Update

May I interrupt my updating for an update?

1. Max's immunoglobulin tests came back normal. Yay!!!! Kind of. It means he needs surgery. He needs his adenoids (aka: harborers of mass grossness and ewww) removed. This will go down next Monday. I know its quick, but we are tired of seeing our baby in pain with infection coming out his ears. Hoping he'll be able to celebrate Christmas minus infection. Since his birthday, Halloween and Thanksgiving did not go down like that.

2. Rylan had his allergy tests. It was not fun. I might kill the nurse that administered it. He isn't allergic to milk, as we previously thought (there is a chance that he is still intolerant to the protein in milk, stay tuned...) but he did have a huge allergy to dust mites. Now we need to buy all kinds of pillow and mattress covers. Oh, and he had double ear infections. While on antibiotics.

My. Poor. Babies.

2012-get ready, cause we are wanting some health. Or I'll sue. I know a guy.

October and November in December part 3.....KANSAS

In part 3 of my catch-up of October and November (aka I blinked and the months were gone and I hadn't blogged), we went to Kansas for a wedding and to visit my beloved grandparents. To Rylan and Max they are Grandma Kathy and Grandpa Gene (or "Damma Tassie and Dampa Dean" to Rylan). They are my grandparents from my dad's side and 2 of my favorite people in this world.

The above picture is the best I could do. I'm not sure when, but someday we will learn to take photos early in a visit, early in the day. We always choose the end of the trip (read: overtired children) to take a family picture. But, Max and Rylan absolutely LOVED our stay with my grandparents. They live in the town I was born in, Hays, and it has magical brick streets and no hills and lots of parks and many many family members that stop by all the time! Here in Hensley, it takes 3 hours or so to get a visit from a family member.

Here's a pic where Grandma and Grandpa are both looking, just not the kids. Add the pics together and its perfect, yes?

This was our first post-potty training trip and we were a little worried about being in the car 10 hours and the fear of accidents. We were also a little worried about the fact that we had an almost 3 year old and a 1 year old in a car for 10 hours and a dvd player on the fritz

They both rocked it! No accidents and minimal sadness. The worst behaved was this girl:

.

Here are some pics outside the wedding. Because I am awesome at taking pics, I have no pics of the actual wedding(our whole reason for going to Kansas) or the wedding dance. And, this is most unfortunate because Rylan and a few of his girl cousins made nice and did some super cute dancing to the hokey pokey and the chicken dance. I will blame my lack of awesomeness on the ankle injury that I suffered on our way to the wedding, involving the previously mentioned brick streets-high heeled shoes-my luck. It is hard to handle two babies, drink, dance, hobble and take pictures. So I chose to give up the latter.

Must frame this one

Dear Rylan, we're gonna take pics, get over it.

The day after the wedding we spent time at the park and went to cross over the stepping stones in this creek. Except it had been a blazing hot year and there was no creek to speak of and the stones looked like boulders. It was perfect for me, you know the one that can't walk to save her life?

We had a great time (you can tell by the look above on Rylan's face, right?), and four weeks of expensive physical therapy sessions later, I can almost not feel the pain of that brick street boo boo. I cannot wait to get to Hays again. Wish I was like Harry Potter and could apperate us or travel the floo network, though. Ten hours in the car is tough even with good kids :)

October and November in December part 2.

Let me just interject my trip down memory lane to ask for prayers. I don't do that alot. I tend to call myself a dork and say things like "diarrhea of the mouth" instead of be real serious. But, my kids are sick as shizzles. Its a bad cold (probably croup) that is aggravating their asthma. They are coughing so so so so much. Its hard to listen to them trying to sleep and not have any other things in my bag of tricks to help them. Rylan's fever was up to 104, but has stayed down today and he is on antibiotics now, which, paired with every 2-4 hour albuterol updrafts, seem to have helped. Max is a bit better, cough and fever wise, but he has double ear infections. Again. He had one on Halloween. And then another over Thanksgiving. In fact, he was actively being treated for the Thanksgiving one when these double infections occured. They did some testing on Max's immune system, testing for immunoglobulins and such, to see if this could be the reason the kid keeps getting ear infections. By my mommy count, this is infection #14 (the 8th since he got ear tubes). Max is 14 months old. His first ear infection was when he was 3 months old. That's an average of 1.25 ear infections per month. That's sad. So if you are the praying kind, say one or two or ten for my guys. Their lungs and ears will thank you. And their non-smoking, always cleaning, two humidifier owning, why is this happening to these poor kids? parents will thank you too.

Now for the fun, cute kids that felt good part. We went to a second pumpkin patch as a family. There is a pumpkin patch a few miles from our house and we have been lucky enough to make it every year since we had Rylan. They had a great time riding in the wagon, picking out the perfect pumpkin for our house, riding in the cow train and taking a hayride.

What is this? A totally cute pic with them looking at the same thing?

All my smiley boys in one place

Max had a wardrobe malfunction. Again and again and again. Just because they are name brand doesn't mean they are better.

Once again,Ry was mostly concerned about this guy.

Our 3 foot 6 inch three year old.

Another malfunction

October and November....in December Part 1

So.....we've been running like chickens with our head cut off. Trips, birthdays, family member's surgeries, Thanksgiving, trips to Vegas (more on that much later) and lots more. I am so behind and part of me wants to skip and just do recent updates. But the OCD part of me wants to document good times with cute kids, especially since my recent blogs have been rips on other peoples blogs and all.

October and November are very busy times for our family. Three of us have birthdays, the Razorbacks insist on playing all their games, Halloween and Thanksgiving get thrown in there and, since the weather is better, its prime playdate time of year. And now that we have rejoined MOPS, and we are still part of our new old playgroup (the branch off of the crazy one, filled with all the non crazies), we have had many playdates.

So, everyday this week, you get a look at our October. First off: our playdate's trip to the pumpkin patch. The kids had a great time wading through the pumpkins, playing on the tire, going on a hayride and chasing pigs around.

There just isn't getting these two to both look at me for a pic. this is the best I got.

Ry was seriously worried about this guy

Ry and Lily chasing the pigs. There was no attempt to touch, even when they were encouraged to. Notice Rylan keeping such a distance.

Attempt #2

Lily as a ghost and Rylan with his.....gord

Baby chicks...I'm sure he called them Lola

Such cuteness. Wuvs that boy

Serious pig race watching

Getting to know me Sunday

Another blog post copying off other bloggers that have themed blogs and keep up with their blogs. And just so I feel I'm being true to myself, I'm doing Get to Know Me Monday on a Sunday.

Five jobs I’ve had in my life:

1.)Sandwich artist at Sandy's Deli

2.) Burrito Artist at New York Burrito (I really miss the Hawaiin Chicken Wrap)

3.)Chemistry Lab assistant at Baxter Healthcare my first two summers of college (read: glorified secretary)

4.) Patient Care Technician at Arkansas Children's Hospital. (this was supposed to provide me money to get through college and then I was gonna blow this popstand for greener pastures the minute I graduated Nursing School, see number 5)

5.)Nurse at Arkansas Children's Hospital since 2003. Yeah, I never left, and recently I celebrated 10 years with this company. I still can't believe I'm older than 10, so this is a mystery. I started nursing in PICU, then the sad cases and long 12 hour night shifts finally got to me and I moved to the GI LAB where, as my favorite doc puts it, "I deal with guts and butts."

6.)It only asked for 5, but I'll add full time Mom to Two Cool Tots. This requires no education before giving birth, but BOY do these two educate me daily.

Favorite current telly shows: I love the DVR, I'm fairly new to this, but it saved Max and I during those nasty puke from 3am on nights from birth to 3 months. Max would feel all better and go into a deep snooze at 6pm, so I learned that, for a short while, that was my new bedtime too. So, I dvr'd stuff to watch at 3am while we rocked and cleaned up puke. Now I'm semi-hooked on all the shows I dvr'd during that time. Chelsea Lately, Project Runway, Modern Family, Chopped and Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Favorite all-time telly shows: Dawson's Creek and Party of Five from my younger years, and Modern Family for my older years

Favorite actors/actresses: Tom Hanks is my all time fave. Morgan Freeman, Amy Adams, Sandra Bulluck, and the guy that plays Ron Weasely (I have an odd crush on that fellow)

Favorite movies: Forrest Gump, Love Actually, Bridesmaids, Knocked Up, Big Daddy, Dumb and Dumber, While You Were Sleeping, The Fugitive

Favorite foods: cheese dip, brownies, popcorn and m&ms mixed together

Least favorite foods: You don't really keep my svelte figure being picky with foods, but I don't like mayonaise,especially when someone puts it on a burger without asking me first.Or on a freakin grilled chicken sandwhich. I mean really? I just ordered a grilled chicken sandwich, choosing against everything yummy on your menu in an attempt to be semi healthy.Don't shlab your gross mayonaise 12g fat per tbsp on my semi healthy, not as good as cheese fries grilled chicken!!!

Most embarrassing moment: There’ve been so many. Maybe the time I was mid-csection with Max and the morphine kicked in and I entertained the entire surgical team with a story of the Oprah I watched about a man that saved his sperm before he had a sex change to become a woman, then fathered his own twins as a woman, then took hormones to be able to produce breastmilk and breastfed the twins that he had fathered. Or the time (many years ago) when I was go-carting in a tank top and these guys were smiling at me and I smiled back thinking they were flirting and it turned out the vibration of the go cart had shimmied my tank top and I was go carting in my bra with a tank top around my waist. Or anytime I was at the Electric Cowboy with more than 2 drinks in my system.

Favorite bands and artists: Aerosmith, Billy Joel, Adele, Pink, Elton John The Beatles, Tom Petty

Favorite all-time songs: American Girl by Tom Petty, Here Comes the Sun by George Harrison, Clocks by Coldplay, Someone Like you by Adele, So What by Pink.

Biggest fear: My kids being really sick. Really really sick. I've seen way too much at my hosptial. And Rylan at 8 weeks riding in an ambulance didn't help matters.

Proudest moments:

1. Graduating nursing school with a bacholor of science and never getting lower than a B in all of college.

2. Giving birth to two very awesome kids

3. I can still say Eenie Meanie Miny Mo in German

Stuff you probably didn’t know about me:

1.) Rob is the first guy I ever dated that was older than me. Total cradle robber before him.

2.) Scared to death of snakes. I become a Kenyan runner in presence of snakes. Though lizards and salamanders and such don't bother me.

3.) I once performed Baby Got Back at karaoke. And bombed. Didn't care so much as liquid encouragement also give you a tiny bit of liquid "oh well" later. Maybe that should be up on Most Embarrassing.

4.) I am shy. Get me one on one and I'll talk your ear off, but a new situation with lots of people? Scared to death. Rob's coworkers probably think I'm a tad mute. Mine? Want a muzzle on my face.

Rylan Q: The big "twee"

On this, the day post post post Rylan's 3rd birthday, I have this to say

I love that kid so very much. I love it that he tells me "I need those chicken nuggets in my hand." I love it that he has decided at the age of 3 that he'd like a pacey. I love it that he's been an expert potty trainer. I love it that he loves the outdoors, and fruit snacks, and Humpty Dumpty, and anything with a Cars paraphenelia, though he doesn't actually like the movie, Cars. I love it that he thinks anywhere (a house, a grocery story, a picture) that has more than 2 pumpkins in it is "a Puntin Patch". I love it that he follows 75% of his sayings with the word "now." And, mostly I love it that every Sunday morning, he sits for hours and surveys the coupons, flyers, inserts, and comics in the Sunday newspaper for possible Mickey, Cars, Buzz/Woody, or Shrek sightings.

I am not sure where 3 years have gone, I'm quite sure they haven't been spent sleeping. They have been good, good years. Ry and I had a talk yesterday and we've decided that we aren't aging anymore. I can hardly believe he's 3, I couldn't handle any more advancement in age from him, and I'd be good sticking at thirty-bleeping years old myself.

Happy "Dirf Day" Rylee Roo, we love you so much and are so glad you are in our world and are the big "twee"!!!!! Keep bringing the cute and we'll keep supplying the fruit snacks.

What I'm loving Tuesday?

I've made a resolution for November. You know cause that whole New Year's resolution thingy (lose weight, plant a sustainable garden, quit biting my nails) went right down the drain. So, I'm going for shorter, more attainable goals. Right now, its blog more. Not every day, cause I'd lose that bet with myself, um, TOMORROW!

The problem with my blogging is I blog like I talk. Ramble, ramble, ramble, DIARRHEA of the mouth, yada, yada, yada and there you have it, a freakin long blog post. They take me forever and a day, cause I couldn't possible leave one single pic out, so I take a year to upload them and with the two crazies I've got running around, well, my blogging goes to shit. (see, diarrhea of the mouth).

So, bloggers that know how to be short and to the point sometimes like to do themes for their blogs. Just to get themselves a starting point, or more to keep it simple. One of these themes is What I'm Loving Wednesday. You simply post some things that you are currently loving.

Tomorrow is Wednesday, today is Tuesday. I'm sure you have a calender and are aware. Howevah, I have to work tomorrow. Work. As in, put on scrubs and clock in, and do some nursey business, and then clock out. And Thursday? I have to put on scrubs that day too and go and do nursey business. And Friday???? Nursey business yet again. I haven't worked 3 days in a row since before I went on fake bedrest with Max (fake cause I never laid down on account of caring for an 18 month old, real cause it hurt too bad to even think about showing up at a hospital). Glad I decided to do it on a week that I was also hosting a playdate/joint birthday party with Ry's friend Lily, hosting a babyshower in Northwest AR and having a birthday party for Rylan in Northwest Arkansas. I like to keep moving.

See? ramble ramble ramble. ANYWAY! So I'm going to tell you what I love on a Tuesday. I'm an ass like that.

I love this kid's personality. He is so happy and funny and loves to make others laugh.

I love it that I took Max to the hair place to get his first haircut and when they called out "Max!!" I said "nevermind, scratch his name off your list." I chickened out, so my mom (and Rylan) aided in cutting the sides so that he doesn't look like Bozo the Clown when he gets up from a nap and we kept his long, awesome curls right where they belong.

Yes, this is better

I love it that this picture isn't staged. I walked into the kitchen to find him eating an entire stalk of broccoli. Without pants on. And holding Superman on his other shoulder. Never. Ever. Bored.

I'm loving this picture because its a perfect example of Rob and I's parenting. We constantly think something is going to be so awesome and get so excited and can't wait to see the look on our kids face and then this happens........worst day of their whole life. Or most boring in the case of Halloween trick or treating (pictures later). And then we go to the mailbox and they get so dad gum excited to pull open the box and pull out the mail and carry it to the house, why do we try so hard??????

I love these two kiddos like a fat kid loves cake. And those rare moments, where they share your lap equally, let you read to them about One Zany Zoo and you get to do that all while wearing the world's most comfortable maternity capris that you just can't possibly give up even though you aren't currently, nor will you again (unless God has a real REAL good sense of humor) be pregnant, well, they just have to be photographed.

An update, no pics

So, we went to Fayetteville over the weekend and my sister and I were seriously rocking some Dance Party on Wii. Rob thought this was super funny and got out the camera to record my not so ready to be recorded dancing body dropping it like it was hot. Long story short.....we left the camera next to the Wii. Hmph.

So, I'll just talk your ear off. All about Hot Mess and Sad Clown. Or Rylan and Max, respectively. Rylan is working through some real anger management issues when he is put in time out. Enter the name Hot Mess. Max is growing 4 two year molars all at once. At the ripe old age of barely one. And he KEEPS. GETTING. EAR. INFECTIONS. The nasty ones that clog his ear tube. Enter the name Sad Clown.

But, the glass is always half full. There is always a silver lining. The kids are freakin cute. So cute that by the end of the day, when he's all snuggled in your lap with his favorite book or ten books, Hot Mess returns to Rylan, and then there's the one that looks at you across the room, lights up with realization of who you are and how much he loves you and he opens his mouth and utters "LOLA!!!" And Sad Clown is back to Max.

Rylan, our boy that once scared us because he, literally, STOPPED speaking (around 18-19 months) is now telling stories, bossing us around, and (best of all) telling us what he needs. He has yet to learn that when he asks for stuff, followed by the very cute Rylan word of "puh-weeze" that he almost always gets what he asked for. He's still working through freaking out, screaming and throwing himself on the ground when we don't immediately know what he's wanting. Its a work in progress. It just feels SO GOOD to say that we see progress.

I'll give you some funny Ry-isms

"you not a bad mommy, you an Elmo mommy"-not sure what that means

"My baby brudder is seepin'"

"Lola woke me up"

"Daddy, your tv too loud"

"Hunty Dunty fall down, but he's okay"

"Daddy I broke my crown"***

Max isn't just walking. The kid is running. I only thought I was busy having a newborn and a two year old. Holy moly the kid is fast. Often, and I do mean often, I'll be helping Rylan get his pants pulled up after going potty, and here comes Max and throws a toy in Rylan's pee water. He also can do sign language to tell us he wants "more" of whatever he's eating and he has said -Lola, mama, dada, LOLA, dog, Lola, hat, Lola......he really likes Lola. Alot. So much, in fact, that he is dressing up as her for Halloween.

So, there's an update. I so hope to have a camera back soon. I feel like the worst blogger EVAH!

***Um, because we don't already have shit for luck, when we went to Kansas I fell down wearing some cheapo heels. It didn't hurt too bad, so I didn't really worry about it. Which is why 1.5 weeks later I was going down a flight of concrete stairs with Max in my arms and holding Rylan's hand. My ankle literally quit working and turned perpendicular to my body causing me to fall, causing Rylan to roll down 4-5 stairs and causing Max to go flying through the air. HOWEVER, we did have some luck, as Rylan fell on his side and rolled side to side instead of onto his head. And I fell onto my butt, so I was able to reach out and catch Max's pants, stopping him from sailing through the air, but his head did graze a concrete step. It was seriously sad times.Apparently my ankle didn't hurt because it had sprained so much that all the tendons had stretched completely out. To the point of being unstable. I am in physical therapy for my piece of crap ankle, so hopefully this won't happen again.