Our Little "Scot" Girl

Grandma & Grandpa Roper brought this darling outfit back from Scotland last month and I was afraid Kate was going to outgrow it by Christmas, so I had her wear it to church on Sunday. She didn't quite make it through Sacrament meeting with the whole ensemble, but we were able to snap a few shots after church.

We had some really great news this week. Two weeks ago, I went in for an amniocentesis and we got the results back on Tuesday that everything with this baby is healthy and normal. What a relief. We feel so blessed and are so excited for the arrival of this new little one. Oh, and we got a definite confirmation that IT'S A GIRL!!!

A Day To Be Thankful......Thankful I'm not 30 yet!!!

T H E B I G 2 9!!!

Yes, today I celebrated #29. I guess that means I have 1 more year to celebrate my 20's....and I'm going to enjoy every minute of it. The funny thing is that the closer I get to turning 30, the more I feel like 20. I guess that's a good thing??? I had a really great birthday though. In fact, I have the most wonderful, thoughtful husband I know. This morning Bryan had arranged for me to get a massage & pedicure at Remedez (perhaps the BEST salon). When I got home, he had gotten Kate bathed and ready (minus the hair being curled), cleaned the house and did the laundry. Now why is it so hard for me to accomplish all of that in one day, let alone in a couple of hours??? Bryan definitely makes a great "Mr. Mom." Later that night, he had asked his mom (thanks Grandma) to come and watch Kate while we had dinner at my favorite restaurant, Chef's Table. I have to say, this was one of the best birthday's I have had. Life doesn't get any sweeter than this!

THANKSGIVING 2 0 0 7

This year we spent Thanksgiving with the Rosenvall's. We had dinner at John & Michelle's (Bryan's brother) and what a FEAST it was. We started a tradition a couple years ago to get together the night before Thanksgiving for "Pie Night." It seems like we eat so much on Thanksgiving day that when it's time for pie, we are all too full. So, this way we enjoy the pies beforehand. It's been a fun tradition to keep alive. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Michelle & I wanted to start the day off right and go for a walk before the big feast began!

The table was set so beautifully.

Michelle is your everyday Martha Stewart!

Abriel was so excited to show off her "Kater Bugs" Masterpiece!

"Giddy-Up Horsey!!!"

I am THANKFUL for.....

I LOVE this time of year because I pay special attention to the the many things that I have been blessed with. Here are just a few of the MANY things that I am THANKFUL for.....

The Gospel of Jesus Christ
"Heavenly Pieces" from Dippidee
Friends And Family weekend at the GAP (thanks Teresa)
SceNted Candles
My sweet Little Kater Bugs
Being a mommy.....the greateSt job in the world
Great books from great writers
My Incredibly patient husband
Being able to traVel and see all the beauties of this earth
Health Insurance
Girl's Night Out!!!
My LeGgs because they allow me to run and cycle

I hope you ALL have a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Children's Museum

Those are some pretty cute cows??

This was the coolest bubble blower!

We had too much fun!

My friend Lindsey and I took the kids to the Children's Museum at the Gateway today. Let me just say that place is every kid's dream come true. I wish they would've had this kind of place to go when I was growing up. We had such a fun time. In fact, I think the parents had just as much fun as the kids.....I know I did. If you haven't had a chance to go there yet.....it's definitely the place to go

IT'S A GIRL!!!!

She wasn't being at all bashful!Yay! We were so excited to find out today that we are having another girl. It will be so fun for Kate to have a little sister close in age. Everything on the ultrasound looked normal and I will go in for another one in 4 weeks just to make sure. I thought deep down that Bryan really wanted a boy this time around, but he was so excited when we found out it was a girl. I think he is such a great "girl" daddy anyway! I did measure about 1 week off, so my new due date is April 28th. It sounds so far away, but I'm sure that it's going to creep up on me sooner than I think.

Fillmore . Friends . Family . Fun

I love going home to visit my family and unfortunately, we don't get down as often as I would like to, so when we do......I consider it a real treat. We decided to take a day trip down yesterday (Sunday) for our family friend's mission report. Afterward, we had a little get together at Grandpa Roper's barn with family and friends. It was a lot of fun to see everyone. The best part, though, was the chocolate fountain.....YUMMY!

Family Pictures

We've procrastinated having our family pictures taken and we finally had them taken today. It was such a perfect "Fall" day. My sister-in-law, Annalisa, is a photographer and came and snapped a few shots in a gully close to our home. I had a few shots taken with my camera, and the hard part is trying to pick one out for our Christmas card. Kate always seems to want to sleep at the most inopportune times. So, we're hoping that we can get at least one of her looking at the camera.....we'll see.

My Running Buddy!

We have been trying to take advantage of this BEAUTIFUL weather as much as we can. I love to be outside, but it seems like we just don't get out as often as we should. The last few days I have been taking Kate out for little jogs. I'm hoping to keep it up until the snow comes or until I get too big to run anymore (which, unfortunately, is coming sooner than later). Anyway, Kate loves it and it's a great way to get her curlers dry :)

Tag.....I'M IT!!!

Okay, so I have been tagged twice and am just getting around to doing it. So, Gina and Terri....this one's for you!

A. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.
B. Each player lists 6 facts/habits about themselves.
C. At the end of the post, the player then tags 6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

1. I'm a little embarrassed to admit this, but I am a total GSN (Game Show Network) FANATIC. I don't watch much TV, but when I do this is the station I turn to. I especially love all the oldies like Press Your Luck, Card Sharks, and Love Connection. I know, I know. Bryan makes so much fun of me, but I play along and am dang good at these games.

2. I have this nervous habit that I have had for a LONG time and can't seem to kick. Many of my friends can attest to this, as I am always picking at my left thumbnail. I call it the "nub" because that's all it is. I don't have a problem with any of my other fingernails.....just this one. I'm tempted to go and have a fake nail put on it just to stop the madness!!

3. I HATE (I mean...DISLIKE) Wal-Mart......but I always seem to end up shopping there! When I am there, I have to remind myself "Now why do I put myself through this misery?" Maybe it's because I end up shopping there at 9:00 pm on a Saturday night.....BIG MISTAKE!

4. I LOVE to run. Not only for the physical aspect, but mainly for therapeutic reasons. It's MY time to be able to clear my head and rejuvenate my spirits

5. I'm NOT a very good decision maker. My most commonly used phrase is, "I don't know.... what do you want to do?" I'm working on it.

6. I LIVE to travel. If I know there is a trip planned in the near future.....it keeps me going (even if it is just a trip down to Fillmore). I have a goal of visiting ALL 50 states. I am very close, just a few more to go.

There you have it....just a little bit about me. So, I don't know who to send this to because most people I know have already been tagged.

Our Little "Katerbug"

This year for Halloween, Kate was a ladybug. I think she liked this costume a little more than her costume last year (can you blame her???)


We visited Daddy at work.....and went to our ward Trunk-or-Treat party.......


Laney

Maddy, Kate & Shawn

.....and had fun spending time with our cute "animal friends! Happy Halloween!!!

Thanksgiving in October????

Thanksgiving, by far, is my favorite holiday.....not because it is the day I made my debut into this world.....but because of all the yummy FOOD!!! My mom is such an amazing cook, and for as long as I can remember, she has always provided a fabulous Thanksgiving meal (everything from scratch). Even the years we spent Thanksgiving at our relatives, she would always make a full Thanksgiving meal so we would have a week worth of leftovers! I love to cook, but I'm just not that good at it. I have never cooked a turkey, nor attempted to cook a turkey.......until today. And I must say, I was pretty proud of myself. I even made stuffing, mashed potatoes & gravy, rolls and a pumpkin chiffon pie. Anyone want to come to our house for Thanksgiving dinner this year????

I LOVE HALLOWEEN!!!!

Tonight we had our annual Halloween couples party at Kenz & Laren's. Bryan has been in Washington D.C. this past week and, unfortunately, wasn't here for the party this year. He was devastated that he had to miss it.....(actually, Bryan is a BIG party pooper when it comes to dressing up, so he was quite happy to be out of town). But, that didn't stop me from going dateless this year. We enjoyed good food, good friends and FUN!!!! Thanks Kenz and Laren for a fabulous time :)

And 1 more makes 4!!

Well, we have decided to go for round two and add to our family. We are so excited!! I'm just glad to be done with the 1st trimester and into the 2nd. This pregnancy is much different than my pregnancy with Kate, as I have been a little under the weather the last few months. But, I have felt much, much better. We think that it will be really good for Kate to have a sibling close in age. We're expecting an April baby and we can't wait.

A much needed vacation!

Gina, Me, Treo & Aunt Jalene

This weekend....Bryan played "Mr. Mom" while I spent a "Girl's Getaway" weekend down in St. George. It was so nice to spend some time in the (somewhat) warmer weather. I tease Bryan that I need to leave more often because every time I do.....Kate seems to step it up! We finally started feeding Kate through her G-Tube, and this weekend, Bryan started giving her a bottle and she took it like it was nothing (she hasn't had a bottle for almost 3-months). As sad as it is for me to admit......Kate is definitely turning into a Daddy's Girl! I'm so grateful for Bryan and the awesome father he is to Kate. I'm already planning my next getaway :) Thanks girls for a fabulous weekend!!

My very own original Vermont Teddy Bear....

Kate has 2-sets of wonderful grandparents, who love her very much (and tend to spoil her just a little bit). Grandma and Grandpa Roper vacation in Vermont every year (I must admit....I am a little jealous). This year Grandpa brought Kate back this darling little Vermont Teddy Bear. Thanks Grandma & Grandpa!!!

This week has been a little stressful, but we finally made it through it. On Friday, Kate started having seizures. She continued having them through the weekend and we couldn't figure out why she was having them, especially because she has been on medication. We met with her Cardiologist and Neurologist and figured they were set off by a combination of things. Kate had been constipated (yeah....not fun ) for a couple of days which caused the medication to not be absorbed efficiently. Also, she has continued to pack on the pounds and is near 21 pounds, which would require a higher dose of her medication. We also stopped one of her meds last week which got her electrolytes off balance. So, the combination of these things caused these seizures to come back. She has been doing so much better now!!!

Today we met with the surgeon who placed her G-Tube and I am happy to say that it is healed to the point that we can start using it (after 2 months...it's about time). So, we gladly removed the feeding tube from her nose. This is a huge step and is going to make our lives much easier.

We are so grateful for the progress Kate has been making. She is so much more active and just acts like she feels better. She is so much fun and we look forward to her continuing to progress.

Kate's little friend Maddy turned 1-year-old today. She had a fun birthday party last Friday with family and friends. The balloon artist was a huge hit not only with the kids, but also the parents. He could make ANYTHING with those balloons. We ended up with a poodle, a rainbow and an amazing sumo wrestler.Maddy had a great time diving into her cake. She was so cute and wanted to share her cake with everyone. Happy Birthday Maddy!!! We love you!

Happy Birthday Madison!!

Never a dull moment....

Okay, so you are probably wondering why I am posting a picture of this beautiful basket. Well, there's actually a funny story behind it (a little embarrassing at the time, but I can actually laugh at it now). Anyway, I take Kate into the AF Hospital every 2-weeks for some blood work. I took her in today and let me preface.....I have never had a problem when it comes to watching blood being drawn. For crying out loud, I watched Kate get her blood drawn almost every day while she was in the hospital. Well, for some reason, the lab tech was having a hard time finding a good vein. She poked Kate at least 3 or 4 times. I just stood by Kate holding her hands trying to calm her down. After about a half hour, I started feeling a little weak and light-headed. The next thing I knew, I was lying on the floor with cold towels on my forehead with numerous people standing over me. The worst part was that I had thrown up during the incident. Could it get any worse than this??? I think the hospital personnel felt sorry for me, so when leaving they gave me this basket full of candles, lotions, a picture frame, etc. It was so sweet. Needless to say, they were finally successful at getting Kate's blood, but I am dreading having to go back in 2-weeks. So, that was my eventful moment of the day!!!

Sleep Study!

Yes.....we were only gone for 1 night!!!
All ready to go...jammies and all!

Let's just say that we made it through the sleep study....and it took us a whole day to recover from it. Actually, it wasn't too bad until 2:00 am when Kate decided she didn't want to sleep nor did she want all the monitors attached to her. She fought it the rest of the night until the test was done at 6:00 am. With this being a "sleep study" I'm not quite sure how accurate the results are going to be, considering Kate was awake the majority of the time. Oh well, at least it is over with.

We have been having a home care nurse come 3 days a week, which has been really nice. With these visits, Kate is weighed every week. Much to our surprise (well we were not too surprised), Kate weighed in at a whopping 19 lbs. 14 oz today. That is a whole pound and 5 oz. she has gained in a week. Are you kidding me??? I guess with her fitting into size 18-24 month jammies (which are slightly tight on her) it goes to show that she is packing on the pounds. But hey....who doesn't love a chubby baby??

"No More Pictures Please!!!"

Grandma and Grandpa Roper went to New York last weekend and brought back Kate this cute onesie....I think "Little Stinker" should've been included!!

I've been slacking with keeping up with the blog lately. I guess I don't have as much free time as I used to. We are feeling like life is getting back to normal for us......whatever normal is! Kate is continually improving day by day. Her g-tube is looking great and is healing really well. She's also getting used to the CPAP at night and doesn't fight it as much. We're really liking getting a good night's sleep!!! On Wednesday, Kate is going in for a sleep study to monitor how she is doing at night on the CPAP. I'm not really looking forward to it as she goes into the clinic at 9:30 pm and the test goes until 6:30 am. This will give us a good idea how her Trachea is handling the CPAP. I also take her in every 2-weeks to have blood work done. This is mainly to test her electrolyte count and her CO2 levels. She also qualifies for the RSV shot again this year.....thank goodness. So, we're going to be pretty busy trying to stay on top of all her appointments.