter to your parents

Well this could take hours to write the right way:) So here is my short version

Dear Mom and Dad-

I hope you know that I love you! I miss you more than ever now that you have moved! I really thought that I would be okay with you moving, but about a week after you left I realized I wasn't. I took for granted you being so close to me. I have wonderful memories, but I am selfish and want my mommy and daddy back:)

You have shown me that correct way to live my life by your examples. You have always given me SO much and I truly appreciate it! I am who I am today by your wonderful examples of compassion, love, honesty, trust, and companionship and so much more.

Thank you for raising me in the church. Another thing that so many of us take for granted. I value the times you "made" me go to church, because even if I thought I wasn't listening luckily some of it stuck with me. I am so appreciative of your examples! I feel so blessed to know my family is eternal!

Thank you for loving my children. I love that my kids know and love their grandparents. It is so neat to see the relationships they have formed with you.

Dad, thank you for being such a hard worker. You work so hard for your family, and we appreciate it. You haven't always had it easy and your attitude and love for life is amazing. I feel so blessed to have you as my father!

Mom, thank you for always being there for me. You have been there for me so much over the last two years, thanks just isn't enough. I love spending time with you and all your little quirks:) I love that you love life and being right in the middle of any activity! You are always so willing to help me and I am forever grateful for that!

Thank you for just being you. I love you so much!

Love

Tara
(your favorite)

Day 25

What you would find in my bag

1. my wallet
2. a billion insurance cards
3. chapstick
4. all the pens I have stolen from various places
5. floss
6. my planner

Day 26

What do you think about your friends

I think the world of my friends! They are great examples to me and I look up to them so much. I couldn't get through a week without most of them!

Day 27

Why are you doing this

Who knows why I started this! I know one thing I wont be doing it again!

Day 28

Picture of you from last year and one from now

last year

This year (I am not home, best I could do)

Day 29

What have you learned the past month

Life can be hard. I knew it was hard, just not as hard as it has been sometimes. I have learned that when we face a trial we need to rely on our Heavenly Father to help pull us through. I have learned a lot about the Atonement and what it means to me. I think so many of us take that for granted or don't really understand it. I have learned that my Father in Heaven WANTS me to succeed in life and is forever on my side. What a wonderful thing to know.

I also learned that if you love somebody, you can get through anything! Love really can conquer all! I have learned a lot about myself and who I have become over the last few years. I hope to keep my heart and mind open to learning new things.

Day 30

My favorite song

Butterfly Kisses

I just love this song. It makes me think of my Dad and the love he has for each of his daughters. He is such a great man and father! Now that I am married it has new meaning to me also, it makes me think of Kurt and Jenna and his unconditional love for her. There is just something so amazing about the bond between a dad and his daughter.

Gavin goes to the dentist...

2010-11-26T15:52:00.000-08:00

Gavin had his first official trip to the dentist. He was SO good!! I was so impressed with him I about cried! He jumped right in the chair and was good to go. He was able to take front x-rays and get his teeth cleaned. He wasn't scared one bit. I think he kind of like it:) I am so happy that he likes the dentist.

Day 14-20

2010-11-13T09:50:00.000-08:00

Day 14- A picture of my family

There is also a picture of my little family on the side of my blog:) We are getting a new one next week sometime!

Day 15- Put my IPOD on shuffle and what are the first 10 songs

Easy, I don't have an IPOD!

Day 16- Another picture of me (at work and I dont have one)

Day 17- Someone that I would switch lives with for one day

Well I do love my life and all, but for just one day I would switch lives with Ellen. Wouldn't it be great to be that hilarious and do so much good for people? I always have to watch her show, because no matter my mood for that hour I am happy! She makes me laugh, she makes Gavin dance and she makes us both smile! She is such a giver and I think it would be so wonderful to have money and be able to just give it away to deserving people.

PS. I would keep my husband.

Day 18 Plans/dreams/goals

Well all I have planned out right now is my current month. I am typically quite the dreamer and always have big plans for myself. I have found though that life is much easier and happier if we just go a day at a time.

My goals. I do like goals, but usually they don't end up working out:)

My main priority is to get Jenna hearing and up to where she should be developmentally. She gets her ear activated December 7th and I am so excited for that day. We will be doing a lot of verbal therapy after that.

I would like to lose another 10 pounds. I have been working so hard and I go to the gym a lot and I actually enjoy it. I have lost 20 pounds thus far and I am so close to where I want to be.

I want to be happy. I believe I deserve to be too. I am not a depressed person and can not function if I am not happy. So my goal is to be happy, life is what it is and I WILL make the best of it.

Day 19 Nickname I have been given and why

When I was little these were my nicknames

Tiny, Princess, Nikki, 3 names, Tarajet (dad still calls me that) and good ole Tara.

Most of these my father gave me: Tiny, Tarajet, and Princess. Not really sure how the first two came about, but pretty sure I was called Princess because I am one:)

3 names came from Larry Shaheen- He taught me primary when I was younger and never really knew what to call me. Tara Nichole or Nikki. So he went ahead and called me 3 names:) For most my childhood I was Nichole and most people shortened that to Nikki and then one day I just changed it to Tara. Not sure why??

Day 20 Who I can see myself marrying and spending the future with

Funny question since I am already married.

I know Kurt and I are meant for each other, I always have. I love him and we have proven that we can get through just about anything life throughs at us. We have our struggles, but we love each other and that gets us through!

Pictures

2010-11-11T14:16:00.001-08:00

Here are a few of the kids pictures that I had taken. My friend Melissa Worley took them, she does an amazing job!

Day 13

2010-11-09T09:09:00.000-08:00

A letter to someone who has hurt you...

Dear 4Real Milkshake Machine at Maverick-

I am convinced that if I would not have found you I would already be at my goal weight. And since I am not at my goal weight I blame you! Who wouldn't fall into the loving arms of a cookies and cream milkshake? So you hurt me, I forgive you and I believe I will have one of you later!

Okay, so probably not what this challenge had in mind so here goes

I have been hurt...I have also been the one to do the hurting. It sucks, it isn't fair, but here are a few things I have learned the past year. We all will get hurt at some point in our lives and we will all hurt somebody too. I believe the way we respond to it makes all the difference. I take my life 24 hours at a time, and I mean that. I have no time to worry about if somebody thinks I am fat, ugly, talk to much or thinks I change my hair color too often. I just don't. Who needs the drama of highschool, isn't that why we graduated? You can get hurt, what makes the difference is what we do with that hurt. Let it roll off our backs, or take it to heart. It makes life a lot easier to just let it go. I don't have time to get hurt or worry about what people think. I have all I need right in my house.

Days 9-12

2010-11-08T11:23:00.001-08:00

Day 9
Something your proud of in the last few days

I fasted yesterday and I am pretty darn proud of that! I am not the best to fast! I always seem to "forget" not to eat on fast Sunday! Yesterday though I stuck with it and was very proud of myself. I wanted to fast because so much good has happened to me in the last little while and to my family. I also learned that I could never be anorexic, I really love food!

Day 10
Songs you listen to when you are happy or sad

I really don't listen to music too much. Just the radio in the car and Pandora on my phone sometimes. I like all types of music I suppose. When I run I really like to listen to Pink, she is awesome and keeps me going!

Day 11
another picture of friends

Pretty sure these people are the best friends I could have! I love my sisters and brother so much! They mean the world to me!

Day 12
How you found out about blogger

I had received a blog invite from my friend Karen and so I started looking at her blog, and pretty soon I decided I needed one too:) It was a few months later though when Tenille taught us how to use it! She walked us through how to post and make cute backgrounds. We all huddled around Ashley's laptop in Maradee's backyard trying to figure it out!

Day 8

2010-11-02T13:20:00.001-07:00

Short term goals for this month

I want to be super on top of my Christmas shopping. I really don't want to spend millions of dollars all at the last minute! I just want a few months of less stress!! I know...probably wont happen...but a girl can dream!

Jenna's Surgery

2010-11-01T18:02:00.000-07:00

Friday morning was Jenna's cochlear implant surgery. The surgery took about 2.5 hours and went very well! She has a little different anatomy in her ears. The doctor felt like he was able to get the implant right where it needed to be. We stayed over Friday night at Primary Children's and we were able to come home Saturday just in time to take Gav trick-or-treating!

They will activate the implant on December 7th! What an awesome Christmas present this will be!! I can't wait!

Big thank you to Nanny Bart and my parents for taking care of Gavin! It is always so hard to have to leave him, I am glad we have such great family to help us!

2010-11-01T10:25:00.000-07:00

Day 7

Someone/something that has a big impact on you...

This book came to me at just the right time in my life. I started reading it the week after Jenna was born, and it totally changed my views on life. I learned more about the pre-existence and about the plan of salvation than I thought possible. It completely changed my outlook on my situation. I realized that God chose Jenna to have this Plan and that he also chose me to be a part of her plan, and to help her get back to Heaven. I decided after reading this book that I would do whatever it took to get Jenna back to her Father in Heaven. No more feeling bad or sorry for myself, just taking it day by day and working towards a wonderful goal....to see my daughter in a "perfect" light.

Day 6

Favorite superhero??

Well, I don't really have one, and honestly I can't even think of one right now:)

Day 5

A picture of somewhere I have been...

Day 3 and 4

2010-10-26T16:10:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of my friends...this is us after we ran our first 5k. I don't know where I would be without these two! They are amazing woman and examples of mothers to me. They truly kept me going through my pregnancy with Jenna! love you two!

Day 4

A bad habit that I would like to get rid of would be drinking out of the water jug in the fridge. Okay...gross I know, but I just really don't have time to get out a glass and pour some. I just want a sip! Kurt would love me to break this habit also, he hates it:)

Day 2

2010-10-24T20:36:00.001-07:00

The meaning behind my blog....

Well I wish I had some great story about the name of my blog..but I don't. I don't know why I named it the "heath clan", I wish I would have named it the "heath family", but I guess I didn't think about that. I am not really one to say "clan" very often, but somehow that word worked its way into my blog:)

So there is my great story! Insightful huh!

30 days

2010-10-23T10:29:00.000-07:00

Day 1- a recent picture of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself

1- crickets scare me to death...literally
2- I have braces on my bottom teeth
3- at night I look like a 12 year old girl, glasses, retainer and braces, no makeup (sexy huh)
4-I am extremely flexible- last week at kickboxing when I was kicking over the punching bag my friend asked me if I used to be a rockette!
5- dying terrifies me
6- If I ever eat out I always have Chicken.
7- I love the 4th of July
8- I hate to drive! I have only driven to Provo 2 times in my life and I really dont care to make it 3.
9- I love to sing.
10- I really want to go to hair school.
11- I hate when people "taste" the food while I am making it.
12- I have to have all the dishes done before whatever I am cooking is finished.
13- I got shot in the butt with a bb gun once
14- I am addicted to zumba
15- I have learned today that I am really not that interesting!

day 1- recent picture of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself
day 2- the meaning behind your blog name
day 3- a picture of you and your friends
day 4- a habit that you wish you didn’t have
day 5- a picture of somewhere you've been to
day 6- favorite super hero and why
day 7- a picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you
day 8- short term goals for this month and why
day 9- something you're proud of in the past few days
day 10- songs you listen to when you are happy, sad, bored, hyped, mad
day 11- another picture of you and your friends
day 12- how you found out about blogger and why you have one
day 13- a letter to someone who has hurt you recently
day 14- a picture of you and your family
day 15- put you ipod on shuffle: first 10 songs that play
day 16- another picture of yourself
day 17- someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why
day 18- plans/dreams/goals you have
day 19- nicknames you have and why you have them
day 20- someone you see yourself marrying or being with in the future
day 21- a picture of something that makes you happy
day 22- what makes you different from everyone else
day 23- something you crave for a lot
day 24- a letter to your parents
day 25- what I would find in your bag
day 26- what do you think about your friends
day 27- why are you doing this 30 day challenge
day 28- a picture of you from last year and now, how have you changed since then?
day 29- in this past month, what have you learned
day 30- you favorite song

Travels

2010-10-02T10:12:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday we couldn't go to church because Jenna was still contagious, but I had to get out of the house, so we packed a picnic and headed to Fishlake. We found us a nice little secluded area to have a picnic and had fun eating lunch and taking pictures. We decided to go home through Loa,well then we decided to go a little further and a little further and then we ended up in Capitol Reef. What a beautiful drive. I can't believe we don't go down there more often! We stopped in Torrey for a drink and had fun looking around at the little store there. Then we headed to Capitol Reef to see if the apple orchard was open. We missed it by about 20 minutes! Kurt kept threatening to jump the fence, but we wouldn't let him. We saw a fox and a few deer in the orchard. Gavin really enjoyed getting out and walking around to take pictures and play in the grass. I definitely want to go back soon! There is so much beauty around us, I think we take it for granted sometimes. What a beautiful place we live in!

5th Disease

2010-10-02T09:52:00.000-07:00

Somehow.....Jenna got 5th disease last week!! When I went to put her clothes on last Friday I saw this rash and thought she had chicken pox. I freaked out a small bit! I rushed her into the doctor and found out that she has 5th disease! I couldn't believe it! It isn't really a horrible thing to get symptom wise, it is just extremely contagious. We couldn't be around anybody pregnant either because it can be fatal to the unborn baby. So we were stuck in our house for a week! The rash is completely gone now so we are back in business!

Birthday Parties

2010-10-02T08:50:00.000-07:00

For Jenna's birthday party we actually had one big celebration. It was Jenna, Keaton, Kurt and Chett's birthdays all within a few days of each other, so we decided we would do one party and 4 cakes! We all headed out to Maple Grove and cooked dutch oven chicken and potatoes. It is one of our favorites! The kids had so much fun playing in the water trying to catch fish and the adults enjoyed warming up by the fire. We had a lot of fun.

Jenna ended up with a whole new wardrobe! I still can't believe a year has gone by already! She is doing really well. Her eye surgery really improved the crossing of her eyes, they don't even cross anymore. We got the approval last week for her cochlear implant surgery!! YEAH!! It is scheduled for October 29th. It will be so amazing for her to finally hear! Jenna has been such a blessing in our lives and we love her to pieces.

Kurt turned 27 this year. He said he feels old, but I still think he looks like he did the day we graduated. It just isn't fair. He is working hard with the Alltel AT&T merger and it is keeping him very busy. I am thankful to him for all he does for our family. I love you Kurt!

That is all the birthdays until March for us! We had a fun few months!

Aging....

2010-09-29T12:47:00.000-07:00

I have told my mother-in-law several times that I feel like the 9 months I was pregnant with Jenna and this year after, that I have aged 10 years. I feel like I look in the mirror and see extra lines that should not be there, dark circles under my eyes and a while ago my mother told me that I had a grey hair. Not fun, however, at the same time I feel stronger both mentally and physically, my faith has increased tenfold and the compassion I have learned is indescribable.

As I think about how I have changed with this whole experience the person that I think has changes so much is my little Gavin. I look at him and see a 16 year old in a 3 year olds body. He is not your typical 3 year old. I know that he has felt the changes that we have gone through and gone through some on his own. In a way he has been forced to grow up just a bit. He is talking so well and clear and he is such a big boy. He has so much compassion in that little heart of his that it brings me to tears sometimes. Just an example of how sweet he is to Jenna, everyday when she wakes up from her nap he says Mom I need to hug her and smooch her, then he makes sure to say I am so proud of you Jenna! He loves his sister so much and is always wanting to help and love on her. He knows that Jenna is different and we talk about it openly with him so that he understands. I just love him so much and I am so thankful for his understanding of this situation. I have to remind myself daily that he is only 3 and that it is okay if he makes a mess or spills his juice!

With this crazy world lately and things that have happened in my own ward, I feel very blessed to be a mother and to have these to very special spirits in my home.

Jenna turns 1

2010-09-11T09:12:00.000-07:00

My sweet baby girl turns 1 today. And I am on the verge of tears! Not because I am sad that she will be one and is growing up, but because I feel so much emotion knowing that a year ago doctors didn't think she would even make it to birth. I know that God intervened in Jenna's life and allowed her to live. I will be forever thankful and in His debt. I truly feel like Jenna is my miracle.

The other night I had a tender moment with her. I was rocking her to sleep and I had just got finished singing the most beautiful and on pitch lullaby to her and the minute I stopped singing she started laughing. And not just a little laugh, it went on for some time! It was funny, but I found myself just crying and rocking her. I just was overwhelmed with the fact that with all she has been through here she was happy as can be laughing in my arms and about to turn 1. I found myself just saying thank you. Thank you God for giving me this angel.

This was the day Jenna was born. September 11, 2009 at 6:48 pm. She was 4 lbs 13 oz. and 17" long.

This was just a few days old, but it shows how small she was.

This is Jenna now. She is now 14 lbs and 28" long.

We love you Jenna and we our so happy you are part of our family.

Gavin is 3!

2010-08-25T13:02:00.000-07:00

I really can't believe that Gavin turned 3 yesterday!! Where does the time go?? It seems like ever since Jenna was born, Gavin has just grown right up! All Gavin wanted for his birthday was the big Buzz in the box from Walmart! And that is exactly what he got! He was so cute when he went in the front room to open his presents, he kept saying "it must be a buzz mom." He is the most thankful kid I have ever met, and I am not just saying that cause he is mine, he thanked me for Buzz 30 different times yesterday. He tells me he loves me at least a dozen times a day or more! I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful son like Gavin!

Facts about Gavin

He is potty trained
He is very tall and weighs 36 pounds
He is a size 10 shoe!! Holy cow!
He loves his sister more than words can say. He calls her his Jenna Boo
He loves Toy Story, Mickey Mouse, Phineas and Ferb and against my will Spongebob
He just gave all his binkis to the binki monster
He is really a smart kid and is speaking so well (he was a late talker, we wondered)
He loves to go to Nursery
He can not love you to infinity and beyond because he simply does not have wings!

I love you Gavin to Infinity and Be-forever! (that is what he says because of the wing issue)

Jenna's 1st Surgery

2010-07-25T20:57:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday we took Jenna to Primary Children's to have her eye surgery. It was a hard day for all of us! We had to have Jenna there at 7:30 am to check in to same day surgery. She had to fast the night before, so of course she was starving! I just love the doctor that did the surgery, he is so nice and great with Jenna. When you go there for surgery they have the doctor, anesthesiologist, and the nurse come and talk to you prior to surgery. They were all so kind. The anesthesiologist was the one that actually took Jenna into surgery. Talk about a hard moment! I had to hand my sweet little baby over to a complete stranger and trust that he would bring her back to me safe and sound. I knew she was in great hands, but it was still really hard!

We waited in the parent waiting room and about and an hour and a half later the doctor came in and told us that Jenna did great and that things looked really good. I was so happy! I was so worried about the anesthesia! They let me go back first to see her in recovery. The funniest thing happened on my way back. The nurse that takes you back walked me to her area and said this is Jenna's mom. The nurses told me that she had been really grumpy and they weren't sure what she needed. The younger nurse was setting down holding Jenna and I said to her " she is cuddly." Well the nurse that walked me back said in the most sincere voice, "oh dear, I think she is just precious." She thought that I said "she is ugly." We all about died laughing!! It takes laughter to get me through anything, so this was a great moment!

Jenna looked pretty beat up when I got to her, she had blood on her eye of course and then blood around her mouth from the breathing tube. It took us about 2 hours to get her calm enough to eat. They finally took out her IV and we were able to take her home! She has been doing really well, Thursday was a hard day and Saturday was hard. She has been eating and being more active each day. She is such a little fighter and I feel so proud to be her mother! I love this little miracle so much!

This was when she first came out of surgery

This is Jenna today 4 days after surgery

Jenna Update

2010-06-26T10:16:00.000-07:00

People have asked about Jenna's hearing and what we have decided to do. I met with Dr. Park a few weeks ago about her ABR test and we decided that we are going to do Cochlear Implants. We have an appointment with the implant doctor on July 20th to find out more about the implants and to discuss how they would help Jenna, and hopefully soon after that they will do the surgery! After I made the appointment I got a little excited! It is just so amazing that technology has brought us this far, to be able to make a little girl go from hearing nothing to hearing everything! I think it is so amazing! God's hands just continue to touch Jenna's life.

2010-06-26T09:38:00.000-07:00

Well, we have been back from Disneyland for two weeks now, and I still want to go back. We had SO much fun.

We stayed in Las Vegas one night on the way down and one on the way back. We stayed at Southpointe, it was an awesome hotel. I think I will stay there from now on when I go! We made a gambler out of Ryan by introducing him to Blackjack! Lets hope he takes after me and walks away and not like Kurt who has to be drug out!

We made it to Disneyland around 6pm on Sunday and decided to go into the park. That was the best time to go, we walked right onto everything! No lines, it was lots of fun!

The look on Gavin's face was just priceless the first morning we walked through the gates to Disneyland. He truly loved every minute of it. He kept saying "can we go on acation (vacation)" the whole drive down. We had to convince him that we were on vacation!

He got to meet all his heroes, Micky, Handy Manny, Pluto, Minnie and many many more! I had to take him to Goofy's Kitchen, the Asper family always took me there and I loved it. Gav was so into it, I was glad because it was a bit pricey! He got to see Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, Princess Aurora "Beauty", Mad Hatter, and Chip. Minnie even came and got him to go dance, Gav ate it up! He was so cute with her he danced the entire song hand in hand with Minnie Mouse! It was so worth the money. He was must of gotten tired though, we all were looking at a character and when we turned back to Gav we realized he fell asleep and his head fell right into his mac and cheese! He had quite the look on his face!

We spent 4 days in Disneyland and 1 day in California Adventure. Gav was able to do a lot in California Adventure. While Ry, Dad and Kurt went on the roller coaster, I took Gavin to the Bugs Life area and we went on all the rides he could do there. He loved it! He was actually tall enough to go on all the big rides too! Pretty impressive for a 2 year old! We went into Dinseyland around noon every day and didn't leave the park until it closed at midnight, mom would have stayed and slept if they would have let her! I think we hit all the rides at least once if not twice and spent more than we should have on frozen bananas, drinks and churros. I can't believe how much the food costs! Oh well, ya only get there every few years!

We loved the fireworks and Fantasmic. I just love Disney and the feeling you get when you are there, I turn into a 6 year old at heart, thanks Walt!

We took one day and went to Huntington Beach and had lots of fun there. Mom and Ryan were the only ones who got in the water, I prefer the sand at the beach not the water! Gav liked making sand castles and then knocking them over within seconds of their construction!

This vacation made me love being a mother just so much more. Seeing the excitement on Gavin's face was just so rewarding to me. He is such a wonderful little boy and growing up way to fast. Jenna was the perfect baby on this trip! She slept and ate and enjoyed one ride, It's a Small World. She loved the lights and bright colors. All of the characters would spend lots of time with her, we held up a lot of lines! She even enjoyed putting her feet in the sand at the beach.

After such a rough roller coaster of a year last year,this vacation was much needed and we enjoyed every minute of it!

Gavin is a....

2010-06-02T14:53:00.000-07:00

BIG BOY!!

Gavin is officially potty trained! He decided about three weeks ago that he wanted to wear big boy underwear! He had two accidents the first day and after that we were good..well with pee anyway. He kept holding the other, but now if I read him a book he is great! He is getting more and more used to it everyday.

Gavin is 2 1/2 and huge. He is in the 95% for his height. He just keeps getting bigger and bigger. He is so observant lately, he wants to know EVERYTHING. He always says, "What is that called mom?", or "what does this do?" He knows all his colors, shapes and we are working on counting in order. He is also learning some sign language and doing really well with that. It amazes me how quick he catches onto things!

I just love this little boy to pieces, he is such a sweetheart! Today I asked him to do something and he told me "sure thing sweety!" I love you Gav!

(somewhat explicit picture to follow)

long weekend

2010-05-28T16:06:00.000-07:00

What a weekend!

On Saturday we left Richfield a few minutes late (2.5 hrs actually) and headed to Provo for the NICU 30 year reunion. We were excited to go and hopefully run into a few people from the NICU. Kurt took Gavin to do some of the activities while I fed Jenna, Gav loved it they had face painting, fishing for prizes, and lots of treats. While I was setting there feeding Jenna I saw one of Jenna's angels walking down towards me. I was surprised that tears started to fill my eyes. Here name was Annie and she was the best thing about the NICU. She helped us daily try to feed Jenna. She was so sweet to Jenna and such an advocate for her. I remember her telling me before we left, "many people are going to try and count her out and say she cant do things, you treat her like a normal baby and she will do anything!" And that is exactly how I treat Jenna. We also ran into one of the receptionists that works at the NICU, with all those late nights you find anybody to talk to. She was a really cute girl named Bonnie, she came back to the reunion twice to see if we came! What special people you meet there!

Then on Sunday we drove to Spanish Fork to meet with the Hallow's family about their sweet daughter who has a cochlear implant. We received a lot of information about the implants and it was wonderful to see how well their daughter is doing. She also invited a friend of hers whose daughter has an implant and it was good to hear her story as well. God just continues to bless us all with miracles and she is one of them. I am so thankful to them for opening up their home for us!

Monday started off with an eye appointment at the Moran Eye Center in Riverton. We met with a new Doctor, Dr. Larsen. He was wonderful. He was so good with Jenna. He amazingly enough said that Jenna has equal vision in both eyes. Remember when Jenna was 5 days old they told us she was blind in one eye and missing the optic nerve. Well thankfully that doctor was WAY wrong. I call him Dr. Meaniepants. :) Have to have humor when you go to so many appointments! She does still cross her eyes, mainly her right one, so we scheduled a surgery to correct that towards the end of July. They will also open up her tear ducts so that her eyes wont be so runny.

Tuesday was her ABR, hearing test. I was hoping for a miracle that it would have different results than last time, but it didn't. It still showed profound hearing loss in both ears. I will meet with the ear doctor on Tuesday and we are hoping to start progress on getting her an implant.

Jenna continues to be such a wonderful baby, I couldn't ask for more! You would never know that anything was wrong with her, she has such a sweet spirit about her. I feel so lucky to even have her here in my home that it makes things like her hearing and ears seem like nothing to deal with. I never realized how much we take for granted. The lady we met at the Hallow's likened the hearing loss to a death. You mourn these things and it takes time to get over the thought of your child having an "imperfection." With Jenna I always say God gave her a body and earthly life, the rest is a luxury we can deal with not having. I know she communicates with me in her own way. Her and Gavin have a bond that seems unbreakable, I know they were friends in Heaven, you can just see it.

And of course after having a long weekend away and busy, we are all sick! So now I will work on getting us all better! And in 1 week we are headed to DISNEYLAND!! I have never been so excited, this family needs a vacation!

7 months and finally growing!

2010-04-29T13:17:00.000-07:00

It is so crazy how fast time goes by, I can't believe Jenna is 7 months old! She is still small enough that it seems like I just had her! She is doing really well even with everything stacked against her. She just amazes me. Jenna started rolling over about 2 months ago and has yet to quit. You can not leave her alone anymore, because she will roll right onto her stomach, she hasn't quite figured out how to get back over. She is doing really well holding her head up, lots better just the last week or so. I have started to put her in her bumbo chair and she is doing fairly well with it. Her physical therapist was really impressed with all that she is able to do. She has already surpassed Gav, he didn't move until he was 9 months old. So anything Jenna does is amazing to me:) Jenna loves her thumb, fist, finger..whatever she can get in her mouth to chew on! She is starting to eat more and loves the oatmeal cereal. She is 13 pounds and growing right on the curve on the growth chart. She is such a cute snugly baby. She has become really vocal lately too, especially during church;) She loves to talk and play with Gavin, he is such a sweet older brother, they are lucky to have each other.

Last week we went to Primary Children's in Riverton and Jenna got her hearing aids. They are SO cute! Of course I got them pink with sparkles!! They are a hassle to keep on however! Her ear is so small and the piece that goes behind her ear is heavy so I have to Velcro it to her headband! She hasn't had much improvement hearing, but they didn't think she would. She has to wear them for 6 months in order to be a candidate for cochlear implants. The other problem is that her ear canal is so extremely small, the piece that goes in her ear can't go down very far to transmit the sound to her inner ear. So one more obstacle she has to overcome, what a strong baby she is!

We have appointments in May for her eyes. We are praying that she can have sight in both eyes, the Dr. said she mainly needs to get bigger to be able to tell. She seems to see the whole world if you ask me!

We love our little angel and I feel so extremely blessed to be her parent. I have had many people lately tell me that they read my blog and it makes me feel so happy to know that Jenna's story is reaching others. (please leave a comment so I know who you are:)) I know she was sent to this earth for that purpose. I hope her story helps anybody going through this or a similar situation. Please know that if you have questions please ask them, I will answer anything! I put everything on this blog, even those things that are emotionally hard for me. But I feel that I need to, it is somewhat therapeutic for me....strange huh!

Here are a few pictures of Jenna Baby even one with her new Hearing Aids!!

Easter

2010-04-05T12:56:00.000-07:00

We had such a great Easter weekend! We started Saturday with my Dad's 50th birthday party! We all got together for steaks at Krista's house followed by a great party for Dad. We all told him our top 5 memmories from the past years, it was really fun to see what we all had picked out. Then on Sunday we woke Gavin up to see what the bunny brought him. He was so excited. He had asked for suckers and Woody and Buzz. The Easter Bunny brought him, Toy Story, suckers and a new spring outfit. Jenna got a new outfit and lots of treats that I have been eating:) and some new hair bows. I asked Gavin if he wanted to wear his new outfit and he said "No thanks mom." That is his response to everything lately. He is funny! We had lunch and an egg hunt at Sally's and dinner and another egg hunt at Amy's. It was a fun busy weekend. I love getting together with everyone!

2010-03-26T15:04:00.001-07:00

Last week we took Jenna up to Primary's for an eye appointment. Overall it went pretty good. We really liked the Doctor! Primary Children's is in a league of its own when it comes to doctors. They are angels sent to help kids. They want nothing more than to help them!

He said that Jenna definitely has an abnormality in her left eye called excavated disc anomaly. Pretty much means that her optic nerve is in a cup shape instead of round. He said that she could very well have vision in that eye. He said that he could tell that electricity was definitely going into the eye because the Iris would open and shut. She also would follow really well when he moved his finger sideways and up and down. So that is GREAT! He wants to see her back in 6 weeks to make sure that she is still following, it is important to make sure that the left eye will follow on its own (when the other eye is covered up).

We were supposed to do an MRI the next day and that got moved to this past Wednesday. We got there at 9:30 that morning and waited for an hour and a half!! I tell ya I am really sick of waiting! They had to sedate her for the MRI, which meant a needle poke. She does not have the best veins, but the lady got it on the first try! Props to her! The MRI lasted for 45 minutes and then they were supposed to do an ABR hearing test. Well...the nurse did not give her enough anesthesia so she woke up immediately after the MRI and she was less than happy! So we get to drive back to Primarys in another month and she will have to be sedated again! I tell ya!

We met with Dr. Park (wonderful doctor) and he said that the MRI showed that the ear structure is there and she also has the cord that connects to the brain. YEAH!! She still has profound hearing loss, but this means that she could get cochlear implants. Without the structure and that cord, nothing would help her hear. They took ear molds to get her hearing aids ordered (which will be pink and silver sparkles) and they will try those for 6 months. In order to get implants you have to try hearing aids first. Hopefully she will get some hearing with them:)

Jenna continues to amaze me! She is 12 pounds and wearing 6 month clothing. She is rolling over now, which amazes lots of doctors. Jenna will defy all odds, I know she will! Whatever they say she can't do, she will prove them wrong! She is here isn't she!

Gavin loves Jenna more than anything and is really upset when he is away from her. I believe he is her angel on earth. I love my kids and have been ever so blessed to have them!

Visit from Grandma Johnson

2010-03-16T12:46:00.000-07:00

Grandma Johnson has been in Utah for the past couple weeks, and we were so glad that she came to Salina for the weekend! We all went bowling and had so much fun! Gavin loved throwing the ball and watching the pins go down. Grandma made the mistake of giving him a treat, after he had one he sat and starred at her until she surrendered all the candy to him! Later that day we all went to El Mex, my favorite!!! Then on Sunday we all got together for dinner! We all miss Grandma so much and LOVE when she comes to visit! I had to get a 4 generation picture with her, Dad, Jenn and me. Thanks Vance so much for letting Grandma come visit for such a long time, we are sure you miss her:)

What a week!

2010-03-03T18:49:00.000-08:00

If I could remove last week from our lives I think I would:)

Monday Gavin and I woke up very sick, I marched us into the doctor immediately. I was so lucky to have a sinus infection AND bronchitis and poor Gav had a sinus infection also. Monday was horrible we both just cried all day wanting to feel better. By about Thursday we were doing pretty good. Gavin and I went to a few of the 2A games, we were ready to get out of the house. I kept praying that Jenna baby would stay healthy, but really how was she supposed to? We were all sick and there was no way we could stay away from her. She had a little cough but really that was about it. I really didnt think she was sick. Friday she started throwing up a little bit and so Saturday morning we decided to take her to the ER just incase. Well of course she had RSV and Pneumonia. They admitted her to the hospital. They tried getting and IV in so that she wouldn't get dehydrated. Well after three tries and a lot of screaming they stopped to give her a rest. I was able to get some pedialyte in her so they did not try again. I felt so bad for her! She was really good while in the hospital, mainly sleepy. They did breathing treatments and also treated her with an antibiotic.

I stayed with Jenna at the hospital and Gavin got passed around. He took it really hard, he wanted to be with his whole family! He is such a tender hearted little boy, I just love him! I miss him when I have to be away from him. He couldn't see Jenna because they dont allow kids under 14 back. That was really hard for him.

We finally came home today and Jenna has been doing really well. Her oxygen is up to 1/8 of a liter and I am still giving her breathing treatments. She is eating much better and is happy to be home!

Being in the hospital is not the funnest, but I am able to enjoy some things.

I LOVE hospital food, I think because I dont have to cook it or clean up afterwards.
I LOVE hospital ice and coke, the only down fall is I drink 3 a day instead of 1.
I LOVE that I had a room with a view. We made fun of that the first day, but I watched lifeflight land twice and that was pretty cool. I have never seen it that close.
I LOVE watching the nurses. There still are some really great people in the world. Most of them treated Jenna as if she were their own. It really helps knowing that they want to help her get better and they really care for her!

I HATE that it is Jenna who is sick. I would do anything to take that from her. There is nothing harder than seeing your kids in pain.

Thanks so much for everyone who was worried about Jenna, we recieved many well wishes and treats:) Thanks Ash and Maradee for the yummy ice cream and a much needed visit!! I am so greatful for wonderful in-laws and a wonderful mom to help with Gavin! We are very blessed!

Jenna's Blessing

2010-02-20T12:34:00.000-08:00

We finally were able to bless Jenna on February 7th. She looked so beautiful in her white dress. Kurt blessed her and it was such a great blessing, he did great. I kept saying I wasn't going to get up and give my testimony, because that scares me to death! But I did and so did Kurt, I was so happy he got up! I actually thought he was going to the bathroom, but then he went up and his testimony was wonderful. I am so lucky to be his wife! The priesthood is a wonderful thing and blessings are so amazing to me! They make the spirit just come right in and comfort you! I had many blessings while pregnant with Jenna and I am thankful for so many priesthood holders in my family who are prepared and ready to give blessings! The whole day was great, we had so much yummy food and then to end the day we watched the Super Bowl! It is always fun having family over! Especially when it is to celebrate the blessing of such a sweet miracle! We love you Jenna!

Pink Mickeys!

2010-01-30T08:41:00.000-08:00

Grandma J called the other day and said that she had an extra pair of jammies that were Gavins size, they even had his hero MICKEY MOUSE on them!! Then she told me they were pink...hmmm....he is only two so I said send them, he wont know! So they arrived a few days later and Gavin was so excited! He sees them and says "PINK ICKEYS"!!! He has worn them the past 4 nights in a row and I have had a hard time getting them off of him in the mornings!! So THANKS much Grandma Johnson they were a BIG hit!! We love you and LOVE everything you make!! (especially our jammies)

Poor Jenna Baby!

2010-01-21T13:10:00.000-08:00

On the 15th I took Jenna up to Riverton hospital to do another ABR (hearing) test. She is only four months old and has endured so much! I sat for an hour and held my sweet baby while they did the test. They had to put electrodes on her head in 4 spots, tubes down both ears, and also a headband looking thing on her head. The instructions for the test were to keep her awake 3 hours longer and wake her up 3 hours earlier and dont let her sleep the morning of the test. I thought YA RIGHT!! She is a baby!! We did pretty good, but I still didn't think she would sleep. When we got it the room I said a quick prayer to ask my Father in Heaven to help me hold her and comfort her so she would sleep. Minutes later she was sound asleep and so peaceful. I knew I wasn't the only one holding her. I sat and looked at her and thought about all she has been through in her short life and how much pain she might have been in at different times. People say they are amazed by my strength, but I am in awe of hers! She is so strong, what an amazing little spirit!

Her test did not go well, they could not get responses in either of her ears. Devestated is an understatment for how I felt for her. It seems like she can't catch a break. We will be going to Primarys to have an MRI done to see what the structure of her ears is like and to see if hearing aids or cochlear implants would help. I hope that there will be something to give her some hearing.

On a good note we were able to get rid of the Apnea monitor! I was so happy! The oxygen is still here, but she doesn't need it too much. Hopefully soon we can get rid of it!

I want to say Thanks to all of you who follow my blog and are so concerned about Jenna. We feel your prayer and are so thankful for your comments! Jenna is a wonderful baby and I am SO blessed to be a part of her life.

2010-01-21T12:59:00.000-08:00

A couple of weekends ago we decided to go to St. George for the night. I just needed to get out of town! We stayed at the Abby Inn and Gavin LOVED it!! He was so excited about the big bed and the elevator! He took his new suitcase from Santa, and looked like such a big boy pulling it along! He was super excited when he got to go down stairs and bring breakfast back up to the room! I just love how excited he gets over simple things! We were also so happy to get to have lunch wish Susie and Nelson and their family!! We also did a little shopping after! We miss them and love to be able to get together!! What a fun weekend!

2010-01-04T19:01:00.000-08:00

Jenna will be 4 months on the 11th! I can hardly believe she is already so BIG! She is doing so great! She currently weighs 9lbs 4oz and 22.5 inches long! She is growing great and eating great also. She is now in 3 month clothing and moved up to size 1 diapers. She is the sweetest baby and very cuddly! She is trying so hard to hold her own head up, but just can't seem to quite yet. We work with a physical therapist once a month and he is helping so much. She still needs the oxygen when she is sleeping, but when she is awake she does really well without it. I can't wait to get rid of it all!!! The apnea monitor has not went off since October so that should be going bye bye soon- that is the most annoying monitor ever made! They are so loud and rarely go off for a good reason, most the time her leads fall off and that causes it to beep rather loudly!

We will find out more about her ears this month, they are going to repeat the ABR hearing test and then we will meet with the ENT a few days later. We really liked this doctor, and you could tell he cared and just wanted to get her hearing fixed.

We have had a great 4 months with this sweet little spirit in our home and have been truly blessed! I just love her!

2010-01-04T18:35:00.000-08:00

Wow! What a wonderful Christmas season we have had! Gavin has been so into all the Christmas hoopla:) Jenna has just been along for the ride!!! This year we let ourselves spoil each other just a little bit more than last! We just loved watching how excited Gav was over everything, Christmas is definitely better with kids! We hope you all had a great season too!! We look forward to 2010.

2010-01-03T19:21:00.000-08:00

At Sally's Christmas party Santa was able to make a short stop just to visit us! Gavin loved seeing him and telling him what he wanted for Christmas. Jenna even sat on Santa's lap, he was so cute to hold her and ask her what she wanted. Gavin chimed in and said she wanted a "Olly" Dolly!! What a fun party we had! There will be many more posts to come, my computer is just taking a very long time uploading my pictures!!

2009-12-10T13:03:00.001-08:00

I think at this time of year everybody seems to reflect on the past year. I know I have been thinking alot about this year and everything that has happened and I feel so thankful and blessed by all that has happened this past year. It has been crazy since January, that is when I knew I was pregnant, but for some reason I didn't tell anybody until the end of March. Looking back I wonder if it was so I could just enjoy being pregnant, because two weeks after we announced our news things changed. We were on one crazy roller coaster ride from April to September. But I am honestly thankful for it all. The other day on my Facebook I posted that I was content with my life for the first time in a while, and I am, all of it. I dont look at anything that has happened this year as a negative. Usually when people talk to me they start of with "sorry this happened to you" and my immediate response is "I am not sorry, worse things happen." I truly believe that, because from my perspective nothing bad happened! In all reality there is not a medical answer to why Jenna is here, she is nothing short of a miracle! So I feel blessed to have a baby at all- yes she has some problems, but I can handle that! It makes me sick to think that 90% of women abort babies when they find out they have Down Syndrome. I look at Jenna and see straight to Heaven- she has a purpose on this earth and I plan on making sure she gets back to her Father in Heaven.

I have thought alot about the poem Footprints. I love the part where Jesus says that when there was only one set of footprints it was then that I carried you. I literally felt Him carrying me this last year, I have felt His hand on my shoulder pushing me through this. I am amazed by His loving power to raise us up when we feel like quiting or throwing in the towel. He gave me the best blessings of my life. When I pray at night I always thank Him for trusting me with two of his children to raise and bring back to him. I feel so honored to be a mother.

Gavin turned two in August, he is the best little boy! He has so much love in him and loves to share it! He has found a LOVE for Mickey Mouse and Handy Manny. He loves these two characters so much. The other day he was in the kitchen building a house for Micky with Manny's tools. He is creative and bright and is learning new words everyday! Some that we have to tell him are for adults only:) He loves HOKE aka COKE! I didn't let him have pop until he was 18 mos or older, and now he loves it. Not sure if I helped start that addiction or not?? I love him so much I made him promise to take me to prom and also to marry me! He said yes to both!!

Kurt has been an amazing husband through such a crazy year. It was emotional anyway and then to add a pregnant woman to the mix!! I think there are special places in heaven for some men!! He is a great father and husband and I am thankful for him. I guess those 5 years of waiting for him to marry me were worth it!!!

I look forward to this next year and what it might bring our way, we are hoping for a trip to Disneyland! I look forward to Jenna's firsts! She is now a hefty 8.5 pounds and 22 in long. (Gavin was bigger and birth) I love having a family and watching Gavin and Jenna together and feel extremely blessed to have all that I do.

I hope you all have a great Christmas season!

He see's way too much!

2009-12-09T12:51:00.000-08:00

Jenna never was able to catch on to nursing, so I have pumped religously since she was born every three hours! I try to turn a movie on for Gavin in the other room when I am pumping, but he is 2 and walks and moves when he wants! It never fails that he ends up coming in when I am pumping. You should see the grin he gets on his face! I am sure it is odd to see your mother doing that! So the other day while I was pumping this is what Gavin was doing! He got the extra set of cup things (cant remember their name) and put them up under his shirt and even tried plugging them into the machine!!! What a crazy kid!

2 months old

2009-11-25T11:05:00.000-08:00

I can't even believe that Jenna is already 2 months old and a few weeks (I am behind)!! She is growing very well! As of today she is 7 pounds 10 ounces and 20.5 inches long! This is small but seems huge to us:) She is such a good baby!! She eats 5 times a day 3 ounces each time and sleeps ALL night long! What more could I ask for! She is such a cuddly baby and wants to be held, lately she gets so mad if I leave her alone to go do something. She wants me in her sights! We just love her! Here are some of our recent pictures that my cousin Bree took- she is so wonderful! Thanks Bree!!

Happy Birthday!

2009-11-15T13:58:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to wish Amy a Happy Birthday! It was also Krista's birthday on the 5th! These two have been so wonderful the last 9 months and I just want you to know that I LOVE you and could not survive life without you!!! You are amazing women and mothers and great examples to me! I love ya tonz!!

Tender moments

2009-11-15T13:10:00.000-08:00

Here are a few cute pictures of Gavin and Jenna! He always wants to hold her! He had fallen asleep on the couch holding her!! The picture of the feet is Jenna's and Gavins. It isn't the best picture, but it shows you how small her feet are!! I dont know why hers are so red, I swear I wasn't squeezing them!!

So Grown Up!

2009-11-15T12:56:00.000-08:00

Gavin is becoming quite the young man! I thought that this was so cute! He always wants to do whatever Kurt is doing and the other night Kurt was shaving so of course Gavin needed to also! Kurt gave him a razor (minus the razor part) and put shaving cream on his face. It was adorable he sat there and pretended to shave!!

He really is growing up though- he is talking like crazy! He just forgets the first part of the words, for instance Micky Mouse is ickey ouse! They say it is normal and that he will soon put it all together. He is such a great kid, so calm and mild mannered. He is the perfect big brother always willing to help! He is starting to understand everything and repeat everything. So mommy and daddy are working on their swearing problems! Don't children just make us better!! He also finds it hilarious when I pump! He gets this smirk on his face that just kills me! He even points and me and laughs! Oh, they see way too much!

Late Halloween Pics

2009-11-15T12:31:00.000-08:00

It just occurred to me that I never blogged our Halloween pictures! Gavin was of course none other than MICKY MOUSE!! He is head over hills in love with this mouse. The first thing he says when he wakes up is Ouse (mouse)! He wants to watch the darn movie over and over and over!!! ALL DAY LONG! I know I shouldnt complain but I feel like a bad mom letting my kid watch movies all day. But he sure does love it and I think he is even learning a thing or two from it. Jenna was a little mouse- she looked so cute in her outfit. She didn't really love it but she kept it on for a few hours. We went to my moms for dinner and lots of family fun. By that I mean having a candy fight! Why we cant just get together and chat I will never know- something always ends up getting chucked across the room! We had fun and it was great to get out of the house for an evening.

Pictures of Jenna

2009-11-12T13:12:00.000-08:00

Our friend Dusty was in Richfield the other day and took some wonderful pictures of Jenna! Thanks Dusty!!! She is such a great baby and so sweet! I love these pictures.

Seriously!!

2009-10-30T20:15:00.000-07:00

So tonight I made a wonderful dinner and then decided that Gavin and I would go to Walmart for some groceries (keep in mind I have been homebound now for 3 weeks) so this was a big deal!! I made a list and we were ready to go! Gavin was in charge of holding the bag of baby clothes that we needed to return. I got to the store and got him out and got ALL the way in Wally and remembered that we left the returns in the car...so out we go to get them. We got to the car and I started looking in my purse to find the keys...they were there however my wallet NOT THERE! So home we go! Now we have the wallet and the returns and are in Walmart again. I headed to get Kurt deodarent and some Halloween candy then straight to the baby clothes. I picked up a pair of cute pink $4 pants for Jenna and then turned the isle to the lotion. When I got there I went to mark some things off of my list to my suprise the list is GONE! Completely gone, not in the cart, not on the floor, not in my purse just GONE!! I of course blame Gavin cause the last I could remember he was drawing on it. So I start to retrace my steps cause I need this list- I went all the way to the front of the store and had no luck. So I just started going isle by isle trying to think of things we need. When I finally got to the last isle I decided those $4 pants just weren't needed so I headed back to put them back. When I got there I started to look at other colors of pants and lo and behold there on top of the white pants is my LIST!! I almost peed my pants! I was the one that lost it not Gavin, so dont worry he came home with a treat! I then had to go through the whole store to get the correct items on my list!!!

I swear this not going out of my house thing is not good for me! The baby is completely fine- however I am going to end up in bad shape!!

Just thought you would all like to see what having another child has done to me!!

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-22T20:10:00.000-07:00

Saturday was our traditional trip to the pumpkin patch-minus a few people. This year my mom was in CA so just dad and us girls and our kids went and Tiffany and her kids. We were glad that they came with us! It was such a warm day I swear I got a sunburn! Dad was so great to cut the pumpkins and haul them to the tractor for us. I love the picture that I took of him! Gavin wasn't so interested in the tractor ride, but he did enjoy picking pumpkins. He got him and Jenna one and couldn't wait to take it to her! I just love how much he loves her! Jenna stayed home of course with Grandma Heath.

Pictures

2009-10-20T18:48:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures of Jenna and some with her and Gavin. She is such a good baby and Gav is the best big brother ever!! He loves her so much!

We are home!!

2009-10-13T10:35:00.000-07:00

Well we finally made it back to Richfield after a very long month!! Jenna was released from the hospital on Friday afternoon!! I felt like I was stealing a baby! It was a very different feeling taking her home from the hospital- only those that have been in this situation will understand that feeling! We took her to my Grandma Bartons to meet her big brother who was very excited to meet her! He was so cute with her he held her forever and every time I asked if he wanted me to take her he would say no. It was so sweat! He is going to be the best brother for Jenna. Grandma and Aunt Katie also got to be the first to meet her! It was also very weird leaving Nanny Barts house- we had started to feel right at home there! Gavin will miss her so much! We are so thankful for all that she did for us We love you Grandma!!

Being home has been nice, we are starting to get into a routine. Kurt is back to work so it is just me and two kids- so weird. I have to say that things are going pretty good though! Jenna is the best baby- very calm! She did have to come home on a tiny bit of oxygen and also with the feeding tube. She is taking most her feedings from the bottle but still gets so tired that she can't do them all. Ryan had to make the comment that we should have gotten the cordless model!! I agree!

I know there are so many people who want to see and meet her, but we were strongly advised not to have visitors. They told us children are not allowed to come around her except for her brother. They also confined us to our house for the next 6 months. I might go crazy- but will do what I need to to make sure that Jenna stays healthy and grows strong!! So if you are in the neighborhood feel free to drop a Coke off on the door step- it might help me keep my sanity!!

Please know that we are so thankful for all the comments and prayers that were made for our family- we feel so blessed!

(blogger wont let me add pictures- I will try later)

Hot Chick!!

2009-10-03T09:57:00.001-07:00

The NICU nurse took this picture a week or so ago of Jenna, it is so funny! She has the cutest smile and believe it or not those are kid sunglasses!!! These nurses have been so great with Jenna, the one gave her a scrapbook page that is SO cute and she put so much time into it. It has been so great to know that Jenna is in the best hands!

2009-10-01T10:41:00.000-07:00

Jenna has been doing so good! She is on 12 hour request today, which means that she has to wake up on her own to eat her feedings. We went at 8am this morning and she woke up right before 9am and we fed her a bottle and she drank the whole thing, they will now let her go until 1pm for her next feeding. If she does this good, then we will go on 24 hour request and stay over at the hospital. For that request she has too take all her feedings (required amount of ML a day). We are really hoping that she will do wonderful and we will be able to take her home within the next few days!

Jenna and Gavin

2009-09-27T11:38:00.006-07:00

On Friday we asked the nurse if she would hold Jenna up to a window and let Gavin peek in at her, she said YES!! I went and got Gavin from the waiting room and told him he could meet Jenna, he was so excited he ran down the hallway so fast! He jumped on Kurt's shoulders and got a good look. He was so happy to meet her- I started to cry! I know what a baby:) It was just so sweat to see his face when he saw her for the first time. Jenna is still trying so hard to eat- she has a different suck pattern and it is hard for her to get the milk out even though she is sucking so hard! We will keep trying and working on getting her home.

Progress and frustrations!

2009-09-23T10:02:00.000-07:00

Well, I haven't posted for a while because we found out something about Jenna that just killed me! When things really get to me or make me feel sad I tend to just hold them in until I am able to deal with them. And that is what I have been doing, learning to deal with things. We found out last week that Jenna's Optic nerve never developed in one of her eyes. When the doctor told me I said okay, so she will just need glasses or surgery to fix it? I was being hopeful. He said that she will never see out of that eye, there is not a fix for it. My heart just broke, after all she has already been through and overcame I just looked at her sweat face and thought for the first time in a while WHY? Why her sight? Out of everything she has, this for some reason was the tip of the iceberg! It took me a lot of tears that night and some prayers to know that this is in her plan- she will overcome it! We will make the best with it.

Other than that Jenna is doing great!! She is such a sweat baby all the nurses just love her! The doctors would like to keep her for at least another week- she needs to gain some weight and also make progress with her feedings. I got frustrated over the weekend because she wasn't doing great with eating, but Monday was much better! She is staying awake more and able try harder. She takes a bottle alot better than the nursing, so we are trying both. She just needs to get bigger and stronger!

Kurt has been sick since Sunday so they wont even let him in the NICU. It has been hard on him not to see her for 3 days. Hopefully he will be getting better soon so that we can work on getting her home together!

Gavin still has no clue where the baby is or why we decided to move in with Grandma Barton. He has done great though, he loves being up here and playing with Grandma when we go to the hospital. He is going to be the best big brother ever!!

Thanks for all the thoughts, prayers and gifts they have been much appreciated! We are so lucky to have such great families and friends, and also the Gospel. What would we do without our faith and prayers???

2009-09-18T17:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we tried to give Gavin a normal day:) As best we could anyway!
We got up and had breakfast and then went to the Discovery Park by my Grandmas house. He had such a good time playing, he even found a friend there to play with. I have felt so bad that he has been out of his element and pushed around between Grandmas and us. He is really confused on where the baby is. He sees the pictures but still thinks she is in my belly:) I just love both these kids so much! I never thought it was possible!

2009-09-18T16:54:00.000-07:00

Jenna is doing so well, she is such a little angel. All the nurses just eat her up:) She is a very quiet baby and doesnt fuss very much. She still has some oxygen, but not too much. They are hoping to be able to take her off of it soon. She has only lost an ounce, so she is maintaining her weight very well. We are still working on nursing and she did so well today! We are trying to get her to nurse twice a day. In order to take her home she has to nurse for all her feedings. She is showing good signs and much improvement. We just love her and can't wait to get her home!! Here is an overload of pictures:)

Jenna Update

2009-09-15T12:26:00.000-07:00

Jenna is still doing very well. Her billi went up a little so she is under the lamps getting a sun tan. She is tolerating it very well though. She has been tolerating her feedings and digesting them so today at 2 I am going to go and nurse her and see how she does. We tried last night and she latched right on, she is such a strong little girl! I will be leaving the hospital tonight and going to Pleasant Grove to stay at my Grandmas. We are so fortunate that we have family so close up here! I will keep you all updated as soon as I know things!

Miracles Happen....

2009-09-14T09:07:00.000-07:00

...and ours was born Friday September 11, 2009 at 6:48pm.

On Friday I went in for my AFI and non-stress test appt in Richfield, the non stress was okay and the fluid level was very low. She tried so hard to find any fluid and measured me at 3cm of fluid- I had 6.5 two days prior. So...this doctor called that doctor and they said drive up north and get to the specialist...and plan on a baby tonight! So, after my minor freak out we packed our bags, said bye to Gavin and had Kyle give me a blessing. I cant say thanks enough for that! It is amazing how a blessing can calm nerves and make such a scary situation seem fine. Kurt and I drove up north and the specialist couldn't find any fluid. He said the best thing for me and the baby would be to deliver her. So we agreed and they checked me into the hospital. They told us that it would take a few hours before they were ready for my surgery, so I thought I had some time. Well 45 minutes later they said they were going to be getting me ready within 30 minutes. This is where I really freaked out!! I think my temp spiked to 300 degrees and I really thought about running! My cousin was able to come in and be my labor and delivery nurse- I was so happy to see her! She helped calm my nerves and it was a blessing to know this baby was being taken care of by her. So off we went to the OR to have Jenna born. It took about 15 minutes and they pulled her tiny little body out. She immediately started to cry- what a great sound. Everybody was so happy that she was crying and kept crying!! My surgery went really well and I am recovering great!

Jenna will be in the NICU for a week or two for a few things. She needs to be able to eat and digest the food. She was on a CPAP machine for a few hours after birth to help with her breathing, but they took that out rather quick. She has been breathing on her own since then. She is a very strong and amazing baby! Her IV lines are difficult so they have the IV in the top of her head, but they arent having to use it too much because she is now eating a full feeding through a tube that goes down her little nose. Her weight is good and she hasn't really lost much at all. We are waiting for a few tests to come back on her genetic problems. They are hoping they will show her capabilities so that we dont push her too hard or too little. She is doing amazingly well for being a premie and for her different choromosome problems.

All the doctors keep saying they can't explain her that she is just a miracle! She is overcoming so many obsticles already and she is only 3 days old! Now that we have met this little angel we know we were meant to be her parents and she was meant to be our daughter. Our Heavenly Father knows us and loves us and blesses our lives in different ways- this little girl is such a blessing to us and we just love her! We cant wait for her to meet Gavin, we know he already loves her so much!

Thanks to everyone for all their help we definitley could not have done all this alone!! We love you!!

Jenna

2009-09-08T20:05:00.000-07:00

Today we went to Provo for yet another doctor appointment. We were supposed to meet with the delivery doctor and also do a non stress test and measure my fluid, key word supposed to! The fluid level was lower than it should be so we ended up meeting with the specialist who did another ultrasound and measurements. Jenna is measuring a little small (5lbs) and there isn't a lot of amniotic fluid. So...he scheduled a C-section for September 21st. I will go in early that morning and do another amnio to make sure her lungs are developed and if so we will be having a baby around 12pm that day!!! YIKES! I think I might freak out:) That is 3 weeks earlier than expected-so we are going to be working like crazy to get things ready for this little girl to join our family!!

Birthday Party

2009-08-25T09:37:00.001-07:00

Gavin was so excited for his party yesterday- he was so cute! I couldn't believe the changes in him from just one year! He was so into his party this year- he loved that everybody came over, even showing them where to put the presents! Kurt cooked hot dogs on the BBQ and then we had Mickey Mouse cake. I spent all day on this darn cake and I think it turned out pretty cute:) Gavin thought it was great too! He LOVES Mickey! He ripped through all his presents, throwing aside the cards and clothes! He got the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, a bike, helmet, gear, cars, coloring pages, and of course his other friend Handy Manny and the tools! He even got Micky jammies that he almost wouldn't take off this morning. What a spoiled boy!!! Thanks to all the family for coming and helping us celebrate!! We love you all!

Happy Birthday!!

2009-08-24T14:14:00.001-07:00

I just can't believe that Gavin is 2 years old today!!! Where did the time go? I have loved watching him learn and grow these past two years- he is such a great child! He went from a helpless little baby to a little independant boy!

Some of his favorite things to do are: watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (this includes singing "Hot Dog", LOVES to be outside, laughing, nursery, friends, water and he loves to mimic everything especially daddy!!!

I have been so blessed to be his mother! It was a little emotional for me today when it started to rain! Every important occasion that Kurt and I have had so far, there is rain! Our wedding day, honeymoon, and the day Gavin was born. We have been told that it is lucky- I totally agree! I just couldn't help get a little teary when I saw the rain:)

We love you Gavin!! Happy Birthday!

Park City

2009-08-23T20:36:00.000-07:00

Here are some random pictures from our trip to Park City. Gavin loved the elevator- and had to be the one to push the button! He was so funny- it definitely took me back to when I was little- we all fought over who got to push the button!! So cute:)

2009-08-17T07:48:00.000-07:00

I have so much to post- but I have not yet downloaded pictures. A couple weekends ago we went to Park City for a few days- I loved it!! The shopping was amazing! I spent way too much, but how can you pass up those deals? We went to the Olympic park and Kurt was able to do the zip lines and we went down the Alpine slide. We also spent a good amount of time watching people train for the Olympics. Some ski jump into the water trick:)

I also went to the doctor last week, things are looking good still. NO fluid anywhere, a great heart!! and she is growing so well! The only small concern is that I do not have a lot of amniotic fluid- so I have to have ultrasounds weekly to check that. If it continues to stay low or get lower- they would most likely deliver the baby at 37 weeks. That means it is very possible I could have this baby around the middle of September!!! I AM NOT READY!! The room is a mess- not painted. I only have about 12 outfits for her, so I suppose she will be wearing the same thing alot:) It will all come together I am sure:) I meet with the doctor that will deliver her on the 28th, and then we will know more about the delivery and what not. I am going to deliver at Utah Valley, and think that is a good choice- just incase we need the NICU or anything like that. So lots of stress for the next couple weeks:) YEAH- haven't had enough of that !!

I will post pics and things later! The computer room is being transformed into the baby room and is a HUGE mess right now:) Wish me luck:)

Baby Update

2009-08-03T07:14:00.000-07:00

On Friday we went to Orem to do a Fetal Echo of the babies heart. I must admit I was nervous, it is common for Down Syndrome babies to have heart problems most common is a hole in the heart. The echo took about 25 minutes and then the doctor came in and said......everything is FINE!!!! We were so excited words cant even describe how we felt!! He said her heart is perfect for a baby her age and size- he said everything they normally see associated with DS, she shows no signs of it!! YEAH!! This was one of the last big things we needed to get passed before this little girl gets here! I am so thankful for all the miracles that we have recieved with this pregnancy- to go from where we started to here is just well a miracle!!! Thanks for all the prayers!!!

The Toad

2009-07-27T07:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to dinner at Sally and Terrys, after dinner Sally had something to show Gavin. She had two toads that were in her window well and she was very determined to get one out to show Gavin. It was hilarious! She had a shovel, a hoe, a golf club and a childrens shovel all trying to get this toad out of the window well and into a bucket! She finally got it out of the well and it hopped off into the flower bed. So she tried to scoop it up with the little shovel but every time she got close it would hop away! It was so funny to watch her, and then to hear Gavin laughing at the toad hopping and mom screaming! I hate anything that jumps!!! She finally got the toad in the bucket and Gav thought it was pretty cool. I had to rest for a minute cause my stomach hurt from laughing!! She went to release it back into the well and the dang thing had jumped out! We couldn't find it after that so hopefully it made it back to its other friend!!! Sally is so cute with Gav and he just loves her! He is blessed with some really wonderful Grandmas!

Baby Update

2009-07-25T09:32:00.000-07:00

Baby Jenna at 20 weeks
I forgot to post about our last doctor appt. We went about two weeks ago- and things are about the same. About every other month her 3rd ventricle of her brain is dialated to an 11 (normal is under 10), the doctor thinks that she is just creating a lot of fluid and slow to get rid of it. She doesnt think that it will be a big problem, so we are just hoping that she can digest the fluid a little better. She is still growing really well, she is 2.5 pounds. She is a very active and wiggley baby- a lot more than Gavin. We are going to Orem on the 31st to do a Fetal Echo- this will take more in depth pictures of her heart so that they can check for any defects- most common in Down Syndrome is a hole in the heart. We are praying for another miracle that her heart will be just fine! We really need that! They will give me the results that day. We have decided that we will deliver the baby at Utah Valley- that way if we need any Specialists we will be right there.

I have started to buy baby clothes and we even got the crib put back together. Our next step is painting her room. I have felt so horrible for not having anything done, I just didn't dare buy clothes or anything. The doctors are a lot more hopeful that this sweat little girl will be born and coming home to us and we cant wait!! Even Gavin is starting to understand more things about this "baby"! He is cute, he will kiss and hug my belly- and he really gets a kick out of my belly button!! Oh the joys of pregnancy!!

Thanks to all of you that are praying for us- it has helped so much! We love you all!!

2009-07-23T10:02:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we decided that we would go to the Manti pool with Amys family and my parents. Gavin has been scared of the water this year for some reason, but he loved that pool. He made sure we were holding him tight, but he had so much fun! He loved the toilet bowl/river thing tha was in the middle of the pool. We stayed for a few hours and had lunch and treats! It was really fun- I think we will definitley go again!

4th of July

2009-07-07T14:27:00.000-07:00

We had such a great 4th of July this year!! Our friends from STG came up to share in the fun and festivities!! We love having the Farnsworths come up for the 4th!! We had a dutch oven dinner at our house on the night of the 3rd, most my family came over. It was very yummy, after a few poppies and fireworks we headed to Aurora to see the firework show! I love watching their fireworks, they get better every year! The morning of the 4th we headed to the Richfield parade. Gavin loved being there with all the older kids and sharing in the excitement. I think Kurt enjoyed catching the candy as much as Gavin! We went to the Heath's for a BBQ and then to the Aurora park for the races! Gavin actually took 2nd in his race- he ran right into Grandmas arms! He was so cute with what he won! That evening we went to the Salina parade- it was extremely hot! Then off to my parents for another BBQ. We did our own fireworks at my moms that night. We had lots of fun. Gavin loved the poppies and sparklers. He thought they were great! He really enjoyed stepping on the poppies. We had such a great and long weekend! I just love the 4th- it is such a fun holiday for the kids- I love watching the excitement on their little faces. I am so glad that Susie and Nelson and their two great kids were able to be here with us! It is a tradition that I look forward to every year!!

2009-06-23T14:47:00.001-07:00

Today Gavin and I went and got haircuts- he is so good when he gets his hair cut. After Moni put the color on my hair we cut Gavins and then it was time for me to go under the dryer. Well Gavin noticed there were two and that meant he needed one too. He was so dang cute! She put him up in the chair and turned the dryer on and he sat there and smiled! He was rather entertained by the air coming out! What a funny kid!! I just love him!

Miracles happen!!!

2009-06-18T20:36:00.000-07:00

Well- this might get corney, but hey that is me!!

The past 5 months have been the most difficult crazy months thus far of my life! I have been happy, sad, scared, worried, strengthened and uplifted and many more things! I have always believed in God and the power of prayer and had faith, but my testimony of these things have been imensley strengthened throughout this pregnancy. I have felt God's hand in my life and in the life of this little baby. I am blessed and thankful for everything that has happened- good or bad- it has brought us closer as a family and as husband and wife!

So here is the news- that was the corney part!

We met with the doctor yesterday ( a new doctor in the same hospital) and she said things look really good. There is no fluid on the baby! The ventricles that were filling with fluid and possibly going to cause another condition are looking really good. They are not even a concern right now! Jenna is the toughest little cookie ever! She weighs about 1.5 pounds and is growing great- she is right on schedule! They did say that I dont have a lot of amniotic fluid, but that is not a big concern right now. The doctor actually said that if she didn't know the history on the baby she would have thought she was looking at a normal healthy baby!! WOW! I have needed to hear that!

So needless to say- prayer does work! Thanks to all of you who have prayed for our family and for this precious little girl! We love and appreciate all of you!

Happy Anniversary!!

2009-06-11T10:30:00.000-07:00

Today is our 4 year anniversary!! I just want Kurt to know how thankful I am that he chose me to marry!! Or wait was he pressured into it?? I can't remember! Kurt and I started dating our Junior year of Highschool and have been together ever since, we have actually been together for 9 years!! Holy crap! I just love him so much! We have been through alot in the past 4 years- I am greatful that I have someone like him to go through all our trials and joys with! We have been so blessed with our son Gavin- we just love him. He has been such a joy in our lives! Thanks for putting up with me- I know it is hard sometimes! I love you KURT!!!

Roy

2009-06-10T09:01:00.001-07:00

Most of you will think that this post is crazy, however I LOVE my dog! Today Roy is 4 years old! I want to tell him Happy Birthday! Kurt and I got Roy when he was 3 months old, and I thought that I was going to go crazy trying to train him and get him to sleep at night. Roy was born the day before we got married so we knew we needed to buy him, it was a sign:) I have loved having Roy in our home, we treat him like a child! In fact I refer to him as my first son, Gavin is the second child:) Roy and Gavin get along great and because of that I think Gavin has learned to love other dogs and animals and not be afraid of them! When I read the book Marley and ME I said to Kurt that I could have written that book! It seemed like everything that happened to them happened to us- and the love of a sweet animal helps you through a lot of tough times! When Kurt worked out of town I was so glad we had Roy! He is my little companion! Dogs really are a woMANS best friend:) Happy Birthday Roy!!

Missing Camera

2009-06-09T12:37:00.000-07:00

Well I haven't posted in a while because I can not find my camera and I have some cute pictures that I wanted to post!! But it doesn't look like the camera is just hiding this time- I really think it might be gone for good! Dang it!

Lets see- for Memorial Day we went to Thanksgiving Point and went to the petting zoo. Gavin loved it! He loves animals so much and was so excited to see them up close. He loved the pony ride the most! He smiled and laughed the whole time! It was really cute! We had a really good day and look forward to it every year! Thanks Grandma Barton!

Around the house- we are finally building a fence!!! I am so excited! We just got another puppy and I told Kurt I will go crazy with two kids and two dogs and no fence!! So we started last Saturday and it is coming along rather well! I can't wait to be able to let the dogs just run in the yard and for Gavin to have a fun place to play! I will miss my easy access to Maradees yard, but we plan on having many "Home Improvement" type conversations! Me being the smart Mr. Wilson and her being the goofy neighbor Tim!!!!

I dont really have much baby news- things are still the same as far as I know. We go to the Doctor on the 17th and we will see how things are. We will be able to do another ultrasound and see our sweet baby!! I will make sure to update after we go.

Gavin and I have enjoyed being outside and playing and also going to school lunch! It is amazing that he will eat everything they feed him there, but nothing that I feed him at home!! Crazy kid!

Well if the camera mysteriously appears I will post some pics!!

Crazy Roller Coaster Ride!

2009-05-18T07:18:00.000-07:00

I keep telling Kurt that we are on a roller coaster ride, we go up and down with emotions and feelings it is just crazy!!!

We saw the doctor last Monday and amazingly enough the fluid (hydrops) is getting somewhat better. There used to be fluid around her belly, lungs, heart and head. Well now it is just around her head. That is great! Then of course she said that fluid is starting in the 3rd ventricle of her brain, it is not too bad right now but could get worse. The condition is managable if she is born. She is growing right on schedule, she weighs about half of a pound.

Our hopes were not too high on Monday night, we were thinking the worse. Then on Tuesday we met with the Genetic counselor to find out about the Chromosome 18 problem. On a regular Chromosome you should have a long arm and a short arm, well baby Jenna has 1 regular chromosome and then her 2nd one has an extra short arm and is missing part of the long arm. The deletion isn't bad, it means that she might be a little slower and prone to a few things.

So Tuesday we left with the thought that maybe this isn't as bad as we were thinking. Maybe our sweet girl will be born and get to come home with us. There are still risks that she might abort herself, be stillborn or she could possibly make it. The risk of me getting sick are lower with the hydrops getting better.

So you see what I mean by roller coaster ride? Each time we go to the doctor it is just crazy! One time it is good news the next time it is bad news! We just keep praying and hoping for the best! Thanks to my dad for some amazing blessings- I have to say that I know they are part of this miracle that seems to be happening! Without the church and Gospel- think of where we might be right now! It is such a blessing in our lives! Thanks to all of your support and prayers- they have truly helped!

Baby Jenna Update

2009-05-05T16:47:00.001-07:00

Sorry it has taken me so long to update, we have had a lot to process lately.

Things we know
1. Jenna has hydrops really bad, the fluid seems to be getting worse around her body
2. She tested positive for Trisome 21, which is Down Syndrome.
3. There is also a problem with Chromosome 18. They do not know alot about 18, but the Genetic counselor put it like this- It is like writing a letter if you were to forget a word or two the letter would be readable, but if you are missing a paragraph you couldn't read it and that is a problem. Well, she is missing a paragraph. Kurt and I got tested Friday to see if we are carriers for this genetic problem. We will know the results on Thursday. Knowing that she has a problem on 18 means that she would have more mental problems than just the Down Syndrome.

We go back to the doctor on Monday and we will have all our test results back and do another ultrasound to see how things are going. Then hopefully the doctor can give us some good insight as to what will happen and when.

For now we are just taking things one day at a time. I have been going in and doing blood pressure checks and hearing her heart tones to make sure we are both fine. They are still worried about me mirroring her and getting sick, but so far I have been fine. We pray that the Lord will do what is best for our sweet little Jenna, even if means taking her from us too soon. With his help we can get through this! Thanks for all the prayers and thoughts sent our way- we love you all and appreciate it!!

Update....

2009-04-24T13:58:00.000-07:00

Well, most of you can tell by me not posting sooner that the news we got on Wednesday wasn't so great. The fluid on the baby is a disease called Hydrops. The fluid is pretty severe on her head, back, lungs and starting on her heart. This is caused by her Lymphatic system not being developed. That system is what distributes the fluid in a normal baby. You most commonly see this in Down Syndrome children, the doctor was pretty sure that the baby has Downs. They did an Amnio to test this. That is where they take fluid from around the baby and test it. I will know on Monday if the baby has Downs for sure or not, and then about a week after that we will get the results of the Amnio for a full history of the babies chromosones. The doctor said that more than likely the Hydrops will continue to get worse, but in some cases it resolves itself. She said that would be unlikely in our case. There is a severe risk of stillbirth or miscarriage still.

So we are trying to take this all in and do our best with it. We know that the Lord will be with us through this tough time and that he will do what is best for our little girl! It is in His hands now.

Crazy Weekend

2009-04-21T12:20:00.000-07:00

It has been a crazy stressful few days, and I finally feel like I should maybe blog about it. On Friday, we were lucky enough to have a sneak peek ultrasound to see if they could see the gender of our baby, I am only 15 weeks, but she was 100% positive it is a baby GIRL!!!! What the heck, this is Heath family history!! We are the first to have a baby girl.

When we left the hospital I said to Kurt "This is just too good to be true!" Well, normally I love to be right, but not this time. About and hour later the doctors office called and said there was some concerns with my ultrasound. My heart sank. We went and met with Dr. Brown and he had information, but not much. He said that the baby has too much fluid in her tissues. What does this mean????? No clue! We have an appointment tomorrow with a specialist and we are praying that she will be okay. I will update with what I find out tomorrow! Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers!

On Saturday we decided we couldn't just set home and worry so we went fishing with Kurt's family. It was very nice, Gavin enjoyed every minute of it- he threw rocks in the water and thought that it was so funny! Everybody caught a fish even Kurt! He finally caught his fish about 5 minutes before we were leaving- and of course it was the biggest one! That night we went and cooked them at Sally's, along with hot dogs for us non fish eaters! I was glad we decided to spend the day with family- they are all so supportive us and we love them for that!

Sunday we had yet another BBQ with my family- once again much needed family time! I do better when I don't have time to set and think about my problems. My family is so great to try and make me feel better! I love them for that!

Easter

2009-04-13T13:20:00.000-07:00

We had a great Easter weekend! Saturday our puppies were born and they are so stinking cute! It took Gavin a day or so before he warmed up to them, he didn't want to hold one, just give it kisses. He was more worried about Lacy than the puppies. He kept petting her and making sure she was okay. Kurt is the one that fell in love with the puppies, he even said we can keep one!! We picked out a cute little female dog, we named her Ruby:)

On Sunday, we woke up and got ready for church and let Gavin see what the Easter Bunny brought him, he was so excited it was so cute. He got clothes, golf clubs, and a new church outfit. He LOVED the golf clubs. I told him that the Easter bunny brought him these presents, so he went over to the bunny we have and gave her a hug and a kiss!! He is such a cute boy! Then we went to church, and then headed to my moms for dinner and a little Easter egg hunt. Then of course we had to go see the puppies one more time!! We hope you all had a happy Easter!

I am a Grandma!!

2009-04-11T07:58:00.000-07:00

Some of you may know about my first child Roy.....the dog:) He is treated like a human and he acts like one too! Kurt and I got Roy 2 months after we were married, and have treated him like a child from the start. I am not sure how, but these dogs become a part of your family and you love them just like a family member!! Well Roy and Sally's dog Lacey- fell in love and she got pregnant! Ha Ha! Well, this morning at 6am, Lacey had her first puppy- and then 4 more! They are all very black with white on them! I haven't gotten to see them yet- but I am on my way as soon as work is over! I just have this picture and they look pretty darn cute! They are Cocker Spaniels! The best dog if you ask me!!

2009-03-30T08:36:00.000-07:00

Here is what Gavin gave his grandparents this weekend!

We are expecting our second child in late September! I am 12 weeks along- and have been really sick! I was not sick one day with Gavin- but I had heartburn like crazy! This pregnancy so far has been completely different- sick, I can't sleep, and no heartburn! We were able to hear the heartbeat on Thursday and the baby is doing great with a heartrate of 168! Lots faster than Gavin ever was. We are so happy and excited!

2009-03-24T18:06:00.000-07:00

I am into Eclairs lately (thanks to Ashley!), so I bought some for dessert tonight- I think Gavin enjoyed them:) This is his picture face! When you say "SMILE GAV" this is the cheesy face that you get back! I just love it!

This weekend Kurt and I were able to escape for 2 days and head to St. George! It was so nice. Sally and Terry took Gavin for the weekend so we could go alone! I miss the alone time that Kurt and I used to have- so it was nice to be just us for the weekend:) We shopped on Saturday and met my cousin Becky and her cute little girl Halie at Cafe Rio for lunch- it was yummy! Then for dinner we met with our good friends Susie and Nelson- we miss them so much so we love when we can see them even if it is just for dinner! We ate at Samurai 21, it was very yummy! On Sunday we slept in until 9am!! It was great! We of course had to eat at In and Out- then we headed home!! It was a great weekend and we needed it! I love Kurt and I am so glad that we get to spend time with each other!

Too Cute!

2009-03-19T10:39:00.001-07:00

I just thought this picture was so cute! Gavin absolutely loves his Dad!! I think that is why his only word so far is DAD! He loves to follow him around the house and do just what he does! He is growing up so fast I just can't believe it!

Time Flies!

2009-02-24T17:13:00.000-08:00

Well I don't have much to post about or any cute pictures, but today marks Gavin's 18month birthday!! 18 months! I remember when we brought him home from the hospital and telling Kurt we can make it to 1 month, lets just focus on that- then at the 1 month mark I was shocked we actually got there and said we can make it to 5 months! And now here we are at 18 months!! Gavin is growing and learning so much! He is a quiet natured child! He loves to sleep, he takes at least a 3 hour nap and sleeps from 10pm to 8am. I love it! He is not saying much, I am hoping now that he is hearing better that it will change. He does know a lot however, you can tell him to go get his socks or shoes and he knows exactly what drawer they are in. He loves his dad, that is the one word he does say! Not fair- I am the one with him all day long!! He is so tall and so skinny- most people think he is 2 1/2 or more! He loves his dog Roy, or should I say he loves to torment him! They are quite the twosome! Sunday was his second try at nursery, and he stayed the entire time!! I was so happy! I stayed with him for about 15 minutes and then snuck out. The leaders said he cried for about 30 seconds and then was over it! I just hope we can do this every Sunday!

I am so glad to be a mother and so happy for the joy that Gavin is in our lives! Of course we have our bad days too, but I wouldn't trade it for anything!!