40 days.....

On July 1st the girls and I packed the car up and left for a really long adventure.  

During the 13 hours, there was some of this, but also lots of stickers, singing, and snacking.

The Scipio Exit is a great rest stop and comes complete with a petting zoo that even has a Zonkey.

  

The girls didn't skip a beat once we arrived.  Grandparent and cousin time began, and never ended the entire time we were there.  

There was lots of playing outside, lots of dress ups, and lots of laughs.

 We were able to go to the Farmington and Centerville July parades.  They were awesome.  We got sunglasses, piggy banks, Fat Boys, Mrs. Cavanaughs mindy mints, and even slices of watermelon.

We got to run in the Stoddard family fun 5K run for the first time.  Turns out the girls don't mind running when in an actual double jogger instead of the single I have been squeezing them into!

 Joselyn was the best playmate ever.  Samantha got her to cater to her every whim. They even got matching jammies.

What is a trip out of town without sickness?  

Grandma Cole spoiled these two like crazy.

We even got to meet up with some really special friends at Wheeler Farm.  It was sweltering hot and Dallin cut his head open and had to get stitches, but it was a day we will never forget!

We also got the pleasure of visiting the Lamoreaux Ranch.  We learned that while Lucy was sitting in the dirt and playing, Samantha was crying because she had dirt on her flip flops.  My child needs some time in the woods.

We went to the Ogden Dinosaur Park 

We visited Kylee and John in Logan, fed ducks, and got Aggie Ice cream.

We ate at Nelson's

We spent Pioneer Day at Pioneer Park.  It was so much fun.  We got train rides, made leather imprints and rag dolls, and rode the ponies. I bought Sam some new shoes because I was worried she would't like the dirt on her feet.  Instead, she got a blister and refused to let me put a band-aid on it to help it from getting worse.  I wonder where she gets her stubbornness?

Chris got to join us for the last week of our trip and the girls fought over him the minute they saw him at the airport.

I surprised him and we went to see Wicked.  It was terrific.

We went to Lagoon.  Samantha loved Bulgy the Whale, the carousel, and the swings.  Madi loved the train and seeing the "animals".  Here we learned our children are allergic to walking, even short distances.

We ditched our children after dinner and went on all the adult rides.  It was so fun.  

We went swimming.

It seriously was such a great way to spend July.  There really is nothing like a Davis County summer night.  The weather was great while we were there and it was so neat to see the girls form relationships with their cousins and grandparents.  It was so nice to catch up with old friends.  We might make it a tradition!

18 months

Last Sunday this happened:

It was a day I have been waiting for every Sunday as I try to cram snacks into her to keep her quiet during Sunday school and young women's, but then the day came and it was surreal.  Chris happened to be there so he dropped her off.  There were no tears.  She walked right in and sat down to do puzzles.  There is something so liberating to see your child try something new.

In the past month or so she is really finding her voice.  She will repeat almost anything, but her most used words are "no, mama, sho (show), shoe, why, dog, water, bite, and food." She will look up at me with her beautiful eyes and say, "sho" and I will tell her no and she will say "why?"  It's getting really hard to say no.  Her favorite thing to watch is World World, but she loves anything Samantha will watch. She will sign please and try to say it and it's super cute.  

She loves playing with Little People and will just line them up and carry them around.  She loves Potato Heads, puzzles, coloring, stickers, reading books and anything Samantha is doing.  Right now her favorite items are her stuffed Mini Mouse, Tiggy, and a little dog that barks and moves.  She loves nothing more than playing in water.  She gets soaked each morning when I let her play in the sink while I get ready for the day.

Making rootbear with Grandpa Brown

Taking a walk in Grandpa Karren's shoes

Morning show

Her BFF Lucy

Art time

She is still a major mama's girl, but when Chris gets home she asks to be tickled and chased.

She loves eating applesauce, oatmeal, yogurt, cheese, raisins, grapes, M&Ms and most of all, ice cream.

Please take your bashing and leave it at the door......

I know not everyone will agree with this post.  I know everyone has had different experiences with health care.  I just can't help but write this when I see ignorant things like this on Facebook:

Just the other day I was making an appointment to go and get a yearly physical.  I decided to Google the physician I was seeing and just like that, I saw a picture of him as well as a star rating and several comments.  This got me thinking, this poor guy is being rated by people who perhaps have spent as little as 10-15 minutes with him.  Can you imagine?  It would be like having a job interview every 15 minutes, 5 days a week.  You better be on your best.  Every minute of every day.
I don't know about you, but I would be lucky to have 2.5 star rating most days, maybe a 0.5 during newborn phase or potty training.
Then it hit me.  In a few years people will be Googling my husband's name.  What will the reviews say?  I know what kind of of guy he is, but what if that doesn't come across in ten minutes?  

Doctors have become the scapegoat to all that is wrong with medicine.  You wait too long=doctors fault.  You pay too much=doctors fault.  Your health doesn't improve or gets worse=doctors fault. You hate your doctor=doctors fault.

If you want to bash someone, here's where you should start.

Fellow Patients:

We have all been there.  Waiting, waiting, waiting.  I have too.  Sometimes with two kids in a small room and its lunch time or half naked with a thin paper towel over me.  It is frustrating and aggravating.  The problem is, you shouldn't wave your finger at the doctor who enters the room and apologizes for the wait (most of the time).  Take that finger and point it at the person who showed up for their 8:00 appointment (the first of the day) at 8:10.  Or how about the person who scheduled a sick visit for a "sore throat" and then proceeded to seek treatment for the anxiety and depression they have been suffering with for five years and also that they haven't pooped in a month.  Or what about the person who demanded that the doctor also see the other three children they brought with them but didn't make appointments for.  Or how about the person who just won't stop talking.  Let's also not forget that sometimes, difficult diagnoses are given.  Sometimes doctors have to take a little extra time to discuss cancer treatment options, reasons why a miscarriage happened, or reasons why a child isn't meeting developmental milestones.  These are conversations that shouldn't be rushed, but so often are.

Doctors know your time is valuable.  They are not sitting in a room eating donuts and laughing about how long they can make someone wait.  They have a full schedule with people still calling in and asking to be "squeezed" into it.  If the office says no, you get mad because they said no, if they say yes, you get mad because you are left waiting because they are overbooked.  

Do you see where I am getting at here?  It is a hard game to win.   An impossible game to win. 

Insurance Companies/Sue Happy Society:

What do these people think we are, made of money?  How could they charge me for this or that?  Doctors get audited by insurance companies and under-coding is just as big of a no-no as over-coding.   If you discuss it, they have to chart it.  If they chart it, they have to code for it.
 And what about the fact that in this day and age, people will SUE FOR ANYTHING and EVERYTHING.  This means that doctors have to pay a hefty amount for malpractice insurance to cover themselves.  I recently read this article http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2014/03/doctors-practice-cover-ass-medicine.html.  It left me feeling like doctors can't win.  You don't do 10 extra non-essential tests in order to save the patient money, but then you get sued because you tried to save them money when something very rare and un-explainable happens.  

Viruses/Chronic Illnesses/Medical Mysteries:

Those stupid doctors.  They expect me to pay a copay when they didn't even do anything.

  You are NOT paying for a prescription.  You are paying for the doctors time and expertise.  Just as you would the plumber or electrician or lawyer.  Medical school is 4 years.  Residencies range between 3-10 years, fellowships 1+ years.  They know somethings.
Let's talk about this copay.  When my husband is out of residency his student loans will be about $2500/mo.  That means if he sees 4 patients an hour, 7 hours a day and they each pay a $20 dollar copay, almost an entire weeks worth of copay's will go directly to pay off the loans he accrued learning how to treat you. Ouch.  That's no small chunk of change.
My sister says to me, "I shouldn't have taken said child in.  It is never anything."  I always remind her, just because it doesn't need a prescription does not mean you or your child isn't sick or that your mother's intuition is wrong.

 There are these things called viruses.  They CAN NOT be treated with antibiotics.   If antibiotics are over used or misused, we grow tolerances to them and they stop being effective.  It isn't the doctors fault that your throat is sore but the strep test is negative.  It is not their fault when your urine is clean or your blood results are normal or when you are crumpled over in a ball of pain and all the tests are coming back negative.  It doesn't mean they are stupid or mean or picking on you or that they don't believe you.  Some illnesses just can't be cured or fixed or explained.  Some of your fellow patients are drug seekers.  Doctors have to learn how to sift through lies and often half told stories.

Your personality:

  I have worked with several doctors, all of which have very different personalities but are excellent physicians.  New patients would always call in and say, "Well who do you recommend?  Who is the best?"  That was a question that was impossible to answer.
Just like you and I and your best friend and you mom's aunt are all different, so are they.  Some are efficient but nice, some are quiet and take their time with you. Some think they are God's gift to the world, some are incredibly smart and want you to know it while others are incredibly smart and don't show off.  You need to find your match. If you are a vegan and eat only "whole foods", perhaps you should seek a family doctor who shares those values.  If you are planning on natural child birth, find an OB who really supports that process.  Be happy with your choice.  If you hate doctors, stop seeing them.  If you think they are quacks and all you have to say are negative things about them, find alternative therapies or use Web MD.  We are sick of you complaining.

Also,  did you ever think that maybe you are the problem?  Maybe you are a hypochondriac or needy or a time monster.  Maybe you are "that patient" who sends the office into sheer panic when they see the name on the chart.  Sometimes I feel like doctors should be able to break up with their patients.  It's not me, it's you.  It is most definitely you.

With all this said, I want to say that yes, there are people who shouldn't be practicing medicine.  Some are too old or too dumb or too crazy.  If you feel like there is honestly a physician who is endangering the lives of patients, tell the world.  No one should suffer or die.  However, if your personality just didn't "click" with the doctor you just saw, please don't go around telling everyone how awful they are/were.  Human beings are not perfect.  Doctors are human beings, therefore, they are not perfect.  Can you imagine having to be a people pleaser all day long?   Just think of the most crazy/annoying person you know.  They have doctors.  Can you imagine being locked in a room with them for 15 minutes and having to listen to their every problem?  On top of that,  imagine having to be worried about getting sued at any comment or missed diagnosis or small lapse in memory while making a living and supporting your family.  

I know, I know, they are getting paid to do it.   I think we can all agree, that sometimes you don't get what you sign up for and some things are indeed not worth the payment.

Today I am grateful for my OB/GYN who helped deliver my two babies.
I am thankful to my Neurologist who has helped me find a medicine that works for my migraines.
I am thankful for my Urologist for helping me try to find out why I keep getting kidney stones.
I am thankful for my mom's Oncologist and Surgeons who removed the breast cancer from her body.
I am thankful for my dad's Primary Care doctor for helping to treat his high cholesterol.
I am thankful everyday for my Ophthalmologist for fitting me for contacts and glasses so I can see the world around me.
I am thankful for our Pediatrician for keeping track of our daughters development and treating their illnesses.

 Doctor bashing is super cool right now, but just like parents always say, just because your friends are doing it doesn't mean you should too.  

You need to look good like us....

Do you ever feel trapped in your own web of words?

The other day we were on our way out the door when Samantha looked at me very seriously and said, "Mom are you wearing that to the store?"  (I was wearing workout clothes).
 I said, "Yep.  We are just running to Lowe's really fast and then coming back home."  

She then replied, "But people are going to wonder why you look so bad.  You need to look good like us."  

I guess she listens when I tell her we do our hair everyday and get dressed everyday.
Good thing I have these two to keep me in line.

Happiest Place on Earth......

Two and a half no longer......

If you asked Samantha how old she was, the answer was always 2 in a half. Now she can finally round up to 3!  We celebrated by going to California (remember how Madilynn got a car seat for her birthday.....we are equal gifters around here).  We met my parents and sister in Anaheim.  Chris just happened upon this awesome restaurant called 50/50 near Huntington Beach.  They serve hamburgers that are 50% ground beef and 50% ground bacon.  mmmm. Yes please.

They had bacon salt, baconaise, and bacon brownies.  

Dig in birthday girl.  

Sam is my sun lover.  She doesn't care how hot it is outside she will go and lay on the grass and just absorb the warmth.  

She has a few "things" over which she is very possessive.  This shopping cart is one of them.  It is always full of her stuff, most of which she never touches, but if madi even looks at it she gets told, "no, no Madi." 

Sam loves her dad.  She especially loves it when she gets time alone to play with him.  Here they are playing house.  It melted my heart.  She gets 100% more excited to do something if I tell her Chris will be involved.  

At bedtime we have created a Stella character that does many of the things that Samantha does.  If Chris is gone too much, I start to see a pattern of Sam telling me that I can't include Stella's Daddy in the stories.  Chris does whatever he can to bring the Daddy back in when he gets to be the story-teller.

She loves to draw and paint, although most of the time it is her telling me what to paint while she watches.
Her favorite color is green.

(this was her first attempt at a person.  Mine is the orange, hers is the blue)

(she often requests sesame characters.  I am the worst artist ever)

She has mastered the tricycle but doesn't like to go on bike rides, probably because she has to peddle 100 times to even get down the street!  She is kind enough to bring her baby everywhere she goes.

She loves the pool.  Give her some floaties and she is golden.

One of our favorite weekly activities is going to Mr. Eddie story time at the library.  This was the day they were singing to the kids with April birthdays.  She is on the far right.

She has the best bedhead around and she is always willing to help me scrub the toilets.

Here is Dr. Telly, the best vet to all the Little Pet shop pets

Her 3 year old stats:

31 lbs (5th0 percentile)

38 inches (75th percentile)

Her favorite things to do:

-dance to "her" station on Pandora.  She has some serious signature moves

-watch Daniel Tiger

-puzzles

-sticker books

-swing at the park

-play don't eat pete (with m&ms)

-play with her little people

-read books (she loves to memorize them and read to us)

Her favorite snacks/treats:
-chocolate chip granola bars
-yogurt
-pirate booty
-hummus and pretzels
-anything chocolate

She hates:
-getting wet. If even one drop of milk gets on her shirt at lunch, its over.  She must change.
--having anything on her fingers like food or finger paint
-being told what to do/being told no
-a ripped sticker.  Once it isn't whole, she wants nothing to do with it
-getting her hair washed/brushed/styled

Some funny things she says:

-"did you never" instead of have you ever

-"sinster" instead of sister

-"oh hi sweetie" to Madi each morning

-Today at the park she asked me how tall she was.  I told her about 3 1/2 ft to which she replied, "What? no mom.  I only have 2 feet."
-She is very complementary. "I like your shoes, your hair is cute, you are so handsome daddy...."
-she is very thoughtful.  She is always remember to bless people in her prayers who need help.
-When she gets hurt she says, "will it heal?"

-"Mom, I have a great idea" then "Is that a great idea mom?"
-Anything from Daniel Tiger including: "Thank you for everything you do, If you have to go potty, stop and go right away, saying I'm sorry is the first step then how can I help." She can bust into a Daniel Tiger song at anytime and think of one that applies to almost any situation!
-"if you say no mommy than I can't, but if you say yes, than I can.  So, can i mommy?"
-She has a way of talking where she puts both of her hands about neck high and tilts her head and bobs back and forth while she is excited to tell you something.  I love it.

Happy third birthday to our stubborn, independent, impatient,fun-loving, exuberant, happy, sweet, thoughtful girl.

Easter Festivities

We headed to AJ's Fine Foods for their annual egg hunt that they have inside the store.

 The kiddos all ready to hunt for eggs hidden in produce section! 

After the hunt was over they had sugar cookies that the kids could frost and put huge sprinkles on.  

Sam ate every single bite.

 These babes were good sports and cute as can be.

  On Easter Morning Madi ate her cereal in style, wearing Samantha's new swimming goggles.

 After church I bribed the girls with some cheese so that I could take a picture of them in the cute dresses their Grandma Hatty made for them.  (As if Sam needs any more cheese in her life)

We also got to introduce the girls (well Sam anyway, Madi needed a nap!) to coloring hard boiled eggs.  I don't know who had more fun Chris or Samantha.  We ate some dinner and then had a egg hunt in the back yard.  Samantha loved every minute of it and was very excited to break into the chocolate.  Madi kept bringing me candy wanting me to open it.  With her sly little grin it was really hard to say no after her third one.