Wednesday, October 19, 2011

It's a BOY!!!

Tonight we shared the wonderful new with Wy-man that he was going to have a little brother. But all along he's thought this baby was a girl...so you will see that in the video too. Enjoy!

(The quality isn't the best - we used a cell phone so audio is a little hard to hear - be sure to turn up the volume.)




Saturday, September 17, 2011

Wyatt-ism's

As I rest on the couch and try to kick this sinus infection, I am able to catch up a little on my blog. And since I can't stop thinking about all the things Wy-man has said since I got home from my Denver business trip last night, I thought...why not make a post?! (He either has gotten funnier in the 72 hours I was gone, or I am just realizing it more since I was a away for a while.)

In the last 18 hours he has amused me with the following:

1. He gave me a big hug after I got off the plane and as I began to talk to him, he asked me what happened to my voice. I told him I had lost it because I was sick. And he quickly responded, "Well go back to the plane and get it!" Oh, how I wish it was that easy.

2. In the car on the way home from the airport he asked me if the baby had popped out yet. I told him, "No, the baby won't be here until after Christmas, but when it's here he can hold it." He proceeded by telling me, "The baby will slip out of my hands and fall on the floor." Guess we really better watch him the first time he holds the baby, huh?! :)

3. The baby conversation continued and he told me the baby will like him b/c he will run around and play with 'him'. (As he referred to the baby last night - it changes from him to her daily.) I told him the baby will just lay there for a while and won't be able to walk yet. So he asked me, "The baby can't wait until he has feet, like me?!" I love how he thinks about everything in such detail. How do you explain to a 3 year old that they baby has feet when it's born but they can't put weight on them yet?

4. As we were coming into the door last night he gave me a big hug and said, "There, I'll make you feel better!" He is such a sweet little boy.

5. We were finally home and playing trains and he all of a sudden had to go potty. He stood up, turned around and said, "I think I make it just in time!" How can you not chuckle to yourself when he says things like that...and he always has the best timing.

I can't believe he is so witty - he definitely takes after his Dad-d!!!


Friday, September 16, 2011

What a Journey

As I sit back and reflect upon the last twelve months of my life, and feel this baby faintly kicking inside, I relive the bittersweet journey. I can now breathe a small sigh of relief as I have almost completed my 12th week of pregnancy with our second bundle of joy. I know there are 6 more long months that could entail many other bumps in the road, but getting through my first trimester is a huge accomplishment in my book.

As a little girl you dream of having kids and what a wonderful process it will be. Never for one second did I think I would be ‘that person’ with fertility issues. I always thought I am healthy, take care of myself, workout, eat right, etc. etc. but that didn't seem to matter. Something was WRONG with ME. It took me a long time to come to terms with it, and once I was diagnosed with PCOS we finally knew how to proceed. We still continued to struggle to get pregnant with Wyatt and I became very well known among the staff at my fertility clinic (due to my many weekly visits). But once we finally found a solution that worked and I became pregnant, I thought number 2 would be a breeze. We could skip all the trail that we took to conceive with Wy-man and go straight to what we know works. And since I am a planner, I was super excited about this possible plan.

But when the time came around we were back in the same fertility office adding many more pages of notes to my chart (which was already 2.5 inches thick), but I was welcomed with open arms by all the familiar faces I had met 3 years prior. After seeing them for another 8 months, we were once again hit over the head with another blow. Not only did the process we took with Wyatt (Repronex shots in the stomach for 10 days to be exact) fail, we tried that process twice...the second one still failing after 26 days straight of shots. I was very discouraged.

But even after all of my research and my many conversations, nothing truly prepare me for what I was about to go through. I even sat in my initial consultation with the nurse teaching me how to administer all of my shots (3 times a day mind you) and it didn’t sink in until I looked through my bag of meds. What was I getting myself into? (This photo doesn't include the 4 other times I went back to get more syringes.) Giving myself shots in the abdomen 3 times a day was a challenge by my body reacted well. I took a break from teaching Zumba and was even able to take some time off work. If I was going to do this, I wasn’t going to mess around with extra stress. And without providing too many of the gory details (that you probably don’t care to know anyway) we were able to implant 1 – grade A blastocyst (in terms we all understand – a fertilized egg). And from what I understand, grade A’s are sometimes hard to come by.

Then we began the waiting game. It was the LONGEST two weeks of my life. I was an emotional wreck – poor Mike. But he was a champ through it all. One week after the procedure I went back to work. That helped keep my mind off of the waiting…but I hadn’t realize what the meds had done to me during that 2 week time period, after all I had worn workout clothes for two months. When I went to put on my normal clothes they no longer fit - the meds had made me balloon up and I looked 3 months pregnant already! I thought to myself, “OMG, I don’t even know if I am pregnant, how am I going to hide it?!” I had to work very hard to dress in baggy clothes as much as I possibly could. But I wasn’t hiding it very well. :)

(I was 5 weeks along in this photo!)
But then the end of the two week wait was drawing near. We were told that because of all the meds it was best not to do a home test due to the risk of false negative results, so I was bound not to take one at home. However, I about caved the night before we went in for a blood test…but I am happy to report I remained strong. I patiently waited to do the pregnancy test and blood draw at the doctor’s office the next morning…but then we waited and waited to find out the results. And due to my anxiety level being SO high (imagine that) I was reading into every little thing. For example, the Kleenex box had been placed on the table where we were sitting rather than on the side table where it normally rested. (Yes, I noticed the Kleenex box had moved.) And I even evaluated the nurse’s face that came in to tell us the doctor would be with us shortly – and of course I thought she wasn’t smiling like normal so that was a bad sign. (To my defense, I know these nurses and their mannerisms quite well since I was seeing them on a weekly basis with Wyatt and then again with this round – and this gal was usually really happy.)

So we continued to wait – for another 10 minutes or so, but it felt like 30. Finally Amie, the nurse who I saw the most with this round of treatments, finally came into the office. I wasn’t sure what to think – we were waiting for the doctor, why was a nurse coming in?! But she smiled and I instantly knew I had a positive pregnancy test! (It is bringing back tears to my eyes as I type.) Come to find out, the doctor was in with a new patient that was taking longer than expected and she couldn’t have me waiting any longer – so she came in and shared the wonderful news with us. We were ecstatic. And then of course I needed those Kleenex that had been placed on the table, but thankfully it was for my tears of joy!

At least now I know it’s okay to look pregnant, but how was I going to continue to hide it? My plan was to not inform my office until I was at least 8 weeks along, but by 6 weeks we were able to see the heartbeat during our ultrasound which provided a slight sense of release that things were coming along well. And since I wasn’t able to find any other clothes to cover my bump, I was able to share my news. Since then I have had an 8 week, 10 week and 12 week ultrasound to ensure the baby is growing – and I am happy to report that things are going great! AND, I am even happier to say that the DAILY shots that I Mike had to give me in the hinny until I was 12 weeks along are finally over and it is so wonderful! I can now sit without pain! ;-) (Oh the things we do for our children!)

10 1/2 weeks along.

My belly have been large from the beginning due do all the meds and as everything inside goes back to normal, my belly is compensating – so really, it’s staying about the same size even though the baby is growing by leaps and bounds. But eventually I will get back to ‘normal’ pace – or so they say. But as a comparison, I look about as pregnant now at 12 weeks that I did with Wyatt at 18 weeks, but it’s totally worth it! (Please excuse the bad photos...) As happy as I am now, I'd be lying if I said there were many times I didn't think to myself, "This isn't fair. Why is this happening to me? What did I do to deserve this?" But I just had to remind myself that I needed to turn everything over to God. No matter how much I try to plan everything out, he is truly in control. And although Wyatt and Baby Davidson might not have their college paid for like I had always dreamed of, I know deep down that is okay...if we wouldn't have spent the money up front, we wouldn't have these two joys to share our lives with.

Even through all the stress, anxiety, pain, emotion or heartbreak we have endured, when I hold that baby in my arms it will all go away. And am counting down the days.

Monday, August 22, 2011

All Aboard...

Wyatt's 3rd Birthday Express!

And what a wonderful day it was. We couldn't have asked for a more gorgeous day to spend celebrating with a train themed party. I had a blast pulling everything together and it was worth every minute! So come along and enjoy the party too....



What better way to enter Wyatt's Island of Sodor Celebration than with a custom sign and trains galore!

And Wyatt arrived in style driving along his very own railroad tracks (touting his conductors hat, of course)!
I then framed some of the photos Amie and I took during my photography class a couple months ago...it worked perfect with our theme.
A 'happy birthday' sign was also a must to help spice up the fence. (And it gave me a much better background for opening presents!)
Once kids arrived there were many areas around Wyatt's Island of Sodor for them to visit - but the favorite by far was the Waterpark.
(If you aren't familiar with Thomas the Train, he lives on the Island of Sodor.)
And of course there had to be food, so we all dined at the Sodor Sandwich Shop where the menu consisted of hot dogs, chips and fruit skewers.
The last stop (which actually became a stop visited many times throughout the party) was our candy store. We had goodie bags for the kids to fill as a party favor.
Then it was time for gifts, but we tried to keep that short and sweet since the kids just wanted cake...
But I couldn't just settle for cupcakes, I had to challenge myself to master a train cake. It was a blast making it (except for when it fell over half way through the decorating process and I had to scrape off the icing and start over), but it didn't turn out half bad. And Wyatt was absolutely ecstatic about having a train cake made just for him! That was enough to solidify why I spent the time stressing over it. ;)
He even waited until Happy Birthday was completely over before blowing out the candles in one fell swoop. (Gosh he is getting so big!) And of course he had to have a red and blue piece which meant I had to cut the cake right down the center. But it was totally worth it for this birthday boy!
The rest of the party the kids spent running from the water slide to the bouncy to the swing set having a blast. I absolutely loved hearing their giggles the entire afternoon.
At the end of the party (a few kids had already gone home) I decided I should try and get a group photo. I think that was my biggest challenge of the day. To get five kids to sit down for 1 minute for a photo was a disaster, BUT there was one photo (out of 2o) that turned out okay!As the kids left they were able to take a Wyatt & Friends train coloring book and crayons, a train music CD and bubbles. Something they will play with in the coming weeks and remember Wyatt's party! But we couldn't call it a day without getting a family photo, and while it isn't the greatest, I will take it.

What a wonderful weekend we had celebrating three amazing years with this little man. He has forever changed our lives and made us better people! I can't wait to see what a great big brother he is going to be! Happy Birthday Wy-man!

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Summer Tradition

This summer I started a weekend tradition (as long as the weather was nice) that Wy-man and I would have a picnic lunch in his playhouse every Saturday. Our first lunch consisted of cheese and crackers and pickles. (Can you tell I let Wy-man choose the menu?!) Complete with a blanket to sit on and fun summer plates, we enjoyed our lunch while Dad-d mowed the lawn.

He couldn't get enough of the Easy Cheese and Crystal Light drink (if you look closely you can see his drink mustache).

I love this tradition we started and we are having a blast keeping it going throughout the summer.

Words of the Week...well Months!

Well I can't believe it has been a months since posting some Wyatt-isms, so I am jumping back on the bandwagon. These statements have been accumulating since January and I can't wait to share them. (Good thing I had these written on a post-it note...)


1. "Gonna go ask my dad-d" - he wasn't happy with my answer to do something, so he kept saying he was going to ask is dad-d. Thankfully this has passed but I am sure he will pull it back out at some point when he doesn't like what mama has to say.

2. "It scared my ears." - Dad-d took Wy-Man to the Monster Truck show and the engines were so loud they scared him horribly. So when I asked Wy about the show he told me "It scared my ears."

3. "I choose what I eat!" - In Feb/March Wy-man became pretty picky about his food. We sat down for dinner and of course he was being picky. So I told him to eat his green beans. He looked as me with attitude and said, "Mama, I choose what I eat!"

4. "Sooo - whatevvvverrrr!" - Not sure where this one came from but it was his favorite thing to say for about 3 months. Me: "Wy it's time for bed." Him: "Sooo, whatever!" ; Me: "Wy it's time to go to daycare." Him: "So, whatever!" And to make it that much more enjoyable, he would throw his hands up in the air while saying it, totally adding to the drama.

5. "Sweet taa-tayta" - For a while there, Wy couldn't quite say potato and Mimi's endearing name for Wy-man is her Sweet Potato. So his attempt to repeat her was too adorable not to mention.


6. "I'll be right back" - Any time we would tell Wy-man it was time for bed, it was time to go to daycare, or anything else he didn't want to do he would tell us "I'll be right back" and hold up is hand (like a stop sign). It was so hard not to bust out laughing. Too bad I wasn't able to capture a photo. He is just too cute.


7. "I'm texting" - We gave Wy-man my old cell phone because we all know kids love electronics. So one day we were going to run errands and told Wy it was time to go. He looked up from the phone and said, "Hold on, I'm texting." Really, he's 2. Guess that means mama and dad-d text too much.

8. "Come on...the Party's Dartin'" - Dad-d got home from work and Wy-man yells to him "Come on...the party's dartin' " meaning (the party's startin'). There wasn't a party going on but Wy sure thought there was.

9. "I can't eat that, it make me sick." - Of course, another picky eater statement. I asked him to eat his pork chop for dinner and he told me "I can't eat that, it make me sick." Where does he learn these things?


10. "I want a burger cheese." - A cheeseburger is one if Wy-man's favorites...but he always requests a burger cheese.

And unfortunately there are a few I am sad to report as well...(darn it daycare).

11. "Shut up" - Wy-man knew this was a naughty word b/c when he would say it, he would do it in a whisper. We quickly nipped that one in the bud.

12. "Stupid" - It's inevitable...kids will say things we don't want them to no matter how well we parent. Another word learned at daycare was 'stupid' but we have had talks and he knows it isn't a word he should use.

A few additional stories that I must capture for prosperity.

13. The other night I was putting him to bed and it was thundering. He asked me what that was. I told him "Someone is knocking on heaven's door." About 10 minutes later it thundered again and said, "Mama, somebunny's knockin' at Kevin's door." It was too cute!

14. Dad-d was bringing Wy-man to daycare and he was dressed in cute khakis and a surf shirt from his good friend Selah. He proceeded to say, "Dad-d, I don't like these pants. I pee on them at daycare so they change them." Seriously? Did he really just say that?! We did make it through the day without an intentional pee.

15. Just two weeks ago I was putting Wy in his car seat after daycare and his excuse so I wouldn't buckle his car seat was "I pooped in my underwear and now I am squishing it!" Seriously? I am amazed at his imagination and he isn't even three.

But man do I love this little man!!!

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Zumbathon for Joplin

On May 22, 2011 the entire world changed for my hometown of Joplin, Missouri. And although I have been away for 11 years, the news of this disaster devastated me and I will NEVER forget how I heard the news.

I was in Omaha, NE on the set of a TV shoot for one of my clients when I received a call from my college roommate and best friend. Erica had heard of the news that Joplin had been hit by a tornado and she was wondering if I had talked to my sister (who still lives in Joplin). Of course I hadn't heard from her and tried to call...but couldn't get a hold of her. Erica continued to keep me updated and each time we talked I became more aware that even more of the town I called home for 19 years had been wiped away.

We finally heard Ash, Seth and their 3 boys were okay so I had a small sense of relief, but there were still many friends and their families that I didn't know if they were okay. As the night went on I depended upon Facebook to hear updates. It was the BEST and practically our only form of communication with others since phone service was so spotty.

Mike and I couldn't stand not being there and decided to head to Joplin the next day to help wherever we could. Seeing the damage was indescribable. I just can't believe what I saw...seeing my childhood home with the roof gone, the trees torn up and the pool house demolished - it was devastating. And to think that this was nothing in comparison to other areas that were harder hit in town.
But then the time came after 6 days in Joplin that Mike and I had to come back to Sioux Falls and return to work...but I couldn't stop thinking about Joplin. How could I be back at work enjoying my normal life yet so maybe people I know and love in Joplin are suffering? I had to do something.

That's when I decided that I wanted to use one of my passions, Zumba, to help my hometown. I have been teaching Zumba for almost 7 years and what a better way to help raise money for such a great cause.

I started right away! I worked with the wellness center where I teach as well as Mike's fitness center to team up and put together a great event. All Zumba instructors were completely on board, I designed a logo and we were on our way!

My Zumba class helped spread the word and posters were put up all throughout Sioux Falls.

On event day we had a great turn out! So many businesses were willing to sponsor the event even providing water, bananas and cookies to keep the participants full of energy!


We also had so many wonderful door prizes donated to give to our participants.

There were 7 wonderfully talented Zumba instructors that participated in the 2 hour event. (And it's a good thing there were so many of us...we were exhausted by the end.)

We took turns out in the crowd to keep the energy up...

...as well as spent time on stage leading the routines!

(Check out how sweaty we were...I lost 2 lbs just in sweat during those 2 hours.)

We had such a great turn out...check out how full the gym was!


And a few of the Sanford Wellness Zumba die-hards even stuck around for a group photo after the event!Two of the three television stations came out and covered the event event as well. That gave us even more coverage and more importantly donations as we accepted donations for one week after the event took place. All in all this wonderfully successful event raised a total of $3,242.44 for the Joplin Schools.


I couldn't be more proud to say I was a part of organizing this great event. This was just a small way for me to give back to such a wonderful town that has given so much to me!! I love you Joplin, Mo!

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Gone Fishin'

Lovin' the sun.
Lovin' life.
Lovin' time fishin' with Dad-d!















Thursday, April 28, 2011

Bakin' Cookies

Well, I am getting back into the swing of things - now I'm able to write more than once a month! This mama is super excited!

Yesterday, Mimi picked Wy-man up early from daycare and they had a blast making cookies. Thanks to my mama for sharing these moments with my little man. He sure had a blast!!

Once the dough was mixed, Mimi went to grab the camera. And look what this ornery boy was doing when she came back...dipping his finger into the batter. He was caught red handed!
And yet he tried to look so innocent. (But do you see the trace of batter on his cheek?!) Then, he must have decided to embrace the camera's presence! (What a cheese ball!)

Mimi's other mistake was giving Wy-man the chocolate chip bag and asking him to put in the chips. He would put a few in and then eat a handful. When Mimi told him to dump the rest of the bag in but he refused since that wouldn't leave any left for him to snack on. But when the chips were thoroughly mixed in, Mimi even let him put the cookies on the cookie sheet - she sure was brave!

But here's the best part - he got to lick the mixer.

While the cookies baked, Mimi took him outside to play. (This crazy kid would be outside even in negative temperatures.) And when he came in, they enjoyed a nice snack.

He worked hard on his thumbs up for this photo opp but then decided it was time to drink his milk and enjoy his cookie!


Thanks Mimi for spending this quality time with Wy-man. He loved it!